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Islanders Gameday News: Flying past the sun; Mailbags; Consistently Bailey

A monumental matchup of two teams competing for one spot (along with numerous other teams).

By Steven E. Smith
Let's hope for this again.
Let's hope for this again.
Andy Marlin-USA TODAY Sports

Mornin' y'all. Snow day for me, hopefully for everyone else too. Stay safe, all who are affected by the weather.

The Islanders are in Philadelphia tonight to take on the Flyers (on NBCSN). Going into tonight's matchup, the Islanders trail the Flyers by 3 points while holding 3 games in hand on them. In addition, the Bruins, Sabres, Red Wings, Maple Leafs, and Panthers are all in action. A big night for every team hoping to remain in the running for the last couple of playoff spots.

UPDATE: FIG Picks go here. Sorry everyone.

Islanders News

  • As stated, tonight's game is an important chance to gain ground on the Flyers, who currently holds the last wild card spot. [Newsday]
  • This week's Islanders Mailbag ("Hello, Newman") featured questions about coaches and Ryan Pulock, as well as trades. [StapeChat]
  • Speaking of coaches... the Isles won't be seeking permission from the Bruins to speak with Claude Julien at this time, while Jack Capuano is meeting with the Las Vegas Golden Knights this week. [LHH]
  • Meanwhile, Doug Weight has a knack for communication and transparency. [LHH]
  • Christian Arnold writes about Josh Bailey and how "consistency" is helping him this season.
  • Brian Erni says that Barclays Center's expectations for what they could turn the Isles into (read: the Nets on ice) is more to blame than the fans for the beleaguered relationship between the arena and team. [SNY.tv]
  • In this week's Hogan's Highlights, Shannon discusses the magnitude of playing 1,000 games in the context of Jason Chimera's thousandth game last week. [MSG]
  • Carter Verhaeghe, he of the Michael Grabner trade a year and a half ago, has been recalled to the Sound Tigers from the Missouri Mavericks after tearing apart the ECHL. [SoundTigers]
  • Michael Fornabaio checks in with an update on the Sound Tigers from yesterday. [Soundin' Off]
  • While we're at it, let's check in on the other Isles prospects. [Islanders]
  • The Sound Tigers are also hosting 'Pink in the Rink' night in support of fighting breast cancer. Good initiative. [CT Post]
  • And the Junior Islanders get a nice sendoff before their tournament in Quebec. [Newsday - Video]

League-wide News

  • Last night's NHL score: the Blackhawks beat the Wild in overtime.
  • The Kings are bringing back a familiar face: Jiggs McDonald will call a game for LA for the first time in over 40 years. [LA Times]
  • Under-the-radar good Martin Havlat officially calls it quits. [Fear the Fin]
  • The Arizona Coyotes deny reports they've explored expansion to the Portland or Seattle areas. [Glendale Star | SBN]
  • The NHL has seen 38 coach firings in the last 10 years, most of any major sports league. [SBN]
  • Marc-Andre Fleury is reportedly being eyed by the Dallas Stars. [Pensburgh]
  • Fatima Al Ali, of the national women's hockey team in United Arab Emirates, practiced with the Washington Capitals. Great stuff. [SBN]
  • And finally, the ECHL's Toledo Walleyes are hosting a 'Beauty and the Beast' night and are preparing by dancing to the theme song:

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