Islanders 2*, Wild 1 (*SO): Nielsen Backhand of Judgment Seals It
by Dominik on Dec 17, 2011 11:14 PM EST
in New York Islanders Game Recaps
Email
PrintThe New York Islanders had the run of play on the Minnesota Wild for two periods (shots: 24-9 at that point) but only had one goal to show for it, so you knew there could be trouble. Turns out trouble came from an unexpected source, as an evenly played third went the Wild's way thanks to a mistake by the Islanders captain.
After trading chances for much of the third, a passive play-for-OT mood set in for the final minutes, leading ultimately to a shootout where Al Montoya stopped all three and Frans Nielsen's Backhand of Judgment was the only conversion needed.
GS | ES | H2H | Shifts | Corsi | Zones | Recaps: NHL | Isles | SBN
It was going to be tight with the Islanders entering the third period with that slim 1-0 lead and the Wild yet to show their best, but boy did Mark Streit make it worse. Just an inexplicable pass attempt between his legs in a dangerous area in his own zone, and the Islanders paid for it on the ensuing scramble: Cal Clusterbuck slipped a rebound into an open net after a nice tip by Matt Cullen put Al Montoya on the wrong side of the crease.
Overtime was surprisingly entertaining, in an interconference game sort of way. Teams traded chances, exposing the opening and also the risk that going to 4-on-4 provides. Alas, no satisfying game winner was to be had, so it was off to the breakaway drill in which time slows down and backcheckers are just some nightmare that never comes true.
Much earlier, it was Andrew MacDonald's blast that got the Islanders a 1-0 lead shortly after an Islanders powerplay expired half way through the second period. It followed a flurry of close calls, but was ultimately set up by who? John Tavares, of course, with a deceptive JT-style backhand pass to the point.
Tavares created a few other very close chances for himself as Wild D got caught looking at his other options and let him elude them around the outside. One one memorable play, he turned Marco Scandella around -- and Scandella knocked him to one knee in what in some games might be a penalty* -- but Scandella recovered to make a great stick check at the last possible moment.
*It was actually a refreshing amount of "let them play" officiating, with the refs allowing multiple little pushes go both ways. Each time they let a Wild offense go, I found myself waiting in paranoia for a similar infraction to be called on the Isles. But no: three penalties for the game, total with the extra going to the Wild for too many men and a boarding call on Warren Peters actually being tough luck, as victim MacDonald turned at the last second.
The Islanders were slumping and clearly played like they needed a focused, disciplined effort against an injury-weakened team. They did that for the most part -- Streit's gaffe a notable exception -- and the shootout luck finally went their way.
The Wild looked like an undermanned team with one dangerous line, but they gave their all and made the needed push in the third. Matt Cullen, a tantalizing part of that one line, came close in OT and in the shootout, but struck out.
The Isles, for their part, probably deserved what luck they got. Count this as one of those "due" wins, and their first Bettman Bonus point of the season.
Game Highlights
Game Notes
- The top line with P.A. Parenteau and Matt Moulson had a combined 16 shots on goal. Well done, Niklas Backstrom with only one "c."
- I have no idea if Al Montoya bounced back from recent struggles or not, as the Wild didn't test him until the third.
- Kyle Okposo would've been the Islanders' third shootout shooter, but Montoya apparently did not want to see that.
- I liked the Milan Jurcina pairing with Mark Streit. It was refreshing to see Andrew MacDonald back (and with Travis Hamonic). Dylan Reese continued to hold serve and offer the occasional offensive threat, which the Isles frankly need. Mike Mottau was his partner.
- @The Wild were credited with 24 hits, the Islanders with 12, and I am certain that is a faithful and accurate recording of events.@
- The lowest amount of ice time was roughly nine minutes by both Nino Niederreiter and David Ullstrom, though that was probably enabled by the relatively small amount of special teams work on the night. Still, it was fun to see four lines that did not elicit panic or fear from the defensive side.
- Tavares had a whopping 24 minutes.
- Heh, Jared Spurgeon (he played 26:47) was given the third star. Frans Nielsen was given the first star for completing a practice drill. Yeah.
Capuano Post-Game
From the MSG coverage page on the official site. He was pleased with coverage, and how the defense engaged in the offense:
As referenced in the preview, the Wild are not a sustainable first-place team, though it's unclear how far they'll fall. (Even if by possession metrics they're 30th, it's tomfoolery to think they'll plummet all the way down.) How far they'll fall and if this run of injuries is the tipping point will be interesting to monitor. Although, having watched the Islanders already play -- and beat(?!) -- them twice this season, I doubt I'll want to. Wake me up in the Spring and tell me how it went in the latest episode of numbers vs. results vs. hockey-is-a-complex-game.
But seriously, with the big head start they had, it'll be fun to see if the Wild can hang on. They have 45 very important points in the bag -- not quite halfway to the promised land, but close -- but that's also just 10 points ahead of ninth place. Will missing the playoffs, if it happens, be seen as a disaster? Or will wherever they land be seen as progress over last season? Again, wake me up in Spring, when we'll be too busy with angst in these here parts to look West.
Next up: Tuesday in Winnipeg. Vengeance! Hamonic Homecoming! Former Thrashers!
141 comments
|
Add comment
|
0 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
Judgment is served upon thee, Nik Backstrom
I was kind of looking forward to seeing KO in the shootout, though – he could have made history by toe-dragging in open ice.
Next-best outcome, however – Cubano gobbling up Dany Heatley to close it out.
We may be in the box, but you get the penalty.
Lighthouse Hockey - a beacon of greatness on the rocky coast of sports blog mediocrity
Non-hockey scribblings at nightflyblog
Is KO's mom 35?
"We owe him a lot more than he owes us at this point. He's been stellar all year. He still gave us a chance to win this one, and we've got to find a way."
—C Josh Bailey, on G Al Montoya after a 5-3 loss Tuesday in Montreal.
by BobbyNystromOwnsYou on Dec 17, 2011 11:22 PM EST up reply actions
Is KO's mom divorced? I could have sworn she was "with" a guy in that box and KO's biological dad was nowhere to be found.
What do you mean they won 4 cups in a row? Is that possible?
yeah, i was wondering how KO came from that guy.
"We owe him a lot more than he owes us at this point. He's been stellar all year. He still gave us a chance to win this one, and we've got to find a way."
—C Josh Bailey, on G Al Montoya after a 5-3 loss Tuesday in Montreal.
by BobbyNystromOwnsYou on Dec 18, 2011 12:36 AM EST up reply actions
You think KO's mom's boyfriend is hot?
