New York Notables/Reese Injury

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Interesting day for the New York Islanders.

The ITV interviews on Nielsen resigning were very good. Jack Capuano/Nielsen gave a lot of insight on many subjects, including the Coliseum's future.

Islanders website:  Released a summary of the comments.

First time in months/all year ITV had the coach on an off day during practice.


NYIFC Comments: 
Seems a lot of players already here want to stay and seemingly took less money than they could make on the open market. It says everything about the ownership and management. Jack Capuano for his part sounded like a coach who has his own job, and that's not to be the general manager.

Dylan Reese Out:
The Islanders twitter announced Dylan Reese is out 4-6 weeks, his injury looked even worse.

Looking ahead, we know the drill.

Jurcina returns or Mottau returns (no mention of  #10 skating), Donovan, Wishart recalled or Garth Snow brings in a player from another organization.

Moving Forward:
This defense as presently constructed has some major challenges moving forward, they are not going to outright steal many games like they did on Tuesday with goaltending. Aaron Ness for the most part was not noticeable in his debut, which is a good thing. He fell once early, but got some shots.

The Flyers had the ability to out-shoot the Devils 24-1 on Saturday and rally down 6-0 to lose 6-4, so give marks to the struggling Flyers, still it was their third game in four days and as that game played out, the Isles faded, Philadelphia dominated, even when the Isles drew powerplays.

Peter Laviolette had a team meeting Monday, he pushed his team and got a good response. 

Now Jack Capuano has to get the same response from his team, with a defense that looks badly over-matched. Tavares line is getting chances, but has not produced the last three games, his backcheck in the third period, and move to split the Flyer defense late and draw a pp was incredible during one shift.

Josh Bailey was also very good in Philadelphia, his line had early chances. 

Bottom line, NYIFC has been writing about this being an extended pre-season, the standings do not lie on that count, however the team is making things interesting without really closing the gap on the latest 8th seed.

Just getting back to five hundred from five/six under, but only a few points out of fifteenth says a lot about the team/conference.

Trade Deadline:
NYIFC gave our projection of the likely available players the other day. The next set of games/standings will determine which direction Snow goes in ultimately unless a deal comes along now that makes sense.

Nabokov looks like he's having fun being here, out of the break Poulin got the start in Carolina, Montoya got the Buffalo game after Nabokov did not face huge pressure against Ottawa so that's telling.

Nabokov's second half only proves that a goaltender can struggle or be injured for the better part of a year and a half, but when healthy/with the rust off he can return to top forum. Khabibulin did it in Edmonton this year.

Of course every players circumstances are different.

NYIFC Notables:
The archives of past entries since this blog began in 2007 are now easier to find/read on the sidebar with the drop-down menu altered. Regretfully labels were not used in postings after daily/full time entries stopped in April 2009 often. 
 
The good news for our readers has been the Time Warner-Cablevision blackout has forced many to watch games on line. Because of that there have had many twitter updates here (sidebar/twitterpage) during most games.

The tribute header to Kenny Jonsson will be posted on Thursday and be up through Sunday afternoon.

Our twitter name for some reason was New York Islanders long before this blog used twitter here, that's been changed to NYI Fan Central.

The twitter wallpaper was redone to accommodate their recent changes.  At this time there is no need for an App for NYIFC, and do not want folks spending money to read a blog.

The historical sections on the sidebars are always a work in progress, but feel it's one of the best anywhere, the prospect blog header has also been updated.

The twitter box will be back at 2pm Thursday. 

New York Resigns Frans Nielsen To Four Year Extension

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NYIFC has twitter updates on shootout win in Phildelphia on sidebar, or previous blog entry in twitter box, and New York Islander Fan Central Twitter Page.

The win puts New York at five hundred for the first time since October. ***************************************************
Wednesday PM:
ITV.com Had blanket coverage/player comments Nielsen signing, with a long interview with Jack Capuano, where he discusses Nielsen, Parenteau and his team moving forward.

NYIFC Comments:
Capuano's comments give some interesting insights into the working relationship between the coach and gm.


Tsn.Ca    Officially reported the New York Islanders have resigned, Frans Nielsen, to a four year contract extension for eleven million dollars.

Updated:
NHL.com:  Nielsen comments on resigning leave no doubt he wanted to stay and praised the organization.
Nabokov praises his teammate and discusses the win vs Philadelphia.

NYIFC Comments: 
That's a lot of commitment to a player who is excellent on defense,  brings a lot of positive intangibles to a hockey game and of course everyone should be happy for Frans Nielsen, who was drafted here in 2003.


Having written this the depth chart at center ice does not lie with John Tavares, Josh Bailey, Nielsen and Marty Reasoner all centers signed for next season. The organizational depth chart also has Ryan Strome, Brock Nelson, Casey Cizikas and others in the system as centers.

I suppose arguments could be made he was overpaid or underpaid, depending on your point of view, that alone suggest it was a good signing.

Nielsen signed a four year contract at what was considered a bargain for the club long ago. 

NYIFC very recently wrote on Nielsen being resigned here.

Hamonic Out Two Weeks, New York Notables

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Injury reality is setting in again for the 2011-12 New York Islanders.

The depth on defense was thin, but holding. That has again changed.

Travis Hamonic is out two weeks (perhaps longer) with a broken nose/surgery, so Jack Capuano has to replace a defender who has not missed a game since joining the club over a year ago.

Hamonic's ability is not replaceable. 

Jurcina's elbow laceration if unable to return, puts them in a place where either Ty Wishart, Matt Donovan or Aaron Ness come up or the team has to make a trade to acquire a player.

