IMPLAUSIBLY LIVE BLOG
Rangers 5 Islanders 4 (Final) updated 10:10 pm
10:10 pm – Some notes from the visitor’s dressing room and some final thoughts before I take the train home to read more than 100 Comments. Do I feel a new Comment-ary record coming on? If anything would do it, it would be a loss to the Rangers.
Trent Hunter, according to Scott Gordon, is “okay.” The coach said Hunter “does not have a concussion.” He added, “We will know more tomorrow.” I spoke with Trent briefly about 15 minutes after the game. The best way I could describe him is that he looks beat up, but everything seems to be working. Later on, Trent told the press that for a brief while, he had trouble catching his breath but that he did not suffer a concussion.
To the readers who Commented about the Islanders looking flustered in giving up two quick goals after Hunter’s injury, I say Trent skated off without any assistance. They’ve all seen far worse. I blame crappy play, not concerned hearts.
I asked Gordon for his overall view of the game. “The Rangers played really well,” he said. “They brought a lot of speed. They won a lot of battles. We didn’t generate enough on our attack.” The coach said he thought it was one of the Rangers’ best games that he has seen this season, but also “there was a lot we didn’t do well.”
Joey MacDonald, straight shooter, declined to blame the uncertainty of the DiPietro situation for anything. He said that since the exhibition season, he has prepared himself as if he is starting every game.
I asked Gordon about Josh Bailey’s Lack O’ Minutes. The coach said that once Hunter went down, he had “4 centers but only 3 lines.” He seemed to want to make a point of saying he wasn’t down on Bailey’s performance.
On a final note, Butch Goring informed me that he will be working every Islanders home game the rest of the season on The Plus. On Saturday nights, he’ll be in the MSG studio. For all other home games, he’ll be at the rink where he won four Cups.
9:32 pm – The Islanders, no matter what the lineup looked like, had been winning these games at the Garden.
Mike Comrie makes it 5-4 with 18 seconds left. Going down to locker room for reaction. (The Hockey) Newsday represented by Logie and Mark Herrmann and Arthur Staple.
Josh Bailey, under 7 minutes tonight. Discuss.
9:24 pm – More sloppy play in front of the Islanders’ net leads to a Nigel Dawes goal to make it 5-3. Unless the Islanders have some last-minute magic left in them from Buffalo, that should do it.
9:22: Petr Prucha, the Rangers’ ’08-09 version of Blake Comeau, has now inspired chants of PET-R PRU-CHA! The barn is rocking. Good stuff. Still 4-3.
9:15 pm – For the second time this period, the Islanders lose a faceoff in their own end and it leads to a Rangers goal. 4-3 for the home team. Wild period. This sure beats the NBA.
9:05 pm - About ten seconds after play resumes after Trent Hunter is injured (more after the game), the Rangers tie the game on a goal by Petr Prucha. A half minute later, Joey MacDonald gives up a deadly soft goal to Michal Rozsival and the home team takes a 3-2 lead.
Oh, about 15 seconds after that (they haven’t announced the goals yet, folks!), Blake Comeau puts in a rebound to tie the game.
Other than that, nothing’s happened in the first three minutes of the third period.
8:55 pm - Steve S. asks a very fair question in Comments:
CB, I love your blog, I really do, but why don’t you tell us again about how great the training staff is! How many guys does that make who are cleared to play and then instantly injured?
The answer is a simple one, Steve, and thanks for loving the blog. Respectfully, if you think head trainer Garrett Timms is the young man responsible for making the ultimate call to allow Rick DiPietro to play on Friday, you’re wrong. Of course, that doesn’t make what the Islanders did right. I’m still shaking my head on this one.
When you’re talking about the return from the injured list of the franchise goalie, for the decision-makers look much higher than Mr. Timms in the team’s management directory.
8:40 pm – The second period ends with back-to-back shifts providing a window to the Islanders’ possible future. First Blake Comeau intercepts a bad clear at the blueline and sets up a few scoring chances, and then with just 11 seconds left in the period Kyle Okposo gorgeously deflects a blueline wrister for a goal to make it 2-1 Islanders.
Prior to the final quarter of the second, it was the Rangers’ period. They out-shot and out-chanced the Islanders and had the far superior forecheck.
Clearly on the advice of Scott Gordon, the Islanders are shooting high on the butterflying King every chance they get – which isn’t often.
The team told me during the period that Andy Hilbert (hairline fracture in his foot) will be out 2-4 weeks.
In the season-long discussion of the Islanders’ need for a cornerstone player in the next draft (my words, not necessarily yours), I watch this game and think about how important it would be for the Islanders to have a franchise forward or defenseman. Maybe it’s just the World’s Most Famous Arena causing me to day-dream, but I stand by my feeling that the Islanders need a stud to take the next step.
7:47 pm – Islanders get the all-important first goal in this building on a giveaway that leads to a Trent Hunter dish to Mike Sillinger for the tally.
Mitch Fritz and Colton Orr have the inevitable heavyweight scrap. I thought Fritz won early, and Orr gets points for the take-down. My suspicion that Fritz won (I’m far away from the ice) seems confirmed by the Garden not replaying the fight on the scoreboard.
Mike Comrie stands up for his linemate and goes toe-to-toe with Nigel Dawes in the flyweight division. I wrote here a few weeks ago that Comrie is one of the Islanders’ best fighters. It’s not that he’s Joey Kocur or anything, but you can’t say his tilts aren’t exciting. If Dawes wasn’t wearing a shield, Comrie might have had a knock-down.
Much more big hits being thrown by the Islanders. Need to find a way to bring that level of physicality when playing Columbus and Minnesota, and not crosstown rival.
Wade Redden…not a Garden favorite. Now the MSG faithful are down on Wade, Kalinin and Rozsival. That could be a record, and the Rangers are 22-13-3. Now that’s accountability.
So who does tonight’s game mean more to?
7:03 – A few words about the blocking of Comment-ators. This blog was born about a hundred days ago and so far we’ve had to take the unfortunate step of blocking 5 readers, most of them beloved. Two of them were for inarguably, completely over-the-line posts about people’s personal business. Three were regular readers who refused my repeated, friendly requests that they stop dominating the Comments space. They were sent emails pleading with them to stop.
If anyone is ever blocked and would like to return, just send me an email. I don’t care whether you rip me, the blog or just about anything. But I’m done with asking readers to follow the guidelines. As I’ve written before, if I lose readers, I’m okay with it. I’ve seen too many blogs destroyed by some of the garbage that goes on.
6:50 pm – Now we know the key to The King’s amazing success in shootouts. Before he leaves the ice after pre-game warmups (just finished), Henrik Lundqvist has about ten of his teammates take breakaways on him.
6:25 pm - The Islanders still have yet to disclose a timeframe for Andy Hilbert, who suffered a hairline fracture in his left foot on Friday. In light of the recent wacky prognosis for Kyle Okposo – day-to-day, then 6-8 weeks, then miraculous recovery for Minnesota game – the team might want to consider labeling all of their players “week-to-week.”
(This is your groin, when strained).
5:35 pm - In light of the Rick DiPietro news (“groin strain” still there, Yann Danis now here), Scott Gordon met with the press again. Dan Martin of the Post and I looked at each other and said, “Here we go again.”
Instead of his recent root canal visits, this time Gordon was completely relaxed, almost as if he’s thinking “WTF, Ricky’s out again and we’ve got a big game in Madison Square Garden tonight, so really WTF – I can talk to these humps again.”
The coach called the DiPietro injury “disappointing.” He compared it to the Mike Sillinger situation, where the 37-year old Sillinger returned from hip surgery a few weeks ago and then suffered a setback in the groinal region. Gordon said DiPietro’s setback is “the kind of injury you get in training camp.”
