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Kelsey Surmacz
kelsey_surmacz4@THNew
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Kelsey is an alumni of the PHWA Mentorship Program and has been sportswriting since she could hold a pen. She co-hosts a podcast, "Pucks N'at," to cover all things Penguins hockey. She's an avid Star Wars fan, loves coffee shops and dreams of seeing a Pittsburgh Pirates World Series in her lifetime.
Joined at Aug 21, 2024Activity
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Islanders Ink Michigan State Forward To One-Year Entry-Level Deal
The New York Islanders have signed Joey Larson to a one-year, entry-level contract beginning in the 2025-26 season.
Larson, 24, registered 24 points (10 goals, 14 assists) in 37 games as a junior at Michigan State University this season.
The 6'1, 196-pound forward played in 75 games over two seasons with the Spartans, where he had 56 points (26 goals, 30 assists).
Before Michigan State, Larson tallied 27 points (13 goals, 14 assists) in 36 games as a freshman at Northern Michigan University.
Signing Larson was the latest move for the Islanders, who also recently signed Gleb Veremyev to a two-year, entry-level contract, as well as Max Dorrington to an amateur tryout with the Bridgeport Islanders.
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Need For Goaltender Interference Clarity Grows
On Monday, the Columbus Blue Jackets were beneficiaries of a goaltender interference call in the final moments of regulation against the New York Islanders in an eventual 4-3 shootout win.
On Thursday, the Montreal Canadiens, who hold down the second wild-card spot, were not in their huge game against the Philadelphia Flyers.
With the scoreboard reading 3-2 in the second half of the third period, the Flyers extended their lead after Tyson Foerster scored with 9:51 to play.
Called a goal on the ice, Canadiens head coach Martin St. Louis challenged the call as Bobby Brink goes to the blue paint on his own and makes contact with Jakob Dobeš.
But, after Toronto took a look, they deemed this a good goal, leading to a power play for Philadelphia. The Flyers took advantage, making it 5-2 in what became a 6-4 victory.
Following the game, Canadiens forward Brendan Gallagher spoke about the failed challenge:
"We see what's going on...the Palmieri goal, the goal we had called back. He skates in the crease on his own. He gets in Dobes' way. That's what they've been calling. That's the standard [...] It's incompetence."
As you heard from Gallagher, there's no consistency and these are big games down the stretch here being impacted by goaltender interference.
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Anthony Duclair Stepping Away From Islanders; Matt Martin To Play vs. Wild
EAST MEADOW, NY -- The New York Islanders will be making a lineup change out of necessity on Friday against the Minnesota Wild.
Forward Anthony Duclair will be taking time away from the team to reflect, which means head coach Patrick Roy has to fill his hole in the lineup.
After turning to defenseman Adam Boqvist twice to fill a forward role when Kyle MacLean and Hudson Fasching were sick, Roy is calling on long-time Islander Matt Martin.
The 35-year-old, who began this season on a PTO before getting a one-year pro-rated league-minimum deal, has not played since Jan. 16 and has only suited up for 24 games this season.
"I just found out a couple of minutes ago. So obviously excited to get back in the lineup and to play a game, obviously at home," Martin said. "So, I'm looking forward to it. I'll get some rest tonight and be ready to go."
Roy has loved what Martin's brought in his role.
"He's been a great leader," Roy said. "I mean, it's impressive the way he's been working every day at the practice, working and pushing the guys who were not playing, keeping them in a positive mind.
"So, I'm excited to give him the opportunity to play tomorrow."
The other news regarding the lineup is Roy hasn't decided yet whether Scott Mayfield or Mike Reilly will play.
Puck drop between the Islanders and Wild comes your way at 7:30 PM ET on Friday.
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Islanders Prospect Cole Eiserman Takes Division I Freshman Goal Lead
Cole Eiserman has continued his dominant freshman season for Boston University against Ohio State in the opening round of the 2025 NCAA Hockey Tournament.
At 8:07 of the second period, fellow New York Islanders prospect Kamil Bednarik won an offensive zone face-off.
Then, Eiserman collected the puck and fired it past Logan Terness:
This was Eiserman's 22nd goal of the season.
In the third period, he scored again, this time off a bizarre angle below the goal line at 8:07:
This was the Terriers' fourth consecutive goal to extend their lead to 6-3.
Eiserman's second goal was his 23rd of the season, giving him the lead among NCAA DI freshman in goals.
