MINNESOTA 4, ISLANDERS 1
Sutton injured…Comeau curiosity continues
Per Billy Jaffe, Andy Sutton left the game in the first period and has a broken foot. Considering he brought a physical element in his one-game cameo a few weeks ago, perhaps Joe Callahan is the leading candidate to get the call.
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It’s almost as if the Islanders thought, “No, we can’t make our fans feel good about a move toward youth by playing Bailey and Okposo and Comeau in the same game”!
Jon Sim, the 31-year old fourth-line wing placed on waivers and passed on by every team in the NHL last week, makes the lineup.
Mitch Fritz, the enforcer Scott Gordon does not trust to play when his team is up a goal, down a goal, up two goals, down two goals or after Mike Mottau mugs one of his players, makes the lineup…but never gets off the bench.
Blake Comeau, the 22-year old heralded by management over the summer as a big part of the team’s rebuilding program, watches this one from the press box as Fritz watches from the bench.
I’m not saying Comeau is the second coming. Not saying he’s a prospect in the class of Bailey and Okposo. But whatever’s going on between Comeau and Gordon, find a resolution - any resolution. Making him a healthy scratch in favor of someone you don’t play? A new low.
Free Blake Comeau.
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Whatever that funky sim machine in Edina, Minnesota did for Mike Comrie, the Islanders might want to invest in one. Comrie looked good over his 19 minutes tonight. That’s a very important development for the Islanders.
Kyle Okposo, Pierre-Marc Bouchard undressing notwithstanding, was one of the most effective Islanders in the offensive zone. He is the least of the Islanders’ problems.
Ditto for Josh Bailey, for whom the schooling education continues. It would be so much worse if he wasn’t mature enough to take it.
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Brendan Witt, respected veteran defenseman of 12 NHL seasons, says he doesn’t understand why his coach insists his team play the same style for all 60 minutes. He goes out of his way to point out that no other NHL teams play Gordon’s system. No matter how you look at it, Brendan Witt questioned the very foundation of Scott Gordon’s coaching principles as the Islanders have lost 8 games in a row.
Yet on the TV broadcast tonight, it was all written off as a “mini-controversy.” Gotcha.
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John Tavares and Victor Hedman each had a goal in a WJC tuneup tonight as Canada defeated Sweden 4-2 in Toronto. The other goal for Sweden was scored by Oscar Moller, the Los Angeles rookie with 6-7-13 in 28 NHL games freed up by Kings GM Dean Lombardi last week because “the opportunity, the pressure makes it a great thing for his development.”
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Notes: Trent Hunter (strained groin) sat out tonight and is listed by Islanders PR maven Seth Sylvan as day-to-day…In the postgame, Gordon explained what factored in his decision to keep Fritz glued to the bench: “The first period was all special teams” and “Their guy (enforcer Derek Boogaard) wasn’t running around. He seemed to want to play hockey tonight.” Boogaard played 6 shifts totaling 2:14 of icetime.
Starting last Friday in a media scrum in Columbus and continuing a week later, Gordon has taken to playing the DiPietro card. On tonight’s Plus 2 pre-game show, he said to C.J. Papa, “There’s not too many teams in the league who could lose their No. 1 goaltender for a half a year, and then have all the weight and burden put on to one guy who’s trying to establish himself not just as a backup but now he’s thrown into a position of being No. 1.” Final score tonight from New Jersey: Devils 5, Ottawa 1, behind the goaltending of Scott Clemmensen, a 32-year old journeyman with 28 NHL games prior to this season.
The Islanders are in need of some sort of shock treatment to get out of this, but here comes the holiday roster freeze.
Comments?
118 Responses to “MINNESOTA 4, ISLANDERS 1
Sutton injured…Comeau curiosity continues”
Please Wait
Scott Gordon officially sucks. He and snow should be relieved of their duties. What a complete mess this franchise is in.
the most troubling thing in your report CB are Gordon’s post game comments..thanks for calling him out on them.
The Islanders have given up the most goals in the league. They also gave up 4 goals tonight in the last 21 minutes. It happens like this all the time. He wants to play his system for 60 minutes and it doesn’t seem to work. Witt was signed to stay for a while and now people are saying he wont fit into this system. What team has success that has a system and tries to fit players into that system rather than take the players they have and create one for them.
Go ahead and get small puck moving D-men and the same thing will happen that happened tonight, completely manhandled in front of their own net. Joey Mac played great. The Isles could have given up 9 again.
Fritz over Comeau is a disgrace to this “rebuilding”
That’s the most bitter game recap of the season…and it fit perfectly.
I cant believe Suttons foot is broken. The amount of injuries this team has endured is unfathomable.
You are spot on regarding what you said about Blake and Fritz, Chris. I dont rag on Fritz, I get the whole specialized role thing, but I do not understand dressing ANY player that you are NOT going to play. Comeau picking his nose (literally) while sitting next to Ricky is not helping this team. WTH hasnt Comeau done? What else should he do? And now what- is this a hint that he is gone once Casper the Friendly Islander comes back from scoring PPGs in Bridgeport? Ugh!
Also, the Comeau thing is a joke. Fritz doesn’t even have a shift and he gets dressed as CB mentioned. That’s a complete joke in itself.
Only bright spot, Comrie looked like the Comrie of the first half of last season who every Isles fan seemed to like. Let’s stop bashing the guy until we give him a chance while healthy. He fits into our apparent “system” quite well. Our system that records 16 shots on goal and gives up about 35 and about 20 scoring chances. Awesome.
kotite, isiah, gordon….starting to see similarities…
Fritz should have been in the line up.
