NYI Fan Central Comments:
What would you have me write folks?
30th place and close to six hundred man games lost to injury, makes for a very tough season where we now know the Islanders will have the option to draft someone between John Tavares or Victor Hedman in June.
At least now all the fans can now pull for a few wins this weekend to close the season.
As for tonight, unlike the Carolina game the Islanders did a lot of good things, one of those things they could not do was finish between all the goal posts and unfortunately I have to write what looked like a goaltender in Joey MacDonald who looked worn down from all the shots in the Carolina game combined with again some sloppy defensive coverage in front of him that let even Bill Guerin reach the high slot for what was an easy goal that made it 4-1 before two more got past MacDonald you expect him to make the save on if he were sharp.
This is the first real extended stretch we have seen the goaltending play down to what many expected with two AHL goaltenders, we have been in a lot of ways spoiled by two players who did enough to carry a team into contention and maybe even a playoff spot if they were on another NHL club with scoring support and less pressure.
A lot was said about the flu running through the team and we saw what that produced last year when they lose seven in a row, I don't know but between the losing/sluggish play it's just tough to tell the difference but a few things are off.
On this night the Isles got all the early powerplays and earned them, they stayed out of the box for over fifty one minutes, some of those posts go in it's a different game or maybe Pittsburgh turns it up and the Isles fall apart earlier.
I simply do not get Scott Gordon's concept of coaching at times.
He has two five on three powerplays, he has Sean Bergenheim who scored all those goals before he got hurt off speed and skill on left wing and had some chances in this one, he has Tambellini who is a left wing with that shot who has done a lot of good things who's facing a goalie who rarely starts.
Who's the left wing to start both five on three powerplays on the first unit? Richard Park.
I do not get that.
Bailey and Nielsen were at the center/right wing spot which is fine but why not put Bergenheim out there or Tambellini instead of Park. Why not put Joensuu out there on the first unit or even Iggulden. Almost everything was from the perimeter when they did set up with Park.
I know Bergenheim was on the second unit but why not give him or Tambellini the primary spot? I just don't see it.
For that matter what is Doug Weight doing on the point? Let Hillen or someone else man the left side with Streit. Nielsen had a nice shot for his goal which had to be perfect but if it comes off a broken play and a block off a point shot that's not a good set play for a goal.
We'll see what happens on the weekend. At least no more night time recaps with the two mid-late afternoon games.
Classy stuff from Scott Gordon, Bill Guerin and the Penguins at the end of the game.
