---------------------------------------------------
Update: 96 and 97 are tough...clue...they were both defenseman....
--------------------------------------------------
Can you name the last 10 Isles' All-Stars? Don't cheat...
2008 - DP (freebie)
2007 - Blake (Nyisles82)
2004 - Aucoin (Nyisles82)
2003 - Hammrlik (Nyisles82)
2002 - Yashin & Parish (Nicky P)
2000 - Czerkawski (Nicky P)
1998 - Palffy (Shinkdew)
1997 - ?
1996 - ?
Last night’s 4-1 loss to the Boston Bruins shouldn’t sit well with Islanders fans. The loyal Islanders fan has been told to give this team a chance—that this team will fight for every point and fight for every puck on every shift on every night. But all too frequently, that is not the case. Had the Isles come out with a strong performance in Boston, they might have been able to head into all star weekend with the notion that they have over-performed thus far this season. Had they emerged with two points last night, they might have been able to look down the stretch with a hint of optimism as well as confidence. Instead last night’s 4-1 loss to a mediocre Boston team should signal a reality check for the New York Islanders.
But how can the Isles have a winning record (4 games over .500) and still be subjected to the kind of criticism I am portraying here? Well it’s quite simple. The Isles are the only team in the NHL who are capable of defeating the best teams in the league, while losing to some of the worst; and this signifies a team that straight out refuses to work on some nights.
The Isles frequently take nights off and shifts off, which leads to clunkers like the 4-1 loss to the Bruins last night. The Islanders epitomize the classic NHL tease—showing you signs of dominance while mixing in some lazy inattentive play. It makes you wonder had the Isles kept their word and come out skating and hitting (aka outworking) their opponents every game, then they might be sitting atop the Atlantic Division today. And so far, that’s still not beyond a possibility. Last night’s game should signal to Coach Nolan that the Isles cannot afford to take shifts off if it hopes to win the Atlantic Division.
I mean, who cares if the Isles outwork their opponents on 60% of their games and sneak into the 8th spot and get blown out in the first round? The hockey world doesn’t remember those teams just as they don’t remember the Isles of last season. That is shown by every expert predicting the Isles to finish last in the league this year once again. On the other hand, the hockey world does remember those teams that weren’t supposed to go anywhere, yet pull it together in order to make a deep Cup run, a la the Edmonton Oilers a few seasons back. This needs to be the goal of the New York Islanders franchise—to make a run at the Cup. Presently, it seems an Isles’ season can be deemed a success if we slip into the playoffs and last at least 5 games in the first round (no brooms!). Everyone considers last season a success. Will it be a success if the Isles duplicate that performance this season? Probably. Makes you wonder what happened to the idea of building on the previous season.
The Isles inability to outwork opponents is evident in the streaky goal scoring of its top forwards (which is probably more nonexistent than streaky). Let’s take a peek at some of the Isles “top-6” forwards as of late.
Mike Comrie – 1 goal in his last 11 games
Miro Satan – 1 goal in his last 15 games
Josef Vasicek – 1 goal in his last 19 games
Ruslan Fedotenko – 1 goal in his last 12 games, 2 in his last 31
Sean Bergenheim – 1 goal in his last 13 games, 2 in his last 39
Trent Hunter – 1 goal in his last 17 games, 3 in his last 38
Each of these players above has seen ample time on the Isles first and second lines. And each of these players’ goal scoring is mostly nonexistent. Yes Tank and Hunter have seen more 3rd line duty recently, but each is still given plenty of time on the PP and should therefore be analyzed as a top forward. These guys simply don’t get the job done offensively and it’s time to give others a shot. Why not insert Blake Comeau on the PP instead of a Comrie or a Hunter? Yes Comrie is creative and Hunter can dig pucks out of the corner, but look at the stats I just divulged! NONE OF THOSE PLAYERS HAS AT LEAST TWO GOALS IN THE PAST 11 GAMES!
Trent Hunter is becoming more and more replaceable as this season progresses. I hope the Isles don’t make the same mistake that they made with Jason Blake last season. Ship Trent out for a 2nd rounder at the deadline, and let him take his puck-digging abilities elsewhere. There’s got to be a puck-digger somewhere out there who can score. Or even occasionally score.
