Well, just when you think this team has a shot at squeaking out a win, they go and break your heart. Nevertheless, getting a point against a surging Flyers team after the way the game started has to be a start in the right direction.

Let’s face it, the first 20 minutes weren’t exactly pretty. While the Islanders only found themselves down 2-1, off of nasty looking goals by Mike Knuble and Jeff Carter that goalie Joe MacDonald had absolutely no chance at, Bill Guerin tallied with an impressive shot of his own that kept the Isles within striking distance. Looking horrible on faceoffs in the period, the Islanders really needed to get their legs going and get some traffic in front of the net.

Things got a little spicier in the second, as both the Islanders and Flyers started playing with more intensity. Much like the first period, the Isles were having problems with the Flyers in the corners as they generated several scoring opportunities via the cycle that MacDonald was forced to deal with. Nate Thompson had a great scoring opportunity at the midway point of the period, but he couldn’t cash in. Andy Sutton, making his season debut, did a good job blocking a few shots and clearing the crease later in the period on a Philly powerplay, but the Isles offense never responded. The newly formed energy line of Thompson, Richard Park and Sean Bergenheim [why was he taken off the first line?] had a few good chances, but they too could pot one, keeping the score at 2-1.

Nevertheless, they had more gas than they did in the first and the game still looked up for grabs.

The third period started off as a frustrating one, but after the midway point, the Isles stepped up their play on both ends of the ice and got an ugly one from Andy Hilbert that sent the game into overtime.

Then like most of the young season, the Islanders paid the ultimate price for taking a penalty at the wrong time.

Game over.

In spite of the over time loss, the Islanders need to take this as a positive first step. They came from behind against a tough Flyers team and did so with most of their key players on defense and their franchise goalie out of the lineup.

Not bad if you ask me.

Notes:

Close call: Simon Gagne nearly clipped MacDonald’s neck with his skate when the Flyers were on the powerplay in the second period. Whew.

Funny guy: In between the first and second period Carter told Isles reporter CJ Papa that they were being careful against the Islanders in spite of Marty Biron’s record against them, saying that the Islanders “Had plenty of guys who could put the puck in the net.” Next time there’s a roast on Comedy Central, they should snub Gilbert Gottfried [John Stamos walks into a bar...] and give Carter a shot.

Posted under 2008-2009, Post Game Rants

With Andy Sutton in the lineup tonight, the Islanders defense should be in better shape to handle a talented Flyers team tonight that despite being without Daniel “Don’t call me Danny” Briere for the next few weeks, still has a plethora of options on offense.

Scary stuff if you ask me.

For that reason alone, this is a game where the Islanders cannot make avoidable mistakes in. Otherwise, this game will be over before the end of the first period. Costly penalties and turnovers did them in on Monday against the Rangers, a team that is playing good hockey right now. The Flyers on the other hand are more like a sleeping giant. They have most of the pieces on their team in place, but haven’t gotten great goaltending this season and their defense hasn’t been that strong either. With that being said, the Flyers will jump all over the Isles if they have an opportunity.

The Isles can counteract this however if they get another solid game out of guys like Frans Nielsen and Kyle Okposo. As I’ve said before on the blog, the line of Doug Weight, Bill Guerin and Sean Bergenheim are playing solid hockey right now, they just have to start finishing. Once that happens and guys such as Jon Sim and Jeff Tambellini start to become factors, this team can hold it’s own. However, until then, this season is going to be a disaster.

Aside from Mark Streit, the Islanders haven’t had a consistent presence on the score sheet this season. We know that this team doesn’t have any legitimate offensive juggernauts, but is it asking so much to have a few guys that can score 45-60 points? As of right now, it looks like Streit and perhaps Weight are going to be the only players close to that. After that, the Islanders offense looks extremely grim.

Because of that and without Rick DiPietro and a bunch of other important players that I’ve mentioned a thousand times not in the lineup, the Islanders defense has to be pretty damn close to perfect for them to break out of this funk they’ve started their season in. If they work hard however, get a quick goal and perhaps a few powerplay opportunities, things could end up differently. So far this season both Marty Biron and Antero Niittymaki have been far from perfect as well, which leads me to believe this game could get hairy really fast if both teams get sloppy.

