Islanders Anxiety: A New York Islanders podcast

Islanders Anxiety

For fans of the New York Islanders.

  1. Islanders Anxiety - Sloth in a Sauna

    15 HR AGO

    Islanders Anxiety - Sloth in a Sauna

    Mike and Dan look ahead to the Islanders resuming their season with three huge games, and present a special Olympic version of Master Leaf Theatre. The Islanders' final 24 games will be a brutal sprint, with lots of in-conference opponents, a road trip out west and seven back-to-backs. They get a taste of all of those in the first week and a half starting with games in Montreal and Columbus before returning home to face a wounded Florida squad. It's vital they get off on the right foot because there's no time to feel things out. They need points to keep teams like the Blue Jackets and Panthers off their heels and solidify their playoff berth. And if they - and especially Ilya Sorokin - are not ready to go, this resumption of the season may be short-lived. We devote the second half to something we didn't anticipate - a Master Leaf Theatre focused on Team USA's gold medal win over Team Canada in the men's hockey tournament. There were enough sour grapes flowing and weird things said that we needed to commemorate them in our signature style. From furious forwards to whiny radio hosts to taking shots at the Maple Leafs media machine, this Olympic edition of Master Leaf Theatre is as varied as The Games themselves. Along the way we salute both the US men's and women's teams, Brock Nelson, Bo Horvat, Kimber Auerbach and the guy who wore the Simon Holmstrom shirt to the Season Ticket Holder event at UBS Arena on Sunday. Subscribe to our Patreon!⁠ Members get ad-free episodes of all our shows, bonus podcasts, written posts, chats with us and much more. Visit our friends ⁠⁠Vintage Ice Hockey⁠⁠ for t-shirts, hoodies and jerseys with hundreds of classic hockey logos, as well as ⁠⁠the full line of Islanders Anxiety merch⁠⁠. As always our portion of those sales go directly to the Center for Dementia Research. ⁠⁠The Pinot Project⁠⁠ has a Rosé, a Pinot Grigio and a Wine Enthusiast Best Buy Pinot Noir, all under $15 a bottle. Available at local wine stores and UBS Arena. Visit ⁠⁠Lighthousehockey.com⁠⁠ for the most up-to-date Islanders news and discussion. Islanders Anxiety podcasts are part of the Fans First Sports Network (⁠⁠@FansFirstSN⁠⁠). Our theme is "Morning Haze" by Family Dinner. Hear more of their music ⁠⁠on Spotify. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1h 51m
  2. 3 DAYS AGO

    Weird Islanders: The Podcast! - Rob Davison (with guest John Cullen)

    Along with comedian, podcaster and new author John Cullen, we remember Rob Davison, who had one major moment against a marquee opponent in his very short stint on Long Island. Like a lot of defensive defensemen, Rob Davison was not a player most people would remember. His job was preventing goals, not scoring them, for a very good San Jose Sharks team in the early 2000's. When he was dealt to the Islanders at the tail end of the 2007-08 season, it barely registered with the fanbase and was more about filling a giant injury hole than anything else. He arrived late to his first game and would eventually leave the team after that playoff-free season. BUT! In those 19-games, Rob Davison - of all people - scored a goal so crazy, so unbelievable, so memorable that we're still talking about it 25 years later. In an otherwise pointless game at Nassau Coliseum between two teams going nowhere, Davison launched the puck 190-feet down the ice and ended up with one of the most ludicrous shorthanded goals in NHL history, forever tying him to former Sharks teammate Vesa Toskala in a moment of infamy no one who watched it will ever forget. Instead of finding a Sharks fan to talk about Davison, we asked John - a fan of the hated Maple Leafs - to talk about that game, that goal and Toskala's legacy in Toronto. Ironically, we all find a degree of sympathy for the goalie who faced an impossible play and whiffed on it the way just about anyone would have. We talk about his reaction to his friend Davison scoring a goal like that on him, and about how trading Davison helped the Sharks draft an upgrade, who has a goofy connection to the Islanders decades later. We also enjoy a rarely remembered fact about that famous game (that the Islanders still lost). We can't thank John enough for coming on. He's a very busy man between his many podcasts, his new book - Curling Rocks! - being out (and recording its audio version) and his work for CBC covering curling at the Olympics. Check out his shows Broomgate, A Curling Scandal, What is...? A Jeopardy! Podcast (with Emily Heller), The POD Kast (with Bryan Quinby) and Blocked Party (with Stefen Heck). A Weird Islanders Extra! bonus episode with us and John discussing the Islanders/Leafs/Tavares thing was released back in January. Subscribe to our Patreon!⁠ Members get ad-free episodes of all our shows, bonus podcasts, written posts, chats with us and much more. Visit our friends: Vintage Ice Hockey for t-shirts, hoodies and jerseys with hundreds of classic hockey logos, as well as the full line of Islanders Anxiety merch. As always our portion of those sales go directly to the Center for Dementia Research. The Pinot Project has a Rosé, a Pinot Grigio and a Wine Enthusiast Best Buy Pinot Noir, all under $15 a bottle. Available at local wine stores and UBS Arena. Visit Lighthousehockey.com for the most up-to-date Islanders news and discussion. Islanders Anxiety podcasts are part of the Fans First Sports Network (@FansFirstSN). Our theme is "Knuckles" by Björn Falk. Hear more of his music on Spotify and at Bandcamp. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1h 22m
  3. 5 DAYS AGO · BONUS

