Aside from the game against the Buffalo Sabres, the New York Islanders’ defense has been solid. It’s almost mind-boggling how in spite of missing Andy Sutton, Chris Campoli and Radek Martinek the defense still remains the least of the team’s problems.

Nevertheless, it is still a facet of the team that needs to be addressed.

In order for Scott Gordon’s “Overspeed” system to work, the Islanders defenseman have to take care of business. That means making the first pass out of the zone, clearing the front of the net, and pinching in along the boards. The way the team has played this season, it’s obvious that the Islanders forward lines haven’t yet caught on to the system. In the games they’ve won, the puck pursuit has been there and they’ve had their legs, which has created scoring opportunities and a plethora of second chances. In the games they’ve lost, they’ve had a huge problem establishing a forecheck and setting up in the offensive end.

I know what you’re thinking now: “I’ve read this on other Islander blogs already.” Well, I think I have a different take on this that has nothing to do with the lack of depth on the forward lines or the amount of youth present.

Here it goes.

I think the main reason why the Isles have had problems maintaining the level of offensive consistency and passion is because the defense, just like the offense, hasn’t yet bought into the system fully either. The two wins the Islanders have this season were due in part to the fact that the defense, alongside the offensive, were physical, swarming the puck and skating.

This generates scoring opportunities, something this team always seems to be short on.

However, in the games the Islanders have lost, where have the D-men been on the offensive end?

Mark Streit, Jack Hillen, Bruno Gervais Thomas Pock and Freddy Meyer are all defensemen that have above average skating skills and should have no problem joining the rush and helping out pinching on the boards. Streit especially, who came here to help the team on the powerplay and be a force on offense, needs to be a bit more proactive. In Montreal, he had no problems joining the play and applying pressure to opposing defenses. In order for this team to stay above water this season, Streit needs to be a factor

In the games this team have been outscored though, that hasn’t happened from Streit or any other member of the defense. They’ve been too preoccupied keeping the opposition out of the zone to be a force.

So in order for “Overspeed” to really work, two things need to take place at the same time. One being that the Islanders forwards have to skate their tails off. Secondly, the defense has to take chances on offense and take shots.

As we’ve already seen so far this season, if that doesn’t happen, they don’t win.

Posted under 2008-2009, Offseason 2008

I didn’t know who Johnette Howard was before 9:45 P.M. Sunday night, but I won’ forget her name anytime soon. You see, some people think Newsday gos out of it’s way to write “fluffy” pieces on the Islanders. Pieces that make them look better than a team that in all honesty, isn’t enjoying the same amount of success they have been in years past.

I don’t think anyone will ever think that way ever again after this piece.

In the piece in question [you can read it here http://www.newsday.com/sports/hockey/islanders/ny-sphow055870698oct05,0,5909873.column], Howard writes a overly-scathing column about how bad things are on the Island right now, using the type of language I’d expect in a conversation between two hockey fans and not a seasoned writer.

For example:

The Isles’ new young coach, Scott Gordon, was a winner with Providence of the AHL and is actually installing an aggressive system his players have been raving about. And that could be fun to watch. Gordon could be a bright up-and-comer, same as Peter Laviolette was here once upon a time.

Was that you screaming as if a toaster just fell in the bathtub, or am I hearing things?

The last line there is simply overkill. Even in a column. It sounds like a Ranger fan who finally got an opportunity to write a column about how much she hates the Islanders. Not what I expected to read on a Newspaper’s website.

I could deal with that though, mainly because it is a column and everyone does things their own way when they have creative car blanche. However, Howard seems to enjoy taking her readers to the limit and continues to bash the team even more as she goes on. As the piece goes on however, she begins to lose her luster and it really hurts her credibility.

Check these out:

Rooting for the Isles now puts you in the same company as those hardy Pittsburgh Pirates fans, who will be back to pull for their club next season as the Pirates go for a big league-record 17 straight losing seasons, or those long-suffering Cubbie diehards who were back on the ledge after just one game – one game! – of their Division Series against the Dodgers.

Wow, this is way too an over-exaggeration here. For the record, in their history, the Islanders have had 15 losing seasons and no more than seven in a row. This is extremely bad reporting here and way too sensational to be taken even remotely seriously. I know that most columnists like to annoy readers where they write pieces like this, but they do it with a knowledge and a tact that their readers can and will never have. Reading this part of the piece makes it obvious that Howard lacks these abilities as well.

