Islanders Anxiety - Episode 251 - The Great Unhinging

Mike and Dan discuss the status of hard-to-analyze Islanders coach Lane Lambert before wading back into the continued upheaval in Toronto.

In their last episode, they neglected to bring up the news that Lambert will also most likely return to the bench next season, which is par for the course with the coach. For everything his players did right last season, there was something that simply wasn’t good enough, which makes a report card difficult to fill out accurately. They also throw in some sympathy for Coyotes and a bizarre photo op that will only rankle Islanders fans.

In the second half, they look at the reaction to the Maple Leafs walking away from GM Kyle Dubas and the collective insanity that seems to have taken over many of the team’s observers. With help from podcast clips, they discuss how some have lost the plot while sticking up for the guy they feel was one of them, while others have legitimate doubts that seem to get minimized.

It’s a lot to take in, but we think you’re all up for it.

REFERENCES

• Here’s Andrew Gross’s article that mention’s Lambert’s likely return. Again, nothing is official yet.
• If you want to hear the full versions of the podcasts we clipped (and we urge you to do just that), here you go. The episode of Real Kyper and Bourne (feat. Gord Stellick) might be the more straight up entertaining of the two, but it’s also the longest.
• If you only have a little bit of time, enjoy two writers at The Athletic crying over their pal losing his job after five straight years of failure, saying he wasn’t sure he even wanted the job, and then asking for a raise.
• The Islanders have removed the picture from their website (Boooooo!) but here is the original. Respectfully: What the fuck?

• Pre-order your Bryan Trottier-Mat Barzal “Then & Now” bobblehead from the fine folks at Foco today. These pieces are limited to just 72, so don’t wait. Pre-order today.

Subscribe to our Patreon! Plans start as low as $2 a month and patrons get ad-free episodes of the shows, bonus podcasts, written posts, discounts and much more.

PLUGS!

• Vintage Ice Hockey.com has t-shirts, hoodies, jerseys and more featuring over 100 classic hockey logos. Vintage Ice Hockey also carries our Al Arbour and “The Island” merch, and our portion of the sales are donated directly to the Center for Dementia Research in the name of the coach. If you spend $50 or more, you can use the code FOURCUPS to get a free “The Island” coffee mug or pint glass or an official Islanders Anxiety puck.
• Try wines from The Pinot Project. Delicious Rosé, Pinot Grigio and a Pinot Noir that was named a 2022 Top 100 Best Buy by Wine Enthusiast Magazine. All are under $15 a bottle and are available at local wine shops and at UBS Arena. Learn more at The Pinot Project.com. Please drink responsibly

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Theme song: “Sports” by Josh Spacek.