If you would have told me Andy Hilbert would have been that good at 6:59 last night, I probably would have slapped you upside your head.

Nevertheless, like I said yesterday, in order for this team to continue it’s winning ways, people are going to have to contribute more.

I guess it was just Hilbert’s night.

Speaking of nights, Joey MacDonald wasn’t too shabby either, huh? With an 8-7-2 record, MacDonald has gotten better with every game under his belt and should create a juicy situation once Rick DiPietro gets back. For the time being though, Joey Mac is proving just how smart Islanders GM Garth Snow was when he let Wade Dubielewicz go to Russia.

On top of Hilbert and MacDonald being on top of their games last night, I really like how Brendan Witt performed as well. One of those guys that doesn’t get much attention when he’s on top of his game, but gets crucified when he’s off it, Witt’s presence in front of the net and in the corners last night was solid. Because of that, MacDonald had more support, which of course helps the Islanders offense and helped them pound out a victory.

Sure, it would have been nice if they could have capitalized on a few of those early powerplay opportunities, but the most important thing is that the Isles came out victorious. Winners of four of their past five games, the Islanders may just be starting to find the gritty and hard working persona they’ve been looking for all season.

8-10-2 may not be exactly where this team wants to be right now, but it’s a lot better than where most people thought they’d be, right? Three points out of the final playoff spot with 62 games left isn’t so bad if you ask me.

In other news, I apologize for not writing more on Saturday as I was stuck covering the Aces game in Brooklyn and watched the Islanders game at 2 A.M. Now fully aware of my surroundings, I feel it necessary to say that the NHL is crazier than Ty Cobb to suspend Mike Mottau for only two games, while Thomas Pock got five for an elbow shiver. Frans Neilsen will be out eight to 12 weeks now from the blatant to the head crosscheck that Mottau delivered and two games is not enough. The whole argument that Neilsen wasn’t hit in the face on that play is complete garbage and anyone with two working eyes can see that. Much like what Bill Guerin said the other day, the league has to deliver stiffer penalties and suspensions or else things like this will continue to happen for years to come.

Posted under 2008-2009, Post Game Rants

With a 7-6 record, a 2.68 GAA and a .915 save percentage this season, it’s fair to say that New York Islanders goaltender Joey MacDonald has been much more than a pleasant surprise this season.

As a matter of fact, I think he’s been a savior of sorts.

Up until the season started, no one thought MacDonald was capable enough to serve as the team’s backup goaltender. Much like Islanders Jeff Tambellini and Andy Hilbert, MacDonald had several solid seasons in the AHL under his belt, but had problems sticking around at the NHL level. This season however, MacDonald has been rock solid, getting better and better after every game.

Last season, I had the opportunity to cover a preseason game between the Islanders and Rangers at MSG where MacDonald played. The Isles had a ton of youngsters in the game and the Rangers featured most of their stars at the time, including Scott Gomez, Brendan Shanahan and Chris Drury, but MacDonald was still solid. It got me thinking what the future held for the kid. However, at the time, with Wade Dubielewicz backing up Rick DiPietro, Joey Mac didn’t look like he was going to crack the lineup. By the end of the season,he appeared in two games and one in particular, the 45 save effort against the Devils late in the season, confirmed in my mind that he should be given a chance.

Nonetheless, I was a huge Dubie supporter at the time and didn’t want to see the guy leave.

Right now though, I wouldn’t change the Islanders goaltending situation at all. And that includes bring DP back.

Sometimes in this sport, you have to ride the hot horse. Al Arbour is a guy that did that quite often and while the motif in the NHL over the past few years is to have one guy play 70 games, why can’t MacDonald play 30 this season and DP the rest? We know who the guy is going to be in the playoffs for this team, but if MacDonald keeps playing the way he has, and DP continues to battle injuries, it’s better to have Mac in net.

Nothing against DP, he is without a doubt the team’s most important player, but if he’s not 100 percent, he’s not going to be able to help this team. With Brendan Witt’s return possibly this weekend as well, MacDonald will have ever more support in front of him and can be even more of a force if given a chance.

From the perseverance he’s shown on the ice so far this season, you get the feeling he knows exactly what’s at stake.

