Islanders Gameday News: Finally, Game 1 with the Hurricanes

Wow, that was a long wait.

After the longest playoff layoff (hey, that rhymes) in their history, the New York Islanders are back at it hosting the Carolina Hurricanes for Game 1 in Brooklyn tonight. If last night’s opener between the Blue Jackets and Bruins was any indication, then we should indeed be wary of at least a rusty start from the team coming off a sweep and long rest.

But Trust in Trotz.

Leave your First Islanders Goal picks here. (And remember the revised playoff rules.) And for some Carolina perspective, check out our friends at Canes Country, where they are enjoying a series win after a torturous playoff drought (and where they have three separate clips of Tom Wilson getting victimized on the series-winning OT goal, which is nice).

Islanders News

• Noel and Dan P. had Isles radio play-by-play man Chris King on to help preview the series for the IslesBuzz podcast. [LHH]
• Carey gave us 10 Things to Watch as the series begins. [LHH]
• Ignore the metrics and the “model” and all that, this is a good rundown of the series and which areas could turn it. [Athletic]
• Meanwhile, Staple has his three reasons the Isles can win, three reasons they can lose. [Athletic] He was also on the Isle Seat podcast for a preview. [Sound Cloud]
• The Isles, too, know this will be a tough series. [NHL]
• One advantage of drawing the Hurricanes? This series doesn’t become a “Trotz on his old team” show. [Newsday]
• Trotz says his players are “overbaked” and raring to go. [NHL]
• They’ll be staying in a hotel in Brookyn for three days to encompass Games 1 and 2. [Post]
• Cal Clutterbuck took advantage of the long layoff to heal up. [Newsday]
• The Post’s traditional preview. [Post]
• The Sound Tigers had to come back twice on the road for an OT win to tie and extend their series for a decisive Game 5 back in Bridgeport. [CT Post | BST | The Tigers had never before won on the road when facing elimination: Soundin’ Off]
• Jon Ledecky is a fan of the Isles’ rabid fanbase. [Newsday]
• The Silky n Filthy podcast spoke with Dan S. about the Islanders surprising everyone. [Nucks Misconduct]
• Evan Roberts reviews how the Islanders got here. [omny.fm]
• Islanders fans are excited. Footage at 11. [WNYC]

Elsewhere

• As noted, two series kicked off last night with the Bruins beating the Blue Jackets in overtime [SCOC], and the Blues defeating the Stars off two Tarasenko goals [Defending Big D]
• There is a sense — and it may be wrong — that the Isles-Hurricanes series will not be as physical as the other Eastern semifinal. That could be good news for whoever wins this series, since, the Bruins and Blue Jackets seem determined to beat the hell out of each other. [Athletic]
• Watch Babcock, Dubas, Tavares, others grieve the Leafs’ demise. [PPP]
• Some refs made it to the second round, some made bizarre calls in Game 7 and did not. [Scouting the Refs]
• Dallas Eakins may be just the guy to get behind the Ducks bench. [Athletic]
• Two Fathers of Sharks share their feelings after watching the Game 7 comeback. [NHL]
• Jacob Markstrom was once a top goalie prospect, then a near-bust, now he’s revived thanks to a goalie coach, and people think it’s for real. [Athletic]