N.Y. Islanders: A Sinkhole Grows In Brooklyn

From the desk of:  NO SLEEP TILL BELMONT

Last Place: Metropolitan Division

Last Place: Metropolitan Area

New York Islanders: Just When You Thought It Could Get Worse, It Did ...

The New York Islanders were still above .500 on Dec. 31, 2017, albeit only barley with a 20-15-4 record.

Then 2018 hit them like a wrecking ball.

The Boston Bruins showed up at Barclays Center on the night of Jan. 2 with permits in hand to commence demolition of the local hockey season.  That night's loss to the Bruins dropped the Islanders down to par, but more effectively served as a preliminary watering down of the greater Flatbush Avenue area in preparation of the real implosion to come - all approved by chief architect Garth Snow, that is.

The Islanders are now 11-19-6 in this calendar year.  They enter Monday's game against the Florida Panthers with a 31-34-10 overall record (72-points), and firmly anchored in last place of the Metropolitan Division.  Between Feb. 19 and March 8 they lost eight in a row.  Otherwise, they're just 2-6-3 in March with seven games left in the regular season.

I would love to know what Jonathan Ledecky is thinking at this very moment, considering the new owner needs a new general manager; a new head coach; a new goalie; and a more committed compliment of two-way players and better skilled defensemen in particular.

There's also a good chance he may need a new franchise player if he fails to retain pending unrestricted free agent John Tavares. By the time Ledecky and Co. open their new arena at Belmont, Tavares will be 30-years old.  If he was unsure about extending his career with the Islanders before, then there's every chance the Islanders present condition could reinforce any inclination Tavares may harbor to leave.

And I wouldn't blame him, because what transpired this season is a disgrace.  Not that I'm an Islanders fan; I'm not.  I believe my readers know that.

But I'm sure any fan would agree that we're talking about one of the most bipolar teams in all of hockey.  For a great majority of the season, the Islanders were among the league's top leaders in goals scored and power play percentage.  At the same time, they've consistently been among the league's very worst in goals against and penalty kill percentage.

If you are a fan, that sort of stuff is infuriating.

N.Y. Islanders: A Revolt Grows in Brooklyn

From the desk of:  NO SLEEP TILL BELMONT

TONIGHT

New York Islanders

vs.

Montreal Habitants

FROM

The Great White North

New York Islanders: Time for Jon Ledecky to learn sign language.

Fans have every reason in the world to be furious with Garth Snow.

There are nineteen games left in the regular season, the team is heading in the wrong direction, and their franchise player John Tavares has yet to sign a contract extension.

Once again, the Islanders are among the league's top teams in scoring, but remain among the league's worst in terms of goals against.  That's been the ongoing condition under Garth Snow, whom once again effectively did little to change it.

SNOW MUST GO

PAID FOR BY LONG ISLAND HOCKEY FANS

The billboards are up - one at Sixth Avenue and Flatbush Avenue,

the other at Atlantic Avenue and Classon Avenue.  

I'll probably swing by tomorrow and snap some pics. 

In the meantime, you're stuck with my version.

Snow sent the Edmonton Oilers a 2019 third round draft pick in exchange for 26-year old blue-liner Brandon Davidson.

Listed at 6'2" 208 lbs., he is a minus-five over 137 NHL career games played.  Davidson was originally drafted by Edmonton in the sixth round of the 2010 entry draft.  He was traded in Feb. 2017 to the Montreal Canadiens.  By December, however, he was back at Edmonton when the Oilers claimed him off waivers.

Garth Snow also acquired center Chris Wagner from the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for Jason Chimera.

Net result ~ zero impact.

I'd be pissed off, too.

The Islanders are on thin ice.  They've lost three straight, and have slipped into a ninth place tie with the Carolina Hurricanes.  Both are four points behind the Columbus Blue Jackets in the race for the second Wild Card position, and nine points behind the seventh place New Jersey Devils (whom Tuesday night defeated the defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins for the second time this season).

Meanwhile, the Florida Panthers are right behind them with 64-points and have suddenly become the hottest team in hockey.


*Hope Street mural, Williamsburg

N.Y. Islanders: Garth Snow's Seat Getting Hotter

From the desks of: 

FIVE FOR FLATBUSH  and  RAISE GRESCH WITH THE GREATS

THE RIVALRY - III

Islanders lead series 3-0

I - NYI 4; NYR 3*

II - NYI 7; NYR 2

III - NYI 3; NYR 0

*shootout

I read in Friday's Newsday how the Islanders are now 10-1-0 in their last eleven games against the Rangers, and that Jaroslav Halak is 13-1-0 in his last 14 head-to-head match-ups against Henrik Lundqvist.

There you go ...

Look what the Islanders did to the Rangers ... again!

Josh Bailey scored on a power play less than five minutes into the opening period of Thursday's game at Barclays.  Jordan Eberle and Thomas Hickey added goals in the second and third periods respectively.

