The New York Islanders didn’t have much time to settle in after beating the Toronto Maple Leafs, and they didn’t have a full lineup to work with either. Back home against the Anaheim Ducks on the second night of a back-to-back, the Islanders were forced to adjust after word that Matias Maccelli and Cal Ritchie would both be out for a while.
That didn’t slow their start. New York came out with control, tilting possession and stacking chances early before breaking the game open with three goals in the first period.
Ondrej Palat opened the scoring with his second of the year, finishing a play set up by J.G. Pageau and Anthony Duclair.
Not long after, Victor Eklund added his second goal of the season, with Emil Heineman and Matthew Kessel picking up the assists. For Kessel, it was already his second assist of the year despite not being in the lineup all that often.
The Ducks briefly answered when Frank Vatrano got one back, helped by the Islanders’ trouble clearing the puck from their own zone. New York responded quickly, though, and made it count on the power play. Matthew Schaefer fired a wrister from the top, and Simon Holmstrom got a piece of it for his fourth goal of the season.
After that first-period burst, both teams settled in. The second period brought chances, but no goals, and the Islanders held onto the edge they had built.
The third stayed fast and competitive, but the scoring dried up again. That worked just fine for New York until the Ducks pulled their goalie late and Alex Killhorn beat Ilya Sorokin with the extra attacker to cut it to 3-2 with about 2:30 remaining. The Islanders shut the door after that and finished off the win.
Even with the lineup changes, New York looked sharp at even strength. With the lines shuffled around and several pieces missing, the production level was still strong, and that stood out in a game where the Islanders controlled the flow for long stretches.
The next test comes against another West Coast opponent, with the Los Angeles Kings coming to town.
In Other News...
Stars Lose A Key Defensive Piece At The Worst Time
Scott Mayfields season has already been defined by a frustrating lack of ice time, and the latest sign points to that not changing against the Anaheim Ducks. The Islanders defenseman has appeared in only two games this season, leaving him on the outside looking in even as the club continues to manage its blue line and evaluate its options.
The situation has created an awkward backdrop for both player and team, especially with a full no-trade clause giving Mayfield control over his future for now. If the healthy scratches keep piling up, his name could become one to watch as the season moves along and the Islanders navigate a roster picture that still feels unsettled. [Read more 🡒]
Islanders May Have Found A Fourth Line Fans Can Rally Behind
The Islanders 3-2 win over the Ducks had the kind of depth-driven feel that can steady a team looking for reliable contributions beyond its top end. With three different goal scorers and nine players recording points, the night offered a little bit of everything, but one of the more noticeable developments came from the bottom half of the lineup, where fresh faces and grinding shifts helped set the tone.
Mitchell Chaffee, recalled on Monday, made his Islanders debut and left enough of an impression to earn the hardest worker helmet, while Ondej Palt was named player of the game. Afterward, head coach Pete DeBoer pointed to Chaffee and Kyle MacLean as examples of the physical edge and energy that can make a fourth line matter, the kind of detail that can quickly turn a one-off performance into something fans start watching for every night. [Read more 🡒]
Islanders Still Have A Barzal Problem With No Clear End In Sight
Mathew Barzals absence has stretched from the start of training camp into the early part of the season, and the Islanders still do not have a clear answer on when he might get back on the ice. General manager Mathieu Darche said Barzal is dealing with inflammation in his left knee and remains without a timetable to resume practicing or playing, leaving the club to keep navigating life without one of its most important forwards.
The uncertainty around Barzal has only added to the attention around the roster, but Darche also pushed back on another item making the rounds. He said there is no truth to the rumor that defenseman Scott Mayfield is considering waiving his no-trade clause, noting that Mayfields agent was in town for unrelated reasons, which at least quiets one source of speculation while the bigger Barzal question lingers. [Read more 🡒]