Islanders Anxiety: A New York Islanders podcast Islanders Anxiety

Mike and Dan reflect on a week of big wins and demoralizing losses, and how the Islanders are just barely hanging onto the wheel in their drive for the playoffs. In back-to-back losses to Columbus and Buffalo, the Isles looked unpolished and passive and instead of taking advantage of games against vulnerable opponents playing scrapheap goalies, they let valuable points slip away at a most unfortunate time of the season. Worse was that the defeats came after a rousing and raucous home win over the Maple Leafs that reminded everyone that Islanders fans are not to be trifled with. While the Toronto media did its best to shield their favored sons from the vitriol, their new-found "respect" for this often-chided fanbase isn't fooling anyone. In the second half, they look ahead at a daunting schedule against good teams that's impossible to predict and could be disastrous if the Islanders don't find their groove again. Finally, they shoutout some kind words from their Islanders podcast brethren.
Note 1: This episode contains some adult language.
Note 2: The first edition of Dan's Islanders Book Club will post this Tuesday at the Patreon.
Subscribe to our Patreon! Plans start as low as $2 a month and patrons get ad-free episodes of the shows, bonus podcasts, written posts, discounts and much more.
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Vintage Ice Hockey for t-shirts, hoodies and jerseys with hundreds of classic hockey logos, and our Al Arbour and The Island merch which benefit dementia research. Use the code FOURCUPS when you spend $50 or more to get a free THE ISLAND coffee mug or pint glass.


The Pinot Project has Rosé, Pinot Grigio and a Wine Enthusiast Best Buy Pinot Noir, all under $15 a bottle. Available at local wine stores and UBS Arena.


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Joined by Joe Buono, author of children's book New York Islanders A to Z, Mike and Dan remember Alan Quine, a player whose short time with the Islanders was defined by one monumental playoff goal. Quine came to Long Island in an unusual way - by getting re-drafted three rounds later than he was originally selected. After productive seasons in the AHL, he got a late-season call up and, a few weeks later, ended up scoring one of the biggest playoff goals in Islanders history in Game 5 against the Panthers in 2016. While the goal that won the series still stirs mixed emotions, Quine's shining moment makes him a particularly peculiar guest star in a memorable special episode of the 2015-16 season of Islanders hockey. Joe talks about his memories of Quine's time with the Islanders, all of the many threads that tied back to him that Spring, and why he didn't make it into the final version of New York Islanders A to Z. Buy Joe's book, with fantastic art by Joe Marasic, at store.bookbaby.com.
Subscribe to our Patreon! Plans start as low as $2 a month and patrons 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, and our Al Arbour and The Island merch which benefit dementia research. Use the code ANXIETY to save 15%.


The Pinot Project has Rosé, Pinot Grigio and a Wine Enthusiast Best Buy Pinot Noir, all under $15 a bottle. Available at local wine stores and UBS Arena.


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Mike and Dan recap the Islanders' mostly successful week in California, look ahead at three big games on the horizon and wonder what language the players are speaking to each other. With two wins in their their three games on the West Coast, the Islanders solidified their playoff position. It wasn't perfect, with some bad periods, awful power plays, unfortunate events and a few players stepping backward. But others have stepped up, even ones in scoring droughts, and pulled it together to take advantage of a few timely losses by rivals around them in the playoff chase. They also brace for an invasion of Leafs water carriers upon UBS Arena and a weird short-notice back-to-back this week. All the while, they beg for some insight into the "lingo" the Islanders players need to learn that's so different from what other teams use. Please, we need to know.
This is our first episode as part of the Fans First Sports Network, a new podcast venture started by other ex-SB Nation podcasters. Very little will change from a listener perspective, but you can expect to hear ads for FFSN shows and even receive a national NHL show at some point.
Subscribe to our Patreon! Plans start as low as $2 a month and patrons 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, and our Al Arbour and The Island merch which benefit dementia research. Use the code FOURCUPS when you spend $50 or more to get a free THE ISLAND coffee mug or pint glass.


The Pinot Project has Rosé, Pinot Grigio and a Wine Enthusiast Best Buy Pinot Noir, all under $15 a bottle. Available at local wine stores and UBS Arena.


Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mike and Dan look back at a week that put the Islanders in good position, and ahead towards the California trip that could ruin everything. They revel over a rare "signature win" that helped derail everyone's favorite wild card hopeful. The victory over the Sabres was the Islanders in their purest form, getting cheers for red line dump-ins from a fanbase that finds them anything but boring, despite how they're treated by the talking heads we're forced to deal with. They also look at another hilarious win over the Penguins that exposed how flawed that team is, despite its delusions about itself and its history. In the second half, they preview a swing on the West Coast that could be doom, the scheduling conspiracy theory working against the Islanders, and the hard shifts we'll have to put in just to watch them this week. Forget the coffee and take some deep breaths. Finally, they discuss the Flyers and the orange-robed council of elders that actually runs them.
Preorder your triple player “Line Change” Bobblehead today from the fine folks at FOCO. Featuring likenesses of Bryan Trottier, Denis Potvin and Brent Sutter, this is an extra large and fantastic collectable that you won’t want to miss out on. Supplies are VERY limited so preorder yours right now right here: https://www.foco.com/products/bryan-trottier-denis-potvin-brent-sutter-new-york-islanders-line-change-triple-bobblehead
Subscribe to our Patreon! Plans start as low as $2 a month and patrons 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, and our Al Arbour and The Island merch which benefit dementia research. Use the code FOURCUPS when you spend $50 or more to get a free THE ISLAND coffee mug or pint glass.


The Pinot Project has Rosé, Pinot Grigio and a Wine Enthusiast Best Buy Pinot Noir, all under $15 a bottle. Available at local wine stores and UBS Arena.


Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joined by Hockey Night in New York host Sean Cuthbert, Mike and Dan talk about the goalie tandem of the future that wasn’t, and the mad weekend that changed the Islanders forever. Roberto Luongo needs no preamble at this point. He was one of the most outstanding goalies of his era and a rock for two franchises - neither of which was the one that drafted him. Kevin Weekes was no slouch either, playing solid backup minutes for a number of teams. But neither could overcome the itchy trigger finger of the general manager who acquired and then traded them away in order to take the real goalie of his dreams first overall. Sean’s a pro at this whole podcasting thing and they waste no time in diving into the insanity of June 24, 2000. They run down the “terrible dominoes of decisions,” the “Sliding Doors” moments and the brain-breaking what-could-have-beens that categorized an entire era of Islanders hockey. The pace is as fast and furious as the trades were.
Note: Weird Islanders: The Podcast! will return to its normal biweekly schedule next week.
Preorder your triple player “Line Change” Bobblehead today from the fine folks at FOCO. Featuring likenesses of Bryan Trottier, Denis Potvin and Brent Sutter, this is an extra large and fantastic collectable that you won’t want to miss out on. Supplies are VERY limited so preorder yours right now right here: https://www.foco.com/products/bryan-trottier-denis-potvin-brent-sutter-new-york-islanders-line-change-triple-bobblehead

Subscribe to our Patreon! Plans start as low as $2 a month and patrons 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, and our Al Arbour and The Island merch which benefit dementia research. Use the code ANXIETY to save 15%.


The Pinot Project has Rosé, Pinot Grigio and a Wine Enthusiast Best Buy Pinot Noir, all under $15 a bottle. Available at local wine stores and UBS Arena.


Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mike and Dan look back at the NHL trade deadline and a satisfying week for the Islanders, who took home a big win over Detroit and a new large winger. First, they recap Saturday's matinee victory, which went from potentially demoralizing to jubilant in the span of a period. They talk about how "that smell" has re-emerged on the Islanders, who are looking more like the conference finals team from two seasons ago and playing meaningful games in March as they had hoped. The second half is devoted to the fallout of this year's trade deadline, from surprise winners to delicious losers and how the Islanders ended up being among the former. Many of last week's deals made the Bo Horvat trade - which was lambasted at the time - seem much more reasonable. And it's clear that some teams, including division rivals, are still searching for answers even after moving bodies around. Thanks again to everyone who made our Patreon launch so successful. Check out Patreon.com/IslandersAnxiety to sign up for ad-free episodes, bonus content, discounts and more.
Preorder your triple player “Line Change” Bobblehead today from the fine folks at FOCO. Featuring likenesses of Bryan Trottier, Denis Potvin and Brent Sutter, this is an extra large and fantastic collectable that you won’t want to miss out on. Supplies are VERY limited so preorder yours right now right here: https://www.foco.com/products/bryan-trottier-denis-potvin-brent-sutter-new-york-islanders-line-change-triple-bobblehead
Visit our friends:


Vintage Ice Hockey for t-shirts, hoodies and jerseys with hundreds of classic hockey logos, and our Al Arbour and The Island merch which benefit dementia research. Use the code ANXIETY to save 15%.


The Pinot Project has Rosé, Pinot Grigio and a Wine Enthusiast Best Buy Pinot Noir, all under $15 a bottle. Available at local wine stores and UBS Arena.


Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices