Islanders Anxiety: A New York Islanders podcast

Islanders Anxiety
  • 4.9 (265)
  • HOCKEY
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

For fans of the New York Islanders.

  1. 2D AGO

    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
  2. Islanders Anxiety - An Ensemble of Situations

    6D AGO

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

    JAN 26

    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
  4. Islanders Anxiety - Episode 358 - Barely Breathing (Part 1)

    JAN 26

    Islanders Anxiety - Episode 358 - Barely Breathing (Part 1)

    Mike and Dan find the Islanders at a low point after an average road trip and a disastrous return game. In three games this week, the Islanders left us with layers of anger and frustration. They finished their trip with two bad games, one that somehow yielded a win and another that landed like a lead balloon. They then came back to UBS Arena to face the surging Sabres and once again no-showed a matinee game full of kids, an all-too familiar scenario for them over the last decade-plus. The Isles are still in a playoff berth as of now, but only because the teams below them are scuffling. Management has made no indications that any changes are coming, and the same assortment of deck chairs keeps getting rearranged, leading to no surprises and predictable outcomes. A game against a Flyers team hunting for the same playoff berth on Monday is huge for both clubs. The Islanders follow that with back-to-back(!) games against a Rangers team that would love to play spoiler, even as they wave their second white flag in seven years. Then it's a game against Nashville, that old boogie man. With just two weeks before the Olympic Break, these winnable games will all have an effect on how the rest of the Islanders' season should be treated. This is Part 1 of a two-part episode. Part 2, in which we cover news of the Islanders' AHL affiliate moving from Bridgeport to Hamilton, ONT and dive deep into a bad weekend for the Maple Leafs in a massive Master Leaf Theatre for the ages, will be out later Monday morning. 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 4m

  5. JAN 23

    Weird Islanders: The Podcast! - Robin Salo (with guest AJ DeVito)

    Joined by Skates at the Stakes' AJ DeVito, we remember defenseman Robin Salo, who never seemed to get a real chance with the Islanders and then disappeared without a trace. Many sports fans have their favorite "pet prospects" that they root for to make it in the pros. Not only does AJ count Robin Salo as his favorite draft pick, he was the reason AJ became an Islanders fan in the first place. Highly touted by respected prospect watchers, Salo seemed to have all the tools to become an NHL regular. When he finally got to Long Island, all of that promise went unfilled as he got little playing time over the course of a few years. He would have flashes of talent then disappear for months due to healthy scratches and demotions to lovely Bridgeport. Once Salo finally left the Islanders to sign overseas, it felt like we barely knew him. AJ tells us about his connection to and affinity for Salo, and we break down the mysteries surrounding him and how it all got so strange. Of course, we also examine the pairing of Robin Salo and Sebastian Aho, two guys who played the same position the same way on the same team and often felt like the same person. Along the way, AJ makes a bold prediction about Salo's future that we'll be interested to see come true. Thanks again to AJ for coming on, and be sure to listen to he, Ryan and Jake at Skates at the Stakes. 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 10m
  6. Islanders Anxiety - Putting Guys on Watch

