Monthly Archives: March 2010
7:40 pm: Rakhshani is expected to make his Sound Tigers debut on Saturday at home against Portland.
12:40 pm, Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum: Now that the Islanders are all but mathematically eliminated from the playoff race, the team believes it would be a boon to the development of some of their younger players if Bridgeport can qualify for the American Hockey League postseason.
The Sound Tigers are in a battle with Lowell, Wilkes-Barre and Norfolk for the sixth, seventh and eighth and final playoff berths in the Eastern Conference with five games left in the season.
Among the young Islanders on Bridgeport’s playoff roster are defensemen Andrew MacDonald, Dustin Kohn (still out with a concussion) and Dylan Reese and – most notably – forward Josh Bailey. The Islanders’ first round pick in 2008 has played 137 games in the National Hockey League, but not a single one in the minors.
“Being in the AHL playoffs would be a important experience for Josh,” Islanders head coach Scott Gordon said today. “You get an expanded role. He would learn about the intensity that comes with the playoffs. The seven-game series is non-stop. There is a different kind of preparation. There is very little practice time. It’s all about being prepared for the grind of the series.
“When I was in Providence, David Krejci really opened some eyes with his performance during the playoffs. (The future Bruin was 3-13-16 in 13 playoff games for Gordon). Whether it’s Josh or any of our young guys, I hope they get the opportunity in Bridgeport.”
Since Bailey has been shuffled between center and wing this season, I asked Gordon if he sees the 20-year-old as one or the other, and if the coach feels a decision should be made in the near future.
“I haven’t personally locked Josh into anything,” said Gordon. “As a young player, it’s a great asset for Josh and the team for him to be capable at both.”
In 137 games with the Islanders, Bailey has 22 goals and 37 assists for 59 points.
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Notes: The Islanders had an optional practice this morning at the Coliseum. Ten players participated.
The team may not have much to play for standings-wise, but Gordon will demand a level of professionalism and accountability for the final six games of the season. “There is a right way and a wrong way to play the game,” said the coach. “No matter who we’re playing or what the situation is, we need to go out and perform. The Flyers, Ottawa, Montreal…I want to see us at our best.”
The Islanders are now telling season ticketholders that the additional price hike if they do not pay by April 15 is not an interest charge. Instead, fans paying before April 15 are benefiting from “pricing advantages.”
Another post to come later today. Comments related to this one are welcomed.
CB at FanHouse: Rangers Stay in the Hunt
9:30 pm, NVMC: A little Plus/Minus to get it started after the Rangers’ 4-3 victory over the Islanders.
Minus: The Islanders are 8-22-3 in their last 33 games against the Rangers at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum.
Plus: Watching how John Tavares came out of the chute tonight, it’s easy to get excited about watching him next season and the season after that.
Plus: Two more goals for Blake Comeau, who always plays well against the Rangers.
Minus: Any player that continues to use those sticks after seeing what happened to Kyle Okposo tonight on the Rangers’ second goal deserves everything coming to him. I really friggin’ hope it costs a team a Game 7 some day.
Plus: Without a single defenseman of bulk in front of him, Dwayne Roloson echoed Billy Smith by defending his turf with his stick. Later on, he gave a neck rub to ref Dennis LaRue.
Minus: Referee Justin St. Pierre calls coincidental holding penalties on Olli Jokinen and Andrew MacDonald. Come back to us, Justin.
Minus: Marked man or not, honest man Trevor Gillies cannot take penalties without bringing an opponent with him.
Plus: Frans Nielsen played his heart out.
Minus: You know those 2010-11 season ticket invoices with the payment deadline of April 1 before interest charges kicked in? I learned something knew today from several emailing subscribers. In the cover letter from the Islanders that accompanied the invoice, the team did not even mention the interest charges. They were simply built into the invoice. Way to treat a team’s most valuable customers.
“Because of your blog,” wrote one season subscriber, “I realized, a bit late, that they are charging interest for payment plans among all the other items they took away. Just spent 20 minutes yelling at my sales rep. Their cover letter was misleading. Shame on them. Interest is a deal-breaker. He is now working on another arrangement for me.”