Fritz should have gotten a couple shifts.
Comeau should have played over Sim.
It is clear the Isles planned to move on from Jon Sim but he’s back and on the PP???????
How is it a rebuild or youth movement when a guy like Comeau sits for a guy you waived not a week ago?
While I support Gordon and his system he does some very curious things that really trouble me and I want to see him learn from his mistakes but haven’t yet.
Trade deadline is nearing, if I am Garth Snow I am out there finding some one who can add a spark, someone who enjoys hitting (not many on this team do), a d-man or two would be wise. If he can’t get it done tonight he better have it ready to go after the deadline.
Horrible turnover by Witter.
This system can be effective, with a tweak here or there depending on the situation in the game. We simply do not have the right personnel. I love how when we were on that 5 outta 6 streak Gordon got all the praise in the world. This team cannot find any chemistry when one guy goes down, and then another, and then another. One comes back and another goes down. It is a mess right now but Gordon is the right guy. People want a rebuild but its kind of hard when u want to fire your coach every new season. We have to start somewhere..
Thanks CB. Not only does the team officially blow chunks (kudos for Big Mac for keeping it close for a while), but I am pathetic too by watching this junk on Time Warner Cable — without sound (”we’re working on it”) — for three hours. I sense your frustration in your post-game notes — all very justified criticisms. I think as the trade deadline approaches, our esteemed coach should bench the few good veteran players we have (to avoid game injuries) and our backup goaltender / GM should trade those players to the other lottery candidates to make them better, thereby increasing the Isles’ chances to win the lottery (and hopefully not screw up the selection or trade for 12 8th rounders.)
Well done CB…..
These are the times that try Isle’s souls.
Worst effort of the season. Gordon really needs to lighten the foot off the pedal…I was in Columbus last weekend and attended the now famous “bag skate” practice to which I said to my friend this team is dead in the water.
Chris
First off, any word on the possibility of claiming jokinen on waivers? Most likely, even if he was claimed, he would look at gordon cross-eyed and never get to play anyway, but another 25 yr old who actually has proven he can score in the nhl can’t hurt.
On Gordon, this is what i was saying earlier. It sounds great to say that the team isn’t going to win for a few years, so he is safe no matter what. It sounds great in theory, but the reality is that, if he “loses” the team, that timeframe can speed up in a big way. No coach in any sport, particularly one with no experience, can afford to lose and lose ugly over an extended period of time and not worry about their job.
Have no comment on the game.. was not able to watch it due to it being on the TV GUIDE Channel with NO SOUND… pathetic
free comeau
I know, I know…Thats’s whats going on:
Snow knew from the beginning that Go-Go’s system is doomed to fail but he picked him to coach this team, so he can blame loosing on a coach and Isles can safely pick up two number 1 (or 2) picks in 2009 and 2010. I don’t see other explanations why this pathetic performance is allowed to go on.In my 10 years history as an Isles fan it’s a first time i feel like it’s time to stop torturing myself and find another object of obsession. ( I have three I slanders jersey to throw away in a nearest future to throw away if anyone wants it.) Go-Go go home to AHL…
excuse me? Boog did not have 2 shifts for 1 min playing time. He had 2 mins for 1 min playing time in the 1st 2 periods and then sadly enough assisted on the 3rd period goal. Please report it correctly
thanks, Scott…I mean Bloodyskull. I fixed it…CB
Chris:
I cant believe how many players could not get the sound for the game tonight- and nothing is being done about these recurring problems with the feed even when they complain about it. Its not affecting me, but I hate that its affecting so many fans- and nobody is listening to them about it.
Still don’t see how any team: AHL, NHL, World Class All Stars can be expected to execute a system for 60 minutes when they only roll 3 lines. I’d rather see an extra d-man on the bench than fritz. At least the isles were prepared for a d-man to go down every game by having 7 d in the lineup.
I just received some solid information from an impeccable source. The reason why Fritz is up..is due to ITV shooting a special about another system Gordon is trying to put in place…”The Bench Warming System”. According to Gordon it has worked at the AHL level…and will be implementing this for good…or at least for the rest of the season.
Unlike his “overspeed” system…Gordon believes he truly has the talent to fill this role and hopes that one day other teams can use this system as a model.
My source also told me that Fritz has been complaining to coach Gordon…since he has implemented this system. he has complained about all the other players coming on and off the ice and getting in his way…and crossing him up…and that it is a very confusing system to follow. During his shifting from one side of the bench to the other…he is tripping all over the place from other players sticks and skates. “It’s a very frustrating system to follow”…lamented Fritz.
I only hope that Logan or Botta don’t get a hold of him…and that Fritz doesn’t call his coach out in the media. This would not be good for the organization and the kids trying to get familiar with the system…that would be unacceptable!!!
Please don’t ask me who my source is…I will not answer any questions concerning my source.
hilarious
I have to say this was one of the most depressing games I’ve watched all season. It’s easy to say the team was bad and changes must be made after what is it now an 8 game losing streak? But as a pretty even keeled longtime Islanders fan, this is getting close to rock bottom for this season. I honestly watched this game and rarely heard any Islanders names mentioned except when they were shooting wide or blocking shots. It was ALL Minnesota in this one. It’s important to point out that the Wild had something like 4 goals in their last 5 games, yet tonight they easily couldve had upwards of 6. Something is clearly not working. Playing a guy like Fritz or Sim over Comeau is disgusting btw. I really think Gordon needs to stop being stubborn about some things and start learning on the job as a first year NHL coach. He seems unwilling to make changes, make statements, and commit to the improvement of this team.
