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Islanders All-Decade Team: The Defensemen

Dominik — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 21:50:59 -0000

More photos » by Paul Sancya - ASSOCIATED PRESS

Radek Martinek: Spans most of the decade, displaying so much potential, so much injury.

Our fabrication of an Islandes All-Decade Team for the 2000s continues with the defensemen. For the all-decade goalie post and vote, go here.

For my money, three of the better Islanders defensemen made a hell of a trio at the beginning of the decade, while the fourth one only pulled on the NYI crest at the tail end of this span but is fast rising up the decade's points and games played list.

Points -- and points per game -- isn't really the ideal way to rank defensemen, but with the discussion of blueliner quality being so multi-faceted, it's the best shorthand we've got. Plus, while the first job of a defenseman is to help keep pucks out of the net, the ones who are truly elite bring offense to the table, too. As for the balance between one and the other -- we can call that "The Marc-Andre Bergeron Question" -- that's a debate that shall rage on 'till the end of time.

After the jump (which is after the poll, if you're on the main page), some stats for the blueliners who have tallied the most points and games played. You can only vote for one defenseman in this poll, but that software limitation may have an unintended benefit: We'll simply name the top two vote getters to our team.

Speaking of the many incomplete ways to judge defensemen, the plus/minus tally on this list features some real howlers (introducing Brendan Witt, Chris Campoli, Bruno Gervais and Eric Cairns: a collective minus-162 as Islanders!) -- and speaks to how plus/minus must always be considered in the context of the roster a player is on.

For example, Roman Hamrlik and Kenny Jonsson were each plus-10 for their Isles careers, playing for four different coaches in four seasons on teams that, total, gave up 54 more goals than they scored. Brendan Witt is minus-47 for his Islanders career, playing parts of four seasons for two coaches on teams that have given up 149 more goals than they scored. Witt's total isn't just hurt by the fact he's not an offensive defenseman and he's not a fit for Scott Gordon's system -- it's also affected by the fact the Islanders squads he's been on have bled goals.

	Player	From	To	GP	G	A	PTS	+/-	PIM	ESG	PPG	SHG	GWG	SOG	G/G	A/G	PTS/G
1	Roman Hamrlik	2001	2004	300	43	110	153	10	325	27	14	2	9	734	0.14	0.37	0.51
2	Kenny Jonsson	2001	2004	291	31	85	116	10	102	16	13	2	2	412	0.11	0.29	0.4
3	Adrian Aucoin	2002	2004	235	33	80	113	47	186	17	16	0	4	620	0.14	0.34	0.48
4	Radek Martinek	2002	2010	389	18	69	87	-5	237	16	1	1	4	439	0.05	0.18	0.22
5	Chris Campoli	2006	2009	228	20	63	83	-40	128	14	4	2	4	285	0.09	0.28	0.36
6	Mark Streit	2009	2010	111	20	54	74	4	92	7	12	1	1	227	0.18	0.49	0.67
7	Bruno Gervais	2006	2010	238	6	45	51	-43	113	5	1	0	1	240	0.03	0.19	0.21
8	Janne Niinimaa	2003	2006	136	11	33	44	3	140	6	5	0	2	131	0.08	0.24	0.32
9	Tom Poti	2007	2007	78	6	38	44	-1	74	0	6	0	1	134	0.08	0.49	0.56
10	Alexei Zhitnik	2006	2007	89	7	33	40	17	128	4	3	0	1	148	0.08	0.37	0.45
11	Marc-Andre Bergeron	2007	2008	69	15	24	39	-9	26	3	12	0	2	151	0.22	0.35	0.57
12	Brendan Witt	2007	2010	239	5	29	34	-47	317	5	0	0	0	205	0.02	0.12	0.14
13	Freddy Meyer	2007	2010	141	7	23	30	-19	80	7	0	0	3	123	0.05	0.16	0.21
14	Brent Sopel	2006	2006	57	2	25	27	-9	64	0	2	0	0	121	0.04	0.44	0.47
15	Sean Hill	2007	2007	81	1	24	25	6	110	1	0	0	0	88	0.01	0.3	0.31
16	Eric Cairns	2001	2004	251	7	17	24	-32	595	7	0	0	1	110	0.03	0.07	0.1
17	Andy Sutton	2008	2010	112	6	18	24	-1	162	6	0	0	1	106	0.05	0.16	0.21
18	Bryan Berard	2008	2008	54	5	17	22	-17	48	1	4	0	2	87	0.09	0.31	0.41
19	Garry Galley	2001	2001	56	6	14	20	-4	59	2	4	0	0	94	0.11	0.25	0.36
20	Dick Tarnstrom	2002	2002	62	3	16	19	-12	38	3	0	0	0	59	0.05	0.26	0.31

