SB Nation - Andrew MacDonald

Smurfs 5, Islanders 2: Goaltending, special teams, the end

Dominik — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 05:52:33 -0000

What a difference 24 hours makes -- though not quite in the "let's get revenge" burst one might have expected to see. The Islanders still got the first nine shots of the game, aided by some merited powerplays. But they exited the first period outshooting the Rangers 14-4, yet behind in goals 2-0. Henrik Lundqvist shut the door; at the other end, Dwayne Roloson didn't bail out the few early Islanders mistakes. A stark disparity in special teams efficiency (which is always strongly tied to goaltending) completed the story.

Game Sum. | Event Sum. | Recaps: nhl.com | Isles | Blueshirt Banter

Final - 12.17.2009	1	2	3	Total
New York Rangers	2	1	2	5
New York Islanders	0	1	1	2

Complete Coverage >

There is a nascent body of evidence that suggests playing the same goalie on back-to-back nights is not the best move if you have a viable alternative. But with Roloson's play and his 2-0 record against the Rangers before Thursday, I was happy to accept this night as an exception. I was probably wrong. Live and learn.

I'm not hanging all of this on Roloson by any means. The Islanders had some rough luck, Lundqvist was sound all night long, and the Isles never really got the in-close high shots and rebounds that are required to beat Lundqvist when he's on his game.

But in clear contrast to the previous night at the Garden, Roloson never looked very sharp, and even on non-goals his side-to-side movements were late or misaligned.

The Rangers certainly played better and more spirited. But the final score flattered them -- again, they got good breaks on Roloson, Vinny Prospal narrowly avoided knocking the Isles net off on their first goal, Chris Drury somehow actually scored, and the 5-on-3 call that put the game out of reach was an embarrassing display of officiating.

Still, the sum of all parts earned the Smurfs this win. But Lundqvist's was by far the biggest part, and without him they'd probably be stewing over another display of flaws (outshot in every period, and 37-22 overall) rather than celebrating an easy win. In short, that team's going to be in the dirty section of the standings for a while -- and I wouldn't credit tonight to any magical Tortorella Tirade.

We can only hope there isn't another Bob Gainey waiting by the phone to take their cap mistakes off their hands.

After the Garden victory, statman Eric noted how rare the Islanders' intended task was: They have only swept a back-to-back home-and-home with the Rangers two times in history:

The Isles swept the home in home on November 21/22, 1981 (4-3 and 7-2) and on October 19/20, 2005 (3-2 in a shootout, and 5-4).

(Eric also reported that the win at the Garden was just the second road divisional win of Scott Gordon's tenure. Pretty remarkable, albeit reflective of last year's struggles and (much) tougher divisional opponents.)

Goal Scoring, or Lack Thereof

So we know the Islanders are heavily reliant on John Tavares and Matt Moulson for scoring. When those two don't score -- and without Kyle Okposo, that's more often than with him -- the Isles rely on a balance of uncertain secondary scoring. And often, on a shallow-depth team, that secondary scoring goes dark. Which is why they have 12 goals in their last 7 games.

Nate Thompson's open-net miss was stunning, but that's hardly the problem. Maybe it's reflective of part of the problem, which is that this team is simply offensively snakebit right now. But whether your checking line and PK center is getting a couple goals isn't the make-or-break sign of offensive health: No, that's more to do with whether whoever's on JT/Moulson's wing is contributing, whether Frans Nielsen and Josh Bailey and Kyle Okposo are scoring, and whether a Rob Schremp or a Jeff Tambellini is helping the powerplay tick. Tonight the powerplay looked promising at first, but Lundqvist's play -- that early save on Schremp most of all -- seemed to deflate them, and the unit ended up 0 for 7.

Telling individual stats, for me: Kyle Okposo had six shots, Trent Hunter had seven (and some tough luck), and John Tavares had four. Lundqvist stopped them all.

