FAN590: Daren Millard & Nick Kypreos had Islanders head coach Scott Gordon on Monday as a guest of the Toronto radio show and reported Rick DiPietro is about three weeks away from playing an NHL game among several topics discussed.
NYI Fan Central Comments:
Scott Gordon's interview begins after about twenty nine minutes of the show.
The Star: Has the latest on the Leafs injuries which now include prospect Luke Schenn and apparently Niklas Hagman for a club with only four wins in thirteen home games.
National Post: Michael Traikos reports after losing defenceman Luke Schenn and forward Niklas Hagman to injuries, the Toronto Maple Leafs recalled defenceman Jaime Sifers and forward Jeremy Williams from the minors and are expected to play against the Islanders.
NYI Fan Central Comments:
A tough 2-1 loss to a good Washington club on Saturday, a new general manager in Brian Burke taking notes and a club that has put some up significant high-scoring beatings on the Islanders at the Air Canada Center over the years.
And another opposing club on a three game losing streak that will be desperate to get back in the win column.
First win in a long-time last season at ACC took four powerplay goals for the Islanders, both clubs are different today but the Leafs still display an ability to break out with a big offensive game but have not done it since early November, Islanders to this point have not displayed that ability.
We all know the standings and circumstances, four under is terrible and at the fringe of being a lottery team, five under puts the club in a position where you almost have to start looking to make changes.
Reality is Islanders are eight points out of fourth in the division, five points out of the eighth spot with the South East again looking like the weak link after the Caps.
Can five Atlantic clubs qualify? Sure.
Is it likely? No, because you have to beat out the second seed in the South East and the third place club in the Northeast.
If Joey MacDonald is getting tired we will find out this week, I guess DiPietro or Ted Nolan cannot be blamed for all the consecutive starts.
Jason Blake had three of his thirteen points on the season against the Coyotes on 12/4.
The new generation Leafs are led on offense by names like Matt Stajan, Nik Antropov, Alexei Ponikarovsky & Mikhail Grabovski with Vesa Toskala and his 8.85 save percentage in goal.
Fair to write Scott Gordon's 2008-09 Islanders cannot fall much further.