Flyers 6 Islanders 1 Notes; DP Fired Up

A what I'll call terrible hockey game for the Islanders tonight. The refs couldn't get anything straight by giving Gillies a six minute penalty late in the third because of him sticking up for himself, which later turned into a 5 on 3 as the Isles got another bullshit penalty for god only knows why.

 Konopka and Carcillo went at it two times, and after the second fight Konopka was really fired up and had a few words with the Flyers bench. Konopka, Gillies and Hunter all got ejected from the game, and oh..As I was writing this, Nielsen was given a BS penalty meanwhile he was the one who got slashed in the face from the face off which caused DiPietro to go challenge Carcillo and was held back from Pronger.

Good to see DiPietro sticking up for his teammates and after coming back from multiple surgeries, he was willing to risk his health by trying to fight Carcillo. I'm surprised the Flyers goaltender didn't skate down and fight DiPietro. Were lucky Gillies and Konopka wasn't still out there because then you'd know things would turn pretty bad.

So much excitement coming from the game tonight. Not for the Isles, but certainly for the fans at the game and watching from home. Speaking of TV, the game was on MSG Plus 2 AGAIN!

This by far was the most intense game I've witnessed so far. So many scrums for something little resulted in multiple penalty's. Just a bad game for the Isles and they just have to move on from it.

Frans Nielsen scored a goal for the Isles. It was a 5 on 3 (yes the refs targeted the Isles all night) and Nielsen earned himself a penalty shot with great effort going up the wing and placing a shot that was stopped. He went to his backhand and cashed in to give the Isles their only goal.

Habs Top Isles 3-1; Martin Nets First NHL Goal

Plekanac put one past Rolie early in the first on the Habs first power play of the game. No one would score until the end of the second, and it was Matt Martin with his first NHL goal from a pass to the front of the net. Martin later in the second dropped the gloves with Gill and prior to the fight, he placed two very big hits on him. The Canadians would score two third period goals to keep a 3-1 score.

 

I believe Martin who averaged 10:50 in ice time in just his second game with the Isles this season, should be kept up here, and even though he's only played two games he's already earned it. Whether it be big hits, fights, or points, Martin can do it all. He should of been up here at the start of the season, the only problem was he wasn't healthy.

Milan Jurcina went off the ice with an injury, so new right winger Burno Gervais filled his spot. Can these injuries get any worse?

Schremp
Okposo
Streit
MacDonald
Grabner
Hunter and Bailey (who are now back on the ice)

And now Jurcina apparently...
Who's next?

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On a side note, Travis Hamonic scored for the Sound Tigers to give them the OT win over Manchester. Congrats to him for winning the game.

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The next opponent for the 4-4-2 Islanders are the Flyers in Philly. I'd expect to see Gillies giving a good amount of ice time as he was a healthy scratch tonight. Hopefully we'll see Rick DiPietro in net tomorrow night battling against the Flyers and showing those nice pink pads in honor for breast cancer.

'El Nino' Sent Back...Schremp To AHL

As most of you already know, Nino Niederreiter has been sent back to the Portland Winterhawks of the Western Hockey League by the New York Islanders. This move was an expected move and a smart move by the Isles.

'El Nino' had certainly not looked out of place in his nine games with the Islanders this season, scoring one goal and two assists, but the Islanders this season have plenty of NHL-caliber forwards that can fill his spot and help the team win now. Micheal Grabner, who was claimed off of waivers from Florida before the season began has showed he and his incredible speed belong on this team every night is currently resting a groin injury, Rob Schremp is soon to return from a back injury that his kept him out of the lineup so far this year, and eventually Kyle Okposo will return from his shoulder surgery as well. Trent Hunter and Matt Martin can be added into the equation as well.

With all of those NHL-ready forwards, the big 18 year old Niederreiter can afford to be sent back to juniors for another year to gain some more experience. He has only played one season of junior hockey to begin with. Giving him another year can only help his development.

This is a win-win situation for all involved. The Islanders can win games with or without Nino in the lineup, Nino gets to dominate in juniors for another year, and even the Winterhawks win out as well because now they get their big 18 year old forward back to score them some more goals. Overall, this situation was handled excellently by the Islanders.

Rob Schremp is on the comeback trail. He will be going to the Bridgeport Soundtigers of the AHL for a conditioning stint, starting tomorrow night against Manchester. He practiced with the Islanders yesterday for the first time since training camp. Rob injured his back in camp and has been out of the lineup since.

Nino Niederreiter Sent Back To The WHL

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Today, the big question was finally answered by the Islanders. Will Niederreiter stay on Long Island or return to the Portland Winterhawks of the WHL. The decision was made, and he returned to the WHL. El Nino, in nine games played, averaged two points, a goal and an assist. In the WHL with the Winterhawks, last season Nino netted 36 goals and 24 assists in just 65 games played.

Personally, I have to agree with the Isles on this move. Another year in the WHL will be good for him to develop. We don't have much space up front when Schremp and Okposo return as well. When Nino was asked by Chirs Botta from Islanders Point Blank on his thoughts, he stated the following:

"I had a great experience up here and I was happy to be here"

Good to see positives coming from Niederreiter and hopefully he can take those postives and bring them to the WHL. He's got great skill and just needs to work on a few things and hopefully, we'll be seeing him during the 2011-2012 season.

