ISLANDERS 4, CAROLINA 3 (SO)
Interactive Post-game Plus/Minus
“Islanders Notch First Win in Shootout” – my game story for FanHouse
9:45 pm - Interactive post-game plus/minus after the Islanders’ first victory of the year, a 3-1 win 4-3 shootout victory tonight over Carolina.
Minus: Thinking throughout the third period that I was happy I chose to do another Plus/Minus because this was going to be the first deliriously happy one. Anyway…
Plus: Who said he’s Stubborn Scott? Gordon picks John Tavares for the third spot in the shootout.
Plus: Matt Moulson. It can’t be as simple as just going to the net every chance you’ve got, can it? A few more goals and he’ll no longer be a secret to opponents. No reason to think he won’t continue to rise to the challenge.
Plus: Andy Sutton. Playing the body and, in the words of Moulson, skating and moving the puck “like Paul Coffey.” And that was before Sutton scored to make it 3-1.
Minus: Sutton needed to dial it down a notch in the third period.
Plus: Nate Thompson hit, forechecked, blocked shots and Tim Jackman’s goal to make it 2-1 was almost all his.
Plus: Here’s to rolling four lines, resisting the urge to call up not-ready enforcer prospects from Bridgeport.
Minus: Radek Martinek is too talented a defenseman to let Rod Brind’Amour dance around him, as others have done this season. Over to you, Coach Chynoweth.
Even: Yeah, John Tavares has missed some nets. What’s important is that he’s been in position so many times to score. He’ll have his first multi-goal game sometime in the next five.
Even: Brendan Witt is the same player and person he was when the Islanders gave him a three-year contraction extension in the summer of 2008. Call it poor vision or just bad luck, but a few weeks later Scott Gordon and his go-go style were brought to Long Island. It has not been a good fit. Also painful to see him repeatedly punched in the face tonight by Scott Walker, his teammate for a brief time in 2006 with Nashville.
Gordon and Witt like and respect each other, no issues there. Since he has this year and next left on his contract, Brendan is likely not going anywhere anytime soon. The coaching staff will have to consider benching the pro’s pro at times. Other than that, it is what it is. Brendan Witt has been a good player in this league for a long time, and he has represented the Islanders well. A daily dissection of his plus/minus is unnecessary.
Big Pluses All Around: The audible gasp from the fans when they realized it was No. 91 in pain after the late shove from Andrew Alberts was memorable. The reaction from Sutton was appropriate. The Islanders’ passionate kill of Sutton’s penalty was the sign of a team that gets it.
Minus: Carolina’s comeback to tie the game at 3-3 was so startling – yeah, I know it shouldn’t have been – I’d be lying if I said I could analyze it. Can anyone? Didn’t look like “the system” or tired legs. Just looked from the press box like a pair of piss poor plays.
Plus: 3-3 on the shootout.
Writing a news story for FanHouse tonight on the game. Will link as soon as it’s up.
Comments on tonight’s game.
127 Responses to ISLANDERS 4, CAROLINA 3 (SO)
Interactive Post-game Plus/Minus
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Steve says:
1-3-3 sounds a lot better than 0-3-4! Well, sort of, I guess they both sound pretty bad, but whatever!
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Bill says:
Wow. What a finish!!
Skill wins the game & the team stood up for JT.
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TuxTax says:
Well that was an adventure, but they won…like Jackman said in between periods, “…We’ll take it”
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Ali says:
Minus- Tavares and Okposo showed nothing with their new linemates. Put them back together, please.
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The Real JD says:
Plus-Tamby, Frans, JT scored so pretty goals in the shootout.
Minus -Rolo is scary in net on the SO.Can Tamby get some PP time with JT that wrister of Tamby’s is wicked!
Plus-Thank god we finally won.
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Paul in the 'Cuse says:
tomorrow night we go for our first back to back W’s!1 Go Isles
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Benjamin K says:
tamby, frans, and JT…reeeeeediculous moves in the shootout
especially tamby, boy does he have a laser one on one…if only we could see more of that during games
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matt says:
man its never just easy but ill take it at this point lets get another one tommarow
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Justin says:
The funny thing is if the Isles hold the big lead in Boston, they are 2-3-2 right now and everyone is saying, “The Isles aren’t that bad.” Love to see Nielsen back, he provides playmaking this team sorely lacks.
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You are right CB, there were alot of pluses tonight, and one you pointed out was right on the money. Gordon FINALLY rolled 4 lines tonight, not to mention he kept the 4th liners on the 4th line where they fit in and can excel. I still hope Gordon puts Okposo back on the first line. I feel he belongs there because it works. If you want more offense tinker with the 2nd and 3rd lines since the secondary scoring has been lacking. And we made have found ourselves a solid 4th line as well. Anyway, it was alot of fun to watch tonight and I was happy to see Gordon put the proven skill players/shootout specialists in the shootout.
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I’m going to enjoy this win tonight so I’m not going to mention any negatives.
Go Islanders!!!! -
Starscream says:
Finally. JT and KO looked good again. Imagine when they mature and can carry this team? WOW.
Sutton was the foundation we needed tonight, and has looked good last two games.
Keep KO and JT apart, it helps round out the top two lines. -
joe fred says:
Plus – Toronto is now the only team without a win!!BwHaaa!! No pressure on them right now! Minus only 9,122 to witness the Isles first win, very weak and sends a poor message to Wang on showimg support for the team!
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Oren says:
Had a strange feeling all game that Tavares had to score the game winner for him to take the “next step” in his progression and he did. Didn’t expect it to be in the shootout. Also get the feeling we are in for a lot more hard growing pains. The slow ascention begins next year. I think Moulson is the luckiest thing to happen to the Isles for a while.
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Lauren says:
a win is a win however it is NOT okay that we break down and continue to let teams come back.. good job fighting back but they should of never had to fight back.
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AM says:
I don’t know why but is there a reason that the team automatically goes into dump + chase mode? Its been proven that you can’t sit back with a lead like that and try to run out the whole period. You don’t see the best teams like Pitt/Wash playing like that with a lead.
On another note, the way Tavares went into the boards looked identical to the way Turgeon went into the boards so there was soem bad deja vu. He obv didn’t get badly hurt thank god.
