NHL News: Avalanche Goalie Varlamov Arrested

photo by CBS Denver

According to reports, late last night Colorado Avalanche goalie Semyon Varlamov was arrested on charges of kidnapping and assault.  The kidnapping charge carries a sentence of 2-6 years in prison.  Varlamov reportedly turned himself in on Wednesday and the charges stem from an incident that took place on Tuesday.  Varlamov is expected to see a judge later this morning.

Varlamov had been a key figure in the Avalanche's 10-1 start to the season.  He was 7-1 to start the season with a .945 save percentage and a 1.76 GAA.  Colorado acquired Varlamov from the Washington Capitals in the summer of 2011 in exchange for the teams first and second round draft picks in 2012.

The Avalanche are scheduled to have a back to back this weekend against Dallas and then at home against Montreal.  Varlamov's status for these games is uncertain as of now, according to reports.

http://www.cbssports.com/nhl/eye-on-hockey/24163060/report-semyon-varlamov-arrested-in-denver-on-domestic-violence-charges

Details About the Vanek Trade Emerge

On Sunday, the Islanders acquired Thomas Vanek from the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for Matt Moulson and a couple draft picks.

Since then, some details about the trade have slowly began to leak out.  The first one being that the Sabres picked up around 20% of Vaneks salary which amounts to around 1.4 million, according to Bob McKenzie from TSN.  Kevin Schultz from islanders pointblank did the math and he figured that figuring in the 20% savings and the pro rated salaries that the Islanders added only around $600,000 in salary as part of the trade.

The second detail about the trade came by way of ESPN's Pierre LeBrun.  According to LeBrun, the Islanders have the option to defer the first round pick the team is trading as part of the deal to next years draft should they falter and end up with a top 10 pick this season.  This is an interesting caveat to the deal as the inclusion of the draft picks was a real sticky point for some people regarding this deal.

I personally don't think there is a chance that we end up deferring the draft choice to next years draft.  This years draft is seen as largely mediocre by most experts.  Where as next years draft is seen as very deep and headlined by Connor McDavid who is being called one of the best players to come out of the draft since Sidney Crosby.

https://twitter.com/Real_ESPNLeBrun/status/395272681093730304

Defensive No Show Leads To A 3-2 Loss

Tonight, our Islanders once again failed to play a 60 minute game and it resulted in a 3-2 loss to the rival Rangers.  Here are some of my notes from the game:

-The Islanders play in their own zone is a mess.  Brent Thompson needs to get to work and earn his paycheck because it can be argued that we aren't even playing defense right now.  Matt Carkner is literally a liability every time he's on the ice and when the puck goes near him it is literally cringe worthy.  Meanwhile, Andrew MacDonald continues to be atrocious.  I don't know what happened to him but for some reason he is just a shell of his former self which is leaving the Islanders in a really rough spot because it is pretty much Travis Hamonic and then everyone else.

-The Islanders breakout and transition were also terrible.  They couldn't control the puck and have a clean breakout, they often went for clears that would intercepted by the Rangers or skating the puck out and having it get stolen at the line.  They also let Rangers forwards skate right into the zone without putting any pressure at all on them which doesn't seem like a smart play to me.  The transition is supposed to be a key aspect to our offense.  You know if that isn't working then we are having major issues.

-The team needs to play with more care for the puck.  The amount of turnovers we had tonight was just unacceptable!!  There were times when we were just serving it right up for the Rangers which just boggles your mind.

-Good to see Cal Clutterbuck finally put one to the back of the net.

-Can't really blame any goal tonight on Nabokov.  The first two resulted from the team not playing any defense as alluded to in my first point.  The third one appeared to be tipped in front by one of his own defensemen.  The numbers won't really reflect but Nabokov was pretty solid tonight.

-Once again the team failed to play a 60 minute game and hold a third period lead.  The conversation with the people I was with during the second intermission wasn't one that reflected confidence in the teams ability to hold the lead but was one where we were guessing how long it would take for us to give it up.  You may say that is a bad attitude to have.  However, after so many years now of dealing with the same thing we have sort of become conditioned to that line of thinking.

-The officials are terribly inconsistent as well.  Letting hooks on Tavares and Grabner go and that two many men call in the third just off the top of my head.  That to many men call was after they didn't call it on the Rangers in the first period.  The refs don't have to be good, but they should be consistent and tonight the refs failed at that.

Tonight was yet another disappointing effort from the team in a winnable game.  For a team that is fighting to be on the playoff bubble come April efforts like this aren't encouraging because every point counts.  As nice as wins against the Penguins are last week, losses like this one and to the Flyers on Saturday hurt even more.  Some may say to look at the coaching to find the root of the teams troubles.  However, the team had similar issues under the previous coaching regime with Scott Gordon so I am not sure that coaching is the issue here.

Next Game: Friday 11/1/13 @ Ottawa 7:30PM

Pre Game: Rangers @ Islanders

Tonight our New York Islanders faceoff against the queenless Rangers.  I'm expecting a near sellout, hopefully of mostly Islander fans. Some notes to lookout for:

• Its Mr. Vanek's first game wearing the blue and orange.  Beyond excited to see him play along JT
• Nabby and the defense need to be strong and solid.  No letdowns to give this weak scoring team a boost
• A strong 60 minute effort is certainly needed tonight, games like this are always a fight
• Brock Nelson is back in the lineup, slated to skate on the fourth line 
• Also importantly Cam Talbot will be in goal tonight for the Rangers.  The young goaltender has played pretty well so far in this young season
• Last and foremost; Lets Go Islanders! 

Retiring Matt Moulsons Number

On Sunday night, the Islanders traded away fan favorite Matt Moulson and two draft picks to the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for all star forward Thomas Vanek.

This move garnered some not so positive reactions from some fans who were really fond of Moulson.  One fan in particular really exhibited his love for Matt Moulson by lifting a Matt Moulson t-shirt to the ceiling of his bedroom.

Happy Birthday Potvin

 photo courtesy of http://cdn.bleacherreport.net/

Today, former Islanders captain Denis Potvin is celebrating his 60th birthday.

Potvin was the number 1 overall pick by the Islanders in the 1973 NHL draft.  Over the course of 1060 NHL games Potvin managed to put up 1052 points.  Potvin is often in the discussion when it comes to the best defenseman to ever play in the NHL right next to Bobby Orr.  Potvin also served as the Islanders team captain during their dynasty of the early 1980's giving up the C in 1987.

We here at Savetheisles would like to wish Potvin a very Happy Birthday!

A Change In Philosophy Is Here

Last night, the Islanders acquired forward Thomas Vanek from the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for forward Matt Moulson, a 2014 1st round pick, and a 2015 2nd round pick.  Garth Snow had the following to say to Newsday following the trade, "I can tell you I'm not happy with where we are record-wise.  We're better then this.  I wasn't going to sit by and let games pass."

The bold portion of that quote is the biggest thing that sticks out for me.  As recently as this past February, we had the yearly quotes coming from Garth Snow about how he wouldn't mortgage the future for any quick fixes because it wasn't part of the plan.  While this is far from mortgaging the future, this surely does deviate from the "plan" that Snow repeatedly made mention to and I think it's about time.

