THE POINT BLANK 10-GAME REPORT
22 notes and observations on the year so far
The Pat Dapuzzo Story, as seen on FanHouse, AOL.com and si.com
Predicted by the majority of experts to finish 14th or last in the East, the Islanders have lost only four of their first ten games of the 2009-10 season.
With a wafer-thin lineup in terms of high-end talent and toughness in a league that’s getting nastier and nastier, the Islanders have won only one of their first ten games. In that lone victory, they blew a two-goal lead late in the third period against an anemic Carolina team but won when a trio of skilled finesse forwards went 3-for-3 in the skills competition.
Kyle Okposo has been one of the Islanders’ top three players in auguably eight of the ten games. Somewhat alarmingly, Okposo has just one goal on the year.
After a strong start, John Tavares does not have a point in his last four games. There is little reason to be alarmed about that. Okposo and Tavares could be poised for breakout performances Wednesday night at the Coliseum against the Rangers.
Mark Streit is just 1-3-4 and minus-6 and has been a shell of the defenseman we saw last season. He is still averaging a team-leading 26:12 icetime per game. Streit could be playing with some nagging injuries. He is definitely playing with the weight of leading a blueline that does not have a No. 2 or 3 NHL defenseman to complement him.
Matt Moulson (5-4-9) has been the Islanders’ best and most consistent player this season.
After scoring just eight goals in his previous 96 games, Jeff Tambellini has three in his last two games.
Martin Biron came close in Montreal on Monday, but the Islanders have yet to receive a game-stealing performance from one of their veteran goaltenders. Biron and Dwayne Roloson have not received much help, either.
It is difficult to come up with an Islanders defenseman who has put in three strong performances in a row. The still-developing Jack Hillen might be one, but that also might be reaching.
Brendan Witt continues to be a bad fit for the Islanders’ style of play. He only played nine minutes on Monday, yet no one at the game seemed to noticed.
The decision to market Josh Bailey as an NHLer last year, instead of enhancing his development as he played vital minutes for Windsor in the Memorial Cup and Team Canada at the World Junior Championships has been a failure of late-’90s-Islanders proportions. One league scout at the Garden last night angrily said, “They’re turning the kid into a third-liner.” Imagine the excitement if Bailey joined the franchise this season after winning two prestigious titles.
All that said, the Islanders should monitor his progress at the NHL level in these next 20 games before a decision is made on what’s best for Bailey. What’s not debatable is he has the head to handle the adversity. What’s irrelevant is whether other prospects in the 5-9 range in the 2008 draft are thriving or struggling. Those other guys are their teams’ problems or triumphs. Josh is an Islander and will be for a long time. He can still be a high-quality second center.
The time has almost arrived when it officially becomes old to say Sean Bergenheim is the best player in the league to have zero goals and just one assist in ten games.
Bad job by this blogger not pounding this point home more when discussing the difference between the Islanders’ roster and many of their opponents. As detailed by both Larry Brooks and the Montreal Gazette this week, the Islanders reached the salary cap floor because of potential bonuses to entry levelers Tavares and Okposo and to over-35 UFA Doug Weight. While the salary cap floor is $40.8 million, the Islanders’ payroll stands at a league-low $37.92. If the team invests in talent, as many readers here believe they will when an arena deal is done, they will have plenty to spend. I would wait for both of those things to actually happen, though. As far as I know, no one has promised anything.
With the exception of their performance on Saturday against Washington, the Islanders have demonstrated the team toughness of a group that wants to be liked by their opponent. You wouldn’t expect this would happen, but if they don’t play physically against the Rangers on Wednesday, there would be a real problem. Yes, this game on Wednesday at the old barn on Hempstead Turnpike - this time - means more to the 1-4-5 Islanders.
Doug Weight continues to be an exceptional power play performer and probably could be when he’s 50. The Islanders would be making a mistake to rely on him as a consistent contributor at even strength. In the five games he has played this season, the captain has no points during 5-on-5 play. Last year he was just 5-12-17 at even strength in his 53 games.
With one assist in six games and his recent selection as a healthy scratch, the acquisition of Rob Schremp on waivers has not been a boon for the club. A decision has to be made on him soon.
Although they have Weight, Bailey, Schremp and Frans Nielsen - all talented playmakers - the Islanders have few physical forwards who can play big minutes and wear down opponents. Only Okposo, Bergenheim (when on his game) and Trent Hunter (when healthy) fit that category. Maybe it’s not that the Islanders are tired late in games, but their opponents are fresh as daisies.
Through the first month of the season, no one in Bridgeport is banging on the Islanders’ door. Trevor Smith could be an effective call-up as a top-9 forward and Andrew MacDonald is definitely capable on defense. Otherwise, not much doing yet. None of the new Sound Tigers’ prospects - such as Justin DiBenedetto, Matt Martin and Robin Figren - are performing well enough to be regarded as happily ahead of schedule. Jesse Joensuu uses his size in spurts, but has one goal in ten games.
A funny thing has happened on the journey from Joey MacDonald and Yann Danis to the superior Roloson and Biron: respect for Rick DiPietro has increased.
With a few roster adjustments and continued commitmennt to their style of play, the Islanders could turn out to be a strong road team.
While the roar is loud about Scott Gordon’s system when the Islanders blow a lead late, there is silence after a night like Monday when the team scores late to tie a game. Fact: opposing coaches don’t like preparing for the Islanders because they are highly effective when they’re on. Fact: the only hope the current roster has of being competitive this entire season is by sticking to their coach’s game plan.
The Islanders are only four points out of a playoff spot. By Dec. 9, after the Islanders play 14 of 17 on the road, we should have a much better idea if the Islanders will be playing meaningful games - as it relates to the standings, not development - in 2010.
Comment Guidelines. Please make your observations on this column and the team so far. Do not make observations on others’ observations and who’s a good fan or not. That’s all become as tiresome as the blogger with his dopey guidelines. If you don’t like anything you see here, just look away.Thank you…CB
136 Responses to “THE POINT BLANK 10-GAME REPORT
22 notes and observations on the year so far”
Please Wait
JT is as advertised.
So is the rest of the team.
Damn. You just summed it all up in two sentences, while it took me 1,200 words! Not bad, Frei…CB
agreed.
here here frei.
All this brevity is out of control! CB
CB, while many of your comments are accurate, as statements in fact, a couple are opinions that suggest something that may be misleading. The fact young prospects are not ahead of schedule, does not mean that they are behind schedule either. Also, sophomore as well as rookie seasons are not anything to make long term inferences about. While you suggest that looking at similarly placed draftees are not the issue, I resectfully disagree. Filatov, hodgson, and Wilson to name 3 who played in the world juniors and/ jr’s or AHL, are all struggling, others who played last year and did OK, schenn, boedkker, Sbiza are all struggling. Yes, JB is struggling too, but too frame it as a mistake of 90’s proportions is excessive and premature.
how about Tambs on the PP!! It only took 2 years to put him there. And don’t say last year at the end he was out there because he got like 15 seconds PP time. Last night was the first real look at him on the PP and 2 goals. He’s not the savior but it would be nice to see him turn into something if he’s given the time and opportunity.
In the old NHL, this team would be 0-7-3. It’s hard for me to look past that. One need only watch last night’s performance by the Habs’ penalty killers to gameplan properly against the Isles’ anemic power play. It might have been the worst performance I have ever seen by any team’s PP. Streit and Okposo are not dynamic enough from the point to properly quarterback a PP. That puck needs to move! Do the math, two guys pressuring the point on the PK means there are seams down low. A half-decent PP should burn that type of PK.
That said, we can all complain all we want. The fact remains that this is a rebuild. Pittsburgh went through it. Washington and Chicago have been there. Our weaknesses are glaring because that’s the way it is when you essentially build from the ground up.
Wouldn’t hurt to add some size, though. My god, Montreal was bigger and meaner. When Blake Comeau is throwing your biggest hits, there’s an issue.
We are short on talent and do not have a chance at the playoffs. Adding 35 year old players at this point does not make sense. If we want trade for Nathan Horton, I could see it…..but have these aging goalies got us anywhere.
Its a long road….patience and proper drafting are the cure. But next year we need to SPEND!
