Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Islanders Game #1 Recap

The Islanders Opening Night started against the Dallas Stars. The Islanders had a sell out crowd. Hopeful for the 2010-2011 season to end in postseason. The game started off with Rick DiPietro in net. It was his first Opening Night start since 2007-2008. The Stars took an early lead in the first period, 2-0. The Islanders got a goal back in the 2nd, Wiznieski's goal. But quickly gave it back. But Doug Weight scored to get the score to 3-2. The 3rd period then was underway.

The Islanders fell behind again 4-2, but somehow with a goal from Blake Comeou got it back to 4-3. Again, soon the Islanders had a powerplay goal, and on a shot from Matt Moulson tied the game up!

The Islanders then went to Overtime, down 4-3 on men, but kept it where it was. Then they went to the shootout

DiPietro didn't do bad on the shootout, but The Islanders didn't score later, and soon lost 5-4 in the shootout, ending the 2nd straight opening night game at home losing in a shootout.

VOTE YES! August 1st

http://youtu.be/1BMHon8vZkE

Click on the link to see the video I created to support the new arena. Please all Nassau County residents, VOTE YES!

Monday, July 25, 2011

Please be sure to enjoy this site!

The Islanders are currently in the off season, but that doesn't mean there wont be updates! Every day, this site will have a look back at the 2010-2011 season for the Islanders. Every day will list a new game, up to Opening Night 2011-2012. Tomorrow will start the recap of last season, Opening Night Islanders vs. Stars

Islanders411 is now under new ownership

Islanders411 has been taken over by Kenny Cari. Kenny is a heavy film maker, also an Islanders season ticket holder. Kenny will update the site with videos and new news resulting around the Islanders

Sunday, July 24, 2011

Gandler And Snow "Still Talking"

As first reported by SovSport, then by Katie Strang, multiple reports indicate that former Islanders captain Alexei Yashin and his agent are in negotiations with Islanders GM Garth Snow about a possible return to the Islanders.

I contacted Yashin's agent, Mark Gandler and asked if Snow and him are still negotiating, as the latest news was on Friday.

He replied to me via email:

"Yes, we're talking"

Do I think Yashin will be signed shortly? Yes.

The reason for Yashin's potential return? Blake Comeau is being shopped, as first reported by BDGallof.

More to come...

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Islanders411 Is Back!

Islanders411, after being down since January, is back up and running! It will be going through major construction in the next few weeks. If you are interested in writing for Islanders411, please contact me. The best way is to reach me on Twitter @Islanders411, as when the site was down, it wiped out my email to the site as well. The old link used to be Islanders411.com, but the server that hosted it was down and now it is back to it's origional URL, www.isles411.blogspot.com. That should change in the next few weeks back to Islanders411, though.

Thursday, January 27, 2011

ISLANDER REPORT CARDS: FORWARDS

Even with the Islanders' recent struggles in the 2010-11, some of the youngsters have proven a lot and produced a great amount of points through the difficult times.

In this piece, I will grade all of the Isles' forwards from A-F.

Josh Bailey: Josh is a very talented winger for the Islanders, but hasn't proven much this season. After being sent down to the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, he recorded quite amount of points which led to the Isles calling him back up. Since being back on the Island, he only has three goals. Bailey's going to have to prove a lot more to stick around next season. C

Blake Comeau: Comeau brings a great amount of size and physical play to the Islanders team, and doesn't let the youngsters get pushed around. He can also put the puck in the net when a goal's needed, but he's in a scoring slump as of late. Only time will tell if Blake will be in an Isles uniform next year. C+

Trevor Gillies: Trevor, a fan favorite, brings great energy to the game and doesn't back down from anything. The problem is, he's having trouble producing which causes him to sit in the press box most of the season. If he goes to the net and works hard, the goals will come. D

Michael Grabner: For a guy that was picked up off waivers in the beginning of the season, Grabner isn't bad at all. His 15 goals show why he was picked to participate in the skills competition at the 2011 All Star Game. A

