Islanders Anxiety: A New York Islanders podcast

Islanders Anxiety

5.0 (4)
HOCKEY
UPDATED WEEKLY

For fans of the New York Islanders.

4 DAYS AGO

Islanders Anxiety - Episode 345 - Another Absurd Week

Mike and Dan recap a busy week in which the Islanders stayed afloat thanks in large part to record-breaking super rookie Matthew Schaefer. The week started very poorly, with another blown lead followed by another blowout to a familiar bully. But what looked like a new bottom gave way to an unexpected rebound. A comeback win on Halloween and a miraculous last minute victory at home got us feeling good again and kept the Islanders in the thick of a packed Eastern Conference. That wouldn't be possible without Scheafer, who continues to do things we've never seen in ways we don't expect. This kid, who was barely alive when Iron Man was first released into theaters, is proving night after night to be the hero this team needs. We also look forward to a week of opportunities to grab more points before a brutal road trip takes the Islanders through several Stanley Cup contenders for the next two weeks. Wins are crucial but these guys never do anything the normal way. Finally, we once again are forced to do another early season edition of Master Leaf Theatre focused on a milestone 500th NHL goal that has been treated with more pity then excitement. Perfect for a guy who lives a life of discipline and disappointment. Subscribe to our Patreon!⁠ Members get ad-free episodes of all our shows, bonus podcasts, written posts, discounts 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 47m
31 OCT

Weird Islanders: The Podcast! - Three Cards in a Shop (with guest John Muir)

Our friend John Muir is back to talk about three hockey cards of inaugural Islanders he came across in an unlikely location. While on a hunt for Pokémon cards with his kids, John found some NHL trading cards from 1972 that captured the soon-to-be-hapless Islanders in all their haplessness. One was a depth forward who gave what he could before getting traded just as the team turned the corner. One was a collegiate star whose NHL career never quite took off. And one was a goalie who never actually played for the Islanders, but who once won a major award, outplayed a Hall of Famer, had an even more successful sibling and was traded for a host of other notable netminders. We also throw in a bonus Weird Islander who spent two miserable seasons with them before finding success (and possibly new romantic adventures) somewhere else. We let John and the cards take us on this journey of discovery. Along the way, we discuss the origins of the EBUG, the joys of thrift shopping on vacation and the very real guacamole recipe of a Hollywood horror icon. This is a chill, hang out episode that, while not specifically Halloween-themed, feels like a trick-or-treat bag of random goodies. Thanks again to John for coming on again, and for inspiring the entire episode. And thanks to Chewy's Cards and Collectibles in Indian Trail, NC for providing the cards we spent over an hour discussing. Check them out if you're in the area. Subscribe to our Patreon!⁠ Members get ad-free episodes of all our shows, bonus podcasts, written posts, discounts 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 3m
27 OCT

Islanders Anxiety - Episode 344 - Solar System of Fan Emotion

Mike and Dan discuss an eventful week for the Islanders including wins, a loss, another good rookie, a guy lost for the season, a coach firing and an All Star event canceled. The team righted its ship with two big wins, one eliciting a now-iconic quote from its star rookie. After a rare blow out victory, they lost a chippy shootout matinee that saw the introduction of another first year player who might have a future with the club. All three games had some good, some bad and some dumb, but overall put them back into the mix after a poor start. In between, Pierre Engvall was lost for the season after ankle surgery and Piero Greco was relieved of his duties as goaltending coach. Neither was surprising and might end up being good things for all parties. In the second half, we look ahead to a challenging week of tough games and division opponents. The Islanders will need to continue to pick up wins (the earlier, the better) and learn how to play some defense if they want to get out alive. We also discuss the cancelation of whatever Olympic Kick-Off event was going to happen at UBS Arena during the All Star break, which should never have been scheduled or announced in the first place. Finally, we praise a new YouTube documentary on the 2006-07 Islanders called "The Last Days of Bedlam" by our friend Pinholes Graham that everyone should watch right away. Subscribe to our Patreon!⁠ Members get ad-free episodes of all our shows, bonus podcasts, written posts, discounts 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 32m
20 OCT

Islanders Anxiety - Where's The Joker?

