Some Things Never Change
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
24 comments:
Another stinker effort against a weaker team. The whole first two lines just seem to disappear at times. Colorado is missing their two best players and the best the Isles can manage is ONE goal?
You can chalk this point up to DP's fabulous game....Bill
Bill,
The Avs maybe a weaker team but it sure didn't seem like that last night.
FMIV had one of his worst games in the last handful he had been in the lineup for.
Sick shot by Jackman to get our only goal of the night. If only our top two lines would shoot the puck like that.
Another lackluster, lazy, passionless game played by a team
without a soul.
If the NHL wasn't so mediocre, this "team" would be in last place.
The defense is not bad and the goaltending is exceptional.
I am disgusted with Nolan.
I am disgusted with Snow.
I am disgusted by the forwards.
We are stuck with Guerrin and Sillinger through next year. Comrie, Tank, Hilbert, Vasicheck, Hunter, Bergy and Satan have all failed to produce and need to go.
Park is a nice little role player who would be a third or fourth liner on any other team. But a first line player?? Please. Is this what it has come to.
If you were Garth Snow, who would you resign?
The time has come for Walter, Tambellini and Neilssen to be brought up and play big minutes.
Snow/Nolan have managed to take the most exciting game on earth and make it BORING.
Did I mention that I was disgusted?
.......Bill
In the words of Candy Man
Dear Ted Nolan,
Please keep Mike Silinger and Trent Hunter together on the PP. They are a very effective duo and rarely turnover the puck while playing with an extra man. I did not count one bad turnover by Hunter on the PP tonight.
Mike Silinger is playing some of the best hockey of his career. He looks quicker and sharper than ever before. I'm not sure why so many teams let this old cat get away.
Please don't bring up any of the kids. It's a safer sounder plan to rely on aging vets for the entire season. The fact that most of the new successful teams of 2007-2008 have given an increased role to younger players is more than enough reason not to try it.
Richard Park is extraordinary. It's nice to finally have a legitimate first line winger.
Also Ted, I admire that you treat each of your players equally. People might think it strange that Mike Comrie never gets benched, but does he really turn the puck over as much as MAB?
CM couldn't of said it better.
As I have said numerous times Sillinger needs to hang up the skates. He looks silly out there. We aren’t a good team and we are poorly coached. Every year it’s the same thing the Islanders are never even close to contenders to win the cup.
I think it's funny every time this team loses two games in a row some people come on here and talk about how bad they are. According to Bill's rating system, they are only 4 points away from being an excellent team.
Why anyone would think Edmonton would be any easy win is beyond me. They play on the fastest ice in the NHL and have a team built for that ice. That Islanders have below average speed and play on that slop known as NVMC. It's probably the worst match-up for the Islanders.
Comrie has failed to produce? He's on pace for a career season. Were you expecting to score 80-90 points? I find it odd Bill wants to get rid of Bergenheim since he's such an advocate for playing the kids.
Yes, lets bring up the kids, so we can win 5 more games the rest of the season and maybe get the first pick.
Shink,
Why Should Edmonton be an easy win? I don't know but it might have something to do with the fact that they are one of only 5 teams in the NHL that have lost more games than they've won. They are very weak defensively and rely on kids to do their scoring. That's right, kids.
Did anyone say Comrie failed to produce? Comrie constantly turns over the puck and is never punished. MAB also produces (better than 1/2 pt per game which is great for a defenseman) but is constantly punished for his blunders. "It should be same set of rules for everyone." [name that movie]
What's your take on Hunter/Silinger? Are you satisfied with their play thus far?
Blake Comeau's +/- of +4 leads the Isles and is 17 points better than Comrie's team worst -13. :-(
I have said it from day 1. The islanders don't have enough scoring to make the playoffs.
Justin that is probably not what Shink meant. The Oilers have 42 pts, the Isles have 44. 13 points separate the middle 26 teams in the LEAGUE this year. For all intensive purposes, this means teams ranked 3rd-27th in this league are playing very similar levels of hockey. Just as the NFL has achieved, the NHL is beginning to reach parity. On any given Sunday (or night), any team can win.
That, combined with Edmonton's speed, ice, and not having to travel across the continent to play stacked the cards strongly against the Isles. We're one of the slowest teams in the league, and rely on defense to win games. We faced a fast fast team last night who skated circles around our D. The same D, remember, who is missing Martinek, our fastest, most effective defender this season.
Comrie plays offense, MAB plays defense. Comrie puts the puck in the net with skill, MAB puts the puck in the net by taking wild slap shots that miss the net 3/5 times, and hit the chest of the goalie 1/5 times. Why should Comrie be benched then? Him & Guerin are the only players producing, and they're doing it without much help. No one expected either of forward to match Ovechkin or Vinnie L. goal for goal, and Comrie's defensive lapses hurt us no where near MAB's, who often does it on the PP or right in front of DP. What we did expect is for MAB to play solid D, even if it came at the cost of his offense.
