SB Nation - Nate Thompson

Turkey Day: Pens blow a third period lead in Long Island

Hooks Orpik — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 22:42:59 -0000

More photos » by Kathy Kmonicek - AP

The kid over Brent Johnson's left shoulder is really excited about this goal by Josh Bailey.

Penguins vs Islanders coverage - Penguins vs Islanders recap - Penguins vs Islanders boxscore - SB Nation blog Lighthouse Hockey

The Pittsburgh Penguins trudged through a game against a feisty divisional opponent in the New York Islanders who had no problem sending the Pens away with no points (or turkey) in a day-after-Thanksgiving matinee.

The Pens were outshot 37-21 over the course of the game, and didn't seem to generate a lot of chances.

Scoring was opened in the first period by the Islanders when Josh Bailey scored his seventh goal of the season when he found a Mark Streit rebound and put it by Brent Johnson. Pittsburgh would get an equalizer before intermission when Evgeni Malkin swooped in the offensive zone and, from an angle almost AT the goal line, whipped a backhander that somehow found a hole in Dwayne Roloson's defense.

Pittsburgh would stake a claim to their only lead in the second period when Jordan Staal put a shot on goal that Roloson saved but the rebounded kicked right out to Matt Cooke who slammed it home for a 2-1 Penguin lead.

The Pens had a nasty third period -- credit the Islanders for playing well and taking over the game, but it wasn't pretty from the Pittsburgh perspective. Just 1:24 into the final period, Sean Bergenheim took a heavy wrist shot that caught Johnson too deep in his crease to tie the game. NYI would buzz the whole period, outshooting the Pens 18-5 in the 3rd, and John Tavares got his first career game winner from right in front when he found Freddy Meyer's rebound.

The game seemed to turn in the middle of the second period when the Penguins had an extended 5 on 3 power-play, one infraction was a double minor so they had plenty of time with the advantage. The stagnant PP couldn't make much happen and the Islanders seemed to rally and draw a lot of strength from that point on.
Good on Jordan Staal for his fight against Nate Thompson (it's the thought that counts) two minutes into the third period. Thompson boarded Pens defenseman Martin Skoula in an awkward and ugly looking hit. Staal was the closest player to it and stood up for his teammate. Was it worth the instigator penalty he was assessed and basically took him out of the game? In the big scheme of things, I think it was.
Dwayne Roloson was really good, several big time saves. And while Johnson was the busier of the goalies, he didn't look as poised or as solid as "Roly the Goalie" was on this afternoon. It's tough to blame the goalie too much, but I think Johnny would have liked to have the game-tying goal back.
A giveaway, a hit and no shots on goal in 9:15 of ice-time for Chris Bourque. Ray's kid only mustered a single shift of ice-time in the third period. As the Pens inch closer towards health the opportunities for him to create a niche for himself are running out.
Max Talbot ended up as a -2 on this game and is a -4 in his first five games of the season. Granted it's tough working yourself back into the swing of things when the other guys have been at it for two months, and even tougher when you're on the first line, but how much longer should this be the case?
Freddy Meyer ended up on the game with two assists, a +2, 4 hits and a takeaway. I took note of several good plays he made on Malkin. He was impressive today for the Isles.
In addition to the 37 shots on goal, New York also had 36 more that the Pens blocked or that missed the net. Pittsburgh only had 48 total shot attempts, so that NYI had 73 really demonstrates how much they had the puck (and were firing it). So congrats to them on the effort.

The early start of the game doubtlessly through off the normal rhythm and routines for the players today. More than a turkey hangover, that's the reason Pittsburgh didn't much look like themselves, though they certainly did look like maybe they imbibed too much at a holiday feast. There's little time to recover, as they'll travel back to Pittsburgh to face another division opponent, when the Rangers come to town for a Saturday night showdown.

Islanders Matinee: Penguins visit half-full, half-empty Island

Dominik — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 11:00:18 -0000

I love this Islanders team for the same reason it gives me unexpected heartburn: Though expectations were low coming off last year's 30th-place finish, they have now given us reason to live and die with each win and loss. That's hockey the way it should be. Being in playoff territory 25 games in doesn't mean we can expect a playoff push, but it does give us a whole lot more reason to watch and analyze.

In that spirit, I'll continue to critique each loss -- and sing each win -- without losing sight of the big picture. That big picture is captured by two recent quotes, one from a guy who it's hoped will lead them to the promised land, and one from a guy who may be obsolete when the team becomes strong enough to talk about a promised land.

