There’s no doubt the success of the Islanders’ offense is tied to the success of their power play. With that in mind, coach Ted Nolan pulled aside defenseman Marc-Andre Bergeron at the pre-game skate today, informed him that he is back in the lineup against Buffalo tonight at HSBC Arena and told him to just do what comes naturally.
In other words, fire that cannon, and get it on net.
In one respect, it was music to Bergeron’s ears after sitting out the past two games following a tiff on the bench with assistant coach Gerard Gallant Wednesday in Atlanta. On the other hand, Bergeron knows it’s easier said than done.
“He wants me to be natural and do what I do best,” Bergeron said. “I would love to, but it’s hard when you’re in and out of the lineup. I’m not feeling that comfortable out there. I know that every now and then I’m going to do something wrong, and I’ll be out again. So, it’s not a position I really enjoy. But there’s no secret this is not an easy league to be part of. I’m going to work hard and I’m sure everything is going to be brighter.”
There’s an argument to be made that the player from Edmonton who helped the Islanders the most last season was Bergeron, not Ryan Smyth. The defenseman’s 100-miles-per-hour shot forced defenses to back off and give the Isles’ power play room to operate. Bergeron actually had more goals than Smyth with the Isles last season, 6-5.
But by the end of the season and in the playoffs against Buffalo, defenses adjusted and began sending heavy pressure at Bergeron to force turnovers or at least to crowd him so he couldn’t get his shot off quickly. Now, the pressure sometimes even makes it hard to move the puck down low to an open man on the wall.
“It’s a different year, different story,” Bergeron said with a shrug.
Bergeron’s defensive lapses have been the reason for Nolan yo-yoing him in and out of the lineup. But the coach knows that shot can make a difference. He told Bergeron yesterday that the power play’s recent struggles aren’t his fault, but that he can be part of the solution if he plays his game.
The Islanders won their last game at Tampa Bay with a four-on-three power play goal in overtime because they moved the puck quickly and took the good shot as soon as it presented itself. Sometimes, Bergeron tends to hold the puck too long before either winding up for his slapshot or making a decision to pass. Things need to happen faster.
“Yeah, when you go through what our whole power play has been going through, it’s hesitating, hesitating, hesitating versus just letting your natural ability take over,” Nolan said. “The one thing Bergeron can do is shoot the puck. He’s got to get himself in position real quick, and we’ve got to get the puck to him and he’s got to unleash it.”
Bergeron is without a goal in the past 12 games he has played and has only two for the season, last scoring on Oct. 27 against Carolina. Maybe the Islanders will be inspired by their return to Buffalo, where the power play went 3-for-3 on opening night in a 6-3 victory that helped get the season off to a fast start. With three power play goals in the past four games, the Isles are showing signs of life with the man advantage, but they still are just 6-of-67 on the power play over the past 15 games.
“If you look at earlier in the year, we had a great start and our power play was good,” Bergeron said. “With the new rules, power play and penalty killing are the most important assets of your game, and we’re kind of proving it right now. The power play has been slumping, and the team has been slumping. The PK has been standing strong, so, obviously, the power play has got to get going.”
Comments (102)
After Sillinger scored the OT winner the last game he was interviewed after the game and was asked why he was giving it to Campoli and he said because Campoli was shooting the puck on the PP when Sillinger wanted to pass it around and even though it worked out on the 4 on 3 in OT that is part of the problem with the Isles PP not willing to stand in front of the net to screen and get rebounds while the shots are coming from the point. Personally I hate when they pass the puck around on the PP and don't shoot and end up killing the penalty for the opposition. I think this team is too soft up front I don't think they have enough of the type of player who is willing to take a beating in front like a Mark Parrish in order to score goals and provide screens.
Ted Nolan is easily the best coach this team has had that isn't named Al Arbour. However, reading those quotes from MAB completely validates my previous theory on the favoritism in this team. This is the reason I think it's necessary to bench Hilbert, Simon, et al for their issues: MAB feels singled out, and rightly so.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not an MAB apologist, but if you think about it he's really the only one who's been forced to pay for his mistakes on a consistent basis. When someone is making mistakes, you either give them time to iron out those problems or cut them completely, you don't bring them in and out of the lineup almost at will. I think doing this has not only thrown him off his game, but, if you watch him now, he's far more tentative in shooting. I haven't seen him hit a one-timer in I don't know how long, and he constantly winds up without actually shooting when he gets the puck. This is not the way to solve his issues...either he gets a solid lineup spot at the expense of a 4th line wing (or Berard), or he needs to be traded. This current practice is untenable, and as much as I wish he hadn't done it, MAB has put the team's management on notice. I expect a trade very soon, because it's looking like the only way to resolve this situation for all parties.
