SB Nation - Jeff Tambellini

Where the Islanders goals are coming from

Dominik — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 18:21:55 -0000

The easy answer to the headline -- is: "Duh! John Tavares and Matt Moulson."

That's the issue of the moment: That these two childhood friends and 2009 newcomers are the only ones scoring for the Islanders. Outside of Richard Park's tally in a 6-1 loss in New Jersey, no Islander besides JT and Mighty Matt has scored a goal since Nov. 27, a 3-1 win over Pittsburgh six games ago.

But when we jump on guys for not scoring, it's good to remember a huge chunk of scoring comes from the powerplay. Of the Islanders' 79 goals so far, 22 (28%) have come via that route. Eight of Tavares's 15 goals have come with the man advantage. If you're not on the powerplay, it's that much harder to wrack up points. Worse, if most of your ice time is spent killing penalties or carrying subpar wingers at 5-on-5, then you're spending most of the time just fighting to keep the puck out of your own net.

So one way to look at this issue: Take the powerplay out of the equation. Who are the Islanders' best scorers at 5-on-5?

One metric, with the aid of Gabe at Behind the Net: Who is scoring the most goals per 60 minutes of 5-on-5 ice time?

As you'll see below [Warning: Table ahead!], the answers are ... the usual suspects. However, the order has been shuffled a bit, making Matt Moulson look even better than you might already think. And by this metric at least, one much-debated streaky forward still looks pretty good -- even though he has scored exactly one goal since his October hat trick.

	Goals	PP Goals	ES Goals	G/60min. 5on5
Moulson	14	3	11	1.57
Tambellini	7	3	4	1.02
Tavares	15	8	7	0.98
Hunter	5	2	3	0.94
Bailey	7	1	5	0.73
Nielsen	3	0	3	0.65
Bergenheim	4	0	3	0.49
Sutton	3	0	3	0.44
Jackman	2	0	2	0.43
Witt	2	0	2	0.33
Park	2	0	2	0.31
Okposo	5	2	3	0.3
Martinek	2	0	1	0.2
Sim	2	1	1	0.19
Hillen	1	0	1	0.14
Striet	4	2	2	0.11

Matt Moulson, with 11 even-strength goals, is the team's 5-on-5 king to this point. [Video fun: His recent natural hat trick in Atlanta, captured below, featured two even-strength goals and one powerplay goal that wasn't even a traditional setup-in-the-zone PP play]:

But back to that table: Other than Jeff Tambellini at the high end and Kyle Okposo at the low end, where everyone ranks isn't too shocking. Okposo gets a lot of minutes, period, so his low goal total thus far makes him stand out (in a bad way), even though he's still been generating a lot of chances. Tambellini, who scored once in November, is (numerically at least) living off that October hot streak.

Okposo's experience -- clanging shots off crossbars, yet setting Tavares up in his office -- tells us that even after 30 games and good linemates, your numbers won't always reflect the work that you've been doing. Meanwhile, the two young centers we're hoping will be two-way producers, Josh Bailey and Frans Nielsen, each have fewer even-strength points (7 each) than Richard Park and Sean Bergenheim (9 each), who are hardly looked at as scorers.

Of Course I Will Find a Way to Blame This on the Blueline

There are a hundred ways to try to get a handle on what's happening in hockey's flowing, chaotic, difficult-to-encapsulate game -- both in strictly numeric terms and in nebulous descriptive terms. (Who's been playing with better linemates? Who's been playing against tougher competition? Who's been fatigued from playing so much PK? Who can't find a groove because they're never on a consistent line and they never get more than 11 paltry minutes? And of course the tried-and-true: Who suffers because the coach just hates him, I know it, I can see it in his eyes?) Everything is a cascade of factors, from the goalie behind you to the health of the lineup to the luck of the schedule.

So subjectively, I look at the names on that table and see the makings of a passable "top six" forward corps that ought to put up decent numbers over the long haul. And if that supposition is true (you may easily disagree), you know what I keep coming back to as a reason it's not happening? The blueline. The transition game. Aside from Jack Hillen, probably Andy Sutton (who's frankly been good this year by any measure), and certainly Mark Streit (who has not been as dominating as he was last year, in part because partner Bruno Gervais has not replicated last year's growth), this group isn't fit to consistently get the puck out and supply the Islanders forwards at 5-on-5.

As has been the issue since Scott Gordon arrived, the group as a whole cannot consistently deliver the promise of Gordon's scheme, so we're going to get fits and starts. We're going to get glimpses of the excitement the future will bring, mixed with doses of reality about the blueline Garth Snow has gone with and the below-average forwards who remain.

Until the cavalry of better defensemen arrive. I think.

That's one round-about theory. With the given that the eternal answer is "The Islanders need better players," I'm curious to hear yours.

Maple Leafs 3, Islanders 2: Tavares-led comeback erased by...Blake!

Dominik — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 05:01:12 -0000

More photos » by Frank Gunn - AP

Happier times.

Browse more photos »

The first period looked like a repeat of the Roloson Miracle game, except with Dwayne not in the mood to play God again. (He was good, he just wasn't 58-save good.)

The second period was a wash -- the Islanders entered and exited down 2-0, with each team thinking it had reason for a better return.

But the third period, aided by a period-opening powerplay: Now that was a different story. The John Tavares Machine was fully operational, working from JT's office to the side of the crease, and the Islanders comeback was in effect. Tied up with five minutes to go, we just might steal another point or two in Toronto.

Then Jason Blake scored and fist-pumped and that was that.

Game Sum. | Event Sum. | Recaps: nhl.com | Isles official

Final - 12.9.2009	1	2	3	Total
New York Islanders	0	0	2	2
Toronto Maple Leafs	2	0	1	3

Complete Coverage >

But man if this game didn't give us some things to think about, in the napkin-sketching, roster-mixing kind of way. Take Tim Jackman out and you lose your de facto enforcer, but you get the chance to add another powerplay piece like Rob Schremp, who did not disappoint in that role ... and who held his own centering the 4th-line in limited minutes (9:30 total, 2:44 on the PP).

Kyle Okposo got the (quite beautiful) first assist on both Tavares goals, but the second assist was legitimately credited to Jeff Tambellini on the first and Schremp on the second. The powerplay actually looked functional.

Meanwhile, Schremp's 9:30 TOI was more than Josh Bailey, who ended up with a paltry 8:15 (just 0:23 on the PP). Bailey was also 0-5 on faceoffs. Hmmm...

