Islanders get first 'win' of season: Sharp shootout kids save the day

the recap suggested that it was the fault of the defense. He had made some spectacular saves early and Vancouver heavily outshot the Hawks—-first time they’d been outshot this year. Niemi’s good, but the kid shouldn’t be bearing the burden when you have a $5.625 mil per year goalie on the roster. However, good Niemi may be this year, I can’t imagine them going into the playoffs with him and Huet as their options. It just makes sense that Roly being the only goalie conceivably available with a championship resume’ …that Garth will get a number of serious offers for him—esp. from Chicago. Whether Garth will be willing to part with him and whether the offers will be good enough remains to be seen.

Sutton had a big year his last year in Atlanta and was on his way to one last year before being hurt. If he keeps it up, he should get us a decent pick.

Game winner was a bit weak…although came off another bonehead Campbell turnover. Tying goal might have been as well but NHL.COM doesn’t have a good view of it. Thing is though that the kid made save after save brilliantly on a night the Hawks were badly outplayed…so I don’t know if I can fault him. Really sick hit by Mitchell on Toews…had him all but crawling off the ice.

I admittedly went in with guarded expectations, but he’s been consistent and I haven’t noticed him looking out of place defensively.

The thing (okay, ONE thing) I didn’t fully appreciate when he was drafted: Yes he can shoot with ridiculous precision, but his passing is also very precise and shows great vision. He’s still figuring out what moves he can get away with, but I get the feeling the way guys play him is going to migrate from, “You can’t do that move in this league, kid” to “Uh-oh, I better not bite — it’s Tavares, and I have no idea what he’s going to do.”

Franz’ return clearly allowed for a lot of flexibility

And how! Last night did nothing to dissuade me from believing Frans is a special, underrated player. His presence creates some possibilities.

The attendance bugs me, too. Telling myself that’s expected in October, during MLB playoffs, for a team in the Islanders’ situation.

Park and Bergy as comparative non-factors remain an ongoing concern, though…

Park had some okay chances considering how much ice the fourth line actually saw. Bergenhiem continues to impress me by forechecking and driving the net hard. I honestly think he’s the best forechecker on the team and that will only result in good things. I noticed Park doing the same last night and that’s exactly the kind of energy you want from a fourth line. They keep it up and sooner or later they’re going to generate some turnovers and odd man rushes.

That’s really what separates the good goalies from the average ones. The good ones can’t be solved as consistently by shooters and no amount of preparation will improve a shooter’s chances. That’s why Carey Price was average or worse last season; if shooters managed to put the puck glove high it had a pretty good chance of getting in the net.

that—if you want to bring in football—goalies are a lot like field goal kickers. Ninety per cent of their game is in that one square foot of real estate above their neck. Niemi is getting the idea in his head, “I can do this, I’m the guy!” while Huet is asked whether he is still #1 after being benched for a big game again and answers yes with all the conviction of a (schoolboy standing in front of a speeding Mack truck) (put in a better analogy if you have one). As one Canadian poster to the Trib stated, Huet is talented, but he just doesn’t have the kind of mentality you want for a championship goalie. Billy had it in spades and he has four rings that other possibly more talented goalies never achieved—because he never lost his belief in himself.