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Bridgeport Islanders Sign Copiague Native To Amateur Tryout
The Bridgeport Islanders have signed Long Island native Ross Mitton to an Amateur Tryout.
The 24-year-old right winger, who played four seasons at Colgate before his fifth season at the University of Maine, is from Copiague Harbor.
In four seasons at Colgate, Mitton scored 25 goals with 45 assists for 70 points in 130 games.
He ended his collegiate career with 11 points (four goals, seven assists) in 31 games at Maine as a graduate student.
With Maine winning the Hockey East Tournament, Mitton had a chance to hold the Lamoriello Trophy, named after New York Islanders general manager Lou Lamoriello, who was the first commissioner of Hockey East in 1983.
Mitton’s best season came in his senior season in upstate New York, recording 30 points (11 goals, 19 assists) in 34 games during the 2023-24 season.
Mitton was the latest move for the Islanders, who also recently signed Joey Larson to a one-year entry-level contract, Gleb Veremyev to a two-year, entry-level contract, as well as Max Dorrington to an amateur tryout with the Bridgeport Islanders.
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Islanders Newest Top Prospect Heating Up In OHL Playoffs
After ending his regular season with just two assists over his final five regular-season games, New York Islanders top prospect, Oshawa Generals forward Cal Ritchie, is producing in the OHL Playoffs.
Through the opening four games of their first-round series against Brampton Steelheads, the 20-year-old has at least one point with one goal and five assists:
Ritchie may not be as hot as a few of his teammates, with Colby Barlow (Winnipeg Jets) and Owen Griffin ( each recording four goals and four assists and Beckett Senneke (Anaheim Ducks) recording four goals and three assists.
Ritchie won't join the Islanders this season, with general manager Lou Lamoriello citing that following the 2025 NHL Trade Deadline, they would not burn a season off his entry-level contract.
Also, the OHL Playoffs and Memorial Cup schedule wouldn't allow him to come to Long Island in time.
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Islanders Still Control Playoff Destiny
At some point the New York Islanders are going to have to win some hockey games.
But after Friday’s out-of-town scoreboard results, Patrick Roy’s squad still controls their own destiny.
The outcomes on Friday weren’t great from an optics standpoint.
The Columbus Blue Jackets beat the Vancouver Canucks in a shootout, while the New York Rangers earned a point in an overtime loss to the Anaheim Ducks, with both teams leapfrogging the Islanders.
However, the biggest game went the Islanders way, with the Montreal Canadiens falling in regulation to the Carolina Hurricanes.
The Islanders wake up on Saturday one line back of Columbus for the second wild-card spot, also one point back of the Rangers and Montreal.
But, the Islanders control their own destiny because they have a game in hand on Montreal and the Rangers — they play the Rangers on Apr. 10 — and they also play Columbus, closing the regular season against them on Apr. 17.
But, games in hand only matter if the Islanders can win them and this weekend back-to-back is anything but a piece of cake.
The Islanders battle the Tampa Bay Lightning at 2 PM ET on Saturday before facing the Hurricanes at 5 PM ET on Sunday.
Also on Saturday, the Blue Jackets face the Ottawa Senators, the Rangers face the San Jose Sharks and the Detroit Red Wings, who sit two points back of the Islanders and three points back of the second wild-card spot, face the Boston Bruins.
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Islanders' March Madness
The New York Islanders did not do a good enough job in March to find themselves in a playoff spot.
They'll begin April three points back of the second wild-card spot with nine games to go.
Defenseman Noah Dobson led the team with 11 points (two goals, nine assists) in their 15 March games. He also had the worst plus/- of any player, at -9.
Defenseman Tony DeAngelo averaged the highest TOI/GP at 22:58.
Bo Horvat led all forwards with 10 points (five goals, five assists) and the lowest plus/-, tied with Kyle Palmieri at -8.
Palmieri scored a team-leading three of the eight power-play goals the club scored.
The Islanders' goaltending struggled collectively, with a combined .894 SV%.
Ilya Sorokin stopped 313 of 347 shots for a .902 SV% while Marcus Hogberg stopped 84 of 97 for an .866 SV%.
Looking at some more stats, forward Marc Gatcomb ran away in the hits department, 51. Forward Casey Cizikas was second on the team with 38.
Defenseman Alexander Romanov led the team with 37 blocks.
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Islanders Bring Prospect Berg To Bridgeport
The Bridgeport Islanders have signed center Cameron Berg to an amateur tryout agreement.
Berg, 23, was selected by the New York Islanders in the fourth round (No. 125) of the 2021 NHL Draft.
