SNY POINT BLANK TV: GORD MILLER
Strong words from TSN’s lead play-by-play voice
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At SNY, we have presented many major NHL voices speaking positively of the Islanders’ future. Today we present the very talented, connected and candid play-by-play man Gord Miller of TSN. Agree or disagree, you have to respect his frankness in this age of oft-soft media. This bulletin-board material was recorded early this month. React in Comments.
133 Responses to SNY POINT BLANK TV: GORD MILLER
Strong words from TSN’s lead play-by-play voice
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Oye Comeau Va says:
As much as I would love to disagree with about 80% of what Miller said, I really can’t. He was spot on about pretty much everything he said.
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Christopher Meinck says:
“If I were a fan, I would fire the owner”.
Well said. If we could Gord, we would.
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isles316 says:
He’s right. I don’t see the Isles going anywhere with Montoya and DP and their defense isn’t that good. I do think this “young core” of the Rangers that people talk about is ridiculous. They are forced to play young players because they are at the cap ceiling and none of their forwards have any star power.
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MickeyBoy7 says:
He’s right about he draft…you can’t JUST depend on that. Until the purse strings are loosened we will never sign the kind of D-men we really need. Boy…imagine if we had a Chara still on our back line. He’s wrong about the goalie…I hope Ricky cannot play 60 games…if he does we will have at least 120 bad goals allowed.
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brian says:
The Isles fan base overrates the youth of this organization entirely too much. Because of where they finish year after year, they have some solid young players, but if you want to see REAL youth just check out the Flyers. And this is what we’re going to have to be better than some day.
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Strummer's Army says:
1) He is right, if Ricky returns to form and can play 50-60 games it improves this team tremendously.
2)Stability and no odd moves would do a lot for credibility.
3) Shea Weber is the NHL’s best D-man.
4) Being a puck mover and being big are not mutually exclusive and I don’t understand why some people think they are (GARTH).
5) For all the tiny little fellas Snow has brought in the Isles still get stuck in their zone and that is because they cannot knock the other team off the puck due to lack of size and snarl and cannot move the puck.
6) Isles have had a philosophy to depend on the goalies to cover up for the fact the defense is terrible as far back as I can remember. I know it is a money saver mentality but too much pressure on the goalies and also the goalies get run and too much contact because other teams know they can, explains many of Rick’s, Garth’s and other guys injuries.
7) Miller is right Defense is the biggest issue. Just because ya have a lot of crap under contract doesn’t mean you have a good defense even if they are vet guys. Jurcina (as big as he is one of the few guys that wouldn’t fight against Pit), Eaton, Mottau, Geravis, Martinek, Hillen are garbage and Isles will win nothing with them.
Only D worth having are: Hamonic, Streit, Mac D, and De Haan. Any other prospects have to prove themselves. There is no other physical d-man in the entire organization other then Hamonic. Pretty strange.9) Draft is loaded with big, talent, puck movers with Snarl on D, Hamilton, Seimens, Olesak, Mayfield and more. Take the opportunity and do the right thing Garth and load up. Until you fix the D don’t expect to win anything. If they didn’t add anything to this offense this summer it would be fine with Nino and others in the pipeline but the Defense both in FA and draft can no longer be ignored it is a gushing wound and the difference between playoffs and no playoffs.
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UIF says:
Two years ago, I’d agree with everything he said. Today, I agree with most…but I don’t see the Rangers’ young players as being any better the Isles’ young players…perhaps not even equal to. Gord hit the nail on the head with Lundqvist. He’s the key. Without him in net, that team finishes about where the Isles did, even with the better vets they have. Just look at the point totals…Dubinsky, supposedly the cream of the crop for the young talent and a player I like very much, finished with as many goals as Blake Comeau…and by the way, he led the entire team in goals. I do like the Rangers’ youth. I like ours too.
Otherwise, a great interview and good answers.
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vrinqueens says:
Spot on!! Gord Miller nails it, Infuriating to hear the truth but refreshing. Stability at the top is most important for this franchise to move forward and for some reason the owner whom claims to have lost millions upon millions still refuses to sell the team.
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Chris says:
He’s right- it’s refreshing to hear such candor. I just don’t think this team, as is, makes the playoffs next year.
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Garthsnow says:
When this team makes the playoffs a couple of seasons in a row and it gets closer to 2015, Wang will probably sell the team. The team will be worth more when its playing well and when the lease with SMG is almost over. Selling now would be stupid.
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Mikey says:
What a breath of fresh air. Gord Miller highlighted all the major problems with this franchise. We are still a doormat until our record says otherwise. The fish rots from the head. Most people around the league view our franchise as a joke because the owner is an unpredictable, impulsive micro-manager with very little hockey knowledge. I wish we could get our version of Terry Pegula, but that does not seem to be on the horizon any time soon. Gord Miller is also right about our goaltending. This team will never sniff the playoffs with one of the NHL’s worst goalies on the active roster. Great interview Chris. Islander fans need to demand accountability from ownership. It’s disgusting that we have not even heard any substantive updates from him in the past 18 months about the arena situation.
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Nyles says:
Wow. First, why does everyone on here always agree with every person that comes on SNY.
I disagree with most of what he said. Rangers young core??? . . . nah.
Islanders on the right track . . . yes.
Streit, mottau, jurcina(jurcina stat), martinek, eaton, hamonic . . . I like that D, although we could use one more top pair D man via free agency.
Our scoring is awesome on this team. I am very satisfied with the forwards. Lines next year: (1) Moulson, JT, PA (2)OK, Neilsen, Grabs, (3)Comeau, Bailey, Neidereitter, (4)Martin, Konopka, Hailey, Joenseu, Hunter
As long as DP, Montoya, and Poulin wall figure the net situation out, we will finish 7 or 8 next year.
BTW, with the rangers at the cap, I do not see how the could really improve next year. I figure they miss the plyoffs
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BTW, its not the owner’s fault. Isles tries to throw money at guys but they would not come. Once we continue to buld a winning culture, the free agents will come
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Oren says:
Disagree, Isles make the playoffs next year. They are deeper than the rangers or devils. I think with Streit and Okie healthy we are 3 lines deep with a nice checking line. Hamonic is better than any of the “young” d-men the rags have. We are much deeper at forward. I do agree however that we need stability in net. BTW, when has Lundquist ever one a playoff round in his 6 year tenure? Once maybe, ever? He’s good but overated. Hey Gord: devils may not be that bad in the first half, but remember they got good when Lemaire came…he’s gone. And who is to say they will go on a 27-2 tear like they did, thats not likely, plus Broduer is 40 years old and has played a lot of hockey. Prediction Eastern Conference: Islanders 4.
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Vlad from Brooklyn says:
Truth hurts.
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David from Sweden says:
Strong words indeed but very honest. This organization is a circus and until that change, no playoff for this team.
