New York Islanders For Life!

Dwayne Roloson Joins the Islanders

2009-07-01T15:18:00.002-04:00

TSN is reporting that goaltender Dwayne Roloson has signed a two-year deal with the New York Islanders for $5-million.

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=283429

NJ Devils acquire C Ben Walter from Islanders

2009-06-30T20:52:00.001-04:00

NEWARK, N.J. (AP)—The New Jersey Devils have acquired center Ben Walter and future considerations from the New York Islanders in exchange for the rights to center Tony Romano.

Devils president and general manager Lou Lamoriello announced the deal on Tuesday.

The 25-year-old Walter had 20 goals and 30 assists in 65 games for Bridgeport of the American Hockey League last season. He has played in 22 NHL games for the Islanders and Boston Bruins.

Romano, a Long Island native and New Jersey’s seventh choice in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft, spent last season with Peterborough in the Ontario Hockey League.

Free Agency Tomorrow at Noon

2009-06-30T17:30:00.001-04:00

There's a lot of good players available tomorrow at noon for the other half of Dominion Day, Free Agent Day!

Do you like it when GMs act like half-drunk frat boys looking for a hammered girl at last call? If you do--and who doesn't--then tomorrow is the day for you!

GM Garth Snow has already said that next season's Islanders squad is going to look a lot like this year's...so he doesn't want us to get all excited and start thinking that Charles Wang is going to open his pocket to land the Sedin twins or even Mike Komisarek. And if they are convinced that they are on this rebuilding track, they shouldn't do it anyway.

What our team needs is a reliable goaltender. A lot of people have been clamoring for Craig Anderson of Florida, but I like to look toward New Jersey and notice that Scott Clemmensen is also without a contract.

Claemmensen was on fire for the Devils while Martin Brodeur nursed his injuries. The guy backing up Clemmensen--former Islander Kevin Weekes--actually was his backup but when Brodeur came back, Clemmensen had to be sent down to Albany because Weekes was on a one-way contract. Talk about a sting.

So, Clemmensen has proven to be a pretty good goalie. And while both showed flashes of ability last season, he'd definitely be an upgrade over Yann Danis and Joey MacDonald. With Peter Mannino being let go, there's also only one AHL-ready goalie in Bridgeport, Nathan Lawson. So, yeah. Goaltending depth is a but tough right now in the entire Islanders family. That's why they drafted two goalies last week.

There's also lots of rumors out there about Mike Komisarek possibly coming back home to play for the Islanders.

Not sure that is a great fit since you already have defensive defensemen like Andy Sutton (oft injured), Brendan Witt, and Radek Martinek on the roster. Komisarek may want to get out of the fishbowl in Montreal so naturally, everyone thinks he will want to go home. TSN's microphones picked up Brian Burke saying as much to Montreal GM Bob Gainey at the Entry Draft.

The Islanders (if they are interested) may be in luck since Komisarek had an off-year last season. The picture I have of him in my mind is of him catching a punch with his face in the opening round vs. the Bruins. So his repuation as a tough abnd physical player may have taken a hit too.

Another thing that comes to mind is that if the Islanders do sign Komisarek (and pray they don't overpay for him even though they need size and toughness) that it totally means that the team has no confidence in Andy Sutton's ability to stay healthy. It also would scream that Brendan Witt is going to be given some time to play a bit better to make himself more attractive as a tradeable asset in February.

Greg Logan of Newsday suggest the Isles go after Colton Orr, who has been let go by the Rangers. Sounds good to me. The Islanders seriously need a cop to keep people off of the skill players. Plus, Orr has developed and can play a little bit. He played in key spots for the Rangers last season and would probably be a good and popular fit here.

Snow has already warned us not to get too excited. Of course, this is the guy who kept his puh-puhpuh poker face on for two months while intending to draft John Tavares. That's why this picture is posted here. I figured I'm the last blogger on God's gray Earth to post a photo of Tavares from the draft.

Gordon to the Olympics and Other Notes

2009-06-30T17:20:00.003-04:00

Newsday and Point Blank were amongst the first to report that Islanders coach Scott Gordon has been named an assistant coach for the 2010 USA Olympic hockey team under Toronto's Ron Wilson.

Kyle Okposo--to no one's surprise--has been asked to the US Olympic training camp in Chicago this July. Okposo did very well for the US team in the World Championships after the Islanders season ended.

Here is the entire list of invitees to the American camp:

Goalies: Ryan Miller, Jonathan Quick, Tim Thomas.

Defensemen: Tom Gilbert, Tim Gleason, Ron Hainsey, Erik Johnson, Jack Johnson, Mike Komisarek, Paul Martin, Brooks Orpik, Brian Rafalski, Rob Scuderi, Ryan Suter, Whitney Ryan.

Forwards: David Backes, David Booth, Dustin Brown, Dustin Byfuglien, Ryan Callahan, Chris Drury, Scott Gomez, Patrick Kane, Ryan Kesler, Phil Kessel, Jamie Langenbrunner, Ryan Malone, Mike Modano, Kyle Okposo, T.J. Oshie, Zach Parise, Joe Pavelski, Bobby Ryan, Paul Stastny.

Strange to note--as they did on NHL Live--that only 5 of these players have previous Olympic experience: Langenbrunner, Modano, Gomez, Drury, andRafalski.

Also worth mentioning is that while these players have been invited to camp, none are guaranteed to make the team. So a guy like, oh, let's say Rick DiPietro, could still make the team if he comes back and is okay and gets some major wins and playing time under his belt.

John Tavares throws 1st pitch at Mets game

2009-06-29T12:31:00.004-04:00

1st Pick John Tavares had the honor of throwing out the first pitch at the Mets - Yankees game at Citi Field last night. Sadly ESPN(BA) did not show the pitch (at least in our neck of the woods).

NewYorkIslanders.com has video and pictures from the game.

1st Pick

2009-06-26T19:19:00.001-04:00

And the waiting is over... Islanders picked John Tavares!

Reaction to come . . .

One Day Until the First Pick

2009-06-25T12:59:00.000-04:00

Since April 14, when the Islanders won the right to make the first overall pick in this year's NHL Entry Draft, we've been waiting for The Day. Tomorrow is That Day.

We've heard stories about free draft parties and all sorts of speculation about whom the Isles will select. Experts have pontificated; Garth Snow does his Lady Gaga impression and says nothing on draft preview shows and in the papers. Chris Dey laughs off whether he even knows the player who will go #1 overall.

Seventy-four days after winning the right, the Isles are on the clock. Hell, they have been for those seventy-four days. All Snow has said is that the kid they were leaning towards on April 14 is the same kid they are going to choose tomorrow night at about 7:15PM.

Now I don't know about you, but those 74 freaking days have been pretty difficult. Recent history has most Islanders fans cringing at the thought of another Mad Mike debacle that has our team shipping off Roberto Luongo--even though Snow has proven (so far) to be a steady hand and a capable general manager.

