Islander News Articles 3/22

Newsday: Greg Logan's recap of New York loss to Ottawa had comments at length from Chris Campoli and Mike Comrie where the beatwriter brought up head coach Scott Gordon's recent criticism of bad apples no longer in the room with their reaction.

NYI Fan Central Comments:
This was a day that merited extra blogs and articles. If Mr Logan had Campoli's comments Friday as he writes where was the blog entry Saturday?

No pregame blog for Comrie, Campoli or even a report while Newsday provides blanket coverage and a live blog of the team they own for their game among several updates.

Sorry gang, no one else will write it so we have to here. Seems like only thing Newsday does more of is advertise their product during New York Islander Hockey games these days.

Campoli and Comrie as expected were both class acts with their comments who went out of their way to praise general manager Garth Snow and owner Charles Wang.

Hopefully there is something on Josh Bailey's two goal game and post-game from Scott Gordon.

Ottawa Citizen & Ottawa Sun: Recap Ottawa's win Saturday 5-2 with early Canadian Press update here.

AHL.com: Reports Bridgeport defeated Providence Saturday 3-2 at Harbor Yard.

2. PRO Ryder, (4) (Penner, Knackstedt), 13:27
2. BRI Sim, (8) (MacDonald, Smith), 13:45
2. BRI Lessard, (12) (Fraser, Sim), 19:39 (PP)
3. BRI Kohn, (4) (Colliton, Wotton), 13:05
3. PRO Marquardt, (8) (Lehtonen), 18:49

Nate Lawson started with twenty eight saves.
Robin Figren did not play.

Hershey won 5-4.
WBS Pens lost in regulation.

Ct Post: Michael Fornabaio recaps Bridgeport's 3-2 win against Providence at home Saturday night, with comments from Junior Lessard, Dustin Kohn and head coach Jack Capuano and Bridgeport is down to single digits for clinching it's first playoff spot in two seasons. Mr Fornabaio previews Sunday's home game at 4pm against Portland here with blog entries on the game.

Providence Journal: Uncredited special to the Journal covered Scott Gordon's former team in their loss at Harbor Yard Saturday.

Ottawa 5, New York 2

NHL.com: Recaps New York's 5-2 loss to Ottawa Saturday night with Associated Press.

NYI Fan Central Comments:
Not a lot to write about this one, nice that Bailey had two excellent goals one driving the net and one off an outside shot.

Isles looked like a tired team and unitl the game opened up in the final minutes did not get much outside of some low percentage shots by Andy Hilbert. Some good work to draw some powerplays. (Park)

Gervais, Tambellini had breakaways (Okposo a very nice read to find Tambellini) before Bailey showed some nice hands on his second goal of the game.

Still, Islanders simply had numbers most of the time on defense but little jump on what looked like choppy ice with a lot of bounces.

Ottawa hardly looked dominating themselves and did not get much early. McAmmond had a turnover for the 1-0 goal with a pass up the middle. Nielsen a turnover up the middle after that. Sens best goal was Alfredsson to Kuba for the 3-0 goal. Heatley's shot looked like it hit a defender for the 4-0 goal.

Danis did not get much help but the 1-0 goal is one you expect him to save, aside from that he played well enough to win.

Someone's going to have to explain how Ottawa got a powerplay out of that late scrum with Rechlicz which led to the final goal by Ottawa on a broken play that kind of summed up this game best?

Comrie and Campoli were both classy in the pregame. Cablevision sure does like making sure we know the out of town playoff scoreboard for a team in fifteenth place and not even for the game most important to Islander fans.

Isles took a few big hits in this game without much of a response beyond Rechlicz fight. Hillen has looked a little spotty in the last two.

I expected a little better for a team that had four days off going into Friday tonight. Ottawa despite the recent winning did not simply dominate play.

Islanders come home for a game against Minnesota in a week that sets up like this one with games in Detroit Friday and home Saturday.

New York at Ottawa 7pm Msg+ Comrie out

Islanders pregame reports Mike Comrie will not play, apparently he still has the flu despite comments he would return tonight in Ottawa papers.

