For a few seconds there, Islander fans were probably thinking they were going to get the number five pick, especially considering how bad the team’s luck has been this season.

Sure, it hasn’t been completely horrible, as guys like Blake Comeau, Josh Bailey, Sean Bergenheim and Kyle Okposo have all shown signs of becoming players the team can depend on in the future. For the most part though, it been the same old song, as the team has failed to make the playoffs with aging veterans, nagging injuries to key players and youngsters that aren’t quite ripe yet.

Make no mistake about it though; not getting that first pick in this draft would have been an unforgettable end to one of the worst seasons in team history.

However, lady luck [Sorry, not the hot blonde chick with glasses in the new New York State lottery commercial] smiled upon the team yesterday as the team managed to nab the first pick in this year’s entry draft.

Can you dig it?

I know I can.

Nonetheless, despite the original excitement, I think I’m going to take things slow until something gets done.

No need to go crazy until the Islanders do something, right?

“We’re extremely pleased to have the first overall selection in this year’s draft,” said Islanders General Manager Garth Snow on the team’s official website. “This is an exciting time for the franchise and we are truly looking forward to the 2009 NHL Entry Draft.”

Thanks for the cliché-speak Garth; that’s exactly what we want to hear right now.

There are simply a ton of possibilities here. The Isles can take whoever they want, or they can hold the pick up for the highest bidder, which could possibly help them in the future even more than one player the likes of Tavares or Hedman could.

I personally would love to see Tavares on a line with Okposo; that alone for me would make me a happy camper next year. Having a 6′6 blue-liner with the skating ability of Hedman has possibilities as well, but I like to think that the Islanders defense is probably their strongest asset right now.

Snow has already stated that heknows what he wants to do with the pick, he’ll keep that information to himself for the time being.

“Yeah I do, but I’m not going to share it,” he said in reference to the Isles plans with the pick. “We’re going to get a great player for this team.”

Historically, the Islanders have luck on their side, as through the three other times they’ve drafted first overall, they’ve snatched up Billy Harris, Denis Potvin and Rick DiPietro.

Nonetheless, I still have this feeling in my stomach that something isn’t right.

Maybe I’m looking too much into this, but both Tavares and Hedman looked absolutely miserable after the news, like someone just told them their puppies died. It shouldn’t be too much of a concern however, because if either of them pull an Eric Lindros and decide not to play for the Isles, they may be in better shape than they could have been with just one of them.

Either way, the Islanders and their fans will have something to talk about despite missing the playoffs for the second season in a row.

For now, that’s something.

Photo by Patrick Hickey Jr.

Posted under 2008-2009, Isles Thoughts 2009, Offseason 2009

The only thing worse than watching the Islanders lose 6-2 is watching the Islanders lose 6-2 in person.

In the end, I felt horrible for my g/f, who had her first NHL spoiled by the exploits of Phil Kessel and the Bruins, who dominated the living crap out of an Islanders team that was sluggish in both ends of the ice.

Despite that however, you could see that Islander fans and the organization feel better about this team than their record indicates, especially Islanders head coach Scott Gordon.

“We have some elements of team identity to carry over into next season,” Gordon told the Associated Press after the game. “The second half of the season flew by with the attitude and commitment we had.”

After a dismal first half, the Isles were a different team in the second, as many of the youngsters carried them. Up until April, the Islanders were playing close to .500 hockey in the second half, no small feat for a team missing players like Rick DiPietro, Trent Hunter, Andy Sutton and Mike Sillinger. During that span, Kyle Okposo, Frans Nielsen, Blake Comeau and Sean Bergenheim proved that could be everyday NHLers, while Josh Bailey and Jeff Tambellini showed that they may be able to contribute a bit more than they did earlier in the season as well [keep your fingers crossed.] Even the super youngin’s like Jesse Joensuu, Mike Iggulden, Trevor Smith and Joe Rechlicz have shown some potential and will be fighting for a job in training camp next year.

Doug Weight came back for the last few games of the season and showed his support for the team by signing a one-year extension, while Yann Danis fizzled out after a three-week stretch of excellent hockey in February and March.

Sounds like a Soap Opera doesn’t it? Now imagine writing something about a team like this every day for a year and watching half the other dudes and dudettes give up halfway through.

Seeing the Blog Box occupied only by the uber dependable Gary Harding for the last game of the season yesterday was pretty disappointing. Those guys have a privilege and to just give up because the team is losing says way more than any of their writing ever could.

