ISLANDERS NOTEBOOK
Figren…Atlanta “wins” again…Lighthouse meeting
Islanders prospect Robin Figren made his North American professional debut yesterday. The 2006 third round pick played right wing on a fourth line with center Tomas Marcinko and left wing Micheal Haley in the Sound Tigers’ 3-2 loss in Hershey.
“Robin played well,” Bridgeport head coach Jack Capuano said today. “It was a tough spot for him, learning a completely new system without much practice time. You can see the work ethic and the ability, so the rest will take care of itself.”
Figren, who joined the Sound Tigers last week after a season in the Swedish Elite League, played approximately 10 minutes. The Islanders/Sound Tigers injury list makes it difficult to predict, but there’s a chance Figren could see more action this week. Bridgeport has three home games over the weekend: Friday vs. Worcester, Saturday vs. Providence and a Sunday 4:00 pm start against Portland. After a day off today, three practices this week could help the 20-year old Figren.
“He was honest with us after the game, and told us there were a few times he didn’t know what to do,” Capuano said of Figren. “That’s perfectly understandable. The key thing is he had fun with it and seems so willing to learn. I’m sure we’re going to spend a lot of time with Robin on video this week.”
Since the Islanders and Sound Tigers don’t have to make out their lineups until Friday, we’ll know more about the possibility of Figren seeing more game action in a few days.
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Atlanta fans are going through the same emotions lately as the residents of Islanders Country (although with less passion, naturally). Do these late-season wins - like tonight’s 5-1 whipping of Washington - mean Zach Bogosian and the Thrashers are a franchise of the future, or are they the result of the team playing like they’ve got nothing to lose - except for John Tavares and Victor Hedman?
It was only a few weeks ago Atlanta GM Don Waddell was not shy about coveting Tavares. Now the Thrashers are 8 points “up” on the Islanders for the league’s worst record. If the season ended today, they would be the 5th seed in the lottery. They could move to No. 1 but the odds would be mighty high.
Like the Islanders, if the Thrashers’ wins are in the name of positive development, fine. But if they’re not, while he’s saying all the right things publicly, Waddell has to be shaking his head.
As we wrote late Saturday night, watch out for Phoenix. Eight of their last 13 games are at home, but they’ve been suck-city wherever they play lately. Could be a three-team race between the Coyotes, Lightning and Islanders. May the best team win.
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Lighthouse Night on March 26: Consider this your weekly reminder. The Lighthouse Development Corp. is hosting a Community Education Outreach on Thursday, March 26 at 7:00 pm at the Long Island Marriott. Scheduled guests include Charles Wang, Scott Rechler and Nassau County Executive Tom Suozzi.
At Point Blank Night II last week, Lighthouse Development Corp. President Michael Picker spoke to our readers about the importance of the public meeting.
“It is vital that you guys come there, bring friends, ask questions, learn,” said Picker. “The media will be there, the Town will be there, Charles and Scott will be there, Tom Suozzi is going to be there. We’re going to invite (Hempstead Supervisor) Kate Murray. She needs to see the passion of the people that are in this room, and how important this is to you. She needs to know it.”
Comments.
39 Responses to “ISLANDERS NOTEBOOK
Figren…Atlanta “wins” again…Lighthouse meeting”
Please Wait
ATL wins, yeah baby!
Good to see Figren here. It might help restart his development after a poor season.
It’s nice to have the boy wonder at the Bridge. Robin should give the Isles another good young player. Keep’em comin.
Tavares belongs in NY not Phoenix or TB :o)
TB and Phoenix shouldn’t even have teams. Neither should LI. Put Tavares in Queens. Ask Wang at the meeting why the Isles can’t be heard on AM radio. Because all he cares about is real estate.
I want Tavares on the Isles and it seems like a great fit, but if not here, than Phoenix is OK with me. He can work under Gretzky and that franchise seems to be in real bad shape. Tampa and Atlanta don’t deserve another No. 1 pick.
CB……magic numbers?????
I hate to say it, but I see Tavares in a Phoenix jersey. I really wish they would pick up the pace and play some hockey. Scottie Upshall looks like he loves his new home and Prucha and Dawes SHOULD benefit from the extra ice time they’ll likely receive. Come on ‘Yotes, pull it together and rack up some points.
As for Figren, great. I’m looking forward to seeing him on the team in the future. He could be another piece with some luck.
Bagosian is an absolute stud. Between the big 4 from last years draft - him, doughty, pietrangelo and schenn - he’s impressed me the most (of the ones who are in the NHL). Did you see that move he pulled getting into the zone? It was almost Streit-like!
If the glass is half empty I see Gretzky getting Tavares.
I also see the NHL trying to force the Coyotes into a better deal with Glendale.
If the economy doesn’t start to get realistically better and Balsillie still wants a team it could get ugly.
Not to mention that arena sitting there in KC.
How badly does the NHL want to keep the Isles on Long Island?
Could they be sacrificed to Canada (probably unlikely) or KC (who knows)?
I think if the NHL can move the Isles they will.
