News Islanders Team Notes

[New York Islanders]

Islanders 4, Canucks 3: Got the points, but barely

The Islanders needed to win in Vancouver — home of the last-place Canucks — and they did but it was not pretty nor reassuring as they squeaked by with a comeback 4-3 victory over a team that was winless in its last 10 coming in.

Anthony Duclair continued his One Hot Road Trip with a pair of important goals, while a couple goals from the defense provided the go-ahead and then insurance they ended up needing to get both points.

Ilya Sorokin made 29 saves for his well-earned 16th victory of the season.

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

Things started ominously when the Canucks opened scoring inside three minutes. Someone by the name of Max Sasson — no relation to the jeans brand for whom Ron Duguay sold his last thread of pride — scored his 10th goal of the season on a tic-tac-toe cross-slot passing play by Vancouver.

Thankfully, Duclair is alive and well and appears fully healed from last season’s major groin injury. The winger finished again from two identical spots to recent goals. The first tied the game at 1-1 from the right wing circle after a cross-slot pass by Tony DeAngelo. It’s good to see Duclair moving around to smart, dangerous places, getting fed, and burying them. With Kyle Palmieri done for the season for quite some time, this would be a welcome awakening.

But Evander Kane regained the Canucks’ lead, tipping in a point shot shortly after he was robbed by Ilya Sorokin on a clear-cut breakaway.

Evander Kane gets stopped by Ilya Sorokin on the breakaway.

: Sportsnet | #Canucks pic.twitter.com/SzHH6WqAPG

— CanucksArmy (@CanucksArmy) January 20, 2026

For a moment, it looked like Matthew Schaefer had tied it on yet another sweeeet play by the 18-year-old, but an easy challenge was upheld since he had stepped over the blueline just a beat before Simon Holmstrom carried the puck across. So instead, the Isles headed to the intermission trailing 2-1, despite a few more late chances.

Very unfortunate this was offside, Schaefer had some fun with a Canucks fan right after pic.twitter.com/7gZkClzcSW

— MF Isles (@MF1sles) January 20, 2026

Late in the second, and just when things were starting to feel dreadful, the Isles finally tied it on another Duclair re-run: This time he made the Isles power play look competent again, re-enacting his one-timer from the left low slot after another setup from Cal Ritchie.

Ritchie to Duclair for a PPGis becoming a thing. #Isles
pic.twitter.com/wtg5mpVdJp

— The Elmonters (@TheElmonters) January 20, 2026

That was at 14:34, and just over a minute later the Isles got the go-ahead goal that made it feel like balance with the Force had been restored against the league’s 32nd-place team. Ryan Pulock walked down the slot on a simple setup from Schaefer and wristed his second goal of the season to give the Isles a 4-2 lead.

Pulock!!! pic.twitter.com/Bjbcc01VjP

— YESUV (@IslesWhiteSUV) January 20, 2026

Alas, the Islanders started the third looking like they wanted to promptly give the lead back. They survived an early Canucks push, however, which set them up to squander some 5-on-3 time.

After Drew O’Connor went off for tripping DeAngelo, Tyler Meyers made it a two-man advantage with an obvious crosscheck on Emil Heineman. Often, they ignore that blatant penalty to avoid creating a 5-on-3 opportunity (especially since O’Connor had a penalty complaint right before he was whistled), but the Canucks are in last place, so the officials act like they deserve their fate.

The Isles did okay with the 5-on-3, which got even more appetizing when Elias Pettersson broke his stick, but their passing was always just a bit off, and they never pulled a trigger in full stride. Right as O’Connor came out of the box, he had a breakaway stopped by Sorokin, but it was moot since play was called dead for a hand pass.

After the dust cleared, the Islanders finally started to look like they were playing an organized, disciplined game again. Sustained pressure and cycling from the top line led to a DeAngelo insurance goal setup by good work around the net from Barzal and Anders Lee.

Unreal shift from the first line leads to a DeAngelo goal! #Isles pic.twitter.com/iOYPIQrLAd

— Rob Taub (@RTaub_) January 20, 2026

The Canucks pulled goalie Kevin Lankinen with nearly five minutes left, which to my mind meant they should please the hockey gods by prioritizing attempts at a goalie goal or a Duclair hat trick.

But none was in the offing. The Isles missed a few openings, and Schaefer had a long try called for icing, then the Canucks worked the puck around the zone for a solid minute. It ended with a point shot deflected in by O’Connor to cut the lead to one.

Things remained hairy for the final 1:51 that followed, with Pettersson continuing to win every key faceoff and the Canucks creating traffic that tested every Gumby limb in Sorokin’s arsenal.

It was not pretty, but they got the regulation win, rewarding everyone who stayed up to suffer through it till 12:35 a.m. EST.

Up Next​

One more border crossing and game to go on this trip, as the Isles are in Seattle to meet the Kraken on Wednesday.

Source: https://www.lighthousehockey.com/game-recaps/43808/islanders-canucks-sorokin-duclair

 

[New York Islanders]

Islanders vs. Kraken Gameday News: Getaway day

They’re almost finished! The Islanders will finish their season-long seven-game road trip in Seattle tonight, with a chance to make it 4-2-1, which would be a success no matter how they get there.

Seattle has lost three in a row and is just outside the wild card in the West. But they feel like they’re healthy for the first time all season. (Don’t wanna hear it, try losing a top-six winger and top-four D for the whole season.)

Reminder that tonight’s 9:30 start is on TNT/HBO Max. First Islanders Goal picks go here.

