The presence for the past two weeks of youthful Jeff Tambellini and Frans Nielsen in the Islanders’ lineup has added a refreshing dose of enthusiasm, energy and speed that has made an impact that goes beyond the scoresheet. Since captain Alexei Yashin and Shawn Bates were placed on the injury list, the Isles have gone 4-1-2 with their rookie replacements in supporting roles.
Tambellini primarily plays at even strength with Viktor Kozlov and Miro Satan, and they have produced 10 goals and four assists in that seven-game span. Although he has yet to score a goal, Tambellini has five assists in that stretch. Coach Ted Nolan moved Jason Blake onto Kozlov’s line for one game at Boston but decided it didn’t work because Blake and Satan both need the puck.
Nolan wants Kozlov to shoot, too, not just pass all the time. As he said after the Islanders’ win in Toronto, where Kozlov played a very strong game despite not registering a shot on goal until overtime, he believes Kozlov has the ability to score 35-40 goals if he pulls the trigger.
It was obvious Satan and Kozlov were pleased when Nolan reverted to putting Tambellini with them because of the quick chemistry they developed. “I’m just trying to create a different dimension,” Tambellini said in Toronto. “Those two can really slow a game down and bring it. I try to pick up the pace and get in on the forecheck early. Hopefully, they can come in late and grab the puck and make the plays. So far, it’s been great. They’ve been really good to me every time I’ve played with them.
“I’m not worried about my numbers as much as getting them the puck and having them score. As long as Miro and Kozlov walk away with one goal and one assist each or two goals, that’s a good night for all of us.”
Nielsen is playing a more limited role in place of Bates as center of the fourth line. He has yet to score a point in regulation, but his goal at the start of the shootout in Toronto set it up for Kozlov to get the winner. “It was just great playing here,” Nielsen said of his experience at Air Canada Centre. “I haven’t been back here since I got drafted in this rink [in 2002]. So, that was something I had dreamed about for many years was to play in this city. That was fun.”
Bates has been suffering from a lingering groin injury. When he’s healthy, Bates likely will return to the lineup, sending Nielsen back to Bridgeport. As smart a player as Nielsen is, he still needs to add strength to last at the NHL level.
Tambellini, on the other hand, looks more and more as though he’s found a spot with Kozlov and Satan. Nolan recently hinted that Yashin is close to returning, and he’s said to be skating well on his own after resting his sore right knee. Look for Yashin to get back in the lineup at some point next week, which certainly should help his linemate Jason Blake rediscover his scoring touch.
When that happens, Nolan will have a roster decision to make. If Bates also is healthy at that point, one forward will have to be a healthy scratch. Randy Robitaille is one possibility, but Nolan hasn’t had to cross that bridge yet.
In hindsight, it looks as though Nolan and general manager Garth Snow made the right decision by keeping Tambellini and Nielsen in Bridgeport as long as they did. When the Islanders really needed them at a key time in the season, the kids were well-prepared and ready to produce.
Comments (40)
L wouldn't be handing out too many accolades to Ted Nolan on player development just yet. In retrospect, how far along might Tambellini and Nielsen be if they'd played in the NHL all year long? Campoli lost valuable time in Bridgeport too. Sometimes you just need to go with them like Pittsburgh has done with Staal.
This was the year to get Nolan's system into all of the players psychees from Bridgeport to the Isles.
The veterans helped set up the system and solidify the team. The rookies got playing time in Bridgeport and learned their roles. Teams like Pittsburgh have no choice but to play the Staals of the world. It took them until after the All-Star break to hit their stride as a team.....so you can't play guessing games regarding player development. And if Tambellini was up here earlier....who is to say that he would have developed faster. Ted Nolan obviously felt that he needed to spend time at the Bridge.
NEXT YEAR.....we are looking at a team that can win the Cup. This year...at least second round playoffs.
The Isles youth does not have one guy who is slated above a 3 rd line talent--even on a NYI team that is mediocre on its best night.
The Isles have NO SHOT at being true contenders anytime soon--but, Nolan is a great coach....that much i agree with
I agree that Nolan has added some legitimacy to this team with his style and results and while I disagreed with keeping the young guys down in Bridgeport, I'm happy to see Tambellini and Nielsen paying dividends with the big club.
With regard to the article today, I really feel that for the benefit and future of this organization Snow should seriously consider dealing Blake and Hill should a contender be willing to overpay with the right mix mix of prospects and picks.
