SNOW’S GOOD YEAR HAS ISLANDERS IN THE RACE
Focus stays on meaningful games, not draft dreams
It’s January 7 and the Islanders are 18-18-8. They are 5-1-1 in their last seven games (the last six decided by one goal). They are one point out of eighth place in the Eastern Conference, three out of seventh place and four out of sixth.
No, Virginia, there isn’t going to be a Taylor Hall/Cam Fowler Watch before the Olympics. There may not even be one in April.
Stand up and take a bow, Garth Snow. When the general manager decided to not sign an established veteran forward and defenseman in the offseason, he ran the risk of watching his rebuilding team being out of the playoff race before Christmas. Now the Islanders will be playing important games for most, if not the rest of the season. Who wouldn’t have signed up for 18-18-8 in September? That a healthy majority of Snow’s draft prospects are developing steadily only adds to the final result of a very, very good year for the GM.
Sorry you probably won’t win the Jack Adams Award, Scott Gordon, but that has never been a good career move anyway. Let Joe Sacco or Dave Tippett or any of the other half-dozen worthy candidates like the Islanders coach take the hardware. Would the Islanders be at NHL .500 today if John Tortorella, Paul Maurice, Marc Crawford or Bob Hartley were coaching this team? The answer is no.
And, of course, ultimately the credit goes to the players who have hung in night after night during a season that just about everyone except their relatives said they’d be out of by Valentine’s Day.
An esteemed NHL voice recently wrote that the Islanders would be better off losing and getting a Hall or Fowler or Tyler Seguin. That’s all fine in theory, you know, when you don’t actually live in the Country, but what’s the point? This is the Islanders’ lineup. Between now and the hours after the trade deadline, the lineup is not going to change drastically. There will not be any deals to significantly impact the current roster positively or negatively. Between now and the deadline, the Islanders are still going to be very much alive in the playoff race. Let’s take a look.
Of the eight playoff spots in the East, five appear to be locked down with wins and expectations:
New Jersey
Buffalo
Washington
Pittsburgh
Boston
There are nine points separating the nine teams between the No. 6 and No. 14 holes in the East.
Ottawa
Rangers
Montreal
Islanders
Philadelphia
Atlanta
Tampa Bay
Florida
Toronto
The Hurricanes are still ten points back of 14th and there is a lot of talk of them being big sellers before the trade deadline, so they remain out of this discussion.
Now, what do the nine teams battling for the available three spots have in common? None of them are very good. Fact is, Rick DiPietro can struggle in his comeback, Jon Sim and Josh Bailey could cool off (did I just write that?) and the Islanders can lose five in a row this month and still be in playoff contention.
Maybe one of the nine teams runs away with a spot before the Olympic break in mid-February, but three will not.
You can make the case that the worst thing that could happen to the Islanders would be falling short of the playoffs – yes, that’s still where my bet is – and picking from this year’s Nazem Kadri bunch around 7-12 in the first round of the draft. You might be right. There would also be nothing you or anyone else can do about it. Kyle Okposo and company will not stop playing to win the games.
Then again, look at it this way. If the foundation of the Islanders’ rebuilding plan was simply to finish last and collect first overall picks, you and I could have been the general manager.
Heaven forbid the Islanders play meaningful games for the rest of the regular season – and perhaps beyond – Garth Snow will not have the windfall of franchise players Ray Shero inherited when he replaced Craig Patrick in Pittsburgh. That was a once-in-a-generation stroke of fortune anyway. Snow will have to build a consistent contender the way most of his successful counterparts have.
No matter how the Islanders finish this season, we’ve now seen enough of Snow’s work the last two years to understand he’s very capable of finishing the job.
Comment Guidelines. More to come later in the day…maybe.
136 Responses to SNOW’S GOOD YEAR HAS ISLANDERS IN THE RACE
Focus stays on meaningful games, not draft dreams
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Lenny says:
Here here CB! Great post!
CB, what was Snow’s personality like as a player? It seemed like he had to take on that serious business like approach from the start since most wrote off his GM hiring as a joke. Will his real personality start to come out more with success, or is this Snow?
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UIF says:
Absolutely go for it, Isles. Enough of the “we need to lose”. I don’t think they get in this year, but frankly I’d much rather watch a team fight for its life than intentionally tank any year.
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Figgy says:
Cheers to Garth and the whole gang! Just win baby! I would rather be talking about them sneaking into the last spot in the playoffs than who they are going to draft any day. Winners focus on the end goal. I hope they feel like they can make the playoffs then anything can happen!
I’m a proud Islander fan – I want to see them work hard, get better and win! -
thepolishprince says:
It sucked watching the team lose last year, John Tavares notwithstanding. Keep up the good work Snowy and Co!
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Bill says:
A few years back when Garth was playing I was fortunate enough to get tickets right behind the Isles bench. Garth was not playing that night so you would expect him to be sitting on the end of the bench tending to the door. He was exactly the opposite. I seemed like he didn’t sit down for the whole game. He seemed like another coach yelling out to the players and getting on the refs. I was so impressed by his involvement in a game he could have just been a passive spectator to that I remember it to this day. Clearly Snow has his heart in the right place and wants the team to win. I think he has done a fine job and yes I would have taken 18-18-6 in September.
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JLaMonica16 says:
one hell of a post
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Great post CB. I think Garth has proven time and again that he’s not just a backup Goalie.
You are absolutely correct in saying that the worst thing that can happen is to just miss the playoffs at a 9 or 10, unless we’re fighting for 8th seed the next time we play the Raggies. That would leave 3 weeks of playoff type hockey, which could be a great learning experience. Not as good as games after April 11, though. This is a great opportunity for a young team like the Isles. They will be rested and probably hungry, come March. The Isles season this year could be very story book. All the pieces are in place. -
4theisles says:
CB Alittle bit of cheer leading and super optimism but I hope you are right- This will be an interesting discussion of these thoughts in retrospect in April. This is the opposite of Monday morning quaterbacking.
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mrlbem says:
I think Snow’s entire tenure as GM has been good–not just this year. He went for it with the Smyth trade, but was shrewd enough not to give up anything of value. He’s arguably had the best UFA signings in the league over each of the past two seasons and he managed to acquire a first round pick for Chris Campoli. What’s not to like, especially when you compare him to his much longer tenured predecessor.
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Dan from Westchester says:
Agree 100%. . This season has been an unexpected treat so far.
From Bailey’s sweet passes, KO’s dogged determination EVERY SHIFT, Schremp’s sick hands, Sutton’s crushing hits, Rolie the goalie’s amazing play and even Jon Sim playing a role – this team is finding it’s identity and on most nights has been pretty entertaining to watch.
They are what they are right now – an up and down .500 team – which is better than most could have hoped for at this point. .and with the young guys getting better game by game – there looks to be a lot of upside for this team!
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Scott D. says:
The pick first every year routine isn’t a sure bet anyway. Look at the Senators. Five years of being the worst team in the league in the early 90s netted them Yashin, Daigle, Bonk, Berard and Phillips. So even if you do manage to score that many top three picks, there’s no guarantee that you’ll strike gold and wind up with Fleury, Crosby, Malkin and Staal. Point is, it’s building a team is still a crap-shoot even if you’re picking that high. Play to win. Let the chips fall where they may.
