On Thursday, the Vegas Golden Knights (7-4-5) hosted the New York Islanders (9-6-2). Despite outplaying the Islanders, the Golden Knights entered the first intermission down by two. They clawed their way back and took the lead, but the Islanders tied the game with the goalie pulled. The Islanders struck shorthanded in overtime, and the Golden Knights lost 4-3.
The first period was fast-paced, with just one whistle in the first eight minutes. The Golden Knights played hard from puck drop, and the Islanders didn’t record their first shot on goal until 9:17 in the first.
The Islanders broke the ice 14:03 into the first period. Ilya Sorokin denied Mitch Marner on a Golden Knights’ odd-man rush. Marner tried to get another shot off, but Emil Heineman stole the puck and found Bo Horvat streaking the other way. Horvat pulled up and passed back to Heineman, who entered the zone and fired a long-range wrister that beat Akira Schmid far-side.
Golden Knights get a fantastic look with Marner and Barbashev, but Sorokin makes the save. Emil Heineman comes right back the other way and scores.
1-0, Islanders
— Hannah Kirkell (@h_kirk6) November 14, 2025
The Islanders added to their lead on the power play at 17:59 in the first. Jack Eichel lost his stick, effectively giving the Islanders a 5-on-3. Matthew Schaefer surveyed the ice and beat Akira Schmid with a wrister from the point.
Despite being the better team, the Golden Knights exited the period in a two-goal hole. They came out to start the second with a vengeance, but Ilya Sorokin stole the show. Finally, the Golden Knights cut the Islanders’ lead with 1:04 remaining in the period.
At the end of a long shift, Keegan Kolesar drove into the zone to give the Golden Knights time to change. He pulled up, shielded the puck from Ryan Pulock, and left it for Shea Theodore. Theodore danced away from Emil Heineman’s check, eluded the sticks of Bo Horvat and Pulock, faked a shot, then crashed the net and stuffed the puck in under Sorokin’s pad.
Ew. Ew. Ew. Shea Theodore dangles through the entire New York Islanders team, takes it to the net, and stuffs it past Sorokin.
2-1, Islanders
— Hannah Kirkell (@h_kirk6) November 14, 2025
The Golden Knights came out flying in the third period, but Sorokin continued to stand tall. Jeremy Lauzon took a penalty, but the Golden Knights killed it off and went right back on the attack. Lauzon then drew a penalty, and the Golden Knights struck at 8:23 on the delayed power play.
Ivan Barbashev held the zone and found Jack Eichel, who danced deeper into the zone and set up Lauzon for a one-timer. Ilya Sorokin kicked out Lauzon’s bid, and Tomáš Hertl slammed the rebound into the net.
Just over two minutes later, the Golden Knights took their first lead of the night. After extended zone pressure, the third line capitalized and scored a much-needed goal. Brett Howden found Brandon Saad atop the crease, and Saad set up Reilly Smith for an easy goal.
BREAKING: Reilly Smith is off the schneid! The third line gets some extended pressure and he and Brandon Saad link up for the go-ahead goal.
3-2, Golden Knights
— Hannah Kirkell (@h_kirk6) November 14, 2025
After an unsuccessful challenge for goaltender interference– and an unsuccessful Golden Knights power play– the Islanders renewed their attack. They pulled Sorokin for the extra attacker with over three minutes remaining in regulation, and it paid off.
At 17:23 in the third, the Islanders found the equalizer. Matthew Schaefer set up Mathew Barzal, who ripped a one-timer past Akira Schmid.
Pulling Sorokin with over 3 to go was a bold strategy, Cotton. But it paid off! Schaefer to Barzal and it’s in the back of the net faster than you can say “it’s especially cold in the press box tonight.”
3-3
— Hannah Kirkell (@h_kirk6) November 14, 2025
In overtime, both teams traded chances. Shea Theodore hit the post; Akira Schmid made a big save on Mathew Barzal’s power move to the net. Tomáš Hertl hit a post of his own, and Schmid made another big save on Bo Horvat. The Islanders took their second too many men on the ice penalty of the game, and Ilya Sorokin denied Pavel Dorofeyev in tight on the delayed power play.
The Islanders got the last laugh and struck shorthanded. Jean-Gabriel Pageau won the defensive zone draw against Tomáš Hertl, raced up ice, and fired a wrister that beat Akira Schmid far-side.
Unbelievable. What a bad way to loose. JG Pageau wins the faceoff, takes it the length of the ice, and scores shorthanded.
4-3, Islanders. Final.
— Hannah Kirkell (@h_kirk6) November 14, 2025
Three stars of the game: Jean-Gabriel Pageau, Reilly Smith, Tomáš Hertl
7 Golden Knights Observations
1. There have been quite a few games this season where the Golden Knights deserved worse. I’m not saying they deserved better tonight, because they had their fair share of chances to win. But they were the better team in the first period, yet went into intermission down 2-0.
“To end the first period down 2-0 is tough,” said Reilly Smith postgame. “I think we were the better team. Sometimes that’s just how it happens, but it seems like that’s happening to us a lot lately.”
2. This game perfectly capped off this six-game homestand. The Golden Knights took too many penalties, overpassed, and didn’t take the shots they needed to. Oh, and they lost… while on the power play.
3. Brayden McNabb played his 600th game as a Golden Knight tonight. He’s the first player to do so in franchise history. McNabb started the game and recorded two hits and three blocked shots.
4. Braedan Bowman made his NHL debut tonight. He slotted in on the second line with Tomáš Hertl and Pavel Dorofeyev, and took Mark Stone’s place at the goal line on the top power play unit. He finished the night with 16:45 of ice time and four shots on net. And the power play didn’t convert, but they certainly looked more cohesive.
5. Ilya Sorokin was incredible tonight. He finished the night with 26 saves and 2.45 goals saved above expected. Yes, you want the Golden Knights to finish those chances. But they generated offense in a way they haven’t been able to in the other five games on this homestand.
6. Reilly Smith needed that goal tonight like a man lost in the desert needs water. You could see the relief on his face when he scored. And Brandon Saad got the primary helper– maybe this will get both of them going.
7. The Golden Knights slayed some of their demons tonight. They got two depth goals and a goal from a defenseman. But in the end, it wasn’t enough. They needed a power play goal, and they didn’t get one. And they had the perfect opportunity. With 9:15 remaining in the third, they headed to the power play after a failed goaltender interference challenge. They did nothing with it.
“I would say where we failed is we didn’t extend the lead on their challenge,” said Golden Knights head coach Bruce Cassidy postgame. “On the power play, we had the chance to extend the lead, but we didn’t generate much and actually gave up a 2-on-1.”