The status of Islanders goaltender Rick DiPietro remains, in the words of coach Ted Nolan, a “game-time decision,” after he participated in the pre-game skate today. But the outward signs suggest everyone involved knows there’s no pressing reason to risk the franchise player against the Devils tonight at the Coliseum.
One game in December will only have a major impact on the Isles’ season if it’s the game in which DiPietro is reinjured and knocked out of commission for an extended period. He performed well enough in the pre-game skate to play if it were a playoff game. But it’s not.
DiPietro politely declined comment on his condition or playing status tonight after meeting with general manager Garth Snow earlier today. But he didn’t argue with the suggestion that it might be better to play it safe and at least give himself another two days to recover before the Islanders’ travel to Carolina for a game on New Year’s Eve.
It’s significant that backup Joey MacDonald has not returned to Bridgeport. The signs suggest Wade Dubielewicz is in line for his second straight start. Islanders fans recall the last time Dubielewicz faced the Devils was in the regular-season finale last spring when he shut them out until two late third-period goals forced overtime. The game went to a shootout, and the Islanders won when Dubielewicz made a poke check against Sergei Brylin to put them in the playoffs.
As good as the Atlantic Division leaders have become, the Devils haven’t scored in the first two periods of their past four games. They’ve won three of those contests, but they don’t have the firepower of, say, Ottawa. So, if Dubiewlewicz starts, it’s important for the Islanders to provide better defensive support than they have in his three previous starts in which he’s given up 17 goals.
ISLES FILES: Defenseman Aaron Johnson, who is coming back from a sprained knee, has been skating on his own since Christmas, but he took the ice with the team in the pre-game skate today. It’s possible Johnson will be on the five-game road trip that begins Jan. 5 in Colorado because there will be several practices during the trip. But he’s likely two to three weeks away from being ready for a game situation…Nolan might change his defensive lineup tonight. He had a meeting with Bryan Berard, who has been playing, and it could be that he will be replaced by Marc-Andre Bergeron…Expect Miroslav Satan to possibly play a full two minutes on power plays. Nolan said he plans to move Satan down low with one PP unit and use him on the point with the other unit…Forward Ruslan Fedotenko (hand) is expected to play.
Comments (38)
Need the points tonight real bad, but not bad enough to risk DP's health. Dubie will be fine...if they stop allowing breakaways and odd man rushes all day. Its too basd this team can't score... Broduer must me so excited for tonight... C'mon boys...let's burst his bubble
Good ole time hockey so far tonight.
Nice to see Guerin flash his captaincy.
I have a special place in my heart for Zach Parise every time he embarrasses the isles. Maybe its the gross irony of how badly this team needs offense, and could have had a real nice chunk just for the asking.
This team is naked without Rick.
Hope they don't ruin Kyle.
I think I just saw MAB behind his own net steal the puck from an opposing forward
the end is surely near
Andy Sutton just scored? Yep, its the end, alright.
Ahh so close... If that 5th goal had been on Marty we would have had the Armageddon Trifecta.
Somebody should tell Comrie to lean off the toe-drags a little... If he just shot the puck straight up once in a while he could have a lot more points.
A good win. Some encouraging bright spots... I like what Bergie is doing. I think I'm leaning towards the full-scale youth movement now, so the team can maybe develop past the level of "good enough to get smacked senseless by Ottawa", and we can rid ourselves of the two-steps-forward and two-steps-back routine, which, let's face it, is old hat around here.
BTW if anyone is actually looking to get this blog to work be sure to skip the "preview" of your posts. That seems to jam up the works.
Ahhhhhh...now thats my kind of hockey. Great game by all, especially the defence protecting Dubie. Seemed to keep most shots to the outside. Good win against a team doing well. Now we gotta figure out Carolina. Lets see if DP goes there... but if they play like they did tonight, I wouldn't mind seeing my boy Wade too much.
Miggs... I am still amazed about how right you were about Campolli...this guy seems to make strides every game
More dirty games like this one please!!!!!!!!!! LETS GO ISLANDERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hey Frei,
I guess you are a cup is half empty guy.
At least you put this in a "good win" category.
I thought it was an ABSOLUTELY GREAT WIN.
