Apologies are in order. For the two weeks, blogger.com, the website that hosts this page, has been rather balky. I haven't been able to update statistics, author new stories, or save my work at certain times. It has been quite frustrating, especially right as the National Hockey season began.
What I won't apologize for, however, is the bold (some may say reckless) prediction that I made on Twitter (@RealKenDick) stating the New York Islanders will finish in second place this season. I believe they have the talent to compete with everyone in the Metropolitan Division except Pittsburgh.
So far, the early returns have been positive. The Isles have swept up five of their first six possible points this season, and have held a lead in every game.
While John Tavares' 250th career point was largely overlooked during the Isles' 3-2 shootout loss to Columbus, what hasn't been missed is his hot start.
After Tuesday (10/8) night's 6-1 drubbing of Phoenix, in which the newly minted captain netted two goals, 'JT' has 4 points in three games.
Yet he's only third on his squad in scoring.
That's because the Josh Bailey-Frans Nielsen-Michael Grabner line has been on fire early on.
Bailey, who I believe took a massive step forward in his development at the end of last season, scored a goal supplied by his mates that was so beautiful you just have to watch it.
The trio has accumulated 15 points, Grabner leading the way with six of them.
Helping the effort last evening were Matt Donovan, Brock Nelson, and newcomer Peter Regin, all of whom scored their first points as Islanders (Regin had previously played for the Ottawa Senators).
The defense was reliable, and Evgeni Nabokov has jump started his 2013-2014 season by recording a 1.89 Goal Against Average. Not bad for a 38-year-old.
If the team can continue to keep up this effort, I am going to (for once) look very smart.
The challenge will get a little tougher for the Islanders, as their next games take them to Chicago and Nashville.
For now, though, the Isles are off to their best start since the '01-'02 season, and have gotten out of the gate as well as could have been expected.
Wednesday, October 9, 2013
Saturday, September 28, 2013
Gearing Up For Hockey!
With the season closing for both New York area baseball teams, we sports fans once again turn our attention to the world of hockey. Many of us struggled to get through a summer which began with a scrappy and determined New York Islanders team suffering a playoff exit to the hated Pittsburgh Penguins.
If we're at all lucky, and I think we Isles fans will be, the 2013 playoff ride was just a taste of things to come. This team's window of opportunity is just opening, I feel, and hopefully the Islanders can close a few other team's windows this coming spring.
Back to the here and now, however, and admittedly I have been out of the loop for the second half of the summer. Having been in Minnesota (a.k.a. Okposo-land) for part of it, I missed a lot of the off-season news. I also missed the exhibition game that was played in Brooklyn, though I heard it mostly went well.
Let's not forget that the Islanders still have two full seasons left to play at the old barn in Nassau, and with the new area a mere 15 miles away (consider the alternatives that were once being discussed other than Uniondale), I think as time goes on there will be some "forgive and forget" among the fanbase.
I understand your collective frustrations, but I know many Quebec, Atlanta, and Hartford fans that would have accepted keeping their beloved teams within yelling distance. So we'll just have to move forward.
Furthermore, it's on the Islanders to fill these coming two seasons with lasting memories. To achieve that goal, however, Islanders management still has some pretty important roster decisions to determine before the opening game on October 4th.
As you know, the notable pieces added this off-season were forwards Cal Clutterbuck (traded for Nino Niederreiter) and Pierre-Marc Bouchard. More notably, some big names have departed, such as Rick DiPietro (contract bought out), former captain Mark Streit (signed with Philadelphia), and 35-point scorer Brad Boyes (free agent).
The "kids" are going to be tested by fire, it seems, even though they're not really kids anymore. In fact, players like John Tavares, Kyle Okposo, Michael Grabner, Matt Moulson (who will be playing for a contract this season), and others need to earnestly show us what we've all been waiting for. Not next year, but now.
We the fans are asking for consistent efforts every night, and winning hockey. Anything less will be a failure in my book. And yes, a playoff berth should be the bare minimum for this team to achieve.
