
Islanders grind out win over Devils to head into Olympic break on positive note
NY Post
The Islanders haven’t looked like the best versions of themselves in a while, and they didn’t break that streak Thursday.
What they did do was drag themselves over the line and into the NHL’s Olympic pause, as Bo Horvat gave his team a late winner and a 3-1 victory over the Devils at the Prudential Center in his last game before flying to Italy to represent Team Canada.
The break, to put it mildly, is badly needed, with the Islanders feeling the effects of a condensed schedule over the last month through which they barely managed to tread water.
“It wasn’t pretty at times, for sure. We know that. We weren’t as good as we can be,” Ryan Pulock told The Post. “But I think the important part when you know that is just about finding a way. You have to be a good team to find ways when maybe you’re tired, maybe whatever it is, you dig deep. And I feel like this team has done that a lot throughout the year.”
There were points Thursday when it looked like they would finally succumb.
The Islanders took on pressure, especially during the second period.

ANAHEIM, Calif. — The Islanders have two first-round picks in the 2026 draft and a decent-sized prospect stable for the first time in years. They have a hair over $6 million in available cap space and had pulled into a tie on points for second place in the Metropolitan Division with five straight wins before Wednesday’s loss to the Ducks.












