Islanders Gameday News: Cal uncleared; MacDonald's career crossroads; The Maven at Home

Whoa. The Islanders get to play, too? Cool. Winning would be a good idea.

Game time is 7 pm. FIG picks go here.

Islanders-related links

• Still no word on whether Cal Clutterbuck will be available this weekend. [Newsday]
• More on the players' visits to local children's hospitals, always a very affecting time of the year. [Islanders]
• I attempted to use stats to analyze the first 29 games of the season. My conclusion: I have no idea what I'm doing. [LHH]
• Taylor Beck scored twice to lead Bridgeport to a 3-1 win over Portland. [CT Post]
• Mathew Barzal has World Championship gold in his sights. [My Northwest]
• He'll be hanging with fellow Islanders' pick Michael Dal Colle. [Oshawa Express]
• We've had our fun with Andrew MacDonald, but behind that contract and those zone entries is a very real, very humble person whose life isn't where he thought it would be when he was an Islander. [NY Post]

Other stuff

• Hat Tricks! One for Jeff Skinner in Anaheim [Canes Country] and one for... Lauri Korpikoski against the Rangers? That Glen Sather Night really was a throwback game. [C&B]
• Logan Couture's injury-addled season just got more addled. [FTF]
• And Kris Letang will also be out a while with a mystery injury. Poor bastard. [PHT]
• You are what you eat. And right now the Capitals are nutrient packed smoothies. [WaPo]
• Dept. of Player Safety spokesman Patrick Burke wants people to put more thought into how they insult the DOPS. [PHT]
• Darren Dreger reports on player safety and DIY hockey instruction. [TSN.ca]
• Meet Auston Matthews, the kid every lottery team will be clamoring for next June (buzz off, Oilers!). [EOTP]
• Mike from Blueshirt Banter talks to Riveters captain Ashley Johnson, hockey player and mechanical engineer.
• How does a coach go from the Stanley Cup final to coaching high school? Ask George Gwozdecy. [NY Times]
• No-So-Mad Libs with Shea Weber includes some fine, fine artwork. [Players Tribune]
• Are the Blues dropping lots of acid these days? Just Jaskin.
• An intimate portrait of the The Hockey Maven at home. I have been to that home. It's like the New York Annex of the Hockey Hall of Fame. [NY Times]