As for those roster decisions, it is looking more and more like Brock Nelson will make this team. But what about highly touted prospect Ryan Strome? He's the one guy I saw during this summer's prospect scrimmage who looked heads and shoulders above the other players, if you will.
Another question mark will be how big of a role Kevin Poulin will play in goal. Head Coach Jack Capuano can't possibly ride Evgeni Nabokov for 85% of the team's games like he did last season. Or can he?
Major strides were made last season on defense, and I think that squad will be fine, despite the only real veteran presence being 37-year old Lubomir Visnovsky. With 800+ NHL games under his belt, he's not done just yet. Those around him may be young and short on experience, but they have looked very good when called upon.
I never put too much stock into preseason records. How many times have we seen a team go 5-1 or so in the preseason only to fall on their faces when the games count? And it's true in every sport. So throw the Isles' 2-4 record right in the dustbin where it belongs.
More telling, at least to me, are the bookmakers who are giving this team a real shot at contention for the first time in years.
They're rarely wrong, and if their analysis is to be believed the Islanders are right around a 12/1 shot to win the Eastern Conference. That's right, a decent, though by no means strong chance to play in the Stanley Cup Finals!
Well, there's a lot of work to be done before that dream can be realized, though the same bookies believe our Islanders should be in the mix for second place in their newly realigned division. Yes, my friends, behind Pittsburgh for sure but right alongside Washington and the New York Rangers talent-wise.
Wouldn't it be sweet to finish ahead of those guys for the first time in a while?
I'll leave you with that thought.
Enjoy the final 2 preseason games, and I'll see you on October 4th.
As always, thanks for reading.
If we're at all lucky, and I think we Isles fans will be, the 2013 playoff ride was just a taste of things to come. This team's window of opportunity is just opening, I feel, and hopefully the Islanders can close a few other team's windows this coming spring.
Back to the here and now, however, and admittedly I have been out of the loop for the second half of the summer. Having been in Minnesota (a.k.a. Okposo-land) for part of it, I missed a lot of the off-season news. I also missed the exhibition game that was played in Brooklyn, though I heard it mostly went well.
Let's not forget that the Islanders still have two full seasons left to play at the old barn in Nassau, and with the new area a mere 15 miles away (consider the alternatives that were once being discussed other than Uniondale), I think as time goes on there will be some "forgive and forget" among the fanbase.
I understand your collective frustrations, but I know many Quebec, Atlanta, and Hartford fans that would have accepted keeping their beloved teams within yelling distance. So we'll just have to move forward.
Furthermore, it's on the Islanders to fill these coming two seasons with lasting memories. To achieve that goal, however, Islanders management still has some pretty important roster decisions to determine before the opening game on October 4th.
As you know, the notable pieces added this off-season were forwards Cal Clutterbuck (traded for Nino Niederreiter) and Pierre-Marc Bouchard. More notably, some big names have departed, such as Rick DiPietro (contract bought out), former captain Mark Streit (signed with Philadelphia), and 35-point scorer Brad Boyes (free agent).
The "kids" are going to be tested by fire, it seems, even though they're not really kids anymore. In fact, players like John Tavares, Kyle Okposo, Michael Grabner, Matt Moulson (who will be playing for a contract this season), and others need to earnestly show us what we've all been waiting for. Not next year, but now.
We the fans are asking for consistent efforts every night, and winning hockey. Anything less will be a failure in my book. And yes, a playoff berth should be the bare minimum for this team to achieve.
As for those roster decisions, it is looking more and more like Brock Nelson will make this team. But what about highly touted prospect Ryan Strome? He's the one guy I saw during this summer's prospect scrimmage who looked heads and shoulders above the other players, if you will.
Another question mark will be how big of a role Kevin Poulin will play in goal. Head Coach Jack Capuano can't possibly ride Evgeni Nabokov for 85% of the team's games like he did last season. Or can he?
