New Jersey 5, New York 1: Loss Goes Directly On Coach

" We can do something about it, we have to get more players playing with passion and urgency " -Jack Capuano.

Sorry Mr Capuano, but that was your job before this game over three days.

If your team is not even ready with all this rest, it goes on you/staff because they absolutely should have been.

Urgency was what I saw in Philadelphia, when the Flyers fell behind after Peter Laviolette called timeout. That team was exhausted coming back from the west coast and from there simply dominated.

Urgency was what I saw in Colorado when their player started yelling at the team and from there dominated the Isles coming back down 3-0.

It's one thing to lose to a good team that outplays you or gets the breaks, this was two points there for the taking.

The New York Islanders competed for ten minutes like this was September or October, not March after plenty of time off to prepare for a desperate effort.

Even worse, the Devils were not that interested in working very hard tonight.

Tonight has to go on the coaching staff with the players.

No one's going to convince me Michael Grabner should be sitting against a team he exploits in Newark often so Adam Larsson or Elias can outwork Jay Pandolfo or Marty Reasoner for goals.

I wrote about it on twitter before the game.

Steve Staios made his usual costly mistake, he had his man on the fifth goal as John Tavares was not back defending, this goes on the entire team.

Josh Bailey can misfire on shots as a center or a right wing, he should be at his natural position.

As written all season, steps forward/steps backwards.

Nassau Coliseum Has A New General Manager

Tulsa World: Reports Jerry Goldman, who has served as the BOK Center’s assistant general manager since it opened in August 2008, has been hired to be the general manager of the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum.

In that role, Goldman will be responsible for the overall operations and booking of the facility.

Both facilities are overseen by SMG venue management firm.

NYIFC Comments:
This is being posted for a few reasons.

1. Our NYIFC 1/9/2012 entry   links to a Connecticut Business News Journal Article where Bridgeport Sound Tigers President, Howard Saffan, discusses management of Webster Bank Arena under Charles Wang's new 2011 agreement in Bridgeport where he said the following:  

I used to manage the Nassau Coliseum [in Uniondale, N.Y., home to the NHL’s New York Islanders]. There we had 138 events in the prior year. 

2. Charles Wang and/or Scott Rechler have a vested interest in the Coliseum under the 2009 sublease agreement, where Mr Saffan makes clear he managed the Nassau Coliseum.

Review Of Sublease Agreement Notables:
1. The sublease requires the Islanders to pay SMG $3.4 million annually, plus additional payments structured as a percentage of the Islanders' net operating income.

2. The deal gives the Islanders operational control of the Coliseum, while SMG will continue to handle day-to-day activities. The Islanders will receive all revenue that SMG used to get, including parking, concessions and some ticket sales and the team will handle all Coliseum bookings. 

3. The deal gives the Islanders operational control of the Coliseum, while SMG will continue to handle day-to-day activities there. The Islanders will receive all revenue that SMG used to get, including parking, concessions and some ticket sales and the team will handle all Coliseum bookings.

4.If Charles Wang wanted to sell the Islanders, or move them before 2015, and relinquish control of the Coliseum, they would immediately have to pay SMG the remainder of the rent due for the entire term of the lease, which still expires in July 2015.

5. Nassau County would have to approve the team leaving.

Bottom Line:
This comes down to was this hire made by Charles Wang/Scott Rechler, an internal change made only by Smg, or a sign Wang/Rechler want out of the sublease agreement?

The sublease says the Isles handle bookings, this article says Mr Goldman will handling booking?

Those writing this sublease was some kind of gift to Wang/Rechler forget it cost seventeen million dollars through the end of the Islanders lease with Nassau.

It was announced in Tom Suozzi's closing days as County Executive 12/27/2009.

Ed Mangano was critical of the agreement.

If the Islanders had Mr Saffan managing the Coliseum, why is Smg bringing in someone to apparently do what a current employee of Charles Wang in Bridgeport had been doing?

Or between the time Mr Saffan managed the Coliseum, a different Smg employee had been in that function for Smg?

It bears some close watching.

NYIFC will ask Ed Mangano this directly via twitter and see if he can provide a straight answer if he's letting the Islanders out of their lease early or is aware of this change?

New York 1, New Jersey 0: Nilsson First Win/Shutout

New York 1, New Jersey 0

Anders Nilsson has his first NHL win/shutout.

Some shots against him hit the crossbar, a few others he did not have his post on chances that missed the net, while others he was sharp and quick to grab the puck, and even slashed a Devil.

That was the kind of win it was for the New York Islanders, it could have gone either way.

Cannot write this up as a great dominating win by New York or any kind of sign that they played they kind of hockey where something was building in terms of season changing momentum.

Hardly. 

Home ice has certainly not been friendly in terms of winning which has been a big part of the difference in why this is not a playoff team.  

Having written all this, for a third game in four days, they had some fight in their effort and earned their two points. They started this game well and for the most part played at a high level.

Perhaps it was playing a smaller New Jersey team after seeing huge teams in Boston and Philadelphia, or it was one of those days the Devils felt they could play their system and produce against Washington, who the Islanders could not hold the lead against.

The officiating was awful on the non-calls. 

Casey Cizikas for his nine minutes, was on both ends of some hits. David Ullstrom impressed me a lot more with his effort especially driving the net in the third period after taking the puck from Kovalchuk.

Tavares could have had a hat-trick, his move in the third was like the one in the 5-2 win against Philadelphia. Moulson was robbed a few times and Parise beat him down low.

The defense gambled a few times with the pp, which started good but faded and almost cost them. They have to finish a five on three, then a four on three, and seemed satisfied with outside shots. 

Not sure what to make of Okposo's goal. If he followed it up with shifts where the Devils could not contain him or get him off the puck, I would be more impressed. That's the Kyle Okposo who was a threat to score and dominating before his injury.

Steve Staios drew a penalty, he took another Devil with standing up for his teammates. Hamonic threw a Devil down in the third clearing the crease wearing his cage. Eaton played hurt. Streit/MacDonald did all they could, and came close to scoring.

Next up three days off.