Color me pessimistic about winning a skills competition in the Bermuda Triangle for the Islanders tonight, granted it's the first win of any kind back to 2006.
This team should not be that tired/sluggish considering how well they have skated with far less rest recently.
Game had the pulse of an exhibition game from both sides for long stretches, for a good week now the Islanders have not had that extra jump or speed in their game.
Florida looked like a team playing out the string and still the Islanders did not have many sustained shifts in Florida's end of the ice.
I was far more impressed with Grabner's back-check that led to a goal then his effort (from Nielsen) to score his 30th short-handed. Some good individual efforts, not many good teams plays. Seemed both teams picked it up when Comeau got his first career fighting major and Gervais stood up for DiPietro.
As for DiPietro, it seemed like the defense needed him to get involved stick-handling/diving for pucks. He played well and bailed the Islanders out early, BUT the third goal is the one Montoya has not been allowing, and on paper (sure final minutes may have gone different with Florida trailing) it's one he cannot allow.
Yes, DiPietro bailed them out stopping the penalty shot, and was quick/fast in shootout.
On the individual front, Parenteau had a nice shot for his goal, Haley made a great rush. (same as Pittsburgh goal) Tavares had a nice rush at the net, Joensuu went right at the Panther net for a quality chance.
Hillen got beat bad on second Dadonov goal, first goal he just made a nice deflection. Hillen also setup Parenteau.
Last time New York won at Florida. Mike Dunham had to make forty plus saves to win a 4-1 game where nothing could have been more misleading than the final score, in terms of how well Dunham played. I remember the interview with his father after the game.
DiPietro's has had a few comeback games in Florida, none with wins, even in preseason.
Miami Herald: George Richard's blog has Peter DeBoer's comments on the Panthers shootout loss.
Playoff race, Buffalo knocks another two points off the elimination number to eight for unofficial elimination (ROW favors Buffalo by five) as tie-breaker.
Ok, now we see if Tampa gives Dwayne Roloson a start against his former team, New York has a win with DiPietro in Tampa this season.
Bridgeport: A rare comeback win 2-1 in overtime. Lawson had thirty eight saves, Ness plus one, DiBenedetto had the ot game winner.
Second game in two days Bridgeport rallied to force a game to overtime.
Last time New York played in Florida, they came in 4-1-2 on 10/23 as a first place club with Scott Gordon already concerned about even strength play. Tavares had a hat-trick, the Panthers played pin-ball with a pass along the walls by DiPietro that helped Florida setup a pp goal and the game turned into a 4-3 regulation loss.
It was the beginning of the end.
Next time New York won a game was 11/26 with the next win after that 12/16, only two overtime losses/one shootout losses in-between. Eight skaters from that game for New York are injured, off the team or back in juniors. (Niederreiter)
MacDonald, Hamonic and some current players were not in the lineup due to injury or on the team.
So here we are in far different circumstances.
Montoya a nice bounce-back game in Carolina, with several days of rest before/after Canes/Panthers game and DiPietro gets the start after Lawson has been sitting for weeks?
I'm not seeing this for same reason you don't start Lawson here because he was well past point of rust anyway.
Granted the number to be eliminated is six combined points or nine counting Buffalo and not their games in hand.
Is it a huge deal DiPietro or another goalie is starting? Not really, but the choice should be ride Montoya until the club is eliminated or until the Atlanta home game where the schedule picks up. There are two more days off in Florida after tonight before facing Tampa Bay.
Also have to expect if Streit and Weight are on the trip skating they have to be getting very close to participating in a game if that is part of their plan for this season. ************************** As for the teams play, sure Cam Ward kept Carolina in the game, but where was the team before the Devils game that put clubs away in the third? The Canes outworked and out-skated them, Moulson's pp shot was only quality chance in third and may have given Islanders the 3-1 goal, but the team should expect more from itself besides hanging on if it's about building something.
Nice sign is Nielsen is scoring a few at even strength. Okposo has to give them something in terms of goals. Did not like Jurcina on Canes first goal where he was badly out of position.
Updated: Pioneer Press: John Shipley has comments from Aaron Ness and Gophers coach, Don Lucia on Ness signing with New York and concluding his college career.
Islanders website: Announced Wednesday 3/16 that they have signed defenseman Aaron Ness to a three-year, entry-level contract. Ness will report to the Islanders’ American Hockey League affiliate, the Bridgeport Sound Tigers and play out the remainder of the 2010-11 season on an Amateur Tryout Contract (ATO).
NYIFC Comments:
Do not be shocked to see a few more moves like this with players reporting to Bridgeport on ATO contracts. I believe Brian Day (College), Casey Cizikas (CHL) and Anders Nilsson (SEL) are the three prospects who must be signed by 6/1/11 or 22nd birthday this summer.
Ct Post: Michael Fornabaio has more on fallout in Bridgeport on a team that has been decimated by injury and a losing streak on par/worse than the Islanders earlier.
Islanders website: Has Rick DiPietro's comments on returning to the lineup which included Nathan Lawson being sent to Bridgeport, along with Justin DiBenedetto.
NYIFC Comments:
Not much to write on DiPietro, the report was 4-6 weeks when he was injured, it's within the time frame and he likely will get a game by the weekend or he will start in a place he had one of his worst games against Carolina. New York with all the home games has not had an actual road win since 2/15 in Ottawa shootout win with Lawson in net, but several one-goal/overtime road losses.
Another forward could be called up for DiBenedetto or it could be a paper transaction before the club goes on likely it's last extended road trip.