They might not see the NY market supporting the Rangers, Devils, & Isles.
It is killing me to try and avoid Isles games so we can get the #1 pick.
I could see the Lightning getting #1 and dealing Lecavalier to Montreal for a few players.
Man I hope we don’t get screwed.
Have a great St. Patty’s Day.
I’ve followed Phoenix this year…I’m not sold on Gretzky as a coach. So much talent on that team, but they’re night and day on any given two nights. Absolutely impossible to keep up with them when they’re moving, then all of a sudden they’re completely dreadful and, really, unwatchable.
I support Wang as the owner. He has been a very good owner. His fault was keeping Milbury as the GM and not being aggressive enough with the Lighthouse until recently. He has been the savior.
Figern is an exciting prospect who’ll fit in very well when he develops. I hope he spends the summer on LI getting huge!
Dont worry Robin- a lot of guys need time to get where to go and what to do. You have lots of time to learn, and we all believe in ya!
I posted this on another thread, but the Coyotes still have three games left with the Sharks. Groan….
chris… maybe you should offer people free beer and pretzels to go to the meeting
Good Luck Robin … took the team half a season to adjust to the system .. just get out of it what ya can.
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Atlanta already has a few good young players … and they like the Isles have been getting goaltending … that tells ya how important goaltending is.
I’m worried mostly about Phoenix … A month ago I modified my Fantasy Hockey Excel spread sheet to track teams. I only included the 12 worst at the time b/c it seemed the others wouldn’t have a shot at worst … well .. Phoenix wasn’t on that list … I added them now of course and they are the worst team since the AS break.
Tonight’s schedule for reverse scoreboard watching-
Atlanta at Pittsburgh
Toronto at Tampa Bay
Colorado at Minnesota
San Jose at Phoenix
Pete DeBenedetto ~ Re: Magic #’s … I’m going off my memory here.
Tampa = 21 pts.
Phoenix = 19 pts.
Colorado = 18 pts.
Atlanta = 17 pts.
Any combination of Isles’ loss of points and the above teams gain of points will lower that point total. The earliest game I have the Isles clinching worst is the 2nd to last game if they all lose the rest of their games (which isn’t possible with head to head action).
Bottom line. If/when the Isles are in the play-off hunt, ticket sales would be reasonably good. With the Lighthouse approved/under construction/completed…sales would be VERY good. Two succesfully functioning teams in Florida (even with all of the transplanted Northeasterners and Canadiens) probably ain’t ever gonna happen. The Wayne Freaking Gretzty as the Head Coach and involved with ownwership luster has worn off in Phoenix. Move that team to Winnipeg and they sell-out for YEARS even if they were in last place. I have yet to figure out what Bettman’s true *expertise* is and it’s hard to read what direction the league is going. With the Awards Ceremony moving from Toronto to Las Vegas, I think that may say something. Probably Bettman thinks it would be great to have the first *Pro* team to make Vegas their home. I personally think Las Vegas as is a craphole but realize I may be in the minority.
You really think PHO would go after Tavares?
They already have Mueller, Turris and Hanzal up the middle.
I’d think they would need the big time D-man. no?
I think Tampa goes Defense in the draft, but I think Phoenix is a wildcard…They may just go best player available.
I’m glad to see Figren getting a chance to adjust to the system right now, it gives him a head start for next season.
Isles need Tavares. Streit is our superstar Dman right now. We add a superstar like tavares up front and have healthy DP back in line up. Its not question isles make make a splash in playoffs next year. It is important we sign Danis to split games with DP though. Keeping mcdonald as primary back up and im 100% sure Isles will miss playoffs again.
Make NO mistake while team is playging great. Danis Play has been primary reason for turn around.
If you rememebr we lost alot of close 1 goal games. Danis has kept that extra goal out if not 2 per game.
Good news is If Tampa and the yotes end up with the first pick, one would have to look at the depth charts there and believe that D would be a priority since they have a lot of young forwards, and thus Hedman would go first. If Atlanta manages to get that pick, Tavares goes there since waddell wants him, and because they need someone for Ilya to play with if they want him to stay. If we get the pick I pray to all that is holy that snow pick JT. I can’t deal with another let down like 2000 when we drafted rick.
My free agent 2 cents…If the Isles get Taveras, they should focus on Komiserek and Oduya as free agents. If we get Hedman, maybe the Sedin’s. A line of the twins and Okposo - WOW - if the Sedins are too much, maybe Franzen or Tanguay. Cammilieri and Gionta are too small, and the Isles need to get bigger.
What’s a longer shot…”The Wrecker” being awarded the Lady Byng or Kate Murray showing up at the Marriot on 3/26?
The top 10 of the latest top prospects list from the International Scouting Services released yesterday: 1. Tavares, 2. Hedman, 3. Paajarvi, 4. Duchene, 5. Schenn, 6. Kane, 7. Cowen, 8. Kadri, 9. Kulikov, 10. Josefson.
