Explore every episode of the podcast Islanders Anxiety: A New York Islanders podcast

Mike and Dan wrap up the Islanders preseason and prepare for the start of real games, while making two big announcements for this week. The Islanders went 1-3 in the preseason, with some standout performances, a few injuries, a slew of guys sent to Hamilton and one free agent signing - hulking defenseman Logan Stanley. The games themselves didn't do much to get us excited for the season, and some of the moves also left us feeling a little bit of deja vu. The Islanders are asking a largely holdover crew to reverse the path they've been on for several seasons. They can start by once again becoming hard to play against, something they haven't been in a long, long time. It's possible that they surprise us this season - waiving Pierre Engvall was one surprise - but we find ourselves on the doubting side when we should be at our most joyful. In the second half, we talk about the games against the Maple Leafs and Devils that kick off the new campaign, and how beating two good but flawed teams would do wonders for our mood. The Islanders have only won 14 of 53 home openers, which is a pathetic number. It would be great to get No. 15 this Saturday. We also take a quick look around the rest of the NHL and see who we think will be good, bad, disastrously funny or fun to watch without the worry we always bring to Islanders games. Be sure to come to Zofia's Hideout, 84th Street in NYC on Wednesday for a meet up and viewing of the Islanders' season opener. Or say hello to us on Saturday at the Islanders home opener at UBS Arena against the Devils. We'll be in Sect. 101 in between periods. Subscribe to our Patreon!⁠ Members get ad-free episodes of all our shows, bonus podcasts, written posts, chats with us and much more. Visit our friends! ⁠⁠Vintage Ice Hockey⁠⁠ for t-shirts, hoodies and jerseys with hundreds of classic hockey logos, as well as ⁠⁠the full line of Islanders Anxiety merch⁠⁠. As always our portion of those sales go directly to the Center for Dementia Research. ⁠⁠The Pinot Project⁠⁠ has a Rosé, a Pinot Grigio and a Wine Enthusiast Best Buy Pinot Noir, all under $15 a bottle. Available at local wine stores and UBS Arena. Visit ⁠⁠Lighthousehockey.com⁠⁠ for the most up-to-date Islanders news and discussion. Islanders Anxiety podcasts are part of the Fans First Sports Network (⁠⁠@FansFirstSN⁠⁠). Our theme is "Morning Haze" by Family Dinner. Hear more of their music ⁠⁠on Spotify⁠⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mike and Dan return for Season 11 to run through some summer news on and off the ice, the Islanders' first preseason game and their super specific predictions for the season. From the outside, it didn't look like the Islanders did much this offseason. But sickos like us know that's not the case. There's a new captain, a new assistant GM, a new minority owner, a new (actual human) winner of the third jersey design contest, and a new streaming home for the team with the worst name we've ever heard. There's also a "luxury item" the team might be able to see again this season. Sadly, the news isn't all good, as Mat Barzal will miss most of camp with inflammation. At least, that's what we think this weirdly-worded release says. We also say good bye to a guy we talked about A LOT last season. Uh, good luck to everyone involved. In the second half, we "recap" the Islanders 2-1 preseason loss to the Devils and get used to Pete DeBoer's plainspoken pressers, which are a welcome change. We also look at some recent articles featuring Matthew Schaefer being awesome and the Islanders getting a fair, if realistic shake from an outlet that usually doesn't. Finally, we give some predictions on games, moves, awards, celebrities and other stuff we see happening around the Islanders and the NHL this season. We also pay our respects to late NHL coach and broadcaster Barry Melrose. Thank you all so much for listening all these years. We're lucky and grateful that our show has now passed the decade mark, which is rarified air for podcasts. We're looking forward to bringing you our offbeat observations about this team for a long time. Subscribe to our Patreon!⁠ Members get ad-free episodes of all our shows, bonus podcasts, written posts, chats with us and much more. Visit our friends! ⁠⁠Vintage Ice Hockey⁠⁠ for t-shirts, hoodies and jerseys with hundreds of classic hockey logos, as well as ⁠⁠the full line of Islanders Anxiety merch⁠⁠. As always our portion of those sales go directly to the Center for Dementia Research. ⁠⁠The Pinot Project⁠⁠ has a Rosé, a Pinot Grigio and a Wine Enthusiast Best Buy Pinot Noir, all under $15 a bottle. Available at local wine stores and UBS Arena. Visit ⁠⁠Lighthousehockey.com⁠⁠ for the most up-to-date Islanders news and discussion. Islanders Anxiety podcasts are part of the Fans First Sports Network (⁠⁠@FansFirstSN⁠⁠). Our theme is "Morning Haze" by Family Dinner. Hear more of their music ⁠⁠on Spotify⁠⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mike and Dan reconvene after some family time to talk about the Islanders third jersey design contest and an article at The Athletic. After 80,000 submissions, a fan-designed jersey has been chosen for the Islanders to wear in the 2027-28 season. The contest was the brainchild of the Islanders Lord Business himself, Kelly Cheeseman, who can pat himself on the back for a job well done. But we expected to see a little more creativity or "funk" in the final choices, not hear more about how the 54-year-old NHL team is a "Challenger Brand." The final choice was fine but how we got there raised some questions that may never be fully answered. In the second half, we discuss The Athletic's NHL front-office confidence rankings for 2026 and the Islanders' middling place that shows the disconnect between how the public sees the roster and how fans do. Usually, it was non-Islanders fans thinking too little of them and fans having belief. Now, it's flipped, and the NHL at large sees an okay team and fans see a directionless disaster. It's a new dynamic that should raise some eyebrows in the front office and make them see how the customers are looking at their product. Thanks for listening and sticking with us all off season. Our first official episode of the season will release on Monday, Sept. 21, so we've got about a month to go before we get the machine rolling again. Subscribe to our Patreon!⁠ Members get ad-free episodes of all our shows, bonus podcasts, written posts, chats with us and much more. Visit our friends! ⁠⁠Vintage Ice Hockey⁠⁠ for t-shirts, hoodies and jerseys with hundreds of classic hockey logos, as well as ⁠⁠the full line of Islanders Anxiety merch⁠⁠. As always our portion of those sales go directly to the Center for Dementia Research. ⁠⁠The Pinot Project⁠⁠ has a Rosé, a Pinot Grigio and a Wine Enthusiast Best Buy Pinot Noir, all under $15 a bottle. Available at local wine stores and UBS Arena. Visit ⁠⁠Lighthousehockey.com⁠⁠ for the most up-to-date Islanders news and discussion. Islanders Anxiety podcasts are part of the Fans First Sports Network (⁠⁠@FansFirstSN⁠⁠). Our theme is "Morning Haze" by Family Dinner. Hear more of their music ⁠⁠on Spotify⁠⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

(Please enjoy this special bonus episode of Country Club Atmosphere, our non-hockey podcast exclusively at Patreon.com/IslandersAnxiety. To hear the rest of the series and get other extras, consider a subscription. Thanks!) Mike walks us through a scandal that has rocked the world of English cricket, involving a beloved captain, a nightclub dust-up and some hasty retreats. Ben Stokes is a big deal in British cricket. He's an all-rounder who's captained the Black Caps to huge victories. He's not a buttoned-up Brit, either. He's more Oasis than The Beatles. But an unfortunate past-curfew incident in an afterhours club with (ironically) another English sports club caused the England and Wales Cricket Board to strip his captaincy, get his coach fired and cast a pall over their upcoming tests. After cooler heads prevailed, Stokes returned... only to abruptly retire in an even more disappointing and unfortunate layer to this entire shit shepherd's pie. Mike explains the whole sordid affair to us and gives us some North American analogs to help us better understand who these people are and what they represent. Along the way, we hit on the World Cup final (and its halftime show) and villains becoming coaches of teams that hate them. We also pay condolences to a recently passed cricket legend and his connection to Black Sabbath, which we just made up. Also, Dan may have found a new team to cheer for. Thank you all for listening and we hope we've sparked your interest for England's next test cricket match on August 19 versus Pakistan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a spiritual sequel to "A Canesmas Carol," we examine Hurricanes' owner Tom Dundon's decision to put his wife and five kids - none of whom work for the team and some of whom are in elementary school - on the Stanley Cup. There are written and unwritten rules about whose names can be engraved on the Stanley Cup. Rich asshole Dundon seemed to break all of them by putting his entire family on it ahead of - and in some cases, instead of - team members who helped actually win the championship. This is an egregious breach of established hockey protocol that angered even some of the Hurricanes' biggest cheerleaders, in and out of their fanbase. This was a bridge too far, and may have - finally - shown people who this guy really is, despite all of the Twitter mutuals he may have hired. We dramatize a selection of writing about this topic, from the serious to the satirical and from full length explainers to tweets and Reddit posts. The only people okay with this are the ones willing to stick up for the poor, put-upon billionaires who are just trying to make their kids happy (while ruining life for the rest of us). We didn't expect to do a sequel to our last Special Presentation, but we're glad we were able to and keep the series going. Works Cited: Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon has names of wife, kids engraved on Stanley Cup above actual players By Chuck Schilken LA Times, 7/10/26 Why Hurricanes owner is facing criticism for having entire family engraved on Stanley Cup by Daniel Chavkin, The Sporting News, 7/10/26 Carolina Owner Faces Backlash for Engraving Kids’ Names on Stanley Cup by Eric Fisher, 7/10/26 I’m Not Sure There Are Enough Dundons On The Stanley Cup by Barry Petchesky, Defector, 7/9/26 Jeff Marek, Twitter, 7/8/26 Mike Harrington, Twitter, 6/9/26 Mark Lazerus, Twitter, 6/9/26 Josh Yohe, Twitter, 6/9/26 Chris Johnston, Twitter, 6/9/26 Visit our friends! ⁠⁠Vintage Ice Hockey⁠⁠ for t-shirts, hoodies and jerseys with hundreds of classic hockey logos, as well as ⁠⁠the full line of Islanders Anxiety merch⁠⁠. As always our portion of those sales go directly to the Center for Dementia Research. ⁠⁠The Pinot Project⁠⁠ has a Rosé, a Pinot Grigio and a Wine Enthusiast Best Buy Pinot Noir, all under $15 a bottle. Available at local wine stores and UBS Arena. Visit ⁠⁠Lighthousehockey.com⁠⁠ for the most up-to-date Islanders news and discussion. Islanders Anxiety podcasts are part of the Fans First Sports Network (⁠⁠@FansFirstSN⁠⁠). Subscribe to our Patreon!⁠ Members get ad-free episodes of all our shows, bonus podcasts, written posts, chats with us and much more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mike and Dan examine the newest Islanders and the plan going forward, say goodbye to those who left via free agency - especially former captain Anders Lee - and wrap up their 10th podcast season. Islanders GM Mathieu Darche made some smart, short-term pick ups on the first day of free agency, signing winger Matias Maccelli, goalie Vitek Vanacek and an "850K Club" of other depth pieces. While the moves themselves were fine, what they didn't do was move the needle for the team, who once again find themselves in tough to make the playoffs next season. The plan of having the cap space in 2027 to make bigger moves makes for an easy sell to fans, but it doesn't make the current team any better on the ice. There's a "shifting deck chairs on the Titanic" feel right now, even if the new guys might have some promise. We also bid farewell to favorites Marc Gatcomb, Maxim Shabanov and Anders Lee, who all had their moments on Long Island. Seeing Lee, the longtime captain and one of the best post-Dynasty Islanders ever, sign with Utah makes us sad, but not mad. The contract he got from the Mammoth was too much for where the Islanders are going, and the ovation he gets when he returns to UBS Arena will be thunderous, reflecting all of the many things he did for the franchise off the ice and over 900-plus games. Not that the people who will now cover him have ever watched any of them... Finally in the second half, we go around the league and discuss some of the smarter and more bizarre moves other teams made. The Capitals got better, the Leafs got... some guys, the Panthers got even nastier, the Kings got older and infinitely more hilarious and the Rangers remain the Rangers. Along the way, we sneak a little Michael Russo Non-Mystery in there, too. We thank all of you for listening over these 10 seasons, and we look forward to coming back in October. We try to have some fun every episode and appreciate you all coming along for the ride. We'll have stuff all summer long for Patrons so stay tuned. Subscribe to our Patreon!⁠ Members get ad-free episodes of all our shows, bonus podcasts, written posts, chats with us and much more. Visit our friends! ⁠⁠Vintage Ice Hockey⁠⁠ for t-shirts, hoodies and jerseys with hundreds of classic hockey logos, as well as ⁠⁠the full line of Islanders Anxiety merch⁠⁠. As always our portion of those sales go directly to the Center for Dementia Research. ⁠⁠The Pinot Project⁠⁠ has a Rosé, a Pinot Grigio and a Wine Enthusiast Best Buy Pinot Noir, all under $15 a bottle. Available at local wine stores and UBS Arena. Visit ⁠⁠Lighthousehockey.com⁠⁠ for the most up-to-date Islanders news and discussion. Islanders Anxiety podcasts are part of the Fans First Sports Network (⁠⁠@FansFirstSN⁠⁠). Our theme is "Morning Haze" by Family Dinner. Hear more of their music ⁠⁠on Spotify⁠⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mike and Dan recap the Islanders picks in the 2026 NHL Entry Draft, look ahead to a shallow free agency pool and bring forth a new, delusional Master Leaf Theatre. The Islanders didn't make any big splashes in Buffalo but didn't come away as one of the draft's big losers, either. By focusing on defensemen - highlighted by first round pick Malte Gustafsson, who sounds like a Swedish clone of Adam Pelech - they went the safest route possible. Which is fine, but hardly sexy. And while some fans wonder why so many of their defensive prospects shoot from the same side, the fact is there's no guarantee any of these guys make the big club any time soon. We also discuss Matthew Schaefer's entertaining performance at this draft and the re-signing of Tony DeAngelo to another safe, fine deal. In the second half, we talk about some free agents we could see (and would rather not see) the Islanders take a run at. None of these older guys deserve any kind of term, but some might be helpful on shorter, more frontloaded deals. We also look at how some teams in the Metro Division got much better over the weekend, which is never not annoying, and serve up a Master Leaf Theatre that not only boosts the Boys in Blue and White but also changes the trajectory of the NHL and every American player in it. Cancel those plane tickets to Florida, fam. Subscribe to our Patreon!