NYI at MONTREAL, 7:00 pm – Weight Out, Live Chat, Sellout Saturday(?) and DiPietro news analysis
Live Chat Tonight: Join me and your fellow Point Blank readers for a live chat beginning at 7:00 pm during tonight’s game between the Islanders and Montreal. As the Islanders go for two in a row, let’s set a season standard by eclipsing the 2,000 participant mark.
Weight Out: As reported exclusively by Katie Strang, captain Doug Weight did not make the trip to Montreal. It’s worth noting that Jon Sim, not Rob Schremp, took the pre-game skate last night and was the backup plan if the ill captain could not play against Carolina. But we’ve learned not to try to read Scott Gordon’s mind. With no morning skate today, check Katie’s blog for up-to-date lineup information. I saw Doug about 30 minutes after the game last night, and he was hurtin’.
Biron/Nielsen: As written yesterday, Martin Biron gets the start against the Canadiens. Although Gordon had expressed reservations last week about Frans Nielsen playing in back-to-backs out of the gate, looks like Nielsen is in tonight.
Stay Tuned: Please check Point Blank late tonight and all day tomorrow for details of our first charity initiative. I think it’s something for Long Island you’d be proud to be a part of.
Attendance Notes: Good news/bad news. As if the estimated crowd of 6,000 at the Coliseum was not low on its own, several Islanders season ticketholders told Point Blank that last night’s game was one when subscribers had the privilege of acquiring extra complimentary tickets.
The good news is that there’s a half-page ad in today’s Newsday for the Islanders’ home game against Buffalo on Halloween – a week from Saturday. This would appear to be evidence that this Saturday’s match with superstar Alexander Ovechkin and the Capitals will be a sellout. Excellent.
DiPietro’s Schedule: When the Islanders announced on Jan. 20 that Rick DiPietro would have season-ending surgery, team orthopedist Dr. Elliott Herschman said, “Our hope is that he will be ready for training camp.” DiPietro played five games last season.
Although DiPietro was seen several times on crutches in the spring and there were rumors of a follow-up procedure, the Islanders did not announce that their goalie had additional surgery.
Training camp opened on Sept. 12. On Oct. 19, DiPietro took part in practice for 15 minutes. This was reported by one media outlet like this: “The fact that he’s part of the full squad says that he is coming along more quickly than some people might have thought.”
DiPietro should absolutely take his time and not come back until he is 100%, there is no question. It’s been nice to see him lately looking confident and happy, no longer a young man wondering when he could resume his career. The ultimate bottom line is the Islanders are a much better team with a healthy Rick DiPietro. If that was ever unclear, it should no longer.
It’s just amazing the things a team can get away with when they’re not covered wall-to-wall like the rest of the major league franchises in New York. The DiPietro saga would have been greatly magnified if the Islanders were covered 24/7 in the Daily News and Post like the Giants and Yankees are, like the Rangers are. Like the Islanders could be again, if they become a contender and/or move to Brooklyn or Queens. Oh, for the Postian days of Peter Botte, Barry Baum and Marc Berman.
See you tonight for the chat. Comments on this post and tonight’s game.
57 Responses to NYI at MONTREAL, 7:00 pm – Weight Out, Live Chat, Sellout Saturday(?) and DiPietro news analysis
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Montreal isn’t exactly a huge team so Gordon should put Schremp in for some offense. Let’s see what all the young skill guys can do with more ice time and rsponsibility, and let’s see what they can do when they are all in the same game together.
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James says:
personally I feel its the fans fault that we have the poor attendance.
I understand the economy, but this is a critical time for the Islanders in terms of whether they will stay here or not. It is kind of pointless to raise heck about the LH project, but then not go to the games
I live in Florida, so I cannot attend them, but we know how this works. Wang will not spend more money with everything that he has lost so far and we know this season is going to be rough; so why not go to the games, and show support. The more support the fanbase show for this team by going to games; the more it will show Wang and the TOH that this team deserves to stay where they are.
