New York Islanders center Brock Nelson (29) reacts after scoring a goal against the Buffalo Sabres during the first period of an NHL hockey game, Saturday, Oct. 14, 2023, in New York. (AP Photo/Noah K. Murray)
ELMONT, N.Y. — Casey Cizikas tipped Adam Pelech’s wrist shot from the point over the glove of goaltender Devon Levi with 6:20 left in regulation to lift the New York Islanders to a season-opening 3-2 victory over the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday night at UBS Arena.
The goal stood after a lengthy review as the Sabres challenged whether or not defenseman Noah Dobson’s entry into the Buffalo zone was offside while the league looked at whether or not Cizikas’ stick was too high on the redirection.
“We were holding our breath there on the bench a little bit,” Cizikas said. “[Dobson] made a really good play to keep control of it and keeping that play alive.”
The fourth-liner’s quick hands salvaged the full two points for the Islanders (1-0-0), who squandered a 2-0 first-period lead to a Sabres team that dominated the middle portion of the night to tie the game through Casey Middelstadt just 2:34 into the third period.
“It’s nice, I’m not going to lie, it’s nice,” Cizikas said. We put a lot of hard work in and to get rewarded, it means a lot.”
But it was the Islanders’ second line that took a stranglehold on the game early.
Brock Nelson snagged his and the Islanders’ first goal of the new season as the newly-appointed alternate captain showed off his now-patented deadly wrist shot that beat Levi under the glove just 5:57 into the game.
The opportunity was created by Pierre Engvall, who outrushed Sabres defenseman Connor Clifton for a rolling puck meandering toward the Buffalo blue line. A stick lift and a power spin created a two-on-one opportunity headed by Nelson, who kept it himself and fired it home.
“We got a few turnovers just like that one,” Nelson said of his line’s performance. “Couple plays down low and…
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