Islanders quit like a young Kostitsyn in Montreal
by Dominik on Oct 22, 2009 9:49 PM EDT
in New York Islanders Game Recaps
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PrintThis was not hockey, played by hockey players. This was some scrimmage between a learn-to-skate group and a team that actually needs points because it has some chance of going somewhere.
Game Summary | Event Summary | nhl.com Recap | Islanders Recap
Just a joke. An embarrassment. A virus better be ransacking this locker room right now, because otherwise there's no excuse for that. And Washington is up Saturday, with a return visit to Montreal on Monday. So ... yeah, something else would be nice.
Note: I'll add the video to this recap, if you really want the abuse, later when it's available. Video "highlights:"
Ways In Which This Game Challenged the Vocabulary for Variations of 'Fecal Folly'
- The Islanders were outshot 43-22, including 15-7 in the first. Oh, are shots important in this game?
- Martin Biron, though bombarded, was swimming in his crease and landing on his butt all night.
- No one except Kyle Okposo showed up. That's right, John Tavares had his first invisible night as an Islander.
- Okay, actually Matt Moulson showed up, too.
- Radek Martinek: Probably the next guy to sit in the scratch rotation. He's had a rough start and this was his roughest game.
- Mark Streit: A mostly sleepy, sometimes shaky night. Disappointing performance in his former home.
- Watching Marc-Andre Bergeron score on a powerplay bomb, then cripple Jack Hillen with another.
Ways in Which This Game Wasn't as Awful as, Say, A 9-0 Loss to Carolina
- Josh Bailey got a slump-buster goal -- a gift-wrapped empty net courtesy of Jaroslav Halak, who can be forgiven for sleepwalking.
- Martin Biron had that one awesome breakaway save on Scott Gomez ... after Radek Martinek handed the puck over.
- Hey, there was no first-period dominance to undercut with misery in the 2nd, nor any 3rd-period lead to blow.
Maybe they were sick. Maybe the back-to-back and travel got the best of them. But this schedule doesn't get any lighter. Despite the normal rebuilding caveats, we're going to need some progress here.
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LOL
I just … after sitting through it all, I couldn’t put any detailed thought into what happened. I’m just taking a mulligan.
Lighthouse Hockey: Side effects may include Weight gain and frequent game loss.
Embarrassing play
Hopefully they will learn something from this game. Good thing is, they’ll be back there on Monday night. Bad thing is, that could mean another ass-kicking.
The thing that kills me, is that there didn’t seem to be much motivation or hard work out there tonight. Stupid, elementary mistakes constantly being made. How many times are players going to pass the puck into the middle of the ice? How many clean breakouts were there tonight?
Things don’t get any easier with Washington on Saturday night. Wouldn’t mind seeing Biron start again on Saturday, and then giving Roloson the nod on Monday.
by Cal_IslandersFan on Oct 22, 2009 11:07 PM EDT reply actions
That’s not a bad idea — give Biron another night, and then don’t run him out there twice against Montreal. Of course if the Caps light him up…
The motivation, the effort, just not there tonight. I try to look in these games for mini-lessons, for little adjustments within the game, and tonight I just didn’t see any. After the flat 1st period, there was no real bounce-back.
Heh, maybe they partied too hard after their first win.
Gordon sounded pleased:
“Our legs didn’t have anything and certainly our heads didn’t have anything. The turnovers, the penalties, the poor decisions with the puck…we were an easy team to play against last night.”
Lighthouse Hockey: Side effects may include Weight gain and frequent game loss.
there are stats on Isle performance after a Ranger game that are pretty ugly but...
never heard anything about the Habs.
hangover from the first win?
unless this kind of game becomes a trend, I wouldn’t be too worried about it. Rebuilding teams have these types of games, it could help focus them that one win doesn’t mean they’ve “arrived.” Still a lot of work to do.
"[The Giants] beat us down. We were beat by a grown-man team, a team we want to be like one day. They came in here and took it to us. Out-manned us, out-gunned us. ... It wasn't even close." - Raheem Morris, 9/27/09
I’m trying to sum up my opinion of the isles team this year and thought of “The Youth Run Wild”. This team is obviously dominated by the young players and their young ideas of a so so work ethic being good enough. But to me that’s the way everyone starts out thinking about their “job” in the beginning. The problem is in their mentors/bosses/seniors. They are apparently not teaching them anything. I mean they are making the same mistakes over and over and over again. I feel they have talent on the team. They just need to learn to improvise and pick a mentor or two and just listen to the shit out of them. Because you are right…they are currently not playing NHL level hockey.
by LI2Brnx on Oct 23, 2009 12:12 AM EDT via mobile reply actions
I started to wonder tonight how much Weight’s absence — not even being with them on the trip — might have affected things. Not that it would’ve reversed this, but would it have at least helped them make something of it after going to the locker room for the 1st intermission?
Lighthouse Hockey: Side effects may include Weight gain and frequent game loss.
Oh yeah and a little bullet to lack of vet involvement. We really suck without Hunter.
by LI2Brnx on Oct 23, 2009 12:16 AM EDT via mobile reply actions
Agreed
People can say what they want about Hunter but he has heart and he at least he contributes something each night that I watch him.
by metalcoconut on Oct 23, 2009 10:59 AM EDT up reply actions
I think maybe the Isles just got used to playing one game a week and decided to keep on that schedule notwithstanding the fact that they had a game tonight.
so Radek thought this was a intrasquad scrimmage?
