MGM In Talks To Bring NHL To Vegas

photo by arenalasvegas

According to NBC Sports, executives from MGM Resorts in Las Vegas have confirmed that they are in early talks to attempt to bring an NHL team to Vegas.  It is unclear if that would be an expansion team or a relocated team.

Earlier this year, ground was broken on a 375 million dollar 20,000 seat arena.  The arena is being developed by Las Vegas Arena Co. which is owned by MGM as well as AEG who own the LA Kings.  The arena is scheduled to open in the spring of 2016.  That means it would be ready as soon as the 2016/2017 NHL season.  The arena will feature 50 luxury suites and two dozen private lodge boxes, according to a report.

With this arena and the arena in Quebec popping up, it will be interesting to see if we see anymore movement among NHL teams after seeing Atlanta bolt to Winnipeg a couple years ago.  There is also the possibility of expansion, but I think relocation is more likely.

Thomas Vanek Used Islanders Paycheck To Cover Gambling Debts

photo by zimbio

Earlier this year, reports surfaced connecting former Islanders forward Thomas Vanek to an illegal gambling ring in upstate NY that had been taken down by authorities.

Today, more information came out as one of the parties involved entered a guilty plea.  According to reports, Vanek used a New York Islanders check to pay off a portion of his gambling debt.  The report states that Vanek's total debt was over 1 million dollars.

Isles Drop 2nd Straight 5-0 To Avs

Tonight, our Islanders dropped their second straight game by a score of 5-0 to the Avalanche.  Here are some of my notes:

-I don't know what it is about the second period, but it seems like that has taken over as the teams troublesome period this season rather than the third period which had been the case the last few seasons.

-If Travis Hamonic isn't ready to go on Saturday night, Matt Donovan should absolutely be in the lineup over Brian Strait.

-The Cory Conacher experiment on the first line should end as well.  He doesn't have the instincts to play on that line and is holding them down.  Nikolay Kulemin or Anders Lee should get a shot in that spot.

-Jaroslav Halak needs to play on Saturday.  I know Johnson wasn't the reason the team lost tonight but he isn't supposed to be the number one goalie.  Halak was acquired from the Capitals to be the teams number one goalie.  He wasn't brought in to split time with a backup which has been the case to this point.

-While Cappy has gotten a little better in terms of ice time distribution, having Casey Cizikas playing roughly the same amount of time as Anders Lee and Ryan Strome seems a little backwards to me.

Well, this certainly wasn't how the team wanted to get their road trip underway.  With the tougher part of the road trip coming up with matches against the California teams, this has the potential to be very unkind to the Islanders win/loss record.

Pre Game: Isles @ Avalanche

photo by ifgroup

Tonight, our Islanders begin a tough 5 game west coast road trip as they travel to Denver to take on Matt Duchene and the Colorado Avalanche.

The goalie match up tonight features Chad Johnson for the Islanders over supposed number one goalie Jaroslav Halak.  Meanwhile, Semyon Varlamov will be in net for the Avalanche.

The rest of the lineup will be the same as the Islanders 4-3 loss to the Jets on Tuesday night.  However, according to reports, Travis Hamonic could return to the lineup as soon as Saturday in San Jose.  Getting Hamonic back and having the defense 100% healthy for the first time this season will be big for the Islanders.

Ex Isles Owner Sentenced To 20 Years In Jail

According to Newsday, former Islanders co-owner Stephen Walsh was sentenced to 20 years in prison for a 50 million dollar fraud.  Walsh was arrested in 2009 and plead guilty earlier this year.

Walsh served as Islanders co-owner from 1991-2000, according to the article.

NHL Legend Gordie Howe Recovering From Stroke

photo by citynews

According to reports, NHL legend Gordie Howe is resting after suffering  a, "pretty serious stroke" over the weekend.  According to his son Dr. Murray Howe, the Hall of Famer is having trouble speaking and one side of his body is very weak.

Dr. Howe told members of the media, "I feel like this is his last lap around the rink."

Howe played professional hockey in 6 different decades playing his final game when he was 69 years old.  He is truly one of a kind.  We here at savetheisles would like to send our thoughts and prayers to Howe and his family and friends.

Happy Birthday Denis Potvin

photo by zimbio

Today, Islanders legend and Hall of Famer Denis Potvin is celebrating his 61st birthday.

The Islanders drafted Potvin with the first overall pick in the 1973 NHL draft and boy did they strike gold with that pick.  Potvin went on to become a staple on the Islanders blue line for over a decade.  Potvin was team captain during the teams dynasty in the early 80's and has gone down as the top defenseman in team history and one of the top defensemen to ever play in the NHL.  Potvin ended up playing in 1060 regular season games for the Islanders and put up 1052 points in that period of time including 742 assists.  Potvin also played in 185 playoff games as a member of the Islanders and put up 164 points in those games.  Potvin wasn't only known for his offense though as he was also a fierce defender as well.  Today, Potvin is working as a commentator for the Florida Panthers.

We here at savetheisles would like to wish Potvin a very Happy Birthday.

Pitiful Effort, Pitiful Officials Doom Isles

Tonight, our Islanders had their win streak snapped at 2 as they fell to the Winnipeg Jets by a score of 4-3.  Here are some of my notes from the game:

-I don't know why Halak is a slow starter, but he needs to figure his issues out sooner rather than later because he needs to be better.  There is no simpler way of putting it than that.

-Matt Donovan should see the ice on Thursday over Strait if Hamonic is still unable to go.  Strait just isn't good enough to be a top-6 defenseman on this team.

-The officials were horribly inconsistent tonight to the point where it was maddening.  The fact that the game was altered not because of the players but a call by the officials is wrong.  That major call on Kulemin at the start of the second period changed the game as it took away the Islanders momentum from period one.  The hit did look bad but barely any contact was made on the hit so for a major to be called on it was a stretch.  Also, Conacher with a breakaway in the third period gets tripped and no penalty is called, it is just mind boggling to me the lack of consistency on the part of the officials.

-The team needs to improve in their own zone.  I have lost count of how many times I have said this already this season and we are only 9 games in.  At times, they are a real mess in their zone and they are fortunate that it hasn't come back to bite them more than it has.

-One of the few bright spots from the game tonight was a multi point outing for Brock Nelson who is now tied for the team lead in points.

-They always need to bring their highest level of effort.  However, tonight, much like last Tuesday in the loss to the Leafs it was really lacking in the effort department which doesn't reflect well on the coaching staff.

The Islanders were outplayed for a majority of the second and third period by the Jets.  At times in the third not even being able to break out of their own zone.  This game also goes down as their second lackluster at best effort in one weeks time.  If this lackluster play continues, we will find out how short Garth Snows leash is for Capuano before he makes a change.

Pre Game: Jets @ Islanders

Tonight, the Winnipeg Jets will make their final visit to the Nassau Coliseum as they square off with John Tavares and our New York Islanders.

The goalie match up tonight features Ondrej Pavelec for the Jets.  Meanwhile, after a week off, Jaroslav Halak will be back between the pipes for the Islanders.

The Jets will be without star forward Evander Kane who was injured in a collision with a teammate earlier this season.