Pittsburgh Crosby-Malkins (17-8-0) at New York Tavareses (9-9-7)
2 p.m. EST | Nassau [gloriously unsponsored] V.M.C. | MSG+, radio
Reigning Champs: Pensburgh

Scott Gordon, describing the process and current pitfalls to Chris Botta:

"We’re gearing up for better days with a team that’s going to play a certain way."

What is that "certain way?" It's pretty simple, albeit demanding. It's what Nate Thompson told Newsday:

"Everyone was trying to do the right thing and make the right plays, but we have to remember what gives us success. We have to be able to get pucks in and establish our forecheck."

When this team one day gives us a real reason to live and die with each game, it will have added enough good players capable of executing that forecheck for 60 minutes, night in and night out. Until then, we'll get painful lessons like Wednesday's 2-1 loss to the Flyers, where the forecheck disappeared in the third, almost as if the team was demoralized that great work in the first 40 minutes was sabotaged by Brian Boucher.

The Penguins visit this afternoon wearing their baby-blue retro thirds. I don't mind this, because one thing I actually do like about the Islanders' RBK (vowels not included) system is the emphasis on orange in the "away" whites.

As with every team that is both rebuilding with low current expectations yet showing promise that exceeds those expectations, there are both glass-half-full and glass-half-empty angles. Before I touch on those, though, if you haven't seen it, you might want to check out Scott Gordon unloading about his team's failings, in what Ken of Okposo Net described was Gordon "as livid as we've ever seen him." Enjoy:

Good times. All hot-under-the-collar aside, I think Gordon's underlying point is right: Monday night was not a case of the same ol' flaws from this team, certainly not a third-period panic from a team that has trouble handling a lead.

Island Half-Empty

This young Islanders team, without its captain (and legit powerplay asset), has lost three of its last four. The lone win was an ugly one ... By losing Monday, they again cost themselves a chance to pass or keep pace with the Flyers and Rangers in the Atlantic, not to mention Buffalo, Atlanta, Montreal and Tampa Bay in the East ... With that loss, the Isles fell to 7-4-3 in games when scoring first, an alarming trend that blends with the late-lead problem that is reflected in three separate blown 3-0 leads ... Announced attendance Monday was 12,687, which sadly is a "good" crowd for this year, but perhaps not alarming for a November "premium" game in a bad economy with a team whose future remains in the dark.

Island Half-Full

This young Islanders team, with a blueline corps to die with, has exceeded anyone's expectations thus far, keeping itself in a crowd of nine Eastern Conference teams separated by four points ... Giving us a enticing hint that Scott Gordon is on to something with this "playing a certain way" forecheck, the underskilled (or depth shallow, if you must) Islanders have grabbed the first goal in 14 of 25 games ... While third-period losses are an issue that dates back to last season, well, I don't have much here except I get the sense things have improved and will continue to improve as the Islanders get better players who can execute their forecheck for 60 minutes. Baby steps. ... Attendance is expected to be better for today's matinee, and the economy and Lighthouse uncertainty are two factors that, when resolved, hopefully pave the way for more fans coming through the turnstiles. Hopefully.

Nothing to Do with Glasses, Full or Otherwise -- But Something about Two Stars

The Islanders have John Tavares, and his consistent production is a welcome, long overdue addition. The Penguins have Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, a painful reminder that doubling up on elite talents completely changes the game.

Witness some Fun With Numbers: Both the Pens (5-5-0) and Islanders (4-4-2) have the same number of points from their last 10 games, but that obscures the real story: Since losing four in a row without Malkin, the Penguins have won five of six since he returned to the lineup. Malkin has 8 points in those 6 games. Crosby, who had just one point in that four-game losing streak, also has 8 points in those 6 games.

Tavares is not quite like either of those talents, and if the islanders keep playing this way and avoiding catastrophic injuries, they won't be getting another superstar in the 2010 draft. Hell, no team is likely to replicate the Crosby/Malkin 1-2 punch. Nonetheless, the underlying moral remains: This first-quarter has been great, but the big picture is building "toward better days, [playing a] certain way" -- and that will require the presence of some players who aren't here yet.

Prediction: Some guys look like they ate too much turkey, and some guys look like they used yesterday to recommit to their career.

* * *

Item: NHL Network, in need of holiday programming Saturday, will re-air the Roloson 58-save game and Ron Tugnutt's 70-save performance from 1991.

