"The Skinny"
By Eric Hornick
Game 2
Washington 4, Isles 2
Aliaksei Protas scored two goals and added an assist as the Washington Capitals built a 4-0 lead and then held off the Isles for a 4-2 victory, before a sellout crowd of 17,255 at UBS Arena.
The Isles made it a game with a pair of power play goals 5:37 apart; Anthony Duclair scored late in the second period, and Matthew Schaefer, making his home regular season debut, became the youngest player in NHL history to score his first goal on a power play as he scored off a goal mouth scramble. However, the Isles could not get any closer.
The Isles fall to 0-2-0 in the young campaign; they will play the middle game of this three game homestand on Monday at 1:00 against the Winnipeg Jets.
The Scoring:
1st Period
Martin Fehérváry (1) Alex Ovechkin (1), John Carlson (1) 01:50 WSH 1,NYI 0
Aliaksei Protas (1) Jakob Chychrun (2), Tom Wilson (1) 13:52 WSH 2,NYI 0
2nd Period
Ryan Leonard (1) Jakob Chychrun (3), Aliaksei Protas (2) 09:50 WSH 3,NYI 0
Aliaksei Protas (2) 15:30 WSH 4,NYI 0
Anthony Duclair (1) Bo Horvat (1), Kyle Palmieri (1) 18:51 WSH 4,NYI 1 PPG
3rd Period
Matthew Schaefer (1) Kyle Palmieri (2), Bo Horvat (2) 04:28 WSH 4,NYI 2 PPG
The Skinny
Matthew Schaefer was the youngest of six players to score his first NHL goal tonight; that last happened on October 26, 2017, when Schaefer was ten years old…Schaefer is the seventh player in the Real Time Era to play at least 26 minutes in one of his first two NHL games; the only other 18-year-old to do so is Victor Hedman…Aliaksei Protas matched his career high with three points; Ryan Leonard's only prior NHL goal was into an empty net last season in Chicago.…The Isles scored twice on the power play; that happened only four times all last season; it is the first time in 11 years (10-11-2014 vs. Carolina at the Coliseum) that they did so in a home opener…Kyle Palmieri and Bo Horvat are the first Islander teammates to have two power play assists in the same game since Mathew Barzal and Noah Dobson did so on January 11, 2024 vs. Toronto and the first Islander forwards to do so since John Tavares and Jordan Eberle did so on March 22, 2018 vs. Tampa Bay…Alex Ovechkin recorded his first point as a 40-year-old, joining Zdeno Chara and Doug Mohns as Capitals to do so; Ovechkin and Schaefer represent the second-largest span in age of opponents who were first overall picks (17 years, 353 days), trailing only Joe Thornton and Alexis Lafreniere…Ovechkin passed Luc Robitaille for the 2nd-highest assist total among NHL left wings (727-726); Johnny Bucyk holds the record with 813…Schaefer finished with eight shots on goal; Ryan Pulock is the only other defenseman on the current roster with at least eight shots on goal in any NHL game (3x, including a nine shot game on March 22, 2018)…The Isles had 20 shots in the third period, matching their highest total all last season (20 vs. Rangers in second period on April 10th); it is the first time that they had 20 third period shots since December 2, 2022, vs. Nashville.
First Times in a Historically Long Time
Matthew Schaefer is the youngest defenseman to score his first NHL goal since Ross Johnstone, then 17 years old, scored for the Leafs against Chicago on October 31, 1943. He is the youngest defenseman to score a goal since Johnstone, still 17, scored in Boston on February 29, 1944. The only other Islander defensemen with points in their first two NHL games are Bob Lorimer (over two seasons, 1976-77 and 1977-78) and Pat Price (1975-76).
One for The Record Books
Schaefer is also the youngest player to ever score his first NHL goal on the power play, breaking Brian Bellows' record by one day.
For Openers
The Isles are 1-3-1 in five home openers at UBS Arena, with the victory coming over Buffalo two seasons ago. They are 29-17-7 in the first home game of the 53 seasons that they have played.
