Islanders News: Lightning crashes, Tavares mentors, Fritz flexes

The Islanders dug themselves out from a 2-0 hole and a terrible first period last night but then {poof}, penalties. Game gone. Loss of 6-2 to the terribly ferocious Lightning.

Islanders Reads

• About last night: [LHH | Newsday | Isles | NHL | Raw Charge]
• Over the last 82 games or so, Anders Lee is the hottest scorer nobody is talking about. [SB Nation]
• Doug Weight loves Mathew Barzal’s confidence. [Newsday]
• Steve Konowalchuk, the former NHLer and WHL Seattle GM, always new Mathew Barzal was special. [SNY]
• Meanwhile, John Tavares is a shining example for Barzal on and off the ice. [NHLPA]
• The Islanders will meet the Sabres in Oshawa next preseason. BUT WILL TAVARES AND DE HAAN BE THERE. [Durham Journal]
• Horse Race Insider seems pretty confident about the Isles landing in Belmont. [Hose Race Insider]
• Tanner Fritz, making his mark in a utility role with the Sound Tigers. [CT Post]
• Bridgeport updates: No movement at this time. [Soundin’ Off]
• Catching up with the rest of the prospects in the weekly report. [Isles]
• Capturing the uneasy future of the Islanders and hockey in general in Brooklyn. [The Bridge BK]
• The Islanders are worth $395 million, says Forbes, which opines on such things a lot. [Newsday]
• Anthony Daniels (C3PO) highlights Star Wars theme night in Pittsburgh when the Isles visit Thursday. [NHL]

Not Only, But Also

• In Dan’s latest Golden Girls Sports podcast: He ran the Detroit Marathon. [Golden Girls Sports]

Elsewhere

Last night’s scores include the Devils winning in Columbus, the Rangers winning in Pittsburgh, and the Hurricanes being blanked by the Canucks. (A shutout that Sean McIndoe may have inadvertently caused. Pokey Reddick’s place in history is safe again.)

• So Matt Moulson cleared waivers as expected but then was assigned to...not the AHL but the ECHL. [LA Kings Insider] (Ooops. The Ontario Reign are indeed an AHL team - just not Buffalo’s affiliate. The Sabres are said not to have wanted to affect the ice time of their prospects, so they loaned Matty Ice to LA’s affiliate instead. We regret the error.)
• Like other southern teams before them, the Hurricanes have lower attendance now but it’s part of a strategy to not have so many giveaways that make their season ticket holders feel like why bother. [SB Nation]
• 13 National Team Development Program alum are on the invite to WJC camp. [USA Hockey]
• Don’t feel sorry for Derek Dorsett, he pleads. [Sportsnet]
• It turns out the reason we can’t see AHL ice time stats is because NHL GM’s don’t want their rivals to so easily see how their prospects are being used. Also, allegedly AHL fans don’t care, which is funny. [SB Nation]
• The TSN Insiders gab about the Olympics, Russia, the Hurricanes, Seattle, but honestly nothing new here. [TSN video]
• Kenny Albert grew up a Canucks fans and had all their gloriously ugly jerseys, which is a whole lot more defensible than being a Rangers fan. [NHL]