Horvat Off to Perfect Start With New York Islanders

Good morning and happy Wednesday, February 8th.

Proceed to brag about your incessant hockey knowledge if you predicted Nikita Kucherov would record the most points last night in yesterday's poll. His 2 points in the Lightning's 4-3 loss to the Sharks bested MacKinnon and Crosby's 1 point each last night.

Bo Horvat had some difficulty saying goodbye to the Vancouver Canucks after nine seasons with the team.

But he didn’t need much time with new fans, in his new home, to realize it’s going to work out.

Playing his first home game as a New York Islander, Horvat netted a pretty goal at 5:08 of the second period. Fans immediately gave him a standing ovation and began chanting his name. The Islanders defeated a hot Seattle Kraken team 4-0.

“I haven’t had a chant like that and a building that loud, I don’t think ever,” Horvat said. “It’s pretty amazing.”

“Hor-vat. Hor-vat,” they shouted, seemingly excited about the prospects of having a Mathew Barzal-Bo Horvat tandem for years to come.

The Islanders, ranked 25th overall in offensive production, acquired the high-scoring Horvat to put a charge in their offense. Horvat has 32 goals this season. He signed an eight-year contract worth $8.5 million per season to assure his future with the organization.

The four-goal outburst against the Kraken marked the first time since Jan. 16 that the team scored three goals and the first time they scored four since Jan. 3.

The team is 2-0 and has outscored opponents 6-1 since Horvat joined the lineup. Barzal can play center or wing, and is currently playing on Horvat’s wing.

Historically, Islanders GM Lou Lamoriello has always made his deals earlier, rather than closer to the trade deadline. He likes to have time for the players to adjust to their new team and vice versa.

The timing of this deal is also critical because the Islanders are tied for the final wildcard spot in the Eastern Conference with Pittsburgh. Each team has 59 points, but the Penguins have four games in hand.

🐧 Penguins' stars rally to defeat the Avalanche 2-1 in overtime. Evgeni Malkin set up Bryan Rust with less than four minutes left in regulation to tie the game at 1-1 and force overtime. The Pens had their work cut out for them in overtime, killing an Avs power play thanks to Malkin's tripping penalty, before the Pens "three-horsemen" connected for the overtime winner as Crosby set up Letang, with Malkin earning the secondary assist. Pens goaltender Casey DeSmith stopped 41 of 42 shots against for his 8th win of the season.

🦈 San Jose Sharks come from behind to beat the Lightning 4-3 in overtime, ending Tampa's 12-game home winning streak. Despite finding themselves down 3-1 after the first period and outshot 37-22 in the game, the San Jose Sharks stuck to their game plan and found a way to knock off the potent Lightning. Erik Karlsson and Timo Meier had huge games, collecting three points each and connecting for the overtime winner. Despite the win, the Sharks remain far outside of the playoff hunt and are expected to be "sellers" as we inch closer to the NHL trade deadline.

Martin Necas currently leads the NHL with 3 overtime goals this season, 2 shy of tying the NHL's record for most overtime goals in one season at 5. What four NHL players have scored 5 overtime goals in one season?

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Alex Galchenyuk (16-17), Brad Marchand (17-18), Jonathan Toews (15-16), and Steven Stamkos (11-12) all share the NHL record for most overtime goals in one season with five.