Strike one.

The Isles’ best young player, Kyle Okposo, projects as a serviceable player but not a huge star.

Anyone that would say that Kyle Okposo only projects to be a serviceable player in this league is out of their mind and should not be allowed to write hockey. Guys like Richard Park, Blair Betts and Mike Rupp are serviceable players. Okposo is going to be a bona fide 20-goal scorer int his league and with some help, can be even better. Will he be a star? Probably not, but serviceable is way too low an estimation for someone this talented. Anyone that has spoken to people who have seen him play [check out the scouting report I wrote a few months back with Ross Bernstein] or with a knowledge of the sport should know better than this.

Strike two.

To players and agents, the Islanders have become an NHL stop of the last resort. The sharpest proof lately was how Ryan Smyth, a character player the Isles gave up a gaggle of players for and hoped to build around, couldn’t get out fast enough after coming here for an 18-game cameo during the season.

OK, I can deal with the last resort comment, but Howard again fails to make a strong point and instead tries to piss the reader off with snare. First off, Smyth left the Islanders because he wanted to play with Joe Sakic. Any knowledgeable fan knows this, so why does Howard fail to mention this? Because she’s either not in the know, or she chooses to avoid the truth for the purpose of getting her point across. As the Sports Editor of a bi-weekly, I can tell you that this paragraph is a disaster. Even a column has to be fact-checked or tightened and this piece is living proof. On another note, what in the hell is a gaggle? Why not just say Robert Nilsson and Ryan O’Marra? It makes me wonder if Howard even knows who these players are.

Also, why not mention that Nilsson is going to be the serviceable player O’Marra is coming off the worst season of his career? Hmmm, maybe because Howard has no idea what she’s talking about and is instead regurgitating every thing she’s read on Yahoo Sports on the team over the past year.

Strike three.

Newsday, what were you thinking? This is something that I could have read on BleacherReport.com or something. You guys are so much better than this. Katie Strang and Greg Logan do a great job of covering the Islanders. Keep them busy instead of forcing your readers to this kind of nonsense.

Posted under Offseason 2008

The Islanders took a huge step in their “youth movement” this week, signing 2008 first round pick Josh Bailey to a three-year, entry level contract. Considering the fact that Mike Sillinger is still dealing with injuries and may not be on the ice opening night, there’s a huge chance he could make the team’s opening night roster.

The only question is how effective can he be?

Having only seen a few scarce videos of him and read what the scouts have said, I may not be the best person to answer that question, but I think it’s fair to say that Bailey is someone that does much more than numbers can indicate. He’s a skilled two-way winger at the junior level and while he’s still a youngin’ in hockey years, sticking around this long in camp has to mean something, doesn’t it? If he does in fact make the team out of camp, I’m not going to get my hopes up on him, as he’ll most definitely play eight or nine games before being sent back to his junior tam in Windsor, but I will pay close attention to what he does on the ice so I can see what his future can be with the Isles.

While the Bailey signing was big news, having Rick DiPietro back on the ice is probably the best news all training camp. Like I’ve said a bunch of times on the site already, DP is the team’s best player and if he isn’t on the ice, it’s going to be extremely difficult for this team to thrive.

From the looks of it, Rico is happy to be back as well.

“It’s been a long time,” said DiPietro, on the team’s official site. “This is the longest I’ve gone without playing an organized hockey game. It was really exciting today. Sitting in the stall it was good to get the adrenaline going again. I went out there and felt like I was at the Coliseum in front of 17,000 fans. I was just that excited to be out there.”

On another note, I’d just like to tell everyone about my new site, AcesOverBrooklyn.com. In June, Aviator Sports announced that an Eastern Pro Hockey League franchise was coming to Brooklyn and like many people, I was thrilled. Being an Islander fan in Brooklyn is not an easy task and sometimes I wonder what would have happened to be growing up if I wasn’t built like Brett Lindros. At any rate, while I love writing my thoughts on the Islanders and while I will continue to do so, I will also be covering the Brooklyn Aces this season. You see, while being a pundit is fun, it’s not nearly as rewarding as being a full-fledged journalist. Being the Sports Editor at Bay Currents newspaper in Brooklyn as well affords me the opportunity to do so much more than share my thoughts; it allows me to be a provocateur of truth. And that’s exactly what I plan to do over there this season. If you guys have the chance, come check it out.

