EX-Isles, Heroes In Tampa

So, yesterday I'm speaking with my good friend, Dr. David Lubin from Tampa. He was the 7th Man Award winner in 2004 for the Lightning and is a Bolts season ticket holder. He is also a family doctor, humanitarian and accomplished photographer with his own website. David and I have discussed the ups and downs of his team and mine for years now. (Some times the debates have been heated.)

But this season, he wanted to let me know how thankful the Tampa fans are for the two ex-NY Islanders who seem to have made the difference in the Bolts line-up.

Sure, they already had Vinny and Marty and that kid named Stamkos. They also have the kid I actually wanted instead of JT named Hedman, but until this season they never got very far.

That all changed with the arrival of Stevie Yzerman and Guy Boucher and a deal made in January for a 40-year-old goaltender named Dwayne Roloson.

Yep. Roloson's Tampa debut was a shut-out and he's been stellar for them ever since. I can't help but think that Yzerman and Roloson should send Garth Snow fruit baskets thanking him for the deal.

You add 1st round draft pick Sean Bergenheim and his seven playoff goals to the mix and you have a team that has now made it to the Eastern Conference finals. Not bad.


Now, Dr. David's seats are WAY up there in the nosebleed section of the St. Pete Times Forum. But then again, if I told you how much he pays for his playoff tickets (as an Islander fan) you'd puke. Let's put it this way -- his seat for a playoff game cost him less than it costs me to put two gallons of gas in my car. You do the math and then get sick.

David sent me these photos of "my boy Sean" yesterday. My my.... he's all grown up. No wonder they keep talking about him on all the hockey shows. He HAS finally arrived!

So thanks for the photos David. Maybe you can send me some when he lifts the Stanley Cup too. ;o)

From Bad to Worse: Eaton out Indefinitely

If not for bad luck, the Islanders would have no luck at all. It's an old adage, but it has never been more true than it is today for the NY Islanders.

The Islanders will play Edmonton tonight after learning that veteran defenseman Mark Eaton requires surgery on his right hip. The man who has played 32 games for the Islanders and blocked 82 shots will be out of service indefinitely. Now, is that "indefinitely" Mike Mottau season ending indefinitely? Or is it more like Mark Streit "indefinitely" until maybe April if there is any season left to play? We are not sure.

But it now makes Jon Sim at 33-years-old the oldest player on the Islanders roster. Dwayne Roloson pushed up their average age all by himself, but he's not there any more. Doug Weight could help out here, and he was skating today saying his back is feeling better. But he has not been cleared to play and there hasn't even been a peep as to when that might be.

The Islanders start tonight having already lost 277 man games due (273 due to injury and 4 of due to suspensions). That is a staggering number.

Please let them call in an exorcist because this has gotten out of hand once again. It is surreal. While all teams go through injury problems, I don't believe any have been as decimated as this team... AGAIN!

ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!

Dwayne Roloson To Tampa Bay

Ty Wishart files; What trading Dwayne Roloson means for #isles roster, depth, cap Lighthousehocky LOGIC & SUBSTANCE without the ranting and anger.

Read the information there as it is the most comprehensive account of the deal.

The Prodigal Son Returns

Post Game:
PA Parenteau sat in his stall and waited for the reporters who were busy crowded around John Tavares and then Josh Bailey. He sat shaking the sweat off his head that wicked through his long hair.

With points in three straight games he said it feels great. (That seemed to be the general feeling in the room.) "I think we're playing some better hockey. We have some injured players back (um, Eaton?). And you can tell we're playing with a lot more confidence and are a lot more stable back there."

They weren't very stable in the first period as the Bolts out shot them by a wide margin and they spent a good amount of time on the Penalty Kill. Jack Capuano admitted they didn't play well at all in the first and were lucky to get out of there with just one goal given up.

I asked PA if Jack had said anything on the bench after he seemed to be exceptionally upset with Milan Jurcina's untimely interference penalty. "No. He didn't say anything. Any time someone takes a penalty like that that, you have to have your team mate's back. You know, that's what you do and that's what we did tonight."

After that I expected PA to ride the bench for a good portion of the game, but he didn't. He actually played a total of 19:11 while Trevor Gillies, who usually plays about 3:30 per game played only 1:57 and sat in the box for only 4 minutes.

This was not a hard hitting game in some ways. While you would have expected Zenon Konopka to dance with someone from his old team, he didn't. Neither did Gillies. Perhaps that was because Steve Downie was not in the line-up or Jack felt it unnecessary to send that message he had in the previous game. The Islanders doubled the Bolts hit total, 26 - 13 while the Bolts came very close to doubling the Isles shot total, 35-28. Most of those Tampa shots were in the first period. Thanks to Dwayne Roloson, only one of those 35 shots went in.

PA may have scored the game tying goal, but it was John Tavares that netted the game winner. When I asked PA about John, his answer was simple. "He played a great game, he's John Tavares. He's got a lot of skills."

On a team that is struggling, those skills need to shine more often.

The Isles will take those two points and this added shot of confidence to New Jersey tomorrow where they face the struggling even more Devils. Maybe Lou is really looking for that number one draft pick for 2011.



The sign at the glass reads Welcome Home Josh Bailey. He skated out onto the ice to Cinderella Man. Eaton is also playing tonight. Matt Martin sits out serving his suspension and Bruno is a healthy scratch along with Jack Hillen.

But Josh's homecoming party is being crashed by the Bolts. Three power plays in the first period put the Lightning ahead 1-0 on a goal by returning Ryan Malone. The shots on goal are an uneven 3 - 15 and the turnovers and errors have Jack Capuano reeling on the bench. The camera caught him yelling a few expletives when Jucina took a foolish penalty by pushing a bolt into Roloson and his net. He was called for interference. Luckily there was no goal on that power play or Milan might not see the ice again tonight.


