Considering that I gave you guys some pre-game analysis yesterday, I think today would be the perfect occasion to share my memories of another Islander great with you all. 

While I was too young to remember Brent Sutter and Denis Potvin as Islander captains, I do remember Patrick Flatley’s tenure quite vividly. While not the physical type of player future Islander captains would be [Bryan McCabe and Michael Peca immediately come to mind], Flats was the type of player [when healthy] that every team in the NHL would want on their team because he worked harder than everyone else and led by example. 

I can’t tell you how many times during the 93 and 94 seasons that I saw Flatley fight off of checks in the corners and manage to get the puck free to players and turn a useless dump in into a scoring opportunity. Sometimes it was amazing how “The Chairman of the Boards” could squeeze his way through two or three opposing players and use his feet to kick the puck to a teammate or how well he saw the ice and could make such accurate blind passes in the corners. 

It was this type of hustle and grit that made up for the fact that Flatley never blossomed into the scoring machine that the Islanders thought he and Pat Lafontaine would become. However, when the Islanders decided to change the entire makeup of their team, trading away fan favorites like Brent Sutter, Randy Wood and Lafontaine in a matter of weeks, they kept Flatley and made him the new captain. In keeping Flatley on the team, the Islanders showed their fans that they still cared about the legacy the team had and felt Flats was one of the players the new team could look to for leadership. 

And what a solid leader he was, as the Islanders managed to make the playoffs during both seasons Flatley managed to play more than 60 games in, proving just how valuable he was to the team. As a matter of fact, I think Flatley’s presence on the ice alone played a huge part in the eventual development of players like Marty McInnis, Todd Bertuzzi, Travis Green and Zigmund Palffy because he got accustomed to the NHL playing alongside the Islander greats that no one will ever forget and showed those players what it took to be consistent. That alone makes up for the fact that he never scored more than 20 goals in any season during his career with the Isles. 

The only dark spot in Flatley’s career I believe was that one year he played for the Rangers and wasn’t used the way a player with his ability could have been used. Nevertheless, he did manage to score 10 goals and a dozen helpers playing on a fourth line. The only positive was that Flats got the opportunity to play in the playoffs again. 

Regardless, one year with the Broadway Blue shirts could never tarnish a solid career with the Isles. Not to mention the entertainment value of the “Heals and Flats” show, Flats will always be remembered as one of the most underrated team captains in Islanders history.

Posted under Isles 2006-07, Isles Memories

I don’t know about you guys, but to get two games like that in a row was great! The fact that Miro got going and guys like Trent Hunter and Richard Park played so well made it even better and really showed me that this team wants to win. Again, like most Islanders wins this season, Alexei Yashin and Rick Dipietro played phenomenally and powered the Islander attack. However, they were helped by a great performance from the supporting cast once again, mainly Richard Park, Miroslav Satan and Brendan Witt.

RICHARD PARK…

One of the most unnoticed pick ups in the NHL over the summer, Richard Park has been amazing all season for the Isles, doing everything from killing penalties to forming a great fourth line with Arron Asham and Shawn Bates. Tonight, aside from blocking a few shots with no stick, was flying all over the ice and easily played his best game since joining the team.

MIROSLAV SATAN…

Maybe it had something to do with the fact that his wife was at the game, or maybe a little bit more that he was being pestered by Noah Welch all game, but Miro was on fire! The goal and the assist was one thing, but seeing Miro come back and nail Welch after he manhandled him through the entire second period was great. The problem with players in slumps is they lose their passion for the game and focus on producing, instead of playing their game. Tonight we saw Miro exhibit the passion that I think was missing from his game the past few weeks.

BRENDAN WITT…

Easily the best game of the year for Witt. The hit on Malkin in the third period was enough to satisfy his most ardent critics, but a few blocked shots and other great hits put him over the top. I love the fact that whenever a smaller player or a scorer gets hit, Witt is right there. When Satan got punched by Welch, Witt was right there and had his back the whole way. That’s what great teammates do and those are the types of players every team needs when they want to win.