Islanders at Canadians Period By Period Blog

Roloson in net tonight, Martin making season debut, also El Nino in his 9th and final game before a decision is made...

1st period: It started off with a goal by Darche as he deflected it in front. Then when the Isles went on the power play, the Habs went on a two on one to beat Roloson, making the score 2-0. The Isles answered back after Weight fed it to Wisniewski for a slap shot and past Price. Moulson was given an assist as well. The Islanders need to stop spending time in their own zone and start testing Price.

2nd period: Plecanek scored for the Habs giving them a 3-1 lead. Wisniewski was boarded by Moen, taking a penalty, but then Konopka dropped the gloves with him and showed him what's up.You could tell Wisniewski appreciated Konopka sticking up for him as he gave Zenon a pat on the back after the fight Anyway, for some reason the Isles are having trouble getting the puck to the net tonight, but we'll see if they can tie it, or at least trail by a goal as they take the powerplay early into the third period.

3rd period: Tavares tallies early in the period on the powerplay from Wisniewski's shot but it's not enough. Wisniewski would score another goal from the point, then the Habs answer and hold a 4-2 score, netting an empty netter for the win. Tavares also scored on a Wisniewski shot vs the Panthers last game. Tavares now has 4 goals in two games. Is this his break out season? He scored all three goals last game and Wisniewski scored two this game, with Tavares netting one.

What To Do With Trevor Gillies? Does Nino Stay Or Go? Matt Martin Called Up

The Islanders have started out this season incredibly well given the injury problems that they have been faced with, but one thing that is confusing is the situation of one Trevor Gillies. Gillies was signed a to a one year, two-way contract by the Islanders in the off season and has quickly become a fan favorite. When you go to the merchandise stand at the Coliseum you see Matt Moulson T-shirts, Mark Streit shirts, John Tavares, Josh Bailey and Kyle Okposo, as well as Gillies. Gillies was at the draft party last June with Moulson and Tavares to unveil the Isles new road white jerseys. There was also a Trevor Gillies "Stache Station" at the draft party as well.

But Gillies averages only a minute or so per game. Usually that minute comes very early in the first period, and then he sits on the bench the rest of the game. He is incredibly outspoken and has become a vocal leader on the Islander bench, but his current situation is something that the Islanders said over the summer that they would never do. The Islanders claimed that they would not sign someone just to fight and sit on the bench, which is exactly what has been the situation for Gillies so far this year.

Gillies is a great leader, incredibly vocal on the bench, and an excellent fighter, but is he needed? Zenon Konopka has fought just as much as Gillies this season, he also kills penalties, and has the best face-off average for the Islanders. He also plays more than a minute per game.

Gillies has a two-way contract. He can be sent down to Bridgeport to play in the AHL. He can be recalled if the Islanders want an added physical presence for games against the Rangers and Flyers. He can also bring a positive attitude to the young guys on the Sound Tigers.

The Islanders can afford to send him down, keep Konopka, and even call up Matt Martin. Martin can score, hit, and fight.

Whatever the Islanders do with Gillies, he and his stache will remain a favorite of the Islander faithful.

Wednesday nights game in Montreal against the Canadiens is the Islanders ninth game of the season. Thus it is also decision time regarding the Islanders first round draft pick Nino Niederreiter. "El Nino" has played in every game for the Islanders so far logging one goal and one assist, and has looked pretty good. Coach Gordon has even said the Nino looks better at this point than Josh Bailey looked in his first year.

The problem for the Islanders is whether to send Nino back to Portland of the WHL where he will get a lot of ice time, or keep him here where he wont get nearly as much. Rob Schremp returns from his back injury in about a week or so barring any setbacks, Kyle Okposo will be back for the Islanders around December, and Matt Martin was just called up to take the spot of Micheal Grabner who strained his groin on Saturday.

So even though Nino has looked good to start the season off, the problem is more about ice time over anything else.

In my honest opinion (not that it matters much) I would send him back to Portland. Schremp will be back soon, Grabner has looked great, and Nino can benefit from the extra year in Juniors.

Matt Martin was called up by the Islanders yesterday as per Katie Strang, replacing Micheal Grabner in the lineup for Wednesday night. The speedy Grabner strained his groin on Saturday night in a loss to the Florida Panthers.

Matt Martin Gets The Call With Grabner Sidelined

                                      


Matt Martin got the call he's been waiting for from the Isles organization. He got the call up last night and is expected to play Wednesday against the Canadians in Montreal. He'll take Michael Grabners spot as Grabner's listed day to day with a groin injury, via Chris Botta. This must be a big accomplishment for him as he was sent back down to Bridgeport before the season began since the Isles needed to cut down their roster to 23.

He was reported to be practicing on a line with PA Parenteau, who leads the team in assists and Frans Nielsen today at practice. Nice to see him up here. He can play all areas of the game and he'll stick up for his teammates when necessary. He'll always be welcomed at the Coliseum, I'm sure.

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The Isles will drop the puck with the Montreal Canadians this Wednesday. I wonder if anyone (ahem, Konopka?) will get revenge on Mike Cammallari since he slashed "El Nino" in the pre season and only got a one game suspension for it, meanwhile Wisniewski got more games than Mike did, and Cammallari used physical violence. But I'm sure the league viewed it differently

My Montage 10/24/10 at OneTrueMedia.com

A video I put together on some of the newest Islanders and guys like Kyle Okposo and Rick DiPietro.

