Blogging about the New York Islanders, the NHL and everything else hockey
OK, not really…DP and the boys are making the turn at Bethpage right now. BUT…DP’s mask has advanced to the second round of the Tournament of Logos Blog Goalie Mask Tournament. After disposing of the Duck’s Jonas Hiller in round one 60-40%, DP’s mask takes on another backup goalie, the Devils’ Kevin Weekes. If DP’s sweet mask keeps facing these backup scrubs, it might just cruise all the way to the finals!!
The Islanders who lost to the Devils in overtime last night are not the same team that beat their Jersey foes five times in a row to start the season and six of their seven previous contests. No, this was a team featuring the names Brennan, Spiller, Keith, Davison and Okposo. These guys - maybe the new Isles regime, and maybe not - fought hard against a Devils team trying to clinch their own playoff berth. No one fought harder than goaltender Joey MacDonald who stopped 45 shots and I think that was in the third period alone. At least it felt like it.
As down as this team is right now, and believe me, they qualify as down since they have lost 14 of their last 18, but as down as they are they don’t play like they are down. And that is largely a credit to Coach Ted who always has his guys ready, and the youth movement brought in by Nolan and GM Garth Snow. These kids are hungry. They play that way. No one wants to go back to Bridgeport and I say that as someone who has friends from that town.
So, the scoreboard showed another loss last night but I have to say that if the Isles have to go down, this is the way to do it. Go down swinging everytime. Don’t leave anything in reserve. Empty the clip.
Just two games to go, both against the Rangers who are fighting for a better seed in the postseason. I think the Isles will manage to take one. Sure hope so. After this season, they and their fans deserve it.
“I don’t know. If you play long enough, there are certain teams you play well against,” Rick DiPietro told Newsday after the Islanders beat New Jersey for the fifth straight time this season. “The last couple years for us, it’s been the Devils.”
Right now, there’s no question that the Islanders have the Devils’ number. That was readily apparent last night when the Isles skated to a 3-1 victory, largely on the strength of DP’s sick goaltending and two tallies by Captain Bill Guerin. The game was tight and the Devils certainly had plenty of opportunities but in the end, the Isles again grabbed the win. The Islanders are now 5-0 this season against their Jersey neighbors. How do you explain that?
“I don’t know what it is,” Mike Sillinger told Newsday.
Fair enough, because we don’t know either. The Isles just seem to get up for these games and, as we all know, success breeds confidence. Despite the fact that the Devils have been ahead of the Islanders in the standings for the better part of a decade, the Islanders now come into these games, believing - no - knowing, they can win. The Devils, on the other hand, kind of look for something to go wrong.
“It’s weird. One team beats the other all the time,” Devils forward Sergei Brylin told the Newark Star-Ledger. “We play better against other teams in our conference. I don’t have an explanation. They have our number this year.”
Rich Chere of the Star-Ledger had a great line about the game in today’s paper.
Too bad the Islanders had to waste all that fuel and time riding the bus from Long Island to Newark. The Devils could’ve just e-mailed the two points to the NHL office.
That’s how predictable a Devils-Islanders matchup has become.
These wins are HUGE for the Islanders. They are now just four points behind the Devils and the Penguins, who are tied atop the division with 55 points. More importantly, the victory gives the OrangeAndBlue sole possession of the seventh seed in the East. Again, it’s only January but it’s never too early to think about the postseason, especially with the trade deadline just one month away.
If the Coliseum Heroes can stay among top eight teams in the conference, I have no doubt they’ll look to add some scoring up front and toughness on the blueline. But that’s a conversation for another day.
P.S. If you don’t get the joke from the Marty picture above, check out this site for an explanation.
The Isles downed the Devils 5-2 last night, scoring three third period goals in route to their fourth straight win over New Jersey. Not sure why ths Isles have dominated the series lately, and it is just four games, but wins like these are huge. The Coliseum crowd recognized that and serenaded Brodeur and his crew with chants of “You can’t beat us!” That might be a bit cocky but I say enjoy it while it lasts.
Devils’ coach Brent Sutter is a bit fed up with the whole thing, charging his team with a lack of focus, telling reporters “I’m getting sick of it.” On the other side, Coach Ted Nolan said his guys delivered “a gutsy performance.”
You like fights? I thought you might. This game had a few, with Comrie, Sutton, and Guerin throwing down against Mike Mottau, Mike Rupp, and Dave Clarkson. Sutton played big last night. It was his goal, his first of the season, that put the Islanders ahead for good in the third period. The Islanders need to display toughness, especially against squads like Jersey. They did the job last night.
The Coliseum Heroes now stand at 19-16-2, with 40 pointgs. They’re still in last in the Atlantic but they are just five points behind division-leading New Jersey. They remain in a scrum for the final playoff spot with a whole slew of teams. It’s early, I know, but better in the mix now than not.