Has he made mistakes? Sure. Hasn't everybody? But if you think back to the Ryan Smyth trade, that move energized the heck out of the Islanders Faithful for a few months. If Smyth had resigned--and he himself admitted it was a difficult decision at the time--the path the team would have taken would have been more of the Band Aid/trade for veterans sort of operation. With that method, you either hit a home run or you quiet go along, singling and doubling your way through the regular season.

Snow wisely recognized that the Islanders team needed to be torn down and built back up. He's signed a few free agents here and there and he's allowed some to even come and play and try to rebuild their reputations. All along, though, the spotlight has been on developing the youngsters the team had drafted to get them experience in the league so that they can take over and become leaders for the next round of kids who pull on the Islander sweater.

Mike Milbury tried--in his scattershot, ADD way--to do the same thing but he didn't have the opportunity or patience with the rebuild to keep it going. Milbury tried to throw as much as he could around to see what would stick and then he just traded away what didn't stick for pennies on the potential dollar.

Say what we will about Mad Mike...but it was never boring. Might not be fun, but it wasn't boring.

Lots of people are asking me what the Islanders plan on doing tomorrow night. I honestly tell them that I don't know for sure but that I think they are going to draft John Tavares. Snow has been a master of getting people to talk and gossip about what he is going to do and all of that speculation has only been good buzz for the New York Islanders. His silence and the potential of a goal-scorer like Tavares joining the Islanders has Long Island and the hockey world talking. It's exciting.

Saying that, we need to mention that if the fans are overwhelmingly excited about one player as they are about John Tavares, then to NOT choose him first overall is going to take balls the size of Transformers.

And yet, does anyone fit the needs of a team any more than John Tavares fits the Islanders'? You have a team desperate to be reckoned with and desperate for one guy to hang their hat on. John Tavares has been poked, prodded, scouted, and written about since he was 14 years old. He knows how to deal with the spotlight so well and he has been around seemingly forever that scouting services and media types kinda turned on him and began knocking the kid for his flaws and overlooking what he does best. When he did something good--like a hat trick in the WJC while leading Canada to gold--it was "expected" and no one was surprised. Yawn.

Victor Hedman and Matt Duchene are the new kids in town. Hedman had a down WJC and everyone overlooks it. Duchene had a fine career in juniors but was never The Guy on any team he has been on. Duchene was also cut from Team Canada--you know, the team John Tavares lead to gold this winter?

What I am saying is that none of the other players eligible in the draft has faced the scrutiny that John Tavares has been living with for the last four years. Hedman certainly projects as a heck of a defenseman but as a Swedish player--and a defenseman to boot--he is not exactly going to inspire ticket and jersey sales. Duchene, if he is picked first overall and Tavares falls down in the draft--is always going to be compared to JT and is going to suffer the slings of a frustrated fan base who will never let him forget that he wasn't the guy an overwhelming majority of us wanted.

John Tavares, on the other hand, doesn't shy from the spotlight. He's used to being The Guy. And if the Islanders do select him first overall tomorrow night, you just know that there will be people signing up for season tickets and other ticket plans on the spot. They'll sell tons of jerseys as soon as the are available. Selecting John Tavares energizes and galvanizes the Islanders fans in a way we have not seen in a very long time.

It's the most logical choice and the only choice for the Islanders. Expect them to select John Tavares first overall tomorrow night in Montreal. Remember: you can help a guy improve his skating and you can team him to be more aware in his own end. But you can't teach a kid to score. The great goal scorers have something innate in them that allows them to create opportunities the other players can't. John Tavares, from all reports, has that ability. Let's make John Tavares an Islander.

EJ Hradek: Chelios wants to play for Islanders

2009-06-23T12:20:00.002-04:00

Just now EJ Hradek said on NHL Live that Chris Chelios--who will not be back with Detroit--has expressed interest in playing for the Islanders next season.

Hradek mentioned that Chelios noted that the Islanders are a young team and he is the kind of guy who can come in and add to the leadership corps while playing ten to fifteen minutes a game. Chelios' legendary work ethic would also be good as an example to the younger guys about what it takes to be a professional and a dedicated star at the NHL level.

First reaction--the knee jerk one--might be to say that the guy is like 1000 years old and it might not be the best idea to take time away from a young and developing defenseman. But the intagibles are there. Let's face it: Chris Chelios is a winner. He's won Stanley Cups and Norris Trophies. If Garth Snow thinks there's a spot for him at a reasonable price, I think it's a pretty good move to make.

Saying that, he will probably end up on the Rangers. They always get the old guys.

Pediction: Heatley ends up with the Rangers too. I know when you think about their cap situation it doesn't look good, but these things always sort themselves out for the Rangers.

2009-06-20T18:55:00.002-04:00

Former Islanders defenseman Kenny Jonsson retires

STOCKHOLM (AP)—Former New York Islanders defenseman Kenny Jonsson is retiring after a 19-year hockey career that included two Olympic championships with Sweden.

The 34-year-old spent the last four seasons with the Swedish club Rogle and in May he captained the Swedish team that finished third at the world championships.

Jonsson said on Thursday that he made the decision when he realized he wasn’t motivated to begin offseason training.

He played in 705 NHL games, compiling 64 goals and 207 assists in 10 seasons, mostly with the Islanders.

Jonsson was drafted by Toronto and played for the Maple Leafs in 1994-95. He was traded to New York midway through the next season.

He won Olympic gold at the 1994 and 2006 Winter Olympics.

Islanders name Chynoweth assistant coach

The New York Islanders announced today that they have named Dean Chynoweth an assistant coach. Chynoweth will join current Head Coach Scott Gordon’s staff, after serving as the General Manager and Head Coach of the Western Hockey League’s Swift Current Broncos for the past five seasons. Chynoweth is a former first round selection of the Islanders from the 1987 National Hockey League Entry Draft.

"Dean has an extremely strong background of developing young prospects from working in the International Hockey League (IHL) and WHL for the past 11 years," said Snow. "With the youth of our team, he is a perfect fit to show them what it takes to succeed in the NHL. His defensive background from his playing days will also serve as a tremendous asset to our young defensemen."

"I am thrilled to return to the Islanders organization and join Scott Gordon’s staff,” said Chynoweth. “I am very aware of the hockey tradition on Long Island from my playing days and look forward to working with the staff in returning the Islanders to the powerhouse they once were.”

Last season, the 41-year-old Chynoweth led Swift Current to the first round of the WHL playoffs. The Broncos were beaten by the Medicine Hat Tigers four games to three in their best-of-seven series. Through Chynoweth’s five seasons with the Broncos, the team posted a combined record of 162-163-6-1-1 (W-L-T-OTL-SOL). The Calgary, ALTA native started his coaching career in 1998 with the Utah Grizzlies, who at the time were a member of the IHL. Chynoweth spent two seasons in Utah before taking the head coach position with the Seattle Thunderbirds of the WHL. Chynoweth coached the Thunderbirds from 2000 to 2004.