This was the fourth home opener against Washington (1-3-0)
Milestone Men
• Matthew Schaefer is the youngest defenseman (18-036) in club history and the second-youngest player in club history to score a goal; Nino Niederreiter was one day younger when he also scored against Washington, on October 13, 2010.
• Casey Cizikas played his 899th game, all with the Isles.
• Kyle Palmieri played his 200th consecutive game.
Most Games Played as an 18-Year-Old (Isles history)
Tim Connolly 81
Dave Chyzowski 34
Nino Niederreiter 9
Brent Sutter 3
Mathew Schaefer 2
Brad Dalgarno 2
Paul Boutilier 1
Schaefer has now played more games as an 18-year-old than all other defensemen in club history combined.
Did Somebody Say Comeback?
The Isles have zero come-from behind wins this season, including zero when they trailed in the third period. The opponents have come-from-behind to win one time this season, including one time in the third period.
Overtime
The Isles are 0-0 in games decided by an overtime goal, and they are 0-0 in shootouts.
Empty Netters
The Isles have scored 0 empty-net goals and allowed 0.
Building on a Lead
The Islanders have had a two-goal lead 0 times this season:
• Score the next goal: 0 times
• Allowed the next goal: 0 times
• Game ended with 2-goal difference: 0 times
Last Year vs. This Year
• 2025-26 0-2-0 for 0 points in 2 games
• 2024-25 0-1-1 for 1 point in 2 games
Offense from Defense
• Today: 1-0-1
• Season: 1-2-3
• Last Season (Final) 32-129-161
Home and Road
The Isles are 0-2-0 overall; they are 0-1-0 at home and 0-1-0 on the road.
Washington is 1-1-0 overall; they are 0-1-0 at home and 1-0-0 on the road.
East and West
The Isles are 0-2-0 against the East (0-2-0 vs. Metropolitan and 0-0-0 vs. Atlantic) and 0-0-0 against the West (0-0-0 vs. Central and 0-0-0 vs. Pacific).
First Things First
The Isles are 0-0-0 when scoring first and are 0-2-0 when allowing the opening goal.
The Shots
Isles 3-13-20=36
Washington 9-14-6=29
The Isles are 0-2-0 when they outshoot their opponents, 0-0-0 when the shots are even and 0-0-0 when the opposition has more shots.
In the Nets
Ilya Sorokin made 24 saves; he is 0-2-0 this season and 4-5-1 vs. Washington.
Logan Thompson made 34 saves; he is 1-1-0 this season and 3-1-1 vs. the Isles.
Special Teams
The Isles were 2-3 (3:10); Washington was 0-2 (4:00) .
The Isles are 0-1-0 when they score at least one power play goal and 0-1-0 when they do not. The Isles are 0-1-0 when they allow at least one power play goal and 0-1-0 when they do not.
The Isles are 0-1-0 when they outscore the opposition on special teams, 0-1-0 when they are outscored, and 0-0-0 when special team goals are equal.
Three is a Magic Number
The Isles are 0-1-0 when they score at least three goals (including shootout winners) and are 0-1-0 when they do not.
One-Goal Games
The Isles are 0-1-0 in games decided by a single goal including 0-1 in regulation. They are 0-0 in games decided in overtime and are 0-0 in shootouts. The Isles are 0-0 in games in which an empty-net goal turns a 1-goal game into a 2-goal game.
Back-to-Backs
The Isles are 0-0-0 on the front end and 0-0-0 on the back end this season.
The Isles are 0-0-0 when the opponent is on the back end, including 0-0-0 when the Isles also played the previous day.
Ice-time Leaders
Isles: Matthew Schaefer (26:04); Washington: John Carlson (22:44)
Mathew Barzal led Isles forwards (21:28).
Face-offs
Isles 31, Washington 30 (51%)
Jean-Gabriel Pageau won 11 of 16 for the Isles; Pierre-Luc Dubois won 10 of 16 for Washington.
