N.Y. Islanders: Semyon Varlamov Saves Long Island From Elimination

From the desk of: NO SLEEP TILL BELMONT

NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE

2019   EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS   2020

Lightning lead Isles; 3-2

I - TBL 8; NYI 2

II - TBL 2; NYI 1

III - NYI 5; TBL 3

IV - TBL 4; NYI 1

V - NYI 2; TBL 1*

*double-overtime

Semyon Varlamov Short Circuits Bolts Through Double Overtime

The pressure was squarely on Semyon Varlamov to steal a game.  It took 92:30 minutes, but like a thief in the night he does just that.  He faces 37 shots and stops all but one.  Once Tampa does score, Varlamov pitches a shutout over the ensuing sixty-seven minutes of play.  It's the first time in five games and only the third time since entering the bubble that Tampa has been held to one goal or less. 

It's a good thing too, as the Islanders are held to just 24 shots on goal through four and a half periods of hockey. 

Through two periods shots on goal were 15-12 in favor of the Bolts.  They out-shoot the Islanders 9-5 in the third, then trade four shots on goal during the first overtime.  But the Islanders were out-shot again by an 8-4 margin in the second overtime making Semyon Varlamov the brightest star of the game. 

The onus is now on the skaters in front of him to get the Islanders through to game seven.  After going just 1/14 on the power play through the first four games, Long Island finally gets a timely goal at 15:41 of the first period by Ryan Pulock giving the Isles a 1-0 lead.  But four minutes into the second period the Islanders get caught in a change; Victor Hedman collects a rebound and blasts it past Varlamov tying the game at one.

Long Island kills three power lays.  None more important than a four-minute minor called against Anthony Beaullivier for high sticking at 18:37 of the third period that spills into overtime.

Midway through the second overtime Kevin Shattenkirk whiffs on a shot attempt.  The puck is poked up ice by Anders Lee who catches up with it along the left side.  Joining him on the right is Jordan Eberle.  Lee feeds a beautiful slider to Eberle who converts on a one-timer that beats Andrei Vasilevskiy glove side for the win.

The Islanders are now 2/17 on the power play.  Tampa is 4/16, however, three goals come in game one.  Otherwise, the Bolts since game two are 1/10 on the power play.  Goals scored since game two are presently 10-9 in favor of the Lightning.

Through five games both teams get "The Point" - the Lightning are 3-0 when center Brayden Point is on the ice; the Islanders are 2-0 when Brayden Point is not on the ice.  On that note, Johnny Boychuck was back on the ice for the first time since sustaining an injury against Florida.

N.Y. Islanders: Eastern Conference Final Preview

From the desk of: NO SLEEP TILL BELMONT

NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE

2019   EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS   2020

TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING

vs.

NEW YORK ISLANDERS

FROM

EDMONTON BUBBLE

The Islanders are in the Eastern Conference finals for the first time since 1993, twenty-seven years ago, when they fall to the Montreal Canadiens four games to one. 

The last time the Islanders and Tampa met in the playoffs was in 2015-2016 during the second round, taken by the Bolts four games to one.  After which the Islanders fail to qualify for the playoffs for two straight seasons.  Enter Barry Trotz who last season is hired as head coach and the Islanders return to the playoffs.  They sweep the Pittsburgh Penguins in round one, but suffer the same fate in round two against the Carolina Hurricanes.  Long Island now arrives in Edmonton after defeating the Florida Panthers, Washington Capitals and Philadelphia Flyers.

Meanwhile, Tampa Bay has been banging on the door since 2014-2015 when they lose the Stanley Cup finals against the Chicago Blackhawks.  The following season they bow in the conference finals against the Pittsburgh Penguins.  They fail to qualify for the playoffs in 2016-2017, then fall against the Washington Capitals in the 2017-2018 conference finals.  Last season they are bounced out of the playoffs in the first round by the Columbus Blue Jackets.  The Bolts arrive in Edmonton having defeated the Blue Jackets in round one and the Boston Bruins in round two. 

Tampa has been idle since last Monday after dispatching the Bruins in five and have played fewer games than the Islanders since entering the bubble.

The major question for Tampa is whether or not Steve Stamkos plays.  He is skating but has yet to return to action since sustaining a leg injury in July.  For the Islanders, Johnny Boychuck remains out after taking a hard hit to the head in game one against the Florida Panthers.

REGULAR SEASON MATCH-UP:

• Nov. 1 - NYI 5; TB 2
• Dec. 9 - NYI 5; TB 1
• Feb. 8 - TB 3; NYI 1

Semyon Varlamov or Thomas Greiss: that is the question.  Barry Trotz will decide which is noblest.  Coming off Saturday's whitewashing of the Flyers, I suspect Greiss makes the start in game one against Tampa.  Greiss faces just sixteen shots in Saturday's clincher against the Flyers, but nevertheless stops them all.  Varlamov is 9-4 with a .921 SV% and Greiss is 2-1 with a .960 SV% albeit with a smaller sample size.  Through thirteen games Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy is 10-3 with a .931 SV% and 1.91 GAA.

