SBNation.com User Blog: TheMetalChick

Let's Do This! Sunday Morning Tailgate Brunch at NVMC for Game 3

TheMetalChick — Wed, 01 May 2013 23:15:00 -0000

Our first playoff game at NVMC is on a Sunday- at noon?

So be it!

We have decided to pull a bit of an AM tailgate before the game- screw you and your schedule, NBC! :-P

There are few of us who are in so far- I hope more of you come, too.

We are gonna have a grill to make some breakfast & (albeit early) lunch foods and drinks before the game. We figured we would start the party at 9-930AM (I know, I know... but this game is starting SO frickin early!)

We wanted to use this post to get an idea of who will come by and who will want some food and drinks so that we can gauge what we need. This is what we are thinking so far:

Sausages
Eggs (scrambled)
Rolls
Burgers
Dogs
Buns
Fruit (I already have an idea for this lol)

Box of Coffee from DDs
OJ
Champagne/sparkling wine
Beer

Paper Plates
Paper cups
Plasticware
Napkins
Aluminum wrap
Disposable pie tin
Ketchup

(Any other food/beverage/etc suggestions?)

We are gonna pick a location for this and post it here.
We will have a sign that you will all recognize. :)

So, who is coming to hang out before the game?
Do you want to bring anything? Bryan and I are gonna split this stuff up between us- but whatever anyone wants to bring from above (or your own ideas) would be great- just let us know here, because we will be doing the rest of the shopping for what we need on Saturday.

So- anyone? Answer the poll and let everyone know :)

Our first playoff game at NVMC is on a Sunday- at noon?

So be it!

We have decided to pull a bit of an AM tailgate before the game- screw you and your schedule, NBC! :-P

There are few of us who are in so far- I hope more of you come, too.

We wanted to use this post to get an idea of who will come by and who will want some food and drinks so that we can gauge what we need. This is what we are thinking so far:

Sausages
Eggs (scrambled)
Rolls
Burgers
Dogs
Buns
Fruit (I already have an idea for this lol)

Box of Coffee from DDs
OJ
Champagne/sparkling wine
Beer

Paper Plates
Paper cups
Plasticware
Napkins
Aluminum wrap
Disposable pie tin
Ketchup

(Any other food/beverage/etc suggestions?)

We are gonna pick a location for this and post it here.
We will have a sign that you will all recognize. :)

So- anyone? Answer the poll and let everyone know :)

Poll

So, are you going to come to the LHH AM Tailgate?

Would like to come, but I can't

24 votes

I can stop by for a while, but its too early for food/drinks

1 votes

I can stop by for a while, the food/drink plans sound good!

13 votes

I'm coming by and I'm bringing ____ (please specify in comments)

5 votes

Tailgate in the AM? No thanks.

1 votes

44 votes | Poll has closed

You know what time of year it is, everyone! Happy "Yashin back to the NHL" day!!!

TheMetalChick — Fri, 20 Jul 2012 14:18:15 -0000

You know what time of year it is, everyone! Happy "Yashin back to the NHL" day!!!

These festivities are brought to you by, come on you all know his name- Mark Gandler!

Wow... has it been a year already? Well, look at your calendar- its the third week of July! That, as Im sure you all know, is the traditional "Yashin back to the NHL" week.

♫♪ ♫ Its the most... predictable tiiiime of the year! ♪ ♫

For those of you interested in taking a trip down memory lane to "Yashin back to the NHL" rumors of years past while we get ready to play again this year, check the link in the title to find some previous "Yashin back to the NHL" stories that are sure to get you into the holiday spirit.

Like any other traditional holiday week, "Yashin back to the NHL" always goes the same way- Yashin has a super-cool, concrete/solid/etc offer from an NHL team (usually hinted to be the Islanders, but any team will do) for (lots of?) money, comparisons are made to Jagr or some other older (preferably Russian or former eastern bloc) player(s), but then Yash ultimately decides not to take it.

Sure, you know EXACTLY how its gonna go... but you know how St Patricks Day is gonna go too- and that doesnt stop you! Dont let the complete and utter predictibility of this annual holiday take away from the tradition and deep, profound meaning that is behind the "Yashin coming back" spirit.

So... get out those turtlenecks and old CMC Yash jerseys, everyone! Celebrate like its 2007!

WTH is with this daily #Isles tweet? I don't get it.

TheMetalChick — Sat, 19 May 2012 17:02:49 -0000

WTH is with this daily #Isles tweet? I don't get it.

"Isles Wow can't take much more of this horrible play #Isles"

Could someone please let me in on WTH this recurring tweet is all about??? I have seen this exact tweet- no changes whatsoever- posted nearly every day by different people for months now. Back during the regular season when I would see this tweet I figured people were maybe watching DVRs of previous games or just commenting in general. But now??? I feel like I am totally missing the joke. Any explanations?

What's the deal with Jesse Joensuu?

TheMetalChick — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 02:36:08 -0000

What's the deal with Jesse Joensuu?

