As the Islanders continued to pick up road points during the 3-1-1 stretch they just completed, coach Ted Nolan repeatedly spoke of the need to get ahead in the race for playoff position to avoid having to make a desperate push to come from behind at the end of the season.
“Playoff [berths] sometimes are won in November and December and not in the final games when you have to win five of seven,” Nolan said after backup goalie Mike Dunham basically stole two points in Saturday’s win at Florida.
Monday’s loss in Toronto prevented it from turning into a great trip, but with three home games in the next four days, it’s vital for the Isles to keep the momentum going at Nassau Coliseum. Having survived what might have been a disastrous 0-3 start to the season out west and having begun to establish a new identity under Nolan, the Islanders find themselves in a position to make or break their playoff chances between now and the end of the year.
There are three ways to break down this part of their schedule. First, they are in the middle of a stretch of 14 games in 25 days that began with their game in Dallas a week ago today and carries through the Dec. 9 game with Florida before they get a five-day break from game action. How Nolan uses goaltenders Rick DiPietro and Dunham to keep them fresh will be crucial because the skaters are bound to go through periods of fatigue where they must rely heavily on the backstops. DiPietro goes tonight against Stanley Cup champion Carolina, and then, Nolan said he will play it by ear in the back-to-back against Pittsburgh and Washington on Friday and Saturday.
Second, Friday afternoon’s game against the Penguins is the start of a stretch in which those teams meet four times in 10 games with the last three coming in Pittsburgh. Not only are the Pens one of the teams the Isles are competing with for a playoff spot, but the scoring power of Sydney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin combined with their speed and skating ability makes them a difficult opponent unless the Isles begin generating more offense. What an opportune time this would be for Miroslav Satan to break out of his slump so all the pressure doesn’t continue to fall on Alexei Yashin and Jason Blake.
Finally, looking at the big picture, the Islanders have 11 of their 18 games before the end of the year at home. With their defensive system in place now, they absolutely have to start limiting the number of chances they are giving up to opponents to relieve the pressure on the goaltenders and give themselves the best chance to make a big-time push upward in the standings. Where they are on New Year’s Day should be a pretty good indication of how well they will compete for a playoff berth in the spring.
For all the Isles’ recent success, DiPietro pointed out how they have to keep winning to keep pace in the Eastern Conference, where only two teams have fewer points than games played. So, the pack is bunched rounding the first-quarter pole, and now is the time for the Islanders to show they’re ready to hang with the frontrunners.
THE SAME 20: Since Andy Hilbert replaced Jeff Tambellini for the second game of the season, Nolan has gone with the same 20-man lineup for the past 18 games, and defenseman Chris Campoli’s reassignment to Bridgeport yesterday after being the healthy scratch for the four-game trip that just ended reinforced Nolan’s commitment to this group.
Although Campoli played well last season for the previous regime, he’s going to have to accomplish more at Bridgeport to regain his place with the big team. “The one thing we want to make sure with our young guys is that they get called up because they’re playing so well down in Bridgeport, not because anybody down there thinks you owe them because you were dropped from this position,” Nolan said yesterday. “That’s where you turn around effort and the attitude and character of a team.”
Nolan trusts the experience of veteran defensemen Tom Poti, Sean Hill, Brendan Witt, Alexei Zhitnik and Radek Martinek, and he appreciates the enthusiasm of young Bruno Gervais. Even after Gervais made the wrong move in going down against a two-on-one rush to create a passing lane for Tampa Bay’s Vincent Lecavalier to set up a goal by Nikita Alexeev, Nolan expressed confidence in him.
“Gervais is just one of those kids that seems to be getting better and better all the time,” Nolan said. “He soaks up the information. He’s alert. He pays attention. He really enjoys the game. Even that two-on-one, when he went down, he’s going to make strides in learning what not to do next time.”
Among the young forwards at Bridgeport, Tambellini and, lately, Robert Nilsson have been productive for the Sound Tigers, but apparently, it’s going to take more to displace someone like Hilbert, who has no points and would not rate as a major loss right now if he were claimed on waivers while trying to move to the AHL.
To some, it might appear the Islanders are being cheap because they save on Nilsson’s $1.1 million NHL salary each day he remains at Bridgeport. While general manager Garth Snow previously admitted he’s trying to save as much money as possible against the cap so the Islanders are in position to make a move before the trade deadline, he insisted there are no budgetary limits on the roster moves he and Nolan can make if they desire. If they decide Nilsson is the answer to win games, he’ll come up. But for now, they’re taking the patient approach with the current roster.
