Yardbarker: New York Islanders

Islanders snap skid with SO win over Predators

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 22:03:35 -0500

Mark Streit scored the tying goal in the closing seconds of regulation, and Frans Nielsen and John Tavares connected in the shootout to help the New York Islanders snap a seven-game losing streak with a 4-3 victory over the Nashville Predators on Tuesday night.

Puck Previews: 'Hawks, Stars battle; Franzen in for Sweden?

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 18:27:00 -0500

Here are your Puck Previews: Spotlighting the key games in NHL action, news and views as well as general frivolity. Make sure to stop back here for the nightly Three Stars when the games are finished. Preview: Nashville Predators at New York Islanders, 7 p.m. EST. The slumping Islanders, losers of seven in a row, will look to right the ship by bringing Martin Biron(notes) back in goal. Biron last started for the Islanders on Dec. 27 and has been relegated to the press box after Rick DiPietro(...

Canes 3, Islanders 1

Sat, 06 Feb 2010 21:59:18 -0500

UNIONDALE, N.Y. - Justin Peters made his NHL debut Saturday, and the Carolina Hurricanes goaltender wanted to remember it for all the right reasons. The Hurricanes made sure that he will, topping the struggling New York Islanders 3-1 Saturday at Nassau Coliseum. The Canes blocked shots. They protected their goaltender, winning many of the battles in their zone. They killed penalties, including two in the third period. Peters, who turned away 34 shots, helped himself with a few sprawling saves...

Lightning back home to start four game homestand

Thu, 04 Feb 2010 16:19:00 -0500

The Lightning's string of "playoff type games" continues tonight when they welcome the New York Islanders to the St. Pete Times Forum. After a well-deserved recovery day yesterday, the team got back on the ice today for morning skat...

Witt’s end?

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 13:08:42 -0500

According to IPB and some other sources, the Islanders have placed Brendan Witt on wavers with the goal of sending him down to the port. Whether or not anyone is going to pick up his salary remains to be seen, but I find this move rather curious and, at this [...]

Islanders drop Brendan Witt on waivers after no trade takers

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 12:22:29 -0500

It's official: Brendan Witt(notes) has become the first player in NHL history to defeat an SUV and be placed on waivers in the same season. Not that, like, the NHL keeps records on that or anything.Katie Strang of Newsday broke the news that the New York Islanders have placed Witt on waivers today after he was activated from injured reserve. From Newsday (subscription req.):The gritty 34 year-old alternate captain has two goals and three assists in 42 games this year, but saw his ice time...

Jack Hillen smoked in the head by Alex Ovechkin Shot

Thu, 28 Jan 2010 19:30:00 -0500

So you want to be a defenseman in the NHL, it can be a dangerous job blocking shots. Unforunately former C.C. Tiger Jack Hillen took a laser in the head. Hillen is going to be out 6-8 weeks.

‘PUCK VS. HOCKEY PLAYER’S FACE’

Thu, 28 Jan 2010 13:46:42 -0500

Here’s Jack Hillen of the New York Islanders taking a slap shot to the face. And not just any slap shot, but one from the great Alexander Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals. It’s a slapper from the NHL’s aristocracy, if you will. And what’s deliciously ironic is the discussion by the announcers at the front [...]

Video - Ovechkin Shot Knocks Isles Hillen Out 2 Months, Teeth

Wed, 27 Jan 2010 16:18:00 -0500

Jack Hillen of the NY Islanders took a slapshot to the face from Capitals Alex Ovechkin. He'll miss 2 months with a broken jaw and teeth following emergency surgery. "It's just the game of hockey,... Full story: http://www.bobsblitz.com Best Amazon prices for Blitz Subscribers: http://got.to/BlitzBestDeals

Alex Ovechkin’s Plan Is To Disfigure Opposing Defensemen One Slapshot At A Time

Wed, 27 Jan 2010 11:55:32 -0500

“Hey Jack Hillen, do you kiss your mother with that mouth?” If he does, he might want to hold off for a while at least until the bleeding stops. Not only were the New York Islanders left reeling after the 7-2 shellacking laid upon them by the Washington Capitals, they are also concerned today with the [...]

