Takeaways: Resilient Isles Battle to Win 4-3 over Sabres

In a gritty, gutsy performance, the New York Islanders pulled off a 4-3 win over the Buffalo Sabres on Friday night, snapping a three-game losing streak.

Adam Pelech and Mike Reilly left the game in the second period and did not return, forcing the Isles to skate with four defensemen for a majority of the contest, but they pulled off the win in a full-team effort. Bo Horvat (1G, 1A), Max Tysplakov (1G, 1A), Kyle Palmieri and JG Pageau scored for the Islanders, while Dylan Cozens, Jason Zucker (1G, 1A) and Owen Power provided offense for Buffalo.

Ilya Sorokin made 32 saves in the win, while Devon Levi turned aside 32 of 36 in the loss.

"We needed this game, but we've been playing so well," Head Coach Patrick Roy said. "I wasn't surprised to see us playing the way we played tonight. It was a great team effort, everyone played really well. Our D finished the game with four, and the way they managed that ice time it was impressive the way they handled it."

RESILIENT ISLES BAND TOGETHER

Already without Mathew Barzal, who missed the game with an upper-body injury, and now with a banged-up blueline, the Islanders banded together and displayed resilience when the team needed it most.

The second period was unnerving for the Islanders, where three defensemen suffered injuries in quick succession. Alexander Romanov, who was making his return from a three-game absence with an upper-body injury, took a hit from Jordan Greenway and left the game. Adam Pelech took a puck to the face minutes later and exited the game, forcing the Isles had to skate with four defensemen.

Mike Reilly later absorbed a hit from Greenway at the half-wall and fell awkwardly hitting his head on the ice. After a few heavy minutes where the stretcher was brought onto the ice in a sickening scene, Reilly skated to the bench and down the tunnel with the help of trainers and teammates.

Romanov returned after Reilly went down to replenish a fourth defenseman, as the Russian blueliner logged 23:52 TOI in the game. The other three defensemen also had to dig deep shorthanded, as Ryan Pulock (25:21 TOI), Noah Dobson (24:55 TOI) and Scott Mayfield (21:27 TOI) held down the fort. Pulock led the Islanders with four blocked shots, while Dobson, Mayfield and Romanov each blocked two.

In the face of adversity, the Islanders continued to push forward, with Tsyplakov making a terrific individual effort to put his team ahead 2-1. Kyle Palmieri scored a power-play goal at 12:20 of the second period to take a 3-1 lead, finishing a no-look feed from Tsyplakov.

Jason Zucker pulled Buffalo within one, scoring with a tip-in at 5:27 of the third period. The Islanders were persistent and answered back with a JG Pageau goal to make it 4-2. The Sabres again pulled within one with a goal from Owen Power, but the Isles held on for the win.

"We needed this one tonight," Lee said. "It feels good here, we're playing the right way and getting our game going. We got rewarded tonight."

LEE, HORVAT, PAGEAU LIFT ISLES

JG Pageau and Anders Lee were elevated to a line with Bo Horvat in the absence of Mathew Barzal, and the new-look line found chemistry fast, as the line combined for five points (2G, 3A) and 16 shots, with Horvat (1G, 1A) and Lee (2A) recording multi-point games.

Notably, the line was responsible for two important responses.

The Islanders took two penalties in quick succession midway through the opening frame. After fending off the first one, the Sabres struck seven seconds into their power play,Dylan Cozens buried a loose puck at the left side of the crease to grab the early lead at 9:03.

The Islanders had a response just 40 seconds after the Sabres broke the ice. Lee sent a no-look pass at the half wall that allowed Horvat to spring on a breakaway, beating Levi with his backhand to knot the score at one apiece at 9:43.

The line was key again after Zucker made it a one-goal game early in the third.

“We didn't get flustered when they made it 3-2, and we kept pressing,” Horvat said.

Horvat sent a cross-ice feed to Lee – who missed wide – but Horvat collected the puck and sent it to Pageau, who was positioned bumper-side to beat Levi. The goal held up as the game-winner.

"It's nice to have a response," Lee said. "Great play, for Pageau to pick that Bo over to me, I just missed my shot and for Bo to find Pager, it was a big moment.”

SOROKIN POSTS SOLID PERFORMANCE

Ilya Sorokin made 32 saves and was strong and steady for the Isles.

Sorokin turned aside all six of Owen Power’s team-leading shots on goal, including a big one on the PK in the first period.

In a big moment, Sorokin made a penalty shot save against Zucker by using patience and keeping his leg down on the ice to protect the 3-1 lead.

"I don't want to explain [how they got] the penalty shot, but he's one of the best goalies in the game,” Roy said. “There's a reason for that, and he made that big save there."

LINEUP NOTES

Oliver Wahlstrom drew into the lineup after missing three games as a healthy scratch and skated in his 200^th career NHL game.

Wahlstrom brought some energy, dropping the gloves with Zucker at 3:40 of the second period, each taking five-minute majors for fighting. The 24-year-old forward logged 10:18 TOI - including 4:16 on the power play – and recorded one shot and one hit. Roy was pleased overall with his performance.

“I liked him on the power play, he was really good and moved that puck very well,” Roy said. “He showed a lot of character in that fight. I thought he had a strong game. I love to see him involved in those ways. That was a solid game.”

Wahlstrom played on a line with Kyle MacLean and Hudson Fasching. Casey Cizikas shifted back to center on a line with Pierre Engvall and Simon Holmstrom.

ODDS AND ENDS

- With a goal and an assist against Buffalo, Tsyplakov recorded his second career multi-point game. The winger recorded a team-high eight hits in the victory.

- Friday’s road win over the Sabres at KeyBank Center ended a seven-game winless skid (0-5-2) which dated back to Feb. 16, 2021.

- The Islanders penalty kill went 3-for-4, while their power play went 1-for-4.

- Horvat recorded a team-high eight shots on goal.

- JG Pageau led the Isles with five blocked shots and led all Isles forwards with 21:28 TOI.

- Brock Nelson went 8-for-10 in the dot.

NEXT GAME

The Islanders conclude their three-game road trip with a stop in Manhattan to take on the New York Rangers. Puck drop is at 1 p.m.