Islanders Team Report from Yahoo! Sports

Inside Shots

The relatively small amount of fans and media who ardently follow the Islanders might be eyeing the first pick in the June entry draft, but the John Tavares sweepstakes continue to be a taboo topic among the existing players in the locker room.

“We know a lot of people talk about that, but we don’t,” emerging star Kyle Okposo told the New York Post. “Never. We’re trying to win games and play the best we can. That stuff comes with how the results go at end of the year.

“For sure it’s important to us, but you never know how a player’s gonna turn out. I know there’s a lot of good players in this draft, but we’re not thinking about it.”

With the worst record in the NHL through Saturday’s 5-2 loss in Ottawa, the Islanders would pick no worse than second in the draft because teams can’t drop more than one spot via the lottery. An unexpected hot streak earlier this month had threatened to lift them out of the NHL basement, but they have dropped three of four games entering Wednesday’s game against Minnesota.

“I told them earlier that we weren’t going to worry about our record, and that’s still true,” coach Scott Gordon said. “It says a lot about the approach we’ve had. At this time of year, you can have the mindset that, ‘I can’t wait ‘til the season’s over.’ That’s not the case here. It’s almost like our record doesn’t exist.”

Senators 5, Islanders 2: The Islanders netted four second-period goals Friday in Carolina and allowed four in the middle session one night later in Ottawa. Both extremes somehow resulted in the latest two losses for the Isles, who have dropped three of four games overall following a surprising 5-1-1 stretch that briefly threatened to get the NHL’s 30th-ranked team out of the league cellar.

Notes, Quotes

• D Bruno Gervais’ overall play recently has been “leaps and bounds ahead of where he started this year,” according to coach Scott Gordon. Gervais has been playing on the top defensive pairing with All-Star D Mark Streit, and he even has scored two goals in his last 10 games after being held scoreless for 160 appearances since 2006.

“One thing I’ve been noticing is that players are a lot more relaxed now, and I think skill comes out when guys are relaxed,” Gervais told Newsday. “I used to feel every loss was the end of the world…You bring your best effort to the rink, but people around you don’t deserve to pay for your performance. You want to win; you’re intense, but I have a rule. When it turns midnight, it’s a new day.”

• C Doug Weight is skating and trying to make it back to the lineup from a knee injury before the season is over. The veteran pivot and pending unrestricted free agent also has expressed interest in returning next season after the Islanders took a chance on him last summer.

“Let’s put it this way: there’s nothing that’s making me run from Long Island,” Weight said recently. “I love it here and I love this organization and the guys on the team. There’s nothing I’d like more than to get something done for next season.”

Quote To Note: “If you have a good night, it makes it a lot sweeter if it’s a ‘W.’”—Center Josh Bailey, after the first two-goal game of his career was wasted in a 5-2 loss Saturday in Ottawa.

Islanders Team Report from Yahoo! Sports

Scott Gordon asks the Islanders to forecheck so aggressively during games that he often backs off on his team in practice.

That all changed Friday, when Gordon punished his players with a super-hard skate following numerous breakdowns and lazy plays in a season-worst 9-2 loss Thursday at Pittsburgh.

“You say, ‘I don’t want to kill them in practice and not get it in the game,’” Gordon told Newsday. “Well, now I’m at the point where it doesn’t really matter. This needs to be addressed, and it probably should have been addressed three games ago.”

The losing continued Saturday night in Columbus, the Isles’ sixth straight defeat and their eighth in nine games entering Tuesday’s return home against Washington. The Isles (10-18-2) have given up an NHL-worst 110 goals.

“It’s been an ongoing situation where we have not backchecked with awareness and purpose,” Gordon said. “We have to play with more desperation and more purpose all the time. When you’re not doing that, you become easier to play against. That’s not what we want our team identity to be.”

Blue Jackets 3, Islanders 1: Well, at least it wasn’t 9-2. Since that was the bloated score of the Isles’ previous game Thursday in Pittsburgh, perhaps this represented progress back into respectability. But perhaps not, as the Isles meekly completed an 0-4 road trip and fell to a mind-boggling 2-7-1 in their history against Columbus. Goalie Joey MacDonald and the Isles’ defensive efforts clearly were sharper than they’d been in the Penguins debacle two nights earlier, but their offensive woes continued with just one shorthanded goal on 25 shots against Jackets rookie Steve Mason. During their six-game losing streak, the Isles have scored fewer than three goals five times.