Posted under Offseason 2008

The season hasn’t started yet and the Isles injury bug from last season seems to have carried over into this one.

Who’s Hurt:

Chris Campoli
Andy Sutton
Mike Sillinger
Rick DiPietro

Who’s Nursing Injuries:

Bill Guerin
Richard Park
Sean Bergenheim
Doug Weight

This simply is not good.

However, as far as the defensive situation goes, the Islanders are lucky that they have players like Bruno Gervais, Freddy Meyer, Jack Hillen and now even Thomas Pock [who has some pretty solid seasons in the AHL under his belt and may be even be able to help out on the powerplay if given an opportunity] who can fill in until they’re healthy. With Hillen in the wings as well, Sutton’s injury may be a blessing in disguise. On the other hand, the Islanders, who are already far from the toughest team in the league, need a tough guy who can clear the crease like Sutton can.

The forward situation isn’t quite the same though.

Sillinger’s absence creates a huge hole at center [which I've already discussed at length in older posts] and if Weight and Guerin are forced to play all season injured, the Islanders are going to have a very tough time scoring goals. With no real first line as it is, this has the potential of really making this season an eyesore. The only way the Isles make it out of this okay is if these injuries are minor ones [as per Islanders policy, no one really knows how bad the injuries really are] or if guys like Jeff Tambellini [who is also recovering from a lower body injury] and Kyle Okposo can play consistent offensively in their first full seasons in the league.

That’s not asking a lot is it?

For those who can’t tell, I’m being sarcastic.

Bergenheim and Park’s injuries have the potential to be devastating as well, considering the fact that they are the heart and soul of the bottom two lines and are great penalty killers. They provide such a jolt of energy and can even pot a few here and there, making them huge commodities on any team, nevertheless a team fighting to form an identity. These two I’m not as worried about as Guerin and Weight though.

Let’s face it, they’re not the youngest guys in the league anymore and the Isles desperately need offense. They both have something to prove, as Guerin cooled off in the second half last season and Weight had the worst season of his pro career in 08. If they come back and can contribute, they’ll provide a lift in the locker room and on the ice.

If not, this is going to be a very long season.

Posted under Offseason 2008

While any win is a good win in the NHL, you’ve got to want to see Rick DiPietro back in net for the Islanders. Until that happens, I’m going to try and refrain from showing too much emotion when they play well. When it’s all said and done, he is the team’s franchise player and above everything else, needs to be prepared for the season, or else it’s going to be a disaster. I know he’s not ready yet, but in the end, these preseason games won’t be overly influential if DP can’t get accustomed to the system and be ready for the season.

Nevertheless, it’s great to see guys like Frans Nielsen and Trent Hunter scoring goals. With a lack of a huge offensive presence again this year, this team is going to need a good dozen to 15 players scoring 25-35 points, who can play their part on both offense and defense if they are going to be competitive. That kind of balanced attack is going to be the only thing that’s going to be able to support DiPietro in net.

With that being said, I really feel Scott Gordon’s philosophy can turn some of the third and fourth liners into better players and give the Islanders that kind of balance because good things happen to teams that skate hard every night. Looking at the team’s bottom six forwards, players such as Richard Park, Sean Bergenheim, Neilsen, Andy Hilbert and it’s easy to see that they have the speed to play within the system and eventually thrive.

Now, that I’ve gotten the meat of my post out of the way, I feel the need to vent:

As I said before, it seems like the Islanders are catching on with Gordon’s coaching philosophy, but most Islander fans aren’t able to see it unless they want to shell out dough to watch them in person. Rarely do I ever attempt to sound like an agitated fan, but enough is enough. Why aren’t the Isles’ preseason games on television? Every single Rangers preseason game is on MSG, so why can’t the Isles get at least half of theirs on the tube? You read books like Alan Hahn’s “Fishsticks” and there’s all this talk in there about how lucrative the Islanders TV deal is. Well, if it really was, then why can’t I find a game on television?

The rebuilding plan aside, there is no reason why this team should not be on TV during the preseason. I swear, the fans of this team have had to put up with so much over the past 15 years that the organization should go out of it’s way to make sure that the little things, like preseason games, get put on TV.

OK, I’m done.