Never mind FIVE, count 'em, FIVE GOALS. (albeit one en'er, but hey, who hasn't wondered whether the Isles could HIT an empty net at times this year).....
BUT
Three goals from D-men?
Comrie in a fight?
(Where's the split screen shot of Duff when Comrie threw down with Mottau?)
Guerin in a fight?
Dubie OUTSTANDING. (although still not standing as tall as many).
Bergie and Comeau with solid games again (go kids!!)
GREAT CROWD that was very vocal and involved from 2 time zones away.
And what more can be said about "Braveheart"? In my mind the the Islander MOST deserving of an All-Star vote.
It was good to see the "old trade bait guys" step up tonight.
Although I am a little miffed at Satan for failing to execute a perfect give and go during one sequence that was initiated by Bergie and instead hogged the shot, and I could see Bergie express some displeasure after Satan's shot failed. Bergie was WIDE OPEN with an ocean in front of him.
Let's close the year out with a point or more against the "who's gonna show up tonight" Canes.
GREAT WIN!!!
I am at my parents for the holdays. Just finished skating on the lake and then come in to watch the game. My Dad hasn't been following the Islanders, but he was impressed. May have added one more Northern BC fan to the ranks. Of course I told him they play that way all the time!
Kevin T.
Oh, and the greatest hockey team ever, which now happens to be my most despised team in the NHL, got WAXED at home tonight by Ovechkin and the Caps (who moved out of last place in the East ahead of trade bait rich TB).
Ah, a great night of hockey.
Okay sports fans, I have a MAJOR BEEF with Newsday tonight.
The post below is my own "cut and paste" comments from the regular pages of Newsday this evening. I was SHOCKED to see an Associated Press byline account of the game this evening.
No reflection on Logan, cuz I know he has some "comp time" issues, but NO ONCE ELSE could cover the game?
Here's what I wrote:
"Why are we reading a story about the ISLANDERS in NEWSDAY that is a wire service/Associated Press tear off (cut and paste article) and not an article with a NEWSDAY REPORTER byline?
I know that Greg Logan has some "comp time" issues with Newsday that he has to burn by the end of the year, but THE HOMETOWN NEWSPAPER CAN'T FIND A STRINGER OR LOCAL HS KID TO FILE A STORY ON THE HOMETOWN TEAM?
What, is everybody at Newsday hungover from the Hannah Montana show last night?
ABSOLUTELY DISGRACEFUL NEWSDAY.
Just my opinion, I could be wrong."
Disgraceful and DISRESPECTFUL.
Newsday missed a great game.
I hope you all enjoyed the concert.
Braveheart took a dirty hit that put his head into the boards from behind and later had to leave to get his finger stitched up after blocking a shot with it(!) But of course he came back and finished the game, saying afterwards that "I like these types of games." Just another night at the office for William Wallace Witt.
So where's everybody who said Dubie is not an NHL quality goalie? I thought he had proven the contrary at the end of last season. Remember, there's always an adjustment for the Isles to play in front of him because he doesn't move the puck the way Ricky does (but almost no one else does that...). And he needed to shake the rust off after 54 days without playing. Dubie is a fine backup with that stardust touch for the clutch.
Kevin T. -- Did you mention to your dad that Dubie is a B.C. native? You picked the right game to introduce him to the Isles.
505 -- I agree about Newsday's non-coverage, and you can add to the charges the fact that tomorrow's back page has no mention of the Isles. Instead it's the Pats and top and bottom bars about the Knicks (no game last night) and Leyritz (yesterday's news). Despite the sellout at NVMC. Despite the fact that the Isles' TV ratings have nearly tripled this season. What will it take to convince Newsday that there is serious fan interest in this team? Uggggh! I generally like Newsday's coverage. Greg Logan is outstanding, as is Mark Herrmann and I am generally happy with the occasional writers who jump in (e.g., Katie Strang, Neil Best, John Jeansonne). But this is inexcusable.
From the "we get no respect" files
In the AOL "sports" section they have a weekly "power ranking" of NHL teams.
Currently the Isles are ranked 28th.
The Lightning are ranked 14th
The Caps are ranked 17th
Never mind that the Lightning and Caps are in the basement of the Eastern Conference.
