Islanders Anxiety - Episode 360 - Presented by Benihana

Mike and Dan recap the Islanders' wheezing last games and take stock of where the team sits at the Olympic break before enjoying a dessert of Ranger Piece Theater. The Islanders did what we asked last week and grabbed at least four points. Too bad they looked mostly lousy while doing it. So while their comeback against the Penguins and a theft from the Devils were helpful and kept them in third in the Metro, they also didn't offer a lot in the way of encouragement for the stretch run. The bottom half of the lineup provides almost no offensive support and the top half and the defense is constantly in flux thanks to a coach who seems out of ideas. Still, we don't want to lose sight of the fun times despite the dangers ahead. Few expected the Islanders to be in a playoff berth this late in the season (if at all) so we want to take the good with the bad. Next week, we'll dive a little deeper into individual player performances, especially two the Islanders might regret not doing more with if they don't come out of the break hot. Meanwhile, we always have time to laugh at the Rangers, whose GM and captain have very little to say about where the franchise is and why their fans should still care. Fortunately, it feels like they'll both be around for a while so they'll have plenty of time to come up with their next blast of hot air. This podcast is presented by Benihana, the new official hibachi partner of the New York Islanders. Subscribe to our Patreon!⁠ Members get ad-free episodes of all our shows, bonus podcasts, written posts, chats with us and much more. Visit our friends ⁠⁠Vintage Ice Hockey⁠⁠ for t-shirts, hoodies and jerseys with hundreds of classic hockey logos, as well as ⁠⁠the full line of Islanders Anxiety merch⁠⁠. As always our portion of those sales go directly to the Center for Dementia Research. ⁠⁠The Pinot Project⁠⁠ has a Rosé, a Pinot Grigio and a Wine Enthusiast Best Buy Pinot Noir, all under $15 a bottle. Available at local wine stores and UBS Arena. Visit ⁠⁠Lighthousehockey.com⁠⁠ for the most up-to-date Islanders news and discussion. Islanders Anxiety podcasts are part of the Fans First Sports Network (⁠⁠@FansFirstSN⁠⁠). Our theme is "Morning Haze" by Family Dinner. Hear more of their music ⁠⁠on Spotify⁠⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices