SB Nation - Blake Comeau

Islanders 2, Rangers 1: Roloson & Co. slip by Sather's ghosts

Dominik — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 03:31:04 -0000

More photos » by Kathy Willens - AP

Jon Sim guides the puck into the net with his eyes -- a method studies show to be 63% more effective than using his stick.

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That was a superbly played game by the Islanders, in front of a quite dead crowd at the Garden (other than the "FI-ER SA-THER" chants), in which John Tortorella kept running his top guys out there, but Glen Sather's compilation of lifeless players just wouldn't go. I almost shed a tear.

Dwayne Roloson was a minute short of a shutout as he outplayed Henrik Lundqvist, and get this: Jon Sim and Blake Comeau were not only the goal scorers, but also two of the better Islanders forwards. Both played the body, both went to the dirty areas, there were eight shots on goal between them, and Sim was a nuisance while Comeau broke up a 2-on-1 with a diving sweep of the stick. Those two as "stars" is not the recipe for a lot of wins, but their cohesive effort was reflective of a smart team game played by the entire Islanders squad. The score was probably closer than it should have been.

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

Final - 12.16.2009	1	2	3	Total
New York Islanders	1	0	1	2
New York Rangers	0	0	1	1

Complete Coverage >

I do hope the "FI-ER- SA-THER" chants never make an impact. It is too much fun having him guiding the boo-shirts. As Chickendirt said, Sather is "the gift that keeps on giving." The Rangers had one shot in the first 16 minutes, so I was a little nervous when the Isles went to the first intermission with only Sim's miracle foot goal to show for their efforts.

Thankfully, the Smurfs only made a marginal push-back in the second, and Roloson was solidly in control the rest of the game.

Gabby Was Here

I was hoping someone would sneeze on Marian Gaborik's groin to put him on the shelf again, but no such luck. In nearly 27 minutes of ice time, Gaborik managed six shots on goal and attempted eight more. Yet I'd say the Islanders played him pretty well, mostly keeping his shots to the outside and not leaving him alone too many times. In nearly half an hour of ice time -- including four minutes on the PP -- a player like Gaborik is going to get his chances. But the Isles defense and Roloson combined to keep him off the score sheet.

And of course, for Sather's Rangers, if Gaborik doesn't score then...yeah.

Four Lines Rolling

John Tavares was probing, again learning what will and won't work at this level. Trent Hunter was noisy, Josh Bailey was getting shots on goal (!), Sim's line was a responsible nuisance, and Comeau mostly overcame his reluctance to leave the perimeter. In short, guys on all four lines were doing effective things, so it never felt like their rhythm faded.

On the back line, Mark Streit was a steady anchor, and Jack Hillen was very effective -- amusingly bewildering two Rangers on his pinch in that led to Sim's make-your-own-luck goal.

No Rest for the Victors

So these teams have an encore tomorrow in front of a, heh, hopefully louder crowd than what we saw tonight. I don't expect a "Rangers hangover" -- that will come against the next opponent -- but I do have to expect the Short Island Smurfs will come out with a little more life. If not now, is there any hope for their season? Who knows, maybe even the neutered Sean Avery will figure out a way to be effective for a moment.

So I'd think the Isles will have to play a little better to pull off another regulation win, but everything they did tonight was a positive -- certainly a vast improvement over the Panthers debacle.

More to come during the day. For now, drink this victory up. The season series is now Islanders 2, Rangers 0. Nice.

Islanders 3, Bruins 2 (OT): Frans Nielsen is the bestest Dane in the whole wide world

Dominik — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 05:52:49 -0000

More photos » by Paul J. Bereswill - AP

"FRANS NIELSEN IS DELICIOUS!"

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I love Frans Nielsen -- if you visit this site regularly, you've picked up on that and are ready to slap me. I love Frans for his hockey sense, for his savvy play, for how he frustrates opposing forwards despite his smallish frame, for his underrated hands, for his entertaining command of English during interviews. And for his kindly answering my pre-game request, which went like this:

I do agree with Scott Gordon that Frans Nielsen is very proficient in his defensive duties -- that cannot be argued, at this point. But even I, as a registered Frans Fanboy, want to see more offense from the Dane so that I may call him Great.

A sweet OT breakaway goal on home ice, executing his patented backhand deke: Now that's love.

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

Final - 12.12.2009	1	2	3	OT	Total
Boston Bruins	1	1	0	0	2
New York Islanders	1	1	0	1	3

Complete Coverage >

There are many more reasons to love Nielsen's game-winner that have nothing to do with my personal whims, but we'll get to those later.

More importantly, the Flyers and Rangers each lost in regulation on a night when the Islanders ended their three-game losing streak, which means the Islanders are back up in third place in the Atlantic Division. Much more to consider (and video highlights) after the jump.

Rob Schremp Hockey(TM): No longer goal-less

Like whoa man: The Jesse Joensuu-Rob Schremp-Trent Hunter line showed some spark, eh? They were on for Michael Ryder's longshot goal, but uh, that wasn't their fault :cough:Rolli:. I was really pleased with their work, pleased Joensuu and his linemates made themselves physically noticeable all night and, of course, tickled by Rob Schremp's first NHL goal ... and spread-eagle fist-pumping celebration. Kudos to them for being among several Islanders -- Jon Sim being another -- who had Zdeno Chara pissing and moaning all night long.

