Final Word: Bloomberg Scott Soshnick Did Shoddy/Misleading Work

New York Islander Fan Central | 1/31/2017 12:07:00 PM |
Does not change how I feel about what was written yesterday, not at all.

Still this writer did an awful, shoddy job that contradicts Bloomberg's other writer who released Mikhail Prokhorov's offering statement 8/8/2016 with his financial simulations for the Islanders at Barclay's through 2020-21, his audio interviews left more questions than answers.

And this same writer who contradicted his own article on 12/1 that had Prokhorov's quotes he's not selling Barclay's and only a stake in Nets. 

Scott Soshnick 12/1/16:
Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov said he’s hired Allen & Co. to find a local minority investor for the National Basketball Association’s Brooklyn Nets.

Prokhorov in a statement didn’t say how much of the team he’s looking to sell.
“My goal in seeking a local minority partner is to further strengthen the team’s New York presence in order to expand upon our business and community relationships,” he said. “I’m committed to the Nets and will remain the majority owner of the team.”

 Scott Soshnick 1/30/17:
And now he contracted his own words on Prokhorov selling Barclay's from November.
 
The arena, which is already home to the NBA’s Nets and one of the world’s top-grossing concert venues, would make more money without the National Hockey League team, according to people familiar with the facility’s financials.

Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov, who owns the building and the Nets, has since November been seeking an investor to take a stake in both.

So how come Soshnick left out Prokhorov selling a Barclay's stake in November until January, that would be a far bigger story then the Nets. 

As for Prokhorov's financial offering statement reported by Martin Braun of Bloomberg 8/8/16 he included simulations with and without the Islanders, including without a hockey variable in 2016-17, and through 2020-21 from CSL. (Convention Sports & Leisure)

NYIFC Comments: 
Let's just write Prokhorov's simulations and models through 2020-21 with/without hockey leave Mr Soshnick with a lot more to explaining to do, and raises questions about his work. 

Now could Prokhorov drop an opt-out notice 1/30/18? Absolutely, and I expected it since day one he bought full control of Barclay's. But for now the sloppy reporting by Soshnick raises questions to his credibility unless he wants to update his counterpart at Bloomberg from August with new documentation from Mr Prokhorov.

Let's just be kind and write Jim Baumbach is the Bart Crashley of Newsday financial reporting, and Soshnick is someone else from the financial pool who would have been moved in 1972 before the team left Canada.

The simulations submitted by Prokhorov in August gave three projections of the Islanders attendance this season, they are outperforming all three, including the best expectation with far too many early season weeknight games, even vs last season.

It's Time For The New York Islanders To Leave New York/Greiss Signed

New York Islander Fan Central | 1/30/2017 08:00:00 PM |
So Prokhorov or one of his people or AIG got the 1/30/18 official opt out date wrong, and decided to drop this 1/30/17.......a year earlier than paperwork due date on the agreement bypassing the "good faith" negotiations that do not begin until this season ends.

Martin Braun on 8/8/16 of Bloomberg wrote about Prokhorov's offering statement which included the lease opt out dates. Sure this other writer does more shock-jock material, and I have dismisses his gossip before,  but it's more likely someone at Barclay's or AIG connected to Prokhorov floated it. 

Does it matter? They are still selling tickets for next season, who wants to be part of a lame duck franchise for two years that desperately needed to be in New York City to survive?

And given existing lease through 2018-19 if Barclay's opts out officially at the deadline 1/30/18 how does it help them sell tickets for the next 2 1/2 half seasons, this article cost Prokhorov money. 

Bottom line.
Wang was right, it's Barclay's or out of town, now it's time for out of town.

It's time for our players to play in front of a full house 41 times in regular season, with a real television/newspaper partner, that considers it's team a public trust, not one that bid for the Coliseum, to put in their own AHL team, and bring the Rangers to the Coliseum for home preseason games. They did all they could to get them out of New York for the territorial rights, to get back hundreds of millions in cable television money through 2031 with their media outlets who worked hard to dry up the fan-base for over a generation by hiding them or knocking them. 

More outside media (and a lot of fans) should have reported or discussed the conflict of interest or understood what was happening, they did not care or were busy selling themselves since 2008 when Dolan got Newsday or need the Garden to improve their amateur resumes.

NYC sports editors want them out too, coverage cost money, they cannot afford writers to cover games any longer, just negative features designed to drive them out of business like this one with a misleading title. 