“When you come in and play one or two games a year in the NHL, it’s tough because the different level of play from the American League is so much more up-tempo. Once you get used to the tempo, it’s a game,” MacDonald told the Associated Press.“You’ve got to come up with the key saves. All the good goaltenders in the National Hockey league, Luongo and all of those guys, they come up with the key save and that’s why they’re superstars. That’s my job, and that’s why I’ve got to give the team a chance to win.”

Posted under 2008-2009, Isles Thoughts 2008

I said a few days ago that Isles forward Richard Park needed to finish more, and over the past two games, he’s done just that, paving the way for two consecutive victories.

If hearts grew on trees, the only person who would be able to grow said tree would of course be number 10 himself.

After starting their season in most dismal fashion, Park and the boys from Long Island have rebounded quite nicely, playing well enough to win and providing some spunk in the process. Despite some bumps in the round in the third period on Monday and a scary last minute at MSG last night, the Isles have their first winning streak of the season.

While guys like Park, Trent Hunter and Bill Guerin have stepped up their play as of late, Joey MacDonald kept the Isles in both games this week and has been a key reason why this team is treading water for the moment. At 4-4, MacDonald has played his part in relieving the injured Rick DiPietro.

Simply put, there’s nothing else more he could do at this point. Despite not hugging the post and having inferior footwork in the crease through a few of his losses, MacDonald looked stellar last night, making a handful of spectacular saves. Let’s be fair here, despite a nasty loss to the Leafs the other night, the Rangers have been one of the best teams in the league this season. Because of that, this was easily one of the biggest wins of the season.

Overall, the Islanders played like a team and players stepped up and that’s why they ended up with two points. Nate Thompson is now my favorite Alaskan [next to the uber-sexy Sarah Palin of course.], due to the fact that he not only got one shorthanded when the team needed it, but I think you’d agree that the way he did it was insane. Most players would have given up on that play, but he showed the moxie to keep his legs moving and finish the play [in mid-air nonetheless] he started that Frans Neilsen couldn’t finish. Good work Nate.

Speaking of Tambellini, the kid showed some fire last night in dropping the gloves. He also finished a few checks. Nonetheless, this kid has to score. Otherwise, he goes right back to being a healthy scratch when Sean Bergenheim gets back from the flu.

Now with a day off before their next game, the Isles can concentrate on facing another high energy team in the Atlanta Thrashers and proving that last night was no fluke.

Posted under 2008-2009, Post Game Rants

Well, that was different wasn’t it?

When the Islanders skate, pressure the puck and play a little smarter in their own zone, they can be a pretty fun team to watch. Add in an empty-netter, a short-handed goal and a goal with the man-advantage and I don’t think the Isles could have played this one any better.

Overall, it was great to see guys like Andy Hilbert and Mike Comrie, who didn’t play their best hockey on Friday, turn it around and be driving factors in the win. Comrie, who was schooled so bad defensively on Friday that I thought I heard my dog cry in the other room, was snappier on the ice and was visible on nearly every shift. And more importantly, no toe drags! Hilbert wasn’t horrible on Friday, he just couldn’t finish. But last night, he, too, was noticeable and was making the most of opportunities.

However, while the team turned around their timid play from opening night, one player didn’t need to step it up. Simply put, Joey MacDonald was once again stellar, making breathtaking saves left and right, while having solid rebound control and poise. A lot of Islander fans weren’t happy when Wade Dubielewicz left the team to go to Russia [and because the Isles pretty much pegged MacDonald to be the backup this season] so number 35 kind of had a tough task ahead of him. One, play well an earn the respect of the fans and now, play well enough to keep the team above water until DP is completely healthy. It’s always a feel-good story when a guy performs well that you didn’t expect too, but MacDonald’s play over the last two games has proven [so far] that the Isles don’t have to play DP 70 games this season. With the NHL’s new policy on injuries, I doubt any of us will know what is exactly wrong with him and when he’ll be back, so until then, Joey Mac has to keep running with the ball.

Another guy that played very well last night was Sean Bergenheim. Anyone see Scott Gordon patting him on the back in the third period? Less than 10 minutes of ice-time and four shots on goal. Not a bad day at the office if you ask me. I think it’s fair to say he earned himself some more playing time last night and if he continues to play that way, he’s going to be playing much more. Also, I loved that the Isles had the veterans out there the last few minutes to sew up the game. Hopefully, by the end of the season, we’ll see a few of the younger guys in that spot.