An Ovechkin slapshot to Jack Hillen's mouth

Wed, 27 Jan 2010 08:14:46 -0500

(Photos by Paul J. Bereswill - AP) I tried to have a bit of fun with the story of Jimmy Cafritz, the longtime Caps fan and former team director who took a puck to the skull last week, shed lots of blood, went to the hospital and managed to go home and finish off his 80th birthday party that night. The story of Jack Hillen, though, seems a bit less fun. The Islanders defenseman did what hockey defensemen do, throwing his face in front of an Alex Ovechkin slapshot at close range. The results we...

The emergence of Kyle Okposo

Mon, 25 Jan 2010 17:24:00 -0500

It has struck me, as it has for many Islander fans, just how impressive a young man Kyle Okposo has become. It is surely a hit and miss proposition when it comes to first round draft picks and their potential impact for a team, but the first round [...]

Andy Sutton suspended to games.

Wed, 20 Jan 2010 17:34:00 -0500

Former Michigan Tech Huskie Andy Sutton was given a two game suspension for planting former Wild Pascal Dupuis into the boards. [Note: not a pretty video] Just for the record I don't think Andy Sutton isn't a dirty player, he has only been suspended one other time by the NHL from what I have seen.

TORONTO – New York Islanders defenseman Andy Sutton has been suspended for two games, without pay, for an incident in NHL game #738 against Pittsburgh Penguins forward Pascal Dupuis, Tuesday night, the National Hockey League announced today.

Under the terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement, and based on his average annual salary, Sutton will forfeit $31,088.08. The money goes to the Players' Emergency Assistance Fund.

Sutton was assessed a major penalty and game misconduct for boarding at 17:05 of the third period. Dupuis was injured on the play.

Sutton will miss Thursday's game against Florida and Jan. 23 against New Jersey. He will be eligible to return Jan. 26 against Washington.

SUTTON SUSPENDED TWO GAMES

Wed, 20 Jan 2010 16:33:00 -0500

That was a pretty scary (and costly) hit on Pascal Dupuis in the Pens-Isles game last night at the Igloo. Scary because it looked like Dupuis was knocked into next week, and costly because the hitter, New York defenseman Andy Sutton, will be sitting two games and forfeiting more than $31K in salary.Dupuis is not expected to play tomorrow night against Washington and is listed by coach Dan Bylsma as "day to day".Sutton suspended for hit on Penguins' Dupuis [PG]Email: Mondesishous...

Do Moral Victories Exist?

Tue, 19 Jan 2010 22:40:00 -0500

You knew the Islanders had to lose sometime. And you probably knew that the Islanders sweeping three of the East's top four would probably be too good to be true. Yet, you're disappointed that the Islanders lost tonight.
That's a good thing.
I keep waiting for the Islanders to fall off the pace and out of the playoff picture. It hasn't happened yet. At this point, I'm not so sure it's ever going to happen. These Islanders looked like they belonged in this game, and they looked like they had a great chance to win. It's a shame it didn't work out.
Some thoughts on tonight's game...
- Over the past two years, the Islanders have written the book on blowing three-goal leads. Tonight, they flipped that book around, coming back from three goals down on the road against the defending Stanley Cup champions. Even though the end result wasn't there, the comeback was a great sign.
- If Garth Snow does nothing else next year, he has to get a big winger to play with John Tavares. He's not big enough to do it all by himself, which is to be expected at 19 years old. Even so, it's hard to watch him getting knocked around so frequently.
- Sidney Crosby didn't do a whole lot to silence his "whiner" rep after Richard Park's goal to tie the game. I get that it's the captain's job to let the ref know when he's missing calls, but yapping with Park and Doug Weight doesn't really accomplish a whole lot.
- The Sutton hit... just an unfortunate incident. Clearly, Sutton felt bad; he stayed on top of Pascal Dupuis until the whistle blew to make sure nobody else hit him. The refs got the call right, but it's unfathomable that the ref behind the play made the call before the ref standing right next to the play. Even more unfathomable than that, though, was the discussion on MSG Plus that followed the play, in which the announcers - particularly Butch Goring - suggested that the hit was Dupuis' fault for being in a bad position. We here at The Rivalry regularly sing the praises of the MSG Plus crew often, but this was uncalled for.
- The Isles got destroyed on faceoffs tonight. Not good when you're facing a team with as many playmakers as the Penguins.
- Not to jump on the "The refs give Pittsburgh preferential treatment" bandwagon, but there were a few calls that probably didn't need to be made. The two that stick out in my mind were the call on Kyle Okposo that set up the game-winning power play goal by Evgeni Malkin and the delay of game call on Dwayne Roloson. But that's life. Good teams always get the calls.
- Kind of a dick move by Crosby, taking a shot on Roloson as time expired and the Penguins protecting a two-goal lead. The Isles and Penguins meet again in three weeks. Here's hoping the Islanders haven't forgotten by then.
All in all, an excellent effort for the Islanders, who probably deserved more than they got tonight. That said, giving the likes of Crosby and Malkin seven opportunities on the power play is usually a recipe for defeat, something which was the case in tonight's game. Despite the loss, the Islanders should feel great about their play of late. The days of the sad-sack Islanders are rapidly coming to a close and are being replaced by this young, energetic team that can hang with anyone.

