Islanders' Bo Horvat upset with penalty called on him in overtime
Islanders center Bo Horvat sets before a face-off against the Blues in the first period of an NHL game at UBS Arena on March 5. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
Bo Horvat watched from the penalty box as Brady Tkachuk completed his hat trick with a power-play goal with 24 seconds left in overtime.
He did not agree that he had held the Senators’ Tim Stutzle at 3:05 of the extra period.
“I was just trying to win my battle,” Horvat said after the Islanders’ 4-3 overtime loss on Saturday at UBS Arena.
“My arm was kind of stuck in his body. He obviously thought I had a free hand and held him a bit, but I was just trying to win that battle and get a stick on the puck. I did, and I guess that’s maybe why he called it.”
Coach Patrick Roy diplomatically avoided criticizing the officiating. “Do I agree with [Horvat]? Yes,” Roy said. “But is that going to change something? No.”
Flip-flop
Roy, seeking offense in the third period, flip-flopped right wings Mathew Barzal and Kyle Palmieri, elevating the latter to Horvat’s top line with Brock Nelson and placing Barzal with center Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Anders Lee.
“I thought we had some energy coming off of that,” Roy said. “Sometimes you have to try things. Things seemed to not click for our guys, the top two lines, so that’s what we did.’’
Sorokin on Sunday
Roy chose to start Semyon Varlamov on Saturday and go with No. 1 goalie Ilya Sorokin against the Rangers on Sunday afternoon despite Varlamov’s recent success at Madison Square Garden. He has won five straight starts for the Islanders at the Garden, the first four by shutout.
Isles files
The Islanders did not make an announcement, but defenseman Robert Bortuzzo was listed as a healthy scratch, indicating that he has been activated off long-term injured reserve. An ankle injury has kept Bortuzzo sidelined since Jan. 4 . . . Defenseman Noah Dobson assisted on Horvat’s power-play goal in the third period to snap a season-high three-game point drought. He also took a team-high five shots and had a team-high four blocked shots . . . Forwards Oliver Wahlstrom and Hudson Fasching and defenseman Samuel Bolduc remained healthy scratches.
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.