Hit Count
Isles 33 (Casey Cizikas -7)
Washington 23 (Brando Duhaime -6)
Fights
None. Season total: 0
Blocked Shots
Isles 22 (Alex Romanov -4)
Washington 20 (Two with 4)
For the Analytics Crowd
Corsi: All situations: Isles 71, Washington 69
Corsi: 5-on-5: Isles 50, Washington 57
5-on-5 leaders:
Isles: Matthew Schaefer +8
Washington: Pierre-Luc Dubois +8
High Danger Scoring Chances (per Natural Stat Trick)
All situations: Isles 13, Washington 17
5-on-5: Isles 7, Washington 14
Scratches
(Semyon Varlamov-IR), (Ethan Bear – IR),(Jonathan Drouin -suspended), Kyle MacLean, Adam Boqvist
Games Lost to injury: 4. (Last season's total: 304)
The Ironmen
Kyle Palmieri is the Islanders' ironman, having played 200 consecutive games. Casey Cizikas (110) and Anders Lee (93) are the only other Isles to have also played every game since the start of last season.
National TV Games
The Isles are 0-0-0 in games that air on one of the NHL's US national broadcast partners. Their first appearance will be on October 16th vs. Edmonton.
Matinee Isles
The Isles are 0-0-0 in matinee games this season; the first matinee will be at 1pm Monday against Winnipeg. The NHL considers games that start before 5:00 local time to be afternoon contests. Since the start of the 2019-20 season, the Isles are 15-17-13 in matinees.
Challenges
Isles: 0 successful, 0 failures
Opponents: 0 successful, 1 failure (No hand pass – WAS 10/11)
Hockey Opps: 0 favorable, 0 unfavorable
Quickies (Two goals in under a minute)
For (0):
Vs (0):
Quick Responses (One team scoring within a minute of other team)
Isles responses (0):
Opponent responses (0):
Multi-Goal 3rd Period Comeback Wins
For (0):
Vs (0):
Last Minute Heroes (Tying or go-ahead goals in the final three minutes of the third period):
For (0):
Vs (0):
OT Winners
For (0):
Vs (0):
Shootout Winners
For (0):
Vs (0):
All-time Islander Leader Boards:
Games Played (skaters)
1. Bryan Trottier 1,123 *** 2. Denis Potvin 1,060 *** 3. Josh Bailey 1,057 ***
4. Brock Nelson 901 *** 5. Bobby Nystrom 900 *** 6. Casey Cizikas 899 *** 7. Clark Gillies 872 *** 8. Matt Martin 855 *** 9. Anders Lee 843 …
22. John Tonelli 594 *** 23. Adam Pelech and Ryan Pulock 562 *** 25. Ken Morrow 550 *** 26. Duane Sutter 547 *** 27. Lorne Henning 543 *** 28. Scott Mayfield 537 *** 29. Claude Lapointe 535 *** 30. Tomas Jonsson and Mathew Barzal 532
Goals
1. Mike Bossy 573 *** 2. Bryan Trottier 500 *** 3. Denis Potvin 310 …
5. Brock Nelson 295 *** 6. Anders Lee 289 …
20. Kyle Okposo 139 *** 21. Mathew Barzal 134…
29. Ray Ferraro 116 *** 30. Casey Cizikas 114
Assists
1. Bryan Trottier 853 *** 2. Denis Potvin 742 *** 3. Mike Bossy 553 …
7. John Tonelli 338 *** 8. Mathew Barzal 329…
19. Frans Nielsen and Kyle Okposo 230 *** 21. Anders Lee 218…
27. Alexei Yashin and Duane Sutter 171 *** 29. Jean Potvin 167 *** 30. Jeff Norton 166 *** 31. Ziggy Palffy 163 *** 32. Ryan Pulock 161…
34. Mariusz Czerkawski 150 *** 35. Casey Cizikas 148
Points
1. Bryan Trottier 1,353 *** 2. Mike Bossy 1,126 *** 3. Denis Potvin 1,052…
12. Bob Bourne 542 *** 13. Anders Lee 506…
15. Patrick Flatley 488 *** 16. Mathew Barzal 463…
