Islanders Gameday News: A busy stretch of games opens tonight after a three-day respite

The Islanders are in Brooklyn for the only time this month tonight when they host the Bruins. It should be a good game tonight between two of the best teams in the Eastern Conference, two teams who play similar styles. The Islanders won their last meeting in Boston just under a month ago, so the Bruins will be out for revenge. Good.

If you’re heading to the game and coming via train from Long Island, beware the changes in LIRR schedules:

Tonight begins a stretch of 7 games in 11 days for the Islanders leading up to the All-Star break, and they have their CBA-mandated bye week the week after the All-Star break. So they need to have a good push here before some well-deserved time off.

FIG Picks go here. Puck drop is at 7:00 p.m. EST.

Islanders News

• Let’s preview the damn thing, shall we?
• Tonight is Mental Health Awareness Night at the Barclays Center. It’s part of the Hockey Talks initiative, of which 14 other NHL clubs are a part. [Islanders]

Perhaps relatedly, there’s a Happy Hour going on before the game:

• Tom Kuhnhackl took a maintenance day yesterday and didn’t practice. [Islanders]
• Barry Trotz wants his players to play a 200-foot game in the second half. Revving up for the postseason. [Newsday]
• He’d also like his scorers to, uh, score. [Newsday]

Noah Dobson got some power play work in practice yesterday. He’s got the skill and vision, so why not, right?

• VIDEO: Andrew Gross briefly describes where the Islanders are at now at mid-season. [Newsday]
• The Islanders players voted on their own MVP and Unsung Hero; Brock Nelson is the team MVP and Adam Pelech was the Unsung Hero. [The Athletic]
• Oliver Wahlstrom returned to Bridgeport just in time for their three-in-three this weekend. [Sound Tigers]
• The Islanders and Sound Tigers made adjustments to their rosters before yesterday’s Sound Tigers game, some related to Wahlstrom, some not—the Isles sent Sebastian Aho down to Bridgeport to get him some game action, the Sound Tigers sent Arnaud Durandeau to ECHL Worcester, and they traded John Stevens to the Utica Comets. [Soundin’ Off pregame | Sound Tigers site on Stevens trade]
• All this build-up, and the Sound Tigers got blanked 4-0 in Springfield by the Thunderbirds. [Sound Tigers]
• The Easter Epic is still going on, apparently! Part 3 is the end of Stan Fischler’s tale about that long night 33 years ago. [Maven’s Memories]

Elsewhere

Last night’s NHL scores include the Penguins coming back to beat the Avalanche in overtime and the Hurricanes shutting out the Coyotes. Stupid Metro Division.

Also last night, the Red Wings beat the Senators in a shootout. But Detroit had a golden chance to convert in overtime, and somehow, the puck never went in:

• Blackhawks goalie Robin Lehner won’t take a pay cut to remain in Chicago, saying he’s been taking discounts his whole life. I can dig it. [NHL]
• On Team Pacific Division, the Golden Knights’ Max Pacioretty will be replacing the Ducks’ Jakob Silfverberg, who will be attending the birth of his child; Tomas Hertl will replace Sharks teammate Logan Couture, who is out with a fractured ankle.
• Toronto Marlies assistant coach and one-time Islander Rob Davison suffered a medical emergency in the visitor’s locker room of the home arena of the Texas Stars and was rushed to the hospital, where he is still being evaluated. The team requested the game be postponed. [Globe & Mail]