Islanders Vs Sharks: Late-Night Ice Clash Set for 10 p.m. ET in San Jose
islanders vs sharks is on the Saturday night slate, with the New York Islanders visiting the San Jose Sharks at SAP Center at San Jose for a 10: 00 p. m. ET puck drop. New York stays in California as the road trip continues, trying to climb back into the win column after consecutive losses for the first time since late January. The matchup is the second meeting between the teams this season after the Islanders edged the Sharks 4-3 on Oct. 21.
Game setup: Islanders at Sharks, 10: 00 p. m. ET at SAP Center
The Islanders enter the night listed at 35-22-5 in one game preview, while a separate watch guide lists them at 35-23-5; the Sharks are listed at 30-25-5. The contest is an out-of-conference matchup with New York in the Metropolitan Division and San Jose in the Pacific Division.
New York is coming off a 5-3 loss to the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday night. In that game, Bo Horvat scored with 0. 2 seconds left in the second period, Adam Pelech scored shorthanded, and Emil Heineman added a 6-on-5 goal. Ilya Sorokin made 30 saves on 35 shots in the defeat.
islanders vs sharks: Line combos, trade deadline move, and special-teams trends
New York’s projected lines and pairings listed in the game preview include: Mathew Barzal–Bo Horvat–Emil Heineman; Cal Ritchie–Brayden Schenn–Ondrej Palat; Anders Lee–JG Pageau–Simon Holmstrom; and Anthony Duclair–Casey Cizikas–Marc Gatcomb. On defense: Matthew Schaefer–Ryan Pulock; Adam Pelech–Tony DeAngelo; and Carson Soucy–Scott Mayfield.
The Islanders were active on trade deadline day, acquiring Brayden Schenn from the St. Louis Blues. The move sent Jonathan Drouin, Marcus Gidlof, a 2026 first-round pick ( Colorado), and a 2026 third-round pick to St. Louis. Schenn had spent the previous nine seasons with the Blues, totaling 465 points (181 goals, 284 assists) in 650 games there, and he has 28 points (12 goals, 16 assists) in the 2025-26 campaign. Drouin, who arrived on Long Island this past summer, posted 21 points (3 goals, 18 assists) this season.
Special teams have been a defining edge for New York. Pelech’s shorthanded goal Thursday was the Islanders’ eighth shorthanded goal this season, tied with the Calgary Flames for second most in the NHL in the 2025-26 campaign, with the Buffalo Sabres leading at nine. JG Pageau, who signed a three-year contract extension on Friday, picked up an assist on that play and has six shorthanded points (3 goals, 3 assists) this season.
Extra-attacker production has also stood out: Heineman’s 6-on-5 goal Thursday was New York’s league-leading 11th goal with the sixth attacker this season, with 10 coming 6-on-5 and one 6-on-4.
Immediate reactions and key numbers to watch at 10 p. m. ET
Thursday’s game also carried a milestone: Adam Pelech skated in his 623rd career game, passing Stefan Persson for second place among Islanders defensemen in games played, and his shorthanded tally was his second career shorty. The game preview notes Pelech is now tied for the fifth most shorthanded goals by a defenseman in Islanders history.
From the betting line posted for Saturday (10 p. m. ET), the Islanders are listed at -136 and the Sharks at +113, with an over/under of 6. 5.
What’s next after the final horn
The immediate focus Saturday night is whether New York can halt the skid and whether San Jose can protect home ice, where the Sharks are 17-10-4 this season. With the second head-to-head of the season set for 10: 00 p. m. ET, islanders vs sharks will also test whether New York’s shorthanded scoring and extra-attacker success can translate into two points on the road, while San Jose looks to flip the result from the first meeting.
