Islanders News: A slow, sad country song; Push and Pulock; Kulemin in the cooler

Folk’s... I was at last night’s game and let me tell you, it was great. I mean, my seats were sweet as hell, I got to experience cool stuff and I had fun afterwards that I won’t soon forget. A sincere thank you again to Joe from VitaCoco for everything.

As for the actual contest between the Islanders and Predators... it was less good.

As of today, their playoff perch is very, very thin. After tonight’s Leafs and Bruins games, it might evaporate fully. This is life on the bubble.

But for now:

Islanders readings

• Recaps: LHH | Newsday | NY Post | Islanders | NHL.com | NYI Skinny | OTF
• So, Pulock? Or not Pulock? That is the question being asked far too late in the season. [NY Post]
• Meanwhile, Andrew Ladd reflects on a season that started very poorly but mostly righted itself. [NY Post]
• Nikolay Kulemin's upper body injury could keep him out for the rest of the (regular) season. [Newsday]
• Our own Steve Smith wrote about Expected Goals, the new hotness among stats folks, for The Unbalanced.
• Linus Soderstrom is having a good season and playoffs (so far) but don't compare him to any handsome Swedish goalies in New York that you might know about. [LHH]
• Before the game, the team announced the signing of Northeastern C John Stevens. [LHH | Just today, the Sound Tigers also added Johnny's brother Matt Gaudreau to an ATO.]
• What Joshua Ho-Sang means for NHL players and fans of color. [Fear the Fin]
• Kid Reporter Corner: 10-year-old CarterHud talks to Anthony Beauvillier, who is barely older than he is. | Johnny Boychuk gets interviewed in Kids Day. I used to love those Newsday Sunday inserts.
• One of the volunteers helping fortify the dunes at TOBAY Beach was none other than Bob Nystrom. [Patch.com]

Around the NHL

• Last night's NHL scores. The Islanders got little help with the Hurricanes picking up a point and the Lighting coming back from 4-1 down to beat Chicago in OT.
• Of more import in that Carolina game was the scary injury to Eddie Lack that left him stretchered off the ice and taken to hospital. Fortunately, he's okay and was Tweeting later in the evening. Speedy recovery, Eddie. [Canes Country]
• This season has gone sideways for Detroit. How can the Red Wings get back? [WIIM]
• Todd McLellan has the Oilers headed back to the playoffs for the first time since their Cup final run 10 years ago. [Sportsnet]
• He was quiet last night but Filip Forsberg talks about the trade to the Predators that we may never let Capitals fans forget about. [NHL.com]
• The only group taking more losses than the Islanders right now is USA Hockey, which apparently turned down more women's games against Canada for some reason [The Ice Garden]. The issues are still unresolved and now U.S. senators are even stumping for the players [SBN]. Just pay them already.
• How Philly-based photographer Kate Frese, whose work has been featured in LHH and elsewhere, goes about her awesome business. [BSH]
• I personally think John Buccigross' schtick has been played out for a while now, but if he's let go by ESPN, how quickly would either NBCSN or NHL Network snap him up? [Sporting News]
• There's a show in Canada in which Jason Priestley plays an ex-hockey player turned private eye. Soon, that show will be coming to the US on ION TV. I can't wait to review every episode. [Hollywood Reporter]