SB Nation - Thomas Pock

New York Islanders 2009-10 Season Preview: Now with goalies!

Dominik — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 10:30:22 -0000

"Nyuk nyuk nyuk, I'll score from here, too -- but not in K.C."

If you frequent From the Rink or surf the SBN hockey team sites, you know we're doing season previews, a team per day in each conference. Today James Mirtle will have his own Isles preview -- way off base, I assure you -- while we'll tackle this issue in greater depth. (Because we're deep like that. And sensitive ... wanna go back to my dorm room? I have a guitar.)

This preview is partly for the general hockey audience (Really, I have a guitar! And a lava lamp! You should see it...), but I'll try to add a new spin and incorporate the debates regulars have hashed out here over the past few weeks. Apologies in advance for the obscure movie quotes; I made one The Thin Red Line reference and it just sort of spun out of control from there...

Who's In -- Regulars: John Tavares, Martin Biron, Dwayne Roloson, Jon Sim (via resurrection) | Irregulars: Matt Moulson, Jeremy Reich, Greg Moore(?), Matt Martin(?), any number of journeyman roster aspirants

Who's Out: Andy Hilbert, Mitch Fritz, Thomas Pock, Yann Danis, Joey MacDonald

Where We've Been (2008-09): The bottom. Year zero of the rebuild. Not so much "Tank for Tavares" as "Don't spend a dime replacing 582 man-games of injuries because, well: Tavares." This time last year, we were wondering what was really up with Rick DiPietro and whether it really made sense to keep 2008 1st-rounder Josh Bailey in the NHL for a dismal team season. Now, we're not sweating what's up with DiPietro, and we're remarking at what a fine player Bailey appears to be shaping into. While the worst should be behind us, tough developmental times still lie ahead. I could bore you with numbers, but you saw them before -- and they were all bad.

Last year's blueline was a weakness before Chris Campoli quietly asked out and injuries took out Every. Single. Defenseman. Even team MVP Mark Streit spent time on the shelf. That blueline returns healthy (for now) and with a lot to prove.

Much more after the jump, including how others see the Isles. (Hint: not well.)

Where We're Heading

"There's not some other world out there where everything's gonna be okay. There's just this one, just this rock." (1st Sgt. Edward Walsh/Sean Penn)

Judging by early indications, more of the same -- but with more reason to watch and a higher possible ceiling. Promising two-way center Frans Nielsen is already out 4-6 weeks with arthroscopic knee surgery. Doug Weight and Sean Bergenheim -- who's always on the verge of breaking out -- began the exhibition season with groin injuries before the first period was over. Rising winger Kyle Okposo is out with a concussion thanks to Dion Phaneuf doing, ahem, what Phaneuf "does." [Insert situationally blind hockey cliche here] But by adding two veteran 1A goalies alone, the Islanders are immediately more competitive. Add Tavares to that and another year of progress for Bailey (and Okposo, and Nielsen, and Bergenheim ... if healthy), and you can see where Islanders fans see the future taking shape.

If all of these youngsters play to their capabilities every night, the Islanders have an exciting core developing. Of course, if all youngsters played to their capabilities every night, there'd be enough stars in the NHL to field teams in Kansas City, Winnipeg, Seattle, Saskatoon, Portland (both Portlands!), Hamilton, Yellowknife, and Potosi.

Ones to Watch

Matt Martin has tickled the fancy by scoring and fighting in preseason. Kings reject Moulson, a scorer in the AHL, has created some buzz by scoring 3 goals in 3 games and fitting into Gordon's system. Coming straight from juniors, Martin is more likely headed to Bridgeport for AHL seasoning, but his physical side entices. Meanwhile, the Islanders "other" 2009 1st-round pick Calvin de Haan has already turned heads with his poise and movement -- but he better be headed back to junior.

Most Pivotal Season: Jeff Tambellini

"I seen another world. Sometimes I think it was just my imagination." (Private Witt/James Caviezel)

It's now do or die for Jeff Tambellini, a speedy first-round pick (for Los Angeles) and AHL scoring demon. He'll be 26 before the season's over and he's yet to find his stride in the NHL. Part of that is opportunity; part is confidence. The Islanders now have wingers they trust to score more than him -- but Scott Gordon has dropped hints about him becoming a two-way guy with hands, like the now-departed former AHL scorer Andy Hilbert. Tambellini's two-year, one-way deal expires next summer.

Biggest Hole: Enforcer.

"How many men is it worth? How many lives? One? Two? Twenty? Lives will be lost in your company, Captain. If you don't have the stomach for it, now is the time to let me know." (Lt. Col. Gordon Tall/Nick Nolte)

If you'll disregard for a moment that the Islanders lack enough elite players to challenge for a playoff spot, their biggest hole is a bona fide enforcer, or demonstrable team toughness. It was a complaint for many Isles fans last season, it remains one this fall. I'm no pacifist -- although The Thin Red Line is the best humanist war film ever made -- but I've little patience for doling out $1-million salaries for one-trick-pony enforcers who use circular logic to justify their continued existence in this league.

That said, while Tim Jackman, Nate Thompson and newcomer Jeremy Reich are always game to throw down and 21-year-old Joel Rechlicz is a budding heavyweight enforcer, none strike fear into opponents yet. So every time an Islander skill player takes a big hit -- even if one of the aforementioned pugilists delivers a response -- Islanders fans are going to roar that it wouldn't have happened with Steve Webb or Eric Cairns in the lineup.