These are quotes from a GM being proactive to try and help improve his team.  This is a refreshing change because it shows the commitment to winning that I have been screaming about wanting to see from the team for a really long time.  Moreover, we have been wanting to get a player of this caliber to play with Tavares for ever, and now we finally have one.  I feel like that Vanek could be to Tavares what Marty St Louis is to Steven Stamkos.  As a duo, I think they could set the league on fire.  Some have voiced concerns about us resigning him.  I feel like that Garth wouldn't have made the deal if he was concerned about resigning him. 

While it is a shame to lose Matt Moulson who has been a very good player for us during some really less then stellar seasons.  In this league, especially when acquiring marquee talent like Thomas Vanek you have to pay a premium.  This trade puts the team on notice and also sends a message that they want to build on last years success and not just tread water or take steps back. 

Islanders fans have been calling for something like this to happen for a while.  To have Snow show that he has a pulse and the team wants to win and not just hope many things work out.  Well, the time is finally here, lets enjoy it!! 

BREAKING NEWS: Isles Acquire Vanek From Sabres

 photo courtesy of http://www.iceandbites.com/

According to reports, the Islanders have acquired forward Thomas Vanek from the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for forward Matt Moulson, a 2014 1st round pick, and a 2015 2nd round pick.

Vanek has registered 497 points in 598 career games in the NHL.  His best season came in 06/07 when he put up 43 goals and 41 assists in 82 games.

I have been screaming for the Islanders for years to show a commitment to winning.  They have finally done that by making a deal like this.  Vanek is of another calibur player that Tavares has never had the chance to play with before.  I know some are concerned about him resigning but I would be shocked if he isn't resigned by the Olympic break.

https://twitter.com/StapeNewsday/status/394620493099057152

Lack Of Defensive Play Leads To An Isles 5-2 Loss

Tonight, our Islanders came up short in the back end of their back to back as they were defeated 5-2 by the Flyers.  Here are some of my notes:

-It'd be nice if the defense actually showed up today!  Specifically Carkner and to a lesser extent MacDonald.  MacDonald was beat pretty easy in the first period which set up the Flyers first powerplay and subsequently their first goal.  He continues to struggle as the seasons opening month progresses.  Meanwhile, Carkner appeared to forget that he is supposed to play the man as a hockey player and not just fight and have scrums after the whistle.  On the second goal, he just watched as the guy skated right in and made the dish to set up the goal.  Then, on the third goal, he had terrible positioning and let the guy get behind him and made no effort to try and recover.  It is unfortunate that the teams lack of depth has forced them to play him because he is really not an NHL player.

-Unfortunate game for Poulin!  I know a lot of people see five goals and they want to pin it on the goalie.  However, the goalie is supposed to have defense to help them and for half the goals allowed tonight that wasn't the case.  You can only expect the goalie to do so much, especially when he only plays once every two weeks.

-The powerplay sure didn't look like the number one powerplay in the NHL tonight.  While it did have an occasional good stretch, overall it was pretty bad tonight.

-The refs were terribly inconsistent tonight and let a tremendous amount of stuff from the Flyers fly.  Most notably, not calling something when Tavares got boarded early in the first period.  Also, in the third period allowing the Flyers 4th goal instead of calling goalie interference which seemed to be the obvious call from the replays that were shown.

I want to give a shout out to the people up in section 329 for chanting my cousins name as he left the ice tonight after dropping the puck for the ceremonial faceoff.  It was very much appreciated!  You can follow them on twitter here.

Overall, tonight was a very disappointing game after last nights big win against the Penguins.  For a team that will likely be on the brink of playoffs come Arpil, the Islanders need to hope that losing games like this won't come back to hurt them.

Next Game: Tuesday @ Home Vs The Rangers

Dipietro Signs AHL Tryout Deal

 photo courtesy of http://l.yimg.com

According to reports, former Islanders goalie Rick Dipietro has signed an AHL tryout agreement with the Charlotte Checkers.  The Checkers are the AHL affiliate of the Carolina Hurricanes.

The Hurricanes seem to be turning to every angle they can think of after the news that franchise goalie Cam Ward would be out 3-4 weeks.

http://www.cbssports.com/nhl/eye-on-hockey/24143032/report-rick-dipietro-signs-tryout-deal-with-ahls-charlotte-checkers

Pre Game: Flyers @ Islanders

Tonight, the struggling Flyers pay a visit to the Coliseum to take on Frans Nielsen and our Islanders.

The goalie matchup tonight features Steve Mason for the Flyers and Kevin Poulin for the Islanders.

The Islanders lineup will look a little different tonight as Michael Grabner will be returning from his two game suspension he was handed for his hit on Nathan Gerbe last Saturday.  Eric Boulton will also be dressing for his second game of the season tonight.  To make room for them in the lineup tonight, forwards Brock Nelson and Colin McDonald will serve as the teams healthy scratches.

The Islanders website is encouraging people to wear lavender tonight to support hockey fights cancer.  This is a great worthwhile cause and something that should be supported not only in October but all year round.

If you can't make it to the Coliseum tonight, tune in at 7:00 to see if the Islanders can build on their big win over the Penguins last night.

Isles Stun Penguins 4-3 In Thriller

 photo courtesy of http://a.espncdn.com/

Tonight, the Islanders battled for 60 minutes and managed to come out on top over the Pittsburgh Penguins by a score of 4-3.  Here are some of my notes from the game:

-Martinek sure made his presence felt tonight in his return to the lineup with a couple assists.  Martinek was solid overall tonight!

-Nielsen continues to stay red hot, who would've thought we would say Frans Nielsen was tied for 4th in the NHL in points?

-Good to see Okposo reversing his trends and coming out hot to start the season.  Hopefully, it isn't only because he is making a case to be part of team USA next year.

-Nabby was pretty good tonight!  While he did let up a soft goal, he did make a couple big saves that allowed the Islanders to tie the game and eventually get the win.

-While it wasn't the prettiest goal, great job by Bailey not giving up on his eventual winner.  His persistence really paid off on the way to getting the team a win.




-Andrew MacDonald has continues to struggle this year, he really struggled in the first period.  He needs to get better, and quick!  Especially with our defense injured the way it is.

-I have been really critical of Pierre Marc Bouchard this season.  After his game tonight, I have to give credit where credit is due and give him praise for his performance tonight.  While he wasn't awesome, he was solid which is a welcome change for him.

-Matt Donovan had a rough game tonight.  With that though, I don't think it is a smart move to scratch him.  Even with  his occasional rookie mistake there is nobody who would give the team a better chance to win.

Coming in tonight, I was hoping for a point out of this game.  The fact we were able to get two and in the manner we did really impressed me.  Hopefully, we are able to take momentum from this game and translate it into a couple wins tomorrow and Tuesday versus some division rivals.

Next Game: Tomorrow Night @ Home VS the Flyers (HFC Cancer Night)

Pre Game: Isles @ Penguins

 photo courtesy of http://www.ecobuildingpulse.com/

Tonight, the Islanders travel to the Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh to take on Sidney Crosby and the Penguins.

The goalie matchup tonight features Evgeni Nabokov for the Islanders and Jeff Zatkoff for the Penguins.

Kris Letang is set to make his season debut tonight for the Penguins.

