It’s almost as though former Islander Robert Nilsson and former Oiler Marc-Andre Bergeron are flip sides of the same coin. They moved between Long Island and Edmonton in separate deals last February, but they share a common bond in terms of unfulfilled expectations and their continuing struggles to succeed in the NHL.
Tonight’s match between the Oilers and Islanders marks the first time Bergeron has returned since being traded after a falling out with Oilers coach Craig MacTavish. He had become a target for the anger of Edmonton fans toward the end of his stay and found a rebirth on the Island because the Isles were in such need of his slapshot for their power play. Now, Bergeron has been in and out of the lineup this season because of the same defensive lapses that got him in trouble with MacTavish.
So, Bergeron admitted this morning to having a lot of pent-up emotion for this game. “Oh yeah, there’s no doubt,” Bergeron said. “It’s first time back since I got traded. I’m nervous, but I’m excited. Hopefully, everything goes the way that I want and I feel fine and play well.”
He admitted to being unhappy about the way he was handled by MacTavish last season and said he felt sorry for his former teammates when they finished last season losing 18 of their last 20 games. “I was talking to a couple of them,” Bergeron said, “and they were like, ‘Oh, my God. It’s like a boot camp. It’s painful.’”
Trying to explain why he became a scapegoat for the fans, especially on Edmonton’s sports talk radio, Bergeron said, “After losing Chris Pronger, they were looking for someone who could be the guy on the back end, and they thought it was me. I was young and not ready for that. I’m still learning a lot and having my rollercoaster ride. It’s a tough job to be the No. 1 defenseman on the team. We had the best one in the league for a year. Obviously, I’m not as good as him.
“It was just unfortunate. It’s such a hard living. People expect a lot from every one of us. Which is right. I didn’t feel like I was playing as good as I could here anyway, so, I understand them having some frustration at me.”
Call it coincidence, but Nilsson is experiencing similar problems with MacTavish now. Last week, he was playing on the top line, but MacTavish sat him against the Rangers on Saturday and will send him to the press box again tonight as a healthy scratch against the opponent he most wants to face.
“I don’t know what’s going on,” Nilsson said after being the last Oiler off the ice this morning. “They want me to get a little bit of practice in. I’ll be back next game. He didn’t say I was playing bad or anything, but it would have been fun playing against the New York teams.”
Nilsson also had problems as an Islander when Ted Nolan became coach last season. Nolan determined in training camp that Nilsson lacked the necessary competitiveness to play for him. That was it. Nilsson spent the season in Bridgeport until the welcome trade to Edmonton came as part of the Ryan Smyth deal last February.
“I wouldn’t say I had the best training camp, but I was still disappointed,” Nilsson said of his time under Nolan. “I didn’t get even one exhibition game. I came into training camp better fit than the year before. Of course, I learned from the situation. I came in to camp this year as fit as the year before but with a different attitude. It paid off, and I got a spot on the team out of training camp.”
While in Bridgeport, Nilsson found it difficult to stay motivated because he didn’t believe Nolan ever would give him a chance. The Islanders’ coach generally prefers to rely on proven veterans, and Nilsson wasn’t alone among Islanders prospects in wondering about his future in the organization.
“It’s frustrating, but I must say, if you would rip it up and dominate the AHL, I think Ted Nolan would give you a chance,” Nilsson said. “But he trusts his old guys. They were in the playoffs last year and look like they can get in this year. So, he does something right… I’ve put all that behind me. I’m in Edmonton, and I think everything will work out great here. We’re the youngest team in the league. It’s fun to be a part of it.”
Well, Nilsson won’t be part of it tonight, but you know what he means. As for Bergeron, he will be part of it, and he was prepared for the booing he expects to receive. With a laugh, Bergeron said, “I don’t really care. I’m not an Oiler anymore. I still have some good memories from here. It’s an old saying: ‘Talk good or bad, but just talk about me.’”
Comments (55)
I said the day the trade was made that we weren't giving up anything. Nilsson will be another one of those highly skilled european players who can never quite pull it all together - the Islanders organization has had plenty of those. Meanwhile we haven't heard anything from Omarra, so it looks like the deal wasn't a bad one after all...
Funny how MAB has a pattern of fighting with coaches huh? Funny how he got booed out of Edmonton for the same things he is doing for us huh? Although I love our NVMC fans, Edmonton fans are the cream of the crop in terms of hockey IQ (along with almost all Canadians as it is in their blood, like baseball for us) and they hated his guts!
So to recap.....He fights with his coaches. He is booed by intelligent fans. He is benched by two very good coaches. He has continually had the same Defensive lapses while in the line up. Oh and he has an attitude problem.
sound like a pattern? He is a bad seed. Ship him to Moose Jaw for a bag of pucks and a used Zamboni!
p.s AJ....The point is not who we gave up, it is what we got in return. We could of sent the 3 #1's for someone that had a long term deal!
