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Articles by Eric Hornick
The Skinny: Islanders 5, Kings 2
Game 18 Isles 5, Los Angeles 2 Brayden Schenn scored a goal and added two assists as the Isles celebrated Matthew Schaefer’s 100th NHL game by defeating the Los Angeles Kings, 5-2, before a crowd of 15,622 at crypto.com Arena. Schaefer had a power play goal for the Isles; it was the 29th career goal for the talented teen. Ilya Sorokin made 26 saves for his second career win over the Kings as the Isles won in Los Angeles for the first time since 2018.
The Skinny: Sharks 3, Islanders 2 (SO)
Game 17 San Jose 3, Isles 2 (SO) Iyar Stenberg scored the only goal of an eight-round shootout as the San Jose Sharks defeated the Isles, 3-2, before a crowd of 13,769 at SAP Center at San Jose. Yaroslav Askarov and Ilya Sorokin combined for 67 saves in regulation and stopped 15 of 16 in the shootout. Ben Hutton and Victor Eklund had twice given the Isles one-goal leads in regulation only to have San Jose tie the score by the end of the first two periods.
The Skinny: Devils 5, Islanders 4 (OT)
Game 16 New Jersey 5, Isles 4 (OT) Jack Hughes scored the winning goal 1:18 into overtime as the New Jersey Devils overcame a 4-2 third period deficit to defeat the Isles, 5-4, before a sellout crowd of 17,345 at UBS Arena. Ilya Sorokin faced a career-high 50 shots on goal and that led to the Devils tying the game with third period goals from Luke Evangelista and Doug Hamilton.
The Skinny: Hurricanes 5, Islanders 3
Game 15 Carolina 5, Isles 3 William Carrier scored the game-winning goal with 5:08 to play as the Stanley Cup Champion Carolina Hurricanes overcame Islander comebacks from 2-0 and 3-2 deficits to earn a 5-3 win, before a crowd of 14,234 at UBS Arena. The Islanders trailed by a pair of goals 3:20 into play but scored three times in the middle session to equal the score as both Victor Eklund and Brayden Schenn had a goal and an assist.
The Skinny: Oilers 4, Islanders 0
Game 14 Edmonton 4, Isles 0 Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored twice, and Tristan Jarry made 18 saves as the Edmonton Oilers handed the Islanders their first shutout defeat of the season, 4-0, before a Halloween matinee crowd of 16,587 at UBS Arena. The Islanders were forced to kill six penalties, including an early major penalty to Emil Heineman. Connor McDavid was held to a single assist, but that did extend his NHL-record season-opening assist streak to 14 games.
The Skinny: Islanders 4, Wild 3 (OT)
Game 13 Isles 4, Minnesota 3 (OT) Matthew Schaefer scored his second goal of the game :33 into overtime as the Isles defeated the Minnesota Wild 4-3, before a sellout crowd of 18,155 at Grand Casino Arena. Joel Eriksson-Ek had scored :27 into the game but Schaefer evened it later in the period. The teams traded goals in both the second and third stanzas as well, setting the stage for Schaefer’s heroics.
The Skinny: Islanders 4, Predators 3 (SO)
Game 12 Isles 4, Nashville 3 (SO) Seymon Varlamov is a winner again! Varlamov earned his first NHL win since November 14, 2024, as Kyle Palmieri and Bo Horvat converted on their shootout attempts to give the Isles a 4-3 win over the Nashville Predators, before a sellout crowd of 17,159 at Bridgestone Arena.
The Skinny: Stars 6, Islanders 3
Game 11 Dallas 6, Isles 3 Jason Robertson scored twice and eleven Stars had points as Dallas defeated the Islanders 6-3, before a sell-out crowd of 18,532 at American Airlines Center. The teams traded goals over the first forty minutes, as the Isles three times offset Stars goals with one of their own; however, the Stars scored all three goals in the third period to earn their fifth straight win and snap the Isles’ five-game point streak (3-0-2).
