FLYERS 3, ISLANDERS 2 (OT)
The is-an-overtime-loss-a-loss? recap
10:18 pm - Recapping the Flyers’ 3-2 overtime win, the Islanders’ fifth loss (0-4-1) in a row.
The Game: Jeff Carter’s OT power play goal with 23 seconds left gets the Flyers the second point after the visitors are unable to score on a power play to open the extra session. Andy Hilbert had evened up the game at 2-2 with a bank shot goal (off Ossi Vaananen) with six minutes left in regulation.
Shots on Goal: Islanders 36, Philadelphia 28; Power Play: Philadelphia 1-4, Islanders 1-3; Attendance: 18,227 (a sellout); Here’s your NHL scoresheet and stats.
No. 1 Story - The Islanders have not had a lead since Trent Hunter’s OT goal in Tampa Bay (thank you, Eric Hornick of MSG Plus). The Islanders have not been leading for one second in the last five games. Some games they’ve played well, they’ve played hard, carrying games for long stretches. But there’s just no positive way to look at that.
No. 2 Story: Andy Sutton made his season debut and did what Sutton does. He finished the game with 22:20 TOI, an assist, 2 shots, 2 blocked shots and 2 minor penalties. The Islanders missed him.
No. 3 Story: Enforcer Mitch Fitz made his NHL debut, playing two shifts totalling 1:27 in the first period. On his fourth shift of the game, it looked like Fritz and Riley Cote were scheduling a fight but it didn’t happen. Soon after the faceoff, the 6-8 Islander took a holding penalty. He finished with 3:32 TOI.
Post-Game Sound
Scott Gordon – “The first period was disappointing but from the second period on we started doing the things we need to do to be successful.
“Like I told our guys, ‘Whether we lose in a shootout or lose in overtime, it’s a tie in my mind.’ What counts is what happens in those 60 minutes.”
“There were a ton more positives than negatives in that game.”
Andy Sutton: “The first period was a blur. I didn’t feel like I had my best gaps at the blueline to make hits. Stuff like that comes with timing.”
Standout Islanders
Andy Hilbert - Scored game-tying goal, drew penalty at end of regulation and has been one of Gordon’s most consistent forwards at what he’s supposed to be doing.
Joey MacDonald - Looking like an NHL goaltender. If Chris Osgood gave a recommendation, applause for Ozzy.
Thomas Pock - 18 minutes and even. His steadiest game as an Islander.
Game Rating (out of 5 stars): 3.5 - The Islanders showed speed and perseverance, while the Flyers seemed to be hanging on. Especially for the Islanders, it was a game full of drama because it was 2-2 late in the third and the Islanders badly needed a win.
Islanders Performance: 3.0 - After the last two games, we thought the Islanders used up their style points for trying. But they did impress on the road, and it was good enough for a point.
Just Keeping it..Ya Know (Part 1): Are they the hard-luck Islanders or are they paying the price for not having any pure goal scorers? Probably both.
Part 2: Coach Gordon might really want to re-consider his public stance that he views overtime or shootout losses as “ties.” Doubt the fanbase wants to here that, and not sure that’s the message he wants to send to his team. Among many reasons, missing out on 5-10 of those second points can often be the difference in mid-April between playing hockey and playing golf.
Part 3: While respectful of the reality this is a team with a new coach still trying to come together, this whole thing about being great in the first half (Monday) or the second half (Thursday) does not get it done. The NHL provides 60 minutes plus overtime plus a shootout to win the darn game.
Just Sayin’: In the first round of the 2003 NHL Draft, the Flyers drafted Jeff Carter 11th overall and Mike Richards 24th overall. The Islanders drafted Robert Nilsson 15th, the Devils took Zack Parise 17th.
Only one 2003 first round draftee has yet to play an NHL game: Hugh Jessiman, whom the Rangers selected 12th and traded to Nashville today for future considerations.
Hallelujah Moment: Mid-way through the game, Gordon put together an energy line of Sean Bergenheim-Thompson-Park and they were a problem for the Flyers the rest of the way. Multiple scoring chances in the first shift, Bergenheim drawing a penalty on the second. Just didn’t score.
What We Learned Tonight: No pressure, kid. The Islanders need Josh Bailey to be their Mike Richards or Jeff Carter.
Billy Jaffe Analysis: (on the Flyers’ first goal, a perfect faceoff play) “You cannot diagram a play better than that”!
(on the Islanders’ first goal) “Now that’s what I call bearin’ down. That’s what I call bombs away from Bill Guerin.”
(after regulation) “A heckvua effort, a real good effort by the Islanders to turn the game around in the second half. That ability to change the game is impressive.”