;-)
"We owe him a lot more than he owes us at this point. He's been stellar all year. He still gave us a chance to win this one, and we've got to find a way."
—C Josh Bailey, on G Al Montoya after a 5-3 loss Tuesday in Montreal.
by BobbyNystromOwnsYou on Dec 18, 2011 10:07 AM EST up reply actions
Wow!
Looking at the Corsi +/-, MN just had no answer for GOALTRON did they? I’m not sure I’ve seen any Islander put up numbers like those at all this year.
They had one answer
Same answer they have for everyone: Backstrom.
Seriously, the guy is very good. If he were in NY instead of Lundqvist you’d never hear the end of how good he is… and what’s more, the Rangers would probably not miss a beat.
We may be in the box, but you get the penalty.
Lighthouse Hockey - a beacon of greatness on the rocky coast of sports blog mediocrity
Non-hockey scribblings at nightflyblog
by mikb on Dec 17, 2011 11:26 PM EST up reply actions 2 recs
Not even close to Lundqvist in talent.
Writer at Beyond the Box Score and The Hardball Times
Pitchf/x enthusiast.
http://twitter.com/#!/garik16
There's some magic talent ruler that says so, right?
Are we still faulting him for playing for Lemaire?
Lighthouse Hockey: A flute with no holes is not a flute. A Dane with no holes is Frans Nielsen.
Now
I wish I had a magic 8 ball. It sounds like it would make a great Zeitgeist post
“Magic 8 Ball, Will Nino ever play more then 9 minutes?”
“Magic 8 Ball, Will Calvin De Haan pan out?”
“Magic 8 Ball, Will Rick DiPeitro retire?”
Hey, I might have just discovered BD’s Islanders source.
"I really wouldn’t wish rooting for both the Isles and Blues on anyone." Dominik
Contributor to Lighthouse Hockey not sure if I'm the Sniper or the Enforcer.
by Mark D on Dec 18, 2011 2:49 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs
BD Islander Source?
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Twitter: @mikeryaninc
"Past performance Is Not A Guarantee For Future Results"
"Listening is a Skill" -Jack Capuano
BD Gallof is an Islanders/hockey blogger for Hockey Independent
http://hockeyindependent.com/blog/
He hasn’t been writing much this year tho…
He recently started writing a few things for CBS
Let Us Go, Islanders! (Ever notice how strange that sounds without the contraction?)
by TheMetalChick on Dec 18, 2011 1:37 PM EST up reply actions
not for long
His article on the Trivino situation was somewhat of an embarassment.
We may be in the box, but you get the penalty.
Lighthouse Hockey - a beacon of greatness on the rocky coast of sports blog mediocrity
Non-hockey scribblings at nightflyblog
Never mind, found it...
http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2011/12/16/gallof-the-personal-demons-of-islanders-prospect-corey-trivino/
I don’t know why it’s embarrassing…Are you talking about the points regarding him being raised by lesbians? He didnt hold any punches
I read the comments
It seems like it rubbed liberal thinkers the wrong way. I can see their points.
Yeah
But it seems to me if they didnt like the implication, that they should be mad at the unnamed NHL scout who said it, not at the guy who reported what the unnamed NHL scout said.
Let Us Go, Islanders! (Ever notice how strange that sounds without the contraction?)
by TheMetalChick on Dec 18, 2011 4:13 PM EST up reply actions
I can appreciate that too..
BD has the ability to ruffle feathers…
I think
a reporter has a responsibility to not print completely baseless claims. If the article had been about the unnamed scout, that’s one thing, but a quote like that has no reason to make it into an article.
I dont understand the significance of it, really.
The only point I think is relevant out of it all is that he was raised by his mom and her SO, and the implication is that his father wasnt there. An absent parent sucks for anybody who has to deal with it. Its certainly no excuse for his alcohol problems, especially when you think about how many people come from similar circumstances. Travis Hamonic doesnt have his father but you dont see him making foolish self-destructive choices. Granted his father passed away, but still.
Let Us Go, Islanders! (Ever notice how strange that sounds without the contraction?)
by TheMetalChick on Dec 18, 2011 6:25 PM EST up reply actions
What I found off
and obviously Keith did, as he wrote this up, is having an unnamed former scout be the authority for the family situation (and “demons”) based on facts that may or may not matter (and might actually be incorrect — apparently his father lived across the street?).
Then we have that uninformed person’s speculation going further saying these hardly abnormal conditions are likely to lead to “emotional imbalance” and “substance abuse.” Given that leap, I get why people are upset in comments there. That anonymous statement is the one in the story that makes the biggest leap. (And that leap informs the headline!)
Are people dicks and NHL scouts stuck in old times? Probably. Maybe that’s creates undue worries ’round draft time. But saying it was a demon and led to emotional imbalance and substance abuse?
The connection is hard to make other than in one former scout’s mind — esp. given other attributed quotes to people who apparently knew Trivino while he was under that roof — yet that is where the “personal demons” claim comes from and how “demons” ends up in the headline of an otherwise straightforward background piece.
Lighthouse Hockey: A flute with no holes is not a flute. A Dane with no holes is Frans Nielsen.
Yup, I agree… I really dont understand how they connect, either… other than it being tough for anyone to deal with ones parents splitting up (FWIW I dont believe his father was always across the street but hey, I dont claim to know his familys entire story.) But I think the personal demons thing is a reference to his own alcohol issues (and his own denial of his alcohol problem) rather than his family situation. He seems to really be in denial of his own problems. In an old IPB interview, Corey denies the rumors that his previous suspension (which his coach now says was alcohol related) was the result of an alcohol-related incident. {link} and said it had "nothing to do with alcohol use." Sad.
Let Us Go, Islanders! (Ever notice how strange that sounds without the contraction?)
by TheMetalChick on Dec 18, 2011 7:26 PM EST up reply actions
Yea
I generally agree with the above take on Trivino, I just think including that “demon” stuff was irresponsible journalism done for sensational reasons. Obviously that happens all the time, but I don’t have a problem when people call it out.
I think it was embarassing for a couple of reasons
For one, a single quote from an anonymous ex-scout and a former player who may not even have been a teammate? Kind of weak.
For two, he proposed a theory and then never bothered to check its plausibility. There was easily-obtainable information that Mark (webbard) found inside of ten minutes, that pretty much blew up the idea that his father was absentee.