27. Ed Westfall 286 *** 28. Casey Cizikas 262
+/-
1. Bryan Trottier +467 ***2. Denis Potvin +456 *** 3. Mike Bossy +380
15. Bob Lorimer +105 *** 16. Adam Pelech +79 *** 17. Tomas Jonsson +76 *** 18. Garry Howatt +75 *** 19. Pat Price +70 *** 20. JP Parise +67 *** 21. Jude Drouin +58 *** 22. Ryan Pulock +57 *** 23. Patrick Flatley +57 *** 24. Greg Gilbert +54
Defense Goals
1. Denis Potvin 310 *** 2. Tomas Jonsson 84 *** 3. Kenny Jonsson 57 ***
4. Ryan Pulock 53…
13. Bryan Berard 31 *** 14. Scott Mayfield 28 *** 15. Vladimir Malakhov 27 *** 16. Adam Pelech and four others 26
Defense Assists
1. Denis Potvin 742*** 2. Stefan Persson 317 *** 3. Tomas Jonsson 249 ***
7. Jean Potvin 167 *** 8. Jeff Norton 166 *** 9. Ryan Pulock 161 ***10. Mark Streit 139 *** 11. Adam Pelech 135…
17. Bryan Berard 100 *** 18. Vladimir Malakhov and Scott Mayfield 98
Defense Points
1. Denis Potvin 1,052 *** 2. Stefan Persson 369 *** 3. Tomas Jonsson 333…
5. Kenny Jonsson 232 *** 6. Noah Dobson 230 *** 7. Ryan Pulock 214…
10. Mark Streit 179 *** 11. Adam Pelech 161…
18. Gerry Hart 128 *** 19. Scott Mayfield 126
Goalie Games
1. Billy Smith 674 *** 2. Rick DiPietro 318 *** 3. Glenn Resch 282 ***
4. Ilya Sorokin 255 …
8. Jaroslav Halak 177*** 9. Glenn Healy 176 *** 10. Semyon Varlamov 173
Wins
1. Billy Smith 304 *** 2. Glenn Resch 157 *** 3. Rick DiPietro 130 ***
4. Ilya Sorokin 125 …
7. Jaroslav Halak 88 *** 8. Roland Melanson 77 *** 9. Semyon Varlamov 76
Shutouts
1. Glenn Resch 25 *** 2. Billy Smith and Ilya Sorokin 22 ***
4. Rick DiPietro and Semyon Varlamov 16
On the Farm
Bridgeport is 0-0-1-0 after a 3-2 overtime loss to Providence on Saturday; they will host Belleville at 3pm Sunday.
Cam Berg and Cole McWard scored 1:48 apart in the first period to give Bridgeport an early lead.
Season Series Stats
Washington leads the season series, 1 game to 0 (and 2 points to 0). The teams will meet next on Halloween (October 31st) at Capital One Arena.
The Isles are 3-5-1 in their last nine home games against Washington.
UP NEXT
MONDAY, OCTOBER 13th — WINNIPEG AT ISLANDERS 1:00pm
[MSGSN (pre-game at 12:30], WRHU 88.7 FM, WRCN 103.9FM, Isles + UBS Arena App]
The Isles welcome the Winnipeg Jets to UBS Arena in the first of eleven home matinees this season.
The teams split a pair of one-goal games last season, with each team winning on home ice. The Isles have won all four games against Winnipeg at UBS Arena and have won the last five home games against the Jets dating back to a 3-1 loss in Brooklyn on December 4, 2018. Since that 2018 loss, the Isles are 9-2-0 in eleven meetings with the Jets.
Eric Hornick has been the statistician on Islander home game telecasts since January 21, 1982. Information contained in "The Skinny" has been gathered from various sources. Follow Eric @ehornick on Twitter & on his blog www.nyiskinny.com
Forever1940 is the nom de plume of Eric Hornick, statistician on Islander home telecasts since January 21, 1982. Visit my blog: NYISkinny.com and follow me on Twitter @ehornick
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