In almost every respect, be it even strength or on the power play, these teams are near even.  Both feature depth of lines and scoring ability throughout.  Through thirteen games the Bolts are averaging 3.0 goals per game, while the Isles are averaging 3.3 goals per game.  On defense, the Bolts are allowing an average of 2.3 goals per game while the Islanders are allowing a stingy 1.9 goals per game.

So far, advantage Islanders.

New York Islanders Momentum Put on Hold After Game Two Loss

From the desk of: NO SLEEP TILL BELMONT

NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE

2019   PLAYOFFS   2020

Series Tied; 1-1

I - NYI 4; PHI 0

II - PHI 4; NYI 3*

*overtime

Nothing More to See; Don't Worry; All is Well; Go Back to Your Homes and Thank You For Your Concern

Once you play beyond regulation, well, the first little slip up and it's game over.  Even the sun shines on a dog's posterior once a day.  To Philadelphia's credit the Flyers do create a bunch of traffic in front of Semyon Varlamov.  And sure enough, that jam up leads to the game winning goal.  I'm just not convinced Philadelphia actually wins on a long range deflection, or if the slow starting Islanders let one slip away.  In either scenario the Flyers last night should've slept with troubled minds after blowing a three goal lead.

The undeterred Islanders stay true to themselves and just grind their way through the second and third periods like a glacier carving its way through the Toronto bubble.  It takes overtime, but the Isles allow thirty-plus shots on goal for the first time since the NHL's restart.  So, technically they've yet to yield thirty SOG in regulation.  The Isles still out-shoot Philly by a 34-31 margin and continue doing what's been making them so successful: they're 2 for 2 on the PK and go 1 for 3 on the power play.  They also administer more hits and win more face-offs.  More across the board contributions come from Anders Lee, Anthony Beaullivier and the game tying goal with just over two minutes left in regulation from Jean-Gabriel Pageau.  That's been Islanders hockey.  After a disastrous first period they regroup and impose their brand of play until Philippe Myers flips the scrip at the 2:41 mark of overtime.

Sean Couturier leads the Flyers with four shots on goal, while four other skaters manage three each.  The Islanders on the other hand are led by Anders Lee's eight shots on goal and Anthony Beauvillier's six shots on net.  Three other Islanders put three shots on net as well.  Therefore have faith in Coach Trotz' four line blitz.  Game two was nothing more than the Isles showing up late for work - it happens.

If any team is under stress through two games, it's Philadelphia.  The Flyers are asking for extended minutes from their blue liners.  Ivan Provorov and Travis Sanheim clock over twenty minutes in game two, and in game one they play three defensemen in excess of twenty minutes.  The more minutes they stay on the ice the easier it gets to make them turn their heads and get their bodies skating in the wrong direction.  In game two not one Isles defenseman surpasses twenty minutes even as they continue forward minus Johnny Boychuck.

This can either be a turning point in the series for Philly (if you let your imagination run wild), or just a bump in the road for the Islanders.  I suspect the latter, but of course that remains to be seen.

N.Y. Islanders: Four Chances to Win One

From the desk of: NO SLEEP TILL BELMONT

NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE

2019   PLAYOFFS   2020

Isles Lead Caps; 3-0

I - NYI 4; WAS 2

II - NYI 5; WAS 2

III - NYI 2; WAS 1*

*overtime

DON'T BREAK OUT THE BROOMS YET

Don't look now, but that glacier grinding through the bubble has an Islanders logo on it.  Unimpeded the Isles continue imposing their will.  But they say game four is always the hardest to win. 

In the meantime, the Washington Capitals are yet to draw up any viable legislation insofar as countering their former head coach and the New York Islanders.  Appropriately enough the captain Anders Lee opens the scoring with less than five minutes left in the first.  Washington's Evgeny Kuznetsov converts a power play at 5:50 of the second knotting the game at one.  The teams play through a scoreless third and into overtime they go.  Semyon Varlamov effectively saves the game when he smothers Jakub Vrana coming down the slot on a breakaway opportunity.  Shortly thereafter New York gains puck control in the defensive end.  Derrick Brassard along the boards from outside the left circle unleashes a long distance cross-ice pass gathered in by Jordan Eberle skating through the neutral zone.  By a razors edge Mathew Barzal stays on-side while receiving Eberle's ensuing pass and continues blazing through the right circle towards net.  Unopposed Barzal dekes right then beats Braden Holtby on a crossover backhand for the victory and a three games to none series advantage.

Semyon Varlamov remains stellar, yielding zero even-strength goals in sixty-four minutes and twenty-eight seconds.  The Isles have now yielded just three even-strength goals this series through nine-plus periods of hockey.  Moreover, the Isles for a second time limit the Caps to just 23 shots on goal.  During the regular season Varlamov posts a regular season .914 SV% and 2.62 GAA.  Through the Islanders first seven post-season games he is averaging a .932 SV% and a 1.71 GAA.

