Pick 'em: Which Atlantic Team(s) Do the Islanders Leap?
by Dominik on Aug 26, 2011 9:53 AM EDT
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"You see where GM Garth Snow is going with this young group. But do you see them being better than any divisional rival? Us neither."
That's from The Hockey News Yearbook, which picks the Isles 12th in the East and which just arrived in my mailbox completely unaware of the Trent Hunter-Brian Rolston trade.
(I mention that not because that trade was a blockbuster, but because year after year THN sends me outdated yearbooks and previews that make me wonder who their audience is other than the nostalgic sap like myself who remembers when THN really was the "bible" of hockey and not just the "Digest of things Ken Campbell ranted about last week.")
But the premise is fair, and part of the formula for cap-era prognosticators each year: When picking who you expect to make the playoffs, it's helpful to suss out which playoff teams you think won't return.
Although as fans we are prone to play the disrespect card, I really have noticed a popular and fair consensus about the East among serious observers: There are a few very good teams, a few bad teams, and a vast bubble of maybe-could-be's in the middle. The Islanders are often in that bubble, but one stumbling block -- which has come up in discussion here all summer -- is that they can't top that bubble without also jumping some Atlantic rivals. So which ones will it be?
Let's tackle it from a strengths and weaknesses perspective:
Pittsburgh Penguins
Strengths: Coaching, defense/PK, Sidney Crosby if healthy
Weaknesses: Powerplay, Crosby's health, Evgeni Malkin's return from injury, Fleury's consistency
Key Additions: Steve Sullivan
THN is high on the Penguins and says they'll be division champs even without Crosby, but that just isn't true. They got by on fumes last season without Crosby, performing admirably but ultimately squeaking by. Sadly, where there's smoke there may be fire with Crosby's concussion recovery, so if he's not back it will be a long, hard year for the Pens. They are banking a lot on James Neal, an acquisition that was also banking a lot on ... Crosby being healthy.
Philadelphia Flyers
Strengths: Young forwards, a willingness to spend over the cap no matter what, Chris Pronger when healthy, an owner who totally never panics
Weaknesses: Paying a decent goalie like he's a savior, dumping two top forwards for kids and the cap room to overpay a goalie, Pronger's slow decline, Briere's congenital fear of Frans
Key Additions: Brayden Schenn, Wayne Simmonds, Ilya Bryzgalov, Jakub Voracek
Ilya Bryzgalov is not the savior Ed Snider thinks he's getting. (Thank goodness they didn't even go for Tomas Vokoun.) Jaromir Jagr is about to bring out his inner Kovalev. Schenn is a rookie. Maxime Talbot will make turtling popular in Philly. It's a good thing this team's always up for spending to the cap, because they make some seriously curious decisions. If Pronger's healthy for a year they still get into the playoffs comfortably. If not, they're candidates for this post.
P.S. THN has them fourth in the conference.
Short Island Smurfs
Strengths: Goaltending, solid defense, dangerous top six when healthy
Weaknesses: Marian Gaborik's doll parts, expecting too much from Brad Richards, Glen Sather
Key Additions: Brad Richards
Sather signed Richards to a silly cap-era contract, but that doesn't mean Richards won't significantly help the Rangers this season. That, Lundqvist and an underrated defense should keep them competitive. If Tim Erixon becomes what they hope Matt Gilroy would be, that blueline should be enviable. Sean Avery and Erik Christensen as fourth-line parts is much more valuable than Sean Avery and Erik Chrsitensen as first-line parts.
THN has them 7th.
New Jersey Devils
Strengths: Their Corsi-style figures from last year were better than their awful record.
Weaknesses: Martin Brodeur's any-day-now decline, Travis Zajac's injury, Zach Parise's uncertain injury rebound, Ilya Kovalchuk's curious presence
Key Additions: Trent Hunter's buyout, ... Adam Larsson?
Sounds like Larsson is factored in, which means there will be a learning curve. Just when they get Parise back, Zajac goes down for the opening month or two. Meanwhile, the wild card here is new coach Peter DeBoer, who didn't have much to work with in Florida but still carries that novice rep into a locker room that didn't have much patience for John MacLean.
And Kovalchuk -- he's like Alexei Yashin in some ways: Immensely talented, but difficult to fit into the overall scheme. He will provide goals, frustration, and confused teachable moments without Lemaire.
P.S. THN puts them 12th in the conference.
New York Islanders
Strengths: Youthful exuberance, underrated top six, potentially good blueline
Weaknesses: Goaltending wild cards, Mark Streit et al return from injury, youthful exuberance
Key Additions: Marty Reasoner, Brian Rolston, Mark Streit's live body
I'll say it again: Reasoner is a more important addition than many think. An upgrade over Zenon Konopka and a useful swing player on the bottom two lines. Rolston will require capturing some magic to be important, but it's not out of the question nor beyond his abilities to make a difference. That said, it again comes back to injuries and the depth to withstand them. The Islanders have more promising injury replacements in the system than they've had in the past, but it will still require either the new minor pros being ready to step in, or the youngsters being ready to step up.
With strong young forwards that should be one year wiser and a defense that (when healthy) can get the job done, the big X factor is the goaltending, where there are many candidates with caveats.
If Streit-Travis Hamonic-Andrew MacDonald are the top three they can be, if Ty Wishart develops, if the veterans swing for par, if Al Montoya continues the magic, the Islanders will be legitimately in the hunt.
So what's this mean? The Atlantic could be a strong division. It will probably be a tight division. From injuries to youth to offseason gambles, you could make an argument for any Atlantic team to fall out of the playoff picture. That means if things break just right for the Islanders, they could leap a rival or two (or three?) and make the playoffs. Or they could put in a solid season but still finish fifth. (In contrast, the Southeast has Florida and Atlantapeg. The Northeast has Ottawa and Toronto.)
To achieve their goal though, the Islanders are going to have to pass somebody.
Related Topics in FanShots
- Questions for each East team
- Garth Snow on not looking for more forwards (leaving room for the young forwards)
- Brooklyn-based Islanders fans: There's a Facebook group for you.
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(hey, it’s August. Let me have this.)
"He's depriving some small village of a pretty good idiot" - Mike Milbury on Ziggy Palffy's agent Paul Kraus.
by PGI on Aug 26, 2011 10:12 AM EDT reply actions 2 recs
That sounds good to me
Lighthouse Hockey: A flute with no holes is not a flute. A Dane with no holes is Frans Nielsen.
