BELIEVE: New York Islanders SHOCK Vegas—JG Pageau & Mathew Barzal Fuel Unbelievable Win

Just when you thought the New York Islanders couldn’t get any more exciting and dramatic, they score a short-handed overtime gamewinner. We’ll have our key takeaways from the game and a preview of both of this weekend’s big games. All of that and more on today’s Locked On Islanders podcast. You’re Locked On Islanders, your daily podcast on the New York Islanders, part of the Locked On podcast network, your team every day. Gil Martin here. Welcome everybody to the Friday edition of the Locked On Islanders podcast, part of the Locked On Podcast Network, your team every day. I want to thank everyone who makes Lockdown Islanders your first listen every day. Don’t forget to subscribe on YouTube or wherever you listen to podcasts so you never miss an episode. I also want to thank everyone for making the Locked on Podcast Network the number one sports podcast network. I am Gil Martin. I’ve been covering the New York Islanders for almost two decades and I wrote the book Ice Wars on the history of the Islanders rivalry with the Rangers from 1972 to the modern era. So glad you could join us today to talk a little Islanders hockey. And we have got an action-packed show. Wow. The Islanders with an overtime short-handed gamewinning goal in a wild ride of a game. We’ll have our key takeaways. We’ll also have our hero and goat of the game. And we will preview both of this weekend’s tough road games against Utah and Colorado. So, lots to discuss. Look, let’s let’s start with Thursday night’s game. Those of you who stayed up to watch it, it was worth staying up late. The New York Islanders get a short-handed game-winning goal from JG Pacio to beat the Vegas Golden Knights 4 to3. And look, this game had everything. There was skill, there was speed, there was size, although most of the size was to the advantage of the Vegas Golden Knights. The Islanders took a two nothing lead, saw that lead disappear, fell behind 3-2, and again, this team showed so much resilience in this game, picking themselves up. you know, you fall behind three to two after you’re holding a two to nothing lead against a a team that is expected to be a Stanley Cup contender. You’re on the road. It would have been so easy for this Islanders team to be deflated, to pout, to to give up. And Patrick Wah pulls the goalie, pulls Sroken for the sixth attacker. And lo and behold, Matthew Barzal scores the tying goal off a great feed from Matthew Schaefer. And the Islanders send it to overtime. And then just when you thought it couldn’t get more dramatic, both teams had some good scoring chances early in overtime. But the Islanders take one of those stupid penalties that we’ve seen them take too often in recent years. They’re called for too many men on the ice in overtime. You’re short-handed and you’re ready to say as an Islanders fan, “Oh no, here we go again.” Right off the draw in the Islander zone, JG Pacio wins the draw, gets to the puck first, skates all the way down the ice, uses the defenseman as a screen, and puts the puck into the net with a wicked shot, and the Islanders have a 4 to3 win. And boy, I I have to say, I love the resilience that this team showed. And it wasn’t just tying the game late and winning the game in overtime. And and let’s be honest, how clutch has Matthew Barzal been lately? How clutch has JG Pou been in recent weeks? This team is getting key contributions from key players and finding ways to win games. And and let’s let’s face it, the Vegas Golden Knights are more skilled than the Islanders. They are more physical than the Islanders. They are bigger than the Islanders. And they are considered a better team on paper than the New York Islanders. And yet and yet the Islanders find a way to stay with it, come back and win this game. And and think about this. It took the Islanders about 9 minutes and change to even register their first goal of the game. Uh shot on goal, excuse me, of the game. And you know, they were getting outplayed and and and yet, you know, they were being outshot what, five or six to nothing. And yet they find a way to hang in there. Ilia Sroken came up with some really big saves. And you you look at the box score, okay? And Siroken save percentage was 897. He had 26 saves and 29 shots. But I have to tell you, he came up big so many times. None of those three goals were soft in overtime and in the third period. There were so many opportunities that Vegas had to put the game away and Siroken just came up with some spectacular saves. So, the numbers are not great. They’re not terrible at 897 save percentage, but if you saw this game, you realize that Elilia Sroken is back on his horse playing the kind of hockey that