ELMONT, NY — The New York Islanders staged a late rally but narrowly fell to the Chicago Blackhawks, 4-3, at UBS Arena on Tuesday night, a setback in their pursuit of an Eastern Conference playoff spot.
The Islanders led the shot tally 47-24, yet the Blackhawks capitalized on their opportunities, established an early lead, and benefited from goalie Arvid Soderblom’s performance to secure the win.
Anders Lee put the Islanders ahead early, scoring off a Matthew Schaefer point shot just 49 seconds in. This marked Lee’s 305th goal for the team, surpassing Clark Gillies for fourth place on the franchise’s all-time list.
The Blackhawks equalized almost 12 minutes later and took control, leading 3-1 by the end of the first period. Nick Lardis scored their first goal after a mishap led to Islanders’ goalie David Rittich being out of position. Tony DeAngelo, on the ice for the goal, exited the game afterward and did not return, completing only six shifts.
Ilya Mikheyev and Tyler Bertuzzi extended the Blackhawks’ lead with goals before the period ended. Mikheyev scored five-hole on Rittich, while Bertuzzi netted his 29th of the season, tying with Connor Bedard for the team lead.
The Islanders switched goalies at the second period’s start, with Ilya Sorokin replacing Rittich, who saved nine of 12 shots in the first. This marked Sorokin’s third appearance in four nights; he stopped 11 of 12 shots thereafter.
The change wasn’t enough to alter the game’s outcome. The Blackhawks extended their lead in the second with Frank Nazar scoring after a play where the Islanders anticipated an icing call that never came, giving Chicago a 4-1 lead with the eventual game-winner. Fans cheered subsequent icing calls.
The Islanders continued to challenge Soderblom, who had a 3.72 goals-against average, but couldn’t overcome the deficit. They took 23 shots in the third period and made a late effort. Simon Holmström scored midway through the third to narrow the gap, and Cal Ritchie added another goal with less than four minutes remaining, yet the Blackhawks held on. Soderblom made key saves, including against Mathew Barzal in the second, with some assistance from the posts.
In the last seconds, the Islanders had a power play and pulled the goalie for a six-on-four advantage, but the Blackhawks preserved the regulation victory.
Anton Frondell, the 2025 NHL Draft’s third overall pick, debuted for the Blackhawks and earned his first career point on Lardis’ goal, adding to the team’s emerging young talent.
The Islanders next face the Dallas Stars on Thursday night, aiming to rebound as they compete with the Ottawa Senators and Detroit Red Wings for the final Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference.
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