Against mild second-guessing from the media scrum about starting DiPietro on Friday against Toronto after little practice time, the coach waved it off. He said the goalie had been “on the ice for two weeks.” Gordon clearly had no regrets, or did a tremendous job of pretending that he had no regrets. Going out on a limb here, I would expect some less-than-mild criticism in your local newspapers tomorrow.
(Let me be clear where I stand on this. When I heard in West Virginia that DiPietro was getting the start Friday, I shook my head for about 60 seconds and then went back to pounding the Greg Norman wine).
For now, DiPietro is listed as day-to-day. Gordon would not rule out anything, set a timeline or say when the injury was suffered. What we do know is this morning the intention was for DiPietro to start tonight’s game.
Hey, what’s this rumor about Wade Dubielewicz leaving Ak Bars? No, I don’t see him coming here. Besides, last thing you want is him stealing games!
Comments.
181 Responses to IMPLAUSIBLY LIVE BLOG
Rangers 5 Islanders 4 (Final) updated 10:10 pm
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Steve C. says:
Is it that DP is this fragile, does he need more time to heal (which is fine, since we need the No. 1 pick), or is it that the Isles are mishandling and mistreating the situation?
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alan says:
I wonder how much of this decision is DP’s versus management. I know DP wants to get out there BAD.
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derekloge says:
lame……
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kevin says:
its a shame. i hope we kick ass tonight ( fritz).
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jon says:
this sickens me, at this point, and it shouldn’t. both dipietro himself and the isles organization are doing a disservice to their fans by handling this so recklessly…dating back to last year and his hip at the ASG. unbelievable
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what did the org do? play him when he is ready. do we know they rushed him? if he was ready and they play him and he gets injured again that means he is injury prone. botta, did they rush him? i doubt it. they realize he is the franchise goalie and wouldnt do that. unless someone knows the org. personally and can tell me straight up that they rushed him and it is there fault then i doubt it was their fault and that he is injury prone and thats the case.
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Jon says:
Garth Snow is grasping at straws.
The Gordon and Tambellini moves backfired. Snow plays the DiPietro card too soon and it backfires as well.
Where is the plan in the rebuilding plan?
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michael says:
THE CURSE OF MIKE MILBURY LIVES ON. this is just the gift that keeps on giving.
ya so what we drafted a goalie #3 three years ago, lets draft ANOTHER goalie #1 and not take a can’t miss scorer.
ya big shock this didn’t work out. embarrassing.
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dose says:
In the early 80′s George Steinbrenner was fined by the commissioner for calling fellow owners Jerry Reinsdorf and Eddie Einhorn “the Abbott and Costello of baseball. A couple of pumpkins who don’t know what they’re doing.”
This must be how the hockey world looks at our New York Islanders.
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how is gordon bad???? he is with a crap team so how can u expect more from him even after being told we are going to be in last or close to it. tambs scores a goal after conditioning stint so how did that backfire..
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19 ISLE in NJ 22 says:
I mean COME ON ALREADY!!!!! When is enough enough???
Could this be a conspiracy to keep DP from stealing games so they Isles stay in the Tavares / Hedman Sweepstakes?? I almost hope that the Isles’ management is that schrewd and low enough to do something like that … but that would be giving them to much credit.
Actually … this just sickens me that they could be this careless with such a fragile asset.
1 Practice??? Then throw him to the wolves …. the more I think about it the more I realize how lucky it is that all DP has is a strained groin.
My hockey practices were always and still are much more demanding then an actual game situation … that is done on purpose of course …. so what did DP get out of ONE full blown practice then 2 days off?? Obviously not enough.
Well … I’ll just kick back now and get ready for the carnage at MSG tonight … maybe the Rangers will relax to much knowing they aren’t facing DP and the Isles will Hyper Speed over them.
HA! -
im suprised you guys are mad. doesnt this bring us closer to the #1 pick?
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Cain says:
Exactly, Kevin.
Shut DP down for another month, condition him in the minors and sell in the mean time. Split his games up and just look to get out of this season with healthy players and a dozen or more picks to work with at the draft.
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Rick says:
What a joke this team has become. Gordon’s chestnuts should be roasting on a open fire for now rushing THE FRANCHISE back from injury TWICE.
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rick look at my comment above. if he was healthy then thats why he played but HE IS INJURY PRONE. quit acting like they rushed. unless you know gordo and snow personally and they told you they rushed him, then stop saying they did.
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Kevin … that is the only silver lining in this whole situation … but … what if … say we do get Tavares … but DP’s career is over … where does that leave the Isles? … They could be losing games 5-4 … I don’t know … none of us are fortune tellers … and maybe it is a blessing in disguise that DP is going to miss some more time and it puts the Isles in a top 2 drafting position … I just still hate to see DP hurt … and I still hate to see the Isles lose … it’s an odd paradox … but the loses hurt less when I think that the Isles have a shot at a future Mega Star that broke a bunch of #99′s, #66′s and #87′s junior records … and he still has a half season to go… Oh … and just think … Do you think Betman would deny the Isles a chance to play in Yankee Stadium when the NHL has a NEW STAR to SHOWCASE?? Just saying … enjoy the game everyone … ought to be interesting.
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beatlebailey says:
its all good…let DP sit out the season..keep on SUCKING boys…everygame i hope for a 3-2 loss in the final seconds of regulation. TAVARES!
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S-T-E-R-O-I-D-S..read between the lines…….;-)
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well we could sign a goalie in the offseason but i think it is a blessing in disguise too, but i dont like where the blames are going. he is injury prone and thats it.
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Speaking of STEROIDS … today it was reported that former Ranger prospect Cherapanov (sp) was doping over the months before his death …. what a shame … not sure if that contributed to his death … after all … he did have that heart condition … but never the less it couldn’t of helped.
That kid was a rag doll too … wasn’t he? Wonder what kinda doping he was doing? … Stamina? Bulking up? Oh well kids … another reason to stay away from drugs.
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Kevin, they rushed him back. They rushed him back. Get it through your head dude – they rushed him back. Unless you have DP’s medical records in front of you & can share it with the rest of us showing that he was 100% ready to go – and that he didn’t need ANY real game action before getting back in net in a NHL game, then stop drinking the kool-aid. THEY RUSHED HIM BACK KEVIN. Period.
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Brian from Massapequa says:
CB – Hilbert is listed as being on IR on the Isles official site. What is the minimum number of days/games that a person needs to be out to be on IR? That will give you the low end of the estimate.
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ok.. versus HD just turned off in nyc time warner. i was watching it up until 6:53 in hd then it went black.. versus SD, still up and running
why must you torture me versus??
this is why hockey can’t be taken seriously.
PUT HOCKEY BACK ON ESPN WHERE IT BELONGS
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how do u know. is gordo on ur speed dial?
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if he was supposed to be back 4-6 weeks and never came back till8 weeks then how is it rushing
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awsome fight. the cut got reopened. i say draw with an edge to orr. have to see it again. orr prob. idk ill check it l8er
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my comment about mitch fritz still stands. if he’s in there to pummel, he isnt doing it….not that he’s the crux of the NYI problems, but he epitomizes their ineptitude. get a brawler that can brawl but also contribute something else.
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We know DP has trouble staying healthy, and a strained groin is a likely outgrowth of being out for a long time and going into game situations. I hope they keep him out until after the All-Star break and send him for 2-3 games in Bridgeport before we see him again.
Otherwise, I’ve just come to accept that a large portion of people who post here have a problem with everything this team does. Let’s kick some Rag ass tonight.