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Webb4life says:
Whats up with Hunter?
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IsleofNJ says:
#4
Pectoral injury. Was hurt, played briefly nad then aggravated it. Will be out a little while longer -
Chris R says:
No. 3. If the Islanders had ticket discounts and deals like they did last season, more people would be attending games. Including myself. I’m going on saturday but I can’t afford that many more games until they lower prices a lil or have more buy 1 get 1 discounts.
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peter puck says:
What CB says about the press coverage I think the Islanders are better of the way it is. Look at the top 2 rookies on the New York scene at the moment – Mark Sanchez and J.T. Bet JT is happy he can get on with it wothout the constant barrage of attention.
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Sean S says:
I agree with comment #6
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NCislesFAN says:
I said it once and I will say it again……Leave Dipi out for the WHOLE SEASON. Let him come back next season 100%.
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This may be one of the last times you provide a hyperlink to a comment by Katie Strang. If I were her, I would look for a new job. Newsday is going to the paid subscriber option. They will lose a LOT of readers. And that’s too bad since Katie does a good job covering the Isles!
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Jim M says:
This is going to turn out to be an ugly season for Douggy I think. He may be “under the weather” right now but I have a feeling that stroined groin is going to affect him game in game out for awhile.
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bob l says:
DP we miss you kid! can’t wait to wear my #39 again!
get well Cap’n! i wont hold Wed against you playing at half strength
Franz plays, we win, therefore, he plays til we lose right?
Biron, here’s a chance to steal 65% of the games from here on out…
DP – take it slow and easy, no matter how soft our tending has been this year
CB – if isles coverage was in such abundance, i never would have found ya!
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Chris TMC says:
Jim- I think its that he had the flu, but then again you never know with the Islanders.
Everyone might think Im crazy for suggesting thie but Id like to see Shremp and Tambs on the same line. Maybe they could work together?
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Brian G says:
PLEASE NO SIM TONIGHT – Just play Schremp and see what he has to offer. We already know Sim is a 4th liner.
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I agree with Brian about keeping Sim out….unless you take out a 4th line player for him. Put Robbie in!!!!
And I’m glad DP is getting healthy. I really enjoy watching him play and think he is excellent when on top of his game. Plus he’ll help the defense immensely. Don’t worry Ricky, we haven’t forgotten about you. Get well soon!
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Iron Islander77 says:
Schremp-Neilson-Tambellini
Why the hell not?
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UIF says:
No reason to have Thompson, Park, Jackman and Sim all in the lineup. Four players for a three-man fourth line means someone is unnecessarily on a top three line.
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Chris TMC, I don’t think you are crazy. You have 2 talented skill players who are both a wing and a center. It definitely couldn’t hurt. This team needs skill players playing TOGETHER, not one in and one out of the line-up or one on the 2nd line and one on the 4th. Honestly, I think one of Gordon’s weaknesses is his line-up decisions.
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Also another comment about the attendance. During the off-season everyone said they would be buying tickets if we drafted JT, there was a roar of excitement when we did. So to get only 6,000 at a game is inexcusable, regardless of how well this team plays.
This is an very critical time for this team and the empty seats really hurts our chances of staying here. Go ahead and support the LH project all you want and go ahead and shout for Kate Murrays’ head all you want if they leave, but it means nothing and is hypocritical if you do not go to the games to cheer on this team regardless of how good or bad they are.
You want to LH project approved? You want Wang to spend more money on players? Show up to the games and support this team. The smaller the attendance is for this team the higher the chances are they will not be on LI in the future. Then we will hear everyone calling out TOH and how they drove the team away. Then I would ask where the fan support was when we were only pulling in 6,000 people to games at a time when the decision for the LH project is hanging in the balance.
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teddyfusi says:
so thanksgiving is still the estimated rick return date?
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Matt Scordato says:
I find it hard to believe Saturday’s game will be a sellout. And if it is it’s not b/c Islander fans are flocking to see their team, more likely there will be 5-7K Caps fans who made the trip up on buses. And I’m sure next Wed. will be a complete embarrassment with 10-12K Rag fans at the NVMC.
