After wrapping up a confidence-boosting 6-1-0 road trip out west, the New York Islanders returned to Long Island with momentum, a growing sense of belief, and a seven-game homestand in front of them. The stage was set for the team to prove their road success wasn’t just a hot streak - it was supposed to be the launchpad for a midseason surge.
But five games in, the results haven’t matched the effort.
On the surface, the Islanders are doing a lot of things right. They’ve outshot every opponent during this stretch, holding teams to 22 shots or fewer in each game while consistently generating over 30 shots themselves.
That’s not just controlling the puck - that’s tilting the ice. But the scoreboard tells a different story: just one win, three regulation losses, and one shootout loss.
A 1-3-1 record at home, despite dominating stretches of play, has left the Isles searching for answers.
The biggest issue? Finishing.
Through these five games, the Islanders have scored just six goals. That’s a shooting percentage of 3.49% - a number that simply won’t cut it, especially for a team that’s creating this many chances. Their lone win came in a shootout against Seattle - a game in which they didn’t score a single goal in regulation or overtime.
Despite the lack of results, head coach Patrick Roy has remained optimistic. And to be fair, there’s reason to be.
The Islanders are playing structured, disciplined hockey. They’re generating looks.
They’re limiting chances against. But simple mistakes and an inability to convert have cost them dearly.
And now, the road ahead only gets steeper.
The next five games? A gauntlet.
Every opponent has lifted the Stanley Cup since 2020. That’s not just a tough stretch - that’s a measuring stick.
It starts Tuesday when the Tampa Bay Lightning come to UBS Arena. Two nights later, Brock Nelson and the Colorado Avalanche - currently leading the Western Conference - roll into town. Then it’s a weekend back-to-back in Florida, with road games against the Lightning and the Panthers.
After that, the Islanders return home, but the challenge doesn’t ease up. The defending champion Vegas Golden Knights visit next Tuesday, followed by the Pacific Division-leading Anaheim Ducks, and then a third matchup in 12 days with the Lightning.
This isn’t just a tough stretch. It’s season-defining.
Injuries haven’t helped. Kyle Palmieri and Alexander Romanov are out for the season, and Jean-Gabriel Pageau remains sidelined, though he’s expected back by Christmas. That’s a lot of veteran presence missing from a lineup that needs stability and scoring depth.
The question now is simple: What has to change?
Roy gave a clear answer after a 3-1 loss to the Bruins: “We were the better team on the ice. But the quality of our shots is gonna have to improve, find ways to bear down on our chances. If we play that way, we’re going to win more games than we’re going to lose.”
He’s right - the Islanders have been the better team in stretches. But moral victories don’t count in the standings.
Take the game against the Flyers. The Islanders fell behind 3-0 early but clawed back to tie it, thanks in part to a spark from rookie Matthew Schaefer.
A late four-minute power play gave them a golden opportunity to steal the win - and they couldn’t capitalize. They eventually lost in the shootout.
Then came Sunday against the Capitals. Again, the Isles controlled much of the game.
But they couldn’t solve Washington’s defense, and a second-period miscue from Ilya Sorokin proved costly. Two empty-netters later, it was a 4-1 loss that didn’t reflect the balance of play.
The bottom line: the Islanders need more goals. And it can’t all come from the top line.
Anthony Duclair is one of the players who needs to break out. He’s got one goal and five points over his last 17 games.
He’s getting chances, but the puck’s not finding the net. He’s shooting at a career-low 10% - down from his usual 14% - and that drop-off is the difference between a cold streak and a productive run.
If he’s even close to his career average, he’s got at least two more goals by now. Roy’s comments about shot quality?
Duclair is squarely in that conversation.
Then there’s Simon Holmstrom. After scoring 20 goals last season, the expectation was that he’d take another step.
Instead, he’s on pace for just 13. He’s gone nine straight games without a point and has just one goal and two points in his last 14.
Even more concerning? Four straight games without a single shot on goal.
For a player with a legitimately dangerous release, that’s a red flag. Through 25 games this season, Holmstrom has just 24 shots total.
That’s not enough for a top-nine forward.
The Islanders’ scoring issues go beyond just Duclair and Holmstrom, but their slumps are emblematic of a larger problem: depth scoring has dried up. And if that doesn’t change, beating the NHL’s elite over the next two weeks is going to be a tall order.
The power play is another sore spot. The Islanders have had chances to flip games with the man advantage - and haven’t cashed in. That’s got to change if they want to stay afloat in the Eastern Conference race.
But here’s the thing: the opportunity is still there. The schedule is brutal, yes - but it’s also a chance.
If the Islanders can go 4-2-1 or better over the next seven games, they’ll be right in the thick of the playoff hunt and riding a wave of confidence. If they stumble to a 2-4-1 record, they could tumble toward the bottom of the conference, especially with how tight the standings are right now.
So the task is clear: find the back of the net, get the power play clicking, and turn strong play into actual results. The effort is there.
The structure is there. Now it’s about execution.
The next seven days won’t just test the Islanders - they’ll define them.