My God, the Defense, We're Hosed

This is not your traditional complaint about our underskilled, undersized blueline (although I must ask: When was the last time you saw Brendan Witt break up a 2-on-1 down low? Not on the Krejci goal). Andy Sutton, one of the Isles better blueliners this year, is close to coming back -- but I'll tell you I'm fearful since he's pushing to come back from a groin injury that could recur anytime this season, particularly if they continue to lean on him hard.

So of course Jack Hillen, another of their top three, goes down to a foot injury tonight after just six shifts. That he tried to come back in the second and couldn't go has me fearing the worst -- to say nothing of the very evident pain he was in when the shot hit him.

Bailey at Left Wing: Experiment A

So Josh Bailey's first appearance was indeed on Nate Thompson and Richard Park's left wing. But the bulk of his night -- 15:00 of even-strength ice time -- was spent on the wing with Frans Nielsen and Kyle Okposo. I thought he had a good night. He looked alive, was physical. Perhaps most importantly, he found more than 10 minutes of ice time, which isn't always the case when he's behind Tavares and Nielsen at center. We'll see how this goes.

The Moulson-Tavares-Okposo Train

Good god, Mighty Matty Mo. Another even-strength goal. That makes 12 now, for a total of 15 goals on the year. And wow, that behind-the-back pass from John Tavares to set Moulson up. And Kyle Okposo, still "struggling" to score a goal but still piling up assists: eight in his last five games, including two tonight. He was also the third forward on the ice for the OT goal.

The OT Win: A Frans Shootout Move and a Bold Gordon

That's right: With Hillen hurt, Scott Gordon "went for it" in OT and had Okposo out there paired with Mark Streit, while the forwards were Blake Comeau and Frans Nielsen. So Okposo forced a Bruins pass that Streit disrupted, a backchecking Comeau (who had a great physical game) picked it up inside the Islanders blueline, took advantage of a pinching Andrew Ference and slid a very slick pass to spring Nielsen on the breakaway, where he converted in front of his mother, visiting from Denmark to see her first live NHL game.

Upon seeing Frans take the puck in the clear, I had the same reaction Gordon did:

"When I saw the '51 (Nielsen's number),' I'm like, 'This is going in,'" he said. "He excels in that area."

You damned right. And you know why I knew it was in? Of course you do: Because we've seen that Frans move beat countless goalies, mostly in the shootout. But you know what else rocked about that goal? Just because it's a move he uses in the shootout doesn't mean it's "a shootout move." No, this was no half-speed, no-backchecker kind of horsecrap trickery that the shootout encourages. This was no lazy Sunday sweeping wide because no one else is on the ice. This was a real-deal breakaway.

Don't take my word for it -- take the word of the goalie Nielsen beat. Here's Tim Thomas:

"He was coming extremely fast, and he almost started to lose it. He ended up making a great move, considering how fast he was moving and that he was losing it. It was way faster than a shootout."

It was way more entertaining and impressive than a shootout, too. But I nearly spit up my beer when I saw Nielsen crash into the boards afterward. I would have licked it back up once I saw him roll over with a smile instead of a grimace, though.

The Negative, and One More Positive

Yeah, so after two very nicely played periods left the score 2-2, the Islanders were outshot 17-3 in the third. At home. Not good. So they were lucky to survive long enough to get to OT. And that luck was pretty much thanks to Dwayne Roloson, who looked great and in control the whole period.

So, to recap: Schremp good, JT/Moulson/KO good (of course), Sim agitating, Roloson good, Comeau good, Streit tireless, Hillen hurt. Islanders in third place. Not a bad Saturday night, eh?

P.S. The goal song: I guess the decision was made. I wasn't happy with the choices, wasn't happy with the winner, but I thought it worked alright tonight. I still maintain that the goal horn and the crowd is what I hear (and like) most. But feel free to weigh in again.

Islanders Gameday: Suddenly not so sick in Carolina

Dominik — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 16:51:42 -0000

Did you not realize Kyle Okposo was superhuman? 'Bout time you just accept it, son. Okposo and Blake Comeau, both sick earlier this week (KO diagnosed with H1N1), are now back with the team and might even play tonight.

I guess the chance to pounce on a struggling opponent has healing powers. It's the converse of the old "Philadelphia Flu" of the '70s: The Carolina Wonderdrug.

New York Islanders (6-6-6, 5th/Atl) at Carolina Hurricanes (1-12-3, 5th/SE)

7 p.m. EST | The [Something to do with Usury] Center | MSG+, audio

Natural Disaster Watchers: Canes Country | R&B Hockey

There's the proverbial risk in looking at struggling opponents as easy "W's," of course. In fact, it's no stretch to figure the Hurricanes looked at the then-winless Islanders as an easy must-win back in October, when the Hurricanes' current 13-game winless streak was only at three. That night the Isles picked up their first "win" (shootout), on their way to the current devilish record. After one more shootout loss (to another "gimme," Minnesota), the Canes have now lost seven in a row outright.

The reasons for their struggles are almost too numerous to count (injury, age, imbalance, diminishing offense), but Canes Country today has a very nice look at why it will be hard for GM Jim Rutherford to do anything about it: They're up against the cap something fierce.

