GAME DAY: ISLANDERS AT BRUINS 7 PM
Milbury in Your Ears, Nabokov in Your Net
Both the Islanders and Bruins come into tonight’s game with struggling records and recent big wins. The Islanders are 4-5-2 after a win Saturday night against Washington and the Bruins, the only team worse in the East, are 5-7 after picking up wins over Ottawa and Toronto last week by a combined total of 12-3. With all the ups and downs of the NHL’s regular season these two teams on a downswing meet after some uplifting wins over the weekend. Take all that for what you will. It’s certainly not easy to pinpoint which versions of these teams will show up tonight.
On the Long Island side of things, the game presents another challenging road tilt. The Islanders are 0-2-1 with the most recent loss being a squandered 2-0 lead in Pittsburgh two Thursdays ago. These are the defending champs they’re going up against and a tough team both physically and talent-wise. So it’s another tough road test and another small measuring stick with which to evaluate them with.
After Saturday’s game coach Capuano said he would likely leave the newly formed lines intact for at least one game because, to paraphrase, there’s ‘no reason to change things up after a win.’ We’ll get another look at the new arrangements and see if the team can carry over the positive momentum from Saturday’s win. If Matt Martin continues to go hard to the net, he’s got to get more than fourth line minutes, no?
OH GOD, NO, STOP, MY EARS ARE BLEEDING
As Chris Botta wrote at the Times yesterday, Mike Milbury will be in the Versus color commentator seat for tonight’s game. It’s an obvious pairing given Milbury’s long association with both teams. Versus was proud of themselves about the decision, spamming promoting the lineup change to bloggers via email earlier in the week. Here I am taking the bait hook, line and sinker. If anything, it at least takes the focus off the two subpar (thus far) teams on the ice and puts it on a shoe thrower running his mouth in the broadcast booth. On entertainment value alone, it could be interesting but for all of us on the Islanders side of the game, it is likely an exercise in finding the mute button.
IF YOU’VE SEEN AL MONTOYA, CALL 1-800-BIG-CUBANO
Evgeni Nabokov will get the start in net tonight. With the game on national TV, if he is being shopped, this is about as good a product showcase as you’re going to get.
However, if you have seen or have any info regarding the whereabouts of Al Montoya, please call the hotline at 1-800-BIG-CUBANO.*
The Islanders will face the (statistically speaking) lesser of two very talented netminders in Boston tonight, Tusken Raider Tukka Rask. Star Wars and other miscellaneous sci-fi references welcomed.
CAPTION CONTEST WINNERS
Thanks to all the participants in our Marty Reasoner caption contest last week. Your winners are as follows. Please allocate your bragging rights appropriately.
Jay:
Looks like Sloth from the Goonies made the team this year.
+1 to anyone else who had a Goonies reference.
Joseph:
Marty Reasoner just realized tonight’s powerball jackpot is TWO HUNDRED AND FOURTY-FIVE MILLION DOLLARS!
Brian F:
Looks like Marty accidentally watched the video from the ring
UpstateIsles:
Marty to Thomas Greiss: “HEY GOLDBERG! I BET IF THAT PUCK WAS A CHEESEBURGER YOU’D STOP IT”
* – Don’t actually call that number. Unless you want to call China. Also, Montoya will be the backup tonight.
About Kevin Schultz
Kevin was formerly an NHL blogger for the now defunct AOL Fanhouse and was the creator of the hockey comedy blog Barry Melrose Rocks. He now covers the Isles for Islanders Point Blank. You can follow him for instant updates on the team and talk hockey with him on Twitter @schultz88. View all posts by Kevin Schultz →61 Responses to GAME DAY: ISLANDERS AT BRUINS 7 PM
Milbury in Your Ears, Nabokov in Your Net
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Dan C. says:
If all the Isles get for Nabakov is a 3rd or 4th round pick, then Garth Snow should be replaced with a Yahoo draftbot.
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PA ISlanders says:
Besides Mike Milbury history with the isles, interms of broadcasting.
I find the mute button everytime Butch speaks…so-
cheepnis says:
Spot on Strummer
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Strummer's Army says:
I know Montoya’s last start wasn’t good but it wasn’t horrible either, he looked like he needed a break but not this long of one. It is very curious and I am sorry but I think there is more to the story. Either Nabby is being showcased or Montoya got an injury that he recovered from and there hasn’t been a prime to insert him.
Is there some where on the net I can get the Isles radio broadcast? I’d like to listen to that and not Milbury. Anyone who pays that sucka as a hockey expert should be beaten with a shoe.