Posted under Offseason 2008

With plodders like Brendan Witt, Trent Hunter, Andy Sutton and a host of veterans such as Bill Guerin, Doug Weight and Mike Sillinger that were either never fast in the first place, or lost a step due to their age, on the Islanders roster, I was originally pretty worried about how new head coach Scott Gordon’s philosophy of “OverSpeed” was going to work.

From the look of it so far, it looks like the team is diggin’ it.

“The essence of the style is to be constantly moving and getting the puck up the ice quickly. It’s all about high speed with and without the puck and putting pressure on the opposition. “It was a long night for the wingers when we played against Providence in the past,” said Tambellini on the team’s official website on Sunday. “The defensemen sat right up on the wingers when we tried to get the puck out. It’s a very fluid system that Gordon implements. It keeps the opposition from having too much time with the puck. We’re all going to have to be skating at top speed.”

Sounds to me that every player on this team is going to have pest-like characteristics then. With a lack of a true first-line center and a first line in general, this may work out well. Again however, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t worried about guys like Hunter, Guerin and Weight getting comfortable. Over the years, I’ve seen guys [take Markus Naslund for instance] get their style cramped when a new coach came in with a new style, so I really don’t want to see guys games get hurt to their point where they are ineffective.

On the other hand, you’d have to think that after the relatively mediocre offensive production this team had last season, that a guy like Hunter or Guerin that have the talent to score 25 to 30 goals in this league if they get hot, are willing to try anything.

With that being said, I think this system to tailor-made for getting the most out of players like Richard Park, Sean Bergenheim, Frans Neilsen, Andy Hilbert and Jon Sim. I even feel that Mike Comrie and Kyle Okposo can benefit from it as well. Let’s face it, teams that skate hard and keep moving every night usually win hockey games. If not, they’re fun to watch. Look at the Sabres team that beat the Islanders in the playoffs a few seasons ago as an example. Many of those players work their tails off in both ends and keep the puck moving, which makes them hard to defend against. I don’t know if it’ll work with the Islanders this season, but it should be fun to watch.

Posted under Offseason 2008

Newsday’s Katie Strang’s article on Isles training camp invitee Brandon Sugden yesterday was a pretty interesting read, eh? It was so interesting that it sent me to Youtube to check out just how deadly this guy actually is with his hands.

Check these out:

[youtube uLa6T4JVZNQ]

[youtube RUlLJOgKTko]

After watching those and a few other choice battles, I really think this guy should get a shot on the fourth line. If someone like Derek Boogaard can get a spot at the end of the bench, I don’t see any reason why he can’t either. The downside is that a youngster is going to lose a roster spot, but that’s the way the cookie crumbles sometimes.

In some of these fights, you really see how intimidating this guy is. It looks like some of these guys are playing him extremely cautious and don’t want to get hit. That’s what the Isles need at this point. If they can play a quick game like new coach Scott Gordon wants them to and they have someone who can protect the Kyle Okposo’s, Mike Comrie’s and Blake Comeau’s on the team, this bunch of misfits is going to be a ton of fun to watch this season.

Strang mentions in her article that Sugden has knockout power from both hands as well and from the look of these videos, it’s almost as if he was a boxer on skates. Watching hundreds of fight videos over the years, he reminds me a lot of someone like Bob Probert and that is something that I don’t throw around very often. Unfortunately, he has a lot of the same off the ice problems Probie used to have as well. According to the Newsday article though, he’s been clean for quite some time, which could be both good for him and the Isles.

Despite that, you have to wonder hat he is capable of bringing to the team besides just the fisticuffs. From the look of his stats, he doesn’t seem to offer too much else, but on paper, so did a guy like Steve Webb, who could change the entire game with one big hit and get the crowd and his team back into it.

If Sugden is one of those players, I say bring him in right now.

Watching guys like Comrie fight last season was just embarrassing as a fan of this sport and a journalist. In order for the Isles to be taken seriously, stuff like that has to stop and stop RIGHT NOW.

On another note, he’s just a great story and someone that could put people in seats. The fact that he’s trying to make the NHL to make his father proud just does something to me as a person. It makes me want to root for him.

After over a dozen years in the minors and over 2,000 minutes in penalties, he may just get his shot.

Posted under Offseason 2008

With rookie camp underway, I think it’s safe to start thinking a little bit more deeply when it comes to the new season.