NYI Prospect of the Day: 2008 2nd round pick Travis Hamonic, regarded primarily as a defensive defenseman, is showing confidence in the offensive end, too. In his first 11 games with the Moose Jaw Warriors, the 18-year old has 2 goals and 9 assists.
Point Blank is in the midst of writing a feature on everything that led up to the drafting of the kid, who called his Islanders interview the most extensive and intensive meeting of the 20 he had.
Islanders Press Coverage: from Newsday – The man they call the non-team sponsored blogger (just kidding) Logie.
Programming Note of the Night: 6:30-7 on MSG – Rangers pre-game show. 6:30-7 on MSG Plus – Infomercial for Roy Jones Jr. – Joe Calzaghe, an upcoming boxing match at Madison Square Garden. Oh my.
Next Up: Overspeed meets Just Plain Speed when Long Island boys Mike Komisarek and Chris Higgins and the Montreal Canadiens come to Uniondale on Saturday for a 7:05 matchup including the vintage Third Jerseys.
The Lineup
Bergenheim – Weight – Guerin
Hunter – Nielsen – Okposo
Fritz - Comrie – Sim
Hilbert - Thompson – Park
Pock - Streit
Campoli – Gervais
Sutton – Skinner
MacDonald
Danis
The 4-on-3 OT power play: Streit – Guerin – Weight – Hunter for the full two minutes.
Talk about the game in Comments.
80 Responses to FLYERS 3, ISLANDERS 2 (OT)
The is-an-overtime-loss-a-loss? recap
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Chris TMC says:
The Isles dont even need that big of a star, just a finisher. ONE FINISHER would make all the flippin difference for this team. Their relentless hard work tonight and not getting the two points after outplaying a good team like the Flyers proves THAT is what they need more than anything… more than an enforcer, more than another goalie, more than additional help on D, none of that- just a scorer. ONE GUY who can just put the puck in the frickin net… ONE GUY who can be what Tambellini is supposed to be.
They are playing good hockey- they really are. If you watch the games you can see that. But they need someone who can score some goals more than anything else.
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movetovegasNOW says:
Can’t wait to see how many fans go WASTE more money on the new 3rd jersey. If you buy the new jersey, you can 2 tixx to the Blue Jackets game? Are you friggin kidding me??? Well, better that then the 4000 people who would have been there. And yes, I will be there. I am the jackass who bought season tickets for the next 2 years. I will be there BOOING every single one of these LOSERS!!!!!!!!!! VEGAS BABY, VEGAS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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“movetovegas”: I dont expect you to show respect to a team you obviously hate, but if youre going to post here why dont you show respect for Chris Botta and his repeated requests? If you want to curse people out and talk with such venom, maybe you can start your own blog? Chris is doing a great thing for all of us, he deserves respect for it.
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Captain Crunch says:
A pleasant surprise to see the kids play pretty well against a team that won 7-0 on the road in its last game. But, I was just waiting for the other shoe to drop, and it did in OT.
We’ve got all the muckers and grinders any team could ever want, but we need someone that can command the double-teams that will leave one of our guys open for a decent shot.
I hate this disinformation scheme when it comes to injuries. As fans, we deserve better.
Here’s crossing my fingers for Josh to make his debut soon…..
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sorry Chris……I have loved this team for over 20 years………I am sick and tired of it all and am done with them. I was dumb enough to buy tixx for the next 2 years. I will make myself feel better and BOO non-stop the next 2 seasons. What venom am I showing Chris??? The truth hurts.
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Not to argue, but you are cursing and e-screaming post after post at Chris Botta and his readers- NOT the Islanders. You are making Chris Botta and his readers unhappy- NOT the Islanders. Do you see that?
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On “Point 2″: I was talking to a friend about the same thing. When is Coach Scott gonna stop praising the positives and start holding these guys accountable?
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first off, I think Botta’s blog is fabulous. I commend him for his insight and intelligence. Any man wise enough to jump off this sinking ship of a franchise is a genius. second, islanders fans have been unhappy for 15 years. if reading my posts makes them “unahppy” as you say, well then that’s just sad.
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its a minor victory considering our situation but the coach should make his players view it as a loss.he should demand more and convey that to the press and to his players ..something like hey we had a chance to win on that 4 on 3 and we came up short !!!and theres no excuse for that!!! . this guy should get some books about great coaches and read them ..therss somethig missing with this guy
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There is nothing “sad” about not wanting spammed posts and cursing- its HIS blog- not yours, not mine, and we all need to respect that. And thats all Im gonna say about that. Im not looking to argue about it.
