New York 6, Pittsburgh 3 (Lehner Leaves Game)

New York Islander Fan Central | 10/30/2018 10:55:00 PM |

Will let twitter comments reflect thoughts, beyond loved how when it was 4-5/3, all air went out of Pens game, and they got slower, sloppy. Everyone contributed against a team red hot, coming home off 9-1 win, it's they way NY needs to play. Now they have to do it again, in a place they rarely play...Home

2-1 Win at Carolina (eight shots allowed in third)

New York Islander Fan Central | 10/28/2018 08:05:00 PM |

How many 2-1 games this team win last season? Any? How many 8 shot allowed third periods with lead? Any? Not a classic, too much Greiss in 2nd, but they got the lead and held. Not supposed to be pretty but it's about strategy/system. Faceoffs an issue, Leddy in on both goals, Pulock got 1st, #13-18 had great chances. Textbook from Bailey to Lee. On to home/home with Pens.

New York Drops A 6-1 Win On Flyers/22 Shots Against

New York Islander Fan Central | 10/27/2018 06:39:00 PM |

Easily the best win going back past last season, not just goals scored where goalie had no chance on many of them, but combined with the low shot against. (more on twitter) Islanders website going all out with ITV long interviews you can't see on television.

Florida 3, New York 2 OT

New York Islander Fan Central | 10/25/2018 07:25:00 AM |
Best to see twitter comments, not a good night at all, good team wins that game 6-1 against either NYI or Panthers.

As for Charles Wang, Mr Torrey tribute comes first, until then patches for Mr Wang will have to wait. Not easy drawing people when you tell customers going there, more game are being moved from that location. Don't expect enthusiasm from an arena operator, who at best will be reduced to a temporary landlord in Nassau, with the teams hope (not mine) to move into a bad location that will hurt both BSE/BGE buildings.

Charles Wang RIP

New York Islander Fan Central | 10/21/2018 10:30:00 AM |



The statements praising Wang are pouring in from former players, AHL, Rangers/Dolan family.

Several news organizations are reporting New York Islanders minority owner, Charles B Wang, has passed away at age 74.

 "He treasured his association with the team and its devoted fans," Wang's family said in a statement.

Libn.com: Scott Rechler, Kevin Law, others also had high praise for Wang.

NYIFC Comments:
It's a very sad day to read of this man's passing.

I have never been of the school, Charles Wang, kept the team from relocation. The lease in Nassau & with Smg/Msg made that impossible, but his efforts to spend above and beyond, for doing everything humanely possible to keep a building going, where he was only a tenant, renovating many times, him giving us an AHL franchise, saving that from Roy Boe, and investing far more into this team than any owner in his arena circumstances was unreal.

It would never be enough for the people who want 1980 prices & a max payroll. He did all he could to honor the alumni to the point he got accused of it to sell tickets, he did found the teams hall of fame, and the LH tournament continued into last season. 

Wang got my support and defense here because he did not get a taxpayer funded arena, he did not get the LH or the referendum because of politics, but he spent far more than he had to before 2006, and did everything possible to sign players without the ability to front-load contracts to his final days.

He was loyal to this franchise, he was right to fire Neil Smith because the 2006-07 team made the playoffs when the Flyers cleaned house in October, and they fell apart. Wang never let off ice things become a distraction into a season. Smith did not sign his contract, business is business.

And all I kept reading was Wang offered the most money, in that building, with that brutal fan support win or lose, and a ton of pathetic media did not care or understand, he outlasted many of those outlets who spent far less.

Not sure how things are handled given how Bill Torrey has been treated, but Wang was the second best owner of this franchise, and for all the ups/downs, he loved owing this team, he always sat at draft table proudly.

He'll be missed by me personally. No misconceptions of his past at CA or the endless stories as a ruthless shark in business (like everyone) but as a hockey owner he did everything possible for our fans short of bankruptcy.

This was Charles Wang on 6/29/16, his final days at majority owner. RIP
                          

New York Drops A Seven on Kings

New York Islander Fan Central | 10/19/2018 05:53:00 AM |

NYIFC Comments: A lot on twitter feed, but how many times they drop hammer in a close game during 3rd period, and just bury the opposition. Ladd looked great, so did Filppula, 17-53-15. Those were not soft goals but the kind no goalie can stop. Mayfield-Hickey +5, Bailey keeps shooting. Kamarov his first. Outstanding win off a good effort where they did not get second chances but only allowed 24 shots which did not happen often last season. Also want our fans to have the full Trotz press conference, not that one minute joke Dolan gives to get off air as fast as possible, worst broadcast partner in North American sports.

Lamoriello/Kovar on waivers for release

New York Islander Fan Central | 10/10/2018 04:51:00 PM | |

Very disappointing on Kovar that he did not wish to report to Bridgeport, but not the first or last this has happened with. If another team does not claim him, he goes back to Europe.