First let me tell you, for comedy's sake it was really hard to know where to cut this list off. A 56-player list doesn't look so hot on this page, so I encourage you to go to Hockey-Reference for the full list, where you'll find promising current Islander Jack Hillen just below the cutoff, along with Zdeno Chara, whose Islanders tenure just nipped into this decade.

Plus, you've got your Deron Quints, Brett Skinners, Mathieu Birons and the Great Alexander Karpovtsev. So you've got that goin' for ya ... which is nice.

As for who deserves your All-Decade vote? I'm not sure what criteria should push you over the edge. Longevity? Number of years in a uniform? Who was absolute best in an Isles uniform, regardless of time? Or simply who is the best defenseman you'd want in his prime (in which case Chara enters the debate)?

I'd probably have three different answers for each of those questions. While "longevity" and "Radek Martinek" rarely appear in the same sentence, he has ironically had the longest tenure both in years and in {shock!} games played; in some ways he aptly represents the decade. For lengthy stellar tenure, I'd give the nod to Kenny Jonsson -- though I can see a compelling argument for Hamrlik and Aucoin as well. I may be choosing Kenny over Roman strictly for likability reasons.

(Speaking of Aucoin, when I whine about the summer 2009 missed opportunity to upgrade the blueline, he's who I most have in mind. While you never know where a player is interested in heading, for my money if Aucoin was willing to go to the uncertain desert, he could have been talked into returning to the Island, allowing the Isles to twice buy low and potentially sell high on the guy. Just imagine the powerplay with him and Streit at the points.)

Anyway, for the final question of who is the best defenseman overall, despite his regression this year I'm still tempted to say Mark Streit. He's the highest points-per-game producer of the bunch, he's an undeniable two-way threat, and although he's only been with the team for a year and a half, he's got the sixth most blueline points on this list and has already logged 111 games. But again, I'm prone to a recency/likability bias.

I can't tell you how to vote. Favorite player? Representative of the decade as a whole? Best pure guy? It's your call. Write-ins, explanations, and remorse over what could have been are also encouraged in comments.

Poll

Who is your first pick for defense on the Islanders 2000s All-Decade Team?

Rangers Analysis: Tortorella's changes sparks Rangers

Joe Fortunato — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 17:00:41 -0000

More photos » by Karl B DeBlaker - AP

about 20 hours ago: New York Rangers' Marian Gaborik (10) celebrates his goal with teammates Vaclav Prospal (20) and Marc Staal (18) with Brandon Dubinsky (17) nearby during the second period of an NHL hockey against the Carolina Hurricanes game in Raleigh, N.C., Monday, Dec. 21, 2009. Rangers won 3-1.(AP Photo/Karl B DeBlaker)

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The Rangers had just lost 2-1 against the Islanders, with their record falling to 14-16-3. John Tortorella tried to keep his calm with the press—which lasted about as long as Bobby Sanguinetti call-up—and Tortorella had his first meltdown in New York. He vowed that he was okay with hitting "bumps in the road with kids but not underachieving vets," and that "changes would be made." And it started the very next day.

Wade Redden and Ales Kotalik were benched and the message was crystal clear: "play my kind of hockey, or you won’t be playing hockey here at all." It was indicative of old school John Tortorella hockey, the kind of mentality that earned him that ring that he wears. And you know what? It worked.

Michael Rozsival has responded and is playing his best hockey of the year, plus he is hitting the score sheet with four assists in 7 games. All of a sudden Rozsival is starting to look like the Rozsival of old, shoot cannons from the point (that actually hit the net!) and playing solid defense. Don’t forget that last night Rozsival saved that game by putting the brakes on Eric Staal’s wrap around attempt.

Wade Redden also responded coming back from his benching last night to play his best game as a Ranger. Like DBMaven said in the recap, if he keeps playing like this then we won’t be hearing much complaining coming out of the Ranger faithful.

And all of a sudden the Rangers have won three in a row. They look good they look composed and as I said on my radio show last night this is the time to make some momoentum.

