The New York Islanders have had some ups and downs early in 2025-26. However, they were on point when they took on the Washington Capitals on Halloween. Ilya Sorokin looked like his old self, especially in the first period. And the Isles were able to skate away with a big 3-1 win at Capital One Arena in Washington, DC.
Sorokin stood on his head in the opening frame, making 13 saves. He would allow the game's first goal to Washington's Tom Wilson in the second period. However, Jean-Gabriel Pageau tied the game in the middle frame. Bo Horvat gave them the lead in the third period. And Mat Barzal, who returned from a surprise benching, iced the game with an empty-netter.
Sorokin has struggled early in this season. But his effort in the first period undoubtedly helped New York pull this off. Horvat did not let his effort go unnoticed when he spoke with the media following the win.
“First of all, Ilya was phenomenal tonight being able to keep us in it like he did,” Horvat said, via NHL.com. “Without him in that first period, obviously, we’re not standing here happy about the game. So, it was phenomenal by him giving us some time to get our legs under us in a tough back-to-back.”
The Capitals have now lost three games in a row. Washington has not had the same start in 2025-26 that they had a year ago. They are now 6-5-0 on the year. And they are only one point clear of New York for last in the Metropolitan Division.
The Islanders, meanwhile, snapped a three-game losing streak with this win. They improved to 5-5-1 on the young season. So far, they have proven to be rather streaky. But rookie Matthew Schaefer has proven to be a major bright spot early on. New York will try to make it two wins in a row on Sunday when it takes on the Columbus Blue Jackets.