Definitely the Devils
And possibly the Flyers or Penguins or both. I just can’t believe how high people are on the Penguins, especially without Crosby. They lost too many important parts that did grinding defensive work towards the end of the season.
"Maybe (Frans) should concentrate more on FO rather than the thugging aspect of his game." - AP77
Contributor to Lighthouse Hockey not sure if I'm the Sniper or the Enforcer.
second that
Brodeur is running out of gas, there is too much hope pinned on the arrival of Larsson, especially given the track record of Hedman in T.B. (for comparison reasons) and there is questions, for me, abou the talent of the youngsters and Kovie’s ability to be a difference maker, plus Parise is coming back from a serious injury, and Zajac is out to begin the season. Finally, another coach is coming into the locker room and I wonder about players tuning out yet another coach who could be gone before the season is over.
I wouldn’t be surprised to see this as the beginning of the end of the Devils and a total rebuild coming in the next year or two.
I also think that the Isles could pass the Flyers if Philly takes too long to gel and their goalie isn’t all that his contract makes him out to be.
Remember
Pronger’s injured to start the season too.
Also as much as I think DeBoer might be a good coach, I don’t think he can work Lemaire level magic
"Maybe (Frans) should concentrate more on FO rather than the thugging aspect of his game." - AP77
Contributor to Lighthouse Hockey not sure if I'm the Sniper or the Enforcer.
Yeah, I can't believe how high people are on the Pens and the Flyers. LOTS of question marks for both of them. Wouldn't be surprised if the Pens missed the playoffs with Crosby shelfed all/most of the season.
And the flyers too. Wouldn’t be surprised with them out of the playoffs with Carter/Richards/Leino gone from their forward corps.
by OzzyFan on Aug 26, 2011 4:38 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
hidden flaw in Pittsburgh
This is gonna sound silly coming from the fan of the team with four hundred goalies… but Fleury just ain’t all that. He’s all right; he’s a decent starter. That’s all. To hear some folks tell it, though, he’s going to haul the Pens around singlehanded the way King Henrik’s done for the Rangers for the past five years.
To put it another way, if you had to bet twenty bucks now on one of two things – A. Fleury plays better than Lundqvist, OR; B. Montoya plays better than Fleury – where does your money go?
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
Fleury isn't elite
But I wouldn’t say he’s that far off. Perhaps somewhere around #8-#12. Lundqvist I’d say is top-5. Montoya could be anywhere from #12-#50, I think. (I’d average his value somewhere around #20-#25 to start the season— meaning I’d take about 20 goalies ahead of him to be Isles starter this season, but I still like Montoya’s chance to be a good starter— at least average in NHL.)
I’d take a good goalie and a great group of skaters (Pens with healthy Crosby and Malkin) over a great goalie and a good group of skaters (Rags), but chance of both Crosby and Malkin being 100% to start the season is extremely low, I think.
by North Dakota Red Eagle on Aug 26, 2011 6:51 PM EDT up reply actions
Yeah, Fleury is just a little bit above average as a goalie, if that.
He’s had some great D’s in front of him and has never been overly impressive.
And I’d take that Montyoa>Fleury bet any day of the week over that Fleury>Lundqvist bet. Lundqvist is a top 3 goalie and rarely falters.
Montoya over Flower power
Easily. I’ve said for ages that Fleury is not as good as the media hype machines say. I had to prove this to a Pens fan, and he ended up seeing my point and agreeing. If they have to slide by with him, playoffs will be missed.
Eclectic fan? You don't know the half of it.
Trick question. What color pads is Fleury wearing?
If he is wearing the yellow pads he’s done for, white pads he has a better chance of out playing Montoya.
Nassau Coliseum lost a veteran and an original Islander fan. ACC 1918-2011
I think the wheels come off one of the teams like it did for the Devils last year
Probably the Flyers. Too many new bodies. That team is going to be completely different. Who knows what Devils we are going to get. This division could be the toughest in hockey and I think the Islanders are going to be the ones to make it tough. I also think the East is going to be real close. It’s going to look like the West last year with 8 or so teams fighting for 4 spots.
No Sleep 'til....
That's confidence. I'm with you.
Realistically, providing the the back end stays healthy. I can see us finishing above the Pens and Devils.
Hockey News
I agree that it often arrives with outdated stories and cancelled my subscription this year. I still will get the Yearbook. And will likely miss their coverage of prospects and the draft more than anything else. I still miss the days before the internet when I read Hockey Digest for NHL news.
I think this division is very unpredictable this season with the combination of roster changes and uncertainty regarding Crosby, Pronger, and how much Brodeur’s play will start to decline. I think we could jump two of those three teams. The Rangers do look stronger, unfortunately, due to their offseason moves. But I am the only one who thinks they overpaid a bit for the new contracts for Callahan and Dubinsky?
Not Callahan
He is worth every penny and probably more.
Any other Ranger’s contract has a 90 percent chance of overpaying said person. It’s what they do. They’re the Yankees without the playoffs appearences or the championships. Or the history. Or without the movies made about them. Or without their own babe Ruth or Mickey Mantle Oh, I could go on. And I hate the Yankees.
"We can't get pushed around," Haley said. "What commentators say about us, that's their job. My job is to try and limit as many people who want to take liberties with our guys as possible."
by BobbyNystromOwnsYou on Aug 26, 2011 10:59 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
So...they're the Mets?
God, it hurts so much….
Official choice of Lighthouse Dog #1.
by Fabtraption on Aug 26, 2011 11:29 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
hahahahaha.... oh
I made myself cry.
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
They overpaid in that Dubi/Cally are not $4.2m players just yet (Dubinsky is closer, IMO), but 20 goal, secondary scorers w/ UFA years bought out are going to command at least $3.5m, for the most part. It’s balanced by Anisimov and Staal, both of whom should be well underpaid for the duration of their deals. (then counterbalanced by the Rupp and Richards deals, and continue ad nauseum)
Sure, their deals looks bad compared to Moulson’s deal (who’s about the same points wise, but a 30 goal guy), but I’d argue Moulson is a bit underpaid. Same for a deal like Giroux, which everyone wants to compare to, but he’s well underpaid.
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by George E. Ays on Aug 26, 2011 10:59 AM EDT up reply actions
Unpredictable, yes
Should make it exciting. (I hope I end up meaning “exciting” in a good way.)
