On the Islanders Beat

THANKS GREG!

So, not so bad. Seems like he'll get some rest and be back for the Florida game.

Some good news for the Isles, for a change.

Probably best to let DiPietro rest rather than risk a more serious injury that could prevent him from playing in the playoffs.

Look at how detrimental an injury during the playoffs was to the Oilers last season.

As an athlete it'll be hard for DiPietro to sit one out, but the long-term benefits of a couple of days of rest after something like that hit would far outweigh the 2 points on the line tomorrow.

Pretty sure he sits Thursday. He needs the break anyway. I expect Dunham to play well again... Good news. Thanks Greg...

Good Post Greg, thanks for the info. If this teaches him anything i hope its STAY IN THE NET! DP is at his best when he doesnt overplay the puck and focuses on stopping it rather than handling it. Too many times this season he has put his team and now himself in danger. Hopefully Dunham is up for the test as the Isles usually come up flat against the Sens especially in Ottowa. We shall see.

Congrats Greg!

You've just created a collective sigh of relief heard 'round Nassau.

Awesome scoop and keep up the good work!

Thanks Gary (sic). It's probably a good idea to give Dunham some ice time anyway, since he'd be needed in the playoffs. DP should get a rest after playing so many games in a row.

Thanks Greg! We've been waiting for that news all day. ::sigh::

Thanks Greg - first again to get important Isles news to us....Great news and hopefully DiPietro only misses the Ottawa game...

Needless to say it but Stay in the Net please Rick...You're one of the best goalies at stopping breakaways anyway!

Sounds like he has a concussion, but they won't rule it that. If it's ruled a concussion he'd have to go through the whole protocol of tests and could miss significant time. I'd be careful if I were DP, he doesn't want to end up like Brett Lindros or Mike Richter.

I don't mean to throw cold water on this party, but it sounds to me like DP has a concussion. Once concussed, always vulnerable. The fact that he had a concussion last year is HUGE news, and makes this story even bigger. I hope I'm wrong, but I don't like the looks of this whole scene. Why has he been so "off-limits"? Why so hush-hush about his condition until now? Is it because of strict rules forbidding players with concussions from playing until they receive medical clearance? Hockey players are a tough breed, and many who've received concussions have hid their condition in order to keep on playing. I wouldn't be surprised if that is the case here.

OH MAN WE DODGED A BULLETT THIS TIME!!!this could actually help the islanders in the long run cuz DP needed some time off anyways

you write... "this latest bump in their road to the playoffs". i know it seems like that... but in reality we have gone from 13th place to 7th in a few months. it's actually been pretty smooth sailing upwards. there have been potential bumps but nothing has happened yet.

Good news and I hope that it's not a concussion. Here's why:

MATT POSTS:
Kevin T.:

You are probably right, we are too hard on ourselves and our team, but at least for me, the fact that the Islanders were picked by almost every hockey writer before the season to finish dead last in the conference...and now we have a chance to make the playoffs with a better team than we started with...all contributes to the hue and cry.

Better that than to EXPECT your team to make the playoffs every year, just to fall short...like another team playing on another New York island.

You are correct Matt and I unlike others know exactly the feeling and what you are saying. I also have no problem saying it. (even as a Rag$ fan)

Never want to see a guy get hurt really. That is all it comes down to.

Question. Why is that Shanahans progress hit the newsday website for Zipays blog and this update hasn't?

Cincy:

They apparently let him fly to Ottawa, so it can't be TOO bad, whatever it was. Last year, he missed just 2 games with a concussion...it was early in the year.

The fact that he didn't stay back in Montreal means that he's feeling okay, but not well enough to play.

This was good initial news, but how he feels over the next 2-3 days is going to be the real acid test.

He's the Islanders' for 14 more seasons, I'm pretty sure they're taking good care of him. Hockey teams are notoriously cagey about injuries, and they may not have wanted him speaking to the media...who knows?

another big story another scoop by Greg. thanks for being all over the Islanders. youve had more breaking news on this team than Hahn had in 10 years and were still waiting for his first good story on the NYKnicks

Scoop? Newsday's been the only paper traveling with the team all year. Last night's 5-3 score is a scoop in that regard.

