PRE-GAME SHOW: Canucks at NYI, 7:05 pm
Ice…Gordon comments…XM tonight…your picks
The morning skate was moved to Islanders Iceworks today, apparently because the Coliseum is in preparation for Disney On Ice. But you have to wonder what in the name of Elvis Stojko is going on with the playing surface at the NVMC.
You know the last thing Scott Gordon, as a first-year NHL coach, wants to do is make an issue out of the ice at his home rink. But Saturday, in the midst of his post-game press conference, he let out a few words of exasperation about how bad the Coliseum ice was for both teams. It wasn’t the first time, and no one could blame him. Calling NHL ice doctor Dan Craig.
The Lineup: With two wins in a row, wouldn’t expect any changes. Joey MacDonald - popular today with the Vancouver media - gets the start. (Maybe Yann Danis gets one of the back-to-backs on the weekend?) Chris Campoli didn’t skate. By the sound of his voice, he may be coming down with something, but he’s a hockey player and we expect he’ll play.
Brendan Witt: Gordon said after the morning skate that the veteran defenseman will have three staight days of practice to see if he’s ready to go on Friday when the Islanders play in New Jersey. The team has leaned more toward the cautious side in every instant of injury rehab this season, so let’s see.
Also from Gordon…
Asked if he needed to advise his young players on how to handle Roberto Luongo, Gordon - while acknowledging Luongo’s greatness - said that the goaltending in the NHL is so good, the approach has to be the same: “If you allow the opposition to make mistakes by constantly throwing pucks to the net, they eventually will.” As evidence, Gordon mentioned how Ottawa’s Alex Auld did not give up a goal he could see in two games of action against the Islanders.
On whether there’s a need to talk to Josh Bailey every day: “If I felt the need to baby-sit him, he wouldn’t be here. You can’t micro-manage.”
On the play of Brett Skinner: “Brett’s given us minutes and has been solid for us while establishing himself in the NHL,” said Gordon. “He hasn’t done anything that says he can’t play in the NHL.”
Point Blank on XM Tonight: In what’s thankfully turned into a semi-regular spot, Point Blank will be on with Jim Gordon at 6:00 tonight on “Faceoff” on XM Home Ice 204. Boomer and I will discuss Islanders-Canucks, Roberto Luongo and all things New York hockey.
The Visiting Media: In our Q & A on Friday, in a discussion about the Islanders relationship with the media, I mentioned how the writers in some Canadian cities can get a little haughty when their teams are winning. I specifically mentioned Ottawa and Vancouver. Well, in their stories previewing tonight’s Islanders-Canucks tilt, the press in Vancouver - the home of exactly, uh…0 Stanley Cups - did not disappoint.
Free Agent Frenzy La-dee-da: No idea what it means, but wondering how come the majority of star unrestricted free agents in the NHL come off the shelves in the first two days while Major League Baseball seems so much more methodical.
If C.C. Sabathia were a hockey player, he would have been a Ranger by 5:00 pm on July 1. Maybe it’s because they’re all making such crazy dough in baseball that they can afford to take their time. Thoughts?
Reader Notice: I had pledged to get to the final block of Q & A by now, but realized the possibility Coach Gordon could give his team a day off this week with no games between tonight and Friday night. So we’re still sorting through what we can answer and promise one final extravaganza this week. Thanks for all the input. Some of the questions deserve responses so detailed that we will turn them into stand-alone columns during the year.
Your turn. Comments. Predix.
76 Responses to “PRE-GAME SHOW: Canucks at NYI, 7:05 pm
Ice…Gordon comments…XM tonight…your picks”
Please Wait
They DO need to address the ice issue, and quickly. It’s not just a game quality issue, but a safety issue for the players. Hope I can webstrean XM 204 from inside the coliseum tonight!
didn’t the bad quality of the coliseum ice cause sim’s injury last year? they really do need to correct this. i’ve also been astounded at how all the major ufa’s sign with somebody on the first day or two of free agency in the nhl while nobody does in mlb. go figure.
