CAPTAIN JACK BECOMES CAPTAIN HOOK IN 6-4 LOSS
Poulin pulled after two goals, Lawson after four
CB at AOL FanHouse: debating the Spin-o-rama
This morning Zenon Konopka publicly stood up for his franchise, declaring it was time TSN stopped calling the Islanders a “doormat” and started talking up the team’s “underrated” players. The puck dropped at 7:07 and the Islanders got off to a brutal start in front of the announced crowd of 8,670 die-hards, allowing a goal to Daniel Alfredsson 32 seconds in to open the scoring for the Senators.
But then Trevor Gillies crashed the net, deflected a Konopka cross and scored the first goal of his NHL career. A jubilant Gillies emphatically roared to his teammates on the bench to carry the momentum, and it looked like it was going to be another good night in a recent string of them for the home team.
After another Islanders giveaway, Jesse Winchester blew a wrister past Kevin Poulin two and a half minutes after Gillies’ stirring goal. Head coach Jack Capuano, in a move very open to debate, Pouled the Wall and inserted Nathan Lawson in a reversal of last week’s loss in Edmonton.
Lawson didn’t get a lot of help, but by the end of the second period the score was 6-2.
For the Islanders to gain respect, to no longer be called “doormats” after seasons of 26th, 30th, 26th and currently 28th place, they have to put together more than three good weeks after losing 21 of 23. They have to win home games against reeling clubs like the Senators, losers of six straight.
You certainly don’t want to believe this one had anything to do with a letdown. The 13-22-7 Islanders still are not that good. In the big picture, to be sure, not a big deal. The Islanders host Buffalo on Saturday and 30th place New Jersey on Monday afternoon. Time for Josh Bailey (a so-so 19 minutes) to get going again. Kyle Okposo will be back just before or just after the All-Star break.
Please talk about tonight’s loss in Comments.
76 Responses to CAPTAIN JACK BECOMES CAPTAIN HOOK IN 6-4 LOSS
Poulin pulled after two goals, Lawson after four
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Hollywood says:
Brutal effort! Jack made a huge blunder by pulling Poulin. No reason for him to make that move. I don’t fault Lawson for any of the 4 goals but for whatever reason the team plays better for the kid. Where’s Baily, he’s been nonexistent.
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Hockypuck11 says:
I blame this loss on the coach even though they did not play well. Why would he pull the goalie after two goal even if they were weak goal he let in or if the were a few mins apart? Joeneuu sucks by the way.
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Diane says:
What is the reason for the lack of effort? WHY?
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jon from nj says:
My bad…I don’t quite get the quick hook. Capuano seems to think that will get the team going in these instances. I can’t say that to be the case when it was Hamonic’s giveaway, and other noticeable miscues that created goals for the Sens.
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Jon in Chicago says:
I wish I saw more from Lawson to say he could be an NHL goalie next season, but right now, I don’t sse enough. This team is in dire need of a veteran leader who can actually play and Weight and Hunter don’t fit that description.
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bossjones15 says:
Besides the Tavares line the team sucked and Lawson gave up way too many rebounds. Joensuu isn’t playing as if his NHL career is on the line, he should be.
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mikamakela24 says:
The team trades the best player to save 1 million dollars, (roleson), and they pretend they care about winning? Please..I know a loser mentality when I see one.
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PotvinRocks says:
Coach Jack might have been a little premature with his pulling of Poulin, it didn’t do anything to energize the team. I thought the Tavares line and the Konopka line played well. Everyone else was pretty invisible. Why is Joensuu on this team, he does less than nothing out there?
I do like that they battled back to make it a game. In years past they would have rolled over and lost 12-1. This is a different team then the one that we’ve watched for the last 3 years.
Can we come up with a different nickname for Lawson? -
Jim Clark says: It was a good game for 31 seconds and then the Poulin Wall fell. Why did Capuano yank him? Struck me as a panic move.
I think I noticed Bailey once on the ice but I am not sure.
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James says:
Terrible, terrible effort, epitomized by John Tavares’s halfassed poke check that Mike Fisher skated right around en route to goal #4 (#5?). Few if any Isles showed any interest in battling for the puck tonight, so six goals against sounds about right.
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Kevvy says:
Why did Stan Fischler have to be such an arrogant jerk in his post-game interview of Poulin? The kid is 20 years old and is smart. He is not going to rip his coach. So when Poulin said he had no problem with the decision to pull him, why did Fischler have to challenge and bully him? Again, the kid is 20 years old. So he told Stan a little fib to avoid criticizing his coach. Why does Stan have to take such personal offense to the fact that he was not getting a straight answer? I wish they would take Fischler’s credentials away.
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Kevy 11 I agree. Poulin is here to do a job not rank on the coach. Fischler also did that to Jurcina and Gilles
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Onesinceforty says:
I know I am a heretic to say it but I have been worried about Hamonic’s game for three games now as he goes through growing pains. He has been making some poor decisions leading up to the giveaway tonight.
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Poor effort all around tonight. Seems they are starting slow a lot recently and finding themselves behind the 8-ball before they can settle in.
Let’s see what happens in the DP saga this weekend. Should be interesting.
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Bri on Li says:
Kevy I’m with you I’ve never totally understood why he is so loved (maybe just because he’s the maven), but Fischler pushed too hard tonight. Bush league, and seeing how this is the Islanders we’re talking about, that’s pretty low…
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islesfan8111 says:
Relax guys this season really doesnt mattern anymore. Lets get a top 3 pick and mature a little bit and sign a big tough dmen and next year hopefully not have injuries…. LETS GO ISLANDERS
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claude says:
Start shopping Bailey . Experiment over. Please pick up Leighton off of waivers. “nate the great” doesn’t belong in the NHL. PERIOD!
Joensu belongs with martin and konopka on crash line.
Matt Moulson is too slow. Tavares will never be a forty goal scorer with him on the line. Trade him now while he’s worth something -
Ted S says:
Truth is We’re a bad team, We’ll never be told the truth about the extent of DP’s injuries. Lawson is NOT an NHL goalie, Garth Keeps em here because he is no threat to Ricks Job, & Rick will continue to be here for the rest of that contract playing in 4 or 5 games a season until his next “Minor Injury”(But He’s FINE Right Garth?), his ego wont allow him to Quit…Lump this on all the other issues we all know like our own names & thats who we are.RIP 2015.
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Islebethere4u says:
As much as you want to blame the coach, this is a 50-50 effort here. Cap did not have them ready and the players are the ones one the ice that didn’t play well. Dumb passes, poor judgement and another case of too little too late. Too many passengers again tonight.
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Real hockey fan says:
.. Pretty lame effort from the parts i watched, its a 80+ game season and there are nights when the energy is low (i understand that) but as a young team they should really be few and far between
.. They have to draft talent (obviously duuuuhhhh lol) but also some energy and effort guys so the effort is alwasy there
.. Glad to see Gillies get a goal, the guy does alot of dirty work and its obvious that the team and the fans really like the guy, go Gillies!
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toorude says:
Bailey was a complete joke tonight – didnt skate at all – floated all night – CB guilty of being kind again – tell it like it was – he never showed up (bruno had more shots!)
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Craiggers says:
Captain Jack is an absolute joke.
Clearly we have seen that Poulin has taken time to get into a game during his first three starts. In addition, its not exactly easy to start after you tell a kid that he’s going back to the minors a night after he stands on his head against the best team in the NHL.
So Cappy decides to pull the Wall and instead inserts a goaltender that might just be worse than DP. Every decent shot Ottawa took Lawson let in. Lawson will never be anything more than an AHL backup goaltender.
This game should have been won, and was blown because of Capuano. Yes the D was terrible, and the effort for the first two periods was poor, but this is why Captain Jack is nothing more than an AHL coach. Get us a real coach Wang…..of course that’s if you decide if you want to get us a team first.
(Side note 1: Awesome sign by the guys down behind the Ottawa net tonight with the “Bring Back Spano”).
(Side note 2: If you’re going to have a band play, move them somewhere where they don’t sound like 5 people are playing).
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Mike from Sarasota says:
He should be fine in the long run, but I agree @Onesinceforty Hamonic(-11 last 10 games) is going through a rough patch.
So when are they going to recall Bailey?
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Michael Delman says:
The team’s slow starts should have been addressed….5 games straight we have fallen behind early. Lawson is worthless….find another career!
