Tonight, our New York Islanders defeated the Carolina Hurricanes by a score of 5-2 in their return from the All Star Break. Here are some of my notes from the game:
-I don't think there are enough superlatives in the dictionary to describe the play of John Tavares!! He is just phenomenal!! At one point tonight I saw him single get away from three guys by himself. Also that pass to Moulson at the end of the second from behind the goal line that Moulson couldn't connect on was right on the tape, like always!
-With his four points Tavares is also pending the results of other games on the schedule tied for 4th in the league in points. Can someone tell me the last time we had someone in the top 10 in the league in points? Let alone the top 5?
-Poulin played well! Better then the afternoon game versus Nashville. I have to think that Nabby will be back between the pipes Friday in Ottawa.
-PA Parenteau continues to rack up the points!! With two more tonight he now he has 45 in 49 games. Raise your hand if you thought Parenteau would produce like this, I doubt many will raise because I don't think anyone expected him to produce at nearly a ppg (point per game)clip. The big question is will he be traded? Or will we sign him to an extension? With points like this the Islanders need to decide if they think he is capable of making it a consistent thing, or if he will be a one year wonder. Should be interesting as the trade deadline draws nearer.
-Nice to see them get a few powerplay goals tonight!
-Rhett looked good in his first game!! I more then welcome his addition to the lineup over Brian Rolston! My feelings on Rolston have been long documented in these post game posts, so I will be more then happy if we don't see Rolston in uniform for a while!
-Playing Staios over Dylan Reese confused me!! Reese had been playing pretty well so I didn't understand why they sat him down.
This is how we wanted to get back into things after the break! Now hopefully were able to continue this as we go into Ottawa on Friday.
Next Game: Friday 7:30PM @ Ottawa
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Isles to Play in Brooklyn 10/2 VS the Devils!
It was posted on the Islanders website about two hours ago that the Islanders would be playing a preseason game against the Devils at the new Barclays Center in Brooklyn on October 2nd.
The Barclays Center officially opens on September 28th with concerts by Jay Z. If you dont know Jay Z is a minority owner of the Nets who are the primary tennant in the building.
This reminds me of when the Isles played the preseason game in KC VS the Kings in 2009. I have a strange hunch though that this game will be much better attended then that game was though. Hopefully if executed correctly this can give a much better message and do more then the game in KC did at the time, since that did very little if anything.
Thursday, January 26, 2012
New Sites on the sidebar!!
If you hadn't noticed, over the last few months we have added two new sites to the side bar of the site.
Hockeyholic confessions as well as Isles Style.
First, hockeyholic confessions is a site ran by a very good friend of mine and one of their friends. They talk about hockey in general plus their lives.
Second, is Isles Style! This site is ran by a new friend of a mine and she talks about the ups and downs of the Isles season.
Both sites are run by good people, and I hope you guys give them the awesome support you have given us over the last nine months because they definitely deserve it!
Hockeyholic confessions as well as Isles Style.
First, hockeyholic confessions is a site ran by a very good friend of mine and one of their friends. They talk about hockey in general plus their lives.
Second, is Isles Style! This site is ran by a new friend of a mine and she talks about the ups and downs of the Isles season.
Both sites are run by good people, and I hope you guys give them the awesome support you have given us over the last nine months because they definitely deserve it!
Mangano: "Expect "Hub" New Soon"!!
Since the referendum failed on August first the topic of the Nassau Coliseum and what to do with it has been largely dormant.
However a few days ago on twitter, Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano tweeted someone and told them that they are working on "the hub" daily and to expect news soon. Now you all know when a politician says soon, it may not be so soon.
However, in this case its sooner then we all probably thought. Coming home from school today on the side of Hempstead Turnpike by Meadowbrook Parkway, I saw a flashing sign about a "Hub" meeting on January 31st at the Legislature Office at 1550 Franklin Avenue in Mineola. Now I would think it would be logical to assume some sorta of news to come out of this meeting, however when dealing with Politicians using logic isn't always the best idea since they rarely do.
Lets hope there is, because we could certainly use some news, especially of the good variety!
However a few days ago on twitter, Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano tweeted someone and told them that they are working on "the hub" daily and to expect news soon. Now you all know when a politician says soon, it may not be so soon.
However, in this case its sooner then we all probably thought. Coming home from school today on the side of Hempstead Turnpike by Meadowbrook Parkway, I saw a flashing sign about a "Hub" meeting on January 31st at the Legislature Office at 1550 Franklin Avenue in Mineola. Now I would think it would be logical to assume some sorta of news to come out of this meeting, however when dealing with Politicians using logic isn't always the best idea since they rarely do.
Lets hope there is, because we could certainly use some news, especially of the good variety!
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Little Help Please?
For our Isles this season, John Tavares, Matt Moulson, Michael Grabner, Kyle Okposo, and Pa Parenteau have 77 of our teams 112 goals. So that means the other 20 people on the roster have a combined 35 goals.
Can we get some secondary scoring? Getting some secondary scoring would sure help us be able to make great play like last week a much more consistent thing.
A team shouldn't be able to beat us like Toronto did the other night by just shutting down our top line. The fact they did that is a problem!! The fact that the line was shut down but was still the line to get most of our offensive chances is very telling, at least to me!
Lets hope it picks up, because if it doesn't we will be in trouble before we know it!
Can we get some secondary scoring? Getting some secondary scoring would sure help us be able to make great play like last week a much more consistent thing.
A team shouldn't be able to beat us like Toronto did the other night by just shutting down our top line. The fact they did that is a problem!! The fact that the line was shut down but was still the line to get most of our offensive chances is very telling, at least to me!
Lets hope it picks up, because if it doesn't we will be in trouble before we know it!
Isles get 1/4 points in home and home with Toronto!
In what had become a very important home and home for the Islanders after there very good play last week the Isles only managed to pick up one of four points vs the Maple Leafs in their home and home Monday and yesterday.