MAB back on the power play....I hope the organist and zamboni driver have helmets....Oh wait scratch that they have nets up now!
Get THREE TONGIHT BOYS...THREE GOALS (at least) !! TWO POINTS !
Nick, I don't know. Nolan takes each person individually and basically breaks 'em down and builds them back up depending on who they are and what they need. For those who can handle that, it benefits their game greatly. Look at Campoli...he was acting cocky last year thinking he was a given for the lineup, and when he was healthy Nolan told him to take a breather down in Bridgeport. He came back with a little edge to his game, and obviously worked hard this offseason to make sure that doesn't happen again. He took the message and used it as motivation to get batter.
MAB? I don't know, but judging from these quotes, he just doesn't seem to know when to shut up and start working. He gets in trouble for making a spectacle of himself and arguing with Gallant, and now, when he's given another chance, he goes right back to the media and starts complaining again. Not the kind of player we need, imo. Shut up, MAB, work on what you're told to work on, and maybe you'll be a regular in the lineup. I think one of several reasons why he's so much worse than last year is because he bought into the hype that he was one of the "untouchable" top four, and he didn't work hard to improve. There's a lot about his game that he needed to work on, and it's clear that he did not do that during the offseason, or during the preseason.
But maybe I'm reading too much into the “I would love to, but it’s hard when you’re in and out of the lineup. I’m not feeling that comfortable out there" and not enough into the "I’m going to work hard and I’m sure everything is going to be brighter.”
We'll see.
Isle27 - I agree that the team doesn't shoot enough on the PP, but I also hate when fans are screaming "Shoot it!" to a guy who has a defender clearly in the lane. The same fans then boo when the shot goes off a defender's leg and harmlessly into the corner. The whole point of passing it around is to get the defenders to move so you open up some lanes. I think the problem with the Isles' PP is they all stand in one spot when they pass it around. If they cycled more...forwards to the point, defensemen down low, then back again, etc...and got the defenders moving side to side, and up and down, then their passing would open lanes and someone like MAB could get free to take a shot.
Completely agree about needing ppl in front of the net.
Upstate, I agree with you. My whole point is that due to the differences in discipline, MAB's main thought seems to be "I'm being singled out and taken off my game" rather than "If I become more responsible defensively, I'll stay in the lineup." I admitted right in my post that I wish he hadn't said it, but it was just as bad for Nolan to say "The ONE thing Bergeron can do is shoot the puck."
On the Gallant issue, I'm still vacillating. As many people have pointed out, it's good that he wanted to be on the ice, even if he picked the wrong venue to voice his concerns. Its basically gotten to the point where he needs to be traded for this situation to resolve itself. It's clear he doesn't want to change because he'd rather make excuses, so either he needs to play his game or he needs to go.
Bergeron, schmergeron
Gallant, schmallant
Nolan, schmolan.
He said, who said, I said, we said.......
Everyone STFU, play the game and win the game.
Just my opinion, I could be wrong.
I like the way Mr.New Mexico thinks....here's to more than 3 goals and a win tonight.
Steady,
"MAB back on the power play....I hope the organist and zamboni driver have helmets...."
I'd be more worried about the back ref.
Just having Bergeron out there CONSISTENTLY on the PP is gonna make Berard a better QB.
Cuz, IMHO, HE has been sucking for about 6 weeks now.
Right about the time MAB started doing irregular press box time.
St. Nick,
As much as I would like 3 goals and a win, (last week I predicted 4 goals and a win against the Thrashers and then JoVas hits the GD post in OT of a 4-3 loss), I have no problem with a 1-0 win....
ANYTIME.....
Beats the hell out of 6-5 loss.
Despite all the clamoring from all (myself included) for more goals, it is IMPERATIVE that the Isles do not forget and especially SACRIFICE what has gotten them to this point in the season.
This team does NOT have the horses to get into a track meet.
As exciting as the last home again against PITT was last year, I seriously doubt that this team can perform like that.
It is PAINFULLY clear that this team must work harder for goals.
In the meantime, build off the strength of keeping pucks from going behind DP.
IF .... and this is a big IF ..... MAB's power play time gets him going offensively that helps the Isles on two fronts.
