How the NY Islanders manage 16 back-to-backs could define next season's success

The New York Islanders will play 16 sets of back-to-back games during the 2025-26 NHL season—a critical scheduling fact that could very well determine how far they go in the playoff race.

Back-to-backs have always served as a litmus test for a team's depth, resilience, and goaltending, and for the Isles, it's been a mixed bag in recent years. The team has relied heavily on Ilya Sorokin, but even franchise workhorses need a breather, and a back-to-back is the typical time a head coach will find a spot to relieve their No.1 and get their backup between the pipes. The hope is that those opportunities will go to Semyon Varlamov, but David Rittich is on Long Island just in case.

Last season, the Islanders posted a respectable 6-4-2 record in the front end of back-to-backs but struggled in the second half, going just 5-7-0. That drop-off in energy and execution often costs them valuable points in a tight Eastern Conference. Interestingly, when facing teams who were on the second night of their own back-to-back last year, the Isles managed a solid 9-7-1 record, including 2-2-0 in situations where both teams played the previous day.

In 2023-24, the split was even more drastic: the Isles went 5-1-4 in the front half of back-to-backs but crumbled in the second, posting a dismal 1-6-3 mark. That 10-game stretch alone arguably played a role in the Islanders barely squeaking into the playoffs.

For context, look no further than Barry Trotz’s first season in 2018-19. That year, the Isles played 13 sets of back-to-back games and dominated the schedule wrinkle with an 8-4-1 record in Game 1 and an astounding 11-1-1 record in Game 2. That 19-5-2 overall record in those situations helped propel the team to 103 points, home ice in the first round, and a second-round playoff appearance.

If Patrick Roy's Islanders are going to return to contender status, improving the second half of their back-to-backs will be essential. With 16 of them on the calendar, how they manage fatigue, rotation, and momentum could define the 2025-26 campaign.