He spent the past two seasons at the University of North Dakota, recording 59 points (32 goals, 27 assists) in 66 games while serving as an alternate captain his senior year.
He previously spent two seasons at the University of Nebraska Omaha, where he had 47 points (18 goals, 29 assists) in 74 games.
Berg is the latest addition to Bridgeport, joining prospects Gleb Veremyev, Joey Larson, Max Dorrington, and Jesse Pulkkinen.
The Islanders have until August 15, 2025, to sign Berg to an entry-level contract to secure his signing rights.
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Ilya Sorokin Starts For Islanders vs. Lightning, Roy Making Defensive Swap
New York Islanders head coach Patrick Roy decided to pull Ilya Sorokin after he allowed four goals on 19 shots in their 5-2 loss to the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday.
While his postgame remarks were taking the blame away from his No. 1 netminder, Roy did have a decision to make with thier weekend back-to-back against the Tampa Bay Lightning and Carolina Hurricanes.
Roy is going with Sorokin for Saturday, with Marcus Hogberg getting the start against Carolina.
In eight career starts against Tampa, Sorokin is 3-5-0, with a 3.38 GAA with an .881 SV%..
Hogberg relieved Sorokin against the Hurricanes on Dec. 17, stopping all six shots he faced. He made five saves in relief of Sorokin against Vancouver.
Roy has also decided to make a defensive change, as he'll be swapping out Mike Reilly for Adam Boqvist for power-play reasons, per Newsday's Andrew Gross.
Reilly has played in six straight games since returning to the lineup following a heart procedure and has one assist over that span.
The 31-year-old has no power-play points this season.
Boqvist, who served as a forward in their 4-3 shootout loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Monday, with Hudson Fasching out sick, earned an assist. He has one power-play goal assist this season.
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Flyers Fire Tortorella, Give Former Islanders Assistant, Head Caoch Shaw Interim Tag
A mere 36 hours after saying, "I’m not really interested in learning how to coach in this type of season, where we’re at right now,” Philadelphia Flyers head coach John Tortorella was relieved of his duties by general manager Daniel Briere.
Associate coach Brad Shaw takes over as the head coach for the rest of the regular season on an interim basis.
Shaw's first taste of coaching at the NHL level came behind the New York Islanders bench back in 2005-06, working under head coach Steve Stirling.
On Jan. 11, 2006, Shaw relieved Stirling after Long Island went 18-22-2 under his tenure.
He became the eighth coach general manager Mike Milbury had fired over a 10-year span.
Shaw went 18-18-4 before joining the St. Louis Blues as an assistant come season's end.
Now, he gets his first head coach coaching chance for the first time in 19 years.
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The Latest In the Islanders' Eastern Conference Wild Card Race
Following the New York Islanders’ 5-3 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning, the team was unable to make up ground in the Eastern Conference Wild Card race, remaining at 74 points. From there, it was scoreboard watching for the rest of Saturday’s games, with three games to keep an eye on.
First on the docket was the Ottawa Senators,, the East’s top Wild Card, hosting the Columbus Blue Jackets, who entered the day holding the final Wild Card spot. The Senators jumped out to a 3-1 lead by the halfway mark of the game and held off a late Blue Jackets push to pull out a 3-2 win.
With the loss, the Blue Jackets remain at 75 points, just one ahead of the Islanders. The Senators maintain their stranglehold of the top Wild Card spot, owning 83 points on the season.
Next on the docket was the Detroit Red Wings hosting the Boston Bruins, with Detroit chasing the Islanders by two points entering Saturday’s game. All the goals in the game came in the first period and change of play, with the Red Wings getting goals from Marco Kasper and Lucas Raymond to open the scoring. Morgan Geekie got Boston back within one, but that was as close as the Bruins would get in a 2-1 Detroit victory.
Detroit now pulls into a tie with the Islanders in the Wild Card standings, with New York having a game in hand on the Red Wings coming into Sunday.
The last and most important game for the Islanders came in The Golden State, with the San Jose Sharks hosting the New York Rangers. Artemi Panarin scored twice, and it was no looking back for the Rangers, scoring early and often en route to a 6-1 win.
The Rangers now hold the final Wild Card spot with 77 points, sitting three ahead of the Islanders after Saturday’s games, but the Islanders have two games in hand.