#1 ... it gets the Isles PP back on track to early season levels.
#2 ... it ratchets up MAB's stock and makes him a valuable trading chip.
However the paradox is .... if he's helping the PP thus helping the Isles win more consistently ... do you really want to mess with that formula by trading him? That would be a pleasant issue to have to deal with should the opportunity present itself.
IF ... he doesn't help the PP ... then it's pretty much status quo. I can't see him hurting a PP that already has been the pits the last month or so. So it's pretty much a wash at the worst putting MAB back on the PP. My only concern then would be his defensive play.
IF .... and this is a big IF ..... MAB's power play time gets him going offensively that helps the Isles on two fronts.
#1 ... it gets the Isles PP back on track to early season levels.
#2 ... it ratchets up MAB's stock and makes him a valuable trading chip.
However the paradox is .... if he's helping the PP thus helping the Isles win more consistently ... do you really want to mess with that formula by trading him? That would be a pleasant issue to have to deal with should the opportunity present itself.
IF ... he doesn't help the PP ... then it's pretty much status quo. I can't see him hurting a PP that already has been the pits the last month or so. So it's pretty much a wash at the worst putting MAB back on the PP. My only concern then would be his defensive play.
My take on MAB: Pretty much he sucks. He's detrimental to the team. The sooner he's jettisoned, the better.
So what if he has a "big" shot? He cannot hit the net with it, he gets blocked maybe like 85-90% of the time, he is a gruesome liability on defense, he argues with his coaches in the middle of a game. Nowhere near enough upside to offset his lacking defense. He would have to be an offensive hybrid of bobby orr and paul coffey to play the kind of D that he does.
Here's why he has to go: He doesn't fit in. He rides the pine for 3 games, then plays one. Then sits another two. Then plays another. Then gets benched because of some egregious on-ice mistake. What good can possibly be served by this? All it does it add a greater level of inconsistency to this lineup and team. If he's in, someone else is out. That means bad things for your skating and timing and lots of stuff like that, especially with the erratic schedule the isles have. By going back and forth all the time, the only thing you ensure is that you never make it to or sustain actual game-time conditioning. This is bad for him, bad for whoever's spot he takes, bad for the team as a whole. We can't have him going for encounter-group sessions all the time when there are hockey games to be played and won. Its time for him to go.
Besides, I thought we figured out that the 5-on-5 play was where the real deficiency in the isles was, where they needed some more offense to bridge the gap. I'd never put that clown on the ice 5-on-5.
Lowe knew exactly what he was sending this way, just as we now know exactly what we'll be shipping to someone else, hopefully sooner rather than later. For all the attention he gets around here, you'd think he was paul coffey or bobby orr. He just ain't, folks. Accept it and move on.
BTW, Pardon me for an off topic rant here, and the following rant is about a topic that is probably more suitable to Neil Best's blog but....
Did anyone see the Center Ice broadcast of the Isles/Panthers game last week?
It was the Florida feed with Denis Potvin doing the color commentary for the home team as usual. (he does a damn fine job as well).
My "topic" is about an often belabored point about Al Trautwig being anti-Islander.
What's that got to do with Denis Potvin doing color for Florida, you say?
In the opening seconds Potvin came on the air and said (I am paraphrasing) "This game is always the hardest game for me to do as a professional announcer. I had a long wonderful career with the Islander organization. I still have allegiances to that team. But I am here to tell you that I wear a Panther jersey now and I am committed to the Panther organization" (my take-"so excuse me if my old allegiances pop through once in awhile while I am calling this game?").
My beef, my rant, my whine of the day is.....
Why can't Al Trautwig be a little more honest and straighforward like that?
Why can't Al Trautwig say things like that instead of "I'm just calling 'em like I see 'em"
Why does Al Trautwig continue to be the same unprofessional hypocrite today in regards to the Islanders as he was 24 years when he was calling games for the USA network or whoever it was back then?
That's all we Islander fans ask for AL, JUST OWN UP TO IT!!!
Just my opinion, I could be wrong.
Saint Nick: I have been saying it as well, he sits MAB for mistakes but he never sits Hilbert for mistakes. Hilberts mistakes on the offense is what i am taking about.
505: Denis Potvin has class on TV, Al Trauts does not. He will jab us as much as he can b/c of his position and No one is gonna go against him b/c he is not saying it about the RAGs. I wish we could have a total different pre-game.