Islanders News​

• Previewing tonight: The rematch of an epic…1-0 shootout win in November on Long Island. [Isles]
• The Islanders are hoping to end this road trip with two victories. They’re halfway there. [Newsday]
• The secret to Anthony Duclair’s recent surge is he did what any of us would do when slumping: try Casey Cizikas’ stick. [Post]
• Max Tsyplakov’s second season has been a tough one, and being essentially benched in the second half of the game in Vancouver doesn’t help. Patrick Roy wants to use him again (and more) though. [Post]
• Roy (and players) reflects on two years since his hiring: “I’d rather them see me as a coach than who I was as a player,” Roy said. “Appreciate their respect and everything for what I did, but today it’s about them. And it’s about what can we do as a coaching staff to help these guys.” [Isles]
• Prospect Report: Kashawn Aitcheson continues to roll. [Isles]
• ICYMI: This week’s Islanders Anxiety podcast featured an epic MasterLeafs Theater that I personally joined to narrate, because I am a great appreciator of fine literature. [LHH]
• Matthew Schaefer continues to make history in his rookie year. [THN]
• Islanders coaching legend John MacLean reflects on (finally) getting into the Devils’ Ring of Honor. [NHL]

Elsewhere​

Last night’s NHL scores include wins for the Canadiens, Senators and the Sabres, who now have an identical record with the Islanders.

This goalie fight between Bobrovsky and Nedejlkovic was warranted and beautiful:

GOALIE FIGHT!!!!

— Hockey Out of Context Loves Canada (@nhloutofcontext.bsky.social) 2026-01-20T02:03:25.705Z

• We have a trade to announce: Kiefer Sherwood goes to the Sharks for a couple of picks and such. [NHL]
• Stan Fischler digs into the archives from 1979 and an interview with the late Glenn Hall on how he became a goalie and developed “the butterfly.” He loved playing on the ponds as a kid: “Forwards didn’t have to worry about staying in their lanes and coaches weren’t around to bother us.” [NHL]
• How did the Rangers rebuild fail — despite gobs and gobs of good fortune — so badly? By being the Rangers. Team APPLESAUCE. [Gretz Substack]
• Speaking of which, the Tri-State Hockey Podcast with Arthur Staple takes on the Rangers Applesauce letter, the Islanders road trip and probably something about the Devils, too. [YouTube]
• Adam Foote receives a vote of confidence from management in Vancouver, and honestly I wouldn’t want to waste an epic tank opportunity either. [NHL]
• And coincidentally, he called out the team’s veterans for a bad culture after the loss to the Isles. [Sportsnet]
• Darcy Kuemper is injured again. [Sportsnet]

Source: https://www.lighthousehockey.com/is...s/43806/islanders-vs-kraken-duclair-aitcheson

 

[New York Islanders]

Kraken 4 (EN), Islanders 1: Listless power play sinks Isles

Well, that sucked. While the power play has been an issue for this team for a while, with multiple different coaches struggling to find a combination that works consistently on a team that’s struggled to find finishing talent, it still seems like something’s got to change with this current coaching staff.

1-for-7 against the very worst penalty killing team in the NHL is just unacceptable in a game that was this close through most of two periods. The Islanders had their chances and squandered them, and even took lazy penalties of their own to counteract the one power play goal that Anthony Duclair scored. Sure, we’re missing Bo Horvat and Kyle Palmieri, but it’s not like the power play was great with them, anyway.

One goal just isn’t enough to win games, and there are too many guys like Jonathan Drouin (who hasn’t scored in TWENTY-EIGHT games) getting regular minutes with this team.

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

Anthony Duclair continued his hot streak early, making it 1-0 on the power play, assisted by Cal Ritchie (yet again) and Mat Barzal.

View Link

The Isles went on their second power play of the game shortly after, when Ryan Lindgren was called for tripping, and then got six seconds of 5 on 3 when Anders Lee was taken down in the slot.

Then, the Islanders were called for too many men on the ice, and 45 seconds later Simon Holmstrom took a tripping penalty, giving Seattle 1:15 of 5 on 3 time. Jared McCann put the puck off the post in a close call, and Matty Beniers deflected a Vince Dunn shot to tie the game for the Kraken.

It was all Seattle after that, until Berkley Catton took a hooking penalty. On that power play, the best chance came from Jonathan Drouin, who hit the post.

The second period gave us more even strength hockey, until Dunn made it 2-1 after 13 minutes.

After that, the Islanders got a power play for just eight seconds before Duclair was called for slashing. After 4 on 4, Kaapo Kakko scored right after the tiny Kraken power play expired. It looked like Seattle had iced the puck prior to the goal, but the Islanders didn’t get the call, and the Kraken took advantage.

The Isles got yet another power play as Ryan Winterton went to the box for slashing, but the power play continued to be ineffective against the league’s worst penalty killing team.

Early in the third, Anders Lee took a hooking penalty that the Isles killed. Shortly after that, Chandler Stephenson took a penalty, and the Islanders couldn’t convert on that, either, going 1 for 7 on the power play in the game.

With about 4 minutes left, Patrick Roy pulled Ilya Sorokin for the extra skater, and McCann scored into the empty net to make it 4-1, as the Islanders closed out this road trip with a 3-3-1 record.

Up Next​

Next, the Islanders head home to UBS Arena to take on the suddenly-improved Buffalo Sabres on Saturday, January 24, at 1pm EST. Hopefully they can shake this off with a few days back home and playing in front of the home crowd.

Source: https://www.lighthousehockey.com/ga...ken-duclair-dunn-beniers-kakko-mccann-sorokin

 

[New York Islanders]

Weird Islanders: The Podcast! – Episode 79 – Robin Salo (with guest AJ DeVito)

Joined by Skates at the Stakes’ AJ DeVito, we remember defenseman Robin Salo, who never seemed to get a real chance with the Islanders and then disappeared without a trace.