Zenon Konopka: Just like Gillies, Konopka brings great energy to the atmosphere and can get physical at times. He has an outstanding face off percentage, and his only disadvantage is scoring some goals. B

Matt Martin: After being called up from Bridgeport in late October, Martin put a few pucks in the net and earned himself some fights. As of late, he hasn't been producing much or getting into scraps, but he's a great fore checker in which case the Isles need. C

Matt Moulson: The former 30 goal scorer has 17 goals on the season, one away from his buddy John Tavares. Moulson gets in the dirty areas and can certainly put pucks in the back of the net, but the question remains: Will he be traded? A

Frans Nielsen: Nielsen only has five goals this season, but it doesn't matter to him or his coaching staff. He's been listed as a "play maker" thus far in the season as he kills penalties, gets the puck to the net, and sets up great plays. Scoring doesn't matter to him, what matters is giving the team a chance to win every night, and Frans does that. B-

PA Parenteau: For a former AHL'er and third liner on the Rangers, Parenteau shows that he belongs on this Islander team. From playing physical to setting up plays and scoring, PA brings it all. A-

Rob Schremp: Rob has a great set of hands, and it comes in handy at times. But with only seven goals, Schremp's going to have to prove more than his hands to get him a spot on the Isles roster next season. C

John Tavares: Tavares has great hand eye coordination, and can make some great plays. His lack of skating fast effects him at times, but he can definitely light the lamp as he leads the team with 18 goals. A+

* = Not listed due to number of games played:

Kyle Okposo*
Trent Hunter*
Jeremy Colliton*

Monday, January 24, 2011

Will Nabokov eventually report to the Island?

Claimed off waivers Sunday, reports indicate that goaltender Evgeni Nabokov will not report to the Isles, as he wants to play on a "winning team."

I contacted Nabokov's agent, Don Meehan. I asked him if his client would join the Islanders team, and he replied:

"He has decided not to report."

ESPN Pierre LeBrun reached Nabokov through the phone Sunday afternoon during the Islanders 5-3 loss to the Sabres, which caused even the Islanders MSG announcer to bring it up.

Nabokov stated that he has "decided to stay home" and that "there was no point in the Isles picking him up."

Later in the day, Katie Strang from Newsday spoke to owner Charles Wang. Wang said that apparently, the goaltender hung up on Isles GM Garth Snow the day he was claimed but was confused on who called him. His agent, Don, reportedly said Nabokov would call Snow back but never did.

Strang also reported that both Garth Snow and Evgeni Nabokov made plans to speak today. So far, everything is "status quo," according to Katie.

Things even got more interesting when Peter Botte tweeted that Alexi Yashin, whose contract was bought out from the Isles a few years ago, has been in contact with Nabokov trying to motivate his former Russian teammate to play for the team.

What the Islanders could do if the goalie doesn't report

The Islanders hold the cards in this one. Nabokov is now property of the Islanders, as he's even listed on their roster.

1. They could either toll his contract, which means the goaltender cannot play anywhere in the NHL but the Islanders until he finishes out his contract (one season). He would not become a free agent on July 1st.

2. They could also try to trade him, but he'd have to clear waivers first

3. They could suspend him, which seems likely if he doesn't report.

The Islanders' GM, Garth Snow, has yet to state what he wants to do with Nabokov, but an action will certainly be taken if he doesn't report.

--

This piece can also be seen at SportsHaze

Sunday, January 23, 2011

What To Do With Nabokov

On Friday afternoon, the Detroit Red Wings signed goaltender Evgeni Nabokov to a one year contract. Since Nabokov played in Europe this season, he would have to clear waivers to play for the Red Wings. I think it is safe to say that everybody knew Nabokov would not be playing for the Wings as someone was bound to claim him off waivers.

Everybody knew this. His manager even made it publicly known to Bob Mckenzie of TSN that Nabokov would report to any team who claims him as long as he could be a starter.

Enter the New York Islanders.

