After the game last night, and Matt's 29th goal, he tried to gather his things for today's game in New Jersey. Stan Fischler and the MSG cameras came in and immediately wanted to talk to Moulson. Of course. He scored the pivotal goal that turned the momentum of the game. Also, he's always good for an interview.
But the PR director shuffled everyone towards Jack Hillen at the back wall, and the crush of recorders and cameras turned their attention to Jack and left Matt to go over his hockey bag.
Until I came over. Besides Matt's 29th goal of the season (and another $500 for charity I might add!!) I noticed something else in that game. Hits. BIG hits from Matt Moulson who is usually the one GETTING hit. So I asked him about them. When I told him he was credited with two hits, he was disappointed.
"That's it?" He looked up at me. "I thought I had more than that."
Nope. NHL stat machine says two. Along with the four shots, two blocked shots, one missed shot, three take-aways and one turn-over. Hey, they are very detailed. "I'll take two I guess. I'll take two."
Obviously they stood out in his mind as much as they did in mine.
The first hit was at 3:07 of the first and it was on that building called Chara. My eyes almost fell out of my head.
The second was a hit on Adam Quaid at 18:55 of the first that rattled the glass. I turned to my blog box buddies and asked them. "Hey, since when does Matt Moulson hit?"
@IslesRM Rob looked up from his computer at me, "You mean Matt MARTIN."
"No! No. Matty! He threw two hits." Both Rob and OkposoNet.com Ken Dick looked at me like I was hallucinating.
But, the Iron Man of the Islanders who has managed to play every game this season so far should back off on hitting and just keep scoring.
I asked Matt if the booing that Chara received all night effected the Islanders at all. "I don't think it effected us much. But, they're entitled to boo, I guess."
And then MSG's Stan Fischler was back, microphone in hand and I became trapped in the crush. One more inch and I would have fallen on Moulson. I had already tripped over a garbage can and a hockey bag. It's an obstacle course in there when they're about to travel.
Showing posts with label Jack Hillen. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jack Hillen. Show all posts
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Isles vs. Sabres (again) before the JETS game
I almost didn't want to write a post-game. No, I didn't want to write a post-game, but I finally did. I had packed up my computer before the end of the game and didn't write anything until mid-way through the Jets loss.
And if anyone is interested, it can be found here, at Hockeybuzz.com
There will be an extensive post on the Lighthouse Hockey tournament finale that took place this morning. I don't want to bury it right now because it deserves the space.
So for now, the Isles face the Sabres with Rick in net and Kevin Poulin backing him up as Nate Lawson's knee will be re-evaluated later today.
Pretty funny that Evgeni Nabokov is listed as a scratch on the scoresheet along with Trevor Gillies and Nate Lawson. After all, whether he likes it or not, Nabokov right now is Islander property. No word if he actually got on that plane the Islanders booked for him today or not. My thought is "not." Then I guess the man just won't play this year. Dumb move if you ask me.
It will be Ryan Miller in net today for Buffalo and Rick DiPIetro for the Islanders.
Well, it took 15 seconds for the Sabres to score on a puck that wasn't controlled in the paint and it's already 1 - 0 Sabres. The Sabres lost to the Islanders this week and they do not want to lose again. They'll fight for this win.
Islanders with the first power play of the afternoon managed only two shots on Ryan Miller.
And according to ESPN's Pierre LeBrun, Nabokov has decided to stay home rather than report to the Islanders. According to his report, he has no messages from Garth Snow. Perhaps he has an old phone number. Well, whatever the situation really is, the CBA rules are intact and the ball is now in Garth Snow's court. Serve.
With 5:15 left of the first, shots on goal are even at 8
Start of the second period and Niedermayer takes a delay of game penalty. Matt Moulson, parked where he should be, in front of Miller's net, takes a pass from JT behind the net and gets it by Miller's pads. That's another one for #MightyMattMoulson and an even 1-1 for the Islanders
And as soon as I hit Publish Post, the Sabres go up by one on a goal by Ennis. This is going to be a long game.
Josh Bailey had a great chance in front of Miller that could have changed the direction of the game, but was not able to get it by him.
A few clicks later JT made a pass down the wing as PA Parenteau was driving to the net which took Miller out of position and Moulson netted his second of the game and 17th of the season which evened the score at two. SOG are now 25 to 14.
Blood is spilled as Frans Nielsen takes a stick to the face and the Sabres are left with a four minute penalty to kill off.
Rick DiPietro, once again, skates out past the circle to play a puck. Did we not set the bungee cords up for him? Seriously.
The four minute power play is followed by a four minute penalty kill as Josh Bailey is sent to the box for drawing blood as well. The Islanders will have to kill off 2:07 of the penalty on a clean sheet of ice to start the third.
The Islanders are seriously outshooting the Sabres, but Miller is showing why he is who he is.
Meanwhile, the Nabokov saga is getting a lot of airplay on Twitter and it just keeps getting more rediculous. Also announced the crowd is 10,120 and that Nate Lawson will be out 1 - 2 weeks with an MCL strain.
Guess that means Kevin Poulin will be getting comfortable in his Islanders jersey.
Okay, so the PK couldn't kill off the entire 4 minute penalty and Gerbe managed to get a shot close in past RDP. There was a little roughing going on in front of the benches and both JT and Gaustad are sent to the box. Teams will skate 4 on 4 while the Sabres are up 3 - 2 early in the third period
At 3:53 of the third, the Sabres get a lucky break as a play is reviewed and determined the the puck that Rick was covering did cross the line before the whistle blew and the net was back on the moorings to put the Sabres up 4 - 2. This leaves time for the Islanders to come back, but it won't be easy if they can.
With 3:23 left of the third, Jack Hillen scores to get the Isles within one. The Isles have now outshot the Sabres 34 - 21. But the sabres still will win and I have to pack up.
maybe that will mean the Isles will tie the game and go to OT on a Matt Moulson goal. PS, if I have to hear Ken Dick say OH S**T one more time due to football, I will hurt him. I keep thinking something is wrong.
Later
And if anyone is interested, it can be found here, at Hockeybuzz.com
There will be an extensive post on the Lighthouse Hockey tournament finale that took place this morning. I don't want to bury it right now because it deserves the space.
So for now, the Isles face the Sabres with Rick in net and Kevin Poulin backing him up as Nate Lawson's knee will be re-evaluated later today.
Pretty funny that Evgeni Nabokov is listed as a scratch on the scoresheet along with Trevor Gillies and Nate Lawson. After all, whether he likes it or not, Nabokov right now is Islander property. No word if he actually got on that plane the Islanders booked for him today or not. My thought is "not." Then I guess the man just won't play this year. Dumb move if you ask me.
It will be Ryan Miller in net today for Buffalo and Rick DiPIetro for the Islanders.
Well, it took 15 seconds for the Sabres to score on a puck that wasn't controlled in the paint and it's already 1 - 0 Sabres. The Sabres lost to the Islanders this week and they do not want to lose again. They'll fight for this win.
Islanders with the first power play of the afternoon managed only two shots on Ryan Miller.
And according to ESPN's Pierre LeBrun, Nabokov has decided to stay home rather than report to the Islanders. According to his report, he has no messages from Garth Snow. Perhaps he has an old phone number. Well, whatever the situation really is, the CBA rules are intact and the ball is now in Garth Snow's court. Serve.
With 5:15 left of the first, shots on goal are even at 8
Start of the second period and Niedermayer takes a delay of game penalty. Matt Moulson, parked where he should be, in front of Miller's net, takes a pass from JT behind the net and gets it by Miller's pads. That's another one for #MightyMattMoulson and an even 1-1 for the Islanders
And as soon as I hit Publish Post, the Sabres go up by one on a goal by Ennis. This is going to be a long game.
Josh Bailey had a great chance in front of Miller that could have changed the direction of the game, but was not able to get it by him.
A few clicks later JT made a pass down the wing as PA Parenteau was driving to the net which took Miller out of position and Moulson netted his second of the game and 17th of the season which evened the score at two. SOG are now 25 to 14.
Blood is spilled as Frans Nielsen takes a stick to the face and the Sabres are left with a four minute penalty to kill off.
Rick DiPietro, once again, skates out past the circle to play a puck. Did we not set the bungee cords up for him? Seriously.
The four minute power play is followed by a four minute penalty kill as Josh Bailey is sent to the box for drawing blood as well. The Islanders will have to kill off 2:07 of the penalty on a clean sheet of ice to start the third.
The Islanders are seriously outshooting the Sabres, but Miller is showing why he is who he is.
Meanwhile, the Nabokov saga is getting a lot of airplay on Twitter and it just keeps getting more rediculous. Also announced the crowd is 10,120 and that Nate Lawson will be out 1 - 2 weeks with an MCL strain.
Guess that means Kevin Poulin will be getting comfortable in his Islanders jersey.
Okay, so the PK couldn't kill off the entire 4 minute penalty and Gerbe managed to get a shot close in past RDP. There was a little roughing going on in front of the benches and both JT and Gaustad are sent to the box. Teams will skate 4 on 4 while the Sabres are up 3 - 2 early in the third period
At 3:53 of the third, the Sabres get a lucky break as a play is reviewed and determined the the puck that Rick was covering did cross the line before the whistle blew and the net was back on the moorings to put the Sabres up 4 - 2. This leaves time for the Islanders to come back, but it won't be easy if they can.
With 3:23 left of the third, Jack Hillen scores to get the Isles within one. The Isles have now outshot the Sabres 34 - 21. But the sabres still will win and I have to pack up.
maybe that will mean the Isles will tie the game and go to OT on a Matt Moulson goal. PS, if I have to hear Ken Dick say OH S**T one more time due to football, I will hurt him. I keep thinking something is wrong.