Halak, meanwhile, turned away all fifty Rangers shots on goal to best Henrik Lindqvist, whom faced 35 shots but only made 32 saves.

The Islanders have now outscored the Rangers this season by a 13-5 margin through nine periods of regulation hockey.

Flatbush blew into Carolina like a hurricane the very next night.  The Islanders equaled Thursday's output with another three goals against Cam Ward and the Canes.  But the eye of this storm was goalie Thomas Greiss.  He followed Halak's golden effort with a 44-save effort of his own.

Playing in his fifth game back after missing all of January, the sorely missed Johnny Boychuk opened the scoring in the second period with his fourth goal of the season.  Second year winger Anthony Beauvillier scored his fourteenth goal of the season midway through the third (he scored nine goals in 66 games last season as a rookie).

John Tavares capped off the scoring with an empty-netter in the closing minute of regulation.  It was his 30th of the season, marking the fourth time in his nine year career in which he's achieved thirty or more goals.  The number one overall selection of the 2009 entry draft, Tavares notched the 600th point of his career on Feb. 13 against the Blue Jackets.

JOHN TAVARES

600 POINTS

That makes four huge points when they needed them most.  The Isles leveled their record in February to 4-3-1, but more importantly temporarily elevated themselves back into the playoff picture.  As of Saturday night, the Islanders are eighth in the conference standings, one point ahead of Columbus and Carolina, and four points behind the New Jersey Devils.  The Islanders and Devils face off next Saturday at Newark.

MATHEW BARZAL

60 games; 16 goals; 46 assists; 62 points

Joins Mike Bossy and Brian Trottier 

as only NYI rookies to achieve 60 points

Snow Must Go ... is now an official movement.

In his twelfth season as general manager, Garth Snow's seat is getting hotter by the day.

Fans are pretty fed up with the team's defense; their two-headed goalie situation is what it is; and even head coach Doug Weight has his detractors.  But fans want Snow active as the trade deadline draws near and being sellers is strictly out of the question. 

They're already riddled with anxiety over the seeming lack of progress in the John Tavares contract negotiations.  Snow arguably has the Islanders well positioned for the near future.  He has a couple of extra picks in the first two rounds of the June draft.  I would stay the course, though, and ensure Tavares gets signed. 

Otherwise, Garth Snow is in a real bind.  If he fails to upgrade the team by the deadline, fans may light his chair on fire (not that I'm trying to give them ideas).

I'm a Rangers fan ... what would I know.

The "rebuilding" Rangers, continue skating in the opposite direction.  They have now lost seven of their last nine games - outright (no overtime; no shootout).  After recent losses against the Wild and Islanders, they got scrubbed again on Saturday by the Ottawa Senators.

Good!

ICYMI: Read This!

Ryan McDonagh was a scratch for the fifth straight game.  I'm not buying this crap he's suffering an upper body injury.  But I also think it's pure coincidence that he hasn't played since Feb. 7 after infamously lashing out at team mates fresh after sustaining a 6-1 drubbing against the Bruins.  I simply believe a trade for McDonagh is being negotiated and the Rangers are not risking injury.

In the meantime, the Rangers continue getting poor two-way play; they don't hit; they don't pick up the hangers; and Alain Vigneault continues letting teams take point blank shots at Henrik Lundqvist.

I was beginning to rant ... sorry.

There's just something about losing 6-3 against the fourth worst team in hockey.

Watching Derick Brassard playing for Ottawa also reminds me of this team's piss-poor cap management.  I'm just saying ... Brassard was a salary cap hit same as Keith Yandle; Carl Hagelin; Brandon Prust; even Colton Orr!  The list goes on - all in the name to shave a buck.

I'm still shaking my head over Yandle.

The Rangers are firmly anchored to last place of the Metropolitan Division, and have fallen to eleventh in the conference standings.

N.Y. Islanders: No Rest for the Weary; Complicated Off-Season Ahead

From the desk of:  FIVE FOR FLATBUSH

Hockey Thing One

VS.

Hockey Thing Two

Where do we go from here?  

And by we, I do mean Brooklyn and Long Islanders.

I - Brooklyn's Foster Hockey Club

Hello Islanders fans.  Sorry it didn't work out.

If you are a regular rider of this blog I call The Trolley, then you know I've been a Rangers fan since the mid to late 1970s.  In turn, that once made you my enemy.  But I'm much older now, and no longer harbor such anger within me.

Above all, mine is a Brooklyn-centric blog, and so I think I've handled the Islanders very fairly.  I just call it as I see it without dumping a cooler of Rangers Hate-o-Rade all over them.  In fact, I feel I've been quite supportive, and even suggested the Smurfs Rangers could have learned a thing or two from the Isles.

I hope you'll agree.

I still say this team belongs in Long Island - not Brooklyn.  Understandably, they did not necessarily move to Flatbush Avenue by choice.  So when the residents of Nassau County voted down the final arena proposal, I temporarily named the Islanders portion of this Trolley - Brooklyn's Foster Hockey Club.

