Just when this team has people optimistic, it has a dramatic way of bringing every hope right back down.
The Islanders had one of their worst games of the year tonight, not even getting over 15 shots on goal until the 3rd period and playing generally pisspoor hockey in a game that many saw as one with playoff implications for this team going forward. This is a Leafs team that they're facing again tomorrow and needed to gain momentum against tonight, and they failed in every way possible.
The Leafs got the scoring going early on off an accidental deflection by Mark Streit that was eventually credited to Matt Lombardi. It seemed as if right after this, the entire Islanders team shut down. There was no urgency to their play, they couldn't formulate any attack in the Leafs' zone and were being pressured all night. Nabokov had to stand on his head the entire game, but eventually let another one in early in the 3rd period to a perfectly positioned Phil Kessel who tipped in a rebound on Nabokov's right side. At this point, the moderate amount of effort the Islanders had put on in the 3rd went out the door and Matthew Lombardi would go on to net his 2nd of the night.
This all, once again, comes down to coaching. You look at a team like St. Louis who has no elite players, yet is managing to get things done and is one of the best teams in the league after a coaching change. Jack Capuano stands on the bench with absolutely no emotion, and seems to have failed even over halfway through the season to put a coherent system on the ice. There have been plenty of times where overachieving teams have had success due to great coaching. This won't happen with Capuano as coach, and if he is brought back next season, expect the fanbase to be livid.
Not really much to say here. A pretty bad game by just about everyone that wasn't on the first line. Rolston, Bailey, Streit and Parenteau were the worst of the night, but it's not even fair to call just them out when the whole team collectively, for lack of a better word, sucked.
The Islanders next face off against the Maple Leafs tomorrow night at the Nassau Coliseum. Game time is 7 PM and will be on MSG+2.
Showing posts with label Toronto Maple Leafs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Toronto Maple Leafs. Show all posts
Jun 20, 2011
Former Islanders: Scott Gordon Named Assistant Coach in Toronto
According to Brian Compton, former Islander coach Scott Gordon has been hired as an assistant coach in Toronto.
AT: Didn't really see him getting a head coaching job anywhere due to his lack of success with the Islanders. Was never a fan of his coaching style and welcomed his departure, but he's a really nice guy and I hope for nothing but the best for Scott. He worked with Brian Burke and Ron Wilson in the 2010 Olympics so obviously the connection was there and they trust him to work well with this growing Toronto team. In addition, the Maple Leafs hired Greg Cronin, the now former head coach at Northeastern University and former coach of the Bridgeport Sound Tigers. Overall, two great adds at assistant coach for Toronto. Should prove to be a solid mix up in coaching.
CH: I always liked Scott Gordon, and have to admit I was very frustrated when he was fired. However, clearly I was wrong as it turned out to be exactly the relief the Islanders needed going forward. I still believe that Gordon taught the Islander players a ton during his 2+ years here. Those lessons have already been used going forward under the tutelage of Jack Capuano.
Looking forward, this is a great opportunity for Gordon. He did a great job as an assistant during the 2010 Winter Olympics for Team USA. He knows Brian Burke and the Toronto staff through his involvement in other international tournaments including the World Championships, in which he coached Team USA in 2010 and 2011. I think Gordon was a little over his head during his first job with the Islanders. This will be a good step for him back into the NHL coaching world. There's already talk about Gordon being the replacement for Ron Wilson. Time will tell about that. What we do know is with Gordon and Greg Cronin, the Leafs have set themselves up very nicely on the bench.
AT: Didn't really see him getting a head coaching job anywhere due to his lack of success with the Islanders. Was never a fan of his coaching style and welcomed his departure, but he's a really nice guy and I hope for nothing but the best for Scott. He worked with Brian Burke and Ron Wilson in the 2010 Olympics so obviously the connection was there and they trust him to work well with this growing Toronto team. In addition, the Maple Leafs hired Greg Cronin, the now former head coach at Northeastern University and former coach of the Bridgeport Sound Tigers. Overall, two great adds at assistant coach for Toronto. Should prove to be a solid mix up in coaching.CH: I always liked Scott Gordon, and have to admit I was very frustrated when he was fired. However, clearly I was wrong as it turned out to be exactly the relief the Islanders needed going forward. I still believe that Gordon taught the Islander players a ton during his 2+ years here. Those lessons have already been used going forward under the tutelage of Jack Capuano.