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Mike from Queens says:
“Otherwise, I’ve just come to accept that a large portion of people who post here have a problem with everything this team does.”
Honestly, the track record and current state of the team has given fans enough of a reason to distrust every move. This latest DiPietro situation is simply another indication that something is wrong when lumped with everything else. Surely, there are some fans who would be upset and complain even if the Isles were in 5th (or even 1st) place, but considering the current iteration and state of the franchise, there’s not much of a reason to be confident that any move is made is the right move.
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They’re booing Kalinin after 1 play that led to a goal….and Rag fans love to say they don’t care about us.
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Steve S says:
CB, I love your blog, really I do, but why don’t you tell us again about how great the training staff is! How many guys does that make who are cleared to play and then instantly injured?
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Valentino says:
T A V A R E S H E R E W E C O M E
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The Mick says:
Nice to see Okposo getting some time on the PP and the PK and coming through with the deflection. 3 goals in games against the Rangers also nice to see. Bailey is getting no ice time today.
Like the reset of the posts, I’m dissapointed in the DiPietro situation. The team just has to shut him down for a little while longer and keep going with Joey Mac.
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Jim M says:
What a beautiful deflection by Okpo
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GasMD says:
Hey CB,
The islanders had a chance to draft that stud LAST year. His name is Filatov. Or Cody Hodgson. Now we’re chasing for Tavares. -
CB
who’s bonehead decision would you say it was it to play DP against toronto?
a) snow
b) wang
c) DP
d) sparky the dragonNaturally, this is purely speculation on your part of course.(wink)
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GasMD,
You sure Filatov is a STUD? He’s like 5-foot-3 and looks like a 12-year-old girl. Trevor Smith has more points in the AHL than Filatov does. -
I’m eager to see what your thoughts are after the game Chris, but I think someone should lose their job for not checking a door like that. If it happened in the real world that someone didn’t check a harness and a person fell, the guy who should’ve checked that harness would lose their job and this is no different. If it is just the wind knocked out of him (as they kinda said on versus) then Hunter got lucky. It isn’t too far of a stretch to see a guys season or even his career go down the toilet from a mistake like that and there is no reason for it.
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Hello, my name is Brendan Witt. I am very often on the ice when the other team scores and my reaction is always to just slump my shoulders. Way to clear out that front of the net.
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The islanders had a chance to draft that stud LAST year. His name is Filatov. Or Cody Hodgson. Now we’re chasing for Tavares.
I don’t want to start a big argument (and not just because it is against the comment rules) but I wouldn’t want either of these guys on the Isles. Filitov especially, but Cody as well. Cody is very skilled, but he is terribly whiny off the ice when he isn’t catered to exactly how he wants. Even ignoring that, I’d take Bailey over either of those players just on skill alone.
And Tavares is in another league above any of those guys. Matt Duschene is considered better now than Hodson was a year ago, and he is considered a pretty big drop from The top 2.
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Priest, couldn’t agree more with everything you said. I find it funny that many people complain about the team being small and soft yet wanted us to draft a kid who’s maybe 5-9 and weighs 150 pounds soaking wet. Not saying he’ll be a stud, but I was never sold on him.
As for this game, the Isles need to turn up the intensity and GET 2 POINTS.
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Actually Steve, he’s close to 6 feet tall. He needs to fill out that’s all. The skill set is there. He’ll just be another on the mantle of draft day heartaches that we have suffered through. BTW, he already has more goals than Bailey!
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Gotta be honest, before Witt made his comments about the “system”, I wasn’t thrilled with his play. But I just see him on the ice way too much when an opposing goal is scored. It’s ridiculous. Because their team defense is so bad, why is he not criticized more for his -15 going on -17/-18.
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This is my last word on the subject for my fellow Isles fans:
LET
IT
GOBailey is a nice player and the trades allowed the Islanders to stockpile quality prospects they simply did not have before. Every single event doesn’t mean you need to dredge up the 2000 draft or this year’s draft or any of the rest of it.
LET
IT
GO -
I like the live blog thing.
I had a feeling Rick wouldn’t be in net.
What happened to Hunter scared the daylights out of me.
Please God, no more injuries.
Someone give Scotty a Xanex. -
And there’s your game. Wow…these 3rd periods really are the forte of the Isles. They are perfect at creating 3rd period Armageddon.
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matt says:
Campoli is the worse d man on this team he is always looking clueless out there and out of position makin his partners look awfull, he is on the ice for so many goals it makes me sick!
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Someone explain why Josh Bailey is held back from the World Juniors so he can get 6 minutes of ice time vs the Rangers?
There is no plan.
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matt,
witt and he are my whipping boys. I thought campoli would thrive in a system like this, but youre right, he looks completely lost. -
McDonald really is like McDonalds… Billions Served.
Tough game but entertaining.
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Greg G says:
What’s happened to Joey Mac since he won the third star of November?
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Jon says:
Another brutal third period, but another step in the right direction for Okposo and Comeau. A shame Nielsen isn’t playing, he looked as good as any young Islander before he was injured.
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Hey Matt,
You beat me to it regarding Campoli. Damn you! -
BTW St. Nick,
It’s hard to let it go as you say, when I have to see frickin Parise’s kid skating rings around our team. And, he will continue to do so for the next 12 years!!! -
4 GA in the third period… Disgusting!!
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Josh Bailey, under 7 minutes tonight. Discuss.
Ask the mastermind, Garth Snow.
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I agree with the absolute disgust with 1) 4GA in the 3rd period. That shouldn’t surprise us by now. 2) Josh Bailey’s playing time is absurd. I agreed with not sending him to Juniors, but not for this playing time. What? Is he in the doghouse already?
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Gas, I don’t have to see it? What’s done is done and it’s a waste of energy to whine about things that we can’t have back.
I can’t fault their effort overall tonight, but we really needed to match the Rags’ intensity in the 2nd and 3rd periods. Mac did let in at least 1 softie, but he made some excellent saves as well.
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When we play in a vacuum, I’ll learn to LET IT GO.
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Akeem says:
(Back from vacation!)
Yet again, this team cannot sustain an effective forecheck in the third period. I think Macdonald is showing himself to be what we all thought he was: a really good backup goaltender. If exposed to full time duty, he shows flashes, but doesn’t display the kind of consistency you need from a starting goalie. He’s the Endy Chavez of the Islanders.
CB, interesting how the aura of the WMFA got you thinking of our forthcoming franchise player. Couldn’t agree with you more. If anything underscores the Islanders’ lack of star power, it’s our trips to the Garden… -
Kristie says:
Any updates on Trent? I missed the play but saw Trent laying on the ice. I have to ask why they allowed him to walk off the ice? Have they forgotten about Kevin Colley already?
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I think Trent just got the wind knocked out of him…severely. The check from Callahan wasn’t bad. The penalty door opening up was. Even penalty doors are beating our team.
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I agree Jon … what is the point of keeping Josh from the WJC to play 6 mins a game? He could of been on the second line of Team Canada and learning to win in a pressure packed Ottawa.
Snow takes two steps back for every step forward. The only thing so far I’ve seen positive from Gordon’s system is the entertainment value … and perhaps that Gordo’s Hyper Speed system may actually reward the Isles a bottom two finish … I say keep playing it that way boys.
I want to see Weight get his next assist on the PP on Josh’s first goal .. then get #1000 on a Guerin goal. When that will be … who knows?
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Pat says:
They are wishing they had sent Josh to the World Juniors. Big mistake – but I have high hopes for Josh going forward.
I just wish we had a chance to Punish the Rag$ more physically – they way they did to us. I wish nothing but brutality performed on the Rag$ as the season progresses.