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it is understandable that they had a let down. after all being such a great team with a outstanding winning percentage, it will happen once in a while. they sure showed everyone who the doormat is. cappy pulled poulin too soon but i guess he saw right off the bat that the team was listless tonight. i think josh bailey can be a outstanding hockey player. just not in the nhl. snow should of kept him in the ahl. i think he would of become a top ahl player. however it really isnt baileys fault that his career is in a tailspin and that he is a 4th line player in my estimation. snow and wang ruined his career when they put him on the team in his rookie season even though he was way in over his head and he was also injured all thru training camp. would it have made more sense to keep him on his junior team? is wang the cheapest and most arogant owner in professional sports?
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Jon in Bpt says:
Move Bailey at the trade deadline.
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IsleFan73 says:
Zenon, what I saw tonight were a bunch of doormats! Not a knock on Konopka, as he is one of the few who competes every night. Al Arbour would have sat JT down for a few shifts after his lazy poke check. No way he would dress Bailey at this point. I just cannot understand the lack of effort. We can all take a young team losing that plays hard. Tonight was a complete disgrace. One can make the case that most of the Islanders would be playing in the AHL for a majority of other franchises. You would at least think they would play like they care every game.
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The Pork Chop Express says:
Where is the trap!!! lol !!! Again this loss is about the team not playing the basics. They forgot to play defense and back check. They were laxed with the puck which is so inexcusable from a young team. I dont mind pulling the goalie. Jack was trying to wake up his players. I guess we have to also remember that 85% of this team belongs in Bridgeport!!!
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27Tonelli says:
This one is 100% on Capuano ! Bailey is terrible, wish we had taken Hodgson in that draft ! Those who want us to resign Moulson teach him how to skate first ! He is a putrid skater, I’m just glad Jon Sim is gone (hopefully for good) ! We want Couturier !
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BTW Lawson sucks ! 3 easy saves he turned into goals ! Theres a reason he’s 27 and still in AHL ! good bye
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I just want to point out that, if the Islanders sent Bailey back to the juniors in 08, minors in 09, he would be a rookie this year. Like Michael Grabner who was an 07 draft. I would not trade Bailey yet.
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What we are seeing here is the absolute lack of player development and evaluation. You know who has less NHL experience than the NY Islanders? The NY Islanders coaching staff!! Read the bios. Check out who the coaches are in Bridgeport right now. Look at the absolute lack of NHL experience in mgmt! It is a joke! This is a young team! they need to be taught the game by Coaches who know the game. Cappy is trying but he is getting his first taste of the NHL also. Snow has really established a cracker jack staff!
The team is horrible. Bailey is a zero threat as a NHL player. He makes no one around him better! He was the 9th overall pick in the draft and has no offensive game. The other player I think is going backward is Martin. What exactly is he being groomed to be? Another Trevor Gillies? I thought he had more potential than that.
Mgmt. overhaul from top to bottom is what is needed here! -
Strummmer's Army says:
Trade Bailey equals way too many beers tonight to drown your sorrows, other wise makes no sense. Trade Bruno, Martinek, Parenteua, Hillen and Schremp and/or Comeau.
I thought I may finally see Gillies smile after his goal but nope! HA! HA! Good for him.
Terrible effort. There are some underrated players on the Isles but there are way too many underachievers and worse guys management is asking too much from.
You’d think there would be enough pride in the room to appreciate and back up Konopka’s words but ya’ll watched the game.
Comeau is so frustrating because he is a player who has a great shot, speed, passing. He could have such a huge impact but he has not learned to control his brain and heart yet. I hope he does.
Anyone else wondering why Matt Martin doesn’t have a bigger role?
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19 Isle in NJ 22 says:
You’re right CB!!
The Islanders aren’t a good team. Despite the outcomes of the recent road trip … It can’t be forgotten that they got shelled in SOG.
I still believe they have a few more 6 and 7 game winless streaks in them. Maybe a loser point or two thrown in.
They can’t play the Devils every game, so they are going to have to “Bring It.”
All this said, Zenon is right to have stood up for his team. There are some good talented kids on this team that are only going to get better.
The thing I caution every fan is that almost every team has some good talented kids on the rise … What is going to be the tipping point that makes the Isles’ kids better than other teams’? There is no gaurantee that the rebuild is going to vault the Isles into a top 10 contender. The team may peak in a few years and begin regressing once some players become UFA’s and leave.
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nyi fan 16 says:
Bailey play is troubling,it doesn’t seem the battle level is there and he’s not skilled enough for that. Also as others have pointed out, not loving Moulsen lately either.
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TURNUPTHEHEAT says:
Why are we blaming the coach? The problems start right at the top with ownership. As long as Wang is owner and Snow gm, we are going nowhere. No credible hockey GM or Coach will touch this franchise with a ten foot pole. Can you blame them?
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Devin says:
DP > Lawson
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we know about the lack of talent, but the lack of heart is another story. hard to believe that a team battling for last place would give us this kind of effort.
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Jim Clark says:
Not to make the Ottawa Senators out to be a great organization (except for anthem singer Lyndon Slewidge). But looking at the stat sheet at NCVMC, the Islanders have an owner, GM, a head coach and two assistants. The Senators have a GM, asst GM, head coach, four assistants and one for video.
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Sidd Finch says:
Lawson makes DP look like a #1 goalie. Considering that Ottawa ranks below the Isles in GPG, this was shameful. Furthermore, their goalie was fresh from the Junior Tournament. Turned it off after number 3. At this point I am hoping that we can keep our hold on 29 so that we have a shot at nabbing Larsson. Hopefully Lou will be looking to shore up his O with a center like Coutrier for Kovalchuk and not looking for the cornerstone D man we so desperately need. Problem is, if Edmonton stays down too, they will also be looking for D since they are stacked with young forwards. Or we could always take another goalie…
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streit02 says:
Lets not make this game to be about Capuano and a goalie change. That had no effect whatsoever on the game. This team is so Jekyll and Hyde. You never know what your going to get. Its time for accountability. If you dont play well and give an effort then you will sit. I feel like we have a team full of Oleg Kvashas. Sometimes we show glimpses and dominate and other nights it doesnt look like we belong in the league. The team needs a direction and better guidance on what they are trying to do and where they want to be bc this on again off again crap should not be acceptable. If the results arent always there then fine, but there is no excuse for lack of effort and battle level. Its very clear and distinct when you see this team compete and when they dont. I can point to maybe 5 games where they competed hard and guys played the way they are capable of. The majority have been played like they know they have the excuse in the back of their mind that they are young, inexperienced and not that good. We need a coach to come in and form an identity for this team. If guys dont fit that identity or play within the team concept then there should be consequences. (Im thinking more like a Tortorella formed identity and team concept rather than a Scott Gordon one). To end on a bright note, besides Tavares’ defensive woes, he is slowly starting to give you that feel that whenever he has the puck down low he is a big threat.
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Turgeon77 says:
You know the team is “doormats” when I turn on 88.7 F.M on my way to the game and their is no pregame but rather Hofstra Poetry being read. Excuses Excuses…Injuries?…who cares, even with those players they still don’t have the skill to compete in the NHL on a daily basis. Might as well give the whole Bridgeport team a shot. Unfortunately, Until Wang and Snow are gone, I think we will be having this same discussion every year.
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Perry Card says:
Blaming Cap for this loss is a joke. The Isles were awful AMac and Hamonic were bad . JT is awful defensively . Bailey was sleeping.
Enough said -
Turgeon 77, Poetry? Really LOL! That is priceless! Did it start out,
“There once was an Islander team from Nantucket……”
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KaiserVanIslander says:
Wow everyone’s a little rough on the guys (kids)
Can’t really blame the players at this point.
Moulsen is not a first line player, he’s a second line player. Pretty much goes for the whole team. Take P.A. would he even make another teams first, second or third line? Don’t think why does he get tons of ice time. Even more power play time.
Our team is not run right. Snow and Wang have done what no other owner and GM have ever done. This year is the lowest point in Isles history.
What UFA will even want to come here? We will be over paying average players just to hit the cap flour. Even if Wang would pay the money to put together a real team would UFA even come at this point? Ryan Smyth didn’t when we showed we wanted to win! WHO would come now? Love to her CB’s take on this. I think it’s a BIG issue!
