Islanders Gameday News: Please, just get a win for god’s sake

The Islanders play the Kings tonight on Star Wars Night at the Barc and I’m sorry if I’m not in the mood for Jedi jokes and such.

They need a win any way they can. The Kings lost to the Rangers last night, which bumped the Islanders to eighth place, just two points ahead of the Penguins. If the losing continues, they’re going to find themselves outside the playoff cut-off line.

FIG picks go here. Don’t pick Josh Ho-Sang.

Islanders stuff

• Why? Because Ho-Sang was loaned to Bridgeport yesterday afternoon because the coaches want him to “get his game going.” I mean, that’s fine and all but some guys’ games haven’t been going for a while or even at all this season. But when you’re 22, waiver exempt and prone to showy turnovers, that’s how it goes. [LHH | Yup. Steve Bernier is back]
• Weight wants better defense from his players and tougher play all around. Here’s an idea: how about having better players? [Newsday]
• Jordan Eberle is surprised and delighted to find quiet in New York. [NY Times]
• I mean, yeah, I’d be all for acquiring Erik Karlsson, my second-favorite non-Islander in the NHL, but I don’t think Brett Cyrgalis’s offer would be to Pierre Dorion’s liking. Then again, it’s cheap so it might be to Dorion’s boss’s liking.
• Jim Baumbach of Newsday recalls the time he rode a train with Jon Ledecky and they found a family that was at the Coliseum on May 24th, 1980, and who scored free tickets to Barclays Center on the spot.
• Also from Baumbach:

• Two goals from Parker Wotherspoon weren’t enough for the Sound Tigers as they dropped a 5-4 game in Springfield. [BST | CT Post | Soundin’ Off. Brent Thompson said Ho-Sang was okay and his effort was good.]
• Connor Jones has returned for Bridgeport after serving a three-game suspension. [CT Post]
• Patrick McNally scored with 25 seconds left to give the Railers a 4-3 win over Adirondack. [Telegram]

Around the NHL

• Last night’s NHL scores. Shocking: the Devils won again.
• There’s an outdoor game tonight. No, seriously. The NHL100 Classic between the Senators and Canadiens will be played at Ottawa’s Parliament Hill tonight at 7 pm. It’s gonna be cold. [NHL100 by the numbers]
• Meanwhile, Sens owner Eugene Melnyk uses his team’s moment in the frozen sun to threaten possible relocation and bitch about the market and the money he has to spend. Awesome. With all due respect to the many, many shit ass owners this league has had, Melnyk is the goddamn worst. Holy cow, dude. Just sell already. [TSN.ca | Ottawa Citizen]
• Closer to home, Brooksie goes off his meds and makes me look like Pollyanna. Yeah, I don’t think this fire sale is happening.
• Marc-Andre Fleury and the Golden Knights beat the Penguins on Thursday, and it was an emotional experience for everyone. [SBN]