Gotta agree with some points. Goalie situation needs to be stable, better D and not rushing juniors. Maybe sending Nino back for another year will be the right thing?
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Eric says:
Ok I agree with most of this. Except one thing. This is April. He has no idea who they will draft, who they will trade for and which one of the young guys will come through next year. I FULLY believe they make the playoffs next year. I respect his hockey knowledge but he knows NOTHING about the team. He doesn’t watch it day in day out. We live and breathe this team. When this comes from someone with intimate knowledge of the team on a day by day basis, I will worry about it. Molson, Grabner, Tavares, Okposo with a number of draft picks and supporting cast, and 3 goalies and DP? I am way more confident about the future then I was 12 months ago. I am confident they will be JUST fine without ol’ Gord’s opinion.
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Staten Islander says:
Once again, this off season and the 1st part of next season are key. They need another gun to play with JT and 1 or 2 vets to provide on ice leadership. Good point about Hamonic, we don’t know what he’s going to be in year 2. His point about Bailey just reenforced what I’ve been thinking about Nino. He should go back to juniors again next year to further develop
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HE’s “right” about what he said but a few things I disagree with.
1. The Rangers/ They have some good prospects, and some good yougn players. But NONE of them are the kind of guys who you build a team around. In the same breath, the Isles have several cornerstoen forwards, while the Rangers have a goalie and a RW.
2. I agree with you about the D. We needs a defenseman who can be physical AND move the puck. A bunch of puckmovers could work but it usually doesnt. The Penguins Martin, Muichalek, and Orpik are all known as “D first” guys and Pitt has an awesome D. Letangh si the only legit puckmover there.
3. HE makes it seem like teh Isles have no shot at the playoffs. I bet he said the same about the Lightning this year…
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hildegarde says:
Mickeyboy7 writes: I hope Ricky cannot play 60 games…if he does we will have at least 120 bad goals allowed.
I would agree with that asessment, and math.
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Chris says:
This was the best interview by far. He hit every point with our crazy owner and rush of development on bailey.
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The part about the Rangers youth being any better than the Isles youth is BS. Tavares, Okposo and Grabner will blow the doors off Dubinsky and Callahan for years. Hamonic will be on par w/ Staal very soon.
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Anth says:
One with the underdogs…. Keep doubting this team!
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You cannot develop every player the same. Remember Nino’s own coach/GM said he has nothing to benefit from returning to juniors next year and is done. He basically said returning Nino to juniors next year would hurt his development. Nino has his years in juniors and two WJC’s. He’s NHL ready and should be with the Isles next year.
De Haan has shown he is NHL ready talent wise but I’d leave him in AHL next year to work on adding muscle to his frame. Petrov NHL body but hard to judge if he needs time in the AHL. Kabanov NHL skill, ht, but, needs to fill out so he should go back.
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Dom says:
Bailey is a much different case than Nino. Bailey was thrown into the fire because of a lack of talent on the roster. Sure, he should have spent some time in the minors, but he didn’t. No doubt it hurt his development. Nino, on the other hand, went back to the minors this season and ripped it up. The kid has confidence, something Bailey lacks. Nino should be in camp and should make this roster. Truly believe he’s gonna be on our 3rd line come opening night.
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Mike in Wantagh says:
I Disagree….there you have it. I think that The Gentleman from Canada is a little bit misinformed or not truly paying attention the the islanders situation. While its hard to argue that from the outside the isles appear to be unstable and that reflects on Charles Wang; Charles Wang is really the most stable owner the Islanders have had and if there is one thing that he has provided is some stability for us. He has made some mistakes no doubt…but he has owned the team for around 10 Years Now. The failure of the lighthosue project is a negative but those who follow the Islanders closely know that this is in no way a reflection on his committment or ability to own and lead this frachise.
THE ONLY TO MAKE MR MILLER EAT HIS WORDS IS TO PROVE HIM WRONG. MAKE THE PLAYOFFS AND WIN A FIRST ROUND SERIES.
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Hey CB……Can you send a copy of this video over to the Islanders? Send it to Garth, Capuano, all of the young core….and……Wang. They can save it…and play it for tyhe team during Training Camp Next Season.
I can’t wait until next season. Lets Go Islanders!!!
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Eric says:
Great interview, CB. Gord Miller nailed it. With Charles “the maniac” Wang running the show and calling all of the shots, we’re pretty much screwed. It’s such a shame, and it’s incredibly frustrating, but it’s the truth.
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This guy is a Dream for the Miserable Islander fans Out there that think this will never turn around.
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Daniel says:
Wow. Talk about depressing,the truth hurts I guess though. It was honestly a little hard to listen to that. (His constant pausing didn’t help either) Like a few of you have already said though, it comes down to stability. Unfortunately we will not have stability until politicians come through. This being Long Island, that is very very bad news. If we can get the arena issue solved, there will be much to celebrate. I do like our young kids, and I do believe if they can stay healthy the playoffs are very realistic. I think I am depressed now.
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jay says:
Miller is pretty much dead on with his comments. The islander organization can not and will not attract high quality people, ufa/mgmt, etc…. until there is stability AND sanity up top. He hit it on the head, if Garth left, what legit GM would be willing to come to the sideshow? The young talent is fair, some are good, others are on the roster only to fill a spot. I disagree with him suggesting DiPietro needing to play 60-65 games. He is not a stable goaltender, injuries aside, he is all about his ego. Katie Strang asked him about the goaltending battle for next year and he smuggly replied, “what battle?”. His stupid antics with going out to fight Johnson, handling the puck, the list goes on.
I also agree that the team is the fifth best in the division. Like it or not, the Rangers will always attract the prime free agents, the defense is VERY young, maybe the youngest in the league, and some of their forwards have great upside. Take out Grabner and Moulson, who else has much NHL upside on the islander roster as a forward? I consider Tavares a no-brainer.
The islanders have drafted a top five pick for most of the decade, not getting there. Bailey surely would have been better suited to play in the minors another year. Young players can get very down on them self early on.
Stability is the key here, the fans have proven they will show up if the team performs well, last five games were a full house. Bettman’s parity has not helped many teams. When it all comes down to it, the UFA’s really want to get to a strong organization and win. Why would they sign if they could be uprooting their families in two years because the owner wants to move or sell the team, ie Kansas or Quebec. The Devils will bounce back immediately. The Flyers and Penquins are already strong, this team is definitely the fifth best in the division. Playoffs will be very tough to make. -
Instability will keep free agents away, Wang has to make a decision on what he wants to do with this team. I understand he feels bamboozled with the Lighthouse project but it has to come to a head sooner rather than later. He is getting revenue at the gate and for parking, concessions, he has to be making more $ than he was before. Winnipeg and Hamilton, Quebec will pay him top dollar for this team. He has to figure it out, the silence and the wait needs to be over. The team needs direction and stability. Mr Wang “Tear down this wall of silence” and make a decision.