For three, I hate to have to say it, but Gallof loses some of the benefit of the doubt because it’s been proven that he’s pretended to be his own fans in the past. He could just as easily be pretending to be his own source here. His credibility is low.
It was just a sensationalist theory that he didn’t want to spoil, so he ran with it. That is not professional behavior – and that is the final straw for me. He likes the professional reputation, but doesn’t like the professional standard; he wants it both ways, and hides behind the “just a blogger” shield whenever he finds it convenient.
We may be in the box, but you get the penalty.
Lighthouse Hockey - a beacon of greatness on the rocky coast of sports blog mediocrity
Non-hockey scribblings at nightflyblog
by mikb on Dec 18, 2011 9:27 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
BD himself has now commented over on the new piece
{link}
I doubt he realizes these comments are here in the post game analysis- so if youre interested in what he has to say (or have something to address to him) thats probably an even better place to do it because he will be more likely to see it and give feedback.
Let Us Go, Islanders! (Ever notice how strange that sounds without the contraction?)
by TheMetalChick on Dec 18, 2011 9:49 PM EST up reply actions
And FWIW, I know BD- and I honestly do not think he would lie about having an unnamed source. He wouldnt have to, and unnamed sources arent afraid to say all sorts of things- as long as they remain unnamed. And I do not find a source saying that hard to believe at all.
Let Us Go, Islanders! (Ever notice how strange that sounds without the contraction?)
by TheMetalChick on Dec 18, 2011 9:54 PM EST up reply actions
Maybe I'm being unfair about the anon source
The way he went about this just leaves quite the sour taste. It seems off to me that he went with the sensational “ZOMG lesbians” angle via anonymous source, verified it with the unnamed BU player, and then ran with it instead of seeing if there was another side to things. But you’re right, I shouldn’t accuse him of making stuff up. That’s wrong.
We may be in the box, but you get the penalty.
Lighthouse Hockey - a beacon of greatness on the rocky coast of sports blog mediocrity
Non-hockey scribblings at nightflyblog
by mikb on Dec 18, 2011 10:13 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
I just think the question of additional research is a lot more valid than going there when theres no real reason to, thats all.
And I see you posted over on the other thread the exact minute I was posting here mentioning it to you! I guess the link is here for anyone else who wants to follow the convo.
Let Us Go, Islanders! (Ever notice how strange that sounds without the contraction?)
by TheMetalChick on Dec 18, 2011 10:21 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
FTR, I think the 10 point lead is enough that the Wild will make the playoffs.
But far more likely for them to be the 7th or 8th seed than anything else.
Writer at Beyond the Box Score and The Hardball Times
Pitchf/x enthusiast.
http://twitter.com/#!/garik16
This team played a very solid game tonight.
Fantstic to see AMac back.
And Montoya looked better than he has in a couple weeks.
Very good game.
One mistake… and that gave the Wild a point. Thankfully, the Isles still got two.
How funny was it to see Kyles mom bummed out when he didnt get to go in the SO lol?
Let Us Go, Islanders! (Ever notice how strange that sounds without the contraction?)
Did Wild even have a real scoring chance...
…until Streit’s giveaway?
Almost every Isles pass was on the tape: short passes and long stretch-passes.
Was it more about Isles finding their game or Wild’s forecheck just a bad system against Isles?
Coincidentally arguably Isles worst-passing defenseman (Staios) and forward (Rolston) were not playing.
If Isles can play this type of posession game most of the time, perhaps deHaan eventually comes back up so that Isles can have even more possession.
"The reader of this sentence exists only while reading me."
by North Dakota Red Eagle on Dec 18, 2011 12:51 PM EST up reply actions
Not much
Streit made many good plays, too. One mistake, and it gave them a point- but thankfully didnt cost the Isles one.
And it WAS a mistake- but reading some of the comments around today youd think that Streit was playing like shit all night- but he wasnt. People calling to bench him/ sit him? Oh yeah right- because giving lots more minutes to Mottau and Jurcina will really make sure that you dont have a defenseman who makes one mistake.
Let Us Go, Islanders! (Ever notice how strange that sounds without the contraction?)
by TheMetalChick on Dec 18, 2011 1:33 PM EST up reply actions
it was a bad snap second decision
and one that easily could have not led to a goal
people are blowing this way out or proportion – once Eaton is back, who sits?
am thinking we should go
Streit-Jurcina
MacDonald-Hamonic
Eaton-Reese
by Cary K on Dec 18, 2011 3:39 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Seems likely
Although Mottau and Reese are playing pretty well together last few games. But I’d rather see Reese and Eaton.
"The reader of this sentence exists only while reading me."
by North Dakota Red Eagle on Dec 18, 2011 6:26 PM EST up reply actions
What game did that writer at hockey wilderness watch?
i knew better than to read anything there, but I did anyways.
"We owe him a lot more than he owes us at this point. He's been stellar all year. He still gave us a chance to win this one, and we've got to find a way."
—C Josh Bailey, on G Al Montoya after a 5-3 loss Tuesday in Montreal.
by BobbyNystromOwnsYou on Dec 18, 2011 12:40 AM EST reply actions
And are they the only team with injuries?
"We owe him a lot more than he owes us at this point. He's been stellar all year. He still gave us a chance to win this one, and we've got to find a way."
—C Josh Bailey, on G Al Montoya after a 5-3 loss Tuesday in Montreal.
by BobbyNystromOwnsYou on Dec 18, 2011 12:43 AM EST up reply actions
I tend to stay away from other blogs, cause in the end we are all fans. But it also shows the difference between a contender and a pretender. The last time the Pens came through (after Crosby’s second concussion) they were down a lot of players too and still handled the Islanders no problem. So take from that what you will.
"I really wouldn’t wish rooting for both the Isles and Blues on anyone." Dominik
Contributor to Lighthouse Hockey not sure if I'm the Sniper or the Enforcer.
by Mark D on Dec 18, 2011 2:30 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs
I post at very few but like to read what they have to say
And he is the only writer I ever complain about.
The people at Copper and Blue love him too.
"We owe him a lot more than he owes us at this point. He's been stellar all year. He still gave us a chance to win this one, and we've got to find a way."
—C Josh Bailey, on G Al Montoya after a 5-3 loss Tuesday in Montreal.
by BobbyNystromOwnsYou on Dec 18, 2011 10:09 AM EST up reply actions
apparently not the one that was played tonight
he listed JT as the shootout winner….
That guy is the worst
And I’m tired of the injury excuse. From my count, that’s three in a row over them, sooner or later, you have quit making excuses.
