The Islanders put out the Senators

Palmieri's double keeps the Islanders burning

Two was never enough

This was a virtual match. Each team played its own game on qualification night, and whichever scored more went through. The Ottawa Senators finished 9th of 32 last season and the New York Islanders 19th. Neither club made it past qualification night in 2025-26. One of them would go dark again, leaving 24 flames on the shelf.

In Ottawa, the St. Louis Blues buried the Senators. Pius Suter struck short-handed with a snap shot at 14:28 of the 1st. Claude Giroux answered with a wrist shot at 17:52 of the 2nd, and Mason McTavish replied on the backhand 0:33 later. After that the 3rd belonged to St. Louis: Suter, Jake Neighbours, McTavish on the power play, then defenseman Adam Jiricek. Fabian Zetterlund's power-play wrist shot at 18:33 got Ottawa a second goal. Two was the number the Islanders had to beat.

Palmieri breaks the tie

At UBS Arena, Kyle Palmieri tipped in the opener against the Vancouver Canucks at 14:57 of the 1st, and Matias Maccelli followed with a wrist shot 0:53 later. Vancouver came back. Max Sasson scored at 7:52 of the 2nd, then Brock Boeser tied it on the power play at 18:55. With two goals, the Islanders were level with Ottawa. Palmieri settled it at 5:38 of the 3rd with a wrist shot set up by Maccelli and Matthew Schaefer. Ilya Sorokin stopped 24 of 26, the Senators' candle was snuffed, and the Islanders burn on.