NHL Power Rankings; Islanders Offense with More New Lines
Yesterday's practice brought a line shuffle for a New York Islanders team struggling to find consistent offense. Today brings another tweak, with Matt Martin (instead of Nino Niederreiter) skating on the third line with Josh Bailey and Michael Grabner.
In one sense, with a seventh shutout the other night (against a very good goaltender in Henrik Lundqvist) the Islanders offense has faltered. But in terms of the Jack Capuano "get pucks to the net" strategy, it actually had been doing better:
Over the last 10 games the Islanders have averaged 30.9 shots per game, which is higher than their current 29.4 season average but also a boost to the 28.8 per game season average they had before this 10-game stretch. (This stretch included three OT games; the 24 prior games included five contests that reached OT.) Meanwhile, the 2.3 goals per game (excluding shootout "goals") over that stretch is likewise an increase over their season average (now up to 2.21).
These are small margins of course, where a big night -- such as the 5-1 feast over the Lightning -- and different personnel and opponents and slumps can alter the totals. The Islanders overall struggle to score and by altering the lines Capuano is no doubt looking for more balance. He just might be trying to squeeze more from a turnip.
We'll have more on that topic later. The Garth Snow "GM Show" Q&A is today at 1:30 p.m. Some quick links before the Power Ranking tables:
- Newsday on early season woes returning. P.A. Parenteau: "It seems like we don't learn quick enough from our mistakes."
- Scary news about Pascal Morency
- IPB's "Best of 2011" Heart and Soul Player of the Year
- The official site pimps the looming return of Brian Rolston and Jay Pandolfo
- Also from the official: Tavares, Okposo, Hamonic and Parenteau recall their WJC days.
- Not Isles-related: For the SB Nation hub, I looked back at the first modern NHL outdoor game ... in the desert.
- Also from the hub, and also not Isles-related: Top New York Sports Stories of 2011.
Media Power Rankings
And now on to the media power rankings survey, which is a little light as two usual outlets haven't updated after Christmas:
| Outlet | Rank | Last Week | Their Commentary |
| CBSSports | 25 | 24 |
Entering the week, P.A. Parenteau is tied for the team lead in scoring. I'm not sure if that's good news for P.A. Parenteau or bad news for the New York Islanders. |
|
THN (Proteau) |
- | 27 |
[not updated yet] |
|
ESPN (LeBrun(?)) |
26 | 25 | The Isles look as though they know what they're doing for a game or two. Then reality sets in, as it did in their final two losses before the break. The loss of Al Montoya is problematic, although Evgeni Nabokov getting some work should create at least a modicum of interest from teams looking for a veteran backup as the trade deadline approaches. |
| CBC | n/a | n/a |
[gone dark and cold] |
|
TSN (Cullen) |
29 | 26 | [not updated yet] |
| Fox | 27 |
27 | Rookie Nino Niederreiter returned from a concussion but is still looking to find his niche. The fifth overall pick in 2010 has one goal in 10 games and will look to earn more ice time than the 8:38 per game he currently gets. |
| Average |
26.75 |
26 |
Up down, up down, still 27-ish territory |
With a couple of regular sites not updated yet, we'll add to this later -- if they do -- for posterity.
Real Power Rankings
And now on to our weekly "real" power rankings courtesy of Mike, or ICanSeeForIslesAndIsles (who is the one you'll find tirelessly compiling FIG picks in the game thread), who conceived and delivers these week after week. They are calculated in true "power ranking" fashion -- i.e. how well teams fare based on their opponents' records.
The Islanders remain the same (27th), but Minnesota's run of losses has them tumbling. (They were still top of the table in last week's ranking.)
| W | L | OTL | Pts | Win Pct | PWR | ||
| 1 | Boston | 23 | 9 | 1 | 47 | 0.712 | 1986 |
| 2 | NY Rangers | 21 | 8 | 4 | 46 | 0.697 | 1974 |
| 3 | San Jose | 19 | 10 | 3 | 41 | 0.641 | 1934 |
| 4 | St. Louis | 20 | 10 | 4 | 44 | 0.647 | 1934 |
| 5 | Chicago | 22 | 9 | 4 | 48 | 0.686 | 1900 |
| 6 | Philadelphia | 21 | 9 | 4 | 46 | 0.676 | 1877 |
| 7 | Detroit | 21 | 12 | 1 | 43 | 0.632 | 1800 |
| 8 | Minnesota | 20 | 11 | 5 | 45 | 0.625 | 1796 |
| 9 | Pittsburgh | 20 | 11 | 4 | 44 | 0.629 | 1795 |
| 10 | Vancouver | 21 | 12 | 2 | 44 | 0.629 | 1793 |
| 11 | Florida | 18 | 11 | 7 | 43 | 0.597 | 1708 |
| 12 | Dallas | 20 | 13 | 1 | 41 | 0.603 | 1668 |
| 13 | Toronto | 18 | 13 | 4 | 40 | 0.571 | 1613 |
| 14 | Phoenix | 18 | 14 | 3 | 39 | 0.557 | 1605 |
| 15 | Los Angeles | 16 | 14 | 5 | 37 | 0.529 | 1584 |
| 16 | New Jersey | 19 | 14 | 1 | 39 | 0.574 | 1581 |
| 17 | Calgary | 17 | 15 | 4 | 38 | 0.528 | 1578 |
| 18 | Colorado | 18 | 17 | 1 | 37 | 0.514 | 1558 |
| 19 | Nashville | 18 | 13 | 4 | 40 | 0.571 | 1556 |
| 20 | Washington | 17 | 14 | 2 | 36 | 0.545 | 1556 |
| 21 | Ottawa | 17 | 14 | 5 | 39 | 0.542 | 1531 |
| 22 | Winnipeg | 16 | 14 | 5 | 37 | 0.529 | 1509 |
| 23 | Edmonton | 15 | 16 | 3 | 33 | 0.485 | 1484 |
| 24 | Buffalo | 16 | 15 | 3 | 35 | 0.515 | 1443 |
| 25 | Montreal | 13 | 16 | 7 | 33 | 0.458 | 1368 |
| 26 | Tampa Bay | 14 | 17 | 3 | 31 | 0.456 | 1336 |
| 27 | NY Islanders | 11 | 16 | 6 | 28 | 0.424 | 1282 |
| 28 | Carolina | 11 | 19 | 6 | 28 | 0.389 | 1219 |
| 29 | Anaheim | 9 | 19 | 6 | 24 | 0.353 | 1156 |
| 30 | Columbus | 9 | 21 | 4 | 22 | 0.324 | 931 |
86 comments
|
Add comment
|
0 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
Totally off topic but...
