Pat LaFontaine has waited long enough - and New York Islanders fans have waited right along with him. On Saturday afternoon at UBS Arena, one of the most electrifying, beloved, and downright iconic players ever to wear the Islanders crest will finally take his rightful place in the Islanders Hall of Fame. And let's be honest: this honor is long overdue. Hall of Famer. Franchise pillar. Face of an era. Pat LaFontaine has been all of that and more.
The New York Islanders have had one heck of a resurgent season. Entering Friday night's action, the Isles are one point off the Metro Division lead. That's a huge difference over last year's frustrating season. That's nothing to sneeze at. It's been the product of several key players turning things around. For instance, Ilya Sorokin is back to his Vezina Trophy-caliber play. Anders Lee looks rejuvenated and reinvigorated. Bo Horvat, recent injury notwithstanding, is playing at career-best levels.
The entire fourth line contributed on both sides of the puck. Gatcomb made quite an impact in Thursday night's matchup, tallying an assist on Kyle MacLean's first goal of the season. The entire fourth line got on the scoresheet that night, with longtime Isles fourth line center Casey Cizikas picking up the empty net goal at the end of the game. This is not much of a surprise to me, the entire line played a fantastic game, and the hockey gods rewarded them for it.
We did everything right. We had a lot of shots. We had a lot of chances. We just came up short, Pucks did not bounce our way, I want to be honest. I like the way we are playing. I love the way we compete. Sometimes you have to throw pucks at the net and find ways to get those rebounds. There was urgency, and we needed a shot from the top.
The devastating news regarding Kyle Palmieri's injury has hit the New York Islanders like a ton of bricks. The sobering news has put a serious damper on what has been a good season for the Isles so far. Palmieri joins Alexander Romanov as the second Islanders lineup regular to go down for pretty much the remainder of the season. That's no bueno to say the least. But beyond the crushing effects on the lineup itself, missing Palmieri could also lead to other effects.
Selected in the fourth round (115th overall), Gamzin has taken the reins as starting netminder for CSKA Moskva in the KHL. The 22-year-old backstop took over the role from former NHLer Spencer Martin, who recently left CSKA after losing the starting job, signing with the NY Rangers, and is currently playing for the Hartford Wolf Pack. Despite playing in a low-scoring league, Gamzin's numbers have been phenomenal.
The New York Islanders have done something they haven't done in over a calendar year: Win a game in a shootout. Facing a second straight loss after Freddy Gaudreau of the Seattle Kraken snuck the opener past Islanders netminder David Rittich, the red-hot Bo Horvat converted what would have been his side's final chance with a quick wrister that beat netminder Joey Daccord. Kyle Palmieri snapped the winner in the next round, lifting the Islanders to a 1-0 victory on Sunday night at UBS Arena.
Lou Lamoriello may be retired from running hockey teams, but he is far from gone from the New York Islanders. In fact, the legendary executive remains part of the franchise's fabric, quietly working behind the scenes as an advisor to majority owner Scott Malkin. And if you were expecting bitterness or second-guessing after he was let go as GM in April, you won't find a trace of it.
