Isles Den Podcast

Isles Den
  • 5.0 (5)
  • Hockey

The Isles Den Podcast is an independent New York Islanders show hosted by Jack (@IslesDen). Live postgame editions after every Islanders game, on air within about 40 minutes of the final horn, plus a weekly episode year-round covering all things Isles and the NHL. An honest fan perspective from someone who's lived through the highs, the rebuilds and everything in between. Watch on YouTube or listen on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

  1. 21h ago

    Isles Continue To Survive Despite Missing Key Players...

    Welcome back to the Isles Den Podcast! It was a banner night in Nashville. The Islanders beat the Predators 4-3 in a shootout for their first win at Bridgestone Arena in nine years, Matthew Schaefer became the first player in NHL history to play every second of a five minute overtime, Semyon Varlamov picked up his first NHL win since 2024, and Brayden Schenn buried his 300th career goal on a beautiful feed from Ondrej Palat. At 6-4-2 without Mathew Barzal, Cal Ritchie and Matias Maccelli, you have to be happy with where this team sits, and Pete DeBoer is a massive reason why. The sophomore takeoff is real for Schaefer, whose passing has gone from the one non-elite part of his game to a weapon, and the third line has found something. Palat has officially silenced the critics, and Jack explains why it is okay to admit we were all wrong about him. Anthony Duclair is scoring consistently, Jean-Gabriel Pageau has picked up his game, and Victor Eklund is settling in after making it past game ten. Jack also comes to the defense of Varlamov, who has points in three of his four starts and keeps getting better, because the discourse around him has gotten out of hand. It was not all roses, though. Jack cannot wrap his head around the Kyle McLean situation, with the Islanders carrying a forward they will not play even while shorthanded. The Swedes, Simon Holmstrom and Emil Heineman, keep flashing first line skill with bottom six consistency, and the four on three power play in overtime nearly gave the game away with the same four skaters out there for the full four minutes. Chapters 00:00 Intro: A Banner Night in Nashville 00:47 Isles Den Content Updates 01:40 A 6-4-2 Start Without Barzal, Ritchie and Maccelli 02:30 Matthew Schaefer's Sophomore Takeoff 04:35 The Kyle McLean Situation 06:10 Victor Eklund Is Settling In07:30 Ondrej Palat Silenced the Critics and Set Up Schenn's 300th09:10 Simon Holmstrom and Emil Heineman 10:20 Special Teams11:40 In Defense of Semyon Varlamov15:00 MailbagIsles Den Socials: https://linktr.ee/islesden

  2. Oct 18

    Statement Win For the Islanders In Toronto!

    Welcome back to the Isles Den Podcast! Coming to you Sunday morning after the Islanders stunned the Maple Leafs 4-1 in Toronto. It was a statement win that should make every fan proud, but one that came at a cost, with both Cal Ritchie and Matias Maccelli leaving the game. The stars are carrying this thing to another level. Bo Horvat is playing the best hockey of his Islanders career, scoring the game-winner, setting up Simon Holmstrom, and turning whoever lands on his wing into a producer. Matthew Schaefer continues to look like a 99 overall playing against normal humans, and Ilya Sorokin and Semyon Varlamov have the Islanders leading the NHL in goals saved above expected. Credit Pete DeBoer too, as the high danger chances against have been cut down dramatically. The depth also showed up in Toronto. Anthony Duclair answered his benching with a goal, Holmstrom scored twice after moving up to the first line, and Ondrej Palat put together a dominant 20-0 shot attempt night. The injuries sting, though. Ritchie goes down at a pivotal point in his development, and Maccelli got hurt playing the best hockey of his career, on a five-game point streak and just two minutes after Jack tweeted the Islanders should extend him. With no Mathew Barzal timeline in sight, Jack ran through the Hamilton call-up candidates, explained why it won't be Cole Eiserman and why Victor Eklund could be headed down, and previewed Tuesday night against the Anaheim Ducks. Chapters 00:00 Intro 00:30 New York Islanders vs. Toronto Maple Leafs Postgame01:00 Anthony Duclair, Simon Holmstrom and Ondrej Palat Shine02:30 Cal Ritchie and Matias Maccelli Injuries 07:00 Pete DeBoer Cutting Down the High Danger Chances 08:52 Ilya Sorokin and Semyon Varlamov 09:00 Matthew Schaefer and Bo Horvat Are Playing at Superstar Levels12:08 Do Mitchell Chaffee and Kyle MacLean enter the lineup?14:55 Can The Isles Sustain Their Winning Formula?Isles Den Socials

  3. Oct 14

    A Hopeful Start To The Season...

