Monthly Archives: January 2011
John Tavares is the Islander most likely to be chosen to represent the franchise at the 2011 NHL All-Star Game when the announcement is made on Tuesday.
Taking Tavares, who has 14 points in his last 12 games, to the All-Star Game is good for the Islanders brand. Bringing the 2009 first overall pick to Raleigh also makes sense for the NHL, often criticized for appearing to focus primarily on the marketing of Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin.
Each NHL team will be represented by at least one player at this year’s event. For the Islanders, their all-star is not going to be a goaltender (their best this season was traded) or defenseman (too many injured).
The decision comes down to two worthy forwards: Tavares and Matt Moulson. Tavares leads the Islanders in scoring and is tied with Moulson for the team lead with 14 goals. They both average around 19 minutes a game. Tavares is minus-17 and Moulson minus-11, so that’s negligible.
(In a purist’s world, Frans Nielsen would also be under consideration. But the NHL All-Star Game rarely has been the place for super-steady two-way centers).
Tavares and Moulson are terrific representatives for the Islanders inside and outside the arena. Both are respectful with the press and the public. Moulson earned high marks for a mini media tour he participated in at the end of last season. When the league gathered some of its top stars for a press tour prior to the season, Tavares has been the Islander of choice.
The NHL Hockey Operations department could go with the very likable Moulson. After all, Tavares is going to play in a few NHL All-Star Games – maybe more than a few All-Star Games – soon enough. From Los Angeles Kings farmhand to 30-goal scorer and NHL All-Star…what a nice story that would be. What a worthy choice Moulson would be.
But you can almost hear the voices from the marketing and PR folks on the Avenue of the Americas: “Get me Tavares.” And there would be nothing wrong with that. John Tavares All-Star Jerseys, with the Islanders logo patch, would be a big seller. Leading his team in scoring in his first two seasons, representing the New York Islanders every day with pride, John Tavares already is a star. Might as well make it official.
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With a decimated D and youngsters in goal, the Islanders are going to have nights like this when the game looks look like a preview of the Harlem Globetrotters vs. the Washington Generals at the NVMC. Inspired by a celebration honoring the 1961 Stanley Cup champions, the Blackhawks honored the franchise and its fans by putting on a show against the Islanders. The final score was 5-0, and it really wasn’t that close.
Nathan Lawson may not have been the answer tonight, but he was more a victim than a culprit. Lawson was not ready to be in the NHL and he may not be for long. Katie Strang reported tonight that GM Garth Snow said he is not making a trade for a goaltender, and Rick DiPietro is expected to return this week. Kevin Poulin against the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday? That would be something. Also worth noting: Jack Capuano only gave Michael Grabner 10:02 of icetime tonight. Butch Goring said Grabner was “the best Islander on the ice tonight,” which might say everything you need to know about the game.
Completing a good road trip, the Islanders should have no trouble shaking off this blowout. Starting with a challenging match at the Coliseum against the Canucks, it will be interesting to see if the Islanders can string a bunch of wins together and climb the Eastern Conference standings. After the Canucks, the Islanders play Ottawa, Buffalo and New Jersey at home. They will play the Sabres three times in a nine-day span.
Should John Tavares be the Islanders’ all-star this season? Your choice, and your comments on the letdown in Chi-town are welcomed.
Point Blank Archive: April 19, 2010:
Kevin Poulin – A Goalie Prospect Rises in Quebec
At 3:52 of overtime, John Tavares gave the Islanders a 4-3 win with the kind of goal that prompted Garth Snow to take him first overall in the 2009 draft. Behind the goal, dancing along the goal line, powering his way to the front of the Avalanche net, Tavares scored – with some help from a Colorado defenseman – past Craig Anderson. The Islanders allowed the game-tying goal with four seconds left, but Tavares’ heroics made that hiccup a memory. Tavares, 20, scored the game-winner. Kevin Poulin, 20, had his first NHL win.
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Having lost his spot as the Islanders’ fourth line center to Nate Thompson, Jeremy Colliton’s prospects for an NHL career with the Islanders did not look good. At one point during the 2008-09 season, when Colliton was in Bridgeport and was regularly being passed up for promotions, I asked him if he was looking to test the waters when he was a free agent in the summer.
