Isles Day to Day: Practice Updates 7/28

There isn't much of a routine in the NHL bubble, at least not through the first two-and-a-half days. After an early morning practice on Monday, the New York Islanders were on the ice at 3 p.m. on Tuesday afternoon at the Ford Performance Centre, inside the league's secure zone in Toronto.
Even the rink was different. After practicing on an Olympic-sized sheet on Monday, Barry Trotz and co. were back on an NHL sheet on Tuesday, which allowed the Isles to work on special teams.
"I thought our practice had good spirit and I thought we practiced well," Trotz said. "We worked on some special teams, some five-on-five and finished off with a little compete to get the juices flowing a bit."

ISLES EXCITED FOR EXHIBITION:

After two weeks of practice and scrimmages, Anders Lee said he was getting antsy to play against someone who wasn't his teammates, as the Isles take on the New York Rangers in exhibition action on Wednesday (8 p.m., MSG+). Given it's the only chance to get live reps before a playoff game, there's a level of importance added to a game that doesn't count towards the standings. The Isles will need to find their rhythm quick on Wednesday, as things like timing aren't as second nature the way they are after 82 games.
"We need to rev up and get the speed down and go right into playoffs," Lee said. "At the same time we haven't played a game in four months, so there will be some rust, some timing things like that, still figuring out and working through... You want to get through it safe and healthy and you don't want to put yourself at risk, but at the same time you don't want to hold back too much."

Lee caught a few minutes of the Philadelphia Flyers-Pittsburgh Penguins exhibition game on Tuesday, the first NHL hockey played in over four months, and was impressed by the setup of Scotiabank Arena. The NHL installed a series of screens, lightboards and covered the seats in the lower bowl to create a unique, almost game show type feel. It won't replace the thrill of playing in front of 18,000 fans, but Lee said all things considered, it should make for a good watching experience for fans.
"It looks pretty nice," Lee said. "I didn't exactly know what to expect, but I knew the NHL was going to put something on and produce something that's going to look great on TV and will fill that void for where the fans would normally be. I think it looks pretty nice."

VIDEO:

Video: Isles Practice 7/28

Video: Anders Lee Availability: 7/28

PRACTICE PHOTOS:

SOROKIN JOINS ISLES AT PRACTICE:

Ilya Sorokin has arrived in the bubble and joined the Islanders for practice on Tuesday. The team announced he will wear number 30. The Russian goalie is ineligible to play in the postseason, but can practice and train with the team and coaching staff.