⁠ Members get ad-free episodes of all our shows, bonus podcasts, written posts, chats with us and much more. Visit our friends! ⁠⁠Vintage Ice Hockey⁠⁠ for t-shirts, hoodies and jerseys with hundreds of classic hockey logos, as well as ⁠⁠the full line of Islanders Anxiety merch⁠⁠. As always our portion of those sales go directly to the Center for Dementia Research. ⁠⁠The Pinot Project⁠⁠ has a Rosé, a Pinot Grigio and a Wine Enthusiast Best Buy Pinot Noir, all under $15 a bottle. Available at local wine stores and UBS Arena. Visit ⁠⁠Lighthousehockey.com⁠⁠ for the most up-to-date Islanders news and discussion. Islanders Anxiety podcasts are part of the Fans First Sports Network (⁠⁠@FansFirstSN⁠⁠). Our theme is "Morning Haze" by Family Dinner. Hear more of their music ⁠⁠on Spotify⁠⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Along with our friend Lisa, aka IslesChick, we reveal the 2026 winner of the Don Cutts Trophy as the Weirdest Islander of the Year for 2026. It was a weird season for the Islanders, who had good streaks and bad and historic performances and horrible ones on the way to a disappointing finish. Within that journey were standout players for many reasons, mostly the wrong kind. We saw AHL guys get cups of coffee when they deserved more, goalies with more personality than wins, players we forgot were still with the organization getting traded and players acquired from surprise teams scoring hilarious goals who then had one shockingly bad game after another. And those were the guys who didn't win! Our 2026 Weirdest Islander of the Year experienced a season no one will forget. A tidy piece of offseason business, he had an auspicious and tantalizing debut followed by a few middling games and then... nothing. For months. Game after game, week after week, there he was, in the starting lineup to provide exactly zero on the scoresheet. The coach and players loved him but the fans understandably didn't. And by the time he was dealt away, he had to have two picks attached to him including an extra first rounder. What's the opposite of flipping a beat-up house and restoring it for a profit? It was this. The winner of the Weirdest Islander of the Year is awarded the Don Cutts Trophy for his efforts. The concept of Weirdest Islander of the Year comes from Patron Will Forthman. WEIRDEST ISLANDER OF THE YEAR: 2024 - Robert Bortuzzo 2025 - Tony DeAngelo Thanks again to Lisa for coming on. She's always great, and you will probably see her and her husband Dave at any Phish concert in New York this summer. Follow her on BlueSky and enjoy her long-running message board, Islander Mania. Subscribe to our Patreon!⁠ Members get ad-free episodes of all our shows, bonus podcasts, written posts, chats with us and much more. Visit our friends: Vintage Ice Hockey for t-shirts, hoodies and jerseys with hundreds of classic hockey logos, and our Al Arbour and The Island merch which benefit dementia research. Use the code ANXIETY20 to save 20% off an order of two items. The Pinot Project has a Rosé, a Pinot Grigio and a Wine Enthusiast Best Buy Pinot Noir, all under $15 a bottle. Available at local wine stores and UBS Arena. Visit Lighthousehockey.com for the most up-to-date Islanders news and discussion. Islanders Anxiety podcasts are part of the Fans First Sports Network (@FansFirstSN). Our theme is "Knuckles" by Björn Falk. Hear more of his music on Spotify and at Bandcamp. Drum sfx via Zapsplat.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What was supposed to be an easy episode about the draft turned into a look at a wild few days in the NHL and where the Islanders sit among the craziness. We don't know anything about prospects. So we reached out to our Patrons and asked them who they'd like to see the Islanders draft this Friday. A few names rose to the top for a variety of reasons, some good and some silly. Most of all, we want the Islanders to come out of Buffalo this weekend with a clear direction and a plan forward. Some nice prospects would be good, too, of course. But there's a difference between working towards a goal and just keeping the lights on. A few teams around the NHL are certainly working towards their goals, although it's hard to see what some of those are. The Panthers grabbed Brady Tkachuk with the goal of winning another Stanley Cup, and the Senators replaced their captain by using one of their acquired picks to get William Eklund from the Sharks. The Blackhawks and Capitals spent a lot to get Bo Byram and Jordan Kyrou, respectfully, which makes us think the Islanders might be better off playing it safe. But the reality is, they might not have a choice. With a lot of older players locked into long, expensive contracts, they don't have the wiggle room to maneuver the way other teams do, which means there's a good chance next season's team looks a lot like last season's. That's certainly a direction. Just not the one we want. Along the way, we make some predictions about the draft, come to a startling revelation about the Islanders involvement in one of Wednesday's trades and lament the hiring of longtime Islander villain Pascal Dupuis to their front office. Really, guys? Subscribe to our Patreon!⁠ Members get ad-free episodes of all our shows, bonus podcasts, written posts, chats with us and much more. Visit our friends! ⁠⁠Vintage Ice Hockey⁠⁠ for t-shirts, hoodies and jerseys with hundreds of classic hockey logos, as well as ⁠⁠the full line of Islanders Anxiety merch⁠⁠. As always our portion of those sales go directly to the Center for Dementia Research. ⁠⁠The Pinot Project⁠⁠ has a Rosé, a Pinot Grigio and a Wine Enthusiast Best Buy Pinot Noir, all under $15 a bottle. Available at local wine stores and UBS Arena. Visit ⁠⁠Lighthousehockey.com⁠⁠ for the most up-to-date Islanders news and discussion. Islanders Anxiety podcasts are part of the Fans First Sports Network (⁠⁠@FansFirstSN⁠⁠). Our theme is "Morning Haze" by Family Dinner. Hear more of their music ⁠⁠on Spotify⁠⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mike and Dan chat with Islanders first round pick and true renaissance man Josh Ho-Sang about hockey, his music, spreading positivity and a variety of other topics. Islanders fans will remember him from his dramatic drafting, his electric plays on the ice and the headlines he made during his time in the NHL. But Josh Ho-Sang is so much more than that. He's still playing hockey and is using his experiences to help the younger generation of players navigate the world in and beyond sports. He's also producing music that is sincere and heartfelt while paying tribute to the artists that inspired him at difficult times in his life. It's a free flowing conversation that covers a lot including the Knicks' historic Game 4 comeback over San Antonio, watching anime, writing a song for baseball star Juan Soto, some of his favorite moments in hockey and the joys of listening to Frank Sinatra before gametime. Ho-Sang is candid about what he's learned over his career, the limits of "letting ballers ball," his journey from NHL player to "pro," and his appreciation for the Islanders organization and the fans on Long Island. Above all, his messages to be kind, learn from mistakes and know how your actions affect others are more keepsakes we can take from him in addition to our very fond memories of his time with the team. Thanks again to Josh for sharing with us and for being so open. You should check out his music on Spotify and follow him on Instagram if you're not already. We'd really love to see him at an Islanders Alumni Night some day. Subscribe to our Patreon!⁠ Members get ad-free episodes of all our shows, bonus podcasts, written posts, chats with us and much more. Visit our friends: Vintage Ice Hockey for t-shirts, hoodies and jerseys with hundreds of classic hockey logos, as well as the full line of Islanders Anxiety merch. As always our portion of those sales go directly to the Center for Dementia Research. The Pinot Project has a Rosé, a Pinot Grigio and a Wine Enthusiast Best Buy Pinot Noir, all under $15 a bottle. Available at local wine stores and UBS Arena. Visit Lighthousehockey.com for the most up-to-date Islanders news and discussion. Islanders Anxiety podcasts are part of the Fans First Sports Network (@FansFirstSN). Our theme is "Knuckles" by Björn Falk. Hear more of his music on Spotify and at Bandcamp. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mike and Dan recap signings and rumors, and reflect on how the Knicks' championship makes them think about the Islanders' chances of reaching the same pinnacle. Bringing back Long Island product Marshall Warren is a nice move, especially since the defenseman showed some promise in just a few NHL games this season. But beyond him (and fellow re-signee Daylan Kuefler), Islanders world has been full of rumors and rumblings. A "report" from Ottawa got everyone worried about a Mat Barzal trade, a trade request out of Detroit got everyone excited about acquiring Dylan Larkin and all's quiet on the Anders Lee front, which makes us both sad and curious about the future. All of this will probably amount to nothing but in the middle of summer after five straight bad seasons and without the guard rails that were once in place, this is the bed you sleep in. In the second half, we preview some content we have coming out this week, then look at how the Knicks' long-awaiting championship makes us feel about the Islanders' odds of doing the same. With a show called "Islanders Anxiety," our outlook should be obvious. But maybe there is that sliver of belief and hope that we can grow again. Sadly, we don't trust the current braintrust to help. Finally, we reveal the winners of our sweepstakes for t-shirts/hoodies, a varsity jacket and two customized Islanders jerseys. Thanks to everyone who signed up and entered and special thanks to The Pinot Project and Vintage Ice Hockey for proving these great prizes. We'll be back after the draft and then once again after the second day of free agency to wrap up the season. Subscribe to our Patreon!⁠ Members get ad-free episodes of all our shows, bonus podcasts, written posts, chats with us and much more.Visit our friends! ⁠⁠Vintage Ice Hockey⁠⁠ for t-shirts, hoodies and jerseys with hundreds of classic hockey logos, as well as ⁠⁠the full line of Islanders Anxiety merch⁠⁠. As always our portion of those sales go directly to the Center for Dementia Research. ⁠⁠The Pinot Project⁠⁠ has a Rosé, a Pinot Grigio and a Wine Enthusiast Best Buy Pinot Noir, all under $15 a bottle. Available at local wine stores and UBS Arena. Visit ⁠⁠Lighthousehockey.com⁠⁠ for the most up-to-date Islanders news and discussion. Islanders Anxiety podcasts are part of the Fans First Sports Network (⁠⁠@FansFirstSN⁠⁠). Our theme is "Morning Haze" by Family Dinner. Hear more of their music ⁠⁠on Spotify⁠⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Along with longtime beat reporter Arthur Staple, we discuss Nino Niederreiter's odd Islanders tenure and the lessons we can take away from it even today. Nino Niederreiter was one of a string of high first round picks that, at the time, seemed like safe bets by the Islanders. Strong showings at the World Junior Championships and with the WHL's Portland Winterhawks didn't change anyone's minds. But after enduring one of the most trying and confusing rookie seasons of all time, and after being kept in the AHL as the 2013 NHL lockout ended, Niederreiter and his agent decided they were tired of waiting. His trade request was eventually granted, which begat yet another few years of debate and disagreement between fans. While Niederreiter went on to have a productive, well-traveled 1,000-game NHL career, his season and change on Long Island still raises many questions. So, in an effort to get some answers, we turned to an expert who saw the whole saga unfold. Arthur tells us how mistakes made by team management led to sour feelings, how things could have gone differently and how a long-lambasted trade ended up being a boon for the Islanders. We also hear stories about that early rebuild team and the ties between the players, tales of even more draft picks gone awry and the time he almost got killed by a sleepy cab driver in Pittsburgh. It's always a pleasure having Art on. Once again, he doesn't disappoint in this, his first ever single player appearance on Weird Islanders: The Podcast! Be sure to listen to him on Hockey Night New York and on the Tri State Hockey Podcast. This episode has a little Easter Egg hidden in it as well. See if you can find it! We also have a quick Weird Islanders Extra! bonus episode with Art about a heated (and hilarious) confrontation he had with former Islanders coach Jack Capuano. Subscribe to our Patreon!⁠ Members get ad-free episodes of all our shows, bonus podcasts, written posts, chats with us and much more. Visit our friends: Vintage Ice Hockey for t-shirts, hoodies and jerseys with hundreds of classic hockey logos, as well as the full line of Islanders Anxiety merch. As always our portion of those sales go directly to the Center for Dementia Research. The Pinot Project has a Rosé, a Pinot Grigio and a Wine Enthusiast Best Buy Pinot Noir, all under $15 a bottle. Available at local wine stores and UBS Arena. Visit Lighthousehockey.com for the most up-to-date Islanders news and discussion. Islanders Anxiety podcasts are part of the Fans First Sports Network (@FansFirstSN). Our theme is "Knuckles" by Björn Falk. Hear more of his music on Spotify and at Bandcamp. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From the creators of Master Leaf Theatre comes a tale of the duality of man, of corporate greed and of a rich asshole who is also very cheap. The Carolina Hurricanes are currently in the Stanley Cup final against the Vegas Golden Knights. What many hockey fans may not know is that at the end of March, Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon purchased the Portland Trail Blazers of the NBA for about $4.8 billion and immediately set about cutting costs that sent red flags up all over the basketball world. So while hockey people think of Dundon as a savior, NBA people think of him as something else: "El Cheapo." Along with our actual British friend Gavin Taylor (and with ample inspiration from Charles Dickens and Ebenezer Scrooge), we dramatize just a few of the articles that have outlined Dundon's frugality and the writers who have come to his defense, including one Master Leaf Theatre All Star. There is mascot drama, hotel fee drama, t-shirt drama, coaching search drama and mass layoffs that are neither dramatic nor funny, but are sadly a fact of life in 2026. It's possible that Dundon wins a championship as early as this week. He'll still be a rich, weird, cheap asshole. Works Cited: Chris Mannix’s Notes: Checkout time for Portland, Sports Illustrated, April 15 Ranking All the Ways New Blazers Owner Tom Dundon Is Reportedly Trying to Save Money During Playoff Run by Liam McKeone, Sports Illustrated, April 22 Blazers owner Tom Dundon discusses relocation, cost-cutting measures, Billups’ arrest, more by Joe Freeman, The Oregonian, May 16 Blazers lay off dozens as new team owner takes over by By Joe Freeman and Bill Oram, The Oregonian, May 20 How a controversial new NBA owner funded an NHL powerhouse to the Stanley Cup Final by James Mirtle, The Athletic, June 2 “Should we root for or against the Carolina Hurricanes as Blazers Fans” r/RipCity, June 5 Further Reading: There's a new contender for worst owner in sports by Drew Magary, SFGATE, April 28 Before Tom Dundon Agreed to Buy the Portland Trail Blazers, Oregon Accused the Company He Created of Predatory Lending by Tony Schick and Conrad Wilson, ProPublica, October 3, 2025 The NBA’s Newest, Cheapest Owner Shows How Billionaires Ruin Sports by Quinn Everts, Current Affairs, May 27 ‘Give it some time:’ Inside Tom Dundon’s NHL success amid Trail Blazer uncertainty by Bill Oram, The Oregonian, May 26 Tom Dundon revealed: Trail Blazers owner opens up about layoffs, Portland politicians and ‘Jail Blazers’ by Bill Oram, The Oregonian, May 30 Subscribe to our Patreon!