Yardbarker: Andy Hilbert

Smith, Hilbert Assigned To Houston

Sat, 24 Oct 2009 22:41:00 -0500

Minnesota Wild General Manager Chuck Fletcher today announced the National Hockey League (NHL) club has reassigned forwards Andy Hilbert and Nathan Smith to the Houston Aeros of the American Hockey League (AHL). Hilbert, 28 (2/6/81), posted two...

Wild signs LW Andy Hilbert

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 16:38:00 -0500

SAINT PAUL/MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – Minnesota Wild General Manager Chuck Fletcher today announced the National Hockey League (NHL) club has signed left wing Andy Hilbert to a 2009-10 contract and assigned him to the Houston Aeros of the American...

Dee Karl: Amazing Andy Goes Wild

Tue, 08 Sep 2009 20:28:00 -0500

For three seasons "Amazing Andy" (as a very SMALL handful of Islanders fans had called him) kept us waiting. Yep, we kept wishing and waiting for Andy Hilbert to finally come into his own. He'd have moments of brillance (maybe more like nano-seconds) and then lapses of lethargy. He'd have one great game and we'd think, "Okay! He found it!" and then he'd lose it like a set of keys after a beer...

New York Islanders Modern Day Mickey Mouse Operation

Wed, 11 Mar 2009 19:45:06 -0500

After a 13-4 drubbing of the New Jersey Devils in 1984 a game in which the Edmonton Oilers scored at will, Wayne Gretzkly famously labeled the Devils a "Mickey Mouse operation on ice." But judging from a recent visit to Nassau Coliseum, the Great One could apply the tag to the modern day New York Islanders. Here are 10 reason why the Islanders could be considered Mickey Mouse. 10.) Ice Girls cleaning up ice during breaks in the action. Don't get me wrong, there's nothing wro...

Crap

Thu, 05 Mar 2009 22:34:27 -0500

Tonight might have been one of the best games the Islanders played all season.

It wasn't good enough.
This is what life as an Islanders fan is like. This game represented the final two points that meant anything for the rest of the season. And thanks to Dean McAmmond colliding with Andy Hilbert and Radek Martinek deflecting a puck into his own net, the Islanders lose while their hated rivals take over the Coliseum. Again.
I know this is supposed to be a "rebuilding year" and that we're supposed to be taking our lumps and all that. Well, guess what? These losses hurt. It hurts even more to know that there might not even be a payoff; as Charles Wang stated in the pre-game, if the Lighthouse doesn't get approved by the start of next season, the Islanders will look into moving elsewhere. AWESOME.
The Islanders played a great game tonight. Botta points out that only four - FOUR - players on the roster tonight have never worn the blue and orange of the Bridgeport Sound Tigers. But that didn't stop the Islanders against the deep-pocketed Rangers. Not only did the Islanders make a game of it, but they almost came out with a point. Unfortunately, "almost" is they key word.
Every time the Islanders play the Rangers, the Islanders always play extremely well, just well enough to make you think they're going to win. But it's never to be. Instead, the Rangers actually do the things they're supposed to do - the things that, if they did every game, they wouldn't be clinging to the 7th seed. The Rangers' super star players actually earn their paychecks, and the Rangers win going away. Chris Drury has 10 of his 43 points against the Islanders. Scott Gomez has 7 of his 47 points against the Islanders. Is it the inferior competition, or is it a sign that these are the players who raise their game in the most intense of games? Rangers fans hope for the latter, for sure.
Rangers fans can also look forward to seeing more of Sean Avery. His impact was felt immediately. You get the impression that Avery belongs?on the Rangers. Despite his "sensitivity training", he played his old role to a T, and it's a role these Rangers need. The Rangers' big-ticket players need someone to draw the ire of opponents, get them off their game, and give the stars the room they need to create offense. Avery provides this in spades. He was tested in this game a number of times, but passed each one. If he wasn't going to go after Trent Hunter after having his face smashed in the boards in a hostile environment, it's hard to see him losing his cool against anybody. This could be the turning point of the season the Rangers have been waiting for - but then again, that's what we all said the last time these two teams played.
As an Islanders fan, I know these are the losses that will someday make the team better. These are the losses that open wounds that future wins will repair. All you had to do was watch even one period of tonight's game to see that these Islanders are starting to get it. This is going to be a good team in the not-so-distant future. But losses like this one are the toughest of all. You get to see your team play a great game, but still see them lose. In a way, it's a microcosm of being an Islanders fan. You get the joy of seeing your team play and be competitive, but you never seem to see them get over the hump. In a reference I never thought I'd make in a hockey blog, it's not unlike Sisyphys perpetually pushing the rock up the mountain, only to have the rock fall each time. But as Albert Camus said, "The struggle itself... is enough to fill a man's heart." As much as it sucks to see the Islanders lose to the Rangers, it's hard not to be proud of the way they played. Their road only gets worse with the Devils and a six-game road trip coming up. It's not easy right now - it never is for us Islanders faithful - but the fight is worth watching. These guys deserve the payoff, and I hope they get it sooner rather than later.

