Islanders Gameday News: Unchained, yeah ya hit the ground running

It's here. Islanders opening day 2014. Try not to devour each other whole on the first night.

Islanders links

• Bad News: Michael Grabner will miss 4-6 weeks after having hernia surgery. Remember, kids: lift with your knees. [LHH]
• New$day's Neil Best follows up Arthur Staple's report that the sale of the Islanders to Jon Ledecky and Scott Malkin has been approved and a press conference is scheduled for next Wednesday.
• Staple has a bucketload of stories in New$day ahead of the Islanders opener: With new additions, Islanders feel they are a contender. | Three new Islanders to watch | Keys to Success | John Tavares, Kyle Okposo and Jack Capuano on using "They Shit on Me, Too" as an inspiration. ($ub$cription$ only)
• Eric Hornick brings the season opening Skinny (note the new url).
• I was on the Cheaters Never Win podcast on Wednesday talking Islanders and previewing this weekend's double dip with the Hurricanes. It's a great podcast with fun hosts that love hockey and beer. Subscribe on iTunes or listen here at their site.
• VIDEO: New$day premiered a video series chronicling the final year at Nassau Coliseum. Episode 1 is about how the ice is painted. It's more interesting than that description makes it sound.
• The Brooklyn Daily Eagle gets in on the "Old Barn" action.
• The Islanders are looking to put up some more banners as they exit Long Island. [Washington Post]
• If the team struggles out of the gate, will Jack Capuano's seat start getting warm? [CBS NY]
• Brian Strait has good PK numbers. Really. [FanPost by NDRE]
• The Sound Tigers roster is set. [LHH]. And chemistry is key. [CT Post]
• Bob Nystrom is older than most of us and could kick our asses around the block. Here he is completing his first Iron Man run at 61. [New$day]
• Donate blood at Nassau Coliseum on October 16th and receive tickets to an Islanders game. Not a bad deal. [Long Island.com]
• FIG Picks season: Log your First Islanders Goal picks for tonight's game. Don't know, or don't remember the rules? Check this FanPost for an overview.

Around the League

• Last night's NHL scores. FLOLyers are 0-2 after a wild loss to the Devils, and Dan Boyle broke his hand in the Rangers win in St. Louis and will miss 4-6 weeks. [The Score]
  
• Chris Pronger is very close to being names to the Department of Player Safety while remaining on LTIR with the Flyers, per Bob McKenzie. Greg Wyshynski says this is not as big a deal as you think it is.
• Gary Bettman says many things about many things [NHL.com]. One of them is a less than veiled shot at the NFL [SB Nation]
• Puck Daddy's NHL Awards predictions feature a couple of Islanders.
• Roberto Luongo is right at home in the Sunshine State. [ESPN]
• A new Canadian show called Hometown Heroes will feature Eric Lindros and may finally humanize the E-Train. [Greatest Hockey Legends]
• The Adirondack Flames introduced a new mascot in a skit invoking a tragic fire. That was not a good idea. Now they're apologizing. That's a good idea.
• Their parent team is facing the wrath of Sven Baertschi's father, who didn't take his son's demotion kindly. Now Sven is forced to explain his dad's reaction. [Calgary Sun]
• Buying minority interest in NHL teams is the new black. [The Deal.com]
• Average heights, weights and ages of NHL clubs via James Mirtle's blog. The Islanders are among the heaviest, shortest and youngest clubs in the league.
• Oilers lose game, fan throws Oilers clothes (and cell phone) on the ice. It's like hockey never really truly left. [Slam Sports]

It's Friday, the Islanders' season is finally here and they're in Carolina. Let's do something a little different: Van Halen, 1982, Nassau Coliseum, Pretty Woman (song kicks in at 2:00). Let's all be a little like Diamond Dave and have fun out there this year.