With that being said, I figure I’d talk about some of the players that I think will be some of Gordon’s early favorites, and who may end up in the chateau de bow bow.

Early Favorites-

Richard Park- Want speed and grit? He’s got plenty of it. Add in the fact that he can kill penalties and is coming off his best offensive season, I see Park racking up plenty of minutes early in the season.

Sean Bergenheim- Just like Park, Bergenheim has a ton of speed and grit. However, his upside is much better and if he can learn to finish, he’ll be a more than solid second liner.

Jon Sim- Hustle personified. A solid physical game, mixed in with good work in the corners make Sim someone Gordon can depend on this season. Add in the fact that he’s been itching to get back on the ice for the past six months and I think Sim is going to be a great pest.

Dog House Candidates-

Andy Sutton- If he’s up to his usual tricks of blocking shots, starting fights and clearing the crease, Sutton should be just fine. However, due to his questionable speed [even though he's not a bad skater for a guy his size] and inconsistency, he may be fighting for ice time.

Mike Comrie- While Ted Nolan put up with his less than mediocre play in the defensive zone and constant toe dragging last season, I highly doubt Gordon will. In order to get the most out of him this season, Gordon will have to keep him motivated and make sure he gets him the necessary time on the powerplay. However, in order for that to happen, he’s going to have to play smart in both ends. Who knows if that actually happens.

Bruno Gervais- While his speed and superior skating ability should fit Gordon’s new system, his lack of a physical game and inconsistent passing ability may get him in trouble. With the Islanders most likely having problems scoring goals again this season, his lack of offensive prowess won’t help him much either.

Posted under Offseason 2008

Mike Sillinger missed close to 30 games last season, but that doesn’t mean he wasn’t an influential member of the team. Taking face-offs in the defensive zone, killing penalties, playing with the man advantage and centering the Isles checking line, there’s a reason why he’s played on so many teams in this league an why he’s so sought after every trading deadline.

He’s an indispensable commodity.

However, according to Newsday and a plethora of other hockey sites, Sillinger may miss opening night due to microscopic hip surgery. As of right now, it’s not known when he’ll be back and even Sillinger himself wasn’t sure when he’d be back. In his absence, the Islanders already anemic offense will not only have to find someone to play with Trent Hunter and Jon Sim, they’ll have to get offensive production from them as well.

That’s where the bigger problem lies: can the Isles fill Sillinger’s spot in house? Is either Fran Nielsen or Richard Park capable of centering a checking line and pinching in on the offensive end? What about Ben Walter or Andy Hilbert? Can they finally turn promise at the AHL level into decent NHL numbers?

Probably not. At this point, Hilbert and Walter seem like spare parts and don’t figure to be more than fourth liners. Of the four, I believe Park can thrive in that spot, but only if he begins to finish a bit more. If he can score few goals early this season and a guy like Nielsen can step up and play solid at both ends of the ice on the fourth line, the Islanders should be able to get by until ole Silly comes back. Much like last season, the offense isn’t going to be spectacular and Rick DiPietro will need to be close to perfect, but what else is new?

But what about Josh Bailey? Rumor is he’s bought a house on Long Island and could be NHL ready much faster than most people think. Given his noted two-way ability, could he make an impact in Sillinger’s absence? At the very least, it could be very fun to watch Bailey, along with the likes of Kyle Okposo, Jeff Tambellini, Blake Comeau and Chris Campoli develop.

If that does happen and Bailey does establish himself, what do the Islanders do with Sillinger then? Given his market value, do the Islanders trade away their assistant captain for picks and youth? At any rate, it should be an interesting situation.

Posted under Offseason 2008

Since I discussed what I wanted to see from the team this season in my last post, I thought I’d discuss the things that could ruin my hockey experience in 2009.

1- A change in philosophy if the team is close to a playoff spot at the trading deadline-

Greg Logan reported the other day that Silly most likely won’t be ready for the season opener. Hate me for saying this if you want, but I think he could have been the best center on this team last year if he was completely healthy. That third line of him with Trent Hunter and Jon Sim can be gangbusters too if they get a chance. If he misses a bunch of time this season, Ben Walter and Jeremy Colliton will most likely get time there, and while I like both of them, the Isles need as much offense as possible and Silly can provide it.

Posted under Offseason 2008