Islanders News: A pointless weekend, a needless sinking

2 years ago  /  Lighthouse Hockey

Sparky isn’t giving up on this thing. | Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images


After a week of beating up on doormats and being dumped by contenders, the Islanders will prepare to take on a team their own size. The Islanders had a very “they are who we thought they are” kind of week, with a weekend of losses to the playoff-bound Boston and Tampa Bay, which followed pleasantly professional wins over the afterthought Senators and Red Wings.
The Islanders are solidly in the middle of the league, and unfortunately their terrible start to the season has kept us from even going through the motions of hope in the second half.
To make matters worse, Ilya Sorokin left yesterday’s game with what was later called “upper body” concerns, possibly but not officially related to two shots he took up off the mask and other upper parts.
The Isles are back at it with a home-and-home Tuesday and Thursday against the Blue Jackets, who are four points ahead and appear to be the appropriate level of competition for the Islanders’ current status.
Recaps and things:

A dud of a game, and precaution for Sorokin. [Newsday]
At least Brock Nelson scored again! That goal march is fun. [LHH]
The Isles pushed the Lightning before deciding they’ve had enough of all that. [Post]
Three takeaways and plenty of quotes from Barry Trotz. [Isles]
Lou Lamoriello spoke to season ticket holders and reiterated points he gave to the team’s two outside beat writers. He also added that boos are quite warranted. [Newsday]
The Isles’ lack of defensive depth has been exposed this weekend. [Athletic]
Grant Hutton was considered an emergency recall, and he stepped in for Sebastian Aho. [Isles]
Dan and Mike discuss the lost weekend, what’s up with Oliver Wahlstrom (and Lou Lamoriello’s sartorial choices), Brock Nelson and more. [Islanders Anxiety podcast]
The Bridgeport Islanders completed a nice weekend with their fourth straight win, extending a six-game points streak. [BP Isles]

Thus Spaketh Trotzathustra
“It was a pretty even game. Both teams were playing with a lot of bite and detail and there wasn’t much room.”


Trotz Postgame Availability pic.twitter.com/99O0BR03Br— New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) March 27, 2022



Elsewhere
Lots of games yesterday and lots of goals! Including the Penguins scoring 11 on the Red Wings.

Eight months after they were in the Stanley Cup final, the Canadiens have officially been eliminated from the playoffs. [TSN]
Watching the hottest rookies in the Pacific. [NHL]
Darryl Sutter on how the Flames use data: “I just think it’s an evolving process. ... We spent a lot of time together this summer trying to connect it more with individual performance, team performance, opponent performance, back-to-back performance, home-road performance, a lot of those things and then to tie it in with management side. To be quite honest, analytics was started not for what’s on the ice, but more for use in negotiations, arbitration, things like that. When it first started, it wasn’t used for a coaching standpoint. The teams that do it properly tie it together.” [TSN]
Jim Rutherford on the staff he assembled in Vancouver: “The kind of front office that we have right now is something I’ve thought about for probably 10, 12 years.” [NHL]
The Blues have signed Kessel...not Phil nor Blake, but Matt, one of their NCAA picks who was at UMass and is another Arizona native. [TSN]
But the other Kessel, who plays for Arizona, just passed Doug Jarvis on the NHL ironman list. [Sportsnet]
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