Islanders News: Did we just get our team back?

Are they back? Is this the real team? It’s only one game, but man was Tuesday’s effort from the New York Islanders overdue.

It was their first truly 60-minute performance since they theoretically reinforced with the deadline additions of Kyle Palmieri and Travis Zajac.

They came out flying, but — this being hockey — I had a sense of dread when they couldn’t solve Igor The Goalie for most of the first period. It had the feel of one of those games where their best period would go unrewarded, then the opponent would pull away with the counterpunch.

Thankfully, the Isles kept punching, and eventually the goals started piling up. As impossible as it seemed to beat Igor in the first, the floodgates were open (but on good goals, not gimmes) in the third.

Now comes the three-game set with the Capitals.

Islanders News

About last night:

• Wow, that was cathartic and beautiful. [LHH]
• The Isles raised their game. [Newsday]
• Neil Best: It was contenders vs. rebuilders. [Newsday]
• The Rangers’ stars crumbled thus they should definitely panic. [Post]
• The Isles “are playoff ready,” the Rangers admit. [Post]
• Zajac: “I played against this Islanders team for a long time and feel like when they have the lead they get stronger.” [Isles]

Meanwhile:

• Ilya Sorokin is among your hottest rookies [NHL]
• On their latest Islanders Anxiety podcast, Dan and Mike recall our collective worries and also enjoy mocking the Euro Super League, which is soccer’s version of making a permanent North Division where every team makes the playoffs every year. [LHH]
• Told choosing a goalie must be a difficult decision, Barry Trotz said, “Why?” It’s a privilege, is what he’s saying. [Newsday]
• Ryan Strome concedes he still cares about the Islanders. [Newsday]
• Samuel Bolduc scored twice and the Sound Tigers beat the Bruins for their first win “streak” of the season. [CT Post | BST]

Elsewhere

Last night’s other NHL scores included a Bruins shutout of the Sabres and a wild one in Pittsburgh where the Penguins almost blew a 6-0 third-period lead before topping the Devils, 7-6. Also: I laughed.

• Carey Price will miss at least one week with a concussion. [NHL]
• With Covid raging in Ontario, the OHL officially canceled its season, which makes this summer’s draft all the more chaotic. [NHL | OHL]
• But how does OHL’s lost season affect the Leafs the NHL draft? [Athletic]
• The best season of Connor McDavid’s career? [TSN]
• Blake Wheeler is back to feeling himself, a good sign for the Jets. [Sportsnet]
• God love TSN, the hot topic of the day is Zach Hyman’s free agency. [TSN]

Song of the Day

In honor of the cartel of spoiled idiots who overspend each year for Spanish clubs because they can, consider themselves entitled masters of Serie A, and went along for the ride in England because the American billionaire owners think they should be able to buy their way to anything, R.I.P. Euro Super League: