The Post article is linked here: http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/islanders/isles_no_longer_matter_9SwQCDp4zuz0TNE3HQ1p4L

Scott Mayfield - a 2011 draft pick of Garth Snow, is another in a long list of draft picks that have an opportunity to develop, and could bring excitement to Islander fans in the future. Someone please ask Larry Brooks to research some of these guys before flaming every aspect of the franchise the next time!

Mr. Brooks,

It was brought to my attention on another blog of your recent write-up on the NY Islanders, and how they are “irrelevant.”

As a long, proud Islander fan — they have suffered a great deal — nearly 8 years of very poor ownership problems between John Pickett’s ownership and Charles Wang’s forced the team to trade away many young and successful players. 2 very poor GMs in Don Maloney who made some horrible deals, as well as the infamous Mike Milbury who single-handedly set the franchise back 15 years with bad drafting and even worse trades. Of course, Charles Wang’s wacky behavior has not be a help. He came in and spent money, he just did it in the wrong place, and gave the green light to the wrong manager for far too long.

Where I disagree fully with your article is to suggest that they have no chance of going anywhere — ever.

The biggest issue is off the ice in the form of an arena. That has been Charles Wang greatest and most complete failure to date. As a fan of the team, I wish he would stop meddling in on ice issues, and get a new building done in Queens or cut a deal with Barclays in Brooklyn.

Putting aside the arena — you rightly mentioned the emergence of John Tavares, P.A. Parenteau and Matt Moulson as a top scoring line. But you neglected to mention the rapid emergence of Travis Hamonic and the play of Andy MacDonald. And while neither are Dennis Potvin, they are also both not Bruno Gervais.’ The play of Evgeni Nabokov has been a story — as is his recent signing today — a player that snubbed the Isles, came, and saw, and played for them and CHOSE to remain here…. as has many other players!

The Islanders also have a good, strong crop of young prospects — as a rebuilding team should have in juniors and in Bridgeport. You certainly did not take the time to mention that the teams top affiliate and feeder to the NHL — The Bridgeport Sound Tigers — are 19-6-4 since 2012 began. The team is pushing for top spot in its division, despite recent struggles — coincidently those struggles are in part because players like Casey Cizikas and David Ullstrom have been called up and are playing for the Isles now. This level of high end play bodes well for the franchises future.

While I agree that a deep prospect pool does not necessarily translate into NHL success, it is the best way a franchise can rebuild — especially when you factor in the arena circumstances.

You took the time to chide Garth Snow’s drafting, however, many of the players he has selected are not even in the NHL and those that are — you would have to agree are very young. And while Nino Neiderreitter has been mishandled this season by the coaching staff, it is hard to consider him an NHL bust at the ripe old age of 19. He may very easily have taken this season in stride to build and move forward and yet be an impact player. Just as well — to suggest last years top pick Ryan Strome is not capable of becoming an NHL star, or Calvin de Haan wont become a premier puck moving defender is impossible. If you had the ability to prognosticate with such accuracy, you would be the greatest NHL GM — EVER.

You were critical of the selection of Josh Bailey in the 2008 draft, and for the player himself, Bailey has struggled, and has been mishandled as well. No argument. But the decision to trade down twice afforded the Islanders and Garth Snow to select a number of players that are still young, and beginning to make an impact. By stockpiling picks, Snow was able to draft Ullstrom, who is getting his first taste of the NHL. He was able to select Aaron Ness who has a few games in the NHL this season. He also took the aforementioned Travis Hamonic. Later in that draft, Matt Martin — the NHL hits leader was picked by Snow. Also coming from the 2008 draft, one hockey’s top goalie prospects Kevin Poulin, who has shown some very strong play in his stints with the Islanders. By moving down, Snow also added picks for the 2009 draft, adding Calvin de Haan as a second pick in the 1st round. Anders Nillsson is also becoming a top NHL goalie prospect. Anders Lee – one of the top players in college hockey is an Islander selection. There are a number of other high risk/high reward players also on the horizon.

Garth Snow and Charles Wang and the way the Islanders have been run is far from perfect. There are many aspects of the way they run things that make Islander fans — including this one — want to scream into the night air. But it is difficult to move forward as a franchise when you are staring at a bunch of Nassau County and Town of Hempstead political empty suits who would have a hard time finding their ass with both hands. It is a circular dilemma.

As far as the coverage by the Media and holding Wang and Snow more accountable — I suppose that is up to you and your editorial board. As much as the Islanders have suffered on the ice and off, the media has played a small part in that. Your paper, The NY Times and Daily News CHOSE to stop covering the team during the darkest days of the late 1990s during the Gang of 4 and Spanogate and despite a few reasonable teams in the mid 2000s, your paper and others failed to return to covering the team. The team continues to stockpile young talent. And is improved over last season, and the season before. But rather then do a little work; build a little interest, ask a few questions — you chose to sit back in your office and lob a few cheap shots at very easy targets in Snow and Wang — and they are easy targets, as they are far from error free. But you made them sound like the worst GM and Owner combo in the history of sports. I have news for you — the last GM and owners were the worst in sports and these guys are at least trying to change that!

There are major issues and problems with the franchise. You are right about that. But there are some very good things on the ice beginning to happen if you look and ask some questions. It might be time to have the Post get credentialed again to cover the Islanders. Perhaps you can get in on the ground floor of something interesting, and hold the franchise more accountable by providing more coverage. I hope you do!

The end for the Islanders 2011-12 season is more or less at hand. We can discuss that at another time — but the bigger end might be just beginning. To suggest we should be concerned is an understatement.

Conversations I have had.
The play of the team.
The lack on anything coming directly from Charles Wang.

All of this has me starting to believe fully, that the New York Islander franchise will cease to exist beyond April of 2015.

Ratner’s remarks were nice, but was there any real substance to them?

Click here to view the embedded video.

It was a shot over Nassau’s bow so to speak. It lets Nassau know there are options for the Islanders beyond the County and Town.

As exciting as it would be for the Islanders to finally settle on a new home — there are some major issues and some reality to ponder.

The Brooklyn location is going to gain some fans perhaps, but lose a lot of Suffolk fans. As of now it is a nice pre-season venue and nothing more. Listen carefully and even in this interview, Ratner admits that some seats are not optimal for hockey.

Queens is nowhere at this time. There is no building being build, or considered for sure. It is nothing but talk and pie-in-the-sky.

Nassau and Suffolk are dead in the water at this time. Nassau is flat out too tied up in its own bull shit, and the Town of Hempstead is tied up in much of the same games. The town had a privately financed deal in place and discarded it. The people had a bond deal and threw it out. Suffolk might be in more dire fiscal shape then Nassau — so anything there is hard to imagine unless somehow there is a private deal somewhere — and then there is still political will to contend with. I used to live in Suffolk, and know first hand that the politics in Suffolk is no different then it is in Nassau.

Brooklyn and Queens has the political will, but is there a willing team owner?

I think for Charles Wang, the money has to be right. I recently exchanged some remarks via twitter with BD and he raised some good points.

For me — Wang is not in this as a passionate hockey fan. Sure, he wants to see the team do well, win and he will come here and support the team any way he can, but he has lost millions, and he wants to recoup those losses and stop the bleeding. Simply finding an arena for the sake of finding an arena is not reality. He is going to find a deal that affords him the best financial windfall.

I am not sure that arena will be local.

Some have said a new owner is the solution. It could be, but any new owner that comes in now would be faced with the very same issue that Charles Wang is faced with — a lease that expires in 2015 and no new home to play in beyond that date.

If Ratner has as much passion as he displayed about the Islanders staying in New York — my one speculative question would be — why doesn’t he look into buying the franchise, and moving them to Brooklyn. He seemed pretty jazzed about the idea — this would be a chance for him to do that — putting money where the mouth is.

But here again — would Wang sell to Ratner — or for that matter anyone else? I suppose if someone came in and offered Wang $200 million, it would be difficult to say ‘no.’ But I dont see any one coming in on the horizon with that kind of cash to buy this franchise.

We could be seeing the last few seasons for the Islanders. Quebec, Hamilton, Kansas City, Seattle and perhaps even Las Vegas may all be courting Charles Wang, if they already have not been actively doing so.

I understand Wang must be at the end of his rope with Nassau, and with the area. He may be looking to make a simple, cold business decision at this point in time to get out. That might be the prudent thing to do. But, if he sells, what are the chances that the Islanders remain the Islanders? The NHL says it wants to keep the Islanders here, but they also said that about Atlanta. There are major issues with Phoenix as well. While the league has never moved a dynasty team, or a team that has won a Cup, there is always a first. And unless the league chooses to buy the Islanders and run them as they have with Phoenix, I just don’t see how this plays out.

We, as fan, are the ones who have to eat it. We are the ones who suffer. I just hope that we are not left in April in tears without a hockey team — like Atlanta, Hartford, Quebec and other fans have been. Right now — that looks more, and more likely with each day of silence from the Islanders, and no movement anywhere on any front.

Are you as concerned as I am?

There are many areas where it went wrong. I have long held the belief that coaching is a part of the problem. I look at the St. Louis Blues and where they were when Ken Hitchcock took over to where they are now, and it shows you what professional coaching can accomplish.

The Islander players —several of whom have had setback seasons, and others who are not meeting expectations — are just as culpable. Kyle Okposo has had another slow start and a bit of up and down after that. Michael Grabner did not come close to his production from last season, and hopefully is just suffering a sophomore slump, Josh Bailey had a slow start before finding some energy recently on the wing, Blake Comeau was a disaster for the Isles this season, and not much better for the Flames. Mark Striet, coming off a lost season to injury and a new captaincy has struggled. For a change, injuries were not part of the problem.

At the GM level, Garth Snow truly failed to bring in capable blueline help. he tried with Ehrhoff — which was fine, but he failed to bring in even “b-level” players such as Scott Hannan, and many others who could have been had.

The frustration for Isles coach Jack Capuano is evident, as it is for all Isles fans, and while the responsibility falls on the coach, it also falls on the GM, the Owner and 20+ players.

The season is not “over.” There are still games to play, and I would like to see if the Islanders can amass enough wins to have a “winning” season. I think that is a very important part of the maturation process for this team, and I believe it would aid in convincing even marginal talent to consider the Islanders as a team ready to compete for a playoff berth, and continue to grow.

Many Islander fans throughout the blogosphere would suggest this is a set back season, and that wholesale changes are needed. Some may declare the rebuild a failure, others simply want to see a new owner who doesn’t meddle in the on ice decisions.

I think I am somewhere in the middle.

Sometimes the bad comes along with some of the good.

