ELMONT, NY — On a night in which they lost their leading goal-scorer, Bo Horvat, to a leg injury, the New York Islanders defeated the Anaheim Ducks 5-2 on Thursday night at UBS Arena behind two goals from Anders Lee and the first-career tally for rookie defenseman Travis Mitchell.
With the win, the Islanders (18-11-3, 39 points) have won five of their last six games and are now within one point of the top spot in the Eastern Conference.
And they did so against a Ducks team that currently holds the top spot in the Pacific Division.
The game opened with an electrifying first period, setting the tone for a night full of milestones.
The Islanders struck early, with Mitchell scoring his first career NHL goal, assisted by Scott Mayfield and Anthony Duclair. This marked a special moment for Mitchell, a player eager to make his mark on the league.
“It’s pretty unbelievable to actually score a goal in the NHL,” Mitchell said. “You dream of it as a kid playing basement hockey… So then to actually kind of turn that into a reality is pretty cool.”
Soon after, the Islanders went on the power play after Ryan Strome of Anaheim was penalized for high-sticking, and they cashed in again.
Lee scored his first goal of the night. This goal was monumental, as it pushed him to 296 career goals, making him the fifth-highest goal scorer in Islanders’ franchise history, surpassing Brock Nelson. Lee’s remarkable achievement was a testament to his consistency and presence on the ice, solidifying his place among the Isles’ greats.
“I’m sure he’ll see it, but it’s been special to share that with him for a little bit,” Lee joked when asked if he’d reach out to his former teammate, who is now with the Colorado Avalanche. “Most of those goals we both scored together for a very long time.”
Lee found the back of the net again on the power play, marking his 297th career goal — a huge achievement for the captain on a night where everything seemed to go right.
This was the Islanders’ first game with multiple power play goals since Oct. 21, when they faced the San Jose Sharks. With this performance, they ended a 24-game stretch without scoring more than one power-play goal in a game.
Bo Horvat’s Night Cut Short
Horvat was forced out of the game in the second period after suffering what the Islanders described as a lower-body injury after he tangled skates with Ducks defenseman Drew Helleson. He immediately left the contest and went to the locker room for evaluation. The play appeared to be the result of a misstep that put stress on his ankle.
His absence marks a significant moment in Thursday night’s game. Horvat has been a driving force for New York this season, and losing him mid-game shifted the lineup and put added responsibility on players like Mathew Barzal and Lee to maintain the Islanders’ offensive push.
Head Coach Patrick Roy on losing Horvat: “When you lose a player like Bo, you don’t try and replace him, because it’s impossible.”
Later in the third period, Simon Holmstrom scored the fourth goal of the night for the Islanders, making it 4-2.
“Simon, when he plays with that confidence, the goal that he scored and the plays that he made… I think that’s important to him, and I thought he was confident tonight.”