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Tim says:
oh great another canadian commentator giving his 2 cents about the islanders
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CM says:
Gord Miller from the Edmonton area. Don’t know which strings he pulled to ever get his gig. Ask anyone in Edm.
Easy to take parting shots. Toronto looks unstable. He would never take shots like that at Toronto.
Only reason Gord Miller is around is b/c he has something on someone. -
Andy says:
Truth stings-every year we overrate our “young talent”. Its average. The non young talent is sub average. Thus, the team struggles to be .500 Its really pretty obvious
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Sounds like a hater,….perhaps still upset that the Isles beat his oilers. He had 2 decent points: 1) goaltending needs to stabilize. 2)Owner is known to keep fans in the dark. However, it does not sound like he has seen a grabner rush. Who on the Rags can top that??
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Mitch says:
The Islanders have a better crop of young players in the NHL than the Rangers. The Islanders, however, do not have a foundation in goal or a veteran forward to speak of. Generally, we are extremely inexperienced (and grossly so at forward.) I think our defense is average with room for improvement, if completely healthy, with the current crop. Of course, the team has yet to prove it can be completely healthy in recent history.
It will be hard to add all of the pieces required in this off-season, but the Isles need to land SOMETHING to supplement, alleviate pressure and aid in the on-ice/off-ice development of their core. We need a top-2 d-man to keep pressure off of AMac/Hamonic and cut into Streit’s minutes on special teams a little bit. We need a top-6 vet forward for JT that can actually skate and get to loose pucks/or score from further out. The bottom-6 could use some tweaking, but I’ve always felt you should build from the top of the lineup and let the lesser parts trickle down or be replaced from below until you’re in a position to overpay for one final piece of the puzzle.
Finally, this has to be the make-or-break season for DiPietro. The question needs to be answered. 3 goalies never seems to work out and it’s practically a necessity going into any season right now. I feel for Rick, but I think even he will be looking at retirement if injuries again force him to less than 40-50 games or keep his play at a lower level.
This team will be a good team that makes the playoffs no matter what – far too much developing talent. This team needs some work if we expect it to be great and we’re running out of time to properly aid what we have here.
Or to put it another way, has Josh Bailey ever played with a consistent set of forwards? Why wasn’t JT surrounded by vets to play with? In comparison, look at who Stamkos eventually lines up with.
(Please forgive the length, I found it necessary to formulate a somewhat substantial response.)
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Mitch -
David Volek says:
I dont know how anyone can listen to this interview and not say it was by far the best interview on PB ever. This was from a guy in the hockey world, who called them out, and told it how it really is……….the organization is a circus. Charles Wang is too involved, and the organization has no plans for the future. Thank you CB, for this interview………i almost wanna listen to it again it was that good.
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jisles says:
@#26: Gord Miller is around because he is the best play by play announcer in the game.
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RyfromLI says:
Worst in our division by A LONG SHOT? The Rangers are ridiculously overrated–replace Lundquist with 90% of the goalies in the league, and they finish right near us, if not under. Next season is going to be really interesting…
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MarioGazz says:
CB, you never really stated if you agree with Gord. Although I agree with some of what he said, I think he will be pleasantly surprised. With Striet coming back and everyone healthy, I think we will definitely be a playoff team.
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isles fan in boston says:
I totally disagree with that yahoo miller. The guy who said he would never take a shot at toronto or edmonton is right . If you follow this team day in day out, it is easy to see that the Isles are heading in the right direction. You could tell by his voice in the beginning of the interview that he was spitting venom towards the Isles..CB, funny question you asked him. how old were you in 1983? Da da da 18.hilirous!You should have asked Gordy how his beloved Edmonton Oilers were progressing. I wonder if he would have been so candid? He was probabaly one of those canadien yahoos who called 911 when Chara hit Pacioretty. Dopes!!
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Steve M says: While he was right about most things, I still don’t like the guy. He’s wayyyy too negative about a team that we should all believe is heading in the right direction.
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admin says:
Friends: I can understand agreeing or disagreeing with all or just parts of what Miller said. But it is silly to make your retorts about Edmonton, Toronto or any other biases you think he may have. He was only asked about the Islanders. He gave his personal, honest answers to questions about the Islanders…CB
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CB, you are only saying that cause you know he reads the blog.. lol
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HyeDray says:
I think the team is going in the right direction overall and I am not sure Miller gives enough due to some of the youth on the team however, it is difficult to argue with him about the key problem areas.
DiPietro is a problem. He may come back healthy he may not, I still believe his judgment is as big a problem as his knee.
Ownership is wacky at best. They were all over the map again this year and only the improved play of the team in the second half provided some relief of the almost daily PR beatings inflicted on the franchise.
Stability around the building. It is a big issue and while some time remains on the clock, we are about half way through the third period of game 7, and down a goal.
I thought he was spot on with Bailey. I would have preferred to see him remain in the Bridgeport through the second half. I think they were reluctant with Hamonic but he did show he could play. I think Snow is smart and recognizes his errors. I doubt we see De Haan here next season, or Ness or Donovan. My guess is Cizikas will be in BP as well. The only one with a shot here would be Neiderreiter but even there — what if Snow can bring in a vet, keep Nino in juniors one more year — the team pushes for the 7-8 spot maybe they get in, maybe not, but then Nino come in 12-13 and the team is really becoming powerful and Nino is — as they say in Detroit — over ready…
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Nino doesn’t need another year in junior!
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Jim Clark says: Probably the best interviewee CB has had. He echoes a lot of what I think although to mildly defend Wang, he is stuck with a bad lease and a CBA that hurts the team. I appreciate on how he points out the team once won 19 straight playoff series. I think he’s more accurate on the Islander’s future next season than CB but time well tell on that.
About the only thing I disagree is that I think the Devils are entering a fallow period.
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BooBoo says:
A sobering dose of reality. Needed by many, heeded by few.
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Kaszycki's Krew says:
Good interview ! Some of my pals all season long said the Isles were “playing with house money” – and I concur that there is a tendency to over-value your own prospects. I do think Gord is over-valuing the Rangers prospects though.
The critique of Wang is fair. Nice for him to give props to Snow. Interesting to suggest that few hockey people would take the Isles GM job if it opened up.
I wished you asked him for his honest assessment on Di Pietro. I would love it if you hosted an interview with some objective people who could give us a real assessment of # 39 and the goaltending position. Miller is right – this is the position that killed us in the past. What’s it going to be like next year.
That said -I do think the Isles are right in the mix for the playoffs…..just to make it – not make noise.
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mark p says:
I don’t agree with everything, but he said alot of things people don’t want to hear or say. This may be the best interview this site has posted all year. I know our org has issues, but hearing all the good interviews make us beleive the hype….this brings us back to reality. So glad we got to hear such a tough opinion of our team. I think we can make the playoffs- but so much of this was a good (but hard) listen.
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Blizzard says: he makes some good points however I am a believer. I have watched hockey my whole life and I think the Islanders are gonna make some noise next year. Its their time, about time, or what ever. I know the Islanders played loose when they where out of it like last year, however there is some serious talent on this team now and they where decimated by injuries on D. Grabner, JT, MM,KO are gonna take the next step.
Bring it haterzzz!!!!!!!!
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Lance79 says:
Well I can’t say I like the whole “perception is reality” approach, and I’m really surprised he’s written off the team for next year even before the draft or free agency.
Those tidbits aside, he’s fairly spot on regarding our tough division and especially re: Bailey; but why can’t he see Bailey as the exception rather than the rule?
I’m not suggesting Snow’s approach is perfect but last I checked, Nino and de Haan played this past season in juniors, Brock Nelson played in college and all three played for their respective countries in the world juniors.
I like Gord Miller but maybe it’s time for my perception: he doesn’t like a team based in a non-Canadian market which, while facing the same issues as teams in Canadian markets that was forced to relocate, still gets to hang on to their team (so far); a team whose GM drafts more US college players at the expense of selecting Canadian junior hockey players; a team that despite an apparent presence in a major market cannot and will not spend.
And maybe, just maybe, its very convenient for him (among MANY others in Canada) to rip on a team with a whopping total of one beat writer and one blogger with a scarlet letter without fear of blowback. What does he have to fear with crossing the line from an audience that doesn’t get the channel he calls play-by-play for anyway?
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Tom D in NJ says:
I believe Miller was spot on, especially calling out Wang. Tired of all those who kiss Wang’s butt by saying he saved the franchise, he’s getting screwed, he loves LI, great guy. He does not know how to run a hockey franchise,nor how to market one and he doesnt like to surround himself with good people.Also cant be much of a negotiator or willing to ever compromise either. At a time when the fan base is looking for stability and a plan he says nothing. Right now there is a sense of optimisim for next year amongst much of the fan base and then you look up to the owners box……..
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LES says:
50 bucks says gord miller is banned from the nvmc as per garth snow
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Seth says:
Perfect interview. Honest and true
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Isles Fanatic says:
Gord Miller just stated what people in the league are saying about the Isles…not just canadian media..good on him…lets hope the team can make him eat crow in a few years…
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You have to admire a guy who tells it like it is, a guy who dosent sugar coat the truth! This franchise is still seen as a joke. Instability, circus atmosphere. Real hockey people wouldnt think of coming to work for this team. Those are pretty harsh views of the Islanders organization. Fellow Islanders fans, we are so very, very screwed!
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KO21 says:
better players will make them better is what he said…Insulted the players on this team…
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Bill from Oceanside says:
While a lot of what Miller says may be true right now, there is the draft and the free agent signings period yet to come. So I do not believe that the current roster will look the same as the one that takes the ice in October.
I believe that the team will vastly improve with the addition of Nino and whomever is drafted at number 5. I also think that Snow knows that this is the make or break season for his team and so he will sign or trade for a player that will make a difference. I also have to believe that Ricky will come back. He has worked too hard not to. And if he cannot or goes down again, then you will see that Poulin is the netminder of the future.I’ve seen everything there is to see with this team. From opening night of that first game, to 2 on ice Cup celebrations, to pigs at a trough, John Spano and Mad Mike and this is the best I have felt about a team since the fabled Toronto series.
I just paid my season tickets invoice so I put my money where my mouth is. I’m back and so are the Islanders.
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EthanT says:
If we as fans could fire our owner, this guy would be high up on my list to replace Wang. Miller is a genius
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Hes absolutely right about Wang and the ownership
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streit02 says:
I cant even listen to this interview anymore. He speaks exactly like a typical outsider of the franchise who sees what he wants to see and what the public blows out of proportion and fails to look further at.
1. Injuries ARE an excuse with the Isles for this year and the year before. The Isles lost their 2 best players and 80% of their whole d corps for most of the year and they played as a top 10 team in the league for 4 months. I believe the Isles would have placed around 10th in the east the last 2 seasons which certainly would show a team improving and on the verge. So is a 10th place team a doormat? Let’s see, Toronto was 10th, id bet the bank he isnt calling them a doormat.
2. An owner who loses more than most teams profit each year is a problem and should go? Obviously, Wang has his ways, but if this guy can find someone to jump on board and lose millions for the next 4 years then he’s in the wrong business.
3. The Isles did screw up Josh Bailey’s development, but how can you compare him to Shea Weber (a dman)? Weber was drafted in the 2nd round and if people knew what he would turn into he would have went 2nd overall that year.
4. The Isles need puck moving dmen? How about the fact that arguably the league’s best one was injured for the whole season. The emergence of Amac? Jack Hillen? Even Hammer can move the puck.
Ill listen to the rest later, but im sure ill be able to write another book combatting the crap coming out of this guy’s mouth. Isles need to keep the “us against the world” mentality and whoop some a$$ next year. -
I cant believe how many Isles fans agree with all this BS…The Isles are on the right track and they have a legitimate chance at a playoff spot next year…I agree about the ownership but hes wrong about the talent…
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nice to hear a interview that is not sugar coated and where gord miller tells it like it is. the bottom line is when you have a cheap arragant dysfunctional owner who runs his franchise like a 3 ring circus and treats his own fans like garbage, not to mention he lets his gm treat the fans like garbage as well,there is nothing more that has to be said.
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2011-2012 Isles says:
He makes some decent points.
*goaltending
*better defense
*poor development of BaileyBut that’s about it. Other than that, he’s just hitting on the regular Islanders bias.
*The Isles young core is at least as good, if not better, than the Rangers. You can’t even compare Dubinsky and Callahan to anyone on the Isles. Those two have been professional hockey players for 6, 7 years (AHL included).
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Hey Now says:
I wish CB would’ve played Devils advocate instead of letting him trash us like that. I feel like I was punched in the gut, point blank. It was a negative spin on our team. Are we isles fans or not?
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Jzimm says:
I love the TSN guys. I just do. They’re so honest and knowledgable, and have the most street credit in the hockey world. I don’t disagree with anything that Gord Miller said. I’ll pat myself on the back, because he echoed my sentiments on Josh Bailey and the philosophy on defenseman, which is exactly why I’d take Ryan Murphy.
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JKP in Halifax says:
Gord’s a play-by-play guy, not an analyst. I don’t think he’s as informed about things as some of the other interviews he’s had. I guess we’ll prove him wrong when we make the playoffs next year.
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hale says:
typical canadaian response macdonald…streit..hamonic…those three are a good start…hopefully one or 2 of the 5 or soo prospects pan out…just got to prove them wrong next season
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Frans Dish says:
He sounds like a guy who called 4 islanders game and looked at the standings. Only focused on the bad development Bailey without bringing up any positive strides made by Frans Nielsen, Michael Grabner, John Tavares, Matt Moulson, A Mac, or Hamonic. First time I feel good about the Islanders in years not going to let this guy bring my spirit down.
