Samuel Bolduc and Bo Horvat scored milestone goals and Ilya Sorokin stopped all 32 shots he faced Tuesday night for the host New York Islanders, who continued surging with a 4-0 win over the Seattle Kraken in Elmont, NY.
Bolduc, appearing in his fifth career game, gave the Islanders the lead with his first NHL goal early in the first period. Horvat, whom New York acquired from the Vancouver Canucks on Jan. 30 and signed to an eight-year contract on Sunday, scored his first goal for his new team to close out the scoring in the second period.
Simon Holmstrom and Zach Parise also scored for the Islanders, who won their fourth straight and scored more than four goals for the first time since a 6-2 win over the Canucks on Jan. 3 — when Horvat scored both goals for Vancouver.
The shutout was the second consecutive for Sorokin, who stopped 23 shots in a 2-0 win over the Detroit Red Wings on Jan. 27, and his fifth of the season, tying him with the Washington Capitals’ Darcy Kuemper for the most in the NHL.
Martin Jones recorded 23 saves for the Kraken, who have lost five of eight (3-4-1) since a franchise-record eight-game winning streak from Jan. 1 through Jan. 14.
A faceoff win by the Islanders deep in the Kraken zone led to Bolduc’s goal 7:59 into the first. Brock Nelson outdueled Yanni Gourde, picked up the puck and passed to Scott Mayfield, who immediately dished to Bolduc. The defenseman fired a shot that sailed past Jones, who was screened by five players.
The Islanders doubled the lead following an impressive individual effort by Holmstrom. Jean-Gabriel Pageau passed from behind the net into the crease, where Holmstrom’s momentum was carrying him beyond the path of the puck. But Holmstrom extended his stick, collected the puck and beat Jones with 1:31 left.
Pageau picked up another primary assist 3:38 into the second. Adam Pelech’s shot glanced off Kraken left winger Brandon Tanev and bounced to Pageau, whose shot underneath the legs of Seattle defenseman Jamie Oleksiak ticked off the stick of Parise and fluttered over Jones’ glove.
Horvat and his new linemate, Mathew Barzal, connected for their first goal 90 seconds later. Barzal emerged with the puck following a lengthy post-faceoff battle and bounced a pass to Horvat, whose shot knuckled over Jones’ glove.
–Field Level Media