the New York Islanders need in order to win hockey games. And here we are. We talked about this road trip before it started, sevengame road trip. And my statement every day will remember I said let’s get seven points minimum on this sevengame road trip. Well, we’re three games in and the Islanders have won all three. They have six points already. They have four chances to get one more point to just meet that 500 long road trip standard. But now they have a chance to exceed that, to build on this, to extend the winning streak. And make no mistake about it, the improved play of Elilia Siroken has a lot to do with why the Islanders are in the position they are in, having now won three straight games away from home. Uh, against quality opponents, no less. The Devils, uh, a and the Golden Knights certainly quality opponents. The Rangers have been inconsistent, but look, you throw out the records. When the Islanders play the Rangers, it’s just a, you know, a a challenge regardless of how good the teams are. And the Islanders really shut down the Rangers at Madison Square Garden. So, this has been a really great three games. Matthew Schaefer, a goal and an assist. Got to give him more credit. He is so even, you know, he’s excited, but he is so calm when he’s on the ice. It’s not that he’s not enthusiastic. It’s not that kind of calm. It’s the kind of calm that comes with I can handle this. I am confident in myself. I know I will find a way to get the job done. And boy, I mean, again, he leads the team in time on ice with 1 second less than 26 minutes of ice time. He scores a goal, sets up a the game tying goal, and just really gives the New York Islanders just he is sort of the catalyst that helps this team. And Bo Horvat doesn’t score a goal in this game, but two helpers for Bo, who continues to just play exceptional hockey. So, I this is a team win. This team could have given up, didn’t give up, and really showed why this edition of the New York Islanders is different. Even though a lot of the personnel is the same, this team is fundamentally different than the team we saw last season and the season before that. They may or may not make the playoffs this year, but boy, they are fun to watch. They have uh resilience. They have more speed. They are exciting. And they have not they have found ways to win games like last night in Vegas that maybe they should not have won. And it is great to see this team get that done. Now, by the way, uh I did a little quick research right after the game ended and I found two other regular season shorthanded overtime goals by the Islanders. I I there may be more, but these are the two that I was able to find. Uh 1990, November 15th, Brent Sutter in Calgary with a short-handed overtime winner. And then February 12th, 2002, Michael Pekka, a short-handed overtime winner in Philadelphia. This one happens in Vegas by JG Pacio. So, all three of the short-handed overtime game-winning goals that I’m aware of came on the road. Go figure that one out. We have got a lot more to discuss on today’s show. We’ll have our more some more key takeaways. We’ll also have our hero and go to the game and uh we will preview both of this weekend’s games. And for our Islanders birthday of the day, uh a defenseman who played for the Rangers and the Islanders, uh this let’s see if you know who this Finnish defenseman who was with the Islanders in the late 80s and very early 90s is. We’ll talk about him and his legacy. All that and a lot more coming up on today’s Locked On Islanders podcast. Today’s episode is brought to you by Monarch. Let’s be honest, most of us can’t even name all our financial accounts, let alone what they’re worth. Between 401k, savings, and investments, it’s easy to lose track, and that can mean leaving money on the table. That’s why I started using Monarch. It’s an all-in-one personal finance tool that brings your entire financial life together in one clean, easy to use interface on your laptop or your phone. Monarch’s visual dashboards and smart tools make it so much easier to understand where my money’s going and how to make it work harder for me. And hey, if you and a significant other share accounts, you can review everything together and make better financial decisions. So don’t let financial opportunity slip through the cracks. Use code locked on NHL at monarch.com for 50% off your first year. That’s monarch.com code lockdown NHL for half off your first year. Check it out today. I got to say uh that this win the my confidence in this team is growing. It’s not there yet. I I am not ready to say this team is a cup contender or even is going to make the playoffs, but with each game that they play better hockey, my confidence in this team just grows. And I I have to say that