"We owe him a lot more than he owes us at this point. He's been stellar all year. He still gave us a chance to win this one, and we've got to find a way."
—C Josh Bailey, on G Al Montoya after a 5-3 loss Tuesday in Montreal.
by BobbyNystromOwnsYou on Dec 18, 2011 1:17 AM EST up reply actions
also how many injuries do they really have?
I checked their report and saw Setigouchi and Latendresse were out; thats 2 guys – how many other regulars do they have out? If that is it, then that is a really pathetic excuse
Especially when using it as an excuse against the Islanders; thats why I told a few of them on yahoo to suck it up – arguing injuries with an Islanders fan will fall on deaf ears because of the injuries we always have to deal with.
James T Paulson
by Jtpdolphins2009 on Dec 18, 2011 10:50 AM EST up reply actions
Yeah, I mean
We’re down Rolston, DP, Eaton, Pandolfo, Staios, just got Nino and Amac back…I mean, technically, that’s our #2 D, our #2 LW, our #5D.
NY Islanders, just one irrational free agent signing away from contention!
Website:Lighthouse HockeyTwitter: @KeithLHHockey
by Keith Quinn on Dec 18, 2011 10:57 AM EST up reply actions
we have beat them 3 times in a row off the top of my head
So the whole injury thing is just excuses for their fans and blog writers,
And crying about injuries to islanders fans is like crying about being hungry to an ethipoian. We don’t want to hear it.
"We owe him a lot more than he owes us at this point. He's been stellar all year. He still gave us a chance to win this one, and we've got to find a way."
—C Josh Bailey, on G Al Montoya after a 5-3 loss Tuesday in Montreal.
by BobbyNystromOwnsYou on Dec 18, 2011 11:38 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs
for the first time...
Most of our injuries are HELPING US.
Rolston… lets see a show of hands, who would rather have Wallace in the lineup.
eaton… Reese is younger, quicker and has made good decisions. I don’t want to see eaton back at the expense of reese… and I have a feeling that’s what it’s going to cost us because the new England Mafia has a Mottau fetish.
Staios… Maybe the best of the injured, but like Eaton, when he comes back they’re not going to remove Mottau, so it will be a negative.
I was calculating after the return of Mac and Nino, so I’m not sure who you were talking about when you say #2 D. Mac? Okay.. but Streit might not agree.. I do. I think Streit has been a 5-on-5 liability this year.
LighthouseHockey: We saw this coming!
@JPinVA
Haha
I was thinking the same (about the injuries actually helping)…the whole post was somewhat tongue in cheek.
I meant Staios…just because of where the Isles were lining him up.
The truth is, yes, we have injuries to an already sketchy core of players. This team was called “minor league” to begin with, so the sniping about playing against the (AHL location/pro team name) stuff and taking a W out of it doesn’t make me any less impressed with a win.
The Eastern conference is destroyed with injuries right now, still doing well, and not complaining about them…and good teams often don’t, and can account for inevitable injuries with their depth.
I guess the Wild aren’t one of those teams.
NY Islanders, just one irrational free agent signing away from contention!
Website:Lighthouse HockeyTwitter: @KeithLHHockey
by Keith Quinn on Dec 18, 2011 12:28 PM EST up reply actions
I have to say though
any time there has been a fully healthy defense, Mottau has continually been the odd man out and when eaton returns I see him being scratched again. Now scratching Mottau and bringing up a kid like de Haan is not something they would do outright.
they also had
Koivu and Bouchard out, that is 4 of their top 6. Pretty significant. It would be like losing JT, Frans, MM, and KO.
I think its more difficult not having 2 of your top 4 D playing
especially when your D is already the weakness of our team to begin with
James T Paulson
by Jtpdolphins2009 on Dec 18, 2011 11:27 AM EST up reply actions
do not doubt that.
And speaking to an Islanders fan about injuries leads no where, just saying that they were missing 4 of their top 6. A team that has trouble scoring to begin with, missing the key pieces that actually score, will hamper any team. They will probably not fare to well on their road trip. Excuses are Excuses, team still needs to rise above it regardless.
Koivu is probably their most important forward.
Without Koivu, Heatley doesn’t get many chances. So JT is a pretty good comparison.
"The reader of this sentence exists only while reading me."
by North Dakota Red Eagle on Dec 18, 2011 12:55 PM EST up reply actions
Once again though
We have beat them 3 times in a row. injuries can’t be an excuse.
"We owe him a lot more than he owes us at this point. He's been stellar all year. He still gave us a chance to win this one, and we've got to find a way."
—C Josh Bailey, on G Al Montoya after a 5-3 loss Tuesday in Montreal.
by BobbyNystromOwnsYou on Dec 19, 2011 9:20 AM EST up reply actions
great road game
Speed evident on all 4 lines reinforced just how slow rolston is. Still no toughness, no challenge to the hit on amac (though not horrible, deserved a challenge). Streit should have sat the rest of the game. Stop using jt in the shootouts, its embarassing for everyone involved. On the bright side, amac looked like, well, amac. Another very strong game for reese as well.
by randyboyd on Dec 18, 2011 12:43 AM EST via mobile reply actions
I would not say its
embarrassing for everyone involved. That is a bit rough. Nobody on the Islanders besides Frans has been good in the SO and for that matter, all three Wild players did not score either. Having JT in there is as much as a crap shoot as anyone else on the team. MM, Grabs, PAP (perhaps a bit better), KO, JB, Nino, its all the same thing.
I agree....We dont have the options that we used to have...
RSH and Tamby were almost as good as Nielson in the SO. Come to think of it…What happened to Tamby?
PAP for shootout!!
"We owe him a lot more than he owes us at this point. He's been stellar all year. He still gave us a chance to win this one, and we've got to find a way."
—C Josh Bailey, on G Al Montoya after a 5-3 loss Tuesday in Montreal.
by BobbyNystromOwnsYou on Dec 18, 2011 1:16 PM EST up reply actions
I only got to see the last few minutes.
I was at a family party where the Rags fans seriously outnumbered the Isles fans, but my sister and I got tomock them for having trouble with an ownerless team while we just beat the best team in the league for the second time this season. Sure, the Wild are hurting, but it’s not like Ranger fans actually pay attention to such things.
Yet another Moulson brother-in-law.
by ICanSeeForIslesAndIsles on Dec 18, 2011 1:14 AM EST reply actions
Tonight I say
Damn instant replay!
