The real Islanders news today is the loss of top defenseman Brendan Witt for an undetermined period of time because of a right ankle sprain suffered Friday night when he got tangled up with Calgary’s Jarome Iginla in front of the benches. Witt’s place going against the top lines will be taken by Freddy Meyer, starting tonight in Ottawa, and Witt will undergo an MRI examination tomorrow on Long Island.
But since the Witt situation will be an ongoing story for at least the next two weeks, if not longer, depending on the outcome of the MRI, the subject of this blog is forward Jeff Tambellini. He was called up yesterday by the Islanders as an emergency replacement for Miroslav Satan only to be sent back to Bridgeport after today’s pre-game skate, when Satan indicated he was good to go against the Senators.
Despite Tambellini’s speed, scoring prowess and work ethic, he failed to convince coach Ted Nolan he belonged on the Islanders in training camp, and when he came up for an eight-game stint, Tambellini was scoreless while receiving just 9:37 per game of playing time mainly at even strength. He could be this season’s Robert Nilsson, except for the fact that, instead of sulking, he went to the AHL and tore it up with 22 goals and 44 points in 35 games to earn an All-Star berth on the Canadian team.
Naturally, Tambellini was disappointed to be turning around after he just arrived in Ottawa, but he understands what he has to do. “Anytime you go back down, your mindset really changes,” Tambellini said. “Whatever it takes to get back up, you have to do it. I went back down with a real chip on my shoulder. You have to. In that league, you have to do whatever it takes to set yourself apart from the rest of the players and make sure that you’re a real impact guy. So, I’m just going to continue to push hard and put as many pucks in the net as I can, and hopefully, it all works out.”
Tambellini’s 22 goals rank second in the AHL, but it’s the breakdown of his scoring that is most interesting. He has 10 goals at even strength, 7 on the power play and a league-best 5 short-handed goals on the penalty kill. Much of the credit, Tambellini said, goes to center Frans Nielsen, his linemate the past two seasons in Bridgeport and his PK partner.
“Frans and I, it’s more a partnership,” Tambellini said. “If I play well, he’s playing well, and likewise. I attribute a lot of success to him and the style of play we’ve used, a willingness to go to the net and score whatever kind of goals, whether it be five-on-five, power play or PK. The two of us end up playing about 25 minutes a night. We’re just going to the hard areas, and that’s been the difference.”
Explaining their penalty-killing success, Tambellini added: “We’re trying to be a twosome that’s scary on the PK. Half the battle of being a good penalty killer is having the other team know you can push the offense. So, if they put five forwards out there, including two on the point, we’re willing to push the pace and take a couple of chances and make it hard on them and not let them sit back and shoot one-timers on us all night.”
Now that top prospect Kyle Okposo has left the University of Minnesota to join Tambellini and Nielsen in Bridgeport, the Isles’ farm club has what might become the best line in the AHL. Tambellini played in Okposo’s two-assist debut Friday night in Binghamton but missed his three-point home debut Saturday plus this afternoon’s home rematch with Binghamton. Here’s Tambellini’s scouting report on the Isles’ young stud:
“He’s a strong kid, about 6-1 with really good hands. He has the confidence to make the tough play, the play that most guys won’t try. You’ll probably end up seeing him on YouTube.com in a highlight a few times because he’s got some great hands. He plays hard and he plays with a little bit of an edge. He should be a good guy to play with down the stretch here.”
Islanders management asked Tambellini to take Okposo under his wing. They will be roommates in Bridgeport. Tambellini said he’s impressed with Okposo’s maturity and humility. If he has to remain in the AHL a little longer, Tambellini has something to look forward to in playing with Okposo and Nielsen. Who knows? Maybe Islanders fans can look forward to seeing that combination at Nassau Coliseum in the near future.
Speaking of that line’s prospects this season, Tambellini said, “I still say Frans is one of the most underrated players in the American Hockey League. He has terrific vision; he’s a great passer; he’s one of the best European centers I’ve played with so far. Hopefully, Kyle will bring some youthful exuberance, and I can chip in there. It’ll be a good line as long as the chemistry fits together.”
Now, the trick for Tambellini is to figure out what it will take to stick in the NHL. He’s proven he can score at the AHL level. Nolan’s complaint the last time Tambellini played on the top line with Mike Comrie and Bill Guerin was that they couldn’t get out of their own end with the puck. At 5-11, 186, Tambellini has a size deficit to overcome in the NHL, but he was the best-conditioned athlete at training camp even ahead of goaltender Rick DiPietro.
