When defenseman Radek Martinek’s elbow inadvertently connected to the side of teammate Rick DiPietro’s head with about eight minutes left to play Saturday night against Boston, it was almost as though the Islanders’ goaltender had been hit with a sucker punch. He never saw it coming, and it was obvious when DiPietro wobbled for a moment in front of his net that he was woozy momentarily.
But DiPietro shook it off and hung tough to the end of a 2-1 win that marked the Isles’ eighth straight game scoring two goals or less. The fact that they are 4-4 in those games is a testament to how strong DiPietro has been in net this season, and he’s prepared to make his 16th straight start against Dallas tonight at the Coliseum. It also will mark his 20th start in 21 games this season, and he’s showing no signs of backing off that pace.
Coach Ted Nolan was in a jovial mood at this morning’s pregame skate when asked if DiPietro had been checked out on the team’s day off Sunday. “We double-checked and triple-checked,” Nolan said. “Doctors talked to Ricky, and our medical staff talked to Ricky. We did everything humanly possible to make sure there’s nothing there. He woke up yesterday feeling good, had a nice day off and came here today feeling good. There’s no concern whatsoever.”
The Stars began a five-game trip through the Atlantic Division with a win over the Rangers yesterday that was their fifth straight, and they are 7-1-2 in their past 10 games. So, this should be another in a string of tough, tense games for DiPietro, who seems likely to start against both Ottawa and the Rangers on Wednesday and Thursday. That would mean playing five games in seven days, including last week’s back-to-back against Boston.
It’s a demanding schedule with no apparent openings for backup goaltender Wade Dubielewicz. “We had a good discussion on the ice here today about certain games where we can spot him and put Dubielewicz in,” Nolan said of his talk with DiPietro. “But he’s still raring to go. He’s a special kid. He wants to play, and he’s capable of playing those type of games.
“Last game, he faced two shots in the first period. His style of play this year is really helpful. He’s not going behind the net and playing the puck as much; he’s not chasing the puck to the corner or skating it up to the blue line. He’s much more controlled, and I think he’s conserving his energy and using his hockey ability much more.”
Looking back on last season, DiPietro faced a much heavier workload when you consider the Islanders yielded an average of 32.6 shots on goal per game to rank 26th in the NHL. This season, that figure has dropped dramatically to 26.4 shots per game to rank as the fourth-lowest average in the league.
“We know the type of goaltender we have,” Nolan said, explaining how the Isles began training camp with a plan to emphasize defense and rely on DiPietro. “Ricky can keep us in a lot of games and win us a lot of games as long as we do our part defensively. We keyed on that early. We got guys like Brendan Witt and Andy Sutton, and Chris Campoli and Bruno Gervais are coming on and Radek Martinek is doing well. We have defensive type of defensemen, and our forwards are doing their part.”
DiPietro, Nolan said, also has helped limit opponents' shots by making better decisions when he plays the puck, resulting in fewer giveaways.
Marveling recently at DiPietro’s appetite for work, Dubielewicz laughed and said, “The guy’s a machine.”
Of course, Dubielewicz is the one in danger of accumulating rust, which hurt backup Mike Dunham last season when he came off the bench after 41 days without action before DiPietro suffered his first concussion. Asked if he must consider sending Dubielewicz to Bridgeport for a conditioning assignment, Nolan said, “There’s got to be some discussion of that very shortly.”
Comments (83)
The team needs to come out fast and hard tonight. Dallas has been a hot squad, but they are very ripe for a let down.
Time for the first line to wake up, Comrie to stop trying to be a human highlight reel, Hunter to get in front of the net and actually tip one in, Simon to throw some jabs, Bergie to pester and skate hard, and the team too score more than two goals!
Is that too much to ask for :) ????????
LET'S GET TWO TONIGHT BOYS....TAKE TWO !!!!!
p.s I 100% agree.....Dubie shoule be in Bridgeport getting some work....He will be needed for some big games soon enough.....Get him some work in !!!
Oh man, this sounds a lot like last year. "Ricky's fine, we checked, he doesn't have a concussion, he doesn't have a concussion, he doesn't have a concussion".
I don't like this at all. If he looks at all shaky tonight they better get him out and get him some rest, the Isles need him if they are doing anything this year. After all, he still has 12 years left on his contract.
Why not play Dubie against Ottawa? Or tonight against Dallas? Obviously, you want to put yourself in a position to get two points always, but if you have to play a backup that you might not have all the confidence in the world in, and run risk of losing two points, losing them to a Western Conference team, or a team like Ottawa that we will not be running neck-and-neck with for a playoff spot at the end of the year would be preferable. Dubie needs work, and no matter how much of a machine he is, DP will need to rest. He may not be tired now, but the idea should be to make sure he doesn't get tired 75 games into the season when we'll need him most.
Wait... DP going tonight is only 19 out 21 starts? Besides the toronto nightmare when was the other game DP didn't start? I know dubie got the win on al albour night but when was the other time he started
Posted by Upstate Isles Fan | November 26, 2007 16:30
"Why not play Dubie against Ottawa? Or tonight against Dallas? Obviously, you want to put yourself in a position to get two points always, but if you have to play a backup that you might not have all the confidence in the world in, and run risk of losing two points, losing them to a Western Conference team, or a team like Ottawa that we will not be running neck-and-neck with for a playoff spot at the end of the year would be preferable. Dubie needs work, and no matter how much of a machine he is, DP will need to rest. He may not be tired now, but the idea should be to make sure he doesn't get tired 75 games into the season when we'll need him most."
