Islanders 2, Utah 1: Hogberg’s first win caps undefeated trip, first three-game streak

5 days ago  /  Lighthouse Hockey

Hoggin’. | Photo by Jamie Sabau/NHLI via Getty Images


The Islanders head home feeling better than they’ve felt in a long while. Mat Barzal scored the winner with 1:25 left as his line continued to buzz and the Isles pulled off a rare third-period comeback and unblemished PK night for a 2-1 win in Utah.
The victory makes them 3-0 on this Western road trip — their first three-game win streak of the season — giving their spirits a significant boost as they head home for a lengthy homestand.
It was also the first win as an Islander and first NHL win in almost four years for Marcus Hogberg, making just his second start.
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Hogberg’s start came because Ilya Sorokin was out with an illness, meaning Jakub Skarek got a bonus emergency trip to Utah as backup. Grant Hutton also stepped in for Alex Romanov, who’s dealing with an upper body issue, but Hutton was only used for eight shifts and 5:07.
The Islanders got the start and first period they probably wanted, other than coming up empty despite outshooting Utah 14-5. They also came up empty on two power plays — nothing new there — though one carried over into the second.
But with the rest of that power play killed off, Utah then got on the board just over a minute into the second period, with a Nick Schmaltz deflection of a point shot.


Schmaltz gets his eight of the season to give Utah a 1-0 lead over the Islanders.But can we talk about Cooley? Just slicing and dicing the Islanders up tonight. So much of what he does helps Utah put the puck in the net.pic.twitter.com/ef0ZcE441I— Cole Bagley (@BagleyKSLsports) January 12, 2025




That 1-0 score held up as Utah got the better of play in the second but couldn’t add to their lead.
Both goalies looked sharp during their teams’ respective periods of pressure, which was impressive — Hogberg has gotten very little action during Semyon Varlamov’s time on IR, while Connor Ingram was out for a month and a half due to the illness and passing of his mother.
The teams played 4-on-4 to end the second and begin the third, but after things got back to 5-on-5, the Isles had a couple of shifts that ultimately led to the equalizer. The recently created combo of Brock Nelson, Anders Lee and Mat Barzal, buzzing most of the night, went to work cycling the puck. Nelson orbited the zone twice to shake his man and be open for a beautiful one-time setup from Anders Lee.
Lee took a Barzal pass from the left circle and immediately sent it over to Nelson at the back door, so quickly that Utah goalie Connor Ingram didn’t even move.


What a set up from Anders Lee to get Brock Nelson the goal#Isles pic.twitter.com/2QZrRA6m9g https://t.co/bnzDGq2pgA— Joseph (@HockeyJoseph10) January 12, 2025




With the clock starting to wind down in the third, things got frightening as captain Anders Lee was penalized for running the goalie. It’s one of those plays that didn’t used to be called as much, with Lee driving the net and getting a shot but then crashing into Ingram from the side. But he wasn’t even pushed by a defenseman, and as all three Isles MSG commentators pointed out, they’re making that call every time now.
Still, somehow the Islanders managed their second successful kill of the night. Hogberg didn’t have to make any big saves but he made some big efforts to be there for cross-zone chances that looked like they’d be the backbreaker.
He continued stretching his legs to make some stops soon after the power play expired.
And that was huge, because it paved the way for another impressive sequence by the top line that led to the game winner with 1:25 left. It was another situation where they used all of the zone and had Ingram scrambling. Lee ultimately dug out a rebound with his skate which went back to Barzal, waiting in the right side of the low slot and ready to fire it past a prone Ingram.


MAT BARZAL SCORES THE GAME WINNER WITH 1:25 REMAINING! pic.twitter.com/SmMbhl2Xgl— NHL (@NHL) January 12, 2025




The Utes deployed lots of dangerous weapons for over a minute of 6-on-5 play, but the Isles held just enough and Hogberg made one really good blocker save through heavy traffic to hold on.
Somehow, the Isles head home from this road trip still in the thick of a large bubble of misfit teams trying to convince everyone they’re wild card worthy.
Quote of the Night
“He doesn’t move a lot but he’s big and takes up space...he’s HOG-ging the net.”
>>Butch Goring on Marcus Hogberg
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