“There’s definitely a difference,” Tambellini said. “The AHL used to be an older league, but the way the game has gone with some of the money limitations they’ve put on in the AHL, it’s forced to be a younger league. You definitely get the mismatches with some of the young kids coming in.
“When you do make the jump up here, you’re playing against men. You don’t find those mismatches like you do in the AHL. I think most guys really have to work hard to challenge themselves every day and to push themselves against the top players in that league so that, when they do make the jump, it’s not as drastic.”
That’s the next big challenge for Tambellini.
OTTAWA GAME NOTES: Senators All-Star forward Dany Heatley suffered a separated shoulder against Detroit and will be out for an extended period. Asked if the loss of Heatley might make a big difference for the Islanders, Nolan scoffed. “They’ve still got Jason Spezza and a few other good players,” said Nolan, omitting All-Star Daniel Alfredsson. “They can afford to lose one. They’re such a talented team they can afford to lose one or two players. Our approach is going to be the same. We’ve got to make sure we play a very intelligent game.”
Since the 1996-97 season, the Islanders have a 6-28-8 record against the Senators, whom they beat at home earlier this season. Their record in Ottawa during that stretch is 2-15-4, including a 5-2 loss on Dec. 27. Their last win in Ottawa came on March 15, 2003…On defense, Nolan said Meyer will team with Bruno Gervais against the Senators’ top line. That means Andy Sutton will be paired with Bryan Berard, as he was in Calgary, and Chris Campoli and Marc-Andre Bergeron will remain together…Nolan admitted his coaching staff watched the Senators-Red Wings game without him Saturday night. “Actually, I watched my son play in Carolina last night,” Nolan said of his son, Brandon, who was recalled from Albany by the Hurricanes. “I guess I had my priorities straight. The rest of the coaching staff came here and watched the game. We know what Ottawa has. They’re very talented, and in order to beat them, we have to be the best we can be. There’s no such thing as a perfect game, but we have to try to play as perfect as possible.”
Comments (65)
I still don't think it's fair. They should have let Miro rest and let Jeff play. He'll never get a chance to prove himself if he doesn't get a chance to play.
Well, ONE road team in the victory circle, one to go.
So far so good St Chris.
Lucifer has cried and cried and done everything but take a bounty out on Freddie Meyer for the hit on Spezza.
BTW, Gary Galley, there's a blast from the past, is Beezelbub in the booth
C'mon Isles, another good period. DP looks VERY sharp.
i feel bad for tambs as well, however he really does seem to be handling it like a pro----maybe he'll take this opportunity to gel with okoso and frans and they'll be a good line for the isles in the future
fair enough 505,
sounds GOOOOOOOOOOOOD to me:)
dare i say, as good a period as we could've hoped for in ottowa,
now lets have another, and then another just like it!!!!!
a nice down low and dirty goal,
we need more like that!
Boy the Sens get really nasty and dirty when they're losing to the poor lowly Isles. I have to admit, I am developing a real hatred for the Beast of the East...
oh ricky so close
Looks like the guys we beat up on this blog had a pretty good end to the road trip .... very nice way to step up boys.
I just wish I could hear Ottawa's on-air minions squirm. How were they 505?
What did I tell you all??? MAB and COMRIE are hug assets to this team and you all have got to stop dumping on them. Please start to listen to me as I am all knowing! LOL LOL LOL
Give the boys credit....One hell of a road trip!
Meyer and Sutton played well!
1) Not even going to mention my thoughts on Tambellini because I'm sure we all know by now ;-)
2) themass pretty much summed up that last shot by The Rick
3) This is what causes such problems with MAB ...when he's in his own zone he's very scary in a bad way, but when he's in the "O"zone he's also very scary in a good way. He's close to a lot of forwards in points and he's played half the game. If our forwards aren't going to create offense it's mandatory that someone on defense will ...
4) Overrall nice win ...anytime the Isles can go into Ottawa and win is a big day
5) Lets go G-men!
6) Lol, was thinking about you Steady while I was watching this one ...kinda feel like I did the other night when Sillinger and Hunter did their things ;-)
Great win Islanders! Keep it up!