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peter21 says:
I expect and hope the Isles will continue to play meaningful games this season. I never understood, from a player’s perspective, playing to lose for draft positioning and I wouldn’t want players that felt ok with doing that on my team. Here’s to an interesting end to the season!
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Brian G says:
NO one really thought they would be .500 at this point in the season…including the media & fans…personally I thought they were going to be bottom 5 in the NHL (there is a chance they could be with the parody in the league)…the surprise is the amount of close games this team has played in…the last year or so they have gotten spanked in many games but not really at all this year….I give Snow credit for sticking to his plan…but hope he just doesn’t make a Darren Van Impe move at the deadline if the team is in contention after the next 18 games.
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As much as a Hall or Fowler would be nice to draft, this just shows the Isles are maybe a bit further along in their rebuild than many expected. From solid Mgmt and coaching, and the players giving their all (I never really see a player not trying out there), they’ve made a nice run of things. Hope it continues…
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“Party on garth” hahaha. I hate the “lose out” mentality. I don’t see that being positive at all. Not unless its the last few games of the season.
I never thought I’d say this – not as an insult to Snow, I just didn’t know what to expect, but I trust him. I do think he does his homework and wants to make this franchise back into the dynasty it used to be.
I’d like him to be a little more aggressive in terms of adding some toughness, and hopefully this summer (or sooner) scoring help, but overall I like his body of work.
I like staying on course for the rebuild.Really interesting next few weeks. I think we can extend this little run we’re on. Hopefully when it stops we don’t hit the wall too hard, and can put together another one in march or so…make the push!
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isles99 says:
im all for winning games but the cold hard reality is isles are done after round 1. is that worth it for sacrifcing an elite prospect. long term thinking tells you it is not.its amazing how ppl here praise the islanders when they get on a little winning streak but absolutely rip them apart when they lose a couple in a row. the islanders will prob. finish 9-10 which doesn’t really help the organization long term.
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rb says:
Last year there were 3 players at the top of the draft (Taveduch) who were considered game changers. I don’t get that sense this year even though Hall and Fowler are supposed to be pretty good. So while it was important to finish at the bottom last year, I don’t think it’s crucial or necessary this year.
This also shows the wisdom of using a bunch of mid-round picks to move up and take deHaan at 12 last year. Snow essentially bagged two top picks last year when he had the chance.
I think the next step is to identify who might not fit long term and do a young vet for young vet deal. That’s when the GM job gets more challenging.
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Metalcoconut says:
I’m glad to see Snow have the opportunity to make the right moves without feeling the effects of the angry mob beating at the door. The franchise will be all that much better for it in the long run. Plus the team will be able to build a sense of team rather than the feeling of trade bait (for the most part.)
Great article CB. -
Isles Fanatic says:
Good read, but still too early to prognosticate that the Isles will be in the hunt till April, too many teams either in front of the Isles or right behind them have 2-3 games in hand.
Yes those teams must wins those games, but chances are that most will will some of them, putting them either ahead or on par with the Isles…
I will say this, the seaons is a fun ride, and the team is heading in the right direction…Go Isles Go…
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I never understood fans who want to see their team lose so they could get a better draft pick. Sure, when the team is out of it early and has nothing to play for, like last year, then it’s natural to want to finish last and get 1st pick. But some fans have to realize that players and coaches don’t think that way, or at least they better not be thinking that way lol. Especially when they have a chance, as small as it may be, to make the playoffs. If they make the playoffs and lose in the 1st round I’d still be very proud of this hard-working team, and it would be a huge step forward in the rebuild.
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Quagmire says:
Agreed on the job Snow has done. You can’t say enough how good Roloson has been. He is the reason they have been in so many close games and last night he was just stellar. He stole that game in my opinion.
Question: if DP’s play progresses over the next 2 months and they are confident he is really back, what are the chances of Trading Roloson with 1 year left on his deal rather than Biron, since I would assume the market for Roloson would be better at this point given his strong play? Not that I want to see him go, but it may be a smart long term decision for the team to make if they can get back a good return.
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James says:
#15 that really isnt the point, and you can clearly see that the NHL draft can be a crapshoot. The Isles could get a great player at #17 while say Toronto gets a dud at #6, there is no way of knowing
That is why you do not play for draft position.
It is great to see this post, great job CB. I have been behind Garth and defended him on many occassions. I am glad to see the praise he is getting now and love the way the team is playing.
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kurvers28 says:
It’s 5-1-1 in last 7
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Priest says:
Under no situation would I want to see my team play to lose. I don’t care if it is the last game of the season playing against a teamyou are tied for last with (in that case if I were Gary Bettman, I’d abuse my power and say that the teams will have equal chance at the pick regardless of outcome.) If we finish 10th, so be it. The experiance of playing meaningful games in march/April will only help the team in the long run.
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MissingVukota says:
I really like this team but I’ll be honest…I was definitely hoping for one more fairly bad season to get us into Hall/Fowler range. Ok..maybe not hoping but ready to accept just one more horrible season. We still need, IMO, one more superstar type player..
eh that’s just my 2 cents.
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Dan says:
of course it would be great to have hall/fowler but this years draft is very deep. i dont think you can go wrong in the top 10. seguin, kabanov, tarasenko, burmistrov, mcfarland, gudbrandson, gormley, et al are all solid looking prospects. im 100% behind garth’s slow and steady rebuild, i think he has it bang on.
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hale78 says:
to post 15….you can’t try to lose…you can find a good player at 9-12 in the draft..you have to change the losing nature…who cares if they lose in the first round…making the playoffs would be a great season…also garth has been shrewd at the draft i wouldn’t put it pass him to move up if he found a player he really liked
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Islander86 says:
Keep up the good work Snowy and Co!
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Willis says:
Thanks for the feel good entry CB. While there have been many things happening this year within the organization that have us scratching our heads (and seem to be embarrassingly cheap), the hockey part of things has been steadily showing improvement. Cupboard is no longer bare, we fans can see development with our own eyes, and hope is alive within the nation. Yay!
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Mike L says:
I really dont know how long the Isles can keep this up. Only one point out of a playoff spot, but 7 out of second worst team in the entire league. As far as the draft goes, I would love a Fowler as much as the next person, but the Rangers of all teams have shown that you can get good value later in the draft. It’s nice to enjoy the season and I’ll enjoy the wins while they last.
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EJ-1since40 says:
CB, one heck of a post. And yes, all 16,234 seats would be taken at the NVMC if we were all asked to sign up for this spot we are in back in September at the barn.
One hell of a post sir, keep up the great work!!
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Stumpy32 says:
While I think CB’s a little too far into the deep end of the kool-aid, I do tend to agree with the larger point – Snow has done a very impressive job thus far, even if a lot of his work (i.e. draft picks) will take years to show whether they were too smart moves. Either way, the youngsters have done a solid job this year. Plus, I never got the point in tanking. Unless you’re getting top 2 or 3, is there really a guarantee that the 5th pick is going to be much better than the 13th pick? Because, at the end of the day, we’re probably not a top 8 team in the east. That being said, we’re bottom 14, and with the point totals higher in the west, likely bottom 10-12. I’d like to think there are 10-12 quality players around 18 years of age around the world that are draft-eligible that can help the rebuild. They may not be Crosby, or JT, but I think we’ll be fine. And is it so terrible to win fans back too by playing important games?
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Alfred says:
So is the team still in “rebuilding” mode, or are they making a playoff run?
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James C says:
Another great piece CB, thanks again for what you do.
BTW you got a nice shout out from Jiggs last night, buy him a beer?Islanders are playing inspired hockey, Islander Country is a proud peoples as of late.
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bob l says:
last year i was watching games SOLELY to see how Kyle and Josh were progressing, this year i watch games because — as inconsistent as they are sometimes — they can win any night, and that’s worth not picking top 5 to me… there’s talent all through the draft not just in the top 3-5 guys
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oh, and cheers to Jiggsy, CB, i’m surprised you didn’t thank the man for his plug of you and your blog last night!
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James says:
.500 is admittedly an unexpected surprise, but there is still a ton of work to be done before I pat Snow on the back. Yes that’s stating the obvious, and so is this: there are still gaping holes on defense, a lack of size and toughness everywhere, and a need for more scoring from the top six fwds.
While the latter may be addressed as some of the Isles’ younger forwards come into their own, I’ll be curious to see what Snow does over the next year to address the former two (since the top d prospects are still 2-3 yrs away).
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Blizzard says: …things are looking up!! Congradulations Garth! Now if we could only get closure on the Lighthouse! I watch the game last night and I kept thinking to myself, why isnt hockey more popular? I mean last nights game was really entertaining. The NHL blows the NBA away IMO. I just dont get it.
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If everyone is so happy about this team – show up to Tuesday’s game vs. Detroit ..I’m sure there are thousands of tickets available…
PS: Wang should have a Jiggs Bobblehead night next year
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Islander says:
Isles looked good last night! Gordon keep the lines as they are now, seeing some chemistry with all the lines. Everybody worked hard!
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Schultz39 says:
If we would have only blown half of the 2 and 3 goal leads in the first half, we’d be in 6th place right now. If anything I’d like to see us get an upgrade in defense around or leading into the deadline – a good stay at home guy who can help complement Streit. Sutton has done a good job so far this year but he’s not a top pair shutdown dman.
The work ethic on this team is great.
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hyedray says:
I have seen all kinds of negativity from so-called Islander fans about this team, and the work of Snow and Gordon. This is pretty delusional.
The facts and truth show a much different reality.
If we pick 7-12, I have the same belief and aspirations for that player being an NHL success. Plus Snow and Jankowski have proven that they know what they are doing.
The later round picks they have selected are proving to be on the cusp of strong NHL careers. Donovan, Harmonic Niemi and Petrov were excellent picks. The Isles management team had the foresight to I.D. and hold players they inherited, and development of players like Jack Hillen and Andy McDonald has been excellent. The signings have be thoughtful, and deliberate in Streit, Moulson, Roloson, and Biron.
My trust is in the GM and Asst. GM to not mortgage our future at the deadline and to put together another strong draft in June.
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streit02 says:
Good to hear Snow getting credit. The guy deserves so much. The only reason he gets any backlash is b/c he used to be their backup goalie. At first, even i was in shock at the move, but snow has done nothing, but good things for this franchise. His most credited, then most criticized trade (Ryan Smyth) would still look great today adn I think 30 out of 30 GM’s would still make that trade today. Mark Streit, Matt Moulson, Dwayne Roloson, Martin Biron…Buying out Yashin, going against the grain and grabbing extra picks and taking bailey instead of filatov (which i was also against), trading healthy scratch chris campoli for a 1st rounder lol. Aside from the handling of the Rick Dipietro situation early on I dont see one move that Snow has made that was a bad move. He deserves every bit of credit he gets and most of all the credit of staying the course of the rebuild and we are already seeing some of the reward. Good job Garth! Kudos to you CB as well for the mentioning of point blank by jiggs last night.
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dose says:
great comments. i am very happy to have been completely wrong about where this team would be now. i more expected 10-26-8 than 18-18-8. not only do we see honest effort and hard work ever night (maybe 1 or 2 exceptions), which is the most i was hoping for, but they win too. hard work and really good coaching are clearly what’s driving this, but darn right that the g.m. has done a helleva job putting together this particular mix of guys. and very few if anyone at all saw it coming. i can’t rememeber the last time i was so happy to be so wrong about anything.
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Jerky says:
I like the fact the team is getting praise but lets face reality. Roloson is the sole reason we are better than last season. Without him we have the same or fewer points than last year.
Second, as was pointed out in a recent broadcast, the Isles are on pace to score fewer goals than last year when they scored the second fewest in the league (201 goals I believe). That is NOT progress and again, Roloson is the primary reason for the improvement in the standings to this point.
I don’t want to see the Isles lose to get the top pick in the draft, but let’s be realistic with our praise for Snow and Gordon to this point. They still have much to improve on this team to be competitive.
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tommyG says:
say we do make the playoffs, make it known to other FA’s we have a solid young core for years to come, then we might be able to score on kolvochuc or someoneelse with serious talent
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Hockey1919 says:
It’s still five weeks to Valentine’s Day so let’s not get ahead of ourselves, but seeing that this is a playoff bubble team why the heck didn’t Snow sign some veteran UFA forward or defensive depth to get us geared for a Cup run? (just kidding)
Snow deserves full credit for signing Roloson and some credit has to go to so many of the teams in the East for falling fast and hard. The season has been more fun than anticipated, but the key for Snow is to focus on the long-term development of the franchise and treat any spikes in improvement along the way as a bonus and not distract them from building through the draft.
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Eastonhockey says:
I disagree w botta here. Being %500 is meaningless nowadays with losses not counting as losses. The minor league system is stocked about where a 5th grader could run the draft using the hockey news. Snows islanders are the worst in hockey for the 2 seasons before this 1. Isles likely last in division this season n out of playoffs. I’ve seen expansion wild win 2 rounds of playoffs so for me to say snow is doing a good job I need something other then 1 of worst teams in pro sports.
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Boss12 says:
Take Rolo off the team and we would be fighting for last place with Carolina. I always root for the Isles to win but at the same time I’m always thinking about how much better they would be with Hall Seguin Fowler or maybe Kabanov. If they don’t get one of the prospects that can step right in and play in the NHL we will be facing a huge disappointment next season…
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Jon says:
Been following hockey extremely closely for the past 30 years, almost all as an Islanders fan but an avid hockey fan.
Chris, you’re among of the best sports journalists I’ve ever read.
With all the crap bloggers that have emerged, the many TMZ-like approach to reporting, you’re clearly a breath of fresh air that has emerged from nowhere.
Your hockey knowledge, level-headed view of not just the Islanders, but hockey in general, is rarely seen in hockey coverage.
Keep up the great work.
You should consider a gig on the NHL network or TSN or Sportsnet when/if offered. I believe it will in time.
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Excellent article CB, and to think things can only get better in the future is very satisfying.