That’s one of the reasons why I’d rather write at home [aside from the fact that I cover minor league hockey, live in Brooklyn, run three other sites and teach college English and journalism] anyway. What I’m trying to say here is that the Islanders should pay attention to these things very closely. When your most dedicated super fans can’t show up to watch the game from one of the best seats in the house and do something hundreds of young journalism students would die for, you know you have a problem.

Simply put, this team needs more offense, needs to stay healthy and needs a new building. Once that happens, all the fans that gave up will have a reason to believe again and this team can gain it’s respectability back.

Nothing short of John Tavares, the lighthouse project and Rick DiPietro back in net can fix that.

Site News: Now that the season is over, I will update less often, probably once or twice a week, in order to give myself a much needed break. Thank you to everyone that helped support me this season. Hopefully next season we’ll be able to talk Islanders hockey a bit longer.

Photo by Patrick Hickey Jr.

Posted under 2008-2009, Post Game Rants

Not a bad game overall and without a doubt better than what this team was doing the last two games against the Hurricanes and Penguins. Definitely good to see Bergenheim get in there and get a goal; same thing goes for Jackman, who hasn’t given up on a shift all season. Yann Danis made 27 saves, many of which were with traffic in front of the net, which, at the very least, kept the Islanders in the game.

Today, against the Eastern Conference leading Boston Bruins, the Islanders will try and go out in style the same way the did last season when they beat the Rangers on the last day last season.

If all goes well, the Bruins will dress Manny Fernandez, who got the start last night, and make sure he’s ready just in case uber-dependable Tim Thomas [Did you ever think you'd say that about the guy four years ago?] goes down for the playoff run. With the Islanders luck however, Thomas will be in net, as the Bruins too look to go out in style and crush an Islanders team that doesn’t stand a chance.

At any rate, should be an interesting match-up. Lets see if Kyle Okposo can have a good game as well and make sure the Islanders have a 20-goal scorer on this team this season. If not, it’s going to be something many Islanders fans remember for years to come.

Streit wants a sniper- Islanders All-Star defenseman Mark Streit knows what he wants the Islanders to go after this draft.

I’m sure many of you will agree with him as well.

“I think we need a sniper, a goal-scorer,” Streit told Newsday. “I think when Ricky (goalie Rick DiPietro) is healthy and we have our whole ‘D’ corps, we have a pretty good defense we can build on. We have a lot of good talent up front, and obviously, one other guy who could put the puck in the net wouldn’t hurt next year. But that’s out of my hands.”

I’ll be there- As part of my winning the 2008 Islanders blog of the year, I won a pair of tickets to any non-Rangers home game this season and decided a few weeks ago that today would be the perfect day. I’ll see you guys there. Driving all the way from Brooklyn, the Islanders better not let me down, or they’ll be hell to pay.

Posted under 2008-2009, Post Game Rants

Despite the fact that the Islanders are headed for their worst season in quite some time, this offseason will be an extremely important one.

Both Islanders head coach Scott Gordon and rising star Kyle Okposo will be exposed to the IIHF World Championships later this month for the first time.

There, both of them will get the additional training, Gordon from Ron Wilson, an NHL coach with over 1,200 games coached and experience in the Olympics and international leagues as a player. Okposo will have plenty of players of a high skill level to play with and will be in the locker room, getting pointers on anything he needs help with.

As long as he doesn’t suffer any type of serious injury, this is a great opportunity for KO.

As far as Gordon is concerned, this is completely win-win. Perhaps, Gordon will be able to take some of the things that have worked for him this season and be able to help Wilson and his country kick some tail. Before this season, I thought Wilson was one of the better coaches in the league. This season still hasn’t changed that thought, but it’s fair to say that Wilson is going through the same pains Gordon is going through this season.

Maybe they can grow through these things together.

“I don’t think you ever get tired of getting that opportunity to represent your country,” Gordon, who was a goalie on the 1992 U.S. Olympic team, told the Associated Press. “My two experiences with the national team as a player and as a player in the Olympics were great experiences. It’s something that, when I got into coaching, I hoped that one day I’d get an opportunity to be a part of it. There’s no passion like playing for your country.

“I don’t know what the long-term is, I’m just happy about this short-term opportunity, and I’m looking forward to working with Ron Wilson. He’s certainly had a lot of experiences at different levels in international competition and in the NHL. I’ll be a sponge, I’ll listen to every word he’s got to say.”

On another note, I just came across this nifty little video of Wilson getting in an argument with Toronto reporter Howard Berger. Good stuff.