Something Wicked in this Net Comes

On the ice, you can start with the fact Rod Brind'Amour is old, Eric Staal is hurt, and Cam Ward had his thigh cut open by Rich Nash's skate. But the symbol of their fate to me is this: Manny Legace is Rutherford's emergency goalie of choice. Why Michael Leighton has collected dust under Paul Maurice, I don't know (possible answer: He's not so much real good-like), but if the franchise has zero faith in him, it's a wonder they kept him around when ... well, injuries happen.

I've seen more than I care to admit of Legace thanks to his time with the Blues. When in form, with good team support, he can surprise you. But you also get a dose of the goalie headcase-itis, and it was this tendency that accelerated his demise and eventual mid-season waiving by the Blues last year. Nothing in the last year tells you the Good Legace is due back on this earth anytime soon, as his form even when making a save sometimes looks like this. But stranger things have happened. A career hanging by a thread can focus a man.

Sub-par goalies, devastating injuries, battered coach trying to end losing spells ... why, it sounds like the 2008-09 New York Islanders! So much so, I almost get a nostalgic tear in my eye. But this must be special misery for Canes fans; while we went into last season with a pretty good idea a storm was about to hit the Islanders, Canes fans are coming off a big playoff run that included conquering Marty and Evil Lou of Newark, and knocking off the conference champs. That's a hard fall.

Game Plan

Back in the '90s, a hard-working, under-skilled team evened things up by trapping and hooking and generally sucking the Hall of Famer Lou Life out of the game. Today, for obvious reasons, that doesn't work. So what's the key to the Islanders keeping their head above water this year? I'm convinced it's the usual hard work, and hustle, and constant pressure -- but for the dual purpose of knocking the other team off its game and drawing powerplays.

The powerplay hasn't been exactly lethal (19%), and the team isn't blowing anyone out (except Buffalo, once), and they're being outshot 33.4-30.9 per game, but the Isles are doing enough to derail teams, keep it close and inch out a win or a trip to OT. The team is in the bottom 10 (the good bottom) in penalties committed per game, which is big because they're only 24th in PP opportunities. They're now at .88 in 5-on-5 GF/GA, better than at any point last season.

Again, it's a thin margin of error they're working with, but thus far the above factors mixed with better goaltending have made this team's games fun to watch, while giving us tantalizing glimpses of the future.

So tonight: More of the same, please, and a win shall be yours. If Okposo is indeed back in (at what strength?), that alters the powerplay a bit and makes Doug Weight's loss slightly less painful. Though Wednesday, it was nice to be reminded of what Trent Hunter's presence on the PP unit can do when he has time to shoot.

With back-to-backs this weekend, tonight is the game the Isles have to have to keep our fan-imposed goal of .500 on this road trip in order. After a pause at home in the middle of this seven-game run away from home, the trip doesn't get any easier. But yeah, just play the game and win and do nice things 'n stuff. Okay? Cool.

Prediction: Legace's body language after at least one goal sends Canes fans reaching for their TUMS.

Islanders 6, Thrashers 3: Off-the-schneid goals overfloweth

Dominik — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 06:44:51 -0000

More photos » by Kathy Kmonicek - AP

These colors, and these expressions: Exactly what Saturday nights should look like.

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Let us pause now and admire the 2009-10 Islanders' commitment to a balanced record.

If 5-5-5 was pretty, then 6-6-5 begs for an OT loss Wednesday against the Capitals, who have a history of handing OTLs to the Isles.

You knew something was up when scoring opened with Andy Sutton down low, making like John Tavares by slipping Tavares's pass to his backhand and going top shelf on Ondrej Pavelec.

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

Final - 11.7.2009	1	2	3	Total
Atlanta Thrashers	1	1	1	3
New York Islanders	3	2	1	6

Complete Coverage >

Dwayne Roloson let Thrashers phenom Zach Bogosian tie it on a weak stick-side goal (a favor Pavelec would return early in the 2nd for Blake Comeau, one of three Islanders who got off the schneid). Both Sutton's and Bogosian's goals were results of their young coaches encouraging their defensemen to jump up in the play, which makes things a little more entertaining than, say, Islanders-Devils.

Thankfully, 1-1 was as close as it got.

Because then: Sean Bergenheim with his 1st goal of the season, knocking in a rebound by driving to the net. Jack Hillen with his 1st goal (4-on-4), on a nicely placed screen slap shot. Comeau with his 1st goal (also 4-on-4), for the aforementioned Pavelec wave. Matt Moulson (on another sweet Tavares pass) with his team-leading 7th, and then to complete scoring in the 3rd, Josh Bailey with his newly assertive shot from the slot on the powerplay.

At home, on a Saturday, for the last home game before the Thanksgiving holiday, that's just what the doctor ordered.

Despite the loss of Radek Martinek for the year and Doug Weight for at least a week, I expected a good effort. But I didn't expect an explosion like that, even against rather free-wheeling Atlanta.

Freddy Meyer Steps In

Solid game from Freddy Meyer, who stepped in for Martinek with his first game since Oct. 22. We know what we get in Meyer: Never stellar but often a nice fill-in (truthfully, a good 7th man in that way), he deceives you with his size and can deliver hits like this:

I don't expect that all the time -- consistency is hard at this level -- but with Meyer it's nice to know you'll get the occasional unforgiving check to keep the opposition honest.