I thought those two contracts were a little much in Snow dollars, but not in overall market dollars. Definitely palatable deals for {holds nose} … quality players. NHL is in a weird spot where players entering their prime still are “restricted” and command less than unrestricted guys whose best years are behind them.
Lighthouse Hockey: A flute with no holes is not a flute. A Dane with no holes is Frans Nielsen.
beat out Devils and Pond Scum
THN would say the islanders have no chance at the playoffs if it was game 4 of the finals and the Isles were up 3-0.
I saw they beat out New Jersey and the goon-infested Pond Scum of Manhattan, the paragon of evil.
I don’t think 6th or 7th place is a stretch by any means. The bottom half of the playoff hunt (##5-8) will be tight and if someone else gets islander Face or Islander Hip, who knows?
I went two
because that’s what it will take to make the playoffs. Obvious candidates are the Devils and Flyers, but don’t count out the Rangers just yet. I still think the Pens win the division, regardless of what happens with Crosby.
We’re going to have to beat the Flyers head to head this year. It has to happen at some point, no?
It's the biggest key to making the playoffs.
(beating the Flyers)
That the first bridge we must cross.
"We can't get pushed around," Haley said. "What commentators say about us, that's their job. My job is to try and limit as many people who want to take liberties with our guys as possible."
by BobbyNystromOwnsYou on Aug 26, 2011 11:08 AM EDT up reply actions
I hate to say this
Here’s kind of how I picture it all ending in the division.
1-Rangers
2-Penguins
3-Islanders
4-Flyers
5-Devils
It almost seems there is a chance that all 5 teams could make the play-offs. Since I’m on a roll they would join Capitals, Bruins, Canadiens. I can see Flyers/Devils/Sabres/Jets/Lighting fighting out for 7th and 8th. Isles finish 6 and play Rangers in first round.
Penguins are ‘average’ without Crosby, but have an established group that still played decent down the stretch and took the Lightning to 7 games. And it’s a little ‘addition by subtraction’ without Talbot.
Rangers might just be pretty good. They might have beaten the Caps in play-offs last year if Callahan was healthy. And this will start a rivalry with Isles we haven’t seen since the late 70’s – when both teams were strong. We’ll be winning the division in another year or two, so let’s give them something to brag about now.
Flyers, to me, are in a down year. Like a couple years ago they finished 28th overall and drafted JVR. They won’t be that bad this year, but they will drop off from last season.
Devils will be right on the cusp of the play-offs. ‘Uncle Lou’ won’t rebuild until he has to. When Brodeur retires, Parise leaves and won’t have anyone to play with Kovalchuk.
I'll sell my soul to the devil...(not lou though)
I would be happy with the sixth seed even if it means the Rangers win the Atlantic. I am only 24, so I can’t even imagine what that playoff series would look like.
I'm right with you...
first off, i’m disappointed in THN. they used to be my go to for hockey, but they dropped off big time for me. lazy analysis & writing if you ask me…
i posted something similar to this in a previous thread. i’m in agreement with your finishes of the atlantic. basing on if injuries don’t become too much of a factor, the isles have a much better chance than most people think, and here’s why:
I apologize in advance for this point: Don’t kill me for saying this, but we should be more realistic/rational about this: the Rangers are the favorite to win the division and this could really be their year if they can get past a few of the teams in the conference. They pretty much kept their roster together while adding Richards, who truly gives them an awesome top 6. All around, they have a more complete team than any of the Atlantic rivals. they can score, play good two-way, solid D, and one of the best goalies in the game today.
Now that I got that out of the way, the rest of the division: the Pens still have a formidable lineup. Malkin will be healthy. They can survive without Crosby, but it will hinder them from their full potential. I personally like MAF, but he can be streaky. Not entirely impressed w their D, but they find a way to manage. The refs will still give them a break this season :P.
The Flyers are still a very good club. They in my mind are still a playoff team. But too many changes could take them a while to mesh together. If the changes work out, WATCH OUT. I expect a big year for JVR and Briere. The D with Pronger are getting old. Brysgalov is talented, but not worth the contract. it’s possible that their goaltending problems could reoccur, but worse because of that absurd contract. they’ll have no choice but to play him even if he doesn’t perform to expectations.
The Devils are the last place team this season and most probably the next couple of years. Papa Lou is already rebuilding the team while holding on to the core guys they build around (Parise, Kovalchuk, Zajac, & Larsson). Only a fool underestimates Papa Lou and the Devils. Somehow, they’ll find a way to play smart, effective hockey and get people to pay attention. They always have been that team. So I can’t say I’d be surprised if the Devils find a way to make the playoffs. Another team to be weary of.
Again, for me, it all comes down to health when it comes to the Isles. If they don’t get pulverized by man games lost like last year, as well as keeping the core players in tact for the majority of this season, we’ll see playoff hockey in the old barn this season in april.
"son of a bitch i'm sick of these dolphins"
- Steve Zissou
by gukid17 on Aug 26, 2011 5:29 PM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
yeah sorry
Meant to reply then sent the wrong one
taking a look at the Atlantic Divison SB hockey blogs, i noticed everyone’s Fan Confidence Poll seems to be around 80% to 90% confident (i can’t tell the exact number. is there another place that clearly indicates the percentage?). My only conclusion is that each team’s fans think they’re going to the playoffs so we’re all a bunch of homers.
As of the 8/24 weekly poll, the only team trending downward was Pitt (figuring Sidney concussion fears). However, the Penguins were trending down from as close to 100% confidence as any team in our division (since late June). Rangers appeared to be the team whose fans’ confidence has trended upwards the most since late June polling (Richards signing and Dubi/Calli re-signed). Devils’ fan confidence had a slight down-tick last week (but mostly flat all summer) and Flyers have been mostly flat thru the summer with a slight uptick last week.
An Additional link:
Stu Hackel at SI.com (you might recall his Viewing Party blog last week) had a piece 2 days ago entitled 10 NHL Rookies Worth Watching which included Nino along with a link to fan blog Lighthouse Hockey. Of the 10 teams covered, LHH was the only fan blog linked to for further info. Perhaps those who commented on the Viewing Party piece left an impression on Mr. Hackel.
