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The same blog entries cannot be repeated every few days here.
This is simply not going to work.
A slower, less mobile defense, that is mistake prone, throws off every facet of what worked for close to four months a year ago. The powerplay was not the problem on this day.
Well aware San Jose was red-hot, Sharks goalie made some great saves or it would have been a win, and the Sharks skated like a team that just played in Detroit the night before.
Isles skated as well as they could with who they had, obviously the puck hit the glass in overtime.
Here's the big questions our fans should be asking:
1. This was the Isles best offensive game of the season? How much sustained five on five pressure did the Isles get to go with another night of no five on five goals? For myself (and broadcasters) they noted fourth line shift with about three minutes left in second, where they cycled and had San Jose pinned in.
I noticed it immediately.
That was about it for another sixty minute game.
2. How often on forecheck now are the Isles forced to simply throw low percentage shots on goal because the defense is too slow combined with Rolston/Pandolfo?
3. Then we get to the usual story, nothing personal against Steve Staios, but signing him to play with Mark Streit is a flat out joke, it's costing this club every single game to go with Mottau/Eaton.
Streit wears down too a lot more with Staios, after a year off injury that's asking too much.
Jurcina is hardly any better than Mottau.
# 24 penalty in opening seconds 1-0.
# 24 out with Streit on second goal, Streit having to work harder.
# 24 gassed and too slow, did not have his stick down or the right angle on OT goal, so that long cross-ice pass got through him for the shot. He had nothing left to pressure the player making that pass and was not skating.
Quality offensive players will pick that apart every time.
It's positioning, lack of speed, slow reaction, giving players room to work without pressure, who can already finish. Simply not being able to keep up.
What do you expect from a thirty eight year old player, who's never been a top two defender, who was a camp invite, who was out most of last season, and who's value was that of trade for Aaron Johnson/pick two years ago?
This makes the Isles collectively too slow to maintain a forecheck, it makes them play shifts throwing the puck out of their end, as opposed to skating and it hurts the cycle/forechecking which means not being able to control play in the offensive zone at five on five or sustain any pressure.
It leads to a lot of give-up plays, where the end result is throw puck at net and hope for something to happen, it's not a quality setup, even when Tavares deflects the shot in the net. This runs contrary to how Matt Moulson's success off work in the corners or passes from forwards that led to his five on five goals.
The effort was there against San Jose, beyond Rolston throwing too many bad angle shots at the net, all lines could have produced a goal off a rush against a sluggish San Jose team.
Comeau had some good shifts, with a few uneven shifts.
DiPietro played as well as Nabokov/Montoya, his stickhandling even helped start a few rushes. Goaltending has not cost them a single game to this point.
Lack of mobility on defense has cost them the identity they produced as a team from mid-Dec/mid-March a year ago.
It's not going to return unless management makes changes to the defense, by then, it likely will be too late.
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New York Defense Simply Too Slow At Even Strength |
New York Islander Fan Central | 10/30/2011 05:28:00 AM |
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If New York Goes Into Free Fall This Time It's Different |
New York Islander Fan Central | 10/26/2011 07:41:00 AM |
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This time it's going to be far different than the last three of four years.
Many of those seasons, the club had massive injuries, that either lingered into the season or hit the club in camp, then accumulated. What could be done with Sillinger, Comrie, Weight, Guerin, DiPietro, Hunter with so many others but wait?
This time no excuses can be given, even if last year's even strength scoring did struggle badly early and some things are similar with Mottau and Eaton, it's not.
A year ago, it was reasonable losing Okposo and Streit to injury, and expect it to catch up with them which it was already doing at 4-1-2, same as Scott Gordon's first year or Ted Nolan's final month when the injury count shot up to a league leading four hundred two games lost.
All those teams led the NHL in man games lost to injury, by huge differentials vs most other clubs.
Not the case in 2011-12.
Twenty one periods of New York Islander Hockey in 2011-12. One acceptable period against a Tampa team throwing pucks in their own net, that could not get out of their own way for twenty minutes.
That represents the bulk of the scoring at five on five beyond Mark Streit point shots redirected by forwards into the net, or an odd broken play. (Moulson's goal against Rangers)
The new forwards brought in do not look in sync at all, the returning forwards seem effected by it. The defenders who returned from injury (aside from Streit) are too slow/old to keep up in all three zones, and are not getting faster or younger, and that has thrown things out of balance entirely.
You can see what happens when the defense pinches or how other teams defenses outnumber the Islander forwards for pucks. This defense is not mobile or creative in the offensive zone with three veterans beyond Streit.
They are easier to defend, it forces individual efforts as we see with Tavares.
Hamonic and MacDonald do not have the same edge to their games yet, MacDonald had major surgery.
Eventually the three goalie system is going to produce a poor game, so far they have gotten efforts that should have produced points out of all seven contests.
DiPietro's puck moving ability seems best suited to the defense lack of speed, but his mistakes and inconsistency combined with the lack of five on five production leave the team zero margin of error.
Beyond what's been written about call-ups and getting younger/faster on defense, I see no solution here with the current group. Perhaps an opponent/goaltender is going to have a very bad game or the special teams can carry the club to a token win here and there. Maybe someone can do what Montoya did against Minnesota.
Most who do not follow the team (some who do) who only see record, will claim it's the Islanders struggling for the same reasons.
Even though this blog has written NOV 2010 Islanders are not going to win, it not November 2010, even if two returning defenders are from that badly struggling roster with Jurcina making it three.
This time if things fall apart, it will be far different than the last three of four years.
This time it's going to be far different than the last three of four years.
Many of those seasons, the club had massive injuries, that either lingered into the season or hit the club in camp, then accumulated. What could be done with Sillinger, Comrie, Weight, Guerin, DiPietro, Hunter with so many others but wait?
This time no excuses can be given, even if last year's even strength scoring did struggle badly early and some things are similar with Mottau and Eaton, it's not.
A year ago, it was reasonable losing Okposo and Streit to injury, and expect it to catch up with them which it was already doing at 4-1-2, same as Scott Gordon's first year or Ted Nolan's final month when the injury count shot up to a league leading four hundred two games lost.
All those teams led the NHL in man games lost to injury, by huge differentials vs most other clubs.
Not the case in 2011-12.
Twenty one periods of New York Islander Hockey in 2011-12. One acceptable period against a Tampa team throwing pucks in their own net, that could not get out of their own way for twenty minutes.
That represents the bulk of the scoring at five on five beyond Mark Streit point shots redirected by forwards into the net, or an odd broken play. (Moulson's goal against Rangers)
The new forwards brought in do not look in sync at all, the returning forwards seem effected by it. The defenders who returned from injury (aside from Streit) are too slow/old to keep up in all three zones, and are not getting faster or younger, and that has thrown things out of balance entirely.
You can see what happens when the defense pinches or how other teams defenses outnumber the Islander forwards for pucks. This defense is not mobile or creative in the offensive zone with three veterans beyond Streit.
They are easier to defend, it forces individual efforts as we see with Tavares.
Hamonic and MacDonald do not have the same edge to their games yet, MacDonald had major surgery.
Eventually the three goalie system is going to produce a poor game, so far they have gotten efforts that should have produced points out of all seven contests.
DiPietro's puck moving ability seems best suited to the defense lack of speed, but his mistakes and inconsistency combined with the lack of five on five production leave the team zero margin of error.
Beyond what's been written about call-ups and getting younger/faster on defense, I see no solution here with the current group. Perhaps an opponent/goaltender is going to have a very bad game or the special teams can carry the club to a token win here and there. Maybe someone can do what Montoya did against Minnesota.
Most who do not follow the team (some who do) who only see record, will claim it's the Islanders struggling for the same reasons.
Even though this blog has written NOV 2010 Islanders are not going to win, it not November 2010, even if two returning defenders are from that badly struggling roster with Jurcina making it three.
This time if things fall apart, it will be far different than the last three of four years.
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Time Already Running Out For New York? |
New York Islander Fan Central | 10/25/2011 08:58:00 AM |
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Sorry to write folks, after only six games, with a very light schedule ahead until mid-November, there is no time for anything but winning or a sustained streak/not losing in regulation.
The first segment is in the books, 3-3, with a lot of serious questions and a team that looked nothing like it did from mid Dec 2010/mid March 2011, this does not call for a patient approach when a rested team is outplayed to this degree.