Washington is playing without Nicklas Backstrom.  But the Isles are playing minus Johnny Boychuk.  Otherwise, the song remains the same ... the Isles have been particularly effective in their defensive zone with break-outs that oft times are near spotless.

• Florida was 4 for 14 on the PP (28.5%); the Isles were 4 for 16 on the PP (25%).
• Washington is 3 for 11 on the PP (27.2%); the Isles are 1 for 14 on the PP (0.71%).
• Opponents are 7 for 25 on the PP (28%); the Isles are 5 for 30 on the PP (16.6%)

• Florida averaged 25 shots on goal; the Isles averaged 30 shots on goal.
• Washington is averaging 23 shots on goal; the Isles are averaging 33 shots on goal.
• Opponents are averaging 24 shots on goal; Isles are averaging 31.5 shots on goal.

• Florida won 127 face-offs (52.2 %); the Isles won 116 face-offs (47.7 %).
• Washington has won 76 face-offs (42.6%); the Isles have won 102 face-offs (57.3%).

• Isles outscore the Panthers 13-7 and 9-3 at even-strength.
• Isles are outscoring the Caps 11-5 and 10-2 at even-strength.
• Isles have so far outscored their opponents by a 19-5 margin at even-strength, and are doubling their opponents 24-12 overall.

Stay out of the box, or score more on the power play.  The deeper the playoffs go the more essential special teams become.

N.Y. Islanders: Wiped Out By Hurricane Brind'Amour

From the desk of:  THE BARRY TROTZ PAJAMA PARTY

It's Important to Remember What This Organization is Recovering From

New York Islanders: I saw Caroline blow through the Isles like a Hurricane.  My hockey friend says they looked just like the Rangers.

There's an obvious reason why I starting referring to this season as the Barry Trotz Pajama Party.

Isles fans know what I'm talking about ...

Last six seasons under Garth Snow; with Jack Capuano/Doug Weight behind the bench; and captain John Tavares still in uniform:

• 12-13)  *Lockout season; 55-points; lost first round playoffs.
• 13-14)  79-points; did not qualify.
• 14-15)  101-points; lost first round playoffs.
• 15-16)  100-points; win first round; lost second round.
• 16-17)  94-points; did not qualify.
• 17-18)  80-points; did not qualify.

Throughout this time, the Islanders ongoing maladies were defensive pairings and goal tending.

Enter Lou Lamoriello ...

He quietly acquires a goalie who is known to play with a chip on his shoulder named Robin Lehner.  With no other transactions to speak of, Lou leaves the Islanders roster largely in tact - minus John Tavares, that is.  However, despite their season long and some times triumphant battles for first place of the Metropolitan Division, Lou is openly criticized by fans and media alike leading up to and through this season's trade deadline for remaining idle.

To that I say Lou comes with a plan.  He always has a plan.  That's what makes him successful.  If he thought it best to stand pat at the deadline then I have no doubt it was the right move.  The Islanders presently have a fine core of young players led by Mathew Barzal with more prospects on the way and more still in development.

Lou is also the same person who hired coach Barry Trotz, whom arguably has had a far greater impact on the Islanders fortunes than any potential acquisition Lou could have negotiated for at the deadline.  After all, Trotz transformed one of the shabbier defensive units of past years into this season's stingiest unit in all the NHL.

That held true through their fist six playoff games.  Overall the season was an unexpectedly fun ride albeit with a rather abrupt ending.  But in Lou you must trust.  As a Rangers fan, I envy the Lamoriello/Trotz tandem presently in place.  If anyone smooths this out, it will be Lou.  And with any luck, Trotz sticks this out as well.

But why did the Islanders lose?

Being somewhat of a nomad certainly doesn't help.  Having to change home ice locations from one series to the next could have perhaps played a disruptive role in their routine.  The Islanders also played without an injured Johnny Boychuk, and say what you will, Cal Clutterbuck was hurting throughout as well.

I have a close friend with whom I debate hockey all the time.  He participated in summer camps in Canada, played junior level, college, and beyond, before turning in his stick for real life.  He asked me why I think the Islanders got wiped out in four.  I said that I agreed with Barry Trotz insofar the Islanders were playing well, and that they were indeed creating recurring quality scoring opportunities.  Then added the Islanders strength is five on five but were getting beat at their own game.  I said the Canes appeared faster, were winning 50/50 battles against the boards, were protecting their goalie's crease with great physicality, and that their swarming defense did a great job taking away shooting angles.

He said no to all the above while saving a particularly emphatic "hell no" because in his opinion Carolina's 35-year old back-up goalie Curtis McElhinney "sucks."

I asked what then were his reasons.  He said because they played just like the Rangers.  They get into scoring position then opt for one more pass and screw the whole thing up - not enough shots on goal for sake of putting shots on goal.  Said another way, they were trying to be too cute.

Back to the lab ...

