Tag: Islanders

Feb 5, 2026; Newark, New Jersey, USA; New York Islanders center Bo Horvat (14) celebrates with teammates after scoring against the New Jersey Devils during the third period at Prudential Center. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images

NEWARK, NJ — The Islanders looked like a team that was playing its eighth game in 13 nights, and yet, for a second-straight game, they found a way to win when they were not at their best. 

Bo Horvat played the hero for the second time in as many games when he snuck a backhander for what proved to be the game-winner under netminder Jake Allen with 3:27 left in regulation to help clinch a 3-1 victory over the New Jersey Devils on Thursday night at Prudential Center in their pre-Olympic-break finale. It was Horvat who scored twice in Tuesday’s comeback win over the Pittsburgh Penguins, including the overtime winner.

The Islanders (32-21-5, 69 points) were outshot 24-14 on the night and were largely kept in it thanks to goaltender Ilya Sorokin (23 saves) and a pair of goal-line saves in the second period by defensemen Adam Pelech and Ryan Pulock.

“I don’t know what it is,” head coach Patrick Roy said. “Is it being bold and playing with that swagger and belief that we’re going to find a way to win? I think that’s what it is. We were confident, and right now, there’s a lot of joy. They’re having fun, and I don’t think anyone wanted to leave this building without a win.”

The escape with two points and two straight wins ensures they remain one point behind the Penguins for second place in the Metropolitan Division as they begin a three-week break — Horvat (Canada) and Ondrej Palat (Czechia) are the only players headed to the Winter Games in Milan-Cortina.

“Huge not only standings-wise, but confidence going into the break, knowing we’re in a good spot,” Horvat said. “It’s up to us to keep us there and keep getting wins after the break, too.”

An Allen turnover set up the Islanders’ opening goal at the 6:30 mark of the second period. Marc Gatomb worked the puck to Kyle MacLean, whose shot was kicked away by Allen into the path of Cizikas, who cleaned up the rebound.

It was only the Islanders’ fourth shot of the game. 

They finished the second period with just seven, and the Devils tied it up with 1:34 to go in the frame when Nico Hischier’s one-timer from the left circle on a Jesper Bratt feed beat Islanders netminder Ilya Sorokin glove side.

Off a lost face-off, Horvat was able to move the puck forward and, while cutting from the left circle, deked to his backhand around a diving poke-check attempt from Allen before sliding his chance under the netminder’s gear.

“It wasn’t a clean draw win, and I just saw it lying there,” Horvat said. “I tried to battle as hard as I could to get it and saw I had a lane to the net. Allen tried to poke-check, and thankfully, I got around it and slipped it five-hole. Thankfully, it went in.”

Mathew Barzal added an empty-netter with 23.6 seconds to go.

For more on the Islanders, visit AMNY.com

Feb 3, 2026; Elmont, New York, USA; New York Islanders center Bo Horvat (14) brings the puck up ice against against the Pittsburgh Penguins during overtime at UBS Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images

ELMONT, NY — Bo Horvat converted a breakaway 52 seconds into overtime for his second goal of the game that lifted the New York Islanders to a comeback 5-4 victory on Tuesday night at UBS Arena.

Off a whiffed shot by Penguins defenseman Brett Kulak in front of the Islanders’ goal, Mathew Barzal shuffled a skittering puck into the path of Horvat, who calmed it, and fired a wrist shot over the glove of netminder Stuart Skinner to end it. 

“I’d be lying if I said it didn’t feel good,” Horvat, who hadn’t scored since Dec. 30 after contending with a significant injury absence, said. “It’s always good to get on the scoreboard. It’s always great to score and help your team that way.”

Trailing 4-3 inside 10 minutes to go, defenseman Ryan Pulock’s wrister from the left circle with 4:36 left in regulation forced overtime to cap off a frenzied three-goal stretch in less than seven minutes.

Pittsburgh’s Justin Brazeau redirected a Brett Kulak shot at the 10:40 mark of the third to put the visitors in front, just 2:03 after Barzal equalized for the Islanders on a deflected one-timer from the blue line.

