A few moments after Macklin Celebrini won a faceoff in the Islanders’ zone, he controlled the puck and found defenseman Shakir Mukhamadullin at the point, who fired a shot toward the net that Kovalenko got a stick on for his first goal since Jan. 4. Kovalenko had played in just seven games since that point, as he missed 14 games with an injury.

Snapshots from the New York Islanders morning skate ahead of their contest against the San Jose Sharks on Saturday, March 8th, 2025. Photos by Kathryn Howell/New York Islanders.

After all the trade deadline talk subsided, the New York Islanders had a game to play and despite a slow start, they comfortably picked up two points Saturday against the San Jose Sharks, winning 4-2.