NYHN Daily: Islanders Losing Streak at Eight, Bailey Back on Ice & More

The New York Islanders were unable to stop the bleeding on Friday night, as a 1-0 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins saw their losing streak extended to eight games. The power play continues to be a major issue, as they now are statistically the worst in the NHL The Islanders did receive their first piece of good news during practice on Friday, as Josh Bailey was out of quarantine and back on the ice with his teammates.

These stories and more in today’s daily links!

Eight isn’t so great for the New York Islanders, who dropped their eighth game in a row on Friday night. They fell to the visiting Pittsburgh Penguins 1-0 at UBS Arena and dropped to 5-10-2. Netminder Ilya Sorokin did all he could to keep the Islanders in it, but the offensive woes continued as they were shut out for the third time on this slide. Here are the takeaways from the loss. (NYI Hockey Now)

The New York Islanders’ latest loss was another night of the team’s power-play failing to capitalize on an opportunity to get back into the game. The Islanders went 0-for-2 on the night and didn’t register a shot on their first man-advantage of the evening. That has seemed to be par for the course of late for New York, which has just one power-play goal in 29 chances in November. Their 10.2 power-play percentage is the worst in the league and their five goals on the man advantage are tied for the fewest among all 32 teams. (NYI Hockey Now)

It’s felt like forever since the New York Islanders received some good news, but the return of Josh Bailey to the ice certainly fit that category. After a week of seemly bad news on a daily basis, the Islanders had one of the seven players in COVID protocol return to the ice. The good news only goes so far since Josh Bailey will not be available for Friday’s meeting with the Pittsburgh Penguins. (NYI Hockey Now)

As is tradition, the Boston Bruins faced the New York Rangers the day after Thanksgiving. Boston, who has had the Rangers number in the past, were the better team early on in the contest, but the Rangers outworked them for the majority of the game, winning by a score of 5-2. “We kind of pissed [a chance to win] away, to be honest with you,” Cassidy said of Friday’s performance. “I think there’s been too much of it in general…” (Boston Hockey Now)

The Pittsburgh Penguins picked up their fifth straight win as they shut out the Islanders 1-0 on Friday night. Netminder Tristan Jarry has manned the crease for the entire win streak and picked up his thrid shutout in five games. Kaspari Kapanen had the lone goal in the contest. Here are the takeaways from the win. (Pittsburgh Hockey Now)

Alex Ovechkin loves scoring goals and he added three more on Friday as his hat trick helped the Washington Capitals defeat the Florida Panthers 4-3. He took a puck to the face in the contest, needing stitches, and said it was a wake-up call that fueled him to explode offensively. He is now two power-play goals shy of passing Dave Andreychuk for the most PPGs in NHL history. His 1,356 points are now the 26th most in league history, and his 28 hat tricks are tied with Bobby Hull and Marcel Dionne for the sixth-most all-time. (Washington Hockey Now)

The Florida Panthers have been one of the best hockey teams in the NHL this season, yet there are still things that they need to improve upon. One aspect of their game that they cannot seem to stabilize is their power play. In the loss to the Washington Capitals on Friday, the Panthers went 0-3 with the man advantage, allowing a shorthanded goal in the process. (Florida Hockey Now)

The Detroit Red Wings have been an exciting team to watch develop this season. While the youngsters in Lucas Raymond and Moritz Seider are must-watch, part of the turnaround of this franchise has been the play and leadership of Dylan Larkin. His 10 goals already surpassed his output from the 2020-21 shortened season. And the numbers are showing that he could set career highs this season if he continues at this pace. (Detroit Hockey Now)

The Toronto Maple Leafs met up with an old teammate on Friday, as they faced off against James Reimer and the San Jose Sharks. It did not go as planned for Reimer, as he was pulled from his net after allowing four goals on 17 shots. William Nylander and John Tavares each had a goal and an assist in the 4-1 win. Here’s how it happened. (Toronto Hockey Now)

The Montreal Canadiens showed a major lack of effort in their 4-1 loss to the Buffalo Sabres on Friday night. It appears as if the Montreal players have thrown in the towel. They are not playing for their coach. They aren’t playing for the fans. And they certainly aren’t playing for themselves. Here are the takeaways from the ugly loss. (Montreal Hockey Now)

The Vegas Golden Knights’ inaugural season will be one that is never forgotten. Making it all the way to the Stanley Cup Final seemed like a dream rather than reality. But since losing to the Washington Capitals in the finals, the Golden Knights have undergone a lot of roster changes. That begs the question, who will be the last remaining original Vegas Golden Knight? (Vegas Hockey Now)

Statistically, the San Jose Sharks were outmatched heading into their meeting with the Toronto Maple Leafs. But that is why you play the game. Unfortunately, sloppy play saw the Leafs take control of the game, getting to James Remier, who was eventually pulled. Here are the game notes from the loss. (San Jose Hockey Now)

The Vancouver Canucks suffered another loss, a 4-2 defeat at the hands of the Columbus Blue Jackets on Friday night. You have to lose a lot of games in order to have the most moral victories in the league. The Canucks have no direction and right now, it is looking like another lost season. Here are five takeaways from the loss. (Vancouver Hockey Now)

Back in 2014, a Boston Bruins fan Liam Fitzgerald took the internet by storm as he became known as the “fist pump” kid. Fitzgerald was born with down syndrome and was diagnosed with Leukemia at the age of three, which he was able to beat. While his is now 15, he is still a huge Boston Bruins fan. During the game against the New York Rangers on Friday, Fitzgerald was in attendance. On the broadcast, ABC aired an update on his story as part of Hockey Fights Cancer month. (NHL)

San Jose Sharks general manager Doug Wilson is taking a leave of absence. Assistant general manager Joe Will will man the helm until Wilson returns. There is no more information at this time about why but Sharks head coach Bob Boughner told the media that they are all thinking of Wilson during this time and they cannot wait to see him back. (NHL)