Islander/Sound Tigers/NHL Notables

St Pete Times: Damian Cristodero blogs on what John Tortorella would bring to the Isles with the potential upside and downside.

SI.com: John Rolfe is his mail bag responds to the latest negative article on the Isles who got a few tough comments from some fans.

NYI Fan Central Comments:
Two things caught my attention here.

One was when Mr Rolfe wrote he is a life long Islanders fan because it was something I have known because he does include that part every year when he does this kind of article but does not excuse his lack of articles on the current Isles.

Second was when he took what to me is a double-standard noting the Rangers have turned things around because they have made the playoffs three years in a row while ignoring the Isles did this also and made it four of six years.

If Mr Rolfe's standard's for turning it around somewhat is making the playoffs three years in a row than the Isles qualify and it's time for his to seperate the past from the present. I can appreciate the fact he is an Islander fan and frustrated at the club but that still means he has to be consistent with his standards for all teams.

I sent him an e-mail and asked why the double-standard and how come he does not note all the kids in Garth Snow's plan which is far different than Mike Milbury's plan and how come he's not telling us more about them which is what our fans need a lot more of with a lot less nineties history?

National Post/several sources: Report former Islander Mike York has signed with the Columbus Blue Jackets.

NYI Fan Central Comments:
According to the New York Times and several sources Mike York a while back signed with Sibir Novosibirsk. (KHL)

Anyone else see a little payback for the hardball with Filatov's being suspended or is Columbus trying to become very old and slow down the middle with York and Peca unless York plays left wing?

Ct Post: Michael Fornabaio reports in the Sound Tigers Ct Post blog Matt Keith has signed a one-year contract with ERC Ingolstadt.

Quick Isles/Tigers notables

Newsday: Greg Logan has more from Ted Nolan on Kip Brennan, Drew Fata, Matt Keith what their roles will be, the Sound Tigers setting on a lineup, the Isles signing Jack Hillen and what's happening in terms of securing a lottery pick that could net New York a number one draft pick.

Ct Post: Michael Fornabaio reports Hillen practicing/playing for the Isles will make him ineligible to play for the Sound Tigers.

NYI Fan Central Comments:
I will repost the clear day list in the next day or two. If Bridgeport qualifies for the postseason that will be the list of players who must play before anyone can be added.

In other words, Joensuu or anyone else cannot play unless there are a lot of injuries. That's why clear day is a very big deal in the AHL.

Updated:
Aaron Johnson out, Matt Spiller in.

Espn.com: John Buccigross feels the NHL should include the Isles in the outdoor game and credits Mr Wang for Isles TV.

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 2/21:

Newsday: Greg Logan's game recap has Josef Vasicek talking about how Kolzig came out to challenge Hunter which gave him an angle to shoot from behind the goal and bank in the tying goal, and how he felt the team did not panic as DiPietro held them in. Mike Comrie talked about his shootout winning goal while Ted Nolan agreed with a question about his club stealing two points but the coach felt Freddy Meyer and Radek Martinek did a great job on Ovechkin.

Newsday: Greg Logan reports during Caps game Ted Nolan likely will break up the Islanders' kid line with either Jeff Tambellini or Frans Nielsen returning to Bridgeport in favor of Simon's toughness because too many teams have been taking advantage of his club in the physical department. Simon comments on how he must do things differently and play within the rules.

Washington Times: Has the recap of Washington's shootout loss.

Leader-Post: Greg Harder has an article on Mike Sillinger with a lot of comments from the New York Times feature a few weeks ago here from 2/9 update.

Ct Post: Michael Fornabaio has comments from Jack Capuano on Matt Keith and his club's five game winning streak as they came back in this game with Kyle Okposo scoring on the powerplay in the third to tie the game. Ben Walter left after a shift with a right shoulder injury and is out for the weekend.

Strong turnout at Harbor Yard with 4,174 in attendance.

Ct Post: Michael Fornabaio has the Sound Tigers weekly with some items on the NHL trade deadline as well as Bridgeport's upcoming schedule and a bunch of items.

Virginian Pilot: Paul White has the recap of Norfolk's loss to Bridgeport.

Sound Tiger News Articles 1/11

Sound Tigers.com: Sound Tiger play by play announcer Phil Giubileo has an interview with Kyle Okposo during the Portland game on Wednesday.

Ct Post: Michael Fornabaio covered Kyle Okposo's first practice and had his commnets on why he left Minnesota and downplayed friction with Don Lucia as well as Matt Keith's first comments along with more changes to the lineup and the upcoming game in Binghampton Friday night. Jack Capunao comments on Okposo as well as him being his coach on the 2005 under 18 team where he was named captain by the players.

"A lot went into the decision," he said. "I mulled it over. I weighed the positives and negatives. I made the best choice, for myself and my career."

"The first thing that comes to mind is, obviously, his character," Capuano said. "We let the kids vote on the captaincy, and it was unanimous: Everybody voted for Kyle. That tells you one thing about him, he's a high-character kid."

Bridgeport Sound Tigers at Binghamton Senators
WHEN — Tonight, 7:05
WHERE — Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena, Binghamton, N.Y.
ON THE AIR — Webcast and B2 Networks Internet pay-per-view at www.soundtigers.com

Newsday's page has video of Kyle Okposo's practice.

Newsday: Mark Herrmann had Kyle Okposo's comments on his first practice with Jack Capuano and Jeff Tambellini also giving their thoughts.

"I haven't played a game in professional hockey yet and I'm getting attention," he said in the minor-league Bridgeport Sound Tigers' dressing room as his new teammates gawked at the media cluster around his stall. "A lot of the guys here have already proven themselves. So maybe I'm not as worthy as them. But it's going to happen and I'm prepared for it."

"He's a talented player to start with, so that should help him make the jump," said Tambellini, who has spent parts of the past two seasons with the big club. "He's a great kid, really humble. He should fit right in."

Newsday: Mark Herrmann had a blog on his trip to Bridgeport to see Kyle Okposo's first practice.

"Just trying to get me back in game shape," he said, adding that when you haven't been on the ice in a while, "the legs start to go, the hands start to go a little bit. But I was good at the end."

Press & Sun Bulletin: Michael Sharp who covers the Binghampton Senators has comments on Kyle Okposo and previews the game on Friday.

Islanders trade Bootland for Matt Keith

Ct Post: Michael Fornabaio has more on the Islanders trade of Darryl Bootland Wednesday to Ananehim for Matt Keith who the Isles list as a right wing.

"They just decided they wanted to make a move, and I was the lucky guy," Bootland said after a little chalk talk with the coaching staff.

"It's interesting. It's definitely a shock. Got a little wake-up call. There's 12 messages on my phone, I figured there has to be something going on. It's a little shocking, a little exciting."

"(I'll miss) Mostly the guys, I think, a great group of guys," Bootland said. "I got along with most everyone, that was the nice thing. It was a lot of fun, helping out with the young kids."

Matt Keith's career stats are listed here.