Start of the second and with Nate Thompson in the box for hooking the Islanders doubled their shot total to -- six. Jon Sim had a great shift but still nothing went in the net. The Isles put the puck on net, but there are no #DanEllisProblems so far tonight keeping it out.

Matt Moulson took a puck to the foot in front of

Josh Bailey had his best effort of the night skating down the ice alone towards Ellis. some pretty moves but Victor Hedman, the the draft pick I really wanted is called for hooking Josh as he got to the net. Isles on a power play with their shot totals now at 9 to the Bolts 21. It would have been great to see Josh get a goal in this game, his first back.

With 24 seconds left on Hedman's penalty, JT takes a hooking penalty to put the teams at even strength for just a few seconds. St. Louis skates around with the puck while his team sets up taking time off their man advantage. They don't seem to care.

Stamkos easily skates up the side boards, but the puck comes back toward Ellis. And once again, Scott Allen's PK works. Things would have been GREAT had it not been for JT taking a penalty for high sticking. Have a seat in the box AGAIN JT.


Islanders back on the penalty kill and probably tired with only 7:36 left of the second and shots at 9 - 21.
Both #91s stand in the face off circle, but one is sent out only to be replaced by -- Josh Bailey.


By the time there was less than a minute left of the 2nd period, JT does what he does best: make passes from behind the net. One went right to PA Parentau who managed to get it behind Dan Ellis at an angle.

The two teams head to the dressing room tied at 1 which is amazing since the shots on goal are so uneven.

With the start of the third, Matt Moulson gets an excellent chance on a breakaway but can't get it past Ellis. There is a scuffle in the crease and they head to the overhead as the call is no goal.


Trevor Gillies takes a roughing call that puts the Isles back on the PK. Amazingly the Isles get two short handed chances and just as the penalty expires Nielsen gets a shot off a PA pass coming down the far boards, but Ellis stops them again. He's been in position all night

JT plays human puck as he has a hard time stopping himself from entering Ellis' crease and is forced even further in by Moore. If he was a puck that would have been their second goal. He wasn't.

My friend in Tampa, Dr. David Lubin, emails me that he's never seen Ellis make these types of stops. I wish he wasn't. It's frustrating to watch the Isles get so many chances and be robbed by Ellis.

On the other end of the ice, our 41-yr old goalie robbed Moore with a glove save.

Rob Schremp dippsey doodles with the puck but then loses it in the pass. Luckily, he regained it.

Andy MacDonald has shown off his best assets by being able to keep the puck in the Bolts zone and breaking up plays in front of Rolie. Nice work.

Grabner again was close to scoring but he was robbed by Ellis -- again. Who IS this guy?

Both goalies playing well, there is now 1:15 left and still tied at one. I would so like to see Josh Bailey score the winning goal the way he has recently in Bridgeport. The Isles continue to turn over the puck in their own zone. and the clock ticks down to zero and the teams go to overtime and the Isles get a point.

Points in three straight games is more than they have in a long time.

Wiz from a great pass shoots from his knees at a tough angle and misses the net by five feet. The puck ends up on the side of Roli's net and amazingly does not go in. 3:01 left of OT and this is nerve wracking.

Grabner with some fancy skating fans on the shot by Ellis' crease. 2:04 left. And Joht Tavares sneaks the puck passed Ellis' with Moulson in front of the net who did not get an assist.

Isles win.
All is right with the world.

Sunday @ The Coli With Mascots

8:39 pm: Well, after the game, after dinner, after cleaning the kitche, after writing up a very painful entry, the postgame thoughts can be found here at Hockeybuzz.com.


An afternoon game in December when there is a Giants football game on is not the best use of scheduling, but here we are anyway.

Yes, the attendance police will use this one as fodder for relocation once again I am sure. Especially with @BrooksieNYP and his call for the NHL to force Charles Wang to sell the team.

Down at Doolan's this blogger finally got to meet a superstar in the Islanders blogosphere, SB Nation's, Mr. LighthouseHockey himself, Dominic. Also there were Islesblogger.com Mike, IslesOfficial Doug, (& his Dad) and @Dani3boyz,



The puck drops and I hardly notice. Brad Kurtzburg from Inside Hockey.com and I chat while play is under way. We missed only two Islander shots on goal.

With Giroux in the box, the Isles fail to get a shot on goal during the power play, let alone a goal.

With 25 seconds left of the Power Play, Blake Comeau takes a tripping penalty leaving the team short handed for 1:35. To make matters worse, Matt Marin loses his stick.

At even strength Jeff Carter gets a lucky break as the puck banks off Roloson's bent knee and behind him into the net.

It looks like the refs like "hooking" as the call dujour and Jack Hillen headed to the box. By the time he got out, the Flyers didn't score again and had added only a handful of shots on goal for a total of 8 while the Islanders with only 1:12 left of the first have only three. But then again, it's hard to put shots on net when you're short handed.

Once again, Dwayne Roloson has been the star of the first period along with a lucky break here and there when pucks hit the post.

During the first intermission, the Mascots have an intense game of musical chairs. Just like their team, who seems to be even worse (currently) than the Isles, the Devils mascot was the first one tossed out of the game. Bounced in the first round... Who'da thought? It came down to a battle between Sparky and Storm. Two guesses, Sparky won. But it is his birthday. (Today is also Johnny Rzeznik's 45th birthday

Second period begins much the way the first ended: Slow. Rob Schremp took a high sticking penalty and the Islanders actually had a short handed chance when Eaton took the puck all the way to Bobrovsky's crease. It almost went in. Almost. As Brad told me, Mark Eaton doesn't have a point yet this season and he has played in every game.

Another good chance came when Frans Nielsen stole the puck and skated it towards the Flyers net and shot and another miss. But hey, they at least look like they have a little more pep in the second.

Okay, let's look for a Good News Dept.: Both Kyle Okposo and Milan Jurcina skated today. Could Kyle's return be a Christmas gift to the fans? Please Santa? Please!

