Islanders News: Trotz pleased with Kuhnhackl and the gang

The Islanders ended their losing streak quickly, which is important. They took care of a road-weary opponent, also important. On Thursday they’ll face the other team that dispatched that opponent: The Smurfs come to Brooklyn.

Islanders Reading

• About last night’s 5-2 win over the Canucks: Two funky goals from Kuhnhackle, solid goaltending when needed, and a thorough performance outside of ending up in the box too much in the second. [LHH | NHL | Isles | Newsday]
• Carey posts several useful charts after each Islanders game; yesterday he explained how 10-game rolling averages provide insight into high-level trends. [LHH]
• Bridgeport Report: The Sound Tigers are streaking and it is good. Bellows has scored in four straight, and Ho-Sang leads with 15 assists. [Isles]
• They sent Ryan Hitchcock to ECHL Worcester to get some games in. [Soundin’ Off]
• Meanwhile, Jeff Kubiak’s intensity has helped him keep his spot ever since he was recalled from Worcester. [CT Post]
• ICYMI: All of Stan Fischler’s trips down memory lane this season have been enjoyable, but his feature on Bryan Trottier may the best, most succinct encapsulation of an Isles legend. Great to see him dig up contemporary quotes from his early teammates, and Al Arbour. Fischler’s notebooks alone are a treasure. [Isles]

Coach Barry Trotz: Pleased.

Luca Sbisa re-entered the lineup after a long, proper string of scratches, and the Isles had a thorough effort. So you wonder what that means for the lineup over the next few. (Also of note: best game by far out of the troubled Pulock-Leddy pairing.) Here’s how they lined up:

Take Andrew Ladd out of the equation, though. He did not look so good while helped off the ice:

Beyond Brooklyn

Last night’s NHL scores include the Devils dumping the Penguins, the Capitals topping the Wild, the Flyers falling to Florida, and more.

• That toolbag Tom Wilson had his suspension reduced to 14 games by an arbitrator. [Sportsnet | NHL statement]
• Says here Barry Trotz and the Predators started the fathers’ trip tradition. [Wash. Post]
• Jakob Chychrun gets a six-year extension from the Coyotes. [NHL]
• Former Leafs assistant GM Mark Hunter says it’ll be tough for the team to retain all its young forwards. Heh. [The Spec | Sportsnet]
• Katie Strang talks to various sides and outside lawyers to unpack what the concussion settlement means, why it ended up where it did after arbitration (and not being qualified for class action). [Athletic]
• Daniel Carcillo doesn’t want to be part of the settlement, doesn’t want money, says he just wants “justice.” [Athletic]
• Hockey Fights Cancer: The Blues search for a bone marrow donor match for a young hockey fan in need. [Blues]