The New York Islanders NEEDED a game like Thursday night against the Los Angeles Kings.
Was it their best performance? Absolutely not.
But after four straight games without a win, Pete DeBoer’s club found a way to get the job done, beating the Kings 5-2 to collect two much-needed points.
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The Islanders have played better games this season, but they've walked away with less.
Thursday wasn’t about putting together a masterpiece. It was about finding a way to win.
And that’s exactly what they did.
We have plenty to discuss in this edition of Elmonters Free Friday, but we have to start with a rookie who has officially entered the Calder Trophy conversation.
Victor Eklund scored for a fourth consecutive game Thursday, giving the Islanders a 3-1 lead when he roofed a rebound from the top of the crease following a Brayden Schenn opportunity.
Eklund has a trait we haven’t seen on Long Island in quite some time: He consistently goes to the dirty areas, and he has the skill and hand-eye coordination to make something happen once he gets there. Whether it was his impressive reach-around tip the other night or how quickly he turned his wrists to elevate Thursday’s rebound, he’s showing that he can score in a variety of ways. For years, we’ve talked about the Islanders needing another sniper, but Eklund is providing something they’ve been missing just as badly: a player who consistently gets to the areas where goals are scored.
Eklund's seven goals in 18 games tie him for the most among Eastern Conference rookies and put him second in the NHL, behind Roman Kantserov's nine. While he's not yet among the Calder Trophy favorites, scoring in four straight games should put him in the conversation. If he keeps producing at this pace, it will become increasingly difficult to ignore what he's doing on Long Island. He has nine points in 17 games.
Eklund and Brayden Schenn, who recorded three points Thursday, have been practically inseparable. Schenn has assisted on six of Eklund’s seven goals this season, and their chemistry keeps growing. It’s becoming increasingly clear just how important the veteran has been to the rookie’s early NHL success.
Even with Matias Maccelli returning to the lineup, the Islanders kept Eklund on the top power-play unit over Kyle Palmieri. That says a lot about the trust he’s earned and how important he’s becoming to this team’s offense.
And it’s not just the offense. Eklund has also been one of the Islanders’ most physical forwards, consistently finishing checks and making his presence felt without the puck. He currently leads the Islanders with 52 hits.
With Jean-Gabriel Pageau unavailable Thursday due to a lower-body injury, the Islanders elected to dress 11 forwards and seven defensemen. Kyle MacLean was the odd man out up front, while the Islanders scratched Scott Mayfield.
We’ll get to Mitchell Chaffee in a minute, but I think one of those two names is likely headed for waivers when Mathew Barzal is ready to return. And from the way things are trending, Barzal could make his season debut Tuesday at UBS Arena against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
For MacLean, it’s becoming increasingly clear he’s the Islanders’ 14th forward right now. Chaffee has gotten the nod over him both times the Islanders have gone with an 11/7 lineup this season, including against the Nashville Predators. That’s a pretty telling development.
As for Mayfield, Ryan Pulock’s return pushes him to No. 8 on the defensive depth chart. That’s a tough spot for a player in the fourth year of a seven-year contract that carries a full no-trade clause. It’s important to distinguish that from a full no-move clause, which would prevent the Islanders from placing him on waivers without his consent. Mayfield doesn’t have that protection.
If I’m choosing between the two, I think the Islanders ultimately place MacLean on waivers. It’s not an easy decision, but given how DeBoer has constructed his lineup recently, it’s hard to ignore where MacLean currently stands.
Speaking of Chaffee, Thursday marked his 10th NHL game since his emergency recall, meaning he’s no longer waiver-exempt.
Aside from a second-period roughing penalty after he tried to get Brandt Clarke to release his stick, I thought Chaffee played a strong game. He was involved, made smart decisions with the puck, and kept showing why DeBoer has been comfortable putting him in the lineup.
His deflection of Ryan Pulock’s point shot created the rebound that Schenn buried to open the scoring. Later, Chaffee won an important defensive-zone faceoff and made a heads-up play in the slot to help start a breakout. Rather than taking the safe option and rimming the puck around the boards against an aggressive Kings forecheck, he made a play that helped the Islanders get out of trouble. Coaches notice those little things.
I think DeBoer trusts Chaffee. And considering the Islanders’ upcoming roster decisions, that trust could go a long way.
I don't think we can overstate how important Ryan Pulock's return is to this Islanders team. They went 0-2-2 without him, and their defensive structure looked completely out of sorts at times. We talked extensively about how his return could help stabilize things, and Thursday gave a clear example of why he's so valuable.
Adam Pelech and Pulock finished Thursday’s game at +4 apiece, which was exactly what the doctor ordered. They looked comfortable together, and while the Islanders still had some defensive breakdowns, the pairing looked noticeably more organized with that reunion.
The Islanders allowed 28 shots on Ilya Sorokin, their fewest in four games. A handful of those came late as Los Angeles pressed to get back into the contest. There were still breakdowns, and the Islanders weren’t perfect defensively, but they looked much more organized with Pulock back in the mix.
