Isles Gameday Bits: Final Road Trip Begins in Toronto

The New York Islanders are in Toronto today, the first stop on their five-game road string to finish out the season and, Dubie willing, seal a playoff spot for the first time since 2007.

Also seeking to lock one of those up for the first time in ages? Tonight's opponent, the Toronto Reimer & the Maple Leafs.

Just four games in the league last night, none of them impacting the Isles playoff chase much, though Buffalo's win in Boston pulled them to within two points of eighth place in the East (though they have just four games left). The cool thing about that game was the pregame tributes and crowd-sung anthem, viewable at TSN here or in the NHL.com links here. Both teams saluted the fans after the game.

Some (mostly) Islanders links:

• The Times on their road quest.
• Newsday on Jack Capuano, and how his approach changed as he moved up to the pros.
• CBS on the road ahead.
• The official site, first on Nabokov's influence, then on the final stretch of games.
• Bridgeport has shut down Matt Watkins, Joey Diamond and Mike Halmo.
• Rick DiPietro on his Sound Tigers experience this year.
  
• Bob Bourne guests on his son's podcast at Backhand Shelf.
• Did you enjoy the Law & Owner Series, concluding with the John Spano one yesterday? PGI has more scraps from the cutting room floor.
• Uh oh, Paul Bissonnette has discovered Vine.
• Jimmy Howard's defensemen must hate him.
  
• Finally, a cool effort to try to keep sequestration from closing the Cleland rink at Fort Bragg.

D.C. Fans

D.C. fans gathering to watch the Isles game at 51st State tonight. Chime in here, don't be shy.

FIG Picks

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

How wild would it be if the Isles, Leafs, Wild and Blue Jackets all made the playoffs this year? (Yeah yeah, insert your lockout asterisks over there.)