Many sports fans have their favorite “pet prospects” that they root for to make it in the pros. Not only does AJ count Robin Salo as his favorite draft pick, he was the reason AJ became an Islanders fan in the first place. Highly touted by respected prospect watchers, Salo seemed to have all the tools to become an NHL regular. When he finally got to Long Island, all of that promise went unfilled as he got little playing time over the course of a few years. He would have flashes of talent then disappear for months due to healthy scratches and demotions to lovely Bridgeport. Once Salo finally left the Islanders to sign overseas, it felt like we barely knew him.

AJ tells us about his connection to and affinity for Salo, and we break down the mysteries surrounding him and how it all got so strange. Of course, we also examine the pairing of Robin Salo and Sebastian Aho, two guys who played the same position the same way on the same team and often felt like the same person. Along the way, AJ makes a bold prediction about Salo’s future that we’ll be interested to see come true.

Thanks again to AJ for coming on, and be sure to listen to he, Ryan and Jake at Skates at the Stakes.

WEIRD BONUS MATERIAL

• Of all the Islanders prospects to get spotlighted by Scott Wheeler in his series on “The Gifted,” I don’t think anyone would have guessed Robin Salo would be one. And yet…
• Maybe ol’ Scott was on to something. Salo made a big leap with Orebro of Liiga in Finland and got his ELC with the Islanders locked down. He would end up being one of the Infamous Innominate Islanders to play in the first ever game at UBS Arena.
• Salo’s first NHL goal came in a game against the Flyers on ESPN (Warning: contains slight amounts of John Buccigross).

• In 2022, Salo had a quality preseason and looked to be a good fit for the big club. He even scored two goals in an early season blowout over Anaheim.

• And then…it got weird. He was healthy scratched a bunch, was installed as a starter with Adam Pelech hurt, then was sent to the AHL for the rest of the season. It wasn’t great for his development or his feelings about living in Bridgeport, where he spent all of the 23-24 season.
• In June of 2024, Salo signed with Malmo of the SHL in Sweden. His fall in the Islanders’ eyes was quick and seemed to be a disappointment for everyone.Coaches wanted to see more and weren’t getting it, and Salo was passed by other depth D-men like Weird Islanders Parker Wotherspoon and Sam Bolduc, and his Swedish counterpart Sebastain Aho.
• It sounds like he’d welcome a return to the NHL in the right situation.

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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.

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Source: https://www.lighthousehockey.com/ny...-aj-devito-scott-wheeler-sebastian-aho-salaho

 

[New York Islanders]

Islanders News: Resetting before the Olympic break

The Islanders have emptied their suitcases, reacquainted themselves with family and hopefully got a good nap in as they returned from an epic but so-so seven-game road trip out west. They’ve got seven games left before the Olympic break, all fairly local (trips to D.C. and Philly are as far as they go), and the East remains as congested as ever.

While they were away, the Sabres kept winning and now Pittsburgh, Boston and Buffalo are all ahead of them by a hair. Meetings with those Sabres, the Flyers, Capitals and a home-and-home with the Rangers are on the docket.

One thing that continues to be a puzzle: getting the most out of the Islanders’ two Russian wingers. Max Shabanov returned to the lineup after a one-game scratch — ostensibly to allow Max Tsyplakov some more reps — and with Marc Gatcomb coming out, but the entire team looked sleepy in that final game in Seattle.

How will that situation settle in these next seven games? (Or, as so often happens, will an injury make a temporary decision for them…)

Islanders News​

• Takeaways from the Seattle loss: The Isles were disappointed in how it ended out west. [Isles]
• Or three takeaways from the trip, if you will. [Newsday]
• Island Ice podcast: On Duclair heating up, the road trip overall. [Newsday]
• Roy reflected on changing the lines a bit to get Shabanov and Tsyplakov in. [Post]
• This Olympic run-up is a chance to “make a statement.” [THN]
• Not much made of this yet — minor league moves happen all the time — but it does highlight how rare and lucky the Isles have been to go 25 years with an AHL affiliate in the same location. Once upon a time, there was Fort Worth and Indianapolis and “Capital District” and Denver and Salt Lake City and Springfield (a couple of times), then (not) suddenly a quarter-century in Bridgeport.

They are moving to Hamilton. It's happening.

— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) January 22, 2026

#Isles #ReturnoftheRoar
Frank Seravalli has just confirmed that the Bridgeport Islanders are moving to Hamilton, Ontario, next season.

Absolutely gutted for the loyal fans in Bridgeport.

— Kenny Kaminsky (@KennyKaminsky) January 22, 2026

Elsewhere​

Last night’s scores included some wild ones, with a Steven Stamkos hat trick, Boston scoring 3 in 54 seconds on Vegas, and Pittsburgh scoring 3 in 37 on Edmonton.

• Why those barbarians in Toronto are going to boo Mitch Marner tonight. [Sportsnet | NHL]
• Under-the-radar trade targets teams should consider. [Sportsnet]
• Seattle would listen to offers for Shane Wright. [TSN]
• The Wild and the Swedes will miss Jonas Brodin, who requires surgery. [TSN]

Source: https://www.lighthousehockey.com/is...43836/islanders-news-bridgeport-hamilton-move

 

[New York Islanders]

Islanders Matinee News: Sabres are good now, Bo’s back

The Islanders are back from the road and primed for that classic “first game after the trip” letdown, although several games on their Western sojourn were a letdown, so hopefully they don’t feel like they can ease into things.