We spend so much time (rightly so) fretting about this insufficient blueline. And lord knows Jon Sim and company get their licks for being used above their talent level. (Sim got 9:28, zilch on the PP, by the way.) But we can't forget the search for who on this team can score besides John Tavares and Matt Moulson -- who have accounted for all of the Islanders goals ~~in the last week~~ since Nov. 28 in New Jersey, when Richard Park scored the lone goal in a 6-1 loss. It's worth noting that without the ample powerplay time that Tavares gets, he doesn't have four goals in the last two games, either.

There remain several movable parts who have either not performed (one view) or not gotten the consistent chance to perform (the other view). In that group you'd have to include Bailey, Frans Nielsen, Tambellini, Schremp, Blake Comeau and Sean Bergenheim. With Bergenheim out, it opens up one more slot in the opportunity department.

Safe to say two of those guys (Comeau and Bergenheim) are destined to be non-top-six, two-way wingers with a focus on the defensive side. Two of those guys can probably only stick around if they can score consistently (Tamby, Schremp). And the remaining two are centers, centers with #2 potential, but centers who will need to show more than they have on the offensive side.

I'm not pigeon-holing anyone yet, but it would be fun to get more time with these guys being mixed up and down depending on performance and chemistry. Depending on the length of Bergenheim and Jackman's injuries, maybe that happens -- and maybe the people pining for more Schremp are at least temporarily appeased.

Or maybe somebody gets healthy again and Schremp goes back to the press box.

Either way, this now three-game losing streak is distressing, but it has put me back into the evaluation mode that I fully expected to be in all season. Which is a little different than living and dying with each win and loss to see how long the Isles can stick out this quasi-.500, point-per-game pace.

* * *

Game Thread Thanks

If you saw the game thread, that, friends, is what a Pension Plan Puppets invasion looks like. (If you weren't in there live, the PPP participation was all contained to the 1st intermission/2nd period, except for some stragglers.) Thanks for playing along and being nice hosts; thanks for not shouting at them just because they speak a different form of English. And thanks to our PPP visitors for bringing their unique brand of Leafdom hallucinations; I swear, those Canadian pharmaceuticals are something else.

Since our in-game threads range from quiet to noisy depending on the day and the opponent, it's fun to do accept a visiting high-volume tribe every once in a while to see how these can go at max capacity. Some games you need to get more off your chest in-the-moment, so just know it's always there (and some days you wish your comments would go away ... which is why the threads are a little more disposable). We only had one flare-up -- not bad for a high-volume cross-team visit, so no worries. Generally, I just want people here to welcome visitors, ignore trolls (or in rare cases, stomp them with extreme prejudice before they are banned) and be cool with each other.

On that note, I know I read most sites a lot more than I comment. So if there are things you want or don't want here, just let me know via comment (or via email if you want privacy or insist on remaining a lurker). I can't promise I'll answer every request (That's a nice way of saying your comment goes directly to our Customer Service Department, where it will be considered very important and our people will respond within 6 to 8 weeks).

But if your request fits I'll try, and if I know what people generally prefer (time, type of post, topic, etc.), it will help me know how bad I'm ticking you off when I insist on doing whatever the hell I want anyway. But seriously, for a moment: I just run this place so Islanders fans and hockey fans have a welcoming place to chat hockey, and hopefully I have a good idea every once in a while. That's all.

Let's Go Islanders. Let's Go Second Line.

Game 22, Preview and Open Thread: Reunited With Marty, Philadelphia Flyers at New York Islanders

Travis Hughes — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 22:09:27 -0000

Philadelphia Flyers (12-8-1, 25 pts) at New York Islanders (9-8-7, 25 pts)
Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum - 7:00 PM EST - Uniondale, NY
TV: CSN Philly HD, Yahoo! Online
Radio: 610 WIP, XM 205
This is the open game thread.
Behind Enemy Lines: Lighthouse Hockey

Tonight, this hell of a road trip will finally be over. But before we can all breathe a sigh of relief, the Flyers will have to beat the Islanders tonight on Long Island. With a loss tonight, I will start to worry. Three straight losses out West are understandable. Not acceptable, but understandable. Making that four losses against a team that the Flyers are clearly superior than is not acceptable. It's not a must win tonight, but it's as close as you can get in the month of November.

For one, a loss tonight would make that in-superior hockey team top us in the standings. That's right, the Islanders are currently tied with us in the Eastern Conference with 25 points, but as their 9-8-7 record shows, they're being successful by having a penchant for getting games to overtime.

A major key in the Isles' relative success has been rookie phenom John Tavares. He's living up to the hype that has surrounded him since he broke onto the scene as a pimple-faced teenager, and now that he's a not-pimple-faced teenager, he's among the Isles' team leaders in scoring. But as Dominik from Lighthouse Hockey worried last night on BSH Radio and again today on his site, Tavares might not be as successful against the Flyers and Chris Pronger.

"But I'm more worried," Dominik wrote, "about Chris Pronger simply being physically dominant around the Flyers net -- John Tavares's workshop -- and using his long reach to disrupt any moves or shots Tavares tries." Outside of Tavares, the Flyers have Matt Moulson, Jeff Tambellini, and Kyle Okposo to worry about up front. But for the most part, the Islanders are a one-line team and their offense can be limited.

They've allowed 74 goals in 24 games so far this season, compared to the 59 allowed by Philadelphia in 21 games, so they are certainly vulnerable on defense. The Flyers are pretty hobbled in the scoring department, as we well know. Danny Briere will sit this one out due to suspension, and Darroll Powe and Blair Betts are still out as well. The good news? Arron Asham is back tonight. David Laliberte has been sent back to the Phantoms, so it looks as though Riley Cote will get to play hockey tonight.

The big news, though, is that the Flyers will see Martin Biron for the first time since casting him aside this offseason. Marty has basically been pushed into a backup role by Dwayne Roloson, who Yahoo! apparently thinks is playing tonight. It'll be Marty, but we wont get to see a rematch of Emery vs Biron's little fisticuffs match.

Brian Boucher will go for the Flyers tonight, and he earned it, in my humble opinion. Emery looked terrible against Colorado and pretty unimpressive against Phoenix as well. He's simply hit a wall and needs a rest, and Boucher has earned some time with his performance in relief against the Avs and even against Los Angeles last week. There's no goalie controversy, of course, but Emery needs a little rest. He'll get it tonight.

After the jump, we'll ask a few questions to be answered tonight.