    Master Leaf Theatre Special - Bad Sports Science

    In a standalone episode of a fan favorite bit, we dissect a recent Maple Leafs controversy that almost no one took the bait on except for the two guys who brought it to life. In late January, 2026 - while the Leafs were in a potentially season-ending spiral - an article was posted at The Athletic about a former staffer who had some things to say about how the team was run. The staffer? A doctor of sports science who left the team in 2019. How is the team run? Like "a traditional hockey team" a.k.a., one without a doctor of sports science on staff. The doctor believes that not having a person in charge of sports science and performance has led to the Leafs' spate of injuries this season. And clearly, Master Leaf Theatre regular Jonas Siegel, believes him. Along with Islanders and Master Leaf Theatre fan Don Becker, we dramatize the original article, giving it the weight that its author intended it to have but never got from inside Leafs World. We also cover the angry reaction by Toronto GM Brad Treliving, who had a few choice words for both Siegel and the disgruntled doctor. Finally, we tie things up with Siegel's podcast partner James Mirtle, who gives us an appropriately grim outlook on the Leafs' future that requires no doctorates to figure out. We can't thank Don enough for coming on and giving us some great reads of this bizarre Master Leaf Theatre side story. You may have missed the "scandal" when it was originally published, but it was perfect for us and our signature performance outlet. Works Referenced: Why did the Maple Leafs eliminate a job designed to keep players healthy? by Jonas Siegel for The Athletic Brad Treliving on TSN OVERDRIVE (starts around 22:00) Brad Treliving defends Maple Leafs’ approach to sports science by Jonas Siegel for The Athletic Why the Maple Leafs need to start thinking about selling by James Mirtle, The Athletic Subscribe to our Patreon!⁠⁠ Members get ad-free episodes of all our shows, bonus podcasts, written posts, chats with us and much more. Visit our friends ⁠⁠Vintage Ice Hockey⁠⁠ for t-shirts, hoodies and jerseys with hundreds of classic hockey logos, as well as ⁠⁠the full line of Islanders Anxiety merch⁠⁠. As always our portion of those sales go directly to the Center for Dementia Research. ⁠⁠The Pinot Project⁠⁠ has a Rosé, a Pinot Grigio and a Wine Enthusiast Best Buy Pinot Noir, all under $15 a bottle. Available at local wine stores and UBS Arena. Visit ⁠⁠Lighthousehockey.com⁠⁠ for the most up-to-date Islanders news and discussion. Islanders Anxiety podcasts are part of the Fans First Sports Network (⁠⁠@FansFirstSN⁠⁠). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1h 13m
  4. Islanders Anxiety - Episode 361 - These Bums Have a Chance

