Lighthouse Hockey: Try to fixate on something else.
What on earth is going on in the Metropolitan Division? More narrowly, the metropolitan trio in the Metropolitan Division? For the second time this week, the New York Islanders made a trade with one of their next door neighbors in a move that again appears to aid both parties. The Isles sent winger Max Tsyplakov […]
about 1 month ago | 4 reads
The Islanders rebounded from a blah road trip and a worse return home by shutting out the Flyers — with a goal from each special team! — but the most interesting news of the day was confirmation that they were making a trade…with the {plugs nose} Rangers, of all teams. They acquired pending UFA defenseman […]
about 1 month ago | 5 reads
There were some lineup swaps tonight with Cal Ritchie (lower body injury) and Simon Holmstrom (illness) out. Max Tsyplakov and Marc Gatcomb drew into the lineup, giving both of them an opportunity to make an impression after a tough game for the Islanders against Buffalo. The Islanders bounced back tonight in Philadelphia, with JG Pageau […]
about 1 month ago | 4 reads
Mother Nature isn’t the only one capable of bringing down a storm. We had so much to discuss that we broke this episode into two parts. In Part 1, Mike and Dan find the Islanders at a low point after an average road trip and a disastrous return game. In three games this week, the […]
about 1 month ago | 4 reads
The Islanders will try to rediscover their game, or at least their look, with a visit to Philadelphia tonight. The Flyers are just two points back with a game in hand, coming off a potential “statement” victory in Colorado. That third position in the Metro the Isles currently (and tenuously) hold has become more prominent […]
about 1 month ago | 7 reads
The Islanders returned home and fell to the surging Sabres in what evolved into a 5-0 blowout after a competitive period and a half. Bo Horvat returned to the lineup but was one of 13 Islanders shooters who failed to beat Alex Lyon — indeed, Horvat logged four SOG while Emil Heineman had six — […]
about 1 month ago | 6 reads
The Islanders are back from the road and primed for that classic “first game after the trip” letdown, although several games on their Western sojourn were a letdown, so hopefully they don’t feel like they can ease into things. Meeting them this afternoon in Elmont are the Buffalo Sabres, who have been on an absolute […]
about 2 months ago | 5 reads
Joined by Skates at the Stakes’ AJ DeVito, we remember defenseman Robin Salo, who never seemed to get a real chance with the Islanders and then disappeared without a trace. Many sports fans have their favorite “pet prospects” that they root for to make it in the pros. Not only does AJ count Robin Salo […]
about 2 months ago | 10 reads
The Islanders have emptied their suitcases, reacquainted themselves with family and hopefully got a good nap in as they returned from an epic but so-so seven-game road trip out west. They’ve got seven games left before the Olympic break, all fairly local (trips to D.C. and Philly are as far as they go), and the […]
about 2 months ago | 6 reads
Well, that sucked. While the power play has been an issue for this team for a while, with multiple different coaches struggling to find a combination that works consistently on a team that’s struggled to find finishing talent, it still seems like something’s got to change with this current coaching staff. 1-for-7 against the very […]
about 2 months ago | 7 reads
They’re almost finished! The Islanders will finish their season-long seven-game road trip in Seattle tonight, with a chance to make it 4-2-1, which would be a success no matter how they get there. Seattle has lost three in a row and is just outside the wild card in the West. But they feel like they’re […]
about 2 months ago | 7 reads
The Islanders needed to win in Vancouver — home of the last-place Canucks — and they did but it was not pretty nor reassuring as they squeaked by with a comeback 4-3 victory over a team that was winless in its last 10 coming in. Anthony Duclair continued his One Hot Road Trip with a […]
about 2 months ago | 6 reads
Mike and Dan recap a week of bizarre Islanders games and bring forth an epic Master Leaf Theatre/Ranger Piece Theater double feature with special guest Dominik Jansky. The Western Canada portion of their road trip has seen one exhilarating and miraculous win and two disappointing losses full of missed opportunities. By playing in fits and […]