DP has looked at bit rusty and only has one win in his last 5 starts to show for it. Perhaps it’s from being overworked, but it more and more looks like he’s struggling with some sort of knee injury but refuses to go down and miss his first all star game. Hopefully this decision won’t backfire on the Isles’ season.
A holiday weekend that could have seen the Isles take home 4 out of 4 points, instead saw the Isles take home a measly 1 point. With 2 goal leads both against the Flyers and Canes, the Isles managed to squander ‘em both, while additionally managing to lose for the first time this season when heading into the 3rd period with a lead.
It was the weekend of fortuitous bounces. The Flyers got 2 tremendous deflections off the boards, while the Isles were equally as lucky on Hilbert's goal yesterday. (Hilbert actually looked like he knew how to score goals on his mini breakaway). Coach Nolan and the Isles should take something more from the Canes' come-from-behind victory yesterday than being victimized by some bad luck. They should comprehend that it doesn't take much to beat some pretty talented NHL goaltenders. If I were Nolan, I'd be horrified by the thought of constantly losing games to mediocre goaltending. Can anyone remember the last time the Isles lost because the opposing team's goaltender stood on his head? (You know the thing that Ricky does so often for us?) I believe this shows the Isles are usually responsible for beating themselves.
From a goaltending perspective, Trent Hunter did one of the most irritating things on the Canes' tying goal when he stood up and tried to play goalie on a 50 foot slapshot. If I were DP I'd be fuming. I'd be shouting "either get down and block the shot or get the **** out of the way." Hunter gave DP no chance to see the shot--one that he probably would have eaten up and rendered all of this ranting moot.
Once again, Blake Comeau was the most exciting player on the ice for the Isles and I'm waiting for this to register in Nolan's brain. When we see Comeau on the PP, we will all know Nolan is paying attention to what's transpiring on the ice.
Patiently awaiting a fire sale,
Justin
The Isles' 5-3 loss to the Flyers last night epitomizes the story of the split personality New York Islanders. The Jekyll Islanders come out flying. They come out skating and hitting and shooting. They give you everything they have because they know the only way they will beat you is if they outwork you. On the contrary, the Hyde Islanders are not so anxious. They are not desperate to create scoring chances out of determination and grit. They are not willing to pay the price in front of the net to score the “garbage” goal. The Hyde Islanders like to try tricky plays—drop passes, no-look passes, through the legs behind the back, oh wait, another turnover. The Jeyklls came out in the first period last night, and it’s a shame the Hydes took over after that.
The turning point in the game last night was clearly the 4 minute power play, a majority which was in effect as the Isles started the 2nd period. Instead of applying instant pressure in a game that the Isles led 3-1, the Isles sat back and remained content as if they were going to sit on a two goal lead for 40 minutes. The Isles registered no shots on that PP, and the play of the Isles made me question whether reality is registering in Ted Nolan’s brain. 5 minutes into the 2nd, we all knew the Hydes were taking over the game. And as usual, Nolan did very little to fire up his squad. Did anyone notice the Flyers’ coach take a premature timeout in the first period, just to yell at his team? I’m still waiting to see that kind of fire from Nolan. I’m waiting for him to show that a listless effort with a two goal lead at home is unacceptable. I won’t hold my breath while I wait.
Mike Comrie turned the puck over at least 10 times last night, and was not penalized at all. MAB would have been shipped to Serbia. Hunter is simply not productive. His defensive efforts are overshadowed by his lack of offensive output. And we now know he’s a terrible fighter.
I thought AJ played way too much last night. He saw important minutes—PK minutes, PP minutes—too many minutes for a defenseman that Nolan hadn’t even played at D yet this season (remember the AJ offensive experiment?). He made some decent plays, but for the most part looked sluggish and offbeat.
The Isles need to inject some youthful legs into their lackluster offense. The speedy Blake Comeau was the most exciting Islander last night. On every shift, he seemed to create something out of nothing (which is quite impossible when your linemates are Andy “stone-hands” Hilbert and Tim “why do I have an NHL job?” Jackman. This loss cannot be attributed to unfortunate bounces when the Isles lacked a legitimate scoring chance for 2/3 of the game.
In an effort to keep Dubie sharp, he has been sent down to Bridgeport for a conditioning stint. Recalled to play bench warmer for DP is Mike Morrison. Morrison is a University of Maine graduate who has put up respectable numbers this year at the bridge. He has 13-9-0 record with a 2.70 goals against average, .908 save percentage and three shutouts so far this year.