The Islanders will ice the same lineup as Saturdays 7-5 win over the Stars.

Hamonic/Bailey To Make West Coast Trip

According to multiple reports, injured Islanders Travis Hamonic and Josh Bailey will make the trip out west with the Islanders who start a 5 game road trip on Thursday.

Hamonic was injured a week and and half ago in the Islanders 3-1 loss to the Penguins.  He isn't expected to be out for much longer.

Meanwhile, Bailey broke his hand in the Islanders victory over the Bruins last week.  He was expected to miss several weeks, so the fact that he is making the trip is surprising.

Getting Hamonic back on defense would be big for the team as they have yet to have a 100% healthy defense this year.

Bailey and Hamonic will make make trip out west with the #Isles.
— Christian Arnold (@CA_NYHockey) October 28, 2014

Nielsen Named Third Star of the Week

photo by zimbio

Today, the NHL announced their three stars of the week for last week.

Islanders forward Frans Nielsen was named the third star after netting 4 goals and 1 assist in 3 games including his first career hat-trick.

Isles Prospect Ho-Sang Dazzles With Coast To Coast Goal

Today, the latest highlight video of top Islanders prospect Josh Ho-Sang has been making its way around the internet.

The video features Ho-Sang going coast to coast showing off his blazing speed before finishing the rush off with a backhanded goal.  Following the goal, Ho-Sang did a little dance to celebrate the goal.

If he can put it all together, I think Ho-Sang can be a solid player in this league.

Offensive Outburst Powers Isles Over Stars 7-5

photo by ESPN

Tonight, our Islanders, led by Frans Nielsen, out dueled the Stars 7-5 in an offensive showdown.  Here are some of my notes from the game:

-Congrats to Frans Nielsen on his first NHL hat-trick.  Nielsen is out to prove last years career offensive year wasnn't a fluke and thus far he is doing a pretty good job.

-Chad Johnson needs to be better than he was tonight.  After his solid start the other night, Johnson really didn't bring his "A" game tonight.  I would be very surprised if we don't see Halak on Tuesday.

-The power play had more struggles again tonight.

-Congrats to Anders Lee on his first goal of the season.

-Good to see Brock Nelson get back on the board after going quiet for a couple games.

-Nice to see Kulemin finally put one to the back of the net. 

Huge win tonight for the team!  With the win, the Islanders are now off to their second best start in team history.

Next Game: Tuesday @ Home VS Jets

Pre Game: Stars @ Islanders

Tonight, the Dallas Stars become the second NHL team to pay their final visit to the Nassau Coliseum as they square off with our first place Islanders.

The goalie match up tonight features Anders Lindback for the Stars.  Meanwhile,  after his great effort in Thursday nights win against the Bruins, Chad Johnson will get a second consecutive start for the Islanders.

The Islanders lineup will look a bit different tonight as Mikhail Grabovski will return to the lineup taking the spot of the injured Josh Bailey.  Grabovski will be on a line Nikolay Kulemin and Frans Nielsen tonight.  Meanwhile, Anders Lee will be in Grabovskis former spot alongside Ryan Strome and Brock Nelson forming a "kid" line.

Grabovski Activated/Bailey Put On IR

According to Newsday, the Islanders activated Mikhail Grabovski off IR earlier today.  Grabovski had missed the last three games after suffering a concussion in the Islanders victory over the San Jose Sharks last week.

Meanwhile, Josh Bailey was put on IR after breaking his hand in the Islanders victory over the Bruins on Thursday night.  It is unknown how long Bailey will be out but he is expected to miss several weeks.

#Isles announce Grabovski comes off IR, Bailey (hand) goes on IR. Grabovski's in tonight.
— Arthur Staple (@StapeNewsday) October 25, 2014

Josh Bailey Out With Broken Hand

According to Newsday, Islanders forward Josh Bailey is out indefinitely after breaking his hand in the Islanders 3-2 win over the Bruins tonight.

Bailey left the game early in the second period after taking a slash from a Bruins player.  Exactly how long he will miss is unknown right now, but it is expected to be several weeks, according to Newsday.

This is a real shame for Bailey who had actually had a pretty good start to the season.

Josh Bailey has a broken hand. Out indefinitely. #Isles
— Arthur Staple (@StapeNewsday) October 24, 2014

Isles Snap Losing Streak With 3-2 Win Over Bruins

photo by lockerdome

Tonight, the Islanders snapped their two game losing streak as they defeated the Bruins by a score of 3-2.  Here are some of my notes from the game:

-Good to see another pretty good game from the penalty kill which had been struggling horribly to start the season.  Hopefully, it continues!

-Chad Johnson had a great game tonight, he really did his job and kept the Islanders in it.  I wouldn't be surprised if he is given the start on Saturday as well after his effort tonight.

-Good to see Clutterbuck and Nielsen each put one to the back of the net.  It was a nice little setup from Martin on Clutterbucks goal.

-I said it after Tuesdays game and I will say it again tonight.  I don't understand Cappys obsession with the fourth line, specifically Matt Martin and Casey Cizikas.  How Casey Cizikas played more than Frans Nielsen tonight is beyond me.  Additionally, how Martin and Cizikas played more then guys like Brock Nelson and Ryan Strome makes absolutely zero sense.  Its not like you juggling stars with stars here, you have 4th line grinders getting the same amount or even more ice time as top six forwards.  It is really confusing.

-I thought Anders Lee played a solid game tonight in his season debut.  I felt like he had a bit more of an edge in his game than I remembered which is a good thing.  I hope that now he is here, he remains here for the rest of the season.

-Nice goal from Okposo tonight, taking a page out of Tavares book.

-Impressive two way game from Nikolay Kulemin tonight.

-The Islanders need to be better in the third period than they were tonight.  They let to many old bad habits creep back into their game and are very fortunate it didn't cost them.

-The officials were calling absolutely nothing tonight.  There were multiple obvious penalties on the Bruins that for whatever reason went uncalled.

Tonight was a big game for the Islanders attempting to nip this streak down before it became out of hand like they have in years past.  Being able to do so should be a morale booster for the team going forward.  With the team leaving for a tough west coast trip next week, the next two games at home are a really big opportunity for them.

Next Game: Saturday @ Home Vs Dallas

Pre Game: Islanders @ Bruins

photo by lemessurier

Tonight, our Islanders travel to Boston looking to snap their two game losing streak as they take on Patrice Bergeron and the Bruins.

The goalie match up tonight features former Bruin Chad Johnson in net for the Islanders.  Meanwhile, Niklas Svedberg will be in net for the Bruins. 

The big story line tonight is of course the return of Islanders defenseman Johnny Boychuk to Boston for the first time since the October 4th trade that sent him to the Islanders in exchange for a couple of draft picks.

On top of that though, the Islanders lineup will look a bit different.  Forward Colin McDonald was sent down to Bridgeport and Anders Lee was called up and will be dressing on the left wing of the Strome and Nelson line.  Additionally, earlier today, Lubomir Visnovsky was activated off IR and will in the lineup tonight alongside Thomas Hickey.  To make room for Visnovsky on the roster Mikhail Grabovski was put on IR yesterday retroactive to last Thursday.  Visnovsky will take Travis Hamonics spot in the lineup tonight who is banged up.