Additionally, in their little "comments" section all they "power ranker" can say about the Isles is that "their fans are more interested in getting a new arena at this point in the season".
From what tavern are these "sports" publications getting their dart throwers from?
Very good game. The Coliseum was buzzing for the second straight home game. Nice to see...we're all dying for something to cheer for and the Isles gave it to us. My favorite highlight was watching Guerin hand Clarkson a nice beating. I thought it was a mismatch when I first saw the two of them drop the gloves.
Dubie is a gamer. Is he DP? Of course not, but he's a capable NHL goalie, imo. Like most other goalies, when his team hangs him out to dry and doesn't help clear the rebounds or happily allows three guys to stand unchallenged in front of the net, then he looks bad. When they play responsibly in front of him, he does fine. He's good at making the first stops...even the tougher ones. It's when guys are parked on the doorstep ready to pick up the garbage that he gets in trouble.
MAB played well...and I'd be among the first to criticize him if he didn't. More than the goal, he was actually positioned well on defense. I'd like to see him get some more minutes if Nolan's serious about this "merit system".
If Bergy works on that wrist shot, he'll be a dangerous hockey player...25-30 goals in the near future if he's surrounded by a good team, I think.
Kyle Okposo & the World Junior Championships ~ I don’t know if anyone else has been listening to the steaming audio via USA Hockey’s website .. but it’s pretty interesting. Kyle Okposo has been receiving lots of good mentions, as has Rhett Rakhshani. Those two guys aren’t the only ones making noise in the Czech Republic. Robin Figren has made himself known too. Rhett and Robin aren’t really that big in stature, so Kyle is our big power forward there. I also couldn’t help but notice that there are a lot of other prospects for other teams doing excellent at the WJHC.
How do these other team’s prospects measure against our prospects? I’ve heard a few times during the streaming audio broadcasts that described K.O. as a man among boys. So what does that mean when he gets to the NHL? Comments I’ve heard is that because his size in the NHL will be average, that this neutralize his advantage. I myself am bigger than K.O. in height and weight .. and when I played competitively in my early 20s my size meant diddly squat when I played against opponents of similar size and stature. Meaning I had to work twice as hard then before just to have half the results. Now that this announcer for Team USA rained on my parade and got me thinking. Is there any scouting reports on K.O. other than the Islanders’ own PR scouting reports on K.O.?
Also, this kid that is property of the Flyers and playing at the University of New Hampshire, James VanRiemsdyk is getting lots of high marks. He’s been getting lots of accolades also from the announcers. He’s actually a local kid from a town in NJ just across the bay from Staten Island. He’s 6-3 & 211#. The announcer said he’s probably more NHL ready than Kyle. Is this just more anti-Islander propaganda, or does it have some truth to it? A former teammate of mine played at UNH so he might have the skinny on JVR. I checked CSTV and other websites .. but it’s hard to find info on players outside of their own college websites which always talk up their players.
Just looking for a reality check.. Otherwise let’s just see what K.O. can do.
Now I’m leaning to not rushing Kyle. He’s too big an investment to mess around with. Someone said … ” remember Conelly?” in the previous thread… how can we forget?
Also, as AZS mentioned in the previous thread … considering the contract situation with Okposo (10 games or more the contract starts this season. 9 games or less it begins next season) .. it benefits the Islanders … and K.O/s development if he plays most of the games at the Bridge. 9 games up with the big club to see what he can do. I look at K.O. as a long term investment … not someone we should rush into service just to guarantee the Isles a 7th or 8th seed playoff spot.
After all … if the Isles allegedly wanted Okposo out of UM because they weren’t thrilled with his development, then that suggests he needs further work. I haven’t seen K.O play except for highlight reels … so I’m just trying to get a feel of where he truly belongs. I’d hate to see him thrown into the mix just to increase ticket sales at the expense of his development.
19 ISLE in NJ 22: "Is there any scouting reports on K.O. other than the Islanders’ own PR scouting reports on K.O.?"
This is an older one that hasn't been updated, but...
http://www.hockeysfuture.com/hockey_top_50_prospects/?start=10
I'm with you 105 .... they are their own ying and yang ... tomorrow they play the Hurricanes ... who have similar Jeckyl and Hyde tendencies.