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Islanders vs Panthers Live Blog: Panthers Defeat Isles 4-3 But Tavares Comes Away With Hat Trick

1st Period: The Panthers go into the first intermission holding a 2-1 lead. It started off when a shot was fired from the point, past DiPietro. But the Isles answered back on the powerplay. Tavares lit the lamp to tie the game. The lamp will light one more time as DiPietro gets scored on. He was all the way to the left side and the shot was fired from the right, so there was nothing DP could do to stop it.

2nd Period: It's all about Tavares tonight! He picks up three goals for his first NHL hat trick. Adding to his first period goal, Wisniewski took a shot on the powerplay and it was deflected in front. Then, Comeau wristed one into the pads of Vokoun but JT picked up the rebound for his third goal of the night. The Panthers scored a goal as well in the period, but the game is tied at 3 heading into the third and final period.

3rd Period: The Panthers scored a somewhat late goal in the third to come away with the win tonight. In the final minutes, you can't say the Isles didn't work their tails off. Congrats to JT for his hat trick. The 4-2-2 Isles next opponent: The Montreal Canadians. See you then!
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Twitter Feedback: Every game, I'll try to tweet a question for your opinion and I'll try to include it in an upcoming blog..Here's feedback I got tonight..

What do you like about the Isles so far?

@SealsHockey A long list, but how about a new attitude: this team expects to win games now, not to just stay close.

Islanders at Panthers; A Mac Out, Hillen In..Bailey A Go?

UPDATED 6:03 PM: It's now reported that Josh Bailey will not be in the lineup tonight. Also, goaltender Rick DiPietro will get the start...Pink pads time?.

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Islanders' Young Core Pulling Together: My piece I wrote on the Isles a few weeks ago and how their progressing with their young core

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To start off, Defensemen Andrew MacDonald flew back to New York and underwent hand surgery yesterday, as he left Thursday night's game with a hand injury. Jack Hillen will take his place, which he took Wisniewski's place when he was suspended.

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The Isles will play the Florida Panthers who stand a record of 2-3-0 with 5 games played. I assume Roloson gets the nod in goal tonight as he was on the ice for practice yesterday, but you never know because sometimes DP gets practice days off. 

Per Katie Strang, coach Scott Gordon hasn't made a decision yet on weather Josh Bailey (hip flextor) will play tonight or not. But, some good news is that Blake Comeau is okay, and only suffered a charlie horse in Thursday nights game as he crashed into Ellis's net. He went off the ice but able to return for OT. Thank goodness, because that's not what this Isles team needs, another injury!

And of course, the game will air on MSG Plus 2..

Grabner Tallies Early, Isles Win From Werid Goal In OT

It first started off with a rebound goal from Michael Grabner who netted his second with the Isles. Doug Weight passed it in front, Nino took a shot, and Grabner picked up the rebound and lit the lamp. Later in the period, the Lightning answered back. Former Islander Sean Bergenheim went on a breakaway and beat DiPietro for his second of the season as well.

In the second, the Lightning put one past DiPietro. But the Isles went on a 5 on 3 powerplay, and PA Parenteau fired it home to tie the game at two. The Lightning were also on a 5 on 3 powerplay, but it was taken care of by the Isles with a nice PK.

Nice to see Grabner and Parenteau put some points up as last season they lacked points. This shows the Isles give young skilled players a chance, and they certainly fit well on this young Isles team. Parenteau now leads the Isles with 2 goals and 5 assists, with 7 points.

In the third and final period, DiPietro made some solid saves. The game went to OT, and the Islanders scored a weird goal. Ellis was trickling with it and his glove crossed the line. It was about a five minute review until the refs ruled it a goal, awarded to Matt Moulson.

DiPietro was looking pretty good tonight, especially in the second period after Bergenheim going on another breakaway, this time DP getting it with his glove. He's going to seem rusty for a few games, but you like I said you gotta give him credit as he's only played under 15 games in two years. He also carried the Isles to overtime for a few times now.

Andrew MacDonald left the game with a hand injury.

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Twitter Feedback

So I tweeted for fans opinions on how the Isles look so far this season. Here's some feedback I got:

@ReverandBobby:  So far, I like how the team has compensated for their injured players by stepping up and chipping in, however if they keep getting hit with these little injuries every night, it's going to take it's toll.


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The Isles will play the Florida Panthers Saturday night, starting at 7 pm. If DiPietro's feeling good, he'll start. But if he needs a rest, Rolie will get the nod. It'll be on MSG Plus 2 again.

Isles Take On Tampa Bay, DP Starts, Bailey Out

Tonight the Isles will faceoff against the 4-1-0 Lightning, starting at 7 pm. Rick DiPietro gets the nod in goal tonight, maybe he'll be debuting his new pink pads for breast cancer. The 3-1-2 Isles have to get the puck in the offensive zone tonight, and they can't waist time in their own zone.

Just a quick note, Burno Gervais has been practicing on offense, so that would be kinda cool to see him play forward for a few games. But according to Chris Botta, Gervais is one of the scratches tonight along with Josh Bailey (hip) and Jack Hillen. Bailey is a big loss for the Isles as he's been putting up some points in these 6 games played, but is expected to return vs the Panthers tomorrow night.

