Daily Links
NYHN Daily: Islanders Drop Game 3 on Home Ice & More
The New York Islanders dropped Game 3 in front of the Islanders faithful by a score of 5-4. It was a wild third-period filled with goals and fights that did not end in the Islanders’ favor. There were positives, but also major negatives that paved the way to the loss. These stories and more in today’s daily links!
There was never any love loss between the New York Islanders and Pittsburgh Penguins, and that was on display on Thursday in Game 3. A combined five goals were scored in the third period, but in the end, it was Pittsburgh that ended the night with a 5-4 win over the Islanders. (NYI Hockey Now)
Islanders goaltender Semyon Varlamov struggled for the Islanders, while the fourth line and Scott Mayfield brought the energy. Here are the takeaways from the loss. (NYI Hockey Now)
The world took another step toward normalcy on Thursday night, as Islanders fans finally gathered in large numbers for the team’s first home playoff game in two years, with the clock ticking on Nassau Coliseum’s postseason life. (Newsday)
Jeff Carter continued to fit in with the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday, scoring twice in a 5-4 win against the New York Islanders in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup First Round at Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, New York. (NHL)
The Pittsburgh Penguins have won all but three periods in the first three games of their Round One series against the New York Islanders. The Penguins again received solid goaltending and created more turnovers and scoring chances they gave up. And the Penguins again beat the New York Islanders in game 3, 5-4. (Pittsburgh Hockey Now)
The Florida Panthers had reason to be feeling good about themselves after the first period of Game 3 against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday night. They may have been absolutely sick to their stomachs after the second. (Florida Hockey Now)
Over the course of a Stanley Cup playoff series, the iron will of a team to win becomes a quantifiable strength right along with goal-scoring, special teams or goaltending. And the Boston Bruins invoked their unflinching will on the Washington Capitals in impressive fashion on Wednesday night in an eventual 3-2 double-overtime win in Game 3 of their playoff series at TD Garden. (Boston Hockey Now)
Former Flyers forward Vincent Lecavalier was a special guest on the Hockey Masterclass podcast this week. On this episode we are joined by Vincent and Phil Lecavalier, to dive in to their respective playing careers and their current philosophies on player development and minor hockey. Listen in for a thoughtful perspective through the eyes of Vincent, a former NHL All-Star and Stanley Cup Winner, and Phil, a leading NHLPA certified player agent. (Philly Hockey Now)
For whatever reason, the Vegas Golden Knights struggled to start games on time this season. In fact, they tended to start them roughly 20 minutes late. In the second period. The playoffs have proven to be more of the same, but fortunately for the Golden Knights they were able to turn first-period frustration into five unanswered goals and knock the wind out of the Minnesota Wild in Game Three of the Honda West Division Semifinal series to take a 2-1 lead. (Vegas Hockey Now)
The Colorado Avalance forward who has dominated this postseason through two games, Nathan Mackinnon, is selling his Denver penthouse. So if you have $3.5 M laying around… (Colorado Hockey Now)
The battle for the AHL’s Pacific Division hasn’t been waged just on the ice at FivePoint Arena over the last couple of days, it’s also been waged off the ice. When the AHL revealed plans for a Pacific Division playoffs in late April — the only division hosting any type of post-season tournament — the reaction from the Professional Hockey Players’ Association was swift and to the point: The players did not want this tournament. For an AHL player, the PHPA is the equivalent of the NHLPA for an NHL player. (San Jose Hockey Now)
Paul Byron scored shorthanded to break a tie in the third period, and the Montreal Canadiens defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 2-1 in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup First Round at Scotiabank Arena on Thursday. (NHL)
John Tavares was taken from the ice on a stretcher in the first period of Game 1 of the Stanley Cup First Round for the Toronto Maple Leafs against the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday. The forward fell near the blue line after being checked by Canadiens defenseman Ben Chiarot and then was hit in the face by the left knee of Canadiens forward Corey Perry with 9:31 remaining. (NHL)
Ryan Lomberg scored at 5:56 of overtime to give the Florida Panthers a 6-5 win against the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup First Round at Amalie Arena on Thursday. (NHL)
The Vegas Golden Knights scored five straight goals in a 5-2 win against the Minnesota Wild in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup First Round at Xcel Energy Center on Thursday. Mark Stone scored twice for Vegas, which took the lead in the best-of-7 series. (NHL)
Nazem Kadri has been offered an in-person hearing with the NHL Department of Player Safety on Friday. The Colorado Avalanche forward is facing discipline for an illegal check to the head of St. Louis Blues defenseman Justin Faulk. (NHL)
John Davidson is returning to the Columbus Blue Jackets as president of hockey operations and alternate governor. The 68-year-old received a five-year contract. He held those titles with the Blue Jackets from Oct. 24, 2012, through May 17, 2019, when he resigned to take on the roles with the New York Rangers. (NHL)
Mark Giordano may not be protected by the Calgary Flames in the 2021 NHL Expansion Draft. The defenseman and Flames captain has one season remaining on a six-year contract at an average annual value of $6.75 million. (NHL)
Ilya Samsonov and the Washington Capitals hope to rebound quickly from the miscommunication that led to the goal in the second overtime of a 3-2 loss at the Boston Bruins in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup First Round on Wednesday. (NHL)
Trip Tracy told “NHL @TheRink” co-hosts Dan Rosen and Shawn P. Roarke that he didn’t tell anyone what Nedeljkovic said at the time, choosing instead to keep it to himself, but it was something he loved hearing from the Hurricanes goalie. “Because you have to have that, in particular in this division (Discover Central Division) if you’re going to beat an Andrei Vasilevskiy or down the road a Marc-Andre Fleury,” Tracy said. “You have to believe you’re better than that guy.” (NHL)
Aging like a fine wine, the Perfection Line of Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak is once again a big story in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. (TSN)
It’s not often an NHL head coach speaks positively of going through a stretch of nine losses in 10 games as his team approaches the playoffs. Paul Maurice, however, says the Winnipeg Jets’ end-of-season struggles may have prepared his squad for the challenges of post-season hockey. (TSN)
After a season punctuated by a COVID-19 outbreak and a grinding schedule, the beleaguered Vancouver Canucks are looking forward. Captain Bo Horvat believes the adversity his squad weathered will make them mentally stronger. (TSN)