I will so record this -- but not for Roloson's saves, which are fresh in my mind. Rather, any chance to see those epically beautiful Nordiques jerseys in action is not to be missed. Tugnutt's game (vs. the Bruins) airs at 12 EST; Roloson's at 2 p.m. Long live the 'diques! (Wait ... that doesn't work in English as a rallying cry, does it? Still: Long live the 'diques!)

Islanders 4, Bruins 1: Honk if you love Mighty Matt Moulson

Dominik — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 04:06:00 -0000

More photos » by Charles Krupa - AP

Matt Moulson's 9th and 10th goals of the season sent fantasy owners scrambling.

Browse more photos »

Pinch me. The feel-good Matt Moulson story is real (and here's a great version of it at nhl.com). Two more even-strength goals from the 26-year-old last night were a boon to tuned-in fantasy owners everywhere and fuel for more joy among Islanders fans. As the final seconds ticked away and Trent Hunter iced things with an empty-netter, the [some-bank-or-enema-or-something-brand] Garden in Boston emptied out except for ... "Let's Go Islanders" chants? December 2008 this is not.

Game Sum. | Event Sum. | Recaps: nhl.com | Isles | Stanley/Chowder

Final - 11.16.2009	1	2	3	Total
New York Islanders	1	1	2	4
Boston Bruins	0	1	0	1

Complete Coverage >

Said the eminently likable Moulson after the win, in which he told officials the third goal was not his first career hat trick but in fact linemate John Tavares's ninth NHL goal:

"Johnny'd kill me if I took one of his goals. Yeah, I told them I didn't score. I'm an honest guy...

... My future brother-in-law Sean [texted] me he needed a big fantasy night out of me tonight."

A little bit of fun for Doug Weight's two tenants and the Isles' top two scorers. And so many ingredients to a refreshing regulation win -- the first win in which a goalie saved their bacon early so they could run away with it in the third.

The critical moment -- and where Dwayne Roloson bailed them out most of all -- was the first-period 1:35-long Bruins 5-on-3. You need luck, smarts, and big saves to kill off 95 seconds of two-man advantage, and the Islanders got all three. Their positioning was perfect, and Nate Thompson performed the ~~Sybil crazy~~ courageous job of standing in front of Zdeno Chara's heavy slapshots, which were coming from even closer in than normal thanks to the extra space.

Roloson even made the initial save on the Bruins' lone goal, but Andy Sutton -- spinning pretty aimlessly with the puck around his feet -- couldn't break up the pass nor clear the rebound.

The Story of A Forecheck Done Right

Beyond that and the worst faceoff performance of this road trip, the Islanders simply created their opportunities through the Gordon forecheck and took advantage of them:

Tavares forced a Tuukka Rask turnover that Richard Park fed to the front for Moulson's second goal near the end of the 2nd. And don't underestimate just how difficult that one-time/redirect was by Moulson. With 30 seconds left, Trent Hunter repeated the feat on the forecheck, feeding Jon Sim who hit the post. Early in the third, Park again pressured behind the Bruins net, stole the puck, and got his third assist when he fed Tavares at the back door. (The shot went off a defenseman's skate, ~~where Moulson could have tapped it in but instead chose not to make Johnny kill him~~.)

Early on, it was clear the B's were in Claude Julien trap mode -- how many times did you watch the islanders two defensemen slowly carry it out of their zone, because the opponents were waiting in the neutral zone? So it was nice to see the Islanders not panic with trap-drunk frustration, and instead capitalize by playing their game. For 60 minutes. Hardly a dominating performance (outshot 29-21, in part thanks to 4 shots on the 5-on-3), but all of the right factors and timing came together to create what became a sure win mid-way through the third. Such a difference from the last time the Islanders held a late lead over Boston.

Stat Sheet Oddity of the Night: Richard Park got the second assist on Moulson's first goal, but did not receive a "plus." He was on the bench by the time Hillen -- who Park passed to -- had rushed behind the Isles net and fed Moulson.

'This is our concern, Dude' Stat of the Night: The Islanders were again butchered in the faceoff circle, 43-18. Tavares was best at 6-8. Previously reliable Nate Thompson was 2-9 in the defensive zone alone.

Top Line of the Night: With all even-strength goals, the top line did not miss Kyle Okposo on its right wing this night: Richard Park gathered three assists, playing in Okposo's spot while Okposo paired with Frans Nielsen. Not a long-term solution, but as usual Park's versatility gets it done.

