The Rangers and their head coach Tom Renney have everything to lose.

The Isles and Scott Gordon however, have nothing to lose.

That alone will make for an intriguing game tonight.

I don’t know how you guys feel, but these games, regardless of where these two teams are in the standings, always put a smile on my face. Sure, there have been plenty of moments over the years I’d like to forget, times when Theo Fleury was too busy clucking like a chicken to be taken seriously or when Dan Cloutier looked like Chuck Liddell and absolutely beat the crap out of Tommy Salo, but there are good moments as well. If my memory serves me correct [I may be wrong, I was nine at the time.], my boy Pierre Turgeon scored his 50th goal against the Rangers in ’93 and who could forget when Robert Reichel scored four goals against them the day before Thanksgiving? For me, regardless of how successful the Isles have been over the past 15 years, those are some great memories that will always make this rivalry the most special one in hockey today.

If that wasn’t enough, the games between these two teams always have that added intensity from start to finish and it’s good hockey from regardless of what side of the rink you watch from.

I think that’s what the Rangers need right now more than anything. They do not look like a playoff team and every player that they’ve brought in this season, with perhaps the exception of Nik Zherdev have underperformed. Even Chris Drury and Scott Gomez, two players who were solid last season and played an instrumental part in the team’s success are struggling and have only a combined 73 points on the season. Youngsters the likes of Nigel Dawes, Brandon Dubinsky and Ryan Callahan were also expected to carry some more responsibility and have much their tasks with mixed efficiency. Whatever direction GM Glen Sather wanted to take this team in has failed and it’s only on the back of Henrik Lundqvist that this team is still in the playoff hunt.

Battling their biggest low of the season, the Rangers are in trouble and the youth and grit of the Isles may be the last thing this team needs to face. If the Islanders can continue to maintain the same defensive pressure they showed against Pittsburgh and can get quality shots on whoever is in net, they’ll be in great shape. The youngsters on the Isles are beginning to establish themselves and the Rangers are in a downward spiral.

Should make for a good game, right?

Posted under 2008-2009, Pregame Musings

I think it’s safe to say the Pittsburgh Penguins are in serious trouble.

That team has no jam, no grit, no heart. I know they are a team that is built around offense, but I really feel as if they are missing Jarkko Ruutu and Georges Laraque, two players that enabled their secondary scorers the space they needed to thrive. If they had those two guys, I think they’d get more offense from the rest of their team. Nothing against Eric Godard, who is one of the best enforcers in the game, but the team doesn’t use him in the right way. During that period long stretch where it was 2-2, I would have sent him there to get his nose dirty. Not to necessarily cause a fight, but to take the body and make the Isles think twice about skating all over them.

Dan Bylsma is going to have it tough over the next few weeks.

On the other side of the ice, every Islanders youngster skated hard today. Sean Bergenheim was making solid passes in the offensive zone and Frans Nielsen was absolutely flying, creating scoring opportunities and keeping the pressure on in the neutral zone. Chris Campoli was joining the play and Bruno Gervais looked like Radek Martinek circa 2001.

However my three favorite highlights of the night was the 25 second stretch in the first period where the Isles had a defensive cycle going in the neutral zone that had the Penguins confused more than Lindsay Lohan on the 28th day of the month. If this is something that this team can find a way of duplicating and redefining over the rest of the season, it may be something they can carry over into next year.

The second highlight was Jeff Tambellini’s wrister that beat Marc-Andre Fleury in the shootout. Talk about a howitzer. It’s not often you get to see shots like that and not often that they come from a guy with only six goals in his career. Hopefully, this will be something that gets him going in the right direction, He’s still got one year left on hos contract an who knows what could happen in that time.

Lastly, seeing a few of the guys turning their helmets inside out was great. It shows me this team doesn’t like losing and that they want to play spoiler over the next two months.

That’s exactly what I want to see.

Posted under 2008-2009, Post Game Rants

I know it’s sort of a cruel thing to say, but think about it, before going down with a strained MCL a few games ago, Islanders center Doug Weight had only three points in his last seven games. Still getting back in the swing of things, Weight would have drew considerable interest at the trading deadline despite the fact that he was coming off of two stints on Injured Reserve this season.

