Islanders Anxiety - Episode 211 - The Natural State of Things

Sep 26, 2022 - 7:30 PM

Mike and Dan (finally) talk about the upcoming Islanders season, how their muted expectations feel normal, and the star power of Mathew Barzal.

They discuss the first days of training camp and some of the reports coming out regarding new coach Lane Lambert and players putting the previous disjointed and depressing season behind them. They also tear apart some season previews that offer the same criticisms of the team that we’ve heard for the last five years.

In the second half, they talk up Barzal’s appearance on the 32 Thoughts podcast, how excited and personable he came off, and how he “gets” being an Islander like few others.

Finally, they look at some already unhinged reporters, compare Islanders to rock gods, and pay a tearful tribute to former Islanders who have signed PTOs with other teams during camp. You will be missed.

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REFERENCES

• Mat Barzal’s great appearance on 32 Thoughts (his segment begins at 36:42).
• You could waste your time with The Athletic’s Islanders preview but this Kevin Kurz training camp story is much better.
• Cory Sznajder’s stats and situations piece on Barzal is also very good.
• The training camp roster has a lot of weird on it. Also, Nikita Shosnikov is here.
• To the Islanders legends on PTOs elsewhere, we salute you:

PLUGS!

• Make sure to follow @LhhPodcasts on Twitter for all Lighthouse Hockey audio releases, news and announcements.
• Vintage Ice Hockey.com has t-shirts, hoodies, mugs and more featuring over 100 classic hockey logos Each top quality item is shipped fast, and the product pages have trivia notes you can get lost in. Vintage Ice Hockey also carries our Al Arbour tribute shirts, and our portion of the sales are donated directly to the Center for Dementia Research in the name of the coach. Use the code LONGISLAND at checkout to save 10% on your order.
• Betway is the official betting partner of the NHL. Play Big Pick for free or play for real (residents in NJ, PA, CO, ID, IA only). Please play responsibly.
• Try wines from The Pinot Project. Delicious Pinot Noir, Pinot Grigio and Rose, all under $15. Available at local wine shops and at UBS Arena.

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Theme song: "Sports" by Josh Spacek.

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