I know he was qualified and played overseas, but what does that mean for him now that the season is over? Is he still Isles property? He is still listed on the website, FWIW. I asked Staple about this, but I do not know if he is going to answer. I am curious because word is that he had a good season. I *think* that the Isles still have his rights. Am I right or wrong? I am not sure because on Capgeek they list him as playing for HV71 next season, too. Do you guys think he will be back this fall to try and make the 12-13 team?

What Taiwan thinks of the 2012 NHL Playoffs!

TheMetalChick — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 18:59:28 -0000

What Taiwan thinks of the 2012 NHL Playoffs!

"It’s inconceivable to me that the Islanders wouldn’t be on Long Island. It would be malpractice...

TheMetalChick — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 23:39:58 -0000

"It’s inconceivable to me that the Islanders wouldn’t be on Long Island. It would be malpractice for those in charge to allow that to happen."
~Gary Bettman 10/24/11

Kirill Kabanov Needs a Team.

TheMetalChick — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 03:20:15 -0000

Since last season, Kirill Kabanov is no longer with the defunct QMJHL Lewistown MAINEiacs... as you probably know, he was picked up by the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada.

Thats all well and good, but the big question is: What the heck is going on with him now?

Kirill was sent down by the Isles, but apparently he has no where to technically be sent down TO. The problem is that his junior team already reached their quota of two International players for their 2011-12 season... so there is currently no spot on the team for our Kabanov.

I read rumors he may be headed to the SEL, but I really do not understand how that would work.

Kabanov really should be playing right now. He ended last season on such a positive note, it is important for him to start building on that ASAP. But instead, Ive heard that he was hanging around NVMC opening night in a suit, chatting it up with people. Sure he is great at that (and obviously really likes it) but I think we can all agree that is not whats best for him right now. (I think we can also all agree that he really, REALLY wants to be with the Islanders team right now.)

Kirill said on FB not long ago that his agent is working on where he is going to play... but nothings happened so far as far as I know. So- is Kirill getting traded? (By his junior team, NOT the Isles!) Will they trade one of their other Euros? Will they give Kirill permission under these special circumstances to play in the AHL? Will he go to the SEL? What do you think will happen and what do you think would be best for him as a player and for his own personal development?

Tabloid News: Not Just for Rangers Players Anymore!

TheMetalChick — Sat, 17 Sep 2011 02:58:27 -0000

Tabloid News: Not Just for Rangers Players Anymore!

The Post not only wrote a big article on DiPietro recently (link), but now they are turning their tabloid-sensors towards the Isles players. Poor Matty lol. Is it only a matter of time til we see shots of Okposo on page 6 when he is on his way to a Harry Potter convention?

Hockey Video Tributes & Montages for Dummies?

TheMetalChick — Sun, 19 Jun 2011 04:12:53 -0000

I like the hockey montages and tributes that fans put together. I have a vision of one going with a particular song I have in mind, and I can even see the kinds of clips Id want to use at certain parts of the song. The problem is, I have never made one myself- and I honestly do not know where to even begin. Now that I have a decent computer instead of the dinosaur desktop I was using previously, I am interested in learning more about what I would need to make something like this. What programs do people use for gathering, editing, and stringing together clips? Where do you even get the clips in the first place? Is there any advice anyone would like to give? Im interested in hearing from any of you that like to make this kind of stuff. And hey- if its too tough for me to do but you know how to do it, maybe I could give you a few new ideas lol.

The Drive for Five (Hundred)

TheMetalChick — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 04:22:22 -0000

The New York Islanders are technically still in the playoff race, I know- but I have maintained since all the way back around the end of November that was not going to happen this season. Losing 20 out of 21 games is simply too much to overcome, even for a team that has earned the most points in the eastern conference in the timespan since things turned around. What CAN happen is something I was all but certain of back in December would also be completely impossible- the Isles might avoid a losing 10-11 season....

The New York Islanders are currently at: 70GP | 27W | 32L | 11OTL/SOL | 65PTS. That means they are presently 5 games under NHL-500, with 12 games to go. (NHL-500 meaning 82 points in 82 games played)

Since the Isles have 65 points right now, they would need to earn 17 points in those 12 games.

As a matter of perspective, the Isles earned 16 points in their last 12 games (6-2-4)
I guess it would be accurate to say that the Isles need to play exactly like they have been playing, except they need to find ONE more point in that time span.

Its not going to be easy, though.

Fact: The Isles fare far better at home.
8 of the previous 12 games were at home, and only 4 were away.
Only 5 of the final 12 are home games- 7 are away.
Thats gonna make it tougher.

Fact: Only 5 of the previous 12 games were against teams assured of a playoff spot... although 4 more of those against non-playoff teams were against the Leafs and Devils, who have been making great runs.
Of the next 12, virtually all of the teams except the Panthers are either in a playoff spot or are either close or making great runs. That too will make it tougher.

