ISLANDERS 4 FLORIDA 3 (SHOOTOUT)
Grabner scores 30th; DP wins first start since Feb. 2
You have to wonder how general manager Dale Tallon, or anyone on the hockey operations staff of the Florida Panthers, could watch Michael Grabner against their team and not get sick to their stomachs. Grabner, waived by Tallon and the Panthers off a poor training camp, watched Grabner score his 30th goal of the season as the Islanders beat Florida, 4-3 in a shootout.
Grabner’s 30th wasn’t even his best and most important play of the night. That came when he backchecked to prevent a Panthers scoring opportunity, got the puck to Michael Haley and watched as Haley encored his one-on-one move against the Penguins from Feb. 11 and scored past Scott Clemmensen to give the Islanders a 3-2 lead with ten minutes left in the third period.
The Panthers tied the game on a goal by Stephen Weiss, but Rick DiPietro was sharp the rest of the way of his first start since Feb. 2. David Booth failed to score on DiPietro on a penalty shot in overtime and then stopped both of the Panthers’ chances in the shootout. Frans Nielsen (naturally) and P. A. Parenteau scored for the Islanders in the shootout, and their three-game losing streak was over. Next up: some fun in Florida before facing Tampa Bay on Tuesday.
Comments on tonight’s victory are encouraged.
81 Responses to ISLANDERS 4 FLORIDA 3 (SHOOTOUT)
Grabner scores 30th; DP wins first start since Feb. 2
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Ben says:
Who would have thought when the Islanders picked Grabner up that he’d put up more goals than Ovechkin.
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isles fan in boston says:
great win!!!
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Rengi says:
Great that Grabs got his 30th of the season, he might even reach over 50 points in his rookie campaign. Aswell it is reported here in Austrian newspapers that the Isles will give him a multi year contract worth between 2-3 million dollar.
Sky is the limit for Grabner, i wish he gets the Calder…
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Jon in Chicago says: Very happy for DiPietro, guy deserves some success and health the rest of the way. What a goal by Haley, nice to have a guy who can agitate, fight and actually play a little too.
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Jim says:
Its just very enjoyable to watch them now EXCEPT they have to address giving up these leads late in the game. I don’t care this year but next year they need a couple of veterans to show them how to clamp down on an opponent and put them away. Florida has to be sick over letting Grabner go. They Florida announcers said they tried to get him through waivers to send him down but the ISLANDERS claimed him. What luck!
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Tom D in NJ says:
Not exactly the most exciting Saturday night of my life watching this one. Grabner continues to roll and a nice goal by Haley.
Thought DP should have stopped the tying goal and he is usually good in shootouts.
He looked like Billy Smith winning the cup after the game which I thought was typical DP. -
Larry Satler says:
DP allows in 2 bad goals but the team bails him out. This team has a chance to be a playoff team again but the first order of business is to cut ties with DP and move on. Big Al should play the remainder of the schedule and if he continues to prove he is real sign him for next year. Sign a backup goalie till Poulson is ready.
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91NYfan91 says:
good win. nice to see grabs net his 30th. I like haley SO MUCH better then gillies. gillies was basically useless. haley actually has some offensive skill unlike gillies who is garbage. he is fast, can hit and fight.
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Steve says:
I hate to call schadenfreude here, but it is nice for once not to be the team that made the mistake!
We done STOLE Grabner!
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Good for DP after all the crap he’s been though and for grabs whooo 30 goals hope he wins rookie of the year! good stuff CB keep up the good work!
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Nyifan11 says:
Happy for Ricky. His reaction at the end of the game shows he actually does care and his teammates seem to like him. At the end of the day it is still his team. A DiPietro-Montoya tandem next year is not awful.
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claude says:
Once again we have to score four goals to win when DP, between the pipes
That might work against a weak defensive team like Fla, But most teams will beat us if they get to net three.
Sure it’s entertaining to watch him glove a puck in stride and start skating towards center ice but I’m not feeling him,his lateral movement isn’t NHL level and he makes me nervous when tries to clear zone.
Congratulations to Grabs. Your awesome! -
Staten Islander says:
After all of the guys that were traded away and excelled elsewhere (Loungo, Charra, Palffey), maybe the Hockey Gods are finally smiling on us by giving us Moulson, Grabner, and Montoya.