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I’d like to see Schremp with Tavares and Moulson if they’re going to refuse to put KO back there for a while.
Moulson-Tavares-Schremp
Comeau-Nielson-Okposo
Bergy-Bailey-Tambellini
Sim/Thompson-Park-Jackman
?Tambs is on the wrong side, but Comeau and Okposo worked well together last year, imo.
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PotvinsCupsx4 says:
I agree with #3. Watching the game on center ice last night down here in Florida, the first thing I did was text my buddy and said the fans are embarrassing the franchise. 9k for a game is a joke. I’ve been in Florida for 3 years, I attend 3 out of the 4 Isles visits down here and make it up to NY for 3-5 games a year. I’m a former season tix holder during the lean years of 91-99. With all the BS and circus atmosphere surrounding this team I found last nights game to be one of the most embarrassing moments due to what’s at stake. Get out there fans!!
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hale says:
to post 19…it is really hard to drop a couple of hundred to see this team..i simply can not afford half way decent seats there…if they had some discounts…sure i would go in a heart beat. i simply can not justify spending $80 bucks on a seat and not even getting in the lower bowl
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#24 last night was one of the games you could have gotten free tickets to the game; CB said it on his blog
I know the economy is tough, but this team needs the fans to start coming to the games or else there is no way the TOH will approve the LH project on any level.
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matt says:
schremp should play over sim atleast he has a chance to develop into a player
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Also, they need to start making the pepsi cans with buy 1 get 1 deals for weekday games.
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Cincy says:
Nielsen should sit tonight.
Gordon has the “luxury” of having rested, healthy talent on the sidelines, and it would be the course of wisdom to play it safe with one of the few skilled players on this team.
Schremp should play instead. He’s a lot like Nielsen in his style of play – and he’s arguably even more talented offesively. Plus, Schremp will be extra motivated in front of the Monteal crowd and media. Remember, he’s got a reputation to live down.
I think this one’s a no-brainer.
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EAF says:
to #24, yesterday before the game the scalpers were selling lower level center ice seats for 20 bucks a piece
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Cary says:
Schrempellini.
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I think I may be one post over the limit here, but Snow keeps preaching rebuild, rebuild, rebuild, and doesn’t want vets coming in and taking ice time away from the kids; however, the kids are the ones who are always scratched for players like Sim, Witt, etc. It seems a bit hypocritical to me and a built-in excuse for the team being in cheap mode. Am I wrong in that observation? I certainly don’t think so.
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I don’t know…tough to not spend any money on the team on the ice, have mediocre to abyssmal seasons going back to when I was a sophomore in high school (I’m in my 30s now), and expect people to still show up. The oases in the desert – 2002 and the second half of the 2006-07 season – showed that fans will happily come out and support the team when attempts are made to ice even a marginal competitor.
If this season’s attendance was so critical to the future of the LHP and the NY Islanders, then that should have been taken into consideration when Wang and Snow sat down to discuss what this season’s team would look like. I’ll go to my share of games this year, but hardly blame others for not showing up.
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Joe says:
I don’t understand Gordon.
Why not play Schremp? I saw him play on Sat. against San Jose and though he had a terrific effort.
He hasn’t been getting the bounces but he’b been on top of the punk.
Why play Sim over Shremp. Schremp has better hands and skill set to be a force.
Just my thought…….
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Stumpy32 says:
#21 – Matt, don’t get so crazy over Caps fans, of all people, raiding the Coliseum. I don’t care how much they draw in DC, you wouldn’t find a bunch of know-nothing fans who care less than them. Really. You’ll get a sizable contingent of Rangers, Pens, Flyers, Habs, and Leafs fans when we play them. But don’t expect Caps fans to caravan up I-95. You ask an average Caps fan to name one player, and their name can’t be Ovechkin, you’ll get a series of blank stares. I remember going to Verizon when I lived in DC in the late 90s, early 00s, and when we played there, as bad as we were at the time, our 50 would out yell their supposed 10,000.