Just saw Deb interviewing MAB on the post-game show. He said "Zat Steady eez my beetch now."
amazing,
everyone stepped up,
especially in our own end,
hardly let up any second or third chances!!!!!
dp was quietly solid, which is nice for a change, he didn't have to be spectacular,
mab was able to get off some nice shots,
i hate to say it, but he has more goals or close to all the other d combined, i'm not minding him as much (i know most of you will slam me for saying this one:):)
helluvvva rush by comrie,
the sen's are always chippy, especially when they're losing, you are correct, too bad we don't have anyone in our line-up to smash neils face, reminds me of a slighly more mellow avon,
funny, i told my wife that dp was gonna try for a shot when ottowa called the time out with 2.5 to go,
just came into my mind, being 2 up and not 1,
then when he did it and came a few inches away i jumped up and started laughing and screaming and got a pretty intense head rush:):)
oh well soooooooooooo close,
great game!!!
now we're 5 over again, i think we hit 6 once, no???
lets see what happens with the canadians dev's and flyers this week???????
oh, btw, the ottowa announcers were pretty tame and, in fact, rather complimentary to the boys tonight, unless i had another canadian broadcast, it wasn't the isles brodcast, it was on nhl center ice
As I have admitted many times before, I am not an Xs and Os guy, but I did predict "6 or 7" points on this trip. And lo and behold! Just sayin...
The audacity of hope... glad I made that phrase up.
2-1-2 vs the teams we played on this trip is excellent at least!
good night all,
have a great week,
peace,
it's been a fun weekend beginning to chat with some of you,
especially since we went from 0-1-2 to 2-1-2 on the back leg of this trip!
made it that much more exciting!
gotta get ready to deal with those wonderful, pesky hs students tomorrow
Quote of the night came in the 2nd period from Lucifer......
"Alfreddsson skating alone down the left hand side, it's 1 on 5, IS IT FAIR?:
After the Comrie goal it became the "pass the cheese, I've got the wine show".
"What's a penalty anymore?"
"Well the Islanders have certainly had their power play chances tonight"
"how do the Sen's get called for 10 penalties in a game?"
WAH WAH WAH WAH.
In the last 5 minutes the Sen's looked like a pouty little bitchy team in need of a hygiene product. Cheap shot after cheap shot. (And one would think that Lucifer had a mike in their ears cuz he was egging them on).
Couldn't believe they were getting beat by the lowly Islanders.
And they could not handle it. Definitely not the stuff of a championship team
I wish nothing but the worst for them the rest of the season.
Outstanding game, excellent road trip.
They fully deserve a RAUCOUS welcome at NVMC on Tuesday.
DP missed that open net by a swedish pube!
Great win tonight.
Sweet!!!!
Thank the lord I didn't have to watch the Canadian feed of the game tonight. I could have watched it and saw the game in HD, but passed it up to listen to the boy's Jaffe & Jiggs call a nice game. Reading some of the post's it sounded like the usual winy Canadian broadcast, although the Clagary game (on NHL network) had the Canadian feed and their braodcasters were very professional and called a nice game and were very impartial. Ottawa & Toronto (der) are the worst. The last time we played Toronto I wanted to shoot Healy; he is the worst color analyst by far.
The Islanders did a good job of keeping it simple tonight and they kept it clean. They took advantage of some of their opportunities and Dipietro didn't have to stand on his head tonight. He was great don't get me wrong, but the chances that Ottawa had didn't compare to nights past.
Keep it rolling when we get home. I hope the NVMC is juiced for the next game, it has been a while since we last played on home ice.
peace!
Jints, Isles, and the Eucharist--a perfect Sunday!
Paddock said ... he's in shock how the game was officiated ... waaahhh waaaahhh waaaahhh ...
Welcome to our world Paddock ... lazy bad bad bad penalties.
Coral
"He was great don't get me wrong, but the chances that Ottawa had didn't compare to nights past."
DP played a VERY SOLID game tonight. Controlled his rebounds, kept himself in position and I only saw him make one bad clearing attempt.
AND THEN THAT HEXTALL ATTEMPT.
THAT would have been the icing on the cake for me. It might have killed Lucifer.
But's hats off to ALL the Isles tonight.
Guerin stepped up his captaincy at the end of the game and got in Alfreddsson's face (and props to Alfreddsson, he was trying to carry the Sen's on his back all night)
Bergeron was huge, even the boothjerks gave HIM (of all people) praise tonight. As I think back, I think he was the ONLY guy on the Isles they said something nice about.
What does that tell ya about their knowledge of the game.
No, Wait, they said something nice about Witt, but he wasn't there. Galley mispronounced Martinek's name 3 times.
Freddy with the hit of the week for the Isles.
I am just lovin that game!!!!!
St. Chris / 505 ...
Putting St. Christopher on the dash worked ...
I was thinking about how DP scoring would of put the icing on the cake too ... I was actually tilting towards my right trying to coax the puck into the net.
