Islander hockey is back! At least for a game.

Brayden Schenn scored a goal and assisted on two others as the New York Islanders throttled the Los Angeles Kings 5-2, snapping a four-game winless streak. Matthew Schaefer‘ added a goal in his 100th game. Rookie Victor Eklund extended his goal-scoring streak to four games.

Matias Maccelli and Ryan Pulock also contributed in their first games back from injury. Pulock celebrated his first two-assist game since Jan. 6, and Maccelli got the primary helper on Schaefer’s power-play goal, which put the Islanders ahead for good at 2-1 with 7:04 left in the first period.

More importantly for the Islanders, they limited the Kings to just 28 shots on goal after allowing 130 over the last three games. Perhaps not coincidentally, the Islanders also blocked a season-high 23 shots in the win to make Ilya Sorokin’s workload much more manageable.

The Islanders entered Thursday with the sixth-fewest blocks in the league. Two seasons ago, they were among the top teams in blocking shots.

The Islanders have Friday off before concluding the California trip Saturday in Anaheim. Can New York carry the momentum they generated on Thursday into Orange County and take two out of the three games in the Golden State?

Pageau Hurt, Islanders Basically Play Shorthanded

Coach Pete DeBoer rolled out an 11-7 lineup in Los Angeles, but it was essentially 11-6, as seventh blueliner Matthew Kessel played just 3:34 across five shifts.

Jean-Gabriel Pageau was out when the team announced he had a lower-body injury after the morning skate. The veteran center’s status is day-to-day. Kyle MacLean was a healthy scratch after playing the last five games.

If Pageau can return for Saturday’s game, that should mean Kessel will sit, barring any further health changes.

Pulock, Pelech Turn Back the Clock

After Thursday’s morning skate, Pulock talked about the Islanders needing to get back on track, and he and his teammates delivered.

In addition to the two assists, Pulock played 19:22 over 26 shifts. He blocked a pair of shots and finished plus-4. He’s been plus-4 only once before, against Detroit on Jan. 14, 2020.

His longtime defensive partner Adam Pelech also finished with a plus-4, tying his personal best. Pelech set his on Jan. 15, 2018 against Montreal.

The 32-year-olds have spent their entire careers with the Islanders and have been mainstays on the blueline for nearly a decade. Can they do this on a nightly basis? Doubtful, but when the team faced a must-win situation, they answered the bell.

If Pelech and Pulock can just play at an average level, it will be a boost for the Islanders. Still, they will need someone, most likely either Logan Stanley or Tony DeAngelo, to play more consistently if the team is to compete for a playoff spot this season.