Tonights game is a big one for the Islanders as they look to end their first losing streak of the season.  In order to make the playoffs, nipping these streaks down before they get out of hand will be key for the team.

MSG On The Move?

After years of facing ridicule from Ranger fans on the thought of potential relocation, Islanders fans may soon be able to return the favor, according to capitalnewyork.com.  A report issued by the Alliance for a New Penn Station is suggesting to move Madison Square Garden to a U.S. Postal Service mail sorting facility on Ninth Avenue, according to the site.  The new proposed location would be an approximate 3-7 minute walk from Penn Station, according to the report.

The desire to move MSG is so Penn Station can be rebuilt as it is currently operating over capacity and will only get worse in the years to come.  The report states that Penn Station was built to handle 200,000 people per day.  However, Penn Station currently handles over 600,000 people per day.  MSG moving isn't a new idea as it didn't begin operating in its current location until 1963.  Since the late 80's there have been two separate plans for MSG to move that never came to fruition, according to capitalnewyork.  Last year, a 1 billion dollar renovation on the arena concluded.

This new location suggestion comes after last year when New York City denied Madison Square Gardens request for a license to operate at their current location in perpetuity.  The city issued MSG a ten year permit last year which now has 9 years left.

While this wouldn't be a far move, it is a move nonetheless that will absolutely effect convenience and ride time for patrons of MSG.

Happy Birthday Butch Goring

Yesterday, Islanders legendary player and current broadcaster Butch Goring celebrated his 65th birthday.

Known as the final piece of the puzzle, the Islanders acquired Goring at the trade deadline in 1980 just months before the team started their dynasty.  Goring ended up playing in 332 regular season games as an Islander putting up 195 points in that period of time including 108 assists.  Goring won the 1981 Conn Smythe Trophy as the MVP of the playoffs leading the Islanders to their second straight Stanley Cup.  After retiring, Goring went into coaching and actually served as head coach for the Islanders for two seasons in 1999/2000 and 2000/2001.  Later in the decade, Goring made his way back to the Islanders organization serving as the teams occasional sideline reporter as well as a representative for the team on the MSG show Hockey Night Live.  After the Islanders ended their relationship with Billy Jaffe in 2010, Goring was moved to the booth alongside long time Islanders broadcaster Howie Rose and has been there ever since.

We here at savetheisles would like to wish Mr. Goring a very Happy Birthday.

Barclays Center Seating Being Looked At

This afternoon, the Islanders introduced new minority owners Jonathan Ledecky and Scott Malkin to the media.

During the course of the press conference, the topic of Barclays Center seating came up.  In response, owner Charles B. Wang said that it is being looked at and that they added 200-300 seats for the teams most recent game a couple weeks ago which Wang thought had a great view of the ice.  The seats were added at ice level behind the net on the "bad" side of the ice.

This is something that definitely should be looked at.  Although, I am not sure how much can be done at this stage.  Wang said during the press conference that there were over 15,000 seats in the arena which are good for hockey which is incorrect.  The arena can seat over 15,000 for hockey but the actual amount of seats  for hockey that can be considered not bad is closer to 14,000-14,500.  The MTS Centre in Winnipeg is the smallest capacity arena in the NHL holding a maximum of 15,004 people.

New Isles Owner Ledecky Makes Waves In Press Conference

This afternoon, the Islanders introduced new minority owners Jonathan Ledecky and Scott Malkin to the media.  The pair purchased a minority stake in the team in August and will take majority control prior to the 2016/2017 NHL season.

At the press conference today, Ledecky wasn't shy about headline quotes.  At one point he discussed how he was in Pittsburgh for the game this past Saturday and his disdain for the Penguins which he was sure was matched by the fan base.

Additionally, toward the end of the press conference, Ledecky was asked if he could give fans one message what it would be?  Ledecky responded by saying "fifth ring."

Based off todays encounter, it seems like Ledecky could end up being a media favorite in New York.

Islanders Waive McDonald/Calling Up Anders Lee

According to Newsday, the Islanders have placed forward Colin McDonald on waivers.

Once McDonald is claimed or clears waivers, Anders Lee will likely join the team in Boston for their game tomorrow night, Newsday reports.  In five games for Bridgeport to start the season Lee had 3 goals and 2 assists.

Hearing that once McDonald is claimed or clears, Anders Lee is likely to join #Isles in Boston tomorrow.
— Arthur Staple (@StapeNewsday) October 22, 2014

Good to see the team was quick to rectify the mistake of not having Lee here from the start.  I wonder if they would consider trying him on the left side of the Tavares Okposo line.

Boychuk Open To Signing Mid-Season Extension With Isles

According to a report from WEEI in Boston, Johnny Boychuk is open to signing a long term deal with the Islanders.

The report states, "...And Boychuk says he would be on board with re-upping with the Islanders."  He continued that he would consider foregoing free agency and signing mid season if the Islanders made what his camp deemed a suitable offer, according to the report.

On the Islanders future he said, "Our team is going to be unbelievable for quite some time -- probably the next five years is going to be an awesome time for this team.  It's not out of the question."

Well, this is quite different from stuff that was being published in the aftermath of the deal which gave the Islanders little to no chance to keep Boychuk beyond this season.  Extending Boychuk long term would be a huge coup for the Islanders.

Isles Drop Second Straight 5-2 To Leafs

Tonight, our Islanders dropped their second consecutive game by a score of 5-2 to the Toronto Maple Leafs.  Here are some of my notes from the game:

-Halak didn't bring his "A" game tonight.  While he wasn't entirely responsible, you can tell nearly from the outset that he wasn't at his best tonight.

-After the first period the team pretty much disappeared.  I don't know what happened, but in the second period especially the team just pretty much stayed in the locker room.  They were going through the motions on the ice and played down to the level of the Maple Leafs instead of playing like the team that started 4-0.

-Even with the goal tonight, the recent play of the power play is a concern.  On every other power play they had their fair share of struggles which has been the case for multiple games now.  It is quite the change from the power play that started number one in the NHL after the first three games.

-One of the few positives of the night was the penalty kill which had its first stellar performance of the season.

-Thoughts to Thomas Hickey who got cut by a skate tonight.  An exact prognosis on him isn't known yet but barring something unforeseen I expect him to play Thursday wearing a full face shield.

-Clutterbuck had an effective game drawing the penalties on Polak and Phaneuf.

-Josh Bailey also had an effective game.

-I don't understand Capuanos love affair with the fourth line.  They are played quite often and in situations very uncustomary for the fourth line.  For example, tonight, they should not be put out against the Phil Kessel line which happened many times.  I am not sure how Capuano thought that was a good idea.

-The entire defense struggled tonight as well.  I'm not sure why the team plays so ugly in their own zone but at times this season they have been pretty horrible.  After doing a pretty good job of overcoming it in the first five games, it hurt them tonight.