⁠ Members get ad-free episodes of all our shows, bonus podcasts, written posts, chats with us and much more.Visit our friends! ⁠⁠Vintage Ice Hockey⁠⁠ for t-shirts, hoodies and jerseys with hundreds of classic hockey logos, as well as ⁠⁠the full line of Islanders Anxiety merch⁠⁠. As always our portion of those sales go directly to the Center for Dementia Research. ⁠⁠The Pinot Project⁠⁠ has a Rosé, a Pinot Grigio and a Wine Enthusiast Best Buy Pinot Noir, all under $15 a bottle. Available at local wine stores and UBS Arena. Visit ⁠⁠Lighthousehockey.com⁠⁠ for the most up-to-date Islanders news and discussion. Islanders Anxiety podcasts are part of the Fans First Sports Network (⁠⁠@FansFirstSN⁠⁠). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joined by Sean Cuthbert of Hockey Night New York, Mike and Dan run down some topics from around the entire Islanders organization, and discuss the upcoming Stanley Cup final. While the Islanders have been mostly quiet - aside from one two-way contract and the letting go of yet another power play coach - there has been news from the team's affiliates. The AHL's Hamilton Hammers have a new logo that looks perfectly focus grouped and a new coach who we could have sworn was still playing somewhere in the NHL still. Meanwhile, there's a new ECHL affiliate playing in the tri-state area in the Trenton Ironhawks that have NJ-resident Dan interested (assuming he can get their name right). We also discuss the leak of a Hometown Remix jersey that gets a range of feelings from all of us, some news about captain Anders Lee's contract talks and Matthew Schaefer's appearance on The Kelly Clarkson Show. We close the first half by paying tribute to Claude Lemieux, who passed away last week at the age of 60. In the second half, we focus in on the Stanley Cup final between the Vegas Golden Knights and the Carolina Hurricanes. None of us are pulling for the Canes, who have owned the Islanders for years, or really the Knights, who are the NHL's preeminent villains. What we really want to see is Vegas's Mitch Marner win the Cup and the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP, which would be very, very painful for many, many Maple Leafs fans and give us a ton of content for new editions of Master Leaf Theatre. Subscribe to our Patreon!⁠ Members get ad-free episodes of all our shows, bonus podcasts, written posts, chats with us and much more. Visit our friends! ⁠⁠Vintage Ice Hockey⁠⁠ for t-shirts, hoodies and jerseys with hundreds of classic hockey logos, as well as ⁠⁠the full line of Islanders Anxiety merch⁠⁠. As always our portion of those sales go directly to the Center for Dementia Research. ⁠⁠The Pinot Project⁠⁠ has a Rosé, a Pinot Grigio and a Wine Enthusiast Best Buy Pinot Noir, all under $15 a bottle. Available at local wine stores and UBS Arena. Visit ⁠⁠Lighthousehockey.com⁠⁠ for the most up-to-date Islanders news and discussion. Islanders Anxiety podcasts are part of the Fans First Sports Network (⁠⁠@FansFirstSN⁠⁠). Our theme is "Morning Haze" by Family Dinner. Hear more of their music ⁠⁠on Spotify⁠⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In our first ever four-person episode, Mike's brother David and friend Frank join us to discuss a quartet of short-time Islanders goalies spanning several eras. Goaltending is the lifeblood of any hockey team. When it's good, a mediocre roster can do great things. When it's bad, even a talented team can be stopped dead in its tracks. Some goalie are Corvettes, some are Camrys. The four goalies we discuss run the gamut from youthful exuberance to veteran stability to blink-and-you'll-miss-him tenures to guys who hung around the ice seemingly forever. Eric Fichaud is still a name that puts smiles on Islanders fans' faces thanks to a great look, a cool name and memories of hope for better days. Wade Flaherty was the consummate backup and deputy sheriff, never spectacular but solid when the team needed it. Of all of the goalies in Islanders history, Marcel Cousineau was... certainly one of them. But you'd have to be a real sicko to even remember him. Years after these guys came and went, Yann Danis carried on the tradition of showing up out of nowhere, playing (and winning!) a bunch of games and getting people excited before roaming the larger hockey world like a samurai ronin. Along the way, we find out how David inadvertently drove Mike to the Islanders, and how Fichaud played a huge role in their youth. Frank tells us what it's like to be an unofficial Leboff, growing up with the Islanders through his friendship with them. Thanks again to both guys for coming on, sharing their stories and bringing these goalies back to life, however briefly they may have stayed on Long Island. Subscribe to our Patreon!⁠ Members get ad-free episodes of all our shows, bonus podcasts, written posts, chats with us and much more. Visit our friends: Vintage Ice Hockey for t-shirts, hoodies and jerseys with hundreds of classic hockey logos, as well as the full line of Islanders Anxiety merch. As always our portion of those sales go directly to the Center for Dementia Research. The Pinot Project has a Rosé, a Pinot Grigio and a Wine Enthusiast Best Buy Pinot Noir, all under $15 a bottle. Available at local wine stores and UBS Arena. Visit Lighthousehockey.com for the most up-to-date Islanders news and discussion. Islanders Anxiety podcasts are part of the Fans First Sports Network (@FansFirstSN). Our theme is "Knuckles" by Björn Falk. Hear more of his music on Spotify and at Bandcamp. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mike and Dan rejoice in Matthew Schaefer winning the Calder Trophy as NHL Rookie of the Year by unanimous vote and his incredible presence on and off the ice. We're not sure what's left to say about Schaefer. A historic season, a joyous soul, a giving spirit and a loving son. All at just 18 years old. And while he collects accolades and attention from across the globe, we wonder what he will do for an encore. Frankly, don't be surprised if the Pope was involved. Beyond the light from Schaefer, there is other news around the team. Ryan Pulock undergoes surgery, AHL coach Rocky Thompson gets a promotion, prospect Danny Nelson represents Team USA at the Worlds and "A" Hagens comes home (at least, for a trial run). In less normal news, Mat Barzal plays chess for the Wall Street Journal, Josh Bailey is a Hall of Famer and Brock Nelson's brilliance finally gets recognized. All he had to do was get traded across the country and play for the best team in the NHL. We also pay tribute to former Islander Paul Boutillier who passed away last week. Finally, we examine the Minnesota Wild's arrogance in defeat and the Maple Leafs coaching search that apparently has a strict statue of limitations dating back to... just this season. Subscribe to our Patreon!⁠ Members get ad-free episodes of all our shows, bonus podcasts, written posts, chats with us and much more. Visit our friends! ⁠⁠Vintage Ice Hockey⁠⁠ for t-shirts, hoodies and jerseys with hundreds of classic hockey logos, as well as ⁠⁠the full line of Islanders Anxiety merch⁠⁠. As always our portion of those sales go directly to the Center for Dementia Research. ⁠⁠The Pinot Project⁠⁠ has a Rosé, a Pinot Grigio and a Wine Enthusiast Best Buy Pinot Noir, all under $15 a bottle. Available at local wine stores and UBS Arena. Visit ⁠⁠Lighthousehockey.com⁠⁠ for the most up-to-date Islanders news and discussion. Islanders Anxiety podcasts are part of the Fans First Sports Network (⁠⁠@FansFirstSN⁠⁠). Our theme is "Morning Haze" by Family Dinner. Hear more of their music ⁠⁠on Spotify⁠⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Along with Lighthouse Hockey's Jenny Berman, we remember Kieffer Bellows, whose moments of fun in with the Islanders were few and far between. Kieffer Bellows had everything you'd want in an NHL prospect: a famous name and family lineage in hockey, high praise from prospect watchers, a tantalizing shot and a history of showing up in big moments. But as the years stretched on, from college teams to junior teams to the minors to cups of coffee with the Islanders, it seemed less and less likely that Bellows would turn into what fans hoped he would be. Despite an AHL hot streak and couple of cool goals in the big league, he was eventually lost on waivers without much of a peep. We're not mad, just disappointed that he turned from a can't-miss-prospect into a winger who couldn't skate (especially since the Islanders already had a few on the roster...). Jenny takes us through her history with Bellows, including some very insightful observations about this entire era of Islanders hockey and how she felt a connection with the player over, of all things, Pokémon. We remember his strange and really unfortunate career that continues in Europe, make the Hall of Fame case for his dad Brian, and lament how we all have those prospects we want to see work out, even as it gets more and more evident that they won't. Thanks again to Jenny for joining us twice this season. Due to various factors, this has been waiting a long time to come out but it's always treat to remember this time period and she was the perfect guest to walk us through it. Subscribe to our Patreon!⁠ Members get ad-free episodes of all our shows, bonus podcasts, written posts, chats with us and much more. Visit our friends: Vintage Ice Hockey for t-shirts, hoodies and jerseys with hundreds of classic hockey logos, as well as the full line of Islanders Anxiety merch. As always our portion of those sales go directly to the Center for Dementia Research. The Pinot Project has a Rosé, a Pinot Grigio and a Wine Enthusiast Best Buy Pinot Noir, all under $15 a bottle. Available at local wine stores and UBS Arena. Visit Lighthousehockey.com for the most up-to-date Islanders news and discussion. Islanders Anxiety podcasts are part of the Fans First Sports Network (@FansFirstSN). Our theme is "Knuckles" by Björn Falk. Hear more of his music on Spotify and at Bandcamp. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In an epic edition of Master Leaf Theatre, the Maple Leafs find a very questionable new general manager and we find an unlikely hero in his dogged pursuer. Since the end of the regular season, the Maple Leafs have been a picture of disarray. Stories about dysfunction and questions about the future abound, including who will be their next GM. John Chayka's previous tenure with the Coyotes did not go smoothly. His teams found little success on the ice and he found himself in the NHL's crosshairs more than once. But after a six year absence, he is back to lead hockey's biggest franchise. It all seems a little strange, and with no answers coming from the top, it's up to old school sports columnist Steve Simmons to get the inside story on how Chayka was able to get another chance. Although the Leafs won the NHL Draft Lottery on the night we recorded this, this insane episode in their history needed to be captured for posterity. A first overall pick is no guarantee of success. And with a brain trust of an out-of-his-depth suit, a beloved but green former player and a possible con artist at the helm, Master Leaf Theatre is in no danger of going away any time soon. Works cited: “Inside the stunning fall of the Maple Leafs: Chaos, dysfunction and AI” by Jonas Siegel, Chris Johnston and James Mirtle, The Athletic, 4/15/26 “Maple Leafs should aim high with their next head of hockey operations” by Jonas Siegel, The Athletic, 4/20/2026 “Mats Sundin and John Chayka would be hockey’s newest odd couple running the Leafs” by Steve Simmons, The Toronto Sun, 4/29/26 “Mats Sundin makes us happy, John Chayka makes us wonder” by Steve Simmons, The Toronto Sun, 5/3/26. Press conference, The Real Sports Bar and Grill, Toronto, 5/5/26. “The Maple Leafs’ struggle to answer the question of the day: Why?” by Jonas Siegel, The Athletic, 5/4/2026 “John Chayka has a divisive reputation. Can he and the Maple Leafs overcome it?” by James Mirtle, The Athletic, 5/5/2026 “John Chayka’s tenure with the Maple Leafs begins under intense scrutiny” by Cathal Kelly, The Toronto Globe & Mail, 5/5/26 “The confusing and confounding Leafs hiring of John Chayka and Mats Sundin” by Steve Simmons, The Toronto Sun, 5/4/26. Subscribe to our Patreon!⁠ Members get ad-free episodes of all our shows, bonus podcasts, written posts, chats with us and much more. Visit our friends! ⁠⁠Vintage Ice Hockey⁠⁠ for t-shirts, hoodies and jerseys with hundreds of classic hockey logos, as well as ⁠⁠the full line of Islanders Anxiety merch⁠⁠. As always our portion of those sales go directly to the Center for Dementia Research. ⁠⁠The Pinot Project⁠⁠ has a Rosé, a Pinot Grigio and a Wine Enthusiast Best Buy Pinot Noir, all under $15 a bottle. Available at local wine stores and UBS Arena. Visit ⁠⁠Lighthousehockey.com⁠⁠ for the most up-to-date Islanders news and discussion. Islanders Anxiety podcasts are part of the Fans First Sports Network (⁠⁠@FansFirstSN⁠⁠). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mike and Dan go PTI-style across a few Islanders topics before discussing how a recent playoff elimination made them reflect on the past, present and future of the franchise. The last few weeks have seen a couple of departures - of an assistant coach and a third string goalie, respectively - and a couple of guys being celebrated for the great seasons they had. But even there, we can feel disappointment and tempered enthusiasm where we really should be rejoicing. A few Islanders will be attending the World Championships, while one notable guy is staying home, for good reason. Finally, we listen to the new coach talk about his hiring and philosophies, which right now are the biggest reasons to be excited for next season. In the second half, we look at how yet another Oilers ouster took on a different feel now that the Islanders have a generational star of their own. Connor McDavid going home empty-handed used to be funny, but now we see him as a cautionary tale of how putting too much pressure on one or two players can be a huge mistake. The Islanders are one of the few NHL teams to not have made a Stanley Cup final this century, and it's high time the organization fixes that and produces some actual results. The right time is right now, not later. Just look at the Oilers. Subscribe to our Patreon!