The Skinny: Kings 3, Islanders 2 (OT)
Game 10 Los Angeles 3, Isles 2 (OT) Brandt Clarke scored 2:43 into overtime as the Los Angeles Kings overcame a two-goal Islander comeback and defeated the Isles, 3-2, before a crowd of 14,397 at UBS Arena. Artemi Panarin had given the Kings a 2-0 advantage in the first period, but Victor Eklund scored on the power play in the second period and Matthew Schaefer scored his first goal of the season in the third period to force the extra session.
The Skinny: Islanders 3, Ducks 2
Game 9 Isles 3, Anaheim 2 The Islanders scored three goals in a 5:05 span of the first period as they defeated the Anaheim Ducks, 3-2, before a crowd of 13,273 at UBS Arena. Ondrej Palat, Victor Ekland and Simon Holmstrom, the latter on a power play, scored for the Isles. Frank Vatrano scored 50 seconds after Eklund, but the Ducks did not score again until Alex Killorn scored with an extra attacker for the final margin of victory.
The Skinny: Islanders 4, Maple Leafs 1
Game 8 Isles 4, Toronto 1 The Islanders lost two forwards to first period injuries, but they still earned their first road win of the season as they defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-1, before a sellout crowd of 18,915 at Scotiabank Arena.
The Skinny: Senators 2, Islanders 1 (SO)
Game 7 Ottawa 2, Isles 1 (SO) Mattias Maccelli extended his point streak to five games, but Ridly Greig tied the game in the second period and Shane Pinto scored the only goal in the shootout as the Ottawa Senators defeated the Islanders 2-1, before a crowd of 14,534 at Canadian Tire Centre. Semyon Varlamov made 18 saves in his second appearance since November 2024 and lowered his GAA to 1.94.
The Skinny: Islanders 3, Canucks 2
Game 6 Isles 3, Vancouver 2 Kyle Palmieri scored his first two goals in nearly eleven months and the latter goal, with 14:22 to play proved to be the game-winner, as the Islanders defeated the Canucks 3-2 , before a crowd of 13,647 at UBS Arena. Mattias Maccelli capped a 2-goal in 53 second outburst in the first period for his first goal as an Islander. The Canucks scored twice in the middle period, including a Brock Boeser tying goal with 1:05 to play.
The Skinny: Lightning 5, Islanders 3
Game 5 Tampa Bay 5, Isles 3 Brandon Hagel broke a 3-3 tie with 1:44 to play and then completed his hat trick with an empty net goal 21 seconds later as the Tampa Bay Lightning defeated the Isles 5-3, before a sell-out crowd of 17,345 at UBS Arena.
The Skinny: Islanders 4, Blackhawks 1
Game 4 Isles 4, Chicago 1 Bo Horvat connected on the power play for the third straight game and added an empty-netter while Logan Stanley earned his second two-assist game of the season as the Isles defeated the Chicago Blackhawks 4-1, before 13,946 at UBS Arena. Ilya Sorokin set a career high with a 165:31 shutout streak before allowing a late 6th-attacker goal; it was the first he allowed in 117:26 at home, breaking Chico Resch’s club record for a shutout streak to start the season.
The Skinny: Hurricanes 2, Islanders 1
Game 82 Carolina 2, Isles 1 The 2025-26 season came to an end tonight. Mark Jankowski scored the winning goal, and Carolina defeated the Islanders 2-1 before a crowd of 15,231 at UBS Arena. Bo Horvat scored his 300th career goal in the second period, with Victor Eklund earning the back assist in his NHL debut. The Isles ended the season with three straight losses and went 1-7-0 in their final eight games.
The Skinny: Canadiens 4, Islanders 1
Game 81 Montreal 4, Isles 1 School is out. The Montreal Canadiens scored three times in a 55 second span late in the second period and defeated the Islanders 4-1 before a crowd of 16,918 at UBS Arena. The loss mathematically eliminated the Isles from a chance to return to the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2024. Casey Cizikas scored the only goal for the Isles, snapping a scoreless streak of over 118 minutes. The Isles will conclude the season on Tuesday when they host Carolina.