If you go to the Regional Hubs
The front page of the regional hubs (NY for Rangers/Isles/Devils, Philly for Flyers, Pittsburgh for Penguins) they list the confidence poll number’s latest result
"Maybe (Frans) should concentrate more on FO rather than the thugging aspect of his game." - AP77
Contributor to Lighthouse Hockey not sure if I'm the Sniper or the Enforcer.
We are indeed a bunch of homers
Often feels like when someone rips your sister. (“Hey, only I can call my sister a _!”)
The confidence polls are a fun little graphic gambit, but I view them almost like GVT: Nice reflection of past events, may not be indicative of what’s about to happen. (I give GVT more credit than that, but still…) During summer, I think they trend high because the people still checking in are the people who are at least somewhat upbeat or looking forward to their team’s season.
Thanks for sharing that link! They really should’ve (or I should have in that post) linked to BenHasna’s Nino WOWY FanPost from a while back.
Lighthouse Hockey: A flute with no holes is not a flute. A Dane with no holes is Frans Nielsen.
OT: Bourne Article on Concussions
The picture they have for the article on Yahoo’s NHL page is a cropped photo of Frans checking Chara. To quote PAP “you’ve got to be fist f***ing me”
Pr*j*ct**ns lead to long term injuries, just ask the asian guy from Inception
The actual article
Has a different picture, it’s a hurt Blues player
"Maybe (Frans) should concentrate more on FO rather than the thugging aspect of his game." - AP77
Contributor to Lighthouse Hockey not sure if I'm the Sniper or the Enforcer.
yea saw that, i'm not sure most people go right to PD though
You think for an article on concussions they might have a picture of someone like Matt Cooke instead of a cropped picture of an Islander knocking over the captain of the Stanley Cup winners. Maybe I’m reading too much into it but I just keep thinking your average PD reading sees that picture and goes “OMG ISLES R THUGZ.”
I asked Bourne who selects the pictures on twitter and he said he has no idea.
Pr*j*ct**ns lead to long term injuries, just ask the asian guy from Inception
My guess
Since I see it now, is that they probably wanted an easily recognizable player, in a dangerous looking position. How many times is Chara getting sent face first into the boards?
"Maybe (Frans) should concentrate more on FO rather than the thugging aspect of his game." - AP77
Contributor to Lighthouse Hockey not sure if I'm the Sniper or the Enforcer.
I get that point
and maybe that’s why they chose it but it’s still a poor choice. We were all pissed off when that hit got called for a penalty (since Frans is such a thug capable of taking Chara out) let alone having it as the showpiece picture for an article on concussions. The cropping of the photo really doesn’t help since all you see are the Isles colors. By itself I probably wouldn’t have given it a second thought but in the context of the Isles are thugs phenomena it just seems like another example of nothing happens to the Isles and they are always the ones creating mischief.
Pr*j*ct**ns lead to long term injuries, just ask the asian guy from Inception
Obviously Frans is the source of the concussion epidemic
But it’s in a Lenny sort of way: Frans just doesn’t understand his own strength.
Lighthouse Hockey: A flute with no holes is not a flute. A Dane with no holes is Frans Nielsen.
by Dominik on Aug 26, 2011 1:34 PM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
I saw that this morning.
I made a comment on Yahoo regarding the [Super] Frans, he of 187 lbs. I got a 1 thumbs up vs 1 thumbs down—Tough crowd! Come to think of it, I never do see Frans Nielsen and Superman at the same time.
Wait, this just in:
Frans: “Sorry, everybody. Sorry I caused all those concussions”
I see likely scenarios of Isles passing everyone except...
…the Rangers.
The Flyers could easily implode. I like Bryz more than most, but their D is slow and overrated. Their forwards I like, but maybe not for a season or two.
The Pens without a healthy Crosby are in trouble. Like the Isles and Devs, they overachieved a bit in the 2nd half of last season. Without Crosby, they are a bubble team. But I think Crosby comes by back Christmas.
The Devils I think will play well, but who knows. How good is Brodeur right now? If he struggles, I think Devs do too.
Right now I see:
1) Rangers (2nd)
2) Penguins (4th)
3) Isles (6th)
4) Devils (9th)
5: Flyers (13th)
by North Dakota Red Eagle on Aug 26, 2011 1:08 PM EDT reply actions
On Bryz
I should add that I love Bryz as a personality/smart esoteric athlete and I do think he’s a good goalie. I just think he’s not a great goalie, and will have his up and down moments like most average/above average NHL goalies. Great short-term girlfriend, but not wife-for-life material.
Lighthouse Hockey: A flute with no holes is not a flute. A Dane with no holes is Frans Nielsen.
wasn’t there rumors about him not even trying during last years playoffs?
"Maybe (Frans) should concentrate more on FO rather than the thugging aspect of his game." - AP77
Contributor to Lighthouse Hockey not sure if I'm the Sniper or the Enforcer.
Maybe
But only because he just had a bad playoff. He’s not exactly Vladimir Krutov out there.
Lighthouse Hockey: A flute with no holes is not a flute. A Dane with no holes is Frans Nielsen.
Rangers and Flyers at top
I think that the Rangers and Flyers will battle for the top spot in the division with the Isles and Pens Fighting for 3. It all depends on Crosby’s health and the Isles Goaltending. Philly still has a lot of talent and whether you are a Bryz fan or not he is better than any goalie that they have had in the last 3 years.
there are just so many questions...
The Isles can finish anywhere from 7th to 15th. If the best goaltender from the group performs like a medium grade AHLer their season will have been ended before it started. As long as you have a guy tying up 9% of the budget and a roster spot that could be used to allow a quality backup to start some NHL games there will not be CONFIDENCE going into the season.
Health questions with Streit, Eaton, MacDonald and to some extent Okposo will linger until mid October.
They only really have two bona fide top six forwards… and they both need to be more productive. The balance of all four lines should help them, and there will be more top six additions to come… but after Moulson and Tavares nobody has put up top six numbers for more than a year. Of course they could have 10 players over 40 points this year.
Tavares 67/ should continue 60+ point production
Moulson 53/ linemate maturity/system could get him to 60+
PA Parentau 53/ possible demotion could see his numbers drop, but not under 40
Grabner 52/ Heck he should be looking at 40 goals from the second line
Comeau 46/ Bailey’s maturuty and the addition of Rolston should help him with cxonsistency
Nielsen 44/ a full year with Grabner, possible shift from Kyle to Nino later in the year could help him rack up assts
Bailey 28/ Rolston may help Bailey play like he did in the first 6 games last year. That’s the hope.