I hear ya, Lev. The only point I was making on DiBo and company is that no one is doing so extraordinarily well that they should be perceived as ready to help the big club soon. I didn’t say they were behind schedule. The rest we’ll disagree on. Having Josh here last year was no different than having Tim Connolly here before his time…CB
The Islanders have 9 losses in 10 games, not 4.
Since Bailey has regressed in his second year, will the same happen to Tavares in 2010-11?
remember 6-8 weeks ago, on the isles site, that article about tambi putting 20 lbs on and looking forward to the season ???
neither do i, he still looks small, but if he drives the net i’m fine with it…
JT should have more sure, but the space he’s creating for others - by teams gravitating to him IS proving useful …
of course if we had a solid veteran #1 line, his minutes would bear more fruit vs teams 2nd lines (in theory at least)
hillen has been pretty good…
and yes, frei was pretty dead on lol
Jon Sim is a staple on the power play. Gordon has the demeanor of Steve Stirling. Enough said.
I think that it is possible that some of the games that the Islanders have lost when they have been ahead are because there will always be breakdowns to the “system” with the current lineup executing it.
I think that watching them is exciting when the system works, when it falls apart or they go into overtime it can get real ugly quickly.
Gordon needs to figure out a new system for the 5 min. overtimes that can work.
They should have picked up another wing in the offseason.
Not a superstar just someone who can actually score maybe 40pts. They also desperately need some defense. They are the majority of the reason the Isles keep collapsing.
Couple of interesting thoughts. The Islanders number 1 line has a grand total of little more than 100 NHL games Sidney Crosby played in more than that last season.
The average height of the Canadiens number 1 line is 5ft 9 inches. doesn’t seem to phase them.
please bring in better players next year?
While it’s a bit too early to write this season off, this team just does not have the talent to compete game in game out regardless of effort and if a superior talented team (which is most, if not the rest of the league) shows up, thay can work a full 60 minutes and still lose. There is no depth on the blue line, too many forwards with no size or no speed and the veteran goaltending has been pedestrian at best.
“you are whatever your record says you are.”- Bill “The Tuna” Parcells
Not sure I understand the reasoning behind this posting. If you remember back several months ago, the Islanders are in the second year of a rebuild that should take 3-4 years. Although Snow rightly so has not put a time frame on the rebuild. Why is it news that the Islanders are losing games? Plus, their schedule has not be easy so far. If you look at the league standings they have only played three teams in the bottom half of the league (Boston, Montreal, Carolina). They have not played any of the teams that most people picked to not make the playoffs. It’s early, we knew going into this year there would be growing pains and lots of loses. What’s the surprise.
IF the Islanders were 5-5-0 they would have 10 points and we would all be very happy. They actually have 7 points and are only three off the pace. If you have watched every game, you know about the bad bounces and bad calls that have led to goals. I am as troubled as the next guy about they third period performances. However, we are only a couple of wins away from .500. If we can get there and maintain that through the end of December we will be ok. DP will be back, we can trade one of our goalies for some additional help on the blue line and be on the right track. Lets continue to be patient and support the team.
have i been missing something? has anyone not seen Blake Comeau play the last 10 games? I don’t care how many goals or points he has so far, in my opinion he has been the 3rd best offensive played on the ice( after kyle and moulson). hes patient with the puck, he passes to the point down low and he is one of the only offensive players to throw around his body. give the guy some respect
cb, i hear ya with bergie, but y nothing on comeau? at least bergie shoots more (i think)
#19, I agree fully. And CB, with all do respect, with regard to your opinion of JB, time will tell…. Not 10 games or even this season. But, you have to admit, your posts fuel the impatience that doesn’t fit with the Washington, Chicago, pittsburgh experience. Burkes wU doesn’t appear to be working, the NYR approach has not either (we’ll see about this year). Yes, we are not a good team, but no one expected us to be. That can’t be how this year is utilized. The logic of impatience leads to MMesque decision making, which I assume you don’t want.
When the Islanders team works hard, with purpose like they did the first 2 1/2 period versus the Bruins, they give us hope. When they don’t play with that same grit, we see the results, just look at last week’s game in Montreal. I expected more out of both goaltenders and Mark Streit, but everyone else on the rostr, in the words of Dennis Green, “They are who we thought they were!”
Methinks that last night was about as good as we can expect for the season. Good goaltending keeping us in it, the PP taking advantage of al bad call in our favor, Tavares drawing enough attention to open a little room for everyone else (even if he didn’t make the scoresheet), and a top level play by bona fide NHL-level talent beating the Isles in the end.
Chris, I agree with much of your analysis, but I think you are playing Monday-morning quarterback with the Bailey situation. If keeping Bailey on the Isles was such an epic failure, then why did you support the decision in November 08? Here is what you said on this blog at the time: “The view here is he (Bailey) should stay…. Bailey is better served here - through the highs like now and the 8-game scoreless slumps - than in Windsor, where he would be joining a junior league team with a record of 22-2-0.” If you are going to criticize the Isles for the Bailey decision, you also need to admit that you were wrong as well.
I’m going to the game Wed. to loyally support my NYI. However, I’m going with some friends, we bought 12 tickets, and the other 11 are Ranger fans.. I’m thinking it’s going to be 80-20 Rangers-Isles fans.
*And please whoever can contribute to Companions in Courage, please do. Even if it is only a couple dollars. I think they have less than $500 to go to get to $5,000.
After 10 games, it isn’t pretty. Very little secondary scoring, very little veteran leadership, and no one to shoulder some of the load currently put on Streit.
I rarely see players going hard to the net looking for a garbage goal. Way too much perimeter play. The Islanders need a more balanced lineup.
So far, ouch.
At this point, watching this team suck for years, I really don’t give a damn about talent, I just want a team that works hard, hits hard, and fights. This team, for the most part, refuses to do any of these things. It’s not much to ask for.
“the Islanders’ payroll stands at a league-low $37.92. If the team invests in talent, as many readers here believe they will when an arena deal is done, they will have plenty to spend. I would wait for both of those things to actually happen, though. As far as I know, no one has promised anything.”
EXACTLY. There’s no guarantee Wang increases payroll even with an arena deal. He might just recoup his “losses” and not spend on NYI. Especially on LH on LI with no corporate support. Should go to QUEENS for corp. support.
(19) Huh? The point behind this posting? It’s an Islanders blog.
(26) I have plenty of times before said it was wrong and I was wrong. I also said countless times Bailey should have gone to the WJCs. But here’s the big difference: I’m not the GM of an NHL team. It’s the GM’s job to get it right.
As for the Comeau requests, I’ve always been a big supporter. This season he has 0 goals, 3 assists and 19 shots in 9 games. He’s been pretty good, but is the bar that low for guys that should be praised? CB
They are throwing all the kids under the bus, if they had signed a couple decent players to take some of the load off the kids this would be a whole different situation. If they said fine, we made a mistake and then corrected it by signing a few of the cut Vets who might not be great anymore but are certainly better than some of the guys we have out there…ie Chelios and/or Shanahan and drop some of the dead weight Thompson, Sim, Jackman but they dont do that. They are happy letting the “prospect” get trounced game after game. It really is just ridiculous.
5, NYI are out of control!!!
- Regis Philbin
Bailey should’ve played in Windsor last year? Please. As a second line center on a team that played kiddie hockey against vastly inferior teams? Would he have lost a game? The WJCs, maybe that would’ve helped him, but he got bona fide NHL experience last year and LEARNED FROM IT. The guy was a better player in June than he was in November, just not by an astounding margin.
This year, he may be experiencing more growing pains, and he may need time in the AHL. However, he couldn’t have played in the AHL last year. Like you said, he has the head to take the knocks. He is beginning to understand what it takes PHYSICALLY to succeed here. Watching him closely, we all know he has the playmaking talent. He KNOWS he needs to shoot more. Coming off juniors, he would’ve kept the same pass-first instincts, refusal to take the body, and shyness about competing in the trenches. I’d argue his learning curve is being sped up. It takes a watchful eye to see him developing in subtle areas: faceoffs (he’s WAY better this year), taking the body, backchecking, and offensive decision-making. IT IS HAPPENING SLOWLY. Rome wasn’t built in a day. Give him time.
I agree with pretty much everything you said CB. I dont think the forwards have really played bad, they just need to find a way to get a couple more pucks a game in the net. The defense has been bad though, and it needs to be corrected.