    16 FEB

    Islanders Anxiety - Episode 361 - These Bums Have a Chance

    Mike and Dan run down the Islanders lineup to say something positive about each player and how they've contributed to the good overall season they've had so far. We heard some feedback that the last episode came off a little too nervous or negative, so we challenged ourselves to accentuate the plusses of every position player. For some, it was easy. Players like Ilya Sorokin, Matthew Schaefer, Bo Horvat and Mat Barzal have been getting rightfully praised all season, while Adam Pelech, Ryan Pulock and J-G Pageau seem to have regained their former forms. Legacy players like Casey Cizikas and Anders Lee have shown they still have a place on this team, while newer guys like Emil Heineman and Cal Ritchie have only scratched the surface of what they're capable of. For others, the task was slightly more difficult. In a few cases, we wonder if the team is just ready to move on despite what skills the player may possess because they're just not a fit. Regardless, we're able to isolate their strengths or things we think they can bring in the future, even if it's not evident this season. This was a fun exercise to do during the Olympic break. Next week, we'll look ahead to their first few games back. Subscribe to our Patreon!⁠ Members get ad-free episodes of all our shows, bonus podcasts, written posts, chats with us and much more. Visit our friends ⁠⁠Vintage Ice Hockey⁠⁠ for t-shirts, hoodies and jerseys with hundreds of classic hockey logos, as well as ⁠⁠the full line of Islanders Anxiety merch⁠⁠. As always our portion of those sales go directly to the Center for Dementia Research. ⁠⁠The Pinot Project⁠⁠ has a Rosé, a Pinot Grigio and a Wine Enthusiast Best Buy Pinot Noir, all under $15 a bottle. Available at local wine stores and UBS Arena. Visit ⁠⁠Lighthousehockey.com⁠⁠ for the most up-to-date Islanders news and discussion. Islanders Anxiety podcasts are part of the Fans First Sports Network (⁠⁠@FansFirstSN⁠⁠). Our theme is "Morning Haze" by Family Dinner. Hear more of their music ⁠⁠on Spotify⁠⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    2h 5m
  5. Islanders Anxiety - Episode 360 - Presented by Benihana

    10 FEB

    Islanders Anxiety - Episode 360 - Presented by Benihana

    Mike and Dan recap the Islanders' wheezing last games and take stock of where the team sits at the Olympic break before enjoying a dessert of Ranger Piece Theater. The Islanders did what we asked last week and grabbed at least four points. Too bad they looked mostly lousy while doing it. So while their comeback against the Penguins and a theft from the Devils were helpful and kept them in third in the Metro, they also didn't offer a lot in the way of encouragement for the stretch run. The bottom half of the lineup provides almost no offensive support and the top half and the defense is constantly in flux thanks to a coach who seems out of ideas. Still, we don't want to lose sight of the fun times despite the dangers ahead. Few expected the Islanders to be in a playoff berth this late in the season (if at all) so we want to take the good with the bad. Next week, we'll dive a little deeper into individual player performances, especially two the Islanders might regret not doing more with if they don't come out of the break hot. Meanwhile, we always have time to laugh at the Rangers, whose GM and captain have very little to say about where the franchise is and why their fans should still care. Fortunately, it feels like they'll both be around for a while so they'll have plenty of time to come up with their next blast of hot air. This podcast is presented by Benihana, the new official hibachi partner of the New York Islanders. Subscribe to our Patreon!⁠ Members get ad-free episodes of all our shows, bonus podcasts, written posts, chats with us and much more. Visit our friends ⁠⁠Vintage Ice Hockey⁠⁠ for t-shirts, hoodies and jerseys with hundreds of classic hockey logos, as well as ⁠⁠the full line of Islanders Anxiety merch⁠⁠. As always our portion of those sales go directly to the Center for Dementia Research. ⁠⁠The Pinot Project⁠⁠ has a Rosé, a Pinot Grigio and a Wine Enthusiast Best Buy Pinot Noir, all under $15 a bottle. Available at local wine stores and UBS Arena. Visit ⁠⁠Lighthousehockey.com⁠⁠ for the most up-to-date Islanders news and discussion. Islanders Anxiety podcasts are part of the Fans First Sports Network (⁠⁠@FansFirstSN⁠⁠). Our theme is "Morning Haze" by Family Dinner. Hear more of their music ⁠⁠on Spotify⁠⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1h 57m
  6. 6 FEB

    Weird Islanders: The Podcast! - Dick Tarnstrom (with guest Dan Hopper)