The game can be found on MSG Plus 2 tonight, and tomorrow night. Prepare for the crappy TV screen, but hey, atleast you get to watch your Isles!

Isles Beat Undefeated Leafs In OT 2-1...Bailey Injured

So the first place New York Islanders beat the first place and undefeated Toronto Maple Leafs in overtime by a score of 2-1 on a beautiful goal by John Tavares. The Isles also got beautiful goaltending from 41 year old Dwayne Roloson.

Roloson was magnificent in goal keeping the Islanders alive even when they were struggling. But even Roloson couldn't do it all on his own. Defenseman Radek Martinek made what might have been the best save of the night with about ten seconds left in the third period with the game tied at one.

The Isles got on the board early in the second period on a beautiful goal by Matt Moulson from an equaly as pretty pass by John Tavares just as the powerplay was ending.

The Isles kept the lead throughout the second period and almost all of the third until Phil Kessel scored on the powerplay for the Leafs with under two minutes left. Jon Sim failed to clear the puck out of the Isles zone, and the ensuing Toronto forecheck lead to James Wisniewski taking a cross-checking penalty with 2:41 remaining to set up the Kessel goal.

Tavares' overtime goal came on the powerplay off a pass from Wisniewski. Tavares ripped a shot short side of J.S. Giguere's glove to win it. The Maple Leafs' Brett Lebda took a goaltender interference penalty to setup the eventual game winning goal by Tavares.

In order to win games you need your goalie to play excellent, your defense to play excellent, and your best player to score key goals. All of that happened tonight for the Islanders. The Isles just need to work on discipline. They cannot keep taking penalties late in games and hope to keep winning. But regardless, tonight was an excellent game for the Islanders. They proved once again that they are a resilient bunch. They can have a goal scored on them late, lose the momentum, and still find a way to win it. The Islanders of last year would not have won tonight's game.

The only downside to tonight's game was Josh Bailey going down with a hip flexor injury. He got hurt checking Dion Phanuef in the first period, and was seen skating awkwardly back to the bench. He played the rest of the first, and a little over two minutes of the second period before calling it a night. Hopefully this injury is a short term one, because the Islanders certainly cannot afford to lose Bailey for any extended amount of time. He has been their best player since the season started, and they are still without Rob Schremp, Kyle Okposo, and Mark Streit.

Isles Beat Avs 5-2, Get Scoring From An Unlikely Source...Attendance Issues?

The Islanders did all the right things Saturday night and it showed with a 5-2 win over the Colorado Avalanche at Nassau Coliseum. They killed every penalty they faced, converted another powerplay goal, got a shorthanded goal, a couple even strength goals, played great team defense, and had excellent goaltending from Dwayne Roloson.

The Islanders look sharp early to start the season, and now hold a record of 2 wins, 1 loss, 1 overtime loss and 1 shootout loss, and now lead the Atlantic Division.

The Islanders are also tied for second in goals scored with the Penguins with 18 goals, trailing only the Chicago Blackhawks who have 20.

Saturday, October 16th is a day the Islanders can look back on if they need a boost of confidence. They beat an Avalanche team who beat the Devils the previous night in New Jersey, leads a tough Northwest Division, and is off to the teams hottest start in over 5 years. The Isles lead the division (even if it is still early) and are scoring a lot of goals. They can compete and win against tough teams.

"We have more than potential," said Coach Gordon following the win. "We have abilities."

The Isles as of last night have had 12 different players score a goal so far this season. Last night defenseman Milan Jurcina picked up two goals to get the Isles rolling. He scored shorthanded to get his first goal as an Islander as well as his first career shorthanded goal in the NHL. Last night was also the third multi-goal game of his career.

Grabner got his first goal as an Islander as well on a nifty pass on a two on one by P.A. Parenteau. Not only was the pass a beauty, but the shot was as well, as he snuck it just under Craig Anderson's glove.

Josh Bailey's hot hand continued last night netting yet another goal and another assist. He assisted on Jurcina's shorty by winning the faceoff, and scored a powerplay goal with one minute left in the second period on the powerplay by roofing it over a downed Anderson.

John Tavares got his first goal of the season as well. He scored an empty net goal to close out the game, giving the Isles a 5-2 win over the Avs.

James Wisniweski returned from his two game suspension for the now infamous gesture to Sean Avery last night. He was greeted to the chant of "James Wis-niew-ski!" on his first shift. He also led the Islanders in ice time with 23:12. Matt Moulson and Doug Weight were the only other Islanders who posted over 21 minutes of time.

The Islanders have had attendance issues to start the season. The season opener had a crowd of just over 13,000, Monday's Columbus Day matinee against the Rangers had a crowd of 11,000, and only 10,000 people saw the Isles beat the Avs last night on what the team called "Rollback Night." The Islanders were offering tickets for $19.72 for the game, but still the crowd was sparse. The Islanders raised ticket prices as well as parking prices, and it seems fans are not happy about it. In these troubled economic times, fans don't want to pay more for a team that has been consistently losing. But, if the Isles keep winning, the fans will come, and the Coliseum will be rocking again.

The Islanders currently lead the division. Fans, let's savor this moment for a while, and hope the team can keep it up.