DP, no matter how well he plays, SCARES me. And not because I think he’ll get hurt, (I do), because I keep waiting for a bonehead move, or a soft goal. That said, he DID play well tonight.
Comeau and Bruno dropping the gloves….ARE YOU KIDDING ME?
Great comeback win after last night.
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Strummer's Army says:
Hamonic is responsible for the first goal and Hillen for the 2nd.
Loved the Billy Smith cage! DP was sharp for his first game back. Shootouts always show who the quality goalies are.
Glad to see Comeau finally answer the bell. Didn’t turn out well for him but at least he tried and that is growth. He better buy Bruno a nice steak for bailing him out on that horrible turnover earlier in the game.
Don’t care what Grabs says getting 30 against the team who waived you has to feel great inside and he got his assist.
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Jim Clark says: The Face of The Franchise leads the team to victory the night after babALu Montoya chokes and loses. Find a seat on the bench, babALu. You are a good number 2 . DP will break Glenn Hall ‘s consecutive game played streak the same night Bruno Gervais breaks Bob Probert’s record for fights.
Rangers vs Penguins tomorrow on NBC? Do they believe that the NHL only has six teams? -
Grandma's boy says:
Throughout overtime I occasionally caught a glimpse of the benches. The islanders were either standing or sitting on the edge of the bench while Florida seemed to be sitting back. It is uplifting to see the islanders have a lot of pride and believe in themselves.
You have to feel good for Dipietro as well. He is obviously injury prone, but he always works hard to get back.
Next year should be a lot of fun.
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Derek A says:
Fun game to watch, looked like the team was having fun with the ‘rally helmets’, who but Z seems like he has alot of sway in the locker room. Great win, Isles nation is going to be seeing alot of them in these coming years.
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Pilonfan says:
I dont see the huge significance of Grabner scoring 30. The isles have no $ to spend and therefore have playing time available for AHL players nobody else wants (moulson/Grabner/Paranea). Other teams give those roster spots to Proven NHL players making Millions. Isles simply dont have that option.
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ditty says:
Grabner is definitely a 40-45 goal scorer next year. If he’s played like he has been lately from the beginning to end of the season, watch out!
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joe says:
Getting Grabner gives this team a bright outlook and future. Grabs along with Taveras, Nino, okoposo and Nielson will be a solid foundation on offiense. On defense, Hamonic, Streit and Mac are a great foundation for defense. Parenteu is turning out to be a steal as well. Gotta give Snow some props. Without sliding down in the draft 3 years ago we never would have had the flexibility to pick 3 2nd rounders and one of the picks was Hamonic, we hit a home run with that pick as well! Filatov who?
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moonshine says:
didn’t see the game ’cause i was at the red bulls soccer opener.
sounds like a ‘could have gone either way.’
still, a win is a win.
happy for grabner, after we discussed him quite a bit off the two breakaway chances at carolina.
i’m guessing he didn’t score the 30th on a breakaway.
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jamal says:
gotta love mike haley
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isles71 says:
Great win after last night, but 5-1-4 is pretty good 10 game span. DP really needs to learn to chill out a bit. He makes too many silly moves, where the sole purpose is to say,”everyone look at me & what I just did”. Glad he is ok, but scares me to think that they’ll givem 7/10 games as Howie eluded to. Hate to see chemistry take a back seat to a stupid contract. go isles!
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Michael B. says:
I’m usually critical of DP but I thought he played well tonight. I will say that his glove looked a bit shaky for the first 30 minutes but I’ll call it rust and overlook it. Aside from a short stretch immediately after FLA took a 2-1 lead I thought he was very smart with the way he handled the puck. I thought that two of three goals he gave up weren’t really his fault. The real test comes tomorrow when we find out how his lower body responds to the 65+ minutes that he put in tonight. It’s hard to imagine that just a few years ago this guy was an NHL all-star. If he can find his way back to that level of play there is no reason why this team wont be competitive in 2011-2012 and beyond. Fan of DP or not, one thing that all Islander fans can agree on is that he is the key to how we perform next season. I hope he finishes strong so that Islander fans will consider drinking the cool aid and getting behind him again like we did before the injuries.
