As the losses mounted, Islanders fans began to enter into panic mode, hoping that Jack Capuano would shuffle around some of the lines. He didn't do it when many had hoped, but he finally caved Saturday night.
Even though they still looked out of sync at times, and the passing still wasn't great, the lines clicked and gave the Isles a come from behind 5-3 win over the Washington Capitals.
Showing posts with label Islanders Podcast. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Islanders Podcast. Show all posts
November 6, 2011
February 27, 2011
Isles Blow Lead to Caps in front of Full House; New NYI FYI Sunday
The Islanders had a large and loud crowd on hand Saturday night to see them take on the Washington Capitals. Unfortunately, by the end of the night those who were in support of the Caps walked away happy.
The Isles had a 1-0 lead on a nice looking goal by Kyle Okposo as he Faked shifted into the slot and snapped a shot past goaltender Michael Neuvirth. It was just Okposo's 3rd goal of his injury shortened season.
The Isles would get a 2-0 lead on a knuckle ball shot that Neuvirth barely had a chance to see. It only took 33 seconds into the second period for Hamonic to get his 3rd of the season.
It was at that point where the Caps began to press, and get some of their chances. The Isles had been out-shooting the Caps 20-9 at one point, but things slowly turned in their favor.
Brooks Laich came out of the box after serving a penalty and Neuvirth hit him with a pass. He powered his way to the net and took a real nice shot that got through Montoya. Laich, who will be a UFA this summer, showed why many Isles fans on messages boards have been hoping that the Isles would make a run at him. He brings an element to a game that not many can provide, and certainly with much more consistency than anyone currently on the Isles.
Mike Knuble and Alex Semin would score about three minutes apart in the third to give the Caps a lead they would hold on to. Knuble's goal was on a broken play in front after Jack Hillen was taken behind the net, leaving Ty Wishart as the only defenseman covering and Josh Bailey scrambling to try and help.
Jack Capuano told us in the post game after that he thought they competed well against a tough team, but did have some lapses.
The one glaring issue however, was the power-play. "I felt our power-play was flat tonight," Capuano was quick to point out. I couldn't agree more, and on Twitter I pointed out that the Isles were playing too much on the perimeter with the man advantage. It's fine to get some looks for the defensemen and to try and create rebounds, but the Caps blocked a ton of shots coming in from the outside, especially early on. That is when you have to make changes and adapt to what your opponent is doing.
The locker room was very solemn after the game last night and for obvious reasons. Not only did they lose a game they could have easily won, but they also can be losing some friends. One look at Nathan Lawson's or Rob Schremp's face, and you could tell there was some pain there.
That is the other aspect in all of this. However, at the end of the day it is Garth Snow's job to build a successful hockey team. Having spoken to both Schremp and Lawson in the past, I can tell you they would probably say themselves how they haven't stepped up in the way they should have. In the case of Lawson, he seemed like he feared his NHL career may be over just as quickly as it started.
Regardless of that, we'll see what happens. There's a decent chance Schremp may be claimed by someone, while it's expected Lawson will clear waivers by noon Monday. There were a decent amount of scouts milling around the Coliseum, and the Isles even had scouts at some of the other games going around. There wasn't much talk in the press box of anything going on when it comes to the Isles. But as I said yesterday, expect the unexpected. If there's one thing we learned so far this year in the NHL, it's that almost anyone can be had for the right price.
NEW NYI FYI EPISODE: As usual, Sean and I will be getting together for our latest installment of the NYI FYI radio show at 11 AM. Please feel free to watch us and participate by going to our UStream page. There is a chat room that is up and running there, and we always read thoughts and questions from there. You can also feel free to @ us on Twitter with your thoughts and questions.
Enjoy guys!
-CH
nyifyi@gmail.com
The Isles had a 1-0 lead on a nice looking goal by Kyle Okposo as he Faked shifted into the slot and snapped a shot past goaltender Michael Neuvirth. It was just Okposo's 3rd goal of his injury shortened season.
The Isles would get a 2-0 lead on a knuckle ball shot that Neuvirth barely had a chance to see. It only took 33 seconds into the second period for Hamonic to get his 3rd of the season.
