The Latest York Islanders are battling for a playoff spot ahead of the 2026 NHL Trade Deadline. The Islanders have made some moves before the deadline, but with lower than 48 hours to go, time is of the essence. Before all that, though, Matthew Schaefer and his teammates needed to handle business against the Anaheim Geese.
Unfortunately, Latest York couldn’t pick up the 2 points. Latest York fell on Wednesday night to the Geese. Anaheim goaltender Ville Husso made 42 saves to offer his team the momentum they needed. The Islanders fell to 35-22-5 with this defeat.
The Islanders weren’t completely healthy, with Ryan Pulock missing this contest because of an upper-body injury. Nonetheless, the team was not desirous about making any excuses after the loss. “We won’t just say, ‘Oh, if we had Pully (Ryan Pulock). We have to search out a way. That just wasn’t our greatest hockey,” Schaefer said, via Andrew Gross of Newsday.
Pulock is some of the necessary defensemen on the team. The truth is, he trails only Schaefer when it comes to average ice time per game. The veteran defenseman is in his eleventh season, having spent his entire profession with the Islanders.
Latest York’s loss on Wednesday snapped a five-game winning streak. Overall, the Islanders have played well, as they won eight of their last nine games before losing to the Geese. They’re tied on points with the Pittsburgh Penguins for second within the Metropolitan Division, as well.
The Islanders return to the ice on Tuesday once they tackle the Los Angeles Kings of their final game before the 2026 NHL Trade Deadline.