N.Y. Islanders: Brian Boyle Foils the Brutes of Flatbush

From the desk of:  FIVE FOR FLATBUSH

So much for stealing away home ice advantage from Bolts..

Lightning lead series 2-1

I - NYI 5; TBL 3

II - TBL 4; NYI 1

III - TBL 5; NYI 4*

*overtime

New York Islanders did everything they wanted in Game Three ... except win.

It also makes complete sense Ryan Callahan and Brian Boyle would thrive in such a physically played game.

The Islanders turned Game Three into a grudge match - just as planned.  That's when they're at their best, and I believe their physicality will indeed wear on Tampa as the series continues.  And that's why the Islanders should continue playing in this manner despite suffering a brutal overtime loss Tuesday night at Barclays Center.

Even I have to admit my guilt, though, in so far as overlooking Ryan Callahan and Brian Boyle.   Shame on me as a Rangers fan, I should have known better.  The two obviously benefit from their familiarity with New York City, and particularly playing in front of Islanders home crowds.   Moreover, they were easily Tampa's two most resilient players on the ice.  After all, they were indoctrinated under John Tortorella, and so found the Islanders' style quite to their liking, and it showed.

There's an argument to be made the Islanders partly blew Game Three in the 1st period, which was actually their best session of the game.  I say that because John Tavares registered so little ice time, with Coach Cooper temporarily getting the better of Jack Capuano in so far as line changes and match-ups.

But with Jack Capuano left decoding his counterpart, the Islanders fourth line carried the action.

Misstep Number One

• With everything seemingly going the Islanders way, they literally tripped themselves up late in the 1st period by committed one of the cardinal sins of hockey - allowing a goal within the last two minutes of a period.  

At 18:27, Casey Cizikas was dispatched to the sin bin for carelessly tripping Brian Boyle.  In turn, the Bolts wasted no time converting what amounted to a costly lack of situational awareness.  With just 0:13 left in the period, Ryan Callahan established position in front of Thomas Greiss, and deflected Alex Killorn's wide shot back on net and beyond Thomas Greiss, tying the score at one.

The Bolts and Isles fought to a 2nd period draw on the judge's scorecards, after swapping goals from Victor Hedman and Nick Leddy.

Misstep Number Two

• After Josh Bailey converted a power play opportunity just 2:27 into the 3rd period, the Bolts returned fire a mere minute later, tying the score again at three.

That was a punch to the gut, but New York's fourth line continued carrying the night with Cal Clutterbuck finding net, and putting the Islanders ahead 4-3 at the 11:23 mark.

Misstep Number Three

• With 2:00 left in regulation, Jon Cooper pulled Ben Bishop in order to give the Bolts a man advantage, and it worked.  With just 0:38 left in regulation, Nikita Kucherov got lost in the slot, and zapped one beyond Thomas Greiss to tie the game at four.

Brian Boyle reared his head again in overtime, but this time in a most controversial way.  He separated Thomas Hickey from the puck high in the Isles defensive zone but with a questionable hit to the head area that went unpenalized by the men in stripes.  The play remained on side for Tampa, and while Boyle rejoined the rush, Hickey remained laid-out on the ice.

• Was Boyle's hit retaliation for the even bigger hit Thomas Hickey laid on Jonathan Drouin?  I don't think it was, but I won't get in anyone's way if they think so.  I'm also not so sure Brian Boyle deserved a penalty either.

With just 0:38 second left in regulation, Ryan Callahan was credited with an assist, but in truth the puck caromed off the backboard and found Brian Boyle positioned on the weak side, who snapped it beyond Thomas Greiss for the game winning goal.

Brian Boyle also got into a pre-game scrum during warm-ups, then had a 1st period goal waved off for a high stick.  In other words, Brian Boyle had his fingerprints all over this game, with Ryan Callahan right there with him, and both standing tall after a very physical game.

Just the way they like it...

Power Outages

I still say both teams are flirting with disaster.  Each committed four more penalties in Game Three.   Despite trading power play goals Tuesday, both PP units continue to flounder.  Tampa is 2 of 11 with the man advantage (which does not include Coach Cooper pulling Bishop in the 3rd period of Game Three).  The Islanders are 2 for 13 on the PP.  All hail their respective PK, but eventually, something is gonna give.

Behind the Mask

There's been talk of Jaroslav Halak's improvement, and potential return.  An obvious question, then, begs to be asked. Should Halak be reinstated, if and when available, or is this playoff run now firmly in the pads of Thomas Greiss?

Game Four @ Flatbush

We already have all the context we need - Screaming for Vengence with be the anthem of the night.

The Islanders must win Game Four at home before heading back to the Sunshine State. It's not critical they do, just terribly necessary.

They started Game Three perfectly, with big hits, and a 1-0 lead, just like the doctor ordered.  For the game, the Islanders out-hit Tampa by a 44-34 margin.  In turn, the Islanders incurred 14 takeaways.   They also muscled their way to a 38-27 victory in the face-off battle.  The Islanders additionally raised their number of shots on goal.  Now they must do more.

• Josh Bailey is such a difference maker when he's healthy.
• I'm having trouble recalling a better fourth line in hockey.

N.Y. Islanders: Series Shifts to Ben Bishop's Borough of Horror

From the desk of:  FIVE FOR FLATBUSH

Welcome back to Brooklyn, 

a great place to visit, unless you're Ben Bishop that is..

Series tied 1-1

I - NYI 5; TBL 3

II - TBL 4; NYI 1

III - @BROOKLYN

New York Islanders: The series is now a best of five, with Flatbush potentially owning the home ice edge.

If you recall, I said pay no mind to Game One.  I will side with a team coming off a 3-day layoff over a team coming off a 6-day layoff every time.

That's exactly what happened.  Tampa spent two and a half periods shaking off rust before getting their game skates under them.  By then, it was too late, particularly against an Islanders team still high from an overtime series clinching victory over the Florida Panthers.

Inactivity and rust aside, it's worth noting the Islanders spent the better part of said two and a half periods pounding the Bolts into submission.  But that said, the series started in earnest with Game Two, when unfortunately, the Islanders looked listless after quickly falling behind in the 1st period, en route to a 4-1 loss.

For the moment, though, the Islanders potentially stealing home ice advantage with their Game One win in Tampa should not go understated.  Heading into Game Three, the trick now is to seize upon their gained advantage with nothing short of victory in Brooklyn.

Easier said than done... I know.

GAME THREE

Tampa Bay Lightning

vs.

New York Islanders

FROM

BARCLAYS CENTER

Flatbush Avenue

Special Teams: Waiting for the dam to burst.

Hey, if both teams insist on committing so many damn penalties, then the team which scores most with the man advantage wins the series.  To date, the Bolts are a mere 1 for 7, while the Islanders are just a fraction better with a 2 for 9 rate.  I say both are flirting with disaster.  Something is eventually gonna give like a weakening dam.

Beyond the Mask: Coach's Actions Speak Louder Than Words

Beyond the bench is more like it...

The Tampa Bay Lightning sent a jolt through the Islanders system in Game Two.  With the Triplets Line back in place, the Bolts were quicker, and possessed the puck for an inordinate amount of time by staying in open ice, and not allowing themselves to get pinned along the boards.

The Islanders trailed 2-0 by 11:55 of the 1st period, and the Lightning never looked back en route to a 4-1 series tying victory.  Tampa out-shot the Islanders 31-20, limiting the Islanders to five shots on goal in the 2nd period, then just three shots on goal in the 3rd.

Thomas Greiss was the hard luck loser, allowing six goals against 41 shots on net.

Back on March 24 in Tampa, the Islanders suffered through a 7-4 drubbing against the Bolts.  That game was tied at four until 10:09 of the 3rd period, when things fell apart for the Isles like wet toilet paper.  Coach Jack Capuano stuck with Thomas Greiss, and did not pull his goalie after allowing the go-ahead goal, then another within 23-seconds of each other.

