News Islanders Team Notes

Islanders Anxiety – Episode 341 – Along for the Ride

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Mike and Dan are back to discuss a new Islanders season with a slightly different vibe than other recent campaigns (but no less unpredictable).

After running down some of training camp and the preseason, we get to our biggest fears and worries about this season. From back-up goalie concerns to coaching doubts to the status of the team’s once stout defense, there’s a lot to be bothered by before the games even start. While some think there might be a resurgence, others see a team not good enough to win but not bad enough to win the lottery (even though they just did). It’s an impossible season to predict so we’re keeping our expectations open… until the losses start happening.

We also look at the first two games of the season against division rivals Pittsburgh and Washington. How the Islanders perform in both games will give us a clear indication of how the season is going to play out. Two wins would be huge. Two losses would be crushing. Either way, we’ll look out for the tendencies we should get used to going forward.

We also give more of our annual Oddly Specific Predictions, some of which involve trades, annoyances and possible PTA meetings. We talk a little about a baseball guy who doesn’t watch hockey (big shocker, there) and reflect on 10 years of Islanders Anxiety. We love getting together for these episodes, which are a perfect mix of both of us. And we thank you so much for coming along and joining us, whether you’ve been with us the whole time or tuning in to your first episode right now.

REFERENCES


Subscribe to our Patreon! Members get ad-free episodes of all our shows, bonus podcasts, written posts, discounts and much more. Or follow us for free to get announcements and our weekly release calendar.

PLUGS!​

  • Vintage Ice Hockey for t-shirts, hoodies and jerseys with hundreds of classic hockey logos, as well as the full line of Islanders Anxiety merch. As always our portion of those sales go directly to the Center for Dementia Research.
  • The Pinot Project has a Rosé, a Pinot Grigio and a Wine Enthusiast Best Buy Pinot Noir, all under $15 a bottle. Available at local wine stores and UBS Arena.
  • Visit Lighthousehockey.com for the most up-to-date Islanders news and discussion.
  • Islanders Anxiety podcasts are part of the Fans First Sports Network (@FansFirstSN).

Theme song: “Morning Haze” by Family Dinner. Hear more of their music on Spotify.


Please subscribe, download, rate, review or spread the word about Islanders Anxiety, Weird Islanders: The Podcast! and all of our podcasts any way you can. All of it helps to raise the show’s profile and maybe could get us another fancy sponsor to sell out to in the near future. Leave us a five star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

All Islanders Anxiety podcasts are available on:

Click to expand...

Source: https://www.lighthousehockey.com/is...anders-anxiety-episode-341-along-for-the-ride
 
Islanders News: Darche introduces opening roster

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Mathieu Darche and the Islanders got a jump on things by unveiling the Islanders’ opening 23-man roster early Monday (the league deadline was 3 p.m.), and Zooming with media to discuss the (largely expected) decisions and look back on training camp.

As Mike and Dan noted in an expansive season-opening Islanders Anxiety podcast (recorded before the roster announcement), one of the few Lou-like remnants is the cagey description of Semyon Varlamov’s situation, which remains “skating on his own” daily — a pretty broad spectrum for a goalie.

Islanders News​

  • Officially, here’s the 23-man roster (also pasted below after these Isles bullets). [Isles]
  • Here is video embedded into the written “3 Takeaways” highlights of Darche’s presser, highlights snipped in the links below. [Isles]
  • Just four 1st overall defensemen “played more than 10 games as 18-year-old rookies: Gord Kluzak (1982), Roman Hamrlik (1992), Aaron Ekblad (2014) and Rasmus Dahlin (2018).” Matthew Schaefer, impressively, will likely be the fifth. [Post | Newsday]
  • Mathieu Darche wanted Isaiah George around for all of training camp (including the weekend team bonding outing) but unsurprisingly wants him logging minutes in the AHL rather than sitting as the 7th. [Post | THN]
  • Co-owner Jon Ledecky is of course optimistic about the upcoming season. [Newsday]
  • Again, they covered a wide range of topics, but the gaping hole/question mark at backup goalie is “horrifying.” [Islanders Anxiety podcast]

Opening Roster (plus IR)​

FORWARDS (14)
Mathew Barzal
Casey Cizikas
Jonathan Drouin
Anthony Duclair
Marc Gatcomb
Emil Heineman
Simon Holmstrom
Bo Horvat
Anders Lee
Kyle MacLean
Jean-Gabriel Pageau
Kyle Palmieri
Max Shabanov
Max Tsyplakov

DEFENSEMEN (7)
Adam Boqvist
Tony DeAngelo
Scott Mayfield
Adam Pelech
Ryan Pulock
Alexander Romanov
Matthew Schaefer

GOALTENDERS (2)
David Rittich
Ilya Sorokin

Additionally, defenseman Isaiah George has been loaned to Bridgeport (AHL). Players on Injured non-roster include Pierre Engvall, Daylan Kuefler, Jesse Nurmi and Calum Ritchie. Ethan Bear and Semyon Varlamov are on Injured Reserve.
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Elsewhere​

  • Giving the Oilers massive but undeserved cap flexibility, Connor McDavid re-signed for two years at $12.5 million per year. [NHL | Sportsnet]
  • The NHL opens tonight with three games on tap. [NHL]
  • The Leafs claimed two former Habs off waivers, Sammy Blais and goaltender Cayden Primeau (from the Hurricanes). [Sportsnet]
  • But they released James Reimer from his PTO at age 37. [Sportsnet]
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Source: https://www.lighthousehockey.com/is...landers-news-darche-introduces-opening-roster
 
Islanders News: Ramping up to the opener

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Calum Ritchie’s untimely injury in the preseason finale has Monday’s announcement of the season-opening roster largely set — with Ritchie surely headed to IR — and Casey Cizikas back at center (for now).

The Isles don’t get started until Thursday night in Pittsburgh, but league-wide rosters are due today ahead of Tuesday night’s openers.

I can’t say the Islanders’ lines are inspiring, exactly, but they will be fascinating to watch sink, swim or evolve.

