Yardbarker: Trent Hunter

Flyers v. Isles Game Preview: Danny "Two Games" Briere Edition

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 18:14:27 -0500

Gagne, Betts and Powe are on the shelf. Timonen suspiciously didn't complete his last game. Asham MIGHT play. Your steady starting goalie, Ray Emery, got yanked in his last game, a loss to the Avs which brings the current losing streak to three. What else could possibly happen to make the Flyers' chances of losing four in a row better? Ask Danny Briere. In the waning moments of Monday's loss, Briere capped off an impressive 2 goal performance by leveling an Avs d-man POST w...

A Turning Point for Semyon Varlamov?

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 01:11:28 -0500

Semyon Varlamov’s struggles this season have struck me as often being of the mental as opposed to the physical variety. So consider the mental fortitude he displayed in last night’s 11-round shootout victory over the New York Islanders. Beginning with Robbie Schremp’s shootout attempt in round 3 and lasting all the way through Cap-killer Jon Sim’s in round 10, Varlamov stood in his crease and stared straight out at unrelenting must-save scenarios, or else the Caps lost...

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.

Live Blog: Pittsburgh Penguins at New York Islanders

Wed, 26 Nov 2008 19:46:16 -0500

What better way to ring in the holiday weekend - and our first weekend in the Blog Box - than to do a live blog of tonight's game? Here we go!
A - I'm not sure what I'd rather have happen: The Islanders moving to Las Vegas or hearing this stupid "Meet Me At The Lighthouse" song one more time.
A - They're doing the whole giant-American-flag-at-center-ice thing yet again. This was a cool thing when they did it the first time. Now? Sort of old hat. They kind of ruined it when they started doing it every game.
A - The Islanders take a penalty and Pens goalie Danny Sabourin stays in the net. Good idea.
A - Right off the bat, Joey MacDonald makes a nice save on a Malkin blast from the point. The crowd is chanting "Princess Crosby" at Gary Bettman's favorite player. Interesting, but effective.
A - I have to say, I'm not used to being this close to the action. Every shot looks like twice as hard as it does from the 300s. That said, MacDonald looks sharp early on. He has to be, as the Pens are firing at will.
A - The scoreboard educates us about Turdecken, the favorite Thanksgiving food of the immortal John Madden. Unfortunately for Mr. Madden, it doesn't come with a side of Brett Favre.
A - Two icings in a row for Pittsburgh. I bet Howie and Billy are complaining that they can't take at TV timeout.
A - Power play for the Isles. They should start declining penalties at this point.
A - Streit puts on a weak shot from the point. Nobody's in front of the net to deflect it. Of course.
A - One of the Penguins runs over MacDonald with 32 seconds left in the Islanders' power play. By the time Richard Park figures out what to do, eleven seconds elapse. Now the Isles only get a 21-second two-man advantage instead of a 32-second one. Big difference.
A - The Isles get a little pass-happy on the five-on-three and miss one opportunity, but end up getting the goal anyway as Doug Weight taps in a rebound. We thought they were going to give the goal to Josh Bailey, but they didn't. Damn. Anyway, 1-0 Isles.
A - Trent Hunter comes in on a broken play and backhands one past Sabourin to give the Isles a 2-0 lead! Sabourin could be getting rattled by a pretty impressive crowd tonight.

Great Win Tonight

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 23:11:12 -0500

So tonight was interesting. Two New York teams playing at home against Canadian opponents, two 2-1 shootout wins for the locals. Zach will be by to tell you more about the Rangers game. As for the Islanders...