N.Y. Islanders: Playing Against The Unseen Hand

From the desk of:  THE BARRY TROTZ PAJAMA PARTY

Hurricanes lead series 2-0

I - CAR 1; NYI 0*

II - CAR 2; NYI 1

*overtime

New York Islanders: Barry Trotz Patiently Waiting For Goal Scorers to Emerge.

So much for home ice advantage ... After a rather unceremonious return to Brooklyn, the question begs to be asked: did the Islanders ever have it in the first place?

Previous to game one they hadn't played at Barclays Center since February.  The Islanders split this season's home schedule between Brooklyn and Uniondale, but finished out the season playing their final twelve home games and first round series against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Long Island.  Of course the counter is they achieved 103 regular season points partly playing at Brooklyn.

On to the next excuse ...

After a ten game layoff, brushing off game one's overtime loss was the easy thing to do.  Now down two games going away Islanders fans are being led to believe they've secured another moral victory.  As Coach puts it, this is nothing more than the "unseen hand" at work, and that if they continue playing the way they've been, the Islanders will be fine.

With twenty minutes left in game two, the Islanders stood poised to knot the series.  They were leading 1-0 and now facing Carolina's backup goalie.  They had finally scored their first goal of the series back in the first period off starter Petr Mzerak, whom exited the game due to injury early in the second period.  At that point one could only imagine what opportunities potentially awaited the Islanders against Curtis McElhinney.

But Carolina had other ideas.  Warren Foegele's blast from the right wing just 0:17 into the third period tied the game at one.  Robin Lehner had a clean look, but the unseen hand just blew it by him.  Forty-eight seconds later, Nino Niederreiter scored on a deflection.  This time there was nothing Robin Lehner could do to prevent the unseen hand from seizing a 2-1 lead.

Curtis McElhinney took care of the rest, facing 17 shots on goal - all but one at even strength - and stopped them all since taking over early in the second period.

Despite repeated quality opportunities - as Coach points out - the Islanders offensive production was stifled yet again.  It's worth noting Mathew Barzal's first period goal was the result of a Hurricane self deflection.  Therefore truth be told the Islanders are yet to score a clean goal against either Carolina net minder in over 120 minutes of hockey.

Carolina outscored the Washington Capitals by a slim 21-20 margin through seven games.  They averaged three goals per game against the Caps.  But the Islanders defense has so far limited Carolina to half as many through six plus periods of hockey.  Yet they themselves can't seem to find the back of the net after averaging 3.5 goals per game during their sweep of Pittsburgh.

• Useless Stat Alert: the Hurricanes finished the regular season with a +22 point differential while the Islanders registered a +32 mark for the season.

• Cal Clutterbuck is hurt again; details pending.  It's also worth mentioning the Isles are still playing without Johnny Boychuk.

N.Y. Islanders Complete Sweep of Penguins

From the desk of:  THE BARRY TROTZ PAJAMA PARTY

Long Island Crowd Deserves to Have Islanders 

Remaining Games Played at Uniondale Barn

NHL PLAYOFFS ~ ROUND ONE

ISLANDERS SWEEP PENGUINS

I - NYI 4; PITT 3*

II - NYI 3; PITT 1

III - NYI 4; PITT 1

IV - NYI 3; PITT 1

New York Islanders: The Wizard of Trotz Makes Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin Disappear.

Trailing the Islanders by a goal, the Penguins pulled Matt Murray in the waning minutes of regulation.  But even their best laid plans would be short lived.  Josh Bailey's empty netter with 37-seconds left effectively put the Penguins season to rest.

The joint was jumping very soon after the opening face-off.  Pittsburgh's PPG Watercolor Igloo Arena popped with Penguin mania when Jake Guentzel scored just 0:37 into the game.

Then ... a collective gasp, and deafening Steel City silence.

At the 2:09 mark, Jordan Eberle's fourth goal of the series tied the game, leaving the crowd fit to be tied.  If that weren't bad enough, the Penguins broke one of hockey's cardinal rules: never give up a goal in the last two minutes of a period.  Brock Nelson did just that, scoring his third goal of the playoffs at 18:06 of the first.

The Isles finished the game minus the services of blue liner Johnny Boychuck and winger Cal Clutterbuck.  Ideally speaking, eliminating the Penguins in quick fashion will allow them both time for recovering from bumps and bruises incurred during game four.

This season's stingiest defense allowed the Penguins just six goals through four games; none generated from the stick of Sidney Crosby.  The Penguins captain managed no shots on goal in game four, and was limited to a mere six shots on goal all series.  Josh Bailey and Jordan Eberle joined on seven shots on goal in game four alone.  Crosby's lone point came on an assist in Tuesday's finale.  Evgeni Malkin managed 11 shots on goal (2.7 shots per game) but just one goal and a pair of assists.

Jordan Eberle is skating like a man possessed, tallying four goals and two assists in four games against the Penguins.  Josh Bailey added another three goals.

Goalie Robin Lehner faced 136 shots on goal through four games, stopping 130 of them.  In game four, he faced 33 shots and stopped all but one.  He even engaged in some pushing and perhaps maybe threw a punch or two.