There hot play had left them only 7 points behind Toronto in the standings. So picking up three or four points would've been huge for their playoff hunt.
On Monday, through line matching the Maple Leafs shut down the Islanders first line, and that led to our Isles being shut out, and John Tavares NHL season long 12 game point streak being snapped.
Last night, we fell in OT by a score of 4-3 to the refs, I mean the Maple Leafs.
Overall, we played a pretty good game, much better then the night before. Nice seeing Tavares get back on the board and we showed good resolve coming back to tie it after a rough third period. No matter how lucky the bounce was!!
However, the officials in this game were just brutal!! One can argue that the refs in the home and home were brutal. No matter what James Mirtle who is a Toronto writer says!! (Mr. Mirtle acknowledged their were missed calls last night but two nights ago did nothing of the sort not even mentioning the fact there were around a half dozen calls missed) How they called nothing on the Leafs outside of one minor on Phil Kessel which would've been a more severe call is beyond me! Is it a coincidence that last nights game was one of only two games last night not to have writer from NHL.com assigned to it?
At the end of the second period Joffrey Lupul of the Leafs laid John Tavares out with a cheap check behind the net with no call. Upon leaving the ice John Tavares told Arthur Staple that he told one of the refs that they were a f------ joke!
Overall, this is certainly not how the Isles wanted this to go! Falling 10 points behind them now makes the deficit that much harder with time no longer really being on their side. Lets hope we can stay at least relatively in the race for the remainder of the season, because to me if we have a lottery pick again this year then this year is a failure!
There hot play had left them only 7 points behind Toronto in the standings. So picking up three or four points would've been huge for their playoff hunt.
On Monday, through line matching the Maple Leafs shut down the Islanders first line, and that led to our Isles being shut out, and John Tavares NHL season long 12 game point streak being snapped.
Last night, we fell in OT by a score of 4-3 to the refs, I mean the Maple Leafs.
Overall, we played a pretty good game, much better then the night before. Nice seeing Tavares get back on the board and we showed good resolve coming back to tie it after a rough third period. No matter how lucky the bounce was!!
However, the officials in this game were just brutal!! One can argue that the refs in the home and home were brutal. No matter what James Mirtle who is a Toronto writer says!! (Mr. Mirtle acknowledged their were missed calls last night but two nights ago did nothing of the sort not even mentioning the fact there were around a half dozen calls missed) How they called nothing on the Leafs outside of one minor on Phil Kessel which would've been a more severe call is beyond me! Is it a coincidence that last nights game was one of only two games last night not to have writer from NHL.com assigned to it?
At the end of the second period Joffrey Lupul of the Leafs laid John Tavares out with a cheap check behind the net with no call. Upon leaving the ice John Tavares told Arthur Staple that he told one of the refs that they were a f------ joke!
Overall, this is certainly not how the Isles wanted this to go! Falling 10 points behind them now makes the deficit that much harder with time no longer really being on their side. Lets hope we can stay at least relatively in the race for the remainder of the season, because to me if we have a lottery pick again this year then this year is a failure!
Saturday, January 21, 2012
Isles Close to Extension with Frans Nielsen!!
According to islanderspointblank.com a Danish website is reporting that the Isles are close to an extension with center Frans Nielsen.
Nielsen who has a cap hit of $525,000 this season is set to become a free agent at years end. After making this very generous cap hit for the last few years its fair to assume Nielsen is going to want a raise. Just how much is the question?
If I am Garth Snow, I try to lock Nielsen up to a multi year deal (3-5 years) worth 1.5-2 million per year. It gives him the sizeable raise he deserves, and it keeps one of the better two way players in the game on LI.
It should be interesting to see how this pans out! If you remember last season, this was the time of year Garth handed out his extensions to Jurcina, Moulson, and PA.
Nielsen who has a cap hit of $525,000 this season is set to become a free agent at years end. After making this very generous cap hit for the last few years its fair to assume Nielsen is going to want a raise. Just how much is the question?
If I am Garth Snow, I try to lock Nielsen up to a multi year deal (3-5 years) worth 1.5-2 million per year. It gives him the sizeable raise he deserves, and it keeps one of the better two way players in the game on LI.
It should be interesting to see how this pans out! If you remember last season, this was the time of year Garth handed out his extensions to Jurcina, Moulson, and PA.
Post Game: John Tavares Continues on His Breakout Year as the Isles win 2-1 in OT
Tonight, our New York Islanders defeated the Hurricanes by a score of 2-1 in overtime. Here are some of my notes from the game:
-John Tavares continues to show why people shouldn't go to ESPN for hockey info. Earlier this week they released a list of the top 25 players in the NHL under the age of 25. For some reason Tavares was not on that list! With his two points tonight he now has the longest point streak in the NHL this year and is playing at a better then point per game pace, but no he isn't one of the top 25 players in the NHL under 25, sure! He also has the longest point streak by an Islander since Mark Parrish in the 2000-2001 season.
-Continuing on that, if you were at the game, in the second period, Howie Rose went off on a mini rant about this in the second period. While he did take a shot at bloggers during the rant which wasn't cool, him going off like that as a person who is exposed to so many is really good! Sorta like he did last season after the Penguins game.
-Although Nabby had his one screw up with that terrible rebound that led to the Canes lone goal, he was really sharp the rest of the game! Without his play recently who knows where we would be! When you get net minding like hes provided recently your in every game and thats what counts!
-The first period was brutal tonight!! It sorta resembled the Nashville game this past Monday! However during the first intermission Capuano mustve given them a real kick in the butt because they came out firing tying a season high with 23 shots on goal in period two. Then the third period wasn't bad, they just couldn't hit the net!!
Overall, not the perfect game you wanted to see from them after their road trip! However, a wins a win and I will def. take it!!
Next Game: Monday @ Toronto
-John Tavares continues to show why people shouldn't go to ESPN for hockey info. Earlier this week they released a list of the top 25 players in the NHL under the age of 25. For some reason Tavares was not on that list! With his two points tonight he now has the longest point streak in the NHL this year and is playing at a better then point per game pace, but no he isn't one of the top 25 players in the NHL under 25, sure! He also has the longest point streak by an Islander since Mark Parrish in the 2000-2001 season.
-Continuing on that, if you were at the game, in the second period, Howie Rose went off on a mini rant about this in the second period. While he did take a shot at bloggers during the rant which wasn't cool, him going off like that as a person who is exposed to so many is really good! Sorta like he did last season after the Penguins game.
-Although Nabby had his one screw up with that terrible rebound that led to the Canes lone goal, he was really sharp the rest of the game! Without his play recently who knows where we would be! When you get net minding like hes provided recently your in every game and thats what counts!
-The first period was brutal tonight!! It sorta resembled the Nashville game this past Monday! However during the first intermission Capuano mustve given them a real kick in the butt because they came out firing tying a season high with 23 shots on goal in period two. Then the third period wasn't bad, they just couldn't hit the net!!
Overall, not the perfect game you wanted to see from them after their road trip! However, a wins a win and I will def. take it!!
Next Game: Monday @ Toronto
Pre Game: Hurricanes @ Isles
Tonight, Eric Staal and the Hurricanes travel to Long Island to take on John Tavares and our surging New York Islanders.
The Hurricanes wont all be there though, as late last night they struck a deal with the New Jersey Devils to trade them winger Alexei Ponikarovsky for a defenseman prospect and a 4th round pick in the draft this year. This takes away some of the Canes scoring depth as they come into the Island tonight as to me Alexei is a pretty good 2nd/3rd line player.
According to Arthur Staple, Evgeni Nabakov will once again get the nod in net for the Islanders tonight. Nabakov has looked super sharp recently so lets hope he can keep it up tonight.
Additionally Steve Staios will once again be a healthy scratch meaning Dylan Reese will once again be dressing tonight. Dylan hasn't played bad at all since getting called back up so its good that they are giving him an extended look.
Tonight is a very important game after coming off two very good road games against some of the better teams in the league. The intensity and stuff we showed in those games needs to be kept up tonight because this is a must win game for us so we can keep this streak going, going into the home and home with the Maple leafs next week.
If your heading out to the game tonight be careful with the inclement weather, and lets be loud and hope the Isles get the win!
The Hurricanes wont all be there though, as late last night they struck a deal with the New Jersey Devils to trade them winger Alexei Ponikarovsky for a defenseman prospect and a 4th round pick in the draft this year. This takes away some of the Canes scoring depth as they come into the Island tonight as to me Alexei is a pretty good 2nd/3rd line player.
According to Arthur Staple, Evgeni Nabakov will once again get the nod in net for the Islanders tonight. Nabakov has looked super sharp recently so lets hope he can keep it up tonight.
Additionally Steve Staios will once again be a healthy scratch meaning Dylan Reese will once again be dressing tonight. Dylan hasn't played bad at all since getting called back up so its good that they are giving him an extended look.
Tonight is a very important game after coming off two very good road games against some of the better teams in the league. The intensity and stuff we showed in those games needs to be kept up tonight because this is a must win game for us so we can keep this streak going, going into the home and home with the Maple leafs next week.
If your heading out to the game tonight be careful with the inclement weather, and lets be loud and hope the Isles get the win!
Friday, January 20, 2012
Post Game: Nabby continues to roll as Isles beat Philly 3-1!
Tonight, for the first time in almost 4 years, our Islanders beat the Flyers in Philly. They defeated them by a score of 3-1. Here are some of my notes:
-In one of my posts recently I asked if anyone could stop John Tavares? Now I can tell you, no way!! Tavares was on fire in this game! He not only extended his point streak to 11 which is tied for the NHL season high (Krejci, BOS) and the longest by an Islander in over a decade. (Parrish, Oct-Nov 01) He also made some individual plays which would make some peoples jaw drop. Not only did he set up multiple odd man rushes because of stick handling and speed, he had two break aways single handidly. We all knew Tavares was going to be good, now were just left wondering how good he will be!
-The Isles have three 40 point scorers right now! Who would've thought they would be the second team in the NHL to achieve that? I know I certainly didn't!
-Nabakov continues to roll! Not only is he playing incredibly sharp right now, but the team is playing with confidence in front of him. Something we've only seen with one other goalie int he last year and change, and that is Al Montoya.
-Since he has returned I wonder when Montoya will get back between the pipes. If Nabby continues playing like this Monty may need to wait a while.
-The Isles got an even strength goal, a powerplay goal, and a shorthanded goal tonight. How often does that happen?
-Nice seeing Streit get on the board!
-Matt Moulson is now tied for 7th in the league in goals! 40 goals anyone?
-Josh Bailey actually scored! Shorthanded nonetheless! It was really nice seeing him get on the board, and congrats on 100 NHL points! Matt Martin made a nice play along the boards to set that up for him!
-Good for Dylan Reese for standing up to Giroux! For a guy who had head troubles id say it wasn't the smartest move on his part. But, nice to see Dylan stand up for himself and not take his crap and actually put on a pretty good fight.
-On the topic of Dylan Reese, he is in his second call up this year and I don't think hes played bad at all! Prior to this year I didn't like him and he wasn't effective up here in my opinion at least. However this year, he hasn't looked out of place in the slightest. In some instances he has been more effective then veterans Mike Mottau or Steve Staios. Its nice to see him finally come into his own at the NHL level.
-Pa Parenteau continues putting up points as well! He is near the top 5 in the NHL in assists. Who expected this? I know I didn't! With his points tonight PA is now at 40 in 45 games. Is 60 out of the question for him? I certainly think not, maybe even 70! He sure is making the most out of the opportunity hes been given here!
