NY Islanders star of the week: Bo Horvat shines in the new uniform
Throughout the week of February 5th, the NY Islanders played four games in total. The Islanders would go on to win the first two games but would fall in the final two of the week. However, one thing remained constant, Bo Horvat re-energized the lackluster Islanders offense since the all-star break.
The first game for the blue and orange came on Monday when they traveled to Pennsylvania to take on the Philadelphia Flyers. This would be a quiet game for Horvat, but he participated in 23 shifts that night and tallied just over 19 minutes of ice time. The Islanders would go on to win this game, 2-1, thanks to goals by Kyle Palmieri and Mat Barzal.
The next day, the Islanders welcomed former teammate Jordan Eberle, and the Seattle Kraken to the UBS Arena where they picked up a dominant shutout win, 4-0. This game marked the first NHL goal of Samuel Bolduc and the first goal in an Islanders uniform for Horvat.
In the early going of the second period, Barzal found Horvat for a goal, to extend the Islanders' lead to 4-0. This goal would be Horvat's 32nd, of the season, and it would also serve to be Barzal's 32nd assist of the season as well. In just his second game on his new team, Horvat got himself on the scoresheet, already beginning to achieve what he was brought to Long Island to do... score.
On Thursday, the Islanders welcomed another former teammate Anthony Beauvillier, and the Vancouver Canucks to the UBS Arena. This game would, unfortunately, end in heartbreaking fashion for the Islanders, as they would fall to the Canucks, 6-5. However, Horvat would find himself on the scoresheet, not once, but twice in this game.
The first came late in the second period when he picked up his second goal with the Islanders, and his 33rd on the season, off an assist by Barzal and Ryan Pulock. Horvat's goal would extend the Islanders' lead to 4-2, giving the Islanders the commanding two-goal lead. Horvat would find himself back on the scoresheet at the end of the third period when he would pick up a secondary assist on a goal by Islanders defenseman, Noah Dobson.
The final game of the week for the Islanders came on Saturday when they traveled to Canada to take on the Montreal Canadiens. This would serve to be another rough loss for the blue and orange as they would fall to the Canadiens in overtime, 4-3.
"In the third period, we came out a little flat and didn't have enough push last game," Horvat said. "Tonight, I thought we still had our chances and still came strong, but we just couldn't get it done."
For the third straight game, Horvat would pick up a goal, this time on the powerplay, at the end of the second period. Off an assist by Dobson, and a secondary assist by Brock Nelson, Horvat was able to put the puck in the net, and give the Islanders the 2-1 lead. Unfortunately, this wouldn't last.
Overall, Bo Horvat has been a valuable asset to the Islanders. With that said, Horvat is far from the solution. The Islanders set out to spark the offense, which is what they did by trading for Horvat, but at the end of the day, he is just one player and there are many more moves that must be made if the Islanders hope to make a serious run this year.