Islanders Army

LCS Hockey Says Isles are Finished

April 10th, 2007 by murph

And that’s good news, because their pre-season prediction of this team was sooooo accurate

Here’s their NYI/BUF Playoff Preview

Key Matchup: No one on the Islanders is good enough to warrant a matchup concern. And there’s really nothing the Islanders can do to slow down the Buffalo offense. That responsibility will fall solely on the sturdy shoulders of Dubielewicz.

Players to Watch: Vanek had the quietest 43-goal, plus-47 season in NHL history. He’s Buffalo’s game-breaker. But if you want clutch, look no further than Chris Drury. While his overall playoff numbers of 35 goals and 68 points in 98 games are hardly overwhelming, he scores big goals at key moments, as witnessed by his 12 career game-winners.

Prediction: The Islanders are good along the wall, determined in front of the net, and… oh wait, I’m sorry, I was thinking of the New York Ice Girls. Has the series started yet? Because it’s already over.

Buffalo in four.

Now let’s look at their pre-season Islanders predictions

NEW YORK ISLANDERS

Gee, That’s Swell
* Ted Nolan is known for getting the most out of his players. And that’s good, because the Pony Express couldn’t get through to Alexei Yashin.

* Brendan Witt and Sean Hill bring character to the blue line.

* Now that he has his nifty 15-year contract, Rick DiPietro has plenty of time to perfect the art of being an average goaltender.

Grief
* Not many Ted Nolan-type players on the roster.

* Two words: Viktor Kozlov.

* Garth Snow, previously the worst goaltender in the league, is now the worst GM in the league.

* Charles Wang could always name Wade Dubielewicz team president.

Player to Watch: Trent Hunter. After an impressive 25-goal, 51-point rookie campaign in 2003-04, Hunter disappointed last season, scoring only 16 goals and 35 points. But it really wasn’t for a lack of effort. Hunter was second in the entire NHL with 230 hits, and his 221 shots were fourth-best on the team. Nolan could be just the confidence boost Hunter needs.

2006-07 Outlook: In the wake of Wang’s front office shenanigans and bizarre financial decisions, the Islanders are a complete laughingstock. Nolan has been out of the loop for a while now, and his act isn’t for everyone, so unless Snow can swing trades for Matthew Barnaby, Brad May, and Rob Ray, there could be lots of drama on the Island.

The Islanders will be competitive, but they lack the strong leadership from ownership and the front office required to be anything special. Then again, the division is so tight, I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see them finish as high as second.

Prediction: Fifth in the Atlantic and out of the playoffs.

Let’s see, Koz had a career high 25 goals and respectable 51 points. Garth Snow made the biggest trade of the season at the trade deadline, and Dubie came out of nowhere to save the Isles’ season and lead them to the playoffs. Let’s hope LCS’ Playoffs Predictions are just as accurate.

P.S. LCS is right about one thing…Chris Drury is MONEY in the playoffs - hockey or baseball. I remember watching him in the Little League World Series.

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