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i disagree with his comparision to the rangers in all respects. the rangers play hard, and live and die with their goaltending. they buried $6 million in cap money(redden), not many owners can do that.
josh should have never been up so young, but thats done. SNOW does a good job with the team. his waiver work in picking cherries speaks for itself.
i think the defense will improve tremendously with streit, and please, we need solid goaltending. his points on detroit are spot on. who on the wings blue line is uber physical? stuart, rafalski, lidstrom are not bangers. kronwall, erikson, nope. salei maybe..
those are their playoff starting 6. we score enough, we need solid goaltending and a top defender, and its playoff time. -
NHL fan says:
Will Gord Miller have his press credentials taken away be the Isles next year? He is making news, not reporting it with this interview.
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greg h says:
Wait, so what is Marc Streit. Is he not a puck moving defenseman. I am just curious?
As an Islander fan I would like to throw him off a roof, honest opinion or not, he ripped our team a new one. If anyone is allowed to bad mouth our own team it should be us not a play by play announcer.
I do not understand why a lot of you are still fans if this is honestly how you feel. Why not just pick another team and follow them, why not pick the rags with their core of young players and one and out playoff appearances.
It would have been nice to hear some more throwback on your part, but I understand it is just an interview. I could go on and on in an incoherent fashion, but I wont. -
Steven says:
Injuries not a lack of talent kept the Isles out of the playoffs this year. Anyone that cannot see the talent on the team and more on the way should not be in hockey. That’s not to say the Isles do not have big problems to overcome and Ownership and Management have made their fair share of mistakes.
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njcNYI85 says:
Its very easy to tell that this guy is a jackass and hates the isles… when talking about defense he mentioned Calvin dehann and doesnt mention Hamonic… those who watch this team know that hamonic is gonna be a stud. nyi 3 30 goal scorers nyr 0. Only reason they made the playoffs is HL.
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brad says:
He is so right its not even funny especially with the owner. It’s nice to hear someone who is respected echo the thoughts of fans. also, sorry, but thinking that dp will ever play 50-60 games again at a high level is laughable. He’s never going to get over 30 in his career again. he’s played 5, 8, and 26 for the past three years. he’s not good for the team. I feel sorry for him but the guy has got to do the right thing and retire. Its not fair to the team, himself, or the fans to keep playing at this point. I want him to be his old self but he never will be. People have to face that.
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Pete D says:
To you guys ripping Miller for being a Canadian broadcaster ripping your beloved Islanders:
I’m Canadian.
I’m a diehard NYI fan.
In my opinion, his assessment is pretty decent. -
Isle be a Fan says:
Wow. Great Interview.
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sean says:
I agree with comments about puck moving dman and goaltending. The arena situation, he obviously does not know how politics run on long island. Dp has to retire.
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ODG says:
Miller made points that we accurate and also off-based:
1) The Islanders need a new arena but in terms of operating income the team is now number 18th in the league (according to Forbes) and should only get better with the development of the team, new ticket pricing model and hopefully additional revenue from a playoff push or making the playoffs. Therefore whether we get a new NVCM of move to Queens or Brooklyn (most likely) they will stay in metro area.
2) He’s spot on with respect to goaltending. Stability in the net is critical. If DP is not ready he has to be sent down to BP. Don’t expect a buyout until the CBA is up. There are a number of teams who have contracts that are also in favor of granting a one time exemption so they can ease their cap restrictions: Vancouver-Luongo; Philly-Pronger; Boston-Savard; Chicago-Hossa and Campbell etc.
3) Dead wrong about the defense. Streit, Jurcina, AMAC, Eaton, Hamonic is a good core. I do not expect Mottau to make the team. He is coming off a serious eye injury coupled with hip surgery and he’s 32 years old. with respect to Hillen despite everyone’s concern about him, he finished a minus 5 on a depleted team and is a solid push rushing defensemen who you can pencil in for 25 points a season.
4) Lastly, I give him credit about Josh Bailey, but let’s be honest we all knew that. However, his other comments are totally off-based. We have allowed Nino, Rakhshani, DeHaan, Gregoire Donovan Petrov etc develop at a consistent pace. Even Okposo played a year and a half at Minn and then finished the year in BP before he made the team and he was the 7th pick in the draft. The evidence is just not there to support his claims.
Do I think the Isles are a joke….no. In the East next sesaon you can lock up Philly, Wash, Pitt and probably Tampa for four spots. Leaving Buffalo, Boston, NYI, NYR, Car, ATL, NJ, MONT and Tor to fight it out for the remaining 4. We should be right in the mix. I feel that Fl and OTT have no chance.
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Jerky says:
Wow! Brutal honesty and pretty much said what every Islander fan knows deep down is true, even if some don’t want to accept it. Many good points, from Bailey’s development woes to goaltending problems to mediocre defense to Wang’s instability. I do believe Snow is on the right track, but as has been said so many times, he needs to supplement the draft picks and waiver wire pickups with some real talent for the Isles to take the next step. The next step is not finishing 7th or 8th in the conference and getting knocked out in the first round, but winning a couple of rounds. Can’t happen without adding talent and subtracting the undesirables who need not be named.
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german islesfan says:
perfect interview for the “the glass is half empty fans”
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Ethan K says:
The Rangers’ “young core” gets so much credit, but nobody can say their future is more promising than the Islanders. They don’t have a Tavares, Niederreiter, Grabner. If Okposo wasn’t injured, you have to think that he’d have a season comparable to Dubinsky or Callahan. If Comeau isn’t forced to do too much, he can be a consistent 20 goal scorer, who plays hard and finishes his checks. The Rangers have solid two way guys like Boyle and Prust, but they’re not going to be nominated for a Selke like Nielsen certainly might be. Bailey’s development was terrible… so far. I’m his biggest critic, and certainly I would’ve like Eberle to be picked instead, but he’s still just 21 years old, and we’ve seen what he can do. Maybe next year he’ll be more relaxed and can put up a big year. Then we have guys like Cizikas, Nelson, Kabanov (having a great playoffs), Lee, Donovan, De Haan, Poulin, Nilsson, Petrov, Ullstrom, Rakhshani, Gregoire, another number 5 pick (Dougie Hamilton or Couturier?)… so many players who have plenty of potential to fill in those gaps in the future. We’re just a few veterans away from becoming the team we to be. We have the trade bait and the salary room. There’s PLENTY that can happen this summer. The glass is half full here.
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If you listen to Miller and others, they just cannot take the Isles seriously until they start winning meaningful games. The mindset just isn’t the same, not just for the others, but for the opponent. For example, do you think an opponent is taking an Islander game in February at the Coliseum before 6,000 as seriously as a February game in Philly? Of course not.It’s human nature. Miller is basically saying we know nothing about the 2011-12 Islanders based upon the last few months 2010-2011 season because the games were basically meaningless.