What does it mean when a post is in a green field with a Green " thumbs up" on the side?
Oh, and, hate to say this, but the team is exactly where those bums who do the rankings said they would be last summer. Gonna stop reading those pre-season articles……
by JimFromStJames on Dec 28, 2011 12:16 PM EST reply actions 3 recs
It ain't easy being green...
When you read a post you can click on ACTIONS, there are two choices REC or FLAG. If you REC a post you are saying that you like, or agree with that post. When the post has accumulated 3 RECs it will turn green.
it is a way of going through a thread and finding the more insightful or entertaining posts without having to read them all.
And yes… some of us were a little overly optimistic about our returning defensemen. Not Dom though.. he was right on target in the pre-season. The best we can hope for at this point is a middle 30 game personnel upgrade and a second half run that could be similar to what the Leafs did last year. that’s my opinion, not Dom’s.
NOW REC THIS BITCH!
LighthouseHockey: We saw this coming!
@JPinVA
by JPinVA on Dec 28, 2011 12:25 PM EST up reply actions 10 recs
Does this mean were are now on the 1st pick in the draft watch?
We are all Islanders, even if we’re from Jersey!
by Russel Ginart on Dec 28, 2011 12:32 PM EST up reply actions
Lottery Pick Status
RED ALERT RED ALERT RED ALERT
For most teams this means you watch to see what prospect you might be drafting should you hit the lottery.
For islander fans it’s time to see which team will finish four positions behind us, win the lottery and screw us out of that NHL ready defenseman that would have helped the franchise get to the next level.
LighthouseHockey: We saw this coming!
@JPinVA
by JPinVA on Dec 28, 2011 12:44 PM EST up reply actions 6 recs
Rec-tastic today, JPinVA
Proud to root for the Jets, Mets, and Islanders!!!
Twitter: cmauceri524
Bart Scott: "I’m sure now there will be something written about how the Jets are back, and we won’t listen to that either, because at the end of the day we know that you guys don’t know what the hell you’re talking about."
by CharlieIsles on Dec 28, 2011 2:09 PM EST up reply actions
Red Alert! Red Alert! Yup, there was no distant early warning for me on this sad state of affairs.
What a fun spring it was to dream…
Streit-Larsson
Amac-Hamonic
Wishart-Jurcina
The way the Defense has fallen has me seeing thru red lenses, not orange and blue
You know how a shutout feels, cuz it’s “off come the wheels”
Bright playoff hopes flashing by, like windshields towards a fly
Frozen roster with a cap-mule guy, but the Paul Martin/Erhoff types just pass you by
Dreams can take you around, dreams can shut you down
You can go from phenom to bust
From areener to a bowl of dust
We can fall from a bubble playoff team
Down to brother can you spare another Mottau, another Rolston
Anothhhherrrrrr…..non-playoff season!
/take it away Lifeson!
"Seriously that's the last time you guys f#@%ing won?" -RSH (about beating the Penguins in '93)
by Bryan2112 on Dec 28, 2011 2:31 PM EST up reply actions 3 recs
I see the tip of the iceberg...
and I worry about you!
LighthouseHockey: We saw this coming!
@JPinVA
Can we Rec something in Red so it looks like Christams?
We are all Islanders, even if we’re from Jersey!
by Russel Ginart on Dec 28, 2011 6:26 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
The 1st pick in the draft watch
To answer your question,yes At least I am.
by Isle Of Weight on Dec 28, 2011 3:46 PM EST up reply actions
I'll have more on this later
But check out this link. It relates to the topic at the top of this post … and might lead us back to the blueline. (It’s also a very cool, digestible tool put up by Gabe Desjardins of Behind the Net/Arctic Ice Hockey.)
