The 2025-26 NHL season is more than a month old, and with Thanksgiving just around the corner, the community is finally getting a sense of how each team is expected to fare in the coming, very eventful months.
If there is one team that has really turned the season around for itself in this past month, it is the New York Islanders. The team has won five of its past six games, falling only once to the formidable Colorado Avalanche. Their latest 3-2 win against the Dallas Stars was a testimony to the team’s nagging hunger for redemption, but it wasn’t without a fair share of drama.
New York Islanders HC Goes Ballistic on Mikko Rantanen After On-Ice Fiasco
Stars could not save face at home, as their Herculean efforts fell short in front of the Islanders. Jason Robertson scored twice with assists from Mikko Rantanen and Miro Heiskanen. However, a moment arrived when the mood at the American Airlines Center shifted rapidly, for a reason far removed from the game itself.
Rantanen collided at high speed with Alex Romanov, causing the latter to collapse. Romanov later needed assistance to get off the ice. Officials warranted Rantanen’s contact to be a game misconduct, in addition to being slapped with a 5-minute major.
Mikko Rantanen received a 5-minute major and a game misconduct for this hit from behind on Alex Romanov 🤕
Romanov needed assistance getting off the ice. pic.twitter.com/LaPPPcMcod
— Gino Hard (@GinoHard_) November 19, 2025
Rantanen also had to deal with the fiery temper of Patrick Roy on the sidelines. Furious at how things developed on the ice, Roy failed to keep his temper in check. He chirped at Rantanen from the Islanders bench several times, “You are not gonna f***ing finish that game!”.
“You’re not gonna f**king finish that game!” 😳
Patrick Roy was GIVING IT to Mikko Rantanen after his boarding major 🤬 pic.twitter.com/9cz8R98kUP
— Gino Hard (@GinoHard_) November 19, 2025
Besides not being by the books, Roy alleged that Rantanen’s act was disrespectful. “No one was happy to see someone get hurt like this. Like I said, to me, it’s disrespectful for our guys,” the Islanders HC shared during a post-game media availability. As a former coach of the Avalanche when rookie Rantanen was just starting his NHL career, Roy also added that whatever transpired between the winger and Romanov was not typically Rantanen’s style.
However, there is some room for contention surrounding the whole event. Many believe that Scott Mayfield’s skating behind him also compromised Rantanen. The Stars’ head coach, Glenn Gulutzan, forwarded his take on the Rantanen-Romanov debacle.
“If you watch the play, I think Mayfield holds up Rants and they actually clip skates. So Rants is going off-balance going in there, too. If you played the game and you are off balance, you usually put your hands out,” Gulutzan weighed in.
The community stands divided on the issue, with many fans believing that Roy’s outburst was unjustified. Yet others think that he did the right thing by expressing his unconditional support for Romanov.
