Islander Notables/Quick Hits

Paper transaction or otherwise Callahan, Bentivoglio, Smith and Rechlicz were returned to Bridgeport Friday who have a huge game against Hershey tonight but a very rare Saturday off with the Isles-Tampa game Saturday.

If Andy Hilbert cannot go and the same players are recalled with a Bridgeport game Sunday someone could potentially play four days in a row (it's happened before) unless Jack Capuano gives Robin Figren and now perhaps Matt Martin-Max Gratchev a chance to play with first or second place on the line or some ECHL players come up.

Anything can happen with this.

Newsday: Had a short token editorial blasting Kate Murray's petition for stimulus money to renovate the Coliseum.

NYI Fan Central Comments:
Reads nice, no doubt it makes a few Islander fans happy but make no mistake Cablevsion owned Newsday has a huge financial gain in the New York Islanders leaving and if you don't understand this feel free to look at what happened in Hartford when the Whalers left combined now with hundreds of millions of cable revenue forfeit.

Lets see Newsday do an editorial on the front page the New York Islanders should never move anywhere and cover it like a major market team.

Their coverage over the years has contributed to the damage in the stands, that was not on Cablevision's watch.

Do those things, then I will change my thoughts, not before.

Point Blank: Mr Botta has comments from head coach Scott Gordon from last night that if Kyle Okposo and Mark Streit are healthy they will play with some other items on the playoff chase.

NYI Fan Central Comments:
We'll see, that obviously did not apply to Andy Sutton. Nine days are left, the five games are important but not at the expense of anyone's health.

Telegraph Journal: Kevin Barrett reports former Islander assistant coach Gerard Gallant is interested in a job with the Saint John Sea Dogs in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League as he discussed not coaching this year after his late reassignment by the Islanders after Scott Gordon was hired.

NYI Fan Central Comments:
Were we not told Gallant was re-assigned as a special consultant to GM Garth Snow
here?

THN.com: Ryan Kennedy has a feature on Columbus Bluejacker goaltender Wade Dubielewicz on mostly his run to the playoffs with the Islanders two years ago.


NYI Fan Central Comments:
Why is is so hard to do an article with an interview and make such painfully obvious mistakes? The Islanders were not swamped by Buffalo with almost every game (aside from the opener Dubielewicz lost 4-1) decided by a goal, a video review or Ryan Miller's save on Satan in the final ten seconds.

The writer could not even get correct the Isles did not lose four games in a row.

Quick Hits:
* Funny how Scott Gordon could not survive a day earlier this season (even after wins) where the Isles had problems in the third period where he was not assaulted with questions about it. Now the Rangers have blown a ton of third period games under John Tortorella at the most critical time of the season and the Ranger media (aka fans) don't even bring up the subject or barely touch on it?

* Sure seems like the same local media is putting a lot more time covering the Devils free fall than Brodeur setting an all-tme the record, seems hypocritical but typical.

* So what's the deal with our pregame (not complaining about Tennis last night) do the Islanders have no video of our team recently so they have to used canned features from other teams now to fill the thirty minutes? Why not have Billy Jaffe or Howie Rose do some more interviews/round tables on the players/team if the Msg crew can go to Bayside.

* Any law going around the lockeroom after games for more comments after Gordon's presser? Isn't that why Stan Fischler, Butch Goring and C.J Papa are there?

* I cannot recall the NHL jumping on a team like they did Toronto with a whopping 500k fine and forfeited draft pick for a signing bonus to a player recently.

* If I'm going to use this space to blast Blues President John Davidson when his team was terrible, I have to also give him his due when his team turns things around because they have done an excellent job with a lot of injuries and adversity. My criticism of him always was more that he got a pass for the Blues losing and their mistakes while Garth Snow did not.

* So when they award the Masterson will it be for the player who had the best season on the ice or off of it? To nominate Mark Streit for this to me is a door prize for a player who deserved nothing less than a Norris Nomination knowing he should not win because a few other defenders had better years. Streit did not persevere to become an even better hockey player within the last year, he was a very good player already.

