Islanders Gameday News: Vienna Waits for You

It is Billy Joel Night at the Coliseum, and the Islanders and Red Wings just happen to be playing. Leave your FIGs here, and then settle in with a nice cup of coffee (or whatever your morning poison is) and enjoy a long set of Gameday Bits.

Islanders News

• Mathew Barzal admits that he finally had to “buckle down” to coach Barry Trotz’s system and it is having some good results. [The Athletic]
• The hot topic on the Isle Seat Podcast is the Isles’ inability to score on the power play.
• The Sound Tigers played the Providence Bruins on the road last night, where they hadn’t won in their last five tries. [Soundin’ Off]
• They finally did this time in overtime, on the back of Michael Dal Colle’s first career hat trick. The OT game-winner gave him his third of the night. [CT Post | Sound Tigers]
• Read the untold story of how the Fisherman jersey leaked to the Daily News in 1995. [NY Sports Day]
• Stefan Persson is this week’s candidate for the Alumni Corner. [Islanders]
• The Islanders visited Cohen’s Children’s Medical Center in New Hyde Park and delivered toys to kids to brighten their spirits this holiday season. [Islanders]
• VIDEO: They also “adopt” underprivileged families to make sure they’re able to celebrate the holidays. [Islanders]

Elsewhere

Last night’s NHL scores. The Rangers went up 3-0 on 3 power play goals but ended up losing to the Coyotes in overtime.

• The Hurricanes can’t seem to catch a break (and as divisional foes, we’re okay with that!). They scored 5 goals last night but gave up 5 as well, including a second straight hat trick for Alexander Ovechkin (who has 28! goals already), and lost in the shootout to the Capitals. [News & Observer]
• The Blues were whistled for a bizarre penalty in OT after Vladimir Tarasenko picked up Colton Parayko’s stick, apparently because Parayko’s stick has a special exemption from the stick length rule. As a matter of revenge, Ryan O’Reilly scored a shortie on the kill to beat Colorado. [The News Tribune]
• Tonight’s opponent will be without defenseman Mike Green for 3-5 weeks with a lower-body injury. [NHL]
• Both teams in Alberta are playing well right now. The surging Flames are benefiting from production from Mark Giordano and maintaining consistency, with juuust the right amount of luck. [NHL]
• Part of the Oilers’ success under Ken Hitchcock has been his two goaltenders regaining form and playing even above their heads. He likes both goalies to get in frequently. [Edmonton Journal]
• The Golden Knights are on a tear right now, but the play of Max Pacioretty and Marc-André Fleury are cause for minor concern. [PHT]
• Corey Pronman reassessed the 2013 NHL Draft and gave every team a grade based on how their picks turned out, even the players picked had success elsewhere. The Islanders scored a B-minus, boosted by the development of Ryan Pulock. The Avalanche had the highest grade at A-plus. [The Athletic]
• Goalies aren’t worried about other teams pulling their goalies earlier and earlier as time moves on. If anything, they’re excited about having more opportunity to score a goal of their own. [NHL]
• Chris Butler plays for the Blues and has bounced between St. Louis and their various AHL affiliates for years now, but still managed to carve out 400 NHL games. It meant a lot to him, enough that he penned a piece for the Blues’ website. [Blues]
• Old pal Matt Moulson has always been one to give back, and now he’s helping Matt Luff find a role with the Kings while plays with the AHL Ontario Reign. [The Athletic]