As for Blake Comeau, Im a big supporter as well and while the offensive numbers havent been there (although he is tied for 4th on this team in forwards scoring) the thing I notice that he didnt do enough last year was throw the body. He leads all forwards on this team in hits and I think thats important for a guy whos most likely going to end up our 3rd line RW in the future.
A 7 out of a possible 20 pts… Nice.. Snow/Wang are really putting a stamp on their franchise… Can’t wait until the Isles contend in 2025!!!
Mismanagement is the main problem from the owner to the GM to the coach. Keeping players in the roster who shouldn’t be there, playing players on the wrong lines, etc. I just am not happy with the team of Wang, Snow, and Gordon right now. As for Bailey, he needs seasoning in the minors. He needs to toughen up, hone his skills, and get some much needed confidence. Schremp needs to come back in and play in Bailey’s spot and get some serious minutes with pp minutes over an extended period of time. Witt needs to sit so Gordon doesn’t look like he plays favorites or is afraid of him. Obviously none of us can make these changes, so this team is here for the duration so I’ll root for and support them but at the same time I’ll be critical of the men in the suits until they start making some smart decisions.
I must admit being an Isles fan sucks. Here’s the bottom line: Bergenheim is not good…period. He’s not going to all of a sudden wake up and score 30 goals. He is what he is, which is really a waste of a roster spot at this point. Good teams part ways with guys like this years ago, the Isles let the experiment go on and on forever. Next up: Bailey. What happened to Josh Bailey? I think it’s slightly ridiculous to now say that the kid should have played for Windsor. Nobody was saying that last season when the kid looked at times like the real deal. The real question should be this: Where has that player gone? Instead of telling me in retrospect that he should have played in juniors last year, give me a theory on why he sucks right now?
Okposo: 1 goal!?!?!
Streit: totally average!?!?!
Martinek: what happened to this guy?
Sutton: Why does he always play with JT? This guy is a classic example of the average talent that our organization can lure…which is a sad admission. No Komisarek. No Gilroy. No Rafalski. No Campbell. We sign the likes of Sutton. Sure we caught a huge break with Streit, but even he is showing that he’s not that good.
De Haan weight about 90 lbs soaking wet and we traded 1/2 a draft for him…awesome.
Roloson looks every bit of 40, and Biron is what he is…an average goalie who was there for the taking because nobody else was interesting.
All this talk about the youth and Comeau can’t score a goal to save his life, Gervais is turning into a bust, we have zero legitimate youth on D, Bridgeport is bare, and to make matter worse everybody on this team gets hurt…moreso than even the Mets.
This is our rebuild.
If we ever ascend to the top of the NHL any time soon why do I feel like this is the short list of guys we have that will part of that success: Tavares, Okposo, maybe Bailey, and hopefully Taylor Hall.
Hate to say it (and I know this caused serious discussions on this site last season around this time), but aside from NYR games I’m rooting for the Isles to lose. For those who don’t know yet…Taylor Hall is the kind of player worth rooting against your team for…just like JT…This senerio might be the only thing that can truly turn this team around…JT is not enough…
If anybody actually read all of this…thanks, I needed a place to vent.
I hope that Bailey is able to turn it around. I don’t think you can compare Bailey being here last year and Tavares being here this year. Tavares is at a different level than Bailey. I hope that Bailey does start to show why he was billed as a second line center.
One possibility could be that Bailey is almost solely a playmaker, and without a huge abundance of natural scorers, it’s harder for him to show up on the score sheet. I feel that that is one of the reasons for Del Zotto’s point totals. I am not knocking Del Zotto, just that while Tavares has much less of a supporting cast, Del Zotto has been able to feed Gaborik all season.
If the Isles can continue to remain competitive and hang around, they should trade Witt and obtain a stay at home Veteran defenseman, and add a possible winger who can hit and grind down the other team. Very encouraged with Tambellini. Patience does pay off eh CB? How disapointed will everyone be if Tamby scores 20+ goals this year?
Opposing coaches don’t like preparing for the Islanders? How could that possibly be? They were the worst team in the league last year, and have not shown much improvement this year. This team has NO SPEED, and very little toughness. And the only way this team is competitive this year is if they get Ricky back.
The point is, we need to get some of the struggling and 0 point players out of the lineup- for now. and we need to call up atleast 1 foward and 1 defencemen from BP.
CB- When exactley is rick dipietros return estimated?
“While the roar is loud about Scott Gordon’s system when the Islanders blow a lead late, there is silence about in on a night like Monday when the team scores late to tie a game.”
CB, maybe the silence is due to shock. Your statement would be correct if the Isles scored late more often, not after they scored late once.
I can understand the not wanting to spend above the cap floor, rebuilding, and not wanting to sign vets so the youth get ice time, but at what point is playing so poorly as a team going to leave a lingering effect of bad habits and a losing mentality on all these kids???
39 I agree that Bailey would be better served with some help but who wouldn’t? The point to take away from your post is that maybe we have a team that is TOO YOUNG - so devoid of veterans that it’s a case of the blind leading the blind.
What worries me is that this style of development might be slower and more prone to backfiring (a la Tim Connolly) than development guided by experience.
Still not sold on coach and GM!
Tell me why the 3rd worst team in the leauge last year, Av’s, have an 8-1-2 record with a brand new head coach, Joe Sacco.
While, we are floundering with a 2nd year coach. This team can’t even set up a PP! If you get the chance, watch the Av’s play and you will ask yourself, “Why doesn’t my team play like that?” This team looks tired all the time!
I know this is probably already in the back of isles fans minds but is moulson simply a product of who he plays with or is he a player that has adapted to a system which allows him to play gritty hockey in front of the net?
Would I like a better record than 1-4-5? Of course. But for the most part I’m happy where the team is at right now…because I’m accepting this as year 2 of a rebuild, and that its only 10 games in. I see good things in Okposo, Tavares, and Moulson. Comeau and Bergie have been good but need to put up points… I love Frans Nielsen…I think he will be a very good player for this team. And I think Gordon is the right coach for these young guys.
Sure I’d like Bailey to do much better…but he’s a guy that you know has his head on straight, and I’m confident he will figure it out.
Now if this team and its players are in the exact same state 10-15 games from now, I’ll be worried…but I think they will pick it up.
I always felt Tambs would deliver…eventually. Lets hope hes for real now. I like him. I also like Baily, I know he has some developing to do. I guess I don’t understand why its such a crime to let him develop here. Its not like we are going anywhere.
JT is gonna be a fun player to watch along with KO.
I am NOT sold on Gordon. Sim on the PP, and breaking up KO and JT =fail IMO. I don’t believe in his system, I don’t believe it best suits the Islanders as they are now. Of course I hope I’m wrong.
I am not sold on Garth either. But I am willing to give him some more time. He is no Milbury at least.
Agreed on the value of DP.
Go Islanders!!!!!
CB, after reading your article on Pat Dapuzzo’s frightful night and fight to get his life back in order, the Islanders seem alot less important. I’ll be back to being a fan tomorrow. Tonight I am going home to hug my kids and realize how everything you cherish can turn in an instant. Good for you for writing that piece (I could not bring myself to click on the video to watch it). Good for the NHL for not ignoring its family. Great for Pat for not giving up. Good luck to Pat. I really hope there is someway he can put this behind him.
CB said,”If the team invests in talent, as many readers here believe they will when an arena deal is done, they will have plenty to spend. I would wait for both of those things to actually happen, though. As far as I know, no one has promised anything”. I can promise you something. If (after all of these years of support for the team, the players, the lighthouse, the owner, and management, except Milbury)they don’t invest in top level free agent talent to round out a roster of top draft picks I will drop this team so fast Wangs head will spin. That will be the last straw for me and I will root for a different team that shows it cares about its fanbase. I will pledge my unyielding hatred for the Islanders for the rest of my days.
If they want to constantly use Washington and Pittsburgh as reasons they’re doing it this way, as role models, then they better follow their strategy all the way through. THAT MEANS developing a core through the draft (what they’re doing now) and then adding top tier free agents when the the system is stocked and the core players are coming into their own. I SWEAR ON EVERYTHING THAT IS HOLY (and if any Islander brass read this understand that I won’t be the only one), if they get their arena and still decide to screw us by running a third rate organization and cheaping out on players I WILL BE YOUR BIGGEST ENEMY. We have ALL suffered far too long to be treated like that!!!!!