Roli takes offense when he is smacked in the mask by a stick while he was down in the crease making a save. Don't get the old man angry.

With Matt Carle in the box, the Islanders go back on the power play. By this time, they should start declining them. The Flyers take another penalty and are down two men for about ten seconds as Nodl went to the box. The Flyers have blocked everything the Islanders have been able to get off their sticks.


With less than a minute remaining on the Isles power play, the Flyers have a short handed chance that went off Roli's post. Lucky again. With the power plays over, the Isles added eight shots on Bobrovsky during their power plays that brings them to 0 for 35. If you can't score when you are on the advantage, something is very wrong.


Role reversal: Travis Hamonic with a shot from the blue line and Rob Schremp with a hit in the corner.



Third period and the Isles have 21 SOG to the FLyers 17, but the Flyers are still up by 1 in this less than exciting game. It hurts me to no end to hear some that are paid to be here complain about having to be here. They are best to remember that there are plenty who would take their place for far less. But back to the ice.

If something would just happen on the ice. And there's the goal horn as PA Parenteau takes a pass from Schremp and deposits it in the back of Bobrovsky's net. That is the Isles first goal in 111.02 minutes and it has tied the game.

Thank you PA.

Within a few seconds after Laviolette called a time out, Frans Nielsen scored his first goal since October 30th as he skated up the right boards and shot it past the Flyers goalie who had no idea it went behind him. With his first point of the year, Mark Eaton is finally on the score sheet with an assist.

I panicked when Matt Moulson was sent to the box. I knew it couldn't be good. Roloson killed off almost the entire penalty when with only six seconds left, Nodl tied it at two. Travis Hamonic couldn't handle clearing a rebound on Roli's doorstep and that was all it took to end the Islanders' lead.

Zenon Konopka drawss a penalty on Ville Leino for tripping and the Islanders go on the power play for their last chance to tie the game and get a point. Hamonic gets a shot on goal that is turned aside. Every time the Islanders try to skate the puck in, the Flyers manage to clear it. Penalty ends, teams at full strengh and 1:57 remain in a game that will see the Flyers leave the Coliseum with two points and a lot of kids whose only joy today was seeing a gaggle of furry, big headed mascots.

The Isles play again on Thursday in Boston. This leaves them another long layover between games. Jack has to come up with something to fire this team up. And it better be quick.


At 5:44 left of the third, mighty-mite Danny Briere give the Flyers their lead as he got by both Hillen and Nielsen and lifted one over Roli and skated away gloating. Jack Capuano looks frustrated behind the bench.

Hamonic and A-Mac tried to create a spark by going after Hartnell against the boards behind Roli's net. Not much time left to get a fire going with that little spark.

No Goals, No Points, No WAY!

It wasn't the ending I or any other Islander fan expected. We're pretty used to the Islanders walking out of MSG with two points and a few bruises. Not tonight. I thought for sure after last night's hard fought loss, it would be a repeat of intensity with a different outcome. The Rangers won 2 - 0 with one earned goal and one empty netter.

Rob Schremp had talked about intensity and a little luck. The Islanders had neither tonight at MSG while Yahoo's PuckDaddy threw a party across the street. Hopefully that crowd fared better than the Isles.

Jack Hillen returned to the line up and replaced Dylan Reese (BTW, there's an article on him on the main website.) Jack played 21 shifts and blocked four shots. Trevor Gillies, who yesterday set the tone at 3 minutes into the contest, sat on the bench tonight for all but 3:27 and spent no time in his second home -- the box.

Zenon Konopka who is usually dominant on face offs went five of eleven for a FO% of only 45%. Good by many standards, but not good enough for a Ranger game.

The pin-ball that is Matt Martin, who won the fight decision last night over Michael Sauer managed only two hits tonight.

Matt Moulson and John Tavares both had four shots on goal out of the 17 that managed to get anywhere near Henrik Lundqvist.

On the other side of the ice, the 41-year-old goaltender faced only 21 shots. The difference was that so many of them were quality shots. Dwayne Roloson gave up one goal. One single goal. He should not have faced a loss for letting one puck get by him.

But there were a lot of "should not have's" in this game.

Ryan Callahan should NOT have clocked Frans Nielsen into next week and caused everyone to hold their breath. Jesse Joensuu should NOT have been given
19 minutes of penalties for having to stick up for his team mate.

But my biggest problem with the game, besides the loss of course, was the treatment of Jon Sim by the officiating staff. Twice Jon was called for goaltender interference when he was visibly pushed into Lunqvist and once given a diving penalty. It was apparent to me that Jon must have run over someone's puppy because these seemed to be very personal and retalitory calls.

Sean Avery was not as lucky tonight as he was last night. A roughing and Misconduct call in the first and a boarding call in the second. Avery being Avery once again.

Dwayne Roloson would not condem the officiating staff for the job they did tonight. However, I can. It was miserable.

But the bad calls that were just outrageous didn't change the fact that the Islanders could not find a way to get past Henrik. The last nail in the coffin was a puck that clanged off the post so loudly, it reverberated through the MSG cameras.

The Isles are still at the very bottom of the standings while other teams are racking up points. The Metro challenge will not be theirs this year, but a top five draft pick very well will be.

With all this happening, a Twitter buddy asked me how I continue to stay positive in these dark days. Truth is, I can't help it. I know that everything ends eventually, even bad times.

Andy MacDonald has returned and ultimately Milan Jurcina will return along with Kyle Okposo and maybe even Doug Weight. Hey! Think of it! It's December and Radek Martinek is still in the line-up.

But this is emotional ownership because not only do I love the game, I have grown to know these men quite well. It's the same as my daughter's softball team. I don't go to their houses and have dinner, but that doesn't make me any less concerned for them or less willing to cheer them on.

I may not agree with everything this organization does as an organization, but I can't help but feel strongly about the players on the ice. They want to win as much as we want them to. While we are angry at a loss to the Rangers -- again, they are too.

Now we have to worry about Sunday.

