Monthly Archives: October 2009
The great Neil Best of Newsday explains it all for his readers. Neil defends his employer’s decision, comparing the website’s value not just to luxury items like movies and TV, but more vital stuff like phone service, pizza, beer (!) and ice cream (!!). Some Long Islanders won’t have to pay the cost because so many subscribe to Newsday or optonline. However, if you are not in New York or don’t pay for one of their services, you’re looking at $250 a year for their web content. Your reaction?
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.
At the suggestion of several readers – as if I would have a clue about this stuff – Point Blank can now be auto-delivered wirelessly to your Kindle Reader at a very inexpensive monthly subscription rate. If this goes spectacularly well, I can take my wife out to dinner. Once. Go here to order Point Blank for your Kindle.
“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.
UPDATED at 5:45 pm – Doug Weight is said to be feeling better and planning to play in tonight’s game.
3:00 pm – Read Chris Botta’s FanHouse story on Carolina goaltender Cam Ward
UPDATED at noon
Weight Sick: The Islanders have clarified the status of captain Doug Weight. He missed today’s morning skate because he is under the weather. He will be a game-time decision.
Nielsen Returns: A lot seems to be riding on the return tonight of center Frans Nielsen. While the 25-year old Nielsen is a talented player who makes the Islanders’ lineup better, he was 9-24-33 in 59 games last season and is returning from injury. Expectations should be reasonable.
Rotation Continues: Dwayne Roloson gets the start tonight vs. Carolina. Martin Biron likely gets the nod back home in Montreal. Asked about Roloson’s spotty play so far this season, Scott Gordon said, “I’m not worried about Dwayne.”
It’s Not the Third Period, It’s the First!: The incredible Islanders radio man Chris King produced this stat – in the collective first periods of their six games so far, the Islanders have just two goals on 73 shots.
On the Okposo Switch: Gordon on breaking up Kyle Okposo and John Tavares – “Kyle has had success wherever he’s played. I don’t think that’s going to change.” The coach also has confidence in the Tavares-Matt Moulson combination.
Will He Roll Four?: Gordon – “We have four lines capable of playing. We just have to make sure everyone is going.” Translation: don’t bank on it!
XM Radio at 6:10 pm: Jim “Boomer” Gordon was kind enough to invite me once again on NHL Home Ice on XM Radio tonight at 6:10 pm. Consider it the Islanders pre-game before the pre-game. Boomer is an Islanders fan and the talk is always energetic.
Live Chat Thursday: It’s gone so well so far, the Point Blank tradition of weeknight road game live chats will continue Thursday night when the Islanders play in Montreal. Some fairly wicked stuff, plus the occassional scoop or story is blurted out in these chats. If you haven’t joined the many yet, please do so on Thursday.
*
Moulson – Tavares – Weight
Bergenheim – Nielsen – Okposo
Tambellini – Bailey – Comeau
Thompson – Park – Jackman
If Weight can’t go, the choices are Sim or Schremp
Streit – Martinek
Sutton – Hillen
Witt – Meyer
Gervais
Roloson
Biron
*
About the Gordon Article: The attempt in the final section of my post yesterday to explain my ground rules with the Islanders players failed to get the message across with some readers. If you wrote off the piece as, “Yeah, what were the players going to say about their coach?” I failed.
If the players do not believe in Scott Gordon and his style, I would know it and would write it. If some of the key figures “in the room” were lukewarm, they would have simply said, “Oh yeah, Scott’s great” and left it at that. They would not have filled my notebook with three or four paragraphs of specific insights.
As for why I put my opinion in the final segment of the story, I wanted to be a first-guesser. That’s right: the Islanders can win only five of the next 20 games and I’ll still stand by what I wrote about Gordon – and management’s decision to not give him a complete NHL team. The Islanders have their rebuilding plan and they’re sticking to it. Good for them. Just don’t blame the coach.
And yes, Coach Gordon could make his life a little easier by not selecting journeymen over John Tavares in the shootout.
