New York Islanders close out season with thud, looking toward next season

The New York Islanders ended their season on Thursday with a 6-1 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena. Hudson Fasching tallied his second of the season to get the Isles on the board.

Beyond that, it was all Columbus.

While the game may have been inconsequential in the standings, there was much more on the line than met the eye. In addition to playing for pride, the game was likely Patrick Roy’s final match behind the bench.

The lackluster effort on the Islanders’ part showed the team wasn’t playing to win despite being eliminated from the playoffs. Moreover, the Islanders’ disappointing streak down the stretch, 3-5-2 in their last 10 and ending the season on a two-game skid, provided plenty of reasons to move on from Patrick Roy.

After the game, Roy’s comments showed more resignation than frustration at the action on the ice. It seemed like Roy had come to terms with his team’s fate this season and was happy to get the year done with.

We would have liked to have seen the Islanders go out with a bang this season. But now that the 82-game schedule is over, the attention now turns to figuring out how to turn things around next season.

Looking at three positives from the 2024-25 season

I’d like to close my thoughts on the New York Islanders’ final game this season with three positives.

First, Anders Lee surpassed expectations by scoring 29 goals this year. It would have been nice to see him hit 30. But 29 is just as good. For those who thought he was washed up, the Isles’ captain proved he could still put the puck in the back of the net.

Second, Simon Holmstrom had his best season. His 20 goals and 45 points are a shining beacon as the Islanders look to build around a younger core. Holmstrom will hopefully continue to improve as he becomes a mainstay in the team’s top six.

Third, Ilya Sorokin’s mysterious injury and surgery during last offseason did not hamper him during the year. He played a full season, 61 games to be exact, and looked brilliant more often than not.

Unfortunately for Sorokin, his team didn’t always play solid hockey in front of him. But he was every bit as good as everyone hoped he would be.

So, as the old Brooklyn Dodgers used to say, “Wait till next year.”