On the Islanders Beat

Give him an extension.

The notion that he can't teach is absurd: he took a Junior team to the Memorial Cup for crying out loud. If that isn't teaching I don't know what is.

Jim, You are either a ranger$ fan or you just do not know anything about hockey and its lore. Al Arbour was a great coach. Why not give him one game to make it an even1500?? He deserved it and it should have been done earlier but Nolan brought it to people's attention. They were a dynasty there is no reason why they cant have a 25 year anniversey to celebrate something that you will NEVER see again. The mets had a 20th celebration for 86. They didnt win 4. The ranger$ will have a 20th anniversery for there one fortunate championchip since World War II and no one including yourself will care because ooo its MSG. Firing Nolan will be the end of this franchise, It will go down the tubes. They cannot fire this man. He is the right guy for the job right now. Snow and Wang are idiots just like you Jim.

While Jim wrote a less than flattering (and accurate) article during the season about Al Abour night, this one wasn't that bad. It was really Anthony who wrote a smashing piece.

Anthony though I agree with your side of the debate, you come off as a hater. Why even bother writing about the Isles? Anyone have a Ranger troll who can take his place?

Give Nolan at least a 1 year extention - this guy had no offensive players this season and none on the horizon for next season - That's not his fault - The GM put all of his eggs in one basket (Ryan Smyth) and really didn't have a back up plan after he was gone on the first day of free agency last July. That's why the 2007-08 lineup had so many castoffs & retreads from other teams - No bigtime Free agents want to sign with the Islanders. Not many good free agents this July - So expect sort of team same team for the 2008-09 Season

who do you think your going to replace NOLAN with there is not enough good coaches to go around in the nhl so be careful what you wish for you don't fire a coach in today's nhl without having a good replacement in mind nolan's a great coach and i wish the media would stop making this a bigger deal than it already is

I think the Islanders would completely destroy there organization by firing Nolan.....Nolan is NOT putting the product on the ICE, SNOW IS!!!Nolan has been an excellent coach from the beginning, and he is a very good coach for this team, and will only be better once he is given a good product to coach...Everyone was complaining about playing the youngster, play the youngster, and yes i did want to see the kids play, but the kids need to be surrounded by VETERANS to mentor them...By the end of the season, ALL THE KIDS were playing, but they were playing w/o majority of the VETERANS to help the kids, and what happend????? NOTHING!!!! If anyone should be the scapegoat, it should be SNOW!!! WANG IS a complete imbecile for hiring SNOW as our GM....the guy has no GM experience, DO you really think hes gonna have any positve showings????? NOO!! What this team needs is a Owner who stays out of the picture, A GM with EXPERIENCE who will put the right product on the ICE, so that NOLAN can COACH this team into the playoffs, and to eventually WIN THE CUP!!!! ANYONE who thinks NOLAN should be fired, is just as much an IMBECILE as WANG!!! Dont get me wrong, if it werent for WANG the ISLANDERS probably wouldnt be here right now, and Id like to thank Wang for keeping the ISLANDERS on Long Island, and it is much appreciated by EVERY ISLANDERS FAN, but WANG needs to stop with his committee, HIRE a veteran GM, and STAY OUT OF THE PICTURE, and CONCENTRATE on the LIGHT HOUSE project, and THAT IS IT!!!!

I will be content with Keeping both Nolan and Snow, and give Snow some time to make things happen, BUT if the ISLANDERS are looking to fire someone, and they decide to fire NOLAN, I will make this perfectly clear, they are losing a FUTURE SEASON TICKET HOLDER!!! aND i think for every ISLANDER fan who is NOT in favor for FIRING NOLAN, we need to stick behind HIM and Make it well KNOWN to WANG that its the WRONG decision!!!!

GIVE NOLAN AN EXTENSION.....GIVE NOLAN AN EXTENSION!!!!!

Fire Nolan??? What kind of crack are you smoking?

Nolan isn't the reason the Islanders didn't make the playoffs. From the begining of the season it was going to be a stretch that the Isles would make the playoffs.

All the injuries, especially to their all-star goaltender played a huge hand in the Islanders' fate.

