Browsing: Islanders

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  Victoria MatiashOct 31, 2025, 02:00 PM ET

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  Victoria Matiash is a contributing writer for fantasy hockey and betting at ESPN. Victoria has been a part of the fantasy team since 2010.

After assembling a quality fantasy squad, the most effective way to get a leg up on your competition is to maximize every player’s opportunity to contribute. They can’t score from the bench, right? By hacking the schedule — sussing out which teams are more active when most others are not — you can seize more flexibility in boosting your lineup’s potential each night. The greater number of players in action on every occasion, the greater potential for positive fantasy returns. A tangible benefit, especially in tight head-to-head competition, where each point can mean the difference between weekly victory and defeat.

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Setting the benchmark at six games — when another 20 teams, at minimum, are idle — several teams are worth recognizing when deciding which available players to pick up or stream, all else being equal, on so-called slower nights from Nov. 1 to Nov. 30. The Chicago Blackhawks and New York Islanders lead the way in competing on seven occasions when most of the rest of the league is off, while a small handful of others do so on six dates. Any manager who has won their week in head-to-head play by the slimmest margin can tell you even the most minor advantage can make all the difference.

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Coach Patrick Roy: “Barzy’s not happy; he doesn’t feel good about it. He respects the decision, he understands it. He was really good about it.”

If anything, being banished to the press box Thursday as punishment for showing up late to the rink should provide Mathew Barzal with extra incentive to make amends. Especially since his Islanders ended up on the wrong end of a 6-2 decision in Carolina. Rostered in only 56% of ESPN Fantasy leagues, the 28-year-old center has two goals and five assists in his past six games and looks his usual fit self, despite load management rumors. A point/game player when healthy, and prone to block shots more than your average forward, Barzal merits rostering in all but the shallowest of leagues.

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Perennially underrated as a fantasy performer, Kyle Palmieri consistently goes about his business of shooting on net and putting up points at a pleasantly systematic clip, when he’s in a productive groove. Which the veteran is at present. Managers who’ve lost a skater or two to injury should consider subbing in the largely available winger — a fixture on the Islanders top power play — for the next month or so. Only Bo Horvat has more shots on net this season.

In leagues that reward tougher defensive play, Alexander Romanov sports underrated, reliable value. The Islanders blueliner blocks shots and tosses his body around enough to serve as a reliable contributor most outings. A shot here and there, plus the odd point, only further bolsters what the 25-year-old brings to the fantasy table on a nightly basis. After losing a few games to an upper-body injury, Romanov returned to full action Thursday in Carolina. He remains available in almost 77% of leagues.

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Before getting rocked by the Winnipeg Jets on Thursday, Spencer Knight was enjoying a nice little run, stringing together a 4-0-1 record, .939 SV%, and 1.76 GAA through five starts. While there will be ugly nights — the Blackhawks are still very much in rebuild mode — their newly entrenched No. 1 netminder is performing well enough to win his reasonable share. Keen fantasy managers might consider rolling out Knight when matchups don’t appear altogether lopsided. Like next week, when Chicago faces the Seattle Kraken, Vancouver Canucks, Calgary Flames, and Detroit Red Wings on staggered nights Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday. Check on his obtainability in your league.

Up front, Frank Nazar is serving as a fantasy gem, with five goals and six assists thus far. The gifted rookie won’t be available in almost 30% of ESPN Fantasy leagues for long. As for dark horses, I’m developing a growing interest in Andre Burakovsky. Still developing chemistry with center Connor Bedard, the new Blackhawk has a goal and two assists in his last pair of games. There’s burgeoning promise here, particularly for managers in deeper leagues. If nothing else, stream him next week, when Chicago plays on every lightly scheduled night, then take it from there. One of your streakier sorts, forward Teuvo Teravainen is another hit-or-miss candidate who could prove valuable in the coming days after scoring in Winnipeg on Thursday.