Thanks for that link Upstate ... interesting. I checked out that site in depth. I'm not to comfortable with the Isles ranking 15th in prospect depth .. especially since the Isles look like they are good enough to finish in the middle 14th - 16th overall at this point, thus snagging another middle first round prospect... even with the draft depth ... other teams will have the pick of the litter too.
After watching the Islanders beat New Jersey last night, looking at the updated standings, I could not believe how close every team in this division is this year. In my opinion the division is still Pittsburghs' to lose. However, The Penguins record against their own division 4-10-1, and the injury bug continues to hit them. The Devils cannot beat the Islanders, and Rangers, and also have a losing record in their division (6-7-3). The Philadelphia Flyers are still in the hunt, but unless Gange comes back soon, the Flyers may not have enough in the tank to take the division. The Rangers are 10-4-0 against their division foes, three of the loses however come at the hands of the Islanders. The Rangers are looking for more scoring help and chemistry with Jagr. I guess money can't buy you offesnse. Which leaves me with the Islanders. The Injury bug has certainly hit them early this year (see Sim, Johnson, Bates etc), but the Islanders have been no worse then a .500 team this year. The Islanders divisional record is 9-5-0, second only to the Rangers, for now. If they can remain healthy, and the young stars improve in the second half, the division is certianly theirs for the taking.
Posted by 19 ISLE in NJ 22 | December 30, 2007 13:27 I'm with you 105 .... they are their own ying and yang ... tomorrow they play the Hurricanes ... who have similar Jeckyl and Hyde tendencies.
i think the reason for this apparent 'jekyll and hyde' situation was made very clear in the last 2 games. ottawa made them look bad because they play a high octane quick transition system a based on speed and quick passes. they have that kind of talent and the islanders' personnel simply can't keep up. we see this over and over against those teams. the devils play a more deliberate, one zone at a time style, more like their own, and the islanders recently are now beating them at that game. if all the teams in the league played that way the islanders would be among the best because they play so hard. but talent wins in sports, and right now the islanders need more. the good news is some is on the way.
two cents ... I'm with you there .....
I wasn't refering to Ottawa regarding the Jeckyl and Hyde ... I'm talking about the season thus far as a whole. Ottawa's talent class is obviously heads and tales above everyone else in the Conference. They can be beat however ... as the Isles did in SO ... and as the Caps did last night ... but still you can say Ottawa had an off night.
Having watched him terrorize BU on TV this year, I can say without any doubt that James van Riemsdyk is a special player and very much NHL ready. The thought of him added to the Flyers scares me very much.
About Okposo, they say he projects as a power forward in the NHL, but he needs to add some bulk and get his sea legs in the professional game. His dimensions are not radically different from that of Raffi Torres, and my boy Trevor Smith (now that he's out of UNH he's my boy) showed us that a college scorer cannot necessarily make an immediate jump to even the AHL, let alone the NHL. Given the contract situation, sorry 505, I think he needs to first head to the Bridge and work his way up. However, as I've mentioned I have connections in the college hockey world. To a man, they all say Kyle Okposo will be a dominant NHL player, that he has the frame and the guts to succeed. We may be putting too much pressure on the kid, though, so let's remember that power forwards usually take the longest to develop (aside from goaltenders). We'll see where he is once the WJC is over.
As for the people on the USA team, how about my BU boy, Colin Wilson? He's been tearing it up, and further proof that people with offensive ability are stifled when they start playing Jack Parker's Hockey East Trap (then again, Hockey East is not the run-and-gun conference of college hockey, it's much more defensively-oriented than the WCHA or ECAC). He projects as a first round pick, and since he plays in a defensive system some teams may be scared of taking him. Trust me, the kid is the best offensive talent to come out of BU in some time, and I would do cartwheels if the Islanders were able to grab him.
As for the Ottawa debate, we've known for some time that swift-skating teams with quick transitions match up very favorably against the Islanders. It's important to play positionally-sound hockey and control the neutral zone. The Islanders did neither of those things against Ottawa, and they in addition hung Dubie out to dry. This adds up to a loss regardless of any other circumstances. I hope Ted can adjust and make the team focus more on defense against run-and-gun teams.
