ELMONT, NY — Emil Heineman salvaged the New York Islanders’ night by scoring the game-winning shootout attempt in the fourth round of the skills competition to lift the hosts to a 5-4 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights on Tuesday night at UBS Arena.
“What I love about our group is that we didn’t change anything,” head coach Patrick Roy said. “I thought we were playing well. We were moving… One of the things I love about our guys is our resiliency.”
Vegas forward Pavel Dorofeyev equalized with 12.1 seconds left in regulation to force overtime after Bo Horvat’s second goal of the night put the Islanders ahead midway through the third period. Dorofeyev picked up a rebound off a Mitch Marner shot and finished into an open net to send the game into overtime.
The equalizer came just moments after New York killed off a 6-on-4 shorthanded scenario after Adam Pelech’s delay-of-game penalty and the Knights pulling their goalie for an extra attacker.
Nine seconds after Dorofeyev’s tally, Kyle MacLean was called for a high-stick penalty after an official’s review, meaning the Islanders would be short-handed for the first 1:57 of the extra frame. Ceaseless Knights pressure resulted in just two power-play shots, both of which were turned away by Ilya Sorokin, who made 31 saves. Vegas goalie Carter Hart made 23.
“They found there off a bit of a break late,” defenseman Ryan Pulock, who played nearly 30 minutes, said. “But you just have to stick with it… Whatever it takes. That’s kind of the mindset. Win every battle, block every shot, and our goalie was huge and gave us a chance in the shootout.”
The Islanders (17-11-3, 37 points) have now won four of their last five games, with Tuesday’s win over a powerful Knights squad preceded by two victories over the Tampa Bay Lightning and a resounding triumph over the powerhouse Colorado Avalanche.
“We have the opportunity to beat any team,” Horvat said. “I think we got a group in here to do that every single night, and everybody’s buying into what we’re trying to do here.”
Both of the Knights’ first-period goals came directly off big rebounds left by Ilya Sorokin. Noah Hanifin cashed in off a save from a Jack Eichel shot during 4-on-4 play 12:02 into the frame. Just 3:59 later, Mitch Marner got on the end of a rebound off a Kaedan Korczak attempt.
The Islanders halved their deficit, also while on a 4-on-4, with 25.6 seconds left in the first, when Horvat one-timed a feed from Ryan Pulock from the right circle past Hart for his 18th goal of the season.
Marc Gatcomb tied it up with a tip-in off a brilliant Casey Cizikas helper 3:56 into the second period. After cycling down low behind the Vegas net, the veteran Islanders forward cut up to the goal line and spun back toward the board on his forehand to send a pinpoint pass to Gatcomb in front.
“What a play by Casey,” Gatcomb, a right-handed shooter, said. “I could have scored that lefty, probably. He put that thing on a platter… Luckily I was just ready for it. Great play by him.”
Holmstrom gave New York its first lead of the night with 6:30 left in the second when he sniped a wrister from the left circle over the glove of Hart. His chance was set up by solid hold-up play by Calum Ritchie and Anthony Duclair, the former threading a pass to the open goal-scorer.
It was Holmstrom’s first goal in 18 games.
“Seeing him scoring today after I knew [about the drought], I’m pretty happy for him,” Roy said.
Ivan Barbashev found the equalizer for Vegas 1:27 into the third when he was able to beat Matthew Schaefer to a loose puck in front of Sorokin and send a diving poke check over the netminder’s left pad and just inches beyond his glove.
Horvat put the Islanders ahead with 9:45 to go when he one-timed a power-play feed from between the dots through the five-hole of Hart.