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The blind love for MacDonald is disgusting. A GAA of over 3.50 and a save percentage well under .900……On what planet is that looking like an NHL goaltender???? Was it when he was on his knees WELL before the game winner in OT beat him up high?? He is JOURNEYMEN TRASH!!!!! They had a solid backup in Dubie. Look at his GAA and Save % the last two years. But no, when the little golden boy does not like you, you have to go! MOVE THIS PATHETIC FRANCHISE NOW!!! VEGAS, BABY, VEGAS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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If I ever chose not to use my tickets, I would consider maybe donating them to a coupla kids who might get a real kick out of a live hockey game. Just sayin’…
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hey shoogah, you might as well donate them because you CANT GIVE ISLES TIXX AWAY!! trust me, i am trying…..
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islesfan4life33 says:
Snow Must Go!!!
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Jason W says:
I’d rather have an empty coliseum and no fans than ass hats like movetovegas.
Go be a Ranger fan. We dont want you.
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Pride-N- Passion NYI Hockey~ says:
Botta’s third star of the game was correct Pock!
he played well making Bruno Gervais expendable…
Skinner was better then him tonight, Skinner showes a decent tape to tape break out pass from defensive zone…
makes #8 expendable X’s2!
BRUNO COST THEM THIS GAME!!
He Cracks down on Gagne’s Stick… good move on a 4 on 3 very rarily will that be called..
Then Gervais in typical lathergic fashion continues to guard a stick-less gagne as the puck goes back to richards …
gervais still in back of gane and in front of McDonald….. Richards puts it on net , rebound goes to side of net Thompson, maybe can get there though playing triangle hes watching right point and winger down low(carter)…POINT IS THIS….If the Defensive Defencemen “gervais”.. reacts with any instinct of what we are told he is,
Then as soon as he breaks Gagne’s stick and realizes the puck is in the high slot where Richhards will have plenty of time to get a good look at the net, gervais should KNOW or FEEL The PRESSURE that will come from the attacking forwrad on that side (carter)… HE had enough time to anticipate or see this!!!!!
And instead of Jaffe giving him charity on the attempted missed stick in the passing lane,
(jaffe let him off easy trust me billy knowes that)Gervais needed to REACT.. MOve to this right and immediately tie up carter … HE DIS NOT BECAUSE HIS POSITIONAL PLAY WAS WEAK!! (a sit is most every night)
Combine this with his one shot on net tonight he failure to keep the puck in the zone two out of 3 times… his failure to clear the zone at least 2 times
and his overall soft play in front of the net THAT IS EVERY GAME!!
GERVAIS IS A JOKE!! Nobody will tell me any different TIME TO MOVE BRUNO!!
Worst D on the Ice tonigh
(invisble Campoli included)How much longer will the Islanders put up with this??
Overall Decent effort by trhe Isles… Hunter burries that goal late they win !
Lets Go Isles… Lets Go Islanders!! -
Mike says:
I agree 100% Botta with the fact the Gordon cannot be giving these guys moral victories by some of his questionable comments (overtime loss does not matter, etc). He is in the learning stages as well but I really wish we had Lavy back right now in this situation. I really think the Islanders should take a look at Gaborik, it might be worth the risk (as long as he signs an extension). We have no solid 1st line talents, no finishers, and no offensive creativity. I would see if you can swing that trade without giving up a 1st rounder and Okposo.
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movetovegasNOW says:
you’d rather have an empty coliseum???? YOU DO have an empty coliseum!!!!!!!!!!! Telling fans not to come if they are going to boo? Who are you, Mark Parrish?
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Willis says:
By George, I think they’re getting it. Now if they can turn it up a notch. Oh, and get a scorer. LOL
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Gagne*
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I’d rather not have you as a fan. You suck and are pathetic. If you cant handle a sucky team, quit on them and go root for the Rangers.
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no Jason, I will be there, every game the rest of the way…..booing and booing and booing………waiting til the golden boy returns so I can boo like never before…..”we dont want you, go root for the rangers.” i used to say that when i was five…..nice comeback tool
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islesfan4life33 says:
Canadian radio says Isles talking to Shanahan…….oh boy!!!!!!!
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You are a sad little man.
Booing a team because you have buyers remorse.
Go be a Ranger fan. They have no integrity like you.
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no Jason, I boo because they have been the laughing stock of the league for 15 years. Why do you keep mentioning the 10-2-1 Rangers in every post you have made? Jealous?? And explain how they have no integrity?? But the Isles do??? tool
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let me correct this….
Gervais cost them a chance to win it in the shoot-out!! NO DOUBT!! -
Naw… Its fun…
I’m just glad we have such great fans for this team.
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You boo because your team sucks…
Wow. What a big man you are.
BTW, why if you hate this laughingstock of a team so much, why did you buy tickets?
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Brian B says:
I think we are getting there fellas…I don’t expect a playoff team, but i certainly think this team will get it together and be competitive because they seem to getting better in certain area game by game. Gotta be patient.
