Dan is joined by Lighthouse Hockey's Jenny Berman to discuss the acquisition of Brayden Schenn and the games surrounding this season's Trade Deadline.

It was a wild weekend for the Islanders, who dropped two massive duds in Anaheim and LA, then made a shocking last minute trade for the St. Louis Blues captain on Friday's deadline that no one saw coming. After speaking with Schenn in person at the hotel both the Blues and Islanders were staying at, he agreed to waive his no-movement clause to join the veteran-heavy squad as they march towards the playoffs. The trade plus the re-signing of J-G Pageau was puzzling (and pricey) but Mathieu Darche's post-deadline presser helped bring the plan into more focus. The deal also ended the Islanders' Jonathan Drouin saga, which is probably a relief to him, the team and, in an odd way, Jenny's dad.

A day later, the Islanders got two massive points in San Jose thanks to Bo Horvat's latest OT goal. They're still in the driver's seat in the Eastern Conference playoff race, but things are still very much up-in-the-air for the few teams that haven't sunk to the bottom of the standings. The week ahead has more opportunities to pick up valuable points and finally come back home for much of the rest of the season.

Fresh off a plane from Singapore, where she spent an enjoyable but sweltering week, Jenny gives us her thoughts on the games, the trades, the number exchanges, some other deals around the league and on following the NHL from the other side of the world (or on a plane). Thanks again to Jenny for stepping in after a long day. She's earned a vacation from her vacation.

We also take a call from a "Mike from Long Island," who has many feelings on the newest Islander and how the deal went down.

⁠⁠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.

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The fine folks at FOCO are having a Buy Two Get One Free sale on T-Shirts all through March. Go to FOCO.com or use this link to browse the store, then use the code ANXIETY2FOR1 to take advantage. The offer ends March 31st, so don’t wait.

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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.

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Along with Sabres reporter Joe Yerdon, we remember Chad Johnson & Michal Neuvirth, back-up goalies who were traded for each other at the deadline but didn't help the Islanders much at all.

On paper, Chad Johnson was the perfect addition to what looked to be a quality Islanders team in 2014. He was coming off a great season backing up Tuukka Rask in Boston and should have done the same for Isles starter Jaroslav Halak. But when called upon, Johnson was consistently inconsistent, and made giving Halak a break here and there a dangerous proposition.

Meanwhile in Buffalo, goalie Michal Neuvirth wasn't having any fun playing on a team going nowhere but the draft lottery (again). His numbers were solid despite the roster around him, so a swap was made that everyone hoped would free one team of its biggest problem and solve another problem for a goalie who had shown skill in the recent past. On paper, the trade made a lot of sense.

Sadly, they don't play the games on paper, and both Johnson and Neuvirth became bewildering footnotes in Islanders history. Joe helps us understand both goalies as people and the circumstances surrounding the trade from the Sabre's side of things. We also ponder what makes a goalie good, how two proverbial "tidy pieces of business" could go so horribly awry and how to forgive a guy who was barely a villain to begin with.

Thanks again to Joe for coming on. We've wanted to get him for a long time and not only was he as great as expected but this ended up being the perfect time and the perfect subjects. Follow him everywhere you can on all the socials and at his website, NotedHockey.com.

We have a Weird Islanders Extra Patreon exclusive bonus episode with Joe as well so check that out, too.

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 "Knuckles" by Björn Falk. Hear more of his music on Spotify and at Bandcamp.

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Mike and Dan are relaxed and excited as the Islanders win three in a row and put themselves in good position for both the playoffs and the NHL Trade Deadline.

We were worried that going into two places they never win in - Montreal and Columbus - and coming back to face the rabid Panthers at home could be a significant hill for the Islanders to climb immediately after the Olympic break. But behind the Disney Dads, Anders Lee and J-G Pageau, and the literally unbelievable Matthew Schaefer, they won all three in uncharacteristically exciting fashion and have us thinking that something special is going on here. Going down 0-2 in each of them isn't ideal, but coming back to get points and create separation between them and the teams chasing them means everything right now as teams enter their final 24 game stretch.

The wins also mean that the games this week in California against the Ducks, Kings and Sharks have just a little less weight on them. If they can keep the streak going, they have a real chance to lock things up long before the season's final week, which is huge departure from the last few seasons.

Later, we look ahead to Friday's NHL Trade Deadline and how the Islanders have positioned themselves to do something big. Adding around the edges might be okay in most seasons, but if they can find some bigger fish to relieve the pressure on their current leaders, they might really scare the rest of the field.

Finally, we pay our respects to two great NHL voices that we have lost recently.

⁠⁠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.