Notes, Quotes

• C Mike Sillinger, at 37 and five NHL games removed from February hip surgery, probably wasn’t the best candidate to survive coach Scott Gordon’s punishing “bag skate” on Friday. And he didn’t. Sillinger strained his groin and sat out Saturday’s game against Columbus.

“I guess it’s a mini-training camp for me, and the tightness with my hips is going to go to other areas,” Sillinger said. “It’s just a minor tweak, but I’ve got to be able to skate. It doesn’t help whenever you have one hip compensating.”

• C Doug Weight has been a rare and surprising bright spot this season, leading the Isles with 27 points and moving within four of reaching 1,000 for his NHL career.

“To play as long as I have and to be successful and to be coming up on that mark, I’m very proud of it and very excited about it,” Weight told Newsday. “It sounds like I’m answering in the politically correct way, but I want to mix it in with some wins. It’s more enjoyable around your team.”

Quote To Note: “It’s tough, but we have got to try to keep it positive and try to do the things that we know that work for us. We can’t be too negative. We have to keep on going. We can’t quit here.”—Winger Sean Bergenheim, after the Isles lost their sixth straight game Saturday, 3-1 at Columbus.

Player Notes:

• G Joey MacDonald returned to goal after getting yanked after one period in a 9-2 loss Thursday in Pittsburgh. MacDonald stopped 32 of 35 shots in a 3-1 loss to Columbus.
• RW Richard Park notched his second shorthanded goal of the season, and the seventh for the Isles, second-most in the NHL.

• LW Jon Sim returned to the lineup, replacing injured C Mike Sillinger, after being a healthy scratch for the first time this season Thursday in Pittsburgh.

Medical Watch:

• G Rick DiPietro, who underwent arthroscopic surgery Oct. 31 on his left knee, has resumed skating in full equipment and hopes to return by late December.

—C Mike Comrie, who underwent offseason surgery on his right hip, has resumed skating but missed his 16th straight game since Nov. 11 with inflammation.

• D Bruno Gervais was placed on injured reserve and missed his ninth straight game with an undisclosed leg injury.

• D Radek Martinek, who’s been limited to 10 appearances this season, went back on the injured list with a shoulder injury suffered Nov. 29. He is expected to miss 3-to-4 weeks.

• C Frans Nielsen will miss 8-to-12 weeks after suffering multiple leg injuries, believed to include a high-ankle sprain, Nov. 21 in New Jersey.

• RW Kyle Okposo missed his 12th straight game since suffering a right wrist injury Nov. 17 and is expected to be out until mid-January.

• C Mike Sillinger, who missed the first 24 games due to February hip surgery, lasted five games before exiting the lineup again with a strained groin. He is day-to-day.

Opening Night at the Rock: Devils 2 Isles 1

What I liked:

--The pace of the game. The Isles may lose 50 games like a lot of the so-called experts are thinking but they are not going to be boring. The constant pressure and pushing of the tempo by Scott Gordon's Islanders is going to be fun to watch.

--Jack Hillen. Is it me or is Hillen one of those guys you just seem to notice when he is on the ice? Reminds me of something my Dad told me once: some guys are players and some guys are playing. The players affect the flow of the players are along for the ride, reacting. Seems to me, from what we have seen in three games, Hillen is perfectly adept at affecting and making other guys react.

--Joey MacDonald. He was superb as a surprise starter in net. Good idea to hold DiPietro off for the home opener, too.

--Richard Park. Sure, he hit two posts but the fact is that he got himself into a position to make plays. Won 9 of 12 faceffs too.

--Bruno Gervais asserting himself offensively.

What I didn't like:

--One goal. Yeah, it's Brodeur but one goal is not going to make anyone feel any better about the expected scoring woes.

--The Power play. Sure looked unorganized at times...but Mark Streit looked confident running the show. The PP is always the last part of a team's game to get together so of course there is still time.