Ricky gets his first home win in over a year

Sun, 17 Jan 2010 14:14:21 -0500

With Rick DiPietro getting the start against the Buffalo Sabers, the Isles won the game 3-2 in a shoot out. Ricky stopped 31 of 33 shots, and earned his first win on Coliseum ice since December 26 of 2008. Although he wasn’t seriously “tested”, he still [...]

A Great Night For New York Hockey

Wed, 13 Jan 2010 00:14:00 -0500

Just got home from the Coliseum a little while ago... WOW. Of all the things I thought I'd see tonight, a 6-0 Islanders win would have been at the very bottom. A perfect performance from the Islanders tonight, and that is no exaggeration. Maybe the bright future of the New York Islanders isn't as far away as we all thought.
As for the Blueshirts, they lost in the shootout to the Devils. However, by all accounts, this was one of the best games in the entire league this season. Unfortunately, a quick search of the iO Channel Guide does not indicate a replay of this game airing anytime soon, which means that those of us who didn't see this game missed out on something special. Hopefully, Zach will be by later on or tomorrow to post his thoughts.
In closing, thanks to the Islanders and the Rangers for giving us great performances tonight. Here's hoping the season's second half is full of many more nights like this one.

Ed Jovanovski suspended two games for hit on John Tavares

Tue, 12 Jan 2010 11:01:00 -0500

This is the latest suspension to be handed down by the NHL. Repeat offender Ed Jovanovski tries to take out Islanders star John Tavares head with a vicious elbow to the head. Jovanovski is the same guy that tried to decapitate Wild forward Andrew Ebbett only a month ago. From watching the video it would appear that Jovanovski hasn’t learned his lesson yet and is still head hunting only one moth after is serving a 2 game suspension. If you listen closely to the video you can hear the elbow of Jovanovski hitting Tavares in the head. While the play continues check out the sweet goal by former Gopher Kyle Okposo.

Phoenix Coyotes defenseman Ed Jovanovski has been suspended for two games, without pay, for elbowing New York Islanders center John Tavares in a game Saturday, the NHL announced today.

With 17 seconds remaining in the first period of a game the Islanders would win 5-4, Jovanovski delivered an elbow to Tavares' head area and was assessed a major penalty for elbowing and a game misconduct.

Jovanovski, who was suspended for two games back in December, now is considered a repeat offender under the terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement. He will forfeit $158,536.59 in salary based on the number of games (82) in a season, rather than the number of days (193). The money goes to the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund.