Below are are the games coming up in the remainder of the season, along with my predictions.
A few notes: I lumped all losses (REG L, OTL, SOL) together as non-wins... but I included the points in the last line because that affects things here. I predicted all upcoming games as either wins or non-wins.

So, the Isles need 17 points (or more!) to avoid having a losing season. The way I see things at the moment (of course things can and will change when you see what the other teams are doing) I think the Isles are likely to get 12 points from straight-up wins. That means they would either have to earn 5 points in the other 6 non-win games, or win some of those games marked as non-wins outright. Note that in the drive for five hundred, it doesnt matter whether the other teams get points off us... an OTW or a SOW means just as much as a Reg W.

So, what do you think? Do you see the Isles drive for five hundred being successful?

(BTW- I originally posted this at TheNHLArena but I know all you guys do not post there and I wanted to see your predictions!)

Luongo Blossomed after Leaving Long Island

TheMetalChick — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 05:32:56 -0000

Luongo Blossomed after Leaving Long Island

According to Ben Kuzma of Vancouver Province, that is.
Twitter.com/benkuzma

Really? He "blossomed" when he left Long Island, huh? So- he "blossomed" in his half a decade with the Panthers? I guess I have somehow forgotten all the AMAZING SUCCESS they had with him. Could someone please point it all out to me? Where is all this "blossoming"? WTF has this guy actually accomplished in the NHL?????

Quick! Stop Thinking! --the psychology of choking

TheMetalChick — Sat, 13 Nov 2010 00:27:14 -0000

The New York Islanders lose a lot of games. Yeah... if youre reading this, then I am sure you already know that all too well. After all, its pretty tough to overlook a nine game losing streak and watching the team you love garner only 1 out of the last 18 points available to them.

There are plenty of Isles blogs and articles talking about this problem. Whats their problem? How can it be solved? Why dont they try harder? Why dont they care? Play with heart? Who needs to come up? Who should be sent down? Who needs to step up more? Those articles are great and I reading them myself... but Im not going there right now. Of course there are also panic-button reactionaries who, as a rule, need very little to push them into scathing rage regarding the teams ownership, General Manager, their old building, longterm cable deal, etc. A 9-game losing streak is more than adequate to fuel their rants. Dont get me wrong- this organization is FAR from perfect, plenty of the criticism is justified, and many of those articles have their place, as well. But I am not looking to go there, either. I am looking at this problem a bit differently. I am not analyzing plus minus, relative Corsi stats, who is holding back which line, which free agents refuse to play at NVMC, whether to blame the owner or GM, none of that. I think theres something that is overriding talent and motivation and will when it comes to the New York Islanders. I think there is far more to it than stats. I even think there is even more to it than talent. I think their own minds are working against them... and the more they try to rectify it, the worse things are getting...
I read an article last night in a quarterly magazine called "Discovery Presents The Brain." It is from the fall issue, I think it is still the most recent issue out there (but you cant always trust me on that, I tend to keep science magazines until I read every part of them.) In this magazine, there is an article called, "Quick! Stop Thinking!" by Carlin Flora. The article offers a brief view into a new book by Sian Beilock called Choke: What the Secrets of the Brain Reveal about Success and Failure at Work and at Play. As I was reading it, I started to see a strong and undeniable correlation of its ideas and the Islanders current situation. In fact, these idea can apply to a number of teams... but Ill stick with talking about the one I know best!

(Click here to see a readable JPG of the article... I highly recommend checking it out!)

The article is all about choking... the same kind of choking the New York Islanders (other than their 41yo goaltender and an oft-IR'ed Dman) are currently displaying night after night. According to the article, choking happens when a person allows anxious thoughts distract him or when a person conscious tries to control motor skills that are best left on autopilot. Choking is not just a poor performance, it is a suboptimal performance- a person doing far worse than he is actually capable of doing. And choking happens because of the persons own perceptions, and the pressure and stress that the person is putting on himself in the given situation.

The article points out studies in which the books author Sian Beilock studies these reactions. When Beilock asked golfers to think about where their elbow was during their golf swing, they tended to perform worse than usual. Why? If a person is doing an activity that requires a lot of mental horsepower (for our discussion, like playing hockey) and then on top of that they are worried about screwing up (or losing streaks or being sent to the minors or whatever) well then suddenly the person does not have the available brainpower they need to accomplish what they were worrying about in the first place. The more you worry, the worse you will do at your task.

This is what we are seeing right now with this team. I do not believe all the young players the Isles are counting on have suddenly "forgotten" how to score goals. IMO it is simply not reasonable. What I think IS reasonable is to consider that these players are putting pressure on themselves to the point of hindering their own mental (and therefore, athletic) abilities. To apply this to the Islanders, Rick DiPietro is so worried about letting in a goal and screwing up and getting another loss that he is actually preventing his own brain from simply- reacting- in which case he would be far more likely to make the save. Kyle Okposo last season missed what seemed like dozens of open nets because instead of just shooting, he was probably saying to himself as he skated over there, "I cant miss a shot like this again! WTFs wrong with me, this is the kind of goal you just CANT miss, I... oh...shit..."