Or, as Scott Gordon put it:

"You're not going to hear any complaints from my side," he said. "I think it's obvious what it was. The guy with the pads on in the other net was pretty good. At the end of the day, had there been another goalie in the net, we might have won this 6-5."

That's probably a little too nice. Even without Lundqvist in net, the Islanders offense has flaws. But yeah, without him it's a different game.

Andrew MacDonald: Keeper

One guy who was a surprise help to the powerplay was Andrew MacDonald on the second unit. Wow. I've been impressed by this guy's quietly solid defensive play all along, but his confidence on the puck with the extra man was a revelation. He looked like a, heh, "young" Jack Hillen. Just reward, then, that he popped his first NHL goal in from the point later on at even strength. Congratulations to #47, who I continue to hope sticks around a while. I can think of three defensemen I'd scratch before him.

The Bailey Project

Some of us talked a few days ago: How long do you run Josh Bailey out at wing? We figured 5-6 games before you reassess and hopefully move him back, unless Rob Schremp is lighting the world on fire. He's been steadily improving his play on the wing, but I can't help mourning his potential at center, where he can be a bigger part of play (on his good nights, which were few this year). Still, keeping him at the wing for a while shouldn't sabotage him: He's got a level head, and it's not unheard of to put a young center at wing to learn the NHL ropes before being set loose. We'll see how this goes.

Faceoffs: No Home Advantage Tonight

Schremp was 1-6 on faceoffs, Nielsen was 4-10, Tavares was 4-9. They had some losses on the powerplay that didn't help the unit. But Nielsen won a big one that led to MacDonald's goal, and his deflection after a nice combo from Blake Comeau to Andy Sutton was a nice subtle touch, albeit after the game was out of reach.

Ahead: Visit from the Habs

Saturday the long December continues. I hope we don't have to talk about a Rangers hangover. The last two home games, for two completely different reasons, have been lopsided losses. I trust Saturday night will be better.

Islanders Matinee: Shout at the Devils

Dominik — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 11:00:13 -0000

If the Islanders have to play back-to-back afternoon games, at least today's opponent has to do the same. The Devils withstood a shot-heavy day (37-33, video and insight at ILWT) in Boston yesterday to tie 1-1 and win the shootout.

The Isles, meanwhile, gave the kind of 60-minute effort we've been pining for, impressing home fans (and even bringing some fas back after years of tested faith).

New York Islanders (10-9-7, t-3rd/Atl) at New Jersey Devils (16-6-1, 2nd/Atl)

1 p.m. EST | [a rocky non-Scout place] Center | MSG, MSG+, radio

Lamorell-atanic Verses: In Lou We Trust

Andrew MacDonald was called back up last night. We haven't seen enough of him, but I wouldn't call you crazy if you thought the Islanders' top four blueliners were in order: Mark Streit, Jack Hillen, Andy Sutton and MacDonald. But Sutton left yesterday's third period with a groin injury, so take him out. No big hip checks today.

Not that the Devils will shed a tear. They've been banged up all year, which is why our spring romance Dean McAmmond is up with them. Jay Pandolfo, Rob Niedermayer, Danius Zubrus, Paul Martin and Johnny Oduya are all still out. If the Islanders had that kind of talent on the shelf, well, they'd be in one miserable state. The Devils? They're 16-6-1.

A little food for thought on Islanders goalies and goal songs after the jump...

Goaltender Gazing

In 15 games, at 5-on-5 the Islanders have scored 34 goals for Dwayne Roloson, while giving up 33. For Martin Biron's 12 games, that figure is 11 5-on-5 goals for, 19 goals allowed. Shorthanded, per 60 minutes of 4-on-5 (PK) time, Biron is giving up about 10.4 goals. Roloson is giving up less than half that.

Their GAAs (Roloson: 2.80; Biron: 2.78) and save percentages (.916 vs. .913) are very similar, but their win-loss records (8-2-5 vs. 2-7-2) are quite different. The above differences may be part of the reason: The Islanders are giving Roloson more goal support, and their penalty killing unit (of which, granted, the goalie is the most important part) has been weaker for Biron. Just some food for thought to keep in mind while watching today's game.

