THE MORNING SKATE: Back to Winnipeg Edition
PARTY LIKE IT’S 1996
Today the Islanders are in Winnipeg for the first time in more than a decade. Here’s a flashback; the Islanders lineup the last time they played the Jets in Manitoba. The date was March 9th, 1996 and we were probably making Ziggy Palffy Geocities fanpages through the AOL dial-up internet (or Prodigy).
Niklas Andersson, Derek Armstrong, Todd Bertuzzi, Wendel Clark, Brad Dalgarno, Jarrett Deuling, Travis Green, Eric Fichaud, Darius Kasparitis, Scott Lachance, Chis Luongo, Bryan McCabe, Ziggy Palffy, Dan Plante, Alex Semak, Brent Severyn, Mathieu Schneider, Martin Straka, Bob Sweeney.
The Islanders won 4-2 that night thanks to goals from McCabe, Semak, Palffy and Armstrong. Fichaud was your winning netminder with 38 saves on the way to the win. The Islanders trotted out four different goalies that year (bonus points if you can name the other three without looking at this). Sometimes the more things change, the more they stay the same, huh? The team also iced 49 different players that year(!) including the four goalies. 49 players — that’s like two rosters worth of players.
In case you want to go further down memory lane, this was also the season Don Maloney (best NHL GM? I have to disagree. It’s quite easy to fleece Bryan Murray, as this team knows) was let go in favor of giving Mike “alleged kid-shaker” Milbury complete control of hockey ops. He was coach to start the year and in full control by the end of it. Oh yeah, and this was also the year the team tried to do this. FUN TIMES. I’m sure you all had this season blocked from your memories through the years thanks to do-it-yourself hypnonsis, so I’m sorry if I just ruined all that.
LOUD NOISES
Here is your Corey Trivino point and counterpoint along with full-on comments war spirited debate.
TWO WORSTS MAKES A FIRST, RIGHT?
According to Puck Daddy, the Islanders’ black jersey is only the sixth worst thing that happened to hockey this year (really, only sixth?). That’s behind Evgeni Nabokov’s waiver claim and refusal to report, which clocks in at number three. Nabby is up there as more of a ‘wow, this situation really got out of control, huh?’ kind of thing rather than a ‘bash the Islanders’ thing. By the way, while we’re on Puck Daddy, the Shanahan Banhammer of Justice and cowboy badge is the gift set I would like for Christmas. You still have five days to shop for me.
WELCOME HOME, TRAVIS
Travis Hamonic will play in his native Winnipeg tonight, which has got to be 100 kinds of awesome for him personally. Here’s the official site’s story on it. I also spoke with him earlier in the year prior to the Jets’ visit to the Optimum WiFi Coliseum and we touched on the subject of home.
ROSTER NOTES
I’ll update this section as lineup news breaks throughout the day. Last night, Newsday mentioned that Nabby should get a start soon, with three games in four nights for the Isles this week (like duh, obviously). More specifically and more interestingly, they noted he could start tonight. But if Montoya is tired — and even if he’s not — why would he start back-to-backs later this week?
AND FINALLY
After the Islanders won in a shootout Saturday night for the first time this year, LHH has the shootout stats and thoughts on who should/shouldn’t be out there. After converting in the shootout Saturday, Frans Nielsen is now 17-of-30 lifetime for a crazy 56.7% conversion rate. That percentage is first in the league among active skaters with at least seven attempts. So… Maybe we can get a rule change that allows Nielsen to take all the shootouts.
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 →43 Responses to THE MORNING SKATE: Back to Winnipeg Edition
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Whaaaaaaaaaaaat says:
Montoya has played what 10 of the last 11 games explain to me how that’s a “circus”?
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danfromouteast says: Well because wants a clown
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danfromouteast says:
Spell check curse you! Maybe because wangs a clown
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Don says:
LOL. There you go again Dan.
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upstateIsles says:
Schultzy I know you loved my Mike (insert dig here)Milbury comment yesterday and that it inspired your article today.
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RWM says:
“Optimum WiFi Coliseum” – That is funny! thew Wifi in that building is about as reliable as our defense. I often wonder about this at games. I sit directly behind one of the Red seats and have had the red seats before as well. With Optimum/Cablevision/MSG owning the feed, and PC Richards as a main sponsor, why is the picture on those personal TV’s SO AWFUL? No kidding rabbit ears would have better reception. And it is not one TV, they all are aweful….
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Jim Clark says:
Of course on March 9, 1996 the Islanders were in last place in the Atlantic division with a 20-38-8 record. Plusque la change, plusque la meme chose (if you don’t understand that, you are qualified to be the Montreal Canadiens head coach).
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Is it me? Doesn’t anyone else see that Nabakov does not want to play for this team, and more importantly, this team does not want to play in front of him.
I do not for the life of me understand why they are screwing with Montoya’s progress just to give a player who has been dissing us forever a chance to be traded or claimed. How in the friggin world does this help us?
Nabakov himself says he might not be ready to play yet—so why would you start him tonight in lieu of big Al who has proven he will always give this team everything he has. ENOUGH!!! Montoya and Poulin, period! D.P. and Nabakov are not insurance, they are the ones that need insurance. Kick his primadonakov ass out of here already!-
dwitt says:
Erika, are you that one chick who use to hold the “Marry me Mariuz Czerkaskwi” sign at pre-game warm ups?
Remember me? I came up to you, got on my knees and asked you to marry me. You hit me in the head with your sign.
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lmao…thanks for sharing bro hahahaha..Erika please confirm this happened and make my day
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danfromouteast says:
Wang and Snow are a**holes
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And there you go again Dan.
