Islanders News: Barzal, Ho-Sang and the gang

The Islanders played the Devils’ B-minus squad last night and had no trouble emerging with two preseason Monopoly points. Josh Ho-Sang got things going with an early rush combo that Brock Nelson converted, while Mathew Barzal had a breathtaking rush and sweeeet loft shot over a poke-check-attempting Keith Kinkaid.

That was all the scoring until late in the third when Johnny Boychuk sprinted to send a chip shot bouncing into the empty net for a 3-0 win. Thomas Greiss played all 60 and made a few challenging stops but was otherwise left ample time to ponder our meaningless existence and the dissonant performance art statement of playing hockey under an off-center scoreboard.

That’s it until Friday, when the Isles play in Buffalo before wrapping up the preseason schedule in Philadelphia on Sunday. The roster is looking a little clearer...

• John Tavares called it an “overall pretty good” night, which is a line he uses in preseason while saving the real gems for the regular. [Isles | Our game thread | All About the Jersey]
• Doug Weight likes all four of his goalies and hopes to keep Greiss and Jaroslav Halak barking at him for playing time. [Newsday]
• The Post has learned that the Islanders expect big things from Josh Ho-Sang and Jordan Eberle, who need to find their games if the team is to be successful.
• The Isles under Weight seek to stress shot blocking a little less, which makes Thomas Hickey and Halak happy and makes Calvin de Haan and Boychuk lace up their shot-block guards a little looser. [Newsday]
• Down in Bridgeport, Brent Thompson called the first day of camp “great” while a few players from Isles camp, including Michael Dal Colle, were nursing nagging what-have-you’s. [CT Post]
• The Yankees-backed NYCFC soccer club intends to bid on the RFP to redevelop land at Belmont, though it isn’t their first- or maybe even second-choice location. [Newsday]

This was cool, by Scott Mayfield:

Elsewhere

• The other half of the Devils were much younger and far more impressive last night against the Senators. [NHL]
• They were in small town, Prince Edward Island, where we have some readers but is a bit off the typical player’s beaten path, which is the whole point of the annual Hockeyville event. [North Jersey]
• The Kings are hoping for more offense under John Stevens. [NHL]
• The stats site Corsica is now part of Leafs Nation. Update your scorecards. [Leafs Nation]
• Andrew Desjardins of the Rangers is suspended two (preseason) games for an illegal check to the head against the Devils. [NHL]
• The Lightning will retire the #4 of Vincent Lecavalier, the Michael Jordan of hockey and the Bill Guerin of Flyers history. [NHL]
• The Mighty Golden Knights engraved their season ticket holders’ names in the ice. [NHL]