Islanders News: Bedeviled; Calm before the calm of the storm; Sorokin gold

After last night’s loss in New Jersey, the Islanders sit two points back of eighth place with 19 games to go. John Tavares is in a major slump. Tomorrow is the trade deadline. So, yeah, got a lot going on.

Islanders stuff

• Recaps: LHH | Newsday | NY Post | Islanders | NHL.com | NYI Skinny | AATJ
• Staple on Tavares’s struggles and just what the hell this team can do at the deadline. What a mess. [The Athletic]
• Tavares did provide an ear for Josh Bailey as he was signing his extension. [Newsday]
• Before the game, the Islanders picked up defenseman Brandon Davidson from the Oilers. Consensus seems he’s an okay player, which is fine. But this team is gonna need a lot more than one or two okay players to turn things around. [LHH | Newsday | C&B]
• Remember the Butch Goring trade? That was a good one. [Newsday]
• The Sound Tigers has won just three of its last 10 games and is nine points out of a playoff berth after a 2-1 loss to Charlotte last night. [CT Post. Includes an exchange between Brent Thompson and Josh Ho-Sang after a power play gone wrong. Relax, it’s fine. | Soundin’ Off]
• The Railers enjoyed a dominating 4-1 win over Manchester. [Telegram]
• Kieffer Bellows scored his 31st and 32nd goals of the season as Portland beat Victoria 3-2. [Winterhawks]
• On a serious note, this short film from NHL Network on Do It For Daron and the Richardon family is very well done. The Islanders DIFD Night raised over $34,000 for mental health initiatives.

Other stuff

• Last night’s NHL scores. The Blue Jackets pulled into eighth place and the Panthers keep winning.
• BREAKING: Rick Nash is a Bruin now, with a first round pick, Ryan Spooner, Matt Belesky and his cap hit and a prospect coming to the Rangers. Scratch another off tomorrow’s list. [BSB]
• Kyle Palmieri, who scored both Devils goals last night, is the godson of Mets legend Buddy Harrelson and, like everyone else, is pulling for him as he battles Alzheimers. [Newsday]
• Congrats to the Olympic Athletes of Russia of Anaheim on winning the gold medal in Pyeongchang by beating Team Germany in overtime. It was an exciting game that’ll be talked about for a while, no doubt. Islanders pick Ilya Sorokin grabs himself a medal after playing one period of the tournament for the Russians. Dennis Seidenberg’s brother Yannick ends up with a silver. [SBN | Soundin Off]
• We’re always fans of the great Bruce Bennett, who was in Korea to take his usual amazing photos of the Olympics. [NBC on how he does it | Bruce’s favorite shots]

A skating coach dissects how Mathew Barzal moves the way he does. Watching this closely makes him seem even more spectacular.