BACK TO THE GAME…

Maybe Evgeni Malkin doesn’t know it, but last time I checked it was ILLEGAL TO THROW THE PUCK INTO THE NET WITH YOUR HANDS! Considering the fact that the Phillies are in desperate need of pitching, I think Malkin would fit right in. 

The same thing goes for Noah Welch. Dude, WEARING A VISOR MEANS YOU’RE NOT SUPPOSED TO FIGHT! The overall clumsiness and lack of poise of the Penguins exhibited tonight was so apparent that I don’t even think Sydney Cosby could have fixed.

 Simply put, tonight, the Islanders showed the rest of the NHL that they are in fact the real deal. Critics will say that they beat a team without their best player, but that’s only half the story. One player doesn’t make a team. It takes 20 players working their asses off every night to create a winning team; the Islanders are starting to make that known to the rest of the league. 

TOMORROW AGAINST THE CAPS…

 After Bob Bourne gets inducted in the Isles Hall of Fame, the Isles will take on the hated Washington Capitals. Hopefully, playing three games in four nights won’t be a factor. Let’s see what happens.

Posted under Isles 2006-07, Post Game Rants

Considering I got my pre-game rant out of the way yesterday, I think it’s time again for me to share another Islanders moment with you all.
 
As I have mentioned to you guys before, I was a huge Pierre Turgeon fan growing up and the day he was traded to Montreal was like hearing that I or someone I loved had cancer. It totally broke my heart [like I’ve mentioned before as well, this team has a habit of doing that].Luckily, there was another player in the wings that managed to draw my attention, his name was Zigmund Palffy.
 
I know you guys are all thinking about that time he kissed a teammate after he scored a goal, please stop, it still sends shivers up my spine.
 
BACK TO ZIGGY…  
 
Despite the fact that the Islanders finished miserably that 95 season, I couldn’t wait to see how much Ziggy would develop and watched every last game of that dreadful season, anxiously waiting to see him play in more than 30 some odd games. Despite the fact that the Islanders missed the playoffs again the next season, Ziggy was all over the place and managed to put together a 40-plus-goal season while playing with forwards that weren’t nearly as talented as he was.
 
For instance, when one thinks of players like Marty McInnis and Travis Green, they don’t think of really good offensive players, they think more along the lines of solid defensive players and penalty killers. However, Green managed to score a career high 69 points playing on a line with Palffy [64 the next year, despite being moved to the second line once Robert Reichel arrived on the Island] while McInnis scored 20 goals and formed a very successful short-handed threat with him as well.
 
But, like most good things on the Island after the Dynasty, they didn’t last long. Soon enough, McInnis was traded to Calgary for Robert Reichel [whom I’ve mentioned before is dating Jonas Hogland, according to Wikipedia], which forced Green to the second line and after only a year a half, the line was broken up.
 
Fortunately, that wouldn’t matter for Ziggy as he would go on to average a point a game for the Islanders during the next three seasons, somehow establishing himself on a cellar dwelling team. You would think that the Islanders would have done anything in their power to keep Palffy, but instead, they traded him to the LA Kings in a package for Olli Jokinen in cost cutting measures.
 
If the Islanders think about who we got eventually got for Ziggy, it shades in comparison to what the Isles could have had if they stuck with him. The same goes for some of the other players that played with him or after he was traded like Bryan McCabe, Todd Bertuzzi and Roberto Luongo. 
 
I really like the team we have right now, but when I see the Islanders trying to build from within all of a sudden and giving people 15 year contracts, I say to myself, “Why didn’t they do the same thing for those players?”
 
The answer is Charles Wang. 
 
Despite the fact that some of his moves have been questionable during his tenure [like why Mike Milbury still has a job] he’s stuck with this team even when he hasn’t made money with it and that says he really cares [to me anyway]. That says to me that mistakes like dumping Turgeon and Palffy aren’t going to happen again while he’s around; that makes this old soul sleep well at night.

Posted under Isles 2006-07, Isles Memories