Bottom Line of the Night: With a win, the Islanders -- who have played the most games (21) of any Eastern Conference team -- are tied for sixth in points with Philadelphia and ... the Rangers. The Rangers have one game in hand. The Isles are 5-2-2 in their last nine games.

Parting Quote: From Moulson again, when asked how it felt not to go to OT [joking]: "It was weird. I was expecting to play another five. I was saving a little in the tank for that last five minutes."

Time to Walk the Walk on Team Toughness

J.P. — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 18:30:32 -0000

by chipgriffin via flickr

View full size photo »

"We like what we have now, and if we need that element, we'll go get it." - Capitals General Manager George McPhee on not having an enforcer

At 13:17 of the second period in the tenth game of the season, it became apparent that the Caps may indeed need "that element."

As Mike Green lay on the ice after taking a knee-on-knee hit from the Islanders' Nate Thompson, the Norris finalist's teammates did, well, pretty much nothing. All of the talk of "team toughness" in the off-season seemed to vanish in an instant.

Oh, to be sure, the Caps are a tougher team this year than they were a season ago (and they unquestionably had a brand of toughness even then). They have more players who will go to the net (or whose willingness to do so has inspired teammates to follow suit), they're winning battles along the boards, taking hits to make plays, blocking shots and generally doing the things that define certain aspects of toughness in a sport that puts a premium on it.

But there's more to toughness in hockey, however. There is an element that keeps your star players from being run without fear of retribution. It's a form of presentation and engagement that commands respect in all areas of the ice, including the goaltender's crease. It is, simply put, a deterrent, and it's something that the Caps plainly lack at present.

That the Caps aren't physically intimidating opponents is no surprise. George McPhee acknowledged this would be the case this past offseason when he said, "If people want to screw around, then you beat them up on your power play" - the Caps skill, theoretically, is their deterrent. The problem with that approach (putting aside the obvious issues the Caps are currently having with the extra man) is that it's only effective if the officials make the right calls... and if your skill players get up after they've been fouled. And Mike Green almost didn't on Saturday night.

We noted earlier in the season (against tonight's opponent, no less) how Green in particular has gotten seemingly rattled when physically targeted during a game, and his style of play makes him particularly vulnerable to such tactics. But that in and of itself isn't a problem - its that his teammates have done little to discourage teams getting tough with the young defenseman or some of its other high-priced assets that becomes worrisome. For decades, one of the keys to winning hockey has been preventing the opponent from taking your best players off the ice - it's one of the reasons the sport allows pugilism in the first place.

So what's the answer for this Capitals team? For one, they need to prove that they really are a team on which, as John Erskine put it, "everyone sticks up for their teammate." And if it costs the team a power play or two points in the standings or even a suspension for a player instigating a fight to send a message, chances are that message will be worth it... because the cost of inaction can be crippling. (As an interesting sidenote, the Caps have taken just one instigator penalty since Boudreau took over behind the bench - Chris Clark, against the Flyers (natch), in Gabby's very first game.)

Watch tonight's game against the big bad Flyers. Pay attention to the level of respect with which the Orange and Black treat the Caps' skill players. And take note of how the host Capitals, as a team, react. You can bet George McPhee will be.

Islanders minute munchers, bench bums

Dominik — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 01:21:57 -0000

It's still quite early; we shouldn't be using averages to read much into anything. But some of the Islanders' numbers after three games give me a few things to keep an eye on -- both in how Scott Gordon is using certain players and how the Islanders have achieved three regulation ties thus far.

First, the alarming thing (if you're into alarm at this early stage): 8 goals for, 9 goals against. Not the what, but the how: Half of their goals have come on the powerplay (4 for 17), including one successful 5-on-3. Meanwhile, all of their goals against have come at 5-on-5 (except for the 4-on-4 OT goal in Ottawa) -- which is great news for the penalty kill (10 for 10 so far), but not for a team's sustainable long-term success. Obviously the PK is going to lose 13-20% of its chances over the long haul. You don't want the team's day-to-day chances to depend on insane special teams and good refereeing. The ratio of PP/PK chances will likely level out a bit, even if Gordon's aggressive system should theoretically draw infractions from the other team.

Again, it's early, and I only bring this up because 5-on-5 was such a glaring weakness last year. But that's also to be expected of a developing team of thin or unproven depth. The Islanders have the horses to deliver effective special teams. The question is can they go 9-12 deep up front -- or, more worryingly, 4-6 deep on the blueline -- to keep the tables even at 5-on-5?

