#Mathew Barzal

#Mathew Barzal

There has been some explosive buyout news in the NHL, but it doesn't involve the New York Islanders.In fact, nothing noteworthy, newsworthy, or otherwise worth talking about has come up regarding the Islanders.That said, we've got some bits for you fine folks.Around the league, the rumors-or, as Pierre LeBrun likes to call them, "rumblings"-are picking up.

The Stanley Cup will be in the building Tuesday night, as the Vegas Golden Knights won Game 4 to take a 3-1 lead.They can clinch their first championship in Game 5 on home ice.Here at home, not much to write home about.New York Islanders Reading


GM Lou Lamoriello believes Bo Horvat struggled down the stretch due to overuse after Mathew Barzal went down hurt.

The New York Islanders are on an impressive run, but of course now we're left to wonder if it can continue if they have to go without Mathew Barzal and Brock Nelson.Will probably get some kind of generic update on Nelson, but it will probably be just "upper body injury" and all we can hope is that he resumes skating now or soon.

The New York Islanders closed out their western road trip on a high note.After a 5-2 loss to the Los Angeles Kings on March 14 and a 6-3 win over the Anaheim Ducks the following night, they overwhelmed the San Jose Sharks 4-1 in a dominant victory.Related: 4 Takeaways From Islanders' 6-3 Win vs Ducks The Islanders winning two of their three games on the road trip not only allowed them to maintain their playoff spot but also leap into the top wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.

I've probably made clear by now that I do not have faith in this New York Islanders team as currently constructed, and an unlikely and elusive wild card spot would be just a ticket for first-round disappointment (although if it gets the owners some needed playoff revenue, that's fine, I guess?).That said, I don't think it's my role to discourage enjoyment of this team, and last night provided a very specific type of joy: Delicious, third-period comeback, extraction of Penguins tears.

There's something in the air, folks.There is some sort of magic in this team's bones.There is belief in one another.They're almost never out of a game, even when they don't deserve to still be in it.And last night, the New York Islanders pulled off yet another multi-goal comeback, once again doing it to the Pittsburgh Penguins, whom they swept in the regular season for the first time in 50 years of playing them.

Lou Lamoriello has never been one to divulge information, and he did not surprise anyone and buck that trend when he met yesterday with the media.It was his first press availability since the New York Islanders were eliminated by the Carolina Hurricanes more than a month ago.The only thing it truly gave us was more content-something to include here that isn't historical or theoretical.

Wednesday was another day without word/media availability from the Islanders' brass, who did not speak publicly on the day the players did.Unless change is afoot, the next news coming from the team should be end-of-season media calls or conferences with Lou Lamoriello and Lane Lambert.But some second- (and now third-) day stories now include that caveat of "assuming Lou/Lane are still at the helm."

Now that lockers have been cleaned out, there isn't much going on with the New York Islanders.But there is some stuff to talk about, and you'll find it below.Islanders News


Among the many reasons the Islanders failed to advance, the struggles of the top line lead the way.But Mathew Barzal wasn't up to NHL game speed, let alone playoff speed, and Bo Horvat wasn't making excuses but acknowledged it was a mentally difficult season knowing he'd be traded and then moving across the continent.

ELMONT, N.Y.Paul Stastny scored the game and series-winning goal for the Carolina Hurricanes on Friday night, ending the New York Islanders' season in a 2-1 result in Game 6 of their first-round series on Friday night at UBS Arena.At the 6:01 mark of overtime, after Islanders defenseman Adam Pelech turned it over at his own blue line, Stastny fired a shot from a difficult angle at the right face-off dot that slid under the pads of goaltender Ilya Sorokin, giving the Hurricanes the 4-games-to-2 series victory.

The Islanders try to keep it going, needing what would be their first home win of the series in Game 6.The Hurricanes are creating a wrinkle by introducing Freddy Andersen in net.He wasn't available earlier in the series due to illness, but the Canes like to keep two, no three, goalies alive, and Andersen is theoretically their #1.

Man, remember that second week of the 2022-23 season, when the Islanders lost to a Devils team that struggled out of the gate, and it felt like an insult?Yeah, things have changed since then.The Devils took off on a season-long quest for a possible division title, while the Islanders ebbed and flowed, listed and righted, taking us through a playoff bubble journey that mixed confidence-boosting wins with deflating losses like this past weekend.