Wild Cards and Reinforcements

"To have this battalion relieved in a defeat, or even to have it reinforced by troops from a reserve regiment, if we were stalled before reaching the top, well, Jesus Christ, that's just a hell of a lot more than I could stand! I've waited all my life for this." (Lt. Col. Gordon Tall/Nick Nolte)

The wild cards are the Islanders' young prospects and how Garth Snow performs at the trading deadline, which is what will set up how the team becomes a contender again. Can a guy like Matt Martin make the jump all the way from juniors to a budding power forward in an NHL lineup? (He's looked good in camp, and was one of the 18 players Phaneuf declined to engage in Calgary.) On the blueline, the Islanders have several prospects -- but right now their NHL roster is filled with one-way contracts. Who can steal a job? Who will step in after the inevitable injuries and if the Islanders can unload UFA Andy Sutton at the deadline? Will Rick DiPietro come back -- or towering draftee Mikko Koskinen develop -- in time to deal Biron to Chicago at the trade deadline?

Seen Better Days

"The tough part is, uh... Not knowing if you're doing any good. That's the hard part." (Capt. James Staros/Elias Koteas)

"Boy, that escalated quickly... I mean, that really got out of hand fast." (...Anchorman -- A-ha! Threw you for a loop there, eh? It's not all war and depression and foo-foo speak here...)

Those quotes apply to Brendan Witt, who famously "led" the league in the wrong end of +/-, with a minus-34. The weird thing? It wasn't quite as bad as it looked. He consistently faced the toughest opposition, came back too early from a major knee injury (befitting his "Warrior" rep), had the toughest time stomaching Scott Gordon's system, and actually "slowed" the descent of his plus/minus during the second half of the season. Still, can the stay-at-home Witt be a fit under Gordon's up-tempo regime? Can Witt provide the toughness fans miss?

Coach's Challenge: Player Happiness.

"The only time you should start worrying about a soldier is when they stop bitchin'." (Lt. Col. Gordon Tall/Nick Nolte)

With no clear-cut #1, Scott Gordon will have to keep his two starting goalies happy, while keeping a young team -- and a couple of aging vets -- thinking positively and adhering to his energy-demanding system despite what will likely be another tough season. Part of player appeasement will be figuring out where everyone fits: It's a good thing Doug Weight makes a solid power play point pairing with Mark Streit, because the Islanders have two other very skilled centers in Tavares and Bailey, and Nielsen is no slouch himself. By March, will Weight's role have diminished? Will he welcome a trade?

Which leads us to...

"Shut up in a tomb. Can't lift the lid. Playing a role I never conceived." (Lt. Col. Gordon Tall/Nick Nolte)

Last year's effort was hindered by Witt speaking too frankly about strategic questions he had about Gordon's aggressive style, while veterans like Mike Comrie, Chris Campoli, Bill Guerin (all dealt before the deadline) and Jon Sim (banished to Bridgeport) couldn't fall in line with the youth movement. Will there be similar grumblings this year when veterans are asked to make way for a younger -- and often, frankly, already better -- alternative? If so, will Snow be able to quietly get value for them as he did with Campoli (a second 1st that they used to move up and grab de Haan)?

Who Goes at the Trade Deadline?

"We're living in a world that's blowing itself to hell as fast as everybody can arrange it." (1st Sgt. Edward Walsh/Sean Penn)

Beyond Weight and Sim (who is still effective around the net), Sutton is also a pending UFA. If he can stay healthy for the first time in three seasons, maybe he puts together a strong enough year to fetch a pick at the deadline. Meanwhile, I love Richard Park's speed, versatility and attitude, and he loves being with the Islanders. But as another pending UFA, I'll be surprised if a playoff-bound team doesn't take him away from Garth Snow at the deadline.

Player Least Missed:

"I blew my butt off!" (Sergeant Keck/Woody Harrelson, after accidentally grabbing his grenade by the pin.)

By far, Mike Comrie and his favorite move, which is often like fumbling a grenade in the offensive zone: It might hurt the opponent, but it will more likely blow up in your face.

This Ain't About Hockey

"Property. The whole f#%ing thing's about property." (1st Sgt. Edward Walsh/Sean Penn)

To the Lighthouse Project and the Town of Hempstead that controls its zoning approval. If all goes well, things look up on and off the ice, and the Islanders can look forward to facilities that actually compare favorably to Saskatoon -- and maybe even drawing a free agent or two -- in the future. If not, well the relocation drumbeat will get a little more serious, and you know players are never able to keep that sort of thing out of their heads for long.

"The Plane Has Crashed into the Goddamn Mountain!" (Mr. Lebowski)

Told you we don't just quote heavy movies here. These are things that would make the Islanders season worse than expected:

If Kyle Okposo's concussed head and "Lindros" are ever mentioned in the same sentence
If 39-year-old Roloson gets injured while Biron looks pedestrian
If any of the Islanders UFAs are injured around the trade deadline, like Weight was last year
If the Lighthouse project stalls and becomes a major distraction
If Sean Bergenheim's head or groin prevent him from being the Finnish Force he can be
If Colin Campbell is responsible for anything having to do with an Islanders game

Depth Chart-Like Substance

FORWARDS

Challengers & Call-ups: Rechlicz (enforcer), Jesse Joensuu, Moulson, Trevor Smith, Matt Martin, Jeremy Reich, Greg Moore

DEFENSE

Bruno Gervais | Mark Streit
Brendan Witt | Radek Martinek
Andy Sutton | Freddy Meyer
Jack Hillen

Challengers & Call-ups: Andrew MacDonald, Mark Flood

GOAL

How Others See the Islanders

The easy line would be "in last place." In fact, that accurately reflects pundits' views. Still, you can find out why:

NHL.com Preview: All Eyes on Tavares (and ... Tambellini?)
The Sporting News: Bad news: We're last (or 29th). Good news: We're the Penguins!!!1
TSN.ca: We're 28th, and "shouldn't plan the Stanley Cup parade anytime soon." Thanks! One sage advice deserves another: Don't dry your hair in the bathtub.
PuckDaddy: C's and photoshops and basement-dwelling 'n stuff.
The Hockey News: Tough division means another bottom-dwelling year.
Illegal Curve: Scraping the bottom, maybe with Atlanta's scalp.

