Bo Horvat against the Mammoth on Jan. 1 (Via Getty Images) Bo Horvat will finally return to the Islanders’ lineup on Saturday when Buffalo visits UBS Arena, ending a nine-game absence that tested the team’s depth at a critical point in the playoff race. Without him in the lineup, New York has faced stiff competition in the Metropolitan Division.The center has been seen skating on his own for the past three days after staying back on Long Island during the Islanders’ seven-game road trip to continue treatment. Head coach Patrick Roy confirmed Friday that Horvat will slot back into his familiar role on both the power play and penalty kill.
Bo Horvat’s return could help New York Islanders finally book their playoff berth
“The guys did a really nice job while he wasn’t playing, but listen, he’s our top goal scorer; he’s playing PK, power play, and wins big face-offs,” Roy said. “It’s nice to see that there’s always a player that comes out and gets the big goals or a big play for us. That speaks volumes about who we are as a team right now.”Horvat suffered a lower-body injury on January 1 against Utah when he got tangled with Mammoth defenseman Sean Durzi in the third period. The collision came just one day after he was named to Team Canada’s Olympic roster for the Milan Games.The injury marked Horvat’s second lower-body issue of the season after missing five games in December with a similar problem. General manager Mathieu Darche clarified that the injuries occurred in the same area but are not related.”He didn’t come back too early,” Darche said. “It’s just bad luck that it happened on the same part of the body.” The Islanders posted a 5-3-1 record during Horvat’s absence, maintaining their position in second place in the Metropolitan Division with a 27-18-5 record. The strong play without their leading scorer demonstrated the team’s improved depth, but getting Horvat back elevates the ceiling significantly. “I want to make sure I’m ready to go 100 percent and be at my best when I come back,” Horvat said. He continued, “I think I owe that to the guys and the team to come back and be ready to go, and I’m feeling better and better as the days go along.” Horvat leads the Islanders with 21 goals and sits second on the team with 33 points in 36 games.His presence on the penalty kill and in the faceoff circle fills needs that cannot be easily replaced. The 30-year-old acknowledged there may be a ramp-up period to return to his pre-injury form but emphasized his commitment to working through it.”I can’t think it’s just going to be easy,” Horvat said. “I have to work for it, and I have to work as hard as I was working before I got hurt.” The Islanders sit eight points behind Carolina for first place in the division heading into a stretch where every point matters before the February Olympic break.