The Islanders have been one of the more uplifting stories in the NHL this season - a team that’s battled back into relevance with a promising young core, a new voice behind the bench, and a reenergized fan base. But as we hit the heart of the season, the shine is starting to wear off, and the cracks are becoming harder to ignore.
Let’s start with the obvious: the goaltending hasn’t been as sharp. The defense, once a strength, is now stretched thin.
Ryan Pulock is out with an upper-body injury, and the loss of Alexander Romanov earlier in the season still stings. That’s a lot of minutes, physicality, and leadership missing from the blue line.
The defensive depth is being tested - and right now, it’s not holding up.
Offensively, the struggles are even more glaring. One goal over the last two games, and just two or fewer in four of the last five?
That’s not going to cut it, especially with a power play that continues to sputter. When you’re not scoring and your defense is banged up, it’s a tough combination - and it’s why Monday night’s game in Philadelphia against the Flyers carried so much weight.
This wasn’t just another game. It was a measuring stick.
A turning point. A loss would knock the Islanders out of a playoff spot and extend their losing streak to three.
And all of that came on the heels of a bold move by head coach Patrick Roy, who benched Mathew Barzal’s line - including Anthony Duclair and captain Anders Lee - for the entire third period during Saturday’s 5-0 loss to the Sabres.
That kind of statement from a coach isn’t just about one bad shift or one bad game. It’s about sending a message. And when a coach lays down the gauntlet like that, the next game becomes a test of how the players respond.
Jean-Gabriel Pageau didn’t sugarcoat it during Monday’s morning skate. “It is a massive game for us,” he said.
“If we lose, we’re out of the playoffs and [the Flyers] tie us up in points. We all know what’s at stake.”
The Islanders knew the stakes on Saturday too, when they returned home from a 3-3-1 road trip. That stretch could’ve looked a lot better if it hadn’t ended with a flat 4-1 loss to the Kraken. Then came the Sabres - a team that’s looking more and more like a playoff contender - and they picked the Islanders apart, capitalizing on defensive lapses and putting five past backup goalie David Rittich.
One of those goals, scored by Tage Thompson with just 12.9 seconds left in the second period, was the result of some noticeably soft backchecking from Barzal and Duclair. That was the final straw for Roy, who planted them on the bench for the rest of the night.
Roy’s decision made a statement. Accountability matters. But now comes the bigger question: are the players buying in?
“This morning, we talk about where are we in the standings and where they are,” Roy said before Monday’s game. “That’s the start.
But after that, it’s about how we want to play our game. Yeah, you want to have that joy or that compassion.
But, tonight, it’s about swagger and playing a solid, 200-foot game.”
Swagger. It’s something the Islanders had earlier in the season, thanks in large part to 18-year-old phenom Matthew Schaefer.
Drafted first overall, Schaefer has wasted no time establishing himself as a legitimate No. 1 defenseman and power-play quarterback. He’s been one of the most impactful blue liners in the league - not just for his age, but across the board.
Add in a front office led by Mathieu Darche in his first season as VP and GM, and the Islanders had the feel of a franchise turning a corner. There was transparency.
There was hope. There was belief.
But belief only gets you so far when the injuries pile up and the results start slipping.
Losing Romanov back in November was a major blow. He brought physicality and edge to the back end - the kind of presence that doesn’t show up on the scoresheet but is felt every shift. Now with Pulock out, that defense is being held together with duct tape and grit.
Which brings us to Carson Soucy.
The 31-year-old defenseman, currently in the final year of a three-year, $9.75 million deal, is reportedly on the Islanders’ radar in a potential trade with the rival Rangers. Soucy’s a journeyman - this would be his fifth NHL stop - and while he’s not a long-term solution, he’s the kind of stopgap the Islanders might need right now. Three goals, five assists, 18 penalty minutes in 46 games - nothing flashy, but a steady, physical presence who can eat minutes and stabilize a shaky blue line.
Is he a game-changer? No. But with the season teetering on the edge, sometimes a Band-Aid is better than bleeding out.
Tony DeAngelo summed it up well: “No pressure. There needs to be urgency.
But you can’t start putting pressure on yourself, guys will make mistakes. We don’t need to overthink anything.
It’s obviously not just another game. It’s a big game.
But it’s a game to keep doing the things we do best.”
The message is clear: the Islanders are at a crossroads. The feel-good story isn’t over - but if they want to keep writing it, they’ll need to rediscover their identity, tighten up defensively, and start finding the back of the net. Fast.