NYHN Daily: Islanders Drop Third Straight, Wahlstrom Demoted, & More

The New York Islanders were out of sorts on Monday, in their 4-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Islanders offense got the chances in the loss but were unable to come through, a sure problem. Islanders forward Oliver Wahlstrom was demoted to the fourth line due to his struggles to pay attention to detail.

These stories and more in today’s daily links!

The New York Islanders dropped their third game in a row on Monday night in a 4-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning. New York falls to 5-5-2 on the season and Semyon Varlamov recorded his second loss of the year in net. After getting a lead early, the inability to hold onto momentum, backed by the scoring woes and a struggling power play saw the offense fail time and time again as Tampa continued to execute on Islanders’ mistakes to pull away. Here are the takeaways. (NYI Hockey Now)

It was the talk of the Islanders Twitterverse. Oliver Wahlstrom was limited to just 8:33 of ice time while the New York Islanders’ offense struggled to find the back of the net in a 4-1 loss in Tampa Bay. Wahlstrom had been one of the Islanders’ top offensive players through the first 11 games of the season. His five points are top five on the team in scoring and his five goals are second-most only behind Brock Nelson’s seven. But his lack of attention to detail is something head coach Barry Trotz was not a fan of and if it wasn’t for Cizikas being out, Wahlstrom might have been watching this game. (NYI Hockey Now)

When UBS Arena opens up this weekend it will be the crown jewel of NHL arenas and mark the first time the New York Islanders have had a state-of-the-art home since Nassau Coliseum opened in 1972. Islanders co-owner Jon Ledecky also sees it as another tool for general manager Lou Lamoriello to lure free agents to Long Island. Back-to-back trips to the Stanley Cup Semifinals have already made the Islanders a team that free agents want to come and now the brand new arena is an added tool to recruit players. (NYI Hockey Now)

When the Boston Bruins’ season began, there was no starting netminder. Jeremy Swayman had shown promise last season but Linus Ulmark was brought in as well to fight for that starting job. Recently Swayman has been hot and his head coach Bruce Cassidy is riding the hot hand. It is safe to say Swayman is the Bruins’ no. 1 netminder? (Boston Hockey Now)

While the Pittsburgh Penguins were being dominated by the Washington Capitals, Sidney Crosby showed major frustrations as he threw Washington Capitals defenseman Martin Fehervary into the boards. Former NHLer Marc Methot is calling for a ten game suspension for Crosby’s actions. But there’s a backstory to why Methot is not a fan of the superstar. (Pittsburgh Hockey Now)

Sidney Crosby will not face discipline for his action against Washington Capitals defenseman Martin Fehervary. It was a dangerous play but NHL Player Safety is letting it go. (Washington Hockey Now)

The Detroit Red Wings blew an early lead before falling 5-3 to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Monday. It was a demoralizing loss as they allowed three goals in the final 4:18 of regulation to come from behind and steal two points. Here are the takeaways from the loss. (Detroit Hockey Now)

The Toronto Maple Leafs, since Oct. 18, have thrown their dress code out the window. Players no longer had to wear suits to their games, and the early season struggles led to people blaming the clothing choices for the loss. While that is worrisome in itself, it begs the question on how important is it for players to dress up. It used to mean something to put on a suit and a tie to play for a competitive team but should that have been a rule? (Toronto Hockey Now)

Montreal Canadiens head coach Dominique Ducharme threw his forward Jonathan Drouin under the bus to the media. Drouin had been dealing with an injury and while he was given the green light to play, he would not play. And now, the media, his teammates and the fanbase now know about an issue that more than likely should not have been made public, which paints Drouin as the bad guy and a guy who “doesn’t want to help the team”. (Montreal Hockey Now)

After years of rejections, Kelsey Hammond was given an opportunity she had been working her whole life to have. She found herself covering the Colorado Hockey Now site all day after Adrian Dater asked for help on Twitter. He also said “I believe in throwing people into the deep end of the pool and seeing if they can swim or not. You’re going to represent the site all day today.” The night before, he told Hammond “You start tomorrow.” She documented her first day living her dream. (Colorado Hockey Now)

There will always be a competitive rivalry between the first overall pick in 2015 in Connor McDavid and the second overall pick in 2015 in Jack Eichel. With Eichel being dealt to the Vegas Golden Knights, a Stanley Cup contender after years playing for a struggling Buffalo Sabres’ franchise, it begs the question. Which player will win a Stanley Cup first? (Vegas Hockey Now)

Doug Wilson is finally, officially part of the Hockey Hall of Fame. The 1982 Norris Trophy winner and one of the finest offensive blueliners of his generation, Wilson starred for the Chicago Blackhawks before closing out his playing career with the expansion San Jose Sharks. Wilson has been the general manager of the San Jose Sharks since 2003, one of only four players/GMs to have both played and managed over 1,000 NHL games. (San Jose Hockey Now)

The Vancouver Canucks sit at 5-9-2 on the young season following three consecutive losses on the road where they were outscored by a composite 19-to-6. We often talk about special teams and goaltending being the keys to success in hockey, but in this case the poor special teams are now dragging down the goalkeepers. (Vancouver Hockey Now)

Most stories about Calgary Flames legend Jarome Iginla are well-known. Big moments on the ice and heartfelt gestures off it. He entered the Hockey Hall of Fame Monday night because of the big moments. Iginla was a notoriously tough, tenacious, and talented winger. He played in the NHL for 20 seasons – 16 with the Flames – and was one of the last true power forwards in the game. (Calgary Hockey Now)