Agreed.
To Isles Mgmt.:
Please get on a schedule where Dubie gets inserted every 8-10 games...THIS IS A MUST! Of course DiPietro will always say he wants to play.
Thanks Greg! I actually missed that hit on Ricky because I was in the concourse when it happened. I know they would never take ANY chances with him. If they SAY he is READY, then he IS! Sure, send Dubie to the Bridge, and bring up someone to back-up DiPi for a game or two. Sounds like a perfect plan!
Wait... DP going tonight is only 19 out 21 starts? Besides the toronto nightmare when was the other game DP didn't start? I know dubie got the win on al albour night but when was the other time he started
Throw Dubie to the wolves against the Sens. Rest DP for a tough game vs. Rangers the following day. Sens are much the best team in the NHL right now and our typical 2 goal output won't get it done that night. Plus, if Dubie somehow channels Ken Dryden maybe we shock the Sens ... either way, DP could use the night off.
Just got back from Micro Ice....Rumor on the street is that Isles will be making a trade soon to clear room on the third line for my boy Ben Walters.......As you all know I have NEVER posted any trade rumors or even read the bs some peole print.
This is from a pretty reliable guy! I hope it is true !
Merrick~ How did you enjoy your trip to beantown? I watched the game in Nantucket with a bunch of chowdah heads in a bar...All of us said the same thing...Booooooorrrrring !!!
Enjoy the game boys!
Is it my imagination, or is everyone else having as much trouble as I am in accessing the latest blog entry and all the comments?
He started every game except Toronto. Dubie relieved DP during the Carolina game.
The Coliseum is an absolute Ghost Town tonight. It's embarrassing when they show those shots from high up where you can see all the empty seats down below. The Isles are playing well guys. They are worthy of better support than this. Embarrassing!
Those two calls in the second period against Guerin and Park were BRUTAL! Guerin was obviously following through with a backhand. Park just out-worked the other player for the puck.
Reffing like that is killing the NHL.
Kevin T.
Ricky better be raring to go. The isles can't score more than 2 in regulation so they need goaltending.
I know Nolan is a great coach but not sure how much longer i can stand to see Hilbert or Simon playing key minutes while offensively talented forwards like Bates and Tambelini are available to take their place yet they don't......why?
Have to disagree with Nolan having Hunter and Sillinger on the ice up front to start the OT. Dallas had speed on the ice and we had 2 slow skaters. Dallas being a Western Conference team put some speed up front and go for it and don't worry about giving up the extra point. The OT was over before you could blink.
Just back from the game ...and here's a few thoughts ...some you'll agree with and some not, and I welcome all constructive comments ...
1) DP is just amazing ...I think he's one of, if not the, most underrated goalie in the league ...he made a ton of big saves again tonight ...I actually feel bad for him ...he puts up great numbers already, but imagine if anyone not named Park could score?
2) The attendance tonight was ambysmal ...we were talking in our section about how sad it was that with the team playing well against a good team that so few showed up ...there had to be under 10,000 ...I guess we're not ready to fill the place up on a week night yet ...unfortunate ...
3) I hope you're right Steady ...
4) Ok, I heard on 1130AM on the way back that Nolan will be putting in Sean "Master" Bates and will be playing only 6-men ...ok, fine ...but then who sits? I think it comes down to Berard or MAB ...I think Berard should sit ...Berard has been coughing up the puck lately and that's why MAB sat earlier ...MAB's play has been good and his shot from the point set up that PP goal ...
5) There were points in the game (Simon's almost goal ..the PP goal and other moments) where the Isles actually got people infront of the net and it's no shock that when they did they either scored or created a legitamite scoring chance ...the Isles should have someone infront EVERY SHIFT!
6) Lastly, huge point tonight ...nice to see them fight back against a great team ...that being said anyone of the 2,586 people at the game tonight could see how far away we are from being a contender ...Dallas skated better and passed better ...the Isles clearly have a ton of heart but are lacking in pure talent ...
looking forward to hearing your thoughts ...
I agree 100% Isles27 ...I was gonna mention that aswell ...I mean, Nolan loves to say how he doesn't really worry about match-ups but clearly he was trying to match a checking line against their top line ...well, I like Sillinger, but he's been off this year and I like Hunter as well but you're right - why not put out a line that can skate? Why not put out a line and go for it against a team where it wouldn't kill you to lose that extra point?
Big Nolan fan but that was the wrong move at that point ...
Totally agree with you AZS on all points. I'm not surprised about the crowd. I don't care about Dallas and I don't think anyone else does either. We just sold out the last game vs. the Bruins so I'm not worried. We play Dallas once every 3 years.
King Ricky is incredible and we can afford to play these tight games as long as he's in. I don't think Dallas outplayed us all that much. That game tonight could've easily gone either way. Martinek didn't lift Modano's stick in OT and that's the end. A mistake by a single defenseman led to a loss. It was very close.
I don't see any reason to put Bates in. MAB has shown to be useful when used on a limited basis. Berard hasn't been great, but has made an acceptable 6th D man. Bates will bring nothing to this team accept another Hilbert. Having the MAB advantage on the PP is more important to me.
I can't imagine this team winning either game Wed or Thurs night. We're playing the toughest team in the east wed night, and then thurs a rangers team that will be pissed off from their previous 3 losses to us, and in front of a home crowd.
7-8,000 in attendance tonight--tops (a complete section was empty in the upper bowl)--but at least it was a loud 7,000.
Well, I'd never seen Mike Modano live before and was hoping he'd play well while the Isles win. I got half.
AZS, I pretty much agree with what you noted. Having now watched so many games now live, the lack of offensive is becoming glaring. Making it all the more importna to put pucks on net and go for ugly goals in front. Perhaps my biggest disappointment tonight, however, is what happened after they tied the game. Dallas was playing its third time in four nights--after travel, and as well as they skated in the 2nd and 3rd periods tonight, you'd expect they would have a let down and hope to save at least one point while the Isles tried to pounce. Instead, the Stars were the ones who attacked and played aggressively the final two minutes and almost won the game. That momentum carried into OT and the game winner.
Funniest taunt from a fan tonight: "Hey Comrie, don't get your skirt wet!" I'm kind of feeling the same way these days. Perhaps he's hurt, but he just doesn't seem to want any part of physical contact and working for a puck. He just seems like a non-entity to me.
Best shot of the night: Even though it didn't go in, Bergenheim lined up a one-timer in the slot in the first period, the likes of which I have not seen all year. Turco got his leg out for the stop, but I think Bergie played another strong game.
Steady, Boston was great. We passed over the pre-game tour around the arena and went to Fenway instead. It was the second time I'd been to TD Bankworth, and to me, this is the type of building that is great for hockey. Forget all the fancy crap on the outside of an arena--the inside amenities are all you need for a good experience, the sightlines are great, it's not to high, and the Bruins have a very reasonable pricing strutcure. I'd take this 12 year-old arena over the Rock any day of the week. Anyway, after the game, the kids thought it was too cold to sight see and we went to Newport for the night and next day--before heading back to the NVMC!!!
Didn't see the game tonight but have it on tape. I just want to say, crazy as this sounds, I think we have a chance against Ottawa. They have a couple injuries, have been playing poorly of late (1-3-1 in their last 5), we're at home, and Ted Nolan surely recognizes the potential to lose both those games. Maybe the Isles damn the torpedoes and go all out on Wednesday, treating it like a playoff game. If we can somehow win on Weds., we can all live with an exhausted Isles team losing on Thursday.
Giving credit where it's due, MAB, for once, showed good patience with his shot. I had some trouble convincing myself it was actually him :)
AZS - I don't know that the Stars looked like they were in a different league than the Isles last night, or anything. Both team Ds made the other team's O look off, I thought. Look at how horrible the Isles made the second best PP in the league look. If anything, I was actually pretty disappointed with the single point and thought they should've had two. They had Turco down so many times, or completely out of the net, and, just as they did with Thomas, they refused to lift the puck in the air when they shot. If they had someone with the presence of mind to lift the puck on a one-timer or a rebound, they'd easily score two more goals a game.
Santa Claus :
We have been good fans. We have sticked with this team through some very poor years. We have seen the likes of Mike Milbury come and go, while leaving a train wreck in his wake.
Please send us someone who can score. A pure goal scorer. A player like the #55 from last year. A game breaker! If we must give up on some roll players or defense than so be it!
While your at it saint nick...... take Comrie, stick him in your bag, and drop him in the Hudson on your way out of town. I now see why Ottawa dumped him. All the skill in the world, but the brains of a pretty boy that wants to see himself on ESPN.
Thank you Santa!
p.s Please tell our Captain to get that eye for the goal back. If not we are looking at what the team did not want. Our first THREE GAME LOSING STREAK.
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Tsn.ca has us rated at the bottom again! The fact we could not beat a tired team that was not into the game is sad. Their star Modano showed what a pure goal scorer can and should do. We we're lucky to get a point. Now Ottawa and the Rags. We are in for a bumpy road.
We need a scorer and not a Jason Blake player who has 2 goals on 102 shots. We need someone who will be able to net goals. So hopefully we pull the trigger and bring someone in ASAP.
Steady: All of the fans in Ottawa love Comrie and were talking about if anyone booed him in their arena, they would be pissed. Ottawa did not have the cap space for him to keep him.
He,tank, and billy have horrible stats in the last 6 games. If this is our slump, i can not be upset about it.
Personally, I happy on our record as of now.
I think the Stars gave the Islanders a gift last night. And I'm not talking about the point for the tie in regulation. The Isles played well enough to deserve the point - especially in the 1st period.
The gift left by the Stars is the video tape of the game that Nolan and the coaches should watch very carefully. Then watch it again. And again. And then another few times. Dallas has a pretty fast set of D-men, along with a netminder that can handle to puck (when he gets to it, LOL). They clogged the neutral zone all night long and dared the Isles to dump the puck into the offensive zone - right to their stick-handling goalie. Five out of our 7 D-men have pretty good wheels, and DP is among the best with the puck. For the Isles, center ice should be the key to both their defense AND their offense. Just look at the first 2 games of the season against Buff. The majority of those goals were scored from transition.