I hate to say it b/c I'm a huge Isles fan, and have been since I a tender age, but it's starting to look like another typical Islanders season. My prediction for what's to come (and I hope I'm wrong):

Isles lose to Ottawa & Tampa Bay, manage to beat lowly Florida. They lose to Pitt, split the rest of the series with the Rangers.

In the end, I think the Isles will, once again, miss the playoffs, probably ending up with the 10 seed.

I think we'll have to look back at all the drama and distractions the trade deadline caused, the Simon incident and the brief, albeit dramatic, loss of DP to blame for another lost season.

I think it's time to buy out Yashin, and do our best to re-sign Smyth & Blake. We'll bring in some new young blood next year in Bergenheim & Tambellini, DP will con't to get better (which will fare incredibly well for us), and next year we'll make the playoffs.

But these are the Islanders, so you never know :-(

This from the Islanders' website, edited for length:
****
After being re-evaluated today by medical personnel and the Islanders training staff, Rick DiPietro will be a "game-time decision" for Thursday night's match against the Senators in Ottawa.

The Islanders have recalled goaltender Wade Dubielewicz on an emergency basis.
****

Seems to me, if they didn't know what was wrong with him, it wouldn't be a "game time" decision...he would be "out". He definitely got his bell rung (at the Bell Centre no less), but probably nothing more...but I am not a doctor.

Predictions for what teams have to do to make the playoffs with 93 points. 7-5-1 isn't that bad.

Eastern Conference (93 points)

1. Buffalo - Guaranteed as of Mar. 3
2. New Jersey - 0-12-1
3. Pittsburgh - 3-9-1
4. Ottawa - 3-9-0
5. Atlanta - 4-6-1
6. Tampa Bay - 5-5-1
7. N.Y. Islanders - 7-5-1
8. Toronto - 8-4-0
9. Carolina - 7-3-1
10. N.Y. Rangers - 8-3-1
11. Montreal - 8-2-1
12. Boston - 11-2-0
13. Florida - 11-1-0
14. Washington - Eliminated (max 84)
15. Philadelphia - Eliminated (max 73)

Matt:

I suppose I'm just being paranoid. I've been watching the Isles since '72 when we sat in the upper sections drinking big beers, so it probably comes with the territory. Since the last good stretch and then the Smyth trade, I've been kind of expecting to wake up and realize it was all a dream. I thought maybe the Simon suspension, Rangers loss, Habs meltdown and DP injury was the sound of my alarm clock.

http://iptv.newyorkislanders.com/islanders/console

You guys all act like the Playoffs are a LOCK ???

Are you all nuts?

Look at our upcoming schedule....Ottawa twice (who we NEVER beat) Rangers twice (who have completely out played us and will get Shanahan back) Tampa Bay (owns us) Devils (own us) with Florida (playing great hockey) and Philly mixed in....

Stop talking playoffs....We are far far away from that.....I would say it is 50 - 50 we make it!

and if we don't make it WOW what a blunder of a trade..... say good bye for a long time b/c no way does Smyth and Blake resign here !!!

Another Isles blunder selling the future for a one month rental!

Cincy-

You're older than me! In 1972 I was listening to Germain Gagnon get the Isles first game winner on a radio under my pillow so my parents wouldn't catch me. But remeber those lovely 4 high school scoreboards clapped together over center ice! Ah. The memories.

I'm with Cincy in that I'm being cautious about DP's condition. He didn't look like he had a concussion last night, but I'm still guardedly optimistic since, as people have mentioned, he flew with the team to Ottawa.

Now, as to this playoffs issue plus how a lot of people seem to be turning on Ryan Smyth lately...We all need to look at this team objectively. We lost last night because of the defensive pairings and the fact that Dunham was very sloppy in the 3rd period. I blame 3 of the 5 goals he gave up squarely on him, and I firmly believe DP would've had those shots. That's the main reason we lost this game; a rusty goaltender let in a few bad ones.