He began his professional playing career at the end of the 1988-89 season, playing in six games with the Islanders, after completing his fourth year with Medicine Hat. He played eight seasons within the organization and scored two goals and 10 assists while compiling 408 penalty minutes in 147 games. He won a Calder Cup during the 1989-90 season while playing for the Islanders’ former American Hockey League affiliate, the Springfield Indians. Chynoweth played the final three years of his career with the Boston Bruins and set an NHL single season personal career best for penalty minutes with 171 in the 1996-97 season.

Penguins win; Cosby doesn't shake hands; world keeps spinning

2009-06-17T08:00:00.000-04:00

Game 7 of the Stanley Cup finals was the highest-rated hockey game on American television in 36 years. That is great news and it was a great game. Congrats to the Crosbies and Genos and even the Islanders contingent of Bill Guerin, The Tank, Miro, and Dan Bylsma on the win.

Sour grapes to what I believed to be a classy organization, the Detroit Red Wings. The epic booing of the Penguins was totally the reaction of a crowd spoiled by extreme success. The Penguins played tough and hard and overcame a lot--including Sidney's starter beard--to beat the Red Wings. Pittsburgh was the better team.

The whining by some of the Detroit players about Crosby not shaking hands with Nick Lidstrom while celebrating was a bit grade schoolish, didn't you think? Hank Zetterberg complaining was even funnier since there's a photo from Getty Images all over the internet of Sid the Kid shaking with Zetterberg. There's pictures of him shaking hands with all sorts of Red Wings players, coaches, and stick boys. He was there. He did what he could.

I'm a huge believer in the traditions of the sport and if it were me, I'd have made it my duty to be the first one there to shake Lidstrom's hand. But the fact of the matter is (did I just slip into wrestling promo talk?) that Sid was celebrating a MONUMENTAL ACCOMPLISHMENT with his teammates...and that was a tall order considering the guy got checked in the balls earlier in the game and was clearly injured.

Hey, let's face it: giving Crosby heck is like it's own sport within the sport. Sometimes, it really comes off as childish piling on. And in this situation, it is. Crosby isn't going to have tons of friends and he is always going to have his detractors but man, wait for the kid to screw up royally before you kick snow on him.

Besides, he got the last laugh: he just won the Stanley Cup.

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The long Canadian nightmare is over...or is it just getting started?

I've had myself a good old laugh at the conspiracy theorists in the Canadian media who continue to be obsessed with the state of the Phoenix Coyotes. I love how they blame the commissioner for everything and conveniently forget that he helped stabilize the Buffalo and Edmonton franchises and that he had a hand in saving the Calgary Flames as well. Of course, he'll always be an off-putting and short "New York lawyer" to them no matter what he does.

Wow, that paragraph sounds like I am a Bettman Apologist...and I am so not. My theory is that if you're going to poop on a guy and all that you better be able to see what good he has done as well and there is no doubt that when the Canadian dollar was tanking faster than "Land of the Lost" that the guy totally had a hand in helping keep the franchises afloat.

Now that Phoenix is staying in, um, Glendale, the real work is about to begin. This is where we'll see what kind of deal they can put together to keep the franchise afloat in the desert. Whether or not Winnipeg should have moved there in the first place is irrelevant right now. The truth is that the team is in Arizona and the league has to find a way to make it work there because there are contracts with arenas and vendors and all that stuff that make things harder than just picking up the team and moving it wherever you want just because some place is more "worthy" of a hockey team than another area is.

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The draft is coming. I personally can't wait for The Big Day. All of this waiting is annoying after a while. Would it have been better for the Isles just to come out and say who they were picking right after they won the #1 overall pick? Well, that can be argued forever.

The Isles are saying that they've given out over 14,000 freebies for the draft party. If half of those people show up, it will be unreal. Me and Mrs. NYIFORLIFE.com and Victor: Friend of The Show are planning on making the trip. If you see us, please feel free to say hello. I'll the guy in an Islanders t-shirt!

Speaking of the First Lady of this website, Mrs. NYIFORLIFE.com will be doing her live blogging of the NHL Awards show tomorrow night on this very website. Last year's edition proved quite popular so make sure you check it out.

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Lastly, in sad news, Newsday reports to day that former Islanders radio voice Bob Lawrence has passed away at the age of 70. Bob helped foster a love for the Islanders for a kid from central Connecticut back in the day; as I used to listen to the Islanders broadcasts on a little radio when I was supposed to be sleeping. Our best to the family of Bob Lawrence.

Action / Reaction around the NHL

2009-06-11T12:32:00.002-04:00

ACTION: Dany Heatley wants to be traded out of Ottawa.

REACTION: Well, the fact that the Isles have cap room and The Heater makes $7.5 million a year means that the Islanders are going to be rumored as a destination for the disgruntled goal scorer. Whether or not he's be 'gruntled' in blue, white, and orange is another story.

Already the Ottawa Sun is banishing Heatley to the Islanders as a form of punishment. Even funnier is the fact that somebody thinks the Isles will trade the first overall pick to the Senators for Heatley. Seriously, are these writers on crack? Do they stop for even a minute to think these things through logically? There's no chance that Garth Snow sends the #1 overall pick to Ottawa for Heatley. He could send the 26th overall pick for him. That wouldn't be a bad deal at all. But the first pick? No chance.

Let's also dig a little deeper, Ottawa. Heatley has a no-movement clause in his contract that he'd have to waive to be sent anywhere. So right there is a stumbling block. Also, can Heatley play the firepants hockey that Scott Gordon is teaching on the Island? I mean, if he is complaining about back-checking in Ottawa, what the heck would he do with the Islanders when he would have to bust his ass all over the rink?

Would he bring goals? Probably. But what about the attitude? The guy is on the verge of bitching his way out of his second city. Maybe all he wants to do is hang around a former American Idol like Mike Fisher does. If that's the case, I hear Ruben Studdard is available.

Bumper Sticker for the Ottawa Sun: Get a grip.

ACTION: Marc Crawford hired in Dallas to coach the Stars and the fans don't like it.

REACTION: At least now we won't have to hear him on Hockey Night in Canada. You can insert your own Steve Moore joke here if you like.

Dave Tippett is now free of the mess in Dallas. Working for Brett Hull--even though he has been (ahem) "reassigned"--cannot be easy. Tippett's a good man and a good coach. It's not his fault Marty Turco turns into a big holey pumpkin every spring.

Bumper Sticker for the Dallas Stars: Oops!

ACTION: Game seven tomorrow night!

REACTION: Hell yeah!

Bumper Sticker for TV writers: Nobody watches the NBA.

ACTION: NBC won't allow the Penguins or Red Wings to host big screen viewing parties for their fans because these gatherings take away from ratings.

REACTION: I don't live in Pittsburgh or Detroit so I don't care. The games have been great and the ratings are way up and everyone is holding hands and singing songs.

Bumper Sticker for the Stanley Cup: Mike Bolt is The Man.

ACTION: Quebecor Media and Molson make separate bids for the Montreal Canadiens.

REACTION: George Gillett is losing money in the English Premiere League and needs to bail. The Quebecor Media consortium includes Celine Dion's husband.

Free Advice to George Gillett: Sell to Molson and leave a hero for not picking Celine for anything. Even in Quebec.