I hope that we don't rush and pressure Okposo to develop into a prototypical power forward. We did it to Bertuzzi ... and Isbister .. although the later really never became a star player ... and he did have his best years on the Island .. I just don't want the team to expect too much from a 19 year old because he dominated in the USHL when he was 17-18. Some comparrisons to Jerome Iginla might be unfair ... just because they have similar heritage. I think he needs to develop into his own mold. He has many productive years ahead of him..
BTW .. I wonder what # he's going to wear on the Islanders. Obviously #9 isn't available to him. I've seen him wear #17 with Team USA in the past ... is that a play on 1st Round 7th pick? Bates has #17 ... but what is his future with the team now considering his injury?
Posted by Saint Nick | December 30, 2007 14:42 As for the It's important to play positionally-sound hockey and control the neutral zone.
obviously controlling the neutral zone would be great. what i'm saying is ottawa is one of the teams that beats that by moving the puck through really fast and smartly. in other words, they make teams like the islanders look like they're not playing "positionally-sound hockey" and can't "control the neutral zone." not every team has that ability, and having even 1 line that does can make a huge difference. the islanders don't have that 1 line. yet.
I think Okposo jumps into the lineup as soon as the junior championship is over. He will get a look and if he is contributing quickly he will stay and the Isles will pay him. If he pulls a Tambellini and puts up a goose egg in 4-5 games then he gets shipped off to the Bridge for the rest of the year unless there is an injury and he can fill a spot for a game or two.
Think about it...if he goes to Bridgeport and comes up later in the year and contributes then the Islanders just paid him bucko bucks for very little service. With half the season remaining it makes more sense to take a look now and decide based on his performance. I would say unless he bombs out in the WJC (which he has not so far) he will be with the Isles immediatly.
Happy New Year everyone! Busy time of the year and it has been hard to post. But I have been watching faithfully as always!
All this Dubie talk and smack.
I like the guy.
Beats having a MATADOR in the nets!!!!
;)
Top Ten Islander Highlights of 2006
(from the home office in Albuquerque NM)
10/AZS lets a Ranger fan knows who's number 1 in NY on national TV (Well, at least on NHL Center Ice)
9/Christie Brinkley becomes the media face for the Isles (beats the Caps having Alex Ovechkin, that guy's gene pool never emerged from Darwin's morass of ooze).
8/Donnie Lucia and Garth Snow swallow their collective collegiate regional jealousies and do what's best for a 20 year old kid, and create a new minor rivalry within the league.
7/The Islander's get ONE small box, back page display in their hometown newspaper after beating the Ranger's for the 3rd time in a row.
6/Following a scathing article about Al Arbour's 1500th "not in my book" win, Newsday's Jim Baumbach is the featured guest at the NVMC during yet another shameless attempt by Isle management to get fannies in the seats during "Brokebach Night at the Coliseum" Jake Gyllenhaal makes a special appearance and Mike Comrie asks a suspended Chris Simon to sit between Jake and Hillary Duff during the game. Simon buys a beer for Jake and Hillary with commission money received from Ryan Hollweg's dentist.
5/Depending on who you talk to, Garth Snow either erases or brings back memories of Mike Milbury by securing Ryan Smyth at the trade deadline.
4/Under strong advice from various consultants, Charles Wang changes the name and the symbol of his grand vision for the Roosevelt Field area from "The Stanley Cup Project" to a more politically correct "Lighthouse Project".
3/Islander Management hire Abraham Zapruder and Oliver Stone as consultants following the 500th blown call by NHL replay officials in Toronto. Colin Campbell receives a bouquet of 13 black roses from a florist shop in Massapequa..
2/Based on his outstanding coverage of the Isles as well as having the most popular blog board on the Newsday website, Greg Logan gets a 50K raise and Steve Zipay's corner office at Newsday headquarters. (okay, I'll put the bong away now).
1/With no apologies to "Ole Blue Eyes" Wade Dubielwicz gives new meaning to the words "Doobie, Doobie, Doo" on a memorable Sunday afternoon in Sinatra's home state of New Jersey.
HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE,
May 2008 bring us a playoff appearance, a playoff series win and, okay, I'll say it.....A STANLEY CUP!!!
2006????
Maybe I better start hitting the bong.
