Islanders 4 pm Gameday: Drawing David Booth's return
by Dominik on Jan 31, 2010 1:58 PM EST
in New York Islanders Previews
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Print[Note: This game starts at 4 p.m. EST, due to some absurd costume show known as a "Pro Bowl."]
It's good for hockey that David Booth, out most of this season with a Mike Richards-induced concussion, is back and playing. It's a bit of a bummer for the Islanders that they draw Booth's first game back.
The Panthers haven't lacked for offense against the Islanders this year (12 goals in 3 games, though the last game was a 1-1 affair ended via shootout). But in that last game the Cats lost Islander-killer Nathan Horton to friendly fire, so an offensive spark is most welcome.
The big news today is Charles Wang's continued China flirtations and, league-wide, Brian Burke's bombshell dealings acquiring Dion Phaneuf and J.S. Giguerre. The Islanders host Phaneuf's new team March 14. More on the Islanders-in-China training camp gambit later, but quickly:
I support spreading hockey to all corners of the planet; I don't support my team being the guinea pig to do so. Opening the season in Europe is hard; doing all the travel to Asia right before putting the body through a grueling NHL season is, I suspect, harder. In terms of the Islanders' outlook next season, I'd much prefer they not start off with intercontinental travel and all of the physical, logistical and sleep-habit challenges that entails. But Wang supports the causes he believes in, and he certainly has the right to put his resources toward this one. I respect that.
No major roster updates with yesterday's road matinee followed by today's early start time. Presumably Rick DiPietro gets the start; beyond that, it's natural to wonder whether Trevor Gillies is replaced by Blake Comeau or if some other tweak is made for a team that has now lost four in a row and five of six. Even with yesterday's loss to Philadelphia (now in 6th place), 6th through 13th in the East is still separated by just 3 points. Florida is one ahead of the Isles. Every game counts.
Prediction: The Pro Bowl is full of suck.
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you are assuming that Burkie is done dealing
he has nine defensemen on the roster now and Phaneuf probably makes Kaberle or Komisarek expendable. Chicago, which has been rumored in deals with Burkie, has seven defenders and a veritable plethora of talented forwards—some of whom would likely be dumped this summer anyway. Expect at least one more big deal out of Burkie. It would be really funny if he traded Dion in the offseason to Edmonton for the #1 overall pick and got Hall.
Of course, one of those D-men is Exelby, who he wasted Kubina on, and the other is Jeff Finger, whose contract is concrete. Hopefully Sather helps him with those, mwahaha.
Lighthouse Hockey: Under contract through 2021, knees and hips be damned.
In any event, Burkie probably has at least one more trade up his sleeve before the deadline…maybe Komisarek for Buff and Brouwer?. And an offseason move of, say, Phaneuf and Kadri for the Oil’s first overall and rights to soon to be UFA Grebeshkov might be his style as well. Oil fans would eat up the prospect of sending Dion into the Saddledome for the Battle of Alberta enough to help them get over losing out on Hall.
there's still time for Sather to trade away half the franchise for Kovi
and maybe naming rights to MSG.
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Islanders Schedule
Next 5 Games
@
Winnipeg
|
Tue 02/14 | 8:30 PM EST |
|
@
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 |
Last 5 Games
|
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 |
|
Buffalo
|
Sat 02/04 | SO - L 3 - 4 |
Atlantic Standings
| GP | W | L | OTL | PT | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
New York Rangers
|
54 | 36 | 13 | 5 | 77 |
|
Philadelphia
|
56 | 31 | 18 | 7 | 69 |
|
Pittsburgh
|
56 | 32 | 19 | 5 | 69 |
|
New Jersey
|
55 | 31 | 20 | 4 | 66 |
|
New York Islanders
|
55 | 23 | 24 | 8 | 54 |
(updated 2.14.2012 at 3:50 AM EST)
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