The other thing to watch on that tape is the movement Dallas has in the offensive zone. Both puck AND players are constantly moving, and the puck is NEVER held for longer than a second. The Isles were better at moving the puck around the offensive zone last night, but the Stars showed them how to do it BETTER.
Last thoughts - DP is better and better with each game. The guy is turning into an amazing goaltender. And Radek Martinek is THE most UNDERRATED defenseman in the league. And the attendance last night most probably was affected by the holiday weekend and the weather. Many people don't return to town until Monday or Tuesday. And Monday after Thanksgiving is not the easiest night to motivate people to shell out $85 for a lower bowl seat.
Keys to the scoring drought:
1) Power play is not clicking at all. When we were scoring goals in the beginning of the year most of them were on the power play.
2) The defenseman are not scoring. When we were scoring goals in the beginning of the season the defenseman were chipping in from the point. Berard, Campoli, Gervais, MAB. No goals from the defense in over 10 games.
3) Comrie: This guy needs to shoot the puck and stop dippsy dooing all over the ice. The top line needs to produce once again.
4) They need to finish better. The Isles had a number of good scoring chances last night and just could not finish (especially in the 1st period).
I think the Isles need more speed upfront. They look a bit slow.
8,000 people last night !!!???!!?!?!
what the hell. I was hoping like hope we would push our average attendance over 15,000. now we're barely above 14,000. come on people. there's like 8 million people on Long Island. gather your buddies and lets get a decent showing together for the Ottawa game.
aaa "I don't care about Dallas and I don't think anyone else does either. We just sold out the last game vs. the Bruins so I'm not worried. We play Dallas once every 3 years"
Great attitude,don´t you care about YOUR team then?It´s these nights they sure need the support from the fans,don´t you think?
Maybe I´m not the right person to say this all the way from Sweden but that comment blows big time!I I think you should be pretty thankful that you can see NHL-HOCKEY AND ASPECIALLY the New York Islanders!
And btw,ísn´t nice for a change to see a team that don´t come to the building so often.
So for wday,let´s take two from Canada!Alright!
I echo the sentiment Steady....I predict a major effort on Wednesday and a victory over Ottawa. If they do, I will sign all my postings "Saint Nick" until Christmas.
Bravo, freddytheswede. My sentiments EXACTLY.
aaa, you don't care about Dallas????? Do you care about the Islanders or do you think fans should only go to games against "attractive" teams (Rangers, Flyers, etc.)???????? What kind of fan are you????? A post like that shows the problems the Islanders have.
Dallas is an exciting, fast team. And I thought it was great to see a Western Conference team. All these games against division opponents do get a little tiresome. I look forward to the NHL switching back to a more balanced schedule (next season??).
aaa, I would avoid posts like that in the future, we'd, including the Islanders, all be better off.
Is the cup half full or half empty?
Barely a quarter of the way into the season and the Isles are 3 points out of a division lead with a coupla games in hand.
8 losses on the board--6 of them could have been ties or wins.
Played the hottest team in the league and the 2nd best team in the West to a regulation tie in front of ONLY 8000 fans. (NOW THAT is SAD)
Still picked by all the pundits to crash from their current lofty status (playoff eligible right now) and to take their rightful position in the bottom of the NHL.
An anemic power play in the month of November (4 for-forty how many?)
More goals allowed than scored year to date.
Couple of go to guys who have not sniffed the back of the net in weeks.
I'm liking what I'm seeing folks.
Fact is while there is PLENTY of room for improvement...
A/There is plenty of time to improve
B/Standings wise, the Isles are in great shape.
Steady......
The Isles SHOULD LOSE the next 2 games....on paper.
How does that old saying about paper go?
Cincy....
No "gift" last night, a case could be made that the Star's were "lucky" to get 1 or 2 points. Any game that ends in a tie could easily go another way with a lucky bounce or two.
Fact is, the Isles more than competed with the hottest team in the league last night and could very easily have won.
Fact is, the Isles have 6 losses on the books that could have easily been wins.
Stay the course boys....
Just about every team has their issues right now.
Say what you want about the lack of scoring, but.....guess which HIGH PRICED East River team in the NHL has scored the fewest goals so far this season?
Just my opinions, I could be wrong.
Wow are you guys really asking for Blake back...lol
Whats up! Steady and the others.
I to hope you beat Ottawa on Weds and waste every ounce of energy doing it. I can't walk out of the Garden with "you can't beat us" ringing in my ears twice in two weeks, from the 10 Islanders fans in attendance...;)
You better watch out, you better not cry, the Isles will win Wednesday and St. Nick is coming to Uniondale early this year.
By the way, a rumor has been making the rounds for days that Garth is trying to make a trade with Tampa to acquire Martin St.-Louis.
Given the choice of winning one of the next 2 games, I'd rather we beat up on the Rangers. Adrenaline should compensate for any fatigue from the night before.
Also, time to see some offensive breaks go our way, too.
Given the choice of winning one of the next 2 games, I'd rather we beat up on the Rangers. Adrenaline should compensate for any fatigue from the night before.
Also, time to see some offensive breaks go our way, too.
