ISLANDERS NOTEBOOK: Boys to Men…Two-Part Road Trip…No JT on the PK… “There’s a Penalty…”
2:05 pm - Right now, although not in stone, the plan is for Trent Hunter to return to the lineup tomorrow in Washington. We won’t know until after the morning skate at the earliest who will be out.
If you recall yesterday’s practice lines…
Moulson - Tavares - Park
Bergenheim - Nielsen - Hunter
Comeau - Thompson - Jackman
Tambellini - Bailey - Sim
Schremp (wearing orange with JB’s line)
…it would not be a stretch to suggest Kyle Okposo will re-join linemates Bergenheim and Nielsen. Hunter (or Okposo) could take Park’s place on the top line, or if the Islanders want to break Trent in more easily he could play on the right side on the third line with Bailey. The checking line of Comeau-Thompson-Jackman would appear set, making the leading candidates to join Rob Schremp in the press box as Tambellini or Sim.
But we always add a rejoinder to guesswork like this: don’t dare to assume what Go-Go is thinking.
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Some random notes as the Islanders take off this afternoon for Washington to meet the Ovechkin-less Capitals…
No Babysitting Here: While the Islanders have plenty of players who are able to bring it most every night, the inconsistency of some youngsters - most notably Jeff Tambellini and Blake Comeau - has been well-documented. That’s why I asked Scott Gordon if he believes a coach has to, if necessary, lean on his students every day of the season. From what I gather, Gordon has the same approach as the rest of the NHL coaching ranks: eventually, if a player can’t do it on his own, he’s not an NHL player.
Without speaking specifically of Comeau and Tambellini, Gordon said, “They need to have an understanding of what keeps you in the lineup, what makes you successful. It has to be an all-of-the-time thing. I want them to think, ‘I have the information. I know what I have to do. It’s on me.’”
My interpretation: You’ve had many chances, you’ve watched games from the press box. It’s getting very close to the point when you’re going to have to figure it out on your own and eliminate the mistakes.
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Tavares Time: At the suggestion of PB reader Ari S. via email, I asked Gordon if has any plans to play Calder Trophy candidate John Tavares on the penalty kill. The fan had seen some recent commentary from coaches talking about how a team’s best players should play PK.
Gordon’s answer: not this year. Besides having plenty of good options among his forwards, “John is already getting plenty of icetime (an average of 18:48 per game),” said Gordon. “You don’t want to over-do it. I’m sure he’ll be on the penalty kill in his career and he’ll be good at it, but I don’t see going there this season.”
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About That PA Announcement: Risking life and limb, some Islanders staffers contacted me to explain the reasoning behind Coliseum public address announcer Roger Luce declaring this season, “There’s a penalty on the ice.” To me, it all seems expansion team-like and New York Dragonian.
The Islanders believe the announcement is necessary because the Coliseum is one of the few arenas in the NHL without the capability to put microphones on referees when they make the call. The problem is a technical issue that the NHL - which is responsible - has been unable to fix.
Although I had to endure one of my best friends lecturing me about how I “sit up there on your press box throne,” (lol) I thought it fair to pass along this information in the interest of equal time and fair play.
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(Coach and Co. have the laptops packed)
Two-Pronged Road Trip: Although the Islanders do not have another home game until Nov. 25, they won’t be on the road continuously for the next two weeks. They will take advantage of three days in the middle of the month without games to come home, practice, feed the dog and re-pack.
Trip 1: Leave today for Washington, charter from DC to Carolina after Caps game, play in Raleigh on Friday, Sunrise on Saturday against the Panthers and Monday in Boston. After spending less than 24 hours there and getting little to no sun, the Islanders leave South Florida for Beantown immediately after the game on Saturday.
Trip 2: After the Islanders land in Farmingdale shortly past midnight early Tuesday, they have ice in Syosset on Tuesday (could be a day off), Wednesday and Thursday. After practice Thursday, they will fly to Minnesota, where they meet the Wild on Friday. Games Saturday (St. Louis) and Monday (Toronto) complete the trip. The Islanders host Philadelphia the night before Thanksgiving and Pittsburgh at 2:00 pm the day after Thanksgiving.
Tell your friends - there’s a live chat tomorrow on Point Blank during Islanders at Capitals.
25 Responses to “ISLANDERS NOTEBOOK: Boys to Men…Two-Part Road Trip…No JT on the PK… “There’s a Penalty…””
Please Wait
All I can say is when you’re getting goal production out of your 4th line, leave it be until they stop producing. Other than that just glad to see Trent back in the lineup and he fits well with Bailey, who I think needs a veteran on his wing.
Great coverage CB. I thought maybe being its your birthday you would’ve taken a day off, but that’s why you’re the man. Have a good one.
CB - in regards to the refs not having microphones on themselves to announce penalties to the crowd at the Coliseum, I’m 99.9% certain that they’ve done this last season and the season before at the Coliseum. Did something change in the offseason that now we have to have it announced by Roger Luce? Just curious. Maybe I’m mistaken about it being done there in the past, but I could have sworn that the refs were mic’d.