Thanks for the personal look inside their heads tonight Greg. It was very enlightening. I hope I can stay awake, I'm sure there will be a little DRAMA around this game. At least Bergenheim may have a little time to hang out with his once best friend, Nilsson.
Steady,
Key point to what you say (continually) about Bergeron (i.e bad seed, bad attitude etc) will be how the other Isles respond tonight when he is on the ice, in PP on non PP situations.
Do they respect him as a teammate?
Then they will bust their ass when he is on the ice and try to make him look good.
If not, then the Isles could be sacrificing a couple of "minus" points in order to send the message.
I'll be watching closely.
I think Bergeron will be around on the Islanders until Campoli or one of the younger defensmen steps up on the powerplay, and score more goals. I'm not dicrediting anything that has been said about him, however, in light of hi power-play goals which leads the team, we may have to be patient and wait for someone else to step up. I was wondering what everyone thought. If you had a choice who would you keep, and why: Berard or MAB?
Long day at work. Will do my best to stay up and watch the game! Tomorrow night is the big one for me. My brother-in-law is a HUGE Canucks fan! Thanks to me actually. The first game I took him to was a 50 save performance by their goalie at NVMC around 14 years ago. Anyone remember that?
Wasn't Kirk McClean the Goalie for Vancouver?
I wasn't thrilled that we dealth Nillson, but I'll admit now that we probably didn't lose much. But his comments are exactly what I've been saying for awhile now. He was one of many prospects wondering if they would ever get a chance. He even said so himself. And I realize that it could be sour grapes, but I actually believe it. I mean think about what some of the young guys must think when their production gets ignored so that vets who don't produce get a ton of ice time.
If this is the way Nolan is going to be then I would rather see him go. I know he's a great motivator - but maybe he wouldn't have to motivate so hard if he let the players with skill come up and score more ...
this is the stuff that makes it tough to feel good about the future ...
100% correct "netminder!" Good job!
hahaha I'm showing my age. But Thank You.
I don't know what to think .... whether Nilsson and company were saved for a better trade for a signed player or not is all water under the bridge .... maybe we didn't lose much .. except for the 1st round 2007 pick ... but who knows who Snow would of picked anyway?
Greg's interview with Nilsson echos what AZS has preached all season long about Nolan's attitude regarding young players. I believe Nilsson .. mostly because of the Tamby situation. A scorer doesn't get the chance to do much playing 7 minute average per game with the 4th line. Not defending Tamby's lack of results ... it's just a fact. Tamby needs to shake the nerves he must feel wondering if "This is the Shift" and just tear it up his next chance.
MAB ... we all know he's not a top 4 defenseman .. so why do we even try to measure him up against typical top 4 D-men? He has a cannon ... and someone has to load it for him. I'm not going to boo him ... or chastise him .. why? Does it make him perform better .... NO ... is he a bad seed ... YES ... can he turn it around? Maybe ... but only he has that control. It's the same thing with 1st base ... they are what they are .... nobody is going to unload an S-load of talent on us for either player. So let this season play out, and hope Nolan gives some young guys at the Bridge a look.
I'm probably not going to make it past the 1st period tonight .. I've been up since 4:45am ... and will be up at that time again tomorrow.
Good luck with Air Canada tomorrow Greg!!!
Wow...pretty ridiculous to hear Jaffe trying to blame Witt for the first goal. It was a softie right through the five hole with no screen. That's not Witt's fault.
Ugh, and there's another bad goal for the second one. C'mon DP, let's see some consistency - you're getting absolutely schooled by Garron.
Are we ever going to have a consistent goaltender for this team? DP is exactly the same as Osgood was. With a great team in front of him he'll play well and make some dazzling saves, but we cannot depend on him to make the simple saves consistently. I don't care if he kept us in a bunch of games, he is letting in soft goals leading directly to losses
Aaa: totally agree about DP. But you have to remember that he is just starting to come into is own. I'll be worried if this is happening in 2 or 3 years. Goalies take a little longer to develop than most players. That said...none of those go in if he's on...first was weak... And the next 2 he was out of position... So mad after 12 hours of work to com$e home to this
Once again we make the other teams goalie look amazing
I hear ya mass ... I put in 12 hours yesterday ... 10 today .. and will be 10 tomorrow .... I'm not liking what I'm seeing .... soft goals ... soft play ... last 3 minutes looked like some pressure ... but no results ..... night all ... I can salvage 6 hours sleep
AZS, I agree with your concerns about Nolan and over-playing the vets. That is one thing that the current Vancouver Canucks coach, Alan Vigneault, has changed. If the vets aren't playing well he sits them.
Steady and Netminder39, those are great memories of Kirk McClean. Last of the great stand-up goalies.
