Islanders Gameday News: Wish upon a Frans; Blueline Bombers; Farm Reports

First Islanders Goal picks for tonight can be left here. Game time is 7 pm.

Islanders news

• Frans Nielsen was named the NHL's Third Star of the Week. But you already knew that by the lightning, thunder and rain of frogs that followed. [LHH]
• Hockey Goalie Eh's neat Fanpost puts the Islanders' maddening fourth line usage into perspective.
• The Islanders' defensemen have been bringing the offense this season. [Newsday]
• Jonathan Willis examines Johnny Boychuk's career to see if his offensive outburst will continue. [Bleacher Report - no slideshow]
• Point Blank's podcast welcomes Garth Snow, who has a fun story to tell about his first game at the Coliseum as a visiting player.
• One of the topics discussed was re-signing Boychuk. [PHT]
• A real nice walkthrough of what a game at Nassau Coliseum feels like. [Eyes on Isles]
• Some of the players buoying your fantasy team will eventually stop doing that. [Rotoworld]
• The Islanders official prospect round-up.
• The Sound Tigers wrap up their weekend set against St. John's.
• CT Post's Michael Fornabaio checks in on the Stockton Thunder.
• The Islanders spent some time with a pair of special fans through the Make-a-Wish Foundation. [Islanders]
• HUGE NEWS: The Islanders now have an official oral care product: BasicBites. [Dr. Bicuspid]

Fancystats by garik, who has been a busy beaver

• Islanders Neutral Zone info for Game 6 vs Toronto | Game 7 vs Boston | Game 8 vs Dallas
• Bayes-Adjusted Fenwick Close for the NHL, Week 2. [Hockey-Graphs]

Around the NHL

• It's safe to come out again: John Scott has been suspended two games for coming off the bench to kill some Duck on Sunday. [DOPS]
• Penguins defenseman Olli Maatta will miss time while he has a tumor removed from his thyroid gland. That's hardcore. Best of luck and quick recovery to the young man. [Pensburgh]
• (Man, give the Penguins credit. When their players go down, they do so in some crazy ways)
• Tick tick tick. That 10 game OHL clock is running down for junior players around the league. [Bob McKenzie at TSN]
• Pierre LeBrun plays fantasy commissioner. [ESPN]
• There are certain go-to articles for idea-deficient NHL writers to easily bang out at any point of the season when they need something to post: Worst draft picks ever, worst trades ever and worst free agent signings ever. The first two always feature the Islanders. The third belongs almost exclusively to the Rangers. This is one of those. [The Hockey Writers]
• Forget what I linked yesterday: Paul Bissonnette is back in the USA and playing for the AHL's Portland Pirates.
• The Pirates' parent club, the Arizona Coyotes, have added Brian Rolston to their scouting staff. I'm sure he'll take a few wild shots on some players. [Coyotes]

Frans make look humbled by his Third Star of the Week nomination, but it is really we who are humbled by his beauteous visage.