The Islanders are ending 2011 on a great note, slowly beginning to climb back up in the points race and winning in back to back games.
Facing off against the Oilers on a Saturday matinee game on the final day of the year, the Islanders had an extremely positive win against Calgary that, in terms of general play, seemed to denote a shift in play style after some line changes. They've clearly worked, as all 3 top lines were contributing in their own ways tonight, and several factors helped create a solid 4-1 win over the now disappointing Oilers. The first line of John Tavares, Matt Moulson and Kyle Okposo was buzzing all night, specifically on the PP and a beautiful 2 on 1 with Tavares and Moulson where Tavares spun around, undressed the D and fed it to Moulson who sent it perfectly into the net. A possible play of the year candidate with 12 hours to spare.
Everyone was doing their job tonight, but another Islander who shined in every aspect of his game was Matt Martin, who through his patience and refusal to give in to Ben Eager's agitations, gained the Islanders 2 powerplays which both led to goals. His work on the PK as well was a massive success as he continues to turn into one of the most important role players on the team.
There's still a ways to go, but the Islanders are not dead yet. They remain 9 points out of 8th with 2 games in hand on Toronto. A totally surmountable lead, but this type of wholesome and all around great play needs to be consistent. Nobody expects them to win out for the rest of the season, but if they string together a nice compilation of wins in the next month, they can be right back in it.
The Islanders next face off against the Carolina Hurricanes in Raleigh at 7PM on January 3rd. The game will be on MSG+ with Jiggs MacDonald calling the play by play.
Dec 29, 2011
Recap: Islanders - 3, Flames - 1
Winning is fun, isn't it?
The Islanders won their first game at home since December 6 tonight as they defeated the Calgary Flames 3-1 in front of a decently packed Nassau Coliseum crowd tonight. Evgeni Nabokov recorded his 296th career win to go along with goals from Andrew MacDonald, John Tavares, and an empty-net tally from Brian Rolston.
Overall, tonight's game was a great team effort from pretty much everyone, as they took advantage of a somewhat lethargic Flames team. Tonight's standouts were Andrew MacDonald and Travis Hamonic, who both played practically flawless and finished +2 and +3, respectively on the night. Aside from a very early gaffe by Mike Mottau that led to a Tim Jackman goal, the team defense was solid tonight. Evgeni Nabokov played well behind them and recorded 29 saves for his third win of the season.
Up front, most forwards were very solid tonight. All 12 forwards recorded a shot tonight, and while some continue to struggle, such as Nino Niederreiter - players like John Tavares and Kyle Okposo shined with their new linemates. Tavares and Okposo rekindled their chemistry from Tavares' rookie year as Okposo assisted on a beautiful Tavares end-to-end rush. All things considered, Tavares has been one of the major bright spots as he teeters on becoming an elite forward this year despite the continuous losing situation around him.
With tonight's win, the Islanders improve to 12-17-6 on the season, but remain in last place in the Eastern Conference. They certainly have enough time to pull themselves out of that position, but will need more complete games like tonight's to make that push. From here on it, it's about identifying which players are "keepers" and which are "stopgaps." Given the limited funds the Islanders are using, it's imperative the right decisions are made and the right players are kept. It's just as important to leave enough budgetary room to fill in holes with players who can fit the needed roles. Anything less, which we have seen to date, is unacceptable.
But for tonight, we will enjoy this win.
-CH
The Islanders won their first game at home since December 6 tonight as they defeated the Calgary Flames 3-1 in front of a decently packed Nassau Coliseum crowd tonight. Evgeni Nabokov recorded his 296th career win to go along with goals from Andrew MacDonald, John Tavares, and an empty-net tally from Brian Rolston.
Overall, tonight's game was a great team effort from pretty much everyone, as they took advantage of a somewhat lethargic Flames team. Tonight's standouts were Andrew MacDonald and Travis Hamonic, who both played practically flawless and finished +2 and +3, respectively on the night. Aside from a very early gaffe by Mike Mottau that led to a Tim Jackman goal, the team defense was solid tonight. Evgeni Nabokov played well behind them and recorded 29 saves for his third win of the season.
Up front, most forwards were very solid tonight. All 12 forwards recorded a shot tonight, and while some continue to struggle, such as Nino Niederreiter - players like John Tavares and Kyle Okposo shined with their new linemates. Tavares and Okposo rekindled their chemistry from Tavares' rookie year as Okposo assisted on a beautiful Tavares end-to-end rush. All things considered, Tavares has been one of the major bright spots as he teeters on becoming an elite forward this year despite the continuous losing situation around him.
With tonight's win, the Islanders improve to 12-17-6 on the season, but remain in last place in the Eastern Conference. They certainly have enough time to pull themselves out of that position, but will need more complete games like tonight's to make that push. From here on it, it's about identifying which players are "keepers" and which are "stopgaps." Given the limited funds the Islanders are using, it's imperative the right decisions are made and the right players are kept. It's just as important to leave enough budgetary room to fill in holes with players who can fit the needed roles. Anything less, which we have seen to date, is unacceptable.
