An image collage containing 1 images, Image 1 shows Peyton Krebs celebrates after scoring a key goal on Ilya Sorokin during the third period of the Islanders’ 4-3 loss to the Sabres on March 31, 2026 in Buffalo
BUFFALO — This was always going to be about the response. About how the Islanders rebounded less than 24 hours after allowing eight goals against the Penguins and dropping a critical game in the playoff race.
This was always going to be about Ilya Sorokin, when Patrick Roy — after leaving the door open for a David Rittich start Monday night — went back to his star goaltender and trusted him because, as he said pregame, it worked in the past.
And while Sorokin kept them in a game where they struggled to generate much offensively, they dropped a second consecutive match with a 4-3 defeat against the Sabres.
Peyton Krebs celebrates after scoring a key goal on Ilya Sorokin during the third period of the Islanders’ 4-3 loss to the Sabres on March 31, 2026 in Buffalo. NHLI via Getty Images
Cal Ritchie extended his point streak to a career-best five games with a goal, Anders Lee gave the Islanders life with a late goal to tie the game and Matthew Schaefer set the record for points by an Islanders rookie defenseman with an assist, but then they surrendered the decisive tally.
“Sorokin’s always at his best,” Schaefer said. “I mean, we gotta help him. He’s always the best, but we gotta help him — and a lot of those chances and a lot of those goals, we can’t let those pucks go through to the sweet spot down the middle. And he’s not gonna always be able to stand on his head for us. So we gotta help him.”
Still, the Islanders received some help in the playoff chase.
The Red Wings (86 points) lost. The Flyers (86 points) lost. The Blue Jackets (88 points) and Senators (86 points) dropped their matches, too.
So as the Islanders packed up at KeyBank Center and departed for Long Island, they occupied third place in the Metropolitan Division with 89 points.
Ilya Sorokin makes one of his 29 saves in the Islanders’ road loss to the Sabres. Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images
But in the one game the Islanders could control, everything shifted for good with 3:01 remaining, when Peyton Krebs deposited a pass from Alex Tuch past Sorokin for the game-winning goal.
Brayden Schenn brought the Islanders within one with a second remaining after Buffalo’s empty-net goal, but they didn’t have any time to generate an equalizer.
A chaotic few minutes earlier in the frame — Sam Carrick fought Lee for his hit on Josh Norris in the second and then exited with the help of a trainer, then Carson Soucy committed a hooking penalty — ended with Tage Thompson ripping a shot from the slot on the power play.
There wasn’t much Sorokin could do. The Islanders left the Sabres’ best player wide open with space. And Thompson made the unit pay.
Anders Lee celebrates with teammates after scoring a third period goal during the Islanders’ road loss to the Sabres. NHLI via Getty Images
That caused the Islanders to lose any momentum they had gained back with a power-play goal of their own in the second period.
Ritchie knocked in a pass from Schenn to tie game at 1 with 2:03 left, erasing an advantage that Buffalo had carried since Jack Quinn veered into the Islanders zone with the man advantage in the first period and sent a shot past Sorokin.
But really, the Islanders were only in that position to tie the game because of Sorokin.
They didn’t manage a high-danger chance in the opening 20 minutes and had just two through two frames, per Natural Stat Trick. Lee couldn’t capitalize on a penalty shot, as he couldn’t tuck his backhand shot past Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen.
Cal Ritchie scores a goal on Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen during the Islanders’ road loss to the Sabres. NHLI via Getty Images
In a fitting end to the first period, Schaefer, long before his record-setting 57th point, had a chance to step into a shot from the point, but he whiffed on it.
“I mean, we played a playoff hockey-type game,” Roy said. “It was a hard-fought game, and I thought both teams had some good looks and both teams played well defensively.”
It all, by the end of an eventual third, added up to another disappointing loss, one that won’t crush the Islanders’ playoff hopes but one that certainly won’t boost them, either.
It only makes a back-to-back at the end of the week — against the Flyers and Hurricanes — even more important. That’s what happens when four key points are left on the table.
“It’s a game we need,” Schenn said of Friday, “and we know it.”