To say tonights game was a disappointment is quite an understatement.  If the Islanders came out and played their game tonight they would've extended their record to 5-1 to 4-2.  One thought that kept creeping into my head tonight was "same old Islanders?"  I'm not ready to go that far yet, but winning on Thursday night is huge, streaks like this can't be extended like they have been in years past.

Next Game: Thursday 7:00 @ Boston

Pre Game: Maple Leafs @ Islanders

Tonight, our Islanders look to rebound from Saturdays loss in Pittsburgh as they play host to the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The goalie match up features Jonathan Bernier for the Leafs.  Meanwhile, Jaroslav Halak will be back between the pipes for the Islanders.

The Islanders will ice the same lineup as Saturdays loss, although there has been a few line changes.  Ryan Strome will be on line three tonight alongside Josh Bailey and Frans Nielsen.  Meanwhile, Cal Clutterbuck will start the night on the second line alongside Brock Nelson and Nikolay Kulemin.

Notes:

Mikhail Grabovski who was out indefinitely with a concussion skated this morning and was upgraded to out day to day.  Lubomir Visnovsky will remain on IR for tonights game but may play Thursday in Boston.

Bruce Ratner Selling Barclays Center

photo by sportsworldnews

According to reports, after attempting to and failing to sell his 20% ownership in the Nets, Bruce Ratner is now attempting to sell his 55% stake in Barclays Center.  Ratners stake in the arena is reportedly valued in excess of 400 million dollars.

Mikhail Prokhorov's business ONEXIM Sports and Entertainment Holdings which owns the other 45% of the arena is believed to have the right of first refusal on Ratners share, according to Nets Daily.  It is also being speculated that new Islanders owners Jonathan Ledecky and Scott Malkin could have interest in Ratners arena stake.  Daniel Kaplan from Sports Business Daily notes that it would be unconventional if the arena is owned by someone other than Prokhorov or Ledecky & Malkin.

Brooklyn Marketing Campaign To Begin Tomorrow

According to the New York Times, tomorrow, Barlcays Center will begin a marketing campaign aimed at attempting to persuade people in Brooklyn and the other boroughs to try live hockey next season when the Islanders move to the arena.

According to the article, the campaign will be done through direct mail, social media, cable TV commercials, and print advertising.  Over the next four months, about 20,000 direct mailers will be sent out aimed predominately at Brooklyn but also at Queens and Manhattan.  The mailers will feature the words "Brooklyn Scores" in white lettering against a black background, the article states.

According to the Times, Gameplan Creative based out of Chicago designed the mailers.  The Islanders hired them in March of this year to aid in the marketing of the team following this season.  Gameplan Creative served a similar role for the Blackhawks from 2008-2010 when their resurgence as a franchise began.

Grabovski Out With Concussion

Update: According to the Islanders official site, they have placed Grabovski on IR retroactive to October 16th.  Placing him on IR means that he probably isn't as close to coming back as they maybe initially thought.  I can't see them placing him on IR to take him off 2 or 3 days later.

Forward Mikhail Grabovski left the Islanders 4-3 shootout win on Thursday night in the first period after taking a huge hit from Sharks forward John Scott.

Following the game, Grabovski passed all the concussion tests.  However, he woke up the next morning with concussion like symptoms, according to Newsday.  With this, he is now on concussion protocol and out indefinitely.  Arthur Staple reports that the team might call someone up from Bridgeport after their game today.

Even with the teams new found depth, Grabovski is a loss that will be felt for the Islanders.  His line with Brock Nelson and Ryan Strome had been very effective in the first three games.  For Grabovski and the Islanders sake, hopefully he is back sooner rather than later.  If they end up calling someone up to take his spot, I expect it to be Anders Lee.

Pens Hand Isles 1st Loss 3-1

Tonight, our Islanders had their season opening four game winning streak stopped as they fell 3-1 to the Pittsburgh Penguins.  Here are some of my notes from the game:

-After being a tremendous bright spot in the first four games of the season, the power play was terrible tonight.  Not only did they not get many chances at all, they struggled at even getting in the zone.  As Butch Goring would say, they were thinking way to much and were very methodical.

-Halak had another solid game, can't fault him for either goal.

-The team needs to do a better job clearing the crease.  This is two games in a row now that Halak gave up a goal because someone was planted in front of him and not being pressured or forced to fight for the space at all.

-Nice setup on Hickeys goal!

-Bad call on Hamonic!  I have seen much worse then that done without an instigator being called.  I wonder if they were playing the Sharks tonight if that is still called an instigator.  Good for Hamonic standing up for Nielsen on what was definitely a questionable hit for multiple reasons by Downie.



-While the Islanders did get plenty of chances on the power play tonight, two non calls near the end of the second period really blew my mind.  How Crosby gets nothing for running into Halak is beyond me.  Are the refs only allowed to give Crosby one penalty per game?  Then a little bit after that a Penguins defenseman mugged Cal Clutterbuck in the corner without something being called as well.

While the Islanders were bound to lose a game, to lose like this really hurts.  This is a game that easily could've been won if the entire team showed up rather than just Halak.  How they respond to this loss will be key in evaluating the team going forward.

Next Game: Tuesday @ Home Vs Toronto

Pre Game: Islanders @ Penguins

photo by StadiumJourney

Tonight, our Islanders travel to Pittsburgh looking to extend their season opening winning streak to five as they take on Sidney Crosby and the Penguins.

The goalie match up tonight features Jaroslav Halak making his third consecutive start for the Islanders.  Meanwhile, Marc-Andre Fleury will be in net for the Penguins.  This will be Fleurys first start against the Islanders since the 2013 playoffs.

With Mikhail Grabovski out of the lineup tonight after taking a huge hit from John Scott on Thursday, Colin McDonald will be making his season debut tonight.  McDonald will join the fourth line alongside Casey Cizikas and Matt Martin.  Meanwhile, Cal Clutterbuck will be moved up to the third line with Josh Bailey and Frans Nielsen and Nikolay Kulemin will move up to the second line alongside Ryan Strome and Brock Nelson.  The rest of the lineup will be the same as Thursdays shootout win over the Sharks.

Isles Victorious In Shootout Over Sharks

Tonight, our Islanders extended their season opening winning streak to four games defeating the San Jose Sharks by a score of 4-3 in a shootout.  Here are some my notes from the game:

-Coming into today, if you would've told me that the Islanders would out shoot the Sharks 45-23 tonight I would've told you that you were crazy.  After seeing it though, color me impressed!  We were in control for large portions of the game and were just unfortunate to run into a hot goalie in Stalock otherwise it would've been over a lot sooner than it was.

-Good to see Bailey score, if he can keep up his play into next month maybe we can start thinking he finally turned the corner we've been patiently waiting for.

-Over 20 minutes of ice time for Brian Strait is way to much.  I'm not sure what Capuano is thinking rolling him out there so often.  With de Haan back he is by far our worst defenseman and as such should receive sheltered ice time.

-The captain stays hot!!!  His shootout move tonight was simply unbelievable.  The stick handling ability he displayed was just out of this world.

-Good to see Leddy put another one to the back of the net.

-The officiating was absolutely atrocious tonight!

-Hopefully Grabovski isn't out for to long, his line with Strome and Nelson has been very effective.

