Islanders Gameday News: Not disappointed yet? Here, have another!

That was pathetic.

Let’s see if they can play a full game tonight in Carolina. The Hurricanes have been the Islanders’ kryptonite of late, so I doubt it.

Good to have this Islanders fan lack of faith back. It’s been a while.

FIG picks go here.

Islanders News

Recaps from a Capitals crime: LHH | Islanders | Newsday | NHL | NYI Skinny

Barry Trotz sounded like he was out of answers, which is concerning, yes, but also underscores this team’s need for more talent:

• Alex Ovechkin recorded his second hat trick in as many games. He started the day one goal back of Mario Lemieux for tenth on the all-time goals list; he ended it tied with Steve Yzerman for ninth. [Newsday]
• It was vintage Ovechkin. Especially his second goal. I mean, it went off Ryan Pulock’s skate, but it was still an impressive individual effort. [The Athletic]
• You might wonder if that collapse is a bad omen. Tough to say without knowing the future, but the Hurricanes, Flyers, and Blue Jackets are gaining ground. Think of where the Isles would be without the point streak. [Newsday]
• Trotz, with a season and a half under his belt, is now the 14th-longest tenured coach in the NHL. He’s surprised at the turnover around the league, but knows the pressures of success in this league. [Newsday]
• Mason Jobst scored on the power play but the Providence Bruins had their revenge in the second half of the home-and-home, beating the Sound Tigers in Bridgeport. [Soundin’ Off lines | Sound Tigers recap]
• The Islanders puppy, Tori, met the Capitals puppy, Captain. Would be a much more fun story to read with two points in the bank. Also, Captain is a lazy-ass dog name. [Islanders]

Elsewhere

Last night’s NHL scores include the Flyers beating the Kings and the Blue Jackets beating the Devils. The Hurricanes were idle, so they’ll be rested this evening. The Islanders sit at 60 points with 47 games played. Columbus and Philadelphia currently occupy the two wild card spots at 58 points with 49 games played. Carolina is on the outside looking in at 57 points with 48 games played. It’s that close. It wasn’t that close even a month ago, but that’s what .500 hockey can do to you in a tough division, like the Metro. The Islanders still have games in hand on everyone, but that doesn’t matter unless you win them, so...

• If there is one thing Isles fans can take solace in after yesterday’s results, it’s that the Maple Leafs got blown out by the Blackhawks on Hockey Night in Canada in their last game before their bye week/All-Star break. Better, still, is that the loss has them sitting outside the playoff picture. [Sportsnet]
• VIDEO: And, for good measure, Chicago rookie Dominik Kubalik smacked in a mid-air cross-ice feed to really turn up the embarrassment levels. [Yahoo]

Meanwhile, how’s this for a quote:

“The Canucks, who have lost more games over the last four years than anyone other than the Buffalo Sabres, beat the San Jose Sharks 4-1 Saturday to move alone atop the tightest division in hockey.”

That comes from this article about the Canucks taking sole possession of first in the Pacific. It’s the tightest division in hockey, yes—Vancouver is in first with 58 points, and teams 2-5 are all tied with 57—but it’s also, arguably, the league’s worst division. See Elaine above.