Hock, I think it's simplistic to simply say we need offensive breaks to go our way. The best teams make their own luck, and they don't talk about bad bounces or missed chances to rationalize their performance. I'm not trying to attack your opinion here, naturally, but I think the Islanders have moved away from what made their offense good at the beginning of the year. As people have pointed out, Satan's goal came as a direct result of good pressure by the D, in the form of MAB's hard shot, and traffic in front of the net. We need to pay the price and get those ugly goals in order to generate any kind of significant offense this season.
I know the "pundits" have been braying about the lack of scoring and the supposed "bad" goaltending (since they're including those 2 blowout games - sorry guys, 2 bad games doesn't mean the whole team has been doing badly). Fact is, DP is emerging as a bona fide goaltending superstar right before all our eyes. The D, led by Witt and Martinek, has performed masterfully for the most part. However, the forwards aren't pulling their weight. Hunter, Guerin, and Fedotenko are on scoring droughts, and given the way he looked yesterday I'm starting to wonder if "First Base" Hilbert only managed to unfasten a training bra. This team is one go-to guy away from being supremely dangerous, and Garth has a tough line to walk. He needs the offense, but it can't come at a cost to the incredible chemistry the team has developed so quickly this season. St. Louis or any other true CONSISTENT goal-scorer (hear that, Miro?) will do wonders for this team. I think we're looking at a big deal in the near future, though for some reason I can't escape the nagging suspicion that Garth may be saving the cap room to fire a blow-away offer sheet at Alex Ovechkin during the off-season. Either way, we've done well, but we need to utilize our positioning and our strengths to beat high-flying teams like Dallas and, now, Ottawa.
In other news, how crazy was Monday Night Football yesterday? Until that field goal it looked like Andy Hilbert cloned himself and they all took up football.
Cincy: I agree 100%. As I've posted many times before, the nuetral zone is the key to this team's success. They have to play half court hockey... and they have been doing a very good job of it. I agree that dallas might be the model they want to follow. The main difference I see is the player movement in the offensive zone, and this is why their PP stalls.
Steady: I couldn't disagree with you more. The last thing this team needs is Blake. Nolan put him in a position last year to succeed, but he is so far from a natural goal scorer that it isn't funny. He's a very good player, but you, of all the folks that post here, should understand that he is not a natural goal scorer.
Comrie needs to get the puck to the net more. He is trying to create easy ops for other players... he should come to the realization that he is playing with guys that do not have that instinct just yet. When the shuffle comes around you might see him on a line with Park and (Satan or Tank)... and that just may be the one that clicks (especially on the PP).
SUTTON: Has anybody noticed the transformation of Andy Sutton into a KEY defensive force for the Isles. Last eyar in the playoffs and at the beginning of the year he looked like a huge pylon. Now he is stepping up and CRUSHING people, making good decisions with the puck and has been a force in front of the net. If this kind of play continues Snowlan will have made a another great signing over the summer.
DP: He is going to need more of a rest in games 25-65. I personally think that before Dubie gets a start in the NHL he should get two in the AHL. They have a very capable guy in Bridgeport to come up and sit on the bench for a week. I'd send Dubie down to play this weekend, and have him start next week for the Isles.
THE ISLANDERS: I really think they are playing very good hockey. They have created opportunities and have jsut not finished at the rate they should. They may need some personnel to assist that. The team that is on the ice right now has done a very good job playing a PLAYOFF style of hockey.
Players like Comrie, Federtanko, Vasicek and Satan need to put up better numbers. But they are getting used to each other, and this system. It may never produce 6 goal nights, but it should, when runing efficiently start getting 3 or four per night.
The line shuffling that Nolan has done the past few games will prove to be the start of something big. I also like the 7 D concept, on a limited basis. You have to play to our strengths. They have 7 capable "D"... MAB is important to the PP. I would assume to see the same against ottawa, and then back to Jackman or Walter for the rangers where rolling four lines has proven successful.
ATTENDANCE: The attendance has been pretty good, so I think we can assume that the disaster Monday was due to holiday hangover and a game against a team nobody really cares about (thank you gary bettman).
Ottawa: YES they have a chance. They have played very good defensive hockey and have produced good scoring opportunities. Of course they will need a 60 minute effort, and some shots to go in that would normally hit a post... but there is no reason they can not beat Ottawa... they are just flesh and blood...
I guess I'm just a half full guy.
Nick,
I probably won't stop referring to Hilbert as First Base Andy until he gets into double digits. But after seeing the picture provided by FSNY for him on cable broadcasts I might be inclined to change that to Side Show Andy...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sideshow_Bob
Logan ,
correction it was the isles 2nd overtime game this year, but 1st OT loss. they beat the devils on guerin's gosl with 3.1 secs to go.
Until he gets another goal can we rename him Andy "Second base" Hilbert?
As for these trade rumors, where are they coming from? Hopefully not hockeybuzz. I agree the Islanders need something. (Ovechkin would work well in Nolan's hard working system but I don't there is any chance of getting him.) In any deal in the present day however, who would Isles ave to give up and where would someone like St. Louis fit?
I would really like to get a good look at Walter at the NHL level on this team. I believe him, Bergenheim, and Okposo would make for a solid core in the future and would be sorry to see any of them go in a trade.
