Islanders Gameday News: Islanders Undaunted; de Haan de Sequel; Can't Let Go of Leggio

FIG picks for tonight's game against the mighty (lowercase "m") Ducks can be made here. It's a 10:30 pm EDT start, so get them in before Judge Judy comes on.

Islanders Stuff

• The Islanders remain confident despite the slide and Jack Capuano ain't got time for numbers. [Newsday]
• The Checking Line does their own Battle Level Report as a monthly player rating system.
• Dan Bylsma is like Santa Claus. People send him letters and hope he'll show up in their house with presents (or presence). [LHH Zeitgeist]
• David Leggio's slick evasive maneuver was still making news. He was the guest on the Marek vs Wyshynski podcast. Meanwhile Hockey Central debated the ethics of such a move, probably because some producer told them to. Of course, Leggio has a great sense of humor about the whole thing. [Soundin' Off]
• Other notes from the Sound Tigers day off from Michael Fornabaio.
  
• There is another deHaan, Calvin's brother Evan, and he has been traded from the Sudbury Wolves to the Ottawa 67's. [Ottawa Sun]

Fancy Stats Corner

• On getting everyone to speak the same language. [Silver Seven]
• Young wingers make for an interesting case study in zone starts and other advanced stats. [Jen LC at Puck Daddy]
  
• As useful as advanced stats are, there is a place for intangibles in hockey, in particular for coaches. This article from Arik Parnass of APHockey.net is about Michel Therrien and the Habs, but it could be about any coach in the NHL.

Other Stuff

• Alex Ovechkin passed Peter Bondra as the Capitals all-time leading scorer last light, which means a lot to Washington fans. [Japers Rink]
• No, seriously. Don't give the Penguins power plays. It would be bad. [SB Nation]
• But, strangely, both Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin have had their ice time lowered this season. [Pensburgh]
• Why do teams frequently demote and recall players sometimes within a few days? [Pension Plan Puppets]
  
• European players are loving the City of Brotherly Love. [The Hockey Writers]
  
• The Huge Specimen is getting back to basics in Austria. [New York Times]
  
• A puck in the head isn't going to slow down Peter Laviolette. [On the Forecheck]
• Are the Leafs better this year? Depends on where you're looking. [Globe n' Mail]
• A deaf fan begins a new series of blog posts in sign language for Eyes on the Prize.
• In the 1970's, the NHL draft was a messed up place, man. [Down Goes Brown]