Islanders News: 5-game win streak on trade deadline day

8 months ago  /  Lighthouse Hockey

Taking care of business. | Photo by Andreea Cardani/NHLI via Getty Images


Lou must be encouraged! The New York Islanders are back, baby.
Today is trade deadline day, and the Islanders have won five straight games to put themselves back in the thick of the playoff picture. In fact, by points percentage, they’re in a wild card spot ahead of the Tampa Bay Lightning; they’re two points behind Tampa with two games in hand on them. The Philadelphia Flyers stole a win late in regulation against the Florida Panthers, but the Islanders kept pace with them, as well. They’re four points back of the Flyers for third in the Metro with two games in hand on them, too.
I wrote a couple of weeks ago about the Isles Magic Number Twitter account. At that time, the gap between the Magic Number and Tragic Number being 11 points, with the Tragic Number leading the way. The Islanders looked dead in the water, and I was looking ahead to lottery odds.
But between a five-game win streak and help on the out-of-town scoreboard, in just two weeks, the gap is now one point again. They’re right there, and they’ve earned the right to buy if they so choose today—for the right piece and price, of course.
Happy International Women’s Day.


It's #InternationalWomensDay! Today and every day we celebrate the amazing women across the #Isles and @UBSArena organizations who help make an impact at our arena, on the ice and in the community. pic.twitter.com/GC5XAroy9E— New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) March 8, 2024




Islanders News
About last night:

It wasn’t as great a start as the Islanders would’ve preferred, but they still scored twice in the first, including within the first 19 seconds, and never let the lead slip. [LHH]
Seven different Islanders scored goals and 13 different Islanders recorded points. Bo Horvat and Brock Nelson each notched three points. [3 Takeaways]
They matched their season-high in goals for a game. [Newsday]
It was Alex Romanov’s first game without the bubble, and of course, he took a stick to the mouth. It led to a four-minute power play for the Isles. [Newsday]
The surge surely has encourages Lou Lamoriello before today’s deadline. [NY Post]
The stage is set for the playoff push. [THN]

Onward:

The Isles don’t feel any jitters at the deadline courtesy of Lamoriello’s proclamation the other day that he wasn’t subtracting and also their recent success. [Newsday]
Stefen Rosner believes the team should add a depth defenseman. [THN]

In 16 Stats, Dom L. at The Athletic wrote about the Isles’ surge and their significantly improved defense under Patrick Roy.
Roy thought they started to really improve toward the end of that Lightning game, the last game the Isles lost. [NY Post]

Elsewhere
Last night’s NHL scores include the Lightning losing in regulation to the Flames, and the Capitals blowing out the demoralized Penguins. But the Devils over the Blues and Flyers over the Panthers won in regulation.

The Carolina Hurricanes won the Jake Guentzel sweepstakes, giving up a lot of quantity but not that much quality. Plenty of darts for a rental, plus Michael Bunting. [NHL]
Sidney Crosby isn’t sure what kind of message management sent by trading Guentzel. [The Athletic]
Barry Trotz acquired his old friend Anthony Beauvillier from the Blackhawks for a mid-round pick. [NHL]
A potential Isles target, Anthony Duclair, went to the Lightning. [NHL]
Even though he was one of the big deadline pieces who had already moved, Elias Lindholm’s name has popped up in trade rumors again. He admits he needs to play better for the Canucks. [The Athletic]
The Oilers made a good deal to get Adam Henrique and Sam Carrick from the Ducks. [OilersNation]
Bowen Byram’s trade to the Sabres reunites him with close friends Dylan Cozens and Peyton Krebs. And he scored in his Buffalo debut last night. [DFO]
The Maple Leafs traded for the Capitals’ Joel Edmundson, and one must wonder why. [The Athletic]
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