Join me after the jump for more.

But probably the most important difference is the play of the team. If you can, try to remember way back when to the 7-1 streak that the Rangers went on. They back checked as a team, played solid defense, they cycled well, they got pucks to the net and most importantly they had guys parked in front of the net. That was the New York Rangers that I have seen play since Tortorella’s meltdown.

A few players in particular have stood out to me during this "safe is death" three game winning streak. Artem Anisimov has played great, and he has been rewarded with more ice time which has allowed him to begin to blossom. He shields the puck well, takes great shots, has nice vision and just looks awesome out there.

Ryan Callahan continues to play like a man on fire—and although he didn’t get a goal last night—he is making his chances and now is actually burying a few of them. And speaking of home grown talent Brandon Dubinsky also seems to have shaken the rust off since his injury and looks really good. His presence along has allowed John Tortorella to leave the top line intact which has rewarded the Rangers with plenty of goals.

And probably the most important improvement has been the defense as a whole. Suddenly they are all coming back to protect Henrik Lundqvist, they are keeping the crease and the slot clean of opposing players and they are taking the body whenever they can. Add that to a suddenly back on form Henrik Lundqvist and all of a sudden the Rangers are back in business and are out there looking for blood; which is what we want from them.

Overall Tortorella has made some changes too. He has gone from the docile coach who seemed afraid to speak his mind to the volcano-like coach who seems poised to erupt at any second. This was the John Tortorella I signed up for and this is the Tortorella who can fix this team.

Tampa Bay Lightning Game 36: at the New York Islanders

Cassie McClellan — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 14:00:33 -0000

More photos » by Paul J. Bereswill - AP

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The Tampa Bay Lightning beat the New York Islanders 4-2.

The Lightning were down twice in this game before going ahead to win it. This was something they were unable to do two games ago against the Detroit Red Wings. A team decimated by injuries, one that they could’ve won, and they let that game slip away 3-0.

You could say that the team was on an emotional high from their previous win in St. Louis – this was first time that Bolts have won back to back games in regulation this season, I might add. You could also say that it was the benching of Jeff Halpern and Alex Tanguay that gave them that spark – except that they both played in that game in Detroit.

I think that it’s been a combination of Vincent Lecavalier being a little cranky and finally converting on some scoring chances but also Halpern playing with a mouth full of smashed teeth. This is the grit that Rick Tocchet has been trying to instill in his players. This is about being angry and doing something about it.

Not a single Lightning player played well for the entire game, except for perhaps Tanguay. Everyone had their good and bad moments - and there was lot more bad than good, frankly - but it was enough to get them over the hump and into the win column. Winning doesn't have to be pretty, it just has to happen.

Lecavalier did not have his best game. He did score, but he was horrible at faceoffs on the night. Not only that, he had a couple of unfortunate turnovers that thankfully didn't lead to anything. Luckily, he didn’t end up in the penalty box, as did so many other teammates of his during the game. All can be forgiven if Vinny scores, though, right? At least, that’s the common perception.

Vinny, by the way, now has nine goals on the season while Martin St. Louis has seven – though Marty does have 33 assists while Vinny only has 24.

Which leads us to another Lightning goal scorer, Steven Stamkos. He’s the golden boy because of his 21 goals on the season. But he’s really turning into a one-dimensional player. Defense is not his strong suit, and since he jammed his wrist in practice over a month ago, he’s been awful at faceoffs. So it’s good that he can score goals, since that seems to be all he’s able to do right now.

The man of the game was Ryan Malone. He scored two goals and assisted on the other two. Malone has been a very pleasant surprise this season. Sure, he has 18 goals, but he’s also leading the team in hits, and isn’t afraid to camp out in the slot area and the crease to chip in some ugly goals. Without Malone, this team wouldn’t be in the race for a playoffs spot. You could argue the same for Stamkos, but Malone brings a lot more to the team right now than just potting goals.

Tanguay, I felt, had a great game. He was shooting and making passes. All in all, I believe that that was probably one of his best games of the season. He had five shots on goal in this game - the most of any Lightning player on the ice - and his one assist on Lecavalier's goal gave him his 600-point milestone. Sure, he didn't score, but there's a lot more to hockey than scoring goals.

