Category Archives: News
As he’s known to do from time to time, Point Blank founder Chris Botta hosted some impromptu dialogue with Islanders and NHL fans last night on Twitter. In case you missed it or are not on Twitter, here’s a review of most of his answers. Keep in mind that all tweets have to be in 140 characters or less, hence the brevity.
RT @jimmywellington Think Nabakov ends up in Det?
CB: G not a priority in Det. Unless someone gets hurt long-term, won’t give up much for a Nabby type.
RT @ikcotol what can the Winnipeg Jets do to get on track?
CB: Need more beef and commitment on D. Lots of skill, but softish. C’mon, Chevy!
RT @Official_kjt Isles chances of playoffs this season?
CB: I’m in the minority, but I feel teams 10 back with 30 left should not feel outta it.
RT @scottymac228 why the hell arent you watching the beanpot?
CB: Cause Cronin’s in Toronto. (Actually, working on a Kreider story).
RT @Gus_Savage Hawks have scouts sniffing around Isles dmen?
Yes. But I don’t think they’ll trade Streit. Eaton could help as a 6.
RT @JdaxxTweets Will Snow try to pass off Strome as 2nd line C next yr, deHaan as top 4 dman?
CB: I’m sure he knows that would be a mistake.
RT @DomLongo22 Chance u do point blank again or something like it for fans who miss u?
CB: Very kind. Not anytime soon. Break is healthy for all.
RT @Islanders411 Do you know if Snow is working the phones?
CB: Of course he is. Every day until Feb. 27.
RT @rochambou will the Islanders pull a Baltimore Colts (middle of the night) or Cleveland Browns (lame duck year)?
CB: Neither
RT @daenmaster There are rumours #isles shopping PAP and nielsen. Do you see garth doing this?
CB: It’s his job to gauge value.
RT @domlongo Who is NYI #1 goalie next season?
CB: Should give @KevinPoulin60 a legit chance to run with it. Oh, you mean who WILL it be?…
RT @billwhitehead NYI’s untouchables as deadline approaches?
CB: No such thing, but Tavares, Moulson, KO, Poulin and Hamonic are sticking.
RT @theJ94 how far do you see Van going in the playoffs this year? Boston?
CB: Canucks – WCF. Bruins – SCF.
RT @LJ_Tsunis what do you make of new developments re hub?
CB: sorry, LJ, but I don’t think about it much. I will when @edmangano gets real
RT @kaner911 How will the Habs handle the Gomez situation?
CB: Cry a little more, and then consider a buyout
RT @Turnstone1969 simple question: Sabres – what’s going on?
CB: Learning $ doesn’t buy happiness or success. Will get fixed by next year
RT @t2ma Who were the most difficult Isles to work with?
CB: All gentlemen. On both sides of the biz, privilege for me to be part of it
RT @scholder99 #NYR going after goal scorers?
CB: For a forward, Sather aiming high. If he doesn’t like price, no problem standing pat
RT @justwalden How long before #Isles actually make the playoffs? This is getting embarrassing.
CB: Next season, if it doesn’t work out this season.
***CB: Again, my saying ANY team 10 pts back, Isles or otherwise, still alive is not being “optimistic.” It’s being fair. Up to teams if they want to quit or not.
The Islanders have recalled Aaron Ness on an emergency basis to replace the injured Travis Hamonic.
 Courtesy Jamie Kellner |
With the trade deadline fast approaching, GM Garth Snow will have to determine if he’s going to be buying, selling or standing pat with his current roster. In years past, Snow has sent veterans packing for various reasons but all have garnered draft picks in return. Last year it was James Wisniewski and Dwyane Roloson. A few years earlier it was Bill Guerin.
So far this season, Snow has yet to make any moves. Part of that may be due to the potential lack of demand in the market and part of that may be due to the lack of any significant value in the Islanders’ assets, as a few of the veterans were training camp invitees turned signings.
