NY Islanders blank Blueshirts at MSG behind Horvat’s hot stick and Sorokin’s shutout

The New York Islanders beat the New York Rangers on Saturday night, and did it with swagger. Behind Bo Horvat’s two-goal effort and a vintage Ilya Sorokin shutout, the Isles silenced Madison Square Garden with a commanding 5-0 win that snapped a five-game skid against their biggest rival.

“It was a night and day difference from our last game,” said Horvat, talking about how the team rebounded from Friday night's 5-2 loss to Minnesota. “That’s how we have to play more often.”

Horvat’s heater continued as he scored his 10th and 11th goals of the season, moving into a tie with Sidney Crosby and Cutter Gauthier for the league lead. His first came off a slick 2-on-1 rush with Emil Heineman, who continues to look right at home on the top line. Horvat later buried a power-play goal late in the second period, his third multi-goal performance this season.

"It was important for us to come here and play with a lot of confidence and some swagger, and I thought that's what our guys did," said head coach Patrick Roy after the game.

Jonathan Drouin added a goal and two assists, flashing the creativity Isles fans have been waiting to see. His give-and-go with Anthony Duclair in the first period made it 2-0, and he set up Horvat’s second tally with a silky backhand feed across the slot. Jean-Gabriel Pageau matched Drouin’s three-point night with a goal and two helpers, while Anders Lee rounded out the scoring with a late third-period finish.

And then there was Sorokin. After a week of talk about shootouts and confidence, he delivered one of his best games of the season, stopping all 33 shots he faced. From robbing Artemi Panarin early to standing tall on a Rangers power play, Sorokin looked like the All-Star version of himself again, and that feels just as good as blowing out your biggest rival on the road.