Bits: Cup final gets racier; Coliseum gets weightier
by Dominik on Jun 9, 2011 6:15 AM EDT
in Bits o' Islanders News
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Some readers and writers here love Roberto Luongo and rue the day he left, and some don't quite like him (but still rue the day he was dumped by Milbury).
I'm always torn: I try to keep an open mind on what is truly a fantastic goalie, but I confess his post-goal body language -- the look to the skies in disbelief, then the not-quite-accusatory but not-quite-"it's cool, I got this" look at his defensemen -- has always unsettled me.
Last night at rec hockey the topic came up among buddies who don't care a bit about the Isles or Canucks or Bruins. A few of them voiced the same. They had a chuckle when Luongo was pulled last night in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup finals, where the Bruins evened the series at 2-2 after a Tim Thomas shutout. [Nucks Misconduct reels at the smoking. Stanley Cup of Chowder celebrates with player quotes.]
There are many more topics than that to weigh today, so follow after the jump for some links -- and video of Thomas and Alexandre Burrows getting into it in garbage time.
Tim Thomas vs. Alexandre Burrows
Isleanders Links
- Newsday tries to get a different angle on the Coliseum each day. One day it's with storm clouds overhead, the next day it's with weeds in the parking lot. Today "the issue revolves around whether the referendum, estimated to cost between $1.6 million and $2.2 million, is considered to be binding or advisory, and whether it complies with state and local law."
- Is it binding or is it advisory? And if not the former, is it legal? Long Island Press also has a healthy write-up on this. (Not sure which pub was first; don't care.)
- Meanwhile: Ed Mangano, cozying with some Democrats.
- Dee/7th Woman sought my input on the Islanders draft, so I totally gave her my hedged bets here.
- Kerry Fraser had some great stuff about the combative Garth Snow during his playing days (Tim Thomas-esque). The link and our FanShot discussion is here.
- In between lacrosse updates -- a man's gotta work, you know -- Michael Fornabaio passes on word that ex-interim Sound Tigers coach Pat Bingham has found a new job.
- Chris Botta talked to WHL Portland WInterhawks head coach/GM Mike Johnston, and he sounds resigned to losing both Nino Niederreiter and Ryan Johansen to the big leagues.
- Speculate as you will -- we will! -- but the Isles PR staff don't know who Snow wants to pick.
NHL Draft Links
- LHH Mock Draft Update: Buffalo selected and Montreal selected yesterday, so we're moving along at a good pace.
- Hockey Prospectus with Corey Pronman's top five. He still really likes Couturier, but he doesn't see much sexiness for any of the draft's top prospects. (Adam Deadmarsh?!)
- Having considered those, here are some notes of reason regarding the draft at Prospect Park.
- Avalanche scouts appear to believe Ryan Nugent-Hopkins walks on water and can see the future.
- Adam Larsson at the NHL Combine.
- Oleksiak isn't just a big lug, he's a skilled big lug.
- Top-rated American Brandon Saad meets the media.
NHL Links
- Bill Guerin has found a new job, and it's not as Captain McNulty on The Wire.
- Martin Biron, despite "better seasons," has had a worse two years than Devan Dubnyk. I remember one of them all too well.
- Krys Barch says Maxim Lapierre probably "doesn't have an ounce of man in him," which is one of the more creative descriptions of Lapierre's toolishness I've seen.
- Math, logic, sense: Oilers bloggers and their stodgy media disagree a lot.
- There were lots of Jeff Carter rumors yesterday from the NHL GM meetings. Paul Holmgrem needs to shed someone for cap and goalie reasons, but I can't believe it's Carter, and I don't believe a sane team takes on his DiPietro-esque contract. For some mysterious reason they acquired Ilya Bryzgalov's negotiating rights [LHH FanShot discussion here], and the man apparently wants north of $6 million per year. The Flyers, as discussed in this FanShot, aren't quite right.
- Cheers to the Baby Senators, who won the AHL title for Steve Stirling, who is recovering from quadruple bypass.
I don't know about you, but I feel really odd not knowing which team in these finals I'd rather lose win it all.
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Are the Canuck fans KIDDING?
Read a bit of the exchange between Dan and Johnny Appleseed…..we comport ourselves SOOOOOO much better here at LHH!
Wow...
Pretty nuts.
But, its tough to compare LHH behavior to that of those whose teams are tied int he stanley cup finals. I hope we would conduct ourselves far better, AND I hope that we get the opportunity to find out!
Let Us Go, Islanders! (Ever notice how strange that sounds without the contraction?)
by TheMetalChick on Jun 9, 2011 8:56 AM EDT up reply actions
Yeah, I can't imagine how crazy it would get
There’d be no keeping the lid on emotions.
Lighthouse Hockey: A flute with no holes is not a flute. A doughnut with no hole is Frans Nielsen.
it would be like the Friday Night Fights
Only about twelve times crazier.
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
So naturally
I’ll be in the mountains.
Lighthouse Hockey: A flute with no holes is not a flute. A doughnut with no hole is Frans Nielsen.
If the Islanders made the finals
My head would explode.
"I bet Calgary wishes they had a backup goalie as their GM" - Pauly C
Contributor to Lighthouse Hockey not sure if I'm the Sniper or the Enforcer.
by Mark D on Jun 9, 2011 10:15 AM EDT up reply actions 3 recs
They already did Webby: for five years in a row!
We are all Islanders, even if we are in Jersey!
by Russel Ginart on Jun 9, 2011 1:30 PM EDT up reply actions
lol
Unfortunately I was born in 81, don’t remember too much of it.
"I bet Calgary wishes they had a backup goalie as their GM" - Pauly C
Contributor to Lighthouse Hockey not sure if I'm the Sniper or the Enforcer.
So Luongo shows up his d-men?
Im just happy that the Bruins tied it up. I havent been watching the games but seems like theres barely any offense. Thats not good for the sport.
Some readers and writers here love Roberto Luongo and rue the day he left, and some don’t quite like him (but still rue the day he was dumped by Milbury).
I’m always torn: I try to keep an open mind on what is truly a fantastic goalie, but I confess his post-goal body language — the look to the skies in disbelief, then the not-quite-accusatory but not-quite “it’s cool, I got this” look at his defensemen — has always unsettled me.
Perfectly put, Dom. I have had many people tell me over the years that I dont like him because he was traded away, that its a reaction to that. But that is not it. Its the kinds of things youre saying- paired with things like having the balls to crack jokes about blowing playoff games for his team, and going along with that dopey C-chin ego feed- that make me shake my head. The talent is there, no question… but so is something else that I dont completely understand… and do not like.
Luongo better pull a 180 or the Canucks are in deep shit.
Let Us Go, Islanders! (Ever notice how strange that sounds without the contraction?)
Luongo
Was so insanely good for the Panthers though, even if we lost him, I wouldn’t have minded at least having the early to mid 2000s Luongo
"I bet Calgary wishes they had a backup goalie as their GM" - Pauly C
Contributor to Lighthouse Hockey not sure if I'm the Sniper or the Enforcer.
Yea
and he’s easily been better than anyone we’ve had since we traded him.
He has flaws but there is little doubt in my mind that trade was the biggest set back of the Milbury Era.
Hard to put my finger on
It just sort of gives me that vibe. I’m sure he gets along smashingly with his D. But a bunch of us were talking last night about how it would drive us NUTS if our goalie always reacted like that. The look to the skies, or the dramatic flop on his back, stuff like that which adds to my conflicted feelings about the player.
This beef seems petty, but I guess I’m just used to goalies who project that outward steely resolve when things get tough. Immediately goes into rally the troops/we can overcome mode. Maybe get angry at themselves and skate to the corner at worst. But not the “OMG, can you believe our luck?” look. Not in the playoffs.
Lighthouse Hockey: A flute with no holes is not a flute. A doughnut with no hole is Frans Nielsen.
He is
A drama queen. There’s no denying that
"Playin hurt, baby that don't faze me. I don't got time for pain. The only pain I've got time for is the pain I put on fools who don't know what time it is!"
"You can't come in my kitchen, kick my dog, and take a box full of ballpoints! Your ass must be crazy!"
by Semi_Colon on Jun 9, 2011 11:27 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Everything he does is so dramatic and flamboyant. It just makes me want to set myself on fire.
Official choice of Lighthouse Dog #1.
by Fabtraption on Jun 9, 2011 12:19 PM EDT up reply actions 3 recs
Official choice of Lighthouse Dog #1.
by Fabtraption on Jun 9, 2011 12:53 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
If that is a veiled criticism of me, I won’t hear it and I won’t respond to it
"Playin hurt, baby that don't faze me. I don't got time for pain. The only pain I've got time for is the pain I put on fools who don't know what time it is!"
"You can't come in my kitchen, kick my dog, and take a box full of ballpoints! Your ass must be crazy!"
by Semi_Colon on Jun 9, 2011 3:08 PM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
Lu on the Ryder goal
“Sami tried to block it and it dropped … I don’t know what else to say. I came out and challenged. … It was going high glove and then it dropped about three feet. … It will probably be viewed as a bad goal but I don’t know what else to do on that play.”
[link] I get this. Maybe I should welcome his honesty. Just wonder if maybe this is the time to just say, “It might have taken a deflection but I need to pick that up” and move on.
I should probably stop piling on as these things don’t really matter that much. And the media is generally enough of a dick to him already (the last question in that video link is ridiculous). But it’s a fascinating character play.
Lighthouse Hockey: A flute with no holes is not a flute. A doughnut with no hole is Frans Nielsen.
Fuckin’ Luongo.
How dare he give an honest appraisal of a shot rather than the generic tripe we demand of hockey players like “we’re taking it one game at a time”?
This guy is not an elite goalie.
He's very close though
He may be considered an elite in this generation. He has all the skill in the world, and is brilliant in stretches, but he just seems to lack the reliable factor. In Brodeur’s peak, you could put him into any game and be practically guaranteed a good game. He just had that aura about him that you could only beat him on a perfect play, or if he was on a bad game. Luongo doesn’t have that same aura about him. He has too many “eff it, I’m going home soon” games, and you really don’t know which Luongo you’ll get when you plunk him in there.
"I think we consider too much the luck of the early bird and not enough the bad luck of the early worm." ~ FDR
by NSOsFan on Jun 9, 2011 12:43 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
the operative word is "seems"
In Brodeur’s peak, you could… well, you could be eliminated SEVEN times in the first round of the playoffs – including back-to-back years as the conference’s top seed (’98 and ’99).
You could have a .500 or worse record ten times in fifteen playoff trips.
You could cost your team back-to-back Cups almost singlehandedly, by being completely atrocious throughout the 2001 playoffs (.897 sv% despite facing only 20.2 shots per 60 minutes). You could nearly blow the second round of that year by losing THREE games in which your team held your opponents to 20 or less shots, and follow that by stopping only 33 out of 40 shots in games six and seven of the finals (.825!)
The thing about “seems” is that the Devils’ three Cup wins and Brodeur’s constantly-low GAA – burnished to a high gloss by Doc Emrick and Chico Resch’s caterwauling – obscure what amazing care the team took of him. He frequently faced fewer than 25 shots per 60 minutes, and in one year, that number was an astounding 16.8 shots/60. That, incidentally, was 1999, when Pittsburgh beat the Devils in seven games. Brodeur stopped only 9 of 13 shots in the clincher and only faced 20 or more shots twice: 25 in a Game 1 win, and 28 in an overtime loss in Game 6.