As reward for their series win, the NHL is evicting the Islanders from the Barn at Uniondale, and forcing their return to Brooklyn.  I've always believed the Islanders belong on Long Island.  And so I feel for their fans whom must now forgo tailgating, for sake of trekking back to Flatbush Avenue.  It's an injustice to say, well, it was good while it lasted.  Through the latter part of the season and every game since, Long Island poured their soul back into hometown hockey.

In the meantime, the New York Long Islanders of Brooklyn await the winner of the Washington Capitals/Carolina Hurricanes series.

No Sleep Till Belmont.

N.Y. Islanders: Off to Pittsburgh With 2-0 Series Lead

From the desk of:  BARRY TROTZ PAJAMA PARTY

NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE

2018-2019

PLAYOFFS

Isles lead series; 2-0

I - NYI 4; PITT 3

II - NYI 3; PITT 1

III - Sunday @ PITT

Look What the Long Islanders Did to the Penguins ... Again!

After skating through a scoreless first period, Pittsburgh struck midway through the second when Erik Gudbranson converted an Evgeni Malkin feed at the 10:26 mark.  Less than three minutes later Anthony Beauvillier tied the score with assists from Mathew Barzal and Jordan Eberle.

The third period was all Islanders.  Eberle put his team ahead at 7:54 off another assist from Barzal and help from blue-liner Johnny Boychuk.  If that wasn't good enough, there's this:  The Islanders scored a power play goal.  That's right!  Josh Bailey effectively sealed the deal at 11:38 with assists from Anders Lee and Devon Toews.

Sealed the deal with over nine minutes left?

Yep.

There's a reason why the Islanders were the lone NHL team to keep their opponents under 200 goals this season.  With nary a change in roster, thank Barry Trotz and the defensive system he put in place.  Through two games now, Sidney Crosby (on the heels of a 100-point season) has been limited to just three shots on goal and zero points in over 40-minutes of ice time.  That said, they better keep their eye on Phil Kessel who through two games now has 12 shots on goal.

Then there's Robin Lehner.  Whether or not he's the answer to the Islanders goal tending prayers of the last few years remains to be seen.  But where would they be without him?  He has so far faced 77 shots and stopped 74 of them for a .948 save percentage and a 1.93 GAA through the first two games.  In 46 regular season appearances, he posted a .930 save percentage and a 2.13 GAA.

No John Tavares; no problem.  Under Trotz, the Islanders have gone from an 80-point non contender last season, to a 103-point team poised to exact revenge upon the Penguins, whom eliminated them in the first round of the 2012-2013 playoffs.

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: Washington Capitals Veto Uniondale Extension

From the desk of:  BROOKLYN'S FOSTER HOCKEY CLUB

Washington wins series 4-3

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

VI - NYI 3; WAS 1

VII - WAS 2; NYI 1

Long Island is eliminated from their last ever Stanley Cup playoffs.

The Islanders will now commence their move to Brooklyn;

Barclays Center will be their new home.

New York Islanders: The Washington Capitals played like an experienced Game 7 team, and knew how to finish.  These modern day Uniondale Islanders did not.

The end of an era has come.

The 43rd and final season of New York Islanders hockey in Uniondale is complete.

Mark it down - on April 27, 2015, in front of a raucous Long Island crowd, the last official game played at the much disparaged Barn was a 3-1 first round playoff victory over the Washington Capitals.

It's now time for the unceremonious task of melting the ice and disassembling the rink where a historic four consecutive Stanley Cups were hoisted, for there will be no more NHL hockey played at Nassau Veteran's Memorial Coliseum ever again.

Two seasons ago, these upstart Islanders nearly knocked off the Pittsburgh Penguins in the first round of the playoffs.  Last season, however, they were unable to overcome a dismal start and inevitably failed to qualify for the playoffs.

To that point, a close knit group was nevertheless gaining valuable experience together, and their ability to score was never in question.  The Islanders rolled out four strong lines very effectively, and continued doing so through this season.

What the Isles desperately needed last off-season was to improve their defense and upgrade the goalie.  General manager Garth Snow did just that.  In two rather stunning transactions, he acquired defensemen Johnny Boychuk and Nick Leddy, and solidified his goal situation by acquiring Jaroslav Halak,

By the midway point of the regular season, the Islanders were riding high atop the Eastern Conference.

Sputtering down the home stretch, and entering the post-season as the #5 seed is a minor, rather inconsequential factoid in the bigger picture.

Because....

Say what you will about numerous injuries to Long Island's blueliners.  The Islanders were no doubt depleted, but not debilitated.  Defense, and/or Jaroslav Halak's goal tending, were not the decisive issues in the end.  In fact, Jaroslav performed brilliantly Monday evening.  Instead, the Islander's #4 rated offense short circuited down the stretch against the league's #7 defensive rated team, and the league's 14th rated penalty kill.

