Yardbarker: Radek Martinek

Isles' Martinek out for season with knee injury

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 19:55:15 -0500

Oft-injured New York Islanders defenseman Radek Martinek is out for the season with a knee injury.

Isles defenseman Martinek out for rest of season

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 14:27:00 -0500

Oft-injured New York Islanders defenseman Radek Martinek is out for the season with a knee injury.

New York Islanders defenseman Radek Martinek out for season with knee injury

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 14:15:24 -0500

Islanders defenseman Radek Martinek is out for the season with a knee injury.

New York Islanders: Potential Remaining Free Agent Targets, Part Two

Tue, 28 Jul 2009 16:37:49 -0500

Yesterday, we took a look at potential forwards that Garth Snow could still be targeting on the free agent market. Today, we will take a look at some remaining defenseman that the Isles could have some interest in. Three of the Isles current top six defenseman missed a significant amount of time last year. Radek Martinek only played in 51 games, Freddy Meyer only played in 21 games, and Andy Sutton only appeared in 23 games. Meyer still has much to prove in the NHL, and Sutton and...

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.

Trade Deadline Eve

Wed, 04 Mar 2009 00:24:09 -0500

Sorry to usurp Zach, who wrote a quality preview of tomorrow's trade deadline. I just wanted to make a few quick points...

?- It's hard to say what to make of all of today's waiver activity. Some big names were unceremoniously dumped, players Zach (and many others) believe could have fetched at least late-round picks from contending teams. In my eyes, the problem is that so many teams have screwy cap situations that they have no choice but to waive these players. So if I'm Ray Shero and I'm calling you, an opposing GM, in an attempt to deal Miro Satan, and you know I'm trying desperately into the playoffs, and you also know I'm right up against the cap, you might try to play hardball with me. If you play hardball with me, I might not be able to make a deal. And since I can't go out and get the reinforcements I need until I clear out some cap room, the only thing I can do is waive Satan, even though he might have gotten me a decent draft pick even one year ago. While some might say it's because of "the economy" - and really, what isn't these days - but it's more because most NHL GMs are too stupid to plan ahead.
?- Speaking of NHL GMs, it is my steadfast belief that Islanders GM Garth Snow understands the CBA better than perhaps any other general manager. Aside from the Rick DiPietro deal, in which Charles Wang bypassed Snow and negotiated directly with DiPietro, Snow has never been stuck with a bad contract he can't move. The closest thing we've seen is the recently-waived Jon Sim, who is signed with the Islanders for $1 million for 2009-10, but would probably get that same amount (if not more) if he became a free agent. The point is, Snow knows exactly how long he needs players and, therefore, how long he should sign them. Snow's record in letting players walk away when it's not worth keeping them is exemplary, as evidenced by Tom Poti (42 total points in two seasons at $3.5M per), Viktor Kozlov (27 total goals in two seasons at $2.5M per), Jason Blake (37 total goals in two seasons at $4M per), Ryan Smyth (37 total goals in two seasons at $6M per), Miroslav Satan (16 goals in one season at $3.5M), and Ruslan Fedotenko (13 goals in one season at $2.5M). That's pretty good. Only Blake has gone on to have any real success in his new digs, while Satan has been waived and Smyth is on the block yet again.
The point is this - Snow knows exactly who he's keeping and who he isn't. And with no playoff push to speak of, outside of the need to meet the salary floor, there's no point in keeping any unnecessary players around. So anyone who Snow isn't going to keep will be shopped heavily tonight and tomorrow. We know Bill Guerin's as good as gone; Doug Weight could be right behind him. Guys like Andy Hilbert and Radek Martinek are suddenly being discussed. The Islanders find themselves with a ton of bargaining power and no shortage of suitors; with a litany of reasonable, expiring contracts, the Islanders could build up quite the nice haul of draft picks for the upcoming 2009 Entry Draft, which is said to be the strongest since the epic 2003 draft.
?- Part of me totally expects the Rangers to buy, buy, buy. They've invested too much in the team to wave a white flag, and the fanbase could revolt with another disappointment in the playoffs. While there are a ton of teams better than the Rangers in the East, none of those teams (except the Devils) have a difference-maker like Henrik Lundqvist. For this reason, the Rangers will never believe they are very far away. The problem is, they don't have the organizational depth to really do any damage. They only have a handful of significant prospects and really can't afford to lose any of them. It's going to be an interesting deadline for these Rangers - and standing pat with just Sean Avery to show for the deadline is NOT a good idea, if for no other reason than that nobody knows what Sean Avery the Rangers are getting. Are they getting the same old pest who won them 50 games over parts of two seasons? Or are they getting a kindler, gentler Avery who lacks the mean streak the Rangers need? The Rangers would do well to cover themselves either way, but not at the risk of whatever future they have left.