Now we know why the Dolan's Coliseum coverage went from 100 percent negative watchdog, fudging details in Coliseum agreement vs their losing bid, for three years to completely positive overnight. 

The situation will never stabilize here to make owning a franchise financially viable for anyone.

It's not going to work in New York for this franchise any longer, the arena follies must end forever.

Since 1989 this has gone on. I don't blame Prokhorov, Ratner, Malkin, Ledecky or Wang.

Many of our fans were not knowledgeable. I tried as hard as possible for everyone.

Hopefully Malkin-Prokhorov can work out a lease buyout quickly, and get this team to a real market for next season, and not drag this out for the next year or two of rumors & gossip.

I want no part of that, we all have had enough.

Ledecky/Malkin/Wang/Shay are owed 107 million for two more years now that Prokhorov wants the team out of Barclay's, and must pay them this money.

No one's building another arena here, not in two years, not ever. It's time for people to stop the denial. I thought it was working at Barclay's based on 14,200 avg after 12/2/15 and in a decade would have for sure, and it was not bad this year considering all the extra early season weeknight games.

Dolan's media pushed the negatives hard.

Mayor deBlasio thought it was working too.

It will never work outside New York City, and there will be no arena built in an over-saturated arena market, for a fan base that's proven it will not support this team 41 times under any circumstances.

Mangano's path back, is that a joke?  Prokhorov owns the Coliseum per their lease, only they decide who plays at Nassau Coliseum which is not a viable alternative with poor fan support, no revenue, not inside a city. 

Playoffs? Stanley Cup? Who cares? Tavares contract? Everyone who can pick where they can play should get that chance.

It's time for the entitlement many fans thought they deserved to finally end. Quebec will make an excellent new home for our players under contract, and sellout every game.

Reality came home a year early, hopefully this will be the final season before a relocation out of New York for this summer, we don't need this dragged out until 1/30/18 before it all ends forever in 2019. 

Greiss will have some financial security, he earned this contract.


New York Not In Realistic Playoff Contention With Horrible Schedule Unless 95+ Points

New York Islander Fan Central | 1/26/2017 02:35:00 AM |
Sorry folks, we all want this team to get in playoffs, and win the Stanley Cup. 

Sure, they are winning some games, the third period issues/giving up too many shots are still there, and they are essentially playing for the 8th seed unless this team can make the kind of run where they finish with 95 points with the longest road trip in team history/least rest of any NHL team.  The powerplay issues continue for the most part, even with Lee giving them what they need to stay on the 1st line.

And please, let's be clear, aside from the Tampa three times this team could have won  every game in third period this season which is unusual. I did not see it as an issue of players tuning out any coach.

This team plays in the Metro, not the Atlantic where a lot of teams would be catch able or the west with less teams/more playoff spots. Fast teams continue to press the Islanders, tired Philadelphia came in off a 4-1 loss and took almost 50 shots, and the Islanders lost another two goal lead, then the skills competition.

Plus this time they have to do it with a 31 year old career backup leading, and Berube, who's hardly played for two years, with no 1st line RW capable of putting up the 20+ goals needed, despite Bailey having a career season, with Nelson's spotty production, and Strome simply not giving them enough numbers while Ladd if hurt, could linger for an entire season.

Kulemin is one goal off his last season number after 44 games, Clutterbuck, Cizikas are not giving them the goals their salary mandates, and not going anywhere with those contracts. 

I don't see Halak in Bridgeport through next season, he's done a good job there, and was not the issue here on the ice, only management knows what took place off the ice, if anything. 

On defense Hamonic has had a tough go before his injury, for years this team went through struggling defenders to go to Seidenberg, who's giving them 20 quality minutes Zidlicky, Visnovsky, Strait, and others could not give them for years.

No rush for Pulock here, if it means an extension for Seidenberg, they should do it. Defenseman are hard to find in this league who can play at his level, considering Mayfield cleared waivers, and Pelech could be lost to expansion. Toews has been a nice surprise for those watching the system.

I like the job Weight has done, only Malkin-Ledecky know what they will do with Snow, and his job titles which decides the head coaching position. My thoughts are the best people are the ones working in January with NHL jobs.  

Again the fans have fairly made clear nothing but Snow's dismissal will be accepted after eleven years, who will give them Nassau Coliseum-like support at Barclay's with the usual ton of outside media playing their selective branding card. 

A while back I wrote this is essentially a 50 game preseason, we have seen plenty of them, only way to change that is to have a mentality to catch the 7th seed, and reverse a lot of trends that go back years to many past Islander teams.