Bolts losers of 5, Isles losers of 10

Yep, this game is going to get chippy for sure.

So I'm here tonight at the Coliseum with some of my closest friends in this very intimate setting and all I can think of is -- WHY is Rob Schremp a healthy scratch? @IceCreepsMike said it was just to upset me. They are succeeding.

Dylan Reese is in the line up for Jack Hillen who at first was said to have the flu but now has a concussion. Yeah, I can see how you can misdiagnose that: not.

I had a very pleasant conversation with Sean Bergenheim this morning, but I don't have time to write it up today since I had to work, but I will get to it.

Suffice it to say that when I asked about tonight's game, he said yes, both teams would be playing to win and that no, he wouldn't be telling his team mates too much about Jack's style of coaching. The Isles have only had two days to practice with Jack and while he may have made some changes to the system, he said the Bolts didn't pay much attention to anything but their own game.

Photos and more as the game progresses.

5:02 left of the first and the Islanders are on the PK with Dylan Reese in the box for stick holding or should I say stupidity. When this game started the Islanders were outshooting the Bolts, now they are behind 9 - 12 and Roli has had to make numerous close rang saves and Steve Downie fanned on a puck right in front of the crease, so that helped kill the penalty.

With only 46 seconds left, Bailey was sent to the box for slashing and Stamkos scored on Roloson with only .3 seconds left. The goal was reviewed, but it was good. The ended the first period down by one.

With the second period going full force, teh Bolts are already at 25 SOG to the Isles 11. While Roloson has made some excellent saves, he's also been pretty damn lucky as the rebounds have sat waiting to be pushed in. This is a game of missed opportunities for both teams so far.

It is a good thing that Scorpios have such hard heads because Matt Moulson was charged at and his head bounced off the glass. JT took offense and had to spend two minuts in the box for roughing. (he he he... JT) Ritola got five for charging and the Islanders had a 3 minute power play once JT was sprung. And... nothing.

However, while Trent Hunter was in the box, the Bolts scored and with only 3;00 left of the second, the shots are now a very unbalanced 32 (bolts) to 23 (Isles.) yep.

Matt Moulson seems to be the one man playing tonight with a purpose and with 2:34 left has cut the lead in half. He doesn't look happy, just resigned. But it does get the Isles that much closer to saving face tonight

With 3:45 left of the third, the Isles are still down by one. The SOG have become a little better and currently stand at 33 Isles and 38 Bolts. But it looks like this will indeed go to 11.

In these final minutes it looks as if someone finally woke up Blake Comeau and Dan Ellis isn't having any problems tonight. He's managed to stop everything that's come his way since Matt snuck one by him. But we'll see.

Saturday In LA

Not me, of course. The Islanders. Me, middle of November and I finally decided I should walk a beach. Considering I can throw a rock to one, I don't know why I waited until now. Dumb on my part.
LA Kings have a beautiful color scheme in royal Purple and black. They also have twice as many points as the Islanders after 14 games. Twenty-two points in two fewer games played.

Also, their PK rate is 91.5% so the Islanders will not have any help there should their power play get a chance to work. Again, face-offs are the only place the Islanders excel. It may not help with this game.

The Islanders may lose their tenth straight or the Kings could break their winning streak and leave it at five. They have one all seven of their home games so far this season. This does not bode well for a young, struggling team.

Will Dwayne Roloson get the nod in net tonight too? So far many people are calling for it because his stats prove he is the one for the job. But Rick needs to play and has not played the last two games of the road trip. Should Scott Gordon save him for Wednesday the 17th at home against the Bolts and give Roloson the vote of confidence that he can get the job done in LA, no one will be angry with him.

Guest appearance by Mark Streit tonight -- on MSG for Hockey Night Live. I'd really prefer to see him in his jersey with a stick in his hand rather than on a Dolan backed hockey panel. But that's just me.

I'd also like to see Rob Schremp get to play and I'd like to know when the hell Milan Jurcina will return. Again -- that's just me!

Isles Do It Again In San Jose

It's always heartbreaking to watch a game that is tied at one end up lost in a shoot-out. This is why many media types and fans dislike the shoot-out even though it's exciting.

Two points could have left the building with the Islanders, but Dwayne Roloson who had faced 38 shots and only given up one goal could not stop Couture or Boyle while Parenteau and Nielsen were stopped by Nittymaki.

Post game notes here on HockeyBuzz.com using the amazing work by NHL.com.

Isles 2 Canes 7 & No Party for Rob

Oh boy. Thoughts the morning after here at hockeybuzz.

Tonight's game may be a wake-up call or a repeat of last night. We'll have to wait and see.

All we do know is that Dwayne Roloson will be the target in net. But I'm thinking the outcome may not be very much different from last night.

And don't forget to @RobCarlinMSG your answer to his Twitter Question of the Day.

@RobCarlinMSG Twitter question of the day - What is your biggest concern with Rick DiPietro? See your responses on Subway #Islanders GameNight.. #Isles
15 minutes ago via TweetDeck

Tim Horton's Is Coming!!!

Turnovers. It was because of turnovers. And they weren't apple. But forget the 5 - 3 loss in Montreal for a moment, there's BIGGER news!!! Tim Horton's is coming to Long Island! But you've have to go to the Coliseum in order to line up for a Canadian cup-of-joe.

In honor of the opening, the Islanders took a 1/2 page ad in today's Newsday with a very special offer of $20.10 tickets for Friday's game against - oh no - The Montreal Canadiens.

There's even one of those funky codes you can scan in order to get your tickets and Newsday subscribers get first crack at best available seating.

I will be there, with cash. Please tell me they're also bringing the maple glazed donuts. Please!

Back to hockey: According to Katie Strang of Newsday in her morning report James Wisniewski is not happy about the officiating of last night's game. Specifically the two minute penalty for a boarding call that Moen received. While I seriously didn't think Wisniewski would return to the ice after his head hit the boards, he managed to hardly miss a shift and leave with three points and a headache. But he professes that sort of thing needs to be taken out of the game. When a guy is defenseless against the boards, you can't skate in and smash his head into the dasher. How about just trying to steal the puck? How about that?