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Andre says:
There is no way you can trade Bailey. You will get 30 cents on the dollar. The Islanders are not going to give him away. The bottom line is that every team that is supposed to be a bottom feeder will have surprise run, but ultimately this team is not as good as this run and not as bad as the 21 out 23 game losing streak. The player development aspect of this organization is terrible because contrary to what Wang and Snow say about employing more people in the organization they are not going to spend the money to bring in the right people. Bailey will be a good player. But he is not more than a 60 to 65 point player in his prime. He was never projected to be more than that. Tavares will be a great player. A star in fact. BUT that will ONLY happen if the Islanders get proven veterans to help the young players. If free agents don’t come here, which is definitely the case, then do what Atlanta did and go the trade route. I highly doubt free agents will go to Atlanta. The bottom line is that the buck stops with Wang/Snow and ultimately this team is what is was predicted to be. A lottery team. They will be a lottery team for the forseeable future until Snow/Wang make a SMART but BOLD statement that the Islanders, new arena or not want to be players in this league.
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Orange&Blue says:
I simply do not understand why Garth can not add a good veteran forward to help these kids out and win a few more games? This team is being led by a bunch of kids with 3 years or less of experience. These kids need a mentor or a voice on the team to help the through times like these. Doug Weight can’t fill that role because he is always injured. Find a replacement for Weight and help this team out. Lets go Garth, get a veteran forward already!
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dynasty23x4 says:
…too bad we didnt have a third goalie
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Way too much talk about trading Bailey! Havn’t you guys seen enough good young talent get traded away by Milbury! How did that work out? Trading young talent should be the last thing on the mind of any Islander fan. You want a trade? How about we trade a 3rd pick for a good veteran fwd to help Tavares and the rest of the kids! Bailey is a kid and has ton of talent. He needs time. Some of you guys act like he is 26. He is 20 or 21 and has close 40 NHL goals to his credit after being rushed to the league when he wasnt ready. Thats impressive.
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The Isles have started a trend of getting off to terrible starts. Tonight was deflating. No reason to play this terrible, besides the 9 injuries and 2 NHL players that were traded this year of course.
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SIR WILLIAM says:
Where to begin? As one of the select few who actually attended tonight’s game, I have a few thoughts to share. First and foremost, tonight was a celebration of the life of Michael Mulhall, the 22 year old Camp Anchor counselor who was killed on the Meadowbrook Parkway along with two other Anchor counselors, Paige and Jamie Malone, this past summer. For those of you who are not familiar with Camp Anchor, it is a free program that hosts about 700 handicapped people at a summer camp in Lido Beach. In the off season, activities like indoor swimming, bowling and dances are sponsored and a Saturday Program is maintained in the winter. Most of the workers are volunteers with the best of these going on to become staff usually after 3 years of service. Michael, Jamie and Paige were the best of us.
The Islanders designated tonight Michael Mulhall Night and paid a Jumbotron tribute to him in the first period. Mike was an avid Islander fan and a club hockey player who Captained his team at his college. Three full sections were filled by the extended Anchor family and Mrs and Mrs. Mulhall were presented with an Islanders jersey with MULHALL on the back bearing his college number 9. The money from the ticket sales was donated to the Anchor Scholarship fund.
There is a lot of management bashing on this blog and most of it is deserved. But for one night, the Islander management stood tall. I also know that a generous donation was made to the Anchor building fund by the Islanders. Whether by the players or by management I do not know. I would like to think that it was a combination of the two.
So, thank you New York Islanders. You may have lost the game, but you won the hearts.
As for the game itself, Nathan Lawson proved that the Calgary game was a fluke and that he is not an NHL caliber goalie. Capuano proved that he is too quick to panic and several players are proving that they don’t belong here. Matt Martin needs to show more, Jesse Joensuu showed nothing (again) and Colliton showed why he was a second round bust. I don’t think I have ever seen a team flub more set up shots that the Isles did tonight. Every time a guy was open, he either missed the pass or completely missed the net. Awful.
As for the attendance, if there were 5,000 fans there tonight it was because of the Anchor people buying up three full sections. Every other section was three quarters empty and some upper sections had two rows full. This is the worst I have ever seen it and I go back to the beginning. Even on blizzard nights there were more people at the game. The NHL needs to step in here and do something. This cannot continue into 2015.
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German Islesfan says:
zero effort and Moulson is invisible since a couple of games.
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matt says:
CB, I 100% agree with you about the spin o’ rama debate. It’s a perfect example of why the shootout is an awful way to decide the fate of a game. I really do hope some goaltender runs one of these jack asses. CB for NHL commish!
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David from Sweden says:
At least Joensuu is good at punching the kids fists in the player tunnel after the game.