So, if the ice is so bad, why don’t we move to arena? Hasn’t anyone thought of that yet?
Maybe it is time for Wang to start making threats. NVMC used to have some of the best ice in the league.
Perhaps the ice-making machinery is worn out! Could we maybe get it fixed? Is someone (not Wang) too cheap to do it, or is that model no longer made?
Maybe they don’t want to upgrade the ice-making machinery because we should be getting a new arena in a few years?
I’ll bet the arena in Hamilton has good ice!
It’s been mentioned (or maybe just suggested) that Wang is reluctant to fix the ice problems because he plans on restructuring the coliseum from the bottom up.
If that’s true, then can he at least promise that Phase 1 of his plan will be put into effect during this off season?
In the NHL Network’s a Day in the life of Doug Weight he mentioned that even though the Colley was an old barn, it was better than some of the new ones. I’m pretty sure that was shot before Sim tried to tugboat him to the bench the other night… And Guerin came in after the locker rooms were flooded in 2006… so they couldn’t talk about that during their rides to work… otherwise I’m sure those guys would have made some, “my boat is bigger than your boat” jokes.
The Isles are back to operating on a shoestring budget. The county is never going to green light the lighthouse project. Why can’t they just compromise and make the area around the Coliseum a mega Starbucks with 8 drive through lanes. Then they can rename charles lindbergh blvd to Double Mocha Expressoway…
CB
Be careful when returning a cheap shot. You might want to rethink the idea of Vancouver being a city without any Cup Champions. Look it up.
Good observation, Farrell. Let’s go Millionaires!
I don’t mind when the media takes shots at us- our front office has been a circus since the Spano ordeal, and we haven’t won a playoff series in 15+ years. Jab away!
Cheap shot nothing, Farrell. What Chris said is a fact. Vancouver has won the Stanley cup a grand total of 0 times.
Islanders win 4-2 tonight.
Obviously NHL free agents are in a hurry because of the salary cap. The longer you wait the less money teams have available to you. I love the salary cap but the individual players cap is way too high. It should have been taken down to $6MM.
The way I see it, having bad ice is a great home ice advantage. We play 41 at the NVMC….having faster skilled teams coming in and playing on that surface is an advantage when you know as a fore-checking forward the puck might and will take a bad bounce. Plus, with Go Go Gordon’s system, most teams have been making bad plays anyway.
BTW Chris….did Wang ever entertain the idea of moving out to Suffolk?
i’m pretty sure that the ice issue would have to be corrected by smg, not the isles who are only a tennent.
Screw the Vancouver media. They’re all probably high from the air on the 300 block or to busy with their funky alternative art scene to write a good article. Who cares what they have to say anyway.
5 - 2 Isles. Tamby finally breaks out with 2, Striet with a PP G, Parky and Weight round out the scoring.
WWWWWOOOOOOOO!!! Write a story about that.
Dare I say it, three in a row, NYI 4 - VAN 2 (en).
an article in the vancouver sun called the isles, “perennial doormats.” maybe in the nineties but this team has made the playoffs four times this decade. what have the nucks done to generate such high expectations of nhl franchises from the media? two finals appearances ever? they should have more respect for new york hockey. we’ve shattered their dreams twice.
keep rollin’ - NYI 3, VAN 2 (OT)
3 in a row would be heaven sent! It’s something this team could use right now and it would get some confidence back into that locker room.
Three straight probably wont happen. Against one of the tougher teams in the league, we dont have an enforcer so Id expect the Isles to get beat up a little tonight.
Luongo—————UGH need we say more
Worst trade in history
This will be a much bigger challenge than Ottawa, as Vancouver’s playing some good hockey lately. I’ll say Van-5, Isles-2. On a positive note, it seems like the Canucks are, to a degree, looking past the “lowly Islanders” and towards MSG, Naslund, and the Rangers. So maybe the Isles catch ‘em off guard with some hard work.
