NY Islanders Journal

The Islanders earned their 5th point in the last 3 games on the road after last nights 5-4 shootout loss against the Chicago Blackhawks. By now, you’ve read enough recaps on the game, so I wont waste your time with a game summary. Instead, here is a brief look at last nights top performers ranked out of five stars:

*****Coach Capuano: In the midst of top coaches being fired left and right, Cappy has rallied his troops successfully. This team looks different, the aura went from ‘god we suck’ to ‘we can beat anyone.’ I’m a big fan of Capuano, he remains calm and sticks with his ideology that this team can compete with anyone when and if they want to. My only negative comment is that Cappy would not admit that Montoya is the Isles #1 goalie after last nights game. To fans, its pretty obvious, we want Monty, not DP.

****Al Montoya: Giving up 4 goals in regulation seems like a lot, but the Big Cubano faced 36 shots over the course of the game. During the first few minutes of the game, Monty seemed a bit shaky, but he got his game on almost immediately. Montoya made several huge saves, including one that will be on highlight reels all season. He gave the Islanders a chance to win against a Chicago team that moves the puck  and gets to the net as well as anyone in the league. The shootout was a different story, but Monty has no support from the Isles shooters.

****Matt Moulson: Continues scoring goals with that wicked top shelf wrist shot. Matt’s consistent play as of late makes the first line more dangerous then ever.

****Kyle Okposo: Knocked in his 3rd goal of the season on the Islanders first powerplay last night. KO has picked up his game both in the offensive and defensive zone. His forecheck has created chances in the O zone and his aggressive backcheck has created turnovers and stops on the D zone. Every time KO touches the puck there is excitement. A big change from the beginning of the season, where it was hard to tell he was playing.

****PAP: Tied for points on the Isles, PAP continues to carry the puck effectively. His goal last night was huge. This offense would not be able to do much without PAP.

****Travis Hamonic: This guy can be relied on every game. Last night Hamonic had 31 shifts and over 21 minutes of ice time. Over the last 3 games, Travis has been carrying the puck into the offensive zone and creating chances for the Islanders. Defensively, he rarely loses a battle and is always first to the puck. I love this kid and I’m loving his confidence and contributions.

***Nino: Despite poor defensive play last night and in previous games, Nino found himself with an opportunity to showcase his shooting ability. In the 3rd period, he beat Crawford with a wrist shot while being pursued by two Hawk defenseman. Nino was given a chance in the shootout (to my surprise) and he also showcased some nifty moves. But what stood out to me in the shootout was his confidence. Note: JT freezes on shootouts and doesn’t even get a shot off. Nino made 4-5 moves albeit too many.

The Isles face another challenging game tonight in Dallas. Still no word on who starts in net, but I’m hoping for Montoya if he has the juice.

The defense needs to step up a bit more.  Last night they collapsed deep into the defensive zone all too often. If they can improve on defense, they can win this one.

The 2011-2012 season is 22 games old for the 7-11-4 NY Islanders who are 8 points out of the last playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. That’s correct, 8 points, there is life and there is opportunity to turn this season around. I’d like to say that turn around is already in progress.

After the firing of Bruce Boudreau, Maurice and Carlyle this week, Coach Capuano seemed next in line. On Monday I read a great tweet – “Coach Capuano is probably hiding under his desk this morning.” I found the humor was bittersweet.

In the face of unemployment and a rapidly deteriorating season, Coach Cpauano and the Islanders kept their season alive and earned two very important (necessary) wins against the Devils and the Sabres. Tonight the Isles face Chicago (14-8-3), then Dallas  (14-9-1) on Saturday and Tampa (11-10-2) next Tuesday. When Tampa appears to be your best opportunity to get a win, you know you have a tough few games ahead.

However, its finally safe to say that after 22  games, the Islanders (despite losing the majority of their games) have received contributions from all four offensive lines. It took time and some motivation including scratching Assistant Captain Kyle Okposo for three games, placing Blake Comeau on Waivers, and the overall experience of a losing streak that had both the team and the fans on the edge of insanity (or perhaps I should speak for myself, but I read all your tweets).

The upcoming schedule is not inviting. The Isles inched their way to wins against NJ and injured Buffalo and now face 2 Western Conference teams that will play them to death for 60 minutes. The Isles are 1-1-2 against Western Conference teams this season.

So where do we look for confidence going into Friday’s game against Chicago?

Al Montoya is 4-3-1  on the season with a 2.06 GAA and a .933 save percentage. The Big Cubano grew up as a Blackhawks fan, but has the opportunity tonight to continue to prove that he is our number one goalie and gives the team the best shot at winning. Its time to oust Rick Dipietro and lead this team to wins like he did against Buffalo. Where there is good goaltending there is a good hockey team.