Where's that damn "edit last post" icon???
Classic stuff 505 ...
Side note ...Walter was called up for today's game because Sillinger isn't playing - not sure why he isn't in ...but Walter is up - the question is which line he'll play on and if he'll get any real ice time ...probably not, but nice to see Comeau and now Walter get the call ....
505,
There's no mandatory drug testing where you work, is there? Great stuff!
OK,
I like the idea of giving him 5-10 games at bridgeport, then bring him up for his 7. If he makes an impact at that point (highly unlikey) you let him stay for the playoff rush. If not the contract begins next year and he gets good ice time at bridgeport. Most likely playing with Walter who should be on the big team next year.
Dubie,
I really like Dubie, but I can't let myself think that he is the guy I want to see back there for 20+ games. the devils were beaten in the neutral zone, he's going to have problems on this western swing. The Isles are successful defensively becasue they can take one transitional option away. It's very hard to dump the puck agaisnt them, and when they pack the neutral zone it's almost impossible to carry it in... Having Dubes back there puts the dump option back on the chalkboard... and usually opens him up for more shots on the rush becasue the "D" has to play softer.
I hope I'm wrong... I just can't see him being successful with this defensive corp in front of him.... especially without Marty.
Meyer? MAB?
Witt,
Witt has just been tremendous this year. Now that campoli/Gervais is split up, I wonder if they could drop Gervais to play with Sutton after Marty returns. Sutton has shown flashes of being the "guy" when Witt is gone, but he always has the WORST partner available. (Meyer, MAB, Berard).
Hopefully MAB is the guy for the rest of the season. We'll have to live with his defense. Berard (trade bait) and Meyer (press box) should not be factors when Marty comes back... or they give soembody a else a chance (Kohn or Spiller).
Comrie,
I hope saturday's performance wasn't jsut him showing off for his girlfriend. That's the Mike Comrie this team needs. He's been playing with that "edge" (though steady might disagree) the last few games. That's the Comrie I expected to see, and that's the one I'd like them to sign for three years. The other one was destined to be playing for a western conference team by february.
Comeau,
He makes Hunter expendable. I think the next time he sees bridgeport it will be from the plane to Boston.
With some development time, and a few off season moves for defensive depth (and possibly a sniper to replace Satan), this team is starting to come together. I think Snow needs to start working with agents NOW, and make the deadline deals that fit intothe organization's future.
No more Blake situations. If you're not goign to sign Satan, let him go and bring up Tambellini for a full scale tryout. If you're not goign to sign Comrie, get something good for him and bring up Walter or let Park center that line. they are chock full of options, but the next two months is where Snow will be tested the most.
Happy New Year everybody...
JP
"There's no mandatory drug testing where you work, is there?"
As a matter of fact, there is.
It's MY business.
Any anyone who comes up negative is not eligible for employment.
Any openings?
As for the Isles, there is a fine line between success and failure. If we look back at the close losses and win even half of them, our record gets A LOT better. One more defensive play, one more save, one more goal that goes in.......that can make a mediocre team a winner. I think the Isles are on the edge. Maybe I'm just an optimist!!!
Hock -- I agree with you. There have been at least 4-5 losses this year where we controlled the play. We win just two of those and we're tied with the Devils for the division lead (well actually 1 point behind, since we have a game in hand and they have 1 point from an overtime loss in that extra game). On the other hand, I don't think we're close to being a serious Cup threat like Detroit or Ottawa.
By the way, does anyone know if Sound Tiger Dustin Kohn is Jewish? 505, you Irishmen have the luxury of watching many of your tribe in the pro sporting ranks. Members of my little band of desert nomads have to content ourselves with the occasional Koufax or Greenberg (or Mathieu Schneider or Eric Nystrom). The name is definitely Jewish though with a slightly unusual spelling, and a little internet research reveals that there are 6 synagogues in Edmonton (where Kohn's from), so it's at least possible...
This just in from Ralph Edward, Long Island's own prognosticator of the future....
Five News Stories Islander Fans will see in 2008.
5/Mike Comrie, Hillary Duff Announce Nuptials
Mike Comrie and Hillary Duff were married yesterday in a private ceremony in the Furniture Now Warehouse on Rte 110 in Farmingdale.