On New Years Day, the Islanders traded goaltender Dwayne Roloson for defensive prospect Ty Wishart of the Tampa Bay Lightning. In the game immediately following the trade, Rick DiPietro left with a groin injury and did not return for about two weeks later. So the Isles turned to 27 year old rookie Nathan Lawson, and 20 year old rookie Kevin Poulin to hold down the fort. As Nabokov was being put on waivers, Lawson was playing for the Islanders in Buffalo on Friday night, and he injured his left knee in the process. According to Katie Strang of Newsday, Lawson will be out for the next 1-2 weeks with an MCL strain.

So that left the Islanders with an oft-injured goalie in DiPietro, an injured 27 year old rookie goalie in Lawson, and a 20 year old rookie in Poulin who the team would rather have develop properly in the American Hockey League.

Obviously the Islanders would make a claim for Nabokov with a goaltender situation like they have now.

And that is exactly what they did. It was announced by Mckenzie around 12:05 Saturday afternoon that the Islanders had indeed claimed Nabokov off waivers.

That should not surprise anybody.

However, what happened next surprised everybody. Mckenzie was told by Nabokov's agent an hour or so after Nabokov was claimed that he would not report to play for the Islanders.

Now that came less than a full day after his agent said that he would report to any team who claimed him.

Garth Snow would later say on Saturday afternoon that he had left messages on Nabokov's phone, but had yet to actually speak to him. He said that everything was "on the up and up" and that they were "making his jersey as we speak."

Today, Nabokov finally spoke. Not to the Islanders, not to Garth Snow, but to Pierre Lebrun of ESPN. Nabokov said he was surprised that he was claimed by the Islanders and said "Wow, what's the point?" Nabokov also claimed that he was not left any messages by Snow.

Another development in this story was brought to light by the Associated Press. Apparently Nabokov hung up on Snow when Snow called him yesterday. What allegedly happened was Snow identified himself, and Nabokov immediately hung up. Snow was then called by Nabokov's agent and immediately offered an apology.

But for now, everything is the same as it was yesterday. Nabokov is property of the New York Islanders. Nabokov still refuses to play for the New York Islanders.

Now it is time for Garth Snow to make a decision. He could be the nice guy and let Nabokov go back on waivers and get claimed by another team. Or he could suspend Nabokov and prevent him from playing in the NHL for any team this season.

Personally, I would suspend Nabokov. I would not let Nabokov get what he wants. He knew the rules. He knew that he would be claimed by another team. He and his manager even said he would play for any team if claimed. Either they lied, or they forgot that the Islanders existed. I'm willing to bet that they did the former.

Nabokov should not be able to pick and choose and essentially bend the rules to his liking. He knew the rules and he should abide by them as every other player in this league does.

Because of this situation, and Garth Snow's stance on this situation, my respect level for Garth has gone up quite a bit.

So with that said, I have a message for Garth, and I think many Islanders fans will agree with me on this: Suspend Evgeni Nabokov and make sure he doesn't play in the NHL ever again.

Will Nabokov Report To The Island?

After being claimed off of waivers yesterday afternoon by the Islanders, there was indication that Evgeni Nabokov refused to report to the Islanders.

I reached his agent, Don Meehan and he stated:

"He has made the decision not to report".

ESPN contacted Nabokov himself just a few minutes ago.
"I think I'm going to stay home for now, I'm sticking with my decision," Nabokov told ESPN.com from his home in San Jose. "It's nothing against the Islanders and their organization. It's nothing to do with that. It's just that I'm at the point in my career where I want to help a team win in the playoffs. I don't see how I could help the Islanders or what I could do for them. It doesn't make a lot of sense to me. And I hope they understand that."

"I understand the rules," said Nabokov, who signed a one-year, $570,000 deal with the Wings. "We're not stupid, we knew what was going on before we made the decision. But I made this decision because the goal was to play with Detroit."
However, Katie Strang Tweeted moments ago that Garth Snow was apparently on the phone with the goaltender, or so Wang says.

For up to date information, please follow me on Twitter @NickMcGuireNYI...

