Islanders Point Streak Reaches Five Despite Heartbreaking 3-2 Overtime Loss to Kings

By: J.J. Pavlick | Elmont, NY | October 22, 2026 |

ELMONT, N.Y. — A historic night from a teenage prodigy and a relentless offensive barrage weren’t quite enough to beat a red-hot goaltender at UBS Arena on Thursday night.

Brandt Clarke scored 2:43 into overtime as the Los Angeles Kings (2-4-2) survived a 41-save masterclass from Darcy Kuemper to escape with a 3-2 victory, snapping the New York Islanders’ winning streak. However, by forcing extra time, the Islanders (5-3-2) extended their crucial early-season point streak to five games (3-0-2).

“I loved the first 40 minutes, and in the third they pushed back a little bit,” New York head coach Peter DeBoer said. “But the first 40 minutes, I mean, despite the scoreboard, I really liked how we played. I’m trying to think what we could have done better.”

Panarin Puts Isles on Their Heels Early

The first period belonged to Kings winger Artemi Panarin, who capitalized on a pair of early opportunities despite heavy offensive pressure from New York.

At 5:51 of the opening frame, Panarin opened the scoring by finishing a rush from the right circle, beating Islanders goaltender Semyon Varlamov over the glove. Ten minutes later, Panarin struck again, cleaning up a rebound after his initial shot was blocked by Matthew Kessel to hand the Kings a 2-0 cushion at the 16:37 mark.

The Kings’ physical pushback following the second goal ignited the UBS Arena crowd. After a whistle at 16:49, Islanders defenseman Logan Stanley dropped the gloves with LA’s Samuel Helenius in a spirited five-minute fighting major, drawing a thunderous ovation and injecting immediate life back into the New York bench.

The Great New York Fightback

Down by two, the Islanders completely dictated the pace of the second period, pinning Los Angeles in their own zone and building a staggering 32-15 advantage in shots on goal through the first 40 minutes.

The breakthrough came at 14:06 of the second on the power play. Working the puck around the perimeter, Victor Eklund hammered a sharp one-timer from above the left circle that squeezed under the pad of Kuemper, cutting the deficit to 2-1.

The momentum nearly shifted back to LA when Matthew Schaefer hooked Adrian Kempe on a breakaway, awarding the Kings a penalty shot at 10:59. Varlamov stood tall, kicking away Kempe’s attempt with his right pad to keep New York within striking distance.

“The penalty shot saved by ‘Varly’ was huge to keep us in that game,” DeBoer noted. “It was a really important point for us against a tough team.”

Schaefer Chases Bobby Orr into the History Books

The Islanders’ persistence paid dividends at 7:06 of the third period. Rookie defenseman Matthew Schaefer collected a pass from Logan Stanley, skated deep into the right circle, and snapped a heavy wrist shot blocker-side past Kuemper to tie the game 2-2.

The goal was far more than just an equalizer. With the tally, the 18-year-old Schaefer tied Bobby Orr (24) for the second-most goals scored by a teenage defenseman in NHL history, trailing only Phil Housley (46).

New York looked poised to win it in regulation, turning up the pressure in the final minutes. With just 57 seconds remaining on the clock, Kuemper had to pull off a desperate, spectacular right-pad save on Eklund to deny a heavy rebound opportunity created by Schaefer.

“I thought we played a really good hockey game today,” Islanders captain Bo Horvat said. “Credit to their goalie; he played really well tonight. For us, I thought we carried the play for a lot of that game. So, it was just one of those nights where we couldn’t find the back of the net enough.”

Clarke Ends It in Extra Time

In overtime, the Kings utilized a long, calculated sequence of puck possession to wear down the Islanders’ skaters. At 2:43, Adrian Kempe executed a perfect drop pass to Clarke in the right circle, who lifted a brilliant shot off the crossbar and past Varlamov’s glove to secure the extra point for Los Angeles.

“We possessed the puck for, like, three minutes there, tired some guys out, and forced them to make a change they probably don’t want to make,” Clarke said of the game-winner. “And then we come in on an odd-man rush, and it ends up with me with a good lane at the net.”

Game Notes

• Semyon Varlamov made 24 saves in his first start at UBS Arena since November 25, 2024.
• Kings forward Quinton Byfield was a late scratch due to an upper-body injury.
• Bo Horvat dominated the face-off dot in the opening frame, winning 7 of his 8 matchups.

Box Score