In other news, it looks like we may have seen the end of Bryan Berard. Aaron Johnson has returned from his conditioning stint with the Sound Tigers. Hopefully Campoli won't be out too long, as both Justin and I have been unable to find any update on his status. The other reason I don't expect to see Berard in the lineup is that Witt should be returning to the lineup as early as tomorrow night against the Flyers, barring any further setbacks.
Mark this game down as another that the Isles had no business winning without their all-star netminder. A game that the Isles controlled for a majority of the night saw the Isles treading helplessly for the final 10 minutes as Rick DiPietro turned in a stellar performance. While many will look towards that flash of leather on Elias, the glove save on Zubrus went mostly unheralded. With DP down and out after making two saves in front, Zubrus had the entire net to shoot at, picked his spot, but DP picked it right out of midair.
This marked another OK game by Mike Silinger. He did manage to score the game winning goal, although his play was quite suspect at times. While short handed and with the Isles holding onto a 1 goal lead, Silinger led a two on one with Hunter. Instead of getting off a quick shot and returning to his defensive responsibilities, Silinger dilly dallied down the wing, lost the puck, and set the Devils up for an odd man rush. If not for another tremendous DP save, this game might have had a whole different feel to it. Silinger needs to simplify his game if he wants to consistently be effective.
The Isles have pretty much been employing 4 offensive defenseman on the blue line, which would seem to leave the Isles in constant panic around the crease. Each of Campoli, Bergeron, Berard, and Meyer are well known for their puck moving skills, but neither has been the consistent steady defenseman...until now. Freddy Meyer IV has been the most impressive in his attentiveness to his defensive responsibilities, while MAB has kept his turnovers to a minimum. This unit is getting the job done.
The Isles still need to find a consistent offensive game. Too many forwards go quiet for too many stretches during individual games and beyond. I like seeing Comeau on the first line, but I would really like to see Tambellini be given a fair shot. The guy practically leads the AHL in goals, so I'm not sure why Nolan can't seem to squeeze production out of him at the NHL level. If Nolan could get 25 goals out of Kozlov last season (only 4 goals this season), then Nolan could surely find a way to maximize Tamb's talent. Did I mention Tambellini leads the AHL in shorthanded tallies with 5? The Isles have the worst differential in terms of SHG for/against in the NHL.
The deadline is approaching fast, and more guys are beginning to reserve their place in the expendable market. Satan is the biggest bust this season in my opinion. As someone wrote on Newsday, if people are still referring to Miro Satan as a sniper, then Andy Hilbert is an assassin!
---------------------------------------------
My final letter to TSN:
Scott,
Some final thoughts on the Isles for your consideration. As of tonight, the Isles are still in the 7th spot, where all 5 teams from the Atlantic Division are currently sitting in playoff spots. I think that would make the Atlantic the toughest division in the NHL, and the Isles are holding their own.
Moreover, against the 2 best teams in the East (Ottawa and New Jersey), the Isles have a combined 8-1 record. Wow.
-Justin
----------------------------------------------
UPDATE: Check out my back & forth with TSN analysis Scott Cullen in the comments section of this post.
----------------------------------------------
Midterm Grades
Goaltenders
Rick DiPietro - As the team's only representative at this year's all-star game, it is clear what type of year DP is having. While his individual stats have been hurt by a decent team in front of him, DP is the clear backbone and franchise player of the Islanders. He keeps this team in just about every game he starts, which has just about been every game minus the handful he has missed due to injuries that occur during the grind of the NHL season. The biggest improvement we have seen in DP's game this year is his maturity. He seems to be the true captain of this team even though the NHL does not allow goalies to wear the C. Another improvement in DP's game this year has been his play of the puck. While he still gets caught out of position from time to time, the chances are that DP will handle the puck with little to no problem
B&O gives Rick DiPietro an A
Wade Dubielewicz -- Dubie has gone the riggers of what it is to be an NHL backup goalie this year. As last seasons savior to help the Islanders reach the playoffs after Rick went down with head injuries, Dubie came into this season full of confidence. But after his first few fill ins for Rick, it was clear that his confidence had been turned into rust. After DP went down with his knee injury around New Years, Islanders nation was in a panic. But after a rough 1st game, Dubie filled in nicely and now has a 4-3 record winning his last 2 decisions and 3 of the last 4.
