The Tank is BACK! (in Iowa)
Islanders links
The team had a final practice before breaking away for All Star week, and both Jack Capuano and Garth Snow were on hand to discuss the dangers of the dreaded post-break letdown. [Newsday]
If you're waiting for a big deadline move, I have bad news for you. Pierre LeBrun's hunch is that the Islanders did their shopping before the season started. [ESPN]
LeBrun's colleague Craig Custance polled scouts after half a season to see how their feelings on goalies have changed. Jaro Halak moved up a few spots. [E$PN IN$IDER$ ONLY]
Being on top at the break is a new experience for the Islanders. [Reuters]
Central Scouting's Mid Term rankings are out and Dom looks at them from an Islanders perspective. It's nice to not have to pick at the first 10-15 names with a fine-toothed comb.
pennst92 has another 30 Islanders Thoughts ahead of the break. [FanPost]
The evolution of Jack Capuano. [Islanders Insight]
Thomas Hickey calls into the Point Blank podcast.
Bridgeport's power play is clicking right now. [Soundin' Off]
The Sound Tigers also have a new face in the fun-to-say Mario Lamoureax. [Soundin' Off]
...while captain Aaron Ness heads to the AHL All Star game. [Examiner]
Congrats to Lukas Sutter for making the ECHL All Star Game as a replacement.
Not Isles-related, but one of our own in the spotlight: Michael Leboff is one of the minds behind FrancesaCon, so he speaks to Newsday in this video (wearing his classic Isles hat!) about Mike Francesa himself showing up at this Saturday's event at Irving Plaza. [Newsday]
Other stuff
Zac Rinaldo does dumb thing, sparks skirmishes all game long in last night's Flyers-Penguins game. [CBS Sports]. The Flyers helped the Islanders a little by taking a point from the Penguins in OT.
Copper n' Blue visualizes goalies going back a decade or so in an interactive graph.
The Penguins have had all kinds of trouble in the Metro Division. [Along the Boards]
Tampa will be without Matt Carle for a long while thanks to a groin injury and might need to make some changes. [Raw Charge]
A profile of Gary Bettman and his faith. [St. Louis Jewish Light]
Hockey superhero lunchbox giveaway coming to Grand Rapids. [Puck Daddy]
Leafs fans throwing jerseys on the ice better watch out because the cops are on to you. [Deadspin]
The AHL's Iowa Wild has signed an old friend, Ruslan Fedotenko.
Peter Laviolette cares not for your winking. [On the Forecheck]
John Tavares and Jaroslav Halak talk about heading out to Columbus for the All Star Game. Good luck, guys. Show 'em your stuff, but above all, come back safe.