Islanders Gameday News: Frank, I have to go to Utah

The Islanders have decided in their collective wisdom that they really need a winning streak to get back into Wild Card contention, and that’s right. Thanks to an OT recovery from a blown lead in Boston and an unexpected 4-0 goalie-assisted win in Vegas that featured four goals on 21 shots, they’ve started this road trip with a 2-0 trick.

Those wins brought the deficit to 16-18-7, which isn’t impressive at all, but the East is weird this year, sitting five points (and six teams!) behind the East’s second wild card spot. But Columbus held that place, so I mean…he’s there to conquer it, right?

Now it’s on to Utah, where they’ll visit a basketball arena for the first time that will hopefully at least have a centered scoreboard. The artists formerly known as the “Coyotes” are having a very Coyote-like season, with little breaks of “Ohh, maybe they’re finally coming around the corner” mixed with an otherwise rather dull, off-the-wild-card trajectory. They are 17-16-7 and five points out of the West’s second wild card spot.

While the Isles had a day between games, Utah played the Sharks at home last night.

For a certain idiot like me, it’s hard to hear a reference to Utah without thinking of the great film that arguably sheds the most comprehensive and flattering light on the state “sandwiched between Wyoming and Nevada,” and that film, of course, is Fletch .

Leave the First Islanders’ goal picks here.

Islanders News

• Utah will be without would-be Islander killer Dylan Guenthier. (THN)
• Takeaways from the Vegas win: Brock breaks his losing streak and Ilya gets a shutout (making him second fastest ever with 20). (islands)
• For a refreshing change, there was fun and points! (LHH)
• A statement win after Lou expressed his unwavering confidence? (Post)
• Well, it’s a start, but they’re still looking for consistency. (Post)
• Maybe her identity is a rubber chicken. (news day)
• The Skinny: Exclusions and Happiness. (islands)
• Max Tsyplakov loves his move to North America (so does his wife), but he feels like his game hasn’t adjusted yet – or he feels like he’s still out there thinking too much. (THN)
• In the latest episode of Weird Islanders they face off against a personal favorite: Brett Lindros. (LHH)

Elsewhere

Last night’s results included a handful of games, including wins by the Canadiens and Red Wings again. (This won’t last.)

• The Canadiens have secured one of these streaks to get back into the bubble conversation. (It won’t last.) (Sportsnet)
• Brock Nelson and the two (supposedly) feuding Canucks are at the top of the trade bait list. (TSN)
• Evander Kane had knee surgery and apparently the Oilers are allowing injured players to speak to the media – how uncultured! They probably don’t force players to shave either. (NHL)
• Since the OHL Erie Otters had given up on him ever winning a Stanley Cup, they decided to retire Connor McDavid’s number now. (NHL)