Meet Dean McAmmond...

Fri, 20 Feb 2009 17:35:48 -0500

Last year, the Islanders made a huge mistake in not trading all of their potential free agents - Miroslav Satan, Ruslan Fedotenko, and Mike Comrie, to be specific. It turned out not to be a big deal with Comrie, because he re-signed on the Island and played this year as well. Satan and Fedotenko were big mistakes. GM Garth Snow needed to realize his team was going to miss the playoffs and he had to sell off the assets.?
This year, with injuries to Doug Weight and Mike Sillinger, the "tradeable veteran" pool has quickly dried up. In fact, with Mike Comrie getting traded today, Bill Guerin and Andy Hilbert are the only real names left on that list.
I assume Comrie was traded so early because there was a chance he gets hurt like Weight did (Comrie was already hurt this year a couple of times) and brings his trade-value to Zero.?
This trade isn't great for the Islanders, to be honest. San Jose's 1st round pick will be bottom 5 (somewhere between 26-30) probably. Yes, Mike Green was picked there, and it's still a nice bargaining chip if they want to trade it on Draft Day to move up.?
But I think they could've gotten a 1st round for just Comrie and not have to have given up Chris Campoli also. Granted, that was probably a big sticking point for the Senators, because Comrie won't re-sign there next year (or at least there is a chance he won't) while Campoli is obligated to Ottawa through at least next year as well.
Dean McAmmond is a servicable player. That's my way of saying he isn't bad, he isn't great, but he goes out there and delivers his best every shift. It just so happens his "best" isn't very good anymore - as in 3G, 4A in 44 games, compared to 51 in 73 in 2002. He also has an injury problem, never playing a full season besides the strike-shortened 1994-95 season (81 in 2007 with Ottawa is his most, then 78, 77, 73, and then in the 60s... very poor numbers over a 14-year career). He was hurt during the 2003-04 season with Calgary and didn't play in their run to the Cup Finals that year.
Anyway, I'm not going to sit here and berate the Islanders. They made the move they had to while the iron was hot. Comrie's been playing real well and there is a chance he gets hurt again, a chance Snow couldn't take. I just wish, for Islander fans' sake, that they had gotten a better draft choice and maybe one of Ottawa's few prospects instead of an aging vet with a history of injuries and declining stats.

Asham! Powe! Flyers beat Islanders

Wed, 10 Dec 2008 00:50:40 -0500

The Flyers climbed into a tie with the Pittsburgh Penguins for second place in the Atlantic Division with a decisive 4-3 win over the lowly New York Islanders on Tuesday.

The Flyers got help from all over the board, including a league leading 20th goal, a first ever goal, and one of the best hits ...

Penguins Experience Black Friday Sale!

Fri, 28 Nov 2008 21:10:25 -0500

Okay, we're not actually having a sale. However, in the spirit of Black Friday and all of the wonderful long lines and employee trampling it inspires, we have come up with a list of items that the Pittsburgh Penguins could put on sale today. So put down that LCD TV you woke up at 3am to get, let ...

Sabres Drop Their 4th Straight Game

Sun, 23 Nov 2008 00:01:50 -0500

The Buffalo Sabres played hard for the 2nd night in a row but will now drop their 5th straight game as they fall to the New York Islanders at home, 4-2. 1st Period The Islanders started off the scoring on a wrist shot by Andy Hilbert, his 5th goal of the season. Rookie Mark Mancari scored [...]

New York Islanders Season Preview: Forwards

Sun, 12 Oct 2008 21:28:23 -0500

The New York Islanders open up the season with an intriguing blend of veteran players and youthful exuberance. How all these pieces blend together (and whether or not any one of them can achieve 25 goals) is anyone's guess right now.

The Final Three

Mon, 22 Sep 2008 23:18:56 -0500

We take a break from Gretzky Week to report - get this - actual, real NHL news.