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Brian G says:
The question is do you give Grabner a 1 year deal & see if he can do this again, or just give a 3 year deal?
Wow Parenteau even gets an interview on the NHL network
Will DP get the Masterton Trophy?
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Oren says:
Please stop with th “DP is back” stuff. Were we watching the same game? He let up his signature bad angle shot it. He is Not a big time goalie. We need to unite as Isles fans. Make sure we chant “DP MUST GO”, every single home game. Because we will never, ever, see the playoffs if DP plays a significant amount of games next year. Did you see his bush league celebration after winning despite himself. Please, lets move on.
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Steve M says: Still not a big DP fan, he’s too inconsistent. Good for him though, and great for Grabs getting his 30th in front of the team that never gave him a chance. Let’s see where this team goes.
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FlFaninFlorida says:
Well, juust got home from the game and except for the 3rd period, this wasnt much of a exciting game, from a SCoring point of view. 1st and 2nd periods seemed like there should have been more shots but just wasnt. Grabner sticking it to his old team was AWESOME!!!! 2 points again, and scoring his 30th was just the ICING on the CAKE. DIPI, still love ya even though i retired your old jersey for my new JT retro, was alittle shakey but, im going to blame it on the MASK aswell as Rust. I was looking down ice and thinking GLenn Healy was playing again, RETRO!!! I couldnt believe that Blake and Bruno were our 2 fighters when Haley, Martin and ZENO were playing, thanks NUTS!!! Overall good game, 1st win in Florida in over 4 years, WELL DESERVED WIN!!!
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JKP on LI says:
Digging the retro DiPietro mask, even if the circumstances that led to his needing it demonstrate everything that makes him bad for the team.
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KaiserVanIslander says:
Lets face it DP did not look good in goal. The 3rd goal was a bad goal, no way around that. He was all over the ice. He makes our “D” men wonder what he is going to do and that puts them out of position.
I like the team without DP. Not a DP hater just an Islander fan who wants to win. I do know we are stuck with him. Maybe he would be a good back up. If he’s our starter we are not making the playoffs this year or anytime soon!
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Jzimm says:
Well, if there’s any justice, Grabner is part of the account receivable for Roberto Loungo, Olli Jokinen, and the litreral hand out, Martin Straka.
As for the game, I always love it when the Islanders win. But these shootout wins just don’t do it for me. I like to watch hockey games, not penalty shot competitions. For instance, when the Islanders lost to the Devils in OT the other night, I threw down the remote and dropped an F Bomb. But if they lost in the Shootout, my reaction would have been rather indifferent. Win or lose, I’m just not a fan of the shootout. I love hockey, the game!!
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AFIsle says:
yay we won!!
anybody else think dp was gonna snap his legs during his celebration?
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Islesfan3 says:
Dp isnt back lets relax. I thought he played good tonight. But to also say that he didnt look good is wrong to. Im happy for him and want him to do good. Really chant dp go home??? Cmon its not him atleast he has heart and wants to win.
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IslanderFAN says:
What kind of fans some of you are??? some of you always find a way to hate DP no matter what…it beyond ridiculous.
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Vato Kakes says:
Red Light Ricky seemed like his ole self..playing bad angles and staring down your D-man after a goal cause your skills are diminished like heart and knees are (I don’t care show me da monies chucky boy).. And matty mole digger can you not touch the puck until JT is feeding ya in the crease area. You are slow then $^!* and for heavens sake you cannot make a pass if you were playing against five german shepards…good night and good game boys…I guess…
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BILL says:
I wish people would stop bashing DP. The guy has overcome so many adversities that would have caused the average player to give up. I root for him to make it all the way back and prove all of his detractors wrong. Hopefully, next year the tandem of DP and Montoya will be leading the charge towards the playoffs.
Another guy that I hope makes it back next year is Martinek. He has given so much of himself to a losing team, for so long, that he deserves a shot to enjoy a winning season. I recall an interview this year when the team was on a winning streak and Marinek was asked about how well the team was playing. In his awful English he just said “Fun” and his face told the whole story. Garth needs to resign him for another year. He is still a capable D-man playing on the second pairing.