What else can you say about Sorokin right now? He’s been absolutely brilliant, and it was great to see him get the win. I don’t know what’s gotten into him over these last few starts, but even for a goaltender who's played at a Vezina-caliber level every NHL season except one, something looks a little different right now. He’s so controlled in his movements, tracking pucks exceptionally well and exploding from post to post when necessary. But the biggest thing I’ve noticed is how quickly he locates pucks, whether through traffic or off rebounds. His tracking has been elite, and that’s a major reason why those frustrating soft goals that seemed to creep into his game at times haven’t been nearly as much of an issue lately.
Back to Schenn for a moment. Thursday marked his second three-point night as an Islander, and it’s worth emphasizing how impressive he’s been this season. Darche took plenty of criticism for acquiring him, but one reason for the move was the veteran presence and mentorship he could provide, particularly for Cal Ritchie. What I don’t think anyone anticipated was how significant that role would become for Eklund. The two have developed tremendous chemistry, and Schenn’s influence on the rookie has become an important part of this team’s story.
During Alan Fuehring's conversation with Eklund after the second period, he admitted he didn’t realize how much Schenn had accomplished in his NHL career. He joked about looking him up and learning more about his Stanley Cup championship with the St. Louis Blues. Eklund made it clear how much he enjoys playing alongside the veteran, and based on what we’ve seen on the ice, the feeling appears mutual.
With Pageau unavailable, the Islanders rolled out a third line of Ondrej Palat–Casey Cizikas–Anthony Duclair. When Barzal returns, I could certainly envision that trio becoming the club’s fourth line, a combination we saw earlier this season. Thursday, they controlled 66.67% of the shot attempts while on the ice, finishing with four attempts for and two against. It’s a small sample, but it says something about having that kind of experience and offensive ability on a fourth line.
As for Pageau, his absence doesn’t sound like it will be long. He skated Thursday morning and tried to play before ultimately being unable to. That’s certainly encouraging, especially considering how important he’s been to the Islanders this season.
Speaking of centers, I was told that Cal Ritchie is progressing really well in his recovery from a lower-body injury. We should expect an official update on his status once the Islanders return from their road trip.
Matthew Schaefer scored the Islanders’ first power-play goal by a defenseman this season, bringing his season totals to 18 points (6 goals, 12 assists) in 18 games. Bo Horvat matched that point total with an empty-net goal, bringing him to eight goals and 10 assists.
And because it’s seemingly impossible for Schaefer to go a game without making some kind of NHL history, here are a few more notes, courtesy of NHL Stats:
Schaefer became the fifth Islanders defenseman to score in his 100th NHL game, joining Noah Dobson (Dec. 9, 2021), Scott Mayfield (Nov. 18, 2018), Adam Pelech (Jan. 30, 2018), and Andrew MacDonald (March 5, 2011).
He extended his road point streak to six games, two shy of his NHL benchmark for the longest such streak by a teenage defenseman, set at eight games in 2025-26.
Schaefer recorded his 77th career point, passing Rick Hampton (76) for the fourth-most points by a teenage defenseman in NHL history. Only Phil Housley (132), Rasmus Dahlin (84), and Ray Bourque (79) have more.
Another benefit of Pulock’s return? The Islanders no longer have to lean so heavily on Pelech and Logan Stanley to kill penalties. Pulock logged a team-high 1:55 shorthanded Thursday, while Pelech played 1:21, Stanley 1:12, and Ben Hutton and Schaefer each logged 1:07. Spreading the workload around should make a significant difference moving forward, especially in keeping their defensemen fresh at 5-on-5.
Maccelli recorded an assist in his return to the lineup, and I thought he looked really good considering the time he missed. He moved well, looked comfortable with the puck, and didn’t seem hesitant to get involved. He spent time alongside Chaffee with a rotating center, and it’ll be interesting to see where DeBoer ultimately settles him once the forward group is completely healthy.
Think about where the Islanders were just a few days ago. They were on a four-game winless streak, struggling to find consistency, and facing questions about their defensive structure and offensive production. Now, they’ve collected three of a possible four points to open this road trip and have earned points in three of their last four games. They still have plenty to clean up, but this league can change quickly.
Now, the Islanders prepare to face the Anaheim Ducks, a team they defeated 3-2 at UBS Arena on Oct. 20. In that matchup, New York built an early 2-0 lead before Anaheim made things interesting late, with Alex Killorn cutting the deficit to one at 17:20 of the third period. The Islanders ultimately held on, but it wasn’t exactly a comfortable finish.
The Ducks enter the matchup third in the Pacific Division at 10-8-1, after the Nashville Predators snapped their five-game winning streak on Wednesday. They’re a dangerous opponent, and the Islanders will need to be sharper than they were for stretches Thursday if they want to finish this California trip on a high note.