Lighthouse Hockey: A flute with no holes is not a flute. A Dane with no holes is Frans Nielsen.
loved seeing KO grind through their zone...
such a great play. would’ve loved to see him finish with a goal, but it was a beautiful play and wonderful to see such a great stride.
"son of a bitch i'm sick of these dolphins"
- Steve Zissou
Clutterbuck goal
Watched the game on replay without sound and to me it looked like that Streit’s mishandling of the puck was partially due to a bad pass from Montoya.
Anyway, it was great to see the team play 60 (plus 5) minutes of solid hockey. They didn’t let up all game.
Lighthouse Hockey. Where Islanders fans come to panic with punctuation.
by DP'sknee(andhipandflubugandotherknee) on Dec 18, 2011 2:41 AM EST reply actions
wait
An Islanders goalie mishandling the puck?
I highly Doubt THAT
"I really wouldn’t wish rooting for both the Isles and Blues on anyone." Dominik
Contributor to Lighthouse Hockey not sure if I'm the Sniper or the Enforcer.
I’m pretty sure Streit was trying a cute between the legs pass to the forward who seemed to be (but didn’t) heading up ice. There wasn’t anything wrong with the pass from Montoya that I could see, and worse, there was no pressure from the Wild. I think that was just an insanely bad decision by Streit, which is really odd, because that has nothing to do with him coming off an injury.
at first I thought
it was a bad pass and a bad bounce off his stick, but after watching it a few times it is pretty clear he was trying to hit the breaking forward.
Streit Should Have Been Benched After the Giveaway and Goal
Sometimes I just don’t get Cap. Streit has been playing like crap for a while now. Against Dallas he was directly responsible for the game tieing and winning goals. After the gaffe last night I would’ve gone with 5 defensemen the rest of the way. You just have to make guys accountable. If Al Arbour could bench Denny Potvin, Cap can bench Streit.
Who are you going to double shift while he's benched?
And for how long? I don’t have a problem with the notion of a player being sat when they make mistakes, but when your options are more Mottau, Jurcina or Reese, a guy just back from injury or a kid who is probably playing his max minutes anyway, it’s probably not an easy choice.
Any of the bottom three are more likely to make a mistake like that with increased ice time. With Streit still in there you know you still have a chance offensively to win the game and that he’ll buckle down (most likely) and not make that same mistake again.
NY Islanders, just one irrational free agent signing away from contention!
Website:Lighthouse HockeyTwitter: @KeithLHHockey
by Keith Quinn on Dec 18, 2011 9:54 AM EST via mobile up reply actions 1 recs
he did play well the rest of the way
I tuned in just after the goal, got to see lots of gruesome replays… but he was solid after that.
We may be in the box, but you get the penalty.
Lighthouse Hockey - a beacon of greatness on the rocky coast of sports blog mediocrity
Non-hockey scribblings at nightflyblog
He did
and I hate to read too much into one play, but it did make me wonder last night if he still wants to be here. He’s been kind of sloppy with his decisions lately, which could be a number of things, but it made me wonder if he’d prefer some greener pastures.
I wonder what sort of NHL-ready dman we could get for him….
by afrosupreme on Dec 18, 2011 12:26 PM EST up reply actions
I doubt it
I mean, he signed with the Islanders prior to the 2008 – 2009 season, which was quite arguably one of the worst assembled teams in team history, and also just accepted the C. He’s here to stay. I just see him getting pressed to do too much given his age and coming off the injury. As you noticed, the team played a hell of a lot better defensively with AMac in.
Official choice of Lighthouse Dog #1.
Benching Streit for a dumb decision would be handing two points over
Which would be an even dumber decision.
Players make mistakes, you know? Creative players get more license, because sometimes their risks have bigger payoffs. I’m just parroting what everyone else says, but I don’t think that’s the productive move in this situation, given the alternatives.
Lighthouse Hockey: A flute with no holes is not a flute. A Dane with no holes is Frans Nielsen.
by Dominik on Dec 18, 2011 4:09 PM EST up reply actions 2 recs
New guy here.
Hey, been watching this board for quite some time and decided to chime in. Islander fan since about ’77 (Im 46).
OK, Streit has scared the crap out of me the last few games. I know he’s only one guy, but he cant be the guy making so many bonehead plays. He’s got me yelling at the TV so much that my wife left the TV room chuckling at me and went to bed.
Also, I found this Peter Griffin icon on the web. If someone else uses it I’ll change it.
welcome aboard Vince from NJ
Streit has been worrying me a bit too. I had always wondered if some of his gaffs I saw was because he was paired with Staios and I hoped that it would be corrected with Jurcina. But now I’m not so sure.
Welcome, Vince!
I think your icon is safe here. Looks new to me.
I imagine that if Capuano had one or two more solid defenders, he might’ve done that. But it seems his best course of action is to play him for the rest of the game, and then grill him at practice. If the game was already out of hand, benching him would’ve been an option, but we have a coach who needs wins and it was a tight game. /shrugs/
Yet another Moulson brother-in-law.
by ICanSeeForIslesAndIsles on Dec 18, 2011 10:39 AM EST up reply actions
welcome aboard, Vince
I know a guy from my deck hockey leagues named Vince, though he usually goes by Vinnie. Big Steve Thomas fan.
We may be in the box, but you get the penalty.
Lighthouse Hockey - a beacon of greatness on the rocky coast of sports blog mediocrity
Non-hockey scribblings at nightflyblog
Welcome
And nice start to your posting career. Streit is going to be an issue going forward because unlike Mottau, Staios and Eaton we need to count on him as a top four defender next year, and hopefully 2 more. But continued play like this is going to get him the Islander Captain treatment…
see Guerin and Weight.
LighthouseHockey: We saw this coming!
@JPinVA
Welcome, Vince!
And thanks for the quick backgrounder. Always helps knowing where someone is coming from.
Since we’re doing other vincetances, my godfather was named Vince. He gave me a box of ’70s hockey stick tape once that lasted me 20 years, literally. By the end it was yellow, and cause for much ribbing from teammates, but hey … free tape for 20 years.
Lighthouse Hockey: A flute with no holes is not a flute. A Dane with no holes is Frans Nielsen.
only saw the first 2 periods
my gut reaction was Isles should roll those 4 lines for the rest of the season. top to bottom looked very good.
For anyone who missed the away feed
You think butchie butchers Nino’s name,, at times I am not even sure what came out of the Wilds announcers. And talk about harping on the injuries. We get, the team has injuries. It did not stop, and it was the same thing over and over again.