For the first time in over a month, the Isles have back-to-back games after last night’s disappointing loss to the Penguins. Tonight they visit the Devils new arena, The Prudential Center a.k.a “The Rock” in Newark, NJ for the first time. The Isles try to win their first game on this road trip while preventing (again) Devils’ goalie Martin Brodeur from his 500th win. Tonight is Brodeur’s 3rd attempt after losing to the Islanders and Rangers this past week.
Period one is in the books in Jersey, scoreless. Shots were 7-7 with the Devils getting the only powerplay of the period. Hang with Islanders Army this evening as I follow tonight’s game, recap last night, and cover some other NYI news.
The Rock has been getting some pretty good reviews 1 2 3. It gets a couple of bonus points for a cool nickname although the old nickname for the Flyers’ Wachovia Center still reigns supreme in my book. When I lived in PA, it was still the First Union Center and was known locally as just the F.U. Center which I found hysterical and appropriate for those Philly diehards. They were proud of that nickname…and they meant it too. Back to The Rock, it’s bright, it’s shiny, it’s not in the swamp of East Rutherford, what’s not to like?
Even the bathrooms impressed me, mostly because there were stickers in all the urinals that said “Rangers Suck,” but also because they allowed a flow of people in and out.
[2:30 Second Period] Comrie comes out of the penalty box (coincidental minors at the end of the 1st) and Guerin springs him for the breakaway but Brodeur makes the save. Right after that, Sutton rings the post. Two close ones for the Isles to start the period.
[5:25 Second Period] After Simon picks up 2 minutes for tripping, Devils’ defenseman Mike Mottau trips and falls in his zone on the ensuing powerplay. Josef Vasicek picks up the neatly wrapped puck, stickhandles all alone in front of Brodeur, gets him to go down and then shoots one off Marty that bounces up and behind him for a shorthanded 1-0 lead.
[15:51 Second Period] Solid PP for the Islanders but nothing to show for it. 4 shots, 1 post by Hunter.
[18:10 Second Period] Devils’ Jay Pandolfo just took a deflected Devils’ slapshot to the face. He falls to the ice, then gets up and heads into the tunnel. He’s tough, he’s a hockey player - 30 seconds later he’s back on the bench.
[End Second Period] 20 minutes to go boys. Isles outshoot the Devils 11-7 in the period.
[13:00 Third Period] Tight period, DP made some good saves early in the period as the Devils were pushing hard. Witt just got away with dumping Elias right in front of DP.
[FINAL] Islanders 1 Devils 0
Down the stretch, Elias undresses the Isles’ defense but can’t finish. The game is delayed for a review of Trent Hunter’s bang in attempt from the side of the net. No one on the ice thought it went it, but it was close enough to the line that Toronto called on the Batphone as they reviewed it just to make sure. Come on…a gift goal from Toronto? Like that’ll ever happen for the Isles.
The Devils pull Brodeur and pressure, but the Isles win and DP gets the shutout, his second of the season. Brodeur has now lost his last 4 starts - I wonder if he’ll admit to us beating him tonight? If he thought the goals last week were bad, wait until he sees the replay of tonight’s game winning gaffe goal. Now we’re even for that game last year when Isles’ defensemen Alan Rouke threw the game winning goal into our own net. Ain’t karma a bitch Marty? If Marty had played the last regular season game last year, he could have kept us out of the playoffs AND have 500 wins already.
No game this early in the season can be called “must-win” or “huge”, so I’ll just call this one “well-needed”. The Isles have played well and certainly had chances to win either of the past two games but didn’t. They needed to get two points on the road from the Devils who aren’t playing well right now and get their momentum back headed into the final game of this bus road trip vs. the Rangers Monday night.
While Tommy and I were busy drinking last night for his brother’s birthday (Happy 30th Ant!), the Orange and Blue took out the trash from Jersey 2-1 with Satan netting his third straight game winning goal. Another solid effort from the team - only 21 shots allowed and no penalties taken. I could get used to that. Speaking of penalties, a bench minor unsportsmanlike against one of Brent Sutter’s assistant coaches led to the 5-on-3 powerplay and the game winning goal, leaving a bad taste in the Devils’ mouths.
“All I’m going to say is that it was taken from behind the bench; it wasn’t a player,” Devils coach Brent Sutter said, refusing to identify which assistant drew the penalty. “It’s tough to lose a hockey game that way.”
“I don’t think they beat us,” Brodeur said. “Look at the two goals they got.”
“It was a [bleeping] terrible call. There’s no way around it,” the Devils’ Zach Parise said.
“I don’t think he needed to call that,” Jay Pandolfo said.
Isles hit the road for 4 of the next 5 games starting with Philadelphia tomorrow night. Check the recommended links for more info on last night’s game from the Blog Box crew.
[Update] Totally forgot to mention the Devils’ Marty Brodeur was going for career win number 500 last night.
Boot camp is back in session here at IslandersArmy and we’re here to give you some 2008 Season Predictions. Murph will probably bounce back with his own take later on. For the time being, you’re stuck with me and my busted up, broken crystal ball.
