PRACTICE: Iceworks, 11.7.08: Morrow’s Master Class
Thompson out, Bergenheim in, Martinek closer
2:35 pm - Since the coaching staff of this rebuilding team is inexplicably bereft of an assistant to serve as a mentor to the young defensemen, the Islanders today had the next-best thing. Or maybe a better thing.
Ken Morrow, the stalwart defenseman of the Islanders dynasty, has spent every day this week with the team. At today’s practice at Iceworks, he was on the ice with head coach Scott Gordon, assistant coaches John Chabot and Dan Lacroix (both former NHL forwards) and goaltending coach Mike Dunham. He spent several minutes toward the end of the session in a private dry-erase board session with the struggling Thomas Pock.
We’re told Morrow’s master’s classes will be more frequent. While no substitute for the everyday presence of a blueline teacher, it’s a start.
Thompson Out: Nate Thompson has a groin strain and has already been ruled out for Saturday’s match against Pittsburgh at the Coliseum. The team said Thompson would be re-evaluated tomorrow. Again, Scott Gordon is spared having to make a lineup decision with Sean Bergenheim returning Saturday.
Breaking Down the Breakdowns: Gordon on the latest blown lead: - “The forecheck we’ve practiced does not come close to resembling the way we played in the third period last night.” The coach added, “They’re playing safe at times, and we all see what happens when we play safe.”
Asked if the Islanders’ problems were team-wide or the result of 4 or 5 players not sticking to the system, Gordon acknowledged that some of his players are culprits more than others but the issue was still a team thing. He did volunteer the names of three players that have excelled: Richard Park, Thompson and Andy Hilbert.
When asked about the play of Mike Comrie, Gordon got in the middle of passing lanes, blocked a few shots and did everything else in his power to deflect from Comrie, who doesn’t appear to be an ideal fit for the coach’s style of play. “There’s no blame to be put on one particular guy,” declared Gordon.
ETC: Radek Martinek took part in the full practice and according to a source could return to the Islanders’ lineup next week…
Doug Weight and Joey MacDonald were given the day off the ice. Mike Sillinger understudied Weight. The team practiced with these trios:
Hilbert - Park - Okposo
Bergenheim - (Sillinger) - Guerin
Tambellini - Nielsen - Hunter
Sim - Comrie - Fritz
Josh Bailey, whose return will be next week at the earliest, practiced at full-speed in a yellow jersey.
46 Responses to “PRACTICE: Iceworks, 11.7.08: Morrow’s Master Class
Thompson out, Bergenheim in, Martinek closer”
Please Wait
I’m really liking these early news reports via your blog
keep em comin cb
–the real isles72
Every week there’s a new surprise. Woohoo.
Why can’t they just bring up Blake already. Tambellini hasnt done anything and he still here. Why dont they send him to bridgeport to learn the “system”.
Kenny Morrow’s upcoming class’:
When leading after 2…
LOCK IT DOWN 101
NHL is a 60min game…
Time Management 101 ( come’s with 60min watch )
and last but not least….
the growing list of man missed games..
NHL Triage 101 brought to by Greco
Get well all…
We are close and maybe we can make a season out of this….
Can’t WAIT to start the Josh Bailey Nine Game Countdown.
Thanks for the info Botts. I think it’s safe to say that you are the best Blogger a fan of any professional sports franchise could have.
Mike Comrie looks as loston the ice as I did in high school trigonometry class. It should be interesting when all of the forwards are healthy again. This team cannot worry about someone’s contract situation when it comes to putting together the lineups.
He is really good at putting pucks off of defenders skates and sticks though…
it seems like onces someone is healthy, someone else goes down….
“Again, Scott Gordon is spared having to make a lineup decision with Sean Bergenheim returning Saturday.”
Wrong…Fritz needs to hit the press box if he’s going to get 1 shift/game. It’s a f’n joke. No wonder why they cant hold a lead in the thrid, they play a man down.
Bergy in for Fritz… Comeau in for Thompson
Blaming Fritz for blowing multiple 3rd period leads is as stupid as hiring a backup goalie as GM.
Sid might not play tomorrow. That might help us a little bit, he’s an Isles killer
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08312/926217-100.stm
Hmmm, CB, think some Islanders insiders have been reading your blog and taking some notes??? Didn’t you pose the question some time ago about the team making use of Ken Morrow to coach the defense? Just asking . . .