Saturday, January 22, 2011

Breaking News: Isles Claim Goaltender Evgeni Nabokov Off Waivers

(SportsHaze)

UPDATED: Nabokov's agent, as many others, have informed me that "He has made the decision not to report."

Wow.

--

As first reported by the Isles official Twitter account, the Islanders have claimed goaltender Evgeni Nabokov off waivers.

Nabokov was recently signed by the Detroit Red Wings, but in order for him to be a part of their club, he was required to go through waivers. All Evgeni has to do now is report to the team, and he will be property of the Islanders.

That shouldn't be a problem, anyhow, as Nabokov's agent stated yesterday that "he would report to any team that claims him".

The 35 year old has played a total of 563 NHL games, with a record of 293-178-29. Last season with the San Jose Sharks, he held a record of 44-16.

No word yet if he'll start tomorrow afternoons game against the Buffalo Sabres, but it's certainly likely.

Thursday, January 20, 2011

OKPOSO RETURNS AS THE ISLES FACE THE CAPS TONIGHT

(This piece can also be seen at SportsHaze)

Tonight the Islanders will battle against Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals at 7PM E.T. Starting in goal will be Rick DiPietro, who missed practice yesterday and Sunday with the flu.

The moment we've all been waiting for is finally here. Kyle Okposo will be in the lineup tonight after missing all games played in the season with a shoulder injury, that was surgically repaired. Here's what Kyle had to say about returning:

"I've been waiting a long time for this, and I'm ready to go."

“I’m sure I’ll be pretty amped up and have to almost control my emotions a little bit and remind myself that I have done it before and you just have to go play,”

Head coach Jack Capuano stated that Okposo could see some powerplay time, but "We'll have to see how the game goes".

Frans Nielsen, who's been out the past two weeks due to a groin injury, will also be in the lineup tonight on a line with Okposo.

The full lines from yesterdays practice are the following: (via the Islanders official website)

Forwards
26 Matt Moulson – 91 John Tavares – 15 PA Parenteau
57 Blake Comeau – 12 Josh Bailey – 37 Jeremy Colliton
40 Michael Grabner – 51 Frans Nielsen – 21 Kyle Okposo
17 Matt Martin – 28 Zenon Konopka – 14 Trevor Gillies
44 Rob Schremp

Defensemen


47 Andrew MacDonald – 36 Travis Hamonic
24 Radek Martinek – 38 Jack Hillen
8 Bruno Gervais – 42 Dylan Reese

Goaltenders

39 Rick DiPietro
52 Nathan Lawson

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

MOULSON TO BE DEALT?

(This piece can also be seen at SportsHaze)


Under the trade rumor category, the name "Matt Moulson" has certainly appeared a lot this season. Many would probably ask themselves "why in the world would the Isles trade one of their best players?". Well now, it seems more and more likely.

Moulson, 27, who's best friends with line mate John Tavares, currently has 26 points (14 goals, 12 assists) and is fourth on the team under the stats section.

Matt was signed by the Islanders in the 2009 free agency period. In his first season with the Isles, he recorded 30 goals and 18 assists for 48 points, which gave him the team lead.

Rumors have been heating up, especially yesterday, that the forward could be a possible trade candidate.
TSN Bob McKenzie tweeted yesterday the following:

"If the NYI are trading Matt Moulson, as has been reported/rumored elsewhere, I am told it's not to Boston."

On the other hand, Eklund from HockeyBuzz reported that Moulson is generating serious interest from the Bruins.

My take: I truly don't believe the Isles will trade Moulson. Garth Snow always states that he "doesn't want to break up his young core". I believe that the Isles will do whatever it takes to resign the youngster before just trading him away. You also got to remember, as I stated before, Moulson and Tavares are best friends and have great chemistry on the ice, and that might effect Tavares' development with Moulson not around.

*

In other news, the Islanders sent forward Jesse Joensuu and goaltender Nathan Lawson back down to Bridgeport, which indicates that Rick DiPietro is healthy after sitting out yesterday's 5-2 loss to the New Jersey Devils.