The puzzling part of this game was that Zenon Konopka was sat out due to some minor injuries. Tocchet doesn’t want him to play banged up, is the official explanation. But what I wonder is this: Why does Konopka get to sit out, but they’re good with playing Stamkos with a bum wrist? A wrist, I might add, that needed to have x-rays taken on it after a slash a few games ago. Not to mention Victor Hedman with a bruised foot, who was only sat out a game or two. Why does Konopka get a night off to heal while Stamkos and Hedman don’t?

The next game is at home against the Philadelphia Flyers on Wednesday, 23 December. Game time is 7:30 pm Eastern. If you’re going, don’t forget a Santa hat – it’s Christmas Eve Eve, after all.

Lightning vs Islanders coverage [SB Nation]

Lighthouse Hockey [SB Nation New York Islanders site]

Lightning vs Islanders recap [TSN]

Lightning vs Islanders boxscore [TSN]

Roloson's incredible saves

James Mirtle — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 05:12:27 -0000

He was the early star when he dived back into the net after the puck took a wild bounce off the boards behind him and came out in front. Roloson lunged to block Steve Downie's attempt at a wide-open net and then used his left skate to deny Todd Fedoruk's try on the rebound.

The puck remained on the line as the Lightning celebrated what they thought was a goal. But play continued, and a lengthy video replay confirmed that the puck didn't cross the line.

— The Associated Press

Lightning 4, Islanders 2: For Tavares & friends, it's a slump

Dominik — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 02:55:42 -0000

Good news: Hey, the Islanders powerplay actually produced a goal! Bad news: The penalty kill gave up two. The Islanders played well 5-on-5, with Dwayne Roloson and his post bailing them out two critical times in the first period. But their special teams let them down again. In addition to the Lightning's two PP goals, their third goal was scored before the Isles could regroup after killing off one at the end of the 2nd period.

The Isles were booed off the ice at the end, and with results like these that's no surprise.

Final - 12.21.2009	1	2	3	Total
Tampa Bay Lightning	0	2	2	4
New York Islanders	1	1	0	2

Complete Coverage >

When I said before the game that if the Lightning play up to their talent level, it's their game to lose, that's what I meant. Both on the powerplay goals and in their fantastic 5-on-5 in the first period, Steven Stamkos, Martin St. Louis and Vincent Lecavalier moved the puck -- with Ryan Malone twice doing the trenchwork finishing -- at a level the Islanders cannot match. Despite the Isles outshooting the Bolts 38-28, that talent spelled the difference.

We can probably call this John Tavares' first official slump at the NHL level. It's now five games without a point and six without a goal -- his longest of the season in both categories. Tonight he only got one shot on goal, plus two more that were blocked. His line looked far less dangerous than the Frans Nielsen line, something reflected in the balance of shots directed at the net on their shifts.

Still -- and not that he will reach the same heights expected of Stamkos -- but looking at Stamkos tonight and all season long tells you what a difference a year can make for a 19-year-old in the NHL.

[Bit more plus highlights and Roloson's crazy goal-line saves video after the jump.]

I would say it could be time to reunite the Moulson/Tavares/Okposo line to get them going, but Okposo with Bailey and Nielsen actually had some nice chemistry tonight. Their best shift created the Islanders' second goal which, ironically, was scored by Nate Thompson (?!) because those forwards had kept the puck in the Lightning end long enough to live through a line change.

Rob Scrhemp continues to work hard, but without much result. It's not that he's creating things that his linemates aren't converting -- he's just not creating much danger at 5-on-5, period. And of course, he's part of a powerplay unit that isn't posing much of a threat now either.

Roloson, Acrobat

But for now, enjoy Roloson's insane acrobatics on the goal line, which kept this a game for much longer than it otherwise would have been:

And for the rest of the game highlights, including some nifty goals by both sides (NATE THOMPSON?! and a nifty Hillen-Bailey-Hunter connection), ~~we'll add them later, but whenever they're posted you can find them here~~, here you go:

This road is getting rough, and not looking any easier in the days ahead.

Stopping on Long Island on a snowy evening: Lightning vs. Islanders preview [UPDATED]

John Fontana — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 18:27:02 -0000

More photos » by Jeff Roberson - AP

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WHERE: Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Uniondale, New York
WHEN: 7 PM EST
MEDIA: Sun Sports, 620 WDAE

Lets start with the enws of the weekend that we did not report here on Raw Charge but it none-the-less happened. No, no, not what the title suggests, but the fact Lukas Krajicek was sent to AHL Norfolk. The new rub is, the Lightning have no intention of calling Krajicek back up to expose him to re-entry waivers (and letting other teams pick him up at half-price).