19 ISLES : Yeah that was the guy. He's a sorry excuse for a hockey player. It's not a knock on Ranger fans either. We've played with good Ranger fans before, but that guy was aweful playing a checking hockey game. In open hockey were it's non-check he was good at skating straight up and down, but that is it.

Ranger fans commenting on an Islander blog? Some how I have visions of a Chris Elliotesque type character on the other side of the computer screen. Not knocking Ranger fans that make good hockey topic type comments. But you guys have some real "winners" there.

Oh, got your email reply btw. See ya there tomorrow. We'll be at the Cabin Bar tonight if you're interested too.

Who let Baumbach out from his mirror underneath the rock?

Healy....you call Baumbach's "Not in my book" article "accurate?
In what way?
Cuz he didn't count Arbour's win in "his book?"
There was nothing in that piece of trash he wrote that had anything to do with "accuracy". It was another in a long line of self-absorbed proclamations of Baumbach conceit.

And guys.....let's take these articles from Rieber and Baumbach for what they REALLY are.
A shameless attempt on their own behalf to woo readers from this VERY POPULAR BLOG (hell, they don't even GET ICE WORMS over there) over to their blog and boost their "hits".
Cuz, quite simply, NO ONE READS THEIR BLOG.

On one hand Rieber is "supporting" Ted Nolan yet spends all of his byte space blasting the Isle organization.
If anything, he made a case for Teddy to do the smart thing and pack his bags and get the hell out of town for his own good.
Baumbach, as usual, has ABSOLUTELY NOTHING good to say about anything Islander.

Why they even bothered to write that Mutt and Jeff pillaging of the Isles leads one to ponder....
Just as they malign the Isles for "shameless self promotions" of their products and ways to get fannies into seats......they are all too eager to use a similar strategy to lure people over to their own blogs in order to boost their own numbers.

I am disappointed in Greg for plugging them.
Look around at the other blogs (Best and Glauber for starters) and THEY have been plugging Dumb and Dumber as well.
Apparently it didn't work too well so Spin and Marty went after one of the most popular Newsday blogs (in terms of hits and posts) with a controversial article in order to draw readers.

HYPOCRITES---Both of 'em.

A cut and paste followup entry on Rebar and Brokebach's blog:

Fact of the matter Rebar and Brokebach....

All you've done today is regurgitate everything that has ALREADY been posted by serious hockey fans from Logan's blog and color it with anti-Islander vitriolics.
There is NOTHING NEW here that hasn't already been said on Logan's blog by REAL HOCKEY FANS.

Anything to get a few added hits (going from zero to sixty in how many seconds?) on your blog this month, eh boys?

But hey, if you eventually get canned from Newsday (one can only hope)...there just might be a future for you selling seats to Islander games.
As you so often point out....they are masters of regurgitation as well.

505:

Yeah once again my phraseology failed me. I put less flattering (and accurate) meaning "less flattering and less accurate" but instantly thought it could be construed either way. Too bad there is no edit button.

Was Jim's original article on Al Arbour accurate?? Not in my book!

Healy....
If I had taken time to read your post a second time, I probably could have made heads and tails out of the "accuracy" statement.
But my haste to flame Dumb and Dumber got the best of me and, besides, you gave me a good lead in for my comments to the Godd Couple.

"you gave me a good lead in for my comments to the Godd Couple"

Speaking of coaches.....as a becoming more famous coach on the NHL network says every night... in so many words...

"It's a team game...and there is no "I" in team.
There's a "t" and an "e" and an "a" and an "m"
But no "I".
The "I"......is in the beholder".

Nolan is a good coach.. they better appreciate what they have now... It all comes down to the fans $$$ and the majority of us love Nolan. This team needs stability more than anything... so firing a good coach is not the answer... Give the guy next year to prove himself.... I'm sure he'll earn the extention.

The reason Ted Nolan is against a rebuilding project/youth movement is because he knows that the coach is usually replaced by the time the rebuilding bears fruit. Give him a three year extension to let him know he is as important to the rebuilding of the franchise as Okposo & DP.