Strong game, couple of bounces differently and it could have been 3 – 1 or 3 – 0. Take the win and move on. Keep giving efforts like that.
oh and AMAC
what a relief to have him back and another quality defender. Makes such a difference. I vividly remember one play where he was taking the puck in the corner and skating around the net with Heatly just behind him, skated around one player and then making a nice outlet pass.
by ghalbart on Dec 18, 2011 8:42 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs
That was a thing of beauty by A-MAC...
It is moves like that that made him surprisingly good and earned him his contract. It looks like he has finally recovered his form from before injury.
I watched the game with my Wild friend
So we turned it there a few times and the guy has no clue how to say Hamonic either.
I do notice whenever we play teams well, the announcers and fans make serious excuses, and even before the game starts, they build excuses even before they lose. It’s funny, but this isn’t the 2009 Isles, you can lose to us.
"We owe him a lot more than he owes us at this point. He's been stellar all year. He still gave us a chance to win this one, and we've got to find a way."
—C Josh Bailey, on G Al Montoya after a 5-3 loss Tuesday in Montreal.
by BobbyNystromOwnsYou on Dec 18, 2011 10:04 AM EST up reply actions
yeah that was gold as well
I kept on thinking he wanted to say Harmonica. Also on Frans, he clearly said Fransen a few times in the beginning. I mean Butchie is no better, but it was just funny to hear them mess it all up. I chose the Wild feed because the Islander feed was crap and looked someone pissed on the camera and had not cleaned it in 4 days.
The opposite here
MSG’s picture was wayyyy better.
"We owe him a lot more than he owes us at this point. He's been stellar all year. He still gave us a chance to win this one, and we've got to find a way."
—C Josh Bailey, on G Al Montoya after a 5-3 loss Tuesday in Montreal.
by BobbyNystromOwnsYou on Dec 18, 2011 10:50 AM EST up reply actions
were you on the channel guide channel?
Optimum has two overflow channels for MSG – one is standard def (I think it’s channel 99) and the other is the hi-def (channel 414).
If you tune into the hi-def channel, the info bar will tell you the next time the Isles are getting bumped.
We may be in the box, but you get the penalty.
Lighthouse Hockey - a beacon of greatness on the rocky coast of sports blog mediocrity
Non-hockey scribblings at nightflyblog
by mikb on Dec 18, 2011 11:57 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs
It is absolutely night and day between those two channels.
Let Us Go, Islanders! (Ever notice how strange that sounds without the contraction?)
by TheMetalChick on Dec 18, 2011 1:37 PM EST up reply actions
no idea, I was watching it off of
NHL CenterIce on my laptop.
The wild feed was crisp and HD, the Islander feed just seemed murky. Like seaweed was about to fall onto the ice. Its not usually like that, I just assumed it was MSG + feed.
heheheheh, fantastic
“This looks like a 1940’s RCA ten-inch screen, it must be MSG++!” I smell a new ad campaign!
We may be in the box, but you get the penalty.
Lighthouse Hockey - a beacon of greatness on the rocky coast of sports blog mediocrity
Non-hockey scribblings at nightflyblog
Tavares Passing v. Shooting
All I read and heard about JT before the draft was how great a sniper he was and that he was not a great passer as a center. IMO, he’s turned out to be just the opposite. Great, great passer who can find anybody who’s open. Pretty good goalscorer, but not a Stamkos or Ovechkin type sniper.
OV ain't sniping shit this year
"We owe him a lot more than he owes us at this point. He's been stellar all year. He still gave us a chance to win this one, and we've got to find a way."
—C Josh Bailey, on G Al Montoya after a 5-3 loss Tuesday in Montreal.
by BobbyNystromOwnsYou on Dec 18, 2011 10:05 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Other then Coaches
"I really wouldn’t wish rooting for both the Isles and Blues on anyone." Dominik
Contributor to Lighthouse Hockey not sure if I'm the Sniper or the Enforcer.
by Mark D on Dec 18, 2011 10:08 AM EST up reply actions 2 recs
He's killing my fantasy team.
"We owe him a lot more than he owes us at this point. He's been stellar all year. He still gave us a chance to win this one, and we've got to find a way."
—C Josh Bailey, on G Al Montoya after a 5-3 loss Tuesday in Montreal.
by BobbyNystromOwnsYou on Dec 18, 2011 10:09 AM EST up reply actions
I have to agree with you.
I guess its not that bad to have a great play making center on our top line.
very nice road win
outplayed the wild on most fronts. jt looked great, did everything but score reallly. amac’s return was excellent. hammer played out of his mind, it was almost like there were three of him out there at times. on the minus, wow…streit is just not himself (putting in nicely). but let’s not hang him out to dry, let’s use him stratecically and let him play through it. isn’t in nice not having to watch any of rolston, staios or panfolfo? garth didn’t pull the trigger so maybe the (hockey) gods did it for him? kidding ofcourse but hey, i’m happy they’re not in the lineup regardless of who we’re forced to have to play instead.
it was really nice not to see them out there.
All the lines were doing well and played with excellent pressure all night.
This is true. Out GM was forced to make good moves.
isn’t in nice not having to watch any of rolston, staios or panfolfo? garth didn’t pull the trigger so maybe the (hockey) gods did it for him?
It makes me mad because Garth decided to revamp the team that was playing so well, last year, with washed up old men. It makes me mad because Garth dug a hole that the young guns now need to dig out of. I just hope he doesnt thrust the old foges back in there when they recover…
Excelent point
With Mac back, this very easily was the best lineup the islanders can put on the ice. The only tweak is exchanging Eaton or Staios for Mottau… but as I said above we’ll probably lose Reese, and then Mottau when Staios comes back. But I think Reese has actually made Mottau better.
I don’t know what they see in the guy… but they refuse to sit him.
LighthouseHockey: We saw this coming!
@JPinVA
Reese shouldn't go anywhere
At least not over those 3 clowns. Well 2 clowns, and I kinda’ like Staios. i know i’m the only one.
And KO, agree competely. BUt I kind of have to stick up for Garth on one thing. The beginning of last season a veteran guy was sorely misssed and i think he tried to fix that this year. I’m much more bummed he didn’t see what the rest of the world saw with Rolston after the season started though.
"We owe him a lot more than he owes us at this point. He's been stellar all year. He still gave us a chance to win this one, and we've got to find a way."