they showed a lot of composure in this game. Now, uh, the Islanders did put Adam Bokefist into the lineup. He only played a little more than 11 minutes. That’s cuz Scott Mayfield, his wife, uh, you know, went into labor, so he flew back to New York. Boist was in and Travis Mitchell was called up for the game, but he and Kyle Mlan were healthy scratches. Max Shabanov still uh, not ready again. He was skating on his own, but with the red no contact jersey in Wednesday’s practice, so he’s getting closer, but he’s still not there yet. But bottom line, uh, Bokeist filled in. Didn’t have the most eventful game. Uh, you know, 11 minutes 15 seconds, no shots, no blocks, no takeaways, no giveaways. Uh, but he didn’t hurt the team either and gave them a solid 11 minutes and 15 seconds. Little tidbits from this game. Matthew Barzal winning five out of eight faceoffs. Islanders did well in the dot. JG Pacio 11 out of 18 faceoffs. So, that was certainly helpful. Uh if I’m looking at the hero and the goat of the game, I’m going to start with the GOAT, Patrick Wah. Uh why Islanders fall behind 3-2 on a a goal in the third period by Riley Smith. and Wah decides with 9 minutes and 15 seconds left to challenge the goal for goalender interference. Now, every day, as you know, I’ve mentioned several times on this show, nobody knows what how to define or what exactly goalie interference is. Putting that aside, it seems according to every observer and every person I have spoken to and and you know other people covering the sport broadcasters, everybody seems to say that they are kind of going out of their way to not call goalie interference as easily as in the past. And if you look at that on the play of the Riley Smith goal, yes, Kyle Palmary was kind of pushed into the crease. There was minimal contact between Pal Mary and Sroken and it didn’t seem to significantly interfere with Sroken’s ability to make the save. If they would have called that goalie interference on the ice, it probably would have stood. If they called it a good goal on the ice, it probably would have stood. But you look at that replay, there just wasn’t enough of a of of contact to really expect that to be overturned. And if that is the case, you’re down by one goal, you’ve got a little more than nine minutes on the clock, you lose that challenge, that’s a delay of game penalty on the Islanders. You’re giving away about 22% of the remaining ice time in the game just to kill that penalty. And that’s assuming you don’t give up a power play goal, which thankfully they did not. But, you know, it’s a low percentage challenge. If there was a minute left in the game, I could have understood the challenge more because you almost have nothing to lose. But with nine minutes left in the game, taking two minutes off and risking giving up a power play goal was just a very low percentage move. It was, you know, the old expression, you know, throwing away good money after bad. That’s kind of what this was like. So, you know, you gotta pick your shots when you are trying to overturn a goal. And unfortunately, that is not what Patrick Wad did. He gambled. It didn’t pay off. I get it. I I mean, I I understand the desperation of trying, but it it was a low percentage move. Thankfully, they killed the pen penalty off and were able to come back and win. So, my goat in that instance for that poor decision is Patrick Wah. Hero of the game is tough. I could go with Schaefer. He had a goal and an assist. I could certainly go with Barzal for the game tying goal. Uh, Siroken was outstanding. I could certainly consider him, but I am gonna go with JG Pacio for the game-winning short-handed overtime goal. It was his only shot on goal. I talked about what he did in the faceoff circle. Such a dramatic finish to this game. A veteran player stepping up and getting the job done. So to me, JG Pacio has got to be the hero of the game. Not that there weren’t other candidates. Patrick Wah has to be the GOAT. And you know, I I hate to call this guy out also, but Casey Suzik is just struggling out there right now. And I don’t know if he’s playing hurt or if he’s just in a slump or if maybe he’s just, you know, the the physical toll on his body after all these seasons. He’s just finally lost a step that he couldn’t afford to lose. But Zeke a minus one only out there for 6 minutes and 47 seconds. He was credited with one hit and that was it. So, I I mean just some it’s sad to see because I’ve been a Casey Sikas fan for a very long time, but uh you know that that his play needs to pick up or the Islanders really need to consider sitting him at least for a few games and seeing if he can regroup. But boy, what a great win for the New York Islanders. Three wins in a row. You go on the road, you’re