Islanders Links: 1st win celebration edition
by Dominik on Oct 22, 2009 11:39 AM EDT
in Bits o' Islanders News
Email
PrintThe first win brings out the happy. Lots of love, hugs and kisses around the Islanders nation as third-period fear turns to relief, to jubilation, and to greed -- we want more, and we want it tonight in Montreal.
- Isles savor 1st 'W' [NY Post]; ... Sutton on Tavares' SO goal: "We all willed him to end that for us" -- and he's serious, as you'll see in the post-game video below [Newsday] ... Gordon and Frans Nielsen on his return [Newsday]
- The Isles' first win in 200 days, and other stat tricks from Forever1940
- Botta's +/-, marvels at Matt Moulson: "It can’t be as simple as just going to the net every chance you’ve got, can it?"
More links and post-game videos after the jump...
- Isleblogger's live blog of the game: "While we wait, Sutton tipped a Jack Hillen shot from the point. They are checking to see if it was too high, being he is eight feet tall."
- Okposo Net: Relief. "Roloson even went as far as to compare his first Islanders win to a kid attending his first pro sporting event."
- Islanders 360: "The Isles are on pace to match their point total from last season, averaging 0.7 points per game."
- 7th Woman: The ups and downs, from Tavares going down (briefly) to him going up, high, on Cam Ward.
- View from Section 317: Just a happy day in Islanders Country.
- Islanders Hockey Blog called it a "Miracle on Hempstead Turnpike." Sometimes it feels that way.
- 7th Woman: Airs worries and grievances about the Lighthouse Project.
Andy Sutton sounds relieved, feels good and believes in the power of positive energy:
Scott Gordon, in his usual riveting post-game demeanor:
Elsewhere:
Florida-Buffalo: After two goals, Scott Clemmensen was pulled before two minutes had elapsed. Donnie at Litter Box Cats calls the Panthers' situation "disgusting. Embarrassing." And some other pleasantries.
In Chicago, Willie Mitchell came out of the penalty box to level Toews. Video and discussion here. Everyone will say Toews "should have had his head up," but what he really needed was awareness that the penalty was over, and therefore suddenly a third defenseman was lurking to take him out. (Note the other two d-men -- who Toews was no doubt aware of when he turned up ice -- were playing their expected position. It was the third guy, Mitchell, who only gets that opportunity if he's coming out of the box against the run of play.)
* * *
That's not all, but that's a healthy fly-by. If you found something interesting (you can also post a FanShot) or if you wrote something Islander-ific I missed, don't hesitate to drop a note in comments. These posts are intended to record game reactions, see what people are saying, stir a little conversation on any random topic, and spread a little linky love.
Time to take down Montreal -- we are winners, baby!
30 comments
|
0 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
On the Toews hit...
TSN announcers pronounced it clean and someone heard Toews admit when he got to the bench (after half crawling off the ice—he did not play again and has an upper body injury) that he should have had his head up. He had been looking cross-ice for a pass.
Quenneville conceded the hit was clean. Little Kris Versteeg went right after Mitchell and Cam Barker laconically noted: “We play them again.”
And, as the article notes, Niemi was once again solid in net, but Cristobal convinces himself that he is still Number One:
As to Matt Moulson...
he would be tied for second on the Kings in goals scored if he was still there…giving further ammunition to those Kings posters who already think Lombardi is an “idiot”.
I do hope Gordon goes with Schremp instead of Sim, but Strang sounds doubtful. Maybe he wants a “natural” winger though.
Lighthouse Hockey: Side effects may include Weight gain and frequent game loss.
Yeah, I agree Dom.
I know that Schremp hasn’t had too much success at the NHL level, but I’d really like to see him get plenty of playing time. He’s had a ton of AHL and OHL success, I’m hoping that he can turn into a real steal.
by Cal_IslandersFan on Oct 22, 2009 12:47 PM EDT up reply actions
I wonder how much “keeping the room” is a factor for Gordon in handling Sim. Not that he’ll lose the team, etc., but I do wonder if it enters the equation and he decides to play the veteran over playing Schremp out of position. Sim’s not long for this place no matter what, but they certainly don’t want a repeat of last year with him.
Lighthouse Hockey: Side effects may include Weight gain and frequent game loss.
He’s had a ton of AHL and OHL success, I’m hoping that he can turn into a real steal.
I hate to keep being that guy regarding Schremp, but 0.79 points per game in the A isn’t really blowing the doors off in Springfield. Of course a lot of that has to do with stepping into the elevator shaft last season (as Lowetide terms it) on a dismal Falcons team. I remain skeptical about his ability to convert in the NHL. Rob Schremp, please rebrand your hockey and prove me wrong.
I hear ya. However, he didn’t have a ton of talent around him on those Springfield teams. Last year the team was horrible, and the year before he was the only good player on the team. His stats could have been padded a lot more, had Springfield had a topnotch veteran or two to play with him…
I’m not saying that Robbie Schremp will be the saving grace for the franchise, I just think that five years from now we could possibly be looking at this waiver-claim and shaking our heads at why Edmonton tried to send him down…
by Cal_IslandersFan on Oct 22, 2009 1:13 PM EDT up reply actions
As an Oiler fan I hope you’re wrong. Oilers invested a pretty significant amount of development time to this guy and got nothing for it. If the light turns on (finally) I’ll be a little sad. On the other hand, as someone who tends to root for underdogs (see: Oilers fan, see: becoming an Islanders fan) it would also be a joyous occasion if Robby finally found some success.
The fact that I decided to become an Islanders fan immediately before they acquired Schremp is an odd coincidence. I was kind of looking forward to not talking about him for a while.
I am guessing that Sim has the speed to get the puck up ice that Tavares and Moulson will need to to work their magic. I’m guessing that Gordon is choosing to trade his net blindness for the speed he will generate.
I agree with you and Cal in that I think Shremp should get a shot as well. That could prove to be interesting. I am curious to see how he plays with Tavares and Moulson.
by metalcoconut on Oct 22, 2009 2:04 PM EDT up reply actions
Alright that was hard to watch but it is good they figured out how to get the 2 rather than the 1. Let’s hope they can ride the wave of success into Montreal. It would be nice to see the youngsters take out the mostly new Canadians on a back to back but then again this is a travel game a day after a home game.
I guess that is part of the fun, not being able to guess what team shows up tonight because they are so young and unpredicable. Regardless of their final score I hope they put in a full 3 periods. I know that they will be tired but it will hurt to watch them have a let down the day after a win.
I guess that is part of the fun, not being able to guess what team shows up tonight because they are so young and unpredictable.
Haha, no doubt. Honestly, I want a dominant team, but the fun part of the rebuild is watching these little spurts and glimpses of what might come, while the losses are a bummer but not make-or-break. (Or in other words, I can enjoy some other sides of the game when I’m not worried a blown lead just cost us a playoff spot.)
Lighthouse Hockey: Side effects may include Weight gain and frequent game loss.
metalcoconut,
You hit the nail on the head here; the Islanders need to play a full three periods of hockey. Last night could have easily turned out like the Bruins game a few weeks ago.
I hope they come out strong again tonight and quiet the crowd quickly. Two wins in a row could be a huge momentum swing for a young club like this.
by Cal_IslandersFan on Oct 22, 2009 1:04 PM EDT up reply actions
Last night could have easily turned out like the Bruins game a few weeks ago.
Man, it practically did. Same scenario, only difference being Samsanov’s move didn’t work and all three Isles shooters nailed their moves to perfection. That’s why I felt so relieved yet dirty about the “win.” I swear I need to stop railing on the shootout, but it bugs me that games like this are worth the same as a 60-minute win.
Lighthouse Hockey: Side effects may include Weight gain and frequent game loss.
Andy Sutton deserves a little more respect from Isles nation
Guy is far from perfect but he cares and the effort is really there. He’s been one of our better D to start this season.
Martinek has probably been the worst player on the ice. Never thought I would say that about him to start this season.
This is nonsense, I’m sorry to say. Sutton happened to play the game of his life last night. He should probably retire on top.
But make no mistake: he is a butcher both on and away from the puck. He’s one of, if not the, worst in the NHL.
How is it nonsense?
Thus far this season, Sutton has filled the role we brought him in here to fill. Nobody claimed he was the next coming of Potvin, Bourque or Pronger.
He is what he is, a fourth D man who can through some jarring hits and contribute offensivly. When he plays his role he’s one of the best players on the team cause he’s so effective at it.
He has been really good in just about every game this year. I thought he was playing well last year before going down.
One of the worst in the NHL? Not even close. Martinek lately has filled that role.
and he has offensive upside
is martinek really worse than witter? his plus / minus is pretty decent.
Defense
Just out of curiosity, how do you guys rank the d-men, behind the obvious #1 Streit?
by Cal_IslandersFan on Oct 22, 2009 3:29 PM EDT reply actions
I don't at this point because...
all of them except Streit, Gervais, and Hillen are sure to be gone if not this year then next. We have promising defenders in our system: De Haan, Ness, Hamonic, Niemi, and possibly a few others. We still need a real megastar on defense like Fowler…but we also need another star quality forward like Hall. If we get the #1 overall, we will have to pick Hall and then hopefully we can get a quality physical top four defender by trade or FA over the summer.
