Islanders & NHL Playoff News: Leafs up two, Sheifele returns in Jets loss

We’re just waiting and debating, debating and waiting here…

Good morning. We highlighted (and debated, and debated) the latest scuttlebutt on the Islanders’ GM search yesterday, but maybe there will be some more nuggets today after this posting.

Meanwhile, in the season’s-not-over section of the NHL, the Leafs went up 2-0 in their series with the Panthers when Mitch Marner scored a go-ahead goal just 17 seconds after the Panthers had tied the game at 3-3.

And in the series opener, MIkko Koskinen scored another hat trick — he had a hand in 12 consecutive Stars goals across two series — as the Stars took Game 1 by a hair in Winnipeg. Mark Scheifele did return, however (as did Jason Robertson for the Stars), and he scored a big goal after an outstanding Jets forecheck forced the Stars D into a collective cough-up.

Islanders News

• Having the #1 pick makes this GM choice even more critical — for the plan going forward, as much as for the choice itself. [Newsday]
• Pretty much every draft story now involves the Islanders, since they won the lottery. This one is about what risks (if any) there are in taking Matthew Schaefer first overall, since he missed so much time with mono and a broken clavicle. [Athletic]
• Maybe the biggest risk of all is that he probably had Leafs sheets as a kid. [@IslesFix]
• Marc Bergevin is one rumored candidate, and this is an intersting piece from a while back with him reflecting on his time in Montreal. [Athletic]

Elsewhere

• ICYMI, the Mammoth. [NHL]
• Thrust into the spotlight, Woll delivered. [Sportsnet]
• Tonight: Heh, the Capitals “need to get back to their identity.” I’m afraid this is your identity, fellas. [NHL]
• And Alex Pietrangelo and Pavel Dorofeyev were not ruled out for Vegas in Game 2 vs. the Oilers. [NHL]
• The Worlds begin Friday in Sweden; I know you’ll be following. [TSN]
• Why the timing of Kirill Kaprizov’s UFA status (2026) could make him the highest paid player, at least by AAV. [Sportsnet]
• A neuroscientist expresses concern about Anthony Stolarz receiving two apparent blows to the head but not be removed until he started vomiting. [TSN]
• This is NHL hockey officiating in a nutshell: Dallas is already on a power play, so we can’t dare put them on a 5-on-3 just because of this (the ref sent them both off, somehow):

And this: