Islanders and NHL News: Cup anniversaries and droughts; Coyotes on the move?

It has officially been forty years since the New York Islanders last lifted the Stanley Cup. On May 17, 1983, the Islanders completed a sweep of the Edmonton Oilers on Nassau Coliseum ice. We’re in a bit of a drought, you might say.

Meanwhile, out west, an arena referendum failed, and I empathize with Arizona Coyotes fans.

Islanders News

• This (Yester)Day in Isles History: The Islanders won their third straight Stanley Cup, sweeping the Vancouver Canucks (1982); Kyle Palmieri picks a corner off Tristan Jarry’s noggin as the Islanders won Game 1 in overtime (2021); Lane Lambert is hired as coach (2022).
• This Day in Isles History: The Islanders won their fourth straight Cup, as noted above (1983).
• The Isles and Sparky have been planting trees in the Town of Hempstead. [Islanders]
• Professor Fischler grades the defense and goaltending. [THN]
• Ray Ferraro is the latest guest on Talkin’ Isles. [Islanders]

Elsewhere

No playoff hockey last night or tonight. The Conference Finals begin tomorrow night in Raleigh. Here’s the schedule. [NHL]

• The Florida Panthers will be the team visiting Raleigh, and they could offer the Toronto Maple Leafs a lesson in roster construction and change. [The Athletic]
• The northernmost home base for the final four is in Las Vegas, so some Canadian traditionalists are melting down about it. But as Dallas Stars coach Peter DeBoer rightly points out, those games in Toronto are quiet and corporate. Dallas and Vegas are a party. And these Sun Belt, non-traditional markets are good for the game. [TSN]
• Teuvo Teravainen’s hand is nearly healed and will likely be back early in the Eastern Conference Final for the Carolina Hurricanes. So you’re telling me that J-G Pageau didn’t shatter his hand into a million pieces the way Rod Brind’Amour made it sound? [TSN]
• Other storylines include the Staal family feud—Eric and Marc in Florida are going to argue with Jordan in Carolina about who is more homophobic—and DeBoer facing his old team right away in the Conference Final. [NHL]
• DeBoer admitted that it definitely “means a little more” to take on the Golden Knights. [NHL]
• On the other side, new Knights coach Bruce Cassidy is preparing for a familiar yet “different animal” in the Stars. [NHL]
• Justin Bourne explores what the latest embarrassment in Toronto means for the Core Four Who Couldn’t Score. William Nylander, come on down to Long Island. [Sportsnet]
• Leafs GM Kyle Dubas said that the last year was hard on him and his family emotionally. He said it’s Toronto or nowhere next year. [North Star Bets]
• That also means he won’t be the new GM of the Pittsburgh Penguins, as many speculated that he was Pittsburgh ownership’s first choice if he became available. So now who? Well, they have interviewed candidates like Eric Tulsky. [The Athletic]
• The Oilers were Cup or bust, and they busted. So now they look ahead. [TSN] Anything less than a Stanley Cup and Leon Draisaitl will not be happy. [Sportsnet] Neither will Connor McDavid. [NHL]
• Monday was the deadline to submit bids to buy the Ottawa Senators. Four bids came in, including one at $1 billion (with there being a real estate play much the way there was with the Islanders and UBS Arena). Ryan Reynolds does not appear to be involved. [TSN]
• The Coyotes faced a turning point in their franchise, relying on the voters of Tempe to approve their new arena district. [Sportsnet] They overwhelmingly rejected the proposal, and it seems like they’re done in Arizona. It’s just a question of when and where they go. [Sportsnet]