I’m sorry but baily is unlikely to ever be as good as Travis green of all people. Green was often scoring 20 goals avg passer good defense. Al arboyr had him on kid line 3rd line. Baily? Not physical..gets about 1 shot on goal game. Top scoters get 3 or 4 a game. Baily understands this but can’t fix it. If Balt was a 4th rounder he wouldn’t be here. His draft status satisfies the easily misled isle season ticket holders into thinking we have Brent suttee the 2nd comming.
I think lack of size probably has a lot to do with opponents being “fresh as daisies” late in games, CB. Even when initiating contact, a bunch of small players are expending more energy throwing that hit than the bigger players absorbing them. And the small players use a lot more energy fighting for the puck regardless of whether they’re winning or losing the battles. That has to take its toll over 60 minutes.
If in two years it looks like baily won’t do anything n Tavares is not going to carry a youth movent alone… Can snow then say we are starting a new youth movement n need another 4 years of draft picks to get it right?
Hey CB help me and all the Isle fans out. At what point does a developing prospect become what he is, and about all you can expect? Because at age 25, Bergy, Tamby, Gervais, Neilsen and Thompson may be on the threshold of, “you know what, he’s as good as he is ever going to be!” I think a young guy is 21 or under, 22 to 24 developing, 25 and over,What you see is what you get!!
Turning Bailey into a thirdliner? Josh will reach his potential given the right amount of ice time, doesn’t matter where he plays. That’s why Vancouver sent Hodgson back, they’re contending and won’t risk a season grooming him as the new top center (after H. Sedin). The Isles are in a position to do this, to risk season by handing ice time to youngsters.
Check out a couple of centers named Carter and Richards in Philly. It’s not like they lit up the league in their first few seasons, even though they were seasoned in the AHL. They started racking up points about the same time the Flyers decided to contend and bring in more talent. 25 points for Bailey in his first season is not too bad, he will get more this season and eventually end up as a two-way 70-80 point guy down the road, as projected.
….to poster #52 LouD……………………..PREACH ON BROTHA!!!!
Sorry CB had to be done.
why is it that no matter who calls the shots for the Isles, they “seem to think they know more than the rest of the hockey world”
I like Bailey, he’s a talented/good kid; they’re ruining/developing him wrong - I see Chyzowski all over again… (it’s early, but at this point, you think the obvious pick, after Filitov, LUKE SCHENN may have helped…)
To address team size/toughness - They trade up, pass on tough & talanted Zack Kassian (who Buffalo, a team who knows what they’re doing, takes next), draft another 170 pounder they could’ve gotton in the late 20’s of the draft…
Then, they pass on Ferraro’s kid (who’s picked with the next pick by Detroit, another well-managed organization)
With that top 2nd rounder, they instead pick a goalie (they could’ve picked later) and they develop him by sending him to Bridgeport to split time with TWO OTHER goalies! GOD HELP ME!
I’m a die-hard, season ticket holder - I go to 30-40 games a year; every year.
They’re getting impossible to defend; I can’t even have an argument about hockey with a Ranger fan any more! LOL
Please tell me CB, am I wrong? But is every move we make a mistake…
Everyone has covered the myriad of issues with talent on the team and down on the farm.
For me, the team’s performance thus far has as much to do with passion, attitude, and leadership than anything else. I have a lot of respect for all the players who wear a letter, but let’s review: Doug Weight - groin, then extended flu (anyone else curious about that?)…can’t provide leadership if not on the ice; Witt - he’s a pro, but I feel like he’d rather be surfing; Park, Streit - two of my favorites, but two silent “leaders by example”; Okposo - the team leader by virtue of his play, but seems hesitant to kick his teammates in the backside
I know there’s a lot we don’t see as fans watching on TV, but there is no sense of urgency, no passion, no leadership. With more of that, we would have won half of these first ten.
“A funny thing has happened on the journey from Joey MacDonald and Yann Danis to the superior Roloson and Biron: respect for Rick DiPietro has increased.”
It took this great point by CB for me to realize the worth of DP. I’m not saying this team will be “great” as soon as DP comes back - that would be a reckless thing to say - but I will feel a sense of pride and excitement when it happens. Whenever this team decides to add quality forwards and some top D-men to help Streit, then DiPietro and the Islanders might, just might, find themselves in unfamiliar playoff territory. I can’t wait to add to that payroll . . . .
I do not understand the talk of Bailey staying in Junior last year when he already put up big numbers in Junior. Bailey had nothing left to prove. Bailey and many of the young players played much better in the 2nd half of last year. I hope they do not wait until the 2nd half of this year.
And my friends, and CB, correct me if I’m wrong, don’t under-estimate what the loss off GORDIE CLARK did to this scouting staff. He was a phenominal judge of talent, he drafted so many future stars for the Islanders (who we of course traded way) Milbury, the brain, fired him.
He’s done a great job across the river for our rivals, huh… they got some darn good yound talent there (plus don’t forget the poor Russian kid who sadly died last season too)
I’m convinced the only reason why we drafted Tavares is because the Isles brass never would have made it out of the Coliseum alive!! I’m sure they thought long and hard about F—ing that one up too! haha
The Bailey observation is the most concerning to me. The franchise cant afford to “lose” him.
We all knew they need upgrades all around. The lack of a player who can play and be tough is an issue. The lack of size is an issue. We are still seeing our smaller players—players like Tavares, Tambellini, Bailey, Neilsen getting banged around.
Im not looking for a prototypical enforcer. I want a player who can deliver clean punishing hits and still put up 45-50 points. Essentially—we are missing Trent Hunter—and can use another Trent Hunter to go with the one we have when he comes back. I felt for a while like Comeau or Bergenheim were going to be that guy—but they have gotten off to weak starts.
The system is not the problem. We are missing a minimum of 4 players. Maybe some are here and are out with injury or still in juniors. Maybe one or two come in next years draft. But we need at least 2 big game defenseman and two more wingers.
*sigh* For some reason it feels as if there is no light at the end of the tunnel
Agree with everything except for moulson. Hes been good around the net with finding openings, but hes been invisible unless the puck is on his stick while hes in teh slot. I commend him for going to the dirty areas and he has gotten rewarded for it, but he will never be anythign more than a 3rd line player.
CB, do you think the reasoning for a player like Bailey not to pan out is because he doesnt have enough time being able to dominate and be successful? If he stayed in juniors and went to the world juniors and won both his confidence would be sky high as a winner and in his belief in himself to get teh job done. I feel like players that are brought up too early become accustom to not being able to do what they should be capable of adn therefore lose their confidence in believing that they can be the same player in the nhl. A little confusing, but hope you understand what im trying to say
The Isles will be fine and so will KO and JT
I agree with you CB on many of your points. I would like to give my assessment:
Tavares has great skill with puck, awareness etc. but definitely seems slow out there. i know that Moulson has scored somewhat on his line, but he also looks slow to me. i would like to see someone with wheels on two sides of JT. i would like Tambelini and Okposo on his line, i think that for all the positive karma between Moulson and JT, they rely too much on luck, puck bouncing and positioning to create chances. Tavares needs speed on his line.
Bergenheim makes many stupid plays electing to possibly look good stickhandling in his own zone instead of doing the smart thing- clearing it. i dont like him as a player.
i actually thought Schremp was the smoothest player for us when he was on ice, he just looked more skilled than almost anyone we have, wish there was a way to have it translate into production.
the whole team is avg. but CB you hit it on the head, there does not seam to be heart here or real leadership, if Tavares was putting on a show like Crosby, ovechkin etc. i think that it would light a fire in the rest of the team. i think he would be much m ore successful if they take Slow Moulson off his line. watching him skate in with Moulson slowly just wont get us goals
I think we can all imagine how frustrated Wang is because it’s clear that there will be no more financial committment to this team until he gets an answer. The management is right with the rebuild attitude but you need legit veterans to play along side the premature nhl’ers.
No way no how will these kids develop into something good without
guidance of guys who are not only leaders, but actually produce.
When Matt Moulson is your best player for the first 10 games of the season, your team is simply not going to be a competitive NHL team.
