Mike and Dan recap the Islanders clinching a playoff berth, look ahead to another series against Carolina and welcome in Arthur Staple of The Athletic to discuss the season that was. With a win over New Jersey on Monday, the Islanders' secured third place in the Metro Division and earned themselves a very rare meaningless (yet still very bizarre) g…

Mike and Dan recap a successful couple of games that have put the Islanders on the brink of clinching a playoff spot - which is both good and terrifying. An OT win over the Canadiens and a "feel good" shootout loss the Rangers meant huge points in the Eastern Conference playoff race. A win in New Jersey on Monday night would lock up third place in …

Joined by Penguins writer and fan Adam Gretz, Mike and Dan remember Randy Robitaille, who had a surprisingly productive NHL career for several teams. From going undrafted and getting hurt in his first game to playing for a whole bunch of undermanned units - who needed stunts like student discount passes just to get people in the building - Robitail…

Mike and Dan wade into the aftermath of the Islanders 4-2 win over the Rangers, including a coach disagreement, bad acting, entitlement and anger. Sponsored by Hot Topic. After a blistering first period, the Islanders sat back while the Rangers took shots at a superhuman Semyon Varlamov. In the third period, Adam Pelech and Mika Zibanejad collided,…

Mike and Dan try to make sense of the Islanders' recent turnaround, that saw them win four straight and vault into third place in the Metro Division. What seemed like a lost cause suddenly became an uplifting triumph, sometimes within the same game. Wins over the Flyers, Blackhawks, Blue Jackets and, most improbably, the Predators included many of …

Mike and Dan examine an up-and-down trip to Florida and the Islanders' refusal to recognize their precarious situation, and recap their first ever live event. After a gutsy win over the Panthers, the Islanders seemed to gain a tiny bit of momentum in the sad race for the final playoff berths in the Eastern Conference. But then an embarrassing, impo…

Dan and Kevin Schultz from VintageIceHockey.com take a look at some Islanders minor league affiliates of the past and the surprising players who skated for them. From the notable New Haven Nighthawks of the early 70's, to their long association with Fort Worth, Texas, to a championship club in Indianapolis to short stops in unique places like Kentu…

Mike and Dan recap a week of brief hope and crushing defeats as the hard working Islanders teams of just a few years ago finally disappear for good. Ineffective, embarrassing losses to the Hurricanes, Red Wings and Devils showed that this version of the Islanders has lost whatever spark it had and is only interested in cosplaying like the Islanders…

Mike and Dan dissect a rare Islanders segment from Sportsnet's venerable 32 Thoughts podcast about the club's current losing streak and clouded playoff race. Hosted by Jeff Marek and Elliotte Friedman, 32 Thoughts is the most listened-to news podcast in hockey. They also don't watch the Islanders that often. So when they take in two disastrous game…

Mike and Dan move their scheduled recording up a day to rant about the Islanders' four-game losing streak and lack of response in games. From a "waste of time," to a team and a fanbase that was "different now" to yet another string of losses in a season full of them, this Islanders campaign continues to be exhausting and depressing. Something is st…

Joined by returning guest Nick Giglia, we celebrate goalie Al Montoya, who took a long road to the NHL and looked for a half season like more found money for the scrappy Islanders. Montoya had all the makings of an Islanders villain including getting drafted high by the Rangers and a preseason fight against Rick DiPietro. But after years of being b…

Despite the end of their six game winning streak and some scary games ahead, Mike and Dan remain hopeful about the Islanders' playoff chances (and the Penguins' demise). Massive wins over St. Louis, San Jose and Anaheim put the Islanders back into the wild card chase, took a big chunk off their goal differential and made fans rethink what we knew a…

Our post trade deadline Monthly Mail Bag podcast brought questions about the Islanders' lack of moves, future former Islanders who did not become Islanders, the future of the team's first round pick this year, what the 2014 trade deadline would have sounded like as an Islanders Anxiety episode and more. To hear the full episode, which is nearly two…

Mike and Dan recap the Islanders stunning week of huge wins that put them back in the playoff picture, and look ahead at this Friday's trade deadline. Victories over Dallas, Detroit and Boston gave fans renewed hope that this season might not be the waste of time it seemed just one week ago. Structured defense and great individual performances like…