With it, the Islanders (31-21-5, 67 points) snapped a two-game losing streak, which helped build a four-point cushion ahead of the Washington Capitals and Columbus Blue Jackets for the No. 3 spot in the Metropolitan Division — the last automatic playoff berth available — with one game to play before the three-week Olympic break. 

They also drew within one point of the Penguins for second place in the division.

“Where we were in the standings, we would have taken it at the start of the year,” Barzal said. “Being two points [apart] in a really tight race… tonight was just massive. You’re playing a team that you’re right there with — down a goal, up a goal, down a goal. Just a great game.”

Even with the win, they were largely outplayed for the majority of the night, beginning with a first period in which they magically escaped with a 2-1 lead thanks to a late, 75-second explosion. 

After Anthony Mantha finished a deft one-handed pass from Justin Brazeau to put the visitors up at the 12:04 mark, Horvat drew the Islanders level with a lunging backhander at the left post off a Barzal shot that caromed off the pads of Skinner. 

With 2.3 seconds left, Matthew Schaefer nabbed the 16th of his superb rookie campaign when he clapped a one-timed slapper fizzing over the glove of Skinner.

The Penguins knotted it back up 3:52 into the second period when Tommy Novak sent a feed from behind the net to a wide-open Egor Chinakhov, who one-timed the chance home. At the 14:09 mark, Bryan Rust put Pittsburgh in front when, from below the goal line, he banked the puck off Ilya Sorokin and into the net. 

“This was a game we had to be resilient,” head coach Patrick Roy said. “A game where we had to battle to come back, and that’s what we did.”

For more on the Islanders, visit AMNY.com

Jan 6, 2026; Elmont, New York, USA; New Jersey Devils right wing Stefan Noesen (11) looks for a rebound after a save by New York Islanders goaltender Ilya Sorokin (30) during the first period at UBS Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Schneidler-Imagn Images

ELMONT, NY — Ilya Sorokin posted his 26th career shutout, passing Chico Resch for the most in franchise history, by stopping all of the New Jersey Devils’ 44 shots in a 9-0 victory on Tuesday night at UBS Arena. 

“It’s a good memory to have,” Sorokin said. “But first of all, it’s teamwork. Without my team, I have nothing. So thanks to the guys for their help. They’re a big part of this record.”

It was Sorokin’s first game after missing two weeks due to an injury, and New Jersey’s high volume of shots certainly kept him busy. 

“Oh yeah [I was busy],” he said. “At the start of the game, I was a little nervous because I had not played in two weeks… but shot by shot, I started to feel confidence.”

Anthony Duclair recorded his fourth career hat trick and his first since March 5, 2019, with the Ottawa Senators against the Columbus Blue Jackets, posting three straight goals in 23:29 as a part of a five-point night.

“It was huge any time you get on the score sheet to help the boys,” Duclair said. “It’s been a while since I’ve scored a hat trick, so I’m very happy about that for sure.”

A second straight win keeps New York (24-15-4, 52 points) within three points of the Carolina Hurricanes for the top spot in the Metropolitan Division with a game in hand.

Duclair is the second Islander this season to record a natural hat trick (Bo Horvat), making it the first time that the franchise has had two different players record natural hat tricks in the same season since Pierre Turgeon and Derek King in 1993-94. 

Mathew Barzal opened the scoring just 1:08 into the game when he one-timed a Ryan Pulock feed from the left circle home for his 11th goal of the season. 

Duclair nabbed his first 3:09 later when he kept it himself on a 3-on-1 rush, and snuck a wrister from the left circle past the glove of Devils netminder Jakob Markstrom, who conceded the Islanders’ opening two goals on just three shots. 

Eight and a half minutes later, Duclair got his second when he was sprung on a semi-breakaway from a Casey Cizikas clear. From nearly the same spot in the left circle, he sniped a wrister just beneath the crossbar to give the Islanders a three-goal lead.  