According to Brent Thompson, Mark Katic is two weeks away from being cleared for contact, closer than Calvin deHaan to returning from his shoulder injury.

Obviously Katic/deHaan past shoulder injuries mandate the club be even more prudent before clearing them.

New York has seven games in the next eleven days. 

Notables:
Nothing needs to be added to twitter comments on Buffalo game beyond John Tavares is not going to produce as first star every month or carry the offense to the degree he did in January. (with Moulson/PP).

The special teams are also overdue for some struggles which have carried the club.

New York lost a 3-1 lead (and a point) in a game they were outplayed badly, where the goals all came from secondary scoring/special teams. Now we see what happens with a defense missing a very important player, where Stave Staios will have to be extended (which makes games tougher for Mark Streit as his partner) with goaltending that was shaky with Montoya against Buffalo.

It's a very impressive and notable accomplishment for this club to go up/down from five/six games under five hundred several times to finally one under, unfortunately unless it leads to a playoff spot and something absolutely built to last, it cannot be looked at as it was a year ago.

Looking ahead, this defense requires changes, the fourth line has questions. Nielsen-Parenteau pending UFA are huge issues. The secondary scoring has not been there.

Garth Snow being " bullish " on his goaltending still means someone has to emerge as a # 1. 

Garth Snow Now Openly Using Rebuilding Word

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Twitter comments post Senators game will be strictly on sidebar Friday night, the box will return Saturday afternoon. Congratulations to Mark Eaton on GWG in 600th game.

I do not like double-talk from my teams general manger because it's a waste of our time.

This blog has a long memory and feels it's important that words have meaning or should not be used. NYIFC was very rough on Snow, Ted Nolan following their meetings with the fans following the 2007-08 season where Snow discussed a working relationship/daily communication with his coach before they parted company. 

Nov 27th 2009  Garth Snow had the following:

Is the success a sign, though, that your rebuilding strategy may be ahead of schedule?
Snow: “I don’t use that word rebuild. We’re trying to make the playoffs and win a Stanley Cup like every other team. We don’t go in with the mindset that losing is acceptable, and when that word is used, sometimes winning doesn’t matter. I don’t think I’ve used that word too much and if I have, it’s been very limited. We’re trying to win every hockey game we play in. The group that we have in that locker room, it may be young, but that doesn’t make it can’t have success.”

Going into 2010-11, Snow made clear in pre-season everyone had to be better and this team must be making a run at a playoff spot before 620 man games lost to injury happened, and the club improved with many of those players sidelines in the second half.

NYIFC noted in his Dec 2010 ITV Interview With Chris King he started using the rebuild word. 


Last night Snow called into Gary Bettman on NHL Live and used the rebuilding word twice (6:54/12:40) that he claimed he does not use?

Our point is words and philosophies either have meaning or they do not.  The gm can talk about the massive past injuries for some Islander clubs falling short as reasonable, he can defend his signings that were good percentage moves whether they worked out or not.

He can be guarded/cryptic about his upcoming moves which is fine and all part of it.

What he cannot do or receive a pass from is to start using a word that he did not like to cover his team being eleven points out of a playoff spot.

That's a waste of the fans time and an insult to our intelligence.

Updated post game vs Ottawa:
Snow also did an interview Friday night.   Sorry, folks Time Warner/Cablevision victim. Snow used the rebuild word again at 7:12 in video.

NYIFC Comments:
As for Mr Bettman, Mr Snow their job is to help Charles Wang, get a new or renovated facility and push an issue that has been dragging for decades. I understand that part of it.  Having written that enough rhetoric about a forty year old building because Mr Bettman when he took the job as commissioner never used those terms on fifty and sixty year old facilities far more outdated than the current Nassau Coliseum.


There's a right way vs the wrong way. Bettman may be frustrated, as most are with this politics, but stop telling us a forty year old facility is unable to a house an NHL franchise.

 Snow had blanket praise for Jack Capuano. 

Misc:
Not much to write on Anton Klementyev going on the kind of waivers to where he will not be coming back, his  prospect spot has to be replaced in the organization's depth chart.

Win a game, take step back in playoff race, standings do not lie.

Not sure what Nabokov will be like with thirteen day rest, obviously not thrilled Staios remains in for Reese with another very fast team in Ottawa.

I saw more from Rhett Rakhshani in two periods than Brian Rolston in two months and have followed his career since Denver, he's always progressed at every level and we saw that a year ago and expect he will be a productive NHL player.

John Tavares First Star Of the Month In January

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Reports John Tavares has been named the first star of the month of January 2011 in the NHL  with his comments.

NYIFC Comments:
Nothing to really add beyond our recent entries on his play and improvement is approaching super-star status, you see the one on one moves, the acceleration, his vision to find his teammates.

The best example of this was the game I saw in Philadelphia where I wrote it was best career game. A contest where he did not score, Nabokov was credited with forty saves and John Tavares was awarded the number one star because he was a threat to score virtually every time a puck came near him.

Well deserved honor, not just by statistics, but overall play.

Joey MacDonald was named third star of the month in November 2009, Rick DiPietro the second star in Feb 2007 here.

Our guess (could be incorrect) is Chris Osgood in October 2001 was the last New York Islander to win first a star of the month honor here.

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Kevin Poulin has been returned to Bridgeport per the Isles twitter feed.

NYIFC Comments:
That thud may well have been the trade in place that fell through or this is a paper transaction. New York and Bridgeport have games Friday.

The bottom line to all this is the standings and contract status, despite what fan bloggers (NYIFC) feel about Nabokov's play and recent durability and that he should have started in Carolina, the head coach has never named a #1 goaltender.