about 2 months ago | 3 reads
The Islanders have two games left on the big seven-game trip, with tonight in Vancouver feeling like a “gotta have it” two points. With the Olympic break nearing, these next two games could be big for not only how the trip ledger balances out but also where the season heads. Dan and Mike talk about […]
about 2 months ago | 4 reads
Some nights your goalie stands on his head and stuns an offense led by the most dangerous forward in the world, some afternoons you’re down 4-0 before the other team has gotten its 12th shot. The Islanders lost 4-2 in Calgary despite outshooting and outchancing the Flames, though still making enough mistakes to do themselves […]
about 2 months ago | 6 reads
I am still reeling from that Ilya Sorokin performance on Thursday in Edmonton. Ye gods, that was a masterpiece. But anyway, on to the next one. The Islanders are in Calgary for an afternoon meeting, and David Rittich will start against his former team (though as he noted, there aren’t a lot of former teammates […]
about 2 months ago | 5 reads
After an even first period, the Edmonton Oilers really took over the game tonight and the New York Islanders looked lost. But while Connor Ingram was pretty good for the Oilers, turning away 17 of 18 shots, he was no Ilya Sorokin. Sorokin rebounded nicely from a rough night in Winnipeg, picking up his fifth […]
about 2 months ago | 7 reads
The Islanders’ road train is in Alberta for the end of the week, with a meeting vs. the Oilers in Edmonton on the docket. The goalie matchup looks like Ilya Sorokin opposite Connor Ingram. It appears the lineup will remain the same as the 5-4 loss in Winnipeg, including Max Tsyplakov as a scratch and […]
about 2 months ago | 3 reads
The Islanders reversed a 3-0 deficit in the second period but promptly fell behind by two in a sloppily played second period by both sides that typified their Tuesday night in Winnipeg. The result was a 5-4 regulation loss — the Isles got one back with a sixth attacker after several never-give-up efforts to prevent […]
about 2 months ago | 5 reads
The Islanders are in Winnipeg, the Land of Butchie, where the Jets are just above the league basement but have finally won two in a row. Meanwhile, the Jets’ former coach landed a new gig after the NHL’s latest firing. For the Islanders, a lineup change that is consistent and a non-change that is out […]
about 2 months ago | 5 reads
Mike and Dan recap a productive week for the Islanders and celebrate the performances of Ilya Sorokin, Anthony Duclair and Simon Holmstrom. The Islanders grabbed five of a possible six points in three very different games this week. One was a blowout that starred Duclair and also required 44 saves from Sorokin, giving him a […]
about 2 months ago | 8 reads
Fresh off stealing one from one of the league’s few top teams (thanks, Ilya and Simon!), the Islanders now head to the President’s Trophy winner that has fallen on hard, near-bottom times — though the Jets have now won consecutive games for the first time since November. Before the Isles got to Winnipeg, they enjoyed […]
about 2 months ago | 9 reads
Simon Holmstrom had his biggest game as an Islander and Ilya Sorokin kept the Wild barrage at bay as the Isles won in overtime, 4-3 in Minnesota. This was an occasion where the Islanders were not the better side, but they refused to wilt nor slow their tempo against one of the top teams in […]
about 2 months ago | 9 reads
The Islanders road trip chapter 2 is Saturday night in Minnesota, where Bill Guerin is riding high after acquiring Quinn Hughes while absorbing shots for not taking Your Favorite Player on the U.S. Olympic team that will play next month in the half-constructed rink in Italy. The Wild are tied with Dallas at 60 points […]
about 2 months ago | 4 reads
Along with author and Capitals expert Ted Starkey, we remember Richard Zednik, a talented player and borderline legend for three NHL teams, but a footnote in Islanders history. Zednik started his career with the bang, as an exciting rookie on the Capitals 1998 Stanley Cup final team. He hit a new level after being traded […]
2 months ago | 7 reads