I do not like them playing a huge, dirty, loaded with heavyweights team. We’ve seen Boston do it to the Isles before (until Mr. Gillies, Mr. Martin, and Mr. Haley showed up). Not fair at all to expose the players to this kind of abuse and injury and really unfair to ask Martin and Hamonic to try to handle guys way out of their weight class.
I think it is clear from the Isles cancelling the rebroadcast of the Pens game, the scratching of Gillies from the Pens games, and Haley not even making the team because some AHL scrub (who didn’t even play well in the AHL) named Pandalfo is some how a better option that Wang has once again banned toughness. I am sure Cappy and Snow thought they finally convinced him after last year, they had to get his OK to go after Pit and the other teams and it worked and the Isles played their best hockey in years, and ticket sales went up, and fans felt very happy. Then Wang got too much unfair heat from media and NHL and he caved. For a billionare Wang is very easy to push around and manipulate. Kate Murray and Colin Campbell have been doing it for years.
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quez says:
My guess is Nabby value is bumped up a bit simply because of his bargain basement salary. Even teams up against the cap could fit him in without tearing apart their roster. I hope Garth can package him with some assets and bring in a top line winger or crease clearing D-man. As for Milbury doing tonights game, I will probably listen to the radio broadcast. Milbury is the NHL’s version of former Detroit Lion’s GM, Matt Millen. Not a clue, nor a care in the world. There is no way he should be allowed anywhere near a rink or a microphone. Lastly, if Matt Martin keeps crushing people and contributing offensively, there is no reason to believe that he will not be moved up a line or two.
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Bob E. says:
still scratching my head on the montoya not getting start.
Suprise to Suprise, only one comment before me and of cours its a A trade bailey email.
Unbelievable.
let me Summarize this for you. You trade Bailey and well be hearing the OMG i cant believe Isles traded another Future NHL allstar.
Lets get another big win tonight. Change the tone of these message boards.
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Patience says:
And you trade from strength, not weakness.
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Will says:
i know he wont be here long but i think nabby is the best goalie on this team, he needs to have a big game tonight though cant get back to losing
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Nabby obviously being shopped. Agree…the tone on the boards has to change. Wins will do just that!
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caber09 says:
Wait,do we get to hear Milbury talk about how bad DiPietro is and how bad his attitude is again? From the guy who gave us DP no less!
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upstateIsles says:
top 5 caption comment baby!!
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nyc dork says:
Nabby and others to the jackets for the struggling Carter. Man that would be sweet. Its been a while since we had an established player. c’mon snow. do something
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I don’t know about Carter, but they actually probably could get the Wiz back, if the Isles were so inclined.
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Hishutzi Skorz says:
We have one albatross of a contract as it is. Now you guys want to add one or two more?
BTW, at least Mad Mike can be entertaining, which will make for a better listen than Mr. Sugarcoating!
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I wasn’t suggesting getting back the Wiz. Just saying that it would be possible, whereas Carter would not be possible.
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Claude says:
Dear Kevin
I would hardly call call 12 goals in two games a down swing
What’s wrong little mikey nobody calling you to run a NHL Francise in the ground? Why don’t you crawl iup into the stands and punch a fan
Go isles -
James says:
This is getting ridiculous Al Montoya is the best goalie on this team. Last year we played our best hockey with him in net. This team won’t go anywhere with this three-headed monster. DP is awful. Trade Bailey, Comeau, a 1st, a 2nd and a 3rd Rounder for Shea Weber. And btw the lines should be:
Moulson-Tavares-Grabner
Martin-Nielson-Parenteau
Comeau-Bailey-Okposo
Gilles-Reasoner-HaleyHamonic-MacDonald
Streit-Jurcina
deHaan-WishartMontoya
NabokovStaios, Eaton and Mottau do not belong in this league. They are too old, too slow and too soft to be in this league. The same goes for Pandolfo and Rolston. We’ll be in the basemen tof the East by Christmas with this team right now.
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like your lines. I disagree on EATON and PANDOLFO. Both have been excellent in their roles.
Martin definately deserves chance to play more mins.
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Isles4cups says:
Are those your line from NHL 12?
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I think we should trade a used puck bag for Shea Weber….
Speculative trades like this are so lame, you think you could get Weber for that? You’re nuts.
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Hale says:
dehaan is no where close to being ready…neither is donovan..