  • Ed Westfall’s namesake rink in Calverton was the setting for practice and team bonding, so he was available for media. Having watched franchise defensemen Bobby Orr and Denis Potvin break into the league as his teammates, he feels he knows what Matthew Schaefer is facing. [Newsday]
  • On that note, Newsday’s season preview leads with the focus on Schaefer’s development.
  • Schaefer earned the invitation to the big kids’ table, er locker room. [Isles]
  • The preseason finale saw some highs and lows from special teams, including a costly Schaefer error and a smooth Russian connection. [Isles]
  • But Ritchie was hurt, putting his potential debut on hold and maybe clarifying Monday’s decisions. [Newsday | Isles]
  • After Ethan Bear was hurt in the previous outing, the Isles signed NHL vet Andrej Sustr to a PTO for Bridgeport. [THN]

Elsewhere​

  • The Lightning were hammered by the Panthers and two of their defensemen are facing disciplinary hearings. [NHL] It’s four if you count the fines. [Sportsnet]
  • That one also included a rare goal-deletion due to it involving a player who was supposed to be out with a game misconduct. [Sportsnet]
  • Matt Grzelcyk was picked up by the Blackhawks, in a very mid-Snow era type of move. [NHL]
  • Nine storylines heading into the season, including a lot of salary cap talk. [Sportsnet]
  • A season preview/guide for fans who haven’t paid much attention. [ESPN]
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Source: https://www.lighthousehockey.com/is...42883/islanders-news-ramping-up-to-the-opener
 
Islanders Gameday: New era opens in Pittsburgh

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Thet Islanders kick off the Mathew, Mathieu and Matthew era in Pittsburgh, where the Penguins have their home opener after shutting out the Ranjahs at the Garden in the season opener.

Major changes from last season include switching Mathew Barzal back to center, introducing first-overall pick Matthew Schaefer for his NHL debut (while Noah Dobson does his thing in Montreal), all under the guidance of new GM Mathiu Darche.

Emil Heineman (part of the Dobson trade), Max Shabanov and free agent signing (and new #29 wearer) Jonathan Drouin are the other primary newcomers, while the Isles begin a season without Brock Nelson for the first time since 2013.

Here’s how they’re expected to line up:

Drouin – Horvat – Heineman
Lee – Barzal – Palmieri
Shabanov – Pageau – Holmstrom
Duclair – Cizikas – Tsyplakov
MacLean – Gatcomb

Pelech – Pulock
Romanov – DeAngelo
Schaefer – Mayfield
Boqvist

Sorokin
Rittich

Islanders News​

  • Previewing tonight. [Isles]
  • Bo Horvat is ready to score, and return to the playoffs. [Newsday]
  • New leadership, new additions, new era. [Newsday]
  • And other observations from camp. [Isles]
  • Drouin feels good chemistry is brewing with Bo Horvat and Heineman. [Post]
  • Kyle Palmieri and Ryan Pulock will split the A vacated by Nelson. [THN]

Elsewhere​

  • Kyle Connor signs a long-term deal for sub-McDavid AAV in Winnipeg. [Sportsnet]
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Source: https://www.lighthousehockey.com/is...islanders-gameday-new-era-opens-in-pittsburgh
 
Penguins 4, Islanders 3: Late loss in Schaefer, Shabanov debuts

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The Islanders dropped their season opener in Pittsburgh, losing 4-3 in a back-and-forth affair that featured points for Mathew Schaefer and Max Shabanov in their NHL debuts.

There were some good “well enough to win,” in the parlance of our Patrick Roy times, but also some things that could foreshadow sources of frustration over the next 81 games.

Bright Spots​

  • Jonathan Drouin was fairly threatening much of the night, though his goal came on his least-dangerous shot, a flutterer from the slot assisted by Schaefer.
  • Schaefer flashed his speed, mobility and instincts in his debut, though he also looked like an 18-year-old figuring out defensive coverage and decision-making. He was out there at the end at 6-on-5 and looked completely comfortable. And he became the youngest ever to record a point in his NHL debut.
  • Though he wasn’t especially noticeable, Shabanov’s shot — off a great pass from Simon Holmstrom — was a sharp one that overpowered Tristan Jarry on his first NHL goal.
  • Mat Barzal was dynamic in his return to center and return from season-ending injury, though the true test will be the two-way side of that position as he plays away from Bo Horvat. He was 7 for 10 on faceoffs.
  • Kyle Palmieri looked still young enough in Game 1, scoring with a nice far-post shot on a good rush and pass from Barzal. He had lots of shots, so he’s in mid-season form.
  • Ilya Sorokin was far from perfect, but he had some great saves, which weirdly can also be said of Tristan Jarry.

Dark Spots​

  • The Isles were in the box three minutes into the season, and it took 23 seconds for them to concede a goal on that Alex Romanov penalty. They gave up another power play goal in the second, and could’ve easily conceded more.
  • And the power play came up empty, too. The 6-on-4 stretch at least created some standard chances.
  • If you had to guess from the first game — or really, from a preseason view of this roster — the blueline is going to be their downfall. The blueline bright spot should not be your 18-year-old rookie. But the rest are just guys, each of them a year older.
  • None moreso than Scotty Mayfield, who (with Schaefer) was on the ice for all even strength goals for and against, including the game winner with 5:39 left. It was a great bank pass by Evgeni Malkin to spring Justin Brazeau for a breakaway, but Mayfield didn’t anticipate it in time and he doesn’t have the speed to make up for it, even with Brazeau having to take a beat to control the puck between his skates.
  • Drouin was ejected with 17 seconds to go after a goalmouth scrum where he delivered a crosscheck to the face. It looked bad, but it was part of a back-and-forth where his last shove went high. Whoops.

Up Next

The Isles’ home opener is Saturday, when they host the Capitals.
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Source: https://www.lighthousehockey.com/game-recaps/42897/penguins-vs-islanders-schaefer-shabanov-debuts
 
How to make sure Lighthouse Hockey shows up in your Google search

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As many of you are likely aware, Google searches are … different these days.