Bridgeport has a game at home on Wednesday. Mikko Koskinen was injured last weekend and could not dress for one game, so it's possible Lawson could start against Charlotte.
As long as this team works hard down to the final game, I'm satisfied with what I have seen to bring back virtually the entire team for next season, along with the head coach.
But were not down to the final game or have any idea what Garth Snow thinks of his interim head coach.
Having written this hard to remember the last time this team had a bad night or were out of a game early so it's not just about wins and losses but maintaining a high level of performance, which they have demonstrated better than any Eastern Conference team besides Boston since middle of December.
That's more than a hot week or two.
The team is loose, and have nothing to play for is the latest spin from outside media that cannot name more than five players without a scoresheet? Non-sense, many of these players are working for their future in this league. Last year they went 9-8-3 in March/April and were much closer to a playoff spot.
A lot of fun to watch these games as they took the play at Boston, Toronto and they have a speed factor that goes beyond Grabner. If only Nielsen got hot at even strength and Okposo got on an overdue scoring run.
New York keeps working hard/playing very competitive hockey (not so much at Newark vs trapping Devils style) but not gaining the kind of ground it will take to leap over all the teams in front of them to qualify for a playoff spot, plus they don't have the games in hand.
Nassau Coliseum West against the Rangers (hopefully the Islander fans help Msg announce a legit weeknight sellout for a change) or in Carolina, who cares? For this segment it's about making the playoffs with every game now virtually a must-win before they become elimination games with the number tonight starting at thirteen.
The Dolan's shifted the Islander coverage to Msg2 tonight for first time all season so the Garden's franchise team (Knicks) could have Msg and Cablevision's hockey team can have Msg+. The minimal newspaper for hockey coverage will be brutal win or lose because the Islanders don't have professional media covering them exclusively not owned by Cablevision. ***************************************** As for our interim head coach and respect factor, his team has won some games.
Nielsen getting a misconduct was a joke, along with no powerplays vs Devils. You let both teams play/hit or neither. If an official has a problem with some teams or has obvious trends where he pads his numbers vs one team, he should be out of a job or have good explanation why those games produce an imbalance of calls.
Teams have film sessions and break down plays, no reason officials cannot be called on carpet and shown films of their calls which no doubt happens often when a complaint is filed. ***************************************** Funny how Kenny Jonsson in the 2002 playoffs got his head smashed into rock-hard glass at Air Canada center in Toronto via Gary Roberts charge/hands to head and they did not threaten the league to withdraw sponsorship or contact the Leafs and take the name off the facility or refuse to pay for naming rights.
Even more comical to read Mike Murphy (another former Ranger in the Colin Campbell-Frank Brown-John Dellapina-ex Ranger club) make comments on Chara about his past conduct being a factor when that should have nothing to do with anything.
Yes, the league got the call correct. The Habs owner should stop complaining about an arm or push and stop writing letters to the other owners and not have a glass encased box between player benches. He had no complaints and wrote no letters when Max Pacioretti threw the exact same hit to Eaton in December with his arm/body as Chara threw.
As usual the game goes on with spin provided by sponsors, ad agencies and now the companies that have a vested stake in the product? Those sponsors need the local papers that cover the teams and in many cases the beatwriters/salesman of those teams to sell whatever the management is telling them.
What's next Comcast (Flyers owner Ed Sinder) and Little Caesar's determine league punishment. Bad enough the NBC-Comcast merger seems to put Ed Snider's team center stage as often as possible.
Of course for the New York Islanders, it's exactly the opposite as we saw against Pittsburgh. I guess Michael Haley should have been suspended because he was challenged to two fights and won them before Johnson was at his blueline as Koskinen stayed in his crease?
Mario Lemieux wants to impress everyone? He should have suspended Dan Bylmsa himself regardless of what the league decided as soon as Eric Godard left the bench.
Same old game, all about laundry and sure the Islanders are just as guilty as anyone, only with less sponsors/media spin to sell their side. ********************************* Brendan Shanahan is now an equipment expert? Should be fun watching the NHLPA agree to protect players by having them wear less body armor for their clients which is a big part of the reason for many injuries and goes beyond any one person as technology improved to make players bigger and equipment better/stronger.
I got a nice rule, how about all these NHL employees (outside of Bettman and Bill Daly) can only serve for three years and all thirty teams must be represented in the NHL front-office in some major area on a rotating basis and the public receives a list of what teams are represented where? *********************************** Weight, Streit and DiPietro keep practicing, at some point do they actually return or are they shut down for the season?
I don't see the final Coliseum game against Pittsburgh as a contest to dress Doug Weight and use a roster spot that may be needed for Gillies, despite the warnings that will be going out days before the contest. *********************************** Has not been a great chance for Nate Lawson to showcase himself this year. He got called up when Roloson got traded, was quickly injured, then when he returned Montoya beat him out for the majority of the starts. Will he get another look if DiPietro does return because given depth chart (including Nilsson/Nabokov) I don't see a place for Lawson next year.
Montoya is an RFA, it may not mean anything. *********************************** One final thing, Aaron Ness was ready to go to CHL a year ago and leave school, later on his father insisted he is going to college. He can sign with the Islanders but until the teams website/Gophers site confirm it's usual source game to be ignored.
No law Ness cannot sign and return to school, his father, Jay Ness comments a year ago said a lot here.
The Islanders have a senior or two they need to make decisions on when they graduate also.
CONTACT:NYIFANCENTRAL@YAHOO.COM
