It's a Quick Fix featuring Joe Buono (@IslesFix) and former VP of Communications for the Islanders, Chris Botta (@ChrisBottaNHL).

In this episode, Chris and Joe question why the team will travel with 12 forwards rather than make a call-up with Hudson Fasching and Simon Holmstrom not making the trip to Vegas. Plus, Arthur Kaliyev was claimed off waivers by the New York Rangers; why wasn’t he wasn’t worth a flyer for the Isles?

Later, we’ve all been impressed with Thomas Hickey’s seamless transition to the broadcast booth. Could another transition be in his future one day? We discuss the management case he’s making himself without trying to do so.

It's a Quick Fix featuring Joe Buono (@IslesFix) and former VP of Communications for the Islanders, Chris Botta (@ChrisBottaNHL).

We jumped on soon after the Islanders’ 5-4 OT win in Boston (a win Chris saw coming!) as Bo Horvat became the first NHL player with a shorthanded goal and an overtime goal in the same game since March 8, 2023 (JT Miller (VAN vs ANA).

The win ended a three-game losing streak and, for the time being, put a hold on the constant chatter of change that should (or will) come at some point. The way too-forgiving Eastern Conference has the Islanders somehow only four points out of a playoff spot - one game shy of the season’s halfway point. Yet, even after wins, this team is uniquely capable of making you feel they’re much further away than what the standings tell us. Maybe this was the start of something or a mere interlude ahead of an arduous road trip.

In the latest episode of “The Red Line,” Phil Farber (@PhilzFacts) and David Tuchman (@TuckOnSports) discuss what the Islanders need to do to remain in the playoff picture by the trade deadline. The team is expected to get Anthony Duclair back on Saturday night in Toronto, meaning there are no longer any excuses for them not to start stringing together much-needed wins.

It's a Quick Fix featuring Joe Buono (@IslesFix) and former VP of Communications for the Islanders, Chris Botta (@ChrisBottaNHL).

In this edition, we take a holiday stroll down memory lane and reminisce about the infamous 2003 Santa “Brawl” at the Coliseum with one of the playful perpetrators of the tomfoolery, lifelong Islander fan turned NHL betting savant and sniffer Andy Francess. But first, the trio each took turns pointing podcast fingers at what’s most responsible for the Islanders’ overall stale on-the-ice product that’s producing more of the mediocre same. As a bonus, Joe offers listeners an alternative stocking stuffer option at the top of the show.

It's a Quick Fix featuring Joe Buono (@IslesFix) and former VP of Communications for the Islanders, Chris Botta (@ChrisBottaNHL).

It’s a post-game edition, as we record minutes after the Islanders lose in a predictable yet surprising way versus the Chicago Blackhawks on Sunday. With Mathew Barzal and Adam Pelech returning, the Islanders came out flat. Although they believe they once again feel they deserved a better result, the same troubling tendencies failed them again, as they failed to build or sustain momentum in this maddening season.

It's a Quick Fix featuring Joe Buono (@IslesFix) and former VP of Communications for the Islanders, Chris Botta (@ChrisBottaNHL).

In this episode, Joe and Chris provide their instant reactions to Pierre Engvall and Oliver Wahlstrom being placed on waivers in anticipation of Mathew Barzal, Adam Pelech, and Anthony Duclair's return. Will a team claim Wahlstrom, or are there more chances for him in the organization?

Plus, Patrick Roy has a post-game reaction that can only come from a goaltender. Will the team respond positively to the criticism? Also, Chris is asked about the book he co-authored with Stan Fischler and more!

In the latest episode of “The Red Line,” Phil Farber (@PhilzFacts) and David Tuchman (@TuckOnSports) are back after one of the more disappointing performances from the team since Patrick Roy took over as head coach. Is this roster capable of excelling in Roy’s system? The guys also talk about all the candid drama surrounding Pierre Engvall and much more.

It's a Quick Fix featuring Joe Buono (@IslesFix) and former VP of Communications for the Islanders, Chris Botta (@ChrisBottaNHL).

First, a special thanks to everyone downloading and tuning into the show; the response has been fantastic. This week, alongside some heavy hockey talk hitters, we climbed to No. 14 on the iTunes Hockey Podcast charts. Awesome!

A listener asked Chris on X about the Islanders’ minority owner, John Collins, who runs the team’s business operations. Given that it’s been a decade since Scott Malkin and Jon Ledecky first became minority owners, we thought it was a good time to reflect on all they’ve accomplished and what’s still to come on and off the ice in the short and long term.

It's a Quick Fix featuring Joe Buono (@IslesFix) and former VP of Communications for the Islanders, Chris Botta (@ChrisBottaNHL). The Islanders “won the weekend” by securing three out of a possible four points, but they’ll have to show a lot more late in games to change the course of a season plagued by third-period collapses. Chris and Joe discuss the subtle changes in how the team spoke about their struggles ahead of Saturday night’s win vs. Buffalo.

Plus, Pierre Engvall was a healthy scratch again, leading us to wonder whether we should ever expect anything different from the perplexing forward. Also, Anders Lee shows he still has much more left than naysayers thought.

In the latest episode of “The Red Line,” Phil Farber (@PhilzFacts) and David Tuchman (@TuckOnSports) are back to breakdown how the Islanders managed to blow three straight games when holding a third-period lead. A lousy week has given the naysayers fuel to start a conversation about trading off key pieces weeks, if not months, before it needs to happen.