⁠ Members get ad-free episodes of all our shows, bonus podcasts, written posts, chats with us and much more. Visit our friends! ⁠⁠Vintage Ice Hockey⁠⁠ for t-shirts, hoodies and jerseys with hundreds of classic hockey logos, as well as ⁠⁠the full line of Islanders Anxiety merch⁠⁠. As always our portion of those sales go directly to the Center for Dementia Research. ⁠⁠The Pinot Project⁠⁠ has a Rosé, a Pinot Grigio and a Wine Enthusiast Best Buy Pinot Noir, all under $15 a bottle. Available at local wine stores and UBS Arena. Visit ⁠⁠Lighthousehockey.com⁠⁠ for the most up-to-date Islanders news and discussion. Islanders Anxiety podcasts are part of the Fans First Sports Network (⁠⁠@FansFirstSN⁠⁠). Our theme is "Morning Haze" by Family Dinner. Hear more of their music ⁠⁠on Spotify⁠⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aaron Kleinman of Heartland Signal tells us about his enduring love of the Hartford Whalers, his home state's former NHL team, whose final road game was against the Islanders at Nassau Coliseum. It's been almost 30 years since the Whalers last took the ice at the Hartford Civic Center, the only rink in NHL history located inside of a shopping mall. While the team had limited success in its time, it cultivated a rabid fanbase that still misses its best players, legendary logo, classic marching band theme song and other quaint charms. But rooting for a goofball team in a very small market feels like you're getting away with something. And as you try to keep the scam going for as long as possible, the jig always comes up. As a born and bred son of The Constitution State and a huge sports fan from birth, Aaron lived and died by the Whalers and still carries with him the memories and scars from their eventual move to Raleigh, NC. He tells us about how the team excelled at falling just barely short of the playoffs, what it was like living across the street from Whalers GM Jim Rutherford (and in the same town as tough guy Glen Featherstone) and the particular indignities of having your team bought and moved by a guy sporting a ponytail. Aaron also talks about how the team's off-ice strife shaped his outlook on the world, even at a very young age. Of course, we do cover some Weird Islanders here including a legendary tough guy of our own and two defensive defensemen we never thought we'd ever get a chance to cover on the show. Turns out there's a lot of connective tissue between these two teams aside from one game late in a lost season for both of them. We can't thank Aaron enough for his time and sharing his very vivid memories of his favorite team. He's a great guy to chat with and has been a legendary sports poster for many years. Check out Heartland Signal and his own free newsletter, Radio Free America. Subscribe to our Patreon!⁠ Members get ad-free episodes of all our shows, bonus podcasts, written posts, chats with us and much more. Visit our friends: Vintage Ice Hockey for t-shirts, hoodies and jerseys with hundreds of classic hockey logos, as well as the full line of Islanders Anxiety merch. As always our portion of those sales go directly to the Center for Dementia Research. The Pinot Project has a Rosé, a Pinot Grigio and a Wine Enthusiast Best Buy Pinot Noir, all under $15 a bottle. Available at local wine stores and UBS Arena. Visit Lighthousehockey.com for the most up-to-date Islanders news and discussion. Islanders Anxiety podcasts are part of the Fans First Sports Network (@FansFirstSN). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Please enjoy this sample of our Monthly Mail Bag podcast for April, 2026. If you like what you hear, consider subscribing to our Patreon at patreon.com/IslandersAnxiety to get the full two hour episode plus extra bonus episodes, written posts, chats and more. The Islanders are done and the people have questions, mainly about what the hell happens next. Do core pieces get moved or bought out? Who will be back? Are the Islanders even a normal team? We try our best to answer these and other questions about the interminably terrible power play, what is and isn't GM Malpractice and how injuries and the Olympics affected their performance. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mike and Dan recap some news around the Islanders and their AHL affiliate, question the team's bizarre partnering with JELL-O and reveal some important announcements. While fans like us are still mad about the Islanders being home during the NHL playoffs, there was some news coming out of the team's prospect pool. The Bridgeport Islanders ended their 25-year-run in the city with a short and unsuccessful stay in the playoffs that mirrored how the big club ended their season. Once again, there are things to celebrate, but also things to be sad and disappointed about. Many have fond memories of the longtime minor league outpost that will become more intense as the move to Hamilton inches closer to finality. But there is excitement about a fresh start in a lush new home, and it will be a fascinating experiment to watch the... whatever they'll be called. Later, we do something people have been asking about for a while and give the Islanders themselves the Master Leaf Theatre treatment. What seems like an innocuous corporate cameo appearance is, for us, a concerning look at the team's real priorities. It's fair to wonder what truly matters here, as this flashy new toy isn't exactly filling us with the childish sense of fun it's supposed to and feels more like a peek into a dystopian future. Sprinkled throughout the show are three big announcements about a sweepstakes, a poll for our Weirdest Islander of the Year and our schedule for the rest of the offseason. So stick with us through the whole thing. Subscribe to our Patreon!⁠ Members get ad-free episodes of all our shows, bonus podcasts, written posts, chats with us and much more.Visit our friends! ⁠⁠Vintage Ice Hockey⁠⁠ for t-shirts, hoodies and jerseys with hundreds of classic hockey logos, as well as ⁠⁠the full line of Islanders Anxiety merch⁠⁠. As always our portion of those sales go directly to the Center for Dementia Research. ⁠⁠The Pinot Project⁠⁠ has a Rosé, a Pinot Grigio and a Wine Enthusiast Best Buy Pinot Noir, all under $15 a bottle. Available at local wine stores and UBS Arena. Visit ⁠⁠Lighthousehockey.com⁠⁠ for the most up-to-date Islanders news and discussion. Islanders Anxiety podcasts are part of the Fans First Sports Network (⁠⁠@FansFirstSN⁠⁠). Our theme is "Morning Haze" by Family Dinner. Hear more of their music ⁠⁠on Spotify⁠⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a very stream of consciousness episode, Mike and Dan sort through the many thoughts they've had since the Islanders season ended a week ago. After their final game (a 2-1 loss to Carolina, of course) and all of the exit meetings, there's still a lot to process about the 2025-26 Islanders. Matthew Schaefer's incredible season remains above reproach but everyone and everything else feels like its under the microscope. From players once thought untouchable to questions of motivation to the GM whose moves didn't work out, there are good reasons to wonder what next season will look like. Missing the playoffs in three out of five seasons with the same core means that major changes are needed. Mathieu Darche's final presser of the season makes it seem as if he knows where the problems were, but he also leaves himself open for more criticism. It's gonna be a long summer of questions with few answers. In the second half, we look at Semyon Varlamov's amazing comeback from double knee surgeries, talk about Mat Barzal taking heat for how the season has gone and discuss an article about a strange subplot of the Islanders and UBS Arena that tells us a lot about how the owners see the team they control. All while some live Tarps Off action is happen as we speak. We solve nothing but at least we can talk it all out. Subscribe to our Patreon!⁠ Members get ad-free episodes of all our shows, bonus podcasts, written posts, chats with us and much more. Visit our friends! ⁠⁠Vintage Ice Hockey⁠⁠ for t-shirts, hoodies and jerseys with hundreds of classic hockey logos, as well as ⁠⁠the full line of Islanders Anxiety merch⁠⁠. As always our portion of those sales go directly to the Center for Dementia Research. ⁠⁠The Pinot Project⁠⁠ has a Rosé, a Pinot Grigio and a Wine Enthusiast Best Buy Pinot Noir, all under $15 a bottle. Available at local wine stores and UBS Arena. Visit ⁠⁠Lighthousehockey.com⁠⁠ for the most up-to-date Islanders news and discussion. Islanders Anxiety podcasts are part of the Fans First Sports Network (⁠⁠@FansFirstSN⁠⁠). Our theme is "Morning Haze" by Family Dinner. Hear more of their music ⁠⁠on Spotify⁠⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joined by Rocco from Isles House, we remember enforcer Trevor Gillies, who was a much more complex individual than his monstrous reputation would suggest. Trevor Gillies had spent a decade in the minors fighting across North America before he finally got regular NHL playing time for a young Islanders team that needed a lot of protection. While his toughness and fearlessness instantly made him a fan favorite, those same qualities - plus one very scary image in one of the craziest melees in NHL history - made him a villain to outsiders. Getting two long suspensions in short order for two questionable actions made his time on Long Island brief. But he left a lasting impression upon those who both watched and played with him that's only grown over time. Rocco tells us how Gillies became one of his favorite Islanders fighters of all time, how he appreciated his list of bouts against combatants of various sizes and how Fight Night 2011 against the Penguins and its many storylines created a bond with that era that won't be broken anytime soon. In addition to the degree of "heavy metal" Gillies brought to the Islanders, we also marvel at his insane ECHL stats, some of his former teammates and, of course, his glorious mustache. Huge thanks again to Rocco for coming on and sharing his stories and his pizza tips. You should already be listening to him and previous Weird Islanders guests Jack and Ethan on the Isles House podcast. Or stop by Cafe Dolce Vita in either Jericho and Deer Park, grab a slice and say hello. Subscribe to our Patreon!⁠ Members get ad-free episodes of all our shows, bonus podcasts, written posts, chats with us and much more. Visit our friends: Vintage Ice Hockey for t-shirts, hoodies and jerseys with hundreds of classic hockey logos, as well as the full line of Islanders Anxiety merch. As always our portion of those sales go directly to the Center for Dementia Research. The Pinot Project has a Rosé, a Pinot Grigio and a Wine Enthusiast Best Buy Pinot Noir, all under $15 a bottle. Available at local wine stores and UBS Arena. Visit Lighthousehockey.com for the most up-to-date Islanders news and discussion. Islanders Anxiety podcasts are part of the Fans First Sports Network (@FansFirstSN). Our theme is "Knuckles" by Björn Falk. Hear more of his music on Spotify and at Bandcamp. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mike and Dan react immediately to the Islanders getting eliminated from playoff contention after a lost weekend against Ottawa and Montreal. We've seen the Islanders lose in many different ways over the years. But we've never seen them choke away a season like this. They played almost every game since the Olympic Break as if they were playing out the string, whittling away a playoff berth that they might not have totally deserved. And while a few players get a Hall Pass, namely Matthew Schaefer and Cal Ritchie, many of the guys who have been here a while conducted themselves in a despicable, cowardly fashion. Which calls into question what the franchise's real intentions are and where their true priorities lie. Do they want to get people to watch them and spend money on them, or do they actually want to win games first and foremost? Do they want to be just good, or truly great? In the second half, we look ahead to their final, meaningless game against Carolina and the few milestones that we'd like to see get hit. We also talk briefly about the week's one victory over a DOA Leafs team in a game we can't even enjoy anymore because, like everything else, it amounted to nothing. Very few of their games over the last five seasons have been purely enjoyable because of the team's attitude. There have been players and moments to remember but overall, this era can be personified by a noticeable and unsatisfying lack of accomplishment. Subscribe to our Patreon!⁠ Members get ad-free episodes of all our shows, bonus podcasts, written posts, chats with us and much more. Visit our friends! ⁠⁠Vintage Ice Hockey⁠⁠ for t-shirts, hoodies and jerseys with hundreds of classic hockey logos, as well as ⁠⁠the full line of Islanders Anxiety merch⁠⁠. As always our portion of those sales go directly to the Center for Dementia Research. ⁠⁠The Pinot Project⁠⁠ has a Rosé, a Pinot Grigio and a Wine Enthusiast Best Buy Pinot Noir, all under $15 a bottle. Available at local wine stores and UBS Arena. Visit ⁠⁠Lighthousehockey.com⁠⁠ for the most up-to-date Islanders news and discussion. Islanders Anxiety podcasts are part of the Fans First Sports Network (⁠⁠@FansFirstSN⁠⁠). Our theme is "Morning Haze" by Family Dinner. Hear more of their music ⁠⁠on Spotify⁠⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We bring forth a new edition of Master Leaf Theatre all about Leafs writers turning the firing GM Brad Treliving into Victorian tragedy. We had to wait a week to do this, but the mainstays of Master Leaf Theatre do not disappoint. There is poison in the tea, seeing ghosts, paralyzation and dysfunction, careening off cliffs, questionable messages, conflicts of interest and $90 selfies. It's a varied group of writers that all have one thing in common - calling someone an asshole in as many words as they can possibly muster. Whether it was Treliving, CEO Keith Pelley or some other wildly rich guy, the people paid to write about the Leafs are mad as hell and they're not taking it anymore (unless they pick up a few pieces this offseason and shoot for the playoffs next year). Yes, the Islanders are in a precarious spot themselves. But it's always fun to sit back and laugh at another team when you can. Like when they're having a bad season and you're about to play them. Subscribe to our Patreon!⁠ Members get ad-free episodes of all our shows, bonus podcasts, written posts, chats with us and much more. Works Cited: Fox: Why Keith Pelley's next Maple Leafs hire must be a home run by Luke Fox, Sportsnet. 'We just didn't deliver': Brad Treliving's firing shocks Maple Leafs by Luke Fox, Sportsnet. Fired Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving took the team backwards by Jonas Siegel, The Athletic. MLSE has made a massive mess of the Maple Leafs after three dysfunctional years by James Mirtle, The Athletic. As Maple Leafs fire Brad Treliving, spotlight shifts to CEO Keith Pelley by Chris Johnston, The Athletic. Seven Maple Leafs takeaways from MLSE president Keith Pelley’s media availability by Joshua Kloke, The Athletic. How the Maple Leafs changed under Keith Pelley: From $1,000 locker-room dinners to $96 selfies by Jonas Siegel, The Athletic. Frank Seravalli ‪via Twitter and his original reporting on Neil Glasberg. Visit our friends! ⁠⁠Vintage Ice Hockey⁠⁠ for t-shirts, hoodies and jerseys with hundreds of classic hockey logos, as well as ⁠⁠the full line of Islanders Anxiety merch⁠⁠. As always our portion of those sales go directly to the Center for Dementia Research. ⁠⁠The Pinot Project⁠⁠ has a Rosé, a Pinot Grigio and a Wine Enthusiast Best Buy Pinot Noir, all under $15 a bottle. Available at local wine stores and UBS Arena. Visit ⁠⁠Lighthousehockey.com⁠⁠ for the most up-to-date Islanders news and discussion. Islanders Anxiety podcasts are part of the Fans First Sports Network (⁠⁠@FansFirstSN⁠⁠). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mike and Dan have many words about the firing of Patrick Roy and the hiring of Peter DeBoer as head coach, as well as for the disastrous week that knocked the Islanders out of the playoffs. Not in a million years did we expect the Islanders to lose all four games in the important week in front of them. But that's exactly what they did - some in ways that even we hadn't seen before. The string of defeats at the worst time, plus a series of defensive mistakes all season long, were enough for them to make a change behind the bench. The move from "player's coach" to hard ass coach is a time-honored NHL tradition, and DeBoer will need to find something the Islanders haven't had in several seasons if he wants to get them into the post season. Even if it's too late for this team, he will set the foundation for what to expect next season (and beyond). In the second half, we digest the strange Patrick Roy Experience, from a guy who was once out of the Islanders' stratosphere to a frustrating figure who couldn't or wouldn't fix his team's faults. But Roy isn't the only one to blame for this situation. There's the owners who have made the franchise vulnerable to critics, the general manager who has lost both trades and fan goodwill in his first year in the job, the scouts who dropped the ball when needed and the players who have gotten away with way too much for way too long. Everyone owns a piece of this disappointing and confusing campaign. Finally, we look at the next three games, which will determine both how this season will be remembered and how DeBoer's tenure will begin. No pressure, coach. Subscribe to our Patreon!⁠ Members get ad-free episodes of all our shows, bonus podcasts, written posts, chats with us and much more.Visit our friends! ⁠⁠Vintage Ice Hockey⁠⁠ for t-shirts, hoodies and jerseys with hundreds of classic hockey logos, as well as ⁠⁠the full line of Islanders Anxiety merch⁠⁠. As always our portion of those sales go directly to the Center for Dementia Research. ⁠⁠The Pinot Project⁠⁠ has a Rosé, a Pinot Grigio and a Wine Enthusiast Best Buy Pinot Noir, all under $15 a bottle. Available at local wine stores and UBS Arena. Visit ⁠⁠Lighthousehockey.com⁠⁠ for the most up-to-date Islanders news and discussion. Islanders Anxiety podcasts are part of the Fans First Sports Network (⁠⁠@FansFirstSN⁠⁠). Our theme is "Morning Haze" by Family Dinner. Hear more of their music ⁠⁠on Spotify⁠⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Former NHL defenseman Ty Wishart calls in from an Australian beach to talk about his globe-spanning playing career and his 21 games with the Islanders in the eventful 2010-11 season. Drafted 16th overall by the Sharks and traded to Tampa Bay in the deal for Dan Boyle, Ty Wishart got a quick education in the business of hockey. After a few years in a minors, he was traded again, this time to the Islanders for goalie Dwayne Roloson. Wishart joined what looked to be an up-and-coming squad, and what they lacked in talent, they made up for in youthful energy. He scored his first NHL goal in a wild road game, and was scratched while his new teammates got into a legendary melee with a division rival before going back to the minors. But that was just the beginning of Ty Wishart's incredible hockey career. Ty tells us some great stories, from throwing up in exhaustion at the NHL Combine to sharing a locker room with guys like Zenon Konopka and Trevor Gillies to playing in Romania and elsewhere. A charity tournament first took him to Australia, where he now lives and plays for the Melbourne Mustangs of the Australian Ice Hockey League. He also served as the team's Director of Hockey Operations during their 2023 championship season. At 37, he still plays for love of the game and still carries memories and mementos from his time as an Islander. And he tells us all of this from a sunny, beautiful beach down under that made Mike and Dan very jealous. We can't thank Ty enough for coming on and giving us so much. It took a while and required a lot of email back-and-forth, but it was worth it. To keep up with the Mustangs and the rest of the AIHL, you can check out their website or subscribe to AIHL TV. The 2026 season starts on April 17th. Subscribe to our Patreon!⁠ Members get ad-free episodes of all our shows, bonus podcasts, written posts, chats with us and much more.Visit our friends: Vintage Ice Hockey for t-shirts, hoodies and jerseys with hundreds of classic hockey logos, as well as the full line of Islanders Anxiety merch. As always our portion of those sales go directly to the Center for Dementia Research. The Pinot Project has a Rosé, a Pinot Grigio and a Wine Enthusiast Best Buy Pinot Noir, all under $15 a bottle. Available at local wine stores and UBS Arena. Visit Lighthousehockey.com for the most up-to-date Islanders news and discussion. Islanders Anxiety podcasts are part of the Fans First Sports Network (@FansFirstSN). Our theme is "Knuckles" by Björn Falk. Hear more of his music on Spotify and at Bandcamp. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mike and Dan recap a week in which the Islanders made us mad, then happy, then both in the same day before celebrating the Rangers elimination with a new Ranger Piece Theatre. The pendulum swung every way possible last week for the Islanders. An inexcusable loss to the lowly Blackhawks made the season look over. A gritty win over Dallas wasn't perfect, but it was a relief. And a Saturday matinee that started in the pit of despair rose to euphoric heights, as the out-of-town scoreboard broke their way after a huge win over the Panthers. The week was nerve-wracking and encouraging at the same time, and it felt good to be an Islander, which can happen from time to time. They're going to need some more of that energy this week as, once again, the season hangs in the balance. Two sets of back-to-backs, all featuring Eastern Conference foes that are either chasing them or could stand in their way later. Monday's game against the Penguins is the most massive, but the Sabres remain a threat, the Flyers have inserted themselves in the conversation again and the Hurricanes could be a playoff opponent for the millionth time in a row. There is no room for letdowns, mistakes or periods playing like assholes. After all that, we find the time to sneak in a quick Ranger Piece Theater that examines the wearing off of some once-powerful nostalgia and how Rangers fans see their almost-great seasons and cult favorite players. It's a good way to kick one final mound of dirt on their most recent miserable season. Subscribe to our Patreon!⁠ Members get ad-free episodes of all our shows, bonus podcasts, written posts, chats with us and much more. ⁠⁠Vintage Ice Hockey⁠⁠ for t-shirts, hoodies and jerseys with hundreds of classic hockey logos, as well as ⁠⁠the full line of Islanders Anxiety merch⁠⁠. As always our portion of those sales go directly to the Center for Dementia Research. ⁠⁠The Pinot Project⁠⁠ has a Rosé, a Pinot Grigio and a Wine Enthusiast Best Buy Pinot Noir, all under $15 a bottle. Available at local wine stores and UBS Arena. The fine folks at FOCO are having a Buy Two Get One Free sale on T-Shirts all through March. Go to FOCO.com or use this link to browse the store, then use the code ANXIETY2FOR1 to take advantage. The offer ends March 31st, so don’t wait. Visit ⁠⁠Lighthousehockey.com⁠⁠ for the most up-to-date Islanders news and discussion. Islanders Anxiety podcasts are part of the Fans First Sports Network (⁠⁠@FansFirstSN⁠⁠). Our theme is "Morning Haze" by Family Dinner. Hear more of their music ⁠⁠on Spotify⁠⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mike and Dan recap a stressful week in which the Islanders' season was off, then back on again, plus an epic new Master Leaf Theatre. Everything started great, with a businesslike win over the moribund Maple Leafs. Then, a trip to Ottawa meant a punch in the gut, and a Saturday night in Montreal meant a butt-whipping. With the red hot Blue Jackets waiting for them on Long Island, we were ready to be mad at the Islanders for sinking their season in a matter of days. But an incredible defensive performance (finally!) and a gritty 1-0 win let them live another day above the playoff line. It felt like either a wake up call, a playoff game or a foxhole. However it happened, we're glad it did although the feelings are complex. This week, they get to do it again. With games against Chicago, Dallas and Florida, the Islanders need to win to keep pace, or perhaps, advance. They might need to keep their defense version of McDavid-Draisaitl going if injuries and lineup changes mount. We also discuss two recent ELC signings and the long-awaited official word of the team moving its AHL affiliate to Hamilton, Ontario. Finally, it's an extended Master Leaf Theatre, covering another busy week for an NHL team. We've got bouquets of flowers, Forbidden Zones, barrel-chested whipping boys, delusions of competence and angry screeds that would make the crankiest newspaper columnist jealous. It's just another week for the Leafs. Now if they can just some smart people and a few top line players, maybe they'll have a chance next season... Subscribe to our Patreon!⁠ Members get ad-free episodes of all our shows, bonus podcasts, written posts, chats with us and much more. ⁠⁠Vintage Ice Hockey⁠⁠ for t-shirts, hoodies and jerseys with hundreds of classic hockey logos, as well as ⁠⁠the full line of Islanders Anxiety merch⁠⁠. As always our portion of those sales go directly to the Center for Dementia Research. ⁠⁠The Pinot Project⁠⁠ has a Rosé, a Pinot Grigio and a Wine Enthusiast Best Buy Pinot Noir, all under $15 a bottle. Available at local wine stores and UBS Arena. The fine folks at FOCO are having a Buy Two Get One Free sale on T-Shirts all through March. Go to FOCO.com or use this link to browse the store, then use the code ANXIETY2FOR1 to take advantage. The offer ends March 31st, so don’t wait. Visit ⁠⁠Lighthousehockey.com⁠⁠ for the most up-to-date Islanders news and discussion. Islanders Anxiety podcasts are part of the Fans First Sports Network (⁠⁠@FansFirstSN⁠⁠). Our theme is "Morning Haze" by Family Dinner. Hear more of their music ⁠⁠on Spotify⁠⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Friend and Predators reporter Alex Daugherty is back to talk about Vladimir Orszagh, a Slovakian import who was undervalued as an Islander but was instrumental to establishing Nashville's - and Alex's - love for hockey. The late 1990's were a terrible time for the Islanders. The loses were many and prospects had little support in advancing to the NHL. After a few dozen unimpressive games in North America, young Vladimir Orszagh took a sabbatical to Europe for a season, then returned to the NHL with the fourth-year Predators. There, he became a consistent scorer and joined with fellow Euros Denis Arkhipov and Martin Erat to form "The Vowel Line," the first named unit in Nashville's ice history. The trio helped the Predators make the playoffs for the first time and showed that with a good, hardworking team, hockey in Music City could work. For Alex, a Predators fan since high school when they played their very first game, Orszagh is among the most important players in the team's early history. He tells us about skipping out of work to see a 1-0 win with Orszagh scoring the lone goal, how he helped the team and fanbase grow in a new market, and about his legacy in Nashville to this day. We also talk about Orszagh's international career, which includes being on one of the sickest rosters ever conceived and serving as the head coach of a Slovakian team that made some noise at the recent Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina, Italy. We can't thanks Alex enough for coming on again, telling us these great stories and saying such nice things about the show. You should be reading him for all things Predators in The Tennessean and elsewhere. We also have a Weird Islanders Extra! bonus episode with him as well, where we share some weird stories about our teams' respective owners. Visit our friends: Vintage Ice Hockey for t-shirts, hoodies and jerseys with hundreds of classic hockey logos, as well as the full line of Islanders Anxiety merch. As always our portion of those sales go directly to the Center for Dementia Research. The Pinot Project has a Rosé, a Pinot Grigio and a Wine Enthusiast Best Buy Pinot Noir, all under $15 a bottle. Available at local wine stores and UBS Arena. The fine folks at FOCO are having a Buy Two Get One Free sale on T-Shirts all through March. Go to FOCO.com or use this link to browse the store, then use the code ANXIETY2FOR1 to take advantage. The offer ends March 31st, so don’t wait. Visit Lighthousehockey.com for the most up-to-date Islanders news and discussion. Islanders Anxiety podcasts are part of the Fans First Sports Network (@FansFirstSN). Our theme is "Knuckles" by Björn Falk. Hear more of his music on Spotify and at Bandcamp. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mike and Dan recap a week of good and bad for the Islanders, and set up what could be a massive Canadian road trip and a home game against the Blue Jackets next Sunday. A contest in St. Louis with a lot of weird connections ended being the most Rangers-like win we've seen in some time, using two late powerplay goals to complete a shocking overtime comeback victory. A return home meant a deflating loss to the LA Kings that saw no comeback happen, then a victory over Calgary that almost got a way from them. Overall, the games showed what the Islanders still lack: a definitive executable structure on the ice and a set line-up that maximizes everyone's strengths. There's a difference between stopgaps and solutions, and right now the Islanders seem to have more of the former than the latter. With games against the very beaten down Maple Leafs, the surging Senators and the stumbling Canadiens, the Islanders have a chance to pick up points. And they better, because next Sunday's game at UBS Arena against Columbus could mean the season. Once again, they are the mercy of their schedule and their opponents' schedules, so the time for experimentation is over. They need to treat these games like they're the playoffs. If they don't, they might miss them altogether. We also get into Mathieu Darche's longterm plan for the club, what the hell has happened to the Flyers, the struggles of the Carson Soucy-Scott Mayfield pairing and the hope that next week is finally Schenn Week. Subscribe to our Patreon!