The hat trick came 3:29 into the second period to put the hosts up 4-0 when a right-circle one-timer from Barzal left Markstrom with no chance.

“He played a really good game,” head coach Patrick Roy said. “I’m happy for him. I know it was hard for him to be out as a scratch the last couple of games, so I’m pretty happy to see the way he bounced back tonight. I always thought he had a great shot, and tonight he showed it.”

Simon Holmstrom made it a five-goal game when he jumped on a spilled puck from Markstrom, circled around the netminder below the goal line, and reached back around the left post to stuff it home for his 10th point in his last 13 games. 

Casey Cizikas got in on the act 1:34 into the third when he drove to the net with a defender draped on him and slid the puck under Markstrom’s pads.

Tony DeAngelo notched New York’s seventh with his first goal since Oct. 23, a wrister assisted by Duclair at the 11:28 mark. 

But wait, there was more. Cal Ritchie made it eight with a breakaway goal with 1:24 to go, before Duclair assisted Cizikas’ second goal just seconds later. 

The fifth point increased Duclair’s line to a plus-6, making him the first Islander since 1983 to have that high a plus-minus. 

“Three goals, two assists, plus-six? That’s a pretty solid game,” Roy said.

All the while, Sorokin blended steadiness with the spectacular to keep the Devils off the scoreboard. The 44 saves were the most he has had in a game since he stopped 45 on Oct. 26, 2023, in a 3-2 win over the Senators. 

“He’s been really good since he’s been with the Islanders,” Roy said. “To be in that position, you have to have good years. That’s what he’s been doing. Tonight, he was really sharp, moving well, and had a strong game.”

For more on the Islanders, visit AMNY.com

Nov 26, 2025; Elmont, New York, USA; Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman (1) defends against a shot on goal attempt from New York Islanders center Kyle Palmieri (21) in the second period at UBS Arena. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

ELMONT, NY — The Islanders’ power play has not been in a giving mood for quite some time, and it devoured any hopes of a win on Thanksgiving Eve against the Boston Bruins.

New York’s man-advantage unit went 0-for-4 with four shots in Wednesday night’s 3-1 loss, its second in three games since returning home from a seven-game road trip.

“The goals obviously aren’t there,” forward Kyle Palmieri said. “The percentage is what it is, but I think there’s looks. I would say tonight we had some good possession, we moved it around, we poiked and prodded, but it bounced over a couple of sticks, stuff like that. I don’t think we have to reinvent the wheel. We’re getting the puck in at will, getting set up, moving the puck well, and we’re finding ways to take what the penalty kill is giving us… The goals aren’t there, but I think there’s a lot of good things and stuff to build on, and they’ll go in.”

Trailing 2-1 midway through the third period and receiving one more opportunity to find an equalizer through special teams, Islanders’ rookie Matthew Schaefer’s errant pass was taken the other way on a 2-on-1 rush before Alex Steeves one-timed his second goal of the night past Ilya Sorokin at the 10:21 mark for a backbreaking shorthanded goal.

“The power play was not as sharp as it was maybe in the other games in a way that our entries were maybe a little too cute,” Roy said. “We tried to force plays instead of putting the puck deep and getting it. But when we did, we had our looks, and we had our chances. It’s just a matter of finding ways to get better shots on net. That’s all, because we can’t change our game. We’ve got to keep playing the same way. We just need to be a little bit better around the net and find ways to bear down on those shots.”

The Islanders (13-9-2, 28 points) are 0-for-their-last-27 on the power play in their last eight games, dating back to Nov. 13 against the Vegas Golden Knights. 

With it, the offense has dried up, scoring just two goals in regulation across their last three games, though Bruins goalie Jeremy Swayman did his fair part. New York more than tripled Boston’s shots, but 44 of their 45 shots were turned away. Meanwhile, Sorokin stopped 11 of 14 just shots.

“I thought we played a really good game,” Roy said. “If you’re looking at the time of possession and the scoring chances, we were the better team on the ice. But the quality of our shots may have to improve, find ways to bear down on our chances, and sometimes, we’re going to have to get a little more traffic around the net.