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KO21 says:
Plus: Tamby has the best wrist shot in the league
Minus: Tamby has the best wrist shot in the league
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IslesinOside says:
I’m glad they won but nothing to be excited about here. They blew another 3rd period lead in the last 5 minutes of the game.
Gordon gets 0 credit from me and he should be thanking to high heaven that 3 of the guys on the team that everyone (including him) says has no talent, bailed him out of another complete embarassment……and beautifully I might add! -
Chris Mc says:
Plus- Blake Comeau. Period. Besides the penalty he took which lead to a goal (which was weak bc that check he threw def wasnt as late as the check on Tavares later in the game) Comeau was one of the Top 3 forwards on the ice tonight. He threw the body, not just for 1 or 2 periods, but until his last shift in overtime and he looked good in the offensive zone and on the PK
Minus- Josh Bailey. Im a fan of his. Im not calling him a bust. I know he needs time to develop. But was Bailey even on the ice tonight? He needs to make himself more visible.
Plus- Andy Sutton actually looking alive the past few games after a few bad ones to start the season, including coming to Tavares’s aid.
Minus- Radek Martinek. I thought he was one of our more steady defenseman? What happened to him.
Other pluses- Hillen, 4th Line, Rollie finally saving a penalty shot
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Dan says:
Tamby has such a good shot. If only the rest of his game comes he would be such a great sniper. This win was needed. Feels so good.
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beatlebailey says:
Plus: Sutton finally realizing he is BIG and slamming an opponent to the ice. Finally!
Minus: 3rd periods…I will leave after 2 periods until proven otherwise. I cant take this 3rd period collapse nonesense anymore
Minus: Popcorn in the box – not as much for the $$
Plus: No mouse in my row
Minus: No people either -
coral springs isle fan says:
Franz Nielson sure looks like a special player in the making. He cn skate and he has great two way skills. We may all be talking about him a lot more over the next week, once he gets his timing and legs in sync. It is fun to watch him play.
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corey says: Sutton with the gordie howe hatrick! i really liked how he stepped up a few times and took the body, played offensively, and fought for Tavares when he was hurt. AND we got a win. great shootout and played well most of the game
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- I called a SO before the third period started.
+ A win
- A SO win when we had a 2 goal lead in the third. Okay… maybe it’s not gordon. I saw a guy shooting tranquilizer darts from section 112… he was cleverly disguised as an empty seat.
+ Andy Sutton was all over the ice. For all the ragging on Sutton, when he’s played he hasn’t been half bad under Goo Goo.
- Andy Sutton was all over the ice. It would be nice if these guys knew that causing three on two’s with Jackman back to cover for you is not worth poking the puck deep so Richard Park can give it away eight seconds later.
- NO TIME OUT after the second goal.
+ Nielsen skated well in his first game back. Looking forward to Hunter’s return. Who sits when he comes back? Comeau, Weight, Thompson(God Forbid) or Tambellini?
+ Gordon finally rolled four.
- Nate Thompson. If we can’t improve the top six can we at least use a guy like Schremp to improve the bottom three.
+ Moulson… more and more it seems like he can add some CONSISTENT scoring to this team.
- Witt. I sadly agree that it might be time for a “mysterious” upper body injury sustained in practice. This is just not a good fit. Time to get on the horn with Boston and threaten that when Kessel comes back Toronto will pass us unless we get a mobile 220 lb defenseman.
+ No Richard Park in the shootout.
+ Rolly made a SO save. Wahoo!!!
- 9200(?) see the first win at home. That’s only going to get worse for weeknights against non division opponents. -
stephen says:
plus: Gotta love rolling 4 lines. A big difference in the team’s energy level. That fourth line was flying.
plus(a little one): tambellini. Going to the net and coming back hard on the backcheck. Gotta ove the effort and the shootout capability.
plus: Frans Neilson is an NHL player. That makes a big difference in a lineup that’s missing so much.
minus: breaking up our two best fowards will not work. The top two lines didn’t generate enough chances. Tavares and Weight don’t compliment each other.
minus: the first three lines. -
MT says:
Didn’t Jokinen and Staal scored those two goals against Jersey in game 7 before the end of the 3rd? Yeah, not surprised that happened, but good on us for the win. 3 shootout goals! Amazing!
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StevieL says:
Plus Gordon lucked out! He was a shootout loss away from some serious questioning about his choice of players down the stretch.
Plus Sutton was awesome. Protecting JT was nice to see!
Plus JT and Golden seem to be in the offensive zone every shift. JT is going to be a huge star here!The moves this kid is trying already are sick.Wait till gains his confidence.
Plus 4 lines, Tamby was solid
Plus JT on faceoffs. I didn’t hear stats but he more than held his own against the Canes
Plus Park very solid tonight
minus small crowd, What do you expect?
minus Bailey went off in the second for equipment repair. Did anyone notice him gone?
minus this point is killing us in the Taylor Hall sweepstakes!:)
minus JT laid out. 2nd time in a couple of weeks!!Needs protection!
Big Plus Good win! Fun shootout -
Willis says:
John Tavares having his first multi-goal game sometime in the next five will be a big plus!
Thumbs up to the boys for getting (keeping) the WIN! -
Staten Islander says:
Plus, Sutton almost getting a Gordie Howe hat trick
Minus, almost blowing another one -
Daniel says:
Every time Tavares gets the puck I (and I am sure all of you) get overly excited. In a few months and as he continues to progress as a player we will definitely see him finish on some of those great chances he gets. Just as you said though Chris, he is putting himself in a position to put the puck in the net. I definitely liked the way Sutton played tonight hopefully this continues.
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okpososcores21 says:
Great to get a win but I still see some glareng issues. For one can the guys can’t make a pass out of our own zone without turning it over everytime. second period the isles were making good deffenisive plays but when they finally got the puck it would be dumped out or a horrible pass up to a foward which resulted in carolina gaining possesion of the puck. On a positive side the 4th line looked good glad to see they were rewarded with a goal. Sutton had a good game besides the turnover that led to carolinas 3rd goal. Im still not impressed, Carolinas been strugling we took advantage early but we always seem getting caught alot in our own zone i had a feeling it was a matter of time b4 carolina cashed in by the play of the NYIs and i was right. Hopefully the team can get a boost and show me more progress tommorow vs the habs. O and dougie looked slow and not to good out there maybe bcuz he wasnt feeling well who knows. Frans looked good for his first game back had a couple nice passes in the offensive zone, looking foward to seeing more of him and comeau stood out to me as well. O another thing the isles get the breaks and they still cant win they complain alot about o we didnt get this break u got the breaks this time get a W in regulation already
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teddyfusi says:
how did tavares get 2nd star on nhl.com lol
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he got second star for the game teddy, thats how.
if the isles win tomorrow night theyre 1 point out of a playoff spot.
im obviously joking, dont jump all over me for that one.
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season tix holder says:
we are only two games below .500!
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Spartiarti-RVC says:
I said i was going to go to the game tonight b/c i felt our first win.
Sutton played amazing. Love the choices in shootout. thats more like it.
I thought isles effort was great. They need to learn to just kill time up 3-1 in the offensive zone. slow it down. other team cant tie it if its in their own zone
it think if biron was in net it would have been 3-1 win.
way to go isles
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Adam says:
Not to be a negative nelly, but some thoughts after the game:
1. Listen, I am not complaining about Moulson, the guy has been converting scrappy goals. However, I think he needs to be separated from tavares. He does nothing for that line when he has the puck. He is not a good passer and doesn’t get open for passes, that is why tavares is constantly looking up to find 2 guys on him, and no one to pass to. I am just concerned for when the scrappy goals don’t come as often.
2. I frankly blame Tavares for the hit he took. After getting rid of the puck he coasted, the guy gave him a shove and caught him off balance. He needs to learn to be strong on his feet and turn away from a push like that.
3. I know player’s claim it is not the system. I am sorry, but why do we always seem to be chasing the other team in our zone? Why are we never able to pass the puck out of our zone? Why do we never have odd man rushes, when the other team has them all the time? We always seem to have less guys on the ice and are constantly chasing the puck.
I am happy as anyone for the win, but in no way was this a good game. Things need to be changed or we will have another six game losing streak on our hands. -
Just another quick thought. Tavares is not only a sniper, he is the best playmaker we have had in a while. He has created a multitude of chances for others. Why not give tamby one last chance to use that shot of his? Put him with Tavares and Tavares will find him in the slot.
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JimmyMac77 says:
Good to get a win tonight.
It’s nice to have Nielson back.
He adds alot to this team… this also drops Bailey down to a checking line.
Which isn’t a bad thing for him. Every team needs a shut down centreman.
He can learn the position. A Sutter like player.
Sutton looked good…We can enjoy this win tonight… see you all tommorrow in Montreal.
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James says:
My thoughts on tonight
I feel the experiment of moving Okposo down to the 2nd line worked well. I look at Okposo, Neilsen and Bergy and see a line that really could be a good 2nd line.
1st line did fine tonight, Weight and Moulson are fine compliments to JT
3rd line was absolutely invisible, especially Bailey; if I am not mistaken we passed up Parise to get this kid; he needs to show us why cuz Parise is a star. Imagine adding Parise to this lineup.
We found our 4th line, CB please please tell Gordon to keep the 4th line as is lol.
Witt really looks lost out there, Streit and Martinek had unusually rough nights, but I really feel they will be fine. Sutton was AWESOME tonight and Meyer was pretty solid. Many times with defensemen, it is a good thing if you don’t hear much about them in the game lol
Overall I see flashes of how this team can be very good, they have to figure out how to hold a lead in the 3rd
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Merrick says:
Plus: A win
Minus: Had to go to a SO.Plus: Frans back and rolling four lines.
Minus: Roli having to freeze the puck 4000 times because most of his D-corp is capable of carrying the puck out of the zone. Never mind a lack of depth with scoring punch, this team will be saddled with a subpar blue line all season long.Plus: Sutton standing up for Tavares regardless of the penalty. That had to be done.
Minus: Radek. Again, time and injuries have taken their toll on his play–he is slower with less mobility. He used to be able to beat others with speed to pucks in the corner, turn on a dime, and start up ice. That is now a distant memory.
Game Ops Plus: Game notes to season ticket holders
Geme Ops Minus: Pregame skate music and we’re down to four people lighting the arena with their cell phones.
Plus: Getting to see Ovechkin on Saturday
Minus: Playing against Ovechkin on Saturday -
+/- love bergy, but the first period weak clear into our slot requiring a save, and clear the puck in the third when your man down. i hope its just a young player trying to be too fine, do too much, and not a lack of hockey I.Q.
+/+ sutton. the points are always nice. at 6’4′ 240. hammer people. a few nice step ups to make contact. keep it up.
– the final 8 minutes. we still look as if waiting for bad things to happen. we get a little too passive, kinda like playing not to make a mistake. success breeds confidence. heres to more success. if we feel good about the win, imagine being a player or coach.
+ the young guys you expect to play well, are playing well. Mr Moulson was real solid in both ends, and thats the kinda unexpected bonus rebuiding teams need to “speed” the process.
+/- credit to the GM/Coach for bringing Moulson to play for us. its early, but hes played very well every game, in both zones. minus to us on the site. if you kill the gm’s failures, credit his success.
+ KO. for all the times from tonite foward, that you make me lean foward on my sofa as you lower your shoulder and drive to the goal with the puck on a string. THATS HOCKEY! -
First off (42)Parise was the Robert Nilsson draft, def not last years draft when we took Bailey.
And second the third line wasnt invisible, they were on the ice for 2 of the 3 goals. Just Bailey was invisible.
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Madchef says:
can we all remember Bailey is a kid still. He is a bit overwhelmed right now but I am not sure their is a better soltution and dont mind the on the job training.
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jimc says:
Plus – a win
minus – 3rd period.
minus – I can’t have the bottle caps when I buy water at the game.
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Ajax says:
i love that we won a game, but as i mentioned 6 weeks back … the kids are going to get run at. We have no fear to strike into any club for this.
We will see serious injuries by next week on either Kyle, Josh or JT.
Call me Kreskin. -
Ok good to know Chris, must have missed that lol; my bad
Imagine if we could get development from bailey too
I really feel we have 5 solid forwards; JT, Moulson, Okposo, Neilsen, Bergy. I also feel we found a very good 4th line, get bailey developed too and we are better off; these kids are young
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Vlad from Brooklyn says:
Plus – Islanders
Minus – Refs(as usual)
Plus – They played like a team tonight -
+ The shooters selected showed killer instinct. Something we never see. Makes a big statement with JT scoring to win as opposed to leaving it to Rolo to make a winning save.
