After a disappointing first three games to start what was supposed to be a refreshing season, the New York Islanders sought a spark to find their first win against the Edmonton Oilers on October 16. Isles Nation should be thrilled to hear that the team was successful and earned their first points of the season, even if they were the last team in the NHL to do so.
The Islanders got off to a quick start as Kyle Palmieri found the post in the first minute, just barely missing an early goal. Edmonton goaltender, Stuart Skinner, was forced to stay sharp early in the period, with the visitors seemingly unable to control the puck. The Islanders found quite a bit of offense to start the game before Adam Pelech was sent off for tripping Connor McDavid. (Fun fact: McDavid was also a first overall pick from the Erie Otters, like Matthew Schaefer.)
McDavid then took his own penalty for tripping Alexander Romanov. Jonathan Drouin found himself a strong chance on Skinner during the four-on-four but failed to get the puck by the netminder. On the other end of the sheet, David Rittich, guarding the crease in his first game as an Islander, stood up tall against a high-octane Oilers’ offense.
Mat Barzal managed another beautiful shot attempt for the home team, bringing the tally up to 11, while the Oilers had only managed three. In their own zone, the Islanders’ defense looked solid. After a shot from Kasperi Kapanen ricocheted off Rittich’s skate, Scott Mayfield was able to shove his stick through the paint to avoid an Oilers goal by mere millimeters.
Poor puck possession in the neutral zone by Evan Bouchard allowed for a Barzal takeaway. Followed up by a wrister over Skinner’s left shoulder, the takeaway led to the Islanders’ first “first goal” of the season.
This one deserves a second look 👀 https://t.co/BNvnQXHHUy pic.twitter.com/UmVOmcRQWz
— NHL (@NHL) October 17, 2025
A late penalty on Mayfield for tripping allowed Leon Draisaitl to even the score for the Oilers. The Islanders managed to find some shots in the final minute of the period, but left the ice with a tied game.
The Islanders continued to show strength in the Oilers’ zone early in the second. The Oilers did find a few good looks at Rittich, though the Islanders’ defense looked stronger in this game than in their previous three. Despite the positive pressure, a giveaway from Schaefer allowed Ryan Nugent-Hopkins to go bar down and give the lead to the Oilers.
The momentum seemed to swing in the Oilers’ favor a bit after the goal. After sustained pressure from the Oilers, Romanov took a two-minute minor for cross-checking Mattias Ekholm. A stunning save from Rittich kept the Islanders out of too much trouble and gave J.G. Pageau the chance to complete a stretch pass up to Bo Horvat. With Bouchard caught flat-footed once again, Horvat was one-on-one with Skinner, netting it and tying the game.
HORVAT? SCORED THAT. #LGI | @FORD pic.twitter.com/kphlebQUrw
— New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) October 17, 2025
With a tied game, the Oilers controlled the early part of the final period. Ekholm was sent off for interference against Palmieri at 17:33. Just before the Islanders’ power play ended, Emil Heineman would find himself in the box for hooking. Thankfully for the home team, the Oilers could not convert on the man-advantage.
After some dancing around the ice for both teams, the pressure was on for the go-ahead goal. The pressure may have gotten to Edmonton, resulting in Trent Frederic sitting for carelessly high-sticking Schaefer. Seven seconds into the power play, Horvat found a solid tape-to-tape pass from Barzal, and then found the back of the net.
HORVAT PPG! #LGI | @FORD pic.twitter.com/0EWonb0dEy
— New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) October 17, 2025
The Oilers stole the momentum back for much of the final few minutes. McDavid relinquished one of his best chances of the night with a questionable pass to Troy Stecher. With 2:21 remaining, Skinner ran to the bench.
Edmonton maintained pressure in the islanders’ zone, but it was ultimately Horvat who sealed the deal with an empty net goal, and his first hat trick with the Islanders.
The Islanders’ defense looked solid on Thursday night, not requiring 25 minutes out of Schaefer, which is a good sign. Rittich also had a phenomenal night and the team felt good in front of him, according to Horvat: “The way he stepped in against a high-octane offense like that, and he made unbelievable saves when he needed to. We definitely couldn’t have done that without him.”
The Islanders have finally won their first game of the season and will look to keep the good vibes going on Saturday against the Ottawa Senators at 3 p.m.