up against one of the better teams in the league. You blow a two nothing lead. You come back and tie it. You win it in overtime short-handed. What What a great finish to this game. And again, hopefully you build confidence and you go from there that this team I it’s not getting any easier and hopefully they can maybe even just split these two games over the weekend. We’re going to take a look at both of them. We’re going to preview tonight’s game in Utah, Sunday night’s game in Colorado. We’ll have that, plus our Islanders birthday of the day coming up next on today’s Locked On Islanders podcast. Today’s episode is brought to you by Drip Drop. When I’m hydrated, everything just works better. My focus, energy, mood, even my skin. That’s why I’ve been using Drip Drop. It’s a doctorde-developed hydration that keeps me running at full power no matter what my day looks like. Drip Drop isn’t your average sports drink. It delivers three times the electrolytes and half the sugar of leading brands using a sciencebacked formula trusted by medical professionals, firefighters, and over 90% of top collagen proteins. I like using Drip Drop as part of my daily routine. I’ll mix a packet in the morning and before I go into the pool to exercise and it helps me during that midday slump. Hydration has become non-negotiable for me and Drip Drop helps me feel sharper, calmer, and honestly just better overall. Right now, DripDrop is offering podcast listeners 20% off of your first order. So, go to dripdrop.com and use promo code locked on NHL. That’s dripdrop.com. promo code locked on NHL for 20% off. Stock up now before the heat hits hard and keep your body and mind performing at their best with Drip Drop. Today’s episode is also brought to you by Game Time Hockey season is officially here and nothing beats being in the arena for those opening games. But let’s be real, getting tickets can be a total headache. Between waiting in cues, surprise fees, and prices that jump right before checkout, it’s easy to get frustrated when all you want to do is cheer on your team. That’s where Game Time comes in. The app that gives fans the advantage. It’s your ultimate life hack for scoring amazing NHL tickets fast, easy, and stressfree. I love that what you see is what you pay. There are no hidden fees at checkout, and their zone deals are a gamecher. You pick the section, Game Time picks your seats, and you save big. You could even find NHL tickets for under $25. So, take the guesswork out of buying NHL tickets with Game Time. Download the Game Time app, create an account, and use code locked on NHL for $20 off your first purchase. Terms apply. That’s code L C NHL for $20 off. Swipe, tap, ticket, go. Game time. Two big games now for the Islanders this weekend as they continue this west coast part of the fiveame road trip. And wow, this one is going to be tough. The Utah Mammoth, formerly the Utah Hockey Club. Well, they are playing some pretty good hockey this year. They’re going to fight for a playoff birth. They’re coming off uh their last game. They’ve been resting now uh since Wednesday when they beat Buffalo 5-2. So the Islanders heading out to Utah for this game. And with the Mammoth right now, they’re 10th in the league in goals scored, 20th in goals against. The penalty kill is kind of average. They’re 14th in the league with 80% killed. But the power play is struggling, only 15.7%. That puts them at 27th in the league. Uh Carol Vamela and VTEC Vanichek are the goalending duo. And right now Nick Schmaltz leading the team in goals with 10 and points with 21. But then you’ve got the younger guys, your Clayton Kellers, your Logan Coulies. These are players who really have helped Utah get their game to the next level. The line combinations. Keller, and Schmaltz. A very dangerous top line. Barrett Hatton centers the second line with JJ Peter to his left. Dylan Gunther to his right. The third line, Jake uh Jack McBain, Lawson Krauss, and Michael Carone. And then on the fourth line, it’s Kevin Stenland, Brandon Tanv, and Kyler Yamamoto. On defense, it’s Sergeev and Shimichev as your top pair. That’s Dmitri Shimashev, Muel Sergeev, Nate Schmidt, and John Marino were the middle pair and Ian Cole and Nick D. Simone are the third pair. We mentioned the goalenders uh as in Vamela and Vanichek on IR right now. Yuso Valamaki, Sha Jersey, and Alex Keroot. Not going to be easy. The thing about Utah to watch, they are skilled, fast, and young. So, while Vegas kind of had a size advantage in addition to a skill advantage, this is more of a speed advantage for Utah. So, this is an interesting test of Patrick W’s uptempo system and we’ll see how that goes. Then, Sunday night, the Islanders will be in Denver to take on the Avalanche. Now, the