This just in: Kyle Okposo is good, and other Islanders views
by Dominik on Oct 9, 2009 12:30 PM EDT
in Bits o' Islanders News
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PrintThis Scott Gordon quote about Kyle Okposo -- before last night's game -- made the rounds quickly:
"Well, if anybody was talking about him as if he were a surprise, they weren't watching the second half [last season]. He has established himself as a guy who just does everything right."
But we can forgive outsiders for not watching the Islanders last season. To help them, here's an Okposo offering from last night:
What I particularly appreciate was the game situation: Islanders down 2-0 on a couple of tough luck goals, just minutes left in the 2nd period. Going into the 3rd down by only one goal would really change the outlook, wouldn't it? So Okposo intercepts Matt Moulson's flubbed point shot, spins Volchenkov around, and makes Pascal LeClaire drop to his knees three separate times in preparation for the shot. But it didn't end there. Okposo, just two games since coming back from concussion, continues driving the net to bury it while Jason Spezza watches.
Post-game links after the jump...
Stories from People with Titles:
- Ottawa Citizen: "I guess this is why Ray Emery has [Martin Biron's] old job in Philadelphia. Bad time for bad goals."
- In delightful contrast, Katie Strang's Newsday recap has quotes from Biron about how the team wanted more, how no one got used to losing last year.
- Also from the Citizen: Tavares-oriented recap, with some good riffs from his landlord, Doug Weight.
- Speaking of which, John Jeansonne's profile of Captain Weight highlights the differences from dealing with young whipper-snappers today versus when he broke into the league and, presumably, had to comb both of Messier's hairs.
- The Senators home opener featured empty seats, 1,098 short of a sellout. The only possible conclusion is that 1992 NHL expansion was a failure, Gary Bettman hates Canada, and Hamilton should have this team.
- Ottawa Sun recap focuses on Matt Carkner's unlikely first NHL goal. (I liked the Sens announcers' line last night: "Twenty years from now, that goal is an end-to-end rush..." Oldie but goodie.)
- And reaction from the gang over at Silver Seven Sens.
Meanwhile:
- Thoughts from the Tavares family about his career finally beginning for real. [Oakville Beaver]
- Old friend Joey MacDonald is profiled in the National Post, since he's called up to backup Vesa Toskala after The Monster (TM)'s groin injury.
Around the Blogs:
- Stat man Eric at Forever1940 has the historical stat perspective on last night's game.
- In his recap, Still Drivin' wonders about what name the Moulson/Tavares/Okposo line should get (if I had any ideas, I'd have mentioned them by now), and also questions stupid sports memorabilia.
- Okposo Net is drinking in the Moulson.
- 7th Woman had her recap at HockeyBuzz.
- Islanders Hockey Blog with a recap, and a laugh at the MSG+2 playoff poll results. (85% said yes?!)
- Interesting evaluation of Trent Hunter at New York Islanders Net
- Bryan at The Rivalry has a hilarious takedown of Coyotes overreaction.
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The Ottawa Citizen
I guess they didn’t catch last nights game and Emery getting shellshocked for 5 goals on 25 shots….
Yeah, that was funny. On the Ottawa telecast, they were enjoying Emery’s night.
This week for Emery was a microcosm of hockey hype: “Shutout! Five periods of shutout! Yikes, lit up and pulled!”
On that note, the Isles are still above Jersey!
Lighthouse Hockey: Side effects may include Weight gain and frequent game loss.
Trade partners
Im following these injuries looking for who and what we could get in return for Biron or Rolo
- would philly take Biron back (or is there to much bad blood)
They are right against the cap, we’d have to take Emery, or it would have to be a 3 team deal in which the Flyers can dump salary.
The Flyers are going to stick with Emery through thick and thin. They signed Boucher as the backup because everyone knows he’s not a starter and won’t push Emery. Things will have to go really bad for them to replace Emery, and 3-1 isn’t too bad. Especially when the only loss is to the defending cup champions.
Hold your horses!!!
