Monthly Archives: April 2010
FanHouse: Flyers Lack Confidence in Loss to Islanders
Two from Blake Comeau, one each by Frans Nielsen, Sean Bergenheim, Trent Hunter and Jon Sim.
“I expect a text from John Tortorella when I get back to my office,” joked Scott Gordon to reporters after the game.
Chris Pronger: “We needed to match the Islanders’ desire, and we didn’t.”
Braydon Coburn: “The Islanders are a good team and they play hard. We knew that. They play an aggressive forecheck and teams that are out of the playoff race are always dangerous.”
Islanders scouts are rewarded for their team’s strong effort tonight by the hockey gods granting victories to Toronto and Florida and a point to Carolina.
Comments on tonight’s game.
11:30 am, the Lighthouse at Wang Island: If you had told Garth Snow that last night Carolina would win in Montreal and Tampa Bay would win in Pittsburgh, I imagine the cool, calm, poised and practical GM would have said, “Holy #@$&*%$*&#@”!
Those upset, but hardly upsetting wins, coupled with the knowledge the Lightning and Panthers meet in the final two games of the season, puts the Islanders in a pretty good position to get a top-four pick or better.
Soundbites
Kyle Okposo on the signing of Rhett Rakhshani: “Great news for us. I’ve known him since we started playing against each other at 14. When we were 15, Bryan Trottier coached us on a USA Select team. We had good chemistry together at my second World Junior Championships and when we were at an Islanders prospect camp. Skilled, smart, shifty player. Kind of on the small side, but he uses it to his advantage. I’m looking forward to being his teammate again.”
Josh Bailey on joining Bridgeport for the playoffs: “As a player, you want to be in the playoffs. I think it will be great for me to get back into a playoff atmosphere. I’ve been following the Sound Tigers and where they are in the standings the last few days. I’m really looking forward to it, so I hope they can get in. Through the prospect camps and training camps, a lot of those guys have become good friends. It would be a privilege to play with them in the playoffs, and a good step for me.”
Starting goalie Martin Biron: “It’s about trying to make something of this season. This last stretch, getting some regular starts and playing well, it feels good. This has been a chance to get back into regular work habits. At this point, it’s not like I want to go out and prove myself. All I’m interested in doing in helping my team win some games.”
Richard Park on the Flyers’ dominance: “They’ve exposed every weakness we had in the games we’ve played against them. They’ve played well. We haven’t for stretches. Things have gone their way. We have to end that.”
Jon Sim on the Flyers: “They are a pain in the ass to play against. I don’t think their size is that big a deal, at least it isn’t for me – and I’m not the biggest guy. A win tonight against the Flyers would be good for morale. We need to win as many of these last six as we can and finish strong.”
I like you, Jon, but no you don’t!
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Notes: Brian Boucher starts for the Flyers, who will be without suspended agitator Daniel Carcillo. Scott Gordon is looking for his first win over Philadelphia. As you may have heard – according to the Elias Sports Bureau – the Flyers have won a whole bunch in a row over the Islanders.
The playoffs out of reach, the Islanders are now offering a TicketMaster special where you can get 40% off tickets for the team’s remaining 2009-10 home games. Seriously.
The Islanders have signed Kirill Petrov to a 12-year contract. In a statement, Kirill the Thrill revealed that his name is really Kenny Peters, he’s from Sudbury and the whole KHL, Ak Bars and “He’s never leaving Russia thing” was a scam so the Islanders could steal him in the third round of 2008. “Meet me at the Lighthouse,” said an exuberant Peters.
Comments on this post and tonight’s game.
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