I definitely agree with blockness. At first I thought they were crazy to let Tambellini, Nilsson, Bergenhiem and Grebeshkov waste away in europe and the minor leagues. But as I see Nolan's (and possibly that of "the comittee") plan unfold, I can see the value of having veterans like Sillinger, Park, Witt and Hill lead this team into the next phase of development. They were doing the same thing at Bridgeport. You can't really speculate as to how the rookies would have performed if they didn't have AHL time. they played NHL caliber hockey last year when they were all the Isles had... but they weren't in this system, which would have certainly held them back while they transitioned in. It took a while for guys like Bates (still looks clueless on the new forechecking scheme sometimes). Look at Meyer... he still hesitates in his own end because he doesn't know where everybody is. Hill, Witt and especially Martinek have exhibited great confidence in breaking down offensive rushes, and clearing the puck... that is something we haven't seen on the island in a while.
I'd still like to see Nilsson get a shot here soon... and that means clearing some roster space... so if there is somebody willing to give us two prospects, or a first rounder and an AHL leading scorer... Sorry Jason... we'll send you a card every xmas. 5yrs/18M isn't too much(but may be too long), and 3yrs at the same average salary gives him the potential to earn even more over the same 5 years. 3 years for 11M, where he doesn't have to uproot his family, and play with DIFFERNT guys he's irritated for 6 years would be a win win situation. Put your best offer ont eh table. If he doesn't take it, shop him hard. You can't afford to lose him for NADA.
Eitehr way they will have to start transitioning some of the veterans off the island to make ice time for the next crop. Yashin, rubberguy and Bates are almost certainly not going to be on this team next year... and for different reasons I don't expect to see Hill or Simon. That shouldn't mean five rookies... it should mean at least two and some free agent activity.
I think Tambellini could've done well in the NHL from the start, but I'm not on board with letting the rest of the prospects develop in the minors.
JP, I think that Yashin's fate will likely be sealed by his play after returning. It seems very unlikely to me that management, especially Wang, would decide that the team is better off paying Yashin not to play and taking a cap hit for the next four years. However, if he looks like he doesn't care after he comes back for the final push, then they might have no choice.
great article in Newsday today Greg - I would hate to be in Snow's shoes right now. Nagy and Doan are the two players i wanted here-now that those guys are traded/signed I really dont want Guerrin or Tchachuk if its gonna cost us prospects.
If this last 10 games proves anything its that WE DONT NEED YASHIN - i pray that he gets bought out this summer.Neilson is doing fine in place ot Bates- he needs to be shipped out as well and as much as i like Simon its sad watching him try and keep up.Sad to say, he brings nothing to the table. He is so slow its scary! And why does Nolan(who i like very much) keep putting him on the PP????
Shop Hill to Buffalo for Drury. They need D, we need O. Drury can then get a taste for Ted, the team chemistry and the Island and we'll have until July to convince him to stay longer.
Give Jason a 3 year offer for $11 million. If he takess it, great. If not, shop him hard for talented youth or picks. Remember, Bergenheim is an energy guy and will fill Blake's shoes nicely next year.
Build for the future. Now is not this team's moment. But the right moves now could make that moment come real soon. Don't blow it , Garth, by keeping people you should be eliminating (Bates, Yashin) and dealing prospects instead of players for aging rentals.
To lifetime fan: Buying out Yashin does more to clear cap room than keeping him. First, the buyout is only for 2/3 of his salary. Second, it gets spread against the cap over 10 years instead of the 4 that remain. So... crunch the numbers and we'd take a $2 million hit against the cap for each of the next 10 years if he's bought out, or $7 million against the cap for the next 4 years if we keep him. Is he worth $5 million a year? Nope.
Cincy, thanks for informing me. I had a misonception about the way buyouts worked--I had thought that the whole of the buyout would count against the cap for the remainder of his contract. Buying him out under these conditions is definitely a good possibility. Even though he's overpaid, I'm not sure that I'd want to buy him out no matter what at the end of the year. If he puts in a mediocre performance down the stretch, then, yeah, get rid of him. But if he plays like he did at the beginning of the year, even though he'll be overpaid, I expect the team to keep him.
That could be the right move if there isn't going to be a free agent out there who would be a better fit. Though I'm certainly impressed with how the team has played without Yashin, there's no doubt that they need more first line talent, not less, if they're going to contend for a championship. If we buy Yashin out, we need to replace him with a legitimate star.