- Hated seeing Witt get pounded. Atrocious. Used to be my favorite Islander…tough position now.
+ Moulson and I’ll admit it..Thompson!
- Bailey and Bergenheim…
++ I like the team way more minus Gervais. Sorry…if he gets back in I hope he shows us something.
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dalcy says:
do you really think Walker got the better of Witt in that fight?
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Jim Clark says: Plus: the shootout players all scored.
Minus: Blowing a 2 goal lead with 6 minutes less.
Plus: Sutton putting on the foil to avenge the Tavares hit
Minus: The middle age fan who didn’t know the Islanders beat the Rangers in 1975Take the announced attendance and divide by two for an accurate count.
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not even close..Witt got pounded. He would tell you himself if he could remember it…
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Just looked at Newsday’s “live game thread.” No comments, zero. I feel kind of badly for Ms. Strang! She must know she is second fiddle to CB.
Anyway, nice to get a win finally. I still am not impressed by Rolo. He looks tentative and almost unmotivated in net; is he simply going through the motions to collect his big paycheck?
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doc says:
There’s been an Andy Sutton sighting. He actually threw a body check tonight… and a good one.
WAs that a as slow a skating game as you’ve ever seen or was it just me? Both teams looked like they were skating in mud.
DOC
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Bergenheim: never seen a player work so hard and show no fruit for his labor. Really a brainless player with a lot of heart. Comeau can become the two way player we covet. 15-20 goals from the third line, good skater, agitator….I don’t think he knows where he fits in yet but he’ll find it….hopefully its on the Island.
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Strummer's Army says:
Radek Martinek has always let people dance around him. He’s not talented enough nor physical, no have a winner’s attitude.
Great to see the win. Dramatic with Tavares. Overall team looked good.
They better call up Riechelcz for tomorrow in Montreal, they have Laraque and O’Bryne to start off with and neither can be handled by anyone who played tonight. You can sit Tambs.
Scott Walker has a long history of beating up Witt, check youtube.
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Metalcoconut says:
The Tavares line could use some speed. Sure they have Weight on that line now but that crisp passing really doesn’t mean anything when you are in what seems to be a constant cycling mode. If you are going to dump the puck in the offensive zone with that current line be prepared to have Tavares picking himself off of the ice just about every night because he will get man handled by the top D line on just about every team. I’m not surprised that he got popped tonight I’m just glad that he wasn’t injured.
I’m glad that they split up the lines but we need a player who can skate fast that might be able to hit the broad side of the barn when they are 3 feet in front of it. Right now it looks like the Isles are content with letting Moulson sit in front of the net (which is great) but there needs to be a plan B for when other teams catch on to that trick. Let Tavares be creative.
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Islesin2010 says:
Oren- Funny thing I was about to comment on both Comes and Bergy. To me Bergy has been a bit of a disappointment. Some games I don’t even realize he’s in the lineup (obviously exaggerating, but still). There’s no doubt he works his tail off, but I know he has more skill and better hands than he is showing thus far. Tonight was his shot and he turned the puck over to a guy right in the slot in the first period, and really never got much chemistry with KO and Nielsen tonight.
Comeau is another player we all know has skills, but cant contribute on the scoresheet. He hounds the puck when he’s out there, but his head never comes up to survey his options. Great job taking the body all night by him though, and I feel good that those three of Blake, Bailey and Tambs can get something going, if not scoring at least producing some chances.
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2Bit says:
Plus: Bailey +2
Minus: Bailey needs to learn when to skate with the puck & shoot. Sometimes it looks like he thinks the puck is a hot potato.
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Islebethere4u says:
Hey CB, great stuff again tonight. I still don’t feel bad about my harsh comments this past week, but I do feel like someone listened. I still love Brendan Witt. I totally agree that he has represented as well as anyone,but he still looks lost sometimes. Now to the game…
+ Hillen – had a nice game tonight, nice shot/pass to Sutton
+ Moulsen – very pleasant suprise so far
+++++ Sutton – PLAYER of the game, a goal,an assist and defended Tavares. Every Islander should take note!
+ Neilsen – nice first game back
+Comeau – finally
+ Rolosan – Finally stopped a shootout shot (but it wasn’t 5-hole)
+ 4th line – I eat my words tonight.
- Martinek – starting to look ordinary
- Witt – tough to watch
- third period meltdown again!
+ Gordon and staff – Tavares finally on SO squadsorry its so long, but its the 1st win!!!
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jonsson3 says:
plus – Scott Walker pounding Witt
minus – no D at the end again
minus – is it just me or does Bergenheim seem to work his butt off and get no results?
plus – We finally get a goal that goes off the other team’s player (opponents have like 5 this season, and i’m not even gonna mention the one that went in after it hit the back netting)
3 ties(kind of) , 3 losses , now 3 wins
Sit Witt!
1940 forever! GO ISLES!
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JJ says:
Plus — Yay! We finally got our first win! Thank God!
So for win number one, here’s one minus and a whole lot of pluses:
Minus — The third period collapses really need to stop. At the end of the day, regardless of what you think of Gordon, the players on the ice need to close out hockey games. Who’s gonna step up and lead this team?
Plus — Always good to see Tavares put one in the net! Even if it’s a shootout, Tavares is the greatest thing to happen to the Isles in a long time. Love this kid. And when he starts putting away all those chances, he’ll be a regular 40-50 goal scorer.
Plus — Moulson. Perhaps it’s his chemistry with Tavares, but we finally snagged a player. We should tip our hats to Snow.
Plus — Hillen. Kid could skate! Fun to watch him move with the puck.
Plus — Neilson. He had a tough year with injuries last year, but when he played he made an impact. Good to see another young talent.
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mmm22 says:
55 I tried to get on the live game thread and it didn’t work…
This is Sutton’s last year of his contract right? He should be playing his butt off. I still hope they trade him at the deadline, if he keeps playing like this we might actually get something decent in return. Sutton = Jerome James of hockey, Snow better not even think of retaining him.
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db says:
plus — tambellini driving to the net causing a big power play to calm things down with 4 minutes left in the third period
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TM says:
Plus – A “W”
Minus – ANOTHER 3rd period collapse and only 9K attendance
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Restore the Pride-n-Passion NYI Hockey says:
Witt is diffently not the same when he drops the gloves…..
At one time, he was one of the most feared warriors in the league.
Three years later, he is another step slower & now loses scraps to the likes of a marginal pugulist like walker.(outmuscled when it becomes a wrestling exhibition as well)
see kaletta last season
Witt in his prime would heave easily handled either!
I disagree respectfully.
Happy with the win!
Though watching Carolinas play they appear to have taken a giant step Back from last year…Sutton does deserve Respect in terms of what he brought to the ice last night, Maybe, his best game in an Islander uniform,The goal was a bonus.
Pleasant surprise to see, now if only the physical play can continue.Still……to me, very evident when a team plays a determined Physical game,
they dominate in that aspect of the game.We are the reigning softest team in the league(again)…. A glaring hole that in my opinion the rest of the league has figured out.(I wonder why we our Gm chooses not to acknowledge this)
Taveras hit was late & should have been called.
We won the game due to the (skill) competition… not a 60 minute effort.
Montreal tonight with plenty of youth on this rooster will still be looking for a 60 minute game with no lapses.Assuming Gordon agrees.
Lets Go Isles! -
Signit says:
sutton was the nhl’s 3rd star of the night
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CJCB says:
Minus- Our showing on Hockey Fights, another laugher by an Islander!
Plus- Turned game off after boring 1st, before the Witt fight
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Alan from Hartford says:
how about this state from last nights game against the canes fellow isles fans…
Bailey – 12 for 16 on faceoffs
Neilsen – 7 for 8 on faceoffs
Tavares – 10 for 16 on faceoffsStat of the night??? Bailey, Neilsen & Tavares have a 73% faceoff win %.
UNREAL!!!!
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UIF says:
Hillen’s a plus for this game…a bit overmatched against some of the bigger players in his own zone, but calm moving the puck out, and good vision in the neutral/offensive zone.
Breaking up Tavares and Okposo is a minus. Did it spread scoring out as intended? I don’t know…Moulson scores anyway, Jackman was more the result of a fourth line actually playing because Wrecker wasn’t dressed, and Sutton’s goal had no bearing on splitting the two up. As for them individually? Far less noticeable throughout the game than they have been…and with Carolina skating in mud for most of the game, they could have probably done some damage together.
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Mikey Cavs says:
I know, I know, the Islanders won their first game. That doesn’t mean that everything’s rosey. All the praise is going to Andy Sutton on such a great game he played. Yeah, for Andy Sutton! He was previously playing so poorly that tonight he resembled a halfway decent player. As much as he was responsible for winning the game he was equally as responsible for starting the comeback for Carolina. He couldn’t skate with the puck behind the safe haven of the back of the net without assisting Carolina on their 3-2 goal.
Then there’s Gordon again. Why wouldn’t he call a timeout after the 3-3 goal? What is he saving the timeout for??
Good job to all 3 Isles Shootout Artists, they did fantastically! Roloson almost looked worthy there for a second in the shootout.
Where’s Bailey??? -
isles316 says:
Plus: Even if Sutton didn’t look like Paul Coffey with the puck, it still was his best game ever as an Islander, he was physical and did what he needs to do when a player gets run.
Plus: Matt Moulson. If you listened to Kings fans, this wasn’t as big as a surprise as you might think.
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Bill says:
3 pts out of playoff spot!!
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FredJ says:
Just wanted to add a shoutout to the Daily News writer who claims that in the last two minutes of the game, Tavares was being booed by the Islander fans. Were you actually watching the game or was this your observation from third party sources? It was Alberts that was being booed every time he touched the puck in the last few minutes not Tavares. If you go out of your way to make a biting commentary, you should at least get your facts straight.
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hollywood says:
+ a win is a win
- the first and second line were horrible. Did Okposo even get a shot on goal.
The Tavares line looked slow to the puck, this line needs Bergenheim.
+ 4th line was great
+ Tamby was ok until shootout. This kid needs to play with Tavares and needs PP time. He can be such a weapon.
- Marty looks horrible, time to reunite Streit and Gervais
- Witt is done as an Islander, too slow -
Brunomics says:
Minus – Roloson, can the guy actually play a full 60 minutes? Against Pitt, Boston, and now Carolina we have given up third period leads. He needs to clamp it down. This team should be 3-3-1 right now not 1-3-3.
Plus – Sutton, looked a lot better tonight, hopefully this is a sign of things to come.
Minus – Reunite Tavares and Okposo. They seem to open up space for each other and tonight it just didn’t seem like it was happening. Also Doug Weight moves like he has cinderblocks on his feet.
Plus – Frans Nielsen, what can I say? Definitely great to have him back!
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dose says:
that looked like the best game sutton ever played for this team. the man was a force. i wish he was like that all the time.
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Andy Sutton: Scoring Machine says:
If they had lost in the shootout I was prepared to douse myself in gasoline and set myself alight in front of the Coliseum…thankfully it didn’t come to that.
The Fabled 3rd Period collapse didn’t really occur, but (an otherwise splendid) Sutton coughing up the puck, and a combination of Roloson’s inability to recover, and blown defensive coverage allowed 2 goals in just over a minute.
Onward and upwards.
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Joey303 says:
Plus- Was able to leave after the shootout without traffic
Minus – Was able to leave after the shootout without traffic
Were are the fans? Man the place was empty..Yankees were off, no basketball, great weather. A joke -
Brian in VA says:
A Win is good! However, how many times are the Isles going to blow a multi-goal late third period lead??? This Isles team plays 5 on 5 like a PK when the have a lead. Play a freakin trap for crying out loud when you have a 3rd period lead…
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I love Doug Weight and think he is great for this team but I don’t think he is a good fit on the top line. I can somewhat understand Gordon shuffling the deck a bit but I’d keep the top line as it was since it worked. If not, find a better match for JT. And it is time to sit Witt for a game or two. Gordon can’t make it look like certain players can’t be sat because that doesn’t send a good message to the players. And on another note, I think it is time to give Tamby some 1st line PP minutes with JT to see if he can utilize that awesome shot of his during the game. Tamby obviously has alot of skill. Heck, since Gordon wants to throw Okposo off the top line, put Tamby on there for a game and see what he can do. Maybe they can try bring Shremp back into the lineup at center as well and see what Okposo does with him. And since Bailey is struggling mightily, switch him to the wing to see if that’ll help get him out of his funk. This way all of the young skilled guys can stay in the line-up. Just an observation.