For comparative purposes, here is the last ISS list before the 2008 draft: 1. Stamkos, 2. Bogosian, 3. Filatov, 4. Doughty, 5. Pietrangelo, 6. Schenn, 7. Boedker, 8. Wilson, 9. Hodgson, 10. Bailey. In other words the same kids as the drafted top 10 in a slightly different order. Petrov was #17.
Petrov is a huge wild card. Would love to see what he’s got. Who knows if he’ll ever get here tho.
Botta….would Wang or Murray approve the Coliseum parking lot to remain as it with beautification (which it desperately needs…..look at the hondal Center while ours looks like the Staples Center)?
Wang has his beef…..residents have theirs….does the SEC violator have to have the entire project to make billions?
Mitchell Field….EAB….Marriott…..all his to develop and make gazillions, but he won’t budge unless he’s got it all?
I don’t know how you and others can support someone who would rather remove my heart from my chest than compromise.
Murray approved the redo of the NVMC a long time ago yet nothing will be done unless he gets the entire thing. Underground parking, traffic….everything or no team is his stance. Very easy to get behind.
And FWIW, did not Murray expedite the lengthy process controlled by State Law and Chuck come back with an “agree or else” out clause?
Who’s the villain again?
I think Piker needs to know– Kate Murray understands the passion of Islanders fans. But it seems from her attitude, combined with the lack luster interest from non-islander fans, I really don’t think she cares, nor does she have too. Islander fans alone won’t knock her out of office.
A Soccer Mom is making Choo-choo Charlie look like a fool. It’s hilarious to watch.
Go Queens!
Tom, I have a feeling that you will not believe it but this project is not supported simply by Islanders fans. This project is a lot bigger than that and it is far more widely supported.
BTW Tom, I dont see where you get “soccer mom” from. Just because she is female? I dont even know if she is married or has a family but even if she does it still seems like a very odd thing to say.
Kate Murray will not show up at the meeting. She hasn’t got the balls to come and actually listen to people. She hides behind the cover of allowing the arena to be redone while the project is deliberated (ie shelved). We have to find someone to run against her and make her behavior an issue. I’d do it but I don’t live in the town. As for Figren, I look forward to seeing him in Bridgeport next season.
I’d love to go to this meeting. My biggest obstacle is I have a job in Manhattan. No way to get to the Coli. Once the LH is built I’m SURE I’ll be able to make a 7pm face-off because of the mass transit “hub” Suozzi keeps talking about. Oh wait, the LH isn’t a “Hub” it’s a strip mall. Nevermind.
even if tampa and phoenix land in the #1 spot and want defense, they will draft tavares or threaten to and hold us ransom. tavares is the man this year, coveted by many. so if the isles got the #2 pick and pho or tb got #1 what would you give up to swap picks with them?? you may want to start thinking of this, cause theres no way those teams will give us tavares for nothing….
Tom (34): If youre in Manhattan like so many of us, then you can take the train to Mineola and spring for a cab to get over there. Thats what I will be doing. That is what lots of people will be doing. Thats the kind of thing people do when something matters and it isnt just words, when its something that you really believe and not just something you say. Know what I mean? Hope to see you there!
#36 IF the LH mattered to me, you bet I’d be there! If the LH had ANYTHING to do with putting a better Islander team on the ice I’d be there as well! Don’t believe the hype, it truly is a sequal!
And what’s this with LOTS of people will be taking cabs from Mineola to the Coliseum? Really? LOTS?? How many? Hundreds? Thousands? Come on. Choo-choo Charlie’s attoneys will make-up 50 people. Employees of the Islanders org will make-up another 25-50. The media?? That’ll be 1 more person. Maybe another 100 fans? You’ll get 200 people, who knows? Maybe more. It’ll be 100% Islander organeyezation & fans. Again preaching to the choir. Besides, any meeting without Kate Murray is a meeting not worth having. That’s been proven already.
But have fun! I’m sure they’ll be surprise guests! It’s an off day, you may get an autograph or two! Maybe Rick DiPietro will stop by? Heh? That be nice, he’s SO cute!
I think it’s great you follow the Isles org around & go to these events. But until Charlie can prove to non-Islander fans the LH is more than a Strip Mall, Kate Murray will call the shots.
Bomber(35), You shouldn’t give up anything significant to move up from #2 to #1. Hedman is a rare talent. If he was Canadian or played more physically, he’d probably be the consensus #1 overall pick. If the Isles are lucky enough to get one of the top two picks, rejoice. Trading anything substantial to move from #2 to #1 would set back the rebuild, and I doubt you can move up by packaging a 3rd rounder and Jon Sim.
Tom…. Your strip mall comment, while cute, has no basis in reality and I think you know it. Only you know why your so angry at Wang. Will the LH project lead to a better on-ice product? Who knows…it certainly won’t hurt, but if you want the Islanders to be on LI, and I realize you may not care, it is the only way… And, apart from that, I believe that LI needs the economic boost and entertainment destination the LH really could be. As for your motivations, don’t know and don’t care! Just don’t make believe it’s about facts.