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Four other teams compete on six so-considered slower days: Flames, Carolina Hurricanes, Edmonton Oilers, and Canucks. In Calgary, I like Morgan Frost as a barely-rostered sleeper on a top line and power play with Nazem Kadri and Jonathan Huberdeau. The 26-year-old is riding a five-game point streak with a goal and four assists.

• Hurricanes forward Andrei Svechnikov appears to be pulling out of his early-season mega funk, hitting the net in each of his last two games. The former 30-goal scorer deserves monitoring at minimum. Carolina netminder Brandon Bussi is competing often enough to serve as a valuable streamer, boasting a 3-1 record, with a .919 SV% and 2.25 GAA. With four contests on next week’s slate, the NHL newbie could start twice in place of No. 1 Frederik Andersen.

• And don’t forget, Zach Hyman is due to make his season debut soon for the Oilers, perhaps even as soon as late next week. Recovering from a wrist injury, the winger is available in more than half of ESPN Fantasy leagues. That won’t be the case much longer.

• At the opposing end of the busy-night spectrum, the Montreal Canadiens and Ottawa Senators play only once when most of the rest of the league is off.

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  Greg WyshynskiOct 30, 2025, 02:31 PM ET

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  Greg Wyshynski is ESPN’s senior NHL writer.

New York Islanders star Mathew Barzal will not play at the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday night for disciplinary reasons, coach Patrick Roy announced.

Roy said Barzal was late to the rink in Raleigh, North Carolina, on Thursday morning. He said the center will be back in the lineup for Friday night’s game at the Washington Capitals.

“That’s the culture of our team. We made the decision to not play him tonight,” Roy said. “Barzy doesn’t feel good about it, but you respect the decision. He understands it. He was really good about it.”

Barzal had been slotted to play with wingers Anthony Duclair and Kyle Palmieri. Rookie forward Cal Ritchie, acquired from the Colorado Avalanche last season in a trade for Brock Nelson, is expected to make his Islanders debut with Barzal out.

Roy told Barzal that he had been disciplined for the same issue while playing for the Avalanche during his Hall of Fame NHL career.

“It’s not a big deal here. It happens. We know that,” Roy said. “No one here is mad at Barzy. It’s just the culture we put in place. We’re a team. We stick together. Compassion is a very important thing.”

Barzal, 28, is in the third season of an eight-year, $73.2 million contract extension he signed in 2022. He has two goals and six assists in nine games this season and 470 points in 539 career games over 10 seasons with the Islanders, who drafted him 16th overall in 2015.

The Islanders are off to a 4-4-1 start under Roy, who is in his third season as their coach.

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NEW YORK — Emil Heineman scored twice, while Tony DeAngelo, Mathew Barzal and Simon Holmstrom each had a goal and an assist as the New York Islanders topped the Detroit Red Wings 7-2 on Thursday night.

Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Kyle Palmieri also scored for the Islanders, who have won four in a row after losing their first three to open the season. Anders Lee added three assists and David Rittich made 29 saves.

Dylan Larkin and Jonatan Berggren scored for Detroit, and Cam Talbot finished with 23 saves as the Red Wings dropped their second straight.

DeAngelo scored at 2:05 of the first period when Lee found the defenseman jumping into the play on an odd-man rush to give New York a 1-0 lead.

Heineman extended his point streak to a career-high five games when he buried a feed from Bo Horvat on a two-on-one at 14:56 of the second period.

Barzal capped a three-goal second period for the Islanders with a tally in the final minute to make it 5-0.

BLACKHAWKS 3, LIGHTNING 2

TAMPA, Fla. — Ryan Donato scored two more goals to help Chicago beat slumping Tampa Bay.

Frank Nazar had a goal and an assist as Chicago won for the fourth time in five games. Teuvo Teravainen had two assists, and Spencer Knight made 29 saves.

Donato has five goals during a four-game scoring streak. The veteran forward scored a career-high 31 goals last season.

