FOUR STRAIGHT LOSSES: A TEAM EFFORT
Also: On Briere’s eventual NHL punishment
FanHouse: Video of Briere and Carcillo on Nielsen
FanHouse: Konopka – Carcillo marathon brawl
1:00 pm: Rick DiPietro was not NHL No. 1-calibre again last night. Except for the third period in Tampa Bay, he hasn’t been so far in this young season. Among the 41 goalies to play in the NHL in October, DiPietro is 39th with a save percentage of .867. He is also 39th with a GAA of 3.75.
The second goal he allowed in Philadelphia, on a wrister by Jeff Carter, was a back-breaker for a team whose collective confidence – sorry Coach Gordon, I do know what you mean about that confidence nonsense – was fragile with three straight losses and already down 1-0 to the Flyers.
Still, the ganging up on DiPietro appears to be a distraction mechanism for a host of issues that ail the 11th-place Islanders.
Doug Weight is averaging 19 minutes a game and has three even strength points in 11 games.
Blake Comeau has not registered a point in six of his last seven games. In that span, he is averaging over 20 minutes a game.
All the rage for a week in the discussion on the merits of keeping 18-year-olds on the roster, Josh Bailey has no points and a total of three shots on goal in his last three games. Maybe his hip pointer is still bothering him, but Gordon giving him more than 20 minutes of icetime would suggest otherwise.
PA Parenteau has one even-strength point in eleven games. Let’s cool off on the Matt Moulson comparisons for a bit. He may get there, but he’s not there yet.
James Wisniewski has one even strength point and is minus-6 for the season. Good player, great energy, but coronation as a top-pair, huge-money defenseman is also premature.
Mark Eaton at $2.5 million for each of two years was a reach the day the contract was signed, and I’ve yet to see evidence to the contrary. For a third of the cost, Garth Snow got Mike Mottau. Yes, $2.5 million in the Islanders’ economy cannot be shrugged off.
John Tavares is minus-8 and has three even strength points in eight games.
Sean Bergenheim has no hockey sense, while Nate Thompson couldn’t hit water if he fell out of a boat. Oh right, they’re not on the team anymore. No more piling on them. They seem to be doing okay.
You get the point. The Islanders are missing key players. Even at full strength, this remains a shorthanded roster on the margins of the salary cap floor. They were not as good as 4-1-2 suggested, they’re not as bad as four regulation losses in a row would seem to illustrate.
Through eleven games, which players have done everything asked of them in their specific roles and within their skill sets?
Frans Nielsen
Matt Moulson
Dwayne Roloson
Radek Martinek
Zenon Konopka
Trevor Gillies
But for the most part, 4-5-2 has been a team effort.
*
The two-man mugging of Frans Nielsen last night by Daniel Briere and Daniel Carcillo was old-school, nasty, effective, dangerous and wrong. Briere is one of the game’s classiest people, which made it surprising – with his team up 6-1 and a minute remaining – that he would go Bobby Clarke on the usually mild-mannered Dane.
If Chris Simon was given 25 games for his blatant whack to the head of blindside hit-and-runner Ryan Hollweg, I have to believe Colin Campbell will give Briere, oh, at least one game.
Briere has a conference call – not an in-person hearing – with the NHL on Monday at 10:00 am, so we know the punishment will not be severe.
Comments on this post.
117 Responses to FOUR STRAIGHT LOSSES: A TEAM EFFORT
Also: On Briere’s eventual NHL punishment
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dynasty23x4 says:
those stats tell some story and its not a good one. cheap shot on nielsen for sure. if the league is crackin down on head shots, briere needs a couple of games i would think. maybe suspended just long enough to miss the rematch on saturday. i liked that dp got involved for frans…next time avoid pronger lol
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Steve says:
Briere should get at least 3 games for what he did to Nielsen. Next week the Flyers visit the Islanders, I wonder what will happen then.
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Briere has a bell to answer that’s for sure.
For the team’s performance they need to really get back on D and pickup up the guys coming in to the zone late. They need to take away the other team’s options and keep the second chances to the outside.
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streit02 says:
Although it had nothing to do with the outcome of the game, surprised nothing at all has been mentioned regarding the legal shoulder to shoulder hit that Trent Hunter delivered on Meszaros that warranted a 5 minute major and a game misconduct. It seems like all a player has to do nowadays is stay down on the ice after a hard hit and the refs are going to make a call. Im all for taking dirty hits out of the game, but at the end of the day this is hockey. With the way equipment is made to make you skate faster and shoot harder and with the conditioning of athletes these days people are going to get hurt. Its the nature of the sport and a big reason why people love it. If you took todays players and made them use the best skates that were available 15 years ago they wouldnt be flying around at 100 mph. Maybe the NHL should also look into something similar to baseball where all players must use wood sticks. Watching games from 20 years ago its amazing what players got away with and you never had so many injuries back then like you do today. It seems like every week a player is suspended and a superstar is hurt.
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UIF says:
Not a fan of most of this post, CB. Wiz isn’t supposed to be a number one guy on D. Pair him with Streit, and yes, I think that’d make a halfway decent top pairing. He’s making the best of what, according to experts, is supposed to be an insurmountable situation. Eaton leads the team in blocked shots by a mile, and breaks up at least as many passes. Not flashy, but Eaton at 2.5 isn’t going to generate much anger. I was as big a Bergy fan as anyone, but the Isles don’t miss him or Nate Thompson. The problem here is too many marginally skilled players like Thompson and streaky players like Bergy, and not enough top end talent that brings it every game. That’s why fans get frustrated with players like that. On the Isles, they’re a dime a dozen and forced into situations above their abilities. Keeping all of them around solves nothing.
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ed says:
Don’t need to pile on DP anymore. It has now reached the point of it just being plain sad to see a former outstanding goaltender maybe be about 50% of his former self. Hopefully everything is done to let him exit gracefully, but this is so sad to watch. He still has the warrior heart, just not the body.
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Vlad from Brooklyn says:
We all have seen what this team can do when they are on top of their game. I think the biggest problem is the thin mental state. It’s aches to see how everything is falling apart and the teams coach and the captain refusing to do anything about it. Not because they don’t care, but just because they are the wrong people for their roles. Another problem is the management is constantly lives in denial. Enough!!!