FALLING DOWN ON THE BLOG: Sorry for going so long between blogs. That wasn’t my intention, but computer problems surfaced in Tampa and I had to transition to a second computer shipped to me in Fort Lauderdale. I’m still going between both computers because the one that needs fixing has all my files and has wireless capability while the replacement is an older, slower model. I’ll try to keep it shorter and more frequent in the future, while continuing to expand coverage of the Isles.
Happy Thanksgiving to everyone, and my thanks for the strong response and thoughtful discussion of all Islanders issues.
Comments (47)
If Campoli wasn't playing well enough at Bridgeport and didn't deserve to come up or earn the right to come up as you say Teddy boy; then why did you bring him up??? Think about that Mr. Buffalo Backstabber.
You're a walking contradiction to the word "Loyalty" so go back to the frozen Canadian north
If you need to go to Bridgeport after injuries and "earn" your way back to the Island; what did you do when DP hurt his hip or the other guys get injured??? Nice try Nolan, save your stories for someone who'll believe you. At least this will be your final NHL job because your as phony as a three dollar bill.
Please don't ever talk about effort and attitude Nolan. Yash, Z and a vast majority of those guys did squat last year and they're all still with the big club. When the good ship Islanders goes down, stick close to Yash and the boys because they're floaters so you'll never drown.
Well it goes to show you that some Islanders fans like Migssey and Paula would not be happy if this team won a Cup. Always find something to complain about. Nolan has done a great job, the team is 4pts out of the division lead as we head towards December. Not to shabby!!
Some of you "fans" are so pathetic! All you do is cry and whine and look for things to complain about. You were probably complain last year when they let Campoli, a rookie, play at all and now you're complaining they wont. I have to say that while there are many Isles fans that are very loyal there are more that are pathetic. If you don't like the team then just don't watch them - go to the Garden and watch the Ranjerks.
You guys need to rethink which hockey team you "root" for ...
All of a sudden all of the whiney, crying Campoli supporters are cropping up all over the web. I see them on message boards and now on Newsday's website. Chris, tell your family to shut up and stop complaining. If you have an attitude about being in the minors, you must have picked up it from crybaby DiPietro.
Hey Whining: I remember the first hockey game I saw too. The only difference is my first game watched wasn't yesterday. You likely still believe in the tooth fairy too. Four points out right now is a pipe dream. Wait till the end of the year and see what we've built for a strong future; absolutely nothing the way Teddy is heading
Hey Tommy Boy: It seems like you're the only one crying from what I've been reading across the board. Loosen up your bra strap, buy yourself a fundamentals of hockey book and get back to us after you've read it.It sounds like the Campoli supporters are right on to me.
You are doing a great job Greg, keep it up. I love the extra coverage. Also, sh*t happens... thanks for simply being honest with your readers.
I don't think Paula & Christine or Tom Kid or even Isles fans. It's the same bob or Mike character that is so worried about the Isles that they come troll an Islander blog. These Rags fans are getting worried and they should be. Ted Nolan has proven to be a hell of a coach so they are worried. You can't blame them but just get a laugh that some Rag fan has such a pathetic life that they troll Isles blogs to try and stir the pot. No one really cares what they say. It's good for a laugh and to realize how worried these Rags fans are.
I sense Ranger fans in disguise from the first 3 posts. Hmmmm, all in a matter of what...16 minutes? Can you say sabotage. Ted Nolan is frikkin AWESOME.
LETS GO ISLANDERS!
Hey Miggsey, did you see the game last night? Yeah, like we really need Chris Campoli. Let the kid sit, these boys are doing just fine and the lineup shouldn't be tampered with. Chris is probably all upset because the team is actually playing well without him. Campoli has a lot to learn and he can learn it in Bridgeport for now.
Nah, Paula and Christine are Campoli's relatives. They're all over the internet bad mouthing Ted Nolan, meanwhile he's the only thing this team has got right now. LONG LIVE THE TED!
I like what Ted has done. I just wish he could find some room for a few young players. (Tamb, Nilsson, Campoli) We need more speed and the kids in Bridgeport are the future. Having the kids play reg. shifts in BP vs 3 minutes on the Island makes sense but if the season takes a wrong turn again in Jan. as in past years then bring up the kids.
