Lighthouse Hockey: An SB Nation Community

Navigation: Jump to content areas:


Pro Quality. Fan Perspective.
Login-facebook
New Blog: Once A Metro covering Red Bull New York!

Deja Vu: Islanders fall 4-2, this time to the Devils

The hype field surrounding John Tavares knocks Rob Davison clear off his feet.

More photos » John Dunn - AP

The hype field surrounding John Tavares knocks Rob Davison clear off his feet.

Same score, different opponent. I'd fret about this one, but well: I mean Greg Moore was the second-line center. John Tavares was flanked by Trevor Smith and Preseason Sensation Matt Moulson, who notched his fourth goal (on the PP) in as many games while getting a game-high seven shots on goal. You think Tavares' presence maybe opens things up for his linemates just a little bit?

And this Moulson kid -- is he going to force a decision on Scott Gordon and Garth Snow here? Remember that beyond his goals (which can come in preseason like some such Druce), there is also the penalty killing aspect.

Other bits of interest from scanning the report but not seeing the game:

  • Mark Streit fought! And his opponent, Olivier Magnan-Grenier, ended up scoring the game-winner.

Star-divide

  • The Devils' Rob Davison fought twice -- once with Matt Martin and once with Micheal Haley, who NHL.com is now listing as just "Mike Haley," no doubt after constant turmoil over the spelling of his first name.
  • Oh look: The attendance of 8,000-plus was less than in Kansas City, and Newsday already has one-liners about that.
  • Among her in-game notes, 7th Woman says Joel Rechlicz has about six stitches around his eye.
  • Not relating to the game, but Sean O'Donnell was indeed suspended (two regular season games) for being Sean O'Donnell on Matt Martin the other night.
  • As John at In Lou We Trust describes, the Islanders were heavily outshot, and Martin Biron was on the receiving end. You know what I love about Scott the former goalie Gordon as coach? He's always frank and usually detailed with his post-game analysis of his 'keepers:
  • "He certainly wasn’t the reason why we lost," Gordon said. "I think he’d probably like do a little more with the rebounds with the first and third goals; you can’t fault him for the second goal."

    That beats your average "he did alright" or "we could have helped him more." Gordon at least addresses specific things on specific goals. Gordon also said the Isles failed at clearing traffic in front of Biron. Considering regulars Streit, Brendan Witt and Radek Martinek were in the lineup, that is a concern.

    Meanwhile, a nice feature on Tavares at NHL.com, about how Gordon is trying to get him up to speed and how Tavares will be living with Doug Weight for a while:

    "Right now I'm in a hotel, but I'm going to move in with Dougie for a little while," Tavares told NHL.com, adding with a laugh that "he needs me to keep him young."

    As far as the game goes: Any concerns for you? Observations from watching it or being there? More budding crushes on Moulson? I certainly wouldn't mind seeing if he can replicate some of this in an NHL game.

    0 recs  |  Comment 32 comments |

    Story-email Email Printer Print

    Comments

    Display:

    No stream tonight

     Our favorite place to watch didn’t have it. But Moulson and Martin have impressed me. I hope Martin has a good chance of sticking with the injury parade beginning and Joensuu sent back to Bridgeport( from the bit I saw, he wasn’t impressive. Guess he likes it across The Sound).

    Laughed when I heard Streit had a fight. The new enforcer!. I guess Garth knew it all along. How did he nail Andrew Peters, the NHL’s version of Special Delivery Jones? Wrestling fans from the 70’s will get that reference.

    Rumor has it Forsberg is trying again. Does that me we have first dibs on re-entry waivers, since he played in a foreign league? Does he have to go through re-entry waivers? Rules on players who play overseas then come back get a bit confusing.

    by FireGarthSnow on Sep 24, 2009 1:06 AM EDT reply actions   0 recs

    Tambellini, Sim, and DeHaan have impressed also.

    by BCISLEMAN on Sep 24, 2009 1:28 AM EDT reply actions   0 recs

    Tambellini has been on fire this pre-season. I tend to get worried when a player is THIS good all of a sudden. Is he just now trying because it may be his last chance? Why didn’t he ever try before? Most importantly to me, what’s to stop him from sliding back to his “normal” level of effort during the season?