Questions To Answer

Can Pronger and Matt Carle shut down Tavares and the Isles' top-line?
Will the Flyers be able to take advantage of knowing Martin Biron's weaknesses?
The Isles take 4.25 minor penalties per game, on average. That's about middle of the pack in the league, but the Flyers PP should get some chances tonight. Can they take advantage against a PK that's also average?
Is Kimmo Timonen hurt? He didn't play in the third on Monday night, but the Flyers haven't said anything about his absence. Any indications tonight that something is wrong?
Ice time for Riley Cote?

Tonight's game will be broadcast locally on CSN Philly. Listen on 610 WIP, and if you're not in the Philadelphia or New York markets, watch live online -- for free -- from Yahoo! (link above). As always, join us here for the conversation, and LET'S GO FLYERS!

Maple Leafs 3 v. NY Islanders 4 (OT): Second Verse Same As The First

PPP — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 02:58:15 -0000

More photos » by Nathan Denette - AP

Boo This Man! Dwayne Roloson and a lack of desire to go to the dirty parts of the rink for the majority of the game torpedoed a wonderful effort.

Browse more photos »

Despite throwing 61 shots at Dwayne Roloson the Maple Leafs fell 4-3 in overtime to the New York Islanders. On the bright side, John Tavares was a complete non-factor. After a dominating first period the Maple Leafs fell behind to a Jeff Tambellini breakaway goal as a long period of pressure went unrewarded, a pretty good Matt Moulson deflection, and, frankly, a terrible all around effort on Sean Bergenheim's short-handed goal. Toskala left with a lower body injury which was probably a pain in the ass from all of the needless needling he took from fans after the third goal. I hate Toskala as much as the next guy - and hope he's really injured because Kypreos seemed to be intimating that he quit on the team - but Kaberle made a brutal effort at blocking the shot and ended up doing nothing more than backing in too far and providing the kind of screen that the Leafs' forwards couldn't match all night.

Update: Here is Dominik's (Lighthouse Hockey) recap of the game and a look at the NHL.com shot chart for tonight's game.

Of course, when you're playing a terrible team like the Islanders (I know, the irony) who is on the back end of a seven game road-trip, it's not that hard to continue taking the game to them. The Leafs were rewarded when Matt Stajan's embarrassment at getting his stick knocked out of his hands turned to joy as he ended up by a loose puck to set up Phil Kessel to break Roloson's goose egg. The third period was one way traffic as the Leafs' dogged puck pursuit created chance after chance. Wayne Primeau potted a rebound after showing the Leafs that it's not actually against the law to stand directly in front of the goalie. And then Niklas Hagman made a great rush to prove that he can finish just as much as he can dangle. The Leafs were attacking with speed and looked poise to snatch a winner in regulation.

Instead, they didn't score on a final powerplay and almost made it through overtime before a terrible Ian White play combined with Tomas Kaberle's exhaustion and a bad bounce off of the side of the net (seriously, that shot comes by a million times and shoots in front of the net maybe 5 times) conspired to keep the Leafs from another shot at the shootout. So the Leafs' don't begin a winning streak but they also lose John Mitchell. Great news all around.

Who were your players of the game and who could have done more? Let's talk it out sans razor blades folks.

Islanders Gameday: Extending Julien's headache

Dominik — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 11:30:15 -0000

Here we have two teams coming off bonus point losses after coughed-up leads, but under entirely different circumstances with entirely different season-expectation subtexts.

[For today's logo tags, we reach into the "Never Forget Cartoons" folder]

New York Islanders (7-6-7, 5th/Atl) at Boston Bruins (8-7-4, 2nd/NE)
7 p.m. EST | [enema brand or touchdown or something] Garden | MSG+
Baahston wahtchas: SBN's Stanley Cup of Chowder | HBAdventure | Hub Hockey

The Bruins had a ridiculous, back-and-forth 6-5 OT loss in Pittsburgh (video highlights posted after the jump, because they are worth a look) in which only one goal came on the powerplay. Bill Guerin tied it with 0.4 seconds remaining in the game... just minutes after Sidney Crosby was stoned on a shorthanded breakaway that would've tied it... which was just moments after a Marco Sturm tip gave the Bruins the late lead.

The Islanders, of course, lost their 2-0 lead in Florida, but only made it to OT thanks to a two-goal comeback of their own led by Kyle Okposo and John Tavares.

While neither game was a happy outcome for the teams in question, the Islanders were at least playing their game. The Bruins got caught in a Gordon-esque shootout that surely turned Claude Julien's iconic dome red. Here's Derek Morris, relaying the company line:

"We scored goals, yeah, and we got a point, which was nice, but that's not our system we're going to play. We did things we don't normally do and we did them all in one game. We're lucky to get a point."

Here are the highlights of the Bruins-Penguins game, which had ridiculous deflections, crazy Tim Thomas saves (and gaffes) and ol' captain Bill Guerin shooting on goal at a critical moment.

Shots were an un-Julien-like 33-33. Can you imagine the Islanders' and Scott Gordon's reaction after a game like that? They'd be disappointed by specific breakdowns, and by the result -- but you just know the idea of getting in a shootout is not anathema to them like it is for the B's. Plus, with the young-and-innocent theme the Islanders have going on, you know Jeff Tambellini (if dressed) would be there saying the team is going to take the positives out of the performance.

Talk Me into a Win, Please

Which brings me to the Fan's Mental Plan going into tonight's game. The Bruins were facing a Penguins team energized by the return of Evgeni Malkin, so it's not stunning they were subject to a Penguins scoring party. But certainly Julien will have his troops re-focused on a stringent defensive game. Seven of the Bruins' last nine games have featured three goals or less. They've also been shutout three times during that span, by Detroit, the Rangers and Tomas Vokoun.

Naturally I'm hoping the Islanders can dictate play initially and grab another early lead and give Julien more reasons to furrow, but goals may be tough to come by. Julien is one of those coaches who's fun to hear talk hockey -- and even more fun to watch grimace when his team isn't following orders. Yet as much as I want that lead, what I fear most is a repeat of that first Bruins encounter (the 50th minute 3-0 meltdown in front of Dwayne Roloson, spoiling a great early-season performance). Something like that coming after Washington, Carolina and Florida, and all my big talk about blown leads being a good problem to have will ring a little hollow. Of course, the Isles seem to like their symmetrical record, and an outright loss would make them 7-7-7, so...

Lineup Shenanigans: MacDonald in, Witt out

That's my fragile mindset, anyway. Meanwhile, the big story as of Sunday night was the call up of Andrew MacDonald to replace Brendan Witt, excused for personal reasons. As I mentioned in the previous thread, I doubt this will be a drop off -- but jumping into the lineup isn't an easy task for a defenseman, and if the Islanders take a lot of penalties, someone will have to make up Witt's PK minutes.