Isles Defeat Avalanche 5-2 With Jurcina Netting First Two, and Grabner Gets First

The Isles came away with the win tonight, and that's all that matters. It started off with Jurcina firing one from the right point past Anderson. Then, on an angle, he put one on net and it went in. The Avs took a penalty and the Isles then capitalized again. Bailey came away with another goal with a nice move and netting it past Anderson.

Then, the Isles were on a 2-1 breakaway, I believe. It was PA Parenteau and Michael Grabner. Parenteau passed it over to Grabner and Grabner got his first goal as a New York Islander. That shows hard work pays off, and this kid can fly.

The Avs overall scored two, but the Isles came away with the win. John Tavares finished it off with the empty netter. Good to see him back after missing a few.

Also, something to point out, Trevor Gillies hasn't gotten much ice time this season. I don't understand why the Isles would resign him if they didn't plan on using him. He brings energy to the game and sticks up for what he calls his "little brothers" on the team.

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The next test: The 4-0-0 Toronto Maple Leafs...

The Isles will make the trip to Toronto tomorrow early so players can reunite with their families. They'll play the 4-0-0 Leafs Monday night, and I can see DP getting the start, as long as Cooke doesn't bother him. (Haha)

Islanders Avalanche Pregame; The Wiz and JT Return

After coming away with just one point out of two games for the Islanders' first two road games, they're back at the Coliseum tonight to face off with the Avs. John Tavares will play in just his first full game tonight (assuming nothing happens to him on the ice) after suffering a minor concussion against Dallas last Saturday. Also, recently suspened James Wisniewski will be back after serving two games.

It's still unclear who gets the start, but I'd go with Roloson. DiPietro needs a rest from getting trampled on by PA Parenteau and Matt Cooke, all caused by Cooke. Hopefully he's okay, though. If Rolie starts tonight, he'll make his Coliseum debut this season!

A few keys for the Isles tonight:
- Jump on them early
- Get the puck out of your zone and to the opponent's net
- And finally, don't take bad penalties!

This should be an exciting one tonight at the Coliseum. It will air on MSG Plus 2. Lets get a win out of this, Isles!

Isles Come Back In The Second, But Pens Rally In OT

The Pens scored two goals in the second, but the Isles came back with Bailey going to his backhand from a nice pass off of Comeau, and Martinek with a wrist shot past Johnsen. The Islanders had many chances in the game,  but couldn't capitalize on them.

A few notes from the game:

Matt Cooke not only once, but twice, messed with DiPietro tonight. It first started off by him pushing DiPietro's own teammate, Parenteau, on top of DP. Then, after coming out of the box, he "fell" on top of DiPietro. It looked to not of been an "accident". DiPietro was down for awhile, but came back up to finish off the game.

Great to see Bailey getting another goal, as he had one against the Rangers. Him and Comeau seem to have great chemistry. Monday, Bailey set Comeau up from a spin o rama pass and Comeau fired it home. Tonight, Comeau passed it to Bailey and Bailey went to his backhand to light the lamp.

Also, as Butch Goring states, I as well don't get the penalty to Jurcina. It was just a bad call by the refs, therefore, the Penguins scoring a powerplay goal in OT.

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Tomorrow, the Isles will face the Colorado Avalanche at the Coliseum. I would expect to see Roloson make his second start as DiPietro was a little shaken up tonight. The Isles need to watch out for the Avs goaltender Craig Anderson as he played well against the Devils tonight to get the win.

Islanders Young Core Pulling Together

Just a few weeks ago, the Isles picked up forward Michael Grabner off waivers. Many doubted him, even his coach. Dale Tallon states the following...

"I was not surprised [Grabner was claimed], but he didn't have a very good camp and didn't earn a spot on our roster." (via IslandersHockeyBlog)

Grabner is an excellent skater. He can fly. All he has to do is finish his chances and he'll be a proven top forward. I would love to see him on a line when Kyle Okposo returns from his shoulder surgery. Why? Because they both have great speed and work their tails off up the ice.

From my standpoint, it really doesn't matter how many goals you net. It's all about the effort. If your standing in the opponent's zone just staring at the puck, you obviously don't deserve a spot on the team. But if your out there, working the puck to the opponent's net, taking those shots, and passing to your teammates, you have a well deserved spot on the team.

Another player to mention is PA Parenteau. Many doubted him, so did I. I thought he would end up like another Jeff Tambellini, producing in the AHL but not putting the goals in the net in the NHL. That's not the case. From game one, (even though the Isles only played three games to far) I've seen Parenteau coming in the zone with great moves. He had a well deserved goal on Monday against the Rangers. That tells you hard work pays off.

Also, look at Josh Bailey. Last year he very well, and we all know for a fact, he wouldn't be able to hold the puck and pass the puck as he does now. He looks much stronger and bigger on the puck, and that's exactly what Isles fans wanted from him. Great to see him score Monday as well, even with that nice spin pass to Comeau for his second goal of the game.

Overall, this Isles team has gotten much better in the off season, which the acquisitions on Defense, and up front. Grabner will give the Isles a big boost along with Parenteau. We certainly will be competing for a playoff seed if we keep up this great effort on the ice. Great to see positives coming from this young Islanders core.

Islanders411 Introduces A Live Chat Page!

 By clicking this link,http://www.islanders411.com/p/live-chat.html or by clicking the "LIVE CHAT" tab at the top of the website, you can chat with Nick, Rob or Dave from Islanders411. I plan to have live chats during games as well. So make sure you stop in and chat with Nick from Islanders411 to talk about all Islanders hockey!

