The New York Islanders beat the New York Rangers 5-0 on Saturday night, moving to 7-6-2 on the season. They blitzed their rivals, piling onto the Blueshirts' dismal record at Madison Square Garden this season. The Islanders got two huge goals from top center Bo Horvat, inspiring head coach Patrick Roy to make a case for Team Canada at the Olympics.
“I think he's been making a really good impression on Team Canada for the Olympics, and that's the hockey he needs to play to help the Islanders win hockey games,” Roy said, per Stefen Rosner of The Hockey News.
The Islanders traded for Horvat during the 2022-23 season from the Vancouver Canucks and immediately signed an eight-year extension. He has been their top center since joining the club, scoring some important goals in big playoff races already in his short time on Long Island.
Horvat enters Monday's action tied for third in the league with 11 goals after his two-goal performance on Saturday. His connection with Emil Heineman has been fantastic so far, which is huge for the Islanders' depth on the wings. That allows them to put more veteran wingers, like Kyle Palmieri and Anthony Duclair, down in the lineup with young center Calum Ritchie.
Horvat has 79 goals in 207 games as an Islander, a significantly better pace than his Canuck days. Team Canada should be taking notice, as their depth scoring could be the difference between another gold medal and Olympic failure. The goaltending is the bigger question for the Canadians, but one way to solve that problem is more scoring.
The Islanders are back in action on Monday afternoon against the blistering-hot New Jersey Devils on the road. Then, they go west for five more road games. Horvat will look to lead the team to a stellar November and get them into playoff contention.