    Welcome back to the Isles Den Podcast! First things first: the Bo Horvat panic was for nothing, he didn't miss a game while Frank Nazar got a two game suspension for the hit. The Islanders sit at 3-3 without Mathew Barzal. Today we covered the heartbreaking 5-3 loss to the Lightning, the bounce back 3-2 win over the Canucks, and opened up the mailbag to answer all of your submitted Islanders questions. The Tampa game gave us the play of the NHL season so far... Matthew Schaefer crossing up Anthony Cirelli, (a perennial Selke finalist), before burying the shot that flipped the whole game. The Isles went toe to toe with a Cup contender without Barzal on an off night from Ilya Sorokin, not too bad! Against Vancouver it was Kyle Palmieri's turn to answer the bell as notched two goals, while Matias Maccelli picked up two assists and is starting to look like the player I bet big on all summer. Credit to Pete DeBoer too: ice time on this team is being earned, with Ondrej Palat and Anthony Duclair climbing the lineup instead of riding their contracts. Lastly, we ran through the early Metropolitan Division picture, explained why this stretch reminds him of year one under Barry Trotz, and with Barzal's return around the corner, took your questions on who comes out of the lineup. Chapters 00:00 Bo Horvat Is NOT injured01:20 NYI vs. TBL Recap: A Heartbreaking Loss 03:30 Matthew Schaefer's Play of the Season 06:00 A Moral Victory Without Barzal 07:00 NYI vs. VAN Recap: Kyle Palmieri Bounces Back09:45 Ice Time Is Being Earned Under Pete DeBoer 11:30 Metropolitan Division Check-In 13:15 The Barry Trotz Year One Parallel 14:00 Q&A: Your Islanders QuestionsSocials: https://linktr.ee/islesden

  4. Oct 9

    Islanders October Outlook After Frank Nazar's Hit on Bo Horvat...

    Welcome back to the Isles Den Podcast! The New York Islanders bounced back from Tuesday's loss at Madison Square Garden with a mature 4-1 win at UBS Arena over the Chicago Blackhawks at UBS Arena to even the record at 2-2.  Sadly, the biggest takeaway from the night is unfortunately the health of Bo Horvat, who took a hit to the head from Frank Nazar while scoring the empty netter and is now being evaluated.  On the bright side, Ilya Sorokin leads the NHL in saves above expected and looks like the best goalie in the world right now — the Vezina conversation should already be starting. Horvat buried a power play goal from Matthew Schaefer, Emil Heineman ripped home another one, and Logan Stanley did his best Mathew Barzal impression to set up Anthony Duclair.  Jack gave Stanley and a rejuvenated Duclair their flowers, and explained why the Brock Nelson for Cal Ritchie trade is becoming the dream scenario — especially when you see what eight years of rebuilding looks like in Chicago.  On the down side, Alexander Romanov is out for the season with a torn ACL, and Jack broke down why the sky isn't falling on that contract with where the salary cap is headed.  Kyle Palmieri still doesn't look like himself coming off his own ACL recovery, and with Mathew Barzal only in the initial phase of his return, and I guessed the lineup for tomorrow against the Lightning with Cal Ritchie potentially centering the first line and Bo Horvat being out recovering.  Enjoy! Chapters 00:00 NYI vs. CHI Game Recap and the Bo Horvat Injury 04:15 Kyle Palmieri Doesn't Look Like Himself Yet07:00 Logan Stanley and Anthony Duclair Deserve Their Flowers 10:15 Alexander Romanov Is Out for the Season  12:30 What Does the Lineup Look Like Without Horvat and Barzal?18:04  Ilya Sorokin Is the Best Goalie in the NHLSocials: https://linktr.ee/islesden

  5. Oct 7

    Short Term Pain For Long Term Gain | Islanders vs. Rangers Postgame

    Welcome back to the Isles Den Podcast! Jack wasn't planning on recording tonight, but after the Islanders fell 3-2 to the Rangers in game three of the season, there were too many takeaways to sit on — both positive and negative. On the bright side, Victor Eklund and Cal Ritchie continue to look like foundational pieces, with Ritchie outwaiting Shesterkin to tie the game and Eklund showing a level of grit you don't expect from a rookie. Ondrej Palat and Brayden Schenn have been two of the biggest surprises of the young season, Matias Maccelli picked up his first point as an Islander, and Semyon Varlamov made the timely saves to give his team a chance late. On the other side, the third line and Kyle Palmieri are struggling, the special teams were a rough watch, Ryan Pulock's tough start continued, and Matthew Schaefer finally had a human night after shouldering a massive workload. With Alexander Romanov leaving the game injured, Jack broke down what the defense pairs could look like going forward and why Mathew Barzal's return can't come soon enough. Enjoy! Chapters 00:00 NYI vs. NYR Game Recap02:57 Victor Eklund and Cal Ritchie Look Like Foundational Pieces05:45 Ondrej Palat and Brayden Schenn Are Surprising08:55 The Realities11:50 Romanov Injury Fallout, Barzal Updates and the Blackhawks Up NextRomanov Injury Fallout, Barzal Updates and the Blackhawks Up Next

  6. Oct 5

    Great Signs From Pete DeBoer's Islanders...