Another question mark is Trent Hunter. Does he deserve a shot to come back? Is he too slow to keep up with the obvious team speed we now have? Will Wang be willing to eat his contract? Does he get bought out? I don’t see him fitting in with this mix but I am doubtful that the management will eat another contract.
Thoughts, Chris?
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considering d.p. hasnt played for quite a while, i am not going to complain. i did like the mask. haley should definitely be back next season. its nice to play loose when you know its over but i really want to see this team next year when the pressure will be on to be a playoff contender. regarding the addition of a scoring forward for next year, well we know wang wont pay the $$$ for that but we do have a very fast scoring forward on the team that can score 40 goals next year that wasnt on the team at the start of this season. if wang doesnt at least open his wallet to sign grabner long term and he is traded for basically nothing because he is to cheap to sign him, then i really wouldnt care if wang moved the team to china in 2015.
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rick says:
I really can’t get over some of the people on this site. Dipi played well for a goalie who hasn’t played a game in well over a month (actually played good even for a regular), better than Montoya in his last couple starts. I would love to have montoya/dipi as our goalies for next year, and whoever proves to be the better goalie is the #1.
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bc says:
Tremendous effort tonight. For all you Ricky haters, give the guy a break. Don’t you realize that his success means success for the team? Give him a chance to get his game back. Bashing him is ridiculous
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I think the major difference between this year and next year will be more veteran leadership (both from the maturation of the young guys and from summer acquisitions)that will prevent an 8-game losing streak from becoming a 17-game losing streak. The other will be purely dealing with injuries. The Penguins lost Malkin and Crosby yet figured out a way to hold down the fort.
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hathead68 says:
Oren on #28
you sound absolutely ridiculous. -
David says:
Grabner needs to put away those breakaways. Oh wait, they won. Hail Grabner!
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Islebethere4u says:
nice to get the 2 pts. A bit of a roller coaster defensively. I just wish that the only time DP would ever touch the puck is when he is keeping it out of the net. Way, way, way too many giveaways by DP. Please, just drop the puck behind the net and leave it for the D-man. Every time you push it up the boards, the other team is just waiting there for it, and 9 times out of ten we get in trouble because of it. Congrats to Grabner on his 30th goal. A real candidate for the Calder trophy. Another nice game by JT and Moulson and Nielsen, but Comeau not up there again.
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Rochambou says:
Is it really a successful season when you finish with less wins and points than the previous season. With 9 games left they need 6 wins and 11 points just to match last years totals.
Shouldn’t your win and point totals go up significantly in year 3 of a rebuild?
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greg h says:
should they? Have you been watching anything this season or just looking at the stats?
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WM says:
I am really looking forward to October.
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Corn cake says:
Larry Satler, but Billy Smith did that.
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Onesinceforty says:
I’m glad to see nobody here is lamenting the fact we gained a point on Florida which is of course our competition for the 4th draft spot.
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Oren, But if he can be that same goalie again, why not? If I went through those injures i would have retired years ago, but he didn’t. He is clearly very dedicated to this team.
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CJCB says:
What a pathetic display of team toughness tonight. Comeone Gervais and Comeau my eight year old daughter and 12 year old son could have done better than that. Nothing like winning garbage time hockey, makes you look and feel like a cup winner??? Brutal has got to be the worst NHL Dman in the league right now.
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The New Isles GM says:
I always felt like landing Grabner was like winning the lottery last draft and picking Taylor Hall. All the same qualities as a player, may be slightly older but plays the same game and is putting up good numbers. I really wish Booth put that away on the penelty shot though, that hurt me in fantasy.
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Dom says:
Observation regarding the defense: horrible. Way too much running around and chasing players in their own zone. This organization MUST bring in a Larry Robinson or similar to shore up this defense. Too soft also, need to dump Gervais and Martinek and get a couple of headbangers back there. DiPietro scares me with his cocky style, he’s always gonna give up soft goals. And yes, NBC thinks there are only 6 teams in the NHL. The Ranjerks, Flyers, Caps, Penguins, Dead Wings and Blackhawks. Thank GOD for Versus and Center Ice!