In goal: Martin Biron's turn, no? Unless Gordon "likes Roloson against" Boston, as he did for their first encounter.

And in other lineup news, what'll it be for Jeff Tambellini? He sat out two in a row, while fellow healthy scratch Josh Bailey was back in the lineup after just one game in the press box. Road trips have a way of popping up maladies and "personal reasons" and who-knows-what, so maybe the decision will be made for Gordon. Or maybe Tambellini goes back in and we see a newcomer to the land of healthy scratches. I can guess who several of you would like that to be...

Prediction: Odds are 50/50 we go to overtime...unless the Isles go for that whole record symmetry thing.

Cardiac Islanders blow 3-0 lead; flu-slapping Okposo wins it in OT

Dominik — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 04:21:45 -0000

More photos » by Gerry Broome - AP

On the OT winner, Kyle Okposo fends off Hurricanes like some pesky little H1N1 virus.

Browse more photos »

The fast, glorious pace with which the Islanders compiled an early 3-0 lead on the tail-spinning Hurricanes was matched by the glacial, agonizing squandering of that lead over the next two periods. Thankfully, on the 7th day god made Kyle Okposo, and it was good. Did I not tell you just Friday a.m. to just accept Okposo's übermensch abilities?

Game Sum. | Event Sum. | Recaps: nhl.com | Isles | Canes Country

Final - 11.13.2009	1	2	3	OT	Total
New York Islanders	3	0	0	1	4
Carolina Hurricanes	0	2	1	0	3

Complete Coverage >

Although it's maddening, I'm not going to panic too much about the blown lead. It's bad, but as fans with all our anxieties we tend to blow it up. Lots of teams go through this growing-pain phase. Given where the Islanders have come from -- arriving now, briefly, in 7th place -- blowing three-goal leads is a nice problem to have.

Meanwhile, lots of lineup implications for Saturday night in Florida. Josh Bailey and Jeff Tambellini got the scratch treatment for this one. But Rob Schremp, playing his "natural" role of center, did nothing to tell me he should dress for a third consecutive game. And Jon Sim, who was my preference for removal if everyone was healthy? My preference remains.

Video highlights and plenty more after the jump.

There Is Only One Okposo: After telling the swine flu who's boss, Okposo returned to the lineup to log the most minutes among Islanders forwards, playing key minutes on both the PP and the PK, netting the game winner and getting the assist on John Tavares's lacrosse hand-eye coordination goal. Just put a Standard Player Contract in front of him now, and let he and his parents fill in the figures and term.

There Are Many Sims: Not to harp on Sim or Schremp, but they were both out there for the tying goal, and they didn't look good. Two caveats, though: Martin Biron absolutely coughed a hairball on that shot. This tendency is beginning to make me worry about how badly other teams will want him. Second caveat is that absolutely every line had its moments of being hemmed in during the Canes' comeback. With Biron doing that, it could have happened to any of them.

Did I Mention There Is Only One Okposo? At the end of regulation, a Canes backchecker laid what my friend calls "the ax handle" on Okposo, leaning all his weight on Okposo's stick and body to keep him from getting the shot off. Okposo laughed it off, got a dangerous shot off anyway, which -- minus Joni Pitkanen mauling Matt Moulson in the crease -- would have led to a truly backbreaking game-winner right there. On the OT winner, Pitkanen couldn't stop his stick, and this came after Okposo brilliantly read the play to intercept a pass and win the game all by himself.

Whither Faceoffs? Nate Thompson (1-6) and Tavares (2-9) each had a rough night at the dot, for a team that won only 42%. Why do I feel like ever since I said "this faceoff trend is legit, not a fluke," they've been putting up nights like that?

Tavares's First Multi-Goal Game: It wasn't that Tavares's goal batting the puck in after it caromed off the grass was amazing -- I mean it was pretty good, for sure. But it was great that he seemed to be the only one on the ice who followed where it was going, just patiently followed it with his eyes, waited for it drop to a legal height, and calmly bunted it in.

Some Rather Critical Defensive Plays: While the walls were falling in, there were still some nice, heroic break-ups by the defense. Jack Hillen went knee-down to block (with his stick) a pass that would have set up Pitkanen all alone in the slot. Bruno Gervais spun to block another sure setup from the opposite side. And Mark Streit, in OT, prevented the winner at the top of the crease by doing what Biron might not have.

Mark Streit, Coming Around: After a slow start by last season's standards, Streit has started to heat up. Tonight, the sweetest sequence was Streit absolutely zinging a wrist shot from the point off the post, then minutes later, simply recalibrating with a slapshot that went in just inside said post. Even if I'd stumbled into the talent to be an NHL player, no way would I have the necessary courage to step in front of that thing.

Special Teams: The powerplay looked outstanding in the first -- they converted twice and had the Canes running around aimlessly. The PK was solid, leaving only stoppable shots for Biron as they killed 3 of 4 chances.

Timing, Timing: The Canes' equalizer finally came with just 2:31 left in the game. Okposo's winner came just a faceoff after Streit's game-saving block, and with just 0:15 left in the OT period, sparing us another godforsaken shootout.

Dirty Night Avoided: The Canes came out hitting with determination (if not direction), and after the Islanders built the 3-0 lead, I was worried about a spiral that would lead to injuries. Sure enough, someone tried to take off Frans Nielsen's head, and immediately afterward Sean Bergenheim threw a dangerous hit from behind on Joe Corvo. Thankfully, the silliness ended there.

* * *

Not Only, But Also: Not only did the Islanders win in OT, the Sound Tigers did too, breaking their Hurricanes-like slump. Mike Fornabaio tweets: Bentivoglio scores his second of the night from the right side 1:32 into OT, and the Sound Tigers win for the first time since Halloween.

Up Next: The daunting Tomas Vokoun and his Florida Panthers, who shut the Bruins out 1-0 Thursday and whose 2009 draft prize, Dimitry Kulikov, has 1 goal and 6 assists.

Thoughts on any of those topics, or others I missed? With time to digest, how disturbed are you by the blown 3-0 lead?

Price / Halak - The Stats - October 2009

Chris Boyle — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 13:15:02 -0000

Entering the 2009 season the Canadiens franchise had plenty of unanswered questions. The goaltending question is an eternal one in Montreal and with both Price and Halak entering RFA years, 2009 should offer no reprieve. Late 2009 has mimicked early 2009 as inconsistency has plagued Carey Price. Jaroslav Halak although solid on nights, has also not taken the opportunity presented to him by Jacques Martin and cemented the number one job.

