WHAT TO EXPECT ON WEDNESDAY
Biron to start, and notes and observations
Botta on FanHouse: Could Tragedy Hit the NHL?
When Rick DiPietro’s practice ended, I visited with Scott Gordon for a few minutes in the coach’s office and spoke with a few other people in and around the franchise. Here are my notes, including some things to look out for when the Islanders host Philadelphia on Wednesday night.
Martin Biron will start for the Islanders. Gordon committed to Biron facing his old teammates and has no regrets. With games Friday and Saturday afternoon, Dwayne Roloson will play soon enough after a well-deserved rest in the wake of his heroic performance on Monday against the Leafs.
Same forwards, maybe different lines. Expect the same 12 forwards for the Islanders against the Flyers - with Blake Comeau and Rob Schremp getting the suite passes - but watch out for some different line combinations. If Jeff Tambellini is going to be an NHLer, it’s likely not going to be as a fourth-liner. And then there’s…
K.O. needs to get on the board. Kyle Okposo has not been at his consistent best over the last week. Gordon said the right wing’s effort has been there, but “he’s not getting the numbers.” The coach said he has missed on some excellent scoring opportunities. “He may be trying to be too fine with his shot,” said Gordon. No matter how you look at it, Okposo is too good to just be 5-8-13 in 23 games.
Andrew MacDonald is sent down. Updated at 8:45 pm The Islanders have returned Andrew MacDonald to Bridgeport of the AHL. So it will be the usual six on D.
Congrats, Jack. You never get tired of watching a solid, dedicated young man like Jack Hillen start to emerge as a quality NHL defenseman. Whatever you’re doing, kid, keep it up.
The St. Louis Blues. Gordon shared this stat, illustrating the breakdowns in the 4-1 loss in St. Louis. The Islanders allowed eight Blues scoring chances off the rush, compared to eight total in their previous four games.
The barn will not be packed. While the Islanders report growth and promise in ticket sales, they still have a way to go before they turn the corner. Based on what’s available on Ticketmaster and what I’ve heard from a few insiders, the Islanders may be fortunate to announce a crowd of 12,000 for the Thanksgiving Eve tilt against the Flyers. If so, I have to believe it’s still the effect of the economy more than anything else. The Islanders have sold out these Thanksgiving weekend games in the past. The Friday matinee against the Penguins will do better, although a sellout is very doubtful.
No Briere for the Flyers: Philadelphia will be without Daniel Briere, suspended two games for his hit last night on Scott Hannan. Briere leads the Flyers with ten goals.
The home team will wear white on Friday. With the Penguins wearing their vintage powder blues on Friday afternoon at the Coliseum, the home team will wear their white Reebok uniform systems.
And finally…The Islanders’ official message board recently ran a poll on the goal song. Of the more than 200 respondents, only 17 voted for the current classic - “Burn it to the Ground” by Nickelback. At last look, 125 voted for “Rock and Roll (Part 2),” although I don’t see the Islanders bringing Gary Glitter back. Just a hunch, but you have to believe the Islanders are going to change it up soon. The fans are feeling good about their hockey team, and the Islanders usually listen to their fans on fan matters.
Comments.
73 Responses to “WHAT TO EXPECT ON WEDNESDAY
Biron to start, and notes and observations”
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kind of pathetic that only 12,000 will be at the old barn tomorrow night but i will be there and i will be loud
12,000 would be disappointing for sure.
With the Mets pricing the Islanders have now would you shell out the extra dollars because its a “gold game!” Abandon this ridiculous pricing and maybe the fans come back…MAYBE!!! This game last year the cheapest seat was $19. This year its $30. What a difference a year makes huh!!! Enjoy the ribs!!!
sucks that okposo isnt putting up the numbers but man he makes such a difference out there. i would like blur song 2 to be the goal song as its easy to go with. i hope we get more then 12,000!!!
I agree Matt, I’ll also be there and also be loud as heck.
I will definitely be there Wednesday evening and 90% certain of being there Friday.
Uprising by Muse….Listen to it. Thats sould be Islanders theme and goal song!
Blur Song 2 is fine as long as we get rid of the ‘wooooos’ at the end of the goal song of the night. CB, keeping the same 12 forwards is fine but do you think they might change the PP units any time soon? I feel like we have taken a step back halfway through the road trip.
Also, when I first read that the Isles would be wearing road whites, I was hoping for a white ‘retro’ jersey for the Isles. I guess I will just have to wait…
Or the Resistance!
Tweezer Reprise should be it!! Or at least when they come on the ice..
Yea Muse and Phish are a good way to go!
Put KO back with JT.