Atlantic Division
1. Pittsburgh Penguins - Sid the Kid leads a potent offensive attack on a team that should only improve with another season’s experience under their belts. While the scoring should come fast and furious, the big key is likely to be netminder Marc-Andre Fluery. Fleury surprised a lot of people by going an awesome 40-16 with a 2.83 GAA last year. Can he do it again? Another big question is how will the young Pens handle the expectations?
2. New York Rangers - As usual, these guys are loaded. The arrival of Chris Drury and Scott Gomez will bring more energy and skill to an offense that should have tallied more goals than it did last year. Henrik Lundqvist should turn in another good year. Two questions that need answering - can Lundqvist play big for a full season and how long will it take Drury and Gomez to gel with new teamates and a new system? Also, why do the Rangers Suck so bad?
3. New Jersey Devils, aka the Brent Sutter All-Stars - I’m going to have a soft spot for these guys all season. Sutter was a very good Islander and by all indications is a great guy. I don’t plan on rooting against him much. The Devs lost a couple of big names, Gomez and Brian Rafalski, but will still win their share of games thanks to future Hall of Fame keeper Martin Brodeur. I actually predicted the Devils would go to the Finals last year on Brodeur’s back. Big surprise - I was wrong. That said, Brodeur is still one of the best and Jersey has a track record for changing its parts without derailing the team’s effectiveness. They’ll be around all year and by the time the postseason rolls out, a dangerous team if Brodeur is on one of his streaks.
4. New York Islanders - RIP Jason Blake, Ryan Smyth, Aaron Asham, Viktor Kozlov, Sean Hill, and Tom Poti. Thanks for playing. Oh, Alexei Yashin is also gone but damn if that ain’t a big, fat positive. Alexei, if you are reading this, it ain’t personal but you had to go. Actually, I know it is personal for a lot of Islander fans. A lot of money and expectations came with your signing a few years back, followed by a host of first-round exits. The divorce should have actually happened a couple of years ago. Better late then never. The Isles turn to Bill Guerin to be their new leader on offense. Bill plays hard, plays the game right, but is kind of old and has never really carried a big team on his own. He’s just not one of those guys. This season is really going to rest on the play of the $67-Million-Dollar-Man, my goalie and yours, Rick DiPietro. A big season and the Isles can grab that eighth spot and maybe make some noise. Fingers crossed.
5. Philadelphia Flyers - They shouldn’t be as awful as last season but they are still bad. Philly brought in a crop of new players and will hand the keys to the net to Martin Biron for a full season. They should be more competitive but don’t confuse them with the big Flyer teams from earlier this decade. Them, these guys ain’t.
Aaron Asham will be taking his cannon slapshot and willingness to drop the gloves when necessary over to the swamp next season.
The Devils announced that they have signed forward Arron Asham to a new contract. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Asham, 29, is entering his ninth NHL season, having spent the last four with the New York Islanders. The 5-11, 210-lb. wing recorded 11 goals and 12 assists for 23 points in a career-high 80 games in 2006-07.
Ex-Islander Brent Sutter was rumored to be a candidate for the Isles’ coaching vacancy last summer, but elected to stay with his WHL junior club. TSN.ca is reporting today that Sutter is going to step down from his WHL position to take over as coach of the Devils.
We wish Brent the best of luck…except when he returns to the Coliseum behind the enemy’s bench.
The Red Deer Rebels of the Western Hockey League have called a news conference for Thursday and sources suggest team owner Brent Sutter will announce that he’s stepping down as general manager and head coach.
NHL sources tell TSN that Sutter is stepping down from his junior club to pursue a head coaching job in the NHL and that Sutter is the odds-on favourite to be named the next head coach of the New Jersey Devils.
Here’s what some folks were syaing after yesterday’s big win. Playoffs!
“I thought of that between the overtime and the shootout: ‘Gee, this is tough to swallow if we don’t make it,’” Wade Dubielewicz told Newsday.
“A lot of people counted us out because we were injured,” Brendan Witt told Newsday. “The big thing is we didn’t quit. Dubie played phenomenal the last four games. It’s sweet to get in, and now we’ve got to focus on a good Buffalo team.”
“What a wild finish,” Maple Leafs’ GM John Ferguson told the Toronto Star. “Unfortunately for us, we didn’t give ourselves enough room at the end. I give them (the Isles) credit for getting it done.”
“If you’re an old-school hockey fan, you’re probably not too excited about the way this finished,” Devils centre Scott Gomez told the AP. “If you ask a fan who was here today, I’m sure they would tell you it was incredible.”
“I’m feeling pretty Hollywood-ish today,” Coach Ted Nolan told the New York Daily News. “I don’t think I was breathing the last five minutes and through the shootout. … It’s very gratifying, especially with the early polls picking us 30th (in the 30-team NHL). This has been a special team and special season. Now we have a chance to continue it.”
“Last Sunday, we were pretty much done … but everything fell into place at the right time,” Mike Sillinger told the News. “It’s all pretty unbelievable. But we’ll believe it when we wake up (today).”
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