With neither goalie grabbing the hammer, the majority of fans have aligned themselves on one side or the other. I refer to them as Team Price and Team Halak. Both teams seemingly rise and fall with each performance. Both teams rally to attack one side should they falter and boast and offer, "I told you so's" when they excel. The 2009 campaign got off to a rousing start for Team Price as he opened the season 2-0 and was outstanding leading the Canadiens to a 2-0 start despite being out shot 81-44 and having 148 shots directed at him in 128 minutes. When Halak faltered in Calgary, the attacks on Halak and the management team for not starting Price were loud. Then Price was bombed in Vancouver and after Price lost 3 straight the controversy was back and Halak was awarded another start. Team Halak struck back. Halak offered up two strong starts in a row and Team Halak was now mounting their high horse. After 14 goals in 229 minutes the lines had once again become blurred. So what has changed?

Not much. Both goaltenders continue to fail to elevate themselves from an approaching platoon. Price and Halak have almost identical save percentages, while Halak holds the edge in goals against average. Halak also has a superior record at 5-2, but it has been accrued against inferior opposition as his opponents winning percentage is .545 (25-20-10) while Price's 2-5 record was accrued against a .650 opponents winning percentage (25-13-3).

Note: records reflect the team record when the goaltender faced them. I did not reference the Islanders as 5-4-5, but as 1-3-3 (their record when Halak faced them on Oct 22 and 1-4-4, their record on Oct 26). It would be disingenuous should Atlanta slow down to reference an under .500 record in April when they were hot and 4-1-0 entering Montreal on Oct 20.)

I used the Roy/Hayward duel as an analogy before the season, but I do not remember really caring who played in 1988, just that I hoped the Canadiens would win. This recent controversy has taken on a life of it's own. I get the feeling that some fans have begun to put their personal vindication of their opinions above the success of the team. It is why I refer to the divide amongst Canadiens fans as different teams. It is utterly exasperating because to this point it is the equivalent to arguing who is crazier, Amy Winehouse or Courtney Love? They are both batshit crazy.

I have gone over EVERY goal in October and 80% of them were unstoppable, they have both let in some suspect goals, but none more so than the other. Neither has significantly outplayed the other. One seems to be the Tortoise, one seems to be the Hare. Price at his peak has been dominant (Maple Leafs, Sabres, Blackhawks), but he has a tendency to nap and crash back to reality (Canucks), while Halak goes out, saves the pucks he should (Thrashers, Islanders), doesn't stop the ones he shouldn't (Flames, Penguins, Rangers) and offers a steady compliment. At the end of the day, their statistics are not that different. It was the same story last season. The goaltending is NOT the problem, it is the easy scapegoat. It is the simple corollary.

My opinion? If this team was a legit contender I could understand the cry for consistency and the Halak argument, but with a team that looks to be middle of the pack I would ride out the inconsistencies of the goaltender with the higher ceiling. The fanbase seems to have settled on goaltending as it's scapegoat and is happy to ignore the lack of secondary scoring, abysmal defensive zone coverages and atrocious special teams. The goaltending is but a symptom of a greater issue; targeting the symptom of anemia by drinking 5 red bulls a day does nothing to cure lymphoma. As each issue is addressed individually, the goaltending will miraculously improve.

For those who want to jump to emotional conclusions, this is probably not the article for you. I don't believe in simplistic judgments based on flawed statistical categories, so I have pieced together as many statistics I could for you to make your own judgments. I have tracked every goal. I have tracked where the shots are coming from, how many are blocked, how many are wide, where they are being scored from on the ice, where they are being scored on the goaltender, even strength, powerplay and save percentage from each distance. My intent is to track these things all season and give you a comprehensive month to month look and offer a comparable for Price and Halak, as well as eventually a comparison to their league leading peers.

I avoided statistical manipulation, there is no "remove the seven goals Price gave up against the Canucks and his SV% is.....". If you chose to ignore the winning percentage of the teams faced to make your argument, so be it. If you want to ignore the video evidence of each individual goal, be my guest. I have provided as much information possible in one place and hopefully through this research and presentation, Eyes on the Prize will be able to offer you a more rounded look for you to form your opinions.

SHOTS AGAINST

Price and Halak's statistical achilles heel is that they play behind a porous Montreal defense. A defense in transition and minus its best player, struggled in October to limit shot attempts. Beginning with the season opener when the Leafs directed 92 shots at the Montreal goal (46 shots, 21 missed shots and 25 blocked shots) Price and Halak have been faced with a consistent barrage. Price has been facing almost a shot attempt per minute on the ice (412 shot attempts in 436 minutes). Compare that to Tim Thomas who has faced 444 shots attempts in 542 minutes or Martin Brodeur who has faced 502 in 672 minutes.

The basic assumption behind these charts is the closer the shot to the net, the more likelihood of it resulting in a goal. The short charts below would reinforce this assumption as the majority of goals given up by Halak and Price increase the closer they move towards the goal and their save percentage also declines with each one.

Looking at his charts, Price has been almost flawless from 50+ ft and has really struggled from 20 ft and in. He only surrendered 3 goals in October outside of the slot and almost half (12 of the 25 goals) were scored within 10 ft of the net. Contrast that to Tim Thomas who only faced 8 shot attempts in all of October from within 10 ft. and Martin Brodeur who faced only 12 shots AT THE GOAL in 236 more minutes (almost 4 full games).

Depending on your perspective, his struggles could also be blamed on terrible special teams as 12 of the 25 goals he allowed in October occurred on the penalty kill (some may blame the penalty kill struggles on Price, I believe the video evidence below proves otherwise) resulting in a massive drag on his save percentage. The results between his even strength save percentage and penalty save percentage is a staggering .268. From .935 five on five to .667 shorthanded.

Halak has been very dominant between 20-40 ft. allowing only one goal all season, but he has also been victimized by the Canadiens soft defense down low as his SV% below 20 ft. is only marginally better than Price's .692. Where Halak has outdistanced Price is his consistency. His penalty kill SV% and regular strength percentage have not suffered from wild swings like Price. Although his 5 on 5 is not in the .930s, he has maintained an .850+ special teams percentage, a huge improvement on Price's .667. Halak has been a much more consistent option for the Canadiens through October 2009-10.

