Rick DiPietro will be back in goal against Florida tonight at BankAtlantic Center, which is as it should be. There’s no sense in letting him stew in his own juices for three days before Saturday’s game in Montreal after giving up a career-high eight goals in the Islanders’ 8-4 blowout loss last night in Tampa.
At the same time, Ted Nolan was well within his rights and even his obligation as a coach to hold DiPietro accountable for his undisciplined play against the Lightning. Rather than sweep an obvious mess under the rug, Nolan expressed his frustration with DiPietro’s insistence on overhandling the puck to the point where he leaves himself out of position to cover the goal.
“We ask him over and over again not to play the puck as much,” Nolan said. “He’s one of the best puckhandlers in the league, but you just can’t overhandle it. When you overhandle it, you get yourself in trouble a little bit.”
DiPietro got himself in trouble on Tampa Bay’s first and third goals with his puckhandling decisions. In the previous game at Philadelphia, he hurt himself and the team with a penalty that set up a five-on-three power-play goal by the Flyers for the game’s first goal.
All season long, DiPietro has cited the “smart, patient game” played by the Devils as the example of how the Islanders should be playing. And he was exactly right. That’s how an offensively challenged team that is utterly dependent on its All-Star goaltender should play, and when the Isles and DiPietro have done that, they’ve enjoyed their greatest success.
But as much as DiPietro can help his defense with his puckhandling ability, he also can hurt when he starts running around too much. It’s confusing, and when opponents recognize it, they turn up the pressure around the net to force the chaos that often ensues.
If DiPietro is the franchise player – and there’s no arguing that – then, he has to set the example for discipline. Everyone knows he has the skill and creativity to play the puck like few goaltenders before him, but does he have the ability to settle his team and play that “smart, patient game” on a consistent basis?
“Ricky is a competitor,” Islanders captain Bill Guerin said. “He just tries to do whatever he can to make the team better. Nobody can really tell him…I mean, what are you going to do? He’s one of the best puckhandlers in the league for goaltenders. You don’t want to take his competitiveness away from him. You’ve got to be patient.”
Nolan also expressed his frustration over the injury situation, saying “I don’t know if we’re the New York Islanders or the Bridgeport Sound Tigers right now. There’s so many guys out, so many new guys.”
Maybe DiPietro feels a little bit of that, too, having played behind so many defensive combinations, but to his credit, he steadfastly has refused to blame the team’s injuries. When asked if he might be trying to do too much to compensate, DiPietro just shrugged wordlessly.
When DiPietro returned last week from attending to family duties surrounding his grandmother’s funeral, general manager Garth Snow held him out of a game against the Rangers in order not to rush him back without practice. After backup Wade Dubielewicz won that game, Nolan stuck with him over DiPietro for the Rangers rematch two nights later in what turned into a loss.
Asked if Nolan’s decision unsettled him, DiPietro said, “No.”
You have to take him at his word even if it seems as though he’s trying very hard to display all the weapons in his arsenal as if to make a point. Perhaps DiPietro needs to be reminded that he earned his All-Star selection by playing with greater self-discipline and control over the first half of the season. As Nolan often has said, “Sometimes, less is more.”
ISLES FILES: Maybe Nolan really is coaching the Bridgeport Sound Tigers. Three reinforcements arrived from the Islanders’ AHL affiliate to fill out the lineup tonight. Defenseman Matthew Spiller has the biggest shoes to fill. He’s in for Brendan Witt, who no longer can play effectively on his sprained knee. Forwards Steve Regier and Tim Jackman also will play in place of injured Ruslan Fedotenko and Andy Hilbert. Josef Vasicek, who missed the Tampa Bay game because of the flu, returns to the lineup, replacing Jeremy Colliton, who was returned to Bridgeport. Jackman and Spiller should add a physical element that has been missing since Chris Simon was traded. Certainly, Spiller’s callup might be a reaction to the way defenseman Rob Davison was handled last night in his second fight as an Islander.
Comments (53)
Great article. One of DP's greatest skills is also one of his greatest pitfalls. He is good with the puck but his decision-making abilities are questionable at best. His weak positioning (as of late) and his turnovers really kill an already shaky defense. Also, sometimes the puck takes weird caroms off the glass and boards (see Philadelphia home game back in January) that bounce in front and leave him and his defense scrambling. That is not poised, disciplined hockey. DP needs to get this through his thick skull. Focus on positioning, angles, reads, communication and not trying to make a pass to the one Islander who hasn't changed yet at the red line every time a team dumps the puck in.
“I don’t know if we’re the New York Islanders or the Bridgeport Sound Tigers right now."
Couldn't have said it better myself. And if they realize they have no shot at the playoffs and bring up Kyle Okposo to play the last 9 games of the season with this makeshift team, it would be an awful idea. I'm not even sure Howie Rose and Billy Jaffe shuld have mentioned anything about this during the telecast.
We're all anxious to see what this kid is all about, but throwing him into the lions den with so many other inexperienced players would do nothing but hurt his confidence.
Wow... Two months worth of business travel its great to finally be back in town. Hell, I'm glad just to be back in the northern hemisphere. I still can't believe I had to watch the Greatest Superbowl of All Time in freaking Portugese.
Things around here are pretty much what I was worried they would be - Struggling to score, inconsistent efforts, outside looking in. Remember way back when the team had gone (at the time) seven straight games scoring two goals or less? I said hey this really doesn't bode well for the future, but nobody would hear me. A fluke, they said. It'll come around, they said. Well, it seems the lack of scoring has pretty much continued, minus the rare outburst here and there.
Some people around here seem surprised. I'm not. This is pretty much what I expected on July 3rd. The team is made up of players nobody else wanted and and is nearly devoid of NHL-level talent. Did none of you pay attention to Dennis Green? "THEY ARE WHO WE THOUGHT THEY WERE!" At least, they are who I thought they were.
I am glad to see the kids up and getting some time. I'm glad to see that Tambellini will finally be able to sink or swim on his own. Once Bergenheim learns to calm down a little and speed up his anticipation on the ice, he's going to be a real force. And how good is this Comeau kid going to be? He has an awesome sense for the game and once he fills out a little and gets a little more in tune with the pace of the NHL, he could be an all-star. He reminds me of someone... Trevor Linden, maybe? Forget Rick, to me, this guy is the real future of the franchise. Check back in 3 or 4 years when he's got the "C" on, and see who the real leader of the team is. Rick has proven that he still lacks maturity, despite his considerable talent.
I was kind of surprised to see Simon traded. He pretty much had worn out his welcome here and did some amazingly stupid things, so it was time for him to go, but his toughness will be sorely missed. I hope there's a better plan than the one they have now. But another thing makes me wonder, was this a strictly Garth move? If so is it the first sign of tension or cracks in the seemingly iron-clad relationship? I just can't imagine Nolan wanted to trade Simon away. I know they said it was to open a spot but if that were true then why wait so long? Who knows, maybe he saw the writing on the wall. Either way these two guys are no longer on the same page and soon it will be time to see who can piss further.
Why did Garth give away Bergeron for a half-bag of pucks? Sure he was a gruesome liability on defense but he scored some goals, something I'm not sure the team can afford to give up. Plus he could skate backwards kinda.
The biggest thing to me, though, is a talk I had with a gentleman I know, the father of a good friend of mine. He works as a rheumatologist, and happens to be a pretty big hockey fan. We got to talking about sports injuries and rehab and I mentioned Rick and how his hip has been bothering him. He said that injuries like that can be very dangerous because if they aren't allowed to heal properly they can end up as chronic or degenerative conditions, or possibly cause permanent damage to joints. That really wasn't something I needed to hear from anyone that knows what they're talking about. For whatever its worth, I hope management is not stupid enough to risk the future of the franchise in goal for the uber-remote possibility of another first-round thrashing. All goofy cinderella garbage aside, it just isn't worth it.
And so, another season has come and gone. Few goals, fewer wins, no talent, no playoffs, nothing to get excited about (sorry, the "kids" won't have me sold until they're proven stars, or at least, 2nd line or better players). Sounds about par for the course in Islander Country. Congrats Charles, Garth, and Ted on a job well done!
19 Isles: I saw your question last night on Jesse
Last night was a sad one. Even though we are hurting and we lost Hilbo and Tank. 3 goals in 43seconds is no excuse when we have a majority of Sound Tigers on our team. No excuse.
Nick: It was only a 6pk to read.
Rangers: You still suck even if you had a 82-0 record. I look forward to rooting against you every game if you make the playoffs.
Well the thing with DP is that he has a 15yr contract. He is going no where.
If DP has a problem with Nolan, Nolan goes
If DP continues to have problems,,he then becomes GM
steve reigier was taken off the active roster of bridgeport...looks like hes comming up for the game 2nite
man i should be reporting from newsday. i'm doin gregs job but hundreds of miles away from the team
Wow, Isles are playing TONIGHT???? You know the season has gone bad when 505 is off on his game days.
Good article Greg, how did Guerin react to being awakened?
DP pitches a shutout tonight......Shelley Duncan drives over and borrows a NBR 3 jersey and a pair of double runners and blocks more shots than Witt and Martinek combined and gets in 2 fights.
Billy Crystal replaces Comrie for one shift and looks marvelous on athe only successful toe drag of the year.
Isles roll over the Panthers.....flickering the burning embers of the audacity of dopes.
I replay Steely Dan youtube videos all night long.
When do the Yanks play the D-Rays again?
@Nolan=Dolan,
I don't think he's crying or even complaining - he's just rolling with the punches and telling it like it is. Nolan has reached a pinnacle of frustration and we are seeing a side we have never seen before - his anger being shown publicly.
Reiger wasn't the only player called up - Jackman and Spiller were also recalled.
http://www.islesblogger.com
Knowing the Isles, instead of drafting Steve Stamkos in the 2008 Draft, they'll draft John Stamos.
Hey, you're talking to a team that once had Robitaille, Drury & Lindros, (Randy Robitaille, Ted Drury & Brett Lindros). If only Brent Gretzky was still around....
Hey Frei,
Nice post.
The only point of contention I have is with the ending sarcasm (at least I interperted it as such).
This is always the question, "what could they have done better".
Clearly, this was a team thin on talent, but the group put together at the beginning of the season competed well.
I think some turning points were:
1. Vasicek's two facial injuries. He started the season looking like the answer to the #1 center question, did a nose dive into mediocrity... until the last 20 or so games. I'd still like to see him backon the Island... I probably am pretty lonely in this desire.
2. (assumption) In the first 15 games comrie aggrevated a shoulder injury. His shot looked liek that of an 11 year old girl in the middle of the season... He never had a shot that would crack brick, but he had NOTHING. He also looked pretty tentative when taking or giving a hit... He's almost definitely playing through pain. I think if healthy he'll have a better season next year...
3. The loss of both campoli and Sutton KILLED this team. Add to that the games lost by Gervais and Witt and there wasn't a whole lot to work with there. As much as I like Witter and marty, this team needs a #1 defenseman to push marty down to the second pairing where he is a perfect 20 minute fit. Sutton will eventually move up to Witt's spot and time will tell what happens ot that second crease police spot... maybe Spiller or Davison can move into that role after a third pair spot next year.
4. DP... after a SPECTACULAR first half he has been everything from Mediocre to horrible (last night was just an abomination). Hopefully he stays away from anything a Dr. doesn't allow him to do in the off-season and he comes back healthy and a bit more mature. In October and November he had me thinking that he took the next step. Recently he has taken a step backwards... Let's hope it's a temporary lapse in health and/or focus.
5. Chris Simon. He really was INVISIBLE. the post 3/8/7 chris simon was absolutely worthless as a hockey player. The Islanders never filled the role that the pre 3/8 Simon was playing rather well.
When you subtract those things from a team teetering on collapse, you get a 12-14th place finish. But I don't think anybody on this board would disagree they did give us some entertainment, albeit not offensively, in the first half of the season.
So... I don't think that Wang, Snow or Nolan have done stellar jobs. But hopefully next year they will advance the franchise.
Draft day will be important, both to the 2012 season, and the 2009 season if they can work some magic with some players that are signed and expendable (Park, Hilbert, Sillinger)
July 1st could be somewhat rewarding, but wth I wouldn't expect miracles.
Don't forget that next year they should have something to start with at least.
BTW 19,
I really think you misread my previous post.
1. Comrie is OUR #1 center, not A #1 center. But there isn't much out there to replace him in that role... but if he was to be a UFA this year it would be proven that Snow got a bargain. In a world of supply and demand, he woudl have gotten more than what snow paid him and for longer. He really wants to prove he's a $6M man... and the Isles are going to let him give it another shot. Maybe with Comeau, Bergy, Okposo or tambellin his numbers won't be as bad... Guerin had an off year, and HILBERT... come on... ANDY HILBERT is not a first, second or even third line forward. Notice how productive Hunter got with Vasicek and Fedotenko.
2. I meant, I HOPE TORONTO SIGNS SATAN. Though I have a feeling he'll get a another year from snow at a bargain basement rate so he can be close to his family. that might not be such a bad thing, except it will probably mean some ice time taken away from kids with more upside.
Wow... now that was a 19ish post. Except I didn't detail my daily activities... but I could if asked. :-)
Let's hope for a good effort tonight.
JP and Frei, I'm in general concurrence.
I've been busting on Comrie all year, but my son did notice while hanging out by the Isles entryway prior to the game in Philly that he had a huge ice pack on his back. Was that a one day thing? Who knows, but I'm far from convinced that $4 million is a bargain and injury or not--he made a ton of poor decisions with the puck this year. He truly reminded me of Oleg Kvasha.
Also, it's been said that we shouldn't rush the kids and destroy their confidence. I beg to differ. These are not like some 20-year old pitcher who has blown everyone away on talent alone at lower levels and is not used to someone hitting their fastball. And truly good pitchers will learn how to PITCH. Instead, these are kids who are thrilled by the NHL and can get a taste of the high-level of play in a short time. Rather than destroying thei confidence, they'll get a sense fo the level of play it takes to succeed. If anyone would have their confidence destroyed in a team game, I'd seriously question their mettle to have any success at all.
Thought you guys might find this interesting. It is an email form my buddy who played w/ Ben Walter at Lowell:
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Steady-
DP looks frustrated, he never gets beat on the initial shot, but then it’s like no D in front of him and they get 2, 3, sometimes 4 whacks at the puck and he get’s all flustered. I know him a bit through a friend I played 4 years of college with who grew up with him in Winthrop and DP is ultra-competitive and stubborn, so I am sure with his pride he might have gotten pissed off at Nolan. I could see the Isles going for Brian Campbell on D and Hossa maybe too. We’ll see, I know they have some Cap space. All I want is for them to play Wally regular shift and PP, he’ll score 20+ guaranteed.
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JACKMAN is up !!! Reason to watch the game !!!
CUT #3 TODAY !!!! Guy BLOWS
finally a game I can watch without making strange faces
Quote of the night thus far from of all people Denis Potvin.....
"This is the 41st game of the year for Comeau and I don't understand why he only has 6 goals.....he has a WICKED SHOT".
Well, Denis....When you're only getting 6-8 minutes a game and no power play time.....6 goals is actually pretty impressive.
having watched another listless Islander performance, I actually am hopeful the end will come and this team will fold. Simply put, no one cares about the islanders. The team is so weak--its the perfect word for them, weak. No hits, no passion, no goals blah blah.
Time to fold up the tent, say goodbye to the 5-7g fans they have, and move on. The "young guys acquainted themselves nicely tonight" is what jaffe ponticicates....give me a break. There is NO one in the entire organization considered a great prospect. All average players. We have no current, no future and only a past that we seem to celebrate in perpetuity. I give up. IAnd so has our team.
Do you guys think Johnson brings anything to the team? I think he blows!
Well, in other hockey news....The Washington Caps, currently mired in 10th place in the Eastern Conference....5 points out of a playoff position with 11 games to play are currently ranked by the hockey gods at AOL as the FIFTH BEST team in the league in their league wide power rankings.
What the hell do they know over there that I am missing?
Islander-naples---
Johnson? Marty Feldman in the movie Young Frankenstein on skates.
Hate to say I told you so. # 3 is just another example of how poor of a GM and owner we have.
As I said after game 2 he played.....Can't skate, zero hockey sense, and DOES NOT FIGHT !!
FIRE SNOW ... SHIP WANG TO NEVER NEVER LAND!
Who's better # 3 or # 2 ??????
3 has a better number
If I'm not mistaken, wasn't Peter Mueller taken with the pick directly after Okposo? My point is this, Mueller has 21 goals and 48 points in his rookie season and looks like a future All-Star while Okposo is in the minors. Okposo could end up being the better player in the long run, but Mueller is exactly what the Isles need: a fast player with loads of skill and offensive creativity, I hope Okposo can come close to having the same impact that Mueller has had. I just have a Zach Parise-Robert Nilsson thing going around in my head and I've seen it far too much with this organization.
The Islanders are a circus act with no plan. They have the least impressive roster in terms of a mix of younger and veteran players in the entire league. Their young players just aren't that good.
What do the following players have in common:
Kozlov
Poti
Hill
Dunham
Johnson
Witt
Sutton
Comrie
Sillinger
Fedetenko
Hilbert
Sim
Simon
Guerin
Park
Satan
Berard
Vasicek
All Unrestricted Free Agents signed by the Islanders the last two seasons. Talk about a team with a plan. There isn't a team in the league that had more UFA's on their roster than the Islanders, LOL!
73-63 for Nolan in two seasons.
And this guys considered a talented coach?
In the 2006 draft Peter Mueller was ranked higher than Kyle Okposo by the central scouting bureau, mckeens and the hockey News.
yet, the Isles chose Okposo with the 7th pick and Mueller went to Phoenix for the 8th pick.
Now Peter Mueller is going to be a finalist for the Calder Trophy.
Posted by Frei | March 12, 2008 15:47 Wow... Two months worth of business travel its great to finally be back in town. Hell, I'm glad just to be back in the northern hemisphere. I still can't believe I had to watch the Greatest Superbowl of All Time in freaking Portugese
sometimes opinions from someone who has not been immersed in the everyday muck are more inciteful and meaningful than the same silly clamoring and overanalysis all the time. particularly when they're from someone more objective and less pompous to begin with.
"73-63 for Nolan in two seasons.
And this guys considered a talented coach? "
Very much so.... your team has zero talent, an average goalie, and 3rd line players playing on the first line.
I think Ted Nolan is Coach of the Year for keeping this team above .500
IMO
Started a new forum where folks can get together and talk Isles hockey. It's a little different than the standard Isles boards most have grown accustomed too. Hopefully adds a different flavor to your bevy of Isles posting boards.
IslandersPirateHaven
http://z9.invisionfree.com/IslandersPirateHaven/index.php?
#2 Looks like Meyer did last year. If he has the same upside as Meyer BP will have a pretty solid "D" next year.
#3 Isn't exactly what I expected, but he isn't that bad for the 11th defenseman who will probably be the second or third call up next eyar if he signs a two way (or is already signed to a two-way). That's not such a bad chip to have on your AHL team.
Spiller had me asking, "why did they go out and get Davison" in the first period. In the second and thrid he pretty much answered that question. In the first he was meeting the puck carrier at the blue line and ELIMINATING him... but inside the blue line he was 6'5" pylon. He's going to be a project, but you can't coach size... so he's another chip... if they can get him some time with Peggy Fleming he might be something... but I'm not expecting much.
Comeau... PP... this could be the start of a beautiful friendship. Hopefuly this proves that Hilbert is expendable for a 3rd rounder on draft day. Actually, I think 3rd rounders are pretty valuable because that is the price for signing an RFA off an AHL roster... (I think that is what Snowy said last year... or something similar to that)
Hopefully they let Witt sit for the rest of the season... and Dubie splits time with MCDonald. there's absolutely no reason to expose DP to further injury... shut him down.
All they need is that "little bit o'luck" from the lottery commercials and they could end up with a top 5 pick...
505,
Marty had two advantages over Johnson... one was that in YF he put himself at secondsweaterbutton level with Terri Garr... Johnson hasn't been in a position that good all year. The other is marty always had better peripheral vision..
Nolan has dealt with this team pretty well. He has gotten good efforts from them every night. I'm not crazy about all of his decisions, but you can't really argue with the results, given the circumstances.
As far as Mueller v Okposo on draft day the talking heads had projected Mueller to be an Islander, and some folks actually called Okposo because of organizational needs. He projected to a first line "Power Forward" which the team has been looking for since the man that invented the position. They saw him as Bertuzzi with Iginla's scoring touch... Sometimes things don't work out the way they're planned... but the book isn't closed on him yet.. there shuld be some good stuff ahead.
Even though the Islanders lost, I enjoyed the game last night. Got to see a lot more of the kids, Tamby and Comeau had a great game. Last night was all you can hope for.
As a goalie I feel DP's pain. A goalie's job is to make the first save (not give up a bad rebound of course) and keep his team in the game. You have to trust your defense to be an effective goalie and its clear that DP does not. When you stand on your head all the time and still lose as you can imagine it can be quite frustrating. For a competitor like DP, playing games with this kind of lineup is essentially playing with no hope of winning and its grinding on him.
Here's the scoop from a long-time Islander fan:
1. Nolan is a good coach. His NYI teams have been terrible and he has made the best of it.
2. DiPietro's antics hurt the team. Yes, I know he's a "competitor" and "he does what's right for the team". Let's quit the over-hype -- he's an average goalie who made the All-Star Game because of the one-player-per-team rule and the other Isles were unworthy. Playing the puck as a goalie has very limited upside. Let's focus on stopping the puck!
3. Garth Snow? Still undecided and we need to give him some more time. So far though, I’d give him a C-. Why would you trade away part of your future and not trade Blake et al in 2007 for a player who is always hurt so you could inevitably lose in the first round? To boot you can’t even sign him to a LTC. Milbury gets an F, notwithstanding that his hands were tied for part of his time on the Island, he made way too may bad moves with young talent.
4. Nassau Coliseum. It defines "cheesy"! The irony of Nolan's remarks re the Sound Tigers is that the Islanders are considered by many to be a "minor" league team. The arena is a joke!
5. Owner. Although Wang is committed to foolish bold moves, his main concern is the ‘my you-know-what’ is bigger than ‘your you-know-what’ syndrome – big player contracts, big Lighthouse projects, etc. None of the money he spends has had a lasting effect on the team.
So there you have it. All the info you need to know about a team that is fast becoming a relocation candidate.
Well Isles fan, I must say in the beginning of the season i was very optimistic on making the playoffs...I believe our injuries really hurt our chances in the 2nd half of the season, but also the inability to score goals and have a true first line...DP played a great 1st half, and was the sole reason for that..I think we got too see two kids really mature throughout the season..(Comeau, and Bergy)... Im still not very impressed with tambellini yet, i think hes got good 2nd line potential, hes got speed and a wicked shot, but he needs to build more confidence and maybe see more icetime, which is one factor I do not like about Nolan..Someone said that its a good thing not to give them alot of ice time or keep them in bridgport, to build up the fire in them, to make them prove they deserve more icetime, which i somewhat agree, but when ur season is going downhill, ur PP is horrible, why not put them out there and PROVE what they got...But we saw more of that in last nights game against florida...Ever since Okposo was signed to the islanders, we havent heard much of him, since tamby and neilsen were brought up, makes me wonder!!! I would like to see him brought up for the last 9 games, give him a taste of the pros and make him more hungry to be there full time next season....IN the offseason, Ive said it 10000 times, we really need to use our CAP SPACE to our advantage, i know it may be hard to sign these big free agents, but if we have to overspend on someone with raw talent that will bring us 40 goals and give us a start at a tru first line, i say we HAVE TO DO IT!!!....Id also LOVE to see us sign CAMPBELL to man our powerplay...There is light at the end of the tunnel for us Islander fans, I HOPE!!! This years draft is a very deep one, and im not about tanking the season at all, but the more we lose the one step closer we are to drafting a kid who can come right in and change the look of our team....Hopfeully someone like a Crosby, or Ovechkin..I dont follow much of the youngsters, but everyone is raving about this STAMKOS kid.....My only wish as an Islander fan, is for SNOW, NOLAN, AND WANG to use our CAP SPACE wisely...we DO NOT need anymore 2nd, 3rd, or 4th line nolan type players, we NEED true goal scorers who bring excitment to the game and get us out of our BORING style of hockey..Oh i apologize, as much as i Know everyone HATES AVERY...we do need an AVERY type player...I dont care what anyone says, hes a Ranger, and we HATE HIM, but if he was an ISLANDER, we all would LOVE HIM!!! SO lets loook at these last few games, to get a look at our youngsters give them more and more ice time, put them on THE PP,PK, 4 ON 4, THROW THEM IN A SHOOTOUT...put them in every situation possible to gain experience.. Lets end the season, and start from scratch at Draft Day...We stand by our team, we believe in our team, lets just hope Snowlanwang show us the FANS, they feel the same way!!! LETS GO ISLANDERS!!!
pS. iD LIKE to take a moment to say, RAnger fans, stay on your own blogs, I wish you luck in the offseason, I hope Jagr, LUnquist, Dubinsky, Drury, and Shannahan all come down with a stomach virus and have to leave the game, due to a severe case of diarrhea that last throughout the first round!!!! JK!!! But in all seriousness, if u keep posting and bashing our already beaten up team, I WILL MAKE IT HAPPEN..I KNOW PEOPLE..PEOPLE KNOW ME...A LITTLE SALINE SOLUTION IN UR BOTTLES OF WATER...INSTANT DIARRHEA!!!
I do not think Avery would go to the Isles, but to get him, you are going to have to cough up 4 million a year. Do you guys wanna pay Sean Avery 500K less than DP is making annually? What would that locker room be like with Sean Avery as one of the highest paid players?
Frei ~ Welcome back .... a ton of things have happened on the Isles rollercoaster ride since you've been away. Superbowl in Portugese is 100 times better than the Isles broadcast on SP channel in Chinese.
I agree with your 2 month delayed seasonal notes. However I don't think most of us were under the impression that the Isles were under achieving by not scoring goals. We were well aware of this deficinency in the Islanders' offensive arsenal. Most of us however still saw potential .. and that is what we were urging management to take action with. That never came. The Isles had a legit shot at 2nd or 3rd seed before the All-star break (1st in the division) .... all they needed to do was average a measly 1/2 goal to 1 goal a game more the way they were playing at that time.
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Turning point #1 ~~
After the All-Star game it went south ... DP started his free-fall .. he started giving up a 1/2 goal more to 1 goal more average per game ..... a lot of that I put on the defense and not DP .... injuries were a part of that too.
I think however DP did "tweak" something in his hip and it took away some of his mobility and focus. One thing we always were able to count on the first 1/2 to 2/3 of the season was the steadiness of DP for the most part. He was the reason the Isles were in the thick of things. Without him at 100% became a huge liability. I don't care what Nolan & Bobble Head Inc. said ... I know there was something wrong with DP.
So that is turning point #1 ... and the first real long losing streak of the season.
At this point a lot of fans began jumping ship and wanting the Isles to "Tank" the season .... I never see a point in this ... but deep inside I understand why people wanted this .... and that is because the Isles OFFENSE was purely OFFENSIVE ... in a negative context of course. Losing 2-1, 2-0 and 3-1 or 3-1 was frustrating enough .... but now they were losing 5-2, 4-3 ... and of course 4-1 on occasion.
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Turning Point #2 ~~
Just as it seemed the Isles would settle into the bottom 5 of the league ... they went on a 6 game winning streak ... (predicted accurately by the ORACLE ... aka Steady) ... all of a sudden ... the Isles made a push prior to the trade deadline that had them ... if I'm correct only 3 points from 8th place in the conference, and 8 points from 4th place.... helping matters was that teams ahead of us were losing ... and we at that time were looking for help to make a push ... but the Isles didn't have the trade equity desired at that time .... which was youth ... which takes us to turning point #3.
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Turning Point #3 ~~
Basically we gave away the only player effective on the PP ... MAB for nothing but a 3rd round draft pick. This made Steady very happy .... but I think getting Davison in a seperate deal didn't make up for any of MAB's offensive gifts ... or improve on any of MAB's defensive liabilities ... so it was a NET loss .... especially when it came to scoring goals.
In the 9 game span since the trade deadline ... the Isles have ZERO regulation wins. They have 1 OT win where they let Atlanta back in the game.... and they have 1 SO win vs. the Rangers ... who they also let back in the game. Overall since the end of the 6 game winning streak they are 2-8. That is the story line right there.
If the Isles went a modest .500 in that span instead.. splitting the 2 games vs. Philly instead of losing both ... they'd be tied with Philly at 77 points for the 8th spot. See 3 games is a huge difference.
Aside from the injury bug that also contributed to the Isles problems .... the PP went flat out dead. It wasn't anything to boast about to begin with ... but with MAB gone ... it went "flatline" ... and nobody picked up the slack. Satan ... back at the point .... NOTHING .... and we blamed MAB for a big portion of the shorthanded goals against ... but .... ya know what? We still gave up shorties ... and they made a difference in the games .... and ultimately in the season.... thusly ... some of the Isles will most probably be playing Tiger Woods Golf on PS3 this spring.
What? You thought they'd be out on the golf course? Some are just too banged up or lazy to actually go out and actually play the game. Yeah ... I'm being sarcastic.
OK .... so here we are .. with 10 games left ... lots of the Bridgeport- Port Jeff ferry commuters are on the roster ... this is a time to look at what we have from our prospects.... call it turning point #4 if you will .... the Silver Lining leg of the season ... fans can either start tuning into the spring traning games ... or they can see the kids ..... which we have been calling for for the better part of the season .... and see if they can infuse some offense into the listlessly offensive Islanders.
I also think if DP does have even a mild injury as I suspect ... he should be wound down and play the last 8 out of 10 .. no back to back games in 2 nights. Looking ahead at the schedule he should probably sit for the Easter game at Philly ... maybe let him go spend Easter with his family as I'm sure they are till mourning .. and Easter is one of those high holy christian holidays that mean a lot to families. Then have him sit the last game vs. the Rangers at MSG ... BTW ... that will be hell for any Isles fan attending... as it should be.
Call of Morrison for those 2 games that DP sits ... give him some NHL ice time. Let DP assistant coach for a game ... give him some productive activity even if its from upstairs. He's too much of a competitor to let him ride the pine as a backup.
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Oh and Frei .... goaltenders can't be captains ... so Ricky will never wear a C ... unless he becomes a defenseman at some point ... he almost is with him playing the puck so much. LOL!
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JPinVA ~ Yeah .... that post the other day didn't seem like something you'd say ... that is why I asked for clarification ... I don't want the team gutted ... I just don't want to see the deadwood on the top 2 lines .... Comrie has a long way to go to become a legit 1st line center ... as long as he's our #1 center ..... the Isles are in trouble.
He makes the ideal #2 center .... he has most of the intangibles to play that role ... IMO.
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That's it for me now ... I'm trying to compile all my posts into one huge post .... that is why I've been chaptering my posts with those dash lines ..... I just hate fighting with the security code police ... so figure keep the quantity of posts down. Some of you guys have been rivaling my posts ... especially you JP .. you've always given me a run for my money. Catch yas later.
As frustrating as it is to lose, I can take a breath and not let it bother me. If we are going to miss the playoffs (which is quite evident now), we should REALLY miss them. It would give us a better chance of winning the SSSS (steve stamkos sweep stakes). But one thing that seems to have been overlooked on here is that it will hurt our chances of obtaining a top level UFA in the offseason.
We can dream up who would be great to sign, but if this team finishes in the basement its not going to look real appealing to UFA and we will either not get them or have to over pay. I think that is why winning the SSSS is even more important to the turn around of this franchise than previously stated. If we can land a high profile player via the draft, it will at least be a bargaining chip with UFA that the franchise is going to turn around.
Anyways, don't let the trolls and the debbie downers get to you all. There's management issues, DP issues, powerplay issues, etc, but those are always magnified when loosing (and minimized when winning). This tailspin has got some people spooked but with the parity in this league, and a great head coach (give Nolan some freaking credit for working with nothin), a turn around won't take that long.
Now all we need is a little bit o' luck. Anyone know where that little big head is at?
More playing time for the kids........
Call 'em all up.....Fata, KO, Walter, Morrison....
Brendan Witt, stay in Fla take the rest of the season off....you deserve it. Heal those wounds.
Vasicek.....keep pukeing.
Satan...hang the for sale sign..
Tank....no tanks, you look injured...take some time off.
Johnson and Davison.....there's a Southwest Airlines FAA approved Boeing 737 leaving Fort Lauderdale for Orlando at 5PM today....Be on it....Disney World is looking for ticket scanners and you guys qualify.
Who'd I miss?
THE FAT GUY HAS SUNG.
So, how many of you sat there last night thinking “here comes another SH Goal” when Comrie through a blind, behind the back pass to the slot on the PP? I know I was, and then suddenly, Blake Comeau is there to accept the pass and fire a laser on net for the tying goal (at the time). I know many of Comrie’s passes like this have been soft and picked off easily, but he and Guerin (also guilty of the no-look go-nowhere pass) have been victimized by some pretty poor linemates this season that couldn’t find the spot where Comeau was if there was an X on the ice and Nolan told them to stand there and not move.
My point is – Comeau appears to have some pretty good hockey sense and a real nice shot. If he could have used it more, especially on the PP, maybe we wouldn’t be in this position. That supports my belief that he has been sorely misused since the injuries got bad and all the call-ups started. He has better vision than guys like Hilbert and the others that have played with Comrie and Guerin.
I would really like to see Bergenheim-Comeau-Tambellini finish out the season together and the season as next year’s second line. I am excited to see how these guys get worked in, in addition to others like Okposo. If he is not up the last 9 games of the season, and is not on the starting roster next year, I will have lost any faith in the committee that is slowly running this ship into the ground. Just look at the Mueller-Okposo comparison that was made earlier, and go back to the point I have been making about Okposo since he was signed – there are other kids his age contributing regularly, and if he is the real deal, he should be playing in the NHL.
Should be an interesting summer if the Isles continue tumbling and land a top 5 pick. I wonder if there will be a struggle internally to keep that pick and hopefully draft an impact player (maybe Snow’s way?), or trade it away in an attempt to land a proven impact player (maybe Nolan’s way?).
Oh - and I hate to say I told you so, but I am glad to see everyone coming around to the fact that Johnson still needs some time in the minors. Could see it from Day One.
Doesn't the sponsorship agreement with the New York Lottery provide us with access to Little Bit O'Luck? If not, it should....screw Yolanda Vega, we need STAMKOS
I agree with 505's sentiments....and D$, as for your take on Okposo, there's a fine line. Impatience like that got Luongo, Bertuzzi, and McCabe traded.
Nick, I hear ya, but that was impatience once these guys reached NHL. Are we gonna hope Okposo stays in the AHL forever out of fear he may not progress as quickly as we would like and might get traded?
No, he should be brought up to play in the NHL and be given all the time in the world to work on his skills against the talent that he is supposedly going to be on par with. If Snow has a trigger finger like MM, then yeah, we could be screwed if it takes some time for him to develop. But, I don't think Snow does, and I think Okposo will be given the chance to prove himself at the NHL level as he should be.
Otherwise, IMO, we'll just end up with another Tambellini.
You're right to a point - as my 6-pack post from a few days ago already mentioned, I'm concerned about his conditioning for this year. The college season is vastly shorter than in juniors, so prospects coming out of junior hockey are more able to deal with the increasing physical demands (even though they tend to break down as well). I think Okposo should get a summer of heavy conditioning and strength-building to get him ready for the grind of his first full pro season next year.
D-money....
"Blake Comeau is there to accept the pass and fire a laser on net for the tying goal"
If you have Center Ice....I'm sure you heard Potvin's comments about Comeau after that goal? (I posted them above when it happened last night)..
WITH A SHOT LIKE THAT, WHY DOES COMEAU ONLY HAVE 6 GOALS IN 41 GAMES???
Sadly, only Guerin and Comrie are our only 20 goal scorers, but ADD Comeau and Bergenheim for a full year next season.......it's a start!
Healy ~~~~ Great take on your forementioned SSSS. The thing is ... the Isles need to get to 3rd from last to even have a shot at winning a lottery position to have the #1 pick ... SS is going #1.
It does also have implications on the UFA market if we finish near the bottom. However .... do we want a player that is just there to take Wang's money?
Is the core of the team ready to add to its roster to vault it into contention by signing a star UFA or two? That is something I myself have to look at more.
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505 ~ I thought you'd be the last guy to hold out hope ... or audacity of hope that the Isles would squeek into the playoffs.
I myself still see a ray of light peering out the door that is fastly closing on the season. Because I know ... as soon as I close the book on 07-08 .. the Isles will do something crazy like go on a tear ... while teams like Boston, Philly and Buffalo are spiralling also. I sometimes think while watching some of the highlights on the NHL channel that teams are sandbagging and jockeying for draft position.... but it doesn't fit.
I'm on the fence ... injuries aren't making me feel to optimistic ... but as I see it .... our vets didn't do much anything ... so watching the kids lose vs. the vets lose is less of a bitter pill. This next game is my cutoff for the Isles ... even if they are mathmatically in it ... the combination of wins and losses by the teams ahead of them have to fall a certain way that is astronomically infathomable to overcome.
I know they are out of it ... because it seems they have given up.
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D-$ ~
I'm with ya 100% ... I posted on a few previous threads that word in the scouting world this winter is that Okposo has dropped in projection. Not because he isn't fulfilling his promise ... it is because he did suffer a slup in the NCAA and other prospects have improved ahead of him ... Him playing a college season last year really restricts his game experience ... so getting the games in Bridgeport should help him get on track. He isn't NHL ready .. yet I still think he needs a taste for no less than 5 games this season ... I'd also like to see Bridgeport make the playoffs so he gets that experience too. Currently they are clinging to a playoff spot ... and with half of the top talent on the Isles ... they might slip out of contention .... gotta take the good with the bad I guess.
To me it doesn't matter if Okposo is getting another year at the Bridge .... he isn't ready for the NHL and will not help the current Isles roster. He will be 20 y/o next season and will still be relatively young.let him get his beak wet for a few games this season ... then next season start him at the Bridge .... bring him in when he's ready. College players usually don't come right into the NHL and make an impact unless they've already had a few years of college under their belts ... getting used the NHL grind is best acquired playing Canadian Junior or AHL hockey.
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Nick ~~
That takes me to your post .... I believe you nailed it ....
How many players step out of college after 2 seasons and make an impact in the NHL? Very rare.
Look at DP? I know goaltenders mature later than skaters ... but DP still needed a lot of seasoning at the Bridge ... and then he had to get NHL experience.
Although I believe that the NCAA college experience does bring great levels of competition and high levels of talent ... I believe that their short season vs. the 68 game regular season, plus playoffs of the Canadian Juniors makes those players better prepared for NHL level competition.
Exactly, 19 Isles, Exactly...for example, expect Colin Wilson to leave BU and turn pro for next season to build up his endurance and have himself ready to compete in the NHL by 09-10.
BRING BACK ERIC FICHAUD, PAUL KRUSE, BRAD DALGARNO, SCOTT LACHANCE, DERON QUINT, TOM CHORSKI, CLAUDE LAPOINTE. PLAYERS WHO HAD THAT FIRE IN THEM!!!!
Hock- I like your thinking…
Last thing from me on Okposo till we see how it plays out – I understand where you guys are coming from.
But, this is a league where youth – including 20 year olds - are playing everywhere, and it took the Isles almost two full seasons to get there.
Now, if I read you right, you are saying that most of the youth are junior and not college prospects, and so they are better conditioned and more prepared for the NHL. Ok, I can accept that. And maybe conditioning was one of the issues that made the aforementioned Islander prospects appear “expendable.” But, how are you gonna know if a guy like KO is there if he doesn’t get a shot? I didn’t say he should necessarily come up for the whole season, but he should be in the opening night starting lineup, and given a chance to show he belongs or needs more time. Same way Tambellini started this season basically.
Reasonable compromise?
D$ ~
Yeah ... I agree ... I think that KO should come up for no less than 5 games, and that also depends on Bridge playoff hopes. There is nothing that KO can do now to aide the Isles to a playoff berth. The Isles are no longer in control of their own destiny.
However it is a great opportunity to give KO NHL experience .. I don't want that experience to come at the expense of risking Bridgeport's playoff hopes... because I believe getting playoff experience even at the AHL level is very useful.
I don't know much about KO other than what I read on the Bridgeport website, some scouting reports and my contacts with scouting personnel. The fact is .... he isn't NHL ready. Looking at his stats on Bridgeport shows that he is doing well ... holding his own .... but not tearing up the league.
True enough that shortly after his arrival other players began making the move to the NHL, thusly sapping talent away from BP for him to play with. That isn't an excuse. That is where KO should move in to fill the vacuum which he's done a decent job from where I sit.
Merrick seems to be the guy on here that has at least seen him play a handful of times. I trust his opinion as a fan to give a good assessment of his ability. From what I get from him ... he's got raw talent ... but still has some question marks.
He'll get there I'm sure. I just think rushing him now will inhibit his learning ability. I think this summer should be KO's last rookie camp. Then he'll come to Isles camp rested and better conditioned. This year's training camp will really help him make that next step .... and if he "EARNS" a spot on the roster to start the year ..... then he should be given it.
If he's only 4th line .... or maybe even 3rd line worthy ... he should be sent down for the start of the season and work on the little parts of his game that keep him from 1st line / 2nd line duty. There would be nothing more confidence shattering that KO earning a spot on the roster .... and sit in the press box as a healthy scratch because he just doesn't "bring it" yet. Also, if he eventually gets sent down because he wasn't ready yet .. it may hurt his confidence. He's still 19 ... so next year ... that is the real benchmark for his progress ... I hope we see him full time by the All-Star break ... I'm not going to set my expectations to high for him.... The Isles are in need of a lot more than KO.
09 TOP TEN Needs:
1)New GM
2)New 1st Line
3)New CAPTAIN (Witt)
4)New QB for the PP on DEF (all those that argued with me at the begining of the year when I said get McCabe, can apologize now)
5) Fire Yolanda Vega (my god how embarrasing is she??)
6) Fire Howie Rose (/He is a rag fan)
7) Say goodbye to Satan, Tank, Vas
8) Get a TRUE PEST
9) Get a TRUE Enforcer
10) Send Wanger to a computer conference for the whole year
14) New OBSESSOR, that Rag fan is embarrassing himself and the other Rag fans
Mike Kaszicki!
How about that Messiers number hangs from the rafters in MSG, but bolted to the canucks when he became a free agent lol. What a joke that their messiah bolted for more money. LOL
The Islanders can't draft so they've filled their roster with Unrestricted Free Agents the last two seasons, the most in the league:
Kozlov
Poti
Hill
Dunham
Johnson
Witt
Sutton
Comrie
Sillinger
Fedetenko
Hilbert
Sim
Simon
Guerin
Park
Satan
Berard
Vasicek