That was actually sweeter than beating the Rangers ....
The Isles have a tough ... but opportunistic week ahead ... no rest for the weary.
.... and on that note ... I bid you all a good night.
Merrick -- After two wins like that, even I'm in for the Eucharist today.
Coral Springs ISLE, the broadcasters have illustrated the difference between Eastern and Western Canada.
Islanders really gained something valuable this Road Trip, CONFIDENSE.
Keep it going!
Kevin T.
Hi guys. What did I miss? lol
POLL
Who is a bigger crybaby
A) Brendan Shanahan
B) Daniel Alfreddson
another note: the southeast division is the biggest joke in all of hockey!
I was just coming down from my BIG BLUE Cloud... and I flipped over the TiVo and got back on the sports crack.
1. DP is HUGE.
2. Love the Steady v (MAB and Comrie) stuff. Marc Andre Brie is a hockey Roller Coaster... But he's our Roller coaster, and he makes the PP work. Comrie's goal was one of the few highlight reelers this year... thank god he didn't have to shoot it through a bubble bath though.... If we could genetically merge these two you might have one hell of an offensive weapon.
3. I got the Ottawa feed... holy crap, first they're COCKY, then they're a bunch of whiney little girls.... On the NHL Network's broadcast of the junior championship between the US and CAN their lead in was the WHOLE CANADIEN TEAM saying, "WHY ARE WE THE BEST... IS IT OUR TALENT, OUR TOUGHNESS, OUR SPEED.... IT'S OUR HEART..."
WTF...AY... could you be more cocky... you toothless icefarmers.
All I have to say is 1993!.... It's your sport and you haven't won a championship since 1993... 15 years...
Well... at least you have CURLING!
4. It was a little disappointing not to see tambellini out there tonight, but it's far more important that he build something in BP with KO. He's going to be a part of this team next year, or he's going to get them some defensive help.
5.No Witt,,, No Marty... and they are still winning. Maybe the coach knows what he's doing.
6. MAB has two goals, DP has 31 saves, the ISLES WIN and Alfredsonis the number one star... I can only shake my head...
The ultimate Ted Nolan stat... So how do those punchless, no-name, old, slow, untalented Islanders beat the high and mighty of the NHL?
Blocked shots: NYI 18, OTT 4.
Ricky also had something to do with it, with his .970 save percentage last night.
A gritty, gutsy performance by all....
Meyer set the tone with the hit and was very good all night moving the puck out of the zone.
Bergeron was solid all game if not spectacular.... including the defensive end.
Berard was responsible.
Sutton was invisible as far as I'm concerned but I guess that's not such a bad thing... no mistakes.
Campoli... strong game all around
Gervais.... other than 1 poor decision deep in own end in 3rd period was very good with limiting opportunities in front.
Hunter, Comrie, Guerin, Hilbert, Comeau etc all had very good games.
Overall a good road trip and now another tough stretch at home.
DOC
Let's give credit where credit is due. Much like the proverbial broken clock that's right twice a day, MAB had a decent game from an offensive perspective. I'm sure it will happen again somewhere near the end of March 2008. Now that he's become our new found leader for one game, let's move him out of town.
TRIVIA QUESTION for Steady (since he stumped us with jethro).
Name the New York Islander given NHL STAR OF THE NIGHT yesterday by the staff of NHL on the Fly from the NHL Network
;)
Tuned into it late last night after the west coast games were done to catch the Paddock interview. DB. THERE"S the number one whiner. Apparently the thought of life with Heatley and now possibly Spezza has put this guy into a morose, moribund tailspin.
In 24 hours Paddock went from "I think we just won the Cup" to "this life of mine really SUCKS".
JP
If you were watching the Ottawa feed then you saw the "ceremonial puck drop" by Jrs. Team Captain Giroux? (again-saw the same thing in Calgary-Guerin has gotta be getting sick of it).
Did you hear Lucifer, the Sen's announcer?
"What's even NICER about THIS puck drop is that Giroux is dropping it for "Representatives" of the countries eliminated in the championship round....Guerin from the USA and Alfreddsson from Sweden".
KMA tuna breath.
Kevin T
"Coral Springs ISLE, the broadcasters have illustrated the difference between Eastern and Western Canada."
Couldn't agree with you more. This entire road trip was a mini-vignette on the differences. The announcers out west are pros, the guys in the east are pigs.
