Ilya Sorokin chat EAST MEADOW, NY -- The New York Islanders [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-islanders/] just beat the Boston Bruins on Sunday, a 5-4 overtime win for their first win of 2025. While the Islanders did blow a 4-2 third-period lead to a team on the second leg of a back-to-back, the Bruins are a team ahead of the Islanders, and it was an important two points. Following Tuesday's practice, the Islanders will travel to the desert to face the Vegas Golden Knights. The puck will drop on Thursday night at 10 PM ET. Vegas is the best team in the NHL at this moment. Is head coach Patrick Roy looking at this game as a measuring stick for his squad? "No. It's a game where we can continue to improve as a team. Because [calling it] a measuring stick means you win the game, and you say, 'Okay, we're there.' I don't want to think that way. If we win this game, I want to win the next game. So that's the mindset we should have. "There's no measuring stick at this point. To me, at this point, it's let's go to Vegas. It's a tough building to play. They're really good at home. Let's play a good game, and let's see where we are. But regardless of this, we are going to have to be ready for the next one because we need that winning streak. We got to build on one game at a time. and stay in the present moment and focus on the next game." Image [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjExOTUzNTIxOTM3ODg0NzA3/usatsi_22239878.jpg] After Vegas, the Islanders will battle the newest team in the NHL, the Utah Hockey Club, at the Delta Center on Saturday night at 9 PM. Utah, like the Islanders, finds itself outside of a playoff spot, four games back of the Vancouver Canucks. The Islanders have yet to put together a three-game winning streak this season, and finding a way to do that would do wonders for their playoff chances, especially with still another half to play.
