and if Gordon isn’t going to play Tambellini, he should send him down or put him on waivers and bring up somebody else to get some ice time. I would like to see Robin Figren.

was actually the best Coach of the Milbury years, until we traded our whole future for a few years of Yashin.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, the revolving door at head coach can not be healthy. Your just going to have to have patience. If you guy by Gordon’s AHL career, he improved every season. This is his first stint in the NHL, and I think when all is said and done he’s going to have a better record this season then last.

Yeah, Snow will stick with him, and they’ll focus more on the progress of the youngsters (assuming that happens for more than Tavares/Okposo) more than the record.

But I bet it will turn before Christmas, anyway. In what form, I don’t know. The first win probably comes when one of the goalies steals a game.

I wonder which is easier: evaluating a coach in hockey or soccer? I think tactical mistakes and mismatches are easier to read in soccer. So many constant moving variables within a single hockey game.

And for who? I would like to see them trade Martinek to Montreal for Weber. But that is not a move about this year, but the future. This whole year is about pushing along the development process. They are finding out what they do and do not have…and are making progress in that regard.

I’ve heard that this guy Chelios has nothing better going on…

JT, Kyle, Josh, Mark, Matt, probably Hunts, maybe Bergy, Frans, and Blake. Possibly Hillen and Gervais. I would say definitely five, maybe a couple more. A lot will depend on this year.

Yep. Not that the Isles are Pittsburgh, but think about how many on last year’s Cup-winning team were on the squad for Crosby’s rookie year.

Garth said he would be seeking to leverage favorable trades based on our cap space this summer. I would like to see him land Buff Daddy. Then, if we get the #1 overall and Taylor Hall, we will have a world class second line. Come to think of it, a third line of Bergy, Nielsen (or eventually Lee) and Hunts wouldn’t be too shabby either.

this year being more of a hockey laboratory. We have established one potent top line and have a genuine discovery in Moulson who now has 7 points. We need to experiment to see if any available talent here or in Bridgeport can be effective alongside Josh on the second line. Depending on what develops this season, Garth and Ryan will know what they have to do. If we get the #1 overall, drafting Taylor Hall is an absolute no brainer. And, from what I have been reading on the Chicago blogs, trading Marty or Roly for Byfuglien will be a genuine possibility if they pick up their games. We might need to throw in Dougie or Parkie.

Bailey is one of our top two centers now and forever, No way Nielsen takes over as number two. Nielsen will be number three C until Anders Lee is NHL ready.

Tambellini is not a fourth liner by any stretch. My point about him is that if Gordon won’t play him—as it now seems—he should bring up somebody else like Robin Figren and give him a shot.

Comeau is more of a fourth liner, Bergy a third liner. Doubt he’ll be traded. Sim is a spare part who is being showcased in hopes of a trade. No way should he be a center on any line. Park is very capable of playing third or fourth line at any position—but he will likely be traded at the deadline. Wrecker is a player you need from time to time for toughness. If we were able to get Buff Daddy from Chicago, we might not need him.

Bailey is a talented playmaker who needs talented linemates. Gordon should see if any of our current talent here or in Bridgeport can develop into effective linemates. Then maybe we can get Buff Daddy in a deadline trade and, yes, get the #1 overall and draft Josh’s former Windsor linemate Hall and have quite a second line to back up Moulson—Tavares—Okposo.

Shremp – Bailey – Park

That would be an interesting combo.

With Bailey, you can’t write him off as a 3rd now at 20 anymore than you can write off Gordon now after 88 games with this roster.

I don’t care about balance, per se, but every coach who has only one line that can score eventually considers splitting them up to spread out the offense. I don’t want to see that, but if the scoring continues so imbalanced like this, I’m sure it will come up.

Agreed that the eye should be on the prize a few seasons down the line. I’m a fairly rebuild-oriented fan, but I still have to ask when the team has gone winless in six, and running into the same problems.

The disappointing thing about this game as most others this year is that the team was outplaying the opposition and then they took their foot off the gas. That is something Gordon, with Dougie and Mark’s help, will need to work on.

The other thing is that we need a potent second line. That has to be a priority for future trades and drafts.

Yes, thanks for chiming in. It’s always great to hear the “other side” perspective.

Regarding the offside goal, it’s useful for us in a “woe is me” kind of way, but of course much happened afterward that the Islanders could or should have done to prevent the goal.

Interesting comparison with Ryan and Tavares. I haven’t gotten to see enough of Ryan, but I’ve loved whatever I have seen. Obviously for us, it’s Tavares-Okposo plus a whole lot of patience at the moment.