Also, follow my twitter account as I plan to announce the live chat dates during games! @IHB_NICK

Caps Defeat Isles 2-1; Niederreiter Gets First NHL Goal

 

The Capitals have defeated the Islanders by a score of 2-1. Well played game by the Islanders. It all started when Nino Niederreiter picked up his first NHL goal from a feed from Weight. Grabner and Weight assisted. Then in the second, Roloson was screened and Ovechkin fired one past Roloson to tie the game.

In the third period, with the Caps on a power play as Comeau went off for roughing, Ovi fired one from the blue line and it deflected off of Backstrom's skate and in. The Isles played hard but not enough to tie the game. They honestly did look like a much stronger team with the puck tonight, and they were playing the Capitals, one of the best teams in the league.


Player to mention:

Michael Grabner: Glad the Isles picked him up off waivers. He has great speed and generates great chances, all he has to do is finish on them. Picked up an assist on Nino's goal.

Islanders vs Capitals 7:00 PM; Roloson and Hillen Make Season Debuts

The Isles will face the Caps tonight for their third game. John Tavares didn't travel with the team, so he'll be out of the lineup tonight. Grabner is in to take his spot again. Also, Dwayne Roloson, who will debut a new mask like DiPietro did Monday, and Jack Hillen will make their season debuts tonight as Wisniewski was suspended and I guess they're just giving DP the night off.

This will be a tough battle for the Islanders, who are undefeated in regulation so far, as the Caps are one of the better teams in the NHL with their stars like Ovi and Semin. The Isles will have to jump on them early and keep generating shots to the net to come away with the win.

The game will air on Versus so make sure to tune in at 7:00 PM.



I will be live tweeting again tonight so please make sure to follow me @IHB_NICK

The Wiz Gets 2 Game Suspension For Gesture To Avery

James Wisniewski has been suspended today for two games, for his "obscene gesture" towards Sean Avery of the Rangers.

A suspension had to be expected, but two games is one game too many. Mike Cammalleri got only one game for a jab with his stick to the face and a two-handed slash to the back of the leg of Nino Neiderreitter when the Islanders split-squad played the Canadiens during the preseason, but the Wiz gets two games for a hand gesture? That is a horrible ruling.

What makes the ruling even worse is that Avery made the same exact gesture to Wiz during warm-ups prior to this game.

According to Eklund, the league is looking into what Avery did, but so far no action has been taken.

As a fan, and someone who has played the game for 14 years, I can say for sure that this type of gesture is made all the time, and does not deserve a suspension. Is it wrong to make? Yes. It deserves an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for two minutes during the actual game. Since this incident was caught on camera, a monetary fine is deserving as well, but no suspension should be given, and definitely not for two games.

On a different note, the Islanders debuted a new goal song on Monday. The song is entitled "Live is Life" by Opus. The song was picked by Zenon Konopka, and the players signed a petition to have the team change the song. Zenon believes that this year the team is new, the goals are new, so the song should be new.

Even though it was very strange to hear a new goal song, if the Islanders can stay in the playoff race near the end of this season, the song will be embraced by all.

Isles Rally in 3rd, Knock Off Blueshirts

Today the Isles took on their crosstown rivals, the Rangers, in an afternoon Columbus Day special. For the most part, this game was a back-and-forth, almost equal show of power from both New York teams; but the real excitement came in the final period. With 7:14 remaining in the 3rd, the Rangers broke a 3-3 tie when Anisimov fired a pass from Gaborik through the legs of DiPietro. Later on, with little time to spare, with the Islanders on a 5-on-3 power play, former Ranger PA Parenteau got the Islanders even after firing a rebound from Wisniewski’s shot past Lundqvist on stick side. Soon thereafter, the Islanders found themselves on yet another power play – and capitalized, again. This time it was Blake Comeau, scoring his second goal of the game; Josh Bailey took the puck behind the goal line, curled it back around to Comeau who was out in front of Lundqvist, who would then put it home. This would give the Islanders the late lead, which would prove enough, even though Frans Nielsen would later score on the Rangers’ empty net to seal the game at 6-4, for the Islanders. With that win the Islanders are now 1-0-1, undefeated in regulation, for now. However, an impressive start, nonetheless. When asked about the Islanders’ strong march out of the gates, Coach Scott Gordon noted: "I think for our team it is good to start with three points out of four at home. We’ve got 12 of our next 14 games on the road and the fact that we were able to come away with these points is huge because it’s certainly not going to be easy on the road. So going into it for us to be able to do what we did, in the manner that we did it, obviously we’re thrilled. Losing John [Tavares] last game you don’t expect your team to come away with ten goals in the first two games.” When asked about what it meant to beat the Rangers today, #1 star Blake Comeau said: "It’s big. I think we’ve got that ‘never say die’ attitude. I’ve said it before, we’ve got a different feeling in this room. We’ve got the feeling we can win every game, and we’re not just satisfied with a good effort. This is the year where we want to see results.” On the same subject, winning goaltender Rick DiPietro noted: "I thought with Dallas we took a step in the right direction, battled back in the third period to tie that up. Like I said last game, unfortunately I couldn’t, you know, do my job and pull out that extra point, but tonight the power play bailed us out again. The guys played hard. It’s a great rivalry and a great game. [...] It helps when you get a 5-on-3 that late in the game. Guys work hard, and when you work hard, good things happen. I think that’s the biggest thing we stressed is ... there’s only so many things you can control in a hockey game, and effort is one of them. We may win, we may lose, but the effort’s always going to be there, and it paid off tonight.” (Originally posted on Islanders Hockey Blog)

Isles Top Rangers 6-4, Comeau Lights The Lamp Twice

It was a more physical one from the Coliseum today. DP played great in just his second game in a few months. Comeau opened it up by going on a breakaway, being stopped by "Henrik" but picking up his own rebound and putting it home to give the Isles a 1-0 lead.