“But we’re going to win more games than we’re going to lose if we play that way. I can tell you that, because we played really well defensively and didn’t give them much.”

Mathew Barzal put the Islanders in front 4:41 into the game with a highlight-reel worthy flash of the mitts. Receiving a pass from defenseman Tony DeAngelo from the left point to the left circle, Barzal opted to move in toward the near post of Swayman, who was expecting a tough-angled wrister. Instead, the Islanders’ star cut toward the goal line, deked from his backhand to his forehand, and popped his hands back above the goal line to slot the puck past the out-of-position pads of Swayman.

“It was really nice,” Roy said of Barzal’s goal. “He played a really good game. I thought he was our best player. He had a lot of jump and did a really nice job on that play.”

Just 1:42 later, the Bruins equalized when Steeves found a bouncing puck in front of a falling Ilya Sorokin and stuffed it home with ease. 

Tanner Jeannot put Boston ahead 43 seconds into the second period when he snapped a wrister from the right circle over the glove of Sorokin and into the top shelf of the net.  

The Islanders had three power-play opportunities after falling behind, but only mustered two shots on goal in those six minutes, and they came on the first of those chances after Henri Jokiharju went off for a trip 1:33 into the second period. 

Mark Kastelic’s trip eight minutes into the second resulted in two Islanders attempts getting blocked before they hit the net and a giveaway.

Morgan Geekie went off for a trip with 10:42 left in regulation, but the Bruins had more goals (one) during that Islanders power play than the hosts had shots on goal.

“The guys are there, and they know they have to do the work,” Roy said. “Maybe sometimes it’s a matter of having a bit more confidence around the net, and the power play will click. You get one, you get two, all of a sudden, you feel confident. That’s all that’s missing because we do everything right.”

Oddly enough, things tend to go wrong when the Islanders do a lot of things right. They are 2-8-1 this season when they outshoot their opponents this season and are 1-5-0 when recording 35 or more shots.

For more on the Islanders, visit AMNY.com

Nov 23, 2025; Elmont, New York, USA; Seattle Kraken goaltender Joey Daccord (35) defends against a shot on goal attempt by New York Islanders center Mathew Barzal (13) in the first period at UBS Arena. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

ELMONT, NY — The New York Islanders have done something they haven’t done in over a calendar year: Win a game in a shootout.

Facing a second straight loss after Freddy Gaudreau of the Seattle Kraken snuck the opener past Islanders netminder David Rittich, the red-hot Bo Horvat converted what would have been his side’s final chance with a quick wrister that beat netminder Joey Daccord. Kyle Palmieri snapped the winner in the next round, lifting the Islanders to a 1-0 victory on Sunday night at UBS Arena. 

“It was nice to see Bo score that one because no one wanted to go back in the dressing room with a loss, even in a shootout,” head coach Patrick Roy said. “Then [Palmieri] finished the deal right after that. There was a lot of pressure on Bo. But right now, he’s responding to every challenge and deserves a lot of credit for it.”

It was just the third time ever that the Islanders (13-8-2) won by a score of 1-0 in a shootout, while breaking a five-game shootout skid that dated back to Nov. 5, 2024, against the Pittsburgh Penguins. 

The result helps soften the fact that the Islanders have scored just one goal in open play over their last two games (65 minutes), which began with a 2-1 loss to the St. Louis Blues on Saturday afternoon — their first game back at home following a seven-game road trip in which they went 6-1-0.

“It’s weird, back-to-back earlier starts, no pre-game skates,” Palmieri said. “We just wanted to get off to a good start. I thought we had some energy off the back-to-back. We’re excited to be back home in front of our fans on a weekend.”

Rittich continued to prove reliable in his relief appearances for Ilya Sorokin. The veteran turned away all 19 shots he faced in regulation and overtime, plus three more in the shootout.

