New York Islanders continue Pacific coast swing in LA tonight

The Islanders continue their way down the Pacific coast. Now, they’re in Southern California, stopping first in Los Angeles before making their way to Anaheim.

Tonight, they get the Kings. It’s another 10:30 p.m. start, so pace your drinking!

FIGs picks go right here.

Islanders News

• The Islanders lost a game they absolutely deserved to win. That’s hockey. But Zdeno Chara made history. [LHH]
• Dan penned a nice piece about Chara’s history-making night and how, frankly, cool it is that he did it in an Islander jersey. The season certainly hasn’t gone as Chara (or any of us, really) envisioned, but his return has been a bright spot overall, even if his on-ice game isn’t what it used to be. [LHH]
• Eric Duhatschek appreciates Chara, too. [The Athletic]
• Despite the loss to San Jose, the Islanders showed their “dog-on-a-bone” mentality, even without Josh Bailey. [The Athletic]
• And maintaining that mentality is the key to tonight’s game. [Islanders]
• They have also been getting back to rolling four consistent lines, which is key for this team’s success over the long haul. [Newsday]
• Mark Spector wants the Isles to trade Semyon Varlamov to the Oilers. He’s willing to give up a first-round pick, but he only wants to give up the bad prospects. [Sportsnet]
• Jenny Berman was the guest on this week’s episode of Weird Islanders!, discussing the time that Garth Snow took—ahem—a gamble on Thomas Vanek. [LHH]

Elsewhere

Last night’s and Thursday’s NHL scores.

• In which Elliotte Friedman suggests that Filip Forsberg might be in play at the deadline if he remains unsigned and even if the Predators are solidly in a playoff spot. [32 Thoughts]
• The Hurricanes have lost Tony DeAngelo for a month. He has some kind of injury in his midsection. [NHL]
• The league fined Maple Leafs winger Michael Bunting $2,000 for diving, meaning it was the second time that they had to talk to him about it (the first time earns only a warning). [NHL]
• The Florida Panthers’ rise has been a long time coming, and it’s nice to see Aleksander Barkov and Jonathan Huberdeau surrounded by so much talent after paying their dues down there. [The Athletic]
• Steven Stamkos is focused right now on winning a third straight championship. [NHL]
• The NHL, NHLPA, and TikTok announced that they have formed a lovely business relationship. [NHL]
• On Thursday night, the Predators retired Pekka Rinne’s no. 35. [NHL]
• Slava Malamud writes that Alex Ovechkin has blood on his hands. [TSN]
• Thanks to a former Cornell hockey player, NYC has a new hockey-first bar in Chelsea: Saunter on down to The Canuck on 9th Ave. and 23rd St. for playoff hockey, even between teams not in the New York area. No fear of some jackass changing the channel to the Mets getting blown out in a meaningless May game. [The Athletic]