However, there’s one particular asset that has value and has been the subject of trade talk all season. First he got fake traded to Columbus earlier in the year for Imaginary Fedor Tyutin. Later on, he was supposedly showcased in a nationally televised game against Boston, a game which ended in the Isles getting thumped. That player is, of course, Evgeni Nabokov.
He’s certainly an interesting topic. Of all the veterans on the team, he has by far the most trade value. He’s also been the team’s best — and dare I jinx it healthiest — goaltender for the last month plus. While Snow will certainly do his due diligence in finding Nabokov a new team, there are quite a few factors that will allow Snow to drive a hard bargain. Here are five of those factors: (more…)
So… How about that game last night?
- – -
Travis Hamonic got hit in the face with a shot during Saturday’s loss to the Buffalo Sabres. According to the team, he was taken to the hospital for surgery and stitches to repair a broken nose. The timetable on his return is two weeks and likely a cage when he returns.
The Islanders, still grasping at playoff straws, now face their already uphill battle without arguably their best and most reliable defender. Hamonic had played in 113 straight games, which ranks sixth among Islander defensemen all-time. That’s pretty incredible considering he’s only played 113 NHL games in total.
Now the Islanders have a few choices depending on how other injuries play out. Mike Mottau is still on IR and not likely to come off. Milan Jurcina is day-to-day following an arm laceration last week. It’s possible he could be ready to go for Tuesday. Alternatively, the team could place Jurcina on IR which would allow for an emergency call up from Bridgeport, which is dealing with defender shortages of its own. If Juice is placed on IR, it’s a seven day minimum stay which would make him ineligible to return until Saturday’s game, assuming the move is retroactive to February 4th.
KIRILL KABANOV SUFFERS CONCUSSION
Prospect Kirill Kabanov took a nasty hit from Saint John’s Jason Cameron on Saturday. Cameron was given five and a game for the hit.
This happened in the same game that Brandon Gormley (first round, Phoenix in 2010) took a skate to the neck (and is luckily alright).
(more…)
The ball is now in Charles Wang’s court as to whether or not he wants play nice with those who have previously stood in his way. A Newsday report today details the plans of a group of four men, all of whom are a part of the Association for a Better Long Island, the group that funded the campaign against the Coliseum Referendum in the Summer of 2011. They also proposed a rejected project for the original Lighthouse development in 2005. The four men are Vincent Polimeni, Jan Burman, Ed Blumenfield and Mark Hamer.
The fate of the Islanders now rests in the hands of Long Island’s five biggest developers and how well they can cooperate. At this point, it certainly seems that any cooperation in a long shot. (more…)
Updated: 11:00pm
Brian Compton
@BComptonNHL
Hamonic was taken to the hospital to be checked out, according to Capuano. He’s hoping to have an update later tonight.#Isles
The Islanders looked every bit the team on the tail end of back to backs tonight…which is really unfortunate because the Devils, Maple Leafs, Capitals and Lightning all won. (In regulation at least so there weren’t any “extra points” doled out to others in the chase.) In what can only be described as the favor of the hockey gods, the Isles found themselves with a 3-1 lead after a first period in which they were dominated by Buffalo and outshot 17-9.
Things would only get worse really as Travis Hamonic (of “best Islanders shutdown defenseman” fame) took a deflected slapshot to the face in the third and did not return. No updates have been given at the time of this writing, but you can rest assured that if Hamonic misses any time, the Islanders will struggle significantly unless they catch lightning in a bottle via a Bridgeport call-up. The puck looked to have gone upward underneath his visor and hit him on the nose. There was an awful lot of blood, but he was able to skate off with assistance. (more…)
Playing 4-on-4 in overtime, John Tavares fell over Ottawa’s Mike Folingo on a hard backcheck. The other Islanders on the ice rushed the other way and it would be PA Parenteau with a sweet pass to Milan Jurcina who would feed Mark Eaton for the backhand winner. With the Sens’ Craig Anderson well out of position, the defender tossed it into the back of the net for his first goal of the season and the overtime winner.
