Monthly Archives: December 2009
Check out my colleague Bruce Ciskie’s article on Matt Donovan at FanHouse.
Please check out my story on FanHouse. Thanks…CB
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On Oct. 26, the Islanders announced that Mikko Koskinen, their 2009 second round pick, suffered a torn labrum after playing only two games in Bridgeport. The team said the goaltender, 21 years old and their top prospect with the Sound Tigers, would return in 8-10 weeks.
A few days later, Koskinen had successful hip surgery by Dr. Marc Philippon, the Vail-based surgeon who has operated on, among others, Rick DiPietro, Garth Snow, Mike Sillinger and Alex Rodriquez. The Islanders never announced an updated timeline for Koskinen’s return to AHL action.
On Nov. 8, Koskinen told Mike Fornabaio of the Connecticut Post that his surgery went well and he hopes to begin practicing in three months and playing in four. It was assumed the Finnish goalie was exaggerating his protocol schedule because 3-4 months is a lot more than 8-10 weeks. The Islanders had projected his return to be around Christmas.
Yesterday, on Dec. 14, Koskinen took the ice for the first time since his injury. He skated lightly for 20 minutes without equipment, mostly doing laps. Koskinen told teammates he still won’t return to game action for another 2-3 months. Maybe more.
So we have the DiPietro protocol, and now there’s the Koskinen protocol. When all is said and done, the important Islanders prospect might be lucky to get in 15 games this season. What we do know for sure is he won’t be back 8-10 weeks from Oct. 26. Major hip surgery and months of rehabilitation for a 6-foot-5 goaltender? A very tough break for Koskinen and the Islanders.
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Scott Gordon opted to have his Islanders participate in off-ice workouts only today in preparation for the home-and-home series against the Rangers. “We skated (Sunday) and it didn’t work,” he said. With last night’s 7-1 embarrassment at home to the Panthers, Gordon said, “It’s best to mentally get away from it.”
Gordon, who hosted a team meeting and a handful of one-on-one player meetings at Iceworks, reported that Florida scored on seven of its nine scoring chances last night. “The seven mistakes we made were the kind of ones you can’t give up,” he said, referring to the Panthers’ breakawayathon.
Asked by a reporter if he was thinking about lineup changes – specifically, benching the struggling Bruno Gervais – Gordon would not tip his hand. “I think about lineup changes every game,” he said. The coach has not decided on a goalie rotation for the home-and-home (not that he would share it anyway) and called the Rangers matchups on Wednesday and Thursday “a mini-playoff series.”
If both teams don’t straighten out, these may be the only playoffs they participate in this season.
Said Andy Sutton: “We have to get our game back on track. Hopefully, a little added emotion will help.”
11:25 pm - The Islanders just released this statement from Garth Snow: “Ricky has been seen by the team doctors and most recently a specialist. To make sure we are taking the proper steps in his rehabilitation we will seek an additional opinion and should have a timeline by the end of the week.”
9:28 pm, Minus: Nothing takes the life out of a one-overtime-game-after-a-third-period-washout winning streak like a 7-1 loss to the Panthers in front of 5,000 glorious die-hards rattling around the old barn. Everyone who stayed until the end should have been given a pair of comps, a vintage jersey and a hug.
Plus: If you’re really going to stink it up, might as well get most of the mistakes and lethargic play out all in one night. Say what you will, but the Islanders haven’t had many of these this season.
Minus: This is a word often thrown around in locker rooms post-game, but that first minute of the third period was unacceptable.
Even: This game was not about Dwayne Roloson.
Minus: It’s getting easier to tell when the Islanders are going to lose. Count the odd-man rushes against through the first half of the game.
Minus: Not that Andrew MacDonald has been splendiforous, but I’m surprised Scott Gordon and Dean Chynoweth didn’t take the opportunity with the extra defenseman to send a message to a struggling bluelines. Gordon’s had a good touch with his forward scratches. Why not let Bruno Gervais watch a game from the suite?
Plus: Always nice to see Bryan McCabe, who genuinely loves this place.
Minus: Not a good night for the Tavares line.
Plus: Haven’t said that more than three times this season.
Minus: Back when I was young, I called a whole bunch of Islanders games like this on the radio with Barry Landers, Jim Cerny and Chris King. To be clear, these NHL broadcasters have some of the greatest jobs around. But every once in a while you get one, like tonight, when the clock can’t move fast enough. You knew it was bad when Howie started engaging Butchie in stories about Stefan Persson.
Plus: Butch Goring can turn anything into a positive. Bless him and his helmet.
Minus: I’d love to drop the subject because I have big admiration for him as a young man and hopes for him as a skilled hockey player. But I cannot believe Josh Bailey’s struggles are being reduced to his reluctance to shoot the puck. (Bailey had three blocked tonight, so we’ll hear about that next). His challenges extend much farther than that. I have to believe the coaching staff has the answers for Josh and is just providing weak ones to reporters. But if Gordon and company have tried everything, Bailey’s development should take place somewhere else.