*
The Hurricanes: When I covered them on Saturday in New Jersey, Carolina created few scoring chances against the Devils in a 2-0 loss. Here’s the lineup from Saturday. Since the Canes were shut out, count on Paul Maurice changing these up.
Whitney – Staal – Ruutu
Jokinen – Brind’Amour – Walker
Larose – Cullen – Samsonov
Kostopoulos – Yelle – Conboy
Hurricanes TV announcer John Forlund – an Adelphi grad – says Brind’Amour and Cullen could switch lines
Gleason – Pitkanen
Wallin – Corvo
Aaron Ward – Alberts
Cam Ward
Leighton
*
Schedule Oddity: The Islanders’ next two road trips are to Montreal, where they play Thursday and again on Monday. After playing the Sabres last Friday, the Islanders play there again on Nov. 4. That’s unusual. By the first week of November, the Islanders will be done for the season playing in Montreal and Buffalo.
The good spin: two cold places out of the way.
More importantly, if the Islanders can find their game soon, the schedule gets a lot more team-friendly after they play 14 of 17 on the road between Nov. 4 and Dec. 9.
Yesterday we learned that general manager Garth Snow believes “in the players in that room.” Today, the players in that room – prospects and veterans, everyone to a man – tell Point Blank they believe in Scott Gordon and his style of play.
Here are just a few of their opinions on the head coach, what he preaches and how he teaches.
Kyle Okposo: “Scott has been the biggest reason for my development at the NHL level. He has put in a lot of time with me, making suggestions on how I could be more effective and use my talents. He has put me in every position to succeed and has given me so much guidance.
“As a team, we’re all looking forward to growing with Scott and his staff. We need some time, but we’re going to be all right in the end.”
Doug Weight: “Our problems are definitely not about Scott and his system. It should always be about the players performing, not the coach. All that talk about our system (in the media and on the web) has gotten ridiculous at times. Plenty of teams are winning with either variations of what we play or basically the same exact style. This is a players’ league.
“The difference between us and other teams playing aggressively is, we’ve had to play the perfect game and so far we haven’t. Pittsburgh plays a similar style but can get away with it if they have a bad period, maybe even two. We played an incredible game in Boston for 50 minutes and lost. That’s how crazy our start has been. We have to stick to it. We definitely have to cut down on our turnovers. We all have to play better, and that starts with me.
“I see Scott communicating even better than he did in his first year. He makes a point of sitting down with everyone and explaining his moves and giving us the chance to give feedback. Our team is as prepared as any team I’ve been with. Let’s be honest – we just need a damn win and then we’ll be okay. Scott believes in his system and we believe in him and everything he’s trying to preach.”
Matt Moulson: “If anyone’s looking for someone to say anything other than praise for Scott Gordon, I’m the last person to go to. He’s the reason I’m here and I’m going to do everything I can for that guy.
“I don’t know how to explain it, but he gives you confidence without even saying much. He demands your best while not breathing down your neck.
“After our last exhibition game, he told me I was going to be staying with the Islanders. Scott said something I’m never going to forget. He said, ‘I want to be honest with you and tell you you’re going to be here, but you should treat every game like it’s your last.’ That’s what I’ve done and that’s what I’ll do as long as I’m here. By putting me on a top line and with players like John (Tavares), Scott is giving me every chance. I’m going to take what he gives me and run with it.”
Jack Hillen: “Scott’s been great with me, and this is coming from someone who has sat out some games. I have no compliants. I think I’m playing a lot better this year and it’s because of Scott and Dean Chynoweth and Scott Allen. They’ve helped me so much with video before and after games.
“We’re far from the only team playing an aggressive style. We just have to get out of this – get the first win, eventually string a few together. I know we will. I’m telling you, the reason we’re not winning is not Scott Gordon.”
Martin Biron: “Every system is designed to give your team an edge. This is the style Scott believes in and he’s right for doing so. When our young players develop, when the top guys like John Tavares and Kyle Okposo and Josh Bailey really take off, and we put it all together as a team, it will be worth all the time and effort put into excelling at this aggressive style.