505 - I think you may have mis-read my post. I'm in total agreement with what you said. The point the Isles got was NOT the gift I was talkiing about. It's the game tape that Nolan can watch and emulate since the Isles have the same type of defensemen and goaltender as the Stars. That's all.
And I completely agree with your optimism. The team is in a good place right now. A few points from the top, games in hand and, most importantly, our go-to guys haven't really gotten going yet. Guerin is certain to get the hot hand eventually, and I get the feeling when he does, it's gonna have a big impact on the rest.
Cincy,
"505 - I think you may have mis-read my post."
;)
Nah, just exercised a little poetic license and used it to my advantage.
I was getting a "disappointed drift" from many of the posters in reference to the Star's game and given the circumstances, wanted to put a positive spin on the game...
Cuz let's face it...
Anytime you take a point from a road game, it's a good thing.
And based on last night's attendance, I am all for calling it a road game.
Sure as hell wasn't a home game.
I think they could get some more scoring by shuffling the lines a bit...coupling the passers with the shooters. I know it'd never happen, but I'd like to see:
Bergy-Comrie-Satan
Tank-Vasicek-Guerin
Park-Sillinger-Hunter
Some combination of Tambs-Hilbert-Walter-Simon-Bates
Basically, it's just switching the centers on 1 and 2 and replacing Hilbert w/ Park on 3. Comrie would have Satan to dish to, with Bergy establishing the forecheck, Tank's passes in front of the net that now go to no one would probably find Vasicek, with Guerin looking for rebounds and shooting the puck from the other side, and Park would give a little offensive jump to the Sillinger line without sacraficing any of the defensive presence that Hilbert provides. Then again, maybe it doesn't work at all. Who knows.
:: Tap Tap :: Hello? Is this thing on?
The delay in reviewing posts severly mutes the back n forth posts on here.
Can anybody say? "I'll take some goal scoring for $1000 Alex."
I haven't heard / seen any of Nolan's post game comments since Arbour night .... does he show any concern in the lack of goal scoring?
The rumor was started by the Isles messageboard, IslanderMania, which KH apparently now frequents when he's not here or emailing me about the Lighthouse project. Guy who claimed he had a high connection in the organization simply said Snow is TRYING to acquire St. Louis, which could mean anything. I think the other 29 teams would all love to try to acquire a player like that.
JP/Cincy, I'm fully on board (though I defer to you as the main X's and O's guys on this board - I mostly do it by eye). The Stars played the kind of game we need to play on a consistent basis in order to be successful. We play that kind of game against the Rangers and it works wonders. I hope we can work more toward that ideal. In addition, I agree Sutton has been an absolute FORCE these last few games. He's the kind of snarling crease-clearer we need, though I'll admit he's a bit on the dirty side. His play plus the recent re-emergence of MAB creates an interesting problem for tomorrow - do we put MAB back in the press box or will we sit someone else, like Berard? Not an easy question, though MAB + Ottawa = Nick very, very afraid.
I don't know what to say about the attendance issues. If this is such a pervasive and easily-explained problem, why did it only affect the Islanders? I'm tired of the excuses. I know I've said this many times, but games like this are a perfect example of the still intransigent culture surrounding the Islanders. Hottest team in the league coming in while we're finding ways to win despite a total lack of offense on certain nights...one of the greatest American-born hockey players that EVER LIVED coming back to the Coliseum for the first time in years....If I weren't at my client in DC I would've gone in a heartbeat. We, the fans, are the only ones who can once and for all change the culture surrounding this team.
Ranger fans harp on stupidity like this in many cases because they can't get us on anything else. However, they're RIGHT. 8100 fans for a weekday game against a great team we don't see all the time? That's pathetic. Making excuses when Philly sold out a building with the same lack of a transit link and amenities in the neighborhood? It's just that, excuse-making. Maybe we should think about ways to bring fans to these games, because we're all intelligent fans here. We know Ranger fans, Lighthouse opponents, and anyone who doesn't know hockey and still thinks we're the whipping boy will point to games like THIS and conveniently forget the sellout against Boston or the Arbour game that still gives me chills. I realize I can't back up my words because consultants like me go where they're needed Monday-Thursday, but you bet your ass I'm at the Coliseum whenever I can. At this point I've probably been to half the home games and almost every one on a weekend. Now, we need to do more to change the culture and make people realize the Islanders are truly back. It could be as simple as their new endeavors in fan creation. I noticed most of the people on this board (Cincy, Steady, JP, 505, etc) don't live in the area anymore. It could be the Long Island "brain drain" over the last 20 years has cut into the Isles local fanbase, and incompetent ownership took care of the rest. We need to look past all that, because as recently as 01-02 we sold out half our total home games and nobody made excuses then.
Hey 19 Isle 22 NJ, how come you aren't on here complaining about the 3 point game today? Only when it hurts the Isles do you come on here and rant and rave about it.
If you think about it, Ottawa may as well be called "Islanders North".
Dany Heatley - drafted 2nd overall...behind Rick DiPietro, even though we had Luongo as our goalie. All things equal, I'd take Heatley over DP, knowing we had a star-in-the-making with Roberto.