Major strides were made last season on defense, and I think that squad will be fine, despite the only real veteran presence being 37-year old Lubomir Visnovsky. With 800+ NHL games under his belt, he's not done just yet. Those around him may be young and short on experience, but they have looked very good when called upon.
I never put too much stock into preseason records. How many times have we seen a team go 5-1 or so in the preseason only to fall on their faces when the games count? And it's true in every sport. So throw the Isles' 2-4 record right in the dustbin where it belongs.
More telling, at least to me, are the bookmakers who are giving this team a real shot at contention for the first time in years.
They're rarely wrong, and if their analysis is to be believed the Islanders are right around a 12/1 shot to win the Eastern Conference. That's right, a decent, though by no means strong chance to play in the Stanley Cup Finals!
Well, there's a lot of work to be done before that dream can be realized, though the same bookies believe our Islanders should be in the mix for second place in their newly realigned division. Yes, my friends, behind Pittsburgh for sure but right alongside Washington and the New York Rangers talent-wise.
Wouldn't it be sweet to finish ahead of those guys for the first time in a while?
I'll leave you with that thought.
Enjoy the final 2 preseason games, and I'll see you on October 4th.
As always, thanks for reading.
Thursday, July 11, 2013
Introducing: Viktor Crus Rydberg
Each year the New York Islanders hold a mid-summer prospect camp on Long Island. The format consists of a week's worth of drills and instruction from the top team's coaches, all while bringing the young men to the Island to become familiar with the area, the facilities, and their fellow prospects.
There is also some fun downtime for the guys as well, as the team usually makes at least one excursion to a local Major League Baseball game or goes on a fishing trip.
The week's events are capped off by the annual prospect scrimmage and skills competition, which takes place at Nassau Coliseum and is open to Islanders fans. Many attend as a respite from the heat and a chance to think about ice hockey on a July evening.
On Thursday night (7/11), the media and fans got to see a a fun and family friendly event featuring many of the team's recent draft picks. Many of the younger fans went home with player autographs as well.
Most people on hand agreed that top prospect Ryan Strome had the best night. He's playing on a different level than many of his camp mates, and he celebrated his 20th birthday by scoring a goal and two assists.
Many other players looked good as well, some who, like Strome, have a chance to make the Islanders roster this autumn, including Brock Nelson and Griffin Reinhart.
After the game I had a chance to chat with one of the lesser known standouts, newly drafted forward Viktor Crus Rydberg.
The Växjö, Sweden native, who is one day away from being exactly 20 years my junior (oh, joy), was drafted by the Isles in the 5th round (pick 136) of the 2013 NHL Entry Draft.
He spoke of how he was not in attendance when his name was announced inside New Jersey's Prudential Center (he was flying home from Minnesota at the time), but he was thrilled to learn he had been selected.
"I stopped looking at the draft when it was number 135, and then the Islanders drafted me at number 136," he said with a laugh. He said upon hearing the news in transit in Amsterdam, he felt great.
Naturally.
Viktor knows he has a very long road ahead of him if he plans on playing in the NHL. He said he has at least two seasons forthcoming in Plymouth (OHL), but on this night he dazzled the 5,000 or so Coliseum fans with a superb shootout move during the skills competition.
He said he has practiced the move since age 15, though he hadn't been afforded many opportunities to showcase it.
"This time was the best."
In order to move forward as a prospect, he said he "need[s] to play physically hard. I need to be better for every game. I need to be better and better every day." He mentioned focusing on his skating and explosiveness.
Asked about what he thought about his first visit to Long Island, he said very simply, "I think it's awesome. It's just great."
There is also some fun downtime for the guys as well, as the team usually makes at least one excursion to a local Major League Baseball game or goes on a fishing trip.
The week's events are capped off by the annual prospect scrimmage and skills competition, which takes place at Nassau Coliseum and is open to Islanders fans. Many attend as a respite from the heat and a chance to think about ice hockey on a July evening.
On Thursday night (7/11), the media and fans got to see a a fun and family friendly event featuring many of the team's recent draft picks. Many of the younger fans went home with player autographs as well.