It was at that point where the Caps began to press, and get some of their chances. The Isles had been out-shooting the Caps 20-9 at one point, but things slowly turned in their favor.
Brooks Laich came out of the box after serving a penalty and Neuvirth hit him with a pass. He powered his way to the net and took a real nice shot that got through Montoya. Laich, who will be a UFA this summer, showed why many Isles fans on messages boards have been hoping that the Isles would make a run at him. He brings an element to a game that not many can provide, and certainly with much more consistency than anyone currently on the Isles.
Mike Knuble and Alex Semin would score about three minutes apart in the third to give the Caps a lead they would hold on to. Knuble's goal was on a broken play in front after Jack Hillen was taken behind the net, leaving Ty Wishart as the only defenseman covering and Josh Bailey scrambling to try and help.
Jack Capuano told us in the post game after that he thought they competed well against a tough team, but did have some lapses.
The one glaring issue however, was the power-play. "I felt our power-play was flat tonight," Capuano was quick to point out. I couldn't agree more, and on Twitter I pointed out that the Isles were playing too much on the perimeter with the man advantage. It's fine to get some looks for the defensemen and to try and create rebounds, but the Caps blocked a ton of shots coming in from the outside, especially early on. That is when you have to make changes and adapt to what your opponent is doing.
The locker room was very solemn after the game last night and for obvious reasons. Not only did they lose a game they could have easily won, but they also can be losing some friends. One look at Nathan Lawson's or Rob Schremp's face, and you could tell there was some pain there.
That is the other aspect in all of this. However, at the end of the day it is Garth Snow's job to build a successful hockey team. Having spoken to both Schremp and Lawson in the past, I can tell you they would probably say themselves how they haven't stepped up in the way they should have. In the case of Lawson, he seemed like he feared his NHL career may be over just as quickly as it started.
Regardless of that, we'll see what happens. There's a decent chance Schremp may be claimed by someone, while it's expected Lawson will clear waivers by noon Monday. There were a decent amount of scouts milling around the Coliseum, and the Isles even had scouts at some of the other games going around. There wasn't much talk in the press box of anything going on when it comes to the Isles. But as I said yesterday, expect the unexpected. If there's one thing we learned so far this year in the NHL, it's that almost anyone can be had for the right price.
NEW NYI FYI EPISODE: As usual, Sean and I will be getting together for our latest installment of the NYI FYI radio show at 11 AM. Please feel free to watch us and participate by going to our UStream page. There is a chat room that is up and running there, and we always read thoughts and questions from there. You can also feel free to @ us on Twitter with your thoughts and questions.
Enjoy guys!
-CH
nyifyi@gmail.com
January 2, 2011
Isles Send Roloson to Lightning for Wishart
The Islanders made the first trade of 2011 by sending goalie Dwayne Roloson to the Tampa Bay Lightning in exchange for defenseman prospect Ty Wishart.
We'll look at this deal first from a talent perspective.
In the end, the Islanders got good value for the 41 year old Roloson who is at this point a rental for the Lightning. Wishart is a 22 year old defenseman who still has some growing to do but was having a promising season so far for the Norfolk Admirals of the AHL.
The 6'4", 215 lb Wishart is about to enter that age where big defensemen with some offensive talent begin to show their true stuff. Wishart had a good first pro season before trying to do too much offensively and letting his defensive game suffer. This season he seemed to be getting back to the things that made him the 16th overall pick in 2006 by the San Jose Sharks.
Wishart is a guy I have been hot and cold on the last few seasons, but generally have liked. He's one of those guys who seemed to be in trade talks for the past few seasons, and one of those guys you wouldn't mind picking up. He was in Tampa Bay as part of the trade that sent Dan Boyle to San Jose. Many felt at the time that the best player going to Tampa in that deal was Matt Carle, but many analysts felt that Wishart had the potential to be the better defenseman because of how young he was and the style of game he plays.
The Islanders immediately assigned Wishart to the Bridgeport Sound Tigers. It is unclear when he will come up. Currently on their long road trip, the Islanders have Dylan Reese up and have placed Radek Martinek on the IR for now. Perhaps we see Wishart when we come back from that trip. Wishart has only played five NHL games to date so far.