Once they settled into Barclays Center, I changed over to - Five For Flatbush - because I thought it would acknowledge the team's toughness, pay tribute to their previous history and the pursuit of a fifth Stanley Cup, and incorporate their arrival on Flatbush Avenue, all in one title.

The old Brooklyn Americans only practiced in Brooklyn.  They never played NHL games here.   Therefore, the first NHL regular season and first Stanley Cup playoffs in Brooklyn history are now officially a matter of record.

The Islanders last won a playoff series back in 1993, or 23 years ago - pick your poison.  But with their first round victory over the Florida Panthers, Brooklyn is now vested in this too..


II - Charles Wang isn't leaving the building, but he'll be occupying a much smaller office.

Upon assuming ownership of the Islanders, Charles Wang's first challenge was restoring a demoralized fan base's faith in the aftermath of the Mike Milbury, Stephen Walsh, and the utterly ponderous Jon Spano era.

Wang seemingly tried as best he could keeping them in Long Island, but ultimately lost tens of millions of dollars floating them until faced with no other alternative but to move the team out of Uniondale.  A sadly outdated coliseum, the doomed Lighthouse project, Nassau County bureaucrats, and a justifiably overburdened and fed up tax base, all seemingly conspired against him.

Right?

By his own doing, Charles Wang will now take a back seat as a minority owner, while new majority owners Jon Ledecky and Scott Malkin take over the helm.

The $99,000 dollar question is what will their personal ideas be for the Islanders?  Will they decide playing in Barclays Center is an untenable situation, and therefore pursue relocating out of the metropolitan area all together?  Or will they continue tolerating their present condition, and just stay?

Then there's the matter of branding.  Is there such a thing as dual identity?  How long will new ownership continue with this split personality?

After four consecutive Stanley Cup championships, the Islanders traditional jersey is still iconic.   Should they opt to stick with it full time, unchanged, they'd be completely within their right.   Flatbush, after all, is still terra firma of Long Island Proper.  There's no real need to change the name, or re-brand for that matter.

But they did just that ... kinda.

The question, then, is will they take an additional step forward, above and beyond the black/white BKLN alternate uniform, and embrace a larger allegiance to Brooklyn, and market themselves as such?

I noticed no attempt by the Islanders to wear their Brooklyn alternative uniform during the playoffs.

That's fine - correct even.  I'm just saying...


III - Garth Snow

Will Garth Snow move forward with the organization, or will new ownership opt to go in a new direction?

Whoever the general manager is, he or she will have major financial decisions to make with regards to Kyle Okposo and Matt Martin.  Among the Islanders soon-to-be free agents, I consider them indispensable.

Afterward, who knows if new ownership is interested in resetting the team's spending limits.  That remains to be seen.  What the Islanders do have is prospects, which they should consider moving a few for more established players.

The Islanders posted back-to-back 100-point seasons.  There's still time to keep this together and win. But they're two quality players short.  Re-Sign Okposo and find both him and John Tavares a quality line compliment.  Then either bolster the 2nd/3rd line, or add a bruising, reliable stay-home defenseman.


IV - So What Happened?

Hard to say....

By Game Five, the damage had been done.  Through Game Four, the Isles had been outscored by an 11-14 margin.  Here's the best way I can explain the 3 goal differential:

• Jon Cooper pulled the goalie late in Game Three, and Tampa tied with just 0:38 left in regulation, then won in overtime.

• In Game Four, Tampa tied the game in the 3rd, and send a second consecutive game into overtime.

• The rest, as they say is history.

Now for the painfully obvious - despite playing without Steven Stamkos and Anton Stralman, the Lightning still won the series by a decisive 4-1 margin.

In hindsight, I'm still not sure where debating Thomas Greiss versus Jaroslav Halak may lead.   Thomas Greiss was screened on far too many shots by Lightning skaters, and that's exactly why I'm not up to having the Jaroslav Halak debate.  Refer instead back to Garth Snow, and on-ice lapses
in effective traffic control.

What I do know is the Islanders continually gave up back breaking goals within the final two minutes of a period.  Two overtime losses in Brooklyn?  Don't know what to say about those either, other than the Isles actually did a lot of things right.  But once you get into overtime ... pffff!  The original misstep occurs in regulation.

Here's another item I refuse to tackle - as John Tavares goes, so go the Isles.  This is no time for finger pointing.  We know who the contributors were, and who the under performers were.  My only answer to that, again, is ... see Garth Snow.

One thing is certain, and they proved it again, the Islanders had the best 4th forward line in all of hockey.  They should look into keeping them together.  They're a tremendous asset most NHL teams can not handle.

N.Y. Islanders: Boisterous Barclays Crowd Celebrates Historic O.T. Victory

From the desk of:  FIVE FOR FLATBUSH

The First Ever NHL Playoff Game in Brooklyn

was an O.T. Thriller!

Islanders lead series 2-1

I - NYI 5; FLA 4

II - FLA 3; NYI 1

III - NYI 4; FLA 3*

IV- WEDNESDAY

*O.T.