Luongo, the alleged choking non-elite choketacular goalie, has never been eliminated in the first round, and has never faced fewer than 29.5 shots/60 in any playoff year. (This season the Canucks have allowed 30.1.)
I will not dispute the horrible body language, the questionable statements, the evidence of a prima donna attitude, or any of that… but you know, even WITH all that he’s done very well under a heavy workload. All I ask is that we don’t dispute the positives that go along with those negatives when evaluating Luongo – or any other goalie.
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 Jun 9, 2011 5:27 PM EDT up reply actions 4 recs
Well, "it dropped three feet" isn't quite honest
So if you want to go that route, tell him maybe there was a little more he could do on that shot than say “ZOMG, gravity!”
Lighthouse Hockey: A flute with no holes is not a flute. A doughnut with no hole is Frans Nielsen.
by Dominik on Jun 9, 2011 1:02 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
I don't recall mentioning clutchitude
But that straw man over there might have.
Lighthouse Hockey: A flute with no holes is not a flute. A doughnut with no hole is Frans Nielsen.
by Dominik on Jun 9, 2011 1:10 PM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
You mean the straw man directly below this post? Would you prefer if he had said “I missed the shot because I’m a drama queen who lacks ‘outward steely resolve’”?
Sure
Replying to what was said usually works. It is possible to question Luongo without calling him “unclutch.” (It is also possible to wonder about Josh Bailey’s potential without saying “he’s part of TEH CORE.”) It’s easy to lump arguments together, but it doesn’t do much for clarity.
Plenty of elite stars rub people — even teammates — the wrong way. It’s fair to wonder about behavior and communal relations and psychology (Oh no! Not psychology! Alert Tom Cruise!) in the heat of action. We don’t know because it’s not on a stat sheet and players never talk about it until after the season or after their careers. That doesn’t mean these factors don’t exist and aren’t fun to discuss.
Just because columnists say stupid things when trying to project psychology on to series narratives doesn’t mean psychology and morale aren’t worth looking into.
Lighthouse Hockey: A flute with no holes is not a flute. A doughnut with no hole is Frans Nielsen.
The problem is that you can’t “look into” these things; it’s pure, 100% speculation.
And so you fixate on things — which you openly admitted are “petty” — said to reporters, etc, which are meaningless in basically any context.
There actually is context
You can apply what you know from previous human experiences, and from previous instances where NHL players gripe quietly about (usually former) teammates never owning up to this or that in the media, or in the room when doors or closed. Whether real or perceived “owning up” — the fact that they care means it matters on some level.
The interview: Rather than feed off a printed word, I watched his full explanation. More context there.
And behavior after goals: I don’t know what to say; I know everyone perceives it differently, and I know the way it’s done matters to some. At no point am I saying this makes Luongo bad at playing goalie. I am saying this behavior isn’t ideal when men are exhausting themselves in a collective athletic effort that — despite their pledges to avoid distraction — is in fact influenced by distractions on and off-ice.
It’s not black and white. People can discuss it in the grey areas without leaping to “OMG, his body language means he’s not clutch.”
Lighthouse Hockey: A flute with no holes is not a flute. A doughnut with no hole is Frans Nielsen.
Let’s discuss the Middle East then.
Lighthouse Hockey: A flute with no holes is not a flute. A doughnut with no hole is Frans Nielsen.
by Dominik on Jun 9, 2011 1:52 PM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
Here is why this interests me
Consider the draft. Teams make choices. People have strong opinions (for varying reasons of legitimacy) on who their team should have selected. We know the team has its reasons, and it’s not going to openly share them. (Every player is “a great kid who really excites us.”) Doesn’t keep us from mulling over the unknowns and the possible reasons why, of which their are some hints and cues from history.
Same with behavioral things like this. Yes it’s speculative. Do some teammates think Rob Schremp is a flake? Do some think Ballard is an idiot? Do some resent Avery? Do some think Konopka’s personality was too strong? We don’t know, but we can look at clues based on experience to wonder. (Some clues are based on the comments of former players who are now blowhard talking heads; ironically, just because they are blowhards doesn’t mean they don’t reflect what some players actually think.)
I find this area interesting. I wouldn’t throw Luongo out of bed because he pouts, but that doesn’t mean I’m not going to be intrigued by the topic. I think calling Marleau “unclutch” in the playoffs is unfair/insane, but when Roenick pops off about it two years after playing alongside him it does tell me some players think that way.
That’s why I’ll have fun with it — and consider why a great goalie like Luongo rubs some the wrong way — without leaping to “he’s not clutch” or “he’s not elite.”
Lighthouse Hockey: A flute with no holes is not a flute. A doughnut with no hole is Frans Nielsen.
Roenick is an idiot.
I don’t know . . . I find all this uninteresting precisely because I don’t really care about it at all. Ultimately, it makes little difference to me why people are performing one way or the other. I’m only interested in the end product.
I certainly see why it wouldn't interest you
Ironically, I’m that way with the draft: I don’t care much until they get to the NHL.
Human behavior fascinates me though. Roenick is a fool — and he was a star! That’s tolerable when he’s playing like a star, but if he’s not and then his voice is carrying weight on a team…his teammates either disagree/think he’s a fool or they buy into what he’s saying. Either way you’ve got issues.
I’ve heard enough stories about Brett Hull and Kovalev to be intrigued by the topic.
Lighthouse Hockey: A flute with no holes is not a flute. A doughnut with no hole is Frans Nielsen.
Pick the guy who's gonna be great -
and if he doesn’t turn out to be great, don’t select him.
by TMS on Jun 9, 2011 3:19 PM EDT up reply actions
Shoutouts in the Stanley Cup Finals
Are so overrated anyways
"Playin hurt, baby that don't faze me. I don't got time for pain. The only pain I've got time for is the pain I put on fools who don't know what time it is!"
