Isles' sloppy play against Wild halts five-game point streak at UBS Arena

Isles’ Sloppy Play Against Wild Halts Five-Game Point Streak at UBS Arena

The Wild scored on their first shot, setting a difficult tone for the Islanders, who struggled throughout the game and lost 5-2 on Friday night. The team appeared out of sync, failing to connect passes, turning the puck over, and being outworked by the Wild, who capitalized on the Islanders’ defensive lapses and sloppy play.

“I don’t think we executed well at all,” captain Anders Lee said. “I think we were clearly off from the get-go. When we struggle to break the puck out and we struggle with our turnovers, it’s going to be a long night.”

The loss ended a five-game point streak at home and wrapped up a 1-1-1 homestand. The Islanders (6-6-2) received 21 saves from goalkeeper David Rittich but now face a seven-game road trip starting Saturday night against the Rangers at Madison Square Garden, giving them a chance for a quick reset.

“I think they beat us to a lot,” said Bo Horvat, who assisted Emil Heineman's goal that brought the Islanders within 2-1 early in the second period. “I think they outworked us a lot tonight. We’ve got to correct that come (Saturday).”

Any momentum gained from Heineman’s goal faded quickly, as defenseman Brock Faber scored off Rittich’s glove just over a minute later.

“I guess you’ve got nights like this,” coach Patrick Roy said. “You have nights where you’re on and there’s nights where you’re not on.”

The Islanders now look to regroup and improve their execution as they head into a challenging road trip.

Summary: The Islanders' inconsistent execution and defensive mistakes led to a 5-2 loss against the Wild, snapping their home point streak and emphasizing the need for a stronger effort moving forward.

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Newsday Newsday — 2025-11-08

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