The good news is Google is offering a solution for folks who like to get their news from specific sources. If you want to help Lighthouse Hockey— while also streamlining all your Google searches — there is now a way.

Simply click on this link and add Lighthouse Hockey as one of your “Source preferences.” That’s all there is to it!

Back in August, the tech giant debuted a feature called “Preferred Sources.” It’s a way for Google to prominently feature the results from websites you trust, like Lighthouse Hockey:

“With the launch of Preferred Sources in the U.S. and India, you can select your favorite sources and stay up to date on the latest content from the sites you follow and subscribe to — whether that’s your favorite sports blog or a local news outlet. …

“When you select your preferred sources, you’ll start to see more of their articles prominently displayed within Top Stories, when those sources have published fresh and relevant content for your search.”

As some of you might know, AI searches are hurting outlets around the world and in all spaces. We’ve worked hard at Lighthouse Hockey to build a brand you can trust and rely on for New York Islanders coverage. Our goal is to serve you, the fans.

If you’re a fan of our work and want to get the best Islanders coverage possible, this is an excellent win-win to improve your Google searches while helping Lighthouse Hockey out.
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Source: https://www.lighthousehockey.com/is...hthouse-hockey-shows-up-in-your-google-search
 
Islanders Gameday: Home opener vs. the Capitals

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The pomp and circumstance have returned to the fancy arena at Belmont Park as the Islanders prepare for their 2025-26 home opener vs. the Washington Capitals.

First Islanders Goal picks go here.

Islanders News​

  • The Isles will be without Jonathan Drouin, who scored a goal and committed a suspension-worthy five-and-game crosscheck to Connor Dewar in the dying seconds of the season opener. That means Anthony Duclair will move up to the Horvat line, while Marc Gatcomb will make his season debut. [Isles | Newsday | Post]
  • Pretty special week for the Schaefer family, who watched Matthew make his NHL debut, collect his first point and will see him absorb the love from Long Island fans in the home opener. [Isles]
  • The Isles would of course like to establish some home ice advantage at UBS, where they’ve been just so-so. [Newsday]
  • Injured Isles Calum Ritchie, Pierre Engvall and Semyon Varlamov each skated yesterday. [Isles]
  • It’s a dream come true for new full-time radio play-by-play man Alan Fuehring. [Post]
  • Tonight’s opponent’s coach Spencer Carbery calls the current Isles “a much more dynamic team” than past versions. [THN]

Elsewhere​

  • The Capitals also lost their opener, misfiring on the power play and being stopped by Jeremy Swayman. [Caps]
  • Your guide to all 16 games with all teams in action Saturday. [NHL]
  • Another injury blow for the Panthers, whose Dmitry Kulikov may need surgery. [Sportsnet]
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Source: https://www.lighthousehockey.com/is...islanders-gameday-home-opener-vs-the-capitals
 
Capitals 4, Islanders 2: Schaefer the lone spark

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The relationship has begun.

The Islanders’ home opener was a disappointment, with the team neutralized by the Capitals in the first period, before they made it a little interesting later on in a 4-2 loss.

In what may be a refrain this season, the main bright spot was Matthew Schaefer, who led the team in minutes played by a long margin, displaying a mobility and creativity that is special and rare. This will probably be a frustrating season, or at least a predictable transition season, but it’s also going to be one with glimpses of hope and if Schaefer stays healthy and is able to flash the things he did tonight.

[NHL Gamecenter | Game Summary | Event Summary | Natural Stat Trick]

His first NHL goal was pure instinct, reading the play, understanding the risks and possibilities, divebombing in from the point to poke a puck home when the play seemed dead.

Matthew Schaefer has arrived, folks. 🔥 Just 18 years old. #NHLFaceOff

— NHL (Bot) (@notnhl.bsky.social) 2025-10-12T01:34:39.683468Z
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Unfortunately, it came after the Islanders were dormant in the first — falling behind 2-0 — and fell behind 4-0 in the second despite showing more signs of life. The next two goals came on bad bounces, a wide shot that deflected toward the net off Scott Mayfield’s knee and a Tony DeAngelo whiff at the point that led to a breakaway (and second) goal for Aliaksei Protas.

Aliaksei Protas is so casual with it on the breakaway 🤷‍♂️ #NHLFaceOff

— NHL (Bot) (@notnhl.bsky.social) 2025-10-12T00:47:15.257370Z
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But the Isles got one back before the second intermission, an Anthony Duclair power play goal on a nicely run faceoff play. Good for him to get that out of the way.

Then the Isles brought much needed life to the building when Schaefer scored, also on the power play, just 4:28 into the third to cut the deficit to 4-2. The Capitals inexplicably stalled and eventually challenged for a hand pass, while the Long Island faithful chanted “Matth-ew Schae-fer” during the delay. The failed challenge put the Isles and Schaefer back on the power play, where they displayed control but not enough good chances.

They never got another goal to provide another inkling of hope, but the Mat(t)hew Schaefer-Barzal combo at least gave us something to look forward to this season. Schaefer (26:04) and Barzal (21:28) led their respective positions in TOI, with the next closest being Kyle Palmieri (assists on both goals) at 20:41.

Bright Spots​

  • The power play, maybe? With Schaefer on it, certainly.
  • Schaefer.
  • Exchanges between Schaefer and Barzal.
  • The relationship you know is coming between Schaefer and fans.
  • Schaefer’s dad, who had a long interview with Shannon Hogan at the intermission.

Bleak Spots​

  • The slow start. In your home opener.
  • The non-Schaefer part of the blueline.
  • Ilya Sorokin having to be great, and when he’s not great we have big question marks at backup.

Up Next

It’s an afternoon game Monday as the Winnipeg Jets visit.
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Source: https://www.lighthousehockey.com/game-recaps/42910/capitals-4-islanders-2-schaefer-the-lone-spark
 
Islanders Anxiety – Episode 342 – Get Them Schaefer-ized

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Mike and Dan recap the Islanders’ first two games of the season, which were mostly bad except for two new guys who were actually trying to win.