Posted under 2008-2009, Isles Thoughts 2009

For the second game in a row, the Islanders have made me sick to my stomach.

Pretty hard to do considering the fact that as a child, I’d watch Faces of Death while eating ice cream.

Nothing like cookies and cream and monkeys getting their brains bashed in if you ask me.

Last night’s game however, proved to be much more than disgusting; it was pitiful.

After Bill Guerin scored and looked down, it was obvious- even after being traded away a few weeks ago, for a paltry fifth round pick, he felt bad for his former team.

Six unanswered goals is hard to stomach and especially considering how hard the team came out in the first period.

What is even tougher to understand is how bad the Islanders powerplay was. Spoiling two separate five on three opportunities, the Islanders powerplay needs some serious work. However, with all the injuries the Islanders have dealt with as of late, what did you expect.

Even Islanders coach Scott Gordon knows his team will going to have a rough time competing the rest of the season.

“Right now, in our lineup, we don’t have a lot of firepower,” Gordon told the AP after the game. “I think we hit four posts during the course of the game. It’s not going to come as a surprise that the puck is not going to go in as easy as it would for some teams.”

In other news, the Islanders signed 2007 third-round pick Mark Katic and 2008 sixth round pick Justin DiBenedetto to three-year, entry-level contracts.

Katic is coming off his best season in juniors producing more than solid numbers of 13 goals, 41 assists and 54 points in 63 games. With Chris Campoli gone to Ottawa, Katic will first have to prove himself in Bridgeport, but will eventually at some point in the future have an opportunity to be the slick skating offensive defenseman the Islanders will need in the future to compliment Mark Streit.

Scoring 45 goals and 48 assists in 62 games with Sarnia this season, DiBenedetto proved he could still put up big numbers without Steven Stamkos around and with the team in need of young and talented forwards, DiBenedetto not only makes the organization deeper at the position, but he could challenge for significant time in Bridgeport next season.

If the injury bug takes over again next season, who knows, we may see both of these kids.

For time being however, they have both been assigned to Bridgeport.

Posted under 2008-2009, Post Game Rants

I said a few weeks ago that I’d be pretty cool with Doug Weight signing an extension with the New York Islanders.

Today, those thoughts have not changed.

Despite missing 29 games with injuries this season, the wily veteran still has 35 points and when healthy, has been a difference maker.

Signing for only two million bucks as well, Weight is a low-risk and high reward signing. If he stays on the ice and off injured reserve, he’ll score his 50 points or so and will help youngsters like Kyle Okposo and Josh Bailey get better.

It doesn’t get much better than that.

“I wish everything could have been a little better this year; I wish I could have stayed healthier, I wish a lot of guys on our team could have stayed healthier,” Weight told Newsday. “But I really have been impressed with everything over the course of the last three or four months, and I’ve said before we like the area. I’m excited to be coming back and excited for what’s coming for this team, hopefully sooner than later.

“We’re going to be champing at the bit to get back in September, and I’m happy to be part of it.”
The fact that Weight is still hungry and is a testament to what Scott Gordon’s system can produce may also entice other veterans to come and fill holes on this young Islanders team. Islanders General Manager Garth Snow has sad that next year’s roster will be a very similar one to this season’s, but if he can get someone at a price similar to Weight that can come in and produce, you can bet your bottom dollar that he’ll do so. Because of that, keeping Weight around can turn out to be a smart move for the Isles.
Remember this anyone?

It feels like 10 years ago, doesn’t it? To the rest of the hockey world, it seems impossible that the Islanders could have players the likes of Ryan Smyth, Alexei Yashin, Jason Blake and Viktor Kozlov on their roster, but just two seasons ago, they did.

However, if this team is to ever make the playoffs while playing in Long Island again, a new batch of players, much younger and far less accomplished, will have to find the same amount of intensity those guys did just two short seasons ago.

Will it ever happen?

Posted under 2008-2009, Isles Thoughts 2009

There’s a reason why I waited nearly 24 hours to write my post game thoughts.

It was simply unbearable to watch.

It was like watching Faces of Death. Gross, disgusting repugnant and debauchery all rolled into one, but with just enough intrigue to keep your eyes on it. For a while there, I thought the Hurricanes were going to go for the dozen; they were that good last night and yes, the Islanders were that bad.

