NYHN Daily: Islanders Lose First Game, Special Team Issues, & More

The New York Islanders fell to the Carolina Hurricanes 6-3 to kick off their season. Despite scoring the first goal of the contest, the Islanders struggled to communicate throughout the game, leading to the result. The powerplay was supposed to be much stronger this season but early on struggled to generate anything.

These stories and more in today’s daily links!

The New York Islanders dropped their season-opener to the Carolina Hurricanes, a sloppy performance for a team built on being responsible in their own zone. Barzal got the scoring going, but the lead was short-lived as the Hurricanes took control of the game and despite the score being close deep into the third period, the Hurricanes never let up. (NYI Hockey Now)

The Islanders needed to have a much better powerplay this season. The addition of Zach Parise, with Anders Lee back as a net-front presence, along with Kyle Palmieri’s return, should lead to a moe consistent powerplay. In Game 1, the Islanders went 0-3, and the units seemed lost. (NYI Hockey Now)

Just call it once less thing that Ryan Pulock has to worry about this season. The New York Islanders defenseman will have plenty on his mind being part of the team’s top defensive pairing, but having to think about a new contract for next season won’t be one of them. Pulock confirmed on Thursday that he had agreed to terms on a new 8-year deal with the Isles. The deal is reportedly worth just shy of $50 million. (NYI Hockey Now)

Islanders fan Joe Murphy, the last two seasons have been a dream come true. He’s watched his beloved Islanders make back-to-back trips to the Stanley Cup Semifinals, a first in his lifetime, but he hasn’t been able to shake one feeling through all of it. He wishes that his father, Terrence “Terry” Murphy, was still alive to experience it as well. Terry passed away in December of 2019 after his health began to fail. In his honor, he asked fans to vote Murphy for the name of the Islanders new seeing-eye dog, as Terry retired from being an equipment manager with the Islanders after he went blind. The fan support was incredible. (NYI Hockey Now)

There have been rumors swirling that the Boston Bruins and Charlie McAvoy are close on a contract extension. Bruins president Cam Neely told the media that they were close, but team general manager Don Sweeney did not make it seem like they were as close as Neely made it seem. So we investigated. (Boston Hockey Now)

The Pittsburgh Penguins fell to the Florida Panthers 4-3 in overtime, but a milestone was reached in the loss. Jeff Carter scored his 400th career goal, and is now one of seven active players to accomplish that feat. (Pittsburgh Hockey Now)

The Florida Panthers overcame a two-goal deficit in the third period to force overtime and take two points. Ekblad scored twice in the third and Verhaeghe scored his second to win the game, a resilient effort to say the least. (Florida Hockey Now)

After defeating the New York Rangers on Wednesday, the Washington Capitals have acquired more depth on their blue line. They claimed blueliner Dennis Cholowski off waivers from the Seattle Kraken. In the meantime, Washington loaned forward Beck Malenstyn down to the AHL’s Hershey Bears. (Washington Hockey Now)

The Toronto Maple Leafs fell to the Ottawa Senators by a score of 3-2 on Thursday night. It wasn’t from a lack of trying, as the offense ran into a hot netminder, in Anton Forsberg, who stopped a career-high 46 shots. (Toronto Hockey Now)

The Montreal Canadiens fell to the Buffalo Sabres by a score of 5-1. The Canadiens were too casual in the loss, taking penalties and failing to control any aspects of the game. It was a mess. (Montreal Hockey Now)

Tyler Bertuzzi, one of the four remaining unvaccinated players, netted four goals for the Detroit Red Wings. Unfortunately, the Red Wings blew a 4-1 lead and a 6-3 lead, as they allowed the Tampa Bay Lightning to come back twice, ultimately winning the game 7-6 in overtime. (Detroit Hockey Now)

The Los Angeles Kings outworked the Vegas Golden Knights, as they won 6-2. To add insult to injury, captain Mark Stone left the game with 12:20 to go in the second, and he did not return. There was no update on his injury, other than that he was dealing with a lingering issue. (Vegas Hockey Now)

On Saturday, the Colorado Avalanche will be honoring the late Pierre Lacroix. Lots of former Avalanche players will be there including the great Peter Forsberg. The belief is that Ray Bourque will also be in attendance, among other former players. (Colorado Hockey Now)

19-year old Willimam Eklund celebrated his birthday Tuesday, at Ikea, eating Swedish meatballs. The young Swede had gone to Ikea previously and demanded that they return for his birthday, not to look for furniture, but to head right to the “restaurant”. (San Jose Hockey Now)

Bill Daly started his job at the National Hockey League almost 25-years ago. About 17-years ago he took over the position he still holds, Deputy Commissioner under Commissioner Gary Bettman. Thursday morning, for “Simmer’s Morning Skate”, the video version, Daly took some time to discuss topics that Vancouver Canucks fans might find compelling. (Vancouver Hockey Now)

Is Oliver Kylington being given a fair chance with the Calgary Flames? He filled in as the team’s 12th forward at practice, but was back on the blue line on Thursday. He seems to be the seventh man and while he waits for a chance, he continues to believe in himself and his game. (Calgary Hockey Now)

The Seattle Kraken got their first win on Thursday night against the Nashville Predtaors. In a back and forth battle, strong goaltending backed by a strong performance by Brandon Tanev helped Seattle accomplish the first goal in a long list of goals for the newest expansion team. (NHL)

This past offseason, the Columbus Blue Jackets and the rest of the hockey community mourned the loss of Matiss Kivlenieks. He was honored on Thursday at Nationwide Arena, as a banner with his name, his number, and his years was sent to the rafters. (NHL)