Later
Monday, November 29, 2010
Random Thoughts For an Off Day
I've been completely out of it today. It started with my tour of Jury Duty, which I begrudgingly went to (like everyone else). After four hours of sitting in one place, we were mercifully relieved. In some ways it may have been interesting to serve on a jury. But considering what I do, can I really be relied on to judge only the facts presented? Um, hardly.
Fact: In a Twitter mention, @NYIslanders released the info that Bruno Gervais has a fractured cheekbone. That'll teach ya to drop the gloves Bruno.
Good News Dept.: Andy MacDonald is close to returning. YEAH! Not sure if he's just the good luck charm or if he means that much to the team, but it just has not been the same without him. No word if he will be available for Thursday against the Rangers as of yet. Not sure if Jack Hillen will be ready either, but I'm thinking that Capt'n Jack, I mean coach Jack may want to give Travis Hamonic a little taste of that Ranger Rivalry he's heard so much about.
Good Food Dept.: Tomorrow is the Meet & Eat with Rob Schremp and A-Mac at Social, the restaurant across from the Coliseum. I've heard so much about it from people who have been there and really, really enjoyed the food. What do they know? I used to own a restaurant. I'm no Chef Ramsey, but I certainly know my way around a commercial stove.
Besides, if the food is as good as I've heard, a gift certificate will be the perfect Christmas gift for my In-laws who live a stone's throw from there. Any time spent with funny-man Rob Schremp is well worth the price, so I'm pretty sure everyone attending will leave full and happy. If you couldn't make this event, Social should be having a few more of these Meet & Eat deals throughout the season.
Good Read Dept.: Books are always good holiday gifts, so don't forget that hockey fan on your list. There's Stan Fischler's "Who's Better?" which he was autographing after the game on Saturday at the Coliseum. And then for the stats junkie, hockey know-it-all in your family, how about Hockey Prospectus? Good value and good info.
For your non-hockey fan, Mom, Aunt, Grandmother or Niece, how about "Necessary Heartbreak"? A Novel of faith and forgiveness. And something that will be better received than a fruitcake.
Fact: In a Twitter mention, @NYIslanders released the info that Bruno Gervais has a fractured cheekbone. That'll teach ya to drop the gloves Bruno.
Good News Dept.: Andy MacDonald is close to returning. YEAH! Not sure if he's just the good luck charm or if he means that much to the team, but it just has not been the same without him. No word if he will be available for Thursday against the Rangers as of yet. Not sure if Jack Hillen will be ready either, but I'm thinking that Capt'n Jack, I mean coach Jack may want to give Travis Hamonic a little taste of that Ranger Rivalry he's heard so much about.
Good Food Dept.: Tomorrow is the Meet & Eat with Rob Schremp and A-Mac at Social, the restaurant across from the Coliseum. I've heard so much about it from people who have been there and really, really enjoyed the food. What do they know? I used to own a restaurant. I'm no Chef Ramsey, but I certainly know my way around a commercial stove.
Besides, if the food is as good as I've heard, a gift certificate will be the perfect Christmas gift for my In-laws who live a stone's throw from there. Any time spent with funny-man Rob Schremp is well worth the price, so I'm pretty sure everyone attending will leave full and happy. If you couldn't make this event, Social should be having a few more of these Meet & Eat deals throughout the season.
Good Read Dept.: Books are always good holiday gifts, so don't forget that hockey fan on your list. There's Stan Fischler's "Who's Better?" which he was autographing after the game on Saturday at the Coliseum. And then for the stats junkie, hockey know-it-all in your family, how about Hockey Prospectus? Good value and good info.
For your non-hockey fan, Mom, Aunt, Grandmother or Niece, how about "Necessary Heartbreak"? A Novel of faith and forgiveness. And something that will be better received than a fruitcake.
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Game 19: Does it Go to a Dozen?
Game day is finally here. A new day and another chance to turn the ship around. The NY Islanders 11 game losing streak began in late October with a game against the Panthers. Maybe karma will intervene and they will begin a winning streak beginning tonight. Hey, come on. The Kings lost a game. The Isles can win one.
Jack Capuano has decided to call up big guy Jesse Joensuu to Uniondale. In a report by Newsday's Katie Srang, Jesse said he feels that time is running out for him. He played seven games with the Islanders in '08-'09, but has been a Sound Tiger for the balance. He wants to stick in the NHL.
Jon Sim went back to Bridgeport and Doug Weight was given the day off yesterday.
Good word from Ms. Strang was the Andy MacDonald was on the ice and actually had a stick in his hand. Yeah! No time table available for his return or the return of Jack Hillen. Although, from the looks of the past few games, it's Andy we miss more.
I'm going to do something different today. I'm opting to head to the morning skate and actually watch the game at home. Just like Jack Capuano, I'm looking to change things up a bit. Make things a little simpler so there doesn't need to be too much thinking. Howie Rose will do all my thinking for me tonight. Besides, even though I can see both Howie and Chris King in the press box, I can't hear either one of them. I think we should all be given headphones and get to chose an audio feed. (I'm dreaming again.)
Lastly, I am going to leave the link to the Islander/Botta discussion open for comments, but I feel I can no longer comment myself. I've stated my stance and in all honesty, I have too many close personal relationships in and around the battle that I'm going to have to stand back. If and when the Islanders make a statement regarding the situation, then I will comment again. Until then, I've covered it, I've commented on it, I've discussed it. I'll stop for now.
Oh... Until Sunday night when I will be on WGBB Radio with @IceCreepsMike on NY Sports Talk Radio at 10 pm. (Shameless plug that I will have to fix later with the proper link.)
Game day is finally here. A new day and another chance to turn the ship around. The NY Islanders 11 game losing streak began in late October with a game against the Panthers. Maybe karma will intervene and they will begin a winning streak beginning tonight. Hey, come on. The Kings lost a game. The Isles can win one.
Jack Capuano has decided to call up big guy Jesse Joensuu to Uniondale. In a report by Newsday's Katie Srang, Jesse said he feels that time is running out for him. He played seven games with the Islanders in '08-'09, but has been a Sound Tiger for the balance. He wants to stick in the NHL.
Jon Sim went back to Bridgeport and Doug Weight was given the day off yesterday.
Good word from Ms. Strang was the Andy MacDonald was on the ice and actually had a stick in his hand. Yeah! No time table available for his return or the return of Jack Hillen. Although, from the looks of the past few games, it's Andy we miss more.
I'm going to do something different today. I'm opting to head to the morning skate and actually watch the game at home. Just like Jack Capuano, I'm looking to change things up a bit. Make things a little simpler so there doesn't need to be too much thinking. Howie Rose will do all my thinking for me tonight. Besides, even though I can see both Howie and Chris King in the press box, I can't hear either one of them. I think we should all be given headphones and get to chose an audio feed. (I'm dreaming again.)
Lastly, I am going to leave the link to the Islander/Botta discussion open for comments, but I feel I can no longer comment myself. I've stated my stance and in all honesty, I have too many close personal relationships in and around the battle that I'm going to have to stand back. If and when the Islanders make a statement regarding the situation, then I will comment again. Until then, I've covered it, I've commented on it, I've discussed it. I'll stop for now.
Oh... Until Sunday night when I will be on WGBB Radio with @IceCreepsMike on NY Sports Talk Radio at 10 pm. (Shameless plug that I will have to fix later with the proper link.)
Saturday, October 23, 2010
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!
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!
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Isles On The Road
Game preview for tonight at HockeyBuzz.
It will be interesting to see Scott Gordon's roster decisions today as to who replaces Wisniewski and who will be in net. It's like going to dinner and ordering the Chef's surprise. You don't know what you're getting until the very last minute.
Personally, I'm hoping for Hillen and Roloson.
I'm looking forward to trying out the new Hofstra radio webstream with Chris King tonight. I've heard the signal is clear and of course, Kinger is always a pleasure to listen to.
7pm start. I'll be joining in later.
It will be interesting to see Scott Gordon's roster decisions today as to who replaces Wisniewski and who will be in net. It's like going to dinner and ordering the Chef's surprise. You don't know what you're getting until the very last minute.
Personally, I'm hoping for Hillen and Roloson.
I'm looking forward to trying out the new Hofstra radio webstream with Chris King tonight. I've heard the signal is clear and of course, Kinger is always a pleasure to listen to.
7pm start. I'll be joining in later.
Monday, September 20, 2010
Isles Training Camp: Relying on Others
Oh how the drive to work in the morning right now irritates me. No, it's not just the endless traffic on the Oakdale merge but the fact that my car wants nothing more than to head straight to the Coliseum where Islanders training camp has now moved.
But alas, something has to pay the bills and it is not my hockey musings. So today, while others were present at camp, I relied on Twitter to find out what was going on.
The Islanders Dyan LeBourdias has an excellent article on Jack Hillen on their main website.
When I was there at camp this weekend, Newsday's Katie Strang and I couldn't help but comment on Jack's skating ability. She called it "efficient" while I just think it's mind blowing. But along with Jacks skating, he told me in April that he really wanted to work on his shot. So I had Dyan ask him how he progressed over the summer with his quest of getting to 120 shots instead of last year's 80.
Hillen may have gone undrafted, but he will not go unnoticed. Not by a long-shot.
A minor deal was made out of Rick DiPietro taking a day off today and now having scheduled third days off from his routine. I don't know why this is getting so much conversation. Oh, wait. I take that back. It's because it is Rick. In all honesty, I think it's a brilliant idea. First of all, if you let him, Rick would probably never take a day off unless he was told to. If they want to have DiPietro around for the entire season, I don't mind them giving him some breathing room.
John Tavares turned 20 at the rink. I'm disappointed there were no Shakey Pie-in-the-face videos on ITV as there were when Ricky celebrated his birthday one year in at camp in Moncton. While still not of "legal age," John certainly no longer looks like a kid. I think we will all be pleasantly surprised to see what he can accomplish this season.