A - Zach talked me into buying back into online gambling. So I did. I considered betting the under for this game, which was five goals. I ultimately decided against it and bet the under in tonight's Bills-Browns game, which was said to be played in snowy conditions. The under in that game is 41. It's already 13-7 Cleveland with not a drop of snow on the ground. Uh-oh.
A - Caught the pre-game show tonight... it wasn't bad. Filler-laden, sure, but enjoyable. Two segments stood out to me. The first, obviously, was the Stan Fischler-C.J. Papa segment in which the two spent maybe five seconds talking about the Islanders. They'd go on to repeat this during the intermissions. The other was a segment called "Billy's Breakdown" where Billy Jaffe broke down some film for the viewing audience. What I liked was that he didn't pick the scoring plays. Instead, he picked the plays people don't really notice, but can be disastrous if done incorrectly. Tonight's theme was breakouts from the defensive zone, which is harder than it seems. Jaffe also scores points with me for doing NHL Live during the afternoon and still doing the game at night. That's hardcore.
A - The Isles came out jittery, but started to get it together by the end of the first. The second and third periods showed how good defensive hockey can be. Like Zach said the other night, defensive battles are great, and hockey has better defensive-minded games than any other sport. Joey MacDonald is the obvious first star of this game, but Andy Sutton played an excellent game as well. It's no coincidence the Islanders have gotten their act together since Sutton's return. Here's a stat you might not be aware of - since Sutton came back on October 30, the Islanders have only played two games (out of nine) in which they haven't either won or held a third-period lead.
A - The stat I just mentioned doesn't just reflect well on Sutton, but on the whole team. Everyone loves to dump on the Islanders - more on this later - but the truth is the Isles have been extremely competitive so far in November. This team is starting to figure out what it is. It's certainly not the best team, but it plays hard. It gets ahead early, often loses its way, but is starting to learn how to come back and play a good third period. Three wins in a row is a big deal for a team most people picked for last in the entire league.
A - As well as the Islanders are playing, I still have to question some of Scott Gordon's decisions. Namely, how on earth Jeff Tambellini gets a regular shift in overtime. You really want to throw out a minus-six player out there in overtime? I don't get that one. Nor do I see the logic in giving Josh Bailey a try in the shootout. Had he scored his first NHL goal already, that'd be one thing. But to take an 18-year-old who's trying to figure out the NHL game, trying to get his firsts out of the way, and throw him in there against a top-three goaltender? That's asking a lot. I guess Gordon is still trying to figure out who his go-to shootout guys are. The only player to participate in both Islanders shootouts this year is Trent Hunter - and he missed both of his attempts.
A - Throughout the game, the announcers mentioned the boasts of the Vancouver media that this would be an easy two points for the Canucks. As the game progressed, the announcers became more and more fed up with these remarks. Finally, Howie Rose sardonically remarked after Joey MacDonald's final save, "The all-knowing Vancouver media has some explaining to do!" Look, homerism is a turn-off for a lot of people. For Islanders fans? I think we kind of need that. It's not as though there are a ton of people proudly boasting Islanders merchandise. I wore an Islanders shirt to Saturday overtime last week, and a Rangers fan asked me, "You wear that (bleep) in public?" So yeah. I'll take a broadcast crew that gets behind my team as opposed to one that calls it right down the middle, at least as far as the Islanders are concerned.
As for the articles in question, here's one I found, entitled "Islanders Look Like Team in Oldtimers League". A But I did find this blog, which did your typical "Hockey's in trouble on Long Island" post earlier today and ended tonight's coverage with this nugget: "Canucks lose after scoring in the first minute of regulation, beaten by a career minor-league goalie named Joey MacDonald. Not very good..."
If you've ever wondered why Islanders fans have such a complex about their team, it's because we have to read crap like this pretty much all the time. It kind of gets old after a while. When the Rangers were awful, people made fun of them for spending a lot of money. Nobody said New York City didn't deserve a hockey franchise. Even if it's hard to dispute the facts about the state of the Islanders, it hurts to hear about it so often. Especially from the uninformed Canadian media, who are neverA wrong about anything. Just ask them.
One last thing about the Canucks, who have been to the playoffs just as many times as the Islanders since the lockout: They stole the Islanders' promotional slogan from last season.
I was happy the Islanders got their two points tonight. But I think I'm even happier that the Isles got to stick it to the media. Something tells me they're going to be in this sort of position a lot this year. But if the first two weeks of November are any indication, the Islanders won't be nearly as bad as many of us feared. I can think of a lot of teams who wouldn't mind taking 11 out of 18 points in November.
Next game is Friday in New Jersey. I'll be making the trip out to The Rock for the game. It probably won't be a very sober one. In any event, it'll be a fun trip to the most wonderful arena that nobody goes to.

Rangers Win Rivalry Game #1...

Mon, 27 Oct 2008 21:59:23 -0500

Since Bryan was actually at the game whilst I sat on a red plush couch in my house eating cold pasta and rubbing my dog's fat belly, I'll make my notes quick.
But I would like to say congratulations to Chris Drury for finally not being awful. His first goal wasn't a great goal, but credited to his nonetheless. His second goal, however, was a great blast.
The officiating tonight was horrendous, but atleast they called bad calls on both teams. I'm all for bad refereeing, as long as it's fair. For instance, when Bruno Gervais "took down" Nigel Dawes and got 2 minutes, that was a very bad call. However, when Markus Naslund was repeatedly cross-checked from behind, no call was made. Interesting to say the least.
The Islanders didn't play bad today, regardless of the score. Injury-depleted and filled with marginal NHLers (there is a reason Thomas Pock didn't make the Rangers' squad this year or last), they put up a fight but couldn't solve Henrik Lundqvist more than twice. A few bad penalties (those simultaneous high-sticking calls were the fork in the cake) and some great saves (especially those early on against Trent Hunter) were their downfall.
Nik Zherdev had an assist, but other than that, a weak game. I noticed no real quality scoring chances (I could be wrong there but I didn't see anything) and plenty of bad giveaways, including but not limited to a behind-the-back pass to an Islander in the slot in front of Lundqvist.
The Rangers did have a power play goal, yes, but their 5-on-3 is very weak. They keep collapsing the point men so they can get close shots, but they aren't tiring out the penalty killers by doing that. If they passed from the point to down low and back again, the 3 penalty killers would be like mice in a maze and get worn down quickly, setting up for a great shot. However, there is little movement by the defending team, keeping them fresher.
That's it for me. I hand it over to Bryan. Aside from Bryan talking about $6.50 Bud Lights, parking lot hockey with a mini-net, and delicious pretzel twists, I'd also like to know the breakdown between Ranger fans and Islander fans and who was sitting on the Isles' bench as back-up goalie because I didn't notice.

Islanders Week In Review

Mon, 20 Oct 2008 20:12:21 -0500

I'll be updating this column weekly, tracking the season of the New York Islanders. The big story thus far has been the inactivity of franchise goalie Rick Dipietro. He finally received his first start of the year against Florida on Saturday night and let in a goal early on. However, he settled down afterwards and played reasonably well, keeping the Islanders in the game.

Atlanta Will Now Look to Trade Hossa

Sat, 23 Feb 2008 15:36:18 -0500

One of the biggest names on the trade market is Atlanta forward Marian Hossa. In a recent TSN article, Atlanta's GM/Coach Dan Wandell is looking to trade Hossa after failing to resign him...

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!