This Franchise is a Mickey Mouse Org. and until that changes, all of us will be here bitching and moaning about everything. Wang had it right with Nolan and Smith! He should have faded into the background and let those guys do their jobs. Of course, Wang had get involved with something he had no clue about. He continues to make mistake after mistake to this day! He should sell the team to someone who will keep them on Long Island and build them a new arena. Someone with a clue about the NHL. This franchise doesn’t need to clean house, it needs to be knocked down and built from scratch! A fresh start!
Simply put, we currently lack the overall level of talent to win consistently. It has nothing to do with a lack of leadership. Adding high quality FA’s sounds great but who was out there this past year that would have made a huge impact? Gaborik? He’s always hurt. The Isles would have been crucified for giving him a deal like the Rangers did. And guess what? He suffered an undisclosed injury the other night and will be re-evaluated in the coming days. Komisarek? No points and a minus 4 in eight games with the Leafs. Not sure that he would be much better here. Tanguay? A slight soft forward who has no goals and 2 assists while playing on a line with V. Lecavalier. Let the young guys develop. Understand that growth is very rarely a steady incline. I respect Witt but it’s just not working out for him here. Ship him elsewhere when the deadline approaches and see what either Andy Macdonald or Dustin Kohn has to offer.
Bailey: I think a lot of people miss a valuable point. Bailey could have played in juniors, and the WJC and had a 10 week boot camp with first line minutes this year in BP. That would have SAVED THE FIRST YEAR OF HIS PRO CONTRACT. He also would be playing, right now, hopefully with next year’s second line. He may be the fifth best center on the team right now, but with physical maturity and some confidence he can be a solid 1 or 2. Look how good his face offs have been.
Moulson: the most TELLING line of this post was, “Matt Moulson (5-4-9) has been the Islanders’ best and most consistent player this season” I think Moulson is a good two way player, but he’d be in the AHL on any other team in the league because he wouldn’t be getting the space he gets with tavares and Okposo. That space would have been better utilized by an experienced NHL LW who would make those two better… NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND. No disrespect to MM, but he’s the cashmere sweater with the red dot.
Scott Gordon: I’m not going to blast the system, or his record. He really doesn’t have much to work with. WHat I will say is this, if Wang didn’t make this a circus, and hire the guy who cleaned up after the elephants to be the ring master maybe we’d have a coach that would instill some CONFIDENCE in the players and the fans. He is charged with meshing youth and experience, while last year he segregated it. It’s been over 90 games and his tenure has been a pure roller coaster ride with no true signs that it can work. I hope it can, and I hope he grows a pair… and somebody should tell him about the NHL TIMEOUT.
Snow: He’s a victim of his own success. The guy seems to have a clue. In a few years the 2008 draft may prove to be the one that turned the ship around. I still don’t understand the 2009 one though. He signed Streit, and he’s put some pieces in Bridgeport that can be successful over time… including three pretty good goalies(one more than necessary). But the circumstances that led to his hiring has made this organization a virtual flea bag motel for talent. All it attracts are kids and old men who have no choice. Streit must have liked the fact that he could stay in any room he wanted… not realizing they all had soiled sheets.
Wang: Long Island’s own Barnum and Bailey.
He said he was going to bring his corporate know how to hockey. What he did was strip it bare like somebody to reduce overhead… just like the folks (including criminals, not that I’m suggesting anything) before him. This has been the blind leading the blind since he took over. He hired a GM and a coach on the same day, never really giving either one a chance. Now that it is in the 13th hour for his SOLE REASON for buying hte team, THE LHP, he has left a once proud franchise looking like burnt out Buick on the side of the belt parkway. Nice job Charles… We all hope you’re proud of yourself.
CB: The fourth estate. He is the last strand holding together a team and its fan base. His insight and honesty is the only reason some(maybe most) of us even still care about this team. I mean for the past 15 years, not just through NYIPB.
And with that, I’ll add my apologies for going way outside the guidelines. Sorry, but my two cents is usually a buck fiddy.
If Bailey played in Juniors another year (last year) then AHL for 1 or 2 years *(this and next)… then he would need to adapt to the NHL for a year or 2 to get up to speed. That’s 3 years minimum or 5 years maximum for him to be a bonafide NHL’er.
Instead, he’s currently in year 2 of his indoctrination of the NHL… a bit rocky yes, but does anyone disagree that by the end of this year and going into next he will be a bonafide 2nd line NHL’er?
So what’s the difference? He’s doing just fine and is ahead of schedule!!!
DOC
While the salary cap floor is $40.8 million, the Islanders’ payroll stands at a league-low $37.92. If the team invests in talent, as many readers here believe they will when an arena deal is done, they will have plenty to spend. I would wait for both of those things to actually happen, though. As far as I know, no one has promised anything.
So with all the stories of rebuild, go with youth,being competitive,making the playoffs, none of this will come to reality do to the light house! That place may not be built for 8-10 years and this is what the fans get.
Boy Botta you have made a 110 degree turn around from last year when they sponosered you. What a flip flop!
When are you going to be honest with the fans about Wangs Agenda. The man never said he would invest money into the Islanders once the LightHouse was built,ever! Just like he never said he would sell or move the team.
so much has been said already so i won’t bother with all that. just want to add one thing about using Pitt and Wash as examples for our rebuilding. as good as JT will be, he will never be an Ovechkin, Crosby or Malkin. if anything he can be a poor mans Crosby. but he’ll never lead the league in goals or points. he’ll be a solid 40+ goal scorer that you can build a team around, but he is always going to need plenty of help to lead a contending team.
Wang should be ashamed of himself for not spending more to upgrade the talent on this team. I am sorry I invested in season tix for this dreck. If he spent 10 mil more we probably have 2-3 more wins so far..extend that out to the season and you would have a competititive exciting team. They should give all of us season tix holders 25% back since they went on the cheap with talent
Hey, that was actually a positive feel article. One of the only ones we’ve had in about 2 years. (not your fault CB, I mean anywhere). My only question is,… is #14 on the Canadiens that good or were we that bad. (i.e. the game winning assist)
And by the way, being fresh as daisies, I’m sorry has nothing to do with Size. Do you think that is why the U.S. Soccer team ran out of gas in the 2nd Half against Brazil a couple of months ago.??? No because they were overmatched and tried their best, and Talent eventually beats down drive, unless you are so unbelievably fit like um, …… for instance the 1980 U.S. Olympic Team. They weren’t big or talented, but they trained like crazy. Maybe that is what we need. Even NFL players say that they notice the difference on losing and winning teams, its the fitness, not the size.
I am happy with our record. I am not being sarcastic, I think it reflects on the talent we have, and the way we have played this season.
Had we won 3 more of the OT/shootouts under these crazy rules, we would be 4-4-2 and that would be fools gold.
Henrik had a minor accident today so I would not be shocked if we are shooting against the backup tomorrow.
Living in the west I do not get to see as many Islander games as I would like to, but I do know from the ones I have seen that JT seems to be the most dangerous player on the ice. He may not have the points/goals yet but they will be coming.
Also, the team is exactly where they should be based on their talent. They lose a lot of close games, and compete almost every night. They just dont have the talent of the other 29 teams. The only difference between them and an AHL team is NHL calibre goaltending, and some of their players are too young to play in the A.
CB, thanks for responding. My only point on discussing what other teams and players are doing is for context. The NHL in this era is about bringing young kids in quickly, and with that comes a rocky road (as Doc mentioned). The Isles aren’t reinventing the wheel here… Just following an approach that others are also following. And, you can’t cricize Snows approach without comparing it… And the Burke approach, that with all due respect, you lauded not very long ago, has never really worked, especially in the cap-based NHL… So isles blog or not, what is and isn’t happening with other teams and other players in a similar position as ours, is very relevant to this discussion.
There is simply no one to help these kids on this team…including Coach Gordon! How many more losses can they endure. The best thing for this team, the players and the fan base right now besides the approval of the LH is ….i hate to say it….a healthy DP return and not because of his stellar goaltending either.
His return would at least get the players minds and the fanbase out of this continuum- even for a shortwhile. Look at these guys faces they have no leadership,no captain,no help, no attendance….and no regulation wins and as a result NO CONFIDENCE!