One period where Tampa fell asleep is all they have to show for their five on five play, most of this season's offense is all PP/point shots to produce goals.
As we saw after 4-1-2 a year ago, it did not last when the pp struggled.
Despite games in hand, New York losses to Pittsburgh on Tuesday in Richard Park's return, they will trail them by ten points in the standings. The recent history at Pittsburgh has been terrible so that could easily become twelve.
After that San Jose, Winnipeg, Washington at home, then some serious road travel with Boston, Colorado and Vancouver.
Then things finally pick up schedule-wise, but will things be so out of hand by this point, realistic contention will be on the fringe of being over?
Either the club figures out it's even strength/offensive and defensive speed/coverage problems by this point or they will find themselves approaching the eight-ten point cutoff behind the eighth seed before mid-November, likely four/five games under.
NHL five hundred is nowhere, this team has to find itself at least ten-twelve games above that number to be in contention, that may still not be enough.
Garth Snow's tenure should be on the line here if this team drops out of contention, going with his Nov 2010 choices on the backline in Eaton or Mottau, plus signing Staios and if his choices in Pandolfo, Reasoner and Rolston simply do not produce.
If Blake Comeau is again a lost player for half a season or longer that goes on management for not leaving him where he was productive in the second half, and how that effects Josh Baily with no regular right winger. Also there is no hiding the lack of five on five production Nielsen and Okposo have never had long before Okposo got hurt.
Jack Capuano also will have to be accountable for his lineup decisions, something he rarely changed with his forwards last season.
NYIFC personal take is this defense is too slow, they are not going to win games banging bodies because they do not have that kind of defender.
If they can win over the better part of four months with Wishart, Hillen, Reese, a revolving door of injuries last year without Streit, it's time to use some of those future considerations or put Mottau on waivers/AHL, Staios in the stands, while limiting Eaton's minutes or including him in a trade.
Milan Jurcina is also a very disposable part, he can also be moved for a low level pick or someone that helps.
Wishart, deHaan, Reese go into the lineup and perhaps one of Donovan/Ness.
Pandolfo is not a great shutdown, NHL defender, he's not going to produce much or win games with speed or physical play. The club needs a physical element beyond Gillies three minutes, so recall Michael Haley or put Rolston on a fourth line.
When things are not working you try and replicate what did work.
Here were the defenders dressed when New York finally broke out on 12/16/10:
A. MacDonald 25:53
T. Hamonic 23:38
J. Hillen 12:46
M. Jurcina 13:19
R. Martinek 20:57
J. Wisniewski 22:25
Obviously that group did not stay healthy or together for long, a lot of games the goaltending was the story.
They cannot bring back the 2010-11 defenders who are no longer here, but they can call up defenders with the speed to get the offense producing. No one is going to convince me the players are not in the system/current organization with Streit to replace some of the speed no longer here.
I do not believe older, slower defenders become faster, even if rust melts off their games from a long time out. It's a shock-blocking defense, that is so slow it forces the forwards to play the game in the defensive zone.
This offense requires a faster, more mobile defense to get the other team on the defensive.
The November 2010 defense that featured only injured Mark Streit, MacDonald is not the answer.
Travis Hamonic came up Nov 24th, a year ago.
Sorry to write folks, after only six games, with a very light schedule ahead until mid-November, there is no time for anything but winning or a sustained streak/not losing in regulation.
The first segment is in the books, 3-3, with a lot of serious questions and a team that looked nothing like it did from mid Dec 2010/mid March 2011, this does not call for a patient approach when a rested team is outplayed to this degree.
One period where Tampa fell asleep is all they have to show for their five on five play, most of this season's offense is all PP/point shots to produce goals.
As we saw after 4-1-2 a year ago, it did not last when the pp struggled.
Despite games in hand, New York losses to Pittsburgh on Tuesday in Richard Park's return, they will trail them by ten points in the standings. The recent history at Pittsburgh has been terrible so that could easily become twelve.
After that San Jose, Winnipeg, Washington at home, then some serious road travel with Boston, Colorado and Vancouver.