As a youngster, I remember playing NHLPA 93 with my father and beating him so bad that my mother, who usually watched behind us, was scared for my safety. I’m talking games that ended in scores like 22-2, 21, 4 or even on a rare occasion 33-6. My dominance in virtual hockey has only gotten better over time, as a few months ago, I won a game of NHL 08 online by a score of 11-0 and outshot some kid in Toronto 42-8.

That, however, was a video game, where out shooting your opponent by 40 shots is happenstance.

Never in my life would I ever have thought that I could watch a game in the NHL where a team played that poorly.

Well, it happened last night.

In my heart of hearts, I wanted to believe that this was the 79 Montreal Canadiens and not a team that just clinched a playoff spot. I wanted to think it was Ken Dryden in net and Guy LaFleur scoring a hat trick rather than Cam Ward and Eric Staal [nothing against those guys, but they're not on that level just yet], but it wasn’t.

If it wasn’t obvious now, it is now, the Islanders are that bad.

Posted under 2008-2009, Post Game Rants

Before the season, I gave some predications on how some of the youngsters would do this season.

How right was I?

Let’s find out…

Here’s what I said about Kyle Okposo.

Predicted Stats- 25 goals, 30 assists, 55 points

Not only do I expect Okposo to lead the Islanders in scoring this season, I expect him to play in all game situations and grow into a player that will eventually be able to help take this team into the playoffs on a consistent basis. Some people may think that 55 points isn’t a lot to smile about, but I think this season will be crucial in determining what Okposo is capable of at the NHL level. Talking to author and Minnesota sports writer Ross Bernstein a few months ago about Okposo’s style, I’m really excited at the possibilities here. While some people believe he won’t be a superstar at this level, I believe he’ll be extremely close to a point a game player and someone who opposing defenses don’t want to play against.

Where I was right:

I think over his last 20 games, Okposo has become a player that not many teams want to play against and I do still believe he has the ability to grow into someone who can help the Islanders make the playoffs.

Where I was wrong:

If not for his pensiveness and injury problems earlier in the season, I do believe he would have got to the 25 goal mark, but it’s not going to happen this season. Not too sure about the point a game player projection yet either.

Now it’s Jeff Tambellini’s turn.

Predicted Stats- 18 goals, 25 assists, 43 points

Proven at the AHL level, Tambo will finally get the playing time he’s been craving. Just like Okposo, I see him playing in various game situations and proving why he was drafted in the first round in 2003 by the Kings. Not having the size or tenacity Okposo does, I see Tambellini starting off slow until he finds his niche. A good passer with an accurate shot, it’ll take about 25 games until Tambs [wow, two nicknames in one paragraph] understands he’s not in the AHL more. After settling in, I believe Tambellini will develop into a competent and high-ceiling third liner that will develop into a 50-60 point scorer before his career is over.

Where I was right:

Ah, crap. He does have a pretty accurate shot though. Right into the goalie’s pads.

Where I was wrong:

After this season, I don’t think anyone will ever think Tambo will score 60 points in a season. Maybe in two though. Also, it took him about 50 games to get his act together, not 25. Just reading what I wrote about the kid makes me wonder what I ate the night before.

Finally, here’s the prediction on Blake Comeau.

Predicted Stats- 15 goals, 18 assists, 33 points

Unlike Okposo and Tambellini, I see Comeau developing into a gritty, passionate role player that every team in the NHL would love to have on their roster. However, a few variables will have to go his way before he can develop into a true NHL lunch pailer. For one, Comeau is going to have to let his tough play in the corners and in front of the net develop to the point where he gets a little more fiery when intimidated. I know I’ve mentioned this a few times last season, but in order for Comeau to reach the next level, he has to get more space on the ice. The only way that happens is if he proves to the league that a price will be paid if he’s messed with. With his release and instincts, he can be a force on the ice against teams with size up front, he just has to play with more of an edge. His heart and passion is there and so is the skill, he just needs a little more spice.

Where I was right:

Just like the Michelle Branch song, “Everywhere,” I was right on the button. However, because of his inability to come into camp in shape, Comeau didn’t get a chance to score as much as he should have. Nevertheless, I think he’s come a long way this season and is finally a full-time NHLer.

Where I was wrong:

I’d like to see him get a bit grittier, even though he’s much stronger on and away from the puck than he was last season.

Posted under 2008-2009, Isles Thoughts 2009

In the beginning, Jeff Tambellini needed time. It was a situation that is beginning to feel all to similar to Islanders fans over the past few years. The team deals a few veterans after they feel they don’t have what it takes to make the playoffs and youth comes in. He was still green after putting the finishing touches on his college career and finishing up his first year in the AHL, but he still had a ton of promise.