Lastly, in my opinion, it looks like Radek Martinek has at least a separated shoulder. If you watch the video, it look like his shoulder disappeared under his jersey when he ran into the boards. Not good if you ask me. This guy has the worst luck of any player I’ve ever sen. When he’s healthy, he’s one of the best defensive D-men in the league. With Chris Campoli and Andy Sutton already out as well, this was the last thing this team needed. For the time being, Jack Hillen will most likely get the nod to replace him, which is good for you fans that want to see more youth, but for those who want to see the team sneak into a playoff spot this season, it’s scary.

Scarier than seeing Barrett Jackman punch Jon Sim in the face twice and not having a penalty called.

Photo by NHL Media.

Posted under 2008-2009, Post Game Rants

With the Isles now down 2-1 in Conference Quarterfinals against the Sabres, it’s obvious to say that things are only going to get tougher from here on out. As a matter of fact, if the Islanders have any chance in keeping their playoff hopes alive tonight, they have to get traffic in front of the net and take the body.

And do it all night long.

Despite the fact that the Islanders still aren’t out of this series, make no mistakes about it, they’re on some extremely thin ice. Failing to amount any serious kind of offense throughout the series, the Islanders have kept themselves out of two games that they could have came out victorious in if they scored a few more goals.

Let’s be honest here, while the Islanders haven’t played their best hockey in this series and have failed to put forth a solid effort for a full 60-minutes, the Buffalo Sabres have totally underestimated them and haven’t played their best hockey either. With that being said, if the Isles can get back on track as soon as possible and reclaim some of the passion they had in game 2, they could still shock the rest of the league and take the Sabres down.

In order for that to happen though, they Islanders need to get the powerplay going.

Unable to break the wall the Sabres have set up along their blue line during the power play, the Isles have been forced to basically play dump and chase with the man advantage and haven’t been able to get the cycle going. As well, when they finally get the cycle going in Buffalo’s zone, they’ve been passing the puck way too much, instead of taking shots and peppering Ryan Miller, who’s looked far from invincible in the series.

If the Isles can get more than 22 shots against Miller and get some bodies in front of him, they can and will be able to score some goals. However, in order to maintain the puck long enough to get it into the Sabres zone, the Islanders need to play physical and have to attack Buffalo’s defensemen, who have been playing a huge role in the team’s offense during the course of this series.

If the Sabres defenseman can’t make the first pass out of their zone, the Islanders are going to have a ton of chances on offense. As well, they’ll limit the load on DiPietro, who’s been forced to make over 30 saves a night all season. Despite the fact that it’s obvious that DP can handle the workload, giving the opposition the opportunity to take that many shots seriously limits the Islanders puck possession time and time in the attack zone, therefore eliminating any chance the team has at amounting any type of serious offense.

In the end, tonight’s game will come down to how desperate the Islanders are willing to play. Do they want to fight in the corners and skate as hard as they possibly can and hang on Buffalo all night long, or do they want to sit back and kill penalties and watch the Sabres skate again?

I guess we’re going to have to wait and find out.

Posted under Isles 2006-07, Pregame Musings

After two sloppy periods against the Flyers, the Islanders picked up the slack in the third, but it was too little, too late.

Two loses in two games without Yashin. I can hear the Rangers fans talking trash already. Last night’s game was like hanging out with someone who has Tourette’s syndrome. Every five minutes the Islanders would show some a ton of emotion, and then would go flaccid.

On the whole, the way the Isles were playing in the first two periods was driving me crazy. I have no idea why you would play a dump and chase game when you have players that have solid speak and puck handling ability. It makes no freakin’ sense to me, it’s like giving Michael Jordan steel shoes and asking him to try and dunk with them on; not going to happen.

We’ve seen at time how dominate the Islanders can be when they play physical and play a puck possession game. Billy Jaffe made a great comment last night about how the Isles are a better team when they take the body. You would think now that they would put the two together, but they haven’t. It wasn’t until the last period that they started finishing checks and driving with the puck.

