New York: 8th Seed Or No Playoffs/Notables

New York Islander Fan Central | 2/22/2017 08:30:00 AM |
Nothing really new to write since the last update. Will not be repetitive for the sake of posting an update.

Sorry..... but wrote will not be using this website to take the teams temperature, we know the math, and the best possible outcome is an 8th vs 1 playoff series (a 20+ point disparity) with likely quick elimination in that unlikely event.

This team is in the wrong division. 

Given the road schedule, the lack of days off, just do not see a playoff spot but hope I'm wrong. Someone is again going to win ten straight or better to close out the 8th seed.

As for the trade deadline, they need a top six scoring natural right wing, as great as Bailey has been. There is no solution to this problem, not now (or last summer) and again not in UFA this July.

Can't be a rental who's available to go UFA in two years, plus whatever money this ownership has left to be available for Tavares.

Between Barzal, Beauvillier (who said he prefers center) Tavares, Nelson, Strome, Quine, Cizikas why would they need another center like Duchense who's numbers are very close to Nelson? (who's a year younger at 6'3 vs a player 5'11 on a losing team for years)

Tavares is not playing on a line with Duchense, two career centers, ownership can't pay both with stub-hub tickets from October/November Monday games. 

Dal Colle is a left wing, same as Bellows.

Ho-Sang is the signed ring wing prospect menu in the organization.

I know folks want Pulock in the lineup, but Seidenberg has been the best defensive signing by a mile for this organization. For a decade they wanted a steady depth defender, not that he gets any media coverage for his efforts, but this is a player they should resign.

If Halak can't play in New York, and no team wants his contract, no issue here with him giving the fans of Bridgeport a playoff spot & a serious run at a Calder Cup. 16-2-1 just to get fringe third seed, but a lot of hockey to be played. Bridgeport all season has been unstoppable or a team that cannot win for a month.

Of course Halak should be called up and Berube should start in Bridgeport with an NHL contract. If he fails to clear waivers so be it.  Berube knew what he signed up for last summer if Halak was healthy, and decided NHL money is better than AHL money.

McAdam won seven straight in Bridgeport too before he became unplayable, and was sent back to the ECHL before his recent recall. Gibson's been hurt most of the year. 

John Tavares wants Weight  to be head coach, it's going to be a big lift to fire Snow, and then force his replacement to accept someone else as head coach.

You want hockey ops changes, they are paid for their judgement, to hire their own choices, not keep the ones hired by someone else or who the star player likes. 

The one thing for sure Barclay's on weekends works, it did last year and does now. Give this ten years inside NYC it will produce a larger local weeknight crowd.

Nothing will ever work in Nassau 41 times or on weeknights there, fans proved their lack of support for generations which is why politicians did not treat the team like a public trust, the same politicians who refused to close the door & make a deal for a new arena are the same ones comically calling for the team to return to no fans/no revenue streams.

As in 2011, the majority of season tickets come from inside NYC, this is home & has been since team was on free television in 1970's.

It took a decade in DC with the Caps moving from Landover, despite going to the finals year one, without a flawed arena/very hostile media, who did not force a Landover brand on them while they pretend NJ is NYC on football Sunday's to sell newspapers. 
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Worcester announced it will not name it's ECHL affiliate until end of the season, expecting it's the Islanders given media reports the team were there, and likely St Louis will join with Mavericks.
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Aside from keeping Dolan and the Islanders out of the Coliseum, could care less.

Ratner got that site Sloan Kettering (additional 140 million) which brought  money for parking garages (another 100 million) & likely more privately funded medical buildings worth millions, plus 130 million for Coliseum + another 130 million for plaza or now real estate on Coliseum footprint.

Who cares? Mangano won huge.

Whats Mangano going to do, void Prokhorov-Ratner lease over an AHL team clause or some stores after 500 million dollars in private investment was created without a dime from taxpayers? 

Dolan better buy another candidate to go with Sheldon Silver & Joe Percoco to run in November. 

Sure Dolan's media reach in Newsday will do what he did with Charles Oakley, and do a big smear campaign (court documents, health records, social security) unless Prokhorov just flat out sells him the agreement, maybe his Barclay's stake too.

No doubt Ct Gov Milloy gave Dolan a call who's AHL team has been at the XL center since 1997 before he wrote the Islanders any letter.

Long story short, XL center is like Coliseum under Ed Snider's Smg, they manage building the Rangers were thrilled to grab another teams fan base in 1997, but unlike Long Island, the Ranger brand has been rejected since day one, it's Whalers country.

Dolan is a tenant but there year to year waiting on Coliseum.

Marshall, Brodsky, Baumbach seem to be shifting to attack the project mode again. 

Time To Move-Back To NY Islander Hockey

New York Islander Fan Central | 2/01/2017 07:30:00 AM |
Again my recent entries do not change how I feel about things.

Having written this the only thing that can be done, are what the players, management are clearly doing as they are making a push for the one likely playoff seed available to them.

Problem is for them to enter real contention they have to enter the Caps, Columbus, Pens, Rangers mix, they can't make the playoffs as an Atlantic seed so all they have is the one spot, and an Atlantic team (or another Metro team) will at some point make a big push, and win nine of ten.

Or do what Ottawa did a few years ago. 

When whatever push happens this team will be playing 22/34 on the road, likely with more injuries (to go with the significant current ones) and after the trade deadline, where at best they likely stand pat unless this team goes on the kind of streak it's merited to add.

Beyond that, unless the owners have something to say (they can't about another parties buildings because it's not their decision, and they have a contractual agreement) there is nothing to write. The media clowns who don't cover the team, and need page-views will write anything, parts of the Long Island crowd are doing what they have done best since 1989, and that's not support the team unless it's opening night or a playoff game.