New York Islanders vs Columbus Blue Jackets: Did Sorokin’s wall and Horvat’s strike decide it at UBS Arena?

The New York Islanders moved to 40-26-5 and 1 point, while the Columbus Blue Jackets left at 37-22-11 and 0 points after a 1-0 finish at UBS Arena on 7:00 PM EDT.

First period

The Isles got the only goal of the night in the first period, and the game sheet credited it as the winning goal at even strength.

Bo Horvat scored that opener, and he finished the night as a listed star after putting 1 goal on 4 shots with a 25 percent shooting rate.

Anders Lee added 1 assist, and the Islanders also received 2 total assists in a game where the team logged 1 goal on 22 shots.

Second period

The Islanders kept the Blue Jackets off the scoreboard in the second period, and Ilya Sorokin stayed perfect while facing a steady stream of even-strength looks.

Sorokin finished with 26 saves on 26 shots against, and his 1.000 saves rate anchored this New York Islanders vs Columbus Blue Jackets match summary.

New York also controlled the dots with a 60 percent faceoff win rate, with 30 faceoffs won compared to 20 for Columbus.

Third period

The Blue Jackets pressed in the third period with 26 shots in the game and 24 hits, but the Isles finished the night with 24 hits as well while holding the line.

Columbus ended with 3 minor penalties for 6 penalty minutes, and the Islanders went 0-for-3 on the power play with 4 shots despite 6:00 of 5-on-4 time.

New York’s puck pressure showed up in 5 takeaways, and the Blue Jackets were limited to 1 takeaway while recording 15 giveaways.

This New York Islanders vs Columbus Blue Jackets tactical recap also reflected shot-lane work, with the Isles posting 17 blocked shots and Columbus posting 16.

Postgame

The Islanders had 3 players named among the game’s stars, led by Sorokin, with Horvat and Carson Soucy also recognized on the list.

Columbus got 21 saves on 22 shots from its goaltending, but the Jackets finished at 0 percent shooting on 26 shots.

For post-game thoughts New York Islanders can lean on, the night showed New York winning the plus-minus battle at plus-5 while Columbus finished at minus-5.

New York Islanders vs Columbus Blue Jackets final thoughts start with the shutout and end with the single even-strength strike that held up at home.

The Islanders next game is scheduled for 7:00 PM EDT on 2026-03-24 at UBS Arena in Belmont Park, New York, and the broadcast listings include ESPN+, CHSN, and MSGSN.

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