“My hope is to make it work with the Islanders,” said Colliton. “But just so you know, I will be a restricted free agent.” Oh, yeah. Nothing’s more restrictive than being an RFA in the NHL. Knowing his style did not mesh with Scott Gordon’s, the former second round pick from 2003 bolted to play in the Swedish Elite League with Rogle. Colliton had a good year, scoring 11 goals in 46 games and improving his skating and conditioning.
Still, his options were slim when he looked to returned to the pros in North America. Colliton signed a professional tryout contract on Oct. 20 with his old team in Bridgeport. Forty days later, the Islanders signed him to a two-way deal. He made his return to the NHL today as the Islanders played in Colorado.
Not only did Jack Capuano – his biggest booster – give him a regular shift in the absence of Frans Nielsen, Colliton was given a spot on the power play. Taking advantage of his 6-2, 200-pound frame with such a small lineup, Capuano’s move paid off. Colliton, who turns 26 on Thursday, scored two power play goals. In 42 previous games in the NHL, Colliton scored one goal. His parents had never seen him play in the NHL before. They came down from Alberta today. That’s pro hockey.
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After allowing two goals in the opening 1:47, Poulin – making his first start in the NHL – closed the door util there were four seconds remaining in regulation. For his first NHL win, the Poulin Wall made 34 saves. For the second straight game, the Islanders got off to a slow start, but it didn’t cost them in Colorado. The Islanders won, led by Tavares, Poulin and prodigal farmhand forward, Jeremy Colliton. Nice story.
As reported by Katie Strang of Newsday, it appears Rick DiPietro’s groin injury is not as minor as the Islanders either thought or led us to believe. Although the goalie skated yesterday, he didn’t today and is now returning to New York for further evaluation. He is out for the weekend. Kevin Poulin (likely starter Saturday) and Nathan Lawson are your goaltenders. On a side note, kudos to Strang for her inexhaustable coverage during this long road trip. Tracking down a sub-.500 hockey team in the dead of winter via commercial flights across North America for ten days is every bit as unglamorous as it sounds. Strang works hard to deliver the news as fast as possible to Islanders Country on a daily basis, and she should be applauded. Comments.
Steve Webb, a fellow Long Islander, has established a wonderful foundation supporting NY children involved in hockey. Please honor his efforts by participating in his raffle for a trip to this year’s NHL All-Star Game. Details and sign-up here. The trip includes a private flight for four to Raleigh, two nights’ hotel accomodations and four tickets to each All-Star event. Also, do not miss our ten minutes of hockey talk. Your comments on the interview and Steve’s fundraiser are welcomed. If you would like to contact the foundation about the raffle, please email info@w20foundation.org. Thank you for your consideration.
Point Blank Archive: April 19, 2010:
Kevin Poulin – A Goalie Prospect Rises in Quebec
The Islanders lost in Edmonton, 2-1, but this game likely will be remembered as the night impressive goaltending prospect Kevin Poulin made his NHL debut. After the sluggish Islanders and Nathan Lawson allowed two Oilers goals in the opening 5:17, coach Jack Capuano wisely inserted Poulin. The first-year pro had no time to be nervous.
As advertised, Poulin was superb. He stopped all 19 shots, a few with flair, and kept the Islanders in the game while the team D buckled down for the final two periods. However, the Islanders’ power play was largely ineffective. The Islanders failed on a long 5-on-3 with five minutes left in regulation. The battle level in front of the net was surprisingly lacking for a young team that had played so hard for the previous two weeks.
“It wasn’t a game we deserved to win,” Capuano after the game on MSG Plus. “We took off the first period and we cannot afford to do it.”
Good stance by Capuano. With the absence of Mark Eaton, the Islanders are now fielding – not by design – the youngest team in the league. The coach should raise the bar. Matt Martin only played 7:38, so Capuano is obviously using icetime as a reward.
The positives (feel free to add your own; old man RVC basketball kept me away from the first period): Travis Hamonic and Andrew MacDonald continue to look like two of the brightest young defensemen in the league. Although he was scoreless, John Tavares was still highly active around the net. With that Edmonton ice, those camera angles and those classic jerseys, the game looked friggin’ fantastic. Best of all, Poulin was under control and perfect.
“I know I can play in the NHL,” said a very confident Poulin after the game.