Now with no prospect of trading him, the Islanders are now either forced to see him go [teams like the Penguins and the Blackhawks would love to have this guy on their roster] or can sign him, not knowing what he’ll be capable of next season.

Sounds like a win-win situation for Weight.

There is one intangible I haven’t mentioned however.

Weight is a competitor. He wants to be on the ice.

“I’m pretty upset about it,” Bill Guerin told the Associated Press on Friday. “I feel bad for Dougie. He’s had a really good year for us and it’s just disappointing for him. I’m disappointed for him. You never want to see guys go down like that. This year has been crazy.”

Any of you guys remember Weight rallying the forces a few months ago and helping to get this team a mini-winning streak? I do. And if not for injuries all season, I do believe Weight would played a huge factor in making this team a .500 one. Would they have been good enough to get into the playoffs? No. But, with the mixture of youth and experience, they would have been a lot more fun to watch.

Nevertheless in spite of everything that Weight has done for this team in his short time here. He is in control of the cards.

He said a few months ago that he didn’t want to be traded from this team and he wanted to be a part in the turnaround. Well, at the end of the season, when his agent shows him the inflated offers coming from several teams in the league, we’ll see just how serious he was when he said that.

I personally think that he was serious. I also think that if the Isles can resign both Weight and Guerin and get another older, leader to play the left side, they could have a good, grandpa line that could show the youngsters how to get things done.

But then again, that all stems on Weight’s decision to stick around.

Posted under 2008-2009, Isles Thoughts 2009

Wow. For a few seconds, I actually thought this team had a chance. While they did a decent job of stopping the Flyers’ top two lines, the team’s fourth line of Scottie Upshaw, Glen Metropolit and Arron Asham made them pay.

It’s funny though thinking that a team could score four goals in such bursts like that and totally change the dynamic of the game.

In the end, good teams find a way to recover from bad bounces and the Islanders have not all season. You can say it has something to do with injuries. You could say it has something to do with the system the team is playing. But when it’s all said and done, the Flyers, who have been battling consistency problems all season, proved that they are in fact a team that deserves to be where they are in the standings.

Giving up three goals in just 1:13 and committing several costly penalties after putting themselves in a hole, the Isles did the same as well.

On another note, while Yann Danis wasn’t horrible, as one goal was tipped off the shaft of a stick, another two off his teammates, his defense fell asleep at times. The combination of Brendan Witt and Radek Martinek have been better as of late, but lack the polish that once had them as one of the best shutdown defensive pairs in the league.

Marty Biron wasn’t spectacular on the other side of the ice, but he made the saves he needed to. He limited his rebound opportunities and the Flyers defense forced the Isles to take low percentage shots. Anytime you can do that and do it against a team as offensively challenged as the Isles, you’ll be in great shape.

A positive to take out of this game was that Joe Callahan played his best game as an Islander, as he was taking the body and clearing the crease. Jack Hillen was also solid, making several nice passes out of his own zone that started Islander breakouts. Sean Bergenheim was also skating hard, but like most of the season, had problems finishing. Like I’ve said before, if he can’t finish, he’s never going to shake the naysayers that see him as more of a niche player.

One guy that shouldn’t have even been in the lineup was Mitch Fritz. I understand that the team wanted some toughness in there, but why not give a youngster a shot instead? What good is it having an enforcer out there when your team is in last place? I understand the youngsters need protecting, but Fritz is a liability on the ice and he proved it, going a -1 in just 5:29 o playing time.

Nevertheless, Fritz isn’t the only player to blame. The way the entire team played yesterday, a slew of players have some explaining to do.

Posted under 2008-2009, Post Game Rants

With Doug Weight out for the next six to eight weeks, the Islanders are banking on the youngsters continuing to produce the way they have been over the past few games. The way things have been lately, with Kyle Okposo starting to come into his own and players the likes of Frans Nielsen, Blake Comeau and Josh Bailey causing a stir on the ice by doing the little things like finishing their checks and getting themselves to the front of the net, I have no reason why these guys would just stop playing well all of a sudden.

