Author Archives: Alan Avital
Following Monday afternoon’s 6-0 drubbing at the hands of the Ottawa Senators at Nassau Coliseum, Islanders head coach Jack Capuano insisted that his team would need a physical injection in its lineup heading into Tuesday evening’s tilt at Buffalo. Yet, enforcer Michael Haley remained in Bridgeport, while Matt Martin would continue to fend for himself with the parent club.
Praised for that physical presence by Capuano, Martin was inserted into Tuesday night’s starting lineup by interim head coach Doug Weight – who coached in the absence of a flu-ridden Capuano – as he played alongside John Tavares and Matt Moulson. Yet, it was the Islanders’ inability to hold its opposition off the scoreboard in a game’s opening minutes that reared its ugly head once again.
Buffalo defenseman Tyler Myers pounced on a loose puck in front of Islanders net-minder Kevin Poulin just 81 seconds into the contest and gave the Sabres a lead that they would not relinquish, as they would hold off a late-surging Islanders attack, 2-1 at First Niagara Center in Buffalo. (more…)
With 13 shopping days left before the National Hockey League’s trade deadline, both P.A. Parenteau and Evgeni Nabokov – unrestricted free-agents-to-be come July 1 – made their cases for considerable raises come season’s end as they both displayed dominant performances in Tuesday evening’s 3-1 Islander victory over the Winnipeg Jets at MTS Centre in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
Parenteau, who snapped a 1-1 tie at 1:36 of the third period by deflecting a Milan Jurcina slap shot from beyond the right circle over the left shoulder of Jets net-minder Ondrej Pavelec, scored his 12th goal of the season. He added a team-leading 39th assist with 53 seconds to go, as while stationed behind an empty Jets goal, he found a streaking Matt Martin to the left of the goal. Martin deposited the insurance tally – his seventh of the season – to secure the victory. (more…)
Many Islanders fans questioned head coach Jack Capuano’s decision to sit goaltender Evgeni Nabokov in favor of back-up Al Montoya during Saturday evening’s 4-3 shootout loss to the Buffalo Sabres. The 36-year-old net-minder made those die-hards look like geniuses on Tuesday evening as he singlehandedly delivered his hockey club two crucial points in a 1-0 shootout victory over the Philadelphia Flyers at Wells Fargo Center.
Nabokov, who stymied the Flyers from pillar to post through the game’s first 65 minutes of play, was finally given that much-needed lead during the shootout as Frans Nielsen’s patented backhand beat Ilya Bryzgalov glove side. John Tavares would snap a wrister stick-side for an insurance tally, as Nabokov would stop both Daniel Briere and Wayne Simmonds to secure the victory.
With the NHL trading deadline just 20 shopping days away, Nabokov not only made his case to rival organizations in need of a playoff-caliber goaltender, he also gave Islanders general manager Garth Snow much to think about with the team hoping to surge for one of the Eastern Conference’s final playoff spots.
Stopping all 45 Flyers shots, Nabokov provided his brittle blue-line – who for a third consecutive game suffered an injury – that last line of defense. Dylan Reese, who has played sparingly, filling in for both Steve Staios and Milan Jurcina (currently out with a knee laceration), was lost late in the second period with an apparent knee injury. (more…)
Some have called him difficult. Others have considered him un-coachable. Yet, if you poll all 30 National Hockey League general managers, they would all marvel at the gifted abilities possessed by New York Islanders prospect Kirill Kabanov. That assessment sounds eerily similar to a former five-time NBA champion, just recently inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame.
Still only 19 years of age, Kabanov has high hopes of shedding that tarnished reputation and making 29 organizations rue the day that they let him slip into the third round (65th overall) of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft.
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Washington Capitals forward Joel Ward’s ascension onto the National Hockey League scene could definitely be looked at as an unconventional one. In spite of beginning his hockey career nearly 15 years ago as a member of the Owen Sound Attack in the Ontario Hockey League, it was a resurgence a few years later playing roller hockey at Hot Skates in nearby Lynbrook that paved a pathway back to the NHL and onto a four-year, $12 million contract in the nation’s capital.