Looks like a make or break road trip early in the year. You don’t want to slip back too far in this crowded eastern conference. The only 2 options for me this year since we obviously won’t win the cup are: 1. Play-offs or 2. Dead last. To me they are the only steps that will help us in the future. And really number 2 would set us up for a long time.
They have been mic’d before, but i find it possible that they could’ve changed the means for doing so technically this season…possibly something more obtrusive, yet incompatible. Roger still doesn’t need the Penalty on the Ice call, though, because he’ll announce it eventually anyway, far as I’m concerned…or use the scoreboard.
Happy Birthday Mr. Botta
Botta’s Birthday !!!! And how old might he be ??
I have no problem with the PA saying there is a penalty on the ice. I’ve been to plenty of hockey games (pro and college) and many fans dont know that a penalty is being called until after play begins again and the PA announces the call. Plus the ref announcements are usually not very clear and difficult to understand.
Moulson - Tavares - Okposo
Bergenheim - Nielsen - Hunter
Tambellini - Bailey - Comeau
Thompson - Park - Jackman
It’s so easy…
Botta Bing! Happy Birthday! Hate multiple off days…need Hockey!
Blake and Tamby are potentially top 6 players. They have very different skill sets. But for either one to be successful they have to drive the net. Say what you will about former NYI Blake; in his prime he could drive the net although it must be said that he took alot of shots to do it but didn’t let his small size get in the way. He has and had courage.and skill-something so far that we haven’t seen on a consistant basis from the other two.
CB with an amazing coinage!
Main entry: dragonian
-adjective
1. of or pertaining to the New York Dragons, Arena Football League affiliate of the New York Islanders.
2. characteristic of a decision that would have been made by an Arena Football League team, not a major league ice hockey team.
3. bush league
Example: “I don’t mind the Ice Girls, but forcing us to watch those FireDancers seems particularly dragonian.”
Happy Birthday CB!
Any idea what the Isles might do if we have another injury on the blue line? Who is in line for a call up at the Bridge? Is Garth looking for a depth D-man via trade or waiver acquisition?
With all of the playmakers on this team currently (Bailey, Nielson, Tavares, Weight) it is nice to see a guy like Hunter who can shoo the puck back in the lineup.
Please scratch Sim. Please. Jeff Tambellini is finally starting to play well and at least get scoring chances.
Altho this is not pertinent, please be kind enough to indulge me - I went away for 2 weeks on 10/3 and returned 10/17 and have been looking for you ever since. I am SO Glad to have found you. I hate the reconfigured Islander website and feel I only get a true picture of what’s what by reading your remarks. Now I hope I can find you again. Thanks for your indulgence and continued great coverage. HMS
happy birthday CB. Thanks for all your contributing to point blank. you are a blessing to Islander fans. A BIG THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!
So Tambellini is 4th on the team in scoring and a +2 with 5 less games than the top 3 but we should sit him over Sim who has 2 points and is a -2 having played 3 more games. Seems logical. Even when Weight comes back sitting Tambellini seems crazy.
Obviously it would help to announce the penalties as soon as they are known. However, “entertainment” often gets in the way of that.
your press box throne lol that made me laugh …… if you sit in your press box throne CB that makes us your loyal subjects and seeing as today is your birthday that means its a holiday and its my obligation not to do any work :-p
Dadi #8 FTW.
It really is that easy.
Did I miss something with Jeff Tambellini? Has he not been consistent since he came back into the lineup recently? What am I not seeing?
Happy Birthday, CB!
I’d sit Sim or Thompson. We have some grit and not enough pure skill in the line-up.
I’ve never been to a game in person with Refs announcements, but on TV I find them to be pointless at best, so I can’t see how having the PA announcer make an extra announcement is at all useful.
CB- i hope you are correct on the ” time to figure it out fella’s” approach the coach is taking with the team.
look at the way the coach uses his ice time. GUYS/LADIES/ fellow POSTERS. its based on merit, not ability. all these guys have a certain level of talent, they are NHL players. some have more then others. but what do you do with your ice time when you are out there! if it was based on raw talent alone..Alexi Yashin.
a funny thing happened on the way to benching SIM, and getting playing time for MEYER, Schremp vs Tamby vs Blake. in a physical sport, guys got hurt/sick. discussion made irrevelant. now its a long road trip, and a test for our paper thin depth.
I think Blake is what he is. Nothing special. How many players his age get significantly better? Maybe 1 in 40. Ive seen enough hockey and so has Snow to know this. Tambellini? Same thing. I’d be shocked beyong belief if he scores 20 goals this year. I dont care about his pro-rated production. Piere Turgeon Had 7 80+ seasons under his belt at the age Tambellini is now.
Doesn’t the PA effectively announce that there’s a penalty when they… announce the penalty?
The refs had mics in previous years, but more than half the time they didn’t work. It probably has something to do with the wireless receivers and the building steel, given the NVMC’s low ceiling. Still, these problems aren’t insurmountable, and the NHL really should be embarrassed by its failure to fix it.