Sunday, January 16, 2011

ISLANDERS 5, SABRES 3

(This piece can also be seen at SportsHaze)



Both teams came into the Coliseum with energy, skill, and speed to the game. But only one team would walk away with the win, and it was the Islanders due to their great effort in the first two periods, and somewhat third.

Lighting the lamp first was the Buffalo Sabres as Thomas Vanek chipped one in past DiPietro on a five on three powerplay.

Next up in the second, John Tavares carried the puck and wristed one past Miller to tie the game at one.

But he wasn't done yet. Matt Moulson fired one at Ryan Miller which was stopped by the pads. Tavares picked up the rebound and fired home for his second of the game.

Defenseman Andrew Macdonald fired a shot from the point, which was deflected by Parenteau past Miller, but not past the goal line. Tavares chipped it in the net on his knees and was awarded a hat trick. The crowed was going crazy at the Coliseum.

The last Islander to score a hat trick was Blake Comeau, who lit the lamp three times against the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2009-2010 season.

The next goal came from Blake Comeau, as he put home a great pass from Josh Bailey. The Islanders now had four goals in the second period.

The Sabres would score two more third period goals, though. But before that, Michael Grabner sounded the goal horn to seal the win.

The three stars were:

3) Andrew Macdonald
2) PA Parenteau
1) John Tavares

Saturday, January 15, 2011

Isles/Sabres Preview

(This piece can also be seen at SportsHaze)

Tonight the Isles will battle against the Buffalo Sabres, who currently stand at 19-19-5 in the standings in 10th place. They're also 5-1-1 in their last seven games played.

The Isles, however, have lost three in a row but look to bounce back tonight and find their winning ways at the Coliseum.

Starting in goal is still unknown, but yesterday head coach Jack Capuano told reporters that "DiPietro is optimistic about playing tomorrow night". DiPietro has missed five straight as he was injured in the Isles 5-2 victory over the Calgary Flames.

Also, Frans Nielsen will not play tonight according to Katie Strang. He has been battling a groin injury for the past week, and apparently may of re-injured it in practice the other day.

Quotes (via the Islanders Official Website)

“I think we can build off the game because we kind of came back and made a push so we have to start the way we finish.” -Rob Schremp

"We’ve been bouncing back, especially after tough games. That’s been a positive. So that is something we’ll look to do Saturday. We want to keep playing well. We don’t want to fall back in to things that weren’t making us successful or bad habits. So we just have to keep playing the way we’re playing and make sure we’re staying positive and kind of just throw that one away and worry about tomorrow.”

Friday, January 14, 2011

Jon Sim Suspended After Not Reporting To Sound Tigers

(This piece can also be seen at SportsHaze)

The Islanders have suspended their veteran forward Jon Sim as he didn't report to the Sound Tigers after clearing waivers.

Sim, 33, was placed on waivers Monday afternoon for his fourth time this season. After clearing, reports indicate that he refused to report to the Isles AHL affiliate, the Bridgeport Sound Tigers.

The reason for Sims action apparently is because he intends to leave the Islanders team and play for a team in Switzerland, according to the Isles beat writer Katie Strang.

Sim indeed played in Bridgeport previous times this seasons. In just eight games played, he recorded seven goals and two assists, That's pretty impressive for an NHL fourth liner.

Sim stated that he has no hard feelings about the Islanders organization and just did what he felt was right for himself, and his family:

"I'm a loyal guy and I expect a lot of myself and believe me, this was the hardest decision I've ever had to make, but I had to make this decision for my family." via Katie Strang.

Sim was placed on unconditional waivers today, and assuming he clears, he'll no longer be on the Islanders anymore.

*Also, Dylan Reese has been placed on waivers and will report to Bridgeport assuming he clears

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

CANUCKS DEFEAT ISLES IN SHOOTOUT

(This piece can also be seen at SportsHaze)

The first place Vancouver Canucks came into the Coliseum with positive attitudes, and both teams fought until the final buzzer.