-Beautiful execution by Tavares, Nielsen and Okposo on Okposo's tying goal.

I know it is only a little over a week into the season, but the Islanders are right now the number one team in the NHL.  Again, just four games but boy does that have a nice ring to it!  After overcoming a tough test tonight, it doesn't get any easier as the Islanders head into Pittsburgh on Saturday.

Next Game: Saturday 7:00pm @ Pittsburgh

Pre Game: Sharks @ Islanders

Tonight, the San Jose Sharks will become the first NHL team to play their final game at the Nassau Coliseum as they square off with our surging New York Islanders.

The goalie match up tonight features Alex Stalock for the Sharks.  Meanwhile, Jaroslav Halak will be back in net for the Islanders.

There will be one change to the Islanders lineup tonight as the team activated defenseman Calvin de Haan off IR earlier this afternoon.  To make room for him, the team sent rookie defenseman Griffin Reinhart to Bridgeport.  The rest of the lineup will be the same as it has been for the teams first three wins to start the young season.

Isles Notes of the Day

Tonight, the Islanders play host to the San Jose Sharks at 7:00pm.  However, in advance of the game they have been busy making roster moves.

Earlier today, according to reports, they activated defenseman Calvin de Haan from IR and sent Griffin Reinhart to Bridgeport.  de Haan will be in the lineup tonight, it is unclear who he will be paired with though.

Additionally, defenseman Lubomir Visnovsky skated this morning at the teams optional morning skate.  Visnovsky has yet to play this season after being put on IR days before the season started.

Grrifin Reinhart sent down to Bridgeport, while de Haan is activated. Means de Haan will likely play tonight. #Isles
— Brett Cyrgalis (@BrettCyrgalis) October 16, 2014

Visnovsky and de Haan both on ice for #Isles optional AM skate.
— Arthur Staple (@StapeNewsday) October 16, 2014

Happy Birthday Brock Nelson

photo by zimbio

Today, Islanders forward and NHL leading scorer Brock Nelson is celebrating his 23rd birthday.

Last season, Nelson had a solid rookie season cementing his place in the Islanders lineup by the seasons end.  This year though, he has come out as a different player and through three games is tied for the NHL lead in scoring with 7 points.  In a year when many were predicting big things for Nelson it seems like he heard them and is doing his best to deliver.

We here at savetheisles would like to wish Nelson a very Happy Birthday.

Bruce Ratner Speaks On Isles/Coliseum/Brooklyn Move

This morning, Bruce Ratner, the majority owner of the Barclays Center and minority owner of the Brooklyn Nets spoke at a small business breakfast at Eisenhower Park.  Among the topics discussed were the Islanders and Barclays Center as well as the Nassau Coliseum and his attempt to develop the area.  Here are some of my notes from the event:

-"It has the potential to be great again" Ratner said about the Coliseum.

-Regarding his development, he said he feels the arena will be one of the most beautiful in the world.  He also noted that designs for the arena were in the process of being finished.

-Regarding major elements of the arena, two things he repeatedly noted were content and customer service.  He said how he receives numerous compliments for the service at Barclays Center and strives to bring the same service to the Coliseum.  When speaking of content he noted concerts as being a huge element.  Some other content items he mentioned were the six Islanders games, an AHL team, college sports, family shows, and Nets pre season games.  Last year, Ratner hinted that the Islanders AHL affiliate the Bridgeport Sound Tigers could end up being the team that moves to the Coliseum.

-One thing that was unusual about the arena was that he said that the price of tickets will include the cost of parking.

-Ratner spoke about ticket sales and how a good team is needed to sell tickets.  He gave an example of how in his first few years as Nets owner they were making the playoffs and tickets were an easy sell.  However, in his last few years that wasn't the case and it was very tough to sell tickets.  With the Islanders he said, "Were going to push to make the team good."

-Ratner discussed the process they went through to pick out the concessions in Brooklyn and how they are all local places in the arena.  He said the same model will be used at the Coliseum with them getting products almost exclusively from Nassau and Suffolk counties.

3rd Period Onslaught Powers Isles Over Rangers 6-3

photo by CBSNY

Tonight, after a lackluster start, the Islanders got it in gear in the third period and defeated the rival Rangers by a score of 6-3.  Here are some of my notes from the game:

-Even though he did give up a goal or two he probably wants back, Halak played excellent tonight.  If  not for him this is without a doubt would have been a loss for the Islanders.

-Brock Nelson continues his hot start, really awesome to see the kid coming of age before our eyes.  Beautiful work from his line to set up his goal

-Like Nelson, Tavares continues putting up points as well which is always a good thing.

-While there were many positives, there were negatives to.  The defensive pairing of Brian Strait and Griffin Reinhart had many issues tonight.  Strait continued his early season struggles.  I am curious if Matt Donovan will see some time on Thursday in his spot.  Meanwhile, Reinhart had fared pretty well in his first two games against Carolina.  Tonight though, his struggles were evident and was exemplified at times as it appeared as though Capuano had him riding the bench for a little while at points.

-Can't say enough about Johnny Boychuks shot, it is unbelievable!!

-Kulemin had a solid game to, first time on the young season that he has really stood out for me to.

Tonight, the Islanders had the chance to go and make a statement against their biggest rival and the defending Eastern Conference champions that all the hype and attention they have gotten is warranted.  While they did struggle in the first 40 minutes, they came out ready to play in the third and made that statement and then some.  With two tough games coming up, it will be interesting to see how the Islanders fare.

Next Game: Thursday @ Home Vs San Jose

Wild Hire Ex Islander Park

According to reports, the Minnesota Wild have hired former NHL player Richard Park as a player development coach.

Park spent 4 seasons with the Islanders from 06/07-09/10.  In that time he put up 120 points including 85 assists.  Also in that time, he gained a reputation for being one of the hardest workers on the entire time.

Pre Game: Islanders @ Rangers

Photo by HuffingtonPost

Tonight, our Islanders travel to New York City to pay a visit to Rick Nash and the rival New York Rangers.

The goalie match up tonight features Jaroslav Halak back in net for the Islanders after getting Saturday off.  Meanwhile, Henrik Lundqvist will get the nod in net for the Rangers.  Lundqvist was pulled from his last start in the second period after giving up 5 goals in the period and six in total.  The five goals was the most he has given up in a single period in his NHL career.

The Rangers are without number one center Derek Stepan right now lost to a leg injury in the pre season.  Also, defenseman Dan Boyle broke his hand in the Rangers opener last week in St Louis.  The Islanders need to capitalize on that tonight and keep their early hot streak going and make a statement against the defending Eastern Conference champs. 

The Islanders will be icing the same lineup as Saturdays home opener win over Carolina.

Press Conference Postponed

According to reports, tomorrows press conference to introduce new Islanders owners Jonathan Ledecky and Scott Malkin has been postponed due to, "unavoidable business scheduling."  A rescheduled date for the press conference has yet to be announced.

