Islanders News: John Tavares talks linemates, coaching, Brock Nelson

The New York Islanders completed "cleanout" earlier this week [insert your own quip about cleaning out your scapegoats here], and there are lots of media scrum videos on the official site you can sift through.

At the Newsday Isles Files blog, Arthur Staple captured a range of topics from the captain John Tavares, including:

• Who will be his left wing?: Referenced the "logjam" at center and mentioned he "really enjoyed playing with" Brock Nelson, calling him a special player with some good chemistry together.
• Coaches: "...we’ve had success with Cap. Same with Dougie and Tommer. All those guys bring something different to the table and we had success with it last year. For whatever reason we’ll have to figure out why it didn’t work this year and we as players will have to make some changes..."
• On what his exit meeting would include: "If we want to win consistently here, we can’t keep going through the things we have. So when we talk and we’re asked for opinions, I’ll certainly give mine and it’ll be up to them to make the changes they feel are necessary."

Plenty more on those topics and others at Isles Files, but that's plenty for discussion fodder. And look for more in the coming days, or scan the videos for gems.

Meanwhile:

• Back with the Sound Tigers, John Persson said the familiar faces on the Island felt like Bridgeport, Johan Sundstrom said the pace was noticeably quicker, and Matt Donovan said the last month was much better for his season, "not worrying about mistakes." [CT Post]
• Also in Bridgeport: Ferry's moving.
  
• Matt Moulson discusses his season, dreams of a Cup and a bed. [TwinCities]
• Reviewing the Islanders season [Islanders Insight]

Playoffs and More

• Also moving: The Abbotford Heat experiment.
• The playoffs began last night, you may have heard [scores here], with more series starting tonight. Each game Wednesday ended up being a one-goal game. Lots of excitement. Thomas Vanek had an outstanding game (seven shots, a goal, some noticeably vigorous backchecks) in Montreal's win. Someone should sign that guy.
• These are the awesome GM reactions to the OT winner in that Habs-Bolts game. [SB Nation]
  
• Here's Brandon Dubinsky going Hamonic-on-Malkin with Crosby all night. [Pensblog]
• Here's Thomas Vanek saying your call is incorrect. [GIF]
• We'll continue our series polls and the LHH bracket is open until Friday, so we'll store all that stuff and the nightly thread in this stream.
  
• Here's a playoff guide. [Grantland]
• Don't bet on the Penguins and Avs very long. [Senatorsextra]
• A hot goalie isn't a better goalie. [FiveThirtyEight]
  
• Here are some award picks. [Extra Skater]
• The Sabres don't believe in Corsi. The goalie coach, I mean. Nor the Sacco. [Sabres staff changes]
• Behind the scenes with ESPN's biggest hockey fans at the Frozen Four [Awful Announcing]
• Via Keith via BSH: Roman Cechmanek runs a brewery in Zlin.