Katie Strang reports that the Islanders have been discussing an entry level contract with Nino Niederreiter's Swiss agent, who has been ever present. I'm certain he wants to get something done as quickly as possible, but the Islanders will sign Nino when they are ready. (Which will probably be soon.)
Tomorrow is Islanders Media Day. I was wondering if there would be any sort of press conference this season as they didn't have one for free agency signings or after the draft. So this will be the one big camera & microphone free for all.
I am curious to find out if Mark Eaton or Zenon Konopka will be there tomorrow and when they will be able to participate in camp.
Training camp is always where chemistry is built and to have new players not be able to participate certainly has to be a detriment. But, that is Scott Gordon's problem I suppose.
Please don't forget about the Blue & Orange Scrimmage game on Saturday morning at 11 am at the Coliseum. If the Bruins can pack their arena with almost 15,000 on a Thursday night, we have to come out strong and show them that Hockey is alive and well on Long Island. Tickets are only $10 and will benefit the Islanders Children's Foundation.
But alas, something has to pay the bills and it is not my hockey musings. So today, while others were present at camp, I relied on Twitter to find out what was going on.
The Islanders Dyan LeBourdias has an excellent article on Jack Hillen on their main website.
When I was there at camp this weekend, Newsday's Katie Strang and I couldn't help but comment on Jack's skating ability. She called it "efficient" while I just think it's mind blowing. But along with Jacks skating, he told me in April that he really wanted to work on his shot. So I had Dyan ask him how he progressed over the summer with his quest of getting to 120 shots instead of last year's 80.
“Yeah, I tinkered with a lot of different sticks and flexes and kick points and lengths, so I think I’ve settled on a good flex. I was working on different things, so I feel like I have made some progress.” – Jack Hillen
Hillen may have gone undrafted, but he will not go unnoticed. Not by a long-shot.
A minor deal was made out of Rick DiPietro taking a day off today and now having scheduled third days off from his routine. I don't know why this is getting so much conversation. Oh, wait. I take that back. It's because it is Rick. In all honesty, I think it's a brilliant idea. First of all, if you let him, Rick would probably never take a day off unless he was told to. If they want to have DiPietro around for the entire season, I don't mind them giving him some breathing room.
John Tavares turned 20 at the rink. I'm disappointed there were no Shakey Pie-in-the-face videos on ITV as there were when Ricky celebrated his birthday one year in at camp in Moncton. While still not of "legal age," John certainly no longer looks like a kid. I think we will all be pleasantly surprised to see what he can accomplish this season.
Katie Strang reports that the Islanders have been discussing an entry level contract with Nino Niederreiter's Swiss agent, who has been ever present. I'm certain he wants to get something done as quickly as possible, but the Islanders will sign Nino when they are ready. (Which will probably be soon.)
Tomorrow is Islanders Media Day. I was wondering if there would be any sort of press conference this season as they didn't have one for free agency signings or after the draft. So this will be the one big camera & microphone free for all.
I am curious to find out if Mark Eaton or Zenon Konopka will be there tomorrow and when they will be able to participate in camp.
Training camp is always where chemistry is built and to have new players not be able to participate certainly has to be a detriment. But, that is Scott Gordon's problem I suppose.
Please don't forget about the Blue & Orange Scrimmage game on Saturday morning at 11 am at the Coliseum. If the Bruins can pack their arena with almost 15,000 on a Thursday night, we have to come out strong and show them that Hockey is alive and well on Long Island. Tickets are only $10 and will benefit the Islanders Children's Foundation.
Monday, May 10, 2010
Puck Junkie Withdrawal
Good Morning. I hope everyone enjoyed their Mother's Day and weekend with family and friends. I know I have a bad case of writerfail, but work has been busy, there's been a few family issues and just general mayhem. It doesn't help that there seems to be nothing going on in Islander Country too.
Sure, I could talk about Kate Murray's grass eating herd of goats that has increased to now 14 little "kids," but what's the point. With the mess in the Gulf, an environmentally friendly project is welcome. Face it -- Mother Nature is pissed as hell right now and she's not letting up.
There were the floods in Nashville too which were deadly and devastating. The Nashville Predators Bridgestone Arena was flooded. It's an upsetting sight for a very passionate fan base.
The Phoenix Coyotes are still without an owner and may very well ultimately be displaced. Sad situation for their fans and a team that really beat the odds this season while being run by the league.
There was that bomb attempt in NY and if I start getting into that, I will be rattling off a string of politically incorrect profanities. I can't go there. But the government needs to do something about the security leak that tipped the suspected bomber off and Fox Five News perhaps shouldn't give such minute details that give others the information they need in order to actually pull it off. Is that actually journalism?
The World Championships are rolling along in Germany where Team USA faced the largest crowd of hockey fans ever: 77,000 plus. For that support, Germany beat USA 2 - 1. Sorry about that Kyle and Jack. But John Tavares and Team Canada won their first game and so did Team Sweden. Frans Nielsen is playing for them. I didn't know that until I read it on Twitter.
Rangers goalie Chad Johnson is on Team Canada in Germany, there is an exclusive blog from the tournament on the Rangers website. I guess it was difficult for any of the Islanders who are participating to do the same.
The Devils website says their TV ratings went up this season by 45%. Ha ha, New Jersey! The Isles ratings were up in triple digits and half the time the broadcasts couldn't even be located as they were buried on lower tier MSG stations.
See what happens to me when not only is there no Islanders hockey, but no Islanders news? I get very, very cranky. I guess I'll just go to work!
Monday, May 3, 2010
Garth Snow: When The World Calls
Islanders head coach Scott Gordon will be heading to Germany for the World Championships this month to represent his country once again. Hearing that John Tavares would be on the Canadian National team seemed almost a given, but when I heard that defenseman Jack Hillen will be joining Kyle Okposo on Team USA, I was surprised and elated. I’ve come to think of Jack as one of the Islanders’ best-cultivated talents.
Continued here at HockeyBuzz.com
And more infor about the World Championship by another Islander blogger here http://www.islandershockeyblog.com/2010-articles/may/2010-iihf-world-championship-team-usa.html
Up next, contract negotiations and the salary cap.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Turing Attention to the Worlds
*Photo from USAHockey website. (Even they're using Okposo to promote!)
While the playoff race is heating up in the NHL, the National teams are preparing for the World stage this year in Germany. Granted, for those of us in North America the World Championships are basically a hockey footnote, but when you're a hockey fan without a horse in the Cup race it's not such a bad idea to pay attention to the International competition that is around the corner.
The 2010 U18 Team USA has already taken Gold in Minsk for the second straight year after beating Sweden 3 - 1. The most notable thing about this Gold Medal team is that there were two players from California, one from Arizona and one from Nevada. It also heralds the quality of the USA Hockey program.
When the USA team took on Team Canada, they downed them 5 - 0. I'm not sure if Canada medaled in this tournament or not. I'll have to look further and don't have time right now.
But let's look at the Men's National team which boasts NY Islanders Kyle Okposo and Jack Hillen. This is Kyle's fourth time representing his country. As an Islander fan, I'm smiling at that fact. But add Jack Hillen and Scott Gordon into the mix and I'm downright proud.
Also on the roster is a young man who calls Syosset, NY home. That would be Eric Nystrom. Nice, right? Could this be a way for Gordon to get a good look at how well he works with Kyle and Jack? Could we be seeing Eric in an Islanders sweater come next season? I know... dreaming... dreaming...
But at least those of us here in Islanders Country, who have their eye on the Stanley Cup playoffs, also have something to look forward to for two weeks in May.
Here's to wishing the Men's National team has as much success as the U18 Team. If they come home with hardware, unlike the Olympics, I'm hoping Scott Gordon gets to come home with one of his own. But that's something else I'll have to check out.
Congrats also to the Bruins for advancing to round 2, even though I feel really, REALLY bad for Ryan Miller. I also feel really, really bad for the Nashville Predators. They put on quite a show last night but just couldn't get it done. Nashville has a great fan base and every time I hear some yodel saying Hockey doesn't work in the South I tell them to look towards the Preds. It works alright. Don't doubt it.
Monday, April 19, 2010
Jack Hillen: Working Hard Getting Results
*Photo by Webb.20 NYICI always enjoy talking to Jack Hillen because he really thinks about his answers and will even tell you he doesn’t have an answer when he doesn’t. He is one young man who has come a long way since his first days on Long Island.
Hillen came straight from Colorado College in April of 2008. To get his feet wet in the NHL, he played two of the final games of the '07-'08 season with the Islanders. He had one assist point, four penalty minutes and 3 shots on goal. He spent that summer learning the ropes of the Islanders community events and becoming familiar with his new home. I remember Jack being a little on the shy and quiet side. I was hoping that Long Island wouldn’t scare the life out of this youngster from Minnetonka, MN.
He played 33 games for Bridgeport and 40 for the Islanders the next season and though he ended the year as a -9, he was awarded a two year deal in July of 2009. Hillen has been impressive this season ending with 21 points in 69 games. (Although he ended as a -5.) That didn't seem to matter as even the Canadian media took notice this season. It wasn’t exactly a shock that Team USA tagged Hillen to join Kyle Okposo this May for the World Championships. It was more a pleasant surprise.
I asked Jack the same questions I asked the others on Monday, 4/12.
“I love watching the playoffs. It’s the best hockey outside of Olympic hockey. It’s really exciting. So I pay attention to it and I try to watch as manby games as I can.” He named “beautiful summer nights” and “golf” as possible playoff distractions and now he will have to add heading to Germany for a few weeks in May.
When I asked Jack what he felt his biggest accomplishment was this season, he was quick to answer.
“I think the way I played before the injury showed I could be a top 4 -- top 2 “D” man in this league I think that was important. After the injury, I think I showed I could over come some adversity. It wasn’t easy coming back, especially without my energy. So after the injury I was happy with that.”
Jack missed only nine games after suffering a broken jaw when a puck struck him in the face and shattered his jaw. It could have shattered his season as well. He returned to the ice quicker than expected, but as he said, it wasn’t easy. While the scar on his chin is still very fresh, he was lucky they didn't need to wire his jaw shut which assisted in his speedy recovery.
Hillen is an excellent skater, and yet that is what he said he’d be working on in the off season. The first time Assistant GM Ryan Jankowski asked me what I thought of Jack, that was the only thing that came to mind. "I love the way he skates." I told him. So when I asked what he would be working on this off-season, I was a little surprised.
“I always like to work on my skating. I feel like I have to keep my edge in that. But obviously, getting a shot through too. I looked at those stats just the other week and all the high point getting defensemen always have the most shots on net. So I was just looking, I probably had 80 shots this year (78 Jack), around there. If I could get that up to 120 - 150 shots, there’s more points out there to be had.”
Since I didn’t know that Jack was going to be tagged by Team USA, I asked him my “When do you get antsy for the season to start again” question.
“You know what -- the off season goes by so quickly and the regular season is so long, that you really don’t start getting geared up for it until you start going to your agent’s camp and skating and training religiously. So probably the end of August you start to get really geared up for it.“
I’m pretty sure Jack will have to do another tour of duty this summer for Community events, so I’ll check back with him about it then. Maybe he'll even have a medal with him then. Wouldn't THAT be nice?
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Losing Jack
I don't know why this happens just as one of our own starts to get a little recognition and turning heads, the fates whack him in the head.
For Jack Hillen, the whack in the head was a mighty slap shot off Alexander Ovechkin's stick. It was accidental, as these things usually are. A fluke. Just being in the wrong place at the wrong time. The wrong place was right in front of Roloson's crease. In a split second, the startling progress of the youngster from Minnetonka, MN (Yep, the same as the famous moccasins.) was laying on the ice in a pool of blood.
I couldn't tell how bad it was at first. Everyone crowded around him. I strained to look at the camera feed on the NHL stat guys' monitor. All I kept saying was "Oh my God. Jack." I was hoping he would just get up and shake it off. But while they waited for the medical staff, the stats guys ran the TiVo over and over and over again to see exactly what happened. Was it tipped? Was it a stick? Where did it hit? Over and over again.
The truth is, it's amazing that a human skull doesn't just explode when being hit with a frozen piece of rubber travelling at that speed and velocity. Jack took a moment to fall to his knees which is why it was difficult to discern what had happened.
Jack refused the gurney and opted to be helped out by the training and medical staff with a towel on his bloody face. The crowd applauded. I felt sick.
The task of cleaning up the aftermath left is not an easy one. It seems there isn't any chemical that they can use to just bleach out the red stain left on the ice. They did they best they could, but the red stain was still visible and a sad reminder as the Capitals scored -- again.
The biggest problem with being in the press room and not being high enough on the food chain to have anyone tell you what's happening is not hearing the on air guys. I didn't know Jack had been taken to the hospital. I looked for him on the bench when the next period started. I found out via Twitter that he had been taken for evaluation. I find everything out now via Twitter.
But I wasn't finding out anything quite fast enough. When we left the coliseum last night, we were told that the text message about Hillen's condition would come out as soon as the information was known. I went to bed around 1 am, there was no text message. I shut off my phone.
I woke at 6 am and turned it back on. No text message. I check the Islanders Authorized website. Nothing. I waited until about 9 am before I sent a text of my own. "I know you were at the hospital with Jack. What's going on?" Silence.
I waited until 10:39, then I couldn't wait any longer. "OMG!! Is Jack in surgery or something? is there anything you can say? The silence is frightening!" This is not a situation where "no news is good news." That no news usually means there is horrific news.
10:55 am, the mass text message came over the phone with the report. It was a report I didn't want to read as it did have the word surgery in it. Six to eight weeks isn't long -- if you're not a hockey player mid way through the season.
Yes, there is the Olympic break which will take up two of those eight weeks. But the calendar says Jack shouldn't be fully recovered until somewhere between the weeks of March 10th
and March 24th. Remember they said Sean Bergenheim would be out for two weeks? He was out for a month. Should he make a miraculous recovery, he'd be available for about two dozen games left of the regular season.
In February of 2004, Jeremy Roenick's jaw was shattered in a similar accident. He returned to play the final five regular season games with the Flyers. He lost eight pounds and had a four inch scar on his jawline. He kept the X-ray of his shattered jaw on his kitchen wall. But that's JR. This is Jack.
The loss of Hillen puts the Islanders in a bad way when it comes to their defense. A situation that has already been a problem. Martinek ended his season before it even started this year. Brendan Witt is hobbled. Dustin Kohn has been called up from Bridgeport. But when you look at the names on the roster under defense, it could certainly be better.
This latest injury will give Garth Snow pause to consider the phone calls he has been fielding all along. Perhaps the time is now to make a move before the Olympic roster freeze that leads straight into the trade deadline.
Tough decisions facing a team that is in a tough spot when it comes to points. I'm just glad I'm not the one responsible for making any of them.
For Jack Hillen, the whack in the head was a mighty slap shot off Alexander Ovechkin's stick. It was accidental, as these things usually are. A fluke. Just being in the wrong place at the wrong time. The wrong place was right in front of Roloson's crease. In a split second, the startling progress of the youngster from Minnetonka, MN (Yep, the same as the famous moccasins.) was laying on the ice in a pool of blood.
I couldn't tell how bad it was at first. Everyone crowded around him. I strained to look at the camera feed on the NHL stat guys' monitor. All I kept saying was "Oh my God. Jack." I was hoping he would just get up and shake it off. But while they waited for the medical staff, the stats guys ran the TiVo over and over and over again to see exactly what happened. Was it tipped? Was it a stick? Where did it hit? Over and over again.
The truth is, it's amazing that a human skull doesn't just explode when being hit with a frozen piece of rubber travelling at that speed and velocity. Jack took a moment to fall to his knees which is why it was difficult to discern what had happened.
Jack refused the gurney and opted to be helped out by the training and medical staff with a towel on his bloody face. The crowd applauded. I felt sick.
The task of cleaning up the aftermath left is not an easy one. It seems there isn't any chemical that they can use to just bleach out the red stain left on the ice. They did they best they could, but the red stain was still visible and a sad reminder as the Capitals scored -- again.
The biggest problem with being in the press room and not being high enough on the food chain to have anyone tell you what's happening is not hearing the on air guys. I didn't know Jack had been taken to the hospital. I looked for him on the bench when the next period started. I found out via Twitter that he had been taken for evaluation. I find everything out now via Twitter.
But I wasn't finding out anything quite fast enough. When we left the coliseum last night, we were told that the text message about Hillen's condition would come out as soon as the information was known. I went to bed around 1 am, there was no text message. I shut off my phone.
I woke at 6 am and turned it back on. No text message. I check the Islanders Authorized website. Nothing. I waited until about 9 am before I sent a text of my own. "I know you were at the hospital with Jack. What's going on?" Silence.
I waited until 10:39, then I couldn't wait any longer. "OMG!! Is Jack in surgery or something? is there anything you can say? The silence is frightening!" This is not a situation where "no news is good news." That no news usually means there is horrific news.
10:55 am, the mass text message came over the phone with the report. It was a report I didn't want to read as it did have the word surgery in it. Six to eight weeks isn't long -- if you're not a hockey player mid way through the season.
Yes, there is the Olympic break which will take up two of those eight weeks. But the calendar says Jack shouldn't be fully recovered until somewhere between the weeks of March 10th
and March 24th. Remember they said Sean Bergenheim would be out for two weeks? He was out for a month. Should he make a miraculous recovery, he'd be available for about two dozen games left of the regular season.
In February of 2004, Jeremy Roenick's jaw was shattered in a similar accident. He returned to play the final five regular season games with the Flyers. He lost eight pounds and had a four inch scar on his jawline. He kept the X-ray of his shattered jaw on his kitchen wall. But that's JR. This is Jack.
The loss of Hillen puts the Islanders in a bad way when it comes to their defense. A situation that has already been a problem. Martinek ended his season before it even started this year. Brendan Witt is hobbled. Dustin Kohn has been called up from Bridgeport. But when you look at the names on the roster under defense, it could certainly be better.
This latest injury will give Garth Snow pause to consider the phone calls he has been fielding all along. Perhaps the time is now to make a move before the Olympic roster freeze that leads straight into the trade deadline.
Tough decisions facing a team that is in a tough spot when it comes to points. I'm just glad I'm not the one responsible for making any of them.
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Jack & Kyle: Winning me Over
I took way too long to write an entry tonight, but I really have to learn to do this without the TV on or without trying to listen to the Sunday NY Hockey Talk radio show, or worse yet, READING so many other fabulous writers articles.
Ugghhh! WriterFail! But I did finally finish what I started. We have so much to be looking forward to this season on the NY Islanders' roster. Last night, the two that stood out to me the most were Kyle Okposo, (the future Captain of this club)and Jack Hillen who is celebrating his 24th Birthday today.
Happy Birthday Jack. Hope you enjoyed your day off.
So, if you have insomnia (as I have been accused of tonight. Sigh, and rightly so) check out the entry at HockeyBuzz.
Stay dry tomorrow. It's gonna be a wet one!
Ugghhh! WriterFail! But I did finally finish what I started. We have so much to be looking forward to this season on the NY Islanders' roster. Last night, the two that stood out to me the most were Kyle Okposo, (the future Captain of this club)and Jack Hillen who is celebrating his 24th Birthday today.
Happy Birthday Jack. Hope you enjoyed your day off.