I think it explains why some otherwise EXCELLENT scorers such as Jagr and Kovalchuk would sometimes do so poorly in the shootout. (God... Kovie in the SO last night... ugh...) During a game, you just shoot... and you score. In the shootout, youre standing out there... thinking... second guessing yourself... third guessing yourself... you are not just- playing the game.

The thing is, worrying is a vicious cycle. The more pressure that these players put on themselves and hinder their own playmaking and finishing abilities, the more they will feel they have to worry about. And the more you worry, the more your brain gets used to the process. You in effect become more of a worrier. Not good.

There are people who are less likely to choke... and studies show that its people who have been in high-stress situations more often who are better at dealing with them. That explains why the Isles best players right now are a 41yo goaltender and a 35yo defenseman. They have been through the losing streaks, the losing seasons, they have already realized that worrying about every move they make is not only not going to help, but it will hurt- significantly. A good example of this is Radek Martinek receiving the first fighting major of his entire career. That is probably not something he would have done if he had stopped to think about it and worry about the consequences. But he is just- acting- and- reacting- and he is one of few Islanders players who seem to be doing everything anyone would reasonably expect from him.

I ordered the book, and I honestly cannot wait to read it (yeah, yeah- nerd alert lol). I actually ordered two... because I will be sending one to the New York Islanders, along with a printout of the magazine article above. I will explain to them that it is not an insult, its actually a credit to the players on the team. I know they care. I know they are trying. I know they want to win so badly. They just need to stop worrying about it.

Isles: Get Into the Groove

TheMetalChick — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 04:57:46 -0000

via img830.imageshack.us

You should look.... For inspiration....

Come on! We're wait-ing...

Get into the groove, boys.

You've got to prove

Your worth to me, yeah.

Get up on your feet, yeah.

Skate to the beat

Boys, what will it be?

Hockey can be such a revelation.

Watching the game you feel its sweet sensation.

We'll all be homers if the scoreboards right

I hope this feeling starts again tonight

Only when you're winning can we feel happy

At night we post on blogs, where everyone can see

We're tired of losing games its such a bore

Tonight I wanna see you goddamn score!

Get into the groove, boys.

You've got to prove

Your worth to me, yeah.

Get up on your feet, yeah.

Skate to the beat

Boys, what will it be?

Gonna get to watch you ev-er-y game day

Losing shouldn't happen to us every day

Don't skate so panicked, there is no disguise

I see the waiver wire in your eyes

Only when you're winning can we feel happy

At night we post on blogs, where everyone can see

We're tired of losing games it really sucks

Tonight I wanna see you shoot the puck!

Get into the groove, boys.

You've got to prove

Your worth to me, yeah.

Get up on your feet, yeah.

Skate to the beat

Boys, what will it be?

(Thanks for the inspiration, Madonna. And if you dont get the reference, well then I'm too old lol.)

via t3.gstatic.com

via img830.imageshack.us

You should look.... For inspiration....

Come on! We're wait-ing...

Get into the groove, boys.

You've got to prove

Your worth to me, yeah.

Get up on your feet, yeah.

Skate to the beat

Boys, what will it be?

Hockey can be such a revelation.

Watching the game you feel its sweet sensation.

We'll all be homers if the scoreboards right

I hope this feeling starts again tonight

Only when you're winning can we feel happy

At night we post on blogs, where everyone can see

We're tired of losing games its such a bore

Tonight I wanna see you goddamn score!

Get into the groove, boys.

You've got to prove

Your worth to me, yeah.

Get up on your feet, yeah.

Skate to the beat

Boys, what will it be?

Gonna get to watch you ev-er-y game day

Losing shouldn't happen to us every day

Don't skate so panicked, there is no disguise

I see the waiver wire in your eyes

Only when you're winning can we feel happy

At night we post on blogs, where everyone can see

We're tired of losing games it really sucks

Tonight I wanna see you shoot the puck!

Get into the groove, boys.

You've got to prove

Your worth to me, yeah.

Get up on your feet, yeah.

Skate to the beat

Boys, what will it be?

(Thanks for the inspiration, Madonna. And if you dont get the reference, well then I'm too old lol.)

via t3.gstatic.com

Leave Bruno Alone! Seriously though- I cannot reply to comment threads right now because it...

TheMetalChick — Sun, 24 Oct 2010 05:25:37 -0000

Leave Bruno Alone!

Seriously though- I cannot reply to comment threads right now because it keeps jumping to the top of the page whenever I try to do anything. I can not even post a new comment on an article... if I go to push "post," it jumps to the top of the page. I also cannot bold, ital, quote, or post pics... it just jumps to the top of the page. No matter what I do, it jumps to the top of the page. Very annoying. :(

I logged out and logged back in, no change.

Didnt someone recently say they were having a problem something like this? What did they do to fix it? Remember, I probably wont be able to reply, so I hope I gave enough info lol.