So, obviously a wide, wide variety of opinion there. Looks like a toss-up.

Redundant Prediction (for make glorious pundit-like persona of blogger-Slav)

Again, predicting last year's lottery winners to repeat in the East is the easy route. But the Islanders will improve. Problem is, Atlanta and Tampa Bay have improved, too. So if the Islanders move up in the standings, who do they leapfrog? I don't know. But surprises happen and some team always bottoms out [Psst: Yeah, in the West.]. So I'll say they face continued inconvenient injury problems, but solid goaltending helps them leap one or two teams in the East, plus Colorado and Phoenix in the West, and end up 25th or 26th overall.

Yeah, really bold, I know. For more LIGHTHOUSE LOCK PICKS, JUST CALL 1-900-L-I- [click]

"It makes no difference who you are, no matter how much training you got and the tougher guy you might be. When you're at the wrong spot at the wrong time, you gonna get it." (Sergeant Storm/John C. Reilly)

Poll

Where will the Islanders finish in the East?

4

3 votes

5

1 votes

6

5 votes

7

1 votes

8 - Return to the playoffs!

14 votes

9 - Return to the bubble

15 votes

10

8 votes

11

5 votes

12

16 votes

13

14 votes

14

17 votes

15 - Lottery love

39 votes

138 votes | Poll has closed

2009 NHL Free Agency / Teams by Cap Space / Unsigned UFA's and RFA's

Robert L — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 19:19:41 -0000

This is a listing of NHL teams by order of remaining cap space as of July 4. The Islanders top the list with approximately $23M left to spend. The Sharks have just under $2M remaining. The list is helpful in determining which team are closest to filling out their 2009-10 lineup. As one can see, there is much work to be done at both ends of the spectrum. The numbers figures are based on totals given by NHL Numbers.com.

1 - New York Islanders: $23.265 (18)

UFA: Andy Hilbert C 28, Dean McAmmond C 36, Mike Sillinger C 38, Thomas Pock D 27, Yann Danis G 28, Joey MacDonald G 29.

RFA: Nate Thompson C 24, Jeremy Colliton C 24, Jamie Fraser D 23, Jack Hillen D 23.

2 - Phoenix Coyotes: $21.972 (18)

UFA: Brian McGrattan R 27, Dmitri Kalinin D 29, Ken Klee D 38.

RFA: Nigel Dawes L 24, Joakim Lindstrom C 25, Enver Lisin R 23, Scottie Upshall R 25, Daniel Winnik C 24, Keith Yandle D 22.

3 - Atlanta Thrashers: $19.599 (15)

RFA: Eric Perrin C 33.

UFA: Kari Lehtonen G 25, Colby Armstrong R 26, Jim Slater C 26, Boris Valabik D 23.

4 - Nashville Predators: $17.913 (16)

UFA: Radek Bonk C 33, Scott Nichol C 34, Greg de Vries D 36.

RFA: Ryan Jones R 25, Antti Pihlstrom L 24,.

5 - New York Rangers: $16.436 (13)

UFA: Blair Betts C 29, Mark Bell L 28, Patrick Rissmiller C 30, Paul Mara D 29, Derek Morris D 30.

RFA: Christopher Higgins R 26, Ryan Callahan R 24, Brandon Dubinsky C 23, Lauri Korpikoski L 22, Nikolai Zherdev L 24, Corey Potter D 25.

6 - Anaheim Ducks: $14.295 (17)

UFA: Rob Niedermayer F 34, Todd Marchant C 33, Francois Beauchemin D 29, Bret Hedican D 38.

RFA: James Wisniewski D 25.

7 - Tampa Bay Lightning: $14.295 (17)

UFA: Matt Pettinger L 28, Wade Brookbank L 31, Jason Ward R 30, Marek Malik D 34, Josef Melichar D 30, Cory Murphy D 31, Noah Welch D 26.

RFA: Martins Karsums R 23, Radek Smolenak L 22, Matt Lashoff D 22, Matt Smaby D 24, Mike Lundin D 24, Karri Ramo G 22, Mike McKenna G 26.

8 - Columbus Blue Jackets: $13.313 (20)

UFA: Chris Gratton C 33, Manny Malhotra C 29, Michael Peca C 35, Jason Williams C 28, Christian Backman D 29.

RFA: Jiri Novotny C 25, Marc Methot D 24, Ole-Kristian Tollefsen D 25.

9 - Dallas Stars: $13.193 (19)

UFA: Sergei Zubov D 38, Brendan Morrison C 33, Joel Lundqvist C 27, Mark Parrish R 32, Landon Wilson R 34, Tobias Stephan G 25, Darryl Sydor D 37.

RFA: Mark Fistric D 23.

10 - St. Louis Blues: $12.295 (22)

UFA: Trent Whitfield C 32, Dan Hinote R 32, Jay McKee D 31, Manny Legace G 36.

RFA: Brandon Crombeen R 23, Chris Porter C 25, Steve Regier L 24, Roman Polak D 23, Jeff Woywitka D 25, Marek Schwarz G 23.

11 - New Jersey Devils: $12.129

UFA: Brendan Shanahan L 40, Kevin Weekes G 34, Niclas Havelid D NJ.

RFA: Travis Zajac C 24.

