Islanders News: Oliver impresses in New York comeback OT win

It was just your routine holiday matinee game with the Islanders getting outplayed at home when...that happened.

“Unbelievable. I don’t know if we deserved the two points, but that’s the way you stay in the game...” said Mathew Barzal, who played a huge part in both the tying and the overtime winning goal.

That’s why they play 60 (and 65 or so) and all that.

The Blues thought they had things in hand, albeit with missed opportunities to put it comfortably away, and then suddenly they didn’t. Coliseum ghosts came out to party.

Islanders News

• About last night yesterday afternoon: Did that just happen? (Yes.) [LHH] Refreshing rally and neeed second win in a row. [Newsday | NHL]
• Dominated in the second, the Isles turned the tables in the third, though it took 14+ minutes for the effort to begin paying off. Also: Barry Trotz praised Johnny Boychuk dying on multiple hills. [Isles | Newsday]
• Oliver Wahlstrom was only here for his NHL debut because Jordan Eberle has an undisclosed injury, but he impressed. Worth another look. [Isles | Newsday]
• Former Islander and current Blues coach Craig Berube: “You’re going to play really well and lose some games.” [STLtoday | STL Game Time]
• Barzal aims to shoot more this season and that should help the Islanders. (Hey, but we’ll still take the passes to the slot that deflect off a defender’s stick and into the goal, too.) [Athletic]
• Prospect Report: Cole Coskey, Reece Newkirk and Felix Bibeau continue to rack up points in juniors. [Isles]
• Newsflash: Islanders fans love tailgating at Nassau Coliseum. (I jest, but it really is still news to many outsiders, who don’t know what they’re missing.) [Newsday]

Elsewhere

Lots of day games, here were the day’s NHL scores. They included the Devils blowing a big lead at home vs. the Panthers to remain winless, and David Pastrnak scoring four against the Ducks.

• The Isles next play the Jets, who are covered by Arctic Ice Hockey, which asks: Should teams fire their coaches earlier in a season?
• Five questions with Scott Gomez, the legendary former Islanders power play coach who also once played for the Devils. (Seriously though: Fun discussion of his Latin heritage) [NHL]
• The Flyers are getting a little bit more breathing room under the salary cap, which would allow them to...add Chris Stewart? Okay. [Courier Post]
• The Post is so great for local hockey coverage because the Islanders and Devils will each have home games and instead of covering those it will just run some column grumbling this or that about the 2-1 Smurfs.
• The Coyotes have lost Niklas Hjalmarsson to a broken leg. [Five For Howling]
• So Arsenal legend and one-time Chelsea :) keeper Petr Cech was moonlighting as an ice hockey goalie all along... [Athletic]