Then things finally pick up schedule-wise, but will things be so out of hand by this point, realistic contention will be on the fringe of being over?
Either the club figures out it's even strength/offensive and defensive speed/coverage problems by this point or they will find themselves approaching the eight-ten point cutoff behind the eighth seed before mid-November, likely four/five games under.
NHL five hundred is nowhere, this team has to find itself at least ten-twelve games above that number to be in contention, that may still not be enough.
Garth Snow's tenure should be on the line here if this team drops out of contention, going with his Nov 2010 choices on the backline in Eaton or Mottau, plus signing Staios and if his choices in Pandolfo, Reasoner and Rolston simply do not produce.
If Blake Comeau is again a lost player for half a season or longer that goes on management for not leaving him where he was productive in the second half, and how that effects Josh Baily with no regular right winger. Also there is no hiding the lack of five on five production Nielsen and Okposo have never had long before Okposo got hurt.
Jack Capuano also will have to be accountable for his lineup decisions, something he rarely changed with his forwards last season.
NYIFC personal take is this defense is too slow, they are not going to win games banging bodies because they do not have that kind of defender.
If they can win over the better part of four months with Wishart, Hillen, Reese, a revolving door of injuries last year without Streit, it's time to use some of those future considerations or put Mottau on waivers/AHL, Staios in the stands, while limiting Eaton's minutes or including him in a trade.
Milan Jurcina is also a very disposable part, he can also be moved for a low level pick or someone that helps.
Wishart, deHaan, Reese go into the lineup and perhaps one of Donovan/Ness.
Pandolfo is not a great shutdown, NHL defender, he's not going to produce much or win games with speed or physical play. The club needs a physical element beyond Gillies three minutes, so recall Michael Haley or put Rolston on a fourth line.
When things are not working you try and replicate what did work.
Here were the defenders dressed when New York finally broke out on 12/16/10:
A. MacDonald 25:53
T. Hamonic 23:38
J. Hillen 12:46
M. Jurcina 13:19
R. Martinek 20:57
J. Wisniewski 22:25
Obviously that group did not stay healthy or together for long, a lot of games the goaltending was the story.
They cannot bring back the 2010-11 defenders who are no longer here, but they can call up defenders with the speed to get the offense producing. No one is going to convince me the players are not in the system/current organization with Streit to replace some of the speed no longer here.
I do not believe older, slower defenders become faster, even if rust melts off their games from a long time out. It's a shock-blocking defense, that is so slow it forces the forwards to play the game in the defensive zone.
This offense requires a faster, more mobile defense to get the other team on the defensive.
The November 2010 defense that featured only injured Mark Streit, MacDonald is not the answer.
Travis Hamonic came up Nov 24th, a year ago.
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Nov 2010 New York Islanders Are Not Going To Win |
New York Islander Fan Central | 10/21/2011 05:21:00 PM |
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Not that tough to go back and watch tapes from second half of 2010-11, even in losses this team could skate, and forced the opposition to work.
What we have seen so far are the November 2010 New York Islanders.
Nothing new to really add beyond recent entries on signing Steve Staios, or the teams overall lack of speed, plus using players out of position, and a slower veteran supporting cast.
Jack Capuano, even in wins, knows something is not right with his team, he reactions during games, his comments (win or lose) make clear he does not like how his team is playing.
All due respect to Tampa Bay, they did not have a very good game themselves, it's not about one game, just as it was not when I wrote about it after the second game.
Wait until the New York Islanders start playing teams that know how to win, or have top offensive talent, that can move the puck.
The November 2010 team is going to get beaten badly.
Is this blog the only one that understands that Blake Comeau needs to play left wing every single game, does the team even follow his history?
No folks, John Tavares individual effort is not an overall team offensive improvement, all it means is the team is too slow to set up a player, is forced to carry the puck and more along in his development to do so. Most goals are coming off point shots by a defense too slow/predictable.
I do not see this working with Pandolfo, Rolston in a different position than where he was productive (LW) in the second half for the Devils, or with Mottau, Eaton or Staios dressed together.
Sure, Staios made as great a play as a defender can make diving to stop a breakaway and getting all puck. His penalty led to the opening goal, his lack of speed created several other chances for Tampa Bay.
