Dan and dad again Mike recap the Islanders' week of infuriating losses and one must-win before turning their attention towards Manhattan and the first Ranger Piece Theater of the season. In the run-up to American Thanksgiving and the day immediately following it, the Islanders did what they do best: blow third periods against beatable teams. They h…

Joined by NY Sirens goalie and die hard Islanders fan Abbey Levy, we remember Joey MacDonald, a back-up turned starter who had the game of his life for an undermanned and lottery-bound squad. After spending years in the AHL for the Red Wings organization, MacDonald came to Long Island to play the same role in Bridgeport. But an injury to Rick DiPie…

Mike and Dan recap a needed win and two more blown-lead losses as the inconsistent Islanders reach (yet another) pivotal week in the season. A regulation win over St. Louis at home on Saturday felt good (except for now ex-Blues coach Drew Bannister) but it came after a disappointing shootout loss in Calgary and a disastrous regulation loss in Detro…

Mike and Dan reflect on the Islanders' Western Canada road trip so far, which has included one good game, one bad game and one unfortunate game. They were lucky to escape Edmonton with a point (and without giving up Connor McDavid's 1000th) thanks to great performances by Ilya Sorokin and Anders Lee, but followed it up with an inexplicably great pe…

Joined by Islanders commenter (and new podcaster) Isles Den, we remember Marc-Andre Bergeron, a surprisingly important short-time player for a number of NHL teams. Anyone who watched Bergeron play, either before or after his season-plus stint on Long Island will no doubt immediately picture a very small man skating up and down the ice scoring power…

Mike and Dan look back at a good week for the Islanders that had a bitter ending, and how they make it difficult to just be a fan. After an unexpected comeback win at home against the Penguins and a, dare we say "normal," win against the Senators in Ottawa, the Islanders returned to their regular ways, blowing a lead and losing in overtime to the D…

Mike and Dan react to an eventful week for the Islanders that featured a slew of injuries, a surprise win and three more frustrating losses. After shooting blanks again in winnable games against Anaheim and Columbus, the Islanders went to Buffalo, where they had not won in three seasons. Despite losing Mat Barzal before the game and Adam Pelech, Mi…

Joined by frequent prospect watcher Jake from the Skates at the Stakes podcast, we remember Aatu Räty's surprise drafting and splashy debut for the Islanders before he became part of a massive trade. Once expected to be a Top 10 pick, Räty's stock dropped precipitously in his draft year and he fell to the Islanders in the second round, which seemed…

Mike and Dan take turns ranting about the Islanders' week in which they were shut out (again), blew a bunch of leads (again) and generally did what they always do (again). In the span of five days they managed to get lose in regulation 1-0 after allowing just 11 shots, win in overtime after their best defenseman gave the puck to a player on the oth…

Mike and Dan recap a week of good and bad, as the Islanders stay in the thick of the Metro despite some characteristically bizarre games. They start with Saturday night's home game against Montreal in which the nine-round shootout wasn't even the weirdest part. One person's "great atmosphere" is another's unsustainable, impossible parade of inexcus…

Mike and Dan kick off Season Four with their first actual former Islander, as defenseman Deron Quint joins them to discuss his five games with the team during their 2007 stretch run, his long hockey career in the NHL and overseas and his new second career. Quint was brought over from Europe by Garth Snow with the Islanders in desperate straights to…

Mike and Dan recap the first two games of Islanders season, which were annoying, frustrating and disappointing after a summer of excitement. In their season/home opener against the Utah No Names, the Islanders played all their hits - blown leads, bad penalty killing, an overtime loss - leaving fans angry and discouraged. A busy 3-0 loss to Dallas i…

[Note: This episode originally ran exclusively at our Patreon page on August 21, 2024. As promised on the episode, since John Tavares was not signed to a contract extension before the Leafs' season began, the episode is now free for all to enjoy.] This summer, John Tavares was removed as captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs in favor of Auston Matthew…

Mike and Dan discuss the waiving of Pierre Engvall (and others) ahead of the Islanders' season opener this week against the Utah Sister Wives. Putting Engvall and the six years left on his contract on waivers was a bold move by Lou Lamoriello but it illustrates just how the team has changed and how Engvall's signature brand of ineffectiveness can't…

Mike and Dan "recap" the Islanders preseason so far including roster spot battles, empty intrigue and the mystery of Ilya Sorokin's status. With about 60% of their exhibition games over (of which Mike has watched zero minutes of, per his standard policy), the Islanders' are shaping up along expected lines. But a few players are vying for an open sp…

Mike and Dan recap some newsworthy items from Islanders Rookie Camp including PTOs to Keith Kinkaid and Matt Martin, and the absence of Cal Clutterbuck. After working out at Northwell Health all summer, Islanders fan Kinkaid finally gets a chance to play for his boyhood team. While the goalie's energy is infectious, it forced Lou Lamoriello to addr…

Mike and Dan get together on a Monday in the middle of August to discuss a notable move for the Leafs and a massive celebration for Islanders fans. Announced via tweet by Pat Brisson mouthpiece Darren Dreger, John Tavares has been replaced as Toronto's captain by Auston Matthews, a move that has little to do with the official party line of Matthews…