GAME FOUR

Florida Panthers

vs.

New York Islanders

FROM

Flatbush Avenue

BROOKLYN

New York Islanders: Smells Like Team Spirit...

Chalk one up for Garth Snow ... whom was slighted last off-season for not having more prospects at the team's disposal.  His detractors argued Brock Nelson alone does not a youth injection make.

The Isles then proceeded to post their second straight 100 point season.

Just saying...

Now all of a sudden his 2013 draft choices are the latest rage.  That's when he selected defenseman Ryan Pulock with the 15th overall pick of the 1st round, and center Alan Quine in the 15th round.   This season he additionally brought in Ottawa's former 2011 2nd round selection, 23-year old center, and native New Yorker, Shane Prince.  None hadn't even appeared on the Islanders radar until late February.

But just like that, the Islanders had youth running wild in Barclays Center - but not before the Panthers took a crowd demoralizing 2-0 lead, scoring goals within the opening minutes of both the 1st and 2nd periods.

The three novices nevertheless helped keep the Islanders within striking distance of the Panthers until late in the 2nd period when the top line of Tavares-Nielsen-Okposo finally took over.

At 5:21, Ryan Pulock converted a power play to make it a 2-1 game.  However, the Isles sustained another punch in the gut when Florida scored just two short minutes later.  They regrouped, and just beyond the midway point Shane Prince cashed in a Pulock feed making it a 3-2 game.

Then at 16:12 of the 2nd, Florida got whistled for a rarely called clipping penalty.  Within a minute of the infraction Frans Nielsen netted the game tying goal off feeds from John Tavares and Kyle Okposo,

... and making the Flatbush Avenue Ice House rock like a Teen Spirit video.

However, the best for Barclays was yet to come, as they were additionally treated to their first ever playoff overtime.  The outcome officially became a thriller at the 12:31 mark when Thomas Hickey scored on assists from Brock Nelson and Josh Bailey, capping off a youth inspired comeback, and an important Game Three victory.

In the meantime, Flatbush Avenue roared.  Shortly thereafter they were having their performance commended by the players.  Both continue venturing into uncharted territory together Wednesday night in Game Four at Barclays Center.

• Suffice it to say, Brooklyn's historic first ever NHL Stanley Cup playoff game was a hit.  The place was packed to 99% capacity - obstructed seats and all.

• The Isles have solid efforts on the penalty kill to thank for their 2-1 series edge, after fending off 6 of 7 power plays through three games.  Their own power play was clicking, scoring two goals in Game Three, and going 3 for 9 to date.

• The Panthers and Islanders have now scored 10 goals apiece.  Through three games, Thomas Greiss, 30 years old, has so far faced 115 shots, made 106 saves, with 9 goals allowed for a .922 Sv% and a 2.83 GAA.

• The Islanders were correct to wear their traditional uniforms for Game Three.  The question is will they don their alternate Brooklyn black uniform for Game Four?

N.Y. Islanders: Long Island's Final Quest To Revel In June

From the desk of:  BROOKLYN'S FOSTER HOCKEY CLUB

47-28-7 (101 points)

3rd Metropolitan Division

NEW YORK ISLANDERS: Long Island's final NHL journey begins Wednesday in Washington, in the revisited Drive for Cup Number Five.

That's a wrap.  The 42nd, and final regular season of NHL hockey in Long Island is done.  Come October, the next Islanders regular season home game will be played in Brooklyn.

The last regular season home game at the Nassau Veteran's Memorial Coliseum was a deflating shoot-out loss against the Columbus Blue Jackets that prevented the Isles from hosting a first round play-off series.  That, however, didn't stop the party atmosphere in Uniondale Saturday night, nor did it diminish an otherwise great season, and the John Tavares led renaissance in Islanders hockey.

The task of marching Long Island hockey fans through to one last month of June begins Wednesday and Friday night against the Capitals in Washington.  The Barn will get its next chance to rock when the series shifts to Uniondale on Sunday for Game Three.

Before the playoffs even start, the 2014-15 regular season should not go under spoken.

The Islanders posted 101 points this season - breaking the century mark for the 8th time in their history, but, for the first time since the 1983-1984 regular season when Wayne Gretzky and the Edmonton Oilers snapped Long Island's "Drive For Five" Stanley Cup run.

That was over three decades and a full generation ago.  Many Isles fans weren't even born yet, or most of those who lived through, and remember the good old days are nearing retirement age or drawing social security by now.

The Isles seemingly had something going with some furious hockey against the Penguins in the 2012-13 playoffs, and looked forward to the following season with great anticipation.  In 2013-14 however, they got off to a brutal start which, despite a gamely effort down the stretch, they were unable to overcome.  They posted a disappointing 34-37-11 record, and finished 8th in the Metropolitan Division.

There were obvious issues that needed addressing in the off-season, with none more pressing than the situation between the pipes.

