The New York Islanders opened the 2026-27 season on Wednesday night against the Toronto Maple Leafs, and the night ended with a 2-1 loss after a late push fell short.
Toronto entered the game on the second half of a back-to-back, with the Maple Leafs also using their backup goalie. That set up what looked like a favorable spot for the Islanders, especially after a short training camp and preseason. New York even came out with a solid first couple of minutes, but the early edge didn’t last long.
Once Toronto settled in, the first period swung hard in its direction. Colton Sissons opened the scoring for the Maple Leafs with his first goal of the season at even strength, and Easton Cowan added a power-play goal a few minutes later to make it 2-0.
The Islanders responded with a much better second period. Their fourth line started generating chances, with Anthony Duclair, Casey Cizikas and Ondrej Palat giving New York some life. Duclair’s play was strong enough to earn him a move up to the second line before the period was over.
New York kept that better play going into the third period, controlling the first 10 minutes without getting the finish it needed. The breakthrough finally came on the penalty kill, when Emil Heineman drove to the net and got the Islanders on the board to cut the lead to 2-1.
That was as close as they would get. The Islanders kept pressing late, but they couldn’t force the equalizer.
Even in defeat, there were a few positives for New York to take from the opener. Victor Eklund and Anthony Duclair both stood out, and their play could lead to changes in the lines going forward. With some movement already happening among the forwards, the coming practices should offer a clearer picture of how the Islanders want to line things up.
For now, they’ll head home still looking for their first win of the season. Their next chance comes Saturday in the home opener against the New Jersey Devils.
In Other News...
Islanders Reveal Peter DeBoers First Opening Night Line Combos
The Islanders are set to open the 2026-27 season on the road against the Maple Leafs, and with Peter DeBoer taking over behind the bench, the first projected lineup gives an early look at how the new coach wants things to look. Ilya Sorokin is slated to start in goal, with Bo Horvat, Simon Holmstrom and Kyle Palmieri among the forwards penciled into the opener, while the defensive pairings and extra skaters were arranged after recent practices.
Palmieris place in the group is a notable one as the Islanders head into opening night with a few moving parts still worth watching. The lineup also suggests there may be more to sort out among the bottom six than first glance indicates, and Anthony Duclairs placement on the fourth line adds another layer to the early-season picture as DeBoer settles on his first combination choices. [Read more 🡒]
Mathew Barzals Setback Wont End The Season Islanders Fans Want
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Still, Barzals outlook is not as bleak as the injury news suggests. His past performance trends point to a player whose impact can swing the Islanders offense if he gets back to full health and into a heavier workload, and the conversation around him now is less about whether the talent is still there than whether the body will cooperate long enough to let it show. For a team that needs him at his best, that uncertainty hangs over everything. [Read more 🡒]
Islanders Face A Brutal Metro Reality Few Fans Wanted
The Islanders are heading into the 2026-27 season with a group that looks awfully familiar, even after a summer that saw Anders Lee leave and Matias Maccelli arrive in free agency. Kyle Palmieri, Alexander Romanov and Ryan Pulock are back after injury absences, and young Victor Eklund has cracked the roster, giving the team at least a few fresh faces around a core that still looks largely intact.
For all of that, the early outside view is hardly flattering. The changes were modest, the roles are still being sorted out, and there is enough uncertainty around the lineup to leave the Islanders projecting as a team with more questions than momentum. In a division that rarely offers much room to hide, that kind of lukewarm outlook is exactly the sort of reality fans were hoping to avoid. [Read more 🡒]