But for tonight, we will enjoy this win.
-CH
Dec 27, 2011
Recap: Rangers - 3, Islanders - 0
In a pathetic effort from start to finish, the New York Rangers defeated the New York Islanders by a score of 3-0 at Madison Square Garden tonight. Quite frankly, the game was a complete massacare despite the Isles keeping the score close for 55 minutes. But that was nowhere near good enough tonight as a bigger, faster, and more structured team took advantage of a clueless Islander team that could not get out of their own way.
With two goals from Carl Hagelin, an empty net goal by Marian Gaborik, and a shutout by Henrik Lundqvist, the Rangers skated to a somewhat easy win tonight. And while the win propelled them to first in the East, the Islander loss also kept them in last in the East. That is where most of the rest of this entry will lie, because the reality is that at this juncture of the "rebuild," last place is completely unacceptable. The Islanders need a new coach, GM, owner, and some new players too. While the team has acquired a handful of real core keeper players through the draft, namely John Tavares and Travis Hamonic, there is not enough there to take the next step without outside help.
That outside help includes a real winger for Tavares, as while Matt Moulson and P.A. Parenteau have been productive, their overall game and skill level is just not dynamic enough to complement Tavares over a full season. It includes a complement for Travis Hamonic and one for Mark Streit. Andrew MacDonald is a nice support player, but is having a brutal season as he recovers from a hip injury.
All in all, this loss was just another example of the difference between the Islanders and Rangers. The Rangers don't sign players because they have a nice arena. For a while, their locker room was a dump as they played in a 40 year old arena. Sound familiar? Players sign with the Rangers because they overpaid them, they showed a commitment to the team, and they showed a desire to winning. It's not just about playing at the Garden or having a New York name attached to them. The Islanders offer a New York name too, though sometimes it's even hard to believe that.
Truthfully, players don't sign with the Islanders because the Islanders aren't any good. It doesn't have much to do with 2015 or the Nassau Coliseum or Long Island. It has everything to do with the fact that the Islanders have been so bad for so long they are teetering on the brink of irrelevancy. It has to do with an inexperienced front office, including the owner, that has shown no ability to put a legitimate playoff contender together. When you combine all of that, it means that Garth Snow is going to have to trade for an impact player. After four long seasons, one would think there is enough talent in the organization to pull the trigger on a high-end player. But those players cost money, and they don't come fresh with an ELC bonus or a bonus for being 35 years old, so I'm not getting my hopes up.
In the end, this one late-December game means little in a lost season, other than the fact that the Islanders are now a below-.500 team in their history again. But it is a reminder that the Islanders are beyond the point of hope. They need to take action to show commitment to their players. They need to regain the trust of their fans. And they need to show that winning does matter. Until then, the Islanders will just continue to drive in neutral.
-CH
With two goals from Carl Hagelin, an empty net goal by Marian Gaborik, and a shutout by Henrik Lundqvist, the Rangers skated to a somewhat easy win tonight. And while the win propelled them to first in the East, the Islander loss also kept them in last in the East. That is where most of the rest of this entry will lie, because the reality is that at this juncture of the "rebuild," last place is completely unacceptable. The Islanders need a new coach, GM, owner, and some new players too. While the team has acquired a handful of real core keeper players through the draft, namely John Tavares and Travis Hamonic, there is not enough there to take the next step without outside help.
That outside help includes a real winger for Tavares, as while Matt Moulson and P.A. Parenteau have been productive, their overall game and skill level is just not dynamic enough to complement Tavares over a full season. It includes a complement for Travis Hamonic and one for Mark Streit. Andrew MacDonald is a nice support player, but is having a brutal season as he recovers from a hip injury.
All in all, this loss was just another example of the difference between the Islanders and Rangers. The Rangers don't sign players because they have a nice arena. For a while, their locker room was a dump as they played in a 40 year old arena. Sound familiar? Players sign with the Rangers because they overpaid them, they showed a commitment to the team, and they showed a desire to winning. It's not just about playing at the Garden or having a New York name attached to them. The Islanders offer a New York name too, though sometimes it's even hard to believe that.
Truthfully, players don't sign with the Islanders because the Islanders aren't any good. It doesn't have much to do with 2015 or the Nassau Coliseum or Long Island. It has everything to do with the fact that the Islanders have been so bad for so long they are teetering on the brink of irrelevancy. It has to do with an inexperienced front office, including the owner, that has shown no ability to put a legitimate playoff contender together. When you combine all of that, it means that Garth Snow is going to have to trade for an impact player. After four long seasons, one would think there is enough talent in the organization to pull the trigger on a high-end player. But those players cost money, and they don't come fresh with an ELC bonus or a bonus for being 35 years old, so I'm not getting my hopes up.
In the end, this one late-December game means little in a lost season, other than the fact that the Islanders are now a below-.500 team in their history again. But it is a reminder that the Islanders are beyond the point of hope. They need to take action to show commitment to their players. They need to regain the trust of their fans. And they need to show that winning does matter. Until then, the Islanders will just continue to drive in neutral.