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Josh says:
In the immortal words of Herm Edwards: “You play to win the game….” [while looking completely exasperated]
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JPinVA says:
I couldn’t agree more that Garth has done an outstanding job, but I would temper that with this:
1. Matt Moulson was in the same garbage heap as Moore, Mauldin and Flood. “DEPTH SIGNINGS” Having one of these guys playing top line minutes in the NHL with your #1 overall draft pick is no stroke of genius. You can’t argue that Tanguay (or a host of others) wouldn’t be helping this team more than Matt Moulson. No offense to Matt, but that was a guy buying 4 $1 scratchers and winning $10… But he still needs $50 to pay the electric bill.(100) -
mikef says:
CB, don’t the islanders have to be seller’s at this years trade deadline. Sim has to be on the top of the trading block right now the way he’s playing. He went from a guy who passed through waivers to someone who’s been more effective (and cheaper) than Sean Avery. Also, if the Islanders don’t lock up Sutton by the deadline (someone who also is high value) can they stand to let him walk, when they can prob get a late 1st round pick out of him to someone like Detroit?
How do they position themselves when they’re on the cusp of a playoff spot by the deadline?
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JtorBust says:
Lets not forget the Guerin fiasco , handled with little class and we got little in return for a missing piece of a championship team-
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IslesAl says:
Great read CB! I have been a little critical of Snow and the drafting, but the team is playing well, and Gordon’s system is taking shape. No tired team third period collapses in a while! I still would prefer focusing the draft on areas where we seem to not be able to sign veterans, at the scoring forward positions, as those free agent players typically pine for the large market teams. But overall, so far this season is a step in the right direction.
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Ethan K says:
Eastonhockey – Why don’t you just root for another team already? You literally never say anything positive about the team now, or the future, or the past. Why do you stick around?
When you’re in a division with the Devils, Penguins, Flyers, and Rangers, it’s not hard to come in last, especially when you haven’t gotten close to the cap ceiling yet. Being .500 early in a rebuild is not meaningless. It means our foundation has hopes for the future.
Do you honestly think drafting is easy? Listening to scouting would have gotten us Nikita Filatov rather than Josh Bailey and extra picks to get us other prospects. It also wouldn’t have gotten us Travis Hamonic 53rd overall in the draft.
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2. There is no way of knowing what Torts, Crawford or Queneville would have brought to this team. They might have used a few more TO’s, and maybe the team wouldn’t be giving up 40 shots a night. I’m okay with what Gordon, and the team has grown into, but I still don’t like it defensively, and they are missing a certain measure of toughness. I’m not sure the TURN THE OTHER CHEEK attitude is going to get them where they need to be. I can’t see Marc Crawford ending a 3-2 game with Nate Thompson on the ice… but what do I know.(104)
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CG says:
Any Isles fan not thrilled with the progress of the team this year is insane. Some one just mentioned .500 as being meaningless in the NHL. This team being .500 even by NHL accounting standards is very meaningful. The Isles were 12-28-4 – 28 pts after 44 games last year. Mentioning the word playoffs on Jan 7 is incredible.
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jeff says:
Sorry Chris, but it is WAY too early to be giving kudos to Garth or this team. Being in the hunt in a league where 50% of the teams make the playoffs is nothing to brag about. And don’t underestimate the negative effect from DP’s return. Other than fooling MM into drafting him first, DP has done nothing to distinguish himself.
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jimisles says:
Let’s all remember that Snow just happens to be the GM, but has some very knowledgeable gents working with him.
As for the direction of the Islanders, it is looking good. It does get a bit frustrating at times to watch, because this team is 1 player short for each line. I do not have the time to look up who is in the last year of their contracts, but from what CB has said the Islanders are going to have to spend some where around $8,000,000 to be at the cap floor which hopefully the Islander will fill some holes.
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Pablo says:
My problem with Snow is not his idleness, I think patience is great in letting a team get together. Nor is my problem with Snow in getting free agents or trading for big players. My issue is will the team sign our UFA’s next year so that the team building of this year is not set back. Especially Mr. Sutton who in my eyes has earned a long term extension a la Witt (though for more money).
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Upstate Islander says:
I hope Garth does not do anything to change this team unless it is for a young player. Winning this year is important but building to improve every year is more important.
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the reason it’s a good job by the g.m. is that he’s in a forced holding pattern because of all the franchise meshugas and working with his hands tied, but still put together a group that competes every night and is a pain in the neck to play against. he obviously made some real good decisions here. noone’s saying the man is ‘sports exec of the century’ but he certainly deserves a tip of the hat and if i was wearing one i’d tip it.
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Original Rob says:
I am pleased with the Isles play so far this season, but I do believe that they need another top-3 draft pick type of talent to become a real competitor in the near future.
I think that it’s too early to give Snow too much credit. The Hurricanes are the only team in the whole conference, maybe even whole league without a legit shot at making the playoffs. All other 29 teams are hunting. And for anybody to say that Garth and Jankowski have been drafting great, I recommend we hold off judgement on that front until most of their “great” draft picks (Hamonic, Petrov, and especially de Haan) actually play NHL games. Bailey has had a nice 10 games, and JT has shown flashes. But there’s just not a big enough sample size yet. I’m not saying they’re not doing a good job, but the resume is nowhere near sufficient yet.
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Jim Clark says: Garth Snow is a better GM than Mike Milbury.
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Don't Mind the Haters says:
The Isles will not be in playoff contention if they lose 5 in a row.
They need to win at least 6 out of every 10 from here on out to to be in the hunt for the 8th spot during the last week of the season.
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steve says:
our last two first round picks are on the team. i will be curious to see if the GM decides to give our young defenders time, serious time, in the ahl, or decides to move them up. clearly JT has the talent, and the jury was/sill is on JB. take a kid(hes 18) like hamonic, whos played very well at the highest level available to his age. does he get time at the NHL level, or to the AHL( yeah, i know hes 6-8 weeks bad shoulder).
the team is at 500, huge strides. having been a fan of a team thats been in the half of the league that misses the playoffs, i’ll take my chances and vote for games after 4/11. voted with my Visa, tix to a half dozen games in the second half.
this off season draft picks, use of cash concerning UFA’s and what is done with blue line prospects should be fun. this time last year, all talk about draft. now, we write of playoffs. thats not a good thing. -
meant to type, thats a good thing!
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Quez says:
Great job on keeping us informed CB. Kudos to Garth and Janks for strong drafts & being able to resist drafting the consensus (Filatov). I’m confident that come draft day, playoffs or not, Garth’s team will I.D. the player they want and act accordingly. Myself…I like Fowler over Hall. After watching WJC, Hall is gonna end up w/
concussion problems unless he learns to skate with his head up. -
19 Isle in NJ 22 says:
I give credit to Snow for sticking to his guns … but more than anything I give him credit for taking care of a shakey goaltending situation … even with some key injuries this season we’ve seen nothing like we’ve seen last season.
The question is … Are the Isles a decent .500 team, on the playoff bubble? Or are they just lucky to be in that conversation? As the saying goes … you are what your record says you are.
Sure the Isles have taken some points the first half of the season … but we also know that they’ve given away some points … a lot of points. As I said during the live chat last night … I’m just not ready for a defeatest draft pick watch yet. That’s not this season’s story.
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Cary says:
This is why I love PB. Thanks CB.
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IslesHostage says:
Well, Snow deserves props (still watching that green light on the trade you were promising was on the horizon) and Gorton isn’t awful, but I’d give Snow the props for the record due to the character guys he focused on.
Are we above .500 now if a different coach preaches defense first, solid positioning and isn’t running his players into exhaustion with third period collapses and overuse of Park, Jackman and Thompson? Are rookies and young prospects getting VITAL playing time on the PK and critical situations for the benefit of the team in the future now? I keep seeing Park, Thompson and Jackman given this time that our rookies need to get for their development. Yet Nolan was fired for not playing the kids.
