Islanders Bits: Nino's Progress; Mock Drafts; Best GMs?

The New York Islanders won last night and even enjoyed the pleasure of some insurance goals. Revisit recaps of the 6-3 win from LHH | nhl.com | Isles | HabsEOTP | Newsday | Montreal Gazette recap + post-game quotes | Inside/Out: Goaltending controversy? | Fun quotes from Radek in AP

NEW: Tavares on CBS Radio.

Nice feature during last night's intermission on Brock Nelson. If you missed it, I'd expect it to be on one of the official sites soon. Aside from the obvious Ryan Strome, Nelson is the Isles prospect I'm most excited about. Frans-like awareness, except with better size and scoring instincts. Will he work as an NHL center? Will the Isles be loaded up the middle?

Meanwhile, down in Bridgeport, Nino Niederreiter's scoring has tailed off in the second half (along with the rest of the team, which has been hit by NHL callups and injuries). The Connecticut Post has a story on his progress, including:

"He's (had) shifts where I kind of jump out of my seat, like, `wow,'" Bridgeport coach Scott Pellerin said.

"At times, there's still so much to work on. It's finding that consistency. Points are one thing. I just want consistency. If you do that, you're going to get rewarded."

Also on the farm, a line shuffle that re-unites the 2010 draftees Nino, Nelson, and Kirill Kabanov.

More:

• The Rangers are up next. So, attention D.C.-area and D.C.-accessible fans: A meetup is being planned for Thursday night's Rangers game [I originally had this wrong] in the D.C. area. Check this FanShot for details. Tell your friends. Especially if they know who Bob Mason is.
• Butch Goring's appearance on Home Ice.
  
• Justin Bourne says the two lowest payrolls in the league belong to two of the five best GMs. Yes, that means Garth Snow and Doug Armstrong are on his list.
• Updated PDO numbers (through Sunday night): The Islanders are the unluckiest of them all! (So last night was a little karma refund from the hockey gods.)
  
• Former ref Kerry Fraser tackles Claude Julien's "embellishing" comments.
• Hey look, it's already mock draft time: Valeri Nich-gesundheit to the Isles at #7. (I feel compelled to remind everyone that the 30th-place team only has a 25% chance of retaining the top pick, and everyone worse than the lottery winner will move down a slot in the draft.)
• Heh: Sens need to drop the gloves to get ahead | Senators | Sports | Ottawa Sun
• Should Oilers fans be freaking out about the Nuge?
• Marc Staal's puck to the eye last night is downright scary, with no public updates on his condition last night. His teammates were frightened ... and still don't support mandatory visors.
• In light of the Feaster Fiasco, some great NHL debacles on this list. I'd add to it when Jacques Demers agreed to coach the Red Wings while he was still Blues coach though: Great Debacles in NHL History - The Triangle Blog - Grantland