ICYMI: Check out the Chris Botta Q&A with Rob Davison
Good Morning, Islanders Country.
After six games of alternating wins and losses, the Islanders finally did something different Thursday night.
They lost in a shootout (their first SO since Jan. 8, 2026).
The Islanders hadn’t played beyond regulation in 23 games, dating back to last season, when they went a perfect 10-0 in overtime. The unbeaten OT streak continues, but so does their stretch without winning consecutive games.
It could’ve been worse. Ottawa had two first-period goals overturned. One never actually crossed the line. The other came off the board after Pete DeBoer and the Islanders’ video staff successfully challenged for offsides. That gave Semyon Varlamov a chance to settle in, and once he did, he looked like the goalie Islanders fans remember: calm, composed, and rarely rattled.
That was the good familiar. The bad familiar was the power play.
It looked out of sync in regulation and didn’t improve in overtime. Then came the shootout, where the Islanders looked every bit as inept as they have been over the last few seasons, firing shots (when they got off) wide or into pads.
The result was a 2-1 SO loss and another reminder that, despite some encouraging stretches, this team still has a few things to clean up.
In fact, DeBoer also demoted and/or benched Anthony Duclair and Cal Ritchie and was blunt about why after the game. "The players make those decisions for me. We had some puck management issues at different points. We took some penalties, which you can’t do on the road. Guys make those decisions when we get into those situations.”
Add it all up, and they still haven't found their first road win. They are still searching for their first winning streak. And through seven games, they are still searching for the kind of consistency that separates playoff teams from the rest.
At least Thursday gave them something new.
Just not the result they wanted.
Let’s dive in.
Game Recap
The New York Islanders picked up a point but couldn’t finish the job Thursday night, falling 2-1 to the Ottawa Senators in a shootout at Canadian Tire Centre.
Matias Maccelli scored his second goal of the season, extending his point streak to five games, while Semyon Varlamov made 18 saves for the Islanders (3-3-1), who have alternated wins and losses through their first seven games.
The Islanders caught two breaks in the opening period when Ottawa goals were overturned following video reviews. Maccelli then gave New York a 1-0 lead with 12 seconds remaining, forcing a turnover and beating Linus Ullmark with a wrist shot. Ridly Greig tied the game midway through the second period, converting a 2-on-1 opportunity.
Both teams had power-play chances to win in overtime, but neither could capitalize. Shane Pinto scored the shootout’s only goal, but the Islanders left with another frustrating result despite a solid performance from Varlamov.
GameScore Impact Card
⏭ NEXT UP: The Islanders finish their quick two-game Canadian road trip on Saturday night against the Toronto Maple Leafs at 7:00 PM EDT.
📊 STANDINGS
Schaefer Doesn’t Want To Be Only Offensive
Matthew Schaefer already has the skating, creativity and offensive production that gets young defensemen noticed. But when EyesOnIsles pulled out his appearance on TSN’s OverDrive, the 19-year-old made it clear that piling up points isn’t how he defines the player he wants to become. “I want to be an all-around player,” Schaefer said. “I want to be a shutdown defenseman. I want to shut down the top lines.”
That’s notable because the offense is already the easy part. Schaefer believes better defense will create more offense by ending possessions quickly and getting the transition game moving the other way. He also said he wants to be “one of the best players on the ice” every night, whether that means scoring, blocking shots, or doing something else entirely.
Barzal Doesn’t Travel
Mathew Barzal's recovery continues to progress, but Thursday brought a somewhat discouraging timeline update as he didn't travel with the Islanders for their two-game Canadian trip and will miss at least the first eight games of the season. Rather, he remained on Long Island, where he continues skating on his own while working back from inflammation in his left knee.
Barzal has now been skating for approximately a week but still hasn’t rejoined team practices. That remains the real milestone to watch. Once he gets into regular practices and the knee responds normally afterward, a return can become realistic very quickly. Until then, the Islanders are doing exactly what they should, letting Maccelli, Ritchie, Eklund, and the rest of the lineup keep producing without forcing Barzal back because the calendar says October.
Eklund Waits for Big Brother Matchup
Thursday’s Islanders-Senators game looked like it might provide the first NHL meeting between brothers Victor and William Eklund. It didn’t happen. Ottawa acquired William from San Jose over the summer, but an ankle injury is expected to keep the older Eklund out for an extended period, denying Victor his first opportunity to face his brother in the NHL. The Islanders’ official game preview noted the missed family matchup.
For Victor, simply being in this conversation matters. He entered camp as a prospect trying to force his way onto the roster and now occupies a regular second-line role alongside Ritchie and Schenn. Ottawa used one of the first-round picks they acquired for Brady Tkachuk to land William from San Jose, making the Senators one of the league's more aggressively reshaped teams.
📚 SOUND SMART: Per Eric Hornick in The Skinny, excluding the shootout game deciding goal, the Isles have allowed only 16 goals in 7 games (including three empty-netters). That is the fewest goals the Isles have allowed in their first seven games since 2003, when they also allowed 16.
“We've been working on defending since day one of training camp, and for exactly this type of reason,” Pete DeBoer said. “You come into a building like this on the road against a team with a really good record, with a lot of firepower, and I thought we defended really hard tonight in our own end of the rink around Varly.
🎥 ISLES REWIND: On October 16, 1986, Hall-of-Fame defenseman Denis Potvin picked up an assist in the Islanders’ 7-4 win over the Washington Capitals. His helper brought him to 684 career assists, putting him past Brad Park for the most assists by a defenseman in league history. He broke the record on the 13th anniversary of picking up his first career point.
📺 New York Islanders Postgame Availability | NYI at OTT
🔗 NY Islanders D Matthew Schaefer shares what he wants to become in five years by Jiggs Westfall, Eyes on Isles “I want to be an all-around player,” Schaefer said, emphasizing that becoming a shutdown defenseman is every bit as important to him as producing offense. The 19-year-old says his goal is to help the Islanders win in any way possible while becoming both a better leader and a better person.
🔗 Matias Maccelli To Skate On Islanders’ Top Line vs. Ottawa Senators by Stefen Rosner, The Hockey News Maccelli’s four-game point streak and breakout performance against Vancouver earned him a promotion next to Bo Horvat and Kyle Palmieri. The move gives Pete DeBoer a more creative puck distributor on the top line while Mathew Barzal remains sidelined.
And we leave you with this…Nyisles and Sparky man or mascot the bar in Farmingdale last night during the 365 Watch Party for our Season Ticket Members
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