Islanders & NHL News: Happy Cup-iversary; outdoor game; Stars, Penguins meltdowns

Hello, sorry for the late post today — our editorial team was hungover had our wires crossed.

It’s May 24, the anniversary of the New York Islanders’ first of four consecutive Stanley Cups that began one lovely afternoon in 1980. Cheers to those who celebrate. (You better celebrate.)

Eric Hornick has lots of the key facts and film to relive that moment.

Picture: A time when this was on SNL (with applause), Bill Murray delivering an “if necessary” dad joke. (Also picture: You watching SNL.)

Meanwhile, in the present time...

Islanders News: I guess we’re doing an outdoor thing again

• A not-well-kept secret is that the Islanders will return to one of the NHL’s many outdoor series next season. The [insurance of some sort] Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., will host two games, one day apart, with the Islanders vs. Smurfs and the Devils vs. Flyers. [Sportsnet | Newsday | Post]
• Pat LaFontaine continues his crusade for better head protection. He suffered some frightening concussions — like, of the obvious severity that even back then people were like, “oh, that’s bad” — during his NHL career. [THN]
• In their most recent Islanders Anxiety, Dan and Mike alluded to this topic, which Kevin Kurz attempts to answer: How do we evaluate Lane Lambert? [Athletic]
• Prospect Report: Isaiah George’s season came to an end in the OHL final. [Isles]
• Chaos and loathing: How the Penguins unraveled. (Featuring: “It was somewhat fitting that it was the Islanders who were delivering the final blow. They’d been doing it for decades.” But they’ll always have that statue.) [Athletic]

NHL Playoffs

• The Stars absolutely melted down to a 4-0 loss and 3-0 series deficit, “led” by Jamie Benn who got himself tossed early in Game 3, and he’ll have a hearing with DPS. #leadership [Sportsnet]
• The Stars didn’t apologize for Benn’s “mistake,” but they did apologize for their fans littering the ice with “food and heavy objects.” (As the old quip goes, “How do you get to Texas? Go south till you smell it, then west till you step in it.”) [Sportsnet]
• In the kind of legalese that would make Gary Bettman proud, Benn regrets “using my stick as a landing point” on Mark Stone’s neck. [TSN]
• The Panthers have a chance to advance to the final. Key to their run? Bobrovsky switching from Mediocre Bob to Magnificent Bob. [Sportsnet]

Elsewhere

• At the World Championship, the quarterfinal matchups are set. [THN]
• 32 Thoughts: What’s next for...a buncha people? [Sportsnet]
• The NHL and NHLPA continue to discuss possibly increasing the cap a tad more next season, but who’s giving up a pound of flesh to do it? [TSN]
• Kyle Dubas isn’t answering media’s call for his side of Brendan Shanahan’s detailed breakdown of their parting, but he did leave this “onward” statement. [THN | NHL]
• Also at the World’s, recent Leaf and current Capital Rasmus Sandin suffered what looked like a knee injury. [THN]
• Longtime Flames player and exec Craig Conroy relishes the chance to breathe new life into the org as its new GM. [Sportsnet]
• Conroy is confident in Jonathan Huberdeau. [NHL]
• An interview with the guy who “got” to play Gary Bettman in that “Blackberry” movie about the arrogant dude who made a much of money and tried to force the Coyotes to move to Hamilton. [Athletic]