A New Age Theory on the Isles' Recent Struggles
Something has definitively happened to the New York Islanders over the last few weeks. The Isles started the season on top of the world, sweeping Buffalo in a home-and-home (avenging last year's playoff defeat) and then winning 3 games each from the rival Rangers and Devils, on route to an extraordinary 13-8-1 start to the 2007-2008 season. The critics had counted the Isles out before they first set foot on the ice in Buffalo, but the Isles were making believers out of the hockey world. But then something happened. Something took the wind out of the Isles' sail that set this team back to resembling that low-scoring lethargic group of fringe players that all Isles fans feared would step forward. The turning point was two home games against first place teams: the Dallas Stars and the Ottawa Senators.
The Isles lost to Dallas in OT and beat the senators in a shootout, in two of the most entertaining hard fought battles Isles fans can remember. The problem? No one was there to see it. In those two games, the Isles average attendance was less than 9,000! In the two biggest challenges the Isles had faced thus far, the fans deserted the Isles, which must have left the players wondering what they had done wrong. It has been from that point that the Isles have seemed to lose their desire to battle, focus, and play a complete 60 minute hockey game. I thought at the time that the Isles' players would be quite disheartened to see a half empty building for those two important games, but I had hoped the building would fill back up. That has not been the case, and the result has been a continued stretch of poor hockey.
And it's not like the building had been empty all year. During the Isles' first 11 home games, the Isles' average attendance was 14,740, and the Isles were rolling at 5 games over .500. Then Dallas came to Long Island, and pathetically only 8,161 fans showed. Two days later, Ottawa was welcomed by a mere 9,211 Isles fans. The fans who did show were treated to quite a show, but the problem seems to be rooted in the Isles players' heads, who had to rationalize why their fans suddenly stopped caring.
After averaging 14,740 fans for the first 11 games, the Isles have averaged 10,736 fans over the last 5 home games. That's a 4,000 drop in attendance in quite a brief period of time. Since that Ottawa game, the Isles are 2-5-1, and have played mostly a lackadaisical unmotivated game that has many fans questioning the loyalty of this team. The Isles players must be questioning why Isles fans "started it."
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That's an interesting theory, and there is probably more truth to it than I'd like to believe. The Islanders aren't the only team playing to sparse crowds. There are a lot of 1/2-3/4 filled arenas, which is why I found it funny the NHL is claiming record attendance.
If you think 9,000 is bad, Bridgeport's last home game drew 1,900.
According to the Blues' blogger on hockeybuzz, Anaheim traded Andy McDonald to St. Louis for Doug Weight.
Obviously, Garth is still in hibernation for the winter. Maybe we'll see him this spring.
Interesting stat: In 30 games thus far, Mike Comrie has averaged 20 minutes of ice time per night, while Josef Vasicek has averaged 14.5 minutes. Some quick multiplication gives Comrie an extra 165 minutes of ice time thus far this season. Ummmm what? Play Josef.
They each have 9 goals.
How do you know what Garth did or did not offer? If Anaheim was looking for a center back, the only options they had were Comrie, Vasicek and Park. They aren't going to take Park, so that leaves Comrie and Vasicek. I highly doubt any team has any interest in Comrie with the way he's played. And it doesn't really make much sense to trade our best center.
This theory is complete nonsense.
Explain why they lost so many AWAY games?
These guys are supposed to be professionals. Whining and crying about attendance has nothing to do with winning or losing. Anyone who has every played the game will tell you that once the puck drops you forget about the crowd and concentrate on playing the game.
The reason that the Islanders attendance was up was that they has two different "opening games", a military, fireman, and a police officer discount ticket promotions and a couple of games against the Rangers and Devils.
This is the silliest excuse I have ever heard. The Islanders lost because they have a stubborn head coach who refuses to adapt and a bunch of 4 th line talent less players. Period......Bill
Bill,
This is not an excuse. This is merely just a possible explanation as to why things changed so suddenly. These are professional athletes and attendance SHOULD not affect their performance on the ice, but that does not always mean it works out that way. Athletes can be affected by much stranger things.
Further, I was not trying to vindicate the Isles lack of effort by blaming the fans. Rather, I was just pointing out the coincidence in the timing of the Isles downfall, and how that coincided with the Isles' decrease in attendance, and how perhaps attendance plays a factor in how a team performs. Every professional athlete will tell you that he's more ready for games in front of a packed house. I think it's newsworthy, interesting, strange, and definitely not nonsense.
Justin, So then how do you explain the road losses?....Bill
I will give you an alternate theory.
Ted Nolan is being outcoached.