Meanwhile, with the injury to Brian Strait, Radek Martinek will make his season debut for the Islanders tonight.  This also means that Matt Carkner will be in the lineup again tonight partnered with Matt Donovan.  With Michael Grabner serving the second game of his two game suspension tonight the forwards will look the same as they did in Tuesdays OT loss to Vancouver.

Zatkoff struggled in his only start thus far this season for the Penguins.  So, a bounce back game from Nabokov could put the Islanders in a good spot to get a much needed two points tonight.

Brian Strait Out Tomorrow

According to Newsday, defenseman Brian Strait will be out tomorrow for the Islanders as he is day to day with an upper body injury.

With that, Radek Martinek will be in the lineup tomorrow making his 2013/2014 season debut after being signed to a one year contract yesterday.

With an already injured Lubomir Visnovsky this isn't good even with Straits struggles this season.  This means that Matt Carkner will remain in the lineup which isn't a good thing with the speed that the Penguins bring.  

https://twitter.com/StapeNewsday/status/393429510458060800

Did John Spano Actually Save The Islanders?

 photo courtesy of http://media.avclub.com/

Since Charles Wang bought the Islanders in 2000 people have lauded him for saving the team noting the team probably wouldn't be here right now if he hadn't purchased them.  While that is true, those people neglect one thing or if they don't neglect it they just don't care to remember it.  The Islanders were actually saved around 3 years before Wang purchased them. 

In 1997, Islanders owner John Pickett sold the Islanders to a man named John Spano.  Spano was said to be a Texas tycoon looking to own the team.  However, it was eventually proven that Spano wasn't who he said he was and pulled off one of the biggest hoaxes in sports history.

Although he was eventually caught, he wasn't right away and for four months Spano actually owned the Islanders.  During that time he made some key decisions regarding the team.  The biggest being the extension of the Islanders cable contract through 2031.  The contract starting in 97/98 paid the Islanders an annual sum that would increase annually through the end of the contract.  By the end of the contract the Islanders will be getting paid in excess of 30 million dollars.  The extension of this cable contract is thought to be the biggest reason why the Islanders are still here and will remain in the NY Metro area come 2015.

So, while Spano was unable to do a lot of stuff that he promised because he wasn't who he said he was.  He actually did more in those few months for the team then some of the Islanders owners did throughout their entire ownership tenure.  To learn more about his ownership tenure check out the ESPN 30 for 30 film that aired on Tuesday night about him narrated by Kevin Connolly, it was very well done. 

Few Changes Coming To The Barclays Center For Hockey

According to Islanderspointblank.com, in an interview yesterday on the Michael Kay show Brett Yormark the CEO of the Nets and Barclays Center, as well as the person in charge of suite sales, ticket sales and marketing for the Islanders spoke about the Barclays Center and the Islanders as well as Nassau Coliseum renovations.

Regarding the Barclays Center he said that there will be no major renovations made to the arena before the Islanders move their except for the construction of the Islanders "locker room campus."  Beyond that, what fans saw at the pre season game on September 21st is likely what they will see when the team moves there in 2015.

On the topic of why since their group was awarded the rights to renovate the Coliseum that the Islanders couldn't move back here he made note of the lack of revenue the Coliseum provides and said he didn't believe it could, "...truly accommodate a professional hockey team for 44 nights."

For more check out the link below:

http://islanderspointblank.com/arena-news/yormark-minimal-changes-to-barclays-setup-why-coliseum-wouldnt-work/

I for one am surprised that more isn't being planned to be done to the arena before the Islanders move there.  How could they have an arena where nearly 1/3 of the fans will be in obstructed seats?

Barclays Center Taking A Big Risk With the Islanders Move

According to Islanderspointblank.com, the Barclays Center is taking a big risk when the Islanders move there starting in the 2015/2016 season.

The report states that the team will be paid an annual payment from the Barclays Center and go up at a single digit percentage each year.  The Wall Street Journal reports that the payment will be in the tens of millions of dollars per year.

In exchange for the annual payment, the Islanders will give the Barclays Center a majority of team revenues.  As part of the deal, the Islanders guarantee to play a majority of their games plus 3 pre season games at the Barclays Center.  The risk for the Barclays Center here is that team revenues from year to year fluctuate where as the payment is guaranteed and will increase as well. This means that a bad year from the Islanders could put a bit of a damper on overall arena revenues.

When the report initially came out, I was told by a source that it was the Barclays Center giving the Islanders profit assurance and that appears to be exactly what it is.  This deal gives the Islanders financial stability that they haven't had in a really long time.

One thing this deal says to me is that I think we will finally see some money put back into the team.  The Barclays Center people aren't stupid and wouldn't have made this agreement if they thought they would take a big loss.

For more, check out the report from pointblank below:

http://islanderspointblank.com/exclusive/source-barclays-center-takes-on-arena-deal-risk-isles-get-financial-certainty/#more-43438

Welcome Back Radek

 photo courtesy of http://cdn.bleacherreport.net/

Earlier today, the Islanders announced that they had signed defenseman Radek Martinek to a one year contract valued at $600,000.

Martinek had been practicing with the Islanders recently having to sign a waiver before practice each time.  After Lubomir Visnovsky's injury over the weekend this signing seemed like a forgone conclusion.

I have been saying since Visnovsky went down that I though we would sign Martinek.  In all honesty, I am surprised we waited this long to sign him.  I wonder if he will be able to get into game action right away or if he will need some more time in practice.

Isles Fall 5-4 In Overtime

Tonight, our Islanders were defeated 5-4 by the Vancouver Canucks.  Here are some of my notes from the game:

-Nabokov blew it tonight!  If he shows up to play, the Islanders win this game and pretty easily to.  However, his rebound control tonight was just atrocious and he looked slow going across the crease to.  Most notably, on that second goal by Vancouver.  One has to wonder if Kevin Poulin should start to be worked into the lineup a little more regularly.

-Solid game from Moulson, nice to see him put a couple pucks in the back of the net.

-Great game from Matt Donovan!  If he is ever scratched again so Carkner can play then Capuano should be fired.

-Congrats to Brock Nelson on his first NHL goal!  I thought he had a pretty good game in his return to NHL action.

-While Carkner wasn't as bad tonight as he was on Saturday, he still wasn't very good!  The guy is supposed to be a 6'4 tough guy but he can't hit people.  I have lost count at the amount of times I have seen him try and hit someone and bounce off them or barely move them.  He had less then stellar play on Vancouver's third goal tonight.  How he ended up in the net is anyone's guess.

-Bouchard continues to not impress me at all.  Hopefully, he is taken out of the lineup in favor of Grabner when he returns instead of Brock Nelson.

-Luongo maybe a little older now, but he made some darn good saves tonight that kept the Canucks in this game.  If the goalies tonight were switched, the Islanders would've won this game and it wouldn't have been all that close either.

-Solid job by the team to continue to battle all the way to the end and eventually tie it up to force OT.

Overall, I thought that tonight was a solid team effort against a very good team.  However, tonight exemplified why upgrading the goalie position after last years playoff debacle was so crucial.  Snow's failure to do that could end up costing us big in the end.

Next Game: Friday Night @ Pittsburgh

Pre Game: Canucks @ Islanders

Tonight, the Vancouver Canucks pay a visit to the old barn in Hempstead to take on John Tavares and our Islanders.

