Good Morning, Islanders Country.
It’s not the time to panic (or so they say).
There are stages to panic, and Islanders fans know them by heart. They don’t start with rage. They start with reasoning. It’s early, you tell yourself. They’re just finding their legs. It’s a long season. You say it twice, maybe three times, because if you say it enough, perhaps you’ll believe it.
Then comes frustration. You start noticing the same mistakes — the lazy clears, the power play that’s allergic to danger, the goaltender who looks mortal instead of magnificent. You tell yourself it’s fixable, but you start to realize that “fixable” and “fixed” live very far apart in Islanders Country.
Next comes resignation. You scroll through the schedule, try to find a soft stretch, but instead see Edmonton and Ottawa staring back. You wonder how 0-3-0 became 0-5-0 in your head so fast. You start watching the standings — not the top, but the bottom — to see who else is miserable. You start simulating the 2026 draft order, imagining how lightning could strike twice.
And finally, comes the gallows humor. The memes. The sighs. The “Hey, at least Schaefer looks good” comments. It’s self-defense, really. Because the alternative — believing this was the year it would be different — stings too much to sit with.