If you remember, last season's 3-headed monster featured 38-year old Evgeni Nabokov, Anders Nilsson, and Kevin Poulin.  The three combined on an .898 SV%, and a 3.00 GAA.  Nabokov led the pack with 38 starts, and posted a 15-14-8 record with a .905 SV%, and a 2.74 GAA.  Poulin made 26 starts, and posted an 11-16-1 record, with an .891 SV%, and a lofty 3.29 GAA.

General manager Garth Snow acquired Jaroslav Halak in the off-season for a 4th round pick, then signed him to a 4-year, $18 million dollar pact.  The stability Halak has brought between the pipes alone, has so far made him worth every cent.

Yes, he experienced a somewhat alarming finish.  Allowing a ponderous game-winning goal against the Flyers, and a let-down against the Blue Jackets in the Barn's regular season finale were not ideal ways to inspire playoff confidence.

What Jaroslav Halak needs at this very moment is rest.  Halak started 57 games this season.  It was said recently on the NHL Network that goalies whom start in excess of 60 games fair quite poorly in the playoffs.   Halak's workload puts him at the edge.

However, any discussion regarding Halak's defects must account for the porous defense being played in front of him, and a particularly poor penalty kill.  They respectively share responsibility for Halak's .914 SV% and a 2.43 GAA.

Otherwise, Jaroslav posted a 38-17-4 record, and greatly outperformed the previous situation in net.   In fact, Halak posted an 11-game winning streak that eclipsed the franchise mark set in 1982 by Billy Smith.

Garth Snow's two other key acquisitions addressed the defense.  In a pair of heralded acquisitions, he secured blue liners Johnny Boychuk and Nick Leddy.  Offensively, they combined to score 19 goals, 53 assists, and 72 points.

However, they were brought here to bolster the defense.  Last season, the Islanders finished 28th in the league with a 3.18 goals against average.  This season, they finished 23rd in the league.  They finished last season with a 78.1% penalty kill rate; this season, 78% for 26th in the league.

Despite what can be viewed as marginal results, Garth Snow still deserves as much credit today as he did when he first secured these three players.

The Islanders started the season on a roll.  They posted a 25-11-1 record during the 2014 portion of the schedule, and on January 13th, they defeated the New York Rangers at MSG to put them 15 games over the .500 mark for the first time since the Cup era.

Exactly half way through the regular season, the Islanders were in first place of the Metropolitan Division with a 27-13-1 record; one point ahead of the Penguins.  With 55 points, they trailed only Tampa for the Eastern Conference lead.

• The 1989-90 season was the last time the Islanders found themselves in 1st place by the all-star break.

Other teams got the message - the Islanders were good, 4-lines deep, and tough.  Of course, the hard part was finishing.

Scoring was never an issue.  At even strength, they were the 4th most potent offense in league.  John Tavares missed out on the NHL scoring title by one point.  He finished the regular season with 38 goals and 48 assists for 86 points, and is a leading MVP candidate.

The Islanders stumbled down the stretch, posting a troublesome 7-9-4 record in their final 20 games.   They slipped in the standings, finishing the regular season 3rd in the Metropolitan Division, and 5th in the Eastern Conference.

So, how long this run lasts is anyone's guess at this point.

Long Island's last journey begins Wednesday in Washington in the revisited Drive for Cup Number Five.



Mike

N.Y. Islanders: Garth Snow's Critics Laying Low

From the desk of:  BROOKLYN's FOSTER HOCKEY CLUB

LOCAL STANDINGS

N.Y.I.   19-7-0    38 points

N.Y.R.  11-9-4    26 points

N.J.D.   10-12-4  24 points

NEW YORK ISLANDERS: In his eighth season as general manager, Garth Snow might be the metropolitan area's junior executive next to Lou Lamoriello and Glen Sather, but he's presently doing the best job.

Although Garth Snow inevitably came up empty in the Matt Moulson trade, no one is harping about Thomas Vanek these days (unless you're a bookie that is).

At the time, the previous year's playoff series against the Penguins left many greatly anticipating the team taking another giant step forward in 2013-2014.

However, the team had obvious shortcomings on defense and in net.  Not only did the trade delete John Tavares' popular line mate, Vanek addressed neither issue, which caused many fans to find a place on the fence.

We know Snow's gamble failed to pay off.  The Islanders were unable to overcome a poor start, and did not qualify for last season's playoffs, and Thomas Vanek moved on to sign a free agent deal elsewhere.

In a different town; a different situation; perhaps the net-gain zero trade of a very popular player, and failure to make the playoffs adds to unemployment figures.  However, the continuing post-Milbury reconstruction under Charles Wang has been a very forgiving process.

If nothing else, Garth Snow showed some poblanos, chalking the trade up to - nothing ventured; nothing gained.

Fair enough.

To that point, Snow had already put together a young, fast, and physical team, that was capable of scoring with consistency.  Perhaps a chance to retain a veteran player of Vanek's caliber was worth a shot.   As an impending free agent himself, it would have been far more difficult to maximize a return on Matt Moulson through another team, lest we forget Buffalo was the NHL's most highly motivated seller.

