Islanders News: Streit remembers, LaFontaine unifies, injuries loom

Yesterday was a total off day for the Islanders. Today they’re back to work, with perhaps some injury updates, and prep for tomorrow night in Buffalo.

Islanders Reading

• Somehow somewhere there was a rumor/trolling that Scott Mayfield is done for the year after leaving Monday’s game on a shot block. Garth Snow told Arthur Staple of Newsday The Athletic that’s not the case.
• The Isles all agree they’ve been screwing over their goalies with nonstop shoddy team defense. [Newsday]
• You probably saw Mark Streit was back in the other night, at the invitation of the owners. He discussed his time as an Islander, the irony of returning to the Coliseum, and what’s next for him. (Of course it might involve watches. [Isles]
• The prospect report focuses on Kieffer Bellows and Otto Koivula. [Isles]
• Great feature on Matt Carkner about life in coaching for the Sound Tigers. [AHL]
• Looking ahead to the Olympics with all its non-NHLers, Corey Pronman breaks down some prospects to watch. One is Ilya Sorokin, who looks to be the backup for Team Russia-Like Substance and “can make a ton of stops due to his top-level athleticism, moving across the crease or stopping pucks away from his body. He’s a smart positional player, as well as a battler between the pipes who doesn’t shy away from playing aggressive angles.” [The Athletic]
• Bridgeport practice was nearly catastrophic. [Soundin’ Off]
• You know, just some Islanders (Mayfield and Pulock) playing floorball at PS 18 Winchester. [Isles]
• Nothing new here, but general NHL trade rumor roundup focusing on the Rangers (selling), the Islanders (not trading Tavares), etc. [Sporting News]
• Pat LaFontaine has his hands in all levels of hockey. [NBC]
• Elliotte Friedman with the same, including stoking the “would the Isles take Matt Martin back?” silliness. [Kukla’s Korner]

Elsewhere

Last night’s scores include Devils and Blue Jackets regulation losses — the latter a gut punch in the final minute — the Flyers beating the Hurricanes in a damned three-point game, and the Penguins winning in regulation in Marc-Andre Fleury’s return to Pittsburgh.

Old wantaway Nino scored an interesting one last night:

• Man, Bobby Ryan has to deal with yet another hand injury. Two to three weeks, maybe. [NHL]
• Marc Bergevin should be fired if...well, you don’t really need an if, but Eric Engels argues that it’s if he doesn’t make a trade of Tomas Plekanec, who somehow is almost 35 already. [Sportsnet]
• Here’s the video tribute the Pens ran for Fleury. [PensBurgh]
• They still love Fleury in the Pens locker room, though “he’s the kind of guy who puts Icy Hot in your underwear” is kind of a weird reason. [NHL]
• Patrik Laine likes Winnipeg and video games. [Players’ Tribune]
• Joffrey Lupul, who made some waves in preseason by questioning (then deleting) the Leafs’ declaring him medically unable to play, accepts that his body probably just can’t do it. [Sportsnet]
• Following the 2018 draft lottery race. [SB Nation]

The D-Bag Section

• Oh look, Brad Marchand is bummed that all the dirty crap he did “to make it in the league” gave him a reputation he can’t seem to shake. Gotta love people who are dicks to other humans and then are all “Oh, but I’m a person too...” [Boston Herald]
• Alex Burrows decked and flailingly kneed Taylor Hall during a scrum. Hall scored on the ensuing power play, but his Devils lost. [SB Nation]