Islanders Team Report--Yahoo! Sports

2009-06-07T08:57:00.001-04:00

Inside Shots

All eyes will be on the Islanders at the June 26 entry draft because they control the first overall selection.

But whether they grab center John Tavares or defenseman Victor Hedman as their key building block for the future, coach Scott Gordon knows the key to the future is the health of goaltender Rick DiPietro(notes).

“To me, the most important thing is going to be Ricky,” Gordon told Newsday. “No matter who we draft, it’s going to come down to what we do in net. No matter how good you are, you’re going to break down. You can’t underestimate the value of the guy in net.

“You saw Ricky’s value the previous year when he played so well the first half of the season. When he got hurt, they went from being a playoff contender to struggling. You have to have a guy who is able to run with the ball. No matter who we draft, it gets overshadowed by who’s in net.”

The last-place Islanders lost an NHL-high 582 man-games to injury last season, and none were more significant than DiPietro, who was limited to five appearances because of two surgeries on his left knee.

“It sounds like everything is going well with Ricky,” Gordon said. “I spoke with (Isles trainer) Garrett Timms, and he’s very encouraged. That’s music to my ears.

“We’ll have to see how everything goes through training camp. The first step is to get him healthy and see where he’s at.”

The Islanders will seek an experienced NHL backup via free agency this summer after going through most of last season with unproven Joey MacDonald(notes) and Yann Danis(notes), who are both slated to become unrestricted free agents, between the pipes.

Season Highlight: It’s hard to pinpoint many bright spots from a dead-last campaign. But in a season defined by growing pains for a slew of young players, resurgent veteran Doug Weight(notes) recorded his 1,000th NHL point in January and wound up third on the team in scoring (38 points) despite missing 29 games because of injury. The 38-year-old center also was rewarded with a one-year contract extension in early April.

Turning Point: The first red flag flew atop Nassau Coliseum as soon as goalie Rick DiPietro was unable to play in the season opener. The team’s franchise goalie underwent two surgeries on his left knee and ended up appearing in just five games because of complications, pretty much torpedoing any chance the Isles had of remaining competitive this season.

Notes, Quotes

• Coaching legend Al Arbour’s plaque at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto will not be altered to add the extra game and regular-season win the NHL acknowledged he earned when he came back to coach the Isles for one night in 2007, according to a report in Newsday. Referring to similar comebacks by Scotty Bowman and players Gordie Howe, Mario Lemieux and Guy Lafleur after their inductions, a Hall of Fame spokeswoman said it is policy not to change any existing plaques.

“While we respect the Hockey Hall of Fame’s position regarding its policy on induction statistics, Al Arbour’s 740 wins and 1,500 games coached (both totals with the Islanders) are milestones that will forever be recorded by the New York Islanders and NHL record books,” Islanders president Chris Dey said in a statement.

• John Tonelli, an integral member of the Islanders’ four-time Stanley Cup champions in the 1980s, faced charges of driving while intoxicated in Westchester County, N.Y., after state police say he crashed his car along Interstate 684 and abandoned his Lexus at a highway ramp in Harrison, N.Y. Tonelli, who scored 325 goals with five NHL teams, assisted Bob Nystrom’s game-winning overtime goal in Game 6 of the 1980 Stanley Cup finals against Philadelphia, giving the Islanders their first Stanley Cup title.

Quote To Note: “Hopefully we’ll score more goals. I don’t expect we’ll be a dynamic offensive team, but we’ll be going toward that. Kyle (Okposo) was our leading goal scorer last year (with 18 goals). I’d like to see everybody improve like Kyle did in the second half to the point where there was less thinking and more action. That’s part of the development process. And we did it with a ton of injuries. Now, it’s a question of everybody having better health.”—Isles coach Scott Gordon on the Isles failing to have a 20-goal scorer for the first time in their history last season.

Roster Report

Most Valuable Player: D Mark Streit’s(notes) signing for $20.5 million last summer drew some snickers around the NHL, but the Swiss-born former Canadien proved to be a bargain and far more than the power-play specialist he was branded as in Montreal. Streit led the Isles with more than 25 minutes per game and finished seventh among all NHL defensemen in scoring with 56 points despite missing eight games with injuries.

Most Disappointing Player: LW Jeff Tambellini(notes) wasn’t a disappointment to those who didn’t think he could put up big numbers at the NHL level. But the Islanders have to wonder if it’s ever going to happen at this level for the former first-round pick and AHL scoring whiz after Tambellini had just seven goals and 15 points in 65 games.

Free Agent Focus: GM Garth Snow actually went 2-for-2 with the free agent signings of D Mark Streit and C Doug Weight last summer. And with immediate holes all over, it makes sense that the Isles will look to supplement their young roster again with a few more veteran bargains.

After career minor-leaguers Joey MacDonald and Yann Danis were forced into 49 and 31 appearances, respectively, the Isles also might seek to find a proven NHL backup as insurance in case starter Rick DiPietro continues to be plagued by injuries.

With Weight re-signed to a one-year extension in April, forwards Dean McAmmond(notes), Mike Sillinger(notes) and Andy Hilbert(notes), defenseman Thomas Pock(notes) and the two backup goalies are the only significant regulars slated to be unrestricted free agents.

Player News:

• RW Kyle Okposo(notes) improved his chances of making the 2010 U.S. Olympic team with a strong showing for semifinalist Team USA at the recent World Championships in Switzerland, according to Islanders coach Scott Gordon, who served an assistant to head coach Ron Wilson. “With the exception of a couple of players, I wouldn’t take anybody on (Team USA) over him, and when he gets older, there might not be anybody I’d take over him,” Gordon told Newsday about the 21-year-old Okposo, who scored 18 goals as a rookie last season.

• C Mike Sillinger underwent season-ending hip surgery for the second straight year. Yet, despite appearing in only seven games for the Isles, the 37-year-old center is planning to attempt a comeback next season. It almost certainly will not be with the rebuilding Isles for the unrestricted free agent, who has played for a record 12 NHL teams in a 16-year career.

• LW Jon Sim(notes) didn’t sulk when he was banished to AHL Bridgeport after the trade deadline, posting 13 goals and 23 points in 18 games with the Sound Tigers. With one season remaining on the three-year, $3 million contract he signed with the Isles before the 2007-08 season, the 31-year-old Sim will attend training camp in September barring a trade or a buyout.

Isles Report Card from the THN Draft Issue--Click on the image for a larger view!

2009-06-07T08:42:00.002-04:00

Pigs Do Fly

2009-06-07T07:37:00.000-04:00

Principals offer optimism on Lighthouse Project

John Jeansonne

Newsday.com

Principals in the ongoing, not-entirely-hockey discussion about the Lighthouse project powwowed privately for the first time Friday. And no fight broke out. With Nassau County Executive Thomas Suozzi presiding, Town of Hempstead Supervisor Kate Murray at last met with Lighthouse partners Charles Wang and Scott Rechler and afterward assured that their 55-minute communal campfire had produced the kind of efficient teamwork that long ago made the Islanders team, now owned by Wang, the envy of its sport.