Damn... was busy all weekend (actually went to the Ranger-Canadien game Saturday) and missed the game vs. Ottawa. Sounds like a good one and this is a good opportunity to bring up something the Islanders do very right. I love that I can watch lengthy highlights of the game only a couple hours after it finishes (and then eventually the whole thing) on Isles TV. The only thing I would change is that on really outstanding plays such as goals or great saves, they would show the slow motion replay as well.
Steady, this little side topic is stale at this point (don't post much on the weekends) but Hillman Show is on WAAF which broadcasts outside of Boston.
Sweet win last night!
Can't help but feel a bit optimistic right now (good West coast trip, arrival of Okposo, Tambellini lighting it up, etc.). It makes you begin to think that we may only need a few tweaks rather than a major overhaul. Maybe we can just transplant the Nielson line from BP to the Island next year. We need a "kid line.'
I am wondering what is going to happen to Fedetenko after that cheap shot. That had concussion written all over it. I can't imagine he would be ready to play the next game, which leads me to the question of who replaces him? Does Tambellini get the call? Only seems fair after making the poor guy fly to Ottawa only to be sent right back home. And if it is Tambs, there will need to be some line shuffling. The one line combo I thought to be really intriging is the following:
Satan - Comrie - Tambellini
Satan had said in camp he feels comfortable playing with Tambellini and now that he is on the top line it would seem fitting. Just a thought though.
Back to last night's game; Gervais made a great play in his own end by knocking his man off the puck which enabled Comrie to easily dash down his wing and led to his goal. That's back to back games where he has made a nice play that lead to a goal (pass to Sillinger lead to break-away against Calgary).
Logan: Good job on this trip keeping the news flowing; many good reads.
Yah Healy I never heard it....Only sports radio I know up here is the talking blobs on WEEI!
Okay Newsday, here we go again.
Click on Sports and go to the main page.
I get that the Giants get most of the main headline news. No problem
But Logan's story on the Isles has ALREADY (It's not even noon yet) been dropped to "Other sports news".
The four other main articles are
A/Zipay's article on what the Rangers need to do in the second half
B/The Knicks (does anyone back there really care about them anymore?)
C/Johnny Podres dies (Find me 5 people who know who he is and I will find you 500 that don't)
D/One of the Williams wins in Australia (Tennis?)
Greg, we gotta get the ranger fans off the headline desk.
Either that or I am gonna start a novena that will bring this paper down.
Target date of FEB 28 for back page coverage for the Isles.
505 - I saw that on NHL on the Fly late last night. Star of the Night was none other than the MAB(d) bomber himself.
Last night's win was great, and props are due for a whole bunch of players - especially Freddy IV. But let's not get carried away here. The six points on the road trip were mostly a gift of the 3-point game system - which most of us have routinely been blasting. Let's face facts... the Avs game was embarrassing for all the players not playing goal. The Oilers game was even more embarrassing. They were better in Vancouver, but not really by much. Still pretty pathetic. Their play picked up against Calgary, but there were still long stretches in the game during which the Isles looked like boyz among men. Last night was the only game of the trip in which the Isles AS A TEAM outplayed their opponent. Objectively speaking, it was their only real "good game" of the trip.
I've stated the above not just to be negative. Most who've read my posts know that's not my tendancy. But the real test of this road trip comes this week. The Habs, Devs and the Broad Street Blow Hards. All 3 teams are playing lights-out hockey right now. And the Habs will be rested and coming off a bad loss to the Rangers - one in which they played with no spark or effort. They're gonna be motivated.
Just a dose of reality. I try not to get overly low after a few losses in a row. Sometimes we can read too much into just a few bad bounces. But the flip side is also true. Let's not get TOO optimistic after a 5-game road trip that also had it's share of "bounces".
Cincy,
Point taken. I am a firm believer in "Okay, good game, who's next".
However, 6 points on this road trip is an excellent (not Outstanding) accomplishment. Especially by a team that NOBODY takes seriously even at this point in the season. And far better than the Ranger's or Buffalo or Toronto -teams deemed to be BETTER than the Isles- did on comparable trips.
If ANY TEAM ran 6 points every five games for the season they would have 96 points at the end of the season.
A bonafide playoff team.
One step at a time.
This was a big step.
As I said earlier, our boys deserve a raucous welcome home at NVMC tomorrow night and a reason to put out the effort to get 2 more from Montreal.
Not sure if anyone else watching the game on NHL CI heard it, but before he scored his two goals, the Ottawa announcers called MAB "Dennis the Menace" because you just didn't know what he was giong to do out there. Gotta be honest, I still say keep this guy in the lineup as long as his defense doesn't cost us each game, and make a decision on him depending on where we are at the deadline.