As for the outside distractions like media creating a circus over Tavares who could leave with team after 2017-18, and decide issue for him, or those who only come around to stir pot but not cover games, our fans are going to have to be smart enough to see through the non-sense for a team with one media person who works for another NHL teams newspaper, and is good as doing his least vs his Newsday counterpart.

Maybe our fans have not noticed, management barely speaks to Newsday beyond the bare minimum they get in print/on television.

New York New ECHL Affiliate Possible In Worcester Railers

New York Islander Fan Central | 1/18/2017 11:11:00 PM | |
Telegram.com on Worcester Railers joining ECHL, and NYI possible involvement sending officials, with agreement possible in three weeks with team leaving Missouri.

 The team hopes to have an NHL affiliation in place well before it can sign free agents and that could happen as soon as three weeks from now, according to Rucker. Signs point to the Railers having a tentative agreement in place with the New York Islanders, whose AHL affiliate is a relatively short drive away in Bridgeport.

"We have no comment," Rucker said, "other than to say that the Railers are interested in doing business with people who want to do business with us and nothing has been signed yet."

The Islanders have shown substantial interest, going as far as sending a contingent of executives from their player development department up to Worcester to talk with Railers officials and look at the DCU Center last autumn.

The Islanders are affiliated with Missouri of the ECHL, but that's not a good geographical mix and Missouri has also gotten some St. Louis Blues prospects this year. However, the Islanders just fired head coach Jack Capuano and the franchise could be on the verge of a reorganization.

NYIFC Comments:
This is a new franchise that wants to get up and running quickly, the Blues being a part of the Missouri Mavericks affiliation with Islanders is only natural for them, the Islanders agreement expires there at the end of this season.

This would remove any chance of the Islanders putting an ECHL team in Nassau Coliseum or Webster Bank Arena doing Prokhorov-Ratner no favors with Ratner's agreement to supply an AHL team.

1/18/17 Garth Snow Interview

New York Islander Fan Central | 1/18/2017 05:01:00 PM |
Islanders website: Doug Weight, players made their first comments on the coaching change, and what's ahead.

Snow Might Have To Stay Regardless

New York Islander Fan Central | 1/18/2017 12:55:00 AM |
The man who put together the team has to go if he said he's a hundred percent accountable,  he fired the coach. Ok. Weight is interim, Snow should not get another full-time hire (regardless of who) and should be sent packing ASAP.

He's had his chance.

Our fans will accept nothing less, to write otherwise is folly.

But someone has to write it. Who's coming here to replace Snow as Alt-Gov, President, GM? Who's signing up to come here for maybe one or two years? How can Ledecky-Malkin hire anyone (President/gm) without a lease agreement long-term first? Same for Tavares resigning on 7/1/17?

It's promises Ledecky-Malkin cannot make to anyone unless they sign up knowing a relocation could be part of it, along with another sale. 

Lease negotiations begin at the end of this season, not now. They conclude 12/31/17, opt out notice deadline is 1/30/18.

If Prokhorov delivers a lease opt-out notice on 1/30/18 or the Islander owners decide the lease does not work for them, and the team has to relocate to Quebec by the end of next season or the one after, why would anyone want to waste two years on a lame-duck franchise as coach or gm?

I get you want your changes tomorrow or day season concludes, but without a lease agreement, and a home to play in long-term that's not happening unless it's an interim hire who knows the job may be temporary.

And it's not as easy as blaming  Ledecky-Malkin for keeping Snow. It's Prokhorov's building, his call for an owner with the lowest NBA payroll, who may well not want any part of giving a 41 day tenant any money.

Snow might be here in the caretaker role until a lease is decided or an opt-out is delivered, or until they relocate. Another sale could happen if owning this team elsewhere does not work for Malkin-Ledecky.

Sure they could replace Snow in-house with an interim like Kenny Morrow, Chris Lamoriello or Snow's assistant Kerry Gwydir you are talking three jobs, but already you have the assistant gm as interim head coach.

Jack Capuano has been relieved of his duties as Head Coach. Assistant GM Doug Weight will serve as interim Head Coach.

New York Islander Fan Central | 1/17/2017 03:12:00 PM | |
Islanders website:
 "The New York Islanders would like to thank Jack for his tireless work throughout his seven seasons with the organization as Head Coach," Snow said. "His leadership guided the team to the playoffs in three of the past four years, which included two straight 100-point seasons. He is a great coach and an even better person. We wish him nothing but the best moving forward." 