Anon: if you do not like the long posts, go somewhere else or do not read them. No one is forcing you to read them
i hope Tambs does good tonight and I would love to see NO Simon on the PP.
"My beef, my rant, my whine of the day is.....
Why can't Al Trautwig be a little more honest and straighforward like that?
Why can't Al Trautwig say things like that instead of "I'm just calling 'em like I see 'em"
Why does Al Trautwig continue to be the same unprofessional hypocrite today in regards to the Islanders as he was 24 years when he was calling games for the USA network or whoever it was back then?"
Because, he is - Al Trautwig.
There are at least 4 or 5 times when I gasp at what he says every broadcast. Even the other night when they had Gary Bettman on - he was completely condescending towards Bettman and even brought up really stupid stuff in the interview. He can be completely unprofessional at times.
Frie ... I don't think there are many Islander fans that would disagree with your assessment that MAB has to go.
The problem is ... if he's in the press box .. it is much harder to trade him if scouts are sharing a seat next to him.
He's got to play ... even if it's just on the power play. The more he plays the more he gets what timing he has back... and the more scouts see him. The negative side ... if he doesn't really play well then he knocks his value down more. Still ... he can help a team more desperate on the power play.
It's going to be a really tough sell to unload MAB at this point. You don't think other GMs already have the skinny on MAB? I'm sure right now they see a problem player with more downside than upside. So the only way to up his stock is to let him play while the PP is struggling. Like I said earlier .. if he doesn't help it.. at worse is a wash.
It's kind of like trying to sell a house in disrepair. You can wait to the right person happens to come along and is willing to buy it without offering much less then you are asking. Or you can throw in some upgrades and slap some paint on to make it more desirable. Point is .. MAB will not get any better sitting next to Greg Logan in the PB. That will only happen on the ice in game situations... the sooner we get through that ... the sooner we can unload him.
You're right, I forgot to add at the end there the only way he should be playing is if he's getting showcased.
Hey Beef,
Which "out of context" school did you graduate from?
Care to post a link to where you dredged that snippet from?
Cause the way I read the 1st line.......
"Still, Shanahan, a 20-year veteran, said he liked the atmosphere in the Rangers’ half of the empire."
I'd say Shannie was talking about MSG and sharing space in that corporate "empire" with the Knicks
Oh, and then the next line...
"He likes that they make their news almost exclusively on the ice."
Hmmm. Knicks again Beef?
It gets better Beef....
"He likes that most of his teammates live in the city. He likes riding the subway from his home on the Upper West Side."
Let me guess, most of the KNICKS live outside the city?
"“What other team does that?” he said, smiling. “We’re New York’s team.”
New York CITY's team is what he is saying, oh BEEF master.
"Straight from the horses mouth Isles fans."
Okay, Beef, so what the hell does that cut and paste article have to do with the Isles?
WEAK does not even begin to define your feeble attempt at cutting Isles and their fans with that entry.
Go back to the cutting room and come back with some legitimate USDA PRIME BEEF, instead of the not fit for human consumption
meat you just left here.
Trautwig is a big time tool. He would be perfect for a nyr pregame. Thank god for the maven on those telecasts
well. 1-0 this game is over.
comrie might have the worst hands for a goal scorer in the league. Wide open net. not that he cares. heart of a mouse.
simon on the pp. this team is pathetic.
Just watched Rudolph with my kid and missed the 1st period. Shocker, the Isles did not score.
I was laguhing my a^^ off equating the Isles too the "Land Of Misfit Toys!"
Sillinger as the toy no team keeps.
Hilbert as the "Charlie in the box"
MAB as a guy with a shot that cannot go on net.
DP as the Goalie that would rather be out!
Comrie as the goal scorer who doesn't try.
Nolan as the King Lion
We really are the Island of misfit toys......Hopefully Santa can find homes for them !! :) Pretty funny stuff.
The dentist (elf) looks like the San Diego kicker!
Steady, that's hysterical. I like Satan as the sniper that refuses to shoot as well.
Two periods to turn it around. Definitely doable. Buffalo's D is turning the puck over a lot, so the Isles have to capitalize on that...well, 2-0 now, so probably not
One thing I noticed...they showed the highlights from the first two games vs. Buffalo, and then showed the hightlights from the game in Tampa. Biggest difference: first two games there were tic-tac-toe passes and very quick shots. Now, it's a pass, settle the puck down, look around, pass, settle the puck down...almost like they're moving at about half the speed that they were.