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I think the questions should start flying about Garth Snow. I know he isn’t talking to CB, but his assembly of the teams defense is criminal. Streit worked out great and we had to overpay at the time to get him, but Wiz and Mottau are steady players that were poached from other teams as the salary cap has allowed the Islanders to get a few decent additions for low cost. But Eaton, Jurcina, Gervais, Martinek etc. Not an imposing guy in the bunch. It is no surprise that the goalies are getting bumped all over the place. What happened to Hillen? Had some hope he would help on the power play but he seems inept at everything now. Can’t believe we play Gervais with Hamonic playing at Bridgeport. No that Hamonic would have an impact that young, but at least he gets the experience. Snow has to answer to someone for his moves. Enough is enough
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za says:
What we dont need is more whining here–Briere can get his arse kicked next Sat–we do have some muscle and we should use it. Suspension means nothing–get justice on the ice. CB, your points are 100% dead on here–and the truth lies between the two teams we have seen so far. Fans complain that the games are on non HD overflow etc…reality is this: the islanders are still a “who cares” in the NHL. The home game are sad with no one there–but why should they come? Accept this will be a tough season and hope for some “green shoots”.
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Ethan K says:
Jurcina, Martinek and Gervais can’t come back next year. Eaton needs to somehow become worth that contract for the season after this one, or be a depth defenseman like his play warrants.
We have to hope that Streit comes back and doesn’t lose a step. We have to hope that Hamonic succeeds on the AHL level this year. We have to hope that Wisniewski pulls his whole game together and warrants a resigning, and we have to hope that a big, shut down free agent defenseman is willing to accept a big paycheck to come play for us. That’s the only way this defense will come together.
As for the offense, Tavares needs a linemate that can keep up with him. On a better line, he’d be seriously breaking out. Bailey needs to find a way to be that player we saw the first 3 games for more than… 3 games. Comeau needs to bring his energy every night to become a consistent THIRD liner, as that is all he is. This team is heading for another top 8 pick. Let’s hope they get a serious top-6 left wing who can get the puck in the net on 5 on 5, or the next of the Zdeno Chara/Tyler Myers breed.
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Staten Islander says:
I’m thinking that Neilson will get 10 games for what Briere did to him. Just saying
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sean says:
Dp completely sucks!! Even though the team has sucked Last 4 games, gotta turn this around now!!!
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Joe in Massapequa says:
I watched the video at least ten times and take a look at Carcillo. He blindsided Frans after Briere chopped him. Then look at the slash Carcillo gives the back of DPs legs. I hope that is being viewed too. If the last 3 minutes of last nights game doesn’t wake up the Isles I don’t know what will.
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Ajax says:
I have the highest amount of respect for the heart and winning attitude, that being said, I seriously hope that DP is smart enough to know when to hang it up. It would be a shame for him to keep going and do SERIOUS damage to himself.
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admin says:
Is there a reason why many posters don’t even try to use capital letters and punctuation to make it easier for the readers to read? Or write like they’re texting, also making it a difficult read, while so many take the time to write nicely? Seems like a basic courtesy…CB
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tom says:
i think colin will suspend nielsen for one game for damaging brieres stick
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Priest says:
My understanding is that as a general rule, conference call = less than 5 games. Which seems way too short to me. I think for this kind of thing 6-8 would be a good starting point, and when you factor in Briere has a history of cheap stickwork, he SHOULD be looking at 8-10. I’ll be pretty surprised if the NHL gives him more than 3 though.
As for Carcillo, I hate him as much as anyone in the league, but his hit on the same play didn’t look like that big of a deal to me. It was dirty, but not suspension-worthy, IMO. It was really just a quick shot in response to whatever Frans said before the puck was dropped, and because he was a bit dazed by the Breire crosscheck is wound up looking worse than it was I think.
Just my opinion, I understand many will likely disagree
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Bill says:
Where does CB get the notion that Briere is “a classy guy” or that last night is in any way out of character for him? He does this sort of thing constantly…and gets away with it because he is a star and a little guy.
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John89 says:
I agree with post #14. The Islanders were really disrespected last night. Dipietro getting pushed around, Nielsen getting cheapshotted like that. The 6-1 loss just makes it about 10 times worse. This better wake this team up and they better be ready to come out fast and punching against the Flyers when they come into the coliseum. This should be a big turning point for this team. If this doesn’t light a fire under them then I don’t know what will. If this doesn’t make this team come out and play some pissed off, determined, hard hitting, hockey in the next game then I will be really disappointed. It just seems that other than a few guys like Nielsen, Konopka, Gillies, Roloson, and Moulson this team has trouble getting up for games…that needs to change and hopefully this will do that. Oh yea and if Briere gets 2 games or less I will flip out. No way should Wiz’s gesture warrant the same amount of games as Briere’s disgusting act like that. Someone needs to send that guy a message asap. They didn’t do a thing to Cammalleri when the Habs came in.
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shlo says:
Agree with Staten Islander. Throw the book at Neilson, give Brierre a medal for good measure.
Carcillo should get the Bing Trophy, no need to wait to the end of the season. -
I disagree with CB on 3 players. On a team where 75% of the players are a -, Eaton’s +/- is even and he plays against the other teams top line with Martinek every night. Josh Baily has 6 points in 9 games and is a +2. He is on place 54 pts and +18. Would we have taken that before the season started? I realize Weight has struggled big time the last 3 games on the point but he was very good there the first 7 games and has not been a liability defensively.
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Onesinceforty says:
I shudder each time DP handles the biscuit outside the crease. He was supposed to be one of the best at that and now seems like Arturs Irbe with a grenade on his stick. I hate to pile on but he is just SO slow getting up and back into position.
I disagree mildly about Doug Weight. I think he has played well and should have had a beautiful assist last night if Bailey buried that great chance.
As for the defense, everyone should bear in mind that 3 out of the top 6 that were selected in camp are injured. The steadying impact of AMac has been understated during the losing streak in his absence.
As for the rest of it, I am often left dumbfounded by the decision making of the franchise and this colors my feelings towards the team as a whole. That said, there is much to be optimistic about.
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izzo says:
Chris, I think your post, without saying so explicitly, reminds us that our team is simply not that good.
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Chris Mc says:
I believe the problem doesn’t lay so much in individual efforts as it does in two total team attributes. In all of their losses the team as a whole came out flat in the first period. This has to stop if they want to start winning again.
The second problem is that the team as a whole keeps trying to force passes. All of these cross ice passes are leading to turnovers or broken plays, especially on the power play.
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IslanderFAN says:
Can someone please explain to me why The Isles signed Eaton in the first place…this guy is slow and horrible and their stuck with him for 2 years.
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Kaszycki's Krew says:
Briere is brave when his team has a two man advantage and has Carcillo and Pronger on the ice……Play Roli.