Posted under 2008-2009, Pregame Musings

With the Islanders defense is Dire Straits as it is, another injury could have really put them but that famous creek without a paddle. Luckily, Andy Sutton, according to Newsday and the team’s official website, is set to make his season debut when the Isles take on the Broad Street Bullies on Thursday.

While he’s a far cry from Paul Coffey, Sutton will be able to give the Isles the toughness they desperately need right now. Aside from Trent Hunter, Nate Thompson, Freddy Meyer and Sean Bergenheim, Doug Weight has been the Islanders biggest physical presence. If you don’t believe me, just ask Brandon Sutter. At any rate, with the way this offense has performed this season, they need as much help on defense as possible.

Much like last season, if the Islanders can get Brendan Witt, Radek Martinek and Freddy Meyer back, the Islanders defense will be solid and the team won’t have to be forced to play catch up every night. Again, Sutton by himself isn’t going to change everything, but he can be a competent player than can give the team one less thing to worry about. Aside from giving the team an edge on defense, he’ll be able to play the point on the powerplay too if he absolutely has to, providing the team with another option for the second unit. Before his injury last season, Sutton started to come around and after a rocky start, became a leader on the team. If he can provide that same type of energy and clear the crease, he’ll be a pleasant addition to the lineup.

Nothing against Jack Hillen, but it looks like he’s not quite ready yet to be a regular. A sloppy pass here, a failed shot from the point there, combined with Chris Campoli’s return made Hillen a bit replaceable. Given that he has barely any experience in pro hockey in the first place, some time in Bridgeport could benefit his game immensely. His smarts and skating ability could provide him with an ample start there and by later in the season, he may be ready to give the NHL another whirl. That will only be the case though if this defensive core can stay healthy. Otherwise, guys like Hillen and Brett Skinner will be forced into action and as we’ve seen already this season, they are far from being dependable NHL defenders. That’s not to say that they won’t be at some point, but as of right now, they need to earn a few more bumps and bruises.

Posted under 2008-2009, Isles Thoughts 2008

Well, that was a fun game wasn’t it?

There’s a reason why the Rangers are in first place and there’s a reason why the Isles have only two wins through eight games this season.

Goaltending and offense my friends. Something the Isles don’t have much of right now.

Through the first 40 minutes though, the Islanders looked like they were holding their own. Kyle Okposo, despite flubbing a few golden opportunities through he first half of the first period, really stepped up his game and easily had his best contest of the season. See what happens when this kid gets his legs moving and isn’t scared to initiate contact in the corners? The same thing goes for Frans Nielsen, who was all over the puck through the first two periods.

Speaking of solid performances tonight, Mark Streit was on top of his game as well. With seven points in eight games, the guy is doing everything he can on both ends of the ice to keep this team alive. Even his defense has been better than expected, as he’s did a solid job of clearing the crease, in addition to his prowess on the powerplay.

If there were anything really positive to take from this game, those would have to be it.

On the negative side, Joey MacDonald, while playing decent overall, has got to improve his play with traffic in front of the crease and with loose pucks around him. The Rangers first goal tonight was one that any decent goaltender in this league would have stopped. That’s not to say that Joey Mac isn’t a good netminder, he just has one glaring weakness that needs to be addressed and addressed soon.

Something else that needs to be addressed is the play of Jeff Tambellini. This guy has to get going offensively and soon. He’s taking shots, but isn’t getting any lucky bounces or help. I say throw him on a line with Mike Comrie and Kyle Okposo. Trent Hunter and Nielsen aren’t bad guys to play with, but the combination of speed and offensive ability that Comrie and Okposo have may give Tamby a bit more room on the ice to thrive.

In injury news, it seems that Freddy Meyer is only going to be day to day with an abdominal injury. Nothing against Brett Skinner, but Meyer was playing solid hockey before his injury and with Radek Martinek, Brendan Witt [who allegedly will be out for the next four weeks]and Andy Sutton all out of the lineup, the Isles need all the help they can get.

