Islanders Gameday News: Clinchable, skateable, self-contained and fairly explanatory

The Islanders have another chance to claw back some amends tonight at home. But the Sabres are coming in either dangerous or deflated: They were two minutes away from beating the 100- (now 102-) point Blackhawks in regulation last night -- which would've been their third win in a row -- before Jonathan Toews (and some defensive gaffes) happened.

Leave your First Islanders Goal picks here, but don't choose 84 just yet.

Isles Reads

• With a win, the Isles could officially clinch a playoff spot tonight, although it would require one undesirable outcome: Washington beating Ottawa in regulation. [Newsday]
• They are giving up more shots these days, and that is our concern, Dude. [CBS Sports]
  
• New signing Stephon Williams looks to make his pro debut tonight against Syracuse. [CT Post] There will be bacon. [BST]
  
• He's not back yet, but Mikhail Grabovski skated with the team yesterday. That provides some hope, at least. [LHH]
• Awesomeness: Some Isles players wheel a mile in someone else's chair with some wheelchair hockey. [IslesTV]
• Are refs letting more stuff go these days? John Tavares -- whose oft-crosschecked back should know -- sure thinks so. [Post]
• Future bedfellows: Prokhorov values the Nets at $3 billion, but they are in the red even with Barclays. [Forbes]

Beyond the Island

• The always must-read 30 Thoughts has a lot of Ovechkin love. [Sportsnet]
  
• The evolution of the move Ryan Johansen used to beat the Isles the other night is kind of like the evolution of why the shootout is a ridiculous way to decide a game. [Cannon]
  
• Sportsnet selects several candidates for Worst Coach Of The Year, but none rhyme with "Absuano," which must enrage the commenters who hit Twitter, Facebook, and our own site each day to declare the Isles are guided by the worst coach in the history of ever. (Hyperbole is fun!)
• The Oilers are a really miserable bunch. [Puck Daddy]
• Ain't no brawl like a Russian brawl with shirtless coach. [Deadspin]
• The Kings are probably going to be scary and lethal again in the playoffs, and tidying up the fourth line is one reason. [Puck Daddy]
• Finding a bit odd that Pavelec was the choice in Winnipeg for the Masterton. [Arctic Ice Hockey] Here are the rest of the league's nominees. [PHWA]
  
• What one Flyers moment would you change? Snort. [BSH]