Better than we all thought? Maybe?
by Chickendirt on Oct 29, 2009 2:49 PM EDT
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PrintI know this is the post win optimism speaking. At least partly due to that.
I wonder how many folks have a new view on the meaning being all those OT losses and the direction this team is heading. Those OTLs come across a wide spectrum of teams, some of the em elite and some of them middle of the road. This win against the Rangers is a win against a bubble team (one of those teams that will be slugging it out for the 7th and 8th playoff spots).
As the schedule gets easier the Isles are going to compile wins against those teams. In no way am I suggesting that this makes the Isles a playoff team. I think some folks should reasses whether or not they think this team is going to be a lottery team. You need a lot of things to go wrong in order to finish in the bottom five of this league. This Islanders team has the talent in Okposo, Bergenheim, Bailey, Taveres, Weight, Streit, Roloson and Biron to stay out of the lottery.
If Tambellini finds himself as hockey player we are looking at a very dangerous team this season.
Those OTLs we have been seeing were not a sign of a team on the skids or struggeling. They are a sign of team that's learning to compete, raise their game, play as a team and put forth a good effort. They were a sign of a team learning how to win hockey games the hard way. That's what I have been saying for a while.
This last win is not empirical that those struggles are over but the quality of play shows that the team is on the way up. Okposo has the skills and drive to be one of the premier players in this game. His anticiapation, vision on the ice and ability to stayin the mix are things that can not be taught. This guy is becoming a player that can dictate and change the course of a game.
The rise in Okposo's game is empirical evidence that a players development can be just as good if not better than any UFA can sign off the market. Those never turn at as good as those that celebrate them. If all goes according to plan this team will sign some UFAs in the future. They will not be signed with the idea that they will automatically create a winning product on the ice (Good teams create a winning product and there is a lot more than mere talent that goes into creating a good team). They will be signed to supplement what we have and give this team an edge.
Make no mistake. This team is on the rise and these kids are getting better. Some of them have shown they are much better players than the ones that were here last season.
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Still guarded, but happy
Things I Love:
- they’ve been competitive, and instead of the losses creating a tailspin, they’ve kept their heads up
- Okposo, of course
- the goalies should keep getting better, which will help
- if the lines and D are indeed settling into a groove (including limiting Witt’s exposure)
Things That Still Worry Me:
- They’re two wins were against a struggling team and a team that is impotent without its superstar
- Whether Weight can stay in the lineup
- Their margin of error will be so thin, which means more losing streaks are inevitable
- Secondary scoring
I agree — this is a work in progress, and little positives are signs of it. (I’m glad Tambellini talks of “we’re looking at the positives” even after close losses, because frankly they can’t afford to be distraught after every loss right now — they have to look at what they did right and figure out how to repeat it.)
I never really expected 30th place from them — if I had to bet preseason, it would be 24th to 28th. But mostly I just expect a range anywhere in the bottom 10, depending on progress and injury luck. Too many variables. But so far, I’m not upset by what I’ve seen (excluding MTL, which was a mulligan).
Lighthouse Hockey: Side effects may include Weight gain and frequent game loss.
I am not worried at all
I always thought it was a long shot for this team to compete seriously this year and I am sure that Garth’s strategy is not based on that. We will be in the bottom 10 BEFORE the deadline trades and will likely drop to the bottom 5 after.
In the bottom 5, we will, of course, have a shot at either the #1 or #2 overall which will net us either Hall or Fowler. Anything less than that and we should consider a trade down possibly with Anaheim for their Philly pick. I also think that a trade with Chicago for their first rounder and their two second rounders could be accomplished. Then we should have a collection of 2nd and 3rd round picks to trade up our first rounders with.
I['ve noticed that when our top line is performing well
The others seem to do better following up shift after shift.
Unfortunatly this means this team can not afford for it’s top line to have an off game.
As far as our opposition that we’ve beaten or struggeling, yeah, I’ve noticed that too. OTOH, last seasons team had difficulty beating teams even having those struggles. So I still see that as a positive.
Strength of Schedule
The Isles opponents for the month have a 67-35-12 record, which is pretty good.
Nice. I’d been meaning to look that up. Washington, Buffalo, Rangers — those are some crooked numbers.
Lighthouse Hockey: Side effects may include Weight gain and frequent game loss.
My Worries
My worries are about Rick DiPietro and Trent Hunter. They both have long term deals but injuries plague both DiPietro, and to-a-lesser degree, Hunter, they have been out of the lineup a lot recently. Where do they fit in when they come back?
I’ve no worries about Okposo; he’s pretty nasty.
Do the Isles really need to finish in the lottery? Tavares has more slick talent than anyone on that roster since Ziggy Palffy. Shrewd drafting and sensible prospect managing can build a winner.
Hunter
With Hunter, due to the physical game he plays I worry he’ll be in decline by the end of his contract. But that’s more harm to him (and his future contract prospects) than to the team. The beauty of his deal is that $2 million really isn’t that much of a payroll weight at all.
Regarding the lottery (and by “lottery” I mean bottom 5 with a chance at the #1, even though all non-playoff teams are technically in the lottery): There’s just a need for more absolutely elite talent, and I don’t know when the Isles will be able to grab that via free agency. Maybe if so many teams are cap-squeezed, free agents will have to consider the NYI. But then there’s the question of if Wang will be ready to pay at that time…
Lighthouse Hockey: Side effects may include Weight gain and frequent game loss.
Hey Dom, I meant to ask, but considering that Yashin’s contract is still a hit against our cap, if Yashin retires does that come off the cap? Or is the buyout still a hit against the cap no matter what?
I think that once you do a buyout, you’ve etched the cap hit in stone (reasoning being, presumably, that the cap hit is “penance” for your mistake rather than a 1:1 reflection of the player’s contract or status. I’ll double-check to make sure though…
Lighthouse Hockey: Side effects may include Weight gain and frequent game loss.
Several thoughts...
Garth needs to find a way to get another first rounder. Also, if we do NOT get the #1 or #2, we need to look seriously at trading down with either Phoenix or Anaheim for their second 1st rounders. We need to maximize the elite level talent we get from this draft.
We need to get this franchise’s future resolved before the end of the season. I think Wang should make one last push to reach an agreement with ToH before the end of the year and he should make it clear that we are in endgame. If there is no movement, he should move to work out a deal with Queens and try to get a deal in place by the end of the season. That will make the Islanders a more attractive destination for FAs…that and the collection of talent and the cap squeeze.
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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
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Sun 02/12 | L 1 - 4 |
|
Los Angeles
|
Sat 02/11 | OT - W 2 - 1 |
|
Montreal
|
Thu 02/09 | L 2 - 4 |
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@
Philadelphia
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Tue 02/07 | SO - W 1 - 0 |
Atlantic Standings
| GP | W | L | OTL | PT | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
New York Rangers
|
55 | 37 | 13 | 5 | 79 |
|
Philadelphia
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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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