Plus: Fourth sellout of the season, first for a home game against the Rangers.
Plus: The Islanders’ ragtag band of dmen did the best they could. He’ll never admit it, but Andrew MacDonald (20 minutes, +1) gutted this one out. Easily could have taken another week to heal.
Plus: Mark Streit deserves the Nystrom Trophy, and a Purple Heart.
Plus: Always nice to see the players and coaches on the visiting bench stand and cheer during the Welcome Back, Veterans segment.
Minus: Another blown lead.
Plus: One giant leap backwards to Seguin, Hall, Fowler or Gudbranson. The Islanders could use two of them. Columbus beat Tampa in regulation. Toronto lost to Atlanta. If anyone doesn’t think this stuff is important now…
Minus: Quiet game from some of the kids, reason enough to hope the Islanders soon add experience. Let’s also hope no one has to hear the hockey ops sales pitch during 2010-11, “Considering we’re playing an 18-year-old, 20-year-old, 21-year-old and 22-year old in key roles, I’m happy with our improvement.”
Minus: Two losses in a week to the Rangers, when putting the rivals away was pretty much all the Islanders had to play for.
Comments and Plus/Minus on tonight’s game and this post.
FanHouse: Rangers’ last stand without Avery, Callahan
VOTE for NHL FanHouse Grinder of the Year
11:20 am, Uniondale, Nassau County, Long Island, New York: The Rangers live for another day. Boston loses at home to Buffalo (somewhat understandable). Atlanta loses at home to Carolina (unforgivable). This is an important game for the Avery and Callahan-less Rangers, which means it’s an important game for the New York Islanders.
On the Fall for Seguin, Fowler and Hall front, can any of these teams get this right? Florida picks up a point against Nashville. The Hurricanes – boy, would any of those top kids look good on a team with Eric Staal – get two points against the Thrashers.
Oh right, these are character-building victories. Baloney. Tonight, as the Islanders face their rivals after spitting the bit against them last week, is the rare exception.
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Soundbites
Josh Bailey: “We know we can beat these guys. It’s just a matter of executing.”
Kyle Okposo said the key to his team’s recent strong play was “coming out hard.” To which I asked, then what the heck happened in the Garden? “It’s no mystery,” said Okposo. “We didn’t play well. They did. We’ll find a way to change that tonight.”
Scott Gordon: “We didn’t come close to anywhere near our ‘A’ game (Wednesday). If we win tonight, we’re six points out of the last playoff spot. It’s a long shot, but we’re still alive in the playoff race. A win for them (the Rangers) gets them closer.”
John Tortorella: “(The Islanders) are still trying in also. We know they’re a better team (than Wednesday). You throw that one out. We know how well-coached they are. They’re still in the playoff hunt. We know they just don’t want to get in. I’m sure they’d like to knock us off.”
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Notes: Andrew MacDonald is confirmed to be in the lineup.
Asked if Trevor Gillies is the lineup against the Rangers tonight, Gordon said, “That’s top secret today.”
From the looks of the morning skate, Dwayne Roloson will start for the Islanders.
5-9 Hartford recall Corey Locke will play on the Rangers’ second line tonight. Gordon’s Providence team did not play Hamilton in the AHL much when Locke was a member of Montreal’s organization. Locke was 5-6-11 in his last nine games with Hartford. With Sean Avery and Ryan Callahan out tonight for the Blueshirts, it wouldn’t surprise anyone if Locke and fellow Wolf Pack, uh, guy P.A. Parenteau were among the most dangerous Rangers.
At least for the first 17 hours, the consensus has been that the Islanders haven’t done enough in backing off their demand for season tickets to be paid by April 1 before interest charges were applied. As in everything, most fans’ decisions will come down to how the roster looks on July 10. If the Islanders do more than just draft a blue-chip 18-year-old, replace Andy Sutton and go bargain-hunting, the fans will respond.