For New York Islanders prospect Rhett Rakhshani, his route to the NHL hopes to follow a similar path as Ward. Yet, it was his love to flow freely in his hometown of Huntington Beach, California on roller skates as a five-year old that gave him the impetus to make the transition onto the ice just a few short years later. (more…)
Many of the sport’s brightest young stars honed their craft in backyard ponds all throughout Canada. Others were fortunate enough to step out of their cribs and onto practice rinks in hockey hotbeds such as Massachusetts, Vermont and the Great Lakes States. For Matt Donovan, his journey began in a region more known for beef and Sooner football, yet it was his determination to excel on the ice along with a passion handed down to him by his father that has many in the New York Islanders organization excited about their 21-year-old defensive prospect.
“My dad grew up around hockey in Boston,” said the Edmond, Oklahoma-born Donovan. “So ever since I was born, hockey was in me.”
Donovan began skating in hockey rinks run by his father in Edmond and neighboring Bethany, Oklahoma at the tender age of two, and quickly grew tired of the sports that his friends and classmates would play.
“I played football and baseball until the sixth and seventh grade,” said Donovan. “But when I was 12, 13 years old, I kind of stopped playing other sports.”
Donovan would continue to play locally until the age of 16, but decided – with the support of his family – to move to Dallas, Texas to play ‘AAA’ midget hockey as a high school sophomore.
“Surprisingly, moving alone to Dallas was an easy transition,” said the six-foot-one, 205-pound Donovan. “My parents knew the housing family pretty well.”
Donovan’s steady play in Dallas made him a hot commodity as he was transitioning into a high school junior.
“In Dallas, I knew that I was getting noticed by coaches,” said Donovan. “But I was too young to talk to them, so I let my dad talk for me.”
Donovan quickly settled in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, attending John F. Kennedy High School. In Iowa, he played for the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders, a member of the United States Hockey League.
In spite of living in a third residence – all in different states – in a three-year span, Donovan would make the most of his opportunity on the ice. He recorded 30 points (12 goals and 18 assists) in 59 games and was named to the USHL all-rookie team. Furthermore, his play attracted the NHL scouts, as he was selected by the Islanders in the fourth round (96th overall) of the 2008 NHL Entry Draft.
“I talked to a couple of teams,” said Donovan. “I honestly thought L.A. would pick me.
“They sat down with me for an hour or two, and they told me that they liked me. I talked to the Islanders for a little bit.”
Donovan returned to Cedar Rapids for his high school senior season, and scored 51 points. He led all defensemen in goals and points during the 2008-09 campaign, and was named to the USHL All-Star First Team.
“Cedar Rapids gave me a chance to work with great coaches,” said Donovan. “It was a perfect transition from midgets to college hockey.”
While playing for USA Hockey in selected festivals run by his father, Donovan was excited at the prospects of playing collegiate hockey and quickly narrowed his choices to two former Western College Hockey Association (WCHA) rivals and current National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) foes Denver and Colorado College.
His immediate bond with head coach George Gwozdecky, along with a quick half-hour flight or 10-hour car ride to Edmond made the University of Denver the only choice, according to Donovan.
“Coach G allowed me the opportunity to play my game,” said Donovan. “He built on my strengths as an offensive defenseman, making faster decisions seem simpler.
“He also pushed me into a becoming a better defensive defenseman.”
As a freshman, Donovan played 36 games. He scored seven goals and added 14 assists, and was named to the WCHA All-Rookie Team. He capped off a stellar 2009-10 season, by winning gold for Team USA in the Under-20 World Championships. He scored five points in seven games for the victorious Americans, who ousted future teammate Calvin De Haan and the Canadians, 6-5 in the finals.
“My freshman year gave me confidence that I could play on the college level,” said Donovan.
With an eye on joining the Islanders, Donovan would return to Denver for his second and final season. He played in all 42 games for Denver, amassing 32 points (nine goals and 23 assists) and leading all Pioneer defensemen with a +17 rating. Donovan’s Pioneers would reach the NCAA final four, before bowing out to Islanders prospect Brock Nelson and the North Dakota Fighting Sioux.
“As a sophomore, I believed that I stepped it up another level … making plays on a pro level,” said Donovan, who was selected as a WCHA Second Team All-Star. “I was confident that I was ready to take the next step.”
Gwozdecky was also pleased with Donovan’s progression.
“Matt came here thinking as an offensive minded player,” said Gwozdecky, winner of seven NCAA championships at Denver. “But he left here as a player who prided himself on the defensive end of the ice.”