Posted under 2008-2009, Post Game Rants

Islanders franchise player and starting goaltender is “injured” again, but thanks to the NHL’s new rules on the way injuries are reported to the media, it’s impossible to know to what extent the damage is. Fans will have to settle for a “lower body injury,” or some other obscure term to know how long the players they cheer for every night will be out of the lineup.

I personally feel like DP has never been healthy this season and has tried to play through whatever has been ailing him. Either that or his conditioning is so poor that he ended up getting injured again. At any rate, at least the drama is over Yann Danis is in town and the Isles are going to have to step it up on both ends if they are planning to pick up any points against the Rangers today.

With Andy Sutton, Mike Sillinger, Radek Martinek, Brendan Witt and now DP out of the lineup, let me be the first to stop the obscure terms given out by the organization and that the Islanders are suffering from a “heart and soul” injury and the estimated time out of the lineup for “heart and soul” may be the start of the 2009-2010 season. Last season, the Islanders were in the hunt until about the last 20 games, when injuries completely took over. That made one think that if they were healthy and the youngsters stepped it up, this team could still be competitive.

However, with guys like Kyle Okposo and Fran Nielsen looking out of place through their first handful of games as full-time NHlers, the Islanders are sinking faster than a fat man’s face in a gallon of Edy’s ice cream. Simply put, these youngsters have to play their hearts out over the next 70 plus games or else this season is over.

With that being said, the Islanders need players like Doug Weight, Mark Streit, Bill Guerin and Trent Hunter to continue to play well and produce. These guys are the ones that have to set an example for the youngsters like Okposo, Neilsen and Jeff Tambellini, who for the most part, have looked lost this season.

Games against the Rangers are always a good way to rile up the team, so here’s to hoping tonight does the same thing. I don’t know about you, but a two-goal game from a youngster and a few powerplay tallies would be a good sign of things to come if you ask me.

Posted under 2008-2009, Isles Thoughts 2008, Pregame Musings

The way the Islanders have been playing this season, it figures they would lose a game that they registered a franchise high 60 shots on goal. There was only one problem.

Cam Ward was damn good.

The Islanders offense, despite registering all of those shots, wasn’t up to finishing the job. Kyle Okposo had a golden opportunity to get the Islanders on the board in the first, but came up empty. As I’ve said before on the site, this is a guy that has to start finishing and soon. The same thing goes for Jeff Tambellini and Mike Comrie.

However, despite the fact that this team is having problems finishing, there were several positives to take from this game.

The physicality was there. Doug Weight and Nate Thompson were taking the body. I think overall, Thompson played his best game of the season. He had much better shot selection and was a force physically. As far as the responsibilities of a fourth line center go, he’s was on top of all them last night. With Mike Sillinger and Mark Parrish in the wings, Thompson is going to have continue to play that way or else he’ll find himself in Bridgeport.

Another Islander who was strong last night was Bill Guerin. On the whole, the line of Sean Bergenheim, who is quickly becoming a force, Guerin and Weight have been solid. All they need is a huge game to get the confidence going. Once that happens, hopefully the rest of the team can pick up the slack.

Speaking of someone who needs to pick up the slack, Rick DiPietro was not on top of his game. I’ve made several mentions over the past three seasons at how DP, while being a great puck-handling goaltender, needs to watch himself at times. When he tries to do too much, he usually ends up hurting the Islanders. Last night was no different. If this team has any shot at turning this season around, it all starts with Rico. He has to be on top of his game.

With the team’s next game against the Rangers on Monday, there’s no time like the present. Games against the Rangers usually bring out the best or worst of both teams as well, making this an even more important game for both teams, with the Isles struggling to find out where they belong in the league and Rangers trying to keep their lead in the conference.

Posted under 2008-2009, Post Game Rants

After an abysmal defeat the other night against the Stars, things aren’t going to get any easier for the Islanders today, as they face off against the Carolina Hurricanes. While this isn’t the same Carolina team that won the Stanley Cup a few years ago, they still have players who can produce on offense and without their two best defensemen in the lineup in Brendan Witt and Radek Martinek, things aren’t going to be easy for them tonight.

