I was looking through some old photos and found this disturbing shot. Then I went and inverted the colors and it became freaky. What does it mean Islanders fans?
For Real
Islanders sweep the Penguins in a home and home series, winning both games 5-3. Josh Bailey with 8 points in the two games. Marty Reasoner scores his first goal in 100 years and Jay Pandolpho got an assist. Throw in a smorgasbord of goals for Frans Nielsen and Kyle Okposo and you have officially entered bizzaro world. No, April fools day is not today, but with the first line being shut out for the past two days and the secondary scoring exploding., I can’t wait to see what sort of @#$% we’re gonna see on Sunday.
Isles vs Penguins
It’s tough times for Islander fans, as the team is heading toward yet another lottery finish. At this point though even that is not guaranteed. Tonight’s game against the Penguins is still an important game though and here is why.
Without the playoffs in the future this season, we’ll get to see how the Isles stack up against one of the best in the league. Malkin, Crosby, and the rest come into the coliseum trying to snatch first place in the conference from the Rangers. This is a good game to look forward to next season. Who is still playing for pride and how has already given up on the year? Which rookies deserve a strong look over the summer to be on the roster come next October?
The biggest question in my head right now – Can the team stop Malkin?
Isles-Rangers: Crunch Time
Tonight’s Isles-Rangers game is a must-win for the Islanders, losers of their past 2 games. They can ill afford a loss here with the playoffs hanging in the balance. The Rangers have been playing their best hockey in many years. We all know that doesn’t matter though when these two teams play each other. As a fan, I just hope the Isles can play some inspired hockey and put up some goals.
Coliseum Update: With Or Without Isles
Some major Long Island developers are putting their hands in the ring regarding the development of the 77 acre parcel the New York Islanders currently sit on. Here is a link to learn more about what is about to happen:
My take on the subject is an obvious one. How could they develop the land without the Islanders after all that the team has been through in trying to build on the property themselves for years? If the team leaves Long Island it will create a huge hole, something that a new development won’t be able to fix. Doing poorly for so long has hurt the team and their positioning to develop the land for many years. It’s too bad too, hundreds of thousands of Long Islanders will have broken hearts if the team leaves in 2015.
Looking forward to hearing about what happens today. I’d be there myself if I didn’t have a serious cold.
The Core And Who’s On The Fence
The Islanders have been going down a similar road the past several seasons. A poor first half followed by a renaissance that leaves them out of the playoffs and still managing to get a high lottery pick. The team has a tough road ahead of itself if making the playoffs is going to happen for them. More likely that that, the team is playing for self respect. There has been growth with some players, and not enough in others (see Comeau, Blake). When the plan is to rely on growth to take you to the next level and that doesn’t happen, seasons like this are inevitable. I’m feeling the same way this year as I did last though, which is optimistic about the future of the club.
After last years renaissance, many fans thought the Isles could be real contenders, as they played great down the stretch. This year is turning into a repeat of last year, save for the development of a few players that I consider the core of this squad:
John Tavares is the obvious leader of this group, as he is becoming the great hope of the fans and is their first bonafide superstar in some time. He’s still just a kid too. He’s a blue chipper that amazes as much with his talent as he does with his hard work.
Travis Hamonic has come from being a 2nd round draft pick to being one of the steadiest defenders on the team. He shows some offensive potential and plays a sandpaper game. He’s got fight in him, and you have to look at this as a positive reason that Hamonic continues to stay with the big club and impress.
Matt Moulson gets dogged as being a one dimensional player and the beneficiary of being on a line with John Tavares. I laugh when I think about this. Being one dimensional may bad quality, but when your one dimension is that you finish frequently in the NHL, that is enough to make you a desirable commodity and a multi-millionaire to boot. Give some credit to his linemate JT, but accept that Moulson is better than you think and is getting better along with JT.
On the fence:
Kyle Okposo – Moving onto JT’s wing has ignited some goal scoring for KO. The team needs secondary scoring, which he wasn’t able to provide much of before. He has obvious talent and charisma, and it’s easy to see his potential. Hopefully he finds it on an every game basis.
PA Parenteau – Lock this man up to a 3 year deal ASAP. Either that or trade for a 3-4 D-man. The team has nurtured him and he’s had more success than most people could believe. He’s becoming a genuine offensive threat. When he limits turnovers he is a huge asset, and is starting to provide some secondary scoring. If he gets’ signed, I’d add him to the core.