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gary says:
Hope they sign Grabs to a 3 year contract
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Joe in Massapeuqa says:
If I was a FL fan and knew what it felt like to let a guy go for nothing and see him score 30 goals I’d be pretty annoyed. Oh wait, been there and done that as an Isles fan. Congrats Ricky. Stay healthy and play well. For all complaining about him – to have some serious goalie depth is a good thing to have. Maybe Snow can turn it around and land a nice prospect (let’s forget Wishart for now because the jury is still out) or a proven player. LGI!
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The Pork Chop Express says:
Nice rebound victory. Granted they didn’t play a perfect game but they played well enough to win. DP played like DP. He made some really nice saves and then he let a couple go right by him. At this point I don’t know how anyone can say they are comfortable with him being the number 1. Come on now everytime he goes down we all hold our breath. Next year, our goalies will be Montoya and him. In order for DP to claim the number 1 he must show that he can play healthy and better. Who else held their breath when Hamonic took a header into the post? I thought the DP curse was coming into play lol!
Right now JT’s line is getting snake bit. They should have 3 goals a game. I like their work ethic.
Bailey’s line is unfortunaely, non existent. I see Comeau but no one else on that line. I am not giving up on Bailey since I know the talent is there. I just wonder why he disappears for several games. I would like to see that line get some more speed. Perhaps by adding someone with some wheels it would strech the ice for the other two and create more shooting lanes.
Wish list for the finally couple of games.
1. Wins
2. JT reaching 30 goals and 70 points.
3. PA reaching 20 goals and 50 points.
4. MM and Grabs reaching 50 points.
5. KO learns from Haley on how to actually perform a power forward move. He did this a couple of years ago and now it is non existent from his game. Great move from Haley. Would like to seem him do it more!! To be honest, we need KO to step up his game in all areas. -
Blizzard says: Haley should be here next year. He can fight and net a few….need guys like that. Good for DP but I thought that was Glen Healy in net with that mask….lol. such a next year the Islanders are going to make some noise. Hopefully they get a little respect from the league.
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A Real hockey fan says:
.. Serious the NY Isles with three 30 goal scorers (cmon Tavares) wow who would have thought it in recent years
.. Haley adds a nice dimension to the team, grit and some offense and hustle, u GOTTA love this kid
.. Im not a big Diepetro fan, but you have to respect what the guy goes through to play and compete. I dont want him 2 be the #1 goalie but i respect what he does instead of just sitting and collecting his $$$
.. This team can be a real legit force if they add a vet or 2 (offseason, at least one garth!) and continue to develop, (Im not holding Isles ‘pom poms’ im being realistic) i TRULY TRULY believe that! Lets go Isles
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D in BIG D says:
Everyone pretty much covered the game stuff and I must second the notion that the Fla games are kinda listless.As for the players DP is DP.Can’t argue for or against him anymore.I just want to see this team win.The post about Comeau not being their you could’ve added 2-3 more names to that list.As for who to bring back lets just say the following should be gone,Brutal,Martinek,Lawson.these players need to be used properly,Martin and Bailey.Hunter will be used to get the Isles to the cap floor,same as DP that is why they will not cut ties.JJ is Bergy all over again.Given every opportunity but never producing w/ it.Here’s to a top 10 pick.Take the best talent available.Grabs should get 3yrs,Montoya 1yr.Free agents should be used to add 2 physical d-men and 1 skilled heavyweight.Go Isles.
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Don Cherry says:
PUT MARTIN BACK ON THE THIRD LINE PLEASE. We had three solid lines a few games ago and now we are back to just 2 lines with Bailey’s line being invisable again. What are these coaches looking at? Martin is being wasted on the fourth line. I really like what Konopka brings to the team but a good center between Martin and Haley would be a nice line. Both Martin and Haley have some skill. They need a center. A play maker. I have a bad feeling Martin will go to another team and get the chance to become the power forward we are looking for.
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Orange&Blue says:
10 pts out with 9 games to go. Hope we make it interesting.
Maybe this is the week we finally beat the damn Flyers?
Even if we do not make the playoffs, this team had many significant positives this year. This year was 3 steps forward. Tavare (20), Moulson(27), Parenteau(27), Nielsen(25), Okposo(22), Comeau(25), Grabner(23, Hamonic(20), MacDonald(24), Hillen(25), DeHaan(19), Nino(18), Cizikas(20) and Poulin(20)! Talk about a very bright future! Not to mention we will end up adding a top 10 pick this year! I wish I could add Bailey to this list but he plays scared.