I would bet a hundred bills Jokinen is not claimed by the Islanders…I don’t have an opinion on the guy, just that I doubt the NYI take him…CB
ok, now that I got that out of the way………… the rest of the assessment of the team’s mentality is coeect and sad to say. Comeau watching from the press box? Defensive system a work in progress?
I think what bothers me the most is that the team was going to s*&k this year and we all knew that however we all want to see the vision and the game plan for the future aside from the lighthouse project! I am talking to the performance on the ice. I am very concerned that even if the Isles land Tavares we still wont have a team that can play a system condusive to winning. We have scored the fewest goals and let up the most (almost) this season. A team re-building should at least have a concept as to a system tha will reward one or the other. The Wild dont score much but they dont let up much.
The Isles dont score and they let up much. The isles dont have a PP and they have a poor PK.
ok I am done.
This team needs to try something different. These games where we score only one goal in an “offense first” system…that’s just unacceptable.
Native of Commack now living in TN. Going to witness Go-Go in-person tomorrow night. I am preparing for a rough evening on the ice and in the stands.
Let me try this again. Gordon is in over his head. He has no clue as to how to successfully coach the players he has.he should never have been hired. Snow is a neophyte ass and this franchise is going to Hamilton.
Isles_Goal: Hysterical. Sad but true. I think the system you mentioned is called “Idlespeed.” On a serious note, is this the same coach who didn’t think the Isles’ needed an enforcer earlier in the year - when the team was competitive at times - and now he dresses an enforcer who doesn’t play and isn’t good anyway? Play the rest of the kids already.
CB - any shot the Isles will claim “the other” Jokinen and package him with “stickhandling phenon” DP for Kvasha and Parrish?
Lots of bad memories from the Draft party at NVMC just flashed through my mind. Ugh.
Jokinen has been talking about his hurt leg. I’m surprised they could even legally waive him under such circumstances.
TMC: Nice call on the Comeau nose-digging. I kept yelling at the screen, “Cut away, cut away! For the love of God: Camera 1, please!” But to no avail.
Wait, there was a game tonight? I seem to have shut that out of my mind…
I do not like scott gordon. But I am so confused by him. He plays a system that is gonna require 4 lines night in and night out yet, he dresses someone who does not play.
mjlisles: I dont know… I like Scott Gordon a lot but I just dont get it, either.
The more I digest Witt’s public comments, the more troubling they appear for this team. This seems to foreshadow a team that is not buying into their coach’s vision any longer. You hear Guerin talk about when he was a Devil, they would do anything for their coach because they saw the results and became strong believers. The Isles Dynasty understood their roles and played them out with the utmost passion because Mr. Arbour told them to. Witt is a leader on this team and his comments undermine Gordon and provide a voice or confidence for other players to begin to dissent in their own ways. This cannot bode well as Snow tries to land those 2 coveted college free agents. Who wants to come to a team not in sync with their coach’s vision unless they think it is the only fast track to playing in the NHL.
I would like to think that Snow and Gordon who have been around hockey for a long time understand what modern day players are capable of. We are reinventing the wheel here and maybe they simply have to continue to drill it into the players and we need to be patient. Is this team lacking discipline and having bouts of laziness, is it too difficult to sustain for 60 minutes, or is the makeup of this team just not right and needs a more few years to design the perfect roster that can play 60 minutes of overspeed???
Free Comeau! Let the youth play and the rebuild goes down a little easier!
Marc: Thanks…I couldn’t resist. I happen to think and been saying for a while now…this system does not work. It may work at the AHL level but not here. Sure people can argue that this team lacks the talent to play this system…but if that is the case…get the damn talent and prove that the system works. Until then please put us out of our misery and at least make some adjustments. They are putting the cart before the horse. Watching Comeau sitting in the box with injured players watching the game is ridiculous…while Fritz is not allowed to step one foot on the ice…other than when he is on his way to the dressing room between periods. The only explanation I can come-up with is that there is a mandate from Management to tank the season in hopes of landing the # 1 pick. What scares me is that if we end-up with the # 1 pick…Snow will trade down to the 15th pick and later round picks…looking for a diamond in the rough. This organization is clueless…and they are alienating the very same fans they are trying to get back in the building.
Anyone pay attention to “Corsi+/-” stats here? (They’re a heck of a lot more informative than plain old +/-, which is waaaay too team- and teammate-dependent)
Because in the Capitals game, Comeau (whipping boy) and Bailey (golden boy) had by far the worst Corsi numbers on the team: http://timeonice.com/shots.php?gamenumber=20446
Just a thought.
Hey, no posts from Nick after this one. As a friend (?) I can only hope our good buddy is with a young lady who is employing the OverSpeed system and he gets as many scoring chances as Minnesota did tonight.
CB,
The whole gong thing was pretty good. Most likely the next sound you will be blogging on will be the crickets at the colley.
This team is being run by Bialystock and Bloom. Did Wang sell 10,000% of the club to little old ladies all over long island?
How many more questionable decisions are they going to make… system, personnel, the WJC, playing time…
Isn’t there just a little evidence that Gordon is out of his depth?
Defenceman Andy Sutton, their only player on the active roster with a positive plus-minus rating, hurt his foot blocking a shot in the first period and did not return.
