Islanders News: Be sure to have your cats spayed or neutered

So it's Islanders-Panthers in the first round. Someone is going to continue a disappointing two decade run.

Today's an off day for our guys. Game 1 is Thursday night in Sunrise, followed by Game 2 on Friday. Welcome to the world of busy arenas.

Islanders links

• Recaps: LHH | Newsdayy | NY Post | NY Daily News | Islanders | NHL.com | NYI Skinny | BSH on pizza
• ESPN is the first out of the gate with an Islanders-Panthers series preview. You're not gonna like their pick.
  
• Matt Martin is your Bobby Nystrom Award winner. This has been a recording. [Islanders]
• (but seriously, poor Casey Cizikas. I felt he deserved it.)
• Barclays Center thanks you.
• The Sound Tigers blew a chance to clinch their own playoff berth with a sloppy loss to Lehigh Valley on Sunday. But their magic number drops to two with five games left. [CT Post | Soundin' Off on the call-ups returning to the AHL after their Islanders duties concluded.]
  
• Whoa, Nellie. Niagara is now up 3-0 on Kingston after a second straight OT win. Joshua Ho-Sang had a goal for the Ice Dogs and was the second star. Wednesday is do-or-die time for the Fronts. [Whig]
• Seattle evened its series with Everett thanks to a 3-1 win that featured two absolutely ridiculous goals by Mathew Barzal. [T-Birds]
  

Other stuff

• Here is the full NHL playoff schedule to set your life by for the next few weeks. [SBN]
  
• The Ducks shut out the Caps in the other make-up game and won the Pacific Division (and the Jennings Trophy). [NHL.com]
  
• Bryan Murray is out and Pierre Dorian is in as Ottawa's general manager. Expect Dave Cameron to be next on the list, but without the well-deserved heartfelt send-off reserved for Murray. [Silver Seven]
• JJ from Winging It In Motown tries to process that whole Pavel Datsyuk leaving for Russia thing.
• Max Pacioretty and P.K. Subban don't have a feud, which was apparently something people were wondering about. [EOTP]
• Sorry to burst any bubbles, but it appears our collective dream of Mike Milbury coaching the Bruins won't happen. [SCOC]
• SAD BREAKING NEWS FROM THIS MORNING: Flyers founder and owner Ed Snider has passed away at 83 after a two-year battle with cancer. You don't have to like the man or his team to recognize and respect the importance of his contributions to hockey and the NHL. Owning one team for its entire existence is just one of the ways in which Snider was a one-of-a-kind. He'll be missed by the league. RIP. [BSH]