Meeting them this afternoon in Elmont are the Buffalo Sabres, who have been on an absolute tear taking them from the basement to passing the Islanders in the Eastern standings. The roster’s the same, so the fired Kevyn Adams must be wondering what it was about him that they were able to turn it on as soon as the GM was fired.

There was some lineup news from practice yesterday as Bo Horvat was a full participant and is expected to play today. Ryan Pulock, however, is listed as day to day.

First Islanders Goal picks go here.

Islanders News​

• Day to day: Those lineup updates, plus appreciation for Horvat, and an opportunity for Cole McWard if Pulock can’t play. [Isles | Post]
• “Phenomenal teammate” Tony DeAngelo on turning what could’ve been a blip appearance into a year and counting with the Isles. [Newsday]
• Athletic “sources” now confirm the prior reports of the Islanders’ plan to move their AHL affiliate from Bridgeport to Hamilton. A few key steps remain, however. [Athletic]
• On the Island, Episode 4, including Marshall Warren’s debut as family and friends cheer him on:

Last night’s NHL scores included the Flyers, Devils and Capitals picking up wins — and yes, Mitch Marner was booed in Toronto and yes Vegas beat the Leafs.

A “tense” reunion as boos “rained down” on Marner. Barbarians. [Sportsnet]

Source: https://www.lighthousehockey.com/is...ers-news-sabres-bo-horvat-deangelo-bridgeport

 

[New York Islanders]

Sabres 5 (EN), Islanders 0: Home cooked

The Islanders returned home and fell to the surging Sabres in what evolved into a 5-0 blowout after a competitive period and a half.

Bo Horvat returned to the lineup but was one of 13 Islanders shooters who failed to beat Alex Lyon — indeed, Horvat logged four SOG while Emil Heineman had six — and the trio of Mat Barzal, Anders Lee and Anthony Duclair was even benched for the third period. That came after their backchecking sin on Tage Thompson’s goal that made it 2-0 as the second period wound down.

The game was essentially put away 25 seconds into the third, when David Rittich made a stick poke reach that left him unequipped to stop Jason Zucker’s sweeping shot, Zucker’s second goal of the game. After Patrick Roy pulled Rittich for a sixth attacker with over seven minutes to go, Rasmus Dahlin put in an empty netter at 14:02 to make it 4-0, then the Sabres tacked one on less than a minute later for the final margin.

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

The Islanders had a few good chances and looks when it was still close, most notably a Max Shabanov breakaway that Lyon turned away. And it wasn’t a great night for Rittich, who conceded four on 20 shots.

But overall, an unimpressive afternoon for the whole squad. Everyone was on for at least one goal against except Adam Boqvist.

If there was any bright spot, it’s that Horvat returned and looked healthy while logging over 19 minutes.

#Isles Patrick Roy said backchecking doesn't require talent, just will. Obviously he was trying to send a message to the entire bench.

"First of all, I don't like to do this," Roy said. "I'd rather come here and just coach a game and not worry about those things."

— Andrew Gross (@AGrossNewsday) January 24, 2026

#Isles Mathew Barzal after being benched for third period for not backchecking on Sabres second goal: "Patrick (Roy) is just doing what he thinks needs to be done to make us a winning team."

— Andrew Gross (@AGrossNewsday) January 24, 2026

Up Next​

The Isles are in Philly for a meeting on Tuesday. The Flyers are just two points behind (as are the Leafs, and New Jersey one point behind them), and the Isles’ current run of form is not so hot. They survived the seven-game road trip at .500-ish, but two of their wins were absolute Sorokin Stole-it shows while their defeats left a lot to be desired.

They’ve been riding in playoff position for a while now, but in the congested East they’ll drop back to the outside if they don’t pile up some wins on this pre-Olympic stretch.

Source: https://www.lighthousehockey.com/game-recaps/43853/sabres-5-en-islanders-0-home-cooked

 

[New York Islanders]

Islanders Anxiety – Episode 358 – Barely Breathing (Parts 1 & 2)

Mother Nature isn’t the only one capable of bringing down a storm. We had so much to discuss that we broke this episode into two parts.

In Part 1, Mike and Dan find the Islanders at a low point after an average road trip and a disastrous return game.

In three games this week, the Islanders left us with layers of anger and frustration. They finished their trip with two bad games, one that somehow yielded a win and another that landed like a lead balloon. They then came back to UBS Arena to face the surging Sabres and once again no-showed a matinee game full of kids, an all-too familiar scenario for them over the last decade-plus. The Isles are still in a playoff berth as of now, but only because the teams below them are scuffling. Management has made no indications that any changes are coming, and the same assortment of deck chairs keeps getting rearranged, leading to no surprises and predictable outcomes.

A game against a Flyers team hunting for the same playoff berth on Monday is huge for both clubs. The Islanders follow that with back-to-back(!) games against a Rangers team that would love to play spoiler, even as they wave their second white flag in seven years. Then it’s a game against Nashville, that old boogie man. With just two weeks before the Olympic Break, these winnable games will all have an effect on how the rest of the Islanders’ season should be treated.

In Part 2, we react to the first concrete reporting on the Islanders moving their AHL team from Bridgeport, CT to Hamilton, ONT, and also wrap up the Mitch Marner Chronicles in another massive Master Leaf Theatre.

The Bridgeport Islanders leaving their home of over 25 years was first teased months ago, but a recent report in The Athletic put out a lot of details we didn’t know already. While the team has yet to make anything official, we give our initial reactions and concerns about the move, while also feeling sympathy for the fans who supported the Sound Tigers/Baby Islanders organization during an usually long time for one minor league team to stay in one place.

