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The Islanders played hockey last night almost exactly how Barry Trotz wants to see it played. Slow, methodical, almost boring—painfully so, especially if the opponent is one that relies on run-and-gun offense.
It was just an exhibition, the only one before the games count, but it was still reassuring to watch.
Islanders News
Recaps(!) from a smothering of the Rangers, as well as seeming confirmation that Semyon Varlamov will start Game 1 against Florida: LHH | Islanders | NHL | Newsday | Newsday PHOTOS
- I may have missed this part most of all during the pause: Trotz’s postgame musings.
“Adam is appreciated in our market of what he does. When he went down he left a pretty big whole in our lineup. He looked pretty seamless jumping in there… He looked pretty set for the playoffs which is a really good sign for us.” - Trotz on Pelech pic.twitter.com/Dh1h0UWMwo
— New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) July 30, 2020
- The Islanders’ defense could prove to be a valuable asset in this tournament after a long layoff. It was apparent against a strong offensive team in the Blueshirts. [Newsday]
- And the team’s defensive depth, rested and healthy, was on full display last night. Scorers need to get into a rhythm, as Butch Goring said, but the structure is constant. [Islanders]
- Among Arthur Staple’s takeaways from last night’s contest were the difficult decision about the top six defensemen, the top line’s relative weakness, Islanders Hockey, and the Game 1 starter. [The Athletic]
- LISTEN: Andrew Gross hosted Episode 41 of Island Ice, where he hosted Isles co-owner Jon Ledecky and CEO of Oak View Group Tim Leiweke to talk UBS Arena. Newsday reporter Jim Baumbach also joined in to discuss, among other things, the Coliseum.
- Among the most important innovations of The Bank will be its commitment to wellness, according to the bigwigs mentioned in the previous bit. [Newsday]
Elsewhere
Yesterday’s NHL scores include the Capitals and the Avalanche earning 3-2 wins over the Hurricanes and Wild, respectively. The Blackhawks also shut out the Blues, 4-0, while the Jets beat the Canucks 4-1 late last night.
- Perhaps the second-most encouraging result from yesterday, though—after the Isles taking the Battle of New York, Exhibition Edition—was their play-in opponent, the Panthers, getting smacked around by the Lighting to the tune of 5-0. [Florida Hockey Now]
- One of the leaked Nintendo games is a hockey RPG.