Maybe he read about my idea to trade him to the Habs and decided to sabotage it.
Completely agree. Last night was a total Gong Show. I don’t think they completed a clean 3 pass breakout all night….looked like they had governors on their skates, horrible defensive zone coverage, lost every battle along the boards. Very depressing.
Let’s throw this tape out and hope no trend develops
Game last night
1. I miss Bergeron
2. No clean passes. Ever
3. Too much dumping
4. No one skates with the puck, most importantly in the defensive zone.
5. I flicked on Devs/Rangers game and was embarrased when I flicked back. They were creating real scoring opportunities through puck movement. It was nonexistant last night.
I did not get to watch the game as I had to work last night. However I taped it and from the looks of these comments I really don’t have any interest in watching it. I see that Bailey scored and that is good but without seeing what happened I am going to guess that the Sim experiment on the first line failed, Nielson played tentatively due to his recent return (which is to be expected seeing how they should not be playing him in back to back games since he is still not 100%), Martinek played the role of a swinging screen door again, Witt was at least a -2 for the game, Tavares got no real opportunities since that line was probably busy chasing players in their own defensive zone…I could go on but I’ll stick with these thoughts for now.
However, I am curious to watch what happened with Okposo last night. He seems to be the only positive constant on the team. Did he just disappear in the shuffle last night?
by metalcoconut on Oct 23, 2009 10:59 AM EDT up reply actions
Do not watch it!
Save yourself!
Actually, it ended up being Schremp instead of Sim, and Bergenheim started on the Tavares/Moulson line. But Schremp was on the ice for one of the earlier goals, and his ice time disappeared after that.
Okposo was shifted around a bit — he even ended up reuniting with Tavares/Moulson — but generally speaking he was the guy with the most life, the only one who kept his legs moving. It was like watching a lone diligent forechecker: Try as he might, not much effect he can have when there is no other support.
In addition to the other negatives, they just took lazy penalties, too.
Lighthouse Hockey: Side effects may include Weight gain and frequent game loss.
Why would Bergenheim play on the top line? What was Gordong thinking. Is Gordon going to put Park on that line next? What is going on in that organization? I am betting that Gordon has a melt down in the press by game 40.
I have noticed something funny in all of the other games. The system that they are using is called "Overspeed", yet the defenders are often chasing the other team into the corners when they blow by them on a dump in. Then when we dump it into the offensive zone and we manage to beat the defenders (which is approximately half of the time or less) we become stagnant with the puck or they turn it over while cycling a good portion of the time So where is the Overspeed? I am still unclear on that part. Is the game to fast for them?
by metalcoconut on Oct 23, 2009 11:28 AM EDT up reply actions
Why would Bergenheim play on the top line? What was Gordong thinking
To give Bergenheim the shot he thinks he deserves? I dunno.
Heh, good questions on “overspeed.” To be fair, when Gordon first mentioned it — and he hasn’t mentioned it much since early last year — he was referring to practice habits. To get them to practice above their comfort level/speed, so that they bring a better natural pace into games.
But for his aggressive forecheck and D pinch scheme overall, yes, it’s not really happening, at least not for 60 minutes. They don’t seem to have the personnel who can sustain it, and have no answer when other teams adjust. I’m still leaning toward him forcing it down their throats, though, so that the kids who are long for this place have it down.
Lighthouse Hockey: Side effects may include Weight gain and frequent game loss.
pretty disgusted tpp
This was one of the most poorly executed games Ive ever had the displeasure of watching. What burns me about this game far more than the infamous 9-0 Canes slaughterfest is that the Isles were for the most part healthy in this game, and this game was not against the Canes (who, unbeknownst to us at the time, were revving up for a fantastic playoff run) this wa against a puny Habs team that had yet to win a home game.
- The D looked horrible last night, especially the vets. Andy Sutton has been our best defenseman so far this season. Good god.
- The goalies have not looked particularly good all season. There is not even one game I can point to and say, “Great job”
- The forwards looked clueless out there. Nearly ALL of them.
I am a very patient fan. I can take losing a close game if the team is playing good hockey. But THAT? That was a disgrace. I completely understand why you were disgusted by this game and Im right there with ya, Dominik.
Lets go Islanders...
I am a very patient fan. I can take losing a close game if the team is playing good hockey. But THAT?
Ooh, I hear ya’ loud and clear.
On the goalies: Likewise, I’m waiting for one to steal a game or turn in a full performance from minute 1 to minute 60 (or 65, or 65+SO). Maybe the platoon is making it harder; but come on boys — this is the NHL.
Lighthouse Hockey: Side effects may include Weight gain and frequent game loss.
bergie out of place
wasn’t even putting in bergie no the top line that irked me, it was the fact that he put him at LW, and moved moulson to RW, because sean’s more comfy there, aw… how nice of the coach to bow to the guy who’s underperformed and make our leading goal scorer move off-wing — brilliant
luckily i got to watch real hockey 1 channel down when i became too fed up with them —
on pace for 15 less goals than last year i think — wonderful
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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 8:59 AM EST)
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