    Along with "Thrill of Defeat" host and Pittsburgh guy Dan Hopper, we remember Dick Tarnstrom, who turned getting waived by the Islanders into a starring role on some bad transitional Penguins teams. While the Penguins have had some all time great players in their history, the periods between those players were pretty dire. Bankruptcies, empty buildings and lots of losses were not uncommon for one of the NHL's now-marquee teams. Into one of these eras stepped Dick Tarnstrom, a very late round pick of the Islanders who found himself squeezed out of Long Island during one of their rare fertile periods of the early 2000's and onto a Penguins team desperate for anyone who could put the puck into a net. Tarnstrom was competent on a bereft squad, which means he got comparisons to Hall of Famers, and Hart and Norris Trophy votes from the win-starved writers covering it. The Penguins' "X-Generation" might have featured a lot of weird players, but thanks to cheap tickets and EXTREME marketing, it actually succeeded in creating a new wave of fans. To those kids, guys like Dick Tarnstrom felt like superstars of tomorrow. Dan takes us through the Full Tarnstrom Experience and tells us what it was like watching the Penguins between the Lemieux/Jagr and Crosby/Malkin eras. We learn about the "Ric and Dick Show," attending Ryan Malone's hockey camp as a kid, the Woodstock 99 flavor of the "X-Generation" ads and how Tarnstrom was able to capture hearts in the Steel City. We also wonder how we forgot he played for the Oilers during their 2006 Cup final run and why he was put on waivers in the first place (it probably had something to do with being Swedish and having Mike Milbury as a general manager). It's the deepest dive you'll find on the man who is surely the last "Dick" in NHL history. Thanks again to Dan for coming on. His podcast, "Thrill of Defeat" is outstanding and if you're a fan of Weird Islanders, it will be right up your alley. He's on a bit of a hiatus now, but there are plenty of episodes to get started on. Subscribe to our Patreon!⁠ Members get ad-free episodes of all our shows, bonus podcasts, written posts, chats with us and much more. Visit our friends: Vintage Ice Hockey for t-shirts, hoodies and jerseys with hundreds of classic hockey logos, as well as the full line of Islanders Anxiety merch. As always our portion of those sales go directly to the Center for Dementia Research. The Pinot Project has a Rosé, a Pinot Grigio and a Wine Enthusiast Best Buy Pinot Noir, all under $15 a bottle. Available at local wine stores and UBS Arena. Visit Lighthousehockey.com for the most up-to-date Islanders news and discussion. Islanders Anxiety podcasts are part of the Fans First Sports Network (@FansFirstSN). Our theme is "Knuckles" by Björn Falk. Hear more of his music on Spotify and at Bandcamp. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1h 18m
  7. Islanders Anxiety - An Ensemble of Situations

    2 FEB

    Islanders Anxiety - An Ensemble of Situations

    Mike and Dan look back at a packed week of trades, wins, a season sweep and one terrible loss that makes an already daunting upcoming week for the Islanders even more scary. For five days last week, Islanders fans were feeling good. Three wins, two over the Rangers in a humiliating season sweep complete with chirps from a goofball kid who's already a star, and trades for Carson Soucy and Ondrej Palat that, while open to criticism, have yielded good early results. Then Saturday happened, when the Islanders played a sloppy, maddening game against the Nashville Predators at home and took a giant step back after three steps forward. It was the last thing we wanted to see with a huge slate coming up and an Olympic break looming that will put us all in stasis for three weeks. We look back at all of last week's games and ahead to games against the Capitals, Penguins and Devils to close out the pre-Olympic schedule. One against a team directly behind you, one against a team directly in front of you and one that should be easy on paper but might end up being necessary. It's a massive week that will tell us a lot about how the trade deadline might shape up. Of course, we said that before this week, too... Finally we look at an article that ranked NHL arena experiences and at UBS Arena's fair placement. It's a great venue with one huge issue keeping it from the league's upper echelon. Be sure to count the times Dan says he wants to talk about something and then just never does. This might be an all time record. Subscribe to our Patreon!⁠ Members get ad-free episodes of all our shows, bonus podcasts, written posts, chats with us and much more. Visit our friends ⁠⁠Vintage Ice Hockey⁠⁠ for t-shirts, hoodies and jerseys with hundreds of classic hockey logos, as well as ⁠⁠the full line of Islanders Anxiety merch⁠⁠. As always our portion of those sales go directly to the Center for Dementia Research. ⁠⁠The Pinot Project⁠⁠ has a Rosé, a Pinot Grigio and a Wine Enthusiast Best Buy Pinot Noir, all under $15 a bottle. Available at local wine stores and UBS Arena. Visit ⁠⁠Lighthousehockey.com⁠⁠ for the most up-to-date Islanders news and discussion. Islanders Anxiety podcasts are part of the Fans First Sports Network (⁠⁠@FansFirstSN⁠⁠). Our theme is "Morning Haze" by Family Dinner. Hear more of their music ⁠⁠on Spotify⁠⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1h 38m
  8. Islanders Anxiety - Episode 358 - Barely Breathing (Part 2)

