Islanders Host Ducks as Both Teams Face Early Season Challenges

The New York Islanders welcomed the Anaheim Ducks to UBS Arena in Elmont, New York, on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, seeking to extend their recent run of positive results while Anaheim attempted to halt a three-game losing streak. The matchup also tested the Ducks' depth as they entered the second night of a back-to-back following a loss to the New York Rangers.

According to NHL.com, the Islanders entered the game with a 4-3-1 record after collecting points in three consecutive contests and earning at least one standings point in four of their previous five games. New York defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-1 on October 17, with Simon Holmström scoring twice and Bo Horvat recording one goal and one assist.

Anaheim arrived with a 4-4-0 record after opening the season with four wins in five games before losing three straight. The Ducks fell 5-2 to the Rangers on Monday, allowing five goals despite Ville Husso facing 30 shots. AJ Greer and Nick Jensen scored Anaheim's goals in that defeat, according to the game preview and supporting coverage.

New York's defensive performance stood out through its first eight games. NHL.com reported that the Islanders had conceded 17 goals, the fewest in the Eastern Conference and the second-fewest across the NHL. They had allowed two goals or fewer in six games, while their penalty kill operated at 86.7 percent, ranking sixth in the league.

Goaltending contributed to those numbers, with Ilya Sorokin and Semyon Varlamov combining for a .919 save percentage, the NHL's third-best mark at the time. Sorokin had also reached 158 career wins, placing him second on the Islanders' all-time list. He was expected to start against Anaheim after New York's morning skate.

Islanders head coach Pete DeBoer credited his players' commitment to the team's defensive system during training camp. He said the approach was producing results while acknowledging that the group still needed to improve in certain areas.

"From day one at training camp we had buy-in," DeBoer said. "It's been a process, it's not seamless, and there's still areas of improvement that we've got to clean up for sure. I like the fact that we're getting rewarded for that buy-in because from a coaching perspective, that's an important part that the guys see that we're getting results from what they're doing, which hopefully, snowballs and creates more buy-in."

The Ducks were expected to turn to Lukas Dostal in goal after Husso's difficult outing against the Rangers. Dostal entered the matchup with a .882 save percentage and a 3.17 goals-against average, according to NHL.com. Those figures reflected the challenge facing Anaheim as it sought to recover from consecutive defeats.

Offensively, Leo Carlsson led Anaheim with nine points, including two goals and seven assists. Beckett Sennecke had five goals and three assists, while Mikael Granlund contributed two goals and six assists. Cutter Gauthier had two goals and three assists in the statistics listed by NHL.com.

Anaheim remained without Troy Terry, who was recovering from right hip surgery after recording 19 goals and 38 assists the previous season. The Ducks also relied on Jackson LaCombe, an Olympic gold medalist and two-way defenseman, as part of a young group that included Sennecke, a 2026 Calder Trophy finalist.

New York also faced personnel challenges. Mitchell Chaffee received an emergency recall from Hamilton, while Kyle MacLean was expected to join Casey Cizikas on the fourth line. Kyle Palmieri returned to the top line alongside Holmström and Horvat after starting on the fourth line against Toronto.

Additional injury concerns affected the Islanders' forward depth. Lighthouse Hockey reported that center Cal Ritchie was expected to miss four to six weeks, while winger Matias Maccelli was listed at two to four weeks. Mat Barzal also remained sidelined, increasing the pressure on New York's available forwards.

The Islanders' schedule continued with another Pacific Division opponent later in the week, as the Los Angeles Kings were due to visit UBS Arena on Thursday. For Anaheim, the meeting with New York followed a demanding cross-country trip and the team's latest loss, leaving the Ducks looking to regain their earlier-season form.