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Briere is most certainly NOT “one of the game’s classiest people.” Perhaps that label worked for him at one time, but not anymore. This is not the first time he has done something like this, CB.
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Talking about Dipietro stats and saying those arent numbers of NO.1-calibre, Well Roloson numbers arent NO.1-calibre
Roloson ranks 33rd in the NHL 2-3 GAA2.40 (its good i’ll give him that) but his save % is not good at.918, if DP is not the future then let see Koskinen and Poulin towards the end of the season because they are the future not Roloson. -
Blizzard says: ….i would have to agree with those that object to Briere being called a classy player. Maybe he was when he was on Buffalo but he has adapted to Flyer hockey rather well. My guess is he gets 3 games to protect him from next Saturday’s game. I always thought the philosophy was play your best players who give you the best chance to win. Sorry DP isn’t it. That is crystal clear at this point. Rollie is number 1 now.
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xIslesYanksx says:
As much as I like Scott Gordon, these types of games lead me to start questioning whether or not he’s the right man for the job. I always believe that success needs to come from the top down. I wasn’t around back in the day, but always heard stories about how Al Arbour was able to adapt his style for each player in order to get the most out of them. In some cases, that meant scolding or loss of ice time, in others, it meant silence. Either way he knew how to get each guy going so that they came out for games and played well individually, making them a better team in the process. Gordon seems like a great guy to transition young players into NHL players – I’m sure Hillen will be a rock for Minnesota one day in exchange for a draft pick to keep the rebuilding efforts going ;o) – but is he really the guy that is going to take this team to the next level? Is he capable of taking a team into the playoffs? To a Stanley Cup, dare I say?
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19 Isle in NJ 22 says:
CB – The premeditated nature of what Briere and Carcillo did should start at 3 games for suspension. The fact that it was a head shot should only add to it. Forget the Campbell factor for one second. IF the NHL is serious about protecting its players from serious injury it should make sure that blatent intent to injure should be dealt with as a minimum 5 game for first offense. The NHL will never send a clear message to their players and fans if this is only a one game suspension. It shouldn’t matter or not if or how bad a player is hurt … that should only add to a huge punishment.
Briere just proved he’s a classless coward and wuss for doing that to a player in a vulnerable position. I know a few Ranger fan (sorry don’t know any Isles fans in S. Jersey) beer league players living in the Philthy… Uh Philly area that would have Briere for lunch then use Carcillo as a tooth pick.
I’m sure Campbell’s one game suspension to Briere will be because Campbell’s PO’d that Danielle Briere didn’t do any damage.
BTW … Briere just jinxed himself… remember Mottau? Now he’s playing for the Isles.
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That game was so brutal, for the first time in 30 yrs of watching this team, I shut it off with 10 min left to play. Just saw the horrific slash by Briere. I swear if he does not get at least a five game suspension (should be 10), I am going to the N.H.L offices with a big picket sign. Care to join me Isle fans? That was a blatant attempt to injure–I don’t for the life of me see how it could be taken as anything but. As for the Isles, why is Nielson even doing the agitating? where is Gillies,Yablo, Konopka? I thought they were tough. I don’t see it. The point is to protect your teamates against goons like the flyer team, not to have a meaningless fight at the begining of the game to “set the tone” ring their damn bell instead! Since the Isles cannot and should not try to match the Flyers physically, they should concentrate on scoring a goal and winning the game. That is the best revenge! I love D.P.’s swagger, but he is not and never was a good goalie. I have been waiting for years for him to prove me wrong…..still waiting…
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I just watched the video on FanHouse.
This is a perfect example of why the league needs to get consistent with their discipline.
This is a league wide problem, not just with our team.
I urge anyone that did not check out the video on FanHouse to do so. -
raul17 says:
Trent Hunter will very lucky if he does not get more than three games for his cheap shot to Andrej Meszaros’ head.
Frans Nielsen (who was given 10-minute misconduct for “low bridging” Daniel Carcillo off the face-off against Daniel Briere) should be given at least two games unless the NHL are not serious about cracking down those types of checks.
Rick DiPietro will get a game for leaving his crease to start a near bench-clearing brawl. This is not the CHL for crying out load!!
Briere might get one game; not for the crosscheck/highstick/slash to Nielsen, which was not a “Chris Simon premeditated act, but for not going directly to the box/locker room. The linesman had to restrain him from getting back into the brawl.
Carcillo’s actions/reactions were legal parts of the game; all within the rules. Jon Sim’s actions on the otherhand warrants no more than a 10-game suspension. The players must respect the officials!
Mr. Botta, I am surprised of your opinions about Mark Eaton & James (De-Generation X) Wisniewski. Eaton is 1) is coming off a Stanley Cup champion team, 2) his skill-sets (borrowing form the Mets’ Wilpons) & services were in high demand (for the Isles) and 3) The Islanders needed to make the “floor” anyway. Was Mark Streit as a top-pair defenseman when he signed by the Isles? He was not last season. DX was not acquire as a free agent, so he did not need to “prove” the other 29 teams wrong like Streit.
Al Arbour = Lorne Henning, Bill Carroll, etc
Mike Milbury = Shawn Bates
Ted Nolan = Richard Park (& Chris Simon)
Scott Gordon = Nate ThompsonEvery Islander coach had players for whatever reason the coach felt put something for them to make the team. I do not know what anyone sees in Sim but Garth Snow wanted him and Gordon kept him.
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okpososcores21 says:
The second goal was definitely a back breaker. I’m not going to fault depietro solely for the loss. The flyers just played an overal better game than the isles. Alot of the goals were legit NHL goals and some were the result of islander players missing their assignments. I feel this all goes back to the Montreal games. The islanders needed to win at least one of those games to keep the good mojo going. Instead its now starting to fall apart fast. The act of not winning at home after playing a much better effort against the Canadians does not help team moral either. Also i thought it was a bad move by Gordon to keep depietro in the game. Usually when a goalie change is made it sometimes can ignite a spark for a team. By keeping depietro in the net the only thing Gordon did was make depietro and the team feel more bad about themselves. Lets see if Gordon can prepare the team well enough to play on Wednesday and imo is a must win situation for the team.The management talks about how easygoing and relaxed the atmosphere is for the players. Maybe its too relaxed they need to start holding people accountable and get certain guys going to be successful.
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Z says:
On one note I have to disagree CB, while Briere might be a classy guy outside of the ice (you would know better than I would) he certainly has a history of cheap shots and blind-side hits. On the rink he is not classy – and that ultimately matters more.