As per the only person who actually reports on the Islanders, Greg Logan at Newsday, Garth Snow has narrowed down his list of coaching candidates to three. The lucky three are Bob Hartley, Paul Maurice, and Scott Gordon. While the first two are hardly surprising, the inclusion of Gordon on that list is the wild card. Something tells me he's the one with the best shot at the job.

This is the way I see it. While Hartley has won a Stanley Cup and Maurice brought Carolina to the Cup Finals, both of them have faltered on less-talented teams. I'd wager that this year's Islander team won't be as good as Hartley's Thrasher teams or the teams Maurice had in Carolina and Toronto. Do you really want to be stuck with someone who has proven that he can't win without talent?

Sure, whoever takes over this team is coaching with at least one eye on the future. But a competitive team in the short-term is important to keep fan interest alive on Long Island. I'd hardly call a Southeast title in 2007 for Hartley evidence of his ability to help this team win now. Nor would I overlook the fact that Maurice hasn't won a playoff series outside of his 2002 run to the Finals. If we can all agree that we can do without mediocrity (or, at least, the potential for mediocrity), we can also agree that there's a better answer out there.

Enter Scott Gordon.

Islander fans may recall the last time they plucked an unproven coach from the Providence Bruins of the AHL. That was when they hired Peter Laviolette. He's probably the best coach, with the obvious exception of Al Arbour, that this team has ever had. (Hard to believe, right? Look it up.) Now, the Islanders are looking to his roots to find their successor. And, quite frankly, they could do much worse.

Scott Gordon is the reigning AHL Coach Of The Year. His teams have steadily improved over the years he's been coach; while the point totals remained relatively modest until this past season, the Bruins' goal differential has either remained constant or increased each year. He's developed a number of youngsters that were a part of Boston's resurgent season in 2007-08. And while his playoff record isn't all that impressive, it's worth noting that his best performance was an appearance in the AHL Conference Finals in the lockout year of 2004-05, when every team was stacked. (Fun Fact: Guess who the leading scorer in Providence was that year? Andy Hilbert.)

I know that there's a bit of doubt about Gordon, as there is (and should be) about any coach without NHL experience. There are also those who will say that we're better off with that which we do know than that which we don't. But I disagree with that line of thinking. Besides, think about what we do know about Hartley; namely, that he's been fired twice and couldn't win in an awful division with Ilya Kovalchuk and Marian Hossa at his disposal. What do we know about Maurice? That he, like Hartley, has been fired twice and couldn't compete in the crappy Southeast. Do we want a coach that can't win with 25% of their season played against the likes of Florida? Jeez.

That's why I say Gordon's the answer. Considering the alternatives, he pretty much has to be.

Now, let me stress that the Islanders absolutely cannot screw up this chance. I'd sooner they go into the season with an interim coach, then hire the right coach in November. They can't be in a spot when they're firing their coach right at the time when the young guys are ready to hit the big-time. Get it right now, and deal with the fall-out this season. In all honesty, it's not going to be anything to write home about anyway.

All this said, I could deal with any of the three on Snow's final list. But the Islanders are fooling themselves if they think Hartley or Maurice can turn them into a winner any sooner than Gordon. And since Gordon is the better developer of young talent, it's pretty clear that he should be the guy.

The Core of the Bore

Mon, 03 Mar 2008 12:15:54 -0500

The Islanders can be summed up into 1 player: Andy Hilbert. Hilbert will put forth as much as effort as any player on the ice for the duration of the game. He will get countless opportunities to score a goal, but he can never seem to put the puck in the back of the net. That is the Islanders. A team of hard workers and grinders but no legitimate playmakers.

Penguins Fall 4-2 in Weak Outing

Sat, 22 Dec 2007 06:22:45 -0500

The Pittsburgh Penguin lost to the New York Islanders on Saturday night at Mellon Arena by a score of 4-2 after giving up 2-goals midway through the 3rd period in a sloppy game. In a bit of irony, the tie-breaking goal was scored by rookie Blake Comeau who was called up when Islanders' forward Chris Simon was suspended 30-games for stomping on the leg of Penguins' forward Jarrko Ruutu with his skate blade last Saturday. Comeau, playing in just his 2nd game this season and the 5th of his career, beat Dany Sabourin inside the far post to give the Islanders the lead at 3-2............click link for full article

NHL Preview: Eastern Conference Atlantic Division

Tue, 28 Aug 2007 03:06:13 -0500

Getting things underway, FIO staff writer Tim Hays previews this year's Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. Included in this article are: team reviews with outlooks and transactions, fantasy studs, fantasy duds, and fantasy sleepers for each team. Start getting that hockey mind working with this preview!