If the Canadiens can limit the shot opportunities below 20 ft. and improve their penalty kill, you will witness a spike in Price and Halak's numbers. Hockey is a team game and goaltending statistics are a reflection of team play. Can a superstar goaltender overcome defensive shortcomings? Yes, but not to the extent where he will lead the league statistically. Can an average goaltender look like a superstar when insulated in a strong defensive system? History has shown that answer to be yes. Rick Wamsley in 1982, Bob Froese in 1986, Byron Dafoe in 1999 and Roman Cechmanek in 2001 all had huge statistical years that were never duplicated on other teams. When you combine a superstar goaltender with a defensive coach you get Patrick Roy in 1989.

Unfortunately the Canadiens possess neither a superstar goaltender, nor an elite defensive coach. Carey Price has the potential to be a superstar, but at 22 is still midway through a steep learning curve. Halak at 24 has proven over the last 12 months that he is an NHL caliber goaltender, but has not shown that he can make the leap to the next level yet (and for those with short memories, Halak was a major question mark through October 2008).

GOALS AGAINST

The Canadiens goaltenders allowed forty-six goals in October and while watching the games I rarely found fault with either goaltender. I could easily have just referenced my memory to make my points, but I decided I would go through each goal individually and try to assess blame. I tried to assess the goaltenders positioning. Were they playing too deep in the net? Were they over committing to the shooters? Were they over pursuing the play and creating opportunities while scrambling back in to the play? How was their gap control, puck tracking, anticipation and rebound control? Were they exposed because of defensive zone turnovers? Deflections? Poor defensive zone coverages? etc etc.

Through 46 goals I found 1 bad goal and 8 that were suspect. I considered a goal suspect if there was a screen involved but the goaltender hadn't battled through the screen, if a shot from in close was stoppable if the goaltender was at his sharpest (ie. Raymond off the wing in Vancouver. If Price was sharp, he has the ability to make the save. So even though it was a partial breakaway, more often than not I expect Price to make that save from that angle, but it can not be categorized as a bad goal) or if the goaltender made a small technical error.

I also tracked where the goals beat the goaltender. I illustrated it below with the five main zones + the zone across the bottom which represents goals scored into an empty net (cross crease feed or tap-in). It was interesting that all the heat Price takes for his glove hand that Halak was more vulnerable allowing over 30% of his goals high glove-side.

Video evidence below (Goals deemed bad or suspect are in bold.)

1. Gill giveaway behind the net. Ponikoravsky one-time from the slot beats Price low stick side. No chance. 25 ft
2. 5 on 3 PP. Tomas Kaberle slap shot tipped in by Stajan at the side of the net. No chance. 9 ft
3. 5 on 4 PP. Scramble in front of the net. Matt Stajan taps it into an empty net. No chance. 5 ft
4. Point shot redirected. Tim Connolly pounces on loose puck and beats Price low stick side. 25 ft.
5. Ryan Kesler breakaway from the blueline. Great move beats Price along the ice glove side. 2 ft.
6. Mason Raymond in alone off the boards slides it through Price's 5-hole. Stoppable. 5 ft.
7. 5 on 4 PP. Tic Tac Toe to Steve Bernier who had an open net. No chance. 9 ft.
8. 5 on 4 PP. Price makes the initial save. Sedin all alone shovles it into an empty net. 10 ft.
9. 2 on 0 breakaway. Price cheats pass and Henrik Sedin makes him pay beating him high glove side. 8 ft.
10. 5 on 4 PP. Price stops initial point shot, Samuelsson puts the rebound through the 5-hole. 9 ft.
11. Scramble in front of the net. Price commits to one shot and cannot recover. No help from the D. 8 ft.
12. Mike Comrie wrist shot beats Price high glove side. Looked stoppable. 34 ft.
13. 5 on 4 PP. Point shot tipped in low stick side. No chance. 21 ft.
14. Defensive zone turnover leads to O'Sullivan alone in the slot. Beats Price low stick side. 28 ft.
15. Hejduk shot deflected in off Gorges. Price may have stopped it if his stick was in position. 30 ft.
16. Cumiskey throws the puck towards the front of the net. Deflects in off Belle's skate. No chance. 10 ft.
17. Ryan O'Reilly out of the corner untouched, Price makes the save, but cannot stop the rebound. 11 ft.
18. Chris Neil in the slot all alone. High glove side. No chance. 26 ft.
19. Daniel Alfreddson one timer on a 5 on 3 powerplay. Low glove side. 31 ft.
20. Alex Kovalev all alone in the slot. Snapshot blocker side. 30 ft
21. 5 on 4 PP. Alex Goligoski shot from the point on the PP. No screen beats Price high glove side. 55 ft.
22. 5 on 4 PP. Chris Kunitz clear cut breakaway from center beats Price 5-hole. 15 ft.
23. Kris Versteeg behind the goal shot deflects off Bergeron in between Price's pads beating him 5-hole. 8ft.
24. Cam Barker one-timer from the faceoff dot. Price is deep, shot beats him high glove side. 31 ft.
25. Patrick Sharp one-timer from the slot beats Price low glove side opposite to his momentum. 37ft

1. Eric Nystrom in the slot unchecked. Snapshot beats Halak high glove side. 19 ft.
2. Slap shot from the point. Tipped in front by Nystrom beats Halak low stick side. 13 ft
3. Slap shot from the point off the post. Jarome Iginla bangs in rebound beating Halak high glove side. 19 ft.
4. Kronwall slapshot from the blueline through a screen beats Halak high stick side. 60 ft.
5. Colby Armstrong from the faceoff dot beats Halak low glove side. 25 ft.
6. Halak gives the puck away behind the net to Josh Bailey allowing for an easy tap-in. 5 ft.
7. Halak stops initial shot, Ansimov left alone and beats Halak high glove side. 6 ft.
8. Ales Kotalik left alone in the slot. Beats Halak high glove side. 14 ft.
9. Gilroy slapshot from the point. Halak may have been screened as he is beaten low stick side. 61 ft.
10. Marian Gaborik breakaway from the blueline beats Halak 5 hole. 5 ft.
11. 5 on 4 PPG. Tambellini drives hard to the net. Halak is not set and exposes his 5 hole. 5 ft.
12. 5 on 4 PPG. Spacek giveaway leads to a cross crease feed and an easy redirection for Jeff Tambellini.
13. Turnover. Guerin feeds Crosby all alone at the side of the net. One-timer beats Halak low-stick side. 17 ft.
14. Halak stops initial shot, rebound to Sidney Crosby who beats a sprawled Halak top shelf glove side. 19 ft.
15. Halak stops point shot, scramble in front and Rupp puts home the rebound beating him low stick side. 5 ft.
16. Crosby alone in front, spin-o-rama. Halak makes initial save hits Crosby's skate and trickles in 5-hole. 5 ft.
17. 5 on 4 PP. Point shot rebound to Ponikoravsky in the slot who wraps it home low stick side by Halak. 15 ft.
18. 5 on 4 PP. Lee Stempniak slap shot from the point beats a screened Halak high glove side. 54 ft.
19. Cross crease feed to Ponikoravsky, beats Halak from a bad angle with a perfect shot high stick side. 19 ft.
20. 6 on 5. Kaberle takes a point shot that deflects off Hamrlik and Spacek to beat Halak low stick side. 63 ft

The October verdict: Patience is required. Patience for a Canadiens team integrating 10-12 new players. Patience for a team that is missing its only legitimate All-Star. Patience for a coach who is still installing a new system and approach and finally patience for the two kids between the pipes.

