Islanders News: We’ve got some time to kill, now

That was a fun win last night. The Blue Jackets definitely outplayed the Islanders in the second period and the beginning of the third, but Barry Trotz’s expletive-laden timeout tirade seemed to light a little bit of a fire underneath the guys and they at least got the game to overtime. Then, Brock Nelson, Nick Leddy, and Anthony Beauvillier went to work.

The Isles don’t take the ice for a game again until Thursday night, when Phil Kessel and the new-look Arizona Coyotes come to play. Definitely feels a lot better going into a long layoff on a four-game win streak. Odd schedule to start this year: off for four days, then a Thursday-Friday back-to-back (they’re in Ottawa to play the Senators Friday night).

Islanders News

Recaps from a cannon fight: LHH | Islanders | Newsday | NHL | NYI Skinny

The Trotz post-gamer:

• Leo Komarov came down with an illness that kept him out of last night’s game, so the Isles put Jordan Eberle officially on IR (retroactive to last week) and brought up Cole Bardreau for his first NHL game. He was decent, physical. Can’t imagine he’ll be around once Leo is healthy again. [Newsday | Islanders]
• But it can’t hurt to get to know him a little bit. Here are 7 facts about the 26-year-old AHL journeyman. [Islanders]
• Mathew Barzal says his impending RFA status isn’t on his mind, but he’s also aware of the deals some of his colleagues (like Nico Hischier) are signing. [Newsday]
• The Sound Tigers hosted their home opener last night, taking on the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. Michael Fornabaio checked in with lines and previews. Miss his work. [Soundin’ Off]
• Unfortunately, too, the Sound Tigers lost in the shootout. [Sound Tigers]
• Simon Holmstrom is learning to adapt his style to the North American game down in Bridgeport and impressed coach Brent Thompson in the Sound Tigers’ game last night. [Islanders Insight]

Elsewhere

Last night’s NHL scores include the Golden Knights shutting out the Penguins (and Marc-Andre Fleury earning his first win in Pittsburgh in the process) and the Avalanche stomping on the Lightning in Tampa behind Tyson Jost’s hat trick.

• Also, the Hughes brothers made history as the first brothers of Jewish descent to play each other in an NHL game when the Devils hosted the Canucks in a matinee. To top things off, Jack Hughes finally scored his first NHL goal (I don’t think Quinn Hughes was out there at the time) and it stood as the only goal of the game as New Jersey beat Vancouver 1-0.
• The beef between Calgary’s Matthew Tkachuk and the Kings’ Drew Doughty is the stuff of legends and last night, it led to a complete line-brawl. [Sportsnet]
• The Jets are playing the Flames outdoors in Saturday evening’s Heritage Classic in Regina, Saskatchewan, but they’re still a work in progress, according to GM Kevin Cheveldayoff. [NHL]
• Jason Zucker has apologized to Bruce Boudreau for his comments about him. The Wild are a hot mess right now. [NHL]
• The Down Goes Brown grab bag features an image of Anders Lee yelling at a ref, as one of the foci of the article is a lack of officiating controversy so far, but doesn’t mention the Isles otherwise. Also mentioned are coaches on the hot seat. [The Athletic]
• Jonathan Willis has some, as he terms them, “way-too-early” thoughts about all 31 NHL power plays; right now, the Islanders fall into the “lots of goals, not a lot of shots” quadrant. [The Athletic]
• A good long read about Dawn Braid’s skating work with NHL players. She’s the wizard that turned John Tavares into an excellent skater in one offseason. She’s also worked with Taylor Hall and Matthew Tkachuk, among others. This article documents, in part, her work with our old friend Kyle Okposo this past summer. [Sportsnet]