That's not how this team had it's success in the second half of last season, nor with Eaton (even when it works) or Mottau diving all over the defensive zone.
MacDonald lost a puck that led to a goal, where the defense backed off, seems he's only able to play games working back from his injury?
So others are finally figuring out Kyle Okposo had five goals in the second half last year, skating with Frans Nielsen, who cannot score at five on five, and has never produced with Nielsen has his center?
Nielsen scored his first five on five goal a year ago in December, his second in February, he's ahead of his pace. I guess without penalty shot goals, shootout goals, shorthanded goals, folks are finally seeing the big picture?
Capuano never had to juggle lines last year, now he feels he has to, the head coach can see this is not the same team he had in the second half.
Again, repetitive from previous entries.
The Nov 2010 plan is simply not going to work.
Not that tough to go back and watch tapes from second half of 2010-11, even in losses this team could skate, and forced the opposition to work.
What we have seen so far are the November 2010 New York Islanders.
Nothing new to really add beyond recent entries on signing Steve Staios, or the teams overall lack of speed, plus using players out of position, and a slower veteran supporting cast.
Jack Capuano, even in wins, knows something is not right with his team, he reactions during games, his comments (win or lose) make clear he does not like how his team is playing.
All due respect to Tampa Bay, they did not have a very good game themselves, it's not about one game, just as it was not when I wrote about it after the second game.
Wait until the New York Islanders start playing teams that know how to win, or have top offensive talent, that can move the puck.
The November 2010 team is going to get beaten badly.
Is this blog the only one that understands that Blake Comeau needs to play left wing every single game, does the team even follow his history?
No folks, John Tavares individual effort is not an overall team offensive improvement, all it means is the team is too slow to set up a player, is forced to carry the puck and more along in his development to do so. Most goals are coming off point shots by a defense too slow/predictable.
I do not see this working with Pandolfo, Rolston in a different position than where he was productive (LW) in the second half for the Devils, or with Mottau, Eaton or Staios dressed together.
Sure, Staios made as great a play as a defender can make diving to stop a breakaway and getting all puck. His penalty led to the opening goal, his lack of speed created several other chances for Tampa Bay.
That's not how this team had it's success in the second half of last season, nor with Eaton (even when it works) or Mottau diving all over the defensive zone.
MacDonald lost a puck that led to a goal, where the defense backed off, seems he's only able to play games working back from his injury?
So others are finally figuring out Kyle Okposo had five goals in the second half last year, skating with Frans Nielsen, who cannot score at five on five, and has never produced with Nielsen has his center?
Nielsen scored his first five on five goal a year ago in December, his second in February, he's ahead of his pace. I guess without penalty shot goals, shootout goals, shorthanded goals, folks are finally seeing the big picture?
Capuano never had to juggle lines last year, now he feels he has to, the head coach can see this is not the same team he had in the second half.
Again, repetitive from previous entries.
The Nov 2010 plan is simply not going to work.
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10/14 Mangano's Latest Coliseum Plan Announced/NY Notables |
New York Islander Fan Central | 10/14/2011 08:04:00 PM |
Blake Comeau
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Ed Mangano
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Jack Capuano
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Kirill Kabanov
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Rick DiPietro
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Ed Mangano announced his latest plan for the Nassau Coliseum site on 10/14, it could mean a new Coliseum on the Northern part of the Hub constructed, or a renovation of the current facility.
The study, which needs state funding/private investment, was from something called Accelerate-Nassau-Now which had images in rough sketches.
NYIFC Comments:
Page eight, nine, ten, fourteen are the sections on the Coliseum. Twenty, twenty one relied on some Lighthouse background information.
Means nothing unless Charles Wang agrees to a lease extension.
Ed Mangano announced his latest plan for the Nassau Coliseum site on 10/14, it could mean a new Coliseum on the Northern part of the Hub constructed, or a renovation of the current facility.
The study, which needs state funding/private investment, was from something called Accelerate-Nassau-Now which had images in rough sketches.
NYIFC Comments:
Page eight, nine, ten, fourteen are the sections on the Coliseum. Twenty, twenty one relied on some Lighthouse background information.
Means nothing unless Charles Wang agrees to a lease extension.