"Today," Suozzi declared, "is a symbol that we're going to cooperate. The county, the town, the developers."

After Suozzi announced significant new dates - July 7, for the town board to sign off on the developers' draft environmental impact statement; and Oct. 3, as the target in finalizing the approvals process - Wang added another: "I hope to put a shovel in the ground by April or June [2010]," he said. "Hopefully June, because we hope we're in the Stanley Cup playoffs [until then]."

Such optimism, on both the hockey and arena fronts, reinforced Wang's suddenly substantial leverage for the Lighthouse plan, which would use the renovation of Nassau Coliseum as anchor to essentially raise a small city on the Uniondale-Hempstead border.

The labor unions are solidly on his side. "With this economy, it's imperative that we move forward," Long Island Federation of Labor president John Durso said. The governor privately supported Wang's proposal at a Thursday meeting. The league backs the whole idea. Islanders fans have been behind it - especially when word spread in January that the team will play an exhibition in Kansas City this fall, and the attendant hints that Missouri could provide a new home for the franchise.

All the while, Murray was cast mostly as the party of "no," as she argued for following the town's mandated procedures. Friday's major leap forward was Suozzi's ability to lower the temperature on what had appeared to be a showdown between Ivory Tower (grand Lighthouse designs) and Practical (repercussions of traffic, environment, etc.). In effect, he applied the team's own ad slogan: "We are all Islanders."

Promising that the principals would work together in a "new spirit of cooperation and collaboration," Suozzi made a point of naming the parties, beyond Murray, that also must be consulted, from the state and county to school districts, villages and local government agencies. "There will be no more back-and-forths," Suozzi said.

Wang, who previously offered criticism of what he characterized as unreasonable delays by Murray, was happily on board. "This is unprecedented for us to be together," he said. "We are going in the right direction."

He insisted that, on Oct. 3, he does not intend to pick up his marbles and leave. He said he has not spoken to any city about a move: "Our goal has always been that we want to be on Long Island."

Murray, for her part, reminded that the Lighthouse plan "is a real estate project" that reaches far beyond hockey. But the tectonic shift toward cooperation, the result of a face-to-face meeting that labor leaders are taking credit for provoking, probably increases Wang's edge.

It might further brighten his outlook to know that Murray considers herself an Islanders fan. And happens to still have the Denis Potvin hockey stick she got for her 16th birthday.

The Three...um...Musketeers

2009-06-03T16:34:00.002-04:00

OK, so now all of the Long Island visits are over. Where do we stand with that first overall pick?

John Tavares tells Brian Compton of nhl.com that he had "...a lot of fun" visiting with GM Garth Snow. Here's the quote:

"I had a really good time and got to know them a lot more and what they're all about and their philosophy and see the way they do things. Long Island's a great city. Obviously, they've got a good organization and really have a good fan base when they have winning teams. They have a lot of tradition there from the Stanley Cups. I really enjoyed my time there."

Well, Long Island isn't a city but at least the kid got to see the area and now knows that there is more to the Islanders than the rink and the Marriott. We can look past this geography mistake.

Victor Hedman also visited and wowed the Islanders brass according to Chris Botta. One thing that would make me hesitate is that Hedman apparently asked about the women in New York right off the bat. To me, red flag. Look--I remember what it was like being an 18 year old kid and all but if I am talking to a guy that I ABSOLUTELY NEED to be a franchise cornerstone, I don't want him worrying about chasing women in bars when there are hockey games to play and win.

I am just throwing that out there...but yes, I know young men with money can do stupid things. We had that in spades in the mid-1990s when the team had Eric Brewer, Todd Bertuzzi, and Bryan McCabe. Oh yeah--and Crazy Mike Milbury was running the ship.

Matt Duchene's visit with the team was reportedly quite good and some rumors swirling are that the Islanders scouts and Snow are in love with what this kid brings with his game. I've read comparisons that run from Mike Richards to Steve Yzerman. Not too shabby.

All of this dovetails with reports that the Lightning ownership has ordered Brian Lawton to ship Vincent Lecavalier and his hefty contact somewhere/anywhere by June 1, when his no-move clause will kick in. Here's one for you: guess how much Vinny is slated to make for the upcoming season? 10 Million Dollars. US. Ouch.

So, of course, you know that other GMs in the league are talking to Lawton and thinking that they may like to have Vinny on the team and all but that price tag is way north of steep. Nobody is going to trade for that contract without doubts about what they just did. That's why you know someone is going to sweep in and get Lecavalier at a pittance--they'll be taking so much contract and they are not going to be forking over a whole heck of a lot to do it.

I don't know if Charles Wang wants to use a player like Vinny as a way to kick his fan base into warp speed but you know that the bounty is not going to be the #1 overall pick. It's can't be because the money just doesn't add up. You select a kid at the very top of the draft and pay him 800K and hope he develops at the NHL level these days. A guy like Vinny comes in and he'll be able to inspire the young and learning just by sheer star power.

So where does he end up? Well, it kind of makes sense with the Isles in a way...if maybe they can get him for the 26th overall pick that used to belong to San Jose and some sweeteners; but I don't think Charles wants to pour gas on the fire when he is losing money. Tavares will sell tickets--people are excited after all--at a tenth of what Lecavalier is on the hook for.

Some have speculated that the Kings are a good fit. I tend to agree with that. Getting a big-ticket star like Vinny will excite some lazy dorks in the media to write about hockey and we all saw last year that Los Angeles has a darn good up-and-coming defense but they just couldn't score goals.

Expect Toronto GM Brian Burke to sniff around Tampa, too, and not just for their second-overall pick. He's been threatening to go all JADAPINKETTSMITH on the entry draft so he can get Tavares and the bluster would be hilarious if he hadn't pulled off that magic act in Vancouver when he drafted the Sedin twins. If Lawton gets desperate and wants to take on some of Toronto's dead wood, Burke will be there. But you know that he will be kicking the tires anyway.

My guess is that Lecavalier ends up in Colorado and that the 'Lanche won't have to part with the third pick to do it. New regime in Colorado means they'll want to shake it up.

Islanders Draft Party News

2009-05-30T21:43:00.003-04:00

Hope you got your Islanders Draft Party tickets already. Me and Mrs. NYIFORLIFE.COM and Friend of the Show Victor will be heading out to the island from Connecticut on June 26.

The event seems like it will be a pretty fun time. We'll see the first-overall pick (and probably one of the most important picks in team history) and you get to tour the locker room and all that good stuff.

According to Newsday, Mike Bossy, Bryan Trottier, and Bob "7:11 of Overtime" Nystrom will be there as well. You have to figure some of the current players will be there too. And if she is smart, Kristin McElroy will be there too. She was just named the Democratic nominee for the jon Kate Murray has been currently corrupting.

Hey--speaking of, guess who actually plans on showing up to a Lighthouse meeting: Botta.

Here's the link for the tickets to the party: Islanders. Sounds like it will be a decent event...if they pick the right kid...and like I said, it sure is important. Plus, you really can't beat free.