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Mike and Dan look ahead to the Islanders resuming their season with three huge games, and present a special Olympic version of Master Leaf Theatre.

The Islanders' final 24 games will be a brutal sprint, with lots of in-conference opponents, a road trip out west and seven back-to-backs. They get a taste of all of those in the first week and a half starting with games in Montreal and Columbus before returning home to face a wounded Florida squad. It's vital they get off on the right foot because there's no time to feel things out. They need points to keep teams like the Blue Jackets and Panthers off their heels and solidify their playoff berth. And if they - and especially Ilya Sorokin - are not ready to go, this resumption of the season may be short-lived.

We devote the second half to something we didn't anticipate - a Master Leaf Theatre focused on Team USA's gold medal win over Team Canada in the men's hockey tournament. There were enough sour grapes flowing and weird things said that we needed to commemorate them in our signature style. From furious forwards to whiny radio hosts to taking shots at the Maple Leafs media machine, this Olympic edition of Master Leaf Theatre is as varied as The Games themselves.

Along the way we salute both the US men's and women's teams, Brock Nelson, Bo Horvat, Kimber Auerbach and the guy who wore the Simon Holmstrom shirt to the Season Ticket Holder event at UBS Arena on Sunday.

⁠⁠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.

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Along with comedian, podcaster and new author John Cullen, we remember Rob Davison, who had one major moment against a marquee opponent in his very short stint on Long Island.

Like a lot of defensive defensemen, Rob Davison was not a player most people would remember. His job was preventing goals, not scoring them, for a very good San Jose Sharks team in the early 2000's. When he was dealt to the Islanders at the tail end of the 2007-08 season, it barely registered with the fanbase and was more about filling a giant injury hole than anything else. He arrived late to his first game and would eventually leave the team after that playoff-free season.

BUT! In those 19-games, Rob Davison - of all people - scored a goal so crazy, so unbelievable, so memorable that we're still talking about it 25 years later. In an otherwise pointless game at Nassau Coliseum between two teams going nowhere, Davison launched the puck 190-feet down the ice and ended up with one of the most ludicrous shorthanded goals in NHL history, forever tying him to former Sharks teammate Vesa Toskala in a moment of infamy no one who watched it will ever forget.

Instead of finding a Sharks fan to talk about Davison, we asked John - a fan of the hated Maple Leafs - to talk about that game, that goal and Toskala's legacy in Toronto. Ironically, we all find a degree of sympathy for the goalie who faced an impossible play and whiffed on it the way just about anyone would have. We talk about his reaction to his friend Davison scoring a goal like that on him, and about how trading Davison helped the Sharks draft an upgrade, who has a goofy connection to the Islanders decades later. We also enjoy a rarely remembered fact about that famous game (that the Islanders still lost).

We can't thank John enough for coming on. He's a very busy man between his many podcasts, his new book - Curling Rocks! - being out (and recording its audio version) and his work for CBC covering curling at the Olympics. Check out his shows Broomgate, A Curling Scandal, What is...? A Jeopardy! Podcast (with Emily Heller), The POD Kast (with Bryan Quinby) and Blocked Party (with Stefen Heck).

A Weird Islanders Extra! bonus episode with us and John discussing the Islanders/Leafs/Tavares thing was released back in January.

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 "Knuckles" by Björn Falk. Hear more of his music on Spotify and at Bandcamp.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a standalone episode of a fan favorite bit, we dissect a recent Maple Leafs controversy that almost no one took the bait on except for the two guys who brought it to life.

In late January, 2026 - while the Leafs were in a potentially season-ending spiral - an article was posted at The Athletic about a former staffer who had some things to say about how the team was run. The staffer? A doctor of sports science who left the team in 2019. How is the team run? Like "a traditional hockey team" a.k.a., one without a doctor of sports science on staff. The doctor believes that not having a person in charge of sports science and performance has led to the Leafs' spate of injuries this season. And clearly, Master Leaf Theatre regular Jonas Siegel, believes him.

Along with Islanders and Master Leaf Theatre fan Don Becker, we dramatize the original article, giving it the weight that its author intended it to have but never got from inside Leafs World. We also cover the angry reaction by Toronto GM Brad Treliving, who had a few choice words for both Siegel and the disgruntled doctor. Finally, we tie things up with Siegel's podcast partner James Mirtle, who gives us an appropriately grim outlook on the Leafs' future that requires no doctorates to figure out.

We can't thank Don enough for coming on and giving us some great reads of this bizarre Master Leaf Theatre side story. You may have missed the "scandal" when it was originally published, but it was perfect for us and our signature performance outlet.