    SHOOOOOOOT IT!!!! Anon

    by burpchelischili on Sep 24, 2009 4:45 AM EDT reply actions   0 recs

    Tambellini has always had talent. He just hasn’t been able to parlay his talent and physical abilities into success at the NHL level. Since Garth’s focus is not on contending this year anyway, there is no reason not to give him and Moulson—among others—every chance to prove themselves. Listening to JT’s postgame interview, it seems that he and Moulson have a history and that may account for their apparent chemistry (and, possibly, may be why Moulson was signed in the first place).

    by BCISLEMAN on Sep 24, 2009 6:18 AM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

    I think it was part how he was managed way back in the beginning (“Here, score! But if you don’t, it’s back to the third line. But why aren’t you scoring? Go to Bridgeport. No, stay!”) and part confidence and his own trouble asserting himself. Not excusing him, but he didn’t have the most ideal conditions to succeed.

    But I’m still very, very skeptical because it’s just preseason (so many half-rosters to play against … every preseason creates some weird temporary bursts) and I don’t know if he’ll grab top-six minutes over the others. It’d be a great story though — and testament to patience — if he can start putting up some points.

    I agree Snow might as well use one more season to throw whatever he has out there and see who grabs a spot.

    Lighthouse Hockey: Side effects may include Weight gain and frequent game loss.

    by Dominik on Sep 24, 2009 10:30 AM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

    All I am saying about Tambellini and Moulson is that they have earned a reasonable shot at proving themselves in the regular season.

    by BCISLEMAN on Sep 24, 2009 11:32 AM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

    Mafia's take

    Dehaan – awsome needs one more yr in jr to gain weight hopefully around two pnds a month should do it. It will not only build his confindence but let him enjoy his youth with the experienc of leading Canada at the WJ AND Let him have some youthful memories. I would not be against hgim playing nine games but let him be a kid.

    Sim – luv the enthusasium(sp) hopefully he can score some quick goals and boost his stock – give him even some pp time and trade for something of value and bring up another youth and give them some PT

    Martin – DiBe-Jonusee – one more yr at Bridgeport or as long as it takes to get rid of Sim and Park

    Moulson – is like Hillen maybe split 40 g in both the Ahl And the NHL unless he does prove to have some chemistry with JT

    by steelermafia on Sep 24, 2009 10:25 AM EDT reply actions   0 recs

    Agree on DeHaan

    But it looks like he could stick now. Wouldn’t mind seeing him on the opening day roster, but I would rather he get sent back to juniors before the season starts if that is what the Isles have planned anyway.

    by Rhinos on Sep 24, 2009 10:40 AM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

    You wouldn’t want to see him get his feet wet for a few games here first and then go back to juniors with stories of how great the hotels are?

    I guess there are no (knock on wood) blueline injuries for him to fill, so he’d just be sitting — unless they want to make a statement to a veteran by scratching them instead.

    Lighthouse Hockey: Side effects may include Weight gain and frequent game loss.

    by Dominik on Sep 24, 2009 10:58 AM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

    I believe Moulson already has shown some chemistry with JT and it seemed as if he was bantering with the reporters about a previous history with Moulson and I wouldn’t be surprised if Moulson’s signing was not a coincidence.

    by BCISLEMAN on Sep 24, 2009 11:35 AM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

    The Devils

    Hey, just a thought I’ve been having. Do you think the Devils actually hurt the Isles? They’ve been an elite team since I started watching hockey. So if your a kid on the outskirts, NJ or one of the non Manhattan boroughs and you hate the Rangers cause everyone loves them, who are you going to pick? Back in the 80s it was obviously the Isles. But now I would suspect that the Devils have made huge inroads into what might have been former Isles areas. The Devils had players who stuck around forever, Stevens, Danyenko, Broduer among others. There’s no one on the Isles that’s been that type of player outside of DiPietro. Add that to what might be the longest run without a playoff series win in the NHL and it is a recipe for disaster.

    Now I’m not saying I expect people from NJ or one of the other boroughs to make it to games every night. But where it really hurts is in Jersey sales, lower ratings for games meaning less advertising money, all the small intangibles that might mean the difference between making a profit and not.

    The bright side though, is that if the Isles can stay in NY and start to turn it around, there’s signs that the Devils might be beginning a backslide. Their top prospect to replace Broduer, Jeff Frazee, is looking questionable to say the least. Not only that, but he’s apparently the only goalie prospect in the system.

    So hopefully a downswing for the Devils and an upswing for the Isles will have far reaching affects. Or at the very least switch a few Ranger hating band wagoners to jump aboard with the Isles.

    by WebBard on Sep 25, 2009 6:30 AM EDT reply actions   0 recs

    Don’t know that the Devs will ever have the downswing you are hoping will happen. There may be issues with Marty and with Frazee, but as long as they have Lou, they will have a competitive team. Perfect example: many teams passed on Jacob Josefson because he performed badly in the world juniors. They either did not know or did not care that he was battling a stomach virus at the time. Lou and his scouts knew better. They knew that his coach who had also coached Washington’s Backstrom has said that he is better than Backstrom was at the same stage in his development. They knew it and they moved up and grabbed him. I had hoped that we would draft Hedman and Josefson 1-2. Trust me, this guy will be terrorizing the Atlantic division in a year or two.