Ryan McDonagh had a goal and an assist for Tampa Bay in its fourth consecutive loss. Jake Guentzel also scored, and Nikita Kucherov had two assists.

NEW YORK — Macklin Celebrini had his second career hat trick and set up Will Smithâ€s goal in overtime as part of a five-point game, and San Jose picked up its first win of the season by beating New York.

Celebrini scored in the first period, then twice in the second to become the 15th player in NHL history with multiple hat tricks before turning 20. In the third, he had the secondary assist on Will Smithâ€s goal that came a second after a lengthy 5-on-3 power play expired.

Smith scored 1:38 into 3-on-3 OT off a pass from Celebrini, who was stopped by Igor Shesterkin on a chance just before.

San Jose entered 0-4-2 after opening with at least five losses in a row for a fourth consecutive season. The Sharks are in the midst of a lengthy rebuilding process and are counting on Celebrini, Smith and 2025 No. 2 pick Michael Misa, also in the lineup, to lead the turnaround.

Despite Taylor Raddysh also scoring three goals for his second hat trick in the league, the Rangers have lost five in a row at home to start for the first time since 1943-44. They got five goals after scoring just once in their first four games at Madison Square Garden combined, with Mika Zibanejad and Juuso Parssinen also each getting one.

OTTAWA, Ontario — Linus Ullmark made 22 saves after allowing a goal on Philadelphiaâ€s first shot and Ottawa rallied for the win.

Tyson Foerster beat Ullmark 29 seconds for Philadelphia only goal. Late in the game, Ullmark stopped Travis Konecnyâ€s slap shot.

Michael Amadio tied it midway through the first, and Ottawa took the lead early in the second on Olle Lycksellâ€s first goal with the Senators.

Lycksell was drafted 168th overall by the Flyers in 2017. He played 45 games for Philadelphia before signing with the Senators this summer.

Dan Vladar made 31 saves for Philadelphia.

BOSTON — Troy Terry snapped a tie in the third period, and Anaheim held off Boston for a victory.

Mikael Granlund had two goals and three assists for Anaheim in its second straight win. Terry and Jacob Trouba each had a goal and an assist, and Nikita Nesterenko had four assists.

Boston dropped its sixth straight game after opening Marco Sturmâ€s coaching tenure with three wins in a row.

Morgan Geekie scored twice for the Bruins, and David Pastrnak had a goal and an assist. Charlie McAvoy had two assists.

The Ducks opened a 5-3 lead on Sam Colangeloâ€s first goal of the season 7:49 into the third. But Pastrnak and Geekie scored 25 seconds apart, tying it at 5.

But Terry put Anaheim in front again at 15:27. It was his second of the season.

Granlund tacked on an empty-netter with 2:08 remaining. The forward also had a power-play goal that snapped a 3-3 tie early in the third.

Drew Helleson and Cutter Gauthier also scored for the Ducks in the third game of a five-game road trip. Petr Mrazek made 36 saves.

Casey Mittelstadt and Mason Lohrei scored for Boston. Henri Jokiharju reached 100 career points with an assist on Lohreiâ€s first goal of the season.

SUNRISE, Fla. — Sidney Crosby had two goals and an assist for his fourth multipoint game of the season, Erik Karlsson and Evgeni Malkin each added two assists and Pittsburgh topped Florida for its fourth consecutive win.

Crosby now has five goals in a four-game goal-scoring streak, his longest since a four-game stretch late in the 2021-22 season. Ben Kindel, Rickard Rakell and Connor Dewar also had goals for the Penguins, who improved to 6-2-0 and are off to their best start since 2019-20.

Brad Marchand had two goals and Sam Reinhart also scored for Florida, which got two-assist nights from Seth Jones and Mackie Samoskevich.

It was the first time that Crosby and Marchand both had two or more goals in the same game. Crosby is now two points away from joining Detroitâ€s Gordie Howe and Steve Yzerman, along with fellow Penguins legend Mario Lemieux, as the only players with at least 1,700 career points for one franchise.