First ever Weird Islanders guest Carey Haber is back to chat with Mike and Dan about Justin Papineau, the vaunted return in the trade of Chris Osgood that turned out to not be. With a young Rick DiPietro (allegedly) ready for starting duty, the Islanders chose to trade Osgood to St. Louis for one of the Blues' most tantalizing prospects. Papineau w…

After two awful losses and one wobbly win in a crucial week, Mike and Dan discuss how this Islanders season has felt like a huge waste of time for everyone. Sure, Adam Pelech (of all people) scoring in overtime against the Penguins felt good. But the goal came after yet another blown third period lead and gave away a point to another team in the sa…

Mike and Dan react to the Islanders' gut-wrenching loss in the Stadium Series game against the Rangers at Met Life Stadium and a season full of gut-wrenching losses. For 55 minutes, the game was a fun one for Islanders fans who braved the travel and the cold to see the spectacle that only comes around once every 10 years. Then in the blink of an ey…

Joined again by podcaster and actor Michael Paul Smith, we remember when the Islanders were gifted two time Stanley Cup champion goalie Chris Osgood, who helped their quick transformation in the early 2000’s. The late 90’s Detroit Red Wings and Islanders were barely playing the same sport. One was the best team of its era and the other was all but …

Mike and Dan look back at an eventful week for the Islanders and elsewhere, with big wins, a frustrating loss, controversies up north and maybe some light tax evasion. They start with Saturday's sleepy loss to Calgary, another missed opportunity for a team that can't afford any, and how things could have been worse if not for a friendly out-of-town…

Mike and Dan come out of the NHL All Star Break with no idea how the Islanders will fare in the crucial next few games and with an epic edition of Master Leaf Theatre. While the team was on break (sans Mathew Barzal, who was part of the winning All Star team), Lou Lamoriello was making moves, including (officially) hiring Patrick Roy's new assistan…

Mike and Dan catch up with NHL.com editor and all around Islanders luminary Brian Compton and remember Michael Dal Colle, a high first round pick who took the long road to become a fine defensive forward. With a pedigree that included bushels of goals and a Memorial Cup, Dal Colle seemed like the perfect pick for the still building Islanders. But b…

With a bye week for the Islanders looming, Mike and Dan look at a potpourri of topics including more irritating losses, small strides and the team's big picture outlook. New coach Patrick Roy is trying to get his players on the same page, but hasn't had much time. And so many of the problems that plagued his predecessor are still costing the Island…

Mike and Dan recap the first game of the Islanders' Patrick Roy experience, and reflect on some of the bigger stories at play in this new era. While their 3-2 overtime win over Dallas featured a lot of the same mistakes they've been making all season (as well as a fantastic game-winning goal by Bo Horvat), there was a noticeable uptick in energy. T…

Mike is back from Mexico, Lane Lambert is finally out and Patrick Roy is the Islanders' new coach. We try to unpack it all in a special emergency episode. After a dreadful, dreary loss in overtime a barely AHL-quality Blackhawks squad and some pointed comments afterward, Lou Lamoriello finally decided that his team needed a new voice. So on a Satur…

Joined by producer and podcaster Tyler Gildin, we remember forward Peter Regin, who came to Long Island to play with his countryman Frans Nielsen and left soon in a deal that quietly remade a few teams. Signed as a budget free agent with a small chance of upside, Regin started the 2013-14 season with a great goal and high hopes, then quickly went c…

Dan is joined by Nassaumen Hockey podcast co-host Jon Zella to recap a week of ugly losses and thrilling wins with the Islanders still missing something halfway through the season. In a complete loss to the Canucks and a gut-wrenching last second defeat in Nashville, the Islanders showed the problems of inconsistency and undisciplined play still ha…

Mike and Dan recap missed opportunities on a Southwestern road trip, look ahead to an annoying week and make a MONUMENTAL ANNOUNCEMENT. In an overtime loss in Denver and a collapse in Las Vegas, the Islanders left points on the table with self-inflicted wounds, which has become a hallmark of the season. A full marks win in Arizona felt great, but t…

Along with Skates at the Stakes podcast host AJ DeVito, Mike and Dan remember Tom Kuhnhackl, a depth winger capable of unforgettable goals and non-goals alike. Coming over as a free agent in the first year under Lou Lamoriello and Barry Trotz, Kuhnhackl provided the Islanders with the kind of no frills veteran experience they didn't always have bef…