Meanwhile, with the scoring spread out evenly, you know who had the prettiest night on the scoresheet? Nate Thompson, with two assists and a +2 (Tavares, with his two assists, was only +1). Ha.

Turning Points

The Islanders won this game -- or the Thrashers lost it -- in the first period, with the Isles outshooting Atlanta 21-11. Bogosian's tying goal turned out to hardly be deflating, and the Islanders answered right back to close out the period 3-1. Said Atlanta coach John Anderson:

"We just didn't come ready to play," Anderson said. "Our first three or four shifts were good, but after that, we were nonexistent out there. I have to give them a lot of credit for the way they played after a hard loss last night. They came back and played very, very hard."

Comeau opened the 2nd to make it 4-1, and the Isles were on their way. Final shots were 45-34 for the Isles. This year's first meeting of the NHL's aggressive young coaches goes to Scott Gordon.

Up Next

Before a November-defining seven-game road trip, the Islanders get a rest before their next game in Washington Wednesday. But don't go away; we'll have some more wonky posts, as well as an epic tome about the RBK effect in the days ahead.

And of course -- as always -- if there are ideas ruminating in your head, have at it with a FanPost to keep the rest of us warm.

Islanders Gameday in D.C.: 'Let's really try to win this one'

Dominik — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 17:10:06 -0000

The Capitals are so damn good that even all those victories racked up during their 8-2-2 start "ring a little hollow" for fans. Spoiled bastards.*

New York Islanders (2-4-5, 5th/Atl) at Washington Capitals (8-2-2, 1st/SE)

7 p.m. EDT | [When telcos merge and bomb us with ads] Center | MSG+, radio

Taking back Washington: Japers' Rink

*In all seriousness, Caps fans have paid their dues, going all the way back to a rough expansion that did not go quite like the Bowtie Bill model, up through an oft-forgotten but very good annual Patrick bridesmaid squad during the '80s, on to-- okay-I'll-stop-now-sorry...those who ignore history are doomed to rebuke me...

In the Islanders' favor tonight is that the Capitals are playing back-to-back, our guys may be the better team at the faceoff dot, and Boudreau's boys still routinely play down to their opponents (that's the "hollow" part). Or in last night's case, they took their foot off the gas and allowed the Thrashers back into the game.

In the Capitals' favor is pretty much everything else...

Their star-studded (yet nameless) top line generally scores at will, barring your average Radek Martinek gold-star night. Our star-hopeful (and also nameless -- ideas, anyone?) top line is the only Islanders line that scores, period.
Their offensive blueliner decided to win the last meeting by himself. Our offensive blueliner is still searching for his 2008-09 form.
Their last six games read 6-0-0. Our guys' read 2-2-2.

But this is why they play the games. Katie Strang had some great updates from today's morning skate, (Gordon discloses his starter!) including why Roloson is in the net, why the same lineup as Wednesday (Blake Comeau still in timeout), and why Rob Schremp is a scratch until further notice. Further: quotes about how the Isles will approach the Ovechkin line now that they're on the road -- including using the Tavares line against them. I hope Ovi isn't angry about being held to two shots at the Coliseum. No pressure, Marti; just do like last time is all.

If the Islanders pull this off, well, in the words of Ali-G: "Respekt." We've seen that they can be competitive with any team, and we've seen that they can get teams off their game (for 60 minutes? Uh, still writing the code for that). But their odd 2-4-5 record tells us their margin for error is thin even on their best days. Or is it that they've been unlucky and could easily be 5-4-2? (And what is a hockey season if not fuel for debate between the House of Half-Full and the House of Rather-Empty-Actually?)

While I'm not a knee-jerk type of guy, an Islanders win in D.C. would help convince me the tenor of this rebuilding season can steer clear of the "we suck" despair and drive right into "we're building something" hope, through little bits of progress.

I know the roster (and the management that created it) already believe that. But when losses pile up, that self-belief has a way of waning. Stealing victories from heralded opponents, on the other hand, has a way of keeping the long-term goal in focus.

So I want this team to feel together, all year long. I don't want veterans souring on the operation like last year. I don't want us fans to be worrying about if "all the losing" is infecting Josh Bailey or John Tavares or whomever. What I do want is a team that busts its tail with consistency (Outlook: good). A team that has high expectations tempered by awareness of its limitations. A team that does whatever the hell Scott Gordon asks, so that they slowly, steadily figure more things out about themselves and NHL hockey as the season goes on.

Is that too much to ask? (Don't answer that.) But dare I say, there's a chance of us getting that. A big win against a better team tonight or tomorrow would help. As the old man in Slap Shot would travel 15 hours by bus to say: "Let's really try to win this one, guys."

Prediction: Capitals fans still not satiated.

So: Do you believe?

Islanders-Rangers Gameday: It. Is. On.

Dominik — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 15:57:02 -0000

The Penguins are champs, the Sabres are nice and the Habs are pretty historic and all that.

But it never feels like the season has really gotten into the groove until the first Islanders-Rangers derby. Sure, I thought I was "into it" the past 10 games; then this one came up on the schedule, and I felt that old familiar boil, blood pressure rising, palms sweating.