On Tuesday, the Islanders goalie knows he's entering a critical Game Three with the full confidence of his coach, and more importantly, that of his team mates.

Then there's Ben Bishop, coach Jon Cooper, and the Lightning...

Bishop is no stranger to New York City's fan fervor during playoff time, having successfully experienced their passion last season at Madison Square Garden during the Eastern Conference finals against the Rangers.

But, as is the case with most out-of-towners, it wasn't until April 4th this year, that Bishop rudely discovered Brooklyn and Manhattan are actually worlds apart.  During his lone regular season visit to Barclays Center, Bishop allowed all five Islanders goals on only 23 shots on net, and was consequently relieved of his duties just 4:28 into the 3rd period by coach Jon Cooper.

Ben Bishop now gets a chance to erase his own chalk outline left at the intersection of Atlantic Avenue and Flatbush.

Or does he?

Coach Jon Cooper again pulled Ben Bishop midway through the 2nd period of Game One after allowing four goals on just 13 shots on net - and that happened in Tampa.  Back-up goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy wound up finishing the game.  He faced eight shots and did not allow a goal.

One thing has become very clear - Jack Capuano has far more confidence in goalie Thomas Greiss, than Jon Cooper has in Tampa goalie Ben Bishop.  That inevitably translates onto the ice.

I have no doubt Jon Cooper will start Ben Bishop in Game Three.  But if Tampa's goalie didn't already learn back in April, he's surely going to understand the meaning of playing in city traffic now.

The Islanders also want the crowd factoring in games Three and Four if at all possible, and big early hits are a great way to get them started.  Establishing a physical presence in front of the net, and scoring tough goals is another.  The Islanders hammered Tampa 38 hits to 24 during that 5-2 victory over Tampa back on April 4th, then absolutely pounded them into the boards again in Game One.

Just saying...

Welcome back to Brooklyn, Ben, a great place to visit ... for some.  Apparently for others, not so much.

Fugheddaboudit...

N.Y. Islanders: Flatbush manhandles Tampa in Game One

From the desk of:  FIVE FOR FLATBUSH

Islanders lead series 1-0

I - NYI 5; TBL 3

II - SATURDAY

New York Islanders: Let the bodies hit the ice; repeat three more times...

When speaking of the Stanley Cup playoffs, I'll side with the team coming off a three day layoff over the team coming off a six day layoff every time.  That does not always ring true 100% of the time, but the odds are heavily in my favor.

Therefore, Game One's result came as no surprise to me.

Despite Tampa Bay jumping out to an early lead, I fully expected the Lightning to suck in Wednesday's series opener against the Islanders.  Sure enough, the Bolts, specifically Ben Bishop, did exactly that.

Tampa Bay, however, will not go down quietly.  In fact, the Lightning effectively removed six days worth of rust by the 3rd period.

The real series starts now.

That said, there is still much to extract from Game One.

Don't let the official game stats fool you.  The box score says Tampa actually out-hit the Isles by a 33-29 margin.  In truth, however, they were only bumping into people instead of actually throwing their weight around.  Despite the absence of Steven Stamkos, Tampa still wants to play in open ice.  They do not want the series devolving into an overly physical contest in the corners - which plays right into the Islanders hands.

Listen up Rangers fans!

When the Islanders come ready to hit, they punish.  They turn jerseys into sideboard art.  And on Wednesday, they hit everything in sight.  So the longer this series goes, crashing bodies like the Isles did in Game One will eventually take its toll on Tampa.

When the Rangers played Tampa in last year's Conference Finals, 

Alain Vigneault called off the dogs in Game Seven and got eliminated.  Now look at them.!

Jack Capuano took a puck to the face and stayed behind the bench ... just saying.

When a healthy Steve Bernier and Matt Martin, Cal Clutterbuck and Casey Cizikas play the way they did in Game One, then throw in five hits from new kid on the ice Alan Quine, the Islanders become a scary team to deal with.

The Lightning will find no respite.  Flatbush simply has more PSI than Tampa can handle - (pounds per square Islander).

