Islanders Gameday News: Talking yourself into the Sharks

Many Americans were off work and gorging — no really, like this is a proper, non-hyperbolic use of gorging — themselves yesterday (and today: We’ll have our own “Black Friday” t-shirt promo this morning), but the New York Islanders were at work.

Their lone non-game day on this three-games-in-four nights swing through California was spent with an afternoon practice at the [tree leakage of some sort] Center in San Jose. Afterward, they discussed the late loss (again) in Los Angeles and how to approach the Sharks for today’s 4 p.m. EST start.

(Leave your First Islanders Goal picks for today’s game here.)

They feel relatively good about their game — and honestly despite the record and the result, Wednesday’s effort was much better than we’ve typically seen this season. Let’s go to the coach after Thursday’s video review with the team:

We just want to show our guys the compete level. I think we went through an identity crisis a couple of weeks ago where we weren’t working and we weren’t tough to play against, but obviously the last six periods of hockey we’ve been good. We’ve competed.

And then...wait for it...

… You want to work hard, but at the same time you want to work smart.

There it is. No getting through a day without that mantra.

Anyway, there is merit to the above thoughts from Jack Capuano. But given the record and the low offense even on good-effort nights, it’s hard not to see it all as too little too late for this regime. Especially when you’ve got this:

More on that from Staple in the links below. Regardless, I’ll watch today’s game looking for the team that thinks it refound its identity.

Now on to the assigned reads...

Islanders Reading

• If you missed yesterday’s bits, it’s worth a look for the links and for the thanks Dan shared. Hear hear, I echo them here. [LHH]
• Dan broke a rule by posting during a food coma but it was worth it and no it’s not a zeitgeist: Reportedly the Isles have hooked up with a Russian analytics firm that uses gobs of cameras for data collection like the NBA. [LHH]
• Staple revisits the late-goal killers, Thomas Hickey again notes that #$%& needed to turn around a while ago, Capuano yearns for PK “swagger.” [Newsday]
• Expect Thomas Greiss to start today. [@StapeNewsday]
• The Sound Tigers will have Star Wars Night Dec. 3. [BST]
• The 832nd episode of “Sure Tavares says he’s committed to the Islanders forever but is he really?” [Quotes from LeBrun and McKenzie]

The Islanders players are thankful:

Elsewhere

There were two games yesterday. Ottawa won at home over the Bruins, and the Canadiens survived a tough Hurricanes squad to do likewise. [NHL]

The Sharks, by the way, are coming off a home win over the Blackhawks. [Fear The Fin]