Three Takeaways From a 3-0 Win over the Sabres

Last night, the New York Islanders (9-10-6) defeated the Buffalo Sabres (11-11-3) 3-0 in UBS Arena. The team hopes this is the start of a turnaround, reversing the fortunes after the team’s allergic meltdowns to third-period leads.

The win came after the Islanders collapsed from up 4-2 against the Washington Capitals on Friday afternoon. That game came directly after the Boston Bruins blew away the Islanders 6-3 on Wednesday. In both games, the Islanders entered with a real chance to win in the third period. Instead, the team came away with 1 out of 4 possible points.

The morale around these parts has been quite low, but maybe Saturday can spark the start of a turnaround.

A Timely Save Can Go a Long Way:

Entering the third period up 2-0, the Islanders received a power play after Kyle Palmieri drew a tripping penalty. Instead, the Sabres came away with a 2-on-1 rush chance. Ryan McLeod carried in and made a beautiful cross-ice pass to Dylan Cozens. Cozens immediately rifled a shot destined for the top corner, only to be denied by a sprawling and heroic blocker save from Ilya Sorokin.

Here’s a look at the arguably game-winning save:

https://x.com/IslesFix/status/1863050549639143561

Without that save, it’s 2-1 Islanders with almost the entire third period left. Every player, fan, and coach would think, “Here we go again.” Instead, the Islanders get their save of the season in a massive moment.

Sorokin recorded his first shutout of the season and his first since November 25, 2023. The save steadied the Islanders’ ship, and it would be the best chance the Sabres would get in their attempts to get on board the rest of the game. That’s the type of massive save that a top goaltender makes.

The slump hasn’t necessarily been Sorokin’s or Semyon Varlamov’s fault. Neither has stepped up and made a massive, timely save, such as the Sorokin save on Cozens last night.

Simon Holmstrom Breakout?

For the second straight game, Simon Holmstrom scored twice. Holmstrom, 23, has constantly teased fans with his offensive potential through his first 100+ career games. His finish always left something to be desired, but perhaps this is where the narrative starts to change.

Holmstrom’s first goal last night came on a 2-on-1 with Anders Lee. Lee slid it across to Holmstrom, who did not hesitate to put the biscuit in the top corner. Here’s the clip:

https://x.com/HockeyDaily365/status/1863039931267887555

When Jean-Gabriel Pageau became a late scratch due to an undisclosed lower-body injury on Friday, it led to more panic for Islanders fans. The last thing this team needs is another injury to a forward.

However, this injury brought Holmstrom consistent top-six minutes for the first time this season, something it seemed he was on his way to earning in training camp before Maxim Tsyplakov won the hole one line two.

It’s hard to say Holmstrom hasn’t taken the ball and run far with it. His speed and niftiness fit so well anywhere in the lineup. Here’s an example of a perfect play, beating a defender with a simple pass and setting up Bo Horvat to go and attack.

https://x.com/IslesWhiteSUV/status/1863037584538005737

It’s almost Josh Bailey-like. It’s an incredibly smart, simple play that allows time and space for the higher-skilled forwards to get to work. The more confidence he gains, the better he will be.

If he continues to emerge as a serious scoring threat coupled with his excellent defensive work, the Islanders may have a really good young player starting to break out.

What to do with Pierre Engvall?

Head Coach Patrick Roy healthy scratched Pierre Engvall for yet another time in his increasingly strange experience with the New York Islanders. Roy was quite stern with his reasons why.

Despite having three goals in three games just last week, Engvall regressed hard against the Bruins and the Capitals. At this point, it seems painfully clear Engvall does not fit the mold of a team coached by Roy.

He brought offense going to the net for a few games, got comfortable, and stopped doing it. He had costly turnovers and took a seat. Roy opted to skate seven defensemen and 11 forwards instead of playing Engvall.

It seems pretty clear at this point in time that Engvall does not have a long-term future here. The contract is an issue, but when the Islanders need to activate Anthony Duclair from LTIR in the near future, it would not be a shock to see Engvall demoted/waived.