Meanwhile, Tampa Bay did what they really needed to do which was improve the goaltending. It was no secret that that was the one are they were looking to upgrade along with their division rivals, the Washington Capitals. Washington has been scouting the Islanders frequently in the past few weeks, presumable looking at Roloson.
The return for Roloson isn't the head scratcher here, but at a quick glance the timing does seem off. The Islanders are in the midst of a stretch where they have won six of their last eight games, most of that due to the play of Roloson and him getting NHL player of the week honors last week. In his final game as an Isle against one of the West's best teams in Detroit, Roloson stood tall again and made 38 saves in an OT win.
Some are upset because of how good Roloson is and the team has been playing. That's what people mean when they say the timing is off. It is not good to show signs that you are giving up 36 games into an 82 game schedule, but that is the message the Islanders appear to be giving, not two weeks after Garth Snow and Charles Wang went on Gary Bettman's radio show and stated otherwise.
Now, we don't know for sure - perhaps Wishart is a guy Snow targeted for a while, and perhaps this offer topped something Washington was offering for him. To get a real live NHL player back over picks for a 41 year old goalie is something to be happy about.
Perhaps it is slightly unfair of people to think that these deals are all about the money, but it certainly appears that way. It's the only explanation people can come up with for these moves, and no, there is not going to be a blockbuster trade coming at this time for those of you going nuts over Twitter rumors.
At any rate, I'm excited to see what Wishart can bring. I'm hoping he can continue to show us some of what he has been doing this year, which would really be great for us.
On the other end, I'm having a very hard time finding Isles fans who don't want Tampa to go deep or all the way in the playoffs this season. That's how well liked Roli was here on the Island. Good luck in Tampa, Dwayne.
NYI FYI RETURNS LIVE: Yes, you read that right. After about a year of people wondering and hoping if we would come back live we are finally doing so. We will be broadcasting today's show at 11 AM through UStream. You can watch us using this link.
We will not have a phone line, but you will be able to interact with us during the show by sending in thoughts and questions through an AIM screen name that we will provide, as well as sending us your comments on Twitter (@NYIFYI). Naturally, we will still be making the podcast component of the show.
We hope some of you are able to join us live at 11 AM, and please don't be a stranger. We have a lot to discuss, and it's the perfect opportunity to let your voices be heard.
Enjoy!
We'll look at this deal first from a talent perspective.
The 6'4", 215 lb Wishart is about to enter that age where big defensemen with some offensive talent begin to show their true stuff. Wishart had a good first pro season before trying to do too much offensively and letting his defensive game suffer. This season he seemed to be getting back to the things that made him the 16th overall pick in 2006 by the San Jose Sharks.
Wishart is a guy I have been hot and cold on the last few seasons, but generally have liked. He's one of those guys who seemed to be in trade talks for the past few seasons, and one of those guys you wouldn't mind picking up. He was in Tampa Bay as part of the trade that sent Dan Boyle to San Jose. Many felt at the time that the best player going to Tampa in that deal was Matt Carle, but many analysts felt that Wishart had the potential to be the better defenseman because of how young he was and the style of game he plays.
The Islanders immediately assigned Wishart to the Bridgeport Sound Tigers. It is unclear when he will come up. Currently on their long road trip, the Islanders have Dylan Reese up and have placed Radek Martinek on the IR for now. Perhaps we see Wishart when we come back from that trip. Wishart has only played five NHL games to date so far.
Meanwhile, Tampa Bay did what they really needed to do which was improve the goaltending. It was no secret that that was the one are they were looking to upgrade along with their division rivals, the Washington Capitals. Washington has been scouting the Islanders frequently in the past few weeks, presumable looking at Roloson.
The return for Roloson isn't the head scratcher here, but at a quick glance the timing does seem off. The Islanders are in the midst of a stretch where they have won six of their last eight games, most of that due to the play of Roloson and him getting NHL player of the week honors last week. In his final game as an Isle against one of the West's best teams in Detroit, Roloson stood tall again and made 38 saves in an OT win.
