Isles Files
Your source for behind-the-scenes New York Islanders hockey news and information.
Montoya in, Grahame signed, Ullstrom to Bridgeport
Al Montoya gets the start tonight against the Penguins, with Kevin Poulin up from Bridgeport for the night to back up. Poulin will go back to Bridgeport for the Sound Tigers' weekend games with John Grahame, the retired former NHL backup, signed to sit behind Montoya for the remainder of this season.
Evgeni Nabokov said his latest groin problem surfaced in the second period on Tuesday in Pittsburgh,...
Anders Lee informs Isles he's staying at Notre Dame
Photo credit: Getty Images
Lee, one of the more coveted and NHL-ready prospects on the Islanders' depth chart, informed Garth Snow over the weekend that Lee will stay at Notre Dame for his junior year.
The 22-year-old Lee led the Irish with 17 goals this past season, which ended with disappointment after Notre Dame, which held the No. 1 college ranking for much of the early part of the season, failed to receive an at-large...
Nabokov in goal vs. Leafs
After sitting out Saturday's 3-2 shootout win over the Canadiens, Evgeni Nabokov gets the call tonight against the Leafs in Toronto.
Jay Pandolfo will be a healthy scratch up front for a second straight game. Steve Staios, who is eight games away from playing 1,000 for his career, appears ready to return after missing two games with a lower-body injury. Judging from the optional morning skate,...
Grabner healthy scratch, Nabokov in goal vs. Devils tonight
Michael Grabner missed the last two games with the flu. He's healthy, but he's still not back in the lineup.
Jack Capuano said Grabner, who led the Isles with 34 goals last season, will be a healthy scratch tonight, along with D Dylan Reese. Grabner is tied for third this season with 15 goals, but has just one in his last 18 games.
"We had a good talk today -- I think he's been...
Capuano shuffles lines, Nino sits vs. Caps
With the trade deadline past and with his team scoring only 19 goals in its last 11 games (5-6-0 in that span), Jack Capuano made a few tweaks to his forward lines. Here's how they'll begin tonight's game with the Caps in D.C.:
Moulson-Tavares-Parenteau
Ullstrom-Nielsen-Bailey
Grabner-Cizikas-Okposo
Martin-Reasoner-Pandolfo
Nino Niederreiter will be a healthy...
Nabokov in net, Hamonic on D, Casey Cizikas to make his NHL debut
Two returning Isles and one brand-new one for tonight's crucial tilt with the Rangers at the Coliseum.
Evgeni Nabokov, who missed three games with the flu, is back in net tonight. Travis Hamonic, who has missed the last nine games after surgery to repair a broken nose and torn septum, is also back, paired with usual D partner Andrew MacDonald.
The newest addition is 21-year-old rookie...
Kevin Poulin back in net tonight vs. Sabres
After giving up 2 goals in the first 95 seconds on Monday afternoon, Kevin Poulin was pulled from the net. He goes back in tonight.
"We're very confident in his confidence," said assistant coach Doug Weight, who met with the media this morning while Jack Capuano stayed back at the team hotel in Buffalo, the latest flu victim on the team. "Kevin knows it was a rough first goal,...
So why the booing of Tavares in Winnipeg?
Photo credit: Jim McIsaac
What did John Tavares ever do to Winnipeg?
You couldn't help notice that every time he touched the puck Tuesday night, he received serious boos, the way a particularly unfriendly player gets them when he returns to a hostile environment.
But JT?
That was mentioned to him after the morning skate here on Thursday in St. Louis. He knew all about it. He said the very vocal fans in...
Lines for Islanders-Blues
So here are the lines and D combinations for both sides for tonight's game:
Islanders
Moulson-Tavares-Okposo
Grabner-Nielsen-Parenteau
Rolston-Bailey-Martin
Pandolfo-Reasoner-Niederreiter
*
Ness-MacDonald
Streit-Staios
Eaton-Jurcina
*
Nabokov
BLUES
Perron-Backes-Oshie
McDonald-Berglund-Langenbrunner
Sobotka-Arnott-Crombeen
Porter-Nichol-Stewart
*...