Is Fritz posing as Chuck Wepner ( a.k.a. “The Bayonne Bleeder” a very good prize fighter who would bleed like crazy) He has to beat up Orr.
At least we gained two points in the “standings”.
Pat
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cody says:
Did anybody catch how worried Gordon was when Hunter was down?…. Guy could careless about his players.
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With regards to Bailey and the WJC, I was all for it before the tournament started, but I’m not so sure anymore (I watched the first two Canada games entirely, and flipped back and forth tonight). It could all change yet, with Canada playing the Americans Wednesday and then possibly the Swedes and/or Russians in the playoffs, but Team Canada is being treated like they can do nothing wrong. Every time a players stick touches a Canadian, every time, it has been a penalty. I know it is international play, but they aren’t calling it the same way when it is the other way around. I just don’t see how the players are going to benefit as much as in other years if they are getting blatantly biased officiating in their favour.
(And for the record, I am Canadian)
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Chris A says:
That hit on Hunts was the turning point because he does so much for us and losing him really had an effect this brings the Isles closer to Tavares and to me having a nervous breakdown
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Two Points for Doug? that will hopefully be before they package Doug to a cup contender. I do feel bad for Josh.
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On Edge says:
This coach is mishandling Bailey. If he is going to get scrub minutes he should be allowed to play at the World’s. He as regressed in my eyes over the past 4-5 weeks and looks like he should still be in the OHL.
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ISLESFAN999 says:
I am disgusted at this team. We are way too weak we have no strength. Fritz can barley even beat orr whose 6 inches smaller. The only good thing was comrie, okoposo and comeau all playing well. Tavares we need you. We also need some tough players like Chris Neil, Lucic, we need tough guys who can play…
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mrlbem says:
For all you folks who are wondering whose decision it was to play Ricky on Friday–come on, isn’t it obvious? Yeah, sure, “they rushed him.” Who’s they? It was Ricky’s decision. And no one in the organization is allowed to say “no” to Ricky. Certainly not a mere trainer. And certainly not the Coach or GM. He is the favorite son, you know.
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Mike from Philly says:
Tavares will look real nice in the orange and blue. C.B – this is the franchise cornerstone we need!
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DavidNYC says:
I know hockey players are professionals but it seemed the Isles were still in a state of concern for Trent when the puck was dropped and the Rags just pounced! Not looking for an excuse here but it seemed a timeout might have been helpful to help them shake it off and get their game faces back on. They are human after all and that was scary.
Is it just me but I am pissed that door was left open! Whose fault is that or was it simply jarred lose and yet another bad break for us?
Lastly, Bailey seems invisible and a kid playing with men lately, especially tonight. Hard to see him developing lately. I am a fan of course and not a GM, but it seems he would have been better off playing in the World Juniors
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FIsles says:
I’ve changed my mind about the Bailey/WJC issue. I never thought they’d actually reduce his TOI, but that is what has happened. His minutes were around 15 going into the Christmas break. After the break his minutes were down to 11 per game. Now a long shift near the end of the 3rd takes him to seven and a half minutes of time on ice. So instead of sending him away to play in the WJC, they have actually cut down his ice time in the NHL. This is exactly the scenario where I thought they should send him to the WJC, but in their infinite wisdom they decided he was not going to get minutes only after deciding not to send him to the WJC. Geez. I’m going to shake my head for seven and a half minutes now.
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Point 1: I am waiting for Tavares and Hedman to say theyll take another year abroad so they dont have to play for the Isles.
Point 2: If Dipietro has enough power to determine his own playing time, the NHL should take over the ownership and GM/ship of this team immediately.
Point 3: I don’t fault Gordon as much, as he gets some leeway from me for being a first-year coach. But really…what does he have to lose in playing Bailey with guys like Guerin/Weight? Oh wait….its better to play him with Jackman and Park to form a true checking line. -
frank nyc says:
You can see the difference in Comeau and Okposo since they have been playing together and since they have been getting more minutes.
I couldnt be more pleased with these 2 guys. They have been playing great.
As for bailey i dont know why he only played 7 minutes. Maybe Gordon wanted to ease him into an intense rivalry. But i dont know.
I look forward to seeing these 3 guys playing on the same line after they trade comrie. -
mike says:
I don’t get why Bailey is even here. Did anyone else think this guy was ready to play after 9 games? Yeah, he didn’t look bad but he didn’t look that good either. What was the rush? Isn’t his long term development the most important thing???
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wayne freeman says:
to post #41 I totally agree on witt being on the ice for every goal and then slumping his shoulders after it goes in the net it looks like he doesn’t want to play here anymore and to be honest if he isn’t going to hit anybody he is useless to this team. I know I’m harping on the enforcer but please if you dress someone like fritz he must play a little after they lost hunter they fell to 10 forwards and to a team with 4 lines they got bum rushed after hunter went down and bailey’s 7 minutes is just plain stupid.
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Wayne, I’m glad at least someone sees my observations of Witt as valid. Look, the guy has been a warrior the past couple of years, but it really seems like he wants to be 1) elsewhere and/or 2) in a system that is conducive to how HE plays, rather than an entire team.
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Can we make some trades already and get younger. We already suck we might as well just get younger asap//
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frank nyc on Dec 29th, 2008 21:56:45 said:
“You can see the difference in Comeau and Okposo since they have been playing together and since they have been getting more minutes.
I couldnt be more pleased with these 2 guys. They have been playing great…”Best part of this game, no doubt! Not to blame MacDonald (he did make some great saves tonight) but this was a win if he was playing the way he played in November. He let up a few goals that youd honestly expect him to stop.
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gutless performance by every islander on the ice when trent hunter was hit. disgusting. despicable. unacceptable.
here’s a guy who would run through a BRICK WALL for any one of his teammates and we can’t come to his defense? ARE YOU KIDDING ME??
dont tell me that wasn’t the turning point of the game either beacuse the rangers had 2 goals in less than ONE minute after that. if you put callahan and a few other PUNK rangers in their place right then and there they dont score a goal off the next face off.
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The hit on Hunter was clean. The penalty door’s reaction to the hit was not clean. Did you want the team to fight the door?
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Larry says:
i agree with comments above about campoli and even gervais. all night they were chasing. they didnt put the rags into the boards when they had chances to. they let them walk right around them. as for bailey, i be honest i thought he didnt make the most of the limited ice time he recieved. he didnt finish his checks. he looked a little lost with the puck. i think its a normal thing for an 18 year old to go through. this was a high speed game. lots of physical stuff. i feel he needs to polish up those parts of his game, like everyone was saying about tambellini earlier this year. as for tamby, he fell off from the past two games, but he seems to try to use his body a little more. i think our best offensive players on the ice tonight was 1) okposo. 2) comeau 3) comrie, plus his fists.
overall i cant complain, we are a last place team and we gave a first place team a run for their money, a tough game. if we had our first string goalie (DP) and a first rate scorer/talent (tavares) we would have won this game.
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84 michael on Dec 29th, 2008 22:02:38 said:
“gutless performance by every islander on the ice when trent hunter was hit. disgusting. despicable. unacceptable.here’s a guy who would run through a BRICK WALL for any one of his teammates and we can’t come to his defense? ARE YOU KIDDING ME??”
I dont know what you wanted, michael… but what hurt him was that door, and theres no way that was intended. I hate to see it too, but sometimes going after guys and punching them isnt what matters.
At that moment, they were all scared about how Trent was doing- THAT is what mattered.
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Last comment from me for the night CB, but I agree with the person who posted that Ricky is calling the shots. We win tonight if he is in the lineup. Its quite clear that this guy gets Joe DiMaggio or Willie Mays type of treatment – for a kid who has never won nothing.