Overall there are problems with many aspects of the Islanders system, but where we are now, vs. where we were 5 years ago is night and day. The Islanders are moving in the right direction, though I certainly would make some changes — which I will get into at a later time.

For those who think it is still possible for the Islanders to make a run — sure — mathematically it is possible. But the reality starts with a question. How many points will the Islanders need to get into the playoffs?

Ill guess that at a minimum, they will need 88 points. I would ordinarily suggest 90+, but no one is staking their claim or making a run of any significance, with the exception of Buffalo, and even they have stumbled here and there. So if you take it at face value of 88 points, with 15 games left and 65 points in hand….

The Schedule – road vs home
NJD vs NYI
NYI vs NYR
WAS vs NYI
PHI vs NYI
NYI vs MTL
NYI vs TOR
NYI vs TBL
NYI vs FLA
NYI vs PIT
PIT vs NYI
BOS vs NYI
OTT vs NYI
NYI vs NJD
WIN vs NYI
NYI vs CBJ

So there it is — 30 points on the table, and the Isles would need at minimum 23 of those points. What would be realistic? Sure — The Islanders have beaten every team here except the Panthers, Leafs, Penguins and of course the Blue Jackets. There is very little margin for error. If the trend were to continue, and the Isles can’t beat the Leafs, Pens and Cats — that takes away 8 points alone, and if they won every other game — would leave them with 87 points.

Bottom line to reach 88 points — the Isles would have to go 11-3-1. Possible? Sure, but the reality is a darn shame. My guess is that the only chance the Islanders have is to be closer to 84 points, and hope the teams around them continue to struggle as they have.

What would your prediction be and what is your reality?

Projected Standings: (Team–Projected Point Total–Point Differential From Last Season–Seed Differential From Last Season)

1) New York Rangers 115 Points –>+22 Points –> +7 Spots

2) Boston Bruins         102 Points –> -1 Point –> +1 Spot

3) Florida Panthers    93 Points –> +21 Points –> +12 Spots

4) Pittsburgh Penguins 106 Points –> EVEN –> EVEN

5) Philadelphia Flyers  102 Points –> -4 Points –> -3 Spots

6) New Jersey Devils 98 Points –> +17 Points –> +5 Spots

7) Ottawa Senators 94 Points –> +20 Points –> +6 Spots

8) Winnipeg Jets 88 Points –> +8 Points –> +4 Points

9) Washington Capitals 87 Points –> -20 Points –> -8 Spots

10) Buffalo Sabres 86 Points –> -10 Points –> -3 Spots

11) Tampa Bay Lightning 84 Points –> -19 Points –> -6 Spots

12) Toronto Maple Leafs 82 Points –> -3 Points –> -2 Spots

13) New York Islanders 81 Points –> +8 Points –> +1 Spot

14) Carolina Hurricanes 80 Points –> -11 Points –> -5 Spots

15) Montreal Canadiens 73 Points –> -23 Points –> -9 Spots

STATS:

–> Largest Points Improvement …..     New York Rangers (+22)

–> Largest Seeding Improvement …..  Florida Panthers (+12)

–> Worst Points Drop-Off           …..     Montreal Canadiens (-23)

–> Worst Seeding Drop-Off       …..      Montreal Canadiens (-9)

If Sidney Crosby (Above) makes a return to the Pittsburgh lineup, these number may change drastically.

–> Now, things can always change rapidly and a team could fall completely out of the playoff race or one could jump right into it by putting together a nice winning streak, making this system far from a perfect prediction tool.

–> Last season, it took 93 points from the New York Rangers to secure the eighth and final Eastern Conference playoff spot. This year it looks like 90 will once again be the magic number with one or two teams perhaps finishing below that mark and still sneaking into the dance.

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Things got off to a hot start for a Bruins’ squad that accounted for six of the first eight shots on goal. It would be former-Islander Brian Rolston who would exact a small amount of revenge against his old squad when he dished a sweet little touch pass to Milan Lucic who would flip the puck past Isles’ netminder Evgeni Nabokov to give Boston a 1-0 advantage. The lead would be however short lived as less than three minutes later, former ninth overall draft choice Josh Bailey would slip behind the Boston defense and slip the puck through Tuukka Rask’s five hole to even the score at one.

For the second game in a row things would turn sour for the Black and Gold as the middle frame got underway. Midway through the period, whilst stopping an off-speed shot from the Islanders’ Matt Martin, B’s netminder Tuukka Rask fell to the ice in what seemed to be a great deal of pain. The B’s solid Finnish back-up and insurance plan for the aging Tim Thomas would be helped off the ice without being able to put pressure on his left leg.”It’s not good. You never want to see somebody go down and have to get carried off the ice. It’s not good to look at. Especially a guy like him who plays such a big role on this team. It’s tough.” said a distraught Dennis Seidenberg during his post-game media availability.  The injury comes at the absolute worst time possible for a Bruins squad slated to play fifteen games over the final 28 days of this month. Any hope of allowing Thomas any extended amount of rest for the impending playoff run has quickly faded if Rask is to miss significant time.

“Tuukka is a real good goaltender. We believe we have two number one goaltenders and to lose him, it’s going to be tough for Timmy (Tim Thomas). He’ll be playing more and it’ll be an extra load for him but I’m sure he’ll be ready for it. He loves challenges and I’m sure he’ll come out on top of this one too.” – Dennis Seidenberg

Shortly after the injury, the Isles would take advantage of another power-play opportunity as Matt Moulson tapped home a centering pass from Frans Nielsen to put New York ahead 2-1 after two periods of action.

After controlling play for the entire first half of the final period, the B’s finally broke through to even the score at two when Tyler Seguin showed the world exactly why he was taken with the second overall selection in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft. The 20-year old phenom took an up-ice feed from Zdeno Chara and used his blazing speed to beat both New York defensemen before flipping the puck over Nabokov’s right pad and into the goal. Less than eight minutes later New York would counter with a goal from their own phenomenal young and talented pivot when John Tavares redirected a Moulson shot through Thomas’ wickets to give the Isles a 3-2 edge.

Despite over a minute of a 6-on-5 advantage, by way of a pulled goaltender, the B’s were unable to get a third puck past Nabokov as the veteran Russian ‘tender swallowed up each and every Boston shot to seal a 3-2 New York victory.

The loss extends Boston’s stretch to 51 days without winning two consecutive games while the players in that locker room continue to search for consistency.

“It’s consistency. We’ve been talking about it for a while and I don’t remember the time where we have won back to back games, I think it’s been a little while. It’s something that we need to improve in. I don’t know what the reason is.” – Tyler Seguin

Ben’s Three Stars:

1)  Evgeni Nabokov (32 Saves)

2) Matt Moulson (1 Goal/1 Assist)

3) John Tavares (1 Goal/1 Assist)

What’s Next?

– It’ll be a quick turnaround for the Bruins as they will travel to New York this evening for a Sunday afternoon tilt with Ryan Callahan and the Eastern Conference-leading Rangers. The Isles will return home for a Sunday afternoon contest of their own, when they host Zach Parise and the New Jersey Devils at the Nassau Coliseum.

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Records: New York 26-29-1 (61 Points) , Boston 38-21-3 (79 Points)

Location: TD Garden , Boston, Massachusetts

Time: 1:00 P.M. (EST)

TV/Radio Info: NESN (Edwards, Brickley, Funayama) – 98.5 The Sports Hub (Goucher, Beers)

Last Game: New Jersey Devils 3 , Bruins 4 (OT) ……. Islanders 3 , Philadelphia Flyers 6

Tonight’s Lineup (Subject To Change):

FORWARDS:

Marchand–Bergeron–Rolston

Lucic–Krejci–Seguin

Pouliot–Kelly–Caron

Paille–Campbell–Thornton

DEFENSE:

Chara–Boychuk

Seidenberg–Mottau

McQuaid–Zanon

GOALTENDER:

Rask

Thomas

Scratches– …… Andrew Bodnarchuk , Max Sauve

Injuries:

Nathan Horton (Concussion) – Boston’s top right winger remains sidelined with a concussion he suffered back on January 21.

Rich Peverley (MCL) – Peverley will sit out his seventh consecutive game as he continues to rehab his MCL injury.

Andrew Ference (Lower Body)  — The B’s dependable D-man will miss his first game with what’s simply being called a “lower body” injury. 

Last Time We Met: Bruins 6 , Islanders 0

– The last time these two Eastern Conference foes met was back on November 17th at Nassau Coliseum on Long Island. The B’s hammered the Isles in that one, winning by a 6-0 score, thanks to a three point night from third line pivot Chris Kelly.

Prediction: After a clutch 4-3 overtime win over New Jersey, I think that the Boston Bruins will be able to finally put together a pair of wins. Look for the Krejci line to stay hot as the B’s pick up the win on home ice.

Islanders 2 , Bruins 5

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It went down to the wire, but with about ten minutes until the official deadline reports began to surface that the Bruins had acquired forward Brian Rolston and defenseman Mike Mottau from the New York Islanders. Rolston, who spent four-plus seasons in the Hub and picked up 101 goals in the process, has registered nine points this season in 49 games for the Isles.

  Mottau, a native of Quincy, Mass,. won the Hobey Baker award in 2007 during his time at Boston College. The 33-year old blueliner has picked up two assists in 29 games this season and has played in 307 NHL contests over the course of his seven-year career.

In exchange for Mottau and Rolston, the Bruins sent 23-year-old ECHLer Yannick Riendeau and 21-year-old Providence defenseman Marc Cantin to the Isles. Both are not expected to ever compete for full-time NHL positions.

  Shortly after the first deal was announced, it was revealed that the Bruins had also acquired Minnesota Wild defenseman Greg Zanon in exchange for the oft-scratched Steven Kampfer. Zanon has appeared in 39 games for Minnesota this season, picking up two goals and adding four assists. However it is his defensive efforts that make Zanon such a valuable piece for a playoff run as he’s a player you can always find amongst the league leaders in both hits and blocked shots. Kampfer, whose shown flashes of brilliance and potential as a puck-moving defenseman, has spent much of this season watching from the press box as a healthy scratch. With top prospect Dougie Hamilton likely filling his spot next season, the 23-year-old blueliner became an expendable asset.

All three additions are slated to become unrestricted free agents at the end of the year and provide head coach Claude Julien with a variety of line-up options moving forward.

Chiarelli deserves a boat load of credit for his moves this afternoon, adding three veterans with post-season experience without sacrificing a player from his current roster or surrendering one of his team’s high end prospects.