Both of Crosbyâ€s goals were on the power play. It was his first two power-play goal game since Oct. 13, 2023 and the 11th such regular-season game of his career; the Penguins are 11-0-0 in those contests.

Tristan Jarry made 34 saves for Pittsburgh. Sergei Bobrovsky gave up five goals on just 16 shots in the Florida net.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Cole Smith scored at 5:09 of the third period to lead Nashville to a victory over Vancouver.

Ryan Oâ€Reilly also scored and Juuse Saros made 21 saves for the Predators, who snapped a four-game losing streak.

Max Sasson scored and Thatcher Demko made 33 saves for Vancouver, losers of two straight.

Standing in front of the Vancouver net, Smith tipped Justin Barronâ€s shot from the left point through Demko and just across the goal line for his second of the season.

Saros made his best save of the game with three seconds remaining in the game on a one-timer from Brock Boeser from the low slot and Demko pulled for an extra attacker. He also denied former Predator Kiefer Sherwood on a short-handed breakaway at 2:57 of the second.

Oâ€Reilly scored the gameâ€s first goal at 9:01 of the second.

With the Predators short-handed, Oâ€Reilly skated into the Vancouver zone on the left side and beat Demko with a wrist shot to the far side from the faceoff circle for his team-leading third goal of the season.

Oâ€Reilly has points in three straight games.

Nashvilleâ€s 35 shots on goal were a season high and the 21 shots on goal allowed were also a season best.

ST. LOUIS — Logan Cooley had a natural hat trick and added an assist — in the first period — in Utahâ€s victory over St. Louis.

Cooley had his first career four-point game and second NHL hat trick to help Utah run its winning streak five.

Clayton Keller scored twice, including an empty-netter, and had an assist. Nick Schmaltz had a goal and an assist and Ian Cole also scored for the Mammoth. Karel Vejmelka made 16 saves and Dylan Guenther and JJ Peterka each had three assists.

Pius Suter, Pavel Buchnevich, Nathan Walker and Philip Broberg scored for the Blues. Jordan Binnington made 15 saves, coming in after Joel Hofer was pulled midway through the first after allowing three goals on the first six shots he faced.

St. Louis lost for the fourth time in its first five home games and has been outscored 22-11 at Enterprise Center this season.

Utah scored four times in the gameâ€s first 10:55.

WINNIPEG, Manitoba — Joey Daccord made 32 saves and Seattle beat Winnipeg for its only regulation victory on a six-game trip.

The Kraken ended the Jets†winning streak at five. Seattle had an overtime victory at Toronto along with two regulation losses and two extra-time losses on the trip.

Jaden Schwartz scored twice — the second into an empty net — and joined Daccord in assisting on Jordan Eberleâ€s empty-netter.

Schwartz opened the scoring at 2:28 of the second period off a rebound.

Connor Hellebuyck made 25 saves for Winnipeg.

EDMONTON, Alberta — Vasily Podkolzin beat goalie Sam Montembeault with a backhander with 1:09 left and Edmonton overcame a late two-goal deficit to edge Montreal.

Podkolzin scored for the first time this season. Leon Draisaitl and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins had power-play goals in a 58-second span midway through the third period to tie it.

David Tomasek, Adam Henrique and Andrew Mangiapane also scored for Edmonton. Calvin Pickard made 22 saves.

Alex Newhook and Cole Caufield each scored twice for Montreal, with the Canadians coming off a 2-1 overtime victory in Calgary on Wednesday night.

Josh Anderson also scored for Montreal. Montembeault stopped 23 shots.

DALLAS — Adrian Kempe scored 37 seconds into overtime and Los Angeles beat Dallas, handing the slumping Stars their fourth consecutive loss.

Darcy Kuemper made 29 saves, and former Stars Corey Perry and Cody Ceci also scored as the Kings won in regulation for the first time this season.