⁠ Members get ad-free episodes of all our shows, bonus podcasts, written posts, chats with us and much more. ⁠⁠Vintage Ice Hockey⁠⁠ for t-shirts, hoodies and jerseys with hundreds of classic hockey logos, as well as ⁠⁠the full line of Islanders Anxiety merch⁠⁠. As always our portion of those sales go directly to the Center for Dementia Research. ⁠⁠The Pinot Project⁠⁠ has a Rosé, a Pinot Grigio and a Wine Enthusiast Best Buy Pinot Noir, all under $15 a bottle. Available at local wine stores and UBS Arena. The fine folks at FOCO are having a Buy Two Get One Free sale on T-Shirts all through March. Go to FOCO.com or use this link to browse the store, then use the code ANXIETY2FOR1 to take advantage. The offer ends March 31st, so don’t wait. Visit ⁠⁠Lighthousehockey.com⁠⁠ for the most up-to-date Islanders news and discussion. Islanders Anxiety podcasts are part of the Fans First Sports Network (⁠⁠@FansFirstSN⁠⁠). Our theme is "Morning Haze" by Family Dinner. Hear more of their music ⁠⁠on Spotify⁠⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dan is joined by Lighthouse Hockey's Jenny Berman to discuss the acquisition of Brayden Schenn and the games surrounding this season's Trade Deadline. It was a wild weekend for the Islanders, who dropped two massive duds in Anaheim and LA, then made a shocking last minute trade for the St. Louis Blues captain on Friday's deadline that no one saw coming. After speaking with Schenn in person at the hotel both the Blues and Islanders were staying at, he agreed to waive his no-movement clause to join the veteran-heavy squad as they march towards the playoffs. The trade plus the re-signing of J-G Pageau was puzzling (and pricey) but Mathieu Darche's post-deadline presser helped bring the plan into more focus. The deal also ended the Islanders' Jonathan Drouin saga, which is probably a relief to him, the team and, in an odd way, Jenny's dad. A day later, the Islanders got two massive points in San Jose thanks to Bo Horvat's latest OT goal. They're still in the driver's seat in the Eastern Conference playoff race, but things are still very much up-in-the-air for the few teams that haven't sunk to the bottom of the standings. The week ahead has more opportunities to pick up valuable points and finally come back home for much of the rest of the season. Fresh off a plane from Singapore, where she spent an enjoyable but sweltering week, Jenny gives us her thoughts on the games, the trades, the number exchanges, some other deals around the league and on following the NHL from the other side of the world (or on a plane). Thanks again to Jenny for stepping in after a long day. She's earned a vacation from her vacation. We also take a call from a "Mike from Long Island," who has many feelings on the newest Islander and how the deal went down. ⁠⁠Vintage Ice Hockey⁠⁠ for t-shirts, hoodies and jerseys with hundreds of classic hockey logos, as well as ⁠⁠the full line of Islanders Anxiety merch⁠⁠. As always our portion of those sales go directly to the Center for Dementia Research. ⁠⁠The Pinot Project⁠⁠ has a Rosé, a Pinot Grigio and a Wine Enthusiast Best Buy Pinot Noir, all under $15 a bottle. Available at local wine stores and UBS Arena. The fine folks at FOCO are having a Buy Two Get One Free sale on T-Shirts all through March. Go to FOCO.com or use this link to browse the store, then use the code ANXIETY2FOR1 to take advantage. The offer ends March 31st, so don’t wait. Visit ⁠⁠Lighthousehockey.com⁠⁠ for the most up-to-date Islanders news and discussion. Islanders Anxiety podcasts are part of the Fans First Sports Network (⁠⁠@FansFirstSN⁠⁠). Our theme is "Morning Haze" by Family Dinner. Hear more of their music ⁠⁠on Spotify⁠⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Along with Sabres reporter Joe Yerdon, we remember Chad Johnson & Michal Neuvirth, back-up goalies who were traded for each other at the deadline but didn't help the Islanders much at all. On paper, Chad Johnson was the perfect addition to what looked to be a quality Islanders team in 2014. He was coming off a great season backing up Tuukka Rask in Boston and should have done the same for Isles starter Jaroslav Halak. But when called upon, Johnson was consistently inconsistent, and made giving Halak a break here and there a dangerous proposition. Meanwhile in Buffalo, goalie Michal Neuvirth wasn't having any fun playing on a team going nowhere but the draft lottery (again). His numbers were solid despite the roster around him, so a swap was made that everyone hoped would free one team of its biggest problem and solve another problem for a goalie who had shown skill in the recent past. On paper, the trade made a lot of sense. Sadly, they don't play the games on paper, and both Johnson and Neuvirth became bewildering footnotes in Islanders history. Joe helps us understand both goalies as people and the circumstances surrounding the trade from the Sabre's side of things. We also ponder what makes a goalie good, how two proverbial "tidy pieces of business" could go so horribly awry and how to forgive a guy who was barely a villain to begin with. Thanks again to Joe for coming on. We've wanted to get him for a long time and not only was he as great as expected but this ended up being the perfect time and the perfect subjects. Follow him everywhere you can on all the socials and at his website, NotedHockey.com. We have a Weird Islanders Extra Patreon exclusive bonus episode with Joe as well so check that out, too. Subscribe to our Patreon!⁠ Members get ad-free episodes of all our shows, bonus podcasts, written posts, chats with us and much more. Visit our friends: Vintage Ice Hockey for t-shirts, hoodies and jerseys with hundreds of classic hockey logos, as well as the full line of Islanders Anxiety merch. As always our portion of those sales go directly to the Center for Dementia Research. The Pinot Project has a Rosé, a Pinot Grigio and a Wine Enthusiast Best Buy Pinot Noir, all under $15 a bottle. Available at local wine stores and UBS Arena. Visit Lighthousehockey.com for the most up-to-date Islanders news and discussion. Islanders Anxiety podcasts are part of the Fans First Sports Network (@FansFirstSN). Our theme is "Knuckles" by Björn Falk. Hear more of his music on Spotify and at Bandcamp. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mike and Dan are relaxed and excited as the Islanders win three in a row and put themselves in good position for both the playoffs and the NHL Trade Deadline. We were worried that going into two places they never win in - Montreal and Columbus - and coming back to face the rabid Panthers at home could be a significant hill for the Islanders to climb immediately after the Olympic break. But behind the Disney Dads, Anders Lee and J-G Pageau, and the literally unbelievable Matthew Schaefer, they won all three in uncharacteristically exciting fashion and have us thinking that something special is going on here. Going down 0-2 in each of them isn't ideal, but coming back to get points and create separation between them and the teams chasing them means everything right now as teams enter their final 24 game stretch. The wins also mean that the games this week in California against the Ducks, Kings and Sharks have just a little less weight on them. If they can keep the streak going, they have a real chance to lock things up long before the season's final week, which is huge departure from the last few seasons. Later, we look ahead to Friday's NHL Trade Deadline and how the Islanders have positioned themselves to do something big. Adding around the edges might be okay in most seasons, but if they can find some bigger fish to relieve the pressure on their current leaders, they might really scare the rest of the field. Finally, we pay our respects to two great NHL voices that we have lost recently. Subscribe to our Patreon!⁠ Members get ad-free episodes of all our shows, bonus podcasts, written posts, chats with us and much more. Visit our friends ⁠⁠Vintage Ice Hockey⁠⁠ for t-shirts, hoodies and jerseys with hundreds of classic hockey logos, as well as ⁠⁠the full line of Islanders Anxiety merch⁠⁠. As always our portion of those sales go directly to the Center for Dementia Research. ⁠⁠The Pinot Project⁠⁠ has a Rosé, a Pinot Grigio and a Wine Enthusiast Best Buy Pinot Noir, all under $15 a bottle. Available at local wine stores and UBS Arena. Visit ⁠⁠Lighthousehockey.com⁠⁠ for the most up-to-date Islanders news and discussion. Islanders Anxiety podcasts are part of the Fans First Sports Network (⁠⁠@FansFirstSN⁠⁠). Our theme is "Morning Haze" by Family Dinner. Hear more of their music ⁠⁠on Spotify⁠⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mike and Dan look ahead to the Islanders resuming their season with three huge games, and present a special Olympic version of Master Leaf Theatre. The Islanders' final 24 games will be a brutal sprint, with lots of in-conference opponents, a road trip out west and seven back-to-backs. They get a taste of all of those in the first week and a half starting with games in Montreal and Columbus before returning home to face a wounded Florida squad. It's vital they get off on the right foot because there's no time to feel things out. They need points to keep teams like the Blue Jackets and Panthers off their heels and solidify their playoff berth. And if they - and especially Ilya Sorokin - are not ready to go, this resumption of the season may be short-lived. We devote the second half to something we didn't anticipate - a Master Leaf Theatre focused on Team USA's gold medal win over Team Canada in the men's hockey tournament. There were enough sour grapes flowing and weird things said that we needed to commemorate them in our signature style. From furious forwards to whiny radio hosts to taking shots at the Maple Leafs media machine, this Olympic edition of Master Leaf Theatre is as varied as The Games themselves. Along the way we salute both the US men's and women's teams, Brock Nelson, Bo Horvat, Kimber Auerbach and the guy who wore the Simon Holmstrom shirt to the Season Ticket Holder event at UBS Arena on Sunday. Subscribe to our Patreon!⁠ Members get ad-free episodes of all our shows, bonus podcasts, written posts, chats with us and much more. Visit our friends ⁠⁠Vintage Ice Hockey⁠⁠ for t-shirts, hoodies and jerseys with hundreds of classic hockey logos, as well as ⁠⁠the full line of Islanders Anxiety merch⁠⁠. As always our portion of those sales go directly to the Center for Dementia Research. ⁠⁠The Pinot Project⁠⁠ has a Rosé, a Pinot Grigio and a Wine Enthusiast Best Buy Pinot Noir, all under $15 a bottle. Available at local wine stores and UBS Arena. Visit ⁠⁠Lighthousehockey.com⁠⁠ for the most up-to-date Islanders news and discussion. Islanders Anxiety podcasts are part of the Fans First Sports Network (⁠⁠@FansFirstSN⁠⁠). Our theme is "Morning Haze" by Family Dinner. Hear more of their music ⁠⁠on Spotify. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Along with comedian, podcaster and new author John Cullen, we remember Rob Davison, who had one major moment against a marquee opponent in his very short stint on Long Island. Like a lot of defensive defensemen, Rob Davison was not a player most people would remember. His job was preventing goals, not scoring them, for a very good San Jose Sharks team in the early 2000's. When he was dealt to the Islanders at the tail end of the 2007-08 season, it barely registered with the fanbase and was more about filling a giant injury hole than anything else. He arrived late to his first game and would eventually leave the team after that playoff-free season. BUT! In those 19-games, Rob Davison - of all people - scored a goal so crazy, so unbelievable, so memorable that we're still talking about it 25 years later. In an otherwise pointless game at Nassau Coliseum between two teams going nowhere, Davison launched the puck 190-feet down the ice and ended up with one of the most ludicrous shorthanded goals in NHL history, forever tying him to former Sharks teammate Vesa Toskala in a moment of infamy no one who watched it will ever forget. Instead of finding a Sharks fan to talk about Davison, we asked John - a fan of the hated Maple Leafs - to talk about that game, that goal and Toskala's legacy in Toronto. Ironically, we all find a degree of sympathy for the goalie who faced an impossible play and whiffed on it the way just about anyone would have. We talk about his reaction to his friend Davison scoring a goal like that on him, and about how trading Davison helped the Sharks draft an upgrade, who has a goofy connection to the Islanders decades later. We also enjoy a rarely remembered fact about that famous game (that the Islanders still lost). We can't thank John enough for coming on. He's a very busy man between his many podcasts, his new book - Curling Rocks! - being out (and recording its audio version) and his work for CBC covering curling at the Olympics. Check out his shows Broomgate, A Curling Scandal, What is...? A Jeopardy! Podcast (with Emily Heller), The POD Kast (with Bryan Quinby) and Blocked Party (with Stefen Heck). A Weird Islanders Extra! bonus episode with us and John discussing the Islanders/Leafs/Tavares thing was released back in January. Subscribe to our Patreon!⁠ Members get ad-free episodes of all our shows, bonus podcasts, written posts, chats with us and much more. Visit our friends: Vintage Ice Hockey for t-shirts, hoodies and jerseys with hundreds of classic hockey logos, as well as the full line of Islanders Anxiety merch. As always our portion of those sales go directly to the Center for Dementia Research. The Pinot Project has a Rosé, a Pinot Grigio and a Wine Enthusiast Best Buy Pinot Noir, all under $15 a bottle. Available at local wine stores and UBS Arena. Visit Lighthousehockey.com for the most up-to-date Islanders news and discussion. Islanders Anxiety podcasts are part of the Fans First Sports Network (@FansFirstSN). Our theme is "Knuckles" by Björn Falk. Hear more of his music on Spotify and at Bandcamp. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a standalone episode of a fan favorite bit, we dissect a recent Maple Leafs controversy that almost no one took the bait on except for the two guys who brought it to life. In late January, 2026 - while the Leafs were in a potentially season-ending spiral - an article was posted at The Athletic about a former staffer who had some things to say about how the team was run. The staffer? A doctor of sports science who left the team in 2019. How is the team run? Like "a traditional hockey team" a.k.a., one without a doctor of sports science on staff. The doctor believes that not having a person in charge of sports science and performance has led to the Leafs' spate of injuries this season. And clearly, Master Leaf Theatre regular Jonas Siegel, believes him. Along with Islanders and Master Leaf Theatre fan Don Becker, we dramatize the original article, giving it the weight that its author intended it to have but never got from inside Leafs World. We also cover the angry reaction by Toronto GM Brad Treliving, who had a few choice words for both Siegel and the disgruntled doctor. Finally, we tie things up with Siegel's podcast partner James Mirtle, who gives us an appropriately grim outlook on the Leafs' future that requires no doctorates to figure out. We can't thank Don enough for coming on and giving us some great reads of this bizarre Master Leaf Theatre side story. You may have missed the "scandal" when it was originally published, but it was perfect for us and our signature performance outlet. Works Referenced: Why did the Maple Leafs eliminate a job designed to keep players healthy? by Jonas Siegel for The Athletic Brad Treliving on TSN OVERDRIVE (starts around 22:00) Brad Treliving defends Maple Leafs’ approach to sports science by Jonas Siegel for The Athletic Why the Maple Leafs need to start thinking about selling by James Mirtle, The Athletic Subscribe to our Patreon!