So, if you have insomnia (as I have been accused of tonight. Sigh, and rightly so) check out the entry at HockeyBuzz.
Stay dry tomorrow. It's gonna be a wet one!
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Isles vs. Devils Redux! 1-23-10
tonight the blog will run with new stuff towards the bottom... 'Cause i like the photo here. ;0)
This was from Big Angry Man. So... not my fault if it all falls apart tonight
The puck drop is delayed as they have to squeegee the ice by the Zamboni entrance. I'm wondering if one of the kids singing the national anthem had some sort of accident.
Ricky will get his net crashed tonight for sure. The Devils do not want to lose AGAIN to the Islanders.
7:26 pm: So the Devil's Capt makes it 1 - 0 Devils and now they have to keep it away from Zach Parise. So far, Rick has made some great saves, but none better than the sliding save by Kyle Okposo.
Isles get a PP on a Slashing penalty on Zajac which really wasn't a penalty as he swatted at Streits stick which had broken a second prior. oh well. They've screwed up calls before. This one goes in the Isles favor.
END OF THE FIRST:
Still Devils 1 to Isles 0. Great game so far by Jack Hillen and Kyle Okposo. One shot off the post by Trent Hunter and one excellent chance by Jon Sim, but none have gone passed Marty.
@RobCarlinMSG talking to Okposoo during the intermission just said they didn't come ready to play tonight and they have to be better. HE is having one hell of a game. But then Kyle does everything right. he wants them to be better than this. I'm thinking that Kyle Okposo is the next Captain of the NY Islanders!
2nd period:
with only 3:44 left of the second, the Devils have not had a shot on goal. The Isles are up 2 - 1 as they tallied two goals during a five minute major penalty to White for boarding Sean Bergenheim who left the ice with a trail of blood following him. Jack Hillen was credited with a goal that Salvador actually scored on Marty Brodeur, but he'll take it. But it was Kyle Okposo that tied the score at one earlier.
For the second time, the team with the major didn't put someone in the penalty box to serve it. The Islanders gained an extra 50 seconds on the five minute major. That is like lightning striking twice in the same place!
Interesting that even a Devils fan said that he hoped White was suspended for the boarding hit on Bergenheim.
With less than 30 seconds left, the Devils score on a power play to make it even at two. Karma played a great role in this as the puck actually went off Freddy Meyer's stick and passed Ricky. Hockey Gods evening things out.
The Devils had only one shot on goal in the period. This will leave the third period to decide the game. Wow. Who would have thought an Islanders vs. Devils game would be this tense?
3rd Period: Sean Bergenheim returns to the bench with a full, clear shield on his helmet and what looks like a busted nose. I'm hoping that the Islanders can win this just for that hit on him alone.
During the intermission report, Rob Carlin spoke with Scott Allen. I'm not sure, but I think he had on a red tie. I will have to talk to him about that. No wearing the oppositions colors on game nights
Now, while hanging out on Twitter, @BattleOfNewYork said he took 15 minutes to write this post it almost made me cry. Mostly because he managed to write a full blog entry in 15 minutes and it takes me two damn hours. And on the other hand, he said some wonderful things about my club. Thanks!
Interesting that midway through the third, Jack Hillen has blocked 9 Devils' shots. He is so impressive lately. Also impressive is the save that DiPietro made as there was a log jam in his crease. Bruno Gervais took exception to anyone getting too close to DiPietro and knocked a Devil to the ice. "Here, take a seat."
The good thing was he stood up for his goaltender. The BETTER thing? He didn't take a penalty for it
6:40 left of the third and Salvador gets a puck passed Rick DiPietro right off the face off. DiPietro had so many men in front of him that he couldn't possibly have seen it. He was exceptionally angry with it. And I can't blame him one bit.
With less than 5 minutes left, the SOG in the 3rd period are 11 - 1 in the Devils favor. It is obvious that the Devils had a little "talk" after the second.
With one minute left of the third, Scott Gordon opts to pull DiPietro leaving an empty net. That is never a good idea when you are playing the Devils. It took them only a few seconds to double the score to 4 - 2.
I will not give DiPietro a failing grade for this game. He played very, very well, if indeed that was the only question. So Rick doesn't get the win, and the Isles don't get the two points or their 7th home win. But again, I am not totally unhappy with this game. However, I'm sure they are.
Brodeur thinks this was the biggest win of the season, according to his interview with Stan Fischler. That is interesting. I know he wanted to get the last one (and the one prior) back as he was chased from his net in the Coliseum.
On a personal note: I hope Big Angry Man feels pretty foolish for creating that photo of the fortune cookie.
Oh well! You can't win them all. That's why it's a game.
Friday, January 22, 2010
Getting Paid by the Minute: OT Again.
Let's pick up where I left off. I usually shut down the laptop with just a few minutes remaining so that I can pack up and rush downstairs. With the game tied at one between the Panthers and Islanders, I figured that by packing up, someone would score. Not a chance. Once again, this team brought the game into overtime and a shoot-out and brought the crowd to it's feet.
The final minutes had become so frustratingly scoreless (with so very many chances) that even the MSM guys on the lower level in front of me because increasingly VOCAL. Hey! I didn't think they were supposed to show any emotion up here!
Horton was hit with a puck in the knee and went down in severe pain. Play continued. I stopped watching the puck and watched this poor guy struggle to the bench. He had to crawl through the bench door and be helped to the bench. No whistle, so no stoppage of play.
Sean Bergenheim missed some excellent opportunities in front of Vokoun's net. Considering what a snooze fest the first period was, the third was exciting enough to get the crowd going. I was hopeful that overtime wouldn't last the full five. I put on my coat.
In a game with few penalties, at 3:24 of OT, Blake Comeau was called for slashing. Captain Doug Weight once again tried to plead the Islanders' case. This time, even Roloson left his crease to make his point. Blake sat.
It was Gervais, Nielsen and Hillen protecting Roloson in the Islanders' end. Once again, a stick breaks at the most inopportune moment leaving Bruno helpless. Jack Hillen became a human shield as he handed off his stick to Gervais. With 16 seconds left, the Islanders finally cleared the puck out of the zone and the next shift hit the ice.
I didn't see who Mark Streit hit against the near boards, but I heard it. It rattled the entire Coliseum and the crowd that was announced at over 12,000 for a Thursday against the Panthers went into a collective roar. The penalty was over and there was a minute left in OT.
Hillen (24:42 TOI) was back out again with Tavares, Bailey and Meyer. After Hillen shot wide, missing another golden opportunity to stop this damn game and leave with the two points, Dvorak skates the puck up ice towards Roloson. I couldn't write fast enough and watch the game at the same time.
Andy MacDonald (where did he come from?) saved the day in front of Roloson's crease and then got into a little pushing match with Ballard. There were 3.2 seconds remaining in OT and the Islanders faithful tried to will the team to the win, chanting "Let's Go Islanders!"
Nielsen ALMOST gave them what they wanted as he took the puck right from a face off pass and skated towards Vokoun. But his shot was blocked as the buzzer sounded leaving the shots at 36 - 34 in the Islanders favor and the crowd on it's feet.
They were going to a shoot-out, AGAIN! It would have been a far more perfect scenario had they not given the Panthers a point, but what can you do?
Nielsen, whose shoot-out move according to GM Garth Snow is "...hard to stop even when you know it's coming," didn't get much speed and the puck rang off the post.
Roloson, who said in the post game he doesn't pay much attention to his own shooters, only the ones he has to face, kept Olesz off the score sheet.
Robbie Schremp took center ice once again. I'm going to start calling him Mr. Shoot-Out. After he did his little bob and weave and lifted the puck over the pads of Vokoun, he skated back to the bench under the spotlight that seems to love him. That was "one."
On the other side, Roloson made a right pad save on Frolik. Were there only around 10,000 in the building? Because in all seriousness, they sounded like 16,000. No matter what people think of the shoot-out, you cannot deny that the fans LOVE it.
Matt Moulson, who single handedly makes a case for skaters removing their helmets for the shoot-out, stood center ice and started skating. Just when I thought the puck got away from him, into the net it went. As wonderful as that sight was, wouldn't it have been better seeing Matt with his hair flowing as the crowd cheers the win? So very reminiscent of Islander glory days gone by. Come on! Agree with me on this point!
Once downstairs, I popped into press room 6 to drop my things and when I rushed out to the locker room I bumped into Brendan Witt -- literally. (Poor guy. First hit by truck, then by a rushing blogger with her head down.)
"Hey! You're late! Get in there!" Ughhh! I know. I'm always late to the party. Oh, and PS, YES, he was limping.
Back in the locker room, while the reporters crowded around Moulson, Rick DiPietro was removing his equipment unencumbered by cameras and tape recorders. (Enjoy your few moments of anonymity Rick. They'll be all over you like white on rice soon enough.)
Above and beyond the normal quotes that fly in the locker room, I did enjoy hearing Matt Moulson and Scott Gordon compliment the crowd for their support and their energy.
"We've had great support from our fans all year here. It's becoming one of the more exciting places to play recently in the NHL -- the coliseum." Yes it is Matt! Thanks for noticing!
When Dwayne Roloson talks to the media, he is very thoughtful in his answers. So thoughtful that if someone asks him a question that he feels he has already answered for someone else, they will get a lesson in embarrassment. He is not rude or condescending. But OH BOY! Does he get his point across. "I just answered the question there. You can grab his audio if you want."
At this point I was glad I was in the back as one of the other reporters was kind enough to hold my recorder for me while Rolson spoke.
@Mozy19 stayed on the fringe of the reporter hoard and just listened. He was impressed and Islesblogger Mike and I were happy to show off our little corner of the NHL world. (We sometimes forget how very fortunate we are.)
Back in press room 6, Gordon was asked if the crowd's excitement increases the team's confidence.
