The Islanders are heading into their matchup with the New Jersey Devils with a different look up front and on the blue line.
After returning from their extended break and falling 5-3 to the Carolina Hurricanes at UBS Arena, New York got back to work at the Northwell Health Ice Center and started mixing and matching its lines. The loss came despite a strong effort from Semyon Varlamov, who stopped 34 shots, while the Hurricanes finished with 39 shots on goal to the Islanders’ 27.
There was at least some encouraging news on the injury front. Mathew Barzal, Ryan Pulock and Matias Maccelli all skated for the third straight day, though each remained in a red non-contact jersey.
The most noticeable changes came with the forwards. Emil Heineman has been bumped up to the first line, where he’ll skate on the left side with Bo Horvat in the middle and Kyle Palmieri on the right. Simon Holmstrom, who had been working with that group, has dropped to the third line.
That shuffle also puts Holmstrom alongside JG Pageau more often at even strength. The two already work together on the penalty kill, so the Islanders are clearly hoping that familiarity carries over to 5-on-5 play.
Anthony Duclair is still on the third line at right wing, while Ondrej Palat is getting a new opportunity in a top-six role as the second-line left winger. Palat has been one of the more pleasant surprises this season, and now he’ll get a look next to Brayden Schenn and Victor Eklund. Schenn stays at second-line center with Calum Ritchie out, and Eklund remains on the right side, giving the rookie a chance to learn alongside two established veterans.
The defense pairs are changing too. Logan Stanley is back with Matthew Schaefer on the top pair, and Adam Pelech has returned to the second pair with Tony DeAngelo.
The biggest wrinkle is on the third pair, where Matt Kessel is now joined by Ben Hutton, who signed a PTO earlier this week. Scott Mayfield is listed as the seventh defenseman. Hutton still can’t play for the Islanders on a PTO and would need to be signed to a contract before he can suit up.
In Other News...
Islanders Are Taking A Low-Risk Look At A Former First-Round Pick
The Islanders AHL affiliate is taking a measured look at a veteran who once carried first-round expectations, bringing Robby Fabbri into camp on a professional tryout agreement. It is the kind of low-commitment move teams use when they want a closer look without tying up roster space, especially this early in the process.
Hamilton also added Antonio Stranges on a PTO, giving the club another experienced option to evaluate after he logged 70 games with the Texas Stars last season. For the Islanders, the appeal is obvious: a chance to see whether either player can fit into the organizations mix before anything more permanent is decided. [Read more 🡒]
Islanders Let A Promising Comeback End In A Brutal Finish
The Islanders did enough to make this one feel salvageable after falling behind early against Carolina, clawing back to tie the game and give themselves a real chance to steal points on the road. Semyon Varlamov kept them within striking distance with 34 saves, and the penalty kill did its job, but the power play never cashed in on four chances, leaving the margin for error far too thin.
New York still had life late into the third period, when the game tightened into the kind of finish that can swing on one clean look or one mistake. Instead, the Hurricanes found the decisive goal from William Carrier, and the Islanders were left to absorb a loss that felt especially harsh after how hard they worked to erase the early hole. [Read more 🡒]
Hurricanes Showed Something Important In Road Win Over Islanders
The Islanders were back at UBS Arena looking for a response, but Carolina controlled enough of the night to leave Long Island with a 5-3 win. Andrei Svechnikov chipped in a goal and an assist, Sebastian Aho set up two scores, and the Hurricanes kept the pressure on with a 39-27 edge in shots while Brandon Bussi turned aside 24 chances.
New York got enough from Semyon Varlamov to stay within striking distance, but the game still tilted in Carolinas favor in the third period. William Carrier provided the decisive goal for the Hurricanes, and the Islanders were left trying to sort out a loss that showed both the challenge of matching Carolinas pace and the need for a sharper finish when the game tightens late. [Read more 🡒]