Streit DNP/ With improved PP personnel he could out perform his 2009-10 numbers. Health is a question though.
Macdonald / 70+ games from A-mac on a team that can roll four lines should help him get over the 40 pt mark.
Okposo 20/ 2009-10 performance + maturity + healthy 75+ game season should propell him to a 50+ pt season
TOI will limit the potential of Rolston, Reasoner, Nino and Martin… but these are “swing” players and a good early month could get any one of them on the list as well. There’s also no reason a Travis Hamonic can’t approach the 35-40 point mark with a ton of second assists and the rush capability he has when he’s playing with confidence. He’ll need a lot of offensive opportunities to break the 30 mark, and I have a feeling those are going to be given to Steit(deserved), Rolston(PP point) and CDH/Donovan (developmental questions) later in the season.
That will be a tough roster to play against no matter how other teams have “improved”. You should have to score four or more to beat dem Isles.
Lighthouse Hockey: Home of the "STROME-BOLI"!
Thanks for voting "YES" on Aug 1st... just not enough of you!!!
Not necessarily...
but Bailey will be a mess. I’m sure that kid just wants to have a solid 75+ game season where he gets to prove the he can play with the top 100 in the league. I think he can, but he still has time. Given their time allotments I’d expect the point range to flow somewhere like this:
1ST: 60→70 Tavares is 21 (TWENTY-ONE) this year… we’re just not used to that… it could be incredible.
2ND:45-60 (If Grabner develops a more consistent breakaway mindset that line will pile up points)
3RD: 35-50 Rolston should bring consistency… I’d like to see Martin bring some toughness, and then Nino bring both.
4TH: 20-30 There shouldn’t be any offensive liabilities in the starting 12. They’ll have line-ups that include Gillies, haley and some less than 20 game call-ups, but the core of the fourth line (Martin, Reasoner, Nino) should all be around 20 points this year if they play 60+ games. Nino should be upwardly mobile and should have totals closer to 40 points if he gets it.
Lighthouse Hockey: Home of the "STROME-BOLI"!
Thanks for voting "YES" on Aug 1st... just not enough of you!!!
Look at you, pr*j*ct*ng like it won't come back to haunt you.
Never get out of the boat!
(But seriously, nice roundup. If the offense continues and the D/G holds, this is going to be fun. IF.)
Lighthouse Hockey: A flute with no holes is not a flute. A Dane with no holes is Frans Nielsen.
Holy crap...
That started as, “you know this team has some awesome potential” and ended up as a pr*j*ct**n that could have us with a first line of Ullstrom between Moulson’s brother-in-law and Rakhshani. I’ll try to stick to RUSH parodies.
Lighthouse Hockey: Home of the "STROME-BOLI"!
Thanks for voting "YES" on Aug 1st... just not enough of you!!!
Sweet
Some day soon we’ll have to compile the “Songs of Lighthouse Hockey.” I wish there were a tag we could attach to these to find them easily.
Anyway, look for the hardcover in stores in time for Christmas.
Lighthouse Hockey: A flute with no holes is not a flute. A Dane with no holes is Frans Nielsen.
Is there any way...
to find your own “green” stuff? I know that would narrow it down for me. I know Mike has a few and these usually go green pretty quick. If everybody can find their own and we can put them in one post we’ll have quite a discography.
Lighthouse Hockey: Home of the "STROME-BOLI"!
Thanks for voting "YES" on Aug 1st... just not enough of you!!!
Sadly, no
That is a feature request we’ve submitted every now and then — just ways to find green comments in general, or most recommended, etc.
They seem to have that with FanPosts, so I’d think it wouldn’t be too hard.
Lighthouse Hockey: A flute with no holes is not a flute. A Dane with no holes is Frans Nielsen.
and yet...
we put a man on the moon over 40 years ago… go figure.
Lighthouse Hockey: Home of the "STROME-BOLI"!
Thanks for voting "YES" on Aug 1st... just not enough of you!!!
to think that the man on the moon is now in prison after getting way with murdering his wife.
I sometimes confuse reality with movies with my reality TV.
Nassau Coliseum lost a veteran and an original Islander fan. ACC 1918-2011
just the Devils
Not to say the Devs don’t have good players but they seem very lost without a big name coach. I know i’m over-simplifying them but everyone does that to our team so screw it.
The Isles don’t need to finish any higher to make the playoffs and could conceivably even make it from fifth.
But since i don’t get into pr*j*cti*ns, I’ll just say that the Law of Averages applies everywhere. Therefore, if any team had, say, 600 man-games lost due to injury in one season, they should have much less problems next season, right?
It’s nice to have this app but it makes it difficult to keep my train of thought. I hope some of this made sense.
Screw Nassau.
by ICanSeeForIslesAndIsles on Aug 26, 2011 2:25 PM EDT via iPhone app reply actions
Could make playoffs 5th Atlantic
…but when was the last time 5 teams from a division all made the playoffs? I remember 4 recently.
by North Dakota Red Eagle on Aug 26, 2011 3:19 PM EDT up reply actions
I don’t believe it has happened yet.
Screw Nassau.
by ICanSeeForIslesAndIsles on Aug 26, 2011 4:34 PM EDT via iPhone app up reply actions
Harder with all the divisional games
….but easier with the OT point rule. (I could see Isles giving up a point to divisional opponents and then winning in shootout a few times this season.)
by North Dakota Red Eagle on Aug 26, 2011 6:54 PM EDT up reply actions
This made my day
I know i’m over-simplifying them but everyone does that to our team so screw it.
Love it. But yeah, there’s something strange there with the Devils and Lou’s constant fingering the coach. I guess Brent Sutter left on his own, ahem, reasons, but still.
Lighthouse Hockey: A flute with no holes is not a flute. A Dane with no holes is Frans Nielsen.
when you say "fingering"...
… Oh nevermind. Anyway, i think it’s just that the vets don’t want to listen to anyone younger than them. Their loss.
Screw Nassau.
by ICanSeeForIslesAndIsles on Aug 26, 2011 4:36 PM EDT via iPhone app up reply actions
I may have spoken loosely
Lighthouse Hockey: A flute with no holes is not a flute. A Dane with no holes is Frans Nielsen.