02/10/09 Cody Bass C Shoulder IR. Out indefinitely
03/10/09 Alexandre Picard D Lower body IR. Rest of season
03/10/09 Jason Smith D Knee IR. Out until at least late March
01/20/09 Pascal Leclaire G Ankle IR. Out for the season

03/19/2009 MTL 4 @ OTT 5
03/17/2009 BUF 2 @ OTT 4
03/14/2009 OTT 4 @ PIT 3
03/12/2009 OTT 3 @ BOS 5
03/11/2009 TBL 2 @ OTT 3

GOALS: 33 D. Heatley
ASSISTS: 45 D. Alfredsson
POINTS: 68 D. Alfredsson
+/-: 8 D. Alfredsson

Ottawa Sun: Don Brennan had comments from Chris Campoli and Mike Comrie about playing the Islanders and the 3-0 record against the Senators this season that has put a big dent in any chance of the Senators making the playoffs.
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New York Islander Fan Central Comments:
So how many of you out there if I told you before the season started the Isles would open 3-0 against the Ottawa Senators going into this game would not be in contention at this point?

The New York Islanders go for the sweep tonight against a team that dominated them seemingly since they joined the NHL and won that big game 4/10/93 at the Coliseum.

In my estimation this game is the best test for the young Islanders then they have seen against a red-hot team in a long time with the singular exception of the Devils game at the Coliseum recently.

Isles have played Boston and some teams that will go to the playoffs but no team has been as hot as Ottawa recently who after almost a full calendar year of struggling have finally found their collective game under a new coach.

The Senators, have won seven of their past eight and six in a row at home. Heatley, Jason Spezza and Daniel Alfredsson have combined for 32 points in the team's last seven games.

You can bet after Comrie and Campoli left quietly in terms of the media after Scott Gordon's " rotten apples " comment they will be ready to stick it to their former coach and team if not in the media on the ice.

Say whatever you want about Comrie or Campoli's play but find me a quote in a paper where they were ever critical of the New York Islanders?

Goaltender Brian Elliott tries to extend his personal winning streak to seven games, which is already a franchise record for a first-year netminder.

I would guess Yann Danis gets the start here, how will he react with all the time off against a rested team play very well?

If the Isles make Chad LaRose look like a star, Alfredsson, Spezza and Heatley could make the Islander defense look awful unless their reads improve.

Dean McAmmond's return against his former team.

Comrie " likely " to resign with Ottawa

CP: In an interview on the trade deadline today regarding the Ottawa Senators it's reported general manager Bryan Murray and Mike Comrie both said Monday he's likely to sign beyond this year with the gm quoted as saying " if we brought him here, he would be very interested in staying."

NYI Fan Central Comments:
Mike Comrie played hurt for at least a good part of the second half of last season and part of this season after a surgery that should have kept him sidelined. He signed here to be the go-to player and despite the final result cannot be blamed for the lack of first line talent around him. Many nights he had to fight his own battles.

Cannot write anything negative about him, he had fifty points on a terrible offensive club last season, his best moments were his initial two games against Buffalo. Only he knows whether it was the coach, system, talent around him or injuries.

The question is will Bryan Murray be the general manager if his signing does go beyond this season?

Islander News Articles 11/30

Newsday: Mark Herrmann had a quick update on Jiggs McDonald with an e-mail response from his daughter Saturday.

Orillia Today: Mike Dodd has comments from Jiggs McDonald to his local paper from Saturday.

Newsday: Greg Logan has the postgame where he credits the line of Sim-Park-Tambellini for their hard work among several subjects including Freddy Meyer comments on his goals and the club's third period defensive play.

Newsday: Mr Logan had more on Josh Bailey staying with his comments about his confidence increasing the more he plays and felt he was given an opportunity here he made not have had in other places as he stayed while injured.

Newsday: Mark Herrman never one to make Islander fans feel good about anything used his space on Josh Bailey staying to tell the fans he is not going to be a big time thirty-forty goal scorer (nor is Kyle Okposo) while doing the history lesson of all the scorers the club did not draft or traded over the years, Scott Gordon comments.

