Bo Horvat the hero as the NY Islanders top Penguins 5-4 in overtime on Long Island

If you were looking for a reminder that this New York Islanders season still has plenty of pulse, Tuesday night versus the Pittsburgh Penguins at UBS Arena delivered it.

Bo Horvat was the hero, again. After already scoring once earlier in the night, Horvat buried a breakaway just 52 seconds into overtime to lift the Islanders to a massive 5–4 win, snapping a two-game skid and keeping the Isles firmly in the thick of the Metro race heading into the Olympic break.

The game swung back and forth all night, starting with Anthony Mantha opening the scoring for Pittsburgh before Horvat answered late in the first. Rookie sensation Matthew Schaefer then reminded everyone why his season is bordering on absurd, blasting a slap shot in the closing seconds of the period for his 16th goal — yes, 16 — to give the Isles a 2–1 lead after one.

The Penguins pushed back in the second, with Egor Chinakhov tying it and Bryan Rust scoring from an impossible angle behind the goal line to put Pittsburgh ahead. But Mathew Barzal kept New York within striking distance, tying the game at 3 midway through the third with one of those slippery, momentum-shifting goals only he seems to score.

Justin Brazeau’s deflection gave the Penguins another lead, but Ryan Pulock answered with a clutch blast late in regulation, setting the stage for overtime drama.

Then came Horvat.

A loose puck, a step on the defense, and a clean breakaway later, Horvat finished it with authority, sealing one of the Islanders’ most important wins of the season. Ilya Sorokin was steady throughout, turning aside 31 shots. Two points banked. Confidence restored. And a reminder that this Islanders group still knows how to fight when it matters most.