Sorry, there are better coaches and were better ones to be had. Luckily, I was for Dean Chynoweth when it became clear Snow wasn’t going to hire anyone with more experience after the Nolan/Snow battle. Gordon is just vastly overrated and coaching a system that the players he has are wrong for.
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isles316 says:
snow was the best thing to happen to this team since the eighty’s
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Here’s my problems w snow. Snow turned a avg yashin team into a cellar dweller for probably 5 years till they make playoffs again. That’s 5 years to get back to Jason Blake/ yashin level. Plus most of future isles aren’t even on the team yet. They aren’t even in ahl yet. Every team in hockey has a Calvin dehan in juniors or a harmonic or a top goalie or foward prospect. Plus.. The NHL may have 7 teams with losing records this year. Surely that eliminates the pat on backs for a %500 record. For fans who use the tough division excuse for being in last every year…maybe isles should be in ahl if they can’t compete with NHL teams. If a hitter hits %200 in big leagues he gets sent to triple a.
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battfist says:
Here’s a toast to Gordon and Snow for a good job this season.
Roloson has been even a better signing then streit was last year. Without Rolo-we’d be back to last season.
I like Gordon as the Isles coach. He is showing some energy behind the bench recently.See you in the playoffs…
Go Isles! -
AngryPete says:
It’s amazing what your take on the hockey season is as an Islanders fan when you’re playing meaningful games in January/February. Thanks to the last decade, I will NEVER take the playoffs for granted.
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Bob says:
Totally disagree CB. The glass is half empty, and much of the fault lies with Snow. The Islanders are actually 8 games below .500. Each number in the OT column represents a loss, and we have 8 of them. While the Islanders are 1 point out of a playoff spot, they are 5 points from 14th in the East with a majority of the teams below them having played less games. Thier PP and PK are ranked 27th. They are 29th in the league in goals scored per game. He mishandled the whole DP fiasco.
Snow’s building of a team has been horrible:
He drafted 2 more goalies in last year’s draft and traded up to get de Haan. He passed on Schenn to get Bailey. He’s assembled one of the weakest prospects crops in the NHL with our best player being Okposo(drafted by Smith). He traded away a first round draft pick for a rental player. He signed Brendan Witt to a 3 year extension. You get the picture.On the plus side: He signed a journeyman forward who has 16 goals, but looks like he’s coming back to Earth. He looked brilliant signing Streit last season, but what about this season? He drafted Travares 1st overall, but was that really a tough call? Roloson looks to be the best move he’s made, but the guy is going to be 41 next season. Yes there’s progress, but haven’t most of the cellar dwellers from last season progressed at a quicker pace and stocked their shelves with more potential talent?
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Rich says:
Cheers to CB and Garth.
Garth was a battler. Even though he was a back-up most of his career, he was intense. I’d imagine that he was respected by his teammates, and it was evident, as a fan, that he battled for any of the guys playing along side of him. Garth’s been in the trenches as a player and today’s players, our up and coming stars, can relate to him. He also has the respect of other GM’s because of his playing career. -
Blizzard says:
….just wow. My only real gripe with Snow is the lack of toughness. But lets look at the record here. Im as inpatient as anyone and I have been suffering for it seems like for ever with this team.
Streit
Moulson
Bailyfor starters.
Harmonic
de Haan
Donovanin the system
…and yes Gordon.
How quickly we all forget what a real terrible G.M. is like…hello Mike Milbury. Its gonna take a long time to undo what that idiot did to this franchise. Snow is off to a goos start IMO.
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DonK says:
Garth has done a good job starting to dig the franchise out of the hole a certain TV talking head left it in. Being at the NHL’s version of .500 is more than any Isles fan had the right to expect.
But before we get too wild, folks …
1) This team cannot hold a lead. The Isles lead the NHL with four blown three-goal leads (they did win three of those games, but the symptoms aren’t good). The inability to hold leads has been a Gordon trademark.
2) This team is WAY too small. I checked last week when Columbus (not regarded as a huge team) came in: Isles had three guys taller than 6-2; Jackets had 8. Isles are puny, especially on defense.
3) There’s still little in the way of NHL-ready help.
Snow has done a good job finding free agents (Streit, Moulson, Roloson — even Biron, who should be traded ASAP if DP is healthy). There appears to be talent coming in the pipeline, though it’s 2-3 years away from making an impact at the NHL level.
Garth gets a solid “B” for his work. But there’s still a long way to go
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neologizer says:
Post lockout 91-95 points has been the cut off to get into the playoffs. Isles need 47 pts in 38 games to make 91pts. Your talking a 23-15 record (.600) from here on out.
Only saving grace is the East conference is a bit of an anomaly right now with a .500 team in eighth place
I think CB called it correctly Isles will be close – but probably not make playoffs
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nyislanders93 says:
I don’t mean to take anything away from Snow and the rest of the management, but everyone is getting way out of hand with giving him praise right now. They’re on a good 7 game stretch. This can also be followed with a bad stretch. Also, none of his draft picks can be evaluated yet. Some of them LOOK like they will turn out good, but until they produce at the NHL level, it means nothing. The team still lacks plenty of true talent to be a contender. The risk of not making the playoffs in the 9th or 10th spot would hurt the team much more than the good experience the players would get from making the playoffs.
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For some of you being negative, I am not sure even a Stanley Cup would please you.
Yea 29 teams of the 30 are floating around 500 at this point, but last season at this time, we were 15-20 points behind everyone else. If you cannot see improvement in this team this season, you need some glasses. Isles haven’t even played their best hockey yet.
I agree it is frustrating to see them give up leads, but you know what? They are still winning a good majority of those games and getting 2 points, something they were not doing last season.
I like the young core of this team, and with how little money Snow has been able to spend, he has done wonders. Only a bitter Isles fan who still focuses on the failures of this franchise since 1994, cannot see the strides the Isles are making.
This is not the corrupt owners that we saw in the 90s, and this is certainly not Mike Milbury, the worst GM in sports history. Is Garths’ job done? Of course not, but I cannot see how anyone can get on his case for the job he has done. When he was first hired, people thought it was a joke, the “hapless Islanders” made another stupid move. Yea, who is laughing now.
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eric says:
The East stinks for the first time in a long time. I just dont see how a 6-8 seed will be a top seed. It will probably turn out like this 1)devils 2)washington 3) buffalo 4)pitt 5) boston. Boston wont beat pittsburgh. Besides Philly who can upset those top teams? The answer is nobody. The ranger$ have not played well even though they have gotten some points recently, yet are 7th! Detroit is 5 pts out of a playoff spot in the west have 48 pts. That says a lot about the East. It will be better next year. I blame teams like Florida and especially Atlanta not playing to there level. Obviously philly has not played up to par and in previous years you would worry about them making the playoffs, but this season they will definitely make it we just dont know if it will be 6th, 7th, or 8th. Usually it would take 91-92+ pts to make the playoffs. I think 88 could get you in this year. The Islanders can make the playoffs if they can get a dmen and maybe one more player. Players to be traded: Biron, Tambellini, Sim.