B&O gives Wade Dubielewicz a B.
--------------------------------------------------------
Defensemen
Brendan Witt – There’s no secret that Brendan Witt is the backbone of the Isles. He is the epitome of an NHL captain: he never takes a shift off, he’ll sacrifice his body, he’ll drop the gloves, and he’ll lead by example on a nightly basis. Witt’s recent ankle sprain is alarming for Isles fans who can’t help but envision a season thus far with out Witt’s services. It’s not pretty.
B&O gives Brendan Witt an A-
Radek Martinek – Although not putting up spectacular +/- numbers as he did last season, that probably has more to do with the Isles inability to score at even strength this season. Martinek has quickly become one of the most reliable defensive defenseman in the NHL. It’s strange because Martinek has all the tools to be a puck rushing offensive blueliner. Martinek consistently does a better job than players twice his size which makes him a bargain on the Isles. He’s been healthy for most of this season, and look for him to return to the lineup sometime this week.
B&O gives Radek Martinek a B+
Chris Campoli – It’s nice to see Campoli return to form this season. After a horrible sophomore campaign last season, many fans were ready to throw Campoli under the bus. But he has rebounded this season to provide the kind of steady D and offensive prowess that makes Snow look like a genius for locking Camps up for 3 years at less than $1 million per season. Campoli has matured a lot this season: he rarely pinches inadvisably and he’s learned to throw his weight around in the corners. He’s not going anywhere for a while.
B&O gives Chris Campoli a B
Bruno Gervais – After wowing fans and Isles’ management in camp a few seasons back, 2007-2008 has been Gervais’ year to prove he does in fact belong in the NHL. Also not blessed with great size, Gervais has been a reliable defensive-minded defenseman this season, who can also contribute on the power play. Such versatile defenseman are rare in today’s NHL where most are groomed with a offensive or defensive edge (aka MAB). Snow needs to shell out Campoli-like money for Gervais ASAP.
B&O gives Bruno Gervais a B
Marc-Andre Bergeron – Say what you will about MAB’s defensive lapses, MAB carries the power play of the New York Islanders. It’s common knowledge that when a team’s power play is faltering, there’s a good chance that team isn’t winning any games. MAB propelled the Isles to victory last night just as he has on many other nights this season. MAB would be on pace to score 20 goals had he been in the lineup all season, a feat not accomplished by any Isles blueliner since Denis Potvin. Now I’m not saying MAB is anywhere near the great Isles’ captain, but with MAB you have to take the good with the bad. I think the Isles are a better team with MAB in the lineup.
B&O gives Marc-Andre Bergeron a B-
Andy Sutton – After getting off to a slow start this season (literally), Sutton has come around and provided that crease clearing presence the Isles have longed for in a 5th/6th defenseman. To think the Isles once employed Eric Cairns in this role is quite comical. Sutton throws some of the biggest hits in the league, will drop the gloves occasionally, but more importantly provides reliable D in front of DP. He has been prone to a few defensive gaffs, but they been mostly isolated incidents.
B&O gives Andy Sutton a B-
---------------------------------------------------
Forwards
Mike Comrie – There’s just something about Comrie that reminds Isles fans of the days of Alex Yashin. Comrie, who was an instant spark at the beginning of the season, fooled Isles fans into believing we finally found ourselves a number one center. On the other hand, everything about Comrie’s game proves that he at best a career second line center. He has put up respectable points (13 G, 20A) thus far, yet still cannot be counted on a consistent basis. He is prone to turnovers and is among the worst in the NHL with a -13 +/- rating.
B&O gives Mike Comrie a C+
Bill Guerin – Guerin started scoring at the end of December, and there’s no coincidence the Isles started winning games at a prolific rate. The problem is Guerin has had numerous extended streaks where he fails to find the back of the net. But 15 goals in 42 games (on pace for 30) hasn’t been too shabby for the Isles’ 37 year old captain. His production could rise if the Isles could find a legitimate first line winger to play with him and Comrie. Cough Okposo cough.