NY Post: Dan Martin's recap is on the Islanders holding on with a lead with Scott Gordon and Freddy Meyer's comments. The statement on Josh Bailey with GM Garth Snow's comments is reposted.

Daily News: Peter Botte had Scott Gordon and Freddy Meyer's comments.

Ottawa Citizen: Ken Warren in his game recap reports Radek Martink left the game in the second period with an apparent shoulder injury which could have been mistaken with Mark Streit going off for a few minutes. Martinek
saw a regular shift in the third here.

Ottawa Sun also has game coverage here.

Espn: Pierre LeBrun reports in his blog general manager Garth Snow informed Josh Bailey he was staying on the plane ride home Friday night.

Mr Lebrun also reports the Heals and Flats show (for older Islander fans) is officially reunited as the NHLPA has hired former Islander Pat Flatley, who will be the assistant director of player affairs and serve as Glenn Healy's right-hand man looking after player and on-ice issues.

Times Union: James M. Odato reports SUNY Stony Brook is using hundreds of thousands of dollars in grant funds to pay the New York Islanders and other entities to advertise the school.

Ct Post: Michael Fornabaio's game coverage had Peter Mannino who talked about his experience in the NHL, head coach Jack Capuano who praised his play in Saturday's loss and Mike Sillinger.

Ct Post: Has Michael Fornabaio's blog update on Bridgeport's 4-1 loss in Worcester on Saturday.

Blake Comeau scored Bridgeport's goal, Peter Mannino allowed three goals on thirty nine shots.

Worcester Telegram & Gazette: Bill Ballou has the Sharks coverage.

New York 4, Ottawa 2

Associated Press & Sportsnetwork & CBC.com: Has the recap of New York's 4-2 win against the Senators Saturday night.

NYI Fan Central Comments:
Considering all the hockey this team has played over eight days and the very tough third periods the last games, I'll take the win and not put a lot of stock into how they got there because it was hardly a classic.

That loud screaming you may hear could be coming from Craig Hartsburg as the Senators bus drives by your home tonight. For a team that came in playing better on a run with some rest they were very undisciplined.

Cannot remember a recent Islander game where the third period script did not give the other club a bunch of powerplays to even things up after the Isles got a bunch of them.

Nice deflection by Hilbert on the first goal, good break on Meyer driving the net for a redirection that led to his second period goal while his third period goal was an excellent shot that simply beat Auld top shelf.

A few other second period close in chances (Sim) and a few good shots from Bailey but overall the Islanders offense was choppy at best. Powerplay again was brutal and gave up more than they got with the man advantage. I think everyone got a look with Richard Park becoming a powerplay regular.

Senators hit a few posts and had the Islanders running around too much. Second Ottawa goal Islanders had three chances to clear before they made that great play.

MacDonald again had to be good in this one with a few big kick saves. Meyer and Witt do not look settled on the backline in this system, Sutton had some hits but does not seem as locked in as he was a week ago. Ottawa got some big hits in too for their forwards.

Martinek made a nice play skating the puck out to draw a powerplay.

Too much scrambling by the Islanders tonight but they did gut out a win at a time they should be tired and fragile.

Three out of three against Ottawa?
I'll take the two points they badly needed.

Ottawa at New York 7pm Msg+2

Ottawa Sun: Don Brennan reports on the Ottawa Senators who come back to New York on a two game winning streak and playing some good defense. Head coach Craig Hartsburg praised the Islanders as one of the surprise teams in the league.

According to Mr Brennan Alexandre Picard is out, Brian Lee & Zach Smith were recalled with the later making his NHL debut if Shean Donovan cannot go. Hartsburg reportedly will keep the Heatley-Jason Spezza-Daniel Alfredsson line together tonight.

Luke Richardson decided to retire yesterday when Ottawa placed him on waivers.

NYI Fan Central Comments:
Islanders come in a very fragile club that have to be a little tired and banged up while Ottawa was waiting in New York and no doubt remember the two losses to them.

You can bet like Pittsburgh & Boston teams are watching films of the Islanders leaving the middle of the ice open.

Only question (at this time) is whether Okposo gets back in the lineup now or he gets another five days by resting tonight. MacDonald will be back in goal according to the head coach yesterday and will have to put yesterday behind him.