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4theisles says:
With DP at either#1 or 2, the Isles cannot win, even if the experiment only lasts a month or two. Reason: if we make the play-offs its going to be a very close call and those points lost early will haunt us at the end. Snow knows the goalie position obviously and know what he has or has not in DP. So why does he persist each year in continuing this charade? – the answer is that Wang forces him to do so, inorder to justify a bad and very expensive choice made years ago. The bad news which is evident to most observers is that compounding that mistake is more costly in terms of the team’s lack of progress than eating the money and fixing the goalie position.
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Onesinceforty says:
CB,
Right before you uploaded this, did you have any thoughts as to whether this was a good idea vis a vis our little credential problem and any hopes of detente? Don’t get me wrong, I love our ownership getting called out but I also really want you to have full access again. This is NOT going to help. -
Jack says:
Finally a man that doesn’t give the canned politically correct answers to your questions CB. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy your interviews but I think several truths were touched here on that most people in the game don’t want to address.
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tonysac says:
I wanted to jump through my computer and slap this guy around at first, but then I sat back and said to myself, damn the truth really does hurt. This guy was dead on, but I feel he should of given a little more props to our development and future.
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Ryan says:
I lean towards agreeing with his assessment of the team for next season, but I think we need to wait and see what the roster looks like. He is right that, at the moment, we are clearly the 5th best team in the division. n my opinion, if the Islanders want to make sure they secure a playoff spot, they need to trade for a top line forward or great defenseman (tough to get, I know). Our situation is not that different from the New Jersey Nets, where players simply don’t want to sign here. However, when the Nets traded for Jason Kidd and experienced success, they got him to re-sign with them. They are now looking to do the same with Deron Williams, a great player whom they traded for this year and has 1 year left before free agency, for those who don’t follow basketball. We did this with Peca and Yashin, and tried to with Ryan Smyth, which didn’t work out (although if you watch Ryan Smyth play, maybe it was a blessing in disguise). It is time to try again.
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admin says:
(88) Onesinceforty: I didn’t worry for a second about the credential issue. That ship has long since sailed. Just as I never thought for a second that having Pierre McGuire, Darren Pang, Michael Peca and everyone else saying extremely positive things about the Islanders would improve relations. I’m just still trying to do my job by presenting a blog with opinions of all kinds. The credential thing is never happening, and I’ve been okay with that since January…CB
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Tom says:
Just like every analyst and prognosticator, he has his opinions. We all know what opinions are like. He said he has been a hockey commentator since 18 years old!? When did he GM a team? When did he play in a meaningful game? When did he build a winning culture? They say that those who can’t do, commentate (pardon my hijacking the phrase!). Give me a break – they give Milbury a microphone.
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DWC says:
What a downer…
How can we take any of Mr. Miller’s comments seriously when he says we don’t have a cornerstone in goal? Just ask Rick (Who are we talking about?)
CB, hopefully you can do a follow up with Gord around July 15th and see where we stand at that point.
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mm says:
i guess i agree, but he was a dick about it,some of his analysis was on point, however his trusting of DP makes me this question how much NYI hockey he seen this year.
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Hock says:
Winning meaningful games will be the most important ‘next step’ for this team. Last season, we were ‘noticed’ by some and that was a good thing, but we did not back it up with consistency and ultimately a playoff berth. Meaningful and consistent winning is the only way that a more league-wide respect can be earned (and lose the ‘doormat’ label).
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Battfist says:
One of the few things I agree with is that the Islanders will need stability in net next season if we are going to get into the playoffs.
In my opinion…the Islanders are more confident as a group and believe now that they can compete against the good teams in the league. It is true- the Islanders have to start winning games against division teams.
And “us” Islanders fans see the talent the Islanders have in place (especially how JT’s all around game is improving). We should have 4 solid lines next season. A solid group of “D” with a healthy Streit. The Islanders will make the playoffs next season.Miller will eat his words.
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Joe Shmoe says:
I think Gord sort of falls into that category of media who have bought the general perception of the Isles without really knowing what has changed over the last season. Are we one of the top 3 teams in our division? no. But can we be a top 8 in the conference? Absolutely. I question just how much he really knows about the Isles just based on his assessment of the Isles defense. Sure we don’t have a juggernaut number one, but our top 4 is just as sound as 80% of the Eastern confrernece. Streit, Hamonic, MacDonald & Eaton. He mentions the need for puck moving dman as though he doesn’t recognize that 3 of those 4 are very sound at moving the puck. The reality is that most of the people on the various Isles messageboards can probably more accurately assess the Isles progress better than he.
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LouD says:
Had to stop listening after he talked about firing the owner. The reality is that we can’t do anything about the owner so what he’s saying is we have no chance of being a good team while Wang is around. So now I’m just depressed and feel there is no hope for the future of Islander hockey. So glad I read this with my morning coffee, great way to start the day.
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And how are the oilers (last place for the past 2 yrs) doing??? Sorry Chris, I don’t buy that during the last half of the season the Isles were playing with house money. The teams they were consistently beating were trying to desperately make the playoffs. Anyone who watches can see we were offensively a very good team. While we could stand to be bigger and stronger, I would not trade our young skilled forwards for size alone. 1 more hard hitting defenseman, and 1 talented stabilizing player (ala Peca), and this team is a player in the playoffs. Also, D.P needs to earn his starts. If he continues to be awful, regardless of how hard he is trying, we will regress. Let all the goalies play in preseason, and play the 2 that give us the best chance to win. Gord Miller does not watch Islander games, he is just reacting to the rest of the media. I understand some of the critical points, but come on…you can’t think of ANYTHING positive at all with this team…Really?? Gord basically calls Wang crazy. It seems to me he is a little out there himself! No balance in the all negative interview is not credible. Seems like he likes attention. He is obviously trying to stir the pot by complimenting our hated rivals. I would have bought it if he said edmonton or Boston have better prospects…but the Rags???? Ha ha, that made me laugh, and then I realized he was one of those people who just love to hear themselves talk. Our future is bright, How is yours looking Gord??
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mars bonfire says:
Gord Miller is a Canadien elitist idiot. He seems to know nothing about the Isles. The Isles need puck moving defenseman? How about Streit AMac Hillen Katic . Even Marty,Mottau, Hamonic are pretty good at moving the puck, with Dehaan in the wings. They need a crease clearing D man period with some snarl.
They need DP to play 50- 60 games? DP was NEVER a good goalie, average at best. They need Poulin and Montoya to play up to their potential and DP to retire.
Shot blocking Dmen are the most overpaid in the NHL? Has he ever heard of Drury. Gaborick, Redden, Gomez, Havlat, Vanek?
CB , you could have asked him about the rumors in December about Edmonton moving to Quebec City and their building issues .
He can’t think of one player left to develop in the minors or juniors who would have been better off in the NHL. How about Filatov Wilson Beodeker and Hodgson. All picked ahead of JB (except Hodgson). JB has way more upside than these guys.
