The Islanders have a game tonight, but in happier news Brock Nelson made Team USA.
The Islanders are back home to face the Kraken, because they’re required to play 82 games, and we’re required to watch them, I guess.
I enjoy several individual players on this team, and the coach too, but as a collective whole they are kind of maddening.
One of those very enjoyable players is of course Brock Nelson, who has aged like fine wine, and who has achieved one of his goals of representing Team USA in a best-on-best tournament — if one can accept that the “best” includes only four countries, due to the NHL contract requirement and that whole invading-a-sovereign-neighbor-just-because thing that P*tin has going on. Authoritarians, amirite?
Anyway, leave First Islanders Goal picks for tonight here.
Islanders News
- I donn’t know when the 4 Nations tournament is and I don’t intend to watch, but I’m happy for Brock Nelson to make it. [Isles | THN | Brock is excited (video) | (print)]
- Here are all the 4 Nations rosters. Pierre Engvall was not selected. Devon Toews was. Sebastian Aho made the Finnish squad but not the Swedish one.
- Another piece on the Bo Horvat Goal Drought theme. [Post]
- Bo helped push Anders Lee to get some Adam Oates training this past summer. [THN]
- Yeah, okay, Grant Hutton is again no longer waiver-exempt, but I’m not sure that qualifies as a “dilemma,” honestly. [THN]
Elsewhere
Last night’s scores had four games, no Metro involvement, no surprises (and no alarms).
- Yikes, Tyler Seguin, who’s dealt with his share of big injuries, will have hip surgery that keeps him out four to six months. [NHL]
- How Jon Cooper helped pick the Team Canada squad. [Sportsnet]
- J.T. Miller being selected for Team USA is a good sign for him, as he’s on leave of absence from the Canucks at the moment. [Sportsnet]
- The surging Wild suddenly have a trio of “week to week” injuries. [TSN]