The geniuses at the NHL Marketing Department were at it again this weekend, with the debut of “Super Saturday” – all 30 teams playing on one night. Great concept, poor execution. Please tell me why they picked an October Saturday with College Football in full swing, the World Series going on, and no games on Versus? As a bonus, there were absolutely no games last night.
Had a family thing Saturday night, so all I saw were the late night highlights on the NHL network. There were quite a few from the Isles/Hurricanes matchup – 57 Islander shots, 54 saves by Cam Ward, a potential game-tying penalty shot with less than 1 second left in regulation, and this…BOOM!
Doug Weight absolutely crushed the ‘Canes rookie Brandon Sutter at center ice with a legal hit. Sutter was knocked unconscious, and spent a couple of nights in the hospital for observation. He’s been released. The hit started a lot of debating about the legality of the hit and what the NHL can do to protect players from hits like these. It certainly doesn’t help the NHL’s image when players are knocked out and taken off the ice like this, but I don’t know how you legislate this out of hockey. Making it some kind of referee’s judgment call on “intent” or “blow to the head” is just going to make it worse. One odd thing about this hit is that Sutter (6′3″) has 4 inches on Weight (5′11″), I expected the opposite when I looked this up.
Around the rink…
- Islanders 3rd jersey unveiling tonight at 5pm before the NYI/NYR game.
- DP out for tonight. He’s being checked out by team doctors today, and then the Isles will come back and tell us nothing. Unless they have to do something drastic like amputate a limb, he will be listed as day to day.
- And finally, speaking of new jerseys check out these sweet new sweaters for this year’s Winter Classic. Funny thing is, Chelios wore the same jersey in his rookie year back in 1926.
After a short conditioning trip to Bridgeport last week, where he was 1-1 with the Sound Tigers, Wade Dubielewicz is back with the big club and gets the start for tonight’s game vs. the Carolina Hurricanes. Corey Witt has the scoop on the NYI Media Blog.
Wade Dubielewicz will start for the Islanders tonight while it looks like Cam Ward will be back in net for the Hurricanes. There were some talks that John Grahame would start tonight, but it doesn’t look that way.
Just like other players, Islanders head coach Ted Nolan said that “Dubie has earned his ice-time and deserves to play.”
Just in case you couldn’t get enough of those FOUR Flyers’ unanswered goals on Saturday night, leading to a 5-3 Islanders’ loss, the team put on a similar matinée performance yesterday vs. the Carolina Hurricanes. Entering the third period up 2-0, the Isles allowed Carolina to come back and tie the game in regulation on goals from the unlikely combination of Mike Commodore and Niclas Wallin – in both cases, just their second goal of the season. Then under a minute into OT, with Andy Sutton sitting out on a penalty and Carolina skating 4-on-3, Corey Stillman scored the game winner for Carolina. Not even the return of defensemen Brendan Witt and Radek Martinek from injuries could save the Islanders.
Notes:
- Isles head to Carolina tonight on the back end of a home and home series.
- The loss was the Isles’ first this season after leading after 2 periods of play.
- Both games were a sellout at the Coliseum.
- DP looked a little gimpy at the end of the second period. I missed the third period, didn’t hear any further updates. Something to keep an eye on.
The Islanders will be skating down in Carolina tonight against the Southeast Division leading Hurricanes. The last time these teams squared off, Carolina pummeled the Isles 8-3.
The ‘Canes have lost three of their last five games, falling to Columbus 4-1 on Saturday. Carolina should still be without Matt Cullen, who was crushed by Ranger Colton Orr on an open-ice hit on Wednesday. I was at that game. My sister was born and raised a Rangers fan. I know, I know. We’ve talked. Anyway, like I said I was at that game and Cullen was just leveled. Happened so fast. One second he was skating and the next he was down, not moving a muscle. He was on the ice for a couple of minutes before he skated off with a lot of help. There was a pool of blood where his head had been. Thankfully, he is expected to be all right.
Cullen is a big part of the Carolina offense. They are already without Justin Williams, who hurt his knee earlier this month. The two players rank third and sixth on the team in points, respectively.
The Isles willl again be without Rick DiPietro. The goalie should be back for the Isles first game in 2008. Dubie will get the start again. Dubie’s 3-3 with a 3.85 GAA and a .878 save percentage in seven games this season.
“We’re going to stick with our plan initially on Ricky and make sure he’s 100 percent. Right now, he’s about 95, 98 percent,” Coach Ted Nolan told Newsday. “He’s ready to go, but we know the importance of Ricky to this hockey team.”
New Years Eve road games are always tough. Players often lose focus and just want to get back home to their families and friends. Hopefully, the Isles will make the trip worthwhile and take advantage of a Carolina team that isn’t playing its best hockey right now. This is a very winnable game for the OrangeAndBlue, but they’ll have to earn it.
Happy New Year everyone! Have fun celebrating tonight and be safe. Murph, that counts for you double.