The goalie match up tonight will feature Roberto Luongo for the Canucks and Evgeni Nabokov for the Islanders.

The Canucks will be going with a bit of a different look tonight as they will be dressing just 11 forwards and 7 defensemen.  David Booth will be a healthy scratch for them tonight.

Meanwhile, for the Islanders, their lineup will look a bit different as well.  An injury to Lubomir Visnovsky and a suspension to Michael Grabner has opened the door for both Matt Donovan and Brock Nelson to get back in the lineup.  With the top 4 already over extended, having Carkner in the lineup tonight is a little bit surprising because of how much you have to limit his ice time.

Tune in at 7:00 tonight to see if the Islanders can end this 4 game home stand on a high note against a tough team in Vancouver.

Roberto Luongo VS Mike Milbury

In the 1997 NHL amateur draft, the Islanders had the 4th overall selection.  With that selection, they chose goalie Roberto Luongo.  Luongo was an Islander for 3 seasons, his last being the 1999/2000 season.  In that season he had played 24 games for the Islanders.

Before being traded, he had hopes of starting for the Islanders the following season.  He told the Vancouver Sun, "...I actually got a call an hour before that [them trading him] to tell me they had traded Kevin Weekes who was the other (Islander) goalie, so I thought, 'Oh good, I'll have a chance to start this year.'  And then an hour later I got the call that I was traded, too."

Without naming names, Luongo says Milbury was a reason that things didn't work out here with the Islanders.  He cited Milbury's fascination with the puck handling goalies and with DiPietro in the draft that year, it appeared to be a perfect match.

Luongo tells the Sun that he has never seen Milbury since beside seeing him on TV.  "Nope, I've never seen him.  I've seen him on TV, but that's it."

Tonight, Luongo pays a visit to where it all began, now as a member of Vancouver.

For more from the Vancouver Sun check out the link below:

http://www.vancouversun.com/sports/hockey/vancouver-canucks/return+roots+Long+Island+rekindles/9062850/story.html

Grabner Suspended 2 Games

 photo courtesy of http://thefanblog.at/

Earlier today, Michael Grabner faced a hearing with the NHL over a hit he put on Nathan Gerbe on Saturday.  As a result, it has been announced that Grabner was suspended for 2 games.  With that, he will miss tomorrow night's game against the Canucks and Friday night against the Penguins.

Visnovsky Placed On IR

This morning, the Islanders announced that defenseman Lubomir Visnovsky was placed on IR after suffering a concussion in Saturday's loss to Carolina.

Visnovsky left the game during the first period and it was announced shortly thereafter that he wouldn't return.  The Islanders taking this action means that Visnovsky will miss at least three games.  A more detailed timetable on him hasn't been announced yet.  With this, I would be surprised if the team doesn't extend a contract offer to Radek Martinek soon.

http://islanderspointblank.com/islanders/lubomir-visnovsky-placed-on-ir/

Brock Nelson Recalled

 photo courtesy of http://cdn2-www.hockeysfuture.com/

Following Saturday's loss against Carolina, forward Brock Nelson was sent to Bridgeport to play in their game yesterday after having not played in a week for the Islanders.

Yesterday, for Bridgeport Nelson managed to register an assist in Bridgeport's 6-5 OT loss.  Following the game, he was then called back up.  One would think that his being called back up would be a sign that they are going to play him more frequently and not just continue to keep him in the press box.  If they planned to do that, why bother bringing him back up?

Well see what their intentions were tomorrow and if he is in the lineup or not against Vancouver.

Grabner To Face Hearing Tomorrow

According to reports, tomorrow, Michael Grabner will be part of something I bet he never thought he would.  That being, a phone hearing with the NHL over a hit he put on Hurricanes forward Nathan Gerbe in last nights loss.

http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=687722

Below, you can find a link to the video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4cKI2Eipr0

After watching it, I think Grabner will be fined but for three reasons won't be suspended.  Those being: 

1) No history

2) Gerbe wasn't injured

3) No penalty was called on the play

You be the judge, what do you think will happen to Grabner?  Will he be fined?  Suspension?

Visnovsky Out/Isles Send Down Nelson

At the start of the second period tonight, Islanders writer Arthur Staple tweeted that defenseman Lubomir Visnovsky would not return to the game because of a concussion.  The exact extent of his injury isn't yet known, however, when you hear concussion it usually is never good.  I would be very surprised if Radek Martinek isn't signed before Tuesday's game against Vancouver.

Also tonight, Arthur Staple reported that the forgotten prospect Brock Nelson was leaving the Coliseum with his gear and would be suiting up for Bridgeport tomorrow.  Nelson has played in just 4 games this season, serving as a healthy scratch in the other games.  I think it is absolutely insane that a team that is supposed to be building through the draft is scratching one of their top prospect in order to play Pierre Marc Bouchard who is one of the softest players to play for the Islanders in a long time.  Adding to that, he hasn't been very noticeable in a majority of his shifts this season and when you are getting top 6 minutes and powerplay time that is a an issue.  After tomorrows game, the Islanders will determine whether to call Nelson back up or leave him in Bridgeport.

Isles Fail Again To Play 60 Minutes And Lose 4-3

Tonight, in what has been a recurring theme in Islanders country the last few seasons, the Islanders failed to play a 60 minute game and ended up on the short end of things being defeated by the Hurricanes 4-3.  Here are some of my notes:

-Once again, it is tough to blame tonight's loss on Nabokov because he had zero help from his team.  Concerning theme we seem to be seeing early on this season.

-Carkner is absolute garbage!  I don't want to hear about presence or intimidation, the guy is paid to be a defenseman and is a bad defenseman, that is a problem!  Scratching Donovan for him is just insane.

-Andrew MacDonald has been pretty bad to start the season.  At first I thought it would just fix itself as the games continued but he is still struggling.  Maybe breaking up him and Hamonic for a bit would do him some good.

-The powerplay was really the only good feature of tonight.  Our three powerplay goals are what kept us in this game.

-Heck of a start from Okposo thus far.  He might be a frustrating player, but 8 points in 8 games isn't anything to look the other way at.

-The Martin-Cizikas-McDonald line also played pretty well tonight.

-With the injury to Visnovsky, I would look for Radek Martinek to be signed before Tuesdays game.

Overall, tonight was a really frustrating and disappointing game.  We don't seem to have the battle level as Jack Capuano would say that we had at the end of last season.  On Tuesday, if we come out like we came out tonight that will be a long game.

Next Game: Tuesday @ Home Vs Vanocuver

Pre Game: Canes @ Islanders

Tonight, Eric Staal and the Carolina Hurricanes pay a visit to the Coliseum to take on John Tavares and our Islanders.

The goalie matchup tonight features Evgeni Nabokov for the Islanders and presumably Cam Ward for Carolina.

The Islanders lineup will look a little different tonight as after getting back into the lineup Thursday against Edmonton, Matt Donovan is once again a healthy scratch.  Matt Carkner will be taking his spot in the lineup tonight.  Donovan will join Eric Boulton and the forgotten Brock Nelson as the healthy scratches tonight.

