Good morning. An important playoff series begins tonight. Go Florida.
Islanders News
- Kyle MacLean seized his opportunity — one that maybe wasn’t even there — and impressed the longtime fourth liners, among others. [Isles]
- World Championship: Brock and the boys advanced to the quarterfinals. [Isles]
- Prospect Report: Isaiah George lifts the OHL cup. [Isles]
- Stan Fischler remembers the radio broadcasters from the Isles’ first 27 years. [Isles]
- This is a terrible, awkward stretch but: Hey, maybe Ryan Pulock or Adam Pelech would waive their NTCs to go play under Barry Trotz! [THN]
NHL News
- The Panthers remain hungry. [NHL]
- The Oilers are chasing history. [TSN]
- Barry Trotz has traded Ryan McDonagh back to the Lightning, making the Predators a true cap mule for Tampa. [NHL]
- Despite (re)adding McDonagh’s cap hit, the Lightning believe they have the space to re-sign Steven Stamkos. [Sportsnet]
- The biggest NHL news of the day was Rob DiMaio being named the Senators’ director of player personnel. [TSN]
- Oh, also: Craig Berube was introduced as the Leafs’ new coach, taking no crap from Toronto media and pledging to instill communication and accountability. [NHL]
- Sportsnet used a hilarious oversized closeup photo of Berube from below and to the left to illustrate a deep Luke Fox Jukebox special on how the Leafs would look with him at the helm. It’s surely gone now, but it received oversized homepage treatment like the prime minister had been assassinated. The article itself adds nothing, however. [Sportsnet]
- Stan’s memories: “We had fans mostly from Brooklyn,” Dutton explained, “while the Rangers had the hotsy-totsy ones from New York.” When the NY Americans knocked off the Rangers, which generally wasn’t a hard thing to do, even for the Americans. [NHL]