The Isles will not be able to attract a better coach. Any coach that you can argue is better than Nolan, would not want to sign with the Islanders. No established coach signs up for a rebuilding project that is just beginning.

P.S. Isles should draft Zach Bogosian

I know this is not a big revelation or anything, but reading the article on last night's town board meeting and the Lighthouse really should put to rest where Wang's interest lies the most:

"Supervisor Kate Murray said at yesterday's town board meeting that the Lighthouse group could separate the Coliseum renovation from the rest of the development and move it more quickly through the process.

But Wang and Rechler balked at the suggestion, adding that to do so would be economically unfeasible.

'It's Nassau County's responsibility to provide the Islanders with a first-class arena," Wang said. "They didn't have the money. We're willing to put up the money. It doesn't pay to just do the arena. The rest of the development creates thousands of jobs that are needed.'"

What about the jobs created by the actual NVMC renovation project and the additional money a new coliseum would generate directly from more corporate box seats and indirectly by helping to lure a free agent or two that might put people in the seats.

I've said all along that I don't care if Wang's intent in buying this team was to develop this area, as long as he opened his wallet for the team. But, I really didn't need to hear "It doesn't pay to just do the arena."

Looking forward to an update from Nick and KH...

The two idiots who wrote and asked this question about Nolan know about as much hockey as I do about MAB's living room.

Both are pathetic and clueless.

Nolan MUST stay and not for any reasons given by the two morons. (picture the two old dudes in the muppets)

**Rangers in a sweep
**Pitt in 5
**Philly in 7
**MTL in 5

then

**RAgs over MTL in 6
**Pitt over philly in 6

then

**Rags over pitt in 7

Anaheim over Rags in 6 for the cup !!

D-Money, I attended and spoke at that meeting.
The board did NOT say that the way it was presented, nor was Wangs reaction the way it was presented.
If youre interested, I wrote up what happened over on the Islanders official msg board (IslanderMania) :)

D-Money: I don't have time for a long post right now, however, the meeting went very well. I believe Bob Zambuto of our group is about to send out a newsletter with a full update on the meeting. Have you subscribed to our newsletter at www.lilighthouse.com ?

Just want to quickly respond to one comment you made. Re why Wang/Rechler are not willing to do the Coliseum alone. Wang has been losing some $15M *per year* on the Islanders. That is partly because Nassau County saddled him with a TERRIBLE arena-operation deal with SMG, where SMG takes 1/2 of all arena ad revenue, all parking and concession revenues, and a percentage of ticket sales(!) By far the worst deal in the NHL and it dooms the Isles to be in the red every year. The only way to make the arena renovation profitable is to do it as part of the larger Lighthouse project.

Wang/Rechler are going to invest $390M in the new arena alone. $35M is coming from the state for sewage improvements -- that money, matching what was given to the Buffalo Sabres when they built their new arena -- was committed years ago. There is NO contribution, NONE from Nassau County or from the Town of Hempstead. The tiny percentage of public money being contributed is extraordinary when you consider that, according to Andrew Zimbalist, the average arena/stadium deal is 75% financed with public funds. So you've got an almost entirely privately financed project, that will provide not only a new arena, but commercial and office development around it, sports facilities, green space, housing, etc. etc., with the result of turning asphalt into something beautiful and productive, and adding tens of millions of dollars to the local tax base.

If they do the arena by itself, they'll lose the only leverage they have to win approval for the rest of the Lighthouse project, and the NIMBYs plus local competitors who are threatened by the project will kill it. Then Wang would be stuck with a money-losing franchise until at least 2015, whent the SMG lease expires. I do not fault them in the least for refusing to do the arena by itself. And as an Islander fan, I want the team to gain the equation-changing benefits of a whole new environment around the Coliseum, which will boost the perception of the team, and attendance long-term. The arena alone won't do the trick.

(By the way, I know I owe you an email. I have been busy, but Nick and I will definitely be in touch to discuss environmental aspects...)

MetalChick: maybe I am just a bonehead, but I find IslanderMania to be one of the least user-friendly sites I have ever been on. Where the hell is your post on that board?

