A visit from the Montreal Canadiens is the Islanders' last game before the All-Star Break. Never thought I'd be saying it, but I look forward to their return from the break. Nice to have a (somewhat) competitive team again. I'm still not ready to get my hopes up, though. :)
[FIG Picks for tonight go here.]
Doug Weight has already announced that Anthony Beauvillier is healthy and will play (thank heavens, a coach who trusts the kids). Anders Lee is still a maybe from his illness, and Thomas Hickey is dealing with a lower body injury. Scott Mayfield would play in his place. He also declared Thomas Greiss tonight's starter. I can't imagine the Canadiens won't start Carey Price in goal.
Things that end in -slanders
- Weight made a small tweak in the system, wanting his centers lower in the zone to help out the defensemen. It seems to have worked - they held Columbus to 23 shots, tying the season-low for shots allowed. It's been done two other times this season, and one of them was last week against the Stars in Weight's coaching debut. Doug Weight, Good NHL Coach? (Way too early to tell, but the signs are encouraging.) [Newsday]
- Butch Goring joins The Hockey Writers Live podcast to weigh in on Weight (their lede, not mine, can't take credit). [The Hockey Writers]
- The Ladd Foundation and Andrew Ladd are proud to present its first event, a sturgeon fishing excursion over three days and nights. Details below (click on tweet to enlarge):
BREAKING! @aladd16 charity @LaddFoundation first event happening this July with us. Contact us for booking your spot. #LaddFoundation pic.twitter.com/91DZWAjzpM
— Sturgeon Slayers (@STURGEONSLAYERS) January 24, 2017
- A closely-contested match between the Bridgeport Sound Tigers and Providence Bruins ended 1-0 after Ryan Pulock's OT blast. Jaroslav Halak got the extended shutout. [SoundTigers.com | CT Post | Soundin' Off]
- Special teams play has been key to the Sound Tigers success of late. [CT Post]
- Bridgeport play-by-play commentator Alan Fuerhing hosts a podcast called Coach's Show, sitting down with head coach Brent Thompson and assistant Eric Boguineck. [SoundCloud]
- AHL All-Star Devon Toews is content in Bridgeport for the moment - he went to Quinnipiac, also in Connecticut, so he can visit friends at school - but wants a crack at the big leagues. [CBS NY]
Potent Potables
- Last night's NHL scores.
- Kirk Muller *gags* is helping the Canadiens' power play find success *vomits* this season. [Sportsnet]
- Matt Martin sits down with Pierre "Big Boy Hockey" LeBrun to discuss playing in the center of the hockey universe, or whatever Toronto is calling itself these days. [ESPN]
- The NHL All-Star Game is this weekend, as stated, and will return in 3-on-3 format, with teams separated by division. [Newsday]
- The Winnipeg Jets are slowly erasing the memory of Atlanta Thrashers - current Jets that played in Atlanta are Bryan Little, Blake Wheeler (briefly), Tobias Enstrom, Dustin Byfuglien, and Ondrej Pavelec, none of whom are spring chickens. [Sportsnet]
- However, the Jets are still very much like the Thrashers, in many disheartening ways. [Arctic Ice Hockey]
- The Albany Devils (Devils AHL affiliate) will be moving to Binghamton, to take the place of the Binghamton Senators (Senators AHL affiliate), who are moving to
HamiltonBelleville, Ontario. [All About the Sweater] - And finally, an oral history of the Washington Capitals inaugural season, the worst season in NHL history. In 70 games, they won eight (8) games, and only once (once!!!!!!) on the road. Far cry from where the franchise is right now: top of the league without any Stanley Cups. [SI.com]