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Rich M says:
CB, I think this was your best in-game analysis recently. Every remark you made was spot-on. I am a huge Bailey person as you know but he has disappeared lately. I think it may be a product of his linemates. The key ingredient that is missing from this year is Kyke Okposo. I am not going to abbreviate his name b/c he IS that important to this team. Everyone wants to look for someone to make Tavares better. This would be Okposo. I think the loss of him had more to do with the 20 out of 23 strecth than any one factor. Do you agree? His motor is non-stop and creates energy for the team each shift. What I see is a team that is young with no leadership. That is expected but I thought Capuano was horrible last night. Agaist a rookie goalie who was “shaky” at best we mustered a grand total of 2 shots on net in the first 10 mins of second period. That is inexcusable. There are TV timeouts, Capuano has gotta be telling the players to crash net or thorugh anything on net. If he was saying those things then the boys were not listening. Although I believe Okposo to be the key, why does such a young team have any “letdown”. Come on guys are playing for their jobs this is crazy. Great against Vancouver and this against Ottawa. There is no blame on Snow or Wang for this. Players gotta play. Power play atrocious. Defense atrocious. This game had me more frustrated than any in a long time. Sorry for long post, but I don’t get it.
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Pride-N-Passion NYIHockey says:
Privet from Siberia…
Bottom line … Until Charles Wang takes financial pride in his team????
This team will always be rebuilding!
Islander fan who are realist & Charles have known this for some time now
Take Pride Or Sell Wang !Wang has not landed a serious offensive leader in 10 years c’mon now.
cut & paste this comment for the rest of this season & probably next its really all that needs to be said at this point our salary payroll is a JOKE!
Lets go Isles…Lets Go Islanders!! -
cjcb says:
Trevor Fing Gilles baby! Equals the same amount of goal production of Jon “worthless” Sim in god knows how much less ice time and while always being stuck on the 4th line. Way to go Trevor keep up the good work and hope to see you in many more Isles games in the future. Although i would have liked to see him take on Carkner or Neil.
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JP in NJ says:
This team is good enough to beat anyone when they really work, but not so good that they can afford to coast against even lousy teams.
Simply outworked last night.
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The New Isles GM says:
Fellow Islander Fans,
We can sit here and talk about all the good things we saw and the bad things we saw after each game all we want, but the fact of the matter is we’re just not there yet. I’m trying to keep this is in mind, let’s see what Garth does in year 2011:
2011 Trade Deadline
Resigning Moulson, Bailey, Okposo
2011 Draft
July 1st FA/RFA
All Summer
Pre-SeasonThose specific time frames will tell us where this rebuild is heading. For now, we’re just beating a dead horse. We’re not going anywhere. We still have arena issues. Our owner does not speak. We’re still a salary cap floor team. Yes, we have some very good prospects. But where are we heading with those prospects? That’s my biggest question?
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bayduvinislander says:
What a minor league move by Capuano, pulling Poulin after two goals just doesn’t make any sense at all. Nathan Lawson is just terrible. He’s definitely proved what he’s capable of and why he’s still in the AHL at his age.
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“Pulling Poulin was a gut feeling,” Islanders coach Jack Capuano said. “Sometimes, you just have to listen to your gut.” – and sometimes you should tell your gut to shut the hell up and listen to common sense.
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Isles66 says:
chi-co chi-co, smit-ty smit-ty, rol-lie rol-lie, hru-dey hru-dey, hea-ley hea-ley, ozz-ie ozz-ie, du-bie du-bie (can’t believe i just typed that), rol-lie rol-lie………… and now what ?????? Two kids and a broken down AMC Pacer. Let’s hope for a re-group against Buf/NJ.
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Hockey Guy in Canada says:
Absolutely the right move by Capuano pulling Poulin. The coach sensed it wasn’t going to be a good night and we cannot afford to throw this kid to the wolves right now. Capuano would be more than happy to take the blame for that move rather hanging the kid out to dry. Good for him! Finally, a players coach! Now, if DiPietro returns, Poulin can go back to Bridgeport and continue to develope at the professional level knowing he played some good hockey in his time up with the big team. Glad he got a taste but its not his time yet and it shouldn’t it be forced upon him (i.e. a goal 34 seconds into the contest).
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hale78 says:
tavares moulson and pa were horrible in their own end last night..they should have road the pine the final ten minutes of that game
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Bob Bassen says:
I actually watched the Bruins/Flyers game at a friends.