Atlantic Division Preview
There’s a decent preview on TSN.ca for those of you that haven’t seen it and it actually contemplates the Islanders for 3-4min. Included is a put down from former Islander goalie Jamie McClennan.
It’s easy to find, right hand side of the page, 5th story beneath the Couture signing. If not, you’ll have to click “watch more on our video player”.
McClellan wasn't that bad, I thought
Unless I heard it wrong. I thought the host was a little more dismissive, actually. I had a half-dozen Jamie McClellan jokes ready to go, but I’ll hold off for a while. And the in-depth part of the review was really good. USA Today’s Kevin Allen was generally sharp (even if he overestimates Nabokov’s possible contributions).
Craig Button, however… oy. Stick to double salchows, buddy.
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 Aug 26, 2011 3:27 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
I found them all pretty dismissive
In a “yeah, right…the ISLANDERS in the playoffs! Tell me another one” kinda way. Maybe I’m just listening with blue-and-orange colored ears. Or something.
Because when the GM who traded Marty St. Louis and a career back-up goalie tell you you stink, you stink.
"He's depriving some small village of a pretty good idiot" - Mike Milbury on Ziggy Palffy's agent Paul Kraus.
Sorry
He released St. Louis, not traded.
"He's depriving some small village of a pretty good idiot" - Mike Milbury on Ziggy Palffy's agent Paul Kraus.
Yeah...
…it’s not like he got anything for him. Didn’t he also make some bonehead goaltending signing which landed him where he is now… and will be forever… because TV doesn’t care if your opinions pan out, just that you have one (see Mike Milbury).
I don’t think the Islanders are guarentee to make the playoffs, but a team with three potential 30+ goal scorers and a young core getting faster AND bigger is in that cluster from 7-10. Craig Button has no accountability… and looks like he should be behind a deli counter somewhere. All he sees is a team with goaltending issues… because he can’t see over that deli counter.
Lighthouse Hockey: Home of the "STROME-BOLI"!
Thanks for voting "YES" on Aug 1st... just not enough of you!!!
by JPinVA on Aug 26, 2011 4:07 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Roman Turek's ears are ringing
Lighthouse Hockey: A flute with no holes is not a flute. A Dane with no holes is Frans Nielsen.
There you go...
The last time I went off on Button (after either the Tangradi or the Clutterbuck incident) you brought up that situation. That’s the only way I know about it. It’s funny how some of these clowns are exposed by their sport as talentless hacks and TV picks them up and gives them a voice again.
There are some exceptions, but the list is soooo deep on the talentless hack side… Yeah, Mike… I’m looking right at YOU!
Lighthouse Hockey: Home of the "STROME-BOLI"!
Thanks for voting "YES" on Aug 1st... just not enough of you!!!
Ehhh McClennan got screwed by the Isles
I remember reading about that disease he had, and two weeks later the Isles announcing that they weren’t qualifying him and letting him go. They should have done the right thing and kept him around through rehab, that one is on Maloney.
"Maybe (Frans) should concentrate more on FO rather than the thugging aspect of his game." - AP77
Contributor to Lighthouse Hockey not sure if I'm the Sniper or the Enforcer.
didn't he fiddle around regarding re-signing Healy, too?
Not that Mad Mike was any better to Tommy Salo… or Luongo… or Weekes… or etc. etc.
Memo to aspiring GMs – play friendly with your goalkeeping.
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 Aug 26, 2011 5:03 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
THN where it is more important to be first, than it is to be right.
Nassau Coliseum lost a veteran and an original Islander fan. ACC 1918-2011
The Islanders will be knocking on the door of clinching the division lead
If our top players do well and others players we hope are top players finally click, plus a few winning streaks and perhaps surprising everyone out of the gate(like ‘01-’02), with a little bit of luck along the way, I can see the Ws just piling up. (As a bonus, we are going to see a 50 goals in 50 games by one of our guys) All the other teams will have to go out and play too, and although I don’t know the other teams by heart, I feel like our guys having been through last season together with mostly the same guys will just click on a higher gear with more chemistry then some of these other teams.
Isles- Top 3 in the East.
It's a possibility
Don’t think it’s likely, but Isles CAN certainly put up enough goals to be in the top 3. And if the D stays somewhat healthy and one of Isles’ 4 (6?) goalies plays well (and another plays okay), it is not impossible.
50 goals in 50 games is a bit of a stretch, but I think Isles have a better chance than almost any team to have multiple 40-goal scorers. (5 NHLers had 40+ last season. Vancouver’s D. Sedin and Kesler each had 41.) JT and Grabner both have legitimate chances, and Moulson could if all the stars are aligned.
Grabner was tied for 8th-11th with 34 goals, and he only scored 11 in the first 41 games!
by North Dakota Red Eagle on Aug 26, 2011 7:04 PM EDT up reply actions
It's anyone's game
I believe that the Atlantic Division could be won by any of the teams in the division this season. In a number of ways, the teams are relatively evenly matched, so it’s a deep division.
Granted, there’s a number of factors that could come into play, like the health of Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, how the Devils rebound (or not) after last season, if the Rangers have their traditional late season slump, how the Flyers react to the changes in the off-season, and of course, how the Islanders are progressing with rebuilding and also the health questions that surround our favorite hockey team.
Realistically, I think the Islanders can finish in the middle of the division, but even then, there may be no more than a 15 point difference between the 1st place and 5th place teams in the division. I also think the Isles will take more division games than during the past few seasons, which will be especially important when the Isles play three straight games in a row against the Devils in March.
by Dougtone on Aug 26, 2011 5:27 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
Wow!
The Isles’ last 25 games, aside from the very last (Columbus), are against Eastern Conference opponents! Last 4 games are against Sens, Devils, Jets, and Blue Jackets. If they can stay in the thick of things going into March, gotta like Isles’ chances.
Home-and-home with Pens Oct 25, 27.
by North Dakota Red Eagle on Aug 26, 2011 7:11 PM EDT up reply actions
first of all
I don’t care what anyone else says about this team
the Islanders chances are undersold as they’ve been bad for so long – one year they will compete, and there’s no reason this can’t be the year
Each team comes with its caveats
We could just as easily finish first as last – would put about 20% chance of any of the 5 slots
the Rangers are handicapped by being the James Dolan Rangers – though they are in my mind the favorites
the Flyers have to overcome the crazy changes they just made which will be difficult
the Devils may revert to being the terrible team they were without Lemaire
the Penguins without Crosby may well finish last
I think we have every chance of being 2nd – that’s my guess & hope
if we can get our goaltending right that is….
