That's The Spirit

Isles head into Holiday Break on a high

Good Morning, Islanders Country.

Nothing is coming easy for the New York Islanders right now — not goals, not wins, not answers. And maybe that’s why, as Christmas draws closer, every night feels like tearing open a wrapped box without knowing what’s inside. Sometimes there’s something shiny. Sometimes there are socks. Sometimes there’s a lump of coal that you swear you didn’t deserve.

Each game requires what Thomas Hickey once called an honest effort. Not a pretty one. Not a dominant one. Just an honest one. And what that effort turns into on any given night is anyone’s guess. On Tuesday night at a holiday-lit UBS Arena, the Islanders got their gift-wrapped win — a 2–1 victory that looked nothing like the ones you draw up on whiteboards and everything like the ones you take gratefully and don’t ask questions about.

It started with a fluke — the kind of goal you’d swear was placed under the tree by accident. Simon Holmstrom was the benefactor of a Jacob Markström misplay when the goaltender came way too far out of his net to play the puck off his defenseman and onto Holmstrom’s stick.

Then there was David Rittich, steady as a string of lights that somehow never flickers. The Islanders’ backup delivered the kind of calm performance that keeps chaos from spreading, especially in an end-to-end game that had just enough speed to make you nervous and just enough structure to keep you believing.

And when the moment came, it was Adam Pelech — not exactly known for filling stockings with goals — who provided the difference, scoring late to seal it.

It wasn’t easy. It wasn’t predictable. It isn’t repeatable. But it was two points. And ending a three-game winless streak just before the holiday break means the Islanders — and their fans — can breathe a little easier.

Sometimes, that’s the best gift of all.

Game Recap

Adam Pelech scored the go-ahead goal with 1:15 remaining in regulation as the New York Islanders earned a 2-1 win over the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday night. Simon Holmstrom also scored and David Rittich made 28 saves for the Islanders, who snapped a three-game losing streak heading into the NHL’s three-day holiday break. Brett Pesce scored his first goal of the season for New Jersey, which dropped its second straight game. Jacob Markstrom finished with 23 saves.

After a scoreless opening 15 minutes, Pesce put the Devils ahead late in the first period. The Islanders pulled even at 7:50 of the second when Markstrom misplayed the puck behind his net, allowing Holmstrom to collect it and score into the open cage.

Rittich kept the game tied with a key breakaway save on Jack Hughes midway through the second. The deciding goal came late when Anders Lee found Holmstrom with a cross-ice feed. Holmstrom’s one-timer missed wide, but Pelech jumped on the rebound to seal the win.

GameScore Impact Card

⏭ NEXT UP: The Islanders will have the next three days off for the Holiday break before returning for a matchup against the New York Rangers on Saturday night at UBS Arena. Face-off is set for 6:00 PM EST.

📊 STANDINGS

Following The Leader

With Bo Horvat sidelined, the Islanders have needed more than just production from Mathew Barzal — they’ve needed leadership. And over the past two weeks, that’s exactly what they’ve gotten, as detailed by Andrew Gross in Newsday.

Barzal’s elite skating and creativity have always driven the Islanders’ offense, but during the team’s recent skid, his impact has gone well beyond the scoresheet. Riding a seven-game point streak entering Tuesday (two goals, six assists), Barzal has paired offense with a noticeably stronger defensive commitment and situational awareness.

In Saturday’s shootout loss in Buffalo, Barzal logged four shots, scored a crucial late goal, and repeatedly tracked back deep into his own zone to disrupt scoring chances. Captain Anders Lee praised Barzal’s buy-in to a “grindy” style of game, noting that elite players don’t always enjoy making the simple, hard plays — but Barzal embraced them.

Coach Patrick Roy echoed that sentiment, pointing to Barzal’s rebound goal late in the second period as a teaching clip for the team. Roy emphasized that Barzal “took charge of the game,” calling it the kind of leadership the Islanders need.

While Barzal’s creativity can still border on overhandling at times, his growth on the backcheck has been undeniable. His overtime winner against New Jersey on Nov. 10 — sparked by a defensive play — remains a season-defining example.

Now healthy after last year’s knee injury, Barzal has 10 goals and a team-high 19 assists in 35 games. As he put it simply: he’s committed to “doing the right things.” That’s the difference between leading and leadership.

Pelly Celly

Even before he scored the game-winning goal on Tuesday night, Adam Pelech was authoring a vintage bounce-back season. According to J Fresh Hockey, Pelech is currently the best NHL defenseman at 5-on-5 in the entire league.

Home For The Holidays

There’s a fitting twist to Marshall Warren’s NHL story so far: the Laurel Hollow native had already played three games for the New York Islanders before ever skating in a game on Long Island. That changed Tuesday night, when Warren made his UBS Arena debut against the New Jersey Devils. The boys even let the hometown kid announce the starting lineup in the room before hitting the ice.

“It’s going to be cool, a lot of friends and family in the building,” Warren said. “But obviously the most important thing is to get the win.”

Family, Friends — and a Lot of Noise

Warren’s first home game will come with a built-in cheering section.

“Some of my boys have a section with 18 tickets somewhere,” Warren said. “So I’m sure they’ll be loud and cheering for me, which is cool.”

Living out of a hotel for now, Warren has still been able to enjoy rare perks of playing at home — doing laundry at his parents’ house and spending time with family during the holidays. “It’s always comfortable when you’re home,” he said. “I’m fortunate enough to be able to do that.”

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📚 SOUND SMART: Per NHL PR, Adam Pelech potted the go-ahead goal with 1:15 remaining in regulation, the second latest by a defenseman in franchise history behind Ryan Pulock (59:19 on Feb. 11, 2020). Pulock and Pelech both played in their 597th NHL game tonight, both tying Kenny Jonsson for third place in franchise history for defensemen.

🎥 ISLES REWIND: The Isles have not played any games on December 24th throughout their history, as the NHL typically does not schedule games on Christmas Eve. Consequently, I have no significant team events or milestones. So, instead, here’s one of our favorite all-time photos of Barry Trotz and the 2019-20 team sporting “Have Yourself A Barry Little Christmas” sweaters.

🔗 Late goal, strong goaltending send Islanders into Christmas break with big win over Devils by Ethan Sears, New York Post “Two points and three days of rest were exactly what the Islanders needed for Christmas. That they got their best all-around effort in five games without Bo Horvat — and the hope is that their leading scorer returns when the Islanders return to action on Saturday against the Rangers — only makes Tuesday’s 2-1 win over the Devils after Adam Pelech’s late winner feel sweeter.”

🔗 NY Islanders defenseman Adam Pelech is authoring a vintage bounce back season via Eyes on Isles “After years of injuries and uneven stretches that led fans to openly question how his eight-year extension was aging, Pelech is authoring a full-scale bounce-back season. The version Islanders fans worried might be gone has returned: calm, physical, positionally elite, and once again trusted to shut games down.”

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And we leave you with this…replica ugly sweaters!

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