Dwayne Roloson shared Wisniewski's feelings about the officiating and said that sort of thing leaves it to the players to take things into their own hands. (Note: don't piss off Dwayne Roloson.)

Nino Watch: We should know today if he stays or goes. After last night's performance (which Scott Gordon said will have nothing to do with the final decision) I'm personally thinking Nino may be better served being "the guy" for the Portland Winterhawks rather than fighting for icetime and perhaps eroding the young man's confidence.

We'll see.

Back to the Portland Winterhawks for Nino. Good kid. He'll have a good season there. We'll keep our eye on him.

Isles in Sunrise FL

No time for a real pre-game entry here as I have to rush around and get ready to hit the #LITweetUp event at the Farmingdale Panera bread that will help out Island Harvest for those Long Islanders less fortunate. The event is from 12 - 4 pm and food and money will be collected to help those who need a little assistance in these troubled economic times.

So the Islanders face the Panthers tonight on MSG Plus Plus in good old Kleenex vision, channel 99 or 414 on your Cablevision service. I'll only have to remember that until Tuesday when I actually switch to FIOS because I'm done with the constant arguments and conflicts. Oh, and the high cost of my cable bill as well. No contracts, 4 cable boxes and saving $20 a month over what I pay now. Win win for me. No News12? Oh, well. I hear Fios One is pretty damned good too. Look out Cablevision, Verizon has had to bring in extra crews to handle the orders here on Long Island. Hope you enjoy your fight with Newscorp.

Oh, and Newscorp? Thanks for taking Fox5 and Channel 9 off the air this week. It made me realize I really don't need to watch the Simpsons and The Office over and over again. Not a problem. I will not be paying extra for your services.

I will be watching Rob Carlin's Islanders Pre-gaame show tonight where Matt Moulson takes on the 10 Question challenge. I'm rooting for you Matty.

Very fitting that the Panthers chose this game against the Islanders to honor Bill Torrey and will be raising a banner in his honor during the pre-game.

Andy MacDonald out 4 - 6 weeks with the hand injury and Jack Hillen will take his place. I do not believe that Josh Bailey should play in this game, even if he says he feels good enough to go. Nope. Hold him out a little longer please.

Bruno Gervais has still not seen any ice this season. Poor Bruno. He must be getting very depressed.

No word as of 11:11 am as to who is in net, but personally -- I'd go with Rolie.

Wow. I even run late on Saturdays when all I have to do is -- everything!

Roloson Wins In TO & Josh Bailey News via Twitter

1:48 pm: News from Newsday's Art Staple regarding Josh Bailey via Twitter:

Scott Gordon says Josh Bailey will accompany #Isles to Fla., but not likely to play Thursday vs. #Lightning. Same for Trent Hunter (foot).
5 minutes ago via web

Also Radek Martinek not skating today for #Isles.
about 1 hour ago via Mobile Web

No Trent Hunter, no Josh Bailey at #Isles practice.

Dwayne Roloson stole two points for the Toronto Maple Leafs. He plays well in Toronto, but this was just excellent. Perhaps that shamrock on the back of his new helmet is indeed really lucky.

The highlight reel will show Radek Martinek making some huge saves for Roloson, Doug Weight playing hard, Grabner using the rockets on his skates and Zenon Konopka winning a decision by default. Brown lost an edge and hit the ice. Fight over before it really began since Zenon is a very patient fighter that knows he needs to be in position. Trevor Gillies actually took a shot at the net. Read that again.

Roloson benefited from two goals that were waived off that kept the Leafs from getting on the board after Matt Moulson's goal. One was thought to have been hit with a high stick and the other almost goal was shown to have never crossed the goal line. Ron Wilson tried to argue that John Tavares had his hand over it, but the tape was conclusive. No goal. The argument stopped, play continued.

Of course, with a final penalty in the last few minutes, Phil Kessel tied it at 17:55 of the third on a power play while Andrew MacDonald sat in the box. As soon as Matt Moulson scored the first goal in the second period, I said that it would be Phil Kessel to tie it up. I just didn't think it would take him that long. But he couldn't score the game winner.

Nope. That belonged to John Tavares.

During the post game interviews, the guy with the game winner, JT, told reporters "It's a big win. It's great to be back." While he was trying to answer the media professionally, Blake Comeau was being a joker and balancing a bottle of something on his shoulder. Check the MSG Video. JT never flinched. He's that professional. Asked about the OT goal that won the game from a James Wisniewski pass, "I put my head down and shot it as hard as I could. I didn't see it go in. I just saw the guys celebrate."
http://video.msg.com/Home/Isles-Postgame-Win-Over-Toronto-10-18

Scott Gordon seemed tense surrounded by the large media contingent. Once again, he showed no emotion in his answers. You would have thought they lost.

"Obviously it's great to come in and get a road win. Especially playing against a team that's playing pretty well." Especially playing against his friend Ron Wilson's team that had won all their previous games.

Roloson got the nod in net because "Rolson had some good games here last year so we wanted to take advantage of that." Advantage? They're going to put a warrant out for his arrest after that heist.

Regarding JT Gordon said "John, having missed a couple of games, is frustrated. Getting that huge goal will boast his confidence." But Scott wasn't all complimentary of his team. "The other two Power Plays were awful." Uh oh. But then he thought of the big picture. "I'm real happy with the special teams. They came up big when they had to." Rob Carlin asked if it was a chemistry thing going on with this team who can come back even after losing Josh Bailey after the first period to a hip flexor injury. "It's just attitude... We really have set a standard in the lockeroom. The biggest thing is the guys are enthusiastic."

And there is that "Never Say Die attitude."