Kevin T., this is for you.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/multimedia/photo_gallery/0801/caught.in.the.act0111/content.1.html?eref=sixtra_newsletter011408
As always, you guys have covered things well on last night. It's also nice to have had the PP edge, but if there's one thing that bothers me--and it defintely bothered Caoch Ted, it's the stupid penalties Bergenheim is taking. The slash was unccessary, led to an Ottawa goal, and Bergie didn't play another minute thereafter.
505 - All's good. No argument here about the Islanders' play relative to the hockey pundit prognostications. We all know that this team is "playoff-worthy". I'm just not sure if this road trip was the "big step" you and many others are seeing it as. If anything, it was a big step for our man Ricky. Looks like he finally had his coming out party among the Canadian hockey elite. If anything, the Isles might now get some respect among the predictors since it's now established they have one of the best netminders in the league. But that's all on paper. I'm sure you'd agree that it's best to ignore that garbage. The PP that you saw go 2 for 9 last night was a joke. The reality is that it sucked - big time. The 1:40+ 5 on 3 was absolutely embarrassing. Outside the few seconds just before the first PP goal, they had NO puck movement on any of the PPs. MAB's 2nd PP goal was UNASSISTED. A slapper off of a Sens giveaway. And Freddy IV had good games against the speedier teams of the west. But will he really be able to play the role of crease-clearer against the Flyers?
Just my humble opinion. Like I said - this week is the real test.
I hear ya Cincy, my sentiments exactly. The proof will be in the pudding this week and hopefully Gath has his cell phone on at all times. I'd be beating the pavement looking for that next move to improve the team through a more definitive youth swing. I'd like to see him find the right deal for the likes of Miro and Silly who have more than served their respective purposes here. They've played extremely well at times but there is a time for everything. Tambellini should either play more than 9 minutes a game with the right partners or be moved too. Proven winners like Montreal in the past have always assessed their finish place and available draft picks to determine what's best for the long term of the franchise. Well I wouldn't throw games, I certainly might look at a very accelerated youth movement being implemented in conjunction with possible trades for youth and picks. As noted before, we're not being sized for Stanley Cup rings this spring so let's get on with it. It's reminds me of being pregnant; either you are or you aren't.
Miggsey,
"It's reminds me of being pregnant; either you are or you aren't."
yeah but all the fun is trying to get there. And who can deny that this season has not been fun so far?
Can't argue that 505 but after a while the thrill is gone and our collective patience is being tried at times. I think we want more and there is a way to get it.
Thanks Merrick. Thankfully that picture was tasteful, I am at work now.
:)
The girls are hot on Vancouver Island. Found my wife here!
Cincy, I agree they started out the road trip poorly. I think the turning point was the second period of the Canucks game. They got a decent scoring chance during a penalty kill. Can't remember the player, but it seemed to give the team a Confidense Jolt. The whole team seemed to play diffently after that and generated a lot of offensive chances.
Coral Springs ISLE, I am not sure if they play on Fedetenko was a cheap-shot. But it sure points to what Don Cherry has been screaming about for years. The pads are pads anymore, their heavy armour. Fedetenko most likely has a concussion.
Kevin T.
No way ths current regime is going to pull the plug while still in a playoff spot....Kind of do not blame them. They probably made promises to guys like our captain, that they would not do that!
The BOBBLES have been brain washed by Mike Milbury and Snow (all from New England.) That means like the Bruins they will just keep trying to make the playoffs and put fannys in the seats! The Bruins have been run this way for 35 years!
I think the RIGHT amount of kids being brought up is enough. I would keep Silly, but trade Satan if the price is right. With Satan gone we can bring in JT and make us all happy! Then when the time is right, bring up KO and sit one of the roll guys!
We shall see. Until then, let's beat teh snot out the Devs (who want to beat us in the worst way) and MTL who owns us! IF that kid from Smith Town LI abuses us on more time I am going to lose it!
12" of snow up here!!!!
Yeah, huge week...going on a run starting right now couldn't be more perfect. Giving up points (losses or OT) this week could really be the difference between playoffs or not. Let's keep them 2 point games boys and take two from MTL tomorrow night!
Any word on Witt yet? Some people here have better sources of info than I do...