“Scott has implemented a high-tempo, intense system that demands a high level of concentration and recognition of what’s happening on the ice at all times. In the end, it will make our forwards and D better players and will make us a better team. It’s wrong when I hear people say this style cannot work. There are probably at least a dozen teams playing something similar.
“I understand – we’re all Monday morning quarterbacks. I watch the NFL games and say stuff like, ‘Maybe they should play a 3-4.’ That’s part of the fun. In hockey, everyone talks about a 1-2-2 and all that stuff. I get that. We just need to execute. We don’t have the luxury yet of having a bad period and then watching Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau and Dany Heatley take over.
“Scott is giving us the tools to be successful. The staff does a great job going over the game plan and making adjustments between periods. It’s the turnovers that are killing us. That’s up to us as players to correct.”
John Tavares: “Scott has been really good for me since the first day. He has given me so much confidence and had me ready to be at my best with these first games of my career.
“The communication has been open and positive. We spend a lot of time on the ice at practice and after with video going over ways for me to improve. He’s given me a lot of constructive criticism but also the freedom to be creative offensively. Scott wants us to be a good skating team and be aggressive. In the long run, that’s going to make us a better team. It’s a very good style of play for me. I love it.”
*
Point Blank Take: The above is a fair representation of all the conversations I had with Islanders players over the last 24 hours. With the option – off the record – to decline to publicly support the coach, no one did. Here’s my opinion.
Over the last decade, I’ve seen a lot of smart hockey coaches suddenly get dumb in the eyes of fans and media when they came to the Islanders. Plenty others were written off as non-entities. The obvious examples are Peter Laviolette and Dan Bylsma, now the owners of Stanley Cup rings. Then there are quiet examples like Jeff Jackson and Greg Cronin, who came and went as assistants and now run powerhouse NCAA programs at Notre Dame and Northeastern.
Brian Burke was on TV last week, explaining Gordon’s addition to the staff of the U.S. Olympic team. He expressed total awe over Gordon’s teams in Providence and hailed his performance so far with Ron Wilson in the Olympic program. Burke didn’t mention the Islanders. He knows the body of work is too young, knows almost nothing was done to improve the 30th place team besides adding the gift of Tavares. Burke also knows it might not be fair to judge Gordon on his Islanders work. What coach since Al Arbour has left the Islanders with his reputation intact?
This is the vicious cycle of coaching the Islanders and the reason why an experienced coach like Joel Quenneville made a lame excuse to not even come in for an interview. The Islanders’ lineup currently falls short of the required 20 players by anywhere from 4-7 legitimate NHLers. Don’t know what I mean? Identify the Islanders forwards and defensemen you believe are at the bottom of the NHL depth chart. Now ask yourself if they would crack the lineup of any of the teams in the Islanders’ division. Ask yourself if it’s even close.
Or how about last year, when Gordon walked into his first NHL coaching job and was given Ted Nolan’s friends as his assistants? That worked out so well, Gerard Gallant “stepped down to become a consultant to the general manager” before camp started. (This being the Islanders, with their unique spins on the truth because few are paying attention, Gallant was never seen again.) That worked out so well, neither John Chabot or Dan Lacroix were brought back after their contracts expired in the summer. Just as it’s the coach’s responsibility to put his players in position to succeed, the Islanders should do the same for their coaches.
No one is saying Scott Gordon is the next great NHL head coach. Hopefully he’ll get the chance to prove what he is under the right circumstances here, instead of with his next organization.
I just want to be on record saying I’m not interested in being part of the chorus leading the latest formerly-smart and successful coach out of Islanders Country. I’m not going to take the bait and make him the next convenient fall guy for a franchise that hasn’t gotten much right for a very long time.
Let’s see if, as he did for his players, Garth Snow stands up for his coach in 3…2…1…
Comments on this story. Comment Guidelines.
← Older postsNewer posts →
