NY Islanders Continue Dominance of NJ Devils With Victory in Home Opener

Following a loss in their season opener, the New York Islanders were at home on Saturday night for their home opener against the New Jersey Devils, with getting their first win on their mind.

Coming off a game in which they weren’t at their best, the Islanders made it a mission to come out and perform a bit better. Even though a goal didn’t come in the first period, the pressure and the chances for the Islanders were strong.

In the second period, New York finally started to see some of those chances result in goals. To get the party started, it was Simon Holmstrom with his first of the year on a nice pass from Jean-Gabriel Pageau.

Less than two minutes later, Brayden Schenn, with his new linemate Victor Eklund, was able to make their impact on the game. Schenn was able to score his first of the season on the assist to Eklund and Matthew Schaefer.

While the power play showed some signs in the first period, it was in the second that they were able to notch the goal. In his first home game as the captain of the team, Bo Horvat was able to score his 100th goal as a member of the Islanders on the power play. The assist went to Schaefer, which was his second of the game.

Right from the start, Schaefer was playing aggressively in looking for his shot and trying to create. This is where he is at his best, and he helped spark the offense for New York.

Islanders Dominate

Oct 3, 2026; Elmont, New York, USA; New York Islanders center Bo Horvat (14) celebrates his goal against against the New Jersey Devils with teammates during the second period at UBS Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Furthermore, while it was great to see the Islanders score three goals in the period, a lot of credit also has to go to Ilya Sorokin for his performance in the net. Through two periods, he totaled a GSAx of 2.68.

With the Devils having three power plays in the first two periods, Sorokin and the Islanders keeping them from scoring was a difference-maker.

In the third period, the Islanders were able to extend their lead. Victor Eklund was able to score the first goal of his career on his 20th birthday. Shortly after, it was Ondrej Palat scoring his first of the season. With the lines looking a lot different, Right before the end of the game, Casey Cizikas was able to notch a short-handed goal to make it 6-0. It is the second short-handed goal in as many games and capped off a great night at UBS.

DeBoer clearly hit the right buttons in this one and it would be safe to assume that they will be keeping these ones for their next game.

Next up for the Islanders will be a trip to New York City to face off with the New York Rangers at MSG on Tuesday night.

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