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For those who have followed NYIFC for years, you know blog entries are not done to depress folks, quite the opposite, sure our team can enjoy a comeback against a very good opponent.
They had to have a win, any way possible tonight and got it, perhaps it helps a few players relax, and changes the offensive dynamic.
Having written this, poor goals allowed and point shots for rebounds is not nearly enough. For this to work, some forwards need to create some offense out of the corners or along the walls. Everything this team does seems to come off rushes or outside shots.
Obviously the slower defenders cannot pinch with any speed or ability to cycle.
Vokoun let up some poor goals, Washington did not have a great deal of jump in this game.
You look at the four goals, credit the hustle of Nielsen, however he was one against four and a low percentage rebound got past Vokoun.
Rolston took a good shot, he was also surrounded and outnumbered before it got past Vokoun.
Staios shot got through, Martin made a nice play to finish, but another low percentage outside shot, same as Parenteau's game winning goal.
Not being negative, but this has been the only offensive formula that has worked at five on five outside of one period against Tampa.
It's not the offense that beat teams in the second half, that scored so many brilliant goals off creative play deep in the offensive zone off a sustained fore-check and wore down the opposition.
Not a fan of Grabner changing his position, apparently Rolston needs to be a left wing here, so far Comeau and now the teams leading scorer have changed for him. The five minutes on Parenteau was terrible.
Ok, two points.
Boston just won 7-0 against Toronto, every Atlantic team won on Saturday, with Pens leading as this was written.
Saturday, November 5, 2011
Friday, November 4, 2011
Time Running Out For New York
New York Islander Fan Central | 11/04/2011 11:16:00 AM
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Rather than post another repetitive blog entry I decided to re-post 5/3 NYIFC Entry Why New York Can Lose Next Season because many of those scenario's are playing out.
Some things are even worse with Moulson struggling, MacDonald-Hamonic showing some inexperience or AMac returning from injury.
Things are only going to get tougher because this group now goes from hunter to hunted with teams like Washington, Boston, Colorado and Vancouver coming up. That means they will be forced even more on defensive, more mistakes, penalties and games played in their end of the ice, as opposed to Thursday.
Fifteenth in East based on wins, five points out of the eighth seed. It took only one game to see the problems right away this year.
Looked like Capuano wanted to give a few shifts to Jurcina vs Staios with Streit.
Even Winnipeg's defense was more mobile and stepped up on a few offensive shifts.
Tavares took some big hits, no one really dressed to respond.
Time's running out.
Rather than post another repetitive blog entry I decided to re-post 5/3 NYIFC Entry Why New York Can Lose Next Season because many of those scenario's are playing out.
Some things are even worse with Moulson struggling, MacDonald-Hamonic showing some inexperience or AMac returning from injury.
Things are only going to get tougher because this group now goes from hunter to hunted with teams like Washington, Boston, Colorado and Vancouver coming up. That means they will be forced even more on defensive, more mistakes, penalties and games played in their end of the ice, as opposed to Thursday.
Fifteenth in East based on wins, five points out of the eighth seed. It took only one game to see the problems right away this year.
Looked like Capuano wanted to give a few shifts to Jurcina vs Staios with Streit.
Even Winnipeg's defense was more mobile and stepped up on a few offensive shifts.
Tavares took some big hits, no one really dressed to respond.
Time's running out.
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
What's Next For New York? Win One Game
New York Islander Fan Central | 11/01/2011 08:31:00 AM
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Updated:
Trevor Gillies cleared waivers.
Updated 5pm:
Nino Niederreiter was sent to Bridgeport on a conditioning assignment, he is only permitted to play there for two weeks and will debut (with Gillies) Wednesday morning in the Sound Tigers next game.
Simply put this team needs to win a hockey game Thursday.
It does not matter if it's the kind of game they won against Minnesota, or three pucks bounce in from center ice, does not matter if this teams slow defenders need to have the best games of the careers.
Even the middle or lower of the pack teams have demonstrated an ability to put up some even strength goals, the kind this team did from mid-Dec a year ago.
All opposing coaches no doubt go in with the same plan, don't let Tavares or Streit beat us, wear down Staios, Eaton, Jurcina and Mottau by playing the game in their end of the ice, they cannot score at five on five.
Standings do not lie, even with games in hand.
This team has to win a hockey game right now.
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Trevor Gillies has been sent down before, but kind of an interesting situation. To dress him meant Comeau or another forward do not play, to send him down leaves Matt Martin and virtually no effective veteran fighters. (Mottau cannot fight with his eye)
My choice would have been to put Mottau on waivers over Gillies.
No clue what happens when Niederreiter is ready, he is a right wing so either Pandolfo sits, Rolston sits or once again becomes a left wing for Comeau sitting.