#NHL #NYI #NYIsles #NYIslanders #Isles #Islanders presser to introduce the new owners was postponed due to "unavoidable business scheduling"
— Denis Gorman (@DenisGorman) October 14, 2014

de Haan Returns To Practice

According to reports, Islanders defenseman Calvin de Haan returned to practice today wearing a full contact jersey.  de Haan along with forward Michael Grabner was put on IR last week.

His status for tomorrow nights game at Madison Square Garden is unknown. Given that he has been on the shelf for a little while now I would think they would want him to get a couple practices under his belt before he gets back into the lineup.

Calvin de Haan practicing today for the #Isles. In a full-contact sweater as well
— Dan Savarino (@DanSavarino) October 13, 2014

Isles Victorious In Final Home Opener

Tonight, our Islanders defeated the Hurricanes by a score of 4-3 in the final home opener at Nassau Coliseum.  Here are some of my notes from the game:

-Good to see Bailey get on the board.  Lets see if he puts up points in December and January when he is usually invisible.

-Brock Nelson keeps up his hot start with another two points.

-Like with Nelson, Tavares had another two points.

-Johnny Boychuk had another couple points which must be encouraging considering he wasn't a huge offensive guy with the Bruins.

These two games at the start were games we should win so winning them is encouraging especially against the Hurricanes, a team who has dominated us for a little while now.

Next Game: Tuesday @ MSG Vs The Rangers

Pre Game: The Last Home Opener at Nassau Coliseum

photo by AtlanticYardsReport

Tonight, our Islanders are set to play host to the Carolina Hurricanes in the final home opener at Nassau Coliseum before the team moves to Barclays Center for next season.

The goalie match up tonight features Anton Khudobin for the Hurricanes.  Meanwhile, in a bit of a surprising move, Chad Johnson will get the nod in net for the Islanders.  Jaroslav Halak who started last night in the Islanders 5-3 win will have the night off.

Based off this mornings morning skate, it appears as though both teams will be dressing the same lineup as last nights game.

Happy Birthday Mr Islander

Yesterday, "Mr Islander" Bob Nystrom celebrated his 62nd birthday.

In 900 games for the Islanders, Nystrom had 513 points including 235 goals.  What Nystrom is known for didn't happen during the regular season though.  It happened in the playoffs on May 24th, 1980 when Nystrom scored the goal that won the Islanders their first Stanley Cup in team history.  For his many contributions to the team, the Islanders retired Nystroms jersey on April 1st, 1995.  Even after retiring from hockey, Nystrom has remained on the Islander and can be often found at various Islander events from time to time.  We look forward to seeing him many times at the Coliseum this upcoming season.

We here at savetheisles would like to wish Mr. Islander a very Happy Birthday.

Isles Power Play Impresses In 5-3 Victory

photo by hockeysfuture

Tonight, the Islanders got their season started off right as they defeated the Carolina Hurricanes by a score of 5-3.  Here are some of my notes from the game:

-Brock Nelson was in total beast mode tonight.  For what many people are saying could be a breakout year for him, he sure started it off like one.  

-I can't say enough about Johnny Boychuks shot, boy is it impressive.  I can see him being a fan favorite this season.

-Halak didn't have a fantastic game, but he wasn't bad at all.  

-Good to see Tavares come up with a multi point night as well.

-The power play in general was pretty impressive.  If they are able to keep up even a semblance of this effectiveness, it will go a long way toward the team potentially making the playoffs this season.

-It must've been nice for Grabovski to get the first goal out of the way in game one, it was a nice shot to.  Nice setup from Ryan Strome on that play as well.

-Considering it was his NHL debut Reinhart looked pretty solid out there.  I'm excited to see what the future holds for him.

A win out of the gate is always nice.  While the third period wasn't perfect, it was definitely a step up from past years.  Instead of getting flustered and nervous when Carolina scored their early goal, the team kept up and put a few more on the board to cushion the lead.  Hopefully, this is a sign of things to come as the season progresses.

Next Game: Tomorrow Night @ Home Vs Carolina

Pre Game: Isles Open @ Carolina

photo by stadiafile

Tonight, our Islanders travel to North Carolina to open their 2014/2015 season against Eric Staal and the Carolina Hurricanes.

The goalie matchup features Jaroslav Halak making his regular season debut for the Islanders.  Meanwhile, long time Hurricanes goalie Cam Ward will get the nod in net for Carolina.

The Hurricanes are without two key players lost to pre season injuries.  Second line center Jordan Staal is going to miss another couple of months with a broken leg.  Additionally, winger Jeff Skinner is out indefinitely after sustaining a concussion in the Hurricanes last pre season game last Sunday.  For a team that already wasn't that deep to begin with, losing these two key players for extended periods of time is a huge blow for the Hurricanes.

Meanwhile, the Islanders lineup will be the one that was on the ice this week.  Up front, a new forward will be featured on each of the top 3 lines.  Cory Conacher is getting the first shot of the season on the left side of John Tavares and Kyle Okposo.  Meanwhile, Mikhail Grabovski is playing LW/C on a line with Brock Nelson and Ryan Strome.  Lastly, Grabovski's friend Nikolay Kulemin will be playing with Frans Nielsen and for the time being Josh Bailey.  On defense, Griffin Reinhart will make his NHL debut tonight due to the rash of defensive injuries the Islanders sustained this pre season, most notably to Lubomir Visnovsky and Calvin de Haan.  Also, new acquisitions Johnny Boychuk and Nick Leddy will each make their Islanders debut tonight.

Grabner To Miss 4-6 Weeks

According to reports, the Islanders will be without forward Michael Grabner for 4-6 weeks, as he recently underwent sports hernia surgery.

Grabner is going into the 4th year of a 5 year deal with the Islanders paying him 3 million dollars per season.  With the depth the Islanders have up front now, the expectations for Grabner should be lessened this season which could result in a more consistent performance from him.  In 263 games for the Islanders, Grabner has managed to put up 131 points including 82 goals.  The trouble with Grabner is just like his teammate Josh Bailey, he has long stretches of inconsistency which hamper his game.  If he can work out those inconsistencies and start to finish on breakaways, he could end up being a long term piece for the Islanders.

Sports hernia surgery successful for Michael Grabner. Just picked him up from hospital. Back in 4-6 weeks #Isles #NHL pic.twitter.com/A2xkCsOiR2
— Andy Strickland (@andystrickland) October 9, 2014

ESPN To Air A Travis Hamonic Film Next Week

Next Wednesday at 7:00pm, ESPN E60 will air a feature on Islanders defenseman Travis Hamonic.



It will be interesting to learn more about Travis Hamonic as he becomes a bigger leader for this young Islanders team.  Additionally, after the John Spano film last year, it is good to see the Islanders getting more coverage like this especially in a more positive light this time.  There is no game on Wednesday so make sure you tune in.

Islanders Owners To Be Introduced Next Week

Update: According to Arthur Staple, Ledecky and Malkin will be introduced at a press conference next Wednesday.

#Isles sale has been finalized, press conference with new owners on Wednesday.
— Arthur Staple (@StapeNewsday) October 9, 2014

According to Kevin Maher from News 12, a press conference will likely be held next week introducing new Islanders owners Scott Malkin and Jonathan Ledecky.