The graph shows the ratio of 5-on-5 shots and goals, the Isles get vs. their opponents at EV this year. Notice how much higher shots (blue line) is than goals (green line). Then go ahead and toggle to other teams in the upper left corner (Nashville, for example). Closer to .5 is closer to splitting goals or shots 50/50 at even strength.
You can see the individual game-by-game data in the table below the two graphs. The Islanders are not getting the goal luck (or production, or accuracy, whatever you like) they should based on the shots they’re putting up, and it’s been that way most of the season. Another illustration of that is the table on the right, where they are far short of 1.0 in PDO (save percentage plus shooting percentage).
My question is how much is luck (so it will level out), how much is poor shooting (luck?) and poor goaltending, and how much, if you want to search for theories here, is related to the blueline we all seem to agree is an inadequate contributor to the offense. (i.e. does the blueline’s impotence make the shots the Isles do put on too predictable or easy to defend?)
Or will all this swing back to normal…long after the playoff bubble has eluded us, heh.
Lighthouse Hockey: A flute with no holes is not a flute. A Dane with no holes is Frans Nielsen.
by Dominik on Dec 28, 2011 12:50 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Nice chart...
If it doesn’t have bollinger bands I can’t make any comprehensive statements about it though.
I don’t have time to match up the PDO chart to the game log, but my first assumption would be those peaks and valleys correspond to Montoya’s health, with a drag coefficient of nabokov’s self esteem.
there’s only so many ways I can say this… to me, it all boils down to the lack of balance on the roster. If they had the same strategy in 2008 and 2009 that they employed in 2011 this team would look a lot better now.
2008 may still be the best in team history, but making these decisions has turned out bad for the team. You can say, “it’s a crap shoot”, but by general philosophy you can either bet the come line with double odds, or just put your money on the field… it makes a big difference at the end of the night.
2008: brilliant in it’s accumulation of darts… poor in overall philosphy vs org needs.
Bailey over Myer… I’m okay with this… the team needed talent up the middle.
trivino…. I think we can all see that NE bias.. trivino from TOR, but headed to BU.
Ness… when you’re scouting a kid in HS and he can limbo under the crossbar without bending… I don’t care how good he can skate… cross him off the list.
So they took Trivino and Ness over Yan Suave, a 220 lb defenseman that has already seen the NHL with Vancouver. No guarentee he’ll make it, but he’s got a better chance than the sex offender and the fidget.
travis… EXCELLENT PICK… big defenseman with the abilty to handle the puck.
David toews, with bourbon, lalonde and stone still on the board… It is hard to imagine how deep this draft was in exactly what the Islanders need right now.
I’m not even going to go on because I think I’ve made my point. Just looking back at what happened that year, and what Snow and jankowski were gearing up for, all I have to say is Scott Gordon’s “overspeed” can KISS MY ASS!
It really makes me think they were much luckier than skilled getting Martin and Dibenedetto later in that draft.
LighthouseHockey: We saw this coming!
@JPinVA
by JPinVA on Dec 28, 2011 1:44 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
New NHL more than overspeed
I think you read too much into those drafts if you think it was for Gordon. To me they were drafting for the “new NHL” — when D-men are expected to be able to handle the puck and move it forward. Whether big or small, those guys (outside of the random Hamonic prizes) take time to develop, but they’re sure a lot easier to get when they’re smaller.
Plenty of picks, cupboard bare, and each pick is a scratch-off — so you try to accumulate what you can quickly. They lacked size and people think they suddenly turned to size last summer, but I saw it as already having some size in the NHL (Witt, Sutton) via free agency, so they were drafting for skill. Maybe there were Mayfields and Pedans available at those selections in those drafts … and maybe those don’t pan out either.
Lighthouse Hockey: A flute with no holes is not a flute. A Dane with no holes is Frans Nielsen.
My read on the situation...
has always been that they knew they were going to make a coaching switch after the whole Chris Simon-Ruutu situation. Wang wanted to get rid of fighting and Nolan was moving the team in the opposite direction. I really didn’t see Nolan signing on for the post Exlby Comeau display of pacifism, guys turnng their backs on Jovanoski or any of the “turn the other cheek” BS that was getting pumped into the muzak in the training room.
They definitely were looking for fast, puck handling defenseman. The proto-type was Mark Streit. I think every team needs a few Mark Streit’s, but he’s the end result, not the clay. When you draft Mark Streit clay you’re much more likely to get kids who can’t compete at the AHL level… you can’t coach SIZE. They left that out of the equation.
Now they have absolutely no size… even hamonic probably won’t grow into his body and be physically dominant for another 3 years. If you put that timetable on the 2011 draftees that’s 2017 before they have [possibly] 3 solid, homegrown physical defenseman on the roster.
This is something they needed to address in that deep defensive draft. Not only that, 2009… Calvin deHaan? Were they really worried that somebody was going to take him before 14… and if they did, would it have been florida, and we could have had Kulikov. What a disaster. Without giving up one dart on draft day they could have had Simon despres… with their late first rounder.
Then there’s Nilsson after Koskinen over Brayden McNab… WTF did we have a scouting staff for… I could have picked two goalies with the top second and top third round picks…. I know all about the “It’s noce to have those chips” philosophy, but goaltenders are probably the worst draft pick expenditures of them all… like place kicker and punters in the NFL. There are two roster spots, and 1000 goalies seperated by 3 savesa aweek… and those three saves go round and round week after week. It’s much easier to pick one up when you need one than nurture five of them and hope that one of them is good enough to be an NHL back up some day.