Jason Spezza - drafted 2nd overall, after we traded away that pick, along with Zdeno Chara, for Alexei Yashin. This one still has me scratching my head. Spezza was HIGHLY touted - the Sidney Crosby of the draft before there was a Sidney Crosby. He was a potential franchise player - and we trade him away for the declining malcontent Yashin. I wouldn't have made this trade back in 1995 when Alexei was putting up 80+ points constantly knowing how well Spezza would become!
Wade Redden - another Islander pick traded for Bryan Berard. Yes, BB's injuries aside, this would've been a wash but given Wade's consistency & ability to put up points, you have to give Ottawa the edge.
Randy Robitaille - solid 2 way player who put up points when needed. Granted, the Isles probably thought they signed LUC Robitaille last season but Randy's still a hell of a lot better than Hilbert, Park or Simon!
Plus 2 years ago, they also had Smolinski & Chara. Then again, with all these former Islanders on the team, no wonder Ottawa never won the Cup!
You think the Isles are for changing the schedule the way it is now and play the Western Conference more after last night's attendance. I think this is the last year we will be playing the teams in our division 8 times a year, next year I think they are going to a more balanced schedule.
freddytheswede, I ASPECIALLY loved your rant.
We have all seen the Isles have an off nights, but rarely because of effort. As long as that continues, I will continue to be fan.
I think that there is enough talent in the existing team to make the playoffs. But I'd put them in the second round, tops.
Why are the Islanders not scoring? Because they have lost sight of what they were doing right at the beginning of the season.
1) Putting pressure on the other teams Defense. Hammer them, get them scrambling. Wear them out.
2) Put pucks on the net and around the net, then pounce on the rebounds. Like rebounding in Basketball, win the battles to get puck control back.
1 & 2 go together, because nothings gets the opposition D in a panic like getting shots through. Doesn't matter how good the shots are, just get them through or sitting in a danger zone in front of the net.
Rarely do you score on NHL goalies on the first shot. If you see that the oppositions Defenceman are all relaxed, you know we are in for another rough game.
The reason we were so excited at the beginning of the year is because the Isles were dominating the play.
Kevin T.
Brian; the 3 point game is bad but at least the points went to the other conference besides the division
Bates is back. i give him 8 games and 12 penalties before he is out again
Any word on the Light House Project?
Andy Hilbert - You had me until you got to Robitaille. Then you lost all credibility. Go back to the Ranger board.
Upstate: Eventually, as I posted earlier today, the line changing wheel will hit that combo and I think it will pay dividends. I feel that Comrie had to prove that he could come back and play stronger positional hockey in the nuetral and defensive zone before they could put him with a rookie, and somebody like Satan, who tries, but more often than not does not have the wheels to play aggressively in all three zones. That is no longer the case, and I think Nolan has more choices. I like seeing things like Simon on the top line, he's created some opps, just hasn't finished. The key, is the choices that they now have. It will be the key to their evolution as the season progresses.
Nick: I'm an out of towner that wanted nothing more than to go to Saturday's game... but family got in the way. It's just the way things pan out. As for Monday's game, there are probably a lot of reasons why people didn't show up. We can't change that, but there are plenty of things that can be done to fix it... none of them in our control.
1. Better team marketing. I didn't see one commercial for that game other than on Islander broadcasts while I was in NY. I actually heard more ads for the sound tigers on WFAN... none on TV or Radio for the Isles. I would consider myself the target market, and I wasn't getting REACHED.
2. Better league marketing. NHL on Versus... need I say more.
3. I think core hockey fans understand what the Stars and Modano mean to the game, and their entertainment value... but a good percentage of perimeter fans ask, "Dallas, who the f*** are they... are they another new team?" That's bettman at his finest. He had a team in Minnesota, couldn't make that work, or more likely, wanted a franchise in texas, and now he has a new team in an established market (which is a difficult sell) PLUS an established team in a new market (twice as hard to sell)... and NEITHER travel well. Again... thank you Mr. Bettman.
4. Holiday and weather.
5. $30-120 ticket prices... right after black friday.
How can we fix that:
1. Wang needs to address his marketing staff and budget. I think both were done last year when Milbury was ousted, but it can still be refined... maybe they just need more or better information.
2. Get rid of bettman.
3. Get rid of bettman.
4. Not too much... but anticipation and preperation is always key. Have a rainy day policy where if you buy walk up tickets on a rainy game day you'll get the same tickets for another game half price. When it was seen that they had sold 5,000 tix by thursday or friday they could have declared a red tagger... That is something that they could work with Newsday on. Printing half price coupons in the paper for selected games on short notice.
5. See #4.
St. Louis: I'm sure Snow is working the phones every day for three or four different players. The Isles have cap space and an owner comitted to winning. They have roster space for one or two guys that will IMPROVE their current roster. But let's be serious, the key to this team is buying into the style of hockey that they are playing. This team is not going to produce Art Ross winners. It may, however, produce a team that gets into, and performs well in, the playoffs.
And we don't have much to offer. Bates(?), MAB(?), Gervais(?), Tambellini(?), Walter(?), Satan(?). These are guys that I think would only be bneficial trade material if the other team was dumping salary and had to fill roster spots. They all obviously have some value but what could you get back that makes your team better than what you're giving up. MAB probably has the most value to a team that needs a 5th D that will upgrade a stalled PP... but how much is that worth... you need to find a team willing to give up an overpaid 30-40 goal scorer... It's not like there's one on eBay.
