Good Morning, Islanders Country.
In the latest episode of “The Red Line” with co-hosts Phil Farber (@PhilzFacts) and David Tuchman (@TuckOnSports), the boys discuss how the Islanders have managed to collect points despite all of its flaws and injuries on the blue line. Does the coaching staff deserve credit, or has their success been only a product of the team’s higher-end players stepping up their game?
In this episode:
Does the coaching staff deserve credit?
Is this team more talented than people think?
Has Lane Lambert improved as a coach?
Pelech is close to returning
What else does this team need?
Varlamov injury; Engvall scratched
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📰 NEWS: The Islanders placed defenseman Robert Bortuzzo on IR on Wednesday after the veteran suffered a lower-body injury in the second period of Tuesday’s 5-4 OT loss to the Colorado Avalanche. Bortuzzo has 12 hits and 17 blocks in 11 games with the Islanders this season while averaging 14:51 TOI.
In a corresponding move, the team recalled goalie Ken Appleby from Bridgeport after Semyon Varlamov removed himself from the game in the first period after stopping 11 of 12 shots. Appleby is 5-5-0 with a 2.88 GAA and a .897 SV% in Bridgeport this season. He is in his fourth year in the Islanders organization.
Giving Credit Where Credit is Due
Despite all the blown leads, O.T. losses, and the shootout struggles, the Islanders have the best point % in the Eastern Conference since Nov. 11. While this type of run was necessary to mitigate the damage done by the seven-game winless streak, it also warrants a level of appreciation despite the uneven and often frustrating ways that the team has accumulated points this season.
⏭ NEXT UP: The Islanders are on the campus of Arizona State tonight when they take on the Arizona Coyotes at Mullett Arena. Face-off is at 9 PM EST.
📊 STANDINGS:
We Got The Beat
Another season with a new New York hockey writer for The Athletic. After Kevin Kurz moved to the Flyers beat before the season, longtime beat writer Arthur Staple had been covering both the Isles and Rangers this season. Now, the writing staff has added some depth to their coverage with Peter Baugh also contributing to the team’s coverage along with the Rangers and Devils. Baugh previously covered the Colorado Avalanche for the publication.
📚 SOUND SMART: Per Eric Hornick in The Skinny, the Islanders have had a two-goal lead 29 times this season. They have scored the next goal six times, allowed the next goal 21 times and the game ended with a two-goal differential twice. The Islanders have 10 regulation losses through 37 games. The only season where they have had fewer regulation losses at this point was in 1980-81 when the defending Stanley Cup Champions were 23-7-7 through 37 games.
🎥 ISLES REWIND: On Jan. 4. 1983, Mike Bossy scored his 28th goal, and Duane Sutter had three assists Tuesday night to lead the Islanders to a 5-2 victory over Buffalo at the Nassau Coliseum. The win snapped the Sabres' six-game unbeaten streak. Bob Bourne put the game away for good with this slapshot past Sabres’ goaltender Bob Sauve at 10:52 of the third period.
🎧 Islanders prospect Ruslan Ishakov joins the “The Double Chili Islanders Podcast” with Peter Schwartz “Peter is joined by Islanders prospect Ruslan Ishakov who is the leading scorer for the Islanders AHL affiliate the Bridgeport Islanders.”
🔗 Islanders Continue to Prove That Their Offense Can Hang With Any Team by Stefen Rosner, The Hockey News “The Islanders did have a 3-1 lead in the second period and a 4-3 lead heading into the third, as their blowing-lead issues haven't vanished after playing better with the lead as of late. But it's been their offensive output that's allowed them to match the best offensive machines the NHL has to offer, helping to keep them in a playoff spot and fight for a top spot in the Metropolitan Division.”
🔗 3 goaltender options for the NY Islanders if Semyon Varlamov is to miss any time by Michael Stahurski “There's been no update on the extent of Varlamov's injury as of yet, but if he were to miss any length of time, it appears the Isles don't trust their third and fourth-string goaltenders to spell Sorokin every few games. Sorokin has faced the most rubber of any goaltender this season and can't take on much more of a workload”
And we leave you with this…a picture shared by the Eberle’s on Instagram showed that while Jordan’s kids use Seattle Kraken sticks, they shoot on an Islanders net.
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The Red Line: Extending Credit