The Skinny: Senators 3, Islanders 0
Game 80 Ottawa 3, Isles 0 Ridly Greig scored a first period shorthanded goal and Linus Ullmark made 23 saves as the Ottawa Senators defeated the Isles,3-0, before a sellout crowd of 17,255 at UBS Arena. Jake Sanderson scored a 5-on-3 goal in the third period and Michael Amadio added an empty netter for the Sens, who clinched a playoff spot later in the day. With Saturday night’s results.
The Skinny: Hurricanes 4, Islanders 3
Game 78 Carolina 4, Isles 3 Seth Jarvis scored twice and added an assist as the Carolina Hurricanes held the Isles to only 16 shots in a 4-3 win over the Islanders, before a sellout crowd of 18,567 at Lenovo Center. The Isles actually had 1-0 and 2-1 leads in this game but dropped their fourth straight game in regulation for the first time this season. The Isles remain in third place in the Metro Division, leading Philadelphia and Columbus by one point, and Washington by two points.
The Skinny: Flyers 4, Islanders 1
Game 77 Philadelphia 4, Isles 1 Matvei Michkov scored a goal and added two assists for his seventh career three-point game as the Philadelphia Flyers built a 3-0 lead defeated the Islanders 4-1, before a sellout crowd of 17,255 at UBS Arena. Jean-Gabriel Pageau had the only goal for the Islanders, who lost in regulation for the third straight game. It is the Isles' first 0-3-0 stretch since the first three games of the season.
The Skinny: Islanders 5, Panthers 2
Game 74 Isles 5, Florida 2 Brayden Schenn scored a goal and added two assists as the Isles tallied five times in a 12:29 span of the second period to erase a 2-0 Florida lead and defeat the Stanley Cup Champion Panthers, 5-2, before a sellout crowd of 17,255 at UBS Arena. Matthew Tkachuk had a pair of goals 5:57 apart as Florida grabbed a 2-0 lead over the Isles for the third time this season; however, the Isles came back to win both games played on Long Island.
The Skinny: Islanders 2, Stars 1
Game 73 Isles 2, Dallas 1 In his 300th NHL game, Ilya Sorokin came within 2:59 of bowling a Perfect Game. Sorokin nearly recorded a shutout for the second straight start, and the Isles got goals from Bo Horvat and Cal Ritchie to defeat the Dallas Stars, 2-1, before a sellout crowd of 17,255 at UBS Arena. Matt Duchesne scored with a sixth attacker to break the shutout, but it was not enough to prevent the Isles from sweeping the season series from the 97-point Stars.
The Skinny: Blackhawks 4, Islanders 3
Game 72 Chicago 4, Isles 3 The Chicago Blackhawks scored three goals in a 6:45 span and built a 4-1 lead; that proved to be just enough as an Islander third period rally fell short in a 4-3 loss to the Hawks, before a sellout crowd of 17,255 at UBS Arena. The Isles had 23 shots on goal and 49 shot attempts in the third period, getting goals from Simon Holmstrom and Cal Ritchie, but they could not get even.
The Skinny: Islanders 1, Blue Jackets 0
Game 71 Isles 1, Columbus 0 Ilya Sorokin made 26 saves to tie the Islander club record with his seventh shutout of the season and Bo Horvat scored the only goal as the Isles moved back into a playoff spot with a 1-0 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets, before a sellout crowd of 17,255 at UBS Arena. Horvat's goal, just 1:25 into play, was the earliest ever scored in a 1-0 Islander victory. It also was his 50th point of the season, marking the eighth time in his career he has reached that total.
The Skinny: Canadiens 7, Islanders 3
Game 70 Montreal 7, Isles 3 Cole Caufield recorded his 3rd career hat trick, all in a 15:51 span, as the Montreal Canadiens scored six goals in 17:10 to overcome a 2-1 deficit and defeat the Isles 7-3, before a sellout crowd of 20,962 at Bell Centre. Emil Heineman reached the 20-goal mark and Simon Holmstrom also scored, as the Isles held a 2-1 lead late in the second period, but the Canadiens took over from there, despite Matthew Schaefer's 8th power play goal.