Jovanovski will miss Coyotes' games Tuesday against San Jose and Thursday against New Jersey. He will be eligible to return Saturday against Minnesota. [NHL.com]

[props]

The Return of the Franchise

Wed, 06 Jan 2010 20:57:00 -0500

To say that Rick DiPietro was the most important New York Islander in the 2000s would be an extreme understatement. Outside of possibly Charles Wang, nobody has been as central a figure to the Islanders - and their current state - as DiPietro. Here's a look at the influence Rick DiPietro has had on the Islanders organization over the past decade.
- 2000: Islanders GM Mike Milbury trades Roberto Luongo, clearing the path for the Islanders to draft Rick DiPietro. Luongo goes on to become a star, as do Marian Gaborik and Dany Heatley, both of whom the Islanders passed on in favor of DiPietro. In exchange for Luongo, the Isles acquire Mark Parrish, who would become the team's most consistent forward for the first half of the decade and a key part of the 2001-02 team.
- 2001-02: DiPietro leads the Bridgeport Sound Tigers to the Calder Cup Final. While the Sound Tigers don't win the championship, future Islanders Trent Hunter, Eric Godard and Raffi Torres gain valuable big-game experience.
- 2003: DiPietro is called up to the NHL for good. This forces the Islanders to trade starting goalie Chris Osgood to St. Louis for prospect Justin Papineau. Papineau goes on to become a typical Islanders prospect - a "can't miss" guy who misses horribly.
- 2004: DiPietro takes over the starting load for the Islanders, who are eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by Tampa Bay. DiPietro earns his first playoff win, which is a shutout. DiPietro later appears in one game for the U.S. team in the World Cup of Hockey.
- 2006: DiPietro is named to the U.S. Olympic team. After the team loses its first game, DiPietro is named starter, a position he holds for all but game until the U.S. is eliminated from the tournament.
- 2006: Having gone on record stating he would like to finish his career on Long Island, DiPietro signs a 15-year deal with the Islanders. The deal ensures that DiPietro's prime years will be spent with the Islanders at well below market value, while his later years will cost the Islanders well above market value. Word is that new general manager Garth Snow and DiPietro's agent are barred from the negotiations so that Charles Wang can negotiate with DiPietro one-on-one.
- 2007: DiPietro suffers a concussion while charging for a puck well before it reaches the goal crease. The hot play of Wade Dubielewicz allows the Islanders to make a miracle run to the playoffs, where DiPietro returns and goes 1-3 in four games.
- 2007-08: DiPietro has the best three-month stretch of his career, resulting in a selection to the 2008 All-Star Game. Due to an injury to Martin Brodeur, DiPietro starts the game. He lets in one goal over the entirety of All-Star Weekend and is considered for MVP honors. He also "f***s up" his hip during the Skills Competition.
- 2008: As DiPietro leaves the team to mourn the loss of his grandmother, the Islanders win the first game of a home-and-home against the Rangers, thanks in large part to the efforts of Wade Dubielewicz. DiPietro returns for the second game, but coach Ted Nolan starts Dubielewicz instead of DiPietro. The Islanders lose the game as well as the next five, knocking the Islanders out of playoff contention and, if you believe what you hear, costing Nolan his job.
- 2008-09: DiPietro has knee surgery over the summer. Both the Islanders and DiPietro claim a clean bill of health has been given. However, DiPietro only plays five games all season, forcing the Islanders to juggle the craptastic duo of Joey MacDonald and Yann Danis for the duration of the season, which for all intents and purposes is over by Christmas.
- 2009: Concern about DiPietro's short-term and long-term health force the Islanders to sign both Dwayne Roloson and Martin Biron. Many fans are convinced that DiPietro will never return to the NHL. Rumors persist that Biron's contract includes a clause stating that Biron is to be traded if/when DiPietro returns.
- 2009-10: Roloson's play keeps the Islanders within breathing distance of the playoffs as 2009 ends. DiPietro plays rehab games for the Bridgeport Sound Tigers and is called up to the Islanders roster in January. DiPietro joins the team on a West Coast trip, where he is to play his first game in over twelve months.
So yeah... it's been a busy decade.
As Rick DiPietro returns to his place as Islanders goalie - not to mention the face of the franchise - it will be interesting to see how people will react. Many fans have completely turned on DiPietro, to the extent that they don't even want him back.
In the eyes of this writer, this attitude towards DiPietro is juvenile at best and reprehensible at worst. In all of struggles Rick DiPietro has gone through over the past four years, the person who is least to blame is Rick DiPietro. He has worked harder than any of us would have just to get back to the Islanders, and for what? To play in front of a half-full arena of people who hate him? Please.
When Rick DiPietro signed his 15-year contract, there wasn't a John Tavares to get people excited about the team. The Islanders were coming off a non-playoff year in which the only two players who even qualified as decent were Miroslav Satan and Alexei Yashin. The signing came after the Islanders were also exposed as the laughingstock of the NHL after the hiring and subsequent firing of Neil Smith. Furthermore, the year after DiPietro signed his contract, Islanders fans watched Jason Blake, Ryan Smyth, Tom Poti and Viktor Kozlov sign with other teams on the first day of free agency. Instead of following the money like most players, DiPietro pledged loyalty to an Islanders team that, quite honestly, had no hope whatsoever for the future.
What is the reward for Rick DiPietro's loyalty? An angry fanbase who doesn't want him back? I would certainly hope not. I understand that many Islanders fans are skeptical that DiPietro can stay healthy over the long haul. But DiPietro is as much an Islander as anyone who has ever worn the uniform, and we should be proud that he would fight so hard just to wear the Islanders crest again. Remember, this is a team that nobody wanted to be associated with us... and yet, Rick DiPietro chose us at a time when he could have commanded more money on the open market. It's time we, as Islanders fans, repay DiPietro for his commitment to the Islanders and Long Island in general.
It works out well that DiPietro will make his debut on the road. This will give Islanders fans a chance to see DiPietro in action from a distance and evaluate his performance in an unemotional setting. However, when Rick DiPietro makes his return to Coliseum ice, anything less than a standing ovation would be a disappointment.