Meanwhile, 2-3 games is nothing, but I think we already see what Gordon intends for players like Rob Schremp, Jeff Tambellini, Sean Bergenheim and others.

It should be no surprise that Mark Streit leads the team in TOI with 26:52 per game. At forward, John Tavares and Kyle Okposo are both around 21 minutes. As the team's three best players, those guys are going to get the biggest minutes (in all three phases for Streit and Okposo).

Further down the minutes played list are some other things to watch:

The Shremp/Tambellini Duality

I've argued that Schremp and Tambellini, yet to appear in the same lineup, are vying for the same spot (2nd-line wing), but that's not exactly so. Understandably, Schremp thus far has been an all-or-nothing proposition: Either he becomes a 2nd-line scorer and powerplay specialist, or there may be no role for him. In two games, Schremp's had 3:15 of PP time per game -- not bad for the 2nd unit. Tambellini, on the other hand, got just 1:06 of scrap PP time in the opener, yet also 1:03 on the penalty kill -- again, we have a ridiculously small sample, but that continues a trend from last season's second half. As Gordon has talked in the past about Tambellini becoming a more complete player, I think Gordon sees a more versatile role for him. Perhaps a general plug-in on the PP and PK, but not a featured member of either unit.

Incidentally, Katie Strang had quotes from Gordon on Tambellini Sunday afternoon:

I asked Gordon what Jeff Tambellini must show him to get back in the lineup, and he said that he doesn't have to show him anything. Gordon said he knows what Tambellini can do, and although he must still prove himself a goalscorer, he's been the odd man out because of the numbers game. Since plucking Schremp off waivers, Gordon wants to see what he can do and help him assimilate to the system.

I think that, plus the need for physicality, tells us why Tambellini didn't fill in when Trent Hunter and Doug Weight were injured yesterday: They'd already decided to dress Joel Rechlicz, and with Rechlicz being a three-minute guy, that opens a lot of non-powerplay minutes. They probably wanted someone who could take faceoffs and be a dedicated defensive forward; thus, re-enter Nate Thompson.

But About That Fourth Line

As he was all last year, Tim Jackman appears to be the guy who will get the least minutes (or second-least whenever a pure enforcer is in the lineup). He's averaged 7:30 per game in three games so far, the only man besides Rechlicz who's under 13 minutes. Thompson, on the other hand, is a go-to penalty killer when he's in the lineup, and he's averaged nearly three minutes on that unit in his two games.

Sean Bergenheim: The Other 'What's My Role?' Guy

And who's had the smallest dose of ice time outside of Rechlicz, Jackman and Thompson? The enigmatic Sean Bergenheim. Last year, it was pretty clear Bergenheim fancied a more offensive role for himself. At times, he showed he can do that, but his penchant for bad penalties undermined that. This season, if he's playing with the slick-passing Doug Weight, I can see some offensive moments opening up for him. But as he did last season, Gordon appears to value Bergenheim more for his workhorse attitude than for his still-debatable hands: In three games, he's averaged 4:11 per game on the PK unit, plus only a minimal appearance (44 seconds total) on the powerplay, where he's behind several other guys with hands.

Again, it's three games, it may not mean a thing. But one week into the season, it gives us a few things to keep an eye on going forward.

Bruins hope to get back on the course against the Islanders

Stanley Cup of Chowder — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 14:16:45 -0000

More photos » by Kathy Willens - AP

Browse more photos »

It's Saturday and it's a holiday weekend, so I'm going to mail this preview in with just a few notes and the obligatory embarrassing YouTube video. I hope you don't mind.

The Bruins will try to forget about Thursday night's embarrassing 6-1 loss to the Anaheim Ducks tonight when they host the New York Islanders at TD Garden. Meanwhile, the Islanders will try for their first win of the season after back-to-back overtime losses.

Notes:

- Islander's first round pick John Tavares has 3 points in 2 games (1-2-3)

- There will be some familiar faces on the Islanders bench tonight. The Islanders are coached by former P-Bruins head coach Scott Gordon with former Bruin Dean Chynoweth as an assistant coach. Former Bruins prospect Nate Thompson will be on the ice for the Isles along with BU alum Freddy Myer and UMass Lowell product Dwayne Roloson.

- I would expect to see Tuukka Rask get the start in one of the games this weekend. Also don't be surprised to see Boychuk on the ice either today on Monday.

