The New York Islanders secured a 4-3 victory over the San Jose Sharks at UBS Arena on October 21, 2025, extending their winning streak to three games. Matthew Schaefer recorded his first NHL multi-point game with a goal and an assist, while Ilya Sorokin made 33 saves. The Sharks, still seeking their first win, got goals from Collin Graf, Adam Gaudette and Macklin Celebrini.
Game Overview
The Islanders improved to 3-3-0 with the win, while the Sharks fell to 0-4-2, marking their sixth consecutive loss. Played at UBS Arena in Elmont, N.Y., the game featured strong special teams play from New York, who went 2-for-3 on the power play and successfully killed penalties late.
Key Moments
San Jose struck first with a shorthanded goal by Collin Graf at 8:29 of the first period, beating Sorokin on a pass from Ty Dellandrea. Bo Horvat tied it 1-1 on the power play at 9:26, wristing a shot from the right circle off a Mathew Barzal pass.
Casey Cizikas gave the Islanders a 2-1 lead at 10:30, capitalizing on a misplayed pass by Sharks defenseman Sam Dickinson. Adam Gaudette evened it at 2-2 at 14:16, assisted by Michael Misa, who earned his first NHL point.
Emil Heineman restored New York's lead to 3-2 with a power-play goal at 19:28, jamming the puck past Yaroslav Askarov. In the second period, Schaefer extended it to 4-2 at 6:38, lifting a shot past Askarov on a pass from Anthony Duclair. This marked Schaefer's game-winning goal and his first multi-point game.
Macklin Celebrini narrowed the gap to 4-3 at 10:16 of the third with a wrist shot. The Islanders held on, with Sorokin denying Celebrini and William Eklund late, aided by blocks from Simon Holmstrom.
Standout Performances and Quotes
Schaefer, the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, extended his point streak to six games (2G, 5A), becoming the second defenseman in NHL history to record a point in each of his first six career games. "I love winning. I hate losing," Schaefer said. "It's even more fun winning with this team."
Islanders coach Patrick Roy praised Sorokin: "Ilya to me, was the star of the game. I thought he made some really good saves, especially in the first period where we were not at our best."
Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky noted: "I thought this was probably our most complete game of the year. I liked our effort." Misa added on his assist: "It was a good play by Graf to find me with a no-look pass."
The Islanders allowed 36 shots but scored three goals on their first seven shots. Next, they face the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday.