Episode 4: All Smiles For The Isles

Episode 4 of the Tri-State Hockey Podcast brings a packed breakdown across the Islanders, Rangers, and Devils as Jonny Lazarus, Arthur Staple, and Mike Rupp dive into everything happening in the tri-state. The guys open with the Islanders, who are fresh off an impressive 6-1-0 road trip that included wins over the Rangers, Devils, Golden Knights, Mammoth, Stars, and Red Wings, with the only loss coming against Colorado. They discuss how this team has shifted from “proving they’re good” to “come see for yourself,” the buy-in from the players, the late-trip mentality, and why UBS Arena should be one of the loudest buildings in the NHL this weekend. The conversation continues with how the Isles executed at the end of a long trip, the structure, the mentality, the community piece surrounding the organization, and why this version of the Islanders feels different from the Trotz era.

From there, the guys move into the Rangers, and Jonny unloads on New York’s frustrating play in Colorado and their third three-game losing streak of the season. They break down how turnovers from the Rangers’ top players changed the game, why the gap between the Rangers’ stars and the league’s best continues to show, and how lineup balance completely shifted with Perreault out. They dig into Panarin’s costly decisions, Shesterkin’s inability to get the key save in a 3-3 moment, Lafrenière’s reliance on Trocheck and Panarin, and why the Rangers simply can’t win when their highest-paid players aren’t outplaying the opposition. The guys debate depth vs. star performance, New York’s inability to match elite players like MacKinnon and Makar, and the ongoing challenge of finding consistency in their top six.

Then it’s Devils talk, where they examine how New Jersey played well enough to win against Florida but were beaten by a brilliant Sergei Bobrovsky performance. They get into Lindy Ruff’s lineup decisions, how the Timo Meier – Dawson Mercer – Connor Brown line struggled, the spark created when Bratt, Hischier, and Meier reunited late, and whether Markstrom or Allen has earned the net going forward. Luke Hughes’ online criticism becomes a major topic — the guys push back on the unfair blame placed on him for Reinhart’s highlight-reel goal and emphasize the reality of a young defenseman carrying big responsibility. They also talk about Jesper Bratt’s recent cold stretch, what Hischier needs to do without Jack Hughes, and why these next five games against Philly, Detroit, St. Louis, Buffalo, and Columbus will reveal whether the Devils can stay afloat in the playoff race while they wait for Jack’s return.

Finally, the show shifts into a massive voicemail segment loaded with fan questions. Topics include contract projections for Nemec and Gritsyuk, whether the Devils should pursue Filip Forsberg, what Quinn Hughes’ “I’d love to play with my brothers” quote really means, the perception of young players based on NHL experience, and whether a big-name defenseman trade is even realistic in today’s league. They close out the episode with more voicemails on the Isles’ playoff outlook, Holmstrom and Engvall’s play, and a fun surprise pulled from Jonny’s old Facebook statuses. It’s a full tri-state rundown from start to finish.

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 – Islanders segment begins

29:10 – Rangers segment begins

46:29 – Devils segment begins

58:56 – Voicemail segment begins

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