Ted was stuck hard and fast on going with the veterans, likely to preserve his own job as opposed to a strategy. Pittsburgh is a lot further along by sticking with Staal, Fleury, etc over minor league assignments. Player injuries is the sole reason Nolan got to look "smarter" by adding Tambellini, Campoli and Neilsen to the line up. If a few more cling ons can get hurt or traded, our outlook will continue to improve.
champ,
Do you remember a season where there weren't any call ups due to injury, or inept play.
I didn't think so.
It's all part of avery coaches/GM's plan... or at least it should be.
The idea of bringing in veterans who wouldn't buck Nolan's system, was smart. This team, even the core members, all performed better than they have for several years. the few exceptions are sitting out now. Yashin is still a coin flip because he did play inspired hockey, and gets a pass if it really is just his knee slowing him down.
As far as nolan "trying to keep his job"... have you read anything about this guy? He has a plan, and is going to stick to it. And it's working. things that haven't worked, he's adjusted, like his defensive zone philosophy. You don't see that two on one battle against the boards anymore, now they maintain a more positional approach... and Ricky's GAA has dropped like a stone. If they can just incorporate a little more fire power, especially on special teams, they will be very close to a contender. The other factor is chemistry... they seem to have that now... unlike the past 15 years... (well.. they seemed to have it the first year that Lavy was there... but it was a smoke screen).
dw--i tend to agree but isnt Simons presence a necessary deterrent? Was Godard better?
I am not sure Pitt is "is a lot further along by sticking with Staal, Fleury." They are alot further along because they have guys named Crosby, Malkin and Staal and did not trade away thier top picks. Its not apples to apples comparing prospects named Crosby, Malkin and Staal to Nilsson, Tambellini and Nokelainen. The Pitt kids are all top 2 picks and did not require time in the AHL. All our guys are bottom of the 1st round guys who did. Bringing up a back of the 1st round pick is not the same as bringing in the 2nd overall pick.
Now a better comparison to Pitt would be; had we taken the Pitt road and not traded our top picks, stunk for alittle longer, but currently had Heatly, Spezza and Jokenin, would we be ahead of Pitt in development right now? (No I did not forget Luongo, Chara, Brewer, etc.) The answer is probably because those guys are older, but would we have been as good in 2003 as Pitt is now? Maybe even better. How good would our team have looked with Heatly, Spezza, Jokenin, Luongo, Chara, Brewer, Martinek, as the core?
I'm not living in the past, I am just saying that to compare Pitt's prospects to ours now is not a fair comparison.
U R ALL INSANE is not right. According to Hockey's Future, the Isles youth includes a 1st line prospect: Okposo, Tambellini is a 1-2nd line prospect, and Nilsson, Nokelainen, O'Mara, Bergenheim, Comeau, Guthrie and Colliton all projected as 2nd line forwards. Gerbeshkov, Kohn and O'Neil all project as 2nd line D-men. As a whole we are ranked 15th in the league in farm system.
Our system is not terrible, but I do agree that Blockness is overly optimistic in thinking 2nd round this year and Cup next year. But boy do I hope you are right Blockness.
2nd round this year
Not completely out of range. If Yashin comes back, and plays like the OCT-NOV Yashin, and jason Blake takes a 3YR deal they WILL make the playoffs. Three cohesive lines... a solid "D" and a hot goaltender should give them a CHANCE to win a playoff series.
Cup Contenders
Given the above starting point for next eyars evolution. I see a few guys being shipped, a few rookies being added to the mix and two f/a's added. They need a top line scorer and a PP QB on the blueline. I don't htink they have both in the minors, but I'd really like to see a top line of the new yashin, Blake and Nilsson... and Grebeshkov looked like he had soem potential as a PP QB, though he didn't have the defensive side to his puck handling ability that a campoli does.
That's why there are free agents. I think snow did a terrific job getting Hill and Kozlov... hopefully with a year of research and knowing what they are trying to build they can get those pieces this year without giving up too much youth. THey DO have some prospects that will never have room to move up...
Optomistic, YES.
Out of the question... NO.
They have had a greater than expected year (so far) under Nolan... so I'm all for letting him develop the team the way he wants.
