Jean Gabriel Pageau delivered a moment of brilliance in overtime to seal a dramatic 4 to 3 victory for the New York Islanders against the Vegas Golden Knights at T Mobile Arena. The short handed strike came at 3 minutes and 2 seconds of the extra period and extended the Islanders winning run to three games.
New York opened the night with strong momentum after Emil Heineman and Matthew Schaefer struck in the first period. Heineman fired home from the right circle before Schaefer doubled the advantage with a powerful shot from the point during a power play. The early goals put Vegas on the back foot and forced the home side to chase the game.
The Golden Knights responded with determination and produced a run of three straight goals. Shea Theodore sliced through the defense late in the second period and managed to push the puck across the line while falling forward. The momentum continued into the third period when Tomas Hertl cleaned up a rebound during a delayed penalty. Reilly Smith completed the comeback only minutes later with a sharp angle finish from the right side.
With time running down, Mathew Barzal pulled the Islanders level again. He converted with a precise one timer from the left circle following a well placed pass from Schaefer. The goal forced overtime and shifted the pressure back onto Vegas.
The deciding moment arrived during a delayed penalty against New York. Ilya Sorokin made a crucial save on Jack Eichel and watched Hertl hit the crossbar on the rebound. Once the whistle stopped play and the faceoff returned to the Islanders zone, Pageau collected the puck, carried it across center ice and snapped a clean shot from the right circle that beat Akira Schmid for the winner.
Sorokin finished with twenty six saves and delivered several key stops that steadied New York after Vegas gained momentum. Bo Horvat and Jonathan Drouin each added two assists to support the offensive effort. The Islanders have now earned points in six of their last seven games and look increasingly confident on this extended road trip.
Vegas, on the other hand, continues to search for consistency. The loss marked its fourth straight setback and the defensive lapses that surfaced in recent outings again proved costly. Despite flashes of strong play, the Golden Knights struggled to contain New York during key moments and were unable to capitalize in overtime.
The Islanders now head to Utah for the next stop on their trip, while the Golden Knights prepare for a visit to St Louis as they attempt to reverse their recent slide.
