Monthly Archives: October 2009
The indefatigable Eden Laikin reports for Newsday. Town of Hempstead officials are cited as the source, but Kate Murray is not quoted in the article. Nevertheless, against Wang’s request the Town gave Newsday every piece of information – including when they sent the invite and when Wang accepted. At Islanders practice today, Wang declined to speak about the Lighthouse.
The Supervisor will get her first crack at chipping away at the scale of the Lighthouse Project, for the good of the people. Who those people are, I’m not sure. Wang really should investigate if he can be a king of Queens.
CB for FanHouse on Sharks’ defeat of Rangers
3:40 pm – Saying, “We have to find some secondary scoring,” Scott Gordon has broken up the talented young duo of John Tavares and Kyle Okposo.
A big part of the change also has to do with the expected return of Frans Nielsen. The head coach liked the way Nielsen and Okposo played together last season.
“You wrestle with breaking up what’s not broken,” said Gordon, referring to the impressive play of Tavares and Okposo. But his team is winless and scored just one goal last Monday against LA and Saturday against San Jose.
Besides Matt Moulson’s claim on a roster spot and with only Trent Hunter sidelined by injury, Gordon said, “What we have right now is what I thought we had at the beginning.”
Here’s your likely line combinations for Wednesday at home against Carolina:
Moulson – Tavares – Weight
Bergenheim – Nielsen – Okposo
Tambellini – Bailey – Comeau
Thompson – Park – Jackman
Rob Schremp and Jon Sim are on the outside looking in, for now. Asked about Schremp, the coach said many aspects of his game have surprised him in a positive way and said he met today with the waiver pickup. “I told him we need more from him.”
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1:55 pm - Islanders appear to be wrapping up the formal part of practice. Scott Gordon leading a team talk along the boards at center ice. A little longer than the typical one.
Charles Wang and Garth Snow are watching practice.
The lone media member here is Mark Herrmann of Newsday. Mark regularly updates Katie Strang’s blog when she is out. Follow Mark on Twitter at http://twitter.com/markpherrmann
As reported by Mark, Rick DiPietro practiced with the full squad for about 15 minutes.
Excellent work by Katie Strang getting Garth Snow to talk about his winless team. As for the GM, what else is he supposed to say? If he’s ever going to start improving his team, he can’t forecast his moves for the rest of the league. All he said is, “I believe in the players in that room.” He didn’t say, “I believe we’re a playoff team.” Snow is obligated to take the call from Newsday, and that’s all he can say.
On a related issue, we all know the Maple Leafs are bad right now. But can we stop using their misery as consolation for the Islanders? Can we stop using their failure as an excuse for the Islanders? Yes, they signed some free agents and they’re also winless. The Leafs’ disaster has nothing to do with the Islanders’ specific set of circumstances.
In a league where everyone wins, only the Maple Leafs and Islanders have not two weeks in. That’s the only thing the two teams have in common.
Botta on Brodeur’s shutout of the NYI’s next opponent
No practice for the Islanders today. No NHL games. Let’s all agree to take the day off. No snarky thoughts from this blogger, no reader comments on the demotion of Joel Rechlicz. Nothing. Next chance to get a win is not until Wednesday. Let’s meet again on Monday.
Newsday reports on potential suitors for the Islanders, including Brooklyn (really?!!!), Queens and Suffolk. Interesting that Suffolk Executive Steve Levy says the LDC contacted him on Oct. 2. For what it’s worth, I don’t believe to strongly in the Suffolk option. More likely it’s Levy doing Tom Suozzi a favor. Other than calling NHL deputy commish Bill Daly “Bill Star” – fix that, Baumbach! – the piece is a continuation of more solid reporting from Eden Laikin and Randi Marshall.
The Islanders, fortunately, have a unique set of circumstances. When most pro teams leave their cities, their only option is to move far away. The Islanders could end up in any of three counties next door. Amazing.
Here’s the bottom line. Wang has to nail down a true alternative. When he goes to Kate Murray with a genuine threat to bolt Hempstead Turnpike, and gives her one last chance to approve the project, he’ll finally get his certainty – one way or the other.
Comments on the Lighthouse Project and other destinations.
10:45 pm – Joel Rechlicz, after playing a little over a minute tonight and about six minutes over three games, has been returned to Bridgeport. The Islanders do not play again until Wednesday. Last time the Islanders did this, they brought him back the day of the next game. Rechlicz is on a two-way contract.
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9:50 pm: Well, the better team won tonight. There’s no doubt about that. The Islanders played well but they were, in fact, outplayed. The following are my final plus/minus for the night.
Minus: 1:08 of ice time for Wrecker is a joke. That’s not helping him or the team.
Minus: MSG Phas a poll asking viewers who will be Islanders’ MVP this season. John Tavares, nowhere to be found. Um, really?
Plus: A solid effort from the troops. They were simply outplayed by a better team.