KO will be fine. At first, I was disappointed he was moved off JT’s line. But Gordon does need to balance his scoring. I seem to remember KO and Baily having a bit of chemistry towards the end of last season. I would like to see them both reunited.
Story updated: Andrew MacDonald sent back to the Bridge; Daniel Briere out (suspended for two games)…CB
CB, did you get any feedback on what Gordon thought of MacDonald while he was up?
I really hope there is more than 12k. I live out of state. If i still lived in NY I would not pay 30 for crappy upper level seats. I would juts go to the 36 non premium games.
Nothing like a Turkey Eve tilt to kick off the best weekend of the year. Tomorrow will be a good test for the NYI. Let’s just hope things don’t play out as they did last year. In case anyone forgot, last year’s Turkey Eve meltdown against the Penguins (un)officially set in the motion the now infamous Tavheduch Watch. And then there was that Black Friday debacle in Boston. OK, I’ll stop there. Can’t wait for the puck to drop tomorrow night. Let’s Go Islanders!!!
checked team stats and glaring stat of -11 for Witt, Macdonald +3. Hard to understand the sending of Macdonald back to Bp.
Too bad about MacDonald. Obviously he’s no savior back there, but there are at least two and probably three current d-men he could replace with no real glaring negative defensive repercussions and maybe the added offensive benefit of a decent outlet pass once in a while.
Something tells me MacDonald will be back soon enough! Is it safe to say Dustin Kohn is a bust? Who would be after MacDonald?
12,000 is depressing. I was looking forward to a big crowd and a loud building.
Flat screen tv’s…buy a 50 inch for 700… Who wants to pay these crazy prices when u can see better at home. Plus when the goal isn’t to win the cup this year you kill the hopes of fans. Especially since the isles have “attempted to win the cup” maybe 3 years in the last 14 years. The rest of the years they gave the fans the lowest 4 payrolls in hockey.
Yes I would definitely say that Uprising or Tweezer Reprise would work. Phish at every game (just about)…yeah that could work.
Nothing like the typical Long Island letdown. 12K is pathetic for an NHL game before thanksgiving bad economy or not.
IMHO, I don’t think it’s just the price. $$$ is a factor but it’s not the whole story. There’s a million things to do on Tgiving eve, if you have a 100 bucks to spend, why spend it at an Isles game? Too many fans including myself are finding value in other activities. I’ll just DVR the game, pay my cable bill and wait for the future of the Islanders to be decided– by a bunch of people who have no emotional investment to org at all. Such is life as an Isles fan.
There will be more than 12K.
Tom - this is still an NHL team in NY. A million things to do or not it is a sad state of affairs if the Isles only draw 12-13K tomorrow night on what is bascially a holiday. I agree that there are a million factors, bad teams over the years, expensive tickets, the location of the Coliseum, etc. but the team needs fan support. Get there if you can.
The chorus of “Rock N Roll Outlaw” by Clutch… should be our dang goal song.
If we ditch the “Hey!” goal song and go with a happy party thing like the Hawks do with The Fratellis, I like the Muse idea but I would go with Knights of Cydonia (the part toward the end where they get into the really driving beat).
Isles have lost 10 straight (0-7-3) to the Flyers, time to end that skid tomorrow. Biron dominated the Isles with the Flyers, maybe he can turn the tables.
There should be no reason why the Hunter-Bergenheim-KO line shouldn’t work. They all are quick along the boards and tough on the puck. The problem is they Bergy and Okposo haven’t been able to finish their chances. I want to give this line a few more games together because there is no doubt this should be a good combination. Bailey’s been playing great, hate to break up what he’s doing.
Gordon should can’t forget the chemistry he knows he has with KO-JT-MM. That is the line that can and should put up big numbers
I have looked forward to facing the Flyers without Marry “Isles killer” Biron ever since the day we signed him!
Im going to that game and Im looking forward to it, so theres a couple more people getting tickets lol.
I am glad to hear that Scott wants to mix up the fwds a bit. I really hope that means finding a better spot for Kyle, who just aint right lately.
WTG giving Hillen some praise, CB! I am really pleased with him. Remember when he took that shot and it inadvertently bounced off a skate creating a breakaway? Hillens reaction to that was so calm and clean and posiitonal and SMART… thats the stuff, Jack!
As far as the goal song goes, maybe the Isles could get another band to do a cover version of RnrP2? Since GG doesnt get the royalties from the song anymore if its not even his version then the song will have absolutely nothing to do with him anymore. As long at the kids agree to treat it the way it was treated all those years and quit trying to ruin it, I could see that happening.
PS- Jason (28): When I think “Rock n Roll Outlaw” I think of the band Keel- or even Rose Tattoo- not Clutch lol.
this just gets me sad when I read only 12k will be there. I and 9 others will be at the barn. Show your support if you can.