“David was outstanding out there,” Roy said. “It was a great team effort on a back-to-back, tough schedule. We talked about it before the game. We didn’t want to lose two in a row. It was important to come with a solid performance like this one.”

For more on the Islanders, visit AMNY.com

Oct 21, 2025; Elmont, New York, USA; New York Islanders defenseman Matthew Schaefer (48) skates against the San Jose Sharks during the first period at UBS Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images

ELMONT, NY — The Islanders are back to the square one that is .500 behind a 4-3 victory over the winless San Jose Sharks on Tuesday night at UBS Arena — their third straight win canceled out three consecutive losses to start the 2025-26 season. 

Rookie defenseman Matthew Schaefer recorded a goal and an assist for his first multi-point game as a pro. He has recorded a point in each of his first six games in the NHL after being selected No. 1 overall in June. 

“I love winning, I hate losing,” Schaefer said. “It’s even more fun winning with this group of guys… Now we go back to work again… get our work boots on and keep this streak going.”

Bo Horvat scored his fifth goal in the last three games, while Emil Heineman and Casey Cizikas added tallies of their own. Goaltender Ilya Sorokin stopped 33 shots to nab his second consecutive win, while looking much more confident in the process.

“Ilya made some really good saves, especially in the first period when we were not at our best,” head coach Patrick Roy said. “He kept us in it and gave us a chance.”

The teams combined to score five goals in the first period, with the Islanders scoring three, including two in a 1:04 span following Collin Graf’s short-handed opener at the 8:29 mark.

Just 57 seconds later on that same power play, Horvat scored his fifth goal in his last three games when he rang a one-timer from the right circle off the crossbar and in at the 9:26 mark.

Schaefer got a secondary assist on the goal, extending his NHL-career-starting point streak to six straight games, becoming only the second defenseman in league history to do so. 

“Matthew had a great game,” Roy said. “Probably his best game here.”

Sixty-four seconds later, with 9:30 left in the period, Cizikas found the puck alone in front of the net and slid it under San Jose goalie Yaroslav Askarov, who made 23 saves on the night.

The lead did not even last five minutes, though, as a failed clear from Cizikas resulted in the Sharks playing tic-tac-toe: Graf found 2025 No. 2 draft pick Michael Misa, who went cross-net to an open Adam Gaudette to finish into an open goal with 5:44 remaining. 

The Islanders netted another power-play goal with 30 seconds to go when Heineman whacked in his third goal of the season after Anders Lee shuffled a chance on net from close range.

Schaefer picked up his second career NHL goal and his second point of the night 6:38 into the second period when he pinched to the front of the net for Anthony Duclair’s centering feed from behind Askarov. With a flick of the wrist, he sent a one-timer fizzing past the Sharks’ goalie stick-side to give the Islanders a 4-2 lead. 

“He’s such a skilled player,” Schaefer said of Duclair’s pass. “He found me out front there, and I think that was pretty easy to tap in there. It’s pretty fun when you just have to tap it in.”

Macklin Celebrini, last year’s No. 1 overall pick, pulled the Sharks within one midway through the third when his wrist shot beat Sorokin, but the Islanders and their netminder held firm long enough to squeak out their third win of the season. 

“We found a way to win,” Roy said. “Our power play was solid, our penalty kill was outstanding… Ilya was, to me, the star of the game.”

For more on the Islanders, visit AMNY.com

Oct 16, 2025; Elmont, New York, USA; New York Islanders center Bo Horvat (14) celebrates after scoring a goal in the second period against the Edmonton Oilers at UBS Arena. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

ELMONT, NY — Bo Horvat recorded a hat trick, but it was his second goal of the night that was the game-winner with 4:46 remaining, lifting the Islanders to their first win of the season, a 4-2 triumph over the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday night at UBS Arena. 

With it, the Islanders (1-3-0) avoid dubious history as they had never started a season 0-4-0 in their previous 53 years — and they won’t this year.

“You never just want the losses to start piling up,” Horvat said. “Especially against a team like that with a lot of offense and a lot of good hockey players, it definitely felt great. I think that gives our group a lot of confidence in here.”