Chris Boyle is a frequent contributor to Eyes On The Prize and goes by the handle Wamsley.
He is a lifelong Habs fan and the editor of fantasysensehockey.net.

Biron Continues to Haunt Sabres

David Oleksy — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 02:09:26 -0000

More photos » by Stephen Chernin - AP

about 1 month ago: New York Islanders' Jeff Tambellini, left, celebrates his goal with teammate Josh Bailey, (12) in the second period during an NHL hockey game against the Buffalo Sabres Saturday, Oct. 31, 2009, in Uniondale, N.Y. (AP Photo/Stephen Chernin)

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Everyone expected the Sabres to come out flat and suffer a loss against the Islanders tonight. Everyone was half right. The New York Islanders came away with a convincing 5-0 victory on the strength of a shutout by Martin Biron and a hat trick from Jeff Tambellini. The Buffalo Sabres did not come out flat. In fact they were the better team until the goals started piling up for the Islanders.

The Sabres outshot the Islanders 14-9 in the first period and had plenty of real good chances on Biron. Biron did his best Ryan Miller impersonation and stopped everything the Sabres put on net. He was outstanding to put it mildly. Richard Park put the Islanders on top 1-0 in the first period despite his team being thoroughly outplayed.

It was the Islanders second goal that came near the half way point of the second period that sealed the Sabres fate. Tambellini scored his first of the game with a shot through his legs that snuck past the goal post and by Miller. It was a fanatstic play by Tambellinin but a save Miller should have made and one he probably wants to have back. It was after that goal the Sabres seemed to let down their guard and the Islanders took over the game.

The Islanders eventually continued the onslaught on Ryan Miller and Patrick Lalime, who replaced the ineffective Miller. The lone bright spot of the game came when Patrick Lalime stopped Doug Weight on a penalty shot with 13 seconds left.

Final - 10.31.2009	1	2	3	Total
Buffalo Sabres	0	0	0	0
New York Islanders	1	3	1	5

Complete Coverage >

Myers is 19 Years Old

It is becoming more a more evident that Tyler Myers is 19 years old. He has made some suspect plays the past two nights and he single handily gave away the Islanders first goal. He hung is goalie Ryan Miller out to dry and put the Sabres behind the eight ball.

The Sabres had dominated the Islanders for the entire first period but his giveaway gave the Islanders the all important first goal. The Sabres only other regulation loss of the season came when the Thrashers scored the first goal. The Islanders have not fared well when they give up the first goal with a 1-3-3 record but they were an impressive 2-1-2 when they score first.

Miller is Human

I am not going to blame Ryan Miler for the Sabres loss tonight but he really looked human tonight. The second Islanders goal was a terrible goal and the other two are plays we have seen Miller make in the first nine games. I think Lindy Ruff will come back with Miller again on Wednesday to give him a chance to rebound from tonight's performance.

Harry Neale Quote of the Game

Once again the quote of the game is more a conversation.

Harry - "Not much of a fight there. It looked more like Dancing with the Stars"

Rick - "I was never invited to one of those"

Harry - "It's not because your not a star, it must be because you can't dance"

Up Next

Bring on the Islanders. The Sabres seek revenge on Wednesday night at the HSBC Arena.

Islanders 5, Sabres 0: Tambellini hat trick and a Biron shutout

Dominik — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 01:46:16 -0000

[Updates: More tidbits added after the jump. Plus, look to the right for some new FanPosts on Tambellini patience and notice recognized for the "Godzilla" Islanders.]

Now that's a weekend.

Friday night the excuse was the Capitals didn't play their game (which is, you know, sort of important for winning hockey games). Saturday it was that the Sabres lineup was flu-ridden. Whatever the circumstances, the Islanders took the openings given to them, and the result is a three-game winning streak. During that streak, the Islanders have outscored opponents at even strength 10-2, a figure that was almost unthinkable at any point last year.

Game Summary | Event Summary | nhl.com Recap | Isles Recap

Intermission	1	2	3	Total
Buffalo Sabres	0	0	0	0
New York Islanders	1	3	1	5

Join the Game Thread

No matter who you are, mini-streaks like this happen. But it's huge for a young Islanders squad that it's happened this early. To turn the page on last year and convince themselves they really are a year further along (plus two goalies, one superstar, and one winger richer) than last season, it's key that their first month -- despite a tough schedule -- go better than October 2008.

And with a 5-0 win over Buffalo, for Martin Biron's 200th NHL win and Jeff Tambellini's first NHL hat trick, it has. October 2008: 2-6-1 and a goalie crisis. October 2009: 4-4-5 and two goalies appearing to find their groove.

~~Since I have to run, that's all for now. But I'll update this post later~~ -- and you can add yours in comments/FanPosts, etc. Islanders win, baby. Islanders win. Update: Videos, thoughts and factoids added after the jump, for posterity's sake.

How awesome does it feel to be Jeff Tambellini right now? After years of waiting (and hard work, and adjustment), he's finally scoring at the NHL level, he just had a hat trick -- in front of his father, for his father's old team, no less -- at home, causing Nassau Coliseum fans to chant, "Tam-bel-li-ni, {clap-clap, clap-clap-clap}." For a guy who was scratched for five games this month, suddenly October 2009 goes down as the most memorable yet of his career.

Tambellini on his big night:

"I was just happy to have some success with Josh Bailey and Dougy Weight ... to develop some chemistry there. From the start I had to sit a few games, and rightfully so -- I had to prove myself."

Scott Gordon on Tambellini:

"I think the biggest thing is that he's getting his shot off."He's also going to the front of the net."

Yes, and yes. He's also finally gotten a bit of the luck you need to break through. And most impressive to me, he's done everything asked of him, adapting his game, working on the physical side last year, and maintaining a positive approach despite handling under three different regimes that would have crushed the spirit of many prospects. At age 25, instead of facing his career's last stand, he may be finally turning the corner.