Ryan Smyth has been a great addition to the team; I'd argue Zednik and Yashin are affecting the forward chemistry far more than he is. He's been a force in the corners and in front of the net, and given his leadership I couldn't disagree more with calling him a "glorified Mark Parrish." As for the chorus saying we sacrificed our future for a 1-month rental...where's the proof? If Robert Nilsson was the savior of this team, why wasn't he playing? If Ryan O'Marra is a future star, why is he regressing this year in the OHL? It's hard to say we traded 3 first rounders without concentrating on the actual PLAYER. Robert Nilsson went in the 1st round; Marek Svatos went in the 7th round. See how subjective this is? Anyone here would take a first round pick over a 7th round pick, but I don't think anyone here would rather have Nilsson than Svatos at this point in the game. Hell, for good measure, we picked Gervais, Campoli, and Martinek in the 6th, 7th, and 8th rounds. Our future lies with guys like Okposo, Campoli, and Gervais far more than someone like Nilsson. Let's stop assuming every trade is Bertuzzi and McCabe for Trevor Linden or Isbister and Torres for Janne Niinimaa (::shudder::).

It amazes me that the naysayers are so quick to come out here and doubt this team. I know we've all been kicked around so much that we come to expect these things, but let's, for once, enjoy what we have. We're in 7th place right now, 4 points behind 6th-place Tampa Bay with 2 games in hand (we also have games in hand on Carolina, who "tied" us last night).

Greg is right; all is not lost. Let's stop this "it's all over" stuff and rally around our team. It's a big stretch, and we need to get points out of every game. More than anything else, our team needs our SUPPORT, not people jumping ship with every little bump in the road.

as i was waiting to hear about DP today i thought it was pretty said that it wasn't even mentioned(during the show or on the 20/20 updates) that DP was hurt...wow how sad these sport stations are around here...WAY TO GO GREG

as i was waiting to hear about DP today i thought it was pretty sad that it wasn't even mentioned(during the show or on the 20/20 updates)on the wfan or ESPN that DP was hurt...wow how sad these sport stations are around here...WAY TO GO GREG

And I'm sadly much younger than guys like Cincy and Merrick...I bow to you for staying with this team for much longer than I've been around.

I'm fairly certain that Greg Logan is the only sportswriter around who bothered to find out about DP's condition. Good reporting on his part, but where the hell is everyone else??? Do the Islanders matter so little that editors aren't even bothering to ask reporters to find out about the condition of the most important player on the Islanders???

One more thing, has anyone else noticed that the Islanders' intensity has dropped a notch (or two) since the trade deadline deal for Ryan Smith? The team that outworked its opponents for most of the year has been outworked in almost every game since the deadline.

islesfan222, the lack of coverage of the Isles in the local media is a source of constant annoyance to me. But, to state the obvious, it partly reflects the overall decline of hockey as a spectator sport, and partly the fact that the Isles haven't won anything significant in sooooo long.

Every non-hockey fan I've ever taken to a game has raved about how great the sport is live. But unfortunately, the NHL has failed to find the holy grail: how to translate that excitement to TV. And, without getting into all of it here, I think Gary Bettman's tenure as commissioner has to be judged a failure. The game is less profitable, the league has lost a lot of fan interest and goodwill, the franchises are less valuable, and somehow ticket prices are astronomical, which will only make it harder to build back the fan base. I will say that Charles Wang and co. seem to be doing a great job marketing the Isles and being fan-friendly -- and I appreciate Wang's willingness to invest in the team and a new arena -- but the larger trends are against them.

Hey Jeff4Stanley,

I completely agree. I've been saying it a bunch: that trade created a distraction to the team when they were playing their best hockey in years.

I know Snow's intentions were good, and I can't blame him for acquiring Smyth, but the Isles, as always, have proven to be an emotionally fragile team.

DP has been great all year round. "He has mishandled the puck way too much and put our team in danger too much this season" seems to be the common insult against DP. Compared to last year, he has improved greatly and with MUCH hope, he will only get better with time. He still makes silly plays, but you still have to love his attitude and his work ethic, and those long passes up the board to blakey on a break-away. He has played smarter hockey this year than ever before. Period.

I think us Isles fans should really rally around this team now. Okay, they may not be playoff contenders if they even make the race... but you never know. As NOLAN explained tonight in Real Sports (what a great program it was) he is only concerned with two words.... RIGHT NOW! He wants to hoist that cup over his shoulders! Lets get our old barn rocking and prove these "experts" even more incorrect!