I am not saying that Rick makes the final decision……but whomever did make that decision – Ricky has their ear in a way very very few other players have with the owner…..( OH – did I say OWNER ?)
Shut him down for the year. We ARE NOT GOING TO WIN THE CUP THIS YEAR……and this guy is FRAGILE.
I don’t care about his “impatience” nor do I care about his feelings about rushing back to the game. Lets have a TRULY 100% Rick starting the next season for us. Its clear that he is not ready. With the contract he has – its crucial that he gains FULL HEALTH and we don’t need him this year. Say good night Ricky.
Pat
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I don’t want to bang on the drum too much, but Bailey’s minutes in the last three games are in each case less than in any other game he’s played this season. How discouraging is that.
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We have to have faith that Gordon didn’t play Bailey alot for a legititmate reason. Maybe he mouthed off or missed an assignement. The coach calls the shots on these kinds of things and we need to let him coach at least one full season.
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Brian B says:
Josh Bailey under 7 minutes…Hunter gone the entire 3rd period…and Mitch Fritz just doesn’t play..hmmmmmmm. That makes about 3 lines vs. 4 lines which will pretty much equal a butt whooping in the 3rd period. Come on Scotty…Fritz is useless.
Anyway…Joey Mac played well again…but it just seems to me that he gives up too many rebounds and some weak goals. (with the exception fo the 1st goal). DP!
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Islanders1984 says:
to post 79, Bailey looks fine, can we please remember this kid is 19. He hasn’t looked out of place compared to any of the other young players. In fact he has at times looked more like a veteran with his passes. He is a kid. He is going to make mistakes
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999,
Patience. The offers generally get better closer to the deadline. You even may see a bidding war over the services of some of our vets. Let’s look at some recent history. A few seasons ago, our beloved GM needed to dump Alexei Zhitnik’s salary. So he gets sent packing around Christmas to Philadelphia for FM IV and a conditional 3rd round pick. A mere two months later, as the deadline approaches, Philly trades Zhitnik to Atlanta for . . . wait for it, wait for it, wait for it. . . Braydon Coburn. A 20 year old former first round pick. Who would you rather have? Patience.
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MT says:
Just hope Hunts is okay.
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jim says:
All the players from Bridgeport that came up ,were second and third lines,what did the first line guys doing wrong
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Regarding the 10:10 pm update:
Its great that Hunters lookin OK, thank goodness. And as far as Butchie coming back, I miss him so much. Can he please take… over for… CJ Papa lol? -
IWH says:
Now that we have all our centers back, except for franzy, gordon is being told by snow to give them plenty of time so that they can be show cased for other teams to get interested in. If that is the case and it works then soon enough bailey will have his minutes and we will get some draft picks/prospects in return.
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Id say patience is probably the better idea, but if Columbus is offering a 1st right now for weight, i would take them up on it
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Strummer's Army says:
My take on Hunter is he maybe has a rib injury but it very well could be that the intercoastals between his ribs got inflammed and when that happens they expand and it hurts like hell. Very hard to catch your breath and shooting pain.
On DP it is frustrating as heck. It appears that our former goalie GM and Coach don’t know how to handle goalies very well. Had Ricky practiced more and gone to BRidge for at least a few games it would have been wiser. Still he should have practiced more, there was no rush.
Really impressed with Okposo and Comeau. Okposo especially you can see he is becoming a leader.
Way to go Fritzy and Comrie.
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good job boys…an entertaining loss…one step closer to Tavares. Is it me or does it seem over the past few games Okposo is starting to turn it on?
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The Isles got out hit for sure and did lose many of the battles as the game went on.
Yes, Weight needs to get traded when the deal is right. The jury is still out on Snow’s trade record. The Zednik deal wasn’t as good as it could have been and several others. Where he does well is getting draft picks in return. Where he has to grow is in the players he gets in return.
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Doug F. says:
CB,
I hear when the Islanders draft Tavares instead of having Taveras’name on the back of the jersey it is going to read “The Franchise”.
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Lets not build Tavares up so much. The Isles will find some way to blow this by winning just enough games to finish out of the top 2. And, even if they did have the #1 pick, Tavares will almost certainly be a bust for them because…well, they are the Islanders. It wouldn’t surprise me to see them trade the #1 or #2 pick or select the first player ever from Luxeumbourg who wasn’t on anyone’s top 300 prospects list.
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your right beatlebailey, okposo is getttttttin it onnn
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Thanks for highlighting my question, CB. I understand that the decision to play Ricky comes from up above, but doesn’t management at least ask the training staff’s advice before making such a stupid decision? And if the medical boys say no, are they blown off? Thanks again.
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with the 1st pick, the new york islanders are proud to select……
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Jon,
I guess you haven’t watched the IIHL Junior Championships on the NHL Network. Tavares is a beast…he’s got 5 goals already…he’s the real McCoy…
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The Isles should just shut DP down for the year. Let him get healthy. A question for all us Islander fans? Would you want to sleep with 25-35 average to ugly girls (Wins) or lose and stay a virgin to end up with the woman of your dreams (in this case Tavares). The only question is if the Isles do get the number 1 pick, how will they screw it up?
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One thing about Rick:
Why are the same people who complain that the Isles rush him complaining when the organization exhibits caution with him? If he is a sore since he didnt play in so long and they want to sit him out and ease him into things, why is that bad? That is good. That is what they should be doing.
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Dan from Westchester says:
Man was I worried when I saw the look on Hunter’s face when he was grasping on to the lineman’s leg. SO relieved to see him get up and walk off.
Give an effort like tonight and lose – very easy to live with.
Really miss Martinek and Sutton when you see the weak play of Pock and Gervais.
Seems like the Okposo and Comeau really making it happen every shift! Pretty exciting to watch. Kind of like Franz Neilsen before the injury. .
Sucks losing to the Rangers, but I just keep repeating two words after every loss that make me feel better — John Tavares.
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dan from wchest, couldnt have said it better myself, from sutton and martinek to oakie and comeau, right down to john tavares
brings a smile to my face every time i think about the chance to get him. -
AZS says:
Haven’t really had a chance to read all of the comments, so I apologize if I’m repeating anything …
1) Some took issue with my compliments of Comrie the other night, and while I still say I don’t love the guy he’s playing really well …nice pass to help set up the goal, and he dropped the gloves when KO was hit – gotta love that
2) Nice to see KO and Comeau continue to put up points …
3) Who saw the Tavares goal at the WJC?
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TMC that was TMI
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Jon/Matt – I thought Big Andy Sutton (nice Irish boy) looked the most out of place on our D-corps, but when he got hurt, I learned he was leading the team in +/-. I guess it is a matter of perspective.
Post 67 – Cody – Gordon seemed very concerned from what I saw. Not sure what you are referring to.
Post 73 – mrlbem – Would love to know your source. Or perhaps it is just conjecture? (Post 88 – Pat – I can’t argue with you, again cause we are all throwing at conjecture)
Post 41 + 80, et al – I find it amusing that pretty much nobody on this board had bad things to say about Surfer Witt before he trashed the “system”
Post 99 – Strummer – Intercoastals??? Highways??? What are we talking about here? J/K. I plead ignorance, you prob know that which you speak about.
Et al – We all knew that Joey Mac was not going to be Dubie, let alone DP. He is doing his job.
Et al – Someone needs to be fired at MSG unless parts broke on the penalty box door during that Hunter play.
CB – I had to watch this one from a bar so I could meet friends from Boston for the annual Christmas meet up. Sorry if my post is too long.