However, one guy that has to seize the opportunity that has been given to him to Jon Sim, who was expected to be so much more than what he’s turned out to be since signing with the team two years ago. With six goals and two assists in 40 games, Sim was once on pace for about a dozen goals, which is where you’d expect him to be, but the physical play the team expected him to bring, alongside the notion of being a top-notch pest, have been no where to be found.

As a matter of fact, I think Sean Bergenheim has done a much better job at being an antagonizer than Sim has. Obviously, Scott Gordon has seen this as well and that’s why Sim has been riding the pine the past few weeks. Nevertheless, like I said before, this is an opportunity for Sim to show the rest of the league that he can be a factor out on the ice.

If all goes well, maybe someone will want to pick him up at the trading deadline.

Pregame Thoughts- When I look at the Philadelphia Flyers, I automatically think of the where the Islanders can be in a few years. Combining home-grown talent with some effective trades and key player signings, the Flyers are an example of how to build a team properly. If the Isles have their way over the next few seasons, I’m sure they’ll be built in an extremely similar way.

This afternoon however, the Islanders won’t be busy idolizing the Flyers. Instead, they’ll be trying to keep guys like Jeff Carter, who is having his best season in the NHL this year, with 34 goals already and Simon Gagne and Mike Richards off the scoresheet. If the Isles can find a way to shutdown the Flyers’ top two lines, they’ll put themselves in a solid situation today.

With both Yann Danis and Joey MacDonald both playing excellent hockey as well, this is going to be a great way to spend an afternoon.

Posted under 2008-2009, Pregame Musings

I’m sure you guys are starting to see it.

I think everyone in the NHL is as well.

4-4-2 over their past ten games, the New York Islanders are playing good hockey, but it’s the youngsters that are carrying them this time around.

With six goals in his past nine games, rookie winger Kyle Okposo is starting to establish himself as the guy this team can depend on to score. No longer scared to do what it takes in the corners or high traffic areas in order to put himself in a situation to produce, Okposo has been almost a completely different player since returning from an injury in the middle of December.

“It’s starting to get to the point where Kyle isn’t surprising us anymore,” coach Scott Gordon told the Associated Press. “He’s showing us that he has that element of skill that goes with that power-forward type of play.”

That added tenacity isn’t something that KO began to do by himself however. Even teenage center Josh Bailey has begun to finish his checks more, creating turnovers galore and opportunities for himself and his teammates. While Blake Comeau too has been doing much of the same on a line with these two guys, the added physical play of Bailey and KO is starting to pay dividends for the Isles.

“One thing the young guys, especially, have been trying to do is really play physical and finish all of our hits,” Okposo told Newsday. “I think that it’s given our team a little bit of a boost. We feed well off each other. We’ve been playing pretty well together, and we seem to know where each other’s going to be most of the time. We’re able to find each other and hold onto the puck a little longer and then make the right play instead of being a bit jittery like early in the season and trying to force something.”
With the only thing left to gain this season for the Islanders being the bumps and bruises to win back some respect next season, the youngsters are ensuring it by making sure they don’t get pushed around and show that they can thrive in the NHL.
Soon enough, they’ll be asked to lead this team and to carry this team on their backs when the going gets tough. The way things have been over the past handful of games, it looks like these youngsters may in fact be able to handle that burden.

Posted under 2008-2009, Isles Thoughts 2009

Aside from the fact that they were out shot by a huge margin last night, the Islanders hung in against one of the best teams in the NHL for 60 minutes.

That alone was a huge reason why fans should be proud of the direction this team is going in. The first year of the multi-year plan, the Isles are getting their youngsters the playing time they need in order to continue their progression towards building a consistent winner. Despite the fact that the chances are slim that this team will be ready for the playoffs next season as well, but I know this much, they’ll be better.

That, I think, is all Isles fans can really ask for.