Behind the Mask

If you haven't caught on by now, or are not familiar with this Trolley, I am a Rangers fan (damn Smurfs!), which gave me an up close view of Ben Bishop during last year's conference finals.

He's a big dude.  His mere presence occupies an inordinately huge amount of net space.  He must be made to move laterally, because, to put it very simply, he sucks at it.  Bishop is a good quality goalie if allowed to remain stationary.  But make him start moving to his left or right, and he's doomed.

Thomas Greiss gets to use his get out of jail free card for allowing two goals in the 3rd period of Game One.

Just regroup, you're doing fine!

The Rivalry: Rangers vs. Islanders - II

From the desks of:

RAISE GRESCH WITH THE GREATS  &  FIVE FOR FLATBUSH

THURSDAY

New York Rangers

vs.

New York Islanders

FROM

Flatbush Avenue Ice House

BROOKLYN

The Battle for Second Place Begins ... Now:

With the Washington Capitals dominating the Metropolitan Division by a 16 point margin over both the Rangers and Islanders, the battle for second place is on.

The Rangers are in Kings County for only their second ever appearance at Barclays Center.  Their first trip over the bridge came on December 2nd, which ended in a 2-1 shootout loss.  Prior to the Islanders departure from Uniondale, the Rangers last played in Brooklyn way back in 1942 against the Americans.

After Thursday's game, Madison Square Garden will then host the final two meetings of the season series.  If the mid-season standings are an early indication, then the series finale between the Rangers and Islanders on April 7 is shaping up to be one of their more epic clashes in decades.

The Rangers and Islanders enter Thursday's action tied with 51 points apiece.  Therefore, Thursday night's game will be an interesting case study in styles.  The Islanders grind teams down with four lines, whom all know how to throw their weight around.  The Rangers, on the other hand, try to play faster than the physicality.

I think this is a non issue for Isle fans.  I think it's an issue for some Rangers fans, and it's certainly an issue for this one, your truly.

Code Blue:

Midway through the season, the Rangers defense is a mid-level unit.  They're presently ranked 14th in goals against, which is well below their usual standard.  Adding insult to Rangers injury, the Islanders are ranked 12th in goals against, and that's just not something Rangers fans (nor Islanders fans for that matter) are accustomed to.

Don't Look Now, But...

Have the Islanders finally gotten over their long suffering Achilles heal?  Don't look now, but they are ranked #2 on the penalty kill.  That's been Coach Capuano's pet peeve for years, and one of the few, yet most self-destructive Islanders shortcomings these last few seasons.

Henrik the Busy:

Jaroslav Halak will be making his 23rd start Thursday.  Back-up Thomas Greiss has made 20 starts of his own.  Meanwhile, Henrik Lundqvist has made all but 8 starts for the Rangers.  In 34 starts, he owns 19 wins, a .920 SV% and a 2.49 GAA.  Combined, Halak and Greiss have posted 23 victories, with a .923 SV% and a 2.27 GAA.

N.Y. Islanders: Defenders of Fort Never Lose Marching Toward Washington for Game 7

From the desk of:  BROOKLYN'S FOSTER HOCKEY CLUB

Don't lock The Barn doors yet!  Moving Day has been put on hold..

Series tied 3-3

I - NYI 4; WAS 1

II - WAS 4; NYI 3

III - NYI 2; WAS 1

IV - WAS 2; NYI 1

V - WAS 5; NYI 1

GAME SIX FINAL

Capitals   1

Islanders  3

New York Islanders: Long Island's Swan Song Takes Flight To The Nation's Capital For A Game 7 Showdown Against Caps.

The Islanders are barnstorming to Washington intent on extending Long Island's final season of NHL hockey.  With a Game 7 victory over the Capitals Monday night, the Nassau Coliseum would be ensured of at least two more games, not to mention a second round match-up against the New York Rangers.

But, if Saturday's clash against the Caps indeed belatedly turns into the final game at the old Barn, it was a fine one.

Coach Capuano must first be credited for making adjustments after Game 5's debacle.