Tom, you're out in left field about Campoli. By letting Campoli sit we're not developing the YOUNG talent we have. If Teddy had Campoli, Gervais and another young forward in the mix, maybe all Islander fans would be happy as we build for the future. Of course Hill will play alright but where wil he be in a few years? Go YOUNG now
We're about as far away from being Italian as the Islanders are from winning the Cup. My sister and I happen to proud Irish Americans living here in Manhatten of all places. We like Campoli for his youth, his production and what he brought to our team last year. We're really sad Ted can't find a place for him after what he accomplished. He's prettty hot for an Italian boy though!!!
We have to trust Ted's decisions. I'm sorry Chris isn't here, but it just goes to show there are only so many jobs in the NHL. You have to work for your spot. And as Ted has said, "Being 'OK' is just not good enough." Chris has the unfortunate circumstance of being of the age and contract where he CAN be sent up and down. His time in Uniondale will come again, but it will be the RIGHT time, and not before.
PS: is there any way for posters to NOT use this forum to attack each OTHER?
The reality of the situation is that the team is playing extremely well and working very hard - which I'm sure we can all agree is a good thing. When the season 1st started I was upset that kids like Comeau and Nilsson were in the minors but once I saw how the team was playing I became OK with the move. The young guys (Comeau, Nilsson, Campoli, O'marra and Okposo) will all get their chances up here when the time is right. Why bring up a young kid to have him ride the bench? The team is playing well ...if they faulter down the stretch then bring them up - until then let's all just enjoy the hard work and effort and WINS that this team of 'geezers' are giving us ;-)
Happy Thanksgiving!
I smell Ranger trolls. Can't they w**k to some Messier photos? I'll take my four Stanley Cups to Messier's fluke year with the MSG groupie-lovin' underachievers.
Versus the Defending Stanley Cup Champions: 4-2, 49 shots to 15, DiP challenged once or twice, Asham kicks ass again. Nolan made the defensive adjustment re shots allowed. He wasn't on the staff last year, so what Yashin, et al. do NOW is the ONLY relevant part of him restoring Islander mastery. If anything, the challenge is to get Wang to give Snow the automony to deal or draft effectively. This year we build much confidence; next year we dominate.
M-A-N-H-A-T-T-A-N. Wait, you live there so you should know how to spell it. Maybe I'm wrong? Hmmm, I just looked it up and I'm right. You spelled the name of your hometown incorrectly. Get lost TROLL.
Hey Greg,
Is there any way that we can root out the Ranger fans that are turning your blog into a joke? Maybe having your readers subscribe or having someone review posts before they are made visible to the public? Call me selfish, but I've been waiting for this blog for a long time and I'd hate to see it be ruined by our rivals. Thanks
Best to ignore them, I'd say. We shouldn't let ourselves get worked up by petty nonsense when the Isles keep moving in the right direction.
Though one can make legitimate criticisms (like the Campoli points that keep coming up), it's impossible to bash us in good faith.
There were a few of the Rag fans at the game yesterday, spewing their foul language. The odor from them stunk up Hempstead Turnpike.
I smell Malkin is a future Ranger. Cheap-shots goalies, chucks pucks in nets. Lil' Cheater. Nice shot, Witt. Malkin's stench is Ranger stench; he's a future toilet-paper hero. Is he Third Uncle to that Filipina concentration-camp loving fascist on Ruope the Dupe's TV propaganda right wing?
3-1. Devils? Rangers?: Who's Your Daddy? The ISLANDERS. Period.
i can see campoli possibly replacing gervais sometime this season as bruno makes some rookie mistakes like pinching in the offensive zone when he shouldn't leading to odd man rushes the other way. but how can you complain about this defense and the way they have gelled recently with DP? they have allowed 58 goals, tied for fewest in the eastern conf and one of the fewest in the NHL. their defense is playing great right now so everyone needs to chill out about campoli. campoli has speed but he is lacking size. he got pushed off the puck way too many times last year.
Islander fans unit. Now that all the crying is over, I'm so sorry for hurting people's feelings. This isn't Iraq and I never thought voicing my opinion would bring so many tears. I guess we all want the same thing and thats good. Give me youth that'll be here to build a Cup winner and I'll be happy. It's far too long since the 80's to be patching our team up with too many older players.Let the youth movement begin.