Souring On The Shootout

Sat, 02 Jan 2010 22:38:00 -0500

The shootout has not been kind to the Islanders in 2009-10. The earlier shootouts were plagued by the spotty goaltending of Dwayne Roloson; while Roloson has significantly improved his play, the Islanders still entered this week with a record of 1-4 in the shootout.
This week, the Islanders played three games. Each of them went to the shootout. The Islanders won on Tuesday night against Columbus, lost on Thursday in Ottawa, then beat Atlanta tonight. In two of those games, the Islanders used the same three shooters - Jeff Tambellini, Frans Nielsen and Rob Schremp. No surprise there, especially since each of them were 50% or better in the shootout heading into tonight's action. (On Thursday, John Tavares replaced Tambellini in the shootout, but only because Tambellini was scratched.) In fact, you could make the argument that the main contributions of Tambellini and Schremp are their skills in the shootout. But that's an argument for another day.
My issue is this. Not only have the Islanders used virtually the same shootout lineup for three consecutive games, but all three guys - Tambellini, Schremp and Nielsen - have used the same exact moves each time they've appeared in the shootout. Tambellini used his wrister from the hash marks, Nielsen did his backhand move, and Schremp did an odd combination of like 40 moves that made it look like he was having a seizure as he skated down the ice. You'd think opposing coaches would take note of these things and go over them in meetings. Apparently, this isn't the case.
Now, I might be in the minority here, but I've always liked the shootout. Anything added to the game that appeases the fans is a great thing, and that's exactly what the shootout was intended to do - to ensure that paying customers see a winner and a loser. The Columbus game on Tuesday was the first time I got to see a shootout live, and I loved it. However, I'm starting to see where the "skills competition" aspect comes into play. If players are just going to recycle the same moves over and over again, nobody benefits. Shooters risk doing their moves one time too many and being figured out, while the fans - the reason for the shootout in the first place - get cheated because they're not seeing anything new.
Don't get me wrong. I'd much rather see the shootout in its current form than watch a game end in a tie. But maybe there's a better way to go about this. I have no idea what that better way would be. I just wish the shootout was the exciting, creative event it's supposed to be instead of the same old moves night in and night out.
Thanks to the incomparable NHL Shootouts for the shootout data.