Mike Sillinger served as Mr. Comrie's Best (center) Man. Ms. Duff's wedding entourage was highlighted by the participation of Sean Avery and Mike Mottau, each of whom was resplendent in knee length pink chiffon dresses by Armani.
4/Newsday's Jim Baumbach Found in Montana.
After being missing for 3 weeks, Newsday Journalist(?) Jim Baumbach, last seen attending a Miley Cyrus concert at NVMC in December, has been found sleeping (spooning) in the barn of a popular Montana Sheep Ranch owned by the Disney Network, 30 miles south of Hana, Montana. No further details were available.
3/Okposo scores 74th Goal, Islander's Win The Cup!!
Kyle Okposo, after DEBUTTING IN COLORADO ON JANUARY 5TH WITH 4 GOALS, closed out a record setting rookie half season with a hat trick yesterday to lead the Isles to a 4-0 series sweep of the Detroit Red Wings yesterday at NVMC. The raucous crowd of 25,000 (extra seats made available by the expansion of the Coliseum due to the Stanley Cup, er, Lighthouse Project) was treated to the greatest single season comeback by any team in NHL history. The only sad moment in an otherwise glorious day, came during the presentation of the venerable Stanley Cup to Islander Captain Bill Guerin. As he skated around the rink with the trophy, he handed the Cup to Islander forward Andy Hilbert who unfortunately dropped it, and the Cup shattered on Coliseum ice.
2/Al Arbour Signs 2 year Contract to Coach the Isles.
Following the victory in the Stanley Cup Finals and the resignation of Coach Ted Nolan, who decided to coach Chris Simon next year with the New Mexico Scorpions in the WPHL, Al Arbour agreed to terms and will be returning to the bench for the Isles in 08/09. In a related note, commenting from his white room at Creedmoor State, Newsday reporter Jim Baumbach made it clear that any victories secured by Mr. Arbour during this tenure will not count in "my book".
1/Newsday Announces Back Page Coverage for the Isles.
In a press conference yesterday in Garden City, newly appointed Managing Editor Colin Campbell, flanked by new owner Ted Dolan, announced that Newsday will give the New York Islanders back page coverage on February 29. "That's the only day no other sports teams in America are scheduled" said Mr. Campbell, "We are committed to giving our home team the coverage they deserve, and I am pleased to say that we will do it on this February 29 and every other February 29 ad infinitum. I am proud to say that we at Newsday are All Islan.....argh, cough, choke,".
505,
Red Bull and Cuervo Black should not be used to wash down percaset... especially when they're used to ease the pain of a Hawiian headache...
Some funny stuff in there... but it's new years eve... you should be out trying to find a new ex-wife!
Happy New Year!
JP
KH
"505, you Irishmen have the luxury of watching many of your tribe in the pro sporting ranks."
Ah, tis sure KH, know that if it wasn't for alcohol my tribe would be running the world right now.
But, thanks to alcohol, my tribe is all over the world right now.
"Members of my little band of desert nomads have to content ourselves with the occasional Koufax or Greenberg."
I always remind my nomadic friends that if it weren't for all your fine ancient hot dog makers, (Nathans, Hebrew Nationals to name two) the world would never have heard of George Herman Ruth, which, if my Talmud studies are accurate, makes him, in fact, part of "the people".
Happy New Year Islander Fans!!! ... oh ... and other fans that may stumble upon this blog.
I'm glad I started to participate in this blog. I've read it over the last couple of years .. but pretty much kept my mouth shut (keyboard shut) ... Now I blog chapters of War and Peace in here .. I guess I am making up for lost time.
First off 505 .. that was hilarious!!
AZS ... just so you know my brother has the video of you showing the Rags fan who is number one as his screen saver ... since I sent him that link ... he thought that should go to the HOF for fan spirity. Hilarious!!
In the spirit of JP's last post i'll keep this long.
My Okposo thoughts. I'm just as guilty as most fans, that when the Isles go through a poor stretch .. I'm looking up prospect progress etc etc. I've been trying to keep track of KO since he was drafted. It's sometimes hard when all you have to go by is a stat sheet. I'll read UM website fluff pieces about how great he is blah blah blah ... I really wanted hardcore reality articles of his progress. That now famous highlight reel goal through his legs is a testament to his great hands. However, I think if he tried that in the NHL he'd be stoned by the goalie followed by a crushing check that introduces his ass to the ice. Still .. nice goal to look at.