The Isles have an underrated defensmen core, we like their mobility and puck-moving ability. But Sutton and Witt are the only 2 that can play physical on this team…streit tries too. But my concern is that after the lockout people talked about the importance of having mobile defensemen but at the end of the day, its good to have a lot of physical d-men that can give the big hit, and clear out the front of the net.
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Joe says:
I was happy to see the team not get pushed around tonight, the Flyers guys like Downie, Cote and Asham were very quiet the entire game. If only we had a guy that could finish some of the opportunities we had, we wouldve wont that game. I hope snow could pull some strings with that, Im sure he wont though.
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Peter says:
Not that it is a big deal but Jon Sim should have gotten credit for our last goal. Hilbert actually shot it off of his stick which is why the shot was going so wide. Anyone who dvr’d can get a good look at it.
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Just That Guy says:
Dubie is a back up to Esche somewhere in Rooosha, and on top of that, I heard he got horrible #’s there so can we stop this Dubie talk?
And all that we should’ve drafted him, and traded this guy, didn’t trade this one, and gave that guy a chance talk needs to stop we could’ve, should’ve, but we didn’t so lets just look forward from now on can we?
We can’t get much worse than we are now…
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Joey Mac can not be faulted. He is playing well. It seems that the Defense is much calmer with him in net. When DP is in net it seems there is more running around and DP has a tendency to give up the puck that puts players out of position. Mac plays the angles better and is not flopping around or lying on his back half the game like DP.
Why can’t the shooters lift the puck. do they ever watch tapes of the scorers in this league. Most goals, nowadays are scored up high because the goalies drop down to the butterfly. Wathc Zetterberg he puts the puck under the cross bar. You do not see Isles shooters roof the puck. If they don’t shoot it into the goalies chest it is usually low.
Tambellini needs to watch how Bergenheim is playing and understand he needs to be a buzz saw out there and skate. He is too soft.
Better effort but they need a scorer.
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DanNOLA says:
Yes, with an actual goal scorer or at least someone who can 1/4 of the time finish they probably win this game. But, I am definately pleased that this team didn’t just fold over while down in the third like other Islanders teams of the last 15 years would have. I, like many, have resigned himself to the fact that our record will stink to high Heaven this year, but at least I see some of this kind of effort and a (slow) gradual development of this “system”, and it gives me some hope to hold on too.
I absolutely agree that Bruno and Camper need to step it up. This has to be the make-or-break year for them to establish themselves as the future D-men of the Isles, and let’s face it, I think they’ve been hiding in the shadows. Especially Campoli. He needs to assert himself more. Sometimes I think he’s trying to be Kenny Jonson except he doesn’t have the most important part of that kind of game: impecable possitioning and knowledge of angles.
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Mattt says:
First off, Comrie is awful. Probably one of the biggest morons on skates I’ve evr seen. He sucked last year and is worse this year. I don’t care if he led the team in points last year. His passing is atrocious and most of all folks, some of you will like this, he is slow! He is probably, no wait he is, the biggest defensive liability on this team(thats pretty bad)this year as well as last year.
I hate to break the news to some more delusional people but Bruno Gervais has sucked and always will suck, he will never be good. I know he does charity events and the girls like him but he sucks plain and simple. While I’m on the subject of sucking movetovegas why don’t you do just do that, MOVE TO VEGAS (sorry CB). You are a moron if you brought season tickets, come on what were you expecting this year you hoople! Christ, if I were you I’d be embarrased to post. By now we should all know what the game plan is. As for Tambellini, give this kid some time. Haven’t we regretted sending people off too soon enough times(Jokinen comes to mind who I admttedly hated). Give it some time people and I dont mean next week or next month, maybe not even next year. Lets worry about keeping our team here the rest will fall into place.0
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isles72 says:
isles worked hard and showed me that they are getting better at playing the new system
also , the main ingredient for me is I felt entertained .
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ny711ot says:
joe rvc i agree…that is not the message the great coaches send.
is mitch fritz hockey’s equivalent to paul mokeski?
honestly i loved the way they played last nite and there is a lot to be hopeful for if we continue driving to the net like we did in the third.
now that the tambellini experiment is nearly done can we now begin the end of franz’s? he is always a split second late on scoring opps’, out of position defensively and that penalty was a killer. A splt second is often the difference between the ahl and the nhl. -
Dmarie says:
yes we lost and taking that penalty at that moment just may have caused us the game..who knows what may have happened? But nonetheless, I still feel we played well.
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Jax says:
Love the Paul Mokeski reference.
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"Dissillusioned Brian" in VA says:
movetovegasnow, I agree with you we are garbage! Snow is an idiot and just idiotic enough to sign Shanny. WHY???
I wish we had Dubie too… I hate the overrated injury prone prima donna as well!
