The New York Islanders keep finding ways to steady themselves, even while the lineup changes almost every night.
That churn has been a theme all season for head coach Peter DeBoer, who has mixed and matched his group in search of offense while also dealing with injuries that have left key pieces unavailable. Mathew Barzal has missed the entire season and still isn’t skating with the team or traveling for road games.
Calum Ritchie and Matias Maccelli were both placed on IR recently with lower-body injuries. Alexander Romanov is also out for the year after suffering a season-ending ACL injury in the third game of the season against the New York Rangers.
And yet the Islanders are hanging in there. After beating the Nashville Predators in their latest game, they sit at 6-4-2 and are moving in the right direction in Austin Nivison of CBS Sports’ NHL power rankings. New York climbed three spots, rising from No. 22 to No. 19, while the Pittsburgh Penguins, Winnipeg Jets and Anaheim Ducks fell behind them.
The biggest reason the Islanders have stayed afloat is pretty clear: Bo Horvat and Matthew Schaefer have been driving the bus.
Horvat leads the team with 12 points, putting up six goals and seven assists while posting a plus/minus of +3. Schaefer is right on his heels with 11 points, including nine assists and two goals, along with a plus/minus of +1.
There’s also been useful support around them. Brayden Schenn, now handling the center role on the second line with Ritchie sidelined, has been playing well. Simon Holmstrom has also responded after being dropped to the fourth line for a stretch and then moved back into the top six.
In net, the Islanders have gotten strong work from both Ilya Sorokin and Semyon Varlamov. According to HockeyStats, Sorokin ranks 11th in Goals Saved Above Expected at +4.7, while Varlamov sits 14th at +4.1.
Both goalies have long track records of stealing games, and they’ve already shown they can do it again. With a better defensive structure in front of them, the Islanders don’t need either one to stand on his head every night. But they’ve been good enough to give this team a real chance, and at the moment, that’s been enough.
In Other News...
Varlamov Just Delivered The Islanders Lift They Desperately Needed
Semyon Varlamov gave the Islanders exactly the kind of stabilizing night they have been searching for, turning aside 20 of 23 shots and blanking Nashville in the shootout of a 4-3 win. The result snapped a two-game winless streak and gave New York its first victory in Nashville since 2017, a road result that carried a little extra weight for a team looking to steady itself.
For Varlamov, it was more than just a strong outing in the crease, because the performance came after a long stretch without an NHL win. The Islanders have leaned on his experience before, and on this night he looked like the calming presence they needed, even as the game went beyond regulation and into a tense finish. [Read more 🡒]
Islanders Recalls May Signal Something Bigger On Defense
The Islanders latest roster shuffle brought Pierre Engvall and defenseman Kashawn Aitcheson up from the AHL affiliate, with Cal Ritchie and Matias Maccelli going on injured reserve and the club getting back to a 23-man roster. On the surface, it is a practical move to cover absences, but it also comes at a time when the blue line is still searching for clarity after a recent loss and coach Peter DeBoer has left open the possibility of making more changes if the current look does not hold.
Aitchesons recall is the part worth watching most closely, because it signals the Islanders are at least considering adjustments on defense rather than simply shuffling forwards to survive a short stretch. With pairings still unsettled and roster flexibility in play, the next few games could tell the staff whether this was just a temporary patch or the first sign of a deeper rethink on the back end. [Read more 🡒]
Matthew Schaefer Just Gave Islanders Fans Another Reason To Watch Closely
Matthew Schaefer kept finding his way into the biggest moments of the Islanders overtime clash with Nashville, and the rookie defenseman ended up with a workload that stood out even in a game full of extra pressure. Peter DeBoer had plenty to like afterward, pointing to Schaefers poise and the way he handled a heavy night on the back end, where his 32:16 of ice time led all defensemen in the game.
What made the overtime stretch especially notable was how involved Schaefer stayed once the game moved past regulation. He drew the tripping penalty early in the five-minute session, then remained on the ice through the delayed-penalty power play and the rest of overtime, a rare level of trust in a young defenseman in a high-leverage spot. For Islanders fans, it was another reminder that Schaefer is already being leaned on in ways that go well beyond the usual rookie experience. [Read more 🡒]