Daily News: Elliot Olshansky's Friday prospect feature is on Islander prospect Corey Trivino and includes a few words at the end on Blake Kessel.
NYI Fan Central Comments:
Great article on Trivino with Terrier's heads coach Jack Parker's comments.
Best hockey coverage at the Daily News by a mile are these Friday reports.
Ironic the Times is more interested in Europe and the Daily News best work is a weekly update on prospects for the local clubs.
Any wonder why hockey flies so far below the New York radar?
Newsday: Mr Logan had a very early blog Friday crediting goaltender Joey MacDonald for speaking with the media after a tough game while suggesting DiPietro's return could lead to a few more big saves but his return will not make things better on the ice because of the onslaughts MacDonald has seen on a nightly basis recently.
Mr Logan also writes it appears the system is deeply flawed.
NYI Fan Central Comments:
Interesting we did not see this level of praise from the beatwriter about DiPietro when he was facing similar onslaughts and won six in a row after the ASG at a time all we read was a statistical argument DiPietro was not playing well.
MacDonald's overall number does not come close to how well he has played.
Fair to suggest when you help the beatwriter keep the quote book full you receive better writeups?
DiPietro has seen plenty of shots and pressure, when the offense provides two goals or less fourteen games in a row and you stay in contention it's fair to say it cannot get much tougher.
Of course aside from last night Mr Logan is correct about the level of goaltending Joey MacDonald has provided. I wonder if MacDonald talking about the lack of support from the defense (after he was visibly upset in Boston on the final Bruins goal) would be handled the same way by the Islander beatwriter if DiPietro had said this/acted like that or it would have been turned into a circus?
What Mr Logan also forgets to write about is the system is flawed because the defense along with the starting goaltender have not been healthy for a single day all season. You don't play this long without Radek Martink or Bruno Gervais in a revolving door defense and eventually not have it lead to breakdowns or take it's toll.
Up front the loss of Nielsen & Okposo with their speed/skill is no small sidebar either, these are critical losses along with Comrie (last year's leading scorer) and not having Sillinger until now who at best is in early Moncton mode.
Newsday: The Friday Islander Insider had a lot from Doug Weight on how well he has played but the center correctly talks about the lack of multiple point games/goals among several topics including Josh Bailey not part of team Canada and the speed/skill at this level of hockey with more from Blake Comeau about his season among several topics.
NYI Fan Central Comments:
As great a season Weight has had statistically, goals and even strength production is not nearly enough but overall they have gotten more than expected.
Point Blank: Mr Botta speculates on Scott Gordon & Garth Snow staying for at least this season and next regardless where the Islanders are in the standings with more on Mike Comrie's likely return by next week.
NYI Fan Central Comments:
We shall see, we know the trends for Islander coaches and general managers, last time we saw a stretch like this the coach was fired and the gm announced his resignation.
If anyone thinks the Islanders are playing worse than expected it's a fair question at this point.
This is New York, not Nashville or Buffalo and great working relationships between general managers and coaches have not put any championship banners up in these places. It's early in the plan but progress has to be made.
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Islander website did not even telling us Sim went on waivers.
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Scott Gordon has had a lot of coachspeak for lack of a better word after some games (penalties against Pittsburgh or playing well in Atlanta's zone) after losses that were curious.
Seems the pressure is on the coach who must be extremely frustrated with losing to this degree which is new for him.
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Someone want to tell me why Mitch Fritz should have dressed while Eric Godard was a scratch if Jon Sim was still here and could play again?
How many minutes can Jackman, Thompson eat up a night producing nothing? An energy shift has to lead to something like a goal or a penalty, if not you are playing to come out even at best.
With Weight not an even strength scorer and Bailey on zero combined with Park, Hilbert, Fritz, Thompson, Jackman you look around and wonder where the next goal at even strength comes from?
Have to figure some players are frustrated with losing and where the club is in the standings, cannot be happy in that locker room right now nor should it be.
Some thought the Islanders in sixth as late as January before injures piled up had a tough season?
Right now this is on pace to be the worst season since 2000-2001.