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Day four of the Islanders Mid-Season Interregnum is today. We're over halfway there!
Islanders News
- In case there was any doubt, Travis Hamonic is pretty glad he chose to stay an Islander. [Newsday]
- Michael Dal Colle and Joshua Ho-Sang, meanwhile, are pretty glad to be playing with each other and are eager for the day they'll get to do it at the NHL level. [CBS NY]
- Elliotte Friedman’s 30 Thoughts, always a must-read, include a sentiment that many wouldn’t be surprised by Jaroslav Halak one day returning to the Isles roster. It also has the ever-helpful tweet inserted by editors announcing Halak was waived. [Sportsnet]
- So yeah, Halak is with the Sound Tigers now and is in McGwire "not here to talk about the past" mode.In worse news, Ryan Pulock is hurt in a "might be week to week" prognosis. [Soundin' Off]
- Shannon Hogan reflects on the year that was. [MSG]
From the Great Beyond
- One more from the Winter Classic: This event worked very, very well in a first-time market (I can attest to that), another reason to keep doing them but without repeating the same damned cities/teams. [Puck Daddy]
- With a little more luck, the Leafs look like a playoff team. [Sportsnet]
- Here is a freaky giant portrait of Gary Bettman and interesting interview with him on several topics, including whether he can skate, whether he had friends in high school, and how many people tell him they don't boo him. [Sportsnet]
- Shea Weber returned to Nashville with the Canadiens, and this is the Predators’ fairly awesome tribute and Weber’s reaction, side-by-side:
Weber scored, by the way:
Alex Radulov assists Shea Weber goal ... against Nashville. Good luck figuring out those emotions, Preds fans.
— SB Nation NHL (@SBNationNHL) January 4, 2017
- (Radulov also assisted on the OT winner, by the way.)
- Also last night, the Blue Jackets won their 16th in a row, tied for second-longest in history (shootout/OT asterisk required) [C&B | The Cannon]
- ... the Sabres thumped the Smurfs at MSG. [Die by the Blade]
- ... and the Capitals won a shootout — no, like the old-fashioned kind — in overtime (okay, the new kind of OT) 6-5 over the Leafs. [Japers’ Rink]
That included this fantastic Leo Komorov goal celebration at Brooks Orpik’s expense:
The best goal celebration pic.twitter.com/vjpmxAWouo
— Pete Blackburn (@PeteBlackburn) January 4, 2017