I know theyve had slow starts… but id like to see comeau and bergie on the pp, sometimes it seems we dont play with enough urgency on the pp, and although you can knock bergie for alot of things you cant question his enthusiasm. Im tired of seeing jon sim on the pp ass well as on this team, hes a so-called “energy” player who cant skate, hit, fight, or shoot, the only thing hes good for is snowing the goalie after the whistle.Bailey needs someone with size to play with to open up some ice for him,hes good with the puck on his stick but hes always chasing the puck
Let’s not feel to bad for these kids. They need to do whatever it takes to get the job done. Like Tambellini crashing the net for two goals. That’s how you score goals. If the kids are feeling sorry for themselves maybe they should think about people who are out of work and struggling to get by in this economy.
We lack talent and size. End of story. I can live with the young kids learning, but Garth did a really poor jod adding size. Almost everyone on this blog saw the problem before the season. Yet our GM did not act. It hurts to watch sometimes. I do fear for Bailey, JT, Tamby, Nielsen etc. They are sitting ducks. Even with the embarrassing payroll, Snow could have added some bangers. Also, I have never watched a team have such a hard time clearing a zone when under pressure. At times they really look like a high school team.
i still think bailey’s okay here. it’s pretty far along now for the yoyo and best to let him find his way.
maybe i’m alone in this but i think the kid is gonna be a solid player.
87, yea but is he going to be a solid second liner or solid third liner? theres a big difference
As far as I’m concerned, this team may work hard and is competitive when they stick to the program, but they have too many hard working guys who lack what this team needs—size and scoring. To me Sim and Schremp do nothing. Comeau and Bergie are great(but are productive enough on the score for me to want to keep both), but should the Isles keep both or try and get something for them. They both work hard and can be a pest, but neither one will be a 25 goal scorer.
I was at the gsme last night in Montreal and to be honest I thought the defence looked awful. Way too many break downs in the defensive zone. It seemed like they could not make a good first pass out of the zone. Isn’t that what is supposed to make this system work?
In the end, we know who the stars are going to be. I think Bailey is just in a sophmore funk (like many others this year). Streit looks like he has the wieght of the world on his shoulders and is forcing too much.
As frustrating as it is to see this team lose in OT as many times this year, at least they have been in games. Only hope next time the Isles come up on the winning end. Hopefully they start with the Rags!!!
Give this team some more time. Considering they have the lowest payroll in the league, they do not yet have the worst record. Tavares, Okposo and Bailey are still kids and performing quite well for their experience levels. We are 2 D away from a very good D corps. Give it some time and stop being so danged negative.
Remember the PB night out in RVC when Bailey was taking the draw at the end of the period and you began your speech “knowing” he’d lose the draw? You would say that this year, CB. The kid bulked up a bit and worked on his face off skills.
Two most frustrating players for me are Bergenheim and Comeau. Bergenheim for not seeming to progress at all in the last two seasons. Yes, you love his enthusiasm but he hasn’t done anything to harness his better than average speed. He just doesn’t seem to finish. Comeau needs to play more physical and move the puck quicker to be effective, he still holds it way to long. Anyone waiting for Comeau to suddenly emerge as an offensive threat needs to look at his history, he’s never put up points at any level. He needs to be fiestier and more disruptive defensively and then he’ll be an asset as a third or fourth liner.
Forwards:
I’ll equiped roster to play Gordo’s Go-Go style. Tavares is meeting expectations … and even if he wasn’t … I’d give him some slack. Honestly he doesn’t have a setup man to hit him with a pass on the tape in the dirty zones where JT can thrives. KO, JT & MM are being smothered by top shut down lines and D-men. The middle 6 forwards just aren’t clicking … they look like the lil kid swing punches aimlessly while the bigger kid holds his long arm against his forehead. The 4th line? Honestly … I think they barely make a 3rd line at the ‘A’ … Power Play needs work and PK is a bright spot … but could use some work.
In the spirit of brevity, my one-word evaluation of the season so far is:
YAWN
Defense - Other than Streit, who as CB mentioned is struggling … there is no defenseman on the team capable of shutting down today’s NHL teams when required … they infact get run down and are less effective as the game wears on. Streit seems more than capable of handling the Go-Go demands … however he’s not a shut down go to guy. Nobody is. Even Hillen who has wheels has some promise … but will he ever be as good as a top four defender for any top 15 team in the league? That is questionable.
It seems to me that Snow tries to rescue players from the scrap heap and remold them under Gordon’s tutorlege. I huge gamble that isn’t working at this time.
One more thing about Forwards. Bailey … he should of played for Windsor / Canada last year … I think Snow was trying to save face by forcing him to the NHL since he was criticized for trading down twice to get him.
How could evryone make such quick condemnations on Schremp? The guy has 60 minutes of TOI and has done no worse than anyone else on this team….period. Put the guy on a line Coach! Oh…and once again…has anyone seen Freddy Meyer? Give me a break Gordon!
Goaltending: What goaltending … I really haven’t seen much … and to be fair … the defense around them is pretty bad… It’s the save % of the goaltending that is alarming.
***
Coaching … I probably could put it all on the coaching … but I can’t … Snow gave Gordon less than he even gave Nolan. What can we really expect. I think Gordon is trying to force a system designed for superior players on his inferior talent. JT, KO & MM get lots of opportunities … even Jeff T. is getting them … but fact is the team as a whole just can’t grind down the other teams for 60 minutes to exploit them.
Overall … It is what it is. None of use were expecting a huge difference … I did expect a better peformance with less injuries … but really now … it’s about talent and toughness … and the fact the Isles have more talent than toughness says less about the skill then it does about the Isles’ lack of toughness … especially in this division. If anything getting to OT in 60% of the games is hopeful.
Nobody able to improve the team from the Bridge is disappointing ATT.
I can only read this blog with a drink in my hand.
CB most of us agree with your assesment (more or less) but could you please write about why Snow continued to ice the same pathetic defense, the same soft team, the same team without enough talent?
Is it Wang keeping him on a tight budget? Snow’s plan to pick top 5 in a few consecutive drafts like Pit or something else? Does he just not get it does he over value the players in house like Witt, Martinek etc?
Please write about the WHY all this is taking place.
Scouts all over the league look at our minors and don’t see much. We have been ranked in the bottom as far as talent goes. Reality we don’t have any stars in our system other then Okposo and Tavares. If Tambellini, Schremp and maybe Joensuu don’t make it we are screwed. Trevor Smith will never be anything more then a 3rd liner. Our Defense needs to be gutted,and the sooner the better! As for Gordon and Snow, no way they get canned. Overspeed will work, these kids can’t be wearing down in the third period. Like Jaffe said the other night when you’re scrambling around on defense you’re going to get worn down. They need to be on the offensive more, Players never tire when they have the puck in the offensive zone.
I’ll second the questions by Strummer’s Army and go a bit further. Chris, can you explain what makes Charles Wang tick? I just don’t understand him. When it comes to his “hockey people,” he seems to value loyalty over competence. He seems to hire people who will be indebted to him because they otherwise would not have the opportunity (Smith, Nolan) or experience (Snow) to be in the positions for which Charles hires them. And he stuck with Milbury far longer than any rational owner would have. What is it with this guy?
Let’s compare Josh Bailey, taken 9th overall in the 2008 draft, to another Islanders center, Wayne Merrick, taken 9th overall in the 1972 draft by the Blues.
Merrick played only a handful of games in the minors and was expected to be a “scoring” center. In 1978, Bill Torrey traded for Merrick, hoping he’d become the 2d line scoring option behind Bryan Trottier.
Well, as we all know, that really didn’t materialize and Merrick wound up on the “dreaded” 3d line with Tonelli and Nystrom when Torrey pulled the trigger on the Goring deal.
My point is if Bailey finds his spot contributing valuable minutes on the 3d line of a Stanley Cup contender or winner, who’ll will give a rat’s behind about the fact he wound up there? Or how he “developed”?
The good:
-Tavares is off to a great start on a lackluster team
-Matt Moulson
-We have been in every game with the exception of last weeks debacle in Montreal and the San jose Game
-Tambellini might be getting it finally
-Not being last in the league (TAKE THAT WRITERS!)