    Welcome back to the Isles Den Podcast! Joined by Brandon. (@Brandon266946), we recapped the Islanders statement 6-0 victory over the New Jersey Devils during the Isles home-opener on Saturday. We also discussed how Victor Eklund and Calum Ritchie are impressing already early on this season, while touching on the game against the Toronto Maple Leafs from Wednesday. They delve into Pete DeBoer's strategies, and the overall dynamics of this team as they navigate the early part of the season. Playoff hopes, prospect pipeline, and coaching impact carried us through a very positive podcast that we hope you enjoy! Chapters 00:00 Introduction and NYI vs. NJ Game Recap03:00 Victor Eklund Scores His First NHL Goal05:59 Ondrej Palat Impressing!08:48 Matthew Schaefer and Adam Pelech are DYNAMIC12:01 Cole Eiserman Development Is Trending Well21:47 Can The Islanders Make The Playoffs?25:26 Can Pete DeBoer be the next Barry Trotz?30:17 What does the lineup look like with Barzal coming back?38:21 Patience is key when evaluating Cal Ritchie or Victor EklundSocials: https://linktr.ee/islesden

  7. Oct 1

    Hockey Is Back! | Islanders vs. Maple Leafs Takeaways

    Welcome back to the Isles Den Podcast. Hockey is officially back! Today Jack shared all of his takeaways from the New York Islanders season opener against the Toronto Maple Leafs, a game where the Isles came up just short on the scoreboard but left plenty of reasons to be impressed. We kicked things off with a reaction to Pierre LeBrun's new article on Mathieu Darche before getting into the on-ice takeaways. Cal Ritchie and Victor Eklund both looked good in their first game action of the season, Emil Heineman buried an excellent goal, and Jack made his case for why Simon Holmstrom deserves an extended run on the first line. It's one game out of 82, and if the Islanders bring this level of play every night, the results will come. The live postgame shows are back for the season and streaming on TikTok, so make sure you're following along after every Islanders game. Enjoy! Chapters 00:00 Intro0:44 Mathieu Darche Pierre LeBrun article reaction09:47 NYI vs. TOR Postgame: Cal Ritchie, Victor Eklund, Emil Heineman, Matthew Schaefer impress!17:15 Breaking Down Simon Holmstrom's Role19:15: Islanders Ownership Sells 15% Pierre LeBrun/Mathieu Darche Article

  8. Sep 25

    Can The Islanders Be A Surprise This Season?

    Welcome back to the Isles Den Podcast for our annual season preview show! Today Jack shared his takeaways from the preseason matchup with the Rangers where Kashawn Aitcheson and Matias Maccelli impressed, graded Mathieu Darche's offseason, and laid out the blueprint for how this team can surprise people under new head coach Pete DeBoer before answering all of the New York Islanders questions from you guys! Fans were wondering how the Mathew Barzal injury shakes up the opening night lineup, if Victor Eklund has already locked up a roster spot, and if Simon Holmstrom can finally break out in a contract year. We had some fun discussions like my ideal power play units and my opening night forward predictions as well. We also touched on why Matthew Schaefer and Ilya Sorokin are the two true game breakers who make this team so hard to predict, and Semyon Varlamov's incredible return to the crease after two years away. Hockey is officially back on Long Island as the regular season kicks off next Wednesday in Toronto. The live streamed postgame shows return next week too, now streaming on TikTok, so make sure you're following along all season long! Chapters * 00:00 Intro and Isles Content Updates * 01:09 Preseason NYI vs. NYR: Matias Maccelli and Kashawn Aitcheson Impress * 04:20 Grading Mathieu Darche and the Isles Offseason * 05:53 Season Preview & Predictions * 08:16 How great will Matthew Schaefer and Ilya Sorokin be? * 08:43 NHL Goaltending Landscape * 10:30 Mathew Barzal Injury  * 13:22 NYI Team Depth, Can It Improve? * 14:49 Semyon Varlamov Returns  * 15:56 Victor Eklund Is Impressing Everyone * 17:40 The Pete DeBoer fit * 19:12 Q&A Socials: https://linktr.ee/islesden https://www.youtube.com/@IslesDen?sub_confirmation=1 https://www.tiktok.com/@islesden https://www.instagram.com/islesden https://www.twitter.com/IslesDen

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Ratings & Reviews

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About

The Isles Den Podcast is an independent New York Islanders show hosted by Jack (@IslesDen). Live postgame editions after every Islanders game, on air within about 40 minutes of the final horn, plus a weekly episode year-round covering all things Isles and the NHL. An honest fan perspective from someone who's lived through the highs, the rebuilds and everything in between. Watch on YouTube or listen on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Information

  • Creator
    Isles Den
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    20
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Isles Den
  • Show Website
    Isles Den Podcast

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