Islanders News: Blue & White Scrimmage Coming Up

Another June day, another day closer to finding out what next season’s roster might be.

Also, we’ve got ourselves a hell of a Final, and there will be a Game 6 in St. Louis.

Islanders News

• Tickets are now on sale for the annual Blue & White Scrimmage on June 27 at 6:00 p.m. It will feature many of the prospects in the system currently, as well as some of those from the upcoming 2019 NHL Entry Draft. [Islanders]
• LISTEN: The Isles Buzz podcast discusses the Brock Nelson extension and what it would take to get Patrik Laine in an Islanders uniform. [LHH]
• DGB constructs a lineup of players that have gone 0-for-_ in the postseason before, and Bryan Trottier is your first line left wing (he acknowledges he’s asking him to play out of position) after not getting on the scoresheet in the 1988 upset by the Devils. [The Athletic]

As teased yesterday, you can now vote for Hit of the Year by an Islanders player. I know which one I’m voting for — hint, it’s the most visually appealing hit, in the most important game of the choices, and against a player most hated by Isles fans. [Islanders]

Stanley Cup Final Coverage

The Blues and Bruins played Game 4 tonight in St. Louis and the Blues, as they’ve done so often throughout these playoffs, got off to a very quick start. They scored yet another goal in the first minute of a playoff game, courtesy of Ryan O’Reilly. Boston’s Charlie Coyle scored yet again to tie it up but Vladimir Tarasenko took the lead right back a couple minutes later. The Blues took fewer penalties this game and held off the Bruins power play, but did concede a shorthanded goal in the second period to Brandon Carlo.

The Blues didn’t let up, though, and O’Reilly took the lead back for St. Louis for good when he deposited the rebound from Alex Pietrangelo’s blast. Brayden Schenn added an empty-netter for good measure and the Blues won 4-2 to give the city of St. Louis its first home Stanley Cup Final win in its history while guaranteeing the city will get another Cup Final game. This series, now tied 2-2, is shaping up to be a great one.

• Boston defenseman and captain Zdeno Chara took a Brayden Schenn shot off his face via his own stick and left the game in the second. He returned to the bench in the third wearing the fishbowl but didn’t take a shift and his status, according to coach Bruce Cassidy, is uncertain for Game 5. [NHL]
• Tarasenko and O’Reilly are among the top performers in Game 4. Man I would’ve loved to acquire O’Reilly right after John Tavares left. Remember that? I’m sorry. [NHL]
• Brett Hull got the crowd going by leading a “Let’s Go Blues” chant. [NHL]
• The current Blues are energized by the outpouring of emotions after the city’s first Cup Final win. [NHL]
• The manager of the late Laura Branigan, who is trying to preserve her legacy, says the Blues’ “Gloria” moments are bittersweet for her; she says Branigan would have loved to be a part of this. It was blasting constantly in the postgame last night. [NHL]

Beyond Us and Real Hockey

• Taylor Hall is in no rush to sign an extension, his agent confirmed to the NHL’s site on Monday. This story was initially broken by The Fourth Period, though both sides essentially called that story poppycock. To me, though, that tells me Hall may be on the move this summer.
• The Flyers have acquired the rights to pending UFA Kevin Hayes from the Jets for a 5th round pick. The two sides have had preliminary discussions, but it remains to be seen if they work something out or if Hayes gets to July 1. [BSH | NHL]
• Speaking of Philadelphia, it appears that Hilary Duff’s 2003 album Metamorphosis was written about this past season’s Flyers. Quite prescient, that Duff. [BSH]
• Nikita Zaitsev apparently torched the Maple Leafs’ brass and Don Cherry in a Russian interview a few weeks ago that only recently got picked up here. Hmm... [Yahoo]
• The Golden Knights were in the Stanley Cup Final last season; this season, their AHL squad, the Chicago Wolves, are in the Calder Cup Final, led by wunderkind Cody Glass. [NHL]
• We’re approaching the end of the current CBA, and everyone is getting worried about the next “potential” lockout (quotes mine), but Gary Bettman thinks “labor peace is important” (quotes not mine). [ESPN]
• NHLers and prospects are taught to deal with social media nowadays because there are “lots of haters out there.” [The Athletic]