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On one hand, it was only one game, and it doesn’t mean much of anything in the long run. On the other, the Islanders greatly resembled what many of us expected them to look like this season, and dropped into the negatives in the goal differential department. Definitely didn’t look anything like the team that swept a home-and-home from these Penguins a little over a month ago, and the Pens didn’t look significantly improved from those contests.
Hopefully, Saturday’s battle in Detroit will be more competitive, at least. The Red Wings were supposed to be dreadful this season, but with their OT victory over the Maple Leafs last night, they currently sit two points back of the last wild card, one point above the Isles (though New York holds two games in hand).
Islanders News
Recaps from an abject failure of an evening: LHH | Newsday | Islanders | NHL
- There was some good news from yesterday, however: the environmental impact report for the Belmont project was completed and approved by New York State. [Newsday]
- Of course, the opposition to the project made their voices heard as the report was released. [The Sports Daily]
Elsewhere
Last night’s NHL scores. As I mentioned above, Toronto lost last night in William Nylander’s return to game action.
- Long Island boy Charlie McAvoy returned from injury against the Lightning last night, surely helping a decimated Bruins defense. [NHL]
- And Saturday’s opponent, the Red Wings, just lost defenseman Danny DeKeyser for 4-6 weeks with a hand injury. [NHL]
- Wednesday night, Capitals forward Evgeny Kuznetsov mistakenly picked up Golden Knights defenseman Nick Holden’s stick instead of his own or a teammate’s and was given a minor penalty for it. [NHL]
- Also related to these two teams: Ryan Reaves is profiting off of Tom Wilson’s injury with signed photos. [RMNB]
- Seattle’s team will have the “perfect” arena once the rebuild of it is complete. [NHL]
- It’s quite an interesting question: who will be the next commissioner of the NHL once Gary Bettman is done? [The Athletic]
- VIDEO: Doc Emrick met Barclay, the 3 month-old puppy the Blues are training, and they loved to play together. [NHL]