But hey we played such a good game and tried soo hard to win… Its like the Islanders are 7-yr old children. This is the NHL people you win or you lose the goal is to win. Not try hard and play fair. YOU PLAY TO WIN THE GAME HELLO!
Isles are on pace for an 18-55-8 season whoohooo but we are trying hard! -
Skit about the 2009 NHL Draft
Commentator: The Isles have the first pick in the draft. They will pick Taveres or Hedman at this spot.
Bettman: With the first pick in the 2009 NHL Draft the New York Islanders have traded the 1st pick to move down to 10th and then draft Robert Bailey. The Islanders get 2 third round picks in exchange for the first overall pick.
Fans: Who the is Robert Bailey?
Snow: He has grit and character. He is a project prospect that has upside. All other 29 teams will wish they had him. He is like Nate Thompson, Andy Hilbert, and Jon Sim all rolled into one.
Milbury: Even I know better than that and boy did I make mistakes.
Wang: -
Vlad from Brooklyn says:
Gervais has cost us meny games by being out of position most of the times. Hi’s game did not changed since last year. No progress att all! His place need to be taken by somebody else.
I hope Wang has enough money to keep Streit in the lineup to the end of his NHL life. The guy is pure gold for the team!
Where is Bailey? -
Bill says:
SOMEBODY CALL A WHAMBULANCE. I am a pessimist by nature..but I can’t believe all the damn whining on this site. What the hell did any of you expect from the islanders this year? I for one am very happy with the way these guys have played over the last three games. They are working really hard and have cut down on a lot of the dumb mistakes. That is all you can ask of this group.
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Jislander7 says:
Amen Bill. We arent sniffing the playoffs until 2011
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UIF says:
I don’t know, Gervais takes a lot of criticism for making a mistake, but the guy also makes no less than three very under-the-radar plays a game that probably save goals as well. If he stays for cheap as a 6th or 7th defenseman, that’s not so bad at all – there are far worse defensemen out there. Jeez, remember when we had Timander on this team? That guy was a catastrophe back there.
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randy boyd says:
Bone head qoute of the year was Gordon on whether you lose in OT or shootout, it’s still a tie. How about if you win. he’s a rookie, so I’ll give him a break.
Bonehead coaching move of the night was 2 minutes of the elderly on the 4 on 3 doing zip. After a minute of that, put OK, bergie, park, younger fresher legs and guys who might actually think to shoot and move instead of conduct a passing clinic.
Not even for the penalty, but why is frans neilsen on this team? would he crack the lineup on any other NHL squad? At least tambellini was a prolific scorer at the AHL level, so I can see giving him some time. neilsen plays small, has no physical presence and no offensive ability. Can we try someone else, it;s not like we’re going to ruin the great chemistry of this current mess.
On a positive note, Sutton looked very good. Who’s next for the injury on D?
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Tony says:
Just a note to those who say get rid of Comrie, Neilsen, Gervais, etc.
These guys are where they should be on this team. The Isles’ depth chart is not very deep.
If you get rid of these players, who takes their place?
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Stumpy32 says:
The point is that it doesn’t matter – the goal, obviously, is to keep a few veteran guys like Comrie for depth, even though, gun to the head, they don’t figure into the long-term plans. The fact is, and I’m paraphrasing Milbury talking about Ziggy Palffy a decade or so ago, “we finished last with him, we can finish last without him.” What exactly do we accomplish by keeping these guys around? So we don’t like 10-0 every night? In this NHL, everyone is much more even than you think. Clearly, we’re one of the worst 2-3 teams in the league – maybe the worst, although I’m still not sold on any team that loses 5-2 to us. I don’t see much to hold onto with this roster, and Comrie is certainly as expendable as everyone else.
The question becomes – if all the guys on the roster not named Okposo are spare parts (which they most certainly are), and we’re going to suck no matter what (which we will), then what’s the difference with having guys like “Comrie, Nielsen, Gervais,” and I’ll add to that Guerin, Weight, Sillinger, etc. and other guys who will lead us to the same spot at the bottom of the league?
I’m not saying do it – we really don’t have to, and its nice having at least 5 guys on the roster who fans of other teams can name, but still, I don’t think we’d be any worse if they were dropped and some equally middling players came in.
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Stumpy – the difference is you have to give fans something to cheer for while waiting for the kids to develop. We finished last with or without Palffy, sure, but man, remember watching the things that guy could do with the puck? It gave you some excitement regardless of the score.
Heck, I may be in the minority, but I’d be fine with throwing a ton of money at a player like that for two years. Tell him that for those two years, it’s his team and he can get whatever he wants. It takes some attention (media and opposing teams) and pressure off of the younger players you sprinkle in, and then at the end of those two years, you part ways, and then maybe some of the younger projects are ready to seriously step in.