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james when you take out rolston and pandolfo for gillies and haley our penalty kill will drop threw the floor… its beent the best part of this team… haley is a 4th line AHLer at best and Gillies doesnt even belong on the ice he cant skate. all they will bring us is more penalty minutes and we wont be as effective at killing them and.. then when we give up 3 pp goals a game youll all be calling for montoyas head
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Jerky says:
Will, Haley brings a lot more to the team than you give him credit for. He absolutely rocks in terms of fighting (amassing penalty minutes) and throwing his body around but is also a good skater with some offensive ability. The guy is all energy all the time, does NOT take stupid penalties on a regular basis, and this team desparately needs someone like him on the roster. He is no more than a fourth liner in the NHL, but that’s his role – he knows it, embraces it, and does it well. Gillies is a different story as he is one-dimensional and is not on the team for anything but protection (which JT desperately needs more of) and to invigorate the team when their energy level drops off during a game.
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And Nabokov is the best goalie on the team and not by a little. you cant look at numbers from 4 games and say montoya is the best and if you wanna go carrear numbers… well montoya was an average ahl goalie (i like montoya he was great for us last year… but give credit where its due) Nabby is an Elite goalie just bc he hasnt played in a year doesnt change that)
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Agreed. Nabokov had been an elite NHL goalie for over a decade, at least in the regular season. It’s the playoffs that have been Nabokov’s downfall. Worrying about how Nabokov will fare in the playoffs would be an awfully nice problem for the Isles to have come April.
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i hate to see the same drama every season- cant sign FA. 3 goalies. inconsistent. overachiever, underachievers. lack of confidence. And now a soft team. when is this going to end already.
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Steve says:
I think it’s fairly obvious the team is trying to showcase Nabokov and also prove to themselves that DiPietro can make it through a season. I’m no DiPietro basher by any stretch and his play has been reasonable so far but it does seem like his starts are coming at the expense of Montoya, who has outplayed DP by every statistical measure since last spring.
Unfortunately, DiPietro’s contract hamstrings the Isles in this situation (which by the way falls on Charles Wang, not DP).
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Finally, no DP. Maybe now they’ll get to the first TV timeout without being down 1-0. Maybe now they’ll have a goalie who won’t give up a goal almost instantaneously at the most critical points in the game. Maybe now this team will be in the business of winning hockey games.
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BanGarth says:
KO , Grabner, Neilsen, Reasoner, can all play the PK , lose Pandalfo and bring up Haley. I have never seen a front office be so out of touch with what a team or its fans want.
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jeff says:
Trade Okposo.
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Mike says:
Can’t trade Nabby!!!! We ALL know it is only a matter of time before Rickety Red Light BREAKS AGAIN!!!!!
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Chris says:
Where is Montoya, Nabby 3rd round pick at best until trading dead line, maybe 2nd round at that point if he is still playing well. Milbury? who cares.
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Kaszycki's Krew says:
Oh no! I cannot believe that they won’t showcase Boy Rickey !
He is the world’s greatest goalie ! How dare they sit him – In BOSTON of all places ! The state of his birth !
How Unfair !
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Boston is not a state — I know
But Boy Rickey is a state of mind ! HE IS THE GREATEST !!!
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All this crap should have been resolved in pre-season. this team is aching to go forward, yet they are constantly being put on a leash by force feeding D.P, who has been way below average, and Nabakov who never wanted to be here and still does not, to man our net. It is apparent that they are showcasing him. All this at the expense of a good young goalie (Big Al), whom the team plays very well in front of because they feel confident with him in the net. This team will never get out of it’s own way until Montoya and Poulin are our goalies and everyone else goes away! I don’t care about contracts, we are never winning squat with D.P lurking. It’s so damn obvious, it’s ridiculous! I am not a D.P hater, I truly wish things had worked out, but they have not, so move the hell on already, this is embarrassing!
On another note, was on a business trip to L.A. and was treated to a L.A. Kings vs. Oilers game. Very nice stadium. L.A. looked like the Isles, listless and shut out. Oilers were fast, energetic, and looked like a team that has taken a big step forward. More Oilers fans in the stadium, or at least that’s what it sounded like. L.A. fans were quiet and did not appear very knowledgeable, however, the stadium looked sold out. Hmm, any news on the new building for us??? -
hihellohowareu says:
Let’s get a win tonight 5-2 isles tavares with 2 goals Moulson with 2 streit with 1 say no more!!
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PotvinRocks says:
I can’t understand why Scott Howson wasn’t on the phone to Garth 3 weeks ago to get Nabokov. But I guess that is why he is going to be losing his job.
Speaking about Martin, who is to say that he is on the fourth line? Maybe the fourth line is Okposo, Reasoner, and Comeau. They are all playing like they are fourth liners.
I will be listening to Milbury tonight because every time I hear him on the Hot Stove or Verses Overtime, I hear the most a** backwards hockey insights and I wonder who’s idea was it really to get a sumo wrestler to play goal… -
justin says:
Matt Martin Nhl’s # 1 Hitter with 52 hits, plus played 2 less games than the next guy.