Then it’s on to another epic-length Master Leaf Theatre, as Mitch Marner makes his return to his hometown and his former favorite team’s home rink. As expected, the takes afterward were equal parts dramatic and ridiculous, with some writing about the fan reaction in delusional or Shakespearian terms, and others calling out the evening’s failings, including those of the Leafs themselves in a gutless 6-3 loss. We add some new voices to the Master Leaf Theatre canon, which is always a treat, and enjoy some unexpected twists from classic artists of the genre. We had so much to get to that we forgot to mention the Leafs selling an autographed Marner Knights jersey on the concourse during his return game. That tells you all you need to know about how this “hostile” this environment was.

We’ve done a lot of this over the last two weeks, so we’re going to take a little hiatus unless something crazy happens.

Thanks for listening to this two-part episode. The severe weather impacted us in a few way and this was the best solution.

REFERENCES

• Islanders plan to relocate AHL affiliate from Bridgeport to Hamilton: Sources by Pierre LeBrun, Eric Stephens at The Athletic

Master Leaf Theatre material:

• Where did it go wrong for Mitch Marner and the Maple Leafs? by Elliotte Friedman, Sportsnet
• Mitch Marner hears boos (so many boos) in his return to Maple Leafs ice. As it should be by Rosie DiManno, Toronto Star
• Behind the boos: Inside Mitch Marner’s return to Toronto as a Golden Knight by Joshua Kloke, The Athletic
• Maple Leafs faithful rain jeers down upon Marner in tense reunion by Sonny Sachdeva
• ‘Going to be loud’: Why Toronto will be booing Mitch Marner by Luke Fox, Sportsnet
• Maple Leafs fail to match intensity of Mitch Marner’s return by Luke Fox, Sportsnet
• SIMMONS SAYS: Maple Leafs Auston Matthews behaving rather uncaptain-like by Steve Simmons

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• 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.

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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.

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Source: https://www.lighthousehockey.com/is...-bridgeport-hamilton-move-master-leaf-theatre

 

[New York Islanders]

Islanders 4, Flyers 0: Pageau strikes twice, Sorokin gets sixth shutout

There were some lineup swaps tonight with Cal Ritchie (lower body injury) and Simon Holmstrom (illness) out. Max Tsyplakov and Marc Gatcomb drew into the lineup, giving both of them an opportunity to make an impression after a tough game for the Islanders against Buffalo.

The Islanders bounced back tonight in Philadelphia, with JG Pageau scoring twice, including one shorthanded goal, Mat Barzal responding well to his third-period benching with a goal and an assist, and Ilya Sorokin recording his league-leading sixth shutout this season.

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

Early on in the first, though, Tsyplakov’s impact was just a hooking penalty, which the Islanders killed.

Noah Cates went to the box for holding, and we were treated to two very bad mixed up power play units, which bumped Barzal to the second unit, separated from Bo Horvat and Matthew Schaefer. That power play went poorly, and the Flyers killed it.

Then, the other swap in the lineup, Gatcomb, went to the box as well, but JG Pageau scored short handed, assisted by Casey Cizikas.

View Link

In the second period, the Flyers got an early power play after Adam Boqvist was called for high sticking. Before that started, Ilya Sorokin was down in the crease, but seemed to shake it off, after a Matvei Michkov shot hit him in the back of the leg and went in after the whistle blew.

With 30 seconds left on that power play, Scott Mayfield and Owen Tippett were both sent to the box for slashing and crosschecking respectively. The Islanders killed all of that, despite being down two defensemen.

Later, Barzal got a tip on an Isaiah George shot, putting it past Samuel Ersson after some cycling in the Flyers zone.

View Link

Cam York was called for tripping, and the Islanders took advantage of a shorthanded turnover at the blue line and Anthony Duclair passed the puck to Barzal who set up Tony DeAngelo to make it 3-0.

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At the end of the second, Jonathan Drouin took a puck to the face and went right down the tunnel. Drouin came back for the third with some stitches, but otherwise was fine.

Emil Heineman collided with a ref behind the play and labored to the bench, but it wasn’t anything more serious as he played his normal shifts the rest of the game.

Schaefer drew a high sticking penalty, sending Tippett to the box, but the Isles couldn’t convert on the man advantage.

Tsyplakov then set up Pageau for his second of the night (and Tsyplakov’s first assist of the season!) to make it 4-0 and entirely bury any chance of a comeback from the Flyers.

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The Islanders closed out the game and Ilya Sorokin picked up his sixth shutout of the season and extended his franchise record total, while Barzal, Duclair, and Pageau each scored two points (1G/1A, 2A, 2G respectively) and Isaiah George got his first assist of the season in just his second game back up in the NHL.

Up Next​

Next, the Islanders have a home-and-home back-to-back with the New York Rangers starting Wednesday at UBS Arena. There’s been a rare trade between these two teams (not yet officially-official at time of posting, but Carson Soucy to the Islanders for a 2026 3rd round pick) so Soucy will likely debut against his old team and become the stable bottom pair defenseman this team has been missing almost all season.

Source: https://www.lighthousehockey.com/ga...flyers-pageau-sorokin-barzal-deangelo-duclair

 

[New York Islanders]

Islanders News: Sorokin shutout; Soucy acquired from Team Applesauce

The Islanders rebounded from a blah road trip and a worse return home by shutting out the Flyers — with a goal from each special team! — but the most interesting news of the day was confirmation that they were making a trade…with the {plugs nose} Rangers, of all teams. They acquired pending UFA defenseman Carson Soucy for a 2026 third-round pick, an interesting move for a few reasons:

• It addresses the Islanders’ season-long issue of replacing Alex Romanov, after trying many, many candidates from Bridgeport following his major injury.
• It’s the first trade with the Short Island Smurfs since 2010, and only the fourth in their history.
• It does help ignite the Rags’ teardown promised in Letter 2.0, but not in an egregious way.
• Indeed, it comes right before the teams meet for a back-to-back this week. (It’s also helpful to Soucy to stay in the area, with two-year-old twins and a newborn due any day now, although Team Applesauce GM Chris Drury likely gives zero shits about that, given his track record in player relations.)