As far as DP goes, give the guy a break. It’s not his fault he was offered a large contract that should never have been created. He’s also coming back from two years of injuries, he’s going to be rusty. Get over it. The goaltender can only take so much of the blame -he’s one guy. What about the other five on the ice? They have to be defensively sound and the Isles aren’t doing so.
Everything gets worse before it gets better, and building a contender through the draft is no different. Like Jaff once said, you have to play years of terrible hockey to build a good team through the draft. We are on our way.
One last thought. Garth Snow, while he may be having trouble signing free agents needs to be more vocal about protecting the ones he has. Campbell cannot be relied upon to be a consistent disciplinarian, and I think it’s high time that some of the GMs let him know, regardless of Brian Burke saying Campbell is the man for the job.
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Colin M. says:
Since when is Briere a class act? This isn’t his first cheap shot. I for one hope he only gets a game suspension. That way, when the Flyers come to the Island on Saturday, he’ll have to watch his back the entire game. Because as you know, Gillies will have his number almost exclusively, and I for one look forward to how that goes down.
The DiPietro “piling on” will only get old if and when he starts to prove people wrong. It’s true that when you look at the number of goals that were “typical” NHL goals scores last night, the Isles’ lone goal wouldn’t have won them the game. But that doesn’t excuse DiPietro for piss-poor goaltending on other shots. His puck-handling has been atrocious, and he’s letting in weak goals in each game he plays in. As CB pointed out in the post, his GAA and save percentage are horrifying. Absolutely horrifying.
Frankly, he’ll never be where he was (or where everyone perceived he would be, anyway) ever again. The Isles can’t buy him out soon enough. Sorry to have to say it, but it’s the truth. If we’re going to lose games because of inconsistent goaltending, why not call up some young guys from Bridgeport and get them some experience?
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Jim says:
Briere is one of the classiest people in hockey?! Did I seriously just read that? Wow. Totally off, CB.
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Isles81 says:
Two things come to my mind – we had better stop talking about having depth in the organization. What we have is ten thousand 4th line grinders and very little real talent. Very little speed and very little size.
Secondly – someone please remind me what JT is supposed to be learning from Doug Weight. In my mind your captain has got to produce, to show somethihng to the kids worth striving for. Doug may be a great guy but he’s just not producing.
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anthony c says:
DP is done. He is not quick to his feet anymore. And don’t give the “He’s played 13 games in the last 2 years” excuse. He continues to play like this and say he ends up playing around 40 or 45 games then what? He still wonders out of the net and it costs us. And for him to be ranked 39th out of 41 goaltenders that played this month is horrible.
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JKP in Halifax says:
DP missed the better part of two years. That’s a lot of time. He needs more work to get his timing and skills back. That will take a couple months at least, I would think. Anyone suggesting we should be buying him out at this point is just being silly. Let’s see how he’s doing by New Years.
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Vealchop says:
Its pretty simple
They lose b/c of their goaltending and inconsistent play from the defense.
They can only win when the power play is producing and it has been terrile lately.
Lets give them until Jan 1st to make a full assesment (11 games so far).
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Jim Clark says: I predicted the Islanders would be the worst team in the league after Streit and Okposo were injured so this slump is not a surprise. A disappointment but not a surprise. Let’s keep in mind that Roloson would have lost 3-1. He’s playing better than DiPietro but he is not the one with the 15 year $67 million contract. I know people will say the Islanders should ignore a sunk cost and play Roloson but the real world doesn’t work like that. Gordon willreceive his orders to keep playing DP until he returns toform or has another injury.
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JTizzle91 says:
Yabo, Gillies, Konopka 4th line and beat the piss out of anything that moves. Simple as that!
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Isles44 says:
I agree that DP isn’t playing well. What everyone has to realize is that he hasn’t played consistently in two years. It’ll probably take half a season for him to get comfortable again. Like it or not DP is gonna be the Isles #1 goalie. The Isles aren’t gonna win the cup this year. What’s important is that in a couple years when the Isles are ready to challenge for the cup, DP is back to his peak. He should get as many games as possible, even at the cost of a few losses this season.
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JD says:
Excellent post. For all the talk about how this was supposed to be a new season of no excuses, things didn’t appear any different last night. We can pile on Ricky all we want but the blame should go to each and every player and coach. Its one thing to get pasted but the Flyers didn’t stop rubbing our noses in it. Last night, all I saw was a team that was physically overmatched and didn’t even seem to care that the Flyers were pretty much relentless in every facet of the game. Aside from a few Islanders, I didn’t see any heart or pride at all. Garth can draft all the top ten guys he wants but without mixing and matching some legit players through free agency and trades nothing is going to change. You can’t field a team with promising picks and other teams’ castoffs.
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talking about DiPietro stats…will let me give you the stats of Pens MA Fleury (stanley cup winner, he was a big reason they won) Fleury this year 1-5 3.35 GAA & save % of .8.63 and another great goalie and former Isles Roberto Luongo 2-3-2 2.93 GAA and save % of .907…last time i checked they were amongst 2 of 3 goalie for Canada in the olympics and are No.1 goalies.
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Michael Pastore says:
When Tavares was hurt, Bailey played with Parenteau and Comeau. It worked they clicked together why did Gordon break up that combo after Bailey came back. Tavares, Moulson, and Okposo worked last season and he broke up that line. I wish somebody will tell Gordon when he has something that works do not change it go with it. Put Bailey back with Comeau and Parenteau. Put Martin a power forward that can skate and is not afraid to be in front of the, or to hit people and for check with Moulson and Tavares. By doing those 2 line changes and keep them together for more than 1 shift the players might get to know each others tendencies and be able to anticipate where the others are on the ice.
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jay dugan says:
For some reason it seems that there are more “longer” comments than usual. Is it that that we all realized last night how far DP is from where he was supposed to be and we are all coming down from the “high” we seemed to have after a decent start? Is that we we all thought that the team was a lot closer to be a playoff team then they really are? is it that we all realize that we all love the Islanders but are srating to see that we are in for another long year? I want The NYI to be a great team again just as much as anyone else. I love the Konopka signing, the Wiz trade and I really look foward to Bailey,Tavares,Okposo,Comeau,deHaan,etc in the future but I 100% realize that it wont be this DP as the number 1.
Maybe things go better if Roli is the main man in net. Sorry DP but the leash is getting shorter…to bad the contract isnt.
I love watcvhing the young guys play and I will love it even more when things finally pan out down the road but right now I am just glad we have Konopka,Gillies and Matt Martin…at least the players don’t get KO’d as they lose games.
Here’s to the future!!!! aka “wait ’til next year”…or the year after that. -
CB: Didn’t know you were now grading posts for grammar and punctuation. Grade me a D+.
