Islanders Army

Isles Get a Point, Still Drop 4th Straight

December 6th, 2007 by murph

Couldn’t watch the game last night, but I caught the highlights on the NHL Network this morning. Which by the way, has become a staple of my morning routine now. Wake up, turn on the NHL Network, get ready while peeping all the highlights from the previous night (how about that Devils’ comeback last night?). Highly recommended.

What’s not recommended however, is letting Atlanta score TWO shorthanded goals last night. That’s about as ugly as it gets. Trent Hunter’s powerplay goal in the third earned the Isles a tie though, giving them 28 points on the season so far, good enough for 8th in the Conference right now. The Isles PP struggles continue with a 1/7 performance. The Isles’ PK gets some love, shutting Atlanta down on 9 chances last night.

Vasicek rang the post in OT, but Ilya Kovalchuk’s goal in round 3 of the shootout gave Atlanta the extra point. Guerin and Satan were stopped for the Isles - anyone remember when Satan was money in the shootout? I know we’ve only had two shootouts this year, but it just seems like years ago when Satan was nearly unstoppable for us in the shootout.

Coach Nolan was less than impressed with the team’s performance last night.

“It’s surprising,” coach Ted Nolan said. “We talked about it before going out for the third period. We just can’t do those type of plays from those type of players. Certainly, things are going to happen once in awhile, but Comrie gave it away twice on the same play. We just can’t have that.”

“Maybe we shouldn’t have gotten the one point,” an unhappy Nolan said, shrugging. “Giving up opportunities when you’re on the power play is doubly bad.

 

   Post in Atlanta Thrashers, Bill Guerin, Miroslav Satan, Trent Hunter    1 Comment

Well That Didn’t Work Out, Isles Fall 4-0

December 2nd, 2007 by Tom

There’s nothing like having a top-tier keeper to guide your team through extended stretches of the long NHL season. The Isles have that in Rick DiPietro. The problem is everyone needs a day off sometimes, and unfortunately for those Isles fans in attendance against the Thrashers, last night DP took a vacation day. Enter Wade Dubielewicz, one of the late season heroes last year when the Isles made their playoff push. Last night was Dubie without the magic. The result - four first period goals and a game the Isles never really had a chance to win.

Can’t put the blame on anyone in particular here. It was just Dubie’s second start of the season and just his first appearance since a victory in relief on Al Arbour night on Nov. 3. More than most athletes, goalies need action to stay sharp. A well-rested goalie is rarely a victorious goalie. And you can’t blame DP, cause like I said, the guy needed a night off. And you can’t blame the coaching staff for giving it to him.

If there is any blame, it can be placed on an offense that couldn’t register a single goal. The offensive drought is moving from an interesting storyline to an area of legitimate concern, nearing the epidemic stage. The Isles have now scored two or fewer goals in 12 straight games. You don’t win much when you can’t light the lamp with any consistency and the Isles haven’t, going just 4-8 over that stretch.

   Post in Atlanta Thrashers, Rick DiPietro, Wade Dubielewicz    Add a comment