In the “sell, or compete?” debate on whether to reward a team that has exceeded expectations, Mathieu Darche effectively answers it with: We’ll fill the injury hole, but not at a crazy price. A third-round pick is modest, but effectively a premium for doing the deal now rather than at the deadline. However, you hope the news for right-side D-man Ryan Pulock is truly just “day to day” rather than something more serious to prompt this reinforcement.

I’m in the camp of enjoying this season’s surprises while not hoping they spend too much on trying to beef this team up for a playoff push, but solidifying the blueline at this price is a reasonable move. It’ll be fun to watch to see if Soucy makes a difference.

There would not seem to be roster room to re-sign him even if he loves it and things work out great, so this probably becomes only a short-term marriage of convenience. Plus, Soucy gets to enjoy a few months of playing in front of a better goalie. He is a short-term Ranger — acquired last year for a third-round pick — so the Stench of Ranger should be mild for him.

Islanders News​

• The Islanders got back on track with a 4-0 blanking of the Flyers, and another shutout for Ilya Sorokin. This one was a relatively lighter load for the net king, just 21 saves required. [LHH]
• It was a much-needed win, played with “playoff-like” focus. [Post]
• Takeaways: sparked by a shorthanded goal, a classic example of Cizikas and Pageau taking advantage of an opponent’s lazy power play. Patrick Roy also called it probably Max Tsyplakov’s “best game of the year.” [Isles]
• Gross: The response they needed after the shutout and benching vs. the Sabres. [Newsday]
• The Soucy trade begins the Red Pants’ selloff. [Post]
• Yet more line shuffling paid off, but they need to find a groove here sometime. [Post]
• Islanders Anxiety podcast: Lamenting the present and inadvertently predicting the future: It wouldn’t cost much to get a reinforcement. [LHH]
• In other injury news, Simon Holmstrom was sick and Calum Ritchie missed officially for an injury. [Isles]
• Also linked in the intro above: seven facts about Soucy, international softball star. [Isles]

Hey Carson, come with us — however this goes, you’re certain to enjoy a more fun locker room than that toxic stew Drury’s got going on Short Island.

Elsewhere​

Last night’s other NHL scores included just three other games, including the Rangers beating the Bruins in a three-point game, and an Oilers defenseman hat trick.

• This was supposed to be a year where the Senators took the next step. Now what? [Sportsnet]
• Auston Matthews says the U.S. has the ingredients to win in Italy. [NHL]
• William Nylander was fined $5,000 for his pressbox middle finger. [Sportsnet]
• A middle finger, by the way, that was “symbolic of their lowered standard.” [Sportsnet]

Source: https://www.lighthousehockey.com/is...ade-sorokin-shutout-soucy-acquired-applesauce

 

[New York Islanders]

Trade: Islanders send Tsyplakov to Devils for Palat, picks

What on earth is going on in the Metropolitan Division? More narrowly, the metropolitan trio in the Metropolitan Division?

For the second time this week, the New York Islanders made a trade with one of their next door neighbors in a move that again appears to aid both parties.

The Isles sent winger Max Tsyplakov to the New Jersey Devils for Ondrej Palat, a third-round pick this summer and a sixth-round pick in the 2027 draft. Earlier in the week, the Islanders sent a third-rounder to the Rangers {spits} for defenseman Carson Soucy.

The Devils have been looking for a while to offload Palat, who has this season and next left on a five-year, $6 million AAV contract — although the quotes coming from his now-former coach and teammates are glowing about what he means/t to the team. Tsyplakov, who also has a year left after this season, has been unable to gain a regular spot in Patrick Roy’s lineup, nor get any sustained minutes whenever he is dressed.

It appears to be a deal of convenience for both sides, with Mathieu Darche knowing Palat from their shared time with the Lightning. Tsyplakov’s cap hit ($2.25 million) is less than half Palat’s, which may be key for the Devils, who are also trying to offload Dougie Hamilton and his $9 million AAV.

For this season at least, the Islanders have some unwelcome flexibility with the season-ending injury to Kyle Palmieri and at-least-till-deep-in-postseason injury to Alex Romanov. Palat’s offense has all but disappeared since his Lightning days, but the Isles probably see those other traits that the Devils claim to appreciate. If he gets a spot more frequently than Tsyplakov did, then he likely bumps a Marc Gatcomb or Kyle MacLean from the lineup.

And that’s if he survives the Olympics; Palat is slated to head to Italy to represent the Czech Republic.

Meanwhile, it will be interesting to watch if the Devils can unlock something with Tsyplakov. He clearly was not getting much of a role under Roy, despite the coach’s profession that he wanted to see more. If he can’t get anything going with a fresh start under Sheldon Keefe, then the die on his NHL profile will be cast.

Source: https://www.lighthousehockey.com/is.../43893/trade-islanders-palat-tsyplakov-devils

 

[New York Islanders]

Islanders Gameday: Another trade, another Rangers pair

For all of us wondering if Islanders GM Mathieu Darche was going to invest in his currently-playoff-position team or commence with a selloff, the last two days gave us a clear answer. The first-year GM is not going big-game hunting, but he is managing assets (and spending a little cap space) to bring in veteran reinforcements to fill holes that lingered at forward and defense.