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I would add that the Isles are about where I thought they would be as far as their wins and losses. I assumed they would be on the bubble of the playoff mix this season and my hope in September and October was that this hockey clubs next logical step in the rebuild was to be playing important games in February and March. Right now, that seems to be the case. It is February 25, and the New York Islanders are playing important games. While the playoffs are still on the outside, but this point last season, the year was, in essence, over already. This may not be the progress fans would have liked this year, but it is progress.

The Men
Lets start with the POSITIVE — John Tavares is everything the Islanders could have asked for and more. Together with Matt Moulson, these two Islanders are the real deals and clearly are consistent performers over the course of the season. Perhaps Moulson is the beneficiary of playing alongside an elite talent, but he still has to be in the right place at the right time, and Moulson is doing just that. In Tavares, the sheer determination — the unbelievable effort he is putting into most games and most shifts is simply something we as Islander fans have not seen in a very long time.

He is not there yet, but Travis Hamonic is quickly becoming as good as any top pair guy in the NHL. Nick Lindstrom  or Shea Weber he ain’t but he is showing that he is very valuable and one of the better young blueliners in the league. His play has been steady from game #1 of the season. His loss over 9 games from his broken nose had a massive impact on the team. Andy MacDonald has become a steady defender as well, but has had more poor games then I would like to see, but he too has become a core player for the Isles on the blueline.

Maddening
The Islanders have been dancing with NHL .500 for a while now. Having found themselves in a pre-Thanksgiving swoon for the second consecutive season, the Islanders are struggling to reach the .500 mark, and then cross it. This week, the team began at .500 and lost 2 games — 2 critical games to Ottawa and Buffalo. Had the Islanders won those two games, they would be right inside the heart of the playoff race for the 8 spot currently held by the Panthers.

All season long, the Islanders have struggled to attain a consistency, and it has been maddening. I am sure it is as troubling for the coaching staff and players as it has been for us fans and my hope is that it is part of the learning process young players go through on their path to reach their potential. With last nights victory over the rival Rangers, the Isles once again find themselves a game below .500 and going into Ottawa to try and reach level ground again. The boys can also exact a small measure of penance for the lack of effort they displayed against the Senators last week when it mattered most. Last week, it would not have been impossible for the Islanders to give Ottawa a small scare with a win, perhaps making both 7th and 8th place up for grabs in the East. (I suppose it still is if a team can string some wins together).

Garth Snow has said that the first order of business is to get to .500. He is 100% correct. But for whatever reason, the team seems to mail in a clunker every time they have reached NHL .500 and they have slipped back a game or 2 under, then reach it again, only to falter again. Maddening!

Buying or Selling?
Lets be honest, 6 points back with 21 games to go is not an insurmountable goal for any team. Theoretically, if the Islanders can beat Ottawa and Washington in their next 2 games, and if Florida who sits 8th struggles, the Islanders can find themselves interestingly close. In the end, with everything so tight in bottom 8 teams in the east, it is almost anyone’s to take — even the Hurricanes or Canadiens. A run of 3-4 wins in a row will vault anyone into the picture.

The Islanders are in position to make things interesting for themselves. They had opportunities to close the gap to 4 earlier this week, but failed. The debate on whether the Islanders should be ‘buyers’ or ‘sellers’ has been discussed by fans, bloggers and pundits. The Islanders have been consistently sellers for many seasons, and rightfully so. As a realist, and a little bit of a pessimist, I would suggest the Islanders will fall short of landing in the 8th place spot by the time the final game against the Blue Jackets will be played on April 7. I would have to think Garth Snow knows it as well.

But becoming a ‘classic seller’ does not, in my opinion, help the Islanders cause this season or beyond unless the items you are selling yield such a profitable return, that you have no choice but to sell. The other side of that coin would be that the Islanders are too far out to be ‘classic buyers’ where they wheel and deal young talent for a ‘final piece’ to make them a contender. No way are the Islanders near that position.

So what does it mean?

It means that if you are expecting Garth Snow to be very active at the deadline, you are setting yourself up for disappointment.

I am as certain as I can be as a speculator that Mr. Snow has made 29 phone calls to every GM in the NHL over the last week to gauge interest in any of his unrestricted players. But Snow has displayed patience in his dealings with trades and he has shown that he has a set price in mind for various players, and he will not dilute his price if he firmly believes he has correctly set the value to his and his teams benefit. Snow is very much about ‘winning’ in a trade. This does not mean their won’t be any moves…and the moves will be thoughtful and calculated if there are any at all.

Another solid NHL season for P.A. Parenteau has him as a coveted potential rental GM Garth Snow can turn into valuable assets for his franchise.

Who Could Go, Who Will Stay?
The players who will be likely remaining are fairly obvious. Though fans of the Leafs may want to believe otherwise, John Tavares will not be wearing Blue and White any time soon. While the Isles will likely remain quiet, there are some potential deals to be made depending on how things will shake out over the next 48 hours.

Evgeni Nabokov and P.A. Parenteau are garnering the most attention as potential players on the move. Both players have turned in strong seasons thus far. But, with the Islanders still inside hailing distance of the 8 spot, it is going to take more then a 3rd round pick to obtain either player from Garth Snow. The Islanders have a very strong, deep and well stocked farm, and are not as desperate to add picks and prospects as they were 2 seasons ago when the cupboard was still thin. Snow is likely more interested in acquiring NHL ready prospects or cap casualties that can still play meaningful minutes as part of the long term solution.

Earlier in the year, he was actively shopping Nabokov, but with the ‘on-cue’ injury to DiPietro, the ‘iffy’ consistency and injuries of Montoya and the as still not fully ready but strong potential of Poulin, the GM understands he needs Nabokov most likely beyond April. It is rumored that Snow has extended two possible offers to Nabokov. A 1-year deal, or a 2 year option. My preference would be for the 2 year deal, but Im not Nabokov. He may yet reject both offers, leaving Snow little time to try to hammer out either an agreement or potential trade.

What I believe is that Snow has a deal in place for Nabokov, ready to go at a moments notice, with one or two teams. It was likely something constructed back in December or January. If the Isles lose on Sunday to Ottawa and/or he fails to get Nabokov signed by Monday at noon or 1pm, he could pull the deal together. A second round pick plus has to be the asking price at this point in time, or an NHL defenseman (or NHL ready) who can log top 4 minutes.

If Nabokov is indeed signed, it is possible that Snow may deal Montoya, however the yield will not be there for Montoya as it would for Nabokov.

Parenteau is another matter. The announcement that he is not willing to negotiate until the end of the season could mean that he will test the waters post July 1.  Do the Islanders have a budget in mind for Parenteau and is that something P.A. would be comfortable with? If the two sides are fairly far apart, P.A. could be on his way out. Like trade value, Snow and owner Charles Wang have very clear ideas of what a particular player is worth in actual salary. If P.A. is seeking a deal similar to what Tavares received, he is pricing himself off the Island. On the other hand, if it is a 3 year Matt Moulson-esque deal, I think the Islanders would be able to get that done.

Like with Nabokov, I think Snow may have 2 or 3 potential deals ready to ‘rock-n-roll’ at the 1-2pm hour. Much may depend on if the Islanders win their game Sunday. With the kind of numbers P.A. is putting up, I would have to believe that Snow will seek a minimum 2nd round pick and true NHL ready prospect. P.A. is on pace for 74-75 point season. For those who think a 1st round pick is out of the question, or a high-end prospect and a second round pick — P.A.’s numbers will be in the range of the following types of players… Eric Staal, Claude Giroux, Johnathan Toews, Ryan Getzlaf, Ryan Kesler, Thomas Vanek, Patrick Kane, Patrick Marleau… This is based on the final stats for 2010-11.  Now I understand that P.A. is not the goal scorer per se, and does not have the complete game that some of those other stars have. But the numbers are what they are, and in a year where the free agent market is thin, his value is up. A team looking for the final piece will overpay as we have seen time and again. Snow should ask for a high end NHL ready player and a 2nd round pick or a 1st round pick if the Wild can get an NHL player, 2 prospects, a pick and conditional pick for Zidlicky.

The other players the Islanders have available are not impact players but could easily be moved for minimum returns of 3rd round picks or less. Mark Eaton, Steve Staios and Milan Jurcina are all capable defenders for teams looking for depth, and with the good play or Aaron Ness in his call-up, I would look for Snow to deal one or two of these defenders (Wishart would be the other call up to fill in.)

Brian Rolston (see below) and Jay Pandolfo will be offered up, but garner little value, and thus will more then likely remain with the Islanders.

For those of you who want to see DiPietro go — it is not happening. Not now, and not unless he retires on his own, which is unlikely to happen this season. Assume that DiPietro will be on the opening night roster in October. If there is a 1X buyout amnesty worked into the new CBA, Charles Wang may still not cut his favorite son loose. What you can be sure of is that neither Snow or Jack Capuano see DiPietro as anything more then an 8-12 game player who will then get hurt for long stretches of time. He is not an impact player on the ice any longer. What can become a factor is if the team really begins to compete and the cap hit is an issue, but as of now, they need to have that cap him to reach the floor.

My sincerest hope is to see DiPietro retire this April, but it is unlikely. He is too stupid, and stubborn. He may choose to retire after the 1012-13 season when he sees that the organization has him ranked as the #4-5 goalie behind Nabokov, Monotoya (if either or both remain) and Poulin.

Time To Relax and Just Play
Many fans assumed that Mark Striet’s and Kyle Okposo’s return would provide enough boost to the Islanders to vault them into playoff contention. That, plus the electric play of Michael Grabner should make the Islanders an offensive force. None of the above has happened the way fans wanted, nor, I am sure Striet, Okposo and Grabner.

In the case of Striet the answer is time. After missing a year of hockey, coming off the kind of injury he had, it was going to take half a season for him to find his game. I recall during a game in December that I attended and watching Streit, he just wouldn’t shoot from the point. He would load the gun, but never fire it — not like he used too. I think much of that has to do with that injury. His decision making was also off. Timing, off. It takes time for players to return, even after they “return.” Add to that the burden of being the Captain, and you get what you see. In the last few weeks, he has begun to return to his “Streit-like” self. At both ends, his game has picked up!

With Kyle Okposo, I am not sure if he suffered from the same issue during the early part of this season, or if the guy is in his head. Okposo is a skilled player with power forward potential. The ‘power’ is something he is not displaying enough of. He has been wildly inconsistent. We have seen him at times dominate his space and create for his line, and other times it just appears that he has feet of clay. He needs to make the effort to play a high tempo physical game in order to be at his most effective. I suppose like many of his teammates its a matter of consistency, but he should be more consistent as a little bit older. One can not underestimate however, Okposo has missed a great deal of time in his young career. He has one true complete season at 80 games, and not surprisingly, his best season overall. This season will more then likely be his second best, but still, not nearly enough for a guy who just signed a 5 year deal, and is a core player. The slow start hurt him, and he needs to find it for 82 games. Perhaps he can take a lesson from Matt Martin, or former Islander Darius Kasparitis. Get a big, clean hit done early to get yourself into the game!

