The New York Islanders are set to return home on Saturday afternoon to face off against the Buffalo Sabres, aiming to bounce back after concluding a tough seven-game road trip with a disappointing 4-1 loss to the Seattle Kraken. The Islanders wrapped up the trip with a record of 3-3-1, with Anthony Duclair netting their only goal during the loss on a power play, while goaltender Ilya Sorokin recorded 21 saves on 24 shots.
As they kick off a short homestand, the Islanders could receive a significant boost with the anticipated return of center Bo Horvat, who has missed the past nine games due to a lower-body injury sustained on January 1 against Utah. Horvat participated in practice for the first time since his injury on Friday and expressed his eagerness to rejoin the team. “It felt really good to be back with the guys and back in a regular routine practice,” said Horvat. “It was lonely back here skating by yourself; hopefully, I’ll be good to go tomorrow.”
Head coach Patrick Roy confirmed that Horvat is expected to play on Saturday. The Islanders managed a 5-3-1 record in Horvat’s absence, underscoring the team’s resilience. “He’s our top goal scorer, he’s playing on the penalty kill, the power play, and winning big face-offs,” Roy noted. “It’s nice to see that there’s always a player that comes out and gets the big goals or a big play for us.”
Leading the Islanders this season, Horvat has recorded 21 goals and 33 points, and his return will bolster an offense that has been heavily reliant on Duclair, who boasts eight goals over the last eight games, including three power-play goals in his past four outings. Meanwhile, Ryan Pulock is listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury after missing Friday’s practice. Pulock currently leads the Islanders with 93 blocked shots and has contributed 21 points this season.
On the other hand, the Buffalo Sabres come into this matchup riding high after experiencing a remarkable 17-3-1 stretch across their last 21 games, currently positioned fourth in the Atlantic Division. The Sabres secured a 4-2 victory over Montreal on Thursday, marking their second consecutive win. With Tage Thompson leading the scoring chart with 26 goals, Buffalo also boasts one of the NHL’s best penalty kills, successfully stopping 83.2% of opposing power plays.
As the Islanders prepare to face the surging Sabres, they are hopeful that the return of key players will enable them to regain momentum and improve their standing in the league.