As far as this being a Gordon thing… yes, you are correct… that strategy is probably more about the new NHL, but a guy with a better handle on what is needed to win would have had a different grocery list… and possibly a line on the bottom that said, “whatever you do, don’t fill up the cupboard with 180lb defensemen that can’t dish it out, and can’t take it.” Remember that under Snow’s watch campoli, Gervais, Hillen, Katic, and MAB passed through the drive thru… none of them were 20+ minute defenders… You have to pick your spots with those guys. Ness? Really?
One of my biggest wishes as an Islander fan is that Ness proves me wrong. I would love to see him become a capable NHLer, because it would mean that he became the best skater in league history… but that just isn’t going to happen… and before they got all USA USA USA about that pick, somebody should have stopped them.
Oliver Perez has some great stuff occasionally, but the book on him before he was a met was that he had terrible control… and a “z” at the end of his name. Men with agenda’s are blinded by the “z”.
One other point… and this isn’t really fair, but if you do a redraft of 2009 is deHaan even a first rounder?
LighthouseHockey: We saw this coming!
@JPinVA
by JPinVA on Dec 28, 2011 5:03 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
2009 is odd
Yes, CDH is maybe a 1st with a redo today, but yeah he was always probably a reach. The two goalie thing bothers me much more — and I didn’t even mind Mikko, because he was supposedly close to “pro ready” (and older) and the hot thing was picking up pre-trained goalies from Europe at the time. But two in a row that high, benefit of the doubt leaves.
On Ness, he’s already proven me wrong just by coming as far as he has. If he can adapt to pro bodies (and his elusiveness already gets praise), then he wins the bet. Meanwhile, Spurgeon just got stretchered off on a suspendable (but not suspended) hit the other night, both feeding the size fears and making me wonder where the line is between “more susceptible to injury” and “no size body survives dirty hits.”
Lighthouse Hockey: A flute with no holes is not a flute. A Dane with no holes is Frans Nielsen.
Ness
Ness is probably a notch above Jack Hillen talent-wise when he is 24. The difference is that Jack seemed to be mature at 21 (when they signed him) and you could tell he had NHL level talent, or was real close to it.
I’ve watched Ness in Bridgeport and I don’t think he gets up after a hit like Nino took. Hillen (and we spoke about this before) definitley didn’t have the insticts to avoid hits, but he made the hair on the back of my neck stand up when I’d see him on the ice for the shift after he took a colosal hit.
Hillen was also a post college FA signing. They threw a pretty high draft pick at Ness in HS. That was the biggest mistake in my opinon.
But don’t get me wrong… I agree with you about him already winning the bet. I’m just looking at it from the team perspective and the draft philosophy.
..another thing is that I don’t think I wold have had the ability to look at that draft the way I do now without you and the boys here broadening my perspective. On draft day I just thought… wow… he’s small, he must be a helluva skater. Now I’d be crying “Never has anybody so small done so much to ruin such a huge draft class”…
I have to say that I thought the same thing about passig on Hamilton for Strome… but after looking at the whole class… it might have been the best move in regards to what they got later for a much lower price.
Maybe the biggest pass was letting gormley and fowler go by for Nino… and I love Nino… It’s just all of those picks used for forwards, and NONE used on top four defensemen… now look where they are.
there are definitely holes in their strategy starting to show up 4 drafts deep into this thing.
LighthouseHockey: We saw this coming!
@JPinVA
by JPinVA on Dec 28, 2011 5:36 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Agreed with pretty much all of this and all of your analysis in these posts. Rec'd.
What do you mean they won 4 cups in a row? Is that possible?
I generally operate under the assumption
That I ultimately don’t know jack about prospects in the end.
I feel like I’m still learning how teams look at them … and still learning to care about college kids and juniors. My lens has changed on 2008 a bunch of times, and it’s odd but informative that two of those 2nd rounders are the last to arrive (heh, well, if ever, Corey). The only thing that hasn’t changed in my view is that collecting picks is never a bad thing.
Lighthouse Hockey: A flute with no holes is not a flute. A Dane with no holes is Frans Nielsen.
THX...
Longtime reader who just started posting, lots to learns about the interwebs….
by JimFromStJames on Dec 28, 2011 12:42 PM EST reply actions
Next lesson...REPLY---------------------------------^
When responding to a particular post use the REPLY option underneath that post. It’s the best thing on the internet since youtube decided against IQ screening!
LighthouseHockey: We saw this coming!
@JPinVA
That I knew...
I was still thinking about how fast I got the answer and just started clicking buttons….
by JimFromStJames on Dec 28, 2011 12:51 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
The reply button: It keeps a community together
It sends fights spiraling off toward the right margin. It makes sense of things. It lets you avoid people doing the same trick. Why, the reply is even more important than going green!
Also: Welcome Jim. Thanks for joining in!