Atlantic
1. Isles
2. Nielsen
3. Tavares
4. Streit
5. Moulson Family
6-9. Those other teams
"..."
by Thaddeus Ballpheasant on Aug 26, 2011 9:18 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
.....um, you forgot the successor to the title of 'Austria's national treasure', Thad.....
- y’know, ‘He Whose Jets On The Way By Will Burn You AHHHP’!
I think the Atlantic is going to be a battle between us and The Smurfs.
I think the Isles can play with anyone in this division and can compete.
On a more serious note, I don’t respect Submarine Cindy (or any of the Pengirls, really) but the fact that he’s 24 and is starting to look like he may very well be done raises an important issue that needs to be addressed before the season starts and that’s hits to the head. I don’t respect the little wretch, but to possibly have his career taken from him by some ape on skates is just disgusting.
If Crosby never plays again, Steckel should never play again. Put a finer point on it, Steckel should sit (without pay) for every game Crosby misses. If/when Crosby comes back, Steckel can come back. Crosby never comes back…
This standard should be applied to every cementhead who goes out looking to put someone on the shelf just for being talented and wearing a different jersey than they do. You put a guy out, you sit until he comes back. He never comes back, YOU never come back.
Oh and make it Double Jeopardy (because the franchises that employ these goons are part of the problem): The team the offending player plays for has to pay medical and salary to the injured player for the length of time he’s on the shelf.
That ought to clean up the game a bit.
Jeff Carter to Columbus? Wait, I've seen this one before, it was called Shanahan to Hartford. Advice? Don't buy a Carter jersey.
by BrassBonanza10 on Aug 27, 2011 3:37 AM EDT reply actions 1 recs
Capital blunder to place blame THERE all over again.....
I
f Crosby never plays again, Steckel should never play again. Put a finer point on it, Steckel should sit (without pay) for every game Crosby misses. If/when Crosby comes back, Steckel can come back. Crosby never comes back…
Why do we keep beating up Steckel for what most of us see as having been an incidental hit? NOBODY wants to see Sid’s career cut tragically short, but Steckel shouldn’t be made a scapegoat by ANY stretch of the imagination either…..
by ogam5 on Aug 28, 2011 6:38 AM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
First, this is the first time I brought up Steckel.
So, I’m not quite sure where you’re coming from with the “Why do you keep bringing up Steckel…” bit.
Second, you see it one way, I see it another. I think he went in for a kill shot. You don’t. He’s with the Debs now. He comes at Tavares the same way, let’s see how you view it then.
Steckel’s a cementhead. Period. He’s there to hit people and to suppose he’s not there to hit especially skilled players harder than others is a capital blunder in my book.
Guys who drop the gloves or throw hard (but clean) checks are one thing. Guys who go out looking to put another guy on the shelf are little better than the label they’ve been given since the hey day of Claude Lemieux: Assassin.
We’ll just have to agree to disagree on the Steckel hit.
You never addressed the rest of my post though. Don’t you think the cementheads should get a lifetime ban if they end a guy’s career or, at the very least, sit out, without pay, for however long the guy they put out is out?
Shouldn’t the teams that employ such goons and the coaches who send them out as “Fire and Forget” weapons be penalized by the league for doing so and, if you DO just that, make the owners and coaches feel it when their players put another guy out, you’ll see a marked decrease in such play?
Jeff Carter to Columbus? Wait, I've seen this one before, it was called Shanahan to Hartford. Advice? Don't buy a Carter jersey.
by BrassBonanza10 on Aug 28, 2011 10:45 PM EDT up reply actions
He said Why do WE beat up Steckel, didnt seem like he was pointing at you specifically.
But I think it stems from the fact that its been talked about before, and there are a lot of people who do blame him for something that was not malicious or vicious and seemed pretty incidental to me.
You never addressed the rest of my post though. Don’t you think the cementheads should get a lifetime ban if they end a guy’s career or, at the very least, sit out, without pay, for however long the guy they put out is out?
In my opinion, punishing guys severely based on the negative results of incidental contact would be a VERY BAD precedent to set. What if Moulson had bumped into another teams player the exact same way he bumped into Streit? Would Matty have deserved to have lost an entire season????
Let Us Go, Islanders! (Ever notice how strange that sounds without the contraction?)
by TheMetalChick on Aug 28, 2011 10:52 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Again, I go back to it being a matter of personal perception.
We obviously have differing opinions on the Steckel hit. I felt it was a purposeful cheap shot. You feel it was incidental contact.
We agree to disagree on this one. I look at that play, I see a typical cementhead throwing his shoulder into another guy’s head from the blindside. About as cheap (and dangerous) a shot as it gets (without going Chara on some poor bastard.) and whether or not there was intent to injure, you can’t deny the intent to hit Cindy and hit her up high.
Hard, up high and to the blind side looks pretty bad when you add it up.
If it was a collision, two guys that couldn’t get out of each other’s way and Steckel lands that same hit, it’s totally incidental and we’re not even having this conversation.
Wasn’t a collision though, it was one guy, heading up ice and throwing his shoulder into the side of another guy’s head. It’s a reckless and dangerous hit at the very least,in my opinion.
Also, just my opinion, that hit was thrown on purpose. I’d say he didn’t have to hit Crosby to begin with, he had forward momentum and was heading in the direction of the play, Crosby was stopped and had to turn towards the play, now behind him.
That actually makes it look even worse. Crosby’s practically come to a dead stop and is turning. Steckel could have skated right by him or, if he wanted to keep Crosby off the play, could have just as easily hip checked him on the way by. Crosby was a sitting duck and a solid hip check would have put him on his butt.
Steckel didn’t do that though. He put his shoulder into the side of that sitting duck’s head instead.
Of all the things he could’ve done, he chose to throw a shoulder to the side of his head. When you have much better (and cleaner) options and you still throw the high hard one, I can’t interpret the intent any other way.
That being said, I’m not going to say “I’m right! You’re wrong!” and dismiss your opinion on the subject, just because I disagree with your personal perception of it. People see the same incident or action and very often you’ll get two different opinions, even descriptions, of what happened.
Point being, while I described what I saw and gave my opinion of what I saw, it’s an impossibility to make you see it the exact same way I saw it or interpret it the same way I did.