Most people on hand agreed that top prospect Ryan Strome had the best night. He's playing on a different level than many of his camp mates, and he celebrated his 20th birthday by scoring a goal and two assists.
Many other players looked good as well, some who, like Strome, have a chance to make the Islanders roster this autumn, including Brock Nelson and Griffin Reinhart.
After the game I had a chance to chat with one of the lesser known standouts, newly drafted forward Viktor Crus Rydberg.
The Växjö, Sweden native, who is one day away from being exactly 20 years my junior (oh, joy), was drafted by the Isles in the 5th round (pick 136) of the 2013 NHL Entry Draft.
He spoke of how he was not in attendance when his name was announced inside New Jersey's Prudential Center (he was flying home from Minnesota at the time), but he was thrilled to learn he had been selected.
"I stopped looking at the draft when it was number 135, and then the Islanders drafted me at number 136," he said with a laugh. He said upon hearing the news in transit in Amsterdam, he felt great.
Naturally.
Viktor knows he has a very long road ahead of him if he plans on playing in the NHL. He said he has at least two seasons forthcoming in Plymouth (OHL), but on this night he dazzled the 5,000 or so Coliseum fans with a superb shootout move during the skills competition.
He said he has practiced the move since age 15, though he hadn't been afforded many opportunities to showcase it.
"This time was the best."
In order to move forward as a prospect, he said he "need[s] to play physically hard. I need to be better for every game. I need to be better and better every day." He mentioned focusing on his skating and explosiveness.
Asked about what he thought about his first visit to Long Island, he said very simply, "I think it's awesome. It's just great."
Sunday, June 30, 2013
Draft Day Is Here!
Today is the National Hockey League's 2013 Entry Draft! It's always a day filled with intrigue, trades, and fast-breaking news. Stay with us here all day as the picks come in and the transactions are confirmed.
The first pick will take place shortly after 3 P.M. EDT, and the New York Islanders will pick first at #15.
As it stands now, the Isles will select at:
(Round 1) 15: RYAN PULOCK (D) Brandon Wheat Kings
(Round 3) 70: EAMON McADAM (G) Waterloo Black Hawks
(Round 3) 76: TAYLOR CAMMARATA (C) Waterloo Black Hawks
(Round 4) 106: STEPHON WILLIAMS (G) Minnesota State-Mankato
(Round 5) 136: VIKTOR CRUS-RYDBERG (C) Linkoping
(Round 6) 166: ALAN QUINE (C) Belleville Bulls
(Round 7) 196: KYLE BURROUGHS (D) Regina Pats
***
UPDATE: Nino Niederreiter has been traded to Minnesota for Cal Clutterbuck and the 70th pick (Round 3) in the draft.
The first pick will take place shortly after 3 P.M. EDT, and the New York Islanders will pick first at #15.
As it stands now, the Isles will select at:
(Round 1) 15: RYAN PULOCK (D) Brandon Wheat Kings
(Round 3) 70: EAMON McADAM (G) Waterloo Black Hawks
(Round 3) 76: TAYLOR CAMMARATA (C) Waterloo Black Hawks
(Round 4) 106: STEPHON WILLIAMS (G) Minnesota State-Mankato
(Round 5) 136: VIKTOR CRUS-RYDBERG (C) Linkoping
(Round 6) 166: ALAN QUINE (C) Belleville Bulls
(Round 7) 196: KYLE BURROUGHS (D) Regina Pats
***
UPDATE: Nino Niederreiter has been traded to Minnesota for Cal Clutterbuck and the 70th pick (Round 3) in the draft.
Wednesday, June 12, 2013
O Captain! My Captain!
With the Stanley Cup Finals beginning this evening, I decided to get back into hockey mode after a brief hiatus. As you all undoubtedly know, though they battled admirably, the Islanders fell short of this year's Finals.
The "good" news, however, is that the team that sent them packing, the Pittsburgh Penguins, also failed in their quest for hockey's ultimate prize.
