Rangers. The Freaking Rangers.

Well, the DP drama continues. Is he hurt? Is he not hurt? Coach says yes. Team calls up Yann Danis to carry MacD's bags tonight. Botta vs. Logan in one of the stranger faceoffs in our time.

Let's face it: weird shit follows this team around like a bad girlfriend.

The Logan vs. Botta debate is nothing I am going to touch. You know why? Because I know nothing about it. When Linzi and I started this website, I knew for a fact that I was not going to cover pissing contests. My only "deal" (for lack of a better word) with either of the websites is that I am super-glad each exists so that we can get some straight-shooting and news about the team we all love. If there is a professional beef or whatever, out official position is that we hold out hands up. While we are linked from Greg's site--and we love the feedback we've gotten from the traffic funneled our way--we rarely post or make comments there. I've done it maybe twice on the Botta site and that was to get some clarification regarding Mark Parrish's PTO contract with Bridgeport from a guy who would know a heck of a lot better than me.

So, tonight we have the Rangers. No Ricky. No Brendan Witt (for how long?) and no Freddy Meyer (for what, exactly?). Brett Skinner has been called up to the main roster according to multiple sources. He's been enjoying one heck of a start in the American League after what was termed a good camp with the Isles. So we will see him in action tonight.

Ricky was, as you all know, pulled after the first period Saturday night against the Whalercanes. He had a couple of giveaways where he was trying to force the play with the long passes and man, that one he handed to Iron Hands Chad LaRose was a stomach punch. Sing along with me, because we all know the words: Rick needs to trust his defensemen and not try to do too much. Scott Gordon told Point Blank the same thing we've been hearing for years. FOR YEARS.

Joey MacDonald came in and played admirably for the remainder of the game. The Isles put up a team-record 60 shots on Cam Ward (by the way, Ward is pretty good) and even a PENALTY SHOT with seven-tenths of a second on the clock wasn't enough to pull the Isles through to tie Carolina.

Seriously, though, Dougie, right in the breadbasket?

Oh, and Kyle Okposo, Frans Nielsen, and Jeff Tambellini haven't scored yet this year. Bergenheim has 2 and he plays like hi pants are on fire every shift he is out there. Nate Thompson took one for the team in a fight with Tim Gleason. The size difference was almost as funny as when Lou the sandwich girl told Chuck that their vast height differences intrigued her last season on "Chuck". Different kind of dance partners, I know, but Nate gave it a shot and it did fire the team up for a while.

Last, I know you all saw the hit on Brandon Sutter from the previously mentioned Doug Weight. Legal hit; Welcome to the NHL. The Carolina players knew it too because no one stepped in to start a fracas or anything with Weight as Doug looked over to see if the kid was okay. Doug is a classy dude and known throughout the league as a good guy and not a cheap guy. Big thumbs up to Chris Campoli, too, who was right there playing Sundance in case someone was going to come after his teammate, bad shoulder and all.

The End of the Line

By now, everyone has read the great post by Chris Botta on his own site...which is coming to and end this week. Seriously, since the guy left the Islanders, Chris Botta has probably been the single most important person out there for breaking news on the team and giving us the straight talk we are not getting from the team's management. He is so going to be missed.

Anyhoo, for those wondering, the post I am referring to is regarding the relationship (or lack thereof) between Garth Snow and Ted Nolan. Despite everything they say publicly, it would take a complete moron with a frightening blind faith not to realize that there is a real problem there.

Botta makes many points to illustrate when he thinks each man has gone wrong. Suffice to say that Ted has been guilty of biting the hand that fed him and Garth has been guilty of imposing his will on the players and team that Nolan has to coach without asking/getting/receiving input from the man directly responsible for trying to get the group to pull in one direction.

Botta recognizes that both guys are in the wrong and that the longer this goes on, the longer and more painful the divorce is going to be. You could see it at the end of last year and you just know that it has been simmering all summer.

I mean, come on, who didn't say WTF?? when Garth and Ryan Jankowski went up to announce the Josh Bailey pick at the draft? Did you notice that Ted Nolan was at one end of the table and that Mr. Wang, Chris Dey, Garth, and Jankowski were all at the other? The COACH OF THE ISLANDERS WAS AT THE KID'S TABLE, for Pete's sake, while the grownups at the other end were spinning, dealing, and deciding for the entire organization. I mean, Bill Guerin was seated half-way in between management and the coach. Does that mean he had more input in the pick than the head coach did? The head coach that no one conferred with?

Are you a big believer in body language? I am. Ted Nolan was sitting there, shoulders slumped forward, head about a foot off the table, looking every bit like a kid who didn't want to sit down for dinner. You know why? Because no one bothered asking him what he wanted to eat!

Does that mean I think Teflon Ted is the wronged party in this crumbling marriage? Nope. I sure do not. I don't because as Botta mentioned, Ted more than once gave the old "you play who they give you" defense as the team limped to the spring. I mean, that is almost as bad as blaming the players for playing badly even though you think you're coaching well!

And Garth Snow is not absolved of blame in the rift. He's not exactly been the most accommodating manager either. He's ripped guys in the press like Dubie when maybe he didn't have to...

....which by the way is the PERFECT illustration of the breakdown in communication. When Dubie was allowed to walk (all the way to Russia), Garth was in Newsday saying that he had showed up to the previous camp out of shape and that the coaching staff (Nolan) had lost faith in him and that was the reason Rick DiPietro was overplayed until he was injured.

Shortly thereafter, Nolan is asked about Snow's comments and he denies ever losing faith in his backup goalie. He also kind of tossed Rick into the fire by casually mentioning that DiPietro wanted to play a lot (he repeatedly expressed the desire for Brodeur-numbers last summer) and that he admired Dubie for how he played and got the Isles into the playoffs the previous spring.