There are some "talent" holes, like speed and depth. but the team and style are exciting and somewhat successful. I have great respect for the devils, but my eyes bleed when I watch them... This team is more like the Islanders of the mid 70's, on the cusp of being able to play any style of hockey. Unfortunately they most likelty do not have a potvin, trottier, bossy and gillies waiting in the AHL to make them GREAT at any style of hockey. But who knows... those Islanders didn't have a salary cap.
Yashin coming back is one of the main reasons why I do not think we need to make any drastic moves. We need a top line scorer for a run? Adding a Yashin is like adding a Tkachuk and it costs us nothing. Plus he will be healthy and rested.
Are we ready to spend big prospects to bring back Yashin AND add Tkachuk too? If we can get Guerrin very cheap, ok, but I do not see him going for low or mid range prospects and I am not ready to sell the farm just to win a playoff round this year.
The Isles are struggling to be mediocre---the farm system, according to some "rating system", is ranked #15---ahhh, mediocre. We aint gettin' better anytime soon, so trade away and do it freaking right. The optimism is nice folks but a pipe dream.
Getting a player like a Guerin is a move you make when you're one player away from a Cup, like Carolina with Weight last season. Snow should just let the rest of the year play out and go from there. The cap room he has doesn't have to burn a hole in his pocket, it can be used for free agents in the summer. Also, Nielsen is the best Danish import since Lars Ulrich. Neither he, nor any of the other youngsters should be sacrificed.
Agreed--lets not spend dumb money since the club LOSES money on the island. Lets save our cash, hope for the best, and rock out now that DLR and VH are back!!
Just back from the game and I have to once again say that the attendance is PATHETIC ...what are people waiting for? The team is playing hard and playing very meaningful games in Feb and there were many fans dressed up as empty seats ...if you haven't been going to games why not get yourselves out there and support the team?
AZS, I hear you but you're probably addressing the wrong group of fans because I would suspect most of the people who post on this blog are diehards and already attend a majority of the games. But I understand your frustration and hope more people get out and see a game.
I really like the Isles effort last night, especially Sillinger. His line continues to be tenacious on the forecheck and the goal he scored epitomizes that line's dedication and hard work. I also like the fact that the Isles have settled into regular lines combinations with Kozlov, Satan and Tambellini playing well together. Anyone know when Yashin is returning?
I'm not allowed to comment on the attendance... so I'll just ask this:
Wotton or Fata?
I think this goes a long way to determine what the team looks like next year.
If Fata gets the call, Simon will most likely be gone next year.
If Wotton gets the call they are giving a 33 year old vet a bone, and plugging a temporary hole with a quality minor leaguer.
Fata could very easily be the 6th "D" next year, filling the role of Simon as "deterrent", but giving the team quality TOI. This would also mean they might try to upgrade from Hill (they would do that before the deadline) or Meyer(attrition).
Trying to preserve their playoff chances definitely makes Snow job a lot harder... but definitely a lot more FUN.
I'd also like to add that while I HATED getting Simon in the pre-season, he has done nothing but make this a better TEAM. I didn't want to see him on the PP either, but for a stretch the line of him, kozlov and hunter were the only group producing. I thought they might have been able to roll four if they kept Goddard, but Simon has led them across a transitional bridge. Him and Hill are two of the reasons that Nolan's system will work... even though neither one of them stand a chance of not being on the island next year.
As fans, we owe them both the respect not to belittle their contribution.
But... if Snow's job is to improve the team with each move, HILL is, like blake, at a point of great value trade-wise. And Simon might get caught up in a numbers game where they need to make room for rookie talent to get valuable NHL ice time.
Wotton is the captain of the Soundtigers and as you said the Isles could throw him a bone, but I'd rather see what Fata can do playing meaningful minutes down the stretch.
I've also been of the mindset that the Isles should look to move Blake and Hill at the height of their value. The one thing I hope Snow doesn't do is remain idle. I'd like to see him make some type of moves.
Cincy, I thought you knew hockey. Do you really think there is a chance in hell that the Sabres would trade Drury for Hill? I would love Drury too but you would have to give a lot more up for him. Come on now.....
To the guy AZS that's saying how empty it is at the Coliseum.
Management needs to wake up and realize there is a reason no one is going to games. I don't go to games anymore and consider myself a diehard fan. I haven't been to a game since before the lockout.
It's not ticket prices because that's not keeping other places in North America with less money from selling out.
