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[Gameday Bits] Frans Beats the Rap, Brock Joins the Family Business and Mike Bossy: Sharpshooter

You thought you could frame Frans Nielsen? Let him take the fall? Think again, Ryan Kesler.

By Dan Saraceni
A rare sight: four Vancouver Canucks standing upright at the same time
A rare sight: four Vancouver Canucks standing upright at the same time
Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

The Islanders are in Pittsburgh tonight but you're wherever you are, reading these. Advantage: you.

Last night's NHL scores. Important reminder: own goals and back-breaking late goals don't just happen to the Islanders. This gaffe sent last night's Blackhawks-Lightning game to overtime, where Tampa won 6-5.

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Islanders news:

  • In case you missed the news yesterday, Brian Strait won't play against the Penguins on Friday because of an upper body injury, per Arthur Staple. Hence the return of Radek Martinek.
  • No Visnovsky, No Grabner, No Strait but, fortunately, Frans Nielsen will play for the Islanders. Nielsen won't face any discipline for a hit he laid on Ryan Kesler on Tuesday because Kesler is a dirty diver according to actual Canucks bloggers Pass it to Bulis. [PITB]
  • John Jeansonne of Newsday talks to Brock Nelson about the forward's famous family, including uncle and 1980 Team USA member Dave Christian and Grandpa Willie*. [New$day]
  • USA Today's sports blog For The Win examines the dynasty Islanders originating of the playoff beard phenomenon. Despite what ESPN says, life does not center around the Red Sox. [FTW]
  • Eyes on Isles tries to compare Garth Snow's work with Bill Torrey's. SPOILER ALERT: You can't. It's just an exercise. Relax. [EoI]
  • garik guests at Islanders Point Blank and tempts ridicule, humiliation and death threats to prove that Pierre-Marc Bouchard has played well for the Islanders so far this season. [IPB]
  • Mike Bossy was awesome. This, we know. Relive the magic with hockey history blog Third String Goalie. And follow that dude on Twitter for a daily dose of great players and uniforms. [Third String Goalie]
  • FIG Picks for tonight: Leave your First Islanders Goal picks over here.

* - Made that one up. But Brock and Willie Nelson could be related. You never know.

Still with the Spano?

Yes. Just a few more links before the balcony is finally closed for Big Shot.

  • AUDIO: Spano called in for a short interview with Joe Beningo and Evan Roberts of WFAN yesterday. A few interesting tidbits were heard, but the biggest revelation to me was that Joe Beningo is still on WFAN. [WFAN]
  • Eyes on Isles asks an intriguing question: what if Spano had completed his purchase of the team? [EoI]
  • Old news but: during this week's Monday Night Football, Mike Tirico plugged Big Shot and said the Islanders now play in Brooklyn. His Twitter followers corrected him en mas and he responded humorously (with the wrong handle, but whatever):
  • In case you haven't or can't see it on ESPN, Big Shot is now available for download (in both HD and SD) on iTunes. [iTunes]

Last Change:

  • Down Goes Brown looks at all the goals scored by goalies. Feel free to skip the Jose Theodore one against the the Islanders. I was at that game. I don't need to see it again. [Grantland]
  • Arctic Ice Hockey runs down some common misconceptions about #fancystats. [AIH]
  • Everybody's Hurt!: Loui Eriksson is out indefinitely with a John Scott-induced concussion [Stanley Cup of Chowder], Taylor Hall is out a month with a bum knee [Copper and Blue], Cam Ward's done for three to four weeks with a lower body injury [SB Nation] and Pekka Rinne will miss four weeks with a hip injury which is never a problem for goalies, right Rick? [On the Forecheck]. Oh, and Tim Thomas is on injured reserve, too [Litterbox Cats]. Phew! Did I miss anyone?

Whoa. YES Network talking Islanders with John Tavares? Hm. Guess Yankeeography: Spike Owen and Yankeeography: Pascual Perez weren't ready to air yet.

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