“He’s our best player,” coach Scott Gordon said. “With him gone, our defence was overtaxed.”
EXCUSE ME??? Andy Sutton is the Isles best player?!?!?!?!
Why are you all complaining so much. If we don’t loose allot we will never get #1 picks in the draft like we did when we built the dynasty. We need to be bad to get good. If Gordon sucks at least he will get us some prime draft picks. Then we can fire him in a couple of years. Hedman and Tavares here we come.
Gordon is clueless and in denial…the whole team is overtaxed from his overspeed system that doesn’t work.
“OverSpeed” = “OverTired” = “Running around like chickens without Heads” = “This system is not working”
Jack L: There’s only one problem the Dynasty was built by Torrey…this team is being run by a back-up goalie that has never won anything…and has no clue how to win anything.
@JackL #38: I agree. In the end, we do need to lose to get high picks more than we need to Nolan near-miss this season.
But in the process, we should “lose well,” with sound roster decisions and play that teaches our youngsters — and shows signs of progress and/or a wise coach.
So when we lose ugly repeatedly, it gives one pause. But I’m not losing sleep. Every coach has his peaks and valleys. The fun is in the journey.
It really makes me scratch my head when I see a majority of “fans” ie people who don’t work with the team everyday and have no background with the team, coming up with all these excuses and solutions. I’m not even being sarcastic when I say why cant management (snow, wang, gordon) figure this stuff out on their own. It’s so frustrating
Who is the last Islanders goalie to win in Nashville?
Hint: It came on April 11, 2002.
Answer: The general manager
In other news, besides the embarassing Fritz/Sim for Comeau nonsense, Tavares played one hell of a game tonight vs the Swedes, however, it seems as if Hedman forgot to show up entirely. He was not only crunched by Tyrell, he then proceeded to misplay the puck numerous times, including a terrible giveaway at center ice that led to a breakaway goal for Canada. I hope Hedman shapes up his game, otherwise you will see him fall significantly come draft day. As for Tavares, scored the first goal, played one hell of a game, and man can he dangle!
CB…is that what they said…”mini-controversy”?…just wondering cause for me the game had no sound haha.
Anyway…the Fritz thing is puzzling…
I think we really need to be patient though…Gordon is a first year coach and wasn’t gonna be perfect coming in…especially with this team. I’m sure he will adjust. I mean he did once adjust as a coach by implementing this system a while back. (I think he said that in the islander illustrated story).
We were praising this system a month ago…give it time.
If Mad Mike can draft Bertuzzi, McCabe, Redden, Luongo, and trade for Jokkinen a monkey could draft good players. At least Snow is not Milbury. Any one alive is better than him.
I like that we dress an enforcer but put him out on the ice, I cant believe he sat there the whole night. Wouldnt it be nice to go out with a little fight once you know you are going to lose (aka the third period) for the fans at least, just to show you actually want to be there. Instead Boogaard gets an assist and Fritz stays on the bench. This is becoming nonsense, Im with Witt here, why not throw a curveball now and then.
over the past few games it looks like the team is quitting on Gordon…once that happens, you never get them back, and either the coach gets fired or a couple of players are moved by trade to reinforce that the coach is not going…like many people here, I have never believed that you can play this overly aggressive system 60 minutes game-in, game-out and be successful against NHL teams…they’re too skilled, too well-conditioned, and generally, too well-coached…it would have been inconceivable for me to believe that Gordon could get fired in his first year, but it should be remembered that Phil Goyette, Isles’ first coach, was replaced midway through his and the team’s first season with a record of 6–38–4
I think it’s funny that Mitch Fritz has become the Islanderspointblank.com superstar. I mean seriously why are we always talking about this player. Gordon should have him on the bench. He is maybe the worst skater in the NHL, he does not belong in the leauge. We should be talking about how dismal this team is in the defensive zone, or maybe we should be talking about how this club’s forechecking is non-existant.
It looks bleak yes, but the 2000 NHL Entry Draft #1 overall pick is working his way back to the lineup, and it can only get better from there. Ricky to the rescue….
Hey man, worst skater on the worst team isnt a bad deal
Jack L,
Bertuzzi, McCabe and Redden were drafted by Maloney–not Milbury.
Gordon makes some awful line combination decisions. Scratch Comeau after moving him from his natural position? Good move, Flash. Dress Fritz and not play him one shift? Good move, Commissioner. Jon Sim on the PP with Andy Hilbert and Richard Park? Have you no respect for the team?
I wouldn’t mind seeing Jussi Jokinen in an Islander jersey, but they’d have to dump some players who will easily clear waivers without getting picked up.
Efforts like tonight are embarrassing. Just forfeit the game if you are not going to play. Don’t pretend.
to Brass:
we’re focusing on Fritz not because we want him in the lineup and out on the ice (well some of us do) but I think the majority are more concerned with why Fritz is there instead of a player like Comeau who is supposed to be a part of this teams future and has shown flashes of becoming a great player/goal scorer which this team sorely needs.
I keep joking with a friend that Bettman is going to have to step in at some point because it’s become obvious the Isles aren’t trying to win. Then I realize they are trying, they are just an awful team, one of the worst Islander teams I’ve ever seen.
Regarding Witt - if you are not part of the solution…then you are part of the problem. Case closed. Pack his bags for him and get him out of here. An assistant captain DOES NOT say what he said, regardless of how “honest” he wanted to answer a question. Either you are with us or you are against us…and this is who we want our kids to learn from? I think not.