NOTES: Mark Eaton will look for a second opinion before possibly having hip surgery. The Islanders say the defenseman is out indefinitely…Rick DiPietro and Frans Nielsen (groin injuries) are both listed by the team as day-to-day.
On Friday, we’ll have a video interview with Steve Webb in which he provides some insight into the art of the hit and the sometimes lonely life of a hitman. More importantly, Steve has details on a charity raffle benefitting his W20 Foundation in which you can win tickets to this year’s NHL All-Star Game, hotel accomodations for two nights in Raleigh and a private flight to Carolina for you and your guest.
Finally, a very humble thank you to all the hockey fans who are continuing to check in with Point Blank on a daily basis. Although I’m not always delivering content worthy of your readership, I am very grateful for the loyalty. My hope is to show my thanks with a stir-it-up interview planned for next week.
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Around the same time Brian Compton and I were talking about bringing the dman back during this segment this afternoon, turns out the Islanders were giving Milan Jurcina a contract for next season worth $1.6 million. Hope you enjoy “Islanders Interactive.”
Kevin Poulin’s first stint in the NHL may be a brief one, but one thing is unmistakable: in the ten and a half years since drafting Rick DiPietro first overall, the Islanders have not had a young goaltender with Poulin’s potential since. It will be fascinating to see how the next year or two play out.
As reported by Katie Strang of Newsday, Mark Eaton has returned to New York to have a hip injury checked out. The Islanders are again down to six defensemen. Frans Nielsen (groin) skated on his own today. Blake Comeau (neck) appears on the mend and ready to play. Rick DiPietro (groin) did not practice, but Jack Capuano said he is feeling better.
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While speaking with Boomer Gordon on NHL Home Ice on Monday, I referenced a recent blog post by Arthur Staple of Newsday citing research about the Islanders’, uh, limited chances of making the playoffs. I was making a point about the rebuilding Islanders playing looser since being virtually eliminated from playoff contention and written off by just about everybody by the middle of December.
An Islanders fan from Calgary named Nick Hauk – who, by the way, has quite an impressive list of initials after his name – contacted me with the site and information. Here’s the gist:
The site is called Sports Club Stats. The site calculates probability of teams making the playoffs by simulating the remaining games of the regular season schedule ten million times.
According to the site, the Islanders currently have a 0.0% chance of making the playoffs. How a team can currently have a 0% chance of making the playoffs today, but even an infinitesimal chance a week from now makes little sense to me, but I went to Nassau CC and La Salle.
As of Monday, if the Islanders finish out the season 52-0, they have a 100% chance of making the playoffs. They got off to a good start with the win in Calgary.
The dreamy news: If they finish 32-14-6, the Islanders have a 12.8% chance of making the playoffs. So they’ve got that going for them.
The bad news: Anything worse than 28-18-6 and they have no chance – even though I thought the site already said they have no chance. It’s over my head, folks. Eric Hornick: please feel free to chime in here. All I know is the Islanders are 15 points behind eighth-place Montreal and have played three fewer games than the Habs.
The bottom line: although the timing of the Roloson deal is open for debate for a team that still wants to win games and still has customers buying (or have already bought) tickets, Garth Snow’s responsibility is to the near and long-term roster. For James Wisniewski – nice to see the good man start off strong in Montreal – Snow got the best offer he was ever going to get.
I’ve yet to speak to a scout who believes Ty Wishart is anything but a B-list prospect, but Snow was never going to get much for a 41-year-old goaltender no matter how well Roloson played. I believe that deal was as much about saying goodbye to Roloson (and the more than $1 million left on his deal) the first chance possible, more than anything else. Don’t forget: two weeks ago, the Islanders benched a healthy Roloson in favor of Nathan Lawson. When you consider Roloson’s significant present-tense value – we saw it last night as he shut out the Capitals in Washington – Snow was never going to win this trade.
If you believe the mathematicians, the only race the Islanders are in is for a top-five pick in the 2011 draft. Although the season is not even half-over – and the Islanders have shown some positive signs of life while going 7-1-1 – Snow cannot be concerned with how his moves play out from a PR perspective. He cannot be concerned with how his moves affect the Islanders’ place in the standings over the next three months. Between now and the deadline, Snow needs to sell all the players and unload all the contracts he deems fit to prepare for 2011-12 and beyond. It’s not a fun process.
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