-Who would've thought that over the last dozen games the Isles have the best penalty kill in the NHL and tied for the 5th best powerplay? The coaches deserve credit for that!
-I don't know about you, but I don't think I've ever heard the Flyers arena as quiet as it was during this game. That's just a testament to the game the Isles played, if you can shut up Philly sports fans your doing something right!
This brief road trip saw the Islanders play two of the more elite teams in the NHL. Not only did the Islanders defeat these teams, but they beat them pretty soundly! Hopefully people get out to the game on Saturday so they can give the team the proper welcome back because to me, these are two of the better road games they have played consecutively in a while.
Next Game: Saturday @ Home VS the Hurricanes
-In one of my posts recently I asked if anyone could stop John Tavares? Now I can tell you, no way!! Tavares was on fire in this game! He not only extended his point streak to 11 which is tied for the NHL season high (Krejci, BOS) and the longest by an Islander in over a decade. (Parrish, Oct-Nov 01) He also made some individual plays which would make some peoples jaw drop. Not only did he set up multiple odd man rushes because of stick handling and speed, he had two break aways single handidly. We all knew Tavares was going to be good, now were just left wondering how good he will be!
-The Isles have three 40 point scorers right now! Who would've thought they would be the second team in the NHL to achieve that? I know I certainly didn't!
-Nabakov continues to roll! Not only is he playing incredibly sharp right now, but the team is playing with confidence in front of him. Something we've only seen with one other goalie int he last year and change, and that is Al Montoya.
-Since he has returned I wonder when Montoya will get back between the pipes. If Nabby continues playing like this Monty may need to wait a while.
-The Isles got an even strength goal, a powerplay goal, and a shorthanded goal tonight. How often does that happen?
-Nice seeing Streit get on the board!
-Matt Moulson is now tied for 7th in the league in goals! 40 goals anyone?
-Josh Bailey actually scored! Shorthanded nonetheless! It was really nice seeing him get on the board, and congrats on 100 NHL points! Matt Martin made a nice play along the boards to set that up for him!
-Good for Dylan Reese for standing up to Giroux! For a guy who had head troubles id say it wasn't the smartest move on his part. But, nice to see Dylan stand up for himself and not take his crap and actually put on a pretty good fight.
-On the topic of Dylan Reese, he is in his second call up this year and I don't think hes played bad at all! Prior to this year I didn't like him and he wasn't effective up here in my opinion at least. However this year, he hasn't looked out of place in the slightest. In some instances he has been more effective then veterans Mike Mottau or Steve Staios. Its nice to see him finally come into his own at the NHL level.
-Pa Parenteau continues putting up points as well! He is near the top 5 in the NHL in assists. Who expected this? I know I didn't! With his points tonight PA is now at 40 in 45 games. Is 60 out of the question for him? I certainly think not, maybe even 70! He sure is making the most out of the opportunity hes been given here!
-Who would've thought that over the last dozen games the Isles have the best penalty kill in the NHL and tied for the 5th best powerplay? The coaches deserve credit for that!
-I don't know about you, but I don't think I've ever heard the Flyers arena as quiet as it was during this game. That's just a testament to the game the Isles played, if you can shut up Philly sports fans your doing something right!
This brief road trip saw the Islanders play two of the more elite teams in the NHL. Not only did the Islanders defeat these teams, but they beat them pretty soundly! Hopefully people get out to the game on Saturday so they can give the team the proper welcome back because to me, these are two of the better road games they have played consecutively in a while.
Next Game: Saturday @ Home VS the Hurricanes
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Post Game: Isles dominate Caps En Route to Shutout!!
Tonight, our Isles shutout the Washington Capitals by a score of 3-0. Here are some of my notes:
-As bad as yesterday was, thats how good this game was! This is right up there with the best road game the Islanders have played this season, and it might even be the best! They from start to finish simply dominated the Capitals and it was quite enjoyable to watch. If they can play like this on a consistent basis then who knows where they will go!
-This regulation victory was the Isles first regulation win VS Washington in Washington since the fall of 2007. To take it a step further, this is the first time the Islanders shut out the Capitals at home since March of 1997. None other then Tommy Salo, was in between the pipes for the Isles that day. So tonight was a day to break some long term streaks for the team which is always a very good thing!
-Keeping up on the streaks, John Tavares now has a 10 game point streak. This is the longest point streak by an Islander player since November 2001 and Mark Parrish. (Coincidentally Mark Parrish right now is actually on the AHL team for the Ottawa Senators who Bridgeport defeated by a score of 3-2 on Sunday.) Can anyone stop Tavares? Right now he is on a point per game pace, and he shows no signs of slowing down! We all knew he was going to be special, now were seeing the fruits of that before our eyes, and may I say, its pretty sweet!
-Lets not forget Matt Moulson, who although is often thought of as only a goal socrer, with his two assists tonight now has assists in five straight games. If he is able to round out his game in that sense, he will go from being a good player to a really good player, in my opinion at least!
-Congrats to PA Parenteau who had his first career multi goal game tonight! His first goal was a nice snap shot using the dman as a screen, The second goal was just a very pretty passing play on the power play that he was able to finish off. Congrats to him and lets hope this is the first of many!
-Also congrats to Nabby on his first shutout as a member of the Islanders. Last start he gets his 300th win and today he gets the shutout, not bad for consecutive starts. Only thing with Nabby is I would like it if he played the puck less!
-Great PK tonight! If you missed it, during the broadcast, they showed a graphic saying that since the day after Christmas our penalty kill is the best in the NHL at 95%. Who wouldve thought that?
-I don't know what it is, but the Isles coaches seem to love to put Rolston out on the powerplay. I dont know how all you feel, but me personally I barely want him out at even strength, let alone on the powerplay. Hes just simply very bad, and to me brings very little if anything to the team! Yes, he has a hard shot, but it doesnt matter if he doesnt hit the net which he very rarely does!