Coming off the victory versus St. Louis on Friday night, the Lightning are in need of somethign that has eluded the team since early November and only twice this season: back-to-back wins. Indeed, the last time the Lightning won back-to-back games was November 7th/12th (Montreal and Minnesota). Before that it had been October a full month (October 10th/12th versus Carolina and Florida).

So there is qa burden on the Lightning's shoulders tonight that the team has not beeen able to shake all season long - play a second winning effort and not fall back into the mire. Which team will show up remains to be seen - will they be the blunder-kids of the majority of this road-trip, or will they be the team that shut out this very Islanders team two weeks ago?

Indeed, last time these two teams danced, the Bolts shut out the Isles 4-0 at Times Palace. Mike Smith was in net for that one... As he will be tonight for this one. Smith is 5-9-5 on the season with a 3.14 GAA and .897 Save percentage. Both are well below his career average. We found out the Lightning had been showcasing Smith, playing him more often so scouts could see him, and offered him to Philadelphia earlier this month. Smith's inconsistency for the BOlts still reminds me far too much of former Lightning goaltender John Grahame -- aggressive to a fault, and liable to give up questionable or soft goals all too often.

The Isles are suffering on special teams at this point -- with a 16.6% power play conversion rate, a 75.4% penalty kill ratio. Due to snow conditions, the Isles did not practice yesterday.

This is one fo the rare games where the Lightning should have an outright chance when you look at the stat comparisons. Not only do they hold advantages on special teams (79% penalty kill rate, 17.3 power play conversion rate), but goals-for (2.46 vs. 2.42 for the Isles), goals against (2.89 goals allowed per game compared to 3.11 for the Isles) and faceoff percentage (51.7 versus 48.1).

Whcih Lightning team show sup tonight, though? The team humiliated in Chicago? Pushed around in Detroit? Or the winners in St. Louis?

The Bolts head home for the holidays after this one -- spending Christmas and New Years at Times Palace.

[Note by John Fontana, 12/21/09 6:00 PM EST ] It would appear that Zenon Konopka ill be scratched tonight -- a "body maintenance" scratch. Meanwhile, defenseman Matt Walker will also be out -- he suffered an injury in the 1st period of Friday's win over St. Louis. Steve Downie is set to return.

Tampa Bay Lightning Projected Lines

(updated December 21, 2009 by RawCharge subject to change)

Forward Lines:

Ryan Malone -Steven Stamkos - Martin St. Louis
Alex Tanguay - Vincent Lecavalier - Jeff Halpern
Blair Jones - Paul Szczechura - James Wright
Todd Fedoruk - Stephane Veilleux - Steve Downie

Defense:

Mattias Ohlund | Andrej Meszaros
David Hale | Victor Hedman
Kurtis Foster | Matt Smaby

Goalies

Mike Smith (starter)
Antero Niittymaki

Other Previews

Tampa Bay Lightning official team preview

Lighthouse Hockey

TSN

Full game coverage on SB Nation

Islanders Gameday: Lightning arrive, sans snow and Krajicek

Dominik — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 17:15:29 -0000

You know why I think the Islanders could snap out of their little funk tonight? Because the Lightning just snapped a one-win-in-11-games slump (and six-game losing streak) by winning 6-3 Friday over the slumping Blues ... who promptly went to Vancouver and eased by the Canucks (winners of 4 in 5) 3-1. You know: "Any given Sunday" and all that.

I swear, I don't know why I bother guessing because you never know what's going to happen in this league anymore. Somebody will show up, somebody will score, some goalie will stand on his head. Maybe the Islanders' special teams will even wake up.

Tampa Bay Lightning (12-14-9, t-11th) at New York Islanders (13-16-7, t-11th)
7 p.m. EST | Nassau [gloriously unsponsored] Coliseum | MSG+2, radio
Benjamin Franklin wannabes: Raw Charge

There was some scuttlebutt urging the Islanders, so thin on defense, to claim Lukas Krajicek and his $1.475 million from Tampa Bay. The Bolts want to be rid of Krajicek so bad, they were hoping teams would take him for free -- without them having to take "an asset" (read: dead weight) in return. To hear coach Rick Tocchet tell it, Krajicek's defensive methods had become ... unsound: "The thing is, when you're not scoring goals, you can't be at the scene of the crime too many times," Tocchet said.