Pretty amazing how everyone was so sure they wanted a rebuild, and now that they have one, they are the most impatient people.
THIS IS A REBUILD. This defines a rebuild. This isn’t Gordon’s fault. This team couldn’t win with Ted Nolan, Peter Laviolette, or Al Arbour. For the record, Arbour’s first season the Islanders were terrible to. And yes, this version of the Islanders is a glorified expansion team playing without their best player for almost half the season.
WTF did people expect?
Snow strike one: the ridiculous Smyth trade.
Strike two: firing Ted Nolan, an actual NHL coach who overachieved from day one until DP went down for the count.
Strike three: Hiring an inexperienced AHL coach with an unproven “system” to be the basis of a rebuilding franchise.
Strike four: Ridiculous retrading of a #5 pick down for watered down talent.
Strike five: Keeping a clearly not NHL ready Josh Bailey on this pathetic, mismatched team to his detriment.
How many strikes does this clown get?
Hmmm…. Witt undermines Nolan and now he is undermining Gordon.
Maybe Witt is a problem… NO?
DOC
And the “rebuild” continues…
He’ll get unlimited strikes until he resigns like Milbury.
This is a rebuild, but tonight’s effort did not show improvement. The roster decisions do not make sense.
The Fritz decision is the first time I’ve really questioned Gordon’s plan. Usually I give coaches the benefit of the doubt, that they know something more than me, and that’s why they have the job and I don’t…but 0 shifts…Comeau may not have won the game, but there is no way he could have possibly avoided having more of an impact, by definition…
As for all the trade deadline talk…I think its going to be difficult to get anything of value with what we have. I for one do not think that Weight should be traded…our top scorer, one of the closest thing we have to a consistent player, also happens to have tremendous experience and can teach our younger guys…And if the choice comes down to a consistent scorer with experience, or yet another low-level prospect who has a 25% chance of panning out some time in the next 10 years, I say we have enough low-level prospects already in our system or who we could get for other players, we don’t need that one more.
As for the system, I actually do still have faith in it. I actually do have faith that this group can do it. But I do think it needs to be more flexible, and that it does need to be adjusted to lead to overall more defensive responsibility. Clearly something needs to be adjusted.
Howie Rose called it a “MINI-CONTROVERSY”… what a joke Howie is…
There is NO WAY Comeau should be sitting at this point. Why is he being held to a higher accountability than these other players.
Sim is awful… Fritz is awful… Tambellini is awful… Pock is awful… (before I get killed, i know Pock is a defensemen)… Ben Walter has not done anything that Comeau hasn’t already done better…
Comeau NEEDS to PLAY!
DAMN that makes me mad to see him sitting!!!
DOC
Well put, CB.
I like the NJ example without #1 goalie. And I also saw all the Witty’s answers on the ice tonight.
About the game and coach decisions (to scrach Comeau): do not even want to go there!
Can’t wait to see what “ironys” we have tomorrow night.
why is sim even dressing for games? no team in the league wants him, so what makes him better than comeau, smith, and other young guys who should get a look? i feel like snow told gordon “hey tank the season but don’t make it look obvious.” and gordon is not doing a good job.
DOC I know from other blogs you are a reasonable guy. Did it ever occur to you or anyone else here that Gordon gave Comeau a night off to have him take a step back. Comeua has been awful since he’s here. He has one goal and is a minus 9 in six games. Maybe Gordon just wanted him to sit back and relax and refocus on his game. I beleive that it is a common enough tactic used by most coaches in most sports.
When a young player is going badly it’s time to allow him a chance to reorganize
and come back the next game harder and more prepared.
Didn’t Gordon sit Tambs for a couple of games to shake him out of his doldrums?
In Tambellini’s case it didn’t work but I have seen it work magic for other players.
It surprises me that no one else here picked this up……Sir William
Sir William, if we use you logic, then nearly everyone on this team needs a day off. what a lot of people on this blog are trying to say that is there are a lot of players who have played worse than comeoy yet they are still on the roster. sim and fritz are obviously the primary examples. in addition, i dont understand why everyone is freaking out over us su**ing. ITS OKAY!!The more we lose, the better the chace of us getting tavares. I know one player wont make the franchise but with tavares, bailey, okposo, hunter, dipietro, and streit, we will a good core or nuclear of players. We we make some noise in free agencey, then we will be fine in a couple of years.and bout this argument that losing cultivates a “losing” atmosphere, that is all crap. look no further than the capitals, sabres, and penguins the past decade. they all stunk at one point and are now reaping the benefits of great picks. So, losing is ok, its what we need. Stop freaking out over sometrhing we expected to happen and something we deep down really want to embrace. the organization is doing ti right for the first time in a while.
I honestly liked Gordnon and his style of coaching. I have pretty much lost that feeling now. I wasn’t expecting to even sniff the playoffs so don’t give me that We are re-building crap because it has nothing to do with that! This guy says he never pulls goalies except when injured when he’s got primadonna Pietro on the bench than pulls his goalies three times after. He then lets Nielson get run over and leaves arguably one of the biggest monsters in the league on the bench with his thumb up his a$$ while we get run over by the Devils. We loose Nielson for 8 weeks.He plays a system that you can’t really loose a player to injury or penalty because it is so demanding and taxing but he leaves a player on the bench the ENTIRE game instead of dressing one of our rookies during our YOUTH MOVEMENT! Give me a break this is some sh!t!!!!! The guy is bi-polar and his decision making is pisss poor to say the least. I’m ready to loose, no problem. but this is hard to deal with. The guy clearly has his head firmly up his own a$$!!! The guy seemed like a good choice but I’m having second thoughts. Can’t really see how anybody couldn’t agree. The only thing good about Gordon at this point is his post game interviews when he doesn’t know what to say!!! Got to love it!!! I look foward to them….