Edit: But I can edit this for some reason. Go figure! :)

Mark Streit Video: Translate, anyone?

TheMetalChick — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 03:38:42 -0000

Mark Streit Video: Translate, anyone?

Anyone know German (or know someone who knows German) & think they can get this Mark Streit video summarized or translated into English? I am definitely curious.

CBA/Salary Cap/Waiver Question regarding Wade Redden

TheMetalChick — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 21:26:47 -0000

Im asking this here because if Im wrong on this, Id REALLY like to know and make a point of it. I dont think I am, but I need to know either way. I would not want to make a point of convincing people of something that is not correct.

I said this earlier today on TSN:

TheMetalChick: One problem I have with this article is with the somewhat misleading phrase 'The Wade Redden era in New York has come to an end.' This isnt really true. Since Redden has four years still remaining on his contract, and NHL contracts are guaranteed, he will be back again every offseason, for many years. Sounds like nothing except when you remember that there is a limit to how much over the cap a team can be during the offseason. Then they have to do all of this all over again... until they trade him, convince a healthy guy in his 30s to retire and give up 20+ million dollars for no reason, or buy him out. The truth of the matter is that the Redden era in NYC still has a long way to go.Oh and for people asking whether he gets paid his same salary in the AHL: Of course he gets paid his same salary in the AHL. Wade Redden was not on a 6.5M/6Y 2-way deal LOL.

And I got this response:

Dave_in_Jersey: You are wrong metalchick. He cannot rejoin the Ramgers, this year or any year following until his contract expires, unless the Rangers put him on re-entry waivers. Sure he can come to camp, but his salary won't be counted towards the in season or offseason cap unless he clears those waivers. They might invite him to camp, give him a chance to impress with the sole intention of attracting another team's interest, so they can reduce the cash they pay him by half, but they are under no obligation to do that. The Redden era IS over, unless they CHOOSE to bring him back for some misguided reason.

To which I in turn responded:

TheMetalChick: Dave_in_Jersey: You think so, huh? You think that just one waive of a player in Sept, 2010 will simply last until July, 2015? All those offseasons, etc mean nothing, and the Rangers never have to do anything again, Redden just POOF disappears forever?

I know he would have to go through re-entry waivers to come back to the NHL this season, I never said otherwise. My point was not about THIS season, but about subsequent seasons. Is one waive suddenly eternal? Am I wrong? I really didnt think so but this guy has me questioning myself. I can take it, so please just let me know if you can. Id like to be specific, as well- if there is something that states I am wrong, and waivers can extend throughout years that way, I need to know about it.

TheMetalChick: One problem I have with this article is with the somewhat misleading phrase 'The Wade Redden era in New York has come to an end.' This isnt really true. Since Redden has four years still remaining on his contract, and NHL contracts are guaranteed, he will be back again every offseason, for many years. Sounds like nothing except when you remember that there is a limit to how much over the cap a team can be during the offseason. Then they have to do all of this all over again... until they trade him, convince a healthy guy in his 30s to retire and give up 20+ million dollars for no reason, or buy him out. The truth of the matter is that the Redden era in NYC still has a long way to go.Oh and for people asking whether he gets paid his same salary in the AHL: Of course he gets paid his same salary in the AHL. Wade Redden was not on a 6.5M/6Y 2-way deal LOL.

And I got this response:

Dave_in_Jersey: You are wrong metalchick. He cannot rejoin the Ramgers, this year or any year following until his contract expires, unless the Rangers put him on re-entry waivers. Sure he can come to camp, but his salary won't be counted towards the in season or offseason cap unless he clears those waivers. They might invite him to camp, give him a chance to impress with the sole intention of attracting another team's interest, so they can reduce the cash they pay him by half, but they are under no obligation to do that. The Redden era IS over, unless they CHOOSE to bring him back for some misguided reason.

To which I in turn responded:

TheMetalChick: Dave_in_Jersey: You think so, huh? You think that just one waive of a player in Sept, 2010 will simply last until July, 2015? All those offseasons, etc mean nothing, and the Rangers never have to do anything again, Redden just POOF disappears forever?

Bell Curving the Kovalchuk Talk

TheMetalChick — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 00:41:07 -0000

Ive been reading a lot of comments about the Kovalchuk rejected contract. One of the points that Ive seen made many times is that Kovalchuk will play til he is 44, so whats the problem? Instead of arguing that, I thought Id approach the whole concept of playing at the age of 44.

Heres the thing about the age to which a player will play... if follows a bell curve just like height or mortality rates or intelligence or plenty of other things. Take a look at what I mean:

Consider as one example, player height- someone being 6ft tall is in the fairly meaty part of the bell curve. 6'2", a little more... even to 6'4 and 6'5" its still on the bell curve. However, once you start getting to 6'7, 6'8", the numbers fall- drastically. You could easily make a case that 6'7" is "only" two inches taller than 6'5".. and youd be absolutely correct in the most strict sense. You could also point out that on every team there are players that are separated by two or more inches. Again, youd be correct. However, this does NOT mean that it is in any way likely for a player to be 6'8"! Have there been people who are, say, 7'4"? Sure there have! But its so freakishly rare that pointing to that person does not make it any more likely that someone on your team is going to be 6'8"!

