Reimer made 19 saves to earn the win in net for the Senators.
Sorokin stopped 23 shots for New York.
The Islanders got on the board early.
Bo Horvat won the faceoff and Ryan Pulock passed it across to Schaefer who stepped into the circle and wired a shot past Reimer for his 50th point of the season.
Midway through the first, shorthanded, Pinto took a Tyler Kleven pass at centre and broke in and wristed a shot past Sorokin.
A scoreless first provided plenty of action.
Tkachuk and Anders Lee dropped the gloves on the opening faceoff in a fight between captains. Five minutes later, Ottawa’s Ridly Greig and Schenn also exchanged punches.
Reimer made a left pad save on what looked like a sure-goal for Casey Cizikas, while Sorokin made a great save on Tkachuk. The best save of the period wasn’t actually made by a goaltender.
Takeaways
Senators: Tkachuk set the tone early as his Ottawa teammates followed his lead, playing a physical game from start to finish.
Islanders: New York’s power play did them no favours going 0-for-4 and giving up Pinto’s goal.
Key Moment
Islanders defenceman Carson Soucy made a huge stop on Artem Zub late in the first to save a surefire goal with Sorokin out of position.
Key Stat
Matthew Schaefer became the second 18-year-old defenceman in NHL history to record 50 points in a season, following Phil Housley (57 in 1982-83).
Up next
Ottawa: Hosts the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday.
New York: Visits the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 19, 2026.
Lisa Wallace, The Canadian Press