The Islanders look to build on the momentum gained from Thursdays win over the Oilers and try to take second place in the division away from Carolina.  Tune in at 7:00 to see how they fare.

Big Shot Trailer

On Tuesday, October 22nd, the ESPN 30 for 30 feature on John Spano's fraudulent purchase of the Islanders will be airing at 8:00PM.  Below, you can find two trailers previewing the feature:

I for one am looking forward to seeing this to learn more about it.  The Islanders have a home game the night this is going to be on so if you are going to be heading to the game don't forget to set your DVR.

Tavares Winner Helps Snap Isles Losing Streak

 photo courtesy of http://cdn.newsday.com/

Last night, the Islanders snapped their three game losing streak by defeating the Oilers by a score of 3-2.  Here are some of my notes from the game:

-Tavares had a great shot to beat Devan Dubnyk for the winner at the end of the second period.

-Great to see Donovan back in the lineup, I thought he had a solid game!

-Bouchard was alright in my opinion which is better then I thought he had been playing.  Still don't think he deserves to be in the lineup over Nelson though.

-Nabby wasn't bad last night, he still managed to give up his soft goal a game though.  This time it was Taylor Hall's second goal.  If he was able to cut that out he would do wonders for him.

-Pretty passing play to set up Okposo for the tying goal.  Okposo is already half way to his goal total from all of last season.

While it wasn't a perfect game, it was certainly better then the previous two efforts.  This was a game the team absolutely needed to win so it is encouraging that they did.  Hopefully they are able to build on this tomorrow vs Carolina.

Next Game: Tomorrow @ Home vs Carolina

Okposo: ..."And You Can't Go After 91"

Last night, John Tavares seemed to have a little extra in him as he was mixing it up physically a little more then he usually does.  This was most noticeable in the third period when noted league pest Steve Ott mugged the Islanders captain which had no response at first.  However, after Ott went back for seconds, Tavares line-mates Matt Moulson and Kyle Okposo were quick to respond and Okposo got a minor penalty on the play while Ott got a double minor.  The ensuing powerplay led to an Islanders goal.

After the game Okposo told the New York Post, "He's just running around, and you can't go after 91.  Just can't do that.  I jumped in there, and that will happen all season."

As much as Okposo struggles, seeing stuff like this very good and evidence as to why he wears an A on this team.

Martin/Clutterbuck Bring Bash Brother Moment To Long Island

In the early 90's, the Mighty Ducks hockey movies were the favorite of many.  Two of the more prominent players on the team in the series of movies were their enforcers Fulton Reed and Dean Portman known as the bash brothers.  Well, last night, Islanders forwards Matt Martin and Cal Clutterbuck had their own "bash brothers" moment when they as a team took down Buffalo defenseman Henrik Tallinder.  To view a GIF of the play check out pointblank below:

http://islanderspointblank.com/islanders/matt-martin-and-cal-clutterbuck-team-up-for-mighty-duck-bash-brothers-impression/#more-43221

Defense Blows It As Isles Hand Buffalo Their First Win

Tonight, our Islanders were defeated 4-3 by the Buffalo Sabres in a shootout giving Buffalo their first win so far this season.  Here are some of my notes from the game:

-Good to see Nielsen stay on the scoreboard, however I saw him stop skating on a couple plays which is concerning and something you don't see a lot from him.

-Clutterbuck had by far his best game as an Islander to this point tonight.

-Nabby was alright tonight, he wasn't great but he wasn't terrible either.  Sure, would he like to have a goal or two back tonight?  Yeah, but he gave the team a chance to win and that is all we can expect from him.

-The defense was atrocious!  There is no other way to say it, MacDonald pretty much served up Buffalo's first goal for them on a silver platter with that blind pass out of the corner.  Then throughout the night he seemed lost at times.  He has had a rough start, hopefully he is able to figure his stuff out.

-Brock Nelson should be back in this lineup on Thursday weather it is for Boulton or if McDonald is feeling better then Bouchard.  I know Bouchard had a point tonight, but the guy really didn't impress me at all with his increased ice time.

-I don't get them scratching Matt Donovan for a second game in a row.  Sure, the kid had a bad game, but how many bad games did Bouchard have before he was scratched?  Doesn't seem right to me, especially when his replacement is Matt Carkner which isn't exactly an upgrade.  The way they are handling both him and Nelson seem backward to me for a team that is supposed to be building through the draft.

-The coverage on the Sabres power play goal was abysmal, terrible job by them to leave Vanek of all people pretty much wide open in front of the net.

To me, this streak has the makings as one of our annual swoons that will have us out of the playoffs by the holidays.  Hopefully this team will show growth and that they are beyond those type of stretches.  The last two games don't have me feeling all that optimistic though.

Next Game: Thursday @ Home Vs Edmonton

Pre Game: Sabres @ Islanders

Tonight, Ryan Miller and the winless Buffalo Sabres pay a visit to the old barn in Hempstead to take on John Tavares and our Islanders.

The goalie matchup tonight features Ryan Miller for Buffalo and Evgeni Nabokov for the Islanders.

The Islanders lineup will look a little bit different tonight after their back to back losses over the weekend.  The healthy scratches tonight will be Eric Boulton, Matt Donovan, and Brock Nelson.  Meaning that forward Pierre Marc Bouchard found his way back into the lineup after being a healthy scratch for Saturdays game against Nashville.

Here are tonight's projected forward lines from Newsday:

Grabner-Tavares-Okposo

Bouchard-Nielsen-Bailey

Moulson-Regin-Clutterbuck

Martin-Cizikas-McDonald

USA/Canada Ladies Go At It

According to puckdaddy, over the weekend in an exhibition game between the US and Canada women national team's a fight broke out with a little over three minutes left.

Multiple players were given roughing majors for the brawl that ensued.  To see a video of what happened check out the link below:

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-puck-daddy/women-hockey-line-brawl-highlights-hate-between-usa-025849473--nhl.html

Martinek At Practice Today

According to Newsday, defenseman Radek Martinek was at practice today.

If you recall, Martinek came to training camp on a tryout but failed to make the team out of camp.  Following that, he wasn't signed by the team and remains unsigned.  He signed a waiver to be at practice today.  It is unclear if the team plans to do anything with him.

https://twitter.com/StapeNewsday/status/389761106350055426

Nabby's Softies Doom Isles In Loss To Nashville

Tonight, our Islanders fell 3-2 to the Nashville Predators.  Here are some of my notes from the game:

-Offense needs to get it together, 35 shots in two games is unacceptable.

-Bad game from Nabokov, two softies from him is unacceptable!  The first one was a typical Nabby soft goal that we have been accustomed to seeing from him in his time here.

-MacDonald had a weak game

-Nielsen is staying hot which is good!

-Good to see Capuano switch things up to try and get them going on offense.

-Special teams need work, time for Weight and Thompson to earn their paychecks.

-The effort level tonight clearly showed that we were on the backend of a back to back.

-The team needs to get back to the battle level they displayed at the end of last season.

-Tavares needs to stop with the blind passes!  His tendency to do that is a microcosm of the entire team who tends to try for the pretty play instead of getting stuff to the net.

Overall, tonight was a bad loss for the team!  They need to shake it off as they come home for a 4 game home stand next week and don't let this spiral out of control.

