Islanders News: Pens pals, Parrish pride, Lee love, Cizikas back

The Islanders nearly lost, then nearly won, then settled for an OT loss and the regulation point in Pittsburgh last night. The first and second periods were polar opposites. The Isles ended up outchancing the Penguins but needed a final five minute push to get that point. With Johnny Boychuk out, Ryan Pulock was next to Nick Leddy and...hey, Pulock is okay.

On to Boston for a Saturday matchup.

Islanders Reads

• About last night [LHH | Isles | NHL] ... Doug Weight was happy (mostly) with the effort and salvaged point, still $%*# pissed off about the PK. [Newsday]
• He was pretty happy to have Casey Cizikas back though. [Newsday]
• Great, great Isles Seat podcast with guest Mark Parrish, who dished on hockey after 9/11, under Milbury (who drove out Laviolette after “the weirdest exit interviews ever”), and with Yashin, who would “play when he wanted to” and was the reason Adrian Aucoin and others left. [Isles Seat on SoundCloud]
• NHL Network gives Anders Lee the flattery he deserves. [NHL] Gotham Sports too.
• More on Doug Weight saying Nick Leddy has elevated his game to Norris candidacy level. [USA Today]
• The Maven picks his three unsung Isles, with an overabundance of caution about judging the Eberle-Strome trade. [MSG]
• Brent Thompson says Tanner Fritz can do anything, including fill in at the NHL level if needed. [CT Post]
• Sound Tigers update: Patrick Cullity was sent to Worcester, Yanick Turcotte was called up from the Railers. [Soundin’ Off]

Elsewhere

Last night’s scores include the Hurricanes losing in OT to the Sharks despite opening a 3-0 lead and outscoring them 4-0 at even strength, the Panthers beating the high flying Jets (Micheal Haley game-winner alert!), and the Stars losing to the Blues to continue a year of losing against the top Central teams.

• The NHL is cool with Seattle doing a test season ticket drive, and invites an expansion application. They seem to want this to happen. Could start in 2020-21. [NHL | LeBrun at Athletic | Sonics Rising]
• Peter Karmanos has an agreement to sell a majority stake in the Hurricanes and no, they aren’t relocating they swear. [NHL | Canes Country]
• There are groups interested in buying the Senators, too, Darren Dreger says. [TSN]
• The NHL’s weekly Super 16. [NHL]
• Former Isles coach Ted Nolan on life, hockey, and coaching Poland. [The Spec]
• Your quarterly “the NHL playoff format could punish a good team but here’s how to fix it” post. [SB Nation]
• If you desire a super-mega team like Golden State in the NBA for some reason, maybe someone could totally do it with Tavares, Karlsson and Doughty nearing free agency. [Vice]
• You know, Barry Trotz didn’t actually criticize Kevin Shattenkirk. He was asked what didn’t work out and he said it worked out okay, but everybody (I think he means fans/media/everyone hyping him as the top trade and free agent target, which he was, but by default) thought he was a 1-2 when actually he’s “a little lower than that.” Which is the truth. [Newsday | RMNB]
• Jordie Benn took a long route to the NHL, and don’t you say he’s regressing. [Sportsnet]
• Ben Lovejoy is the first NHL player to commit to donating his brain to CTE research. [SB Nation]