When Dwayne Roloson was asked in the locker room if it was something about the building that makes him play so well, he said "I don't think it's the building or anything else. It's just the focus on playing. We got a big road trip coming up here. We're going to be on the road a lot, so just to get over the hump and get a big win is important. Hopefully we can carry this over into our trip."

The Isles play Tampa on Thursday and Florida on Saturday. That should give Josh Bailey plenty of time to recover -- we hope.

Isles @ Pens: Before the Puck Drops

12:19 PM: As a surprise Tweet, the @NYIslanders account has informed the faithful that it is Rick DiPietro in net tonight against Sidney Crosby and Pittsburgh.

Oh. Brother.
I hear the Consol Energy Center is absolutely beautiful. But it hasn't been very kind to it's main tenant, the Pittsburgh Penguins. That may change tonight as the Islanders will face off with the team that has beaten them 14 times out of 18 in Pittsburgh.

Sidney Crosby should love seeing the Islanders as he has scored 61 points in 31 games against the Isles including a historic one for him on Uniondale ice.

This will not be an easy game by any stretch of the imagination. While the Islanders have numerous key injuries, out of the Pens line-up is Jordan Staal, Aaron Asham, Brooks Orpik and Zbynek Michalek. (Don't ask me to pronounce that.)

John Tavares should not be playing in this game, but may be available to play tomorrow for the "Throw Back" night at the Coliseum. Dwayne Roloson played incredibly well on Wednesday and would be a good call to stand in net against the Penguins. But of course, I am not Scott Gordon and we don't know if Rick will get the nod or not. (Personally, I'd hold Rick off until tomorrow.)

With James Wisniewski cooling his heels in the press box for another game, will Bruno Gervais get some game action tonight or will it be Jack Hillen getting another shot retaining a roster spot?

We'll have to tune in tonight at 6:30 pm for the MSGPlus pre-game show before the 7 pm contest. (Yankees are on at 8 pm? ugh. Wish I knew how to get the PIP thing to work~!)

And if you DON'T know about Throw-back night, check out the Isles main website where you can click to get tickets for only $19.72 for Saturday's game. Great value for a Saturday game.

Isles Goal Scorers: Moulson, Okposo & Bailey

But the Pens scored 7 -- as I knew they would. Sid the Kid gets his 50th goal and his 500 th point tonight making the night even a little more special for the kid.

It was special for the Isles too. It was the night they got thier heads handed to them. Marty Biron played the first period and was replaced by Roloson. He faired no better against some of the best talent in the NHL

While this game was historic as the last regulation NHL game in the Igloo, it's one the Isles will want to forget. But there is a strong possibility that Josh Bailey won'tbe able to forget it for a long time as he was taken against the boards by "Pony" and left bleeding. Guessing that's a scar he will have for a long time. One he may even be able to tell his kids about later in life.

Gillies had one go 'round tonight and won. Tim Jackman would have, but he can't fight with the cage.

Get on the plane boys and come home. Just forget this one. It was one you could never have won anway.

Matt now has 28 goals. Will he get to 30 in the next two games? Well, he may and that would be very cool.

"We Shot Ourselves in the Foot"

I was looking forward to this game because the tension of trade day was over. We know this is the team that we are ending the season with and they had an exceptional showing over the Black Hawks on Tuesday.

I stopped at the Isles store on my way home and then picked up way too much Taco Bell with the idea of being able to sit in front of the big screen and just enjoy the game.

Yeah.

I forgot how great listening to Chris King actually is. I was in the car at 7pm and turned on 94.3 FM to listen to the game so I wouldn't miss anything. Once the puck dropped, Kinger was replaced by TV crew Howie Rose and Billy Jaffe. Everything was fine, my reception was clear as I head east, but then the unthinkable happened. Billy and Howie were talking about Dylan Reese and his first shift on the ice, which was fine. However, within a few minutes (literally minutes) I found myself yelling at the radio, "STFU Howie and call the game!!" I could hear the action on the ice, but I had no idea what was happening. It was then I understood the frustration of those who cannot watch the game, only hear it on the radio.

I would never think of telling Howie to shut up while I was watching the broadcast. But when I was forced to listen to it, that was totally different. This doesn't work. Not by a long shot.

Neither did the Islanders defense as it was already 3 - 0 by the time I opened my front door and threw the Taco Bell bags on the table to turn on the TV.

Our "MVP," Dwayne Roloson must have been having a reaction from the pressure and uncertainty of trade deadline day because he gave up "3 goals on 7 shots. It just wasn't working." That's how Scott Gordon described it in the post game report with Rob Carlin. He looked like he could have spit nails MSG's Rob Carlin as he tried to ask the coach questions about a game Rob felt that the Thrashers dominated.

"First things first, they didn't dominate. Not even close. The reason why they scored their goals was us shooting ourselves in the foot." He then went on to detail all the things that went wrong. Line changes, turn overs, it bothered him. "So before we give Atlanta too much credit, we need to look at ourselves and see what we did to allow them to capitalize on those opportunities."

Yep. I think he was a little miffed. This was the same team that had just beat the Black Hawks 5 - 3, and here they were down 6 - 1 at one point before Robbie Schremp tried to make it look respectable late in the third. But it was too late for that. Tim Jackman, sweating in the full shield, made it 6 - 3 at 12:48 of the third, which only made it a little less frustrating.

Marty Biron didn't like the game either. You could tell by the way he skated out to bat the puck out of his own end to try to give himself a break for two seconds. After all, his defensemen let Afinogenov skate from behind his own net all the way down the ice, dancing around every Islander present until he was Marty's doorstep, where he promptly deposited it in the net. That was the fourth Thraser goal and probably the one that gave Scott Gordon the headache.

He handled Bergfors first goal at 05:04, and Antropov's first of the evening at 08:51. He probably started to feel it a little when MacArthur lit the lamp behind Roloson again at 09:16. That's when he figured it was time for Dwayne to take a seat and let Biron see the game. But after Afinogenov's goal, Antropov scored his second on a power play at 10:05 of the 2nd he was probably looking for some Advil and when Artyukhin netted the Thrashers' 6th at 15:53 of the 2nd, his eyesight may have gone fuzzy. He could no longer take solace from Mark Streit's goal in the first.