Quick Notables

Islanders website: Reported Trent Hunter and Rick DiPietro will be the lone New York Islanders on the ballot when all-star voting opens November 12th.

NYI Fan Central Comments:
So Price from the Canadians gets a spot playing half a season along with Wade Redden who had a terrible season it Ottawa and Mark Streit who was one of the highest scoring defenders in the league last season was not listed?

Why not simply list every NHL player and let the on ice results win out?

NHL.com: Dan Rosen reports Martin Brodeur will have elbow surgery and be out for three-four months with comments from Lou Lamoriello and head coach Brent Sutter.

Dan Rosen and a few words on Rick DiPietro

NHL.com: Dan Rosen in his NHL blog responds to the strong support from fans who felt Rick DiPietro should have been included in his top five Eastern conference goaltenders from his September 5th preview here.

John Kreiser of NHL.com also had a few words about DiPietro being one of the best shootout goaltenders in a feature on 9/9 here as he wrote about the shootout rivalry with the other local goaltenders.

NYI Fan Central Comments:
No, for those wondering I did not contact Dan Rosen.

Very good stuff here from Mr Rosen who responds to the readers and gives a statistical argument why DiPietro was left out over Thomas Vokoun in Florida but he kind of lost me when he want back to last season to make a point because in that case DiPietro's save percentage should have worked in his favor from last season.

I disagree with Mr Rosen's reasoning because Fleury was out for months and Ty Conklin did a strong job (arguably better for a while) in his spot while Henrik Lundqvist on a club that allowed the least shots per game in the East went through a stretch from mid-December to mid-February going 10-10-4, with a .889 save percentage on a team that plays a trap.

If DiPietro put up those numbers on a club that allowed two goals or less fourteen games in a row the season is over before the new year begins.

Tim Thomas for me also belonged in the top five also before Fleury or Lundqvist based on how he carried the Bruins.

Regarding DiPietro it was refreshing not to read anything from the professional media that did not pretend to know him personally with blind speculation about his makeup or what kind of team player he is or what motivates him.

I'm getting so used to that kind or reporting I cannot remember the last hockey article written about him.

For a young player who Martin Brodeur felt is one of the best goaltenders in the league he is constantly put down in the local media by those who seem to have their own issues with him that go beyond what happens during a hockey game.

I have no idea what kind of person Rick DiPietro is off the ice or in the lockeroom and frankly unless were in that lockeroom daily we have no idea either.

DiPietro's paid to stop the puck and few goaltenders did it better in the first half of last season on a club with virtually no margin for error while fans like me blog about what I see during the game.

He did it so well he was named to the all-star team and after that carried the club to a six game winning streak.

It's like me blogging on Bill Guerin's leadership, I saw him play not what he did during the game or at practice in a lockeroom. Unless I'm in that room with him I have no clue how he leads and would never insult anyone here by writing that I did.

Lundqvist had his moment too where supposedly he went beyond anything I have read about DiPietro with the Post claiming he compained about players on the ice at the end of a game which he denied here according to Larry Brooks.

Can you imagine if a story like that came out about DiPietro?

Difference is with DiPietro Newsday (and whatever local media occasionally covers home games) would never let up on that angle and use it every chance they can to create negative perception about him.

Brodeur wants to play his games and the media jumped all over it when new coach Brent Sutter wanted to sit him early in the season. Lundqvist was on Msg a day ago saying he wants to play seventy five games and I did not read Steve Zipay complaining he was hurting the club or turned it into the inquisition DiPietro received.

As for Lundqvist and Brodeur (or any goalie who wants to play eighty two games)
that's leadership and what franchise goaltenders should always aspire to do whether it works out that way or not.

That's all DiPietro has done.

Larry Brooks hurts hockey in New York

NY Post: Larry Brooks today goes all out to finally get comments from Henrik Lundqvist on an article written in SI by Michael Farber back on 1/14 about all three local goaltenders here to stir the pot and once again only go negative on Martin Brodeur, the best hockey player of his generation in this market to manufacture some fodder for tonight's game.