@JAX - Thinking that I’m blaming Fritz for blowing third period leads is as stupid as your played out Garth Snow joke
It’s not Fritz’s fault that he played 41 seconds last night. The point is that if you aren’t going to play him (because he’s worthless), put someone in that can actually play minutes, and maybe you’d have a few fresher legs for the end of the game.
Sadly I wasn’t joking about snow. Second Fritz serves a role. Which is more then I can say for most guys who dress everynight.
Why don’t they get Denis Potvin involved, too? Florida is nice–but not for hockey.
I would also like to see Blake Comeau back in the lineup. He was a bright spot in last year’s otherwise unremarkable season. Scoring goals is obviously still a problem for this team, and even if Blake didn’t have a great training camp, I still think he could contribute in that department, as well as with his physical play. Comeau, Bailey and Okposo–the new kid line.
“Hmmm, CB, think some Islanders insiders have been reading your blog and taking some notes??? Didn’t you pose the question some time ago about the team making use of Ken Morrow to coach the defense? Just asking” . . .
Yeah that would be our GM. Embarrassing
Martinek need to come back healthy and stay healthy. Pock is killing us on the blueline.
If you are going to keep Fritz around he needs to do something. Put him on the second PP unit and have him stand in front of the net. He will be more useful than Comrie.
Blake Comeau is down because he CAN be and isnt exposed to waivers going to Bridgeport. The coach can try out other guys with Blake down there and cant do that with Blake up here unless he was going to send down Okposo… the other guy who is on a 2-way and wouldnt be exposed to waivers.
Jax so you would rather have Fritz sit on the bench and play 1 shift per game, while playing with 3 and a half lines rather then go with four lines that can actually skate?
comeau-baily-okposo i like that.
Regarding Fritz and the two arguments that are sort of going back and forth, I think you both have valid points: (a) he does serve a purpose, but (b) if the purpose he serves only gets him out on the ice for 41 seconds, then something needs to change. Whether that is scratching Fritz in favor of another Islander, obtaining an enforcer that Gordon has the confidence to send out for a regular shift, or simply playing Fritz more.
Because sending him out for one shift was counter-productive in that it overtaxed the rest of the guys. Even Mick Vukota saw 6-8 minutes a game.
I think the purpose Fritz serves is vital, and whether you agree with that line of thinking or not, I think we can all agree that if you are dressing twelve forwards, you should utilize all twelve forwards.
It’s the first game he played under 31/2 minutes lol. My point is this team is going nowhere and protecting the kids with just being on the bench it’s self is more important then having another marginal prospect rushed up here. BTW Okposo should be still playing in college or spent another year in the AHL. Man I hope they don’t ruin this kid along with Bailey. I have ZERO trust in upper managment right now. ZERO!!!!!
Actually Fritz has played only one game were he had 3:30 of ice time and only one other game were he had 3 mins of ice time. I’m all for the the toughness and enforcer, but I would rather have a guy like Tim Jackman who can actually skate
Okposo is not a player who is going to carry a team. He does not skate well laterally and needs a speedy set-up guy on his line who can play off of him.
At Minnesota his freshman year, he had a great assist guy in Tyler Hirsch to clean up after him and feed him pucks. When Hirsch left the team late his freshman year, no one filled that gap and his production fell the end of that year and the first few months of his soph year until he left. I feel that is one reason he departed Minnesota early.
Kyle doesn’t have that type of player on his line this year and I feel that is why his production is virtually non-existant.
Jackman is a punching bag. Yeah he can skate but so can tambs big deal..
The answer to the Fritz question: just play him more. 6-8 minutes a game seems about right. I know he’s not going to score a lot (any) goals, but he seems to be relatively sound positionally, so he shouldn’t hurt the team too much defensively. Let him get on the ice, generate some excitement, instill some fear, and give other players a much-needed break…
I agree 100% mike. His skating isn’t as bad as everybody says.
I can’t get past the first part of the article. What does a “normal coaching staff” consist of? Is this the norm (ie most teams have the same)? If so, what would be the reasoning behind the Isles choosing to go without some staff?
Am I reading this wrong?? Is this not important? I am asking because I really have no idea so anyone who can answer, thanks.
Well, coaches are generally hired because they have expertise in a given area. For instance, I am not a bowling coach, because no one is aiming for gutters all the time.
If in hockey, you have four main areas of focus– the goaltending, the offense, the defense, and the special teams– then it stands to reason you should have someone who is an expert for each given area.