Age of retirement works pretty much the same way- along a bell curve. You can point to all the players who play to ages 37, 38, 39- and you are absolutely correct. You can even point to players who are 40 or 41 and there are a few- no argument here! Heck- we even have one in net for the Islanders! However- once you get to ages like 43, 44, it changes- drastically. Have there been players in their late 40s and even 50s? Sure- but, like the 7'4" person, they are so freakishly rare that pointing to them does not make it any more likely that a person is going to be playing hockey at 44 years of age. You could easily make a case that 44 is "only" two years older than 42... and youd be absolutely correct in the most strict sense. You could also point out that on every team there are players that are separated by two or more years. Again, youd be correct. However, this does NOT mean that it is in any way likely for a player to remain a viable part of an NHL team (and worthy of a SIX MILLION DOLLAR CAP HIT) at 44 years of age.

Kovalchuk playing until 44years of age- AT the NHL level, no less (because even if he is earning only 500 something K, it would be at a humungous 6M cap hit, which would be eliminated if he was waived and placed in the minors) is just not reality. Devils fans know this.. we ALL know this... and the NHL knows this.

Gordie Howe is like a 7'4" NHL hockey player.

Islanders fans have a favorite game to play, and here it is!

TheMetalChick — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 05:13:27 -0000

Islanders fans have a favorite game to play, and here it is!

Why would Kovalchuk going to the Kings be considered going to "a contender"?

TheMetalChick — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 06:46:48 -0000

I was reading this thread on the Kings board over at The Arena, and someone said this:

The Kings are certainly in a much better position to battle for the Cup than the Isles currently, and declining them makes it look like he's not as interested in going to a contender as he was rumored to be.

This line really got me thinking. Are the Kings really in a "MUCH better position"?

The Kings are probably about two years ahead of the Islanders in doing the same thing- rebuilding. What I want to know is, why is Kovalchuk going to the Kings lumped in with and considered to be a case of him going to "a contender"? I dont get it. The Kings are NOT already contenders and have NOT earned the title people keep putting on them. Might they be contenders soon? Sure, why not? They are a young and talented team who is getting better and better. They are certainly on their way. But they arent contenders yet as of right now. Lets look at the facts:

I was reading this thread on the Kings board over at The Arena, and someone said this:

The Kings are certainly in a much better position to battle for the Cup than the Isles currently, and declining them makes it look like he's not as interested in going to a contender as he was rumored to be.

This line really got me thinking. Are the Kings really in a "MUCH better position"?

via i50.tinypic.com

Islanders have made the playoffs more often than they have in recent years! I looked at the stats from this century. If anything, the Islanders/Kings comparison has either been a wash or the Isles have been better than the Kings, except for last season. That does NOT make one "a contender".

Yes, the Kings are a young and talented team who is getting better and better. But so are the Islanders. They are going to be a lot better a lot sooner than most people think- especially the people in the media who keep referring to a choice between the two teams as one between a contender and a non-contender. Could a player like Kovalchuk MAKE them a contender? Quite possible, yes. But that would not be him GOING to a contender, it would be him making a team into one. Big difference, as far as Im concerned. And Im sorry but there is no logical reason to think that he would not have just as positive of an effect on the New York Islanders.

If someone wanted to say that the Kings are in a somewhat better position than the Isles, just insofar as they have been going with youth and rebuilding a bit longer, alright- Id be OK with that... but Im getting tired of the 2y difference in their rebuilds being made into some gigantic chasm, because it simply isnt.

Fact is, the only actual contender that is known to be in this Kovalchuk thing is the Devils. The Flyers would be as well, except I cannot for the life of me fathom how they would possibly afford him.

OK- I feel better now having said that. Now back to our regularly scheduled waiting and wondering.

Suspension of Disbelief

TheMetalChick — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 04:06:49 -0000

So, no suspension on Colin White for turning Sean Bergenheim 's nose into what looked like an overcooked tortellini in pink sauce. And you know, that would not have gotten me upset IF Andy Sutton had not been suspended for two frickin games for doing the exact same thing in his hit on Pascal Dupuis. The only difference between the two hits was the considerable size differential on the Sutton hit, and the fact that Bergie did not position himself in the same dangrous position... he was (smartly) closer to the boards, so he wasnt hurt as badly. He was still hurt, mind you- just not AS badly.

Honestly, I think that NEITHER should have been a suspension. And I of course think that when two nearly idential moves are made, they should be punished equally. However, once again, its the Isles player who is used as the example.

I know Colin Campbells Rangers history makes him hate the Islanders... but even more than that, I think he has never recovered from being right there during Game 3 of the 82 Cup finals- when Bossy scored with both feet off the ice. The Canucks have never won anything... because of us... and IMO Campbell will never forget it. Fortunately for him, the very next game was when the Isles went up against his son... so I was not surprised at all that a suspension took place.

