Islanders Anxiety: A New York Islanders podcast
Sports:Hockey
Mike and Dan kick off another season celebrating short-time Isles with ESPN's Greg Wyshynski discussing Alexander Semak, a notable Devil and forgotten Islander.
From his inclusion as part of the Devils' wave of Russian imports to his career high 37-goal season, Semak was an important player in that team's evolution from pretty good to Cup contender. But he was traded to Tampa Bay just before New Jersey won its first championship, then was traded again to a fisherman-clad Islanders team in abject disarray and going nowhere. Despite a GM firing, a skeptical, temperamental coach and a woefully deficient lineup that piled up losses, Semak somehow had a decent season of 20 goals. Then just as quickly as he arrived, he was gone, with a snarky soundbite from his coach an another (bonus) ex-Devil in his place.
Greg tells us how Semak helped the Devils during a formative time, and how fans lost track of him as they tasted Cup glory without him. The three then dissect Semak's lone Islanders season including his varied linemates, some of his more notable goals and the dreadful campaign the franchise experienced. Along the way, they cover the evolution of Lou Lamoriello, White Castles of New Jersey, the sick joys of dangerous arena parking and, somehow, Jean-Claude Van Damme. It's a headfirst dive into a brand new season of Weird Islanders so let's get deep.
Thanks again to Greg for coming on and giving us a ton of his time. You know where to find him.
Subscribe to our Patreon! Plans start as low as $2 a month and patrons get ad-free episodes of the shows, bonus podcasts, written posts, discounts and much more.
Our theme is "Knuckles" by Björn Falk. Hear more of his music on Spotify and at Bandcamp.
Visit our friends:
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Islanders Anxiety - Episode 203 - A Very Specific Type of Torture
Weird Islanders: The Podcast! - Episode 11 - Valtteri Filppula (with guest Steven Smith)
Weird Islanders: The Podcast! - Episode 10 - The Reluctant Euros (with guest Desmond Zantua)
Islanders Anxiety - Episode 202 - Once Every 202 Episodes
Islanders Anxiety - Episode 201 - Sufficiently Crazy Enough
Islanders Anxiety - Episode 200 - More Weird Than Scary
Islanders Award Winners - Bryan Trottier, Calder Trophy, 1976
Weird Islanders: The Podcast! - Episode 9 - Staple's Starting Six (with guest Arthur Staple)
Islanders Anxiety - Episode 199 - Guard of Honor
Islanders Anxiety - Episode 198 - The Bad Times Are Back
Weird Islanders: The Podcast! - Episode 8 - Capital District Special (with guest Bob Dittmeier)
Islanders Anxiety - Episode 197 - Close to Being Close
Islanders Anxiety - Episode 196 - Be Your Own Upgrade
Weird Islanders: The Podcast! - Episode 7 - Wade Dubielewicz (with guest Joe Buono)
Islanders Anxiety - Episode 195 - We're Incredibly Attached
Islanders Anxiety - Episode 194 - Rooting for the Same Miracle
Weird Islanders: The Podcast! - Episode 6 - Sergei Nemchinov (with guest Nick Giglia)
Islanders Anxiety - Episode 193 - Every Loss is a Microcosm
Islanders Anxiety - Episode 192 - Opening A Can of Wormholes
Weird Islanders: The Podcast! - Episode 5 - Thomas Vanek (with guest Jenny Berman)
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
MMA Fighting
Shutdown Fullcast
Arrowhead Pride: for Kansas City Chiefs fans
The Block M Podcast Network: A University of Michigan Podcast
Another Dolphins Podcast