On The Clock...and our Stanley Cup Pick

2009-05-29T11:59:00.001-04:00

Don't know about you, but I am ready for the draft to happen right now. The waiting is killing me and my copy of The Hockey News draft issue has been read so much that I feel like I can go in and make a pick late in the first round for the Isles. So I think I will.

Oliver Ekman-Larsson is another highly-rated defenseman from Sweden. He may not be the sure thing that a guy like Victor Hedman has been touted as, but Ekman-Larsson could be had at 26 in the first round. Is he the big guy who is going to clear the crease? No, but at 6-2 he should be able to add some heft to his frame rather easily through proper training.

Here's what they say in the THN Draft Issue about Oliver Ekman-Larsson:

..."some kids at this age have trouble making a 10-foot stretch pass...but this guy puts them tape-to-tape better than anyone in the draft. He has great lateral mobility and is able to find people."

Read that again: 10-foot stretch pass. Lateral mobility. Find people. Tape-to-Tape. Does any of this NOT READ like a perfect Scott Gordon-type of player? We found out this past season that Mark Streit can do that stuff too--way better than he was ever given credit for in Montreal. If Gordon's style is to push hard on the forecheck and force turnovers while going the other way, does this not sound like Ekman-Larsson would be a great fit and who knows, a potential replacement for Streit down the line? Who better to apprentice with than Mark Streit?

Oliver Ekman-Larsson is rated the #13 prospect by The Hockey News so there is no guarantee that he will be there at 26. But every draft has a yearly trend that the teams seem to mental for and with the need for scoring around the league, my guess that once the highest-rated defenseman are off the board that the GMs will be going for offense offense offense. That means a guy like Oliver Ekman-Larsson could slide down a little further than expected. Happens to kids every year. Maybe this is the year the Isles get lucky and have a chance at getting a top d-man after all--after they select John Tavares with the first pick.

******

Tomorrow night, the Penguins and Red Wings face off in a rematch from last year's finals. The Wings are beat up a little bit (Lidstrom will play; Datsyuk not so sure) and seem to be ripe for the Crosbies and their pickin'.

Huge laugh from me when I got home and saw the schedule. I knew that "the media" and fans would be bitching about it starting so soon after the Conference finals. Seriously, people. Why do we complain about something we say that we love?

Seriously, why would you want to wait longer? I like having the games right now. If the league had waited until next week to start the finals, you'd be whining that you had to wait too long for it to start.

What fuels this constant discourse? Is it just a pure anti-Bettman sort of thing? I guess I'll never understand it. I mean, for all of the people killing Gary about the Coyotes to Hamilton thing, they conveniently seem to forget that he helped save the Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers years ago when they were in bad shape. He also saved the Penguins and the Sabres from bankruptcy.

Sure he comes off as a condescending clown some time. I don't particularly care for the guy either but to blame him for everything is a bit short-sighted. Just my two cents.

Anyway, Penguins in six. Sidney Crosby for Conn Smythe and good tidings to Billy Guerin.

Memorial Cup Schedule

2009-05-15T14:40:00.002-04:00

Did you notice all my predictions for the game sevens were wrong? That's right: the NHL is as hard to predict as it is to eat soup like a fork and knife.

Don't look for too many updates around here for a while. Me and Mrs. NYIFORLIFE.com will be living the jet set life on a vacation out west. No truth to the rumor that we're sweeping into Phoenix to make a bid for the Coyotes, either. But we are going someplace hot and hopefully sunny.

While the NHL moves into the Conference Finals, the Canadian Junior ranks will hold their own hardware tournament, the Memorial Cup. Our friends over at the NHL Network (how did we live without you?) will be showing all the games in the tournament. I got to see some of the Memorial Cup last year and it was a heck of a lot of fun. Here's the schedule below:

Friday, May 15, 2009
6:00 PM Memorial Cup Preview Show
7:00 PM 2009 Memorial Cup: Kelowna Rockets vs. Rimouski Oceanic

Saturday, May 16, 2009
4:30 PM 2009 Memorial Cup: Drummondville Voltigeurs vs. Windsor
Spitfires

Sunday, May 17, 2009
4:30 PM 2009 Memorial Cup: Rimouski Oceanic vs. Windsor Spitfires

Monday, May 18, 2009
7:00 PM 2009 Memorial Cup: Drummondville Voltigeurs vs. Kelowna Rockets

Tuesday, May 19, 2009
7:00 PM 2009 Memorial Cup: Windsor Spitfires vs. Kelowna Rockets

Wednesday, May 20, 2009
7:00 PM 2009 Memorial Cup: Rimouski Oceanic vs. Drummondville Voltigeurs

Friday, May 22, 2009
7:00 PM 2009 Memorial Cup Semi Final Game - Teams TBD

Sunday, May 24, 2009
4:30 PM 2009 Memorial Cup Championship Game: Teams TBD

And there is actually some Islanders news: Dan Lacroix has been let go and the word is that the Islanders will be looking to replace him with an assistant coach with "ties to the organization" to help out on the defensive end. We all know that our young d-core need a coach just for them.

See you in a while. Thanks for reading NYIFORLIFE.com

The Place Will Be Rockin' 'cause it's Hockey Tonight!

2009-05-13T13:49:00.004-04:00

I am looking so forward to tonight's Penguins-Caps game. The series has been a series of punches and counterpunches and so emotional. You know Alex and Sid will be fired up and it's going to be up to Mike Green (almost invisible) or Evgeny Malkin (partly cloudy) to make the difference for their teams. The goalies are pretty much even at this point but you really have to give it up for Simeon Varlamov and what he has been able to do with Washington this spring.

Saying that, I keep coming back to the thought that if Pittsburgh wins tonight that they will go to the Stanley Cup finals. If the Caps win, I'm not so sure. They seem to be dancing like a snow fence: bend-but-don't-break. The Penguins have been getting much more even pressure on Varlamov. Does the rookie stand on his head and will the Capitals past Pittsburgh?

It's really a toss-up in every sense. So, in the event of a toss-up, conventional wisdom says to hang your hat on the known at the expense of the unknown. Mark Andre Fleury is the known. He carried the Penguins to the finals last season and has played in many more "big spot" games than Varlamov.

The Capitals, however, are at home and in front of a crazy amount of boisterous red shirts. That doesn't mean anything, I guess, but maybe that extra energy is like crack for the team.

The Head says: Pittsburgh. The Heart says: Washington. Caps 4-3.

Two other series have now gone to a seventh game. Tomorrow night, the Ducks return to The Scene of the Crime for CSI: Joe Louis Arena.

Last night's game warmed the very cockles of everybody's Old Time Hockey hearts. There's nothing wrong with a little aggression to send a message in a hockey game. And by "little aggression" I mean "face-washes" and "wrestling punches".

The Ducks have some of the old school snarl that grates on their opponents like too much sand in your shorts at the beach. The Red Wings walk that aisle and they know they're better than you. What's not to love?

