PRE-GAME: NYI at Columbus, 7:05 pm
Silli out…the “bag skate”…Lock List
(from left: In search of not a miracle but just a win, John Chabot and Scott Gordon put the Islanders through a classic bag skate)
Mike Sillinger, welcome to Overspeed. The veteran center is out tonight with a groin strain, unrelated to his hip injury. The 37-year old Sillinger, who recently rejoined the lineup after rehab from major hip surgery, was part of yesterday’s bag skate. Whether he suffered the groin injury during it is unknown.
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With this record, sometimes it’s hard to find intriguing storylines heading into a game. But tonight’s match in Columbus will be a fascinating study in how this slumping team responds physically and emotionally after they were skated into the ground by coach Scott Gordon on Friday.
The “bag skate” is as much a hockey tradition as the hat trick. (Unfortunately, I think I’ve seen more bag skates). What I didn’t see a lot were bag skates the day before a game. Gordon explained to Greg Logan for today’s Newsday, “You say, ‘I don’t want to kill them in practice and not get it in the game.’ Well, now I’m at the point where it doesn’t really matter. This needs to be addressed, and it probably should have been addressed three games ago.”
That’s completely fair on the coach’s part. But if the Islanders get out-skated tonight, Logie has his angle (and most of his story written) by the end of the second intermission. From what I’ve heard, that skate in Columbus was no moderate bag skate, but Hefty baggy.
However, what I also always saw in hockey is that the games rarely turn out how you think when you base it purely on “feel” for a team’s psyche. True story: at a game towards the end of last season, when the Islanders were all but mathmatically eliminated from the playoffs, I was around the team a lot for some pre-game stuff. They looked dead, like it was the last place they wanted to be.
I tell ya, if I was a betting man, if it was legal and not livelihood-crushing for me to bet and if I was desperate enough, I would have put up the house and everything else I owned against the Islanders. Of course, the Islanders got a goal a few minutes in and won going away.
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“NY Hockey This Week” will air from 5:30 - 6:30 pm tonight on 1050 ESPN Radio. I haven’t lined up a guest yet. Should probably get crackin’.
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The “Gordon Not Go-Going Anywhere” column drew a wide range of reactions, from I suck, to Snow sucks, to Overspeed sucks, to this season is what you expected, to hey sure, if the NYI don’t drop the ball you’re willing to be patient.
Many of you wanted to add to my Solid Six, the list of players on this team guaranteed to be on the 2009-10 Islanders. I locked in Okposo, Bailey, DiPietro, Streit, Hunter and Nielsen. The only partial reach for me was Frans Nielsen. Although he may not be a top-six forward, he is a good young player. He is also signed for three more seasons and he’ll have missed at least half of ‘08-09.
As I mentioned in the piece, there will be more players than just those six. While several of you added players like Richard Park, Brendan Witt and Andy Hilbert to your fixtures list, the reason they are not on mine is that none of those players - and I’m fans of all three - stand in the way of the Islanders making a big deal that makes them better in the future.
Brings to mind an argument I had a long time ago with an opposing scout in the Coliseum press box:
Scout: “If you did that rumored deal, you’d probably have to throw in something extra like Dave Scatchard.”
Me: “Nooooo. I like Scatch. I wouldn’t want to see him thrown in.”
Scout: “Look, I like Scatchard too. But you don’t let the inclusion of Dave friggin’ Scatchard get in the way of making a good trade”!
Some fans wanted Blake Comeau and Sean Bergenheim added to the Lock List. My respect for their talent is well-documented on this blog. But when you consider the Islanders and Bergenheim still haven’t figured it out together and Comeau, you know, didn’t make the big club the first 25 games this season, there’s no evidence to suggest you can 100% guarantee their spots in Gordon’s lineup in 2009-10.
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Tonight, besides whatever I do with the game recap - which I understand may not always be must-reads - I’m working on some more follow-ups to about a dozen issues raised by readers after the Snow-Gordon column. Have a great weekend…CB
Game predictions, reactions in Comments.
59 Responses to “PRE-GAME: NYI at Columbus, 7:05 pm
Silli out…the “bag skate”…Lock List”
Please Wait
I’ll say it again, pretty obvious the conditioning staff hasn’t done their jobs for all these practice injuries to occur. Maybe they aren’t good enough or maybe Gordon was hired so late they didn’t have time to adjust but it needs to be fixed by next season.