We asked them for a couple of wins, something they haven’t started a campaign with in ages. They did not do that, losing in Pittsburgh and against Washington in their home opener. Long stretches of both games featured familiar problems and a general lack of energy, which sapped a lot of the excitement out of what should be an exciting time.

But Matthew Schaefer didn’t get the memo. His performances – especially in Game 2, where he scored his first NHL goal – proved that he is already the team’s best player and biggest reason to watch. He played the game in a way we’ve never seen, streaking down the ice and trying to make something, anything – a goal, a scoring chance, a shift in momentum – happen. While his older, established teammates took one or two periods to get going, the kid who turned 18 three weeks ago was leading the way. That’s fantastic for him and a bad look for everyone else. Shout out to Max Shabanov, the other guy who apparently hasn’t been invited to the Country Club yet.

After talking about the loses and (mostly) Schaefer, we turn to the next few games, all against Canadian teams and all presenting more opportunities for the Islanders to either get right or show they might not have it this season. That might not be a bad thing overall, but it’s going to get very old very quickly.

Finally, we go to our first edition of Master Leaf Theatre this season. It’s earlier than we expected but the passage was too good to pass up.

REFERENCES

  • Does this young man look excited that he just scored his first NHL goal?
View Link

Subscribe to our Patreon! Members get ad-free episodes of all our shows, bonus podcasts, written posts, discounts and much more. Or follow us for free to get announcements and our weekly release calendar. Try a free 7-Day trial of our Country Club tier to sample what we offer.

PLUGS!​

  • Vintage Ice Hockey for t-shirts, hoodies and jerseys with hundreds of classic hockey logos, as well as the full line of Islanders Anxiety merch. As always our portion of those sales go directly to the Center for Dementia Research.
  • The Pinot Project has a Rosé, a Pinot Grigio and a Wine Enthusiast Best Buy Pinot Noir, all under $15 a bottle. Available at local wine stores and UBS Arena.
  • Visit Lighthousehockey.com for the most up-to-date Islanders news and discussion.
  • Islanders Anxiety podcasts are part of the Fans First Sports Network (@FansFirstSN).

Theme song: “Morning Haze” by Family Dinner. Hear more of their music on Spotify.


Please subscribe, download, rate, review or spread the word about Islanders Anxiety, Weird Islanders: The Podcast! and all of our podcasts any way you can. All of it helps to raise the show’s profile and maybe could get us another fancy sponsor to sell out to in the near future. Leave us a five star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

All Islanders Anxiety podcasts are available on:

Click to expand...

Source: https://www.lighthousehockey.com/is...hem-schaefer-ized-matthew-schaefer-first-goal
 
Islanders Gameday News: Schaefer love, lines remixed

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The 0-2 Islanders’ homestand continues tonight (duh, this afternoon) with a visit from the Winnipeg Jets, who’ve opened the season by announcing a long-term extension with one of their franchise players, Kyle Connor, who promptly scored a hat trick in their season-opening loss.

With some line mixups during Saturday’s home opener, no wins yet, and Jonathan Drouin returning from a one-game suspension, Patrick Roy shuffled the lines a bit. Mat Barzal will be playing with a couple of shooters:

Jonathan Drouin – Bo Horvat – Emil Heineman
Anthony Duclair – Mathew Barzal – Kyle Palmieri
Anders Lee – JG Pageau – Max Shabanov
Simon Holmstrom – Casey Cizikas – Max Tsyplakov
Marc Gatcomb – Kyle MacLean – Calum Ritchie

Islanders News​

  • All the Sunday practice updates, from the lines to confirming Ilya Sorokin will start. [Isles]
  • Some brief reasoning on a few of the new combos. [THN]
  • On Matthew Schaefer already stealing our hearts: Neil Best on the Schaefer Show. [Newsday] The love affair has begun. [Athletic]
  • On that aspect, as well as Ryan Pulock and Schaefer bonding over common experience of tragic loss as teenagers. [NHL]
  • Schaefer hugging and chirping his dad after his first goal. [NHL]
  • The Isles are forging new chemistry with Mat Barzal at center. [Post]
  • The aesthetics all looked different for the home opener, but the result definitely did not. [Post]

Elsewhere​


After all teams were in action Saturday, just one game Sunday: The Capitals shut out the Smurfs on an Anthony Beauvillier goal.

  • Lindy Ruff blasts the Sabres after they open the season 0-2: “Worst compete and skating that I’ve seen.” [Sportsnet]
  • Some early overreactions, like Buffalo stinking, Schaefer’s Calder candidacy and Connor Bedard ready to break out. [Sportsnet]
  • Ominous news for the Hurricanes as Jaccob Slavin — who was kept out of training camp with an injury — pulls up “gimpy.” [TSN]
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Source: https://www.lighthousehockey.com/is...ders-gameday-news-schaefer-love-lines-remixed
 
Islanders News: 0-3

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The New York Islanders have zero standings points through their first three games but 18-year-old (and TOI leader) Matthew Schaefer has a point in each game. That could be a harbinger of how the 2025-26 transition season will go, we’ll see.

It’s only three games in, but their power play is still whiffing, their franchise goalie hasn’t stolen a game, and they need to beat the back-to-back Stanley Cup runners-up to avoid starting 0-4 to the season.

Where are you on the Concern-O-Meter?