 "It's an honor to have served this historic franchise and its passionate fans," Capuano said. "I'd like to thank Garth and our ownership group for the opportunity to be the Head Coach of the Islanders. I'd also like to recognize our coaching staff, training staff and players for all of their hard work."
NYIFC Comments: 
Despite writing it had to happen often back to last season (likely before) the man was part of this orgnization since 2005 so it's not happy news, I have no doubt he was well-likely among his players past & present.

Not the first time a team has won a game, and dismissed a coach, the man had a big smile on his face in the post-game vs Boston which seemed kind of odd.

We'll see if Snow follows which would be around 11 year anniversary of Milbury's resignation. Weight stepping in as interim gives him a look as a head coach.

Problem With NY Game Discovered

New York Islander Fan Central | 1/15/2017 01:32:00 PM |
With the exception of the three Tampa games, they have had a chance to win every game in the third period, and sure 14-1-1 at home red-hot Carolina with Mayfield/Pelech struggling is a heavy lift.

But watching that game seemed a pattern.


I do not see these problems as fixable, and it's why teams like Montreal and many others when they are on their game, take over in third period when points are on the table, and why the Islanders are allowing so many shots every game which is more a fact now then a trend which we saw in Dec 2015.

Sure this team has some goal scorers, and work hard which keeps them in practically every game, and many nights we see them  beat teams not at their best, struggling to put two passes together which slows them down or have shaky goaltending, but an easy night is extremely rare for this team.

Physically they have never been a big team in that department, and the Matt Martin inflated hit totals read well but did not tell the story of the games they did win because they created chances based on hitting which also seem down but asking a Jason Chimera (despite the two goals) to change positions and score when as a left wing his production was spotty is also another very heavy lift.

The answer long-term is more speed, Beauvillier, Prince, Strome, get the other team on the defensive/running around in their end, even if not on Tavares line who's doing great with Lee (who they should let skate more and not just plant himself in front of goal like Mark Parrish), but has a RW with five goals (one ot/one powerplay) despite playing his best hockey on pace for over 50 points.

This plan went bust fast under Brad Shaw, and Ted Nolan sent Nilsson away from day one of 2006 camp forever, but for a few games in late 2005-06 Jeff Tambellini & Robert Nilsson were flying around Alexei Yashin as their wingers, and had teams backing up.

That's the kind of balance these lines need in the speed department to push back and take over games in third periods. 

500/501 Hat-Trick For Tavares

New York Islander Fan Central | 1/13/2017 10:27:00 PM |

Kenneth "Jiggs" McDonald 50th Honored

New York Islander Fan Central | 1/11/2017 11:37:00 AM |
Not being described as final game calling NYI, but pre-game ceremony.
Hall of Fame banner not at Barclay's with #18 already honored.

One Year Later Only Standings Changed

New York Islander Fan Central | 1/05/2017 06:38:00 AM |
Decided to go back and looked at some old entries from last season, not a lot has changed beyond the team hovering around eight over vs now, expected a collapse given schedule ahead combined with allowing too many goals. (and blowing leads)

I wanted Cronin to replace Capuano in January 2016.

So I thought it was time to go back and post the shots against from last season for those claiming the loss of Frans (-16) Nielsen past his final even strength goal with Islanders in regular season 12/28/15 and what I wrote back a year ago.

I remembered those games with all the high shots against when Nielsen, Okposo, Martin, Strait, Zidlicky Bernier, Boulton, Grabovski were here. Pelech made his cameo vs Ladd, Chimera, Beauvillier, Seidenberg now at +17 to no media coverage.  Prince & Quine did not arrive until trade deadline, April.

This was written & on twitter, the shots against were about the same as Dec 2015.


The tweet above was from games played 1/3/16 vs Dallas back to 12/2/15 vs Rangers.

NYI after 40 games in 2015-16 allowed four more shots than they allowed through 36 games this season:
1197/40 games 2015-16
1193/36 games 2016-17
1036/36 games 2015-16

Some will recall a few wins like 47 shots allowed against Nashville where the Predators left Barclay's wondering how they lost, and losing 5-1 to Florida allowing only 16 shots is not a good game so there were games where shots against did not matter.

My point even back to one year ago (backed by stats) is this team gave up tons of shots, and plenty of leads.

This year has been more of the same. Last year against Columbus, Jenner's goal in final seconds did not count, NY won another game they were frankly dominated last season.

Halak Reports To Bridgeport

New York Islander Fan Central | 1/03/2017 11:47:00 AM |