Brian Strait

SERIES II OFF-DAY 3 In a perfect world where airlines run on time and don't cancel flights (looking at you Delta), I'd be writing this post from Ottawa this evening. Lo and behold, I'm still in Pittsburgh. Don't fret puckheads, I'll be arriving in...

The Islanders are aware of what they accomplished this season. Now that it's over and they finished packing up their belongings Tuesday, they also know what's ahead. "We've got to realize that what we did down the stretch this year, we have to do it...

The Penguins are in Round 2 of the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time since 2010. Available tickets for Games 1 and 2 at Consol Energy Center go on sale at 10 a.m. Monday at the arena box office and all Ticketmaster locations, including online....

The Islanders won't head for their offseason destinations until Tuesday. How much longer it takes to shake off Saturday night's 4-3 overtime loss to the Penguins that eliminated the Islanders in six games is as yet unknown. "From being in the AHL...

New York Islanders right wing Kyle Okposo made no promises of continued success when he declared before Game 5, "I thought we have been the better team the last three games." Maybe he knew better. Maybe he knew the Islanders are a different team --...

Experienceoverrated? The New York Islanders have 16 players -- nearly three-fourths of their roster -- who had been in fewer than five career playoff games before Thursday night. The Penguins are annual postseason participants -- seven consecutive...

The Penguins made their bold move in goal and it paid off, with Tomas Vokoun tossing a 31-save shutout in Game 5 Thursday. The Islanders, pushed to the brink of elimination with the 4-0 loss, may have a goaltending decision of their own to consider...

The Islanders already had to adjust to playing without Andrew MacDonald, their top minutes-eating defenseman who is done for the year with a broken hand. They may have to play the must-win Game 6 without Frans Nielsen, one of their top forwards. Nielsen...

Kyle Turris scored 2:32 into overtime, lifting the Senators past the Montreal Canadiens, 3-2, at Ottawa to grab a 3-1 lead in their playoff series Tuesday night. Turris' shot from the sideboards sneaked past Montreal backup goalie Peter Budaj, who...

The Sports Xchange By John Perrotto, The Sports Xchange Penguins 4, Islanders 0 PITTSBURGH -- Coach Dan Bylsma felt changes were in order for his heavily favored Pittsburgh Penguins to regain momentum in a series that seemed to be slipping away. So...

Penguins' Vokoun shuts out Islanders PITTSBURGH - Tomas Vokoun has a simple philosophy as a backup goaltender. "You better always be ready to play," he said. "If you're not, then you're in the wrong business." Vokoun proved he was ready Thursday...

It's still early, so the mostly humble beginnings of traditional playoff beards on the faces of the Islanders is a good enough start. At least they're in the playoffs after five clean-shaven offseasons, and now the goal is to wind up looking like a...