The New York Islanders left Toronto with a 4-1 win on Saturday night, but the result only tells part of the story.
Peter DeBoer said afterward it was the team’s most “complete” win of the year, and the Islanders had plenty to like. Bo Horvat scored and added an assist, Simon Holmstrom buried two goals, and Anthony Duclair chipped in with a key first-period tally. But the bigger concern came early, when Matias Maccelli and Cal Ritchie both went down with lower-body injuries and did not return after the first period.
That left the Islanders to finish the job with just 10 forwards, essentially operating with three lines against Toronto in its own building. In that kind of game, every forward has to pull more than his share. Ondrej Palat did exactly that.
The numbers from Saturday were extreme even by hockey standards: 19 shot attempts for the Islanders, one for the Maple Leafs. And Palat was right in the middle of that kind of control.
"I think he’s come back with something to prove," DeBoer said postgame Saturday (H/T NYIslanders). "I think right from training camp he’s been engaged and ready.
He wants more. If anything, it’s on me to give him a little bit more than he’s even got so far.
He’s been that good."
That praise fits what Palat has done through the first eight games. In his minutes on the ice, the Islanders have out-attempted opponents 102 to 55, a lopsided edge that shows how much of the game tilts his way. His CF% sits at 64.97%, the best mark on the team by a wide margin.
The gap is real. Matthew Schaefer is next at 58.63%, followed by Casey Cizikas at 55.63%, Simon Holmstrom at 52.67%, then Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Anthony Duclair. And there’s a common thread across that group: all of them have spent time with Palat this season.
That’s what makes him stand out so early in the year. He’s not only fitting into DeBoer’s system quickly, he’s lifting the players around him while he does it.
Palat’s path helps explain why this kind of role suits him. He was at his best with the Tampa Bay Lightning in a defense-first system that helped power two Stanley Cups.
His time with the New Jersey Devils was a much different environment, built around offense and pace. Last season with the Islanders, the fit wasn’t as clean either, especially after a season that also included a midseason trade and playing in the Olympics for Czechia.
This year looks different. After a long summer to reset, Palat has come out flying and has quickly become the Islanders’ most consistent forward. Saturday night was the clearest sign yet.
And with Maccelli and Ritchie injured, the opportunity in front of him is only getting bigger.
In Other News...
Islanders Grind Out A Win That Created A New Worry
The Islanders got exactly the kind of road result they needed in Toronto, a 4-1 win built on timely scoring and a steady night from Ilya Sorokin, who stopped 28 shots. Anthony Duclair and Bo Horvat scored in support, and Simon Holmstrom capped it with the empty-netter as New York handled the game with a shortened bench and enough structure to keep the Leafs from turning it into a track meet.
The concern came early, when Cal Ritchie and Matias Maccelli both exited in the first period, leaving the Islanders to juggle their lines for most of the night. Any win on the road is useful, but a victory that costs you two forwards can change the mood fast, especially with one injury appearing more serious and the team now waiting to find out how much more damage came out of a night it otherwise controlled. [Read more 🡒]
Varlamov Just Made The Islanders Backup Goalie Decision Much Tougher
Semyon Varlamovs latest turn in net gave the Islanders one more thing to think about after a shootout loss to Ottawa. Starting for just the second time this season, the veteran allowed three goals on 22 shots, but the larger takeaway was less about the final score and more about how he looked coming off a long road back to game action.
Varlamov has been working his way back after 22 months rehabbing from a double-knee replacement, and every outing now carries extra weight in the backup race behind Ilya Sorokin. His performance suggested he is at least making this a real conversation for the Islanders, even if the longer-term picture in net is still far from settled. [Read more 🡒]
Flyers Lose Another Key Forward As Early Scoring Pressure Builds
The Islanders had to navigate another uneasy night against Toronto when both Calum Ritchie and Matias Maccelli left the game with lower-body injuries. It was the kind of setback that can change a lineup in a hurry, especially when a club is already trying to manage its way through the grind of an early season schedule and keep enough skill on the ice to stay competitive.
Ritchie was hit on his first shift by Nick Blankenburg, while Maccelli left after getting tangled up with Darren Raddysh, and each exit only added to the sense of a game slipping into survival mode. Around the league, the injury list keeps growing in different ways, with the Flyers already missing Owen Tippett and the Senators expecting Jake Sanderson back soon, but for the Islanders the immediate concern is simply how they patch together their next look if either absence lingers. [Read more 🡒]