The Islanders enter a very interesting home-and-home with the Rangers having completed two trades in two days, one with each of their immediate neighbors. After acquiring short-time Ranger Carson Soucy for the blueline on Monday, they followed that up with a deal for Ondrej Palat from the Devils on Tuesday, sending Max Tsyplakov out the other way.

If Palat has anything left, it will be a bonus. If he’s as washed up as Devils watchers have described the last two seasons — and admittedly, a $6 million cap hit can color that evaluation — then we’ll find out soon enough and we’ll be annoyed throughout next season.

Anyway, the experiments with the new guys starts at home tonight vs. the Rangers, for that rare Wednesday-Thursday home-and-home. First Islanders Goal picks go here.

Islanders News​

• Seven facts about Palat, a Czech seventh-round pick in the same draft as Scott Mayfield who somehow has 13 NHL playoff game winners. [Isles]
• “Great guy, great leader.” [NHL]
• The deal is one for one…plus some picks. If current standings hold, the Islanders actually upgraded their third-rounder this summer. [LHH | Isles | Newsday]
• Previewing tonight, except without any updates, so check back after the morning skate. [Isles]
• Gross: The post-Olympic schedule for the Isles is “severe.” [Newsday]
• The Rangers would do well to just get a goal tonight. Let’s not though, okay? [Post]
• Geniuses grading the trade. [Athletic]

After seeing this “the Isles aren’t done” clip, I didn’t figure the next move would be something like Palat. But I guess on a basic, “we’re not aiming high but we’d like to get to the postseason” level, it makes sense:

Pierre LeBrun on the #Isles an hour ago:

“They’re not done if they have there way. They want to make the playoffs, and the reason for that is they think it will be a great experience for a lot of the younger players. The playoffs matter.”

pic.twitter.com/J9CoqKptw3

— Rob Taub (@RTaub_) January 28, 2026

Isles picked a kid out of Russia at the cost of zero assets. Turned that into a third, a sixth, and 1.3 seasons of Palat, an experienced playoff pro who'll give you more than Tsyplakov in the short term. East is wide open man. Works for NJD too. Good stuff.

— Justin Bourne (@jtbourne) January 28, 2026

Elsewhere​

Lots of games last night, including Rasmus Dahlin getting a hat trick in Toronto and the loathsome Patrick Kane tying Mike Modano for American points collectors. Also the Devils lost at home to Winnipeg, and the Capitals lost in Seattle.

• The Maple Leafs suck and should sell. (All I know is “it starts with me.”) [Sportsnet]
• Bryan Rust’s first suspension is three games(!) and the Penguins are understandably miffed, especially when they’ve experienced Jacob Trouba, Chicken Wing Man of Innocence. [TSN]

Source: https://www.lighthousehockey.com/is...896/islanders-gameday-rangers-palat-tsyplakov

 

[New York Islanders]

Islanders Gameday: Seeking revival in Philly

The Islanders will try to rediscover their game, or at least their look, with a visit to Philadelphia tonight. The Flyers are just two points back with a game in hand, coming off a potential “statement” victory in Colorado. That third position in the Metro the Isles currently (and tenuously) hold has become more prominent lately, as the two current wild card holders are from the Atlantic, Montreal and Boston, each three or more points ahead.

Lots of season left to go, but the first-quarter narrative of the laughable Atlantic has shifted now that Boston has righted itself, Montreal has rebounded from a swoon and the Sabres continue to do whatever the hell they’ve been up to over the past 20 games ever since they started hanging around that Faust guy.

First Islanders Goal picks go here.

Islanders News​

• Isaiah George was thrilled to make his season debut Saturday, after missing out on previous callups due to his own injuries. [Isles | Newsday | Post | THN]
• Takeaways from Saturday: the benched top line, the overturned goals (well, one was simply after the horn sounded), and “did it to themselves.” [Isles]
• The Skinny: In WTF trivia, “Alex Lyon and Tristan Jarry are the only opposing goaltenders with two shutouts at UBS Arena.” [Isles]
• Gross: It was the right call to sit Barzal-Duclair-Lee to uphold a standard for the team. [Newsday]

Elsewhere​

Sunday scores included the Devils falling in Seattle (two goals for Jordan Eberle), the Senators blowing out Vegas and the Penguins survived a late push by the lowly Canucks.

• Also, Brock Nelson completed a hat trick against the Leafs with an empty net goal. [NHL]
• The Canucks hate themselves. [Sportsnet]
• So do the Knights, at least for one game. Mark Stone blasted his team for playing “like a junior team” against his old squad. [Sportsnet]
• Probably include the Leafs in that self-assessment, too. [Sportsnet]
• Linus Ullmark didn’t start, but he was back in the lineup for the Sens after his personal leave for whatever your local tweeter rumored it was for. [TSN]
• Sam Montembeault continues to…not inspire confidence in Montreal. [Sportsnet]

Source: https://www.lighthousehockey.com/is.../43864/islanders-gameday-flyers-isaiah-george

 

[New York Islanders]

Islanders vs. Rangers B2B News: Do that again.

The Islanders met a moribund rival and soundly defeated the Rangers, who logged their fewest shots ever in the history of this derby rivalry. That team over there looked to be sleepwalking, outside of a few dangerous chances that the Isles maddeningly conceded. Maybe it was a bit of numbed shock in reaction to Artemi Panarin being held out of the lineup awaiting a trade, but the Islanders need to jump on this again in the rematch tonight at the World’s Most Self-Promoting Arena.

The newcomers did fine, with Ondrej Palat hilariously riding a fountain of youth (for one night at least) on his way to first star (and Iron Mask) of the game. Carson Soucy brought the Stable Veteran Presence and thew his body around a bit.

They get to do it again tonight, and maybe even watch Matt Rempe trip over himself again.