Lighthouse Hockey: A flute with no holes is not a flute. A Dane with no holes is Frans Nielsen.
by Dominik on Dec 28, 2011 12:52 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
this is kinda the only place i've been coming for info...
and Pointblank also, Botta led me here. can’t remember the last time I’ve been to a site like ESPN ( unless a link here leads me there )….
Oh and the theory of the under performing “D” holding the offense back is dead on, teams look at the isles and think, “1st line and Grabs, if we keep them in check, we’ll stop them”, and they’d be right. Hamonic had a rush from his blue line to the other teams net, and he had four men on him by the time he got to the net, the other team was A, a bit surprised he made it, and B, completely unconcerned with anyone else on the ice. that is a problem…
by JimFromStJames on Dec 28, 2011 1:04 PM EST up reply actions 2 recs
It has to be a variable
I know a lot of us have been talking about it for most of the season, but seeing some of the data accumulate I’m starting to wonder if the top two lines are working harder for shots than most lines in the league, but getting little help.
Also been wondering how much the forwards collapsing to help the D is hurting their chances of effective breakouts, too.
Ah, but everything feeds everything in hockey, so you can aim the blame at any electron and you’d be right a good portion of the time.
Lighthouse Hockey: A flute with no holes is not a flute. A Dane with no holes is Frans Nielsen.
I like to compare this to a Baseball lineup
You can have awesome hitters in the 1,2,3,4 spots but if the 5,6,7 have nothing going on, teams will simply pitch around the good guys.
Too many times we’ve had to watch JT’s line go into the isles zone to get the puck and then lug it up ice, too much work for 200ft of ice.
RDP for GM!
by JimFromStJames on Dec 28, 2011 1:32 PM EST up reply actions
The reply button: It keeps a community together????????????????
OMG I am peeing in my pants LMAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We are all Islanders, even if we’re from Jersey!
by Russel Ginart on Dec 28, 2011 6:29 PM EST up reply actions
You are what the record says you are
I am definitely in a post-christmas (post ranger loss) funk and cranky due to adjusting to the eastern timezone for my annual holiday visit, but I (and many of us) over-estimated the talent and the stage of development that we have.
I was thinking about our (IMHO) best player, John Tavares, and where he ranks in the league right now. Which is not very high. I am not saying that I would trade him for anyone, but at this point in his career we may expect too much.
Just in our division, he would be pretty far down the list. Heck, he probably would not even have been developed as a center on Pittsburgh, he would be on Malkin or Crosby’s wing (he might be at center now given Sydney’s status)
Moulson might be the only Islander who would rank relatively high at his position right now.
I would like someone to talk me off this ledge and show me the light. And tell me some nice stories about this Nail fellow.
how big is that ledge?
I get the feeling more and more that JT will be more of a Turgeon that a Trottier…. He’ll get his points, and lead the team to a few victories, but will never be able to take over a game like a Malkin, or Cindy. I just hope were not discussing him in terms of “best player to not win a cup” in 15 yrs…
Oh, and, um, how high is that ledge??
by JimFromStJames on Dec 28, 2011 1:08 PM EST up reply actions
There is plenty of room...
but it is not very high…I am not that crazy. :-)
I still think that the islanders can be good, but not this year. I look at this team and the only guys that I get excited about are JT and Travis and maybe Grabner. They should get better. I hope that Kyle has not hit some developmental wall.
Don’t get me wrong, Fransie is good, Moulson gets his nose dirty and scores, but they are not going to develop much more.
I think that Bailey might never develop and I worry that they are making the same mistakes with Nino. I am quite happy that they are leaving the young d-men down on the farm.
John Tavares
My expectations were probably a little to high but at some point a goal scorer has to score to be considered a goal scorer doesn’t he(yeah Iknow he scored against the Rangers but that’s 3 goals in how many games?)?
by Isle Of Weight on Dec 28, 2011 3:52 PM EST up reply actions
I guess the next question is how much can that record change
Will they climb back to 20th? It’s getting tougher to do but it’s still quite possible and that’s the area I thought they would end around before the season started.
Contrast to Minnesota, who is not quite what their record says they are, and many could call that from a mile away.
I don’t know how far down the list Tavares would be in the Atlantic, but comparing him to Pittsburgh’s centers is comparing him to two fellow top picks (well, Malkin was 2nd overall but it was a coin flip), and Malkin at age 25 looks like he is still getting better. (Tavares is 21.)
Lighthouse Hockey: A flute with no holes is not a flute. A Dane with no holes is Frans Nielsen.
by Dominik on Dec 28, 2011 1:25 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
It is not that I am comparing him to them
I was just looking around and thinking that at the beginning of the season many thought we could compete for the playoffs, but in retrospect, we overestimated the maturation level of the talent on this team.
I know that JT will continue to improve and I hope that as he develops, he reaches the level of Malkin by 25.
I guess my point is that I am finding less and less to get excited about with this team. We are getting to the point of talking about draft position again and it is not even January yet.
Tavares is still, or is gonna be a 1st line center on most teams in the nhl.
What do you mean they won 4 cups in a row? Is that possible?
New Link: Ken Morrow video
MSG interview
Part 1
short clip.
Morrow talks about his style of play.
buildup to Saturday 1pm Islanders HOF induction.
About FRIKIN time Kenny got the recognition he deserved!
He was such an important part of the 4 cups!
