#new-york-islanders

#new-york-islanders

I thought we played a really good game from start to finish, except for those two turnovers,

"When we say week to week, it's because it's longer than day to day," Darche explained. "But it's not month to month, either. I would suspect two to three weeks at the most. There's no surgery needed. There's no anything. It's just healing an old injury."

Selected in the fourth round (115th overall), Gamzin has taken the reins as starting netminder for CSKA Moskva in the KHL. The 22-year-old backstop took over the role from former NHLer Spencer Martin, who recently left CSKA after losing the starting job, signing with the NY Rangers, and is currently playing for the Hartford Wolf Pack. Despite playing in a low-scoring league, Gamzin's numbers have been phenomenal.

The New York Islanders have done something they haven't done in over a calendar year: Win a game in a shootout. Facing a second straight loss after Freddy Gaudreau of the Seattle Kraken snuck the opener past Islanders netminder David Rittich, the red-hot Bo Horvat converted what would have been his side's final chance with a quick wrister that beat netminder Joey Daccord. Kyle Palmieri snapped the winner in the next round, lifting the Islanders to a 1-0 victory on Sunday night at UBS Arena.

Lou Lamoriello may be retired from running hockey teams, but he is far from gone from the New York Islanders. In fact, the legendary executive remains part of the franchise's fabric, quietly working behind the scenes as an advisor to majority owner Scott Malkin. And if you were expecting bitterness or second-guessing after he was let go as GM in April, you won't find a trace of it.

If the New York Islanders' season ends up being defined by one thing, it might not be a power play, a defensive lapse, or even a trade deadline move. It could come down to the shootout. That is not an exaggeration; it is a trend that is shaping the Isles' season in real time. The numbers tell the story. The Isles have lost five straight shootouts, nine of their last eleven, and 22 of their last 28 overall.

It just wasn't the New York Islanders' night. Playing their final home game before a seven game road trip, the Isles fell 5-2 to the Minnesota Wild on Friday at UBS Arena, closing their homestand at 1-1-1. Emil Heineman and JG Pageau found the back of the net, but sloppy play, turnovers, and missed chances plagued the Isles from start to finish. Minnesota, on the second night of a back to back, looked fresher, faster, and sharper in every zone.

"I think we're doing a lot of good things," Mayfield said after Thursday's practice. "It starts with our goaltending and just making those little plays, coming out of the zone as a group of five. On the forecheck, we're getting in there and trying to create chances."

The New York Islanders may not be surefire contenders yet, but they're a fun team to watch with a growing number of good young players raring to take them up a notch. They would be even better off in 2025-26 if they acquired a few more players to play integral roles in their lineup, who would either help them win now or in the near future.

Bad breakfast puns aside, the Islanders' first-year general manager has shown in his relatively short yet eventful time on the job that he does not shy away from the hard choices, right or wrong (and it's been a lot more right). It's a trait 100% necessary for a good GM. From coaching decisions to trades to loosening the belt on predecessor Lou Lamoriello's buttoned-down culture, Darche quickly has reshaped the organization into one reflecting his vision.

The two games affected include the Maple Leafs' game vs the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday, December 4, which was supposed to start at 7:30 pm EST and will now be starting at 7:00 pm EST. This is game #431 of the NHL season and it will be the second meeting between the Maple Leafs and Hurricanes of the season, with Toronto hosting Carolina on Sunday, November 9. The Hurricanes are currently 6-2-0 and were the last undefeated team in the league after starting the season 5-0-0.

In New York, Boqvist has been, at best, a seventh defenseman, and he didn't play that role well when he first came to Long Island in 2024-25, when the Isles picked him up off waivers. Boqvist has, however, enjoyed a better start in 2025-26, which could lead a team looking to take a chance on a young defenseman willing to snag a flier and get him off the Islanders' hands.

The New York Islanders could be entering panic territory as the season approaches the end of October. The Isles got out to a 2-0 lead after 20 minutes against the Boston Bruins on Tuesday night. But then, the wheels gradually came off. The Bruins scored three in the second to take a 3-2 lead into the second intermission. By the final buzzer, it was 5-2.