Avalanche are coming off a 6-3 win on uh Thursday night over the Buffalo Sabres. They’re off until the Sunday night game against the Islanders. So, uh the Islanders again will have a disadvantage in rest, although at least they’ll have a day off. And Colorado, 12 wins, only one loss, and five overtime losses. They lead the league in goals scored and they are second in goals against. I think that tells you everything you need to know about how good this team is. They’re only 20th on the power play, 17.9%. The PK, however, is second with 88.9%. It is tough to beat them. Scott Wedgewood has been the big story. Wedgewood 101 and 0 on the season of 226 goals against average and 913 save percentage. You know the names. Nathan McKinnon 18 assists, 14 goals, 32 points in 17 games. Kale Mar 23 points in 17 games. Marty Nis 20 points including 10 goals. This is a tough team to beat. McKinnon, Lechinan, and Nachious are the top line. Brock Nelson, first time he’ll be facing the Islanders with Ross Colton and Gavin Brinley on either side of him on the second line. Jack Drury centers Gabriel Landiskog and Victor Olifson on the third line. And Zakar Bardikov centers Parker Kelly and Taylor Mar on the fourth line. Devin Taves and Kale Mar, a great top pair. Josh Manson and Brent Burns still going at the wrong side of 40. He’s on the second pair. And then Samuel Gerard and Sam Molinsky are the third defensive pair. McKenzie Blackwood, Scott Wedgewood, they are the defensive pair, uh, goalending pair. Logan O’ Conor on IR. Joel Kavar and Valerie Nuskin are out of the lineup as of right now. So again, a big big challenge on Sunday for the New York Islanders. And we will see, you know, can they pull this off really becomes the the ultimate question. And uh we’ll see whether or not the Islanders can do it. This is a tough birthday of the day, but today is the 63rd birthday of former Islanders defenseman Yari Gronstrand. He is a native of Finland, 63, 195 pounds, a fifth round pick of the Northstars, Minnesota Northstars back in 1986. Started the 8687 season with Minnesota, was traded to the Rangers, played there for the 8788 campaign, played for Quebec, and then was dealt to the Islanders during the 8990 season. Played 41 games, three goals, seven points, 27 penalty minutes. Was with the Islanders for only three games the following season, and then headed back to Finland, Germany, and France to finish his career. Gronstrand only played 185 career NHL games, eight goals, 34 points, and 135 penalty minutes. He played in three playoff games. All of those with the Islanders and had four penalty minutes. One of his better games with the Islanders. How about December 31st, 1989, a New Year’s Eve game at the old odd in Buffalo. The Islanders going with Mark Fitzpatrick in goal while Darren Poopa is in between the pipes for the Sabres. This game was all uh even well actually the Islanders are up two to one on a pair of goals by Pat Laf Fontaine. And then our Islanders birthday the day. Yari Gronstrand scores his first goal of the year. Brent Sutter with the only helper that put the Islanders up three to one. They go on to win four to2. Laf Fontaine completes the hat-tick. But for Yari Gronstrand, he had a goal. He was a plus two. It was on his only shot of the game and it was the game winner. Yari Gronstrand, one of the few players who played for both the Islanders and the Rangers, although only briefly for both. He is our Islanders birthday of the day. Thank you for making Locked on Islanders your first listen today. for your second listen. Check out the allnew Locked on NHL game night. Every game, every night until the Stanley Cup champion is crowned. Get local analysis on a national scale. You could find NHL game night on Locked on NHL, both on YouTube or wherever you listen to podcasts. It’s part of the Locked On podcast network, your team every day. If you have a question, a comment, maybe a topic you’d like us to discuss on a future episode, email us at lockedon [email protected]. If you leave your first name and where you’re from, we’re happy to mention you on the show and we discuss whatever’s on your mind. You could follow the show on xlockton isles. You could follow me, Gil Martin, on X at Icewars, NYRVSNY. We’ll keep you up to date on all things islanders all year long. and I’m live tweeting during nearly every Islanders home and road game. So join me for some instant insight and analysis. And it’s always great to talk Island Islanders hockey with you. Game time or every time. Any everydayers, we are back on Monday, although we will have some short videos over the weekend after each Islanders game. So look out for those on YouTube. Uh have a great weekend everybody. Stay safe and of course, let’s go Islanders.