It seems not a person on this site realizes, that, a Sutton broken foot, and another Islander loss is good for a rebuild. But I guess winning as many games as possible, gets you Hedman or Tavares, am I right or am I wrong. Wake up.
Sir William I’m not sure how you can say Comeau has been awful since he got called up. I’ve seen him make alot of strong/smart plays with the puck in the few games he’s been here. He’s definetly been noticeable out there. The plus minus you are referring to isn’t really fair considering the stretch of lopsided scores the team has played throughout the month. One night of a 9 goal game can put a serious hurting on a relatively meaningless statistic. The fact is the kid deserved to play a hell of a lot more than some of the other guys out there. Nobodys saying he’s going to turn the franchise around, but it would still be nice to see him get a fair shot of making an impact.
Lots of coaches sit a young player down for a game to get their head straight. It’s not that unusual.
For whatever reason fans here have blinders on when it comes to Comeau.
1 point in 6 games and a -9 rating is struggling in anybodys league.
Make all the excuses you want.
As for you, Matt……….Merry Christmas…Sir William
and Matt, since you’re so smart and so knowledgeable about the game, why don’t you explain to the rest of us exactly why Comeau sat out tonight’s game.
I ventured my opinion.
Now, let’s hear yours. Allow the rest of us to share in your insight….Sir William
Comeau is a nolan-type-player.
Colton Gillies scored a goal, something Mr. Bailey hasn’t been able to do. I thought Oksopo was supposed to be a Calder finalist? Well, to do thta, you need to score a goal every now and then. I agree that Bailey and Kyle are the least of the Isles problems. But face it, they just aren’t as good as a lot of other rookies throughout the league.
AS a FORMER Die Hard fan,I stopped going and now I have stopped watching on TV but I enjoy this web site for Comeau to be scratched is a JOKE. gordon is HORRIBLE looks alot like the second coming of Bill Stewart? This franchise is giving the Detroit Lions a run at the WORST run franchise in pro sports.Very Sad!
I coulda sworn CB asked contributors NOT to write multiple posts…it gets real old seeing “conversations” between guys here.
That said, I do agree that this system that Gordon is employing will have to be adjusted or used differently very soon or he will be out of a job. If you cannot be flexible enough to see that something is not working you need to have the courage to change and adapt rather than keep digging holes and filling them. Remember the definition of insanity? You keep doing the same thing over and over again even though the result are not good and never change.
Anyone with some sensibility has to see that Gordon is not an NHL coach, nor is this system built for an NHL team. You can’t play like that for 60 minutes, especially in the NHL. It’s also personnel and injuries too, not Gordon’s fault, but clearly these players already (!) seem not to be in Gordon’s corner. Re-hire Laviolette, hire Morrow and Trottier as assistant coaches, and then look forward to next year and seeing the development of the youngsters already here. This team’s collapse isn’t helping the cause for a new building, especially in this economy.
Wait until Golden Boy 12-years left on his contract Boy Wonder DP comes back in net and sees the system in front of him on the ice….he will not be pleased, that’s for sure.
The system would work fine if other teams didn’t skate rings around them. And the sun came up this morning.
i am sick of comeau not playing. this is becoming absolutely ridiculous. fire gordon now.
Although we should keep losing-grab that No. 1 pick. It’s just that not only are they losing, they are embarassing. Gordon has to loosen up a bit, right? It’s a tough situation to be in right now.
The funny thing about systems is that it works when executed despite the players that are plugged into and out of the line-up… assuming that the “talent” level is reasonably suited to the system.
Just ask the New England Patriots - No Brady, Maroney, etc. etc. etc. or the NJ Devils… No Brodeur, Stevens, Neidermeyer, Rafalski, Rolston etc…
This year is about determining who fits in the system…
But, at the risk of being UBER redundant… NOT having Comeau in the line-up and instead dressing Sim and Fritz and Walter is a crying shame.
He is one of the reasons I look forward after work to watching this team play a game.
DOC
I am officially done with Scotty Gordon! His excuse laiden B.S. is a joke and his system is ECHL worthy. Snow is a JOKE TOO!
Comeau must play but hey Johnny Sim is good right. You suck Snow and Gordon!
10-69-3 lets lose the season! Then Snow can trade the 1st pick for Brian Rolston and crappy prospects. But these guys have GRIT and Character! Yada yada Snow you are a tired act pal!
I agree with when “The overrated Primadonna” comes back and we still get drilled that the coach killer will axe Scotty G.! Do you thing coach killa!
Why the hatred toward DiPietro…? Please, this sudden perception that he is an “over-rated primadonna” is a bit much don’t ya think?
It’s like saying Jeter has no range… once it gains steam, then everyone just sort of jumps on the bandwagon.
(I’m NOT comparing DiPietro to Jeter people… It’s just an example I’m using to describe ridiculous perceptions that somehow become “truths” once repeated enough)
DOC
Dubie got us into the playoffs and was clutch! DP was on the bench sulking being injured again for the umpteenth time. I just grew tired of DP and his immature actions followed by being injured followed by being stubborn and arrogant.