2 great teams…What. A. Game!
2 rookies with the tying and go-ahead goals for Boston.
Sold-out Boston Garden.
Hockey fan first, Islander fan second.
FREE CHRIS BOTTA, SNOW, YOU INSECURE, TOTALITARIAN WANNA- BE DICTATOR CHUMP!!!
There, I feel better….. -
dose says:
I think the truest thing in this post is that Bailey needs ‘to get going.’ He is approaching that zone of ‘does he have it or not?’ Maybe more appropriately, ‘will he show it or not?’ All along I’ve thought he has it all to be an excellent, dependable two-center in the mold of a Brent Sutter, and very early this year we saw what he could and should be. I think the shifting back and forth from center to wing had to affect him. Others who have actually played this game on a bona fide level say that’s bogus. There’s also the point by some that he should have stayed in juniors at least a year longer. A couple of pretty smart hockey guys thought he was ready and could handle it, and it seemed that way to me. While he’s still just 21, Bailey is mid-way through his third full season. Something is holding him back. Maybe it’s himself, who knows? Regardless, it’s getting time for him to turn on the proverbial jets. I still think the kid’s gonna be a cornerstone player and I’ll be very surprised if he falls short. I also still think it should be at center.
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Nick in NYC says:
Franchise is a joke. As long as they keep hiring AHL coaches they’ll keep playing like an AHL team.
Why is Snow afraid to hire a real NHL coach who can teach these young kids what it takes to be in the NHL?
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shlo says:
For the millionth time- Get couple of Pros to run the team. An established GM who has respect around the league, someone who can make deals and a real coach.
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landry fields says:
Please don’t put the Tavares line out right after we score a goal. Those three just cannot play defense. The other team must be thinking oh good look whos on the ice, we have a chance to get that goal back right away. Talk about slow. Come on. And it’s always against the other teams top line. This isn’t rocket science. Lets put a checking line out after we score or do we even have one of those.
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Bob E. says:
isles came out half asleep last night. Sure poulin let in a few soft ones but he has shown us he can bounce quick. Lawson have no business in NHL. he is lucky if he can hold a job in AHL.
Agree CB, bailey has to get going.
I cant wait to KO to be back and to get Parenteu off that top line. He gets points here and there but he does more bad then good on the ice.
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Y2G says:
100% agree that Fischler was being a complete predator, that was bush league and disgraceful. I’m sure he violated some unwritten rule among journalists not to try to dog a 20-yr old whose been a pro who probably speaks english as a 2nd language for about a week into disparaging his coach. What a joke, I hope the fervor on this blog about catches someone’s attention. I’m glad Gillies got ice time; this team got bullied by the Canucks, it seriously looked like grown men playing against an junior league team from the stands. Gillies needs to be up on this team. Bailey has disappeared again, and I’m glad that either Courterier or Landeskog will be a more worthy replacement, both play with serious grit.
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DubieDubieDoo says:
Does anyone know the last time in the NHL and for the Islanders a pulled goalie was put back in the game without there being an injury to the backup?
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Brian G says:
Lawson is NOT an NHL goalie as people can see – Capuano with another bad move pulling Poulin to spark the team, it backfired…this team will end up being in the bottom 5 in the NHL no matter what and still no changes by the head coach to play Tavares with some different linemates – same line with Parenteau & Moulson….I’m sorry but you have to try some different things when you are in the bottom of the league.
No Rush for Okposo to come back – hopefully it is after the allstar break, with a few games played at the Bridge first – no need to stick him right in the lineup, let him get the conditioning back first.
Honorable mention:
Jurcina & Martinek played well -
JT91 says:
Last night is the reason why the Isles need a coach that commands respect! A Hard Ass! After they let in that 2nd goal the beer league coach that we have should have taken his timeout and ripped the team on the bench! Instead he pulls tke kid and puts in Nate “I’m really not GREAT” in. By the way CB can you please tell Chris King that it’s Kevin Poulin not Kevin Poulan as.
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ClarkGillies says:
No one knows when KO will be back b/c we don’t have a PR department and Snowjob is too good to address the media. Put me out of my misery and sell already Wanger , at least I ll have an excuse to go away a few weekends a year.
these ups and downs will be the norm for the foreseeable future until we have a healthy season and the younger players keep progressing. Brutal time to be an isles fan…nothing new though.