New York Islanders shock Vegas Golden Knights with JG Pageau’s dramatic shorthanded overtime winner. Can the Islanders’ growing resilience propel them into playoff contention?

Gil Martin breaks down the Islanders’ thrilling 4-3 road victory, spotlighting clutch plays by Matthew Barzal and Ilya Sorokin’s crucial saves. Insights include the team’s evolving identity, standout contributions from Bo Horvat and Matthew Schaefer, and the impact of key lineup changes like Adam Boqvist’s return amid Scott Mayfield’s absence. Upcoming challenges against the Utah Mammoth and Colorado Avalanche test their momentum, while potential roster decisions—like the struggles of Casey Cizikas—loom large. Plus, take a look back at Jari Gronstrand’s legacy for the Islanders and Rangers.

Are the Islanders finally finding the winning formula? Don’t miss this high-energy analysis of their wild week and what’s next in their relentless pursuit of success.

All this and more on today’s Locked On Islanders Podcast with Gil Martin.

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38 comments

  1. Gil, the isles lack of physicality is gonna cause more losses as the season goes on. Darshe not adding a piece for “protection” / persuasion is disappointing to say the least.

  2. WOW isles with the ot shortie to w. i guess st. roy should get his due now. roy seems to be pressing the right buttons, has seen several facets of isles game improve, and seems to be integrating the new guys into line-up finding where they belong and the right combos. unlike a louzer who left roy out to dry with his old tattered players. and the other big off-season move. getting rid of maclean as pp coach.
    30 could be goat of game. could have been better than .857. 44 ot sh g the hero.

  4. The amazing thing about Schaefer offensively, he doesn’t struggle with the NHL game. In 17 games in juniors last year, he scored 7 goals. Jumps to the NHL, 17 games, he has 6 goals. The NHL is so far ahead of Junior hockey, and he almost matches his pace of last year for goals.

  6. Pageau scoring OT winner in Marner's face – could it have gone any better???
    Come on thou, how about Sorokin last night, past few games? My gawd man is he on point!
    ..where are all the h@ters now? Where are all the "trade him" rants? lol

  8. Pagaeu threw up such a hail mary I couldn’t believe it! I just started laughing and couldn’t stop. I agree w you about Sorokin he has definitely been playing out of his mind and i dont put a single goal last night on him. hopefullu Rittich could keep it going. I couldn’t believe goaltender stopped Bo twice on his bread n butter breakaway shots. Was a great game. Heineman w the forecheck was making alot of tense situations for GK’s as well w that lefthanded shot on the right shut the crowd out of the game early!

  9. I agree and disagree with your goat of the game. Honestly Roy shoulda challenged the other controversial goal. That was closer to interference. But I get why he did it. And honestly that lost challenge was the turning point of the game. They turned it on those finally 7 minutes. Helped them get momentum after a brilliant PK.

  10. J.P. is gonna get PAID by somebody. Playing out of his mind. Gonna be another Nelson type deal if they sell.

    Meanwhile, sell Casey and Pulock for a couple of pucks and make it a day. I hear Toronto needs 'defensmen.' Sell NOW. #6 is DONE.

    P.S. All the Sorokin haters better APOLOGIZE NOW!!!!

  11. Good 🌅, H. How are you? GO, PAGEOU. I always said that the Islanders played VGS well. 🐐, Patrick Roy for challenging the goaltender interference call. hero, CO.MUNITY EFFORT. Matthew Schafer had a goal and an assist. WELCOME TO SIN CITY, KID.. The Islanders are in UT this weekend. Call me nuts, Gil, every time I hear the 👞 , I have The Flintstones on the brain, but they're not playing like The Flintstones. Then the Islanders are in Denver to play the Avalanche on Sunday. Once again, the Islanders have their work cut out for them. HAPPY 🎂, YARI G. He scored a goal in a win over Buffalo. Hear from you later, Gil. Godfather comparison. Butch Goring to Tom Hagen. Now, LET'S GO ISLANDERS.