Wyatt Johnston and Jason Robertson scored power-play goals for the Stars, and Johnston also had an assist. Jake Oettinger stopped 22 shots.

Kempe scored from the slot on a pass from Quinton Byfield on the Kings†only rush of overtime. It was Byfieldâ€s second assist of the game.

HURRICANES 5, AVALANCHE 4

DENVER — Seth Jarvis had a short-handed goal and led off the shootout with the only goal in the tiebreaker, helping Carolina beat Colorado.

The old World Hockey Association rivals wore throwback uniforms, with the Avalanche dressed as the Quebec Nordiques, and the Hurricanes the Hartford Whalers.

Frederik Andersen made 44 saves for Carolina, which was playing the fifth game of a six-game trip. Eric Robinson, Sebastian Aho and Logan Stankoven also scored as the Hurricanes built a 4-1 lead.

Valeri Nichushkin scored twice for Colorado, tying it at 4 on a power play with 5:11 left regulation. Parker Kelly and Martin Necas also scored.

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Oct 22, 2025, 03:01 PM ET

EAST MEADOW, N.Y. — The New York Islanders fired goaltending coach Piero Greco, making the change at an unorthodox time just six games into his seventh season with the team and after winning three in a row.

General manager Mathieu Darche announced the abrupt decision Wednesday to part ways with Greco and promote Sergei Naumovs from Bridgeport of the American Hockey League. Naumovs, who is Latvian, has been in Bridgeport since May 2024 but has an extensive history coaching franchise goalie Ilya Sorokin going back to their time together with CSKA Moscow in the KHL from 2018-20.

Sorokin’s 3.90 goals-against average is second-worst and his .873 save percentage ranks fourth-worst in the NHL among netminders who have appeared in at least four games.

“Piero has done a great job for the organization for the last seven years,” Darche said. “We just felt at this time it was the right timing to have a reset with our goalies.”

Darche said he did not seek input from Sorokin, who is in the second year of a $66 million contract that runs through 2032.

“It’s my decision — it’s not on the player,” Darche said. “I know he’s had success with Sergei, and that’s where we went. It’s 100% my decision, and the goalie had nothing to do with it.”

In other Islanders news, injured forward Pierre Engvall had ankle surgery and is expected to miss the entire season, or roughly five to six months, according to Darche, who said goaltender Semyon Varlamov continues to progress toward a return from knee surgery.

With some other players banged up and salary cap space at a premium, the Islanders put forward Marc Gatcomb on waivers. The 26-year-old had only dressed in one game so far this season.

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The New York Islanders got an early contender for win of the year on Saturday, defeating the Ottawa Senators late in a matinee contest. New York came from behind three times in the victory, with Anders Lee scoring the game-winner with just over a minute to play in regulation.

However, not to be lost in the effort was a timely performance by Ilya Sorokin. While he wasn’t at his sharpest, allowing four goals on 33 Ottawa shots, he made several big saves late, including a penalty shot save on Shane Pinto, to give his team a chance to rally late.

Sorokin stops Pinto’s penalty shot pic.twitter.com/bFmf3deV37

— TSN (@TSN_Sports) October 18, 2025

His stop on Pinto continued his success on penalty shots in his career. Per MSG Network’s Eric Hornick, Sorokin is a perfect four-for-four on such opportunities. His stops came against Michael Bunting and the Toronto Maple Leafs in Jan. 2023, Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins April 2024, Jason Zucker and the Buffalo Sabres in Nov. 2024. Two of those three stops have led to Islanders wins.

While both sides can be heard of Sorokin’s struggles to open the campaign and the Islanders’ struggles structurally, the goaltender made the big saves when needed to give them a chance to pull off the comeback.

The Islanders return to action against the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday at UBS Arena, puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.