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Chris M says:
Nice to see fans from Florida complaining about empty seats.
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hockeytime says:
Sim’s career is done after this year. I hope Flash puts in Schremp, we could use his skill on JT’s line. Leave Sim and his concrete hands in the pressbox.
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Staten Islander says:
they really need an extended view of schremp to see what they have in him, they already know what they have in sim, so for that reason, they should play schremp as much as possible. 10 games in a row with reasonable ice time, thats the only way to find out about him, same with tambellini.
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Wess says:
I don’t get all the attendance complaints. For full disclosure, I am a season ticket holder, I attend every game and I come from Brooklyn (I live one block from the Verrazanno Bridge). I didn’t get home until 10:45 last night. However, why are we faulting fans for not coming? The team started with 6 straight losses! OF course attendance is going to be low with
a) a weekday game
b) a small market opponent
c) a horrible losing streak
d) an old building
The most important factors are the last two. Get a good team in a better building and it won’t matter when the games are or who they are against.
Also, does anyone feel that the NHL actually helps us out with scheduling. If you look at the schedule, it seems like the majority of our home games are on weekends or holidays. They are doing us a huge favor. -
Blizzard says: …second playing Schremp over Sim.
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Eric says:
Why does the building matter why or why not you go to a game? Do you really need the waitress service. Ok I’ll give you the bathroom lines dillemma. The lines are awful, except when they dont draw lol! But 14,500+ and the lines are long. The lines were long for opening night and I expect them to be just as long for the ranger game if not longer. However, who goes to a game to sit in a seat?
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#38 there is a big problem with that, the TOH is not likely to approve the LH project if we cannot fill the seats now.
They already are having reservations about the project to begin with. Why would they approve this project and a renovation to this arena if the fans aren’t even showing up now. Fans not showing up just tells TOH that the Isles need them more then they need the Isles.
Also what happened to all the people who were so excited we drafted JT, who guaranteed they would get tickets if we drafted JT? Well we drafted JT, where are the fans now?
I understand the economy again, but you have to understand the situation. Wang is not going to spend more money on the team when he doesn’t yet know how this is all going to turn out and considering what he has lost so far, I do not blame him for that. Also don’t forget that next summer the cap drops and a majority of the teams in the NHL are going to be up a creek and needing to get rid of cap space. I firmly believe that is when Wang will spend money; especially if he has a long term answer on where the Isles will be in the future.
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Strummer's Army says:
So you are going against Laraque and O’Bryne with no toughness? Not smart and this could have dire consequences. O’Bryne is a guy I’d be thrilled for the Isles to get.
Schremp or Sim, who cares neither has done much. Until Schremp learns to stop playing on the perimiter he’ll never succeed despite all his skills.
Matt Moulson is a guy many of the Isles could take a lesson from. He continues to impress, he’s not the fastest skater, there are plenty of other Isles with his size but the guy just goes to the net and refuses to be moved (not that it’s like the old days where the d-men can pound them) anyway, many more Isles players would score if they followed his tactic.
Great news on Ricky. I cannot wait to have himback! Take your time and get it right.
The play and numbers of Roloson and Biron, MacDonald and Danis etc behind this horrible defense compared to Rick show how elite he is. Snow has always counted and Nolan too for Ricky to make up for the pathetic defense Snow gives them. I say improve the defense in front of your now core of excellent goalie and elite DiPietro. Crap it will even help you get more in trade value for Biron.
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Vukota says:
Attendance has nothing to do with the passing of the LHP. TOH doesn’t want it period regardless of the team is good or not.
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Merrick says:
Instead of a sellout, there may be another explanation for Newsday Halloween ad for the game versus Buffalo.
According to my Ice Girl Calendar giveaway from last season, this past Monday October 19 was Columbus Day (the actual date was October 12). Is it possible that Chris Dey screwed up the dates? Just asking.