Unbelievable how little he knows. He does have a big mouth though -
JPinVA says:
Interesting that you dusted this onw off for today. I guess this was circa 3/29.
Some excellent points by Mr. Miller. The timing is crucial as they go into another UFA period with the same needs as last year and really only one big dawg out there. Bieksa. If they want to dampen two of Miller’s points (which are quite valid) they will make Bieksa an Islander next year. That should solidify a deep in body, but thin on talent/experience defense…. and show some high end commitment from ownership.
They may appear to be the 5th best team in the division, but the coaching change and the maturation of three balanced scoring lines will change that. Especially if Streit is 80% of what he was in 2009-10… and Montoya continues to be a solid number one option.
PS: SIGN MARTY!!!
Okay…back to my hole! -
Stumpy32 says:
I strongly disagree with those on this board that equate any negative talk about the Isles to anti-Isles bias. The fact is, we did take steps last year. However, this “extended run” we went on last season, from the time we were 5-18-5 through the end of the season, was 25-21-8. That’s more losses than wins.
We probably will take steps next season, and if we made the playoffs, I wouldn’t be surprised. But its going to take more than draft picks to get over the hump, even if half of them develop into bonafide NHL-quality players. We need to dip into a higher-end free agency. We signed Streit because we gave him five years when no one else would give him five.
We need to bring in established hockey guys around Snow, and look less than a franchise cum extreme work hazard environment. Until we do that, we’ll take baby steps, but certainly will not get over the hump.
The scariest thing in the interview was when he said that we’re the 5th-best team in the Atlantic, by a lot. I think the gap has closed more than he gives us credit for, but he’s 100% right, and that’s tough to hear.
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kcNYI says:
This site is a breeding ground for complainers.
Isles will finish 7th or 8th seed in the 2011-2012 season. Mark my word.
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Nick says:
Like it or not, this is easily the best discussion on the Islanders you’ll hear anywhere.
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JTizzle says:
I agree that with current roster that Isles do not make it! Nailed it on the head with DP. The only thing that I am not so sure on is “Queen” Hank! He was outplayed by Neuvirth. I am not saying he was bad! He was excellent, but Neuvirth was better. Too many times that Lunqvist is the 2nd best goalie on the ice!
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Fred says:
Great interview, thanks CB. He really hit a nerve with me with JB. I’ve been screaming bloody murder about this on twitter for awhile. I just hope he can get his game back, maybe a good summer and some early wins next year will get him in a good place. If we’re going to be a contender we need a 2nd line center play maker who can create offense when the first line is being shut down.
Frans is doing a great job as the 2nd line pivot but really he should be 3rd with JB producing more on the 2nd. As well, we should have another 4th liner/PK specialist that can take JB’s pace on the PK.
Great stuff, thanks CB.
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SCLI says:
Have to agree with 90% of what he said. I disagree that the Isle’s will not contend for the 7th or 8th spot and that we dont need a big physical “D” man.
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JTizzle, come on. You cannot possibly criticize Lundquist. The guy stood on his head in that series, and the Rangers, without him, are a 25-win team.
We all hate the Rangers, but when they have a world-class player, it just makes us all look ridiculous belittling the player.
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Steve says:
I also agree with the majority of what he said and sometimes the truth does hurt but I disagree on a couple of things. Even Larry Brooks recently wrote that the Rangers don’t have any standout prospects that are comparable to other teams either on the current roster or in junior. Nino is ranked a lot higher than their top prospect and both JT and Grabner have more upside than any of the young forwards on their roster. Its easy to say “fire the owner” but he is also all we have right now. Yes Wang can be maddening with his micro managing and keeping us in the dark about our future but what is the current alternative in regards to a different owner? Nobody local is going to buy this team with the current arena issues. I also take with a grain of salt anything coming from the media to the north. They all act like vultures when it comes to any struggling US franchise. Just read what his company writes on their website when it comes to Phoenix, Atlanta, or our team. I guess they all conveniently forgot that pre-lockout most of the Canadian teams were struggling one way or the other and any talk of relocation was considered blasphemy.
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ozzie says:
Really refreshing to hear someone be that candid about the biggest problem with this franchise – Wang. Any success this organization has will be in spite of his multitude of poor decisions.
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dan says:
Good thing he doesn’t watch a lot of Islander games.
If the Islanders stay healthy and Montoya plays in 65 games (and is good) the Islanders will be in contention for the playoffs.
I think the rags and devils are overrated.
Why can the devils play great down the stretch and no one says “it’s only because they had no pressure” but it is brought up about the Islanders all the time.
I take his Canadian bias with a grain of salt.
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This past year, the top 3 teams in each division had 90+ point…only Carolina did not get in the playoffs. So, the Islanders probably need to be better than the Rangers & Devils next year (& finish 3rd in their division) to make the playoffs. For starters, cutting our GA by at least 50 goals would help a lot.
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James from Swindles says:
Agreed on a few things (apparently along with everyone else):
1. Stability and leadership starts at the top, and between Charles Wang, Garth Snow, and their bunker mentality, there lacks any semblance of either.
2. A top six defense of Streit, AMac, Hamonic, Jurcina, Eaton, and Mottau (and if you want, throw in potentially re-signed Martinek, Hillen, Gervais, and Wishart) is simply not good enough and too fragile. Snow needs to make SIGNIFICANT upgrades on the blue line, and cannot use “we’ve got ‘X’ guys already signed to one-way contracts” as an excuse.
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DZLINY says:
His comments regarding Bailey, DeHaan and DP all tell me that this guy does not have a working knowledge of the current Islanders situation. Most Islanders fans have moved on re the mistakes regarding Bailey 3 years ago, do not think player development is a problem, do not think that DeHaan is the future savior of the D and do not think that what the Isles need is 50-60 games from DP (compare to Pierre McGuire’s interview, where he was able to talk in detail regarding Cizikas, Nino, Hamonic, DeHaan). There is a convincing “glass is half empty” case, but he doesn’t make it. What it does tell me is that no one should be surprised when TSN, ESPN, THN, et al. predict another near last finish for the Isles.
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claude says:
Not on all, but did agree on the how today’s game is about pushing, controlling and protecting the puck. Especially in the offensive zone
Along with the goaltending.That is a major problem that has to be corrected or we will be again a fifth placed doormat. GO ISLES -
moonshine says:
i don’t think we’ll hear favorable opinions about the islanders until they actually put themselves in the thick of a playoff race. if i were a tsn analyst i wouldn’t stick my neck out predicting good things for this team. there hasn’t been anything positive that would make an impression on an outsider, as compared to us locals who are sensitive to any (imagined) sign of improvement. the question is whether the things we hope for and the little bit of progress we think we’ve noticed, will develop enough substance to be picked up around the rest of the nhl.
to have that happen, the islanders need to become consistent, instead of the up-and-down team we still see. -
SteveDoubleW says:
Tough to argue with a guy who sees every team, and calls 100 NHL games a year.
