The peaks and valleys of the Islanders strangest season continue after the most humiliating of the many blown leads took place in Sunday’s Stadium Series game. The Isles had dominated the Rangers for most of the first period after Martin and Rangers rookie, Matt Rempe, dropped the mitts early to further the electric start to the game. 79,690 people watched them battle in Rempe’s first ever shift in the NHL, courtesy of Martin’s offering.
The setting was fantastic. The visuals of the game looked great watching from home, and I have to give credit to the jerseys looking much better on the ice than the reveal indicated. I had forgotten I wasn’t watching a Winter Classic at times. Isles legends Denis Potvin and Brian Trottier showed up and gave a lot of praise to the event, as deserved. We also learned of the 2026 All-Star game being held at UBS Arena!
But the excitement of the Islanders offense felt too good to be true, and after a 4-1 lead was established early in the second period, that old feeling grew stronger and stronger, that the Islanders would find a way to screw this up on the national stage in front of one of the biggest crowds in NHL history.
The second period ended 4-3, but Romanov would make it 5-3 after a gnarly stick to the face of Ryan Lindgren left him alone in front of Shesterkin. The rule that allowed the high-stick to happen because it was a follow through felt like a blessing, but you just knew they were going to pay for it in some way.
With a 5-3 lead and five minutes left in this must-win game, the Islanders managed to do exactly what they’ve been trying to stop doing and took two penalties, giving up two PPG to the Rangers. The game would go into OT (Isles death sentence), where it took a mere ten seconds for Artemi Panarin to pick off a pass from Dobson and take advantage of a sprawling Sorokin to end the game. Watching the end of that game felt like being forced to watch AJR play live for 24 hours straight. Clockwork Orange style.
The Islanders brought in Coach Roy fairly late and needed to go on a run to remain competitive, but they have struggled to do so. They still have looked a lot better than before. They’ve been faster, shooting more, hustling more, but still aren’t fast or skilled enough to stack a few wins together. There have been bright spots against Toronto and Tampa Bay, but they are several points out of the wild card position even now.
Are we capable of making the playoffs this year? It has been up for debate for some, while others never gave the Islanders much credit. I found myself having hope as long as I could, but the inconsistency is a lot to overcome with only 28 games left.
It is also difficult to compete with the worst penalty kill in the league. Letting up three PPG to the Rangers in that game keeps the Isles at a 70.73% kill rate (116/164), with 48 power play goals scored against them this season. That is 26.8% of the total 179 GA this year. The Islanders have the seventh best power play in the league at 23.8%, but any benefit from finally fixing that is outweighed by undisciplined hockey and the degenerating penalty kill.
One can’t mention the Islanders penalty kill without also mentioning Scott Mayfield. Although he has been a fairly solid defensemen throughout his career on Long Island, this year has been a struggle for him. Coming off a year with his most points (24), Mayfield has only 5 pts in 39 games. More importantly, he has 35 PIM in that time, too, and often during the third period when they are most damaging. With a contract that limits the ability to move him for a few years, the Islanders will have to figure out how to maximize his potential and keep him out of the box.
Mayfield seems to take penalties at the worst time, but it is Anders Lee who leads the team with 39 PIM, and Barzal in third with 30 PIM. Barzy took a hooking penalty that allowed the 5-4 goal for the Rangers before Mayfield assisted with their tying goal. Gotta keep the feet moving, boys! Simon Holmstrom is our only penalty kill highlight, scoring 5 SHG for a total of 7 short-handed points thus far.
The tragedy of the Stadium Series game has to have a major impact on the Islanders’ trade deadline strategy. Will Lou stay on track as a buyer? Or will he become a seller in order to re-tool the Isles core over the next few years and gather some draft picks. There is not much we can afford to get on the market that would help us out soon enough to save this season. There are too many bad contracts with restricted trade possibilities.
I have faith in Patrick Roy coaching this team, but who we can get in the lineup to supplement our top guys will tell the tale of the future. For tonight, the Islanders look for revenge against the Pittsburgh Penguins as the focus shifts back to gaining points. As depressing and discouraging as that loss was, they may as well keep pushing and work on positive habits. Here’s to hoping for a quick rebound for the New York Islanders.
Cover Photo: Newsday
The Morning Skate 