Islanders coach Ted Nolan had to smile today when he was asked about the way Pittsburgh has compensated for the loss of injured superstar Sidney Crosby. It must be nice, Nolan suggested, for the Penguins to have another budding star in Evgeni Malkin to plug into that scoring and leadership role.
“We haven’t got that type of team,” Nolan said. “We have a team that has relied on effort from everybody.”
With Miroslav Satan and Mike Sillinger out with injuries against the Penguins tonight at Mellon Arena, Nolan has no proven substitute for their talent and experience. But the Islanders coach sounded genuinely excited about the opportunity to experiment with Bridgeport products Blake Comeau, Jeff Tambellini and Frans Nielsen as his second scoring line even if it was forced on him by the circumstances.
Asked if the kids finally would get some serious ice time, as well as power-play time, Nolan said, “No question about it. As far as looking forward to a hockey game, you look forward to see how that line reacts. They’ve got some speed, and they’ve got some hockey ability. The only thing they’re lacking is experience, and there’s no better way to get experience than to throw them right into the fire and let them sink or swim.
“Tambellini has been up here a number of times now, so, it’s not new to him. Frans Nielsen, it’s exciting for him to get another opportunity. Comeau has been here. It’s not like we’re throwing three kids out of junior hockey into the National Hockey League. These guys have a little bit of experience, and now they’ve got to seize the moment.”
Jeremy Colliton is another callup from Bridgeport who will be in the lineup as a checking center. But Nolan indicated Colliton will be restricted to more of a fourth-line role. Sillinger led the checking line the past two seasons, but his frequent linemates Trent Hunter and Andy Hilbert will be with center Josef Vasicek. Of course, it’s tougher to match lines on the road when the home team has the last change, but Nolan said he no longer has a checking line as such. Top line center Mike Comrie, Nielsen and Vasicek all could be called upon to face the opponents’ top line.
“Whoever is out has to be aware defensively because we haven’t got that one big shutdown line,” Nolan said. “With the situation we have right now, we’re going to be putting Comrie in more of a position to play against top lines than previously when we had a checking line. It’s just because of his experience and circumstances. This is what we have.”
Tambellini and Nielsen were brought up to play together, as they did so well for the Sound Tigers this season, but they only were on the ice together in the third period against Anaheim on Tuesday night. Things will be much different tonight, and they’ll have the benefit of playing with Comeau, who has earned respect for his strong play on the puck and for his hockey sense since his callup.
Captain Bill Guerin suggested after the loss to the Ducks that Comeau has been the Isles’ “best player for the last two weeks,” and Nolan didn’t disagree. Guerin said the Islanders need a dose of youthful enthusiasm and added, “Like it or not, they’re a big part of our team now. No growing pains. They’ve all been around before. They know what they’re doing.”
ISLES FILES: Satan accompanied the Islanders on this two-game road trip that continues Saturday in Minnesota. He acknowledged that he has a sprained right knee with partially torn ligaments. When he suffered the injury on Jan. 8 in Vancouver, he was told it was a six-to-eight-week injury. After missing one game at Calgary, Satan relied on pain pills to play the next 11 straight.
Tonight’s game is only the second he’s missed since being hurt, and he doesn’t plan on staying out long. “I didn’t really want to take time off, but I was kind of ‘convinced,’” Satan said with a smile. “We’ll see how I feel day by day. I expect to be back soon. I don’t want to say any number, but I seriously expect to be back shortly.”
FRIDAY’S INSIDER: Before noon on Friday, Islanders Insider will be posted online at Newsday.com. It will feature a look at Mike Comrie’s season and his thoughts on the Feb. 26 trade deadline and a look back at the Sean Hill suspension for Game 5 of the Isles’ first-round playoff loss to Buffalo last spring because of performance-enhancing substances. Hill signed with the Wild, and while he hasn't played since Jan. 11, he will see his former teammates for the first time since then on Saturday.
Comments (95)
Hill signed with the Timberwolves and will face his former teammates for the first time since then on Saturday.
Sean Hill can jump now that he roided up?
LOL
Heh, Hill currently leads the NBA in fouls.
Hey Loggie,
Is the Rolling Rock cold over there in Steel Town?
Timberwolves eh?
And it remains to be seen if Sean Hill will play against the Isles.
He's been on IR since 1/15 with an ankle sprain. Has only recently started skating.
Is no knowledge Jim Baumbach posting under Logan's name again?
I just got an image in my head of Sean Hill playing basketball...too funny....
505...You know what the "33" on the Rolling Rock stands for ????
My gramps God rest his soul was the Union Leader for Latrobe Brewing Company.
Timberwho???? I thought this was a hockey blog.
Also, is anyone sick of the phrase "It's just one of those things..."
New York Islanders
Great - Character - Heart - It's just one of those things...
Timberwho???? I thought this was a hockey blog.
Also, is anyone sick of the phrase "It's just one of those things..."
New York Islanders
Great - Character - Heart - It's just one of those things...
Timberwho???? I thought this was a hockey blog.
Also, is anyone sick of the phrase "It's just one of those things..."
New York Islanders
Grit - Character - Heart - It's just one of those things...
Why is Colliton called up over Ben Walter? If your going to trade an apparently ready NHL 3rd liner, then shouldn't you get a player that can play for a bad, injury ridden team?
Steady.
"505...You know what the "33" on the Rolling Rock stands for ????"
Haven't got a clue.
Tribute to Cazzie Russell?
The code word for A Monongahela Sixpack? i.e 3 beers, 3 shots?
The minimum order of kegs for any respectable tavern in the Pittsburgh area on a Friday afternoon?
Help me out Steady.
"My gramps God rest his soul was the Union Leader for Latrobe Brewing Company."
God bless him. A Giant among Mortals. Second only to the brewmaster in powerful people within the company.
themass
" just got an image in my head of Sean Hill playing basketball...too funny...."
If he was, I GUARANTEE YOU, he would lead the league in drawing offensive fouls. And God help anyone who drove the lane on his watch.
I wonder if the Isles could beat the Knicks on the hardwood?
More on that later....it's gametime.
(I'll tease everyone with....visualize Comrie with 24-26 attempted behind the back dribbles in a game, each one picked clean by the Knick defender---or start a pool on the number of missed layups for Hilbert).
Why does Bergenheim always seem to take lazy penalties in the OFFENSIVE zone? Maybe that's why Nolan is reluctant to play him!
Colliton is on a mission so far, but the Tambs line can't seem to get out of the zone
Thoughts on the 1st period.....
I cringed when I saw Hunter on the PK. That's 2 games in a row with a goal against.
My first glimpse of Colliton- looks like a hockey player.
Kids line looked lost and out of sync.
HIlbert to Comrie for a goal? Who'd a thunk. All I can say is good thing roles were not reversed there....i.e Comrie CONNECTING on a PASS to Hilbert and Hilbert HITTING an open net.
Comrie working on a Howe Hat Trick...GET THE ASSIST MIKEY!!!
Overall best period I've seen from the Isles in a LONG time.
Love Steigerwald, the PItt announcer.
Bob Errey the color guy was talking about all the ex-Pen's in and around the Isle organization and mentioned Trottier as though he was one of their own........uh no Bob.
Steigerwald finally said "4 cups with the Isles Bob".
C'mon Isles another 20 minutes please. And then another please.
I know they're not having the best game, but I love the sound of "kid line." Where's Travis Green?
Who saw Witt out there for the last minute of the last PP? Hahahhaha Nolan what an idiot.
My thoughts on the 1st period ....
Well ... at least they aren't losing. Not to bad so far...
The Mass ~ "Colliton is on a mission so far, but the Tambs line can't seem to get out of the zone"
On Sunday I was forwarded an hockey organization depth analysis that scouts use at all different levels of hockey to assess each team's organization ... kind of like a trade news letter for scouts.... My new "French Connection" colleague from Montreal emailed me it in PDF format. It is up to date as far as the All Star game.
They rated the Islanders prospects, which is any player in the organization (college, juniors, minor pros and NHL) that is 24 and lower. The Isles prospect rating is a whopping C- and tied for 19th with Toronto in its overall prospect rating ..... it mentioned the loss of draft picks, and trades over the past 7 years that have depleted the organization of substaintial depth.
I don't have all the details since that email is on my work email... can't access it from home .. but the jist of it is:
Forwards were rated a B- overall.
Tambellini was rated a B- ... and his biggest critique was not being about to get out of his own zone very cleanly at the NHL level. Rated with great hands, speed and hockey sense. On the small size and some defensive questions. Projected as a 2nd line winger at best at the NHL level with All-Star ability in the future .. but still has to gain confidence and work on defensive game.
Okposo was rated an A- ... unproven at the pro level. It mentioned he needs space to make things happen. Strong on and off the puck but needs a play making center of similar caliber in order to utilize his skills. Projected as a 1st line winger and probable NHL All-Star ability. It also noted that Okposo is not a play making winger but has great play making potential if developed. It emphasized his need to have a top caliber play making center in order to be effective.
The rest of the Isles in the organization of all levels was projected as no better than 2nd liners, and most of the Isles top prospects were of 3rd line projection ability.
The defense? You don't even want to know. It was rated overall a D ... and not for defense.
It mentioned Katic and Kessel as the only real notable young prospects. It mentioned Dustin Kohn as not close to being a top 4 defenseman in the future.
It mentioned how the prospects projection for the Isles have diminished since their acquisitions which goes back as far as 2001 and have had not met their promise. It does however mention a bright spot has been the last two years ... where they note an improvement in the rating of certain prospects, but mention a lack of depth keep the overall rating down.
It said that current prospects at the NHL level are finally meeting close to their potential ... but that they are not impact players and will settle into 3rd or 4th line regular status.
It also mentioned how the Isles have not made the adjustment to the new NHL rules... and that it is glaringly noticable in the players in the system.
It projects things to get worse rather then better. Another bright spot.... is coach Capuano in Bridgeport and Bryan Trottier at player development. They noted the improvement of players under their watch. It also mentioned that the Islanders are well coached at all levels, it says that Nolan is a great coach for youth development with his recent experience in Moncton... Ha .. we criticize him for not playing the kids.
There was tons more .... 200 pages that include every NHL team.
Ranger trolls would be happy to know that their team was in the top 5 of prospect depth. They got kudos for making the most of their 7 year absense in the playoffs and having some good drafts and holding onto most of their players, and making some good steals at the draft the last two years.
The best team you ask? St. Louis ... they said the the Blues are packed with NHL level talented prospects and seems to be stock piling talent. It is strong at every position in both quality and depth. It's only critique is that there is no Top 10 potential NHL forward in all that deep talent. It mentioned that with the depth the Blues have at all positions ... it certainly can trade for one. They are projected to become perenial contenders in the next 3 years.
They built on smart drafting and sticking to their guns ... and not trading away prospects for a gambling shot at the playoffs is the main reason for their quality and depth. Then it mentioned how that was opposite of what the Leafs and the Islanders did as they sold their futures off for a shots at the playoffs. It mentioned how it is more important to develop your own talent with salary caps and fickle free agents.
I'll have more about what I feel the Isles future may hold.
For now even though the Isles are down a goal, I'm actually entertained by this game. That is all I can ask for right now. I like the kids energy. Tamby looks like he's a "turning on the jets" during a rush away from making someting happen. Confidence my friend ... and go for it.
That 4th goal against was Tamby's man coming down deep and challenging him. DP should of had it ... but Latang should of never been allowed easy access to the low slot.
DP isn't stealing points anymore since the All-Star game... did he really hurt himself then? He'll never tell.
The low slot? That's pushing it. He was in the corner. They also just showed that Witt deflected that shot. Fast whistle. Sucks. 6 in a row. Fire sale. Please.
OK ... after seeing the replay of that last goal. That deflected up on him .... not an easy save. Those exteme angle shots are hard to defend when they change direction.
And the hemmoraging continues. Quick whistle killed the Isles .... horrible whistle. Dave Jackson ... the puck was never covered .. you were not in position. Oh well ... at this point ... par for the course.
Now Nolan has made a glaring error by not demanding time back on the clock. Not that they could of done anything in 2.4 seconds.
Going to bed.
DP ducked on Latang's shot.
Did Tambellini suit up tonight?
I thought Aaron Johnson played well. Meyer continues to impress.
Dare I say this? Comrie's 2nd goal was out of the Bossy sniper school. Shoot where they ain't. Okay enough of that.
Good shifts from Vas/Hunter/Tank.
ARGGGHHH
19Isles, thanks (?) for the depressing report.
Candy ... after re-reading my post where I mention the low slot ... I can see how you'd think that ... I was talking about getting the puck there .... I didn't think Letang should of been given easy access down the boards to get the puck into the low slot .. which turned into a deflected goal.
But that is all water under the bridge now ... the shot was deflected into the net and nothing DP could do since he had the right angle for the pass / shot.
505 ~ Sorry for the depressing report .... the thing is .. I only shared the positives. The Isles only strong prospects of note were Tamby, Okposo, Nielsen, Comeau, Colliton and Walter. They don't expect Nielsen, Comeau, Colliton and Walter to be much better than 3rd line NHL players. Not star caliber as it noted.
Defense ... basically. ... no top 4 projected defenseman.
Goaltending.... basically ... not even backup caliber goaltenders for the NHL level.
The bright news ... I don't think the Isles will be playoff contenders the next 2 seasons. I think they peaked on the road trip earlier in January. They are too old, too slow and lack talent depth. Okposo has 2 goals, 8 assists for 10 points in 11 games. That is a pretty good start... GOOD start ... not GREAT ... not TEARING up the AHL .... he obviously isn't NHL ready .... so lets conceed the fact that the Isles need to build up the prospects ... and build a CORE ... the Isles proved last summer they are not a contender among FA's to help slap together a contending team. So we have to go the prospect route.
I'm glad that the Isles coaching and development teams headed by Trotts was rated an A .... The Dunham goaltending coaching corps was rated a B ... so maybe he can get the other goalies in the system to improve.
Wild were just SHUTOUT at home by the Stars.
Wrap DP in kevlar on Saturday or play Dubie.
One more thought on tonight's game....Tambellini looked like the little kid in Disneyland who's parents got lost. Standing in the middle of Fantasyland, knows he should be scared, but is just too
excited about where he is.
Even if it was a quick whistle (which it was), even if the puck was covered up (which it wasn't, at least from my angle), there was 2 seconds left on the clock. Nolan pointed it out, and the ref just said.... nah. .4 is what you get.
Oh, well, on to the hard-court for the T-Wolves. I heard a rumor the Wild were getting Garnett at the trade deadline...
Speaking of player development, who's going to teach okposo to choot like Bossy?
Finally, if you're not watching the games in HD, please go drop some coin on an HDTV... I can't believe it's taken me this long, although I think I prefer seeing Howie blurry. It's just a little too much detail...
that's shoot, not choot, meng. Damn beers, making the keys all bendy...
Remember guys, a loss is really a win!! The more we lose the better draft picks we'll get and at this point I think it's pretty obvious to all that this team needs to rebuild through the draft.The only way we'll ever be able to compete with the Ovechkins,Crosby's etc. that we play against almost every night is to draft that kind of player ourselves. So cheer up fellow Isles fans and remember"A LOSS IS REALLY A WIN!!!"
Isles Bri
"although I think I prefer seeing Howie blurry. It's just a little too much detail..."
LOL, I'm getting visuals of Buffalo roaming the prairie coming out of his beak.
"Oh, well, on to the hard-court for the T-Wolves. I heard a rumor the Wild were getting Garnett at the trade deadline..."
Poor Loggie.... (hey, with a 6 game losing streak we are allowed to be vicious)
This just in.....the game has been moved to the Target Center.
Kevin McHale of Hibbing will drop the ceremonial jump ball..
Some guy name Bob Zimmerman, also from Hibbing, will sing the national anthem. Closed captioning will be available in High Def for the Zimmerman impaired.
Otis Day and the Nights will perform at halftime on roller skates.
Complimentary Leinenkugels will be provided in the out of town pressbox.
Johan Santana will be signing autographs prior to the game.
Bill,
I concur with everything you posted about the game. See? we can agree.
As far as the Go card, I referenced it on the previous blog. Let me say that I have never heard of the GO card, could be I'm younger, but more likely cuz I grew up on the Island and never had access to it. Either way, my brother is probably (possibly) closer to you in age...he's 63.
BUT.........
Do you REMEMBER the 1st game you ever saw....live? Was it prior to 62?
IF I HAD THE POSTS I MADE IN JULY AND AUGUST SAYING HOW TERRIBLE THIS TEAM WOULD BE THAT EVERYONE REDICULED I WISH I COULD HAVE THOSE SAME PEOPLE READ THEM NOW. THIS TEAM IS A JOKE. IT HAS BEEN 15 YEARS SINCE WE WON A PLAYOFF SERIES AND OUR JOKE OF A BACKUP GOALIE/GM TRIES TO SELL US ON COMRIE FEDOTENKO VASICEK AND GUERIN AS SUITABLE REPLACEMENTS FOR BLAKE, SMYTH, YASHIN, POTI, KOZZIE ETC. NOW GRANTED IT MIGHT NOT HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE TO BRING BACK THE SAME ROSTER AS LAST YEAR BUT WHY NOT DO WHATEVER IT TOOK TO GET BETTER? BETTER YES THATS RIGHT BETTER. SOMETHING THAT IS OUT OF ISLANDER VOCABULARY. NOW SOMEHOW WE WILL SCREW UP AND NOT DRAFT STEVE STAMKOS. AND THE GUY WE DRAFT INSTEAD WE WILL TRADE FOR A FADING STAR FOR 20 GAMES THAT WE CANT RESIGN.
Rob,
The archives are located on the lower right hand side of the main page of this Islander blog board. You can pull up any month, go to your post and revel in your foresight.
Stop shouting. Nobody else is happy here either.
That fourth goal should not have gone in...even if it was deflected...it seems like DP's bad luck happens at the worst times
Tonights game was great... I can take loses with effort like that!
I missed the game, had to work. Can anyone tell me if the kids actually have a future on the Island or not?
To hear Tambs as a best 2nd liner is not surprising. We traded Parrish for him. Parrish was a 2nd liner with a lot of goals coming from the powerplay.
Bill
"The first game that my father took me to was probably around '58 or '59."
Well then.....that shoots the hell outta your:
"Having watched hockey, probably longer the you've been alive"
statement
I was born in 55.
;)
I never saw the Rocket but I had a few "up close and personal" moments with the Pocket Rocket in the early 70's at the current Garden. I was a vendor and we would always have to show up plenty early, which gave us a chance to sit in the red seats by the player entrance to the ice for warmups before the gates opened.
Henri was the oldest (and smallest) looking hockey player I had ever seen, always came out early for A LOT of skating, GRIZZLED beard, thick french accent and he REEKED of coffee/cigs. He would always stop and say "bonjour" to us "orange caps", and was generally a helluva nice guy. Seeing that little guy and the RESPECT given him by other players, officials, reporters etc was like watching royalty.
And yes, MY father (grew up in Elmhurst by what is now LGA) used to talk about the old Rovers all the time. I wish I could remember some of the names he used to drop. Boots something or other. He loved "old time" hockey.
TO ALL READERS OF THIS BOARD:
As Nick and I have mentioned previously, we're both working with some other folks to organize in support of the Lighthouse project. The thing that the Lighthouse needs most is numbers of people in support. Toward that end, we are trying to get as many people as possible to sign up at:
http://www.lilighthouse.com
That is not the official site, but a site created by a citizen group that we've joined. If you want the Islanders to get the new arena they need to remain on the Island, please go to that site and click on "Join Our Newsletter," where you will be asked to provide your name, city of residence and email address. (Needless to say, that information will not be shared with any businesses or spammers, nor used for any purpose other than our efforts to get the new arena approved.) Eventually, we hope to have a very very long list of names to submit to the Town of Hempstead to show that there is strong support for building the Lighthouse.
Thanks everybody
I agree about DP, he hasn't played well lately, and I think his focus is gone as a result of all the losing and it is affecting his positioning.
I wonder what his position is on letting the "kids" play?
Bill
"Anyway, do you remember John Brophy and the Long Island Ducks."
Are you kidding me? I remember 'em well, but never attended a game there. That was the original Slap Shot!!! More than once the cops were called. The Johnstown Jets was always an "ugly" game. Setting fires in the Commack arena to keep warm. Brophy was a legend!!
Here's a coupla articles on Brophy:
http://www.newsday.com/community/guide/lihistory/ny-historysports-ducks,0,5800038.story?coll=ny-lihistory-navigation
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/26/sports/hockey/26brophy.html?ex=1319515200&en=22fd9f314e8fb985&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
Our top scorer, Comrie, gets in a fight again. At what point is Nolan going to dress an enforcer??? Every team we play out hits us and out muscles us and I will say it again, it is only a matter of time before someone runs DP like avery did last year. If Comrie is fighting and no one is coming to his aid, I would rather nolan be fired and bring in a coach that will stress teamwork and sacrifice. These guys do not care at all. Not dressing an enforcer is almost criminal and if our franchise goalie gets run, we will never recover
It's great Comeau has done well lately, but when a rookie is called "the best player on the team for the past few weeks," as Guerin noted -- NOT GOOD! This is what happens when you bring in second-line (at-best) players (Comrie, Fedotenko, etc.) to fill first-line roles. Not going to work in today's NHL. Just a deeply concerned Isles fan trying to be objective.
Comrie scored 2 goals last night...I guess he's done scoring for us for the rest of the month. Notice I said scoring for US. I'm sure he'll be traded, (probably to the West Coast so he can be closer to Hillary Muff, er, Duff), and once he goes there, expect him to go on a tear while the 3rd rounder we'll get for him turns out to be yet another depth defenseman or a grinding forward.
Last night was a heartbreaker, particularly since the team looked good on the ice, lots of jump, some nice hits (Colliton in the first, Witt in the third with the Potvin submarine on Malkin), a small fight, and then--THEN-to have your back broken on a bad-angle shot from Letang was just too much. For the first time all year I threw something at the TV in frustration. It would have been a bad loss anyway, but to have it be your sixth in a row...it was the worst of the bunch.
One can only imagine what Nolan must be feeling. Someone upthread says the Islanders need a fighter, which I don't disagree with, but then blamed Nolan for the lack of one, which is ludicrous. There isn't a Boogaard or a Chris Neil in the system. When the Isles gave up Godard in '06 the writing was on the wall...skill team, not very physical. But it's not like no one is going to stand up if someone tries to run DP. Witt would certainly take exception. But to the general point that the team lacks physicality, no one can really argue that.
I can't tell you how much of a handicap it is to have so much parity that five points separate the eighth spot from the thirteenth. The Isles aren't going to blow up a team that is legitimately competitive for a playoff spot, a) because they want the playoff revenue that two sellout home games would get you, b) last year's end-of-season success was a great story, and c) Uncle Charlie isn't spending his millions on a rebuilding story.
But that's exactly what this team needs, or else it's going to be stuck in this vicious cycle of lazy, overpaid, underachieving veterans (Comrie, Vasicek, Satan, even Martinek has looked bad since his return) and completely waste a possible Hall of Fame career from DiPietro. There is enough hockey sense in this organisation to tear it down, let the kids play and learn with solid vets like Guerin and Park, and get better through the draft. Unfortunately since we have no draft picks, that's going to be difficult.
The worst possible situation was to not get any ROI from the Smyth trade, and that's exactly what happened. Can you imagine how useful he would have been to this Islanders team this season?
Posted by rob | February 7, 2008 23:06
THIS TEAM IS A JOKE. IT HAS BEEN 15 YEARS SINCE WE WON A PLAYOFF SERIES AND OUR JOKE OF A BACKUP GOALIE/GM TRIES TO SELL US ON COMRIE FEDOTENKO VASICEK AND GUERIN AS SUITABLE REPLACEMENTS FOR BLAKE, SMYTH, YASHIN, POTI, KOZZIE ETC. NOW GRANTED IT MIGHT NOT HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE TO BRING BACK THE SAME ROSTER AS LAST YEAR BUT WHY NOT DO WHATEVER IT TOOK TO GET BETTER? BETTER YES THATS RIGHT BETTER. SOMETHING THAT IS OUT OF ISLANDER VOCABULARY.
painful as it is, i agree with these points. as a fan since 72 this is definitely the worst i have felt about tthe team and its future. things were easier to understand during the reigns of spano and walsh with the rest of his pumpkins because we knew right away they were crooks or didn't care so we didn’t expect much. but with seemingly legitimate and committed ownership in place for years now the team continues to wallow in mediocrity or worse, season after season, while other teams are able to go from terrible to contender in a year or two. given the current state, i am having a real tough time figuring how the team can improve to any REAL degree any time soon. by that i mean the ON-ICE PRODUCT, in the next 2 or even 3 years. i spend more time watching the games and less time reading and writing about them, and some of you seem to have a stronger grasp of the deeper issues of the game and the league as a whole, so i ask you guys, am i too bleak?
Our defense lacks talent. Most are below average players.
Don't be surprised to see Bergenhiem get traded. He'll be packaged with a veteran for a solid D-man and high draft pick. He doesn't fit the Nolan type of having no talent yet puts in a great effort and praises the coach.
' Posted by BILL | February 8, 2008 02:48 505 I grew up in Flushing, near Kissena Park. It figures I had to pick the one guy here who remembers the original 6 team NHL.
Long Island Arena and I think it was the Commack Arena later on.
absolutely right ! the ducks, brophy, a guy named gordie stratton i believe. its where the nets played after moving from jersey as the 'americans.' - ie. willie somerset, laverne tart, ollie taylor - and before they went to the magnificent 'island garden' in hempstead, also the venue for that colossal extavanganza the 'beatty cole circus.'
great stuff bill.
OK ... next step ... focus on the Wild ... another division leader. So far every game that I stamped as a measuring stick game .. the Isles have lost. So I'm not going to do it for this next game.
Last night it seemed the Isles were playing well at times ... the Pens too. It was a good game by both teams ... someone had to lose and DP blinked first ... tough goal that had eyes.
I was kinda critical of Tamby allowing Letang to come down low to get that pass into the low slot ... Letang should of been squeezed off of the puck .. but he had a very clear lane to get low along the boards and easily get a pass into the slot area ... that hard pass turned into a deflection over a prone DP.
That crap happens in hockey .. just at a poor time for the Isles. We didn't have any help from Dave Jackson's quick whistle ... but that all seems par for the course.
Matt~ I hear you loud and clear. The Isles have had no enforcer to keep other teams honest. I actually am happy that Comrie is pissed off enough to drop the gloves. You'd think that would set an example for the rest of the team. Comrie had a good game. As someone put it ... that second goal was of Bossy caliber.
No one can blame Nolan for the Isles not having a true enforcer on the ice. I'm sure he'd be the first one screaming about it. The question is ... are his screams being heard?
Matt I also agree about the Isles experienced the worst possible outcome out of the Smyth trade. No Return On Investment. I was one of the first people to be cautious about the trade. I didn't want to be a kill-joy, but inside my guts were writhing in anxiety about the trade.
The good thing about the trade? Well ... it made me ultimately come to this site and discover this blog. I remember making a couple of posts not being as excited about the deal, and questioning the risk of the trade. I didn't use this nickname, because I came up with this name during the FA signings over the summer. I'll have to look for my posts sometime from last Feb. All I remember is that it was the last tuesday of February and I got home at 3pm. I might of used my first name and Anon, and I couldn't get my computer to type CAPS ... so all my posts were lower case for my first slew of surprisingly short posts. LOL!
I was a big naysayer ... I thought it was a good short term move to advance further in the playoffs ... but I thought it was a very bad move for the long term health of the Isles. I mentioned that the Isles had as good a shot as any team during the summer, and that basically it was a 25 game signing including playoffs.
As you can tell this deal still bothers me.
It's not even like those 3 players would of helped us this season. I just thought those chips could of been packaged for a better deal.
OK ... I'm buring this corpse of an issue again.
What's next?
Anon,
"its where the nets played after moving from jersey as the 'americans.' - ie. willie somerset, laverne tart, ollie taylor -"
My hero.......
MANNY LEAKS!!!
19ISLE:
What's next? What's next is to see if Garth Snow is as good a general manager as he thinks he is. What's next is for the front office to be realistic about this team, look at the roster and get it through their heads that, as presently constructed, this is not a team that can win a Stanley Cup. Yes, they can be competitive, maybe even a top-six team, but to do so they have to squeeze out every ounce of effort night after night. Last season was a good example of a decent team exerting maximum effort and still falling short. Let's face it, it was slim to none that they beat Buffalo, and Slim was boarding the 6:15 to Ronkonkoma.
Max effort is great to watch when it's working, and it's a credit to Teddy Nolan that he can get a team to work hard. Just look at what's happening with the Rangers to see a team that lacks effort. Now, the problem with effort is that it's impossible to go 110% every night, and those nights where the effort is lacking, you have to fall back on raw talent. The only raw talent on this team is the goalie, and without him God knows where the Islanders would be.
So you end up with a team as is presently constructed, a good bunch of guys who are first-division workers with second-division talent. I suppose the operative adage is that you can't make chicken salad out of chicken sh--.
Back to "what's next." Time to rely on the scouting system and start dealing vets at the deadline. Comrie, Vasicek, and Fedotenko all have Stanley Cup experience and teams will want them at the deadline. If Sillinger is healthy, he could be traded almost anywhere for his faceoff prowess. Snowy needs to get some young talent and stockpile draft picks to make up for the two we lost last season. Not for nothing, but the first pick in the draft is not out of reach and you don't think Steve Stamkos would help this team with its offencive struggles? 37G 37A in 47 games with Sarnia (OHL) this season. And 60 PIM so he has some stones as well.
He won't be ready immediately. The 2008-09 season would be a long and bad one for the Islanders. But Stamkos and Okposo would be right around the corner, and in 2009-10 Ricky would be just reaching the prime of his career. Perhaps in 08-09 he could be played a little less so as to avoid the inevitable wear and tear--if there's one red flag with him it's that he's slightly fragile.
Islanders fans aren't like Yankees fans where we demand a championship every season. Many of us went through 1994-2001 with them, perhaps the worst stretch of seasons any franchise in sport has been through. So we can deal with a season and a half of rebuilding to come out the other side a stronger team with more firepower, ready to compete for a Cup.
19Isles
" someone had to lose and DP blinked first ... tough goal that had eyes."
Blinked? he ducked, otherwise it would have hit him in the eyes.
Not good when a franchise All-Star goalie is ducking.
D-money hit it on the head. DP is showing signs of frustration. The wheels are falling off this wagon.
I'm tellin ya, it goes back to the Philly game when Upshall ran DP and no one did anything.
Let me be the first (?) to say it but the current Isles are spitting on the the hockey gods and everything that is the foundation of the game. TEAM FIRST TEAM FIRST.
Isles need an old fashioned bench clearer to get a little "team chemistry" going again.
Just my opinion, I could be wrong.
Stamkos: Take a look at this clip from the skills competition. What a shootout goal.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=wxDchLQIQa4
Matt ... I'm on board with your assessment.
The Isles are a team that has to work anywhere between 100% and 110% to get their one goal victories ... and if DP isn't on ... they really have no chance. I like your chicken salad analogy. LOL!
No team can play at 100% all the time and not be hit by injuries and burnout. I mentioned that in the begining of the season. There are just some games you need to rely on talent. The Isles don't have that. They also were saddled with so many 3 games in 4 nights stretches. This fall was only a matter of time. I actually tip my cap to them in one respect. The fact that they are still in it at this time.
Still ... there has to be some accountability. When your top 6 scorers are not producing there is something gravely wrong. They are on a Nick Fotio pace. DP needs to rest .. he is showing signs of the shell shocking 40 shots against per game. Last night was a luxurious under 30 shots. DP didn't have one of his best games for sure.
505 ~ If DP is really starting to duck ... then it shows that he is getting shell shocked and sick and tired of being knocked around. I keep thinking of the Upshall run everytime he looks tentative. If anyone did that to Smitty ... and you and I have said this already ... but it bears repeating .... there would of been hell to pay for the opposing player.
19ISLE:
It's useless (although I enjoy the nostalgia) to think that this or any future Islander team is going to play like the Islander dynasty teams. It's just a different era in sport.
Those Islanders and their fellow NHLers were lunchpailers, guys who only cared about playing hockey and their teammates. Nowadays the sport is a global game, you have players who grew up thinking that individual performance was the only way they would get a shot at the pros. Teammates have little in common with each other, in many cases they speak seven different languages.
As we've said above, credit goes to Ted Nolan for getting these guys to play as a team more often than not, but, to paraphrase Rick Pitino, Denis Potvin is not walking through that door! Heck, Mick Vukota is not walking through that door, and when you get nostalgic over the Mickster, you know you've got problems.
And although my positive thoughts on DP are well-documented, he's not faced more than 32 shots in any of the last seven losses. He was in the right position for Letang's shot but it bounced off of Witt's stick and over his shoulder--he couldn't follow the redirection. Shouldn't have gotten to that point though as no one shadowed Letang as he got down low. Also someone missed his assignment on Whitney's first-period goal. He was all alone.
I think pretty much everyone is in agreement on this ... a step back (or two) this year for a 3 or 4 steps forward next (or the year after at least).
That being said, and I can't believe I'm about to type this, but I think we should hold onto Comrie (if we can). The guy showed some fight last night (both literally and figuratively) and all he really needs is another solid scoring forward on his line and this guy will be a terrific 2nd line center. yes, yes ... we're stacked to the gills w/ 2nd and 3rd liners (am I being too generous thinking we have 2nd line talent on this team? LOL) ... anyway, we really need to figure out (once in for all) who can fit where going forward and slice off the duplicate or unused parts. If we have ZERO 1st liners then we either need to develop them (Tamby? Comeau? Okposo? 2008 pick?) or go after them in the future (free agency) when the Isles are only a player or two away from legit Cup contenders. Prior to that we're not getting the top FA's.
So, Ted + Garth need to do some serious evaluating and get rid of everyone who doesn't have a legit future with this team. No reason we can't be a MONSTER in 2 seasons w/ the right moves and I think all of the fans will appreciate the vision.
By the way, Isles in 5th today ... that is, 5th draft choice.
Hey, I need a little validation today. A little pat on my orange-thatched blue-eyed head (see, I have Islanders in my DNA). Late last night, I posted a request for folks here to sign up at the site of a citizen group advocating approval of the Lighthouse project by the Town of Hempstead. This is the future of the team we all love... if we want the Isles to be financially sound and able to stay on Long Island (and afford talent), and if we want the Island to be attractive to potential free agents, we must have the new arena. I don't know whether people have signed up (I don't run the lilighthouse.com site, so I can't check), but can I get a witness from the congregation???
I am no shill, but a longtime poster on this board who is donating his time (lots of it over the next year or more) to make this happen because I LOVE THE NY ISLANDERS and I want to do whatever I can to make them successful and keep them ours!!
Is my cry from the wilderness being heeded?
P.S. 505, there are some who think the Isles' colors are for Nassau County (and New York City, both taken from the Dutch House of Orange), but could they really be for the Long Island Irish?
Oops, post just above was me.
kh saw your post this am and signed up already...checked out the site real quick and it looked good...EVERYONE GO SIGN UP
KH,
Orange is NOT Irish. Those are the heathen proddies in the North.
Blue isn't even close.
Are out of towners encouraged to sign up?
It worked for Hillary. I can carpetbag as well as she can.
I signed up earlier myself.
Us out of towners signing up should show the TOH that they can attract more hockey tourism revenue with the Light House.
Good point 19Isles. I am throwing my good(?) name into the pool.
If I start getting assessment notices from the TOH I am hunting you down like a rabid beast.
505 -- I know the Irish colors are green and gold. (I believe an earlier version of the Irish Free State flag was a solid green field with a gold harp in the center.) I meant the coloring of Irish persons, i.e., orange hair and blue eyes. ;-)
Thanks everybody for jumping in. By the way, we definitely are interested in having as large a group of supporters as possible, not limited to TOH residents.
In 1906 when Peter O'Connor won the long jump championship at the Olympic Games in Athens, he successfully objected to the raising of the (British) Union Jack in honor of his victory and succeeded in having a green poplin harp flag, which had been provided by his thoughtful supporters, hoisted instead.
This refers to the [Irish] national flag in popular use at the time, the well-known Green Flag.
(From Flags of the World...)
OFF TOPIC
Actually, the Peter O'Connor story is even better than above. After an earlier event in which he had won the silver medal, O'Connor, to protest the Union Jack that was being raised in his honor, ran out onto the field during the flag ceremony, scaled the flagpole, and guarded by Irish and American athletes and supporters, waved the Irish Green Flag himself.
Does anyone else agree that Aaron Johnson looks just a little out of place in the NHL? I had hoped he was ready, but little things keep popping out to me.
Like the way the guy skates. He is always bent over when he skates, like 505 waiting for the paddle from one of his priests, and although his legs seem to be moving quickly, he does not appear "fast" or actually gaining ground. Maybe he is skating that way because he is always trying to catch up to someone or get to the puck faster, and I am no expert on skating mechanics, but his skating style really stands out.
At the beginning of the season, I had hoped that he, Berard, and MAB would alleviate the need for callups when our defense got depleted, but obviously that has not happened. I think I would honestly rather see Kohn up here taking that spot. Let's keep growing our own talent and rewarding them by bringing them up, and maybe throw Johnson down in the minors for a while (or would he have to clear waivers) or even ship him off at the deadline in a package deal.
Two good games in a row for Comrie. Maybe there is more to his game than we realized. Also great to see the new Young Guns out there.
However, with all these changes it almost becomes a new team out there. Yes there are many of the same players, but the roles have changed dramatically.
Overall I like the way they played. Please bring up more Young Guns! Love their energy.
Kevin T.