Next Game: Tuesday @ Home VS Buffalo

Pre Game: Isles @ Predators

 photo courtesy of http://admissions.vanderbilt.edu/

Tonight, the Islanders pay a visit to Nashville to take on Shea Weber and the Predators.

The goalie matchup tonight features Evgeni Nabokov for the Islanders and likely Pekka Rinne for the Predators.

The Predators will be missing some key pieces tonight as both defenseman Roman Josi and forward Victor Stalberg will not dress for Nashville tonight.

Meanwhile, for the Islanders I suspect the lineup to look pretty similar to the one from last nights game in Chicago.  The only change I could possibly see is Brock Nelson coming back to the lineup.  We may see a change on defense to after the struggles they experienced last night but I think that is less likely.

The Predators have really struggled to score this year, so if the Islanders are able to hold their own defensively they should be in good shape tonight.

Handzus Leads Hawks Over Isles 3-2

Tonight, our Islanders suffered their first regulation loss of the season getting defeated 3-2 by the defending champion Chicago Blackhawks.  Here are some of my notes:

-All things considered, Poulin played well and kept us in the game when he needed to.  If we could get play like that from him all season, we maybe in a bit better position in net then we thought.

-Clutterbuck's low ice time is concerning, seems to be a signal to me that maybe he wasn't as ready to comeback as some people thought.  If he can't play a consistent shift then he shouldn't be dressed.

-Very pleased with the play of the Nielsen line.  Early on this season they have been by far the teams most consistent offensive threat.

-Can Pierre Marc Bouchard please get benched for tomorrow nights game?  I was shocked he played tonight and not Nelson but even tonight he did nothing.  If he is bringing nothing to the lineup, it makes zero sense to keep him in.

-Our play in the defensive zone needs to get a lot better!  We were running around way to much tonight and giving the Hawks way to much time and space.  We had similar issues in the game last week against the Devils.

Overall, the Islanders in spurts were able to hang in there toe to toe with the defending Stanley Cup Champions tonight which is encouraging.  The biggest positive to take out of tonight for me is the play of Poulin against an extremely tough opponent like the Blackhawks.  They surely have a lot of stuff to work on though as they prepare for tomorrow nights game in Nashville though.

Next Game: Tomorrow night @ Nashville

Pre Game: Isles @ Blackhawks

 photo courtesy of http://cbschicago.files.wordpress.com/

Tonight, our Islanders travel to Chicago to take on Patrick Kane and the defending Stanley Cup Champion Chicago Blackhawks.

The goalie matchup tonight features Kevin Poulin for the Islanders and Nikolai Khabibulin for the Blackhawks.

The Islanders lineup will look a little different tonight as Cal Clutterbuck will make his return to the team after missing the first three games of the season recovering from a skate laceration he suffered in the Islanders first pre season game on September 18th.  To make room for him in the lineup, rookie Brock Nelson will be a healthy scratch tonight.  After the birth of his second child this morning, Matt Moulson did manage to make it to Chicago and will be in the lineup tonight for the Islanders.

Happy Birthday "Mr. Islander" Bob Nystrom

 photo by NY Times

Today, Islanders Hall of Famer, "Mr. Islander" Bob Nystrom is celebrating his 61st birthday.

Nystrom was a draft pick of the Islanders in 1972 and ended up playing his entire NHL career on Long Island and stayed on the Island following his retirement.  Nystrom is best known for being a tough hard nosed player during the Islanders dynasty of the early 80's.  Also, of course scoring the goal that won the Islanders their first cup in 1980 finishing off a pass from John Tonelli.

We would like to wish Nystrom a very happy birthday and you can follow him on twitter here.

Isles Return Reinhart To WHL

According to Newsday, the Islanders are returning defenseman Griffin Reinhart to the WHL.

Reinhart had been a healthy scratch for the teams first three games.  Reinhart seems to have gotten a "taste" of the NHL similar to how Ryan Strome got it a couple years ago.

With this move, I would expect Cal Clutterbuck to be activated at some point before Fridays game in Chicago.

http://islanderspointblank.com/islanders/isles-to-return-griffin-reinhart-to-whl/

Islanders Assign Kabanov To the ECHL

According to reports, earlier tonight the Islanders announced that forward Kirill Kabanov was assigned to the teams ECHL affiliate.

According to reports, this was done because he was late to a team meeting.  Defenseman Andrey Pedan was also late to the meeting and nothing happened to him.  Newsday reports that this reassignment wasn't a punishment and was done in an effort to give Kabanov top 6 minutes that he wasn't getting in Bridgeport.

http://islanderspointblank.com/islanders/kirill-kabanov-reassigned-to-echl/

Tavares 2 Goals Lead Isles Over Yotes 6-1

 photo courtesy of http://longisland.newsday.com/

Tonight, the Islanders defeated the Coyotes by a score of 6-1.  Here are some of my notes from game:

-Solid game from Nabby, early on you couldn't have asked anything more from him.

-Congrats to Matt Donovan on his first NHL goal.

-Good to see Brock Nelson get on the score-sheet.

-Solid game from Tavares!

-Pretty play by Bailey and Nielsen on the last goal.

-Grabner continues to be on fire early on this season.

-Be nice to see Bouchard get on the board at some point, hes been pretty quiet early on.

Overall, it was a nice team effort tonight.  A 2-0-1 start is something we have to certainly be happy with and hope we can continue some of the momentum on Friday in Chicago.

Next Game: Friday @ 8 in Chicago

Pre Game: Coyotes @ Islanders

Tonight, the Islanders play host to Mike Smith and the Phoenix Coyotes.

The goalie match up features Mike Smith for the Coyotes and Evgeni Nabokov for the Islanders.

The Islanders lineup will be the same as it has been for the first two games meaning Eric Boulton, Matt Carkner, and Griffin Reinhart will be your healthy scratches.

As for the Coyotes, Mike Smith has been very successful against the Islanders in his career and after signing that big extension in the off season he will surely be out looking to prove that he is worth it.

Tune in at 7:00 to see if the Islanders can solve Smith and move to 2-0-1 on the young season.

Clutterbuck To Suit Up Tomorrow?

According to reports, forward Cal Clutterbuck is at practice today wearing a regular jersey not a special non contact jersey.  Apparently, if he is cleared by team doctors, he will be in the lineup for the Islanders tomorrow night in their game against Phoenix at the Coliseum.  This is very encouraging news because initial reports on Clutterbuck were that his injury would keep him out til the end of October.

http://islanderspointblank.com/islanders/with-clutterbuck-ahead-of-schedule-isles-have-roster-decision-to-make/

Isles Fall In Opener 3-2 In A Shootout

Last night, the Islanders fell 3-2 in a shootout to the Blue Jackets.  Here are some of my notes:

-It is concerning that once again it seems like we have issues keeping these late leads.  Going into a third period with a two goal lead there shouldn't be a question of if we will keep the lead.  Only getting 5-6 shots on net in the period is concerning as well because that means the guys are on their heels instead of putting the foot to the gas so to speak.

-Nabokov didn't play bad, although I am sure the Blue Jackets tying goal is one he would like to have back.

-Nice to see Tavares get on the board after going scoreless in the Devils game.

-Powerplay was alright, nothing to write home about but not terrible either.