With Michael Grabner, I am seeing so much frustration, he must be turning the stick to dust. The ‘Gremlin’ is getting his chances, although teams are ready for him, so not as often as last season. His ‘sophomore slump’ has hurt the team to be sure. This is a player who needs to relax, and keep plugging away. He is too good to just be a “1 and done” but like many goal scorers, he is clearly streaky. The groin injury earlier in the season might be hampering him as well.

The Arena
The last point of these 6 is, perhaps, the most important. No matter how good John Tavares is, no matter if Calvin de Haan comes in next season as a top rookie, or Ryan Strome gives us a dynamic 2nd line center, of Kevin Poulin wins the Calder, the state of the New York Islanders rests with Charles Wang and his ability or inability to find a new home for his hockey team.

Free agents will sign on Long Island if there is a legit chance the team can win, and if Wang is willing to pay up. But with the current uncertainty, Wang is not willing to pay up, and while the team is playing a great deal better, it has not shown itself to be capable of taking the ‘playoff’ step just yet. A winning record this season — playoffs or not — is critical to convincing potential UFAs that this team has a solid winning core, and is ready to turn the corner and compete.

As of this moment, I can’t stress enough how critical the game in Brooklyn in October will be. If we as fans ‘no show’ and there are 1,000 fans in attendance, it will communicate to Charles Wang that Brooklyn is not a viable option as a landing spot for his team. If on the other hand, we fill the arena to the shiny new rafters, it sends a clear cut message to Kate Murray, Ed Mangano, Jay Jacobs and everyone else from the Hooples of Hempstead to the Nimrods of Nassau that the Islanders have their bags packed and ready to move slightly west.It lets everyone know that Barclay’s is a viable home for the Islanders.

Queens remains a potential option as well, but is further away then Brooklyn as no arena is actually planned or under construction. Likewise, we have heard little from new County Exec Steve Bellone in Suffolk County. Other municipalities like Quebec, Hamilton, Seattle  would kill to have the Islanders.

Nassau is, as of now, a dead option. No one in the County or Town of Hempstead is showing any real interest in retaining the Islanders. In fact, the latest in a long line of planning meetings and discussions that have gone NO WHERE — there was even a suggestion that if the Islanders leave, the County could get another sports tenant to replace the Isles. (What ever that guy is smoking, I think its only right that he shares… If the Islanders leave, no sports owner with one brain molecule would consider Nassau County, or Long Island viable.)

In my writing here and elsewhere, I have called on Charles Wang to take a much more aggressive stance on this issue, to force all of these communities to come to him rather then he beg them — to operate as he has what they want to create jobs, to foster economic growth and build excitement within a community. He has failed — miserably — to play this game the right way, and both times he was soundly defeated. Either the advice he is getting is really bad, or he is not listening to good advice he might be receiving from his people. Either way, it has led us to the unthinkable.

The Islanders have, in essence until the beginning of the 2012-13 season to decide their fate. I believe the puck is on Charles Wang’s stick blade. He has his choice of scoring a game winning buzzer beater in Brooklyn, and put an end to all of the speculation and all of the non-sense, or shanking the shot wide by 6 feet. He can and MUST begin open public negotiations with Queens for an arena at Willits Point. But Charles Wang continues to drag his feet in silence. His excuse that they are trying to focus on the hockey season is laughable. Charles Wang is not the 2nd line center for the New York Islanders, worried about getting a goal in the next game. His only in-season task is signing his name to his players pay checks. Using that as an excuse at this crucial time to try and find a new home for the team is dumb and lazy. Pining away for a Nassau County that clearly does not have any desire to keep his team in the County is — I am sorry to say and putting it bluntly here — fucking stupid!

One of these two guys in playing in the NHL... David Ullstrom has been recalled to the Islanders as Brian Rolston is placed on Waivers. Sidney Crosby is still on the shelf!

Until this issue is resolved, the New York Islanders will be mostly quiet with free agents. So those of you looking for Garth Snow to sign Shea Weber or Ryan Suter to long term deals on July 1, 2012, you are setting yourself up for massive disappointment, and lots of time wasted on emails, blog posts and messages on HFBoards about how Snow is stupid and should be fired, and Wang must go. If the Islanders arena issues are solved by June 30, then you can assume the Islanders will be more active. But if not….

NEWS UPDATE
After a 50 game tryout, the Isles have finally decided what most of us saw after 10 games — that Brian Rolston can no longer play in the NHL. His 4 goals, 5 assists, 9 points and -13 is taking away valuable ice time from players who are better suited, younger, and can offer far more then Rolston. Arthur Staple tweeted that Rolston has been placed on Waivers. David Ullstrom has been recalled from Bridgeport. This will add a much needed element of skill and spark to the Islanders. I was very disappointed when Ullstrom was hurt, and again when he was returned to Bridgeport after he was deemed ready for play. A new 3rd line of Cizikas (who played nicely last night) centering Ullstrom and Martin should prove to be a very solid energy line. If that line can gel the way I think it can as an effective 3rd line, what happens to Josh Bailey, and where does Nino go??? Thoughts?

Is this a preemptive strike?

As I first reported on Twitter on Thursday the Islanders are in discussions to host a preseason game next season at the new Barclays Center in Brooklyn, the future home of the NBA’s New Jersey Nets.

This is not the first time the Islanders have used another venue to push the reality that at the end of the 2014-15 season their lease with Nassau Coliseum ends. During the 2008-09 season when Kansas City was considered their hot relocation destination, the Islanders announced they’d be taking on the Los Angeles Kings in a preseason game the following season at the brand-new downtown Spirit Center.

While there has been no movement between the Islanders and Nassau County on a new or refurbished arena, and a clear message has been sent that the team is not presently for sale, more possible routes could open if Brooklyn, Suffolk County or Queens were to make guarantees.

READ MORE ON MY BLOG ON CBS New York/WFAN…

And more from CBS New York from yours truly.

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Since this past Aug. 1′s failed referendum in Nassau County, it has been silent on all fronts. But as a team struggles, invariably people hear things or  rumor and innuendo just get spun out of control quickly by a hungry fan base looking for anything to look forward to.

The latest message board fan site fodder rolling around and being inflated is just that. It is about some group, including a former player who has interest in buying the team. You can’t blame the energy and excitement in the notion. Fans rightly are wishing for a resolution that leaves the Islanders in New York and settles what has been a disturbing open-ended situation that rarely features any answers…

READ MORE ON CBS New York…

And if you missed it, read my featured piece on concussions in hockey is now an epidemic on CBS New York. It is an eye-opener. READ IT HERE!

And more from CBS New York from yours truly.

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However, something happened on the way to making the NHL more palatable to the masses. You might have noticed that your favorite player or players have been missing in action quite a bit this season.As of Thursday, 51 NHL players have been lost to concussions this season. On that list is the player many believe is the league’s best, Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins. Crosby has played in just eight NHL games since suffering a concussion on Jan. 5, 2011.

That list has become a gargantuan story this season, much to the alarm of the league and teams, who have in the past attempted to minimize what independent medical experts have been citing for years: hockey has a concussion epidemic on its hands.

< READ MORE ON CBS New York >

Other pieces on CBS by BD:

HOW PLAYERS, NOT THE ISLES COACH WILL WALK PLANK THIS SEASON

PATIENCE IS A VIRTUE? TELL THAT TO NY ISLANDERS FANS! 

Next up on CBS will be a blog addressing the new calls for Jack Capuano to be fired, and why that will not happen. It is more about the veterans of the team who are on the firing line. Should be up tomorrow.

Happy holidays and have a great & safe New Years eve and day.

BD

Part 1 covered the coach, part 2 the goalies. Part 3 gives us a look at the Islanders blueline thus far in the season, and moving beyond the 2011 campaign.

Many of us — me included — still believe that a seasoned NHL coach can help a great deal, and many of us like to put all the blame on DiPietro. Well, it is not all the coach, and not all on DiPietro.

As the 2010-11 season folded, and the Islanders were once again left with a high lottery pick, the mandate from GM Garth Snow was to obtain a defenseman. Someone who could be a part of the team for years to come, with experience, but still young and hungry enough to be a part of the Islanders long term solution. Having been stonewalled in free agency for 3-4 seasons, it became clear the Islanders may have to find their man via another way.

The Defenders That Never Were
In reality, I see two players who fall into this category. James Wisniewski and Christian Ehrhoff.

In the summer of 2010, the Islanders pulled off what was viewed as a coup, sending a 3rd round pick to the Ducks for veteran defender Wisniewski. A player that played with a real edge and fire, who could generate 45-50 points from the blue line. A Physical version of Mark Striet if you will.

Unfortunately for the Islanders, the Wisniewski and Striet dream was ended before REM sleep really began. With Striet’s season ending injury, Wisniewski was in effect left to carry the blue line load by himself. While the Wiz is a solid NHL defenseman with excellent upside, he is not a #1 defender, or someone who can carry a team. It was not long after the season started that the Islanders slid deep into the abyss ending Wisniewski’s run as an Islander, costing Scott Gordon his job, and ensuring a high pick in 2011.

With Striet coming back after his lost season this fall, the Islanders wanted to be sure they found someone who could give young players like Calvin de Haan some time, and help teach other young and developing defenseman like Andy MacDonald and Travis Hamonic the ropes. Having been rebuffed by free agents, Snow wasted little time, and traded for the rights to Christian Ehrhoff, fresh off his cup run with the Canucks.

But as soon as he came in, he was gone. What was a good attempt proved to be nothing. We will never really know if it was Ehrhoff who wanted more than the Islanders could give, or wanted to give, or if the number of years were the issue or if simply put, Ehrhoff had no desire to sign with the Islanders regardless of the terms or dollars. Free agency once again came and went, but unlike 2010, there were no post arbitration trades to bolster the blueline, leaving the Islanders with Striet returning from major injury a few journeymen bottom pair defenders and a few very good young players yet to reach their potential.

In addition, the Islanders let Radek Martinek go, and did not sign Jack Hillen for another stint on Long Island. With the Ehrhoff failure, and the lack of the ability to bring in other blueline help via free agency fans were very critical of allowing Radek Martinek to walk. The funny thing about this, is that Martinek — as good as he is when he is healthy — has not had a single healthy season. He is not a point producer, and in effect, he is a #3 defender at best. Certainly, retaining an injury prone Martinek would not address the Islanders problems, and I don’t for a moment believe Snow was wrong to let him walk — even after losing Ehrhoff or other free agents. Needless to say, Martinek is unfortunately hurt again. Only 7 games played thus far this year for the Blue Jackets.

