Islanders Gameday News: Fly on by

The Islanders need a big two points today at home against the Flyers to keep pace for the Metropolitan Division lead. Keeping pace will also force us to root for the Rangers at 12:30 as they host the Capitals, hot on the Isles’ tails. I send you my condolences from afar.

Leave your FIGs for today’s matinee here.

Islanders News

• The Islanders did not practice yesterday, due to CBA regulations, but they are hopeful they will get their homestand back on track today. [Newsday]
• Andrew Ladd was a healthy scratch Friday night against the Capitals, but is expected to be back in this afternoon. [Newsday]
• They will be wearing their third jerseys today, one of two occasions they will wear them in March. The other? This Tuesday night against the Senators. I’d imagine that would be it for the season, given that there’s only one home game in April. [Islanders]
• Casey Cizikas did, in fact, have his second goal in Thursday’s game get changed to Nick Leddy’s, so he sits at 18 goals instead of 19. No matter, still an amazing accomplishment for him — but he is quick to credit his teammates for his success. [Newsday]
• Friday night’s game was Anthony Beauvillier’s 200th in the NHL. He is, according to Brian Heyman, a work in progress. [Newsday]
• Johnny Boychuk was shaken by the incident in which Mitch Marner’s skate blade clipped his chin/throat, understandably so. Truly incredible that this kind of thing doesn’t happen more often. [Newsday]
• LHHer JakeJones has a civil and coherent response to Sean Avery’s idiotic rantings about classy behavior, on which he is an expert... in what not to do. Case in point, the extremely classy video itself. [LHH]
• Larry Brooks has a similarly pointless rant in his Slapshots column about the Islanders fan base. [NY Post]
• March 3 is the 46th anniversary of Bob Cook’s hat trick against the Canucks, which also happened to be the first Islanders game ever attended by official statistician Eric Hornick. [NYI Skinny]

Elsewhere

Last night’s NHL scores include the Blue Jackets getting shut out on home ice yesterday afternoon by the Oilers, the Penguins wailing on the Canadiens on the road, and the Hurricanes snatching an OT victory against the Panthers in Sunrise, FL. Columbus is now two points out of the wild card and three points out of the divisional playoffs, but has fewer games played than every team they’re chasing.

• Jakub Silfverberg officially signed his five-year extension with the Ducks; it will carry an AAV of $5.25 million. He would’ve been a UFA this summer. [NHL]
• Jets forward Adam Lowry was suspended two games for high-sticking Predators forward Filip Forsberg in their game Friday night. [NHL]
• And Devils forward Kurtis Gabriel was suspended one game for boarding Flyers forward Nolan Patrick on Friday night. [NHL]
• Jarome Iginla’s no. 12 was retired last night when the Flames hosted the Wild. He is the last of a dying breed of hockey players with elite skill and a grinder’s mindset. [The Athletic]