NYHN Daily: Salo’s Spot, Goaltending Questions, The “F” Word

The New York Islanders host the Minnesota Wild Sunday, a 7:30 PM match after seeing their game against the Seattle Kraken on Saturday postponed due to inclement weather. What does the future hold for Islanders Robin Salo when Ryan Pulock returns to the lineup? What should the Islanders do with their goaltending, as it has been a bit shaky over the last few starts? Should general manager Lou Lamoriello and Barry Trotz be on the hot seat?

These stories and more in today’s daily links!

Keeping it on the Island

With Ryan Pulock returning to practice this past Thursday, there should be some hope that his return to the New York Islanders lineup will come sooner than later. What does Pulock’s eventual return to the lineup mean for 23-year old defenseman Robin Salo? (NYI Hockey Now)

The New York Islanders have had plenty of issues this season, issues with scoring goals, issues with locking down leads, and at times issues with their netminders not coming up with timely saves. As of late, a combination of three has played a part in the Islanders’ inability to climb the standings. With the goaltending now with a few slip-ups, what should be the plan moving forward? (NYI Hockey Now)

After back-to-back postseason runs to the semi-finals, the New York Islanders have hit a wall in 2021-22. They are 15-15-6 on the season, 15 points out of a wild-card spot (four games in hand), and have struggled to play the shutdown style of hockey that a team with offensive struggles needs to play to collect two points. But general manager Lou Lamoriello and head coach Barry Trotz are going nowhere anytime soon. (NYI Hockey Now)

Around the National Hockey Now Boards

The Boston Bruins goaltending situation continues to turn as rookie netminder Jeremy Swayman has been recalled by the B’s and is with the team in Arizona. Swayman was officially recalled on Saturday afternoon a day after Tuukka Rask wasn’t able to physically fulfill his duties as the backup goaltender in Friday night’s win over the Arizona Coyotes due to a lower body injury. (Boston Hockey Now)

Pittsburgh Penguins GM Ron Hextall was excited last summer when the Penguins signed college free agent Filip Lindberg from UMass. Lindberg had a solid training camp and impressive beginning in the AHL before injuries derailed his season. Hextall and the Penguins are part of a gaggle of teams chasing a new goaltending prospect. According to Jeff Marek on Hockey Night in Canada, the Penguins and no less than a half dozen teams are interested in Mack Guzda of the Barrie Colts in the OHL. He’s an overage juniors player and shutting down opponents this season. (Pittsburgh Hockey Now)

Exhale, Flyers fans. The Philadelphia Flyers won Saturday afternoon for the first time in 2022 and stopped a franchise-record 13-game losing streak. Getting two goals from Cam Atkinson and solid goaltending from Carter Hart, they defeated the Los Angeles Kings in overtime, 4-3, at the Wells Fargo Center and won for the first time since Dec. 29. (Philly Hockey Now)

The last time Bob Boughner was a head coach at the Florida Panthers arena in Sunrise, his team lost and he was fired soon afterward. Saturday night could not have felt much better. Boughner’s San Jose squad watched the Panthers erase a pair of two-goal deficits in the third period alone en route to a 5-4 overtime win at FLA Live Arena. (Florida Hockey Now)

The summation of Saturday’s Maple Leafs-Red Wings game put forth by Detroit captain Dylan Larkin was pretty much spot on. “They had a heck of a third period,” Larkin said. “We didn’t.” Toronto rallied from a 4-2 deficit with five answered third-period goals for a 7-4 victory over the Wings at Little Caesars Arena. Five takeways from Detroit’s latest third-period collapse. (Detroit Hockey Now)

It was a bittersweet reunion between the Washington Capitals and Braden Holtby, as Washington chased their former netminder from the net with five goals in a dominant victory. However, there were no hard feelings, and despite not being in Texas too long, the Capitals made the most of their time and used as much as they could to catch up with the netminder. (Washington Hockey Now)

If the Montreal Canadiens were trying to pay homage to Hockey Day In Canada they did a fantastic job in what amounted to a game of shinny the Edmonton Oilers took 7-2. The Oilers happily obliged a seemingly -and understandably – disinterested  Habs team more interested in getting home after skating in front of another empty Bell Centre pond of ice. (Montreal Hockey Now)

The Vegas Golden Knights (26-16-3) and Tampa Bay Lightning (29-11-5) played one of the most high-flying, entertaining, and fast-paced games all season Saturday night. The Golden Knights came away with the victory as Mark Stone won it in overtime for the VGK in the seventh round of the shootout 3-2. (Vegas Hockey Now)

Marc-Andre Fleury has given up nine goals in his last two starts. Do the Avalanche still want him as the starting goalie for the playoffs? That was one of my questions after last night’s 6-4 Avalanche victory over the Chicago Blackhawks at the United Center. Anyway, let’s discuss the Avs 6-4 win over Fleury and Chicago. (Colorado Hockey Now)

On Wednesday, we wrote about three things that got the San Jose Sharks a win against the Washington Capitals. They were James Reimer, Jonathan Dahlen, and team defense. The Sharks got two of the three tonight in their 5-4 overtime loss to the Florida Panthers. (San Jose Hockey Now)

The Calgary Flames defeated the Vancouver Canucks 1-0 on Saturday night. It was a battle of the goaltenders, ex-teammates in Jakob Markstrom and Thatcher Demko. Demko took over in 2020 before Markstrom even left for free agency, as he was the starter against the Vegas Golden Knights in the postseason, and played tremendously. (Vancouver Hockey Now)

As the Calgary Flames battled their west coast rival Vancouver Canucks on Saturday night, the home team’s scouts were getting a good look at potential NHL trade deadline additions. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported during the Hockey Day in Canada broadcast that winger Conor Garland may be available, and that the Flames are among a handful of teams he suggested have shown interest. (Calgary Hockey Now)