-Why is Nino still on the fourth line? I get you want to ease the kid in however the fact that Brian Rolston is getting top nine forward minutes and powerplay time over him is well just boardering on criminal. You have your first round pick, a top 5 pick from 2 years ago sitting on the fourth line, meanwhile a 38 year old vet with a way bloated contract gets top 9 minutes and some powerplay time. Am I the only one who sees something wrong there? Its about time he moves Nino up like he did for Grabner.
Well, after the crap show that was yesterdays game, this was really nice to see!! Its games like these that give you some hope for the future!
Next Game: Thursday 7PM @ Philly
-As bad as yesterday was, thats how good this game was! This is right up there with the best road game the Islanders have played this season, and it might even be the best! They from start to finish simply dominated the Capitals and it was quite enjoyable to watch. If they can play like this on a consistent basis then who knows where they will go!
-This regulation victory was the Isles first regulation win VS Washington in Washington since the fall of 2007. To take it a step further, this is the first time the Islanders shut out the Capitals at home since March of 1997. None other then Tommy Salo, was in between the pipes for the Isles that day. So tonight was a day to break some long term streaks for the team which is always a very good thing!
-Keeping up on the streaks, John Tavares now has a 10 game point streak. This is the longest point streak by an Islander player since November 2001 and Mark Parrish. (Coincidentally Mark Parrish right now is actually on the AHL team for the Ottawa Senators who Bridgeport defeated by a score of 3-2 on Sunday.) Can anyone stop Tavares? Right now he is on a point per game pace, and he shows no signs of slowing down! We all knew he was going to be special, now were seeing the fruits of that before our eyes, and may I say, its pretty sweet!
-Lets not forget Matt Moulson, who although is often thought of as only a goal socrer, with his two assists tonight now has assists in five straight games. If he is able to round out his game in that sense, he will go from being a good player to a really good player, in my opinion at least!
-Congrats to PA Parenteau who had his first career multi goal game tonight! His first goal was a nice snap shot using the dman as a screen, The second goal was just a very pretty passing play on the power play that he was able to finish off. Congrats to him and lets hope this is the first of many!
-Also congrats to Nabby on his first shutout as a member of the Islanders. Last start he gets his 300th win and today he gets the shutout, not bad for consecutive starts. Only thing with Nabby is I would like it if he played the puck less!
-Great PK tonight! If you missed it, during the broadcast, they showed a graphic saying that since the day after Christmas our penalty kill is the best in the NHL at 95%. Who wouldve thought that?
-I don't know what it is, but the Isles coaches seem to love to put Rolston out on the powerplay. I dont know how all you feel, but me personally I barely want him out at even strength, let alone on the powerplay. Hes just simply very bad, and to me brings very little if anything to the team! Yes, he has a hard shot, but it doesnt matter if he doesnt hit the net which he very rarely does!
-Why is Nino still on the fourth line? I get you want to ease the kid in however the fact that Brian Rolston is getting top nine forward minutes and powerplay time over him is well just boardering on criminal. You have your first round pick, a top 5 pick from 2 years ago sitting on the fourth line, meanwhile a 38 year old vet with a way bloated contract gets top 9 minutes and some powerplay time. Am I the only one who sees something wrong there? Its about time he moves Nino up like he did for Grabner.
Well, after the crap show that was yesterdays game, this was really nice to see!! Its games like these that give you some hope for the future!
Next Game: Thursday 7PM @ Philly
Hamonic says special skate saved his foot in game yesterday!
After yesterdays game, Islanders defenseman Travis Hamonic was quoted as saying that his special customized skates saved him from getting a broken foot yesterday after blocking a slap shot from the Predators Shea Weber. Apparently, Hamonic has special things built into his skates that give him some sorta extra cushion or something in certain areas when blocking shots.
On the broadcast tonight, Howie and Butch elaborated on this and said that hes said that they have actually saved him from a broken foot at least six times this season alone.
If they work so well, why don't more defenseman wear them? Especially ones that have a tendency to block a lot of shots?
On the broadcast tonight, Howie and Butch elaborated on this and said that hes said that they have actually saved him from a broken foot at least six times this season alone.
If they work so well, why don't more defenseman wear them? Especially ones that have a tendency to block a lot of shots?
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Post Game: Isles lose 3-1
Yesterday, our Isles fell 3-1 to the Predators! Here are my few notes from this game:
-This was brutal!! I don't want to hear that we got better in the second and third periods. The reason that was because the first period was that bad!
-Poulins rust showed, all though the third goal was on the team with the bad change!
-Did anyone else hold their breath after Hamonic took that shot in the foot from Shea Weber?
-Nice to get the one goal at least so we didn't get shut out at home
This was a really disappointing way to end off the home stand!!
Next Game: Tonight @ Washington
-This was brutal!! I don't want to hear that we got better in the second and third periods. The reason that was because the first period was that bad!
-Poulins rust showed, all though the third goal was on the team with the bad change!
-Did anyone else hold their breath after Hamonic took that shot in the foot from Shea Weber?
-Nice to get the one goal at least so we didn't get shut out at home
This was a really disappointing way to end off the home stand!!
Next Game: Tonight @ Washington
Saturday, January 14, 2012
Rick Dipietro out likely for season with Sports Hernia!!
If you missed it, earlier this afternoon it was announced that Islanders oft injured goalie Rick Dipietro would need to go undergo surgery for a sports hernia and will likely miss the rest of the season. This is after hes been on IR for nearly around a month or so.
You really cant make this stuff up! Hes like the only guy who would suffer a season ending injury while on IR.
To top it off, he told newsday that he has no plans to retire. Saying that its never crossed his mind.
I know he wants to play, and I respect that! But when is enough, enough now? I think it'd be best for both sides if he just retired!
You really cant make this stuff up! Hes like the only guy who would suffer a season ending injury while on IR.
To top it off, he told newsday that he has no plans to retire. Saying that its never crossed his mind.