"The crowd was great. The third period, the big hit we got on the wall, the four on three, the penalty kills in the third period. We had some great chances on the power play, the crowd was really into it. You know, it's fun to see the building like that. I don't know how it was in past years, but it's been growing in that direction for awhile now."
Yes, it has. This is a team that is not only fun to watch for us die-hard Islander fans, but for the rest of the hockey world as well. Everyone is taking notice. Even Mike Brophy, while doing a radio interview for Fan 590 with Garth Snow, made the comment that the reporters now look forward to turning on an Islander game.
Wow. Who'da thought?
So if you haven't been to the Coliseum lately to catch a game, I'd like to suggest you do. The fun is back.
The final minutes had become so frustratingly scoreless (with so very many chances) that even the MSM guys on the lower level in front of me because increasingly VOCAL. Hey! I didn't think they were supposed to show any emotion up here!
Horton was hit with a puck in the knee and went down in severe pain. Play continued. I stopped watching the puck and watched this poor guy struggle to the bench. He had to crawl through the bench door and be helped to the bench. No whistle, so no stoppage of play.
Sean Bergenheim missed some excellent opportunities in front of Vokoun's net. Considering what a snooze fest the first period was, the third was exciting enough to get the crowd going. I was hopeful that overtime wouldn't last the full five. I put on my coat.
In a game with few penalties, at 3:24 of OT, Blake Comeau was called for slashing. Captain Doug Weight once again tried to plead the Islanders' case. This time, even Roloson left his crease to make his point. Blake sat.
It was Gervais, Nielsen and Hillen protecting Roloson in the Islanders' end. Once again, a stick breaks at the most inopportune moment leaving Bruno helpless. Jack Hillen became a human shield as he handed off his stick to Gervais. With 16 seconds left, the Islanders finally cleared the puck out of the zone and the next shift hit the ice.
I didn't see who Mark Streit hit against the near boards, but I heard it. It rattled the entire Coliseum and the crowd that was announced at over 12,000 for a Thursday against the Panthers went into a collective roar. The penalty was over and there was a minute left in OT.
Hillen (24:42 TOI) was back out again with Tavares, Bailey and Meyer. After Hillen shot wide, missing another golden opportunity to stop this damn game and leave with the two points, Dvorak skates the puck up ice towards Roloson. I couldn't write fast enough and watch the game at the same time.
Andy MacDonald (where did he come from?) saved the day in front of Roloson's crease and then got into a little pushing match with Ballard. There were 3.2 seconds remaining in OT and the Islanders faithful tried to will the team to the win, chanting "Let's Go Islanders!"
Nielsen ALMOST gave them what they wanted as he took the puck right from a face off pass and skated towards Vokoun. But his shot was blocked as the buzzer sounded leaving the shots at 36 - 34 in the Islanders favor and the crowd on it's feet.
They were going to a shoot-out, AGAIN! It would have been a far more perfect scenario had they not given the Panthers a point, but what can you do?
Nielsen, whose shoot-out move according to GM Garth Snow is "...hard to stop even when you know it's coming," didn't get much speed and the puck rang off the post.
Roloson, who said in the post game he doesn't pay much attention to his own shooters, only the ones he has to face, kept Olesz off the score sheet.
Robbie Schremp took center ice once again. I'm going to start calling him Mr. Shoot-Out. After he did his little bob and weave and lifted the puck over the pads of Vokoun, he skated back to the bench under the spotlight that seems to love him. That was "one."
On the other side, Roloson made a right pad save on Frolik. Were there only around 10,000 in the building? Because in all seriousness, they sounded like 16,000. No matter what people think of the shoot-out, you cannot deny that the fans LOVE it.
Matt Moulson, who single handedly makes a case for skaters removing their helmets for the shoot-out, stood center ice and started skating. Just when I thought the puck got away from him, into the net it went. As wonderful as that sight was, wouldn't it have been better seeing Matt with his hair flowing as the crowd cheers the win? So very reminiscent of Islander glory days gone by. Come on! Agree with me on this point!
Once downstairs, I popped into press room 6 to drop my things and when I rushed out to the locker room I bumped into Brendan Witt -- literally. (Poor guy. First hit by truck, then by a rushing blogger with her head down.)
"Hey! You're late! Get in there!" Ughhh! I know. I'm always late to the party. Oh, and PS, YES, he was limping.
Back in the locker room, while the reporters crowded around Moulson, Rick DiPietro was removing his equipment unencumbered by cameras and tape recorders. (Enjoy your few moments of anonymity Rick. They'll be all over you like white on rice soon enough.)
Above and beyond the normal quotes that fly in the locker room, I did enjoy hearing Matt Moulson and Scott Gordon compliment the crowd for their support and their energy.
"We've had great support from our fans all year here. It's becoming one of the more exciting places to play recently in the NHL -- the coliseum." Yes it is Matt! Thanks for noticing!
When Dwayne Roloson talks to the media, he is very thoughtful in his answers. So thoughtful that if someone asks him a question that he feels he has already answered for someone else, they will get a lesson in embarrassment. He is not rude or condescending. But OH BOY! Does he get his point across. "I just answered the question there. You can grab his audio if you want."
At this point I was glad I was in the back as one of the other reporters was kind enough to hold my recorder for me while Rolson spoke.
@Mozy19 stayed on the fringe of the reporter hoard and just listened. He was impressed and Islesblogger Mike and I were happy to show off our little corner of the NHL world. (We sometimes forget how very fortunate we are.)
Back in press room 6, Gordon was asked if the crowd's excitement increases the team's confidence.
"The crowd was great. The third period, the big hit we got on the wall, the four on three, the penalty kills in the third period. We had some great chances on the power play, the crowd was really into it. You know, it's fun to see the building like that. I don't know how it was in past years, but it's been growing in that direction for awhile now."
Yes, it has. This is a team that is not only fun to watch for us die-hard Islander fans, but for the rest of the hockey world as well. Everyone is taking notice. Even Mike Brophy, while doing a radio interview for Fan 590 with Garth Snow, made the comment that the reporters now look forward to turning on an Islander game.
Wow. Who'da thought?
So if you haven't been to the Coliseum lately to catch a game, I'd like to suggest you do. The fun is back.
Sunday, January 10, 2010
The Isles: According to Garth
Back in November, I had asked Garth Snow if I could talk to him about his team. I wanted to do a follow-up to Newsday sportswriter Greg Logan’s November 23rd, 2008 telling article about Garth’s vision of the Islanders. I’ve had it taped to my office wall ever since it was published. I was very curious to see how far he feels they have come in one year.
I waited three weeks before he had time for me. But on November 25th, we were both in the right place at the right time. Even then, his phone rang and there were the obligatory minor interruptions, but he managed to sit on a couch in a warm room at Ice Works and talk to me for 10 minutes. Those 10 minutes have been waiting to be transcribed for more than a month. Games and other story lines always took precedence. But the waiting actually worked well for me.
As the woman who hears everything, I was able to capture on tape some of Garth Snow’s answers from a 12/23/09 Toronto radio interview to expand his answers to my questions. (Hey, whatever works.)
While the Islanders have had a bit of a yo-yo start thus far, there seems to be one major carryover from last year’s brutal season that won them John Tavares: The inability to play a full 60 minutes. I started there.
GS: I think the goal of every team in the league – we’re not the only one - is to play a full 60 minutes. In our case of Islanders hockey, the goal is always to play your system the way you want to play. I think if you went around to the other 29 other teams, that’s every team’s goal - to achieve it.
I don’t have the luxury of asking 29 other General Managers, so I’ll just keep asking this one.
The Islanders have teetered on the edge of that .500 mark, but Garth doesn’t seem to be overly concerned as of yet, as playoffs are not out of the picture.
GS: I think when you have a young line-up, like we do, you have to go through phases of the season where you might not get as many wins as you would have liked. But for us, our biggest downfall has been our special teams. Especially our penalty kill, and I think we’re ranked probably 28th or 29th in the league. You’re not going to win too many games when your penalty killing is that low. So that’s something we need to improve upon. There’s plenty of time left in the season and it’s just the old adage: One shift, one period, one game at a time, and chip away.
We started out 0-4-4 and we got the train back on the tracks, but I don’t think anyone is satisfied or happy with where we are sitting right now in the standings. We’re not in a playoff spot, but we know we can be better.
I waited three weeks before he had time for me. But on November 25th, we were both in the right place at the right time. Even then, his phone rang and there were the obligatory minor interruptions, but he managed to sit on a couch in a warm room at Ice Works and talk to me for 10 minutes. Those 10 minutes have been waiting to be transcribed for more than a month. Games and other story lines always took precedence. But the waiting actually worked well for me.
As the woman who hears everything, I was able to capture on tape some of Garth Snow’s answers from a 12/23/09 Toronto radio interview to expand his answers to my questions. (Hey, whatever works.)
While the Islanders have had a bit of a yo-yo start thus far, there seems to be one major carryover from last year’s brutal season that won them John Tavares: The inability to play a full 60 minutes. I started there.
GS: I think the goal of every team in the league – we’re not the only one - is to play a full 60 minutes. In our case of Islanders hockey, the goal is always to play your system the way you want to play. I think if you went around to the other 29 other teams, that’s every team’s goal - to achieve it.
I don’t have the luxury of asking 29 other General Managers, so I’ll just keep asking this one.
The Islanders have teetered on the edge of that .500 mark, but Garth doesn’t seem to be overly concerned as of yet, as playoffs are not out of the picture.
GS: I think when you have a young line-up, like we do, you have to go through phases of the season where you might not get as many wins as you would have liked. But for us, our biggest downfall has been our special teams. Especially our penalty kill, and I think we’re ranked probably 28th or 29th in the league. You’re not going to win too many games when your penalty killing is that low. So that’s something we need to improve upon. There’s plenty of time left in the season and it’s just the old adage: One shift, one period, one game at a time, and chip away.
