Islanders' Calum Ritchie: Pots game-winner Thursday

Ritchie scored the game-winning goal and added an assist in Thursday's 5-0 win over the Red Wings.

The 20-year-old center opened the scoring early in the first period by snapping a puck past John Gibson from the faceoff dot, and it was all the offensive support Ilya Sorokin would need. The Islanders' fourth line carried the scoring load, as Ritchie, Max Shabanov and Casey Cizikas combined for three goals and seven points on the night. Ritchie, the 27th overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, hasn't had many chances to flash his upside since being acquired from the Avs in the Brock Nelson deal, but after getting held off the scoresheet completely in his first nine games with the Isles, he's picked up two goals and three points in the last two contests.