⁠⁠ Members get ad-free episodes of all our shows, bonus podcasts, written posts, chats with us and much more. Visit our friends ⁠⁠Vintage Ice Hockey⁠⁠ for t-shirts, hoodies and jerseys with hundreds of classic hockey logos, as well as ⁠⁠the full line of Islanders Anxiety merch⁠⁠. As always our portion of those sales go directly to the Center for Dementia Research. ⁠⁠The Pinot Project⁠⁠ has a Rosé, a Pinot Grigio and a Wine Enthusiast Best Buy Pinot Noir, all under $15 a bottle. Available at local wine stores and UBS Arena. Visit ⁠⁠Lighthousehockey.com⁠⁠ for the most up-to-date Islanders news and discussion. Islanders Anxiety podcasts are part of the Fans First Sports Network (⁠⁠@FansFirstSN⁠⁠). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mike and Dan run down the Islanders lineup to say something positive about each player and how they've contributed to the good overall season they've had so far. We heard some feedback that the last episode came off a little too nervous or negative, so we challenged ourselves to accentuate the plusses of every position player. For some, it was easy. Players like Ilya Sorokin, Matthew Schaefer, Bo Horvat and Mat Barzal have been getting rightfully praised all season, while Adam Pelech, Ryan Pulock and J-G Pageau seem to have regained their former forms. Legacy players like Casey Cizikas and Anders Lee have shown they still have a place on this team, while newer guys like Emil Heineman and Cal Ritchie have only scratched the surface of what they're capable of. For others, the task was slightly more difficult. In a few cases, we wonder if the team is just ready to move on despite what skills the player may possess because they're just not a fit. Regardless, we're able to isolate their strengths or things we think they can bring in the future, even if it's not evident this season. This was a fun exercise to do during the Olympic break. Next week, we'll look ahead to their first few games back. Subscribe to our Patreon!⁠ Members get ad-free episodes of all our shows, bonus podcasts, written posts, chats with us and much more. Visit our friends ⁠⁠Vintage Ice Hockey⁠⁠ for t-shirts, hoodies and jerseys with hundreds of classic hockey logos, as well as ⁠⁠the full line of Islanders Anxiety merch⁠⁠. As always our portion of those sales go directly to the Center for Dementia Research. ⁠⁠The Pinot Project⁠⁠ has a Rosé, a Pinot Grigio and a Wine Enthusiast Best Buy Pinot Noir, all under $15 a bottle. Available at local wine stores and UBS Arena. Visit ⁠⁠Lighthousehockey.com⁠⁠ for the most up-to-date Islanders news and discussion. Islanders Anxiety podcasts are part of the Fans First Sports Network (⁠⁠@FansFirstSN⁠⁠). Our theme is "Morning Haze" by Family Dinner. Hear more of their music ⁠⁠on Spotify⁠⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mike and Dan recap the Islanders' wheezing last games and take stock of where the team sits at the Olympic break before enjoying a dessert of Ranger Piece Theater. The Islanders did what we asked last week and grabbed at least four points. Too bad they looked mostly lousy while doing it. So while their comeback against the Penguins and a theft from the Devils were helpful and kept them in third in the Metro, they also didn't offer a lot in the way of encouragement for the stretch run. The bottom half of the lineup provides almost no offensive support and the top half and the defense is constantly in flux thanks to a coach who seems out of ideas. Still, we don't want to lose sight of the fun times despite the dangers ahead. Few expected the Islanders to be in a playoff berth this late in the season (if at all) so we want to take the good with the bad. Next week, we'll dive a little deeper into individual player performances, especially two the Islanders might regret not doing more with if they don't come out of the break hot. Meanwhile, we always have time to laugh at the Rangers, whose GM and captain have very little to say about where the franchise is and why their fans should still care. Fortunately, it feels like they'll both be around for a while so they'll have plenty of time to come up with their next blast of hot air. This podcast is presented by Benihana, the new official hibachi partner of the New York Islanders. Subscribe to our Patreon!⁠ Members get ad-free episodes of all our shows, bonus podcasts, written posts, chats with us and much more. Visit our friends ⁠⁠Vintage Ice Hockey⁠⁠ for t-shirts, hoodies and jerseys with hundreds of classic hockey logos, as well as ⁠⁠the full line of Islanders Anxiety merch⁠⁠. As always our portion of those sales go directly to the Center for Dementia Research. ⁠⁠The Pinot Project⁠⁠ has a Rosé, a Pinot Grigio and a Wine Enthusiast Best Buy Pinot Noir, all under $15 a bottle. Available at local wine stores and UBS Arena. Visit ⁠⁠Lighthousehockey.com⁠⁠ for the most up-to-date Islanders news and discussion. Islanders Anxiety podcasts are part of the Fans First Sports Network (⁠⁠@FansFirstSN⁠⁠). Our theme is "Morning Haze" by Family Dinner. Hear more of their music ⁠⁠on Spotify⁠⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Along with "Thrill of Defeat" host and Pittsburgh guy Dan Hopper, we remember Dick Tarnstrom, who turned getting waived by the Islanders into a starring role on some bad transitional Penguins teams. While the Penguins have had some all time great players in their history, the periods between those players were pretty dire. Bankruptcies, empty buildings and lots of losses were not uncommon for one of the NHL's now-marquee teams. Into one of these eras stepped Dick Tarnstrom, a very late round pick of the Islanders who found himself squeezed out of Long Island during one of their rare fertile periods of the early 2000's and onto a Penguins team desperate for anyone who could put the puck into a net. Tarnstrom was competent on a bereft squad, which means he got comparisons to Hall of Famers, and Hart and Norris Trophy votes from the win-starved writers covering it. The Penguins' "X-Generation" might have featured a lot of weird players, but thanks to cheap tickets and EXTREME marketing, it actually succeeded in creating a new wave of fans. To those kids, guys like Dick Tarnstrom felt like superstars of tomorrow. Dan takes us through the Full Tarnstrom Experience and tells us what it was like watching the Penguins between the Lemieux/Jagr and Crosby/Malkin eras. We learn about the "Ric and Dick Show," attending Ryan Malone's hockey camp as a kid, the Woodstock 99 flavor of the "X-Generation" ads and how Tarnstrom was able to capture hearts in the Steel City. We also wonder how we forgot he played for the Oilers during their 2006 Cup final run and why he was put on waivers in the first place (it probably had something to do with being Swedish and having Mike Milbury as a general manager). It's the deepest dive you'll find on the man who is surely the last "Dick" in NHL history. Thanks again to Dan for coming on. His podcast, "Thrill of Defeat" is outstanding and if you're a fan of Weird Islanders, it will be right up your alley. He's on a bit of a hiatus now, but there are plenty of episodes to get started on. Subscribe to our Patreon!⁠ Members get ad-free episodes of all our shows, bonus podcasts, written posts, chats with us and much more. Visit our friends: Vintage Ice Hockey for t-shirts, hoodies and jerseys with hundreds of classic hockey logos, as well as the full line of Islanders Anxiety merch. As always our portion of those sales go directly to the Center for Dementia Research. The Pinot Project has a Rosé, a Pinot Grigio and a Wine Enthusiast Best Buy Pinot Noir, all under $15 a bottle. Available at local wine stores and UBS Arena. Visit Lighthousehockey.com for the most up-to-date Islanders news and discussion. Islanders Anxiety podcasts are part of the Fans First Sports Network (@FansFirstSN). Our theme is "Knuckles" by Björn Falk. Hear more of his music on Spotify and at Bandcamp. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mike and Dan look back at a packed week of trades, wins, a season sweep and one terrible loss that makes an already daunting upcoming week for the Islanders even more scary. For five days last week, Islanders fans were feeling good. Three wins, two over the Rangers in a humiliating season sweep complete with chirps from a goofball kid who's already a star, and trades for Carson Soucy and Ondrej Palat that, while open to criticism, have yielded good early results. Then Saturday happened, when the Islanders played a sloppy, maddening game against the Nashville Predators at home and took a giant step back after three steps forward. It was the last thing we wanted to see with a huge slate coming up and an Olympic break looming that will put us all in stasis for three weeks. We look back at all of last week's games and ahead to games against the Capitals, Penguins and Devils to close out the pre-Olympic schedule. One against a team directly behind you, one against a team directly in front of you and one that should be easy on paper but might end up being necessary. It's a massive week that will tell us a lot about how the trade deadline might shape up. Of course, we said that before this week, too... Finally we look at an article that ranked NHL arena experiences and at UBS Arena's fair placement. It's a great venue with one huge issue keeping it from the league's upper echelon. Be sure to count the times Dan says he wants to talk about something and then just never does. This might be an all time record. Subscribe to our Patreon!⁠ Members get ad-free episodes of all our shows, bonus podcasts, written posts, chats with us and much more. Visit our friends ⁠⁠Vintage Ice Hockey⁠⁠ for t-shirts, hoodies and jerseys with hundreds of classic hockey logos, as well as ⁠⁠the full line of Islanders Anxiety merch⁠⁠. As always our portion of those sales go directly to the Center for Dementia Research. ⁠⁠The Pinot Project⁠⁠ has a Rosé, a Pinot Grigio and a Wine Enthusiast Best Buy Pinot Noir, all under $15 a bottle. Available at local wine stores and UBS Arena. Visit ⁠⁠Lighthousehockey.com⁠⁠ for the most up-to-date Islanders news and discussion. Islanders Anxiety podcasts are part of the Fans First Sports Network (⁠⁠@FansFirstSN⁠⁠). Our theme is "Morning Haze" by Family Dinner. Hear more of their music ⁠⁠on Spotify⁠⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In Part 2 of this episode, Mike and Dan react to the first concrete reporting on the Islanders moving their AHL team from Bridgeport, CT to Hamilton, ONT, and also wrap up the Mitch Marner Chronicles in another massive Master Leaf Theatre. The Bridgeport Islanders leaving their home of over 25 years was first teased months ago, but a recent report in The Athletic put out a lot of details we didn't know already. While the team has yet to make anything official, we give our initial reactions and concerns about the move, while also feeling sympathy for the fans who supported the Sound Tigers/Baby Islanders organization during an usually long time for one minor league team to stay in one place. Then it's on to another epic-length Master Leaf Theatre, as Mitch Marner makes his return to his hometown and his former favorite team's home rink. As expected, the takes afterward were equal parts dramatic and ridiculous, with some writing about the fan reaction in delusional or Shakespearian terms, and others calling out the evening's failings, including those of the Leafs themselves in a gutless 6-3 loss. We add some new voices to the Master Leaf Theatre canon, which is always a treat, and enjoy some unexpected twists from classic artists of the genre. We had so much to get to that we forgot to mention the Leafs selling an autographed Marner Knights jersey on the concourse during his return game. That tells you all you need to know about how this "hostile" this environment was. We've done a lot of this over the last two weeks, so we're going to take a little hiatus unless something crazy happens. Thanks for listening to this two-part episode. The severe weather impacted us in a few way and this was the best solution. Master Leaf Theatre works: Where did it go wrong for Mitch Marner and the Maple Leafs? by Elliotte Friedman, Sportsnet Mitch Marner hears boos (so many boos) in his return to Maple Leafs ice. As it should be by Rosie DiManno, Toronto Star Behind the boos: Inside Mitch Marner’s return to Toronto as a Golden Knight by Joshua Kloke, The Athletic Maple Leafs faithful rain jeers down upon Marner in tense reunion by Sonny Sachdeva ‘Going to be loud’: Why Toronto will be booing Mitch Marner by Luke Fox, Sportsnet Maple Leafs fail to match intensity of Mitch Marner’s return by Luke Fox, Sportsnet SIMMONS SAYS: Maple Leafs Auston Matthews behaving rather uncaptain-like by Steve Simmons Subscribe to our Patreon!⁠ Members get ad-free episodes of all our shows, bonus podcasts, written posts, chats with us and much more. Visit our friends ⁠⁠Vintage Ice Hockey⁠⁠ for t-shirts, hoodies and jerseys with hundreds of classic hockey logos, as well as ⁠⁠the full line of Islanders Anxiety merch⁠⁠. As always our portion of those sales go directly to the Center for Dementia Research. ⁠⁠The Pinot Project⁠⁠ has a Rosé, a Pinot Grigio and a Wine Enthusiast Best Buy Pinot Noir, all under $15 a bottle. Available at local wine stores and UBS Arena. Visit ⁠⁠Lighthousehockey.com⁠⁠ for the most up-to-date Islanders news and discussion. Islanders Anxiety podcasts are part of the Fans First Sports Network (⁠⁠@FansFirstSN⁠⁠). Our theme is "Morning Haze" by Family Dinner. Hear more of their music ⁠⁠on Spotify⁠⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mike and Dan find the Islanders at a low point after an average road trip and a disastrous return game. In three games this week, the Islanders left us with layers of anger and frustration. They finished their trip with two bad games, one that somehow yielded a win and another that landed like a lead balloon. They then came back to UBS Arena to face the surging Sabres and once again no-showed a matinee game full of kids, an all-too familiar scenario for them over the last decade-plus. The Isles are still in a playoff berth as of now, but only because the teams below them are scuffling. Management has made no indications that any changes are coming, and the same assortment of deck chairs keeps getting rearranged, leading to no surprises and predictable outcomes. A game against a Flyers team hunting for the same playoff berth on Monday is huge for both clubs. The Islanders follow that with back-to-back(!) games against a Rangers team that would love to play spoiler, even as they wave their second white flag in seven years. Then it's a game against Nashville, that old boogie man. With just two weeks before the Olympic Break, these winnable games will all have an effect on how the rest of the Islanders' season should be treated. This is Part 1 of a two-part episode. Part 2, in which we cover news of the Islanders' AHL affiliate moving from Bridgeport to Hamilton, ONT and dive deep into a bad weekend for the Maple Leafs in a massive Master Leaf Theatre for the ages, will be out later Monday morning. Subscribe to our Patreon!