The Bad:
-We still blow leads with 2 quality goalies (we cant blame yann or joey anymore)
-Doug Weight not being healthy
-Trent Hunter still not in the lineup
-Not Enough Schremp
The Ugly:
-Seeing Jon Sim on the PP
-Brendan Witt’s performances
-Having One Win while being in all but 2 games
Its going to be a long season, I look forward to the rest of it
CB good article..I still don’t think your as critical on gordon as much as you should be and maybe I can acnowledge our lack of physical presence means the other team i worn down less than we are. I understand this is not a playoff roster and I am not naive enough to think everything will be great if he is fired, but too many negatives to ignore
1) This team NEVER blew this many leads under Nolan, I am sure some of it is conditioning, however I am convinced a lot of it is coaching. A perfect example the 2 guys covering the point guys are CONSTANTLY not in position to get any puck either point to point, from the wings, or around the boards. In effect they are useless. That’s why you see LONG stretches where we are unable to clear the zone. I watch other teams and they do not do this.
2) We play one way tied or behind and a completely different way when we are ahead, once again this is coaching. The PK when we are behind we attack for 2 minutes and teams get a shot or 2 at most, when we are ahead we sit in the outdated box and watch shot after shot on net an a full 2 minutes in our zone and many times the puck ends up in our net.
3) Someone needs to explain why the 4th line starts every single period..I personally don’t get it.
4) He is better this year on ice time for his top players, however the Kings game I was at I don’t get why Richard Park is our 6th attacker. In his time here Gordon has constantly made other bizarre choices.
5) Witt has been downright awful, and always seems to be on the ice during these meltdowns.
Here’s hoping tomorrow isn’t too painful, I’ll be there
Some poster just asked botta if it was snows idea to spend the NHL minimum on players or wangs. C’mon pal.. I can guarantee you Wang told snow to make the payroll at NHL minimum period. Through creative acounting snow made the payroll even less then NHL minimum because okiposo n Tavares likely won’t hit all possible bonuses. Isles payroll is 37 million. If this was before the lockout say 6 years ago wangs islanders would have a payroll of 20 million. Maybe 15 million. They woulda dumped Witt sutton anyone not making minimum NHL salary. This is millstein all over again. Only difference is isles had no good players to get rid of other then guerrin.
#46, The Avs are 8-1-2 because they have legitimate talent on their team. The Avs can sign high profile players, because players actually want to play there!!!!! You cant compare the Avs to the Isles. We all knew this would take time, The guys we have added the last few years (Okposo,Bailey,Tavares) will all be here for the long haul.
The points on the Avs are correct, they had more talent than the Isles last year and this year, but the signing of Anderson and drafting Ryan O’Reilly (two spots after Koskinen)certainly look like brilliant moves.
Time to reunite Bailey, Okposo, and Comeau who had very good success together in second half last year. Good for all their development.
Reunite Strait and Gervais and get him back under Strait’s guidance where he was doing well. Why did they change everything that worked.
When Hunter returns put him on right wing with Tavares and Moulson. Hunter has been one of the few reliable scorers and could help that line.
Nielson, Bergenheim, Weight. If Bergenheim can’t score 25+ getting fed by those guys he’s not going to.
Witt, either he or gordon has to go.
This has to be the last year of total youth movement. Playing like this beyond this year will demoralize these guys. They want to progress and win. We need to weed out the players who aren’t working out through trades or waiver by February. We need a few quality veteran free agents this summer after our top 5 draft pick.
Direction needs to be convincing upward next year. The talent is great at the top of this draft so I have no issue being patient for one more season. Beyond that it will get ridiculous. Tavares, DeHann, Bailey, Okposo, and 2010 Pick - five high end first rounders is enough core for the rebuild.
Why not make a move for Horton who seems to be on the block? He’s young, big, and someone who could play wing or center. i could see him fitting in here..
#110, ya and he gave Aaron Asham a beating like I’ve never seen which is impressive since Asham can fight but Isles don’t want Horton. He’s not dedicated, doesn’t care enough, etc. Denis Potvin has covered him his entire career and had blasted the guy repeatedly. I think we all know Potvin knows about winning and Horton ain’t ever going to live up to his potential.
I have a feeling if they got Bailey a talented more experienced winger he’d be fine. He looked FANTASTIC in preseason and there is no way he should be a 3rd liner.
I hope they dont offer milk and cookies at tomorrow game against the Rangers???? This game better have Gilles or Rechlitz up. I say sign Gilles and bring him up!! Team is weak weak weak !!!!! Physically WEAK !!!!!
The positive and silver lining I have seen is that the Isles schedule has been pretty tough. The one below average team they played they beat (Carolina). Besides that they have played every ridiculously good team in hockey. San Jose, Pitt, Washington, At Montreal twice which is no picnic, At Buffalo where Roloson screwed us, Boston, LA is in first place, Ottawa has played well.
I’m encouraged by how the team has competed so far. They really are a few boucnes and better OT goaltending from being .500 agaisnt the leagues best.
#101 what are your comments about Trevor Smith based on? He’s played a total of 7 games in the NHL, looked good and scored a goal. He also looked good in camp and in the pre-season this year. He hasn’t been given the real chance that he deserves yet, but somehow you’ve already written him off?
At this point, I believe that we have 2 absolute keepers on this team, JT and KO. Everyone else could be had in the right trade, or in some cases released. I agree that Bailey is being ruined by being rushed to the NHL. I have a feeling, he will be in the minors before the year is out. Let’s just hope it doesn’t crush his confidence because he has the potential to be a keeper as well.
Playoffs?! Dont’ talk about PLAYOFFS!! Are you kidding me?!?! Playoffs?! I just hope we can win a game!!!
Reading what was written about Josh Bailey and thinking about how many draft picks we gave up for Calvin DeHann, I am starting to have doubts about Garth Snow leading this ship.
The isles need to have talent around the young players to be effective. Until Snow brings in players to help the young studs, everyone will underachive.
JpinVA #74, right on AGAIN my man, you, I and most here are starting to see thru the smoke screen, and sadly it’s round ??? of that smoke screen. You forgot to add sales tax to that buck and a half, as you deserve props on your many right on posts.
I will be in my perch tonight in 313 and will bring my wife with me, as she will be the only voice of reason probably keeping me from the klinker, as Rags fans should be in full force, MORE than usual with all of this internal BS going on.
All of us here have one thing in common, no matter what we post and how we see the problems currently facing this once proud organization: WE ARE ALL FANS…
No matter how long it takes to tear this down and fix it, we have to thank the man behind this blog, as he is our ONLY window to vent, communicate, and be kept up to speed on all that goes on. I cannot imagine all of this going on and not having IPB.
CB, thank you for your professionalism and lately your very candid outlook on things, weather we all agree or not, it’s real. THANK YOU Chris Botta!
1940 4 ever
114, I’m not down on Smith but if he was any good don’t u think they would’ve found a way to make room for him. They don’t see it! I want any and all of the kids to work out but it’s not reality. I understand that if they don’t dedicate the time to Tambellini and Schremp things could get worse!
#8, the pressue on our point is due to lack of respect to our fwds. Tambellini, Tavares and Okposo need to shoot the puck. When this happens u can expect more opportunities for Streit. Real simple stuff. The pp units have to many passers.The Moulson Tavars connection should be broken up.
OJK, I assume you were responding to me with the fresh as daisies and size comment…soccer and hockey can hardly be compared. If Brazil was slamming the US soccer players into the non-existent boards for 60 minutes straight, then I could see the connection. It’s really just physics. A smaller guy expends a lot more energy pushing a much bigger guy than the bigger guy does pushing the smaller one. Tambellini goes full speed and puts everything he has into a check on Hal Gill, and Gill barely moves while Tambs scrambles his legs to regain his balance. Who comes out worse for wear in that exchange?
CB-
I think you are being a little soft on this team.
In goal neither guy has stole any games, however I believe outside of the shootout Roloson has been the better goalie. I think it is time they let him catch a groove and make Biron the official Backup goalie.
On defense nobody has been outstanding. I would say Sutton is the only guy playing better than I expected. I thought Freddy Meyer was playing well and I disagree with Gordon’s choice to make him the odd man out. I would be fine with this decision if it was made prior to game 1 but to be made early in the season when performance should dictate was just wrong.