So if we put that series to the test we see that (My Name is) Jonas Hiller has been superb slowing down the Red Wings assault. The Ducks have been winning through a bullying game. Chris Osgood is the Red Wings goalie and whenever he gets kicked, he Chumbawambas and gets up again.

I'm loathe to do the whole car thing but I guess we can do a "suppose" with lawn mowers.

Do you want the precision mower that gets in tight corners or do you want the one that chops down everything in it's path but isn't quite as reliable? (Keep in mind this is being written by a man who has never mowed a lawn in his life.)

I'm picking against Nick Lidstrom for the first time ever: Ducks win game seven and go on to meet Patrick Kane, Jonathan "I've never met any of Patrick Kane's sisters" Toews, and the rest of the boys from Chicago.

The Bruins and Hurricanes renew hostilities also on Thursday night.

Have there ever been a more annoying bunch of bandwagoneers than the Bruins fans? I went to Bruins games in Boston many times over the years and on TV, this new group of crazy Lucic followers are taking it to A Whole New Level.

I mean, there's always the fans who just get caught up in the playoffs and stuff but when you're in an office and there's a woman you've worked with for ten years comes in wearing a LOOCH t-shirt and has never even dropped any inclination that she liked hockey before this, you're left to only wonder.

As an impartial observer who loves the game, I realize that it would be very cool for the Bruins to win the Stanley Cup if only to shine a light on the city. On the other hand, the sense of entitlement of most Boston Sports Fans is nauseating. Red Sox fans are one thing. They want you think that they don't stink even though they're keeping an eye on the Yankees all the time. (Full disclosure: I grew up rooting for the Yankees.)

Patriots fans are jaundiced. They think it is a birthright to be in the Super Bowl.

The Celtics bandwagoneers'll bolt in the night once reality sets in after that NBA title last year. (Full disclosure: I grew up a Celtics fan.)

Saying that, I like Tim Thomas more than I like Cam Ward--even thought Ward won a Cup for Carolina back in the day. I like Eric Staal (Tavares = E. Staal 2.0) more than any of the other Bruins forwards. I like Chara more than all of them.

So what does this mean: I'm sorry if you read this, Mr. Bob Wells of Branford, CT, but I think the Hurricanes have a darn good chance tomorrow night...but the Bruins will go on to the Conference Finals.

Actually, Bob, that should make you happy. Hated to swerve you like that...but 1972 was a long time ago.

--

In other news...

PointBlank has a great story about Josh Bailey. Click here.

Hilarious Moronic Media Quote of the Year Award goes to...

2009-05-13T11:12:00.003-04:00

...SI's hockey writer Michael Farber, who said the following on TSN about the Islanders and their first overall pick in June:

"...New York Islanders, who have decided to poll fans about what to do with the number one draft choice. There are great hockey scouts right there, and they know what they're doing. This is an insult - one, to your scouts. ... But if you are listening to your fans, it's an insult because you're pandering people who don't know what they're doing."

Reminds me of the story Eric Bischoff had to tell Harvey Schiller after Schiller complained about the violence on a WCW TV Broadcast. Bischoff had to say, "Uh, Dr. Schiller...you didn't believe that was real, did you?

So an esteemed (cough) member of the mainstream media (cough) thinks that this Islanders contest if to help them actually decide who the team will pick with the draft pick? C'mon. We've all seen lazy journalism in our days but this one is unreal. A lazy writer goes on TV without looking into the real issue (marketing) and thinks it's real? Did any Islander fan out there who entered the contest (like me) to go to Montreal REALLY BEVIEVE THAT the Islanders were so perplexed about what to do that they has to turn to the paying customers for advice? Puh-leeze.

This is tough for me because I grew up reading Farber in Sports Illustrated back when it mattered. The only people who care about SI any more are the people who work there and the media-types who still think it's a call to the big leagues to get a job there. It's sad, but it's true.

I mean, hey, Michael--the Islanders have scouts! Lot of them! The assistant GM is a former scout who...get this...still does some scouting! Are we really thinking that they're going to discount all that travel and hard work just to chuck it all and go with the guy the fans pick?

It may be hard to see from Up There On High but this is why people hate the media, Mike.

In other great (but not surprising) news, would you believe that Kate Murray skipped another Lighthouse meeting on May 11? Would you? OK, that one was easy. But would you be surprised to learn that Ms. Murray has a father (not the surprise) who has a job paying $40 dollars an hour as a "part-time clerical aide"? And that he will be getting an annual public pension of $49,188 when he retires? And that the man is 83 years old?

According to Newsday's Eden Laikin, this is apparently all true. Maybe we should have a contest to select which of Kate Murray's relatives should get a new cushy job that they'll be way overpaid for! I'm thinking there have to be other Murrays out on the Island who can use a little money for nothing!

That's the real shame of government right there.

Tavares on the cover of THN's Draft Issue

2009-05-09T10:40:00.004-04:00

The headline really says it all. I just got the digital edition of The Hockey News' Draft Issue and wouldn't you know, John Tavares is the cover boy. With all of the speculation going around regarding Matt Duchene and Victor Hedman, I am betting the overwhelming majority of fans are still pinning their hopes on the explosive Tavares.

One thing that tends the bug the heck out of me--actually, there are a lot--is when you get a highly-touted and skilled young player who has been on the radar for a while that eventually people and scouts tun on them and start making a big deal about what they CAN'T do versus what the CAN do. So now there are whispers (probably coming out from the Canadian media) regarding Tavares and all of his "shortcomings" of being perhaps one-dimensional while the other guys, Duchene and Hedman are being built up for what the best parts of their own games are.

I call shenanigans--or at least, over-familiarity. Tavares has been talked up since he was a kid who challenged the rules to get himself into juniors as an underager to play with older, more skilled players. We've sort of been tracking the kid for years as the next great Canadian player to come out and now, that familiarity has become breed some discontent. Lots of kids come out of juniors and it takes them time to learn the defensive game. And so what if he isn't a "creator" of offense. Either is Eric Staal and the last time I checked, he was scoring goals and his Hurricanes had the best team in the leage during the regular season on the ropes and down 3-1.
******

Not going to get into the Lighthouse crap. I am sick of reading it and I am sick of worrying about it. You know where to go for updates and stuff. I will say that Kate Murray appears to be a leetle bit crooked when the company doing the feasibility studies are delaying their reports AND they also have contributed to her election campaigns in the past. Oh, yeah. And they're from out of county. Again, it doesn't take a truffle pig to smell shenanigans.
******

Check out the latest issue of Islanders Illustrated if you can. It's a beautiful Year in Pictures Review and I want to thank Linzi for ordering the magazine for me this past season.

The Isles also are having a contest to fly 8 fans to Montreal for the draft for a meet-and-greet with whomever the Isles pick in the first round. Two winners are being named each week. Seems like a good deal if you win and Montreal is always nice any time of the year.
******

I hope you've had a chance to follow the IIHF World Championships this spring in Switzerland. Kyle Okposo has played pretty well for the US, scoring two goals and he was also named the Player of the Game in a 3-2 loss to Russia after tying the game at 2 in the second period of the semifinal matchup.

