Islanders News: Hanging on to the cliff by their fingertips; Okposo thoughts; Wotherspoon returns

By virtue of the Maple Leafs' 4-1 loss to the Lightning, the Islanders remain alive in the playoff chase, just three points behind Toronto. Each team has two games left. Adjust your lives accordingly.

Islanders readings

• Recaps: LHH | Newsday | Islanders | NHL.com | NYI Skinny | Canes Country
• Kyle Okposo's health is of great importance to his friends on the Islanders. Nothing but best wishes to him and his family. [Newsday | MSG Video | A Buffalo News story on what little we know right now]
• The Islanders are once again featured on players' "Please don't trade me there" plans. But I kinda feel it's from ignorance more than the team itself. [LHH | E$PN IN$IDER$]
• Parker Wotherspoon returns to the Sound Tigers a veteran at the ripe old age of 19. [CT Post]
• The Missouri Mavericks will not make the playoffs this season after a loss on Tuesday. They were one of the top seeds in the ECHL last season. That's the way it goes in a league with tons of turnover. [Mavs]
• Big night for Pat LaFontaine, who hosted a fundraiser Thursday and debuted a new wine. [Greenwich Time]

Beyond the Bubble

• Last night's NHL scores. Those dastardly Senators also gained the point they needed to clinch. They play the Rangers and Islanders this weekend.
• It was open season on Auston Matthews including this knee hit by Tampa's Jake Dotchin. [SBN]
• You remember Jake Dotchin, don't you? He's the guy who got Brad Marchand's stick driven into his scrotum on Tuesday. Marchand got a two game rest for his efforts. [SCOC]
• It's amazing that this needs to be said, but Capitals fans should enjoy their team's dominance whether or not it produces a Stanley Cup. [Japers]
• This is really good and hits a lot of points a lot of teams encounter. The Canucks and building a "culture" through negative reinforcement. [Vancouver Courier]
• Matchsticks and Gasoline parses out the Flames arena situation.
• The Frozen Four is down to two: Scott Mayfield's alma mater Denver beat Ander Lee's Notre Dame to advance. [SBN CH] | And Minnesota-Duluth beat those plucky upstarts at Harvard on a last minute goal that flat out sucked. [SBN CH]
• The IIHF Women's World Championships gold medal game comes down to two archenemies (of course). The US and Canada will square off again after Team USA blanked Germany 12-0 and Canada beat Finland 4-0. [The Ice Garden]
• A devastating blow to hockey pucks everywhere. RIP the one and only "Mr. Warmth" Don Rickles, the only man who could eviscerate the likes of Frank Sinatra and Clint Eastwood and not only live to tell about it, but become a legend among legends. [AV Club]