Bo Horvat absolutely lit up the lamp twice against the Blackhawks, cementing a 4-1 Islanders win that pushes their young season record to an even 2-2. Those two goals, including an empty-netter to seal it, were just part of a wild night that showed this team knows how to finish, even if it gets a little chippy.
Isles Turn Up the Heat in the Second Period
The Islanders absolutely had to dispatch the Blackhawks, and they did exactly that. The 4-1 final really broke open in the second period when the Isles netted two goals in quick succession, expertly converting counterattacks against a Blackhawks defense that looked pretty loose. Horvat kicked things off with a power play goal, showcasing that veteran scoring touch we love to see.
But it wasn’t just Horvat putting pucks in the net. Emil Heineman rifled one in, with Horvat setting a perfect screen to aid the shot. And Anthony Duclair got on the board after a partial breakaway was snuffed out, leading to an absolutely insightful setup from Logan Stanley. Seriously, the guy is seeing the ice so well right now. Ilya Sorokin was rock solid in net too, there when he was needed, which honestly wasn’t too often since the Blackhawks don’t exactly have a ton of firepower to make anyone truly nervous.
Stanley’s Shocking Start and the End-of-Game Chaos
Okay, we have to talk about Logan Stanley. This dude has four assists in four games already! He signed at the conclusion of preseason and is now pairing up with Matthew Schaefer after Alex Romanov’s season-ending injury. It just goes to show you, things can get weird this early in the year, but Stanley is making the most of it. What a surprising start to his season.
Then, as the game wound down, things got absolutely insane. Frank Nazar bizarrely went for a shoulder check to Horvat’s head as the captain released his empty net shot from the Islanders zone. That earned Nazar a match penalty, and an enraged J-G Pageau wasted no time taking on Tyler Bertuzzi. And just when you thought it was over, more drama erupted when Wyatt Kaiser took a shot at Emil Heineman, which Anthony Duclair immediately objected to. Kaiser and Duclair both earned matching roughing penalties, and the rest of the game was basically a formality. Horvat was sent to the dressing room for evaluation, but honestly, he looked fine to me, probably just a spotter precaution.
Next up, the Islanders host the Lightning on Saturday for a 7:30 PM EDT start. Let’s see if Stanley can keep this incredible run going and if the team can build on this momentum, hopefully with a little less post-whistle drama.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Lighthouse Hockey.
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