That aside, I counted 334 line combinations in last night’s game. How can a player ever blend in with his linemates if they are constantly changing? Also, the Gordon rule that you have to pass 20 or more times on the PP. Looking for the perfect shot never works. DP is just not the same and it’s time for Snow to realize that. It’s been said that Snow has done wonders with the draft. Where are those players; while we have to put up with Hunter, Sim, Gervais, and yes, Weight?
On second thought, give me a C-.
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kurvers28 says:
IslanderFAN – Did you just actually say Roloson’s save percentage is not good at .918? Are you out of your mind? FYI, Rick’s career save percentage is .904. What’s that? No argument. Exactly.
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Scott says:
Great point Joe (post 15) I didn’t notice what Carcillo did until you pointed this out. The league should take a look at his actions. This is where the refs screwed up. If he was thrown out with Konopka then maybe this may not of occurred.
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BTW IslanderFAN, Roloson is 15th in GAA, not 33rd. If you are going to make up stats to prove points, do a better job.
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isles71 says:
That was a lousy effort all the way around last night. Trent Hunter call was ridiculous, and so was the Isles play most of the night. Glad the Pink Pads worked out real well for us as well. I had to walk away so didn’t see the last few minutes, so just saw video. If I coached that team, Konoptka, Gillies & Martin would have been over those boards as soon as Briere hit Neilson…then I would have gone after Laviollette. I’ve said it before, 85% of incidents and fights like that are planned ahead of time, by the player AND/OR coach. Campbell will do nothing, so don’t have any faith in retrobution there. Once again, comes down to OLD WEST JUSTICE, because if nothing is done then they’ve let another opportunity pass them by. EVERY GREAT TEAM would have done something, and I bet Gordie Howe would have been the 1st over the boards too!! I say this because to be a great team you ACT like a GREAT team!
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sheppy says:
People think Briere will face some retribution the next time we play. Why? Cammalleri seemed to make it out of the two games we played last week in one piece and without any serious attempt on his physical well being.
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gary says:
Yes, the trend with Rick is troubling, to say the least–Wondering if he is being over careful since its on his mind about getting injured again–If so, that cant be good as hes not there mentally–or he just has lost much skill since hes been out of playing normal time over the past 3 years–He seems slow to get up, is giving up way too many goals that should have been stopped, especially through the pads–Its still early in the season, but if he hasnt improved by midway through the season, a decision has to be made regarding giving Rollie more starts, especially if we are near a potential playoff position
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WM says:
I’ve read a couple of posts (#34, Erika and #54, isles71) stating that the Isles should have had Gillies and Konopka out there during the last minute scrum. Keep in mind that both had already been thrown out of the game earlier in the 3rd period.
Yes, November is only arriving tomorrow, but the next two games are big. These are winnable games vs. Carolina and Ottawa. If the Isles can be 6-5-2 going into the Philly game on Saturday, it should make for a great game especially with emotions high (you would hope) after last night’s debacle.
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If anyone thinks Briere is going to get more than a warning, I think they are fooling themselves. I’d be pleasantly surprised if he gets even a 1 game suspension. The league’s consistency on discipline has been absolutely ridiculous and disgraceful. Guys get thrown out of games for legal hits, guys who had relatively minor infractions get suspended and guys who deserve lengthy suspensions get few to no games. Somehow, someone has to right the ship because as a hockey fan, I am embarrassed by what we have witnessed this season.
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doc says:
Briere is a repeat offender and a cheap shot artist. He’s been suspended and fined several times for cheap shots, high sticks and late blind side hits. Enough said.
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Oh… and I’ve seen enough of Jon Sim to last me a lifetime.
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LNOF says:
kurvers28, IslanderFAN was saying Roli ranks 33rd in the league with a record of 2-3-0. Then, he/she started talking about GAA and sv%.
Now, Roli may only have 2 wins, but he played well enough in the WAS & at least the 2nd MTL game for the Isles to earn a win – however, in those games the Isles only scored 1 goal. In fact, one could point to the fact that Roli has done more with less goal support this early on.
I’d also like to point out to IslanderFAN that of the 32 goalies ahead of Roli in the win column, 29 have played more than 5 games. Roli got off to a hot start – and then sat for 9 days – most teams play the hot goalie and that did not happen in this situation. With Gordon deciding who to play based on opposing team matchups, he runs the risk of not maximizing the impact of the hot goalie.
I’d also like to say to IslanderFAN that a sv% of .918 is very good. Take a look at 09/10 goalie stats – if you remove the goalies with under 10 games in the entire season, .918 is top-15. If Roli can maintain that sv% as his starts increase, that is #1 goaltending.
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Quez says:
CB…you could’t be more wrong on Briere, at least on the ice. Off the ice, he may be classy, but this guy has been living by way of the cheap shot for years and hides behind his bigger teammates. He wont be diciplined much by C.Campbell, making it very frustrating to see this guy use his stick the way he does, in a classless way, and get away w/it.
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NYFAN001 says:
I said it before and I will say it again. Wang is not going to go one friggin cent over the salary floor until the lihhthouse project moves forward. There is a reason why Jurcina and some others were availeble. We lack talent and size in defense and talent in goal. Dipietro hasd no dam latteral movement.
We great talent on the NHL roster in college and Jr’s regarding the forward postion. Problem is we need more size and skill on defense and a top notch goaltender.
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boss15 says:
DP has not looked good but to be honest the defense in front is really terrible. Not just the defenseman but the forwards coming back have no idea who to cover and the opposing team constantly has open players roaming around the net and taking as much time as they need to get shots off. A lot of the blame has to go to Gordo, even though the talent is thin there is no excuse for that amount of confusion.
I know Sutton is hurt but he is so much better than Jurcina will ever be. The lack of any toughness on the blueline is sad to say the least. -
backstop87 says:
As almost every other goalie in the world can tell you, Dipietro’s game is suffering because his legs are weak. You can see it every time he goes to play the puck(looks unstable), and every time he recovers from his butterfly(slow to get up). Because of this he’s often unable to keep up with the play and ends up out of position. Olbviously, the only way to fix this is by excercising his legs in the gym, but Rick’s knees cant handle that and swell up whenever he tries, so managements decided that the only way Rick’s legs will get strong again is by playing in games. If he continues to get starts, I expect Rick to be performing at NHL level(.900) by Christmas time.
