Good Morning, Islanders Country.
The reality of a playoff push is that it’s going to test your emotions. Sometimes it’s thrilling. Sometimes it’s exhausting. And sometimes it’s just plain cruel.
There are seasons — not many, admittedly, for Islanders fans — where you know your team is a playoff team. Not hope. Not wish. Know. Those are the years when the trade deadline is about tinkering. About seeding. About making sure the engine is running smoothly before April arrives.
Then there are the other years.
The years where your team probably doesn’t deserve to be there. The games are sloppy. The effort comes and goes. You lose to teams you shouldn’t and beat teams you have no business beating. Yet the standings, and the league’s general mediocrity, keep you hanging around. Sometimes long enough that one well-timed hot streak sneaks you into a playoff spot you didn’t exactly earn.
This Islanders season doesn’t quite fit either category.
They’ve been better than expected almost from the start. They’re a perfect 10–0 in overtime. They’ve had the kind of vibes and moments that make a season feel a little magical. The kind of nights that keep you believing something good might actually be happening.
And yet every time you check the standings after a big win — expecting a little breathing room — the hockey world offers a reminder.
There is none.
The Islanders are playing at a 100-point pace — 99.7, if we’re being precise — and that currently places them third in the Metro. Third. In most years, that kind of pace gives you a cushion. This year, it gives you anxiety.
Because nobody is going away.
The Blue Jackets are humming right behind them. The Penguins keep scraping together points even without Sidney Crosby. Over in the Atlantic, Montreal, Boston, and Detroit are all circling the same territory. (CBJ and DET did lose last night, so a chance tonight to create some space).
Someone good is going to miss the playoffs in the Eastern Conference.
Possibly very unfairly.
And until that picture clears, the Islanders don’t get to exhale.
Experimentation
At practice on Thursday, the Islanders experimented with new line combinations, most notably swapping Mathew Barzal and Calum Ritchie. Barzal skated alongside Brayden Schenn and Ondrej Palat, while Ritchie moved onto the wing with Bo Horvat and Emil Heineman.
“I really liked how we practiced today,” Barzal said of playing with Schenn and Palat. “Both of them are smart players. Both of them have played with highly skilled players in the past… I know they're going to be looking for me and I have a lot of trust in them. They're veterans. They know how to play the game, and they've been in the NHL for a long time.”
Barzal liked the early chemistry with his new linemates, praising Schenn and Palat as experienced players who understand how to support skilled teammates. Schenn, who recently joined the Islanders, said his goal is to simplify the game and get the puck to players like Barzal or rookie defenseman Matthew Schaefer, who can change games with their skill.
Ritchie welcomed the opportunity to play alongside Horvat, the team’s leading goal scorer. He said his role will be to support Horvat by winning puck battles, protecting the puck along the boards and keeping pace with his center. Horvat praised Ritchie’s hockey IQ, vision and continued development as a rookie.
Sorokin and Shabanov In
Elsewhere, coach Patrick Roy confirmed that Ilya Sorokin will start Friday against the Los Angeles Kings, with David Rittich scheduled to start Saturday against the Calgary Flames. Forward Max Shabanov is also expected to remain in the lineup for a second straight game after spending time as a healthy scratch, as Roy looks to give him more opportunity to settle back into game action
⏭ NEXT UP: The Islanders play the first of a back-to-back tonight when they host the Los Angeles Kings at UBS Arena. Face-off is set for 7:00 PM EST.
📊 STANDINGS:
Prospect Watch
GM Mathieu Darche made it a point to state that one of the keys to this year’s trade deadline was not to touch any of the team’s top prospects, and for an organization that has shot up the prospect rankings this year, it’s understandable why that was a point of emphasis.
For those that don’t keep close tabs on the prospects, Newsday’s Andrew Gross gave a short synopsis of what’s happening, five young players to watch:
Kashawn Aitcheson (D) - Drafted 17th overall in 2025, Aitcheson has emerged as a physical shutdown defenseman with surprising offensive upside. The 6-foot-2 blueliner has 27 goals and 37 assists in the OHL this season for Barrie while playing a tough, physical style. He’s expected to sign his entry-level contract soon and could join the AHL’s Bridgeport Islanders next season. Long-term, he projects as a second-pair NHL defenseman.
Cole Eiserman (LW) - Selected 20th overall in 2024, Eiserman is known primarily for his elite scoring ability and powerful wrist shot. The Boston University sophomore has 16 goals in 30 games this season. While his offense is undeniable, improving his defensive game will be key to his NHL future.
Victor Eklund (RW) - The younger brother of William Eklund, Eklund was acquired through the Noah Dobson trade and drafted 16th overall. The Swedish forward is praised for his hockey IQ, relentless motor and strong forechecking. He has 22 points in the SHL this season and is expected to come to North America next year.
Dmitry Gamzin (G) - With Marcus Gidlof traded, Gamzin is now the Islanders’ top goalie prospect. The athletic Russian netminder has a 1.54 GAA and .937 save percentage with CSKA Moscow in the KHL.
Danny Nelson (C) - A 2023 second-round pick, Nelson is developing into a strong two-way center at Notre Dame. The 6-foot-3 forward brings size, a heavy shot and a net-front presence.
📚 SOUND SMART: Per Eric Hornick in The Skinny, Tuesday night in St. Louis, Ryan Pulock played his 622nd game, tying Stefan Persson for 3rd place among defensemen. Scott Mayfield played his 598th game, passing Kenny Jonsson for 5th place among defensemen. Tony DeAngelo played his 100th consecutive game. Anders Lee remains tied with Bob Bourne for 11th place with 542 points.
🎥 ISLES REWIND: On March 13, 1979, the Islanders’ first captain, Ed Westfall, announced he would retire at the season’s end. Before the Islanders’ 7-2 win over the Boston Bruins, the Islanders held a pregame ceremony with Westfall’s four children and wife on hand.
Following a 4-minute standing ovation, Westfall commented: “You get out there, and you want to say the right things, all the things you thought of during the day and wanted to remember. Then you’re out there, and you forget.” When he retired, Westfall led the NHL in short‐handed Stanley Cup playoff goals with eight.
🎧 When You’re The Next McDavid … via Big Head Hockey
🔗 Mathieu Darche will be under pressure to sign 2 NY Islanders prospects or risk losing them to free agency by Mike Stahurski, Eyes on Isles “NY Islanders prospects Danny Nelson and Quinn Finley both saw their teams eliminated from the respective conference tournaments last night. Nelson’s Notre Dame Fighting Irish fell to No. 1 Michigan, while Wisconsin and Finley were upset by Ohio State.”
🔗 Islanders’ Brayden Schenn stands up for his new teammates immediately by Denis P. Gorman, Newsday “I try to play the game the right way and take care of teammates,” Schenn said after practice Thursday at Northwell Health Ice Center. “It’s just part of the game. It’s the game within the game; [that’s] what it boils down to. And you have to come in here and fit in with the group and just try to be part of the locker room. So it was really nothing more than that. It’s just more so the game within the game when I did that.”
And we leave you with this… the latest amazing hand-drawn artwork by Sean Connors
Check out his work on X if you want to purchase a print.
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Great piece and points mentioned. It's the closest and most competitive I can ever remember, at least one conference being. CBJ has been rolling since firing Evason and changing GM. Pens are surprisingly much better than I thought they'd be but I can see us getting by them if we meet in the 1st round.
We need to continue playing strong and pushing along with effort, dedication and passion. Good job to get to this point boys, keep it up, LGI!