The captain, John Tavares then led the way with a 1st period goal at the 6:56 mark.  However, when the stripes whistled Tavares for slashing at 19:27, John Carlson converted an Alex Ovechkin feed for a game tying power play goal with just 0:05 left in the period.

After a scoreless 2nd period, Long Island's hero emerged midway through the 3rd.  At the 10:33 mark, Washington overplayed John Tavares in the corner, leaving Nikolay Kulemin all alone to work the puck through Braden Holtby for a 2-1 Islanders lead.

Cal Clutterbuck sealed the Islanders victory for their frenzied fan base with an empty-netter 0:53 shy of the final buzzer.

Once again, the Islanders did a fine job minimizing Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom, whom combined to take just 4 SOG.  However, Troy Brouwer, John Carlson, Joel Ward, and Evgeny Kuznetsov all registered 5 or better.

Working overtime on the blueline, Johnny Boychuk logged 27:00 minutes, and Nick Leddy put in 28:59 minutes of ice time.

Washington's lone score came with a man-advantage.  Otherwise, Jaroslav Halak effectively outlasted Braden Holtby, facing 39 shots on goal and making 38 saves to extend Long Island's run by at least one more game.

Game Six was a very physical affair, that devolved all the way through the final buzzer, and beyond.

A total of 8 penalties were assessed at the tail end of the game; 4 for Washington, 4 for the Isles.   Cross checking and roughing penalties came standard, but only Cal Clutterbuck was levied with a 10-minute misconduct.

An empty-net goal aside, the Islanders have scored just 6 times in the last 4 games.  John Tavares has 2 goals in the series, and may very well need to score another on Monday.  Meanwhile, the power play is now 0 for 13 in 6 games.  Ideally, the Isles need a goal from their special teams now more than ever in order to off-set any potential (Game 7) scoring by (WAS) what is still the #1 power play in the league.

Should the Islanders fall in Game 7 at Washington, they may as well pack a bag full of remorse for their trip to Brooklyn over losing Game 2 in Braden Holtby's absence.  Although 3 pucks found net, the Islanders must ponder having only mustered a mere 21 shots on goal.  That made back-up goalie Philipp Grubauer's performance good enough.

At the other end, and after a fine 1st period, the Isles played poorly in front of Jaroslav Halak whom faced 35 shots (18 in the 2nd period), and allowed a pair of 2nd period goals, and another pair in the 3rd.

The balance of Long Island hockey now lies in the success or failure of Game 7.  The move to Brooklyn either commences post haste by midnight Monday, or gets delayed through another round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.

The New York Rangers await the winner of this series.

One last Rangers/Islanders post-season battle would be epic.

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

NHL ~ Eastern Conference Spots Up For Grabs

NHL Eastern Conference Standings:

1 - Philadelphia
2 - Washington
3 - Boston
4 - Pittsburgh
5 - Tampa Bay  - 89
6 - Montreal  - 87
7 - NEW YORK  - 84
8 - Buffalo  - 81
-------------------------------
9 - Carolina  - 78
10 - Toronto  - 76
11 - Atlanta  - 72
12 - NEW JERSEY  -72



NEW YORK RANGERS:

Final
Florida Panthers  0
New York Rangers  1

Say hello to points numbers 83 and 84.  It wasn't the show of force the last pair of games was, but a third period goal by Brandon Dubinsky made it just as thrilling.  Henrik Lundqvist recorded his 31st win as well as his 10th shut-out of the season.  The Rangers now find themselves only three points behind #6 Montreal who lost tonight to Buffalo.

My next Rangers post is forth-coming.




NEW YORK ISLANDERS:

FINAL
New York Islanders   5
Tampa Bay Lightning   2

In spite of playing very good Hockey over the last two months, the Islanders played a rather inconsequential game versus Tampa Bay.  With 70 points now, there is still little to hang hope on for a playoff spot.  But I red an article over the weekend where Islander Head Coach Jack Capuano may not be retained as Coach for next season.  If that is even a consideration, the Islanders and Garth Snow are insane.  The guy has done a great job since he was called up to fill in.