Up front your proclaimed “Iron Man” Trent Hunter is hurt again. He never got hurt in his younger days but those days seem to be behind him.
Okposo has looked great but looks and results are two different things. He has to stop trying these finesse moves and bully himself to the net like he did on his lone goal.
Tavares has been solid and I think the puck will start to drop as the season goes on.
Moulson has been a great surprise and hopefully that can last.
Bailey should have played last season in Juniors and this season in Bridgeport. He also should have been the 12th overall pick.
The 4th line of Park, Jackman and Thompson has been a very solid 4th line. I think they deserve more praise for doing the job that is asked of them than anyone else on this team. You cant expect offense out of an agitator line.
Everyone else is average at best. Bergenheim, personally my favorite player on the team, has looked good in spurt but again there have to be results to back up the actions.
If Wang invested any money in this roster we could be over 500 right now with real wins taking place in regulation.
Bye.
CB-nice analysis.
I was just like to add this…
Do you think with the Olympics this year…the schedule is compressed….that the Isles should “rest” Tavares certain games? The schedule looks brutal in the next couple of months…so many games, with little rest.
Watching the Avs play every night, I have to wonder what the Isles are doing wrong? The Avs have NO high profile players. It is mostly all home grown talent. They know how to draft. They play a better system. They saw talent in Anderson, their new goalie, even though he only played like 30 games last year for Florida. They went out and got Koci, an enforcer, to protect their young players. The Avs make the Isles look like a Mickey Mouse organization. P.S. Don’t bring up Rechlicz for tonight. The guy is a punching bag.
I have seen improvement over the past two games. Granted the opening 8 games were far less than pretty I have to say that perhaps the players weren’t really prepared for Gordon’s demands of practice. Honestly, if I were Gordon I would not let up on them, even if they continue to struggle in the games. Pull a Brooks and pit them against the coach. Perhaps that unity will develop more over the season and carry into a sure-to-be more talented team next year. I can live with that trade off. Plus they will be much better conditioned at that time.
If you think about it, last year Gordon did not have the opportunity to pull out the proverbial whip on the youngsters because most of them were hurt a decent portion of the time. Therefore, this season should be his first full season of implementing his style.
I have to say, I like what I see from Frans so far. He tends to be a little more creative with the puck and I beleive that might be working its way back into Bergie’s head. Perhaps we can expect better things to come from Frans in the near future.
As for Okposo, it really can’t be fair to use the youngster as the journeyman-pick-me-up for the rest of the team. He should be on a solid line. bouncing him back and forth between lines is not helping his DEVELOPMENT. Yes, guess what he is still young and still developing and of all the Isles he looks to be the player with the most upside right now. Bouncing him back and forth between struggling lines is not helping him. Let him settle in a little and get on track with some steady linemates. I believe that working with Frans will pay off for both of them.
This review has too much sugar for my taste. Trust me, NO COACH is afraid of preparing to face the Islanders…
As a rabid fan and paying customer (season ticket holder), I want the GM of my team and his hockey people to exceed expectations. I don’t care, for example, if, say, Tampa Bay is still doing lousy. However, when I look over to the Western Conference and see that Colorado, who was close to as bad as my team was last season, is in first place, I want to know why my team can’t be doing just as well. Don’t I have the right to have such expectations of the people running the team I follow?
I have 2 comments to add to all this.
#1 Some people are all of a sudden hoping for D.P.’S return. With the way our defense is and the way Dipietro plays he’s liable to get hurt. He’s always in the mix and our D doesn’t threaten anyone from in front of the net. Don’t rush him.
#2 I’m not the one to complain about Tavares cause he was my pick, but he needs to shoot more. He always passes. I thought he was categorized as a sniper. When he comes down with the puck he always tries to go around a defenseman and always loses the puck. He’s definately not an Ovechkin but use that d-man in front of you as a screen and take a shot like Ovi does. What I’m trying to say is that he’s not a brilliant skater, so he needs to stop trying to beat d-men, stop looking to make that pass and try shooting. We got him for his scoring not his passing game.
i am a bit confused. we were the last, as in number one draft pick in 2009, team last year. when i read about how this team is worse then last season, i didnt realize we lost a dynamic player up front, or a “presence” blueliner.
we are 10 games into the season, and i think its a pretty solid opinion we aren’t bursting with talent.
in 10 games, we have been out scored by 15 goals. toss out the first habs game, ans its 11 goals over 9 games. if you are what your record says you are, then these guys play hard and don’t quit.
we have an awful record taking leads into the third period. But we have taken leads, (5 times in 10 games?) into the third period.
a team with supposedly bad talent, bad system, bad coaching, softer then a pillow. i see a club in every game, battling its heart out 9 out of 10 nites.
in the last two season, we have started to load up on draft picks. i dont see many under 20 year olds dominating in the NHL, or even playing at the NHL level. and thats what we have in the system, a lot of under 20 players drafted in the last 20 months.
throwing teenagers under the bus is a rough thing. does JB have 82 NHL games yet? as a center, i didnt realize he was playing with dynamic wings. wings who can convert his passes into goals.
money. when your losing $20 million, you dont need to lose $30 million. yeah, its tired to read and more tired to type. but like gravity, to ignore the fact doesn’t mean it will go away.
patience. CB- its hard to ring up big goal totals when you have only 3 guys scoring. if a few more guys can find the twine, it might open things up for others.
free agents. aside from overpaying, what ele can we offer top shelf free agents.
.. They have been in most of the games and had leads in 6 of the games! - They have been COMPETITIVE!!
The System? im NOT SOLD on it yet, it seems to be scrambly and positioning and bad angles at time - im not sold yet
The team simply DOESNT HAVE ENUFF NHL TALENT! They have about 1 1/2 lines of NHL talent and the 4th line is actually ‘ok-decent’ for a 4th line - they bring energy, hustle and effort, there not great but there not bad either!
They are playing better than last year, they are its been FRUSTRATING 2 watch at times but they are a lil better - but they need more talent and even a veteran or 2 on the roster — but lets keep builing and i preached patience on day and continue to preach patience!
P-A-T-I-E-N-C-E, guys P-A-T-I-E-N-C-E!!!
From my perspective, the biggest issue facing this team is the paper thin, defense. Hopefully, the D will get addressed in next year’s draft… Taylor Hall here we come…
What about JJ? Last year he came up for the rangers game scored his first NHL goal and showed some promise. Maybe adding someone with some size to work the corners will free some space for these “playmakers” we’re stacked with.
Our 4th line has been really effective working hard, cycling, and keeping the puck in the offensive zone, if they all didnt have the hands of Goldberb the goalie they might have a few more goals.
I am predicting tomorrow’s main topic of conversation is the team’s lack of physicality. I am not talking about bringing up the NHL’s version of spider rico and watching him get pummeled by a real enforcer on the rags but the softness this team has. I think I can count on one hand the number of real hits we have administered this year. We have the Witt hit in the opener and one or two more handed out by Sutton. The rest of the team does not check, maybe a make believe go through the motion check here and there but other than that it is sad. We are stocked with undersized small forwards and that all comes back on Garth Snow. Hockey 101, this is not tennis, the majority of hockey fans enjoy contact, it sells tickets. The rags are going to run at our young players and it’s unfortunate that Garth and Co will sit by idly as our young guys get roughed up. If we ever do it make it the playoffs where the games get a lot more physical we would need a shuttle bus to the Nassau Med Center. Trade one of the eleven 5’ 8 170lb forwards who are great in non contact scrimmages for a Horton. Gretzky had Semenko , Bossy had Gillies, Syd has a whole line dedicated to his well being , wake up Garth before we are talking how good some of these guys could have been if they didn t have their career cut short or turn into a player like David Carr who’s career is forever changed by a few miserable seasons of getting mauled-
CB, Arent the isles better served by waiving a guy like Witt, taking the cap hit (lord knows we have the space) and developing a guy like hillen further? I mean, this IS a youth movement, right?
I know it’s early but if what we have at Bridgeport is panning out where is all the talent that’s “2-3 years away” from making this team a contender. Certainly anyone in juniors or yet to be drafted is probably 4-5 years away. Also, if we need to wait for a new arena and Lighthouse before spending money, when will that be 7 years from now? Stanley Cup champs 2020 here we come!