KH - no worries at all, figured one of you guys would post someting on the blog here, and touch base via email when you had the chance. And I am definitely signed up, so I look forward to Bob's email too.

Point taken on the rest of the stuff, trying to think big picture, I didn't take into account SMGs strangle hold on the franchise, and the need for the rest of the lighthouse project to supplement the guaranteed losses. Nothing in their contract that voids it if the building is renovated huh?

TMC-found it...thanks for the insight.

From 2,000 miles away, I will do anything and everything I can to help y'all out...

Thanks KH....I was stuck at work and couldn't attend the meeting, so he was the eyes and ears of the blog yesterday. Great job, sir!

D-Money, we'll be in touch about mass transit infrastructure options for the site as well as the other environmental issues.

Thanks for everything.

RE: SMG ~ SMG is more than an albatross around the neck of the Islander organization ..... they are virtually like someone trying to give a piggy back ride to a circus elephant.

One thing I brought up to my brother about 10 years or so ago when the ugly issue between the Isles & SMG first came to light was .... notice the letters that make up SMG? What are they close to? Anyone? Bueller?

That arena management deal has to be a textbook version of how not to run a sports franchise. Who made that deal anyway?

I know the Islander's cable TV package agreement brings them money ... but to me they mortgaged their future by selling their sold to the Devil (Dolan). TV exposure is more important than even a good arena revenue deal. Because when you have control over how you are exposed ... you are able to control your own destiny and how you are pertrayed by the general public.

Howie "Ranger" Rose ..... last name one letter shy of Rosen ..... is a huge Ranger fan .... and I can even tell you this much. 2 years ago when the Rangers first made the playoffs after a 7 year absence.... my buddy was working a Met game .... Howie kept asking him to keep track of the Ranger / Devil score during the game.... my guess is it wasn't to keep Met fans aprised of the score... because if they cared ... they'd of been watching the game themself .... also ... I'm sure he wasn't interested in the Devils fortunes either. You can read into it anyway you'd like.
---------------------------------------------
Fire Nolan???!!!!! I have one word for that in the spirit of World War II US Gen. McCallif in regards to the German request for surrender..... "NUTS!!!!"

Very nice on the history, 19Isles....At Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge, if I do remember correctly.

As for SMG - it was actually our dear friend former Sen. Al D'Amato who railroaded that deal through to benefit his friends. What a shocker, eh?

This Nolan thing is a non-issue, just two publicity-starved reporters trying to gain hits by instigating us.

Delete button ~ by selling their sold to the Devil .. change sold to soul

OFF TOPIC (aren't most of mine anyway?)

D-Money...
I have another cause for you to join.
I am starting a "Free the Roadrunner" Campaign down here in ABQ.
Complete with dacron t-shirts, plastic commemorative wrist-bands, styrofoam souvenir cups and various other non-biodegradable trinkets.
Everytime I go to the ABQ Zoo (aka Rio Grande Zoo), I am saddened by the plight of the roadrunner exhibit which has one Cartoon Star all by his lonesome in his gilded cage. While there are literally hundreds of his brethren running around free and easy right outside the gates and all over ABQ.
Why people in ABQ (90% of the visitors to the zoo are local) need to see a ROADRUNNER in a cage amazes me.
It's kinda like seeing a rat on display in the Central Park Zoo, or a goose anywhere in a cage on LI.
Free the roadrunner and maybe he can get those damn sparrows out of my swampcooler.
So c'mon and join up!!! Admission is free and I'll send you lot's of nice trinkets to show your support for nature!!

Nick

"As for SMG - it was actually our dear friend former Sen. Al D'Amato who railroaded that deal through to benefit his friends. What a shocker, eh?"

A FLYER??!!!
I'll get him at the next alumni event that I have no intention of attending.

The New York Islanders have agreed to terms on a two-year contract with center Rob Hennigar, the all-time points leader at the University of New Brunswick and the 2007-08 Canadian College Hockey Player of the Year.....

Islanders are now CONTENDERS!!! LETS GO ISLANDERS!!!!

