Bo Horvat’s ‘character’ shines through as Islanders stay streaking at right time

(AP Photo/Noah K. Murray)

ELMONT, N.Y. — It felt like it was going to be one of those nights for Bo Horvat — and not in a good way.

The New York Islanders star center committed two costly turnovers within the first 8:30 of the second period against the St. Louis Blues that immediately wound up in the back of Ilya Sorokin’s net to put his side down 2-0.

First, it was a pass along the right boards of the Blues’ zone that skittered dangerously toward the neutral zone. It was picked up by the St. Louis’ Jake Neighbours, who fed Andrey Toropchenko in transition and snapped a wrister over the glove of Sorokin.

Moments later, standing in front of Sorokin’s, Horvat’s stick was lifted by Brandon Saad, who fed Jordan Kyrou for a quick finish to put the Islanders in a hole. 

“Those first two goals were definitely my fault,” Horvat recounted. “It was just one of those games where everything I turned over went in the net.”

Frustrated and angry — or as Horvat described it, “a little bit of everything” — he went back to work rather than recede from the flow of play. The 28-year-old started to play “heavy,” head coach Patrick Roy said, reverting to a straightforward, powerful brand of hockey that began to wear the Blues down. 

New York’s second line stepped up in the meantime. Kyle Palmieri scored his fourth goal in two games and Jean-Gabriel Pageau tied it up late in the second period. 

“My teammates stepped up big… they had our backs,” Horvat said. “They definitely had mine. I’m thankful for that.”

Fifty-five seconds into the third period, he was back to work bruising his way through a pair of Blues defensemen to muscle a shot from close range on goaltender Joel Hofer. The rebound came right back to his stick and in one move, he swept around the net and stuffed home what turned out to be the game-winning goal of a 4-2 result — the Islanders’ fourth straight victory.

“Character,” Roy said on what Horvat’s…