12 - Toronto Maple Leafs: $12.022 (20)

UFA: Brad May L 37, Bates Battaglia L 33, Andre Deveaux C 25, Boyd Devereaux C 31, Jeff Hamilton C 31, Kris Newbury C 27, Ben Ondrus R 27, Jay Harrison D 26, Jamie Heward D 38, Martin Gerber G 34, Olaf Kolzig G 39, Curtis Joseph G 42.

RFA: Jeremy Williams R 25, Justin Pogge G 23, Jaime Sifers D 26, Ryan Hollweg C 26.

13 - Chicago Blackhawks: $11.797

UFA: Aaron Johnson D 26.

RFA: Cam Barker D 23, Troy Brouwer R 23, Ben Eager L 25, Colin Fraser C 24, Kris Versteeg R 23.

14 - Colorado Avalanche: $11.654 (15)

UFA: Joe Sakic F 39, Ben Guite R 30, Brian Willsie R 31, Andrew Raycroft G 29.

RFA: Kyle Cumiskey D 22, David Jones R 24, Cody McCormick C 26.

15 - Montreal Canadiens: $10.454 (16)

UFA: Alexei Kovalev F 36, Saku Koivu C 34, Alex Tanguay L 29, Robert Lang C 38, Mathieu Schneider D 40, Tom Kostopoulos R 30, Mathieu Dandenault D 33, Patrice Brisebois D 38, Francis Bouillon D 33, Marc Denis G 31.

RFA: Tomas Plekanec C 26, Matt D'Agostini R 22, Guillaume Latendresse R 22, Kyle Chipchura C 23, Gregory Stewart L 23.

16 - Los Angeles Kings: $10.285 (21)

UFA: Derek Armstrong F 36, Denis Gauthier D 32, Kyle Calder L 30.

RFA: Jack Johnson D 22, Teddy Purcell R 23.

17 - Washington Capitals: $9.720 (15)

UFA: Viktor Kozlov C 34, Alexandre Giroux C 28, Bryan Helmer D 26, Brent Johnson G 32.

RFA: Jeff Schultz D 23, Shaone Morrisonn D 26, Milan Jurcina D 26, Eric Fehr R 23, Boyd Gordon R 25.

18 - Buffalo Sabres: $8.976 (16)

UFA: Matt Ellis L 24, Dominic Moore C 28, Andrew Peters L 29, Teppo Numminen D 40, Maxim Afinogeno F 29,

RFA: Andrej Sekera D 23, Drew Stafford R 23, Clarke MacArthur L 24, Patrick Kaleta R 23.

19 - Florida Panthers: $8.405 (18)

UFA: Ville Peltonen L 36, Richard Zednik L 33, Jassen Cullimore D 36, Nick Boynton D 30.

RFA: Anthony Stewart C 24, Steve Eminger D 25, Tanner Glass L 25.

20 - Carolina Hurricanes: $8.083 (18)

UFA: Ryan Bayda L 28, Dennis Seidenberg D 27.

RFA: Tuomo Ruutu C 26, Anton Babchuk D 25.

21 - Vancouver Canucks: $7.282 (18)

UFA: Mats Sundin C 38, Jason Krog C 33, Rob Davison D 29, Ossi Vaananen D 28, Curtis Sanford G 29, Michel Ouellet R 27.

RFA: Shane O' Brien D 25. Kyle Wellwood C 26, Jannik Hansen R 23.

22 - Minnesota Wild: $6.296 (20)

UFA: Stephane Veilleux L 27, Krys Kolanos C 27, Marc-Andre Bergeron D 28, Kurtis Foster D 27, Martin Skoula D 29.

RFA: Dan Fritsche C 23, Benoit Pouliot L 22, Kyle Brodziak C 25, Josh Harding G 25.

23 - Edmonton Oilers: $6.404 (20)

UFA: Ales Kotalik R 30, Dany Sabourin G 28.

RFA: Liam Reddox L 23, Gilbert Brule C 22, Ryan Potulny C 24, Rob Schremp C 22, Denis Grebeshkov D 25, Ladislav Smid D 23.

24 - Detroit Red Wings: $5.554 (16)

UFA: Darren McCarty R 37, Aaron Downey R 34, Chris Chelios D 47.

RFA: Jiri Hudler C 25, Ville Leino L 25.

25 - Boston Bruins: $5.340 (18)

UFA: Stephane Yelle F 35, P.J. Axelsson L 34, Manny Fernandez G 34.

RFA: Phil Kessel F 21, Matt Hunwick D 24.

26 - Ottawa Senators: $4.649 (22)

UFA: Mike Comrie C 28.

RFA: Brendan Bell D 26, Brian Elliott G 24.

27 - Pittsburgh Penguins: $3.137 (19)

UFA: Mike Zigomanis C 28, James Connor L 26, Miroslav Satan L 34, Petr Sykora R 32, Janne Pesonen L 27, Philippe Boucher D 36.

RFA: Paul Bissonnette R 24, Tim Wallace R 24, Ben Lovejoy D 25, John Curry G 25.

28 - Calgary Flames: $3.053 (19)

UFA: Todd Bertuzzi R 34, Andre Roy R 34, Rhett Warrener D 33.

RFA: Dustin Boyd C 22.

29 - Philadelphia Flyers: $2.125 (20)

UFA: Josh Gratton L 26, Boyd Kane L 31, Andrew Alberts D 28, Lasse Kukkonen D 27, Martin Biron G 31, Antero Niittymaki G 29.

RFA: Jared Ross C 26, Danny Syvret D 24.

30 - San Jose Sharks: $1.774 (16)

UFA: Claude Lemieux R 43, Jeremy Roenick C 39, Tom Cavanagh R 27, Alexei Semenov D 28, Mike Grier R 34, Marcel Goc C 25, Tomas Plihal L 26, Lukas Kaspar L 23.

RFA: Torrey Mitchell C 24, Thomas Greiss G 23, Brad Staubitz R 24.