It wouldn’t change anything significantly as far as wins and losses, but it’d be fun to watch while we wait for some of our picks to develop, and it would definitely make for a more interesting “placeholder” than Comrie. The point, I guess, is that we’re already putting placeholders out there anyway until the kids are ready…might as well be a placeholder that’s worth the price of admission.
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I agree Palffy, Chara, Berard, Bertuzzi, and were fun to watch even Fichauad wasn’t that bad for those teams… But this team outside of Okposo and maybe Bergenheim is absolutely worthless. Included in that is DP! But the team tries sooo hard… 18-55-8!! Get your tickets now. I love OT ties Gordon they are the greatest! I want to see Ridderwall here now!
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Jon says:
movetovegasNOW on Oct 30th, 2008 22:51:41 said:
hey shoogah, you might as well donate them because you CANT GIVE ISLES TIXX AWAY!! trust me, i am trying…..
______If your trying to give them away, I’ll take some..
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Nice to see other people fealize we are living in a dream if the Islanders feel Bruno is of any kind of long term importance to this team….
To the Bills, tony’s, and others of the world…
Lets me yunderstand you bill.. so becuase we knew we would be a bad club this year., we sghould allow for the weakest links on this team to stay with the club?
because why, because we want to continue to
undreachieve??gimme a break.
bottom line Gervais was drafted to be a top 4 defencemen… he is now hanging on to the #6 D man by a thread.. and thats a fact period!First he was to be a gfifted Offensive defense men .. (how has that worked out)?
last 90 games 0 goals.. are you kidding me.Now we are told he is evolving into an all around defencemen?? yet he can not clear t6he puck out of the zone.. in front of the net he’s a loaf of bread, his instinctive. reactionary play…?
like a Tortoise with rigamortus! His Hockey IQ is overated as well!!Gervais is walking dead on this Island(its just some of of casual fans just dont know it yet;) )
and tony we have replacements for him .. Skinner, Pock, with a little more Ahl time even hillen will be better then him…
Yes we will have a struglle this season to restore the Pride n Passion,
evryone knowes its going to be a tough season for this club, so wjhy make it even more painful then it has to be….?
Writing has been on the wall for Gervais the soft French Canadian Defencmen for 2+
years now.. )in the early days he showed this is what he would be.. a Fact!)its the small changes that start the ball rolling to a brighter future… he is about to become a larger change that is long overdue!
Lets Go Isles Lets Go Islanders!
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other people *realize*… sorry for any other gaffes..
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More rags fans on this blog than isles fans. Nielson is young and has not been given the time yet.He has the skill set to be a good player. Yeah his timing is off but that comes with playing time.. Christ people give it some time. You guys are ready to lynch him bcs. of that penalty. Amazing how most don’t notice how Gervais does that once every other game. We all knew this was gooing to be a tough ride, now that its here everybody is ready to jump ship. I say go ahead. See you in a couple years when the rags suck and we rule. Worry about the arena this season is the year of Tavares or Hedman. Yeah and he’s not going to trade back. For those nay sayers look what one of our 2nd rd. picks Dibinedetto is doing for Sarnia so far this year(from Toronto).
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I owe you guys at least one gramatically correct post & some stats for those who view this as the bottom line…
for what its worth I see the Game from a visual point first & stats second especially when your watching kids try & develop at this level…
So Here you guy stat guys..
Gervais…(last point)
Drafted in the 6th round(182 overall)
Has played 147 NHL Games…
3 goals 27 assist’s !
-21 in that span (on Ice goals against)
135 shots on net !!
(less then 1 shot a game)…enough already his ahl stats are much better thats why he is suited for that league!
5+ years in the system is sufficent to make a judgment call No?
One other Blogger was dead on.. he’s a visit the sick kids, make a few teenage girls blush kinda guy for this organization… nothing more…
we should except nothing less then Hockey players of NHL caliber & ability on this club!!
(Not (JUST) good samaritans/Poster boys!!) community people are great, yet right now we need Hockey players!!Have a good day Fellow Islanders Fans.. Im in the Pit with you guys..for better or worse… yet i’m just saying…;)
lets go Isles… Lets Go Islanders!!
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*so here, for you stat guys*
spelling i promised … Typos I did not lol*So here You *GO* stat guys*
lets go Isles.. Lets Go Islanders!
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Philly Islander says:
I was at the game last night and I can’t believe they called it a sell-out. There were plenty of not only empty seats, but empty sections in the upper bowl.
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UIF .. they are playing him @ 20+ minutes a game.. that is not 6th or 7th defense men minutes… and with all due respect to your 3 or so under the radar plays per game….????
hmmmm. i have detailed his usual 4 to 6 gaffes a game..(EVERY NIGHT)
Firts please to make us (vividly ) aware of these when you see them…
I do not see these plays you speak of?
