Mathew Barzal, Matias Maccelli, Ryan Pulock joining Islanders on West Coast trip
Islanders center Mathew Barzal at UBS Arena last December. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
SAN JOSE, Calif. — The Islanders are in desperate need of some West Coast success.
They will open a three-game Golden State swing on Monday night against the Sharks at SAP Center after completing a disappointing 0-2-1 homestand with a 5-4 overtime loss to the Devils on Saturday night. The Islanders could not protect a two-goal third-period lead in that one.
It’s their first three-game losing streak of the season, and the Islanders (7-6-3) have not won in regulation since Oct. 20 (2-3-2).
For a team that truly believes it can reach the playoffs for the first time since 2024 and win a round for the first time since 2021, this is quickly taking them in the wrong direction.
Monday night’s game starts a run of five of six on the road. It is starting to feel as if November might be a make-or-break month in the 84-game schedule.
However, the Islanders have fared well against Western Conference opponents with a 5-2-1 mark.
Here are five things to watch for on this California trip:
1. Who might play?
The Islanders announced on Sunday that Mathew Barzal (left knee), fellow top-six forward Matias Maccelli (lower body) and defenseman Ryan Pulock (upper body) accompanied the team to California. Now the question is whether any or all of the injured trio will rejoin the lineup during the trip or just continue to skate with their teammates. Barzal and Maccelli shed their non-contact practice jerseys for Saturday’s optional morning skate, though there were no contact drills. Still, it was a sign they might be close to making a return, and the Islanders sorely need the production and speed those players can provide. Barzal has been out since the opening of training camp and Maccelli was expected to miss two to four weeks after getting hurt on Oct. 17. Pulock’s timeline also was two to four weeks after he got hurt on Oct. 29.
2. Can they take advantage of the competition?
That is perhaps a misleading question because the trip concludes on Saturday against the Ducks, who have won four straight. But the Sharks have lost five in a row despite a young stable of talent that includes Macklin Celebrini. The Kings, whom the Islanders will face on Thursday night, are seventh in the Pacific Division. None of the three opponents was in a playoff spot on Sunday, and the Islanders beat the visiting Ducks, 3-2, on Oct. 20. A 3-2 overtime loss to the Kings at UBS Arena followed two days later after the Islanders fell behind 2-0 in the first period on goals by Artemi Panarin.
3. Can they stay out of the penalty box?
The Devils went 1-for-4 on the power play in handing the Islanders their first loss in eight games after scoring the first goal, and the Oilers were 1-for-6 in a 4-0 win that opened the homestand. Regardless of whether the opponent scores, the penalty-killers are taxed, and coach Pete DeBoer relied mainly on defensemen Logan Stanley, Adam Pelech and Matt Kessel as penalty-killers. Pulock’s absence hurts and Scott Mayfield, who’s been good on the penalty kill, was a healthy scratch against the Devils. DeBoer does not want to use Matthew Schaefer because the 19-year-old sensation already is averaging a team-high 26:48 of ice time.
“The penalties didn’t help,” DeBoer said after Saturday’s loss. “That fatigues you. It’s also momentum. You’re on your heels, which kind of bleeds into your five-on-five game.”
4. Will closing out games be an issue?
Again, a bit misleading, given that the Islanders have lost only once after scoring the first goal. But they were tied with the defending Stanley Cup champion Hurricanes until the 14:52 mark of the third period in their 5-3 loss on Thursday, and the Islanders had a three-goal edge in Nashville on Oct. 27 before needing overtime for a 4-3 victory. It’s just something to keep an eye on.
“We got a point in overtime, which is good,” Schaefer said after Saturday’s loss. “But we should have had both points. We should have found a way.”
5. Can Schaefer maintain a point-a-game pace?
The defenseman has five goals and 11 assists in 16 games, including a goal against the Devils in which he skated down low like a forward and potted his own rebound. His confidence with the puck has grown after a spectacular rookie season that earned him a unanimous win in Calder Trophy balloting.
Andrew Gross joined Newsday in 2018 to cover the Islanders. He began reporting on the NHL in 2003 and has previously covered the Rangers and Devils. Other assignments have included the Jets, St. John’s and MLB.
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