It's one reason and one reason only. This team is boring. They are not an entertaining product whatsoever. It's even been written about in non-Newsday columns how non-entertaining this team is. Remember the 2001-02 season when the Isles rose from the dead and the seasons right after that? There were sellouts and near sellouts left and right all season long.
There's no identity with this team whereas that 2001-02 team had a ton of character guys that the fans loved and got charged up about. Peca, Webb, Cairns, Scatchard. As important as it is to win, Islanders management doesn't realize that they're in the business of entertainment. And when I say entertainment, I'm talking about an exciting, entertaining on-ice product, not dressing up 16-year-old girls in tight outfits or a dinosaur costume.
Bring back some character guys to this team and watch the on-ice product become more entertaining. Nolan talks so much about how this is an "in-your-face" style of team. That's a joke. An in-your-face style of team is that Isles team from 2001-02 or the current teams around the league like the Ducks, Sabres, Predators, even locally a team like the Rangers who've got guys like Hollweg, Avery, Orr, Ortmeyer, etc.
We have no guys like that who people get up out of their seats for to see someone throw a huge hit shift after shift or drop the gloves.
I'm a die hard but I do not go to games anymore because the product is a bore. I've written the Islanders about this three times now this season how they need to address this if they want to see more fans at the games. Ask me if they even had the courtesy of responding to me. I think you can figure out the answer.
Even I wonder why I'm a fan anymore. I still watch every game from home even though it's not as fun as it used to be.
Christian,
Don't kid yourself, you aren't a diehard. A diehard supports their team NO MATTER WHAT. You are what we call a fair weather fan. The NVMC is better off without you and your negativity!
I totally agree with the previous post. Christian you are the definition of a fair weather fan. I dont know about you, but when the isles win, it is always a great and exciting experience for me. No matter if they win 1-0 or 10-8, any REAL Isles fan gets excited about a win. Would you rather come to the Coliseum to see the Isles lose a game 8-6 because it is more exciting than watching the Isles win? Attendance is a problem, but I would rather have an empty building than one filled with fair weather fans such as yourself.
Clean it up
I can see both sides of this agrument. Like Eric said, as a diehard Isles fan, I support the team unconditionally and enjoy every win and feel the pain of each loss. But to Christian's point, the Isles play a somewhat non-entertaining style of hockey (they lack skilled players). Not to the point where they are the Devils and trap the hell out of every team, but because they lack a dynamic offense player or that one dominant player, that they have to play a certain style to win in this league. Would I love a superstar player here, absolutely and if Millbury hadn't made so many assinine trades we might have had one (i.e. Heatley, Spezza), but Nolan plays the hand he's dealt. Hopefully we'll get lucky with one of the young guys and moving forward the Isles will acquire more players that can play a more "open-western conference" style of hockey that Nolan envisioned when he took over the team.
I disagree that he is a fair weather fan though, I just think that he, like a lot of Isles fans, have been upset with the way in which this organization has been run and the composition of the team. If he doesn't find the hockey entertaining then he has the right to not attend games. I love the Islanders, but their lack of a superstar player or someone you would pay money to see play, really irks me. Generally when a team is bad for a good portion of their recent history they would come out of it with high draft picks that generally translate into skilled hockey players. The Isles weren't able to do that and failed to produce a consistent offensive player or a guy that you would feel comfortable putting on the back of your jersey. Just because you don't attend the games doesn't mean you are a bad fan.
That said, I've come to enjoy the goaltending of Rick DiPietro and the fight of this hockey team and if I could would be at every single home and away game.
Im not sure fair weather fan is accurate above--the league has changed as much as our beloved Isles have. The league is based on speek and skill...grit is not an abundance now. So, when we have medicore talent, we dont have huge hits, entertaining fights etc...to keep us happy. We say that Nolan has a team that fights and has grit(figuratively)...Maybe, but, NO ONE is ever scared to play the isles. What is scary is spending good coin to see boring hockey. I miss the hatred we had for the Rags. I want blood.
So I'm a fair weather fan because I don't agree with management and choose not to pay my hard earned money to watch what I consider a boring product live in person?
That is my only way as a fan to say I don't agree with the decision of ownership and management. Obviously there are about 8,000 others that feel similarly or don't feel anything at all because this organization has alienated it's fan base with the happenings of this past year and let's face it, there generally aren't more than 7,000 or 8,000 at the games. I still watch every game at my own home on my own TV in Garden City, about 5 minutes from the Coliseum. I don't like the on ice product and am frustrated. That doesn't mean I don't consider myself a fan or have stopped watching all of the games. I just think the product on the ice is a sleeper, the atmosphere at the Coliseum is as bad as it gets because there is nothing to cheer about, no hitting, no fighting, no run and gun it offense, no "get out of your seats" exciting players (see Ovechkin, Zetterberg, Datsyuk, etc). They're a team that just sort of goes with the motions. It's not exciting.