Wrt the Vancouver media, I don’t blame them much. If I wasn’t an Isles fan, I’d probably make fun of them too, honestly. Unless you’re on boards like this one a lot, and can actually see some some method to the madness (even if some of us disagree with some decisions), then all you really know about the Isles is they’re a last place team with no big names and an injured goalie who is signed for life.
Whoever decided that prepping 4 that Disney s*** is so important that it has to interrupt the gameday routine of the players should be axed as for the game 3-1 isles (en) after a brilliant goalie battle
Seems to me they made the finals a couple of times but each time got wiped off the earth by a NY area team. What a shame!
I read on Puck Daddy today that their is possibility of a Byfuglien or Cam Barker for either Comrie or Weight. Also St. Louis may be interested in one of them since Andy MacDonald is out for the year. Thoughts?
To score against Luongo:
Make him move a little to the side and score in the five-hole!
Lets Go Isles!
The ice conditions is a sad story. No professional sports team should have to deal with such a fundamental consistent problem.
Chris, I’ve been asking around, and is there anything the fans can do to hassle the crap out of Nassau County to stop dragging their feet on the project? I would love to help out, I just don’t what I can do!
As far as the time for baseball players to get signed, MikeD hit it on the nose I feel with the salary cap. The longer you wait, the more you probably have to compromise as teams near their max.
I hope to see a good game tonight, would love to see an Isles victory and a shutout for Joey Mac! He deserves one!
Bad ice does not benefit anyone, especially a team like this year’s Islanders under Gordon.
The other fix that is badly needed is a new set of glass. Ever wonder why this team has so many shoulder injuries…it is the rigid, hard as a cement wall glass partitions. They need to be the new spring loaded glass partitions that give way when hit.
BWolf,
The Rag$ have been dealing with ice problems for years. And that’s at the self proclaimed “world’s most famous arena”
i say isles win 2-1 on a close game. vancouver outplays us but we win narrowly.park and guerin score. park with a shorty and guerin on pp
Isles: 41
Canucks:0.3
Luongo with a permanent skate problem due to bad ice.
DAAA ISLES!!!
how the heck can Disney prep today? They gonna leave their stage props on the ice for tonight’s game? A big picture of Mickey at Center ice? The Coliseum is based around the Isles, and once again we are treated as an afterthought.
As the sign with the motto of Faber College says at the beginning of “Animal House” says, “Knowledge is Good.” That being the case, perhaps you, CB, or Nick can emphasize once again that the issue is not with the County (and please correct me if I’m wrong), but with the Town of Hempstead. This is basic Civics 101 stuff. Suozzi and the County approved this and passed it to the Town of Hempstead, oh I’m guessing, 2 years ago. The hold up (literally and figuratively) now and for the last two years is with the Town. So many people mention the County that you have to wonder whether the Team, Lighthouse Project or the Support Groups are getting the word out enough.
JPinVA:
Weight lost a skate blade when he was checked and the heel of his skate slammed against the side boards.
It had nothing to do with bad ice.
The replay clearly showed it.
I know the ice is bad… but that is not to blame for him losing a skate blade.
DOC
derek, didn’t know that about the Rag$! I wonder how the conditions have been around the league. Has this been a problem all around?
The fact that we’ve had days in the 60’s recently probably doesn’t help (especially in the old Coliseum).
Speaking of the Coliseum, from a player’s point of view what are the worst parts? You hear about players talking about it negatively but are they the ones eating the food from the concessions or using the public bathrooms? I’d like to know what the facilities for a player are like and their weaknesses…
CB,
I just read Baumbach’s column from yesterday. I understand the many issues that face the “Lighthouse Project”, but there also have to be considerations about the area in general. If I wasn’t a hockey fan I’d be telling Mr. Wang to (To use a term I haven’t heard since I left Long Island) “GO SCRATCH”.
Why haven’t alternate solutions been looked into. If the Islanders are hanging by the thread of the “Lighthouse Project”, then who really cares what they are doing for their future… it won’t be on Long Island!
At least fix the damn place up so the players and fans ARE SAFE!!!