"You can't come in my kitchen, kick my dog, and take a box full of ballpoints! Your ass must be crazy!"
I wanna give a shoutout to my boy Semi_Colon!
Official choice of Lighthouse Dog #1.
by Fabtraption on Jun 9, 2011 3:17 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Lu-personally...
I don’t think that Luongo is God’s answer to goaltending… but the deal itself was maybe the worst in NHL HISTORY. To have a kid with that kind of potential, and then getting rid of him so you could ignore Dany Heatley/Gaborik and draft somebody you personally fell in love with for no real reason with the first overall pick in the draft… when he might have been available at 5 (Raffi Torres) or later (Trade down for more depth)… So you go through three more years of development and come up with a guy that may be AS GOOD, but breaks down like a 74 plymouth duster (the motor will go 200K, but it’s just moving rust).
I don’t have the issues that some folks do with Roberto… and I’d like to see him get over his hump… but if the last few games are any indication that monkey hasn’t jumped off yet. .. but by comparison to his replacement who hasn’t won ANYTHING for the Isles in 11 years… It’s not DP’s fault… but.. I think we lost in that deal.
There may have been a lot of other disfunctional behavior that kept the Isles in a state of suckitude for so long, but you’d have to admit that having Luongo and Heatley would have been much better than Dipietro and Kvasha.
Lighthouse Hockey: where "you better check yourself before you rec yourself" -bobl
If your life isn't pathetic enough already, follow me on twitter @JPinVA
by JPinVA on Jun 9, 2011 1:23 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
A-Rod
He’s always seemed kind of like an A-Rod of hockey to me.
All the skill in the world? Check
Chokes in the clutch? Check
Questionable leadership skills? Check
A little awkward when addressing the media by trying too hard to be what people expect of him? Check
by SchneiderDiricov on Jun 9, 2011 9:12 AM EDT reply actions
Ah Biron...
Who will forget that late season victory over the Flyers that ultimately cost the Isles Tyler Seguin? Memories…
Although Jurcina had just tipped the puck into the net…
"I bet Calgary wishes they had a backup goalie as their GM" - Pauly C
Contributor to Lighthouse Hockey not sure if I'm the Sniper or the Enforcer.
by Mark D on Jun 9, 2011 9:52 AM EDT reply actions 1 recs
Probably already brought up
But ex-Isle pick Kevin Cheveldayoff is the new GM of the Winnipeg NHL franchise..
"I think we consider too much the luck of the early bird and not enough the bad luck of the early worm." ~ FDR
Rags buy out Drury, Wolski
Link here.
Well this will certainly give Sather some cap space to try to sign Richards, though they need to sign a bunch of their RFAs as well (Callahan, Dubinsky, Anisimov, Gilroy).
Official choice of Lighthouse Dog #1.
Oh to be rolling in money
I still can’t believe Gainey bailed Sather out of the Gomez deal.
Lighthouse Hockey: A flute with no holes is not a flute. A doughnut with no hole is Frans Nielsen.
I’m always a little baffled about why Gomez’s is held up as the equivalent of Oliver Perez or something like that. He is way overpaid to be sure but he is a plus hockey player and if you don’t have financial issues and you have cap space it makes sense to overpay for him and get that plus production.
by TMS on Jun 9, 2011 3:28 PM EDT up reply actions
I *think* I know what you're saying
But my baseball awareness became damaged by a horrible accident in 1994 and then completely ceased in 2006.
The thing for me with Gomez and deals like that is for a cap-maxed team they are a leap at the time and short-sighted and worse for the long-term. He did not strike me as a player who would age well.
Lighthouse Hockey: A flute with no holes is not a flute. A doughnut with no hole is Frans Nielsen.
He's totally clutch
Lighthouse Hockey: A flute with no holes is not a flute. A doughnut with no hole is Frans Nielsen.
and did you hear about him pitching in the Little League World Series?
Nassau Coliseum lost a veteran and an original Islander fan. ACC 1918-2011
What?!?!
Next you’re gonna tell me Matt Moulson and Jonathan Quick are brother-in-laws.
by Dorfer on Jun 9, 2011 10:38 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Get. OUT!
Lighthouse Hockey: A flute with no holes is not a flute. A doughnut with no hole is Frans Nielsen.
He's pulling your leg, Dom.
I mean if that was true, I think someone probably would have mentioned it by now.
Let Us Go, Islanders! (Ever notice how strange that sounds without the contraction?)
by TheMetalChick on Jun 10, 2011 12:49 PM EDT up reply actions
Pronman's Rankings
are very interesting. Not at all what we’re seeing in lots of places. Although it does seem like he heavily favors upside (which might make sense in a relatively weaker draft).
Reminds me of his view of Kabanov
Sort of not being swayed by second-half nitpicking.
Lighthouse Hockey: A flute with no holes is not a flute. A doughnut with no hole is Frans Nielsen.
Landeskog #13
He reasoned that Landeskog’s stick skills weren’t all that great, so even though the rest of his game is very good, his potential is very limited. I’d still like Landeskog as a checking 3rd liner. Perhaps he takes KO’s spot with Nielsen and Grabner so that KO, Bailey, Comeau/Niño become top-6.
by North Dakota Red Eagle on Jun 9, 2011 3:22 PM EDT up reply actions
Wow
I hadn’t gone beyond the top 5 there, but that’s pretty gutsy to rate Landeskog that low.
Lighthouse Hockey: A flute with no holes is not a flute. A doughnut with no hole is Frans Nielsen.
Yea
That one really stuck out. His reasoning was very interesting (the above mentioned puck skills).
He admits he’s the most NHL ready in the class, but seems to think he’s not going to progress significantly from where he is now.
He has Hamilton down in that range too, btw.
Hamilton
Yyyyyeah, about that. For the SBN-wide mock draft we had to get our picks in weeks ago, so this weekend could get ugly for me.