NYI Fan Central Comments:
Larry Brooks as usual does not get it or that desperate to stir the pot to get reaction. For a man who constantly sells us his Rangers are good for the league angle despite his team being virtually invisible he should understand Martin Brodeur is good for this hockey market and all three teams. Instead Mr Brooks shows up a few times when he can to take some kicks at one of the best goaltenders of all time if not the best outright and it's kind of sad.

Even worse Mr Brooks in what seems deliberate harps on Lundqvist record against Martin Brodeur but does not note the Devils playoff sweep in 2006 and does all he can to play up a rivalry with the Ranger goaltenders, despite Brodeur's regular season dominace over Mike Richter.

Despite any short-term in season success Rick DiPietro and Henrik Lundqvist are not in the same league as Martin Brodeur at this point in their careers.

Meanwhile back in January 2007 Larry Brooks is telling the public we are fortunate to have Martin Brodeur in our midst here.

We are fortunate to have Martin Brodeur here, of course he's the most under appreciated athlete of this generation in New York because that's exactly how writers like Larry Brooks want it.

And that hurts hockey in New York which is another reason why it's burried under mountains of baseball/steroid/A-Rod and college basketball coverage today along with more Knicks gossip.

Sports Illustrated: Darren Elliot does an SI feature a week ago where he does nothing but praise this incredible player who just keeps winning.

Advice for former Devils employee Larry Brooks to follow.

Islander News Articles 3/22

Newsday: Greg Logan has Wade Dubielewicz and Kyle Okposo comments on the Islanders win and the young prospect's first NHL goal and points and New York moving to 6-1 against the Devils this season.

NYI Fan Central Comments:
Not a printed word from the coach on the teams first win in a long time but a few generic words on a possible outdoor Islander game after Newsday pulled an article off it's website? Seems like Ted Nolan got cut out of coverage so Newsday could correct a mistake.

Here is the report from Newsday which is now a broken link here.

NEWSDAY.COM
7:19 PM EDT, March 21, 2008
Citing "as good a source as I can tell you," MSG Network's Al Trautwig reported on MSG's "Hockey Night Live" Friday that the Rangers and Islanders will indeed play an outdoor game at Yankee Stadium on Jan. 1.

Here is what was said on Msg because I taped the game:
"And now the thought that there might be a game on January first in Yankee Stadium seems like it will be a reality. On about as good a source as I can tell you, I have learned that the Rangers will play the Islanders at Yankee Stadium, the last event in that that building, January first." Stan Fischler replied "Good scoop."

Daily News: John Dellapina in a blog confirms Newsday did write such a report and makes sure he gets in his favorite point NBC Dick Ebersol/Sam Flood do not want the Islanders or Devils involved.

NYI Fan Central Comments:
Islanders are a New York franchise, they have as much right to be the host team in the New York market at Yankee Stadium as the Rangers and as usual it looks like Al Trautwig put his foot in his mouth or at the very least spoke early. We saw these denials from the league sources last summer.

Bottom line I'm tired of reading NBC Dick Ebersol/Sam Flood trying to hold down the Islanders or Devils because the Garden and NBC have a business relationship.

Ranger ratings on NBC are terrible with Islander, Devil and Ranger fans watching games to help bump those ratings. They were pathetic during last year's playoffs and will be again if they qualify and so will all other twenty nine teams. No doubt John Dellapina does not want the Rangers competition on such an equal stage because it would not help showcase his team. You really think Leon Carver wants to increase Islander coverage or have blogs for our team in his paper with the Islanders playing such a game?

For these folks it's about raising hockey's profile and they do not want that profile to include the Rangers competiton. For me I would love to see the Islanders do something with the Yankees and bring the Canadians in and make it a weekend of sports dynasties with the Isles, Canadians and Yankees while the Ranger fans watch and bump our ratings.

I will be surprised if the Yankees even permit the historic stadium to close with a non-hockey event at a time of major construction because it does nothing to help baseball's business in New York. This will come down to how much money Charles Wang, Cablevision, the league throw at the Yankees. NBC does not pay the league to show hockey but would they pay to control the teams that play?