    I don’t think that it is as important that the Devs go down as that we go up. To begin with, I don’t think that we compete for the same fanbase that they do. They appeal to NJ and Westchester while our market is Long Island and Queens. There may be some crossover, but not much. I actually think that failure of the LightHouse and a move to Queens may, along with a successful rebuild, be the best thing that ever happened to this team in terms of expanding and sustaining the fanbase. Don’t worry about Lou and the Devs. They’ll get their Ws. We have to start getting ours and expand our fanbase.

    by BCISLEMAN on Sep 25, 2009 12:13 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

    If you live in brooklyn its 45 minutes flatbush to westbury on the LIRR. Its 25 minutes path WTC to Newark. Good luck on getting from brooklyn to WTC in 20 minutes.
    Most places in Manhattan its an even trip time. Queens – no way your getting to jersey before getting to the coliseum Ive done it believe me. Driving is even money also

    As far as the fan base – majority of people in NYC aren’t from NYC. You think all the wall street types that pay exorbinant ticket prices in MSG are original ranger fans? The friends I go to games with are from Toronto, Boston, Philly, Pittsburgh, Detriot minnesota and colorado not a single devil fan in the bunch. The Devils get a significant overflow from this group of displaced hockey fans I assure you. No self respecting New Yorker living in weschester would admit fanship to a New jersey franchise.

    I’d love to see the Isles in Brooklyn/Queens they’d florish there. Kate Murray is a dolt doesn’t she have the vision to see that a vancant coliseum will be a monstrous mausoleum of her and her party’s Nassau politcal legacy? especially if the Isles are one of the anchors for a vibrant revitalized brooklyn/queens arena development

    by neologizer on Sep 25, 2009 2:12 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

    Last I checked the Isles were in Uniondale, not Westbury. Unless you are calling a cab, good luck getting to the Coliseum from Westbury in less than an hour. It simply is easier to get to the Pru Center by mass transit from the boroughs than to the Coliseum.

    The logical place for the Isles, in my view, is alongside CitiField and the US Open venue and Flushing Meadows Park. Access to the LIRR and the subway would make it easier for even most Long Islanders to get to the new arena. And Queens definitely wants us.

    by BCISLEMAN on Sep 25, 2009 3:23 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

    Did a bit of research. According to the MTA website, it would take a bit over 1-1/2 hours to get from Main Street Flushing via LIRR and buses to the Coliseum. And that’s assuming that all of the connections are bang bang which they never are with Nassau county buses. You are probably talking about a 2-3 hour trip minimum. By contrast, going by subway from Flushing to the PATH terminal is 43 minutes and then just over 20 minutes to Newark. Allowing for connection time, it is probably 1-1/2 hours. And most other parts of the five boroughs the discrepancy will be even greater.

    by BCISLEMAN on Sep 25, 2009 3:55 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

    I’ve gone from Penn station to the coliseum with no car in 1 hr. train time 40 minutes: Friend pickup/Taxi/Hitch a ride from other Isles fans your there

    It is shorter but not that much from 33rd st to newark plus you have to switch once. It was longer when they were in the meadowlands.

    Geographically it looks shorter but timewise its not that much different. If youre in Brooklyn/Queens coliseum is closer trust me.

    Moral of the story is if TLH or Queens/Brooklyn become reality a modern transport hub will bring in more people from nyc

    by neologizer on Sep 25, 2009 5:38 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

    Most folks coming from the boroughs will not have friends on the Island to give them rides. Taxis are expensive and there is often a considerable wait. Going to the Coliseum from anywhere really without a car is problematic unless you have a friend pick you up which isn’t the reality for most potential fans coming from the boroughs. Using train and bus, which is what most people would have to do, it would certainly take 2-3 hours from most anywhere in the five boroughs versus 1-2 hours at most to the Pru.

    by BCISLEMAN on Sep 25, 2009 5:47 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

    BTW check out my fanpost on the Tavares-Moulson connection

    They trained together at the Athlete Training Centre, Mississauga, ON. Apparently Moulson’s brother and sister (I am assuming) trained there as well.

    by BCISLEMAN on Sep 25, 2009 5:56 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

    Good stuff everybody

    Sorry I was away without Web access this weekend (next time I’ll put up a better notice … but it won’t happen often.) But it was great to come back and read this discussion.

