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Weekly Recap: Islanders Edition (January 17)

January 17, 2021, 4:15 PM ET [32 Comments]
Ben Shelley
New York Islanders Blogger • RSSArchiveCONTACT
Follow me on Twitter: @BenShelley_20
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The New York Islanders opened their season this week, with two games against the New York Rangers. Here’s the weekly recap.


ISLANDERS SPLIT TWO-GAME SERIES WITH RANGERS

The Islanders started their season with two games against the Rangers, which had very different outcomes. The Islanders took the season opener 4-0 but then dropped the second game to the Rangers, by a score of 5-0. Ilya Sorokin got his first NHL start after Semyon Varlamov was injured in warmup, allowing five goals on 32 shots in the loss.


HO-SANG LOANED TO SHL

The Islanders loaned forward Josh Ho-Sang to Orebro of the SHL this week. Ho-Sang spent last season in the AHL, scoring four goals and 13 points in 22 games.


SCHNEIDER/TIMASHOV CONTRACTS FINALIZED

New York also finalized contracts for Cory Schneider and Dmytro Timashov this week. Both contracts are one year and are worth $700,000.


DAL COLLE PLACED ON INJURED RESERVE

Forward Michael Dal Colle was placed on injured reserve to start the season. Lou Lamoriello provided little information on the injury or timeline.



As for our poll questions this week, here are some of the results, along with my thoughts on how they turned out:



QUESTION: Do you think the Islanders will finish ahead of the Capitals in the standings this season?

(Votes: 74)

Yes: 70%
No: 30%

As is the case with most teams in the division, it should be a fairly even matchup. The Capitals have the better forward group but the Islanders should have a goaltending advantage.



QUESTION: Are you surprised the Islanders placed Leo Komarov on waivers?

(Votes: 282)

No: 76%
Yes: 24%

It wasn’t necessarily shocking but it was somewhat surprising to see. Despite remaining on the roster, Komarov has yet to play a game with the Islanders this season.



QUESTION: Where do you see the Islanders finishing in the East Division this season?

(Votes: 72)

1st or 2nd: 46%
3rd or 4th: 44%
5th or 6th: 8%
7th or 8th: 1%

The East Division is likely the most difficult of the four, making this hard to predict. Like 90 per cent of readers, I agree the Islanders likely finish in the top four. How high they’ll finish within that top four, however, is anyone’s guess.



QUESTION: Were you in favour of Oliver Wahlstrom starting the season on the Islanders’ roster?

(Votes: 132)

Yes: 92%
No: 8%

There’s certainly excitement around Wahlstrom but he is still just 20 years old and has just one year of professional experience so far. As a result, I don’t mind seeing the Islanders hold off for a bit.



QUESTION: How many games do you think Oliver Wahlstrom will play with the Islanders this season?

(Votes: 84)

Less than 10 games: 36%
10-20 games: 30%
20-30 games: 24%
30 games or more: 11%

The Islanders don’t seem as though they’re in a hurry to get Wahlstrom into the lineup, which is probably the right call. Kieffer Bellows has already earned a spot in the lineup and as a result, Wahlstrom probably won’t get into many NHL games, as this poll suggests.




***NOTE: We've launched a HockeyBuzz Islanders Twitter account! For anyone interested, you can follow @HB_Islanders for updates on articles, Islanders news, etc.***


OTHER ISLANDERS ARTICLES FROM JANUARY:

Islanders won't invite Josh Ho-Sang to training camp
Predicting the Islanders' taxi squad
Weekly Recap: Islanders Edition (January 3)
East Division Comparison: Islanders/Rangers
East Division Comparison: Islanders/Flyers
Matias Rajanimi earns Bronze Medal with Finland at World Juniors
Analyzing Matt Martin's reported four-year extension
East Division Comparison: Islanders/Penguins
Islanders re-sign Mathew Barzal
Weekly Recap: Islanders Edition (January 10)
East Division Comparison: Islanders/Penguins
East Division Comparison: Islanders/Capitals
Islanders waive Leo Komarov, details of Andy Greene’s contract emerge
Islanders announce roster and taxi squad
New York Islanders 2020-21 Season Preview
Islanders open season with win over Rangers
Islanders loan Josh Ho-Sang, details of Schneider/Timashov contracts emerge
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