Islanders News​

  • About yesterday afternoon, a 5-2 (EN) loss to the Jets: Another 26+ minutes from Schaefer, a sizzling shot for Emil Heineman’s first goal, and 0-for-5 with the man advantage. [Isles] Still winless. [Newsday]
  • Patrick Roy backs Ilya Sorokin. [Post]
  • He also says we’re not doing moral victories but that was a moral victory. [Post] [Isles post-game video]
  • Long Island’s Own (TM) Marshall Warren is the AHL Player of the Week. (Don’t look now, but Bridgeport has three of a possible four points, a minor miracle by recent standards.) [Isles]
  • Speaking of whom, Calum Ritchie is now assigned there. [Isles]
  • Jets coach Scott Arniel on Schaefer: “The kid is dynamic. Boy, can he skate. I’ve seen some young guys step into this league. There’s a guy in Colorado who kind of has that same kind of poise and ability to move. He is dynamic. I saw a video and watched him on TV last year. But to see him live, man, man oh man, he can jump. He can skate, and he has some tools. I’m glad he’s in the East.” [THN]

Other News​

  • Calder winner Lane Hutson will make less than Noah Dobson for the next eight years. [NHL]
  • Buffalo is also 0-3. They can’t let it become…like the last 14 seasons. [NHL]
  • Connor McDavid’s agent defends his team-friendly deal: “$25 million is still a lot of money.” [Sportsnet]
  • Brady Tkachuk leaves a game with injury and is being evaluated. [AP]
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Source: https://www.lighthousehockey.com/islanders-news-headlines/42938/islanders-news-winnipeg-jets-winless
 
Islanders News: What the Isles need now…

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It’s early and all that, but the Islanders really need a win — hell, even an extra-time loss — to avoid all the terrible associations that would come with an 0-4 start. Buffalo and San Jose are the only other winless teams thus far, and that’s not great company to keep.

Worse, their opponent on Thursday is the on-a-mission, back-to-back runner-up Oilers, who have yet to lose in regulation. If Matthew Schaefer, Bossy love him already, continues to be their TOI leader then that will mean a lot of time against two of the best hockey players in the world.

Thursday would be a good time for Ilya Sorokin to stand on his head for 60 minutes.

Islanders News​

  • Matthew Schaefer has gone from “Hmm, he could get a nine-game trial” to “he might make the team for real” to “Damn…he might be our top blueliner already.” Now, the opponents have tape and will counter him. [Newsday]
  • A short catalog of concerns through the 0-3 start. [Post]
  • We Watch So You Don’t Have To: This isn’t golden content, maybe not worth the eight minutes, but if you love mic’d up segments, it’s a bit of Matthew Schaefer and Patrick Roy during his debut, and a lot of Sidney Crosby and Penguins coach Dan Muse. [NHL on YouTube]
  • Also: the release/broadcast schedule for the next “Welcome to the NHL” featuring Schaefer, Kashawn Aitcheson and some other first-round picks from other teams. [NHL]

Elsewhere​


Tuesday night’s NHL scores included the Smurfs losing to the Oilers, who are on Long Island on Thursday.

  • The Habs paid tribute to the late Ken Dryden, narrated by Bob Gainey. The goalie went 228 games before losing two in a row. [NHL]
  • There there now: The Rangers made history as the first team to be shut out in its first three home games. [Sportsnet]
  • Meanwhile, their former main guy Chris Kreider was scoring late to beat the Penguins. [NHL]
  • The Canadiens extended their braintrust of Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton for another five years. [TSN]
  • Brady Tkachuk is expected to miss four weeks. [TSN]
  • Jimmy Snuggerud could be your sleeper fantasy pickup. [NHL]
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Source: https://www.lighthousehockey.com/is.../42941/islanders-news-what-the-isles-need-now
 
Islanders 4 (EN), Oilers 2: Horvat hat trick gets 1st win for Isles, Rittich

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Bo Horvat notched his second career hat trick, David Rittich made 30 saves in his debut, the Isles scored an elusive empty net goal while surviving a pulled goalie, and they avoided an 0-4 start to get their first win of the season, 4-2 over the Edmonton Oilers.

The Islanders dominated the first period but only emerged from it with a 1-1 tie, in part thanks to Stuart Skinner making some great saves. It was 14 minutes before the Oilers put together a decent shift with any pressure, but the Isles had yet to cash in on any of their chances before that. It had all the markings of a haunting game regretting missed opportunities, but the Isles didn’t let early missed opportunities get them down.

[NHL Gamecenter | Game Summary | Event Summary | Natural Stat Trick]

Mat Barzal committed a turnover in his own zone late in a shift, but the Isles got the puck out to Joel Bouchard. Bouchard was lazy with the puck, thinking Barzal was going off for a change, but instead Barzal cut off his pass and went around him for a nice breakaway move to make it 1-0 at 16:23

Alas, that lead didn’t last long, and the Oilers converted on a power play with Leon Draisaitl making a quick move to tie it just 1:17 later.

That’s how things stayed till midway through the second period, though the Islanders continued to get some good chances of their own.

But they turned it over just outside their blueline and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins put a nice shot upstairs to beat David Rittich, giving the Oilers a 2-1 lead.

Late in the period, still leading 2-1, Edmonton went back on the power play and it seemed the plot was set.

But no! J-G Pageau won a puck on the left boards in the Isles zone and slipped a diagonal pass to Bo Horvat, who was sneaking out to center ice, left all alone by Evan Bouchard, who was inexplicably all the way over on the boards. That left Horvat with tons of time to pick his spot, and he made no doubt with a shot from the low slot inside the left post.

Bo Horvat scores the /NYIslanders' second breakaway goal of the game! 👀

— NHL (Bot) (@notnhl.bsky.social) 2025-10-17T01:33:20.835979Z
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“I’ve gotta say, this is about as bad of a two periods as I’ve seen an NHL player play. Bouchard has no idea Horvat is on that side of the ice.”

>>Ray Ferraro, mincing no words about Evan Bouchard
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They hit the third period tied 2-2, and it stayed that way while continuing to alternate power plays.

It was the first consecutive power play for any team in the game — after an awkward and accidental high stick by Trent Frederic on Matthew Schaefer — that the Isles power play finally struck, and quickly. Off the faceoff with five minutes to go, Schaefer fed Mat Barzal, who fed Horvat in the slot for a one-timer and his second goal of the game.

The Isles led 3-2 with four minutes to go, and they nearly grabbed an insurance marker when Emil Heineman deflected Ryan Pulock’s shot off the post.