The only players I’d rather not see on this team next year are Bailey and Gervais. Gervais isn’t good enough to have a spot and Bailey needs to spend a year in the AHL, if that is possible.
Finally, Capuano deserves the job! He earned it. He took a team full of kids, injury riddled, lost 20 of 21 games, and has them in the playoff pic in the last few weeks Remarkable!
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I really respect D.P for his numerous come back attempts. I know he wants to be part of this team and it’s success. The reality is. however, that he will not be able to withstand the rigors of an N.H.L. schedule. He should not be practicing at this level, he should go to bridgeport for a month next season, and if he does well, and does not kill himself, he can be in the rotation. I do not want to miss the playoffs next year because of D.P’s trials and tribulations. I would feel much better with Poulin and Montoya in net. D.P. no longer has the skills or health to match his heart. I hope he stays in the organization, but not as a goalie. Sorry, there is a reason that they have to score 4 or 5 goals to win if D.P. is in net! I care about you, D.P., now go help Garth with some G.M duties! I am proud that they did not tank the game. GO ISLES!!!
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I do not understand the crticism of Okposo by some people on this list. The guy missed more than half the season with a serious shoulder injury and has contributed decently against players who are well seasoned.
He is only 22 and not even close to his prime. This kid is going to be a very important player for this team! He is a complete player.
Okposo goes out there and busts his ass every night and does all the little things necessary to be a complete player. I think we all knew he would not be winning scoring titles.
If you want to criticize, look no further than Josh Bailey. The guy plays like a freakin pussycat! It is so noticeable it is ridiculous. Honestly, compare him to the other top 9 fwds. He sticks out in a real bad way. He is also the “passenger” that Capuano frequntly refers to. Yet, some of you bash Okposo! Bailey floats around the ice like Oleg Kvasha! Are you kidding??
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Its great to have the Isles pick up other team’s “garbage” and watch them turn into gems instead of seeing Islander draft picks do it elsewhere like we have over the past 20 years! Last year it was Moulson and this year Grabner, Parenteau and Montoya. Snow has been making some incredible pickups! I can’t wait for October!!!
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Whats with the KO bashing to? He was injured he isnt as strong as he wants to be because of all the rehab. Normally you cant push him off the puck and hes been on the ice since his return the most i have ever seen him in is young career. Ko is gonna be good hes not a 40 goal scorer so i dont no what else you want.
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CB, I wonder if you saw the article in the Post today about Capuano and his future on the Island. I was actually suprised to see an entire page in the paper dedicated to the Isles. Then I opened the News and couldn’t find a story on the game.
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Diane says:
I don’t think they’re gna send DP to Bport, we’ll just have to deal with his rehabbing here. But I would like to see him and coaching get together to work on adapting some of his moves to a style which would take into account his injuries and somehow help the knees not swell after the games. I bet there’s a way and I feel like I saw a little difference last night in some of his side to side moves, so maybe thats what they’re starting to do. In my opinion it is possible he will never be able to play at his former level in the exact style he has in the past (for any significant length of time without having to sit out regularly). If he could learn a few new moves that would work well and not tweak anything I am sure being the athlete (and team player) he is he would try his best to master it as quickly as possible, thereby giving his team (our team) a better chance to win and himself a longer window of opportunity to play. 10 years or so..
Good to see them get the 2 points, wasn’t sure they were gna do it. -
Fee-Show says:
Don Cherry #59: IMO, the reason he dropped to the 4th had nothing to do with him, but with a final evluation of Joenssu. With Ness signed and other new blood coming out of Jrs. Snow will have to decide which “prospects” to cut bait with. I think DiBenedetto flunked his tryout and JJ should call Finnair for the best fares to Helsinki.
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Isles Revamped says:
If I were Garth I would be looking to make a deal with this years No.1 to try and acquire a level ‘A’ veteran forward since there free agent pool is very thin.
Trade or release Hunter, Bruno, Hillen.
The future is getting brighter.