We are all Islanders, even if we’re from Jersey!
by Russel Ginart on Dec 28, 2011 6:31 PM EST up reply actions
Just Curious
Any News on RDP? Haven’t heard anything about his progress.
I’m not so much interested in seeing him play as I am in just knowing what is going on with him.
He seems completely out of the loop now within the organization.
I wonder if at this point it is more than just an injury issues now. He probably has lost the faith (completely) that any GM or Coach might have had in him at thios point.
Anybody know?
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Twitter: @mikeryaninc
"Past performance Is Not A Guarantee For Future Results"
"Listening is a Skill" -Jack Capuano
Staple tweeted about him yesterday.
He was out skating before practice with the other IR guys, still not cleared to practice with the team.
Let Us Go, Islanders! (Ever notice how strange that sounds without the contraction?)
by TheMetalChick on Dec 28, 2011 1:09 PM EST up reply actions
And today he was "skating with the team"
Lighthouse Hockey: A flute with no holes is not a flute. A Dane with no holes is Frans Nielsen.
SHHHHH, if you don't say anything, no one will miss him!
We are all Islanders, even if we’re from Jersey!
by Russel Ginart on Dec 28, 2011 6:33 PM EST up reply actions
Garth snow interview
Waiting for someone to ask:
Why does this team suck so much?
Still waiting.
Lighthouse Hockey. Where Islanders fans come to panic with punctuation.
by DP'sknee(andhipandflubugandotherknee) on Dec 28, 2011 1:38 PM EST reply actions
Some reason
I don’t think that will get through the screeners.
Anyway you know what the most likely response is “We’re a young team, it’s growing pains, but we’re going to rebuild the team the right way and not take any shortcuts”
"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.
Bingo
That’s pretty much what he said.
Lighthouse Hockey. Where Islanders fans come to panic with punctuation.
by DP'sknee(andhipandflubugandotherknee) on Dec 28, 2011 1:45 PM EST up reply actions
Look at the bright side
Milbury always said he wanted to follow the model of the Devils and not the Rangers, even after every ridiculous trade in which he sent away youth for vets. At least Snow is true to his word.
"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.
Hey, he answered one of my questions!
The one about scouting. (King even pronounced my name correctly).
Basic answer: Character and hockey sense are priorities in all Islanders scouting.
Carry on.
"He's depriving some small village of a pretty good idiot" - Mike Milbury on Ziggy Palffy's agent. On Twitter: @Dan_of_Science
Oh he's definitely a character.
And you can certainly have hockey sense without common sense, so there you go.
Let Us Go, Islanders! (Ever notice how strange that sounds without the contraction?)
by TheMetalChick on Dec 28, 2011 1:57 PM EST up reply actions
And?
I did a lot of research on Trivino pre-draft, there weren’t any mention of character issues for him. College is a tough time for a lot of kids, and you should know as well as me that the difference between an 18 year old and a 22 year old is a world of difference.
"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.
You are of course right.
I was only making a somewhat funny joke.
Let Us Go, Islanders! (Ever notice how strange that sounds without the contraction?)
by TheMetalChick on Dec 28, 2011 2:02 PM EST up reply actions
I know that...
but I saw an opportunity and I ran with it….
do I need to fill out any paperwork?
LighthouseHockey: We saw this coming!
@JPinVA
Sorry, I should have figured you were joking around.
"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.
Garth and character
I could be wrong but when Garth refers to character I get the feeling that he means yes men that get along well with management. Kabanov might be an example that I am wrong with this assumption but it’s just a feeling I get.
by Isle Of Weight on Dec 28, 2011 4:06 PM EST up reply actions
The toughest question will be
“What gets ordered more, pizza or Chinese takeout?”
Amateurs practice til they get it right. Professionals practice til they can't get it wrong.
by Torgo on Dec 28, 2011 1:43 PM EST via Android app reply actions
Main takeaway from the garth interview
Garth Snow is a sentient being capable of human speech.
Other than that, not much to report.
Lighthouse Hockey. Where Islanders fans come to panic with punctuation.
by DP'sknee(andhipandflubugandotherknee) on Dec 28, 2011 1:44 PM EST reply actions 4 recs
If anyone puts up a recap of the Garth interview,
I shall buy him or her a “Discount Islanders Jersey” at the Draft party, on me. Which means that, yes, if you put up a recap of the Garth Jersey, you too can have your very own Freddy Meyer jersey.
Proud to root for the Jets, Mets, and Islanders!!!
Twitter: cmauceri524
Bart Scott: "I’m sure now there will be something written about how the Jets are back, and we won’t listen to that either, because at the end of the day we know that you guys don’t know what the hell you’re talking about."
Snow Q&A video and notes
Was hoping this post could more for power rankings and solution-y talk, so people can review the clip and/or my notes (if you don’t want to watch) in that one.
Lighthouse Hockey: A flute with no holes is not a flute. A Dane with no holes is Frans Nielsen.
"The official site pimps the looming return of Brian Rolston and Jay Pandolfo"
LOL. omg, has there ever been a sports team so out of touch with its fans? ever?
You're right
Isles website should have a post that decries the return of Rolston and Pandolfo and depicts hundreds of ticket holders burning their black jerseys in the Marriott parking lot.