By the Numbers: Islanders 2008-09

Dominik — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 00:34:19 -0000

More photos » by Kathy Willens - AP

The Islanders were 1-6-1 without team MVP Mark Streit, who played a team-high 74 games in 2008-09.

Browse more photos »

Though the playoffs, draft and free agency will capture the attention of this blog from now through the summer, we'll sprinkle retrospective posts here and there, too.

Sure, 2008-09 was ugly, but it doesn't hurt to look back now and then. I'll always view it as Year One of the rebuild that Garth Snow was authorized to begin in earnest in Summer 2008. We'll see how important Year One was in a few years, when we can judge if it was the start of something big ... or just another restart.

In a sense, though, it was easy: While going back to square one with this franchise tested our patience, it was also the simplest step ("Destroy everything. Replace from within. Accept losses for the sake of youth evaluation."). The truly difficult decisions begin now.

On that note, our first look back is the easy one: by the numbers. (Admittedly, part of the purpose of this particular post is to create a place where I can lazily refer to these without digging them up again...):

582 (unofficial count) -- Number of man-games lost to injury. From Rick DiPietro's lost season to 28-year-old rookie Kurtis McLean's cup of coffee cut short by a pre-game soccer warmup achilles injury, the Islanders were in triage all season long. No regular escaped the injury list, and only two players managed 70 games played.

1-6-1 -- The Islanders' record when team MVP and summer free agent coup Mark Streit was out of the lineup.

74 -- Number of games played by Streit, the highest total on the team.

59 -- Games played by defenseman Thomas "the Mole" Pock, a preseason waiver claim from the {gasp!} Rangers. He logged 22:25 in his 2nd game, and 7:05 in his 2nd-to-last appearance. He is an unrestricted free agent.

18 -- Goals by top goalscorer Kyle Okposo, in 65 games played.

198 -- Goals scored by the Isles, above only Colorado's 190. Remarkably, 198 was an improvement over 2007-08, when the team managed 189 (30th). The franchise-low is 170, during the expansion season (78 games) in 1972-73. While a sub-200 season is a rarity, the Islanders scored only 185 as recently as 2000-01, during the 52-point season.

61 -- Standings points, including consolation points from 5 SO losses, 3 OT losses, and bonus points from 3 SO wins.

274 -- Goals allowed (8 empty-netters), ahead of only Atlanta (279) and Toronto (286). A 34-goal increase over last season's 240 (23rd).

-34 -- Brendan Witt's plus/minus, which, um, "stabilized" at Game 51, when Witt hit -29 in the 3-2 loss to Florida Feb. 5. Witt is signed through 2010-11 at $3M per.

45.7% -- Faceoff win pct., ahead of only Phoenix (44.8%). In the seven games of his injury-wrecked season, Mike Sillinger still took 122 faceoffs and won 58.2% of them.

7 -- Number of Islanders to score in double-digits -- 8 if you count Bill Guerin, who had 16 when he was traded for what became Pittsburgh's 3rd-round pick.

5 -- Number of game-winning goals by Sean Bergenheim (out of 15 total for Bergie), which led the team. If Bergie doesn't hit 20 goals next year, it will be due to injury or other calamity. He's signed through next year, when he'll become an RFA.

21 -- Players who played for both AHL Bridgeport and the Islanders this year. (Thanks to Tom of The Tiger Track for the correction in comments.)

4 -- Goalies used by the Islanders, including Joey MacDonald (49 GP) and Yann Danis (31), who each got their first NHL shutouts, and Peter Mannino, who stopped 40 Blackhawk shots in his first NHL win.

.903 -- Team save percentage, which ranked 24th in the league.

1 -- Where the Islanders finished in their most important contest of the season: the NHL Draft Lottery.

That's all for now. We might add to this post as the summer goes on. Have more numbers? Find an error? Have a "yes, but that's misleading" explanation? Leave those and other retrospective thoughts in comments.

Vacation time: Islanders eye Florida sweep with dads in tow

Dominik — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 10:30:06 -0000

Worried about the Islanders' win streak spoiling their lottery chances? I've got just the jinx: The Islanders are half way through a four-game sweep of Florida -- and they're bringing their dads along to finish the job. That's right, if things go "well," we may have to steal a moment at a desk down the hall and once again (dis)honor Sleek's mad state cartoon humor.

In truth, I missed my chance when both Florida teams came through and had a mickey slipped into their Long Island iced tea. But I'm lazy and forgetful.

New York Islanders (16-29-5, 30th) at Florida Panthers (24-18-8, 8th/E)

7:30 p.m. EST | some bank (those still exist?) Center | MSG+

Panthers rebuttals: Litter Box Cats | Cat Scratch | Panthers on the Prowl

Real cause for concern? Mark Streit has an "upper body ~~sprain~~" [correction: Sorry, that should be "strain," which is less serious], which is about what you feared if you saw him wincing with the trainer on the bench the other night. The loss of Thomas Pock fills me with ennui -- but the addition of both Jack Hillen and Joe Callahan will be an interesting test. Between Streit and Pock, that's 30+ minutes being replaced by the subsequent depth dominos. I imagine Gordon is going to lean heavily on his top four, like he did after Streit left the Lightning game.

Meanwhile, it will be interesting how the Panthers handle the crux of their playoff push with stories about Jay-Bo's trade status hitting every day for the next month. So far, so good -- especially now that they escaped the media horde known as Canada. But you know how crazy the deadline gets. TSN has already launched "TradeCentre" shows.

I have been watching several lottery-eligible teams lately, because such is my lot in life. After blowing a 3-1 home lead to these here Cats the previous night, the Maple Leafs absolutely wilted to the Sabres last night, losing 5-0 as Vanek cakewalked.