Looking forward, this is a great opportunity for Gordon. He did a great job as an assistant during the 2010 Winter Olympics for Team USA. He knows Brian Burke and the Toronto staff through his involvement in other international tournaments including the World Championships, in which he coached Team USA in 2010 and 2011. I think Gordon was a little over his head during his first job with the Islanders. This will be a good step for him back into the NHL coaching world. There's already talk about Gordon being the replacement for Ron Wilson. Time will tell about that. What we do know is with Gordon and Greg Cronin, the Leafs have set themselves up very nicely on the bench.
Jun 9, 2011
Around the NHL: SC Finals Game 4 Thoughts, Reimer, Drury
The Boston Bruins once again routed the Vancouver Canucks in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Finals by a score of 4-0 to tie the series up at 2 with the teams now heading back to Vancouver for Game 5.
AT: Another day, another Bruins rout at home. That Horton hit has changed the dynamics of this Boston team in ways one can only imagine. Yes, without Horton there is a gaping hole in the roster, but this team is playing some inspired hockey right now. Vancouver simply looked lethargic. The game started off pretty even, but once more the Bruins just turned on the gas and drove Luongo out. I never thought I'd see the series this close. On paper, Vancouver is the superior team. Faster, more skilled and more chemistry. But you have to give credit to Boston and especially Tim Thomas. He has been the reason this series isn't over right now.
CH: When the Rome/Horton incident happened, I really thought it would be a game changer for Boston and nothing else. I don't believe that much in momentum within a series, though I do believe there are extenuating circumstances where that can happen. I didn't think that was the case here, but I don't think it could even be argued that it wasn't a factor in Game 4. It just wasn't close. The biggest thing that Boston will take into Game 5 - the Tim Thomas/Alex Burrows altercation at the end of the 3rd period. When your goalie, who is pitching a shutout, stands up for himself like that and stands up for the crest on his jersey, it says a ton. Obviously, Game 5 is a huge game, but unlike going into Game 3 where the pressure was on Boston, the pressure is all on Vancouver. Should be a great game, but I think Vancouver pulls out Game 5.
According to TSN.ca, The Toronto Maple Leafs have locked up goaltender James Reimer to a 3 year contract for $5.4 million with a cap hit of $1.8 million each year.
AT: No brainer move for Toronto. Reimer put up spectacular numbers as just a 23 year old on a subpar Toronto team. He finished the season with a 20-10-5 record and a very, very respectable .921% save percentage. Good for Reimer. It looks like the Maple Leafs may have finally found a franchise goaltender after signing JS Giguere didn't turn out as expected and the Jonas Gustavsson experiment seems to be on the decline.
CH: Three years might be a lot for him after only one year, but that's par for the course right now. For example, the Islanders gave Grabner, Okposo, MacDonald, and Nielsen long-term deals after one season. Reimer had a very good rookie season for Toronto and could be a big part of their future. The Leafs are going to be on the rise shortly.
According to the New York Daily News, the remainder of Rangers captain Chris Drury's contract will be bought out by the team. This will incur a a $3.3m cap hit against the team. The team also plans on buying out the remainer of Wojtek Wolski's contract, incurring a $666,667 charge against the cap.
AT: I had a feeling this was coming to be quite honest. I know many Ranger fans who were upset with the play of Drury this year and the year past. Especially with his severely time limiting injuries, I can see why Sather wants him out. This clears up a bit of cap space for the Rangers, however they still need to sign or trade RFAs Brandon Dubinsky (who is reportedly asking for $4.5m), Ryan Callahan, Artem Anisimov, Brian Boyle, Matt Gilroy, Chad Johnson, Mike Sauer and also have Ruslan Fedotenko, Steve Eminger, Bryan McCabe Vinny Prospal and Alex Frolov (who I doubt gets resigned). The constantly heard rumor is that the Rangers are in hot pursuit of the unanimous #1 UFA this offseason, Brad Richards. I really question if they will be able to fit him under the cap if the $7m+ that Richards is supposedly asking for is what he's sticking to.