- This isn't good news for the B's: the Islanders have not allowed a power play goal thise season (although it is a small sample size).

- If Mark Stuart is in the lineup tonight, it will be his 200th career NHL game

- Fun Fact: Shawn Thornton leads the team in shots (11)

- Have you ever noticed that New York sports fans always refer to their teams' games in the single form? Ex: "I'm going to the Islander game". Well, I guess there really is only one Islander worth paying money to see, so I guess it makes since. It's another one of my sports fan pet peeves, though. It's still not as bad as refer to your favorite team as "we".

- Stanley Cup of Chowder Public Skate open thread starts at 6:30

- For more on the New York Islanders, check out Lighthouse Hockey

Today's Embarrassing Islanders Fan YouTube video:

Grading the Islanders: Nate Thompson, Gordon's trusted man

Dominik — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 13:30:31 -0000

More photos » by John Dunn - AP

Nate Thompson won't be wearing #45 anymore (he's switched to #11), but he will continue checking opponents' stars while playing with anonymous teammates like Jamie Fraser (62).

Browse more photos »

Well hey, John Tavares isn't in the lineup for tonight's Hockeyville game in Terrace, B.C., but Nate Thompson is. So...

This report card will be pretty brief, because Nate Thompson is the type of center every team has and no team pays very much for: Agile, defensive, checking line forward, who is trusted by the coach. They are like middle relievers: Necessary, replaceable, with stats that can vary from year to year.

It's a safe assumption Thompson is an Islander because Scott Gordon is Islanders coach. That said, when the Isles plucked Thompson off waivers at the beginning of 2008-09, the word was Boston wasn't exactly pleased to lose the guy who Gordon came to know when he coached AHL Providence.

In some online corners, Thompson was a bit of a whipping boy last year (just 2 goals, minus-11 in 43 games), but he generally does what he was hired to do: check, kill penalties, don't make horrible decisions. In other words, Nate Thompson is not why the Islanders finished in lottery land. He doesn't cost anything, and familiarity means the Alaskan helps the coach sleep better at night. Considering his role and salary, there's not much more to ask of him.

Some stats and comps after the jump...

To me, his biggest drawback last year was bad injury luck (which, granted, you could say about nearly every Islander). He missed 9 games with a Gordon Groin injury, 12 games with a broken ankle, and 16 games when a shoulder injury finished him off.

Nate Thompson

#45 / Center / New York Islanders

Height: 6-0

Weight: 207

Born: Oct 05, 1984

NHL Seasons: 1

Contract: Two-way, $550,000 in NHL

'08 Preseason View: But we don't have a guy named Nate Thompson...yet.

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	SHG	TOI	PKtoi	Hits	FO%	Sh%
2008 - 09 Nate Thompson	43	2	2	4	-11	49	1	12:04	2:35	83	50.4	3.6

Random Fact: Had 54 fewer points than fellow Alaskan Scott Gomez last season, yet met expectations equally well.

"This is our concern, Dude" Fact: It's not that Nate Thompson is an Islander, it's that the Islanders have several Nate Thompsons.

The Story: So the above stats are the standard uglies. What about the rest of the Nate Thompson picture? Well, at 5-on-5 he generally skates against the tougher opponents, plays with weaker teammates, and has the unflattering stats to reflect it. His relative +/- rating is in the negatives (-.43) -- weaker than most of his teammates but better than Blake Comeau, Tim Jackman and Jeff Tambellini.

That Comeau and Tambellini rate below him is reflective of something: Sure, you'd prefer a guy with offensive potential (Thompson's career high is 19 goals for Providence) in the lineup, but the role and modest minutes Thompson gets are not enough for a purely offensive guy. Meanwhile, borderline offensive prospects often have 5-on-5 defensive deficiencies like Comeau and Tambellini.

When healthy, Thompson was Gordon's third-most-used forward on the penalty kill, behind Richard Park and Andy Hilbert. That Hilbert is gone means you can expect to see more of the same from Thompson, while I wouldn't be surprised to see Gordon continue to sprinkle guys like Kyle Okposo and Frans Nielsen -- who was the Islanders' most effective killer per minute -- as Gordon did toward the end of last season.

One more thing: Tohmpson's mobile enough to get by at center at this level, whereas Tim Jackman is not -- which means Thompson also allows our frequent de facto enforcer Jackman to shift to the wing and stick around.

The Poem (a haiku to reflect Thompson's sparse minutes):

Hey Nate, check that guy!
Make stars score below their rate
If you fail, well ... meh.