Some are upset because of how good Roloson is and the team has been playing. That's what people mean when they say the timing is off. It is not good to show signs that you are giving up 36 games into an 82 game schedule, but that is the message the Islanders appear to be giving, not two weeks after Garth Snow and Charles Wang went on Gary Bettman's radio show and stated otherwise.
Now, we don't know for sure - perhaps Wishart is a guy Snow targeted for a while, and perhaps this offer topped something Washington was offering for him. To get a real live NHL player back over picks for a 41 year old goalie is something to be happy about.
Perhaps it is slightly unfair of people to think that these deals are all about the money, but it certainly appears that way. It's the only explanation people can come up with for these moves, and no, there is not going to be a blockbuster trade coming at this time for those of you going nuts over Twitter rumors.
At any rate, I'm excited to see what Wishart can bring. I'm hoping he can continue to show us some of what he has been doing this year, which would really be great for us.
On the other end, I'm having a very hard time finding Isles fans who don't want Tampa to go deep or all the way in the playoffs this season. That's how well liked Roli was here on the Island. Good luck in Tampa, Dwayne.
NYI FYI RETURNS LIVE: Yes, you read that right. After about a year of people wondering and hoping if we would come back live we are finally doing so. We will be broadcasting today's show at 11 AM through UStream. You can watch us using this link.
We will not have a phone line, but you will be able to interact with us during the show by sending in thoughts and questions through an AIM screen name that we will provide, as well as sending us your comments on Twitter (@NYIFYI). Naturally, we will still be making the podcast component of the show.
We hope some of you are able to join us live at 11 AM, and please don't be a stranger. We have a lot to discuss, and it's the perfect opportunity to let your voices be heard.
Enjoy!
November 30, 2010
Injury Updates and Prospect News
While the Islanders might be in the middle of a five day rest between games, Monday certainly brought about a lot of news.
We learned that defensemen Jack Hillen and Andrew MacDonald are close to returning, which is really good to hear. MacDonald was one of the Isles best defensemen this season up until the point he got hurt, which was coincidentally the last game the Islanders had won prior to Friday. MacDonald is very smooth with the puck and blocks a ton of shots, and the sooner the Islanders can get him back the better.
There was also some news of the unfortunate type too. Milan Jurcina, originally slated to miss 4-6 weeks with that hamstring injury is now out an additional 4-6 weeks. I know I might be in the minority here when I say this, but I really liked Jurcina's game. It wasn't flashy or the best, but he was providing some solid play for 18 minutes a night. In the same week that he got injured, I wrote this piece explaining what he provided and what he was doing so well. I was really looking forward to getting him back soon, and this setback hurts.
For those of you who listened to the latest podcast that we uploaded on Sunday night, you may have heard us give a shout out to Bruno Gervais at the end of the show for sticking up for P.A. Parenteau against the Devils. Gervais got into a fight with Colin White, which lasted all of one punch. As if Bruno wasn't getting enough props already, we learned yesterday that he has suffered a fractured cheekbone as a result of that punch. A lot of criticism gets thrown his way in Islanders land, but to stick up for your guy, get a broken bone in your face as a result and still play the remainder of the game, not even going to the dressing room? Kudos, my friend. That's a good example to set, and Bruno has moved up a few notches in many people's books, mine included.
Doug Weight is still day to day with the back spasms. That is the same injury that kept Rob Schremp out for most of the first month of the season. Hopefully, it doesn't last as long as that for Weight. I'm just happy that it's not his shoulder or hamstring again. If it were, one could venture a guess that his playing time would be over. Weight hadn't looked very good in the last few weeks, and one has to wonder if he was perhaps playing through the injury a bit. Hopefully the time off rejuvenates him.
Josh Bailey also suffered an injury down in Bridgeport. He strained a pectoral muscle, and it doesn't seem serious. In the couple of games he's played down there he has looked just OK. Hopefully he can get it going a bit. He really needs to for his and the Islanders sake. We talked extensively about Bailey's situation in the podcast, giving our opinions on his demotion.
Yesterday, Team Canada announced their invitations for the World Junior camp. Islanders defenseman Calvin de Haan and forward Casey Cizikas will both be attending.
