Good Morning, Islanders Country,
Does it feel like you just woke up on a holiday morning to anyone else? Trust us, we feel that way too. Games have been so few and far between lately that everyone is salivating for game day, so there should be a little extra juice to start the day.
The lack of games hasn’t meant a lack of Islanders’ news and notes. Aatu Räty is fitting in fine with his new Finnish team, Zach Parise on returning home to Minnesota, an NBA star has great fashion sense, and remembering Al Arbour’s 1500th game. Let’s get you caught up.
📰 NEWS: In his first game with Mikkelin Jukurit, Aatu Räty was slotted in as their second-line center. The 52nd overall pick in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft did not disappoint, notching three points, including the game-winning goal and two assists with his new club.
POSITIVE STEP: Obviously, this is a positive step in the right direction for Räty, as he previously was often a healthy scratch with Kärpät, his former Liiga club. The young Finnish forward left such a first impression that the game ended with Jukurit fans chanting his name.
FORECHECK: Above, you’ll see Räty make an excellent play on the forecheck, forcing a turnover in the neutral zone, skating the puck into the offensive zone, and scoring on a powerful wrist shot from the slot, just above the faceoff circles.
HELPER: Prior to his goal, Räty sets up Joachim Rohdin for an easy tap-in as the opposing goaltender never even saw the puck. Räty wins a puck battle behind the net in the offensive zone and converts on a threaded no-look, backward pass the stumped the goaltender.
PEDIGREE: It’s plays like these that made Räty a projected number one overall pick before his draft year. Despite falling down the draft ranks, maybe… just maybe he still has that in him.
🤮 SOUR TASTE: The Islanders are set to visit the Minnesota Wild over the weekend and when Parise was asked about his return to the Xcel Energy Center, it wasn’t exactly a glowing response:
DIFFERENT FEELING: “(My return to) Jersey was different. Jersey, I left on my own. I didn't leave (Minny) on my own.” Parise on his return to Minnesota
Barry Trotz spoke to the adjustment period that exists for players, such as Parise, and coaches when moving to a new team:
PATIENCE: “Honestly, from all my years in the league, I probably say it takes a quarter to a half a year before they feel totally [comfortable]. Zach has been a Minnesota Wild for so long, it takes him a quarter year, a half a year to feel like he’s a New York Islander. I was in Nashville for a long time. It took me 20 to 40 games before I felt like, ‘I’m a Washington Capital.’ The same thing with the Islanders.” Barry Trotz on Parise’s adjustment.
FITTING IN: “He fits in with the group really easy. I think it takes them a while to fit in. They fit in with the group. But for them to feel comfortable about where they’re living, this place versus something else. Just everything, they want to do really well and they put extra pressure on themselves.” Trotz on Parise continued.
👍🏼 PARISE-OKAY: In other Parise news, JFresh via Twitter states that the 37-year old is off to a good start with the Islanders despite a shooting slump.
EYE TEST: Advanced analytics aside, Parise has passed the eye test for the Islanders thus far. He’s helped drive offense in the bottom six and has even gotten a few reps in the top six when Barry Trotz decides to shake up the lines. Parise is due to score, and it wouldn't be a surprise to see it come soon.
🗣 QUOTEBOOK:
GRINDERS: “I think that will make us better. Unless your attitude stinks. We'll grind through this. We're going to get our best efforts.” Trotz on the Islanders’ current road trip.
IMPROVING: “We're definitely improving. It's still a lot of new for me. We're doing well. We're collecting points. We're not giving up a whole lot defensively.” Parise on the Islanders performance during the road trip.
BALANCE: “You try to get a balance with a long break between games. You want to keep the energy. You're probably going to lose a little bit of the execution." Trotz on possible inconsistencies.
FOCUS: “It's important for us to get off to a good start. It's important that we get in there and focus on our game.” Andy Greene on how the Isles need to start against Montreal.
🏡 BARN RIDE: Trotz told reporters on Wednesday that there’s a good probability the Islanders will get on the ice at UBS Arena before playing their first game at the new barn on November 20th.
🏀 BANDWAGON: New York sports fans may know that Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell is an avid Mets fan - and for good reason. His father, Donovan Mitchell, Sr. works for the club as the Director of Diversity, Opportunity, Inclusion & Training. We’re not aware of any family members that work for the Islanders, but nevertheless, he chose to rock the orange and blue.
👩🏫 SOUND SMART: Tonight’s game is the Islanders' first in Montreal since Dec. 3, 2019, and the first time they've faced the Canadiens since March 3, 2020, which was the final home game the Islanders ever played at Barclays Center.
🗓 ISLE REMEMBER: Yesterday in 2007, Al Arbour returned to the Islanders bench to coach his 1,500th NHL game. Arbour earned his 740th win in dramatic fashion, a come from behind 3-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins in front of a sold-out crowd at the Nassau Coliseum. Miroslav Satan was the Isles savior scoring the game-tying, and then game-winning goal in the third period.
⏭ NEXT UP: The schedule finally gets busy, as the Isles play three games in four nights, including two north of the border, and a Sunday night affair in Minnesota.
📊 STANDINGS:
🎧 Nassuamen Hockey Podcast, Episode 84 - “Killer Instinct” Eludes New York Islanders, Nassaumen Hockey Podcast, The Hockey Podcast Network/Isles Fix: James Nichols and Jon Zella break down the latest 3-2 overtime loss against the Nashville Predators, and Barry Trotz’ comments on the Isles lack of “killer instinct.”
🔗 Islanders fans: Why you need to get your finger off the panic button, by Michel Anderson, Eyes on Isles: “You might not like how things are going with the New York Islanders but with a 0.571 points percentage so far, it’s what anyone should have expected before the puck was dropped on the season.”
🔗 Detroit Red Wings’ Jim Devellano Once Tried to Lure Mike Bossy to Detroit, by Kevin Allen, DetroitHockeyNow: “Jim Devellano, still with the Red Wings organization as a senior vice president, was just trying to keep fans and media interested until he could build through the draft.”
🔗 Islanders' Zach Parise prepared for emotional return to Minnesota on Sunday, by Andrew Gross, Newsday: “I’ve moved on," Parise said after practice at Northwell Health Ice Center in East Meadow. "It’s been a long time. I love where I’m at.”
And we leave you with this… Yesterday, former Super Bowl Champion turned Islanders fanatic celebrated his 44th birthday yesterday. Happy birthday, Damien!
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