I am in favor of tinkering to make strides -- as Cliff Fletcher has done in Minnesota -- I'm just not sensing that taking on the Bolts' Krajicek problem is the way to go. He strikes me as more (or even less) of what the Isles already have.

The Lightning are saying all the right things about this being a big game, a "dig-deep game" to help salvage the end of their six-game road trip. The Islanders are talking about the importance of getting points from this home stand and improving their special teams -- but the blizzard canceled practice yesterday, so there hasn't been much time to address the flaws on either side.

The Islanders will go with Dwayne Roloson. The Lightning might be wise to go back to Mike Smith, who got that impressive 4-0 shutout -- seems like we've seen a lot of good goaltending altely, no? -- over the Isles 16 days ago.

Lines, Injuries, and Avoiding Injuries

Katie Strang tweeted that the lines appear the same, so I'm not expecting any changes from the lineup that fired 40 shots at Jaroslav Halak without netting one of them. Strang also reports Tim Jackman is close, Sean Bergenheim skated for the first time this a.m., and Scott Gordon knows Doug Weight, out for five weeks, is "not even close."

If both teams play to their talent level: Advantage Lightning. If both teams play to their recent form: Who really knows anymore? I just hope the Isles keep their heads up for Mattias Ohlund, who has delivered some open-ice beauties this year, including to Phil Kessel and countryman Henrik Zetterberg.

Last meeting was a rather tame first NHL meeting between 2009 top picks John Tavares and Victor Hedman, though Hedman did net his 1st NHL goal. Tonight? Without a point in four games, Tavares is certainly due.

Prediction: An Islander scores this time. Maybe they remember that winning at home is good for fan relations.

Jon Sim: Your chief penalty drawer

Dominik — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 05:40:56 -0000

I was wondering about the Islanders' struggling penalty kill, and the notion occurred to me that Mark Streit has been taking a lot of penalties this year: Could his presence in the box be hurting the penalty kill? Perhaps. As the team's best overall defenseman, Streit is also the Islanders' best penalty killing blueliner, so putting him in the box is a double-whammy. But in terms of PK time per game, he actually sees less time than Andy Sutton, Brendan Witt, Bruno Gervais and Jack Hillen.

As it turns out, my perception was wrong: Streit isn't taking any more penalties than he took last year: He had 31 minors in 74 games last year; he has 15 in 36 games this year. So that theory dies on the vine. (Incidentally, Streit's penalties taken per 60 minutes (5-on-5) is similar to Hillen's but less than Witt's and Freddy Meyer's. Defensemen inevitably take more penalties; the better ones take fewer of them without giving up goals.)

But what I did notice when checking out Behind the Net's penalties drawn/taken data could be a counter-argument, or at least a bit of explanation, to the Sim-haters: Jon Sim has drawn the most penalties on the team this year (12), and better yet, he's committed only half as many (6) as he's drawn. Which speaks to Scott Gordon's quote after the win over the Rangers:

"It's a rivalry where you want your guys to play hard and play between the whistles, and [Sim] does a great job with that. He certainly draws more penalties than he takes..."

That Behind the Net link is solely for 5-on-5 play, so it doesn't perfectly match what you'll find in the NHL's totals. (For example, that table lists John Tavares as having taken one penalty and drawn eight, while the NHL lists him as having taken four -- at least two of those have been while the Islanders were on the powerplay, 5-on-4.)

Nonetheless, it's worth a look, as it shows some of the Islanders forwards who draw a whole lot more than they commit, including {ahem} Sim. Other Islanders forwards who look good: Sean Bergenheim, taking 3 and drawing 10; Josh Bailey (3-8); and Richard Park (5-9), who's always good in this category.

Dec. 20, 2009	Taken	Drawn	Taken/60 (5-on-5)	Drawn/60
Sim	6	12	1.0	2.0
Okposo	7	10	0.9	1.3
Bergenheim	3	10	0.5	1.6
Park	5	9	0.7	1.3
Bailey	3	8	0.5	1.3

One guy whose ratio doesn't look quite as good is Kyle Okposo (7-10). Players like him and Bergenheim tend to draw more than they take simply because they never stop moving their feet (whereas Tavares draws them because opponents generally crap their pants when he has the puck). But in this category, Okposo was much better last year (11 taken, 20 drawn).