I know he wants to play, and I respect that! But when is enough, enough now? I think it'd be best for both sides if he just retired!
Friday, January 13, 2012
Mangano tells reporters to ask Wang what he thinks of "Hub" Plan!
Today, at a news conference at his office in Mineola, Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano told the gathered media to ask Charles Wang what he thought of the newest "hub" plan that Mangano says he has been working on behind the scenes that will be released to the public soon.
Mangano saying this is interesting, because in the past Wang has said that he wanted to keep negotiations out of the papers. Mangano saying this either means Wang is wearing out his welcome with him now to, or Wang has soft end on that and doesn't mind as much anymore.
Combine this, with the news about talks of playing a preseason game in Brooklyn, seems like things are picking up with this once again. Hopefully this is the last time things pick up with it and something finally gets done! Its not like its two, almost three decades in the making or anything. Oh wait!!
Mangano saying this is interesting, because in the past Wang has said that he wanted to keep negotiations out of the papers. Mangano saying this either means Wang is wearing out his welcome with him now to, or Wang has soft end on that and doesn't mind as much anymore.
Combine this, with the news about talks of playing a preseason game in Brooklyn, seems like things are picking up with this once again. Hopefully this is the last time things pick up with it and something finally gets done! Its not like its two, almost three decades in the making or anything. Oh wait!!
ISLES in talks to play Pre Season Game in Brooklyn!!!!!!!
According to WFAN 660 radio in NY the Islanders are in talks to play a pre season game next fall in Brooklyn at the new Barclays Center which opens next fall for the Nets.
To me, this smells of 2009 when the Isles played the game in KC! That was a major flop though as it did nothing! Hopefully they are able to leverage this so it actually like means something or something along those lines. Vague and baseless threats are getting old in this process! Its about time something like legitimate and meaningful gets done.
It certainly is nice to see that they are doing this though!!
It should certainly be interesting to watch this play out over the next few months, especially since recently Ed Mangano has been quoted as saying he is once again coming up with a development idea for the "hub." Ill believe it when shovels are in the ground, until then I am assuming politics will get in the way once again.
To me, this smells of 2009 when the Isles played the game in KC! That was a major flop though as it did nothing! Hopefully they are able to leverage this so it actually like means something or something along those lines. Vague and baseless threats are getting old in this process! Its about time something like legitimate and meaningful gets done.
It certainly is nice to see that they are doing this though!!
It should certainly be interesting to watch this play out over the next few months, especially since recently Ed Mangano has been quoted as saying he is once again coming up with a development idea for the "hub." Ill believe it when shovels are in the ground, until then I am assuming politics will get in the way once again.
Post Game: Isles lose 3-2!
Tonight, our Isles fell 3-2 to the Flyers. Here are some of my notes:
-Overall our Isles played well!! Ashame we couldn't pull this one out!
-Powerplay still sucks though! I don't know what else we can do with that because it seems like not much works!
-Am I the only one who cant wait for Ullstrom to come back so Brian Rolston can sit? He maybe a vet, but that's all he is because in my eyes he brings nothing on the ice. If he had more then one year left then I think Garth would've been crucified for that move.
-Tavares keeps going!!
-Bob played his butt off for the Flyers tonight! He made more then one WOW save!
-Nabby was iffy! The first goal, even though it was on a powerplay that shouldn't have happened was in between. The second goal though was a cheapy!! Third goal, not much you can do but tip your cap for a nice shot!
-The refs once again weren't good! Miss a high stick on MacDonald that would've been a double minor. Hooks on Amac late in the game, Moulson getting interfered with around the net, and that's all off the top of my head. It seems like a common thing that I write a lot in these. Its sad!
-To many Philly fans!!
Tough game to lose! Isles played pretty well, out shooting them almost 2-1! But the cheapy and special teams, or lack there of was detrimental in this game.
Next Game: Saturday @ Home VS Buffalo (Pat Flately inducted to the Isles HOF)
Note: Congrats to John Tavares on making it to the all star team! Make us proud Johnny!!
-Overall our Isles played well!! Ashame we couldn't pull this one out!
-Powerplay still sucks though! I don't know what else we can do with that because it seems like not much works!
-Am I the only one who cant wait for Ullstrom to come back so Brian Rolston can sit? He maybe a vet, but that's all he is because in my eyes he brings nothing on the ice. If he had more then one year left then I think Garth would've been crucified for that move.
-Tavares keeps going!!
-Bob played his butt off for the Flyers tonight! He made more then one WOW save!
-Nabby was iffy! The first goal, even though it was on a powerplay that shouldn't have happened was in between. The second goal though was a cheapy!! Third goal, not much you can do but tip your cap for a nice shot!
-The refs once again weren't good! Miss a high stick on MacDonald that would've been a double minor. Hooks on Amac late in the game, Moulson getting interfered with around the net, and that's all off the top of my head. It seems like a common thing that I write a lot in these. Its sad!
-To many Philly fans!!
Tough game to lose! Isles played pretty well, out shooting them almost 2-1! But the cheapy and special teams, or lack there of was detrimental in this game.
Next Game: Saturday @ Home VS Buffalo (Pat Flately inducted to the Isles HOF)
Note: Congrats to John Tavares on making it to the all star team! Make us proud Johnny!!
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Post Game: Isles dominate!! Beat Wings 5-1!
Tonight, our Isles defeated the Red Wings by a score of 5-1. Here are some of my notes from the game:
-Evgeni Nabakov played a fantastic game!! He made some unreal saves leading the team to the w!
-John Tavares is just getting better and better. That shot on the second goal was just awesome!!
-The first line in general is clicking on all cylinders! It seems like most every shift they have at least one good chance.
-The Grabner line played well to! Had some pretty good chances!
-Nice to have Grabner pot one finally!
-Can Matt Martin or Nino be given Rolstons top 6 spot? He is terrible and its embarrassing that hes a top 6 forward!
