On nights like this, when Matthew Schaefer is thriving, the energy of the crowd is palpable, and the power play is finally clicking, the team’s vision comes into focus. It’s all about that potential and excitement.
Throughout training camp, the Islanders have sometimes seemed like a team still gearing up. It’s tough to say whether they are getting there or what the timeline looks like. After only two games, and one exhilarating home opener, making any firm judgments feels a bit premature.
The impressive 6-0 victory over the Devils in front of a sold-out crowd did highlight the team’s promise, even if the larger picture remains a bit hazy. Everyone’s aware of the potential, of course, but there’s a noticeable difference between declaring it during preseason and actually witnessing it unfold in the regular season.
But, let’s park that question for now and concentrate on Saturday’s performance.
After experimenting with line combinations, Coach Pete DeBoer seems to have stumbled upon something effective. The trio of Simon Holmstrom, JG Pageau, and Anthony Duclair clicked seamlessly. Emil Heineman paired well with Bo Horvat and Kyle Palmieri, while Ondrej Palat quietly excelled on a rejuvenated fourth line. Even Victor Eklund appeared right at home in the top six.
In fact, the Swedish rookie was one step away from completing a Gordie Howe hat trick—scoring his first NHL goal on his 20th birthday and even throwing in a fight to boot. His goal at 11:32 in the third period made it 4-0, and before the crowd could fully start chanting Eklund’s name, Palat had pushed the score to five. A shorthanded goal from Casey Cizikas wrapped up the evening, increasing the margin to six.
The Islanders were able to match the speed and physicality of the Devils, a team expected to contend for the Metropolitan Division title. They aggressively attacked the net, which exploited a shaky performance from goalie Nico Daws.
Schaefer, who received a huge ovation during introductions, made an immediate impact by assisting on two out of three goals in the second period, showcasing his remarkable hand-eye coordination. He managed to keep the puck in play with a deft swat and delivered a cross-ice pass to Bo Horvat, who capitalized and netted his 100th goal with the Islanders, along with his 200th point with the team. It was also the first power-play goal of the season, something the team desperately needed following a lackluster performance previously.
Before that, Eklund recorded his first assist of the season by picking up Schaefer’s rebound and setting up Brayden Schenn just behind the net.
This multiplied a lead that Holmstrom initiated at 3:32 in the second period, completing a rush with Pageau to net the inaugural goal for the season at UBS.
The Devils couldn’t exactly claim to have been thoroughly outplayed. The game had its back-and-forth moments, with both teams generating plenty of dangerous chances, and the expected goals tally was nearly even for much of the match. Ilya Sorokin, with a 37-save shutout performance, was indeed a critical factor, particularly on penalty kills, but the Islanders supported him well throughout.
The defensive pairs appeared much more synchronized than in the opener, though they still have room for improvement. For Alexander Romanov and Ryan Pulock, in particular, this was arguably their strongest outing of the preseason and regular season thus far.
The same can be said for the Islanders as a whole, and it’s hard to imagine a more fitting night for it.