The Islanders can still have a lot to say about who gets to play beyond mid-April.  They have games remaining with the Devils, Rangers, Atlanta and Carolina.




NEW JERSEY DEVILS:

FINAL
New Jersey Devils  1
Boston Bruins   4

Before tonight's action, Toronto, Carolina, and seven points stood between the Devils and the eighth place Buffalo Sabres.  It seems, as hard as they've worked lately, they haven't gained any real ground on the pack above them.  Going into tonight, they only had ten games left to close the gap.  And losing two out of their last three couldn't have come at a worse time.  And time, is something they don't have.  However they won't be without their chances, but they have a hell of a schedule to negotiate.

New Jersey is on the road this week.  Tonight in Boston; Friday in Pittsburgh; and Saturday the Devils will take on the Buffalo Sabres in a game of most critical importance to both teams. 

The Devils turned out to be the biggest losers on the night's action.  They dropped two points while the rest of their competition gained two.  Tonight's game against the Boston Bruins went very wrong.  They lost 4-1 and the Devils have now missed out on six valuable points over their last four games.  They are now losers of three of their last four.  Their hellish surge towards the playoffs is now beginning to sputter.  They lost two points on Buffalo and are now 9 points behind the eighth spot in the Eastern Conference.

The Devils next head to Pittsburgh for a Friday night game.  PITT is still without Sid "the Slew" Crosby and Malfkin.  Now the Penguins will also be without defense-man Matt Cooke.  The Pittsburgh goon was suspended for the remainder of the season and the first round of the playoffs resulting from his elbow hit to NYRangers McDonagh.

What follows after Pittsburgh will be a major battle of positioning when the Devils take on the eighth place Sabres in Buffalo.  Perhaps to aid the Devils' chances, they still have head-to-head match-ups with the Maple Leafs and Rangers.  But I think what is closest to the truth is the Devils can no longer afford to lose another game.  I believe the Sabres hold a huge scheduling advantage over New Jersey; See Sabres.




BUFFALO SABRES: (Western New York's Team)

FINAL
Buffalo Sabres   2
Montreal Canadiens  0

Buffalo shut-out Montreal tonight 2-0.

The Rangers are sitting in the #7 spot in the Eastern Conference.  The Rangers still have a three point lead on Buffalo.  They have to just keep winning.  But no team may be better suited to maintain control of their own destiny like Buffalo.  Buffalo's schedule has put them in control of their own path to the playoffs.  Of the Sabres last remaining nine game, they will  have opportunities to meet the Devils, Maple Leafs, Rangers and Carolina.  Those are all the teams they want to be facing in order to maintain control of their drive to the playoffs.




CAROLINA HURRICANES:

FINAL
Ottawa Senators  3
Carolina Hurricanes  4

Carolina stayed in 9th place behind the Sabres and Rangers as all three teams won tonight.  They are still 6 points behind the Rangers and 3 points behind the Sabres.  The Rangers will be playing the Sens Thursday night who hopefully will be looking to just play out the string after losing tonight.

Without the benefit of having any head-to-head match-ups aside from their game with Buffalo, the Canes are going to have fight for their playoff spot solo.  They are on their own unlike Buffalo who has the advantage of playing teams directly in the mix.



TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS:

FINAL
Toronto Maple Leafs  3
Minnesota Wild   0

Toronto just decided they aren't going away.  They, like the Rangers, Buffalo, and Carolina, won tonight to keep the standings as they were.  They now have 76 points; four ahead of the Devils and good for 10th place behind Carolina.



The NHL ~ The Other March Madness!





Mike.BTB

ISLANDERS vs. RANGERS ~ The Rivalry; Game Five

THE RIVALRY

New York Islanders

vs.

NEW YORK RANGERS

From Madison Square Garden

NEW YORK RANGERS: It's High Time This Rivalry Mattered Again...Starting Tonight!

