Bo Horvat delivered a much needed offensive breakthrough, scoring twice including an overtime winner as the New York Islanders defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins 5-4.
Horvat ended a goal drought that stretched several games and came after injuries slowed his early season momentum.
He opened the scoring in the first period by finishing a rebound from Mat Barzal, then sealed the victory with a breakaway goal in overtime that boosted the Islanders’ playoff push.
“I’d be lying if I said I didn’t feel good,” Horvat said, according to the New York Post.
“Always great to get on the scoreboard. It’s always great to score and help your team that way. There’s other parts of my game that I take a lot of pride in. Faceoffs, penalty kill — [if] things aren’t going the way I want it to go offensively, I got other things to fall back on. Definitely feels good to get that one tonight.”
The performance came a day after Horvat criticized his own missed chances during a loss to Washington.
“It’s kinda on me there,” Horvat had told The Post in Washington.
“I gotta start scoring those opportunities I’m getting. Two breakaways today, a couple odd-man rushes. It’s not going in right now. I gotta figure out a way to get it done. It’s just not going in. I gotta hit the net on that one breakaway. [Stevenson] gets his knob on the second. He played well tonight, their goalie played really well. Gotta give them some credit.”
