Islanders News: Nelson, Reinhart, Diamond on Push to Make Team

Just 10 days until the Islanders open the regular season. Some NHL and Islanders news and links to get you through your Wednesday:

• The Islanders post about the five rookies skating with the NHL camp.
• And source video of many of those quotes here.
• Associated Press: Tavares ready to lead Islanders back to playoffs.
  
• Griffin Reinhart on honing his game and hopes of making the team.
• Newsday on Brock Nelson's attempt to make the team, plus John Tavares on the need for such guys to push the vets for roster spots.
  
• The Post on Long Beach's Joey Diamond following the pro hockey dream.
• The Yahoo Sports Minute includes excruciating detail about an Islanders player avoiding streaking the background of a John Tavares locker room interview. The more you know.
• NYmag on the limited view seats sold at Barclays. Going to be interesting when that move happens, because the people most shocked by limited view seats will end up being people who haven't paid close attention to the situation -- i.e. potential new customers.
• Isles "on the brink of greatness," says The Checking Line.
• The Times on the economics of the new Coliseum plan.

Elsewhere

• TSN Insider Trading scuttlebutt includes: The Ducks are "a little underwhelmed with Dustin Penner" and "Jake Allen has been the best goaltender bar none, better than Jaroslav Halak and Brian Elliott for the St. Louis Blues but he's quite likely going to get demoted because he can be sent down."
• Phil Kessel is suspended for the rest of the preseason, while Sabres coach Ron Rolston was fined.
• A great sendup of "The Code" in hockey.
• More humor at Down Goes Brown: Phil Kessel's suspension hearing: The top secret transcript
• And speaking of preseason fightfests, a proposal on fixing the preseason. I like the idea of keeping rosters expanded early in the regular season.
• Gotta muscle up though: MacIntyre's Return To Edmonton Leaves The Western Conference Paralyzed With Fear - The Copper & Blue
• The Oilers beat the Rangers in preseason, getting goals from several of their stars -- you know, Jordan Eberle, David Perron, Taylor Hall, Ben Eager.
• Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf don't want to settle for just that one Cup that is increasingly long ago.

From Elliotte Friedman's 30 Thoughts has teams noting that Toronto won divisional games after initiating fightfests last season, so its rivals are enjoying seeing the tables turned. Also in 30 Thoughts, Ryan Miller on goaltender equipment regulation:

"...You have to have an even playing field. It shouldn't come down to how much extra space can you fill in with your chest protector, your pants, your knee pads, your pads...What position are you going to get into to stop the puck? And I know everyone has got a different body type, but we're not going to go anywhere with that...Gotta play with what God gave you, so we're just trying to keep it more to the sport and not so much throwing furniture in the way."

Some Tweets

On the growing number of Sound Tigers in Sweden:

Tambellini, Colliton, DiBenedetto, Rhakshani, Frischmon, Romano, Figren.. Bridgeport Soundtigers takes Sweden.

— Robin Figren (@figge_22) September 24, 2013

On the hallucinations of one Jack Edwards, Bruins lie-by-play man.

Great fight with @TheRecker19 and Lucic. http://t.co/fAh6NFmpFh I wouldn't mind watching the fight the commentator was watching too! #Caps

— Eric Fehr (@EricFehr) September 25, 2013

Video

Not preseason, but an early-season Islanders-Sabres gang fight from 2008: