Bo Horvat scored late in the second period and Ilya Sorokin made 25 saves to lead the New York Islanders to a 1-0 win over the New Jersey Devils on Sunday.
Horvat capitalized on a turnover by Devils forward Timo Meier, intercepting a pass and firing home his 28th goal of the season with 57 seconds left in the middle frame. Sorokin turned in a flawless performance, earning his fourth shutout of the season and the 22nd of his career. The 29-year-old netminder improved to 30-23-6, reaching the 30-win mark for the second time in his five-year NHL career.
Islanders defenseman Adam Pelech exited the game in the second period after taking a high hit from Devils forward Paul Cotter. Cotter received a five-minute major and a game misconduct for the infraction. Coach Patrick Roy had no update on Pelech following the game.
The Islanders ended a three-game skid, bouncing back despite being eliminated from playoff contention the day before with a shootout loss in Philadelphia. New York had reached the playoffs the past two seasons, falling to Carolina in the first round both times.
New Jersey was shut out for the ninth time this season. Captain Nico Hischier had a prime chance to equalize late in regulation but missed wide.
The Devils are playoff-bound for the second time in three years and will face the Carolina Hurricanes in the opening round. New Jersey last reached the second round in 2023 after a first-round victory over the Rangers.
Jacob Markstrom made 21 saves for the Devils.
Game Takeaways
Devils: Dropped to 19-16-5 at home this season, with a stronger 22-16-2 record on the road.
Islanders: Notched their first road win since March 18, improving to 16-17-7 away from home.
Key Moment
Sorokin returned from a lower-body injury that had sidelined him for three games and responded with a shutout, his first appearance since giving up Alexander Ovechkin’s record-setting 895th goal.
Key Stat
The Islanders are 19-5-6 when scoring first but just 15-29-6 when conceding the opening goal.
Looking Ahead
Devils: Visit the Boston Bruins on Tuesday night.
Islanders: Host the Washington Capitals on Tuesday.