Looking at Sunday’s game, the Islanders will have one other game to watch, and that one is the Montreal Canadiens visiting the Florida Panthers. With both teams at 72 games played, the Canadiens, at 75 points, are a slim one-point ahead of the Islanders. Puck drop at Amerant Bank Arena is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.
However, for the Islanders, it’s about taking care of their own business first, and they have a chance to do that on Sunday against the Carolina Hurricanes at 5:00 p.m. Things can fall into place if they focus on their own games, but the Islanders will have to come out swinging on the back end of a back-to-back.
Matthew Page wrote this story.
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With The Season On The Brink, Islanders Fall To Lightning 4-1
The New York Islanders knew that Tuesday night's contest against the Tampa Bay Lightning would be pivotal in their uphill climb towards the postseason.
But with their backs up against the wall the Islanders were unable to muster what it takes to defeat the Atlantic Divisional power, losing 4-1.
The Isles began the first period creating a number of opportunities, however Tampa goalie, Andrei Vasilevskiy stood tall including stopping Bo Horvat on a breakaway.
Soon after, the Islanders got caught in their own zone after a few failed exits, and Oliver Bjorkstrand deflected a shot from the point to give Tampa a 1-0 lead with 11:14 to play in the first.
Casey Cizikas then took a slashing penalty, with 10:53 to go in the first.
Incredibly, Horvat cashed in shorthanded, tying the score at 1-1 with 9:03 to go in the first.
The teams went to the dressing room locked up 1-1 after one, with both sides getting Grade-A opportunities.
In the second, the Lightning showed their skill.
Jake Guentzel scored his 38th goal of the season 8:09 into the 2nd, finishing a neat pass from Nikita Kucherov out of the corner.
Minutes later Victor Hedman put the Bolts ahead by two, as Kucherov set up the big defenseman for his 14th goal of the season.
At the second period's buzzer, Anthony Cirelli was called for tripping, and so the Islanders ended the third frame on a power play. In the second period, the Isles held Tampa to only six shots, however two went in and the Lightning entered the third with a 3-1 lead.
Only :24 seconds into the third period, Anders Lee was called for slashing setting up 1:37 seconds of four-on-four action, negating the Islanders power play. In an effort to get back into the game, the Isles were unable to utilize the open ice to their advantage, and the teams returned to five aside.
3:59 into the second, Pierre Engvall was called for tripping, giving the Lightning their fourth power play of the night - - however, the Isles successfully killed the penalty.
Then with 6:39 remaining in the game, Yanni Gourde and Cizikas dropped the gloves -- possibly an attempt by Cozies too get the Islanders emotionally back into the game.
However, with under four minutes remaining, coach Patrick Roy pulled Sorokin, and with 3:31 remaining, the Bolts sealed the deal, as Nick Paul scored the empty net goal making the score 4-1.
The Islanders will be back in action on Friday when they host the Minnesota Wild at 7:30.
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Islanders Stumble, Fall To Canucks 5-2
ELMONT, NY- The New York Islanders fell to the Vancouver Canucks on Wednesday at UBS Arena, losing 5-2. With the loss the Islanders squandered an opportunity to move into a playoff spot for the first time since November 16.
Thatcher Demko picked up the win for the Canucks, stopping 26 of 28 Islander shots.
© Dennis Schneidler-Imagn Images
Meanwhile, Isles goalie, Ilya Sorokin was pulled early in the third period after making just 15 saves on 19 shots. Marcus Hogberg came in relief to save all five Canuck shots he faced.
Neither team scored in the first period, with the Islanders getting the better of the chances. Demko stood on his head making many incredible stops, including two on Bo Horvat.
After the one period, the Islanders lead 10-5 shots, but neither team could score.
Kiefer Sherwood opened the scoring early in the second period. He tipped a long shot taken by Quinn Hughes into the back of the net with 2:39 off the clock. Filip Hronek tapped the puck to Hughes, earning the secondary assist.
A few minutes later with the Canucks on the power play, J.G. Pageau and Casey Cizikas connected to score shorthanded for the Islanders 5:35 into period two to tie the game at one:
Then, exactly nine minutes into the middle frame Tony DeAngelo outwaited Demko after the puck popped free to give the Islanders a 2-1 lead. Cizikas earned his second assist of the night, with Pierre Engvall being credited with the secondary assist:
4:59 later, the game was knotted up once again. Former Islander Aatu Raty, who was dealt in the trade that brought Horvat to the Islanders, scored his third of the season to even the score at 2-2. Marcus Pettersson and Sherwood assisted.