One man’s theory on how the Islanders could have been so brazen/bold/dim to think a large percentage of fans would pay by April 1: the pricing structure (and interest “brainstorm”) was likely created when the team was 7-1-1 from late December to mid-January and the team thought the rebuild was ahead of schedule. Cocky.
I’ll be on NHL Home Ice on XM/Sirius at 6:00 pm tonight with Jim “Boomer” Gordon talking Islanders-Rangers and about the future of the home team.
Finally, a salute to the readers of Point Blank for obliterating previous monthly pageview records in March with a week to go. It wasn’t even an active trade deadline. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Comments on this post and tonight’s game.
Chris Botta on Twitter
5:10 pm, Rockville Centre, Town of Hempstead: Islanders season ticket holders pushed back. Islanders management has backed down.
Presented with invoices for 2010-11 season tickets and an April 1 deadline before interest charges would kick in, several Islanders full season ticket package owners told the team they were mad as hell and would not take it any longer. Just as strong as the pushback, Islanders executives had to be concerned about the countless season subscribers they did not hear from in the days leading up to the full-payment deadline.
So with three days to spare, the franchise has relented – a victory for common sense and one of the most passionate fanbases in professional sports.
According to one Islanders source, subscribers declining to pay in full by Thursday will not be subject to interest charges. (For example, one fan was going to see his $50 ticket raised to $55 per game – an interest hike of more than $400 for a pair of season tickets).
The Islanders are now asking season ticketholders to make a 50% payment by April 15 (NHL draft lottery week!), 25% by May 1 and the balance by June 1.
However, according to the legendary follower of Islanders fashion Barry LI on the team’s message board, Islandermania, he has been offered the “privilege” of paying 50% by April 15, 25% by June 30 (notably before unrestricted free agency) and the rest by August 30. No interest charges.
It could come down to who you are, who you know and how strong a negotiator you are. If Garth Snow can keep the Tavares draft selection quiet for two months, surely you can tell the Islanders with a straight face that you will pay for your season tickets when you can pay for your season tickets. August 30 sounds fair, no?
Keep in mind that, as an Islanders season ticketholder, you are the owners of what can best be described as “Reverse Personal Seat Licenses.” At this date, there is little demand and no waiting list. There are currently fewer than 7,000 Islanders season ticket holders who are not sponsors or “friends of the organization.” Among the seven million people on Long Island – not to mention the millions in the Country elsewhere in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut – there are fewer than 3,000 Islanders full season account holders.
In other words, you have “hand” in this relationship. Surely, the very good people at the Islanders understand this. Especially at a time when they still need your unwavering support for a real estate development deal.
My advice: work with the Islanders. Encourage them to work with you. Almost everyone in this negotiation is a reasonable person. Call 1.800.882.ISLES. (I’d like to tell you to say that Point Blank sent you, but I can’t guarantee how that would work out).
If the Islanders are a big part of your lives, I have no doubt something equitable for all sides can be amicably negotiated.
Oh, by the way, I’m also hearing general parking next season may stay at $7. Season ticketholders will be able to get a discount on the more expensive-but-highly accessible “Breakaway” parking.
To all the loyal fans that have said over the last month that they were done with their season tickets, I believe that this too shall pass.
Comments on this subject. Let us know how it works out.
FanHouse Award Voting: Grinder of the Year
12:45 pm, Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum: Your gritty-gutty line combinations during today’s 75-minute practice in preparation for the New York Rangers’ visit on Tuesday:
Moulson – Bailey – Okposo
Tambellini – Tavares – Comeau
(Gillies) Sim – Nielsen – Hunter
Bergenheim – Park – Jackman
Streit – MacDonald
Hillen – Flood
Meyer – Reese
Roloson
Biron
Scott Gordon Soundbites
On the 5-0 loss last Wednesday at MSG: “There wasn’t anything that was good. We let ourselves down. We need to have the same kind of response we did 24 hours later against Calgary. The Rangers can’t afford to not have a good game against us tomorrow. They’ll be ready.”