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roger ramjet says:
9’122 is a disgrace to the National Hockey League, if the Isles win and nobody’s there does it even matter? The best teams and players feed of the energy and excitement of the crowd, the Islanders need us to provide that spark as it’s an area where their being severely short-changed.
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jimb says:
Plus- Blake Comeau was dominant on the puck in the offensive zone…I wish this poor guy could score a goal.
Negative- I’m glad Okposo is a player that makes people around him better, but why fix something that is not broken. Please return Okposo to the first line. I noticed throughout most of the game that the Tavares line was much less dominant without him and did not have the same type of forechecking puck presence.
Positive-Rolo made a shootout save
Negative-Rolo let in a shootout goal which has now tallied up to 5 goals in 7 attempts…This is totally a mental thing, and I hope he snaps out of it. -
bob l says:
- the new #1 line spent WAY too much time in their own zone
+ JT seems to be a better faceoff guy than advertised
- rolo spending 95% cool and in position, and 5% flopping all over and over-committing (D’s fault too)
+ sutton, period
- gordon, for getting greedy in the 3rd period with his fourth line’s ice time
+ gordon, for giving the line enough ice time in the first place to show they can contribute
- gordon, TIMEOUTS, you get 1 a game, and using them ISN’T against the rules
+ an ugly win is better than an ugly loss
+ KO makes any line competitive because he’s a top 5 forechecker in this league already
- myself, for rooting for jokinen to score JUST to see Tavares with the game on his stick
+ Tavares, for banking it in off the bar to justify me wanting to see him do it
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When I saw that defensive pinch that caught the defenseman in the zone causing a 3-on-2 going the other way with Jackman as one of our two defenders, the first thing I thought was, “Yep, JP in VA is not gonna like that one bit.” Glad to see it made it to your “minus” list
Good thing Jackman pushed that Cane into the net to dislodge it, because they were setting up what looked like a heck of a scoring chance on that play.
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jethro09 says:
Thank God they won (finally) but what the hell is the deal with blowing third-period leads? Every time this team has a third-period lead, they blow it. Every time. Is it the coaching strategy? The players’ execution or lack of talent? I don’t know, but this garbage has to stop. Its absolutely embarassing that an NHL team can not hold any third-period leads it has, even late ones.
They better get this figured out and quick. They would have at least two more wins then they do now if they didn’t routinely throw games away in the third. This trend, which has carried over from last season, is getting old.
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Blizzard says: Game puck goes to Sutton, throwing big hits, scoring, and coming to JT’s defense.
Splitting up JT and KO didnt do anything to win this game.
They collapsed in the third period again and gave up the lead. Maybe Go,Go should think about calling a time out? It is HIS job to eliminate this crap. I dont care how talented anyone thinks he is. I am not sold on him. At least he didnt trot out Park on the shootout.
Thompson was effective, we won with out Sim in the lineup….go figure. Tamby has one hell of a wrister. Give him some more games.
Rolo made a shoot out save. Bergen hiem should be on the third line no higher.
Just my thoughts
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Gutty34 says:
Sort of off topic but not really sice we are talking wins. The Isles were bashed as the only winless team with faint mentions of Toronto. We are laughed at constantly that we dont get it and we are a bush league team blah blah. When will Toronto finally be lumped into this as well. This is the largest market in all of hockey. They have the ability to lure whoever they want and spend to the cap limit with ease. This team is a total mess and has been a joke for exactly the same amount of time as the Isles. We at least can blame the arena, Milbury etc…What is their excuse? Poor management, poor decisions etc…I believe its time that the isles move up the list of worst run franchise and Toronto righfully takes our place. Not to say we arent second on that list but enough already. Imagine if Komisarek or one of their free agent pickups signed here. Boy would things be different with Sutton and him back there
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2277 says:
Gotta question Gordon for the 3rd period let down again. Knowing the history of this team, you CANNOT have your 4th line out there that late in the game! I dont care how good they are playing and that Jackman got a fluke goal.
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Markus says:
Bergenheim. I’ve got a big issue with him in the defensive zone. He stickhandles and loses the puck and sometimes they turn into goals. I DONT GET IT. i watch the game and am livid with this kid. Its a basic rule in hockey DO NOT STICKHANDLE IN YOUR OWN ZONE!! Bergenheim trys to make a good looking play instead of just clearing the stupid puck!! against San Jose, he did t and SJ scored, i couldnt believe Gordon didnt bench him. in fact, the team in general stickhandles too much instead of getting it out of zone
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Rich says:
CB- you hit it on the head with two of your plus/minus notes. 1) Witt’s a warrior and a great stay at home defenseman. It pains me to see him fight recently, because he just doesn’t seem to have it like he used too. I admire him and I’m glad he’s an Islander, he’s the epitomy of heart and character. 2) The PK after Sutton’s penalty may have been the most passionate 2 minutes of play in the Islanders’ season, just my opinion. Their star, in the making, was man-handled, one of them decided to stand up, and the others fell in line and supported. Great PK.
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JayK says:
You know what’s scary about the lousy attendance? Last night was one of those nights where season ticket holders could choose an extra game and get a free pair. I chose last night, and while I couldn’t go, all four of my tickets were spoken for. (Amazing). But the point is that there should have been a bit of an extra bump from that promotion, so you wonder how bad the attendance would have been had that not been in effect.
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However CB, I think Sutton proved you wrong last night. The guy can play and could be a top 4 defenseman somewhere. He’s just a guy that’s been unhealthy and out of the lineup too routinely. He wouldn’t make it through waivers without being picked up by another fringe team.
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double W says:
I was wrong and happy about it! I thought the win would be against Montreal. I would think with the “overspeed” system, a key would have to be rolling four lines due to the energy output.It worked for one night
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Irish Isle says:
Stupid Question that has been bothering me for a while:
Why are SOG’s not ketp as an official stat? To say they dont have an effect on the game is ludricous. The only reason I can think of is that Owners are affraid that Agents would use that to raise a player’s sary.
