Good Morning, Islanders Country.
The Islanders are off the mat. The 11 game winless streak is behind them and tonight the hope is that the seventh time is the charm at UBS Arena when hosting the Nashville Predators in search of their first home win.
There is a ton of work ahead for the Isles, but the win in Ottawa was a start. There was life in the room, a sense of relief, a belief they got themselves out of an unthinkable rut by sticking together. Yet, it won’t mean much if they can’t string together wins to climb up the standings.
In the last 48 hours, the Islanders have been mentioned on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon and on AEW’s Dynamite. This is the type of national attention a red-hot team riding a four-game point streak should come to expect! We’ll explain.
Coming up, a prospect’s brief tenure is over, an old interview with The Architect, The Fourth Period’s James Nichols is fired up and the team’s worth skyrockets.
Let’s dive in.
📰 NEWS: The Islanders were off from on-ice activity after their 5-3 victory over the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday. There was some news off the ice, as an anticipated transaction was confirmed.
🇷🇺 BACK TO THE KHL: Anatolii Golyshev was placed on unconditional waivers for the purpose of termination and is likely headed back to the KHL. Local reports state that Golyshev has already agreed to a contract with Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg, and will join the team once he clears waivers.
Golyshev was an emergency recall at the peak of the Islanders COVID crisis, but never dressed for the team and was later returned to the Bridgeport Islanders. In 15 games for Bridgeport, Golyshev scored five goals, seven points. The 26-year old was drafted by the Islanders in the fourth round back in 2016.
Back in October, Barry Trotz had high praise for “Goly,” specifically calling out his work ethic and attention to detail for a player that doesn’t speak the language. However, when Golyshev was called up but did not receive an opportunity to play during the Covid-19 outbreak, it became clear he was behind others on the organizational depth chart.
Probably from a standpoint (that) we’ve got to generate that from what we have. (Anatolii Golyshev) hasn’t proven at this level, I guess,” Islanders head coach Barry Trotz said recently when pressed why Golyshev wasn’t used. “I felt that other people are a little bit ahead of him. That’s really my choice I would think. Just don’t feel that he’s quite there. That’s all. Coach’s choice.”
For fans, the news that Golyshev was leaving the organization was met with disappointment. The winger had 208 points (103 goals, 105 assists) in 366 career games with Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg over parts of eight seasons in the KHL and was a two-time KHL All-Star. For an offensively challenged team, the thought was that he could develop into a 40-50 point scorer at the NHL level. That possibility is now over.
⏭ NEXT UP:
📊 STANDINGS:
🔥 CHEAP HEAT: UBS Arena hosted All Elite Wrestling (AEW) for the first time on Wednesday, and Blackhawks fan and wrestling superstar CM Punk wasted no time taking shots at the Islanders like any good heel would.
"That’s all you got? Chicago was so much louder. Seriously, that’s all you got? Somebody call Barry Trotz, I've figured out why the Islanders have yet to win a game in this building."
The Islanders fans in attendance weren’t trolled the whole night. Tony Khan, the owner of AEW, told the audience he attended the final game at the Nassau Coliseum and showered praise to the passionate fanbase before the show started.
📺 LATE NIGHT: It’s not often the Islanders receive national attention and even less often they are mentioned on a late-night talk show, but that’s what happened on Tuesday night.
24-year-old actress Chloë Grace Moretz, told Jimmy Fallon that she was a “HUGE Islanders fan…like drop-down, drag-out, screaming at refs” fan. She recounted the story of attending the season opener in Carolina and having to refuse the pleas of Stormy, the Hurricanes mascot, to have her fashion a ‘Canes jersey.
👩🏫 SOUND SMART: Per Forbes NHL Team Values in 2021, the Islanders ranked as the 10th most valuable NHL franchise at $950 million.
🚀 That’s an 83% one-year change and 147% five-year change.
🗓 ISLE REMEMBER: A decade ago, Chris Botta recorded an interview with legendary Islanders GM Bill Torrey, and the tape was recently unearthed. The beloved late Mr. Torrey shared his recollections on the Turgeon and Thomas trades, the drafting of Kasparaitis and Palffy, and other topics.
🎧 Islanders Forecheck 4: The Islanders Win a Game! Plus: Forecheck Flashback from 2011 – Chris’s Interview with the Late, Great Bill Torrey with Chris Botta and Pat Boyle “ Pat Boyle and Chris discuss the Islanders’ win Tuesday in Ottawa, why these next few weeks are so crucial when Lou Lamoriello can start talking trade, and then the guys go a bit nuts about fans ripping on Barry Trotz.”
🔗 Islanders’ Barry Trotz: Oliver Wahlstrom’s game needs to ‘evolve’ before getting more 1st-line action by Joe Pantorno, AMNY “Wahlstrom is the closest thing the Islanders have to a sniper with one of the most wicked wrist shots in all of hockey. At just 21 years old, his eight goals rank second on the team, fueled by a team-leading four power-play tallies. Putting that kind of shot next to the playmaking capabilities of the dynamic Barzal offers the promise of a formidable duo on the first line rounded out by the bruising Anders Lee to provide a dependable net-front presence.”
🔗 Report: Anatolii Golyshev to be Place on Waivers by Christian Arnold, NYIHockeyNow “The time that Anatolii Golyshev spent with the New York Islanders appears to be short-lived. The Russian forward is reportedly going to be placed on unconditional waivers in the coming days and will head back to the KHL after that, according to Arthur Staple of The Athletic. The news comes after Golyshev was called up from Bridgeport during the Islanders COVID outbreak, but never utilized his talents on the ice. Golyshev did not see any action during his time on Long Island.”
And we leave you with this… James Nichols of The Fourth Period had a special message for those claiming that Barry Trotz is to blame for the Islanders start and should be on the hot seat in yesterday’s episode of Nassaumen Hockey Podcast:
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