The news came out today that the Islanders, fresh off their best season in six years, had traded impending unrestricted free agent Mark Streit.
The move basically concedes that at age 35, coming off a five year contract, Streit's salary demands were going to be too unpalatable for Islanders General Manager Garth Snow.
It is with some sadness and a hefty amount of respect and appreciation that I bid the former Isles captain farewell, and thank him for his years of service. He was always a gentleman in the locker room even after very tough losses and always willing to talk to the media.
Rather than lose him to free agency for nothing in return, Philadelphia agreed to trade for the Swiss defenseman, sending Shane Harper and a 2014 fourth round draft pick to New York.
For the Islanders, it means the end of an era but the beginning of a new one, as nearly everyone expects that John Tavares will be named the 14th captain in franchise history.
With this move Garth Snow has clearly try to start the summer off right, and you can start your summer off right as well by joining the Isles at their annual draft party at Nassau Coliseum.
All seven rounds of the entry draft will take place on Sunday, June 30th, in New Jersey. If you aren't crossing the Hudson River to be there live, why not cross Hempstead Turnpike and get into the air conditioning, as the Isles continue to add to their young core?
If you can't do that either, rest assured that I'll have all the picks as they are selected right on this page.
I wish you all a good summer and will have news/free agent signings if and when they happen.
Congratulations to those of you who have recently graduated, and I look forward to sharing another season of Islanders hockey with you in September! Have a great summer!
As always, thanks for reading!
The "good" news, however, is that the team that sent them packing, the Pittsburgh Penguins, also failed in their quest for hockey's ultimate prize.
The news came out today that the Islanders, fresh off their best season in six years, had traded impending unrestricted free agent Mark Streit.
The move basically concedes that at age 35, coming off a five year contract, Streit's salary demands were going to be too unpalatable for Islanders General Manager Garth Snow.
It is with some sadness and a hefty amount of respect and appreciation that I bid the former Isles captain farewell, and thank him for his years of service. He was always a gentleman in the locker room even after very tough losses and always willing to talk to the media.
Rather than lose him to free agency for nothing in return, Philadelphia agreed to trade for the Swiss defenseman, sending Shane Harper and a 2014 fourth round draft pick to New York.
For the Islanders, it means the end of an era but the beginning of a new one, as nearly everyone expects that John Tavares will be named the 14th captain in franchise history.
With this move Garth Snow has clearly try to start the summer off right, and you can start your summer off right as well by joining the Isles at their annual draft party at Nassau Coliseum.
All seven rounds of the entry draft will take place on Sunday, June 30th, in New Jersey. If you aren't crossing the Hudson River to be there live, why not cross Hempstead Turnpike and get into the air conditioning, as the Isles continue to add to their young core?
If you can't do that either, rest assured that I'll have all the picks as they are selected right on this page.
I wish you all a good summer and will have news/free agent signings if and when they happen.
Congratulations to those of you who have recently graduated, and I look forward to sharing another season of Islanders hockey with you in September! Have a great summer!
As always, thanks for reading!
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
Rolling With The Punches
Where to begin?
Like the old television series 'Dragnet,' let's start with the facts. Coming into Tuesday (5/7) night's game in Uniondale, the Islanders found themselves trailing their best-of-seven series with Pittsburgh two games to one. They had also lost their previous seven playoff games on home ice, dropping their home winning percentage at "Fort Neverlose" below 66% for the first time since 1976.
After losing a 4-3 overtime heartbreaker on Sunday (5/5) afternoon, the Islanders had put themselves in a perilous position. Lose again, and they would find themselves down 3-1 in the series with a good chance of quickly closing the book on the season. The fans, who had eagerly awaited the return of playoff hockey to Long Island for six miserable seasons, would likely not see another game at Nassau Coliseum for four months.
Rather than try to find the words to tell you what an up and down, see-saw battle Game Four was, it might just be easier for you to watch the condensed highlights, courtesy of NHL.com.