-CH
Dec 13, 2011
Recap: Canadiens - 5, Islanders - 3
The Montreal Canadiens defeated the New York Islanders 5-3 tonight from the Bell Centre in Montreal. The Islanders are now winless in their last three as they fall to 9-13-6 for the season.
Might as well start with Al Montoya tonight, who for the first time all year impacted the game negatively for the Islanders. The first two goals were soft, to say the least, and while Montoya kept the Isles in the game through the second period and some of the third, he allowed a seemingly stoppable shot to Petteri Nokelainen to give the Habs the lead and win. Whether the fourth goal was soft or not, it's one that the Islanders needed their goaltender to stop at that juncture of the game. Montoya has now allowed 10 goals over his last two games, which may mean it's time for him to take a rest for 2-3 games. But even then, he'll need to go on a long run of games as the Islanders will need to see if he is a long term starting goaltender or not.
The Islanders battled hard in this game, coming back from a 3-1 deficit with goals from Josh Bailey and John Tavares, which was a promising sign. Bailey has been doing all of the little things while incorporating creativity with his stickhandling, and the results are showing. It's too early to say that Bailey is breaking out, but the signs are there. He is definitely a player to watch over the next quarter of the season. Tavares, who was due for a goal, used hard work and determination at the end of a long shift to get his goal. It was a big goal at the time, and has Tavares on pace for just about 30 goals.
Travis Hamonic has really stepped his game up in all aspects. He really is the whole package, and is someone the Islanders will need to keep around for a long period of time. There is no reason he shouldn't be at least a legitimate #2 defenseman, with the potential ceiling of a #1 guy if he develops at this pace. On the contrary, what has happened to Mark Streit? Clearly he is rusty, but his lethargy and lack of urgency is way more alarming than his physical mistakes. Streit, who is the captain of this team, needs to get his stuff together for this team to be successful.
At this point, it's really hard to justify Brian Rolston playing anything other than even strength. He is brutally bad on the powerplay, and does not have enough hockey sense to play on the penalty kill. That said, his pass to Josh Bailey on the Islanders second goal was a thing of beauty.
The Islanders fourth line of Matt Martin, Marty Reasoner, and Tim Wallace continues to very consistent out there. It's nice to have a dependable fourth line.
The Isles come home Thursday to face the Dallas Stars in a re-match of a 5-4 Isles victory about a week and a half ago. The Islanders will need to have a strong end of the week, or else you can start getting the hammer out to put that proverbial nail in the coffin.
Might as well start with Al Montoya tonight, who for the first time all year impacted the game negatively for the Islanders. The first two goals were soft, to say the least, and while Montoya kept the Isles in the game through the second period and some of the third, he allowed a seemingly stoppable shot to Petteri Nokelainen to give the Habs the lead and win. Whether the fourth goal was soft or not, it's one that the Islanders needed their goaltender to stop at that juncture of the game. Montoya has now allowed 10 goals over his last two games, which may mean it's time for him to take a rest for 2-3 games. But even then, he'll need to go on a long run of games as the Islanders will need to see if he is a long term starting goaltender or not.
The Islanders battled hard in this game, coming back from a 3-1 deficit with goals from Josh Bailey and John Tavares, which was a promising sign. Bailey has been doing all of the little things while incorporating creativity with his stickhandling, and the results are showing. It's too early to say that Bailey is breaking out, but the signs are there. He is definitely a player to watch over the next quarter of the season. Tavares, who was due for a goal, used hard work and determination at the end of a long shift to get his goal. It was a big goal at the time, and has Tavares on pace for just about 30 goals.
Travis Hamonic has really stepped his game up in all aspects. He really is the whole package, and is someone the Islanders will need to keep around for a long period of time. There is no reason he shouldn't be at least a legitimate #2 defenseman, with the potential ceiling of a #1 guy if he develops at this pace. On the contrary, what has happened to Mark Streit? Clearly he is rusty, but his lethargy and lack of urgency is way more alarming than his physical mistakes. Streit, who is the captain of this team, needs to get his stuff together for this team to be successful.
At this point, it's really hard to justify Brian Rolston playing anything other than even strength. He is brutally bad on the powerplay, and does not have enough hockey sense to play on the penalty kill. That said, his pass to Josh Bailey on the Islanders second goal was a thing of beauty.
The Islanders fourth line of Matt Martin, Marty Reasoner, and Tim Wallace continues to very consistent out there. It's nice to have a dependable fourth line.
The Isles come home Thursday to face the Dallas Stars in a re-match of a 5-4 Isles victory about a week and a half ago. The Islanders will need to have a strong end of the week, or else you can start getting the hammer out to put that proverbial nail in the coffin.