After taking a high stick that sent Oilers forward Trent Frederic to the penalty box with 4:53 to go, rookie defenseman Matthew Schaefer extended his point streak to four straight games to start his career with the secondary assist on Horvat’s game-winner. From the point, he fed Mathew Barzal at the left circle, who centered it toward the mid-slot where Horvat finished.

He capped off his hat trick — the second of his career and first since 2019 — with an empty-netter with 8.1 seconds to go.

“I’ve definitely had a lot of two-goal games, so to finally get a hat trick again, that felt good,” Horvat said.

Barzal had two points on the night, which featured his first goal of the season to open the game, while the 18-year-old Schaefer became the youngest player in NHL history to start hsi career with a four-game point streak.

“I assume he must be feeling more and more comfortable on the ice,” Islanders head coach Patrick Roy said. “It’s impressive for a player of that age the way he’s performing.”

“It really doesn’t matter at the end of the day how many points you have or whatever,” Schaefer added. “I just want to win, and I just want to be there for the group. I want them to trust me. I want them to rely on me in all situations.”

The Oilers scored two unanswered goals through Leon Draisaitl and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins to cancel out Barzal’s tally, but Horvat netted a short-handed, tying goal late in the second period that ultimately forced overtime.

David Rittich, Iilya Sorokin’s backup making his Islanders debut, made 32 saves while Edmonton’s Stuart Skinner stopped 24 of his own. 

“It feels obviously great,” Rittich said of his first start and win as an Islander. “We won a tough game and showed that even though we didn’t get a result in the first three games, we showed that we never gave up, we’ll never quit. We fought til the end.”

A remarkably fast first period, which didn’t see its first TV timeout come until there was 5:01 left and featured as strong an Islanders forecheck as there’s been this season, ended with the hosts taking their first lead since the season opener in Pittsburgh a week prior. 

Barzal picked star Oilers defenseman Evan Bouchard’s pocket clean at center ice with nothing but clear ice and Skinner in front of him. The center deked to his forehand in close and potted his first goal of the season into the upper-right corner of the net with 3:37 remaining. 

It lasted all of 1:17, though, as a Scott Mayfield penalty opened the door for Leon Draisaitl’s power-play equalizer with 2:20 to go. The Oilers star was allowed to walk in alone on Rittich from the right circle, directly between defenseman Ryan Pulock and Adam Pelech, before snapping a wrister over the pad of New York’s netminder.

Nugent-Hopkins gave the Oilers the lead 8:53 into the second period when he sniped a wrister over the glove hand of Rittich, who was off his angle, from the left circle. 

Horvat tied it up with a short-handed tally late in the second on the heels of two big saves by Rittich on Draisaitl and Connor McDavid to keep his side down one. After fighting off a one-timer with his left pad, Jean-Gabriel Pageau shuffled the rebound that worked its way to the left boards with a back-handed shuffle pass that found Horvat alone at center ice. 

He deposited his first goal of the season with a wrister over the blocker side of Skinner with 2:04 left in the period. 

“That wasn’t an easy pass at all,” Horvat said of Pageau’s feed. “They had two guys kind of right there, and for him, all in one motion, to throw that, especially on his backhand like that, it’s not an easy play. That’s a highly skilled play by a great penalty killer and a great player. I just had to put it in from there. That gave us some life.”

Moments later, with the Oilers still on the power-play, Rittich turned away McDavid on a breakaway with a sprawling pad save as the superstar moved to his backhand at the left post.  

“David played really well,” Roy said. “That save at the end of the second against McDavid, that was a huge one for us.”

For more on the Islanders, visit AMNY.com

Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images

ELMONT, NY — The NHL’s Jets got a win in New York sooner than the NFL’s Jets, and it has kept the Islanders, like Gang Green, winless in this young season.