Then it was Josh Bailey putting it in the back of the net with a Ranger falling on top of him. Great to see him get one as he's been working hard the past two games. Moulson trickled one in late in the second,  Parenteau shot one past Henry, great to see him get one as well. He's certainly been working hard to earn an opportunity with the Islanders.

On the powerplay again, Bailey did the spin o rama move to Comeau, Comeau fired it home and lit the lamp to give the Isles a 5-4 lead. Neilsen worked his tail off and fired it into the empty net. At the end, Sim was in a little scrum, directed away by the ref.

Players to mention:

Blake Comeau: 3 goals in two games for Comeau, good things happening for him. Could end up like Moulson, another 30 goal scorer.

Rick DiPietro: Bailed the Isles out a good amount of times in the game. Looked pretty sharp. Deserves the W. Nice stop on Gaborik on the penalty shot. Nice new mask for him.

Josh Bailey: Deserved that goal. Worked his tail off like I said the past two games, getting in the dirty areas for that goal and spin o rama assist. Well done.

And can someone tell me what that goal song even was?

Comments on your thoughts of the game are requested and always apprecaited!

Islanders vs Rangers 1:00pm

UPDATED 11:18 AM: Rick DiPietro will get the start in net today.

For just the second game of the season for the Isles, they'll be taking on the Rangers at the Coliseum at 1:00 pm. Islanders pregame on MSG Plus starts at 12:30. It should be an exciting one for PA Parenteau, who was part of the rivarly last year, and now he's on the other side of the river.

It's still unclear who gets the start, but as soon as I know, I'll update. Expect John Tavares to be out, and Michael Grabner in. With Tavares out, this gives Grabner an opportunity to prove that the Isles management made the right move by claiming him.

That Gillies Konopka Sim line will be in effect today!

The Islanders will most likely be wearing their new white away jerseys, as they do on matinee games. Rangers will be in their home jerseys. Maybe Martin Biron will be in net since most coaches let goalies play against their former teams.

I will be live tweeting starting at 1pm so please make sure to follow me on Twitter @IHB_NICK. Also check back here after the game for the recap and my thoughts on the game. Should be a good one today.

Also, comments are always requested with your opinion, thoughts etc and always appreciated!

Notes From Home Opener

The first thing that truly stood out was the exceptional play from Doug Weight. He looked like a completely different player from last year and definitely did not look his age. He logged over twenty minutes of ice time last night, playing on his line and covering the spot left vacant by John Tavares.

The power-play was also very good last night going 3-4 including Weight's goal on a 5-on-3 situation in the second period and Matt Moulson's game-tying goal with under three minutes remaining. Going 3-4 on opening night shows some signs of life to a power-play that was one of the worst in the league last season.

Special teams as a whole was very good last night with the Isles going 5-6 on the penalty kill. Again, that hopefully is a sign of things to come for a penalty kill that was again one of the lowest in the league last season.

The team also showed a lot of character and maturity in not giving up when down by a couple goals last night. They continued to play tough and take shots without being discouraged and they got a hard earned point out of it. A point that Doug Weight felt they probably would not have been able to get last year.

Rick DiPietro was very shaky in the first period, but that should have been expected. He takes full responsibility for the second goal, a very soft goal, but other than that he was very solid. However, the fans need to stick by him a little bit. He is an excellent goaltender with a lot of skill who has been plagued by injuries. That's not his fault. Give the guy a little bit of a break. The "We want Roli" chants last night were definitely not deserved.

James Wisnieski is going to be a fan favorite here on the Island. He notched a goal, assist, a penalty, and an incredible hit on Jamie Benn of the Stars in front of the Islanders bench. If he keeps hitting like that Isles fans will be asking "Andy Sutton; who's that?"

The Coliseum was not sold-out, but there was a pretty good crowd nonetheless. The place was rocking though right after Mouslon tied the game up. It's always great to hear the Coliseum that loud.

One last note: For those people who were standing on the line for the Loudville section, Michael Grabner, Jack Hillen, and Rob Schremp all came out to greet the fans on line. That was very cool. Hillen seemed very quiet. I'm not sure if he is just quiet by nature, but it seemed that he was quiet because he was upset he wasn't in the lineup. That should be understandable since he was one of the top defenseman for the Islanders almost all of last season. Rob Schremp was very upbeat, and got a good laugh when the crowd starting chanting his name. I also asked him how his back was feeling and he said "Pretty good, but I just really want to get on the ice again." We all want you out there too, Rob.

Isles Loose In Shootout, Final Score 5-4

Few notes from the home opener tonight.