So many of us Isles fans jump on the DP bandwagon. Look Lundy is better than DP and I despise the garbage team in Manhattan. DP will win us nothing cuz he will be in the pressbox or Minnesota getting that accelerated treatment for 12 more years!
I’d like to see if Gordon could run around like a nut all night and see if he is not exhausted by the third just like everyone else on the team. I can’t see many vets having respect for someone around their own age who has not had lengthy NHL experience. This is probably true in any other sport as well.
This is just painful to watch. Not only will they have to rebuild the team, but also the fan base.
This franchise is a complete joke! One bad move after another. One depressing season after another! This is not a rebuild- this is torture.
Wake me when the Isles are in Kansas City. It makes me want to cry thinking about what this team has turned into.
wanna bet if the isles get Tavares he will end up being scratched for Jon Sim because he doesn’t fit into Scott Gordon’s incredible SYSTEM. What a joke Snow is, What a joke Gordon is, these guys are complete incompetents. Hey Botta, this is the gong show!!!
28. Atlanta 31 10 24
29. Tampa Bay 31 7 23
30. N.Y. Islanders 32 10 23
keep on suckin , I mean truckin ….uhh , I got nothin
When the Islanders Move I will be finished with the NHL… I guess I only have a few years left until I abandon the NHL…
another thing about Sim. When Snow made this his first free agent signing a few years ago after losing half the team everyone ripped him to pieces. I remember thinking maybe Snow knows something most of us don’t, maybe this is a real sleeper pick here. WRONG AGAIN!!! no one wants this piece of garbage complete waste of a roster space. AGAIN THE FANS KNEW MORE THAN THE GM!!! Reminded me of the time Milbury traded Luongo and drafted DP, EVERYONE IN THE COLISEUM THAT DAY KNEW IT WAS A HUGE, HUGE MISTAKE! EXCEPT THE GM OF COURSE!!
ranndy boyd from post 57: are you serious! THE SMYTH TRADE HELPED US!when we got him we were a really good team that was not a rebuild. best move by garth IMO. he fired ted nolan because he did not lay the kids whe we decided to rebuild. he hired scott gordon because in the ahl and with TIME his system thrived. not to mention that he will play the young kids. trading down im skeptical but in the long run it looks good. josh bailey looks like the real deal despite not having someone to finish with. and last but not least bailey is playing with a mediocre team that cant put the pucks in the net. how do you expect him to do well if he passes to ppl that cant put it in!! i did think he should of stayed in juniors and worked on his scoring. also, mike on post 90: are you serious. tavares will be our best player and you are comparing him to comeau. unreal man. you guys have no faith in this team and think your solutuion are best, but you got to leave it to the professionals. this makes it hard to read the comments. when the rebuild is doen in 3-4 years you will be praising snow.
haha mike, by the way you put it you would think garth thought he was a 40 goal scorer. he is a third liner on a team made of third and second liners. gimme a break on losing half the team. why would those guys stay here in the crummy coliseum when they could go to the avs or washington with ovie or torotno the biggest market. quit acting like snow is a moron. was he stupid when signing weight or streit???
also, mike on post 90: are you serious. tavares will be our best player and you are comparing him to comeau. unreal man. you guys have no faith in this team and think your solutuion are best, but you got to leave it to the professionals.
Dude, that is called sarcasm. Of course Im not serious but with the way the Islanders run things who knows??
okay kevin, and it was a good idea to trade Luongo and draft DP right buddy. Leave it to the professionals. I got it.
haha milbury was a moron. i agree with you on that oone but ppl here act like they know all and there ideas will bring this team a cup, but in hockey history there are more good professionals then bad. does snow look like mad mike?
haha milbury was a moron. i agree with you on that one but in hockey history there are more good professionals then bad. does snow look like mad mike?
woops.
May I point out that Scott Gordon very likely spends a lot of time watching video and thinking about his system, how to improve it, whether the players can execute it, etc. Just a thought. No way should he be fired. I’m sure his performance will be assessed after the season, but now is not the time to fire a coach.
Someone trashed Isles’ PP, so I think it’s only fair to point out it’s the 13th best in the league. The problem is 5-on-5, not special teams. Gordon will have noticed that too.
Also, let’s not forget there was a consensus among experts and analysts that the Isles would finish at the bottom.
also that if someone on the pp is not working you try something different. its not that hard to figure out.
I like Fritz, but he dresses and doesn’t play at all…..add to that Comeau a healthy scratch ?!
Why dress a guy who doens’t even take the ice ! Comeau looked good…helluva lot better than Tambellini
Sir William I have no idea why Comeau is not playing? Nor does anyone else except for Gordon. Obviously CB has no idea, he seems just as baffled as us. You seem to know which is no surprise due to the fact that you seem to know all that goes on with the Isles.
On to Gordon, I think the last thing this team needs is another fired coach. It would paint a negative picture of instability with in the orginization again. The guy has to straighten his act out. His unorthodox decision making and his lies, yes his lies have to stop. Saying he doesn’t do something and then following up by doing that exact thing is not goood for the players, the fans, and himself. Isn’t this supposed to be a youth movement? Having Richard Park on the #1 PP unit is laughable. I know the guy scored but what about our youth? I love Park but enough is enough. Gordon has become very Nolanesque in his approach. He pads the kids playing time with meanigless minutes in the third period when the game is out of reach and second unit PP time. Does anyone see this besides me. Walter looks good give him some more time, isn’t this a re-build?