No one expected that it would take almost four years, but it seems that finally, Jeff Tambellini is becoming something that Islanders fans and he himself can get used to.

Very similar to Andy Hilbert, Tambellini is a beast in the AHL, a sniper and offensive force that would even scare Jeff Hamilton. In the NHL however, Tambellini is a guy that has to do a bunch of things in order to be successful.

Once he realized, his job was on the line and even veterans the likes of Jon Sim where being targeted by the organization for various reasons, that’s when I think Tambellini realized he had nothing to lose and began to take the body and shoot with more confidence.

So no more excuses about Ted Nolan not playing him, no more excuses about what line he’s on.

It’s all up to him now and he knows it.

“For the playoffs, (the games are) meaningless, but for each guy in this room, we’re playing for respect, we’re playing for jobs next year, we’re playing for ice time,” winger Jeff Tambellini told Newsday. “These are big games for us. No one is taking this lightly because this is a young group and we’re all trying to prove ourselves and put our personal mark on this team.”

Speaking of taking the body, Tambellini has has had no problem hitting players much bigger than him, which in turn has made him a much better player in corners, in the defensive end and on the powerplay. As a result, the guy has five goals in his last 16 games and has been on of the Islanders best players during that span, a far cry when he was barely noticeable at all.

Some would say that’s too little too late for the former first round pick, but with another year left on his contract and the team to get even younger next season, Tambellini, at least early in the year will get more ice-time due to his second half prowess.

My guess is he’ll be another Hilbert-clone, scoring about 10-15 goals a season that can play in all game situations, which may upset some Isles fans, but he will be a full-time NHLer next season and won’t ride the bench.

For him at the very least, it’s a step in the right direction.

We’ll see how much it helps the Islanders next season as well.

Posted under 2008-2009, Isles Thoughts 2009

Richard Park proved last night that he’s still got it.

Nabbing a goal and an assist against the Lightning, Park, along with Josh Bailey and Radek Martinek powered a 3-1 Islanders win.

It wasn’t very pretty though as the Isles amassed only 24 shots.

Nevertheless, they got two goals on the powerplay and got excellent goaltending from Yann Danis, making it almost the complete opposite of the game against the Canadiens the other day.

“It definitely was a bounce back game for him,” Gordon told the Associated Press about the play of Danis after the game. “He felt pretty good.”

Another player that looked good was Martinek. Every time I see him score a goal like that, it makes me wonder how he doesn’t score more often. Because of all the injuries he’s suffered over his career, it’s impossible to truly know what Martinek will be able to provide on offense, but I’ll never underestimate his ability on defense. In spite of that, it was good to see him get a goal that showed that he can shoot in this league.

Another guy that showed he could shoot last night was Bailey, who like many other youngsters on this team is beginning to find his place. The same thing goes for Jeff Tambellini who hit a goal post and added a few more big hits to his resume last night.

On another note, it was nice to see five youngsters in the lineup, especially Jamie Fraser, a fan favorite from Bridgeport get an opportunity to play. For those who don’t know much about him, here’s something a got from a press release from the ECHL.

Fraser is the sixth former ECHL player to make his debut this season with the New York Islanders joining Mitch Fritz, Andrew MacDonald, Kurtis McLean, Joel Rechlicz and Brett Skinner. The head coach of the Islanders is former ECHL player and coach Scott Gordon while former ECHL player Daniel Lacroix is an assistant coach for New York.

The 23-year-old Fraser joined the Stingrays after completing his junior career in 2005-06 and had one goal in three regular season games and two points (1g-1a) in six Kelly Cup Playoff games. He returned to South Carolina in 2006-07 and had 28 points (5g-23a) in 27 games while also playing in the American Hockey League where he had 14 points (3g-11a) in 43 games for Bridgeport and appeared in two games for Syracuse.

Of the five however, I have extremely high hopes for Jesse Joensuu and Mike Iggulden. Notching two assists last night, Joensuu has three points in five games and has made himself a factor. After a summer of getting himself bigger, meaner and stronger, I think Joensuu could be a great addition to the Isles. As far as Iggulden goes, I think he’s already proven he can be a guy that the team could use in a third or fourth line energy role, but if he continues to develop, he could be a good playmaking forward. He’s got a great nose for the net and has excellent instincts.

Hopefully they get a chance to stick around the rest of the way.

Posted under 2008-2009, Post Game Rants