ON THE ROAD TO RESPECTABILITY…
…These home playoff losses must end
With the Sound Tigers trailing 2-0 in the third period last night, the entertainment crew presented a trivia question during a broadcast timeout. Perhaps it was sponsored by the DVD Special Edition of Reality Bites. The question: when was the last time the Sound Tigers won a playoff game on home ice? The answer: 2004.
Bridgeport has lost all three home playoff games in its opening round AHL playoff series with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, the first two of course at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum. When they lost to the Penguins in a playoff series in 2006, the Sound Tigers dropped all three at the Arena at Harbor Yard, won Games 1, 2 and 5 in Pennyslyvania before ending the trend by losing Game 7 on the road.
The disturbing, recurring theme, as Islanders fans are all too aware, is a family thing. The New York Islanders have not won a home playoff game since 2002. They won all three home games in that memorable seven-game series with the Maple Leafs, but lost all four in Toronto.
The following Spring, they lost Games 3 and 4 at the Coliseum in a five-game series against Ottawa. In 2004, they were shut out by Tampa Bay in both home games in New York. In 2007, Buffalo won Games 3 and 4 and the Coliseum.
As the Islanders carry on with their goal of becoming a consistent contender and eventual Stanley Cup champion, winning their first playoff series since 1993 would be a logical first step. Home-ice advantage may not be what it used to be around pro sports, but winning a playoff game in front of their fans would also be a good baby step.
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35 Responses to ON THE ROAD TO RESPECTABILITY…
…These home playoff losses must end
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The Coli has been a bit of a drag on the home team, especially when we got jobbed against the Sabres. I expect that to change soon. (I Hope.)
AHH, the Maple Leaf Series, great memories. I don’t think I ever heard a louder arena then those home games. The Coli was shaking. Webb’s hit on Tucker right before the buzzer, WOW. Hey CB, maybe you could right a post about that series, the players feelings towards the Tucker hit. Webb getting the “A” and leading the team on the ice. Those were some great memories.
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Nunzio says:
Where’s Kyle Okposo been in this Playoff Series? Haven’t heard a peep about him, especially lately!
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Macch says:
Nunzio – hes in Switzerland for Worlds playing for team USA
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I’ve only been to one playoff game in my entire life and it was against Tampa Bay….I have yet to experience a playoff game goal, this article just brings back bad memories….they need to win some home playoff games
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Mark P says:
I was at NVMC Friday, I felt bad for the Bridgeport fan who had to travel; and I agree, a 25% full Arena does not help the home team…..I was glad I got to take the family to see playoff action, but it was not fair.
If you are looking at it from the Soundtiger Fan perspective…..was it even fair the way the lineup was manipulated as much as it was with NHL players and Junior signings. Minor League Hockey is a strange bird. -
MickeyBoy7 says:
There was a time in our history when we were losers…then suddenly we were a dynasty. This can happen again…BUT ownership must have a serious plan and STICK with it…previous plans ie: Don Maloney, Mike Milbury may have been serious to ownership…they were sadly hilarious to me. I hope the Garth Snow decision doesn’t fall into that category.
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Will Teese says:
Great post CB, couldn’t agree with you more. I think the fact that when we make the playoffs in the upcoming years (whether two or three years from now) the roster will have plenty of home-grown talent who love the franchise, this trend will stop. In 06 against the sabres, i just felt that the team was a bunch of aging vets who were on one-year deals, trying to revive their careers, but with no ties to the organization, so it didn’t matter all that much too them being at the coli.
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Dan says:
Nothing worse than losing at home in the playoffs. Especially if it ends the series..
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AK says:
NVMC has turnd into “Fort always lose”. Kind of corny but true though. They do not have much of a home ice advantage whenever they play the Rangers at home but now it has expanded to games against Montreal and Philadelphia. Things need to change.
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Matt says:
speaking of playoff games at the coliseum.
7 years ago playoff hockey returned to the coliseum for the first time since 1993. islanders 6 maple leafs 1
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Dan from Westchester says:
Great pic. . bad memories! Never forget the Buffalo paper claim that Witt “bowled over” Ryan Miller on what should have been the tying goal there. .
Hard to believe it’s been 7 years going on 8 since a playoff win at NVMC.
Those Leafs games were sick – but it’s time to make some new classic memories. Hopefully we are on the right path. .
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Brother Rat says:
Ugh, no matter what the organization does, it seems that our prospects take longer to develop than those on other teams. That just has to end. We need our kids to develop, pronto. Having games at Bridgeport or the Coliseum, wherever…sending down our NHL-ready guys for more experience and seasoning….there’s no progress or help for their development if the team gets bounced in the first round.
It’s also not fair for Bridgeport fans to have their team taken away for two playoff games. Isles fans have little invested in the Sound Tigers, the Bridgeport fans got shafted, and the players were out of water and that no doubt contributed to their play.
I’ve been to a bunch of recent Isles playoff games (most recently from the Sabres series), and our fans can be great. We all know that. But, should something turn, fans are always quick to throw up their hands and complain and see the the apocalypse. Personally, I think that’s a side effect from sharing a fan base with Mets & Jets fans (no offense! it’s what they/we do!).