Sillinger does need to go, but he won't. We need to face it- if we're not going to rebuild, we're going to see the guy this season and next in an Isles uniform. If we do rebuild, we might be able to ship him off to someone looking for faceoff help, in exchange for a middle of the pack draft pick/prospect.
Hunter is just fine- he's not a goal scorer; he plays solid D, and I don't think I've ever seen him take a shift off. Don't blame him for the other guys not scoring. He hits, he digs for pucks, and he plays good D. If he can't put the puck in the net, we can probably re-sign him for a lot less than he was hoping for over the summer...I don't see how that is a bad thing. To build a championship team, you need players like Hunter- fill minutes effectively, and wear down opposing players. To take advantage of his game however, we need 2 lines that are more consistent.
If you ask me Comrie & Hunter would be the two guys from our FA forwards to actually resign. Trade the rest for picks/prospects, and get set for the next few years. If necessary, resign v-cek & tank.
Overall, I have to agree with Shink's point about the complaints on this blog. Lets engage in more intelligent hockey conversation rather than bashing the team we clearly all will continue to watch on a nightly basis.
Newsflash of the week: the Islanders now have a bigger (2.37) GFA than the Rangers (2.36)!
(That said, we all remember the Rangers turning it around post-trade deadline last year. Maybe this year it is us?)
Bill said Comrie has failed to produce and needs to go. I agree, he turns the puck over just as often as Bergeron does. There are two differences though. When Comrie turns it over, they still have to go through at least two defensemen. When Bergeron turns it over, at best, there is one defenseman back. But more importantly, the Islanders have a surplus of defenseman that can step into Bergeron's spot and do just as well. The Islanders don't have anyone that could step into Comrie's spot if he were benched.
Edmonton is relying on kids because they couldn't get anyone to sign there. This whole debate about the kids is pretty funny though. Most of you guys make it sound like we have guys that are as talented as Gagner, Cogliano, Mueller, Hanzel toiling away in the AHL. The fact is we don't, our so-called best prospect Tambellini, failed miserably in numerous attempts to make the team.
I don't think Hunter or Sillinger are playing well at all. I've said all along that Hunter is easily replaceable and shouldn't be signed long term. Sillinger is there because he's our best face off man, and will probably be gone at the trade deadline.
Shink,
I agree with a majority of your post.
MAB's lapses are too frequent, but for all intents and purposes his blunders are not the issue on this team. As GG has said, it's the offense. And I agree that our talent pool is minimal at best. I don't know about you, but I spent all game last night waiting for Comeau's shifts, however sparse they were. The NHL is a fast game, and the Hunter/Silinger duo has no place in the NHL.
Nyisles,
The fact that Hunter not being a goal scorer is exactly the trouble many of us are having with Nolan. Why put such a non-goal scorer constantly on the power play?
How long till Okposo makes his Isles debut?
I agree with you that Bergeron is not the problem, and if we didn't have Berard and Meyer around, he probably wouldn't have been benched. I agree that it's all on the offense. In general, you really can't ask anything more from the defense and goaltending. I think if they could get a player like St. Louis or Hossa, they could win the division. But is it really worth it to give up draft picks and prospects to get them?
It's funny because last night while I was watching it, I thought it was kind of pathetic the fourth line was the only line with the speed to keep up with Edmonton. I also look forward to Comeau's shifts, he is a lot like Bergenheim in that he usually makes something happen.
I'm also interested to see when Okposo debuts. I personally don't think we'll see him anytime soon. I have a feeling he may spend the rest of the season in the AHL.
But what if Okposo lights up the AHL? Would it be worth rushing him along at that point.
It would only be worth acquiring a player of Hossa's caliber if we could be guaranteed to sign him to a long term deal. We might be able to overstock with draft picks this season, as all of Satan, Vasicek, Hunter, Silinger, & Comrie could all be offered up for picks this season.
Shink, I am happy that you are amused. Were you also amused watching the game last night?
The simple fact is that this team has no front line players except for DP and Witt and that has to change.
If you think that free agents are flocking here next year, well I have a bridge to sell you.
You talk about Edmonton not being able to sign players. Have you been paying attention.
Edmonton did go with the kids and they are building something out there. Here we are replacing role players with more role players and standing still.
As for playing the kids, well Bergy has had a legit shot and has failed to score. He would be a good fourth line "energy" type player on a good team. He certainly has failed to show that he is a second line player. Tambellini has never had that type of chance to play consistantly with a Satan or Vasicheck.
Shink also says:
"Yes, lets bring up the kids, so we can win 5 more games the rest of the season and maybe get the first pick."
So, in you vast amount of hockey experience, you can guarentee that the kids will only win 5 games out of the next 41. Shink, you are the hockey guru.
