Islanders Back-to-Back News: In a playoff spot with six straight Ws

7 months ago  /  Lighthouse Hockey

Big night for Palms in his first NHL home. | Photo by Debora Robinson/NHLI via Getty Images


They’ll look to make it seven straight and go to third in the Metro tonight. The New York Islanders beat the Anaheim Ducks 6-1 last night, their sixth straight victory, to move back into a playoff spot for the first time since January.
However, despite the massive win, they acknowledged they weren’t at their best in the second period, acknowledgments we didn’t see enough under Lane Lambert.


#Isles win 6-1 and a lot of the talk is they know they could have been better in the second period. Coach Patrick Roy loved that.— Andrew Gross (@AGrossNewsday) March 11, 2024




That’s excellence right there. That’s holding yourself to a higher standard—that’s being coached by a four-time Stanley Cup champion and three-time Conn Smythe winner.
With the win, the Islanders began their California swing 2-0, beating up on the two bottom-feeders out there. Tonight, on the second half of a back-to-back, the Islanders go for a seventh consecutive win against the Los Angeles Kings, now coached by old friend Jim Hiller.
FIGs go here.
Islanders News
About last night:

That’s six straight wins. [LHH]
And six different Islanders scored. [Newsday]
Not just six different Islanders, but all four lines. [3 Takeaways]
It’s nice to wake up in a playoff spot. It had been a while. [NY Post]
But they know the job is far from done. More excellence, not resting on your laurels. [NHL]
The play-by-play—there were some pretty goals last night. [THN]
A lot of first-time, long-times with this six-game win streak. [NYI Skinny]

Onward:


A preview of tonight’s game in LA.
Last night, Kyle Palmieri scored against the team that drafted him, hitting the 20-goal mark for the first time as an Islander. Tonight, another milestone, his 800th game. [Newsday]
Semyon Varlamov looked good in his first appearance in a while. He’s settled into the backup role. [Newsday] Ilya Sorokin hasn’t needed the rest, but it’s good to get it. [NY Post]
Contract extension questions loom in the offseason. [NY Post]

A new Island Ice where we’re all feeling better.

Elsewhere
Yesterday’s NHL scores include the Penguins getting shut out by the Oilers.

The Canucks will rely on Casey DeSmith if Thatcher Demko can’t return. That would be tough! [Sportsnet]
Gabriel Landeskog may return at some point in the playoffs for the Avalanche. But the Avas did lose Logan O’Connor for the year to hip surgery. [NHL]
John Tortorella was suspended two games and fined $50,000 for his tirade and not leaving the bench when ejected the other night in Tampa Bay. [NHL]
The Flames are almost out of time after two straight beatings in the southeast. [Sportsnet]
Jeff Marek writes about LTIR and the players who didn’t move yet. [Rink Fries]

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