Islanders Gameday News: A chance to sweep and finish the ‘trip’ right
Maybe if we all attack at the same time... | Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images
The Islanders go for a third win in their final meeting with the Rangers. The New York Islanders have returned home (but not “home”) to face the Rangers at the Garden on the first of a back-to-back set, starting with the third and final meeting with those red-panted Smurfs across town.
Ilya Sorokin returned to form in the final game of the western swing, so it’s conceivable he’d get both of these games with Semyon Varlamov out (see injury updates below). But Cory Schneider is there and ready if called upon.
Leave First Islanders Goal picks for tonight here.
Islanders News
First, the injury updates: Kyle Palmieri has resumed skating, but Adam Pelech and Semyon Varlamov have not, while Cal Clutterbuck has been placed on IR. [Isles]
Previewing tonight: The Rangers just had their seven-game win streak snapped, while the Islanders look for an abbreviated season series sweep. [Isles]
Only one win to show from their four-game road swing, but getting points against three tough opponents gave the Isles some confidence. [Newsday]
So the Islanders are treating this like the end of a five-game trip, with a chance to add two points to the trip’s thus-far-modest bounty. [Post]
After practice yesterday, Lane Lambert fielded questions on Hudson Fasching, “defending hard” on the trip, what to look for against the Rangers, the reunion of the Noah Dobson-Alex Romanov pairing, whether he watches the WJC, and a request from Andrew Gross to play word association about Anders Lee. [Isles TV]
Save this rivalry meeting, because it’s probably the last time we’ll see it until next season. [Post]
Adjust your calendars: The start time for the Isles’ Jan. 19 game in Buffalo has been changed to 7:30, Elmont-style. They’ll be retiring Ryan Miller’s number that night. [Isles]
Bridgeport Report: The Baby Isles have come back down to earth a bit after a tough week, but they’re still 14-8-5-0, good for third in the AHL Atlantic. [Isles]
Further down the pipeline, Worcester forward and Lambert nephew Jimmy talks about the ECHL, the AHL and his uncle Lane. [NYI Hockey Now]
Old friend Jaroslav Halak has taken the perfect approach to the backup role with the lesser New York franchise. [Post]
Elsewhere
Wednesday’s NHL scores include the (now second-place) Devils ending their six-game losing streak with a win in Florida, and the Red Wings winning at home over the Lightning.
Matthew Tkachuk was tossed from the game in garbage time after trying to exact revenge on Nico Hischier for his faceoff crosscheck to Alex Barkov’s leg in the previous meeting. [Sportsnet]
32-ish Thoughts: Can the NHL, NHLPA adjust their stances on the COVID cap and other things? (History says: Probably not! But this also acts like an international tournament and a rising cap are essential to league health, which...really?) There’s some good Andrew Hammond stuff in here. [Sportsnet]
Josh Morrissey is having a Norris-caliber season... [TSN]
...But Cale Makar is the standard-bearer for the new generation. [TSN]
Meanwhile, the no-longer-so-young Roman Josi has become Nashville’s all-time leading scorer. [NHL]
The Hurricanes had a guy with an upside-down logo, but it wasn’t a teammate prank — it was a goof by a promotional partner. [Sports Logos]
Ho-hum, Friday’s Lightning-Sabres game is postponed due to another snowpocalypse. [NHL]
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