If it makes you feel better to say that that doesn't make me a fan simply because I don't attend games, okay then.
Dear Steve Webb, I'm going to apologize ahead of time for this...
YOU PERSONALLY RUINED THE NY ISLANDERS.
We now have a fan base (portrayed by the amount of empty seats and Christine's assertion) that would rather see a mediocre hockey player who was given 3 mins to go out like a missle to hit an opposing player, than a team that works hard, plays solid hockey, and WINS.
Steve, you were a class act. I can't say that i ever argued favorably for you taking up a roster spot, but I enjoyed the chants of STEVE WEBB as much as anybody. I'd also argue that you did more with what little talent you had than most 1st rounders accomplish in a career. But you spoiled these folks.
SHAME ON YOU!
:-)
I wish I could plunk down $4k for a season ticket. But I'm 500 miles away. This is a pretty entertaining team. Winning is always entertaining... unless you're a devils fan (YAWN).
Give them time... Let them creep back into the playoffs... that's when HEROES are bourne... that's when Hunter and Hilbert and Asham and DP will have to step up and be the object of new chants that will ring out in uniondale... Patience... and go to a few games... feel the chill... stand up when asham let's one rip (then duck)... or feel the tingle of anticipation when Kozlov has the puck in the corner and campoli comes creeping in from the point... Go to a game... GET IT BACK and FEEL IT!
I'm excited about going to a game this year... I wish I could see more.
I am a first year season tix holder, and a life long fan. The isles are making a playoff push in the middle of Feb. Last night at the game I rose from my seat numerous times due to 4 goals, a bunch of great hits, etc... You cannot blame the Isles for being boring. Bettman and the powers that be have killed what the NHL once was. But even a "boring" hockey game is much more exciting than most other sports out there. The isles are playing great hockey right now, and anyone that is choosing not to support the team right now as they push for the playoffs better not complain once they move them off long island because all of the "die-hard" fans were too proud to support the team when they were once here.
Hey christian, you have a right not to go to games... but dude... if I lived 5 min from the NVMC I would be there every chance I get. Seriously... this team sucks but to me its the best just watching them play... remember 2 years ago... a season without the isles... now that's boring, and the only reason I wouldn't drive 250+ miles to go to games
Now that was a very good post JP. Its nice to see you not blaming the season ticket holders for the lack of attendees at the NVMC. I can't say I agree with you on Steve Webb (your tongueu must hurt planting it that firmly in your cheek), but I got your point.
I agree with you that we need patience. Rome was not built in a day. We stunck last year. We are better this year. Don't panic and we will get better long term. Panic is what cost us an all-star team of talent sprikled around the league now. Patience will help us become great long term.
great post JP! i respect this team for their hard work and never say die work ethic. hockey in general has been watered down but thats not the isles fault. i am out of my seat (couch) quite a few times each game and am looking forward to my first trip back to the coliseum tonight since the lockout. i would hate to think that some of the guys might read some of these posts about how boring they are or how they suck b/c i really like this team and what they're doing. do i want more? of course, but i am willing to wait, and support them all the way.
LGI
great post JP! i respect this team for their hard work and never say die work ethic. hockey in general has been watered down but thats not the isles fault. i am out of my seat (couch) quite a few times each game and am looking forward to my first trip back to the coliseum tonight since the lockout. i would hate to think that some of the guys might read some of these posts about how boring they are or how they suck b/c i really like this team and what they're doing. do i want more? of course, but i am willing to wait, and support them all the way.
LGI
This team is built for the playoffs. They have a great goaltender, solid defense, and a good mix of veterans and youth. Anyone who does not think the Islanders are a dangerous team in the playoffs is kidding themselves or bitter Ranger fans. In the playoffs you need Grit and talent (Rangers had no grit last year.. bye bye). You need speed and experience and a Goaltender who can get hot enough to steal games (guiggere, miller, etc.). I have been a season ticket holder since 98... This is by far the best team in NEW YORK in that time and the Isles have a good shot at making a run.
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