Overall, a loss is a loss but at the very least, our boys were competing hard. Tonight the Blues invade the Coliseum. Man, it is good to have hockey back.

Josh Bailey, Blake Comeau, and Thomas Pock were the "healthy" scratches.

Let me leave you with this picture of a-hole Joe Elliott placing The Cup upside down on the stage Thursday night in Detroit. You can't tell me that this wasn't on purpose. The base of The Cup is black and looks like THE BASE OF THE CUP for crissakes. Def Leppard blows and Elliott must've huffed too much hairspray sharing tour buses with Bon Jovi in the eighties.

(Picture from Yahoo's Puck Daddy hockey blog)

Birthday boy Lee nets OT winner for Isles

By IRA PODELL, AP Hockey Writer

NEWARK, N.J. (AP)—Chris Lee scored 2:28 into overtime on his 28th birthday Friday night, lifting the New York Islanders to a 3-2 preseason victory over the New Jersey Devils.

Lee snapped a drive that beat backup goalie Kevin Weekes on New York’s 20th shot. Fellow defenseman Bruno Gervais, who turned 24 Friday, earned an assist. The Islanders got the win after losing a 2-1 lead late in the second period.

“I don’t think the goalie saw it, and to be honest I didn’t see it go in, either,” Lee said. “It was a delayed celebration, but it was a great feeling. This is definitely the best birthday present I’ve ever gotten.”

After recording only five shots in the first period against Islanders third-string goalie Yann Danis, the Devils got even on Zach Parise’s power-play goal with 26.4 seconds left in the middle period.

New York couldn’t get the puck out of its zone during New Jersey’s third power play of the period—a high-sticking double-minor against Jeremy Colliton.

Devils defenseman Anssi Salmela slid a diagonal pass from the left point to Parise in the low right circle. Parise snapped a shot that beat Danis for his fifth goal of the preseason.

The Devils went on a 5-on-3 power play 13 seconds later when Lee was sent off for hooking. New Jersey enjoyed that manpower edge for well over a minute into the third period, but couldn’t take the lead.

It wasn’t for a lack of trying, though. The Islanders killed off the penalties only to go short-handed again at 2:04. The Devils pumped in five shots and hit the post with two other attempts. Patrik Elias slid the puck through the crease, but it caught the right post.

“At 5-on-5, I thought our guys did a tremendous job,” first-year Islanders coach Scott Gordon said. “I’d be surprised if they had more than 15 shots 5-on-5. The majority of their shots came on the power play, particularly the 5-on-3.

“When you’re short-handed for pretty much six consecutive minutes and close to eight, you’re going to lose momentum.”

New Jersey took a 1-0 lead 3:32 in on its first shot. Johnny Oduya let go a drive from above the left circle that hit the right post and caromed in.

The Islanders tied it on Andy Hilbert’s stuff shot near the right post with 4:29 left in the first period, and Kurtis McLean made it 2-1 for New York 2:55 later when his drive from the left point seemed to hit Salmela in flight and take a dip past Weekes.

That was quite a change from Wednesday on Long Island when the Devils defeated the Islanders 3-0 behind a 17-save effort by No. 1 goalie Martin Brodeur.

“Every game you play you want to win,” said Mike Comrie, one of the few Islanders veterans in the lineup. “When you’re playing a division rival, you just expect a lot out of everybody. It’s nice to get a win but we know we have a long road ahead of us.”

The Devils outshot New York 12-0 in the third on Friday before the Islanders recorded their first shot of the period shortly after the 13-minute mark. Until then, New Jersey had showed mostly lackluster play.

“For the first half of the game, that’s exactly what we were,” Devils coach Brent Sutter said. “We did a much better job in the second half of having some assertiveness and puck pursuit. Our forecheck was a lot better, there wasn’t as many gaps. The shots on goal showed that.”

Danis finished with 28 saves. Regular backup Joey MacDonald also dressed, but New York’s No. 1 netminder Rick DiPietro is close to returning. He skated with teammates Friday morning and is expected to get the start Monday when the Islanders finish their preseason schedule at Florida.