The Skinny: Senators 3, Islanders 2
Game 69 Ottawa 3, Isles 2 Brady Tkachuk fought Anders Lee in the first second of the game and then broke a 2-2 tie with 13 seconds to play as the Ottawa Senators defeated the Isles 3-2, before a crowd of 16,785 at Canadian Tire Centre. Matthew Schaefer and Brayden Schenn had given the Isles the lead twice, but the Sens tied it both times, setting the stage for the latest game winning goal against the Isles since January 13, 2024, in Nashville.
The Skinny: Islanders 3, Maple Leafs 1
Game 68 Isles 3, Toronto 1 Cal Ritchie scored a goal and added an assist, both on the power play, and Mathew Barzal assisted on all three Islander goals as the Isles defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-1, before a sellout crowd of 18,949 at Scotiabank Arena. Ritchie and Matthew Schaefer (one assist),both Ontario natives, were on the winning squad in their first game in Toronto.
The Skinny: Islanders 3, Flames 2
Game 67 Isles 3, Calgary 2 Simon Holmstrom scored two goals in a three-minute span, the latter shorthanded, as the Isles built a 3-0 lead and defeated the Calgary Flames 3-2, before another sellout crowd of 17,255 at UBS Arena. Casey Cizikas had given the Isles a 1-0 lead ten minutes into play as the Isles scored three first period goals for the first time since January 6th vs. New Jersey.
The Skinny: Kings 3, Islanders 2
Game 66 Los Angeles 3, Isles 2 For the second straight game, the Isles faced a 3-0 deficit, but this time they could not find the equalizer, falling 3-2 to the Los Angeles Kings, before a sellout crowd of 17,255 at UBS Arena. Emil Heineman scored a pair of goals to get the Isles close, but the Isles could not knot the score. The Isles fall to 5-3-0 since the Olympic Break and 24-14-2 in their last 40 games; they host Calgary in the back-end of the back-to-back on Saturday.
The Skinny: Islanders 4, Blues 3 OT
Game 65 Isles 4, St. Louis 3 (OT) Mathew Barzal scored his 8th career overtime goal 2:11 into overtime as the Islanders rallied from a 3-0 deficit for a 4-3 win over the St. Louis Blues, before a sellout crowd of 18,096 at Enterprise Center. Jimmy Snuggered had a goal and two assists as the Blues built a 3-0 lead, and when the Blues scored at apparent fourth goal it might have been 'game over', but an Islander offside challenge reversed the goal.
The Skinny: Isles 2, San Jose 1 OT
By Eric Hornick Game 64 Isles 2, San Jose 1 Bo Horvat scored his 13th career overtime goal with just 40.3 seconds remaining as the Islanders moved into second place in the Metro Division with a 2-1 win over the San Jose Sharks, before a crowd of 17,435 at SAP Center at San Jose. Horvat's goal, his sixth in the last eight games, came after the Isles killed off a late regulation penalty that extended into overtime. Tony DeAngelo and Macklin Celebrini traded goals in regulation.
The Skinny: Kings 5, Islanders 3
Game 63 Los Angeles 5, Isles 3 Artemi Panarin scored his first goal as a King, and added an assist, as Los Angeles built a 3-0 lead and defeated the Isles 5-3, before a crowd of 17,078 at Crypto.com Arena. The Isles got a goal from Bo Horvat at 19:59 of the second period to get back in the game but the Isles could never get closer as the Kings earned the first win for interim coach DJ Smith.in Arze Kopitar's 1,500th NHL game, all with Los Angeles.
The Skinny: Ducks 5, Islanders 1
"The Skinny" By Eric Hornick Game 62 Anaheim 5, Isles 1 Cutter Gauthier scored two goals in a 3:09 span to erase an early Anders Lee power play goal and the Anaheim Ducks snapped the Islanders' five-game winning streak, defeating the Isles 5-1 before a crowd of 14,196 at Honda Center. The Isles are 22-12-2 in their last 36 games; the road trip continues in Los Angeles on Thursday night.