Just got back from Quesnel, BC. Got to skate outside and see the local team with my Dads season tickets. Tell the Islander scouts to checkout #12. He made something happen on every shift, made smart plays, and scored a hat-trick. And yet, the coach gave him average ice time.
http://www.quesnel-millionaires.com/
I can't get over to Vancouver for the game tomorrow. I guess I'll catch them 4 years from now when they come out west again.
Who the heck do I cheer for??? What a dilemma!
Kevin T.
Man is Jackman the only one who cares!?!!
Wow, what a great effort tonight. As long as their goal for the evening was to embarrass themselves.
If Ted Nolan is really so great, how is it that this team fails to show up? He just said in the postgame interview, some guys are competing, and some are not. Ted, isn't that YOUR job, to ensure that the team "competes"? I do believe it is.
He also gave one other really excellent insight, saying "the problem is not the lack of goal scoring".
Teddy, baby, your team just got shut out, and very rarely scores more than two goals. You bet your sweet ass the problem is goal scoring.
I mean, its good to go out there and say, yeah, we sucked, we did nothing, we didnt compete, we didnt put in the effort. The problem seems to be that Ted is powerless to change things. Basically, Ted, what you're saying is "I cannot do my job".
The more I see from Ted the less I like him.
This team is on a collision course with their destiny, which is to get their asses kicked up and down the rink by Ottawa and bow out in 4 games. I would rather see the team move to Hamilton than go through that again.
And on a related note,
David Letterman on his Monday show [just before getting his beard shaved off] put on a yellow rain slicker and hat ... and did a mock commercial for a certain brand of fish sticks. He did look the part.
Arrrr.
Dear Ted Nolan,
Please keep Mike Silinger and Trent Hunter together on the PP. They are a very effective duo and rarely turnover the puck while playing with an extra man. I did not count one bad turnover by Hunter on the PP tonight.
Mike Silinger is playing some of the best hockey of his career. He looks quicker and sharper than ever before. I'm not sure why so many teams let this old cat get away.
Please don't bring up any of the kids. It's a safer sounder plan to rely on aging vets for the entire season. The fact that most of the new successful teams of 2007-2008 have given an increased role to younger players is more than enough reason not to try it.
Richard Park is extraordinary. It's nice to finally have a legitimate first line winger.
Also Ted, I admire that you treat each of your players equally. People might think it strange that Mike Comrie never gets benched, but does he really turn the puck over as much as MAB?
-CM
This has got to stop. Whenver this team trais by a goal or two, they have stopped skating these past two games. If Ted Nolan is so awesome, why can't he get the guys to compete, that is his job afterall. Don't get me wrong, Ted is a great coach but he has to stop giving guys like vasicek, fedentanko, hunter, and sillinger all the playing time in the world. They haven't produiced period. They have 9 goals between them in the past 100 combined games which is scary. This raises the question of why isn't Tambellini being called up. Let's give this guy 15 min. or so to see what he's got not 4th line min. That's the one thing I don't like about Ted, he keeps going back to old vets who just plain suck. It's not all about heart, character, and grit, you need skill too and apparently this team has none of it. I beleive we should trade comrie, satan, and guerin for any 1st rounders we can get and then hope to trade vasicek, fedetenko, and hunter for a bag of pucks. This team needs to seriously stop pretending and face reality that they need to bring up their younger players from the farm. This is not an opinion, it is a fact that must be realized as soon as possible.
K.S.
Pathetic
Another turn over for MAB
Another minus 2 for Comrie
More benching of top players for lack of effort!
****Simply a team that is like a pot luck dinner. You never know what your going to get! *****
****Told you all FREI was a Rags fan. You can't fool me kid. Go back to glorious msg and all the fun memories. LOL What a loser***
I figured when I woke up this morning .. that maybe .. just maybe the Isles mounted some type of come-back and scored 3 goals in the 3rd to force and OT and take 2 points ... maybe ... well ..
maybe the Isles will beat the Canucks in the next game .. and then maybe the Isles will beat the Flames in the one after that ... and maybe ... just maybe ... the Isles will whip the pants off the Senators to wrap up the road trip ... maybe....
I think maybe what the team needs is not just a flashy slogan .. like "We are all Islanders" or motto ... "Grit Character and Heart" .. those are all nice marketing tag lines .... but what is on the ice ... is the product ... and the product just mayyyybeee .. needs an infusion of talented youth ... maybe .. right?
I think I'd rather watch a bunch of 20 year olds making rookie mistakes playing their hearts out and making the opposition work for their wins... the loses would sting less... and the victories would taste that much sweeter.
Maybe I know what I'm talking about .. eh?
Oh ... and News Flash ... maybe Ted doesn't read our distinguished beat writer's column ... but this teams Biggest problem .... Lack of Goal Scoring!!!! How many times have they been shut out this year?
Didn't last night's game remind you of a game earlier against Atlanta to kick off December? A game I expected the Isles to win.
We'll .. coffee break over .... gotta get back to work.