John Tavares is due for a goal. He’s gotten to the net, hit the post, drawn penalties etc…The opposition wont keep him off the board much longer. His work ethic is as good or better than anyone.

Michael Grabner’s  breakaway woes will eventually end. Although he did put one in against Marty Brodeur last weekend.  Despite not finishing on a regular basis, his ability on the PK is tremendous and puts extra pressure on the opposition. His even-handed goal scoring ability is also coming to life. We all know it, Grabby’s a slow starter. The goals will come.

Josh Bailey has been the Islanders best Center over the past week or two. That’s promising news for fans considering that we were ready to send him to Bridgeport two weeks ago.

Other positives worth mentioning – Matty Martin leading the league in hits and becoming a fan favorite – Matt Moulson on track to score 28 goals – and the Defense getting more involved in the offensive zone leading to better pressure and scoring chances.

Overall, the Islanders have regained some important confidence going into the weekend. The key to tonight is playing all 60 minutes. I’d hate to see another “good effort” without a W. The Big Cubano will give the Isles a winning shot.

There is no better time than this weekend to turn the season around permanently.

Every Monday I wait for ESPN to release the weeks power rankings. The Islanders were ranked 28th this week along with the following comment: “The Isles are winless in their past five games, and the offense, supposed to be the team’s strength, has chipped in just seven goals during the slide. The three-headed goaltending monster continues to plague the team.” The only comment I disagree with is the three headed goaltending monster, since goaltending is what’s kept the Isles from sinking much quicker.

3 weeks into a new season and the steady slide to the bottom has begun. I understand EPSN rankings are mostly irrelevant, but they are a fair indicator of whats occurred over the past few weeks. So are the standings: The Islanders are in last place in the division and 14th in the conference (ahead of just one team, the Boston Bruins who are likely to get over their hangover any day now).  Granted the Islanders have played a relatively tough schedule to date, and have played hard in almost every game, but “good effort” is not a substitute for the win and points in the standings.

Continuing my negative dump on the Islanders, here are some not so surprising statistics:

Pointless Forwards: Jay Pandolfo has 4 shots in 9 games and zero points. Josh Bailey has 5 shots in 9 games and zero points. Blake Comeau has  5 shots in 7 games and zero points.

Truly Disappointing Performers: Brian Rolston has o goals and 2 assists, while Kyle Okposo our Assistant Captain has 0 goals and 3 assists in 9 games. Other than the first line (& Grabner) feel free to add to that list.

That leads me to…the Islanders are 30th in the league in goals scored (Thats dead last folks).

Some Positives: Nino Neiderreiter should make his return Thursday against the Jets or over the weekend and I expect that his grit and skill will help get the ball rolling. The Isles Power Play is 10th in the league (21%), the Penalty Killing Unit is 5th (88%) and the goaltenders have earned themselves the 4th place spot in goals against (23).

But without scoring, you dont win. And right now, the Islanders need to find a way to score goals and win games. The team has not played 10 games yet, but like I often say, this conference is NOT  waiting around for anyone. Get your shit straight boys, time to learn to play WHEN IT MATTERS.

Bring on the Jets.

The going has been tough for Islanders fans lately after the team has dropped its last 3 games (Tampa, FL, Pens) and fell one game below 500. I’ve read countless social media posts by fans, all of which come down hard on different Islanders players and like it or not, sh*t hits the fan (no pun) when your tired of watching a losing team. I don’t blame myself for sharing those feelings nor the other fans. We simply want to win. Now.

Our expectations may not be realistic, but we are fans, we are die hards and we want and do believe.

Tonight’s game against the Penguins in Pittsburgh represents an opportunity for the Islanders to play in an adverse atmosphere where they have mostly played poorly, and beat the division leading Penguins. Just like last years brawl, a win tonight can bring this team together and prove both to the players and the fans that if and when you play 60 minutes, you can beat anyone. We know that already, but we need points.

Keys to a Win Tonight (Sorry, but this is John Madden style):

• Goaltending – I hate to say it, but the Rangers haven’t really played a good game yet, but their goaltending wins them games. That said, Penguins must be held to 2 or less goals. We need tonight’s starter (TBD) not just to be “good” but rather “outstanding.” If its DP, this is his chance, rusty or not, to regain our respect and confidence.
• Scoring – JT is everywhere. Especially on two pages of Newsday today. I love that he’s an Islanders, but I’m ready to see the offense (all lines) start producing. The Islanders did a great job getting the puck to the net on Tuesday night, but guys like Martin, Reasoner and Moulson need to be in front banging away and distracting Fluery. He saw every shot pretty well last game.
• Grit – This team does not hit. The Penguins must be on their toes – they must expect that the Isles players giving chase will finish their checks, and hit hard. Grit will force turnovers and will slow down the Penguins transition game. Take a few penalties if you must, make them hurt! We have an awesome PK unit.