Despite some resistance from his mother, who was hoping that he would earn his degree, Donovan would sign his three-year entry level contract last spring with the Islanders. He was assigned to the team’s AHL affiliate in Bridgeport and had a goal and four assists in six games as a Sound Tiger to close out the 2010-11 season.
After scrimmaging with the Islanders prospects last summer, Donovan returned to Bridgeport in the fall for his first full year of seasoning at the ‘A’ under first–year Sound Tigers head coach Brent Thompson.
Thompson quickly grew fond of Donovan’s tenacity.
“Matt is a strong kid, and he is starting now to get engage physically,” said Thompson. “I know that at UD (Denver), he was there for his offensive game, but I really love his defensive potential.
“Whether he is here (at Bridgeport) for a solid year or two, I could definitely see him being a top-four defenseman on the NHL level. He reminds me a little of Andy McDonald because of his style. They both skate well and are very good decision makers.”
Playing alongside defensive prospects Aaron Ness and De Haan, Donovan and the Sound Tigers experienced some growing pains at the tail end of the 2011 calendar, as they dropped nine of 10 games in a 28-day span (December 4-31).
Luckily for the Sound Tigers, the start of 2012 has completely turned what looked to be a dismal 2011-12 season around. Donovan’s play on the blue-line has anchored that resurgence. Playing without an injured DeHaan, who suffered a shoulder injury sidelining him for 4-to-6 weeks, Donovan’s minutes have increased and so has his productivity.
In the midst of the Sound Tigers’ current seven-game winning streak, in which the team has outscored its opposition, 25-8, Donovan has collected 10 points – one goal and 9 assists. He is currently tied for eighth in the AHL for defensive scoring with 22 points, with four goals and 18 assists.
“Playing in Bridgeport, it is great having all the young guys around pushing one another,” said Donovan, who himself in discussions with Islanders management believes that his game is similar to current captain Mark Streit. “But it is also getting me ready to play in the NHL.
“Whether it is playing tough on the puck, winning battles against the walls or ripping shots at the net from the point, the more I play, the more comfortable I am.”
With only three Islanders defenseman – Streit, McDonald and Travis Hamonic – signed past the 2011-12 NHL season, Donovan is surely one prospect that will get a look at as the current season comes to a close and the 2012-13 NHL campaign quickly approaches in the fall. Yet, Donovan isn’t putting any timeline on when he would like to be called up.
“Honestly, I’m really not thinking of it,” said Donovan. “I still want to work on my game.”
If that call up is indeed made, Donovan would become the fourth Oklahoma native to don a jersey in an NHL game. Burr Williams played three seasons in the mid-1930’s for the Detroit Red Wings and the Boston Bruins. Dan Woodley played two seasons for the Vancouver Canucks in the late 1980’s. Tyler Arnason is currently playing for the Florida Panthers.
“Coming from Oklahoma, it is just very excited to be drafted,” said Donovan. “I went to see the Oklahoma City Blazers when I was younger. My dad ran the rink.”
Donovan also hopes his future success mirrors that of fellow Edmond native Shannon Miller, who captured Olympic Gold in gymnastics in 1996. Donovan was only six years of age at the time.
A gold medal would be golden, but a playoff appearance on Long Island should suit Donovan and the Islander fans just fine.
Only time will tell.
As goaltender Kevin Poulin lay on the Nassau Coliseum ice last February writhing in pain after dislocating his left kneecap during warm-ups, Islander fans eerily felt like they were experiencing a bit of déjà-vu. Former top overall pick Rick Dipietro has battled through recurring injuries for the past five seasons, ever since he had his hip surgically repaired in the spring of 2008.
Dipietro’s hope for a successful run on Long Island seems to be in serious doubt, and a 15-year, 67.5 million dollar contract signed back in the fall of 2006 further haunts a die-hard fan-base, desperately hoping for success in the final seasons at the old barn on Hempstead Turnpike.
Luckily, Poulin’s injury only cost him the final few games of the 2010-11 National Hockey League campaign, as his off-season rehabilitation was deemed a major success. The 21-year-old Montreal native’s play in Bridgeport this season, along with a one-game audition on Long Island back in December has many in the Islanders organization excited about his future between the pipes.
