Islanders Showing Impressive Resiliency Amidst Injury Issues

For the first time in years, the New York Islanders feel alive. Not competitive in a grind-it-out, hold-your-breath way. Alive in a way that pulls you forward in your seat and makes games feel urgent again.

Since drafting Matthew Schaefer first overall, something has shifted. The Islanders no longer look like a team stuck between eras. Schaefer has been a runaway Rookie of the Year, injecting speed, confidence, and belief into a roster that badly needed it.

There’s been chaos, too. Kyle Palmieri somehow tore his ACL and still found a way to set up a goal. Ilya Sorokin, meanwhile, has been nothing short of spectacular, playing like the best goaltender in the world according to Mat Barzal, and single-handedly keeping New York afloat on nights when things tilt the wrong way.

Injuries have piled up across the lineup, but the Islanders have leaned into what they’ve always been: a gritty, stubborn group. And their head coach isn’t the least bit surprised.

There’s game changers and then there’s FRANCHISE changers, and Matthew Schaefer has changed the entire course for the Islanders. pic.twitter.com/e5PurnBACb
— Spittin' Chiclets (@spittinchiclets) December 12, 2025

A Team Built to Withstand Chaos

Before New York’s third game in 11 days against Tampa Bay, the Islanders had already sent a clear message. They swept a three-game series against a surging Lightning team that entered the contest on a 15–3 run, only to run headfirst into Sorokin. Tampa threw everything they had at New York but that didn’t matter with how well Sorokin played in all three games.

Before that final game against the Lightning, Patrick Roy was asked what it said about his team’s ability to win and stay competitive despite injuries, the Islanders head coach didn’t hesitate.

“I’m not surprised,” Roy said with a smile. “When you think about — I hate to go back to last year — but we had so many injuries last year, especially on defense. And not once I saw this team using excuses or whatever. So I just love how resilient we are and how we stay in the present moment and focus on only tomorrow’s game. That’s a beautiful quality, and I feel like our guys have been doing a super nice job.”

That response says everything about the culture Roy has leaned into. There’s no drama. No long explanations. Just accountability and focus. Injuries aren’t a storyline inside this room, they’re background noise.

The New York Islanders this season:

• Bo Horvat is on a 48g | 85pt pace
• Matthew Schaefer is the runaway ROTY
• Kyle Palmieri tore his ACL and set up a goal
• both Sorokin and Rittich are above .900 sv%
• they won a game 6-3 over Colorado

This team is just so fun. pic.twitter.com/ZTwF8JjYlK
— Big Head Hockey (@bigheadhockey) December 5, 2025

It also highlights how this group processes adversity. The Islanders don’t chase the standings or worry about what’s next month. They narrow the lens. Win the shift. Win the period. Get ready for tomorrow. That mindset has turned chaos into structure.

Roy’s Stamp Is All Over This Run

It’s telling to see a coach as stern and demanding as Roy speak with genuine pride. This isn’t false optimism or coach-speak. This is recognition that his team has absorbed the message and made it part of its identity.

The results back it up. New York now sits with the second-best record in the Eastern Conference, neck and neck with two other surprises — the Detroit Red Wings and Philadelphia Flyers. Few predicted any of those teams would be here, and that’s exactly why they’re dangerous.

There’s still a long road ahead, but this version of New York feels real. And if their coach is this confident in who they are, the rest of the conference might want to start paying closer attention.

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