I wonder who gets hit with a home game off the schedule?

Newsday: Reports the Tribune company discussed selling Newsday and that Cablevision, the NY Post/Ruppert Murdoch and the Daily News Mort Zuckerman could purchase the paper.

NYI Fan Central Comments:
So now the three entities that restrict or outright keep the Islanders out of the media want to own the only paper that covers the team? We may be down to only bloggers by the time this is over with if any of these three acquire Newsday.

Daily News: Peter Botte in the one article and six paragraphs fits all coverage department has Kyle Okposo's comments on his goal and Martin Brodeur on how the Islanders were to a certain extent
waiting to get beaten with a few words from Brent Sutter.

NY Post: Mark Everson's Devil centric coverage did not include one word from a New York Islander player on the win or Kyle Okposo's first NHL goal.

NYI Fan Central Comments:
Why did the Times bother going to Bridgeport to cover Kyle Okposo's debut if they are not going to send a writer to his NHL debut or a game in New Jersey? Seems kind of pointless unless they follow up and the time to do that is the night of those games, not a week later.

Newark Star Ledger: Rich Chere reports on the Devils loss
and a second article on the three fights the Islanders lost with Aaron Asham's comments on his ko of Matt Spiller here.

Bergen Record : Also has Devils coverage.

Montreal Gazette : Red Fisher weighs in on Rick DiPietro's injury with some quotes from Newsday coverage and wonders if the fifteen year contract was a good idea?

National Post: Reports former Islander Tim Connolly will also undergo HIP surgery and that his season is over after playing only forty eight games.

Barrie Examiner : Ian Shantz reports Islander prospect captain Tomas Marcinko scored the game winning goal third period goal in a 3-1 upset for the Barrie Colts against the Brampton Battalion in Game 1 of their best-of-seven quarter-final series.

Brampton News : Has more on the game including Marcinko's empty net goal.

NYI Fan Central Comments:
I feel like I'm back covering Islander prospects Cory Stillman and Brad Topping reading about a Barrie-Brampton match up.

Sound Tigers website: Reports on Bridgeport's 5-4 overtime win on Matt Keith's goal Friday at Worcester in a game that was as strange as it gets with the Sound Tigers scoring four third period goals, an empty net goal to make it 4-2 and then allowing two goals in the final twenty seconds to send the game to overtime.

NYI Fan Central Comments:
Bridgeport is off until Wednesday but from there it's four in five days (Wed-Sunday) three straight weeks to close the season. Returning Islander prospects after the season ends would have six games but the first two do not seem feasible considering the New York and Bridgeport schedules unless they play a combined five days in a row.

Ct Post : Michael Fornabaio recaps the strange win with comments from Matt Keith, Colton Fretter, who had another two goals and Jack Capuano's comments on how the club needed to start moving and they would score a few goals.

Ct Post: Michael Fornabaio felt the Sound Tigers did have the early effort but felt a lack or urgency or something was missing and then they exploded with four goals. He had no words for two goals in the final twenty seconds allowed after scoring in the empty net for a two goal lead.

Worcester Telegram & Gazette : Bud Barth has the recap of this game that was a stunner on both sides.

Islander News Articles 1/17:

Newsday: Mark Herrmann's article is on the Islanders recent dominance over the Devils, Bill Guerin credited his goaltender for preventing at least four goals and performing as an elite goaltender with Ted Nolan pointing out your best penalty killer is your goaltender. Freddy Meyer talked about why his goaltender is an all-star. Mike Sillinger comments on the win bringing the Isles to within four points of first place.

Newsday: Mark Herrmann's other article is on Brent Sutter's son, who was drafted by Carolina with Brendan Witt targeting Saturday as a return while Miroslav Satan said he's trying to play with the pain in his left knee and not at a hundred percent.

NY Post: Mark Everson's limited space Devils-centric article was on their first loss of the calender year with only Ted Nolan's comments on his all-star goaltender the Islander content.