Here is some more:
Simon as the fighter who plays on PP
Guerin as the Captain that can't score
Dubie as the back up that never plays
Snow a the goalie that plays GM
Bates as the skater that never skates
With the first pick in the 08 draft the Islanders select........????
I'm just trying to make myself laugh so I do not cry. Jets-Pats game this weekend in Foxboro......Omar doing zip at the Winter meetings........I AM IN A SPORTS LIVING HELL !!!!
Upstate Isles Fan ....
I noticed the same difference between those October games too ... except I saw that when I went to look at Game 1 last week. I still have it saved on TiVo ... The Isles were decisive and energetic. They attacked the puck ... and they didn't give opposing teams a chance to setup defensively against them.
On a side note .... I found this You Tube clip hysterical.... I'm sure Rags fans would too ... but you have to have a sense of humor for this ....
Future Islander tough guy in the making .... and what we might have left in the minors if we keep depleeting our system for aging veterans that look for greener pastures.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hyjm3A0N_VE&feature=related
Sabres and Isles look like two different teams from October .... right now the hockey Gods are looking down at this game saying ... ahhhhh that's more like it. This is just painful to watch.
Steady .... How about this for your land of misfit toys addition?
The NHL Draft 2008
Snow gets up to the microphone and says ... "The NY Islanders would like to select with the first overall pick ...Heisman Trophy Winner ... Tim Tebow" .... The whole arena is instantaniously hushed to a dead silence .. Then goes.. HUHH???!!
Funny thought ....But I give Snolan a little more credit though.
MAB had all the time in the world to put that over Miller into a yawning net ... No scoring instinct.
HOOORAYYY!! We scored 3 goals!!!
Oh, wait...
What a frustrating team this is. It just sucks. Missing wide open nets because they can't lift the puck. Figures that DiPietro plays strong all year, he lets in a softie and they lose. This team has to fight for its' goalie. Again just frustrating.
well another loss, this might be a blessing in disguise (does anyone really want to see another 4-5 game first round loss again?). I just wanted to add my 2 cents about MAB. I like him, he seems like he has the skills but just needs to be put in the right position to succeed I blame Nolan and Gallant for this. If he is traded, watch him become the next Dan Boyle.
hate to be Debbie Downer here but .... put a fork in us, we're done!!!
As hard as they try they just don't have the skills to play with other teams. Remember that kid in little league that no matter what happened, you just knew he couldn't hit the ball or catch the ball? (kinda like Lupus from the Bad News Bears) ... well, ladies and gents ... I introduce you to your 2008 New York Lupusders!!!!!
I think I'll throw my support behind the Knicks .... oh wait ..... they're worse!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Actually, if you really want a good laugh .... here are the teams I root for:
NHL - Islanders
NBA - Knicks
NFL - Dolphins (no crap, I'm a Fins fan)
MLB - Yankees (tough year but still better than the Mets)
NCAA football - Notre Dame
NCAA basketball - St. John's
Are you kidding me???? I might have my own personal draft lottery and pick all new teams .... I've thrown more jerseys in the garbage this year than I can count!!!! Someone give me the name of a good psychiatrist! HELPPPPPPPP
19 Isles- Where'd you find the Bridgeport clip???
19 ISLE in NJ 22 ,
No scoring instinct? He was off balance and tried a shovel shot. It's not like he came skating in with all the time in the world. Do you even know anything about hockey? Have you actually played?
Does it make sense to have MAB and Berard in the lineup??? MAB played 11 minuts, Berard 4 ... that's sick!! We need healthy Berard or MAB without defensive mistakes who will play 25+ in every game ... This is really sick!!
Sorry IslesBri.....As long as you have the Yankees you cannot pout!!!!!
A REAL DISCUSSION:
Have we over-rated Nolan? Especially me! I love the guy as a coach. Yet how come teams like Jersey and Boston are winning? I do not see more talent on their teams! How come we continue (JUST LIKE LAST YEAR) to take horrible penalties? How come we still are the worst team at clearing the puck?
Why is Chris Simon on our PP ? Why is Hunter getting worse, not better?
We cannot even say people want to stay to play for him!
***At the start of the season this team was fun to watch. Not b/c they won, b/c they played hard. This team is now harder to watch than last years team.......Say what you want about Blake, but it was fun to watch him last year. Tell me ONE PLAYER that is as enjoyable to go see????????? NVMC is going to be a ghost town tonight and for many weeks to come! Officially miserbale over yet another team. BOBBLEHEADS WAKE UP!! *****
By the way ALL OF YOU that said the three picks we gave away for Captain Canada stunk.....Go look at how they are doing!