Does DP ever acknowledge giving up a bad goal? That first goal was on him and it kind of set the tone for the rest of the period. Every time he is quoted he seems to blame everyone but himself for losses. Yes they did as a team including DP play poorly after the first period and you can't win games by scoring 0 goals but I would just like to see him admit that he makes mistakes too it's not just the guys in front of him.
It always amazes me, as a Canadian Isles fan, to see the highlights of an Isles/Oilers game on Canadian TV, where we lose 4-0, Mathieu Garon makes 35 saves and yet the highlights are all Ricky D, both the goals, few of which were of the spectacular variety and, really, only one of which was a "not good" goal, and the really great saves he made just to keep the team in the building.
Garon had a shutout and made 35 saves and yet didn't show up on the highlights until he was bumping heads at the end of the game! What does that say about the kind of scoring opportunities the Isles had?
I am starting to move to the camp that suggests that it may just be time to blow this team up. Do we really want another 6-7 seasons of finishing 7-10 in the East, competing every second night and, assuming we squeak into the Playoffs, get blown out in 4 or 5 games by the conference champion, using us as a warmup to the real playoff games coming down the pipe?
I, for one, would happily sacrifice a couple of years of 65 point seasons to know we are developing top notch young talent and might have a chance to compete at the top of the conference and challenge for the Cup. I am starting to think we owe that to Ricky, don't we?
You guys are ridiculous. Criticizing DP?!?!?! He is one of the best goalies in the league! You guys are so quick to forget the Avalanche game. And criticizing Ted Nolan?!?!?!?! He has these geezers in playoff contention. Here is the problem with the Islanders, THEY ARE NOT THAT GOOD!!! They are a bunch of overachievers with a great goalie, and a great coach. I love the Islanders, but if this team doesnt trade some of these old guys like, Comrie, Guerin, Fedotenko, Sillinger, Satan, and get some prospects they will continue to be what they have been for the last couple of years, a hard working team that battles for the 8th seed and loses in 5 games in the 1st round. Lets do it right, we have a solid young D, a great goalie at a great price for a long time, a great coach, lets get rid of these geezers and get some young talent!!!!
That's what I've been saying!
Did not see the game last night (no, I was NOT at dance lessons), and it's sounds like it's just as well.
Steady, I am reading between the lines of the Logan reports of the game.
Doesn't sound like the "other Isles" were particularly incensed to make MAB/Comrie smell like roses last night in front of the hostile Edmonton crowd. (I certainly hope that the Edmonton folks didn't say anything "mean" to our boys, that's NOT ALLOWED in Colorado).
I am having some concerns with this road trip.
Concerns that started with the Av game and reports that "some" of the Islanders had dinner at Smyth's house on Friday night.
DON'T WANT TO SEE ANY CLIQUES GATHERING ON THIS TEAM TEDDIE NOLAN!!!
Road trips are important in developing TEAM cohesiveness. Everyone does everything together, even if it means breaking up a fight once in awhile.
Select players going to dinners at former "part-time" player's houses while on a road trip IS A VERY QUESTIONABLE event Mr. Nolan.
Knock some heads around.
Just my opinion, I could be wrong
Jislander, I agree it's not the time to completely panic, but as a fan I can't blindly worship at the altar of Nolan and DP. It's perfectly logical and fair to say that DP should have had the first goal, and even though he's a fabulous goaltender, he lets in way too many goals that come as a result of not being ready. We need to get Mike Dunham out of there and bring in an experienced goalie coach who can help with his positioning and really bring DP to the next level.
As for Nolan, I've said numerous times he's the best coach this team has had aside from Al Arbour. That doesn't mean he's above criticism when he does something worth criticizing. He is selectively loyal to his players (e.g. benching MAB and Berard but not other people who deserve it), and the interview with Nilsson shows full-well he is disrupting the confidence of some of our young talent. I would take a year or two of mediocrity, since let's remember the only time since 2002 the Islanders missed the playoffs got us Okposo, whom many of you are now hailing as a great help, if not a savior.
Something needs to give here. There are dead-weight veterans who could contribute to other teams. They should be traded to build the stockpile of young talent. Tambellini, in his time with this team, has not shown anything to merit staying. That means he either needs a more extended look or he needs to be traded. Let's take an evaluation and trade the guys who don't fit into our long-term plans. Then, we can build around the guys remaining and make this team a true force.
Also, 505, the Smyth thing is a complete non-issue. He was here for 24 games, including the playoffs. In addition, many of the guys currently on this team never played with him, either on the Islanders or elsewhere. Why should he invite them too? In addition, why shouldn't those that are friends with him want to see him? I agree that we can't go back to the cliquey Laviolette days, but I don't think this incident is symptomatic of it.