The Oilers loaded up with Connor McDavid and Draisaitl out together and hemmed the Isles in for a couple of icings. Then they gave those two a breather before loading up again with Skinner pulled for a sixth attacker.

It was frankly a pulsating, exciting 6-on-5 situation, with the Isles staying disciplined in the face of terrifying work by the Oilers’ all-stars. Heineman just missed an empty-net try, but on the next interception and rush, Jonathan Drouin made great moves in his own zone and in the neutral zone before setting up Horvat for the empty netter and hat trick.

So the Isles have avoided at least this version of haunting. They continued to trend upward, inch by inch. If it will be the difficult season that many expect, they’ve at least ended one early nightmare storyline.

Up Next​


The Isles are in Ottawa Saturday night for a one-game trip over the border.
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Source: https://www.lighthousehockey.com/ga...rvat-hat-trick-gets-1st-win-for-isles-rittich
 
Weird Islanders: The Podcast! – Episode 72 – Cory Schneider

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Mike and Dan begin Season 5 of Weird Islanders: The Podcast! by talking to affable one-game Islander Cory Schneider about his great NHL career and path to Long Island.

From a standout career at BU to a run with a great Canucks team to a monster trade to New Jersey to years in the AHL, Cory Schneider provided excellent goaltending wherever he played for 13 seasons. All the while, he managed to keep his sense of humor and gratitude about the entire experience. We ask him about all of these stops, some of the relationships he made with teammates and managers along the way, and of course his final years with the Islanders and transitioning to more of a mentor role while winning his final NHL game against the team he had the most success for. We also ask him about his budding broadcasting career and podcast with friend and former teammate Brian Boyle, and he BLOWS THE LID off a secret about MSG Network that we’ve always had our suspicions about.

Cory is someone we’ve wanted to have on the show for some time and the reasons why are made clear here. He’s funny, has an unbelievable memory and has always felt like a perfect fit for the Islanders. He even does impressions! As with other former Islanders we’ve had or will have on, we wanted to know more about the experience of being a New York Islander and how it compares or differs from our experiences rooting for the team on the outside, and he didn’t disappoint.

We can’t thank Cory enough for joining us and giving us way more time than we deserved. He was everything we could have asked for and more, and he was the perfect guest to kick off Season Five of Weird Islanders: The Podcast! Join us for the rest of the season for more great episodes, great guests and, maybe, even another ex-Islander.

And be sure to check out the first episode of Weird Islanders Extra!, where Mike and Dan discuss how the interview with Cory and our interview last season with former Islander Deron Quint came about. We’ll be releasing more bonus Weird Islanders Extra! episodes throughout the season, exclusively at our Patreon.

(Since recording, it’s been announced that Schneider will be covering Devils games this season. We wish him luck and hope to see him back on Islanders broadcasts at some point again).

WEIRD BONUS MATERIAL

  • The Devils bought him out of the final two years of his contract in 2021. Very quickly, he was signed by the Islanders and Lou Lamoriello, the man who brought him to New Jersey seven years earlier.
  • More than two years after he last suited up in the NHL for the Devils, Schneider got a win in his one regular season game as an Islander, ironically, against New Jersey in April of 2022.

What makes a “Weird Islander?”

We’re always open to suggestions about other Weird Islanders to discuss. Remember the criteria. Candidates must fulfill one of the two of the following:

  • Played one (1) season or less for the Islanders or very short stints over multiple seasons.
  • Be a veteran NHLer who is not generally associated with his time on Islanders.

Subscribe to our Patreon! Members get ad-free episodes of all our shows, bonus podcasts, written posts, discounts and much more.


Visit our friends!

  • Vintage Ice Hockey for t-shirts, hoodies and jerseys featuring hundreds of classic hockey logos, as well as Islanders Anxiety merch, and our Al Arbour and The Island shirts. Our portion of the sales benefit the Center for Dementia Research. Use the code ANXIETY20 to save 20% off an order of two items.
  • The Pinot Project has Rosé, Pinot Grigio and a Pinot Noir that was named a 2024 Top 100 Best Buy by Wine Enthusiast Magazine. All are under $15 a bottle and are available at local wine shops and at UBS Arena.
  • Islanders Anxiety podcasts are part of the Fans First Sports Network (@FansFirstSN).
  • Theme song: “Knuckles” by Björn Falk. Hear more of his music on Spotify and at Bandcamp.
  • Drum sfx via Zapsplat.com. Jingle bell sfx also via ZapSplat.

Please subscribe, download, rate, review or spread the word about Islanders Anxiety, Weird Islanders: The Podcast! and all of our podcasts any way you can. All of it helps to raise the show’s profile and maybe could get us another fancy sponsor to sell out to in the near future. Leave us a five star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

All Islanders Anxiety podcasts are available on:

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Source: https://www.lighthousehockey.com/ny...landers-the-podcast-episode-72-cory-schneider
 
Islanders Gameday: The first frontier…

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Whenever their first standings point of 2025-26 comes, the Islanders will be the 32nd NHL team to get one.

With the sadsack(TM) Sabres winning big last night over the Senators, the Islanders are the last team in the league with zero points and one of two teams (San Jose is the other) yet to win. The Isles have a chance to change that tonight, but it’s the visiting Edmonton Oilers who stand in their way.

Former Flame David Rittich will get the start and his Islanders debut tonight, Patrick Roy announced yesterday.

Islanders News​

  • Sounds like Kyle MacLean will slot in and bump Max Tsyplakov from the lineup, a move that Roy conceded was “a change to make a change.” [Isles]
  • You may be panicking, but the Islanders say they aren’t. [Newsday]
  • Prospect Report: Cole Eiserman and Tomas Poletin are both off to hot starts. [Isles]
  • It’s time to name the Islanders’ next puppy. [Isles]

Elsewhere​


Four games in the NHL last night, including the Red Wings knocking off the Panthers.