Lighthouse Hockey: A flute with no holes is not a flute. A doughnut with no hole is Frans Nielsen.
Just imagine
if we could cross Grimaldi’s skills and abilities with Oleksiak’s enormous body.
"..."
by Thaddeus Ballpheasant on Jun 9, 2011 6:54 PM EDT up reply actions
I just want to see those two
Do a scene from “Twins” with DeVito & Schwartzenegger.
When the Isles make us drink, we curse Milbury through a monocle and with our pinkies out. Lighthouse Hockey & Chivas-All Class.
Website:Lighthouse Hockey Twitter: @KeithLHHockey
by Keith Quinn on Jun 9, 2011 9:52 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Didn't Isles have
… Chara and Blake for a couple seasons? Or is my timeline off? I do remember Chara on Isles and Fleury on Rags.
by North Dakota Red Eagle on Jun 9, 2011 10:19 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
You guys may have missed it
But after Milbury called the Sedins “Thelma and Louise” on national TV, Cory Schneider had this to say:
“Who cares what he thinks. If he’d been their general manager he would have traded them in their first year anyway like he did with everyone else. "
"Playin hurt, baby that don't faze me. I don't got time for pain. The only pain I've got time for is the pain I put on fools who don't know what time it is!"
"You can't come in my kitchen, kick my dog, and take a box full of ballpoints! Your ass must be crazy!"
by Semi_Colon on Jun 9, 2011 11:17 AM EDT reply actions 12 recs
That's hilarious!
Milbury has been such an unrepentant Boston homer this series I’m really surprised he’s still on the national broadcasts. I’ve just about successfully tuned him out as if he isn’t there.
Lighthouse Hockey: A flute with no holes is not a flute. A doughnut with no hole is Frans Nielsen.
They want Milbury to be an American Cherry
He and Jones are flat unwatchable. Am I really missing Jeremy Roenick?
Bucci
NHL needs to steal Buccigross from ESPN and make him the TV face of the league. Get him on Versus, NHL Network and NBC. Have him bring his old NHL2Night crew with him (Keith Jones was actually good back then).
And for the love of Bossy, bring back Gary Thorne to call the games!
As a further aside...
Strader/Pang >>>> Doc/Olcyk/Creeper McGuire
by Dorfer on Jun 9, 2011 12:09 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Note enough >>>>>>'s in this otherwise true equation
Lighthouse Hockey: A flute with no holes is not a flute. A doughnut with no hole is Frans Nielsen.
Or “not” enough, rather. Always found it swell that one of the least-viewed franchises (PHX) had one of the better tandems. I’m not a huge Pang fan, but as far as boisterous little men go, he’s much better than Creepy.
Lighthouse Hockey: A flute with no holes is not a flute. A doughnut with no hole is Frans Nielsen.
Not a huge Pang fan
But he’s very knowledgeable and calls things as he seems them. Neither one of them talk down to viewers as if none of us know anything about hockey.
A drive to the net and the puck ricochets off his waffle only to get lost in his paraphernalia.
but first
It rattled around and through onto the net, after the defense said no.
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
after a
DRIIIIIVEE
"Playin hurt, baby that don't faze me. I don't got time for pain. The only pain I've got time for is the pain I put on fools who don't know what time it is!"
"You can't come in my kitchen, kick my dog, and take a box full of ballpoints! Your ass must be crazy!"
I just spiked my drink
Wait, I really did spike my drink!
Lighthouse Hockey: A flute with no holes is not a flute. A doughnut with no hole is Frans Nielsen.
BINGO! Bring back Gary Thorne!
I do not like Emerick!!! too say the least!
We are all Islanders, even if we are in Jersey!
by Russel Ginart on Jun 9, 2011 1:35 PM EDT up reply actions
You are not allowed to say that
To criticize Emerick is to criticize the Greatest Hockey Voice of Our Generation. Or so I’m often told when I mention he doesn’t suit my tastes.
Lighthouse Hockey: A flute with no holes is not a flute. A doughnut with no hole is Frans Nielsen.
Well, excuuuuuuuuuuuuuuse me! lol
Emerick can take his Devils co-host/Islanders traitor Glenn Chico Resh with him too!!!!
We are all Islanders, even if we are in Jersey!
by Russel Ginart on Jun 9, 2011 1:53 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
I don't disline doc...
…as much as others do… But I really like Thorne. Where is Tim Ryan?
Lighthouse Hockey: where "you better check yourself before you rec yourself" -bobl
If your life isn't pathetic enough already, follow me on twitter @JPinVA
I probably don't either
I mean, in broadcast rankings, despite my subjective issues (“verbing before subject!”) with him, I’d still put him in top 10 or so. I can understand how his tone carries the game in an exciting way for many. (It’s too shrill for me though.)
I probably just prefer a deeper register, which Thorne certainly provides. But I like the classic voices, where intensity in the play is translated by narrower changes in pitch than the kind Emerick regularly unleashes.
Lighthouse Hockey: A flute with no holes is not a flute. A doughnut with no hole is Frans Nielsen.
But he is always translating intensity..
even on meager scoring chances. Its like he doesn’t understand the game so every shot is a big deal.
by TMS on Jun 9, 2011 3:32 PM EDT up reply actions
I'd agree with that
I think that is why I prefer the old-school guys. Whoever does Calgary’s radio play-by-play has the elusive classic voice I’m after.
Lighthouse Hockey: A flute with no holes is not a flute. A doughnut with no hole is Frans Nielsen.
I like Emerick
I can see how others find him annoying, but I like it. I’m not too picky, though. I don’t even mind when Howie goes off on his tangents. (Drives my dad crazy, ha!) As long as I can hear enough of the on-ice sounds, you could have Westfall come back and switch to play-by-play and it wouldn’t bother me.
by North Dakota Red Eagle on Jun 9, 2011 2:52 PM EDT up reply actions
I hate Emrick.