It's Islanders-Rangers. It's just different.

Short Island Smurfs (8-3-1, 2nd/Atl) at New York Islanders (1-4-5, 5th/Atl)

7 p.m. EDT | Nassau [gloriously unsponsored] Veterans Mem. Coliseum | MSG+

Lost, Misguided Souls: Blueshirt Banter

Lineup news: As you likely know, Marian Gaborik is probably out. It strikes me that he's like Radek Martinek (except for the whole all-world talent thing): Just when fans get used to what he can do at his best, injury strikes.

Meanwhile, for the Islanders the platoon continues: Dwayne Roloson is in. Flu-less [update: It was indeed the swine flu, per Katie Strang] Doug Weight is back, lined with Josh Bailey and Jeff Tambellini, at the expense of Blake Comeau. For the PP, that's an upgrade. At 5-on-5, it's actually closer to status quo. (Rob Schremp and Freddy Meyer also remain scratched.)

The question for tonight, beyond all the rivalry theater, is whether Gaborik's absence hamstrings the Rangers the way it often did the Wild. They're a solid team even without him; but a superstar talent's absence has a way of exposing warts.

Why the Rangers Should Win: They're scoring more than 1.7 goals more per game (3.83 vs. 2.1), they're powerplay is doing better than the Isles' (27.4% vs. 20%), and their PK is doing better, too (86.4% vs. 81.1%).

Why the Islanders Should Win: Two of those last three stats are strongly aided by a guy named Gaborik, who should be absent. Of course the third, is strongly aided by a guy named Lundqvist. The Islanders will need their first true show-stopper performance of the season from Roloson. Mostly, the Isles should win if they have any respect for what is right and good and holy with the world.

Meanwhile, a factor for both special teams: Are the Islanders truly getting better at the faceoff dot, or is this a 10-game fluke? They're at 53.1% so far; NYR are at 49.3%.

Lineup Shenanigans

I mentioned it at the end of the game recap the other night, and to my surprise it doesn't seem to have come up with those around the team: Why was Brendan Witt kept to just 9:04 TOI Monday, including zilch for the latter part of the 3rd and all of OT? I mean, I can think of an answer or two, but I'm wondering if Scott Gordon had a similar reason or if something health-related came up. History would lead me to think injury, but at some point the square peg/round hole situation is going to resurface.

But anyway, I suspect we're looking at:

Jeff Tambellini has had a nice couple of games, but if he scored an important goal tonight ... well just imagine how his identity would start to change (even if only for a while)?

And on the blueline: How is Witt used? ... Martinek was used to shut down Ovechkin -- if Gaborik played, I'd expect a similar matchup. In Montreal, Martinek had both Andy Sutton and Jack Hillen as frequent partners after Witt's time receded ... If Mark Streit continues to slump (well, slump by Streit's standards), does Gordon dial back his minutes at all?

Guess that's one (of many) reasons we watch the games. Particularly this one.

Prediction: Gaborik doesn't score.

Social aside: If you're in the area and happen to hit Croxley's in Farmingdale, you better give Jim from SBN's Blueshirt Banter some hell. Seriously, he's a good guy -- despite his severely misguided hockey allegiance -- and he's done a fantastic job with that site in just eight months.

Chain Reaction: How do the Islanders make less of a 5-on-5 mess?

Dominik — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 18:08:41 -0000

More photos » by Ryan Remiorz - AP

Scoring may never come, but when Sean Bergenheim is a physical nuisance, he can help.

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Given some recent discussions here, I was going to try to tackle the Islanders defense today -- to try to decipher which under-performing blueliners are hopeless and which are a victim of circumstance but still have something to offer in the right situation. Given all the injuries and lineup inconsistency last year, though, I think we need to wait for some more data from this year.

That's one of the fun things about this game: So many moving parts, that stats -- even advanced stats -- only give us a hint of what's going on until after a lot of it's already happened. There are multiple chicken-or-egg scenarios, such as how someone's traditional offense or defense is altered by the effects of backchecking forwards and pinching defensemen. (And at this early stage, injuries, illness, luck and a fight with the girlfriend easily skew things.)

Mark Streit (or even more so, Chris Pronger) can make any pedestrian defensive partner look solid. That can change their rate stats, which can lead you to think they're something they're not. For example Andy Sutton, viewed by several fans to have been good in his brief between-injury moments last year, also benefited from being paired largely with Streit at that time, giving him the best quality of teammate rating [explanation here] on the team.

Which isn't to say he is useless. If a defenseman plays ably next to Streit, whether he's Sutton or Bruno Gervais (salary concerns aside), he's doing his job. The key is to find blueliners who can anchor other pairings -- or absent any non-Streit anchors, blueline pairings that are at least good enough to get by. As I whined all summer long, I don't think the Isles have that, and I hope Garth Snow doesn't either and is instead just playing out the existing contracts.

That's my blueline spiel for now. But I mention it here because that domino effect of receding talent is also what's ailing the Islanders forward corps: There are too many guys who need an anchor (i.e. Kyle Okposo or John Tavares) to be effective, and it's not even clear which ones are best at being that supporting part.