We need to win a playoff series so isles fans will stop always expecting the worse. I'm not criticizing... we haven't surprised anyone since 93 (even the series against toronto was disappointing after such a great 1st month of the season). We all have admit that this is the best team we've had in a while. This being the case, lets all take Nick's advice and rally behind our squad.
I'm starting to by in to a lot of your posts here about the whole penalty situation. There are not many games than I can remember teams playing a ''cleaner'' game than us, but we always get more penalties. I can't believe there have even been more than 10 games where we've had more pp's than the opposing team.
Lets not complain about smyth. Has anyone else but me realized how dirty his whole line has been getting along the wall. That line's cycling is so effective and dificult to disrupt... we are going to the playoffs... believe... as TRUE fans we have to... LETS GO ISLANDERS.

ps- hey "rangers fan", sometimes you sound like a closet isles fan to me. Anyone else agree? Dude, if you want, come on over... we have the seats to fill

Is it too much of a stretch for anyone to believe that a person could be both an Islanders fan and a Rangers fan? How about the elusive "New York sports team" fan? Anyone? Bueller? Anyone?

NO. You can be a fan of both the Jets and the Giants, and the Knicks and the Nets, and even the Mets and the Yankees. But you cannot be a fan of both the Islanders and the Rangers. It's the most intense rivalry in hockey... it would be like declaring yourself a fan of both the Yankees and the Red Sox. Makes no sense.

Kudos to Nick and Cincy for picking up on the poor defensive pairings. Danny Flynn should be relieved of his duties for sticking with such brutal pairings game in and out. Campoli is under utilized and the Hill/Witt combo is always over played and tired. On a final note, has anyone checked Meyer's health status???? He surely is suffering from a concussion too.

Campoli under used? He sucks. Period. Kid on ice witgh men. He's horrible.

NJ: Your commentary on Campoli is like your spelling; it sucks!!!

I think DP will be fine...once he gets rid of that awful image on his helmet depicting Bush, Rumsfeld & Condi Rice!

Sounds like DP got his bell rung pretty hard and might have tweaked the neck muscles there which, I can tell you, can really put a damper on your day. Neck strains hurt, your head moves more than you think.

There might be hope for the defence yet, in Greg's article this morning he noted that Gervais has been practising and should be back soon. Hill should be the first one to get a break.

I think the Islanders have just as much chance to make the postseason as any of the other teams, and in fact probably have a slight edge on the Rangers--Rachunek is gone for a month--and games in hand.

Plus, I can't help but think that this Islanders team is better with their backs to the wall. They have been in playoff position for awhile and they're very lucky not to have been knocked out over the last couple of weeks. Obviously, the next 3 games are put-up-or-shut-up time for the team. They need to win the games they're not supposed to win, the Ottawas and Tampa Bays.

I'll be at the game tonight--the only one there watching for the #8 white sweater, that's for sure.

Well, Sports Illustrated was chock full of Isles news this week.

1) Agrees with Simon suspension

2) Among a poll of NHL players (i.e., peers) Alexei Yashin was ranked as the most overrated player in hockey.

3) The disputed goal last week led to a call to place water bottles in a different place; and

4) They report that Duane Sutter, Calgary GM, covets Smyth and has a good relationship with Smyth's agent who represents everal Calgary players--meaning Smyth is a good candidate to end up back in Alberta (interesting for the rivalry issues).

Regarding rivalries and the Rangers-Isles, when I was 10 and the Isles first came into existence, it was possible to root for both teams. However, once the Isles became competitive in Season 3, one had to make a choice--and I chose the Isles because my Ranger fan friends always picked on the Isles.

I suppose if Mrs. Staal finds one of her sons playing on each team, she could root for both, but that's the only possibility.

I might add the Rangers-Isles rivalry is perhaps the most intense of all in professional and arguably all sports. Although the number of people who care is less than other sports--even when both teams stink, respective fans still come out droves and root like it's the Super Bowl. Even the Yankees and Red Sox had a lull in interest when the Yanks struggled a bit in the early 90s. I've never seen that lull with the Rangers and Islanders.