New York Notables: Dolan/Azoff/Attendance/Flat Earth Nassau

New York Islander Fan Central | 10/09/2018 05:39:00 AM |
I wrote some things about Irving Azoff, buying out Dolan's Oakview, but still not there yet because Dolan's Newsday flunkies can't write about Dolan business & stay employed & this is well above Irving Azoff's net worth.

Baumbach wrote for 2 years Dolan was a major part of Belmont. Many outlets called this Dolan's arena & he was competing against Steinbrenner.

Newsday did not sell Irving Azoff's Belmont arena this hard in their newspaper with no details since summer 2016, everyone employed there waived the pom poms like their job depended on it, right Arthur Staple?


Here is Oakview group: Depending on what you believe Tim Leiweke has no money, he's like Yormark and works for rich people. Lukko works for Panthers and has less money than Garth Snow

All the serious money behind Oakview was Dolan until this.

Also Richard Browne of Sterling enterprises (Wilpon) said Dolan's Oakview is landlord, NYI are his 41 day tenant, so all this "Islanders arena" stuff was just a lie always, it was for Azoff's 110 music acts.

And as I wrote last year Azoff's estimated worth is 100 million with some newer estimates at 300 to 350 million, one at 45 million. Even if bottomless pockets Silver Lake gave Azoff money to buyout Dolan, that's a ton of debt here & in Seattle where money is needed immediately to spend 700 million to renovate a relic arena.

And people better start warming up that economic miracle where Fred (Sterling enterprises) Wilpon & Saul Katz spend a billion dollars to pay for an Islanders arena when they can't develop at Willets Point or Shea lot, and who's real estate claim to fame is Madoff field via taxpayers.

Wake me when Dolan's media has to write more about Dolan, and where he stands in New York Arena Partners? Baumbach likely was terrified & begging permission to even write his tweet in fear of being fired or off hauling newspapers in college point while NY Times prints/distributes Newsday while Pat Dolan is suing Altice for cutting News12LI staff and dropping Altice Optimum & putting up a new paywall at Newsday.



As for the attendance Barclay's first two years outdrew 16/25 years at Nassau & tied six others without Sat games with the Ranger fans in media since 2012 acted like they did when Trottier was announced as their coach & it had to be ended as quickly as possible.

Kind of like how thirty year Ranger flunkie Mark Herrmann is good with the New York Islanders as the little LI brother, but anything else does not work for him and does not belong, despite all the negativity from him  (and others) it was working better than Nassau which always lost money.


This unheard of two arena split drastically hurts Barclay's viability, turns them into a lame duck, and keeps the people who liked going there from NYC & were getting into hockey from being part of something that ends 2/28/19 of course  Yormark wants them in his Nassau facility for this final year they still have to likely pay them their 53 million less expenses.

Beyond that we don't have any clue of a lease in Nassau beyond this one year.

Bottom line they need to be in a NYC facility like 30 other teams have said they need a city-based arena to survive financially. (Ottawa-Arizona) As for the LI flat earth society of people under thirty who ignore the Coliseum was empty by 1989 with Arbour-Torrey, Wang could not invite every school for second game, even a Ranger game in 2011 drew only 11,000.  Those fans live in a world demanding 1980 ticket prices, free parking, and a max payroll to show up a few weekends. That's how they lost the team in the first place between voting no for the Coliseum, and yes to Kate Murray, there is no rational discussion for them, it's this way or no team at all while they crawl to New Jersey & pretend those teams are NY.
 


And we all know how the LI fans filled the building for game two in Oct 2013-14 with Tavares, after making the playoffs with half of them likely coming out from NYC. I know they don't like those images, truth bothers many of them, hard as I tried to pushed people to go or lose team permanently for countless years before 2011.

I understand you don't like reading how Nassau cannot support a team, and will go bankrupt there because fans won't go to games or spend money on tickets, never did after 1989. No more cups, we're done, it started long before Milbury. It would not shock me if Malkin-Ledecky looked at Nassau
pre-sales and pulled plug on locker rooms with Yormark doing all he can not to host them anywhere after this season. They will get their 13,000 for first game, after that we all know the history on weeknights.

Let's hope Dolan is entirely out, and this team can build a NYC home where they need to be for any long-term financial success, lot's of room at Shea/Sunnyside sites for rail, road, retail without some place in the wilderness that will take double time on the current spur vs reaching Barclay's until 2032 at earliest.

Take away Barclay's distractions fueled by Dolan's biased media & people will come, it worked better than anything since 1989 without the needed diet of Sat night games.

Bruins had the same problems for sixty years. Dolan's taxpayer funded building has the same obstructed seats & ice issues, but their media hides it, like all the money that flows from Cuomo to his tax exemption, Penn Station, Lhota for his subways, Percoco, Silver's past money.

Meanwhile the people who need paychecks will do what they are told.


New York 4, San Jose 0

New York Islander Fan Central | 10/09/2018 04:55:00 AM |


Other than 16 shots in third, that was an excellent job against a very good opponent. Filppula did a great job finding Martin, Clutterbuck was flying/hitting like we did not see all last season, how many times we see any goals scored with goalie pulled last season, and a shutout for Lehnter.