While they need help being so young, Travis Hamonic (3) and Andrew MacDonald (47) are the current home grown defenders for the Islanders that should be a part of the teams core for years to come.

The Current Crop

The 7 players that make up the Islanders back end are a mix of vets and youth — some look to be part of the long term solution, some just stop gaps.

Striet’s return is a godsend for the Islanders but the rust is evident, as is the burden of his captaincy. He tries to keep things light, but he is clearly under the stress of trying to carry the team from the blueline, and frankly, he is trying too hard. By all accounts, Striet can be one of the leagues better defenseman — when he focuses on the task at hand. My advice to him is to lead by example on the ice playing the simple, effective and compact game he always played. His trying to do too much is causing undesired and costly fumbles. it is a lesson from Patrick Flatley. Flats was never going to be an offensive dynamo, but he lead by example. He did the little things, and did not take a shift off.

Mark Eaton and Mike Mottau are one in the same. Both are acceptable stop gaps for games here and there, but they have both struggled. Both have had a few good games, and many indifferent games. I just don’t seem to notice either doing much good on any level. They don’t single-handedly cost us games, but they just don’t seem to do much. Both may be potential trade targets as depth defenders to a playoff bound team at the deadline. I would take a 3rd rounder for either, unless they can be part of a larger package.

Travis Hamonic has continued to impress. A call-up last season, Hamonic has become a steady force on the blue line. What clearly distinguishes him from the others on the blueline is his toughness. No one else on the Islanders defense corps is nearly as tough. He plays with a welcome edge and fire. He reminds me a great deal of Dave Langevin; quietly going about his game, but at the same time you saw him level someone from time-to-time. He can shoot, make good passes — he possesses a strong overall game. As of now, I would suggest he is our #1 defenseman. Sadly, he should be our #2 or #3, but as we lack a true #1 or #2 he is relegated to being our best defender. He may evolve into a #2, but I am not sure he will ever possess the complete overall game. But defenseman take a little longer, so anything is possible.

Coming off difficult injuries last season, Andy MacDonald has a very solid game for the Islanders. He won’t get the points that Striet or Hamonic may get, but he is effective, can log minutes and do lots of the little things well. Right now, Id like to see him spend the season staying healthy, and continuing his development. He is not a #1 or #2. He is likely a second pairing defenseman if done “the right way.” Still, he is very reliable.

Milan Jurcina brings the intangible of size to the Islanders. Frankly, I like that he seems to be using that size a bit more, but not nearly enough. He has a great shot as well, and again, does not use it enough. Still, he makes a nice addition to the Islanders, and I would not be against resigning him this off season for a 1 or 2 year deal. He can continue as an effective second or third pair defender, and continue to provide some time to younger players like de Haan, Donovan and others.

Steve Staios’ arrival was viewed by many as a waste of time, but he has filled in as well as can be expected. When you are unable to sign a free agent, or your young players are not ready, this is what you are left to do. Which is to say, Staios has been doing just fine. Surprisingly I like his game far better than Eaton’s or Mottau’s.

Outside the aforementioned 7, they is Dylan Reese. It seems that Reese gets the call on emergency loan which means he does not need to pass through waivers, and when he does, the Islanders play better. That should tell management something.

What to expect

The Islanders clearly do not have a true #1 defender. Mark Striet is not that guy right now, and frankly, may never be. In reality, he is a great #2, with Hamonic and MacDonald as the second pairing. Ehrhoff and Wisniewski would not have been the game changing #1′s either, but I would welcome either to the team as they would raise the quality of the blue line significantly. While a true number one would not be here, a top 6 of Wiz, Ehrhoff, Striet, Hamonic, MacDonald and Jurcina would be a gigantic leap forward and our best collective blueline in nearly 10 years.

But for the time being, there is very little the Islanders can do, or for the fans to expect. I would not be so determined at this time to bring in Donovan, Ness or de Haan — all doing well in Bridgeport this season. I would be very much resistant to trading Hamonic or MacDonald, and while Striet has struggled, I am not on board with trading him for a perceived higher value — plus we need the salary on the books. Plus, those three represent half the blue line, and thats the half we want to keep.

If anything, we may see a player like Staios get moved at the deadline for a 3rd round pick or less making way for Reese the final 20 or so games. In addition, Mottau and Eaton will be eligible for trades as UFAs. I would expect one or two of those three moved before the deadline. I would not mind seeing Wishart get another chance. I am not fully sure why he is not getting a longer look. He brings size to the line up — size that is sorely needed, and while he had some questions to his game, he may be worth another look.

But overall — don’t expect Shea Weber, or Ryan Suter any time soon.

Who can be done, and what would  your choice be?

Sure — by all accounts Snow tried, but on this, he has indeed failed. Like Charles Wang having one major item on his to do list, Snow had one major item on his. Both men failed.

Perhaps Ehrhoff or Wisniewski were not worth the big deals they got with their respective teams. I would have to agree with Snow that giving Ehrhoff a 10 year deal is not the right move for the Islanders. Plus, as mentioned, I really don’t see either player as a #1. Doughtly is a #1. Perhaps Suter is, and Weber certainly is. But the availability of those players was unlikely. We don’t know if any would want to be part of the Islanders solution or not, and we have no idea what we would need to give up to get such players.

It is all the more concerning that we lack a game changer on defense right now within the prospect pool. While Nino and Strome look good, and even I would have gone for Couturier at this past draft, one has to wonder where is our big time d-man going to come from?

I find it equally concerning that a deal like the ones for Dion Phaneuf went down and the Islanders had nothing to offer to try and get him?

This is where Snow seems to be a little bit gun shy. But it could just as easily be that he can’t make a deal to land a big fish like Phaneuf, Richards, Carter or any other stud player because of the situation with the arena, Charles Wang, and the state of the franchise.

My choice would be to package the Islanders first round pick to try and pry a stud loose somewhere. A young player who can be signed long term and be part of the team for a long time. A rental is not viable. A 35 year old should not be the center piece of the deal. It has to be the right fit. Ultimately, the opportunity may be there for one of Weber or Suter if the Preds can’t keep both. It would certainly help but can the Islanders convince either as free agents to become part of the Islander solution long term?

In the absence of having those answers, the Islanders have little choice but to look to within for the solution. I also am more inclined to deal this years first round pick because the last thing we need on the Islanders — talent not withstanding — is another 6′ forward. We need a 6’4″ defenseman who can play 25 minutes a night. If someone has a suggestion, we’d all like to hear it.

Wishing you all a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year!

Excerpt:

Over each of their last 10 games, the Islanders have kept pace with the Rangers and have shown they might actually be better than what their overall record is. The Rangers are elite and playing like it, going 6-3-1.

And whenever these two get together, you can almost certainly throw out their records. The Islanders won the first of two meetings at Nassau Coliseum, 4-2 on Oct. 15, and the Blue Shirts returned the favor a month later.

The Islanders have an opportunity build on their winning ways thanks to a bit of a turnaround from late November into December. They are riding a 5-3-2 stretch that has moved them within 8 points of the final playoff spot, and are coming off a sweep of Northwest Division-leading Minnesota and Winnipeg, which is just a point out of the eighth spot in the East. READ MORE!

As for Mike Milbury…

Excerpt:

For instance, Milbury told Dupont: “I understand the culture and implication and conclusion some would draw from this.” He might be eloquent on television as an analyst for NBC, but those are far from the types of words he uses on a daily basis, if you get my meaning.

The injection of public relations into news is always something to be war of. Sure, you want to get the other guy’s take, but when your other witness in this type of alleged incident is the parent of Milbury’s own child, you can’t expect much.  READ MORE!

TIPS, THOUGHTS, READ ANYTHING GOOD, OR PERHAPS YOU WROTE ONE YOURSELF? Let us know in the comments or email me at bd@hockeyindependent.com

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A conflicting tale of Mike Milbury alleged assault on a 12-year boy is coming to light. There seems to be a wide disparity between witnesses’ observations on the post-peewee game antics that has landed the off-air NBC analyst in hot water, crimes and misdemeanors.

Per this new take, evidently Milbury was merely breaking up a fight that developed post-game in a shoot around between his son and the 12-year old. All he was doing, per witnesses now quoted, was breaking them away from one another.

“No one was punched, kicked, or assaulted in any way,” … “I grabbed the other kid by the sweater to stop a fight and, yeah, I swore at him. That’s it. That’s what I did.”
-Mike Milbury said to NESN

In knowing much about Mad Mike, I’d like to use my imagination a bit to put forth some scenario where that would make some sense. Despite that this take will not be advocated by Milbury’s law team, paid for by his many years toiling on Long Island, I would like to think it would get their full support.

Scenario:

Mike Milbury is watching his son play hockey. He tried and tried to convince Junior to take up the cloth. After all, not many people know this, but the very prim and proper Milbury clan is very close to the clergy. But alas, much like his father, he has an innate feel for the game. Mike can’t disagree here, since he has an amazing ability to judge hockey talent. 

Junior is going to be a star. He skates like Gretzky. He works his stick like Mario Lemieux. He shoots like Bossy. He is the greatest thing on skates since Mary Lou Retton.

Mike watches the game while sipping some warm tea with honey. The air is tepid; the sun feels good on his brow. He slips away from the game itself, and begins to contemplate his next move as potential general manager. What will it be? Toronto? Burke is clearly in over his head. Perhaps LA? So many opportunities to consider…

Hark! Milbury feels something awry. On the ice, his son is getting battered and pummeled by some behemoth.

“Not my boy!” he cries, bounding from his seat and onto the ice. He moves like a cat, thanks to his thick regimen of Pilates and Tai Chi.

Mad Mike runs through the din, separated the two boys, grabbing the behemoth by the sweater.

“Off my kid, you big meanie!” he admonishes sternly to the boy.

Then Mike takes Junior by the arm and walk off into the sunset, those around him clapping and cheering. A real American hero.

In part 1, in the midst of some real problems, there was a great deal of talk about Jack Capuano and the need for “an NHL coach” for the team. Well, it is become increasingly clear since that installment, that Cappy is going to finish this season behind the Islanders bench barring a complete and total collapse. And, I would expect Cappy to start the 2012-13 campaign. Snow is not going to change coaches like underwear. Any designs on seeing recently fired Randy Carlyle, Jacques Martin or someone else behind the boys in blue and orange is pure fantasy. I even recently read a post about getting Mike Keenan.