Then what?

This last off-season, Garth Snow very smartly shored up his defense, and vastly upgraded his goalie situation.

For the moment, perhaps no single acquisition indeed shines more brilliantly than goalie Jaroslav Halak.  In exchange for a 4th round draft pick, I'd say Garth Snow did well.

In Thursday's 2-1 victory over the Senators, Halak, 29, earned a franchise record 11th straight victory, breaking the mark set in 1982 by Billy Smith.

Although he only ranks 19th in the NHL with 18 starts, he is t-3rd with 3 shutouts, t-4th with 14 victories (14-4), 7th with a 2.05 GAA, and 8th with a .926 save percentage.

On Saturday night, he'll have the opportunity to face his former team, the St. Louis Blues, whom seemingly had no use for Halak, yet presently find themselves desperate in net and earlier this week signed Martin Brodeur.

Playing in front of Halak, the former Blackhawks defenseman Nick Leddy, and former Bruins defenseman Johnny Boychuk, have repainted the Islanders blueline.

Nick Leddy, 23, is presently playing up to expectations, and (IMO) still packed with offensive potential.  This is a trade I feel will only get better as the season progresses.  Quite frankly, I don't know what Chicago was thinking.  Meanwhile, in addition to the size and presence he brings to the ice, Boychuk is off to the best start of his career.  In 26 games the two have combined on a +9, with 25 points.

No Moulson; no Vanek; no problem.  Garth Snow and Coach Capuano unleashed Brock Nelson this season, and the young 2nd year center is responding.  He is on the power play, his overall minutes are up, thus he's benefiting from increased shot opportunities.  In return, he has 7 PP goals, and a team leading 12 goals, and is tied with John Tavares with a team leading 23 points.

All this so far has contributed to the Islanders NHL leading 19 victories this season.  They enter Saturday night's action in sole possession of first place in the Metropolitan Division, and trail Tampa by one point for the conference lead.

Not incidentally, those who widely criticized Snow's lack of experience over the years are now laying low.

In his eighth season as general manager, Garth Snow might be the metropolitan area's junior executive next to Lou Lamoriello and Glen Sather, but he's presently doing the best job with the least resources.



Mike

N.Y. Islanders: Why Charles Wang Should Sell Now

From the desk of:  BROOKLYN'S FOSTER HOCKEY CLUB

GM Garth Snow's Gamble Backfired Miserably

NEW YORK ISLANDERS: Charles Wang Can Recoup A Decade Worth Of Financial Loss With One Fat Check.  He'd Be Stupid Not To Sell.

Recent reports suggest that Islanders owner Charles Wang, who has lost countless millions of dollars keeping the Islanders afloat for the last decade, is open to selling a majority stake in the team.  The timing of this scuttlebutt seems odd.  Why now?

Yet, the news is still reasonable to believe.  Although the shift to Brooklyn is still a full season away, there is little doubt the move will greatly improve the team's overall situation.  However, in signing a 25-year lease, the Islanders will continue playing as tenants in someone else's building.

There's the rub.

While Charles Wang might have indeed brokered a deal to ensure the continued operation of the Islanders by relocating them, I believe the move to Brooklyn only enhances Charles Wang's personal net gain by a marginal value.

His proposals to pay for, and construct the Lighthouse Project in Long Island were put down long ago, first by the local legislature, then reaffirmed by a vote of local taxpayers.  Now, with Barclays Center CEO Brett Yormark having secured the deal to renovate Nassau Coliseum, Charles Wang's window of opportunity to build his own arena within the greater metropolitan area has officially passed.

In fact, when you consider the Nets and Devils no longer play at IZod Center, and after next season Nassau Coliseum will become empty, there's already a glut of unsuitable arenas.  Mr. Wang now has every businessman's reason to excuse himself from the local sports scene.

Even after having gained a measure of resolution with the move to Brooklyn, Charles Wang nevertheless apparently seems done with a very lengthy ordeal.

The situation on the ice has additionally taken another step back.  This year's regular season's results may have even hasted Mr Wang's willingness to entertain such an exit.  Therefore, why not sell, and recoup a decade worth of losses with one easy transaction?

In any event, the time to hold people accountable is at hand.

Over the previous two seasons, Long Island sported the best forward line of all three local area teams.  Last year, they were one of the top scoring teams within the division, and nearly toppled the Pittsburgh Penguins in the playoffs.  This year, the team has suffered a precipitous fall, and certainly not because of Coach Capuano.

Garth Snow's gamble to trade Matt Moulson and a pair a draft picks to Buffalo for Thomas Vanek is partly to blame, and wound up backfiring on the GM in the worst way imaginable.  The net result - Isles have no Moulson, no Vanek, and are minus a #1 pick in the next draft.  What Garth Snow needed to address was a suspect defense, and upgrading the goal tending situation.  He instead, depleted his resources, and compromised the short term fortunes of the club.