Al Montoya – Young and good, he deserves a chance to button down the back line for the Isles. Still need to see if he isn’t a fluke.
Andy MacDonald – Young and good, coming of hip surgery this year. Needs to get better and hopefully show some more offense. Big difference to me between he and Hamonic, is Hamonic’s aggressiveness.
Marc Streit – Streit is still a huge piece of this club, but can he rebound with a great year in his walk season (next year) or will he continue an injury laced decline?
Michael Grabner – Still managing to score some goals. He needs to work on his finishing touch. Does the NHL have any breakaway coaches? If so, then send one to the Island. Even improving his breakaway conversion rate a little bit will do wonders for the secondary scoring on the team. Could be the best investment the team can make to as far as value for the dollar. His top end is through the roof if he can start to convert more of his chances. Are there any takers for 60 goals a year of Grabner?
Frans Nielsen – Good player or core player? Need to play him in a more suitable role. Offensively challenged. Shootout specialist. He’s worth keeping, but in what role and at what cost?
Matt Martin – Going to lead the league in hits. Heart and soul player. Offensively challenged. Good 4th liner. Fans love his hustle. He’s been the best player on the team many nights in his limited role.
Steve Staios Levels Maxime Talbot
The Islanders just can’t seem to catch a break against the Flyers. Grabner missing 3 breakaways (1 penalty shot) didn’t help. On the bright side, Okposo seems to be flourishing on JT’s wing and he’s beginning to finish. One of the highlights for Islanders fans was payback to Maxime Talbot, whom many fans were upset about regarding his head shot to Blake Comeau last season. That play was one of the straws that finally caused the Isles to kick the !@#$ out of Pittsburgh in what many fans believed to be a turning point in their season. Here is Steve Staios destroying Talbot in the Isles loss this evening:
Islanders – Toronto Post Game
The Isles lost tonight to the Toronto Maple Leafs 5-3 at the Nassau Coliseum. They started off sluggish, and Toronto took advantage. Coach Capuano said they came out a little bit flat. As evidence by the 3 goals Toronto scored within the first 11:15 of the game, they wore more than a little flat. They weren’t ready to play. They did have some come back in them however, and nearly tied it on a play started by Michael Grabner ending with Kyle Okposo flipping the puck over an empty net. You have to appreciate the effort after the sluggish start, but losses always magnify what the team is doing poorly, and tonight it was starting flatfooted.
John Tavares Dive Video:
Some controversy came at the end of the game. Team leader John Tavares took a high hit to the head with about 3 minutes left in the game, where the referee called a cross check on Joffrey Lupul and a dive on Tavares. Tavares was asked point blank whether he thought about the penalty. Without mincing words, he said, “terrible, I got cross checked in the side of the head.” Taking the Islanders best offensive player off the ice for 2 minutes with 3 to go in the game was a bold move by the ref, and elicited much life from the fans that stayed to watch the end of the game. Chants of “Ref Sucks” kept the crowd busy at times.
I’ve never been able to understand a call for a dive when the other team’s player gets called for a penalty. Call me old fashioned but aren’t you supposed to fall to the ice and act like it hurts when someone cross checks your head? It may not have changed the outcome of the game, but it clearly adds insult to injury.
New York Islanders vs. Toronto Maple Leafs 12/23/2011
The Islanders are in need of a big win tonight vs. the Leafs, coming off the heals of a 4-2 bust against their cross town rivals, the New York Rangers. I’ve always admired Toronto and their fans for their love of hockey, and sticking with their team through the lean years. In fact, the Islanders plight doesn’t feel as bad in comparison. If the Islanders don’t show some life soon, their season will be about draft picks sooner rather than later. It’s never fun to pack it in early, and a win tonight against the Leafs may jsut be what the doctor ordered to break this team out of their season long malaise.
Islanders to watch: I’ve got a feeling about Okposo and Baily tonight. On the flip side, Mark Streit hasn’t been himself on a regular basis. If he can put a 60 minute effort together that will increase the chances of W for the Isles tonight.
Isles Rolling
You could consider tonight’s game against the Blackhawks an overtime loss, but coming from behind and getting goals from 2 defenseman is definitely a win. Getting the overtime point is just gravy to the streaking Islanders. This is a game that by all accounts they could easily have lost. Al Montoya wasn’t at his sharpest on either of the goals against, and he wandered out of net several times like a drunken hobo on an LIRR platform. Good to see the team pick up a point in this, although they must be upset with the way it ended. They showed some chippiness toward the end after snoozing though large chunks of the game.