Prospect Update: BU Star Corey Trivino arrested on attempted rape charges
Isles 2008 2nd round pick Corey Trivino, who was evolving into a major prospect for the Islanders after a frustrating first three years at Boston University, was dismissed from the team earlier today. Trivino allegedly forced his way into the room of a Resident Assistant on three separate occasions throughout the night and groped/kissed the RA against her will. Trivino was arrested and may have charges brought up against him if the RA decides to go down that path.
AT: Very disappointing. Leading the Hockey East in goals this year after 3 disappointing years at BU, Trivino was really looking like a special player. Smart defensively, a nice release on his wrist shot, and a very Frans Nielsen-lite style of play. This is inexcusable, however. Trivino has had alcohol related problems in the past, where he was found to be drinking underage and subsequently showed up late to a disciplinary bike ride that the team had assigned him. I'm a realist, and I know college kids drink underage. I am a college student myself after all and so is Carey. We both know it's commonplace. Yet when you're a senior and it's your last season of college hockey, you need to straighten your act up and start acting like an adult. It's clear that Trivino has not done so yet. It's always possible he'll still be signed to an ELC by the Islanders, although the chances of that occurring seem quite lower now. There have been other players in the league who have come back from terrible incidents caused by their own will - Dany Heatley after his accident and Patrick Kane after the cabbie incident, to name a few - but it should be interesting to see what path the Islanders take with him.
AT: Very disappointing. Leading the Hockey East in goals this year after 3 disappointing years at BU, Trivino was really looking like a special player. Smart defensively, a nice release on his wrist shot, and a very Frans Nielsen-lite style of play. This is inexcusable, however. Trivino has had alcohol related problems in the past, where he was found to be drinking underage and subsequently showed up late to a disciplinary bike ride that the team had assigned him. I'm a realist, and I know college kids drink underage. I am a college student myself after all and so is Carey. We both know it's commonplace. Yet when you're a senior and it's your last season of college hockey, you need to straighten your act up and start acting like an adult. It's clear that Trivino has not done so yet. It's always possible he'll still be signed to an ELC by the Islanders, although the chances of that occurring seem quite lower now. There have been other players in the league who have come back from terrible incidents caused by their own will - Dany Heatley after his accident and Patrick Kane after the cabbie incident, to name a few - but it should be interesting to see what path the Islanders take with him.
Dec 10, 2011
Game Recap: Pittsburgh Penguins 6, New York Islanders 3
What started off as a great back and forth hockey game between the Islanders and Penguins was unfortunately turned into a debacle following a terrible call by the referees, and the Islanders lost big at the Coliseum by a final score of 6-3.
Going 1-1-1 on a homestand is unacceptable following such great play on the road. Pittsburgh was without several key players tonight and the Islanders looked dominant for about 15 minutes, and that was about it. David Ullstrom got the scoring started in the first after a nice setup by Bailey, and Milan Jurcina had an insane slapper from the blue line that got the Isles up 2-0. The team was buzzing at this point, but things didn't last very long. Some subpar defense from Mark Streit (that lasted all night long) led to a Steve Sullivan goal and James Neal netted the game tying goal shortly afterwards. Shortly after the 3rd period began, a nice setup by Travis Hamonic and Michael Grabner led to Kyle Okposo with a spot on snipe right over Fleury's glove side to put the game at 3-2 Islanders.
It was shortly after this that an absolutely terrible call occurred which, in my opinion, cost the Islanders the game. The Islanders defense was already thin as it was, but Travis Hamonic was called for elbowing Brooks Orpik, and not only received a 5 minute major on top of a penalty that had already existed, but received a game misconduct, leaving the Islanders with a scary rotation of Mark Streit, Milan Jurcina, Steve Staios, Mike Mottau and Dylan Reese as their defense. Upon replay, it was clear that the hit was directly to the chest of Orpik, and that the blood that came about on Orpik's face was as a result of Orpik's own stick coming up and hitting him in the face. Pittsburgh, as one would assume, scored to tie the game on a rebound, although besides that the Islanders PKers were able to kill off the rest of the major. At that point, the game turned totally in favor of the Penguins, and they began to pile it on.
There is no doubt that Al Montoya was off his game tonight, but when you have such a thin and abysmal defense in front of you, there's only so much you can do. The Dupuis goal was undoubtedly a soft one, and the 5th and 6th goals were also saveable. This just wasn't Montoya's night, and I would assume he knows that.
It was just a bad game on all ends for the Islanders. A thin defense that was made into paper once Hamonic was forced out, a powerplay that looked like it couldn't score on an empty net, and a coach who looked as lifeless as ever.
The Islanders face off against the Montreal Canadiens on the road on Tuesday night at 7:30. Montreal has been less than stellar this year, and this is a game that almost absolutely must be won if the Islanders want to stay in the playoff race.
