Weekend Wrap: Islanders Split the First Two, Wahlstrom’s Day, One Concern

Good morning and happy Monday. The New Yor Islanders play four games this week, with a matchup against the San Jose Sharks Tuesday, the New Jersey Devils Thursday, followed by a weekend back-to-back in Florida, first against the Tampa Bay Lightning and then against the Florida Panthers.

The New York Islanders are 1-1-0 on the young season, having beaten the Anaheim Ducks 7-1 Saturday after losing their season-opener to the Florida Panthers on Thursday, by a score of 3-1.

Here are all the big stories to know from the week that was:

The New York Islanders kicked off their regular season Thursday night against the Florida Panthers at UBS Arena. After being on the hunt in the first period. the PAnthers hunted the Islanders for the remaining 40 minutes as they defeated New York by a score of 3-1. Here’s your Rapid Recap.

Rapid Recap: From The Hunter to the Hunted, Lose 3-1 to Panthers

The Islanders’ biggest issue last season was that despite creating chances, the New York Islanders struggled to bury. In Thursday’s season opener, they notched 33 shots on goal but just scored one on Florida Panthers netminder Sergei Bobrovsky, who was not particularly good early.

New Year, Same Struggles: Islanders Offensive Execution, Speed an Issue in Game 1

The Islanders failed to capitalize on their chances in their season-opening loss to the Florida Panthers on Thursday night. After the first period, the New York Islanders had all the momentum, but the 18-minute intermission allowed the Panthers to regroup and take control of the game.

Postgame Mailbag: Questions & Comments From 3-1 Loss to Panthers

On Thursday, the New York Islanders’ inability to stay out of the penalty box limited the ability for head coach Lane Lambert to play his stars and his youngster Kieffer Bellows.

Special Team Situation Negatively Affected Playing Time For Bellows, Other Islanders

A little after 5 PM on Saturday night, Cal Clutterbuck was activated off of IR, and he is expected to be in the lineup against the Anaheim Ducks. With Clutterbuck activated, the New York Islanders placed Sebastian Aho on IR.

Clutterbuck and Wahlstrom to Make Season Debut, Sebastian Aho Goes On IR

The New York Islanders wanted to play fast against the Anaheim Ducks, and they did. Like in the Mighty Ducks, every transition seemed to be an odd-man rush, and the Islanders saw positive results. Scott Mayfield and Robin Salo scored two goals to help lead the offense. Here’s your Rapid Recap from the Islanders first win of the season.

Duck, Duck, Goals: Islanders Dominate Anaheim, 7-1 Blowout

Former New York Islanders centerman Frans Nielsen announced his retirement from professional hockey following the 2022 IIHF World Championships this summer. But his electric backhand toe-drag move lives on, this time courtesy of New York Islanders forward Oliver Wahlstrom.

Gotta See It: Wahlstrom Does the Nielsen To Give Islanders a 3-0 Lead

Oliver Wahlstrom’s growth in confidence is critical for the New York Islanders, as they need him to be an integral part of the offense. In his first game of the season, he lit the lamp and notched an assist, a step in the right direction.

Wahlstrom’s Stellar Season Debut, Critical For Confidence, Critical for Islanders

The New York Islanders took it to the Anaheim Ducks on Saturday, as they dominated from opening puck drop and were able to keep their strong play going for a full sixty minutes, something they did not do against the Florida Panthers. You had questions, and we had answers, in our postgame mailbag.

Postgame Mailbag: Fan Questions Following 7-1 Demolition of Ducks

The release date for the Reverse Retro jerseys is slated for Oct. 20, with a sneak peek coming on Oct. 19. Ali Murji, who has been on top of all the information for these jerseys, along with artist Orion Taylor, put together a prediction catalog based on the information they had received. Their New York Islanders Reverse Retro prediction looks in line with everything that NYI Hockey Now has heard…except for two things.

PREDICTION: Are These Islanders Reverse Retro Jerseys?