Islander News Articles 3/22

New York Islander Fan Central | 3/22/2008 03:12:00 AM | | | | | | | | | | | | |


















Newsday: Greg Logan has Wade Dubielewicz and Kyle Okposo comments on the Islanders win and the young prospect's first NHL goal and points and New York moving to 6-1 against the Devils this season.

NYI Fan Central Comments:
Not a printed word from the coach on the teams first win in a long time but a few generic words on a possible outdoor Islander game after Newsday pulled an article off it's website? Seems like Ted Nolan got cut out of coverage so Newsday could correct a mistake.

Here is the report from Newsday which is now a broken link here.

NEWSDAY.COM
7:19 PM EDT, March 21, 2008
Citing "as good a source as I can tell you," MSG Network's Al Trautwig reported on MSG's "Hockey Night Live" Friday that the Rangers and Islanders will indeed play an outdoor game at Yankee Stadium on Jan. 1.

Here is what was said on Msg because I taped the game:
"And now the thought that there might be a game on January first in Yankee Stadium seems like it will be a reality. On about as good a source as I can tell you, I have learned that the Rangers will play the Islanders at Yankee Stadium, the last event in that that building, January first." Stan Fischler replied "Good scoop."

Daily News: John Dellapina in a blog confirms Newsday did write such a report and makes sure he gets in his favorite point NBC Dick Ebersol/Sam Flood do not want the Islanders or Devils involved.

NYI Fan Central Comments:
Islanders are a New York franchise, they have as much right to be the host team in the New York market at Yankee Stadium as the Rangers and as usual it looks like Al Trautwig put his foot in his mouth or at the very least spoke early. We saw these denials from the league sources last summer.

Bottom line I'm tired of reading NBC Dick Ebersol/Sam Flood trying to hold down the Islanders or Devils because the Garden and NBC have a business relationship.

Ranger ratings on NBC are terrible with Islander, Devil and Ranger fans watching games to help bump those ratings. They were pathetic during last year's playoffs and will be again if they qualify and so will all other twenty nine teams. No doubt John Dellapina does not want the Rangers competition on such an equal stage because it would not help showcase his team. You really think Leon Carver wants to increase Islander coverage or have blogs for our team in his paper with the Islanders playing such a game?

For these folks it's about raising hockey's profile and they do not want that profile to include the Rangers competiton. For me I would love to see the Islanders do something with the Yankees and bring the Canadians in and make it a weekend of sports dynasties with the Isles, Canadians and Yankees while the Ranger fans watch and bump our ratings.

I will be surprised if the Yankees even permit the historic stadium to close with a non-hockey event at a time of major construction because it does nothing to help baseball's business in New York. This will come down to how much money Charles Wang, Cablevision, the league throw at the Yankees. NBC does not pay the league to show hockey but would they pay to control the teams that play?

I wonder who gets hit with a home game off the schedule?

Newsday: Reports the Tribune company discussed selling Newsday and that Cablevision, the NY Post/Ruppert Murdoch and the Daily News Mort Zuckerman could purchase the paper.

NYI Fan Central Comments:
So now the three entities that restrict or outright keep the Islanders out of the media want to own the only paper that covers the team? We may be down to only bloggers by the time this is over with if any of these three acquire Newsday.

Daily News: Peter Botte in the one article and six paragraphs fits all coverage department has Kyle Okposo's comments on his goal and Martin Brodeur on how the Islanders were to a certain extent
waiting to get beaten with a few words from Brent Sutter.

NY Post: Mark Everson's Devil centric coverage did not include one word from a New York Islander player on the win or Kyle Okposo's first NHL goal.

NYI Fan Central Comments:
Why did the Times bother going to Bridgeport to cover Kyle Okposo's debut if they are not going to send a writer to his NHL debut or a game in New Jersey? Seems kind of pointless unless they follow up and the time to do that is the night of those games, not a week later.

Newark Star Ledger: Rich Chere reports on the Devils loss
and a second article on the three fights the Islanders lost with Aaron Asham's comments on his ko of Matt Spiller here.

Bergen Record : Also has Devils coverage.

Montreal Gazette : Red Fisher weighs in on Rick DiPietro's injury with some quotes from Newsday coverage and wonders if the fifteen year contract was a good idea?

National Post: Reports former Islander Tim Connolly will also undergo HIP surgery and that his season is over after playing only forty eight games.

Barrie Examiner : Ian Shantz reports Islander prospect captain Tomas Marcinko scored the game winning goal third period goal in a 3-1 upset for the Barrie Colts against the Brampton Battalion in Game 1 of their best-of-seven quarter-final series.

Brampton News : Has more on the game including Marcinko's empty net goal.

NYI Fan Central Comments:
I feel like I'm back covering Islander prospects Cory Stillman and Brad Topping reading about a Barrie-Brampton match up.

Sound Tigers website: Reports on Bridgeport's 5-4 overtime win on Matt Keith's goal Friday at Worcester in a game that was as strange as it gets with the Sound Tigers scoring four third period goals, an empty net goal to make it 4-2 and then allowing two goals in the final twenty seconds to send the game to overtime.

NYI Fan Central Comments:
Bridgeport is off until Wednesday but from there it's four in five days (Wed-Sunday) three straight weeks to close the season. Returning Islander prospects after the season ends would have six games but the first two do not seem feasible considering the New York and Bridgeport schedules unless they play a combined five days in a row.

Ct Post : Michael Fornabaio recaps the strange win with comments from Matt Keith, Colton Fretter, who had another two goals and Jack Capuano's comments on how the club needed to start moving and they would score a few goals.

Ct Post: Michael Fornabaio felt the Sound Tigers did have the early effort but felt a lack or urgency or something was missing and then they exploded with four goals. He had no words for two goals in the final twenty seconds allowed after scoring in the empty net for a two goal lead.

Worcester Telegram & Gazette : Bud Barth has the recap of this game that was a stunner on both sides.