The pair purchased a minority stake in the Islanders in August from team owner Charles Wang with their stake turning into majority control in two years.  After surrendering majority control, Wang will remain on as a minority owner.  The sale received approval from the NHL BOG late last month.

News conference introducing new #Islanders owners will likely happen next week. #NHL @News12LI
— Kevin Maher (@KMaherNews12) October 7, 2014

I wonder if it is any coincidence that the Islanders had their most aggressive off-season in recent memory the same summer that Charles Wang initiates the sale of the team.

Howie Rose Hits Home Run Ripping Nassau County Over the Islanders Leaving

Earlier today, Howie Rose was on WFAN with Joe Benigno and Evan Roberts.  While on they spoke about the Mets off-season as well as the upcoming Islanders season.

While on the topic of the Islanders, they spoke about this being the final season at Nassau Coliseum and Howie Rose gave a scathing assessment of the powers at be in Nassau County.  At one point asking, "Where have you turkeys been the last 40 years?"  That was in reference to the cover of Newsday the other day about them now wanting to put an LIRR stop at the Coliseum.

To the hear the interview in its entirety click here and scroll to the bottom of the page.

Howie Rose is dead on again in his assessment.  He has been notorious the last few years for doing things like this and each time he does it he does it effectively but at the same time not unprofessionally which is tough to do.  It will be an absolute shame if he isn't with the Islanders past this season.

Marriott Next Door To Coliseum Sells For 66.2 Million

According to the Long Island Business News, the Marriott hotel located next to the Nassau Coliseum was sold to Starwood Capital Group which is based out of Greenwich Connecticut.  The group bought the hotel out of foreclosure for 66.2 million dollars.  The hotel was foreclosed upon earlier this year after Islanders owner Charles Wangs firm CBW Hotel stopped making mortgage payments last year.

It is unknown right now what if any changes will be made to the hotel under the new ownership.

Isles Put Carkner/Visnovsky On IR

According to the teams official twitter account, the Islanders put defensemen Matt Carkner and Lubomir Visnovsky on IR today.  The pair joins Michael Grabner and Calvin de Haan who were put on IR yesterday.  Both defensemen were placed on IR with upper body injuries.

#ISLES TRANSACTIONS: Matt Carkner (upper body) & Lubomir Visnovsky (upper body) have been placed on IR.
— New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) October 7, 2014

Islanders To Bring the Fisherman Logo Back This Year

photo by fittedid

The logo that was hated by pretty much all fans in the mid-late 90's will be making its return to the Coliseum this year, according to Newsday.

The Islanders will wear modernized versions of the fisherman jersey during warm-ups before one game this season.  After which the jerseys will be auctioned off online for charity.  

Over the years, the hate for the jersey among some have subsided and the jersey has actually gotten a small but loyal following.  I often see people wearing these jerseys at games and if you try to acquire one online you are looking at spending at least $80.  The following for the jersey is one reason they decided to bring it back this year senior marketing manager Eileen Matthews told Newsday.  "...I think it's gotten a cult following," Matthews said.

On the logo itself I am kind of in between.  I don't hate it like some people do but I don't like it either.  As far as doing this, I think it is good for younger fans to be educated about the logo and that period in team history.  Additionally, they will raise a ton of money for charity which is always a good thing.

Do You Play...Fantasy Hockey?

So opening night for the league is just days away, all fans across the country try to patently wait for the puck to drop! Many of you, including myself play some fantasy hockey.  Regardless of league settings or scoring, fantasy hockey is a great way to keep up with the rest of the league.  There is nothing like checking day after day of the most recent hot streak or which player just landed the latest injury.  If you don't play, that's okay but i suggest you at least try giving it a shot.  Its a great time (and fun)..

That being said, I would love to hear some of your fantasy rosters, trades or sleepers.  My draft is tomorrow night, I always love to hear other opinions.  Do you draft Tavares number one overall and do it proudly? Or do you draft Crosby and eat your pride?  Let me hear it... Feel free to comment or chat on social media

Best of luck to all who play!

&& of course.. Lets Go Islanders!

Likely Opening Night Lineup Revealed

Earlier today, coach Jack Capuano told media that was present that the teams lines at practice today were likely the ones they would be utilizing for the teams season opener Friday against the Hurricanes.

Those lines were:

Conacher-Tavares-Okposo

Grabovski-Nelson-Strome

Bailey-Nielsen-Kulemin

Martin-Cizikas-Clutterbuck

A little disappointing about Anders Lee who after his performance last season and a pretty good camp should definitely be in this lineup.

Meanwhile, the defense will likely look like this:

Leddy-Boychuk

Hickey-Hamonic

Strait-Reinhart

That is assuming Visnovsky isn't ready, if he is then Reinhart will go down and Visnovsky will form a 3rd pair with Hickey, according to Newsday.

If Visnovsky returns, the D may look like this: 2-55, 37-3, 14-11, extra 46.
— Arthur Staple (@StapeNewsday) October 6, 2014

My issue there is I feel like having Strait and Donovan up over Reinhart isn't icing the best team.  Reinhart should be given the opportunity over Strait who has already had multiple chances.

Isles Make Roster Moves As Deadline Looms

In advance of tomorrows deadline to get their team down to 23 players, the Islanders announced a couple roster moves today.

First, forward Michael Grabner and defenseman Calvin de Haan were put on IR.  Grabner is retroactive to the 26th and de Haan retroactive to the 23rd.  It is unknown as of now how much time each are expected to miss.

Additionally, defenseman Kevin Czuczman was loaned to the Bridgeport Sound Tigers of the AHL.  Griffin Reinhart remained with the team for now.  His status seems to be dependent on the status of Lubomir Visnovsky and Ryan Pulock, according to Newsday.

#ISLES TRANSACTION: Defenseman Kevin Czuczman has been loaned to @TheSoundTigers
— New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) October 6, 2014

#Isles have one more practice day to see if Visnovsky or Pulock can make it back by opening night... If Viz is back, Reinhart likely goes.
— Arthur Staple (@StapeNewsday) October 6, 2014

Newly Acquired Islanders Assigned Numbers

Yesterday, Garth Snow sent shock waves through the NHL when he went out and made trades for not one but two top-4 defensemen in Nick Leddy from the Chicago Blackhawks and Johnny Boychuk from the Boston Bruins.  Well, earlier today reports came out as to what numbers the newly acquired players would be wearing as Islanders.

Boychuk, who wore number 55 with the Bruins will continue wearing number 55 with the Islanders.  Aaron Ness who had worn number 55 agreed to give up that number and will now be number 25 as an Islander.

Meanwhile, Leddy who wore number 8 with the Blackhawks wasn't fortunate enough to be able to keep that number as it is taken by top Islanders defense prospect Griffin Reinhart.  So, because of that, Leddy had to switch his number and he will now wear number 2.

Boychuk will wear #55 for #isles and Nick Leddy #2.
— Andy Graziano ™ (@tazman19) October 5, 2014

Columbus Claims Skille Off Waivers From Isles

According to Newsday, this afternoon the Islanders found out that they had lost forward Jack Skille on waivers as his former team the Columbus Blue Jackets had claimed him back.  The Islanders signed Skille earlier this summer to provide some depth at forward.

