NY Islanders Getting Much-Needed Break in Schedule

Oct 29, 2026; Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA; New York Islanders forward Bo Horvat (14) celebrates his goal against the Minnesota Wild in the second period at Grand Casino Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

NY Islanders Getting Much-Needed Break in Schedule

Originally posted on New York Islanders On SI
By Kenneth Teape | Last updated Nov 1, 2026 6:00 AM ET

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The New York Islanders have been busy recently, playing a lot of games in a short period of time.

On Halloween, the Islanders played their fourth game in seven days, hosting the Edmonton Oilers at UBS Arena after a three-game road trip. Already dealing with several injuries to key players, their depth was further tested when Emil Heineman received a game misconduct penalty in the first period.

That left New York with only 11 forwards available for the remainder of the game. Defenseman Scott Mayfield received a 10-minute misconduct penalty in the second period after the Oilers scored their third goal of the game in a lopsided period.

Those miscues, combined with the fatigue of playing multiple overtime games during this recent stretch, resulted in an ugly performance against Edmonton.

Islanders looked worn out against Oilers

IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

“We looked a little fatigued tonight as a group,” Islanders head coach Peter DeBoer said, via Tyler Millen of NHL.com. “I think when you're fatigued mentally you make some mistakes you don’t normally make, and physically you make some mistakes you don't normally make. We won some hard-fought games here recently. We played extra time in overtime on the road, and we looked like we were a fatigued team today.”

In the first period, New York faced seven minutes of penalties. They lived dangerously against a high-powered Oilers offense, and eventually, those miscues and self-inflicted wounds caught up to them in the second period.

The Islanders can take some solace in holding Edmonton to 1-of-6 on the power play, including not allowing a goal on the five-minute misconduct against Heineman. However, there is only so much New York can do in a battle of attrition.

After losing defenseman Ryan Pulock to an injury in the opening moments against the Minnesota Wild, they played down one forward against the Oilers in a similar fashion. Then, Mayfield took himself out for a stretch with his 10-minute misconduct.

Hear from Bo Horvat, Matthew Schaefer, Jean-Gabriel Pageau, and Head Coach Pete DeBoer after today's game.
— New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) October 31, 2026

The Islanders looked like a team that was on tired legs, looking a step slow and not having crisp execution against a strong Edmonton squad. However, the team is about to get some much-needed rest.

New York won’t have an easy opponent when they return to the ice, hosting the Carolina Hurricanes at UBS Arena, but will have multiple days off to rest and recoup. They won’t play that game until Nov. 5, giving them four days between games.

There is a chance they will get some reinforcements that night, with Matias Maccelli already returning to the ice and skating. He was injured just over two weeks ago against the Toronto Maple Leafs and was given a 2- to 4-week timetable to make his return.

This article first appeared on New York Islanders On SI and was syndicated with permission.

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