Islanders Don’t Meet Playoff Expectations: How Did It All Go Wrong?

The New York Islanders fell short of playoff expectations after a late-season collapse. Here’s how injuries, roster moves, and inconsistency led to their downfall.

Stefen Rosner, David Kolb, and The Elmonters

Apr 15, 2026

∙ Paid

ELMONT, NY — “We have a lot of work to do in order to get where I believe that we need to get to.”

That was part of Pete DeBoer’s closing remarks after the New York Islanders’ 2-1 season finale loss to the Carolina Hurricanes.

They lost six of seven down the stretch to be eliminated, losing two of three under DeBoer, who got hired with four games to go after general manager Mathieu Darche cut ties with Patrick Roy.

Six of the final eight games were at UBS Arena. Ten of their last 12 were at UBS Arena. The Islanders were in a playoff spot before that final stretch on home ice.

So, how did we get here?

Islanders Don’t Meet Playoff Expectations: How Did It All Go Wrong?

The New York Islanders fell short of playoff expectations after a late-season collapse. Here’s how injuries, roster moves, and inconsistency led to their downfall.

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