NY Islanders fall short in 2-1 UBS Arena homecoming loss to St. Louis Blues

The New York Islanders returned to Long Island on Saturday, riding the high of a 6-1-0 road trip that had reignited belief across the fan base and led to a sell-out crowd waiting for them. However, they were unable to carry the momentum from the road to UBS Arena, where the St. Louis Blues handed the Isles a 2–1 loss in the first game of a season-long seven-game homestand.

The Islanders spent much of the afternoon chasing the game after Brayden Schenn stunned the home crowd only 42 seconds in, finishing a quick feed from Pavel Buchnevich. The early goal immediately put the Islanders on their heels, and according to head coach Patrick Roy, it changed the feel of the game. “The first goal probably hurt us a bit, and we just couldn’t get that one back till the end,” Roy said. “The first game back after a trip is always tougher. We didn’t have the same jump that we had on the road, which is normal.”

Pius Suter doubled the St. Louis lead late in the second period, capitalizing on one of the few breakdowns in what had otherwise been a structured Islanders defensive game. The Isles generated sustained pressure in the offensive zone throughout the third period, but Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington turned aside chance after chance, finishing with 28 saves.

The lone breakthrough came from Islanders captain Anders Lee, who snapped a rebound home with 3:11 left to cut the deficit to 2–1 and breathe life into the building. The Isles pushed hard in the final minutes and were handed a power play for the final two minutes, after Jonathan Drouin caught a high stick seconds after a goal was waived off for goalie interference, but Binnington shut the door.

Ilya Sorokin, who entered with a .941 save percentage over his last seven starts, made 20 saves and kept the Isles within striking distance despite the uphill climb. With the loss, the Islanders fell to 12-8-2 and missed an opportunity to carry their road success into their home barn. But the team didn’t dwell on the result — especially with Seattle arriving Sunday.

“It’s going to be important here that we get on a roll at home,” Ryan Pulock said. “A great road trip doesn’t matter now. We have to build something here. We get another chance tomorrow.”

A disappointing homecoming, yes — but seven straight games at UBS Arena offer plenty of runway to regain momentum.