Doc, comparing Dipietro to Derek Jeter is laughable. I am not saying that Jmac is the better goalie but the guy made 3 highlight reel saves last night two of which were on Gaborik. I’m looking foward to seeing him play again just to see if he can live up to the hype that our fan base has bestowed upon him. I want nothing more than him to succeed so don’t get the wrong impression but bad comparison.
no more long post sorry CB
I finally understand the meaning of the phrase “If you love something, let it go”.
I continually root for this team, even though it digs itself deeper and depper into the trenches of embarassment. I actually hope that this team moves … maybe to a place where hockey they will love it and watch it flourish. Not that we don’t appreciate these loveable losers, but I can’t help but think that if this team moved to Winnipeg (for example), there is NO WAY they would stand for this nonsense. This team would be a winner in 2 years and I would STILL be a die hard fan.
Am I crazy? Does this make any sense to anyone? I just wanna root for THIS organization to win, I don’t care WHERE it happens.
Well angry pete the positives would be;
Lower alcohol intake for you
Wont have to buy a remote every week from throwing it into wall and shattering it
wont have to watch Scott Gordons post game interview
the Islanders(or whoever they are) will instantly become the darlings of the canadian press for once
wont have to wait at the light on hempstead turnpike at NVMC
Doesn’t sound bad but be careful what you wish for…
Under Nolan, the Islanders were scrapy and often overachieved. Under Gordon, I see minimal effort and a lot of bad injury karma. New system. Old system. Something’s not right in that locker room. I know it’s a different era, but can’t this bloody and bloodied team study the Islanders’ building system from 1972–1975? I’m sure there’s a few old papers in the basement to get us out of the basement…eventually. (PS: I am pro-rebuilding over a two-year period; being a non-entious 16th playoff team just turns me off…)
Matt:
Once again you proved that you cannot read… Sad.
I stated in my post… ” I am NOT comparing DiPietro to Jeter…” I was just using the examplo of how Jeter’s so called defensive weakness is completely unfounded… but has somehow become “fact” amongst his detractors… just like DiPietros so called “Primadonna” status has become a “fact” by his detractors repeatedly stating it.
I was only comparing the un-truths - NOT THE PLAYER.
Learn how to read my friend!
DOC
Perhaps it’s good coaching vs. bad coaching. Some players didn’t like Nolan? Fine. Nolan led them and got them to overachieve. Gorton has a few players doing their job but those guys always work…..they’re achieving due to less defensive responsibility and more demand for offense.
And Nolan not buying into Snow’s rebuild…..remind me, but didn’t Snow himself at the trade deadline state that he believed we were in contention for the playoffs? NOT said if we were rebuilding, so Nolan was on the same page (trying to tin) but for one Jeff Tambellini. Nolan played the rookies who worked hard and got results on ice and sat the Tambellini Project and I believe THAT is the basis for the myth of Nolan not playing kids.
And Pete hits it dead on…..you npay to watch failure, why should they change anything? We paid to watch Milbury’s teams and he stayed forever….now we pay to watch the second Jack Adams nominee get replaced by AHL fodder. We pay to see Snow collect players from the Goodwill Store, we pay to see last place and trading down picks and bad trades and bad management and almost LAUD the idiocy.
You stop paying a bad restaurant money and they’ll make better food in no time or sell. Given that Bettman wants the Isles to stay on Long Island no matter what (legacy teams), stop paying Steinwanger money and maybe he’ll be forced to hire a GOOD GM and a GOOD coach and get GOOD players and thus make the Islanders a GOOD team. Stop paying for failure. Demand quality.
Didn’t finish reading your post, skimmed through it. I stand corrected.
LOL… we’re cool.
DOC
Let me say, I’ve never played organized hockey so I don’t pretend to know that I fully understand the “system” Gordo is using. Nor can I state with any authority that an NHL team can or can’t play it constantly for 60 minutes at a time. I will however say that I am totally stumped as to why Sim played yesterday and Comeau sat. Blake has looked solid in his time with the big club. Sim, meh, not so much…I even get dressing Fritz on the odd chance Boog started running people. But Jon Sim, really?
For curiosities sake DOC what is your impression of Gordon at this point? You seem to be more even tempered than myself and certainly more patient. He started losing me when Nielson got clobbered by Mottau. I haven’t given up hope yet but I’m getting there. I’m not saying I hope we fire the guy because like I said earlier that wouldn’t be the smartest thing to do right now.
Personally, I don’t wanna see anyone fired. We can’t complain about there being no consistency or normalcy here if the organization is constantly in flux. It’s tumultous and doesn’t provide for a healthy atmosphere going forward.
The best thing they can do at this point is grow together and learn together. It’s obvious Gordon is still in ‘NHL Coaching 101′ and will be for the rest of the year.
Flash is 35 games in he needs time…OK. BUT let’s look at the facts so far. Can’t develop Tambellini. Has alienated Comeau. Okposo was underachieving prior to injury, Bailey is flat lining. That’s his effect on youth…let’s look at the vets…Guerin is rumored not to like him much, Witt’s not a big fan of play D for the man. This is just what I know. What don’t I know? Don’t tell me, it’s too scary!
Yeah I agree. Guess the best thing to do is ride it out which I think we will wind up doing. Just wonder when the team will play for Gordon because it seems they are fighting him every stretch of the way. Beginning to wonder now if Gordon was the right choice? A lot of incositencies so far which doesn’t further stability which this team so desperately needs.
Matt:
I will give you a thought out answer on a new thread regarding Gordon.
I see where you are coming from though… but I will take the other side of the equaition later tonight. Look for it after the game.
DOC