I do think it's important to get Barry Trotz full press conferences posted, not brief Msg sound-bytes, but it can take hours after games, listen to this head coach & players talk about strategy, clearly they will have bad games, but there is a direction & a strategy, when they take the ice.

Nashville 4, New York 3

New York Islander Fan Central | 10/07/2018 01:01:00 AM |

Penguins CEO, Coming to New York Islanders

New York Islander Fan Central | 10/05/2018 05:29:00 PM |


Welcome to New York, Barry Trotz

New York Islander Fan Central | 10/05/2018 12:30:00 AM |

Obviously not happy at all with how they played, despite skills competition point, but listen to this head coach talk about system, structure & strategy. This is how things change.

New York Names Anders Lee Captain

New York Islander Fan Central | 10/04/2018 12:06:00 PM |


NYIFC Comments:
I love this decision. It says a great deal of what new management thinks of him, but in the end we all know what this comes down to by 7/1/19.

They could have gone the other way with longest tenured Josh Bailey on a new contract, or went with Boychuk, Leddy among several vets with term or no one at all which many expected.

Denis Potvin called with his congratulations. 

Great choice.

New York Preview: Anything Can Happen...But

New York Islander Fan Central | 10/03/2018 08:46:00 AM |
Most years folks who follow here know I usually put this team between 1/2-14-15th in conference, but there are many more challenging questions this time around with a championship-level staff. And frankly, there is no dominating team in this conference, most have big flaws.

Anything can happen.

So here goes.

A-Playing in two NHL arena's is unprecedented, players will talk about it not being a distraction, but it will be, for some it could become an excuse later.

1-Despite Lehner having NHL ability to post a 920. save percentage, he's not Halak, and will allow soft goals in big moments, as opposed to Halak, who had a next level in big moments. So there is getting points with a 5-4 win, allowing over forty shots, vs losing 3-2 and allowing under thirty shots but giving up soft goals. The shots against will go down dramatically, that's the plan but nothing could be worse in this era than last season with a team that had no defensive system or strategy. 

2-If this team is in contention or a playoff spot at deadline Lee, Nelson & Eberle are going nowhere, if they are not, they will be traded. Losing those players could set them back years because it's unlikely anyone wants to come to two construction zones in a suburb in front of no fans.

Stop pretending this is a destination for free agents, it never has been, players want their careers to matter, Tavares learned to aspire to be Long Island means you have to move on to bigger/better. 

3-Trust that Lamoriello/Trotz will change things on the ice, and the one year contracts will work themselves out, eventually the young players if productive will push out the players not helping.

I wanted Toews here, clearly over Sbisa, but he is a player who should be in the NHL lineup or playing top minutes in Brideport & did not even make 2018 before his season ended. Bottom line they got there with Pulock/deHaan, after years of injuries, and will again with Toews.

4-The top two lines will score their share, Beauvillier does not look like he was going to score four goals into January like last season, eventually Ladd will return, but must produce. Lee will get his 30-40, Bailey will get his numbers, and I expect Barzal, Eberle to get their numbers. Nelson should be highly motivated in a walk year to get thirty.

5-Like Trotz moving LD Leddy to RD a little, just to shake up his game a little, think we'll see ups/downs with unit, but we will see a strategy/system/plan.

They have good talent waiting if players here struggle, well beyond Toews.

6-Every team in this division has big flaws, so expect less playoff seeds from it.

7-Term for term trades is what this team needs, they are not giving up any #1 picks for rentals before the trade deadline when the first round picks will not be lottery selections. I suggested Leddy for Nylander as a term for term trade, Leafs take Clutterbuck salary in deal. Both teams get something they need, but deals like that rare these days. The cap is high enough to avoid the Boychuk-Leddy trades this time around.

8-Conclusion, they will be a better, different 82 game team unlike last year's eight game over mirage where it was clear the scoring/Halak could not hide the defensive issues until late November.

I expect them to be in the mix, but when they put some lines on the ice you know you are hoping for only an even shift at best which is what #17-53-15 are, and what Fritz, Johnston, and the incoming players are despite being mainstays on playoff teams a year ago.

Ho-Sang, Bellows, and the other forwards there want NHL jobs, produce & give management every reason to give you a spot here.

Two arena's will be a huge negative issue, and when our owners/Barclay's see Nassau empty seats we'll see if they really want to be the only team to return full time to a failed suburb, as Dolan's tenant (SMG revisited) when every other team said they must be in a city to survive financially.

We know the worst teams media in North America will continue to show there is no cap floor in how poorly this team can be covered, as their job is to keep their job above anything else.

130 other teams do not have this issue.

Toews/Kovar To Bridgeport

New York Islander Fan Central | 10/02/2018 10:38:00 AM |


New York Notables

New York Islander Fan Central | 10/02/2018 09:13:00 AM |
Will have more to write here on Wednesday, after final cuts are made on Tuesday. Not of a fan of this decision but expect Toews will go to AHL to start so he can play every game. ******************************************
Have been more active on twitter, but this site will remain active as always.