He’s so frantically hyper he makes me anxious watching the games.
by TMS on Jun 9, 2011 3:30 PM EDT up reply actions
exactly
Normal hockey guy: Kesler and Krejci are lined up for the opening drop… and Game Five is underway. Vancouver controls… Bieksa across to Salo, and up for Burrows… long shot is stopped by Thomas, and Chara has the rebound.
Emrick: Kesler and Krejci square up for the first puck drop… and GAME FIVE is UNDERWAY! Vancouver controls…. Beiksa fed it across to Salo, who head-mans it to BURROWS for a driiiive! and Thomas blockers it away. It rattles off to the corner where Chara skates it down and tries for Krejci, but Kesler said no.
We may be in the box, but you get the penalty.
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I can't wait till Rob Niedermayer retires
Hearing Doc shreik out that last name is worse on my ears than being trapped in a pet store fire.
"Seriously that's the last time you guys f#@%ing won?" -RSH (about beating the Penguins in '93)
by Bryan2112 on Jun 9, 2011 6:08 PM EDT up reply actions 3 recs
Ha, I had no idea there were others!
A few weeks ago Copper N Blue had a one-off post about Emrick and I made a crack there, and a Devils fan took it wrong and made it about Howie and the Rose(n)s.
I’m just thinking, “No really dude. This has nothing to do with my team or rivalries. I objectively do not enjoy Emrick.”
Lighthouse Hockey: A flute with no holes is not a flute. A doughnut with no hole is Frans Nielsen.
That's funny
When I did the What If article about the Sedins, a bunch of people agreed that even if Milbury had gotten the Sedins, he would have given up on them too early.
"I bet Calgary wishes they had a backup goalie as their GM" - Pauly C
Contributor to Lighthouse Hockey not sure if I'm the Sniper or the Enforcer.
Maybe Cory reads LHH
"Playin hurt, baby that don't faze me. I don't got time for pain. The only pain I've got time for is the pain I put on fools who don't know what time it is!"
"You can't come in my kitchen, kick my dog, and take a box full of ballpoints! Your ass must be crazy!"
Doesn't everyone?
/flagellates self
Lighthouse Hockey: A flute with no holes is not a flute. A doughnut with no hole is Frans Nielsen.
Hmmm…okay using the “who’s at the draft party” logic. I tend to agree with the first two based on that, as people have been saying.
I know I’m in the minority, but I tend to see Konopka as someone you can wait on. Love all his “chemistry” angle and faceoffs of course, but if you think you can make upgrades, you don’t sign Z before you’ve tried. I kind of wonder if they’re hoping for pushing from below from Ullstrom and Cizikas types.
Lighthouse Hockey: A flute with no holes is not a flute. A doughnut with no hole is Frans Nielsen.
by Dominik on Jun 9, 2011 1:08 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Salt n peppa...
I agree with just about everything in that article and made predictions previously (here) on those assumptions.
1. Gillies is a fan favorite that can easily be hidden in the AHL where he will also be an asset to a young team.
2. Konopka was a favorite as well… but his NHL roster spot needs to go to a more dynamic player that doesn’t spend as much time in the box. The team will GAIN toughness with the maturity of Martin and Hamonic, plus the full time addition of Haley….
3. I not only have Haley signing, but I have him as a key contributor on a line between Hunter and Martin. He’ll add some speed to what would have been three tortioses (one with no hair). If Hunter goes down Rakhshani will make that one of the best fourth lines this team has iced in a dozen years. I he (Hunter) doesn’t go down, and shows the two way productivity he had with Sillinger and Bates(?) it might be better than some of the third lines they’ve iced in that period.
Lighthouse Hockey: where "you better check yourself before you rec yourself" -bobl
If your life isn't pathetic enough already, follow me on twitter @JPinVA
Keep Konopka!
If he were merely a tough guy who was an average 4th liner with a great personality, it would be a tough decision, but he’s also a very good faceoff guy. (Isles’ best, right?) Seems a no-brainer to me. I’d rather see him with limited time on the 4th line than Haley. (If Haley doesn’t earn 3rd line time, let him develop in BPT and bring him up at times.) I want Konopka for defensive zone faceoffs late in periods…. Also, why not trade Konopka for a 4th rounder if they knew he would leave after the season?
by North Dakota Red Eagle on Jun 9, 2011 3:14 PM EDT up reply actions
Overall value just is not there...
I definitely like Zeke. I wouldn’t mind if the Isles resigned him… but I think the team needs to move FORWARD from his skill set.
1. It’s not a “no brainer” because there is only so much TOI to go around this year. The Isles will probably have ~16-18 forwards in the mix(including late season PTO’s). I think we can put together a solid (PRE-INJURY) 12 without Zeke. MM-JT-PP, MG-FN-KO, BC-JB-NN, MM-MH-TH (maybe not in that configuration, but I think we can agree that those are the favorites going “forward”).
1st C call up should be Ullstrom(offensive), then Colliton(defensive)
1st RW call up Joensuu(offensive), Rakhshani(defensive), Kabanov gets 9 up front if he has a good camp.
1st LW call up Joensuu(offensive), Dibo(agitator/offensive), Gillies (toughness)
If I use the above as a depth chart I don’t feel I need to pay an NHL salary (one way) for a guy who played hurt most of last year, and contributed 56 shots in 82 games. His PIM:SOG ratio was over 5:1… that’s 5 minutes in the box for every shot he put on goal… he also had almost 3 mins in the box per HIT. Matt Martin had 2 HITS per PIM. Martin and Haley have offensive upside, Konopka… not so much.