With Sillinger out does this mean Sim is back in or will they (BETTER CHOICE) recall someone from Bridgeport?
That is unfortunate for Sillinger, as he looked decent the last few games. I guess this means Sim will be in the line-up, as will Fritz. We are going to get beat up tonight. I predict 4-1 Columbus, considering we can only roll three lines tonight. I know there is a huge support here for Fritz, but he is not good what so ever. He gets into a fight every third game, and he takes a penalty or two every game. With him out there, we are forced to roll three lines and we get run over. I am sorry, but we need to find a valuable enforcer.
CB, I’d love to know the trade you were discussing with that scout that involved Scatchard
HMMM, a say sign Mike Haley from the Bridge. Does anyone no if Haley is injured?
If it means that Sillinger is out for say 2-3 weeks… why not make the call-up someone like Trevor Smith or Mike Iggulden(sp)…?
We’ve seen enough of Sim to know that he adds absolutely nothing to this team in the short term or long term.
Not that he is a decent hockey player or person… but he just isn’t someone I want to see in an Islanders uniform anymore.
DOC
Aw, Sillie
Let him rest up a day.
I sure would like to see someone else get called up from BPT besides Mitch, but the Islanders must loooove the way his butt warms that bench.
Or maybe it’s Comrie tonight???
A Bag Skate? That is good for any of the Dopes that would waste money to watch this team they should get bags to wear over the head!
patience people. swallow the fact that the cup will not be coming to the island this year. Id rather be the worst team in the league then a mediocre team.
I say call someone up too. As for Gordon, I’m liking him. I think he’ll be alright. Oh yeah I’m also okay with trading pretty much anyone for something better. Feel better soon Sillinger.
Sim is back in tonight…CB
this will be a last chance for sim…hope he makes it worth while!
Comeau should be on this team next season barring a big time trade. It took him how long to score his first goal this season? Also, Gordon’s comments about Comeau’s play recently seem to suggest that he’s becoming a “Gordon” guy, at least a little bit. Though, if there is a trade I really see Comeau turning into a Robert Nilsson type of guy, who is on a bit of an up trend with another team… As for tonight’s game, it would be a small moral victory for this team to finally beat the Blue Jackets. That would be nice.
Isles will respond well tonight…now i don’t know if they will win cause its tough to get out of a funk no matter how well you play…but I think they’ll play well.
I say Isles win 5-3
I was a big Scatch fan myself. i see a lot of Scatch in Jackman… Let’s hope that 28 doesn’t do a Claude Raines like 38 did.
I feel as though instead of building bridges, Gordon is strip mining at the base of the chasm. You had to get the
feel that he was losing Guerin after the Jersey game… and I personally feel like this kind of stomping your feet will just make guys like Guerin, Sillinger, Weight and Witt (who have more yers of hockey BEHIND THEM than gordon has days in front of him) just drift away.
It might have a good affect on the younger guys, but how much more do you wanna push Bergy, Park(not young at all)..just sprite), Hilbert… who doen’t seem to be “unmotivated”..EVER.
the more I see, the more sand goes from the top of the hourglass to the bottom… and that’s it.
Once again… one and done. Hope this is a good one!
All point blank posts are must-reads!
CB you do not suck! This blog is awesome!
Unfortunately the whole Isles organization sucks! Especially my man Snow! SNOW BLOWS!
Isles lose again tonight! Glad I will be at a bar that will not have any feed of this dreadful game! WE SUCK AGAIN!
Without Snow blowing, it wouldn’t be Christmassy on Long Island.
Well, Sillinger…..great player a victim of a tactic system used as a hardcore all game system. Just the latest. Thankfully, Gorton’s safe and the Emperor still has no clothes.
hey cb, your after game wrap ups are always must reads. you’re all we got! (No offense to Logan, but you’re definitely get deeper than he does, on a nightly basis at least).
