Preseason games kicked off around the NHL last night, including the Islanders in Newark for a {checks notes again} big “win.” They’re next in action Tuesday at the Garden vs. the Smurfs.
The curve of small meaningless samples to big extrapolations follows an upward curve from “looked dominant in the rookie scrimmage” to “was great in that split-squad preseason game” to “Mike Comrie and his toe drag were lights out on opening weekend vs. Buffalo.”
After a goof-up that led to a goal against on his first shift, Maxim Tsyplakov is somewhere between those last two tiers with a really sweet look-off and pass to set up Julien Gauthier, who is continuing a good preseason impression:
Tsyplakov with the fake and the feed to Gauthier who buries it!