For a third straight game, the Islanders’ defense yielded at least four goals in a 5-2 loss to Winnipeg on Monday afternoon at UBS Arena as the team’s new identity under GM Mathieu Darche and head coach Patrick Roy is showing remarkable growing pains on the blue line.

“It’s just little mistakes,” defenseman Scott Mayfield said. “It seems like they’re capitalizing on a lot of them, whether we let a guy behind us, lose a guy out of the corner and in front of the net, pucks at the blue line, turnovers. It’s those little mistakes that are winding up in the back of our net. It’s hard when you’re down in games to grind back in. We’re trying.”

With it, the Islanders are 0-3-0 for the first time to start a season since 2006-07, and they made the playoffs. It is also the first time that they haven’t won in their first three games of a season for the first time since 2009-10, the last time they had the No. 1 pick the prior summer in John Tavares. 

The 2025 No. 1 overall pick, Matthew Schaeffer, logged a game-high 26:35 and picked up an assist for his third NHL point in as many games this season.

Morgan Barron, Nino Neiderreiter, and Tanner Pearson each scored a goal and an assist in Winnipeg’s win, and backup netminder Eric Comrie stopped 33 shots. 

The Islanders got goals from Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Emil Heineman. Ilya Sorokin was saddled with his third loss of the season, making 21 saves. 

For a second straight game, the Islanders faced a multi-goal deficit after the Jets potted two in the opening period. 

Despite a quicker start than Saturday’s home-opening 4-2 loss to the Washington Capitals, the Islanders were cut open on the break by the Jets. Jean-Gabriel Pageau lost an edge and fell in the Winnipeg zone, sparking a 3-on-2 break from the visitors. 

Entering the New York zone, Cole Koepke hit Barron, who was able to skate freely down the center of the ice between blue liners Alex Romanov and Tony DeAngelo, deke to the backhand, and pop his chance over the shoulder of Ilya Sorokin 7:35 into the game. 

“I thought we had a great start and I think we had a great game,” Roy said. “…I thought we moved the puck very well. Their goalie was very good. He was a factor in this game.”

Just over four minutes later, the Jets had their second, which came on the power play. Gustav Nyquist’s cross-goal-line pass found the ex-Islander Neiderreiter at the left post.  His shot was sailing across the goal mouth, but it was deflected in by Sorokin’s blocker. 

Pageau halved the Islanders’ deficit just 2:05 into the second period to provide a glimpse of hope of a comeback. He redirected a point shot from DeAngelo into the roof of the net, but just 14 seconds later, the Jets re-opened a two-goal cushion when Logan Stanley’s wrister on a 3-on-1 slid under Sorokin’s pad — a softy by his standards. 

“I don’t think it affected us,” Roy said. “We kept playing. It doesn’t matter if they score or not. The guys kept playing. That’s what I love about the group. They’re resilient.”

Winnipeg got a fourth after Romanov turned the puck over at its blue line. Neiderreiter, who just exited the penalty box, came in alone on Sorokin but held it on his backhand after late pressure met him. He slid past the right post but backhanded a centering pass to the top of the crease, where Pearson waited for an easy tap-in with 7:21 to go in the second.

“We’ve been giving chances on our odd-man rush for some reason,” Roy said. “It’s something we need to clean up.”

Two minutes later, Heineman got the Islanders back within two with his first goal with this new club. A bouncing dump-in by Schaefer found Jonathan Drouin between the circles of the Jets’ zone and sent a quick pass to Heineman at the right dot. He unleashed an 82-mph snapper that went off the far post and in — perfect placement and a reminder why he is playing on New York’s top line. 

Mark Scheifele added an empty-netter for Winnipeg with 2:25 remaining.

“There’s urgency every day to win a game,” Roy said. “Every game we want to win, your next shift, or next period. We played well enough to win the game.”

For more on the Islanders, visit AMNY.com

Oct 11, 2025; Elmont, New York, USA; New York Islanders defenseman Matthew Schaefer (48) watches the puck during the first period against the Washington Capitals at UBS Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images

ELMONT, NY — Mathew Schaefer helped turn the tide of what was shaping up to be a blowout night with his first career NHL goal, but it still was not enough to bail the New York Islanders out, as they dropped their home opener 4-2 to the Washington Capitals on Saturday night at UBS Arena.

 Aliaksei Protas scored twice to lead the Capitals, while the Islanders fellto 0-2 to start the season. 

It spoiled the home opener Schaefer — the No. 1 pick of the 2025 NHL Draft — who poked his first career goal home 4:28 into the third period to halve the Islanders’ deficit after falling behind by four goals

On the power play, a play started by Schaefer at the point found Anthony Duclair at the left post, who went cross crease to Kyle Palmieri on the doorstep. The shot hit the post and deflected into a scrum of bodies in front of Logan Thompson’s goal. Schaefer bombed in and popped a lunging backhander into the roof of the net, making him the youngest defenseman to score an NHL goal in 81 years (Ross Johnstone, 17 years old in 1944). 

He played 25:36, including time quarterbacking the Islanders’ top power-play unit — a clear indication of his comfort level in the pros and his team’s confidence in him.

“He’s forced us to play him,” head coach Patrick Roy said. “So we’re going to give it to him… I mean, he’s so good. He was our best player out there tonight… He’s exciting to watch. If I’m a fan, I’ll pay to watch him play, there’s no doubt about that.”

Martin Fehervary was gifted Washington’s opener 1:50 into the game when Alex Ovechkin’s point shot was blocked in front by Islanders defenseman Alex Romanov. The puck caromed right to the Capitals defender down low, who was standing at Ilya Sorokin’s right post, to finish into an open net.

“I think I’ve seen this exact same scene in the Mighty Ducks,” Schaefer joked with a nod to the famous 90’s movie. “Just trying to reenact that… It was crazy. I love these fans. Crazy, your name being chanted out there. It feels like home.”

With 6:08 to go in the first, Jean-Gabriel Pageau’s pass to Simon Holmstrom at the Islanders’ blue line resulted in a turnover that gave Aliaksei Protas possession all alone between the circles in front of Sorokin. He snapped a wrister home stick side.

The Capitals’ two goals matched the number of shots the Islanders could muster on goal through the opening 20 minutes, but the hosts would find their attacking skates in the second, outshooting the Capitals 9-3 in the first eight minutes of the middle frame.

Their momentum was stymied by a questionable Palmieri tripping penalty on Protas. On the right boards of the Islanders’ zone, Palmieri’s stick grazed Protas’ calf, to which the Capital made a meal of a dramatic dive that caught the attention of the officiating crew. 

As time expired on the infraction, Ryan Leonard made it 3-0 when his wrister deflected off New York defenseman Scott Mayfield and past the outstretched glove of Sorokin.

Protas picked up his second goal of the night thanks to a Tony DeAngelo whiff at the Islanders’ blue line, sending the left-winger on a breakaway against Sorokin, roofing a wrister to turn New York’s home opener into a rout.

“They did a lot of good things,” Islanders forward Bo Horvat said. “Especially on the forecheck tonight, and they gave us a lot of trouble to break pucks out… We have to start right off the bat. I don’t know if they caught us by surprise or whatever, but we got to be more prepared and ready to go for the next game.”

Duclair opened the scoring for the Islanders with 1:09 left in the second period, just eight seconds into their first power play of the night, when he snapped a wrister through traffic past Thompson, who made 32 saves on the night. 

“We were better in the third,” Roy said. “I loved the urgency we showed there and the push that we tried to make. The power play went 2-for-3.”

Schaefer got the Islanders within two after his first-career NHL goal was confirmed following a lengthy review ushered by the Capitals, who believed Horvat played the puck along in front of Thompson’s goal with a hand pass. 

“I had no idea [why they were challenging],” Horvat said. “The puck was loose. I guess they were saying it hit my hand. But I hit the puck and it hit [Thompson’s] pad and it came right back out. I think [Palmieri got the last touch and Schaefer put it home. Obviously, it didn’t hit my hand.”

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