    As a fan who only sees them on the road or when visiting New York, for me the lack of direct rail transit to games is an aggravation, particularly when so many other pro franchises are served by that sort of direct pipeline. It always makes me wonder those same questions: How much are the Isles missing out? Not just by losing potential fans to others thanks to the winning/losing, but also how much their own casual fans make fewer visits because of it.

    Don’t know what the end-game will be to put more butts in the seats more regularly, but sounds like we’ll finally find out in the next year or two.

    Lighthouse Hockey: Side effects may include Weight gain and frequent game loss.

    by Dominik on Sep 28, 2009 11:19 AM EDT reply actions   0 recs

    Dom, check out my fanpost on the subject. If LightHouse does somehow go through, I think the most practical solution is to run extra trains on the Hempstead line of the LIRR which terminates a short walk from the main Nassau bus depot and just two miles from the Coliseum. Then the MTA could buy a few ectra buses dedicated as shuttles before and after games. Fans could be given free or discounted fare on the train and bus upon presenting tickets or online receipts. Of course, the best solution, in my view, would be to move the team’s home to Queens adjacent to CitiField and the US Open venue where there would be direct connections with the LIRR and the #7 subway line.

    by BCISLEMAN on Sep 28, 2009 12:08 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

    Comments For This Post Are Closed


    User Tools

    A New York Islanders blog for fans near and far. Hip surgery not required.
    Start posting about the Islanders »

    Join SB Nation and dive into communities focused on all your favorite teams.

    Connect_with_facebook

    FanPosts

    Featured Poll

    Poll
    When I heard about Rob Schremp's injury, I:

      244 votes | Results

    Atlantic Standings

    GP W L OTL PT
    Pittsburgh 71 42 24 5 89
    New Jersey 70 42 24 4 88
    Philadelphia 70 37 28 5 79
    New York Rangers 71 31 31 9 71
    New York Islanders 71 29 32 10 68

    (updated 3.20.2010 at 8:14 AM EDT)

    New York Islanders Roster

    # Pos. DOB W H
    Josh Bailey 12 C 10/2/1989 188 6-1
    Sean Bergenheim 20 LW 2/8/1984 205 5-10
    Martin Biron 43 G 8/15/1977 180 6-3
    Blake Comeau 57 RW 2/18/1986 207 6-1
    Bruno Gervais 8 D 10/3/1984 205 6-1
    Trevor Gillies 14 LW 1/30/1979 215 6-3
    Jack Hillen 38 D 1/24/1986 200 5-11
    Trent Hunter 7 RW 7/5/1980 210 6-3
    Tim Jackman 28 RW 11/14/1981 210 6-4
    Dustin Kohn 56 D 2/2/1987 200 6-2
    Andrew MacDonald 47 D 9/7/1986 188 6-1
    Matt Martin 46 LW 3/8/1989 192 6-2
    Freddy Meyer 44 D 1/4/1981 192 5-10
    Matt Moulson 26 LW 11/1/1983 206 6-1
    Frans Nielsen 51 C 4/24/1984 172 5-11
    Kyle Okposo 21 RW 4/16/1988 200 6-1
    Richard Park 10 RW 5/27/1976 190 5-11
    Dylan Reese 42 D 8/29/1984 195 6-0
    Dwayne Roloson 30 G 10/12/1969 180 6-1
    Jon Sim 16 LW 9/29/1977 195 5-10
    Mark Streit 2 D 12/11/1977 197 6-0
    Jeff Tambellini 15 LW 4/13/1984 186 5-11
    John Tavares 91 C 9/20/1990 195 6-0

    SBNation.com Recent Stories

    Carolina Hurricanes left wing Erik Cole, left, celebrates with Bryan Rodney and Jamie McBain (28) after McBain scored the game-winning goal in overtime against the Pittsburgh Penguins in an  NHL hockey game in Pittsburgh Saturday, March 20, 2010.  Carolina won 3-2 in overtime.(AP Photo/Don Wright)

    Insert Obvious March Madness Comparison Here: Canes Beat Pens On OT Buzzer-Beater

    Photo link

    An Interview With Blue Jackets' Prospect Matt Calvert

    Eric Nystrom, left, and Mikael Backlund of the Calgary Flames celebrate a goal in the second period of a NHL hockey game March 19, 2010, in Calgary, Alberta. (AP)

    Sharks Fizzle Out Again, Lose To Flames, 4-3

    More from SBNation.com >

    Follow Lighthouse Hockey:

    Facebook-icon_medium_medium  Twitter-icon_medium_medium


    Blog Bossy

    Lhh-square_small Dominik

    Enforcers & Snipers

    Officials_sweater_1_small IslesOfficial

    Headshot_small Michael Schuerlein