Coach Gazing

Because I love watching coaches have to translate post-game for the media -- whether they're as engaging as Pat Quinn or as reserved as Scott Gordon. Here's Gordon, considerably less agitated than he was after the sleepy third period vs. the Flyers:

Goal Song: The Topic That Never Dies

They're holding a vote on the official site for a new (or the same) goal song. I am on record as saying I've never lacked for direction after a goal is scored: I cheer and clap my head off and don't even notice what sheep-guiding song is supposed to lead us to do whatever it is they want us to do whenever it is they want us to do it. I prefer organic celebration to spoon-fed singalong.

But if it's a singalong they're after, that "Bro Hymn" song sure sounds filled with "heys" and what-not. If it's my bias they're after, that Zombie Nation "Kernkraft 400" song has a place in my heart: The first time I heard it was in 1999 at an outdoor rally in Munich for their soccer team Bayern Munchen. The players came out in the town square wearing liederhosen. (Of course!)

Strangely, a few years later this song was popping up on the American sports scene, and I had the out-of-body experience of realizing that a European soccer celebration with pro athletes wearing liederhosen was, somehow, ahead of its time.

And you? Since Gary Glitter isn't an option, what's your preference for the goal song? You can also choose "just a little organ and a whole lot of crowd yellin'" if you want.

Prediction: Not many goals are scored today. The goal song vote -- which ends Dec. 4 -- satisfies no one.

Note: I'm not certain I'll put up a separate in-game thread today, so if this is the last post at game time, then just consider this your thread for random in-game observations and tomfoolery.

Islanders Gameday: All hockey roads lead to Toronto

Dominik — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 11:15:08 -0000

Be honest: In your wildest dreams, did you expect the Maple Leafs to be this bad through a quarter of the season? After a shootout "win" over the vaunted Capitals in perhaps Vesa Toskala's best game since 2007-08, they are nine points behind our Islanders.

Just 21 games in, it's reasonable to expect things to get a little better for the Leafs. Already 21 games in, it's unreasonable to expect they won't be giving Boston at least a top-10 pick.

Last Year's Worst Team (8-8-7, 23rd) @ This Year's Worst Team (4-11-6, 30th)
7 p.m. EST | [they fly aeroplanes] Centere | MSG+, radio
Hub of Leaf Raking: Pension Plan Puppets

But for tonight anything goes, as a suddenly whimpering road trip comes to a close with John Tavares's first NHL visit to Toronto, where 100 family and friends are expected and 2,000 media members will eat each other for a bite of manufactured controversy in the Center of the Universe.

Another uncharacteristic Leafs goalie performance could turn this one. A big special teams night could be the difference. A ref's call that enrages Leafs fans could do it. Or, like Saturday in St. Louis, it could come down to one club winning 5-on-5 running away. But I'm expecting goals, as these two coaches think offense first -- even if neither has quite enough offense to make that philosophy pay off (Toronto: 2.52 GF/gm, 23rd; NYI: 2.70, 18th).

Win, and the Islanders' seven-game trip finishes 3-2-2. Lose outright, and their total regulation losses will have increased by 50% in the course of a single weekend. Go to overtime, and the ambiguous misery of the NHL's "The People Demand a Winner" bonus-point system means you can spin half of these results in any myriad of ways.

Missed Opportunity

The Islanders had two chances this weekend to pull ahead of the Rangers, who lost to Florida and are now 11-10-1. Now, life does not revolve around the team my dad called the Short Island Smurfs (supposedly thanks to broadcasting legend Gus Kyle, though I've never found a second source for that). But no matter the year, it's fun to feel some schadenfreude toward the Rangers. Perhaps tonight we leap into fourth place in the Atlantic, if only for just a moment?

Lineup Shenanigans

Defense: Brendan Witt will re-enter the lineup. Maybe we'll get an update and I'll edit this post, but is anyone else hoping Andrew MacDonald is not the one who sits in his stead? Just 23, the Judique, Nova Scotia native (you have to pull for hockey's Maritime* natives, no?) and '06 6th-rounder has been a bit of a revelation, doing everything necessary at Bridgeport and now in the NHL to prove he deserves a longer look, with a tougher load.

*Random fact: The combined population of Canada's three Maritime provinces is about one-fourth of Long Island's.

I never do this with such a small sample as three games, but here I go, so never say never: MacDonald's relative +/- (i.e. +/- per 60 minutes relative to his teammates -- it's the "Rating" column in the following link) looks positively lovely in comparison to his teammates. Now, that's in limited and possibly protected minutes (his quality of teammates is high, and quality of competition is low -- in a minimal sample). By not being on the ice for a 5-on-5 goal against yet, he looks good, period. I've seen him make just one defensive play that looked really bad and several defensive plays that looked really good. With Radek Martinek gone for the year, MacDonald is at minimum our #7 defenseman. Seems we should see whether he's worthy of the spot, no?

The Tambellini Situation: I have never spoken with Scott Gordon and do not have the luxury of deciphering his code in person. But everything about how he's handled #15 tells me he believes he's just a guy with scoring punch who must adapt his game to a "hustling, physical 3rd-liner" in order to earn a spot game after game. Somewhat like Blake Comeau, as a matter of fact. What always rings in my head is Gordon's comparison of Tamby to Andy Hilbert's career trajectory, in terms of adapting his game to the NHL (apologies, but I can't remember if it was Logan or Botta who got that quote, and my archives aren't clear on it). Or as Gordon told Katie Strang last week:

"Going to the tough areas, winning puck battles, getting into shooting lanes," Gordon said of the details lacking from Tambellini lately."When you stop doing the little things and you don't score, what are your contributions?"

I don't have a problem with that. (Admittedly, I have flip-flopped on Tambellini's ceiling 100 times in the last 3-plus years.) If he went on some sort of Moulson tear, maybe the view would change (again) and his evolution would continue. I know some here want to see him in a featured role; hell, if I were coach I'd at least not sit him for five or three games at a time.

But there are a lot -- a ton -- of third-line NHL players who spent their entire pre-NHL lives as the best among their peers, only to discover that in the NHL, that simply doesn't translate to the league's top 180 forwards. So they adjust. Or they accept life in the AHL or Europe. I think this is the message Gordon is sending Tambellini, and while the mechanics can be debated, in the end I suspect he's right. Either way, I'm impressed by the positive attitude Tambellini continues to employ in this situation.

The Leafs Situation

I admit I want to see the Leafs continue to struggle simply because any bizonkers media market (hello, New York) brings absurd melodrama to a whole new level whenever its featured team (hello, Yankees) struggles. It's so exaggerated in Toronto right now that one, um, writer, is picking candidates to replace Ron Wilson that -- are you sitting down? -- include Wayne Gretzky, Ted Nolan and Mike Keenan. Yeah, okay.

The Leafs have very real problems, of course, in every area not named Phil Kessel. Old friend Jason Blake has two goals. Last year's rookie stud Luke Schenn -- never the offensive equal of the three defensemen drafted before him -- has struggled mightily along with the team. Then there's ... the goaltending: Even with Saturday's performance, Toskala's save percentage is .869, old friend Joey MacDonald's in three games was .875, and new hope Jonas Gustavsson is just a 2008 MacDonald-like .901.

All of which is not really news, but anyway: We have good reason to expect a win tonight, and good reason to be crushed by a loss. Beginning Wednesday at home, the Islanders close out November with games against the three best teams in the Eastern Conference.

So tonight: a little urgency, please. Let's. Go. Islanders.