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NEW YORK (AP) — Bo Horvat tied it short-handed in the second period, scored the go-ahead goal on the power play and finished off the hat trick with an empty-netter with 8.1 seconds left to help the New York Islanders pick up their first win of the season by rallying to defeat the Edmonton Oilers 4-2 on Thursday night.

Seven seconds after Trent Frederic high-sticked Matthew Schaefer,Horvat beat Stuart Skinnerwith 4:46 left to bring fans — some of whom were booing the home team earlier — to their feet. Mat Barzalhad the Islanders’ first goal and the primary assist on Horvat’s game-winner, while David Rittich stopped 30 of the 32 shots he faced at the other end of the ice in his Islanders debut.

Oilers defenseman Evan Bouchard gave the puck away on an inexplicable turnover in the neutral zone to set up Barzal’s goal and was the last player back on the power play who let Horvat past him for a breakaway on Skinner. Bouchard, who is the fourth-highest-paid player at his position in the NHL and tied for 14th among all players at a salary cap hit of $10.5 million, also coughed the puck up to cause several quality scoring chances against.

Leon Draisaitl scored on the power play, his third goal this season, off a feed from Connor McDavid, and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins had Edmonton’s other goal. Skinner was hardly to blame in allowing three goals on 24 shots as teammates hung him out to dry on multiple occasions with mistakes all over in a back-and-forth, fast-paced game, including Frederic’s ill-timed penalty.

The Islanders will take the two points however they can get them after opening with losses at Pittsburgh and at home to Washington and Winnipeg. Schaefer, playing against McDavid for the first time as No. 1 draft picks a decade apart, skated 17:38 in his fourth game in the league.

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Oilers: Visit the New Jersey Devils on Saturday.

Islanders: Visit the Ottawa Senators on Saturday.

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NEW YORK — Bo Horvat tied it short-handed in the second period, scored the go-ahead goal on the power play and finished off the hat trick with an empty-netter with 8.1 seconds left to help the New York Islanders pick up their first win of the season by rallying to defeat the Edmonton Oilers 4-2 on Thursday night.

Seven seconds after Trent Frederic high-sticked Matthew Schaefer, Horvat beat Stuart Skinner with 4:46 left to bring fans — some of whom were booing the home team earlier — to their feet. Mat Barzal had the Islanders’ first goal and the primary assist on Horvat’s game-winner, while David Rittich stopped 30 of the 32 shots he faced at the other end of the ice in his Islanders debut.

Oilers defenseman Evan Bouchard gave the puck away on an inexplicable turnover in the neutral zone to set up Barzal’s goal and was the last player back on the power play who let Horvat past him for a breakaway on Skinner. Bouchard, who is the fourth-highest-paid player at his position in the NHL and tied for 14th among all players at a salary cap hit of $10.5 million, also coughed the puck up to cause several quality scoring chances against.

Leon Draisaitl scored on the power play, his third goal this season, off a feed from Connor McDavid, and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins had Edmonton’s other goal. Skinner was hardly to blame in allowing three goals on 24 shots as teammates hung him out to dry on multiple occasions with mistakes all over in a back-and-forth, fast-paced game, including Frederic’s ill-timed penalty.

The Islanders will take the two points however they can get them after opening with losses at Pittsburgh and at home to Washington and Winnipeg. Schaefer, playing against McDavid for the first time as No. 1 draft picks a decade apart, skated 17:38 in his fourth game in the league.

Oilers: Visit the New Jersey Devils on Saturday.

Islanders: Visit the Ottawa Senators on Saturday.

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Oct 12, 2025, 12:17 AM ET

NEW YORK — Matthew Schaefer won’t soon forget his first NHL goal. The 18-year-old defenseman and top overall pick in this year’s NHL Draft dove headfirst into the moment, literally.

Schaefer found a loose puck after a scramble in front of the net and lunged forward, poking it past Washington Capitals goalie Logan Thompson at 4:28 of the third period in the Islanders’ 4-2 loss Saturday night.

