Monthly Archives: April 2010
12:40 pm: In his latest appearance with “Boomer & Carton” on WFAN, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman referred to Queens as ”one of many possibilities” for the Islanders. Said Bettman: “Charles Wang does not want to move the team out of Hempstead, but he may have no choice. The Town of Hempstead has dragged this thing on interminably.”
h/t to Lisa, Dom and the good folks at Islandermania
Chris Botta on Twitter
Since the Draft Lottery is later tonight, here’s an example of one of the terrific young players the Islanders could grab if they end up with the fifth overall pick.
Defenseman
Born: 12.6.91 in Michigan
2009-10 team: Windsor (OHL) 8-47-55 in 55 games
Member of Team USA at World Junior Championships
Central Scouting: Ranked 4th
Point Blank (the real experts!): Ranked 3rd
Bob McKenzie Poll of scouts: Ranked 3rd
Fowler to Point Blank on teammate Taylor Hall and the draft: “Taylor and I support each other. I thought being on Taylor’s team would be a major positive, and it has been amazing for me. We can joke around (about the draft) because we’re teammates and we’re not in competition. If a team needs a forward to carry them, to me there’s no question Taylor is that player. But if they need a defenseman, maybe I’m their guy.”
On the top end of his draft class: “There’s a lot of talent coming through this year. You always want to be taken as early as possible, but I’ll be happy wherever I go in the draft.”
Windsor GM Warren Rychel: “Maybe if this was a decade ago, Cam would be in a group of five or ten kids you could argue over. But in today’s game, which is so much about skating, quickness and moving the puck? Cam is the top defenseman.”
NHL team director of scouting: “The first defenseman will be Fowler. If anything was going to change about his ranking, it would have happened if it turned out the Ontario League was a bigger challenge for him than we projected. It didn’t. He has been outstanding.”
OHL scout for NHL team: “I don’t agree that he is a lock to go third overall. I have Fowler in the same class as (Erik) Gudbranson and (Brandon) Gormley, and I know I’m not alone. Fowler is not the perfect prospect. There are things to not like about his game. I don’t think he’s as physical or as competitive as a No. 1 defenseman should be. He’s more high-end talent-wise than Gudbranson and Gormley, but not every team is going to be enamored with him. Throw in Brett Connolly at forward, and I see Fowler going anywhere between 3 and 6.”
Comments. I’m making my second annual Draft Lottery appearance on News 12 Long Island tonight at around 8:20 pm, soon after the results are announced. Later today, I’ll leave a Comments space for the big event.
1:35 pm: See my explanations for the picks and respond, if you wish, at FanHouse.
12:20 pm: Point Blank has confirmed via a USA Hockey source that Scott Gordon will be the head coach and Kyle Okposo is on the roster for the U.S. at the upcoming World Championships in Germany. You can find more details from when we first covered this story on March 26. Brian Burke is the GM. Ron Wilson asked for this one off. UPDATE: Jack Hillen makes the squad, too.
Chris Botta on Twitter
9:30 am: I thought about posting the “big picture” column I wrote Sunday about the many positives of the Islanders’ 2009-10 season.
Also thought about going to “breakup day” at the Coliseum this morning and getting another round of quotes from players and coaches about how the future is so bright, they’ve gotta wear shades. (I used that for an Islanders magazine cover once, thanks to Kasparaitis and Malakhov being goofy enough to pose with sunglasses on).
Thought of running that Kevin Poulin Pulitzer Prize nominee I’ve had on the shelf for a bit.
Then I thought, who the heck am I kidding?
No one in the Country is going to breathe, no one is going to think of anything else, until a few minutes after 8:00 pm Tuesday when the Draft Lottery results are revealed.
So let’s keep this simple. Here are the odds of getting the first overall selection:
1. Edmonton - 25.0 (48.2% of selecting first)
2. Boston (via Toronto) - 18.8%
3. Florida - 14.2%
4. Columbus - 10.7%
5. Islanders - 8.1%
Chance of the Islanders getting the No. 5 pick = 74.7%
Chance of the Islanders getting the No. 6 pick = 17.2%
If a team ranked 1-4 (combined (68.7%) or 10-14 (combined 6.0%) wins the lottery, the Islanders will stay at the fifth pick. If a team ranked 6-9 (combined 17.2%) wins, the Islanders would be bumped down to pick six.