Wild 3, Islanders 2: This one hurts

Dominik — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 04:56:49 -0000

For all the talk of the Islanders' bubble candidacy thanks to their recent 6-2-2 run, this was a game they couldn't afford to lose. The Flyers, the Caps? They can afford to lose a game like this because they can make it up over an 82-game season. But the Islanders' margin for error is too thin. So letting the puck slip to the Wild's Owen Nolan all alone in the final 67 seconds of a tie game? Fatal error.

This was the first regulation loss of the year where the game was in their hands, and they let it slip away without even an OT point.

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

Final - 11.20.2009	1	2	3	Total
New York Islanders	0	2	0	2
Minnesota Wild	1	0	2	3

Complete Coverage >

Too many penalties (though I thought Andrew MacDonald's pivotal one was theatrical circumstance). Too many missed shots on Islanders powerplays. An evenly played game (shots: 29-29; faceoffs: 30-27) with each team displaying flaws. But with two goals fueled by unlikely source Jon Sim, the Islanders had a chance to really deflate the struggling Wild.

And in the game's critical moment, with 1:07 left, Blake Comeau had trouble corralling the puck and shied away from a hit to get it out, Bruno Gervais and Mark Streit left too soon leaving Owen Nolan alone behind them, and Martin Biron reached for a pokecheck he couldn't complete, so Nolan's shot slid easily through the five-hole for the game-winner.

Talk about a letdown. As the miles increase, suddenly St. Louis and Toronto look a little more daunting.

Lineups: I suspect you go with Dwayne Roloson in St. Louis, against another of his former teams. But with a loss amid an uneven performance, does someone sit :cough:Comeau: so Jeff Tambellini gets another look? If someone new were scratched, it surely wouldn't be...

Jon Sim, Offensive Key: That's right, Jon Sim made two heads-up take-it-to-the-net offensive plays that created a goal each for him and Josh Bailey. Bailey's was the most impressive, as Sim converted a turnover, drew Niklas Backstrom out of position behind the net and made the sweet feed to Bailey. Another time, Sim forced a point-blank save out of the Wild goalie.

Sympathy: I kind of feel for Kyle Okposo. In front of a bunch of family and friends at home, he had a few chances with the game on his stick and just missed or was just stopped by a very good keeper.

Smooth, Groovy Jack Hillen: Also in front of family and friends, Jack Hillen played just short of 25 minutes (5:42 on the PP) and continued to gracefully rush the puck up the ice like a guy who watched his share of the best defensemen of our era. At one point, a Wild player was on to him and tried to line him up for the highlight-reel open-ice hit, but Hillen shook just enough to avoid disaster...and still advanced the puck. These are good signs, signs that guide the way to my heart.

Special Teams: I actually like how the Islanders responded to the aggressive Wild PK by moving the puck quickly. They almost stole a goal out of it. But no dice. Meanwhile, another 95-second 5-on-3 kill was brilliant, but giving the opponent five powerplays is too much. On the fifth, the Wild finally broke through to tie the game.

Goaltending: Biron made some big saves, particularly on the long 5-on-3. He also let in a bad behind-the-net shot from Nolan get in for the first of Nolan's two goals. Nobody's perfect, but you do notice the soft ones when they happen regularly.

Bottom Line

Against a wounded, struggling team, this is a game the Islanders should have won. For the first time all season in that situation, they didn't salvage even a point. A quarter of the way through the year, that's actually not so bad. But the reason it still matters is this is a team that can't afford to be giving points away -- not if they intend to hang around the Eastern bubble.

Islanders Links: Altering expectations edition

Dominik — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 11:30:11 -0000

Lot of virtual coverage bopping around about the Islanders, who are becoming a buzz story (always a double-edged sword, that). Some show up in this site's left-margin headlines, some don't.

So here's some of that, this and the other...

Later today: A look at last year vs. this year. Sneak preview: This year is better. Plus: Whatever you wanna talk about.