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BringBackNyles says:
DP will be here until Wang asks him what he wants to do when he grows up and gets to be GM
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Themass says:
If there is someone that can get back into shape from missing pretty much 2 years its DP. I expected to have to wait till AT LEAST the halfway point of the season to see if he can do it. I. Reality though, let’s say he does start improving, how long before he’s hurt again. I believe in his drive and hope he stays injury free to prove everybody wrong. That said, maybe a conditioning stint may be in order so that he can work on his game without the pressures of the NHL weighing him down
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geduffer says:
Briere deserves at least 10 games for his act. If he doesn’t get it, the Isles should bring up Jeremy Yablonski and send him after Mike Richards and Jeff Carter. ZK can handle Briere. I’m not usually that bloodthirsty, but Briere deserves to have a Marc Savard grade concussion inflicted on him. I’ll be back from the Bahamas and at the game down in 102 and I will be the guy yelling “KILL HIM” whenever a Flyer touches the puck.
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brooklyn george says:
As much as I would like revenge on Briere the next time Philly comes to town, you know that’s not happening. It did not happen with Montreal and calamari and it will not happen now. And let’s say it just did, then the refs and so called NHL will be after the Isles harder than that stupid call on Hunter. They will just go after any Isle enforcer or Isle player who even attempts to stir it up w/ any Philly player.
It seems to me that the minute a player gets hit and stays down regardless of injury or not their teamates are quick to react and start a fight. I don’t blame the players for this I blame the Nhl for only seeing stuff one-way or just protecting the star players. -
#34 Erika. I’m w/you all the way straight to the offices of the N.H.L. I’ll go. Tired of this, but my question is are the Isles willing to do anything about this and I’m talking about the higher ups before the fans do.
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Mike in LA says:
What a disgusting display by Briere and Carcillo. Carcillo is a cancer on the ice, possibly worse than Avery (though that’s tough to say). He came at Nielsen with as much intent to injure as Briere. If anything, Carcillo should receive some punishment for his actions — including his slashing of DiPietro in the back of the leg. What was that all about anyway? Talk about completely uncalled for.
Nielsen is one of the good guys in the league. He is rarely penalized, doesn’t get into fights, not a dirty player…maybe the NHL should take into consideration the person who is being hit when they hand down these suspensions, rather than considering the previous offenses of these scumbags.
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Jon in Chicago says:
Obviously Roly gets the start Wednesday against Carolina and he should get to play the next game as well unless he stinks up the place. It may be true that DP needs to play to get better but that coming at the expense of the team is poor coaching/management.
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ronbuzz69 says:
tired of wating and waitng !!!!!!!!!! thats why im boy cotting games … wang and snow have no clue , no scoring , no goaltending should i keep going !!! as fans ARE WE ALL TIRED OF THE BS !!!!! HEY WANG DO SOMETHING YOU FOOL SPEND SOME REAL MONEY!!!!!!!! also dp is done..
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27Tonelli says:
Sim and Gervais should just be let go ! Does Jon Sim have to take a stupid penalty in the first 5 mins of every game ? Hunter should hit the bricks as well ! Bring up Joenssu, Hamonic and Ullstrom let’s see what they got, we already know what Sim, Gervais and Hunter can do, NOT MUCH ! We are not going anywhere anyway ! Top 5 pick here we come ! (Duncan Siemens) !
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Oh and we need a real NHL coach also ! Gordon SUX !
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dp should refund most of that contract … he should be ashamed to get paid!!!!! he stinks ….
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Michael says:
Chris,
I’m happy to see you are starting to call it like it is. Let’s see how this team handles getting throttled, and losing 4 in a row. Does Scott Gordon have a plan to turn this season around?
Butch Goring summed it up best last night when he stated “This for me, is one of the best things that could happen to the Islanders. Yeah, they are getiing their butts kicked, but this is the type of thing that can bring your team together. This can rally you. This is where you can show that you care. This is going to bring the team closer together. When you have to stand up for each other, this is what chemistry is all about.”
We will see.
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rb says:
Gordo should put Bailey back at center with Comeau on the wing. I think it would help both of ‘em. Weight should be used sparingly at LW and on the PP. He’s not doing anything anyway at 5-on-5.
I wouldn’t worry to much about Parenteau, Eaton, Jurcina, Motteau, Weight. All “hold-the-fort” guys who’ll be replaced with guys from our system.
At the risk of being labeled a Ricky-basher, he’s the biggest problem. He was middle-of-the-pack BEFORE he got hurt. Now he’s well below average. And I don’t want to hear about “knocking off rust.” He remains Milbury’s curse.
Ricky should be the back-up until further notice. As son as Mikko or Poulin are ready, start breaking ‘em in. Demote Ricky for good as a possible buy-out, as bad as that would be.
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Ed says:
I believe Ricky is giving it all he has, but his game has more holes in it than Charlie Brown’s costume. Flyers got candy, Isles got rocks.
I’m getting tired of Howie and Butch calling every puck shot right into DP an incredible save.
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Observations from a fan who hasn’t missed a game in 17 seasons:
Trent Hunter is dead wood, and has been for the past 2 years.
It is clear that at 41 years-old Roloson is the best goalie here. DiPietro continues to play reckless, and is a detriment to the Islanders. At least Roloson gives them a chance.
Jon Sim serves no purpose on this team.
I see more of Trevor Gillies stretching on the bench then I do of him on the ice.
Carcillo is actually a decent hockey player with good hands, and he can skate.
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Blizzard says:
……I have been thinking about DP. Anyone who says DP always sucked is clueless. He did not always suck. Its painful to watch DP play. He was such an athletic goalie with great stick handling skills. Its hard to say if he regains that form. He always got himself in trouble but had the athleticism to compensate for it. Not now. At times I wondered if he was afraid to injure himself again. But I wonder if his body is just failing him. I was one of those that said he aint never coming back. Well he did but now he is a shell of his former self on the ice. He has heart. And I am sure that it kills him that he is playing poorly.
Briere incident: The more I watch it, the more I say this has got to be at least 5 games. My guess is 3.
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The Isles effort is just not there. You just don’t notice most of their forwards doing anything. I can’t kill Tavares for his lack of offense output even strength when he is playing with Matt Martin and PA Parenteau. Tavares is one of the only forwards you notice skating with a purpose. If you watch other teams play, their forwards skate hard and through the zone with speed and with an attitude. The Isles look dead.