NYI Fan Central Comments:
Not unexpected the Post editors Greg Gallo and Dick Klayman did not assign Dan Martin or another writer to tell the Islander centric side of the game. Of course it's not appropriate coverage.

Daily News: Let's hope sports editor Leon Carver does not pay Peter Botte by the word because his six paragraph article to cover both teams would not pay for the popcorn after Mr Carver did not even assign a writer to the Montreal game. His article's theme was the Isles recent dominance over New Jersey with a few quotes that the Associated press provided.

NY Times: Dave Caldwell actually had an article mixed in with the others scorers around the league with praise all around for Rick DiPietro with Brent Sutter also praised the Islander goaltender while questioning his pp for not producing with so many second period chances.

Newark Star Ledger: Rich Chere suggested the Devils mailed in the two points, Martin Brodeur felt the Devils outplayed the Isles badly but did not convert on it's pp chances and ran into a hot goaltender while Patrick Elias talked about the time off for the days was a factor for them early. Brent Sutter felt the Devils played well in the second half of the game.

Newark Star Ledger: Rich Chere's other article is on Jamie Langenbrunner's commenting the Devils had the Islanders where they wanted them playing a third game in four nights while the Devils had won ten of eleven at the Rock but did not get the job done.

Bergen Record: Tom Gulitti's article had Brent Sutter's comments on how his club played with Patrick Elias and Dainius Zubrus commenting on Rick DiPietro's saves against them while Jamie Langenbrunner credited the Islanders who have held New Jersey to seven goals in the five games.

Islanders website: Covered the Sound Tigers win in Norfolk and had Jack Capuano's comments and a full game summary.

Sound Tiges website: Had a game recap which includes Jeff Tambellini flew into Norfolk from his brief stint with the Isles while Justin Bourne was a healthy scratch along with a game recap.

Ct Post: Tris Wykes listed as a correspondent covered the game with Steve Stirling's comments he felt the game was over if Ben Walter does not score on a setup from Aaron Johnson at the end of the second period.

NYI Fan Central Comments:
This is kind of like supplemental AP/Ticker coverage of the game. Second game in a row the Ct Post editor did not have Mr Fornabaio in Norfolk but will again meet the club in Philadelphia for the next game. I'm not sure if this is Chris Elsberry decision or someone else or if he is still the sports editor? Some may recall Mr Elsberry used to do some Sound Tiger articles and features in the early years and stepped for a game or two after Mr Fornabaio's car accident a few years ago in the playoffs.

Ct Post: Michael Fornabaio did not cover the game in person and wrote he hopes that's the last time it happens but did blog on the win and notes Jeff Tambellini dominance since returning to Bridgeport with some other items.

Virginina-Pilot: Paul White's article had Steve Stirling's comments that there was no excitement on the Bridgeport bench down 2-0 until they scored in the final second of the second period after having a goal waved off nineteen seconds earlier. Jeff Tambellini is now tied for the AHL lead is goals with twenty four after last night's comeback win.

Duluth News: Kevin Pates has more on the debate of College players deciding to leave school to play in the professional ranks with former Islander Tom Kurvers comments with Kyle Okposo's situtation recapped again.

NY Sun: Kevin Greenstein had the Isles at sixteenth in his power rankings.

SI Feature on NY goaltenders terrible

Sports Illustrated.com: Michael Farber's feature on the three New York area goaltenders which Chris Botta blog's about in Point Blank here.

Mr Botta's blog also includes a few words on Msg's subjective hockey coverage last night, a few items on Kyle Okposo upcoming coverage and who he could play with in Bridgeport.

"Right now he's managing his game better than he did," Brodeur says of DiPietro. "The only question is [about] how emotional he is. When you're a goalie of that stature with that kind of contract, you become a leader. You're responsible for 19 other guys. You have to be composed, to feel you're in control at all times. I'm not sure that he is. He snaps. He breaks his stick. If you're not in control, how can you expect your team to be in control? When he's stable, and I think he will be within a year, things are going to go...." Brodeur extended his fingers, an airplane angling skyward.