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We can keep dreaming of Tavares, but we actually have to finish dead last, and frankly, we’ll screw that up too by going on some type of run, and then, finishing 3rd from the bottom so there will be no Tavares/Hedmen. Mark my words.
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garth snow says:
DP and I are best buddies. He comes over my place every time the isles have a game. We drink and laugh about the fact we both still have jobs (high paying ones at that). We decided to tank this season way before it even started and decided DP shouldn’t play…that way we would finish last instead of 5th to last. Of course we can’t just out right sit him the whole season…no, we have to string the fans along and make it look legit (hehehaha). So, once in a while, we’ll throw him out there and then say he was injured. Perfect plan.
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Tough loss tonight, but its another move towards the number one I guess. I will make this short and sweet:
-Okposo is looking better and better every game, really blossoming.
-Blake Comeau is a top two line player and will be for his career…period!
-Hunter is so important to this team, that was very upsetting to see.
-I really feel this DP thing is one large over-reaction. It is soreness, not a pull, and it is precautionary. He will be back soon.
-Hilbert was missed tonight on the penalty kill.
-If the Rangers are looking to trade Prucha, I hope the Islanders are stepping right up. He can play when given the chance! -
i agree with everything but one justin, hilbert was not missed too much. the rags were 0-5 on the pp so it wasnt that bad
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doc says:
2 points:
So what? Bailey only played 6 minutes. No big deal. It’s ONE game. He wouldn’t have learned anything by beating Kazakhstan 15 – 0 either.
Good thing FRITZ played and kept Okposo safe and sound from the goonery of DAWES!!! (Tongue placed firmly in cheek).
DOC
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guerin13 says:
they tried hard, okposo and comeau scored and looked good, comrie stood up for okposo, we didn’t embarass ourselves, and we still are in position to draft tavares. not a bad night.
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Hopefully Hunter is only day to day. Very scary scene. Quick recovery for the big man.
DOC
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Doc,
Very good point on Bailey! I agree 100%
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CB – Apologies in advance, but what is up with Gaborik?
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minorleaguer says:
Wow!! 3rd period collapse. 4 goals against. I guess using Fritz for a mediocre fight and 1:40 of ice is better than letting some other player from the Bridge eat up 8-10 minutes!! Give your head a shake, boys!!!!!
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Islander505 says:
The story of the night was what happened to Hunter. It had nothing to do with Callahan (clean hit), the ice, or the door “popping open”; it was all about what is and has been wrong at MADISON SQUARE GARDEN for a long time.
I wrote about it on Logan’s Newsday blog.MSG is not a “legendary arena” it’s a chithole good ole boy network that is a dangerous loose cannon operation, that will someday kill someone.
Just my old time experienced opinion.
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The Gordon Girls with Bea Arthur says:
For those who are down on Filatov:
He’s bigger than another shrimp the Red Wings drafted a few years back named Pavel Datyuk.
What amazes me is somehow, I do NOT know how (black magic?) Dats grew bigger adding weight and muscle from age 18-21.
(Scientology?)
Dats is now arguably the most exciting player in the league to watch (aside from Ovechkin and of course everyone’s favorite purse swinging testicle puncher Cindy Crosby).
So Filatov is a tiny never-will waste? Tell Datsyuk fans.
BTW…how’s that St.Louis character? (and do we have a chance with the now disgruntled St.Louis who thinks his team is an embarrassment?)
Oh…who on earth drafts a small guy like Mike Bossy? The wussy refuses to fight?
Filatov will answer whether we were bright. We draft him and we draft Petrov where we did and we could have been amazingly set…..or we could be quite fortunate if Bailey is amazing. Regardless…the tiny russian excuse lasts until he’s in the NHL full time using his reputably amazing talent.
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Ryan says:
You know everyone talks about Hedman and Tavares, and trust me I want Tavares but if they Isles don’t end up with a top two pick, Matt Duchene will be sitting there at number three. He’s pretty nasty in his own right
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rob says:
“Just talked to a source that said the Gaborik talks are heating up and three teams, Montreal, Pittsburgh and the NY Islanders are leading the way, but that the Islanders deal is “far and away the best one for the Wild if they can convince Gaborik to re-sign long term on the Island.”
Chris this is not the first time we have heard this rumor. I know you dislike the move and probally see it as very far fetched. I would just love to see some what of a name in here. PLEASE share your thoughts on the rumor, the chances, and anything else you know or think about it. Thank You. -
Snow is good at getting high profile guys on their walk year. Gaborik will be an amazing addition to the team for the next four months.
And of course he’ll be DYING to resign. Rick’s the GM, Garth the assistant GM and Wang the great guy with American Idol tickets. Professional through and through, from undisclosed top to undisclosed bottom.
Just stick to the PLAN….second best draft picks all huddled into the majors prematurely with whatever vets we can overpay and grunts we’re lucky to get or who Gorton remembers from Boston; Massachussetts preferences remain alive, ick is King and our backup can’t be too impressive or he’s fat and lazy and gone like our last one.
But seriously, we get better if we can or we continue to be the same retread misdirected schlocks that are unimportant in the grand scheme of things, merely a tool to get a billionaire some pricy county land on the VERY cheap.
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Wow. Thank you. That was informative ceommentary
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anyone doin the dinner thing? its expensive thoguh. they should cut off a couple bills
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TonyDaTiger says:
Hey guys the only two players that matter this year are not even on the team
HEDMAN= DENIS POTVIN/PRONGER/LIDSTROM
TAVERAS= YZERMAN/TROTTIER/TURGEONNOW THESE 2 ARE ALL THAT MATTER THIS SEASON—NOW WHO DO WE WANT IF WE CHOOSE
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Skate on Glice, Die on Ice says:
Very exciting game tonight despite the final outcome.
Exactly how many virtually identical 3rd period collapses does it take before Gordon takes some heat?
If he’s here to stay, as has been stated here, all the more reason he should have to answer for the team’s shortcomings.I was thrilled to see Witt stand up and say something about the style of play and it’s effect on the defense.
This team is clearly not capable of maintaining this run & gun style for 60 minutes. Especially without DiPietro in net. That’s obvious by now isn’t it? Where’s the adjustment? Where’s the coaching?At which point do you put aside all of the injury sideshow drama and simply come up with a plan that works with the personnel you’ve got to work with?
From the AP recap: “That was the best they looked for 60 minutes that I have seen them play,” Islanders coach Scott Gordon said of the Rangers. “I don’t think we countered their great game very well.”
Really?
So what are you gonna do about it, “coach”? Continue doing the same thing over and over?
May as well take a job doing PR for every team the Isles lose to if that’s the sort of garbage that comes out of your mouth every time your team runs out of gas in the 3rd and gives up 3 or 4 goals against.
I’m starting to get the impression that if the someone moved the door knob to his front door to the opposite side of the door before he got home tonight, Gordon would be found frozen on his doorstep in the morning, having been unable to adapt to the change.
The Marines have the right idea here boys: Improvise, ADAPT, Overcome.
Even if the plan is to instill this style into every players head while tanking the season to get a top pick, it would be really nice to see some actual coaching done here.
Feel better Trent.
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BTW….
Something that has gone unmentioned about the game tonight…..
Was that BLAKE COMEAU I saw spending time on just about every PK tonight (3:48 total time on the PK?–Rags were 0-4)
The same guy that Gordon called out the other night for his “defensive lapses?”
That I and others BLASTED Gordon for?Well played Coach Gordon….well played.
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StuDog says:
I still can’t believe you back Timms and the training staff so much. It’s pretty obvious that players weren’t involved in the right strength and condition programs in the off-season (i.e. the players with soft tissue and shoulder problems). Seriously man, these are preventative injuries. Perhaps blame could be put on Snow for hiring Gordon late, but still, it’s something that needs to be assessed next off season.