-Early on, Brock Nelson and Matt Donovan while with an occasional hiccup are proving to be NHL players which is certainly encouraging.

Overall, this game was a yet another disappointing performance in a home opener which is unfortunately becoming a trend for this team.  With next years being the last one at the Coliseum, hopefully that is a trend they can break.

Next Game: Tuesday 10/8 @ Home VS the Coyotes

HOME OPENER: Blue Jackets @ Islanders

Tonight, the Islanders being their home schedule with a matchup against one of the Eastern Conference new teams in the Columbus Blue Jackets.

The goalie matchup tonight features Sergei Bobrovsky for the Blue Jackets and Evgeni Nabokov for the Islanders.

The Islanders lineup will be the same as it was in last nights season opener in New Jersey.  Meaning that, Eric Boulton, Matt Carkner, and Griffin Reinhart will serve as the teams healthy scratches again tonight.

Information on the Blue Jackets lineup can be found here.

Happy Birthday Michael Grabner

 photo courtesy of http://origin.agilitycms.com/

Today, Islanders forward Michael Grabner is celebrating his 26th birthday.

In the season opener last night, Grabner managed to get two goals and add an assist for a 3 point night.  If last night is any indication, we could be looking at a bright season for Grabner.

We would like to wish Grabner a very happy birthday and wish him the best of luck this season.

Predictions: Goalies

Tonight, we will finish our prediction series with speaking about the goalies.

 photo by hookedonhockeymagazine

1) Evgeni Nabokov

25 wins

18 losses

7 OT/Shootout losses

Even with all the talk around him heading into this season, I think Nabokov will have a Nabbyesque year.  He will give up a softy here and there but on most nights he will give his team a chance to win and that is what you expect from a goalie.

2) Kevin Poulin

10 wins

11 losses

4 OT/Shootout loses

I expect Poulin to have what would for him be considered a disappointing season.  He is being given every chance to be Nabokov's heir apparent as the team's number one goalie.  Based off what I have seen from him, I am not sure he will take that, leaving the team in a sort of rough patch.

3) Anders Nilsson

2 wins

2 losses

1 OT/Shootout loss

I expect Nilsson to get a cup of coffee with the team this season.  In that time, I expect Nilsson to be effective but not overly spectacular.

Moulson's Shootout Winner Gives Isles 4-3 Victory Over The Devils

 photo courtesy of http://a.espncdn.com/

Tonight, the Islanders opened their season with a 4-3 shootout victory over the New Jersey Devils.  Here are some of my notes from the game:

-Michael Grabner was the best Islander player tonight.  He was everywhere on the ice and seemed to have an extra jump to his step.  Hopefully, he is able to keep that up as the season progresses.

-Nabokov was alright, he had some shaky moments.  However, he did come up with some huge saves and was an absolute beast in the shootout.  I fully expect him to play tomorrow even though it is the back end of a back to back.

-The teams play in their own zone was concerning tonight.  With it being the opener you expect some aspects to be kind of rusty.  However, their play was beyond that so something needs to be done to address that.

-The Nelson-Regin-Bouchard line was pretty solid as a hole.  They had more then a few good shifts which was good to see.  Brock Nelson didn't look out of place at all in his NHL regular season debut.

-After having a solid first shift, the Tavares line was underwhelming tonight.  I have no doubt that they will find their way, tonight wasn't a good start for them though.

-Matt Donovan had a solid game as well!  He did make a couple mistakes but that is expected from a rookie.

It is certainly a refreshing change for them to not play their "A" game and still come away with the two points.  It will be interesting to see if the coaches decide to make a defensive change for tomorrow night after their struggles tonight.

Next Game: Tomorrow Night Home Opener Vs the Blue Jackets @ 7PM

Season Opener: Isles @ Devils

 photo courtesy of http://cdn.nhl.com/devils/

Tonight, our Islanders open their season traveling to New Jersey to take on Marty Brodeur and the Devils.

The goalie matchup tonight features Evgeni Nabokov for the Islanders and Marty Brodeur for the Devils.

The Devils lineup will be the same as it was last night in their season opener against the Penguins.

Forward Eric Boulton and defensemen Griffin Reinhart and Matt Carkner will serve as the Islanders healthy scratches tonight.  

Here are tonights likely Islanders forward combos to start:

Moulson-Tavares-Okposo

Grabner-Nielsen-Bailey

Nelson-Regin-Bouchard

Martin Cizikas-McDonald

Save The Isles Chats With BD Gallof

Today, we will conclude our season preview interview series by talking with BD Gallof.  We would like to thank BD for taking the time to answer our questions and you can follow him on twitter here.

STI: Could you give some background on yourself for those that may not be familiar with you?

BD: I've been blogging/writing about hockey for 6.5 years.  I have written for CBS NY/WFAN, Huffington Post, HockeyIndependent, IslandersIndependent, and Hockeybuzz.  I was one of the founding members of the NY Islanders Blog Box.  We were the first sports bloggers given access in professional sports in an official capacity.

I am currently the Editor-in-Chief and Lead Designer of HOCK.ly which is a digital magazine meant to showcase the best bloggers and relevant content in the NHL.

Link to our latest issue: 2013-14 NHL Season Preview http://joom.ag/ERkX

STI: What are your thoughts on the summer moves made by the team?

BD: They were ok. It is really no different than last summer's moves. Just without the vet D trade. Team is trusting in Donovan or de Haan (as callup) are ready to make the jump.

STI:  With Pierre Marc Bouchards history of injuries, do you think it is smart to likely give him such a prominent role with the team? (first line RW)

BD: Beggars can't be choosers. Isles went for skillset. Then know in case of injury, this give an opportunity to one of the VERY hungry kids who just went to Bridgeport. See where I am going here? Well, read the answer to the next question carefully and you get my drift.

STI: People have been talking about prospects making an impact this year, which prospect are you most excited to see?

BD: Unfortunately, people are talking too early. Prospects need to develop and get used to the NHL season if playing or called up. No different than how Casey Cizikas came up last year. Development to make: IMPACT in what fans tend to really stick onto.... well, that is another thing altogether. Look how Strome was sent down. He is a top 2 line type of player, but there is fierce competition there. Moulson, Tavares and PMB make the top line. Frans, Okposo and Bailey were very productive despite Okposo's point outage last season. All three are vet players not easily supplanted. Strome's shot is if there is injury to the top 2 lines. Then things get interesting. So if someone who is gotten as a free agent, but might have the injury bug... who is just wanted to come up and show his stuff?

Same goes for Donovan, who will be trying to get traction to playing regularly on the NHL level. Same goes for Brock Nelson who is moving to wing due to the Clutterbuck injury. Reinhart is most likely here for a 9 game "taster".

People need to stop talking about "impact" and talk about development/growth. This is what the Islanders are talking about and this is the key meter this year. Growth for these kids is paramount to reach anywhere near their potential. And when they start moving towards that potential? Well, that's when there is true IMPACT.

STI: Guys like Tavares and Moulson get most of the press around the team.  Who is one guy that doesn’t get a lot of press that you think should?

BD: Travis Hamonic & also... (been saying this for over a year) Andy MacDonald. Both are anchors, though Hamonic seems to catch fans eyes more. Don't discount AMac. Team didn't, this is why he has the A.

