Islanders Gameday News: Storms, goalies, travel, mumps, back-to-backs and other annoyances

Last night was trash. Turns out - and this might be a great shock to some of you - that letting a goalie’s game atrophy and deteriorate by playing in only 20 games over two seasons might be a bad idea. I know, right? Who knew?

Anyway, the Islanders get another "crack" at the Hurricanes tonight in Raleigh. At this point, just getting out of a period without giving up two embarrassing goals would be a dramatic turn of events. Staying alive in the playoff race would also be a good idea.

FIG picks go here.

ALSO: Could we please stay at least mostly on topic in the comments today? I don’t know what was in everyone’s water yesterday, but we like to keep things generally Islanders-related here, even when the Islanders do their very best to make us hate them. Thanks.

-Management

Islanders stuff

• Recaps: LHH | Newsday | NY Post | Islanders | NHL.com | NYI Skinny | Canes Country
• The goalies weren't good last night. They know it. The coaches know it. Management knows it. But no one knows if Jaroslav Halak will be back. [NY Post]
• Lucky Johnny Boychuk missed the game. He was hurt, but at least he wasn't out there. [Newsday]
• Turns out Joshua Ho-Sang is actually a pretty good player and a smart, normal young dude. [NY Times | NY Post]
• A view of the road trip from an unlikely source: Andrew Ladd's bobblehead. [MSG Networks]
• Steve wrote about how hot Garth Snow's seat should be. Between last night and the weather, that seat should be the hottest spot in the area. [The Unbalanced]
• And Altar of Bossy was thinking about re-thinking Snow's draft record. In fairness, Ho-Sang looked pretty good again last night.
• It was a day off for the Sound Tigers so here's some random notes from Michael Fornabaio. [Soundin' Off]
• Congrats to Minnesota defenseman Jake Bischoff for being named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and making the All Big Ten First Team. [SBN CH]
• We haven't heard from Mitchell Vande Sompel in a while because he went 19 games without a goal, dating back to January 22. He finally scored this weekend - playing on left wing. [London Free Press]
• Goddamnit. Mathew Barzal has the mumps. What have they done to my beautiful boy?! Get better soon, man. [Sportsnet]
• The Islanders ECHL affiliate Missouri Mavericks will be re-branded as the Kansas City Mavericks as of this Summer. [KC Star]
• In my book, this is some of the highest praise you can give someone:
  

  "The Ronny Francis of this generation" -- @rayferrarotsn on #JT91 being the most underrated superstar in the #NHL

  — Eric Hornick (@ehornick) March 13, 2017

  
  

Other Stuff

• Last night's NHL scores. Don't look now but the Lightning are right here next to the Islanders.
• The Capitals lost three straight games out west and Russian Machine says fans should stuff their negativity in a sack.
• Brian Burke unties his tie and reminisces about the 2007 Stanley Cup champion Ducks (man, that was 10 years ago? Holy cow). [Puck Daddy]
• More often than not, trade deadline deals turn out to be duds. [NHL Numbers]
• The MTS Centre isn't quite as rockin' as it used to be. [AIH]
• Tomas Jurco is a Blackhawk now and he's got some bad memories from his days in Detroit. [WIIM]
• There are still good things for Avalanche fans to look out for this season. If you squint... [SBN]
• More on that insane eight OT game in Norway. [SBN]
• Hey, it's college free agent signing season. Get to know some names. [TSN.ca]
• A March Madness bracket for you to print if you like throwing your money away. [SBN]