—C Josh Bailey, on G Al Montoya after a 5-3 loss Tuesday in Montreal.
by BobbyNystromOwnsYou on Dec 18, 2011 1:11 PM EST up reply actions
Mottau - Reese
has been better than expected – but Mottau is the weakest link, they aren’t that dumb
as I said above we’ll probably lose Reese, and then Mottau when Staios comes back.
But I dont want to lose Reese- Im happy with him so far.
But I think Reese has actually made Mottau better.
Agreed.
I don’t know what they see in the guy… but they refuse to sit him.
I still think its the whole “tapping him at practice and telling him he’s in thinking he is JT” theory.
Was that your theory? I dont remember, but it was funny as hell.
Let Us Go, Islanders! (Ever notice how strange that sounds without the contraction?)
by TheMetalChick on Dec 18, 2011 10:49 PM EST up reply actions
The Road Warriors.
Monty was solid. I think he has recovered from his short slump. You might say he wasn’t tested much…But then again, when a goalie is sitting around, without much action, to keep him sharp, is when slumping goalies let up a weak one. He also had laser beam focus during the shootout. You can just see him tracking the puck. He would not even flinch at the dekes.
Okposo has been fantastic over the last 10 games…But tonight is the night where KO really burst out of his shell…He was one of the most noticeable forwards on the ice and he seemed to get allot of ice time…I would like to see him switch places with Paps for a game…When hes out there on an extended shift, he and JT, make beautiful music together…I loved that play where he rubbed a guy off the puck with a nice hit against the boards…That was a thing of beauty. If KO added more of that to his game he would be the power forward we were looking for.
Bailey had a pretty good game but he didn’t seem to get as much ice time as he was over recent games. Its so awesome to see this kid pull it together. I wouldn’t mind seeing him switch with Nielson. He would make some more offensive opportunities for Grabs and KO…
If only this team could’ve gotten off to a start like the Wild and they would have a good shot.
But tonight is the night where KO really burst out of his shell
Time will tell on whether this is true or not. I’m going to assume that this was mostly because he was playing in his hometown with his family and friends in attendance, so that must’ve given him that extra jump in his step. I’m hoping it’s true though.
Official choice of Lighthouse Dog #1.
I agree
He definitely has, though I think last night his performance was his most dominant since his 2-goal effort against Phily.
Official choice of Lighthouse Dog #1.
Hes been playing really well before last night.
I think playing in front of his friends & family helped too…But its a good thing…Helps him see what hes capable off…He will take that into the next game…
that was the first time in a while
i didnt leave the tv mumbling to myself something about why do i keep rooting for bad teams every year (isles habs kings and thrashjets) its nice to win every now and then!
The Islanders' team surgeon is now the 4th wealthiest man in the United States
time to move into the playoff hunt - last 6 games of 2011
we have a relatively easy schedule through end of the month
in Winnipeg on Tuesday, then home for the rest of the year in effect – two games @ MSG, three at NVMC vs Toronto, Calgary & Edmonton
if we can win at Winnipeg, continue to play the Rangers even as we have, and take it to Calgary/Edmonton,
we can finish these last 6 games something like 4-1-1, which would make us 14-15-7 going into 2012 – certainly a position we could compete for a playoff position from
time to take it to Winnipeg to set this possibility up
There was one play in the game
Where Nino was in the corner and somebody tried to push him off the puck and he just pushed him aside like he was a six year old boy.
My friend was “Wow, that kid is strong. I have no idea if he’s a kid, but he’s strong”
I was like yeah, he’s a kid.
"We owe him a lot more than he owes us at this point. He's been stellar all year. He still gave us a chance to win this one, and we've got to find a way."
—C Josh Bailey, on G Al Montoya after a 5-3 loss Tuesday in Montreal.
by BobbyNystromOwnsYou on Dec 18, 2011 11:41 AM EST reply actions
Looks like it was
puts on sunglasses
A Wild night
by turkey116 on Dec 18, 2011 1:22 PM EST reply actions 3 recs
Hee-yaaaaaaaaaaah!
Meet the new boss. Same as the old boss.
Yet another Moulson brother-in-law.
by ICanSeeForIslesAndIsles on Dec 18, 2011 3:29 PM EST up reply actions
good game, though not from everybody
I think it was a good game, they fully deserved the win, and it was nice to see some guys playing so well, most notably KO and JT, or also A-Mac coming back strong. But I don’t really agree with those who think it was good hockey all through the lineup or that this lineup is something close to the best they can dress.
Let’s be honest, very rarely throughout the season will you meet a weaker team in this league. The Wild are rather poor generally and certainly not competitive with this kind of lineup. Yet still, in order to win, the Isles needed their best players to play at their best and needed them to log very heavy minutes indeed. I guess it was the right thing to do from a coaching standpoint because they needed the win badly. And it worked, the guys played well, so, basically, it’s all good, but I don’t see how this game then would be a good example why all four lines are contributing or why it would be something like the best lineup they’ve dressed lately.
Actually, it’s really remarkable how much they relied on their best players in an EV-heavy game. JT played 24:26 minutes, PA 22, the other top-6 forwards around 19 on average. In OT, they played Nielsen, Grabner, JT, PA, Okposo and Bailey exclusively.
And this has been a trend. The best players have been used so heavily this month. JT’s over 21 minutes on average, PA over 20, Moulson at 19:30, FnGO at around 18. Except for Okposo, who played a lot during 09-10, this kind of TOI means career-high for everyone. It’s between two and three additional minutes compared to what they got in October. For me, that’s a bit of a concern on various fronts. First of all, I doubt they can play very effective hockey over a longer stretch with this kind of TOI. Then I just hope they’ll stay healthy. And I’m not looking forward to when they’ll have to use other guys more frequently again because they’re only marginally competitive even now while relying on their best players so much.
And some of the bottom-6 seem to be in a bit of a hole. I thought Ullstrom and Wallace were both overwhelmed last night. I really liked the energy they provided in their first few games and Ullstrom has done more than that even and certainly can be of some value going forward even this season, but right now I think the honest assessment would be Ullstrom has seen a little dip and Wallace should just not play on the 3rd line in this league. And while I’m still very happy for the season with how Martin’s developed I think he’s going through a tougher stretch, too. He hasn’t been a liability and I’m glad he’s around, and he had some decent 4th line shifts last night, but overall, I think it’s been closer to last year’s Martin than October’s Martin with some penalties he really didn’t need to take and just not as much positive impact on the game.
Let’s be honest, very rarely throughout the season will you meet a weaker team in this league. The Wild are rather poor generally and certainly not competitive with this kind of lineup.
