Islanders Gameday Quick Bits/Game 41 Thread: Christening a new Oilers coach

Howdy folks. Apologies for the lack of Bits this morning. Unfortunately, we are all extremely busy at the moment.

But we didn’t want to leave you in the dark; it is a Gameday, after all. So we have a few links to tide you over until the puck drops tonight in Edmonton. This piece will also serve as tonight’s game thread.

The Edmonton Oilers recently fired their coach—like, yesterday, fired him. So it’s the new guy’s first night on the job. Hopefully, the New York Islanders can spoil it.

Islanders Bits

• Some keys to tonight’s game, as the Islanders try to maintain momentum. [Islanders]
• In other words, they want Wednesday’s success to carry over to tonight. [Newsday]
• Trying to find that momentum at all involved some blended lines. [amNY] Curious to see how/if Kyle Palmieri works into the lineup now that he’s back from paternity leave.

• And it also required Barry Trotz to reflect on the job that he has done this season; he wasn’t happy with himself over the break. [The Athletic]
• Stan Fischler spoke with Eric Hornick about celebrating his 40th anniversary as the Isles’ broadcast statistician. You have to scroll down to find it, though. But don’t go too fast; there’s a lot of good stuff in there. [THN]

Elsewhere

Thursday’s NHL scores. The Carolina Hurricanes did us a huge solid by waxing the Boston Bruins on the road, 6-0. Just last month, the Hurricanes blew the Bruins’ doors off in Boston on Willie O’Ree Night; Carolina won 7-1, and Tuukka Rask (now-retired) gave up five goals in the first period. The more things change, the more they stay the same, am I right, folks?

• Dave Tippett was mercifully fired as coach of the Oilers on Thursday. He was replaced with the Oilers’ AHL team’s coach, Jay Woodcroft. Tonight is his debut. [NHL]
• And boy does he have a lot of work to do. [NHL]
• All eyes are on Claude Giroux and Marc-André Fleury ahead of the March 21 Trade Deadline. [ESPN]