Either that or once again someone plays out of position.
I would bench Rolston or send down Pandolfo, it's not working for Rolston because he needs to be a left wing here to be effective as he was in the second half with the Devils.
Right now Capuano has the player the Devils placed on waivers last December.
No one is going to mistake Jay Pandolfo with a top flight defensive player. A line where Martin, Reasoner, Niederreiter dress should be a plus line, and that's what's needed most right now.
Goaltending? It's worked but very unconventional, all three have said the right things.
Personally could care less if the goaltenders are not happy with the circumstances because what else can the team do? All three are injury prone or have been ineffective, partly due to injury.
What are the three goaltenders going to do? Nothing.
Al Montoya does not like it he can go back to being an AHL backup in San Antonio, if Nabokov does not like it he can go home and come back when again his contract is tolled when he's healthy, no winning team would have him as a starter.
If DiPietro does not like it he can retire.
All three have been effective, but that's the reality of the club's goaltending.
************************
Mark Katic has another shoulder surgery coming.
For those wondering Kirill Kabanov is with Shawinigan and started playing last week, prospect blog has updated his profile.
Updated:
Trevor Gillies cleared waivers.
Updated 5pm:
Nino Niederreiter was sent to Bridgeport on a conditioning assignment, he is only permitted to play there for two weeks and will debut (with Gillies) Wednesday morning in the Sound Tigers next game.
Simply put this team needs to win a hockey game Thursday.
It does not matter if it's the kind of game they won against Minnesota, or three pucks bounce in from center ice, does not matter if this teams slow defenders need to have the best games of the careers.
Even the middle or lower of the pack teams have demonstrated an ability to put up some even strength goals, the kind this team did from mid-Dec a year ago.
All opposing coaches no doubt go in with the same plan, don't let Tavares or Streit beat us, wear down Staios, Eaton, Jurcina and Mottau by playing the game in their end of the ice, they cannot score at five on five.
Standings do not lie, even with games in hand.
This team has to win a hockey game right now.
**************************************
Trevor Gillies has been sent down before, but kind of an interesting situation. To dress him meant Comeau or another forward do not play, to send him down leaves Matt Martin and virtually no effective veteran fighters. (Mottau cannot fight with his eye)
My choice would have been to put Mottau on waivers over Gillies.
No clue what happens when Niederreiter is ready, he is a right wing so either Pandolfo sits, Rolston sits or once again becomes a left wing for Comeau sitting.
Either that or once again someone plays out of position.
I would bench Rolston or send down Pandolfo, it's not working for Rolston because he needs to be a left wing here to be effective as he was in the second half with the Devils.
Right now Capuano has the player the Devils placed on waivers last December.
No one is going to mistake Jay Pandolfo with a top flight defensive player. A line where Martin, Reasoner, Niederreiter dress should be a plus line, and that's what's needed most right now.
Goaltending? It's worked but very unconventional, all three have said the right things.
Personally could care less if the goaltenders are not happy with the circumstances because what else can the team do? All three are injury prone or have been ineffective, partly due to injury.
What are the three goaltenders going to do? Nothing.
Al Montoya does not like it he can go back to being an AHL backup in San Antonio, if Nabokov does not like it he can go home and come back when again his contract is tolled when he's healthy, no winning team would have him as a starter.
If DiPietro does not like it he can retire.
All three have been effective, but that's the reality of the club's goaltending.
************************
Mark Katic has another shoulder surgery coming.
For those wondering Kirill Kabanov is with Shawinigan and started playing last week, prospect blog has updated his profile.
Sunday, October 30, 2011
New York Defense Simply Too Slow At Even Strength
New York Islander Fan Central | 10/30/2011 05:28:00 AM
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The same blog entries cannot be repeated every few days here.
This is simply not going to work.
A slower, less mobile defense, that is mistake prone, throws off every facet of what worked for close to four months a year ago. The powerplay was not the problem on this day.
Well aware San Jose was red-hot, Sharks goalie made some great saves or it would have been a win, and the Sharks skated like a team that just played in Detroit the night before.
Isles skated as well as they could with who they had, obviously the puck hit the glass in overtime.
Here's the big questions our fans should be asking:
1. This was the Isles best offensive game of the season? How much sustained five on five pressure did the Isles get to go with another night of no five on five goals? For myself (and broadcasters) they noted fourth line shift with about three minutes left in second, where they cycled and had San Jose pinned in.
I noticed it immediately.
That was about it for another sixty minute game.
2. How often on forecheck now are the Isles forced to simply throw low percentage shots on goal because the defense is too slow combined with Rolston/Pandolfo?
