Good Morning, Islanders Country.
In hockey, sometimes, you get what you deserve.
On Thursday night against Ottawa, the Islanders didn’t deserve much more than what they got. And they got nothing.
It didn’t feel that way at first. When the Islanders grabbed a 2–1 lead on their first shot of the third period, it had the look of another one of those nights where they’d find a way. Another two points, another step forward in a playoff race that offers zero margin of error.
But then the game changed — or maybe the Islanders did.
Because from that moment on, they didn’t record another shot for the next 17 minutes and 58 seconds. Not one. They stopped pushing. Stopped attacking. Started managing. Started surviving. And that’s a dangerous way to play, especially this time of year.
The Senators, to their credit, did the opposite. They played like a desperate team. They pushed, they forechecked, they threw everything they could toward the net. Eventually, they got what that kind of effort usually earns — bounces, chances, and the opportunity to flip the game.
The Islanders, meanwhile, looked like a team trying to nurse things to overtime. Get the point. Reset. Take their chances three-on-three. So when the game-winning goal went in during the dying seconds, it felt cruel — but also fitting.
Ottawa earned that moment. The Islanders invited it.
Games like this have been rare this season, which is why this one lingers a little longer. Because it was avoidable. And now the Islanders find themselves outside of a playoff spot for the first time since Dec. 4, because they played like a team that wanted to hold onto something, instead of going after it.
Game Recap
The New York Islanders suffered a crushing 3-2 loss to the Ottawa Senators on Thursday, surrendering the winning goal with just 11.1 seconds remaining.
Brady Tkachuk buried a loose puck in the crease, slipping it past Ilya Sorokin to complete Ottawa’s comeback. The loss pushed the Islanders out of a playoff position in the tightly contested Eastern Conference.
The game opened with immediate intensity as Tkachuk and Anders Lee dropped the gloves off the opening faceoff. Minutes later, Ridly Greig and Brayden Schenn followed with another fight. Matthew Schaefer gave New York a 1-0 lead early in the second period, reaching the 50-point mark and becoming just the second 18-year-old defenseman in NHL history to do so. Shane Pinto tied it shorthanded before Schenn restored the Islanders’ lead early in the third. But Ottawa answered again, as Warren Foegele evened the score before Tkachuk’s late winner. James Reimer made 19 saves for the Senators.
GameScore Impact Card
⏭ NEXT UP: The Islanders finish their road trip Saturday night in Montreal before heading back home for a Sunday night matchup against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Face-off is scheduled for 7:00 PM EDT.
📊 STANDINGS: The Islanders find themselves out of a playoff spot for the first time since Dec. 4 after CBJ, BOS, and DET all won last night.
End of an Era, New Beginning
The Islanders officially announced plans to relocate their AHL affiliate from Bridgeport, Connecticut, to Hamilton, Ontario, starting in 2026-27 (pending league approval), marking a significant organizational shift.
The move is centered on the newly renovated TD Coliseum, an 18,000-seat venue that underwent a $300 million transformation.
“We are excited to make Hamilton our primary affiliate… We look forward to having our top young talent play in front of such a strong fanbase.” — Mathieu Darche
Hamilton officials echoed the excitement, calling it “an exciting new chapter” for the city and its hockey tradition, while the Islanders see this as a clear step forward in strengthening their development pipeline and expanding their reach.
💙 At the same time, the move brings a bittersweet close to a 25-year run in Bridgeport—a place that helped shape generations of Islanders prospects.
“This community has been the heart of our AHL operations… We are grateful for the memories, the partnerships, and the passion.” — Kelly Cheeseman
The Islanders emphasized their commitment to working with Bridgeport through the transition, but for fans in Connecticut, this marks the end of an era defined by loyalty, consistency, and connection to the team’s future stars. Progress often comes with tough goodbyes—and for the Islanders, this is one of them.
LAST CALL
Former Islanders play-by-play TV announcer Howie Rose, who followed Jiggs McDonald and preceeded Brendan Burke announced on Thursday that the 2026 Mets season will be his final in the radio booth.
Rose was the TV voice of the Islanders for 20 years (1995-2016), working with Joe Michelleti, Billy Jaffe, and Butch Goring. His call of John Tavares’ 2OT winner in Game 6 against the Florida Panthers was his final call for the Islanders as they advanced in the playoffs for the first time since 1993.
📚 SOUND SMART: Per NHL PR, Matthew Schaefer became the second 18-year-old defenseman in NHL history to record 50 points in a season, following Phil Housley (57 in 1982-83). In doing so, he became the fourth Islanders rookie defenseman to record 50 points in a season. Schaefer (21-29—50 in 69 GP) became the fourth active blueliner to hit 50 career points before their 70th contest, following Cale Makar (57 GP), Lane Hutson (63 GP) and Quinn Hughes (64 GP).
🎥 ISLES REWIND: One of the few bright spots for the 2000-01 Islanders that finished with an NHL-worse 52 points came on March 20, 2001, in St. Louis. Defenseman Roman Hamrlik scored 23 seconds into overtime as the Islanders ruined Al MacInnis’ return with a 4-3 victory over the 103-point-bound Blues.
Todd Reirden made an errant pass behind his own net that was intercepted by Mariusz Czerkawski, who found Hamrlik in the slot, where he wristed a shot past Roman Turek and just inside the right goalpost for his 14th goal of the season
📺 New York Islanders Postgame Availability | NYI at OTT
🔗 Islanders’ Mathew Barzal reveals secret behind his improved play by Ethan Sears, New York Post “If you want to understand how Mathew Barzal’s game has evolved over the years, and the ways in which his teammates have helped enable what might quietly be the best season of his career, there are worse places to start than Emil Heineman’s goal against Toronto on Tuesday night.”
🔗 Islanders officially moving AHL affiliate from Bridgeport to Ontario by Andrew Gross, Newsday “The Islanders have had their AHL affiliate in Bridgeport since the AHL granted the city an expansion team in 2001. The team was known as the Sound Tigers until 2021, when it was renamed the Islanders. The Islanders purchased the Bridgeport club in 2004. Bridgeport was the Islanders’ seventh AHL affiliate city — and its longest served — since they joined the NHL in 1972.”
And we leave you with this…what a SAVE BY SOUCY!
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You dont play for OT and sit back and wait and let Ottawa dictate the entire 3rd period. RW is the first tiebreaker Islanders need regulation wins. Islanders need to win both games this weekend or its over. Nobody is losing around them
Listened to postgame interviews & was nauseated to hear barzal say they sat back in the third to get a point & play for OT. THAT'S HOW LOSING TEAMS PLAY & ridiculous for a professional athlete to think that way. Roy once again shows no emotion, no passion or anger for that abysmal third period effort. I HOPE HE IS PLAYING FOR HIS JOB NEXT SEASON IN THIS FINAL 10-15 GAMES. FIRE ROY PLEASE.