Islander News Articles 3/25

Newsday: Greg Logan's article has more on Mark Streit with a few words on former Islander Marc-Andre Bergeron and head coach Scott Gordon as the Wild visit tonight.

NY Post: Dan Martin has more from Mark Streit on why he signed with New York and how it's worked out for him.

Also reported Doug Weight is expected to play later in the week.

Minnesota Star-Tribune: Michael Russo (former did Panthers coverage) has the latest on the Minnesota Wild who come off losing 2-1 in a trap fest game from both sides against team Cablevision.

AHL.com: Reports Bridgeport lost at home Tuesday to Worcester 5-3, where both Nate Lawson was pulled and Peter Mannino played.

Mike Iggulden played for Bridgeport.

Ct Post: Michael Fornabaio's game coverage and blog entries here on the loss to the Worcester Sharks.

1. WOR Zalewski, (12) (Moore), 2:00
1. WOR Fenton, (5) (Fornataro, Joslin), 3:13 (PP)
1. BRI Joensuu, (18) (Bentivoglio, MacDonald), 7:31
1. WOR Fornataro, (10) (Demers, Fox), 10:48 (PP)
1. WOR Fenton, (6) (Armstrong, Fox), 19:13
2. WOR Desjardins, (8) (Demers, DaSilva), 15:53
2. BRI Bentivoglio, (9) (Colliton, Lee), 16:41
3. BRI Walter, (18) (Wotton), 15:48

Islander News Articles 12/20

Newsday: Greg Logan has head coach Scott Gordon's comments on the turnovers that killed them, the huge loss of Andy Sutton that overtaxed the defense and why he did not play Mitch Fritz despite dressing him.


NYI Fan Central Comments:
I think Scott Gordon is kidding himself, with Sutton the Wild had at least two breakaways early.

Newsday: Mr Logan's second game article had Kyle Okposo & Mike Comrie's comments on returning the the lineup and former Islander Marc-Andre Bergeron's comments along with a full blog entry here.

Mr Logan also explains the travel from Minnesota to Nashville could be a problem with the weather.

Newsday: Mr Logan repeated most of his pre-game blog for the print edition but had Doug Weight defending the system and felt there has been too much talk about it and disagreed with Columbus Coach Ken Hitchcock's assessment of it being more run and gun.

NY Post: Dan Martin did not have a game article but the Post did have Bill Guerin's comments about being captain in such tough circumstances and talked about the teams attitude being good along with his early days being a player under Scott Stevens with the Devils.

NYI Fan Central Comments:
No post-game comments from Guerin, this came at a point before the club left on the trip. Guerin for his part took a good penalty defending Witt last night. The look of frustration says is all about the captain.

Point Blank: Mr Botta's post game blog entry.

Star-Tribune: Michael Russo recaps the Wild's 4-1 win against the Islanders.

Pioneer Press: Has Bruce Brothers game recap with quotes.

Ct Post: Michael Fornabaio recapped Bridgeport's 4-1 win in front of five hundred fans at snowy Harbor Yard on Friday. Jeff Tambellini scored another goal, head coach Jack Capuano praised the forechecking and the pressure.

Mr Fornabaio had several blog entries, the Ct Post had the three stars here.

Bridgeport is home to Binghampton on Saturday, there will be a ticket exchange for those who could not make Friday's game.

Springfield Union News: Also had Mr Fornabaio's coverage who did a separate article for the visitors.

Islander News Articles 12/4

Newsday: Greg Logan's article is on what seems the latest injury to Radek Martinek with head coach Scott Gordon's comments on a possible replacement (Thomas Pock) while Brendan Witt talks about the clubs inability to stay healthy on the backline and getting caught pinching in the offensive end.

Mr Logan also tells us the Islanders supposed achilles heel (offense) is at 20th in the NHL in goals per game while the defense is at 27th in goals against and 25th in shots against which the coach explains as spending too much time in their own end of the ice when they are not playing well.

Mike Sillinger will play against Washington.

NYI Fan Central Comments:
Glad Mr Logan/anyone finally pointed out this team is scoring a lot more than expected given the changes it made last summer. A ten spot improvement with all the injuries and the prospects not exactly scoring much says a lot about the success some are having.

