The New York Islanders are already reaching for the shuffle button.
After a 2-1 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs in Wednesday night’s season opener, the Islanders made a noticeable batch of lineup changes ahead of Saturday night’s Home Opener against the New Jersey Devils. The goal is obvious: find a combination that can wake up an offense that managed just one goal against a Toronto defense that wasn’t exactly imposing.
At Friday’s practice, the lines looked like this:
Heineman-Horvat-Palmieri
Eklund-Ritchie-Schenn
Holmstrom-Pageau-Duclair
Palat-Cizikas-Maccelli
E: MacLean
Pelech-Schaefer
Romanov-Pulock
Stanley-DeAngelo
E: Kessel-Mayfield
Sorokin
Varlamov
The first line has some real logic to it. Emil Heineman, Bo Horvat, and Kyle Palmieri could give the Islanders a cleaner look up front, especially with Heineman having shown well with Horvat last season. Palmieri, meanwhile, is still working his way back into rhythm after missing most of last season with that knee injury.
The second line is the one that jumps off the page. Victor Eklund is set to skate with Calum Ritchie and Brayden Schenn for the first time, and that setup has a little bit of everything: a top prospect, a young center, and a veteran who can keep things from going off the rails. It should be an interesting mix.
There’s also some bite in the lower half of the lineup. Anthony Duclair and Simon Holmstrom bring speed and scoring touch, while the most eye-catching change is Matias Maccelli sliding down to the fourth line.
That’s a sharp drop for a player who had a strong preseason, but his opener against his former team wasn’t as clean. The move feels more like a coach searching for the right fit than a lasting judgment.
And that search makes sense, because the Islanders’ problem in Toronto wasn’t effort so much as finish. They had chances, they had stretches where the game was there for the taking, and they still came away with nothing to show for it beyond a lone goal.
Ilya Sorokin did his part to keep them in it. The offense didn’t do enough to match him.
That’s been the familiar frustration with this group: Sorokin gives them a chance, and the attack doesn’t cash it in.
It’s only one game, of course, but the lineup shakeup suggests Peter DeBoer already sees the need to stir the pot. If Palmieri, Horvat, and Schenn can shoulder the heavy lifting, that may give the younger pieces room to contribute.
But the bottom six can’t just blend into the background. There’s enough talent there to produce secondary scoring, and that could end up being the difference in the Home Opener.
In Other News...
Islanders Bring Back A Beloved Home Opener Moment Fans Will Remember
The Islanders are set to open their home schedule with a familiar and heartwarming face in the spotlight. Dominick Critelli, a 105-year-old World War II veteran and decorated Army staff sergeant, will return to UBS Arena to perform the national anthem before the game against the Devils, bringing back the kind of pregame moment that tends to linger with a crowd long after the puck drops.
Critelli already left a mark on Islanders fans once, when he played the anthem on his saxophone before a game last December and drew a memorable reaction inside the building. He still practices the instrument every day, and this latest appearance gives the home opener a personal touch that fits the kind of connection the Islanders have tried to build with their fans at Nassau Countys successor in Elmont. [Read more 🡒]
Islanders New-Look Lineup Just Delivered A Much-Needed Boost
The Islanders got the kind of response they were looking for in their home opener, rolling past the Devils 6-0 and giving a new-look lineup an immediate lift. Simon Holmstrom, Brayden Schenn, Bo Horvat, Victor Eklund, Ondrej Palat and Casey Cizikas all found the net, a balanced scoring outburst that suggested there may be more depth here than the early chatter around the roster change. It was the sort of start that can settle a building quickly and give a team some much-needed confidence.
Ilya Sorokin made sure the result never got away from New York, turning away New Jersey chances while the Islanders kept adding to the lead. The Devils had looks on the power play, but nothing they tried broke through, and the night ended with the kind of all-around performance the Islanders have been searching for as they try to make this reshaped group feel a little more settled. There was also a milestone baked into the win that fit the mood perfectly, even if it almost got lost in the scoring parade. [Read more 🡒]
Islanders Fans Just Got An Emotional Reminder Of A Beloved Voice
Howie Rose has been part of New York sports for so long that his voice feels tied to the seasons themselves, and recent days brought one of those quiet reminders of just how much he has meant to the Islanders community. After recently calling the final Mets game of his broadcasting career, Rose is preparing to move with his wife to Florida on Monday, closing another major chapter in a New York run that stretched across generations of fans.
The Islanders recognized Rose for his long run behind the microphone, and several former and current players and colleagues took the chance to reflect on the way he covered the team and connected with people around it. For a fan base that grew up hearing him on television, the moment carried a familiar mix of gratitude and sadness, the kind that comes when a beloved voice is still very much present but about to become part of memory. [Read more 🡒]