In the games the Islanders have won this season, it’s easy to see how hard they’ve worked in both ends of the ice. Practically swarming the puck the entire game, the Isles have proved Scott Gordon’s coaching system works, as long as they stick to it. However, for the majority of the young season, the Isles have looked tentative and seem unable to push the kind of pace on the ice they need to in order to win hockey games.

Perhaps as the season gets going and they get key players back this will change, but as of right now, this is starting to look like the beginning of a very long season.

On another note, according to Newsday, Andy Sutton is very close to returning and Mike Sillinger skated with the team for the first time this season a few days ago. If Witt is out long term, Sutton’s return is a crucial one. Even though he isn’t the defender Witt is, he’s a solid defenseman who can even help out on the powerplay if he has to. He’s also the crease clearer this team desperately needs right now. Guaranteed if Sutton is the lineup against the Sabres and he was on the ice for a few of those goals in front of the net, there could have been a few that he could have got in the way of. His toughness too is something this team desperately needs as well.

The same thing goes for Sillinger, who if healthy, gives this team an offense threat and a guy that can win important face offs. With Mike Comrie, Doug Weight, Sillinger and possibly Josh Bailey at center, the Isles will be solid depth wise at that position. Nothing against Frans Nielsen, but he’s another youngster on this team that while showing flashes of brilliance at times this season, has for the most part, looked out of place.

Can’t think about any of this tonight though, as the Isles will simply have to stick to the guns they have and hope they’re firing.

It is something to think about as the season continues though.

Posted under 2008-2009, Pregame Musings

Words can’t describe the smorgasbord of emotions and thoughts that were going through my head during that debacle of a game.

Well, in actuality, there are plenty of thoughts and even more words to describe them.

For your reading pleasure, here they are:

Why does Kyle Okposo look so tentative out there? Why isn’t he attacking the crease and taking shots that hit the net?

Sean Avery seriously needs to get into acting. Even though he looks like someone cross bred a possum and Jeffrey Donovan [that dude that was in Hitch and that USA show Burn Notice or some crap like that], he’s like a virtuoso of the embellishment, a prince of farce and a patriarch of exaggeration all rolled into one. He’d be a great character actor or the first dude to die in a horror movie, don’t you think? As a matter of fact, the only thing more preposterous than Avery’s antics on the ice are the zebra’s the fall for his nonsense every single night. I’d still take him in a minute on this team though, idiotic Buddy Holly glasses and all.

The Islanders powerplay needs to take more shots…end of story. They were passing back and forth on the five on three opportunity they had when all they needed to do is put the puck on the net and clean up the mess. It was like the Islanders had Pierre Turgeon, Joe Sakic, Craig Janney, Marc Savard and Neal Broten [sorry, five best passers I could think of off the top of my head]on the PP; no one wanted to take a shot. They were all looking to set another guy up. Sometimes you have to be selfish in this game. When you have a chance like that to get a goal, you have to take it, especially for a team struggling on offense like the Islanders.

Jon Sim needs to skate towards the net and do what he did over the last few seconds more often or this team is toast this season. He’s already drew a bunch of penalties this season, he just has to finish a bit more and other defenses will have to think about him as a potential problem to deal with. Right now, the Islanders don’t have many of those types of players.

Sean Bergenheim worked his tail off last night. Keep him with Doug Weight and Bill Guerin. Only good things can come from this for all three of them. Weight has been solid this season even though he should have netted one last night. Guerin too has been ok and has been skating hard. Bergenheim’s work ethic will give these guys the space they all need to produce.

If Brendan Witt is going to be out for a long period of time, the Islanders need to call up Mark Parrish asap, regardless of where he is physically. If Jack Hillen is going to play defense in Witt’s place, the Isles defense isn’t going to be as strong as it needs to be, so they need to add more offense or else they are doomed. The Nate Thompson experiment was fun, but this team needs people in the lineup that are going to put numbers on the board and even though Parrish is slower than John Olerud, he’ll be a presence. Throw Parrish on a line with Comrie and Okposo and put Hilbert in the middle with Park and Sim. That at the very least would give the team some more depth on offense, something they desperately need right now.

On another note, Kudos to NBC’s Len Berman for stating the incorrect score of the last night’s game on the news. Looks like some broadcast journalists don’t like to watch the ENTIRE game anymore. Great job NBC, keep it up.