(h/t to reader Seth G for the math)
The rest of the non-playoff teams, from Tampa Bay (6) to the Rangers (10) and St. Louis (15) cannot move up more than four slots with a lottery win.
The NHL FanHouse/Point Blank Top 10
Utilizing the same contacts in the NHL scouting community that steered me capably last season, here’s what I got. Please note that this is in order of the best prospects, not in order of whom the Islanders may favor.
1. Tyler Seguin - C, Plymouth (OHL)
2. Taylor Hall - F, Windsor (OHL)
3. Cam Fowler - D, Windsor (OHL)
4. Brett Connolly - LW, Prince George (WHL)
5. Erik Gudbranson - D, Kingston (OHL)
6. Vladimir Tarasenko - F, Novosibirsk (KHL)
7. Brandon Gormley - D, Moncton (QMJHL)
8. Kirill Kabanov - F, Moncton (QMJHL)
9. Nino Niederreitter - RW, Portland (WHL)
10. Mikael Granlund - C, HIFK (Finland)
The Draft Lottery can be seen on VERSUS and TSN. Ken Morrow was in the TSN studio in Toronto representing the Islanders when they won the first overall pick a year ago. They might not want to mess with the good karma of the Werewolf.
If the Islanders’ 8.1% chance comes in, they will add a potential 40-goal, 100-point franchise forward to the slow and steady rebuild in Tyler Seguin or Taylor Hall. Seguin and Hall would immediately join the Islanders’ roster. If their 91.9% chance of picking fifth or sixth kicks in, they will add an outstanding talent more likely to be on the NHL roster after another year of development. Cam Fowler and Brett Connolly are the possible exceptions who could make the Islanders in 2010-11. The rest could use at least another year.
After we learn on Tuesday whether the Islanders are picking 1, 5 or 6, we’ll focus on what they will do with the selection. It probably won’t be the layup prediction of a year ago.
Thank you for your support and participation during Year 2 of Islanders Point Blank. I’ll be on assignment for FanHouse for most of the next two months, but do my best to contribute pieces at least 4-5 days a week in the offseason. Regularly check Katie Strang’s Twitter feed for breaking news. Comments.
FanHouse: Islanders Hold Crosby to Tie with Stamkos
8:30 pm, NVMC: After the game, Scott Gordon said, “This whole year is something we can look back on and say we were pretty competitive.”
The third period tonight was the final piece of proof.
The Islanders will enter the NHL Draft Lottery on Tuesday as the No. 5 seed. Since the players battled to the end, maybe the team will be rewarded by the hockey gods. Moving from No. 4 to 5 because of this comeback win should not be a big whoop if the Islanders’ drafting system gets the job done.
7:40 pm: As a sold-out Coliseum crowd chanted “Let’s Go Islanders,” John Tavares scored to tie the game with 4:13 left in regulation.
7:18 pm: Down 5-2 entering the third, the Islanders get goals from Kyle Okposo and Jon Sim and claw their way back in the game. Dwayne Roloson makes some ridiculous saves for the Islanders.
Sidney Crosby scores his 50th and 51st and has four points. Fighters getting all their work in before the NHL and AHL playoffs. Brent Johnson with some acrobatic saves, doing his part for the Country.
By losing to Hartford today, Bridgeport gets Hershey in the first round of the AHL playoffs. Good luck with that, Cappy.
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UPDATED at 11:55 am: Not wanting to take away from Bridgeport’s roster, the Islanders have recalled Joel Rechlicz from Bridgeport.
I just can’t imagine anyone having the stones to lecture fans on the quality of their worship because they were disappointed in pyrric late-season victories against Columbus, Calgary and Ottawa. Those are the same folks who will go ga-ga if the Islanders lose this week to Pittsburgh and New Jersey while the Lightning and Panthers play to overtime twice over the weekend.
Point Blank, Tuesday, April 5th
And so here we are.
If the Islanders defeat Pittsburgh at the Coliseum on Sunday in the season finale, they will be in the NHL Draft Lottery on Tuesday as the No. 6 seed. Their chances of moving up to the second pick are infinitesimal.
(Although they would be tied with Carolina with 80 points, the Hurricanes would be 7th because they earned more points against the Islanders in the head-to-head series).
If the Islanders lose in regulation to the Penguins, they will be granted a seat on the set of the Draft Lottery TV show. The Islanders would be one of five teams with a chance to land the first overall pick in June.