Early season results don't say much:

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPPts	ESPts	TOI	EStoi	SOG	PCT
2009 - Sean Bergenheim	8	0	0	0	-5	4	0	0	14:23	12:15	15	0.0
2009 - Josh Bailey	8	1	1	2	-1	0	0	1	15:27	11:43	8	12.5
2009 - Blake Comeau	7	0	2	2	-1	4	0	2	16:17	13:14	11	0.0
2009 - Rob Schremp	6	0	1	1	-3	4	1	0	12:56	10:48	12	0.0
2009 - Jon Sim	6	1	0	1	-5	0	1	0	14:36	11:26	8	12.5

Before damning these players for their inability to score, first consider the powerplay: This team is powerplay-dependent, but it's not going to get ample powerplay opportunities unless its 5-on-5 play presses the other team into taking penalties. I'd love for Sean Bergenheim or Blake Comeau or Jeff Tambellini or Rob Schremp to score, but they don't seem much capable of that 5-on-5, and they're not (outside of Schremp) getting PP time. So in that sense, the zeros in their stats columns aren't the end of the world.

[Four of Matt Moulson's eight points have been at even strength. Three of Kyle Okposo's six have. Only two of John Tavares's seven have been. No other forward has more than two points. That's what we're dealing with.]

If You're Not A Sniper, At Least Be a Pain

So Comeau, Bergenheim and friends haven't scored. But you might say at least Bergenheim has drawn four penalties (and taken two). That's a better differential than anyone other than Okposo (1 taken, 6 drawn).

Again, it's early, and refs make mistakes. But you might note that last year, despite the occasional dumb penalty taken, Bergenheim drew 20 and took 13, putting him in Okposo territory (20 taken, 11 drawn). Look at the whole list, and you see Frans Nielsen drew 18 while taking just 6 -- I'm telling you, that Dane has hockey sense -- while Blake Comeau was even at 8-8.

Now, last night in Montreal was a disastrous display of poor passing, poor breakouts, poor clearances, poor decisions, and poor penalties. You have to grant that they won't be that bad all the time. Throw it out.

Press, Trap or Die Trying

But what's the key to stealing wins here and there to make this year interesting? Smart, assertive play at 5-on-5. Once again, the Islanders are near the bottom at 5-on-5 goals for/goals against. At .50, they're better than only Minnesota and Florida, and even with Toronto.

If they're not going to be a scoring threat beyond Moulson/Tavares/Okposo -- and maybe Nielsen's return to health alters that a bit -- then they need to at least be difficult to play against. They need to force mistakes, they need to be annoying, they need to force the other team to put Tavares, Moulson, Okposo, Streit and Doug Weight out there 5-on-4.

And of course, they need the goalies to step up to cover the rest.

But oh, the domino of variables: Goalies can't cover if you're always under siege. Forwards can't score if the defense can't get the puck out nor feed it to them in stride. The defense can't get the puck out if the forwards aren't capable of helping. Forwards can't force penalties at 5-on-5 if they're, by and large, just not that good. Around and around it goes when you lack the overall talent to beat better teams.

The alternative is to ask Scott Gordon to be someone he's not. To ask him to go all Lemaire with this team and defend their way to a few more wins. If this were 2002, I'd say sure! Playoffs or bust!!!1

But two summers ago, this franchise finally made the decision to blow things up and start over. If there's any time to see an experiment through, it's now. If there's any hope for long-term success, they need to stick with a plan rather than Lemaire their way to a 10th-place spot in the East. I'd rather Gordon keep pushing his aggressive system -- which many players have said is hardly unique -- to make sure the kids who will be here for years are well-versed in it, while weeding out the riff-raff who are not long for this place.

It's painful. It's often not pretty (boy though, when it clicks on the good nights, it's a joy). But it's a rebuild. Given available resources and the short-sighted decisions of the past, it's the only way I see forward.

Sharks 4, Islanders 1: This is not good.

Dominik — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 02:01:42 -0000

More photos » by Stephen Chernin - AP

On the bright side, at least this tool didn't do anything.

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Well, crap. The Islanders played a great first period -- got the go-ahead goal and got the Sharks worried. Then it all fell apart.

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

Final - 10.17.2009	1	2	3	Total
San Jose Sharks	0	2	2	4
New York Islanders	1	0	0	1

Complete Coverage >

So which is it: Did the Isles simply blow it? Take their foot off the gas? Did they just wake up a sleeping giant, who exacted vengeance for the next two periods? And what, pray tell, is the answer? Sure, it's a rebuild, these are growing pains -- but every NHL team gets wins*, so what's keeping the Isles from getting theirs?

* may exclude the Leafs. Experiences may vary.

Why can't the Isles sustain two consecutive periods of commanding play? Does the other team too easily adjust? Does this youthful team crumble at the first sign of adversity -- which tonight, was a penalty call that followed a blown call the other way, leading to a power play goal that, it turned out, stemmed from an offside the linesman missed? Do they lack confidence and self-belief, which took a strong hit when they blew a 3-0 lead in five disastrous minutes in Boston?

I don't know the answer, but I don't think we'll get it Wednesday night against the Hurricanes, who outscored the Islanders 24-9 last season while greedily walking away with all 8 points.