    26 JAN

    Islanders Anxiety - Episode 358 - Barely Breathing (Part 2)

    In Part 2 of this episode, Mike and Dan react to the first concrete reporting on the Islanders moving their AHL team from Bridgeport, CT to Hamilton, ONT, and also wrap up the Mitch Marner Chronicles in another massive Master Leaf Theatre. The Bridgeport Islanders leaving their home of over 25 years was first teased months ago, but a recent report in The Athletic put out a lot of details we didn't know already. While the team has yet to make anything official, we give our initial reactions and concerns about the move, while also feeling sympathy for the fans who supported the Sound Tigers/Baby Islanders organization during an usually long time for one minor league team to stay in one place. Then it's on to another epic-length Master Leaf Theatre, as Mitch Marner makes his return to his hometown and his former favorite team's home rink. As expected, the takes afterward were equal parts dramatic and ridiculous, with some writing about the fan reaction in delusional or Shakespearian terms, and others calling out the evening's failings, including those of the Leafs themselves in a gutless 6-3 loss. We add some new voices to the Master Leaf Theatre canon, which is always a treat, and enjoy some unexpected twists from classic artists of the genre. We had so much to get to that we forgot to mention the Leafs selling an autographed Marner Knights jersey on the concourse during his return game. That tells you all you need to know about how this "hostile" this environment was. We've done a lot of this over the last two weeks, so we're going to take a little hiatus unless something crazy happens. Thanks for listening to this two-part episode. The severe weather impacted us in a few way and this was the best solution. Master Leaf Theatre works: Where did it go wrong for Mitch Marner and the Maple Leafs? by Elliotte Friedman, Sportsnet Mitch Marner hears boos (so many boos) in his return to Maple Leafs ice. As it should be by Rosie DiManno, Toronto Star Behind the boos: Inside Mitch Marner’s return to Toronto as a Golden Knight by Joshua Kloke, The Athletic Maple Leafs faithful rain jeers down upon Marner in tense reunion by Sonny Sachdeva ‘Going to be loud’: Why Toronto will be booing Mitch Marner by Luke Fox, Sportsnet Maple Leafs fail to match intensity of Mitch Marner’s return by Luke Fox, Sportsnet SIMMONS SAYS: Maple Leafs Auston Matthews behaving rather uncaptain-like by Steve Simmons Subscribe to our Patreon!⁠ Members get ad-free episodes of all our shows, bonus podcasts, written posts, chats with us and much more. Visit our friends ⁠⁠Vintage Ice Hockey⁠⁠ for t-shirts, hoodies and jerseys with hundreds of classic hockey logos, as well as ⁠⁠the full line of Islanders Anxiety merch⁠⁠. As always our portion of those sales go directly to the Center for Dementia Research. ⁠⁠The Pinot Project⁠⁠ has a Rosé, a Pinot Grigio and a Wine Enthusiast Best Buy Pinot Noir, all under $15 a bottle. Available at local wine stores and UBS Arena. Visit ⁠⁠Lighthousehockey.com⁠⁠ for the most up-to-date Islanders news and discussion. Islanders Anxiety podcasts are part of the Fans First Sports Network (⁠⁠@FansFirstSN⁠⁠). Our theme is "Morning Haze" by Family Dinner. Hear more of their music ⁠⁠on Spotify⁠⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1h 36m

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For fans of the New York Islanders.

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