Hunter-Bergy-KO??? who’s centering that line of wingers?
It seems to slip by the cracks everywhere, but the Islanders used Rock and Roll Part 1 during that span of many years before the “You suck” chants began to break out. As far as I’m concerned, every other team using the song would use Part 2, the Islanders being the only team using Part 1.
I miss the Blur song from the 90s. Woo hoo
I believe its a combination of the tight economy and the overpriced tickets.
Hillen that guy can skate…effortlessly.
Bergy is starting to come around now, with a quality break away goal and also with that quick pass to Bailey for the game winning goal the other night. Same can be said for Bailey but KO is struggling a little of late. I think KO+Bailey+Bergy could be a nice combo to try right now, not a lot of size there but a decent mix of talent speed grit and playmaking.
1) Modern “rock” is pretty horrible. So get rid of the Nickelback and all of this other garbage. Get someone behind an organ, I liked it much better that way. If you want to play recorded tracks, at least use “War” from the Rocky soundtrack. Use something inspiring like that, and not play something about a bunch of Canadian fools getting drunk… Nickelback.
2) There better be more fans in the building than there are lice in my head.
imagine f tavares skated like hillen!!!!!
better yet add hunter to that mix.
12,000 is pathetic. And 2,000 of them will be Flyer fans. This after a good road trip and a holiday eve. NYI marketing is terrible and LI doesn’t deserve a team. They’d get a lot more than 12,000 in QUEENS!
Botta, could you update us on the Lighthouse status soon? I recall you mentioned something might be announced around Thanksgiving.
Also, the Brooklyn arena project won their most important court case yesterday and can use eminent domain by NYC to build the arena. It’s a done deal and Ratner will move the Nets there assuming he gets financing and the Russian billionaire gets approved by the NBA.
The timing is great for Wang. Move NYI to Brooklyn (or Queens). Time to leave the suburbs.
couldn’t agree more with 40 & 41, it’s time the Isles moved to a place where the sport and the team get the respect they deserve, to blame the economy is stupid, most other teams have no problem selling tickets.
Tambellini - Tavares - Moulson
Comeau - Bailey - Okposo
Bergenheim - Nielsen - Hunter
Thompson - Park - Jackman
Let those kids play, Jon Sim is not our future…
It’s not the economy. It’s apathy and lousy marketing. Nassau is 1 of the wealthiest counties in the country. Except most there and in Suffolk don’t care about NYI. Look at the recent TOH election.
Then add NYI’s owner putting his son in law in charge of marketing resulting in no NYI highlights or scores given on many TV news and no radio coverage etc. and it’s out of sight out of mind.
Get me a real Enforcer and ill go!! Till than ill watch from home, i need more entertainment than they are providing!!
Proposed goal song–”Elevation” by U2. The whoos in the refrain would make for a great goal celebration. Plus the guitar riffs are classic.
Other song thoughts: “The Kids are all right” (the Who) whne one of the kids make a great play and the Stones “Can’t you hear me knocking” on a night when the team is mounting a comeback from a deficit.
Is it good marketing to run Rechlitz around(i agrree he is not the answer)all off season as our newest tough guy and fan favorite and than dress the weakest bunch of hockey players ever assembled two years in a row?
im very surprised those hilarious and witty ads in newsday hasn’t led to increased attendence.. sarcasm
‘Aces Beat Kings’ - come see the isles play LA
That was a really good ad they used earlier in the year (sarcasm again)
I would take Gary Glitter in a second! My head is so pummuled continuously with *Stadium Noise* and *Pop* Music (I catagorize even alternative and hard rock that is overplayed as Pop, fwiw) at Sports Events that I prefer something almost *nuetral*. Maybe I am just getting old. : D
Being the Flyers, it will be good to have Witt in tonight. Hope he has a solid game. Really hoping we get a more consistent 4th line also!
I can understand with the *economony* having overall lower attendendance but these two games should have been packed no matter! Nepotism or not it’s pretty sad.
It’s ridiculous when you also consider that there are probably some incrediblely talented PR/Marketing types out there with resume in hand!
Anyway,
Go Isles!
looking forward to being there for this one tonight! dudes better bring their mean streaks tonight cuz the flyers are stocked to the brim with goons!
i would love it if the islanders were to move from long island to brooklyn or queens…. fan support would be there for sure…. it will also bring more media coverage to the islanders and renew the rivarly with the broadway bums just like the late 70’s and early 80’s lets go islanders!!!!!!
“Burn It To The Ground” is now the theme song of Monday Night RAW (pro wrestling). It’s not a horrible song.
DANK516
When i first heard muse “uprising”…the first thing I thought was that it would make a great islanders goal song. I listen to it before I step on the ice….gets me totally jacked.