This is also with a team that has hit the four goal plus mark in regulation rarely so far. (Three times w/empty net goals?) The magic number for this group seems to be three as opposed to that two or less fourteen games in a row we were seeing a year ago at this time.

On the other end the team defense is giving up more goals and shots but the six defenders on the ice individually have played solid hockey most of the time.

MacDonald's stats do not reflect how well he has played as it did not for DiPietro in the second half of last season during the six game winning streak and beyond.

I'm not sure Brendan Witt is best suited to this system but he has not played it very long either.

Pioneer Press: John Shipley has former Islander Marc-Andre Bergeron's comments he did not have a good year with the Islanders because of the situation combined with not playing on a good team as the first place Wild defenders talked about their powerplay.

NYI Fan Central Comments:
Bergeron can say what he likes about the Islanders but he came here with a reputation of being a poor defender. In Anaheim he did not see a lot of playing time.

AHL.com: Reports the Hartford Wolfpack rallied down 2-0 to defeat the Sound Tigers in overtime at Harbor Yard on Wednesday 4-3.

Peter Mannino allowed four goals on thirty two shots.

1. BRI Smith, (8) (McLean, Lee), 18:55
2. BRI Hillen, (3) (McLean, Iggulden), 4:21 (PP)
2. HFD Anisimov, (8) (Ouellette, Rissmiller), 9:52 (PP)
2. BRI Iggulden, (12) (Hillen), 12:22
2. HFD Dupont, (4) (Sanguinetti, Moore), 12:50 (PP)
3. HFD Parenteau, (11) (Sanguinetti, Potter), 15:35
OT. HFD Sauer, (2) (Fahey), 2:06
***********************************************************
Ct Post: Michael Fornabaio had the game recap of Bridgeport's loss with comments from head coach Jack Capuano, Kurtis McLean on the momentum shift with Bridgeport up 3-1 and goaltender Peter Mannino.

Hartford Courant covers the Wolfpack here.

Ct Post: Michael Fornabaio had a pre-post game blog on the loss.

Islander News Articles 10/3

Newsday: Greg Logan has Josh Bailey's comments on signing with New York and elaborates a bit on when he got hurt in camp and what's ahead while general manager Garth Snow is asked about developing Bailey because several veterans are in the final year of their contract.

Windsor Star: Jim Parker has comments from Josh Bailey and Spitfire coach Bob Boughner on the Islander first round pick signing his first professional contract who credited his players hard work while Bailey talks about what he's going to do with that first check.

NY Post: Dan Martin's limited space article touches on Bailey's signing but also has head coach Scott Gordon's comments about Rick DiPietro possibility starting Monday against Florida and did confirm Andy Sutton had surgery but not details or timetable.

Note-The News had a small AP article on Bailey signing, if the Times posted a footnote in it's European Coverage-Ranger blog I did not bother looking.

Pioneer Press: John Shipley has comments from former Islander defenseman Marc-Andre Bergeron who has had three fights in three exhibition games and sports two black eyes and about a dozen stitches on the bridge of his nose. He comments he was not really happy with the way everything went last year, and that it was just a weird year where he did not have any excitement in his game.

NYI Fan Central Comments:
Best of luck to Bergeron moving forward. Some of his bombs from the point produced a lot of big wins down the stretch in 2006-07 and last season. No way this club makes the playoffs in 06-07 without that shot and as poor as the powerplay was with him here the point produced virtually nothing down the stretch after he left when Richard Park and Miroslav Satan looking completely lost on the point.

Globe & Mail: Sean Gordon & David Shoalts with reports from Stephen Brunt and Allan Maki have an update detailing the Nashville Predators have
has defaulted on a $40-million loan that raises new questions about the franchise's viability.

NY Post: Justin Terranova has comments from former Islander commentator Joe Micheletti in a Ranger-centric interview where he is asked about the split between Garth Snow and Ted Nolan.

Ct Post: Michael Fornabaio's article is on the Rechlicz brothers in Joel who is signed with the club to a three year contract with younger brother Marc skating with him against Albany in their exhibition opener.

Head coach Jack Capuano comments on both as Bridgeport is set to play out it's preseason with three games in three days starting Friday night at 7pm at Ice Pavilion against Hartford.