For reals, man, what do you expect the official team website to do? Not mention it at all? Make their own players sound like washed-up buffoons? That’s just not how it works no matter what fans would like to see. That’s why we’re fans and they run the team. You want to hold a funeral for those guys’ career, you’re welcome to, but it would be horribly unprofessional for their own employers to piss on the ashes just to make malcontents a little less miserable for a few minutes.
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 28, 2011 2:54 PM EST up reply actions 4 recs
Not that I don't agree with you, but those Rolston should be on the 4th line and Pandolfo should have been in Bridgeport before he got hurt.
But, that’s just the isles site doing what they are doing. It is Cappy/Snow’s job to make the right personnel decisions.
What do you mean they won 4 cups in a row? Is that possible?
I just love the phrasing of that line.
Writer at Beyond the Box Score and The Hardball Times
Pitchf/x enthusiast.
http://twitter.com/#!/garik16
by garik16 on Dec 28, 2011 3:44 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
This dilemma parallels with most of my single years
but I don’t seem to have an “action” button or icon when I look at the posts. i would love to “rec” so many of you guys, but, alas, I can’t figure out how. Little help?
by randyboyd on Dec 28, 2011 2:48 PM EST reply actions 1 recs
What operating system and web browser are you using?
Or rather, a quicker solution might be found by emailing that issue and those details (OS, browser) to support@sbnation.com. Never heard of this issue before.
Lighthouse Hockey: A flute with no holes is not a flute. A Dane with no holes is Frans Nielsen.
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
Cant stand this coach, cant stand this GM, cant stand this owner. Somebody tell Garth this isnt franchise mode in NHL 12.
Something i saw the other night. Capuano getting out-hearted (if thats a word) by doug weight on the tavares dive call. I honestly think Cappy is high during games.
This team needs a hockey mind who can be a coach with full control of team. enough is enough
is there anyway to stage a walkout? i mean there wont be many of us but i think it’s time fans send a message.
if the empty building doesn't tip them off...
RDP for GM!
by JimFromStJames on Dec 28, 2011 2:58 PM EST up reply actions
you start it and we'll all be right behind you
stop going ot games.
stop watching.
stop posting on islander websites.
stop wearing your islander jersey to work.
stop shooting spitballs at ranger fans on the bus.
you start the revolution big fella… I’m right behind you… well… except for the spitball thing. if i give that up, I’ll die.
LighthouseHockey: We saw this coming!
@JPinVA
Wang's already lost some major fan support recently anyway.
A new building vote in the hot summer was voted down. That should never happen. Wang is losing support. A playoff series or playoff win could turn that around, and not much else likely will.
What do you mean they won 4 cups in a row? Is that possible?
Cappy and Weight
Seemed more of a good cop/bad cop drill — Capuano clearly held Weight back at one point, probably that boiling point between having your say and getting a bench minor.
I have no strong opinion on who should rant at the refs, and by how much, behind the bench. If Weight does the ranting for the staff and players, that doesn’t seem crazy to me. But like you suggest there may be larger questions about Capuano’s ability to get the most out of this squad.
Lighthouse Hockey: A flute with no holes is not a flute. A Dane with no holes is Frans Nielsen.
I cannot understand why Capuano not screaming and ranting while on camera is still such a big goddamn deal to some people. What a ridiculous point to fixate on as far as Im concerned, sorry.
Let Us Go, Islanders! (Ever notice how strange that sounds without the contraction?)
by TheMetalChick on Dec 29, 2011 9:54 AM EST up reply actions
I've been lucky enough to meet Wang..
And I honestly think, that he thinks, it is OK that the building is empty, as long as he and his adopted son ricky are having fun, then all is OK with the world…
seriously, he has a passion for the team and LI, but he is too hesitant to treat the team like a team, you suck, you leave….think the Wings would hold to a GM like “HWSNBN” or Snow this long? he is not to cheap to pay for a Experience NHL coach, he just has this idea of family that has him thinking to hire within.
oh and yeah, maybe Cappy’s tipping back a few before the games. LOL
RDP for GM!
I wouldn’t doubt that “family” and also internal loyalty is a part of his decision-making process. The amount of time he stuck with Milbury indeed being an example. I’ve also heard if you cross him, look out.
Lighthouse Hockey: A flute with no holes is not a flute. A Dane with no holes is Frans Nielsen.
So one of us should shuffle up along side him and hand him a photoshopped picture....
… of Mike Mottau beating a Computer Associates logo.
Yet another Moulson brother-in-law.
by ICanSeeForIslesAndIsles on Dec 28, 2011 4:07 PM EST up reply actions
I’ve also heard if you cross him, look out.
You mean like Lafontaine no longer existing?
Let Us Go, Islanders! (Ever notice how strange that sounds without the contraction?)
by TheMetalChick on Dec 29, 2011 10:01 AM EST up reply actions
Another good example!
Let Us Go, Islanders! (Ever notice how strange that sounds without the contraction?)
by TheMetalChick on Dec 29, 2011 10:46 PM EST up reply actions
I really wonder what Wang's mindset was. Because if it was to put people in the seats, he would have probably brought back konopka and kept gillies up, or even haley start with the team.