Notes and Pleas

The Big Line: Another great effort by Matt Moulson, Kyle Okposo and John Tavares, who combined on the lone, powerplay goal. Obviously one necessary ingredient is another line that can contribute some offense.

Speaking of which ... Blake Comeau, Josh Bailey and Sean Bergenheim had a few moments, but far too few.

Turning points: Maybe if the offside is called before the first Sharks goal. Maybe if Doug Weight doesn't hit the post in the closing seconds of the 2nd, when he would've tied it at 2-2. Maybe if the Islanders don't open the third by giving up a powerplay goal to give the Sharks easy insurance.

A fight, a hit, a something: Not much life in the third, which might reflect shaky confidence. When there finally was a fight -- Tim Jackman and Ryan Clowe -- it was far too little, too late. This is a young team, yes, but three youngsters happen to be their three best players. Is that a problem or a cause for hope?

Stat of the night: Rechlicz: Two shifts, 1:08 TOI. This is the Fritz treatment, squared.

Questions for Next Time

Goaltending: It was discussed in the game thread that the Islanders need somebody to take the reins in goal. It would be nice to ride one guy on a hot streak, but without so much as a win (much less a shutout), who will deserve consecutive starts? Martin Biron did well early, does not take the blame for the loss, but was caught cheating on Setoguchi's goal and still gave up four.

The Lineup: Really now, it's not yet time for Jeff Tambellini to get his second game? Exactly who is blocking him at this point? Meanwhile, Jack Hillen did nothing to dissuade me from putting him back out there -- but at whose expense? Does Bruno Gervais get the Tambellini treatment, or can Scott Gordon sit a veteran blueliner?

The Lines: Despite their lack of production, I'm not inclined to rush breaking up Comeau/Bailey/Bergenheim. Might as well give them a little time. At what point, I wonder, does Gordon consider breaking up the number one line for the fabled "balance," though? Not yet, but more of the status quo could eventually bring it up.

The Penalty Kill: Two goals allowed on three opportunities. That will happen, and the Isles were hardly parading to the box. But the early season PK streak is now just a memory. Bears watching.

Suggestions, observations, answers, complaints? I'm all ears. Low expectations aside -- and it has been a brutal list of opponents -- this winless start has officially become uncomfortable.

For reaction from the other side, some friendly thoughtful Sharks fans reside at Fear the Fin. Lucky bastards.

Predictions sure to go wrong: 2009-10 Eastern Conference preview (part 1)

Hooks Orpik — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 18:59:52 -0000

With the season about to kick off later this week, here's my take on the Eastern Conference. Last week's predictions for the Western Conference can be found here and here.

15. New York Islanders

Outlook: The Islanders seem to make as much news off the ice with their quest for a new arena (or potential relocation) than the on-ice product. They've notably added Next-next-next One, John Tavares and a couple of goalies in Martin Biron and Dwayne Roloson who are at least capable NHL'ers. Other than that, the cupboard remains bare - the Isles payroll is amongst the lowest in the league.

How they could make this prediction wrong: Tavares ends up being more "Crosby" than "Stamkos" in his first season. The young core of players like Josh Bailey, Kyle Okposo and Blake Comeau all need to blossom to avoid the basement, but it's hard to picture NYI making a realistic run to get to the playoffs this season.

Player to watch: Mark Streit [74 games played, 16 goals, 40 assists last season]
Young gun: Tavares [rookie]

After the jump, the other teams in store for a long winter, which includes a big named team who made it to the playoffs last season...

14. Tampa Bay Lightning

Outlook: The circus of the management and ownership woes and headscratches continues in Tampa. Before last season they brought in a ton of forwards and saw injuries ravage their defense corps. This season they brought in a host of more defensemen, more than they need, and are thin at forward. Tampa boasts some great skill up front, but they could be in real trouble scoring if any of their big guns goes down to injury.

How they could make this prediction wrong: Steven Stamkos (who scored at nearly 1 point per game in the last 30 games of last season) trained all summer with his former teammate and noted fitness freak Gary Roberts. If Stamkos can live up to his immense promise, new addition Victor Hedman can make a smooth jump to the NHL (tough for an 18 year old) and goalie Mike Smith can shake concussion headaches, Tampa could make a run.

Player to watch: Vincent Lecavalier [77 games, 29 goals, 38 assists last season]
Young gun: Stamkos [79 gp, 23g, 23a]

13. Ottawa Senators

Outlook: With Dany Heatley out of the picture the Sens can look forward, with more depth they hope. But I'm seeing problems for them, especially if the mercurial Alexei Kovalev doesn't pan out. Also new #1 goalie Pascal Leclaire hasn't been able to stay healthy and establish himself as a #1 NHL goalie, which is something of a concern entering the season.

How they could make this prediction wrong: Addition by subtraction with Heatley gone and the hope that Cory Clouston can "coach ‘em up". Clouston helped the Sens to a good finish once he took over, there's hope he could be a coach in the mold of Bruce Boudreau or Dan Byslma to go from the minors to a major league success story.

Player to watch: Daniel Alfredsson [79 games, 24 goals, 50 assists last season]
Young gun: Erik Karlsson [rookie]

12. Florida Panthers

Outlook: Florida moves on with the loss of a franchise player in Jay Bouwmeester. The Panthers were able to trade him for Jordan Leopold and also signed Dennis Seidenberg to help steady the blueline. The Panthers didn't add much in terms of free agency, they're banking on a young nucleus of players to continue improvement to put them back in the playoffs.

