Islanders News: Would you have predicted nine straight wins?

Wow, nine straight wins. I mean, I don’t even know what to say here. Not much needs to be said, really, other than a big happy birthday to my father. Happy birthday, dad!

The Isles are off for a couple days before returning to Barclays Center for the first time this season as they host the Senators.

Islanders News

Recaps from a sheathing of the Sabres: LHH | Islanders | Newsday | NHL GC | NHL Recap | NYI Skinny

Here’s coach Barry Trotz singing his guys’ praises:

He also torched Butch Goring’s wardrobe to match the Sabres’ ‘70s Night during his availability with Shannon Hogan right after time expired:

• Nick Leddy was a late scratch and was listed as day-to-day with a lower-body issue. Noah Dobson drew in to the lineup next to Johnny Boychuk. [Newsday]
• Andrew Ladd was sent to Bridgeport for a conditioning stint and he played for them last night. [Islanders]
• The Sound Tigers lost to the Phantoms, 3-2, to fall to 1-7-2-1, but 2019 first-round pick Simon Holmstrom scored his first goal in North America, and it was against old friend J.F. Berube(!) [Sound Tigers]
• Mathew Barzal is normally a playmaker, but this year he’s become a goalmaker, too (not my joke, I’m just the messenger, please don’t pelt me with tomatoes). [Newsday]
• On this date twelve years ago, Ted Nolan and the Islanders invited Al Arbour back for one night to get him to 1,500 games coached with the franchise. Miroslav Satan scored twice as the Isles rallied to beat the Penguins 3-2 at the sold-out Coliseum. [NHL]

Cal Clutterbuck played in his 800th career NHL game last night, and his 454th as an Islander. I forget that he’s been here that long already. Sounds like he had some relatives in attendance, much like Cole Bardreau.

Elsewhere

Full slate of NHL games yesterday: four shutouts (including the Isles-Sabres game) and an 11-round shootout that the Maple Leafs won over the Flyers

• Last night, the Bruins beat the Senators, but the bigger story was a frightening collision between Ottawa’s Scott Sabourin and Boston’s David Backes. Sabourin went in to hit Backes early in the first period and they appeared to butt heads. Sabourin was definitely out cold before he hit the ice, where he promptly smacked his head further. He remained down on the ice for 11 minutes but thankfully was able to move his legs. He had to be stretchered off but gave the crowd a thumbs-up on his way out. He was kept at a local hospital over night. [NHL]
• The Flames shut out the Blue Jackets 3-0, but the story from that game was that Milan Lucic glove-sucker-punched a dude, Kole Sherwood to be exact, after the whistle because Sherwood took an extra poke at goalie David Rittich. Lucic will have a hearing with the Department of Player Safety for being a dumbass. [Sportsnet]
• VIDEO: Sportsnet insiders Elliotte Friedman and Chris Johnston dissect the Dustin Byfuglien situation with the Jets and discuss Jesse Puljujarvi’s potential trade. [Sportsnet]
• Jim Gregory was remembered as an “incredible human being” at his funeral. [NHL]