Any thoughts CB?
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Jim Clark says:
As CB noted in one of his tweets, an announced attendance of 9,112 translates to fewer than 6,000 in the building. Which is nice for moving around the concourse at intermission, waiting at concession stands and rest rooms. Bad for the future of the NHL on Long Island.
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streit02 says:
I don’t believe that the reason the isles have given up 3rd period leads is due to a complete breakdown of the system. Like botta said, tonight it was more a result of a couple “piss poor” plays. I believe that’s been the case in the ottawa and bruins game as well. The isles endured a lot of pressure late in 3rd periods but that’s where you need your goaltender to step up and make that one big save and neither rolpson or biron have done that yet. Instead they have allowed some soft ones. The jokinen goal last night has to be stopped.a couple of saves and all this talk about the system failing would have never been brought up. Anyway, kudos 4 the guys playing like a real team tonight. Kudos to Andy Sutton for an all around great game. Kudos to Blake comeau 4 having a good game. Kudos to billy jaffe 4 recognizing the balance all 4 lines had. Each of the top 3 lines had a shooter a passer and physical presence. My opinion: tambellini should watch video of Matt moulson to see where he needs to go to get into scoring areas to get his shot off
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a REAL hockey fan says:
— The 3rd period saga continues – whats the deal? SRSLY? its been over a decade and several different coaches and we still are *coughing* in the 3rd periods — tough to watch!
++ Witt answered the bell and he didnt get “pounded” like some are saying! I just watched the replay and it was actually a good scrap!He actually landed some punches + he took a late punch and fell – who cares, the guy is answering the bell and thats good for the team! Thats more important than just turning the cheek and hiding or not showing up! – KEEP IT UP WITT!!!…
– We still need some more scoring!!! (as do most teams)
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Tom says:
Great game last night. Solid effort.
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Crackhead Theo says:
The attendance thing makes me cringe. Look, when this team is good, fans pack the house. The attendance during the early 2000′s and early 90′s was great. So when the team is good the fans flock the Coliseum. When the team is dismal (see last 2 seasons and this season), fans stay away. Its a bit fairweather but what can you expect after all our fans have been through.
It could be wrose, you could be the Devils with a brand new beautiful arena, a great team, and still draw poor figures. At least when we are a good team people come watch in our old dumpy arena! -
Cary says:
Plus – CB’s comments on Witt.
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IsleofNJ says:
Ice last night was horrible with all the bouncing of the puck. Guys on both teams were losing control of it all night. Amazing that any offense happened.
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i’m surprised that people are surprised by lousy attendance. it’s clear there’s no big effort to put a winning team out there right now and when you add that to years of non-competetiveness and the current state of flux and uncertainty, what’s to be surprised about? i’d bet ownership is not surprised, or even that disappointed. people are weary (of the losing and grappling)and people are waiting to see what what happens before investing ($$$ and fandom) in such a tenuous situation. and yes, those people are real fans. fandom is a two-street.
if an arena deal goes through and the future is solidified with a better product in the offing, and then there’s still no uptick, that’s a problem. a big problem. -
Islesfan in Vancouver says:
+ meyer – showed an active stick and has been having (quietly) a good start to the season. He’s been paired with Witt and Sutton, who have struggled, but Meyer hasn’t been the one who’s looked out of place. Underrated and playing well.
- roloson. He still looks really uncomfortable with anything near his feet, overcommitted on the play that staal scored into an empty net, and just does not inspire any confidence.
+ blake comeau had a very physical game and played extremely well.
- Tavares (hear me out) for letting himself get into a dangerous position by not protecting himself. He’s taking some pretty big hits so far this season and I’m concerned he’ll get seriously hurt if he doesn’t start expecting to be hit more.
+ Tavares for scoring a beautiful shootout goal, but mostly for continuing to be around the puck and trying to make moves to the net, rather than shoot from the outside like tambs and some others.
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I am not as upset as many about the attendance; I look at it this way
1) I watched parts of all the games last night and many had empty seats, its not just here
2) This team started the season slow, after all of the hype of the off-season, why would people come see them in the middle of the week against Carolina?
3) As the team gets better; and they will; you will see people come to the games. It has happened before and it will happen again.
4) Lastly the attendance was announced as 9,122; at least it wasn’t announced as below 5,000. That would have been really bad. Almost 10,000 people to a game in the middle of the week against a so-so opponent isn’t really that bad. Bet the place will be packed against Washington on Saturday.
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LouD says:
The problem with putting KO back on JTs line is that we then have our three best forwards on one line and they’re the only ones creating offensive pressure. JTs line did fine creating pressure and Nielsen and KO just need time to get back in sinc with eachother. Then we have two lines creating consistent pressure. We need more than one line to score if we’re going to win any games this year. And yes I say we because after this many years of staying loyal through all of the torture I’m pretty damn sure we earned the right to say “we”!
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James, “after all of the hype in the offseason”? Besides the day of the draft ,I’m wondering where you heard ANY hype about the Islanders in the offseason.
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Lyle G. says:
No need for people to be shocked about the attendance.
Hockey is entertainment, pure and simple. When people feel like they are getting a value for their entertainment dollars, they will pay. That will happen when the games are enjoyable, by having quick moving, exciting, talented players keeping the score close against whoever they are playing.
Until then, the Isles should consider themselves lucky to get 8,000 or so customers to show up and give them money.
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Craiggers says:
I know that it may be redundant to go here again, but the BIGGEST minus of the game has to the be the NYI goal song. I finally was able to get to my first game of the year (had to give my seasons away for the first 3) and got to hear the new goal song first hand.
When the Isles scored, the fans jumped out of their seats as they always do. However, as soon as the horn went off and the new song started playing everyone in the entire arena stood around just looking at each other not knowing what to do. There was just dead silence. After the third goal, some people tried to start the “you suck” chant to the song, but that couldn’t even catch on.
How can we expect our team to get riled up after scoring a goal when the crowd can’t do the same. This is a piss poor job by the Islanders management for not doing anything to make the game day experience better for the fans. Anyone can see that the overall majority of the fans don’t like the song, or do not know how to find a way to use it to help “get up” after a goal.