How they could make this prediction wrong: Those young players pan out; guys like Stephen Weiss, Nathan Horton, Rostislav Olesz and Michael Frolik have shown their talent but haven't parlayed it into a full season full of winning. The goaltending duo of Tomas Vokoun/Scott Clemmensen is probably quietly one of the best tandems in the East as well.

Player to watch: David Booth [72 games, 31 goals, 29 assists last season]
Young gun: Frolik [79gp, 21g, 24a]

11. Toronto Maple Leafs

Outlook: Brian Burke is starting to put his mark on this team with the notable additions usually giving the Maple Leafs' more size, grit and snarl. But by getting Phil Kessel from division rival Boston, he added some skill too. Toronto will be one of the most altered and overhauled team in the East; but results aren't always as immediate. Kessel, after all, starts the year on the IR and hitting and fights may inspire but they don't put the puck in the net (or keep it out of your own).

How they could make this prediction wrong: Goalie Vesa Toskala holds the fort down, or new intriguing pickup Jonas "The Monster" Gustavsson does it for him.

Player to watch: Tomas Kaberle [57 games, 4 goals, 21 assists last season]
Young gun: Luke Schenn [70gp, 2g, 12a]

10. Buffalo Sabres

Outlook: Fairly quiet off season for the Sabres; which is good because they didn't lose any stars this summer unlike the past. This team is banking on guys like Tim Connolly and Ryan Miller staying healthy and picking up some slack to kick them over the top. Buffalo has some good skill (like Tomas Vanek and Derek Roy) but with a relatively no-name blueline - which could include 19 year old 6'8" Tyler Myers - the Sabres seem very much a bubble playoff team that could go either way with/without some luck.

How they could make this prediction wrong: A shot in the arm is found somewhere, perhaps by 5'6" Nathan Gerbe to help Buffalo be a little more explosive offensively. A great season by Miller could put them over the top, but if he struggles or gets hurt in this Olympic year, it likely dooms the Sabres back to the draft lottery.

Player to watch: Vanek [73 games, 40 goals, 24 assists last season]
Young gun: Gerbe [10gp, 0g, 1a]

9. New York Rangers

Outlook: Big changes in Manhattan with a lot of new faces. John Tortarella gets his first full season with the Rangers but with so much roster turnover, it's hard to imagine a settled product right out the gates. Defensemen Wade Redden and Michal Rozsival had rough seasons and are the goats of the town, can they bounce back from it and show the talent that got them big-time contracts in the first place?

How they could make this prediction wrong: Marian Gaborik, though immensely skilled, has been impossible to keep healthy, with a history of hip and groin problems. Throw in that Madison Square Garden has some of the league's choppiest and worst rated ice and there's a recipe of disaster to be found. If Gaborik stays healthy, he'll pot 40+ goals and the Rangers are in the post-season. However if he doesn't play 40 games, their offense is going to be in big trouble, with a repeat of last spring's difficulty to score goals.

Player to watch: Henrik Lundqvist [38-25-7, .916 save 5, 2.43 GAA last season]
Young gun: Brandon Dubinsky [82gp, 13g, 28a]

Tomorrow we look at your playoff bound teams in the East.

2009-10 NHL Season Preview: New York Islanders

James Mirtle — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 12:00:15 -0000

More photos » by John Dunn - AP

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Who's in: Martin Biron, Dwayne Roloson, John Tavares
Who's out: Yann Danis, Andy Hilbert, Joey MacDonald, Dean McAmmond, Thomas Pock, Mike Sillinger

Outlook: Even with 19-year-old wunderkind John Tavares joining the roster as – after bonuses – the team's highest paid forward, GM Garth Snow opted to keep the Isles payroll right near the salary floor heading into this season.

Off-season additions of note came only in goal, as both Dwayne Roloson and Martin Biron joined the fold and offer some real insurance should Rick DiPietro again be unavailable to start the season (a distinct possibility given his continued knee woes).

That, combined with better luck in the injury department – especially on the blueline – should allow New York to begin to climb out of the basement in the goals against department, although there are likely to be more than a few long nights again given the youth involved here. Mark Streit meanwhile should once again be a stabilizing force on the back end and will have more support from a healthier cast.

Up front, the changes are minimal, as even greybeard Doug Weight has signed on to serve as mentor for Tavares and company. Youngsters like Kyle Okposo (provided he can return from a big hit sustained in preseason), Josh Bailey and Blake Comeau will make some gains but dont expect any miracles.

They'll be welcoming another high draft pick to the fold come next summer anyway.

X-factor: Kyle Okposo

For a more in-depth Isles preview, visit Lighthouse Hockey
For more NHL analysis, check out the McKeen's Hockey Yearbook

Poll

Where will the Isles finish in the Eastern Conference this season?

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7 votes

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0 votes

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2 votes

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1 votes

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3 votes

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0 votes

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1 votes

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7 votes

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6 votes

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4 votes

11

8 votes

12

11 votes

13

21 votes

14

66 votes

15

81 votes

218 votes | Poll has closed