3. Then we get to the usual story, nothing personal against Steve Staios, but signing him to play with Mark Streit is a flat out joke, it's costing this club every single game to go with Mottau/Eaton.
Streit wears down too a lot more with Staios, after a year off injury that's asking too much.
Jurcina is hardly any better than Mottau.
# 24 penalty in opening seconds 1-0.
# 24 out with Streit on second goal, Streit having to work harder.
# 24 gassed and too slow, did not have his stick down or the right angle on OT goal, so that long cross-ice pass got through him for the shot. He had nothing left to pressure the player making that pass and was not skating.
Quality offensive players will pick that apart every time.
It's positioning, lack of speed, slow reaction, giving players room to work without pressure, who can already finish. Simply not being able to keep up.
What do you expect from a thirty eight year old player, who's never been a top two defender, who was a camp invite, who was out most of last season, and who's value was that of trade for Aaron Johnson/pick two years ago?
This makes the Isles collectively too slow to maintain a forecheck, it makes them play shifts throwing the puck out of their end, as opposed to skating and it hurts the cycle/forechecking which means not being able to control play in the offensive zone at five on five or sustain any pressure.
It leads to a lot of give-up plays, where the end result is throw puck at net and hope for something to happen, it's not a quality setup, even when Tavares deflects the shot in the net. This runs contrary to how Matt Moulson's success off work in the corners or passes from forwards that led to his five on five goals.
The effort was there against San Jose, beyond Rolston throwing too many bad angle shots at the net, all lines could have produced a goal off a rush against a sluggish San Jose team.
Comeau had some good shifts, with a few uneven shifts.
DiPietro played as well as Nabokov/Montoya, his stickhandling even helped start a few rushes. Goaltending has not cost them a single game to this point.
Lack of mobility on defense has cost them the identity they produced as a team from mid-Dec/mid-March a year ago.
It's not going to return unless management makes changes to the defense, by then, it likely will be too late.
The same blog entries cannot be repeated every few days here.
This is simply not going to work.
A slower, less mobile defense, that is mistake prone, throws off every facet of what worked for close to four months a year ago. The powerplay was not the problem on this day.
Well aware San Jose was red-hot, Sharks goalie made some great saves or it would have been a win, and the Sharks skated like a team that just played in Detroit the night before.
Isles skated as well as they could with who they had, obviously the puck hit the glass in overtime.
Here's the big questions our fans should be asking:
1. This was the Isles best offensive game of the season? How much sustained five on five pressure did the Isles get to go with another night of no five on five goals? For myself (and broadcasters) they noted fourth line shift with about three minutes left in second, where they cycled and had San Jose pinned in.
I noticed it immediately.
That was about it for another sixty minute game.
2. How often on forecheck now are the Isles forced to simply throw low percentage shots on goal because the defense is too slow combined with Rolston/Pandolfo?
3. Then we get to the usual story, nothing personal against Steve Staios, but signing him to play with Mark Streit is a flat out joke, it's costing this club every single game to go with Mottau/Eaton.
Streit wears down too a lot more with Staios, after a year off injury that's asking too much.
Jurcina is hardly any better than Mottau.
# 24 penalty in opening seconds 1-0.
# 24 out with Streit on second goal, Streit having to work harder.
# 24 gassed and too slow, did not have his stick down or the right angle on OT goal, so that long cross-ice pass got through him for the shot. He had nothing left to pressure the player making that pass and was not skating.
Quality offensive players will pick that apart every time.
It's positioning, lack of speed, slow reaction, giving players room to work without pressure, who can already finish. Simply not being able to keep up.
What do you expect from a thirty eight year old player, who's never been a top two defender, who was a camp invite, who was out most of last season, and who's value was that of trade for Aaron Johnson/pick two years ago?
This makes the Isles collectively too slow to maintain a forecheck, it makes them play shifts throwing the puck out of their end, as opposed to skating and it hurts the cycle/forechecking which means not being able to control play in the offensive zone at five on five or sustain any pressure.
It leads to a lot of give-up plays, where the end result is throw puck at net and hope for something to happen, it's not a quality setup, even when Tavares deflects the shot in the net. This runs contrary to how Matt Moulson's success off work in the corners or passes from forwards that led to his five on five goals.
The effort was there against San Jose, beyond Rolston throwing too many bad angle shots at the net, all lines could have produced a goal off a rush against a sluggish San Jose team.
Comeau had some good shifts, with a few uneven shifts.
DiPietro played as well as Nabokov/Montoya, his stickhandling even helped start a few rushes. Goaltending has not cost them a single game to this point.
Lack of mobility on defense has cost them the identity they produced as a team from mid-Dec/mid-March a year ago.
It's not going to return unless management makes changes to the defense, by then, it likely will be too late.
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