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The Islanders face their most-hated rivals tonight for the first time this season when they visit Madison Square Garden and the Rangers.
The Rangers look a little different from the last time the Islanders saw them. Ryan Strome, the Islanders’ pick at no. 5 overall back in 2011, is one of the Rangers’ top players. They’ve currently got a three-headed goalie monster in the NHL, between aging former superstar Henrik Lundqvist, a surprisingly good back-up in Alexandar Georgiev, and young phenom Igor Shesterkin, who just got called up last week. Oh, and they’ve got some guy named Artemi Panarin leading the way. Where have I heard of him before?
Anyway, the Islanders are coming off a great effort against one of the top teams in the league in the Boston Bruins, but lost a coin toss thanks to a weighted coin in the form of an overtime power play against. Hopefully they can keep it going against a porous but offensively talented Rangers team.
FIGs go here. Puck drop is at 7:00 p.m.
Islanders News
Recaps from the battle against Boston: LHH | Islanders | Newsday | NHL | NYI Skinny
Hear from the coach after Saturday night’s game:
“We did a lot of good things in the first period. I thought we showed good resiliency when they took the lead and we got it tied up. And then anything can happen in overtime.” - Barry Trotz pic.twitter.com/kaZ7EcQPTx
— New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) January 12, 2020
- PODCAST: PTIsles reacts to Saturday night’s game and the comments made by Barry Trotz and Scott Mayfield. [LHH]
- The Islanders were able to use the Bruins game as a bit of a measuring stick. [Newsday]
- Now they’ll get ready for their first match-up with their cross-town rivals. Weird that the first time of the season is so late this year. [Newsday]
- Eric Hornick checks in on where the Islanders are at at mid-season in a special edition of the NYI Skinny.
- He also did an NYI Skinny on the Islanders’ historically low number of power play opportunities.
- Barry Trotz is still unsure of when Cal Clutterbuck will be able to return, but it definitely sounds like months, not weeks. [Newsday]
Radar is turning into an excellent service dog:
Exciting updates on our good boy Radar!
— New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) January 12, 2020
He’s been a super star in his @GuideDogFdn training classes! His Mobility Instructor says Radar is eager to learn, pulls really nicely in harness and takes direction very well! We’re so proud of this good boy and his progress. pic.twitter.com/1eQOLRB2bq
Elsewhere
Saturday night’s NHL scores include the Devils whooping the Capitals, the Flyers getting shut out by the Lightning, and the Hurricanes shutting out the Kings; and Sunday night’s NHL scores include the Penguins beating the Coyotes in the shootout and the Panthers beating the Maple Leafs 8-4.
- In a surprise move Sunday evening, the Devils fired GM Ray Shero and named assistant GM and former Islander Tom Fitzgerald as the interim GM. The move isn’t a complete surprise, but the timing, right before New Jersey hosted the Lightning, is a little surprising. [AATJ]
- Sidney Crosby did not return for the Pittsburgh-Arizona game as he was rumored to be doing. [NHL]
- The All-Star Last Men In are David Perron (Blues, Central), Quinn Hughes (Canucks, Pacific), Mitch Marner (Maple Leafs, Atlantic), and T.J. Oshie (Capitals, Metropolitan). No Brock Nelson :(. [NHL]
- Patrick Marleau played in his 1,700th NHL game Saturday night when the Sharks hosted the Stars. [NHL]
- Canadiens center and former Islander Nate Thompson opened up about his struggles with drug and alcohol addiction. [Sportsnet]