B&O gives Bill Guerin a B
Miro Satan – There’s no secret that Satan’s production is on the decline. After scoring 35 goals in his first year as an Islander, and only 27 last season, there’s some doubt as to whether he’ll even reach the 20 goal plateau this season. He’s had at least 20 in each of the past 9 seasons. When Satan is working, he creates opportunities for himself to unload one of the games greatest wrist shots. But when he’s merely going through the motions, Satan is only capable of pocketing a goal when he happens to be in the right place at the right time. Satan has been going through the motions for the most part this season.
B&O gives Miro Satan a C
Mike Silinger – The problem I have with Mike Silinger has more to do with Ted Nolan’s use of him. I have repeatedly urged that Silinger can be an effective checking line forward, and he should be used as such. Yet Nolan constantly rolls Silinger on the power play, a role which is undoubtedly not suited for a PK specialist. Moreover, Silinger’s -8 +/- rating indicates that he is no longer the effective two-way forward he once was. He is weak on the puck and is a poor passer, yet somehow manages to chip in important goals every now and then. This brings us to the question: could we possibly fetch a 2nd round pick for Silinger at the trading deadline? And do we want to go down that road?
B&O gives Mike Silinger a C-
Trent Hunter – The only word I can use to characterize Trent Hunter’s development is disappointment. After a 25G, 26A, +26 effort in 2004 as a rookie, Hunter only has 7 goals this season and a -12 +/- rating. A quiet 7 goals with time on the first line and ample power play time is surely a disappointment. He earlier had a streak of 13 games with out a goal, and just recently snapped a 9 game skid. Hunter is too slow to keep up with a majority of NHL skaters. He was once thought to have a strong accurate shot, yet 7 goals on a team high 127 shots seems quite pathetic. And although he is amongst the top of the league in hits, those hits have more of a punishing effect than a real defensive thwart on the opposing players. For the right price, Hunter is a commodity as a checking line role player. However, I fear he will be asking for too much this summer. I recommend the Isles ship him out for a first rounder at the deadline.
B&O gives Trent Hunter a D+
Ruslan Fedotenko/Josef Vasicek – The experts were right when they said that the Isles shed out way too much dough for Tank. While the Isles had 30 goal hopes, it looks like Ruslan might not surpass half that amount. He shares the same problem as Vasicek in that they both don’t shoot nearly enough. That probably has more to do with an inability to get open as opposed to a willful neglect to getting shots off on a consistent basis. Tank has only taken 66 shots, where Vasicek has only taken 56, which is the lowest on the team among the forwards who have played all season. (Hilbert has 70 with much less ice time). Vasicek is still a bargain at less than $1 million for this season. Both players started out strong, but have come back to earth and have reestablished themselves as mediocre hockey players. The experts are smiling now.
B&O gives Ruslan Fedotenko and Josef Vasicek each a C
Richard Park – There are times when Garth Snow gives off the impression that he doesn’t know how to handle the responsibility as a NHL general manager. Other times he’s seems to know exactly what he’s doing. The latter was exemplified when Snow signed Richard Park to a multi year contract for peanuts. Park provides all the intangibles you look for in a role player: kills penalties, can bounce from line to line, and can even chip in a winning shootout goal when asked to. Park has been one of the few bright spots among Isles forwards this season.
B&O gives Richard Park a B+
Andy Hilbert – We have all been more comfortable with Andy Hilbert’s recent diminished role. When used correctly, Hilbert is an effective penalty killer/4th line energy player. He’s never going to score a lot at the NHL level, so anything more than 4th line duty should be out of the question. Although it would be nice if Andy could put home those empty netters more times than none.
B&O gives Andy Hilbert a C+
I have not given any forward better than a B+ because I strongly feel no Isles forward is deserving of such. With the lowest goals for in the entire NHL, Snow should look to add a top 6 forward if the Isles remain in the hunt at the deadline. However, I would rather see the Isles sell off some of their walk-year players and give a load of ice time to guys like Comeau, Walter, and Tambellini.
------------------------------------------------------------
UPDATE: Rick DiPietro an All-Star!!!!
------------------------------------------------------------
Welcome to a new day and age in New York Islanders history that is now ruled by someone who might seem, at times, "madder" than Mad Mike Milbury. This new replacement? Nut Case Nolan.