The Islanders and Devils will open the regular season against each other next Friday in New Jersey.

Notes

The Islanders are expected to be without defensemen Andy Sutton and Chris Campoli for several weeks. Sutton is out because of hand surgery. Campoli is sidelined by an injured shoulder, not the one he dislocated last season that knocked him out for the season in January. … Veteran forwards Bill Guerin and Doug Weight sat out for the Islanders. They are expected to play the final two preseason games.

Islanders Team Report

Courtesy: Yahoo! Sports

Inside Shots

Islanders general manager Garth Snow took his time talking to men of various experience levels while searching for Ted Nolan’s replacement as head coach.

He found him in AHL Providence coach Scott Gordon, who was introduced as the Islanders’ head coach on Aug. 13.

Gordon, the AHL’s Coach of the Year, is accustomed to dealing with young players, which will be critical given the Isles’ commitment to a youth movement. Nolan reportedly was not, which led to his dismissal.

“I could tell right away when he walked through my office door that there was chemistry and that we were speaking the same language,” said Snow of Gordon.

While many big-name coaches with NHL experience were discussed before the club decided to give Gordon his first taste of coaching in the NHL, Gordon is optimistic that his experience in the AHL has prepared him to deal with a young, struggling Islanders team.

“It didn’t just take coaching Xs and Os, it took the players buying into the system that we play and being accountable to each other. That’s kind of the last step in my development as a coach in refining the team chemistry part of it—how to get the guys to want to play for each other. I’ve been able to find what works and doesn’t work and been able to do it on a small stage and not have to have the growing pains, hopefully, at the NHL level.”

Of course, hope springs eternal in August.

Notes, Quotes

• The Islanders announced their 2008 preseason schedule, including one home game at Nassau Coliseum, Oct. 1 against New Jersey. With training camp to be held in Moncton, New Brunswick, for the second straight year, the Isles will play host to Boston at Moncton Coliseum on Sept. 23. They also will play Philadelphia in London, Ontario, on Sept. 25 and Florida in Sumerside on Prince Edward Island on Sept. 27. The Isles also play in New Jersey, Boston and Florida in early October.

Quote To Note: “Communication is key, along with the ability to provide structure to the team, to be able to discipline players and to hold players accountable. I’ll look for a coach who has integrity, an inspirational, motivational, knowledgeable coach. Those are the ingredients I feel a great coach has. I look forward to the process of finding our next head coach.”—GM Garth Snow, on the Islanders’ coaching search.

Roster Report

Draft Picks Of Note:

Corey Trivino, 6-1, 170, OPJHL Stouffville, 36th overall: The speedy center scored 69 points in 39 games in the Ontario Provincial junior A league, plus four goals for champion Team Canada at the World under-18 Junior tournament in January.

Aaron Ness, D, 5-9-1/2, 157, Roseau HS (Minn.), 40th overall: The undersized defenseman was Mr. Hockey in Minnesota in 2008, with 72 points from the blue line in 31 games for his high school team. Interestingly, Ness will attend the University of Minnesota and coach Don Lucia, who took issue with the Isles and with Snow for signing 2006 first-round pick Kyle Okposo away from the Golden Gophers in the middle of the college hockey season last winter.

David Toews, 5-10, 175, Shattuck-St. Mary’s HS (Minn.), 64th overall: The younger brother of Chicago rising star Jonathan Toews had 100 points in 51 games (44-56) for Minnesota’s top high school program. The younger Toews is headed to the University of North Dakota.

Kirill Petrov, 6-3, 198, RSL AK Kazan: 73rd overall: The Isles took a chance on Petrov, the No. 2-ranked European skater (behind No. 6 overall selection Nikita Filatov) by NHL Central Scouting. Petrov plummeted in the draft because he is under contract for the next two seasons in Russia. The right wing was named the top forward at under-18 worlds last winter with five goals in six games.

Free Agent Focus: After signing center Doug Weight, power-play quarterback Mark Streit and third-string goalie Yann Danis, the Isles boast 24 one-way contracts for 23 roster spots for 2007-08. When asked by Newsday if that means he’s likely done shopping on the free-agent market, GM Garth Snow replied, “I would say so, but I’ll still poke around and make calls.”