Then, Derek Forbort scored his second goal of the season for the Canucks with 22.9 seconds left to go in the second period. Jake DeBrusk and Pius Suter assisted and the Canucks entered the third period with a 3-2 lead.
To start period three, Conor Garland stole the puck and Teddy Blueger wristed a shot past Sorokin only 1:05 in, consequently ending Sorokin’s night.
Hogberg entered the game in relief of Sorokin.
The Islanders had a power play attempt with 13:40 remaining but couldn’t get anything going. Then another with 4:41 left with the net empty - - and an extra attacker.
New York failed to score and Sherwood scored his second of the game into the empty net with 1:52 to go. The ENG made it 5-2 and was assisted by Suter and Drew O’Connor.
Losing 5-2, the Islanders are still one-point out of a playoff spot. They are back in action on Saturday in Tampa Bay at 2 pm against the Lightning.
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Despite Being Down To 12 Forwards, Islanders Aren't Recalling Anyone At This Time
EAST MEADOW, NY -- The New York Islanders may still believe that they have a chance at qualifying for the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs, but their seven-point deficit in the wild-card race with eight games to go makes their chances slim to none.
Regardless of how the season's final three weeks play out, there is an opportunity given the roster expansion and their current $10.4 million in cap space, to recall prospects from Bridgeport of the American Hockey League.
And with forward Anthony Duclair taking an indefinite leave of absence to "reflect" on what's been, essentially, a lost season due to a groin injury, the Islanders have no extra forwards rostered.
Despite that, a forward call-up does not seem to be in the cards.
"Not at this moment, no," head coach Patrick Roy said.
Many asked why we didn't ask a follow-up question, the one that goes "why?" but the answer is that call-ups are a Lou Lamoriello decision, not a head coach decision.
The Islanders' top prospects may not be in Bridgeport, with Cole Eiserman, Danny Nelson, and Quinn Finley in college and Cal Ritchie in the OHL, but that doesn't mean there aren't any players in the AHL who can be depth NHLers at some point down the road.
There's certainly a benefit to those players getting practice time with NHLers, even if they don't suit up in an NHL game.
The Islanders battle the Minnesota Wild at 7:30 PM ET on Friday before hosting Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals at 12:30 PM ET on Sunday.
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Former NHLer & NHL Network Analyst David Reid Breaks Down Islanders' Breakdowns vs. Canucks
The New York Islanders didn't rise to the occasion on Wednesday night against the Vancouver Canucks. Former NHL winger and NHL Network analyst David Reid broke down their 5-2 loss to a tee.
"This was a tough game, and it's a 50/50 battle in most games, and you've got to go hard.
Reid then broke down every single goal the Islanders allowed, so let's go through them.
REID: "Tsyplakov takes the wrong point."
REID: "Tony D'Angelo is on Räty and he loses position on his man.
REID: "Jean-Gabriel Pageau stops skating through the neutral zone and Forbort takes the extra two strides and gets away from inside the blue line. And you have a goal.
REID: "You see Pelech lose position on the goal in the third period, which was eventually kind of the back breaker. Pelech has the puck on the boards. You've got to get that out. He misses his play. Next thing you know, boom, it's in the back of the net.
REID'S FINAL THOUGHTS:
"These are mistakes that are being made at the wrong time for the New York Islanders. This is a game the New York Islanders had to play and be absolutely perfect in their game. Now you're not going to win every 50/50 battle. You will lose guys in front of the net. When you're fighting for the playoffs like the Islanders have, your level of intensity and your level of, I won't say panic...the fact is, you have to make sure you win those battles. You have to have a 90/10 game. If you're 55/45, maybe 60/40, that's pretty good. You're playing against professionals. You're playing against guys who are really good on the other side. To get into the playoffs, you have to be that much better. That's where the New York Islanders, to me, lost this game. Ath the moments. where they needed to be at their best. They weren't, and it cost them."
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Islanders Prospect Cole Eiserman Ties Game vs. Ohio State In First Game Of NCAA Championship
Cole Eiserman came up clutch for Boston University in the second period against Ohio State in the opening round of the 2025 NCAA Hockey Tournament.
At 8:07 of the frame, fellow New York Islanders prospect Kamil Bednarik won an offensive zone face-off.
Then, Eiserman collected the puck and fired it past Logan Terness:
This was Eiserman's 22nd goal of his freshman season.
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The Historical Aspect To Pierre Engvall's First Career Multi-Goal Game
New York Islanders forward Pierre Engvall scored twice in their 6-3 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Sunday:
It was Engvall's first multi-goal game of his NHL career, coming in his 371st career NHL game.