Islander/Sound Tiger News Articles 6/11

Ct Post: Michael Fornabaio in his Sound Tigers blog among several items lists important deadlines and early schedule of some Islander-Sound Tiger related events moving forward.

June 20-21: NHL draft
June 25: Tender qualifying offers to Group II free agents by 5 p.m.
July 1: Free Agency begins.
July 14: Prospect camp at Syosset
Sept. 12: Rookie camp opens (tentative)
Sept. 19: Training camp opens

NYI Fan Central Comments:
Usual excellent work by Mr Fornabaio. We now know when July rookie camp begins as well as a much later start to training camp this year. We also now have a date and a time for a deadline for qualifying to restricted free agents.

Rochester Democrat & Chronicle: Sal Maiorana has an interview with Islanders goaltending coach Mike Dunham about his latest golfing venture.

Note:
Mr Witt & Mr Botta's blog feeds seem to be working again here, both have some excellent features on the upcoming draft.

Star Tribune: Michael Russo's blog on the Wild has the early reaction from Marc-Andre Bergeron on being traded to the Wild among other things which also notes a Blake Wheeler signing cannot be announced until July 1st.

Hot Tuesday update

Newsday: Katie Strang has an interview with Kyle Okposo and Garth Snow's comments about the young prospect.

NYI Fan Central Comments:
No doubt both were interviewed during last weeks business club event when Snow and Okposo were together.

Islanders website: Reviewed the picks the club will have in the upcoming draft.

1st Round: #5
2nd Round: #36, #53 (Ana to Edm to NYI)
3rd Round: #66, #73 (Edm to NYI to Edm to Ana to NYI)
4th Round: #96
5th Round: #126, #148 (Phi to NYI)
6th Round: #156, #175 (Min to NYI)

NYI Fan Central Comments:
Phoenix was awarded the 35th pick as compensation for losing the rights to Blake Wheeler recently so the Isles move back a selection. There may be more picks added as compensation so that could change again before June 20th.

Sudbury Star: Harold Carmichael reports Islander coach Al Arbour has been nominated for Joe Drago coach of the year award at the 40th Annual House of Kin Sports Celebrity Dinner and Awards Wednesday night.

NYI Fan Central Comments:
Unless Al Arbour is being nominated for his win against Pittsburgh this season it seems late in the day for him only to be nominated now for his accomplishments, but impossible to know how this work.

J.D News, Jacksonville NC: Gregory Bond has former Islander Ed Westphal's comments about NHL salary and the struggle for some clubs to keep up.

SI: Darren Eliot reports on the goalie equipment working group which will meet Wednesday in Toronto and include Garth Snow and Rick DiPietro.

Lots of old updates on this one from March when this was announced here.

Updated 7:46pm:
Tsn.ca: Reports Anaheim traded the rights to former Islander defender Marc-Andre Bergeron to Minnesota for a third round pick.

NYI Fan Central Comments:
So Anaheim was able to unload Bergeron, got it's third round pick back and added depth for their playoff drive while Garth Snow obviously was concerned he would be stuck with him so he dealt him at the deadline and made the offensive part of his back line weaker subtracting the club's best powerplay point shot at a time they had just won six in a row and had nothing on the backline to replace Bergeron's shot?

Not one of Garth Snow's best moments today. Not saying Bergeron's shot would have made the difference by itself but the year before they desperately needed to add a shot and decided on Bergeron and he helped. This year they took a step back to where they were before that trade and left themselves weaker when they could have waited and gotten the same pick from the Wild.

Tsn.ca: Reports former Islander Trevor Linden will announce his retirement on Wednesday.

Kings website/several media outlets: Report Marc Crawford has been fired by the Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday with comments from general manager Dean Lombardi.

NYI Fan Central Comments:
I remember two years ago how many Islander fans were furious the club did not hire Lombardi and Crawford. It begs the question if ownership believes in Lombardi's development/prospect plan why did they not support the coach who had to take the pains to coach under those circumstances?

Dean Lombardi sure left him hanging a long time or someone was just fired he really is interested in?

Islander News Articles 3/18:

Newsday: John Jeansonne returns to the beat and covers Kyle Okposo's first NHL practice with his comments. Miroslav Satan and Rick DiPietro were given the day off.