Player Notes:

• C Frans Nielsen, a Denmark product who has appeared in 31 games for the Islanders the past two seasons, received a four-year contract worth $2.1 million.

• D Bruno Gervais became the last returning Islander to land a new contract, signing a three-year deal worth $2.225 million on July 25.

Islanders Team Report

Courtesy: Yahoo! Sports

Inside Shots

Islanders general manager Garth Snow is taking his time and talking to men of various experience levels in searching for Ted Nolan’s replacement as head coach.

Since Nolan was axed on July 14, ostensibly for not being on board with the franchise’s stated youth movement, Snow reportedly has interviewed at least five candidates. Those range from Bob Hartley and John Tortorella, who won Stanley Cup titles with Colorado and Tampa Bay, respectively, to veteran NHL coach Paul Maurice.

Former Bruins coach Mike Sullivan, who was an assistant to Tortorella last season with the Lightning, and AHL Providence coach Scott Gordon also were on Long Island in late July to meet with Snow.

According to Newsday, former St. Louis and Colorado coach Joel Quenneville also declined an invitation by Snow to interview for the vacancy.

Notes, Quotes

• The Islanders announced their 2008 preseason schedule, including one home game at Nassau Coliseum, Oct. 1 against New Jersey. With training camp to be held in Moncton, New Brunswick, for the second straight year, the Isles will play host to Boston at Moncton Coliseum on Sept. 23. They also will play Philadelphia in London, Ontario, on Sept. 25 and Florida in Sumerside on Prince Edward Island on Sept. 27. The Isles also play in New Jersey, Boston and Florida in early October.

Quote To Note: “Communication is key, along with the ability to provide structure to the team, to be able to discipline players and to hold players accountable. I’ll look for a coach who has integrity, an inspirational, motivational, knowledgeable coach. Those are the ingredients I feel a great coach has. I look forward to the process of finding our next head coach.”—GM Garth Snow, on the Islanders’ coaching search.

Roster Report

Draft Picks Of Note:

Corey Trivino, 6-1, 170, OPJHL Stouffville, 36th overall: The speedy center scored 69 points in 39 games in the Ontario Provincial junior A league, plus four goals for champion Team Canada at the World under-18 Junior tournament in January.

Aaron Ness, D, 5-9-1/2, 157, Roseau HS (Minn.), 40th overall: The undersized defenseman was Mr. Hockey in Minnesota in 2008, with 72 points from the blue line in 31 games for his high school team. Interestingly, Ness will attend the University of Minnesota and coach Don Lucia, who took issue with the Isles and with Snow for signing 2006 first-round pick Kyle Okposo away from the Golden Gophers in the middle of the college hockey season last winter.

David Toews, 5-10, 175, Shattuck-St. Mary’s HS (Minn.), 64th overall: The younger brother of Chicago rising star Jonathan Toews had 100 points in 51 games (44-56) for Minnesota’s top high school program. The younger Toews is headed to the University of North Dakota.

Kirill Petrov, 6-3, 198, RSL AK Kazan: 73rd overall: The Isles took a chance on Petrov, the No. 2-ranked European skater (behind No. 6 overall selection Nikita Filatov) by NHL Central Scouting. Petrov plummeted in the draft because he is under contract for the next two seasons in Russia. The right wing was named the top forward at under-18 worlds last winter with five goals in six games.

Free Agent Focus: After signing center Doug Weight, power-play quarterback Mark Streit and third-string goalie Yann Danis, the Isles boast 24 one-way contracts for 23 roster spots for 2007-08. When asked by Newsday if that means he’s likely done shopping on the free-agent market, GM Garth Snow replied, “I would say so, but I’ll still poke around and make calls.”

Player Notes:

• C Frans Nielsen, a Denmark product who has appeared in 31 games for the Islanders the past two seasons, received a four-year contract worth $2.1 million.

• D Bruno Gervais became the last returning Islander to land a new contract, signing a three-year deal worth $2.225 million on July 25.

