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)