I'm sure, tonysac, that you were sarcastic, but Canadian College Hockey BLOWS....BU plays an exhibition against a Canadian school every year, and our 3rd string goalie invariably shuts the team out with very little effort. We actually played UNB in the fall of 06, and I didn't even notice this guy....I hope I'm wrong and this is more than a depth signing.

YES NICK...THERE was more then sarcasm in that comment...but at least there could be possible potential!!

Of course, but seriously Canadian college hockey is just awful. It's nowhere near the level of competition in the US, so it strikes me that he went there instead of to an American college. I hope I'm wrong, but this doesn't excite me in the least.

Id be more excited seeing 2 midgets mud wrestling

I have two things to add for today.

1. We need to buy a big can of Raid to get rid of all these Ranger fans. (They're all over the place!)

2. Avery should tattoo tear drops by one his eyes b/c he's always crying about something!!!

Steady,
I gotta say that I raised an eyebrow and questioned your oracleness picking the Rangers in 4. But.....

Ranger's had a good one tonight....except for a coupla Dmen miscues in the 1st period...very good team D. And the big names really stepped up tonight.

Highlight of the night.....Sen's--the one time BEAST OF THE EAST....SHUTOUT IN Pit...lead by 41 year old Gary Roberts...
Ottawa was not only beaten, but waxed in the tough guy area as well at the end of the game.
Oh how the mighty and cocky have plummetted.
All goes back to Freddy Myers.
;)

And.....NOTE TO HOWIE "WDD" ROSE...
With 11 seconds to go in the game and a faceoff in the Ottawa zone...a caption popped up on the screen about the last shutout in playoff competition being in 2001 or something.
BOTH ANNOUNCERS...to THEIR credit....joked with each other about how they were NOT gonna touch that caption until the game was over.
The CREAM does rise to the top in all areas of playoff competition.

Hey NYR....
Go pick on Bob on your blog.

NYR....First off, its TONYSAC!!! If ur gonna post on an ISLANDERS BLOG, why dont u try being a GENTLEMAN, and have something Intelligent to say, or is that raising the education standards of a typical RANGER fan????? Second i did enjoy the game, very good game...still doesnt change my prediction..I think the devils out hustled the rangers all game..LUNQUIST played a stellar game, and hes the sole reason they won tonight...other then the lazy play by brodeur that led to callahans goal...Its gonna be the series of the GOALTENDERS!!...TWO of the top goalies in the LEAGUE are facing off....and i believe who ever scores the first goal in each game will be the winner of the game..both teams are trap orientated once they take the lead, unless its still the first period then u gotta still press, but as the game goes on, they tighten up more and more...Devils come back and shutout the rangers 2-0..

PS NYR...If u didnt notice, You hurt my feelings, and i would appreciate an apology...Thank you, and goodnight!!

19 ISLE in NJ 22

Point well taken regarding having 2 #1 centers... but the kid is only 18 years old right?

I agree with your thought process... get to a hockey town, be the #1... and get paid.... but my "everyone is grateful to just be playing a game for a living" tells me that he would be happy to be suiting up next to or behind Lecalvelier and St. Louis.

But i do understand your explanation.

DOC

??????

Snow blamed the Islanders' failure to make the playoffs on "a handful of players who didn't play to their capabilities" and the fact they led the NHL in man-games lost to injuries.

this is scapegoating, pure and simple. giving snow more time is fine. he's a sharp guy, knows hockey, and 1 season is not enough to evaluate him. but - the players he blames simply were not and are not good enough. almost eveyone knew that going in. he should just say "we weren't good enough" and leave it at that. placing the blame on them indicates he is not yet secure with himself in this job.

Exguy:

I completely understand (and agree) with what you are saying but to be fair to Snow, what do you expect him to say? Its true that the talent level of the team would not have taken them anywhere, and there was only a chance of the playoffs even before the injuries. But not many GMs are going to come out and say "we just sucked", its not a part of the script.

And to an extent what he said was true. Guerin and Satan under performed, Hunter is in a decline from what he once was, Vasicek never really showed up and there were a lot of key players expected to push this team that got hurt (DP, Comrie, Witt, this list goes on).