“It’s crazy, I love these fans,” Schaefer said of the reaction inside UBS Arena during New York’s home opener. “Getting your name chanted out there. It’s awesome, feels like home for sure. … We want to win for the fans and we want to be there every night for them. They come out every night for us.

“We wish we could have gotten the win for them and for the team in here. We are going to keep working, keep working toward that.”

The goal cut Washington’s lead to two, but the Islanders couldn’t rally while falling to 0-2 on the season.

Still, it was a milestone for the rookie, who made the team out of training camp just months after hearing his name called first in Los Angeles at the draft.

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“He kind of took the game over to be honest with you,” Islanders forward Bo Horvat said. “He was our best player tonight. He was moving, he was obviously contributing. He is just so effective out there. He is just getting more and more comfortable every single game. He is a special player, we are lucky to have him.”

Schaefer’s play has already earned the coaching staff’s full trust. After getting an assist for his first NHL point while logging 17:15 of ice time in the Islanders’ 4-3 season-opening loss at Pittsburgh on Thursday, he had a game-high 26:04 of ice time in this one. That was more than four minutes ahead of Mathew Barzal’s 21:28.

“I’m not balancing anything right now with the way he’s playing,” Islanders coach Patrick Roy said of Schaefer’s workload. “He forced me to play him — he forced us to play him — so we’re going to give it to him.”

Few players have entered the draft with less recent game experience. Schaefer played just 17 games for Erie of the Ontario Hockey League in 2024-25, missing time with mononucleosis and later a broken clavicle sustained while representing Canada at the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship. He still managed 22 points (seven goals, 15 assists) and a plus-21 rating.

The Ontario native also captained Canada to gold medals at the 2024 Under-17 World Hockey Challenge and the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup.

Now, just 18 and already on NHL ice, his first goal offered a glimpse of why the Islanders are looking for big things from the youngster for years to come.

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The Jets look to build on Saturday’s victory in tough matchup against Islanders on Canadian Thanksgiving, while preparing to counter the impact of rookie defenseman Matthew Schaefer.

The Winnipeg Jets look to build on their first victory of the season as they visit the New York Islanders for an afternoon matinee matchup at UBS Arena on Canadian Thanksgiving. Winnipeg held off a late push from Los Angeles in Saturdayâ€s 4–2 win, powered by a perfect performance on the penalty kill and a strong defensive stand in the final minutes.

Scheifele Scores Twice as Jets Take Down Kings 3-2
The Winnipeg Jets are back in the win column.

The Jets†penalty kill has been the standout story of their first week. Winnipeg opened the season in impressive fashion, scoring two shorthanded goals against Dallas, then following it up with a flawless 5-for-5 effort on the kill versus Los Angeles.

Offensively, center Mark Scheifele has been the driving force, notching two goals on Saturday and adding three assists for a total of five points in the teamâ€s first two games. His linemate Kyle Connor, fresh off signing the largest contract in franchise history, made an immediate impact with a hat trick in the season opener and an assist on one of Scheifeleâ€s goals against the Kings. With several key players still sidelined by injuries, the Scheifele–Connor duo will aim to carry the load once again as Winnipeg faces an Islanders team showcasing a new wave of emerging talent.

Lineup Storylines

The Islanders dropped their home opener 4–2 to Washington on Saturday, despite outshooting the Capitals 20–6 in the third period. The biggest headline out of the game was 2025 top pick defenseman Matthew Schaefer, scored his first career goal in the loss. Not something normal for a defenseman, but the Hamilton native has proven to be a difference maker in early action with several stunning defensive efforts like multiple chasedown stops on breakaways.

The Jets will need to sharpen their focus on figuring out how to break through the 18-year-old sensation, as thereâ€s limited footage or scouting information on his game. The rookie has already led his team in ice time through the first two contests and will look to add to the scoresheet again on Monday.

