Even Bigger Cracks Appearing In New York's Weaknesses

New York Islander Fan Central | 10/27/2013 05:45:00 PM | | | | | | | | | | |
No one wants to write about it, however it cannot be hidden any more than the thousands of empty seats when this franchise is listed at the official home team.

This is simply not a good hockey team overall who's goals allowed is at the bottom of whatever this division is called, and struggle badly at five on five.

It's beyond Jack Capuano/or any head coaches ability, although he's doing Nelson/Donovan no favors. 

It's likely to only get much worse as the special teams start to even out.



The New York Islanders cannot hide from their defensive or five on five issues, it's a team allowing over three goals a game, they cannot even play a low scoring contest no matter how well Navokov plays. When the Islanders score the other team usually comes right back down the ice, exploits this teams defense/five on five coverage, and scores a very easy goal of it's own. 

It's happened too many times now to write it's coincidence.

Travis Hamonic played over thirty minutes in Pittsburgh, MacDonald close to twenty eight minutes, they will wear down quickly or get hurt being used this way.

The recent injury to Brian Strait, means there is no defensive depth left (even after signing Martinek) no place in the stands to hide Matt Carkner, who has not helped Matt Donovan's game (who's making his own huge mistakes) no five on five goals from a defender all season, even with them trying to step up and create chances. 

They were struggling with Visnovsky/Strait in the lineup.

There is no help coming from Bridgeport. Joe Finley is injured, that club is struggling badly under Scott Pellerin's coaching once again. Bridgeport had four first period power plays on Saturday, but only five shots. (two by Calvin deHaan)

Mike Halmo was listed on the top defensive pairing. 

Then Bridgeport gave up twenty two second period shots (five goals) in the second straight game Anders Nilsson had to be pulled. (Nilsson let up a weak first goal/beyond that everything was scored from quality area)  Bridgeport went 0-for-7 on the power play and is 3-for-43 overall; it has been outscored 5-3.

Most of the NHL teams struggling badly below the New York Islanders in the standings can play some low scoring games, this team cannot.

Nabokov stole the game in Pittsburgh,  the Islanders were vastly outplayed. (it was a miracle an open net shot hit Carkner)

When Nielsen/Okposo/Bailey revert to career offensive trends (they have done fantastic) there is nothing to supplant that offense. Tavares has been struggling, a slow group of forwards do not give him the space he needs to take his shot in transition, Capuano already tried Grabner next to him.

Tavares has his one powerplay goal five on three (from an outside shot) against Phoenix, that's it.

What's Cal Clutterbuck going to do? Fight? Throw a hit, they have that in Matt Martin, while Brock Nelson sits on the sidelines. Clutterbuck's a player who eats minutes, and produces at best an even shift. 

Colin McDonald's pays for it too whenever Boulton dresses.

These are issues now dating even back to preseason.

These problems are not going away the cracks are only going to get bigger.
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Notables:
Nothing much to write about Rick DiPietro's tryout. Too bad agent Ian Pulver could not do better in North America for him. He's going to get little/no opportunity to replace injured Carolina goaltenders under contract when they return so expect his PTO to end quickly like most. 

Carolina signed another goalie to a PTO the day before DiPietro for it's AHL team who was released, John Muse in his third tour with the Checkers had back to back weekend shutouts.
Either way I wish him luck. The only joke Larry (the clown) Brooks is Rick DiPietro will be paid less than Brad Richards has already been paid in the last two years (forty two million) as Brooks waives his Ranger/Richard's pom poms, and endorsed his sixty million dollar contract, then called for his buyout last summer.

Forty two million to be a converted left winger
 With a frontloaded contract in which Richards makes most of his money in the early years of a nine-year, $60 million deal to keep his cap hit down for the Rangers, the 33-year-old center has made approximately $36.9 million, including signing bonuses, through his first two seasons. That number would have been $42 million if it weren’t for the NHL lockout.

DiPietro not counting pay lost during lockout was paid 31.5 million for his contract to date. 

DiPietro never had to be benched for a playoff game when healthy or hidden like Richards along with a roster of AHL/NHL Rangers.  

DiPietro was an All-Star starter, an Olympic starter, who carried this team to two playoff spots, and almost a third in 2007-08. Jay Greenberg in the Post called his fifty five save performance at Msg the best goaltending he's seen in forty years of hockey coverage.


For five years RDP kept trying to recover from a minor surgery in 2008 that went bad. Dan Blackburn tried coming back with two blockers, Al Montoya has his NHL career saved by the Islanders.

Hard to see why the Islanders risked RDP getting hurt by playing eighteen games in Bridgeport if their plan was a full buyout because if he got hurt he could not be bought out, insurance would have had to settle a career ending injury.

His comments upon being sent down did not land him a suspension by the club, followed by a buyout.

Can an owner have a better personal relationship with someone than Sather, Isiah Tomas, and Steve Mills? 

The only jokes should be reserved for Brooks, and the NY Post brutal coverage.
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You need a joke, I got one. Funny how the same media that ripped the Islanders daily/hourly for not disclosing injures in 2008-2009 put their heads in the sand, and defends it now when another local team refuses to disclose injuries to their players?

Guess those checks to newspapers for Knicks ad space are too important too risk so double-standards it shall be.

Greg Logan going to update his policy from Oct 2008.
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I watched Islanders pregame today. Stan Fischler/Peter Ruttgaizer discussed meddling owners, but not their employer?

Kind of like ignoring Islanders playing at Barclay's Center, Ruttgaizer attended the preseason game. 

Mr Ruttgaizer joined twitter this month.