>
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#40, i know there were some, but i remember the majority of draft threats were of the
“if they don’t draft tavares, i’ll” :
1. give up my season tix
2. never go to another game again
3. will stop watching games on tv
4. root for some other team that caresi’m a jersey boy, hoping to make a trip out one weekend, but from what i read they INCREASED prices this year did they not?
also, no guarantee at all on the cap dropping next season, long way away from that…
lets go isles, 2 in a row here we come!
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I know Bob, all I am saying is that if we have so many people out there who want this project done and we have so many people who want the Isles to stay; then why are we only getting 6,000 at any game?
This summer was filled with great passion from Isles fans who were showing up at meetings and writing to the TOH about how bad they want the Isles to stay. Where is that passion now though that the season has started?
I know about the frustration and the economy trust me, but the Isles need their fans to show up to games more than ever. If the fans show support of this rebuild and this team by showing up to games, it turns up the heat on the TOH even more.
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Mike L says:
I think all the Isles fans on here are the ones that go to the games so telling people to show up on here probably doesn’t make a difference with the numbers. As for the lineup, I hope Weight gets better soon, and I hope Gordon could start playing BOTH Tamby and Schremp. Ok, I can understand the little competition between the two, but that’s gotta end soon. If you cant give both ice time then please waive one before you lose the confidence of both
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Monty from Maryland says:
Is it me or is Radek looking very slow? Also, he is making huge passing errors and decisions IMHO.
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hollywood says:
Win and fans will show! It happened in 2001-2002. If Wang was that concerned he would have kept Nolan and continued with a 7th-8th pl team fighting for a playoff spot. It is what it is. In a way maybe the low attendence helps Wang, if the house was full 50% of the time then why the rush to renovate.sucks either way!
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K-Rob says:
JON SIM <3
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KO21 says:
Sim should be on the 4th line…I like Simms work ethic but the way the 4th worked last night he shouldn’t be in this game, IMHO
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Guys some of us just cant make it to many games but that doesn’t mean I’m not a real fan so GTFO
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cusi says:
Went to one game this year on columbus day. Took my five year old daughter to her first game. Sat center ice, 19 rows up for $65 each, think it was second 203 or something. Picked them off Stubhub. By the end of the day I spent about $200 for 2 and half hours of lackluster and uninspired play. Not easy to digest that effort in such a bad setting.
plus maybe the games need to be at 730pm during the week. For those of us who work in the city till 530p or even 5pm its tough to get to a game…just a thought. -
Maybe we can beat MON with a lineup of first rounders.
Moulson(9) – tavares(1) – Okposo(1)
Bergenhiem(1) – Nielsen(3) – Comeau(2)
Tambellini(1) – Bailey(1) – Park(2)
Sim(3) – Schremp(1) – Jackman(2)That’s all the first rounders the Isles have at their disposal (6, their 4 and one each from the Kings and Oilers), and their leading scorer who is still wearing his 9th round glass slipper.
Of course, we could remove the first rounder Schremp or third rounder Sim and add sixth rounder Thompson… because Thompson is far superior to either. At what, we’re not sure, but maybe there will be an article about it someday on the $250/yr Newsday.com -
#35.. a Florida fan complaining about empty seats yet still goes to more Isles game per season than the people in NY…Pretty sad huh?
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Tom says:
CB- I am so glad you pointed out how EASY the Isles have it regarding coverage. Can you imagine if the rangers ‘forgot’ to introduce a ‘soon to be back’ Lundqvist on opening night? THAT is just bizarre. Something is strange w/the Isles & their #1 goalie w/12 yrs remaining on a contract.
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gary9_19_22 says:
Every team has bad nights.. Its sports..
The problem is that a bad night for the Isles is equal to seeing your grandfather naked. AHHHH needles in the eyes. On our best nights we cause fits for other teams and win half of those.
Face it people we suck and will end up with a top 5 pick and that fits right into Garth’s plan.
The only thing that worries me is one thought…. Think Quebec Nordiques…
I think Tamby will make team over Shremp this year.