Going 1-1-1 on a homestand is unacceptable following such great play on the road. Pittsburgh was without several key players tonight and the Islanders looked dominant for about 15 minutes, and that was about it. David Ullstrom got the scoring started in the first after a nice setup by Bailey, and Milan Jurcina had an insane slapper from the blue line that got the Isles up 2-0. The team was buzzing at this point, but things didn't last very long. Some subpar defense from Mark Streit (that lasted all night long) led to a Steve Sullivan goal and James Neal netted the game tying goal shortly afterwards. Shortly after the 3rd period began, a nice setup by Travis Hamonic and Michael Grabner led to Kyle Okposo with a spot on snipe right over Fleury's glove side to put the game at 3-2 Islanders.
It was shortly after this that an absolutely terrible call occurred which, in my opinion, cost the Islanders the game. The Islanders defense was already thin as it was, but Travis Hamonic was called for elbowing Brooks Orpik, and not only received a 5 minute major on top of a penalty that had already existed, but received a game misconduct, leaving the Islanders with a scary rotation of Mark Streit, Milan Jurcina, Steve Staios, Mike Mottau and Dylan Reese as their defense. Upon replay, it was clear that the hit was directly to the chest of Orpik, and that the blood that came about on Orpik's face was as a result of Orpik's own stick coming up and hitting him in the face. Pittsburgh, as one would assume, scored to tie the game on a rebound, although besides that the Islanders PKers were able to kill off the rest of the major. At that point, the game turned totally in favor of the Penguins, and they began to pile it on.
There is no doubt that Al Montoya was off his game tonight, but when you have such a thin and abysmal defense in front of you, there's only so much you can do. The Dupuis goal was undoubtedly a soft one, and the 5th and 6th goals were also saveable. This just wasn't Montoya's night, and I would assume he knows that.
It was just a bad game on all ends for the Islanders. A thin defense that was made into paper once Hamonic was forced out, a powerplay that looked like it couldn't score on an empty net, and a coach who looked as lifeless as ever.
The Islanders face off against the Montreal Canadiens on the road on Tuesday night at 7:30. Montreal has been less than stellar this year, and this is a game that almost absolutely must be won if the Islanders want to stay in the playoff race.
Dec 8, 2011
Recap: Blackhawks - 3, Islanders - 2
The Islanders continued the second game of their short, three-game homestand tonight against the Chicago Blackhawks. The same teams battled just a week ago in Chicago, with the Islanders falling 5-4 in a shootout. Tonight, Al Montoya faced Ray Emery in an intense, back-and-forth game where the Islanders showed some guts and resiliency.
To start, Al Montoya did a great job keeping the Islanders in the game during the first 30-35 minutes. The Blackhawks were generating more pressure with a lot of puck possession, and despite the soft first goal Montoya stood tall to keep the Islanders in the game. Some of his saves were huge and allowed the Islanders to go and tie the game, thus getting a point.
We all knew that John Tavares is the best player on the Islanders, and despite the fact he didn't put a point on the board tonight, he was outstanding. Tavares was all over the ice in all three zones, and especially impressed on his transition game. A few times he got caught trying to stickhandle between too many people, but that will happen to young players.
Most of the lines for the Islanders clicked tonight, especially the second line. Hard work by Kyle Okposo led to a forecheck that resulted in the Islanders second goal - originally given to Steve Staios but later awarded to Michael Grabner.
That said, all was not positive in Isles Country tonight. The powerplay had an extended 5-on-3 where they could not put one home. The powerplay also failed to score on a gift wrapped opportunity with less than give minutes left in the game. You could say the special teams really robbed the Isles of a second point tonight, as the lack of powerplay was compounded by a soft goal on the penalty kill. In a one goal game, that difference means a lot.
The crowd was good tonight. A lot of late arrivers, but the 10,000 fans were really into the game late. It was hard not to be. With all the action from one end to another, the Isles and Blackhawks but on a good show tonight. This was certainly one of those games where the two teams both deserved a point, no matter what you think of the three-point rule.
The Islanders next face off on Saturday night as the Sidney Crosby-less Pittsburgh Penguins come to town after suffering a defeat to the Flyers tonight. It's a real shame what is happening to Crosby right now. Certainly hope he gets better soon as he truly is a fantastic talent and the game is better with him than without him. Concussions are obviously a very scary injury, so it's in Crosby's best interest to be as precautionary as possible going forward.
To start, Al Montoya did a great job keeping the Islanders in the game during the first 30-35 minutes. The Blackhawks were generating more pressure with a lot of puck possession, and despite the soft first goal Montoya stood tall to keep the Islanders in the game. Some of his saves were huge and allowed the Islanders to go and tie the game, thus getting a point.
We all knew that John Tavares is the best player on the Islanders, and despite the fact he didn't put a point on the board tonight, he was outstanding. Tavares was all over the ice in all three zones, and especially impressed on his transition game. A few times he got caught trying to stickhandle between too many people, but that will happen to young players.
Most of the lines for the Islanders clicked tonight, especially the second line. Hard work by Kyle Okposo led to a forecheck that resulted in the Islanders second goal - originally given to Steve Staios but later awarded to Michael Grabner.