On the first day of 2024, Mike and Dan recap two losses to Pittsburgh and one complete win over Washington, which left the Islanders in a precarious place as they head out west. Despite the fanbase (aka "us") brimming with confidence going into their games against the Penguins, the Islanders fell on their faces both times - once in a 7-0 disaster a…

Mike and Dan recap a productive Christmas week for the Islanders and reflect on how they keep picking points despite significant injuries. With wins over the Oilers and Hurricanes and an overtime loss to the Capitals, the Islanders put some distance between themselves and some Metro rivals, and took tentative control of second place in the division…

Joined by longtime Lighthouse Hockey contributor Travis Flynn, a.k.a. North Dakota Red Eagle, Mike and Dan remember Cliff Ronning, a star player who, against all odds, ended up an Islander for half a season. Thanks to great seasons in Vancouver, Phoenix, Nashville and a number of other cities (and one iconic video game), Ronning had built a cult fo…

Mike and Dan recap an eventful week of four games with highs, lows, history and heroics that kept the Islanders in the fight in the Metro. Each game could have been its own podcast, but we take an overview of where the team is after 30 games and how they got here - both good and bad. While some players have emerged as better than expected, others a…

In a short bonus clip, Mike and Dan answer questions from Patrons. Sign up for our Country Club tier to hear more Monthly Mail Bag podcasts and receive other exclusives. This month, we cover the Islanders' overtime win over the Maple Leafs and the avalanche of booing that ensued (directed at one particular player), as well as what to actually make …

Mike and Dan recap the Islanders' two big wins after their disastrous loss to San Jose, and prepare for a tough week against the Leafs, Ducks, Bruins and Habs. In beating the Blue Jackets and Kings, the latter of whom was on a record-setting 11-game road winning streak, the Islanders reversed their trend of blowing leads late, taking over each game…

Joined by Marc Sabourin, aka Sab, aka the creator of one of the best Islanders channels on YouTube, Mike and Dan remember goalie Kevin Poulin, who played less and won more internationally than most realize. Poulin was pressed into duty on multiple iterations of the Islanders, few of them good. But he was capable of having outstanding games and stan…

The title is meant to be ironic. We have plenty of words to describe the Islanders' latest third period disasterpiece, a 5-4 OT loss to the San Jose Sharks that's left everyone angry and beyond frustrated. Their 11th blown third period lead of the season is just the tip of the iceberg. Careless play, inexplicable coaching and another joyless experi…

Getting Mathew Barzal to Long Island took a long series of moves, hubris and dumb luck, and his start as an NHL player was delayed by a couple of seasons. But once he got his chance on an Islanders team on shaky ground on and off the ice, Barzal fulfilled the promise of his sparkling junior hockey days and showed that his inherent cockiness was bot…

Mike and Dan react to a wild week in which the Islanders won two of three on the road despite continuing their bad habits. Listen for a few important announcements as well. After an excruciating, infuriating last second loss in New Jersey, the Islanders faced daunting games in Raleigh and Sunrise. They won both while still coughing up leads, failin…

So far in this series, we’ve seen Denis Potvin win the Calder Trophy as the NHL’s best rookie after helping transform a hapless team into something resembling a professional one. We’ve seen him rocket up the charts of the league’s best defensemen, capturing his first Norris Trophy at just 22-years-old. We’ve seen him win a second Norris after pissi…

Mike and Dan recap (and differ) on the Islanders last week, which saw them pick up five of six points, play a game with just four defensemen and acquire a player they advocated for years ago. Wins against the Flyers and Senators weren't perfect, but were huge nonetheless, especially considering the losses of Adam Pelech (now on long term injured re…

Joined by Gotham Sports Network founder and Giants podcaster Ethan, Mike and Dan remember Mike Comrie, who brought a lot of skill and a very famous significant other to a downtrodden Islanders club. After 30-goal seasons in Edmonton and Phoenix and a run to the Stanley Cup final with Ottawa, Comrie signed with a mercenary Islanders team looking for…

By winning the Calder Trophy in 1974 and the Norris in 1976, Denis Potvin had already established himself as one of the best defensemen in the NHL. That was the good news. The bad news was that his mouth and idiosyncratic disposition separated him from many of his peers and even his own teammates. An inflammatory series of diaries written during th…