Another BOBBLEHEADS MASTERPIECE !!! Told you (as did some others) it would go down as a horrible trade! This is right up their with the MILBURY moves !!!! A goalie as GM.....Too funny!
I'm gonna strangle a chowder head today I am so miserbale over sports. Thank God for children to make us smile. Belichicken said he canceled practice yesterday b/c it was NOT NEEDED!!!!! Please GOD......PLEASE GIVE ME A MIRACLE !!!
IslesBri I might be just as bad as you with my teams:
NHL-Isles (its going to be a long year)
MLB-Yanks (Have hope?)
NFL-Jets(NO HOPE! Kellen Clemens is not the answer but neither was Chad, but he was a warrior)
NBA-Golden St. (ehhh, not going to win a Championship)
NCAAB-Seton Hall (The Big East is too large and deep for my Pirates to compete anymore)
Sports He.. is what I live in as well. All my seasons are over already! Guess I'll hit the gym all the time after work and on weekends!
It's geting harder and harder to remain quiet while retaining my optimism for the team. That being said, last night's play does leave me scratching my head. Yes, MAB needs to play so it puts us in a better position to trade his sorry ass out of here. He wore his welcome out long ago and any initial benefit of his booming shot has gone the way of the 8 track cassette. To complicate matters even more, the coaching staff dressed somewhere near 10 defenceman last night ( why not Freddy Meyer too???) and didn't even use them. It completely disrupted any flow to their individual games and as the Mad Bomber rightfully states; they're all looking over their shoulders in fear of making a mistake that jetisons them to the pressbox. While I've always admired Guerin's overall play; he did earn a minimum trip to the end of the bench last night but it was treated with blind eyes.Ted needs to revisit his transparent theory on consistent team treatment. He's routinely ushering MAB and Bruno to the pressbox while our retired pugilist Chris Simon sees periodic PP time along with his other visible ethnic favorite Richard Park. The balance between earning perks, proper playing positions and press box sentencing is totally out of whack now.
At the end of the game we had all forwards on the ice....are you kidding me???? If experiments are the order of the day, let's bring up Macdonald, Wotton, Spiller, Kohn and Fata from Bridgeport and then we can run three lines of all defencemen.
I'm not one to panic but I am one to balance my patience with some logic. I'm not advocating giving away the farm in a trade but I wouldn't wait forever. We explode for three goals every 15 games which just isn't going to cut it. If the right deal for a proven scorer isn't possible, let's become seller's sooner than later. The upcoming drafts in the next two years are ripe with franchise type players so let's stop kidding ourselves. If this becomes the route to go, let's get young guys like Tambellini, Campoli and Gervais tons of ice time now to grow their own PP/PK experience. Let's make the right trades for the Satan's, Guerin's and Hunter's so that our draft picks are surrounded by a core of youth too.
If Ted benches Berard for a lazy penalty, why didn't he bench Guerin after that horrendous giveaway that led to the Sabres 3rd goal?
To Brian in VA .... not a good list by you but think of this:
1) your Jets CRUSHED the Dolphins twice ... if the Jets are bad, what does that make the Dolphins???
2) GS is WAAAAAAAYYYYY better than the Knicks right now ... u made the playoffs last year and gave Dallas a beat down (you had to love that) ... unfortunately, the WEST is stacked right now so you're in a tough spot ... Knicks got beat down by the Sonics last night! The Sonics!!!! GS beat them by a bunch on the road already and Knicks had NO ANSWER for a beanpole named Durant. Plus, you have Chris Mullin as your GM and he's my ALL TIME favorite b-ball player (u know, the whole St. John's thing)
3) the Hall is about the same as SJU but SH is 7-3 vs. SJU since 2000 and you've been in the NCAA tourney 3 times in that span ... nada for SJU
So, granted, you're teams aren't racking up championships but they are in a much better state than mine.
Go Yanks!!!! (until I find out that Bernie, Jeter, Mo, Jorge and Andy are all in the Mitchell Report ... oh boy!!!!!)
Oh and no offense but there is no way I could possibly care any less about basketball, football, or even baseball at this point in time. I guarantee that nobody is going over to THEIR blogs and posting all about hockey, so lets not talk about their crap here. Fair?
