Islanders News: Power outage, Sound Tigers swing, puppy love

The Islanders await their next game with the Smurfs, who play the Penguins tonight and are 1-5.

Islanders Reading

• The Islanders have struggled to score goals, and it doesn’t help that the power play (matched only by the Ducks’ 0-for-21) has gone 0 for 20. [Newsday]
• Jenny recaps her day with the Islanders puppy calendar photo shoot, and frankly it’s good therapy after a 1-2 trip to California. [LHH]
• In the latest podcast, Dan and Mike talked about what’s gone right (a little), what’s gone wrong (a little more), and the fun of Taylor Hall and Jordan Eberle hazing each other over Twitter. [LHH - Islanders Anxiety]
• Sound Tigers coach Brent Thompson? Not too happy with the effort. [CT Post | Soundin’ Off]
• Reliving the Islanders’ coaching issues ever since Peter Laviolette. [LHH debut Fanpost]
• I confess last year when the Blues fired Ken Hitchcock during what was supposed to be his final year of coaching anyway, I was relieved they did it before he passed (shootout/OT bonus point-aided) Al Arbour on the all-time wins list. At least he honores Radar as he should. [Stars]
• There’s an Isles Brooklyn 3rds Tavares jersey there early in the video for the Underachievers’ “Gotham Nights.” [Hot New Hip Hop]

Elsewhere

• Matt Niskanen has a wrist injury, and the Capitals say maybe they’ll consider a trade but maybe they’ll look from within first. [Wash. Post]
• In praise of Jets Dane Nikolay Ehlers after a breakout week. [Puck Daddy]
• CRISIS! The Oilers have lost three in a row so the season’s over. [TSN]
• More specifically, Cam Talbot hasn’t been Cam Talbot yet, the shooting luck is way low (sounds familiar), and they miss Andrej Sekera. [Copper N Blue]
• Amusingly the Rangers are 1-5-0 and have lost three in a row, so lots of fun panic there. [Post | Post again, with Brooksie saying they miss Girardi]
• What is want-away Matt Duchene’s upside this season? [MHH]
• Bob McKenzie on Ken Dryden’s new book about concussions, the short life of Steve Montador, and how to change hockey. Some great reflections here from a man who used to talk about the concussion issue a lot more because it directly affected his children. [TSN]
• The SPHL adopts a “pick your opponent” playoff format because why not, it’s the SPHL. [Puck Daddy]
• NOT HOCKEY: I don’t care who you are, ain’t no fight like a neutron star fight. [Mental Floss]