Blaming injuries is always a weak excuse and I hate hearing it from the coaches, but at what point can you look at the injury statistics for the year and admit yeah we got f%^&ed over a little bit.

That being said, I still wish we had Neil Smith but thats not reality, I am willing to give Snow one more year at the helm.

I think Snow HOPED that a lot of his players played to their full potential and that there would be more chemistry (offensively). If our group of grinding forwards all banged in 20 goals (which many had the potential to do), we'd have enough offense on this team. Just didn't happen.

Healy, I agree with your take....many of the players on this year's team will be back next year. Do you want Snow to say they suck? That they were the wrong signings? I think people read into this stuff WAY too much...Why would Wang say through the media that he wants to extend Nolan if they haven't discussed it one-on-one yet? Why would a GM trash his entire team and risk killing morale? It doesn't make any sense whatsoever, and we need to keep in mind the politics and the relationship between the team and the media.

What! what will the team do about all the NTP's if Nolan is gone?

OMG! no number one pick! hahaha
looks like this was another year of let downs huh?

I think the only way to fix these problems that run so deep is to move this team to a better market!

#1.....Again with your unintelligent comments...How many times are you going to wish the ISLANDERS TO move??? Is it because you are scared that eventually when we get the LIGHTHOUSE project done, and become a powerhouse once again we will just continue to dominate your rangers?? ONce again, YOU and any other RANGER fan are complete IMBECILES if you want the ISLANDERS to be moved...Its the BEST rivalry in sports....If you were an INTELLIGENT hockey fan, with any HOCKEY knowledge you would be hoping for the Islanders to rebuild and put a good hockey club on the ice again, to once again SPARK the GREATEST rivalry in SPORTS...But no, your unintelligent and want the ISLANDERS to move....Please come up with something INTELLIGENT to post, IF not..stick to your Rangers BLOG and tell all your RANGER fans how u want the Islanders to move because you are scared that they will once again be a force to wreak en with, and IM sure that there are a few RANGER fans who are INTELLIGENT who will also call you an IMBECILE for wanting them to MOVE....

F5

"Do you want Snow to say they suck?"

that is basically what he said. he blamed the season on them. if you're one of those guys, does this not affect how you might feel about coming back here ? and its not about trashing the "entire team." everyone knows who he's talking about. some of those guys he brought here himself. this was not a playoff team to begin with. yes the injuries hurt, but there is a reason all those prognosticators picked this team to finish at or near the bottom. lack of talent. if snow expected this group to perform so much better than they did, he was among the very few and HE was wrong. for him to blatantly and even worse - publicly - blame them is off base. worse again, it’s a tactical mistake by an inexperienced manager, particularly if he really does have interest in bringing any of them back. it doesn't mean he won’t get better, it doesn't mean he can’t do a good job. but it is a mistake and it is not very classy.
and as far as “I think people read into this stuff WAY too much...”
this is what the manager of the team said about why the team had a bad year. it is all most fans will hear from the guy, his words are directly quoted by logan and are very plain and pointed.
“…read WAY too much” ????
I think maybe there’s an objectivity issue involved here.

exguy....

"...that is basically what he said. he blamed the season on them."

I am not saying that Snow DID blame the season on them.....but....c'mon exguy....who are the guys that actually lace up the skates and play the games and win and lose the games?

"..does this not affect how you might feel about coming back here ?"
POOR BABIES!!!!!!
If guys like Vas, Satan, Tank, Comrie (already signed) and the legion of other underperforming offensive players are UPSET....screw 'em......bye bye, cya, hope you get hit by the door on the way out......cuz.....THEY SUCKED.
Okay?

Reading your comments exguy it sounds like you are BLAMING Snow for those bums having lousy seasons.
I just don't get that.

