The Islanders aimed to kick off their game with a strong performance. They were focused on not only taking the lead but also maintaining it, hoping to avoid the common pitfall of falling behind early—something they had done in seven out of their first eight games following the Olympic break.
On Saturday night, they achieved just that, scoring three goals in the first period and securing a 3-2 victory over the Flames at UBS Arena. Now they face the challenge of carrying this momentum into their game in Toronto on Tuesday. But at least they’ve shown they can excel early on.
“The first period was really good,” said coach Patrick Roy. “I felt a good jump. I was pretty satisfied with how things went. We focused on starting strong, and we got exactly that.”
But playing with a lead brought its own challenges, especially as Calgary started to claw their way back in the third period. After Devin Cooley netted the first three goals, Calgary’s backup, Dustin Wolfe, put on an impressive display, giving the Flames a glimmer of hope.
Things took a turn just over two minutes into the third when Mikael Backlund scored, closing the gap to 3-1. Almost immediately, Wolfe made a brilliant save off Cal Ritchie and then followed up with another fantastic stop after a rebound, keeping the Flames in the contest despite a late goal from Matthew Schaefer in the second.
Then, at 8:28, Blake Coleman capitalized on a poorly timed change to narrow the score to 3-2. The Flames kept pushing forward, and while the Islanders ultimately held onto their lead, it was difficult to argue that they played a complete 60 minutes. David Ritchie’s final save of the night, stopping Zayn Parekh’s shot with just 17 seconds remaining, was crucial to prevent a further comeback.
“It’s a mix of everything,” Brayden Shen noted. “We’re on a winning streak and feeling fresh, but we need to manage the puck better. At times, we left it on the goal line too much and allowed them to come at us in waves. That’s something we’ll need to improve.”
Despite this critique, there was plenty to appreciate from Saturday’s game. Simon Holmstrom demonstrated his ability to influence the game even without Jean-Gabriel Pageau, who usually plays a pivotal role. Coach Roy opted to shake things up by changing the third line, which often features Anders Lee, and placed Holmstrom alongside Schenn, bringing back Anthony Duclair for the second line.
This shift allowed Ritchie to join Lee and Papaw on the third line, and Ondrej Palat teamed up with Casey Cizikas and Kyle MacLean. Despite the usual chemistry between Holmstrom and Pageau, Schenn proved to be a similar asset, setting up Holmstrom for a crucial goal early on, giving the Islanders a strong 2-0 lead.
Holmstrom found the net again shortly after, following a rush initiated by Pageau after a turnover by Egor Sharangovich, capitalizing on a shorthanded opportunity.
“We definitely had four solid lines going,” Holmstrom said. “Playing with Schenn allowed us to find our rhythm in defense, and that made a difference.”
Though the late goals from Calgary dimmed what had been a strong opening period for the Islanders, the changes in lineup seemed effective.
At 10:06, Zikas scored a goal from in front of the net, reinforcing their lead. All four lines were actively involved, including the trio of Emil Heineman, Bo Horvath, and Mathieu Barzal, who had both scored in the previous match and stayed intact.
“Casey’s lines really lifted our spirits,” Holmstrom expressed, a sentiment shared by the rest of the team.
This victory positioned the Islanders securely in the Metropolitan Division, though their final standing would hinge on the Penguins’ game against Utah in Salt Lake City.
If the Islanders had performed better, keeping an eye on the scoreboard would certainly have been less nerve-wracking. Fortunately, their strong start helped alleviate some of that pressure.