And while some like putting the teams troubles  all on the coach, there are also players to contend with when it comes to any sports team. Today, I will give my 2 nickles worth of thoughts on the Islanders goalies. I still have to get some of my thoughts in on the Defense, forwards, and of course Garth Snow and Charles Wang.

We began the year all groaning. Another season with 3 goalies. It did not work last time, and it was unlikely to work this year. Those who thought it would be fine are right — so far, and those who thought it would be bad — are also right. It is bad because early on, in the midst of our skid in November, we had no roster flexibility to bring in young players to possibly creates a spark. On the other hand, the decision on who dresses has been easy as one of the three has been injured at any given time. (Insert DiPietro joke here….)

Al Montoya is proving to be an NHL goalie. Another scrap heap pick up for Garth Snow and the Isles.

The Goalies of Today

Right now the Islanders have three goalies — 2 of them belong in the NHL, one barely belongs on an skate sharpening machine. We all know who is who.

Al Montoya came in and won the job of starter with his steady play last season. He deserved the home opener start, and his play thus far this season save for a very small percentage of ones he would like back, Al Montoya is the clear cut Islanders number 1. He is on a 1 year deal this season, and I would have to believe (and please, make your case if I am wrong) that he is in line for a contract extension. Although even i could speculate about a trade of Montoya — which I’ll do later on….

Evgeni Nabokov actually reported this time to the Islanders, and he has been adequate for the team. He is certainly a step off from where he may once have been, but one has to wonder if that has more to do with team defense and a lack of goal support. With DiPietro being…you know….Dipietro, we should be kissing Nabby’s glove hand that he showed up.

If Nabokov is the eventual “odd man out” and he is traded it certainly allowed the Islanders some stability in the crease during his time here. If he stays and completes the season on Long Island, it is still a “win” for the Islanders as it keeps Poulin and Nillson in Bridgeport which is where they belong at this time.

Rick DiPietro.

Is there any more that really has to be said?

He is the final element of the Mike Milbury “error,” representing everything that was/is wrong with that time, and the man who in essence destroyed a model NHL franchise. Not only can the man not stay healthy — he is the worst goalie I’ve seen play in a long time. It might be because of his injuries — he cant move the way he maybe once could, but that 5¢ head has crippled him since he arrived. The reason the team plays better in front of Montoya or Nabokov is self evident. There is only one thing left to do — advocate for the man to retire. If he cares about the Islanders as much as he says he does, then he needs to pack his gear and walk away — forever!

Evgeni Nabokov has been a good back-up for the Islanders. Snow was shrewd enough to toll the contract.

Mike Milbury once said that DiPietro was the best puck handling goalie he’d ever scene. My question was, “yeah, but can he stop the puck?” If DiPietro wants to play the puck so much, I always wanted to ask him why he does not changes positions — try defense. Sure he strung together some reasonable stats when healthy, even a few shut-outs. But he has never amounted to anything of consequence that was positive for the Islanders. Considering we gave up the chance at drafting a player like Gaborik or Heatley, and having Roberto Luongo as the franchises goalie, the impact of that draft is still being felt, and will be as long as Rick DiPietro remains an active member of the Islanders and Gaborik, Heatley and Luongo continue on their stellar careers.

The Choices Moving Forward

The first step would actually be to take on additional salary. As much as I would like to, waiving or releasing DiPietro removes his $4.5 million cap hit, and we need it in order to be cap compliant. So the first order of business really has to be adding salary. That is an argument for another post — who, when, where.

Putting salary aside for a moment, eliminating DiPietro is the only viable option, finishing the campaign with Montoya and Nabokov. But, that too has issues. Both have needed time off for injury, which is why having the three goalies has worked to a point. It appears that with the team going no place this season, rotating the status quo may be the prudent move.

Trading one of the three is a possibility should all three prove healthy for a long stretch, and a deal comes in that you can’t refuse.

What to expect

If the team slides into complete oblivion, they will make a move with their goalies, but I would hold Snow to his word from the Newsday article. He will likely finish the year at this point with what he has. The problem this season has not been goaltending unless #39 is in the crease. Overall, inconsistent play and the lack of offense has been a bigger issue then the goaltending. Think about it… other then a few games

Who would your choice be?

By all means — I love reading your thoughts, and get your own take. My choice would actually be to listen

to all offers for starters, and as crazy as this may seem — Montoya might be the one I would trade.

Rick DiPietro — a rusting, dusty relic from the Milbury "Error" — he represents everything wrong with the Islanders over the past 15 years.

Here is why.

His value is far higher then Nabokov’s. He is younger and has played far better. He is an inexpensive option, and can be traded without question as he lacks the NMC that Nabokov has. This means moving Nabokov would be contingent on his approval. So any desire to simply trade Nabby to Columbus is wishful thinking. But trading Nabokov to a team like Columbus and bringing in a player perhaps with some size… a big center to give Strome time next season…. a big blueliner who can log lots of minutes and be reliable?

Of course in any deal, it can’t be a rental. It has to be a player signed long term or young and willing to be part of the long term solution.

Montoya alone is not getting us an All-Star mind you, but of the three goalies — he is the one that would be easiest to trade. Sending Nabokov to Detroit at the deadline is not getting us a second round pick — and if Detroit or anyone offers Snow a second, he should make that deal and laugh all the way to the draft podium in June.

Ultimately, the goaltending reigns look to be heading in the direction of a possible duo of Montoya and Poulin.

Happy Holidays!

My second piece, today, is on Isles 2008 2nd round draft pick Corey Trivino who was arrested and charged with a few things, including attempted rape. Please give it a read. We go into a bevy of issues that surround a young man…not as an excuse for him, but to understand what are some elements that might have led him to such a shocking arrest and dismissal from BU.

Please give them a read.

- BD

After the Isles loss, Victor Hedman was spotted at UGG in Manhattan walking around. He was asked 4 or 5 times by people if he was Tom Brady.

His response: “No, I’m Victor Hedman”

They: “Who?”

No love for Tampa’s defensive stalwart.

Our suggestion?

See if you can pretend you are Tom Brady to this woman…

Might make the confusion worthwhile!

We know a few games ago the Isles were fragile. Well, what happens when they are broken?

What Has Come To Pass

Back over the summer I warned on what plans the Isles had with one Blake Comeau. In fact, if you follow me on twitter, I’ve been saying it since the end of last season. Despite the 24 goals and 46 points within last season’s chaos, the Isles saw him as a bottom 6 player, to play the 3rd line to be exact. In fact, some wondered if he was only one of those players that could only be a difference-maker within complete chaos and bad teams. With kids coming up and development of prospects, his fate was sealed.

Lo and behold on the third line he was placed, not helped by his training camp play. Comeau has had start issues before with the Isles, landing in Scott Gordon’s doghouse as well.

The Isles original plan was to have three offensive lines. His linemates was Josh Bailey, and to play on the other wing was to be P.A. Parenteau. This changed when Niño went down to injury, and PA found himself back in the first line plans. PA ended up having incentive to play his ass off and is sticking to that first line. See, sometimes competition is a good thing.

But more on that later…

What turned out in the third line was a complete stunt of play and effectiveness that the isles offensive plans turned to mush. The Isles turned instead to a one-line team that could be focused on and contained. So it is small wonder that they have fallen into a tailspin. In fact, it was my number issue I cited for the offense in my preseason primer. Where would the scoring come?

While other player outages have also gone along with Blake Comeau’s, those others like Bailey, Okposo, Nielsen and on defense: Andy MacDonald (takes a while to get to 100% from last years injury) and Hamonic have found at least glimmers. Comeau instead went into freefall.

The “Imminent” Deal That Never Happened…

Back during last summer, Comeau was almost dealt, likely in the “deal that never happened”. You might recall the alluded to deal that others made after Hunter for Rolston happened. Well, once August 1st failed vote in Nassau County, whatever deal that was to be also went kaput… Likely due to the $$$ that also would have came back. Charles was not going to eat more loss over and above maintaining the bottom cap floor level when he felt fans failed to be the job done in Nassau County.

Why was Comeau almost dealt? Well, in his contract negotiations he and his agent were far apart with the Islanders. Snow wanted a #2 or 3 defenseman, having been unable to sign Ehrhoff. In the end, Comeau signed. Any deal to be struck via trade was long dead despite the terms of “imminent” or “next” still touted around. Garth was hamstrung thanks to Charles, and then had to change gears.

So we instead had this long sordid seasonal tale of Blake Comeau’s stats, 4th line drop, not even a shot in his last game for the Isles. Meanwhile a crowd of forwards had developed. If the vets were not going to carry the team forth, the vision and mission was still in player development. Comeau was never considered a piece of the Isles system or rebuild. He was, like others deemed expendable like Nilsson and O’Mara who were shopped until they paid for a Ryan Smyth rental years before, predated the 2006 system and method installation that the Isles use still.

Comeau was shopped, but his stats and contract were detriments that continued to hang like an albatross on his value.

A Little Trade Reality, Folks…

The art of trades, which nobody seems to understand when writing, reading or commenting about hockey, is that beggars are not choosers. If you have a guy sucking, nobody is going to pay anything. Trades and negotiation are about positioning. It is not EA’s NHL 2012.

Someone calling others about trading a player is not in a solid footing in negotiation. It is a shame that this is again and again failed to be understood as people, even the mainstream press, fail to get this key element into their head.

In short, Garth had NO trade footing with Comeau. He set a price, and probably did not get even anything near it or acceptable below that value. To not be shown as weak, and to be able to have footing on future deals, the Isles stick to their price set or at least within their reason. He did not fold so that he can make sure that he has sway for future, probably more important deals of the future than some guy who is washing out of being a forward in one of the weakest teams and biggest opportunities in the league. I mean, let’s get real here. Had Comeau played his ass off, he could have been back on the 2nd line. The Isles have stuck with the hot hands.

So as that meeting with Capuano and Garth happened, large decisions were made. They chose to break this fragile egg and stuck group. Examples would be made. Room created. Comeau was waived with the intent of knowing he would be likely claimed. This will not be the end of such moves, especially if Rolston does not do more in the next few. You might see him go next via waivers, where call-ups and kids keep the Isles still above cap floor, and more room made.

The odd element to all this is that 99.99% of Islander fans have been screaming for Blake Comeau to be off this team for weeks now. Waived, traded for scraps, whatever…just get him gone – was the mantra. Yet suddenly, when waived, an about-face came screaming about trade value: How could be let go for nothing?