Thus, we reach an impasse and agree to disagree.
As to being a dangerous precedent to set, I look at it a different way. Way I see it, if a guy laces up the skates knowing full well that if it even looks like a purpose hit up high, it’ll make a lot of players a lot more cautious and make the game a lot safer for the players.
If it eliminates high hits entirely from the game, it’s nothing but a good thing in my opinion.
Jeff Carter to Columbus? Wait, I've seen this one before, it was called Shanahan to Hartford. Advice? Don't buy a Carter jersey.
by BrassBonanza10 on Aug 29, 2011 6:26 AM EDT up reply actions
Why is Steckel a cementhead?
His reputation is for being soft for his size. Is he a cementhead because he is tall? He had a grand total of 26 PIMs last year. Not to re-hash the whole dirty/not dirty collision debate.
Nassau Coliseum lost a veteran and an original Islander fan. ACC 1918-2011
by Hockey1919 on Aug 29, 2011 3:41 PM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
Can't agree more. We are talking about a guy who is 6'5'', plays uncoordinated, slow skater(he was hustling there), not dirty, barely throws hits for his size, and people think he did this on purpose?
And even after watching the hit, I still can’t fathom him purposefully doing what he did or even perfectly timing crosby’s near 180* turnaround right at the point where crosby’s head is the contact point. It makes no sense looking at the hit and players involved.
by OzzyFan on Aug 29, 2011 4:03 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Again, no wish to rehash legal vs illegal, just what warrants Steckel being in the McSorley class.
I don’t consider Chara to be a meat head either, but that woulnd’t preclude him from executing a dangerous hit.
Nassau Coliseum lost a veteran and an original Islander fan. ACC 1918-2011
Full disclosure: I disagree with your view of the hit
I can’t watch that in real-time and think it’s anything but two guys reacting to a change in play, at different speeds, with unpredictable results.
But that’s just my opinion; however this part I think is objectively incorrect or at least needs elaboration:
If it was a collision, two guys that couldn’t get out of each other’s way and Steckel lands that same hit, it’s totally incidental and we’re not even having this conversation.The most dangerous thing with head shots, and the reason bigger-better-Messier-endorsed helmets can’t do much, is you’re talking about the brain moving inside (and into) the cranium.
That’s why unawares (and blindside) collisions are the worst: At least one guy does not know it’s coming and does not prepare his neck and surrounding muscles to absorb the deceleration. (To me that’s what happened here — two guys going in different directions, looking at the play that’s advanced up ice — but Steckel was lucky that it was his shoulder and Crosby’s head.) But two guys colliding could be worse, unless they had time to see each other beforehand.
Lighthouse Hockey: A flute with no holes is not a flute. A Dane with no holes is Frans Nielsen.
by Dominik on Aug 30, 2011 1:00 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Sorry but nobody...
We have to be sensible when we look at our line up versus others. Sure, the Flyers have had a ton of change, but check out their line up, then check out our line up, and make your choice. Where are we better? Anywhere? No. Yes, the Pens have some injury issues, but look at how well they did last year with no crosby, no malkin and it’s really tough to argue we’re any close to that team. Montoya better than Fleury? Seriously? I wish, but it just ain’t true…yet. The Ranger’s have one of the best goaltenders in the league, some very talented experienced players and excellent youth as well. Can we compete? Sure, but we’re not better. The Devils may be our only option but, they get Parise back who is arguably a better player than Streit, and again, arbuable more important given their well described offensive challenges last year. They has some nice FA pick ups two years ago, so i expect those players, including Kovie, to have bounce back years especially now that they have a new coach. Sure, that coach could be Maclean-esque, we hope, but the other players will be better regardless. I agree that Brodeur is on the decline, but is he worse than DP? Or any other of our goalies? Time will tell but probably not. The young Isles are improving and we’re well stocked in the prospect dept so our future is very bright- no doubt about that. I still feel that we could be competitive enough to sneak in the 8th spot but we’re going to have to a) add atleast one more player, preferrably a top 2 Dman and b) a major reversal of fortunes regarding health and luck. If you had a million dollars to pick the rank order for our Division, and could double your money with the right selections come year end…where would you rank the Isles then? I always challenge myself with the million dollar question as it often allows me to think more with my hockey brain, then my hockey heart.
Where are we better? Anywhere? No.
Disagree. If the Isles do not lose 600 man games to injury, they are much, MUCH better.
You need to keep in mind that you did not see this team as-constructed at ALL last season- not even for one preseason game.
Let Us Go, Islanders! (Ever notice how strange that sounds without the contraction?)
by TheMetalChick on Aug 27, 2011 12:11 PM EDT reply actions 3 recs
2nded. The flyers offense had been decimated and 2 of their best defensive centers/forwards are gone now, not to mention other "key" role players.
If I had to make a prediction, I’d say our forward corps offensively and defensively decimate their’s. Defensively, even with Pronger hurt most of the season I’d say they are a bit better then us. Goalie they probably have too, unless Bryz bites the big one(which might not be as farfetched as some would think, but nobody knows). But it’s still far from them being a lot better then us. Their whole team is banking on their D and goalie being a top nhl shutdown combination or they are screwed. Just run through their roster, corsi, and quality of competition for their players and you’ll see it. They are gonna be lucky to score 210 goals next year with their roster, and that’s the truth.
by OzzyFan on Aug 27, 2011 2:10 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Bryz vs Bob
If I recall correctly the Bob started hte season on fire for the Flyers last year so I don’t think Bryz can play that much better to start the season. He’ll certainly bring stability, but not sure if that translates to superior play.
Nassau Coliseum lost a veteran and an original Islander fan. ACC 1918-2011
3ded
I would take our top two lines over theirs (although it’s unclear what exactly they will look like) in a heartbeat.
by DP'sknee(andhipandflubugandotherknee) on Aug 28, 2011 1:48 AM EDT up reply actions
4thed
I would take our D too. Perhaps Isles don’t have a true 4th d-man (I would argue they do in Jurcina), but I am very confident that Streit, AMac, and Hamonic are better than most team’s top 3. I also like Wishart and Eaton as the 3rd pairing. Do Isles have enough depth? Garth seems to think so, seeing that he let Hillen go.
by North Dakota Red Eagle on Aug 29, 2011 3:12 PM EDT up reply actions
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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.