“I was caught in a rut (on the ice) during warm-ups. It wasn’t fun,” said the 6-foot-2 Poulin, who was selected in the fifth round (126th overall) by the Islanders in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft. “But my knee is perfectly fine. I don’t feel any pain or any restrictions.
“I was able to rehab right after I suffered the injury in February, and was back in goal for our (Bridgeport’s) first game in October.”
Ironically, Poulin’s prosperity in goal almost never materialized.
While playing as an 11-year old in a players-vs.-parents exhibition game back in Montreal, Poulin’s peewee hockey team was in dire need of a net-minder, as the team’s starter had suffered an injury. In stepped in Poulin, who instantly fell in love with the action that the goaltending position would command.
“I was a stay-at-home defenseman as an 11-year old,” recalled Poulin. “From squirt hockey to peewee hockey, that’s the position I would play.
“But even as a kid, I was always very athletic. I also really enjoyed diving everywhere to get the puck.”
Instantly, Poulin would pattern his game after two sturdy, butterfly-style goaltenders in 19-year NHL veteran and future hall-of-famer Dominik Hasek and fellow French-Canadian and current Vancouver Canuck net-minder Roberto Luongo.
Coincidentally, Luongo was selected fourth overall by the Islanders in the 1997 NHL Entry Draft. He played 24 games on Long Island during the 1999-2000 NHL campaign, before being dealt along with Olli Jokinen to the Florida Panthers for Oleg Kvasha and Mark Parrish on June 24, 2000 – the same day that former general manager Mike Milbury selected DiPietro with the first overall selection in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft.
“Both Dominik and Roberto are hybrid goaltenders,” said Poulin. “And their butterfly style is how I like to play.”
Through his early teen years, Poulin would continue to hone his limited goaltending skills on the peewee level, but it wasn’t until he latched on to goaltending coach Daniel Freschette as a member of the Victoriaville Tigres of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) that the-then 16-year-old Poulin truly believed that his NHL future would be as a goaltender.
“When Daniel got a hold of me, we started from scratch,” said Poulin. “He was my first true goaltending coach, and he made things very simple.
“We worked on reading plays and positioning.”
As a rookie in Victoriaville, Poulin played in 24 games. He went 10-6 and posted a respectable 3.34 goals against average. He was backing up 19-year-old QMJHL veteran Jean-Christophe Blanchard.
Blanchard would begin the 2007-08 QMJHL campaign – Poulin’s second – as the Tigres’ top goaltender, but was shipped off to Rimouski midway through the season, paving the way for the 17-year-old Poulin to handle the reigns.
Despite finishing with a less-than-robust 18-23-3 record and a 3.75 GAA, he still was asked to participate in the Canadian Hockey League’s Top Prospects game, as the 2008 NHL Entry Draft approached.
“The prospects game allowed me to compete with others, who were also being drafted,” said Poulin. “I realized that I could play against them, and compete on the next level.”
After being selected by the Islanders in the summer of 2008, Poulin quickly returned to Victoriaville for more seasoning.
Over the next two seasons in Victoriaville, Poulin played in 93 games, winning 53 of them. His fourth and final season – the 2009-10 campaign – made believers of many in the hockey circle, including a former Montreal legend, who handed Poulin with the most flattering of compliments.
Patrick Roy, an 18-year NHL goaltender – 10 years playing for the Montreal Canadiens – and current Quebec Ramparts (QMJHL) head coach and general manager declared Poulin as the best goaltender in Canadian Junior Hockey.
“Everyone knows what he achieved,” said Poulin of Roy. “I have never really talked to him, but it gave me a huge boost in confidence.”
Poulin finished the 2009-10 season with a 35-16 record and an ever-so-shrinking 2.63 GAA, posting a .916 save percentage. He was named second-team all QMJHL, beaten out by current St. Louis Blues prospect Jake Allen.
Following the season, the Islanders organization quickly signed Poulin to a three-year entry level contract, as he was assigned to the team’s AHL affiliate in Bridgeport to open the 2010-11 season.
In 15 games in the ‘A’, Poulin went 10-5 and posted a miniscule 2.19 GAA. His play, coupled with further injuries to Dipietro’s knee, allowed the then 20-year-old Poulin to earn the promotion to Long Island to serve as Nathan Lawson’s back-up.
