Bo Horvat’s 13-game goalless drought came to an end in the Islanders’ 4-3 win over the Hurricanes, with his first goal in a month lifting a burden off his shoulders. After joking that Horvat missed his shot, Jean-Gabriel Pageau acknowledged the relief Horvat must have felt, having openly expressed his frustration at not scoring. Coach Patrick Roy emphasized the importance of focusing on playing well instead of fixating on scoring or not.
The win also saw changes in the Islanders’ forward lines, with Brock Nelson moving to the top line alongside Anders Lee and Kyle Palmieri, while Horvat centered a line with Max Tsyplakov and Pageau. Matt Martin returned to the fourth line, and Dennis Cholowski replaced Grant Hutton in the lineup. Scott Mayfield shifted to his natural right side to play with Cholowski.
Looking ahead, Roy hinted at starting Ilya Sorokin on consecutive days, as Semyon Varlamov remains day-to-day due to injury. The Islanders will need Horvat to build on his breakthrough goal as they strive to continue their winning ways. With the weight of the goal drought lifted, Horvat and the team are hoping this win can propel them to future success.
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