We started out 0-4-4 and we got the train back on the tracks, but I don’t think anyone is satisfied or happy with where we are sitting right now in the standings. We’re not in a playoff spot, but we know we can be better.
Whether it was because of the extended absence of veteran Doug Weight or just a lack of consistent scoring, many critics have wondered if and when Garth Snow would snag a quality player to improve his young corps. It seemed like big news that week back in late November when Larry Brooks reported that Snow may have been in the market to buy. I asked Garth about the phone call from Mr. Brooks.
GS: His question to me was “Do you have the authorization to add to the payroll?’” And I said “Yes.” If it makes sense, then we’ll do it.
I asked him why it seemed to have been such a big deal that day.
GS: It was probably a slow media day in the hockey world. I had said the same thing to Arthur Staple two weeks before. We’ve had opportunities to add players and money to our payroll, but it didn’t make sense for the long term or the short term.
As of January 10th, 2010 there have been no additions to the Islanders payroll other than adding Rob Shremp at $715,000 when he was claimed off waivers.
So far, the biggest story of the ‘09-‘10 season seems to be the Islanders’ goaltending trifecta. With 40-year-old Dwayne Roloson getting the bulk of the work and wins, everyone has been questioning what will happen with Marty Biron once rehabbing Rick DiPietro is healthy enough to be back on the bench.
Bill Watters of AM640 Toronto asked the same question.
GS: We just want to get to that point and were not there yet. We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it. I think we have surprised people the first part of this season and a lot of that has to do with how strong our goaltending is. We have three bona fide number one goalies. It’s a strength for us. So when Rick is back, we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it.
The truth is, the Islanders have not played well in front of Marty Biron, who sits with a GAA of 3.22. This will do little to help Garth move him if and when he needs to. However, it is not Biron’s fault, as Garth expressed.
GS: First of all, he’s not getting the run support that Roloson has gotten. I think that’s probably a bigger reflection on how we have played. I don’t think it’s a reflection on how he has played... He’s played extremely well for us. It always goes in cycles. I’ve been on teams and I’ve been in situations where I just happened to play in a game where we didn’t score three goals.
Biron has been in situations where the Islanders haven’t been able to score ONE goal, let alone three. The scoring touch seems to be eluding many on the team, and not from lack of trying.
Last season’s biggest performance question was AHL scoring star Jeff Tambellini. While Jeff has flashes of brilliance as well as an excellent hockey bloodline, he has spent a good portion of this season as a healthy scratch. However, when I asked Garth about him, he looked at me puzzled.
GS: I think he’s played well at times. He obviously has a gift of scoring. He has the ability to put the puck in the net. I think the one area he has improved upon this year is going to the net. Most of his goals have been within 10 to 15 feet of the net. So that’s an area he’s improved.
Jeff hasn’t been the only one who has been left off Scott Gordon’s lineup card for long periods of time.
GS: In my own observations, there are other players who have played well. It’s easy to understand who is in the lineup or not. Whoever plays well and gives us the best chance of winning on a given night will be in the lineup.
There are no free rides on the NY Islanders. Blake Comeau, who three years ago was called “the real deal” by the PR department, has been in and out along with Robbie Schremp, who was claimed off waivers from Edmonton and given a clean slate on the Island. It took Robbie a long time to get his opportunity in the line-up as he seemed to be a spare part. Garth explained why he brought him to the Island.
GS: He’s a player that has great vision on the ice and he can make passes that seem like they’re un-makeable. Obviously with the reaction of his teammates when he scored his first goal, he’s very well liked in the locker room. So he’s getting an opportunity to play some minutes. He’s playing with Jesse Joensuu and Trent Hunter - two big bodies - and they’re creating some offense for us.
Scott Gordon has also spoken very highly of Schremp and even been awarded with game-winning, shootout opportunities on which he has capitalized.
Due to a staggering number of injuries last season, Scott Gordon wasn’t quite sure if he was coaching the New York Islanders or the Bridgeport Sound Tigers. This season, when a call-up from Jack Capuano’s squad is necessary, it’s an easy transition.
Andrew MacDonald came from Bridgeport to fill the need for a rehabbing defenseman and he’s managed to stick around.
GS: I think, obviously, Andrew MacDonald and Dustin Kohn have played well in Bridgeport on D. Joensuu has played extremely well recently, so we have depth in the organization. So if there’s a situation where we have to delve into their team or take a player off their roster, we are comfortable doing so. To me, we have a lot more depth than we’ve had in years past at all three positions; forward, D and goal.
Speaking of excellent development coming from Bridgeport, Garth was quick to praise Jack Hillen, an undrafted free agent that spent some of last season in the AHL and is now making a name for himself at the NHL level.
GS: He was another player that the members of my staff thought would bring the ability to move that puck efficiently. If you asked the players in our locker room who the best skater -- not on the team, but in the league -- most of them will say Jack Hillen. He’s getting that recognition now. He’s a very gifted skater.
His skating style has always stood out to me, and now I know why. Garth continued.
GS: If you were going to do a video to show young kids the finer points of skating, you could just put the shifts of Jack Hillen on the tape. He’s got great vision and he makes that first pass. He’s another bright, young hockey player that we have and I know we’re excited about him.
Another bright, young player who has come up through the Bridgeport system is Frans Nielsen who Garth praised as probably the best two-way center the Isles have.
GS: He’s got great speed and good vision on the ice. He’s just getting better for us. It’s nice to have the fruits of our labor from Bridgeport. He paid his dues in the AHL and played extremely well during the first couple of years of his career. It’s a big transition coming from Europe to North America. He’s a great kid and a good hockey player. And I think he’s opening some eyes around the NHL.
One has to wonder if Garth Snow is just lucky or good at finding unsung young talent such as Matt Moulson, who has made a name for himself in the league early this season.
GS: Well, I’d like to take all the credit, but members of my staff identified Matt as a player who could come in and contribute. And they were right. So, kudos to them. You’re only as good as the people around you. My staff has done a tremendous job and Matt had an opportunity in training camp and seized that opportunity. The credit goes to him for the way he has played.
Matt’s numbers have slowed a little since he burst onto the score sheet, but the talent is there. He did score the shootout winner over Phoenix on Saturday.
The Islanders NEVER intended to move the first overall pick in ‘09 (no matter what Brian Burke wanted), and drafting John Tavares was a given. Some of their other draft moves have been controversial. Such was the case in 2008 when the Islanders selected Josh Bailey, a player Snow calls not selfish enough.
GS: We obviously traded down a couple of times to get from 5 to 7 to 9 to get Josh Bailey, then almost a 180 from this year when we went from 26 to 12. So it was neat for us to identify the players that we wanted. And in the case of Josh, some times its a bit of Roulette when you’re trading down because you want to make sure you get the player you identified.
You know we took a little bit of heat for moving from 26 to 16 then up to 12 to get Calvin de Haan. He was a player that my staff identified.
Named to Team Canada for the World Junior Championship, de Haan was playing exceptionally well, but did sustain an injury that kept him out at least one game. Team USA won the Gold medal round on Tuesday, January 5th, but de Haan is now the proud owner of a Silver Medal. The Islanders organization is very happy with Calvin’s development thus far.
The 2009 entry draft also garnered the Islanders a very tall, very young, goaltender, Mikko Koskinen. While he too is rehabbing from surgery, his future still looks bright. Garth Snow’s stockpiling of young talent will only serve to keep the Isles’ depth charts full at all positions. Including Mikko, there are seven goaltenders on the list of prospects with three getting work in Bridgeport.
It’s obvious that the plan Garth Snow set in motion, after releasing head coach Ted Nolan, is becoming clearer. When I asked him what he most wanted to see improved this season, he looked at me with the same intense stare that three years ago would have scared me into silence.
GS: I want to see us WIN.
I made the mistake of giggling. He wasn’t kidding. That was not just a standard answer to a foolish media question. Garth Snow WANTS to win. And after seeing how far he’s come in a short time, I can tell you he’ll do everything in his power to make that happen.
And he will.
*Notes as of 1/10/10: Rick DiPietro played for the Islanders on Friday 1/8/10 against the Dallas Stars for the first time in almost a full year. It was a respectable 4 - 3 Islanders loss as Rick played the entire game with Marty Biron as his backup. However, with Rick DiPietro reactivated, the Islanders have a roster problem that needs to be dealt with once Sean Bergenheim is cleared to play since he has been out with a rib injury. Someone has to move.
As of Saturday 1/9/10, no move had been made and Bergenheim was not cleared to play against the Coyotes. With Brendan Witt a healthy scratch and Dwayne Roloson in net, the Islanders once again squandered a three goal lead in the third, but came away with a shoot out win of 5 - 4.
The Islanders do not play again until Tuesday 1/12/10 when they face the Detroit Red Wings. A difficult management decision will need to be made. This is the hard part of the hockey business. Lives and careers hang in the balance while decisions are made. I am certainly glad I am not responsible for making any of them.
*Notes as of 1/10/10: Rick DiPietro played for the Islanders on Friday 1/8/10 against the Dallas Stars for the first time in almost a full year. It was a respectable 4 - 3 Islanders loss as Rick played the entire game with Marty Biron as his backup. However, with Rick DiPietro reactivated, the Islanders have a roster problem that needs to be dealt with once Sean Bergenheim is cleared to play since he has been out with a rib injury. Someone has to move.
As of Saturday 1/9/10, no move had been made and Bergenheim was not cleared to play against the Coyotes. With Brendan Witt a healthy scratch and Dwayne Roloson in net, the Islanders once again squandered a three goal lead in the third, but came away with a shoot out win of 5 - 4.