Good news for me: Andrew MacDonald is sticking around a while. Witt's status undetermined as of last night. And if you get Newsday, Gordon likes MacDonald. (Actually, Gordon likes him even if you don't subscribe.)
Dennis Wideman is still smarting from ~~being overspeeded by~~ coughing the puck up to Richard Park's forecheck. If he'd caught Don King's presser, he'd know what hit him.
John Tavares and Matt Moulson make a good line, good buddies, and fierce Xbox opponents.
Justin Bourne has a theory in his special to USA Today about injuries today vs. the glory days.
Puck Daddy's worst 10 teams of the decade only has one Islanders entry. Guess which one (hint: not last year's).
The full McLean's interview with Gary Bettman that Mirtle excerpted last week is now online. Puck Daddy also has an interesting take there.
Speaking of, a Sharks co-owner waxes poetic abot Balsillie. Great. [From the Rink]

Islanders Blogger Theorizing Galore:

Bryan at The Rivalry calls the Islanders for real (although he's still calling SOLs "loser points." For shame).
B.D.'s take on the Islanders rising, with an obligatory Rags jab, (yes, they lost last night at home). He brings up the Isles' blocked shots, which is another double-edged sword: Blocked shots mean you give up a lot of shots, which means you're playing with ... oh screw it, this is still a thin-margin team, so that's just how it's got to be. Also at H.I.: Another proponent for Andy Sutton's season. AP77 just slammed his head on his desk.
Stat trick for the Boston game [Forever1940]
Okposo Net has thoughts on top-line chemistry, Mark Streit and what's gotten into Sutton.
Netminder 39 considers the Islanders' playoff merits [Islanders Blogger]

Is this real life? I'm just gonna enjoy this while it lasts...

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.

Monday links: Come sail away with me edition

averagejoe — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 11:00:37 -0000

Good news: I thought we were going to have to have a moment of silence for Mr. Dell Laptop. On Sunday afternoon, my laptop just decided to shut off and not turn back on. I had to switch to the work laptop I use to report from the road. Back, by some miracle, the old p.o.s. turned back on at 11:30. He's resting now, but it looks like I won't be out a laptop. Anyway ... let's get to the links.

Blues news

David Perron is a hard-working kid who seems to finally get "it." [Belleville News-Democrat]
With a little break in the schedule, the Blues are reflecting on their less than stellar play. [St. Louis Post-Dispatch]

Hockey news

Every game Sunday was decided by just one goal. [Yahoo! Sports]
Monday's games. [Yahoo Sports!]
Here are your Monday standings. [NHL]
Washington Capitals right wing Mike Knuble will be out nearly amonth with a broken finger. [TSN]
If the Coyotes keep winning but the Phoenix fans don't care, do they actually win? Yes. Yes they do. But, they might not stay in Glendale if the seats don't get filled. [TSN]
Andrew MacDonald has been called up by the Islanders. I'm thankful that he doesn't go by Andy. [Lighthouse Hockey]
The Boston Globe is reporting that Marc Savard will re-up with the Bruins. [Stanley Cup of Chowder]
The Anaheim Ducks are a struggling bunch. [ESPN]
Joe Sakic will be going to the Hall of Fame. The Colorado Sports Hall of Fame. [ESPN]

Other links

This guy responds to classifieds. As is often the case, hilarity ensues. [Ned Wingfield]
Google's autcomplete is both awesome and scary. [Autocomplete Me]
Cross Check Raise has a Project Mayhem idea. I'll let him explain: "Watching a web feed this weekend, it was broadcast by ESPN America, which is the overseas face of ESPN. They were running a poll for which game to broadcast on Thanksgiving weekend 11/27: CGY vs DET or CAR vs ATL. I figure we can screw DET and help Hildymac's Thrashers by stuffing the ballot box here. Let's keep Fuck Detroit from their Euro-Phruit fans. The UK face (hence, English) of ESPN America is here. The poll is towards the bottom of the far-right column. When I voted, it was 78/22 in favor of DET." [ESPN America]

Video

This is what happens when I watch South Park and do the links. You get videos like this. Enjoy.