So, what us isles fans need is another PB night at a bar!! with the way this season is going right now, i need to see that i’m not alone and get to drunkenly discuss who’s staying, who’s going, time to be loyal, time to jump ship, etc etc.
is one in the works any time soon??
were not even that young of a team…thats what i dont get…call up r whole b-port team even if we dont win a game all season (we’re not winning much anyway wit sillinger, guerin, sim, etc.)…joensuu iggulden, smith, haley, colliton…get rid of these old guys alreasy
Loyal til the end. Growing pains suck but Crosby’s year 1 was not so good in case you all forget. I’d be worried worried if this was year 3 and this was still the issue. We all wanted a direction and now we have Bridgeport & NYI on same page ( thanks Ted for almost ruining that!! ) and maybe some call up’s and minor trades to shake things up is needed. But I will ride I will ride this out til the end and so should the rest of ya. ( and dont forget DP is back soon and the Joey Mac/DP combo could steal us a playoff spot and make a season of it yet ).
LETS GO ISLANDERS!!
Silli hurt himself when he went out on a checking shift late in the game, you could see him come up limp after a quote on quote check and then not play the rest of the way…
I like the little inclusion of Scatch in the write-up CB, he was one of my favorites..As for the game tonight 4-3 isles. Hopefully Bailey can net his first goal tonight
The Penguins drafted Crosby, Malkin, Staal, etc. because they stunk but were not inept. We can’t forget this.
When given the chance to draft the sure thing, what have the Isles done time and time again? Failed. And now we see it in the quality of our farm team as far as their not being NHL differencemakers.
So we cannot go on with the rebuild yielding us anything because the Pens did it……the Pens picked the right guys. If we know our history of drafting the sure thing great player…will we? Or will we draft the one nobody thought we would which by now everyone expects us to?
I know teams are looking hard to trade for the pick right after ours to get that Zach Parise…..or Hedman or Tavares who will go the 2nd and 3rd if we pick first.
So try not to hink we’ll be like the Penguins. We don’t have the personnel or desire to get that quality personnel.
And I really loved having Scatch on our team. A great guy, like Lappy and others who made one love the game of hockey.
i say we lose 5-3. poor silly.
I have been a fan since I was kid in the 70’s. since relocating to Atlanta, I get to see the games on the center ice package and keep up with news on here and on Logan’s blog. I don’t understand the harshness of a lot of so called Isle fans towards Snow, Gordon, the system, or the team in general. Everyone wanted a sound plan put in place and now that there is one everyone is mad because the team stinks. The system will be fine once more talent is brought in. You can’t expect this to work when you have a team of mostly complimentary players in the roles of 1’st and 2nd line players. I like Hilbert and Park but to have them on a PP shows or lack of talent. Hopefully this will change as Snow seems set on building a solid core. What I would like to see is more of the younger players such as Collition, Callahan, Skinner, etc and less of the ones that will be gone by the time this turns around. We can’t know what we need if don’t know what we have. Hopefully Snow will be moving as many vets as possible this year and opening space for the younger players. Witt, Martinek, Sutton, Sillenger, Gurien, Thompson, Hilbert, Comrie, Park, and even Weight and Hunter should be traded if the return can add youth, speed and talent or draft picks. Sorry for the long post but its my first time and just wanted to get a lot of what I think out there.
Sim back in the line up? And I won’t even be home to play the drinking game! Fiddle faddle
Why not get Ricky as a guest? He loves to talk and he did a great job on Wednesday at the store.
were not going to trade witt and thomspon is not a vet
or hunter
Hey CB:
From where did the term “bag skate” come?
I don’t know why we keep dressing Fritz if he only plays 3:00 a game. The Blue Jackets enforcer, Jared Boll, is not that big and would be a good fight for Jackman if we need someone to step up. On Sim, the guy plays hard and gives it his all but he does not belong in this system at all. I’d love to see Walter take Sillinger’s place tonight.
boll would fight fritz. hes taken on toher heavies with no problem so im looking forward to that.
If Comeau and Bergy are not on this team next year…man I’ll be disappointed. Those are my two favorites out of the “young guys,” and I’d go so far as to say they’ve shown the most upside SO FAR. Obviously I think KO and Bailey will be better in the long run, but if we’re going by merit and proving yourself, they should be here. If they’re not here and Tambs is…that might push me over the edge, haha.
