Islanders 4*, Hurricanes 3 (*SO): Near-Disaster Averted

not to mention he was also the one who gave the puck up with a weak clearing effort too!

who can put the puck in the net consistently. I’ve been a pretty good Bailey basher for some time, but he is doing everything right right now. It will come. I don’t expect 80 point seasons, but he is looking like he can be a 50-60 point guy with the right linemates and play some defensively responsible minutes.

This is an extended period of “Flash of Bailey” (without the usual points), but he is noticeable just about every game now…and when he’s not scoring, it’s because of defensive hustle, hitting or passing. The growth in the diversity of his game is impressive…and he’s still got a couple of years before his peak years start.

I hadn’t seen Carolina hardly at all either, but I’d generally agree with your impressions from last night. I was disappointed they weren’t cashing in during the second period. But really even after the Isles gave up the late goal, I was more confident in their chances of mounting a tying effort again than any other point this season.

I don’t know, in the ambiguous realm of belief and confidence hopefully this one gives them a lift.

He’s actually worse than DP.
DP can actually get back there a make a strong pass….its the decision making that concerns you with DP.

The thing I dont understand is why coaches dont chastise these goalies for going back there more often.

But I don’t think he’s been used as a top-6 player lately at all. When they changed the lines a week ago they also changed their setup. From heavily riding two lines of top-6 players they went to a more balanced approach with one top line, a group of middle-6 forwards and a 4th line. Rolston’s among those middle-6 forwards of course and got 4th (against Calgary), 6th (Edmonton) and 5th (Carolina) most ice-time just among this group (thus, if you include the top line, 7th, 9th, 8th overall). He hasn’t been used more heavily lately than earlier in the season. Sure, being on a line with Nielsen and PA, he’s got a better opportunity to succeed and if I’m reading you correctly you’d prefer someone else there. But I don’t know who that would be. Who’s a better complimentary player on that line outside of Moulson, Okposo, Grabner and Martin? Again, if you feel Martin should get that opportunity, well, he’s getting roughly the same ice-time anyway and is having decent line mates, too.

Clearly, I still understand if you feel there’s no way Rolston should get that spot. But as said, it’s not a top-6 spot he’s been occupying there and in my opinion there’s (unfortunately) no one else on the roster who could do a better job there anyway.

However, what I’d just advocate for both the discussions about the line changes as well as certain plays Rolston makes, such as the one leading to Carolina’s goal the other night, is that we still try to grasp the thought processes and everything behind it. I think that way we could avoid turning every thread into “Rolston sucks”. Again, I know he does suck in certain areas, but some things have been blown out of proportion a little for my liking and I just fear it will get tiresome down the stretch because Rolston is almost certainly going to be around until the end of the season.
And maybe watching the game is more fun even if you don’t shout at him every time he shoots the puck from the blue line, but instead be happy he isn’t costing them games most of the nights. Because honestly, outside of that (debatable) mistake the other night, when had an error of Rolston led to a goal?

But again, that’s just how I look at him. I do understand he can be frustrating to watch, particularly on a team lacking secondary scoring anyway.

And maybe its all in my head but I feel like the Isles have a decent record with Jiggs subbing, too.

I think he and Butchie sound good together, too.

that Staios and/or Mottau are next.

He still by all means doesn’t belong in the nhl, especially when you take this injury account. Make him earn his spot back from ahl success or injuries.

Moulson-Tavares-Okposo
Grabner-Nielsen-Parenteau
Ullstrom-Bailey-Martin
Rolston-Reasoner-Nino

Looks like Nino is getting the short shrift if he’s lined up with two fogies, but if he shines I’d switch him with Martin.

thanks for clarifying. I have been staring at the table for about 10 minutes straight trying to figure that out hahaha

sound like … “there it goes high up in the cat toy department up there excuse me”
as i just replayed it. i guess that sounds about right for him

In same tone as 40th anniversary commercial: “Get to your tri-state Ford dealer today.”

Though I think he could make some sick passes of folks’ car keys through crowds and around tires and stuff. Ain’t a damned thing the Service Department can do to stop him. That what he do.

I tend not to believe everything i read, but I believe what JP said.

Although, maybe it’s because i don’t get to the Coli as much as most of you, but I never watched him while I was there. ;-)

I’ve just watched the whole sequence again – to me everything looks perfectly normal (though I of course didn’t see what happened on the bench).

But yeah, Grabner was with Nielsen and Parenteau the whole 3rd period – Rolston with Bailey and Martin. I guess that had been planned during the 2nd intermission and Rolston to be out there for that offensive-zone draw with Bailey and Martin was what they wanted all along. If not, it would have been pretty easy to replace him prior to that draw, no? Or they’d have gone back to the original combinations later in the 3rd – which they didn’t do. And his shift wasn’t all that short (38 seconds) and Bailey had come off for a change even prior to Rolston (Martin too went off just afterwards).
So, I really doubt there was much there. I guess the assignment was to let Bailey’s line take that offensive draw there and maybe get something on goal, but not stay out too long and instead get Nielsen’s line back into the game quickly.

I understand your agenda, heh, but unlike you and others who call him lazy or “find it safe to say Rolston thinks he’s above the team” I just don’t see these things. I watched him pretty closely last night, too, and I guessed you’d be pleasantly surprised. Because he seemed to care, he was skating pretty well and winning some battles along the boards. I know, he lost the important one at the end there, and that’s not what I want to see, but yeah, from what I can tell, he cares, though he might somtimes not bring a whole lot more. At least he drew a penalty last night.

Or does it just annoy me because it signifies the Isles getting scored on?

there was a couple next to me (originally from Hicksville) who’s female half read a book the entire game.

Parent of Teammate: {nudges my mom} “Um, excuse me Miss, your son just scored a goal.”
Mom {looks up from book}: “He did? Oh, how nice! Good boy.”

this is a sign that he’s on his way to his peak form. Given his injury and time off last year, he should get about half a season to work through his kinks and adjust back to the life of a top-pair defenseman. Let’s hope his second half is a lot better than his first half.

His first year he had a seeing eye shot. I think the next year he was played a little tighter by the opposition. But D-men shots (and their percentage) can fluctuate like some such Aucoin.

That said, Streit has definitely gotten shots on at a lower rate this season.

Just pointing the way for further discussion.