  13. Great win JG play was fantastic but I’m sure Schmid would want that back but we’ll take it
    I’ve been killing Sorokin but since the Cap game he’s been playing out of his mind
    Hope he keeps it up cause I so want to say I was wrong
    Well worth staying up watching this one
    LETS GO !!!!!!!!

  14. Gm Gil. I continue to be impressed by the team's offensive prowess … But, their continued inability to stay out of the penalty box puts un-necessary pressure on the team. Right now, they look like a real contender … Its a long season so we'll see what happens.

  16. Add Drouin, Ritchie and Heineman to the top lines plus healthy Barzal and focused Duclair; and Horvat playing like when we traded for him. Third line is very effective and Casey is still very versatile. Schaefer playing on a vet defense and of course Sorokin. Rittich may do well tonight since he came from a Western team. Only problem may be depth but we may see some depth player get promoted from Bridgeport.

  17. Zeke was terrible last year too. There really wasn't much telling us this year would be different. Problem is, if you bench him, he will lose some trade value.

  24. Good stuff Gil. Did you do this broadcast in middle of the night. I got home to watch the last two periods. Team played the uptempo that Roy wants. I said earlier that the forward group is bursting with speed not just Barzal and Schaeffer. Sometimes we don't finish on our chances. I worry about the mobility of the defense. We should be looking for more movers more 24year olds that will also play a physical game. We are lacking

  25. I keep kvetching that we should move veterans like Lee and Pageau. And then Pageau makes an incredible play last night, short handed, to win the game for the Islanders in overtime. Not only does he win the face-off, in our defensive zone, as he's prone to do, but he then has the wherewithal to pick up the puck off the boards and carry the puck out of the Islanders zone, transition through the neutral zone, carry into the Knights defensive zone and put the puck on net and score the game winning overtime goal. I give a major league hat tip to JG Pageau. I still believe he needs to be moved before the trade deadline, but hat tip for his fantastic play. Matthew Schaefer is my favorite New York Islander. Protect the kid!

  26. I think Tsyplakov needs to be on the second or third line. He's rotting on the fourth line. As Gil mentioned yesterday, he doesn't belong on the fourth line. That's not his game.

  27. Great win stayed up till 1 to watch!! Gil I’m hearing islanders are poking around for solid right handed defenseman do you think thy trade for one and what give up for a good one?

  30. Felt like we were riding the game after 2-0. Maybe it is understandable, preserving energy, and while being in Vegas for 2 days, maybe not all were completely fresh. But we went up in gears again after they got to 3-2, and that shows the character of the team. Impossible scenario to score shorthanded in OT. 3 times too many on the ice in the past two games. That needs to be sorted. Very good streak away against pretty good opposition.

  32. You are going to win a few games you should lose and let's be honest, they should have lost that game. Sorokin has been good more times than not and that is the biggest reason they are right near the playoffs. I predict Pageau if the Isles fall out of it will be dealt. I keep saying the Panthers have been eying him.

  33. Really nice analysis, Gil. Especially impressive how you were able to write and tape this podcast after such a late game. Such an exciting time for the team. LGI.

  34. Hi Gil! Electric game tying and OT goal! Man we’re playing exciting hockey! Simply faster and more talented. Imagine when Eiserman, Nelson and company arrive? We were creative and yes resilient! Gil, I’d like to start Ot with Barzie/Bo and Shaff. It was a an electric win. Sorro was fantastic. Our fans showed up and then went to party! Bring up Gatcomb and Veremev and acquire a tough guy and we may just be able to make it and be dangerous. At least do it for the 26th——that game reminds me of the Throwback Pens game. It’s a different team. Geez this kid is something else. Emil Is an excellent pick up—Drouin has been really good—-tonight? Well why not? Take care Gil! Never Say Die

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