Islanders Climb in NHL Power Rankings; Parenteau vs Moulson

I don't think they will ever get that big

ESPN? Never heard of it.

Awkward

we were projected to be a bubble team pre-season

The Isles are a better team than the Panthers. Plus, these ranking arent based on the season as a whole, they’re weighed heavily on present performance.

Both McGuire and Lebrun, very heartened by their measured treatment over the last few months. It’s nice to be given at least a bit of respect from analysts that I, at least, do respect. That TSN ranking seems a bit inflated, but hell I’ll take it.

I was looking at this myself earlier and was pleasantly surprised at our jump.

Its good to see at an [NHL] .500 mark, and I am most happy to see the GA drop.

You comments on the GA makes me think of what I read about the Islanders during the early 70s, as described by Bill Torrey, “The first job of every inexperienced team is to cut down on the goals allowed. After that, you can start building more offense.”

Nowadays, the Isles are building both an offense and cutting down on GAs, but the point remains the same, if the team can’t keep the puck out of its net, and expanding that thought, keeping the puck out of its own zone, there can be no offensive output. But you see with a better defense the 2011/12 Isles are a better team for it.

Of course, now the Isles must face a rash of injuries to the D and that will be telling, and give a shot to some youngsters who many on this board are chomping at the bit to see up with the big club.

is Big, as far as improvement goes along. Shore up the Defense for 2012 and the team will finally be able to significantly drop GA and continue to improve on GF. A solid D core leads to less time in the D zone, to better outlets from the D zone, and better transition through the neutral zone to the O zone. This inevitably leads to more scoring opportunities and much needed secondary scoring.

Incidentally, we’re actually in far a better shape than Toronto was last year – our system is deeper. (They could’ve drafted that Tyler Seguin guy and another high pick this last year, but hey! Phil Kessel lol)

Or in other words, not surprised one bit.

If anything, we riot more.

My Garth Snow is FOS rants went away as soon as I got over that moronic interview. He’s back (never really stopped) to doing the right things in my opinion. I just hate when they try to mask the obvious with SPIN.
Nielsen is an excellent signing. Parentau might be an excellent signing or trade… we really don’t know what all the options are. Hopefully, we’ll find out soon. The same thing goes for Nabby. These are options, though, the team hasn’t had in forever. No young vets, no high end prospects, no nuttin… just expiring assets with limited value.

They are eliminating the shootout starting next season?
They are firing all the referees starting next season?
Sidney Crosby is changing his breakfast cereal to Fruity Pebbles?

this stemmed from this Cullen article on goalies, btw rates the Isles at 14 overall. And do not bother on the comments as you will find the usual DP contract stupidity.

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=387262#YourCallTop

Nabokov and Montoya are both FA’s and would doubtfully re-sign with Columbus and Nilsson isnt ready to step in as a starter anywhere. And DiPietro isnt ready to step through a door. I doubt anything we had in goal would be headed the Blue Jackets way.

He probably hears it all the time, when he’d rather just play his ass off now and see where it gets him. I read that more as a slap at the media than at the fans. That being said – yeah, it would be cool if he added, "Right now I want to help this team make the playoffs.

He better hope Frans doesn’t find him, because if he does then someone is going to mysteriously vanish and wind up in Siberia 3 months later with a weird tattoo on his back and no recollection of who he is, where he is, and how he got there