On the return of Andrew MacDonald: “I don’t expect his play to be what it was before he got hurt. But he’s turned into a pretty good player for us. He has hockey sense, reads the play well, understands the game well.”
I asked Gordon if the strengths of defensemen like MacDonald and Jack Hillen would be detectable for a scout watching them in junior, college or the minors after just one game. After all, Hillen was undrafted and MacDonald was a late-round pick.
“It’s like (Mark) Giordano in Calgary,” said the coach, referring to the Flames’ undrafted defenseman. “You say, ‘Where did this come from?’ There are a lot of variables that go into it. Even though AMac wasn’t dominant in the AHL, there were things about him that you knew would make the (NHL development) process easier.”
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Andrew MacDonald said it is merely a coincidence that he is ready to return just in time for Tuesday’s big tilt against the Rangers. “That doesn’t mean I wasn’t aware the game was coming up,” said MacDonald after taking part in the full practice and reporting no discomfort. “It is a big game you want to play in.”
MacDonald was expected to be out 4-6 weeks, “and tomorrow will be four weeks. I had just signed the (four-year) contract. It’s tough watching from the press box.” MacDonald also said he wanted to be sharp so he can play for Bridgeport in the AHL playoffs if the Sound Tigers qualify.
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Notes: Kevin Poulin stopped 38 of 39 shots yesterday in a 2-1 overtime win to give his Victoriaville squad an opening round 4-2 series victory over Shawinigan. I spoke with Poulin at length recently for an article and will post it when there’s an Islanders break. Despite not cracking any of The Hockey News‘ lists, Poulin is a legitimate NHL prospect. If he is signed, he’ll play in Bridgeport next season.
During his rehab stint with Utah of the East Coast Hockey League, 6-5 goalie prospect Mikko Koskinen is 4-0 with a 3.00 GAA. More importantly, his surgically-repaired hip is holding up well.
The Ottawa Senators have signed collegiate free agent Bobby Butler.
The Rangers have recalled Corey Locke. They will be without Sean Avery, Ryan Callahan and Long Island’s Matt Gilroy tomorrow, which really blows. You want all the good players and characters in this game. Then again, the Islanders are short a few guys.
Very nice to see legendary Islanders dynasty equipment manager Jim Pickard, visiting practice today with his daughter and grandchildren.
This is an example of what it means to be a cagey veteran. I cornered Richard Park and asked the unrestricted free agent about his wishes for next season. “Oh, there are too many variables right now, too many games to play,” said Park. “Ask me the day after the season’s over and I’ll come up with some sort of answer.” Good stuff.
In a TSN poll of NHL players, the Islanders – in a slight improvement over last year – were voted the league’s third-worst franchise.
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The Islanders’ last big game of the year is Tuesday, as they try make it the Rangers’ last big game of the season. In light of the Islanders’ curious flat-line in 3D at the Garden last Wednesday, tomorrow’s tilt at the Coliseum has even more meaning.
Victories over Calgary and Columbus were nice, especially in the moments when core kids were involved in important plays, but they will be forgotten by the end of next week. Quick: think of something memorable about the Islanders’ final three wins of last season. Okay, try to remember just the last one.
It’s safe to root, root-root for the home team on Tuesday. With bottom-feeders like Toronto picking up points against the Rangers and Pittsburgh and Columbus winning in Chicago, a victory on Tuesday can be guilt-free for all.
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According to beat writer Anthony SanFilippo, the Flyers will make wholesale changes in the offseason with a frontline, long-term goalie being their primary objective. Dwayne Roloson is not an option, but the Islanders could certainly help the Flyers with their salary cap problems. Garth Snow does not make many trades, but he has made a few with pal Paul Holmgren.
If the Islanders want to start to use their cap space in year 3 of the slow and steady rebuild, there will be opportunity in Philadelphia and Chicago.
Comments.
Dave Molinari of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette breaks the story. My reaction at FanHouse.