The Grade: Tough to grade him relative to your 2008 preseason expectations, because Thompson wasn't even Islanders property yet -- and then only managed 43 healthy games. He wasn't claimed until Oct. 8. Mike Sillinger was hurt, and Josh Bailey was here but headed for injured reserve. So, that said ... as with Andy Sutton, I'm not even going to post a standard report card poll. If there is a groundswell of objections to this poll deprivation, I can change my mind as quickly as Kate Murray can change tunes.

But in comments, you might consider what you see in Thompson, whether he can deliver more, or if you hope the Islanders will one day be so deep that there's no need for a Thompson.

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.

The merits of Garth Snow playing hardball with Islanders free agents

Dominik — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 11:15:35 -0000

Two strengths Garth Snow has exhibited during his rebuild-era tenure as Islanders GM (and wasn't it funny to hear Charles Wang kick himself for "chickening out" by not hiring Snow the first time, instead of Neil Smith?) are his patience and his stubborn adherence to sound salary cap management tactics. (To superficial Isles critics, the DiPietro deal isn't germane to this because it: a) Had Wang's fingerprints, and b) Was before the rebuild.)

While the Islanders are on a restricted budget until at least the Lighthouse project goes through -- and quite possibly long after that -- Snow has managed his young restricted free agents like he'll one day have a bevy of cap-munching stars who will necessitate value players to fill around the edges.

Sean Bergenheim is a special case since he was the first to discover the Wang Rule had teeth (sign a contract before training camp Or Else: Hand, Cut Nose, Spite Face). It is worth noting Bergenheim had a new agent when he signed his current deal: Management 1, Agent 0. But with promising-yet-limited guys like Chris Campoli, Bruno Gervais, Frans Nielsen and now Blake Comeau, Snow has stuck to his guns and not repeated other rebuilding teams' mistakes: Namely, overpaying mid-level players after being seduced by their disproportionate importance to the team.

(In one recent example of this, the rebuilding Blues paid Lee Stempniak for numbers he will likely never replicate, while the rebuilding, Cliff Fletcher-led Leafs took on that deal in hopes that he would, well, replicate.)

Not thinking of Stempniak here, but if a third-line/poor man's second-line NHL player scores 20 goals because he's getting first-line minutes on a bad team, he's still a third-line player and he should be paid accordingly. (Think of it as paying Mike Sillinger like a first-line center after scoring 26 goals in 2006-07.) One of the scarier mistakes a rebuilding team can make -- particularly in the cap era, but also true of pre-cap (re)builders like the Blackhawks and Doug MacLean-era Blue Jackets -- is lavishing money on its "best" players just because they're the best of a marginal lot.

While today's weak-roster teams may do that to get up to the cap floor, those salary slots in later years will be needed (unless your rebuild fails, in which case ... greater mistakes were made). For cap floor purposes, it's much wiser to dump a few necessary millions on short-term deals for veterans with something to prove, as Snow has done repeatedly with guys like Doug Weight, Bill Guerin and Ruslan Fedotenko -- and this summer with goalies Dwayne Roloson and Martin Biron. While Jon Sim at just $1 million per was cheaper than those three, it's interesting that he got the longest deal and, so far, has been the biggest bust.

As Greg Logan reflected last week, Snow is playing the same "show me what you can do" game with young Comeau, a game he's done before:

Faced with a similar situation last year, forwards Frans Nielsen and Jeff Tambellini took the Islanders' one-way contract offers for the chance to prove themselves. Nielsen signed for a bargain price of $525,000 per year but got the security of a four-year deal. Tambellini got two years at $587,500 per. It's believed the Isles' offer to Comeau is reasonably higher than his qualifying offer of $605,000 that was rejected and would take him up to unrestricted free agency in two years.

Comeau is a guy with hands, speed and good passing vision. He's also a guy whose defensive game still needs significant improvement (If you're not a top-tier scorer, you best master the two-way game, son). Now, I like Comeau and was pleasantly surprised by his hockey sense when he first came up under veteran-loving Ted Nolan. But he also spent the first quarter of last season in the AHL because his style hadn't adapted to Scott Gordon's preaching.