Merrick:

I don't trust hockey writing or commentary anymore from Sports Illustrated, their articles on the sport are now limited to feel-good stories (yes, Jonathan Cheechoo is from Moose Factory, which is in the middle of nowhere, WE GET IT ALREADY) and short blurbs about the Ducks and Predators stuck behind five-page articles on NASCAR--and when did that become a sport, anyway?

So screw them and screw their polls. You know how they do the top 4 and bottom 4 in those polls? Well last week they did top 4 and bottom 4 jerseys based on the players' opinions, and SI made sure to note that the Isles' jerseys were "fifth worst" in the league. Thanks for remembering, SI. (For the record, I think the Isles' jerseys are among the classiest in the league, but the third jersey was a mistake. I would have designed them a much better one if they had only asked.)

And I have always said there is no better rivalry than Rangers-Islanders, at least in terms of bring out the passion in the fan bases. If you've ever been to an Oilers-Flames game, that can be intense too but Albertans lack that nastiness that New Yorkers have.

Blake-Yashin-Smyth sounds like an interesting combination. Which line is Robitaille going to? I hope Gervais comes back 'cause we need defense, especially in the 3rd period.

I'm a few years older than Merrick. I was a sophmore in HS during the Isles first season. Before that, I was of course a die-hard Ranger fan - listening to Marv Albert do the radio play-by-play of all the home games (the dark ages before cable). I can still remember Peter Stemkowshi's playoff goal in triple OT against the Blackhawks in the late '60s. Rod Gilbert, Vic Hatfield - Jean Ratelle was my favorite.

Anyway, I attended the very first Isles-Ranger game at the NVMC. It was pre-season and all I knew was to root for the Rangers. But by the 3rd period I inexplicably found myself pulling for the Isles. From that day forward I was an Isles fan. But this is the interesting part. There was NO TRANSITION PERIOD. It was an instantaneous transformation. I was never a "switch-hitter". I immediately hated the team that just days earlier I had loved. Bottom line... I for one found it impossible to be a fan of both teams. Unlike Merrick (who's opinions I have the highest regard for - your writing and insight are excellent), I didn't have to wait for season 3. Maybe because I was older. Who knows.

And just a note about the comments on this blog. The vast majority of you make me proud to be an Islander fan. Really good insight and well thought-out opinions and observations on the team. Posters like Merrick, JP, Matt, Nick, Miggsey (with his Campoli obsession), Chris S., themass (who loves his "dirty hockey"), AZS, KH, Andrew. And many others who I can't recall right now. Comments on this blog have made this season even more enjoyable than it already had been. Even your comments, Rangers Fan. Unlike themass, I don't think you're a closet Isles fan. I think you're a Hockey fan. And your honest comments are appreciated here.

Meanwhile, let's hope for the best for the next month.

DP needs rest and the Islanders are in good enough position to let him get the rest he needs. The wrong move would be to rush him back. Besides, the Islanders should learn to win without him just incase something happens to him over the next 15 yrs.

Greg, way to get in there and get us the info. Just one question. Werent the Isles suppose to fly to Ottawa? Why were they bused? Is the team not telling us the whole story? And if DP is OK, would we likely see him as a backup tonight for Dunham?

Nick:

I wouldn't read too much into how they got to Ottawa. If they had had a charter or even commercial flight lined up from Montreal to Ottawa (which is like a 45-minute flight at most), they wouldn't bag the whole thing just because of DP. They would fly the rest of the team and then drive DP. If it was that bad, DP would have been on his way back to LI anyway.

So they all took a bus, as they probably do when they play in Philadelphia. It's about the same driving time from NYC to Philly as it is from Montreal to Ottawa. Maybe they're just trying to save the environment.

I just hope they showed a good movie on the bus. "Strange Brew" in honour of the Canadian road trip??

Take off eh? You hoser. heh, I haven't seen that movie in "forever."

Cincy: thanks! I only found this blog early this year, so I missed a lot. It definitely adds to the fan experience though.

Like Cincy, I used to be a Blueshirt fan, but really rooted for the French Connection more in the early-mid 70's. My switch turned in 1976, I'd say. And I have hated Lanny MacDonald since 1978.
GO ISLANDERS!

