For fans of the New York Islanders.
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Islanders Anxiety - Summer Special - 32 Thoughts About John Tavares Losing the Maple Leafs Captaincy
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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 …
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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Weird Islanders: The Podcast! - Episode 50 - Weirdest Islander of the Year 2024 (with guest Jon Zella)
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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.…
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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, …
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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 …
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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…
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Islanders Anxiety - Episode 286 - The Assassination of Mika Zibanejad by the Coward Adam Pelech
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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,…
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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 …
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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…
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Weird Islanders: The Podcast! - Episode 46 - An Islanders Minor League Tour (with guest Kevin Schultz)
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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Mike and Dan recap the Islanders stunning week of huge wins that put them back in the playoff picture, and look ahead at this Friday's trade deadline. Victories over Dallas, Detroit and Boston gave fans renewed hope that this season might not be the waste of time it seemed just one week ago. Structured defense and great individual performances like…
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First ever Weird Islanders guest Carey Haber is back to chat with Mike and Dan about Justin Papineau, the vaunted return in the trade of Chris Osgood that turned out to not be. With a young Rick DiPietro (allegedly) ready for starting duty, the Islanders chose to trade Osgood to St. Louis for one of the Blues' most tantalizing prospects. Papineau w…
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After two awful losses and one wobbly win in a crucial week, Mike and Dan discuss how this Islanders season has felt like a huge waste of time for everyone. Sure, Adam Pelech (of all people) scoring in overtime against the Penguins felt good. But the goal came after yet another blown third period lead and gave away a point to another team in the sa…
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Mike and Dan react to the Islanders' gut-wrenching loss in the Stadium Series game against the Rangers at Met Life Stadium and a season full of gut-wrenching losses. For 55 minutes, the game was a fun one for Islanders fans who braved the travel and the cold to see the spectacle that only comes around once every 10 years. Then in the blink of an ey…
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Joined again by podcaster and actor Michael Paul Smith, we remember when the Islanders were gifted two time Stanley Cup champion goalie Chris Osgood, who helped their quick transformation in the early 2000’s. The late 90’s Detroit Red Wings and Islanders were barely playing the same sport. One was the best team of its era and the other was all but …
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Mike and Dan look back at an eventful week for the Islanders and elsewhere, with big wins, a frustrating loss, controversies up north and maybe some light tax evasion. They start with Saturday's sleepy loss to Calgary, another missed opportunity for a team that can't afford any, and how things could have been worse if not for a friendly out-of-town…
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Mike and Dan come out of the NHL All Star Break with no idea how the Islanders will fare in the crucial next few games and with an epic edition of Master Leaf Theatre. While the team was on break (sans Mathew Barzal, who was part of the winning All Star team), Lou Lamoriello was making moves, including (officially) hiring Patrick Roy's new assistan…
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Mike and Dan catch up with NHL.com editor and all around Islanders luminary Brian Compton and remember Michael Dal Colle, a high first round pick who took the long road to become a fine defensive forward. With a pedigree that included bushels of goals and a Memorial Cup, Dal Colle seemed like the perfect pick for the still building Islanders. But b…
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With a bye week for the Islanders looming, Mike and Dan look at a potpourri of topics including more irritating losses, small strides and the team's big picture outlook. New coach Patrick Roy is trying to get his players on the same page, but hasn't had much time. And so many of the problems that plagued his predecessor are still costing the Island…
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Mike and Dan recap the first game of the Islanders' Patrick Roy experience, and reflect on some of the bigger stories at play in this new era. While their 3-2 overtime win over Dallas featured a lot of the same mistakes they've been making all season (as well as a fantastic game-winning goal by Bo Horvat), there was a noticeable uptick in energy. T…
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Mike is back from Mexico, Lane Lambert is finally out and Patrick Roy is the Islanders' new coach. We try to unpack it all in a special emergency episode. After a dreadful, dreary loss in overtime a barely AHL-quality Blackhawks squad and some pointed comments afterward, Lou Lamoriello finally decided that his team needed a new voice. So on a Satur…
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Joined by producer and podcaster Tyler Gildin, we remember forward Peter Regin, who came to Long Island to play with his countryman Frans Nielsen and left soon in a deal that quietly remade a few teams. Signed as a budget free agent with a small chance of upside, Regin started the 2013-14 season with a great goal and high hopes, then quickly went c…
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Dan is joined by Nassaumen Hockey podcast co-host Jon Zella to recap a week of ugly losses and thrilling wins with the Islanders still missing something halfway through the season. In a complete loss to the Canucks and a gut-wrenching last second defeat in Nashville, the Islanders showed the problems of inconsistency and undisciplined play still ha…
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Mike and Dan recap missed opportunities on a Southwestern road trip, look ahead to an annoying week and make a MONUMENTAL ANNOUNCEMENT. In an overtime loss in Denver and a collapse in Las Vegas, the Islanders left points on the table with self-inflicted wounds, which has become a hallmark of the season. A full marks win in Arizona felt great, but t…
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Along with Skates at the Stakes podcast host AJ DeVito, Mike and Dan remember Tom Kuhnhackl, a depth winger capable of unforgettable goals and non-goals alike. Coming over as a free agent in the first year under Lou Lamoriello and Barry Trotz, Kuhnhackl provided the Islanders with the kind of no frills veteran experience they didn't always have bef…
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On the first day of 2024, Mike and Dan recap two losses to Pittsburgh and one complete win over Washington, which left the Islanders in a precarious place as they head out west. Despite the fanbase (aka "us") brimming with confidence going into their games against the Penguins, the Islanders fell on their faces both times - once in a 7-0 disaster a…
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