Martin Isles # 1 crusher.Go Matt -
beachchica says:
Well another game and no Montoya. This is getting ridiculous!! I know people say Nabby has the history, but Montoya has proven he can be the Isles #1 starter with this year and last years stats. That plus he is much younger than Nabby and will be an islander for much longer if given the chance!! I think the team plays better in front of him which shows they have confidence in him. PLAY MONTOYA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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I cannot believe that RICKSTER is not playing ! HOW UNFAIR !!!
He is HOME ! He is among his people ! HE IS BOSTON !
Yet – they are starting some Russian guy over TRUE Orange and Blue Rickey !
UNBELIEVEABLE! Rickey never gets to play !
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hangover3 says:
#1 Dipietro is sitting because Wang doesn’t want Milbury pointing out on National TV that his stats were the worst in NHL last season, and this season worst on his own team behind two other goalies
#2 isles 2 best goalies (Montoya/Poulin) never play for them because the Isles want that 4th round draft pick so bad for nabakov. And Dipietro is family with the owner. You think the Yankees would sit the best 2 starting pitchers so they can get a 4th round draft pick and give a family member some undeserved playing time? NOOOO WAY!! Dipietro playing has cost Wang millions a year in angy fans that stay away from the colesium and free agents that won’t sign with a loser goalie/owner.
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I think Nabokov is getting showcased tonight. Montoya deserves to play regularly for the Isles.
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Hollywood says:
The hatred on here for DP is getting out of control. Get over it, he’s not going anywhere and I for one am happy that he’s here. Give the guy a chance. He hasn’t been all that bad in fact it could be worse we could have Chris Mason. If they Isles win tonight it will be because Nabby stands on his head. The Bruins will manhandle us due to our lack of a physical presense. Martin isn’t enough!
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It is not hatred. It is the fact that anyone who has watched this team play this season can plainly see that he is the third-best goalie on this team, yet he got three straight starts despite not playing particularly well in any of those games. Goals given up right at the start of each game. Goals given up at critical moments (tying goals against SJ and WSH within a couple of minutes of taking the lead and a goal about 10 seconds after Hamonic’s BS penalty in OT against SJ). Meanwhile, Nabokov was sharp in all of his games and Montoya played well in 3 out of 4. The Isles had good enough goaltending to win 7 out of their first 8. So, naturally, the one thing that was working on this team gets changed, while it takes another couple of losses for Cap to even juggle the lines.
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Tom D in NJ says:
Perfectly stated Dan, agree 100%!
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Paul says:
He has almost a decade of chance. Not being all that bad, does not win cups.
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terry b says:
lose the recycled devils along with comeou , bring up haley,gillies so we have some excitment here,,
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Jim Clark says: I’ll watch this game with the sound off. Mad Mike makes me ill every time I see him. Why couldn’t NBC get Jim Carr?
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Staten Islander says:
Versus hates us
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I’m normally not a praying man, but if you’re up there, please save this team Superman.
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Jersey Steve says: Team needs a major upgrade on D, they need more speed, and they need more toughness. It sounds silly but I think they really miss Konopka and Haley. The team has lost it’s swagger and edge from last year.
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Okposo is on pace for 20 assists and NO GOALS!!
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Any doubt that Montoya deserves to be #1?
The guy is playing great after being out of action for weeks. -
As much as I HATE milDEW this DORK in the glass is a real TOOL!!!!!
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Our D Stinks!
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Big Van Vader says:
Outside of Matt Martin, the Isles are devoid of big, tough players. That should be our GM’s (do we still HAVE a GM? Haven’t seen him since he did nada after the Erhoff debacle)#1 priority. And Haley should be up with the team. I don’t know what this franchise has against haven’t TOUGH players on its’ roster.
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BeeDubbs says:
Well at least no one looks like a #1 goalie anymore..
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If nothing is done to right the ship, this will be a loooooong season. Reasoner, Eaton, Staios, Pandolfo, Mottau, Rolston….these guys are not the answers. Too old, too slow, or too soft, some being all three. And someone please wake-up Okposo, Bailey, and Comeau and let them know the season has started.
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Nick M says:
This team is so soft!!! Bring up Haley!! Pandolfo PA Rolston reasoner Eaton HAVE to go!!!! Make a trade for cryin out loud. Hour defense sucks. Took us right out of the game with the first minute of the game. Eaton is clueless. No one wants to hit out there.
YAY im first to comment. Go Isles.
Im wondering how much value Nabby has. Im guessing 3rd or 4th rounder in return. I hope snow packages Nabby with Baily or something of that nature and receive a decent asset in return.