Enjoy the deadline dealings. We'll be around tomorrow to make sense of it all.

On the Island: Win Streak Now 4 as Isles zap Lightning 3-1

Wed, 04 Feb 2009 22:40:21 -0500

Four wins in a row.? The funny thing is, there were many hockey fans who believed that the New York Islanders wouldn?t win four more games the rest of the season, let alone string together a winning streak like this The suddenly resurgent Islanders continued their recent dominating play by ...

Just Our Luck

Sat, 08 Nov 2008 01:52:24 -0500

If you've ever wondered what it's like to be an Islander fan, look no further than tonight's events.

A few weeks ago, the Islanders signed Mark Parrish to a 25-game tryout deal. Parrish, of course, had his best years on Long Island and came back to his former club for a second chance. The Islanders granted his request, allowing Parrish the chance to rediscover his game in Bridgeport and work toward a potential comeback with the Islanders. It sounded like the makings of a feel-good story, one we all wanted to see happen.

Then, reality set in.

Dallas swooped in and signed Parrish to a one-year, two-way deal worth $500,000. How did Parrish repay his new employers? By netting a hat trick in his very first game with the Stars, of course. And what did the Islanders get for taking a chance on the second half of Parrish's career? Absolutely nothing.

That's what it's like to be an Islander fan. You get your hopes up thinking about the best possible scenario, only to see things fall apart in the most painful fashion conceivable. Sure, most of us are happy to see Parrish succeeding in the NHL once more. But we have to ask ourselves the question we've asked so many times - if Mark Parrish can fill a role on one of the NHL's best teams in Dallas, why exactly couldn't the Islanders find a spot for him? The same can be said for Dick Tarnstrom, Eric Godard, Denis Grebeshkov, Petteri Nokelainen, and the endless list of former Islanders who couldn't find a niche here, but ended up having decent careers elsewhere. And when was the last time the Islanders unearthed an unheralded player? That would be seven years ago, when Radek Martinek came up. That was a long time ago.

Bottom line, it's no given that Mark Parrish would have been a star once again with the Islanders. But I'm sick of seeing the Islanders do charity work for the rest of the league. They were the only team willing to throw a bone to Parrish, and now that Parrish is the toast of the town, the Islanders are left with nothing. I guess I should be used to this by now. But it's still frustrating.

New York Islanders Season Preview: Defense

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 20:10:51 -0500

This series of articles will preview the New York Islanders for the upcoming season. I'll cover the general overview of the team, the goaltenders position, the defense and the forwards.

New York Islanders Season Preview: Defense

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 13:03:38 -0500

This series of articles will preview the New York Islanders for the upcoming season. I'll cover the general overview of the team, the goaltenders position, the defense and the forwards. Defense: Brendan Witt, Andy Sutton, Radek Martinek, Mark Streit, Chris Campoli, Bruno Gervais, Fred Meyer IV, Jack Hillen Since the Islanders lack dynamic scoring from their forwards, their [...]

NHL Quotes of the Week: December 2, 2007

Sun, 02 Dec 2007 08:38:01 -0500

Armed robbery. Cheating husbands. Judy Garland. We've got it all covered in the latest edition of NHL Quotes of the Week.