The Islanders do not play again until Tuesday 1/12/10 when they face the Detroit Red Wings. A difficult management decision will need to be made. This is the hard part of the hockey business. Lives and careers hang in the balance while decisions are made. I am certainly glad I am not responsible for making any of them.
**Special Thanks to my two favorite editors for giving me their time and effort -- AGAIN!
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Flyes @ Islanders 5 pm on a Sunday
**Accolades to @MattClausen for the best Christmas gift this year. A MightyMatt Islanders Jersey.ugghh... more family time for this Islanders blogger. Will I be able to quietly sit on the couch with my headphones to my XM radio in and listen to the game without anyone knowing?
I doubt it. And as much as I have been given a free ride with my family about how much time I spend on hockey and how much time away from the family I spend, this week ain't one of them.
Now, there is only one single point separating the Isles and Flyers in the standings. Here we have another game that is incredibly important to both teams. They have split the last two they have played.
Will there be 12 buses full of Flyers fans at the Coliseum today? If there are, then I will be pleased as punch not to be there. I still have nightmares about the time a fan yelled at my family from their bus and my husband, looking to protect his wife and daughter, tossed a pretzel at the window and yelled back a challenge. I swear the bus began to rumble and shake. Had the doors been open, I think we would have been killed. Big Angry Man was just annoyed he wasted a good hot pretzel on a Flyers fan. (Remember when they used to actually have HOT grilled pretzels OUTSIDE the Coliseum??? Yummy.)
Tim Jackman, while back in the line-up, may not be 100% healthy as he had less than 10 minutes of ice time against the Rangers and no altercations. To be fair, Jon Sim had 10:22 of ice time. Jack Hillen was the work horse with a whopping 28:36 TOI. Not bad for a youngster. Garth Snow was on Toronto's 640AM station a few days ago talking about Hillen's development. I'll transcribe that later today.
But most importantly, the Islanders need a win in their building today to remove the bitter taste of the last few losses. Sure they beat the Leafs on Wednesday, but home wins are what bring back the fans. So make it so Islanders and help get you closer to that respectable over .500 mark.
Later all. Enjoy your holiday Sunday.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Ricky's Rehab Moves Forward
Yes, Virginia. There really is a Goalie named Ricky. Check the quick hit on HB.
I had one heck of a lunch period at IceWorks today. I knew I had to leave work early to take my daughter to doctor and dentist appointments today, so I decided to leave work early enough to take in some of today's practice. I am so glad I did.
Not only did I finally get my 15 minutes with the GM Garth Snow, albeit I am probably the LAST writer to do so this month. But that's okay. Some times being the last one on the list means I have so much more material to work from. But it will certainly take me awhile to put it together.
I also had the very frightening realization that some of the team members actually do read blogs on the internet. Sometimes, even mine. I started to sweat a little. That made continuing to try to ask questions somewhat difficult.
I spent some time with Jack Hillen. I was the first time I had actually attempted to ask him questions. Considering my head was still up my butt from having one of the players remind me of something I wrote a few weeks back, transcribing that two minutes may take as long as it takes me to transcribe the 15 with Snow.
If you are in the city tomorrow, stop by the NHL store when John Tavares will be heading for the first time. But if you're not in the city, you can catch up with Rick DiPietro yourself at the Team Store in Hicksville at the Broadway Mall from 6:30 - 7:30 pm. Please! Remember, these things fill up quickly and they DO cut the line off because they have to. So, get there early if you want to be guaranteed an autograph.
Okay, guess I should try to transcribe some of what I heard today.
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Having a Devil of a Time in New Jersey
**And don't forget, books make great holiday gifts! Order "Whose Better" for every hockey fan on your list. Click the link on the right to order today.
Things seem to never go right for the Islanders in New Jersey. Last visit they lost Radek and Doug. This time they lost Nielsen. They also lost the game and the momentum they built in the win against the Penguins on Friday afternoon.
So maybe it's the REALLY early day games they have a problem with, or just the NJ Devils and future hall-of-famer, Marty Brodeur. But that being said, the biggest problems according to Jack Hillen were penalties (his) and turnovers (every one's). "Our forecheck was a little bit off too."
According to Scott Gordon, it was a lot off. "We didn't have the patience to wait on our forecheck. Patience on our side has to be there. We got away from it. Now were playing into their hands."
Patience is a virtue and not easy to teach, neither is discipline. "We have to play with a certain amount of discipline. And we didn't."
Penalties are noticeably adding up for the Islanders who have been testing their goalies and PK-ers with five on three opportunities more than they should. Additionally, the penalties are coming from some veterans as well as rookie players. So, when Scott Gordon talks about discipline and patience, he's talking to the entire team.
However, as Jack Hillen told reporters "we're still having a great year so far. It's only one game."
Yes, in the scheme of things, the Islanders are still on their way to a good season. But losing key players to injury will once again dog their success. There is still no definitive word on the return of Captain Doug Weight and the loss of Andy Sutton for (hopefully) only a few games may leave Andrew MacDonald up from Bridgeport.
On the bright side for one guy who has been spending too much time in the press box may actually get some ice time in Nielsen's place. Well, Gordon DID say he's only use him if he needed a Center. Knock, Knock, Robbie. This is opportunity. There's a Center down.
Once again Anthony Curatolo and I will be creating a new episode of Off The Rush later this morning looking at this week in Islanders Hockey and the upcoming road games after their much needed days off.
Later!
Things seem to never go right for the Islanders in New Jersey. Last visit they lost Radek and Doug. This time they lost Nielsen. They also lost the game and the momentum they built in the win against the Penguins on Friday afternoon.
So maybe it's the REALLY early day games they have a problem with, or just the NJ Devils and future hall-of-famer, Marty Brodeur. But that being said, the biggest problems according to Jack Hillen were penalties (his) and turnovers (every one's). "Our forecheck was a little bit off too."
According to Scott Gordon, it was a lot off. "We didn't have the patience to wait on our forecheck. Patience on our side has to be there. We got away from it. Now were playing into their hands."
Patience is a virtue and not easy to teach, neither is discipline. "We have to play with a certain amount of discipline. And we didn't."
Penalties are noticeably adding up for the Islanders who have been testing their goalies and PK-ers with five on three opportunities more than they should. Additionally, the penalties are coming from some veterans as well as rookie players. So, when Scott Gordon talks about discipline and patience, he's talking to the entire team.
However, as Jack Hillen told reporters "we're still having a great year so far. It's only one game."
Yes, in the scheme of things, the Islanders are still on their way to a good season. But losing key players to injury will once again dog their success. There is still no definitive word on the return of Captain Doug Weight and the loss of Andy Sutton for (hopefully) only a few games may leave Andrew MacDonald up from Bridgeport.
On the bright side for one guy who has been spending too much time in the press box may actually get some ice time in Nielsen's place. Well, Gordon DID say he's only use him if he needed a Center. Knock, Knock, Robbie. This is opportunity. There's a Center down.
Once again Anthony Curatolo and I will be creating a new episode of Off The Rush later this morning looking at this week in Islanders Hockey and the upcoming road games after their much needed days off.
Later!
Saturday, March 7, 2009
7th Goal at the .7 Sec Mark for me? Bergenheim Hat Trick
It happens every time since I can't post from my phone the way the illustrious Islesblogger.com Mike can. (Check out his photos of Iggulden's post game on his website. ) So I had to wait till I was home and done with dinner and such in order to post my thoughts on the end of the Isles 7 - 3 day time win.
My thoughts? I will repeat the text I received. "Who Are These Guys???"
This is a night that Sean Bergenheim will always remember as the night he potted his first NHL hat trick. I'm sure he may forget the two whiffs he made before it finally happened with only .7 seconds left of the third.
"That's the second time in a few years that I scored in the last second. Made it a little tight. I'm happy it was one second before and not one second AFTER." Sean was swarmed by the media.
"When you play you learn. Maybe I know how to position myself a little better right now. I think a lot of individuals are playing better and we are playing better as a team." He made sure to say that didn't speak badly toward anyone who is no longer on the team.
He continued "Jack Hillen chipped the puck up pretty far, I couldn't backhand. I had to get a better angle. I knew there wasn't much time. I knew I had to shoot it. It worked out well."
Yes it did. But was he thinking about it when it was happening? "I think, sometimes when you do something on the ice you don't think too much, you just do it. That's what happened. I didn't have time to think of anything. I just needed to get it to the net."
Sean was asked what was different about this team. "I think everybody is pretty comfortable now. We're young, we have a good group. Right now we're kinda glued together a little bit better on the ice. Maybe it's because we're young and we know each other."
Since we had discussed the empty netter, Sean was asked to describe the first two goals of his hat trick. Goal number one; "First goal was a great play by Iggy there, we battled the puck in the corner and he took it and tried to wrap it around and it came to me. It was a great pass. I had an easy job."
Goal number two; "I got the puck to the middle. Frans Nielsen was in front so I don't think Brodeur saw too much. Kind of a little bit of luck there. The shot wasn't the best one or it hit somebody or something."
"I think maybe Marty had an off day today. He's a great goalie. Their defense wasn't that good today because we had good pressure. It was more US being good today."
I'm wondering HOW good. As I was leaving, GM Garth Snow was leaving Scott Gordon's office. I'm hoping that he wasn't in there saying, "Scott, I know the system works, but enough with the winning! Stop it already!"
You know that's a joke... right??? Joke!!
Kudos to Scott Gordon for proving that his much maligned "system" seems to be working both in Bridgeport and Uniondale.
I also passed gargantuan Andy Sutton in the hallway. He was looking good. I just wish he'd be looking good on the ice instead of a suit and tie. Too bad we have now lost veteran Trent Hunter with an ankle fracture. Maybe Andy can tell him how to pass his time while he's recovering.
The NY Islanders injury "bug" must be the size of Mothra.
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