As a result, the third period was great. Richard Park and Chris Simon have been plugging away all season and I was happy to see them get goals, but other people have to step up too. Miro Satan played a solid game last night, making one beautiful pass to get a goal and Jason Blake and Viktor Kozlov were noticeable as well. But again, we need other people to step the fudge up!

Speaking of that, where has Mike Sillinger been the last dozen games? You can win all the face-offs you want brother, but you scored 32 goals last year and your on pace for like 16, that’s not going to cut the mustard on my fish sticks.

I’m not even going to get started on Trent Hunter and Andy Hilbert right now.
Overall, the Isles have depth on their forward lines that most teams would kill for. It’s time for these guys to start earning their pay checks. We want goals!

NEXT GAME…
 
The Islanders have another appointment with Bing Crosby and Evgeni “My last name sounds like an STD” Malkin tomorrow. After taking the night off against the Flyers, DP should raring to go. Let’s hope the Isles remember to take the body.  

Posted under Isles 2006-07, Post Game Rants

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

Damn, the Islanders dominated tonight. They played well in all three zones and kept their mistakes to the bare minimum. In the end, that’s how you win hockey games. It was great too to see York and Hunter’s fathers dancing around and smiling after their kids scored, good times.

DP was stellar tonight as well. He made all the tough saves [the ones that weren’t blocked by Brendan Witt] and controlled the puck really well and for that, I’d like to take personal responsibility.

Ever since I started this site, I’ve been bitching about DP’s penchant for playing the puck at the wrong times and for the past two games, he’s been great in that area. The only reason I can come up with for this change to occur so quickly would have to be that someone must be relaying these comments posted by yours truly about DP over the past two weeks to him.

For instance:

11-11

Like I’ve mentioned before, I love the kid, I like the fact that he’s a great athlete with a ton of charisma, but like most goalies, he’s a little screwy on the ice sometimes and it costs us every time. Playing the puck like a maniac is one thing, but doing it over and over is another.  

That one is nothing compared to this one:

11-06

Rick Dipietro, you are killing me man! Stay in the goddamn net! You would think by now, after over five years as a professional hockey player, someone would have said you something by now. To me, it seems that you actually think that playing the puck so much is a good thing or you just don’t care what anyone else tells you. Which one is it?   

Regardless of what the case may be, this whole situation is due to the fact that obviously, no one in the Islanders organization feels comfortable telling him to cut out the nonsense. Why you would coddle someone who you just signed to a 15-year contract is beyond me. They obviously want to see DP get better, so why not tell him that he has to wake up and stop acting like a baby?  
 
This is the best one though:

  11-05

DP was on his back like Lindsay Lohan and allowed a weak backhand to get past him.   

But anyway, back to my Post-Game Rant: Was it me or was that goal that Jason Blake scored tonight one of the prettiest from an Islander all season? It makes me feel so good that Yashin and Blake are playing so well together. The revitalized play of Brendan Witt has been inspiring too. He was blocking shots left and right, making solid defensive plays and hitting everything that moves; that’s why we wanted him on this team and I’m happy he’s proving now that he is capable of still being a presence on the ice. Maybe I was imagining things, but I think Sean Hill played a solid game as well; he even managed to take the body on a few occasions; the fact that Miro and Trent got points tonight was another positive as well. Overall, everyone played a hard working, blue-collar game and that’s what this team needs to continue doing if they want to win.

Next up, the Isles have the Tampa Bay Lightning, powered by Brad “My shooting percentage sucks” Richards, who just so happens to be my g/f’s favorite player. Every time the Isles play the Lighting and Tampa wins, I hear it from her… big time. To make matters worse, it seems that Richards is usually the reason why the Isles lose.

To put an end to this, I am personally offering any Islander player 20 dollars or any video game I own [my collection is quite massive, go to http://www1.gamespot.com/users/sonicboom713/games_table?mode=own to check it out] if they manage to put a big hit on Richards. Hopefully, my prayers will be answered.

Let’s go Islanders.

The last part of this blog is a complete faux. If you think I’m stupid enough to give up 20 dollars or a video game to see a player do his job on the ice, you’re an idiot. Thanks for reading though…suckers.

Posted under Isles 2006-07, Post Game Rants