Islanders beat Wild with solid performance
The Islanders celebrate their 3-1 win over the Minnesota Wild on Friday at UBS Arena. Credit: Dawn McCormick
An efficient 3-1 win over the Wild on Friday night at UBS Arena that snapped an 0-4-2 slide raised a few what-ifs for the Islanders, whose next assignment is to prevent the Capitals’ Alex Ovechkin from setting the NHL’s all-time record for goals.
What if the Islanders could have controlled more games like this? What if they could score with more regularity on the power play? What if they could consistently manage the puck better?
“It’s nice to see the team play that way,” coach Patrick Roy said. “That’s what we want every night. When we play simple, we play fast and we play together, we usually play good hockey.”
If they had gotten just a few more of these performances, the Islanders might be in the Eastern Conference’s second wild-card spot among a group of inconsistent teams battling for it instead of climbing back to within five points of the final playoff berth.
“We can’t think about that right now,” said Casey Cizikas, who tied it at 1-1 at 2:18 of the second period by tipping defenseman Noah Dobson’s shot just 36 seconds after Mats Zuccarello’s fluky goal off the back of goalie Ilya Sorokin’s mask.
“Our focus is on these last games and what’s at stake,” Cizikas said. “Anything can happen in this league. We’ve got to focus on what we can control and give ourselves the best fighting chance.”
Next up for the Islanders (33-32-10): a Sunday matinee to conclude a three-game home-stand against the conference-leading Capitals as Ovechkin looks to break Wayne Gretzky’s NHL record with his 895th goal.
Ilya Sorokin made 27 saves and Filip Gustavsson stopped 24 shots for the Wild (41-29-7), now in an 0-2-2 skid.
“We need all the wins we can get right now,” said fourth-liner Matt Martin, who logged 7:49 with three hits as he returned to the lineup for the first time since Jan. 16 after a lengthy stretch as a healthy scratch. “We’re focused on each game, day by day. Find ways to win, it doesn’t necessarily have to be pretty.”
Martin drew back in after Anthony Duclair, slowed all season by a groin injury, requested a leave of absence. Roy, asked about Duclair after Tuesday’s 4-1 loss to the Lightning, said his play was “god-awful,” questioned his effort and said he was “lucky to be in the lineup.”
The Wild played a defenseman short after Bo Horvat pushed Jake Middleton into the left corner at 11:04 of the second period. Middleton stayed on the ice, with Horvat immediately apologizing and waving to the Wild’s bench for help.
Once Middleton was helped off the ice and Horvat was led to the penalty box for boarding, Wild coach John Hynes was livid that he was issued a two-minute minor instead of a five-minute major.
Wild general manager Bill Guerin expressed his anger to the media after the game.
Simon Holmstrom gave the Islanders a 2-1 lead at 4:02 of the second period on a backhander off the rush that deflected in off the skate of the Wild’s Frederick Gaudreau. That became 3-1 on Dobson’s power-play blast from the blue line at 3:36 of the third period.
Dobson, who has struggled of late, played a solid 18:55.
“He was skating well, he was jumping [into the play],” Roy said. “I thought that was one of his better games I’ve seen him play in a while, so it was nice.”
Notes & quotes: The New York Islanders Clark Gillies Media Room at Ronald McDonald House in New Hyde Park, a hockey-themed respite for children and families facing a pediatric medical crisis, was dedicated on Thursday. “This would have been Clark’s dream,” said Pam Gillies, the widow of the late Hall of Famer, who died of cancer at age 67 on Jan. 21, 2022. "He loved his New York Islanders and he loved helping kids.” Islanders co-owner Jon Ledecky, Gillies’ teammates Bryan Trottier and Butch Goring and fellow former players Cal Clutterbuck, Josh Bailey and Johnny Boychuk were among those attending the dedication . . . Defenseman Scott Mayfield logged 14:51 as he drew back in for Adam Boqvist after being a healthy scratch the last six games. “I just want him to be himself,” Roy said before the game. “He’s a physical defenseman. He plays well defensively. It’s a good opportunity for him.” . . . The Islanders snapped a seven-game losing streak to the Wild dating to Dec. 29, 2019.
Andrew Gross joined Newsday in 2018 to cover the Islanders. He began reporting on the NHL in 2003 and has previously covered the Rangers and Devils. Other assignments have included the Jets, St. John’s and MLB.