2. I want an upgrade…
I want Konopka for defensive zone faceoffs late in periods
Give me Nielsen on that dot… and Bailey. If they lose the face-off they have the skill set to get it back, and MOVE POSSESSION offensively. Zeke may have won in the circle, but he was no master of controlling the puck, and didn’t win the lion’s share of one-on-ones where the puck is concerned. TO be honest, I think having Nielsen and Okposo on the ice for key defensive zone face offs is far more beneficial… and utilizing Haley for more minutes 5-on-5 or on the PK may help that happen.
3. I’m not sure that Snow wants the general lockerroom leadership to be LOUD, PROUD and full of sound bites. I would think that locker room needs to have a guy like Streit, Okposo or eventually Bailey up front. I don’t think they were too happy with the $100K fine, which most likely, was due to Zeke’s spouting off before the Pitts. game. Which.. Haley’s fists covered the check that Zeke’s mouth wrote. … and both Martin and Gillies paid from their personal checking accounts.
Basically… I think Zeke is a good teammate, and an NHL asset, but he was all of those things the previous year for Tampa… and you see how letting him walk worked out for them.
Lighthouse Hockey: where "you better check yourself before you rec yourself" -bobl
If your life isn't pathetic enough already, follow me on twitter @JPinVA
by JPinVA on Jun 9, 2011 4:50 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
My problem with Zeke taking the defensive zone faceoff is that even if he won, you were now shorthanded in your own end until he got back off the ice.
Nassau Coliseum lost a veteran and an original Islander fan. ACC 1918-2011
But sometimes
… you just need to win a faceoff and clear the zone. If Nielsen/Bailey/Tavares can do that, then perhaps Konopka is expendable…. If Nielsen is tired from killing a penalty and there is a faceoff with 15 seconds to go in the penalty, are you comfortable with Bailey or JT taking that faceoff?… There aren’t that many guys who can fight and win faceoffs, but if Martin/Haley can do the fighting, perhaps Konopka is expendable.
by North Dakota Red Eagle on Jun 9, 2011 6:50 PM EDT up reply actions
Sometimes
you do. But not often enough to warrant a roster spot just for that.
by afrosupreme on Jun 9, 2011 8:27 PM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
Yeah, this is the problem
They ideally need to find someone else — or compile a proper committee — who can replace that. It would be nice if Bailey had a prayer in the faceoff circle.
Lighthouse Hockey: A flute with no holes is not a flute. A doughnut with no hole is Frans Nielsen.
It's crazy
how bad we really were in that department last year.
It’s interesting that JT would be the next logical choice. I wouldn’t have guessed that.
Me too - at even strength, too
I always figured his was boosted by a bunch of PP faceoffs, but it’s not. Frans needs work, too.
Lighthouse Hockey: A flute with no holes is not a flute. A doughnut with no hole is Frans Nielsen.
Anyone see in the video up there
At 26 seconds, Chara does a spinning backfist on Sedin (who is pushing his shoulder a little bit) and knocks his stick out of his hand with freaking superhero force…insane. I don’t know why anybody ever goes near him in scrums.
When the Isles make us drink, we curse Milbury through a monocle and with our pinkies out. Lighthouse Hockey & Chivas-All Class.
Website:Lighthouse Hockey Twitter: @KeithLHHockey
I hate to admit this...
… but I really love me some Z!
Milbury had to have seen what kind of kid Z was… he had to know that it would take 10 Yashins to make one Z physically and intellectually. Yash wasn’t a bad guy, but he was hated… has anybody ever had something bad to say about Z… even after he almost killed another human being. Every non-French speaking hockey fan loves Z… or at least respects his physical abilities.
I don’t know why anybody ever goes near him in scrums.
In one of the games v TBL he got shoved by MSL… and I thought, “wow… that’s a good matchup. If they go Z couldn’t reach his head without comprimising his balance, and MSL could use his sack like a speed bag.”
Lighthouse Hockey: where "you better check yourself before you rec yourself" -bobl
If your life isn't pathetic enough already, follow me on twitter @JPinVA
by JPinVA on Jun 9, 2011 1:51 PM EDT up reply actions 3 recs
Rags News
When the Isles make us drink, we curse Milbury through a monocle and with our pinkies out. Lighthouse Hockey & Chivas-All Class.
Website:Lighthouse Hockey Twitter: @KeithLHHockey
As my Chinese teacher used to say
“I am confuse.”
Wonder how the Wolski idea got out there.
Lighthouse Hockey: A flute with no holes is not a flute. A doughnut with no hole is Frans Nielsen.
Probably just wishful thinking
“hey…since we’re on the topic of overpaid underperforming guys…why don’t you grab these two and make a buyout trifecta.”
When the Isles make us drink, we curse Milbury through a monocle and with our pinkies out. Lighthouse Hockey & Chivas-All Class.
Website:Lighthouse Hockey Twitter: @KeithLHHockey
I've read rumors that Wolski is on the trading block. Who knows though.
I’m very surprised about the Avery news though. It’s known that Torts hates Avery and his shenanigans.
That said, Burke is an absolute anyway. I wonder how the talk between him and Dolan went when they sent Redden down to never see the nhl again under his Ranger contract. $26mil for 4yrs in the ahl, lmao. Money thrown down the drain. Is he even an all star in the ahl? lol, nope:
Last season Redden in the AHL: 70gms: 8goals/42pts and a 4th on the defense best -1. WOW.
Interesting analysis from Pronman's HP
If Garth were to come outta this draft with two players in the top 30, here would be some nice combos:
- Adam Larsson and Mark Schiefele
- Sean Couturier and Scott Mayfield
- Mika Z and Joe Morrow
…anyway some combo of high end/low end would be nice, 1 F, 1 D
"Seriously that's the last time you guys f#@%ing won?" -RSH (about beating the Penguins in '93)
Pronman's ranking system is a little weird, but he does bring up some interesting scout reports on the players.