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Jason says:
Once again, neither Hall or Fowler blew me away at the WJC. WJC notwithstanding, when you look at players like Matt Donovan and Travis Hamonic, players who were not 1st round picks, you can see that you don’t need a high #1 pick to draft good players. Good scouting is the most important thing. 1987 saw Pierre Turgeon go #1 (who was a great player), and at the time “the next best offensive player”, Joe Sakic was taken #15. With all due respect to Turgeon, Sakic was obviously the better player. Bottom line is that you don’t play to lose. The Islanders didn’t tank last year, there were just too many holes. There are less holes this year. A good player can still be found mid-first round. Don’t root for these guys to lose, if they pick top five, hopefully it’s via lottery win. Ideally, make the playoffs and get the experience… and maybe surprise a few teams. They’re certainly capable.
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Go US Ski Team & US Hockey Vancouver 2010 says:
Not only is Hockey great, but slowly starting to remember how actually Fantastic it is when one’s own team is good. Been awhile !
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coral springs isle fan says:
I will say that Snow means what he says. He has taken the approach of seeing what he has and giving his young players time to develop. This year was about finding the core of the team in which to continue building around. He has resisted the temptation of signing free agents up front that will not figure into long term plans. At the end of this year he will have a real good idea who is staying and who is moving on. HE will have buying power with all of has cap freedom and as he has said he has the green light to use it. Next year will be year 3 of the re-build and I expect he will ice a team next year that will be a “playoff” contender. If the team makes the playoffs this year it is just an added bonus and an acceleration to the re-build. Some playoff experience now will go a long way in the development of the youth on this team. remember the Isles played really well down the stretch last year and if they repeat that they will squeak in. Anyone think Tambellini to Edmonton?
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Chris says:
I think that if the Isles are still in contention, Garth should trade Biron for a dman and keep the draft picks they have. Look at what happened to the st louis blues last year. Even with a playoff run, this rebuild needs to continue.
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Islesfan99 says:
Isles should trade Sutton, Sim, Park, Biron for picks and prospects. Then this summer sign some very good players who will compliment our team, make us tougher and make us a top 6 playoff team.
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The key to the continued imrovement in the team next season will be how much Wang opens up his wallet. Will it go beyond the cap floor minimum? Lets face it , although we have some great prospects most are at least 2 years away from making the big team. So the two big letters LH continue to be the two ton guerilla in the Old Barn-because when the great news comes I think we will see Charles go on a spending spree-PLEASE!
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Strummer's Army says:
Sorry Botta but I disagree. Snow has done a decent job and the FUTURE appears to bode well but his mistakes are glaring! He’s lost most of the trades he’s made. The Campoli trade was his lone win thus far.
His entire term as GM the team has been too small and too soft. He has allowed his team including his best players to be attacked and not defended them on or off the ice. It doesn’t even appear to bother him or Gordon. Isles are the only team except equally soft Atl to allow it.
So while I commend picks like Martin, Hamonic, Bailey, the goalies and De Haan (even though I badly wanted Kassian), he’s still the guy loading up on small puck movers despite stating in the press his team needs to be bigger and stronger, he’s still the guy that drafted Spurgeon, Katic etc.
Until Snow addresses the needs he has told the press he needs to address (issues that have gone on for years) and until some of these promising youngsters are regulars and until he makes some good trades Snow gets no better then a grade of a C. He shows potential to be a very good GM but thus far has not produced those results.
The writer was 100% correct in the Isles need to be in the lottery and have a shot at drafting Hall, Fowler, Gubronson. That is how they get good fast.
This entire playoff talk is only good for ticket sales and is a false reality. No one wants to see this team fall short of the playoffs and ruin draft position for what? Worse making the playoffs and getting laughed out of the playoffs again (because this team is not constructed for the playoffs).
Maybe Snow is too patient but maybe he just doesn’t full understand what the team lacks.
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Patience says:
I always wondered why people thought a guy can’t do the job because he was a backup goalie. Bill Torrey never played in the n.h.l and he was a pretty good G.M.
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potvin rocks says:
The team has gotten younger since last year and yet better, why? Because of Roloson. If we resigned Joey Mac & Danis we would be in 30th place. Unfortunately Roloson has the heir-apparent (DP) breathing down his neck. If he wants a start here or there OK but Roloson has proved that he is the most consistant and best goalie that we have had since the Great Scott (Glen Healy).
If we trade Biron to Edmonton could we get a 3rd rounder for him. I mean that is looking like it will be a pick between 61-65? I think a 31-35 pick is too much for a 2-10 goalie. They already have one of those. -
Seth says:
I think it may be early to tell Garth Snow to take a bow. If the Islanders are in the top 8 at the Olympic break, then it is the time to get excited about possible playoff hockey on Long Island. They have alot of tough games coming up so we will see what happens.
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admin says:
It’s always fun to watch, like the old telephone kids’ game, how by the time certain stories get to the 100th comment, they take on a life of their own. In some cases, it’s like the original story hasn’t been read (which I’m sure is true for some).
So let me hit refresh:
Team is 18-18-8. Nothing to throw a parade for, but better than just about everyone would have signed up for when it started. Therefore, the GM, the coach and the players have done a GOOD job.
The team is in the playoff race, in part because as a group they have over-achieved, in part because there are only five very good teams in the East but eight playoff berths available. Three teams are not going to run away with the remaining three spots in the next five weeks before the Olympics and the trade deadline.
The Islanders are not going to tank. They are also not going to make any major moves that will drastically alter the roster.
As far as I know, I didn’t say the team was without holes or flaws. I believe I’ve already written that about 45 times in the last four months. I also did not nominate anyone for the Hall of Fame, the Jack Adams, or sainthood.
Okay, now back to the conversation. See you later…CB
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JoeRiverside says:
Funny how the 1st 50 posts are all positive and the next 50 more negative. Anyway, my 2 cents. Isles are progressing nicely. Like Snow’s performance to date, still unsure about Gordon and some his decisions. Worse situation for Isles is to finish 9th or 10th. Either get in the playoffs for some valuable experience or get a good draft pick. But you can’t control these things. Please stick to the plan Snow!
JoeRiverside -
CB-I agree….Snow has done a good job. Dnt mind me…
Personally-I hope they get in as an 8th seed. Let the young core get a taste of the playoffs. And then they can build off that hunger. And for those who question the teams toughness (including me), these last few months could toughen the guys up. They need to come together as a group.
Go Isles!
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24 – I never said they couldn’t get a good draft pick later in the 1st round. My point was saying that they may not need that 1-3 top pick because they are playing well as already constructed. Never play for draft position I agree.
29 – See above. Im all for making the playoffs and winning!
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Bryan says:
While the Isles have played decently this season, they are still not close to making any real noise in the NHL. They are afew key pieces away: a dynamic scorer(Tavares will be good, but unless he gets some wheels he won’t be great), some size and toughness that can still play, and a definitive goalie(maybe he’s already in the system???). That, in addition to letting our guys get a little more experience and confidence. Hope they make a deep run in the playoffs within 3 years.
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Spartiarti-RVC says:
Great Post CB – I agree. Isles are not in position to tank. Team is growing and only getting better. You can compare the Bought teams of veterans when we limped into playoffs only to get eliminated in first round. This is team of young, hungry players that will grow with playoff experience. With roloson in net we have shown we can beat any team out there.