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Islebethere4u says:
In the past I have been very critical of Colin Campbell to the point of being very sarcastic as well. On a serious note, CB, I could not disagree more with your assessment of Danny Briere. He is most certainly not a classy guy on the ice. He is a repeat offender. In fact, I don’t see a whole lot of difference between Briere last night and Chris Simon of a few years ago against the Rags. It was an indisputable attempt to injure Frans Nielsen only Simon’s was a reaction and Briere was premeditated. Because Briere is a scorer and playmaker and Simon is widely now considered a thug, Good ol’ Danny boy will only get a game or two. And another thing, How did Neilsen wind up with a 10 min misconduct? Also, a triple minor on Gillies? for pushing and shoving? Really? And none on the Flyers. The Refs should be ashamed of themselves. I am NOT blaming the refs for the loss by any means, as you said and I 100% agree, The Isles loss was a team effort even without the mugging by the Flyers and the piling on by the refs. No comment on the refs CB? I think they really deserve a drubbing here as well. IMHO, don’t blame DP for any of this, he should have been in the minors for more conditioning this year just to get his “game” timing back.
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Mike from Philly says:
Guys it’s the buidling, thats why we stink according to Snow and Wang. The building is making the Isles lose, the building makes the Isles unable to break losing streaks, the building demanded higher ticket prices.
Just sell the team already Wang.
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JoeRiverside says:
DP was only Isle to stand up for Nielsen
I agree that Rollie should play most of the games (maybe DP can get some work at Bridgeport), but let’s not attack the guy. He can’t control the injuries and my hat goes out to him for working hard to come back.
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One thing we have to remember is that Rick DiPietro is not injured. Rick is and should be 100% healthy after multiple long layoffs. We are seeing a healthy Rick Dipietro on the ice.
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NYIFAN10 says:
#34 I disagree. Rick was a good goalie before the injuries.
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CM says:
Getting pushed around again. No fire in any of the Isles bellies and no hockey sense. Embarrassing night for an Isles fan. We were overpowered and we were shown who’s the boss. Wake up team.
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Jeff says:
Glad to see that CB has finally opened his eyes about DP. But this is not a mere distraction. You build a winner from the goal out. This team’s failures begin in goal and things won’t get better until that situation is addressed.
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Metalcoconut says:
Why is it that every time a team/player wrongs the Islanders it seems as if Campbell walks through the formalities of disciplinary appearance. It is more than fair to say that the decisions handed out are highly subjective and irrational per the lack of explanation offered by NHL officials. In this case the Stanley Cup runner up featuring several of the biggest names in the NHL are on trial…not Carcillo or Briere. So hearing that there is a “phone call” scheduled is really not to far of a stretch for the idea stated above.
The fact that Bettman whole heartedly backs the irrational judgment process in place further harms the success of the sport and the faith of the fans. I wonder what will be the straw to break the camel’s back because the chorus of boos are falling on deaf/dumb ears.
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Brian in VA says:
Eaton = below mediocre
Parenteau = mediocre
Jurcina= a tick below EatonYou get what you pay for… But Snow is doing a great job with the rebuild… Keep drinking the kool-aid… ohhh yeahhh!
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It also appears that the Islanders new tactic with DP is to embarass him out of net. Basically they start him and don’t pull him regardless of the score. Perhaps they believe that sooner of later he will quit on his own. Of course that was one game but I have a feeling there are plenty more of those to come. I only hope that whatever happens is in the most positive light as possible and it doesn’t drag out like a Favre situation.
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Jim says:
Even though it was a blow out it was nice seeing some fight in the Islanders. I can’t wait for next Saturday. With all the philly fans sure to come up there will as many fights in the stands as on the ice.
DP is not and never was a top tier goalie. He looks like me when he tries to get up off the ice and I’m 52!
Is it just me or does Bailey disappear in tough physical games?
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The New Isles GM says:
Guys, just because we had a strong start doesn’t mean the cup was destined to come to the island this year. Remember over the summer how everyone was up in arms about some of the signings Garth made this summer. I didn’t and I still don’t agree with them. As Botta always says, we’re going to be a cap mininum team until the arena situation gets figured out. The only thing good coming from this is plenty of draft picks and enough room to keep them here. Sure ….I want top 6 goal scorers and shut down d man to sign with us every summer, but that’s not the reality. Sooo stop complimenting one day and bashing the next. It is what it is for the time being.
This season I chose not to goto games for numerous reasons, but the main reasons point to this past summer. Call it what you want but I was not happy about letting Jankowski, Jaffe, Trotts and Bergenheim go, while we bring in guys like Parrenteau, Jurcina, and the terrible Jon Sim. To me, this was not a step forward for an organization so I’ll wait and see if next summer they start to show the fans their serious about winning. If they do…then I’ll pay money to see them. But for now, watching them on the big screen in HD with cheaper food and beer will do.
To sum it all up: Just take it one game at a time boys….there’s like 70 games left this season.
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peter debenedetto says:
As someone that played goalie in HS and College, DP was left out to dry on 5 of the six goals. Pronger’s shots were absolute laserbeams, with no one in the shooting lane to challenge. Many Flyers were left unattended on the other goals. Goal #2 he has to have.
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Michael says:
I am starting to believe that Scott Gordon will not be back at the end of this season.
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Andre says:
It is becoming clear to me that Snow is not doing a good job. This rebuild is not working. Plain and simple. Until the Islanders acquire top tier scorer and a top 2 defenseman via free agency or trade and stop signing other team’s castoffs, this team will never take the next step. New building or not, the Islanders put a lousy product on the ice.
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iselsfan39 says:
Scott Gordon isn’t going anywhere. It is still early and i still feel the product the Garth has given him isn’t enough to work with. I want to really no what is going on with the lighthouse it obviously cant be good. The devils built the rock in newark and its not a very nice place to have a arena so whats the problem hear just build the new coliseum and worry about the rest. one last question not hockey related has anyone ever been to a concert at the coli im going wednesday for dave matthews band and just was wondering since the msg shows are sold out had to come here instead. go isles better days are comming trust me.
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steven stats says:
Wake up Islanders. It’s time to go back to work.
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Clearly DP has a long way to go if he’s going to ever become a number one goalie again. We have every incentive to give him that chance since we have 10% of our salary cap room tied up in his contract for the next decade.
