The St. Louis Blues defeated the New York Islanders 1-0 in overtime on Thursday night. Forward Jake Neighbours netted the lone goal 2:04 into the extra period, while Islanders goaltender Ilya Sorokin stopped 29 of 30 shots. Blues goalie Joel Hofer turned aside all 34 shots he faced for his first shutout of the season.
Blues Defense Shines
The Blues, coming off two consecutive losses, delivered arguably their best performance of the season. The defense was led by Pierre-Olivier Joseph, playing his second game of the season in place of the injured Nick Leddy. Joseph led the Blues with an impressive 85.6% expected goals percentage (xG%), according to MoneyPuck.
Joseph was paired with Matthew Kessel, who suited up for his fourth game of the season but his first alongside Joseph. Kessel posted an 83.9% xG%, the second-highest among Blues players, and registered three blocked shots. Together, the duo finished with an 87.4% xG%, the highest of any defensive pairing. With the defense struggling early in the season, head coach Drew Bannister may have found a reliable combination for the third pairing.
Defenseman Philip Broberg also stood out, logging 22:01 of ice time over 28 shifts and recording the primary assist on Jake Neighbours’ overtime-winning goal. Broberg set a franchise record for the longest point streak by a Blues defenseman to start his career, with five points (one goal, four assists) in his first five games for St. Louis.
Islanders Fourth Line Continues to Struggle
The Islanders fourth line continued to struggle. Consisting of Kyle MacLean, Casey Cizikas, and Oliver Wahlstrom, the line finished the night with an 8.3 xG%, the only Islanders forward combination to finish below 55%. The line conceded 14 shot attempts and generated just two in 7:01 ice time together.
Related: Islanders Need More From Their Depth
This was not the first night the line had struggled. Entering the game, the Islanders’ fourth line ranked third-last in the NHL with a 25% expected goals percentage (xG%) and last in the league with a 0.0% goals percentage (G%). It also sat at the bottom of the Islanders’ rankings in expected goals per 60 minutes (0.96) and expected goals against per 60 minutes (2.87). Although the line wasn’t directly responsible for the loss, its ongoing negative impact is a concern that needs to be addressed.
Goaltenders Stand Tall
The scoresheet offers a clear picture of how the two goaltenders performed on Thursday night. Islanders’ Sorokin, making his second start of the season, took the overtime loss but was the sole reason his team had a chance to win. His .967 save percentage and 1.55 goals saved above expected showed he has fully recovered from his offseason surgery.
After the game, veteran defenseman Ryan Pulock told the media “[Sorokin’s] been brilliant…Both nights he made caliber saves and he’s making hard saves. We have a lot of confidence when he’s in there, both our guys.”
Head coach Patrick Roy gave his input, stating “It’s very encouraging because [Sorokin’s play] takes a lot of pressure off of us…. We have a bit of success right now on our penalty killing, three games in a row not giving up goals which is great for us. Our goaltending has been good.”
On the other side of the ice, 24-year-old Joel Hofer rebounded from allowing four goals on 29 shots against the San Jose Sharks on Oct. 10, stopping all 34 shots he faced against the Islanders to earn his second career NHL shutout.
The Blues will continue their homestand Saturday night against the Carolina Hurricanes for their second consecutive matchup against a Metropolitan Division opponent. The Islanders return home following their three-game road trip in the Midwest to face the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday at UBS Arena.