These aren't Mike Milbury's Islanders anymore.  They are young, gritty, feisty and are refusing to go away quietly while a number of teams above them jostle for playoff spots; to include the Rangers and Devils..  The Islanders are a hard luck 10-3-4 over their last 17 games because a couple of over-time losses prevents their recent record from sparkling even brighter.  Otherwise, they are playing as near ferocious Hockey as the Devils.

The Islanders and Devils just played a dooozy of a game against each other last Saturday; won by New Jersey 3-2 in over-time.  Islander Coach Jack Capuano had nary a nice word for the refs after the game and I for one can't blame him.  The officiating was horrific and to my eye, one sided indeed; tilted the Devils' way.  While the Devils' surge is no fluke, the Islanders got jobbed out of an extra point they desperately needed to stay alive.

But take notice; the Islanders are back in the local conversation again.  The Islanders to their credit, are staying hot on the Devils' trail, as the Devils themselves continue a hell-raged charge towards a playoff spot.  Now, after Long Island's latest tough-luck loss to the Devils, this young, still contending, and now angry team is coming to Madison Square Garden to try and add to the Rangers' own list of problems.

Ex-Ranger farmhand, goalie Al Montoya, picked up by Long Island from Phoenix' AHL team, has stabilized the Islanders goalie situation ever since Rick DiPietro and Evgeni Nabokov (and four other goalies) were lost for the season, all in incredulous fashion.  He will be starting against the Blueshirts tonight.  Al Montoya was drafted by the Rangers back in 2004 and was supposed to be our Goalie of the Future.  But one day on their way to the ice, a guy named Henrik Lundqvist happened to the Rangers and well...., Montoya never made it here in a Blueshirt; and Henrik and the Rangers are still trying to write history.

The Bad Ranger Fan in me looks at tonight's game and sees Al Montoya as the newest Rangers' black cat that's about to cross our path; - and well....you know what happened to Leo Durocher.  It's all set up.  The Rangers are 15-16-3 at home. 

Some how; Some way....The Rangers managed to take a bite out of the Sharks but couldn't do Quack against the Ducks.  Now that they are back from their Californication, with a dozen games left in the Rangers' season, it's time for these guys to take back their house.  It's time for re-establishing Madison Square Garden as a very inhospitable place for opposing teams to play.  There is no better time, and no better team to get started against, than the New York Islanders; our grand old enemy.

The Islanders aren't coming into the Garden tonight as that little woeful, impish team we've grown accustomed to recently.  These guys are willing to hit, harass and won't hesitate in trying to ruin our Ranger lives.  We avoided disaster in California.  We all know exactly what the next 12 games mean to the Rangers.  We know what we need to do and how we need to make it happen.

But tonight fellow Ranger fans, it's time.  It's finally time...again.

Ranger fans!  It's time to hate these guys again.

.....because tonight, we can't afford not to.



Let's Go Rangers!!




Mike.BTB

N.Y. Rangers vs. N.Y. Islanders ~ Rivalry Game IV

Monday  December 27, 2010

WEATHER UPDATE:

Tonight's NYR-NYI Game

Is Still On

TONIGHT
New York ISLANDERS  vs.

NEW YORK RANGERS

from

Madison Square Garden

N.Y. RANGERS LEAD SEASON SERIES 2-1

NEW YORK RANGERS:  In defeat, We feel a Little guilty being too hard on them after two consecutive let-downs.

When a shoot-out goes 11 rounds, like it did against Tampa Bay in our last game, first, it's an unfortunate way to lose a point, but it's also just one of those things...ya know.  C'mon, eleven rounds?  They'll be no hassling Henrik about it.  Sometimes managing just one point is a very good thing depending how the game went.  Sometimes it's just okay.  Sometimes it's upsetting not getting two because of something that obviously went wrong.  This was one of those okay, one-point games. 

After taking two unlikely games from Washington and Pittsburgh in consecutive games and winning a third consecutive game, this time in shoot-out against Phoenix, they finally dropped one to the Flyers.  I hate the Flyers, but it's not a proper time to be critical there considering the busy schedule they just endured.  They had to play 6 games in 10 days from DEC. 9th through the 18th.