Time to get a win, this Conference is not waiting around for anyone. Patience is not a virtue in today’s NHL.

Go Isles

After starting the season with a shutout loss against Florida and a less than comfortable win against Minnesota, the Islanders face a dangerous Tampa Bay Lightning team tonight. In Tampa’s first three games of the season (1-1-1), they’ve scored 11 goals, but have also given up 11 goals. Martin St. Louis currently leads Tampa with 2 goals and an assist.  After scoring 4 goals in the first 3 games of the 2010-2011 season, Steve Stamkos has been held scoreless this season, so you might think he’s due for one or a couple tonight. Tampa strikes like lightning (sorry), and will keep the Islanders on their toes all night.

In two games, the Islanders have scored just two goals, none by the first liners – Parentau, Moulson & Tavares. Grabner and Okposo have also been kept off the scoreboard. The offense has lacked considerably and the Islanders have been out shot in their first two games. However, Al Montoya who was named NY Hockey player of the week (NY Times), has been outstanding. The Islanders have also found themselves shorthanded 12 times in two games, a good indicator of why goals haven’t been scored.

Tonight’s Keys to success:

• Defense – Has been great, but tonight they will need to force Tampa to the outside, tie men up in front of the net and control rebounds. Montoya’s not giving up long shots, any goals will be scored on rebounds or deflections in front of the net.
• Stay out of the Penalty Box – Tampa is a quick team and will apply more pressure than both Florida and Minnesota. The defense needs to play a clean yet gritty hockey game tonight and protect Al Montoya.
• Offensive Production – It’s time for the big boys to put the puck in the net. The top two lines must produce more offense and hit the net hard on every shift.
• Dump and Fore check – I don’t see the Islanders making crisp passes into Tampa’s zone tonight. There will be quite a bit of dumping and chasing. That said, the fore check must be more effective tonight.

In a game that had all the makings for a late Minesotta Wild comeback, the Islanders managed to earn two points in today’s matinée game. Andrew MacDonald’s slapshot goal from the point and Frans Nielsen’s deflection on a gorgeous pass from Mark Streit sent the Islanders to the locker room with a 2-0 lead after the first period. 

The next two periods would prove to be darn right concerning. The Islanders clearly struggled with their transition from the defensive to offensive zone. Often passes were soft and ended up in the intended players feet. The Islanders fore checking was completely lacking. The puck was dumped into corners constantly, the Wild would beat the Islanders into the corner, and they would transition right back out to center ice time and time again. There was a lack of grit.

Some positive notes include:

• Penalty killing squad was brilliant, killing off 7 penalties including a 5-0n-3.
• Al Montoya saw 20 shots, giving up only one against a very dangerous Minnesota offense.
• Mark Streits presence in the lineup is a game changer.
• Travis Hamonic is a top defenseman and he will prove that as the season goes on.

The end result is a good one, 2 points, but the Islanders have a lot of work to do. I do like the fact that the Islanders played 20 minutes + tonight and came out with a win. Perhaps that’s a sign of the times.

Speculation:

• Will Nino be ready to play on Thursday night against Tampa?
• Should Haley play to add some grit to a team that got hit pretty hard today?

The Islanders face Tampa Bay at the Coliseum on Thursday night and the Rangers on Saturday night.

The Islanders take on the Calgary Flames in Canada tonight. After losing their first pre-season game to Boston, the Isles came out hard against the NJ Devils and got fans excited for more. Tonight however, will not give us another opportunity to see the top lines put on another show. Instead, players like Strome and DeHaan, as well as other young players will get another shot to show the Islanders coaching staff that they can play at the NHL Level.

But what are Islanders fans really looking forward to tonight? I think it comes down to two things.

The first, an HD game on MSG+ instead of a crappy stream on IslandersTV. More importantly though, Evegni Nabakov will get his first start as a New York Islander. It will be interesting to see Nabakov wearing Islander colors, but more interesting to see if he can still contend.

Here is who I am most interested in seeing tonight and the reasons:

Blake Comeau - Needs a breakout season. A spotty player that shows real talent sometimes and then disappears for a while. Blake needs to be more consistent. He’s got an incredible shot.

Marty Reasoner – Hoping to see Reasoner win faceoffs and fill Konopka’s role on last years team.

Rhett Rakhshani – Can dazzle and has great hands, would love to be surprised by him this season.

Ryan Strome  – AHL or NHL? Most likely AHL, but Strome can at least show us why he was picked 5th by the Islanders.

Micheal Haley – Enough said. Go get em. Dont get suspended.

Dylan Reese – With a 2 goal game against the Devils, if Reese can prove himself again tonight and throughout the pre-season, he may just  become a regular defenseman for the Islanders.

Calvin dehaan – I hear a lot about smooth hands, its 2011, I’d like to see it already! Looking forward to seeing him on the power play.