The New York Islanders played well for parts of the game on Thursday night, yet they still lost 5-3 to the defending-champion Hurricanes. This result marks a painful repeat of the last 22 months, during which Long Island has failed to beat Carolina. The team showed flashes of brilliance with a physical fourth line and a second unit that scored twice. But those good moments faded fast when the third period began. The loss marks the first time all year they've lost consecutive games in regulation.
Semyon Varlamov made 34 saves to keep the game alive after giving up two early goals. He stopped a diving one-timer from Sean Walker late in the second period to help tie the score. The Islanders even took a lead late in the second thanks to a goal by Victor Eklund off a pass from Brayden Schenn. That goal tied the game at three with just under three minutes left in the period. Yet the momentum did not last. The team could not break out of their own zone as the clock wound down.
The biggest issue remains the power play, which went 0-for-4 on the night. The Islanders did not even generate good looks on three of their chances. Inconsistent entries killed their speed before they could set up. At one point, Carolina got a three-on-one rush while short-handed. That is the kind of mistake that costs games against elite teams. The team entered the game with a top-five penalty kill at 86 percent, but that unit could not save them from their own offensive failure.
Head coach Pete DeBoer noted that the penalty killers have a history of being good at this spot. DeBoer has praised the group's penalty-killing depth and its track record under the current system. Injuries to Ryan Pulock (upper body, expected 2–4 weeks) and Alexander Romanov (ACL, out long-term) left the blue line short. The Islanders signed veteran defenseman Ben Hutton to a one-year contract Thursday after a brief professional tryout that began earlier in the week. Hutton, who previously played for DeBoer in Vegas, practiced with the group but still needed time to get fully up to speed. DeBoer noted that morning that the process of getting him game-ready was ongoing.
Brayden Schenn has become a key voice in the dressing room while playing at a high level. This season, 14 games have yielded five assists and four goals for the 35-year-old. He fits well in the system and has embraced his role as a mentor. When asked about his comfort level, he said, according to the New York Post , "I would say it's just everything. It's not one thing." He added that playing with great linemates and having training camp to build chemistry made a huge difference.
Schenn admits he hates talking about himself, but his impact is clear to the staff. DeBoer said, "He recognizes he was brought in here as much for his intangibles as what he brings on the ice." The coach believes Schenn has taken that role and really embraced it. This leadership is vital when the team starts slow and fades late, as they did against Carolina. The Hurricanes scored the go-ahead goal with just over five minutes left in the game.
William Carrier knocked in a rebound to make it 4-3 before Jalen Chatfield added an empty-net goal.