  • Concern about the Olympics: The Italians, they’re not so practiced at building ice rinks. [Sportsnet]
  • Concern about the Senators: They’ll be trying to build off last season while missing Brady Tkachuk for a month, maybe more. [Sportsnet]
  • The Rangers also aren’t panicking, in case you care. [Post]
  • The NHL announced a deal to have 21 games broadcast live in Australia with a country-customized production and commentary. That’s part of a general effort to expand the league’s reach overseas. [NHL]
  • Jacob Markstrom will miss “weeks” for the Devils. [ESPN]
  • Utah unveiled its “Tusky” mammoth mascot, from a block of ice. [Sportsnet]
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Source: https://www.lighthousehockey.com/islanders-news-headlines/42944/islanders-gameday-the-first-frontier
 
Islanders Gameday: Afternoon in Ottawa

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Today the New York Islanders face the Senators in Ottawa, where both teams have stumbled out of the gate amid modestly increased expectations over last year.

The Senators, who finally broke through the playoff line last spring, they’re also dealing with injuries highlighted by Brady Tkachuk’s expected two-month departure due to surgery on his thumb.

First Islanders Goal picks for this afternoon (3 p.m. EDT start) go here.

Islanders News​

  • Patrick Roy confirmed that Ilya Sorokin will be back in net today, and said he was overdue to help the goalies with the mental and trust side. [Post | Newsday]
  • Matthew Schaefer will see plenty of friends for his first NHL game in Canada. [Newsday]
  • You probably don’t want to miss this episode of Weird Islanders, with Cory Schneider sharing all kinds of tales from playing and broadcasting. [LHH]
  • Practice updates (Romanov taking a maintenance day) and other notes, like Bo Horvat breaking down his special teams goals. [Isles]
  • The Skinny from the 4-2 (EN) win over the Oilers. [Isles]
  • …and the cinematic recap. [Isles]
  • Anders Lee and Bo Horvat trading dad jokes. [Isles]

The opponent:

  • The Senators feel early setbacks are self-inflicted. [Athletic]

Elsewhere​


Friday’s scores: just four games, but the Capitals continue to roll.

  • Nathan Walker is the only Aussie to play in the NHL and is building the game back home, interviewing kids who may not know that he’s the Australian Mariusz Czerkawski. [NHL]
  • Anze Kopitar is out week to week. [NHL]
  • The (soon obsolete) life of an EBUG. [Sportsnet]
  • Kind of odd but sure, okay: Cam Atkinson returns to Columbus and takes one “final lap” on the ice. [NHL]
  • The talent exodus in Buffalo may continue. [Sportsnet]
  • Jaromir Jagr may be participating in his 38th pro season, at age 53. [Sportsnet]
  • Steven Stamkos opens up about the tough first season in Nashville and being cast away by the Lightning. [Sportsnet]
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Source: https://www.lighthousehockey.com/islanders-news-headlines/42958/islanders-gameday-ottawa-senators
 
Islanders 5, Senators 4: Back-and-forth smash and grab

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The Islanders walked away from a back-and-forth afternoon in Ottawa with two regulation points after a stunning Anders Lee goal gave them their first lead of the game with 63 seconds left to go, setting up a 5-4 win.

The Isles did well to come back multiple times, from 2-0, 3-2 and 4-3, but escaping with a win and no extra time never seemed in the cards until the final minute.

Despite giving up four goals, Ilya Sorokin had a partial bounce-back game, stopping 29 shots — including a penalty shot that would have put them behind by two in the third — and sprinkling in some acrobatic saves to always keep the game within reach.

[NHL Gamecenter | Game Summary | Event Summary | Natural Stat Trick]

Anders Lee! Holy shit, what a goal! pic.twitter.com/mpGcZiMpfj

— Rob Taub (@RTaub_) October 18, 2025
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Sorokin stops Pinto's penalty shot 👀 pic.twitter.com/bFmf3deV37

— TSN (@TSN_Sports) October 18, 2025
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This & That​

  • The Islanders gave up a power play goal late in the first, on Ottawa’s opportunity, then conceded a 6-on-5 goal to the blazing-hot Shane Pinto to fall behind 2-0 early in the second.
  • Kyle Palmieri, Emil Heineman and Max Shabanov each got their second goals. Palmieri’s was huge, tying it early in the third with a great shot after Barzal went end to end, dished to Palmieri and then drove the lane to occupy both defensemen.
  • Matthew Schaefer continued his history-making start by getting an assist for points in each of his first five NHL games. He also was the “culprit” for the penalty shot, tripping Pinto after he cleanly knocked the puck away:
1) Is this a trip? 100%

2) Is this a penalty shot? Not in the slightest, look at how cleanly Schaefer touched the puck first!

3) Did Schaefer have any intention of hurting Pinto? Obviously not, that was the defensive play that needed to be made

pic.twitter.com/xz7KJCpW1i

— Nicole Shirman (@nicolefshirman) October 18, 2025
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That was Anders Lee's 44th career game-winning goal for #Isles, tying him with Hall of Famer Denis Potvin for fourth on the franchise's all-time list.

— Andrew Gross (@AGrossNewsday) October 18, 2025
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#Isles Matthew Schaefer wanted his maternal grandparents to have the scoresheet from the game after he scored in his fifth straight game to start his career. His grandmother said this was the first NHL game she had attended. Also didn't get to see him much in juniors.

— Andrew Gross (@AGrossNewsday) October 18, 2025
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Up Next​


The Isles head back home for a couple of games, Tuesday vs. the Sharks and Thursday vs. the Red Wings.
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Source: https://www.lighthousehockey.com/ga...s-senators-anders-lee-sorokin-schaefer-barzal
 
Islanders Anxiety – Episode 343 – Where’s The Joker?

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Mike and Dan recap the Islanders’ exciting first two wins of the season and the warts that are still very evident in their play so far.

For a little while, they were 0-3 and staring down a quickly lost season. But two wins – neither perfect, but gutty and pesky – helped everyone breath easy for a little bit and gave the Islanders a chance to rejoin the rest of the NHL before it got too late. They took advantage of an out-of-sorts Oilers team at home, then outlasted a Senators squad on the road in a defensive clown show. Both were badly needed and had heroes and goats that will either be leaned on or replaced as the season goes. We don’t need the Islanders to be great. We need them to at least not be aggravating. This week, they were more of the latter than the former.