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Lou Z says:
heres to the cup we would have had if Luongo was between the pipes. Think of how entire franchise would be different with Heatley instead of Gaborik. Everything changes from that moment. If there was ever a blunder in Isles history, my finger points to that one. We would have had consistant goaltending and a 50 goal scorer, two things we strongly lack.
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Ryan says:
That was one of the fastest games I’ve ever watched. Detroit/Pitt last year only had a couple of periods that came close.
Disingenuous for Gordon to say Bailey’s ice time was a result of Hunter’s injury when he only played 2-3 minutes in the first and second. It’s much more likely that Gordon saw something he didn’t like early in the game and decided to make the kid sit this one out.
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heyheyhey says:
Sillinger and an 8th rounder for a 4th and 5th this year and a 3rd next year
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Please snow do not trade for Gaborik, its going to cost us allot and its going to be a regret. We don’t need another injury prone so called all star on this team.
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UIF says:
Well, from a hockey standpoint it was a fun game to watch, no doubt about that. Good to see some kids produce – and every player from our best line scored. But the third period was a mini-disaster for everyone in white.
On the DP “too soon vs. injury prone” – I side with the “too soon” crew, if only because of history. They rushed him back w/ the concussion too, and he promptly suffered another one. I think when he injured himself in the ASG last year he was just coming back from injury as well. If there was a 5 game space in between these injuries, then OK, but it always seems to be the first or second game back, and it’s a pattern, imo.
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ny711ot says:
frankly the isles gave the type of effort that i could live with in a season in which I want them to finish last. Take the rangers out of the equation’, insert just about anybody else and isle fans would leave the emotion out of it and agree that they gave a great effort last night.
Comeau looks great. Okposo is playing in all situations…i actually thought gervais played one of his better games…. -
Isletry says:
Although I don’t like the losses, it DOES bode well for the draft. If the kids are playing and contributing, and the games are close, a loss is better than a win this year. Can’t wait for Neilsen to return. Hopefully, he can pick it up where he left off.
Fritz has got to go. Good thing that he is 6’8″ because if he didn’t have that advantage, he would have bled to death long ago. For the amount of ice time this guy eats, they should consider bringing back Cairns.
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toorude says:
Did one get the same impression as I did – that Jaffe was auditioning for the Rangers opening next year was sammy retires? he had nothing but positive things to say about their play all nigh – in true ranger announcer fashion. even on the first goal he defended their play. so much for loyalty.
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starting to think that okposo has a strong sense of how important ranger games are for this franchise.
our current “problems” (other than DP debate) will be answered soon enough. gone are: witt, silli, comrie, guerin, weight, maybe another defenseman – freddy?? – and then all the young guns will have plenty of playing time.
then we will have to think of new things to complain about.
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Boy we cant even pull out a Ranger game anymore, and FRITZ is a Big Nothing he has been bloodied his last 3 fights. While Suggden is beating up the AHL.(great move Snow)check out his AHL fights on you tube.
Another 3rd period breakdown? -
Bleeding != loss.
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Jaffe auditioning for Rangers — interesting point.
I did notice he was EXTREMELY complimentary of their play just about any chance he had.
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felix says:
jaffe had no choice but to be complimentary. he is doing a stint on a national broadcast. he can be as much of a homer as he wants on MSG because you have just hometown fans. but on national tv he had to be. now if the was sam rosen doing the color commentary he would not have been as flattering to the islanders. one could niot blame him, but jaffe is really a consumate professional. even on msg broadcasts he is never disparaging about the opposition. like anyone who works you jump at a better opportunity. i dont htink he was auditioning. also how would it look if he bashed the rangers, like he is a homer announcer,
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TONYDATIGER on 133. totally agree that they are the only ones that matter but hedman cant be compared to potvin or pronger because even though he is big, he is not physical at all. also, what i think is ironic, is that scouts compare tavares to bossy. fritz got cut from laraque then by john scott in the ahl and then by cote and then by orr. i think he won that fight. orr had 1 good shot that didnt even phase fritz. also fritzes tissue is messed up so i can make the guy bleed( if i can get a step stool) and if he didnt lose his balance, that could have been fight of the year or a contender. boll vs carcillo was a little bit better
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Agreed on Fritz, Kevin. If he pushes Orr down at the end instead of the other way around, then it’s no contest, even though Fritz was the one bleeding.
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Cary says:
I’m sorry to say this but Josh Bailey does not belong in the NHL right now.
He has consistently looked like a deer in the headlights since his first 9 games – a very small, fluffy, timid, confused doe.
He has shown the tools to play with the big boys, but I think the best thing for him would be to gain some confidence back by playing with Windsor for a good while.
I don’t want to see him go down the road of robotically chasing and forechecking while losing the creativity and vision that brought him here in the first place.
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he needs a wake up call. maybe sitting him was the begining
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If Jaffe was “auditioning” for anyone last night, he was auditioning for Versus or NBC. (Indeed, he had a postseason gig with Versus last year).
Billy Jaffe is one of the best color men in hockey today. Anyone who thinks he was “pro-Ranger” last night has got their own “anti-Ranger” hat on too tight.
He was simply doing a great job of portraying both teams in a positive light to a national audience.As he always does in that spotlight.
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Angelo says:
Re: Bailey’s minutes
I’m thinking that the Physical aspect of the NHL has taken its toll on his 18yo muscles. Maybe, Gordon has noticed that Bailey is looking like veal cutlet lately and wouldn’t be able to keep up with a high paced, extremely physical contest with an eternal rival.
He may be giving Bailey a break to rejuvenate while still giving him a taste of a real blood lusting rivalry game.
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about jaffe, idk if any of u guys catch it but he subs in on the nhl network radio show very often, and he spoke the same way last night as he does on the radio and the isles broadcasts. he is a true broadcaster, he doesnt sugar coat things. he says it like it is. and what he said last night was true he gave the islanders their due, and gave the rangers theres. idk if u guys missed it but he was stickin up for the islanders every time the other bozo announcer was saying negative things about them. like hunter taking out two guys on one check leading to the sillinger goal? the other bozo was calling it a cross check. jaffe stuck to his guns and said hunter made a great play, like hes been making all season.
Get Better Hunts!
p.s. if jaffe had an opportunity for a better gig someplace else, who would blame him? would you turn down a promotion/raise? didnt think so. we are all fortunate to have him as one of our tv guys.
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I think Jaffe just wanted to make a point that he isnt a homer is all. He is a damn good color man IMO.
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Give me the bozo announcer over Rose any day! I thought it was interesting with the two of them last night – the other guy commenting from an outsider’s perspective, and Jaffe clarifying some stuff from the perspective of someone who is around the organization more.
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Glenn says:
Hey CB, I know this isn’t the “story idea” thread from a few weeks back, but given the time of year we’re at, perhaps a story about the breakdown of the NHL’s plan to have the Winter Classic at Yankee Stadium? Was there really rampant anti-Islanders bias?
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and wasnt it snows idea too? why not have the classic rivalrys play against each other?maybe they will after we get an all-star. tavares?
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dont get me wrong. i thorough enjoy jaffe’s abilities behind the mike. and no, i would not blame him for taking a promo, but i would miss him and would not be “happy” for the lamegers organization. though i do respect his commentary – i still thought he was way to “pro-lameger” for most of the evening. too complimentery in first and second period. i agree he gave props to the islanders – caught the hunter cross check thing – but still thought he was over the top in compliments – i thought it was out of character a bit. i have season tix and miss a lot of his coverage for home games so threw it out there for thoughts.