-The Islanders are 5-0-1 in their last six games versus the Red Wings. That is what probably prompted the "You cant Beat Us" chants toward the end of the third period by the fans.
Well, after the last two games which were well less then impressive to say the least this was certainly nice to see! Hopefully they can continue this play over the next few games because the schedule doesn't get any easier.
Next Game: Thursday @ Home VS the Flyers
-Evgeni Nabakov played a fantastic game!! He made some unreal saves leading the team to the w!
-John Tavares is just getting better and better. That shot on the second goal was just awesome!!
-The first line in general is clicking on all cylinders! It seems like most every shift they have at least one good chance.
-The Grabner line played well to! Had some pretty good chances!
-Nice to have Grabner pot one finally!
-Can Matt Martin or Nino be given Rolstons top 6 spot? He is terrible and its embarrassing that hes a top 6 forward!
-The Islanders are 5-0-1 in their last six games versus the Red Wings. That is what probably prompted the "You cant Beat Us" chants toward the end of the third period by the fans.
Well, after the last two games which were well less then impressive to say the least this was certainly nice to see! Hopefully they can continue this play over the next few games because the schedule doesn't get any easier.
Next Game: Thursday @ Home VS the Flyers
Sunday, January 8, 2012
RUMORS SWIRLING: Wang negotiating to sell team?? And more??
I came across something within the last hour that I wanted to share with all of you!
There are rumors, again RUMORS nothing concrete or confirmed in any way shape or form by anyone remotely connected to the team or anyone else, that Charles Wang has been in long negotiations to sell the Islanders plus another Charles Wang business. From what I saw, he has been in negotiations with a man named Stan Winters who is a lawyer/negotiator for hedge fund guy(s).
As has been thought in the past, Pat Lafontaine would be involved in this group!
There is more, however this is all that I feel comfortable posting!
*Hat tips to @Rosetintedvisor and Matty*
There are rumors, again RUMORS nothing concrete or confirmed in any way shape or form by anyone remotely connected to the team or anyone else, that Charles Wang has been in long negotiations to sell the Islanders plus another Charles Wang business. From what I saw, he has been in negotiations with a man named Stan Winters who is a lawyer/negotiator for hedge fund guy(s).
As has been thought in the past, Pat Lafontaine would be involved in this group!
There is more, however this is all that I feel comfortable posting!
*Hat tips to @Rosetintedvisor and Matty*
Post Game: Isles lose 5-1!
Tonight, our Isles fell 5-1 to the Coyotes! Here's some of my notes from the game:
-Weak game from Nabby! Have to wonder if maybe Nilsson will get a start soon to give Nabakov a rest.
-Only against the Isles would a guy get his first career hattrick and to top it off, get the third goal with .1 seconds left.
-Defense was less then stellar again!
Well certainly not the way the team wanted this trip to end! Especially with the tough teams there playing on the up coming home stand.
Next Game: Tuesday @ Home VS DET
-Weak game from Nabby! Have to wonder if maybe Nilsson will get a start soon to give Nabakov a rest.
-Only against the Isles would a guy get his first career hattrick and to top it off, get the third goal with .1 seconds left.
-Defense was less then stellar again!
Well certainly not the way the team wanted this trip to end! Especially with the tough teams there playing on the up coming home stand.
Next Game: Tuesday @ Home VS DET
Saturday, January 7, 2012
Dylan Reese called up again!!
If you missed it, the Isles called defenseman Dylan Reese up again yesterday after placing Mike Mottau on IR.
Would it kill the Isles to bring in another defenseman or two from outside the organization so Dylan can get settled in one place or another? Its not fair to the player to have him on the constant shuttle back and forth like they have him.
Should be interesting when Dylan will get some game play, because to me he didn't play to bad at all in his first tour with the team last month. If the defense has as many breakdowns consistently as it did in the third period last night then we could see Dylan sooner rather then later.
Would it kill the Isles to bring in another defenseman or two from outside the organization so Dylan can get settled in one place or another? Its not fair to the player to have him on the constant shuttle back and forth like they have him.
Should be interesting when Dylan will get some game play, because to me he didn't play to bad at all in his first tour with the team last month. If the defense has as many breakdowns consistently as it did in the third period last night then we could see Dylan sooner rather then later.
Pre Game: Isles @ Coyotes!!
Tonight, our Isles continue their road trip as they travel to Phoenix to take on Shane Doan and the Coyotes.
Today, forward Jay Pandolfo was activated off injured reserve! However that was short lived because it seems as though center Marty Reasoner will be going on IR after breaking his thumb in the game last night.
Even given the trouble he had last night, I expect Evgeni Nabakov to start tonight for the Islanders as they look to rebound after a tough loss last night.
Our top line all have point streaks coming into play today so it should be interesting to see if they can extend those. If Tavares continues to play like he has I would say its a pretty safe bet that they will.
Today, forward Jay Pandolfo was activated off injured reserve! However that was short lived because it seems as though center Marty Reasoner will be going on IR after breaking his thumb in the game last night.
Even given the trouble he had last night, I expect Evgeni Nabakov to start tonight for the Islanders as they look to rebound after a tough loss last night.
Our top line all have point streaks coming into play today so it should be interesting to see if they can extend those. If Tavares continues to play like he has I would say its a pretty safe bet that they will.
Post Game: Islanders lose 4-2!
Last night, our Isles saw their three game winning streak come to an end as they fell 4-2 to the Anaheim Ducks. Heres some of my notes from the game:
-Sweet pass by JT to set up KO for the second goal!
-Good tenacity by Martin for the first goal!
-Get Brian Rolston off the powerplay! It failed once, so why try it again?
-To many defensive breakdowns!!
Sorry for it being short, but I missed the first two periods!
Well considering how we had been playing to lay an egg vs the "worst team in hockey" isn't good! But remember the fire power the team has and it makes it a little easier to swallow!
