Updated 1/27/15: Win Or Lose New York Must Stick To Business: The Next Game

New York Islander Fan Central | 1/17/2015 06:20:00 AM |
New York cannot get caught up in the wins/losses for long, just enjoy what's positive for that day, not dwell too hard on anything either way.

Then go play the next game as best as possible. 

What clicked off in Edmonton, Vancouver and in New Jersey, clicked back on in Columbus.

There will be many more clicks both ways.

The schedule is only going to get tougher, the Islanders have not caught many teams at the right time to beat them (Columbus was only on equal travel/rest but they were starting to level off)

There are going to be many ups/downs/injuries however things might get interesting after the break if the club is completely healthy. (don't count on it)

So much for that.

Okposo getting hurt is hardly a new concept but the first line has never been weaker in the Tavares era so it bears closer watching.

When Parenteau or Boyes were slotted as first line RW with Moulson/Vanek, Okposo was with Nielsen/Bailey.

There have not been nearly enough games played to care much about the standings, the first goal is to qualify for the Stanley Cup playoffs.

That's still a long way off.

The players have made clear they have won nothing.

Win or lose, enjoy the ride, keep piling up points.

It might be boring, but it's the best formula for success.

Next game.


New York May Need 105 Points For 8th Seed

New York Islander Fan Central | 1/11/2015 10:49:00 PM |
Folks, this year may be one for the books in the Eastern Conference.

For those thinking the New York Islanders can go five hundred in the next forty games and finish with 97 points and qualify need to start taking a hard look at reality.

I'm well aware how many times here I put the number at 97 points during this season. 


Florida wins their next game they hit the 41 game mark in 9th place with 51 points on pace for 102, and on the outside.

Boston has a weak hold on the eight seed but seven over on a three game winning streak 6-1-3 and Charlie Jacobs cracking the whip on management.

This is not your 92 point (sometimes much less) 8th seed Eastern Conference in 2014-15.

I wrote about the 97 point number being enough to make the playoffs in the past based on the Western Conference and because that number has never been required in the East.

For this season the East looks like it could break all past playoff point trends more than I ever could have anticipated.

Bottom line, the New York Islanders must keep winning, or not losing in regulation any way possible.

Any falloff they drop out of the top eight spots.

Winning in Columbus in regulation for the first time ever after playing/traveling against a tired, traveling team 10-1-1, but backsliding recently was their latest, biggest win of the season.

The New York Islanders have not/will not get the rest and many games against teams who have played the night before, the competition has received often.

Ryan Pulock if the organization is lucky misses 3-6 weeks, if not and needs surgery he's had a Calvin deHaan setback that could run into 2015-16. 
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The likely sale of the Stockton Thunder to the Calgary Flames means the club may need a new ECHL affiliate, perhaps it's time to put a second Islander ECHL affiliate in Webster Bank Arena pending a possible Sound Tigers move to a renovated Nassau Coliseum.
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It's not our father or brother's NHL all-star game any longer with all the years of absence and the last thing anyone needs is another injury if Halak is named to the team.
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The cap floor challenged NY Times have gone the buyout route with long-time Ranger salesman Jeff Z Klein in their dwindling cap floor hockey coverage as he announced he left in December 2014. Klein was good at treating the Isles poorly, his ridiculous assignment to go interview Cody Rosen the final straw not including he was a Flyer prospect in their summer camp the year before Snow selected him.

Allan Kreda, the remaining Times writer seems to give the Islanders a fair shake in the part time coverage at best for NHL hockey. The Times dropped it's hockey blogs in 2013 as did Dolan's money bleeding Newsday this season.

Stu Hackel describes himself as "for hire" now that Times/SI finally are done with him. He does part time columns with other bloggers for THN.

Yes, the professional hockey newspaper industry in New York is going away quietly. 

J.P. Parise RIP

New York Islander Fan Central | 1/08/2015 12:05:00 PM |
NHL.com has a statement from the Parise family on the passing of Jean-Paul Parise.

Today is not about the 1975 New York Islanders.
RIP J.P Parise.

Zach Parise Leaves Wild To Be With His Father/Al Arbour Update

New York Islander Fan Central | 1/07/2015 07:24:00 PM | | |
For those who do not know or have read the media reports Zach Parise has left the Minnesota Wild to be with his father former Islander, JP Parise, who was diagnosed with stage four lung cancer, who's condition has deteriorated.

Obviously Al Arbour in a Sarasota hospital with pneumonia, when not living in a nursing home and his dementia issues with recent falls is also very a serious circumstance as Jiggs McDonald let us know.

My thoughts and prayers are with both.