Um, conflict? Conflict resolution, anyone? Am I the only one who thinks this he said/he said crap is just a little too "High School" for the NHL? How is anything positive going to come of this?

I guess what I am saying is this: we're going to miss Chris Botta's posts and that yes, it's gonna be a long year. This thing is just heating up and unless somebody in power either grows up or makes a decision one way or another, the 2008-09 season is not going to be positive for the New York Islanders or their long suffering fans.

And I think I just threw up in my mouth.

Some random thoughts after returning from vacation...

First off, I picked the Penguins to win the Cup in six over the Red Wings. So, there you go. Don't the Penguins realize that to win the cup that they're going to need to score a goal once in a while?

And where the heck is Evgeni Malkin? I swear if he was wearing a red and white striped shirt that we'd be calling him Waldo right about now. Crosby hasn't been outstanding but at least there is an effort there when he skates into the swarming Detroit defense. This thing is over in four unless Geno gets off his backside.

While in Las Vegas, I was in a store that was broadcasting the Mike and Mike Show on ESPN Radio. Mark Messier was a guest and Mike Golic's opening statement made me want to puke. I'm not going to even bother trying to explain it here. Why does the NHL and hockey feel like they always need to apologize for the game? Needless to say, my wife and I left the store quickly before I heard any more.

Memo to Mike Golic and everyone else: the world does not revolve around ESPN. Take that from a guy born and bred in Bristol, CT.

There was also a story floating around that the NHL had outdrawn the NBA this season by an average of 6 fans per game. Those six people are the coolest people ever. Of course, you won't hear this on you-know-where.

Chris Botta, as you all know by now, has resigned as PR guru for the Islanders. I didn't know what to write about this for the longest time because I didn't know if it was going to make any kind of difference on the ice or not. Right now, I doubt that it will but you never know. The man has been apparently been tireless working for the team for some 20 years and if his blog is any proof, the guy is going to have one heck of a book to write one of these days. He's been through it all from the Spano nightmare; the Gang of Four; working with Mike Milbury; fishsticks, etc. Get working on the book, Chris!

Did you all see the Memorial Cup? The Spokane Chiefs won, if you're scoring at home, and we know that you are. Had to feel terribly for Spokane captain Chris Bruton, who raised the Cup over his head in triumph, only to see the trophy fall apart as he was about to pass it to a teammate. The look on the poor kid's face when the trophy fell to the ice was one of total shock and fear.

Of course, it wasn't too bad after all. Seems the real Memorial Cup is at the Hall of Fame in Toronto and the one that broke was actually a replica. Funny, but you'd think the replica would be stabilized for these emotional photographic events, but I guess not in this case.

Training Camp is open in Moncton!

Were you like me, scouring the stores to see if Hallmark makes a "Training Camp is Open!" card for your friends and family?

Some great news: Eric Cairns has returned to the Islanders. From Chris Botta's Point Blank blog, it seems that Cairns called Garth Snow, said he was retired, and wanted to get involved in the alumni-side of things. In fact, he is in Moncton with the team, ready to do what is needed. Great to have the big guy back. It's great to see how much Mr. Wang and the management team have embraced the alumni. Without them, the fans and the team have no history. Remember how the Gang of Four and Don Maloney wanted the Cup years buried? Embarrassing.

The Islanders also acquired center Ben Walter (the son of Canadiens and Capitals captain Ryan Walter) and a conditional second-round pick in the 2009 draft from the Boston Bruins on Sept. 11 for former first-round selection Petteri Nokelainen.

At first glance, this looks like a steal for the Isles, doesn't it? We're getting a guy with classic NHL pedigree and an ability to put up fine numbers in the AHL (24 goals and 43 points in 73 games for Providence last year) for a guy who has been injured and inactive a lot for the Sound Tigers since he has been drafted in 2004.

This move doesn't mean that the Isles felt "safe" giving up on Nokelainen...it just seems to be part of an overall move league-wide to get the team a little more North American. With Walter, the team knows what they're getting. He's proven himself to be a quality AHL player and now you know he will be given every chance to skate a regular shift for the big club. Getting the chance is all a player can ask for and Ted Nolan proved one thing in his first season with the team: everyone gets an opportunity if they earn it. Look at guys like Richard Park and Mike Dunham last year. They went from attending camp on tryouts to playing key roles for the Islanders' drive to the playoffs.

Speaking of Mike Dunham, Dunnie ended his 10-year playing career this past Monday to become the goaltending coach for the team.

Another solid move for the team. Dunham played well in stretches when the team needed him (at the beginning of the year) and then had difficulty shaking out the rust toward the end after playing caddy for Ricky for so long. Dunham has been around the guys and must have an excellent rapport with DiPietro and Dubie--he was one of the big cheerleaders on the bench for Dubielewicz as he played Cinderella in the last few games to get the Isles to the dance.

Last but not least, be sure to check out Botta's blog for the story on new Islander captain Bill Guerin's visit to the Islanders offices and introduced himself to all of the worker bees in the office. He also ended up arranging lunch for everyone working hard for the team. I've been in office jobs all my life and that little effort means so much when building on a positive foundation. We're not going to miss Ryan Smyth in the least. We've got a solid new captain who wants to lead and wants to be a part f what is happening on Long Island.

Here's the link.

http://nyipointblank.blogspot.com/2007/09/bill-guerin-buys-lunch.html


Also, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention that the Isles official site is using the picture of Bryan Berard that was posted and edited here on this blog by my wife. Good job, Honey!