Islanders Gameday News: These guys again?!

Well, look who’s here: the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Tonight will mark the fifth time in February, and tomorrow evening the sixth, that the Islanders face the Penguins. The first two-game set went decently; the Isles took three of four possible points.

The second two-game set, last week, frustrated players and fans alike. The Islanders played well in both games. They probably deserved at least a point, if not two, in both games. But they came away with two regulation losses and zero points.

Hopefully, this back-to-back brings better results. FIGs go here.

Before we go any further, we want to extend our condolences to Cory Schneider and his family. This is awful, awful news.

Islanders News

• The team site previews tonight’s contest.
• They want to bring much of what they brought to Pittsburgh last week—but they want the results, too. [Newsday]
• Michael Dal Colle skated in practice yesterday. He has not played since blocking a shot last week against the Sabres. [Islanders]
• It may not have felt like it, but this past Wednesday was the one-year anniversary of the Jean-Gabriel Pageau trade. Man, has it paid off. [The Athletic]
• LISTEN: The Through the Island podcast chats about Thursday’s offensive explosion against the Bruins.
• Before that game against Boston, Dom Luszczyszyn posted his monthly 16 Stats. Nos. 8 & 9 were about our beloved Islanders. The numbers now actually bear out their defensive prowess and suggest that they should start scoring more goals soon.
• Stan Fischler wrote about Jim Devellano, The Other Architect. He worked with the Islanders from just after their expansion draft through their third Stanley Cup before he was hired as GM of the Red Wings. [Maven’s Memories]

This seems interesting:

NEW! Todd Bertuzzi spoke with the Cam and Strick podcast to talk about Mike Milbury. Here’s a clip. It’s NSFW, but man is it hilarious and illuminating.

Elsewhere

Last night’s NHL scores include the Rangers giving the Bruins a beat-down resembling the one that the Islanders gave them. They won 6-2 in their first game in front of Garden fans in nearly a year.

• LOOK: Tom Wilson Thursday night delivered yet another bad hit, this time on the Penguins’ Mark Jankowski. It was shoulder-to-chest, but also a full second late. And Wilson was not moving too quickly to stop himself if that could even be an excuse. [NBC Sports]
• He received only two minutes for the hit, though. And later, he scored the game-winning goal in the third. As if the hit propelled him to play better. [The Athletic]
• Jeff Skinner does not want to be traded from Buffalo. He also voiced his displeasure with his scratches; he questioned coach Ralph Krueger’s decision to scratch him three times. [NHL]
• Jim Rutherford needed just one month of retirement to be too bored to sit at home. He wants to work again. Given how NHL front offices operate, I imagine he will get his wish.
• The Canucks’ struggles stand out against the background of their heightened expectations for this season. [Sportsnet]
• Flames goalie David Rittich got yanked on Thursday night en route to a 6–1 loss to Ottawa. After getting pulled, he headbutted a concrete wall. He still had on his helmet, but jeez. [Yahoo]
• Something about the NHL embracing the model of NBA Top Shot, in which fans buy and sell highlights like digital trading cards. I feel old. [ESPN]
• Sportsnet sat down with Brady Tkachuk for a Q&A about his young Senators team and what drives him to excel.
• Interesting concept: an era-adjusted mock draft. Basically, trying to project older players that did not reach their full potential when they played, but that would have thrived in today’s game. Guys like Alex Mogilny, Theo Fleury, and Andy McDonald. [The Athletic]