What is the story about?
I don’t know nor care when the Olympics actually start (the men’s hockey games start in six days), but for our NHL-centric purposes they start tomorrow. Or rather, today is the last day before a long, cold break in the schedule, when we’ll just hope Bo Horvat and Ondrej Palat stay healthy while we hear inside stories trickle out about just how bad the ice arena in Italy is.
Tonight, the Isles have one more chance to add points to the ledger before the break, after which 24 games will remain in their
playoff push. They visit the Devils, who are 11 points south of the wild card and just acquired Nick Bjugstad for some reason. (Watch, he’ll score tonight. You know he will.)
First Islanders Goal Picks go here.
Islanders News
- Now our sweet 18-year-old wunderkind gets a brief profile in the New Yorker, with a cameo from landlord and wrestling foe Matt Martin. [New Yorker]
- Previewing tonight: Could the Isles sweep both local rivals? [Isles]
- Gross: There is no room for excuses tonight. [Newsday]
- I completely forgot this by game’s end, but here’s more on Bo Horvat’s bird encounter shortly before setting up Matthew Schaefer’s goal against the Penguins. [Athletic]
- Italy-bound Horvat’s return to the goal column came just in time. [Post]
- Prospect Report: Lots of prospects racking up points, including one via prospect-on-prospect crime. [Isles]
Elsewhere
- Artemi Panarin has been traded to the Kings for…things. He also signed a short-term, $11M AAV extension. [ESPN | NHL]
- The Devils took Bjugstad from the Blues in exchange for an AHL bubble guy and a 4th-round pick. [TSN]
- Drama in Philadelphia over ice time for Matvei Michkov, Rick Tocchet’s blaming his conditioning, and even fans planning a coordinated “Fire Tocchet” chant. [Reddit | Twitter]
- Presumed top ick Gavin McKenna is charged with felony assault for allegedly breaking a person’s jaw in a fight. Not the college experience his handlers were hoping for! [ABC27]
- The Oilers are stinking it up again and they know they have to get going if they want the honor of losing in the Cup final again, while Tristan Jarry admits that he is Tristan Jarry. [Sportsnet]
- Bourne: 10 questions heading into the break, like how the disparity in representatives will affect how teams (and healthy players) come out of the break. [Sportsnet]
- Caleb Jones messed up with some “outside” injury treatment, gets a 20-game drug violation suspension. [TSN]
