Islanders News: Work to do
One guy I’m not worried about. | Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images
The Islanders finish the preseason with a couple of duds, but hey, they’ve got a week to figure this out! The Islanders completed their preseason game schedule with a back-to-back, weekend dud. A close loss in Philadelphia with the Islanders’ mostly Bridgeport-bound lineup was followed by an uninspiring 3-0 home loss to the Devils — and not their A squad — by an Islanders lineup that we can mostly expect to be in place when the real season opens Saturday against the Sabres.
Preseason is notoriously fool’s gold for predicting what’s to come, but that won’t stop us from being unsettled by the 2-4 record and the persistent “still work to do” post-game vibes throughout.
The Isles now have a week to prepare and refine.
Islanders News
Perhaps one bright side was that Kyle Palmieri made his preseason game debut? He’s a guy who’s really important and helpful when healthy, but at age 32 and with a variety of injuries over the past two seasons, that’s not something to be counted on.
The power play though? Still waiting. “The chances we gave up, that can’t happen in the regular season. We’ll have to clean that up because that was something that bit us last year.” [Three Takeaways | Isles]
Coming off a serious ACL injury, it’s not surprising to see Oliver Wahlstrom needing time to get up to speed. But, nonetheless: He still needs to get up to speed. [THN]
With the roster cut to 24, perhaps the battle for the final spot is between Simon Holmstrom and Ross Johnston. [Post]
Perhaps stoking competition, the Isles have been in no rush to cut their roster all the way down. [Newsday]
“You don’t want to sit with this one for a week,” Brock Nelson said on the morning before the Isles laid an 0-3 egg they’ll have to sit with for a week. [THN]
Island Ice: Andrew Gross has a really fun conversation with Mark Parrish and gets ready for the season. [Newsday podcast]
Yesterday in Isles History: The franchise debuted, with Ed Westfall as its first captain. [Isles]
Reminder to watch for pucks pic.twitter.com/yDc2hRfnK3— New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) October 7, 2023
Elsewhere
The Wild signed Ryan Hartman. Apparently he’s their number one center? [NHL]
Jack Campbell has had a great preseason and may be in a good head space for the Oilers. [Sportsnet]
The Senators missed Josh Norris most of last season and they may be missing him to start the new season, too. [NHL]
I don’t know if this affects your fantasy team or your delinquent gambling habit or whatever, but Seattle’s Shane Wright will begin the season in the AHL. [Sportsnet]
A bunch of notes about the Rangers, but one fun thing: Matt Moulson’s brother-in-law Jonathan Quick has absolutely sucked in preseason. [Post]
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