Why are Sillinger and Hunter getting so much playing time? Tank is in a slump and its pretty obvious that his linemates are awful, yet hes the one thats sitting in the third period. I would trade Sillinger for a used skate lace at this point let alone a bag of pucks. I dont care if the guy wins 100% of the faceoffs each game. Let him take the face off and get off the ice. Hunter is about 2 steps too slow in everything he is doing now. Every check he throws he gets 90% boards 10% body. Comeau has been our best forward creating chances and playing tough with the puck. I think its time we took a chance with the younger guys and got rid of these dinosaurs. Otherwise were in for a long second half of the season.
When did it become the head coach's job to motivate the players? Shouldn't the multi-million $ salaries do that?
I'll probably take heat for this one, but here goes. No one is saying DP is a bad goalie, and certainly there are many more GLARING deficiencies with this team before you can point a finger at DP. But we're constantly told on the broadcast and elsewhere that he is among the league elites, and is possibly a "top 5" goaltender. I don't see a top 5 goalie having two shaky starts in three games (Great vs. Avs, as opposed to Fla. and Edm.) - and it's admittedly unfair to judge on just a three-game window.
Let me just say that I think DP is a good goalie, but there has to be more consistency, imo, to consider him elite. Last year down the stretch he was consistently good...great even. I haven't seen the same consistency this year, and it's likely just a mental thing - putting too much pressure on himself to carry the team every game.
Look, we all know he has the talent. And we all know he is going to make several unreal saves a game that will have top forwards shaking their heads in disbelief. But that's really not worth much if slow dribblers or shots from the outside and from the point with no screen find their way by him...and they do quite often this year. Imo, a "top five" or elite goalie makes all, or just about all, of the easy saves and some of the impossible ones. Just saying that DP's let in more soft goals than he should this year, for whatever reason - and certainly not because of his natural ability which is in fact elite. Let's just say this - Rick DiPietro - in raw statistics and in general all around play, is closer this year to Marty Gerber than Marty Brodeur. And that's definitely not bad, but certainly not elite.
Just flew in from Tampa... and boy are my arms tired.
Looks like the same old silly arguments on here. When I left we were playing pretty well, we lose two in a row and everybody sucks.
DP had an off night with new pads... big deal.
From the TiVo I FFes through last night it looked like they never really got a solid transition game going to make opportunities and Edmonton played well.
MAB is what he is, but he is going to exactly what we thought he was... or maybe a little better as he continues to play. The team has far deeper isues than their 6th defenseman.
The whole BRING UP THE KIDS argument is getting tired also. Comeau,if nothing else, is proving that Nolan will bring these guys up when they are the best option for their role. He is excelling because there was a OPEN position that brought with it absolutely no pressure. he was replacing a "swing wing".. but he wasn't asked to drop them a few times a month... Jackman has taken that role on.
Tambellin got his shot when Tank was out, and did NOTHING with it. He'll have other opportunities. But now it looks liek they are going to build a whole line (Tambellini-Walter-Okposo) in Bridgeport... and THAT is where the story will begin...
[SOMEWHAT] Off Topic
To any G-Men who were in Tampa... AWESOME SHOW. We took over their house early and never gave back the keys. That's EXACTLY what fans need to do... and Isle fans are having problems doing that in THEIR OWN HOUSE!
But we do have Sparky and the Ice Girls...
Please do not do this.
DP is OUR WHOLE FREAKING TEAM !!!! He is easily a TOP 5 Goalie......Do not be like the Rag fans that are all pouring on Lundquist for having a bad spell. Lundquist is awesome also and he is geting creamed for having around 4 bad starts in a row! It happens!
Is he not allowed to have some tough games? He is an amazing young goalie and the face of our franchise!
IMAGINE playing net every night knowing YOU CANNOT give up more than 2 goals or you lose ??????????? He does that for us!
The team has a bunch of misfit toys like Commrie and MAB. They have good role players playing in spots that should be filled with specific goal scoring talent. They are pathetic at putting it in the net.
If they do not give 110% effort they will lose EVERY NIGHT!
That is not Nolans fault or DP's fault!
IT IS THE BOBBLEHEADS FAULT ........... PERIOD !!!!
Well, playing poorly this week won't hurt them too much. The Rags are playing horribly too. There are no big "4 point" games to lose, and a loss of 2 points to a Western Conference team isn't as bad as 2 points to a Division rival or Eastern Conference competitor.
Tonight should be different - maybe a repeat the back-to-back Panthers-Lightning weekend, where the Islanders looked weak against the lowly Panthers only to "spring to life" against the (then not-so-lowly) Lightning the next evening. The Islanders never seem to 'show up' against the teams that have losing records, so maybe they'll take tonight seriously against a real contender for the Cup.
RE: DP - even Brodeur and Lundqvist and Luongo (and other top NHL goalies) have had bad months where they've let in 'bad goals.' They snap out of it eventually. If the D-men were playing better D, some of those 'bad goals' could have been prevented. It's a team sport, and they have to play as a team!!!