Faceoffs

The Islanders again won the faceoff battle, though by a smaller margin (32 to 27, 54%), with Richard Park single-handedly providing the difference (13 to 5, 72%).

Goaltending

Despite Tambellini's night, Martin Biron was awarded the 1st star -- for a shutout and his 200th victory. It's easy to forget with a 5-0 final score that Biron kept the Islanders in the game during a flat first period. The Sabres actually outshot the Isles 38-30 -- 14-9 in the first -- though that margin was helped by considerable powerplay time, where the Sabres got 10 of their shots. Biron's heroics made this Islanders' celebration possible.

Roloson stepped up against the Rangers and Capitals. Biron took his turn against his old mates. Can Roloson match that with his old Oilers teammates in town Monday?

Secondary Scoring! ... And Time On Ice

With the game evolving into a blowout, the ice times were more balanced than normal. Chiefly creating this, though, was the play of the Tambellini/Bailey/Weight line, which created two of the goals (Tamby's second and Bailey's; Tamby's first was with Bergenheim and Park, and his third was on the PP). So huge to see that line cooking, particularly on a night when the first line looked sluggish.

Jon Sim and Tim Jackman were the only forwards under 10 minutes -- everybody else, outside of Frans Nielsen's 12:12, was above 13. With the score out of hand, the defense got an easier night, too, with even Brendan Witt (16:50) and Jack Hillen (15:52) getting a few more minutes than the previous two wins.

Check the Sabres reaction at Die by the Blade.

Rangers Outplayed by Islanders in 3-1 Loss

Rob Luker — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 02:16:26 -0000

More photos » by Seth Wenig - AP

about 1 month ago: New York Rangers' Henrik Lundqvist of Sweden defends the goal from New York Islanders' Kyle Okposo during the first period of the NHL hockey game Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2009, in Uniondale, N.Y. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

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After the Rangers broke a three-game losing streak Monday night in a 5-2 win against the Coyotes, many Ranger fans expected the team to build upon the positive result away to the Islanders tonight; but that would not be the case. The Blueshirts came out flat to start the game and really never hit their stride all night. Each period the Rangers would apply a duration of pressure to the Islanders which usually resulted in a couple of good chances (including at least two or three posts); but in the end the Rangers just could not get the job done in a game where the Rangers could have proved something with the absence of Marion Gaborik.

Right out of the gate the Islanders controlled the play which led to the breakaway goal by Matt Moulson. Matt Gilroy pinched up attempting to start a rush but eventually lost the puck. Jack Hillen fired a solid pass up the middle to a curling Moulson who made no mistake going stick side on Henrik Lundqvist. The Rangers still took a couple of minutes to wake up, but around five minutes into the period the momentum shifted and the Rangers began to apply pressure. A dump into the Islanders zone allowed Chris Higgins to play the body and force the Islanders Defense to move the puck into the other corner. After Brandon Dubinski pressured the puck again, it bounced loose to P.A. Parenteau who quickly cradled to his backhand and shot far-side from about the right-cirlce hashmark past a Chris Higgins screen for his first NHL goal. It was one of the lone bright spots in an overall poor team effort by the Rangers.

The Blueshirts started the second better by applying pressure early. But after no results Sean Avery took a hooking penalty with about four minutes to go that put the Islanders on the Power-Play. The Islanders eventually got set up and Kyle Okposo eventually cleaned up a rebound on a great save by Henrik Lundqvist on Jack Hillen (who received a solid cross-zone pass from Doug Weight).

The Islanders continued the overall pressure in the third keeping the Rangers to low-percentage shots with the exception of a couple of chances. The Blueshirts had an early and late chance on the Power-Play in the third, but neither man advantage yielded even a great chance as the Rangers ended up 0 for 4 on the Power-Play for the night. With about five minute to go, Michal Rozival chased a puck back into his zone with John Tavares close behind him. Rozival barley moved the puck to the opposite corner while breaking his stick as Tavares took him to the boards. Rozival went to move the puck with his hand when Jeff Tambellini got to the puck first and fed it to Tavares. Tavares attacked the net and attempted to make a pass which bounced right off Wade Redden back to Tavares who then shot short-side off Henrik Lundqvist for the third and final Islander goal of the night.

With the summary done, here are my thoughts on the night:

To be completely frank, the Rangers just didn't get the job done tonight. I said after the Coyotes game that good teams find a way to win and win with confidence (which I thought they did Monday). Today was an inconsistent and disappointing effort from over two-thirds of the Rangers that dressed tonight.
Congratulations to P.A. Parenteau on his first NHL goal. It was a beauty of a backhander and I'm sure we will hear some chatter about how long P.A. will stay with the big club
The only two names that come to mind when I try to think of players who didn't play absolutely brutal all game are Marc Staal and Henrik Lundqvist. Staal manhandled Tavares two to three times at least along with moving the puck up-ice well. King Henrik, meanwhile, kept us in this game with many difficult saves. I don't blame him for being upset with Dan Girardi on the second Islanders goal (Okposo rebound) as Girardi should have gotten body-position on the puck and gotten a stick on it.
Did anyone catch that stat presented by MSG saying that around 60% of NYR goals this year have been scored by first-year Rangers? Scoring was the biggest issue over the summer, so I found that interesting to say the least.
I thought for the most part that the fourth line of Boyle-Anisimov-Voros was generally effective all night. I still think that if Anisimov gets a shot at third-line center he can put up better points as he will have capable wingers that can finish.
Tactics wise, the Rangers seemed to be forcing the puck through the neutral zone and into the Islanders zone. As a player you get frustrated and just want to go setup some offense, so I know how this feels. Unfortunately the Rangers never really adjusted and the Islanders did a good job of forcing the Rangers to turn over the puck before their zone.
Finally, as we all know someone is going to say something about it, I think there is some truth to the Rangers missing Marion Gaborik in the lineup. Next time he plays just watch when he gets the puck. Few players chase and aggressively pressure him because he is so good at making people miss. That is what playmakers and snipers do, and with no true sniper on the ice tonight, the Islanders chased like chickens with their heads cut off and got away with it.

That's all for tonight, folks. In the end hopefully this is a mini wake-up call for the squad. Sometimes as a team and player you just don't have it on certain nights; and I'm hoping this was the case. Henrik was great as always, and I hope the "fights" in the stands were won by Blueshirt fans (half-kidding, I hope nothing serious happened). Vent in the comments, please.

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