All Entries in the "New York Islanders" Category
Well, That Was Fun. Now Back to Work!
We know it’s been a while since we posted, but we wanted to bask in the rare light of an Islanders playoff appearance by taking in the games, atmosphere, and enjoyment that came with a series that ran one game longer than we predicted which included two embarrassing shutouts, yet somehow left Islander fans with the feeling that [...]
Isles-Pens Series Recap: What Went Wrong, What Went Right, Top Moments
The New York Islanders and the Pittsburgh Penguins just wrapped up the most exciting Islanders’ playoff series since the Islanders and the Maple Leafs went seven games in 2002. The series was physical, even nasty at times. There were a ton of goals scored. There was plenty of drama. The heavily-favorited Pittsburgh Penguins were given [...]
Wow, with a capital W!
In the words of George Tekai, “Oh my.” While the Islanders certainly did not answer the playoff bell or to some specious coaching decisions in game one of this series, both games two and three were something else. Capuano and Isles fans alike have been saying that for the past two months there has been [...]
Enjoy the Extra Two Weeks
To start off, if you have been reading our blog this season, thank you. We appreciate the time you take for such, and the comments left on the page. Especially the combative ones, because it shows the passion that Islander fans have for their team. Also, if you have been reading this blog this season, [...]
NY ISLANDERS vs PITTSBURGH PENGUINS ROUNDTABLE PREVIEW
It’s an 8 seed versus a 1 seed. The up-and-comer taking on a Cup-chasing, playoff-proven contender. We have a singular superstar and a veteran goalie leading the underdog’s charge against a relative murderer’s row of names. But the New York Islanders/Pittsburgh Penguins quarterfinal matchup carries significant intrigue and no shortage of [...]
Playoff Preview: Isles, Penguins Set to Meet in Postseason for the First Time Since 1993
The playoffs are upon us, Isles fans. You may have wanted Pittsburgh. You may not have wanted Pittsburgh. Regardless, the New York Islanders drew the Pittsburgh Penguins in the first round of the 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Could it have been prevented? Sure. The Islanders didn’t close out the season as we would have hoped [...]
Fleury, PK both critical for Pittsburgh in 1st round match against Islanders
Most pundits have selected the Penguins to easily cruise by the surprising New York Islanders, but as someone who was scarred for life by last spring’s 30-goals-allowed-to-Philadelphia debacle, my approach to fandom and blogdom this year is to adopt a “prove-it” approach. At the end of March, a friend on Good Friday morning jokingly shook [...]
Hockey Independent Playoff Roundtable: 2013 First Round Predictions
With the 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs set to begin just a few hours from now, four members of the Hockey Independent writing staff have come together to predict each and every first round series of this year’s postseason. The contributing authors to today’s piece will be Cris Cohen (New York Rangers), Seth Levin (New Jersey Devils), Bill Philp (Tampa Bay Lightning) [...]
Crow For Two
For half a season, the Islanders were making us look like prophets. We even wrote about it in a previous piece, which the prolific writer at Islanders Optimism – a site where the Islanders can do no wrong- called very fair. Our stat projections were largely dead on. Our team point projections were within 1 [...]
With Playoff-Picture Cloudy After Isles Loss in Philly, Just Remember “Why Not Us?”
You just cannot win them all, Isles fans. I wish we could, but it’s never going to happen. Eventually, your team is going to lose. The loss sits as a thorn in your side, but what are you really going to do about it? Cry? Pout? The New York Islanders just clinched their first playoff [...]
Mission Accomplished! Now What?
At the end of the 2006- 2007 hockey season, the Islanders were facing a crossroads as a team. They had made the playoffs with a degree of consistency since the 2001-02 team, only missing in the 2005-06 post lockout season (a team, ironically, with Jack Capuano and Dan Blysma as assistant coaches – divergent career [...]
Isles Clinch Playoff Berth; Built to “Upset”
We did it! The New York Islanders are going to the playoffs for the first time since the 2006-07 NHL season! So what if it took a loser point to get there? The Islanders will be playing hockey in May for the first time in two decades. A point earned in a 4-3 shootout loss [...]
Rink Recollections: Jeff Odgers, NHL, 1991-2003
By Brian D’Ambrosio Jeff Odgers played every NHL game as if it were his final. He never took a game for granted –scared that his career could fade away at any moment. Odgers scrapped and gritted his way onto the roster and he made sure he never provided his coaches with a sufficient reason to [...]
Isles Win 5-4 (SO) Over Jets, Prepare to Land into Playoffs
We’re almost there, Isles fans. After being counted out at the beginning of the season without having the chance to prove themselves, the Islanders magic number is 3 with only three games remaining. I guess we play the games for a reason, right, analysts? The disrespect has lessened, but there are still plenty of “professionals” that [...]
Tavares, Top-Line Awaken As Isles Rake in Another Two Points
I’m not scared when the Islanders fall behind. It’s a completely different feeling from what we have been used to over the past few seasons, but when the Islanders are behind, I’m just not worried. The New York Islanders fell behind early again the Toronto Maple Leafs. In fact, the Islanders fell back on hold [...]
We’re going outdoors? Devils-Rangers at Yankee Stadium
It’s a hard time to be a Devils fan right now. The team is currently on a ten game losing streak (0-6-4) plummeting them out of playoff contention baring a miraculous turnaround (and plenty of help). With the potential of missing the playoffs for the second time in three years, Devils Army is looking [...]
Can They Pull This Off?
Here we stand, in relative disbelief. As previously noted, we expected this team to miss the playoffs by a fairly wide margin. We expected that 53 points made a playoff team, and we expected the Islanders to be limping in at the end at the 46 point level. So bully for them, they shut us [...]
John Tavares for MVP? Not This Year.
As the Islanders have been surging towards a playoff spot, I’ve been reading a lot about the Islanders and the possibilities of individual awards – things like “Jack Capuano should win the Jack Adams,” have been sprawled across my news-feeds. I read some Tweets with “Nabokov” and “Vezina” in the same sentence. Of course, I [...]
Bruin Up Two Points in Boston: Nabby, Bailey Grind Isles to Victory
This game was never about “escaping with one point” and getting out of dodge. The Islanders needed to come away with two points tonight, regardless of their opponent. In what could be a potential first round playoff matchup, Islanders-Bruins was a game that the Isles needed to prove they could win. Last night, the Isles [...]
Upstart Isles Power Past B’s for 2-1 Road Victory
BOSTON, MA – After losing Brad Marchand to a mild concussion during Wednesday’s 5-4 win over the New Jersey Devils, the Boston Bruins were back on the ice Thursday against the Islanders, minus two thirds of their top offensive unit. With both Marchand and Patrice Bergeron out of the lineup, B’s bench boss Claude Julien opted [...]