I agree with JP ... The Isles should send him down to the Bridge for 5 - 7 games. Get used to playing consistently on the smaller rink (UM has an Olympic sized rink). Let him learn the system without the pressure of "US" the fans expecting too much from him right away. If he is putting up Tamby numbers ... bring him up for a few "road" games ... and send him down no matter what he does. This will give Snow a good measure of his progress. He needs ice time. He'll get tons of that at the Bridge. I'd like to know what his face off % is. I know he's a natural winger .. but he can be used in crucial face off situations. All we have is Silly for that.
Come trading deadline ... see if we are buyers or sellers. If we are sellers ... obviously it will be for prospects. That frees up Okposo to play a few more games, however I think the max he should play is 9 ... only because of that contract stipulation ... nothing else. We can't be fooled into thinking he is the missing piece to make the Isles a legit contender for the cup. I want Okposo to get as much ice time as possible. That will be at the Bridge.
Dubie ... great backup ... no way is he an NHL #1 goalie. He proves that he's effective when he gets some games in. I think that Nolan has to rotate Dubester in every 9th or 10th game ... or at least once in a 3 game in 4 night stretch. I'm not one to speculate .. but there is a good chance the reason DP suffered a mild knee sprain is the constant stress on his knees game in game out. He faces lots of shots. He hasn't received the benefit of air tight defence that some other great goaltenders have received. He really gets lots of work. I think the 5 goals against Ottawa for Dubie would translate to 4 ... maybe even 3 goals against for DP. That is pure speculation .. because you can't predict how DP would of reacted on every shot ... but playing the odds ... that is the guess I'd make.
Rotate Dubie ... DP will still get a good 70 games in.
Satan .... Metal Chick is going to hate me for saying this ... but Satan has to be looked at as trade bait. MC gets the most loyal to player fan award. Someone has to ... because we tear the guys up when they don't meet expectations.
It's not even that Satan hasn't met expectations. He is one of my favorite players ... and has done a good job overall. I think him playing the point on a PP is a big mistake ... and not his fault. I think if he JoVas and Bergy stay together as a line ... and get rotated into the PP ... with Guerin, Comrie and Park as another unit ... the PP forward lines are taken care of. However ... that hasn't been the case. The reason I believe that Satan should be the center piece for a trade is because he's a UFA after this season. He can really help a top tier team on a long run to the cup, thus he has the most short term value. True we lose the negotiating rights for him till July .... but that didn't help us with Smyth last season. It's nothing personal against Satan ... he's welcome back next season in my book.
Silly would be another great role player to dangle for some draft picks or middle tier prospect.
If we are buyers ... it means we should be positioning ourselves for a division title or top 6 in Conference seed, anything less means we are setting ourselves up for a 5 or 6 game extension of the season. We have a shot of going to the second round if we finish 7th and play Carolina or an Atlantic Division opponent, we have no chance against Ottawa to win 4 games out of 7. Not a pessimist ... a realist. As a buyer ... we need speed .. and a real power play specialist at the point. If we have that we add dimension to the Islanders that teams will have trouble adjusting to. Then DP will be able to steal some games for us in the playoffs. What is the cost of those acquisitions ... it should NEVER be a 1st round pick ... unless the Caps want to dump OVY ... or a player of similar caliber .... that isn't going to happen ... so it's barely worth mentioning. Tamby would have to be in that package ... and KO ... untouchable.
Youth Movement... if the Isles are sellers and out of the race ... let March be the month of the future ... rotate each prospect in for 5 - 7 games ... let them get some NHL action.
I'll probably have to rethink some of my thoughts ... but that sums it up for now.
Happy New Year All!!!
JP
"Some funny stuff in there... but it's new years eve... you should be out trying to find a new ex-wife!"
Duff and now, apparently, Cyrus are already taken. That doesn't leave me much to chose from in the preferred "middle aged" demographic.
Besides, I'm still carrying the Isles curse of no Cup since I got married 24 years (and 14 days) ago.