Plus: The good news is the Rangers are coming – not because they’re the hated rival, but because they’re not a good hockey team. We’ll find out if the Islanders, two games under NHL .500 and losers of four of five, are better.
Comments on tonight’s game.
1:05 pm – It looks possible Garth Snow may have plans for prospect Kirill Petrov that do not involve the Russian’s agent. Asked today about Katie Strang’s report from Snow that he is close to securing Petrov’s release from the KHL, agent Sasha Tynjynch said, “Seriously? Are you serious? I don’t know anything about this. Kirill is with Team Russia for the World Juniors and does not know anything about this. I just spoke with him.
“As I’ve told you before, Kirill would like to join the Islanders. I would like to see him with the Islanders soon. I just want to go about it the right way. Garth Snow is a very smart man. He played in Russia during the lockout. Maybe he has some ideas. All I can tell you is, Kirill and I don’t know anything about them. That’s okay. Anything can happen in this business.”
Heck, at this point, I can’t even rule out that the Ottawa-based Russian dude I have in my Rolodex named “Sasha Tynjynch” is really the agent for Kirill Petrov. This is like a John Le Carre thriller. Better believe there’s a secret agent involved. Maybe even a double agent!
Talk espionage here, Islanders-Panthers and everything else Islanders in next thread. Thanks.
11:45 am - Scott Gordon set different line combinations at Friday’s practice, Saturday’s morning skate and the 6:30 pm warmup Saturday night. When the game started, he primarily used the lines from Friday’s practice. As one longtime observer said, “He pulled a Laviolette.”
So I repeat: morning skate lines are always tentative, and very often FOS.
Andy Sutton skated full-tilt. “I think I’m gonna go tonight,” he said. Jack Hillen took part in the skate and walked out of the Coliseum in a boot. “Just protection”! he said when spotted. By the way he tried to give it a go during the second period Saturday night, you know Hillen is a gamer. “I’m ready to go tonight.” If they make it through the pre-game warmup, both will play. Looks likely.
Next-ready Bridgeport dman Dustin Kohn suffered a lower body strain on Friday night in Springfield and is day-to-day. Andrew MacDonald is still here.
In case you missed it, Katie Strang reported earlier this morning that Rick DiPietro’s rehab start for Tuesday has been scrapped. The Islanders’ website reports that Rick will miss his “final” rehab start, but you have to believe he hasn’t played his last rehab game in the AHL. Right?
Dwayne Roloson gets another start for the home team.
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KO’s Points on the Point: As much as others may hate emerging power forward Kyle Okposo playing the point on the power play – I kid about the “others” – it should be noted Okposo is now sixth in the NHL in power play assists with 12. He is one ahead of guys with names like Vinny, Daniel, Anze and Boyle.
I asked Gordon a week ago about the merits of Okposo on the point. The coach went to his dry-erase board to illustrate how KO’s position more often than not results in him going to the net, which is true. Since our talk, Okposo has been an assist machine. So there.
Gordon said this morning that he likes Okposo’s right hand shot, “escapability,” “puck possession” and “intelligence.” “If he makes a mistake, he can recover,” said Gordon. “If you needed any more to prove how much confidence I have in him, he was out there on defense at the start of overtime on Saturday.”
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Schremp Gets a Look (and Dance Review): The head coach on Rob Schremp, from the waiver wire to the press box to the power play: “His skill is exceptional. We want to take advantage of that.”
The coach on Schremp’s excitable reaction on Saturday after his first NHL goal: “If I didn’t know, I would have thought it was planned. It was well-orchestrated.”
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(Minus) 17th and Park: I almost felt dirty asking the question: “I’m not a big proponent of plus/minus and I am a fan of Richard Park, so Scott…uh, what’s the deal with a reliable veteran grinder like Park being a hideous minus-16″?
Gordon’s answer: “We can break down the tape of every goal scored against us when Richard was on the ice. I’d be willing to bet he’s part of the blame for at most five of them. If our opponents are thinking that Richard is a defensive liablity, go ahead.”
Good answer.
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Some Monday reading material…
Nick from Let There Be Lighthouse says Ed Mangano has already received a bunch of nice checks from developers not named Wang and Rechler who might have other ideas for the Coliseum property. Uh oh. Enjoy the homestand!
On a lighter note, the Long Island Press has a lovely feature on the Islanders-Rangers rivalry. They even quoted me like I’m some sort of historian, like The Maven. Man, I’m old. Since the Lighthouse Development Corp., you know, hasn’t done or said a single thing since the Press wrote that they were closing down, no one really could kill the LIP’s integrity right now.
Comments on tonight’s game and this post.
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