Miggsey, you're not hurting anyone's feelings, just our eyes with your BS. "Developing the youth" is not synonymous with "guaranteeing a lesser but younger player a roster spot." The team is winning and Campoli has not played up to Nolan's expectations, so he's rightfully gonna wait in the minors for his turn. "Fans" like yourself who think a coach should risk breaking up a successful team's chemistry for the sake of not hurting someone's feelings have no place in the sport, and it's one of the many reasons why Nolan's standing behind the bench instead of you.
There are far too many tough guys in this forum, attacking each other while hiding behind computer screens.
The Islanders are notorious for bringing up young talent too soon. There is nothing seriously wrong with the team the way it is right now and the direction the team is taking to develop the youngins.
To some of you extraordinarily annoying posters screaming for bringing up the youngins, remember who is in charge of player development, he's pretty knowledgeable. BRYAN TROTTIER maybe you've heard of him?
For the first time since 93, the team is headed in the right direction. Naysaying sounds ridiculous and dopey at this point.
Exactly right, Danny. I cannot fathom why so many of this team's self-professed expert fans think they know better than Nolan who should or shouldn't be in the lineup. I know it's easy to pine for Campoli after a great rookie season, but let's not forget that he was one of the best defenseman on a team full of lousy defensemen.
If the Islanders were in the basement and playing as poorly as all the hockey pundits expected, then this dumb "play the kids" mantra could have some merit. Sitting or dumping veterans in favor of youth is something that is done by bottom-feeding teams to prepare for next season, NOT something done by a team that's holding the division lead after 1/4 of the season.
Darth; the idea is to build a team for the future. By getting into the playoffs with too many veterans on forward and defence does not look after the big picture. Short term fixes/win streakes with new coaches are nothing new in the NHL. When older guys like Hill/Simon,etc are finished in two years maximum; where does that leave us? Poti will likely bail for more $$$ next year too. Young guys like Neilson, Campoli and OMarra should be getting NHL experience now with players we know will still be here 2 years from now.
More lunacy. One of the biggest things that can ruin your young talent is rushing them to the NHL too quickly. Look around the league at some of the elite teams and you'll see that much of their top talent spent ample time in the minors. You don't just throw a bunch of inexperienced 20 y/o guys out there just because "it'll help them later" instead of icing a competitive team composed mainly of veterans. As Islander fans, we should all be experts now on young players having their careers damaged by rushing them into the big league.
Fact of the matter here is that Nolan's proven that he knows what's needed to win, and if he feels that going with guys such as Hill and Simon gives him a better chance of winning than Nilsson and Campoli, one would be a fool to disagree.
BTW, Poti came here on a one-year basis because he desperately wanted to sign here, but the "GM braintrust" wasn't sold enough on his past performance to give him a long-term contract. He's been playing some of his all-time best hockey this season though, so don't be surprised to see him sign a multi-year deal for potentially less money this summer.
Poti is a disaster. His pinches are reckless and placing him with Gervais makes them the worst defensive pairing on the team.
Darth: If Campoli was "one of the best defenceman on a team of lousy defenceman" as you say; why then wouldn't he be ahead of the lousy ones they still kept? Campoli, Gervais, Tambellini and some young forwards should ALL be playing and learning now. The days of automatically grooming kids in the minors is over. Teams are going young with players like Stall, Malkin and many others under 20 years old now. Our average age is far too high to be competitive for the long run. Of course we're doing well now but we just need a little more youth playing with the good veterans.
The more I read this site, the more guys like New Outlook, fatty cat and miggsey are making sense.
Ted, are you going to send Yash to Bridgeport for conditioning when he returns from his injury?
Why did they have to sign DP for 15 years? I still can't get over it.
The more I read of this blog, the more obvious it is to me, that the only person who has a clue around here is this guy Miggsey. If this guy was running the team, the Isles truly would be a contender. As it is, they take the find of the year in the NHL last season and send him to Bridgeport. RIP Islanders.
haha!
This blog is all about opinions. Miggsey has points about how youth is good for the future. I got it.
However, Coach Nolan's strategy is fine. Let the youngins develop a little longer. You have to do your best to ease them into the league in a winning atmosphere. The Isles always bring the lads up too soon. I trust Nolan and Trottier's strategy here. Foundations take a little while to dry and settle in before you can build your castle on top of it.
