I guess that roster post was about two hours too early. We’ll have to go back and do another one. In a not surprising move, Griffin Reinhart returned to juniors. In a surprising move, the Islanders will also return Ryan Strome without giving him a 5-game look at the NHL level.
To read more of this story, click here
Kevin Schultz , Islanders Point Blank:
This is the fun in a pre-season scrimmage; the Sound Tigers won 5-3 in regulation but by the time the shootout was all over, the Islanders had clawed their way back to win 6-5. It’s all fun and wacky arithmetic when the game doesn’t mean anything in the standings.
The funny thing about this particular game is you could tell a little bit about who was in game shape and who had extra motivation. The Sound Tigers for the most part had both of those things, as they’re in the middle of the season and if you were on that roster, you didn’t get a camp invite (save for the two junior invitees). One particular player who skated like a bat out of hell was Nino Niederreiter. To read more of this story, click here
The Islanders grabbed another defender off the waiver wire today in Thomas Hickey a day after they got Joe Finley. Finley is rather large defender whose attributes and shortcomings are fairly straightforward; he fights, hits people, stays at home and skating could use work. With Hickey, it’s a tad more complex. Hickey is a fourth overall pick who has spent the past four seasons in the AHL. So why did the Kings put him in a position to get plucked off the waiver wive and why didn’t he make the Kings? For answers to those questions, we turn to the people who know the Kings better than just about anyone, the Kings blog the Royal Half: To read more of this story, click here
Kevin Schultz , Islanders Point Blank:
SYOSSET, NY — As the Islanders kicked off training camp today at Iceworks, it was the first day on the ice for one of their young players who had not participated in optional skates last week. The team’s 2012 first round pick, Griffin Reinhart, was one of those having arrived on Long Island only yesterday.
“It was really cool,” Reinhart said in the lockerroom following his first day on NHL ice. “You can definitely tell that it’s a faster pace than it is up in junior. I was really looking forward to this day and it came a little later than I expected but I’m excited to be here.” To read more of this story, click here
Kevin Schultz , Islanders Point Blank:
SYOSSET, NY — This morning, Ryan Strome hit the ice for the first time as a member of the New York Islanders in a blue, #18 practice jersey. The 19-year old, drafted 5th overall in 2011, is the next in a long line of recent Islander draft picks expected to excel on Long Island.
Strome is on Long Island early for next week’s training camp, skating informally with teammates today at Iceworks. He’s a prime candidate to take one of the few remaining spots left up for grabs. The Islanders have 12 forwards under NHL contract, meaning there are one or two more spots still available. Strome didn’t know if he would earn one of those spots, saying he hadn’t talked to the coaching staff ‘about anything.’ To read more of this story, click here
Kevin Schultz , Islanders Point Blank:
It’s another day and that means it’s time for another round of As the KHL Turns, starring Ilya Kovalchuk, Lubomir Visnovsky and KHL President Alexander Medvedev. When we last left them yesterday, Kovalchuk was playing coy about whether or not he would stay in Russia, Visnovsky wanted to stay, and Medvedev’s League was saying it would honor NHL contracts and boot players back across the Atlantic. Then Medvedev apparently got on his soapbox and told Slava Malamud from Sport-Express in Russia the following:
“NHL’s opinion of itself is so high… OK, let them get drunk on their greatness. We’ll see how many Euros look our way… Our league will act according to our own and international rules. If players decide to stay, we will help them… [Not going to Sochi] will be a big financial loss for NHL.. If they decide differently, that’s their problem.”
So, that’s something a little different. We’ll see if the KHL’s actions follow Medvedev’s words or not. I’ve thought all along the KHL wouldn’t start a war over just Visnovsky, but now that Kovalchuk is in limbo and then this shot-across-the-bow from Medvedev, maybe a war is just what they want.
Visnovsky’s agent, on the other hand, says his client would report to the Island ‘if he had to.’ We’ll see if he has to. It’s getting really interesting and this certainly isn’t over yet.
SO, CAN WE START THIS THING ALREADY? To read more of this story, click here
Earlier today at the World Juniors, Ville Pokka’s Team Finland lit up Germany for eight unanswered goals. Pokka was a large part of it, notching two goals and a +5 rating in the game. You can skip ahead through the first couple minutes of the video below to find Pokka’s goals. He’s #12 with the visor.
We missed it earlier in the week, but Ryan Strome picked up another goal for Canada against the US on Sunday. Next up for Canada is another game against the US tomorrow morning at 4 AM ET. Finland takes on Slovakia Friday at 8 AM in their next game. For full schedules and standings, check out TSN.
Kevin Schultz , Islanders Point Blank:
This morning at the World Junior Championship, the Canadians had a minor scare after they found themselves in a 2-0 hole early against Slovakia. With two goals from Ryan Strome (hockey news cover, right) the Canadians roared back to score four times in the second and twice in the third for a 6-3 win.
Also of note were the Canadians getting two game misconducts for hits on Slovakia players. The second, when Anthony Camara lit up Patrik Luza, looked like an especially painful shoulder-to-head hit.
In other Isles news, Griffin Reinhart picked up an assist as did Ville Pokka, although Pokka’s Finns lost 3-1 to the Czechs.
Full video of Canada’s win is after the jump including all goals and hits. You can find Strome’s first goal at the 1:30 mark and his second, a nice breakaway finish, at the 7:00 mark. To read more of this story, click here
And it’s a nice give and go. Strome follows the puck after nearly cycling out of the offensive zone and gets rewarded for going to the net. Canada’s next game is Friday morning at 4:30 EST. While we’re at it, here’s Ville Pokka’s assist.
Kevin Schultz , Islanders Point Blank:
Early this morning the World Junior Championships kicked off in Ufa, Russia. Yes, actual hockey was played with actual current and future NHLers participating. The Islanders have three representatives in the WJCs; top draft picks Ryan Strome and Griffin Reinhart are skating for team Canada — apparently doing their best impressions of the bad guys from Mighty Ducks — while 2012 second round pick Ville Pokka is on the Finnish team. To read more of this story, click here