Or at least traded for or signed a big name(not saying he should have yet or shouldn’t have yet). Bringing in a top 6 forward with a notable name would have sold some tickets and added depth, but he didn’t. Bringing in a top 4 d-man with a notable name or a “visually appealing game”/aka-lots of hitting or great puckmoving abilities, would have sold tickets. Signing Ehrhoff, for better or worse, would have sold noticably more tix. Signing Richards(as a what if), would have sold a lot of tickets. Ticket sales don’t seem to be his biggest concern. Winning now doesn’t seem to be his biggest concern. He has or he and garth have bought into a very slow but steady rebuild with minimal spending spent on the team that we ice, and I’m not sure when the checkbook opens. Does the checkbook open after a “top” free agent signs here? After a 1st playoff series appearance in a while? After a 1st playoff series win? Or are we gonna act like the Predators for our foreseeable future under wang and be a minimal spending but eventual competitive team? But likely not a true cup contender without a great coach and great core and solid goaltending and luck. Lots of thinking going on here. I don’t know what the mindset is exactly, but winning now certainly isn’t the main concern. A new coliseum is a big concern, but he’s not putting the talent/players on the ice to show that he has a team worth keeping. I’m not saying he’s done horrible, we need real help other then “building through the draft” to win. Who is a notable pickup that we got that wasn’t an under the radar signing or pickup? Streit and that’s it. Old guerin and old weight don’t close to count. He seems to be doing the bare minimal money wise to ice the best team possible. Garth hasn’t done a bad job, Grabner/Moulson/PAP are genius pickups, although all were arguably “should be” 3rd line quality players that turned out to be more. We got lucky in a few other spots too, Hamonic/A-mac fell into his lap. Garth scouted Ness ahead of Hamonic. But garth also “spends” stupidly, although I don’t know if this has wang impact. Staios on a bonus filled contract, Pandolfo on a bonus filled contract, weight on a bonus filled contract, young players on ELC bonus filled contracts, DP contract, yashin buyout, etc. As JP points out, we are a $28mil team(not counting almost $12mil going towards Rolston/DP/Staios/Pandolfo) playing in a $50mil-$65mil team roster league. We are pretty screwed from the start, so it looks to me that winning now isn’t close to priority number 1, playoff expectations are unrealistic, and we aren’t making the right personnel decisions to ice the best possible team night in and night out-which I think is related to “cutting expenses due to not wanting to spend an extra few hundread or couple million a year for more wins and a better team(Rolston/Pandolfo/Eaton/Mottau/Staios-even)”. End of my rant for now on this.
What do you mean they won 4 cups in a row? Is that possible?
Garth and the luxury of depth
My idea of depth on a roster differs slightly from Garth’s. To me a warm body in the system is not depth.
by Isle Of Weight on Dec 28, 2011 3:58 PM EST reply actions 2 recs
"To me a warm body in the system is not depth."
Soooo true.
Writer at Beyond the Box Score and The Hardball Times
Pitchf/x enthusiast.
http://twitter.com/#!/garik16
Meh
Reese is actually the prototypical depth D-man — the waiver system is built to have you lose anyone better (other than prospects). There’s Reese swing men on every NHL chart. It’s the players who are above him and in the NHL that make the overall blueline depth an issue.
Lighthouse Hockey: A flute with no holes is not a flute. A Dane with no holes is Frans Nielsen.
But if we dare passed Staios or Eaton or Mottau through waiver wires to keep Reese up, they likely wouldn't be close to claimed with their performance/salary. No?
What do you mean they won 4 cups in a row? Is that possible?
Right
I actually don’t assume Reese is better than anyone but Mottau.
Lighthouse Hockey: A flute with no holes is not a flute. A Dane with no holes is Frans Nielsen.
Some of Garth's better decisions
Signing Jared Spurgeon and watching him develop into a solid NHL player.
Spoiler alert :Anyone who is offended by MAB please do not read the following sentence.
Bringing back Marc-Andre Bergeron (who was plus 3 last night and is plus 6 on the year) to help run the powerplay.
Spoiler alert over.
Returning Neiderreiter to Portland.
Returning Bailey to Windsor for a memorial cup win and jr gold.
Trading up to draft Kulikov in the draft when everyone thought he was going to select Calvin deHaan.
These are just a few of my favorite things but there are many others.
Wow that was weird I just woke up from a strange dream. Apparently none of this really happened.
Started reading this
and nearly shit my self thinking Garth signed Spurgeon and let him go for nothing. Luckiy, by the time I got to the MAB part I knew you were joking. Please write in sarcasm font so I can avoid any soiling of my pants at work. I don’t have an extra pair of khakis.
You should've seen her face. It was the exact same look my father gave me when I told him I wanted to be a ventriloquist.
Missed out on John Madden!
Ah, the Isles could have assembled the entire team from the past decade’s Devils. But Madden signed this week with Florida. We’ll probably get Brodeur next year (or thereafter). Sadly, it would still be a huge upgrade over DP.
And how is Mottau still on this team? NO MORE DEVILS RETREADS – you got that, Garth?
Would have been nice to sign Parise, though (but not in another 10 years).

by 











