Why does talking about winning hurt too much?
Isles Bri here are my teams:
NCAAFB: NOTRE DAME ( SAD YEAR)
NHL: ISLES
NBA: COULD CARE LESS
NCAABB: UNC
NFL:GIANTS
MLB; YANKEES
i do feel bad for the Jets/Mets/and Knick fans....
In all honesty, why is anon even here, no one cares on what he says.he is the reason the blog system was changed.
MAB stats are not bad for the time he has played but it seems he does make those plays that are so obvious
Steady: Nilsson is playing good in the last couple games and is playing the 2nd line. But the offer we put out for Smyth was originally for St.Louis for Guerin...look at what the sharks gave up. Teams new what we were offering, and we got denied from St.louis which in part was b/c of JD hatred of the Isles. Smyth fell in our lap and alot of GM's thought Lowe was crazy for doing it. We only had to 2 interested teams, if this deal was so good we would of gotten more teams. I do agree if we held onto Nilson we would of gotten more this year O'marra i think is still in the ECHL. the first round pick EDM took esposito i am not sure about that and usually after the first 10 picks, in the draft most teams are more than willing to give up the draft pick. We would not have much anyways to trade if they were here, I still do not agree with either trade was bad but we can do nothing about it anymore
But it is kind of funny how EDM is trying to shop Torres now.
Now here's a future...
http://www.courant.com/sports/hockey/hc-wolfpack1212.artdec12,0,6728586.story
Gee, a minor league team that is 20th out of 29 teams on the penalty kill. Yeah, great future lol.
Mike Richards on the Flyers is going to sign a 10-12 year contract worth around 5 million a year.
Maybe the team should forget about putting three goals in the net and just concentrate on solid defense again, which is really their bread and butter. If they lose 1-0 but play responsibly, then at least DP isn't facing 40+ shots during the game.
I don't know, maybe they're obsessing over trying to score now and that's why their defense looked horrendous last night. The Sabres of last year were a high-flying offensive team, but they used to give up a fair amount of goals. Imagine if they tried to fix that by attempting to turn themselves into a trap team. It wouldn't have fixed their D, since they didn't have the personnel for that, and it would have halted their offense. The Isles are a D-first team, and that's what they should be concentrating on. If they don't score, they don't score. Doesn't really matter in the end if they score one goal and lose by one or score three goals and lose by two, except poor DP's stats look a lot worse. And they stand a much better chance of winning a low-scoring tight checking game than an offensive duel.
I will say that I've never seen a team commit as many glaring turnovers as the Sabres did and still win a hockey game. Must've been at least 15-20.
Tambs sent down, Jackman called up
Tambs is out and jackmens in....i dont know if i like this but hopefully he jump starts the isles again
come on boys...win 2nite...just win!!!
"Tambs sent down, Jackman called up"
Jackman? I think the only thing he did last time up was lose fights. Horribly. Much rather see Walter get another shot.
Farewell, Jeff Tambellini! We hardly knew ye.
What does this mean, exactly? That Ted hates Tamb? That he's got nothin' but Love for him, but he needs more time to develop? That Tamb had his shot and blew it, and now just exists to sit around and contemplate how much it sucks to not be a Teddy favorite? I gotta wonder after all that we heard about how this is his shot and if he's going to be a fixture here, now is the time, etc. Evidently, he wasn't good enough to stick around... I am curious.
Upstate: You lose 1-0, you still lose. That's all. There's no moral victory for playing flawlessly executed boring hockey.
You could make the argument that the isles MUST play that kind of hockey, because its the only way they can possibly win a game. But that does not guarantee success and will not draw more fans.
Think about it. The Devils own the flawless defensive hockey grail. They won a LOT of games with it, but they didn't score and nobody went to see them. They not only smothered the opposing offense, but caused loads of other teams to try and emulate them until it got to the point where nobody was scoring anymore and they had to institute wholesale rule changes to get the offense back. That kind of hockey is just not what people want to see.
That's why I said earlier, that I'd rather have the Caps roster, where I would get to see an absolute STAR player every game I go to, an exciting player to watch, who by himself justifies the price of admission. That way at least I'm entertained for the 4 hours and however much money it takes to go see a game. Plus, you don't pull your hair out over barely making it to the playoffs, only to suffer an embarrassing defeat, year after year. You just take your nice fat pick and make your team better.
I'm not going to go on a huge rant abou this because, well, I've done it already numerous times, but ...