The US goes for bronze tomorrow at 10AM Eastern on Universal Sports. They'll be playing Sweden while later in the day, Canada and Russia will face-off in a rematch from last's years final that Russia won. I know I'll be asking my mother to watch the games with me...she'll probably say no, but I will ask!

You can find more pictures of Okposo at the WC on the Islanders Facebook page. That's where this one came from.

Lots of interesting news in Islanders country of late....

2009-05-04T09:30:00.003-04:00

Today at 2PM on Universal Sports, Mark Streit and the Swiss team he captains take on Kyle Okposo's Team USA at the World Championships. I won't be seeing the game live due to a prior commitment (okay, "Wolverine") but we'll have a report up here as soon as we get around to it.

The US has already moved on but Switzerland has to win to stay alive in the tournament. For more on the game and the IIHF World Championships, go to http://www.iihf.com

There also seems to be a lot of chatter about Charles Wang telling Newsday "...if I had the chance, I wouldn't do it again" regarding buying the Islanders.

Um, give us a break. The man has lost tons of money trying to keep the team going and has also been spending money trying to revitalize the Coliseum area. Damn right he wouldn't if he knew that it was going to be this tough working with the town of Hempstead. I don't blame him for voicing his frustrations because we as Islanders fans are frustrated too. We were told the rink would get done years and years ago. No one could have predicted this nightmare.

And if Tom Petty said the waiting was the hardest part, then he was 1004% correct.

The only problem with the quote is that it totally undermines the job Garth Snow and Scott Gordon are doing. You don't think players, agents, and other front office types are going to use that against them when Garth and Jankowski are trying to talk to draftees and free agents, do you? Where is the emoticon for 'shaking my head'?

Mr. Wang, this quote also gives ammunition to the people who are fighting the Lighthouse. We understand and totally sympathize with you and your frustration. We get it about the money, too. But still....

And all this comes on the heels that the Islanders are having some real excitement with their season tickets and renewals since they've won the draft lottery.

See, as an Islander fan, you get the good and then you wait for a knee to the balls.

Dammit, this post should have been longer, but I'm pissed off again.

Second Round Predictions

2009-04-29T11:48:00.003-04:00

Before we get to my Stanley Cup Semifinals predictions, let's do a little revisiting with my first-round Stanley Cup Predictions:

Boston in five over Montreal (Boston swept 4-0)
Caps in six over Rangers (went seven)
Carolina in six over the Devils (also went seven)
Flyers in seven over Pittsburgh (Pittsburgh won the series)

Sharks in five over the Ducks (Ducks won and Sharks choked)
Red Wings in five over Columbus (Detroit rolled over the Jackets)
Canucks in five over the Blues (whooped up on them too)
Calgary in six over the Blackhawks (Chicago advances)

So, what does this prove? Not a whole heck of a lot. Many of the other alleged experts have similar won-loss records in this fickle prediction game. Last year I surprised myself at how well I did because usually I am about at the 50% level.

If you're Gary Bettman this morning, you're pretty happy. The matchup between the Ovies and The Genos (or Crosbies if you like) is the greatest matchup that they could have hoped for in the second round. Those faint cheers you hear are coming from Stamford, CT at the studio used for the great NHL on VERSUS studio show. What a perfect matchup to showcase the tedium and sheer lack of excitement from Bill Patrick and Company.

Actually, with Brian Engblom as part of the cast, you have no choice to be as bland as hot ham water. I don't think they need to panic on a "let's hire Dennis Miller to be on Monday Night Football"-kind of way, but they do need to liven it up. Even Keith Jones, who always seems like he want to be more fun, shrinks like a little man in cold water sitting next to he Human Cliché Machine.

Anyway, back to the predictions for Round Two...

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Bruins (1) vs. Hurricanes (6)--A classic Whalers-Bruins series? Hardly. The Bruins have been waiting forever to find out who they'd be playing so expect some rust in the first game or two. Still, I see the Bruins going on to the conference finals. Bruins in six.

Capitals (2) vs. Penguins (4)--I guess the first thing to consider is that we are really going to find out if the makeup between Ovechkin and Malkin was real or just for photographic purposes.

The Capitals were disappointing while getting by the Rangers. Were they bored? Were they thinking too much of themselves? Or did the Rangers find something they could exploit to slow down the Washington offense?

Penguins in seven. I want this to go seven games. Pittsburgh has been playing a much better team game since Dan (Interim no more) Bylsma became the coach.

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Red Wings (2) vs. Ducks (8)--This one tricks me like none if the others. The Ducks just knocked off the Sharks and now no one will ever want Joe Thornton to do anything after mid-April again. Seriously. If he buys lottery tickets, he may as well stop once April hits because he ain't winning anything.

The Red Wings are the Red Wings. The Ducks are surprising this spring after underachieving this past regular season. Is Osgood better than Jonas Hiller? I'm not so sure. Ozzie fought the puck all season and he's been facing questions all year.

The first impulse is to go with the experience...and the Wings have it...but then again, the Ducks won the Stanley Cup just a couple of years ago. Ah, hell: Detroit in seven.

Canucks (3) vs. Hawks (4)--Heart says Chicago and Patrick "Nobody dates my sisters" Kane. Head says Vancouver. Wildly inconsistent Khabibulin vs. Pretty darn good Roberto Luongo. That settles it: Canucks in six.

Streit pots the game-winner for Switzerland

2009-04-27T17:22:00.003-04:00

Switzerland beats Germany 3-2 in OT at worlds

By GRAHAM DUNBAR

BERN, Switzerland (AP)—Mark Streit scored a power-play goal in overtime Sunday to lift Switzerland to a 3-2 victory over Germany at the ice hockey world championship.

The New York Islanders defenseman sent in a shot through traffic 1:18 into the extra period to give the host Swiss their second straight victory in Group B.

Christoph Ullman gave Germany the lead with a power-play goal at 6:26 of the first period. Roman Wick tied the score within two minutes.

Mathias Seger gave the Swiss a 2-1 lead at 3:35 of the second, scoring with a shot low to the glove side of Germany goalie Dimitri Patzold.

Ottawa Senators defenseman Christoph Schubert tied the score with a short-handed goal at 13:02.

Each team failed to capitalize on a 5-on-3 power play in the third period.

Calder Cup Playoffs Update!

2009-04-24T09:00:00.003-04:00

The Bridgeport Sound Tigers face the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins tonight in an attempt to stave off elimination in the Calder Cup playoffs. The Tigers--with a refreshed Blake Comeau in the lineup--lost to the Penguins 2-1 last night. ThePenguins now hold a 3-1 lead in the best of seven series.

Peter Mannino had a strong game in net for the Sound Tigers, making 19 saves. Penguins goalie John Curry turned away 32 of 33 shots. Ben Walter scored on the PP for Bridgeport.

Game five can be seen live online at the Sound Tigers website.

Greg Logan's writeup on the Sound Tigers and Comeau is here.

Mike Fornabaio's Sound Tigers blog from the Connecticut Post is here.

Sound Tigers web pregame notes on game five are here .