Hiring Garth Snow, who lacked any practical experience as a front office executive, was a worthwhile experiment.  I'm not out to lambaste a risky appointment, but merely suggest, it is time for the Islanders to broaden their horizons, and seek out a more experienced, and savvy general manager.

In the broader picture, Garth Snow was merely Charles Wang's latest attempt at trying to recover what is increasingly looking like an unrecoverable operation.  I find no fault with either man.  A combination of the still lingering wreckage left behind by Mike Milbury operating under destructive ownership, a fast deteriorating and out of date arena, and the political situation in Long Island have conspired against Mr. Wang's efforts for a decade.

A fresh approach may indeed be in order for the Islanders sake.  Perhaps the move to Brooklyn should be accompanied by an entirely new slate of ownership and front office personnel, who can approach hockey operations with the advantage of being once removed from the organizational meltdown Charles Wang was left to rebuild.

When you get to the heart of the matter, this has been a fruitless process for him.




Mike.BTB

The Rivalry: N.Y. Rangers vs. N.Y. Islanders - Game One

From the desks of:

RAISE GRESCHNER WITH THE GREATS  and  BROOKLYN'S FOSTER HOCKEY CLUB

 

 

THE RIVALRY

 

Tonight

 

NEW YORK RANGERS

vs.

NEW YORK ISLANDERS

FROM

Uniondale

LONG ISLAND

 

 

 

NEW YORK RANGERS: MSG and the Canadiens Outshine the Broadway Blueshirts on Opening Night.

 

The best thing I can say about last night's game is that no one threw themselves off the newly constructed bridges inside Madison Square Garden.  If the Rangers early season funk continues, Jim Dolan might want to consider adding even more safety nets to the overall renovations - quickly.

 

Carl Hagelin will return to the line-up this evening against the Islanders.  He'll be a most welcome return, as the Rangers are desperate to establish any kind of consistent forward line scoring.  The Blueshirts were shut out last night, this time by the Canadiens, for the third time in their first ten games of the season.  They've specifically been shutout by the Habs over their last three regular season meetings.  So, in a sense, some things just haven't changed.

 

While goal posts, the men in stripes, and Montreal goalie Peter Budaj all played their roles in thwarting the Rangers on opening night, the Blueshirts problem is still largely an internal one.  There is no offensive zone sustainability.  Even more alarming to that end, was the ease with which Montreal kept pushing the Rangers off the puck.  The Rangers then had five power play chances, and  came up empty.  In fact, they are 1 for 15 in their last five games.

 

The Rangers got tic-tac-toe'd on a second period Montreal power play, and that was the end of that.  The Rangers put the Habs on the power play six times, so they should be relieved to have only lost by a 2-0 final.

 

 

NEW YORK ISLANDERS: Still Trolling For Reasons To Like The Thomas Vanek Trade - But On A Different Note, Owner Charles Wang and Garth Snow Are Making The Islanders Matter Again.

 

Yesterday: Garth Snow Rocks The Boat

 

Excuse me for the following comparison, but here I go nonetheless.  Remember how WWI was about trench warfare, and suffering massive casualties for the sake of advancing the front perhaps by only mere feet and yards?  

 

After digesting the Moulson for Vanek trade, I believe more strongly GM Garth Snow paid too much.  If he was inclined to trade draft picks, he could have resorted to just trading them and supplemented what the Islanders already had in hand.  Instead, all he did was switch forwards, for a potentially slight upgrade, and compromise his future drafts.  This season, as well against the Penguins in last year's playoffs, their problem was not with scoring.  The Islanders primary shortcomings are on defense and in the net.  But I guess the decision towards adopting an  - outscore your opponent - tactic has effectively been made.

The first month of the regular season is not yet done, so Garth Snow can feasibly turn right around and trade Thomas Vanek again.  Even if Snow can convince Vanek to sign and stay with the Isles, this all strikes me as an eventual net loss because of the money involved to retain him, and the loss of picks.

Charles Wang lost millions in trying to keep the Islanders in Uniondale, I guess as best as an entrepreneur can.  But Nassau County voted no to the final compromised plan.  In two seasons, the Isles will move into Barclays Center in Brooklyn.  Meanwhile, the Nassau Coliseum will be renovated by the same people who brought us Barclays Center.  Both the Brooklyn Nets and Islanders will play a very limited number of games in the refurbished arena.  What about all this makes sense to you?

All that aside, I applaud and congratulate owner Charles Wang for enduring all he has.  He and Garth Snow are clearly trying to reclaim a proud, yet lost legacy and presence in local New York sports.




Mike.BTB

N.Y. Islanders: Garth Snow Rocks The Boat

From the desk of:  BROOKLYN'S FOSTER HOCKEY CLUB


NEW YORK ISLANDERS: GM Garth Snow Pulls Off Bold Move; Sends The Popular Matt Moulson Shuffling Off To Buffalo, In Exchange For Thomas Vanek.