Winnipeg’s expected starter Connor Hellebuyck will need to elevate their play as the back-to-back Vezina Trophy winner has struggled against the Islanders, holding a 5-7-0 record with a 3.20 goals-against average and a .906 save percentage in 12 appearances, one of his toughest matchups statistically against any team in the league.

The Jets will need to generate some offense of their own, but that will be a tall order as theyâ€re missing four key players in captain Adam Lowry, top-six winger Cole Perfetti, and defensemen Dylan Samberg and Haydn Fleury. With lineup changes in place, winger Nikita Chibrikov stepping in for Perfetti and veteran defenseman Colin Miller replacing Fleury will both need standout performances if the Jets hope to stay competitive in this matchup.

Jets Bring Up Kale Clague as Insurance Following Injury to Haydn Fleury
On Saturday afternoon, Winnipeg Jets defenceman Haydn Fleury suffered a lower body injury after blocking a shot from Los Angeles Kings forward Adrian Kempe.

Player & Betting Trends (Presented By BetMGM)

NYI ML (+105) | WPG ML (-125)

NYI +1.5 (-238) | WPG -1.5 (+190)

O/U 5.5 Goals

While the Jets rarely face the Islanders due to being in separate conferences, New York has consistently had the upper hand in this matchup, boasting a 9-2-0 record over the last 11 meetings since 2019. Despite Winnipegâ€s rise to Stanley Cup contender status in recent seasons, the Islanders have continued to be a thorn in their side, winning two of the past three head-to-head games over the last two years.

For the Jets to stand a chance, they’ll need the offense to have a big performance and that starts with points coming out of cold sources like veteran center Jonathan Toews. Winnipeg’s big free agent add has yet to find the scoresheet and will need to start contributing soon. His history in this matchup is fairly decent with seven goals and ten assists for 17 points over his last 24 matchups against the Islanders.

Former Jets First-Rounder Signs with Edmonton Oilers
Winnipeg Jets’ 2015 first round pick in Jack Roslovic signed with the Edmonton mid-game on Wednesday as they Oilers were playing in the Battle of Alberta with the Calgary Flames.

Goalie Matchup

Winnipeg: Connor Hellebuyck Expected (VS NYI: 5-7-0 record, 3.20 GAA, .906 SV% in 12 Games)

New York: Ilya Sorokin (VS WPG: 3-2-0 record, 2.03 GAA, .932 SV% in Five Games)

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The New York Islanders have sent forward prospect Calum Ritchie to Bridgeport of the American Hockey League.

The 20-year-old was rather impressive during training camp and the preseason, but due to a lack of an opening in the top nine, especially at the center position, it was unlikely that he’d make the team.

Calum Ritchie Continues Making Waves In Bid for Islanders Roster Spot
NEW YORK, NY — The chances of New York Islanders prospect Calum Ritchie making the team out of training camp are slim — it’s not zero.

Because Ritchie sustained a minor lower-body injury in the Islanders’ preseason finale against the Philadelphia Flyers, he began the season on Season-Opening Injured Reserve.

The belief was that when he was healthy, if the Islanders were healthy, he’d be heading back to Bridgeport, where he could play big minutes for head coach Rocky Thompson and a new and improved AHL squad.

Ritchie had practiced the last two days, so it was only a matter of time before he was optioned to the AHL.

Last season, after making the Colorado Avalanche out of training camp, Ritchie played seven NHL games — all on wing — scoring one goal, which happened to come against Ilya Sorokin.

The Avalanche returned him to the OHL’s Oshawa Generals for the remainder of the season, as he was not eligible due to his age to play in the AHL.

He’ll likely get his first taste of that league, when Bridgeport on Friday, Oct. 2 host the Providence Bruins at 7 PM ET.

Bridgeport is coming off a 6-2 win over the Belleville Senators and is 1-0-1-0 on the young season.

Defenseman Marshall Warren is tied atop the AHL leaderboards with four points (two goals, two assists).

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