Daily News: Peter Botte has Kyle Okposo's comments that he feels he is ready for the NHL with a few words about why he left school.

NY Post: Dan Martin writes for a second day and has Ted Nolan's comments about Kyle Okposo's first practice while Mr Martin notes Okposo did not tear it up in Bridgeport after bolting Minnesota in midseason, causing a rift between the school and the NHL team. Mr Martin also writess Okposo didn't apologize for his decision.

NYI Fan Central Comments:
Mr Martin is given four small paragraphs, does not have a single word from Okposo and brings up Okposo apologizing for his decision to leave school?

Sounds like a man who would rather be writing about anything else. For a man used to writing about kids in school with the PSAL beat would think this young prospect deserves a little better from a paper AWOL for about fifteen days?

Los Angeles Times: Eric Stevens speculates that Marc-Andre Bergeron fell out of favor with Ted Nolan. Bergeron comments that it was a tough year for him in New York as he is getting an opportunity in Chris Pronger's absence and glad he was traded.

NYI Fan Central Comments:
Marc Andre Bergeeon is entitled to his opinion and is closer to the situation then the fans. His shot has been missed badly from the point in the recent games that may have produced a few big goals and won a few games. What has not been missed is his poor defense which he can put on the coaches if he likes but in the ends seems most about his performance not only here but back to his time in Edmonton.

Isles this summer have several defenders under contract already. Unless they tendered Bergeron a qualifying offer as a restricted free agent with an automatic raise they would have lost him for nothing or been stuck with his contract on a team that needs a top two defender who can play at both ends of the ice.

Toronto Sun: Mike Zeisberger reports Leafs forward John Pohl left the Leafs to be with his brother who was seriously injured in a game this weekend playing for Kyle Okposo's former college team. Forward Alex Foster hopes to make his NHL debut tonight with fifteen goals and twenty three assists in fifty six games for the Marlies.

Simcoe.com: Jim Barber has an article on Barrie Colts forward Colton Kennedy who has a few words on being on a line with Islander prospect Tomas Marcinko.

Edmonton Sun: Jason Hills in an interview with Oil Kings general manager Bob Green feels Islander prospect Robin Figren will not be back with his team and felt it was not for him to say where he will sign or if it's with the Islanders.

Ct Post: Michael Fornabaio has an update on Colton Fretter and the solid impact he has had for Bridgeport with Jack Capuano's comments.

Ct Post: Michael Fornabaio reports in his blog Mike Mole has been called up to replace Joey MacDonald.

Islander/Sound Tiger/NHL Wednesday Notables

Islanders website: Has a state of the Isles after the trade deadline where Ted Nolan talks about his club his new defender, Rob Davison and Brendan Witt returning to the lineup no later on Saturday but did travel to Atlanta today with the team.

Mike Sillinger's surgery was successful.

Anaheim Ducks Website: Has Marc-Andre Bergeron's comments about being traded after his first practice with his new team.

Ct Post: Michael Fornabaio had a blog on some of the players listed for clear day in the AHL tomorrow which include former prospects Robert Nilsson and Petteri Nokelainen.

NYI Fan Central Comments:
AHL clear day is basically a list each team submits this time of year (Thursday for this season) listing it's AHL playoff-eligible rosters. New players can be added only after all the depth on the list is used up on an emergency basis.

I will post Sound Tigers list tomorrow when available.

Tsn.ca: Report general manager Bryan Murray fired John Paddock as coach of the Senators and will assume both jobs for the rest of the season.

NYI Fan Central Comments:
Seems a bit unfair with the injuries and Murray a part of the problem with no resolving his goal tending issues for the coach. Only thing I know is Bryan Murray gets less out of more come playoff time and never wins the big game back to the days Al Arbour beat him with Washington. Moves like this never work to where a club wins a cup.

Finally:
I saw the reports in the Philadelphia Inquirer and Courier about a Ruslan Fedotenko trade and the Isles supposedly wanting a first rounder among a bunch of things the Flyers attempted to do and did not consider it noteworthy for this blog because it seemed more like speculation with no direct quotes from any Flyer official specifically about Fedntenko and both articles included a bunch of possible trades.