Mike and Dan recap the Islanders' exciting first two wins of the season and the warts that are still very evident in their play so far. For a little while, they were 0-3 and staring down a quickly lost season. But two wins - neither perfect, but gutty and pesky - helped everyone breath easy for a little bit and gave the Islanders a chance to rejoin the rest of the NHL before it got too late. They took advantage of an out-of-sorts Oilers team at home, then outlasted a Senators squad on the road in a defensive clown show. Both were badly needed and had heroes and goats that will either be leaned on or replaced as the season goes. We don't need the Islanders to be great. We need them to at least not be aggravating. This week, they were more of the latter than the former. In the second half, we look ahead to a week that could get them to .500 or beyond with a little effort. We also talk about their newest post-win prize and how it feels good to have some goofy fun again (with a totem that's wired directly into Dan's brain). Finally, we reluctantly bring you another edition of Master Leaf Theatre, that acts as a second chapter to last week's installment. We don't want to go to this well too often. But some wells are far too easy to drink from. Subscribe to our Patreon!⁠ Members get ad-free episodes of all our shows, bonus podcasts, written posts, discounts 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 43m
17 OCT

Weird Islanders: The Podcast! - Cory Schneider

Mike and Dan begin Season 5 of Weird Islanders: The Podcast! by talking to affable one-game Islander Cory Schneider about his great NHL career and path to Long Island. From a standout career at BU to a run with a great Canucks team to a monster trade to New Jersey to years in the AHL, Cory Schneider provided excellent goaltending wherever he played for 13 seasons. All the while, he managed to keep his sense of humor and gratitude about the entire experience. We ask him about all of these stops, some of the relationships he made with teammates and managers along the way, and of course his final years with the Islanders and transitioning to more of a mentor role while winning his final NHL game against the team he had the most success for. We also ask him about his budding broadcasting career and podcast with friend and former teammate Brian Boyle, and he BLOWS THE LID off a secret about MSG Network that we've always had our suspicions about. Cory is someone we've wanted to have on the show for some time and the reasons why are made clear here. He's funny, has an unbelievable memory and has always felt like a perfect fit for the Islanders. He even does impressions! As with other former Islanders we've had or will have on, we wanted to know more about the experience of being a New York Islander and how it compares or differs from our experiences rooting for the team on the outside, and he didn't disappoint. We can't thank Cory enough for joining us and giving us way more time than we deserved. He was everything we could have asked for and more, and he was the perfect guest to kick off Season Five of Weird Islanders: The Podcast! Join us for the rest of the season for more great episodes, great guests and, maybe, even another ex-Islander. And be sure to check out the first episode of Weird Islanders Extra!, where Mike and Dan discuss how the interview with Cory and our interview last season with former Islander Deron Quint came about. We'll be releasing more bonus Weird Islanders Extra! episodes throughout the season, exclusively at our Patreon. (Since recording, it's been announced that Schneider will be covering Devils games this season. We wish him luck and hope to see him back on Islanders broadcasts at some point again). Subscribe to our Patreon!⁠ Members get ad-free episodes of all our shows, bonus podcasts, written posts, discounts 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 25m
13 OCT

