Holmstrom Earns Third Iron Man Mask as Islanders Hold Off Flames 3-2

Simon Holmstrom led the way offensively for the New York Islanders as they fended off the Calgary Flames in a 3-2 victory on Saturday night at UBS Arena.  

Holmstrom buried two goals in the first period, finding both goals inside the final five minutes of the opening period to extend New York’s lead to 3-0 heading into the first intermission. 

“I was pretty pleased [with] the way we came out,” Head Coach Patrick Roy said after the win. “That was part of what we talked about before the game. We wanted a good start, and he had a good start.” 

It was his 15th and 16th goals of the season, as the Swedish winger logged his fourth career multi-goal game and second of the season. He also earned the game’s first star.

Holmstrom played on a line with Brayden Schenn and Anthony Duclair for the first time this season.  

“I thought we played a solid game,” Holmstrom said. “First game together for me, [Schenn] and [Duclair], and I thought we played a pretty solid game.”

Roy echoed these thoughts and focused on Holmstrom and Schenn’s production on both ends of the ice. 

“Having [Holmstrom] play on a line with Schenn, I thought that [gave] us scoring,” Roy said. “I [felt] comfortable that they could defend very well.”

The Swedish forward joined JG Pageau, who dished him the assist on the goal, as the second Islander to tally multiple shorthanded goals this season. 

Holmstrom is tied for fourth on the team with 35 points (16G, 19A) this season. The 24-year-old is 10 points shy of tying his career high single-season point total from a season ago. 

Mathew Barzal was the most recent Iron Man mask recipient before Holmstrom.