Gametimelinks(at)gmail.com

Andrew MacDonald up, Brendan Witt out

Dominik — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 00:47:44 -0000

More photos » by Stephen Chernin - AP

Overall play is in decline, but Witt can still draw opponents into foolish penalties.

Browse more photos »

Katie Strang reports defenseman Andrew MacDonald has been called up for Monday's game in Boston, as Brendan Witt is excused for personal reasons. Best wishes to Witt and good luck handling whatever those are.

MacDonald is a team-leading +3 and has 1 goal, 6 assists in 19 games with AHL Bridgeport.

In terms of the lineup, sadly I don't think this is a drop-off. Witt's role has been rightly reduced this year, with him no longer playing as many minutes (16:03 per game vs. 20:18 last season), nor against as difficult a competition. He is still one of the most-used penalty killers on the team (2:20 per game, just behind Bruno Gervais and Radek Martinek among blueliners), but by one statistical measure, he's had the weakest 4-on-5 results relative to his teammates. At 5-on-5, through 20 games the ranking is not much different (relative +/- as well as Corsi).

Last year was a perfect storm of circumstances (including a knee injury and a rushed return); this year I think he's been a little better ... but good enough? Perhaps for a 3rd-pairing role.

The next question: Does MacDonald justify my saying there is no drop-off? That one's tough, as MacDonald's exposure last year was in limited minutes, against weaker competition. And numbers aside, it's impossible to peg what effect a major personnel change in the penalty killing unit will have. But I'm looking forward to seeing how he's doing, even if for only one game.

Replacing Martinek: What'll it be?

Dominik — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 19:40:05 -0000

"To me, [Martinek]'s one of best kept secrets in NHL," Gordon said. GM Garth Snow agreed and wouldn't rule out a trade: "It's a big hole for us to fill. If something makes sense, we'll do it."

>>NY Post, paying a blip of home-game attention to Islanders hockey

Well yeah. Of course you wouldn't rule out a trade. When you enter a season with just seven NHL blueliners -- at least four of them no strangers to X-rays -- you're going to reach this point where a replacement of some kind is needed.

That's not to say Garth Snow's job is easy here: It's difficult to sit two quasi-NHL defensemen every night and get them enough work to be competent when you need them. If one of them is a green Jack Hillen, you get stuck wondering if all the sitting is right for his development. That's why a known depth quantity like Freddy Meyer is nice to have.

But now Hillen and Meyer are both in the lineup, and Martinek's 22:47 TOI (2:22 on the PK) per game is not. So what do you do?

The Islanders are headed on the road, where they could be an Andy Sutton shot block or a Brendan Witt awkward hit away from needing another defenseman. Bridgeport's Andrew MacDonald makes for a nice call-up in a pinch; otherwise, none of the young AHL prospects are ready for this role (the Sound Tigers have lost 5 in a row, by the way). But unless they want MacDonald up with the team as The New Meyer, a depth move seems prudent. You're not replacing Martinek -- an already busy Mark Streit and the rest split up his duties -- but you do want someone with enough upside to claim a regular role, plus enough negative leverage to accept whatever the Isles give him.

Any ideas or pet waiver gems out there? (Side Q: Would you have claimed Randy Jones and half of his $2.75 million off re-entry waivers if the injury happened then?) Any *cough* realistic trades? Remember that if you look to Europe, at this point a guy has to pass through Dubie-waivers. And if you bring up Chris Chelios, I swear ...

Canucks-Islanders Preseason Game 1 Open Thread

Sean Zandberg — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 08:00:27 -0000

More photos » by Nam Y. Huh - AP

"Oh yeah! Hockey is back!"

