Realty Check 2015-16 New York Islanders. ...It's Not Working Out

New York Islander Fan Central | 12/18/2015 10:19:00 AM |
I know how folks will respond. 

1. They did not lose a game in regulation for a month.
2. All teams have bad stretches.
3. They are in a playoff spot.
4. They got a bad bounce.
5. Colorado (insert other team or goaltender) was playing very well.
6. They are playing the ugly 2-1 games you always write and tell us they need to play.

Reality check/Counterpoint:
1. The goaltending stole a bunch of games or won some shootout/overtime games (Halak vs Flyers/Greiss vs everyone)  they got an incredible break in Colmubus with Jenner kicking in a puck that was going over the line, and Schneider was not very good on a lot of outside shots vs Devils, who were without top players.

Is Okposo getting an unassisted gift against Columbus progress? 

How come we do not see this team do what Florida did when they were injured/sick, and flat out take over a game? The Florida Panthers for the better part of a season and a half are never an easy team to beat, even though becoming the Florida Jagr's will ultimately be a step back.

2. When is this team going to have a good stretch where they simply outclass a team with the game in the balance? They broke Chicago's win streak last year and flat out wore them down as they did with a lot of games like the one vs Tampa they came-back last December.

Last year all I kept reading from opposing coaches is how hard this team is to play against, now it seems much easier. The Blue Jackets players were talking about how gassed the Islanders were when they pinned them in for long stretches a week ago.

3. Playoff spots come/go in a week in this league, it's going to be a fight for a spot to the final days if they are there at all.

4. When are they going to make the other team give them a bad bounce or work hard enough to force the other team to make mistakes that turns a game in the Islander favor?

5. Tired of writing that, it's time this team start outclassing teams and beating whoever is playing well, that's what good teams/true cup contenders do a fair amount of the time.

6. Simply put this team is not locking down it's competition in the third period, the blown leads or the other teams push always comes while our team basically does nothing to stop it or start their own beyond great goaltending. I do not see that as changing to a defensive system at the cost of some offense after writing about it recently, it seems more like they are tried, worn down and have little left in the tank.

Hanging on is not a defensive strategy, even when you win/lose a skills competition, and stave off regulation losses which cannot happen for long in this conference playoff format. 
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Bottom Line:  
The 2015-16 New York Islanders have a roster full of underachieving players, mediocre special teams at best, zero killer instinct or are simply outworked with games in balance far too often with the usual blown leads.

Has John Tavares ever looked this frustrated or ineffective? 

Why can't they make the opposition blow leads or fold under pressure in the third period? 
Can they even make changes without a penalty during the 3/3 skills competition? 
 
It's unacceptable when Anders Lee (a good skater who used to score on breakaways) has four goals being used like Mark Parrish, that Strome is a non-factor. Leddy, Hamonic should be progressing offensively, Boychuk should be scoring some goals, and visible. Kulemin have any goals in over a month? Cizikas?

Funny how the one guy who is playing better is Grabovski who is finally playing his career position after a year getting concussions as a winger.

How many line changes does it take with the revolving left wingers for Tavares? 

Sure we may continue seeing the team win this way, if they get in the playoffs (and win) no one will care.

But ultimately what's being built here or what are we seeing that indicates the New York Islanders are growing into a cup contender? I saw some signs last year that did not hold up vs Washington who were waiting to lose that series.

I wrote in May that there should be a coaching change, not sure a change now does anything and could influence some pending UFA to leave, but seriously if the team is just hanging on who cares?

The dynasty New York Islanders grew into a team that many felt could beat the opposition any way they wanted to play against them.

Can this group grow into a team that can win one single way against anyone? 

It's not working out.


Nets/Barclay's Center Sold To Prokhorov: Coliseum Update

New York Islander Fan Central | 12/16/2015 05:43:00 PM |

NYIFC Comment: Does not make clear if Prokhorov must sell together as one entity, or can sell Barclay's to one person & Nets to another. Mr Prokhorov now is financially responsible for the Islanders iron-clad lease at Barclay's center, and must pay teams majority/minority owners.

It's unclear if Wang's agreement where he has rights to live streaming all Barclay's events (besides Nets) changes here. ITV/Neulion coverage seems gone with team mostly using Msg content which could be Dolan, but likely not because practice coverage reports also diminished vs past format.

It also means Mr Prokhorov's people at Onexim Sports & Entertainment now entirely call the shots in terms of running the arena with a basketball team they already had an eighty percent stake in, along with running most of the Islanders business operations/team website.


NYIFC Comment: REIT goes beyond my knowledge or if Bruce Ratner can own any stake in Coliseum on 1/1/16 and continue renovations, but bottom line is Prokhorov can sell his 85 percent stake in Coliseum to someone who would control new arena lease & it's commitment to bring an AHL team to Coliseum as anchor tenant.

Jon Ledecky/Scott Malkin are not listed as minority owners of the Bridgeport Sound Tigers on the teams website, only the Islanders. Sound-tigers website does reflect the changes in team president/personnel since last summer.

Charles Wang's Harbor Yard Sports & Entertainment operates Webster Bank Arena until 2021, provided a "Professional Hockey League" in that facility. Bill Finch who negotiated the agreement with Wang in 2011 is out as mayor.

No folks, once again Jon Ledecky/Scott Malkin/Charles Wang are not breaking their lease at Barclay's with whatever revenue they receive for the downsized moderately (90 mil) renovated Nassau Coliseum with no luxury boxes, and crowds under 10,000 on weeknights most nights since 1989 who want twenty dollar tickets, and a max payroll.

New York Notables: Status Quo

New York Islander Fan Central | 12/11/2015 10:04:00 AM |
All that matters is point total/standings. We all learned the lessons of December 2014 were not enough come playoff time.

2014-15 is long gone, this team has a different personality, better in some ways/worse in others. 

6-0-2 is very nice (necessary/must continue to remain in mix) I see some signs this team is attempting to convert to a defensive strategy like many of the divisional counterparts where they have low maintenance 2-1 wins, but it's been more about the goaltending than the team defense. 

And the goalies are paid to steal a few which Halak did in Philadelphia, who are playing well.

They still lose leads in third periods far too often to write I'm seeing true progress. Sure the refs robbed them in Ottawa but that happens. 

One thing for sure it does not reflect a disciplined team when you take bench minors in overtime because you cannot change properly.

Beyond that, given this teams shootout success no issue playing 3/3 very conservative.



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Honestly folks what would you have me write about the many, many peripheral subjects?

I seriously doubt anyone with ownership stakes in Barclays, Nets or Coliseum today will be here past two years or many of the people working for them now.

Someone has to pay the new Islander majority owners their lease money, who have a huge wave of home grown free agents to resign next summer. We have no clue what they will do.

The Nassau Coliseum re-opens 12/10/16 per it's scheduled events, it will never host an NHL hockey team full time again.