Aside from Cal Clutterbuck's empty-netter to seal Game 6, the Islanders were limited to just 7 goals in the final 5 games of the series.  Worse, they were 0 for 14 on the power play in the series.

When the Boston Bruins won their most recent Cup, they were similarly atrocious on the power play, but played brilliantly at even strength.

Just saying...

The Washington Capitals clearly looked, and played like the more comfortable team.  They looked every bit more experienced in Monday's Game 7 situation than did their competitors.  And when the Islanders finally mounted a comeback to tie, the Capitals demonstrated how to finish.

The Islanders, on the other hand, looked like exiles; strangers playing in a strange land.  Washington D.C. may have well been 2000 light years from home considering their days in Long Island and the Barn were ending.

They were every bit of the inexperienced Game 7 competitors they appeared to be.

Content to sheepishly clear the puck from their defensive end, the Isles only took a ponderous 3 shots on goal in the 1st period, 4 SOG in the 2nd, and 4 more in the 3rd, for a total of 11 shots on goal for the game.

The first two periods were particularly mystifying to watch.  No team is winning a Game 7 like that.

When the Islanders finally decided to play in the 3rd, they scored.  Washington, however, was more practiced in the art of closing.

Why the Islanders should be kicking themselves in the ass...

Blame?

I know John Tavares had a questionable game...  Tough call.  I wouldn't go there.  The Isles are four lines deep...., right?

Dare I say Islanders fans take a pass?

No finger pointing - for as long as the bitter taste of this defeat lasts all off-season and fuels a bigger and better effort next season in Brooklyn?

I'm a Rangers fan, so what do I know...

The Long Island/NYC rivalry WAS great.

And so, with all deserved respect..., Potvin Sucks!




Mike

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: The (G)hosts of Fort Never Lose

From the desk of:  BROOKLYN'S FOSTER HOCKEY CLUB

Capitals lead series 3-2

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

Washington Capitals

vs.

New York Islanders

from

THE BARN

Uniondale, Long Island

New York Islanders: Offensive short circuit threatens to end Long Island's swan song.

Uniondale's dynastic players of a previous century are very much alive, albeit older, and silvery white in the whiskers.  They've spent the regular season revisiting their old stomping grounds, reminiscing about the glory years, and bidding farewell to the place where they made NHL history together.  

Their head coach, the great Al Arbour, and the architect Bill Torrey, are still reigning modern day titans of the sport.

In other words, Fort Never Lose harbors no ghosts.  There will be no on-ice assists from the great beyond, in what could be the final NHL game played at Nassau's Veteran's Coliseum.  The 2014-15 New York Islanders must devise, and execute a winning Game Six effort of their own volition.  They must either seize the moment, or, shut the Barn down.

Yes, the defense has been debilitated by injuries, which means Johnny Boychuk and Nick Leddy are getting heavily taxed.  But, despite allowing 4 goals in Game Two, and 5 goals in Game Five, the defense has not necessarily been the issue here.

The Islanders offense has short circuited.  They absolutely need more goals from what was the NHL's 4th most potent offense during the regular season.  Washington goalie Braden Holtby has limited the Isles to just 4 goals on 102 shots on goal in the last 3 games.  The Capitals on the other hand, have scored 8 times over the same 3 game span.

The power play in particular, is 0 for 12 in the series.

So, for the sake of one last Long Island hurrah, the Islanders must get this series back to Washington for a decisive Game Seven.


Mike

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: Now Comes The Hard Part

From the desk of:  BROOKLYN'S FOSTER HOCKEY CLUB

2nd Place ~ Eastern Conference

31-14-1 (63 points)

New York Islanders: Eastern Conference Finally Catches A Break From Isles; Nothing Like An All-Star Game To Halt Their Momentum.

How do you bounce back from a 6-4 loss to the Canadiens?  By thumping the Flyers, 7-4, and reclaiming first place in the Eastern Conference (Tampa then played, and took over the #1 spot by a point).

The 1989-90 season was the last time the Islanders found themselves in 1st place by the all-star break.  When they reached 15 games over .500 earlier this season, it marked their best start since their Stanley Cup years.

It's been that kind of a season.  Ironically, it comes in the team's last year playing in Uniondale.   This coming October, the Islanders will inaugurate their first season in the Borough of Brooklyn.  For the moment, however, they seem intent on giving Long Island one last raucous June before they go.

They're young, strong, playing smartly, with confidence, and turning away league contenders faster than they can lace up.  Among their gains are triumphs over the Rangers; Bruins; Lightning; Penguins; Capitals; and Red Wings.  Out west, they've bested the Ducks; Kings; Blackhawks; Sharks; Jets; and Flames.

No team is perfect though.  The Habs and Blues both defeated the Isles a pair of times this season.   Otherwise, the Islanders have shown they can play with anyone.

By Tuesday morning, the Islanders led the NHL with 31 victories, and scored the 2nd most goals (3.15 per game) in the circuit; a mere goal behind the Tampa Bay Lightning.