Besides should not be in Taylor hall sweepstakes who cares. Lots of great players get taken 7 thru 15 in drafts. not to mention the 3 great prospects we have in juniors.
Here are just a outstanding young NHL players taken later in 1st rounds.
Tyler Myers (#12 -2008), Del Zotto (#20 – 2008), Okposo (#7 -2006), Chris Stewart (#18 2006), Giroux (#22 – 2006) and my favorite Anze Kopitar (#12 – 2005).there are more but you get my point.
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CJCB says:
Snow traded for Smyth and had a draft pick not even a monkey could have screwed up, He has made the team the least physical team in team and maybe league history, He signed drafted or traded for what 5-10 goalies, one of them had to be decent, he signed Strait who is good but still not in the league of say Jonsson or even Aucoin, Most nights i cant even make it past the 1st period its so boring. I dont know if im ready to say Snow has done much at all in the new current watered down NHL, every team is the same with maybe 4 or 5 good teams and 1 bad team. Jusy is still out 4 me.
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Honnold says:
Doesn’t Kenny Morrow and the pro-scouting department deserve a lot of credit for targeting Streit, Roloson, Moulson? And these are just the ones who agreed to play in Long Island.
Like the team’s direction but they ain’t making the playoffs. Hope they can find some enforcers to protect their 19 yr olds who have been rushed into the NHL.
K.O. for Captain.
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CB, you should never have to defend your stories. There’s always a different way of thinking, and there are people who will go out of their way to find it.
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Islesin2010 says:
I will not be toasting to Snow or Gordon just yet. The players have been outstanding. And Snow deserves credit where credit is due with the Roloson signing, once again, one of the top steals of the Summer. The fact is for me, the project is still not finished, not even close, so his work is incomplete. He’s got some of the pieces nicely in place, but still needs more to build a successful team, year after year that can contend for a championship.
CB, IMO the same goes for Gordon. I think saying the likes of Tortorella, Maurice, and Crawford couldn’t do the same job is a HUGE stretch, please elaborate on your thinking there. His system is effective at times, but he still seems very immature during the game in terms of adjustments and timeouts. Sometimes it seems he just doesn’t have a great “feel” for the way the game is going; momentum, timeouts, etc.
There are many reasons to be positive, and I still am, I predicted this team to be around .500 all season because of Snow’s additions, but respectively, I decline on taking a bow to Garth and his buddy Flash, not just yet
. -
volmeeezy says:
I agree with CB based on the facts he stated .. #1. our record is improved from last year , how can you argue that? #2. we are in the playoff race due to 6-15 in the East not having great years, once again how can you argue that? .. Snow is doing a fine job , as is our coach and our players regardless of how good or bad they may be when compared to others .. obviously we have some flaws and trust me I am screaming and throwing things at the TV every night , but I still must give credit when its due .. we are on the right path FOR ONCE..
and lastly , we are an NHL .500 .. you cant argue that we are really 8 games below , because the team plays and is coached to play based on this point system .. Many of those 8 “loses” could have easily been ties in the old days , but with the stupid shootout and with nothing to lose when playing a team in the West , you take more chances to earn the extra point .. and in some cases eventually end up “loosing” the game .. correct me if I am wrong with this thinking?
lets go isles
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Dadi says:
Scott Gordon is one of the best…AHL coaches…
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West Coast Fan says:
Something a lot of younger fans may not remember is that the first cup winning team did not get past the .500 mark until sometime around mid-January, if memory serves. Yeah, different era, much different team… but it’s a long season and you never know what can happen if/when things start to gel…
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Joe NYC says:
Gordon should get more credit for keeping this team in the hunt. Agreed all around that Snow has more work to do but so far job well done. Playoffs would be great experience and great accomplishmnet for the team.
I think Philly is going to run off 2nd half and lock up playoff spot. Other than that it’s a fist fight to the finish.
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It is funny how super-cautious some people get when it comes to saying anything even slightly positive. I am certain that many of the people who shrug off anything removtely positive are the same people who find it easy to make negative predictions and proclamations with far less to base them on. How many people urged caution and objectivity when the masses were were predicting doom for this season? And when anyone did, they had silly kool-aid arguments thrown at them… as if anyone who doesnt think everything is terrible must be delusional. Well- if there is a polar opposite of kool-aid, some fo you are drinking THAT. How about vinegar lol?
As far as the Isles being the “the least physical team and maybe in league history” (CJCB): Yes its true the Isles are not big- and they arent particularly tough, either. And yes its true they would benefit from some more size and toughness. But they ARE physical. You cant have guys on your team anywhere near the top of the league in blocked shots or hits and things like that and say your team is the least physical team even of that season, let alone in all of history- it just doesnt make sense! The Isles ARE physical, they play physical, they just arent big/tough. Its not the same thing. I honestly think that when it comes to things like this, some people say them and then they never reevaluate their statements- they just keep on saying them.
CB, you are right- Garth and Flash DO have the team in a good spot considering its rebuild year 2. And its nice to see. And like a few others have said, you shouldnt have to defend that simple truthful logical idea to people who get frazzled whenever someone says anything that might be construed as slightly positive lol.
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jaymz27 says:
It is great that the Isles are competitive this season. But they were competitive early in the decade with Yashin and company. All that got us was several first round playoff exits. I want to win Stanley Cups. I want another banner or four up in the rafters of the new Coliseum. This team is going to need all the talent they can get their hands on over the next year or two. They are in the same division as Pittsburgh who will be very good for a long time. Also, the more talent they have, the more likely they will be able to attract top free agents. Imagine if they can add another potential young stud like Hall, Seguin, Kabanov or Fowler. That would add to a very good young core and maybe attract someone like Ilya Kovalchuk. Then we can start getting serious about winning. Getting smoked by the Devils in the first round of the playoffs would hurt this team long term more than it will help.
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TimQ says:
Great post CB. I remember how miserable it was at this point last season, with no games as exciting as last night’s game. The future success of this team is dependant upon continuing to make smart moves. So far I think Snow has done a very credible job, even in cases where the smartest move was no move at all. Stick with the program.
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FourCupsin4yearsnot60 says:
112, if your an Islander fan you can sometimes be gunshy given the past 6 (or 15) years. If your a Jet and a Met fan on top of that you have to be gun shy or at least make sure you do not work in a high building with windows out to ledges. Its only natural to have a feeling of “show me and then I’ll believe” after all the positive comments after trading (I don’t need to go through the list) and then seeing the results.
That said, I like the direction we are going in. Its not perfect. Its not Pitt hitting Lotto as CB points out, but its the right direction. Thats something I feel like I have not felt, or said, pre Don Maloney.
Now for little steps, can we leave Josh Baily on the wing and have him flourish, or will he have to go back to center at some point or his ego will be so bruised as he well rebel or collapse? I think he is developing well at left wing and seems to play well along the boards.