A short sample of our latest Monthly Mail Bag podcast, exclusively for Country Club tier subscribers at our Patreon page. We start with whether the Islanders as currently constructed are good enough to compete in a (somewhat) rejiggered Metro Division, Patrick Roy's possibly identity for his players and who might end up surprising people this seaso…

Mike and Dan empty their tanks on the Islanders free agency signings, the draft, the Rangers imploding and The Wedding of the Century. It's been a busy few days on Long Island, and they've been good for the Islanders. Despite the craziness of free agency day, they signed speedy winger Anthony Duclair and brought back defenseman Mike Reilly on two v…

Mike and Dan look back at Kyle Okposo's Stanley Cup and Kyle MacLean's new contract before looking ahead to the NHL Draft and free agency with Ethan Sears of the NY Post. With the Panthers' 2-1 victory over Edmonton in Game 7, their long-suffering fans can finally feel some relief, while we can chuckle at the Oilers' failure, ESPN's issues and how …

On March 30, 2024 at the new Offside NYC in Manhattan, Mike and Dan were joined by listeners to hear their stories of their favorite Weird Islanders. We were gifted with tales of getting a Weird Islander jersey recognized in the desert, running into actual Islanders on Caribbean beaches, and rival neighbors preying on our loyalty, as well as with a…

In this special free sample of our latest episode of Country Club Atmosphere, Mike talks about how the NHL and the Islanders managed to seep into his time at the T20 Cricket World Cup games played at Eisenhower Park in the last couple of weeks. He tells us why ex-cricket players make better on-air talent than ex-NHL players, how one visiting journa…

Enjoy this sample of June's Monthly Mail Bag podcast. Here, we look at sad fanbases, the death of Capfriendly, celebs at Islanders games and the least worst name choice for the NHL's newest team. Later, we tackle some different possible timelines for the Islanders, body switching, time travelling and uses for a few other super powers. We also discu…

Joined by David Skurnik of Skurnik Wines and The Pinot Project, Mike and Dan remember the short Long Island stint of "superstar journeyman" Olli Jokinen. Jokinen arrived and left in two of the worst trades in Islanders history. In between, he was ridiculed by his general manager, dismissed by fans, endured long slumps and trade rumors, and only fin…

Mike and Dan take a deep breath as the Rangers get eliminated from the playoffs, opening the door for the first ever edition of "Ranger Piece Theater." We do some dramatic readings of Blueshirts postmortems and examine how a fanbase that is catered to almost exclusively by the NHL's biggest broadcast partners somehow still seems to feel they are be…

In their Rangers-free zone, Mike and Dan discuss the recent trade the Islanders made with the Chicago Blackhawks that netted them an extra second round pick and some flexibility this offseason. Through a swap of first rounders, the Islanders received a well-traveled group of assets that could help them get rid of an onerous contract (whether they n…

Along with Nassaumen Hockey's Jon Zella, Mike and Dan crown the first ever Weirdest Islander of the Year per the results of a listener vote. While several had the qualifications (less than 50 games played for the Islanders this season), only one man truly epitomized what makes a Weird Islander, with a long NHL tenure on other teams, a notable arriv…

A free sample of our marathon Mail Bag for May! In this short bonus episode, we answer questions about newest Islander Maxim Tsyplakov, the constantly overlooked Brock Nelson, the legacy of Uncle Leo and where the Hudson Line stops next. To hear the full two hour-plus episode, head over to Patreon.com/IslandersAnxiety and sign up for our Country Cl…

By popular (?) demand, we present a special standalone episode of an Islanders Anxiety favorite, dramatic readings of articles about the Toronto Maple Leafs. This time, we focus on the work of Jonas Siegel of The Athletic, "the Charles Dickens of Master Leaf Theatre," whose descriptions of the sorrow and misery of the Leafs' bleak house are as admi…

Mike and Dan talk about about how there's nothing to talk about regarding the Islanders, before turning their attention to division rivals facing each other in a playoff series. So far, the offseason news for the Islanders has consisted of signing a third string goalie out of Sweden and Matt Martin having a birthday dinner at an Italian restaurant.…

With Mike under the weather, Dan is joined by Canadiens prospects and Swedish hockey expert Patrik Bexell to discuss Jörgen Jönsson, brother of Islanders’ defenseman Kenny Jonsson and a European star with a brief stay in North America. After winning just about everything he could in his home country, Jörgen spent one partial season on Long Island, …

Mike and Dan examine the Islanders clean out day interviews and exalt in an epic edition of Master Leaf Theatre. While most of the players sounded similar and stuck to familiar talking points, a few stood out for either their emotion or perspective. We also had the pleasure of hearing from Lou Lamoriello earlier than normal, which was a direct shot…

Mike and Dan react the Islanders' season-ending 6-3 loss to the Hurricanes, and all the bad luck and blood-from-a-stone tries they saw throughout the series. After a disastrous start (including a penalty shot awarded to the worst possible player), the Islanders' clawed their way back into the game by scoring twice in the second period. But the clea…