Once again the crowd, in full support of their Isles, was amazing. Islanders fans seem to always been in full throat. It's quite a scene.
The emotions of the game seemed to ebb and flow drastically; the Islanders would gain a lead. They would fritter it away just as easily. They would take a punch, so to speak, but give one right back just as hard.
Travis Hamonic, amidst a very crowded and cheery post-win locker room, may have said it best.
I asked him how it was that his team "keeps getting punched in the mouth" and it doesn't seem to faze them. The 22-year old (with his own dental issues) replied, "When you only have one tooth you don't care." What a great line.
"The Hammer," as he's known, had a great game too, logging over 28 minutes of ice time. Defensive teammate and team captain Mark Streit scored two goals. John Tavares scored the winning goal and earned the evening's "first star" honor.
Kyle Okposo, who scored a mere four regular season goals, has played like a man on a mission. He netted his third goal of the series at a pivotal moment, banking the puck in off a shaky Marc-André Fleury.
But the win didn't come completely issue-free.
Andrew MacDonald, Hamonic's partner, broke his hand during the game and likely will not return for the remainder of the season.
Evegeni Nabokov, who Head Coach Jack Capuano has ridden nearly to the breaking point, had another subpar game, again allowing four goals. Not all of them were solely his fault, mind you, as there was some shoddy defensive positioning at times in front of him, a few deflected pucks, and a horrendous shift change that directly led to a Penguins goal.
Lastly, I'm usually not one to criticize officiating. I believe, whether you agree or disagree, that blaming the zebras is the domain of the sore loser and/or whiner. Let me be clear, though, the officiating in the series to this point has been putrid.
There have been blatant penalties missed, strange calls on the ice, and Pittsburgh has taken clear liberties with several Islanders players and not been made to pay for it.
Let me just briefly show a clip of what I mean. Here's Brenden Morrow face-slamming (#53) Casey Cizikas behind the play four or five times:
Is this part of professional hockey? And is this that hard to miss? Come on, guys. Get it together for the rest of the series, please.
All in all, though, it was a great night for Long Island. The Islanders, who began the series as heavy underdogs, have at least given themselves a chance to defeat the top seeded team in the East. They've already exceeded many of the pundits' expectations by just getting to this point.
I'm cautiously optimistic. If they can take everything Pittsburgh can throw at them, and so far they have, they might just shock the hockey world and advance to the Conference Semifinals.
Like the old television series 'Dragnet,' let's start with the facts. Coming into Tuesday (5/7) night's game in Uniondale, the Islanders found themselves trailing their best-of-seven series with Pittsburgh two games to one. They had also lost their previous seven playoff games on home ice, dropping their home winning percentage at "Fort Neverlose" below 66% for the first time since 1976.
After losing a 4-3 overtime heartbreaker on Sunday (5/5) afternoon, the Islanders had put themselves in a perilous position. Lose again, and they would find themselves down 3-1 in the series with a good chance of quickly closing the book on the season. The fans, who had eagerly awaited the return of playoff hockey to Long Island for six miserable seasons, would likely not see another game at Nassau Coliseum for four months.
Rather than try to find the words to tell you what an up and down, see-saw battle Game Four was, it might just be easier for you to watch the condensed highlights, courtesy of NHL.com.
Once again the crowd, in full support of their Isles, was amazing. Islanders fans seem to always been in full throat. It's quite a scene.
The emotions of the game seemed to ebb and flow drastically; the Islanders would gain a lead. They would fritter it away just as easily. They would take a punch, so to speak, but give one right back just as hard.
Travis Hamonic, amidst a very crowded and cheery post-win locker room, may have said it best.
I asked him how it was that his team "keeps getting punched in the mouth" and it doesn't seem to faze them. The 22-year old (with his own dental issues) replied, "When you only have one tooth you don't care." What a great line.
"The Hammer," as he's known, had a great game too, logging over 28 minutes of ice time. Defensive teammate and team captain Mark Streit scored two goals. John Tavares scored the winning goal and earned the evening's "first star" honor.