“It was unbelievable to get the call up to Long Island,” said Poulin. “It was a dream come true.”
After stopping all 19 Edmonton Oilers shots in relief of an ineffective Lawson on January 6, Poulin would earn his first National Hockey League start on January 8 in Colorado. Poulin stopped 34-of-37 Avalanche shots and teammate John Tavares netted an overtime goal, as the Islanders prevailed, 4-3 in overtime. Poulin earned the game’s third star in the 4-3 victory.
He would win three more times to close out the NHL season, finishing the campaign with a 4-2-1 record in 10 appearances, posting a healthy 2.44 GAA.
He credited his success to the camaraderie he had with his team’s other goaltenders.
“Ricky (Dipietro) and I talked a lot,” said Poulin. “He, along with Al (Montoya) made sure that things were comfortable for me.”
Following his first taste of NHL play, Poulin returned to Long Island this past summer to compete with fellow prospects Anders Nilsson and Mikko Koskinen, along with Dipietro, Montoya and newest Islander goaltender Evgeni at Islanders training camp.
The logjam provided Poulin with healthy competition, and also provided the 21-year-old with perspective moving forward.
“We have plenty of good goaltenders in this organization,” said Poulin. “The main thing for me is progression.”
Poulin, Nilsson and Koskinen all returned to Bridgeport to compete for the top spot under first-year head coach Brent Thompson. The former head coach of the ECHL’s Alaska Aces quickly grew fond of Poulin’s athleticism.
“Kevin is 6-foot-3 and has great lateral movement,” said Thompson. “He reads the play very well, and works very hard.
“The funny thing about Kevin is that he doesn’t lack confidence. Sometimes he might be too overconfident.”
The triumvirate quickly shrunk to two as the start of the AHL season progressed, as Koskinen grew tired of his lack of playing time. He returned overseas to play for KalPa in the Finnish Hockey League.
Both Poulin and Nilsson played well, despite the lack of experience in front of them.
Ironically, both the young net-minders would be summoned back to Long Island to earn an NHL start, as Dipietro (concussion), Montoya (concussion) and Nabokov (groin) all were sidelined due to injury.
Nilsson lost in his debut, 5-0 at the hands of Pittsburgh Penguins, while Poulin saved 26-of-29 shots in an Islanders 3-2 setback to Dallas.
Poulin quickly returned to Bridgeport as the 2011-12 calendar year closed. He earned valuable minutes for Thompson and the Sound Tigers and nearly stamped his name in American Hockey League history.
As the 2012 calendar year commenced, Poulin recorded back-to-back-to-back shutouts, stopping all 76 shots he would face in 4-0 victories over Worcester, Manchester and Portland.
With an eye on earning that elusive fourth consecutive shutout at Providence on Sunday afternoon, Poulin twirled another gem, but fell 30 minutes short of the AHL mark for consecutive shutout minutes.
Bruins forward Calle Ridderwall beat Poulin five-hole at 3:37 of the second period to stop the streak at 221 minutes and 54 seconds.
Despite allowing that goal and a second tally to Ridderwall late in the game, Poulin would stop 22 of 24 Bruins shots in a 3-2 Sound Tigers shootout victory – the team’s fourth straight win to open up the 2012 year.
For the season, Poulin’s record is 11-12 with a 2.77 GAA.
Despite his standing at one game under .500, Poulin isn’t discouraged. He is still embracing the process at hand.
“I want to fully be ready when I get called up again,” said Poulin. “Whether it takes one year or three years, the organization will know when I am ready.”
Still, Poulin is enjoying his time in Bridgeport, as his 22nd birthday quickly approaches in April.
“There are a lot of guys in Bridgeport who played both in college and in juniors,” said Poulin, who enjoys hanging out with his teammates at the Café in downtown Milford. “My teammates are very nice and the guys here are all on the same page.
“We all have one goal in mind, to play in the NHL.”
Yet, with a frustrated fan-base desperately craving some present-day success, could Poulin’s recent hot streak coupled with the team’s rash of injuries and inconsistencies between the pipes lead to a full-time call up.
Will Poulin continue to lead the Baby Islanders past the NHL All Star Game, scheduled for January 29 at Scotiabank Place in Ottawa?
Only time will tell.