CH: Fact of the matter is that Drury was not producing for the Rangers and you can't keep a $7m+ liability on your fourth line. This will help the Rangers, but the guy is still going to cost them $3.3 million on the cap this year and $1.6 million next year. Alex outlined the Rangers cap situation above, so I'll fuel some speculation on Drury and the Islanders. I don't think it happens unless Drury takes a salary under $1m to play on the fourth line. And even that, would that be worth it? Drury played 24 games this past season and scored one goal. To me, the Islanders can't afford that. There are plenty of durable fourth line centers available for them to look at in UFA who can provide what Drury is projected to next season. More on the Islanders fourth line later today.
As far as Wolski, Larry Brooks just came out and said the Rangers are now not planning on buying him out, which means his $3.8 million contract will remain on the cap. With Drury's buyout and all the FAs they need to sign, I'm not so sure they'll be able to make Brad Richards work as of right now.
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| Getty Images |
CH: When the Rome/Horton incident happened, I really thought it would be a game changer for Boston and nothing else. I don't believe that much in momentum within a series, though I do believe there are extenuating circumstances where that can happen. I didn't think that was the case here, but I don't think it could even be argued that it wasn't a factor in Game 4. It just wasn't close. The biggest thing that Boston will take into Game 5 - the Tim Thomas/Alex Burrows altercation at the end of the 3rd period. When your goalie, who is pitching a shutout, stands up for himself like that and stands up for the crest on his jersey, it says a ton. Obviously, Game 5 is a huge game, but unlike going into Game 3 where the pressure was on Boston, the pressure is all on Vancouver. Should be a great game, but I think Vancouver pulls out Game 5.
According to TSN.ca, The Toronto Maple Leafs have locked up goaltender James Reimer to a 3 year contract for $5.4 million with a cap hit of $1.8 million each year.
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| Photo credit: Bridget Samuels |
AT: No brainer move for Toronto. Reimer put up spectacular numbers as just a 23 year old on a subpar Toronto team. He finished the season with a 20-10-5 record and a very, very respectable .921% save percentage. Good for Reimer. It looks like the Maple Leafs may have finally found a franchise goaltender after signing JS Giguere didn't turn out as expected and the Jonas Gustavsson experiment seems to be on the decline.
CH: Three years might be a lot for him after only one year, but that's par for the course right now. For example, the Islanders gave Grabner, Okposo, MacDonald, and Nielsen long-term deals after one season. Reimer had a very good rookie season for Toronto and could be a big part of their future. The Leafs are going to be on the rise shortly.
According to the New York Daily News, the remainder of Rangers captain Chris Drury's contract will be bought out by the team. This will incur a a $3.3m cap hit against the team. The team also plans on buying out the remainer of Wojtek Wolski's contract, incurring a $666,667 charge against the cap.
AT: I had a feeling this was coming to be quite honest. I know many Ranger fans who were upset with the play of Drury this year and the year past. Especially with his severely time limiting injuries, I can see why Sather wants him out. This clears up a bit of cap space for the Rangers, however they still need to sign or trade RFAs Brandon Dubinsky (who is reportedly asking for $4.5m), Ryan Callahan, Artem Anisimov, Brian Boyle, Matt Gilroy, Chad Johnson, Mike Sauer and also have Ruslan Fedotenko, Steve Eminger, Bryan McCabe Vinny Prospal and Alex Frolov (who I doubt gets resigned). The constantly heard rumor is that the Rangers are in hot pursuit of the unanimous #1 UFA this offseason, Brad Richards. I really question if they will be able to fit him under the cap if the $7m+ that Richards is supposedly asking for is what he's sticking to.
CH: Fact of the matter is that Drury was not producing for the Rangers and you can't keep a $7m+ liability on your fourth line. This will help the Rangers, but the guy is still going to cost them $3.3 million on the cap this year and $1.6 million next year. Alex outlined the Rangers cap situation above, so I'll fuel some speculation on Drury and the Islanders. I don't think it happens unless Drury takes a salary under $1m to play on the fourth line. And even that, would that be worth it? Drury played 24 games this past season and scored one goal. To me, the Islanders can't afford that. There are plenty of durable fourth line centers available for them to look at in UFA who can provide what Drury is projected to next season. More on the Islanders fourth line later today.
As far as Wolski, Larry Brooks just came out and said the Rangers are now not planning on buying him out, which means his $3.8 million contract will remain on the cap. With Drury's buyout and all the FAs they need to sign, I'm not so sure they'll be able to make Brad Richards work as of right now.
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