Now, I've been flippant about the lottery situation this season -- in part because the Isles dug such a big hole that it would be hard for others to "catch" up. But combine this winning run with tanktastic performances like that put on by the Leafs this week, and I start to wonder, or worry, or whatever that uncomfortable feeling is that includes contradictory tanking-hope for the future and competitive-hope for the present. I mean, if the Leafs are gonna play it like that, then the Isles will have to rethink tank alignment strategy.

Prediction? This feels like 3-3, with Florida "winning" in a shootout.

Out of nowhere, an Islanders 3-game win streak

Dominik — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 08:21:06 -0000

A home win in the elegant retro blues with Kyle Okposo scoring yet again (though credit to the PP rather than the Kid Line this time)? Nice.

I was sorry to miss this one live -- big thanks to the Litter Box Cats gang for trying to stir up an active game thread here. You know, all the real Islanders fans were at the game, I'm sure ;-) The game thread is an acquired taste.

Game Summary | Event Summary | Islanders site recap

Final - 1.31.2009	1	2	3	Total
Florida Panthers	0	0	1	1
New York Islanders	1	0	2	3

Complete Coverage >

In a quick skim of the game, I was stunned by Bill Guerin's many dekes through the Panthers defense that took him all the way to the net for a great chance in the second. His pretty spinaround for his second goal was less flashy but with a better payoff. Big ups to Thomas Vokoun for the gimme on Mike Comrie's goal to open scoring.

Most interesting stat standout: Thomas Pock with a meager 8:45 of TOI. A recognition of his ceiling? Just coincidence of special teams situations? The next lowest total was his partner Chris Campoli with 14:53. The other four D had 20+ minutes. An ex-Ranger waiver claim, Pock has always struck me as a #7 at best -- at least at this point in his career.

Speaking of D, Scott Gordon on continuing adjustments/improvement to defensive coverage:

Since the beginning of December we started to touch on things that we needed to clean up. It's been a work in progress but it's getting better. Obviously having guys in the lineup that are in shape now because they're not coming off the injury list makes it that much better.

Gordon also had very kind words for K.O. and Yann Danis -- who was just a couple minutes shy of a shutout before the Disciplinarian's son stole it from him like an incongruent suspension. Have to say The Maven's between-period interview with Mike Comrie put Comrie in a good, insightful light. Let's hear it for thoughtful player interviews for the fans!

Not sure what to make of this three-game win streak. Suddenly the Islanders are just four points back of 29th-place Atlanta -- with two games in hand. At least this win came at home, in front of fans who deserve a good show.

But for the second consecutive game at the Coliseum, the Panthers didn't bring their best stuff. Surely they'll be thinking revenge in the rematch next week -- but then you'd think that would have been the case tonight after their New Year's no-show ... wouldn't you?

Versus brings out the Patrick Division in Isles-Flyers

Dominik — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 06:34:05 -0000

Interesting game. Classic Patrick Division-style tilt. Lots to cover, so let's jump right to it. I'm talking Brendan Witt's health, the Pock(x) on our house, the Comeau/Tambellini contrast, the Josh Bailey WJC question (and his declining play), Fritz v. Cote video, plus some random game-specific observations.

One thing I don't feel bad about, though, even though it will go into the TV announcer handbook alongside this season's real collapses, is the "blown 2-0 lead." A brief first-period 2-0 lead is not the same as carrying a two-goal lead into the third. It's just not. This was not the plague we saw vs. Pittsburgh or Montreal or Atlanta.

[Event Summary | Boxscore | Game Summary | NHL recap]

First, Brendan Witt: The Islanders' goals against were down to poor defensive coverage in the Flyers' transition game, and Brendan Witt was one of the culprits. Caps fan 'jobe' stopped by the game thread last night, mentioned that he likes Brendan Witt [so many Caps fans still do, for reasons we easily understand], but observed that "Witt looked shaky."

I think Witt has looked shaky ever since he came back. He is just not moving well -- looks awkward even in his stance. Whether or not he's fit for the puck-moving part of "Overspeed" is currently beside the point: His defensive mobility is suffering right now. He probably came back too soon from the knee injury (the medical specifics of which we never received, but we saw the gruesome collision). That seems to be a habit of Isles, coming back too soon (hey Comrie, hey DP), but you expect it with Witt because he makes his living jumping on grenades for teammates. It's just too soon even for Witt right now.

Pock(x) and Callahan: That said, I don't know who fills in if we give Witt a rest. Andy Sutton, who missed last night with the flu, has not looked fantastic. And Thomas "Pox on our houses" made another junior league defensive turnover last night. He just has not impressed me, and I'm ready to move past this waiver claim -- or let him develop in Bridgeport, whatever -- but I'd rather have Hillen up at this point. Next in line: Joe Callahan looked decent in 13:45 his NHL debut, although on the winning goal he should have seen that drop-pass coming from a mile away. Still, I'm ready for another look.

Mitch Fritz v. Riley Cote (who I idiotically called "Cole" all last night): Wow. I'm not a fight aficionado, but wow. It amazes me anytime someone takes on the Andre the Giant reach Fritz. It's unfair. So Cote wisely brought Fritz in close, and they each bashed each other bloody. (Speaking of Cote, his hit on Sim to create the Asham goal was excellent, and Asham's sniper shot upstairs was the kind of brilliant shot every ruffian who makes it to the NHL has hidden somewhere in his arsenal.)

Blake Comeau, He's no Jeff Tambellini: Isn't it just perfect that Comeau scores in his third game back? And on a slightly lucky bounce of his own making (Tamby could find nor create no luck up here)? It's funny that we're going through the same thing we went through last year: Isles fans discovering the bundle of hockey sense that is Comeau, while wondering why Tambellini can't translate gaudy AHL numbers into some crumb of NHL success.

