Greenlawn's Matt Coronato seeks to rekindle scoring touch for Flames vs. Islanders

Greenlawn’s Matt Coronato was happy to be home.

The Flames certainly hoped UBS Arena felt familiar enough to their top-six sharpshooter that Coronato regains his scoring touch moving forward.

“It’s nice,” Coronato told the media following the Flames’ morning skate on Saturday prior to facing the Islanders. “It’s nice to get to see some family yesterday and I know they’re excited to be able to come and watch in person. It’s an awesome trip.”

The Flames arrived in town on Tuesday, losing 4-0 to the Rangers at Madison Square Garden before beating the Devils 5-4 on Thursday night.

But the 23-year-old Coronato, selected 13th overall in 2021, returned to Long Island without a goal in his previous 13 games. He had gone eight games without a point and had two assists over that 13-game span.

Overall, he entered Saturday with 14 goals and 16 assists in 64 games.

“He’s a really good player,” Islanders coach Patrick Roy said prior to the game. “I think he loves playing in the New York area. He’s certainly a player that you need to be aware of. A very good skater. A player that can bring pucks to the net. He loves to challenge the net. It’s fun to see a guy from the area doing so well.”

The Flames re-signed the 5-10, 183-pound right wing to a seven-year, $45 million extension after he notched 24 goals and 23 assists in 77 games last season.

“He’s just got to play his game,” Flames coach Ryan Huska told the media following the morning skate. “I know there’s always extra excitement when a player plays in his hometown. We only get here one time a year. I know he’s going to have a lot of family and friends at the game.

“It’s just important for him to go out and make sure he’s competitive on the puck, make sure he’s moving his feet to support the puck and when he gets his chance to shoot, just keep shooting the puck. We all know that he’s going through a bit of a stretch right now. But it will change. He’s getting chances and I’m pretty confident one is going to go for him soon.”

Saturday marked Coronato’s second career game at UBS Arena.

He scored twice in the Flames’ 4-3 overtime win over the Islanders on March 22, 2025, opening the scoring just 36 seconds into the match and then knotting it at 2-2 at 6:03 of the second period. In all, he was a plus-4 with three shots in 22:08 of ice time that night.

It finished a memorable stretch for Coronato after scoring one goal apiece in wins over the Rangers and Devils in his first games at the Garden and Prudential Center.

“It was a great trip,” Coronato said after last season’s win over the Islanders. “The main thing that sticks out is winning all three games at such an important time of the year.”

But the Flames wound up missing last season’s playoffs on tiebreakers to the Blues.

And they entered Saturday sitting 10 points out of the Western Conference’s final wild-card spot and almost certainly staring at a fourth straight season without a playoff berth.

So struggling to connect on shots certainly does not sit well with Coronato. But it’s not for a lack of trying.

Coronato entered Saturday second on the Flames in shots with 160 (team leader Nazem Kadri was traded to the Avalanche on March 6) but 13th in shooting 8.8%. Coronato was tied for the team lead with six power-play goals and his man-up goal in a 4-3 overtime loss to the visiting Ducks on Jan. 25 represented his last tally.

“I feel like it’s coming,” Coronato said. “I think sometimes, just relax and just keep playing the game you know how to play and the bounces will come.”

For Coronato, there would be no better time for that to happen than against the Islanders with a large contingent of family and friends in the building.

“It’s a lot [of people],” Coronato said. “I think it always adds a little excitement for me to get to play in front of people that helped me get here.

“A few I played with growing up. It’s cool to have them here. Just childhood friends, high school buddies that I see all the time. It means a lot to me that they can come.”

By Andrew Gross

andrew.gross@newsday.comAGrossNewsday

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.