We didn’t sign Marty to be trade bait. If DP comes back and plays reasonably well prior to the deadline, we MAY shop Marty around. I would not expect that Philly would be a trading partner. Any other playoff team with goaltender Issues would be a consideration. My favorite obvious scenario is Chicago having Huet issues and trading Buff-Daddy to us.But,again, for it to even be a thing, DP had to come back and play fairly well prior to the deadline.
Back to Okposo
no offence to Okposo but I watched the U.S team at the world juniors and felt that Rakshani was more noticeable
- speaking of Rak he added 3 assists in an exibition game and helped his team when 3-2
Haha, excellent!
•The Senators home opener featured empty seats, 1,098 short of a sellout. The only possible conclusion is that 1992 NHL expansion was a failure, Gary Bettman hates Canada, and Hamilton should have this team.
^^
LMAO!
Lets go Islanders...
/bows
Sometimes I go for the funny, but you probably shouldn’t encourage me :)
Lighthouse Hockey: Side effects may include Weight gain and frequent game loss.
God, I love [Karl] Okposo. Nice to see these young guns fighting for the wins here. You can’t coach heart (maybe redundant, and definitely way too early to hang my hat on this) but I appreciate watching the guys grit it out. If those five men know each other is playing at 110%, they’ll do anything for each other, that’s a great thing to hope for.
definitely way too early to hang my hat on this
Honestly, we’re probably due for a little overeager enthusiasm. You watch Okposo, and suddenly you get real visions of how this can all eventually come together.
Lighthouse Hockey: Side effects may include Weight gain and frequent game loss.
perhaps, so Dom, but I’m more pragmatic than fanatic I suppose. I’d like to think “everything in due time, and with hard work”. Cuz you know… like I said in Trent Hunter’s year end eval, imagine this guy getting a full, “Imagine this guy getting a full year, he’s poised to put up decent numbers.” Whoops.
Haha. I just assume that’s why you said “imagine,” since reality never seems to include health.
Lighthouse Hockey: Side effects may include Weight gain and frequent game loss.
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1979-80
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May 24, 1980: Tonelli to Nystrom. At long last, the steady build of the New York Islanders from expansion doormat to surprise semifinalist to annual contender reaches the promised land: Buoyed by a late season trade for Butch Goring that gave the team the depth up the middle GM Bill Torrey had been seeking, the Islanders knock off the Philadelphia Flyers in six games.
The victory justified the faith in coach Al Arbour who guided them from their second season to their first Stanley Cup seven seasons later. The Islanders would not be the first expansion team to win the Stanley Cup, but they would be the only one capable of a dynasty.
1980-81
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May 21, 1981: This time it was much easier. After falling to "only" 91 points in the 1979-80 season, the Islanders returned to their division title tradition, piling up 110 points -- a whole 13 points over second-place Philadelphia.
Between the quarterfinals (where they beat the upstart Oilers in six games) and the finals, the Islanders reeled off eight consecutive wins -- with a four-game sweep of archrival Rangers in between. As they defeated the Minnesota North Stars in five games for their second Cup, their goal difference in the final was a combined +10.
1981-82
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May 16, 1982: Another year, another landslide title. The Islanders won the Patrick Division by a whopping 26 points over the second-place Rangers, and were seven points clear of their nearest competition for the President's Trophy, the still-not-quite-ripe Edmonton Oilers.
A first-round scare against the Pittsburgh Penguins turned in the Isles' favor thanks to John Tonelli's heroics, and a true dynasty was on its way: Past the Rangers in six games, then an eight-game sweep of the Quebec Nordiques and Vancouver Canucks to run away with the Stanley Cup.
1982-83
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May 17, 1983: Not so fast, whipper-snappers. The Edmonton Oilers' steadily rising challenge for league supremacy took them all the way to the finals for the first time, where the New York Islanders summarily dispatched them in a four-game sweep. For the Islanders, the Dynasty was secured. For the Oilers, it was a powerful lesson in where talent ends and the demands of playoff hockey begin.
Four years, four Cups, 16 consecutive playoff series wins (a record that would grow to 19 until the rematch with the Oilers the following year). Mike Bossy scored 60 goals yet again, and Wayne Gretzky became acquainted with Billy Smith's crease.