Islanders agree to deal with Gervais

By Canadian Press July 25, 2008

LONG ISLAND, N.Y. - The New York Islanders have added to their defence corp by signing defenceman Bruno Gervais to a three-year, US$2.2225-million contract on Friday.

The deal keeps Gervais under contract through the 2010-11 season and means the Islanders have now locked up all of their potential restricted free agents for the upcoming season.

Gervais recorded 13 assists while averaging 20:00 minutes of ice time last season. The 23-year-old Acadie, Que., native Gervais has played in 138 career NHL games over the course of three seasons with the Islanders and has scored three goals with 23 assists for 26 points.

"Bruno is a homegrown talent and has been developing in our system for a few years," said Islanders GM Garth Snow in a statement. "He's a high character player and person and is someone who is great in the Long Island community. We're very excited to have him on board for the next three years."

Gervais was originally drafted by the Islanders in the sixth round (182nd overall) of the 2003 NHL Entry Draft.

Bergenheim, Gervais amongst six receiving qualifying offers

UNIONDALE, NEW YORK (TICKER) —Left wing Sean Bergenheim and defenseman Bruno Gervais were among six players who were extended qualifying offers by the New York Islanders on Wednesday.

Also receiving qualifying offers were centers Jeremy Colliton, Ben Walter and Frans Nielsen and left wing Jeff Tambellini. All six players become restricted free agents if not signed by July 1.

Bergenheim appeared in 78 games with the Islanders last season, registering 10 goals and 22 points.

Gervais saw action in 60 games for the Isles last season, collecting 13 assists.

NYIFORLIFE.com REACTION: Bergie and Gervais are obvious favorites of management. Colliton, Nielsen, and Tambellini all should have expanded roles with the team in 2008-09.

Walter is interesting. Clearly, he is a depth guy that will be counted on to carry the flag in Bridgeport, but he proved he is not out of place in the NHL. Since he has been qualified, it means that if the Isles want to send Walter (or any of the others who were qualified) to Bridgeport that they are going to have to leave him exposed to waivers. He could be claimed by anyone in the NHL.

More interesting are the guys who were let go. The Isles let go of three defensemen: Aaron Johnson, Drew Fata and Matthew Spiller. Also allowed to become a free agent was Bridgeport fan favorite Steve Regier.

Tonight it's the Canadiens

Greg Logan is reporting in his blog that Bruno Gervais is still suffering from concussion symptoms and that the team may shut him down for the year.

Brendan Witt skated this morning but is not expected to play.

Islanders Team Report courtesy Yahoo! Sports

Inside Shots

In the middle of an interview on a top-rated local radio program Thursday, Islanders general manager Garth Snow was asked if Ted Nolan’s decision to start backup goalie Wade Dubielewicz for the third straight game that night caused him to raise an eyebrow.

“One eyebrow or two?” Snow replied.

Snow already was on record earlier in the week that he expected All-Star starter Rick DiPietro back in the lineup Thursday on the back end of a home-and-home series against the rival Rangers, even though Dubielewicz had filled in admirably in a 4-3 shootout victory two nights earlier at Madison Square Garden with DiPietro skipping his second straight game due to the death last week of his grandmother.

The Isles’ ongoing struggles on the power play were more of a factor than was Dubielewicz’s play in Thursday’s playoff-damaging 4-1 loss, and Nolan undoubtedly will switch back to his workhorse starter for Saturday’s visit to Philadelphia.

Still, DiPietro, who returned from Massachusetts in time to practice with the team Wednesday and again at Thursday’s morning skate, has 13 years remaining after this season on a 15-year contract. Thus, it was big news that Nolan had the pucks to stick with Dubielewicz, who entered the game with 13 wins in his NHL career.

“I was told I wasn’t playing,” said DiPietro, who sports a lackluster save percentage of .886 over his past 16 starts. “At the end of the day, that’s a coach’s decision. Dubie played well the last game and got us that win in the shootout. It was unfortunate I was away a couple of days and missed time.”

Nolan also wasn’t pleased that DiPietro announced the decision to the media before he did.

