The New York Islanders have hit the halfway house, and they picked a great time to set a new season-high win streak. They closed out their three-game road trip with a 2-1 regulation victory over the Utah Hockey Club. It’s the first time the Isles have swept a three-game road trip since the Doug Weight era (2018). The win didn’t come easy for the Blue and Orange, but they clawed out a victory against a young, feisty Utah team courtesy of a late goal by Mathew Barzal.

To their credit, the Islanders faced heavy adversity before the matchup even began. Defensive stalwart Alexander Romanov was a late scratch due to a nagging injury, and franchise goaltender Ilya Sorokin surrendered his starter’s crease due to illness.

That meant defenseman Grant Hutton and goaltender Marcus Hogberg jumped into the Islanders lineup, and they did their job. Hutton admittedly, didn’t play much. However, Hogberg was a big part of the success story in Salt Lake City.

He stopped 21 of 22, and most importantly, made the saves the Islanders needed. The only goal that beat the “Hogburglar” came at 1:13 of the second period.

Despite all of the excuses they could have made, the Islanders came to the rink ready to go. Their second period was dreadful, but they didn’t feel sorry for themselves. They came out of the locker room at the second intermission, and once again, did their jobs. Brock Nelson scored at 3:36 of the third period courtesy of a beautiful Anders Lee setup, and Barzal scored the game-winner with less than 90 seconds in the contest by following his own shot to the net. Barzal now has points in five straight. With help from their star forward, the Islanders escaped the Beehive State with a 2-1 victory.

Don’t get confused, these are still the 2024-25 New York Islanders. Their powerplay remains anemic as ever, going 0-3 in the game. Their powerplay now stands at 10.6%, the worst in the NHL. They struggled to close the game in the final 90 seconds, and Utah had several chances to tie the game even though the Isles had just taken the lead. Their penalty kill, though it has found success since 2025 began (6/7), remains the worst in the NHL. But the Islanders managed to overcome their shortcomings and move the win streak to three.

Now, the Islanders are faced with a tremendous opportunity. They’re coming back to Elmont for a season-high, seven-game homestand. On the stand, they’ll face off against the Senators, Flyers (twice), Hurricanes and Blue Jackets. They already blew their leverage against Detroit by losing all three of their head-to-head matchups, but the Islanders have a chance to make up some ground in a tight Eastern Conference by beating the aforementioned clubs. This rings especially true for the Senators and Blue Jackets, who currently hang in striking distance of the Islanders in the standings.

To win, the Islanders need to keep the game five-on-five. Despite their terrible special teams, they remain an above-average team when the skater count is even. They cannot afford to take penalties because they will wind up in the back of the net. Statistically, the Isles give up a power-play goal on (about) every third penalty. In contrast, they score a power-play goal on every 10th power play. Using these odds, the Islanders would allow three power-play goals before they scored one themselves, and that is an unsustainable rate of attrition.

As we learned from the Tim Peel scandal, NHL referees will generally try to keep penalty counts even. If the Islanders get four power plays, the opponent will probably get about four power plays, and vice versa. (So paradoxically, the Islanders should avoid going on the power play). Obviously, the easier solution may be to improve on special teams, but the Islanders have proven themselves incapable of doing so since the beginning of the 2023-24 season. Until change comes, they have to keep the game five-on-five somehow.

The Islanders’ victory over Utah showcased their resilience and determination, but the challenges ahead are clear. With a seven-game homestand at Belmont, they have a prime opportunity to climb the standings in a competitive Eastern Conference.

To capitalize, the Isles must continue playing disciplined hockey, minimizing penalties and maximizing their five-on-five success. Their special teams remain a glaring issue, but consistent effort and execution can help mitigate those shortcomings. If the Islanders bring the same fight they showed in Utah, they may turn this homestand into a pivotal stretch for their season.

Featured image courtesy of  Christopher Creveling/Imagn Images

Joey McAuliffe

Joey McAuliffe is a passionate Islander fan pursuing a Masters of Accounting in Buffalo, NY. His favorite player of all time is Jordan Eberle. He has followed the team closely since 2014, but he began regularly attending games during the 2006 season. Outside of hockey, Joey loves music and the Buffalo Bills.