All that scoring has shined a generous light on this year's goalie, and the Islanders defense; their two major weaknesses over the last two seasons.

If we take things at face value, Jaroslav Halak ranks 11th in (goalie) total ice time, his 2.41 GAA ranks 12th among goalies with 30+ starts this season, while his .910 SV% ranks 25th among goalies with 20+ starts.

However, the stability Halak has brought between the pipes alone, has so far made him worth every cent of his four-year, $18 million dollar pact.  He's 11th in the league with 34 starts, while his 25 victories are tied for 2nd with Anaheim's Frederik Andersen.  His four shutouts also rank 4th.

That's a major improvement over last season's 3-headed monster featuring 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.   Kevin Poulin has one appearance for the Islanders this season.  Chad Johnson has been Halak's back-up this season, and so far has a 6-5-0 record in 13 games.

Garth Snow's off-season blue line acquisitions have also played huge roles in anchoring the Islanders defense.  Both Johnny Boychuck and Nick Leddy are tied for 6th in the NHL with a +15, while combining on 11 goals and 32 assists, for 43 points.

Defensively, Long Island presently ranks 21st in the league with 2.78 GA.  Last season, they finished 28th in the league with a 3.18 goals against average.

Moving forward, the Islanders must now do something to improve their penalty kill.  They've shown no improvement over last season's 29th ranking.  Although they moved up a notch to 28th this season, the fact is, they've regressed.  They finished last season with a 78.1% kill rate.  This year, they're killing penalties at a reduced 74.4% rate.

It's been a great first half of the season for Coach Capuano and the Islanders.  Other teams have gotten the message; they're good.

 Now comes the hard part; finishing.



Mike

The Rivalry: Islanders Show Rangers Who's Number One

From the desks of:

BROOKLYN'S FOSTER HOCKEY CLUB  &  RAISE GRESCH WITH THE GREATS

THE RIVALRY

Islanders lead series 2-0

I - NYI 6; NYR 3

II - NYI 3; NYR 0

III - @Long Island

IV - @ Long Island

V - @ Long Island

Look What The Long Islanders Did To The Rangers..., Again!

That's twice this season the Islanders have beaten the Rangers by a factor of three.

The majority of Tuesday night's much anticipated game took place in the Rangers end.   Whatever offense the Rangers mounted, usually resulted in a blocked shot, a turnover, or otherwise ended quickly.  To their credit, they did hit 3 posts, but this ain't horseshoes, Tex.

The Islanders had 19 SOG in the 2nd period alone, and out-shot the Rangers 44-27 for the game; the most shots on goal the Rangers have allowed this season.

In the battle of net minders, Jaroslav Halak wound up making 27 saves, and faced just 6 shots in the 3rd period en route to a shutout.  At the other end, Henrik Lundqvist was pulled in favor of Cam Talbot after falling behind 3-0 after two periods.  Henrik faced 32 shots in two periods.

During intermission after that 2nd period debacle, Ron Duguay said the Rangers looked tired.

Okay Ron, I'll play.  The Rangers wrapped up their west coast trip on Saturday, flew back home, and had an extra day off to shake whatever jet lag....

Perhaps the Rangers were tired because they kept having to back peddle after numerous neutral zone turnovers, or a general lack of puck possession, and having to chase the Isles in transition.

Asst. Coach Ulf Samuelsson was a little closer to the truth.  After the 2nd period, he said the team's energy level was down, the Rangers were too slow, and that their execution was poor.

I'll buy that.

After the game, Ryan McDonagh said they didn't work hard enough.  I'll buy that too.

Dan Boyle said Long Island shifted into another gear, particularly in the 2nd.  That's troublesome.

Now here's my angle.

Plain and simple - the Islanders were more tenacious to loose pucks, and more physical around the net.

Matt Martin and Johnny Boychuk led with 6 hits each.  Boychuk put one particularly big hit on Rick Nash, and Derek Stepan was a game casualty with an undisclosed upper body injury.  Meanwhile, Lee Stempniak was the lone Rangers forward with at least 4 hits.

Fact is, Long Island's four lines are generally bigger than those of the Rangers.  If anything, the Rangers unfortunately waited for time to expire before finally showing a backbone (thank you 38-year old Dan Boyle).

The Islanders already had one goal waived off.  Then on Long Island's first official goal, Dan Girardi (6'2'' 203lbs.) could do little in the way of preventing Anders Lee (6'3" 230lbs.) from establishing position and cleaning up a rebound.

Michael Grabner, who is still getting his game legs back, likewise created disruptive traffic in the crease on Nikolay Kulemin's goal.

Frans Nielson's interception and shorthanded goal was just..., just...,

We know the Rangers are not a physical team.  Now the Islanders just wrote the book on how to neutralize their speed.

That's also troublesome.

The series will shift to Long Island for the remaining three games of this series.



