Islanders’ Marcus Hogberg shines in net for emotional first NHL start in nearly four years
TORONTO — It's been almost four years on the calendar since Marcus Hogberg led an NHL team out of the tunnel for warm-ups. He had returned to Sweden during that time and was largely off the NHL's radar. By all accounts, his career on this side of the Atlantic appeared to be over. Yes, even […]
Islanders’ struggling penalty kill allows two goals in loss
PITTSBURGH — How bad is the Islanders' penalty kill right now? It's so bad that even the most unlucky 4-on-5 goals, like the deflected goal credited to Evgeni Malkin on Sunday, feel like empty excuses. After the Isles lost 3-2 to the Penguins, Patrick Roy was furious: “When they shoot a shot six feet wide […]
Islanders split back-to-back with Penguins after looking sluggish
PITTSBURGH — For most of the season, the Islanders have been on a three-game winning streak to get people to take them seriously in the playoff race. They will need to reset that clock after Sunday. In their second game against the Penguins in less than 24 hours, the Islanders, who had a chance to […]
Islanders’ Patrick Roy demotes Maxim Tsyplakov to fourth line
As strong as Maxim Tsyplakov was in his rookie year, taking penalties was a constant problem. And after Tsyplakov converted his second penalty in the second period of the Islanders' 6-3 win over the Penguins at UBS Arena on Saturday, coach Patrick Roy's patience ran thin. The Russian was relegated to the fourth line for […]
Islanders clip Penguins for key win in first of home-and-home matchup
No one was saying it explicitly ahead of Saturday's first game of a home-and-home series against the Penguins, but winning this set of games, or at least avoiding a sweep, is just as imperative. As the Islanders have faced all season. The Islanders have been hovering on the fringes of playoff contention in recent weeks, […]
Islanders’ Bo Horvat has found groove since being paired with Maxim Tsyplakov
Less than three weeks ago, Bo Horvat was on the brink of a 13-game goalless streak. The cliché is that points come in bunches, so it may not be surprising that Horvat has since scored eight points (four goals, four assists) in his past seven games entering Monday's game. That includes a season-high three points […]
Islanders enter holiday break in Metro basement after dud against lowly Sabres
Despite the Islanders' best showing just two days ago, here comes the thump that served as the metronome for the first 35 games of the season. When there were signs that the Islanders were turning a corner, when they played their best game of the season, when they were healthy, when the Rangers might be […]
Islanders finally have hope for miserable fourth line
The fourth line has been a black hole for the Islanders all season, no matter how Patrick Roy configures it. There was no consistent trio at the bottom of the lineup, due in part to injuries and Roy's constant lineup changes. For a team that has derived its identity from the trio of Matt Martin, […]
Isaiah George already making Islanders impact as rookie
Isiah George didn't know exactly how many friends and family members were in the stands at Scotiabank Arena on Saturday night because he outsourced the job of fielding ticket requests to his parents. All he knew was that it was hard. George grew up in Oakville, Ont., just a 35-minute drive from Toronto, and admitted […]
Islanders provide good reason for optimism with win over Maple Leafs
TORONTO — OK, we might have something here. If this is what the Islanders can do with a healthy forward group, if this is what they can do with physicality and effort every night, if they can roll up the fourth line like they did Saturday against Toronto, then they'll get five points. The gap […]