NYHN Daily: Islanders Welcome Back Players, Veteran Presence & More

The New York Islanders still have nine days to go before their next contest. There is a ton of time to practice and especially get healthy. Islanders’ forwards Brock Nelson and Kyle Palmieri were back at practice, while the veteran presence in the locker room has helped immensely given the breaks in the schedule.

These stories and more in today’s daily links!

Keeping it on the Island

The New York Islanders welcomed back two familiar faces to the ice for practice on Monday morning. The two players were forwards Brock Nelson and Kyle Palmieri. Head coach Barry Trotz was not at practice. (NYI Hockey Now)

The New York Islanders entered the 2021-22 campaign as the oldest team in hockey with an average age of 29.08. While there are a few outliers in there, with defensemen Zdeno Chara and Andy Greene, the veteran presence in the locker room has allowed the Islanders to handle the long breaks in between games. (NYI Hockey Now)

Around the National Hockey Now Boards

It’s difficult not to feel a little better about the Boston Bruins after a weekend where so many of their weak spots turned into strengths in back-to-back wins over the Sabres and Red Wings. Nearly every Boston Bruins forward that’s struggled over the first few months cashed in offensively and the B’s played with some edge and attitude punctuated by a Sunday afternoon 5-1 win over the Red Wings at Little Caesars Arena that put Boston back into a playoff spot. (Boston Hockey Now)

Join Pittsburgh Hockey Now Editor-in-Chief Dan Kingerski for another live PHN Pittsburgh Penguins chat. After a few technical difficulties, the stream went off without a hitch, though you may see Dan twitching just a bit in the beginning as he contemplated flipping a table. (Pittsburgh Hockey Now)

Florida Panthers star forward Jonathan Huberdeau was honored by the NHL for the second time this season as he was named one of the three stars of the week. Huberdeau, fourth in the NHL with 41 points, was named the third star of the week after scoring eight points in the Panthers’ past two victories over Tampa Bay and Montreal. (Florida Hockey Now)

The Washington Capitals originally had the day off on Monday before kicking off “mini training camp” style practices to start a four-day layoff. It was ultimately good timing, as the DMV saw snow coat the District with 6-10 inches, leading to multiple school closures and delays. With time on their hands, the Capitals got to enjoy the snowy weather and made the most of it. Here’s a glimpse at how the team spent its snow day. (Washington Hockey Now)

Joe Veleno is on the power play and Filip Zadina is off as coach Jeff Blashill continues to search for answers on how to improve it. The Red Wings were 0-for-4 on the power play in a 5-1 loss to the Bruins. They are 0-for-13 on the power play in the last four games. Since Nov. 18, they are 4-for-36 with the man advantage. (Detroit Hockey Now)

With Max Pacioretty and Mark Stone both out once more for the Vegas Golden Knights, the team has had to take some unique approaches in filling out their lineup. A result of this is Golden Knights head coach Peter DeBoer placing William Carrier on the team’s first line for practice Monday morning. (Vegas Hockey Now)

To be clear, this is not necessarily about Avalanche goaltender Darcy Kuemper’s play in a single game. No, not in Sunday’s 4-2 win over the Anaheim Ducks. He allowed the two goals on 31 shots. He’ll want at least the first one — Sam Carrick’s in the first period after a juicy rebound — back. Yet he was good enough to help keep the Avalanche in the game after falling behind 2-0. No, not in any of the other 19 games Kuemper has appeared in the Colorado net. This is not even “critical.” But has he played as advertised, after coming to Denver from Arizona? (Colorado Hockey Now)

When will Evander Kane play for the San Jose Barracuda again? According to a source, his return might be delayed. On Dec. 22, Kane was placed in COVID protocol, along with Jasper Weatherby and Nick Cicek. San Jose Hockey Now reported then that Kane was dealing with “COVID symptoms, severity unknown.” (San Jose Hockey Now)

Vancouver Canucks goalie Thatcher Demko smiled when he answered. “Oh yeah, it’s an honor to be in that discussion,” Demko said when asked about being brought up in Vezina Trophy conversations as the best goalie in the NHL. “But we haven’t even played half the games yet, so I think we can just cool it on that a little bit.” (Vancouver Hockey Now)

Technically, the Calgary Flames have been home since their last away game, so their 5-1 win over the Chicago Blackhawks is really the first on this road swing. But either way, the winning ways continued away from the Saddledome. And they did it in convincing fashion. The Flames peppered NHL newbie Arvid Soderblom with 41 shots on their way to a strong showing in the Windy City. Here are the three stars of the game. (Calgary Hockey Now)

League Business

4The Edmonton Oilers lost their fourth straight game on Monday night as they fell 4-1 to the New York Rangers on Madison Square Garden ice. Ryan Strome had a goal and an assist, while goaltender Alexandar Georgiev stopped 33 for his first win since Dec. 10. (NHL)

Minnesota Wild netminder Cam Talbot will not be playing anytime soon as he is out indefinitely with a lower-body injury. He did not play the third period of the Winter Classic at Target Field. (NHL)

Washington Capitals forward Alex Ovechkin is used to being a leader, whether it’s the “C”, the goal department. This season he is leading all players in votes for the All-Star Game in Las Vegas. He will be the captain of the Metropolitan Division. (NHL)