That said, all was not positive in Isles Country tonight. The powerplay had an extended 5-on-3 where they could not put one home. The powerplay also failed to score on a gift wrapped opportunity with less than give minutes left in the game. You could say the special teams really robbed the Isles of a second point tonight, as the lack of powerplay was compounded by a soft goal on the penalty kill. In a one goal game, that difference means a lot.
The crowd was good tonight. A lot of late arrivers, but the 10,000 fans were really into the game late. It was hard not to be. With all the action from one end to another, the Isles and Blackhawks but on a good show tonight. This was certainly one of those games where the two teams both deserved a point, no matter what you think of the three-point rule.
The Islanders next face off on Saturday night as the Sidney Crosby-less Pittsburgh Penguins come to town after suffering a defeat to the Flyers tonight. It's a real shame what is happening to Crosby right now. Certainly hope he gets better soon as he truly is a fantastic talent and the game is better with him than without him. Concussions are obviously a very scary injury, so it's in Crosby's best interest to be as precautionary as possible going forward.
Dec 6, 2011
Game Recap: New York Islanders 5, Tampa Bay Lightning 1
The New York Islanders swept the floor with the Tampa Bay Lightning tonight, defeating them by a score of 5-1 in a game that the Islanders dominated in all but about a few minutes in the first period. This was the second time the Islanders have blown out the Lightning while playing at the Coliseum.
Boxscore:
(G, A)
1st Period:
NYI: 0, TB: 1 - Martin St. Louis (9); Brett Clark (4), Steven Stamkos (14)
NYI: 1, TB: 1 - John Tavares (9); Matt Moulson (7), Kyle Okposo (5)
NYI: 2, TB: 1 - Matt Martin (3); Tim Wallace (1), Marty Reasoner (4)
NYI: 3, TB: 1 - Milan Jurcina (1 - PP); Frans Nielsen (7), Mark Streit (12)
2nd Period:
None
3rd Period:
NYI: 4, TB: 1 - David Ullstrom (1); Josh Bailey (5), Steve Staios (4)
NYI: 5, TB: 1 - Matt Moulson (14), John Tavares (14), Mark Streit (13)
Goaltending:
Mathieu Garon - 29 saves on 29 shots, .853 SV PCT
Al Montoya - 23 saves on 24 shots, .958 SV PCT
Final Score: 5-1 NYI
Attendance: 9,458
Notables:
- Even though he wasn't one of the 3 stars tonight, a round of applause - hell, a standing ovation - for Josh Bailey's game tonight. Hard work on the PK and a big reason the Isles were so successful on the PK tonight, setting up some beautiful passes all night long and taking shots when he knew he had to, and an absolutely outstanding drop pass to David Ullstrom without even looking. That was a pure display of the hockey sense we all knew he had. Could he break out from here on out? I don't think more than 40 points is reasonable, but a ceiling of 40 is pretty good from here on out. Any way you look at it, Josh Bailey was easily one of the top 3 forwards on the ice tonight.
- It looks like John Tavares has finally gotten his groove back. An absolute snipe following fantastic work along the boards from Kyle Okposo and a dish from Matt Moulson and a great setup right back to Moulson for the 5th goal of the night for the Isles. He's now back on track and among the best players in the league in terms of points. That's 23 through 25 for Tavares, and we can only expect many more. Tonight was his first goal in 13 games.
- Matt Moulson continues to roll. 8 shots on goal and a beauty to finally get one in on the Isles 5th goal. He's becoming a truly legitimate sniper in this league and with Tavares is making up for a dominant duo.
- Tim Wallace, coming in with something to prove, exceeded all expectations tonight. 7 hits, hard work all night and a great behind the net pass to a perfectly positioned Matt Martin right in front. Brent Thompson is clearly doing a great job in Bridgeport, because every player that has come up, as Butch Goring noted, seems to fit right in. I don't think we'll see Wallace once Niederreiter comes back, but it's nice to have true depth in the system for once.
- As mentioned, congrats to David Ullstrom on his first NHL goal, and it was a beauty. I think at this point he's considered "graduated" from the Sound Tigers and will, for the rest of this season, take the role Blake Comeau had with us previously. The only difference being that Ullstrom will do it successfully.
- Al Montoya wasn't tested very often, but it just goes to show what having a real #1 in net who can stay healthy can do for the team. They look infinitely more poised, productive and confident when Montoya is in net, knowing that it'll be very rare for a soft goal to be let in. If Montoya doesn't start at least 80% of the remaining games, it should be considered a crime against humanity. It is a shame that for the 7th time this season the first shot on goal has beaten the Islanders' goaltender, but besides that he was as confident as always.
Thoughts:
AT: Yes, Tampa looked awful tonight. But the Islanders have looked phenomenal in the past 5 games and they did exactly what they should have tonight. They beat a team that was simply not as good as they are. This is the type of game that a good team looks at as a "no reason to lose" game, and the Islanders in succeeded in taking that to heart. All out domination tonight, and it's great to see.
Next game: The Islanders get a rematch against the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday, December 8th at the Nassau Coliseum. Game time is 7 PM and will be shown on MSG+.