In the second half, we look ahead to a week that could get them to .500 or beyond with a little effort. We also talk about their newest post-win prize and how it feels good to have some goofy fun again (with a totem that’s wired directly into Dan’s brain). Finally, we reluctantly bring you another edition of Master Leaf Theatre, that acts as a second chapter to last week’s installment. We don’t want to go to this well too often. But some wells are far too easy to drink from.

REFERENCES


Subscribe to our Patreon! Members get ad-free episodes of all our shows, bonus podcasts, written posts, discounts and much more. Or follow us for free to get announcements and our weekly release calendar. Try a free 7-Day trial of our Country Club tier to sample what we offer.

PLUGS!​

  • Vintage Ice Hockey for t-shirts, hoodies and jerseys with hundreds of classic hockey logos, as well as the full line of Islanders Anxiety merch. As always our portion of those sales go directly to the Center for Dementia Research.
  • The Pinot Project has a Rosé, a Pinot Grigio and a Wine Enthusiast Best Buy Pinot Noir, all under $15 a bottle. Available at local wine stores and UBS Arena.
  • Visit Lighthousehockey.com for the most up-to-date Islanders news and discussion.
  • Islanders Anxiety podcasts are part of the Fans First Sports Network (@FansFirstSN).

Theme song: “Morning Haze” by Family Dinner. Hear more of their music on Spotify.


Please subscribe, download, rate, review or spread the word about Islanders Anxiety, Weird Islanders: The Podcast! and all of our podcasts any way you can. All of it helps to raise the show’s profile and maybe could get us another fancy sponsor to sell out to in the near future. Leave us a five star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

All Islanders Anxiety podcasts are available on:

Click to expand...

Source: https://www.lighthousehockey.com/is...res-the-joker-oilers-senators-iron-man-helmet
 
Islanders News: Worst and first coming to town…

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It’s a bit of a lighter week for the 2-3 Islanders, with another day before they host the (still winless) Sharks on Tuesday, the (shockingly Atlantic leading) Red Wings on Thursday, then visit Philadelphia on Saturday.

With two wins at the end of last week, they avoided falling into a nightmare start, but a variety of “this could be their undoing” factors are still very much in play: special teams, overall team defense, reliance on great goaltending-or-else, etc.

Islanders News​

  • Takeaways from the Isles’ late win in Ottawa: We didn’t even talk about Adam Boqvist (and not much to say there) but he made his debut for Alex Romanov. [Isles]
  • Picking up his first win was a relief for Ilya Sorokin. [Newsday]
  • The Skinny: “With points in his first five games, Matthew Schaefer is… one game shy of Marek Zidlicky’s defense record (6 with Nashville in 2003-04) to start a career; 5 others, including Cale Makar and Larry Murphy, had five-game streaks.” [Isles]
  • The Isles would like to clean up some things and maybe not bleed chances against. [Post]

Elsewhere​


Sunday’s scores included the Red Wings beating the Oilers for their fifth win in a row.

  • Anthony Stolarz would like his teammates to stop letting him get run, maybe run the other guy for a change. [Sportsnet]
  • In his return to Chicago with the Ducks, Joel Quenneville talks about getting back behind the bench. [NHL | TSN]
  • Brad Marchand talks about going back to Boston. [NHL]
  • The notoriously sporting sportsman Marchand got fined for unsportsmanlike conduct, taking Rasmus Dahlin’s helmet with him to the penalty box and ripping the straps off. [Sportsnet]
  • The Senators have offered Shane Pinto eight years. [Sportsnet]
  • The kid who didn’t win the Calder becomes just the fourth player to score 500 points for two different franchises. [NHL]
  • [NHL]
  • [NHL]
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Source: https://www.lighthousehockey.com/is...2977/islanders-news-senators-sharks-red-wings
 
Islanders Gameday: Leddy lives, in San Jose

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The Islanders host the last winless team — uh oh! — tonight as the 0-3-2 Sharks rebuild steamrolls into town. Your absolute dread at being their first victim is pre-baked into tonight’s program.

First Islanders Goal picks go here.

Islanders News​


If you haven’t kept up with the travels of Trotz-era former Isles, Nick Leddy is now a Shark. He was a cap/roster dump in the offseason from the Blues, with the Sharks all too happy to oblige. He has two assists and is minus-5 through five games, par for his new team.

Ex-#Isles D Nick Leddy, now with Sharks, had dinner last night at Matt Martin’s place with Josh Bailey. Got to meet Matthew Schaefer and was impressed with him. Called it an interesting -in good way- dynamic between Schaefer and Martin. Also remembered how terrible LI traffic is.

— Andrew Gross (@AGrossNewsday) October 21, 2025
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  • The Islanders’ fourth line remains a mish-mash at the moment. Simon Holmstrom, who coughed up the puck leading to a rush and goal the other way last game, is trying to adjust. Looks like Kyle MacLean will come back out for Max Tsyplakov this game. [Newsday]
  • Previewing tonight: Romanov is still out. [Isles]
  • Mat Barzal leads the league in slot passes. Those are dangerous (in a good way), FYI. [THN]
  • No jinx: Matthew Schaefer’s been making history and could make more tonight. [Post]
  • Prospect Report: The next Nelson, and others. [Isles]
  • Tonight features another matchup of the latest first-overalls. [NHL]

Elsewhere​

  • You hate to see it: Rangers’ frustration grows with fourth home loss…but at least they scored! [NHL]
  • In Chicago, Danny Wirtz says patience for the rebuild. [NHL]
  • It’s absolute sacrilege but also absolutely beautiful: Colorado and Carolina will face off as Nordiques vs. Whalers. [Sportsnet]
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Source: https://www.lighthousehockey.com/is...980/islanders-gameday-leddy-lives-in-san-jose
 
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