I agree that they are probably not as good as their record indicates, but isnt it a bit extreme to say the top team in the entire western conference is poor, not competitive, and the weakest team in the league? I know theyre dealing with some injuries but hell- who isnt?
Let Us Go, Islanders! (Ever notice how strange that sounds without the contraction?)
by TheMetalChick on Dec 18, 2011 3:54 PM EST up reply actions
I know it may sound harsh, but I really do think this was the easiest game the Isles have had all year. Maybe a couple of games against the Lightning and possibly others were easier to win because Tampa Bay were so much off their game when the Isles played them. But just based on the lineup I do think this one of the Wild is the worst the Isles have faced this year.
They probably have been two of the Isles easiest wins this season.
But the Wild have done a lot of winning this season. IDK- maybe the Isles just have their number, psychologically?
Let Us Go, Islanders! (Ever notice how strange that sounds without the contraction?)
by TheMetalChick on Dec 18, 2011 4:22 PM EST up reply actions
Agree to a point, but you are slanting this way too much the other way.
So, “lets be honest”, it wasn’t the second easiest win of the season.
Well, my point was of course more about the Isles and how much they relied on their best players – regardless of the opposition. And we both don’t know Minnesota that well I guess, so practically no need to go back and forth on this one, but just wondering which lineup the Isles have played this year you think was worse than what the Wild had to offer last night? This Wild team was clearly inferior individually to the Isles – how much has that happened this season at all?
Top-line centre was Matt Cullen and although I like him as a player JT is of course hugely superior. 2nd line centre was Kyle Brodziak, no comparison whatsoever to Frans Nielsen. Heatley might still be able to score some goals, but I honestly wouldn’t rate him much higher than Matt Moulson. Clutterbuck is a good player and different from what the Isles have to offer in their top 6, but Okposo (or PA) is great, too. And Powe and Johnson, who were on the 2nd line last night, of course don’t compare to Grabner and Okposo at all. I don’t know the bottom-6 guys they dressed last night very well, but I’m sure Bailey and Reasoner are better down the middle than what they had in their lineup and I guess Ullstrom, Martin, Nino and Wallace are not inferior to the Wild bottom-6.
And as for the defense, well, Scandella/Spurgeon aren’t better than Hamonic/MacDonald, are they? Zidlicky isn’t better than Streit, is he? Their bottom-3 might be better than Jurcina, Reese and Mottau, but Lundin, Zanon, Schultz, Stoner are mostly just 3rd pair guys, too.
I know that’s a simplified approach, but it really shows what kind of a team the Wild dressed last night. Because again, I don’t think any team was inferior as much individually to the Isles this season. Without their injuries, the Wild wouldn’t dominate the Isles, either, but it would at least be quite close. Koivu can hold his own against Nielsen, Setoguchi against PA, Latendresse and Bouchard, or Powe and Johnson, who’d be pushed down, would certainly match up well against the Isles bottom-6 wingers, etc.
Was their a real problem.............
with Matty leaving at the end of regulation?
Skate issue, apparently
Lighthouse Hockey: A flute with no holes is not a flute. A Dane with no holes is Frans Nielsen.
Defensemen Grades
Going to catch up soon on the math. I believe it is still:
Kyle 5; post 2.
Streit: C. Only one sizable mistake, but it proved costly and may could have meant one or two points in the standings. Pretty good rest of the game.
AMac: A-. Even without the goal, I think he would have been the best defenseman last night. Did not expect this level of play his first game back.
Hamonic: B+. A good game for Travis.
Reese: B-. Good play. The 3rd pairing (w/ Mottau) looked surprisingly good at advancing the puck.
Jurcina: B-. Good, somewhat physical.
Mottau: C. He was actually skating decently last night. Or were the Wild forwards just not challenging him? A couple minor turnovers in his defensive zone, but neither awful.
Overall, the defensemen were advancing the puck very well. There were several long stretch-passes from D to F. Seemed like they all saw what deHaan was doing last game and said, “Hey, I can do that too.” (But I think a lot of this was the poor/uninspired Wild forecheck.)
"The reader of this sentence exists only while reading me."
by North Dakota Red Eagle on Dec 18, 2011 6:42 PM EST reply actions
Yeah
(But I think a lot of this was the poor/uninspired Wild forecheck.)
Yeah, me too. :( But I’ll take it!
Lighthouse Hockey: A flute with no holes is not a flute. A Dane with no holes is Frans Nielsen.
by Dominik on Dec 18, 2011 7:09 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Running Total and Defensemen Grades
Streit:
2.835 (30 games played)
Hamonic:
3.110 (30)
AMac:
2.738 (23)
Jurcina:
2.133 (21)
Mottau:
1.921 (23)
Reese:
2.250 (8)
Not In Action:
Staios
2.193 (28)
Eaton:
2.131 (16)
deHaan:
3.000 (1)
"The reader of this sentence exists only while reading me."
by North Dakota Red Eagle on Dec 22, 2011 1:51 PM EST up reply actions
Something to say? Choose one of these options to log in.
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
Related FanPosts on Lighthouse Hockey
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Recommended FanPosts
Recent FanPosts
Featured Stories
Islanders Schedule
In Association With
Latest Puck Daddy - NHL from Yahoo! Sports
- NHL Playoff Beard Watch: Blood, Sweat and Beards of unsung unshaven heroes
- Devils guarantee they’ll downplay 1994 conference finals for Game 6 vs. Rangers
- Dodger Stadium Winter Classic; 10 worst NHL fans; ‘While The Men Watch’ debate (Puck Headlines)
- Lightning GM Yzerman suggests he won’t be trading for Luongo, strengthens position for Luongo trade
- Marek Vs. Wyshynski Radio: Ron Hextall, Luke Richardson and Rangers/Devils
Latest stories and headlines from NHL.com
- Despite loss, Phoenix Coyotes build solid foundation in the desert with run to West finals
- Coyotes finish off best season ever
- Maple Leafs sign defensive prospect Petter Granberg to entry level deal
- Talented Sea Dogs show they can defence as well as attack at Memorial Cup
- Connecticut players create video to tell gay players they are welcome on their team
SBNation.com Recent Stories
1979-80
Source: Uploaded by user via NYIslanders on Pinterest
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
Source: Uploaded by user via NYIslanders on Pinterest
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
Source: Uploaded by user via NYIslanders on Pinterest
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
Source: Uploaded by user via NYIslanders on Pinterest
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.