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Brock Chapple says:
I was there the last time the Isles were in Winnipeg and I’ll be there again tonight cheering on the team. Hopefully the Isles can pull out a win and shut up the local media who pretty much have given this game to the Jets and are looking forward to the Habs on Thursday. Go Isles Go!!!!!
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GooodziZle says:
Nabokov starts = ba coaching decision. U play him tonight andyhurs vs rags. Friday he has to sit and let Nabokov get a game if genus. Ready call up poulin for a game
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wow dude..your typing like you have a cookie in your mouth..or who knows what
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danfromouteast says:
Lol!!!
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danfromouteast says:
Any relation to wang?
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Chris says:
Is there anything we can do with DP? Hes not doing any good for the morale of this team. I know it would be expensive but a buyout? Drop him to the minors to finish out the season and give him a goalie job.
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1972IslesFan says:
Rick DiPietro buyout from CapGeek.com
• 2012-13: $1,500,000
• 2013-14: $1,500,000
• 2014-15: $1,500,000
• 2015-16: $1,500,000
• 2016-17: $1,500,000
• 2017-18: $1,500,000
• 2018-19: $1,500,000
• 2019-20: $1,500,000
• 2020-21: $1,500,000
• 2021-22: $1,500,000
• 2022-23: $1,500,000
• 2023-24: $1,500,000
• 2024-25: $1,500,000
• 2025-26: $1,500,000
• 2026-27: $1,500,000
• 2027-28: $1,500,000
• 2028-29: $1,500,000
• 2029-30: $1,500,000-
Mike says:
That’s Great I can retire in 2027 and he still will be getting paid!!!!
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Stumpy32 says:
How is this calculated? Is this a clause in DP’s employment contract with the Islanders? Does it decrease the per season remaining on the contract payoff amount the longer he stays with the team?
What are the odds really that we do this? If we keep him through 2020-21, we pay him $40.5M. If we drop him, we pay him $27M. The difference of $13.5M to a guy like Wang isn’t worth losing a beer buddy.
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The CBA allows teams to buy out a contract at 2/3 of its remaining value payable during two times the years remaining, An example is Yashin’s buyout.
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danfromouteast says:
Put him on a Russian jet….. too soon?
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And again. Dan, I noticed on a previous post your email was something like laughwithdan. Are you a stand up or something? That might explain your attempts at humor.
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danfromouteast says:
The situation baffles me.
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OA PEST says:
The other goalies were. Tommy Sodderstrom and tommy Salo.
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danfromouteast says:
Wow saloon the sissy
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Bob Bassen says:
Thank you for posting the *Counter point* to the Trivino *story*. I had read that *story* a few days ago and really wished I hadn’t. I realize that the lines are blurry these days for what constitutes journalism, facts, etc. and obviously this Gallof person is just trying to earn a buck any way he/she can but the fact that the *story* actually got *published* is just sickening. Truly.
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slsangus says: Aaahhh…looking at that roster list brings back warm fuzzy memories. I am still proud to say that I saw 50% of Brett “the better” Lindros’s lifetime goals. Yep, 1 of 2.
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Mike Shaw says:
I agree with brother Brock Chapple, hey Brock!!! Brock and I went to high school together and tonights’s match will be a gooder. I like the Isles 5-2, with Travis Hamonic having a 2 pt night in his hometown return.
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Fire Snow says:
Wake me when this one is over!
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giz says:
Authur Staple says Montoya starts tonight an Nino on Baileys line tonight….. about time!
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caber09 says:
Play Al tonight, let Nabby showcase/get blown out by Rangers, play Al vs Toronto, then Al gets a few more days off to start in the Rangers rematch on 12/26, thats what I would do.
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Battfist says:
I never really was a fan of BDK (arrogant) but I do like reading some of his work. But I believe he crossed a line with his latest piece on Trivino. There was no need to share with the public about his family. It doesnt add nothing but specualtion to the “table”….
Somethings just cnt be explained…
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Dr D says:
The real question is how many goals did the Jets score off a scott lachance deflection?
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The other three goalies – all Isles greats – were Salo, Soderstrom, and McLennan. Based on the jerseys, the team would have looked ugly even if they won the Cup. Just hearing those names though – do we ever change? Throw in C-level vets past their prime like Clark, Semak, and Reichel to promising high draft picks like Bertuzzi, Fichaud, and McCabe…and you get the last 15 years of Islanders hockey.
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Eric says:
One other roster note from that night…it was the last game in an Islander uniform for Straka (waived), Clark and Schneider (traded).
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greico says:
Trivino is a spoiled rotten dirt-bag, seeing all his fellow dirt-bags stick up for the puke here is nauseating.
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Ted says:
Also on that ’96 team was Derek King, Patrick Flatley, Richard Pilon, Mick Vukota and a young Kenny Jonsson. It’s hard to believe we were that bad with all that talent. Yet I would take that Islander lineup over the one we have now…
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trivino is a scum bag
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Trivino is a young man with apparent substance abuse problems which has led to some terrible behavior. He may be able to turn his life around with the right counseling and treatment. I do not condone his behavior, but, he is too young to be jettisoned as incorrigible. The university which profited by his play should also bear some responsibility for his rehabilitation and for the damage done to his victim.
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Isles Win! It would be nice if we can beat the Rangers an Leafs before Xmas an stay close in playoff race.
I hope Montoya gets today’s game and the Ranger game. Then put in Nabby for one. This goaltending circus has to end. Let Poulin be the back up until DP is back. We’re not going to get much for Nabby unless Stevie Y gets impatient. Man, Tampa is just aweful this year….