Neither could I.

This was Dylan Reese's first NHL game. His family was in the arena. They watched him play 9:59 and handle himself pretty well. "I think the first time being in the NHL, I think for the most part he looked like he was comfortable out there. He didn't play tentative and that's what I liked about it."

And that was probably the ONLY thing Scott Gordon liked about this game.

Bruins up on Saturday for a 2 pm bout. We know how day games go. Bring Advil.

HTM Agrees! Islanders Did the Right Thing!

As hindsight is always 20/20, I was very happy to hear the HTM guys on XM this morning saying that Garth Snow absolutely did the right thing by standing pat and not trading just to make trades.

If all the interest was in Dwayne Roloson, it was obvious that wasn't a deal he could make. If there was interest in our depth players, if he wasn't getting back equal or better value, then what would be the point. And if anyone was dumb enough to start asking for JT, Kyle, Josh or Matt Moulson, I would hope he would have just laughed and hung up the phone.

As the HTM guys said, we don't know what the conversations were. We have no idea what was being offered. Rumor has it that many GMs make offers that are routinely laughed at. Maybe this is their day of private jokes. Who knows.

I like the way Brian Burke looks at it. He said if you're having to make major changes in March then you didn't do a very good job putting the team together and you should probably be fired. He also said no one gets fired for NOT making deals. The Pope of Hockey has spoken.

So 19 games on the schedule remain. Our team is what it is and we know what we have. With the exception of Dylan Reese who has been called up from Bridgeport. This guy has been on three teams in FOUR days. Someone please remind him which net he should defend.

Isles vs. Thrashers tonight with our MVP, Dwayne Roloson in net and the guy I really LOVE talking to backing him up.

I'm wearing my Blue, White & Orange today and will probably wear a jersey on the couch when covering the game -- and no one can tell me Boo!

Now go out there and win some games!

Oh! And don't forget to vote for this year's Bob Nystrom Award!

It's the Curve of the Stick

That's what seems to be the difference in Blake Comeau's scoring ability. According to Scott Gordon, he's using Hunter's sticks.

The Man of the Hour, the guy with the hat trick, stood in a puddle of stuffed bean bag toys surrounded by the media. They asked him about each goal. He took them through them, one by one. Considering how often Comeau has been a healthy scratch, he can relish every second of this.

The Twitter feed confirmed the difference. As per Point Blank, in Comeau's first 151 games in the NHL he had no multi-goal games. He's had two the last two games he's played. Scott Gordon said he didn't remember the last game and smiled. He also said Hunter should hide his sticks or he wouldn't have any.

When the media abruptly left Comeau, they surrounded Dwayne Roloson. The man with the gray hair in his beard, who had just faced 44 shots and was the second star of the game, stood in the bright lights of the cameras and spoke in calm, quiet tones.

The question of the night was if this was a showcase game for the veteran goaltender. Roloson brushes it off as just part of the game. It is un-nerving, but they know it could happen and someone may need to leave tomorrow or in an hour. He accepts it and understands it. I would never be able to handle such upheaval. But then again, when it's coupled with a few million dollars, I would probably try to make it work.

Scott Gordon is always in a good mood when they win. He was in an exceptional mood tonight. More than likely not just because of the win, but because of the break from his normal routine. He made a joke about the Assistant Coaches doing something different while he was away that made the team react differently after the first period. Everyone chuckled.

But the Islanders, with the exception of Mark Streit, were a rested team with two defenseman back in the line up from injury. "As far as playing up to their speed, I thought they put up a lot of pace in the first period. I thought we were a step behind them and we didn't get the puck in and we were too slow to move it."

The Islanders were badly out shot in the first period. But Dwayne Roloson (showcase or not) kept them in the game with save after save. Gordon stuck up for Roloson when the tough stretch he had gone through had interrupted the Islanders winning streak. "Dwayne hasn't been that far off. He's had some lapses but I'm not critical of his play, we just couldn't score goals."

Maybe they should ALL use Hunter's sticks! Scott also said the difference is shooting instead of passing the puck. "He had a good shot before he changed sticks. Just getting him to understand to use his shot if he has the opportunity instead of looking for the pass. It's no different with Josh. Josh is always pass first mentality. And Garth said to them one day, the guys that make the money are the ones that score the goals. So, you might as well be one of those."

The question will be, who is paying the money. With Sean Bergenheim a healthy scratch tonight along with (two guesses) Jeff Tambellini. Maybe they are both packing. Maybe not.

Trent Hunter, who stayed out of practice yesterday, took one hell of a hit in the third period and was walking around after the game with an ice pack on his right shoulder. Hopefully, it doesn't turn into something major.

Jack Hillen played 19:10 in his first game back. Tim Jackman played 12:43 and was a +2. Mark Streit, the iron man of Switzerland, played a team leading 26:06 and was a +3.

This is how they needed to start the last stretch of 20 games. There are now 19 games left to the season. It will either end in April in disappointment or continue on a little while into the Spring. That is what Scott Allen told me I should be hoping for. He was very serious.

Tomorrow the NHL loses their minds for a few hours. I'll be at work with the computer on overload waiting to see what else Mr. Snow has up his sleeve.

Hearts & Heartache: Sens 4 - Isles 3

I had the whole day planned. I had looked forward to it for weeks. Just as so many other well planned events, things didn’t quite live up to expectations.

There was a red velvet, heart shaped cake in the fridge for two days that I insisted my mother make us as our Anniversary gift. There were two bottles of champagne chilling in the cooler and a pizza dough rising on the stove.

There were also VIP tickets to the Islanders game courtesy of one of my closest friends and favorite people. The trouble was there was also a sick husband home on the couch coughing up a lung.

