Islanders Gameday News: Cautious optimism

Brocktober is over, Halloween is in the past, and the Islanders enter the second calendar month of the season with a 5-4 record.

The road ahead includes Blackhawks and Red Wings teams that are supposed to be doormats and a Blues team that is playing like one, so chances are fair that the Islanders can continue their good (right?!) vibes and build up their winning record.

But the last week did not go according to forecasts, so who knows how this week will be?

It starts tonight with an 8:30 EDT start in Chicago. Leave First Islanders Goal picks here.

Islanders News

• A wee preview of tonight’s game. [Isles]
• Dan and Mike were (like many of us) filled with dread before the last three-game tough stretch began, so they revisit how pleasantly surprising it was to have the Isles sweep the set. [Islanders Anxiety podcast]
• Stan Fischler catches up with Frans Nielsen — on the DBOJ, on his route to the NHL, and how Long Island was his favorite place. [Isles]
• The Isles blueline has been part of a healthy dose of goals. [Newsday]
• Prospect Report: Matt Maggio and others. [Isles]
• In this Halloween-themed Q&A with the Isles, Josh Bailey’s answer is a hilarious and possibly intentional parody of his image. [Isles]

Elsewhere

Last night’s NHL scores include a Sabres win that featured a six-point night for Tage Thompson. Also, the Hurricanes beat the Capitals via shootout because of course our division rivals have to have three-point games.

• Dodging the easy “LOL look at that” story to find the (inevitable, in my eyes) “Hey, this is actually kind of fun” angle to the Coyotes occupying a small college arena. [ESPN]
• The Capitals are without TJ Oshie “indefinitely” due to a lower body injury. [NHL]
• The struggling Ducks take another hit, as 20-year-old Jamie Drysdale has a torn labrum and is expected to miss 4-6 months. [NHL | TSN]
• Darryl Sutter mixes Kadri and Huberdeau to try to goose the offense in Calgary. [Sportsnet]
• Mike Keenan talks about coaching in Italy — where they hope to earn promotion and be at the next Olympics — and more. [Athletic]
• Your daily dose of Leafs angst: The ugly Western trip shows Dubas has not built a contender. [Sportsnet] But can they snap out of it, or do they need changes? [Sportsnet]