STI: What is the biggest concern for you regarding the team coming into this season?

BD: My biggest concern is how the team handles itself not on a 48 game "sprint" like last season, but a full season marathon run. Teams like the Isles and the Toronto Maple Leafs are going to be tested on how they do in a long run now. What concerns me in this is the fact they have NO replacement for Mark Streit on assists, despite Visnovsky is capable. He is not a one for one replacement on that. The Isles did not address that, and their preseason power play wasn't exactly gangbusters.

Also on the same issue of the full season is the goalie situation. This team SCREAMS for a prospect to bloom and take the net and run. Yet Kevin Poulin hasn't seemed to come on at all. In fact, its almost that the team just thinks now he's a stopgap until Nillson develops enough to take over (next year, likely). So this is make or break for Poulin to shake off some sort of development wall.... OR we have seen his ceiling. His contract was no accident. This is it OR ....

STI:  With all the talk of the Coliseum recently with Ratner being selected and with you being someone who has followed the process for a long time, what do you think will end up happening with the site?

BD: It will move forward due to this is ok with the Republicans. The Democrats chose not to grab onto the Coliseum as a wedge. I had spoken to a few high up and they backed off any rhetoric or using it in the Mangano campaign. So this means the Dems are likely also behind the effort. This should means smoother sailing.

STI:  If you could make one bold prediction about this year’s Islanders, what would it be?

BD: Calvin de Haan comes up as one of the first call-ups for an injury and runs with the puck. He is the type of puck mover and power play guy they need. So look for him to get the call and rise, as long as his body can hold up.

STI: Of the three local teams, which do you think will have the best season?

BD: NY Rangers. Too much talent. They haven't addressed all their issues, BUT they have enough firepower and freedom now without Torts to at least produce.

STI:  Regarding the Islanders, what are your expectations for them heading into this season?  Could they make the playoffs again?

BD: I am severely concerned on if they can make the playoffs due to a few factors:
A: goalie age and inconsistent play. Plus Nabs also seemed to wear out post-season. He played a lot, but this is still a concern on the long grind of a double-size from last season.
B. Not enough power play firepower. Defense must derive assists and get puck to forwards in all situations, and that was what Streit WAS good at.

HOWEVER:
Those developing will only get better. Might be a rocky ride, but Isles should just get in. But if they miss, don't be surprised.

Islanders Make Radio Change For Suffolk Fans

Earlier today, the Islanders announced that they resigned with Hofstra radio to air their games this season.  They also announced that their games will be streamed on 103.9 FM for Suffolk fans who don't get a signal with Hofstra radio out east.

http://islanders.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=685283

Well, it is about time they did this!  People have been complaining for years about our lack of radio signal.  While this is far from ideal, at least it is better then it had been.

Bridgeport Announces Their Final Roster

According to the Bridgeport Sound Tigers official site, the team has announced their 25 man roster as they prepare to open their season on Saturday night.

Some of the named guys who made it include Ryan Strome, Anders Lee, Andrey Pedan, Scott Mayfield,and Anders Nilsson.

For more check out the link below:

http://www.soundtigers.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=22700&ATCLID=209275218

One thing that pops up immediately about this team is the amount of fighters they have up front.  In a way that's good, because you want to make sure none of the prospects get pushed around.  However, the guys who they have filling that role can't really do much else which isn't a good thing.

Yormark: Our Goal Is To Maintain 50% of That Base...

As was talked about earlier, Brett Yormark recently spoke about the Islanders move to Brooklyn.  Throughout the course of the interview when asked about Long Island Islanders fans, he had this to say, "Our goal is to maintain 50% of that base, bring it to Bklyn and grow what we have in Bklyn."

After getting compliments from some fans earlier this afternoon with the news of the jersey those compliments will surely dissipate with statements like these.  Alienating potential customers with statements like these doesn't seem like a good idea to me.

 https://twitter.com/ChrisBottaNHL/status/385548431839596544

Happy Birthday Josh Bailey

 photo courtesy of Newsday

Today, Islanders forward Josh Bailey is celebrating his 24th birthday.

After being selected ninth overall in the 2008 draft, Bailey has struggled to make the impact GM Garth Snow hoped he would after spending his first, first round draft pick as GM on him.  However, toward the end of last season and into the playoffs Bailey appeared to be playing with a new confidence about his game that we had never seen before.  The Islanders bought into that confidence and in the off season signed Bailey to a 5 year contract worth 16 million dollars.  This season it is up to Bailey to keep that play going on a more consistent basis and show the Islanders they didn't make a mistake signing him to such a long term contract.

We would like to wish Bailey a very happy birthday and wish him the best of luck as the season gets started in just two days.

Isles Brooklyn Third Jersey Will Be Black And White

Update: Yormark chimes in via twitter

In an interview done recently, Nets/Barclays Center CEO Brett Yormark told Chris Botta that following the Islanders move to Brooklyn that the team will have a new black and white third jersey.  That would do away with the multi colored black jersey they have now.

Also in his interview with Botta, Yormark admitted that he was seriously thinking of changing the teams primary jersey.  However, after seeing the reaction of fans on twitter that changed his thinking drastically.

Anyone caught off guard by the jersey news just hasn't been paying attention because it has been evident for a while that the team would end up with some sort of black third jersey following the move.  However, it is nice to once again hear that the primary jersey won't be touched.

NHL News: Sabres Name Vanek/Ott Co-Captains

According to reports, the Buffalo Sabres have again made headlines for an odd organizational decision.  After their recent third jersey debacle, now they have decided to name forwards Thomas Vanek and Steve Ott co-captains of the team.

Technically, they aren't allowed to do this.  However, as puckdaddy pointed out, they found a loophole in the rule.  Vanek will wear the C for home games in Buffalo.  Meanwhile, Ott will wear the C for all the teams road games.

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-puck-daddy/sabres-name-ott-vanek-co-captains-worst-organizational-162442181--nhl.html

And I thought Wang was the only one who wanted to reinvent the wheel.  Looks like Buffalo is trying to wrestle that title away from him.

Grabner/Hamonic Should Be Ready For The Opener

According to Newsday, forward Michael Grabner and defenseman Travis Hamonic both should be ready for the Islanders season opener on Friday in New Jersey.

Grabner wasn't at practice with the team today because he is sick.  Hamonic was injured in the teams pre season finale against Ottawa on Sunday and the team has been very quiet about his condition since then.  Yesterday, Arthur Staple from Newsday reported that he was being treated for a concussion.  Meanwhile, Brett Cygralis from the New York Post said he was meeting with a doctor last night about his shoulder.  Hamonic was on the ice today with the team at practice in a black non-contact jersey.

https://twitter.com/StapeNewsday/status/385079873917571073

Kyle Okposo And Andrew MacDonald To Wear A's This Season

 photo courtesy of zimbio

According to Newsday, forward Kyle Okposo and defenseman Andrew MacDonald will serve as the Islanders assistant captains this season.

https://twitter.com/StapeNewsday/status/385080144341135360

The selection of Okposo wasn't surprising as he has worn the A for a couple seasons now.  However, the MacDonald selection was a little bit surprising.  Not saying he doesn't deserve it, but I thought Travis Hamonic or even Matt Martin would get it.