Be patient fellas, you act as though our ship is sinking. Quite the contrary. This Islander team is doing well and improving each game.
Wow, can't believe Miggsey would get so carried away with his trolling that he'd post as "Davey Boy Smith" and "Dynamite Davey" to try and make himself look credible! Get a life, guy.
Please read Logan's latest entry in this here blog before spewing any more BS. The days of grooming youth in the minors are NOT over, only a moron would believe that. You cannot compare guys like Nilsson and Campoli with Staal or Malkin, as the latter are bona-fide stars while the former... well, simply aren't. There are precious few players who can step into the NHL with little or no minor-league experience and build a successful NHL career.
Since your posts make me think you were born yesterday, I will remind you that the Islanders played the kids quite often during the mid/late 90s. I don't think I need to point out how far it got them, and how much it helped the development of the "young talent."
Hey ladies and gents...after reading everyones comments going back and forth about the young kids playing and how nolan sucks, ive become very ill... First off, yea campoli had a great season last year and your right he deserves to be playing right now, but he got injured, and gervais took his spot, and hes playing pretty well right now, so why fix something when its not broken? Second for any islander fan to say Nolan Sucks, you should probably look urself in the mirror and kick your own ass. Nolan is one of the best coaches in the league hands down, out of all the coaches the islanders have been through, hes the only one to get yashin out of his slump, finally got ricky to stay in the net more, players respect him, and so should islander fans. LETS GO ISLANDERS!!!
Darth: I smile everytime I read of someones else having similar views as mine on our teams development. Read a little closer and you'll find the vast majority of people on all the blogs are for developing our good youth at the NHL level now. All we need is a few subtle changes and fine tuning. The true fans rise to the top.
There are also a lot of people who think N'Sync is good music and Bud Light is good beer, but that does not make it so. Ever hear of argumentum ad populum? The one thing you can generally count on the majority for is being wrong.
I have to wonder if there were as many mental defectives complaining that the Hurricanes should be playing the kids last year, or if the Devils should be playing the kids in 2003, or the Red Wings playing the kids in 1996... etc. Again, anyone who knows anything about the game knows that except in rare cases (like a Crosby or an Ovechkin), young talent is developed in the MINORS. Throwing "good youth" into the bigs when they're not ready is the antithesis of how you develop their careers, as you run a great risk of ruining them.
If the true fans rise to the top, I can only take that as your admission of being a bottom-feeder.
Darth: It's a given to say your surname is a true reflection of your woeful lack of hockey knowledge. Teams like Carolina, the Devils and Detroit all used their good young talent to win the cup. In our case we did develop Campoli in the minors till he proved he belonged in the NHL. Your logic is out of Sync and your following is as weak as the Bud Light you should be drinking.
Is that a fact, Miggsey? Here's some more "out of Sync" logic for you: nobody under the age of 23 played on the 2003 Devils Cup winning team during the playoffs, and only three players under the age of 26 (Gionta, Gomez, and Rupp).
The only player under age 30 on Carolina's blue-line during their Cup run was 26 y/o Mike Commodore, with Laviolette scratching "young talent" Anton Babchuk in favor of fossils like Wesley and Hedican.
And last but not least, nobody under the age of 24 appeared in the playoffs for that 1996-97 Detroit team, yet they went on to win the Cup. They also won two more in the next five years, and remained highly competitive in years they didn't win the cup - how could this happen with them destroying their future by not ***playing the kids***??!
Moral of the story, unless either the team hits a big skid and needs a shake-up or you have young players tearing up the minors and demonstrating that they deserve a chance in the NHL, you don't throw them into the lineup a year or two out of high school and pretend it's team-building. A wildly simple concept, yet so many armchair-coach sheep continue to bleat that brain-dead "play the kids" idea.
Darth: Make up your mind. You claim Campoli was one of the best defenceman on a lousy team last year but now you claim he needs to develop in Bridgeport? Stay away from even your Budlight until your mind clears :)
zmbkpctxa lrebo vfciwpbl vdtghy ighvypto skhncai dnehjk
xalidryf galwtozn evsujnpoh zduan yaihds ydgatenrz pngvic http://www.klyzft.wqpbokdmn.com