NY Islanders rocked at home by Utah Mammoth 7-2 to start 2026 in ugly fashion

The New York Islanders were handed a jarring start to 2026 on Thursday night, falling 7-2 to the Utah Mammoth at UBS Arena in a game that unraveled quickly after a competitive opening stretch.

The Islanders had the first 11 shots of the game but failed to break through and the first period ended scoreless after a lopsided and favorable start. “If we were able to score in that first period, it would have given us some momentum,” head coach Patrick Roy said after the game. “But after that, it’s probably more about the detail of the game. We lost one-on-one battles and we should have been better in those areas. We took some offensive zone penalties, too many men. So these details, at some point, are going to hurt you.”

Utah seized control early in the second. Dylan Guenther opened the scoring just 36 seconds into the frame, but the Islanders briefly answered when Cal Ritchie snapped a wrist shot over Karel Vejmelka’s glove to tie the game 1-1. That response didn’t last. Guenther struck again midway through the period, finishing a backhand feed to put Utah back in front, and Nick Schmaltz added another late in the second to give the Mammoth a 3-1 edge.

Any hope of a push disappeared early in the third period. Utah scored twice in the opening six minutes, with Mikhail Sergachev and Clayton Keller finding the net to stretch the lead to 5-1 and chase David Rittich from the game. Rittich stopped nine of 14 shots before Marcus Hogberg took over in relief.

Guenther completed his first career hat trick late in the third, sliding the puck through Hogberg’s legs for his 20th goal of the season, while Schmaltz finished with two goals and an assist as Utah poured it on. Matthew Schaefer provided a lone bright spot for the Islanders with a power-play goal midway through the third, his 10th of the season, and Max Shabanov chipped in two assists.

The Islanders struggled to generate sustained pressure, failed to capitalize on a four-minute power play late in the second period, and were undone by defensive breakdowns and turnovers that Utah turned into quick strikes. The loss snapped New York’s brief momentum coming out of the holiday break and underscored how thin the margin can be when structure slips.

Leading-scorer and recent Team Canada selection Bo Horvat left the game in the third with a lower-body injury. Roy didn't offer up much of an update other than he would see the doctor on Friday.

The Islanders host the Toronto Maple Leafs at UBS Arena on Saturday night at 7:00 PM EST.