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andy says:
does anybody else notice that as soon as the Isles get a lead the coach immediately goes to a trap that never works and at the end of the game they either blow a lead or if they hang on it doesn’t feel like a win it feels like they were lucky not to lose
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why does the coach always try to sit on the lead and has the team start to trap and then they always blow the lead, the game goes to OT and if we win we feel lucky instead of confident. Why does he put Gervais out EVERY time we are killing a penalty and is the “D” really better with Gervais on the ice as opposed to Wishart or some other young defensemen from BP
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This coach is not a good coach he is a bad coach. Every time the Isles get a lead they immediately start to trap and they are not the type of team who has the depth or experience to play that way. This is why they always blow the lead at the end of the game. Also where is the fire from the coach he makes excuses instead of addressing what is happening on the ice and when an Isle player gives the puck away and it turns into a goal against why isn’t the player put on the bench for a shift or two.
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Stumpy32 says:
The problem we all have with DP is one of conflict. I can’t see how anyone could criticize both his quest to come back from unbelievable bad luck and his clear love of our franchise when nearly all other players would climb the highest walls to get out of here.
But…we all know that this team will never achieve the heights that seem to be right around the long-awaited corner with DP in net in a starting, starring role. I really do hope that DP can play a solid supporting role (re: 20-25 games a season) backing up first Montoya, then Poulin. That’s really what we need to hope here. To be fair, I think that’s what the franchise is hoping as well. Poulin isn’t going anywhere, and he’s 20. The plain fact is that Poulin isn’t going to be a backup, he’s not getting traded, and he’s not languishing in B’port for the next 5 years. My guess is that we get Montoya for another year, maybe two (not sure about his RFA status past this offseason), and then Poulin…and if DP gets hurt during that time, Poulin comes up early. That’s it.
One thing we are fortunate about is that, at $4.5M a season, even for us, its not the awful cap-crippling hit we all make it out to be.
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Corn cake, have been following the Islanders since 1974 and remember Billy Smith as a above average goalie who was pure money in the playoffs. What bothers me about DP is that he is so injury prone, makes dumb moves around the net and seems to let in soft goals consistently…….can you really say that about Billy Smith? If he wasn’t so injury prone I could live with the guy but you never know if he will make the next start…..time to move on.
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Kbelanger33 says:
-Gervais
-Amac
-Hillen
-Martinek
—4 of our 6 defensmen, they all play soft. Most teams have 4 tough,physical D-men, we have the total opposite. We need to add toughness,grit,crease-clearing defensemen. Untill we do -we go nowhere.
*don’t mistake Amac’s and Hillen’s smart play for toughness -
DoubleW says:
I hate this time of year with our team out of the playoffs. Hate to see them win, but cant cheer for a loss either. talk about conundrum.
All we need now is for JT to get a few down the stretch and we can have 3-30 goal scorers. how many other teams can boast that? -
Joe E Jay says:
Big fan of DiPietro’s throwback helmet and mask. Brings back good Smith and Healy memories.
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sean says:
I hope Bruno and hunter are not on this team next year they are slow and horrendous. We need more on defense though I know streit is out for season but a good veteran defenseman that can help him out. Eaton, motau are c rated defense even if they are experienced.
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Michael from Toronto says:
I really do not understand al of this bashing on here.
First off, hats off to DP. Yes he has had many injuries, but he also has worked his way back everytime and put the logo on the front of his jersey the number one priority. He could have easily retired and walked away, but his dedication to the Isles is great, and also something the younger players can learn from.
Okposo is coming off a tough injury. I believe he is lacking the full confidence in driving to the net and re-injurng his shoulder. He has all the talent in the world and he is a huge part of this rebuild.Finally, great win last night and I hope they can continue this the rest of the year. Blowing the lead in third is a concern, but with Streit Eaton and Moteau back next year will certainly change all that.
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Fee-Show#69- I was hoping that was the only reason because he did move to the fourth when Joenssu was brought back. You would think the team knows what they have in Joensuu by now. I would’ve liked to see that third line with Martin stay together the remainder of the season just to see if maybe Baileys game would improve. He did seem to be more effective centering for Martin and Comeau for that short time they were together.
Florida got to watch Grabner, who they waived, score his 30th of the season, while their leading scorer has only 21 goals.