The answer to their problems are either already in the organization, or may come available closer to the trade deadline.
My feeling is that Tambellini is headed to the western conference (maybe to be with daddy) and Bates is going to be headed out as soom as somebody says, "what about Bates?"... snow may not even wait for the "tes"... Satan, is either going to get another 3 with the Isles or he'll be dealt for a third rounder or AHL talent. I like Miro, and hopefully he gets at least another two years on the Island... but it wouldn't be a disaster should he be traded.
Before all of the complaining about goal scoring and other negatives gets really rolling, just rememebr the HUGE HOLE this franchise was left in by poor ownership, and TERRIBLE MANAGEMENT. The arrow is pointing up, even when all of the critics say it is headed further into the abyss.
Be proud of this team, and the job that Snowlan has done. A point or two against Ottawa would be OUTSTANDING, but if they come up short but give the same effort they have for almost every game so far... just put it in the rear view miror... and move forward.
Brian ....
Go look at the previous thread .... I complained about 3 point game on there ... along with Isles two goals per game
Freddy the swede and Brian:
I stand by my statement. I don't give a rats *** about Dallas and apparently other fans (yes, we're still fans) feel the same way judging by the 8,000 that showed up for the game. Even the players themselves said it's difficult to work up the motivation to put in a great effort against a team they see once every 3 years. If that's how the players feel, I'm sure as hell not going to waste money going to see them play. Get off your soapboxes. I know I know, people like me are exactly what's wrong with isles fans, blah blah blah, whine whine whine. I've supported this team through thick and thin for the past 30 years and haven't missed a game at the very least on TV in addition to the games I've attended. I don't even think we should be playing Western Conference teams during the regular season now that Bettman expanded the hell out of the league but that's a topic for another day.
Nick
"I noticed most of the people on this board (Cincy, Steady, JP, 505, etc) don't live in the area anymore. It could be the Long Island "brain drain" over the last 20 years has cut into the Isles local fanbase".
Well, thanks for making my day and lumping me into the "brain drain" category.
Truth be told my absence is more like 30 years- watched the "Nystrom goal" on a portable B+W TV in a rented house in Scott Gomez's hometown, long before he became the standard Alaskan byproduct of long winter nights and prevalent alcohol-and then cried in my beer 3 years later in a roadhouse in Homer AK when Edmonton ended the Drive for Five.
So I wasn't even around on the Island for the glory days.
But I have made a point of getting to a couple of "road games" every year as well as mooching family and friends season tickets on trips to the Island...Or simply buying 'em.
REGARDLESS, it hurts when I tune into Center Ice and see so many empty seats.
And I have seen it A LOT over the years.
I could go on about all the possible contributors to attendance issues, i.e. saturated hockey market, pricing, Bettman, Game-time starts, paucity of small business involvement-small business IS LONG ISLAND- NOT LARGE CORP'S, poor marketing, lousy teams (rarely an issue), transportation issues, "the old barn" (NOT), etc etc etc........., to ME, it all comes down to ONE HUGELY overwhelming factor.....
Lack of appropriate publicity and promotion by the Media.
Now, I risk getting evicted from this board for saying this.
But Newsday, Long Island's HOMETOWN Newspaper (AND Long Island's only true LOCAL MAJOR media outlet) has, since DAY ONE of the Islander's existence, followed the same priority as the leading print and broadcast media of NYC have done in reporting on the Sport Industries in the NY area.
I.E. Baseball and/or football 1st, Basketball next, and Hockey a distant 3rd with the Rangers leading the way.
Newsday has long taken a ME TOO attitude when covering Professional Sports in the Metro area. If the Post or Daily News is putting Eli Manning on the Wednesday back page after an Isle/Ranger game Tuesday night, then so will Newsday. If the hot stove league is steaming up on a Friday, and A-Rod's wishlist is getting top billing in the city papers on Saturday, then move the article about Al Arbour Night a few pages back, cuz Newsday wants to be just like the city papers.
Nevermind consistently strong coverage about LONG ISLAND'S ONLY major sports franchise.
Nevermind that the Islander's have a TRULY LOCAL IDENTITY, an identity that NEWSDAY likes to claim that they represent.
Newsday draws the "identity" line when "business" calls.
And THIS, my friends, has always been, and will always be, a major issue when it comes to Islander attendance.
Newsday simply does not give (nor have they ever given-except when a Cup is won) what should be OVERWHELMINGLY BIASED coverage to their ONLY TRUE HOMETOWN TEAM.
Just my opinion, I could be wrong.
JP...Re-read my post...Never said I wanted Blake back.. I 100%was against letting him go, but do not want him back now. I said I want someone "LIKE" the Blake from last year!
You can all argue all you want. The one thing this team has missed is what he did for us last year! His time has come and gone and I think both parties messed up! With that said we need an energy guy that can bury the puck!
COMRIE BLOWS !!!! I do not like one thing about his game. Thank God he is a one year problem for this team!
With regards to ticket prices, Wang would be smart to implement the Buffalo Sabre system. Basically, the price of games vary depending on who the team is playing. After implementing this system, Buffalo went from the brink of existence, to one of the most successful franchises in all of sports. Granted, it didn't