I don't know if Comeau came into training camp like a bold youngster who thought his spot was sewn after last year, or what. But for this Islander fan who couldn't see him in the preseason and didn't see him in Bridgeport, it's like nothing changed since the end of last year. He's good, he goes to the right spots, and he just had to serve a coach's banishment to the 'A' before returning.

If you consider that the Isles will add a top-end young talent or two (or four) in the next year or two, I feel pretty good about Kyle Okposo, Josh Bailey, Frans Nielsen and Comeau being in that bunch.

Josh Bailey, What to Do? Chris Botta re-ignited the debate on Josh Bailey and the WJC, and the majority of respondents said, "Send him!" Before the decision not to return him to Windsor was made, Garth Snow indicated that if he stayed, he'd be an Islander (thus, not a Canada Jr.) all season. But that was when the guise of staying in the playoff hunt was still on. Now it's not.

So would Bailey benefit from being a leader at the WJC? Possibly. Would the current Islanders miss him? Not necessarily -- the kid's play has really receded lately, and while the Isles can't replace his skill right now, a change -- or an interruption in the long NHL season -- might do him good. (Yes, that was Mike Sillinger, 37 and coming off extensive hip surgery, who replaced Bailey and ignited the Hunter line the other night in Toronto.)

That said, this is why it was a gamble to keep Bailey in the first place. Even with the injury delay, the decision-making time came at a moment when it still looked like the Isles maaaaaybe could stay in the hunt all season long. Now, a few weeks later, his contract (and the free agency clock) has started, and we're wondering if he might benefit from ... junior competition.

An Officiating Quibble: This was the first time all season (perhaps becaue the Islanders have fallen on their sword quite enough) where I felt frustration and a referee's poor call affecting the game outcome. Given the physicality of the game and the proximity of the puck, Witt's "interference" call made no sense to me. He was maintaining position in front of his own goal, and his opponent fell. B.S. That said, as mentioned the Isles should have read that drop pass that led to Simon Gagne's PP slapper goal 11 seconds later. Just shows how thin the margin of error is now.

The Big Picture: We all knew the playoffs were a lost cause this season, we just didn't want to tell Bill Guerin or Doug Weight that (and thankfully, they haven't listened). But a little while ago, it looked like maybe they'd maintain the ruse for a good first-half run. Now at 10-16-2, though, that's over. So it's important they maintain a positive atmosphere, because there's a long season ahead and a lot of development under a long-term coach yet to come.

The UFAs "trade or not to trade" decision is likewise a long way off (and I'm not certain that any of Weight, Guerin or Sillinger will want to go anywhere). But Weight will soon get his 1000th point in an Islanders uniform, and Sillinger has gone right back to a ridiculous faceoff success rate (16-9, compared to Weight's 7-11 and Bailey taking fewer now). So if teams have a need, the Isles will certainly have some desirable assets to deal.

... And that is all. Overall, I'm ticked at the Witt call, but it was a good game, and the Islanders impressed with their effort and pressure in a rare national TV appearance. The fight continues Thursday in Pittsburgh...

Without explicit policy, NHL suspensions will never make sense

Dominik — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 21:28:09 -0000

"They may think we're targeting the Islanders. But we take each incident as separate, even if the fans and the general managers feel like there's a connection."

>>Colin Campbell

He's right. Many Islanders fans think there is a direct bias. I myself do not. I do think there could be an unconscious bias -- in the sense that it's easier to make bold decisions and "make examples" that enrage only a quasi-"small market" team's fans and media on Long Island, rather than decisions that enrage all of Canada and its media. (Islander Thomas Pock's suspension was such an example ... an example not followed one week later.)

But bias isn't my concern here. My concern is that we never, ever know what a suspension will be nor why. Specifically, my concern begins with this: "We take each incident as separate, even if [every one else in the known universe] feels like there's a connection."

Maybe that's the problem. The NHL Circus Office of Mysterious Disciplinary Action wakes up each day with a new standard. They "take each incident as separate," so no one -- not fans watching, not players doing the would-be hurting, not coaches doing the "go get him" inciting, not GMs doing the calling up of replacements for injured/suspended players -- no one knows what is proper, nor what the consequences of a particular act of carelessness or revenge will entail.

No one knows how much it matters what side of the bed Campbell and crew woke up on, nor how much it matters if the victim is Sidney Crosby or just some young Islanders prospect. We don't know how much it matters if it's Montreal-Toronto on Hockey Night in Canada, or Atlanta-Florida on FSN-Contraction. We don't know if it matters if the player in question owes money to Phil Anschutz. We don't even know if -- and by how much -- it matters when the crime takes place in a playoff game.

Why? Because there is no set policy, no set list of consequences, no set of no-nos, Big No-Nos, and Absolutely Never-Evers. It's futile to look at past incidents (and punishments) as a guide because "each incident is separate." As with life, an NHLer's disciplinary fate is in the hands of unseen forces.

Hard to toe the line when you don't know where the line is drawn.

If Campbell and his crew make these decisions by themselves, why not explain the concerns and guides that go into each decision? They could come up with a check list of dangers and conditions that influence their thinking. They could even go through the angles of the hit and publicly discuss their perceptions, like Islander Outsider did here.

Ah, but information? That's not how the NHL rolls.

It's no wonder some players act like there are no consequences: Sometimes there are in fact consequences, but who can guess what they will be? The week Nielsen was hit, apparently a league memo went out noting that hits to the head would be watched. Intended hits to the head (and neck, and chin) that barely miss? Not so much.