For now, Devils fans, and Rangers fans like myself just have to suck it up.  The Long Islanders are currently the best hockey team in the metropolitan area, and arguably just got better.  Today, the Islanders negotiated an early season trade they feel will significantly improve their scoring.  But GM Garth Brooks is taking an awfully big chance.

Garth Snow traded the very popular and productive Matt Moulson, along with a 2014 1st round pick, and a 2015 2nd round pick to the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for 29-year old winger Thomas Vanek.  He'll immediately join John Tavares to form the most formidable forward line in town.  But for how long?  Vanek will be an unrestricted free agent come July.  So, Garth Snow's new problem is how to keep him.

I'm not about to under-value Thomas Vanek.  I think he's a very good player.  He's a proven scorer.  But I'm not so sure he's immensely better than Moulson at this point, to warrant this large a package.

Thomas Vanek is inside his ninth season in the league.  He scored forty goals in a season twice, and topped thirty goals two other times.  He has 254 in his career.  In last year's shortened season, Vanek scored 41 points in 38 games.

Matt Moulson, like Vanek, is 29-years old, and will also become a free agent in July.  In four plus seasons with the Islanders, Moulson topped thirty goals in a season three straight times, undone only by last year's shortened schedule.  Last year he scored 44-points in 47 games, with 15 goals.

All however is NOT well.  Tavares and Moulson were best friends  There is already rampant speculation Vanek wants to play in Minnesota, while Moulson was perfectly content where he was.

The Islanders are currently tied for second place of the new Metropolitan Division with eleven points.  They have as many goals, 35, as their rival Pittsburgh Penguins, and trail only the Tampa Bay Lightning and Toronto Maple Leafs for the most goals scored in the conference.  Garth Snow should perhaps look into shoring up his blue liners, who have allowed the third most goals in the Eastern Conference.  On that note, one of those picks could have been spent on a goalie maybe?


BTW - Matt Moulson has already scored for Buffalo tonight.




Mike.BTB

N.Y. Rangers ~ NY Islanders; The Rivalry, Game Two

From the desk of:  RAISE GRESCH WITH THE GREATS

NEW YORK RANGERS  vs.  New York Islanders

The Rivalry - Game II

Somehow, the Islanders have created a goalie controversy for themselves with rumors they will trade Ivgeni Nabokov.  The Isles have maintained three goalies because if you even look at Rick DiPietro the wrong way, he gets hurt.  Apparently however, GM Garth Snow said there is no goalie controversy.  But if I were Coach Capuano, I'd just make Al Montoya the starter anyway and call it a day.  But at least the quasi-controversy has people even talking about the Islanders. 




I mean, C'mon.  The Islanders have scored the least amount of goals in the league.  A goalie controversy?  John Tavares and Michael Grabner have combined to score thirteen goals.  The rest of the team has scored sixteen.  They are now buried in last place of the Atlantic Division so it would seem to me they have more problems than a goalie controversy.  They are 1-9 in their last ten games with a six game losing streak mixed in.  Their lone win during that time came against Washington.  They are coming off a three game road trip where they lost in Boston, lost a back-breaker in OT to Colorado, and dropped their most recent game Sunday night in Vancouver.  Coach Capuano is pissed off about it too and let it be known.




For the Rangers, this is the start of a four game road trip.  And they'll be looking to extend their six game winning streak in Long Island tonight.  They will then go to Montreal, Florida, and Washington before returning home.  They've taken care of business on home-ice so far with a 5-1-1 record.  As they start this road trip against the Isles, they've held their own away from MSG with a 4-2-2 record.




After fifteen games, Marian Gaborik has nine goals.  How do ya like him now?  It almost makes us wonder even harder as to just what happened to him last season?  Such as life....  In addition to his good start, it so happens Gaborik has some healthy numbers in his career versus the Islanders.  We'll need another good game from Marian tonight, because while he might like playing the Islanders, the Rangers as a team might not.  Long Island hasn't been too friendly to the Blueshirts these last two years.  The last time they met this season, the Islanders defeated the Rangers back on Oct. 15th, in Long Island.  And over our last four meetings, the Isles have woefully outscored the Blueshirts.




That brings us to Brandon Dubinsky, who finally broke the seal with his first goal of the season.  Now, he needs to sustain what he started.  Ranger fans have been patient and pleased with his maturation process these last few years.  But now, the signed young Vet has expectations on him.  The truth is, the Rangers, as has been our problem, need more scoring.  And I'm expecting Brandon Dubinsky to provide more than just an average share.  As young as this team is now, he needs to be one of the leaders here, and do that in part by scoring goals. 




While the Rangers have scored fourteen more goals that the Isles this season, so far there are eleven teams in the Eastern Conference with more goals scored than the Rangers.  Defensively however, the Rangers have given up the least amount of goals in the Conference even as Marc Staal remains sidelined.  Coach Torts has to be happy with at least that....no?

TONIGHT

The Rivalry; Game Two

NEW YORK RANGERS

vs.

New York Islanders

From the Nassau Mausoleum in Uniondale,

LONG ISLAND, N.Y.

Mike.BTB