Islanders Finding Ways To Win

Coming into this season, no one was really sure what to expect from the New York Islanders.

Everyone knew that there would be a lot of attention on the 2025 NHL Entry Draft number one overall pick, defenseman Matthew Schaefer. People wondered if he would be able to make the team out of training camp, adjust to the NHL game, and not look out of place.

People were also curious how the team's offense would be. Yes, the Islanders have some talented offensive players, but this was a team that was 27th in the league in goals scored last season.

Lastly, a lot of folks were wondering if Islanders' goaltender Ilya Sorokin would have a bounce back season. He was inconsistent last year and going into this season, Islanders' head coach Patrick Roy had now shown much faith in him.

Do not look now, but the Islanders currently hold the first wild card spot in the Eastern Conference. The team is currently (As of Tuesday, November 18) 10-7-0-2 for 22 points and is in the middle of a seven-game road trip where they are currently 4-1 heading into Tuesday night's game against the Dallas Stars at the America Airlines Center, while also being in the middle of a 6-2-1 stretch overall.

There are a few reasons why the Islanders have surprised people in the early going. For starters, Schaefer, 18, has been magnificent so far.

Schaefer is currently second on the team in scoring with 15 points (seven goals and eight assists), has four power play goals, two game-winning goals, is a +2, and is averaging the most amount of ice time (22:34) on the the team. He is playing responsibly in his own end, is being smart with the puck, is helping the offense to be more dynamic, and is playing like a seasoned veteran.

Speaking of offense, the team has been much better with that part of their game this season. The Islanders are currently 12th in the league in goals scored as they have scored 61 goals in 19 games, which means they are averaging around three goals per game.

Leading the way for the Islanders in that category is Bo Horvat. Horvat, 30, leads the team with 12 goals and included in those 12 goals are three power play goals, one shorthanded goal, and three game-winning goals, which means that he is scoring in every situation for his hockey club.

Following Horvat are the likes of Emil Heineman (nine), Schaefer (seven), Jean-Gabriel Pageau (six), Kyle Palmieri (five), and Mathew Barzal (five). As the season goes on, the totals for these players should continue go up as they all have a lot of offensive talent.

When it comes to Sorokin, 30, there is no doubt that he can be a lot better. He is currently 6-5-0-2 with a 2.91 goals-against average, a .898 save percentage, and one shutout.

With that said, those numbers were a lot worse a few weeks ago. In the last little bit, he has shown an ability to steal games, make big saves when his team needs them, win hockey games, and be the goaltender that he is supposed to be.

When you put all of these things together, you have a recipe for success for the Islanders. It will be up to Roy, his coaching staff, and the team to stick to it if they want to be in the Stanley Cup playoffs come April.