Dec 4, 2011
Game Recap: New York Islanders 5, Dallas Stars 4
The New York Islanders (8-11-5) defeated the Dallas Stars (15-10-1) by a final score of 5-4 tonight in Dallas, Texas. A back and forth game that had several Islanders getting injured and Rick DiPietro giving up a 3 goal lead thankfully ended in an Islander victory.
1st Period:
Thoughts:
Boxscore:
(G, A)
1st Period:
NYI: 1, DAL: 0 - Matt Moulson (PP - 10); John Tavares (11), Mark Streit (11)
NYI: 2, DAL: 0 - Matt Moulson (11); John Tavares (12), P. A. Parenteau (15)
2nd Period:
NYI: 3, DAL: 0 - Dylan Reese (1); Matt Martin (4), Marty Reasoner (3)
NYI: 3, DAL: 1 - Tomas Vincour (1); Stephane Robidas (7), Mike Ribeiro (15)
NYI: 3, DAL: 2 - Eric Nystrom (10); Vernon Fiddler (8), Nicklas Grossman (2)
NYI: 3, DAL: 3 - Jake Dowell (1); Tom Wandell (2), Toby Peterson (2)
NYI: 4, DAL: 3 - Matt Moulson (12); John Tavares (13), P.A. Parenteau (16)
NYI: 4, DAL: 4 - Tom Wandell (1); Jake Dowell (2), Radek Dvorak (10)
NYI: 5, DAL: 4 - Matt Moulson (13); P.A. Parenteau (17)
3rd Period:
None
Goaltending:
Rick DiPietro - 17 saves on 21 shots, .810 SV PCT
Al Montoya - 13 saves on 13 shots, 1.000 SV PCT
Andrew Raycroft - 22 saves on 27 shots, .815 SV PCT
Final Score: 5-4 NYI
Attendance: 14,423
Notables:
- Instead of jumping right to the obvious bad, I'll hit the very good. What a spectacular game by Matt Moulson. After one hell of a release on a shot against Chicago, I had a feeling we were back to seeing old Matt in action, and boy am I glad I was right. 2 quick goals in the first following great persistence, a perfect position for the 3rd, and potting in a beautiful pass from P.A. Parenteau from the game winning goal. The whole first line was absolutely magnificent tonight, especially John Tavares who assisted on 3 of Moulson's goals along with Parenteau. This was the perfect reason not to break up this line ever again unless someone of elite caliber comes along. And even then, it's debatable. Both PAP and Moulson have proven themselves to be truly capable of being 1st line players and should remain as so for the rest of the season barring some unforeseen drop in play. Moulson's sniping abilities and situational awareness were on full display tonight, as he got the first 4 goal game of the NHL season an first 4 goal game for an Islander since Viktor Kozlov did it exactly 5 years ago to the day against the Rangers. If all 3 of these players could get game pucks, they should most certainly get them.
- Now to the very bad. It's time for Rick DiPietro to retire. There is nothing you can possibly come up with to defend him as a player anymore. I had hoped that he could maybe return to a level slightly below pre-injury form based on some play earlier in the year, but all hope is gone. DiPietro had this one in the bag and while 1 of them there wasn't much he could do, 3/4 of them were all due to his poor situational awareness, terrible side to side movement and lack of flexibility. In fact, his lack of flexibility caused him to strain his groin, allowing Al Montoya to take his place. It's over. He is not an NHL caliber player anymore, and may not even be an AHL caliber player anymore. If Montoya was in net for this one, I think a 5-1 win could have easily been achieved. Instead, we spent half of the game saying to ourselves "here we go again". Enough is enough.
- And back to the good. Coming in cold for the third period, what a performance by Al Montoya. Saved all 13 shots he faced including a huge one with 10 seconds left against Michael Ryder. His GAA is now down to 2.17, and it makes you question Capuano's sanity by not declaring him the #1 goaltender immediately. Not much more to be said. Montoya's putting up Vezina-worthy stats right now and should be treated as such.
- Nino Niederreiter was flattened by a shoulder to head hit by Mark Fistric of the Stars and left the game with concussion like symptoms. He will most likely remain in Dallas until he is cleared by doctors to use air travel, as doing such can worsen symptoms. He was just beginning to look up after a big goal in Chicago, so hopefully he'll be okay.
- Michael Grabner also joined the injury train. He suffered a strained groin and will be re-evaluated on Long Island. He also got yet another breakaway and failed to bury it, which is becoming very frustrating to watch.
- Mike Mottau had a terrible game after a surprisingly good one against Chicago. Just the usual poor defense we usually see from him. The sooner Eaton is back, the better.
- Travis Hamonic should be on the top pairing for the remainder of the season. He and Mark Streit formed a pretty solid pairing tonight, and could only get better as the season goes on. Streit's defense is definitely a cause for concern, but an OFD like Streit and a DFD like Hamonic on the top pairing considering their skill levels in their respective areas is a great top pairing to have.
