Islanders weekend: These are 3 things to watch
Islanders goalie David Rittich defends the net against the Rangers at UBS Arena on Jan. 28, 2026. Credit: Jim McIsaac
COLUMBUS, Ohio — It may not have looked pretty or, at times, even convincing, but the Islanders have won three straight games and six of their last eight.
That recent success will be tested this weekend with a tough back-to-back. The Islanders face the revitalized Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena on Saturday and the two-time Stanley Cup champion Panthers on Sunday in the first game at UBS Arena since Feb. 3 because of the three-week Olympic break (and the Islanders’ last home game until March 13). Neither Columbus nor Florida is in a playoff spot.
“Every game is massive,” Jean-Gabriel Pageau said after scoring in overtime to complete the Islanders’ rally from a two-goal deficit in Thursday’s 4-3 victory over the Canadiens. “You look at how tight the standings are. You can’t let a few games slip.”
The win allowed the Islanders (33-21-5) to maintain their grip on third place in the Metropolitan Division, one point behind the Sidney Crosby-less Penguins, who have played two fewer games. They are six points ahead of the fifth-place Blue Jackets, who had a seven-game winning streak snapped on Thursday in Boston.
Here are three things to watch this weekend:
1. David Rittich’s play
The backup goalie will start one of the two games after Ilya Sorokin made 21 saves in Montreal facing numerous odd-man rushes. Rittich (12-8-3, 2.57 goals-against average, .900 save percentage) has served as a strong complement to Sorokin in his first season on Long Island but has lost four of his last five decisions and, because of the Olympic break, has not played since Feb. 3. His save percentage in his last three losses is .825. The Islanders will need steady play from Rittich in the playoff push as this weekend marks the first of six back-to-back sets in the final 23 games.
2. What’s next for Matthew Schaefer?
Schaefer scored twice in a 55-second span in the second period against the Canadiens to kick-start the Islanders’ rally, giving him 18 goals to tie and then move past Denis Potvin for the most goals by an Islanders rookie defenseman and Phil Housley for the most goals in NHL history by an 18-year-old defenseman. Brian Leetch set the NHL record for most goals by a rookie defenseman with 23 in 1988-89. Schaefer’s seventh power-play goal, a five-on-three tally, tied him with Vladimir Malakhov for the most man-advantage goals by an Islanders rookie defenseman.
“I believe you just play the game,” Schaefer said. “People bring [records] up to me, but I really don’t care. If things are meant to be, they’ll happen.”
3. More overtimes?
Two of the Islanders’ last three games were won in overtime and they have gone past regulation 16 times in 59 games (27.1%), so there’s a decent chance one of these two games also will go to extra time. The Islanders are 7-0 in the three-on-three period and 4-5 in shootouts.
“I guess there’s some confidence out there,” coach Patrick Roy said. “You go out there and you feel confident that you’re going to win the game. And that’s what we’re saying on the bench.”
Andrew Gross joined Newsday in 2018 to cover the Islanders. He began reporting on the NHL in 2003 and has previously covered the Rangers and Devils. Other assignments have included the Jets, St. John’s and MLB.
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