NEW YORK — The season is just two games old
Craig Anderson Jersey , but it has already been a transitional one for the New York Islanders and their new head coach, Barry Trotz. The adaptation
process will continue Monday afternoon, when Robin Lehner makes his first start
for the Islanders in a Columbus Day matinee against the San Jose Sharks at
Barclays Center.It will be the third game of the season for both teams. The
Islanders dropped their home opener Saturday, when they fell to the Nashville
Predators, 4-3. Article continues below ...The Sharks last played Friday, when
they earned a 3-2 overtime win over the host Los Angeles Kings.The narrow defeat
for the Islanders on Saturday left Trotz — who coached the Washington Capitals
to the team’s first Stanley Cup last spring — in the unfamiliar position of
trying to find positives in a loss. New York, which allowed the most goals in
the NHL last season (296) and lost star John Tavares to the Toronto Maple Leafs
as a free agent in July, followed up a 2-1 win over the Carolina Hurricanes on
Thursday by keeping the Western Conference powerhouse Predators off the
scoreboard in the third period.“I thought we had some pretty good stretches,”
Trotz told reporters afterward. “Our overall game
Authentic Erik Karlsson Jersey Kids , I thought we were pretty good. I thought we handled their speed well. I thought we managed the puck a lot better
than we did in Carolina.”The Sharks also felt good about themselves following
the adjustments they made against the Kings, whom they limited to one goal over
the final two periods and overtime while getting their first win when New York
native Kevin Labanc scored 2:54 into the extra period.“I thought the third
period we really pressed, and I thought we were the better team in the third,”
said Sharks head coach Peter DeBoer, whose squad outshot the Kings 12-5 in the
third period and overtime. “The guys played as if we needed to win this game and
we found a way to do it.”Trotz said following practice Sunday that Lehner, who
signed with the Islanders in July following three seasons with the Buffalo
Sabres, would draw the start Monday. It will be the first regular season game
for Lehner since he entered alcohol rehab and began receiving treatment for
bipolar disorder last spring.“I feel I’m ready to play,” Lehner told reporters
Sunday. “There are still a few things we’re working on. We’re changing a few
things I’ve been doing my whole life. That’s not an overnight thing.”Lehner is
0-4-0 in four career appearances against the Sharks.Martin Jones is likely to
draw his third straight start for the Sharks. Jones is 1-0-0 in two career games
against the Islanders.The Sharks will be without veteran center Joe Thornton,
who was placed on injured reserve with an undisclosed injury Sunday. To replace
Thornton on the active roster
Jean-Gabriel Pageau Jersey , San Jose recalled center Dylan Gambrell from its AHL affiliate.The Islanders will be hosting a Western Conference foe on Columbus
Day afternoon for the third time in four seasons since moving to Barclays
Center. New York suffered a 3-2 shootout loss to the St. Louis Blues last season
and beat the Winnipeg Jets, 4-2, in 2015. PHILADELPHIA (AP) Tinged with sadness,
the Hurricanes welcomed their captain back to the lineup.Jordan Staal helped
give them the boost they needed toward a playoff push.Justin Williams scored two
goals, Cam Ward stopped 21 shots and the Carolina Hurricanes snapped a six-game
losing streak with a 4-1 win over the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday night.The
Flyers had been the hottest team in hockey, winners of six straight overall and
riding a 10-0-2 streak for their longest span without a regulation loss since
2003.They were even 4-0-1 against the Hurricanes in their last five against them
at home.Carolina had an emotional lift in this one to make those numbers
trivialStaal played for the first time since he and his wife said their infant
daughter died of a terminal birth defect. Staal had missed three games and he
rejoined the team Wednesday.”He’s a lift, spiritually and physically on the
ice,” Williams said. ”You know he’s going to make the right play. You know he’s
going to win a battle. As his linemate, playing tonight
Mark Stone Jersey , you know he’s going to get the puck to you when it’s a 1-on-1 battle. He’s a very important piece for us, clearly.”Hurricanes coach
Bill Peters said Staal means more to the franchise than just his numbers.”You
need your best players to be your best players and we miss him when he’s not
here,” he said. ”It’s good to have him back.”Carolina, which is chasing the
eighth spot in the East, made quick work in ending the good times in
Philly.Williams knocked in a loose puck 4:40 into the game and the former Flyer
stuck it to his former team one more time.”There’s a little something there,”
Williams said. ”It’s special. My wife’s family is from here. I have a lot of
friends here. This is where I started. It’s always special, absolutely.”The
Flyers sizzling offense of late fizzled and even goalie Petr Mrazek had his
worst outing since he was acquired two weeks ago. He stopped 28 shots to beat
Montreal 1-0 in a shootout in his last start. He was 3-0 with a 1.30
goals-against average and a .947 save percentage in his three starts.Teuvo
Teravainen scored early in the second and Williams scored his 12th goal of the
season late in the second for the 3-0 lead.Staal had his 21st assist on
Williams’ second goal.”I don’t think there’s much to be said about what he’s
going through. It’s huge to have him back,” Hurricanes defenseman Justin Faulk
said.The Flyers were stymied offensively and took only six shots in the first
period. In the second, they were shutout in a period where they had scored 74
goals this season.Yes
Youth Matt Duchene Jersey , even a 12-game streak that helped take them from last in the Metro Division in early December to a brief stop in first atop
the division, the Flyers were soundly booed off the ice at the end of a dreary
second period. The Flyers would have moved back into first place with a victory
and lost for the first time in regulation since Feb. 1.Flyers defenseman Andrew
MacDonald said the winning had masked some bad habits picked up of late by the
team.”You kind of get into a groove and you’re kind of feeling it and think
things are going to go right for you,” he said. ”That’s not always going to be
the case. Tonight was a good example of that.”Travis Konecny gave a brief jolt
to their offense with a goal early in the third to make it 3-1.”It’s tough to do
this on home ice. We can’t win them all,” Flyers center Jake Voracek
said.Sebastian Aho sealed it with his 23rd goal.”We need to impose our will. We
need to suffocate teams,” Williams said. ”We did that today.”NOTES: The Flyers
played the Hurricanes for the first of three times over the final 19 games of
the season. … The Flyers have a weekend set in Florida. … Ward improved his
career record to 12-11-6 vs. the Flyers. … Flyers D Ivan Provorov was down on
the ice for a bit after taking a shot his right knee.UP NEXT:Hurricanes: Host
New Jersey on Friday.Flyers: At Tampa Bay on Saturday and at Florida on
Sunday.