That is not a position of leverage for a restricted free agent, which is a class of poor leverage to begin with. Garth Snow knows it. That's why Snow can stick to his guns while waiting out an agreement. If the Islanders are going to spend their resources (salary, cap room, roster space) to improve Comeau's game so that he reaches his peak just in time for unrestricted free agency, they are wise not to pay him a premium salary now -- which, times two, will be the starting point for UFA negotiations. If he's worth a big pay day when he becomes a UFA, so be it. If not, the Islanders benefit from their prudence.

It's a good and worrisome question whether some young players will be turned off by this miserly approach -- the proverb, "Hockey players have the memory of an elephant" comes to mind. Could the Isles be saving a few hundred thousand now just to be burned by bitter homegrown RFAs-turned-UFAs who flee later? Possibly.

But history tells us when a player reaches unrestricted free agency, he's well-versed in the line, "It's a business." If a guy is working out here, he'll look to sign long term before then. If not, he'll tell us his agent's talking points from Hockey Business 101.

You'll notice that omitted in this discussion is the curious case of one Nate Thompson, who settled for a two-way deal after filing for (but before hitting) arbitration, the hearing for which would have been today. Let's just say that this, from the Isles press release:

"Nate made an immediate impact last season, fitting right into our team system," said Garth Snow, General Manager, New York Islanders. "He is the type of player every team looks for by giving an extra effort every time he steps on the ice."

...is not something Snow would have said about Thompson during the arbitration hearing. A guy like Thompson is a coach-pleaser -- a hustle guy who lays everything on the line for the team. There is something admirable in that, but there is also a cold reality reflected by it: This yeoman style is the only way a player like Thompson makes, and stays in, the NHL.

It's great that he does it, and fans who love that will love him for it (others will point to 4 points, 43 games). But it's something that, in the cap era of the NHL, you can't cash in for more than peanuts as an RFA.

So Thompson is a role player who (or whose agent) tried to parlay his favor with the coach into a guarantee of a one-way salary or some other form of security. Snow didn't budge, and the Thompson camp wisely settled just before the arbitration hit.

But the other youngsters mentioned are the ones with more upside, and its Snow's handling of them that has been truly impressive. Gervais looks fine when paired with Mark Streit (though his deal was signed before we saw that on-ice pairing); Nielsen could become a fantastic, under-appreciated third-line center. Chris Campoli was Chris Campoli. Comeau may become part-sneaky scorer, part-agitator. All have real strengths and potential. All (until Campoli opted out) are real pieces of the rebuild. But none were going to shove guys out of the way on the depth chart.

And that is why it's good to see Snow playing "It's a business" with them, while saving the back-flipping outlandish commitments for the top-tier talent, which will hopefully one day include John Tavares, Kyle Okposo, Josh Bailey and at least one or two more studs. It's not fun creating a class structure in your team game, but the NHL's salary cap necessitates it now more than ever before.

Scheduling note: I'm back on dry land, the cooler having been ripped from my hands. Expect posting to resume from me or the other contributors at a normal daily pace. Special thanks to Mike and those who kept chiming in while I was Internet-challenged.

2009 NHL arbitration hearing schedule

James Mirtle — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 03:21:41 -0000

Player	Team	Hearing
Clarke MacArthur	Buffalo	20-Jul
Daniel Winnik	Phoenix	21-Jul
Nigel Dawes	Calgary	22-Jul
Marc Methot	Columbus	23-Jul
Matt Hunwick	Boston	24-Jul
Travis Zajac	New Jersey	24-Jul
Nate Thompson	NY Islanders	27-Jul
Kyle Wellwood	Vancouver	28-Jul
Milan Jurcina	Washington	28-Jul
Matt Smaby	Tampa Bay	28-Jul
Denis Grebeshkov	Edmonton	29-Jul
Josh Harding	Minnesota	29-Jul
Tomas Plekanec	Montreal	30-Jul
Tuomo Ruutu	Carolina	30-Jul
Jiri Hudler	Detroit	30-Jul
Nikolai Zherdev	NY Rangers	31-Jul
Kyle Brodziak	Minnesota	31-Jul

Only two players (Shaone Morrisonn and Ville Koistinen) actually went through the arbitration process last summer, but it appears we may have a few more this time around. Those potentially receiving decent sized awards are the likes of Zajac, Ruutu, Hudler and Zherdev, who all had a fair number of points last season, while many of the others should be under $2-million.

It's tough to forecast where players like MacArthur, Grebeshkov, Harding and Plekanec will slot in.

Both Copper & Blue and Japers' Rink have done excellent mock arbitration hearings for their players in the past few days. There's some terrific stuff in there, including likely comparables.