I just want CONSISTENCY... why is that such an impossible concept for the NHL?

Bergie: Biggest Draft Bust of the Decade???

TheMetalChick — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 16:03:00 -0000

This quote from Dominik-

Sean Bergenheim is a diligent, feisty, responsible two-way player, which is why Scott Gordon trusts him in defensive situations more than the "pure" scorers on the Islanders.

...is from his recent olympics entry. It is a simple and IMO factual statement- nothing to argue over in it because Isles fans know the simple truth of it. But, this quote reminded me of something I wanted to bring up: Did any of you see the downloadable issue 10-year draft review from corywilkins.ca? (I quoted the whole Isles part here if you dont want to download the issue.) This guy calls Bergie the Isles biggest 'draft bust' of the last decade! I was honestly shocked when I saw that. Am I missing something? I decided to use the Arenas Isles Twitter feed to say something to him, and here it is:

@cory_wilkins Hey man I know the kid needs to improve & all but you really think Bergenheim is the Isles biggest draft bust of the decade???

Straightforward enough, I thought. In one Twitter-sized infochunk, I let him know that sure we know Bergie could be even better- but that calling him a draft bust at all let alone the biggest draft bust of the entire decade is not sitting well with at least one Islanders fan. His response:

@NHLArenaNYIsles I like Bergenheim but he's a tough sell as a 1st rounder. Maybe another option is Nilsson (15th) in the deep 2003 draft?

So- Cory likes him, but still thinks he is the biggest draft bust of an entire decade for the NY Islanders? Huh? Then he mentions Nilsson... who IMO would be a better choice, and that tells me that he was supposedly considering all these other guys but STILL came to the conclusion that Bergie is the organizations biggest draft bust of the entire decade. Do I believe that? Nope, not really. Honestly, I believe this guy gave the Isles relatively little thought. And I believe Nilsson went up a few points with this guy because Robert Nilsson is playing in Canada and was traded along with ~~fellow bust candidate~~ Ryan O'Marra for Captain Canada himself, while Bergie is just- here... on the Islanders. IMO not picking Nilsson was done so that he is not 'insulting' Edmonton.

@cory_wilkins Nilsson's a FAR better choice as would be O'Marra. Bergie's at least a contributing NHL player who's doing something positive!

He did not write back after that. So what do you think about this? If you disagree with his decision, I think you should let him know so. I can honestly see someone thinking that Bergie should be more or better than he is, I even agree, but calling him a big bust at all let alone the biggest bust of the decade just seems crazy to me.

This quote from Dominik-

Sean Bergenheim is a diligent, feisty, responsible two-way player, which is why Scott Gordon trusts him in defensive situations more than the "pure" scorers on the Islanders.

@cory_wilkins Hey man I know the kid needs to improve & all but you really think Bergenheim is the Isles biggest draft bust of the decade???

@NHLArenaNYIsles I like Bergenheim but he's a tough sell as a 1st rounder. Maybe another option is Nilsson (15th) in the deep 2003 draft?

@cory_wilkins Nilsson's a FAR better choice as would be O'Marra. Bergie's at least a contributing NHL player who's doing something positive!

Talkin "Loser Points" ('cause some people have it ALL wrong)

TheMetalChick — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 04:03:54 -0000

After the Islanders went beyond regulation for the 10th time in 20 games, the loser point conversations really started popping up in hockey world. Cue the talk... Whats with these Islanders? The Islanders "don't deserve" to be where they are in the standings! The Islanders have so many "loser points" I can't believe it! [insert team name] would be ahead of them if those darn loser points weren't being handed to them for absolutely nothing! There were some convos going on over at TheNHLArena after the panthers game and on the Islanders board talking about it, and I've seen them plenty of other places as well.

The whole "loser point" concept and the notion that the Isles are somehow "less deserving" than other teams to be sitting right where they are (in a playoff spot for the time being) has annoyed me so much that I thought I'd share how I feel about it here.

First of all, let me make it clear that I do NOT like the current points system. What was so wrong with ties? Ties were perfectly fine for the entire existence of the NHL, and then suddenly in 2005 they were horrible? But, the lack of ties is only one part of the whole problem- the other part of this problem is the mythical yet omnipresent notion of the "loser point".

Since the start of the NHL (and long before that) hockey games were games that you won, you lost, or you tied. Five-minute sudden-death OT was introduced 1983-84... but you still won, lost, or tied. The "loser point" on the other hand has not been around very long at all- it started in 1999-2000.

1999-2000...
-regular season games tied at the end of three periods will result in each team being awarded one point in the standings.
-there will be a five minute sudden death overtime when the score is tied after three periods, but each team will play "four on four", with four skaters and a goaltender.
-a team scoring in overtime will receive one additional point in the standings.

