Good morning, Islanders Country.
In the latest episode of “The Red Line,” co-hosts Phil Farber (@PhilzFacts) and David Tuchman (@TuckOnSports) the boys feel vindicated and revel in the fact that, although there were moments of doubt, they were ultimately proven right about the playoff fate of the New York Islanders.
In this episode, the boys celebrate by talking about the job Patrick Roy did to turn around this season. They talk about all the things that went right during the playoff push and how Semyon Varlamov became the team’s savior, the difficult first-round match-up against the Carolina Hurricanes, and a lot more.
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Listen, enjoy, and dive in.
⏭ NEXT UP: The Islanders close out the regulation season at home, but unlike last season, a playoff berth won’t be on the line. Face-off from UBS Arena against the Pittsburgh Penguins is set for 7:00 PM EDT.
📊 STANDINGS: Forced to win in regulation to keep their playoff chances alive, the Philadelphia Flyers pulled their goaltender, leading to the Washington Capitals scoring an empty net goal for a 2-1 win to clinch the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference eliminating Philly, the Red Wings and Penguins.
Hail to the Victors!
The Isles announced the signing of Laurel Hollow, NY native Marshall Warren, to a two-year, entry-level contract that begins in 2024-25. The 22-year-old defenseman recorded 18 points (four goals, 14 assists) in 41 games at the University of Michigan this past season while serving as an alternate captain. He played four seasons at Boston College from 2019-23 and was originally drafted in the sixth round (166th overall) by the Minnesota Wild in the 2019 NHL Draft.
📚 SOUND SMART: Per Eric Hornick in The Skinny, the Isles have outscored their opponents 73-50 in the first period (tied-fewest allowed in NHL) but have been outscored 105-81 in the second period (2nd-most allowed in NHL); the 55 goal difference would be the second-highest between any two periods in club history (56 in 1984-85, 41 in 1995-966). The Isles have been outscored 98-86 in the third period and overtime this season, but that reflects a 20-5 difference in ENGs.
🎥 ISLES REWIND: On Apr. 17, 1980, the New York Islanders defeated the Boston Bruins 5-4 in overtime for the second consecutive game in their Stanley Cup quarterfinal matchup as Bob Bourne tallied the game-winner 1:24 into the extra sessions after intercepting a pass and unloading a slap shot just inside the blue line and past Gerry Cheevers. The game is also known for one of the most eventful bench-clearing brawls in Stanley Cup history that ignited the Islanders, who went on to win the best-of-seven series in five games.
🎧 Nassaumen Hockey Podcast: Clinched “This week, Dan Saraceni of Islanders Anxiety returns to the show in James' absence to cover the last week of Islanders' hockey and dive into the New York Islanders clinching a playoff spot. There was a lot to unpack and even more mixed feelings as they head into a series with the Carolina Hurricanes in a rematch of last year's first round.”
🔗 Islanders playing best hockey at right time to clinch playoff berth: ‘We always believed by Joe Pantorno, amNY “Upon Lambert’s firing, the Islanders were sixth in the eight-team Metropolitan Division with four teams ahead of them in the Wild Card standings, as well. The new bench boss did not immediately right the ship, either. Roy lost eight of his first 12 games in charge of the Islanders while attempting to institute a new, offensively-aggressive system.”
And we leave you with this…a Stanley Cup Playoffs hype video via @IslesDen on X
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The Red Line: We Told You So!