Horvat Hopping Back into the Playoffs

It's been eight years since Bo Horvat played in the postseason in front of a riled-up crowd, yet he still vividly remembers how he felt hitting the ice for his very first taste of the playoffs.
"I remember the butterflies I got when I was coming out for my first NHL playoff game," Horvat said. "But the energy of the crowd got me going."

The 2014-15 season was a special one for Horvat, who qualified for the playoffs with the Vancouver Canucks in his rookie year and collected four points (1G, 3A) in six games. Competing for the Stanley Cup at 20 years old came with nerves and excitement of course, but the London, Ontario native learned a lot from those initial games in the postseason.
ISLES-HURRICANES SCHEDULE
"It's just a different game," Horvat said of the nature of the playoffs. "It's fast, hard-checking hockey. I learned you have to make plays quickly and simplify your game, it comes down to whoever wants it the most."
His next playoff stint would come in the form of a Canadian bubble for the 2020 playoffs. Horvat made an impact on the scoresheet in the unconventional late summer stretch, registering 12 points (10G, 2A) in Vancouver's 17-game playoff run, becoming one of five players to hit the 10-goal mark in the 2020 postseason. Although a unique experience for every team involved, Horvat pointed out the games still had an authentic playoff intensity on the ice.
"The crowd wasn't behind us, but it was still playoff hockey," Horvat said of the 2020 bubble run. "Fighting for the Cup. Meaningful games and high-pressure situations, it was still a war out there."

The crowd will be behind the 28-year-old center this time around. Horvat and the New York Islanders are gearing up for a round one matchup against the Carolina Hurricanes, with Game 1 slated for Monday.
"I can't be more excited," Horvat said. "Being back and playing in front of fans, and being back in the playoffs, I can't wait."
The 28-year-old center made quite an impact in his 30 games with the Islanders, where the team went 17-9-4 since his acquisition on Jan. 31. Horvat tallied 16 points (7G, 9A) and went 333-236 (58.5%) in the face-off dot over that span. His 38 goals in the 2022-23 regular season were a career-high, with seven of those coming with the Islanders.
"He came into this room and fit in right away," Kyle Palmieri said. "He brought in a spark. When you look at the way he plays and the game he brings, it's 200 feet. He can be relied on with both sides of the puck, and obviously he's got those leadership qualities."
PARISE PREPPING FOR 14TH PLAYOFFS
Horvat's also improved the Islanders at the dot. Prior to his arrival, the Isles were 15th in the league with a respectable 50.3 FOW%. After acquiring Horvat, the Isles jumped to third, with a 54.5 FOW% from Jan. 31 to the end of the season and were first in the league from Feb. 20 onward (55.6%).
"We have a very good faceoff team," Jean-Gabriel Pageau said. "Everyone takes each battle seriously. Bo is a great addition, he's very good on both sides of the dot."
Horvat and Pageau are both dominant in faceoffs for the Islanders - leading the team with 58.5% and 57.2% respectively - but they used to be fierce opponents in the dot. Through parts of eight seasons with the Ottawa Senators and four with the Islanders, Pageau always anticipated a tough matchup against Horvat.
"I remember taking draws against him," Pageau recalled. "He was probably my toughest opponent. He's very strong on his stick. If I was going to Vancouver and he was there, I knew it was going to be a tough night in the circle."
"Even now, I don't like to be against him in practice." Pageau added with a laugh.

Aside from his contributions on the ice, Horvat also made an impact in the locker room. He captained the Canucks from the 2019-20 season until he arrived on Long Island, carrying over those key leadership qualities to his new team.
"He's a quiet leader and does the right things," Head Coach Lane Lambert said. "He has a lot of respect for his teammates, and he's done a real good job of being a that leadership type-guy."
Captain Anders Lee recognizes Horvat's instincts and communication with the group, both on and off the ice, which will be vital for the Islanders into the postseason.
"For Bo, it's just natural," Lee said. "He's a good guy in the room, knows the right thing to say and when to say it. And what he brings to the ice every night is extremely valuable to our team and a huge part of why we had our success to get to the playoffs."
BARZAL SKATES WITH ISLES
Horvat should see a boost with the return of Mathew Barzal, as the two forwards looked to be developing chemistry in their brief stint as linemates prior to Barzal's injury.
"We had some good games before I went out," Barzal said of he and Horvat. "We were finding it and it felt like the chemistry was there. He's been playing well and he's been grinding lately, so I'm just going to come back and just try to be myself and get him the puck in the slot."
For Horvat, Monday's Game 1 can't come soon enough.
"It's why you play the game," he said. "You play to try to win a Stanley Cup. That kind of stuff brings the best out in me and I think in different players around the league, so I'm excited to get things back going and hopefully I can bring back what I did in the bubble."