Actually...I agree with you for the most part Steady. Except for the "top five" part. He's the face of the franchise, and can win games for us, and is generally a bright spot on a very average team. I'm really not trying to "blame" DP at all, as this team has many more glaring problems. I just simply don't think he's among the league elite yet, and I don't think it should be sacrilege to hold that opinion. Could he be a top five or an elite goalie? Absolutely - the talent's there, and he's without a doubt had games where he's played better than the league's best.
My question, I guess, would be - do you consider Ryan Miller an elite goalie? I think he and DP are very similar. Both are quick, have amazing glove hands, quick feet, and can make unreal saves when the defense bails. But both can come out the very next period and let in some really bad goals that make you wonder what the heck is up. My opinion is that both could very well be elite goaltenders in the near future...but they have some work to do to get there.
Steady, I like DP and if DP definitely needs help, but if you can't say that he is clearly better than Osgood, Huet, Brodeur, Luongo, Giguere, Lundqvist, Nabokov, Vokoun, Thomas, and even Bryzgalov, then I can't say he's in the Top 5.
AZS, I'm with you on everyhting you said--especially about how the kids feel about their chances with the big club.
Last night was a total waste of 2 1/2 hours! With all due respect to the folks in Edmonton, the Oilers are just not a very good team. And once again, I have to watch the Isles control territorial play for a period, but have no skill to put one truly decent shot on net. And as usual in these games--they get a softie on the other side and we turtle (but at least it was over before 11:30).
Put those goalies on our team and see how they do. Before the Devils got hot, how was Brodeur doing? Look at the slump of Lundquist. Osgood plays on the best team in the sport.
DP is our guy, and the ONLY true Islander on the team. He is the only one I will go to bat for!
He will be a star for years and years to come!
Just my opinion
Coming to bat for DP...a previous Islander goalie.
It is amazingly frustrating to watch soft goals but no one is perfect. The guy is coming off an injury with new pads, lets in a couple bad goals and its suddenly a pile on. During the stretch of 1 goal games he clearly stole us the 2 points. During many many shootouts he steals the 2 points. He's going to give away those points once in a while as well.
My problem is if this continues he's going to become disenchanted on the Island and the length of his contract is going to become a crushing weight. I hope this franchise makes further legitimate steps forward before that happens.
As for letting the kids play, I've said it quite a few times. Under Brad Shaw the Isles were at their most entertaining (and they won quite a few games). Not saying playing the kids now will bring instant results, but it is becoming clear that the grind it out style we play is inferior, especially in a longer stretch with older teammates.
DITTO on everything JP said above... but I don't condemn anybody for overreacting. We all care deeply about this team, we've been waiting a very long time for real improvement, and we all get frustrated at these losing spells that occur just when the Isles seem poised to move up into the next tier. All of a sudden the entire team seems poorly constructed, full of old slow grinders, etc... and we're wasting our time unless we embrace the youth movement.
Nevertheless -- we're only in the second season of the new regime. Last summer we did not appear to be prospect-rich and, despite the front office's efforts to sign a couple of top free agents, the Isles were not able to do so. Since then, in addition to Okposo, Tambellini has emerged, at least at the AHL level, as a more significant prospect than we imagined he was, Figren and Rakhshani impressed at the WJC, we've acquired Walter, and Comeau has blossomed on the Isles (so far). A youth movement now seems like an option -- last July it didn't. On the basis of that, do we really expect the organization to abruptly change direction from a course that made perfect sense six months ago? It doesn't work that way in sports and, in a good organization, it shouldn't. I trust that Snolan are going to bring these kids along as they can, acclimating them to the league and team on a veteran-led squad while shedding the right vets at the right times. I hope so, anyway. It's too early to tell and frankly, I can't decide myself where I want the vet/fresh-blood balance to be this season. I want to see this play out more.
Also 100% agree with Steady's comment about how hard it is to evaluate the goalie's performance isolated from the team. Though I also do think that achieving consistency is the last hurdle DP has to clear to reach elite status.
By the way, posting from New Orleans, whence I am flying back to NYC in a couple hours. Not a college football guy myself, but a close friend who's a rabid LSU fan convinced me to come and got tix. Great game, great event, great food, great town. Though it is hard to imagine NYC allowing itself to be shut down by an event like this... The Big Easy just shrugs and lays back.
"Also 100% agree with Steady's comment about how hard it is to evaluate the goalie's performance isolated from the team. Though I also do think that achieving consistency is the last hurdle DP has to clear to reach elite status."
OK, I'll forego my latest novel and simply say that I absolutely agree with this...
"Great game, great event, great food, great town. Though it is hard to imagine NYC allowing itself to be shut down by an event like this..."
KH, my 1st trip to the Big Easy many years ago, made me wonder who or what Sinatra was thinking when he sang about NYC being the town that "doesn't sleep at night".
