B&O's Key Factors for the 2008-2009 New York Islanders
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UPDATE: I found a definition for Nolan-type player, for those of you who might be confused. Check it out here...
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Nolan-type
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Here are my following notes/highlights that must be addressed and/or acknowledged before the start of next season.
1. The New York Islander did not lose because of injuries. They lost because they were devoid of talent.
2. Ted Nolan is a good coach, not a great coach. Hopefully next year he will learn to incorporate his younger players at an earlier point in the season.
3. Nolan should be blasted for his horrible powerplay strategies. The Isles looked like they never practiced the 5 on 3. Or if they did, after noticing that it was failing miserably, they never changed it up. The more the powerplay faltered the more Nolan went with a "law of averages" strategy hoping that if the PP stinks, then it would only get better over time. He should employ a "common sense" strategy where if his PP unit stinks, then he should try out new players and a different strategy.
4. Dubie v. Joey Mac? Who cares. Dubie did his job, and Joey Mac could probably do the same job. Don't lose sleep over this conundrum.
5. Blame Snow and not Nolan? I don't think that's fair considering the huge role Nolan plays in who Snow signs. On a normal team, the GM would be solely to blame for the on-ice product. But in the Isles' case, Nolan might be equally deserving of the same blame as Snow.
6. Let Fedotenko walk. Try to resign Joe Vasicek. If Satan will take a pay cut, consider him as well. Cut ties with Hilbert. His role on this team is easily replaceable.
7. Do not ride DP into the pavement. He should get a max of 60-65 games next season.
8. Do not make the same mistake with Tambellini that this organization made with Robert Nillson. Everything all the Tambellini-haters say about Tambs, said the same thing about Nillson: he's soft on the puck, he's lazy, he doesn't put up numbers, he's a career AHL player, blah blah blah. Nillson's confidence was destroyed by a coach who didn't believe in him. The Isles better get it right with Tambellini, who has all the tools to be a very good NHL scorer. If Nolan is as good a coach as many believe he is, then he should be able to harness those tools, right?
9. Don't change much on the blue line. The Isles should be set there for next season. Consider moving Gervais for an offensive player.
10. Overall, not a useless season for the Isles. We got to see where many of our younger players stand and got a glimpse of Okposo and Hillen. But the Isles and Snow/Nolan need to remember that solid teams cannot be built on grit alone--teams need a certain amount of skill. Nolan will forever favor those players who resemble himself as a player: talentless, hard-working, gritty, career-minor leaguers. If Nolan can actually get a group to play the gritty blue collar style he preaches, then I think the Isles will be fine. But don't kid yourself into believing the Isles put in a good effort every night before the injuries piled up, because they didn't. This upcoming final year of Nolan's contract should be judged on how hard a young team will work for a gritty "hard-working" coach.
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10 comments:
Who is Robert Nilsson?.......Bill
AAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGHHHHH !!
Good calls, Justin. I hope we can all move forward in this and not concern ourselves too much with the past. Even those upset about Nilsson also remember that the Isles passed on Zach Parise to take him. It's useless to even concern ourselves with those things because the decisions have been made and the only things within our control lay in the future.
Now, I also want to ask my fellow Islander fans a favor. As those of you from the Newsday blog know, I'm involved in a local community group in favor of the Lighthouse Project. I hope you'll go and sign our petition to show your support as well.
http://www.lighthousepetition.com
Nick,
Remembering the mistake made with Nillson is important b/c the same one is currently being made with Tambellini.
How is the lighthouse coming Nick?
The Town of Hempstead has been declared lead agency, and I've heard from sources and Kate Murray herself that they're fast-tracking the project. Environmental review should be complete within 60 days, public comments in Q4. They hope to hammer out an agreement by next July and start the renovations immediately afterwards.
Please, everyone sign the petition and help us call attention to the need for a new Coliseum and a re-birth of the Long Island spirit.
Also...I wrote the petition, so feel free to ridicule my writing.
From the Edmonton Journal:
- Isles' GM Garth Snow, in a subtle fashion, is telling his coach Ted Nolan to play Steve Tambellini's boy Jeff more next year than his 10 minutes a game this season. Presumably he sees how another kid, Robert Nilsson, got away and flourished in Edmonton. He doesn't want a repeat.
That's why, Nick...............Bill
Bill, we're actually not disagreeing at all. I actually meant that all we can do is concentrate on the future rather than worrying too much about the guys that got away.
Right Nick, I want to see Tambellini on the first PP unit next year. I also want to see a real PP QB who can organize the PP and get the puck through to the net. I think that JM Liles would look great in an Islanders uniform next year.
But most of all, I want to see Snow have the power of a real GM and have Nolan understand in no uncertain terms who the boss is.
Nolan is repeating his Buffalo act trying to undermine the GM. I can only hope the Wangster see through that and lets Teddy know that Garth is running the show.....Bill
Justin Shouldn't we repick after the first round? If you picked a team to go to the finals and they lost in the first round, you have no chance to ever win another round
because that team isn't playing. Make sense?,,,,,,,,,Bill
haha you cant pick after each round..that wouldnt make any sense... obviously you need to get more points each round.. picking the cup winner is clearly the most important part of the picks..
great to see the rangers drop another 1 to the pens
here is an update on Kevin Colley, who im sure you all remember broke his neck after slamming in the boards...
http://www.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/news/sports/story.html?id=4ec47663-945f-4b3e-8b6a-793aa7b24f61
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