Next Game: Tonight @ Phoenix
-Sweet pass by JT to set up KO for the second goal!
-Good tenacity by Martin for the first goal!
-Get Brian Rolston off the powerplay! It failed once, so why try it again?
-To many defensive breakdowns!!
Sorry for it being short, but I missed the first two periods!
Well considering how we had been playing to lay an egg vs the "worst team in hockey" isn't good! But remember the fire power the team has and it makes it a little easier to swallow!
Next Game: Tonight @ Phoenix
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Post Game: Isles win 4-3 in Shootout For 3rd Straight!!
Tonight, our Isles defeated the Carolina Hurricanes by a score of 4-3 in a shootout, to win the teams third straight game. Here are some of my notes from the game:
-I thought the first was a balanced period with play being pretty back and forth.
-Nice pass by JT for Moulsons goal!
-Second period was very very flat for the Isles though!!
-That was consummated by Nabby doing his best DP impression behind the net with the puck leading to the second goal.
-The third period was sloppy both ways though!
-Thanks to John Tavares though the Isles took advantage of the sloppiness more then the Canes did.
-Also, Nabakov, although responsible for the one goal did come up with a couple a big saves.
-Sick saucer by JT to Okposo for the tying goal!
-The team showed good resolve to come back and get that in the final 90 seconds after giving up the late go ahead goal.
-As usual in shootouts Nielsen gets us the winner!!
-Thought the the Grabner line had a good game!
-Tavares had a very good game as well! Does he ever have a bad game?
-Although Staios is far from perfect I like him in there a lot more then I do Mottau!
It was a wonder for some how the Islanders would take their hot play on their recent homestand on the road with them. If tonight is any indication then things maybe looking up for the team!
Next Game: Friday 10PM @ the Ducks
-I thought the first was a balanced period with play being pretty back and forth.
-Nice pass by JT for Moulsons goal!
-Second period was very very flat for the Isles though!!
-That was consummated by Nabby doing his best DP impression behind the net with the puck leading to the second goal.
-The third period was sloppy both ways though!
-Thanks to John Tavares though the Isles took advantage of the sloppiness more then the Canes did.
-Also, Nabakov, although responsible for the one goal did come up with a couple a big saves.
-Sick saucer by JT to Okposo for the tying goal!
-The team showed good resolve to come back and get that in the final 90 seconds after giving up the late go ahead goal.
-As usual in shootouts Nielsen gets us the winner!!
-Thought the the Grabner line had a good game!
-Tavares had a very good game as well! Does he ever have a bad game?
-Although Staios is far from perfect I like him in there a lot more then I do Mottau!
It was a wonder for some how the Islanders would take their hot play on their recent homestand on the road with them. If tonight is any indication then things maybe looking up for the team!
Next Game: Friday 10PM @ the Ducks
Sunday, January 1, 2012
Happy New Year!!
With the start of the New Year today, we just wanted to take this time to wish all our loyal readers a very Happy and Healthy New Year!! Thank you for all your support and I hope we can count on all of you to stick with us as the new year starts!
Isles, Winners of 2 Straight!!
So, after a few less then stellar games, our Isles on their brief home stand defeated both the Calgary Flames in Blake Comeaus return to Long Island by a score of 3-1, then yesterday defeated the young stars on the Oilers by a score of 4-1. Here are some notes from both games:
-Solid crowds for both games!! I was very impressed with how many people came out for both games!! They got treated to great games as well so hopefully it keeps up!!
-After a few crappy games in a row it was like someone taught us how to play again because they played really well and it was very nice to see!!
-Unreal pass by Tavares for Moulsons goal yesterday!!
-Matt Martin continues his consistent play this year
-Tim Wallace has definitely picked up his physical play, laying out some very punishing hits the last two games.
-Powerplay is still less then stellar!!
-Nice to have Staios in, instead of Mottau!! Although it'd be nice if Staios could be more disciplined!!
-Am I the only one who dislikes Rolston? I wish that Rolston would be benched for Haley upon his return but I am not holding my breath on that happening! I just think Rolston doesn't bring much and Haley brings so much more.
-Marty Reasoner continues to fail to put up anything near the offense he put up for the Panthers last season.
-Nice to see Hammer and Amac appearing as the top pairing and moving Streit down to the second pairing because it was long over due.
-Nabby has been playing very well!! Hopefully he can keep this play up because he is giving up a darn good chance to win day in and out with his performances the last two games.
After a real crappy stretch having this was much needed! Now it should be interesting to see how they play once they hit the road Tuesday! That will be key signal as to how the next portion of the season will go.
Next Game: Tuesday @ Carolina
-Solid crowds for both games!! I was very impressed with how many people came out for both games!! They got treated to great games as well so hopefully it keeps up!!
-After a few crappy games in a row it was like someone taught us how to play again because they played really well and it was very nice to see!!
-Unreal pass by Tavares for Moulsons goal yesterday!!
-Matt Martin continues his consistent play this year
-Tim Wallace has definitely picked up his physical play, laying out some very punishing hits the last two games.
-Powerplay is still less then stellar!!
-Nice to have Staios in, instead of Mottau!! Although it'd be nice if Staios could be more disciplined!!
-Am I the only one who dislikes Rolston? I wish that Rolston would be benched for Haley upon his return but I am not holding my breath on that happening! I just think Rolston doesn't bring much and Haley brings so much more.
-Marty Reasoner continues to fail to put up anything near the offense he put up for the Panthers last season.
-Nice to see Hammer and Amac appearing as the top pairing and moving Streit down to the second pairing because it was long over due.
-Nabby has been playing very well!! Hopefully he can keep this play up because he is giving up a darn good chance to win day in and out with his performances the last two games.
After a real crappy stretch having this was much needed! Now it should be interesting to see how they play once they hit the road Tuesday! That will be key signal as to how the next portion of the season will go.
Next Game: Tuesday @ Carolina
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