JP,
“Alternate solutions” from who? Wang and Rechler proposed the project. There has already been some give and take (the 75 story lighthouse tower or whatever that was supposed to be )is no longer part of the plan. Shouldn’t it now be up to the Town to discuss the project, make recommendations for things to include and drop? To date, the Town has done nothing but drag its feet. To place the blame on Wang and Rechler is preposterous.
JP, Baumbach is mis-informed. I’ll say it before and I’ll say it again, I’ve been to just about every public hearing on the project, and there is more venom toward this project from Islander fans than the community at large. All I can say is this - do not mistake the silence for something bad. As for the ice issue, they can’t replace the refrigeration units now simply because the arena floor is getting dropped 5 feet during the renovations. There’s no sense replacing it now when you have to replace it all over again in the summer.
Seriously guys, patience is a virtue, and after the new year there will be a lot more movement.
Today: 3-2 Isles, Bailey with the winner. Streit and Guerin contribute the other 2. Joey Mac very solid.
I can’t believe they couldn’t skate because of Disney on ice! Then again, its game day and presumably not too many would skate anyway. Imagine if this were to happen tomorrow or the next day? I hope it doesn’t!
I can’t make a prediction and won’t even get to see the game (maybe the last 20 mins on TV) but I wish them continued success with passing, PP moving, and working as a team for 60 minutes. I do feel like the Isles are in for a loss tonight but hopefully not by a margin of say, 7-2. Let’s have a good, close game and no injuries, GO ISLES!!!
If the Isles play the way they played Ottawa this past weekend, they should win. I’ll say 3-1 NYI. Bad ice and all.
i didnt really realize how well Joey Mac was playing untill i looked at the league wide stats for goalies. He is 5th in the league with 400 saves , trailing 1st overall Lundquist (who has played 3 more games) by 42 saves. he’s also 13th in GAA among golies with 10 starts at 2.82 which is great considering we r missing basically every defensemen on our payroll. Thats pretty solid, hopefully he can keep it up. excited for tonights game lets keeep rolllinggggg!!!
Joey Mac has been playing incredible and deserves a lot of credit. Without him many of those close games would have been over in the first!
Skate blade breaking may have had nothing to do with the ice. Both teams falling untouched everywhere on the ice does.
In MLB, being a free agent ande signing a large deal is a once in a lifetime opportunity for most. A lot of them take their time with it, and try to get the best deal possible, and many ultimately go to where the most money is. Also, MLB teams need to fill holes rather than just sign talent…they need to prioritze what moves to make first, and then move on. In the NHL, if there is a guy out there who can play, teams are going to try and sign him, and they really don’t need to prioritize. A lot of players are similar (ex. If you can’t sign Campbell, sign Streit..a MLB team that can’t sign Teixiera isn’t gonna sign Millar) Also players in the NHL don’t seem to care about the money…that probably has a lot to do with it…they seem to make up their minds quickly. (Ex. Drury, Gomez w/ rags…Briere w/ phily
Chris TMC
Check your history, you and Mr Botta are incorrect. The Stanley Cup has been won by Vancouver on several occassions. Though Botta’s point is still well taken.
I am glad we traded Luongo. He’s been traded twice and there is a reason a guy who is labled to be so good gets traded more then once in a few years in the NHL.
I’ll never forget that night in Tampa. I my friend and my two Nephews were sitting 4 rows behind Cloutier’s net. Connolly had fallen in the crease and Cloutier kicked him in the face. He easily could have put his eye out. We knew it would not go unpunished. Sure enough Mr. Webb and the boys crashed in again (on purpose this time) and it was on. Webb was beating on Cloutier but the refs pulled Cloutier out and were holding Webb. They sent Cloutier to the bench but he didn’t go he turned around and punched Webb while the refs held him down. He then skated over and clear to all as EVERY player on the ice was involved except Loungo (WHO EVEN THOUGH SEEING HIS BOYS OUTNUMBERED BY THE ENEMY STAYED IN HIS CREASE LIKE A COWARD)Cloutier challenged Loungo to a fight MANY TIMES. Loungo would have no part in it. That was the night I found out Roberto Loungo was a coward. He was so much bigger then Cloutier but he wouldn’t help out his teammates. Eric Cairns broke Simpsons jaw right in front of us. I lost faith in Loungo. He is a poor teammate. I am sure many in the Isles organization lost faith in him that night too. It was the following summer he was traded. I have no problem that we traded him, I have a major problem that we didn’t get a mega return for him. Rick has beaten him most of the time head to head with far worse teams.