“Can you still go?” I was asked. “You think I’m going to stay home from the last game before the break so I can watch him sleep? Are you kidding?”

My 15-year-old brat girl became my Valentine’s date for the afternoon. Oddly, I did enjoy her company. However, the game left much to be desired.

Both teams on the ice wanted to head into the Olympic break “on a high note.” Only one could. It came down to who actually wanted it more in the third period. The Senators rallied from a 3 - 1 deficit so as not to repeat their previous night’s loss to the Red Wings and scored three unanswered goals.

An Ottawa newspaper called our fan base “apathetic,” I think we were just stunned. Blake Comeau scored two goals but couldn’t manage that third for a hat trick and Matt Moulson tallied his team leading 22nd. Maybe he heard me calling for it for Section 218, “Matty!!! I want #22!” He gave it to me.

Matt Martin, playing in his fourth NHL game didn’t have another fight, didn’t receive another penalty, but did manage one less shot on goal than team mate John Tavares; six.

But it was the continued inability of the Power Play that sunk the Islanders hopes of earning another two points before the break. I’ve said all along, if you can’t score five on three, there is something seriously wrong. The Isles began the third with the two man advantage for 46 seconds. When they could not capitalize on it, the Sens smelled blood and the collapse began. Then again, what should I have expected? The Senators came into this contest with 76 points to the Isles 58 and had won both previous contests this season. This was another opportunity lost for the Islanders to prove they could compete with the best of them.

Jon Sim and Jeff Tambellini were the scratches again for Sunday. Considering how few games Jeff has played this season, I can only assume that his name is penciled into just about every and any trade package Mr. Snow is working on for the deadline. “If you want Andy, you have to take Tamby too.”

Marty Biron was Dwayne Roloson’s backup while Rick DiPietro was home with the flu. (I wonder if there was a heart shaped cake and champagne in his fridge too.) Roloson has lost all of his last five starts. Memories of that January 12th shut out against Detroit are quickly fading.

Just as that Ottawa paper said this morning, “The Islanders look like a team that has lost grasp on the hopes of a playoff spot.” An accurate observation. But more painful for me was listening to Chris King’s post game on WMJC on the way home. There are only 20 more games left to the season and only eleven home games. Where did the season go? I will have to try to make sure that I don’t miss any of the upcoming contests that begin again on March 2nd.

By the time I hit my driveway, the text came over my phone announcing the reassignment to Bridgeport of Matt Martin, Jesse Joensuu and Dustin Kohn. I guess they will not be making that group trip to Mexico with the rest of the boys.

With the Olympic break, I will be certain to get to Bridgeport for at least one game, maybe two if I can swing it.

I made the heart shaped pizza while drinking champagne from one of my Anniversary flutes. By 11 pm, while watching the sports anchor on Channel 4 give the Islanders a one line game review, “The Islanders lost 4 - 3 to the Ottawa Senators,” I cut into that heart shaped cake and wondered what the hell I was going to do for the next two weeks.

Trade Freeze & Cold Wars

The Olympic trade freeze is making a mess out of the March 3rd trade deadline dealings as some rush to make deals now while others are forced to sit on their hands for the next two weeks.

In our own little corner of the NHL, we have a different problem: Our standings prior to Monday will determine whether the Islanders will be buying or selling. (Or so I've heard.)

I've also heard that weeks back, when it looked as if the playoffs were well within their grasp, plans were being formulated by the sales and marketing departments. Perhaps that was the kiss of death to the season as the Islanders then headed into a 7 game losing slump, followed by a shoot out win, followed by yet another regulation loss. Points squandered as other teams bypass them in this insanely tight race for that final playoff spot.

Personally, I don't want the 8th playoff spot if it means they'll play five games in the first round and then get tossed. As nice as it is to extend the season for another two weeks, as a fan, it's painful to get your hopes up only to have them hit the deck by game three. Yeah. Been there, done that. It hurts.

Currently, while all along the plan was to trade Marty Biron and keep Dwayne Roloson, reality has made that plan about as realistic as me losing 15 lbs by June. Sources on the net say the brewing interest is in Dwayne Roloson and not Marty Biron.

On a personal level, I wouldn't mind keeping Marty around to back-up Rick as he can be solid (as proven on Tuesday) and he is great on the bench and in the locker room. But I know the plan all along was to use him as a trade chip when Rick was healthy. (Hence the one year deal for Marty and the two year deal for Roli.) Luckily, it wasn't a secret to Biron either.

But the 40 year-old goaltender with the contract of $3Mil for one more year and the winning record is the one drawing interest. That is going to require a change of strategy for GM Garth Snow.

I'm guessing he's had to change plans a few times these past few weeks as veteran D Brendan Witt didn't draw any trade interest and was put on waivers. He is playing in Bridgeport and it is said the Isles are not planning on putting him on re-entry waivers. As a UFA come July 1st, it seems that Witt will be playing his last days in the organization in a Sound Tigers jersey. Not horrendous, but certainly not the best fate for an established NHLer. .*Never trust information on the web. Just been told he's signed through 2011. Okay, Now I have to go investigate this later when I am on lunch. Thanks Nicky!


While the Islanders are developing the talents of such youngsters as MacDonald, Kohn and newest call-up Matt Martin, Andy Sutton has now become a target for teams looking for a big body with established skills. Uh oh.

Sutton has been reported as saying he would like to stay on the Islanders, however if the right deal comes along, certainly they can't refuse.

I can only assume, privately, there are teams eyeing other Islanders players they feel can fill a grey area on their roster. I won't say 'hole' because for sure the only ones on our roster that are 'hole' fillers, we certainly will not part with. (Kyle is ours, don't even think about it! ANY of you!)

The Islanders play the Lightning on Saturday and the Senators on Sunday. In all honesty, if they can squeak out one point in two days, I'd be surprised. Expect the "For Sale" sign to go up in Uniondale by Monday.