NASHVILLE, Tenn. — When New York Islanders head coach Pete DeBoer publicly challenged his roster following a disappointing showing in Dallas, he was looking for a response that prioritized grit over finesse. On Tuesday night at Bridgestone Arena, he got exactly that, as the Islanders reclaimed their physical identity in a 4-3 shootout victory over the Nashville Predators.
The win on October 27, 2026, was far from a clinic in closing out games, featuring a blown three-goal lead and a stagnant power play, but it served as a successful course correction for a team that DeBoer felt had drifted from its foundational style. DeBoer went with a strategic shift before the puck dropped, opting for an unconventional lineup of 11 forwards and seven defensemen. The move was a direct reaction to what he described as the team’s first truly poor performance of the season against the Stars.
The results of the shake-up were immediate. The Islanders dominated the early portions of the contest, building a 3-0 lead. The peak of this efficiency came at the start of the second period during a sequence that epitomized the crisp puck movement DeBoer had been seeking. The Islanders maintained possession in the Nashville zone for nearly a full minute, cycling the puck without pause before defenseman Matthew Schaefer found Bo Horvat for a blistering one-timer. The shot beat Predators goaltender Juuse Saros cleanly, pushing the lead to three.
“We got back to our identity tonight,” said forward Brayden Schenn. “We know we have to play that way in order to be successful. It’s a gritty, hard-nosed game. Play good defense.”
However, the comfort of the lead proved fleeting. The Predators began their comeback midway through the second period when Filip Forsberg capitalized on a power play at the 9:42 mark. Just over three minutes later, a rare lapse from the rookie Schaefer saw him get tangled with teammate Ondrej Palat while attempting to exit the zone. The resulting turnover allowed Alexander Kerfoot to get the Predators within a single goal.
The Islanders’ special teams struggles continued into the third period. After failing to capitalize on their first three power plays, New York’s fourth man-advantage was equally unproductive. Nashville immediately punished the missed opportunity at the 4:16 mark of the final frame. Daemon Hunt sent a shot toward the net that trickled through the pads of Semyon Varlamov, allowing Ryan O’Reilly to poke the loose puck home and tie the game at 3-3.
The final minutes of regulation saw the Islanders on their heels, requiring several scrambling defensive shifts to force overtime. Once in the extra period, the game took a turn for the historic. Schaefer was tripped at the start of overtime, leading to a massive delayed penalty. The Islanders managed to exhaust the Predators for 1:45 of continuous possession before Nashville finally touched the puck. Despite the ensuing 4-on-3 advantage that lasted nearly four minutes, New York could not find the winner in the extra session.
DeBoer showed immense trust in his core during the overtime frame, keeping Horvat, Simon Holmstrom, and Schaefer on the ice for nearly the entire duration. Schaefer, in particular, played the full five minutes of overtime, finishing the night with a career-high 32:16 of ice time. The workload made him the first player in the post-lockout era to play every second of a five-minute overtime period.
The stalemate was finally broken in the shootout. Kyle Palmieri and Horvat both successfully converted their attempts, while the Islanders’ defense and Varlamov held firm to secure the extra point.
“I thought it was a great response, and I knew we would get that response,” DeBoer said following the win. “I think the guys knew and came out and played great.”
