@StanFischler The Islanders‘ Game 5 ouster to the Lightning will soon seem like ancient history as the Brooklynites pack up their hockey bags, while some now wonder about their future in Isles livery. The 4-0 loss at Amalie Arena on Sunday could seal the Islanders careers for at least one of the club’s stalwarts; maybe more. […]
It was a good run. Skating around the rink with the Cup hoisted high is the only way teams finish the NHL season not disappointed. It didn’t happen for the Islanders this year and you could see and hear the disappointment with the players after Sunday’s loss. I’m not going to rehash the five-game series […]
@StanFischler It strains credulity to think that not long ago, the Islanders won Game 1 of the second round from the Lightning — and in Tampa Bay no less. Not to mention how close they came to winning Games 3 and 4 at home; contests that eventually were lost in overtime. Although many NHL sages […]
@StanFischler Some hockey teams revel in the role of an underdog and become super-motivated in that perilous situation. In the Islanders’ case, Jack Capuano‘s skaters have no choice. As they prepare for Sunday afternoon’s fifth playoff game at Tampa Bay’s Amalie Arena, the Brooklynites have only the Lightning to blame for their precarious position. The Floridians […]
If the Islanders could have survived the last 40 seconds of Game 3, they would be leading their best-of-seven series two games to one and be in a strong position to take control of the series Friday night. Instead, the Islanders are trailing by one game. The Islanders gave their best effort of the series […]
@StanFischler While “dismay” may be an appropriate word to describe a playoff team falling behind by a game, “anger” best fits the Islanders’ psyche as they look ahead to their next chance to get even on Friday night at home. The anger developed over what the home club considers a missed referee’s call that led to […]
There really is nothing quite like playoff hockey! The Islanders are in the second round for the first time in 23 years and as the postseason moves forward, my involvement covering the team has changed a little bit. I have to say it’s very strange not doing pre-game shows or interviewing a player during intermissions, […]
@StanFischler Playoff history repeating itself might just be a good thing for the Islanders as they look ahead to Game 3 against the Lightning Tuesday night in Brooklyn. Jack Capuano‘s skaters split their first two games in Florida against the Panthers in the first round and then went on to capture the series in six games. […]
@ChrisBoyle33 What if someone asked you in January, “Which New York area goaltender would last the longest during the 2015-16 Stanley Cup Playoffs?” Your answer probably would have been one of two of the NHL’s best in Henrik Lundqvist and Cory Schneider. However, the Stanley Cup Playoffs are anything but predictable, which allows for unheralded […]
@StanFischler Having survived “The Dreaded Three-Goal Lead” and an injured coach, the Islanders look ahead to Saturday’s Game 2 in Tampa Bay and the possibility of coming home with a 2-0 series lead. To do so, they must retain the aggressive mentality that galvanized a four-goal onslaught that knocked Vezina Trophy candidate Ben Bishop out of the […]