The pressing questions facing Islanders with post-Olympics sprint to finish set to begin
NY Post
Well, that was a fun few weeks. Now it is back to reality for the Islanders, who are — yes, that’s right — hanging onto a playoff spot by a four-point margin as they resume the NHL season in Montreal on Thursday night.
There is no runway whatsoever to shake the cobwebs off after an Olympic break of exactly three weeks. The Islanders have six of their first seven games and nine of their first 12 games back on the road. The trade deadline is a week from Friday; the end of the regular season is suddenly in sight, just under seven weeks out. Here are some lingering questions to get you oriented before the restart.
All 32 teams sent at least one player to the Milan Cortina Games, but the Isles were relatively unaffected, with Bo Horvat and Ondrej Palat their only two players to go to Italy.
Horvat played through the gold medal game with Team Canada and hasn’t practiced with the Islanders, though he is expected to play Thursday. Palat, who played on Team Czechia, rejoined the team a couple of days ago.
Dylan Garand knew the number off the top of his head. He knew that, between the regular season and playoffs, he’d logged over 160 games with AHL Hartford, and he was right. Before the Rangers recalled him Friday, Garand had served as the Wolf Pack’s goaltender 165 times.
SAN DIEGO — As you may have seen elsewhere in this newspaper (and also if you haven’t deleted me yet from your social media), I have a book coming out Tuesday called “The Bosses of The Bronx.” Much of it details the 37 years’ worth of antics, winning, losing, winning again and overall mania of George Steinbrenner’s time with the Yankees.
The Knicks are on a five-game winning streak and flooded with concerns.
Don’t close the curtain on “Mean” Joe Greene.
The hockey world is getting a new TV adaptation of another romance series that helped define the genre.
What is there about Giants edger ushers and their fixation with single-digit jersey numbers?
Cade Cunningham, almost inarguably the best player in the East this season, is likely out for the remainder of the regular season. That’s the word out of Detroit following the depressing news that Cunningham punctured a lung when he took a knee to his side Tuesday from Washington’s Tre Johnson while chasing a loose ball.
Legal problems continue to follow ex-NHLer Billy Tibbetts.
After legendary Mets broadcaster Howie Rose announced his retirement Thursday, he took to social media to send a message to fans in Queens.
COLUMBUS, Ohio — The special teams battle was up for grabs Thursday night.
There’s an intangible part of Jose Alvarado’s game that could be crucial for the Knicks.
PORT ST. LUCIE — One less familiar voice will be heard over the Mets’ airwaves next season.
Carson Wentz impressed the Vikings enough in 2025 that they decided to bring him back, raising further questions about J.J. McCarthy’s future.