Cuz the 1st time I saw a shift change for the bartenders at 4AM in New Orleans, I thought aloud that Frankie boy had it wrong.
Have not been there since Katrina but I am eager to get back, still one of my favorite cities in the world. OUTSTANDING FOOD, OUTSTANDING MUSIC, OUTSTANDING PEOPLE, OUTSTANDING FUN to be had there.
And a great (it will soon be outstanding) WWII Museum to boot.
KH asked, "Do we really expect the organization to abruptly change direction from a course that made perfect sense six months ago?"
Who said it made perfect sense? While many of us did not believe the team was as bad as the experts were saying, we also didn't see how we were abuilding a stronger team for the future or expected giving some younger guys a real test run in the NHL. In addition, Tambellini has not blossomed into more than we believed, but was highly touted when he arrived. If anything, he regressed a little last year bouncing between the AHL and Isles.
Perhaps Nolan has lit the appropriate fire with Tamby--or perhpas Nolan has an inherent bias against non-physical goal scorers as some sort of prima donnas. Would Mike Bossy have the grit Nolan demands?
Look, I think Nolan has done an outstanding job. But I also believe a hallmark of the greatest coaches is the ability to recognize the talents and weakenessses of their given personnel and coach around them. That doesn't mean you can't ask for 100% effort, but Robert Nilsson will never be a Michael Peca and Jeff Tambellini will never bring the same grit as Blake Comeau. They are different players. If Nolan only wants guys that fit his prototype and is willing to jettison those who don't, even if they can help the team, that would be a mistake. I'm not saying that is what's actually going on, but it sure looks like it at times.
Steady's observations have been pretty solid and dead on of late, although netminder gets solid props for coming up with Steady's goalie trivia answer within SIX MINUTES of Steady posing the question.
If he googled the answer, there is no way that he could have posted it that fast, what with the "too many comments" security enhancement on this blog.
Anyone think the Isles can get a point tonight?
Or will the Sedin's have a track meet against our boys?
I was hoping for 4 points on the front end of this road trip with a gift point or 2 on the back end.
Now we're back climbing the mountain again trying to win the games we're not supposed to win.
Sound familiar?
Okay, I'll go out on the limb with a 3-2 victory prediction.
Otherwise the Western Division teams are gonna demand more road trips next year from the NY area teams in order to pad their records.
Greg's gotta be in Vancouver by now, but no fresh info. Must have routed himself through Denver again.
DP is fine... Any prediction of the future would just be a jinx, but there's no reason to think he couldn't be a top tier goaltender for quite some time.
As far as "youth movement" goes. There are four guys who might get traded off the island. Of the four two are almost definitely ticketed to be traded for some value (prospects or picks) before the deadline. Those two will most likely be replaced by Tambelini and Walter, and Okposo will get an 8 game viewing towards the end of the season.
My list of probable Ex-Isles by 03/01/08 are:
Satan...: Most value in a trade. No time left on his contract. UFA
Tank.....: Solid player, In Okposo's roster spot, so may not be worth a long term investment.
Sillinger.: One year left, and could fetch value if somebody needs a third liner for the playoffs. It wouldn't be terrible to see Silly retire as an Islander, but he's holding back Walter at this point.
Hunter....: Hunter seemed to be revitalized last year with Smyth, but has gone back into his scoring funk with first base and slumpinger... It's hard to give up on a guy who finishes all of his checks, but for some reason I think they lost hunter when they lost smyth (wouldn't be surprised if it was him and sillinger that ate at Smyth's house... and I have no problem with them eating there every night next year).
After 3/1 you start building on:
Bergy-Vasicek-tambellini
Comeau-Comrie-Guerin
Park-Walter-XXXXXX
Jackman-Hilbert-XXXXXX
XXXXXX = guys that don't get traded and/or Okposo.
I must say that prior to last night I’ve been firmly in the camp of those who feel that the feces of both Snow and Nolan doesn’t stink. But there was a distinct odor emanating from that Oilers game last night. As KH clearly outlined, I trusted that…”Snolan are going to bring these kids along as they can, acclimating them to the league and team on a veteran-led squad while shedding the right vets at the right times.” But my eyes are clearly opened and focused today on the sad fact that the team is beginning to show signs of not wanting to play with the energy, night in and night out, that their coach is demanding from them. Sure, they “laid an egg”, as Nolan said after the game. But this was an egg laid in a game that one would be justified in betting their last dollar that the energy level and focus would be at their highest. They had just stunk against the Avs, stealing a point via their netminder. Now it was on to Edmonton, the home of their 3 vacated draft picks and the former team of 3 of our top PP unit. What happened?
Well, I think something smells. Players aren’t playing for other players anymore. There appears to be disharmony – between players and other player, and maybe between players and their coach. And it’s quite possible that an overall sense of futility has crept in, possibly stemming from the coach’s complete refusal to see that there IS a problem with offense.
Merrick asks the question of the season so far… “Would Mike Bossy have the grit Nolan demands?” It makes sense to ask that question. There’s NO scoring, and we have a guy who’s burning up the AHL right now. It’s a legit question to ask. And even if some of us aren’t overtly asking it, chances are the question has at least passed our minds. And that means that it’s at least passed the minds of the players.
Let’s face it. Edmonton has a BAD team. They really stink, especially on the back line (notice how nobody is wishing we still had Grebeshkov?). A team with any kind of offensive talent – ANY kind of real skill level around the net – would’ve buried that team last night. BURIED them right in the 1st period. Instead, because they’re “fast” skaters, they took it to us and made our blue-chip goalie look feeble. I fully expect an implosion in the next week. It’s Vancouver, Calgary, and Ottawa. We’ll come home from a 10 point road trip with ONE point. That’s it.
It’s time for the vets to take a seat. Let the kids play. Let them lose if need be. We’ll get a high pick for our trouble. Can’t be any worse than last night. That was down-right embarrassing.
Let me just add... if by chance the Isles play a really great game against Vancouver tonight and come out with a solid victory, you all can just disregard my last post.
why is it that everyone is pulling for walter to take a center spot, not that i dont think that he would turn out well, but what about frans nielsen who played very well last year when he got the call up?
"but what about frans nielsen who played very well last year when he got the call up?"
Cuz he's Danish and the Isles have enough soft pastries on this team right now?
41 Games Down, 41 to Go.
Here's my 1st Half Grades, I'll (try to) be brief.
DP- A Minus. He is the franchise, he is the future. While shakey at times there have been enough flashes of brilliance to indicate that he is the type goalie who can carry a team in a playoff series.
Dubie- A. Has been called on in tough situations and has for the most part come up spades.
Witt- A+. He is Braveheart, HE IS SPARTACUS.
Sutton- B. Had questions about him at the beginning, slow of foot, would take too many penalties, but for the most part has been a very pleasant surprise.
Campoli B. Only because I have not seen the "Take Charge"
offense that he displayed against Buffalo in the playoff series last year.
Gervais-B. Another steady defenseman on a team with a lot of steady defensemen.
Martinek- A Minus. Points deducted for reoccurring injuries.
Bergeron- C. What hasn't been said about him thus far? I am STILL giving him some benefit of the doubt.
Meyer- C + I LIKE the guy. But I am not convinced about him yet.
Berard- C YA!! Done, finished, keep him in the press box in case 3 D-men go down with injuries.
Guerin- C+ . Has quietly reached 15 goals but emphasis on quiet. Have only occasionally seen this "great locker room captain" be a "great on ice captain".
Comrie- D Minus- And it's only that high cuz he brings Duff to the games to spice up the image of the NVMC. One more "toe-drag" and I'm gonna cut off my own toes.
Vasicek- C Minus. Great shots to goals percentage. TAKE MORE SHOTS!!
Tank- D-. Why is this guy in the NHL?
Hilbert- B minus. He would be a great player on this team if the Isles had some SCORERS to complement his game. Now I know that sounds like screwed up logic, but think about it.
Sillinger- C minus. Yes he is a great faceoff guy and an asset. But he too has blown too many scoring opp's with weak shooting skills.
Hunter F. A REALLY BAD SEASON THUS FAR
Park- A for effort.
Bergenheim- B for effort. Starting to remind me of Hilbert on a scoring opportunity.
Satan- D. For a "streaky scorer" I am beginning to think he would have a better chance at scoring if he streaked the NVMC crowd in between periods.
Comeau B+. The guy is gonna be good. Would like to see more of him please.
Jackman- A+ for scoring the only goal I have seen live this year. (Hey, it's MY post!!).
Walter- No grade.
Okposo- A+ for hope.
Sim- W for Withdrawn. Wish I got see more than I did.
Simon- Who?
Nolan- B+ I want to give him an A+ for having the team in a position to make a playoff run as well as only being 5 points out of 1st in the division. BUT, I have a problem with a coach who gives out power play time to guys "earning" it.
Snow- No grade as yet. GM's earn their grades at the trading deadline.
Wang- A+ The team is still on Long Island.
Who'd I miss?
Lundquist has given up 4 goals again tonight. Does that mean he stinks?
Frei.... I never thought you were a rag$ fan but you proved it."2 playoff wins in 15 years?" Dude... They won 3 against toronto and haven't gotten swept against ott twice, TB once and Buff once! Could be wrong but any real isles fan would know this.
steady called it right. frei is a rangers fan. he keeps saying things like 'move the team,' they have not won in 15 years', and crap like that. just ignore the guy. and yes he gets his stats wrong.
he is definitely a ranger fan. they deleted his posts and even he admit he has trouble posting. notice how gary has been gone?