In a perfect world where all of our D are healthy, who do you all think our top 6 would be now? I don't think you can ignore how Meyer has stepped up his game this year. Very responsible so far. I'd still like to see what Johnson has to offer as well. He looked great in the preseason. As much as I’ve railed against MAB here, I think he’s been better (not necessarily good...but better) since cracking the lineup again. His defense is still, well, more or less non-existent, but he’s not just standing in the same spot on the PP anymore. He walks to the middle and gets a line of sight before shooting, which has helped him put up some big points lately. Does he stay in the top six though? I don’t know...I wish Campy would have run with the opportunity when he had the chance to be the go-to guy on the PP. Maybe he’s not ready for that just yet, but I think he will be soon.
MAB said in the postgame that he changed sticks and is now using a stick with more of a curve so he can wrist the puck better. He realizes that the big bomb is not always going to be there. Now if they can just put Witt's head on MAB's shoulders we will be just fine.
The youth movement is not going to happen until this team begins a massive downside. For now, Tamby should stay at the Bridge and play on that first line with Okposo, and Neilson. I would really like to know why Satan has to be traded? I'm just curious. I know he's at the end of a contract and not scoring much as he should, but neither is Bergenheim who is also a one year deal on the same line (second line) and is not offensivly gifted, but no one wants to trade him either. So why trade Satan at all this year?
Well, Bergy is supposed to be more of a catalyst than a goal scorer, and he has been that. So he is so far fulfilling his primary responsibility whereas recently, Satan is struggling to fulfill his, which is scoring goals. This is also Bergy's first full NHL season, so you probably have to cut him a little more slack!
Plus, teams looking for a missing piece around the deadline are going to be MUCH more interested in a Miro Satan than in a Sean Bergenheim, who many teams have probably never even heard much of.
I like Miro, and would hate to see him go. His game has really developed with the Isles to the point where he is one of their more responsible defensive forwards in addition to a goal scorer, but Garth should at least listen to offers if he's not planning on negotiating an extension before the deadline.
Teams are not going to throw out picks and prospects for nothing. They'll need players that fill a certain need going into the postseason. The players I think teams will be asking about when they call the Islanders will be Satan (goal scoring), Comrie (top six), Sillinger (faceoff specialist, leadership), Hunter (physicality), Witt (leadership, physicality, crease clearer), and POSSIBLY Bergeron if a team is going into the playoffs ranked in the bottom 10 or 15 on the PP. This is NOT a list of people I think should be traded...these are the ones I think teams will be contacting the Isles about at the deadline. They're probably the ones that Garth is going to have to make decisions about. Of those, I don't see Witt or Hunter going anywhere.
I have no problem cutting Bergenheim slack, if he was not on the second line all the time. Bergenheim is nothing more than an energy player, and a catalyst like previously mentioned and nothing more. Why is he always on that line, when another "scorer" should be on that line? I also agree about Miro's talent, but when you're not putting the proper talent around him to score, he's going to struggle. Is Bergenheim a top six forward? No. For now, can he score? No. If Satan starts scoring on the first line, people are not going to want to trade him before the playoffs. There shopould not be a fire sale, rather the Islanders should be buyers.
I'm not sure the Isles can afford to be buyers even if they are in the 6th position at the break. Who do they have that they can spare for some over the top talent at the break... and there is no way I'd feel comfortable receiving a guy whose contract is up at the end of the season. Been there .. done that ... and have the scars to prove it.
Best option is to keep who they have at the deadline if they are in one of the bottom 4 playoff spots... or be sellers if the best they can hope for is 8th ... or worse.
Even though they beat the Sens last night ... and seemed to have the upper hand ... and I don't mean this in a negative way ... they deserved the two points out right .... but .... the Sens were down two of their best forwards .... and we are down two of our best D-men .... but one game doesn't make a contender .... especially since Sens had to deal with playing the day after a big Wings game .... no excuse for them ... but Isles need consistency before we can claim them to be top tier club.
When I say 6th position at the break ... I meant trade deadline
Sean Bergenheim has so far been a real disapointment to me.Nolan plays him on the second line as a top six forward and he's only scored 2 goals the whole year.You need alot more production than 2 goals from that spot.I know he brings energy and grit to the team but I think they should let Tambellini play in Bergenheim's spot and drop Bergenheim to the third or fourth line. Tambellini is a first round draft pick too. I am really getting tired of watching Bergenheim miss open nets time after time.One Andy Hilbert on the team is enough.We don't need another one! I know alot of guys on this blog want to cut Bergenheim slack but 2 goals all year is just not cutting it .I'll be at the game in New Jersey against the Devils Wed. night. "YOU CAN"T BEAT US!!!" GO ISLES !!!
Gentlemen, Ladies,
RELAX
No trades, no drops. Let's see what this TEAM does tonight.
The kid is hot tonight, oh oh so hot tonight.....,and where will you be tomorrow?
Teddie Nolan has a team workin right now.
Montreal sucks---8 OT losses.
GAME.
The Islanders need speed upfront and they need a guy who can run their powerplay. You have to give up something in order to get something. With that being said the two obvious choices to me would be a Hunter or Sillinger. These are 3rd line guys with grit and leadership and we are loaded with that right now. So use those two guys as trade bait because you need to upgrade other spots in your lineup and they can get you something in return. Hunter is a restricted free agent after this year and the Isles need to think long and hard if he is part of the future. I love him as a player but i think we have some other young guys at Bridgeport that can step into a 3rd line role. Sillinger has great leadership but we have plenty of that as well. You can plug Walter into the 3rd line center role if needed. Upgrade the top two lines is what the goal should be. Satan only should be traded if you do not plan on exrtending him a big contract at years end. Do not repeat what happened to Jason Blake. Satan is going to get gobbled up in a flash if he becomes an unrestricted free agent this summer. Some team will throw way more money at him then the Islanders are willing to. So if he does not fit into Snowlans plans then get something for him, maybe a powerplay point man. Bergenheim is a young player learning the game. He will be a good player for us, I agree with bumping him down to the 3rd line as was said in an other post.
The Islanders need speed upfront and they need a guy who can run their powerplay. You have to give up something in order to get something. With that being said the two obvious choices to me would be a Hunter or Sillinger. These are 3rd line guys with grit and leadership and we are loaded with that right now. So use those two guys as trade bait because you need to upgrade other spots in your lineup and they can get you something in return. Hunter is a restricted free agent after this year and the Isles need to think long and hard if he is part of the future. I love him as a player but i think we have some other young guys at Bridgeport that can step into a 3rd line role. Sillinger has great leadership but we have plenty of that as well. You can plug Walter into the 3rd line center role if needed. Upgrade the top two lines is what the goal should be. Satan only should be traded if you do not plan on exrtending him a big contract at years end. Do not repeat what happened to Jason Blake. Satan is going to get gobbled up in a flash if he becomes an unrestricted free agent this summer. Some team will throw way more money at him then the Islanders are willing to. So if he does not fit into Snowlans plans then get something for him, maybe a powerplay point man. Bergenheim is a young player learning the game. He will be a good player for us, I agree with bumping him down to the 3rd line as was said in an other post.
The rollercoaster that is fandom is always amusing (I get caught up in it too). I know we've been on a pretty decent point streak, but I need to see a few more straight wins strung together before I can believe the Isles will make any kind of noise in the playoffs. Otherwise I think we should sell a few pieces at the deadline and focus on getting a proven scorer during the offseason and further develop our team. Playoffs are exciting but I am getting tired of the one-and done. Divisions real tight, a few losses or wins in a row is a huge swing.
That being said, against Montreal tonight we need to avoid taking bad penalties. At the Rangers-Canadiens game it was a Rangers parade to the box which let Montreal have all their offensive chances. I think the Habs had less than 10 5-on-5 shots on goal. We are capable of beating them if we can stay focused.
For anyone who might be interested... this is a link to a fabulous analysis by Dany Tolensky on Hockeybuzz. He analyzes the relative merits of signing the budding superstar to a mega-term deal, a la OV for 13 years aand $124 million. It's long, but very, very interesting. Take note of his only mention of the DP deal. Irony of all ironies is that the DP deal was both the most maligned AND the only one that ultimately will end up being successful.
http://www.hockeybuzz.com/boards/thread.php?thread_id=33678&page=1
Healy:
I couldn't agree with you more with regards to staying out of the box against Montreal tonight. I thought we did a great job of that against Ottawa. Last time we played Montreal we started off the first period in penalty trouble and it just got worse from there. This is a REALLY big game in my opinion. The one thing that bugs me about this team this year is when we start to gain some momentum and ground in the standings we always seem to come out flat. Montreal has 52 points and we have 49 and this is a great opportunity to make up some ground. The last time we played Montreal it was a great opportunity to jump up in the standings and we came out as flat as a pancake.
Lets get two!!!!!!!!!!!
tambs is back up again for tonight
Over the past few weeks I've posted several times my thoughts on the trade deadline and the players who I thought were on the short list of future ex-isles.
Satan has to head any list because of the multi-tiered value his expulsion brings. This definitely isn't a knock on Sat