Why Players Sit

While Isles fans seem to now take a microscope game-to-game, screaming about others sitting, facts are that there has been a competition for roles. Organizations SHOULD have competition for roles. Competition for playing time. Those are elements that create growth and development. I think Isles fans have been lulled by the years the Isles had none and roles just given away to the dreck of the league.

Before we fans forget about Andy Hilbert and more, let us recall the times when the Isles had ZERO competition for roles. Sure, I can agree the stats and standing weren’t much better, but fact is the Isles have a lot of kids in development now vying for roles, and can we agree for argument’s sake that they are not fully developed yet?

So Nino sits, and there is a bang the gong of conspiracy. There are no conspiracy or money issues weighing here. He is not being sat to avoid bonuses. They did not have him do training camp and preseason on the top line to have him sit. But fact remains his camp was stunted due to injury and has a crowd at RW on the NHL team. So if he has to sit a few games as the Isles try to sort out those forwards and get others going, so be it.

Everyone wants the Isles to sort out the offensive issues and get players going, then they complain when they actually sit someone.

We are far from a turned corner, let’s be honest here. But there seems to be some distance from the listless and “fragile”, as cited by assistant Scott Allen during one of the Isles worst games in recent memory when Sidney Crosby returned to walk all over the team. The Islanders feel they moved one fragile element off the team and into the Western Conference. The braintrust considers that something of value… whether Comeau wakes up or not. Meantime, Okposo, sat for a while, has turned on the jets like careers and seasons are at stake. Hmm, I guess the Isles knew what they were doing there.

I bet when Nino finally reaches the ice and plays like a rabid dog is nipping at his heels, maybe the will be a method seen within the fan and peanut gallery madness?

We shall see. Just as we will see what shakes out at forwards.

When Nino does return to the ice, expect to see on a line with Ullstrom (up for now), and Josh Bailey (playing better, have you noticed?). Potentially, this “kid” line could be the very thing the Isles need for that 3^rd line to finally make some sort of difference.

IF YOU MISSED IT: My piece wondering if the Isles are just a bunch of heartless tin men! Read it here!
IF YOU MISSED IT: My talk with a goalie scout about the Isles goalies and prospects! Read it here!

TIPS, THOUGHTS, READ ANYTHING GOOD, OR PERHAPS YOU WROTE ONE YOURSELF? Let us know in the comments or email me at bd@hockeyindependent.com

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Following a successful sweep of a five-game home-stand that featured wins over the Islanders, Oilers, Sabres, Devils and Blue Jackets, the Boston Bruins departed the Hub for a three-game road swing, with stops in Long Island, Montreal and Buffalo.

Standings

The Bruins currently sit in a tie for second place in the NorthEast division with the Buffalo Sabres, as both squads have secured 24 points on the season. The B’s and Sabres are both two points behind the first-place Toronto Maple Leafs. Boston also sits in fifth place in the Eastern Conference, three points back of the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Team Leaders

Despite rapidly cooling off over the past week, Bruins sophomore sensation Tyler Seguin continues to lead the team in all of the major offensive categories. The 6’1″ Brampton, Ontario native has matched his career-high of eleven goals, while adding ten assists and potting three game winners in nineteen games played. Seguin is also second in the entire NHL (Shea Weber is first (+18)) with a plus/minus rating of +17. Rugged fourth line winger Shawn Thornton has restored his place atop the stat sheet when it comes to PIMs, registering 39 of them through 19 games of action. Boston’s top two shut-down defenseman Zdeno Chara (25:16) and Dennis Seidenberg (24:35) are numbers one and two respectively when it comes to average time on ice per game.

Through 13 starts this season, B’s netminder Tim Thomas has shown no signs of slowing down. The 37-year-old Flint, Michigan native has posted a 1.77 GAA and a .938 save percentage, while winning nine games for Boston this season. Meanwhile, Finnish goaltender Tuukka Rask has been nothing short of stellar in the pipes for Boston as well. Rask has posted a 2.32 GAA and a .919 save percentage and has won his last three starts.

The Boston power-play sits at 18th in the NHL, scoring at a 16.4% clip. On the flip side of that, the B’s penalty-kill is currently 8th in the league, stopping their opponents 86.5% of the time.

Boston 6 , New York Islanders 0 (F)

This past Saturday evening, the Boston Bruins paid a visit to the Nassau Coliseum on Long Island for a date with the New York Islanders.  Sparked by a two goal performance from Chris Kelly, the B’s steamrolled the Isles to the tune of a 6-0 victory. Saturday’s game was not much of a contest, as the Bruins put three past Rick DiPietro in the first period and three behind Anders Nilsson in the third and ran away with it. The Isles never had much of an answer for the B’s throughout the night, and Boston was able to win their 8th in a row.

Boston 1 , Montreal 0 (F)

On Monday night, the B’s paid a visit to the team that last beat them, back on October 29, the Montreal Canadiens. Late in the first period it was Boston defenseman Andrew Ference who would score a goal for the second straight game. This would be the first 2-game goal streak of Ference’s 14-year NHL career. As it turns out, Ference’s goal would be all Boston needed as they skated away with a 1-0 victory thanks to a 33-save shutout from Tim Thomas.

Three Stars Of The Week

1.) Tim Thomas – Back-to-back shutouts for the defending Vezina trophy winner has lowered his GAA to 1.77. Thomas is simply not slowing down.

2.)  Chris Kelly – Two goals and two assists in the past three games for Kelly; Continues to prove his value and durability.

3.) Adam McQuaid – Scored his first  goal of the year last Thursday against the Blue Jackets, while playing top-pair minutes and shutting down Rick Nash and Jeff Carter.

What’s Next?

As mentioned above, the Bruins will be taking on the Buffalo Sabres toninght in Western New York, prior to returning home for a brief two-game home-stand. The home-stand will feature a matinee contest against the Detroit Red Wings on Black Friday followed by the first ever visit to TD Garden from the new-era Winnipeg Jets on Saturday night.

Thanks For Reading!

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I have been waiting.

I have been patient.

But the dysfunction of the franchise has once again caught up with me, and I am going to take a guess that I am not alone in my dread. What began 2 months ago as hope that this season would afford the Islanders and its fans meaningful games in March and maybe April have evaporated like the morning dew on a Spring day. The brightness of the prodigal “son” proved once and for all that this Islander team — yet again — is not capable of competing. The no-show against the Florida Panthers on opening night was not a forewarning enough. Perhaps the goose egg laid against the Winnipeg Jets should have shown me. Maybe the 2 ass whippings at the hands of the defending champs. But last night sealed it for me. I gave them about a quarter of the season, and realize — it’s more or less done for 2011-12.

A season that had promise based in large part on what transpired during the final 4 months of last season.  Where did it go wrong?

Is it the coach and his staff that are not getting enough out of a talented group of players?

Is it a nasty funk the players are in, and no coach is going to change it?

Is it the arena?

Was it the lack of moves over the summer?

There are a number of “reasons” and we can all speculate, but until we are actually in the room, speculation, supposition, and the word of those in the room are all we can go with.

Though my disappointment is clear, and I am hoping that some moves are made, the rebuild can’t be called a “failure” as some fans are suggesting.

Last night, after the game, and in reading some tweets, going back and forth with some fans and followers, there are a number of things that I think we need to be realistic about, and it is not going to make any of us happy.

A Coaching Change

I suppose its possible if the team loses really big like the last 2 nights , but I don’t think it will happen — not a year after they brought Capuano in, and not right after giving him a new deal. This is the guy they wanted — the management, the players. There was no doubt. No ambiguity. There was no search done by Garth Snow and Charles Wang. They zeroed in on Jack before the end of the season if you recall, and made it official soon after the end of last season. They would need to be blown out the next few games in a row before Cappy is let go.

There is a possibility. The way this team is right now, I can see it happening, which would give Snow the mandate to make a change — considering the real culprits can’t be all fired, including the owner.

The Isles have Philadelphia and then a home-and-home with the Devils — I could see the Islanders losing all three by 5-6 goal deficits, and being shut-out in the process. We always do poorly against the Flyers, and Zack Parise reminds us all of the fact he should be an Islander had any one of us been the GM that year. He is guaranteed at least 2 goals in each game (or so it seems)

I like Capuano. I think he is a good guy.

Not to be cold — but good guys don’t cut it in this business. The players need someone who knows how to balance ass kicking and nurturing. There any number of buttons that need to be pushed, and they all need to be pushed on a little bit, all at the same time. It is a delicate balancing act, and one I am not sure Cappy is up to managing. I was hoping that having Doug Weight on the bench may help as a liaison between coaching staff and team, or the addition of some vets who had been through the wars — but they have all given up on each other.

The Choices

Left to right, Bob Hartley, won the Cup in 2000-01 with Colorado, Michel Therrien, Cup finalist with Pittsburgh 2007-08, Marc Crawford, won the Cup 1995-96 with Colorado

The Islanders would do well to go outside the organization, but they likely won’t. Hartley, Therrien or Crawford  would all offer a completely new direction, new voice and new systems — all desperately needed. This is still Scott Gordon’s system with tweaks. But my guess is if Snow pulls the trigger — it will be one of Dean or Doug to finish out the year.

Should they do it?

I think they should. I think at this point, somehow, the players need a completely new direction. We said this just a year ago, and it messes up the stability that Snow has been trying to bring in after a decade of disaster under Mike Milbury. But he made a poor choice in both Gordon and Capuano. And what good is stability if they are stable losers?

A young team needs some experience, and someone who commands a certain level of respect. If I walk into the room and say to any of these players that they need to play with more fire and passion it does not have as much weight as a guy like Marc Crawford or Bob Hartley who have their names on the Stanley Cup. I would have added Ken Hitchcock to this list, though some feel he is too cerebral.

What to expect

Depends on what happens. If they are crushed in the next 3 games — and I mean crushed — expect a change. If they compete but lose the rest of the year, Cappy finishes the season.

If they do let Cappy go — expect Doug or Dean. That is what this organization does. They don’t bring in the “real” people. So far, the only time that has worked for the Islanders is Laviolette — and as soon as he showed he was “real” he was fired.

Who would your choice be? Any of the three above or would you recommend someone else?

Ill have more on the players, the GM and the owner down the road — (been crazy busy)

Happy Thanksgiving — and I am truly sorry to all the Islander fans, my son included who I apologize to regularly for making him an Islander fan. (How sad is that…)

UPDATE: 12:15pm — Source is confirming Garth SNow has the authority to do what ever is needed to save the Isles season. This came from Chris Botta and Eric Hornick via Twitter. Is that a first “rumbling” something could happen to shake up the team?