Works Referenced:

Why did the Maple Leafs eliminate a job designed to keep players healthy? by Jonas Siegel for The Athletic

Brad Treliving on TSN OVERDRIVE (starts around 22:00)

Brad Treliving defends Maple Leafs’ approach to sports science by Jonas Siegel for The Athletic

Why the Maple Leafs need to start thinking about selling by James Mirtle, The Athletic

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⁠⁠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).

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Mike and Dan run down the Islanders lineup to say something positive about each player and how they've contributed to the good overall season they've had so far.

We heard some feedback that the last episode came off a little too nervous or negative, so we challenged ourselves to accentuate the plusses of every position player. For some, it was easy. Players like Ilya Sorokin, Matthew Schaefer, Bo Horvat and Mat Barzal have been getting rightfully praised all season, while Adam Pelech, Ryan Pulock and J-G Pageau seem to have regained their former forms. Legacy players like Casey Cizikas and Anders Lee have shown they still have a place on this team, while newer guys like Emil Heineman and Cal Ritchie have only scratched the surface of what they're capable of.

For others, the task was slightly more difficult. In a few cases, we wonder if the team is just ready to move on despite what skills the player may possess because they're just not a fit. Regardless, we're able to isolate their strengths or things we think they can bring in the future, even if it's not evident this season.

This was a fun exercise to do during the Olympic break. Next week, we'll look ahead to their first few games back.

⁠⁠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.

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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.

⁠⁠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

Along with "Thrill of Defeat" host and Pittsburgh guy Dan Hopper, we remember Dick Tarnstrom, who turned getting waived by the Islanders into a starring role on some bad transitional Penguins teams.

While the Penguins have had some all time great players in their history, the periods between those players were pretty dire. Bankruptcies, empty buildings and lots of losses were not uncommon for one of the NHL's now-marquee teams. Into one of these eras stepped Dick Tarnstrom, a very late round pick of the Islanders who found himself squeezed out of Long Island during one of their rare fertile periods of the early 2000's and onto a Penguins team desperate for anyone who could put the puck into a net. Tarnstrom was competent on a bereft squad, which means he got comparisons to Hall of Famers, and Hart and Norris Trophy votes from the win-starved writers covering it. The Penguins' "X-Generation" might have featured a lot of weird players, but thanks to cheap tickets and EXTREME marketing, it actually succeeded in creating a new wave of fans. To those kids, guys like Dick Tarnstrom felt like superstars of tomorrow.

Dan takes us through the Full Tarnstrom Experience and tells us what it was like watching the Penguins between the Lemieux/Jagr and Crosby/Malkin eras. We learn about the "Ric and Dick Show," attending Ryan Malone's hockey camp as a kid, the Woodstock 99 flavor of the "X-Generation" ads and how Tarnstrom was able to capture hearts in the Steel City. We also wonder how we forgot he played for the Oilers during their 2006 Cup final run and why he was put on waivers in the first place (it probably had something to do with being Swedish and having Mike Milbury as a general manager). It's the deepest dive you'll find on the man who is surely the last "Dick" in NHL history.

Thanks again to Dan for coming on. His podcast, "Thrill of Defeat" is outstanding and if you're a fan of Weird Islanders, it will be right up your alley. He's on a bit of a hiatus now, but there are plenty of episodes to get started on.

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 "Knuckles" by Björn Falk. Hear more of his music on Spotify and at Bandcamp.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mike and Dan look back at a packed week of trades, wins, a season sweep and one terrible loss that makes an already daunting upcoming week for the Islanders even more scary.

For five days last week, Islanders fans were feeling good. Three wins, two over the Rangers in a humiliating season sweep complete with chirps from a goofball kid who's already a star, and trades for Carson Soucy and Ondrej Palat that, while open to criticism, have yielded good early results. Then Saturday happened, when the Islanders played a sloppy, maddening game against the Nashville Predators at home and took a giant step back after three steps forward. It was the last thing we wanted to see with a huge slate coming up and an Olympic break looming that will put us all in stasis for three weeks.

We look back at all of last week's games and ahead to games against the Capitals, Penguins and Devils to close out the pre-Olympic schedule. One against a team directly behind you, one against a team directly in front of you and one that should be easy on paper but might end up being necessary. It's a massive week that will tell us a lot about how the trade deadline might shape up. Of course, we said that before this week, too...

Finally we look at an article that ranked NHL arena experiences and at UBS Arena's fair placement. It's a great venue with one huge issue keeping it from the league's upper echelon.

Be sure to count the times Dan says he wants to talk about something and then just never does. This might be an all time record.

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⁠⁠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