    JAN 19

    Islanders Anxiety - Putting Guys on Watch

    Mike and Dan recap a week of bizarre Islanders games and bring forth an epic Master Leaf Theatre/Ranger Piece Theater double feature with special guest Dominik Jansky. The Western Canada portion of their road trip has seen one exhilarating and miraculous win and two disappointing losses full of missed opportunities. By playing in fits and starts, the Islanders kept themselves alive but haven't yet fully crossed over the line and made themselves safe in the playoff hunt. After a strange near blowout/comeback/deflating loss in Winnipeg, they took a 1-0 win in Edmonton thanks to a tremendous Ilya Sorokin performance and a timely powerplay goal (!). They followed that up with a sloppy loss in Calgary where they looked almost guilty for stealing one elsewhere in the province. It all leads to the final two games of the trip - in Vancouver tonight and Wednesday in Seattle (on TNT) - to determine how the pre-Olympics schedule shakes out. Two wins and they're in good shape. Two losses and it's time to worry. Throw in a home return game against the Sabres and it's a lot of weight to put on three winnable-on-paper contests. So players who've been quiet on the scoresheet will need to step up, even if they get Bo Horvat back. In the second half, we welcome back friend and Lighthouse Hockey founder Dominik Jansky to read an amazing edition of Master Leaf Theatre, in which "The Charles Dickens of Master Leaf Theatre" goes on a stalking trip to find out what life is like in Las Vegas for Mitch Marner before his first game against the Leafs. What we find is a normal guy working in a new city, which, of course, is impossible to comprehend when you only think about living in Toronto. We also get some audio clips of a pissy pre-game Auston Matthews and a mysterious "Mikey from Long Island" who called into Sportsnet's Real Kyper & Bourne Show. But, wait! There's more! (after a second commercial break). We also have Dom read pieces for a brand new Ranger Piece Theater about that team's latest white flag letter that no one is buying as the start of a new retool. Owner James Dolan is repeating himself and GM Chris Drury inches closer to Mike Milbury territory. And only one man has the guts to call this latest gambit what it truly is: APPLESAUCE. 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 36m
  7. Islanders Anxiety - Calming the Waters

    JAN 12

    Islanders Anxiety - Calming the Waters

    Mike and Dan recap a productive week for the Islanders and celebrate the performances of Ilya Sorokin, Anthony Duclair and Simon Holmstrom. The Islanders grabbed five of a possible six points in three very different games this week. One was a blowout that starred Duclair and also required 44 saves from Sorokin, giving him a new franchise record. The other was a tight shootout loss in Nashville that could have gone either way right up to the end. And the last was the rarest of all Islanders games - a win in Minnesota that was both a breakout game for Holmstrom and an even better performance for Sorokin than the shutout was. We asked for breathing room and got a tiny bit of it as some divisional rivals struggled. In the second half, we look at the heart and dangers of their latest long road trip that takes them to Central and Western Canada. We also debut a new feature for our PBS system, Master Sens Theatre, in which some (alleged) Telenovela-esque drama comes to Canada's capital and the team's ham-handed way of squashing it just makes it worse. Finally, we get to laugh at both the Devils, and their continued sulking about a trade that didn't involve them, and the Rangers, who had a bad week and an even worse weekend that was full of the kind of "BS" they were supposed to be without this season. 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 3m

  8. JAN 9

    Weird Islanders: The Podcast! - Richard Zednik (with guest Ted Starkey)

    Along with author and Capitals expert Ted Starkey, we remember Richard Zednik, a talented player and borderline legend for three NHL teams, but a footnote in Islanders history. Zednik started his career with the bang, as an exciting rookie on the Capitals 1998 Stanley Cup final team. He hit a new level after being traded to Montreal and blossoming into a big scorer. But after a disappointing return to Washington, he found himself again shipped off to Long Island. In one of the strangest seasons in Islanders history, Zednik was a true passenger. Ten games, one goal and a disappearance during an electric run to the playoffs, in which he would also play briefly. Later, he had a renaissance with the Panthers and used the Islanders for one final highlight reel goal after coming back from a horrific injury, Ted talks to us about Zednik's folk hero status in Washington - including a hilarious and era-appropriate promotional event - and what he meant to that fun squad that made a surprise run to the Cup final. We marvel at Zednik's numbers with the Canadiens and Panthers and laugh about his incredibly disappointing short time with the Islanders. He showed up, got some fans excited, did very little, dipped out for a while and came back just in time for a five-game playoff wipeout. It was yet another strange element to the extremely strange 2006-07 season, one we can't get enough of. Thanks again to Ted for coming on and all his support over the years. Follow his work at Hockey Hot Stove and check out his books, Red Rising: The Washington Capitals Story and Chasing the Dream: Life in the American Hockey League. 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 16m
See All (549)

Trailer

4.9
out of 5
265 Ratings

About

For fans of the New York Islanders.

Information

More From SB Nation

You Might Also Like