Gameday Bits: Isles prospects; Outdoor jersey; Wider rinks? DiPietro done again

Thomas Hickey and Andrew MacDonald skated yesterday, so while they remain banged up, it appears the feared escalation of the injury crisis has not happened...yet.

The Isles are back in action tonight at home against Winnipeg. U.S. Thanksgiving is tomorrow, which makes tonight "Skanksgiving" -- the night when collegians return home, hit the clubs, and practice hookup tricks they learned during first semester.

Islanders Reads

• Jack Capuano from yesterday's skate: "You can’t get beat off the wall. That’s something our guys see, and they have to understand that. They have to believe in one another and trust one another, but at the end of the day you have to win your battles. I’ve been saying that since day one. Nothing changes." [LIB]
• Frans Nielsen talks about being Frans Nielsen, and when Anders Kallur found him. [Voice of Russia]
  
• The jjersey for the outdoor game? Alright, whatever. Definitely stakes a claim for "NY."
  
• Brian Burke says the Islanders agreed at one point to build a wider rink, but it's not happening because Brooklyn. [Sun]
  
• Dan Petriw talks to Anders Lee and Ryan Strome. [HockeyBuzz]
• Also on Bridgeport: Sharing in the organization's struggles. [The Checking Line]
• Updated prospect stats [Isles]
• More on Jesse Graham's OHL trade to Saginaw [Buzzing the Net]
• The Isles Island Harvest food drive.
  
• Is waiver-wire guy Rusty Klesla a fit for the Isles? No. [IPB]
  
• Speaking of Klesla, I remember when he was billed as a Pronger type. For prospects, he's far from alone.
  
• You probably heard yesterday: Rick DiPietro was granted his release from his 25-game PTO with AHL Charlotte.
• This was DiPietro talking about his comeback last week when the Isles were in Toronto. [Globe and Mail]
  

This is Joey Diamond:

Elsewhere

• Dan delivers the funny, and the "Poutine Age Wasteland": The truth behind recent NHL injuries - SBNation.com
• Zach Parise will be out a little while. [SB Nation]
  
• What is Going on With Damien Brunner? - In Lou We Trust
• What does the new Rogers TV deal mean for NHL viewers up north? [The Score]
• But I was told only the Islanders do such things: Why the Capitals keep recalling, but don’t play, Dmitry Orlov
• Hockey parents are the worst: Fan, coach abuse causing referee crisis in hockey | Puck Daddy
• Those Cornell guys play smaht hahckey, like this freshman goalie who scored in his debut.
• The concussion and bodychecking lawsuit against the NHL is as odd as the collection of players who signed on.
  

FIG Picks

Leave your First Islanders Goal picks for tonight's game over yonder.