DALLAS — Stop if you’ve heard this before.
An Islanders team widely seen as having a talent deficit surprises everyone on the back of great coaching, goaltending and defense. They’re not terribly fun to watch, but they are detailed, physical and hard to play against.
The specifics here and now in 2026 — with the Islanders off to a 5-3-2 start and heading into Sunday’s match against the Stars with underlying metrics that peg them amongst the league’s best defenses under Pete DeBoer — are much different than 2018-19. The broad-based formula, though, feels awfully similar to the Barry Trotz-led team that bounced back from losing John Tavares in free agency to win 48 games and a playoff round.
New York Islanders head coach Pete DeBoer looks on during the first period against the New York Rangers at UBS Arena on Friday, Sept. 25, 2026, in Elmont, N.Y. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
Like under Trotz, DeBoer’s club is winning games with shutdown defense that allows the Islanders to outperform their offensive shortcomings.