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seetheboyslive says:
I agree with some of the others who ask about our toughness. When Snow was in net for the Isles he had Webb, Cairns, and Asham as teammates. Before that he has had guys like Brashear (Canucks) and Barnaby (Pens) protecting his team. I think it kinda goes like this for us Islander fans… forever we had a tough-guy coach for 19 seasons in Arbour, a tough-guy GM in Mike Milbury for the next 11 years, now the club is run by goalies. It’s just a change for us. I am starting to like it. I miss the grit and ruthlessness of the old teams (like hitting someone hard when someones reaching for an icing – is that banned now?). Thanks CB
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BJ says:
Great read CB, Its funny bc if we were last in the league again this year, all these people who say we should tank for the top pick would be calling for Snow and Gordon’s heads bc “the rebuild wasnt working, how could we be last again”…the team is doing well with the young guys we currently have and with our D prospects how can you not get excited about the future of this team, not to even mention who we might get via free agency in the next yr or two…and lastly if youre saying we need another number 1 pick, do you cheer when the Isles get scored on? I dont get it, if thats the case, how are you a fan?
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I know that I’m posting a lot on this thread, but I have to be honest, knowing what I know now, I would have taken Bailey over Schenn at the #5 PICK!! Nevermind sliding down and picking a few 2nd rounders up. Schenn is overrated by his GM. Filatov is in limbo. Colin Wilson hasn’t overwhelmed anyone (He’s in the AHL now. Boedker is in the AHL (But he’s a very good player), and Cody Hodson (taken after Bailey) was injured and sent back to junior.
With things as they are now, there is no way that anyone can say with conviction what the Islanders should or shouldn’t have done in the 2008 draft. As of right now, they have the best player of those 5 or 6 guys.
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Frank nyc says:
I have been defending Garth for a while now. When you look at what hes done you cant help but be impressed. Especially over the past 2-3 seasons. Josh Bailey plus a boat load of picks aquired in that draft.The Fore sight on Mark Streit. A 1st rounder for Chris Campoli. Making the right and obvious choice in JT. The pickup of Matt Moulson for nothing and Robbie Schremp ( Who is a rookie. I think people forget sometimes. But he is starting to show a lot). Oh and one more big move was the firing of Teddy Nolan and the signing of MR. Bean pot trot. A coach who was brought in to grow with his young players and is doing a great job. Go ISLES.
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Steven says:
Excellent post CB. I love the job Garth Scott Players and staff have done. I would love to have signed an impact FA or two but that’s not happening now. Hopefully that could be done in the offseason. I love how Garth has not locked up medicore FA and went with the kids.
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bergie20 says:
snow gets a major tip of the hat for somehow getting a first round pick for campoli, who is an awful d-man. he also hasn’t made any disasterous “milbury” type of deal that sets the franchise back a few years. he’s drafted well, made some nice free agent signings (roloson, streit, moulson), and developed the kids nicely. he’s also brought in a coach that he’s on the same page with. now it’s time for wang to let snow take the next step and go after some big free agents this summer. what seemed like another bad joke when he was hired has turned into a nice story so far.
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Kascycki's Krew says:
I like the job Snow has done. accumulate assets. Get core players via the draft. Use cap space wisely – to give maximum leverage.
While I don’t want to (as a fan) cheer for them to lose- what I dont want are the following in this order:
* Finishing 9th in the conference.
** finishing 8th and getting obliterated in Round one.
No one will remember the one and out. But I suggest ONE MORE YEAR to get the Hall, Fowler or whatever stud player we need to compliment Okposo, Tavares, Bailey etc. AND THEN spend money…..
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Cody says:
false we will all remember one and out lets not kid ourselves.
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Usually I’m no fan of one and done but with this team it would be a very big step. A vet team with no young talent would be another story.
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Staten Islander says:
one and out is only productive if they win a round or two the next year, i think we’ve learned that already
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ars9x says:
i loath these “fans” who root for losses, it’s insane. Someone like STRUMMERS ARMY writes as if the the guys should just go out there and skate around for 60 minutes and not touch the puck! That’s a great way to build up a team, suggest they are just not good enough so don’t play hard so we can get in the basement and get some good guys on this team next season. Foolish!
Get over it and root for your team at all costs, hope they play hard every game and go as far as they can for isles country!
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tond24 says:
sounds like i cant be happy but what exactly did snow do..roloson, great pickup but he signed 2 goalies and drafted 2 more somthing had to fit, JT, went out on limb there, moulson, seems hes only good when JT is hot…lets go islanders but snow gets no love from me till he does somthing
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beatlebailey says:
i was thinking it too…Duchene may end up being better than JT. What is up with JT? Does he have bolders in the skates or what? Garth aka the Monkey is an incomplete for now. Gordon has been great some questionable early shootout choices aside. Gordon is getting every ounce of effort out of these guys. I never feel like I wasted my money going to a game because the team is always working. That’s all you can ask from a coach – motivate the players to work hard as they can. More talent over the next few years will prove Gordon to be as good a coach as Lavi was/is.
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Anthony says:
The Isles are in a great spot right now. They’re improving, they’re competing for a playoff spot, they’re gaining an identity…
And being under no false illusions, if they did slide late, the so-be-it… a little luck in the lottery would be great (ala Patrick Kane, drafted by a team who had the 5th worst record but won the lottery)
BUT rooting for loses at this point is ridiculous… -
How could anyone criticize the Ryan Smyth trade? They got him for nothing. While he’s not here anymore, it was worth the roll of the dice.
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Benvi says:
This might be one of your best posts yet. Everybody in the chat last night of so-called islander fans rooting for the team to lose should get kicked out of the country. Islander country that is. I for one know this team is more than capable of making the playoffs. Dare I say they have not even peaked yet for this year. Thats right better things still to come
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Greg says:
True true true. I never would have thought this bunch would play so over their heads. Maybe Garth is a genius.
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Nova Scotia Isles Fan says:
I echo the sentiments of anyone who is thrilled to death about the season so ar and I [pass gas] in the general direction of those who nay say my boy, Garth.
IMHO, Garth has done very very well; far better than we had any reason to expect.
We will have to wait and see on the draft picks — NO one really knows how they will turn out.
The Smyth trade was a reasonable thing to do at the time.
The FA signings, given the constraints he’s operating under, have been very very good.
I am constantly amazed by commentator and fans who think that a team requires someone to “step in and fight” in response to a hit or to use fighting to make room on the ice, a la Dave Semenko or Donald Brashear. A Clark Gillies would be nice, but toughness is a state of mind and I think our boys are plenty tough.
Party on, Garth
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I love the Islanders and I love our fans and I love the fact that after the torturous “leadership” we (as fans) endured for ten years, we can bicker 130+ comments deep about the merits of a [Bettman-league-where-everybody-gets-a-point] .500 team in ninth place.
To better days ahead, Islanders fans, I tip a glass to thee.
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John from ATL says:
All in all Garth has done a great job. The Moulson and Schremp pick ups were great and at little cost. The Mark Streit signing the previous year was clearly the best FA signing in the league. Hiring Gordon has worked out. Roloson this year has been great and now with DP coming back, he has a trade chip in Biron.
I was hoping for a top three pick but, its been fun thinking before every game they have a 50/50 chance of winning. Not bad for a punch of kids and a few old guys. I just hope Garth doesn’t make a short term trade to make the playoffs this year at a cost of the future just to lose in the first round.
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SuperFan says:
The Isles have the 2nd worse goal differential in the league. They are not ready to contend. It is not defeatist to be realistic. This thread is completely delusional. They have 18 wins and 26 losses and they are frankly a bit lucky that their record is as good as it is.
Great stuff, party on Garth. Hey CB, any news on a move they are making to get down to 23?