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Can they stop bringing up mitch Fritz. This guy is a completely useless waste of a roster spot. I do not think john sim should replace him he sucks too. Is it impossible to pry Petr Prucha from the Rangers?? The guy is way under utilized over there and we could use him. He is young and has some scoring ability. I know its dealing with the enemy but the isles arent going anywhere this year. Maybe Witt for Prucha or one of the other vets they are going to deal. Prucha fits the bill of what the isles want. Why not??
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well we wouldnt want to give witter to the rags but i think prucha would be a nice addition. if we can get him for cheap then yes
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The Isles dont trade with the Rags. Yeah yeah I know it happened once like a quater a century ago, so whoever was going to post that can rest assured because it was mentioned lol. But its not going to happen again!
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Jisles says:
The islanders should do the following:
1.DP shut him down for the year. Get him 100% healthy. Since this team is gong nowhere and we need to finish dead last to get the number 1 or 2 pick. Playing DP gets you the number 5-10 pick and thats “nowheres land”, or was that the 8th spot in playofs. I can name a couple of 8 seeds who made some nice playoff runs to the finals. Stupid comment by Snow by the way.
2. Bailey is doing just fine. He has 9 pts (all assists) and that alot more than Tambs has and Tambs is 24, has about 60 NHL games and 3 yrs as a pro. Keep playing him and let him develop. He will learn nothing from Juniors.
3. If we do get the top 2 picks and get either tavares or Hedman that would be great. However, if we dont here is something to consider. Would Snow trade one of his picks to another team that is rebuilidng for an established elite player? ie Lecavaille? Tampa is going to be right there with us and the islanders will have to reach that cap floor and his salary alone will do that. So that is a scenario to think about. For example, if we get lets say the number 5 and Tampa gets 2, would you trade the 5 to Tampa for Vinny and a later round pick back. Lets not forget we will get picks back at the trade deadline this year, plus last years draft the farm will be replenished after that. Also we have that Russian who will be with us in two yrs. So I think if we dont get Tavares or Hedman we need to consider trading for a top line forward.
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bailey can learn how to score..
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Walygz says:
Prucha isn’t much more than Bergy…we already have that type of player. To be honest, I was just thinking about the following scenario:
Isles sign RFA Phil Kessel to an offer sheet in the off-season, something like 4.5-5 mill / year over 5 years. He’s 22, a stud and the Bruins with $42 million committed next year(8 players to sign, Tim Thomas especially)might not be able to match.
I’d give a first round pick and a third or whatever for him.
Anyone else have thoughts ?
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Walgy,
You are cracking me up. 1st and 3rd? For Kessel? Start with KO, then sprinkle in a 1st, and two 2nd’s this year. Then maybe
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LEts all ask ourselves this question
If we were on the periphery of the playoffs, like say, Columbus……….would we trade our #1 for Weight? or Guerin?
I bet 90% say no. So how could we expect Columbus to? -
I wouldnt give up a 1st round pick for anybody right now.
They have a shot at Tavares this year. He is an exceptional player. I would love to get kessel just not at that price. With the islanders trying to rebuild i dont think they would pay that price for anyone.
Prucha is wayyy better than bergy. Prucha scored 30 goals his rookie year. If he’s given enough minutes and put on the right line there is no reason to think he cant do that or more. -
Moose says:
hey hey hey, why not package Weight and Guerin and keep Ace and Gary together? I just want them to get another 1st round pick, no more 3 2nd rounders and 10 5th rounders
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heyheyhey: Walgyz, I think, was talking about an RFA offer sheet signing for the offseason. If the team (Bruins in this case) does not match, they get draft picks for compensation…I don’t know exactly how many, but it varies depending on the offer.
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TP says:
Comeau has been looking good. Why wasn’t he here since Day 1? Rookie coach making a mistake. DP aka Glass Man is very disappointing. It’s a good thing he’s not locked up contract wise for a long time and will only be here a little while otherwise we’re screwed. Wait a minute.
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A couple of thoughts, 1st, Fritz, should not be playing for the Islander’s now. What are they really accomplishing, nothing. I heard over last weekend that, players improve, and learn the game, by playing in real games. Sean Bergenheim should be playing every game. 2nd, I think the Islander’s should trade Doug Weight, Mike Sillinger, Bill Guerin and Brandon Witt, for say a Marc Stall. I have heard that a Islander/Ranger trade is impossible, but I don’t know. I think these players could help them. And with the Islander’s building with young players, Stall would be great, or how about Brandon Dubinsky. These four players probably have their highest trade value now, so why not. And 3rd, under no circumstance should the NY Islander’s trade this years #1. I have said this before and I’ll say it again, as currently constructed, they Islander’s have the least talented team in the NHL. The teams that people are worried about losing this years first pick to have more talent than the Islander’s. Atlanta, Tampa, Florida, Ottawa, ST Louis, Dallas, Toronto, Los Angeles, If the Islander’s stick to the youth movement, and trade the the players I have mentioned, then they will finish last, and have this years First Pick, John Tavares. They need to stick to the draft, and continue to develope the talent they have. And when a quality free agent or agents, become available, that they feel can help them with their ultimate goal, winning the Stanley Cup, than sign him. Mark
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Marc says:
Good thing Fritz was in there last night. Otherwise it would have been someone else bleeding all over Orr.
Hope you’re ok, Hunts. That injury, plus the predictable lack of ice time for the Bridgeport Bleeder, leads to the just-as-predictable 3rd period train wreck. Funny how the team’s overall play – and in particular, their defense – looked so much better the previous two games when all 4 lines were being rolled. (And, even with all that, if Mac doesn’t let in that softie, our boys walk away with at least 1 point.)
God, I hate the Rangers.
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Agreed Mark!
Under NOOO circumstances do we trade that first rounder.
thats all. -
UIF: Thanks for the clarification there, you are correct.
Hey hey hey / etc. all: Yes, I’m talking about during the 09′ offseason, signing Kessel to an offer sheet. Which would force us to give up 10′ first round pick and more (2nd or third, but I don’t know exactly).
In my mind, current state of affairs gives us Tavres or Hedman, and then adding Kessel would not hurt the rebuild. -
And Comeau has been looking good lately. As for why he wasn’t here from day 1, however, why does it always have to be that the rookie coach made a mistake? Crazy thought here, but try to follow me: maybe – just maybe – the rookie coach GOT IT EXACTLY RIGHT. Maybe – just maybe – there were things they wanted the kid to work on in B’Port, and he went down and did exactly that. Improved what needed improving and earned his way back. EXACTLY THE WAY THE COACH WANTED IT TO BE DONE.
Oh, but that doesn’t quite fit into the prevailing attitude around here that nobody in this organization has a freaking clue what they’re doing about anything. Ever.
Yeah, sorry for the crazy thought.
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Maybe it doesn’t. Comeau looked good at the end of last year and now so to assume rookie Scott got it right keeping him in BP is doubtful. When NYI doesn’t screw so much up then they’ll get the benefit of the doubt. Not now.
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marc..i was thinking the same thing….i have to give gordon the benefit of the doubt here regarding comeau….he is arguably their best player on the ice now and although i did expect good things from him i didnt expect what we r seeing. he has improved five fold from what was a great showing last year….maybe it was the drive to overcome the hand he felt he was dealt by gordo….and maybe that was his plan overalll….from the start gordon always maintained that comeau was part of the future….
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Marc, post 178: I agree with you.
Complaining about the organization is the (not so) new black, though- even when what they do winds up looking good!
The only way to describe this D-P situation is this: The Isles grossly mishandled their franchise player. They should be charged by the DA with negligence!