There’s a famous cliché I used to get repeated to me all the time when I was a kid that has consistently made me think of this year’s Islanders team.

“Beggars can’t be choosers.”

Well, this season, they’ve been on several occasions.

By working hard and making the most of the small opportunities they’ve gotten this season, the Islanders have been middling, rather than sinking.

Sure, the powerplay could have been better last night and sure, the second period was a disaster for the most part, but in the end, the Islanders came out on top.

To me, that’s obviously the most important thing, but to beat a playoff team like Senators [in spite of the problems they been having this season] and to do it three times in a row is a step in the right direction.

They just have to do it against the rest of the teams in the NHL.

For the time being though, I’ll be happy with the look on Craig Hartsburg’s face.

I said a few posts ago that in order for this team to continue to win, they are going to have to get career years out of a few people and as of right now, they are getting it out of Andy Hilbert and Joey MacDonald. No question about it, these guys are both playing excellent hockey.

Throw in an excellent game from my favorite Bill Pullman look-alike in Freddy Meyer and again, the Isles skated away with a win.

Bailey stays- Over the past few weeks, I’ve shared my opinions on Bailey’s play numerous times. During the span, I feel as if the 19-year-old has gotten better and better. A little tentative at first, Bailey is now playing an active role in the team’s offense. Everyone knows the kid can pass. However, the past few games, the playmaker is starting to take more shots and is trying to score, rather than throw something at the net.

Five assists in 10 games isn’t amazing, but it’s solid as far as I’m concerned. Once the Isles get Miek Sillinger, Mike Comrie and Kyle Okposo back, the Islanders offense will have a more multi-faceted approach and defenses will also begin to take some pressure off the teenager and that is when I believe he’ll start to produce a bit more.

Regardless, he’s going to be a blast to watch the rest of the way

Posted under 2008-2009, Post Game Rants

Since I got such a good reception from the last article I wrote [thanks for all the E-mails guys], I figured I’d attack the defense today. Just for the record, this has absolutely nothing to with the fact that there’s nothing to report in Islander Country right now or that NHL 09 is coming out in a few days and I’m playing the hell out of this game before it becomes a dust collector later this week.

Here we go:

Defense Combo 1

Brendan Witt and Radek Martinek- Absolute no-brainer here. These guys in my mind are one of the top defensive pairings in the league when it comes to shutting down top lines. They play smart hockey and get the absolute most out of their ability. They had a bit of trouble against some of the faster teams in the league that I played, but with Martinek’s puck moving ability and Witt’s toughness, they were a blast to play with and guys that I know will be solid this season. I wish Martinek was more of an offensive threat, especially on the powerplay, but beggars can’t be choosers right? Overall, these guys were on the ice for 28-30 minutes a game for me and I don’t see any reason why they won’t get that type of ice time this season.

Defense Combo 2

Mark Streit and Chris Campoli- I know I may catch a little bit of flack for this, but I love this combination. Both have offensive ability and Campoli’s toughness and growing ability as a well-rounded defenseman in this league make this work for me. Campoli is ready for more responsibility and I think covering up for Streit on defense will allow him to grow as a player. Streit also benefits by having Campoli around because defenses will also have to watch Campo at the blue line, which gives him more room to skate and create. They were also very solid on the powerplay and it was fun to see them both take shots from the point.

Defense Combo 3

Bruno Gervais and Andy Sutton- Well-rounded and steady. That’s what comes to mind when I think of these guys. Both of these guys have more grit and offensive ability than they get credit for and in the video game world, or in a perfect world ha-ha, this completely shows. They block shots, take the body and can make the first pass out of the zone. They can also kill penalties pretty well too. However, inconsistency isn’t prevalent in the make-believe world of NHL 08 and while I think these guys can and will be solid, they will have to both be on top of their games this season or they’ll be in smaller roles.

Photo by Gamespot.com

Posted under Offseason 2008