You are absolutely right. Bringing up Walter, Tambs and Neilssen will
mean that the team will lose 36 more games.
Let's just keep on keepin' on. Keep watching agonizingly boring hockey. Maybe grab the last spot
in the playoffs and get bounced out in the first round.
Get a mid level first rounder who turns into another checking fourth liner. Watch all the UFA's desert the Island and "rebuild" for the umpteenth season in a row.
Yup, that's the way to build winning franchise.
In fact, this franchise is the laughingstock of the NHL and Snow/Nolan have done nothing to turn it around. Only mediocrity in the NHL has saved their jobs. That and an insane owner.....BILL
I think there are three scenarios that Okposo will be with Islanders:
1. He absolutely tears it up in the AHL, and makes it obvious being there is a waste of time.
2. Islanders are bit with the injury bug at the wing.
3. Islanders have a fire sale.
The Islanders don't really have any incentive to rush him along. Not to mention if Okposo plays 9 games or less, it doesn't count as a year on his contract.
I don't know that it's worth it. I supposed if they could get Hossa to sign a 5-6 year deal it would be. They need to keep as many 1st-3rd round picks as possible, and start drafting and developing first line talent. Right now, Okposo is the only potential first line talent they have.
Has anyone else noticed that Fedatanko has morphed into Oleg Kvasha?.......Bill
Bill I don't think 1/2 season in the NHL constitutes a "legit shot" for Bergy, as you argue. He's used to the European ice, and as I'm sure you know, will require some getting used to the smaller NHL rinks. Remember a few months (weeks?) ago people were mentioning how Bergy flies around the ice, with lots of skating and activity, but never really gets anything done? Probably a result of the transition. In Sweden, he had to skate and hustle that fast just to get to the puck. In the NHL, he's gotta learn to skate smarter, not necessarily faster (feels good saying that about a current Islander!). He has the fundamentals, and needs to learn how to apply them on an NHL rink. Using speed to chase the puck is a lot different mentally than using the same speed to be where the puck will be. This is something Blake learned his last few seasons on LI.
I'd be upset to see us give up on him in the next 2-3 years. Remember Jokinen? Grew up on the same Scandanavian ice, and took 3-4 years to show up in the NHL. Almost all Europeans are the same in that respect, regardless of their style of play.
Bill, it doesn't take much of a guru to understand that a core group of guys, who you want to bring up, that can't win at the AHL level, isn't going to win at the NHL level. You keep complaining that Tambellini never had a shot. Yet, he played just as much as Bergenheim, Comeau and even Jackman. They were are able to at least chip in a few points. Tambellini contributed nothing.
I find it odd that you tell us how bad these players are, but are now complaining that none of them are going to resign.
And I think that's the problem with the Isles' treatment of Tambellini. A few games, 10 minutes per game, no goals? Send him back to Bridgeport.
Personally, I think a second power play unit that consisted of Walter/Comeau in lieu of Hunter/Silinger would have produced double the pp goals.
We saw teams like Pittsburgh give up on Recchi when they realized he simply couldn't cut it in the NHL. Recchi is a future hall of famer, so I don't see why the Isles are so obligated to keep playing Silinger. And it's not like Nolan just keeps rolling Silinger out there. He sees PK & PP time! No other NHL team would roll Silinger on the PP.
Btw, Recchi has 7 goals and 7 assists in a mere 14 games with Atlanta. That's more goals than Hunter's 6 goals in 41 games thus far. Recchi also has 3 PPG and 3 PPA in those 14 games, which equals Silinger's PP output in 40 games.
Justin, I will give you credit, they should have picked up Recchi. He has looked pretty good with Atlanta. Although, he is playing with Kovalchuk.
This is going to be one long game...
"I find it odd that you tell us how bad these players are, but are now complaining that none of them are going to resign."
I was not complaining that they were not resigning, just stating a fact. Most of them will not be back.
As for your "core group of guys that can't win at Bridgeport." Since when are 3 players a core group of guys? Are Jackman, Hilbert and Simon a core group of Islanders?
So Shink, you prefer to plod along with no hope of ever turning this franchise around. Just be happy to be at .500 every year.
I see you failed to address your statement of 5 wins for the rest of the year if any kids are brought up. Move over Stan, a new Maven is in town.
I would much rather finish in last place this year and sign the top pick and begin to build from within.
As far as Bergy goes, half a season is enough to convince me that he will never be a top six forward. As I said, he is a good role player. That's it. The Islanders should keep him, but depending on him to be anything more than that is unrealistic.....Bill
Another wasted effort by DP tonight.
45 shots on goal by a team that averages 25 shots per game.
7 penalties.
No one in front of Luongo all night.
Soft passes and give aways in the defensive zone all game.
And a smiling Coach, who was so happy to get one point at the post game press conference. It was all he could talk about.
Here's to the next 40 thrilling games..........Bill
Post a Comment