In the case of de Haan, this is a perfect example of why you don't rush your prospects. The World Juniors is great experience for a prospect. In the case of de Haan, he is already the captain of his team in Oshawa and was one of the top defenseman for Team Canada last year along with Travis Hamonic. Now, he has a chance to be one of the top guys once again and perhaps even get a letter. This is some good experience that Bailey really lost out on, and one of the reasons I'm upset with the way he has been developed.
For Cizikas, while he may be a long shot to make the final cut, it is certainly a success story. Cizikas has been very good in the OHL, putting the demons behind him of the gruesome accident he was involved in during a rugby game where another player died. Cizikas was not convicted, and with support from not only his family but the family of the victim too has really taken this "second chance" and ran with it. Good for him, and hopefully he can make one of the checking lines.
So that's where we are for now. There's still so much time off left that I'm sure there will be something else to talk about and dissect.
-CH
nyifyi@gmail.com
We learned that defensemen Jack Hillen and Andrew MacDonald are close to returning, which is really good to hear. MacDonald was one of the Isles best defensemen this season up until the point he got hurt, which was coincidentally the last game the Islanders had won prior to Friday. MacDonald is very smooth with the puck and blocks a ton of shots, and the sooner the Islanders can get him back the better.
There was also some news of the unfortunate type too. Milan Jurcina, originally slated to miss 4-6 weeks with that hamstring injury is now out an additional 4-6 weeks. I know I might be in the minority here when I say this, but I really liked Jurcina's game. It wasn't flashy or the best, but he was providing some solid play for 18 minutes a night. In the same week that he got injured, I wrote this piece explaining what he provided and what he was doing so well. I was really looking forward to getting him back soon, and this setback hurts.
For those of you who listened to the latest podcast that we uploaded on Sunday night, you may have heard us give a shout out to Bruno Gervais at the end of the show for sticking up for P.A. Parenteau against the Devils. Gervais got into a fight with Colin White, which lasted all of one punch. As if Bruno wasn't getting enough props already, we learned yesterday that he has suffered a fractured cheekbone as a result of that punch. A lot of criticism gets thrown his way in Islanders land, but to stick up for your guy, get a broken bone in your face as a result and still play the remainder of the game, not even going to the dressing room? Kudos, my friend. That's a good example to set, and Bruno has moved up a few notches in many people's books, mine included.
Doug Weight is still day to day with the back spasms. That is the same injury that kept Rob Schremp out for most of the first month of the season. Hopefully, it doesn't last as long as that for Weight. I'm just happy that it's not his shoulder or hamstring again. If it were, one could venture a guess that his playing time would be over. Weight hadn't looked very good in the last few weeks, and one has to wonder if he was perhaps playing through the injury a bit. Hopefully the time off rejuvenates him.
Josh Bailey also suffered an injury down in Bridgeport. He strained a pectoral muscle, and it doesn't seem serious. In the couple of games he's played down there he has looked just OK. Hopefully he can get it going a bit. He really needs to for his and the Islanders sake. We talked extensively about Bailey's situation in the podcast, giving our opinions on his demotion.
Yesterday, Team Canada announced their invitations for the World Junior camp. Islanders defenseman Calvin de Haan and forward Casey Cizikas will both be attending.
In the case of de Haan, this is a perfect example of why you don't rush your prospects. The World Juniors is great experience for a prospect. In the case of de Haan, he is already the captain of his team in Oshawa and was one of the top defenseman for Team Canada last year along with Travis Hamonic. Now, he has a chance to be one of the top guys once again and perhaps even get a letter. This is some good experience that Bailey really lost out on, and one of the reasons I'm upset with the way he has been developed.
For Cizikas, while he may be a long shot to make the final cut, it is certainly a success story. Cizikas has been very good in the OHL, putting the demons behind him of the gruesome accident he was involved in during a rugby game where another player died. Cizikas was not convicted, and with support from not only his family but the family of the victim too has really taken this "second chance" and ran with it. Good for him, and hopefully he can make one of the checking lines.
So that's where we are for now. There's still so much time off left that I'm sure there will be something else to talk about and dissect.
-CH
nyifyi@gmail.com
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