Cincy,

Thanks for the shout out. I agree with you. I love coming on here and seeing what everyone has to say and I like to hear everyones opinion. It has definitely made this season more enjoyable.

I am huge sports fan all around. I have this special connection to the Islanders though. I guess because I know what I have gone through rooting so hard for them my whole life. I was 1 when the Isles won their first cup. My pops carried me on his shoulders to all the stanley cup games. I have very vague memories of those games.

My pops like a lot of you on here was a big Rangers fan before the Islanders started. But once the Islanders came into town and the Rangers traded for Esposito, he immediately changed his alliance. We have had season tickets every year since the beginning (minus 3 years in the mid 90's when everything was just disgusting). I still come to a decent amount of games during the week along with my brother and we both live in NYC.

I couldn't agree more with whoever said we need to support the team more than ever right now. Whoever thought we would be in this position right now. I love Ted Nolan. I think he is an amazing coach and an inspiration to all (everyone needs to see the Real Sports Special).

Let's Go Islanders

Gervais should be substituted for Meyer

I grew up on the Island already having had the Islanders established. I have my uncle to thank for taking me to the Coliseum from a very young age, my first game was Game 2 of the '82 Cup finals (the Islanders' third Cup). I would have been close to 5 years old. I don't remember that one, but I remember being at the 2 games in Uniondale of the '83 Cup finals.

I've never cheered for another NHL team in my lifetime, except for a couple weeks in June 1994 when I was a HUGE Canucks fan.

Cincy, thanks for the kind words. Like you, I enjoy learning the thoughts of others and this blog has definitely made the season much more enjoyable.

Btw, it's funny you mentioned Stemmer's 3OT goal v. the Blackhawks because listening to Marv call the goal is perhaps my most vivid childhood memory of being a Ranger fan.

Alright folks, back to some optimism. First, playoff invoices went out and tickets for the first two rounds will be sold in fours in the event we have home ice advantage. So here's to not only making the playoffs, but making sure we use that fourth ticket if a series goes seven games. Second, for those wwho want the "Ole" song to replace Gary Glitter, recently they've been giving it a test run in Bridgeport--so maybe it will work its way across the Sound.

Merrick:

The Devils replaced the Hey! song with Ole, ole ole ole. Surely the Islanders can come up with something better than the Mickey Mouse swamp dwellers.

Preferably something where the fans can add in a "Rangers suck!" chant or three. That's what made the Chicken Dance (may it rest in piece under the Hempstead Turnpike) so wonderful.

In fact, I think Islanders fans owe it to ourselves to come up with a replacement chant. "If you know the Rangers suck, clap your hands" was an all-time classic.

Wow! All 25 literate Icelander fans congregated in the same place!

Hey alan... b**w me. Have fun watching the isles in the playoffs... man I hate rag-fags so much...

Merrick:

Not sure the Flames have enough cap room to sign Smyth. At the moment they're nearly two million dollars over the cap. They have SIXTEEN players making over $1M per year. For comparison, the Isles have 12 and even the Rag$ have only 13.

Hamrlik and Brad Stuart are both UFAs making a ton of cashola ($6M between the two!!), so unless Sutter can sign some real cheap D, that $5.5M a year Smyth's going to want is going to have to come from somewhere else, and I don't see it happening.

I agree with Matt. Obviously Suter can decide to trim his payroll to some extent, but Iginla, Kiprusoff and Huselius are all UFAs on 7/1/08. You have to figure he's gonna have to sign each of those guys. Iginla is easily good for a $2 million bump from his current $7 million, and Kiprusoff should be able to at least command the $7 million Luongo is getting now. And Huselius is only on the books for $1.5 million. At 30 goals so far this year he's gonna ask for about $4 million.

Can they also afford to sign Smyth at $6 million? I don't thinks so. It's not just the cap - they're a small market team. I don't think they have the $$$.

I forgot my name on the last post.

Re: Calgary/Smyth: The report said they'd free cap room by moving Tanguay.

Also it may not take $6 million for Smyth to play in Calgary--but I think that's the minimum it takes to get him to play here.