UPDATE: 1:49PM — Arthur Staple Tweets — Garth Snow confirms to Newsday he has no intention of firing Jack Capuano (Can’t say I am surprised)

Today we learned of the imminent return of the league’s undoubtedly most talented forward, Sidney Crosby of the Pittsbugh Penguins. Suffering a concussion on January 1, 2011 after a collision with then-Washington Capital David Steckel, Crosby has not played in an NHL game since January 5 against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Penguins PR staff announced early on Sunday afternoon that Crosby would be back in the Pittsburgh lineup on Monday night when the New York Islanders visit the Consol Energy Center.

Now, Crosby’s return is without doubt fantastic news for the Penguins, the NHL and the entire hockey community. In any situation a league playing without it’s number one superstar is sure to face it’s obstacles; just ask Roger Goodell about losing Tom Brady in 2008 and Peyton Manning in 2011. The league and the sport simply isn’t the same without that player.

However, the return of Sidney Crosby, and Versus’ (or NBC Sports, whichever they like to be called) imminent decision to preempt the scheduled game between the Boston Bruins and the Montreal Canadiens in order to broadcast said match-up between Crosby’s Pens and the New York Islanders is what has revealed a fundamental problem in the NHL’s marketing strategy.

The Boston-Montreal rivalry is ageless. A tale as old as time. For as long as there as been the NHL, there has been hatred-a-brewin’ between the B’s and the Habs. Countless classic encounters have taken place between these two storied franchises. From the days of Maurice Richard, To Bobby Orr and Patrick Roy, all the way up to today’s confrontations between Zdeno Chara and Max Pacioretty, these two cities have seen it all. This rivalry is undeniably the best the NHL has to offer and way very well be the best in all of sports.

Instead of treating the country’s viewers to another classic bout between these two original six rivals, and a chance to watch as the defending Stanley Cup Champions go for their 9th straight victory, we get to watch Sidney Crosby’s ten minutes of ice-time against the worst team in the Eastern Conference — the same team that was just on the receiving end of a 6-0 drubbing at the hands of the Bruins on Saturday night –.

The problem that the NHL has created for itself is that it is constantly limiting it’s growth potential. Through the constant pushing of guys like Crosby and Alex Ovechkin, the league is limiting it’s audience. The way the NHL and Versus are forcing the same handful of players, while great for the teams involved, is unhealthy for the league as a whole.  Now, one can argue that the use of this tactic is to draw in the casual fan who might have more interest in an individual talent, rather than a team as a whole. However, if you are able to draw in these casual fans, you are creating an audience that may only be interested in watching a game that features one of the over-marketed players.

Prior to the change of schedule for Monday’s game, the Pittsburgh Penguins already had four of their next six games slated to be on national television (NHL Network, Versus, CBC). While fans are being force-fed dose after dose of Pittsburgh Penguins, Washington Capitals and New York Rangers, the talents of players like Colorado’s Matt Duchene, Carolina’s Jeff Skinner and Tampa Bay’s Steven Stamkos aren’t being properly showcased.

If the NHL ever plans to grow to a point in which it can surpass the popularity of the NBA, MLB, or even the NFL (that’s a long-shot), the league must do a much better job in properly managing and marketing their teams, as well as their superstars.

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“When you play this game, you need to play with fire. You need to have passion. You need play with determination. You need to play with desperation… When you lace up your skates, the guy across from you, the guy on the left and the right of you, they need to know that you’ve got their back and you’re going to play for one another. That just didn’t happen tonight.”

- Jack Capuano, coach of the NY Islanders

Good words to hear, especially when the confidence of this team, besides the work ethic, has eroded over the course of many games.

There are two prevailing opinions. One by fans, another by those in hockey on how to proceed.

FAN-SIDE: One of the severe issues affecting these Isles is if the lack of players that EXUDE work ethic and commitment, instead those bide their time at Bridgeport. Michael Haley? Gillies?

When the Islanders chose to upgrade the 4th line center position from Konopka and let Haley stew at Bridgeport, they took out an engine and hard edge to this team that has not been replaced by anything much on the stat column. So, if one wants to judge and also give Garth Snow a bit of a learning experience: Sometimes, Garth, LESS is MORE.

By making that change, there seems to be a lot less on ice in terms of passion, grit and determination.

Can it be any clearer when the team is resting some hopes on Nino, and Matt Martin has rightly held on to a spot, that maybe adding some heart and soul might help?

THE HOCKEY COUNTER: An argument can be made that a mere 4 minute guy or some 4th liners just do not do the amount of time nor really lead to a goal to make any kind of difference. That the problems for the Isles are really a massive outage by key players on defense: Streit and Andy McDonald. On offense: Okposo, Bailey, Comeau. Even Nielsen needs to bring up the level as a #2 center.

Both argument require a change within to change fortunes. 

If you think on the counter argument, then you see how there is a large percentage of the team just in a funk. A 4th line or fighter guy will just not fix the many problems….

That might even be more disturbing because it is NOT just a simple case of one or two turning it around. Garth and Capuano need to get to the bottom of what is affecting many players here. And I am not sure the coaching staff has the experience or the tools to deal with it. That is another deepset problem when you have a very raw coach with a raw team, with a GM with no rebuild experience beyond the current project. So any hiccups or speedbumps to the rebuild quickly become mountains to climb as everyone needs to figure things out.

Further on the FAN-SIDE of argument is that Blake Comeau’s play has been more than inconsequential. It has been abysmal.  What better message to give to a club to someone who is not even part of the 2006 to present Isles system to be dealt. Yes, maybe you don’t get value, but again… sometimes less  is more.Garth was quick to send Zhitnik out of town for being a lockerroom problem. The Wiz was wizzed over to Montreal rather quickly just last season. Maybe it is high time to remove a malaise and jolt those kids who seem to be floating through a game vs the champs. Could this team be better served to move him even for low value? One wonders, even on the HOCKEY-SIDE argument that this might work as well to send a strong message to the players. It certainly might. But wouldn’t it be far more hockey value to work with him over the stretch to turn his game around, to create better value while helping the team? Yes, also.

The difference between the FAN-SIDE and the HOCKEY-SIDE argument is will this team turn to kneejerk reaction to appease the fans..who DO matter. OR stick to the course, turn it around, also appeasing fans…just a bit further down the line.

The fan reaction is deserved, in either case. This team should have come out working on how they turned a corner last season.

Even for the game lastnight, they should have come out gangbusters, looking to topple the champs. To beat them at their own game. Instead, the Isles sleepwalked through a loss. It was reminiscent of the game before Scott Gordon was fired last season.

There is a lack of passion and going through motions that forgets that this is a game and that this team and players are empowered with the ability to change that course or at least give the other team a bit of a fight. If they cannot get their act together, maybe that system and priority is in question where talent and hockey sense is only half way, and the other is a will to win at ALL and ANY cost. We don’t know what went on in the lockerroom after, nor any meeting after. But you can be sure it did not sit well with any player.

In either argument, Garth and the Isles think-tank must be willing to change gears and figure out the best course of action. Whether they get a different coach: someone cranky and vicious that maybe that the players DO NOT like, so be it. If it requires the team deal some dead-weight and send a powerful message…so be it. If they just need to stay the course and work through this, breaking thru….so be it.

Whatever needs to be done, it better be the right thing because fans are starting to get restless, frustrated and tuning out. That is a very bad thing the team CANNOT afford in the longrun.

With Ullstrom called up, Nino needing to get up to speed post-injury, I’d expect both to be in the ranks. This means Comeau and perhaps even Bailey sits. Ullstrom plays LW and center, which gives the Isles a lot of options. But, Ullstrom is also more of a bottom-six projection. So expect him on the 3rd line to start. I’d expect Okposo to be back in also. This is perfect timing with the Penguins coming up with Sidney Crosby about to return. The Isles should take it personally that the Pens look at the Isles as a soft-patch to get Sid the Kid eased in.

IF YOU MISSED IT: My talk with a goalie scout about the Isles goalies and prospects! Read it here!

TIPS, THOUGHTS, READ ANYTHING GOOD, OR PERHAPS YOU WROTE ONE YOURSELF? Let us know in the comments or email me at bd@hockeyindependent.com

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Tonight’s Line-Up (Subject To Change):

FORWARDS

Marchand–Bergeron–Seguin

Horton–Krejci–Lucic

Caron–Kelly–Peverley

Paille–Campbell–Thornton

DEFENSE

Chara–Boychuk

Seidenberg–Corvo

Ference–McQuaid

GOALTENDER

Thomas

Rask

Scratches– ….. Pouliot , Kampfer

– Tonight’s game can be seen on NESN (Edwards, Brickley) and heard on 98.5 The Sports Hub (Goucher, Beers), the flagship radio station of the Boston Bruins.

NEWS & NOTES

– The Bruins will be playing only their fifth road game of the season tonight –the latest they have ever played their fifth road game — after playing twelve of their first seventeen within the cozy confines of TD Garden.

– It appears that Islanders’ forward Kyle Okposo will once again be a healthy scratch tonight. The 23-year-old Minnesota native is a former first round draft choice and posseses far too much talent to be sitting in the press box. Coach Jack Capuano must find a way to get him going.

– It is unknown who will be between the pipes for the Isles this evening, as the New York Goaltending carousel continues to spin. What we do know is that Evgeni Nabokov –who started on November 7 in Boston– is out indefinitely with a groin injury. Meaning it will either be Al Montoya or Winthrop, MA native Rick DiPietro in net for the Isles.

– The Boston top line of Milan Lucic, Nathan Horton and David Krejci produced a combined four goals and four assists back on November 7, when the Islanders visited TD Garden.

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As a scout who has seen a lot of goalies, what is your take on DP’s playing simply gauging the quality of the play, and not worrying about the contract or injury history?

DiPietro is an elite talent when healthy. His natural reactions and footwork is simply outstanding. He has really active hands, he’s one of the best puck-moving goalies in the world, and he’s a battler. He has a positive mindset, he’s mentally tough and he’s capable of stealing wins. It is impossible to not bring the contract and injuries into play, however, because that has a major influence in the emotional elements of goaltending. Every goalie will tell you that the position is mostly mental; what he has gone through would break a normal man’s heart and shatter their confidence. But he never gives up. That is to be commended, and I think most fans should give him credit for not retiring. He is under intense pressure to make up for lost time, and even though his body might not be able to handle it, he still fights. That plays a big role in how he plays in a game, and says a lot about his current situation – he’s still out there. He owes that to the fans and ownership, and they owe it to him to try and cheer him on. It may sound silly, but getting support from the fans goes a long way in helping him.

 

Much thanks to Justin and make sure to follow him on twitter and check out his site: TheGoalieGuild.com and also GoaliePost.com.