The Canadian media tends to build themselves up through hockey. Oh these horrible American organizations etc. Makes them feel better about themselves.
It was just last summer Van had to get a new GM right because things weren’t going so well. They have at least three of their top guys (sedins and Ohlund) headed for FA and not a lot of cap space.
They named their goalie captain (I say not even the village idiot Mike Milbury pulled that one) to appease him into staying with them. So they should be careful in casting stones.
That being said, this is a huge and very fast team. I believe they make Loungo look better then he is. This team will pose many problems for us. So many fast, huge, skilled guys. So many fighters.
EVERYONE WATCH RYAN KESLER TONIGHT. he would be amazing in Gordon’s system and the big and talented center we need to complement Bailey.
I hope I am wrong but tonight could be a step back game. We don’t have favorable match ups and I don’t think we can skate with this team. I say tonight the bad ice MAY HELP US IN SLOWING THEM DOWN!
This game is a chance for Tambelleni and his speed to step up and really make a difference. I think Van might be the team Tambelleni ends up with if he doesn’t show he belongs with the Isles.
Strummer, that’s an amazing story. I don’t think I remember that game, and I’m sorry I don’t (I was in my teens at that point and wasn’t always able to watch the game).
Also, in addition to Kesler, check out Mason Raymond as someone who would fit like a glove into Gordon’s system. All the guy does is fly on the ice and look for someone to hit (he can also chip in a few goals). I would absolutely love to see him in the blue and orange.
The Canadian press (in every avenue) is almost as bad as the liberal press of NY (almost). They are biased and beat on us(Islanders and American teams in general) constantly. If I hear about how we don’t deserve a hockey team and Canadian teams never get the first pick and Betteman rigs the draft every year to promote hockey in America. Screw them. I believe I recall that game Strummer but I’d take Luongo just the same over DP any day!!!!
Another goal allowed on the opening shift. Third or fourth time this season. Gordon should bench whoever is on the ice for such a fiasco. Gordon has to rip these guys a new one and get them ready to play out of the gate.
tim jackman my man…has played his last game in bridgeport!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ut oh, I wonder how the Candain media is gonna report Davisson getting beat up by a lowley Islander?
Love Kesler and Bieksa!
Matt no way do I want Captain Coward in goal. Plus Ricky has always been MUCH better on rebound control, playing the puck and he’ll back up his team. Loungo is just a big guy with good positioning. Nothing that impressive about him as a goalie. If you notice he became a much more highly rated goalie when he got to Canada. That is because their press built him up and he is on a team that is good and plays d-first like the Devils. Loungo is good but Ricky is way better. Just always played behind horrible defenses and sometimes teams.
CB,
Could the fact that there’s a cap now in the NHL have anything to do with the way people are signed? Players must know prior to free agency what teams are *capable* of offering, so it takes some teams out of the running altogether at a very early date. Baseball’s lack of fiscal sanity plays right into the hands of the players–every team could potentially sign anyone. Comparatively, I think the NHL has been far more disciplined over the years.
meh , I remember when I’d get all upset when canadian media picked on the isles -especially when their opinions were not informed .
we just have to suck it up and wait for the respect to come -dont hold your breath though
Chris TMC:
Vancouver Canucks have never won a Stanley cup but were runners up twice, once to the Islanders and once to the Rangers. They were an expansion team in either ‘70 or ‘71, I beleive they entered the league the same year as the Sabres.
last post should have been directed to Farrell
Hey Vancouver….1-1
stick that in your pipe and smoke it!!!!!
