Islanders on brink of full collapse after suffering catastrophic loss to Senators

New York's playoff hopes take major hit with shutout defeat at home

Apr. 11, 2026 at 7:57pm

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A cubist, geometric painting depicting a hockey game, with players and the puck broken down into sharp, overlapping shapes and planes of color, conveying the intensity and fragmentation of the Islanders' collapse.The Islanders' power-play struggles prove to be their undoing in a crucial late-season loss to the Senators.Elmont Today

The New York Islanders' playoff hopes are on life support after a 3-0 home loss to the Ottawa Senators on Saturday. The defeat puts the Islanders' second wild-card spot officially out of reach, and they now must overtake the Flyers for third place in the Metro Division to have any chance at the postseason. The Islanders struggled mightily on the power play, going 0-for-5 and allowing a shorthanded goal, which proved to be the difference in the game.

Why it matters

The Islanders' disappointing season is nearing a complete collapse, as they now face the very real prospect of missing the playoffs entirely after making it last year. Their inability to capitalize on the power play has been a major issue all season and appears set to be their undoing again.

The details

The Islanders had no choice but to be realistic about their playoff chances after firing Patrick Roy and hiring Pete DeBoer with four games left in the season. On Saturday, the urgency was there, but the execution was not. The power play was a disaster, going 0-for-5 and allowing a shorthanded goal to Ridley Greig that gave the Senators a 1-0 lead. The Islanders struggled to enter the zone and lacked confidence on the man advantage, recording just three shots in 10 minutes of power-play time. Ottawa then put the game away with a power-play goal of their own in the third period.

  • The Islanders' loss on Saturday, April 11, 2026, put their playoff odds on life support.
  • A Philadelphia Flyers win on Saturday night would put the Islanders three points back with two games remaining for each team.
  • An Islanders loss on Sunday, April 12, 2026, to the Canadiens could officially eliminate them from playoff contention.

The players

Tony DeAngelo

New York Islanders defenseman.

Ridly Greig

Ottawa Senators center who scored a shorthanded goal against the Islanders.

JG Pageau

Ottawa Senators player who made the pass that led to the shorthanded goal.

Michael Amadio

Ottawa Senators player who assisted on the shorthanded goal.

Carson Soucy

Ottawa Senators player who took a penalty that led to a 5-on-3 power play for the Senators.

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What’s next

The Islanders' season could be officially over as soon as Tuesday, April 14, 2026, if they lose to the Canadiens and the Flyers win their game.

The takeaway

The Islanders' inability to capitalize on the power play has been their Achilles' heel all season, and it appears set to be the reason their season ends prematurely. This collapse highlights the importance of special teams in the NHL and the fine line between making and missing the playoffs.