The Skinny: Islanders 5, Panthers 4
Game 61 Isles 5, Florida 4 WWWWW! Anders Lee broke a 4-4 tie with under 32 seconds to play, and Matthew Schaefer scored twice, added an assist, and went a career-best +4, as the Isles rallied for the third second straight game from a 2-0 deficit, defeating the Stanley Cup Champion Florida Panthers 5-4, before a sellout crowd of 17,255 at UBS Arena.
The Skinny: Islanders 4, Blue Jackets 3 OT
Game 60 Isles 4, Columbus 3 (OT) Simon Holmstrom scored the overtime winner as for the second straight game the Isles rallied from a 2-0 deficit for a 4-3 overtime win, this time over the Columbus Blue Jackets before a sellout crowd of 18,925 at Nationwide Arena.
The Skinny: Islanders 4, Montreal 3 OT
Game 59 Isles 4, Montreal 3 (OT) What a night in La Belle Province for the Isles! After Noah Dobson scored twice in his first half-game against the Isles, Matthew Schaefer rewrote the rookie record books with two goals in 55 seconds. After that, two veteran Islanders scored key goals in a 4-3 overtime win over the Montreal Canadiens before a sellout crowd of 20,962 at Bell Centre.
The Skinny: Islanders 3, Devils 1
Game 58 Isles 3, New Jersey 1 Sweep up those pitchforks! Bo Horvat scored an unassisted goal with 3:27 to play to break a 1-1 tie as the Isles headed into the Olympic break with a 3-1 victory over the New Jersey Devils before a sellout crowd of 16,514 at Prudential Center. The win completes a four-game sweep of the Devils and an eight-game sweep of their Metro area rivals. Mathew Barzal added an empty net goal to seal the victory and give him goals in four straight games to enter the break.
The Skinny: Islanders 5, Penguins 4 OT
Game 57 Isles 5, Pittsburgh 4 (OT) Bo Horvat scored twice, including the winner at :52 of overtime, as the Isles rallied from three separate one goal deficits to defeat the Pittsburgh Penguins 5-4, before a sellout crowd of 17,255 at UBS Arena. Mathew Barzal tied the game, 3-3, with his 150th NHL goal and then added two assists to cap a +4 night. Horvat did him one better, going +5 for the first time in his NHL career.
The Skinny: Capitals 4, Islanders 1
Game 56 Washington 4, Isles 1 Clay Stevenson earned his second straight win as the Washington Capitals scored twice in a :31 span of the second period as they defeated the Isles 4-1 before a sellout crowd of 17,255 at Capital One Arena. Mathew Barzal had given the Isles a 1-0 lead off a Tom Wilson giveaway, but that was all the Isles could manage against the Capitals' third-string goaltender.
The Skinny: Predators 4, Islanders 3
Game 55 Nashville 4, Isles 3 Roman Josi's 200th career tally was the winning goal at 18:46 of the third period as the Nashville Predators rallied from 2-0 and 3-2 deficits for a 4-3 victory over the Isles before a sellout crowd of 17,255 at UBS Arena. Mathew Barzal and Matthew Schaefer had given the Isles a 2-0 lead early in the first period, but the game changed on a mid-period Predator power play and Nashville rallied to snap the Isles' three-game winning streak.
The Skinny: Islanders 2, Rangers 1
Game 54 Isles 2, Rangers 1 Carson Soucy and Matthew Schaefer scored goals 95 seconds apart and Ilya Sorokin made 20 saves as the Isles completed a season sweep of the Rangers with a 2-1 victory before a sellout crowd of 18,006 at Madison Square Garden. The Isles won all four meetings from the Blueshirts this season, outscoring them 14-3, and never trailing in any game.
The Skinny: Islanders 5, Rangers 2
Game 53 Isles 5, Rangers 2 Ondrej Palat celebrated his Islander debut with a goal and an assist, and Simon Holmstrom had his second three-point game of the season as the Isles beat the Rangers 5-2 before a sellout crowd of 17,255 at UBS Arena. The Isles have won all three meetings from the Blueshirts this season, outscoring them 12-2. The Isles are 16-9-2 in their last 27 games and now lead the Flyers, Capitals, and Blue Jackets by six points.