Beyond that, it gets messy.
If the Islanders lose in regulation and the Florida-Tanka Bay game ends in regulation, the Islanders will be the fourth seed in the lottery. If the Islanders lose and Tampa Bay wins in overtime or a shootout, they will be ranked fourth.
The dream scenario for Islanders draftniks is a regulation loss combined with the Panthers beating the Lightning in overtime or a shootout. (Not an impossible dream). If that happens, the Islanders would be the No. 3 seed in the lottery.
If the Islanders earn just one point, that’s not ideal because they have the tie-breakers (in a bad way) over Florida and Tanka Bay with more wins. Okay, I’m done here.
The bottom line, of course, is that the Islanders franchise is better off losing this game.
Look, I know how distasteful this all is. Then again, as far as I know, no one who contributes their passion to this website or their money to the box office and merchandise stands is an Islanders player or coach. So here’s hoping everyone can deal with it.
Since the Devils wrapped up the Atlantic Division on Saturday, the season finale at the Coliseum has little meaning to the Penguins. Especially after watching Matt Cooke scraped off the ice after his destruction in one punch by Evander Kane on Saturday, the Penguins might want to rest a few players in preparation for the playoffs – or at least cut down their icetime.
If winning the Rocket Richard Trophy is a big whoop to Sidney Crosby (49 goals to the 50 of Ovechkin and Stamkos), well…that would be surprising.
Of course, the Islanders – who will start Dwayne Roloson in goal – are playing shorthanded. Sean Bergenheim suffered an upper body injury on Saturday and will join Josh Bailey and Blake Comeau on the sidelines. This lineup playing the defending Stanley Cup champions, no matter the circumstances, figures to be in for a challenge.
To those of us who watched the Islanders play most of their games this year, we know otherwise. To some people around the NHL who saw they got waxed 7-3 in Pittsburgh and 7-1 in New Jersey, you know what they’re thinking.
To quote Herb Brooks in Miracle, screw ‘em.
All season long, the Islanders have played to win the game. It won’t be any different in Game 82.
Comments.
9:30 pm: There is only one major storyline in this season to be played out, and that occurs Sunday when the Islanders host the Penguins in the finale (and Florida plays Tampa Bay). We’ll go over those details with a post later tonight.
The first two seasons of the Scott Gordon Era and the rebuild are completed without a single victory in Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and New Jersey. The Islanders were 0-17-1 in those games.
Elsewhere in the NHL, the Bruins score three shorthanded goals during one penalty kill, Evander Kane knocks out Matt Cooke cold, the Maple Leafs push the rival Canadiens, Thomas Vanek scores four goals in two periods, the Rangers and Flyers play Game 82 tomorrow for one playoff berth, and Steven Stamkos: 50-goal scorer at age 20.
This is a great hockey league.
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10:30 am: For tonight’s game in New Jersey, the Islanders have recalled Micheal Haley. This is a very good thing. Haley is a buzzsaw who hits, sticks up for teammates, agitates and plays his heart out. In 68 games this season with the Sound Tigers, Haley is 6-8-14 with a team-high 196 penalty minutes.
The Sound Tigers have an important game tonight, but have plenty of players who do what Haley does – even if some of them don’t do it as well. So with the Islanders shorthanded, this was a perfect time for Haley to make his NHL debut. Here’s hoping Scott Gordon gives him ten minutes. The coach has yet to win in New Jersey, so what does he or the Islanders have to lose?
We all know what they have to gain, but we’re all sick of that subject. Agreed? Let the puck bounce where it may. Picking anywhere between 1 and 7, the Islanders will come out of the top of the draft with a terrific young player.
(Okay, I cannot resist. The perfect ending to a pair of embarrassing, under-achieving seasons: Tampa Bay and Florida play back-to-back overtime games, while the team owners bang their heads repeatedly into the walls of their executive suites).
The Islanders conducted today’s morning skate at the Coliseum before taking a team bus to New Jersey. I’ll be back at the Coliseum tomorrow for the season finale. Enjoy the games, and enjoy your weekend.
The scrappy, relentless, Haley-like Mike Fornabaio of the Connecticut Post explains all the playoff scenarios for Bridgeport and everyone else. Looks good for the Sound Tigers after Jesse Joensuu’s hat trick led them to a win last night.
Comments on tonight’s game.
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