Islanders lose to the Oilers; however, they survived killing penalties for seven of the first eight minutes of the game. It was obvious in this game that the Oilers are much more skilled; Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are two of the best players in the world. However, the scrappy, short-handed Islanders fought and stayed in this game; it just seemed like they were a little off today, maybe it was yesterday’s travel from Minnesota.
The Islanders are proving to be a scrappy team. In this game, barely a minute into it, Emil Heineman was given a five-minute major and a game misconduct for a knee-to-knee hit on Isaac Howard. Then, as soon as that penalty was killed, Victor Ecklund took one, and the Islanders went back on the penalty kill. Did the Islanders have a chance in this game?
Islanders Lose to Oilers
The Islanders are coming off an unbelievable win in Minnesota. This followed getting an unlikely point in Dallas. The Oilers won their last game against the Calgary Flames 4-0. They are 9-2-2 on the year. Of note, superstar Connor McDavid is on pace to score 232 points this year. Both he and Leon Draisaitl are on a torrid scoring pace. Here is how the game played out.
In the first period, there were no goals scored. Noteworthy in that period is that the Islanders successfully killed off seven power-play minutes in the first eight minutes of the game. The Oilers are dangerous and offensively talented. It was a little odd that with so much time on the power play, they did not score. This should have given the Islanders some momentum, but the Islanders lost to the Oilers.
In the second period, the Oilers opened the scoring in the game. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored for the Oilers, giving them a 1-0 lead, just about halfway through the game. Then, about a minute later, Vasily Podkolzin scored for the Oilers to make the score 2-0. The Oilers average a little more than four goals a game, so the fact that this one came so quickly was not too surprising.
Then, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored again on the power play, and it was 3-0. That is how the second period ended, even though the Oilers were on the power play. It was 3-0 Oilers, and Connor McDavid got an assist on that goal. At this point, it seemed likely to happen that the Islanders would lose to the Oilers.
In the third period, Jason Dickinson scored an empty-net goal for the Oilers, making the score 4-0. That was the final score of the game.
Connor McDavid Is The Gold Standard
He might not have a Stanley Cup or an Olympic gold medal, but Connor McDavid is the best hockey player in the world. He has 36 points and is on pace to get 232 points this season. When the puck is on his stick, the viewer thinks he can score. He plays on the power play; he kills penalties; he is deadly five-on-five. He defies superlatives.
Connor McDavid has had great seasons in his career, but his opening month of 2026-27 has reached a level that defies explanation. The Edmonton Oilers and Team Canada captain enters Saturday’s game against the New York Islanders with 36 points in 13 games. That includes eight goals and 28 assists, giving him an average of more than 2.7 points per game. It is fair to wonder if he will be able to keep up that pace through the rest of the season. It was clear in this game that the skill of the Oilers was just too much to handle, particularly when you are taking penalties. Islanders lose to the Oilers.
This Game and the Next
In this game, the Islanders lose to the Oilers. The player of this game was the Edmonton goaltender, Tristen Jarry. Though he did not have to face that many shots, he was solid in net. He out-dueled Islanders goaltender Ilya Sorokin.
The Islanders are starting a three-game homestand. They host the Carolina Hurricanes Thursday at 7 pm. The Oilers play tomorrow at the New York Rangers. Following that, they take on the Devils, and then they go all the way back to Edmonton. They play the three New York Metropolitan area teams.
Conclusion: Trick or Treat
Islanders lose to the Oilers in this game. It was just too hard for the Islanders to compete in this game. However, the game did provide some levity, as several of the fans were dressed up for Halloween. The winner of the costume competition put on by the inter-period television host was a child dressed up as Ilya Sorokin, complete with a net made of cardboard. Between the second and third periods, the Islanders were asked in the locker room what the jersey number was. Then, the television morphed them to that age. Pretty fancy, but the team faces a good opponent on Tuesday in the Carolina Hurricanes.
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