Per Eric Hornick's "The Skinny": Engvall's prior 63 goals had come in 63 different games, which matched the third-highest total in NHL history before a multi-goal game (Aaron Ekblad-68, Sandy McCarthy -66). Engvall's four goals since the trade deadline are tied with Anders Lee and Bo Horvat for the club lead.
Engvall has been arguably one of the Islanders' better forwards the last few weeks as he tries to end what's been a shaky season on a good note with a questionable future ahead.
Engvall is in the second season of a seven-year deal worth $3 million annually and has 13 points (five goals, eight assists) in 53 games.
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Islanders Have Allowed The First Goal An NHL-Leading 47 Times
When the Tampa Bay Lightning struck first on Tuesday night in a 4-1 win, it marked the 47th time the New York Islanders have allowed their opponent to strike first, per Eric Hornick's "The Skinny".
They now lead the league in that category, allowing the first goal of the game 63.5 percent of the time.
"You're not always going to score the first goal. Come on. I know that," Islanders head coach Patrick Roy said on Tuesday morning after a devastating back-to-back this weekend. "But I mean, you don't want to dig yourself a big hole. You want to stay in that game. When you're giving a goal, you want to make sure you have that push back and then find a way to stop the bleeding."
The Islanders have allowed the first goal in four straight games, going 0-4-0 in that span. Over their six-game skid, they've scored the first goal just once.
How important is scoring the first goal of the game?
The Islanders are 17-5-5 when they light the lamp first, but 15-27-5 when they allow the first one.
On home ice, the Islanders are 10-3-3 when they score first at 7-2-2 on the road.
But, when they allow the first goal at home, they're 7-12-2 and on the road they are 8-15-3.
Goaltending-wise, the Islanders' netminders own a collective .911 SV% in the first period this season, with a .914 SV% on home ice and a .908 SV% on the road.
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Islanders Fight Past Wild For 3-1 Win
ELMONT N.Y. -- The New York Islanders, despite recently slipping in the standings, fought well Friday at UBS Arena and eventually picked up two hard earned points by defeating the Minnesota Wild 3-1.
Ilya Sorokin made 27 saves leading the way, and now will face Alex Ovechkin, who on Sunday will have a chance to break the NHL goal record.
The first half of the opening period saw the Islanders get chance. Simon Holmstrom had the best opportunity but could not wrap it past the pad of Wild goalie, Filip Gustavsson.
Holmstrom later drew the game’s first penalty but New York did not get a shot on net.
Not long after the power play ended Hudson Fasching got called for holding Marco Rossi, giving the Wild their first man-advantage.
Minnesota fired away at Sorokin, getting four shots on net but none lit the lamp.
The pace then picked up and the Wild carried the play, finishing the period outshooting the Islanders 11-4. New York was held without a shot from the 8:47 mark.
Mats Zuccarello opened the scoring early in the second period from a bad angle. With the puck below the goal line, Zuccarello whacked at it and it deflected off Sorokin’s mask and into the net to give the Wild a 1-0 lead.
Not even a minute later the Islanders responded to tie the game at 1-1.
Pierre Engvall had a short-side shot saved by Gustavsson. Casey Cizikas tracked down the puck, cycled it to the point, and tipped a shot from Noah Dobson that made its way into the net for his seventh goal of the year.
Not long after, New York found themselves with a 2-1 lead.
Max Tsyplakov made a nifty move in the neutral zone to set up Holmstrom charging towards the net. Holmstrom tried to set up Alexander Romanov, who joined the rush, for a tap-in but it bounced off Freddy Gaudreau’s skate and in.
Holmstrom, already with a career high in goals, sits only two away from the 20-mark with 18 as the season winds down..
The rest of the period was dominated by the Islanders but not many shots to show for it. With a 2-1 lead, the Wild still owned the lead in shots, 19-17.
New York got their second power play of the game three minutes into the period and made no mistake with it.
Noah Dobson rifled a one-timer that clanged off the post and then dropped in giving the Isles a 3-1 lead.
It was Dobson’s ninth goal of the year and his second point of the night.
The Islanders played down the stretch tight, and didn't allow the Wild much.
With a Minnesota empty net, Sorokin stood tall to finish off the game and a much needed win for the Islanders with a final score of 3-1.
The Islanders will skate again on Sunday at 12:30 PM as they host the Washington Capitals.
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