Islanders Gameday News: Thanksgiving (Eve) traditions

They usually involve drinking, especially if you’re watching the Islanders.

As is usually tradition, the New York Islanders will play a home game tonight, Thanksgiving Eve. This year, they face the Boston Bruins, who will play just their fourth game under the stewardship of former Weird Islander Joe Sacco.

The Bruins hosted the Canucks last night and despite badly outshooting them, they got shut out, 2-0 with an empty-netter—and their old friend, Jake DeBrusk in his first trip back to Boston, scored the only goal against a goalie. While all that may leave them irritated and ready to rage tonight, they should also be a bit tired with the back-to-back with travel; not to mention, they’ve had a lot going on the last couple of weeks. Also, Jeremy Swayman started last night, which would likely mean the far more beatable Joonas Korpisalo would get the nod tonight. These Bruins are not the Bruins we’ve become accustomed to seeing, at least not right now

Thus, the Islanders need to take two regulation points—without giving one away, ideally—against a team they would likely battle for a playoff spot. They utterly and rather meekly failed at that task several times against the Red Wings, but that’s in the past. They need to right the ship and hold onto leads.

FIG picks for TGE go here.

Islanders News

• A preview of tonight’s game. Patrick Roy had said previously that Ilya Sorokin would likely be between the pipes. Also, they’ve allowed the most third-period goals this season. And I don’t think this fact is very fun!!!

• Island Ice Podcast: At this point, the Islanders just have the yips in the third period. Me speaking here, I don’t know what Andrew Gross says on the podcast because I haven’t had a chance to listen yet: I know body language isn’t everything, but they slumped their shoulders as soon as Detroit’s tying goal went in the other night.
• By game time, the Isles manage to keep the game within a goal for more time than anyone. But they often end up on the wrong side of the score. [THN]
• Roy isn’t wrong when he says the Islanders are playing good hockey, which is why it seems mental (not the British way) at this point that they can’t hold the lead. That and 22 things about our insane team at the 22-game mark. [The Athletic]
• I imagine this will concern some of you:

But there has been some internal rumbling that the Islanders, who have not won a playoff round since 2021, need to qualify for Lamoriello to be retained. To be fair, one of Lamoriello’s greatest strengths is he plugs all leaks so that internal rumbling may be off base.

But what if it’s not? If Lamoriello is “playing for his job,” how does that affect his upcoming decision on Nelson and Palmieri?—Newsday

• The Islanders’ fourth line is a clear weakness, so when cheap bottom-sixers get waived, we have to ask whether the Islanders will put in a claim. This time, it’s UBS Arena All-Star Valtteri Puustinen; he has scored six NHL goals but three of them have come against the Isles. [THN]
• The Islanders treated Henry Schafer and his family to an unforgettable experience on Hockey Fights Cancer Night. [Islanders]

Elsewhere

• The only other game last night besides Canucks-Bruins was an overtime win for Utah in Montreal, with former Montreal first-rounder and Jonathan Drouin trade chip Mikhail Sergachev notching the winner.
• Timo Meier caught a suspension for cross-checking Zachary L’Heureux in the face. [NHL]
• Auston Matthews might return to the lineup tonight. [NHL] Tage Thompson, as well. [NHL]
• Patrik Laine isn’t quite there yet, but he’ll travel with the Canadiens on their three-game trip, so he’s close. [Sportsnet]
• The Predators traded former first-round pick Philip Tomasino to the Penguins for a fourth-round pick. Not a great ROI there. [The Athletic]
• Kirill Kaprizov is the early Hart Trophy frontrunner. [The Athletic]