Islanders Gameday News: Okposo out, Petrov ponders, Barclays bounce, Soderstrom speak,

The Islanders are in Phoen-, well, Glendale tonight to take on the now-stately named Arizona Coyotes. They'll be missing a key player. It's a 9 p.m. EST start, televised on MSG+2. Leave your desert FIG picks for tonight here.

Islanders Reads

• Kyle Okposo has a "nagging" injury that they don't want to make worse, so he'll sit out these final two pre-Christmas games and take advantage of a long layoff to recoup. [Newsday | LHH]
• The Coyotes are coming off a 1980s-style 7-5 loss, which defensive-minded coach Dave Tippett called "disgusting." Their defense is not so hot. [Five for Howling]
• Pretty powerful interview with Isles goalie prospect Linus Söderström, who discusses how Asperger's and ADHD has affected his life, and how hockey has helped him manage it all. [LHH]
• The only traveling Islanders beatwriter, Arthur Staple of Newsday answered fan questions about the team while in the air to the valley, and elaborated on the expected departure of Kirill Petrov. [LHH recap]
• Michael Fornabaio adds more on the Petrov report -- no comment from Brent Thompson -- at the end of this blog.
• Following the controversial incidents the other night, Barclays Center announced new polices for Islanders games. [Newsday | Daily News | Barclays Center statement]
• Last night the Sound Tigers had a great start -- reminiscent of the Isles against Florida this week -- but couldn't sustain it in an OT loss to Providence. [CT Post | Soundin' Off]
• A vote for Johnny Rocket as the most important Isles signing in 2015. [THW]

Beyond the Isle in the Desert

• Big blow for the Hawks as they lose Marcus Kruger for an expected four months. [Second City Hockey]
  
• The Ducks continue to struggle, continue to dare Bob Murray to do something drastic. [TSN]
• The Stamkos saga highlights the issue with giving blanket no-trades, something current Isles assistant GM George McPhee held firm on while he guided the Capitals. [ESPN]
• Adam Oates discusses tinkering with sticks, and his new role as a skills coach to players like Alex Ovechkin. [Oilers Nation]
• The Rangers had to do the call-up-an-amateur-goalie-on-the-road thing, always a fun tale. [Twin Cities]
• These five teams need deserve Proven Winner Randy Carlyle. [PPP]
• Here's Finnish goalie Noora Raty shopping on a hoverboard, in full gear. [SB Nation]
• Two French Canadians do hockey in Bratislava, home of Lubo. [HEOTP]