I don't get how Nolan can say that Tambellini needs to be on a top line to be productive yet still only give the kid UNDER 10 minutes each game? How can anyone get in the flow of the game when you touch the ice so sparadically ...the ice girls get more ice time than he does!
I'm not saying Tambellini is great or that he even could be great, but what more can he do in the AHL ...he's been putting up numbers in the AHL for several years - it's long past due for him to get a REAL shot to play in the NHL.
How can the Isles ever really see what their young guys are made of if they never get a chance to play? How can you see if Tambellini or Walter can help a pitiful PP when you have guys like Simon and Park out there ...
Well, I guess that was longer than I had thought ...
I'm going to be one of the few in as Steady put it the "ghost town" tonight ...between the weather and the team's performance I should be one of 274 people (including players and staff) at the game ;-/
PLEASE DRAFT STAMKOS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Go get em AZS....You are the only highlight reel we will see tonight....Flip someone the bird !!! :) :)
I am scared to see how few fans will be there tonight due to their play and the weather!
We are getting DUMPED on up here....6" to 14" of snow! Sunday we are supposed to get even more.....Bet the Jets HEAVY with the weather going to be as bad as it is!!!! No way will they leave their studs in the game to abuse us in such bad weather! If they do, I hope Rhodes does a "COBRA KYE" and sweeps the leg of Brady aka Danielson! !!!!
I'm in the car on my way from Pa azs....on the sothern state right now. DIE HARD... F' the weather
Frei- maybe YOU would prefer the Caps roster, but noone down here goes to see them either. And they are the only game in town.
Frei: "Upstate: You lose 1-0, you still lose. That's all."
Yeah, that's my point, acutally. I didn't say there was a moral victory. Losing 1-0 is the same as losing 6-4, but (a) DP cannot keep facing 40 shots a game, which happens when they focus too hard on trying to score a lot of goals with a team w/ limited offensive capabilities instead of focusing on defense, and (b) the Islanders stand a much better chance of winning a game that's low scoring rather than a back and forth shootout.
What I'm trying to say is that they're concentrating so hard on "scoring three goals," that they're abandoning their only strength (defense) in the process. What good is scoring three goals if you give up five?
Simon takes a BAD penalty. Will Nolan bench him like he did to Berard, or will he still continue to get first line shifts and PP time?
I guess since there's no ranger game tonight the high school kids can't watch their 38 year old team leader fall down in overtime and lose the game for them lol.
Bergenheim is playing well. 3 guys on one line playing like that would do a lot of damage.
isles4ev
To answer your questions regarding your post:
"Posted by isles4ev | December 13, 2007 02:11
19 ISLE in NJ 22 ,
No scoring instinct? He was off balance and tried a shovel shot. It's not like he came skating in with all the time in the world. Do you even know anything about hockey? Have you actually played?"
YES!! MAB has NO SCORING INSTINCT
Scorers CAN Score off balance.
YES!! I know something about hockey.
Yes!! I have actually played.
I hope that answers your question.
I think Bergy will become a nice hockey player. He's not just a fourth line-type high energy player with no direction. He's an energy player, but he puts himself in good places in the offensive zone. He just needs to work on his shot a little.
Merrick
Posted by Merrick | December 12, 2007 23:58 19 Isles- Where'd you find the Bridgeport clip???
I found that clip while looking for one of my Nephew's games where he made a series of 5 saves with 15 seconds left in a one goal game on You Tube.
Guerin!!!!! Hard Working Garbage Goal!!! That is the way to be in positon!!
Good positioning by all three of them on that one.
Because we can't score goals.
And is anyone else amused by these Christie Brinkley promos? "Islanders... the Most Exciting Team on Ice"
Christie baby, you're lookin' very fine at 53 but let's try and keep a little perspective here, shall we?
Most TV broadcasts show skyline shots, scenic attractions of the city the game is playling in.
The Isles broadcast ... shows shopping in the Roosevelt Field Mall .... Ohhhh How Suburbia. Classic. The only mall shot that would be considered impressive to me is the Mall of America in Minni ... or Edmonton Mall.
OMFG MAB SCORES POWERPLAY GOAL
boy we're kicking some ass now
haha...Christie definitely is a bit overly optimistic in that commercial.
MAB hits the net. Pleasant surprise!
OMG!!!!!! MAB!!!!!!
Now that is the way to do it ... he SHOT it ON the FLY!!!