Islanders & NHL News: The Cats make it a series, and the Isles make a hire
Zach, please come back. | Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images
Actually, he bought in, but that didn’t work for the flow of the title. The Stanley Cup Final is, at least, a series now. It got a little hairy there, and it seemed like the Golden Knights had the inside track to a 3-0 lead, but Matthew Tkachuk and Carter Verhaeghe would have none of that.
Meanwhile, the New York Islanders have made a deal on the business end.
Islanders News
The business guy the Islanders were rumored to have hired, former NHL COO John Collins, now owns a stake in the team and will oversee business operations. His addition doesn’t affect hockey ops, though. [Newsday | amNY | THN]
The Isles signed prospect Eetu Liukas to an entry-level deal. He’s a rough-and-tumble forward with a bit of skill. [Islanders]
Some of the more surprising things that Lou Lamoriello said at his presser the other day. [THN]
Something a bit less surprising is that the Islanders want to bring back Zach Parise if he’s willing. Here’s why he might be more of a “need” than just a “want.” [THN]
Lou indicated he wants to bring back most of the current roster. But it’s worth exploring whether that’s a good idea, let alone if it’s feasible. [The Athletic]
Stan Fischler remembers his buddy Evgeni Nabokov and the show they used to put on together. [Maven’s Memories]
Stanley Cup Final
The Florida Panthers got back in this series with an overtime Game 3 win over the Vegas Golden Knights. Florida scored early, but Vegas had taken a 2-1 lead by the end of the second. Shortly before Florida tied it, Ivan Barbashev nearly made it 3-1 but rang the puck off the post. Then, Florida pulled Sergei Bobrovsky for the extra attacker, and Matthew Tkachuk cleaned up the loose change.
In overtime, Carter Verhaeghe lined up three skaters for a perfect screen snipe from the blue line to make it a 2-1 series. That was Verhaeghe’s fourth career playoff overtime goal. [NHL]
Elsewhere
The Chicago Blackhawks gave Andreas Athanasiou a two-year extension. It’s a bit rich, but they need to hit the cap floor. [NHL]
A nice long-form story on Long Island’s own Liam McHugh, the bus driver for the best studio show a national NHL broadcast has seen in a long time—perhaps ever. He wasn’t a hockey guy by trade, but he is now, and he’s good at stimulating conversation without centering it on him. This story illustrates how he got here. [The Athletic]
...
Want the trending hockey news in your inbox daily?.
Just add your email, and we'll start sending you the most important hockey news of the day.
