Islanders News: “Overmatched” isn’t a word, apparently

Last night’s loss to the Flames didn’t inspire much confidence — yes, Calgary is a good team. But the Islanders are supposed to be, too, and this was twice in a week that they looked over-matched against the Flames.

But, they’re in the West, so if the Isles have to face them again, it wouldn’t be until the Stanley Cup Final. I’ll take that.

Islanders News

Recaps from a flaming hot mess: LHH | Newsday | Islanders | NHL | NYI Skinny

Part of the problem with their play of late is articulated and illustrated much better by my two colleagues, Carey and Jenny, than I could ever do:

• In which Bob McKenzie says the Islanders’ rumored offer for Mark Stone was Anthony Beauvillier and a first round pick, as long as Stone came with an extension. The larger context is that the Jets, who went hard after Stone, decided Monday morning to drop out and turn elsewhere, leaving the Senators sort of scrambling for the best last minute deal they could find. [Nichols on Hockey]
• Dimitri Filipovic is joined by Justin Cuthbert on the Hockey PDOcast to discuss Trade Deadline winners and losers. The Islanders standing pat comes up at 57:30, approximately.
• Ryan Pulock’s development has been key to the Islanders blue line offense. [The Sports Daily]
• Is the Belmont project destined for the same fate as Amazon? Personally, I would guess no, but read on. [Gothamist]

Slithery News

• VIDEO: John Tavares wants Isles fans to remember him positively, giving it “everything [he] had.” [TSN]
• Meanwhile, all he’s worried about now is helping the Maple Leafs win. [NHL]
• GM Lou Lamoriello wants the fans to go easy on him and to give him the respect he desrves. Quite frankly, at this point, that’s what we should do —- well, I don’t know about giving him any respect, but ignoring him entirely and focusing on our first place team is what we should be doing. Especially since it seems some fans would riot and put his severed head on a pike if they could. [WFAN | Newsday]
• The Isles’ resident celebrity fan, Kevin Connolly, asks Islanders fans to do the same. [Bardown]

Elsewhere

Last night’s NHL scores include the Capitals 7-2 drubbing of the talent-depleted Senators to tie the Islanders in points (but the Islanders still have two games in hand and technically lead the division.) Also, the Hurricanes won to move into third in the division. And the Penguins beat the Blue Jackets in regulation, knocking Columbus out of playoff position for the time being and putting Pittsburgh in a wild card spot.

• Darren Dreger was asked if he thought selling GMs preferred to keep their sold pieces in the other conference, and he didn’t necessarily think so, though did acknowledge that the three major pieces moved on Monday went from East to West. [Nichols on Hockey]
• VIDEO: One of those major pieces, obviously, was Mark Stone, traded from the Senators to the Golden Knights and agreeing to an extension with them. They gave him a hero’s welcome at the airport. [Bardown]
• And Stone welcomes the move to Las Vegas and joining the Golden Knights. [NHL]
• The Flames didn’t do much at the Deadline, but, as you saw last night, there’s probably not too much reason to worry about them. [THN]
• Taylor Hall’s status for the rest of the season could be determined this week, and even if he’s good to go, he should probably sit for the rest of the year. The Devils aren’t going anywhere and could probably stand to lose a few more games for the tank that Hall’s addition could help them win. [NHL]
• Josh Morrissey will be out until at least April for the Jets, which can’t help their situation. [NHL]
• Ice Hockey in Harlem is a “free ice hockey and academic enrichment program open to children from Harlem and upper Manhattan,” hoping to open doors that may not necessarily have been there. [NHL]