Witt Giveth, Witt Taketh Away

Among defensemen, whose figures here are always lopsided, one guy stands out: Brendan Witt has taken a lot (even more than Streit, per 60 minutes of 5-on-5), but he's also drawn a lot: 10 taken, 8 drawn. That might speak to the physical side Witt brings; he not only crosses the line -- as all defensemen not named Nicklas do -- he also gets other players to cross the line in retaliation.

I'm as concerned about Witt's fit in Scott Gordon's scheme as the next guy, but I do recognize that he along with Sutton, Bergenheim and Sim bring some of the agitation that is needed to make sure other teams don't think you're too easy to play against. That the Islanders employ less-than-ideal options in many of these roles comes with the rebuilding territory, I'm afraid.

Don't Draw, Just Score

Now, there's a bit of luck and automated accounting (dependent on NHL game sheets) involved in this -- not to mention the perils of referees' all-too-human judgment, which has screwed more than a handful of Islanders in the last few games. And this is not exactly a defense of Sim, at least not a defense of him appearing on the powerplay.

But in terms of fourth-liners and agitators, you want guys who can do their jobs without handicapping you by taking penalties. All concerns about Sim's use aside -- sometimes he's not on the fourth line, which is what bugs people -- Sim is doing what Gordon asks of him: Going to the net, ticking opponents off, drawing penalties. That doesn't explain why he sometimes appears on the powerplay or on Josh Bailey's wing. But it just might speak to why Gordon keeps putting him in the lineup for a spot that usually amounts to just 10 minutes per game.

NJ Devils & Atlantic Division Weekly Snapshot: 12/20 - 12/26

John Fischer — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 16:34:52 -0000

The performances weren't pretty, but in a results-oriented business, there can be no complaints. The New Jersey Devils won all three games last week to now stay at the top of the Eastern Conference. The Pittsburgh Penguins also won all three games, so they share the same amount of points. For a second consecutive week, the Devils lead based on having two games in hand on Pittsburgh. As a whole, the best stay better with the Devils and Penguins expanding the gap over third place New York Rangers to 16 points. The Philadelphia Flyers and New York Islanders had poor weeks and fell further behind - all the better for the Devils and Penguins. Remember all this when those bottom three teams scramble for points in, say, March.

Atlantic Standings

	GP	W	L	OTL	PT
New Jersey	34	25	8	1	51
Pittsburgh	36	25	10	1	51
New York Rangers	35	16	16	3	35
New York Islanders	36	13	16	7	33
Philadelphia	34	15	17	2	32

(updated 12.20.2009 at 8:21 AM EST)

Basically, the Atlantic Division is a two-team race right now: New Jersey and Pittsburgh. They are the hottest teams in the league with a 4 game and 5 game winning streak, respectively. There are only two intra-division games this week and the big one is this Monday when the Devils travel to Pittsburgh. The Devils are in a favorable spot because even if they lose the game, they still have two games on hand to make up the difference. As for the Rangers, Islanders, and Flyers, each plays one more game than the Devils and Penguins this week, so the Devils keep games in hand on everyone by next week. Another advantage for NJ.

	Potential Points	Last Week	Conf. Position
NJD	4	3-0-0	1st
PIT	4	3-0-0	4th
NYR	6	2-1-1	9th
NYI	6	1-3-0	13th
PHI	6	1-2-1	14th

One of the bottom 3 Atlantic teams that could be figuring things out are the Rangers. With an angry coach and a GM who may or may not be on the hot seat, they've clawed back up into ninth place. Good for them, I suppose. But they aren't far ahead of the five teams that make up 10th through 14th so they can't relax. The Islanders and Flyers should follow their lead soon. Here's how the upcoming week looks for the division.

	12/20	12/21	12/22	12/23	12/24	12/25	12/26
NJD		@ PIT					@ WSH
PIT		vs. NJ		vs. OTT
NYR		@ CAR		vs. FLA			vs. NYI
NYI		vs. TB		vs. TOR			@ NYR
PHI		vs. FLA		@ TB			@ CAR

On paper, this week has two pretty tough games for Devils. Then again, who isn't a tough opponent in today's NHL? Even Carolina can "bring it" if given a chance. On the other hand, the Devils have beaten the Penguins twice already and this Saturday could see the Devils sweep the Washington Capitals this season. So this week is a toss up. Depending on how Monday's game goes and how the Penguins do on Wednesday will determine whether the Devils go into the last week of 2009 in first in the Atlantic (and possibly the conference - to that end, cheer on Buffalo on Wednesday to beat the Caps).