Minus: Would have liked to see them take advantage of a sluggish start by the Sharks more.
Neither here nor there: Announced attendance was 11,287. Kinda upsetting for a Saturday night against one of the league’s best. Then again, the Yankees are in the playoffs and the Islanders are winless.
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8:50 pm: Well, that was a quick and decisive turnaround for the Sharks. Two nice plays by the Sharks, one missed offsides — funny how the TV commentators up in the booth saw it — and Martinek catching an edge result in two goals for San Jose. Doug Weight rung a nice shot off the post at the end of the period but close doesn’t count so the Isles head to the third trailing by one. Thornton and Marleau made nice plays and I’m trying not to be a homer, but I think those were two bad breaks for the Isles.
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7:45 pm: Hello, folks. It’s been a while but I’m back to fill in for CB as he’s in New jersey for NHL FanHouse – where we work together. I’ll be chiming in during the intermissions and after the game with my thoughts. In the meantime please feel free to let me have it/agree with me in the comments.
Plus: The Islanders came to play tonight and were the better team in the first.
Minus: The Sharks have not arrived as of this moment.
Plus: Sean Bergenheim is never short on energy or effort.
Minus: Didn’t have the luck of the draw to be paired with Mr. #1 but ya gotta get on the scoresheet someday, kid.
Plus: Kyle Okposo.
Plus: The Islanders have the makings of a legit first line.
Minus: The Islanders don’t have anything else too exciting.
Minus: Please, let’s stop with the “Fire Gordon” stuff. The addition of John Tavares should not make the coach’s future the “playoff-or-else” kind. The failure of this team is not a complete indictment of his system, philosophies or abilities (and if it is, remember we’re only 5 1/3 games in). Furthermore, who is out there that will do better?
Comments on tonight’s game.
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CB on the infamous Georges Laraque video spot
CB on the Coyotes “We Win You Win” Promo
UPDATED at 6:00 pm - From what I’m hearing, no major changes to the Islanders’ lineup tonight.
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The Islanders chose not to have a morning skate today. Only scratched players from last night’s 6-3 loss in Buffalo are working out at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum this morning.
More than four decades after their invention, morning skates are still not an exact science. I’ve seen teams (not just the Islanders) work hard in the morning and blow out teams or get blown out at night. I’ve seen coaches insist that their players not show up at the rink until 5:00 pm, and later watch as their teams explode offensively or look like they’re skating in mud.
Bobby Clarke once pointed out that he never saw NFL teams doing sprints and blocking drills the morning of a Monday Night Football game. (I’m paraphrasing). An opposing GM once told me he was confident the skates are a complete waste of time and energy, and even felt bad about all the unnecessary work his equipment staff had to put in. But he didn’t want to be the renegade GM to stop the practice of morning skates.
Carolina coach Peter Laviolette banned morning skates. Perhaps it was only coincidence, but that was during Pete’s final season as head coach of the Hurricanes.
After his team lost at home to Atlanta last night, Devils coach Jacques Lemaire decided to make today’s morning workout in preparation for a home match against Carolina an optional skate. Two weeks ago today, the morning after they raised a Stanley Cup banner and beat the Rangers in Pittsburgh, the Penguins had a mandatory skate at the Coliseum under the command of Dan Bylsma. The Penguins certainly had plenty of life in their legs in the third period and overtime.
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Martin Biron in goal. I expect Bruno Gervais will be back in the lineup, while Jack Hillen showed enough to stick. Let’s see if the coaching staff sits a veteran, such as the struggling Brendan Witt (-9).
You would think the Joel Rechlicz experiment would be over for now. But very few of us have had much success over the last two seasons predicting what the Islanders are going to do in the toughness department. Otherwise, the forwards were pretty good last night in Buffalo. I could see Nate Thompson in for Rechlicz. Would not fall off my chair if Jeff Tambellini got back in, maybe for Blake Comeau. Just because.
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As if the Lighthouse Project does not have enough support, now Charles Wang and Scott Rechler have the backing of a key Republican, Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos of RVC. Skelos called the Lighthouse “a critical component in our effort to strengthen the regional economy and build a modern, first-class facility that allows the Islanders to continue to call Long Island home.”
Good for him. Now, about our taxes, Mr. Skelos.
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Islanders host San Jose tonight, Carolina on Wednesday, in search of their first win. During our live chat last night, I projected attendance for the Sharks to be around 14,000. After seeing what’s available online, I’m now thinking closer to a crowd of 12,000 that the Islanders will announce as 13,000 and change.
Is tonight the night the Islanders get their first win? No reason why not. The Sharks don’t show up every night. Would help if the Islanders hit some opponents.
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Enjoy the game tonight. I’m on assignment for FanHouse – Carolina at New Jersey rematch. A guest writer will do a little post-game report and get the conversation started.
Talk about Islanders-Sharks here.
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