From the way things are starting to shape up as well, one thing they won’t have to ask for is for Kyle Okposo to continue producing. With six goals in his last nine games, KO looks like he’s got the ability to crack the 20-goal barrier. Now ask yourself, when was the last time an Islanders rookie did that? In the 15 plus years I’ve been watching this team, I’ve never seen a rookie do that. If he can somehow manage to do that, I think it may even help draw some free agent over who see him as a budding star.

I know it sounds like a pipe dream, but hey, it could happen.

Anyway, back to the game…

Through two periods, the Isles were barely hanging on, but what else do you expect? The Devils are the real deal and the Isles are, well, the Isles. Brent Sutter has turned the Devils into a team that can hurt you offensively as well as on defense. It would be hard for any team to defend against that. Add in that Doug Weight was out of action for the third with an injured knee and its crazy to think the Isles could hang on, right?

You would think so, but Joey MacDonald was on his game. Saves with the glove at the doorstep, kick saves from the slot, reaction saves on redirections, he had it all last night. With Yann Danis playing as well as he has been lately, “Pickles” needed to have a strong bounce back game. His last win coming into tonight was on Dec. 31, Joey Mac looked like he was going to help guide the team to a win. A bad penalty from Brendan Witt however gave the Devils the opportunity they needed and Zach Parise made them pay, again.

How many goals does Kent Nilsson’s kid have this season?

Had to look that one up didn’t you?

Yeah, I thought so.

Add in an empty-netter from Jamie Langenbrunner and this one was over.

Sad too, considering what MacDonald was forced to do to keep his team in the game. With Weight’s status uncertain as well and Mark Streit still out, the Isles may be forced to deal with even bigger problems over the next few games.

Posted under 2008-2009, Post Game Rants

Not a bad game to watch overall, in spite of the fact that the Islanders took some bad penalties and couldn’t convert on the powerplay when they needed to.

Too bad Bruno Gervais has hit the goalpost more over his past 150 games than the back of the net as well.

On the whole, I liked the fact that the Isles were attempting to take shots on Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick from all angles. Tim Jackman’s goal, aside from being incredibly sneaky, proved that when you have the puck and shoot it, good things happen. For far too long this season have the Islanders tried to set up the perfect pass and take the perfect shot. Now, it at least looks like they are getting the idea that garbage goals are just as good as highlight reel ones.

Nevertheless, they were still a bit too pensive out there, especially on the powerplay.

Going 12:47 without a shot just proves that.

Speaking of highlight reel goals though, who would have thought that Bill Guerin was going to pass when he had the whole net to himself? It seemed like Doug Weight came out of nowhere. That goal got the Islanders back into the game and gave them some more confidence, but the seesaw battle continued for 60 minutes.

While he had two golden opportunities over the course of the game and couldn’t finish, I really like the spunk Bergenheim had out there tonight. The same thing goes for Andy Hilbert and Jackman, who never hurt the team when they are on the ice and somehow, someway, always do something that gives the team some kind of boost.

However, one of the reasons the Kings were able to sneak back in was because of a few bad penalties by the Isles and poor coverage in front of the crease. While he’s been much better over his past few games, Brendan Witt again was on the ice during a key moment and failed to clear the crease. I know he does a lot on the ice, but that’s what is priority should be and he hasn’t been doing it for a big chunk of the season. A lot of this has to do with the fact that he’s been forced to play much more in his own end because of youngsters like Joe Callahan and Jack Hillen

In all honesty, this game should have never went into overtime, but both teams couldn’t finish each other off. With the powerplay opportunities both of them had, this game should have ended in regulation. But when you have two teams that aren’t playoff bound [The Kings could still make it though if they get hot], things like this are bound to happen.

Then it comes down to the crap shoot and the Kings prevail courtesy of a slick move by Jack Johnson.

Game over.

It’s till a game though and a lesson learned.

Stop taking bad penalties and convert on the powerplay.

Posted under 2008-2009, Post Game Rants

Sean Bergenheim was drafted in the first round of the 2002 draft and unlike many of the players that were taken after him over the years, I like to think he isn’t anywhere near the flop Ryan O’Marra has been thus far or even his buddy Petteri Nokalainen, who in all fairness, has never been the same player after getting injured his rookie season, was.