Posted under 2008-2009, Post Game Rants

The Dallas Stars haven’t started their season the way they would have liked to, but that’s no reason why they shouldn’t be taken seriously.

Aside from Brad Richards, Mike Ribeiro and Brenden Morrow scaring the bejesus out of opposing defenses, they still have Mike Modano and Phillip Boucher, alongside role players like Steve Ott, Sean Avery and Stephane Robidas and not to mention, a hot stud rookie in Fabian Brunnstrom [a few more goals and we'll see him in a “I Can't Believe It's not Butter” Ad] and an amazing goaltender in Marty Turco.

Simply put, this is a team the Islanders can and will have a ton of problems against if they are not on their game.

However, there is a ray of hope here.

Through his first six games, Turco has a deplorable 4.05 ERA and a Rosie O’Donnell-esque save percentage of .844. If the Islanders can get consistent pressure on the guy and generate some scoring opportunities, they may have an opportunity to break the game wide open.

If not, expect another tough 2-1 game that can go either way.

On another note…

Could Parrish work again with the Isles?

Just got off the phone with good buddy of mine, one New York Islander Blog Boxer Gary Harding. For those of you that don’t know, Mr. Harding is an extremely knowledgeable hockey fan and one of the few people I enjoy talking about the game with. [Anyway, enough brown-nosing. Gary gets enough hits on his site and he knows he's my homeboy, even if he owns a Josef Vasicek jersey, eww] During the course of the conversation, Parrish came up and we talked about how much Parrish could teach a guy like Kyle Okposo about being a prescence in front of the net despite not being a huge guy.

For those that don’t know, according to Eric Duhatschek on the GlobeandMail.com Hockey Blog, Parrish just signed a 25-game tryout contract with Bridgeport after scoring only 16 goals in limited duty with the Minnesota Wild last season. With Nate Thompson’s play not doing much for me and Richard Park being able to play center, I say throw Parrish on a wing with someone and see if he’s still got it. 15 goals from the guy in a third or fourth line role would do more than suffice and would help the youngsters develop some more, while giving the Isles another depth winger who can net the tough to come by garbage goals they desperately need right now.

Posted under 2008-2009, Pregame Musings

A few days ago, I came across a beefy topic that caught my interest. According to HockeyBuzz.com, the Chicago Black Hawks are reportedly interested in the services of Mike Comrie. At first, I didn’t think much of it, considering the fact that the Islanders are already missing Mike Sillinger and need all the help up the middle they can get. After a few e-mails from people on the subject though, I figured I’d share my two cents.

For what my opinion is worth, I don’t think Comrie will ever be a point a game player in the NHL. Right now, he would be an excellent third line center on a great team or a solid second line center on a very good team. Only on a fridge or rebuilding team like the Islanders could he get a shot at being a number one center. That shot didn’t exactly go as planned for him last season either, as his lack of polish on defense and overuse of simple deke moves [like the toe drag, cough] hurt him down the stretch and turned what could have been a career year into another decent one.

Last season, around the All Star break, Comrie was pretty close to a point a game and once he had to be counted on more to provide offense when injuries enveloped the team, his game suffered incredibly. Being even more judgmental here, if you take away the first week of the season from him last year, where he lit up the Buffalo Sabres and it’s totally possible that he could have had his worst offensive season since his rookie campaign.

This season, it appears that the Islanders head coach Scott Gordon prefers to see Doug Weight play with Bill Guerin and because of that, Comrie has been relegated to playing on a line with Richard Park and Kyle Okposo. While some Islander fans aren’t too excited about this, I feel that once Mike Sillinger comes back, the Islanders lines will be pretty well balanced and Comrie won’t be a victim of playing against the opposition’s best defensive players every night, which will benefit him and his current linemates immensely. He’ll produce the same amount of offense he did last season, but it will be worth even more to the team because he’ll be more of a role player than a primary producer. Trading him now would ruin any chance this team has at having a decent offensive attack.

Don’t do it Garth Snow.

That is unless you’re willing to play Josh Bailey in more than nine games this season and you can get a first or second round pick for him.

Posted under 2008-2009, Isles Thoughts 2008