The Islanders' power play has shown improvement recently, converting on 4 out of 15 opportunities for a 26.66% success rate after their game against the Lightning. Players like Brayden Schenn and Bo Horvat have contributed to this progress, with Schenn scoring during the match. Despite past struggles, coach Pete DeBoer sees positive signs in the team's ability to execute on the power play, though he emphasizes that there is still room for improvement.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-11,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
The New York Islanders have shown signs of improvement on their long-struggling power play, converting at a 26.66% rate after Saturday's game against the Tampa Bay Lightning. This marks progress from earlier struggles during last season when initial optimism eventually reverted to historical poor performance. Brayden Schenn noted an increase in chemistry and better execution within the team, even if they remain cautious about their current success given its small sample size of 4 goals from 15 opportunities. The Islanders hope this positive trend continues as it could significantly impact their overall play and competitiveness during crucial moments in games.
Written for “Islanders Power Play Improving” on 2026-10-11,
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The Islanders have kept from getting out over their skis about a respectable start on the power play.
asserted
Islanders → keep → play
“Work in progress” still is the phrase of choice, no matter whom you ask.
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you → ask → whom
The progress, though, does feel worthy of acknowledgment, with the 5-on-4 unit converting at a 26.66 percent clip after Saturday’s 5-3 loss to the Lightning at UBS Arena.
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unit → feel → Arena
At such a small sample, that only equates to 4-for-15, but when the yearslong state of this power play is taken into account, baby steps look like big ones.
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steps → equate → ones
“Even from where we were sitting at training camp to where we are today, it definitely feels like it has more chemistry.
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it → sit → chemistry
It’s getting better,” Brayden Schenn told The Post before the match, in which he scored on the man advantage as the power play produced a fourth goal in five games.
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play → get → games
“We’re getting shown a lot of good stuff.
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We → show → stuff
Ultimately, it’s on us to go out there, have the right reads and execute.
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it → ’ → reads
Remember, the Islanders seemed to hit their marks over the first few games of last season on the power play too.
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Islanders → remember → play
There was optimism that things were headed in the right direction then, only to revert to the historical mean as the season wore on, the details lapsed and the Islanders fell into old habits.
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Islanders → be → habits
That is the tide against which coach Pete DeBoer and assistant coach Rocky Thompson are swimming.
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DeBoer → swim → which
The Islanders know they have more than enough talent to score at 5-on-4, with Matthew Schaefer walking the line and Bo Horvat excellent in the bumper, but talent has never been the issue.
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talent → know → bumper
If anything, the Islanders have found a way to turn their talent against themselves in years past, so visibly looking for Horvat in the slot at times that opponents haven’t needed to bother defending much else.
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opponents → find → much
“They’re obviously still gonna key in on him, but that’s up on the other four guys to move in different directions, as well as on him to pull out or move to different spots to find lanes
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him → go → lanes
,” Schenn said.
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Schenn → say → ?
“They’re not always gonna be slot shots for Bo.”
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They → go → Bo
They can’t be, nor can the Islanders content themselves with where they are now.
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they → content → themselves
“We’re just trying to add bricks to the foundation of everything we do,” DeBoer said.
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DeBoer → try → everything
“Nothing’s perfect or seamless yet, but I’m seeing some good signs in a lot of different areas.”
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I → ’ → areas
After missing practice Friday while being evaluated, presumably for a concussion, Horvat played Saturday.
“Anytime the principal point of contact’s the head, it’s always scary.
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it → miss → contact
I feel fine,” said Horvat, who tallied an assist in the loss.
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who → feel → loss
“The right side of my face hurts a little bit, but other than that, I feel pretty good.”
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I → hurt → that
The Islanders, in partnership with Tunnel to Towers, paid off the mortgage of a Manhasset family, the McHales.
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Islanders → pay → family
Martin McHale, who died in 2012, was a 9/11 first responder with the FDNY.
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who → die → FDNY
The Aporia