Islanders Anxiety - Get Them Schaefer-ized

Mike and Dan recap the Islanders' first two games of the season, which were mostly bad except for two new guys who were actually trying to win. We asked them for a couple of wins, something they haven't started a campaign with in ages. They did not do that, losing in Pittsburgh and against Washington in their home opener. Long stretches of both games featured familiar problems and a general lack of energy, which sapped a lot of the excitement out of what should be an exciting time. But Matthew Schaefer didn't get the memo. His performances - especially in Game 2, where he scored his first NHL goal - proved that he is already the team's best player and biggest reason to watch. He played the game in a way we've never seen, streaking down the ice and trying to make something, anything - a goal, a scoring chance, a shift in momentum - happen. While his older, established teammates took one or two periods to get going, the kid who turned 18 three weeks ago was leading the way. That's fantastic for him and a bad look for everyone else. Shout out to Max Shabanov, the other guy who apparently hasn't been invited to the Country Club yet. After talking about the loses and (mostly) Schaefer, we turn to the next few games, all against Canadian teams and all presenting more opportunities for the Islanders to either get right or show they might not have it this season. That might not be a bad thing overall, but it's going to get very old very quickly. Finally, we go to our first edition of Master Leaf Theatre this season. It's earlier than we expected but the passage was too good to pass up. Subscribe to our Patreon!⁠ Members get ad-free episodes of all our shows, bonus podcasts, written posts, discounts and much more. Try a free 7-Day trial of our Country Club tier to sample what we offer. 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 20m
6 OCT

Islanders Anxiety - Along for the Ride

Mike and Dan are back to discuss a new Islanders season with a slightly different vibe than other recent campaigns (but no less unpredictable). After running down some of training camp and the preseason, we get to our biggest fears and worries about this season. From back-up goalie concerns to coaching doubts to the status of the team's once stout defense, there's a lot to be bothered by before the games even start. While some think there might be a resurgence, others see a team not good enough to win but not bad enough to win the lottery (even though they just did). It's an impossible season to predict so we're keeping our expectations open... until the losses start happening. We also look at the first two games of the season against division rivals Pittsburgh and Washington. How the Islanders perform in both games will give us a clear indication of how the season is going to play out. Two wins would be huge. Two losses would be crushing. Either way, we'll look out for the tendencies we should get used to going foward. We also give more of our annual Oddly Specific Predictions, some of which involve trades, annoyances and possible PTA meetings. We talk a little about a baseball guy who doesn't watch hockey (big shocker, there) and reflect on 10 years of Islanders Anxiety. We love getting together for these episodes, which are a perfect mix of both of us. And we thank you so much for coming along and joining us, whether you've been with us the whole time or tuning in to your first episode right now. Subscribe to our Patreon!⁠ Members get ad-free episodes of the shows, bonus podcasts, written posts, discounts 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 47m
28 SEPT

Islanders Anxiety - 2025-26 Season Premiere Announcement

Islanders Anxiety will return for it's 10th Season (!) on Monday, October 6th! If you can't wait that long, head over to Patreon.com/IslandersAnxiety and sign up for our Country Club tier to hear all the stuff we released throughout the summer, like our Monthly Mail Bag podcasts, Country Club Atmosphere podcasts and some other fun shows. Thanks for sticking with us and we'll see you on Oct. 6. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

3 min

See All (525)

TRAILER

Islanders Anxiety - 2025-26 Season Premiere Announcement

Islanders Anxiety will return for it's 10th Season (!) on Monday, October 6th! If you can't wait that long, head over to Patreon.com/IslandersAnxiety and sign up for our Country Club tier to hear all the stuff we released throughout the summer, like our Monthly Mail Bag podcasts, Country Club Atmosphere podcasts and some other fun shows. Thanks for sticking with us and we'll see you on Oct. 6. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

28 Sept

•

3 min

out of 5

4 Ratings

Great podcast for a consistently poor franchise.

08/06/2018

Martin19806145

Being and Islanders fan can be pretty testing at times. Factor in that you don't live on Long Island or even in the United States and you have to question why you would subject yourself to the trials and tribulations of this seemingly "minor league" team. I'll tell you why. Entertainment. Being extremely knowledgeable about hockey, Dan and Mike offer a pragmatic view, loaded with humour, as they unpick the downright ludicrous day to day operations of the Islanders. I've been listening for 2 seasons now, and I'd like to think that this podcast keeps me abreast of whatever nonsense is generally going down. There's rarely any shortage of material that's for sure. Keep up the good work!