Kyle Okposo, who scored a mere four regular season goals, has played like a man on a mission. He netted his third goal of the series at a pivotal moment, banking the puck in off a shaky Marc-André Fleury.
But the win didn't come completely issue-free.
Andrew MacDonald, Hamonic's partner, broke his hand during the game and likely will not return for the remainder of the season.
Evegeni Nabokov, who Head Coach Jack Capuano has ridden nearly to the breaking point, had another subpar game, again allowing four goals. Not all of them were solely his fault, mind you, as there was some shoddy defensive positioning at times in front of him, a few deflected pucks, and a horrendous shift change that directly led to a Penguins goal.
Lastly, I'm usually not one to criticize officiating. I believe, whether you agree or disagree, that blaming the zebras is the domain of the sore loser and/or whiner. Let me be clear, though, the officiating in the series to this point has been putrid.
There have been blatant penalties missed, strange calls on the ice, and Pittsburgh has taken clear liberties with several Islanders players and not been made to pay for it.
Let me just briefly show a clip of what I mean. Here's Brenden Morrow face-slamming (#53) Casey Cizikas behind the play four or five times:
Is this part of professional hockey? And is this that hard to miss? Come on, guys. Get it together for the rest of the series, please.
All in all, though, it was a great night for Long Island. The Islanders, who began the series as heavy underdogs, have at least given themselves a chance to defeat the top seeded team in the East. They've already exceeded many of the pundits' expectations by just getting to this point.
I'm cautiously optimistic. If they can take everything Pittsburgh can throw at them, and so far they have, they might just shock the hockey world and advance to the Conference Semifinals.
Saturday, May 4, 2013
The Mental Game
Anyone who knows me knows I'm not into the technical aspects of hockey. It's not that I wouldn't love to fully understand that facet of the game, I'm willing to learn. It's just that I never played ice hockey and have more of a fan's perspective than one of a participant.
Taking it even a step farther, I have trouble even watching the postseason games. With more on the line, I get too nervous and am prone to outbursts of violence. :)
That said, here are a few points to possibly help the Islanders win their first playoff series in twenty years:
Taking it even a step farther, I have trouble even watching the postseason games. With more on the line, I get too nervous and am prone to outbursts of violence. :)
That said, here are a few points to possibly help the Islanders win their first playoff series in twenty years:
- Going into the series with the Pittsburgh Penguins, I felt there would be one game where the Islanders would be blown out. As it turns out, that game was Game 1. The Islanders rebounded nicely in Game two, evening the series with a 4-3 win. This guy had something to do with it. Now level again, the initial 'punch in the mouth' is behind them.
- Continuing with that line of thinking, the Islanders find themselves in an even series and they haven't even played their best game yet. Game 1 was a mess; the follow up started off terribly as well but the Isles luckily found their legs before they were buried. A flukey goal (we'll take them) won the game for New York.
- The Isles need to draw inspiration from last year's Los Angeles Kings. Sure, they may be an eighth seed, but great things happened for last year's (Western) eight. This is the NHL. 'Eights' beat 'ones.'
- The Islanders need to feed off their crowd. Sunday will feature Uniondale's first postseason game in six years. The fans are ready. They're actually more than ready. An opening goal for the home side within the first ten minutes of game would likely bring the arena down.
- A key to victory will be to do what worked during the regular season. At the risk of getting "technical," they need to stay strong on the puck and fire shots at the Pittsburgh netminder. We don't yet know if they'll be facing Marc-André Fleury or Tomas Vokoun. Either way, the Islanders need to keep that man seeing rubber all afternoon.
- The hard part is over. The Islanders somehow, almost inexplicably, earned a split on road ice. They control home ice right now. Don't give it up.
- Finally, to each player, just play your game. You functioned as a team to reach this point. Continue to play that way. Josh Bailey has looked like a changed man. Evegeni Nabokov has done all that has been asked of him. The secondary scorers have scored.
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