There aren’t too many people who had the first half of the Islanders season drawn up like this.
The Islanders are 22-14-4, good for 48 points, and they sit in second place in the Metropolitan Division and fourth overall in the Eastern Conference.
Happy New Year!
It was a first half to remember for the Islanders, who have been one of the surprise teams in the NHL this season thanks to contributions up and down the lineup - especially from first overall pick Matthew Schaefer, who registered an assist in Tuesday night’s 3-2 shootout win in Chicago. The 18-year-old defenseman now has 25 points this season, the youngest defenseman in NHL history to reach that total.
There are many others who have helped the Islanders maintain their position in the playoff race, including backup goalie David Rittich, who has played the last five games filling in for the injured Ilya Sorokin.
“He’s been awesome,” said forward Bo Horvat, named on Wednesday to be on Team Canada for the Olympics.
“He just keeps getting better and better. He’s been big for us so we just have to keep that thing going.”
Horvat scored his 21st goal of the season, along with the game-winning shootout goal, Tuesday night in Chicago.
Rittich made 17 saves Tuesday night and he is 3-1-1 over the last five games.
“Those two points are important for us,” said Rittich. “I feel great. I’m enjoying every second.”
Rittich is expected to make his sixth straight start on New Year’s Day when the Islanders host the Utah Mammoth at UBS Arena.
Another big contributor for the Islanders has been rookie forward Cal Ritchie, who was acquired at the deadline last season in the Brock Nelson trade. On Tuesday night, he scored his fifth goal of the season to give the Islanders a 1-0 lead just 2:56 into the game.
“He’s somebody who keeps getting better and better as he goes,” said Horvat. “He’s been great for us and he’s continued to keep getting better.”
The victory on Tuesday night was far from perfect, but it also shows how far the Islanders have come since last year. Good teams find a way to win when they’re not on top of their game, and the Islanders were able to escape and bring home two points before ringing in the new year.
“It’s a long year and you have to find ways to win those games…those ugly ones I call it,” said Head Coach Patrick Roy. “You’d rather have them on your side than the other side.”
So far this season, to steal a line from Jim Morrison and The Doors, the Islanders have been able to, more times than not, break on through to the other side with wins. While the 2024-25 season didn’t result in a playoff appearance for the Islanders, the rest of 2025 turned out to be pretty good for the orange and blue.
The Islanders won the NHL Draft Lottery, giving new General Manager Mathieu Darche the ability to take Schaefer first overall. Mat Barzal has played very well in his return from an injury last season, Bo Horvat is having an all-star season, and many others have lifted the Islanders into playoff contention.
We’ll see if the good times keep rolling into 2026.