This is what it looks like when the season slips away in January. A disastrous second period, a total squandering of momentum, a team that played most of the night as though nobody was on the same page and a home crowd that sounded more disappointed than upset.

The Islanders entered Saturday looking to set a season high with a third straight win. Additional injuries to top-six forward Anthony Duclair and defenseman Adam Pelech that forced them to miss significant time during the season’s first half have played a role in the Islanders’ inconsistency, but that's not the sole reason.

Lamoriello was questioned about the team’s identity. In the past – circa 2020 and 2021 when they reached the NHL semifinals – the Islanders were a very hard team to play against with solid defensive structure and a grinder’s mentality personified by the longstanding fourth line of Casey Cizikas centering Matt Martin and Cal Clutterbuck.

The Isles (37 points) are five points back of the Columbus Blue Jackets (42 points) for the second Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference with a game in hand. “It's not something that's out of reach,” Lamoriello said during an availability in Las Vegas on Thursday morning.

Okay, I know that headline is crazy. The New York Islanders (15-18-7), currently 15th in the Eastern Conference and 27th in the NHL do not look like a good bet to catch fire and make the playoffs.

Leevi Merilainen made 24 saves for his second career shutout and Adam Gaudette's second period goal was the only one to beat Marcus Hogberg as the Ottawa Senators snapped the Isles' three-game winning streak with a 2-0 victory before a crowd of 15,101 at UBS Arena.

The Boston Bruins return from a three-game road trip to face the New York Islanders in their first home game of the 2025 calendar year on Sunday evening.

Two months out from the NHL’s trade deadline, selling off assets is “not even a thought” in the mind of Islanders general manager Lou Lamoriello.

Sean Couturier scored his 199th NHL goal and Travis Konecny added three assists as the Flyers overcame the first two Islander power play goals in the last fifteen games for a 5-3 win over the Isles before a crowd of 15,761 at UBS Arena.

The Philadelphia Flyers (20-20-6) took full advantage of a hapless New York Islanders (16-19-7) second period to surge to a 5-3 win in UBS Arena on Thursday night.

THROUGH GAMES OF THURSDAY, JAN. 16, 2025

The Fan Blog writes... Eklund on Flyers: Flyers and Sixers working on new arena? Why?