It all started out in the first period, when the Isles spent way too much time in their own zone. The Canucks registered in with a goal by Alex Burrows, who was set up by the Sedin brothers.

The Canucks would go into the first intermission with a 1-0 lead, but it wouldn't last long in the second. Former Islander Jeff Tambellini took a hooking penalty halfway through the period, and just as he was coming out of the box, Jack Hillen fired one from the point and in for just his first goal of the season.

Later in the period, Canucks forward Ryan Kelser lit the lamp for his 24th of the season, which gave the Canucks a 2-1 lead.

The Isles would tie it up, though. On the powerplay, with only 3:14 to go in the third, John Tavares slapped one past Luongo and knotted his 15th of the season, one more than Matt Moulson for the team lead.

Despite only two minutes to go in regulation, both teams weren't done lighting the lamp yet. After missing the net on a one timer, Isles forward Blake Comeau brought the puck to the blue line and fired one that landed in the back of the net.

The lead didn't last long, only 34 seconds, to be exact. Kevin Bieksa, the Canucks' star defenseman, threw one at the net and it trickled in. The game was all tied up and went to overtime.

Both teams had many chances but couldn't capitalize in the extra five-minute period.

A shootout was going to decide the final score of the game. Up first was Rob Schremp, who pulled off a series of moves on Luongo and scored.

Mason Raymond pulled off a spin-o-rama move on Poulin and the puck went in. No one would score in the next round as PA Parenteau and Jeff Tambellini both were up, but in the next round, Ryan Kelser beat Poulin and won the game.

It was a well-fought game for the Islanders, and that's the positive they should be able to take out of it. There's still much time left in the season for them to be a factor.

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Islanders/Canucks Preview

(This piece can also be seen at SportsHaze)

After being shut out 5-0 by the Chicago Blackhawks, the New York Islanders will look to bounce back and pull off a win against the Vancouver Canucks later tonight.

As announced, Kevin Poulin will start in goal for the Islanders. Poulin was recently called up from the Bridgeport Sound Tigers to back up Nathan Lawson with DiPietro sidelined. Poulin has one win in two games so far and will be looking for his second tonight.

It was announced yesterday that defenseman Mark Eaton, who was signed in the recent free agency period, will miss the remainder of the season, as he will undergo hip surgery. But the good news is the Isles will get defenseman Radek Martinek back in the lineup tonight as he missed quite a few games after taking a Zedeno Chara slapshot to the wrist.

In other news, forward Rhett Rakhshani was recalled from Bridgeport today and will be in the lineup tonight. Rakhshani has only one NHL game played under his belt, and it resulted in a 5-0 Islanders loss.

With the All-Star game coming up and the final rosters being announced today, there was speculation that either former first overall pick John Tavares, or even Matt Moulson would be selected to participate, but it turned out neither of them were selected.

Michael Grabner, who has nine goals and three assists on the season, was selected to attend the skills competition. That shows that fast skating comes in handy sometimes, right?

Sunday, January 9, 2011

Islanders/Blackhawks Pregame Notes

(This piece can also be seen at SportsHaze)

After defeating the Avalanche 4-3 in overtime yesterday courtesy of a game winning goal from John Tavares, the Islanders will look to keep it going as they drop the puck against the Stanley Cup defending Chicago Blackhawks tonight at 7PM ET.

Notes From Colorado

-Jermey Coliton had two goals last night, both coming on the powerplay. He was called up Friday from the Bridgeport Sound Tigers.

-Blake Comeau scored the other Islanders goal, and Tavares buried one in OT.

-Rookie goaltender Kevin Poulin stopped 34 out of 37 shots and recorded his first NHL win.

-Trevor Gillies was a healthy scratch, and Frans Nielsen was sidelined for the second straight ga
me with a groin injury.

-Rick DiPietro was flown back to Long Island for evaluations on his strained abductor in his hip.