Skille was actually with the Jackets last season and one of their writers said that they didn't bring him back because they couldn't guarantee him a one way deal that he wanted.

CBJ claim Jack Skille, as @FriedgeHNIC just posted... Poulin, Leggio, Ness, Zolnierczyk clear waivers, headed to BPT. #Isles
— Arthur Staple (@StapeNewsday) October 5, 2014

Islanders Fans React To Leddy/Boychuk Deals

Meet Nick Leddy

photo by spokeo

In a stunning turn, the Islanders also acquired Nick Leddy from the Blackhawks in exchange for goalie Anders Nilsson, defenseman Ville Pokka, and defenseman TJ Brennan.

Last season for Chicago, Leddy had 31 points in 82 games.  At only 23, the ceiling for Leddy is unknown right now.  Leddy possess great puck moving ability and should be an anchor for the Islanders on the second powerplay unit this season, potentially growing into a top powerplay guy in this league as he matures.

Like Boychuk, Leddy also has a ton of playoff experience having played in 54 playoff games already in his young career.  He has managed to put up 10 points in those games.  The low point total could be explained by a decrease in ice time when you are blocked by guys like Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook.  Leddy also owns a Stanley Cup ring as well which is invaluable for a team like the Islanders.

Leddy also provides great insurance for the Islanders if Lubomir Visnovskys health doesn't hold up for him this year.  He also allows the Islanders to move Frans Nielsen off the point on the powerplay.

Meet Johnny Boychuk

photo by ESPN

This afternoon, the Islanders acquired Johnny Boychuk from the Boston Bruins in exchange for three draft picks.

Last season, Boychuk had 23 points in 75 games for the Bruins.  Boychuk isn't really known for his offensive gifts though, more for his defense and ability to shutdown the other teams top players.  Standing at 6'2 225 Boychuk also brings size to an Islanders back line that severely lacks it.

People shouldn't forget Boychuks enormous amount of playoff experience and how valuable that can be for a team that doesn't have many players with post season experience.  Boychuk has 27 points in 79 career playoff games and also has a Stanley Cup ring from the Bruins win a couple years ago.  These are things that although they don't show up on paper have a huge value for team.

If the Islanders were going to acquire one defenseman Boychuk was the guy for them.  He brings a combination of size and skill the Islanders severely lack on the blueline and have lacked for sometime.

Isles Acquire Nick Leddy & Johnny Boychuk

Today, the Islanders sent the NHL world on its ear as they acquired Nick Leddy from the Blackhawks and Johnny Boychuk from the Bruins.

The Islanders sent a 2015 second round pick, 2016 second round pick, and a conditional 2015 third round pick to the Bruins for Boychuk.

The Islanders then sent Anders Nilsson, Ville Pokka, and TJ Brennan to the Blackhawks in exchange for Nick Leddy and goalie Kent Simpson.  Simpson was acquired as insurance in case David Leggio or Kevin Poulin are claimed on waivers.

Breaking: #Isles have acquired D Johnny Boychuk from the Bruins for a 2015 2nd, a 2016 2nd and a conditional 2015 3rd round pick.
— Arthur Staple (@StapeNewsday) October 4, 2014

Official: #Isles acquire D Nick Leddy from CHI for D Ville Pokka, D T.J. Brennan and G Anders Nilsson.
— Arthur Staple (@StapeNewsday) October 4, 2014

Islanders Cut Roster Down To 30

Also today, the Islanders announced more cuts as they look to set their final roster for next Fridays season opener.

11 players were sent directly to Bridgeport, meanwhile, five were put on waivers with the intentions of them going to Bridgeport.

Among those sent directly to Bridgeport were forward Sebastian Collberg and defenseman Scott Mayfield.  The five players exposed to waivers are, Kevin Poulin, David Leggio, Harry Zolnierczyk, Jack Skille, and Aaron Ness, Newsday reports.

#Isles made 16 cuts, 11 non-waivers: Collberg, Gallant, Halmo, Mouillierat, Persson, Quine, Sundstrom, Mayfield, Pedan, Pelech, Pokka.
— Arthur Staple (@StapeNewsday) October 4, 2014

At noon, 5 #Isles cuts go on waivers: K. Poulin, D. Leggio, H. Zolnierczyk, J. Skille, A. Ness.
— Arthur Staple (@StapeNewsday) October 4, 2014

Isles Sign Ho-Sang To 3 Year ELC

After signing 2014 5th overall pick Michael Dal Colle to a three entry level contract earlier this week, the Islanders made it a clean sweep so to speak signing fellow 2014 first round pick Josh Ho-Sang to a three year entry level earlier today, according to Newsday.

Newsday is also reporting that Dal Colle and Ho-Sang were returned to their junior clubs today as the Islanders look to cut down their roster by Tuesday nights deadline.

#Isles sign Joshua Ho-Sang to 3-year ELC. Also, returned Ho-Sang (Windsor) and Michael Dal Colle (Oshawa) to their junior clubs today.
— Arthur Staple (@StapeNewsday) October 4, 2014

Isles Drop Pre Season Finale 6-1 To Bruins

Tonight, our Islanders fell 6-1 to the Boston Bruins in their pre season finale.  Here are some of my notes from the game:

-The score is a bit deceiving because goalie Chad Johnson really didn't have a bad game.  The team around him really let him down and put him in unfortunate situations.

-Josh Ho-Sang is really raw still but man is he fun to watch.  He flew around the ice tonight!

-Brock Nelson had a pretty solid game and thankfully wasn't phased by the cheap shot put on him in the second period by Bruins defenseman Kevan Miller.  I am curious if Miller will hear from the league about this hit.



-Ryan Strome had another pretty good game, pretty much cementing his spot with the team out of camp.  We should find out officially tomorrow as Arthur Staple reported tonight that the Islanders will announce cuts tomorrow getting the roster down to 27-28 players.

The Islanders iced a lot of minor league players tonight and it was evident by the control of play advantage for the Bruins.  Even though the Islanders did have spurts of pressure this was a pretty decisive win by the Bruins.

Next Game: Season Opener Next Friday 10/10 @ Carolina

Pre Game: Isles & Bruins From Bridgeport

photo by CTPost

Tonight, before a sellout crowd in Bridgeport, the Islanders will conclude their pre season by squaring off with the Boston Bruins for the second time this week.

Chad Johnson and Kevin Poulin are going to be the Islanders goalies dressed for the game.  I would presume that Johnson will get the entire game, however, they could split it.  Meanwhile, Niklas Svedberg and Malcolm Subban are the Bruins goalies dressed for tonight.  It appears as though Malcolm Subban will get the nod in net for the Bruins over Svedberg.

The Islanders will be dressing a mostly minor league lineup tonight with the headline being the top line of Brock Nelson, John Tavares, and Kyle Okposo.  Two guys to watch this game are 2014 1st round picks Josh Ho-Sang and Michael Dal Colle who will make their pre season debuts tonight.  For the Islanders full roster for tonights pre season finale click here.

This game will again not be on TV, however, Islanders TV will have a stream for fans to watch.