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one thing I have noticed about teams is the way they develop players through the AHL. most teams ahl rosters have actual prospects playing while bridgeport seems to have older players who have no nhl future with a few prospects. hopefully next year is different and the core group in bridgeport who will be eventually brought up will be developed.
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JKP in Halifax says:
Those last three POs had less to do with the Isles not being able to win at home and more to do with the Isles eeking into the POs with teams that didn’t really have the talent to compete against much higher seeded (ie, good) teams.
PO losses at home are a symptom, not the root cause of the lack of post season success. The root cause, talent (and heart), is hopefully going to be repaired with this rebuild.
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Paul in Canada says:
Come to think of it, when was the last time that the NY Islanders HAD home ice “advantage” in a playoff series? Not in this decade…not in 1994 or 1993…hmm…getting foggy now…
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bp says:
Is anyone hearing the famous quote from Slap Shot, “It’s the H-A-I-R in the building!”
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geduffer says:
Rich (#1) – You’re not. My wife didn’t like it either. Whoever booked the building when they shouldn’t have should be replaced.
Nunzio (#3) – KO left for Switzerland after game 2.
Matt (#18) – LOL, most of the people that I know are realistic to know that they have zero chance against Boston if they do finish off Washington. If they irritate you that much, find yourself a Bruins t-shirt.
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pablo says:
I guess the apple does not fall to far from the tree!
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rb says:
Luongo just backstopped Canucks to 4-game sweep of Blues…if not for all the disastrous draft day deals of idiot Milbury, this franchise would’ve won a playoff series – or two – since 1993…I hope ownership and the present GM keep this in mind
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beatlebailey says:
and milbury does not go away. we are reminded of his incompetence when tuning in to the nbc games. What a disaster he was. What was the rationale to trade luongo again? yes i am a masochist. lol
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Right, and exactly what did Luongo do in the playoffs for Florida for those five years down south?… oh yeah, he never got them there. VAN is a lot more than Luongo and the Blues are just learning.
I’m tired of the past. Can we please go back to looking at the future? Constant ripping on MM and some of the players we used to have is pointless. We’ve got some good players and an exciting draft coming up.
Look forwards, not backwards.
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if you dont learn from past mistakes you are doomed to repeat them. Garth should be forced to review every past islander trade of the last 10 years in painstaking detail.
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“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” – Santayana
“A generation which ignores history has no past — and no future.” – Heinlein
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Not really many true prospects with upside in Bridgeport.
Joensuu maybe Trever Smith? Kohn and Mcdonald marginal at best?
Sim is a bad Avery and now has offically become a journeymen. Iggulden looks to have the same fate (journeymen), at a lower level.
Hopefully with the Sarnia kids and maybe Rhanshaki we can have true prospects to root for next year. -
Greg says:
dont forget DIbo down there, and any other pick we make this year will likely go down there minus the number one. Like someone mentioned already we just need our picks to be stockpiled in bridgeport and let go of an older gen.
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I think Joensuu is going to be a solid second line LW.
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doc says:
It was unfortunate that Bridgeport did not get to play at “home” but it wasn’t because the Islanders wanted them at the coliseum… it was because the Bridgeport arena had been previously booked and was not available, as unbelievable as that sounds.
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Spartiarti - RVC says:
our best prospects are already on the isles. The next wave of talent was drafted in 2008 and is stilla bout 2 yrs away from playing in NHL. Those players will be playing in AHL next year. Guys like Katic, DiBo, etc.
I think the guy that need some more refining that is most promising currently at Bridgeport is Joenssu. Figren we will see how he adjusts.
We have to make decesion on Colliton now that his back from injury, He is a great Faceoff guys, alot more talented that Nate Thomspon, and is just as good at Penalty Kill at Hilbert.
If you ask me I think its time to part with Hilbert and give his Ice time to a UFA goal scorer.
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T-A-V-A-R-E-S
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Okposo, Bailey, Nielsen, Bergenheim, Grevais, Comeau and even Tambellini as good as young core as you can want.
Draft Tavares, Get another good puck moving big dman, Healthy DP, and we got a good team.
dont forget Sutton, Hunter back in lineup is huge upgrade to what we were dealing with. Hunter should get Jackmans Skating coach and drop 15 lbs. Seems like all those visit to Vincents Clam Bar are catching up with Trent.
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Maydog says:
The best part of the Maple Leafs Series was the constant, long “CuJo” chants.
Unfortunately, those chants will never happen again b/c the “you suck” crowd. Thanks for ruining things guys…
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Yeah thanks for the bad memories with that picture. Remind my to punch Colin “Intended Whistle” Campbell next time I see him.
What’s next, the picture of Snow letting in a goal in 2OTs from 2003 that essentially got Lavy fired and set the franchise back another 5 years?
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JKP on LI says:
To be fair, the Isles were pretty much overmatched against Ottawa, Tampa, and Buffalo. You could argue that we were lucky to have won any games in those series.
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JB says:
I know the seeding might have said something different, but for anyone who watched the buffalo series, we were nowhere NEAR “overmatched.” We were very much in every single game and actually should have one more than the one game.
That’s true for the Islanders but the Tigers haven’t actually had a home game in these playoffs. They played in their building all season and were forced to move to the Coliseum which took away their home ice advantage. They played at a neutral site. I feel like I’m the only one who has a problem with this.