So far the Blueshirts are 6-4 for the month with two shoot-out splits.

Tomorrow night will be their second game in the last nine days.  They will certainly be fresher, we hope, and perhaps much more fresher than the Islanders considering the Isles played Sunday night.  But like any lay-off, the Rangers just might be rustier too and in that case, advantage Islanders who are playing good Hockey over their last five games.  They also get to sleep in their own beds tonight....(once they get home).

Ryan Callahan is going to be a huge loss; out until February.  The hope is Capt. Drury will counter Callahan's absence. And I will not rest until Coach Torts gives Sean Avery quality minutes on a quality line and stops speaking out both sides of his mouth concerning all things Avery.  Derek Stepan continues to impress and it looks like Coach Torts has his new Man-Crush.  Callahan might get jealous.  Artem Anisimov's game is re-emerging after a slight down-turn.  And where would we be without Prust and Boyle playing together.  And can Frolov actually be waking up?  He's been playing much better of late.

The Defensive Units have been an adventure.  Dan Girardi is playing bad games after good ones.  Michael Del Zotto needs his head unscrewed and re-attached; like a re-booting if you will. And Rozsival...Oh man, Rozsival.  How I detest thee..., let me count the ways.!  I can not bare to see him give up the puck in our own end anymore.  He is a skating crisis!

Monday night will be another adventure trying to get to the game with all the snow and the problems it represents getting around.  My son and I will leave that up to the MTA tomorrow night as we'll be donning our new jerseys we received for Christmas and root the Blueshirt on.  A pit-stop at the Tick-Tock Diner and then it's off to renew the great New York Rivalry between the Islanders and the Rangers,.

Break Up The ISLANDERS ~  They beat-up on the NorthEast leading Montreal Canadians on this snowy Sunday night winning 4-1.  Two even strength goals were complimented by two power play goals for the Isles.  NY-Roloson started in net while Rick DePietro continues to sit out with his re-injured knee.  Roloson stopped 39 shots while only letting one go by.  The Islanders were out-shot 39-25 but they made theirs count more.  They are 4-0-1 in their last five games after initially stumbling 1-8 through their first nine games under their new Coach Jack Capuano.  They will be feeling good about themselves heading into tomorrow night's game against their rival Rangers and looking to atone for two losing performances the last time they met during a home-and-home series.

The Islanders didn't even want tonight's game to be played because of the on-going blizzard and risks to their fans traveling in such bad weather.  But the NHL Office said the game must go on.

**Attendance: 3,136 brave fans showed up in Uniondale tonight and at least were rewarded for their efforts with a solid win against one of the League's best.

**The N.Y. ISLANDERS have announced any fan with a ticket for tonight's game may redeem it for ANY future home game, subject to availability of course.  Call the Islanders for more details.



These are two great articles I came across that I always meant to link-up:

LINKED ARTICLES FROM:    TheGlobeAndMail.com/Hockey


FIRST ARTICLE ~ THE NEW ISLANDERS PROBLEMS ABOUND

From ~ TheGlobeandMail.com
Article ~ Big Apple Hockey - Part One
Title ~ "Sinking Isles Need Lifeline"
By ~ David Shoalts
Article Link: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/hockey/david-shoalts/sinking-islanders-need-a-lifeline/article1834140/



SECOND ARTICLE ~ On THE NEW YORK RANGERS; A GREAT THREE PAGE ARTICLE ABOUT N.Y. RANGERS' GENERAL MANAGER, GLEN SATHER.

From ~ TheGlobeandMail.com
Article ~ Big Apple Hockey - Part Two
Title ~ "Sather Returns To Familiar Formula"
By ~ Roy MACGREGOR

Page One:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/hockey/sather-returns-to-familiar-formula/article1834821/page1/

Page Two:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/hockey/sather-returns-to-familiar-formula/article1834821/page2/

Page Three:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/hockey/sather-returns-to-familiar-formula/article1834821/page3/

*To Read In Single Page Form:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/hockey/sather-returns-to-familiar-formula/article1834821/singlepage/#articlecontent






Mike.BTB