Good Morning Islanders Country,
After a busy start to the 2021-22 season, the Islanders are catching up on sleep - as are many of us after two late games over the weekend. The team doesn’t hit the ice for game action until Saturday, giving them time to work out any parts of their game they need to improve on.
There’s still plenty of news to catch up on, so let’s dive in.
📰 NEWS: The Islanders placed backup goaltender, Cory Schneider, on waivers yesterday. If/when he clears later today, he’ll be reassigned to the Bridgeport Islanders. The move comes with anticipation Semyon Varlamov will return from the injured reserve. When he will make his season debut is still unclear, but this is positive news on Varlamov’s status.
⭐️⭐️⭐️ STAR-OKIN: Ilya Sorokin was named the NHL’s third star of the week. The White Whale posted a 3-0-1 record including two shutouts, as well as a 0.99 GAA and .971 SV%. Not to mention he was less than a minute away from another shutout against the Blackhawks, too.
🏅 HONOR ROLL: Sorokin was also named the NHLPA’s Player of the Week
🧑🏫 SOUND SMART: Per Islanders statistician, Eric Hornick, the Isles are only winning 48.4% of faceoffs while on the power play. That’s 25th overall in the NHL. They’re fairing better in overall faceoff percentage, 13th overall in the NHL, with a 50.9% win rate.
📚 ISLE REMEMBER (via IslandersPride): On this day in 1993, the Isles took it to Wayne Gretzky and the L.A. Kings, winning 7-0 at Nassau Coliseum. The game took place on Pierre Turgeon’s second anniversary with the Islanders having been traded to Long Island on October 25, 1991.
🚊IT TRACKS: LIRR announced an update on the new station for UBS Arena.
📊STANDINGS:
🏒 IN THE SYSTEM: On Monday, it was announced Islanders prospect, William Dufour, made the QMJHL’s Team of the Week.
🎁 WRAPPED UP: Eyes on Isles, Mich Anderson, wraps up the weekend of Bridgeport Islanders’ hockey:
🔗 What We’ve Learned About the New York Islanders After 6 Games, by Christian Arnold, NYIHockeyNow: “The New York Islanders haven’t slept in their own beds since training camp. They’ve traveled to Carolina, Florida, Chicago, Columbus, Arizona, and Las Vegas to begin the year. Quite the itinerary at any point of the year, but especially to start one of the team’s most anticipated seasons to date.”
🔗 6 thoughts on the Islanders 6 games in, by Arthur Staple, The Athletic: “Much as they’ve done nearly every season under Barry Trotz, they have needed a few games to work out the kinks and find the proper level of energy and detail in their game.”
🔗 Milbury comments on Gretzky’s first TNT appearance, Mitch Anderson, Eyes on Isles: “He’s going to have to figure out that you got to bring some energy when you’re on camera. You just can’t be monotone.”
🔗 Islanders feel better about themselves after first leg of road trip, Peter Schwartz, WFAN: “…with this Saturday’s game in Nashville being the lone game for the Islanders over a 10-day stretch, they can take a deep breath after surviving the first part of the road trip.”
And we leave you with this… Long Island’s own Dix Hills Hawks Bantam Silver team went undefeated at the Columbus Day Steel City Shootout in Hershey, PA this past weekend! The tournament cup made its way to Blue Line Deli and it was loaded up with blue and orange bagels!
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