“Ricky has to concentrate on being a goaltender and we’ll concentrate on coaching the team,” he said. “We’re in the business of winning games, so you’ve got to go with the hot goaltender — if that’s the case — or you come back with our No. 1 guy.

“Either way, it’s a tough decision. But actually, it’s a good decision. You want tough decisions to make. If it’s easy, the competition isn’t there. So, a hard decision is better for the team. It’s a great position for us to be in deciding which goaltender should go because they’re both very adequate.”

Rangers 4, Islanders 1: Whatever you think of Ted Nolan’s daring decision to stick with backup Wade Dubielewicz for a third straight game despite All-Star starter Rick DiPietro’s availability, know that goaltending wasn’t to blame for the Islanders’ latest anemic loss. Heck, instead of manning the door at the end of the bench, maybe DiPietro’s vaunted stick-handling skills could have proved helpful at the point to aid another wretched performance by the Isles’ putrid power-play unit. The Isles went 0-for-5 with the man-advantage, including three straight power-play opportunities with the game within reach in the second period. With their fifth loss in their last seven games, the low-scoring Isles slipped to five points behind the eighth-place Flyers in the Eastern Conference, with a visit to Philadelphia on tap for Saturday.

Notes, Quotes

• D Bruno Gervais (concussion) skated Thursday for the second consecutive day, but Isles coach Ted Nolan said there is no timetable presently for his return to the lineup. LW Jon Sim, who had surgery in October to repair a torn ACL, also has resumed skating on his own, but it remains doubtful that he will be back before the regular season is over.

Quote To Note: “I thought Dubie did well. He had a breakaway against him, then a re-direction on the second and third (goals). It certainly wasn’t Dubielewicz’s fault. He played a strong game and kept us in. Rick (DiPietro) will have two practices under his belt and he’ll run with it from here on in.”—Coach Ted Nolan, on his decision to give backup goalie Wade Dubielewicz a third straight start in Thursday’s 4-1 loss to the Rangers.

It Had To End, Really

Well, the Isles six game win streak had to come to end eventually, and it did yesterday in the matinee against the Devils.

The Isles dropped the game 4-2 and despite Chico Resch's obvious appreciation for Rick DiPietro, Ricky was not as sharp as he needed to be. It's no secret to anyone who watches the Islanders that the team is going to go as far as DiPietro can take them. Yesterday, he was not his strongest and it had to be expected.

The big news for the team came before the game when it was announced that Trent Hunter had signed a new 5 year deal. On the other end of the spectrum, it was also announced that Mike Sillinger would be undergoing season-ending hip surgery. While the team has played well in his absence, the guys are going to miss Sillinger's leadership on and off the ice.

Bruno Gervais also made his return to the lineup after missing the win streak.

Hockey Night In Canada

Tonight the boys are on HNIC. I only wish the Islanders were in a better state right now for the big game in Ottawa, but they're not. At the very least, we get to see Don Cherry.

In the past few days, Freddy Meyer has been shut down with a broken finger. Accoring to the team website, Fred's been gutting it out with the finger for some time now. Hats off to him. He's proven to be a team guy.

It also looks like Bruno Gervais is going to be shut down with that bad ankle as well. Again, it is a good move. Both guys have shown promise and have long careers ahead of them.

Garth Snow has brought in some replacements on defense--and boy, do we need it. Deron Quint and Todd Simpson have been signed for the rest of the season. At the very least, bringing in two veterans to take over for the depleted squad show the guys in the room that the team brass is still trying to make that playoff push.

Bad news on the guys up front too. As everyone already knows, Captain Canada was out of the last game against Buffalo with a leg problem. I hope Ryan Smyth plays tonight in Ottawa. Andy Hilbert's shoulder kept him out of the Buffalo game as well.

There's speculation surrounding the goaltending situation for the Islanders. Ricky's concussion issues--and yes, they are officially concussion issues now--may keep him out for the rest of the year. Wallace Matthews in Newsday wrote that the team should keep Rick out of the rest of the season, and I have to say that I agree. Whatever side of the 15-year contract you're on, no one wants to see a young man cut down in his prime.

Expect Wade Dubielewicz tonight. I thought he was solid coming in for Dunham in Buffalo.