Mike

N.Y. Islanders: Taming The Great White North

From the desk of:  BROOKLYN'S FOSTER HOCKEY CLUB

Canadian Excursion:

I - Isles 5; Winnipeg Jets 2

II - Isles 2; Calgary Flames 1

III - TONIGHT vs. OILERS

IV - Tuesday @ Vancouver

NEW YORK ISLANDERS: Montreal Caught The Isles On An Off Night When Halak Was Out With An Injury,  But Not Before The Isles Showed What They Thought Of Detroit And Tampa.

Beating the Calgary Flames is no easy task.  They measure up well against the Islanders, and in truth, are almost as good.  But, not quite, as Friday's slim 2-1 Islanders victory proved.  John Tavares, with 2 goals, made all the difference.  The days of the Flames featuring Jerome Iginla are behind them.

The Isles are 2-0 in their great Canadian excursion, with the Edmonton Oilers hosting tonight.

Friday's win lifted Long Island 15 games above .500 for the 1st time since their Stanley Cup seasons, (thanks TV guys).

Entering Sunday night's game against the Oilers, the Islanders owned a 26-11-1 (53 points) record, which knotted them with Pittsburgh for 1st place of the Metropolitan Division.

The following night after defeating Detroit, on December 20th the Isles were losing 1-0 to the Tampa Bay Lightning with only a few minutes left in the 3rd period, when they scored 3 unanswered goals to snatch away a victory.

The team then slipped, losing two straight when Jaroslav Halak (injury) missed consecutive games against the Habs and Sabres.  One, it demonstrated how indispensable the Islanders goalie has become, and two, the Isles are 3-0 since his return.

The equally indispensable Johnny Boychuk got this latest 3-game win streak started with an overtime goal against the Capitals.

Their 119 goals this season rank 3rd in the conference behind Detroit and Tampa, both of whom recently fell to the Islanders as noted.  It's also one more goal than the Penguins have.  The Isles 3.0 per game rank 7th in the league.

They've also put in a lot of effort into improving their penalty kill.  It's still ranked towards the bottom of the league, however, primarily because of their awful October results.  They were 22/33 on the PK for 67%.  Their PK is 62/78 for 79% since then.  The PK was at its best in November when they went 31/38 for 82%.



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: Final Season In Uniondale Off To A Fine Start

From the desk of:  BROOKLYN's FOSTER HOCKEY CLUB

LOCAL STANDINGS:

N.Y. Islanders  10-5-0, 20 points

N.Y. Rangers     7-6-2,  16 points

N.J. Devils         7-7-2,  16 points

New York Islanders: Second Place Isles Trying To Make Swan Song Season In Uniondale A Memorable One.

All three local hockey clubs skated on home ice Tuesday night, and all three achieved victory.  But of the three, it is the New York Islanders presently playing the most meaningful hockey.

While the Devils were in Newark taming the Wild, and the Rangers were battering the Penguins at the Garden, the Islanders were in Uniondale dismantling the Colorado Avalanche by a 6-0 final.

Goalie Jaroslav Halak posted his second straight shutout.  In fact, the Islanders took as many shots against the Avalanche as Halak saved in two games against the Avalanche and Coyotes combined.  

In solidifying their 2nd place position in the Metropolitan Division, the Long Islanders became the fifth team in the conference to achieve double-digit victories and gain 20-points.

They haven't won with smoke and mirrors either.  In this still young season, the Isles own victories over the Rangers, Sharks, Bruins, Kings and Ducks.

They rank 5th in the league in goals per game, and 10th on the power play.  The team's Achilles heal however is their penalty kill, which ranks 29th in the NHL.

After a very tightly contested series against Pittsburgh in the 2012-13 playoffs, the Islanders stumbled last season, particularly early, to post an identical (34-37-11; 79 points) record as in 2011-12.  They finished a disappointing 8th in the Metropolitan Division, and failed to make the playoffs.

This season, however, the Isles are enjoying the kind of start they anticipated having last year.

The change in net has so far served them well.  Jaroslav Halak turned around a shaky start, and now owns a 2.57 GAA, while Chad Johnson is 4-1 in 6 starts with a 2.96 GAA.

After allowing 3.3 goals per game over their first 10 games, Garth Snow's defensive upgrades seem to be finally turning things around as well.  During their current 4 game win streak, the Islanders have allowed a mere 3 goals, and over their last three games the PK has been perfect.

The new blue liners are also adding handsomely to what was already a good scoring team.  Nick Leddy opened the scoring against the Avalanche with his fourth goal of the season, and was assisted by fellow acquisition, veteran Johnny Boychuk, who has 10 points.

Then there is the Isles 1st round pick of the 2010 draft; in his rookie season last year, center Brock Nelson registered 14 goals and 26 points in 72 games.  He already has 7 goals and 15 points in 15 games this season.

With Michael Grabner due back shortly, and a timely return by Josh Bailey, the New York Islanders season stands to get even better.

And so the push to give Uniondale, Long Island one last post-season hurrah proceeds forward.

Next up - the Florida Panthers, followed by a major clash with the Tampa Bay Lightning.



Mike