Though, to be honest, I am very pleased where the Devils currently are. Even if they drop both games this week, the Devils won't be too far behind Pittsburgh.

Markov Return Sparks Habs

Robert L — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 07:21:19 -0000

Bring on the hyperbole, the rhetoric, the obvious and the outrageous claims.

Or, keep your feet firmly planted in reality, dim as it often can be.

Not sure if the glass if half full or half empty today, but there are still fears that it is made of disposable plastic.

Last night, the Canadiens ended a five game skid, shutting out the New York Islanders 3-0. The game was highlighted by the return of the Habs' best player.

Yes, it sure is hard not to get caught up in the excitement sparked by Andrei Markov's headline snatching return to play, but there are a few points to consider while floating up to cloud nine, eyes glazing with great expectations.

For starters, never use the New York Islanders as any type of measuring stick. Misleading isn't the word.

Markov's two goal contribution cannot be diminished, but it needs to be underlined that Canadiens' special teams and goaltending were factors one and two in this win.

With Markov added, the Habs PP, already pretty decent without him, just got a whole hell of a lot more fearsome. The PK has been rolling along at a freight train's rhythm for a good spell now. Jaroslav Halak offered up his spectacular, once every second game, standout performance.

But.....

Markov's return is supposed to help set the Canadiens defensemen's minutes and usage to a more appropriate tuning. Playing a little over 20 minutes, such was accomplished. He played a somewhat daring game at times.

The concern, and it's been a constant issue, is how come the Islanders get off 75 shot opportunities in a game where the Canadiens' player's responsibilities have gotten more defined?

That's 40 shots on goal, 24 blocked, and 11 misses - a whopping total not entirely explained by the Canadiens giving the Isles 6 PP chances.

Wouldn't you assume that with Markov back, even though it is the first game, that the Canadiens might just keep the Isles to maybe 30 shots? Was that too much to expect?

The bottom line I suppose, is that there will always be ugly wins, the two points in the standings in this type of season being what matters most for now.

Still, I'll take a bit more comfort in a game in which, say the Habs come up a minute short against New Jersey (or Pittsburgh!), than I can, for now, of a whitewash against the Islanders.

But.....

There is also some good news.

Oddly, Tomas Plekanec took three of the Canadiens' six penalties, depriving the PK of his valuable contibution, and they still made out just fine.

The number of Islander shots tend to tell the tale that the Canadiens didn't enjoy a great puck possession game, but the did do one thing very well when it counted most, which was winning faceoffs on the powerplay.

Get a load of this. For the night, Plekanec and Gomez were 64% and 65% victorious on draws. On the power play, the team as a whole was a wicked 86% on faceoffs in the offensive zone, with NYI only winning one of seven. If you break it down, this just might be where the game was won and lost.

Gomez, I'll admit, is finding subtle ways of impressing me of late. I've made it a point to study him more closely, ot simply concentrating on what he does with the puck in the offensive or neutral zones. I watched a solid performance by him against Jersey and against the Isles he was impeccably placed defensively for the majority of his "without the puck" responsibilities. I think that Sergei Kostitsyn can and will become a more valuable attribute to him once Brian Gionta replaces D' Agostini on that line. Sergei has a knack for puck possession deep, which in time, if kept intact, will manifest into passing options for Gomez and slotting time for Gionta.

Some numbers....

Most shifts taken by a player, both teams: Markov with 30, at a 0:40 second average, a total of 20:25.

Longest shift time average: Mark Streit at 1:08, closest was Kyle Okposo (silent K as Pierre Houde tells) at 0:59. Highest Habs, Georges Laraque and Marc - Andre Bergeron at 0:55 each.

Most giveaways: Not so good, Hal Gill (5) and Halak (4) counting for 9 of the Canadiens' 15 giveaways.

Most PP minutes: Streit with 7:17 for the Isles and Gomez with 3:35 for Montreal.

Most PK minutes: Gomez and Sergei with 5:32, Gorges with 4:57, Mara 4:42 and Markov 4:15.

Most shots on goal: For the Isles, Jack Hillen with 5, markov for the Habs with 4.