Which results in the following collection of "each is separate" incidents:

Aggressor A, gliding slowly, has a puck carrier move around him, and he instinctively throws out his elbow (a horrible instinct) to impede the puck carrier. The elbow hits the puck carrier in the head and gives him a concussion. Five games for Thomas Pock. Justice served.
Aggressor B, a known agitator (does that matter?), taking a swooping turn to take aim at a player several strides away, delivers an elbow to the head (a malicious, very arguably premeditated tactic), without causing a concussion. Two games for Jarkko Ruutu.
Aggressor C, zooming laterally across his own zone, times his run around one opposing winger so he can deliver a booming check -- leaving his feet and leading with his elbow (two horrible habits) -- to a player who doesn't see him (not because his head is down, mind you, but because his view of the incoming missile is obscured by two other players). Now, because Aggressor C's victim saw him coming at the last moment, he ducks back. Thanks to that duck, the leading elbow does not crack his skull -- instead, the raised forearm and glove connected to that elbow smack him in the neck and chin, and the consequent buckling results in ankle/knee injuries that will keep him out 2-3 months. Two games for Mike Mottau.

"It was a tough one and we beat ourselves up about it all night," Campbell told Newsday on Monday morning. "We had 8-to-10 guys look at it, and after the hearing [Saturday morning], we took a couple extra hours to talk about it."

What does this mean, exactly? I am thrilled that Campbell and crew talked about it a lot. That's great -- even part of the job, you might say. The apparent agony of the decision warms my heart. But what did they discuss over these many hours? What standards (if any) are in play to guide their decision? What was said at the hearing? If "every incident is separate," what is the evidence-in-a-vacuum that determines any wrong, and how much punishment that wrong deserves?

Pock was contrite immediately following his hit; must've made it easy on the league. Mottau, on the other hand, was laughing in the penalty box, and later said, "If he didn't twist his knee up, he would have been fine." (No, buddy. If he didn't duck -- which twisted his knee up -- he'd have been out cold.)

This is yet another area where the NHL's lack of explicit communication with its constituents does everyone a disservice -- Campbell's reputation included. They could establish a thorough policy on acceptable checking tactics and acceptable evasive maneuvers (e.g. Is it OK to duck when a guy tries to take your head off? Is it OK to turn your face to the boards to ensure that if an incoming checker hits you, he's illegally hitting you from behind? Is it OK to line someone up from a zone away and, upon arrival, get your elbows up -- as long as your elbow misses? We fans generally don't think so, but the message from the league is muddy as usual).

They could release an explicit rendition of their suspension decisions, and how they're made. Instead we get this, to a Newsday columnist:

"It just wasn't a flagrant elbow to the head, the way the Pock one was."

Gee, thanks! The official NHL release says he was suspended "for an incident that took place during NHL Game #280 last night against the New York Islanders." That's it.

Apparently -- now we don't know this, because even though Campbell commented on this incident, "we take each incident as separate" -- it matters that Pock's elbow caused a direct head injury, whereas Mottau's direct attempted elbow did not cause a direct head injury. Never mind that Frans Nielsen probably avoided the head injury by leaning back -- and that duck/lean back was part of the process that caused 2-3 months' worth of leg injuries.

So if a guy knocks your head out through a poor but unpremeditated move, its five games. If a guy tries to take your head off and fails (Ruutu), it's two games. If a guy tries to take your head off but fails because you ducked -- and in the process of ducking, you wrecked your ankle/knee (this is the NHL, so info is scarce) for 8-12 weeks? Two games.

Until next time, when it just might be different. Or not. Make sense?

Rematch: Isles look to sweep Senators

Dominik — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 18:36:07 -0000

Ottawa Senators (6-8-2) at New York Islanders (5-9-2)

7:00 p.m. EST | Nassau Coliseum | MSG+2 (!)

Sens blogs: Scarlett Ice | Sens Army | Battle of Ontario | The Program

The Senators announcers were talking a big game before the first of this home-and-home Thursday night. Chirping that the "30th-place Islanders" were just what the Senators needed. That was just one sign that they'd skimped on their homework.

The in-studio host, who has one of those cheesedog Troy McClure anchor voices, made enough factual errors that -- had it come from an American announcer -- would have sent some Canadian fans into full-on Hockey Jingoism Mode. Really, sir, Kyle Okposo is picking up that puck because it's Josh Bailey's first NHL point -- not Okposo's. Okposo -- I know he's new -- is working on NHL point #11.

Meanwhile, the play-by-play gang, including Shawn Van Allen, informed us that "injuries have forced Mark Streit to play many more minutes than expected, as he was mostly a powerplay guy with Montreal." No, sir, the Islanders signed Streit -- and Streit came to Long Island -- precisely to play those minutes. Even the "sad-sack" Islanders would not shell out $20.5M, five years for a Marc-Andre Bergeron.

But that's neither here nor there. It just always strikes me when I get a Canadian broadcasting feed -- where we're told to expect God's Gift to Announcing -- and instead get someone else's gift entirely.

The Islanders have a chance to even their record with the Senators -- which means decidedly different things to each club. The Islanders are in up-front rebuilding mode; the Senators are wondering whether their window has prematurely closed.

On a Saturday night at home, after handily outplaying Ottawa Thursday, this should make for an entertaining rematch.

Sadly, Ryan Shannon is out after receiving the foolish elbow to the head by Thomas Pock. But Pock did Isles fans (and coach Scott Gordon) a favor by taking himself out of the lineup through disciplinary action. We were ready for him to sit, anyway, and Radek Martinek is ready to step in. The Senators have recalled a talent named Ilya Zubov to take the place of Shannon -- who himself was filling in for the also-suuspenndded (oh, for shame) Jaarkkoo Ruuttuu. Sorry to miss ya'. Maybe next time, Jarkko.