Thoughts:
AT: I hate to turn this recap into an anti-DiPietro rant, but he almost single-handedly blew what should have been a total blowout tonight. Absolutely terrible performance, and it's no longer an anomaly. It's time to part ways, or the Islanders will never go anywhere. It's pathetic when we have to be afraid as fans of Montoya sitting because his backup is completely unreliable. Is this how we're supposed to watch hockey?
Next game:
The Isles face off against the Tampa Bay Lightning at home at 7:00 on Tuesday, December 6th. The season series is tied 1-1. The game will be shown on MSG+.
Dec 3, 2011
Recap: Blackhawks - 5, Islanders - 4
The Islanders fell tonight to the Chicago Blackhawks by a score of 5-4 in a shooutout. The overtime losses drops the Islanders to 7-11-5 for the season, as they travel to Dallas to face the Stars tomorrow evening.
This was a very fun game to watch from all angles - it had good skating, offensive chances, storylines, and execution. Of course, the Islanders gave Al Montoya - the team's #1 despite what the coach publicly claims - the start in his hometown. Montoya had an above average game, stopping 32 shots but making some key saves in keeping the game close. Without him, chances are the Islanders not only lose in regulation, but get blown out of the building. The Hawks' team speed was too much for the Islanders to take, and that alone led to a few scoring chances that were bailed out by Montoya.
John Tavares looks poised to break out of his slump shortly. Even with his two assists, Tavares was active in all zones and is looking more confident with each shift he takes. We've been calling for upgrades on his wings, but Matt Moulson and P.A. Parenteau played like first line players tonight - as each player had a goal and an assist during tonight's game.
The defense was not strong tonight with the subtraction of Andrew MacDonald. We knew that defense was a major weakness of the Islanders, and it showed tonight. All of the defensemen were sloppy tonight in their own zone, especially Mark Streit. Milan Jurcina played soft and lazy, the opposite of what makes him successful in the NHL. Mike Mottau and Dylan Reese had their own ups and downs, but that's to be expected from two fringe defensemen. The Islanders will need to tighten their gaps and coverage against the Stars tomorrow night.
Nino Niederreiter scored his first goal of the season tonight on a beautiful snipe from the slot on a partial breakaway. He's going to score a ton of NHL goals over the next 20 years. That said, he needs to work on other parts of his game - especially his defense. He probably does need work outside the NHL since he is not fully ready, but that doesn't seem like it's an option to the Islanders right now.
It was nice to see Kyle Okposo get on the scoreboard again tonight. Okposo looks like the player that was on the verge of breaking out two years ago. Clearly, this is exactly what the Isles needed to see from Okposo, who is still undoubtedly a big part of the future of the team.
Not much to be mad about overall tonight, with a skills competition being the deciding factor of the game. The Islanders played hard, fast, and with a purpose tonight, which is something we haven't seen much of this season. So far, December is looking like a much better month than November - and I say, better late than never.
This was a very fun game to watch from all angles - it had good skating, offensive chances, storylines, and execution. Of course, the Islanders gave Al Montoya - the team's #1 despite what the coach publicly claims - the start in his hometown. Montoya had an above average game, stopping 32 shots but making some key saves in keeping the game close. Without him, chances are the Islanders not only lose in regulation, but get blown out of the building. The Hawks' team speed was too much for the Islanders to take, and that alone led to a few scoring chances that were bailed out by Montoya.
John Tavares looks poised to break out of his slump shortly. Even with his two assists, Tavares was active in all zones and is looking more confident with each shift he takes. We've been calling for upgrades on his wings, but Matt Moulson and P.A. Parenteau played like first line players tonight - as each player had a goal and an assist during tonight's game.
The defense was not strong tonight with the subtraction of Andrew MacDonald. We knew that defense was a major weakness of the Islanders, and it showed tonight. All of the defensemen were sloppy tonight in their own zone, especially Mark Streit. Milan Jurcina played soft and lazy, the opposite of what makes him successful in the NHL. Mike Mottau and Dylan Reese had their own ups and downs, but that's to be expected from two fringe defensemen. The Islanders will need to tighten their gaps and coverage against the Stars tomorrow night.
Nino Niederreiter scored his first goal of the season tonight on a beautiful snipe from the slot on a partial breakaway. He's going to score a ton of NHL goals over the next 20 years. That said, he needs to work on other parts of his game - especially his defense. He probably does need work outside the NHL since he is not fully ready, but that doesn't seem like it's an option to the Islanders right now.
It was nice to see Kyle Okposo get on the scoreboard again tonight. Okposo looks like the player that was on the verge of breaking out two years ago. Clearly, this is exactly what the Isles needed to see from Okposo, who is still undoubtedly a big part of the future of the team.
Not much to be mad about overall tonight, with a skills competition being the deciding factor of the game. The Islanders played hard, fast, and with a purpose tonight, which is something we haven't seen much of this season. So far, December is looking like a much better month than November - and I say, better late than never.
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