CB’s point is the Islanders have two former goaltenders and two former forwards as coaches, and therefore “no one” to coach the defense, who would be able to utilize his experience as a former defenseman. And it’s a very valid point to make.
CB’s other point, which answers your own question, is that, yes, it is a headscratcher, and no, he cannot explain why they don’t have a former d-man as a coach…
@Jax
“It’s the first game he played under 31/2 minutes lol. ”
Fail… Fritz Ice Time -
10/30 vs Phl 3:32
11/1 vs Mon 2:23
11/3 vs Cbj 2:27
11/4 vs Nyr 3:03
11/6 vs Atl 0:41
Sorry I didn’t have the time to search the exact numbers but you knew what I meant. Give yourself a pat on the back for having nothing better to do.
No, but I will pat myself on the back for knowing what I’m talking about before trying to argue a point. The 2 minutes spent on TSN.ca really didn’t affect my life much
Arguing? Who’s arguing? My point was it was the first time Fritz played that little in the game since he was called up. As far as you know what you are talking about.. well that’s up for debate.
Ken Morrow at 50 with bad knees is better then ANY player that is on the team!
Right on Mike, even though I would say Streit has been a pleasant surprise.
Jax:
You’re throwing darts, hoping to at least hit a wall, but me knowing what I’m talking about is up for debate? pffft.
41 seconds or 3:00 minutes… Either or, it’s wasted ice time, and the only “purpose” he serves is to sand the pine with his a$$. The Isles want to play a certain style, if Fritz can’t do it, then get somebody who can. It’s not rocket science.
Yeah Fritz is holding them back. LOL!!!! Stop it… Fritz does his job when given the opportunity which is more then I can say for about 75% of the guys on the roster. Fritz playing time should not be an issue. There’s more then enough problems on this team that have nothing to do with Fritz, but yet all you want to cry about is Fritz wasting a spot. Like I said there are about 10 guys wasting spots. You think it’s by accident that the isles haven’t gotten abused physically since Fritz came up? The game is more then just numbers. It’s not fantasy hockey.
Never said Fritz is holding them back.
And you’re right, Fritz playing time should not be an issue, because he doesn’t deserve any. Bottom line. If the guy can’t take a shift, he shouldn’t be here. He’s been a career AHL’r and that’s where he should be, and he can “protect those kids” all season long. There is nothing wrong with an enforcer, Fritz is is a minor league goon not an enforcer.
We don’t get physically abused with him in the lineup? Atlanta out hit the Isles by double last night. There’s more to physical hockey than pre-scripted goon fights.
LOL…Fritz sent down. Sorry buddy
So let me recap this roster move. They said Mitch Fritz down after we all agree the team has faired much better with him. Nate Thompson is out injured. Witt is out injured. Does this not seem like an idiot move?
Tomorrow we play Pitt who the Isles always have very nasty chippy games with. Worse Pitt has Eric Godard who is one of the leagues best fighters. Sutton cannot handle him. Guerin cannot. This is one of those dumb moves.
Who will they call up (I dunno I’d like to think it will be Comeu but it won’t they’ll call up some other career AHL’er and then issue a press statement on how excellent they are).
I’d like to think they made a trade for Milan Lucic but probably not. This team is more likely to make a trade for another tiny d-man who won’t hit, provides no offense, and would never think of clearing the crease. It is very disapointing. I was just seeing them responding to fans with bringing up Fritz. Bergenheim will be in which is good and I’d like to see Comeu.
Gordon said on Newsday he and his dance instructor wife often exchange advice. Makes sense as there are many ballerinas on the ice.
Why is Okposo playing with Park and Hilbert? Does it make sense at all for your top young player to be playing with a career AHL’er? Hilbert should be there, he has no business being on an NHL roster.
“They said Mitch Fritz down after we all agree the team has faired much better with him.”
WE ALL AGREE??? Not so much. Go back and read
I meant the majority agree.
Re: Comeau. We just read something the other day right on this blog, where a scout basically said Comeau is still a work in progress. His game is “incomplete” right now. Gordon apparently felt the same way because he sent him down. If this is all true, how is he going to help the team if called up? I thought he looked good last season also but remember the team was slower then and also played a different game. I am inclined to believe the people who see this guy play on a daily basis and I wish more people would as well. Unless we see more injuries I wouldn’t expect to see Comeau any time soon.
By the way, thanks James. I guess at least they are starting to address this. Whew.