The Skinny: Islanders 4, Flyers 0
Game 52 Isles 4, Philadelphia 0 Jean-Gabriel Pageau scored twice, and Ilya Sorokin made 21 saves for his league-leading 6th shutout as the Islanders got back on the winning track with a 4-0 win over the Philadelphia Flyers, before a crowd of 17,942 at Xfinity Mobile Arena. The Isles are 15-9-2 in their last 26 games and increased their lead over the Flyers and Capitals to four points.
The Skinny: Sabres 5, Islanders 0
Game 51 Buffalo 5, Isles 0 Jason Zucker scored goals in the opening minute of both the second and third period, and Alex Lyon made 27 saves for his sixth career shutout as the Buffalo Sabres blanked the Isles, 5-0, before a sellout crowd of 17,255 at UBS Arena. It was the first shutout defeat for the Isles this season; they won a shootout following a scoreless game with Seattle in November.
The Skinny: Kraken 4, Islanders 1
Game 50 Seattle 4, Isles 1 Let's Go Home! The seven-game, three time zone, two country road trip ended with a 4-1 loss to the Seattle Kraken before a crowd of 17,151 at Climate Pledge Arena. Anthony Duclair scored an early power play goal but that was all the Isles good muster against Philip Grubauer; Vince Dunn scored the winning goal and added an assist for the Kraken.
The Skinny: Islanders 4, Canucks 3
Game 49 Isles 4, Vancouver 3 Anthony Duclair scored twice, and Ilya Sorokin made 29 saves, as the Isles overcame 1-0 and 2-1 deficits for a 4-3 victory over the Vancouver Canucks, before a crowd of 18,503 at Rogers Arena. Tony DeAngelo's goal midway through the third period turned out to be the game winner.
The Skinny: Flames 4, Islanders 2
Game 48 Calgary 4, Isles 2 Dustin Wolf made 29 saves, and the Calgary Flames had four different goal scorers as they built a 4-0 lead and defeated the Isles 4-2, before a crowd of 17,358 at Scotiabank Saddledome. Trailing 4-1, the Isles played most of the last eight minutes with a sixth attacker but managed only one goal – the milestone 300th career goal for Captain Anders Lee.
The Skinny: Islanders 1, Oilers 0
Game 47 Isles 1, Edmonton 0 Ilya Sorokin made 35 saves for his NHL-leading 5th shutout, and Anthony Duclair converted the only Islander power play for the only goal of the game as the Isles completed a season sweep of the Edmonton Oilers and earned only their 5th win in Northern Alberta in the last four decades with a 1-0 victory before a crowd of 18,144 at Rogers Place. The shutout stopped Connor McDavid's point streak at an NHL-leading, and career-long 20 games.
The Skinny: Jets 5, Islanders 4
Game 45 Winnipeg 5, Isles 4 After the Isles erased a 3-0 deficit with three goals in a 2:41 span, Dylan DeMelo scored the go-ahead goal and Adam Lowry added the eventual game-winner, both in the second period at the Winnipeg Jets defeated the Islanders 5-4, before a crowd of 14,114 at Canada Life Centre. Anthony Duclair, Emil Heineman (on a penalty shot) and Kyle Mac Lean scored in that 2:41 span for the Isles; their other goal was scored by Matthew Schaefer, with a sixth attacker.
The Skinny: Islanders 4, Wild 3 OT
Game 45 Isles 4, Minnesota 3 (OT) In a game the Islanders trailed three separate times and never led, Simon Holmstrom scored 1:34 into overtime and Ilya Sorokin made 33 saves as the Isles defeated the Minnesota Wild, 4-3, before a sellout crowd of 19,036 at Grand Casino Arena. Holmstrom's goal capped a three-point game; Quinn Hughes assisted on all three goals for the Wild. Kirill Kaprizov reached the 25-goal mark for the sixth straight season.
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