Browse more photos »

GAME TIME: 7:30 PST

TV: Sportsnet, NHL.com, MSG, and streamed live at Canucks.com

UPDATE: 2:41 PM: Pelletier has lots of photos of the Canucks arriving in Terrace, the autograph hounds, and team practice photos up on his site. Geez, Woody, crack a smile. He looks like someone insulted his mother.

UPDATE 1:52 PM: Rejoice! Rick Rypien is saying he's 100% mentally and physically.

UPDATE: 11:02 AM: The official Canucks roster for tonight is:

Goalies: Andrew Raycroft and Corey Schneider.

Defensemen:: Kevin Bieksa, Willie Mitchell, Aaron Rome, Brad Lukowich, Nolan Baumgartner, Yann Sauve, Shane O'Brien and Evan Oberg.

Forwards: Dave Scatchard, Ronald Petrovicky, Jannik Hansen, Rick Rypien, Michael Grabner, Kyle Wellwood, Alexandre Bolduc, Eric Walsky, Guillaume Desbiens, Mario Bliznak, Pierre-Cedric Labrie and Sergei Shirokov.

Tip to Brian Compton who is blogging the event at NHL.com.

UPDATE: 10:45 AM: The Canucks' plane circled the Terrace airport for a while and couldn't land because of the heavy fog. They have officially landed though. No Luongo. We knew that already. Tip to Joe Pelletier, who's texting me these updates.

Also, a few Canucks were on stage at the Canadian Country Music Awards at GM Place last night. The Province has that picture as well as an article on the Sedins calling Samuelsson a dirty player. Samuelsson may get top line duty after all. Not 100% yet. Is he the next Anson Carter? I'm still stuck on giving Burrows a shot there, but he may be moving to line 2.

UPDATE: 8:20 AM: Great article on Mark Parrish at the Province today. He was "giddy" when the Canucks came calling, but is a roster spot possible for this guy?

UPDATE: 12:43 AM: Grandpa (I mean Mathieu Schneider's) first blog at CDC. Know how to use a keyboard, Matt? No way in hell Schneider or Hodgson play as both are recovering from shoulder injuries/surgeries. I'm anticipating seeing Sergei Shirokov play perhaps with Wellwood.

-Yes Mitchell, the fishing is prime up here in Northern BC. Now, don't suck! Wellwood: Get an atlas and get to know your BC geography!

-Tick tock. Tick tock goes the Sundin clock. No word from Mats as training camp has begun. Mike Gillis gave "Sudden" a TC deadline and that has passed. Is it all but over for Sundin, or would Gillis backtrack and let him return at a later date?

Come and hang out here all day (and night) for the Canucks' first preseason game in Terrace, BC.

So it begins. There is so much to be settled with the Canucks' roster from the goaltending out. That is what preseason is for. Hat tip to Missy for providing the veteran Canucks roster for tonight's game:

Offense: Sergei Shirokov, Mario Bliznak, Robert Petrovicky, Michael Grabner, Kyle Wellwood, Guillam Desbiens, Rick Rypien
Defense:Willie Mitchell, Kevin Bieksa, Brad Lukowich, Nolan Baumgartner, Michael Funk, Lawrence Nycholat, Evan Oberg, Shane O’Brien
Goaltending: Andrew Raycroft and Cory Schneider (No Luongo=no surprise. The Canucks need a long and hard look at who warms the bench during Lou's games played.)

Tip to Joe Pelletier for finding the basic Islanders' lineup:

Forwards: Jon Sim, Tim Jackman, Jeff Tambellini, Nate Thompson, Blake Comeau, Josh Bailey, Sean Bentivoglio, Matt Moulson, Greg Moore, Greg Mauldin, Trevor Smith, Jeremy Reich.

Defenseman: Andy Sutton, Jack Hillen, Mark Flood, Andrew MacDonald, Dustin Kohn, Freddy Meyer

Goalies- Scott Munroe, Nathan Lawson
Right, not the biggest names for game 1 in a Hockeyville town, but it's preseason.

We'll keep you updated all day with further roster updates and news as the day goes along.