Okposo plays and I expect another right wing in Jackman is the odd-man out but it could just as easily be Colliton unless the coach is running out of patience with Tambellini.

Gordon has space here to rest a defender if he wants.

Overall this is almost a must game for the Islanders, standings do not lie and all these regulation losses are simply too much to remain in any feasible contention for long unless they have a long winning streak in them again.

Regulation losses in this league are killers, this is why you have to get games into overtime.

This was expected to be a very tough stretch and it has been. 2-3 is hardly terrible
but it needed to be better considering the record coming in and one of those wins came off a gift goal.

Updated:
Newsday: Greg Logan in the Islanders Newsday blog
in reporting Bailey's signing also had Kyle Okposo skating with the injured players meaning he will not return tonight.

A second blog by Mr Logan again mostly about Josh Bailey includes Yann Danis was recalled today with Peter Mannino heading back to the Sound Tigers.

Mr Botta at Point Blank here reports Thomas Pock has been placed on waivers.

Islander News Articles 11/16

Newsday: Greg Logan has the recap of the Islanders 3-2 win with comments from head coach Scott Gordon pointing out other teams surrender leads in the third period also, Doug Weight on getting back to five hundred with so many injuries as confidence in the system improves and Joey MacDonald who talked about weathering the storm early against the Senators in the first.

Newsday: Mr Logan's other article was on the possible return of Brendan Witt who has taken part in practices and hopes to play by Friday with his comments about his injury along with more from head coach Scott Gordon on Josh Bailey and the coach sending a fax on Friday indicating Pock's suspension was a step up in discipline for a player with no previous suspensions.

Newsday: Jim Baumbach did his best Mark Herrmann impersonation doing Islander viability, could relocate, low attendance article number (who knows) telling us Charles Wang should speak up now about the status of the Lighthouse.

NYI Fan Central Comments:
Nothing like Jim Baumbach to pour as much cold water he can on sweeping a club who have dominated them since they entered the league and not even cover the game when he is assigned. He even wrote some people's evaluations of the youth on this team are inflated like he wanted to be anywhere else.

I'm sure Monday we will get Luongo's comments on the Nassau Coliseum if the Islanders win again as part of this expanded coverage.

I wonder how many more folks would be at the games if Newsday talked up the players the last decade instead of running the club down every chance they could or outright ignoring them like when it's franchise player starts the All-Star game while putting down any attempt at bringing back alumni as nothing more than a ticket grab?

Newsday can only took at themselves in the mirror when they did nothing on the 25th anniversary of the first cup back on 5/24/05.

Newsday coverage has only served to drive fans away which does not happen in other cities where the club struggles. The media does not beat them down like this every other week and it seems the staff takes turns.

Players who do well here are considered under-rated in national media circles and it has nothing to do with the building or the attendance but the reporting.

If Mr Baumbach or the Newsday staff wants to know what's going on why don't they have Mark Harrington who does most of the business-related articles on this subject go interview Town of Hempstead Supervisor Kate Murray and get some comments or the other key players who have a vote? Instead I guess the plan is get Mr Wang talking so Newsday can rip whatever he says sooner or later.

Maybe Mr Baumbach should stay home and let us enjoy a win for a change?

Daily News: Peter Botte was given some descent space for a change and had postgame from Scott Gordon, Doug Weight and Joey MacDonald on the 4-2-1 Islanders in their last seven.

Ottawa Citizen Alan Panzeri & Ottawa Sun: Has the Senators coverage which includes Bruce Garroich who had a lot from captain Bill Guerin about Pock's hit where he felt the NHL must send this kind of message with longer suspensions because the NHLPA is not going to take money out of players pockets or force them to sit out here.

ECHL.com: Report former Islander draft pick Luciano Aquino has been signed by the Reading Royals of the ECHL, affiliate of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Sound Tigers.com: Previews Sunday's game against the Aeros while the Houston Chronicle's has coverage Chronicle here.

The Republican: Gary Brown has comments from AHL President Dave Andrews and John Graham, a Toronto businessman who promoted the two Sound Tiger games in Summerside and St Johns after building a relationship with the club.