Islanders News: Does this mean we’re the cats’ meow?

That was much, much better, folks. Things got pretty hairy in the third, but the first and second periods were Barry Trotz’s definition of Islanders Hockey. The two points were extraordinarily important, both to keep pace in the standings and for the team’s (and fans’) psyche. Semyon Varlamov looked solid, too.

Islanders News

Recaps from the declawing of the Panthers: LHH | Islanders | Newsday | NHL | NYI Skinny

Trotz enjoyed being behind the bench for that one, and felt that they built on Friday night’s loss, in which he says they played better than Tuesday:

• Jordan Eberle got checked, legally, by Mike Matheson late in the game, but his knee buckled. During a stoppage in play, Eberle tested out his knee on the ice, but didn’t play the rest of the game. Hopefully he’s okay. No update on him yet, and the team isn’t practicing today. (To see the hit and his knee, click the link in this Bit and scroll down a little on Sportsnet’s page. Their dumb video overlay format doesn’t allow for a direct link to the hit and their embeds aren’t supported by SBN.) Never mind I figured it out; turns out it is I who is dumb.
• Trotz shuffled all of his lines except the top line, and it seemed to work out. Also, the top line rewarded him for not breaking them up. [Newsday]
• Folks, we want your opinions. We’re going to sell them to Big Data! Not really. These are anonymous surveys. Join FanPulse to contribute to a pretty chart. [LHH]
• The Islanders’ owners want to make the Belmont arena and the team that inhabits it the gateway to the future, including “smart” jerseys for fans that change names and numbers and virtual reality experiences, I’d guess to make it feel like you’re there even though you’re in your underwear on your couch. [Newsday]
• VIDEO: The alumni toured the site of the new arena. They really appreciate everything these owners are doing for the franchise. [Newsday]

Elsewhere

Saturday is always a big day in the NHL. The Oilers beat the Rangers during the day to remain undefeated, despite Kaapo Kakko recording his first NHL goal. Also, the Hurricanes lost to the Blue Jackets, rendering Edmonton and the Avalanche the only teams without a loss on their books. Somehow, too, the Senators beat the Lightning in regulation.

• The NWHL season is set to kick off, despite about 140 players, including some of its biggest stars, boycotting the league and forming the Professional Women’s Hockey Players’ Association (PWHPA). The new players’ union is backed by tennis legend Billie Jean King and they’re leading the #ForTheGame movement to try to create a more sustainable league, one that allows them to make hockey a full-time career and not have to work in coffee shops to make ends meet. Those that have decided to play are left wondering whether they’re scabs or not. I’m going on and on but this is a really interesting long read about the NWHL’s most divisive season yet. [Sportsnet]