First Islanders Goal picks go here.

Islanders News​

• Jenny recaps: The score could’ve been even more lopsided, though the Isles went through one disturbing stretch of allowing Grade A chances. [LHH]
• More takeaways: Good debuts and a welcome return for Ryan Pulock as they “ease past” the Smurfs. [Isles | NHL]
• “Crushing…domination,” give me more, more. [Post]
• The former Devil and former Ranger discuss why they were happy to change teams but not homes. [Newsday]
• Palat enjoyed his new linemates (and probably discovered Simon Holmstrom’s skill, too) and the Iron Mask, while Anders Lee said, “We woke up [as] a better team today.” [Isles]
• Palat recalls the tough playoff bouts with the Islanders, and is happy to see ol’ teammate Jonathan Drouin, too. [Isles]
• And Soucy, he’s…big…and strong. [Isles]
• Mathieu Darche’s moves reflect belief in his currently playoff-holding squad, one he said he wanted to reward. [Newsday | Isles | Athletic]
• Prospect Report: Kvasnicka and Nurmi continue to roll. [Isles]
• First Kipper & Bourne talk for an hour about how the Leafs need to blow it up, but then right here they talk to Cal Clutterbuck, who’s been an excellent analyst on MSG. [YouTube]

Post-game availabilities with Patrick Roy, Simon Holmstrom, Ryan Pulock and Ondrej Palat:

Elsewhere​

Just two other games last night (but 15 tonight!), including the Blue Jackets helpfully regulation-ing the Flyers, and the Senators being the latest to beat the Avalanche.

• Erm, whatever the Rangers’ goal was last night, they did not achieve it. [Post]
• It seems Panarin’s played his last game in red pants. [NHL | ESPN]
• The Canadiens cannot figure out their goalie situation so they’ve fired their goalie coach. [TSN]
• Victor Hedman, who’s even older than Palat, is close to returning for the Lightning. [NHL]
• Bourne: After going winless over a five-game homestand for the first time since the Harold Ballard, Chuck Norris Division era, the terrible “Tower of Terror” Leafs should be sellers, but they need to answer some big questions first. [Sportsnet]

Source: https://www.lighthousehockey.com/is...s/43913/islanders-vs-rangers-palat-soucy-home

 

[New York Islanders]

Islanders 2, Rangers 1: Sweep upon sweep, another Schaefer milestone

He shoots, he scores. | NHLI via Getty Images

The New York Islanders completed their latest season sweep of the crosstown Rangers with a sleepy 2-1 win at Madison Square Garden. The win also represented a sweep of their home-and-home over the last 24 hours, and banked some important points in the run-up to the Olympic break.

As has often been the case this season, the Islanders played down to their competition, matching the energy of a quiet arena and a team that looks disinterested in bringing much to the table while its management intentionally sits their most dangerous teammate in the name of another Garden tank.

The Islanders fourth line, with Max Shabanov back in the lineup due to Casey Cizikas being banged up, was the only one to really bring energy through the first two periods. And they were the ones who finally broke through on a fluke play with just under three minutes to go in the second.

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

That goal came through a delicious connection: Carson Soucy, who was a Ranger just a few days ago but not long enough to let the Stench Of Ranger to sink into his pores, slapped a bad-angle puck as it bounced off the left wing boards that somehow squeaked through Jonathan Quick. Soucy had picked up the puck thanks to a shanked Shabanov pass, and the final bit of hilarity is that Scott Mayfield got the secondary assist, his 104th assist in 587 career regular season games.

Carson Soucy scores in his first game back at MSG! pic.twitter.com/zSRt9RwTLL

— Rob Taub (@RTaub_) January 30, 2026

Perhaps that broke the seal, at least briefly. Matthew Schaefer doubled the lead 95 seconds later, passing Bobby Orr among 18-year-olds with a no-doubter sizzling shot through a Simon Holmstrom block-out-the-sun screen.

Schaefer’s 14th goal means he now trails only Phil Housley (17) in the record books for goals by an 18-year-old defenseman.

MATTHEW SCHAEFER

The 18-year-old scores his 14th of the year! pic.twitter.com/VLCtJ3gyJV

— NHL (@NHL) January 30, 2026

That sent the Islanders to the third period with a 2-0 lead just a few minutes after it looked possible no one would score, or even bother to shoot, until the shootout forced someone to.

The third period did not include much more energy, though a little more angst since the Rangers scored on the power play with another Mika Zibanejad one-timer just under three minutes into the final period.

Tony DeAngelo tok a minor a few minutes after that, but the Islanders killed that one off. Still, this night highlighted a persistent, ugly reality about Islanders special teams: The power play sucks, and seems at a loss for ideas even on how to gain the zone.

That doesn’t seem possible — and shouldn’t be possible — with skaters like Schaefer and Mat Barzal and shooters like Bo Horvat and Emil Heineman at their disposal. Maybe the staff should spend the entire Olympic break redesigning the power play approach.

But that’s a lament for a night where it costs them the game; against the Rangers, it only cost them the chance to blow their rivals out.

For now, we can enjoy a season sweep and a home-and-home sweep of the Smurfs, and keeping pace with the Eastern Conference’s other flawed playoff contenders.

Season Sweep #Isles #NYR pic.twitter.com/x7J94i4m0n

— 𝐈𝐬𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐅𝐢𝐱 (@IslesFix) January 30, 2026

A MAN OF HIS WORD. #Isles pic.twitter.com/i0QMMAgY1s

— Isles Territory (@IslesTerritory) January 30, 2026

Source: https://www.lighthousehockey.com/game-recaps/43923/islanders-rangers-rematch-sweep-schaefer