Isles/Hawks Preview

Tonight is the only time this season that the Isles and Hawks will face off. Last season, however, the Islanders defeated the Hawks by a final score of 5-3, thanks to a hat trick by Blake Comeau at the Coliseum.

In the Islanders last ten games played, they stand a record of 7-2-1. The Hawks, on the other hand, are 6-4-0.

It's still undecided who will start between the pipes, but I'd expect Nathan Lawson to as head coach Jack Capuano likes to give all of his players a chance to play.

The Islanders will be without defenseman Mark Eaton as he is out indefinitely due to hip surgery. Here's the full list of injuries:

Rick DiPietro (Abductor strain in hip)
Frans Nielsen (Groin)
Mark Streit (Shoulder surgery)
Kyle Okposo (Shoulder surgery)
Trent Hunter (Knee surgery)
Doug Weight (Back)
Radek Martinek (Wrist)
Mike Mottau (Hip surgery)

That's clearly a lot of injuries but it certainly doesn't stop the Isles from winning. They'll do whatever it takes to make names on the Island, especially the guys from the Sound Tigers that are trying to fill the roles of the players sidelined.

If the Isles come away with a win tonight, they'll put four out of five wins in the books on this road trip, and will go back to the Coliseum with positive attitudes as they face the Vancouver Canucks Tuesday night.

Monday, January 3, 2011

Islanders/Flames Pregame Notes

(This piece can also be seen at SportsHaze)

Tonight the Islanders, who have won two straight, will face off against the 18-18-3 Calgary Flames. Puck drop is at 9pm eastern time.

As you know, the Islanders traded 41 year old veteran goaltender Dwayne Roloson to the Tampa Bay Lightning late Saturday night in exchange for defensive prospect Ty Wishart.  To take Roloson's spot, net minder Nathan Lawson was called up from the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, and practiced with the team yesterday as well as today.

Lawson made his NHL debut a few weeks ago against the Phoenix Coyotes. Although he stopped 32 out of 35 pucks, it was not enough. The game went to a shootout and Lawson gave up all three goals which resulted in an Islander loss.

Who's Hot

The hot Islander as of late has been PA Parenteau. Parenteau has five goals and three assists in just eight games, which totals 8 points.

On the season, Parenteau has netted nine goals and 13 assists, which comes out to 22 points. Not bad for a guy that has played most of his hockey career in the AHL.

Who's Not

The not so hot Islander lately has been enforcer Trevor Gillies. Although Trevor's just an enforcer, he has to step up his hockey part of the game a bit.

Gillies has 24 games in the books this season and has no points and only two shots. He's a great fighter and a good physical enforcer, but he's going to have to prove more than his fighting abilities to be in the lineup.

Who starts in goal?

It still isn't decided who will start in goal tonight, but my guess is Nathan Lawson. Jack Capuano, the Islanders head coach, has always stated that he's going to play the guys that they call up and they're not going to have them sit on the bench.

You can follow Nick on Twitter for up-to-date Islanders coverage @NickMcGuireNYI

Saturday, January 1, 2011

BREAKING NEWS: Roloson Traded To Lightning

(This piece can also be seen at SportsHaze)

The Islanders reportedly have traded goaltender Dwayne Roloson, who's been hot as of late for the young Islanders, to the Tampa Bay Lightning in exchange for defensive prospect Ty Wishart, who was selected in the first round of the 2006 NHL draft by the San Jose Sharks.

Wishart currently has four goals and 14 assists in 31 games with the Lightning's AHL affiliate, the Norfolk Admirials. This explains why the Isles dealt defenseman James Wisniewski to the Habs earlier this week.

Clearly, the Islanders know they can rely on goaltender Rick DiPietro, who has battled multiple injuries in his NHL career. I would expect Nathan Lawson to be called up for the remainder of the season to back DiPietro up.

An official announcement has yet to be made, but Chris Botta, the one who reported this, is a well known and trusted guy around the NHL and has the inside scoop around the league.

This is just one of many moves to come for the Islanders, since we're still some time away from the trade deadline. Good move by General Manager Garth Snow, in my opinion.