Islanders News: Can’t win ‘em all, as they say

I mean, they couldn’t win them all of course. But between the bad bounces and the glaring mistakes proving costly, an extremely frustrating loss.

And, by my eye, the third line got hemmed quite a bit more than they had, and the power play was a quite a bit less dangerous than it had been, without a certain someone who just got unwisely sent to the minors. But we’ll get to that.

Islanders News

Recaps from the Hurricanes ending the Isles’ streak while continuing their own: LHH | Newsday | Islanders | NHL | NYI Skinny

• The loss, due in part to some unfortunate bounces going the other way, shows how hard it is to maintain a streak in the NHL. [Newsday]
• Before the game, Valtteri Filppula was activated off IR, and to make room, the Islanders sent Joshua Ho-Sang to the Sound Tigers. [LHH | Newsday]
• Now, I’m not gonna sit here and say they lost last night because they didn’t have Ho-Sang in the lineup. And I get they don’t want to hurt the feelings of some of the press box veterans who have served dutifully. But if they’re serious about competing for the playoffs, they need to ice their best lineup every night, and Ho-Sang is one of the 12 best forwards in the organization, full stop. /endrant
• This episode of PTIsles is titled “Finding a Way to Win,” which they sadly did not do last night. But! They discuss how good Robin Lehner and Devon Toews have been, and later on bring Carey Haber on to speak about the upward trend of the Isles’ underlying numbers.
• Matt Martin, who just played in career game no. 600 last night, recorded a PSA for the Nassau County DA’s Office to help fight the heroin crisis. The Islanders also invited students from a local middle school to last night’s game on behalf of the DA’s Office. [Newsday]

Elsewhere

Last night’s NHL scores. In terms of the playoff race, the only positive result last night was the Blue Jackets’ loss to the Lightning; otherwise, every team the Islanders are battling for a playoff spot, in the Metro or the wild card, won last night, and the Isles sit one point out of both the Metro and the wild card. They do have games in hand on every team around them, though.

• Amanda Kessel, brother of the NHL’s Phil Kessel, is the NWHL’s premier playmaking forward. After her NWHL-record 5-assist game on Sunday vs. the Connecticut Whale, she has 25 helpers in 18 games played, and is on the verge of becoming the Riveters’ all-time leader in assists. [The Ice Garden]
• Down Goes Brown builds the best roster he can in 2021-22 with existing contracts and while remaining cap compliant, and the roster has elite center depth. [The Athletic]
• If the Flames want a deep playoff run (of course they do), a division title provides their best chance. [TSN]
• Looking at the trade deadline: Simmonds sweepstakes, and expecting firesales from the Blues and Kings. [TSN Insider Trading]