Anything is better than the original “Let’s….Go….Is-lan-ders” song. I cringed everything I heard the chorus.
‘Everytime’ not ‘everything’….anyway, would love to see the Isles take it to the Flyers tonight. I wish this team would play with more of a chip on their shoulders.
Just my opinion, but Bergy and KO shouldn’t be on the same line. They play the same exact game along the boards, and usually end up getting in each other’s way. They’re practically fighting each other for the puck sometimes. Now that I said that, they’ll play on the same line and score 3 goals each tonight
2 things…Jack Hillen has looked great in the games he has played. The difference from last year leads me to believe that he will turn into a solid puck moving/skating defenseman for the Isles and if they hang onto to him.
The key word in CB’s paragraph about attendance is “announced”. The announced attendance is at least 20-25% higher than the actual number. There won’t even be close to 12K in the Coli tonight. They’ll be lucky to have 10K walk through the gate. I agree with CB, the economy is a big factor here. Facts are facts, hockey is just not on most people’s radar.
The bottom line regarding the attendance is the ticket prices - the prices are just too high! $100+ to sit in the 100s and 200s is crazy. . $70 for good uppers is just too much. . It makes it an easy decision to stay home and watch it on your couch in HD.
Nice to see the goal song is a topic of conversation again. . Isles need to find something the fans can get into and stick with it! It’s a big hit to the ‘game experience’ when your team scores and then the arena’s goal celebration routine is lame.
In the last 24hrs. a lot of tickets have sold on ticket exchange. Of course a lot of lower tickets are available on Ticketbastard. That is a direct result as being way tooooo expensive…
@TMC - Keel… that brings back memories!
For entry music, I’d recommend “Breathe” by Ministry, whoch starts off with some terrific duo drumwork that is similar to Gatorade’s current commercial line, then builds from there.
For a goal song, I’d really be OK with Gary Glitter’s standard, though Chris’ Keel reference makes me think that “The Right to Rock” might work
- I wonder whether something like Galvanize might work.
Just get rid of the damned “Woooo!” crap, please.
Now that Hunter is back, put KO back on the line with JT and Moulson:
Moulson-Tavares-Okoposo
Tambs-Nielsen-Hunter
Bergy-Bailey-Comeau (sim i guess)
Park-Thompson-Jackman
I tried to buy tickets with my AAA discount. I have called the number that the islanders give for a week and a half. The rep from the isles finally got back to me. Great–I bought the tickets for face value 2 days ago. This is just another instance of why people don’t go to games.
cusi– i compeletely agree.
Can people stop with the “long island doesnt deserve a team” crap!…when the islanders were making the playoffs in the early part of the 2000’s the place had 14,000 every night, and guess what, they had a good product on the ice AND TICKETS WERE CHEAP…in the 01-02 season it cost me 8 bucks to get into a game and i went to 31 games that year…now prices have more than doubled in an economy that is half of what it used to be…if prices were brought down and the team keeps playing the way it is, the barn will get filled. wang is going to lose money either way, so what is better, having nobody in the arena by charging 20 bucks for up top? or having people in the arena by charging ten bucks?
There are very little tickets left on stubhub. The more I think about it, there are alotta young islanders fans coming home for college break who would love to go see a game before they go out. I can see this game being a sellout….maybe its wishful thinking though
also, newsday is running an ad in today’s paper…if you bring 3 cans of food to the game tonight you get a free ticket to the december 21st game…maybe that will also motivate people to go to get a 2 for 1 type deal
Why not a goal song from Queen’s own The Ramones? They are world famous, classic, high-energy and they work on every level. They have dozens of songs. I’ve heard them played in other arenas everywhere. If “Rock N Roll pt. 2″ ain’t tired then neither is “Blitzkrieg Bop”. If the N Time to take back what is yours Long Island!
Gordo needs to take KO off that line with Nielsen. They are producing next to nothing. They obviously arent meshing. Either put KO with JT or Bailey.
Chris, what does SG like about Sim more tha Comeau?
Hello out there - Thanksgiving Eve game when I have 17 people coming for dinner tomorrow. I work full time and night time is the only time I have to prep for this annual event. How about the team plays elsewhere on T-Day. How many of the men at the game go home and stay up till all hours preparing? Not too many. So in my world, 12,000 fans sounds good. Since many season ticket holders just happen to be female, take the 12,000 and stuff it in your turkeys.
It is upsetting me that KO doesn’t have 10 goals right now…The mans an animal out there but he hasn’t found his finishing touch…I wonder if its because hes not crashing the net like a power fowards should do…
I have another theory, if KO wasn’t at the point on the PP wouldn’t he score more goals???