Nevertheless, in spite of the vigor and jam he adds when on the ice, I have a feeling time is running out for him. Not as far as his spot on the team is concerned, but as his status as a talented youngster goes.

With youngsters the likes of Frans Neilsen, Blake Comeau, Kyle Okposo and Josh Bailey stepping up, I feel Bergenheim has to start doing much of the same. Sure, he’s got another year left on his contract and is a restricted free agent at the start of the 2010 season, but for the Islanders to truly start to get this youth movement in full swing, I feel Bergie has to be one of the guys that steps up. Otherwise, he’ll have that niche of being a role player labeled on him and no one will ever give him a chance to be the top six forward I believe he can be,

Much like Andy Hilbert, I see Bergenheim as a jack of all trades on the ice, but a master of none. He’s a good skater, with good speed and a huge heart. However, much like Hilbert, he doesn’t produce enough offensively. On pace for a 20-goal season at one time before injuries and the flu began to creep their way into his game, Bergenheim needs to step up.

Now on a line with Richard Park and Tim Jackman, I think the Isles will possess one of the best energy lines in the league. Park has slowed down offensively after a white hot start and needs someone to get him going. That’s exactly where I think Bergenheim comes in. For way too long have I thought this guy deserves to be a top six forward and watched him get stuck in a role like this, but until he proves he can be consistent in both ends and start producing more, much like a Jason Blake, he’ll stay there.

Speaking of Blake, who proved in his time on the Island that he needed the puck as often as possible to be effective, I think Bergenheim is a much better shooter and can take advantage more than Blake did. For instance, Blake will end up taking over 300 shots again this season and will end up with about 25-30 goals. I think Bergenheim could score 20 eventually one day while taking under 200. It’s just a matter of him staying healthy and getting the type of ice time where he can accumulate those numbers.

When he actually got that ice time last season, I think he surprised a lot of Islander fans and even the organization with just how talented offensively he can be in the this league, in addition to all the other stuff he does. All in all, there’s no reason why he can’t be a dependable 20-20 guy and be a solid pest, even at this point in his career.

Again, it’s just a matter of getting him on the ice.

Posted under 2008-2009, Isles Thoughts 2009

As many of you guys know, I am currently covering the Brooklyn Aces of the EPHL for Bay Currents Newspaper and my own Aces site, AcesOverBrooklyn.com. During that time, I ran across James Brannigan, a Dyker Heights, Brooklyn-native that lit the league on fire, scoring 35 points in just 17 games. Recently signed by the Utah Grizzlies, the ECHL affiliate of the New York Islanders, Brannigan is setting his sights on being a part of the team’s rookie camp next season.

Last week, I interviewed the feisty sniper over the phone to hear about his crazy season on AOB. Here’s the post for you guys to check out:

Before a single puck was dropped at Aviator Arena this season, James Brannigan seemed like a perfect fit for the Brooklyn Aces.

Looking for a place to thrive after being used in defensive roles at Colorado College and the ECHL that didn’t show off his 97 mph slapshot, Brannigan needed a change of scenery and a chance to prove just how talented he really was. Playing amazing hockey during his time in his hometown, Brannigan was leading the league in scoring with 22 goals and 35 points when he was called up to the Utah Grizzlies of the ECHL on Dec. 29 .

Now just a heartbeat away from the AHL and even the NHL, Brannigan has seven points in 12 games with the Grizzlies. Chatting over the phone from Utah in this exclusive interview done last night, Brannigan talks about his time in Brooklyn this season in addition to his hopes for the future and how he’s enjoying his time in the Mid-West.

Check it out!

As always, you can listen directly here at:
http://media.switchpod.com//users/patrickhickeyjr1/AcesOverBrooklynPodcastJamesBranniganInterview.mp3

Or you can download the file on to your I-Pod or I-Phone here:
http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=294739484

Photo by Patrick Hickey Jr.

Posted under 2008-2009, Scouting Report