The most flabbergasting decision by NCN last night was his choice to include Mike Silinger in his top-3 for last night's shootout. With the game on the line, and when forced to select his top 3 most giftedly skilled players, Nolan went with a deteriorating checking forward who has done nothing to warrant such a selection. The fact that Silinger notched a shootout goal weeks ago against Ottawa is what Nolan will point to as the reason for making such a decision. But anyone who saw that goal could tell you that Silinger came in on Ray Emery (who was playing his first game in weeks) and snuck in a lucky wrist shot. Mike Silinger has never been known for his puck-handling or scoring ability, two qualities that would seem important when choosing a shootout contestant. Further, anyone who knows anything about hockey and goaltending could tell you that Luongo is so big and so quick that the only way to beat him one-on-one would be to get him moving from side to side, a la Miro Satan’s goal last night. Silinger would have been so far down on my list of shooters, that I might have even used defenseman MAB, Campoli, and FMIV before him. Hunter had the right idea (opened Luongo's legs in hopes to go 5-hole) but Trent simply doesn't have that goal scoring touch to pull off such a slick move.
Next we can look at NCN's strange apportionment of ice time last night. Comeau (the team's only bright spot recently) played only 7:34, while Bergenheim got a mere 6:40, and Vasicek a team-low 5:17. And with Fedotenko and Jackman getting around 10 minutes each, that meant we were all subject to way too much of Silinger and Hunter, and 21 minutes of Richard Park. The Isles have been a solid 3rd period team thus far, but with NCN only using a handful of forwards, it's hard to imagine that those forwards would have the stamina to stage a strong 3rd period.
I see NCN losing this team very soon. I don't mean to panic (with last night's SO loss, the Isles took over the 8th seed in the East, knocking the Rags to the 9th spot), but NCN's capricious decision making must make it hard for players to be ready to play on a nightly basis. Benching each of Vasicek, Bergenheim, Comeau, and Tank all in the same game while continuously allowing Comrie to go unpunished wouldn't sit well with me if I were on this team. Moreover, this continuous notion of playing Silinger on the PP should have the hockey world questioning NCN's knowledge of the game.
Don't get me wrong, a great deal of the blame of last night's loss falls on the players as well. I don't think I can recall ONE solid scoring chance last night by the Islanders. By scoring chance, I mean at least one moment in the entire game where the Isles had a legitimate chance to score on Luongo. With both goals coming on flukes given up by Luongo, I think its safe to assume this was one of the luckiest points ever earned by a team in the history of the NHL. In addition, the Isles allowed the team with the worst shot output per game to pepper DP with 45 shots, (20 more than their team average per game of 25). But that being said, when a coach seems to be making glaring mistakes on a nightly basis, it warrants the inquiry as to whether that coach might be the reason things seem to be spiraling out of control at so many points throughout a season.
In my first game in over two weeks, I was treated to another ineffective showing by the Isles' offense. After the Isles took a one goal lead in the first, it wasn't until late in the 3rd period (and long after the game had been tied up) that the Isles attempted to create scoring opportunities at even strength. For a majority of tonight's game, the Isles were outworked and outmuscled which led to a flurry of chances around DP's crease and little action in front of Jose Theodore.
In my first game in over two weeks, I was instantly reminded of all the reasons why I would like to see Mike Silinger removed from the Isles roster. Silinger was responsible for numerous turnovers on the Isles' power play while failing to do his job in the face off circle. Silinger only won 5 of 19 faceoffs, good for about 25%. Sil's contract will probably keep him in an Isles uniform at least until the trading deadline (when hopefully Snow can unload him) but I suggest Nolan give Silinger a reduced role and immediately remove him from the power play.
DP was spectacular at times last night. Once again he proved that his contract is a bargain and that he should be considered among the elite goaltenders in the NHL. I am curious to see if he will me named to the Eastern Conference's all-star team.
FM IV makes me very nervous out there. I'm not sure how he had been playing before last night, but he certainly was no steady Freddy. Nolan might be ready to move good old Aaron Johnson back into this spot if Radek Martinek isn't ready to go soon.
Im still waiting for Hunter's two goals. This guy never scores (on pace for 12 on the season).
MAB would have been on pace for better than 50 pts had he not been benched for 15 games. It's a shame it took this long for Nolan to inject a little confidence in his most gifted offensive defenseman, but I guess better late than never.
Posts
All Comments
