Not much to write that the title does not tell us.
You want to talk playoffs? Win against Vancouver, then earn sixty of remaining eighty two points for a ninety four point season which this year may still not be enough in this conference.
Tuesday's game (which will likely be played regardless of weather) marks only the half-way point of the 2010-11 season, hopefully the Vancouver media can check it's 1982 grudge at the door for a franchise that has never won anything, but not likely.
As for the Islanders earning fifteen of a potential twenty one points and holding their own vs some top teams left the Islanders still seventeen points out of the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference.
In short, it changed nothing in terms of playoff picture.
Don't get me wrong here, some good wins (pp/flash goal based) but usually out-shot badly. The Edmonton game was the singular game the goalie did not have to be the clubs best player and they lost because pp could not finish.
Still, even in Hawks game their goalie had to be good. Capuano was right that there is no excuse for the Islanders effort given the Hawks were playing their fifth game in eight days.
Disappointing DiPietro's health again failed the team after Roloson was traded, if it's not knee related, it's likely not career threatening, but groin injuries and goaltenders are never a good mix. This was his time to work off rust and see if he can carry club, it's disappointing and reaffirms the decision to use high picks on goaltenders.
Instead both Lawson (goals against Hawks beyond first was not his fault) and Poulin stepped up and played well. I don't see a problem in the teams net costing them games on a regular basis.
Jeremy Colliton? This is why I love doing this blog. I followed him as the Islanders kept qualifying him when he went to Europe. This is a 25 year old player who's a second round pick and was producing in Bridgeport. He produced more pp goals in one game than Frans Nielsen all season.
Colliton does have to clear waivers for those wondering. I would like to see Nielsen, Colliton on this team right now and Sim (waivers/paper transaction Monday) helping Bridgeport or Matt Martin sent down to have the impact he had last year with his offense.
What would you have me write about injuries? It's going to be a 400-500 man game season again which media never writes about. Eaton joins the ever-growing list to a defense that is mostly signed for 2010-11. Is there a need to rush Okposo-Streit, given standings?
Hillen's been a lot better lately and settling down. When Martinek returns I expect
Reese to go back down. Still, despite pp successes, there are no goal scorers on this team from point.
Tavares is showing some nice signs of improvement lately, the moves to the net, the confidence in traffic, the goals have been something too.
Forty one games down as of Tuesday night/forty one to go, hopefully at the very least they can build a core group of players to carry into next season where they don't have to rely much on UFA.
Good news is that's it for West Coast road games.
Bad news is New York returns to the worst hockey media coverage in the US, and have a lot of games to be played without the long breaks they had earlier. Only the negative stories will receive attention regardless of players who have earned some positive press.
What a shock Jamie Langenbrunner being held out by the Devils so he could be traded was not met with the fire-storm of negative media the Islanders received when Bill Guerin was held out before being traded, not.
Looks like Cablevision just traded another front-loaded contract now that the bulk of the money has been paid. That has to be at the top of the next CBA changes.
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