NYI Fan Central Comments:
I'm kind of surprised Martin Brodeur wasted his time being quoted in such a feature when at this time he's the best local goaltender by current numbers and career numbers both DiPietro and Lundqvist will likely never come close to.

Mr Farber did all he could to create a rivalry here also with Brodeur and Lundqvist.

You think Mr Farber would have shown up Mike Richter with such a feature after the lockout in 1996 and asked if Broduer was better back then or if Tommy Salo or Eric Fichaud and his potential back then brings him into the discussion? I don't think so.

Also very sad Mr Farber needed filler from some low grade message board to supplement his recent hockey knowledge on DiPietro or the Islanders when he's going to other gm's and players. He sure went all out to sell Lundqvist while including negative quotes back to DiPietro's rookie year. He did not write one word about DiPietro's style, how he's done this season or the quotes from many players praising him in the past outside of one un-named trainer.

As a hockey fan I'm insulted by this article and the comments about Brodeur. As an Islander fan I'm disappointed but I have grown used to Michael Farber's sell the Rangers angle to most things he writes when the local teams are involved.

Of course Michael Farber knew how many times Lundqvist has given up four goals or more despite his brutal December numbers. He's a transplanted New Yorker writing out of Montreal who spent most of page three telling us how wonderful Lundqvist game is after Brodeur said otherwise. Did Mr Farber even bother writing DiPietro is dominating both goaltenders this year or how wonderful DiPietro's game is or how he has had them in contention for close almost two full seasons on weak offensive clubs and led them to the 2004 playoffs where he played well and drew praise from players on the Lightning?

Of course not. Bill Guerin was quoted on Brodeur, Shanahan on how he would take Lundqvist over both Brodeur and DiPietro.

Rick DiPietro? We read about Steve Begin and a Sabre talking about how they can score on DiPietro, not his fifty five save game or how he came back in the playoffs last season and won game two and kept the Isles in every game.

Usual shoddy work from Mr Farber and SI, too bad Mr Botta sees this is a positive article.

Waste of my time to even blog on it.

A few old Al Arbour Stories

SI.com: Michael Farber had an interesting article on the goaltenders oversized equipment with comments from Martin Brodeur on smaller players allowed to wear pads made for goaltenders much taller.

Why I did post this article was some old stories on Al Arbour from Mr Farber where he looked at Devils coach Brent Sutter and some tactics that seem like things Arbour used to do with are priceless.

Arbour was notorious for his didacticism. When he was unhappy with the physical side of a player's game, he would have them carry an egg in their jacket pockets because "the way they went into the corners, they wouldn't have broken an egg."

That was a modestly clever bit ... at least until defenseman Pat Price cracked an egg over Arbour's head. Price escaped with his life, barely.

"Al could really get on you," said Denis Potvin, the Islanders' Hall of Fame defenseman who does color on Florida Panthers games. "He'd say, 'Potvin, I know you skate like you have a piano on your back, but don't stop to play the thing.' Not much you can say to that."

Potvin, by the way, took a cookie from the media meal in New Jersey to his broadcast booth for mid-game sustenance, which reminded his former New York teammate Chico Resch of the time Resch, then a backup goalie, stashed some M&Ms in his blocker to snack on during the game.

"So Al says, 'Billy Smith, you're out. Get in there, Chico,'" Resch recalled. "Let me assure you that M&Ms do melt in your hand."

NYI Fan Central Comments:
I never read the Chico Resch story with the M&Ms or the Potvin story.

To correct Mr Farber, Al Arbour had the players carry the eggs in their pants pockets and guaranteed they would come back unbroken because the team was not hitting. Pat Price did take his egg and crack Arbour over the head, Price was on waivers by next season.

One of my favorite stories was Arbour left a plate of dog biscuits for the players because they were playing like dogs, one of the players, not sure who (Kallur/Bourne?) bit into one and thought it was a tasty snack.

Of course Arbour reportedly once walked off a roof doing work on his home looking for a hammer and crashed his car into a plane because he did not put it into park when he got out of it.

Priceless stuff, but all about how much hockey was his focus which is what made him such a great coach.