Lots of Prospects does not equal guaranteed NHL success -
Bob E says:
Agree that Defense is Key. Think about it. Everyone thought we had Offense would be our problem this year. Its no. We had 5 guys with 20+ goals and 2 of them with over 30. How many teams in NHL have that. Not many.
Also Montoya is still very young and actually benefited from playing in NHL. goalies need time to mature. Look at Carey Price. This year was first time its all coming together for him. Montoyas stats in NHL have been some of the best thru 29 NHL starts.
No more cast off. And dont worry about BAILEY, I do agree its better to develop in juniors b/c when he is a stud at 25 he will be UFA. thats not good.
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Winning says:
Fire the owner is right. If you read wangs name on encyclopedia, they mention he hurt computer associates by hiring froends and family for important jobs instead of best qualified person. Thats what he did with milbury snow dipietro. Every year its same disaster season. Nepotism has a price. Thats why dolan didnt hire mike richter as gm and adam graves as a coach.
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Billy the Kid says:
Discounting any Canadian or establishment bias, Miller is partly right and partly wrong. We did hurt Bailey’s development. But we do have a group of young talent that is and has developed well. OK, the owner is fair game and hanging fruit, and easy target. And it is not a given that we will make the playoffs next year. From the evidence of this past season, we should contend for a playoff spot. The Devils are a vastly different team than what we knew them to be in the past, and while they have added Kovalchuck and Parise may be back, Marty is aging and subject to injuries every year, he is not the dominant goaltender he used to be. Their defense is not very good, and key players like Elias are aging. The Rangers are one injury to Lundquist froom oblivion.
The Isles ARE improving, and we will have to sort out our defense and goaltending, but we are certainly making good progress, and the young leaders on this team will have a chance to start to play like the 1975 Islanders did……….gritty, driven, capable, on the rise.
Miller has given a fair appraisal, but in mt opinion has leaned too pessimistic. Grabner, Moulson, Tavares, Hamonic, Poulin, Nilsson, Niderreiter and others on the way give me much more hope for the future. -
Steve says:
Criticizing Wang continues to be a double edged sword. Without him intervening in 2000 (or whenever he took control) the Isles would be long gone from LI. On the other hand, Miller is right about his erratic approach; while that style may work in a corporation, in a professional sports league it makes you a pariah and it makes players, staff, and scouts not want to work for you. The parallels to an Al Davis-like regime is very unsettling.
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Josh says:
If Chris asked him the same questions about the Leafs, Oilers, or Sens he’d be gushing over their prospects and their future.
Look, the Islanders are convenient doormat for the Canadian media. It doesn’t matter how strong the Islanders finished up the season. He doesn’t watch the team on a regular basis, he reads headlines and spits them back as proof that the Islanders are heading nowhere.
Terrible guest, Chris. If I wanted an uninformed opinion the Islanders, I could read The Hockey News.
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People just can’t seem to grasp what Miller said. Again, he basically said the Isles were not playing meaningful hockey games since about December. I see people bringing up the Ranger-Cap series and how the Caps dominated, which they did. The Caps are perhaps the most talented team in the league. And they were hungry. Against the Rangers their skill and motivation was too much for an 8th seed. What the Rangers experienced in that series is not like a mid March Isles game against the Caps in the Coliseum before 7,000 fans. It had meaning. Isles games from January and on just were not meaningful. Miller said he has seen before “out of playoff teams” play well when the pressure was off. Why Miller is now seen as an Isles basher, I have no idea.
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TM says:
Some of us have been saying what Mr. Miller said for a long time.
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Snowman says:
Gord may have been a little misinformed, but overall he’s right. The first thing right off the bat is you can tell he doesn’t follow the team closely. But he’s right about the end of this season being mostly meaningless and he’s right about the owner until proven otherwise. Let us go out and have a DECENT offseason (notice how I didn’t say good offseason, lets start at decent and work our way up) and then I’ll feel more confident going forward.
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Ct 1970s says:
I would have liked to have heard even more of Mr. Gordon’s evaluation of the Islanders. Not plesant, very candid. Time will tell but Islander fans expect a team in the Playoffs next year and for many years beyond. We have all paid our dues especially those of us who are decades long season ticket holders. If Mr Gordon is right I hope management and ownership will make the corrections, if he is wrong it is up to the players to prove it. AS for Josh Bailey, it is obvious to all that they handled him improperly, and I think it is their resoponsibility to give hime the time and the instruction he needs. There were those at the time saying Josh shoulod have stayed in JR and been allowed to have a chance to win Memorial Cup and Snow brushed it off. So now lets help him be the player many expected. GOrdon didn’t help much either.
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NY711ot says:
Strong words. Yes..
Accurate.. .maybe…
Tainted with disdain. Definitely. Like so many of Canadien commentators the re existsa not so subtle hatred of an organization that owned the cup for four years at a time when many of todays commentators were in their youth and as such the most rabid supporters of their beloved habs, leafs or in this case Oilers. How personal it must have been for 18yr old Miller to watch and commentate on his” scoring machine Great one led Oilers” get absolutely schooled in the finals. How painful to know in his heart that when they did win his oilers eeked a cup by beating a hobbled team.
Don’t believe the hype. This team is talented. They have fixtures on d with some very promising youngsters on the horizon. Yes we need more, yes w need size on d, yes we need stability in net. (nice job posters to bash montoya by the way….sorta crazy considering what he did for us….why not montoya? Because murphys nhl cronies quot on him….? Because al is no longer in the “club”? What I saw was a sound smart mobile netminder who can play and carry a team in stretches… How anyone performs in the playoffs is anyones guess until they actually get there….see bryzgalov and about a dozen others….for historians see chico….
But the complimentary pieces are all correctable problems that can be solved before the season. We are trending up!Miller is a petulant windbag.
Fin. -
Pete says:
The answer is pretty simple, if you want respect and results you must SPEND. This does not mean buying garbage like eaton motteau jurcina parenteau is garbage to solid NHL teams thats reality. You see young players developing nicely 67 points for tavares is excellent, now you go and SPEND to bring him help. PA Parenteau is not spending its buying garbage to fill the floor. Streit needs help, young prospects are not that help. SPEND to get him a solid veteran Dman. This does not require going over the cap, it may require a little overpayment but we can live with that especially now, im not saying give a guy 10 years but 3-4 years we can survive, most important we show were ready to do damage in this league. Buy some talent and watch how much faster our young players develop!
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jon says:
“i thought moulson and grabner were great signings” yeh ok, way the pat yourself on the back after they have breakout years. so gordo, who is going to have a breakout year next season?? this guy is full of BS
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Robert says:
God bless this man. Unfortunately for us, he’s right about everything. Anyone who disagrees with him is delusional. Sorry if it hurts your feelings. The Islanders have a long, long way to go, both on and off the ice. They may never make it.
Stability. He hit it right on the head.