Some of the more interesting things he states among the “high” prospects:
-Landeskog having sub-par puckhandling skills is interesting.
-Couturier is above average in everything but skating, which he says is somewhat a mechanics problem.
-Ranks Murphy ahead of Hamilton (along with some other weird forward rankings)
-Calls Hamilton an average puckhandler at best that relies too much on his athleticism/skating rather then smart plays while rushing the puck. And average puck skills, thinking he’ll be a top 4 puckmover(20-35pts/yr with his player comparison) but isn’t at a top pairing puckmover level yet. Hockey sense is on and off is weird too, but I expected to hear that defensively on him. He says he has time to fix these things because he recently(COUGH “5 years ago” COUGH) moved to D. But the intelligence is definitely there.
That is exactly what I pegged Hamilton as, but couldn’t phrase it as well. Whatever. I know some people are really high on Hamilton here, but I just can’t overcome the “work-in-progress” all around thing (especially defensively for a d-man), along with his good/not-great offensive numbers on an offensive juggernaut team. I don’t know. I wouldn’t mind picking him wtih a later pick where he is on most ranking boards. But to say the odds he likely turns into an overdraft at 5 have to be greater then not right now. And if this is the last time we could be drafting this high, I want BPA, which is without question imo, one of RNH/Larsson/Landeskog/Huberdeau/Couturier dropping to us. Not gambling with a forward converted d-man whom is still a work in progress all around(after 5yrs at the position) and some question his offensive abilities translating to the nhl level (which are good but not great from his numbers and skill set) and defensive abilities right now. Rant off.
-Landeskog having sub-par puckhandling skills is interesting.
This one is really interesting to me, because I heard much more about this before this last season, but it seems Landeskog’s “NHL body” and readiness has obscured it. I mean, if he is — and I know you won’t like this comparison Ozzy — the Luke Schenn of forwards then a top 3 pick on him maybe isn’t the way to go.
I say this having watched as much of Landeskog live as I saw of Joe Malone.
Lighthouse Hockey: A flute with no holes is not a flute. A doughnut with no hole is Frans Nielsen.
Yes
Even though stick skills are more important for forwards, I would take a forward who is mobile and makes good, hard checks. His stick skills are better than Steve Webb, right? Isles could use a Holik-type.
by North Dakota Red Eagle on Jun 10, 2011 6:23 PM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
notes I took from Pronman's list (using height/weight from hockeydb)
8 Nathan Beaulieu 6’3 191 L
+skating best tool
+puck skills, vision
-passing decisions can improve
=solid shot/decent accuracy
+makes many hilite-reel hits despite low/improving strength
+stick checking
12 Dougie Hamilton 6’4 193 R
+well above avg skating
+physical, size outmatches opponents
=avg puck skills
+projects top4 in puckrush, passing
-smart, but sometimes makes head scratching plays
14 Joe Morrow 6’1 198 L
=avg skater
+puck skills, passing
?physical/not effective yet (he kinda contradicts himself here)
+offensive hockey sense
-defensive awareness
16 Scott Mayfield 6’4 200 R
+pro skating
=decent puck skills
+physical
+defensive sense
-offensive sense, attempts too much, forced pass
Don’t have time to write these up, but these guys are lower in the list for one or two below avg. skills:
27 Jamieson Oleksiak
30 David Musil
38 Connor Murphy
62 Duncan Siemens
68 Oscar Klefbom
"Seriously that's the last time you guys f#@%ing won?" -RSH (about beating the Penguins in '93)
Graci
Wow, Klefbom is waay down there.
Lighthouse Hockey: A flute with no holes is not a flute. A doughnut with no hole is Frans Nielsen.
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1979-80
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May 24, 1980: Tonelli to Nystrom. At long last, the steady build of the New York Islanders from expansion doormat to surprise semifinalist to annual contender reaches the promised land: Buoyed by a late season trade for Butch Goring that gave the team the depth up the middle GM Bill Torrey had been seeking, the Islanders knock off the Philadelphia Flyers in six games.
The victory justified the faith in coach Al Arbour who guided them from their second season to their first Stanley Cup seven seasons later. The Islanders would not be the first expansion team to win the Stanley Cup, but they would be the only one capable of a dynasty.
1980-81
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May 21, 1981: This time it was much easier. After falling to "only" 91 points in the 1979-80 season, the Islanders returned to their division title tradition, piling up 110 points -- a whole 13 points over second-place Philadelphia.
Between the quarterfinals (where they beat the upstart Oilers in six games) and the finals, the Islanders reeled off eight consecutive wins -- with a four-game sweep of archrival Rangers in between. As they defeated the Minnesota North Stars in five games for their second Cup, their goal difference in the final was a combined +10.
1981-82
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May 16, 1982: Another year, another landslide title. The Islanders won the Patrick Division by a whopping 26 points over the second-place Rangers, and were seven points clear of their nearest competition for the President's Trophy, the still-not-quite-ripe Edmonton Oilers.
A first-round scare against the Pittsburgh Penguins turned in the Isles' favor thanks to John Tonelli's heroics, and a true dynasty was on its way: Past the Rangers in six games, then an eight-game sweep of the Quebec Nordiques and Vancouver Canucks to run away with the Stanley Cup.
1982-83
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May 17, 1983: Not so fast, whipper-snappers. The Edmonton Oilers' steadily rising challenge for league supremacy took them all the way to the finals for the first time, where the New York Islanders summarily dispatched them in a four-game sweep. For the Islanders, the Dynasty was secured. For the Oilers, it was a powerful lesson in where talent ends and the demands of playoff hockey begin.
Four years, four Cups, 16 consecutive playoff series wins (a record that would grow to 19 until the rematch with the Oilers the following year). Mike Bossy scored 60 goals yet again, and Wayne Gretzky became acquainted with Billy Smith's crease.