Great Question
I’ll bite:
1. Streit (a true #1)
2. Martinek (a potential #3)
3. Gervais (based on last year’s work, which was heavily influenced by pairing with Streit)
4. Hillen (based on potential alone; still hard to get a read on his defensive side)
5a/5b. Sutton/Witt
6. Meyer
It’s hard to pin down, because you can’t have a blueline without some physicality, so I wouldn’t just say “get rid of Sutton/Witt/Meyer.” At the same time, the physical guys either bring deficiencies or an inability to deploy Gordon’s system (or both). I want Witt to work out. I’d love for Sutton to be consistent. But inconsistency plagues the whole group outside of Streit — I don’t know if that’s pure deficiency, an inability to find pairs that work, or the fact that some nights they can show flashes while other nights the opposition exploits them.
Lighthouse Hockey: Side effects may include Weight gain and frequent game loss.
Hillen seems to make a mistake every game, but usually makes up for it with 1 or 2 great offensive plays.
But behind Streit, the rest of our D scares the hell out of me. I mean last night one of the Dmen threw a cross ice pass in the defensive zone that naturally got intercepted and almost scored for the Canes. I know he was aiming for another player that was in the middle of the ice, but you never throw a pass sideways in the defensive zone.
Gervais and Hillen are OK. The others are OK too, but nobody is by any stretch a special player—Witt was earlier in his career—they are older, slower, take too many penalties and get injured too often and—while they may have value on a veteran team that is trying to contend—are not the kind of defenders you want on a growing young developing team.
The problem isn’t consistency, it’s talent. As in the total lack thereof outside of Streit.
I am fine with this. You don’t need a great defense anymore if you can score a lot of goals. See, e.g., 2008 Penguins.
Those guys had some consistent, unremarkable defensemen, though. Maybe that’s the thing: If you can put up goals, the pressure eases off your pedestrian defense. ‘Cause we’re not scaring anybody, and the burden on the defense just gets more challenging.
Lighthouse Hockey: Side effects may include Weight gain and frequent game loss.
I think with one more elite forward, our offense begins to kick butt. With one more elite defender added to DeHaan, Ness, Hamonic (along with Streit, Gervais, and Hillen), we will have the makings of a great defense. If there were a way to get Boston’s Toronto pick and grab Hall AND Fowler, we would be set!
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Recommended FanPosts
Recent FanPosts
Featured Stories
Islanders Schedule
Next 5 Games
@
St. Louis
|
Thu 02/16 | 8:00 PM EST |
|
Carolina
|
Sat 02/18 | 7:00 PM EST |
|
Ottawa
|
Mon 02/20 | 1:00 PM EST |
|
@
Buffalo
|
Tue 02/21 | 7:00 PM EST |
|
New York Rangers
|
Fri 02/24 | 7:00 PM EST |
Last 5 Games
|
@
Winnipeg
|
Tue 02/14 | W 3 - 1 |
|
Florida
|
Sun 02/12 | L 1 - 4 |
|
Los Angeles
|
Sat 02/11 | OT - W 2 - 1 |
|
Montreal
|
Thu 02/09 | L 2 - 4 |
|
@
Philadelphia
|
Tue 02/07 | SO - W 1 - 0 |
Atlantic Standings
| GP | W | L | OTL | PT | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
New York Rangers
|
55 | 37 | 13 | 5 | 79 |
|
Philadelphia
|
56 | 31 | 18 | 7 | 69 |
|
Pittsburgh
|
56 | 32 | 19 | 5 | 69 |
|
New Jersey
|
56 | 32 | 20 | 4 | 68 |
|
New York Islanders
|
56 | 24 | 24 | 8 | 56 |
(updated 2.15.2012 at 3:50 AM EST)
In Association With
Latest Puck Daddy - NHL from Yahoo! Sports
- Wild’s Marek Zidlicky drinks Lou’s Kool-Aid, waives no-trade for Devils
- Tuesday’s Three Stars: 4-spots for Kovalchuk, Spezza; who throws a strawberry on the ice?
- Henrik Lundqvist survives Zdeno Chara shot to back of head for save of year candidate (VIDEO)
- Red Wings set NHL record with 21 straight home wins; Steve Ott: ‘That’s a phenomenal feat’
- Puck Previews: Red Wings go for wins record; Brian Boyle hates Bruins; Ruutu out 3 weeks
Latest stories and headlines from NHL.com
- Wings set NHL record with 21 straight wins at home
- WHL Roundup: A look at Tuesday's games
- Gallagher has hat trick and SO winner, leads Giants over Americans 5-4
- Thunderbirds end seven-game home losing streak with 4-3 SO win over Rockets
- Nabokov makes 37 saves, Parenteau scores winner as Islanders beat Jets 3-1
Certain photos copyright © 2012 by Associated Press or Getty Images. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of Associated Press and Getty Images is strictly prohibited.