At the beginning of the season, Nolans squad were clicking on the PP at a fantastic rate. DP was making glorious breakout passes and the team was pushing the puck up the ice quickly.
So, other teams were taken by surprise and we were able to win some games.
However, the opposing teams began to break down videos and countered
DP's passes by closing off his lanes.
THe PP went dead because other teams realized what the Islanders were doing and made adjustments.
Nolan, as usual, refused to change his tactics to counter any of these
adjustments.
His PP went dead. DP's passes became blocked or intercepted and
the Isles forecheck was completely
broken down.
This is why the team went into a spin. Nolan and his staff had no answer for these countermeasures that were used by the opposing teams.
Good coaches readjust their game plan on a constant basis.
Ted Nolan's plan is to "work harder."
Nolan needs a solid x's and o's assistant. Obviously, the guys he has now are not up to the job.
And Garth Snow is still among the missing.....Bill
I hope the NHL bans Simon for life. That's probably the only way we'll get rid of him.
Here's hoping that simple Simon gets suspended for the rest of the season. If the league doesn't do it, then the Islanders should cut ties with him.
That was one of the dirtiest things I have ever seen in my 50 years of watching hockey. With his past record, he should get banned for life. There is no excuse for that type of deliberate attempt to injure another player.
Beside the fact that he cost us a chance to come back and tie the game, he could have cut Ruutu's Achelies tendon.
An absolute disgrace. Snow should cut ties with this guy tomorrow.
That is, if there really is a Garth Snow........Bill
Simon should not have been resigned to begin with. If Nolan shows even the slightest support for Simon after this, then we will all be reassured that we found ourselves two real hosers.
Bill I guess we're not getting each other here. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that the Isles are (1) being out-coached, (2) being out-worked, and (3) lacking the talent to compete with other NHL teams.
But there are also other x-factors that have contributed to the Isles downward spiral. One thing the Isles never had a problem with was work ethic. Yet we all saw that great hard-working team become a bunch of lazy jerks right about the time that I mentioned in my fantastic theory.
Simon is an idiot, and deserves to be jailed. Hah, not really, but at least suspended for the season + playoffs, McSorley style. He wouldn't come back again, and the Isles can move on.
That said, the NHL has made it's bed, and now gets to lie in it with people like Simon. In a short sighted effort to get more fans, they got rid of the instigator rule to ensure people don't compare the NHL with the WWF. What happens? More cheap shots, which is far far worse than a good ol' scrap that is settled with honor. Bad blood that can't escape leads to dangerous hits and foot stomps apparently.
Does anyone remember whether the Simon fiasco happened before or after the Crosby non-call? I wonder if that had anything to do with Simon's apparently unprovoked outburst- a horrible and sad attempt to get even for the non-call.
Got to agree that Crosby gets away with more than anyone, and I'm starting to dislike him more than any good player in any sport. If the NHL protects him from calls, he's going to do like anyone would- take advantage. Good for him. But what the NHL doesn't realize is this makes him unpopular with fans of all other teams except his own.
Once again, the NHL fails miserably with marketing it's players. Why don't we see more of the best player in the league... LECAVIER? Oh, right, cause he doesn't play for a Canadian or Original 6 team.
Anyone know how long Bettman's contract is for? Is he even under contract, or is he hell-bent on ruining ths league for life.
Justin, Pull out your penal code.
What Simon did could be Attemped Assault 2. He used a weapon (a razor sharp skate blade) and he attempted to cause serious injury or permanant disfigurement.
PL 120.05/06 if I remember correctly........Bill
Bill Guerin on Chris Simon- “Everybody’s making it out to be just about Chris Simon. He’s had his incidents, but he’s not the only guy in the league that has done something like this.
Hey “captain” “Everybody’s making it out to be just about Chris Simon” well that’s because it is all about Chris Simon!!! Other people have done stupid things; however they haven’t come back and continue to try to injure other players. Simon should never get the honor of putting on an NHL jersey again. Simon has had incident and incident. To think after his cowardly attack of Hollweg last March he would do something else to try to injure another player is mind boggling. I have never heard of someone trying to step on another play before. Simon is a coward and should go to jail for his actions. He is very lucky he didn’t permanently injure Jarkko Ruutu. Everyone who has every played the game knows and you never ever use your skate or stick as a weapon. If I ever see him in an Islanders Jersey again I will loose all respect for this franchise. There is absolutely no defending Simon; he shouldn’t have even received the chance to come back this year. (Nolan’s fault) What Bill Guerin said is completely idiotic. Playing in the NHL is a privilege and trying to permanently hurt another player time and time again is completely unacceptable.
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