Hockey Night In New York - A New York Islanders Podcast · Hockey Night In New York

12/28/25 - Riding the Metro! Guest: Arthur Staple, HNiNY

December 29, 2025·1 hr 18 min·5 clips

Arthur says the Islanders’ defensive turnaround starts with Sorokin and Riddick playing at a high level.

Hockey Night in New York opens from Bagel Boss in Hewlett with a holiday-weekend live show. Sean Cuthbert welcomes listeners and sets the mood around the Islanders after a couple of wins. Mikey Carver fills in for Arthur Staple at the start, with Arthur expected to call in later. The hosts keep the pace brisk and stay on the team's current state. A big part of the conversation is roster usage and what the lineup could look like if the Islanders keep collecting points. They talk through the idea of making an addition if the team wants a player who fits the middle-six winger role better. Patrick Watt’s comfort with the fourth line comes up as part of that roster picture. The current group of McLean, Sosikis, and Gatcombe gets treated as a line with a clear job. They also circle back to the top six and the way Horvat, Heinemann, and Barzal fit into it. The point is not that the roster is broken. The point is that some spots still do not create enough offense for a team that wants more than survival. That leads into a broader question about the defensive turnaround. The hosts expected a looser season, one filled with four-three and five-four games with more chaos on both ends. Instead, the team has tightened up. Arthur’s side of the conversation pushes that idea toward goaltending. Sorokin, especially, is framed as a major reason the team has steadied. Staple points to goalie metrics and notes that Sorokin sits near the top of the league in goals saved above expectation. That kind of play is the base layer for the defensive improvement. From there, the discussion moves outward to how the rest of the team is supporting it. The episode keeps coming back to the same practical questions: who can drive more offense, who can keep holding a role, and what happens if the Islanders decide to change the mix. The conversation stays grounded in current form rather than big theory. It sounds like fans sorting through a team that is better than expected but still not fully settled. The live setting adds to the feeling that this is hockey talk happening in real time. By the end, the episode has a clear picture of where the Islanders stand and what still needs a hard look.

As heard by us

A brisk Islanders reset built around lineup calls, goalie form, and steadier play in front.

Recorded at Bagel Boss in Hewlett, the segment moves from a couple wins into lineup usage, the middle six, and where the Islanders can find more offense.

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