I hope that nobody on this site calls for Mitch Fritz again this season. His skating needed a TON of work and Jackman has filled his “enforcer” role beautifully. He was even getting some penalty kill time today(much to my surprise) and was rewarded with a breakaway. KEEP HIM UP
hey now thats fun to watch!!WOW
Ha!!!!
AWESOME!!!!!!!!
Hey CB, what did the Vancouver media say about Joey Mac?
What a great game! Franz Neilsen is out of control!!!!
http://tinyurl.com/6ksqde
Isles look like team in oldtimers league
Many of the names are familiar, but their legs are creaky, writes Gordon McIntyre
that article was pretty harsh, i wonder what canucks writers will be saying next year when both sedin twins walk
They’re saying Okie’s hurt on the post game, what happened?
Im glad our boys played well tonight. Its fun when you can shove it back in people’s faces.
But Im sure the media will have some sort of excuse on why the Canucks lost. It certainly wasnt because of the oldtimers league team playing well.
3-1 since comrie got hurt… YES!!
YES!!! Our backup goalie just outdeuled you, Luongo! YESSSSSSSS!!!!!
WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/story.html?id=c19f6fb9-f464-4c44-848e-bcb07d1b9a43
I am calling for Fritz to be called up for the Buffalo game.
Screw that. Jackman all the way!!!!!!I dont care if he doesnt WIN fights, he fights- PLUS he gets points, and he skates and works his ass off. I dont want him to leave!!!!!!!!!!!!
joe is mass, I can’t believe how terrible that article is. People in canada are freaking crazy
wow they are really hating on the isles in that post game article ..what gives? i saw the pregame article as well..dumb canucks..
Great game tonight by Neilson, even before the shootout. He was all over the ice!
Why are we throwing a 19 year old Josh Bailey into the shootout? I’m all for giving the kid an opportunity, but that wasn’t the place.
I know ‘84. Talk about not giving credit where credit is due. They even go so far to make an excuse about the Canucks changing their style of play because of the ice. I guess the Isles don’t play on that same ice either.
And for everyone who is loving Jackman right now, I am there too. The guy shows that he wants to add more to the game then a physical presence. He play’s his tail off and if need by he will drop the mitts. Onto the Marty-less Devils this weekend. 3 pounds would be real nice.
Farrell you should take your own advice and check the history books. Vancouver was awarded an expansion team in the 70-71 season. Since then the Canucks have only been in two Stanley cup finals. The 93/94 season they lost to the Rangers and in the 81/82 season they were swept by our Islanders. Now go look it up and then come back and apologize to CB and Chris for being wrong.
I have been e-mailing members of the Van media pointing out how bad Loungo sucks, how bad their team must be if they were beaten by the Isles, what kind of idiot organization names their goalie captain, how could they lose to our back up goalie, and that both Nielsen and Hunter beat Loungo in the shoot out (he always has sucked at them) even if Nielsen scored and Hunter shot wide. I encourage you all to e-mail them too and ask them how many Cups as Van won???
oh, guys, I just got this response from the guy from the Van Sun. I didn’t bother to attach my name but sent it to him after his response with this additional note.
“Just didn’t think of it. Any further questions? Oh, you gonna go write an article about the glory days when you had such top talent as Colin Campbell! HA!”
If Okposo is hurt the guess here is it’s an injured upper body appendage. He looked like he got slashed in the upper body appendage, took off a piece of protective gear protecting the upper body appendage, and grimaced a few times as he flexed the upper body appendage. He then went to the bench and I dont think he returned. It happened right in front of me, so I am pretty sure that is what happened, but in the interest of the NHL’s injury disclosure policy, I don’t want to give too much information away. It’s life or death out there, you know.
Farrell is probably referring to the Vancouver Millionaires, who won the Stanley Cup in 1915. Before the NHL there were two professional leagues (the National Hockey Association and the Pacific Coast Hockey Association), whose respective champions played for the Cup. The NHL was created out of the ashes of the NHA (but not the PCHA).
So, technically, he is right, but that’s just splitting hairs. Vancouver has never won the NHL championship.