505

i'm not blaming snow for their failure. i don't think those guys were that good to begin with and i didn't expect much from them. the so called "experts" didn't either. i just think snow was wrong to expect more, or he's disingenuous in saying now that he did.
it isn't those guys' fault that they're not great. i hate this expression but somehow it fits here - they are what they are. for a long time patrick ewing took a lot of heat for the knicks not winning a title. i remember saying to myself, jeez, it's not his fault he's not russell, chamberlain or jabbar. he's still very good.

listen. i like snow. i don't think he should be fired or anything. i just think he's having a bit of bumpy ride feeling his way. and i don't feel it's wrong for me to express my opinion as to how.

505-I think exguy is more blaming Snow for his optimism about these guys than he is blaming them for their play. But I agree, THEY stunk, which is not Snow's fault. And given Nolan's track record of getting the most out of the players, plus the opportunities they were being given to be 1st and 2nd line players, I have to admit I had some hope too.

But, exguy, do you really some of these guys were "brought here" by Snow's choice, guys like JoVas, Tank, and even Comrie, and were not "Plan B" after they couldn't keep Smyth and land Drury or Gomez or any other UFA of import? Let's be realistic. Maybe Guerin and Comrie were part of plan A, but I seriously doubt they were supposed to be 2/3 of the top line....

I refuse to blame Snow for the position they found themselves in on July 2 (no UFAs and several that walked) and the moves they had to make to fill out a roster for THIS YEAR. In fact, they were pretty smart in giving these "wannabes" 1-year deals to prove themselves, and that is exactly what they did - proved they don't belong here. Not next year, and certainly not long-term, hence yet another 1-year deal for Comrie, and nothing yet for the others.

And, on another note: can anyone tell me why this team has so many HIP injuries? It can't be Nolan's "grind it out" system, because DP got hit too. It can't be age, because DP and Comrie are both pretty young compared to Sillinger. Are these hip injuries that common in hockey?

Bingo D-money

exguy...
"and i don't feel it's wrong for me to express my opinion..."
Of course!! No flame intended on my part.

Well, my Canucks didn't make it either. But this years playoffs look like they are going to be great.

As for Snow, Nolan, and the young players, I don't see there anyone to blame here. Snow went with short term contacts to put the team in a position to bring up the young players. The young players weren't ready at the beginning of the season. If Snow believed they were, he wouldn't have signed all the free agents he did.

If you are going to go with young players you have to start at training camp, put up with a lot of mistakes in the first half of the season, and hope they mature enough as a team to make a charge in the second half. That is what Edmonton did this season and they almost pulled it off.

Snow had to buy time for these young players to develop this season and it looks like quite a few players are ready. I don't blame Nolan with resisting change mid-season. You have to stick with the players and the plan for the season. We won't have a true look at whether Nolan can develop the young players until he starts the season with them.

Kevin T.

Kevin T - good to see you again. I'm disappointed your Canucks didn't make the playoffs, both for their team and the fact that I'm now deprived of Playoff Jim Hughson (if I owned the Islanders I'd give him anything he wanted to call our games....). Your points are well-taken, and I hope the Islanders can come back next year with a younger, more competitive team.

D-Money

point well taken.
just to be clear, i just think it's wrong for the g.m. to blame guys who should not have been expected to do that much to start with. once last year's scorers and smyth were gone, there wasn't much he or anyone else could have done about personnel.

and 505, it wasn't you i picked up a little harshness from. sorry i left that impression.

505-BTW, meep meep! Sign me up for the roadrunner campaign!
But, please keep your fancy trinkets, they may come in handy when you want to build your "earthship"!! (http://www.earthship.net/ )

Ah, only in NM!!

HOKEJ.CZ: reports CSKA Moscow has made a one-year, $1.8 million contract offer to NY Islanders goaltender Wade Dubieliewicz for next season
It was taken from Spector's Hockey. Hope he'll stay put or we can trade him for Filatov kid. :)

I agree, Nolan is not the problem. If anything Snow is the on who has no clue. He should have traded more guys away to get more picks at the end of this season. With noo good fa's out there, i think we might be in for along season next yr. KEEP NOLAN AND GIVE HIM AN EXTENSION!!

The Sound Tigers were eliminated from playoff contention by the Ranger AHL affiliate, the Hartofrd Wolf Pack last night. It just gets worse!!

f5