Slapshot Game Preview: New York Islanders vs. San Jose Sharks

Slapshot Preview is designed to highlight three important elements of the Isles' next game in a quick-hitting fashion.

New York Islanders at San Jose Sharks
11/9/26
10 p.m.

SHOT #1: Let One Loss Count as One

In their last outing, the New York Islanders lost to the New Jersey Devils in an emotionally charged contest. It was a game in which the Isles did not record a power-play opportunity and lost a two-goal lead.

It is imperative that the Isles let that loss count as one.

Nothing the Islanders do in San Jose is going to fix the loss to the Devils, but if they let that loss linger and fail to focus on the Sharks, it can easily turn into two losses.

 It will be a point of interest to see how the Isles come out of the gates early in the game with the Sharks, turning the page from their last game and focusing on the task at hand.

The Sharks come into the contest on a five-game losing streak, an example of how quickly losses can add up.

SHOT #2: Power Play Woes

The Sharks enter the game with the Isles at 7-11-1. In a category that figures to be of importance in a game with the Islanders, the Sharks have a 76.5% power-play kill percentage, which puts them in the middle of the league statistically.

On the other side of the puck, the Islanders are 29th in the NHL with a power-play percentage of 14.6%.

Given their lack of success on the power play, and the fact that they’re coming off a game in which they did not have a power-play opportunity, this is an area to pay attention to in this contest, perhaps even more so than normal.

During camp, Isles Coach Peter DeBoer talked about the concept of a good power play, suggesting that “good power plays are interchangeable,” describing it as “a lot of motion, there’s a lot of movement, there’s a lot of guys moving to different parts of the ice. They’re interchangeable in their positioning.”

Whether it’s about motion and positioning, increased opportunity, or making the most of the power-play opportunities they do get, the Isles would do well to show progress in this department.

Few things are fixed overnight in sports, but it will be important for the Islanders to take the first step in getting the power play on the right track as they begin a three-game West Coast road trip.

SHOT #3: Battle of #1s

It’s, of course, shortsighted to suggest a hockey game is a one-on-one competition when previewing a game.

However, it’s difficult not to when the game features two number one overall draft picks.

San Jose center Macklin Celebrini was the number one overall draft pick in the 2024 NHL Draft. His impact on the Sharks can be seen all over the stat sheet. Celebrini leads the team in points (21), goals (7), and assists (14).

Prior to the season, the Sharks made Celebrini the youngest captain in team history. Talking about the designation, Celebrini called it a “huge honor,” saying: “Obviously, there's a responsibility that comes with that, but at the same time, I'm not really going to change who I am or what I do. But, like I said, just a huge honor first and foremost.”

With a 3-7-0 record in their last 10 games, the Sharks will look to their statistical and designated leader to right the ship.

Entering the game on a three-game losing streak and coming off a less-than-stellar homestand, the Islanders will look to their own first overall pick in Matthew Schaefer to get the West Coast swing started with a victory.

The trouble is, both teams know what drives the other. This means that whichever team wants to end their losing streak needs to address the most immediate need on the ice.

For the Islanders, in addition to improving the power play, it might mean making life easier on their netminder. Whoever the Isles put in goal, they need to prevent a night like the loss to New Jersey, where Ilya Sorokin was forced to make a season-high 45 saves in the loss.

Two losing streaks, two number one overall draft picks, one winner at The Shark Tank.

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