⁠ Members get ad-free episodes of all our shows, bonus podcasts, written posts, chats with us and much more. Visit our friends ⁠⁠Vintage Ice Hockey⁠⁠ for t-shirts, hoodies and jerseys with hundreds of classic hockey logos, as well as ⁠⁠the full line of Islanders Anxiety merch⁠⁠. As always our portion of those sales go directly to the Center for Dementia Research. ⁠⁠The Pinot Project⁠⁠ has a Rosé, a Pinot Grigio and a Wine Enthusiast Best Buy Pinot Noir, all under $15 a bottle. Available at local wine stores and UBS Arena. Visit ⁠⁠Lighthousehockey.com⁠⁠ for the most up-to-date Islanders news and discussion. Islanders Anxiety podcasts are part of the Fans First Sports Network (⁠⁠@FansFirstSN⁠⁠). Our theme is "Morning Haze" by Family Dinner. Hear more of their music ⁠⁠on Spotify⁠⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joined by Skates at the Stakes' AJ DeVito, we remember defenseman Robin Salo, who never seemed to get a real chance with the Islanders and then disappeared without a trace. Many sports fans have their favorite "pet prospects" that they root for to make it in the pros. Not only does AJ count Robin Salo as his favorite draft pick, he was the reason AJ became an Islanders fan in the first place. Highly touted by respected prospect watchers, Salo seemed to have all the tools to become an NHL regular. When he finally got to Long Island, all of that promise went unfilled as he got little playing time over the course of a few years. He would have flashes of talent then disappear for months due to healthy scratches and demotions to lovely Bridgeport. Once Salo finally left the Islanders to sign overseas, it felt like we barely knew him. AJ tells us about his connection to and affinity for Salo, and we break down the mysteries surrounding him and how it all got so strange. Of course, we also examine the pairing of Robin Salo and Sebastian Aho, two guys who played the same position the same way on the same team and often felt like the same person. Along the way, AJ makes a bold prediction about Salo's future that we'll be interested to see come true. Thanks again to AJ for coming on, and be sure to listen to he, Ryan and Jake at Skates at the Stakes. Subscribe to our Patreon!⁠ Members get ad-free episodes of all our shows, bonus podcasts, written posts, chats with us and much more. Visit our friends: Vintage Ice Hockey for t-shirts, hoodies and jerseys with hundreds of classic hockey logos, as well as the full line of Islanders Anxiety merch. As always our portion of those sales go directly to the Center for Dementia Research. The Pinot Project has a Rosé, a Pinot Grigio and a Wine Enthusiast Best Buy Pinot Noir, all under $15 a bottle. Available at local wine stores and UBS Arena. Visit Lighthousehockey.com for the most up-to-date Islanders news and discussion. Islanders Anxiety podcasts are part of the Fans First Sports Network (@FansFirstSN). Our theme is "Knuckles" by Björn Falk. Hear more of his music on Spotify and at Bandcamp. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mike and Dan recap a week of bizarre Islanders games and bring forth an epic Master Leaf Theatre/Ranger Piece Theater double feature with special guest Dominik Jansky. The Western Canada portion of their road trip has seen one exhilarating and miraculous win and two disappointing losses full of missed opportunities. By playing in fits and starts, the Islanders kept themselves alive but haven't yet fully crossed over the line and made themselves safe in the playoff hunt. After a strange near blowout/comeback/deflating loss in Winnipeg, they took a 1-0 win in Edmonton thanks to a tremendous Ilya Sorokin performance and a timely powerplay goal (!). They followed that up with a sloppy loss in Calgary where they looked almost guilty for stealing one elsewhere in the province. It all leads to the final two games of the trip - in Vancouver tonight and Wednesday in Seattle (on TNT) - to determine how the pre-Olympics schedule shakes out. Two wins and they're in good shape. Two losses and it's time to worry. Throw in a home return game against the Sabres and it's a lot of weight to put on three winnable-on-paper contests. So players who've been quiet on the scoresheet will need to step up, even if they get Bo Horvat back. In the second half, we welcome back friend and Lighthouse Hockey founder Dominik Jansky to read an amazing edition of Master Leaf Theatre, in which "The Charles Dickens of Master Leaf Theatre" goes on a stalking trip to find out what life is like in Las Vegas for Mitch Marner before his first game against the Leafs. What we find is a normal guy working in a new city, which, of course, is impossible to comprehend when you only think about living in Toronto. We also get some audio clips of a pissy pre-game Auston Matthews and a mysterious "Mikey from Long Island" who called into Sportsnet's Real Kyper & Bourne Show. But, wait! There's more! (after a second commercial break). We also have Dom read pieces for a brand new Ranger Piece Theater about that team's latest white flag letter that no one is buying as the start of a new retool. Owner James Dolan is repeating himself and GM Chris Drury inches closer to Mike Milbury territory. And only one man has the guts to call this latest gambit what it truly is: APPLESAUCE. Subscribe to our Patreon!⁠ Members get ad-free episodes of all our shows, bonus podcasts, written posts, chats with us and much more.Visit our friends ⁠⁠Vintage Ice Hockey⁠⁠ for t-shirts, hoodies and jerseys with hundreds of classic hockey logos, as well as ⁠⁠the full line of Islanders Anxiety merch⁠⁠. As always our portion of those sales go directly to the Center for Dementia Research. ⁠⁠The Pinot Project⁠⁠ has a Rosé, a Pinot Grigio and a Wine Enthusiast Best Buy Pinot Noir, all under $15 a bottle. Available at local wine stores and UBS Arena. Visit ⁠⁠Lighthousehockey.com⁠⁠ for the most up-to-date Islanders news and discussion. Islanders Anxiety podcasts are part of the Fans First Sports Network (⁠⁠@FansFirstSN⁠⁠). Our theme is "Morning Haze" by Family Dinner. Hear more of their music ⁠⁠on Spotify⁠⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mike and Dan recap a productive week for the Islanders and celebrate the performances of Ilya Sorokin, Anthony Duclair and Simon Holmstrom. The Islanders grabbed five of a possible six points in three very different games this week. One was a blowout that starred Duclair and also required 44 saves from Sorokin, giving him a new franchise record. The other was a tight shootout loss in Nashville that could have gone either way right up to the end. And the last was the rarest of all Islanders games - a win in Minnesota that was both a breakout game for Holmstrom and an even better performance for Sorokin than the shutout was. We asked for breathing room and got a tiny bit of it as some divisional rivals struggled. In the second half, we look at the heart and dangers of their latest long road trip that takes them to Central and Western Canada. We also debut a new feature for our PBS system, Master Sens Theatre, in which some (alleged) Telenovela-esque drama comes to Canada's capital and the team's ham-handed way of squashing it just makes it worse. Finally, we get to laugh at both the Devils, and their continued sulking about a trade that didn't involve them, and the Rangers, who had a bad week and an even worse weekend that was full of the kind of "BS" they were supposed to be without this season. Subscribe to our Patreon!⁠ Members get ad-free episodes of all our shows, bonus podcasts, written posts, chats with us and much more. Visit our friends ⁠⁠Vintage Ice Hockey⁠⁠ for t-shirts, hoodies and jerseys with hundreds of classic hockey logos, as well as ⁠⁠the full line of Islanders Anxiety merch⁠⁠. As always our portion of those sales go directly to the Center for Dementia Research. ⁠⁠The Pinot Project⁠⁠ has a Rosé, a Pinot Grigio and a Wine Enthusiast Best Buy Pinot Noir, all under $15 a bottle. Available at local wine stores and UBS Arena. Visit ⁠⁠Lighthousehockey.com⁠⁠ for the most up-to-date Islanders news and discussion. Islanders Anxiety podcasts are part of the Fans First Sports Network (⁠⁠@FansFirstSN⁠⁠). Our theme is "Morning Haze" by Family Dinner. Hear more of their music ⁠⁠on Spotify⁠⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Along with author and Capitals expert Ted Starkey, we remember Richard Zednik, a talented player and borderline legend for three NHL teams, but a footnote in Islanders history. Zednik started his career with the bang, as an exciting rookie on the Capitals 1998 Stanley Cup final team. He hit a new level after being traded to Montreal and blossoming into a big scorer. But after a disappointing return to Washington, he found himself again shipped off to Long Island. In one of the strangest seasons in Islanders history, Zednik was a true passenger. Ten games, one goal and a disappearance during an electric run to the playoffs, in which he would also play briefly. Later, he had a renaissance with the Panthers and used the Islanders for one final highlight reel goal after coming back from a horrific injury, Ted talks to us about Zednik's folk hero status in Washington - including a hilarious and era-appropriate promotional event - and what he meant to that fun squad that made a surprise run to the Cup final. We marvel at Zednik's numbers with the Canadiens and Panthers and laugh about his incredibly disappointing short time with the Islanders. He showed up, got some fans excited, did very little, dipped out for a while and came back just in time for a five-game playoff wipeout. It was yet another strange element to the extremely strange 2006-07 season, one we can't get enough of. Thanks again to Ted for coming on and all his support over the years. Follow his work at Hockey Hot Stove and check out his books, Red Rising: The Washington Capitals Story and Chasing the Dream: Life in the American Hockey League. Subscribe to our Patreon!⁠ Members get ad-free episodes of all our shows, bonus podcasts, written posts, chats with us and much more. Visit our friends: Vintage Ice Hockey for t-shirts, hoodies and jerseys with hundreds of classic hockey logos, as well as the full line of Islanders Anxiety merch. As always our portion of those sales go directly to the Center for Dementia Research. The Pinot Project has a Rosé, a Pinot Grigio and a Wine Enthusiast Best Buy Pinot Noir, all under $15 a bottle. Available at local wine stores and UBS Arena. Visit Lighthousehockey.com for the most up-to-date Islanders news and discussion. Islanders Anxiety podcasts are part of the Fans First Sports Network (@FansFirstSN). Our theme is "Knuckles" by Björn Falk. Hear more of his music on Spotify and at Bandcamp. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mike and Dan run down a surprisingly busy week for the Islanders - feel bad wins, rock bottom losses and one huge OT victory - while taking stock of the first half of their season. We've gone over the Saturday night game against the Maple Leafs in depth on our special emergency podcast, so now we look back at a lucky shootout win over Chicago and a disastrous New Year's Day home game against Utah. The Islanders didn't play well in either, but the game they tried to lose yielded two points and the other was another bad game at the worst time and left an entire arena and fanbase perplexed and angry. Lost points against beatable teams might end up haunting them later, as the entire Eastern Conference continues to be a dog fight. In the second half, we look ahead to a non-negotiable home game against a division rival that proceeds another long road trip, this time through some places the Islanders have rarely, if ever, won in. Getting two points against New Jersey is key to getting off on the right foot before heading to Nashville (on Dan's birthday) and St. Paul, MN and hoping to stay above water. We also take a look back at as good a first half as the Islanders have had in many years. But other teams are right behind them, and a four game losing streak would feel like the end of the world. So some of the players that have been on ice will need to step up in the face of injuries and mounting pressure. Subscribe to our Patreon!⁠ Members get ad-free episodes of all our shows, bonus podcasts, written posts, chats with us and much more. Visit our friends ⁠⁠Vintage Ice Hockey⁠⁠ for t-shirts, hoodies and jerseys with hundreds of classic hockey logos, as well as ⁠⁠the full line of Islanders Anxiety merch⁠⁠. As always our portion of those sales go directly to the Center for Dementia Research. ⁠⁠The Pinot Project⁠⁠ has a Rosé, a Pinot Grigio and a Wine Enthusiast Best Buy Pinot Noir, all under $15 a bottle. Available at local wine stores and UBS Arena. Visit ⁠⁠Lighthousehockey.com⁠⁠ for the most up-to-date Islanders news and discussion. Islanders Anxiety podcasts are part of the Fans First Sports Network (⁠⁠@FansFirstSN⁠⁠). Our theme is "Morning Haze" by Family Dinner. Hear more of their music ⁠⁠on Spotify⁠⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In our first ever positive emergency podcast, we hash out all of the many emotions we went through during the Islanders' 4-3 overtime win over the Maple Leafs on Hockey Night in Canada starring Matthew Schaefer. For two periods, it looked like the game and the season might be over. The Islanders were down 2-1, Auston Matthews had scored twice to become the Leafs' all time leading goal scorer, and UBS Arena was quiet as the home team gave fans very little to cheer about. But after a crosscheck from noted scumbag Max Domi, the 18-year-old Schaefer decided he had seen enough. He scored an incredible goal to tie the game, then after two more goals that sent the game to overtime, blew the roof off the place by scoring an insane game-winner off an equally insane pass from Mathew Barzal. While the feeling afterward was beyond euphoric, there were a lot more emotions before and after. Why does an 18-year-old need to put this team on his back? Why do the Islanders continue to allow other teams to score record-setting goals at their arena? How good will Schaefer be as he matures? How did this play to the Hockey Night audience back in Toronto? And who is Cole McWard? We try to address all of these and more in the moment before sleep and the rest of the weekend kicks in. We'll be back at our regular time for an episode to release on Monday morning as always. But this game deserved its own podcast and it might not be the last time Schaefer spurs us to do this. Subscribe to our Patreon!⁠ Members get ad-free episodes of all our shows, bonus podcasts, written posts, chats with us and much more. Visit our friends ⁠⁠Vintage Ice Hockey⁠⁠ for t-shirts, hoodies and jerseys with hundreds of classic hockey logos, as well as ⁠⁠the full line of Islanders Anxiety merch⁠⁠. As always our portion of those sales go directly to the Center for Dementia Research. ⁠⁠The Pinot Project⁠⁠ has a Rosé, a Pinot Grigio and a Wine Enthusiast Best Buy Pinot Noir, all under $15 a bottle. Available at local wine stores and UBS Arena. Visit ⁠⁠Lighthousehockey.com⁠⁠ for the most up-to-date Islanders news and discussion. Islanders Anxiety podcasts are part of the Fans First Sports Network (⁠⁠@FansFirstSN⁠⁠). Our theme is "Morning Haze" by Family Dinner. Hear more of their music ⁠⁠on Spotify⁠⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices