ISLANDERSESOTERIC.com

New Goal song - Life is Live by Opus (Austria)

2010-10-11T16:14:00.001-04:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-u3oNk49W0

Eastern Conference Preseason Preview Plus

2010-10-07T15:57:00.016-04:00

Eastern Conference Preseason Preview +

As our New York Islanders enter the 10-11 season, there’s no doubt they are currently one of those teams in the NHL that the media of the hockey world simply continues to have little interest in. Surely the presence of a one Mr. Tavares puts us in a certain spotlight that we haven’t had in recent memory, but what will happen if he doesn't start off this season something like Steven Stamkos did for the Tampa Bay Lightning last year? Expecting him to do so may be little more than wishful thinking on our behalves, even though the possibility is still there. Speaking of expectations, our team is promptly experiencing preseason placement in the lower 10th of the overall standings with nary a publication expecting more than a spot amongst the league’s worst eight teams.

Now, publications are at least giving this franchise credit for taking a conservative and promising path to better competitiveness. In addition, whereas the team made more humble splashes in the course of this summer and may have failed to improve certain on-ice weaknesses (scoring winger/center???), there is no doubt that the acquisitions of Eaton, Wisniewski, Jurcina and Mottau as well as the return of Martinek has this blueline looking deeper than it has in quite some time. A faceoff guy and some fists in Konopka added to real pugilists in Gillies (should be here) and Yablonski (only in very, very, very special cases) gives us a legitimate toughness faction, especially considering Martin should spend some time on the Island this season too. There's reason to hope for Islander fans, but the loss of Okposo and Streit for a good 15-60 games (respectively) gives every pundit the right to see this team as a bottom-feeder this year.

Understandable.

Other teams in the conference are entering (and have in some cases already entered) the season with their fair share of question marks as well. All have done things to improve in some areas, but every team seems to have a glaring weakness or two. With this in mind, here’s a short look at where I BOLDLY predict the teams in the Eastern Conference, and NHL overall, to finish this season!

1) Washington – Last Spring's failure should only make them stronger! Ovechkin has so much to prove after not coming through at the Olympics, in the POs and even in getting a bittersweet silver at the WC. Lots of skill, considerable depth and again, many youngins with much to prove. Still the best overall team in the East.
Topscorer: Alex Ovechkin with 51-55-106
Keep an eye on: Nicklas Backstrom, definitely the league’s most underrated, if not best, playmaker.
Best newcomer: Me thinks John Carlson will make an impact at some point this season.

2) Pittsburgh – Crosby, Malkin, Fluery, Staal… well, at some point when Staal returns. Four key figures few teams can match. The defense is still solid, if not better and Fleury will want to rebound. Crosby does it all and the team really only needs a few wingers to step it up in roles next to Crosby and Malkin or both, at the same time. Hasn't really been done in 3 seasons though. Like him or not, there's hardly a sole out there who can match Crosby as an overall player.
Topscorer: Sidney Crosby with 48-58-106
Keep an eye on: Alex Goligoski, who will surely be given a good period of time to step into Gonchar's (offensive) footsteps.
Best newcomer: If healthy, Paul Martin WILL have his best statistical season to date.

3) Buffalo – This pick is done for two reasons only: Miller and a lack of overall challenge within the division. I actually see several other Conference contenders being ahead of them in the win-loss column. This team lost some good players and again, is asking some kids - a few not too big - to make an impact here. Luckily, Miller is one of maybe 5 goalies who can win you a bundle of 2-1 contests. Expect it. Also expect Tyler Myers to experience a drop of sorts this season and again, if Connolly get concussed, they could be outside the PO picture.
Topscorer: Derek Roy with 23-42-65
Keep an eye on: Tyler Ennis, who is being looked to as the next internal scorer to follow in the career footsteps of Roy, Vanek and Pominville. He may just be that good!
Best newcomer: Jordan Leopold has joined a blueline desperate for a lefty-shooting QB presence. It's now time for him to get back to 35+ point land.

4) New Jersey – I refuse to doubt the Devils, because they prove me wrong every doggone year. But there's excitement now with Kovy and Volchenkov. In addition, Parise is the real deal. No matter who they lose in the next few days, the team will find a way to be amongst the conferences top three overall teams. Lou is just somehow down with geetin' that done. There may be some initial struggles with a new coach, but at the end of the day, there are just too many cogs to be anything but a top 5 in this conference.
Topscorer: Ilya Kovalchuk with 42-47-89
Keep an eye on: Travis Zajac, a fine young player who isn't by any means your classic No. 1 center, but is primed for big points between Kovy and Parise.
Best newcomer: Anton Volchenkov, who brings the toughness and shotblocking that will answer Brodeurs prayers.

5) Philadelphia – SC appearance followed up by a line-up with no proven goaltender and without Chris Pronger. Gagne is gone as well, although Zherdev should replace his offense. I don't care what the set-backs are, I believe in Lavy and he's got enough tools here to have this team not only get to the offseason, but be everyone's worst nightmare once there..
Topscorer: Mike Richards with 27-48-75
Keep an eye on: Ville Leino, because you can't just be THAT awesome and dominant a playoff player and then disappear, right?
Best newcomer: Much to our chagrin, expect Nikolai Zherdev to put up 60 points and add a clever offensive dimension to this club.

6) Tampa Bay – Although they let me down the past two seasons (from a projection standpoint), I think Yzerman is on to something. In addition, the offensive ability available here along with the growth a few Dmen made last season have me thinking that this team will be in the POs this season. In addition, between Lecavalier, St. Louis, Stamkos, Malone, and Gagne, I just don't see more than maybe 5 clubs in the league scoring more goals than the Lightning. Can the goaltending keep them in it?
Topscorer: Martin St. Louis with 35-67-102
Keep an eye on: Steven Stamkos, whose eyes will be fixed on his 2nd 50 goal season and maybe a push towards 60.
Top newcomer: Believe it or not, Sean Bergenheim, who I suspect will find his niche on a team that could really use his aggressiveness and hustle.

7) Carolina – The team that was pretty doggone hot to finish off last season is the team we'll see this year. They'll once again be a little engine that could and this group of boys will leave some more highly touted clubs in their dust. Staal and Ward remain studs. The workers and depth players can get the job done.
Topscorer: Eric Staal with 36-37-73
Keep an eye on: Brandon Sutter, who may end up being one of the teams top 5 scorers and emerge as an underrated No. 2 center.
Best newcomer: Jamie McBain, who should put his name in the ROTY award hat.

8) NY Islanders – I know, I know, just not the chic pick. How could they even make it if everyone were healthy, much less now without Streit and Okposo? The Isles will earn this spot based on a commitment to their system, continuity and even more solid goaltending. They’ll still not be the prettiest team to watch, but the level of competitiveness and the improvements the kids make will be visible, will have them fighting long and hard for spot 8, and will show the NHL that this team is finally ready to bear the fruits of its work. They'll hover around .500 until Okposo and then Streit give them that shot in the arm to knock off the other spot 8-11 competitors in the conference, even if it'll pretty darn close.
Topscorer: John Tavares with 33-38-71
Keep an eye on: James Wisniewski, who is heading right into the situation of expectations and responsibility he claims he's always dreamt of.
Best newcomer: Michael Grabner, another kid who just wants to score goals and is now on a team that needs just that.

9) Boston – My crystal ball tells me that they'll play some good hockey, but that the lack of Savard as well as one or two other key injuries will see them just outside the playoff picture late in the season. I know, tough to imagine, but this team still has much to prove. Still like a lot of the younger guys and this team could easily switch places with Carolina, should things go well.
Topscorer: Tyler Seguin with 20-53-73
Keep an eye on: Dennis Seidenberg, who looks primed to take on a boatload of responsibility this season.
Best newcomer: Nathan Horton, who'll return to 30 goal land with a new lease on life.

10) Atlanta – Is getting there, although losing Kovalchuk is and must be seen as a step backwards. There will be no one man replacement, but this team needs to be, well, more of a team. Now they're damned to be just that and honestly, they seem deeper than they have in years. Goaltending questions linger and Byfuglien on the blueline may not be the best decision. They’ll make things interesting, but we'll have to see if the goals-by-committee can get done in hot Georgia.
Topscorer: Bryan Little with 32-29-61
Keep an eye on: Zach Bogosian, who is immensely talented, a thoroughbred Dman and now has even more PP responsibility with Kubina in TB.
Best newcomer: Dustin Byfuglien, who is one of many, but who just seems to be a monster in both size and PO importance.

11) Ottawa – Until proven otherwise, the goaltending and blueline will ultimately be this team's death knell on too many nights. In addition, the Senators must pray that quickly processed knees on Kovalev and Michalek don't suffer any set-backs, which ultimately happen more often than not. If you've got Campoli eatin' up considerable minutes, then playoffs shouldn't be seen as a serious goal. Alfredsson and Spezza can control a lot, but there are just too many teams in this conference with a tick more 'umph'.
Topscorer: Jason Spezza with 38-46-84
Keep an eye on: Peter Regin, one of the leagues best kept secrets and a kid poised to enter 50+ point land.
Best newcomer: Sergei Gonchar, who'll be asked to log lots of PP minutes in a QB function and thus, should remain a 45+ point Dman.

12) Montreal – Last season was something special. That playoff run was just lights out. Problem is, the guy who did the most was sent packing in an admittedly calculated decision. But at what Price? No pun intended, of course, but this Habs team enters this season with a boatload of questions and requiring, once again, a lot of small men to play big roles. There's talent, but the buck will stop with Price's ability to win, because he is gonna see shots and at the moment, it's not looking like this kid can bloom in this city. Welp, another 81 games to go to find the answers.
Topscorer: Mike Camalleri with 34-33-67
Keep an eye on: Carey Price, because not a goalie in the league will have THIS many critics to satisfy, including the ones he sits next to in the locker room.
Best newcomer: Jeff Halpern, who's certainly not a 'sexy' center, but will be the spine of the lower lines and PK unit.

13) NY Rangers – Lundqvist and Gaborik remain awesome. There's more talent, but the word 'inconsistant' is applicable in describing just about any and everybody on this team, aside from the two megastars mentioned above. They should fight for spot 7-10, but I'm going out on a big limb (OK, not that big) and say that one - if not both - of the King and Gabby are gonna spend considerable time on the IR. Once that happens, kiss the POs goodbye, because what's currently there ain't gonna cut it. And uhhh, what are they doing up the middle?
Topscorer: Alex Frolov with 26-34-60
Keep an eye on: Derek Stepan, who his highly touted and is practically being force-fed responsibiltiy.
Best newcomer: Martin Biron, because the team simply MUST find a way to rest Lundqvist and he's their best answer yet.

14)Toronto – Unbelievable the attention given to whether Kadri makes the roster or not. Heck, that kid ain't Kane, Stamkos or even Tavares. But so goes it in Leafland, where things are microanalyzed after being microanalyzed. Thing is, they're still looking to be more competitive this season than they've been for a while. The goaltending looks solid and the blueline features many NHL-capable Dmen. If Burke turns Kaberle+ into a bonafide top center, then I'll have to change this prediction, but for now, this team just doesn't have the proven, consistant offense to guarantee a playoff spot. Still they should only finish 10 or less points from spot 8 in the conference.
Topscorer: Phil Kessel with 44-25-69
Keep an eye on: Dion Phaneuf, who needs to be this team's best overall player and a 50 point Dman.
Best newcomer: Kris Versteeg, who should inject some jump and excitement into a club that desperately needs his 50 points.

15) Florida - Just not enough there. Goaltending is fairly intact, but the defense is merely average. The attack will likely be the worse in the NHL, even though someone will likely have a career year. Far too much would have to go right for this admittedly rebuilding club to even come close to spot 8 in the conference. At least they had an interesting draft. Still, they'll likely bite a few teams in the behind along the way, so no one should take them too lightly.
Topscorer: Stephen Weiss with 24-32-56
Keep an eye on: Michael Frolik, who’s still not called “baby Jagr” for nothing!
Best newcomer: Dennis Wideman, who'll look to get his career back on track and should be given plenty of opportunity to do so.

QUICK WESTERN CONFERENCE TIPS
1) Vancouver Canucks – Solid and simply needing to produce/perform.
Topscorer: Henrik Sedin with 24-82-106
2) Chicago Blackhawks – Will be ready come playoff time and are still exciting.
Topscorer: Patrick Kane with 33-55-88
3) Detroit Red Wings – Still have all the ingredients.
Topscorer: Pavel Datsyuk with 28-56-84
4) San Jose Sharks – Mature star power and fresh look in goal.
Topscorer: Joe Thornton with 22-63-85
5) LA Kings – Ready to make life tough on the opposition - even in the POs
Topscorer: Anze Kopitar with 36-48-84
6) Calgary Flames – 2nd time around is the charm, right?
Topscorer: Jerome Iginla with 36-42-78
7) Nashville Predators – Good, solid club with a great blueline. STILL needs scoring.
Topscorer: Matthew Lombardi with 26-37-63
8) St. Louis Blues – Stagnated last season; kids ready to pick things up!
Topscorer: David Perron 25-39-64

9) Anaheim Ducks – Team needs to rebound, but defense must respond.
Topscorer: Ryan Getzlaf with 29-53-82
10) Colorado Avalanche – Need too many kids to be real good - again. Doesn't happen.
Topscorer: Paul Stastny with 25-50-75
11) Phoenix Coyotes – Don't see them repeating? Count me in...
Topscorer: Wojtek Wolski with 27-42-69
12) Dallas Stars – A bit of a rebuild in place despite some strong players.
Topscorer: Brad Richards with 21-51-72
13) Edmonton - Lots of fun young guys to watch. Something to enjoy.
Topscorer: Ales Hemsky with 18-48-66
14) Minnesota Wild – Their time in limbo looks to continue.
Topscorer: Martin Havlat with 26-39-65
15) Columbus Blue Jackets – Limboland not only Minnesota's domain.
Topscorer: Rick Nash with 42-36-78

NYI STAT PREDICTIONS Coming Soon, but...

2010-09-21T10:05:00.002-04:00

Here's just a quick look at last years' predictions.

Do enjoy!

PREDICTION
NYI: 34-40-8 for 76 points
REALITY
NYI: 34-37-11 for 79 points

GOALIES:
Dwayne Roloson
PREDICTION
17-22-4 in 46 games, 2.90 GAA, .912 SV%
REALITY
23-18-7 in 50 games, 3.00 GAA, .907 SV%

Martin Biron:
PREDICTION
12-16-2 in 32 games, 2.74 GAA, .916 SV%
REALITY
9-14-4 in 29 games, 3.27 GAA, .896 SV%

Rick Dipietro:
PREDICTION
5-2-2 in 9 games, 2.38 GAA, .918 SV%
REALITY
2-5-0 in 8 games, 2.60 GAA, .900 SV%

DEFENSE:
Mark Streit
PREDICTION
12-49-61 in 75 games
REALITY
11-38-49 in 82 games

Bruno Gervais
PREDICTION
6-20-26 in 78 games
REALITY
3-14-17 in 71 games

Jack Hillen
PREDICTION
4-17-21 in 62 games
REALITY
3-18-21 in 69 games

Ken Sutton
PREDICTION
Stats with Islanders:
6-12-18 in 69 games
REALITY
4-8-12 in 54 games

Freddy Meyer IV
PREDICTION
2-15-17 in 72 games
REALITY
4-11-15 in 64 games

Radek Martinek
PREDICTION
4-7-11 in 64 games
REALITY
2-1-3 in 16 games

Brendan Witt
PREDICTION
1-5-6 in 58 games
REALITY
2-3-5 in 42 games

Andy MacDonald
PREDICTION
1-3-4 in 17 games
REALITY
1-6-7 in 46 games

PREDICTION
Each of Kohn, Katic, Flood and even de Haan could see a handful of games throughout the season. Another waiver-wire pick-up along the way shouldn't come as a surprise.
REALITY
Kohn and Flood did get a handful of games throughout the season. Reese came along in a minor league deal an played 19 games with the big boys

FORWARDS
Kyle Okposo
PREDICTION
24-28-52 in 75 games
REALITY
19-33-52 in 80 games

John Tavares
PREDICTION
21-26-47 in 79 games
REALITY
24-30-54 in 82 games

Josh Bailey
PREDICTION
14-27-41 in 76 games
REALITY
16-19-35 in 73 games

Trent Hunter
PREDICTION
16-22-38 in 62 games
REALITY
11-17-28 in 61 games

Jeff Tambellini
PREDICTION
13-24-37 in 79 games
REALITY
7-7-14 in 36 games

Blake Comeau
PREDICTION
12-25-37 in 77 games
REALITY
17-18-35 in 61 games

Doug Weight
PREDICTION
8-26-34 in 61 games
REALITY
1-16-17 in 36 games

Frans Nielsen
PREDICTION
11-21-32 in 66 games
REALITY
12-26-38 in 76 games

Sean Bergenheim
PREDICTION
13-11-24 in 62 games
REALITY
10-13-23 in 63 games

Jon Sim
PREDICTION
11-8-19 in 53 games
REALITY
13-9-22 in 77 games

Richard Park
PREDICTION
7-12-19 in 59 games
REALITY
9-22-31 in 81 games

Matt Moulson
PREDICTION
8-6-14 in 47 games
REALITY
30-18-48 in 82 games

Tim Jackman
PREDICTION
3-5-8 in 70 games
REALITY
4-5-9 in 54 games

Jesse Joensuu LW/RW
PREDICTION
2-2-4 in 9 games
REALITY
1-0-1 in 11 games

Matt Martin
PREDICTION
1-1-2 in 18 games
REALITY
0-2-2 in 5 games

Joel Rechlicz
PREDICTION
0-1-1 in 43 games
REALITY
0-0-0 in 6 games

Robbie Schremp
PREDICTION
5-12-17 in 38 games
REALITY
7-18-25 in 44 games

Islanders Stat Predictions 2010/11

2010-09-21T09:28:00.011-04:00

The 2010/11 NHL season is upon us.

Seing as how the 2010/11 season is upon us, it's time to start rolling out the predictions for our Islanders in the upcoming season.

I'll let it be no secret that I'm looking at this season enthusiastically. Year three of Snow's rebuild/youth movement/stalling-to-take-off-the-pressure-for-not-signing-legitimate-additions/whathaveyou is looking cautiously calculated, but most certainly allows for one to believe that the team can take yet another step after an 18 point improvement between the 2008/09 and 2009/10 seasons.

Let there also be no doubt that the additions of PA Parenteau, Zenon Kenopka, Mark Eaton, Milan Jurcina and James Wisniewski can be looked at as little more than marginal improvement over the losses of Park, Jackman, Bergenheim, Witt, Meyer and Sutton vis-à-vis the line-up going into last season. Nonetheless, at least Wisniewski, Kenopka and Eaton offer this team certain qualities that just were not part of the line-up last year. In addition, with the experience gathered by Matt Martin, Jesse Joensuu, Dustin Kohn and Dylan Reese last season as well as the NHL experience already possessed by AHL fill-ins Jon Sim and Andy Hilbert, this team is boasting of a depth that it hasn't had in years.

These players do not include the eigth defenseman and thirteen forwards who seem destined for Long Island to begin the season. They also do not take into account the outside role that young players Nino Niederreiter, Rhett Rakhshani, David Ullstrom, Travis Hamonic, and Mark Katic might have in winning over a spot on the team.

With this all in mind, here are my stat predictions for the 2010/11 season!

New York Islanders

41-33-6 for 88 points and spot 8 in the conference standings.

GOALIES
Dwayne Roloson
Synopsis: Was without a doubt one of the Islanders' most important players last season. It seemed as though any and every point we gained in the first half of the season came with him in net, and with him playing a good role in earning those points. Then came the 3-goalie phase and he seemed to immediately suffer from this break in his flow. At this point, the 41 year old is entering the season as the unabridged starter. May we hope he can continue his fairly solid play from last season. A playoff spot is not otherwise possible, right?
If things don't go his way: 16-24-5, 3.25 GAA, .890 SV%
If things go his way: 28-21-3, 2.85 GAA, .910 SV%
What I predict: 26-18-4, 2.98 GAA, .905 SV%

Rick Dipietro
Synopsis: Your guess is as good as mine. Don't see him regaining his pre-injuries all-star form, but one can hope!
If things don't go his way: 3-6-1, 3.50 GAA, .885 SV%
If things go his way: 32-20-5, 2.20 GAA, .930 SV%
What I predict: 14-12-2, 3.05 GAA, .910 SV%

Nathan Lawson
Synopsis: Kind of the guy who's just there. I don't expect much, but with a Dipietro around, he could very well be the back-up for the bulk of the season. His AHL numbers to date would indicate that he may of earned a shot. Hard to think he'd be anything more than a stop-gap, especially if both Dipietro and Roloson suffer injures.
If things don't go his way: 0-4-0, 3.85 GAA, .860 SV%
If things go his way: 10-7-5, 3.10 GAA, .915 SV%
What I predict: 1-3-0, 3.30 GAA, .897 SV%

Mikko Koskinen and Kevin Poulin:
One is likely to get a start at some point, unless Dipietro and Roloson are simply dominating.

DEFENSEMEN
1) Mark Streit
Synopsis: So how long is Mr. All Everything going to be out? What kind of an effect will his operated shoulder have on his shot? When he does come back, how long will it take for him to get up and running. Despite a somewhat off year last season, there's no doubt that much was asked of Streit and he played with a number of partners who he ultimately had to carry to a certain degree. That shouldn't be the case if and once he comes back
If things don't go his way: 1-5-6
If things go his way: 8-28-36
What I predict: 7-19-26

2) James Wisniewski
If things don't go his way: His role was to come in and help out Streit. Now he kind of needs to uhhhh replace him. Too much to ask of course, but Wisniewski seems like a guy who has a lot to prove. He'll never get a better. May his slapshot prove the Hammer of Thor we've not seen from a righty shot in quite some time.
If things don't go his way: 5-13-18
If things go his way: 15-25-40
What I predict: 8-31-39

3) Mark Eaton
Synopsis: I was never fond of him nor have I ever thought him to be anything special in any of the three zones. He did however play a nice role in Pittsburgh's cup run, but his positive attributes were surely just complimentary to being in a line-up with a number of ubertalented players. I personally don't think he's much better than Meyer IV, but I'll happily sit back and let him prove he is.
If things don't go his way: 0-4-4
If things go his way: 2-15-17
What I predict: 1-6-7

4) Jack Hillen
Synopsis: Made some real strides last year and looked like a decent and no longer overextended transitional Dman. Jack was even starting to look very comfortable before taking Ovechkin's shot to the face. His WC play wasn't bad, but also reflected what he must get better at: decision-making as he approaches and once he's in the opponent's zone. That's got to get better if he wants to make a career of it as a fluid and effective defenseman. His shot is nothing to write home about either. PP time could increase in Streit's absence
If things don't go his way: 1-11-12
If things go his way: 6-32-38
What I predict: 4-23-27

5) Andy MacDonald
Synopsis: Arrived on the scene in an unexpectedly fine fashion. Played very poised and intelligent. His shot isn't half bad and his passing surpasses, ahem, a number of his colleagues on the blueline. I know from a first hand witness that he more than surprised his own teammates with his play. Surprising was also his speed in cleaning up mistakes and getting back into the zone. Not a checker, not a roughian. Can he continue his cerebral play? Don't be surprised to see him eating up a number of those minutes expected to go to Streit.
If things don't go his way: 2-8-10
If things go his way: 6-26-32
What I predict: 6-18-24

6) Radek Martinek
Synopsis: Seems folks will just assume he'll do what he can until an injury comes. Even if a bit inevitable, let's hope he still gets in a good 60 games. Fact is, he's servicable and has a few grand, grand games a season. Decent puckmover; smart Dman. Been around as long as well, just about any Islander, eh? Will give his all as long as the body lets him.
If things don't go his way: 1-2-3
If things go his way: 5-16-21
What I predict: 2-7-9

7) Mike Mottau
Synopsis: Seeing as how this signing came RIGHT on the heels of Streit's injury, let there be no doubt that it was chiefly motivated by it. Like, no duh? The guy was a BC boy and had a very solid 4 year college career, with a monster sophomore season. That was long ago and it didn't look like he'd get past the AHL until Lou's club found use for him. Having been fairly solid in lower capacity, it'll be interesting to see if he can show himself to be better than Gervais and Jurcina, his chief competition at the moment.
If things don't go his way: 0-4-4
If things go his way: 5-15-20
What I predict: 1-8-9

8) Milan Jurcina
Synopsis: We're simply gonna have to see where this guy fits. In his favor is that he worked with Gordon in Providence and obviously the team wouldn't have signed him if Gordon had had any reservations, right? On the other hand he's been labelled a gentle giant who certainly isn't gonna be winning any skating awards. So as one of 8 Dmen, where does he fit in? What role can he assume? Does he block any shots?
If things don't go his way: 0-2-2
If things go his way: 3-12-15
What I predict: 3-4-7

9) Bruno Gervais
Synopsis: Looking like the odd man out going in, but sometimes that's JUST the motivation a guy needs. He looked horrible at times last season, but he does have a few attributes that allow him to stick around, and I'm not including his cooking talents or general all-round good guy reputation when it comes to community service, where he may be the best the Isles have to offer. Until he becomes consequent with his positioning in his own zone as well as getting the puck out of the zone when it should be oh so easy, he's getting closer to a top 6 job in Europe than the NHL.
If things don't go his way: 0-3-3
If things go his way: 4-20-24
What I predict: 0-4-4

Others:
Mark Katic
What I predict: 1-3-4
Travis Hamonic
What I predict: 2-1-3
Dustin Kohn
What I predict: 0-0-0
Dylan Reese
What I predict: 0-0-0

FORWARDS
John Tavares
Synopsis: Considered to be our franchise player, it seems that many are already of the belief that he'll go much the way of a one Mr. Stamkos. For those who feel that, I ask "Where are the St. Louis, Lecavaliers, Downies and Malones on this team to feed him the puck?" Nonetheless, much indicates that young Tavares is ready to lead this team in the scoring department, uhhh, as he did last season. We should expect it and it should be an improvement upon his very decent 54 rookie points. Stamkosland is a great reach though.
If things don't go his way: 26-24-50
If things go his way: 35-42-77
What I predict: 33-38-71

Blake Comeau
Synopsis: Many will just sit back and wait for it to maybe happen, but I'm gonna predict that Blakey 'gets it' this season. I think he came into his true form to end last season and that he has that two-way, coast-to-coast swagger to go along with decent all-round offensive instincts. It'll pay off starting this season and with JT or RS as his center. Garth will feel justified in not having signed, say, a Frolov instead of just sticking with Comeau.
If things don't go his way: 14-18-32
If things go his way: 35-35-70
What I predict: 32-26-58

Josh Bailey
Synopsis: No doubt, Josh is the most difficult forward in the starting 12 to get a read on from a prediction standpoint. There are skills, but his first two seasons have been marred with inconsistency. His teammates seem to think he's got mucho talent and it looks like he'll begin the year on the LW side, where he arguably enjoyed his best production output to date.
If things don't go his way: 12-16-28
If things go his way: 23-36-59
What I predict: 18-28-46

Kyle Okposo
Synopsis: Surgery and three months on the IR. Big bummer. The team's number one right wing was surely counted on to be one of its top scorers and still needs him to be if there's to be any shot of making the playoffs. Still, as with Streit, he may have more gas in the tank when the games count more with the time off. I expect him to need a lotttt of time to find to his scoring, which often lingered last season.
If things don't go his way: 7-18-25
If things go his way: 21-33-54
What I predict: 18-26-44

Rob Schremp
Synopsis: It took him a while to acclimated and then to earn minutes. He slowly began to strut his stuff and to be honest, he maybe has the best offensive skills on the team, including Tavares. He's tricky, he holds and handles the puck well and once the confidence was there, he spent 10 games being our best offensive player. An injury rained on his coming out party. Now, however, he's coming into this season knowing that the coaches, management and players believe he can play a serious offensive role - and he seems ecstatic. Let's just hope the injuries don't ruin things for him - and us.
If things don't go his way: 5-13-18
If things go his way: 18-42-60
What I predict: 12-32-44

Matt Moulson
Synopsis: He convinced me last season. I enjoyed his overall game, his effort, his sweat and blood. He IS the best man on the team within 10 feet of the goal. He's got that sense of where to be, the so-called nose for the net. It's there. It'll stay. I'm sure the effort will continue, because he does not wanna be an AHLer again within a year's time. Despite this, he'll not be able to take the league by surprise and he'll not necessarily be getting top two line minutes. His importance will remain. His scoring will inadvertantly drop.
If things don't go his way: 14-8-22
If things go his way: 40-28-68
What I predict: 21-15-36

Frans Nielsen
Synopsis: Underrated Dane has gone under the radar for two seasons now. His technical stats (i.e. everything not G-A-TP-PM-+/-) were awesome. He was one of the NHL's top 5 two-way centers. Now he's coming off a decent showing at his native Denmark's best World Championship ever. A summer on LI doing work with LI's staff and the confidence of having established a somewhat permanent job could all go a long way in making him a cog in this team's playoff push. It would be welcome.
If things don't go his way: 7-16-23
If things go his way: 17-33-50
What I predict: 9-21-30

Trent Hunter
Synopsis: The big man is a top teammate and truly appreciated in the locker room and as part of the franchise. He's been here for a lot of down times. He's been in decline. This season may be very telling as to how long he'll be an Islander and what he can do for this franchise. Lord knows we could use his rookie year form, at least in a scoring capacity. Looks like 3rd line RW will remain his calling.
If things don't go his way: 9-12-21
If things go his way: 20-26-46
What I predict: 14-15-29

P.A. Parenteau
Synopsis: It was a bit of a tryout. 8 points in 22 games as a spare-part-getting-older rookie isn't hopeless, but Parenteau is now 27 and has a clause in his contract stating it's the Island or he's off to the highest bidder in Europe. Good for him. There's probably much he could do in Switzerland or Germany, but can he cook the goose in the NHL? With Okposo out, it looks like we'll find out one way or the other. So is he Matt Moulson part deux??? Kip Miller part deux??? Justin Papineau part cent mille? Just hope he can make an impact in a scoring capacity.
If things don't go his way: 1-2-3, then EUROPE
If things go his way: 22-27-49
What I predict: 11-16-27

Doug Weight
Synopsis: Another year is being added on. We don't know how that shoulder of his is going to react. In addition, we don't know what role he's going to assume. For all we know, he could end up being a top 2 center. He's more likely to get wing time on a lower line and health permitting, a fair dosage of PP time. Streit's absence alone may see to that. There's no doubt he's amongst the smartest 10% of players we have. Is the body willing to make use of that?
If things don't go his way: 0-3-3
If things go his way: 12-30-42
What I predict: 4-19-23

Michael Grabner
Synopsis: Don't know what to think of him, but the situation isn't entirely different from Schremp's a year ago and Grabner has even done more in the NHL than Schremp had at this juncture last season. The kid has been a WHL and AHL goalscorer. He's at an age where, like Nielsen and Bergenheim before him, it was time to put up or shut up. Other than Vanek, he IS Austria's NHL hope. Now, last season I thought Moulson would make this team right out of camp and put up 14 points. He did the former and outdid the latter. I've got a sneaky suspicion that Grabner has the goods to help this team, but I'm gonna stay conservative and envision his stay here much like Justin Papineau's back in the day.
If things don't go his way: 0-0-0
If things go his way: 27-14-41
What I predict: 11-7-18

Zenon Konopka
Synopsis: Fists and face-offs. We'll take a big helping of both please! I'm gonna say that like Wisniewski, he appears to be in the ideal situation for him, with a coach who'll wanna see what other tools he has and can offer. I suspect he'll be a pleasant surprise. Look for him to play a role in holding late leads. Don't know if he's an answer on the PK.
If things don't go his way: 0-0-0
If things go his way: 5-10-15, 215 PMs
What I predict: 3-5-8, 190 PMs

Jon Sim
Synopsis: It's not nice to say, but I'm hoping we see as little of Jon as possible. He gets under the opponent's skin, but he's just not the guy fans 'pay to see'. Surely he's well-placed as a 4th line grinder and that line with Kenopka and Gillies can make life tough for opponents, but I'd rather see him in BPort and serving as a mentor while doing some heavy scoring for a team that's gonna have it hard. May Sim be there no later than when Okposo returns.
If things don't go his way: 0-0-0
If things go his way: 11-8-19
What I predict: 2-3-5

Matt Martin
Synopsis: Future fan fave should get a wee bit more than last year's cup of coffee, but to be honest, unless Parenteau and Grabner flat out fail miserably, he might as well be getting 1st/2nd line minutes in BPort. Sim, Gillies, Hilbert, Grabner and Parenteau can duke it out for lower line minutes in the meantime. Of course, if he just proves too ready down on the farm, then by all means, let him come up and begin his career as Wendel Clark's player reincarnation.
If things don't go his way: 0-0-0
If things go his way: 10-14-24, 150 PMs
What I predict: 1-4-5, 60 PMs

Nino Niederreiter
Synopsis: I'll say it simply: he's here for 9 games. I love that he's actually looked pretty doggone good in the preseason. He already appears mature beyond his years. I'm very excited about the role he can play here - next season. For now, he'll stopgap until Grabner is fit, who'll then get a top nine shot (along with Parenteau) until Okposo returns.
If things don't go his way: 0-0-0
If things go his way: 16-20-36
What I predict: 1-2-3 (then 80+ in Portland)

Trevor Gillies
Synopsis: Clubhouse boy is liked by his teammates. He seems to know what he's here for and although he's not in the Parros/Boogard heavyweight class, he can hold his own and duke it out. Can't wait for just that, primarily against the NYR and PHF. Otherwise, barely an ECHLer.
If things don't go his way: 0-0-0
If things go his way: 2-2-4, 250 PMs
What I predict: 1-1-2, 180 PMs

Others:
Jesse Joensuu
What I predict: 2-4-6
Rhett Rakhshani
What I predict: 1-3-4
David Ullstrom
What I predict: 0-2-2
Andy Hilbert
What I predict: 0-0-0

Conventional Wisdom - Or Juggling with Dreams?

2010-06-25T04:52:00.006-04:00

Everyone's excited - of that there is no doubt!

The blogosphere is booming and chatrooms are going non-stop. It's draft time and it's absolutely amazing the energy and excitement that is generated at this time of year. It represents acquisition, promise, new blood - in essence, hope.

And with pick number five in this year's draft in Los Angeles, Islanderville is very much involved in this high-octane tour. With the past two first rounds not lacking in drama, the most difficult thing going into this draft as a fan is predicting just what the Islanders are going to do. Trade down? Trade up? A bit of both? Or take the most logical pick at five and let the rest fall into place? That would be conventional wisdom, but as we all know, this modus operandi hasn't led to the acquisition of two of the past three first rounders.

For those precious few who may read this before tonight's events, here are some things you can probably safely assume or at least lean towards in gauging what exactly our Islanders with do with the Number 5... and beyond.

Looking at the obvious:
This Islander team has some nice blueliners coming up through the system, but you can never have enough bluechippers and the scouting community currently says that defensemen Gudbranson, Fowler and Gormley are the most logical selections at spots 3-5. You can't lose with one of them. One is really tough, one is really skilled and the latter is your basic jack-of-all-trades, good in every department, outstanding in none (thus far).

Then there are two kids that many fans may see as good options at #5 - if still there. One would be Mr. Winner Jack Campbell. He's a goalie who has QUITE a resume to date. The boy just oozes a winner mentality, and has several gold medals as a result. As the draft approaches, there are more and more scouts mentioning that in 10 year's time, he may be the best player coming out of this draft. That's certainly something to think about.

Then there's Brett Connolly. Coming into the season, he seemed to be in a group consisting of the top 5-7 prospects, third or fourth amongst forwards. Along with Hall and Seguin, he and Kabanov were the kids who had this draft being tabbed as a very strong one. Nonetheless, he's hardly played this year and that lack of play was due to a hip problem that ultimately turned into two hip problems. He returned in time to participate for a prospect-laden Team Canada U18 team that put in a brutal performance in Minsk. Connolly, once believed to be one of the top ten 18 year olds on the planet, scored only one goal in four games, and that was in an 11-3 victory, with the decision having already been made. Although all this usually leads to a huge drop in stock, he's nonetheless still considered by many to be a Top 10 pick, based primarily on the promise shown in a 60 point season as a 16/17 year old in the WHL.

He remains the favorite for a number of Islander fans.

Going behind the scenes:
The Islanders made the easiest 'tough decision' a team can make when they took John Tavares first overal last summer. Still, whether trading down twice to ultimately take Josh Bailey about 4 spots ahead of where he was expected to go or trading up twice to take de Haan about 10 spots before many thought he'd go, the Isles have shown a propensity to pinpoint certain guys they like and move to get them.

As such, it could be considered very safe to read a little bit into the Islanders having hosted a visit from Mikael Granlund, Alex Burmistrov, Nino Niederreiter and Ryan Johansen. Some say it's due diligence, but considering Bailey had only visited the Bruins AND Islanders in his draft year, it should mean little that these four forwards have been ranked somewhere between 6-15 amongst prospects for the bulk of the season.

There are also some defensemen with a good pedigree and great size, namely defensemen Derek Forbort, Dylan McIlrath and Jarred Tinordi. All would seem to be players most teams could make good use of at some point - and every team has Tyler Myers fresh on their minds.

Then one has to account for the 'Character X factor' that the Isles tend to apply to their pick options. If a boy shows the ability to successfully deal with extracurricular problems or adversity, yet can also fit into and successfully execute a team's system, then this kid is probably pretty high on Snow and Jankowski's list. Players like Jaden Schwartz, Austin Watson and Quinton Howden could fit the bill on this front.

But what of Californian Emerson Etem's incredible rise through the ranks in such a short period of time? And what of Jeff Skinner's 50 OHL goals and another 20 in the playoffs, stats that should have every team salivating? In addition, could the Islanders be in line to stump the fear of Russian exodus and snag the immensely talented Vladimir Tarasenko? Kuznetzov or Kitsyn anyone? What of the talented boys dropping for various reasons, namely Kirill Kabanov and John McFarland?

All these guys could be in the equation, but where?

And what happens at five?

Following conventional wisdom:
The Islanders can simply sit back and should feel pretty safe taking whichever of the big three Dmen is available, right?

Who they're most probably not taking at five:
With three goalies they're pretty high on, the team would be hard-pressed to justify the selection of Jack Campbell, especially when there is other talent there that the team could absolutely use. It's of course apples and oranges comparing goalies to skaters though. Snow and Gordon are former goalies, but at this point Jankowski and crew stuck their necks out too far last summer in taking Koskinen and Nilsson successively only to just grab Campbell this year too. There are also some decent goalies later in the draft - where a great majority of NHL goalies come from anyways.

In addition, when you've been ravished by injuries as much as the Islanders have in recent years, can anyone see a rational reason why THIS Islander club would take Brett Connolly, a kid whose hip problems could hamper him at any point in his career and who's one chance to show he's better than others in his age group was anything but successful? There just seems to be too much talent in the top 20 to risk a pick on a kid coming in with such bagage. In addition, can the scouts really claim he's THAT good based on one 60 point junior season with boatloads of ice time for a bad team? I cannot see our very own Jankowski and crew taking that risk.

Based on trends from prior drafts, how spectators could see this thing going down:
Basically, it should be no surprise to see this team trade down within the top 15 to take THEIR favorite. It could be like in 2008, where several trades were made. At the same time, and especially if they take this route, it could also be likely that the package up some of what they get with any combination of the two 2nds and two 3rds they have to get back into the first round. In other words, there are plenty of boys here in round 1 who look to be of interest to the Islanders. Surely Snow and Jankowski would rather have the two of them they are certain about rather than one and then 4 risks in rounds 2-3, right?

Bold prediction for an exciting weekend:
Looking to make a huge splash in this weekend's events, Florida will not only pick 3rd, but will then send the Islanders Stephen Weiss, #15, #33 and #50 for the #5, Bruno Gervais, and Corey Trivino. With Minnesota on the clock and looking for a young NHL winger plus a solid prospect, the Islanders will send them Sean Bergenheim and Minnesota boy Aaron Ness for the #9. For the time being, the Islanders will remain quiet and simply make their first four selections.

The Islanders take the following players:
#9 Mikael Granlund
#15 Dylan McIlrath
#33 Justin Faulk
#35 Kirill Kabanov

Justification:
Granlund - Having gone 14-32-46 against men in 48 SM Liga games (including playoffs), added another 7 points in an underwhelming WJC (but coming straight off an injury) and dominated the U18 with 14 points in 5 games, the Islanders take the crafty young man who is likely the most intelligent on-ice player available. He's already scored against men and whereas skating & size remain an issue (ahem, both very average), he has excelled at every level and just plain makes his teammates better. The kid has so much that screams of Saku Koivu, who by the way only had 10 points in the SM Liga when he was Granlund's age.

McIlrath - Some Isles fans will surely love this guy for his size and punch (really, he can fight!), and the hulking Dman has been rising up the ranks astronomically, based on a strong 2nd half to his season. Still, where's the connection? Welp, he played with Hamonic the first part of the season, to whom he has publicly given a lot of credit for being his guide and mentor. As such, Islander scouts saw him quite a bit. And like de Haan the year before, who picked up his offensive game after John Tavares had been traded, so too did McIlrath become more of a force with more ice time after - you guessed it - Hamonic was moved. Still raw, he has considerable upside and fills a size void this team doesn't necessarily admit to suffer from.

Faulk - Possesses a well-rounded, strong offensive game and is solid in every zone. Good skater with nice size. Lost in the numbers with Forbort, Tinordi and Merrill usually ahead of him, but the Isles see his upside and his college future and feel he's got the same possibilities as Donovan. They happily snag him at 33.

Kabanov - With a short tenure on Long Island while waiting for the visa necessary to play in the QMJHL, the Islanders have had extra time to see and meet the kid in some capacity. Despite incredible and documented off-ice problems, and a father who'll be a stress-factor one way or the other, the Islanders chance it here with him, having garnered the extra picks in previous moves. They decide to risk it on the terribly skilled winger. As opposed to Petrov a few summers before, he costs a higher pick, but is much more inclined to sticking in North America and would already fight for a spot in the fall camp.

After the 49th pick, two trades are announced:
Trade 1: The Islanders send pick #50, their 2011 5th rounder and Robin Figren to Chicago for Kris Versteeg.

Trade 2: The Islanders send Brendan Witt and pick #160 to Montreal for Roman Hamrlik and pick #147.

The Islanders then proceed to use picks #s 58, 65, 82, 95, 125, 147, 155, and 185.

By Sunday night, the team leaves Los Angeles with the following +/- balance:

NHLers and Prospects:
- Brendan Witt, Sean Bergenheim, Bruno Gervais, Robin Figren, Aaron Ness and Corey Trivino.
+ Stephen Weiss, Kris Versteeg, Roman Hamrlik

Draft picks:
- #5, #160, 2011 5th
+ #9, #15, #33, #147
+/- #50

Come out of the draft with:
Granlund, McIlrath, Faulk, Kabanov, 8 more picks.

Sounds wild, eh?

Later round suggestions:
For me personally, there are a number of players in later rounds who I think are very fascinating. I'd love to think the Isles would grab one or two of them.

Goalies:
Grubauer (15th NA), Conz (3rd EUR), Volden (4th EUR)

Defenseman:
Dan Biega (46th NA), Madaisky (57th NA), Silas (60th NA), Aronson (88th NA), Gudas (94th NA), Leach (120th NA), Ramage (131st NA), Abeltshauser (164th NA), Luuko (175th NA), Marincin (10th EUR), Granberg (21st EUR), Krejci (51st EUR), Jensen (84th EUR)

Forwards:
Lindberg (7th EUR), Kuehnhackl (8th EUR), Donskoi (14th EUR), Pulkinnen (17th EUR), Larsson (34th EUR), Raask (82nd EUR), Olden (86th EUR), Noebels (100th EUR), Nelson (25th NA), Martindale (27th NA), Telegin (33rd NA), Shipley (43rd NA), Zucker (51st NA), Culek (52nd NA), Shugg (53rd NA), Brickley (58th NA), McKegg (66th NA), Knight (82nd NA), Gaede (104th NA), Ranford (111th NA), Ferland (146th NA), DeBlois (153rd NA), Daugherty (179th NA), Hrivik (194th NA)

Whatever happens, I hope you at least have fun with this blog, and more importantly, with this weekend's draft. Hopefully, it'll be the last draft in quite some time where the Isles enter with a top 15 pick, much less a top 5.

In just a few short hours, they can go a long way in pushing the rebuild - or youth movement - to the next level!

To Trade or Not To Trade?

2010-02-23T04:13:00.005-05:00

As an oh-so-exciting Olympics lingers on, Islander GM Garth Snow has much to ponder about with respect to his team's last 20 games.

The biggest question he must answer for himself is: Does this team still have a shot at making the playoffs?

Certainly, every franchise within shooting distance must in some way show its fanbase that the team intends to win and believes it can. Mathematically, the Isles could run off a good 12 wins to finish this beast off and slip into the playoffs, granted certain other teams don't do the same thing at the same time.

Then again, if that happens, what chance would this team really have once in the playoffs? Would it even be a contest if our beloved Islanders were to enter the 7-game dance with a New Jersey, Pittburgh, Philadelphia, or Washington?

Moreover, what are the chances that this team doesn't win another 10 games this season and rolls into the offseason with a bottom third finish and nothing to show for having arguably 3 NHL starting goaltenders and at least one currently very valuable UFA (Andy Sutton) likely wandering off into UFAville?

Seem like a more likely scenario to you?

To me too.

Simply put, Garth Snow can and should be happy that this team spent the first 60 games being a good deal better than last season's edition of the Islanders and was even good in raising a few eyebrows along the way. While Snow's biggest UFA coups the past two summers, Streit and Roloson, have had a good deal to do with this competitiveness (especially Roloson), and Matt Moulson and to a degree Rob Schremp have been solid additions up front, this team has received the bulk of its contributions from U25 players Kyle Okposo, Josh Bailey, Frans Nielsen, Jack Hillen and - despite his 2nd half difficulties - John Tavares. Throw in Andrew MacDonald's surprising, if not downright miraculous, jump from 6th round pick to 25 minute-per-night NHL defenseman, and this team has moved forward primarily on the strength of its own draft picks and signings.

Getting back on track here, it should be clear to most that this year's Islanders are not winning the Stanley Cup. It should be clear to most, that teams with much greater chances at doing so are going to be knocking on Snow's door to inquire about several players. It should be clear to most that Snow is currently analyzing about how he can make this team better for next season - a season in which this club should be viewing playoff spots 7 and 8 as a clear-cut goal.

There may even be several GMs asking Snow about important veterans such as Streit and Hunter, two guys who have excellent deals and several years remaining on their contracts. I don't know how moving Streit could be of benefit to this team - but with GMs like Don Waddell out there, you just never know what type of knock-your-socks-off deals Snow could be offered. While I don't think we'll see Mark Streit be moved, it'd be quite surprising if Snow didn't play the part of the seller as we approach the deadline, just 10 days away.

Players who may not be here by March 5th:

Andy Sutton: We've already seen several 3rd rate veterans be sent packing in deals that have all included 2nd round picks. Enter the aforementioned Andy Sutton. Playing for a new contract, Sutton has had his best season in years. He's been solid in his own end and has created a highlight reel of huge, spectacular hits throughout this season. His confidence is there and he's shown a apt ability in moving the puck forward, sometimes exhibiting some mighty fine hands in the process. Although not used enough, his shot is as hard and deadly as anyone else's. Throw in that size he has and it's easy to see that Sutton is a commodity at peak value for a team still hoping to get more of an impact from its number 4/5/6 defensemen. If Wallin solidifies San Jose, then Sutton can surely more than help out a number of teams including Vancouver, Colorado, Philadelphia, Washington and maybe even a Detroit or Dallas. A return similar to what Carolina got for Matt Cullen should be a minimum in seeing Sutton be moved. And yes, that would help out this Islander franchise.

Dwayne Roloson/Martin Biron: Arguably our team's 09/10 MVP, Roloson has had some amazing showings for the Islanders this year. Several of our wins would arguably not have been possible without Roloson's fabulous performances. He is signed for another year and heading into next season with Roli and Dipietro manning the net would surely give the Isles a formiddable tandem, especially if Dipietro can regain his previous form at some point next season. Marty Biron is an excellent team player and spokesman. His terrible record this year includes a lot of losses where this team scored 2 or less goals for him. However, he has to be seen stamped as one of our on-ice disappointments this season. He's an affordable and solid 1B goalie. Unlike Roloson, he is an upcoming UFA.

Now, it seems we cannot yet count on Dipietro being able to finish off this season, even in a back-up capacity, but if there is any belief that he can, then it'd pure mismanagement to end this season with all three goaltenders on the Island. Now, Biron may not have the greatest of value, but there is likely a team out there that'd gladly send Snow a 4th rounder to pick up Biron for the stretch run and playoffs. Seeing Snow want to keep the Dipietro/Roloson tandem is completely reasonable and understandable.

On the other hand, Dwayne Roloson (who is under contract until the end of the 10/11 season) may be Snow's biggest trading piece. There are a number of expected playoff contenders whose current goaltending situation is anything but stable. In Dwayne, a team knows what it's getting. He's proven on several occasions that he's made of the steel that can carry even mediocre teams on successful playoff runs. Imagine what he could do with Washington's or Philadelphia's offence in front of him? Don't fret, because there are surely a few GMs out there pondering the same thing.

Doug Weight: I hope Doug Weight ends his career with us. I hope he remains with the Islanders and becomes a part of the franchise, whether in a coaching or administrative capacity, or heck, even as a commentator for the team. He's a model citizen and has surely played his role in the development of each of Tavares, Bailey and Nielsen. The demand is surely not that high for this often injured, one goal, 15 point man. His shoulder may not even allow him to finish off the season. Surely Snow would not move him just for the sake of doing so. As far as I know, young Tavares is still living at Weight's house. All this said, it is thoroughly conceivable that Weight himself has told Snow that he'd be more than happy to be sent to a contender for whatever in order to have one last shot at the cup. If this were to be the case, I'd have to think that Snow would surely oblige him.

Richard Park: Having arguably his worst season in some time, Park is the type of guy a number of teams could shore up their 3rd and 4th lines with. His apparent loss of a top gear and lousy +/- to date do not mean that he can't bring it for the stretch run and playoffs.

Jon Sim: Sim has earned every minute he's played this year. He's an extremely limited player, but showed himself to be the type of pest many teams crave come playoff time.

Trent Hunter: A warrior for sure, Trent has had a tough season. Despite a strong spurt coming off his early season injury, he's been very quiet for some time now. He's never been fleet of foot, but that's never been as glaring a weakness as in the past 25 games. In addition, he's not checking at the rate he had been prior to this season. He's got several years left on his contract, he's a big man and he serves his team well. He's grown up an Islander. As an individual piece, his value to this team is far greater than what he'd rake in. However, he may be what is needed to complete a bigger deal involving either Sutton, Weight, Biron or Roloson.

What I see happening:
Roloson and Sutton will be traded.

With a summer full of free agent possibilities on the goalie front, and a Biron who is healthy and himself could easily be resigned, I expect Snow to pit the bidders against each other to get this franchise the best it can for Roloson. He'll be a loss and his being traded tells this fanbase that "We're no longer playing for the playoffs unless what we've got just happens to surprise and be good enough to get us there!" However, some team is gonna give Snow something really nice for Roli the goalie and heck, it's not like Roloson is leading the Isles to a Stanley Cup victory this or next year. He surely is a pole of stability for this team, maybe even moreso in the locker room than we can know, but that may have to be sacrificed for the time being in order to benenfit even more greatly as soon as next fall.

As for Sutton, we have no verification whether or not he'll be seeking greener pastures this summer. It's his one last chance to sign for big money. In addition, as often as he says he likes it here on Long Island, Snow can always pursue him again after the season, as unlikely as his resigning here would be. Unfortunately, money is tied up in players such as Brendan Witt and Radek Martinek, and Snow needs to upgrade the blueline on whole anyways, so getting the max for Sutton now, while at the peak of his value, is the most logical choice to be made when all is said and done. The team would likely have to finish the year with Streit, Gervais, MacDonald, Meyer, Kohn, Witt and Hillen - a blueline lacking in physical fear-factor, no doubt.

If Doug Weight has given a move his OK, he could either be packaged with one of the aforementioned players or sent along in a Bill Guerin type deal. In his current form, he can still assist a team looking for more savvy in the line-up, especially on the PP. Seeing the types of names that have come and gone through the waiver wire, it's hard to believe Park or Sim would even garner late round picks, but then again, we know that for example, a team like San Jose is looking to shore up its very green 3rd and 4th lines with a defensively-minded veteran or two. No reason to think that Lombardi wouldn't be willing to part with a 5th rounder for a Richard Park.

What Snow will earn:
By March 5th, I suspect this team will have added the following
A) 1 highly rated prospect
B) 2 2nd round draft picks
D) 2 5th-7th round draft picks
C) Two mid-20ies bubble players who can fill in for the remainder of this season and audition for a bigger role in future seasons.

I also see us losing our 3rd or the one we have from Phoenix in the trading process.

One way or another, we'll know by March 5th at the latest.

Enjoy the rest of the Olympics!

Halfway Mark Review - Preview

2010-01-09T21:17:00.008-05:00

Halfway Mark

Heading into this season, even the most diehard of Islander fans were well aware that this team was an unlikely playoff contender, much less a Stanley Cup contender.

Nonetheless, simply the additions of John Tavares and no less than two bonafide NHL goaltenders in Roloson and Biron could attest to this team likely becoming a more difficult team to beat, especially considering the number of U26 players on this team looking to up the ante to their games in a bid to establish themselves as effective and regular NHLers.

Where is the team after 41 games? 13th in the conference. Still, this placement in the standings doesn't tell the whole story. For the most part, the Islanders have been in the bulk of their games played and have successfully dealt with controversy, often coming back in order to gain a point, if not two. Injuries have occured, the gravest being the loss of top 4 Dman Radek Martinek for the season with an ACL tear after just 16 games. In addition, the team has been able to go 5-1-1 after having lost 4 in a row heading into the halfway mark of the season. It's been a rollercoaster ride of sorts, but the team is in the running and is staying within close reach of a playoff spot. What's more is that many teams have had a problem with the Islanders' aggressive style of play, which is taxing, but which causes opponents to cough up the puck more than any would like to.

BIGGEST PLUSES:
1) Dwayne Roloson - Needing a few games to get into the swing of things, Roloson has been solid to spectacular on most nights this season. He's been the number one reason for no less than 5 wins this season and slowly but surely progressed into an absolute rock. Attesting to his importance is how much better this team plays as a whole when he's in goal.
2) Matt Moulson - Who'd have thunk it? The best of our supposed AHL signings this summer, Matt Moulson has become the type of underdog hero that this franchise hasn't seen since Jason Blake. He goes where it hurts and constantly does what he can within his limits. Although 26, this is his first real gig in the NHL and he's been a key reason this team is in the playoff race, currently tied in the team lead in goals. Can he keep up the rags to riches story?
3) John Tavares - After the rough introduction Steven Stamkos had last season, many fans felt Tavares' rookie year couldn't be all that much better. In addition, he's had to deal with expectations that few players have ever faced. Despite having recently hit a wall, Tavares is tied with the team lead in goals and has already become this franchise's best offensive weapon within 5 yards of the goal. Despite a myriad of rookie mistakes and the realizations a young player experiences when entering this league, we can see the kid learning and improving. He's simply a young man with incredible instincts that'll are really going to be looking good by the time he's of legal drinking age.
4) Kyle Okposo - Finally getting back to the hoped for goalscoring pace, Okposo's sheer strength, work ethic and saavy have deemed him the unofficial leader of this team. There's good reason that he's leading this team in assists as well. He's got a good eye and he brings the puck to the net as much or more than anyone else on this team. It's sometimes amazing what he's able to do with the puck and how strong he can be along the boards. A star in the making.
5) Ken Sutton - It's been a while since he's been this healthy, but he gives this team a physical presence they haven't had in ages. His hip-checks are a thing of beauty and he's been surprisingly solid with the puck. In addition, this team looked lost when Sutton was out of the line-up. He is an absolute cog on this team at the moment.

BIGGEST MINUSES:
1) Inability to clear the zone - This team's repeated and continued inability to get the puck out of their own zone, even in situations where a clear should come with 100% simplicity and surety, has led to a number of goals against and several unnecessary losses, none worse than the 3-2 loss in Minnesota. The problem is simply incredible and should be out of every pro's game no later than when he's a bantam and yet this team regularly fails to clear the puck in situations where there should be nothing standing in the way of doing so. It's downright scary and sickening how inefficient this team is in this department, especially the forwards when they have the puck within 5 feet of the blueline.
2) Inability to hold a lead - Minus number 1is a key reason for minus number 2, but this team has entered a number of third periods with a 2 plus goal lead and have wound up giving up that lead. Youthful or not, the team and indirectly the coaching staff, has had a terrrible time of turning such leads into two points. No team at the pro level can be expected to win or even make the playoffs if this problem isn't nipped in the bud over ASAP. It has a lasting psychological effect on a team and this club has to get to the point where that's a sure thing victory every time.
3) Overwhelmed blueline - Ken Sutton has improved incredibly, and thankfully both Jack Hillen and Andy MacDonald have slowly but surely shown that they can bet positive influences on the blueline, but not a player on this blueline has been above-average. Whether it's an overload of responsibility or not, Mark Streit just hasn't been the same player he was last season. Witt, Gervais and Meyer have spent more time being weak links than positive posts in the first half of this season, and it shows in the standings.
4) Brendon Witt - He's a warrior and he's done a few very good things this season, but his general lack of skill combined with the fact that this game is simply too fast for him nowadays has turned our one time leader into the team's weakest link, at least statistically. The drop in his play the past two seasons has become so grave, that he may be out of an NHL job before next season begins.
5) Martin Biron - He's not necessarily been terrible, but he hasn't shown the ability to just make those few extra saves needed for a win. In his defense, this team has scored at a ridiculously low clip in games he's started, but no matter what the reason is, his record is currently abysmal. He's not making any argument for more ice time nor is he helping Snow find another home for him. His game is missing something and Gordon has been forced to turn to him less and less as the season has progressed.

What Lies in Store:
Having started the second half of the season very successfully, primarily on the strength of Roloson's great play and the offensive strength of Okposo, Hunter, Nielsen and the ever-improving Bailey and Schremp, this team is showing the hockey world that is fully intent on fighting for a playoff spot. We're watching the kids improve step-by-step and they manage to dig out a lot of points that they surely wouldn't have gotten last season.

Providing us fans with eternal hope, it's hard to predict what's gonna happen in the second half. Many keep waiting for this team to finally fall on its face, but it simply will not go away. Anytime a few players start slumping, it almost seems as if others pick up the pace. It's fun, it's exciting, it's downright unexpected - and we should all enjoy it for as long as it lasts. Dipietro is coming back, the team will have a lot of rested players after the Olympics, the Islanders had the most prospects of any team at the recent WJC tournament (including gold-medalist Donovan) and kids like Okposo, Comeau, Schremp, Hillen and Bailey continue to get better. Thus, there's a lot of positive things to look forward to over the second half of the season.

I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that Snow pawns off Park, Biron and Sim at the trade deadline and this team will still be in the playoff race in the last week of the season.

Stat Pace after 41 Games

GOALIES:
Name GP W - L - T SO
Dwayne Roloson 52 28-14-10 0
Martin Biron 30 4-22-4 2

PLAYERS:
Name GP G - A - PT PM
John Tavares 82 32-24-56 20
Kyle Okposo 80 12-42-54 32
Matt Moulson 82 30-22-52 32
Mark Streit 82 8-32-40 60
Trent Hunter 52 14-18-32 12
Frans Nielsen 70 12-20-32 4
Josh Bailey 80 16-10-26 12
Richard Park 82 4-18-22 28
Jeff Tambellini 46 12-10-22 8
Sean Bergenheim 60 8-14-22 28
Blake Comeau 50 8-14-22 44
Jack Hillen 74 2-18-20 56
Andy Sutton 70 6-10-16 76
Jon Sim 78 8-6-14 56
Bruno Gervais 70 0-14-14 30
Rob Schremp 38 2-10-12 16
Nate Thompson 72 2-10-12 70
Doug Weight 22 0-12-12 40
Freddy Meyer 54 0-12-12 40
Brendan Witt 76 4-4-8 90
Tim Jackman 66 4-2-6 140
Jesse Joensuu 14 2-0-2 4
Andy MacDonald 34 2-0-2 16

Stolen from Forever 1940

2009-10-31T17:20:00.001-04:00

The Islanders tied an NHL record by playing in their seventh October overtime game. It didn't last long, as Mark Streit converted a pass from John Tavares 53 seconds into the extra session to give the Isles a 4-3 overtime win in Washington. On to the trick:

1. The Islanders, who won just once in their first ten games, moved to within one game of NHL-.500 with the overtime win in Washington. Kyle Okposo became the first Islander to score in the first period of a road game this season as he scored for the second consecutive game, before Frans Nielsen recorded his first two goals of the season in the second period -- the first time in his career that he has scored twice in a game, let alone a period.

2. Alexander the Great (Ovechkin) scored on a first period power play for Washington while Tomas Fleischmann added a pair of goals in the middle session for the Caps, who had won six straight entering the game.

3. Dwayne Roloson made 37 saves and despite not being named one of the "Three Stars" was arguably the best player on the ice for either team. Roloson made seventeen of those saves in the third period as he won for the second straight game. The Isles have earned a point in six of his seven starts (3-1-3). Jose Theodore made 26 saves for Washington.

...and a few more...

4. The Isles conquered the "Post-Ranger letdown", at least for one night. They are now 6-14-3 in their last 23 games following victories over the Rangers They had lost four straight games that followed victories over the Rangers.

5. Scott Gordon finally beat the Capitals after five straight defeats, three of them in overtime.

6. The Isles have now played seven overtime games (1 ot win, 1 shootout win, three overtime losses, and two shootout losses). Eight of their first twelve games have been decided by a single goal.

7. The Isles have won consecutive games for the first time since March 7 and 8. They scored four goals in a game (not including a shootout) for the first time since March 20th. The win also broke an 8-game road losing streak (0-5-3).

8. The Isles are 3-1-2 in their last six games, and have earned a point in four straight games (2-0-2) for the first time since going 3-0-1 last March 7-12.

9. The Isles held Ovechkin to one goal on 7 shots. They also blocked four of Ovechkin's shots and four others missed the net. Radek Martinek played a team-high 24:44 for the Isles, much of that against Ovechkin, and was credited with four blocks.

10. The season series is even at a game each, and at three points each as well (as the Caps won in overtime on Long Island last Saturday). The teams play again in Washington on Veterans' Day, before concluding the season series on January 26th at the Coliseum.

Up next: The Isles begin a two-game homestand when they host Buffalo on Halloween night. The Isles will be looking to avenge a 6-3 loss in Buffalo two weeks ago and get back to NHL .500 for the first time since opening the season 0-0-3. The Isles have won three straight on Halloween since losing to Toronto in 1996. The Isles will also be looking to win three straight for the first time since a four game win streak from January 21- February 3, 2009.

From The Captain

2009-10-25T11:13:00.001-04:00

Well, with the score 2-1 in the third - Bruce wants to bet me on when the Isles would blow the game. He said in regulation - I said in OT - How I wish I was wrong. But these guys can't close the deal.

Also, not impressed with Tavares, Okposo, Moulson tonight. Just tonight. Ovechkin was not much of a factor tonight - but that Mike Green :(

50-50 raffle = a paltry 1477 bucks (for a weekend)

Also, the State Farm Agent of the game was Anthony Petrozella of Queens.

They also played " No Sleep till Brooklyn" right after that Agent of the game announcement - is Wang trying to tell us something?

Lastly, Kristen McElroy (who is challenging Kate Murray) was in the house - and the team posted her on the jumbotron twice and invited fans to see her at Gate 12. Guess Wang and Murray's chat did not go so well :)

Oh well,

Stolen from Forever1940

2009-10-21T00:06:00.001-04:00

On Wednesday night, the Isles will look to avoid tying the club record for consecutive games without a win to start a season -- the record is seven, and is held by the 1973-74 squad (0-3-4).

On Thursday, the Isles will begin something almost as rare, when they make the first of two visits to Montreal in a five day period. It's only the 8th time in club history that the Isles will play consecutive road games against the same opponent.

It's the third time in club history that the Isles will sandwich a home game with road games against the same opponent.

The list:

12/31/86-1/9/87 @ NYR (the Isles played two home games in between)

2/8/96-2/22/96 @ NYR (the Isles played four home games in between)

10/17/01-10/26/01 @ Carolina (two home games in between)

3/19/02-3/28/02 @ Toronto (four home games in between)

4/6/06-4/11/06 @ NYR (one home game in between)

11/28/06-12/2/06 @ Pittsburgh (one home game in between)

1/26/07-2/1/07 @ Atlanta (two home games in between)

10/22/09-10/26/09 @ Montreal (one home game in between)

Quick Coliseum Report

2009-10-12T18:02:00.001-04:00

50 - 50 Raffle was 1,570 bucks. NO STATE FARM AGENT OF THE GAME !!!

For those who were there - doesn't it seem like the "Game Operations" team has taken a big cut ? Very little in terms of seeing the Ice Girls, or other in game promos this time around.

Perhaps they had "Mascot Day' or - was it "Kids' opening day?"

I mention this - because I hear of major turnover in staff in the sales side? Comments?

They listed 12.500 or so as announced crowd - I say 8500 - lots of empty seats as folks had to work.

OH WELL

Go Isles

Quick Look at Bridgeport

2009-10-03T18:27:00.007-04:00

Last season's Bridgeport Soundtigers experienced their best season ever. Still, despite 49 regular season wins and 106 points, the team's season fizzled to a halt in a 5 game first round dismissal. As disappointing as that was, it certainly is understandable in light of a differing line-up and a bunch of younger players experience their first AHL playoff hockey, if not simply their first AHL hockey.

The good news is, the 09-10 regular season shouldn't differ all that much from the 08-09 regular season, at least with respect to the regular season standings. Many of the core components such as Nathan Lawson, Andrew MacDonald, Dustin Kohn, Mark Wotton, Trevor Smith and Jesse Joensuu are returning. They played key roles in last year's success and are each expected to carry their share of the load with the mother club expecting another step in development from each and every one of them other than elder statesman Wotton. The loss of several good veterans such as Chris Lee, Joe Callahan, Mike Iggulden, Jeremy Colliton, Ben Walter and Mr. McLean have been compensated for with the signing of other established AHLers such as Scott Munroe, Mark Flood, Brett Westgarth, Jeremy Reich, Greg Moore, Greg Mauldin, Bobby Hughes, and Trevor Gillies. That contingent could be enchanced by Matt Moulson, if and when he's sent down (uhhh, and he will be).

Of course, the best thing about this year's edition is that more of the Islanders' own draft picks than perhaps ever before will be looked to as regulars in the upcoming season. After an initial (and disappointing) year in the Swedish SEL, young trickster Robin Figren will be spending the season on the farm, and hopefully dazzling his way to a cup of coffee on the Island at some point this season. The returning 6'4", 200 lbs. Tomas Marcinko is returning after a rough rookie year and is hoping to take on a totally different role this season, especially with Rob Henningar having been traded. Pleasant OHL surprises Justin DiBenedetto and Matt Martin, both drafted as overagers, are signed and ready to go. They each had a pretty good NHL camp and both looked primed for a strong introduction to the pro ranks. Their Sarnia teammate and former 3rd round pick Mark Katic is expected to spend the season in Bridgeport and hopefully become a regular on the power play. The latest addition was this summer's 31st overall pick, goaltender Mikko Koskinen, who wasn't only drafted surprisingly early, but also an unexpected signing - one that must have been made with some conviction considering there was no rush and he was likely in line for 1st string duties in the SIM Liiga. To show that the surprises just weren't gonna stop coming, the Islanders also signed 2009 5th rounder Anton Klimentiev, likely just to keep him in North America and avoid any possible stress that could come with a signing in Russia. Whether he plays in the AHL, ECHL or even in the OHL (also drafted there this summer), Anton looks destined for a season in North America.

Also returning are regulars Sean Bentivoglio and Tyler Haskins as well as roughian fan favorites Pascal Morency and Michael Haley. Summer signee Jason Dale and Long Island's own Vlad Nikiforov are currently down in Utah while Jon Gleed and Jake Gannon appear to be in the picture for the Soundtigers, with Gleed likely lining up with captain Mark Wotton on opening night.

Topping things off was the addition of Long Island's own Tony Romano who scored 36 goals last season in the OHL. Coming over in a trade for Ben Walter, Romano has been strong this fall and looks ready to pivot one of the top 3 lines.

With a plethora of depth, an above-average goaltending trio, a great balance between AHL rookies & veterans as well as one of the most aspiring coaches in all of pro hockey in Jack Capuano, the only real weakness of note is the lack of experience on the blueline, although this group would have to be considered league average, at worst. All in all, the fans of both the Soundtigers and Islanders should keep a good eye on this team because it is really turning into a top address in the AHL while always keeping its focal point on player development.

Following is a breakdown of the type of pointage you the fans can realistically expect from the players this season.

GOALTENDING:
Munroe 25+ wins
Koskinen 15+ wins
Lawson 5+ wins

DEFENSE:
MacDonald 30+ points
Katic, Flood each 25+ points
Kohn, Wotton each 15+ points
Westgarth, Gleed, Gannon each 5 points

FORWARDS:
Smith 65 points
Mauldin, Moore, Joensuu, Moulson each 40+ points
Reich, DiBenedetto each 30+ points
Romano, Bentivoglio, Figren each 25+ points
Haskins, Marcinko, Martin each 20+ points
Morency, Haley, Hughes, Gillies each up to 10 points

Ohhhhh, and one last thing: expect this team to be involved in as many fights as any team in the AHL!

Curiosities Entering the Season

2009-10-02T09:04:00.003-04:00

With the league and Islander stats predictions in and the home opener not even 36 hours away, one can’t help but have a few other questions about the upcoming season, for example:

- What role will the injury bug play this year? Arguably, few other teams have been hit as hard the past two seasons as our beloved Islanders have been. Will things change? Well, if the preseason is any indication…
- For a team putting heavy emphasis on younger players, we have a blueline that is long in the tooth and perhaps short on talent. As the lone draftee playing amongst the top 7, will Gervais continue to build on the steps he took during the second half of the 08-09 season?
- Other than Streit, who is going to man this team’s point on the power play? Hillen looked like he was getting a shot in the preseason, but last season saw players like Weight and Okposo get a good amount of time manning the points. Will Gordon look to go that route again, sometimes even having 5 forwards on the ice at once?
- Speaking of Gordon, he’s no longer got the bye of being a pure NHL rookie. At the same time, he’s hardly entering this season with a better line-up than he had last season. The question is, will the continuity of having retained a good 85% of the line-up allow this team to now show the true colors of Gordon’s more complicated overspeed system?
- Even more so than Gervais, Jeff Tambellini really turned things around down the stretch run last season. It seemed to come as a result of his readiness to be a player who contributes in areas other than scoring, which had been his chief responsibility at every other station thus far in his career. He does work hard and he is fast, but can he now take it all to another level this season?
- Roloson and Biron instead of MacDonald and Danis: on paper, a huge upgrade in the goaltending department. How much of an upgrade will it translate into in the standings?
- Will Streit solidify his standing as one of the NHL’s top 15 defenseman? I mean common’, can he really duplicate the type of season he had last year?
- Can any of Sim, Bergenheim, Comeau, Tambellini or Moulson be an answer in the secondary scoring department this season?
- Will any of the kids who took nice strides last season take a few steps back this year?
- Will Bailey quietly become one of the NHL’s top young two-way centers?
- How much of a jump will Okposo take after having a very convincing rookie year?
- At what juncture this season will we fans become more concerned about next summer’s draft than with our battle for a playoff spot?
- Once the trade deadline approaches, which of Weight, Witt, Biron/Roloson, Park, Sim, Moulson, Sutton, Meyer or Martinek – or anyone else deemed worthy of exchanging – will Snow be able to turn into another asset for this franchise? Or will we actually be able to be a buyer?
- The biggest off-ice issue in Islanderland? We should know by the end of the season if the Islanders’ future will take place on Long Island, or not.
- The biggest on-ice issue in Islanderland? In Tavares, we now have a Canadian kid who has garnered more attention than any other non-NHL player over the past two years. In fact, he simply is the most talked about kid coming out of juniors since Crosby joined the NHL’s ranks. Now his time has come to make his NHL dreams true, but he doesn’t necessarily have a lot to work with out there. Just what kind of season is he going to have?

Here’s looking forward to a nice start to the season as well as some positive answers to the questions above. The opener will see our Isles facing a Penguins team that is hopefully going to be showing signs of a Stanley Cup hangover. It’s also a team that might be coming in here without a few important players like Cooke, Talbot and the aforementioned Crosby. The Isles will have a few nights off after the big home opener and will then hit the road for games in Ottawa and Boston on Thursday and Saturday, respectively. By the end of October, our Islanders will have played roughly a sixth of the season.

For those in attendance tomorrow, have fun and make some noise!

More stuff stolen from Forever1940

2009-10-02T04:51:00.001-04:00

With Trent Hunter on the Injured list, the Isles will start the season without the team's active leader in games played, goals, power play goals, game winning goals, assists and points as an Islander.

So who holds those distinctions now (only in games played as an Islander)?

(NHL.com now has a new stats engine that allows you to answer such pressing questions.)

Games: Martinek 373, Park 235 (Trottier 1,123 is all-time club leader)

Goals: Park 36, Bergenheim 30 (Bossy 573)

PP goals: Okposo 10, Streit 10 (Bossy 181)

GW goals: Bergenheim 7, Park 5 (Bossy 82)

Assists: Martinek 68, Park 53 (Trottier 853)

Points: Park 89, Martinek 84 (Trottier 1,353)

Hunter is 87-110-197 in 381 games as an Isle with 21 pp goals and 15 gw goals.

Forever1940 is the nom de plume of Eric Hornick, statistician on Islander home telecasts since 1982. Visit my blog: forever1940.blogspot.com and follow me on Twitter @ehornick

Stolen from Forever1940

2009-10-02T04:50:00.001-04:00

The Isles will play their 37th Opening Night on Saturday. The Isles are 9-19-8 on Opening Night; a .361 winning percentage.

Only two teams have lower percentages: (San Jose (.353) and Anaheim (.267))

Of course this will be only the 5th season that the Isles have opened at home (2-2-0)

They opened at home in 1972 (first game ever), 1980 (first banner raising), January 1995 (After lockout) and 1998 (after Gluckstern threatened to move due to leaks).

Forever1940 is the nom de plume of Eric Hornick, statistician on Islander home telecasts since 1982. Visit my blog: forever1940.blogspot.com and follow me on Twitter @ehornick

NYI STAT PREDICTIONS

2009-09-30T12:43:00.008-04:00

For all you folks who enjoy magazines like McKeen's Pool Yearbook, here's a blog for you: your (un)official NYI STAT PREDICTIONS!

NYI: 34-40-8 for 76 points

GOALIES:

Dwayne Roloson
There’s little to say about Roli, a guy who has stuck around a long time and has somehow gotten better with age. He’s technically coming off his best season and is used to playing with goalies who are placing a claim on the starting role. Hopefully he’s like a fine wine that just gets better with age, because we’ll be needing just that if we’re to get anywhere in the standings. Since nominal and numeral improvement (however menial) is expected vis-à-vis the goaltending situation last season, Dwayne should ultimately be one of the main reasons for it.
Stats with Islanders:
17-22-4 in 46 games, 2.90 GAA, .912 SV%

Martin Biron:
A surprise signing, the guy is simply a bona-fide NHL starter who knows that the Island is serving as little more than a purgatory-style phase in his career. He'll earn some decent change to feed that brood of his and will hopefully gain a few wins for this team in the process - the type that goalies last season were not able to get this club! Still, expect him to be gone at the trade deadline - I predict to Philly:-)
Stats with Islanders:
12-16-2 in 32 games, 2.74 GAA, .916 SV%

Rick Dipietro:
As opposed to last season, Dipietro will not come back just to go on the IR again shortly thereafter. In addition, once he comes back, he is gonna look great. That's my call. He'll be extremely motivated and he'll give a preview of what type of wall he plans on being in the '10-11 season.
Stats with Islanders:
5-2-2 in 9 games, 2.38 GAA, .918 SV%

DEFENSE:

Mark Streit:
He came here looking like a power play specialist. He ended last season looking like one of the league's top ten defensemen. We knew he could put up some points; we found out he can do everything else as well. Tavares and Dipietro will continue putting in dibs as the face of the franchise, but the Islanders' best player is Mark Streit. I dare say he's better than any of Hamrlik, Aucoin or even Jonsson were!
Stats with Islanders:
12-49-61 in 75 games

Bruno Gervais: 6-20-26
No blueliner made as much progress last season as Gervais did. The question remains: did he really develop into a legitimate Dman for this team or was his success the simple result of being paired with Streit? I believe it was a little of both - and with Steit he shall play again. Part of the top pairing entering the season, young Gervais is refreshing and is a guy you see being very active in the community. He is a late-round pick and has earned his way to where he is now. He should continue being a block in the youth movement.
Stats with Islanders:
6-20-26 in 78 games

Jack Hillen:
The college UFA had an up-n-down first pro season and has looked pretty good in the preseason. He can skate and can move the puck. That means that he's got a heads up in a Gordonesque system. He'll get some PP time this season and will start to look like he wasn't such a bad signing after all. Still, he's not getting us any closer to a cup.
Stats with Islanders:
4-17-21 in 62 games

Ken Sutton:
A world of size, two seasons marred by injury, and a reputation amongst Islander fans as a player ever-so-ready to make the clumsy, botched up play. I myself wonder where that crazy-*** bastard I saw in Atlanta has gone? I'm not holding my breath, but I think we'll finally see a bit of that fella this season. It's a contract year for him. With several forwards getting point time on the PP nowadays, don't expect Sutton to keep up his surprisingly good offensive pace of last season (2-8-10 in 23 games).
Stats with Islanders:
6-12-18 in 69 games

Freddy Meyer IV:
Freddy played less than 30 games last season and I get the jist that many Islander fans still do not appreciate what he brings to the table, namely a hard, honest effort. He has had a few flashes of brilliance and I just know that there's a 35 point Dman in there somewhere, but he'll not be appearing on Long Island. He's a useful depth Dman. Expect him to quietly go about his business this season, probably his last with the organization.
Stats with Islanders:
2-15-17 in 72 games

Radek Martinek:
Truly one of the nicest depth defensemen in the league, Martinek is a guy who you just know will be spending at least a quarter of the season on the IR list. I suspect it'll be the same this season. He showed a surprising tendency to score goals last season, but he strength lies in being positioned intelligently and quickly starting the rush in the other direction. He's a good man... just wish we'd see more of him in the course of a long and hard season.
Stats with Islanders:
4-7-11 in 64 games

Brendan Witt:
Say it sooo folks, but Brendan Witt is looking like a fella on his last leg. Hopefully he'll provide a boatload of blocked shots and rough customer treatment, because there's not much there in either the skill or speed department. Fans like him and I wager the boys on the team do to. Let's just pray that some other team feels he can help their playoff run, because there's little chance that Witt's Islander career is extending past this season anyway.
Stats with Islanders:
1-5-6 in 58 games

Andy MacDonald:
Andy is currently the Dman in BPort who is closest to making the NHL. This sixth rounder, drafted as an overager as a Ted Nolan tip, spent a season in the ECHL looking like it'd be his final destination. He suddenly not only made it to the AHL, but even became a top-pairing Dman and was nominated to the AHL all-star game. He should get a cup of coffee on the Island because injuries are inevitable. Never thought he'd even become a topic, but he looks like this generation's Trent Hunter.
Stats with Islanders:
1-3-4 in 17 games

Each of Kohn, Katic, Flood and even de Haan could see a handful of games throughout the season. Another waiver-wire pick-up along the way shouldn't come as a surprise.

FORWARDS:

Kyle Okposo:
One can say that Okposo might have gotten a bit lost in the Tavares-hoopla this summer, but let there be no doubt that this young bronco is turning into the "Shane Doan" of the franchise. If it wasn't evident to you last season, it will be by the end of this season. Expect him to be our best player on many a night this season as he looks to earn a spot on Team USA, whether in the Olympics or at the WC in Germany. He can do a little bit of everything and is incredibly strong on the puck. We must hope that there'll be no ugly side affects with respect to his preseason concussion, because that's the type of thing Islanderland just doesn't deserve. Neither does Kyle.
Stats with Islanders:
24-28-52 in 75 games

John Tavares:
Don't expect tooooo much. He's a young rookie with a lot of expectations to live up to, but he's hardly surrounded by the type of talent that'll help him reach any lofty heights. You should however expect growth, progress and signs of quick learning. His first year may be steadier than last season's first overall pick, but it won't be all that much different statistically. Expect more setting up than sniping.
Stats with Islanders:
21-26-47 in 79 games

Josh Bailey:
Many will continue debating whether Josh should have stayed with the club and fought through last season or have been sent back down to captain the CHL's top team and perhaps even Team Canada at the WJC, which Canada hosted. Important for us now is that he's shown us no reason to believe that he won't continue improving in every capacity. He took huge steps in the course of last season and seems ready for more this year, his bulked up frame already being very noticeable. As a two-way forward, he'll be entrusted with a good load of responsibility this year and gosh darnit, Mr. Bailey might just be more than ready for it. Expect slight stat improvement and some crafty face-off tenacity.
Stats with Islanders:
14-27-41 in 76 games

Trent Hunter:
Trent just keeps on truckin', remaining a fan favorite, throwing as many checks as anyone in the league and always letting us think he could just be a 50 point man if he could get in a good 80 games. Alas, that hasn't happened recently and one of the league's most underrated players and best financial deals is just craving for the type of health and responsibility that'll let him be all that he can be. Expect him to be good when he's in the line-up, especially if playing with Nielsen, but injuries are to be assumed until proven otherwise.
Stats with Islanders:
16-22-38 in 62 games

Jeff Tambellini:
Last season really didn't go as planned for Jeff. The start to his season was just about as bad as it could get for a 24 year old with nothing more to prove at the AHL level and an NHL team simply GIVING him scoring line duties. Still, Jeff managed to turn into a player who went into the corners and held his own for the last 25 games of the season. His stats improved and he seemed to be a player who had started to "get it". Look for him to improve upon that this season and establish himself as an NHLer who just needed more time. He's certainly fast and hard working, so Garth's faith in him may yet pay off. Don't forget, it took Jason Blake a good while to establish himself as more than a 4th liner.
Stats with Islanders:
13-24-37 in 79 games

Blake Comeau:
Simple story here: Blake is a solid player. He is a good young winger who will continue to develop this season and is gonna be talked about on occasion - and not just by Islander fans. The scoring won't be off the charts, but he'll be among the more consistent Islanders and will play his part in improving the on-ice product.
Stats with Islanders:
12-25-37 in 77 games

Doug Weight:
In addition to Streit, Doug Weight is our leader extraordinaire and is most definitely THE spokesman on the team. His career as an announcer isn't far down the line, but for this seaon, he's got to help steer the ship. His production when he played last season really wasn't bad, especially for the first 25 games. Still, we have to expect more of the same in the injury department, something that already started this fall. He'll be our main man on some nights and, in addition to Streit, will regularly be the provider of the best passes we Isles fans will see this season, but let there be no doubt that his on-ice impact will be somewhat minimal when all is said and done.
Stats with Islanders:
8-26-34 in 61 games

Frans Nielsen:
Gotta love the Frans. He actually had a mighty fine little season for a 3rd line center breaking in. He too suffered a brutal injury incurred in part due to that one unnecessary hit by the Devils' Mottau, but when there, he was a swift and hard-working guy who even went where it hurts. Smart is a good way to describe him. Unfortunately for us, he's hurt his knee again and he'll start things up late this season. He should however continue to bring the same intelligence and prowess once back and do expect him to score more goals than he did last season.
Stats with Islanders:
11-21-32 in 66 games

Sean Bergenheim:
Many are hoping for big things from Sean. I am too, but expect injuries and groin problems to continue to be a part of his world. The 20 goal plateau is thoroughly realistic, but things are gonna have to go well for Sean in the health department and with respect to chemistry with his linemates. He'll show some great things this season, cut down on the dumb penalties and will even be the star of the game on a couple of occasions. Unfortunately, this won't be the season he establishes himself as a scorer.
Stats with Islanders:
13-11-24 in 62 games

Jon Sim:
From Botta to Sim himself, we've heard that the guy just had a wrotten seaon last year stemming from his ACL tear the season before. He's working hard and trying to resuscitate his NHL career. Snow surely had hopes that he'd be a 20-15-35 type player when he was signed to a million per a couple of summers ago, but it hasn't worked out. That'll not change this season, even if he does get plugged in all over the line-up. Look for Sim to be waived with every opportunity and some team will take him later in the season. His contract is almost over.
Stats with Islanders:
11-8-19 in 53 games

Richard Park:
He's the little engine that could and an extremely valuable depth and role player. That will not change this season. What will change is his modestly strong production, because fact is, it's time for the younger guys to get more of those minutes that Park was getting the past few, injury-riddled seasons. In fact, if things go well in the development department, look for Park to be a topic at the trade deadline - guys like him can help in playoff runs.
Stats with Islanders:
7-12-19 in 59 gams

Matt Moulson:
It shouldn't be too surprising for Islander fans that this apparent AHL signing has found a way to stick to start off the season. He signed here knowing it may be his last NHL chance and just two seasons ago, he was one of LA's big hopefuls. He has shown a little chemistry with Tavares but no-one should expect it to turn into a regular gig. He should help us as a depth player who scores the odd goal, but Moulson will get lost in the numbers game if we should have any luck in the health department. By season's end, he'll either be manning the first line in the AHL or will have been dished off at the deadline to a team willing to add him as a depth player for the playoff run.
Stats with Islanders:
8-6-14 in 47 games

Tim Jackman:
Jackman came out of nowhere with improved skating last season and took quite a beating as a roughian in order to earn himself an NHL contract - which he got. He's an ample 4th liner and has shown an incredible willingness to "take one for the team". Gotta respect him though, because the boys in that locker room sure do. He's simply not a real fighter, but he's willing and will shed blood for this team again this year. That's important for an Islander team lacking a true enforcer. Has developed into a decent penalty killer.
Stats with Islanders:
3-5-8 in 70 games

Jesse Joensuu LW/RW:
Many fans were ready to simply pencil Joensuu into the line-up. Not sure why, but I believe it had something to do with his size and +22 on the farm. Newsflash: the young Finn just isn't ready yet. Time for him to role up his sleeves and work on being productive on the farm, even when it means potting the garbage goals. He has a possible NHL future and the tools are there. Skating has improved and he can even dazzle a bit. He'll take strides on the farm and should be a real option next fall. Expect another cup of coffee this season, muchst like last season.
Stats with Islanders:
2-2-4 in 9 games

Trevor Smith C/F:
Last year's most improved AHL prospect, Smith has gone from college dropout to ECHL all-star to top gun in BPort in less than two calendar years. He got a long look this preseason and he's a guy with a nose for the net. Size and speed may hold him back, but he offers a good depth option with room to improve. Should be one of BPort's go-to guys once again. Breakthrough not coming this season.
Stats with Islanders:
2-1-3 in 16 games

Jeremy Reich F:
Gordon coached him for several years and he's a guy who has 50 some games of NHL experience. His willingness to be a middleweight and play aggressively will likely see him get some time on the Island this season, especially when Rechnlicz's knuckles are too sore. Just a depth player who could have a big leadership impact with Bridgeport.
Stats with Islanders:
1-1-2 in 10 games

Justin Dibenedetto F:
Drafted as an overager and blossomed as an offensive player who can put up points without Stamkos. He's gonna be in BPort for most of the season, but expect him to get a cup of coffee and actually register a point. He'll be more productive on the farm in the second half of the season.
Stats for Islanders:
0-1-1 in 4 games

Matt Martin:
I'm getting the fever. A few weeks back, I didn't think he'd be signed, but he came to camp looking like a man on mission. He did some nice things in the preseason and showed a willingness to fight, actually holding his own quite well. Now I'm excited. His season will begin in the farm system and I'm not sure if he'll start off in BPort or Utah, but I'm simply looking forward to him getting ice time. He simply needs to play. There is ample reason to fear that any perceived set-backs will bum him out a bit, but I think he's gonna spend some time on the Island and we're gonna find ourselves liking him real quick!
Stats with Islanders:
1-1-2 in 18 games

Joel Rechlicz RW:
He'll be around. He wants to be a heavyweight and that is something we don't otherwise have. He's young and enthusiastic. Expect him to stick on the Island as a 14th forward and play every couple of games, and all of the games against the NYR, Philadelphia and Toronto. Also expect him to have more than 200 PMs this season. He'll get beat a good share of the time, but Islander fans will appreciate his blood 'n gutts attitude and demeanor.
Stats with Islanders:
0-1-1 in 43 games

WILDCARD

Robbie Schremp C:
No matter what you think of this pick-up, pretty much EVERY Islander fan is majorly curious how it's gonna turn out. We all know that there are several examples of young guys who needed little more than a change of scenary in order to finally bloom. Will Schremp be one of them?
Stats with Islanders:
5-12-17 in 38 games

EASTERN CONFERENCE SEASON PREVIEW

2009-09-29T09:57:00.006-04:00

NICE 'N ISLANDER-RELATED

As our New York Islanders enter the 09-10 season, there’s no doubt they are currently one of those teams in the NHL that the media of the hockey world simply has little interest in. Surely the presence of a one Mr. Tavares puts us in a certain spotlight that we haven’t had in recent memory, but what will happen if he starts off this season anything like Steven Stamkos did for the Tampa Bay Lightning last year? Expecting anything else might prove to be little more than wishful thinking on our behalves. Speaking of expectations, our team is promptly experiencing preseason placement in the lower 10th of the standings with nary a publication expecting more than a spot amongst the league’s worst three teams.

Now, unlike previous years where certain “professional” hockey writers have even gone so far as to NOT preview the Islanders based on statements to the effect that the team is simply far too uninteresting to waste one’s time on, publications are at least giving this franchise credit for taking a conservative and promising path to better competitiveness. In addition, whereas the team made few splashes in the course of this summer and may have failed to improve certain on-ice weaknesses (enforcer, defensive depth, scoring winger), there is no doubt that the drafting of Tavares – considered to be immediately NHL-capable, if not more – as well as the signing of not one but two bona-fide NHL goaltenders in Roloson and Biron, has this team looking better than it did this time last year. One must also think (hope, believe?) that the Islanders can’t possibly have worse luck in the injury department than was the case last season. This all accumulates into the assumption that this team must be better than last year’s edition. Still, I suppose the many experts out there will say that although this would seem true, the competition hasn’t been sleeping either.

Indeed it hasn’t, but are the other teams in the conference really as strong as some may suggest? Haven’t some, perhaps like Philly, only created some new holes in order to plug others (uhh, goaltending)? Will teams that aren’t starting the season with a Danny Heatley or Phil Kessel going to be as good as they have been with those players? Can a team whose first line consists of some extremely talented players, none of which is taller than roughly 4’2”, successfully handle the rigors of a long NHL season? Will a team losing its best goalie and top DMan still be able to fight for that 8th spot in the conference? As always, the results are earned on the ice and not on paper, but I’ll contend that this season is going to see more than one team have a heck of a lot of trouble maintaining the lofty spot it held in last year’s standings. In so many ways, it seems like many of last year’s competitive teams have lost a bit more than they’ve gained. This could be said of no less than the Flyers, Bruins, Penguins, Devils, Panthers and especially, the ohhhh so despised of NY Rangers.

With this in mind, here’s a short look at where I BOLDLY predict the teams in the NHL to finish this season!

1) Washington – Their time seems to have come. A team that’s been on the rise will see its Ovechkin literally “will” them to the top of the conference. He has some help and the Theodore/Varlamov tandem will be sufficient enough in the regular season.
Topscorer: Alex Ovechkin with 54-58-112
Keep an eye on: Nicklas Backstrom, maybe the league’s most underrated playmaker.

2) Philadelphia – Like Washington, the goaltending will suffice in the regular season and this team is simply loaded up front. Pronger’s leadership is the key to an otherwise suspect defense, despite what many think the names should add up to. Once the playoffs start though, it’ll be a whole new ball game.
Topscorer: Simon Gagne with 33-52-85
Keep an eye on: Ray Emery, because there’s probably not a player in the league with more to prove.

3) Ottawa – YES, I’m not joking. The big chip on the shoulder has been removed and something tells me these boys are gonna be the better for it. By the by, there’s still a boatload of talent hanging around in Ottawa. Goaltending and the defense will have to be much better than last season though.
Topscorer: Jason Spezza with 35-56-91
Keep an eye on: Jonathan Cheechoo, whose career simply MUST take a swing upwards after 4 years of unalterable decrease in production.

4) Boston – Some players were just too good last year. The team has depth, but Krejci is out the first few months and they simply are not the team they were without Kessel in the line-up.
Topscorer: Marc Savard with 18-53-71
Keep an eye on: Michael Ryder, who will be asked for even more now that Kessel is gone.

5) Carolina – The little engine that could is still solid from top to bottom. Staal is a real stud, the blueline is doable and there are a few kids of note coming up through the system. It may not be a smooth trip, but Carolina is a tough team with a top goaltender.
Topscorer: Eric Staal with 39-37-76
Keep an eye on: Chad Larose, a guy who has improved every season and has become part of Carolina’s identity.

6) Pittsburgh – Crosby, Malkin, Fluery, Staal… this team will once again center (literally) around its young guns and the regular season will have its share of bumps and bruises. They lost some solid role players and didn’t necessarily replace them. In addition, the stars are surrounded by the Kunitz, Guerins and Fedetenkos of the world. Still, it’ll be a whole new story once the playoffs come around.
Topscorer: Evgeny Malkin with 42-73-115
Keep an eye on: Eric Tangradi, because someone has to prove offensively worthy of playing with Malkin or Crosby.

7) Tampa Bay – This season will be a whole new story. The additions were very good this summer and in Lecavalier, St. Louis, Stamkos, Malone, Meszaros and Smith, the team already had some real decent players to build around. I see much improvement in the standings coming on in TB.
Topscorer: Martin St. Louis with 36-58-94
Keep an eye on: Steven Stamkos, whose 2nd half to last season was simply outstanding for a rookie!

8) Montreal – The Habs must make good on last season and fact is, there are a lot of boys in Montreal who can really play this game. The pressure remains immense, but expect a competitive team to slip into the playoffs and be the type of opponent no-one wants to face in round 1.
Topscorer: Scott Gomez with 23-54-77
Keep an eye on: Carey Price, because not a goalie in the league will have THIS many critics to satisfy?

9) Atlanta – Is what Washington was the season before last. Things are looking good in Atlanta and the blueline was much improved last season – at least in the talent department. Goaltending has been solidified and there were some solid signings. They’ll make things interesting.
Topscorer: Ilya Kovalchuk with 53-46-99
Keep an eye on: Rich Peverley, who can’t possibly be as productive as he was for ATL last season, right?

10) Toronto – The Leafs will be one tough opponent to play against. There is talent here and they’ve got lots of guys who can literally hurt you. A lack of scoring at critical junctures will be what ultimately keeps them out of the playoffs, but things are definitely looking up. Most blueline depth in the league right now.
Topscorer: Phil Kessel with 41-24-45
Keep an eye on: Viktor Stalberg, who may be the biggest league-wide surprise to make an NHL line-up out of camp.

11) New Jersey – In recent years, I’d never count them out. Something tells me none of Brodeur, Parise or Langenbrunner will be able to hold the torch high enough to be in the playoffs again this year.
Topscorer: Zach Parise with 34-37-71
Keep an eye on: Paul Martin, who wants to be on Team USA and needs to finally put up the numbers to show it.

12) Buffalo – So much homegrown talent, but a nagging feeling in my stomach sees this team simply not being deep enough in the face of injury. That’ll be its downfall. Once Connolly falls, a lot of hard-fought 2-1 and 3-2 losses will be the result.
Topscorer: Roman Vanek with 42-33-75
Keep an eye on: Tim Connolly, because his being able to play 70 games as opposed to 35 will determine if this team is in the playoffs or not.

13) NY Islanders – The Isles will earn this spot based on a commitment to the system and better goaltending. They’ll still not be the prettiest team to watch, but the level of competitiveness and the improvements the kids make will be visible, will keep them in the running for a long time and will show the NHL, that they are a team on the rise! The goal this season is to simply show the critics that there’s much more in the tank than most currently believe.
Topscorer: Kyle Okposo with 24-28-52
Keep an eye on: John Tavares, the most highly touted player in hockey since… uhh, Steven Stamkos?

14) NY Rangers – If it weren’t for Lundqvist, this team would suffer greatly this season, but the question marks are far too great at the moment to rank the Rags ahead of other teams. Should health be on their side, they’ll not be at this spot. My prediction, however, is that their most important players are gonna lose too much time for this team to hold its head above water.
Topscorer: Marian Gaborik with 28-26-54
Keep an eye on: Artem Anisimov, upon whose shoulders A LOT of hope is being placed.

15) Florida Panthers – A fundamentally solid team, the loss of Anderson and Bouwmeester will weigh too heavily for Florida to compete. The biggest problem will continue to be a lack of offense. There’s only going to be so much that Weiss, Horton, Frolik and Booth can do.
Topscorer: David Booth with 27-38-65
Keep an eye on: Michael Frolik, who’s not called “baby Jagr” for nothing!

QUICK WESTERN CONFERENCE TIPPS

1) Detroit Red Wings – Still have all the ingredients.
Topscorer: Pavel Datsyuk with 38-51-89
2) San Jose Sharks – Have star power and a few real good kids.
Topscorer: Joe Thornton with 26-66-92
3) Calgary Flames – See San Jose.
Topscorer: Jerome Iginla with 41-53-94
4) St. Louis Blues – Chicago who? This is THE most up-n-coming team in hockey!
Topscorer: Andy MacDonald with 24-54-78
5) Chicago Blackhawks – Have question marks, no doubts, but doggone exciting.
Topscorer: Patrick Kane with 33-49-82
6) Vancouver Canucks – Solid, but still need to find more all-round production.
Topscorer: Henrik Sedin with 17-72-89
7) Anaheim Ducks – Ohhh, they’ll be in the playoffs and NO-ONE will want to play them there!
Topscorer: Ryan Getzlaf with 34-51-85
8) Dallas Stars – Simply too good when healthy not to be a playoff team.
Topscorer: Brendan Morrow with 36-41-77

9) LA Kings – Almost there, but goaltending won’t be good enough.
Topscorer: Anze Kopitar with 23-55-78
10) Edmonton - Still getting better, but just can’t put it all together.
Topscorer: Ales Hemsky with 28-48-76
11) Columbus Blue Jackets – Too much responsibility on the shoulders of young and small forwards.
Topscorer: Rick Nash with 45-37-82
12) Nashville Predators – Good, solid club with a great blueline and still desperate for scorers.
Topscorer: Jason Arnott with 29-32-61
13) Minnesota Wild – Going back to the drawing board, even if there are some interesting parts.
Topscorer: Martin Havlat with 31-42-73
14) Phoenix Coyotes – Some kids will prevent them from the best lottery percentage.
Topscorer: Shane Doan with 29-36-65
15) Colorado Avalanche – I see more injuries; I see last place!
Topscorer: Paul Stastny with 25-50-75

Stolen from Forever1940

2009-09-09T23:02:00.000-04:00

Armstrong made his NHL debut in Arbour's 1499th NHL game. If he doesn't make it back to the NHL, there will be no active NHLers who played for the Islanders in that game.

--- In IslanderFans@yahoogroups.com, therara@... wrote:
>
>
>
> Blues signee Armstrong may find key role with Rivermen
>

A Letter from the MacPherson's

2009-08-31T21:42:00.001-04:00

Hi Roger,

I thought you might be interested reading the attached account of the
investigation of Duncan's death, which was written by Austrian
investigative journalist for Austrian publication, Datum. The German
version (and photos) can be accessed at
http://www.datum.at/7809/stories/5780369. Assuming you do not read
German, I am attaching the English version of the story, which the
writer, Florian Skrabal translated it for us.

We think he did a good job of weaving the story together, and exposing
the lies/cover-up. For the first time in 20 years, I feel Duncan's
voice has been heard in Austria.

At the same time that the story hit the newsstands, Peter Pilz of the
Austrian Green Party submitted a parliamentary inquiry to each of the
Ministries of Justice, Interior, and Transport; he asked questions that
are going to be very difficult for the Ministers to answer.

And, so, our battle to get the truth out continues - 20 years now! I
know the Austrians just want us to go away, die, or be sent to a nursing
home for incompetence; but, hopefully, we have a few years left!

Hope you are well, and enjoying a nice summer,

Regards,

Lynda and Bob MacPherson

On Thin Ice - A Duncan MacPherson Uodate by Florian Skrabal From Austria

2009-08-31T21:21:00.003-04:00

On Thin Ice

Death on a glacier.

Florian Skrabal reveals a Tyrolean police scandal

The Canadian Duncan MacPherson went snowboarding on a Tyrolean glacier and never came back. 14 years later his body melts out of the ice in the middle of a piste. An accident, the authorities claim. His parents think to able to prove a cover-up.

It is around 3am as the ringing get Lynda MacPherson out of her sleep. Her Tyrolean friend Martin Bär is on the phone. He is the one delivering the news which she and her husband Robert have been waiting for 14 years - and which they have feared for exactly that time. Until now there has at least been hope in their minds maybe their son Duncan is not dead. Maybe he had really taken the job offer by the US intelligence service, the Central Intelligence Agency, which he had told his mother back then about, just as an aside.

"They have found Duncan,” remembers Lynda MacPherson Bär's words.

In some way it was as well a relief, says the 66 year-old today. Finally they would be able to grieve for their son, who had suddenly vanished in August of 1989, just 23 year old, during his vacation in Austria. As soon as possible the MacPhersons want to see their son, want to convince themselves that it is really his body who had melted out of the ice of the Stubai glacier just on the day before the late night call.

From the Canadian town Saskatoon, which lies in the province of Saskatchewan, almost half way between Canada's East and West coasts, the parents get on the way to Tyrol. Seven times had the MacPherson been here before, had they spent almost every holiday here, around 250 days, after their son had disappeared. More than 100.000 Euros, their retirement funds, had they put into plane tickets, hotels, and Tyrolean lift rides, only to find their first born child.

Four days after the phone call of Martin Bär, a former employee the parents had met at Innsbruck’s Austrotel during their first search, the MacPhersons again arrive in Innsbruck. Their first way leads them to the Tyrolean Provincial Police Headquarter at the Innrain Street 34. There Criminal Investigator Willi Krappinger, who handles the case, awaits them.

He refers the couple to the institute of forensic medicine in Innsbruck, which is just 10 minutes by foot. There he is: Duncan rests on the dissection table, a blanket covers his body up the chest. The corpse is well preserved, like mummified due to the time in the ice. "I recognized him right away,” says Lynda MacPherson. On August 4th, 1989 she had last spoken with him. Five days later he was last seen snowboarding on the Stubai glacier. On August 21, 1989 the parents report their son missing to the Canadian police. Now, 14 years later it is official: the search is over, Duncan is dead.

Its official ending finds this case in the final report of Willi Krappinger and the decision of the public prosecutor to rest this case. For the authorities it is an unfortunate alpine accident, one like many others. However, as it will soon turn out for the retired school teacher and the pensioned pilot, the confirmation of Duncan's death is about to start a new search: the search for the truth. It will determine theirs life until this day.

Not until months after their son had been cremated in Innsbruck because the MacPhersons had not had enough money to transport his corpse home to Canada, it will become clear to them that the Tyrolean police had not done their job properly; that one flaw in the investigation had come after the other: starting at the apparent sloppiness at the recovery of the body, the faulty examination of death and the missing autopsy.

For six years the MacPhersons have been trying to advise the Austrian authorities of the inconsistencies in the death of their son Duncan; they write hundreds of Emails and letters. "Yet, it was like running against a wall” says Lynda MacPherson. It takes her and her husband three years before they have all the evidence to support their strong reproaches together; they press them in three binders and send them to the minister of justice Karin Gastinger. From the ministry they get a negative notification: Nothing wrong in this case.

Lynda MacPherson, thereafter, addresses the European Court for Human Rights. "If someone dies an unnatural, violent death, the death has to be examined. It is a human right,” she says. In April of 2009 their address is denied with the justification that "no violation of the rights and freedoms of the European Charter for Human Rights and its protocols.” Their hopes rest on Peter Pilz now. 2008 they get in touch with the Member of Parliament of the Greens via the Austrian attorney Nicole Schabus, who practices law in Vancouver.

Pilz looks at the case and reaches the conclusion that "this tragic case is a prime example how police works should not work: sloppiness without limits, noncompliance with mandatory procedures, possible suspects as prime witnesses-and then all the reports are manipulated in a way that makes the authorities look good.”

Already before parliaments summer break, which starts on July 13th this year, Pilz will issue a parliamentary inquiry addressing minister of justice Claudia Bandion-Ortner and minister of interior Maria Fekter. It shall not only address possible flaws of the authorities in the case MacPherson but also look at how secure Austria’s glacier slopes are in reality.

On August 2nd 1989 the ice hockey-pro Duncan MacPherson leaves his hometown Saskatoon for Europe. From 1986 to 1989 he had been a defender for the Springfield Indian, a so-called farm team, which played in the second highest North-American AHL. For the new season he had accepted an offer as player and coach for the Scottish team Dundee Tigers, which is roughly located 150 kilometers northeast of the capitol Glasgow.

"He wanted to relax a bit before his start in Scotland,” says Duncan's mother. Via London he flies to Frankfurt, where he takes the train to Nürnberg. Duncan visits his friend George Pesut, also a Canadian hockey player who was playing in Germany at the time. As always when traveling, Duncan calls home after his arrival. "I am fine. The trip was exhausting. I will go to bed soon,” remembers his mother about the last conversation with her son. Because George Pesut has to leave for a training camp, he borrows his red Opel Corsa to Duncan.

"Before he left, he had told me that he wants to drive to Italy. On the way, he wanted to meet some more friends. He didn't mention Tyrol to me,” says George Pesut. On August 7th Duncan meets up with Roger Kortko, another friend from the Canadian professional hockey community. They meet in the southern-bavarian town of Füssen. They play tennis, go out for dinner. "Because he could not speak any German, he did the chicken-dance,” remembers Kortko about Duncan performing a dancing act for the waitress, so he could get some chicken. The next morning the two friends say goodbye, Duncan drives on to Innsbruck where he stays a youth hostel in the city centre.

On August 9th 1989 he must have left his last place of accommodation at around half past eight in the morning. Soon thereafter he leaves the red Corsa at the parking lot of the Stubaier glacier lifts; from Innsbruck a drive of around 40 minutes. At around half past ten he meets Walter Hinterhölzl in the ski instructor’s office up on the glacier. He probably is the last human the Canadian talked to. "He wanted to take snowboarding lessons,” says Hinterhölzl.

Duncan is already well equipped: He has rented gloves, ski boots, spats for the feet and a snowboard. But because Hinterhölzl thinks that Duncan had paid too much for the board, they walk back to the Sport Shop 3000, at that time the only rental shop on the mountain. The snowboard instructor tries bargaining for a cheaper fee. No success. Then Hinterhölzl -who will be the head coach of Austrian's ladies snowboarding national team from 2001 to 2006 gives Duncan two lessons.

"He was really talented. Around noon we went for lunch, then I said goodbye. Duncan wanted to practice some more in the afternoon,” says Hinterhölzl. Later he will say to the police: "My girlfriend Daniela Widi last saw him at 14:30 on the hill” Then Duncan is gone. Without a trace. No one on the glacier notices anything. Not the piste personnel who goes on check rides with their snow-grooming machines. Not the snowboarding instructor who had another lesson agreed with Duncan upon the next day. And also not the employees of the Sport Shop 3000 who should be missing a snowboard.

Five days have past since the MacPhersons saw the corpse of their son at the Institute of Forensic Medicine. Now they want to visit the site where Duncan had melted out of the ice. The parents get on the gondola. It is the first time in 14 years that they were not charged anything for the ride up. In the stern most corner of the Stubaital where one can see mountains in all directions, it goes up above bare rocks and scruffed off slopes, up to around 3.000 Meter. Up into a industrial area beneath the summit crosses: Around 700 hectare is the ski resort big, almost 110 Kilometers of slope can at best be skied upon.

Two piste workers, who were also been present when the corpse had been recovered, take the MacPhersons on a snow-grooming machine up the last meters from mountain station. Right to where - one and a half weeks earlier – all together four employees of the lift operator had knocked the corpse with picks out of the ice. Just 25 meters from the drag lift away, which back in the days when the ice of the glaciers were mighty, also in the hottest summer pulled winter sport fans up the hill. For 14 years skiers had run over Duncan’s corpse - which laid right in the middle on the regular piste, the so called Schaufelschuss.

So, the MacPhersons stand next to Duncan's freezing grave. Several times they had walked past this spot in the past years. "We wanted to have the moment for us,” says Robert MacPherson. That suddenly changes as the father sees something on the ice: splinters of bones, which had been overlooked at the recovery - and a piece of the snowboard.

It is not just any part laying there in front of the father's feet. It is the part with the serial number which had obviously also been overlooked. For the first time since the discovery of their son, anger joins the sadness - and a feeling of discomfort. Would the police once again do their job so amateurish, like at that time when it was the MacPhersons and not the police who after seven weeks had found the red Opel Corsa at the parking lot? Would the authorities investigate with the same diligence, like back then when it was the MacPhersons and not the Tyrolean criminal investigation force? Would the officials again ignore, contradictions, like the with the finding of the snowboard - proved lie of the rental shop owner?

"We have never rented a snowboard out to Duncan MacPherson,”says Josef "Seppi" Repetschnigg, manager of the rental shop back then and today. Duncan’s snowboard instructor, on the other hand, sticks to his version: "He had rented the board there. “ Who is not telling the truth and who probably could have rung the alarm, is at no point in the investigation of the Tyrolean authorities? Not even, when Duncan MacPherson is found -with spats on his feet: Rental 3000.

Months after Duncan's corpse had been found the MacPhersons' fear should prove to be true. They find out that for the authorities the case was solved after just one day. That, although the corpse had melted out of the ice on the middle of a regular piste; although one hand had sharply been cut off and one leg was crushed; although the skiing boots and his socks were not on the feet anymore and although the since 1989-disputed snowboard turns up.

On July 21 2003 the Canadian vice-Consul notes after a telephone call with inspector Willi Krappinger: "The death is being treated as an accident. Because third party fault can be ruled out, Austrian authorities do not automatically require an autopsy. Because the case is regarded as "solved," no post mortem examination is done on Duncan's corpse. He is brought to the Institute of Forensic Medicine solely to be identified. "There was no order for an autopsy. For the physician examining the body all seemed clear,” says forensic doctor Walter Rabl. Back then Duncan MacPherson's body ends on his autopsy table.

Still today Rabl, who became President of Austria's Society of Forensic Medicine in 2004, feels guilty "for other people involved. In principle, in a case like this, where a person is missing for so long; where the person disappeared under unknown circumstances, it would have been the job of the public prosecutor to investigate this thoroughly,” says Rabl today. From his point of view, it was wrong to waive the autopsy.

On the day of the recovery, Duncan's corpse was examined by Kurt Somavilla, medical practioner in Fulpmes, a small ski village in the Stubaital. In the death certificate he notes that an autopsy was performed. "That is wrong. That was never done,” says Rabl. In addition, Somavilla, who is also the chairman of the Austrian Alps Association, Section Stubai, really seems to have managed to determine the cause of death on the same day.

"Polytrauma after fall into a crevasse,” which means death after several deadly injuries. "This is not like you imagine a typical Polytrauma with injuries to the head, the spine, the hips. That was not the case here,” says Rabl. "Just by visual examination it was impossible to say anything about the cause of death. To say Polytrauma is like to say a weak heart."

When the forensic doctor had Duncan transferred into the Institute, even he had to wait for one more day before he could identify the corpse. After all the corpse had been frozen, had been in the ice for 14 years. Somavilla simply could have not been able to determine the cause of death. The physician doesn't want to comment on the allegation. Expect: "Leave me alone with this. We have many glacier corpses here. The parents can't accept the death of their son. They are trying to develop some murder case out of it.” That the parents have already accepted the loss of their son and that they just want to find out what happened to their son, is not of importance to him.

For 14 years the missing of Duncan MacPhersons had been an unsolved criminal case for the Tyrolean authorities. A situation that leaves room for speculation. Had Duncan simply moved on? Had he just eloped with a beautiful and rich girl, like the Tyrolean Gendarms suggested to the parents shortly after their son had gone missing. "They told us: Here in Tyrol nothing can happen to him. For something bad to happen, he must have gone to Italy,” remembers Lynda the officials. "Certainly we had also thought about the possibility of Duncan being murdered,” she says. "But today we know it was an accident. And the only crime involved is the way the investigation had been carried out. There was negligence and the lives of skiers were put at risk," says Lynda MacPherson.

In regards to the actual cause of accident one can only speculate, and so it could possibly be that Duncan Alvin MacPherson, as beginner, he could crashed or have fallen out of the Eisjoch II lift, at around the lift column 7, at the local crevasses", writes Willi Krappinger in his final report in September 2003. To the allegations that he not seriously investigated the case, he doesn't want to comment. A request is only answered in written form bythe deputy commander of the Tyrolean police, Christop Hundertpfund, “Mountain accidents, predominantly falls into crevasses or ice break through in glacier areas, happen regularly.

Being on a glacier, outside of the secured skiing area, without safety equipment brings along the high danger of falling into a crevasse. Accidents like are almost always the result of reckless behavior of the people concerned."

Krappinger continues in his report: "Because skiing down along the lift tracks was not possible and walking up seemed to exhausting, he probably took the short cut across the fenced off area of the crevasses toward the piste and thereby fell into one crevasse.” As Lynda MacPherson, after trying several times, holds the complete and final police report in her hands, she can't believe it.

There are the small but obvious contradictions that strike her first. To exhausting should the way have been up for her son, the 23 year old fully trained ice hockey player? When just 18 years old Duncan had been drafted by the four times NHL winner, the New York Islanders. Because he didn't make it into the first squad, he played for their farm team, the Springfield Indians. Since he had been 13 years old the 185cm tall and 90 kilograms heavy Canadian practiced every day for his career. Given all that, it should have been "too exhausting" for him to walk a few meters up to go around a deadly obstacle?

For the parents Krappinger's report is like a slap in their faces, "an insult to their intelligence" and foremost "a vital link" in what they call "the cover up of the real circumstances.” A perception that goes along with the picture drawn by the Austrian media. It is the Austrian Press Agency (APA), which reports on the day after the recovery that Duncan MacPherson’s corpse was found "120 Meters east of the tow lift,” "in the free skiing area.” This is simply: wrong.

The APA report, which is normally taken unchecked by most daily papers, was "not researched at the site. The source must definitely have been a serious one, like the police or the rescue personnel,” says the APA journalist who wrote the report and who doesn't want to read his name in the paper today. Would one only know this report, one could think that somebody didn't stick to the warning signs and the barriers and carelessly risked his life.

"In addition it seems noteworthy that one year before, almost at the same spot, a Japanese lost his life because he fell out of the mentioned lift, took the short cut across the fenced-off area with the crevasses toward the piste", can further be read in Krappinger's report. Apart from the Japanese being a British with Chinese roots, nobody - not to the MacPhersons, not to the members of the Canadian search and rescue team, which in 1989 came over to help in the search for Duncan - nobody ever mentioned this other accident. In fact, on August 4th 1988 Chin Chiu had fallen into a crevasse almost in the same area where Duncan would fall in one year later. Although the student of the British Loughborough University is saved out of the crevasse just a few hours later because his friend alarmed the rescue personnel when Chiu had not shown up as agreed upon.

Although he had been found Chiu died five days later because of his injuries. Exactly one year before Duncan would disappear, he died from hypothermia.

Another accident, another dead person, and nobody had in all these years said a word about it? What was going on, thought the parents. Is it possible that the slope was in reality not as save as the police tried to suggest based on the statements of the lift personnel? "They questioned the lift personnel and no one else. They are the only source saying that everything was properly fenced-off and that lift like piste were safe,” says Robert MacPherson. "The operator of the glacier lifts was allowed by the police to recovery the corpse without an officer present during the recovery. Secondly, to develop the accident theory. And thirdly to include all relevant facts so that it was an accident without third-party fault. So that it was Duncan who was at fault."

Confronted with these allegations, the press secretary for Innsbruck’s public prosecutor, Wlifried Siegele writes: "Explicitly, I point out that an experienced Alpine Gendarm was at the site for the recovery. It was his report that the Public Prosecutor relied upon.” Another point, which - as the report of the mentioned Alpine Gendarm Stefan Jungmann shows -is not so correct. Jungmann is only there for a few minutes, he shoots photos and then has to leave -as shown in his report -for another mission.

The Gendarm gives the lift personnel the "order to dissect the corpse. Further they were asked to put the corpse and all equipment into the shroud, to take them to the landing area close to the restaurant and get it ready for transport.” Then Jungmann gets back on his helicopter and flies off on his next mission. The investigation, says the speaker for the public prosecutor, has been discontinued because the results of the Tyrolean police command had "without doubt produced evidence, that Duncan MacPherson fell into a crevasse while snowboarding and that there were no signs for third party fault."

The MacPhersons are convinced to prove the opposite: From their point of view the area where the crevasses were, was not like laid out in Krappinger's report "widely secured with a fence". The assumption of the parents is supported by the statement of Helmut Tanzer, chief of piste back in the day. On August 8th so Tanzer who is already retired, markings were set in place and the crevasse were checked. After that the slope was "100 percent" secured.

But a fence, as indicated by Krappinger's report, was according to Tanzer not in place until five days later: "The next record about works in the piste area is written down in the protocol on August 13th. On that day the crevasses at around lift post 7 were filled with snow and in addition a fence was installed."

In 2006 the MacPhersons coincidentally get their hands on photos of another Canadian tourist. Judy Wigmore from British-Columbia goes skiing with her four kids on the Schaufelschuss piste on the same day when Duncan had vanished. Wigmore sees the 2006 documentation by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). The investigative format "The Fifth Estate" reports in a 50 minutes long piece about Duncan MacPhersons case, the "Iceman" as they call it.

Judy Wigmore gets in touch with the MacPhersons via the journalist from CBC and sends them the pictures. On the photos no fence can be seen. Wigmore, who also kept a diary, can't remember "to have seen any warning signs, barriers or fences. Would I have seen any danger up there, I definitely would have not allowed my kids to ski on their own,” she says today.

Even the MacPhersons became witnesses when a hiker almost falls into a crevasse on the assumed secure walking trail which leads up the top the 3.333 meter high Schaufelspitz right next to the piste; as suddenly ice and snow back down underneath the hiker's feet. Her companion manages to grab her. What the MacPhersons witness next will stick to their heads until today. It is an odd sequence which they make photos of: A snow grooming machine approaches the spot where the ice had just broken through underneath the hiker's feet. "The driver-without checking if someone was inside the crevasse, just started to fill the hole with snow and then groomed the spot,” says Lynda MacPherson. And here it is again. That queasy feeling that comes up in the parents with the think on: What if Duncan had fallen into a crevasse, had survived the fall and then had been buried underneath the snow by a grooming machine?

"The sharp-edged injuries to his left hand and his left leg can not be the result of glacier movement as the operator always claims. Also that his skiing boots were not on his feet doesn't fit into the picture", says Robert MacPherson. "Duncan had maybe fallen into the crevasse, had survived and then had tried to climb out of it. As he was up on the edge of the crevasse, with one hand and one leg, a snow grooming machine runs over him and buries him in the ice."

For the employees of the "Kingdom of Snow” as the ski resort on the Stubai glacier is sold his guests, it is impossible that the accident could have ever occurred like that. So Heinrich Klier, the founder, today’s chairman of the board and co-owner of the Wintersport Tyrol AG insists on the statement that "since our existence in the seventies we have had 20 to 30 million guests and only this one deadly accident near to the controlled skiing area.” The 83 year old is one of the pioneers of glacier tourism owning almost all lifts, hotels and bed in the valley.

"The poor guy,” says Klier and continues to explain his accident theory. "Obviously, he fell when he was taking the tow lift up; he gets of his snowboard, climbs over the barrier, walks in the fog on foot and rumbles somewhere down the crevasse. All evil spirits must have played together for something like this to happen.” For months Klier and his two company CEO's, son Reinhard Klier and Franz Wegscheider, are in touch with the MacPhersons; still in 2003 Klier offers the MacPhersons to put up a photograph of Duncan as a memorial. In 2006, as the tone between the MacPhersons and the lift operator harshens and as the parents think to sue the operator, the photo is still not in its place. The operator has passed all on to their insurance.

"You can count on the fact that left and right from the lift there were barricades,” says Klier while talking to today's piste chief,Walter Müller, on the phone. As Müller had called Klier back just a few minutes earlier, the boss was joking: "For a moment I thought you had also fallen into a crevasse.” While Müller is prompting his boss on the phone, Klier starts drawing a sketch of the slope and the lift. According to this the tow lift ran in the middle of a known area of crevasses in 1989. "Also on the piste all crevasses were filled with snow and groomed,” says Klier and draws several crevasses on the slope. "There were police interrogations in which it was concluded that the piste was completely barricaded. Also on the police photos the barriers are visible. That was an important point in the investigation,” says Klier. That these photos exist can neither Klier nor the police prove -although asked for them several times.

"If there are photos of the barrier, he should show them to us,” says Lynda MacPherson. For the parents the search for the truth is long from being over.

We were often asked, Why are you doing this?” says the 66-year old. “When you are convince of being right and such a system gets up in front of you, you simply can’t give up or you lose.”

Lynda MacPherson sits in her dining-room in her house in Saskatoon. She lights up another cigarette. On the wall behind her is a wooden shelf with framed photographs of Duncan and his one and a half year younger brother Derrick. In between there rests a brown cube. It has a metal plate with a silhouette of a country scene on it: the urn of her son Duncan MacPherson.

Mikko

2009-08-29T17:38:00.001-04:00

I was in a restaurant in Fayetteville, NC the other day. As I was leaving this picture caught my eye do to the use of orange and blue. I said to my daughters that looks like an Islander jersey. Looking closer I see the letters "MAKE" and the number 24. Go figure that someone would paint a picture of Mikko Makela.

Mass Transit LIRR Style

2009-08-24T22:07:00.001-04:00

Got something in my monthly ticket pack - $ 27.00 for round trip LIRR transport to Garden City station and two stubs for taxi trip from Garden City Taxi company to the Nassau Coliseum

516 822 LIRR is the phone # for the Railroad to inquire about this transport package

Brought to you as a public service before I forget. :)

Da Lines?

2009-08-17T05:22:00.001-04:00

We find ourselves in those dog days of summer where there’s little player movement to speak of, but lots of anticipation for a season starting up in roughly 7 weeks. At this time of the year, folks start talking about how things are looking, whether it be the possible line combinations of their own favorite team or how teams around the league compare on paper, especially in light of the players they’ve signed and those they have lost. I’d like to take this opportunity to mention a few things about our team's line combinations in the upcoming season.

LINE COMBINATIONS

I’m not all that interested about who exactly is going to be playing with whom this upcoming season. We all know that injuries and Gordon’s previous affinity for trying different players on different lines will make any conversation at this point redundant. Sure, the Comeau-Bailey-Okposo line had its moments while Nielsen and Hunter had seemed to form some nice chemistry before injuries removed them from one another. Thompson and Jackman do make for a rough & tumble fourth line pair and Jackman truly became a player you just have to admire, even if it hurt seeing that guy’s nose being broken time and time again. With John Tavares now becoming our great hope in the goal-scoring department, it would only seem logical that he spend some time playing with Doug Weight, who still remains the best pure passer on this team. With Roloson and Biron being extremely capable of providing decent goaltending, the ever injury-prone defense remains intact, with Mark Streit a shining star among a bunch of guys best considered numbers 5 and 6 DMen, at least on any team hoping to fight for a playoff spot.

A bigger question to me is who is really gonna make the team and in what capacity? When thinking about any and all youngins in the system, Tavares included, I have to think about something Darryl Sutter recently said about the situation in Calgary, and I quote, "I really don't care how many one-way contracts we have … I think there's six kids in (July's top prospects camp) who are going to knock the (stuffing) out of some guys for jobs," Sutter said. "And I love it. That's the way it works."

Yep, that’s the way it works – for most NHL teams. For our beloved Islanders, many of those one-way contracts ARE the kids going into our camp. They may not be the youngest, but these contracts have gone to players like Nielsen and Tambellini last summer, and now Comeau and Hillen this summer. Sure, there are some such contracts that this team appears to just have to eat, most notably that of one Mr. Jon Sim. Few of us are planning with him, but he’s there and may hang around a while. He may also get sent to Bridgeport, but chances are that he’ll be one of the 14 forwards remaining on the Island and ready to fill in when necessary. In light of the players we can all expect to be on the Island come the home opener against the Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins, here are the players that seem the most interesting to me going into camp, in no particular order.

JOHN TAVARES

We are all assuming he’ll be on the Island this season. There are many various statistical predictions being made by fans about what he’ll do this year, but fact of the matter is, we should be ecstatic if his season can somewhat mirror that of what Steven Stamkos accomplished in an unsettled TB environment last season. Fortunately, although we do not boast a line-up with names like Lecavalier, St. Louis, Malone and Prospal up front, we do have a wee bit more stability in management than what Stamkos experienced since becoming a member of the Lightning. What I can say about Tavares is that chances are very slim that he’ll be in this line-up as a center this season. Not only do the likes of Weight, Bailey, Nielsen and Thompson seem to have the middle wrapped up (with Park always a ready option as well), but Tavares will have enough responsibility under the incredible spotlight he'll no doubt find himself subjected to. A few years back, Pittsburgh initially brought in Crosby on the wing and we can expect that the Isles will likely do the same. From what I gather, many see him being more of left wing in this line-up, but if anyone has seen his plethora of highlights dotting the Internet, this kid’s moves and shot are MADE for being conducted coming in from the right side. As such, the right wing is where I expect to see him this season.

TREVOR SMITH

After an exciting period of growth in his first pro season, Smith became Bridgeport’s absolute goalgetter last season. He’s gone from 20-17-37 to 30-32-62 within 12 months after having turned pro upon completion of his sophomore year of NCAA hockey. Simply put, the kid has some skills and a nose for the net. Unfortunately for us fans, he’s not the biggest player, nor is he the fastest. As I see it, he may be a handy depth player to have in the system, but if he ever becomes a regular NHLer, it’ll be a true testament to his will to achieve, because many things are working against him. Another cup of coffee on the Island should however take place this year. Expect a good long look at camp this fall.

JOEL RECHLICZ

Skills ready for the NHL, or rather the ECHL? There’s not much to say here – until proven otherwise, expect Joel to be with the Islanders and hanging around for the games where Gordon feels his fists are required. He has little competition in his role and – to his credit – did hold up pretty well in a few bouts to end last season, especially in the fight against Kostopolous. At this point, only Jackman brings this same element to the team, although many believe a few tough guys will find a camp invitation in their mailboxes in the coming weeks.

JESSE JOENSUU

Something that’s really got me thinking is the number of folks on various online fan sites and outlets who have practically GIVEN prospect Jesse Joensuu a spot in the '09-10 line-up in their mind’s eye. Anyone who believes that a 21 year old kid who just went 20-19-39 in 71 AHL games in his first year in North America – along with a decent 3 point performance in 7 meaningless games (at least in light of the non-existing playoff race) at the NHL level – has a “job to lose” on the Island, simply doesn’t understand how players are bread and how you build a winner. Sure, there are times when a guy dominates the AHL pointwise for several years in a row and a team decides that that player, usually aged somewhere between 23-26, simply must be given a spot in the line-up to sink or swim. Case in point: Jeff Tambellini. This however is not the case for young Jesse. Fortunately, I rest assured that the Islanders themselves aren’t gonna be giving him anything that he won’t be earning. I can almost guarantee you this though: unless he’s about the best player in camp, he’s starting on the farm. It surely wouldn’t be the worst thing for his still progressing development, especially considering the responsibilities he’d receive done there in all situations. Only Jesse can push the Isles to keep him here, but his game simply isn't there yet and there's no sense in him getting 5-7 minutes a night here when he can get more than double that on the farm.

JEFF TAMBELLINI

A solid 20-25 game finish at the end of last season is about the only logical reason why Jeff is still in the picture. He saved himself not so much by realizing his AHL scoring potential at the NHL level, but rather by becoming a pesty player who improved his corner work in leaps and bounds. Now, can he take the next step? Can his development progress in the same mold as that of Jason Blake, a player of similar size and speed, who also took his pretty little time turning into the NHLer he’s become? Jeff seems here to stay for now, but this year will surely be decisive in his establishment as a permanent NHLer – or not.

JACK HILLEN

The guy can move a puck every now and again and does have a decent first step. Still, if anyone thinks he’s currently as good or better than say, Freddy Meyer IV, doesn’t have much to base that claim on, for Freddy has proven much more physical and offensive acumen at this level in his short tenure here than Hillen has. Every team needs depth in this department, but this team is lacking in overall blueline and crease toughness and certainly isn’t getting better in that department with Hillen in the line-up. He lacks the weight, strength and experience. He’s got a one-way contract, but he also has competition from MacDonald, Kohn and newcomer Mark Flood. Don’t pencil him in yet - he's currently at best, DMan number 7.

MATT MOULSON

Never heard of him, ehh? Well, the former Cornell star is a 2003 9^th rounder who now weighs in at 6’1” and 210 lbs. He’s put up some mighty fine numbers in 3 AHL seasons and in ’07-08, he played 22 games for Los Angeles and put up 5-4-9 numbers after 56 points in 57 AHL games. He was considered a player on the rise and a possible top 6 forward at the NHL level. Things didn’t quite go his way last season although his AHL numbers weren’t far off. Word is though that he’s put in a hell of a lot of work this summer and in light of being 26 years old, truly sees this as his last big shot at the NHL. Surely most fans that saw this signing initially thought that he'll simply add some necessary scoring depth for a Bridgeport squad that has lost three of its top four scorers. That may end up being the case, but don’t tell that to Matt. I for one am very much looking forward to seeing if he can head up to Saskatoon as a man on a mission.

More to come soon....

Rose Introduces Nystrom at Rally (3:34)

2009-08-04T22:20:00.001-04:00

Wang Speaks at Rally (1:04)

2009-08-04T22:18:00.000-04:00

Wang 2 at Rally (1:06)

2009-08-04T22:16:00.000-04:00

Just Build it (0:51)

2009-08-04T22:15:00.001-04:00

Suozzi speaks at Rally (0:44)

2009-08-04T22:10:00.000-04:00

Suozzi 2 Speaks at hearing (2:41)

2009-08-04T22:07:00.000-04:00

Howie Rose at Rally (0:32)

2009-08-04T22:06:00.000-04:00

Lettherebelighthouse Speaks (2:50)

2009-08-04T20:58:00.001-04:00

Bossy Speaks (3:06)

2009-08-04T20:47:00.002-04:00

Murray welcomes everyone (6:26)

2009-08-04T20:47:00.001-04:00

Bettman hears cheers (4:16)

2009-08-04T20:43:00.000-04:00

Garden City Lady Speaks (7:51)

2009-08-04T20:27:00.000-04:00

Botta Speaks at hearing (2:33)

2009-08-04T17:44:00.001-04:00

Charles Wang Speaks (0:40)

2009-08-04T17:41:00.001-04:00

Rally Outside Coliseum (0:30)

2009-08-04T17:31:00.000-04:00

Nystrom Speaks at the hearing (2:02)

2009-08-04T17:29:00.001-04:00

Suozzi speaks at hearing (6:48)

2009-08-04T17:22:00.001-04:00

Nystrom up now

2009-08-04T10:58:00.001-04:00

Bobby is speaking

Hofstra to open med school

2009-08-04T10:12:00.001-04:00

Hearing started

2009-08-04T10:06:00.001-04:00

Charles gets a 5 minute standing ovation followed by two videoes.

Joe Ra introduces ground rules

2009-08-04T09:36:00.001-04:00

Charles and Kate

2009-08-04T09:30:00.000-04:00

Just walked in together.

At hofstra

2009-08-04T09:22:00.000-04:00

Here I am, row I, center stage, Hofstra University. The crowd moves
in. Waiting for the formal part to start. The on thing I noticed is
that this is more of a labor movement than an Islanders movement,
which I think is good.

First video

2009-08-04T08:25:00.001-04:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cAd8WwS7TWY

Home Opener Count Down

2009-07-24T00:07:00.002-04:00

Get this widget!

Stolen from: http://islanderscrazy.blogspot.com

Montreal Tweetup

2009-07-22T22:07:00.001-04:00

Prospect Watch: News from Sweden

2009-07-21T08:07:00.006-04:00

We’re entering the dog days of summer and this post-draft phase of Islander free agent acquisition has been well, quiet to say the least. Almost universally recognized as having been a solid signing was the quick scooping up of Dwayne Roloson, a fella who’s only a few months younger than our esteemed GM. The various fan boards polluting the Internet have been buzzing for weeks, with some fans lauding the safe, conservative, cost-effective free agency approach shown by Islanders’ management while the other 95% are growing weary about the lack of movement with regards to another top 6 forward, a top 4 defenseman and a bona fide enforcer. I guess most of them have simply overlooked the signings of Matt Moulson, Mark Flood and Jeremy Reich? :-)

Still, the intent of this article is to get back to the goaltending issue. To make a long story short, a team whose #1 goalie still has 11 years on his contract went about adding two more goalies to its system via the draft (consequently signing one even before signing Tavares), then picking up a top-flight 1A goalie in Roloson and an AHL goaltender (Munroe) whose latest season should place him right on the cusp of the NHL. Some of our readers have of course been curious to hear what this means for the other three previously drafted Islander goalie prospects, especially considering two of them were NOT at the recent Islanders Prospect Camp on Long Island. Most importantly for many Islander fans is what this means for Stefan Ridderwall, a no doubt very promising goaltending prospect who spent last season splitting duties for the SEL’s Djurgarden (yes, where Robin Figren also played), one of the most storied franchises in all of Europe.

As fate would have it, our insider had the opportunity to catch up with Stefan, who was most humble and courteous in informing his Islander fans stateside about how his still very young career is progressing in good ol’ ‘Sverige’. To get you up-to-date, Stefan began last season as one of several young Djurgarden goalies vying for playing time. It was his rookie year and he had even earned himself the bulk of the playing time coming out of the starting gates, something that is unusual in many parts of the hockey world, but that has become a bit of trend in Sweden in recent years. Unfortunately, he suffered a rupture in the anterior side of his thigh and that literally put him on ice for the rest of the season. The good news is that the injury has healed successfully, he’s feeling strong again, is in shape and ready to go. He should be in camp with Djurgarden no later than the beginning of August. With respect to the upcoming season, Djurgarden has also been playing the safety game in their planning and is going into the season with three goalies, something Stefan sees as healthy competition. He’s confident that he’ll step up to the plate in the face of the internal challenges for the #1 goaltending position.

Here are few quick quips on other things that he was kind enough to discuss….

On his goal for the upcoming season:
“My goal is to play as much as possible and do everything necessary to take the next few steps in my development!”

On having played together with Islanders prospect Robin Figren, and dealing with his locker room antics (ed.: something Figren has earned a reputation for):
“We were pretty good buddies even before we were drafted, so it was absolutely awesome to get to play together in the SEL with Djurgarden. Sure, I’ll miss his locker room jokes, but I’ll get my fill of that type of thing too now during the off-season, so I’ll be alright.”

On contractual relations with the Islanders to date:
“My primary goal at this point in my career is to become a regular goalie here in Sweden and to develop to the point where I’m ready for the challenges of North America. There have been discussions with the Islanders and we’re on the same level. Of course, I currently have an existing contract here. An agreement between the NHL and SEL must be met in order for me to be able to sign with the Islanders.”

On contact with the Islanders (i.e. Anders Kallur) and their scouting staff:
“Yes, we stay in contact. We meet at various venues around Sweden. He [Anders] keeps himself informed about how things are going. We even talk on the phone sometimes. Ryan (Jankowski) and the goaltending coach also keep in touch with me.”

On following Dipietro’s injuries and the Islanders’ current goaltending situation:
“To be honest, I don’t follow it directly. I know that Dipietro had a very difficult season with regard to his injuries, but I still have so much to do in focusing on things with my team here and my personal progress as a hockey player that I can’t yet afford to concern myself with what’s going on in North America.”

On following the 2009 Entry Draft from afar:
“I saw that they drafted Tavares, but I didn’t really see what else went on. I did however notice that they took Anders Nilsson from Lulea and he is quite a capable goaltender. They did very well in taking him. I’ve seen him a couple of times at the junior level and he’s a good goalie with great size.”

On not being at the Islanders’ recent Mini-Camp and his cousin Calle’s performance there:
“I am healthy and fit, but I would have had to sign first in order to take part in the Mini-Camp (ed.: see contractual details above). My cousin Calle has had some really solid seasons at the college level and was invited to camp. From what I’ve gathered, the camp went really, really well for him, which is absolutely fantastic! We are really good buddies and spend a lot of time together during the summer.”

On the possibility of being at the Islanders preseason camp in September:
“No, I don’t believe I’ll be there, but that too has much to do with the contractual situation involving the relations between the NHL and SEL.”

All in all, this should shed some light on Stefan’s situation at the moment and assure Islander fans that he’s anything but out the picture. The situation between the NHL and IIHF (and thus indirectly with the SEL and other European leagues) is no-where near the cold war status that can be understood with respect to the NHL/IIHF vis-à-vis the KHL, but there is a system in place to protect existing Swedish contracts as well as a cost structure to reimburse European clubs for developing the players they’ve raised and invested in. As such, it is and should remain Stefan’s goal to continue his development and become the best player he can be – which will ultimately decide where and to what degree he fits in the Islanders’ plans. At the same time, there’s no telling as to whether this particular contractual situation played a role in the Islanders deciding to go with two goalies in this past draft, one of which having already been signed (Koskinen).

Anyhow, I’d very much like to take this opportunity to thank Stefan for taking his time to answer the questions above and wish him all the best in the upcoming season. Islanders fans will be following your progress closely! I’m sure I speak for many of these fans when I say we’d have nothing against seeing you making a ‘Lundqvistian’ impact at some juncture in this part of New York.

Rechlicz - Pinhead or Patriot? PATRIOT!

2009-07-20T22:16:00.002-04:00

Rechlicz - Pinhead or Patriot? PATRIOT!!!

2009-07-20T22:08:00.002-04:00

Go to:

http://www.foxnews.com/oreilly/index.html

On the left side click on Pinheads & Patriots

Then in the middle column click on the July 20th edition (It says something about Jesse Ventura)

John and Joel Rechlicz, two Milwaukee WI, firefighters save a mother and child.

New York Islander Joel Rechlicz is from Milwaukee. I am wondering if there is a relationship.

Regular Season Schedule

2009-07-15T12:38:00.001-04:00

Various sources are saying 3pm ET today.

We shall see.

.

Stolen from Forever1940

2009-07-15T12:35:00.000-04:00

The NHL allows teams to release their own pre-season schedules, so I have most of the Islanders', even though they haven't announced theirs.

(all times Eastern)
Wednesday September 16 at Edmonton Rexall Place 9:00 p.m.
Thursday September 17at Calgary 9:00 pm Saddledome
Saturday September 19 vs Calgary 9:00 pm Credit Union Centre/Saskatoon
Sunday September 20 vs Edmonton (at Saskatoon) Credit Union Centre 9:00 p.m.
Tuesday, September 22 vs. Los Angeles at Sprint Center in Kansas City, 8:00 pm.

The Rangers have announced their schedule -- the Islanders are not on it.

Teams can play as many as 9 pre-season games, so there will likely be a game or two closer to home. Traditionally, the Isles' last pre-seaon game is on Sunday (which would be September 27), but if rumors that the team will open at home on Saturday, October 3rd are correct, there might be time for another game.

One thing is for certain- the Isles' home opener will not be on Friday, October 2. That night the Coliseum is booked for another home opener -- the New York Majesty.

Who are the Majesty you might ask? They play in the LFL -- the Lingerie Football League.

Visit Eric's Blog at http://forever1940.blogspot.com/

On and Off Ice Comments

2009-07-12T23:10:00.003-04:00

Another one of my friends went to the prcatice and sent these comments:

ON ICE INSIGHTS:

Got a last minute invite to todays closed Prospects Camp @ Iceworks and met a few fellow fans there...

We arrived too late for the 10:30 group, but made it in time to see Tavares for the first time in an Isles uniform.

- Wrecker and MadDonald had a few one on one scrimages, and Wrecker held his own in the skating department. Now, I'm not sure if it was because MacDonald is severely lacking in the skating dept, or if Wrecker has improved there - but he seemed to look a tad more graceful out there than at the end of the season. If he can improve in that area and work with Cairnsy some more on his fisticuffs - perhaps our friend Pats favorite Islander of the 21st century will be a keeper (of course adding some lead to that chin won't hurt either).

- Martin? looked pretty fluid out there for a "bigger guy".

- One of the goalies NOT drafted this year looked pretty good. Our goalies drafted in the 2nd and 3rd round this year were on the ice with the first group - so nothing to report there.

- Some kid named Tavares looked to have some pretty decent hockey talent. He might be someone to keep an eye on. Hell, it wouldn't surprise me to see him on the opening day roster.

OFF ICE INSIGHTS
We came prepared with things for the players to sign - sticks, jerseys, miniature Stanley Cups, etc.

Bailey was our first "victim", as he was already done with his skate for the day. Seems like a real nice kid - well spoken, very cordial, and apparently great with the fans. Hearing him speak - he doesn't act like he's got a roster spot locked up because of some sort of "entitlement", which was nice to hear. I'm looking forward to him feeding Okposo, along with Taylor Hall feeding Tavares - for many years to come! :)

Up next at the BBQ were a bunch of kids - most of whom have only a slightly better chance than Doug and I in suiting up for the Isles next season. I'm not sure if its an organizational deficiency, or the players are starting to trend back towards the smaller side - but the majority of these kids were under 5'10. Heres hoping they're all working on their college degrees to have something to fall back on!

Corey Trevino then came out for a bit - at first he was fairly unnoticed by most of the fans. Colin Wilson is gone from BU (not sure if he graduated or is just sticking with Nashville), so Trevino should see much more ice-time this season. The Isles list him @ 6'1, but they must have measured this kid with his skates on, because he's small. However, like Bailey - this kid seems to have his head on straight and was a pleasure to speak with.

Then, when things were breaking up - that Tavares guy came out and started signing things for the fans. Now this is obviously only my first "in person" impression of him - but the first wasn't one I want to remember. Getting straight to the point - he acted like a spoiled brat this afternoon to the fans who waited in some cases HOURS to get the chance to meet him. Obviously, he gets the benefit of the doubt - with all the public craziness he's endured throughout the last few weeks and months.

And while not wanting to blame the Isles for his "bratty" behavior today (shouldn't he be used to it by now, AND expect it?) - it may be deserved. This kids 18 years old, and has had HUGE expectations placed on his shoulders. While its nice to market this kid and strike while the irons hot - lets take baby steps here and NOT make this kid feel like he HAS to become the next Michael Bossy in his first season. Perhaps keeping ALL the players away from these direct "meet and greets" (to sell more tickets) after their skates should be the course of action, so they can ALL concentrate on what their really there for - and thats NOT to sell tickets!

Practice Observation from My Friend Doug

2009-07-12T23:05:00.003-04:00

Some things I saw yesterday (we only saw the second session, so we did not see some of the players):

1. Tavares is one of those guys that doesn't seem like he's doing a whole hell of a lot- until he lets that shot go. He ripped one into the net from the inside of the right circle yesterday. The goalie didn't move until after it hit the twine. This is something we have needed since Zigmund Palffy got on a plane to Los Angeles and didn't come back. I don't really give a darn if he does NOTHING ELSE, to be honest with you.

2. I can see why Calvin de Haan was drafted in the first round. He's very smart in his own end of the ice. On every two on one that he defended, the player with the puck took the shot, which is what you want. Very good positionally, and a good passer. He'll be here soon. Probably not this year, but soon.

3. As for some of the others who stood out for positive reasons: I liked Ridderwall and DiBenedetto, and both for the same reason- they hustle. Lee has some talent as well, although he needs to get stronger. Matt Martin is a big boy; he will be a solid player in the NHL- what that means in terms of scoring, I'm not sure, but he can play. Rakhshani is quick, and very talented, but he is definitely on the smaller side, so that will be a question until we see him play against NHL players. Poulin did a very good job of keeping the puck out of his net, considering the amount of times they had three guys coming at him with one or no defensemen in front of him- I guess the Quebec League helped with training for that situation...LOL.

4. The negatives: the goalie at the other end of the ice wasn't nearly as good, IMO (Lawson?). The defenseman MacDonald doesn't look fast enough to play regularly in the NHL, to be honest with you. Most of the other defensemen need work. Kohn was decent, but he's nothing special, IMO. That said, we just have to remember at this point that these are all kids, so it will be a while before we can figure out whether or not they really will be any good.

One negative I forgot about: OK, so you have a practice session where fans are in attendance. These kids work their tails off on the ice, and they come out the side door of the building hungry, and then get mobbed for autographs. No one knows who they are, unless they ask. Some come out the side, and some come out the front to go to the bus. Nobody says anything about what the plan is, so no one knows who will show up where or when.

The good news is, this organization seems to finally have turned the corner in terms of legitimate talent, with a plan and a goal in mind, on ice. Off the ice, however, it is still an absolute disaster. All I kept thinking yesterday was this: I could have planned this better myself. Just that thought alone says it all, because "cruise director" is normally my wife's role in our family.

I mean, seriously: bring the food inside to them, so they can eat in peace. Then bring them out five or ten at a time, to sit at tables and sign autographs. I don't know, maybe have a card on the table with the player's name on it, so one might know who they are. That would have taken 30 seconds to plan, and about five minutes to set up. Yeah, I know, I just found something to bitch about, as usual, but you have to admit that was ridiculous, and it wouldn't have been hard to do the right way.

Doug

Me and Doug at the Draft

2009-07-11T22:57:00.000-04:00

The Montreal Draft from My Friend Doug

2009-07-10T07:02:00.001-04:00

OK, I'm finally going to do this now. I kept waiting for this team to do something else, other than fill out Bridgeport's roster, but apparently, that either isn't the plan, or they are having a hard time getting anyone to sign here, just yet. I do know they need to save spots for the youngsters (we HAVE been making this argument for years, haven't we?), but they really need more than five or six veterans to teach these kids the ropes, especially if two of them are goalies.

Personally, I think they should resign Hilbert. I know everyone hates the guy- I did, too, in the wrong role. The guy is not a first or second line player, who should be getting power play ice time. THOSE are the roles in which they desperately need the kids to get their feet wet. However, as a fourth line penalty killer, there aren't too many guys who bust their ass out on the ice more than he does, and that alone is a lesson for the youngsters in regards to showing up every night, and not taking anything for granted.

I'd also like to see them at least take a shot at some sort of veteran who can score a bit as well since, let's face it, we don't have that many, needless to say. That said, maybe the plan is to be at the top of the draft heap again next year, which isn't really an awful idea- it would probably guarantee that this will be a really good team, three or four years from now. We shall see.

I also understand the reluctance to sign a full time goon- those guys are getting decent money at this point, and there are only really a few of them left. You really don't need them every night, so having a guy on a two-way for bottom of the barrel dollars makes sense, in my opinion- as long as he can fight. The issue we had last year was that Fritz can fight like hell, but he can't play any better than I can, where as Rechlicz is at least presentable on the ice, but seems to be a so-so fighter. I'm guessing the plan is to hopefully get the latter to develop into a legitimate heavyweight. We shall see.

At any rate, as you can see from the picture, I was in Montreal at the draft with Roger, thanks to him letting me know he had a ticket for me at the last minute. Thanks again for the ticket, my friend- I love the NHL draft, and I try to go whenever I can. Just a couple of quick observations in regards to the surroundings- the Bell Centre is a monstrous cavern. I doubt we'd ever need anything nearly that big. It's not really impressive on the outside, except for the statues of all the Hall-of-Famers that surround it. However, the arena itself is huge. The thing I like most about it is that the upstairs seats are steep and close to the ice, so the view is probably decent from up there. This is in contrast to NJ, where the "steep" concept apparently failed to enter the engineer's mind, and so I've been told that one can spend the entire game watching the back of the head of the person in front of them.

The second thing is…well, (what else?) the snobby French-Canadians, especially the women. Hate to break this to you honey, but I have been married for 14 years- try not to flatter yourself. I just want the pen that I dropped under your seat back, OK? See you next Tuesday, sweetheart. The best are the ankle biters, though- Roger's brother-in-law is a Leafs fan, and he wore the sweater. I don't know how many people told him the Leafs suck, either while running by at full speed, or from the other side of a busy street, but that applied to pretty much everyone who said anything to him. He was getting annoyed that he had to deal with them (especially since Roger kept pointing him out to everyone….LOL), but let's put it this way- Rag$ fans they are not. That's basically spring training for dealing with the helmet-wearing drunks who ride the short bus to Madison Square Garden, or the Wachovia Center in south Philly. I was not impressed, to say the least.

What I was impressed by was Garth Snow, who spent two months essentially pissing off the Canadian press, on purpose. After all that, he walked up to the podium, and he had this big shit eating grin on his face when he said, "John Tavares," as if he was saying, "guess what, you jerks….who the heck did you think I was going to take?....morons." That was classic.

As for the other pick, he can say whatever he wants, but I still believe he moved up to 16th, thinking he could draft Ellis, and then when Nashville grabbed him, he figured the defenseman parade was on, so he moved up again. I don't question the moving up, but I think that the first time, he probably should have waited until it got down to what triggered the second deal. I'm not a big fan of moving up without a specific use for the pick in mind, which means I don't move up to 16th when the draft is only at pick number 7- but that's just me. That said, we did meet Calvin de Haan toward the end of the night, and he seemed like a nice kid, with a good family, so hopefully that translates into something. I don't think we will see him until next year, though.

As for the rest of the draft, I question the second goalie, because I think it's overkill, but other than that, as with any draft, you can't tell what it's going to be until a few years from now. You can say what you want about the kid with the legal issue, but if he is as good as he was projected prior to it, we may have gotten very lucky with that pick. Some of the others seem to be projects as well, but you can't really complain about anything in rounds 4-7 as far as I'm concerned, because if the draft is a crap shoot, that part is REALLY a crap shoot. Again, we shall see.

At any rate, that is what I have seen so far. Hopefully, they will do at least something else in terms of a free agent signing before the season starts, however little it might help this year. I do think this team has the potential to be really good in the not too distant future, and I haven't been able to say that in forever. I don't know how it will shake out, but I do know that we're probably not going to trade Calvin de Haan for Oleg Kvasha, and that alone gives me hope.

Doug

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Goaltending Around

2009-07-02T19:55:00.002-04:00

So, I felt a statement was made about Dipietro's situation last Saturday.

We knew a strong back-up was coming in. It happened.

Roloson is older, but he's coming off his best season ever. The numbers were good. He can play 30 or 60 games. It's a good signing. $2.5 isn't cheap, but we're under the cap level, so no problem.

Throw in this kid Munroe, who just went 31-19-4 with an excellent .926 SV% and well, Bridgeport would seem very well stacked, considerin All Rookie Team goalie Lawson is there and Koskinen is scheduled for BPort too.

Now, not even one week later, the statement has become stronger.

Precaution is one thing, but what the Islanders are doing is more than being careful. They're planning as if Dipietro isn't there. They're planning as if they're assuming Roloson will hold the fort for two years, just to clear the way for Koskinen.

Well, I guess it's the safest way to go.

Makes Dipietro's future look dimmer and dimmer though.

Hope I'm wrong about that!

Have You Seen My Shoes

2009-06-30T07:32:00.006-04:00

http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=AC64F26F7D45063A

My Puck Daddy Interview

2009-06-29T22:28:00.000-04:00

Islander Fan Thoughts at Draft Before Taking Tavares @ Yahoo! Video

ISLANDERSESOTERIC.com: Who Killed Duncan MacPherson?

2009-06-29T18:02:00.000-04:00

ISLANDERSESOTERIC.com: Who Killed Duncan MacPherson?

Anatomy of Another Trade

2009-06-29T17:52:00.001-04:00

Part 1

Part 2

Mikko 2009 NHL Draft Videos

2009-06-29T07:00:00.003-04:00

Mikko 31st Pick

Mikko Meets the Islanders

Meet Mikko

Tall

Mikko Signs Autographs

Montreal Pics.

2009-06-28T11:50:00.002-04:00

When i have more time I will straighten these out. Have to run to airport now.

Mikko

2009-06-28T11:44:00.000-04:00

Montreal Videos - More to come!!!!

2009-06-28T10:53:00.002-04:00

Anatomy of the second trade - part 1

Anatomy of the second trade - part 2

Round Three Board turns

Montreal Final Night

2009-06-28T05:46:00.001-04:00

I am just getting in from partying like a rock star with many of the Isles Bloggers and BD Gallof and Eklund.

It is one of those days where more things happened then I can really remember.

One of the major events form last night is walking into a bar and meeting sudsie and the Isles Finish scout.

I asked both of them why they chose Mikko. Sudsie said his athletic ability for a guy 6 foot 7. and the scout said "because he can stop the puck."

Again we bumped into Calvin deHaan walking around. He is very excited to be an Islander.

I can not tell you all the different people I met this weekend but I do know that the Islanders went out and got the players they wanted. Plain and simple. All the Isles execs said that this was Snowies draft and although Wang was ever present it was all Snow.

I was hearing rumors from a couple of sources that there was some disparity amongst the scouts. Although I didn't hear anything directly I did hear this from several of my own sources. I expect Brian to have some strong follow up on this topic.

Once I can see straight I will post some more videos of tonight's events including the series on "Excuse me are those your shoes?"

As I walked with the group of Islander fans etc, you can tell the Montreal fans were all envious of our pick for JT,

My head hurts so I will post more later.

Recapping

2009-06-27T21:04:00.004-04:00

So, the draft has come and gone. If you haven't seen all the picks and wheeling 'n dealing, check out the Islander homepage for details, although they haven't yet posted a simple list of their picks and results.

From what I gather, it's like this:
F Tavares, D de Haan, G Koskinen, G Nilsson, Coyote's 3rd in 2010, C Cizikas, D Klementyev, C Lee

That's what we picked up.

The Plus:
The Isles OBVIOUSLY had Tavares, de Haan and Koskinen on their list of players that they simply had to have. They got them and they didn't care who they skipped or what it cost in the process.

The Minus:
The Isles OBVIOUSLY had Tavares, de Haan and Koskinen on their list of players that they simply had to have. They got them and they didn't care who they skipped or what it cost in the process.

General feeling:
It's funny, because Tavares, de Haan and Koskinen were three guys I had really hoped to get out of this draft. That's exciting. If you had told me beforehand that we'd have them, I'd have been quite happy and probably would have said, "Can't wait to hear about the other 8 picks!"

Problem is, there are no other 8 picks. We have 4 more relatively unknown bodies and a remnant for next year's draft (granted, the Coyote pick is bound to be better placed than this year's 91, although next summer's draft isn't [yet] considered as deep as this summer's).

This draft will always leave me wondering if we couldn't have gotten de Haan or Koskinen at another point, under other circumstances? I will always wonder if we could've gotten de Haan without having to give up the five picks it took to get him? I will always wonder if anyone else was thinking of taking Koskinen anywhere near the 2nd round?

What to make of it all:
Ultimately, some fans will give this team the thumbs up for this draft. Heck, I too see three future NHLers in no less than Tavares, de Haan and Koskinen, which is a pretty good turnout for one draft.

However, now viewing the other three bodies and the general bevy of picks that came and well, mostly went, I feel as though the scouting stuff didn't really take things seriously after getting the three guys they knew they wanted. I get they let themselves rest a bit on the laurels of last summer and the belief that they got three future impact players with their picks between 1-31. When you hear what the staff says about Nilsson, Cizikas, Klementyev and Lee (who I think may just be a real gem at some point in the distant future), you get the jist that they kind of, sort of, just, well, were plucking at hunches.

Now, I am but a simple fan, but other than the Tavares pick, which in many respects is about the only one of real interest to a large portion of the fanbase, I can name you no less than five guys in each round who went AFTER each one of the players the Islanders picked in each respective round who I feel would have been much better choices. This goes for the de Haan pick as well - I truly feel he went a good 8-12 spots ahead of where he should have, well, when you compare him to some of the other first round talent (especially Kulikov, Rundblad, Leblanc and Schroeder)! This is not to say that the Isles didn't have good reason to believe that maybe a Florida, per se, was geared to take him 14th, but a good read of the many draft preview publications would give any ol' Joe this feeling.

With the draft hardly over, and of course excluding Tavares, I think we fans will look back at this draft and think "Doggone, THAT guy was still on the board when we took so-n-so and is now way better! How did the scouting staff miss him???"

Biggest statement made by this draft:
Now to the crux of it all - IMHO, this draft pretty much pointed out that this team no longer sees Dipietro as the longterm answer in goal, or as the face of this franchise. I'll tackle the latter point first.

As is, Tavares definitely becomes the new face of the franchise. There is little doubting of this. Aside from the humongous fanfare, when was the last time this team could call one of Canada's most adored sons one of its own? He puts us back on the map for those in the know....

So, with Dipietro being hereby replaced as the face of this franchise, the Islanders go WAY off the board to take the draft's most interesting and most NHL-READY goaltender. I had this guy pegged for round 3. They kicked off Saturday with the announcement of his name. I can only think: WOW!

In a draft this deep and with this team dishin' off five picks to get de Haan, this Finnish kid hasn't been taken to, uhhh, maybe be a back-up at some point. This pick speaks volumes about what the Isles feel about Dipietro's situation. It tells me, they're doubting Dipietro's longterm future. Heck, it tells me, they're doubting Dipietro's shortterm future.

This pick is a scary statement!

Top it off with the NEXT pick being yet another goalie, one not generally cosidered amongst the best available in this draft and well, those doubting the healthy return of Dipietro have been given a boatload of ammunition.

Know this: the team is still pretty high on Kevin Poulin, a monstrous goalie from the Q who they took last summer. In addition, Stefan Ridderwall is a part-time starter in the SEL and Jase Weslosky had the best numbers of any goalie in the system last year and is heading into a big senior year.

If you ask me, this draft wasn't just about the Islanders' future, but rather of its future WITHOUT Dipietro......

Meeting Calvin deHaan

2009-06-27T09:39:00.001-04:00

I talked with Calvin's parents last night. Turns out they live like 20 minutes from Jen's parents house in Ontario. I was really excited to meet him and tell him about Long Island and how great it is there.

As I talked to his parents, they told me that the Islanders wanted Calvin from early on. They knew they wanted him as did other teams. They told me that he was out with Chicago the night before and met with the Canes people in the morning before the draft. He also said that Philly and Jersey had an interest in him.

It appears that this is the kid they wanted and they traded up to make it happen. Plain and simple.

The Isles see something in this kid and I said that our scouting staff has been doing very well for us lately and they are right.

Later in the night we are walking down the street and I see someone in an Islander's jersey and hat. Lo and behold, Calvin deHaan!! I asked him what he knew about the team. I also asked him if he was a Ranger fan and he said NO.

Calvin, you will fit right in and welcome to our home on Long Island!!!

Videos from 2009 NHL Draft - Montreal

2009-06-27T09:14:00.003-04:00

GARTH AT PODIUM

GARTH MAKES THE PICK

FOLLOW ON TAVARES

THE ISLANDERS DRAFT TABLE

NEWS 12 LI

NEWS 12 LI Part 2

OUTSIDE BELL CENTER

INSIDE BELL CENTER

The 31st

2009-06-26T23:03:00.002-04:00

So folks, the first round is over and as disappointed as I was with what essentially ended up being 5 picks for Calvin de Haan, we do have five picks tomorrow, including the 31st.

With that in mind, two fairly big fish are still available at this point:
A) Forward Jeremy Morin (21 THN, 28 CSS), considered by many to be the 2nd best sniper in this draft, 2nd only to Tavares.
B) Defenseman Stefan Elliot (27 THN, 32 CSS), an offensive Dman from the WHL who reminds many of Mike Green.

Also of note are C Drew Shore, W Landon Ferraro, C Cal O'Reilly, C Ethan Werek, C Richard Panik, C Joonas Nattinen and W Carl Klingsberg.

I sure wish we were going into tomorrow knowing that we'd be getting two of those guys, but be that as it may, we should have a great pick with the number 31.

Pre-Saturday Prediction:
- Should Colorado not be willing to trade 33 and 49 for 31 and 91, then the 31st should wind down to being one of Morin and Elliot. It's a no lose selection at this point.
- I think the team will look to pawn off #56, hopefully to a team like Montreal (home town crowd still wanting more?), from whom they should be able to get #s 65 and 79.
- With pick 91, should it not be moved, expect the team to select a goalie.

Some interesting names for later rounds should be Bubnick, Nestrasil, Vincour, Orlov, Silfverberg, Lehner, Kostinen, Koskinen, Wrenn, Hankowski, Flueler, Hackett, Barrie, Bertilsson, Vanek, Foligno, Dumoulin, Doherty, Vatanen, Bourque, and Kuchin.

Enjoy it folks!

Picks Tomorrow

2009-06-26T21:38:00.002-04:00

Well, unless something completely unexpected happens, the Isles will go into tomorrow's action with 5 picks.

Coming into the draft, we were looking at 2 picks tonight and 9 picks tomorrow.

As of now, we'll be picking 31, 56, 91, 122 and 152.

Correction:
I made a typo earlier.... we traded pick 182 to Minnesota, not 108.

Looking ahead, I suspect that pick 91 will be used on a goaltender.

Picks 31 and 56 could turn out to be some real gems. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that Tim Erixon can be had at 31. Maybe a McNabb, Panik or Rajala is available at 56.

Moves Exciting - Pick Not

2009-06-26T20:58:00.002-04:00

I've got no problems with Calvin de Haan.

I have HUGE problems with this team essentially trading 26, 37, 62, 92 and 108 to get a guy who may VERY well have been there at 26 anyways.

In addition, I can't imagine that ANYONE would have taken him between 13-16.

Very disappointed.

Well, I sure hope Kyle Woodlief - of all people - is right, because at some point he praised de Haan as being as good if not better than Ellis.

Minnesota

2009-06-26T20:47:00.003-04:00

Welp, Nashville takes another Dman and it's not a big surprise.

A big surprise would be Minnesota passing on Schroeder. Can't see it happening.

That'd leave Kulikov, Rundblad and Moore as the last 3 prospects I feel were worth moving the 26 and 37 for, much less the two 3rds.

Will we have one?

First Slight Surprises

2009-06-26T20:24:00.003-04:00

Ok, I didn't expect Burke to pass on a MSP or Cowen at 7. He did. I'd have thought Kadri would slide a bit. Minimal surprise.

However, Dallas taking Glennie over Kulikov or Cowen or even MSP was a real surprise.

This bodes well for the Isles.

With six bodies to be taken before pick 16, there are still some decent chances that one of Kulikov, Rundblad or Moore will be around at 16. If Schroeder were there, it'd be awesome.

Can't see each of Buffalo and Florida passing on Ellis.

Deal in

2009-06-26T20:05:00.002-04:00

16, 77

for

26, 37, 62, 92

Hmmmmm.... We'll have to see.

Who will it be at 16?

Rundblad?

I sure hope this staff knows what it's doing!

Sidenote: could the Isles really be trying to couple picks 16 and 31 to move up even further?

Just Reported

2009-06-26T19:59:00.002-04:00

Islanders and Columbus have made a deal.

Going from 26 to 16.

I tell you what though, if it took anything more than the 37 (i.e. 56, 62, etc.) then I'm thinking it may not have been worth it.

I certainly hope it doesn't turn into Kassian or Holland.

Still, we'll see happens. I know many fans are looking forward to a move like this.

We got him!

2009-06-26T19:26:00.003-04:00

There he is! Tavares is an Islander.

By the way - Roger was visible. He was shown no less than two times on the broadcast. Everyone saw you!

First Tavares Fan Club meeting.... didn't quite catch the date:-)

Pictures

2009-06-26T17:25:00.000-04:00

Montreal Report 1

2009-06-26T17:21:00.001-04:00

First Report...'

Outside Bell Center

Met Jamie Stewart News 12 Long Island.

Ryan, Charles and Garth Just walked into the Bell Center. Ryan went one direction and Garth and Charles went another. Time 1710.

My buddy Paolo asked Charles if he was going to pick Tavares. Charles answer, "Who?"

Just 5 more hours to go!

2009-06-26T14:52:00.002-04:00

The night will be one that starts with a good amount of fanfare. I can see the first 5 picks taking a good hour.

From an Islander standpoint, I'm fascinated with seeing if the Isles move up or if they stick with the 26th pick. Many assume they'll move up, but I'm thinking a move up is only coming if:
A) a certain player of desire is dropping
B) the price is right

From all accounts, this draft is a deep one. Here's hoping the staff has that in mind when evaluating the value of a player in the 13-20 range as opposed to say two players+ in the 26-37 range.

In addition, I'm hoping any deals that Snow might wish to make may include the pawning off of a Dman currently on the roster. Whether Sutton, Witt, Martinek or Meyer, each may have some attraction AS AN ADDITION to say pick 26. They wouldn't necessarily have it alone. The UFA market has a number of Dmen who might look good in Coach Gordon's system.

In any case, as a fan I'd be very pleased if this team could move up without sacrificing 2 or more of the picks 26-62.

Packed House - Could it be anyone else

2009-06-26T10:24:00.002-04:00

In preparation for tonight's events, here's just a little thought.

With a packed house at the coliseum and a fanbase whose majority is - rationally or not - thirsty for one name and one name only, is there any doubt who the 2009 NHL Draft's #1 overall pick is going to be? I mean, could it be anyone else?

More in a few hours....

2009 Draft Esoteric

2009-06-26T09:21:00.002-04:00

John Tavares will be the 404th player drafted in by the NY Islanders franchise.

Of course everone knows the first pick ever was Billy Harris. The last pick from last years draft was 196th pick overall, 7th rounder, Simon Lacroix.

Incidentally, we have drafted 254 players since we last won a cup. That is alot of players to come through our system. The last player drafted while we were cup winners was Allister Brown. He was 249th overall picked up in the 12th round.

Post cup era had us pick Brad Dalgarno 6th overall in 1985 followed by Derek King at 13th overall that same year.

The final number of futility is 131. As in 131 players drafted by the Islanders since we last won a playoff series in 1993. Last pick of the playoff winning era was Carl Charland at 274th overall in the 11th round. First pick in the post playoff series winning era (16years and counting) was Brett Lindros.

So which jersey will end up reality?

2009-06-25T23:43:00.003-04:00

Here is the jerseys I have set for tomorrow night.

Live from Montreal.

2009-06-25T22:27:00.001-04:00

I have the distinct of joining fellow bloggers up in Montreal. From what I understand there will be 5 other bloggers from the NY Islanders world. In no particular order they are as follows:

Tom of http://www.thetigertrack.com/
Ken of http://okposo.blogspot.com/
Doug of http://islesofficialsoutlook.blogspot.com/
Mike of http://www.islesblogger.com/
Brian of http://www.islandersindependent.com

Doug has set up a live feed at www.coveritlive.com. Go there and find the event titled, "Live Event: 2009 NHL Entry Draft: Blog Box Live from Montreal" to follow along. There will also be a link for Saturday as well.

.

Garth and Public Opinion - Part II

2009-06-24T16:59:00.006-04:00

Chris Botta posted yesterday on Islanderspointblank.com about the true fan. Try getting a word in edge wise over there and you have better luck ice skating on the Ottawa River (Its 30 degree Celsius) in Ontario.

He basically states if you are reading these blogs in June chances are you will still be around come October. His points about true fans are valid and obvious. The issue not stated is the lack of synergy with the Islander's franchise and the rest of Long Island.

My opinions here are not absolute through and through but more of a general feeling I get from when I come home to Long Island a few times a year. I guess I say this because I have two groups of friends from back home. There are my Islander friends. And there are the rest of my friends. They are two distinct groups and as hard as I have tried over the years the non-Isles friends just don't get the Islanders. They do get the Yankees. They do get the Mets. They do get the Giants and they do get the Jets. Islanders not so much. This is where this whole idea is born.

For years of missteps and bad luck, the general population really doesn't care. In order for the franchise and the Lighthouse project to succeed this all needs to improve. I mentioned my wayward non-Isles friends but in this case let me use my own parents as a barometer. A typical phone call from my paternal parent consists of a phone call that starts off with, "Did you hear what the Islanders did now?" After which we could discuss anything from Spano to Sanjay, Muller to Milbury, Smith to Smyth, or one of the multiple 7, 8, 9, 10 plus game losing streaks. The point being that my parents are casual fans. Without my ongoing and never ending corrections they would think that most of the articles in the news are true. While most of the stories have basis in fact, I am able to give them "the rest of the story." It has apparently worked because I have gotten them to show up at a few games the past few years. Although, mi madre refuses to ever go to a Islander-Ranger game again.

What about the casual fans that don't have the NHL Fan of the Year for a son? Who will tell them the real deal about the franchise? For this is why we need to make sure that we do the right thing this weekend.

WE NEED THE GOOD PRESS!!!!

The success of this franchise on Long Island depends on the Lighthouse Project. The Lighthouse Project is invariably attached at the hip to the NY Islanders. If the NY Islanders are perceived as inept so will the general public's view of the Lighthouse.

I do not agree that the two should be connected and wish someone would correct all the people that continue to use the team name and the Lighthouse project in the same sentence because in reality while they are closely related each should not have anything to do with the other. The Lighthouse is the lighthouse and the Islanders are the Islanders. The perception that most people have that the Lighthouse is for the Islanders is wrong. The Lighthouse project is needed for us the citizens and the community of Long Island. The fact that the Islanders will benefit from it is an added bonus for a die hard fan like myself. It still doesn't change the fact that my parents spend more in a month for their property taxes in a month in TOH that I do in a year in North Carolina.

The connection between the two is distinct regardless of how I may feel. The connection is why John Tavares needs to be the name that Garth says at the podium on Friday night.

Garth and Public Opinion

2009-06-22T10:46:00.001-04:00

IMNSHO, the issue here isnt getting the best player or even the right player for that matter. The issue is the Islanders doing the right thing for a change - or perhaps better stated - the normal thing.

We have been through too many damn experiments, restarts and down right abuse. Garth needs to simply do the right thing. He needs to show the maturity of getting this done and in turn it will be the first step in turning this organization around.

I have been trying to figure how to put my thoughts into words about this and I think it comes down to this. The survival of this franchise depends on the lighthouse project. Public approval will be a big part of this. Right now there is a lot of apathy towards the whole lighthouse project. My feeling is that if those supposed 15,000 people leave the coliseum on Friday with a lot of bad feeling it will go a long way towards effecting local support for the coliseum.

If they can't make the right decision on hockey how can they be expected to make the right decision when it comes to something big, like the Lighthouse Project?

Another way to look at it is that we are pretty much the laughing stock around the league with all the issues we have had over the last 15 years. Friday is day 1 of a new generation and of new luck.

Do the right thing Garth and show the people you care about them. As I have said before, the Ryan Smyth trade was about saving the season, last year trading down for Bailey and all those picks was to save the franchise's empty prospect coffers, this year is to save the fans and the team.

A Good Post from My Friend Doug

2009-06-20T10:21:00.002-04:00

Garth Snow and his staff draft players. Mike Milbury and his staff drafted players. The "Islanders" do not do anything. A lot of fans talk about "the Islanders", as if they're the Wizard of Oz, like a Godzilla-sized logo that walks around destroying toy train sets- alright, I've seen too many crappy movies.

The point is this: Last year, Garth Snow decided that four extra players were worth the difference between Luke Schenn and Josh Bailey. The jury is still out on that, but it can't be deemed "a failure, because the Islanders always screw everything up". There is no such thing as "the Islanders". There are people, and some are better than others at what they do. I like Tavares myself, but if their staff thinks either Duchene or Hedman is better, all I can say is, that's what THEY get paid to do. Time will tell if they are correct.

"The Islanders" were ONE person, for 10 years. The reason Milbury gets strung up by his balls over Parise, for example, is not because it's Parise, it's because he'd already spent eight years prior doing stupid shit like that. These guys have not proven to have failed yet. Snow has been the GM for three years, and he inherited a steaming pile of crap. Ten years of stupidity is far too much rope, but I think you almost HAVE to give someone five, especially considering what was here when he showed up.

My prediction is this: They will not trade the pick. To do that, he would have to get blown away with an Eric Lindros style, "I'll trade you the Stanley Cup for a rockhead" offer of monumental stupidity. Being that, as Bob McKenzie says, Tavares is not a "generational talent", I don't think you're going to see that next weekend. By the same token, this is not last year- the first pick in the draft is the first pick in the draft. I just can't see him trading down for a couple of middling draft choices this time.

That said, this year, so far he's done the right thing, because he's seeing if someone is going to go to the Bob Clarke/Mike Milbury level of stupidity to acquire Tavares, and still leave him with the opportunity to take a player he really likes. Why would you not do that? He's not going to draft a goalie when we already have one, and then trade our goalie and a solid power forward for crap. He's not going to trade a monster defenseman and the second pick in the draft for more crap. It's not going to happen, because "the Islanders" didn't do that. Mike Milbury did that, and I'm pretty sure that Garth Snow's driver's license doesn't say Mike Milbury on it. Give the guy a chance is all I'm saying.

Doug

The Tavares Quest

2009-06-20T00:30:00.002-04:00

One night from tonight is the NHL draft. Our New York Islanders have the first overall pick.

I will be there.

By saying being there I don't mean at the draft party at the coliseum but at the actual draft in Montreal.

Thoughts and prayers for the Boe Family

2009-06-08T21:58:00.001-04:00

Thanks Roy for the memories and many great moments!!!

Stuff

2009-02-10T23:51:00.002-05:00

So my blog page is misaligned. Argghhh.

The Islanders are playing like they should be playing but getting through it all is tough and I am bored. I know there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Or should I say lighthouse at the end of the tunnel?

At times like this I enjoy the fall of the rangers. They have given up 22 Goals in the last five games. They have scored only 5 goals in the same period of time. They now sit a mere 5 points from 9th place. I cant wait.

The Islanders on the other hand can now only score 96 points total. It really means that we have 3 games that we can lose before we are not able to make the playoffs based on past performances.

To put this in perspective, The Bruins have 85 points. Which means we have 11 points to give before we are eliminated from the #1 spot for the season.

Stolen From Forever 1940

2009-02-06T00:37:00.001-05:00

Joey MacDonald played his first game in over three weeks, and seemed a little rusty early. Rusty enough to end the Isles 4 game win streak. On to the trick:

1. JAy Bouwmeester and Karlin Skrastins scored first period goals for the Cats, who had the game's first six shots, leading up to a long-range goal by Bouwmeester.

2. The Isles benefited from 4 Panther penalties in the second period. scoring twice with the extra-man. Josh Bailey and Trent Hunter had the goals -- it was the 2nd goal for Bailey and the 88th career goal for Hunter --with exactly 1/4 of them on the powerplay (22).

3. Richard Zednik sandwiched the Isle pp goals with a beautiful goal of his own. Another ex-Isle, Bryan McCabe, earned an assist on the game-winning tally as the Panthers improved to 9-2-3 in 2009.

and a few more...

4. Kyle Okposo was on the ice for both pp goals, but did not record a point, ending his point streak at 5.

5. MacDonald made 26 saves, but drops his 4th straight decision. He's 1-13-2 in his last 17 appearances (1 no decision)'

6. The Isles had only 22 shots on goal on Tomas Vokoun, but there were 18 shots blocked by Panthers and 16 others that missed the net

7. The home team won all 4 games of this series. The Isles have dropped 5 straight in Sunrise.for the first time in thier history.

8. With Mark Streit out injured, Chris Campoli saw his time on the pp (5:08) and led the Ises with 24:24 of overall ice-time. Nate THompson played only 2:33 and left with a shoulder injury.. Jack Hillen and Joe Callahan replaced the injured Streit and Pock and each played over 12:30

9. Maybe it's the Islander-Ranger thing, but Soup's son Gregory Campbell always seems to play well against the Isles. Tonight was no exception, winning 11 of 16 draws, with three hits and two blocks.

10. Up next: the mini road trip concludes in Tampa on Saturday. The Isles lead the season 2 games to 0 (4 points to 1). Overall the Isles have won 5 of 6 from Tampa and earned points in 5 of the last 7 (5-1-1) between the teams.

Great Deals on Dell Laptops. Starting at $499.

Tavares Musical Interlude

2009-01-03T15:34:00.005-05:00

The Musical Group, Tavares

"Heaven Missing an Angel"

"More Than a Woman"

RaRa Note: I prefer the #5 version from the movie Short Circuit.

"She's Gone"

"Never Had a Love Like This Before"

NHL Standings as of 01/02/2009!

2009-01-03T15:14:00.003-05:00

Awwww, the Rangers are in 4th place. One more loss could find them in 6th place.

EASTERN CONFERENCE (42)
1. Boston - 62 [38] -------- vs. 8. Pittsburgh - 42 [38]
2. Washington - 53 [39] ---- vs. 7. Carolina - 43 [39]
3. Philadelphia - 49 [38] -- vs. 6. New Jersey - 47 [37]
4. NY Ranjerks - 49 [39] --- vs. 5. Montreal - 48 [37]

OUT OF PLAY-OFFS
9. Buffalo - 41 [38] -1
10. Florida - 37 [37] -5
11. Toronto - 36 [38] -6
12. Ottawa - 31 [35] -11
13. Atlanta - 31 [39] -11
14. Tampa Bay - 30 [37] -12
15. NY Islanders - 28 [39] -14

WESTERN CONFERENCE (40)
1. San Jose - 61 [37] -- vs. 8. Columbus - 40 [38]
2. Detroit - 55 [37] --- vs. 7. Phoenix - 43 [39]
3. Calgary - 48 [37] --- vs. 6. Anaheim - 43 [39]
4. Chicago - 47 [35] --- vs. 5. Vancouver - 46 [40]

OUT OF PLAY-OFFS
9. Colorado - 39 [38] -1
10. Minnesota - 38 [36] -2
11. Edmonton - 37 [36](17W) -3
12. Dallas - 37 [36](16W) -3
13. Nashville - 37 [37] -3
14. Los Angeles - 36 [37] -4
15. St. Louis - 31 [38] -9

564 games played - 137 into OT - 24.3%.
137 OT games - 76 end in shootout = 55.5% OR 13.5% of ALL games end
in shootout.
Yesterday - 40 goals scored in 6 games = 6.67 goals per game.
Total - 3,295 goals scored in 564 games = 5.84 gpg.
3,295 goals minus 76 SO goals = 3,219 = 5.71 gpg minus shootout.
There have been 69 shutouts = 1 per 8.17 games.
The eastern conference is 55-59-15 for 125 out of a possible 258
points against the western conference. That equates to 48.5%.
The Isles have scored 102 goals = 2.62 gpg.
The Isles have allowed 141 goals = 3.62 gpg.

Esoteric Attendance Report

2009-01-03T15:13:00.003-05:00

Last night, there were 3 out of 6 games played with more than 2,000
empty seats, or 50.0%.
Out of 564 games played, there have been 150 played with MORE than
2,000 empty seats, or 26.6% of all games played.
There have been 34 east vs. west games out of 129 played on this
list, for a 26.4%.
There have been 36 divisional games played on this list, or 6.4%.
There have been 41 games played at less than 75% capacity, or 7.2%.
Out of 150 games, the Islanders appear 12 times on this list, or 8.1%
and 2.2% out of 564 games.
** = new statistic.

Team leaders at more than 2,000 HOME empty seat games (150):
18 - Atlanta.
17 -
16 - Phoenix, Carolina.
15 -
14 - Columbus.
13 - Tampa Bay, Los Angeles.
12 - NY Islanders, Florida.
11 -
10 - Nashville, New Jersey.
9 - Colorado.
8 - / 7 - / 6 - / 5 - / 4 -
3 - Dallas.
2 - Boston, St. Louis.
1 -

Team leaders at less than 75% capacity games (41):
6 - Columbus, Atlanta.
5 - NY Islanders, Florida.
4 - Nashville, Tampa Bay, Carolina.
3 - New Jersey.
2 - Phoenix.
1 - Los Angeles, Colorado.

Team leaders at more than 2,000 TOTAL (home and away) empty seat
games (300):
23 - Atlanta.
22 - Phoenix, Carolina.
21 - Columbus.
20 - Florida.
19 - Nashville.
18 - Tampa Bay.
17 - NY Islanders, Los Angeles.
16 -
15 - Colorado.
14 -
13 - New Jersey.
12 - / 11 - / 10 -
9 - Minnesota.
8 - Dallas, San Jose.
7 - St. Louis, Vancouver.
6 - Edmonton, Ottawa, Philadelphia, Toronto.
5 - Calgary, Boston, Buffalo.
4 - Montreal, Pittsburgh, Washington.
3 - Anaheim, NY Ranjerks.
2 - Chicago.
1 -
0 - Detroit.

smallest crowd:
15. 10/23 - I-Dallas @ NY Islanders-16,234 - 10,183 = 6,051 = 62.7%.
lowest % of attendance:
41. 11/2 - D-Florida @ Atlanta - 18,545 - 10,584 = 7,961 = 57.1%.

Stolen from Forever1940

2009-01-03T15:12:00.004-05:00

Visit forever1940.blogspot.com

A pair of third period milestones, but in the end an 11th straight road loss. On to the trick:

1. Moments after ex-Isle Olli Jokinen had given the Coyotes a 4-1 lead, Josh Bailey struck for the first NHL goal of his career. It came in his 25th NHL game. Bailey also was _+2, had four shots on goal and won 12 of 15 draws.

2. The game looked out of reach, but Richard Park scored twice in the final 3:06 to make the final minutes interesting. Doug Weight assisted on both goals for the 1000th and 1001st points of his NHL career. It was his 6th two-point game of the season. Weight leads the Isles in both assists (25) and points (32).

3. Weight reaches the milestone in 1167 games. He did it against one of his favorite opponents; Weight now has 63 points in 58 career games against the Jets/Coyotes.

and a few more...

4. The Isles are now 1-6-2 all-time in Phoenix, winning only in 2004.

5. The Isles have now scored four 6th attacker goals and allowed 1 in the last four games.

6. Guerin and Okposo each recorded assists to extend their point streaks to 5, but Comeau's point streak stopped at four, while Comrie's goal streak ended at 3. Comrie wnet down fighting -- a game-high 7 shots on goal; it's the 2nd straight game he's had 7 SOG's.

7. Rick DiPietro made 28 saves in his 5th start of the season. He recorded an assist for the second straight appearance, extending his club records for assists and points by a goalie to 15.

8. Lots of crooked numbers on the Isles +/- tonight. Gervais, Park, Guerin and Campoli were all +3 while Bailey was +2. However, Meyer was -4, Witt, Jackman, and Comrie were -3, Comeau and Bergenheim were -2. Only two crookeds for the Yote's: Michalek was +3 while Morris was -2.

9. When all was said and done, the Isles dropped to 6-12 in one-goal games (includes 4 ot/so losses). The 8 regulation one-goal losses share the league lead.

10. Up next: the road trip doesn't get any easier as the Isles head to the Tank to face the Sharks. The Sharks are 18-0-2 at home this season and haven't been beaten in regulation at home in over 10 months (26-0-3). The Sharks are 28-4-5 overall. A difficult task to be sure. But that's why they play the games.

The Captains Game Report - Nassau Coliseum

2009-01-03T15:08:00.004-05:00

Dec 31, 2008

Islanders 4 Florida Panthers 2 FINAL

Where do I begin?

Happy New Year to all !

Lets Go Tampa and Lets Go Atlanta tonight !!! We gained back two
of the points of the three point lead we have in the Tavares derby.

No wonder none of my "Mitch Fritz" text messages made it on the
scoreboard today. Mitch was waived today - and likely winds up in
Bridgeport. I am unhappy about this. We need a big time goon to go
up against Daniel Carcillo in PHX on Fri. Is Jackman going to be the
guy to get beat up again?

The ones that made it up ?

" Happy New Year"

"RaRa luvs the Lighthouse"

My theory - is that they take some early texts - those made early in
the night and loop them. Some guy named Tristan's name was up there
32 times. Then some attendant adds a few in - after scanning them
for things which might be offensive or not "Wang Approved" so
patience and an early arrival are key.

National Anthem singer - Alyssa Cavallano - a teenage girl who gave
a worthy effort - Happy New Year Alyssa !

Your State Farm Agent of the game ? Sandra Simpson of Wantagh.

Brithday of the day on the big screen ? Jason Sirianni - six years
old today and IN THE HOUSE!

Tuscan Dairy goal for first Comrie goal = Section 205 Row H Seat 7

The Scotto Brothers fan of the game - getting a certificate for
dinner for two at Fox Hollow Inn was in seat 6 Row C Section 124 x

Second goal by Comrie - SECTION 303 !!!! However, Row S seat 6 was
your winner - not us.

Bergenheim goal Section 337 Row F Seat 2 was the Tuscan Goal
winner of a Bergie autographed puck

The choice of songs for the Islanders to skate onto the ice to for
the third period

* Next to you - Buckcherry

* Tick Tock Boom - Hives

* Stay with me - Finch

GUess what won ? ( will disclose at end of report.)

Instead of the Lucky Puck Shuffle - with the three pucks ( one with
an Islander Logo) - having to guess which one has the logo after the
shuffle......was called the "Stonebridge Champagne Shuffle" tonight -
in honor of Stonebridge Golf Course in Hauppauge. There were 4
bottles. Will disclose winner at end of report.

The Ice Girl 50/50 raffle was won by ticket number 488597 $ 1,065
was the winning amount. Our friend Dave O had ticket number 488598.

Last goal was Sectoin 104 Row J - Mark Streit

Comic Book Characters in attendance: Spiderman, Wolverine, Captain
America, the Incredible Hulk and Iron Man.

Hall of Fame announcers to make the scoreboard - Jiggs McDonald
(Back from Thailand !)

Also, one of the NY Lottery ladies - sorry - forgot which one -
hosted the between periods on ice gig where they give out prizes for
those who shoot the puck in the net from center ice.

My son's potential last game of the year before he heads back to
Chicago - is a winner. Suppose that his record - combined with
Roger's (who was in attendance) - they canceled each other out.

The game ? Not such an interesting game. We had a goal disallowed
and Comrie's first goal had to be reviewed. I am more interested in
game operations than the game these days. Have to get Tavares and
today's result is not helping.

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL !!

Pat
********************************************

Winning Song - Tick Tock Boom.

Champagne Puck Shuffle - Bottle # 1 was the correct answer. The dude
in the stands picked Bottle 4 - but they gave the prize anyway.

Esoteric NHL Standings 12 / 22 / 2008

2008-12-23T16:36:00.001-05:00

EASTERN CONFERENCE (37)
1. Boston - 52 [33] ------- vs. 8. Buffalo - 37 [34]
2. NY Ranjerks - 46 [36] -- vs. 7. Pittsburgh - 40 [33]
3. Washington - 43 [34] --- vs. 6. New Jersey - 41 [31]
4. Philadelphia - 43 [33] - vs. 5. Montreal - 42 [33]
OUT OF PLAY-OFFS
9. Carolina - 37 [34] -0
10. Florida - 34 [32] -3
11. Toronto - 34 [33] -3
12. Ottawa - 29 [31] -8
13. Atlanta - 26 [33] -11
14. Tampa Bay - 23 [32] -14
15. NY Islanders - 23 [33] -14
WESTERN CONFERENCE (35)
1. San Jose - 55 [33] --- vs. 8. Nashville - 35 [32]
2. Detroit - 48 [32] ---- vs. 7. Phoenix - 36 [34]
3. Vancouver - 41 [34] -- vs. 6. Anaheim - 39 [34]
4. Chicago - 43 [31] ---- vs. 5. Calgary - 40 [33]
OUT OF PLAY-OFFS
9. Minnesota - 34 [32] -1
10. Edmonton - 33 [32] -2
11. Colorado - 33 [33] -2
12. Columbus - 32 [33](14W) -3
13. Los Angeles - 32 [33](13W) -3
14. Dallas - 31 [32] -4
15. St. Louis - 29 [33] -6
493 games played - 125 into OT - 25.4%.
125 OT games - 69 end in shootout = 55.2% OR 14.0% of ALL games end
in shootout.
Yesterday - 28 goals scored in 4 games = 7.00 goals per game.
Total - 2,887 goals scored in 493 games = 5.86 gpg.
2,887 goals minus 69 SO goals = 2,818 = 5.72 gpg minus shootout.
There have been 57 shutouts = 1 per 8.65 games.
The eastern conference is 48-51-15 for 111 out of a possible 228
points against the western conference. That equates to 48.7%.
The Isles have scored 81 goals = 2.45 gpg.
The Isles have allowed 120 goals = 3.64 gpg.

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From The Captain

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Nystrom up now

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Rechlicz - Pinhead or Patriot? PATRIOT!

Rechlicz - Pinhead or Patriot? PATRIOT!!!

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Mikko

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