So, you have a tie at the end of regulation- just the way it was before 83-84- and each team gets a tying point. Sounds alright so far, right? But that's where things went awry. In 99-00 they ALSO made up a brand-new magically invented bonus point to bestow upon teams when they win in overtime AFTER after what had been an NHL tie.

And, for a couple of years, that is how it went. Teams could win (2 pts), lose in regulation (0 pts), tie after regulation (1 pt each), tie after OT (1 point each), or win in OT after tying in regulation (1 brand-new magically-invented bonus point.) Please notice that the brand-new magically invented bonus point (aka "loser point") is actually going to the winner, after both teams play to an NHL tie. That's why they call it the "additional point" here... and it is one of the main reasons that the term "loser point" is such a misnomer.

2005-06...
A shootout is introduced if the game remains tied after the 5 minute overtime.

Ah, the shootout... a skills competition that follows a full 60-minute regulation hockey game and the 5-minute sudden death overtime. (Howie Rose made how he feels regarding the shooutout quite clear right here. And for the record, I pretty much agree with Howie... even if I dont think that ranting about NHL policy when you work for an NHL team is particularly brilliant and I expect we will not see such a rant again.) Once this thing was introduced in 05-06, teams could win in regulation (2 pts), lose in regulation (0 pts), tie after regulation (1 pt each), win after tying in regulation in OT (1 magically-invented bonus point), or "win" in the shootout after tying in regulation AND tying in OT as well (1 magically-invented bonus point).

So where are these mythical "loser points"? Most hockey fans point to the OTL slot for teams and they, "Uh, there they are! Right there!" However, Im contesting that notion right here and now. "Loser points" are points people feel a team did not really earn fairly. What I want to know is, what is "unfair" about a tie at the end of regulation? Nothing, unless you think that every game before the 83-84 season where one team did not score more than the other was "unfair". What IS unfair in my opinion is which particular points people are identifying and calling "loser points" in the NHL.

Let me explain with a specific example: The Islanders @ Panthers game last night. When I was talking to people about the game, many expressed the notion that the Isles were the recipients of a "loser point". However, when you look at exactly what happened in that game, it is simply not true! The Isles played regulation to a tie, then they played OT to a tie, and they got 1 point for the tie. That is the same as it has always been. If the NHLs rules were exactly like they were before shootouts AND before OTLs, like they were 10y ago, the Islanders STILL would have walked away with that exact same one point last night! What's "loser" about that?

So if the Islanders got the one point that teams have ALWAYS received after a tie game, who got the "additional point" or so-called "loser point"? The Panthers did, that's who. They got the "additional point" for winning a skills competition shootout after playing to a tie with the Islanders. But, for some reason, nobody wants to SEE that. Instead, everyone just calls the Isles getting one point for a tie the recipients of a "loser point." And, they act like the Panthers earned 2 points in that game- even though, IF they protest the system so much, it's the very point that the PANTHERS "earned" that is the magically-invented point they should be contesting! The Panthers are the ones who got an invented point last night in what would have been at any other time in history before 2005-2006 an NHL tie.

Why does this mistake happen? I think it is because of the way the points are reported in the NHL. OTL points and SOL points should not be in the same category- even though they are. It cannot be overstated that they are NOT the same thing! In fact, they are the exact opposite. When an OTL point is administered, you could make a case that the team that lost in OT after tying is the recipient of the magically-invented bonus point... IF you reject the notion of a regulation tie. HOWEVER, when it is a SOL point, it is the WINNER who gets the magically-invented bonus point!!! It's not the same team getting the invented point! Adding to that- if you DO accept the notion of a regulation tie, then it is STILL the WINNER who gets the "additional point"! OTL points and SOL points are not the same thing- but, they are put into the same category anyway- and it absolutely annoys the snot out of me. In one scenario (2 teams tied and going into OT) the magically-invented bonus point or "additonal point" can indeed be described as a "loser point" if you ignore the circumstances of games before 83-84 and personally insist that a tie can only exist after OT is played. BUT, in ANY other scenario, its the winner who gets this mythical point! In the shootout, the magically-invented bonus point or "additonal point" goes to the team that played to a tie and won NOT a team-oriented hockey game by any reasonable definition, but a skills competition!

I'm not sure what can reasonably be done to solve this problem... I am putting some real thought as to how this can be resolved. I have some ideas, but I have to do stats crunching to see how it plays out. In the meantime, hockey fans are just going to have to continue hearing people state things such as how the Isles supposedly got the "loser point" for playing to what is by anyone's definition a tie hockey game... and, in saying so, implying that the Panthers won a 2 point hockey game when by the objectors' own definitions they really didn't.

For the time being I will end with this- every team in the NHL plays under the same points rules, so every other team is free to avoid losing in regulation, as well. The Isles are where they are in the standings for the exact same reason every other team is where they are in the standings- because of the points they earned under the current rules of the NHL. To separate them out and point to the Isles and NOT to point at the teams who gained magically-invented points from SOWs is both inconsistent and wrong.