The New York Islanders played their tenth game of the season against the struggling Los Angeles Kings at the UBS Arena. The Islanders lost that game in overtime, 3-2, giving the Kings their second win of the campaign, and the New York record dropped to 5-3-2.

The Islanders, despite the loss, still remain in the third playoff spot in the Metro Division entering play on Oct. 24, and even if they fall out of it, they’re still in the Wild Card.

So, how are the Islanders doing ten games into the season?

Pete DeBoer Shocked Islanders Adapted So Fast

The Islanders haven’t had the easiest start to the year, already missing out on Mathew Barzal at the start of the season and then dropping the season opener to the Toronto Maple Leafs, losing 2-1. The Islanders then traded wins and losses every other game until a spark hit. 

New York has played well under head coach Peter DeBoer’s system in the last couple of games, earning them two wins in the last three games against the Maple Leafs, getting that win back, and the Anaheim Ducks (they then dropped the game to the Kings).

DeBoer was shocked that his team was able to adapt so quickly to his new system of play. The head coach came in two weeks before the 2025-26 campaign ended, after Patrick Roy was relieved of his duties, so he didn’t really have much time to make his mark or shake things up. 

Now that DeBoer can get settled in for a full season, he’s implemented new systems, and the Islanders have bought into them immediately and have adjusted nicely. DeBoer said that he thought it would take a long time to adjust, but after just ten games, with some flaws (every team has them), they’ve been doing fine.

Still Winning Despite Injuries 

The Islanders are still without Barzal, who is recovering from left knee inflammation from a previous injury, which is hard enough for the offense. Then, in the game against the New York Rangers on October 6th, Alexander Romanov went down with a torn ACL, and an overhaul was needed for the defensive corps. 

In the game against the Maple Leafs on October 17th, which they won, both Matias Maccelli and Calum Ritchie suffered injuries, further plaguing the offensive production. They each suffered lower-body injuries, with Maccelli sidelined for two to four weeks and Ritchie out for four to six weeks.

Without Barzal, Romanov, Maccelli, and Ritchie, New York is going to struggle to make things happen. However, they’ve been fighting hard without them, getting a victory over the Ducks, 3-2, and then being on the other end of the stick when they lost to the Kings, 3-2; they still took them to overtime.

The Islanders are showing a lot of fight and are proving that they can play under DeBoer’s system; the question is, can they put themselves in a good enough spot for when everyone is healthy again, they have a shot at making the playoffs?