I see dead wood floating aimlessly on L.I.!! -
now im gone to celebrate the day..
Happy Halloween all / good saints tomorrow!! -
*first*
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Walygz says:
To Pride-and-Passion :
Gervais was drafted in the 6th round in 2003. I doubt many of our 6th round picks were immediately mentioned as top 4 defensman. He was a bit of a project, with some offensive upside. That being said he’s only 24, and we have nothing but playing time to give away. Maybe he’ll find his niche.To Matt:
Dibenidetto was our 6th round pick this year, and is a 20-year old playing in juniors. He’s got off to a hot start but was drafted late for a reason. I hope he becomes the steal he seems to be at this point.
Either way the boys are getting better by the day, and as long as I can stand to, I will watch and root for them.
LETS GO ISLANDERS !!!!
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when they draft in the sixt round what position does a club envision their player turning out to be?
if you remember your history wally he was mentioned a a future top 4 defence-men…
give him time… we have 5= years hes not a 24 yr old thompson.. who never made it here for an extended stay…
he’s certainly not a dibenidetto who is 20 and does have 4 years to show what he can do…
you are comparing apples to Oranges… where is this guy is a dried up grape.. (a raisin if you will)..
his stats do not lie .. i rest my case!OP.s. Time we have give it to skinner or pock or hillen.. when the rest of the D heals…
PERIOD!!
Lets go Isles… Lets Go Islanders!! -
p.s.*
if you put 10 scouts in a room and asked them what they think of gervais, and what they meritt his overall worth or trade value…c’mon are you kidding me.. i think some of outr more niave & passive Islander fans might be surprised to hear their opinions!!
I would not… Spoke with a Chris Kelly Minnesota scout that was at the dallas game last week (champions)..
concurred with me 100 % on Grevais!!opinions are free and we all have one.. i respect that.
yet i also respect my Hockey Eye.. have played and known the game my whole life, my eyes do not betray me.. gervais is not a Ny Islander more like a Bridgeport sound tiger.. and if he was not on a one way contract…thats exactly where he would be!Good day all time to prepare for the Halloween Get to together … and no i wont be going dressed in a #8 NY Isles jersey! even my wife tires of this guy!
Have a good day fellow Islander fans..
As well although the Halloween rememberance has become increasingly commercialized..remember its pagan roots, that eventually blended into its modern day form….
Give a Thought to the memory of all those beloved ones who are no longer here..sorry just felt that was needed good day!!
…. Lets go Isles Lets Go Islanders!!!
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You are right walgyz I stand corrected. The kid is playing well none the less. By the way Gervais still sucks. Never seen a defenseman play the puck less. He is a pilon. Pock has looked very good thogh. Glad they picked him up off the waiver. I know we are very thin on the back end but please rid the island of this putz.
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Camoli is that you?
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Play the body less I meant
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I don’t know, “Pride,” you called it right with different opinions. You can trust your hockey eye, and I’ll trust mine, but you’re also not the only one here who plays or played the game and has watched it his whole life either. I think all of us are probably on close or equal footing when it comes to judging talent…
As for Gervais, the guy’s cap hit is minimal. Is he spectacular? No, but you could do much worse for a number 6 d-man. On a healthy D, he’s more than capable of holding down the fort for a few shifts while the top 4 rest. It wouldn’t ruin my life if they traded him, but I’d keep him over Pock, if that was the choice, considering Pock is maybe only marginally better (debateable) and is 2-3 years older.
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Who cares about the cap hit. We have nothing to worry about with that. Are you saving money? Pock has been better this year so far and had a good game last night. Unfortunately we are running out of defenseman quickly here but lets not be delusional and say this kid is decent. It really isn’t a matter of opinion. He plays a weak game. Pock being 2-3 years older makes me think you must be referring to deveolpment down the line? I don’t think we have to worry about gervais deveoloping he just doesn’t seem to have any hockey sense.
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I find it funny how everyone is ready to crucify Tambellini, Neilson, Okposo, yet gervais is still young and needs time. I know defeseman develop slower but come on. These guys got no playing time last year and finaly are now, give it some time.
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Not about cap hits.
It’s about talent on the Ice.. i’d take the sixth dfencemen on 99% of the league right now over him…and uif your contradiction at the end of your last post was noted….
marginally better then pock.. yes..!
debatable.. to who? and two or three years younger .. enough said.As for talent assesment being equal.. if it was then you would see my pointy… i’m just saying…
5 years too long many kids in the ahl.. and some we have right here now are ready to fill his role..I feel better with my opinion when a scout of a NHL hockey league club agrees with me , then i do when a fellow fan disagrees…
for what its worth I’d take my eye over some of the scouts that have worked for this organization over the last 15 years.. so it is what itt is..
I can live with your opinion… and i can thrive with mine;)
with all humility behind this sentence… I could have easily been a scout @ some organized level…(maybe next life)lol
I’m Confident in what i know and i often lay it out in detailed postings.. you do the same for your counterpoints in the games to come , i will respect that even more.
last point trade him for what right now?
UIF we are all in the same pit togetheer right now. (regardless of how different we see the (w)hole picture!!
good day…
lets go Isles… Lets Go Islanders! -
I probably didn’t explain the “cap hit” thing correctly. I was trying to say that it’s not like he’s being paid as a top 4 and playing like a 6. He’s paid like a 6, and plays like a 6 (though at 20 min+ ice time, he’s being called upon to do more than probably even Gordon wanted at this point). I just don’t see Gervais as a big problem on this team at all. Not a shining star either.
I don’t believe Pock has been playing consistently better than Gervais, personally. He’s had some good games, and has looked every bit like the odd man out for the Rangers in other games. I’d put him as comparable to Gervais. As for hockey sense, I don’t know…Gervais keeps people to the outside when they go wide, and he steps up when they cut to the middle. When he’s forced to be out there killing every penalty and playing top line minutes because of injuries, then yes, he gets a bit overmatched.
If he played the same amount of minutes Skinner’s been playing, which he would be if the D was healthy, then we probably wouldn’t even be discussing Gervais.
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agreed matty kid… cap point is not the real issue.. its the overated, overstated talent thats killing me.. this guy is not a sixth defencmen .. hes ahl..
period! -
UIF read the post i left last night, in the play where philly scored the ot goal.. tell me where his hockey sense was there??(i set it up just as it played out it should be understandable for an X&O guy!
also forcing guys to the outside is one thing (rubbing them out is quite another.. sure he forces them outside, jaffe & company have pointed this out many times…
yet when they get there they either make a nice pass to the front of the net and set up a scoring chance.. (while Gervais is now in no mans land)
or he “leans”(charitable adjective) on the opposing player & then looses the scrum ion the corner or fails to clear the puck on the pk…
Hes also more & more hesitant to handle the puck at the opposing blue line..
you can plainly see how he quickly rushes to move the puck or pass tthe buck so to speak… not a endearing quality to a club or its fans..
Best Thing To Come out of this?
maybe all this overexposure of gervais is all we need in the end (due to injuries)..to finally realize its time for a change regardless of what slot he occupies on our depth chart… its tooo high!
HES OVERATED!! He received a 3rd star of the game last week and meyer should have recived it over him.. it was the organization and those around it trying to build his confidence he was a push that night….
which is better then he is on most nights in an Islander uniform!
UIF defend him as much as you need it does not change the value of an overarted organizational pet.
this barrage of criticism is LOOOONG overdue!
Lets Go Isles… Lets Go Islanders!!
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If you want me to say he was at fault for the goal, then that’s fine. Every D makes mistakes, and with that position, every mistake gets magnified since it’s only the goalie behind you.
I agree he’s not physical (though there are plenty of good d-men who are not). I agree he’s not spectacular either. But if you think he’s worse than most 6th d-men in the league, then I disagree. I just don’t think he’s that bad, and I think he’s more poised than you give him credit for.
I’d like to see him win a few more battles on the boards, but please don’t tell me Pock is any better there.
If there is one area where Gervais needs major improvement, and you touched on it, it’s his strength with the puck. His shot is waaay too soft, which is why he’s underwhelming offensively, imo. He puts himself in the right spots, but it’s like his hockey stick is a rubber band when he lets the shot go. It is really noticeable when he tries to clear on the PK, I agree…and again, without the injuries, he’s not asked to log those minutes as a number 6.
But I would honestly put his positioning up against most other 6′s in the league. Even with the injuries, I doubt he’d be the one called upon by Gordon for all those minutes if he was that horrible…and Pock would probably see those minutes if he was that much better of an option.
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Basically, put it this way, would we be wasting time arguing about Gervais if our penalties were being killed by Witt-Martinek and Sutton-Meyer?
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Fair appraisal overall with some more detailed analysis UIF.. good spirited debate , glad to see in the end we are more in agreement then disagreement!
either way will be shocked if
(without major improvement in overall game)…
we as you pointed out in different relations, will even be discussing gervais next season..Happy Halloween UIF lets go Isles!!
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you shouldn’t get so excited its only a boxing match your twisting and turning will keep little rebop awake and its not good for his schoolwork is it?..try and get some more sleep as this reflects in your answers people wont understand your gibbering is due to sleep deprivation and think you a little crazy..
yes, I’d like to see what Josh Bailey can bring to team… as soon as possible.