The defense is no better than last year. Without Sutton there is now no one willing or able to move larger players from the front of the net. I don’t understand why Snow thought Jurcina would be a good idea, he is slower than Witt and hates the rough stuff. I can’t help but notice how confused the players look particularly on defense, maybe they should consider a normal training camp next season, or perhaps a different coach. -
Sidd Finch says:
I think Howie made a good point about the referees removing the Isles enforcers from the game and allowing this to happen. With a 5 on 3 advantage and the gentlemanly reputation of Frans Nielsen (6 PIM in 2009-10), the NHL needs to suspend BOTH Briere and Carcillo for that shameless display of Flyers hockey. Why not mug a nun during a church service while you are at it as well? If the NHL is truly serious about cutting out the BS in this sport, this is absolutely a place to start. I think that SOB Briere absolutely deserved that pop in the mouth he got from Gillies. Either way he looks like a jerk for not being able to take a punch or taking that dive while he was mouthing off at Gillies between two linesman. The Isles need to call up Yablonski for next weeks game so they can roll a “Hansen Brothers” line for a little “old time hockey.” As for the teams play of late, I am confused at how the goalies are being rotated and using Bruno as a forward. I know it is easy to roll with the hot hands, but there aren’t any right now. I think the Isles need to analyze the earlier success and see where the synergies were. If Bailey and Comeau had this great chemistry, get them back together. Need to get back on the horse here and quick.
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Jon in Bpt says:
I gained a lot of respect for DP during the end of the game with all that drama. I know this won’t happen, but I would like the Isles to recall Haley and Yabo for their rematch next week. I just might buy tickets.
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Eric Cup says:
I’d love to know what goes on in these “conference calls” with Colin Campbell. Who else is on them? In this case, he attacked Franz. Does Franz get in on the call so the league can hear his side? I’m sure the answer is no. If a player is to be suspended, thereby losing playing time and pay to the tune of thousands of dollars, why not interview all involved? If they do, I’ve never heard about it. Alot goes on out there on the ice that’s not seen on video. What a tainted system!!!
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isles83 says:
#32 xIslesYanksx said:
but is he really the guy that is going to take this team to the next level? Is he capable of taking a team into the playoffs? To a Stanley Cup, dare I say?I think we all know the answer to that since he’s yet to win a road game in Pitt,NJ and Philly in his coaching career which is mind knumbing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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JKP on LI says:
The idea of picking goalies based on matchups…can someone explain to me why that makes sense? If you go by one or two season’s worth of matchups, then I can see the logic, but there’s so much turnover in the NHL–it seems very strange to make decisions based on that rather than ride the hot hand. I don’t know if Gordon is still doing this, but it seems pretty questionable to me.
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bhockey47 says:
DP is not 23 anymore, although not an old man, the skill sets he needed to develop at 23 were never developed, and through time due to injuries they never got developed. Now pushing 30 are we to expect that he’ll develop those skills necessary for an NHL goalie…I can’t see it, and DP will be a core reason why this current team will not develop into a championship team, or even a playoff team. Another Milbury disaster,,,it’s time for Bridgeport to see DP’s number in the crease. The Isles need a “future” goalie, just like the rest of the team,,,sorry DP it just didn’t work out.
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gary9-19-22 says:
I took a snapshot of the standings when they were 4-1-2 and 1st in the conference. It hangs in mu cube at work.
I feel like I finally got to go out with the hottest girl in school for two weeks before she dumped me….. back to the pimply faced ugly chicks…
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I want to see Blood shed next Saturday night. I wish I can jump in and throw my weight around. I played ice hockey and loved doing That. I was so embarrassed for the team Saturday night.
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isles66 says:
CB- tough post for us to read, but sometimes the truth hurts as they say. Have to agree w/ you on all points. Management and coaching staff have a difficult decision on DP for rest of year. If they can continue to force him into lineup, our record will reflect his presence. Also, we’re getting to the point in this young season where the team is going to start losing confidence w/ him in net. Not sure why so many posters think next Saturday is going to be some sort of brawl, retribution night. That’s exactly Flyers hockey. Their finesse players are capable of fighting. The way you beat them is on the scoreboard usually courtesy of them taking dumb penalties.
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Joe says:
Chris, Briere is not a “quality” guy. He’s chicken poop. If you want to say something in hockey, you’re fortunate enough to be able to do it with your fists. Unfortunately, Briere is too much of a baby to drop the gloves with anyone, so he assaulted Frans with his stick. Come on. Every guy dressed like a girl for Halloween got the “HEY, IT’S A DANNY BRIERE COSTUME” treatment from us.
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MorDraftPicks says:
Brian in Va – Couldnt agree with you more. Lets start holding management more accountable than in the past. I know lots of us complain about this, that and everything. But in reality, what has Snow done? Traded what amounts to 4 picks to move up for DeHaan? Drafted numerous goalies – none who are ready. Tavares…no brainer…Okposo? Smith’s – Bailey? Jury still out but many better that were available…Moulson -well every once in awhile something will pan out. Its bleak here, and 11K at the coliseum with $20 ticket giveaways (2k Canadien fans) BLEAK
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Hollywood says:
Not for nothing but can we stop the bull with DP. The guy missed 2 years and the fans continue to beat on him. IT’S GOING TO TAKE TIME FOR HIM! The TEAM for the last 5 games was been playing poor hockey. As CB mentioned too many non producers getting 20 minutes of ice time! Can someone tell me why Moulson hasn’t been on the 1st PP unit meanwhile Comeau has and why he isn’t parked in front of the net. These are Coach decisions. Enough with Weight, the guy has NO shot and shouldn’t be on the 1st PP unit!
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Viper says:
These are the games where Gillies should be getting a regular shift. He deserves some ice time and may surprise some. Furthermore, DiPietro is playing like a backup (an average one at that) so let him ride the pine behind Roloson. No big deal, this would show if he still has the fire in him.
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RD says:
When people start realizing that Rick is a bust, it will be a lot easier on everyone. It has been hear 10 years now and hasn’t accomplished squat!! The great goalie we expected is never coming. BTW, he was AWFUL in Philly the other night and that is being kind!!
Ryan Johnson would have helped this team a great deal but again Garth sits on his ass and does nothing. The 5 on 5 play really needs to be addressed. We are getting killed even strength.
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Brian G says:
Mark Eaton has been Terrible, it seems like he is on the ice for many goals – I still don’t understand the signing of him over Andy Sutton…
I hate to bring it up but an Eaton for Souray trade doesn’t seem that bad
I like DP as a person, in the end that’s more important than as a hockey player, but unfortunately, the GAA just isn’t getting it done. A growing team like the Islanders needs goaltenders who can steal games, and so far only our 40 plus netminder has shown that ironically. The biggest concern with DP is the ridiculous contract. In all probability it will have to be resolved with a buyout at some point, barring an unlikely dramatic improvement in both his play and health. As for the rest of the team, it looks like the nice start was pretty much fool’s gold. The season is likely to play out much like the last two. No real surprise given the fact that no impact free agents were added. Hopefully, Wang finally gets his building, etc., and the team can move forward, but everything seems to happen at a snail’s pace in Islanders country.