Emil Heineman scores in 4th round of shootout and Islanders beat Golden Knights 5-4

By Canadian Press on December 9, 2025.

NEW YORK (AP) — Emil Heineman scored in the fourth round of the shootout after New York allowed a tying goal in the closing seconds of regulation, and the Islanders beat the Vegas Golden Knights 5-4 on Tuesday night.

Ilya Sorokin made 33 saves in regulation and overtime before stopping all four Vegas attempts in the shootout.

Bo Horvat scored twice, while Marc Gatcomb and Simon Holmstrom also scored for the Islanders, who moved to 5-0 against Pacific Division opponents.

Pavel Dorofeyev tied the game for Vegas with 14 seconds remaining in regulation. Just before the end of the third period, New York’s Kyle MacLean was called for a high stick, but the Islanders weathered the penalty.

Heineman scored the winner in the shootout by beating Carter Hart with a shot just under his glove. The Islanders trailed 2-0 in the first period before scoring three straight goals.

Ivan Barbashev, Mitch Marner and Noah Hanifin added goals for the Golden Knights as their four-game win streak was halted.

Hart lost for the first time in three starts since returning to the NHL. The 27-year-old goalie was one of five 2018 Canada world junior hockey players acquitted of sexual assault in July.

Hart finished with 23 saves.

While Dorofeyev tied the game with 14 seconds left, Beckett Sennecke scored the equalizer for Anaheim with a second remaining at Pittsburgh as the Ducks went on to win 4-3 in a shootout. It marked the 15th day in league history to feature a pair of game-tying goals within the final 15 seconds of regulation, and fourth in the past decade, according to the NHL.

The Islanders finished 2-0 against the Golden Knights this season. They won 4-3 at Vegas on Nov. 13 courtesy of Jean-Gabriel Pageau’s short-handed goal in overtime.

Up next

Golden Knights: At Philadelphia on Thursday night.

Islanders: Host Anaheim on Thursday night.

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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

The Associated Press