-Parenteau looked very sharp tonight, even delivering a few hits
-John Tavares left the game with a mild concussion, and he will be evaluated Monday.
-Wisniewski, Weight, Comeau and Moulson each had a goal for the Isles tonight
-The Isles played pretty physical tonight, even a few hits by Blake Comeau. Wisniewski drilled a Star right infront of the Isles bench, and he goes off the ice injured.

The game ended in a shootout. Neilsen was denied, Parenteau hit the post, and Moulson couldn't pull one off. DP looked pretty sharp in the shootout, as he did tonight. We got to give the guy credit, he hasn't played an NHL game in a few months.

The Isles will take on the Rangers Monday at the Coliseum at 1pm. It's a matinee game. I would expect DP to get the start again, as the Isles said he's the number one goaltender, but it all depends on how he feels after the game.

Also, if Tavares is out for a long period of time, it's time to trade.

Islanders vs Dallas Home Opener Preview

Today's the big day. The day we have all been waiting for. The home opener! The Isles will face off against the Dallas Stars at 7pm tonight. DP will get the start, good to see him back.

Last night, the Stars played the Devils and won in OT. My advice to the Isles: Jump on them early.


Here's what the roster will look like tonight, with Scott Gordon most likely changing them up

Comeau - Tavares - Parenteau
Moulson - Nielsen - Hunter
Bailey - Weight - Niederreiter
Gillies - Konopka - Sim
Grabner (Will sit out the first two games to adjust to Scott Gordon's system)

Defense
Eaton
Gervais
Hillen
Jurcina
MacDonald,
Martinek
Mottau
Wisniewski

DiPietro
Roloson

The Gillies Konopka Sim line is going to bring a lot of energy into the Coliseum tonight. All three of them will do whatever it takes to bring energy to the game, win, and stick up for their teammates. Looking forward to seeing them play together tonight.

Great job by DP earning the start tonight. We would of never thought this when the season ended, to see DP playing the first game of the 2010-2011 season. He should be energetic tonight, I know I would.

I will be live tweeting on Twitter tonight, so please follow me @IHB_NICK

DiPietro Gets the Start...Hofstra the New Radio Partner?...Rex Ryan To Drop Ceremonial Puck Before Saturday's Game

So the Islanders announced via their twitter account that Rick DiPietro will start the season opener against the Dallas Stars Saturday night at the Coliseum.

This is good news. It shows that Rick and the Isles are very confident in his health. It also shows that the Islanders know how important he is to the fans. As Chris Botta pointed out, the Isles are announcing his start 30 hours in advance of the game. Last season coach Gordon told reporters to not bother asking who would start that night's game because he wouldn't tell. This is exciting for all parties involved.

Earlier this week Chris Botta announced that the Islanders are very close to finalizing a radio deal with WRHU 88.7FM of Hofstra University. It would essentially be student run, but a veteran broadcaster would be in charge. This also would mean that there will be no more simulcasts which the fans hated.

Another quick note: Rex Ryan, head coach of the New York Jets football team will handle the ceremonial puck drop before Saturday night's season opener at the Coliseum.

Hockey season is upon us. Let's Go Islanders!

Isles cut down roster

Just some quick thoughts and surprises about the Islanders opening night roster:

El Nino- I am actually a little surprised he is still on the Island. He is an amazing talent, but I didn't think he showed enough in the preseason to prove he was ready, granted I only saw him play a few times and he may have showed more when I hadn't seen him.  Wondering if they are using the 9 game window they have to fill in until Grabner is ready to jump into the system and help fill the hole left by the injury of Schremp, who would probably be back shortly after the 1st 9 games.

Michael Grabner- Not surprised he was claimed.  He is a great talent and he is still young.  Garth Snow has had pretty good success in bringing in guys who other teams didn't believe in.  Guys like Matt Moulson, Mark Streit and Rob Schremp have stepped up their game coming to the Isles after being underutilized by another team.

Jon Sim-  I know a lot of Islander fans seem upset that he made the team.  No one works harder and if he impressed everyone enough to stick on the big club even with a 2 way contract I say more power to him.  If he doesn't produce he can be replaced with Matt Martin once he gets his legs back after the recent injury.

Bruno Gervais / Milan Jurcina-  I have to say I am surprised they are going ahead with 8 defensemen.  I don't see them carrying 8 for too long.  Not sure if they are not sure which one they want to expose to waivers.  I think Gervais is the one who will really have to earn his spot.  I think Jurcina is more likely to be claimed on waivers, and I am not sure they would risk losing with nothing in return. Either trade Jurcina or demote Gervais seem to be the 2 options that would work when they get tired of trying to rotate out 2 spare defencemen,.

Martin and De Hann Gone



 Trevor Gillies



Today, all NHL teams were required to trim their roster down to 23 maximum. Doing so, the Isles sent Matt Martin to Bridgeport, and Calvin De Hann to Oshawa. As Chris Botta reports, Coach Scott Gordon says that they've added more depth to their defense then last year, and also that De Hann got off to a slow start but really picked it up in training camp.

No doubt Martin will be around this season, the Isles just had to send at least someone down to Bridgeport. He's going to get the chance to show he can play sometime this season. We all predicted the 4th line would be Martin, Konopka and Gillies. Instead, it appears to be Gillies,Konopka and Sim.

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Recently claimed off waivers, Michael Grabner will sit out the first two games. I inference to get used to the system, and watch his new teammates play.