Mike and Dan recap the Islanders' double OT win over the Hurricanes in Game 4 (and their haunting loss in Game 3) and discuss how some of their hope has been restored. Although the vibes going into the game down 0-3 were less than excited, the Islanders refused to go away quietly, and were led by Mathew Barzal, who scored the winning goal (with a l…

Joined by Pitchfork managing editor and Islanders fan Matthew Strauss, we remember the short and unmemorable but indicative tenure of Austin Czarnik. Joining the Islanders after productive stints in Boston and Calgary, Czarnik looked like he would be a fine depth piece or perhaps more for a roster that would be hit hard by injuries, Covid and bad l…

Mike and Dan react immediately following the Islanders' third period meltdown in Game Two against the Hurricanes, when a 3-1 lead became a 5-3 loss. No goal-by-goal recap for this one. You all saw it. The Islanders stopped playing after going up 3-0 on 12 shots, let Carolina take over the game and now come back home down 2-0 in the series. It was a…

Mike and Dan recap Game 1 of the Islanders-Hurricanes series, which featured a good performance but more bad luck against Carolina. For a large part of the game, the Islanders were the better team, showing prognosticators that they can hang with the presumptive Stanley Cup favorites. But just like 2019 and 2023, a bad bounce at the wrong time turne…

Mike and Dan recap the Islanders clinching a playoff berth, look ahead to another series against Carolina and welcome in Arthur Staple of The Athletic to discuss the season that was. With a win over New Jersey on Monday, the Islanders' secured third place in the Metro Division and earned themselves a very rare meaningless (yet still very bizarre) g…

Mike and Dan recap a successful couple of games that have put the Islanders on the brink of clinching a playoff spot - which is both good and terrifying. An OT win over the Canadiens and a "feel good" shootout loss the Rangers meant huge points in the Eastern Conference playoff race. A win in New Jersey on Monday night would lock up third place in …

Joined by Penguins writer and fan Adam Gretz, Mike and Dan remember Randy Robitaille, who had a surprisingly productive NHL career for several teams. From going undrafted and getting hurt in his first game to playing for a whole bunch of undermanned units - who needed stunts like student discount passes just to get people in the building - Robitail…

Mike and Dan wade into the aftermath of the Islanders 4-2 win over the Rangers, including a coach disagreement, bad acting, entitlement and anger. Sponsored by Hot Topic. After a blistering first period, the Islanders sat back while the Rangers took shots at a superhuman Semyon Varlamov. In the third period, Adam Pelech and Mika Zibanejad collided,…

Mike and Dan try to make sense of the Islanders' recent turnaround, that saw them win four straight and vault into third place in the Metro Division. What seemed like a lost cause suddenly became an uplifting triumph, sometimes within the same game. Wins over the Flyers, Blackhawks, Blue Jackets and, most improbably, the Predators included many of …

Mike and Dan examine an up-and-down trip to Florida and the Islanders' refusal to recognize their precarious situation, and recap their first ever live event. After a gutsy win over the Panthers, the Islanders seemed to gain a tiny bit of momentum in the sad race for the final playoff berths in the Eastern Conference. But then an embarrassing, impo…

Dan and Kevin Schultz from VintageIceHockey.com take a look at some Islanders minor league affiliates of the past and the surprising players who skated for them. From the notable New Haven Nighthawks of the early 70's, to their long association with Fort Worth, Texas, to a championship club in Indianapolis to short stops in unique places like Kentu…

Mike and Dan recap a week of brief hope and crushing defeats as the hard working Islanders teams of just a few years ago finally disappear for good. Ineffective, embarrassing losses to the Hurricanes, Red Wings and Devils showed that this version of the Islanders has lost whatever spark it had and is only interested in cosplaying like the Islanders…

Mike and Dan dissect a rare Islanders segment from Sportsnet's venerable 32 Thoughts podcast about the club's current losing streak and clouded playoff race. Hosted by Jeff Marek and Elliotte Friedman, 32 Thoughts is the most listened-to news podcast in hockey. They also don't watch the Islanders that often. So when they take in two disastrous game…

Mike and Dan move their scheduled recording up a day to rant about the Islanders' four-game losing streak and lack of response in games. From a "waste of time," to a team and a fanbase that was "different now" to yet another string of losses in a season full of them, this Islanders campaign continues to be exhausting and depressing. Something is st…

Joined by returning guest Nick Giglia, we celebrate goalie Al Montoya, who took a long road to the NHL and looked for a half season like more found money for the scrappy Islanders. Montoya had all the makings of an Islanders villain including getting drafted high by the Rangers and a preseason fight against Rick DiPietro. But after years of being b…

Despite the end of their six game winning streak and some scary games ahead, Mike and Dan remain hopeful about the Islanders' playoff chances (and the Penguins' demise). Massive wins over St. Louis, San Jose and Anaheim put the Islanders back into the wild card chase, took a big chunk off their goal differential and made fans rethink what we knew a…

Our post trade deadline Monthly Mail Bag podcast brought questions about the Islanders' lack of moves, future former Islanders who did not become Islanders, the future of the team's first round pick this year, what the 2014 trade deadline would have sounded like as an Islanders Anxiety episode and more. To hear the full episode, which is nearly two…