You know, after watching last night’s Devs-Rags game, I am convinced that the Isles cannot hang simply because they cannot play physical and will not stand up when needed. I think the forecheck system can work, and I think that a 100% healty DP will be a great re-addition for the future. But unless the Isles can play in a game like we saw last night they will continue to get creamed no matter how tallented our young guys are. There has to be more passion. There has to be more loyalty to the fellow players who get run at. Unfortunately, that isn’t what we’re getting. Arbor demanded that kind of attitude, like Sutter is doing with the Devils. Gordon can run all of the bag skates he wants to but he must establish team ethic.
Lets try and have a good game but still lose. I really want the top pick this year. It will help us more than losing still and getting the 7th pick or so. I hope we are the worst team in the league and trade all the vets and compete in the next 2 yrs. By the term compete I mean top 6 team not #8 like we were kinda used to.
UIF frans nielsen also has quite a bit of upside…
We lose 4-2. Fritz scores both with Witt assisting on both after Gordon makes him join the rush.
Matt im with u on this one.. HAHA would be hilarious..
maybe fritz should go on the pp and stand in front of the net..
blew jackets 5 good guys 3…keep losing! on our way to No.1 overall! so we can trade down 10 slots for that gritty character kid!
MIKE HALEY by far is pound for pound the best fighter I’ve seen in a while and believe this he can play…go on youtube
Shoot, Logan says Sim is back in the line up. That is disapointing, I would have rather seen a Sound Tiger get the shot.
Very disappointing news to hear that Sim will be playing.
DOC
Islanders: 11
Blue Jackets:0
Mac D with a shutout,
Bailey with a Gordie Howe hattrick,
Comeau with 4 assists,
Sim badly injured. Out for season.
DAAA ISLES!!!!
I like your thinking Andy…throw a line brawl in there and that would be a perfect night.
BTW…Is this Simply Red commercial a friggin joke by Cablevision/MSG?
it’s 7:04 and I just got that feeling…..
Bailey is getting his 1st NHL goal tonight
Let’s see if my feeling fools me
CB,
For the last week or so I’ve been wondering, HOW IN HEAVEN’S NAME DO YOU HAVE THE PATIENCE TO READ THROUGH ALL THE COMMENTS???
I got bad feelings about this one. They look lifeless in the first again.
Hey thats our team you are talking about! LOL!!!!
Believe me Matt, I wish I was talking about Columbus.
Anyone else catch Howie and Jaffe talking about Mason, CBJ’s goalie, and just how “beneficial” the World Junior Championships were for him in his development? He went 5-0 for Team Canada and it helped get him ready for the NHL, as it was a very beneficial experience?
Hmm…..does Snow send these guys like 6 TPS Reports for that gaffe, mentioning this on an Islander broadcast just after the PR machine told us Bailey wouldn’t be enjoying such an experience?
beatlebailey on Dec 13th, 2008 17:34:32 said:
blew jackets 5 good guys 3…keep losing! on our way to No.1 overall! so we can trade down 10 slots for that gritty character kid!
HEY! We follow the same team! How ’bout that?
Disgraceful performance again! I do not remember losing that badly and being so obviously outplayed in a long time. I say Scott Go-Go as far as you can Gordon is not a competent coach for a NHL.
Nope. You coach a system or you coach players…..and obviously we’re not seeing a coach coaching to the players he has.
This one trick pony is safe for the next 18 months of blown 3rd period leads if we’re lucky enough to score.
Really, how many more wins can this team get the rest of the way? You can’t tell me the vets are going to care too much when the team is 25 points out of a playoff spot in January. Could end up being one of the Isles’ worst all-time teams.
My only concern is the vets are helping the kids deal with this. The emotional readiness for these hard times has to be hard on some kid that thought playing hockey would be a dream job, not an oversped nightmare. Protect their confidence while Gordon’s system and Snow’s negligence tries to destroy it.
additional steps closer to John Tavares.
Gives more points to a rival in Columbus for the Tavares sweepstakes.
Are we going to have the “Garden of Dreams” thrust down our noses for the forseeable future?
Always about the Rag$ isn’t it?
Not a good effort tonight. Kind of a dull game
Pat
I don’t need to see Tampa Bay get the No. 1 overall pick again. They had Stamkos last season and Lecavalier in 98. Of course, we had DiPietro in 2000, but let’s try to forget that.