Islanders top Lightning in shootout as Emil Heineman scores deciding goal
The Islanders' Emil Heineman celebrates his winning shootout goal against the Tampa Bay Lightning at UBS Arena on Saturday. Credit: Jim McIsaac
Here’s how this intriguing, exciting and, yes, at times hard-to-explain Islanders season is going: On a day they were dominated for most of regulation play, they still came off the ice atop the Eastern Conference.
“It just shows us that what we’re doing, we’re doing the right thing,” coach Patrick Roy said. “By having that joy, having that compassion, having that boldness. It’s exactly what this team needs. They deserve so much credit for what they’ve been doing. It’s exciting for our franchise.”
The Lightning dominated time in the offensive zone, but the Islanders managed a 3-2 shootout win on Saturday at UBS Arena on Emil Heineman’s deciding goal and concluded a 3-0-0 homestand. Ilya Sorokin’s 32 saves were a key factor as the Lightning doubled the Islanders’ 17 shots.
It launched the Islanders (19-11-3) one point past the Capitals and Hurricanes in the Metropolitan Division and the conference. Both played later on Saturday, though; Washington lost but Carolina beat the Flyers in a shootout to regain a one-point lead over the Islanders.
The Islanders swept a season series from the Lightning (18-11-3) for the first time since 2013 as they beat them for the third time in 12 days.
“It’s a good game for us,” Sorokin said. “It was a little hard because we played in the defensive zone, but I think we played smart.”
“There’s going to be times we’re getting hemmed in the zone,” said No. 1 overall pick Matthew Schaefer, whose four-on-three power-play goal opened the scoring at 3:05 of the first period on the Islanders’ first shot. “You’ve just got to get a whistle and get fresh guys out there.”
The 18-year-old was asked what has impressed him about Sorokin. “Everything, honestly,” he said.
Sorokin turned in another brilliant performance even after admitting to shedding tears during a pregame ceremony to induct Hall of Famer Pat LaFontaine into the team’s hall of fame. LaFontaine got emotional as he talked about his daughter’s husband passing away last week because of ALS and his wife’s health struggles.
“We’re professionals,” Sorokin said when asked how he composed himself to play. “We had a little warmup after the ceremony and the first couple of shots, feel the puck.”
Rookie Cal Ritchie, with his fourth goal and first at UBS Arena, off a drop pass from an impactful Anthony Duclair (two assists), made it 2-0 at 10:16 of the first period on the Islanders’ third shot against Jonas Johansson.
But the Lightning outshot the Islanders 17-1 in the second period thanks to three power plays, including a 12-1 edge in high-danger chances, according to NaturalStatTrick.com, and cut the deficit to 2-1 on defenseman Darren Raddysh’s five-on-three power-play goal at 10:13. Defenseman J.J. Moser tied it at 2-2 at 3:20 of the third period.
“It’s a team effort that’s going to win this one,” Heineman said. “Sorokie had an unreal game. Sometimes it is like that and you just have to bear down on the defensive side of it.”
Notes & quotes: Jonathan Drouin logged 21:09 with one shot in his first game after missing five with a back issue . . . Bo Horvat (lower body) missed a game for the first time this season.
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.
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