I really hope CB can update us soon on if the management plans a change in this area so that us Islander fans can find a way to celebrate properly and enthusiastically after a goal.
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Islander says:
Plus – Nielsen Faceoffs – 9 out of 10 – 89%
Plus – Thompson Faceoffs – 9 out of 11 – 82% -
cgs878 says:
I don’t get the Paul Coffey reference. Oh well, I guess I’m not that big of a fan. Yay, they won a game.
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Mark P says:
Tambellini actually drew two penalties….the second on a 1 on 3 during a line change. If he can stay away from being a “minus” in his own zone, he should be in the lineup.
Seems like Neilson is valued more than Bailey, leg up as second line center. At what point is Bailey better served in the AHL like the Coyotes first rounders?
Was not happy with weight on JT’s lines. Ohposo creates space….which helps when JT plods and Dangels. When JT dished to Weight it would be lost to Carolina.
I thought JT did better on the faceoffs. -
peluso says:
I keep waiting for Josh Bailey to do something. When will it happen? Is it in him?
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Watching the third period was so painful. In a year or two the Isles will get that fourth goal and put away teams… now, they create chances and screw them up, like the rushes while shorthanded. (Okposo just missed the top far corner, and JT shanked that quick feed from the circle)
ALSO, when are these guys going to stop having idiot stretches? For 50+ minutes they were capable-to-good, and then for three minutes they were sloppy in their own end, outworked on the cycle, and careless with the puck. I mean, both of the goals featured Islanders crashing into each other. That’s something you’d expect ME to do, not professionals.
Nice to get the win but if it wasn’t for shootouts and pity points, the Isles would be 0-4-3. (OT loss goes to loss column, this win goes to the tie column) Even with it, these are single points given to the other teams in the conference. Sooner or later it has to improve.
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Jimfromstjames says:
Was at the game last night, And I can confirm a few things:
They were not booing JT, at one point the crown was getting loud & JT wasn’t even on the ice, They were booing Alberts.
Witt landed a few, got a few, landed a few, but took the last one to the chin. Draw, point is he fought.
After a goal, everyone jumps & cheers & then they waits for the goal song to end, quietly. it’s kinda weird.
JT does evey thing well, he and a couple of plays where he was in the right spot on D, like they say about a stay at home d, if he is good, you won’t even notice.
Sutton was huge! A Coffey, no, but a top 4 guy, yes.
4 Set lines, finally, it even seemed that they all got even time.
Say what you will about Wang, I was in the sky box next to Him & Snow, while garth looked like he was gonna puke for most of the game, Wang was having a blast! during the throw the puck promotion, he had a hand full of pucks & once he realized time was running out he ran down the steps to hand a few to us, but didn’t make it to us in time so he threw the hand full over. Then he apologized for not getting to use faster. he looked like every other fan in the building, riding the ups & downs. He may be in it for the Real Estate, but I can’t question his love for the team.
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West Coast Fan says:
Chris MC (#20), agree with you wholeheartedly. Comeau had one hell of a game last night. I think he sees the ice incredibly well; his patience with the puck and ability to draw opponents against him down low while opening up seams to the trailing D – and then finding those D – is invaluable. That guy is a keeper.
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Well all you guys that didnt like Doug Weight on a line with Tavares and Moulson last night get your wish for tonights game…but Im sure none of you wanted to see him replaced by Jon Sim!
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It bothers me that some can be so critical that it even overshadows the good feelings of the win, but whatever floats your boat.
Specifically with regard to Dougy Weight though, I think it bears repeating that: -
whooops, that
1. He is sick and was a game time decision.
2. He is about 40 years old and has much more jump than “other” guys on the team who are younger.
3. He is getting used to playing wing, which he hasn’t done since around 1967!Patience!
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117- couldn’t agree with you more. I was at the game Saturday and after Okposo’s goal ( Moulson’s) I jumped up and was disappointed there wasn’t a huge HEY cheer. Bring it back already, enough is enough. CB- is there anyway you can get in contact with someone from Game Ops and get an explanation why they won’t do this for the fans and bring the song back.
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Willis/120-121 – fair point. It’s my fault for having only seen the worst of the team, not the first two periods, in which they apparently played much more evenly with the ‘Canes. Not my first choice to be a downer after the first win of the year; but I can only tell the truth based on what I saw. The growing pains are going to be tough on this crew. The biggest positives are that they crushed them in the shootout and nobody is pointing fingers or bailing out on Snow/Gordon/the System. It’s kind of like 1974 all over again. When they turn the corner and it’s like 75-93 all over again, we can enjoy the ride, and hopefully for as long as that ride lasted.
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Paul says:
Settle down about the goal song thing. It’s a silly discussion. Teams around the league tend to pick one song a year as their goal song. I remember Montreal would use Vertigo by U2. Not exactly a “hey hey” type song, but it seemed to work fine with the fans. Once you’re familiar with the current song, you’ll probably embrace it as being synonymous with an Islander goal, regardless of whetehr there’s an appropriate point in the song to yell out “hey”.
Oh, and the players dig Nickleback. If it pumps them up, even better.
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bionicman99 says:
Isles need to do a much better job of stepping up and defending Tavares. He’s taken a few big hits that have gone mostly unnoticed by his linemates. You don’t see anyone getting away with a big hit on Crosby or Malkin without having to wrestle with his linemates.
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John from ATL says:
Plus: Andy Sutton. Hopefully he can play like that and stay healthy to March 3rd, so they can trade him for 2nd or 3rd round pick.
Minus: Roloson: He seems to be over playing the puck and getting out of position.
Plus: Having Neilsen back, putting him with KO and rolling 4 lines. Put Hunter where Weight played and they could be alright for this year.
Minus: Witt and Martinek: Witt can’t skate or handle the puck. He’s not a fit for the new NHL. Martinek has gotten worse over the last few years not better. These guys have to go. Let them play out the year. If Snow can’t trade them at the deadline or next years draft, buy out the last year of their contracts, Please.
Plus: Hey they won. Even if they blew another 3rd period lead. Let’s hope for a regulation win now.
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Steve M says: Plus: Blake Comeau, best I’ve seen him play so far this year
WE WON A GAME!
ITS OFFICIAL ANDY SUTTON IS PAUL COFFEY
GO ISLES!