Bye KO

Hopefully we won't be without this for too long.

New York Islanders: Circus or Contender?

Oh what a difference a week makes.
Going into last Sunday afternoon's home game against the Devils, the Islanders were 4-2-1, and atop the Atlantic Division. They were the owners of the league's top ranked penalty kill, as well as the number one ranked power-play.

Fast forward one week.

Now, the Islanders are 4-6-1, and in the Atlantic Division basement. The power-play has slipped to 14th in the NHL. The penalty kill has also slightly dipped, it is now 5th in the league.

We have all seen this happen before, the Islanders get off to a hot start then fade quickly in the middle of the season. Is it happening again? Maybe. Is there reason to believe that this year may be different?
Absolutely.

The past week has been a nightmare. The Islanders constantly coming out sloppy, only to fight back and come just a little bit short. Either that or they would just not show up at all. During the Super Bowl Sunday matinee against the Devils, the Islanders played well for the first 56 minutes, then the Devils broke through for a power-play goal, and added two more for a 3-0 final. Then, they played Pittsburgh two days later. Again, the visitors opened the scoring with a power-play goal. And again, the Isles could not come back. After falling down 3-0 in the third period, the Islanders ended their goalless drought at just over 103 minutes. The next goalless drought was only 35 seconds. The two quick tallies were enough to give Islander fans hope. But, as it is with the Islanders, the defeat had to be slow and painful. They never quite got over the hump, and fell to Pittsburgh 4-2. This defeat came one week after they dominated the Penguins from start to finish for a 4-1 win in Pittsburgh.

Credit: Getty Images

Then something unexpected happened, this time off the ice. Garth Snow, never one to shock the hockey world, made a trade. Tim Thomas, former Vezina Trophy winner in Boston, would be a New York Islander, at least in theory. Thomas is taking this year off from the NHL. He is 38 years old, and not getting any younger. He hasn't played a game this season, and that isn't likely to change. The Islanders would send Boston a 2nd round draft pick, in either 2014 or 2015. That pick will only go to Boston if Thomas plays this season. So, the Islanders practically got Thomas for free. You are probably wondering why would the Islanders do this. Thomas' salary for this season is $5 million. He isn't getting paid by Boston because he is suspended, and he isn't getting paid by the Islanders either. However, his salary will count towards the Islanders this year, and they need the $5 million to reach the cap floor, or minimum salary. The Islanders pretty much traded for a phantom $5 million. The Islanders could do what they did to Evgeni Nabokov a few years ago, and toll his contract so he would have to honor it next year. That option is unlikely, but not impossible knowing the Islanders. Thomas is a free agent at the end of this season, and I'm guessing the Islanders would love to have him on the roster next season as a short term solution, and if Thomas doesn't want to be an Islander, then Garth Snow would have made a good financial move to help his team in the lockout shortened season.

Hours after that trade was announced, the Islanders took the ice at Madison Square Garden to play the rival Rangers, who were also struggling, for the first time this season. They once again came out flatfooted. The Rangers scored on Evgeni Nabokov on the first shot he faced all night. After one period, the Isles were down 2-0, and they looked out of it after that. The one bright spot throughout this whole ordeal, John Tavares, got the Islanders to within one, but they never got any closer than that. The penalty kill allowed another goal, and the Islanders left MSG without a point. They head right back there this Thursday.

Credit: Getty Images

The past game this Saturday was the tip of the iceberg of Islanders frustration. They finally got two players into the lineup for the first time this season. Josh Bailey made his long awaited return from an injury he got playing overseas during the lockout. Lubomir Visnovsky made his long awaited Islanders debut after the whole fiasco he had with the KHL and his family issues in Slovakia. Both played well. Bailey registered seven shots on goal, while Visnovsky looked good with Mark Streit on the power-play and had no trouble getting the puck on net himself. The Islanders fell behind twice, but rebounded each time, as John Tavares scored in the first and Colin McDonald tallied his first as an Islander in the 2nd. After two periods, the Islanders had outshot the Sabres 29-11. The Sabres once again took the lead, but there wound be no charm for the Islanders on the third time they fell behind. Buffalo goalie Ryan Miller stood on his head, made 41 saves, not including the two that the post made on John Tavares in the 3rd period, and the Islanders lost 3-2.

Tomorrow, the Islanders host the Carolina Hurricanes. For the first time, I am hoping that Rick DiPietro starts in net. Evgeni Nabokov looks tired in net, and Ricky at least deserves a chance.

Now you decide, are the Islanders a circus or a contender? I'd love to hear your opinions in the comments.

Lets go Islanders!!

2013 Line Combinations

Earlier this morning, the NHL and NHLPA reached a tentative agreement on a new collective bargaining agreement. Yes, there is still work to be done. All the details need to be looked at, players need to get back to their teams from all around the world. Then, after all of that, only one week of training camp will  take place before the NHL season finally gets under way. Take note, NHL rosters have 20 players including 12 forwards, 6 defensemen, and 2 goalies.

Photo Credit: espn.com

Head coach Jack Capuano is going to have many tough decisions to make. There are a few new Islanders that will need to get used to their new surroundings quickly. Players have been playing on the other side of the world, and some haven't been playing at all. After all is said and done, the season will start. Putting all of the many details aside for now, here are the lines that I think the Islanders will yield when they hit the ice in about two weeks.



Forward Line 1: Matt Moulson---John Tavares---Brad Boyes
Tavares and Moulson have been together since Tavares' rookie season. Since them, they have became one of the best scoring duos in the entire NHL. Tavares has been busy this season, playing on the same team as Mark Streit in the Swiss league. (Click on his name to see a highlight._ Hopefully he won't have any problems adjusting back to New York time. For the past few years, they have usually had PA Parenteau flanking them. However, Parenteau left the Islanders and went to Colorado. Now, the Islanders have Brad Boyes. In 2008-09 with the Blues, Boyes scored 43 goals. The next season, he had 72 points.  Unfortunately, over the last two seasons in Buffalo, he has just a combined 13 goals. Boyes has prove he can score at an elite level in the NHL, and I think that playing with the two best offensive weapons on the team will boost Boyes back to relevance.

Forward Line 2: Michael Grabner---Frans Nielsen---Kyle Okposo
This line is almost guaranteed to be together. They have been for the past few years, and I don't see anything that will separate them. Although Grabner may have had a sophomore slump, he picked it up toward the end of last season to reach the 20 goal mark. Nielsen is by far the best defensive forward on the team, and combined with his dominance in the shootout, he is the easy pick for the number two center. Kyle Okposo got off to a very slow start last season, not scoring until a month into the season, yet he finished with a career high 24 goals last season, and with a shortened season, I can't see him surpassing the mark. These three will be together, as they have one thing the Isles have lacked over the past few years, chemistry.

Forward Line 3: Matt Martin---Josh Bailey---David Ullstrom
This line is one that that is not even close to set in stone. Matt Martin signed a new contract minutes before the lockout got underway. He has become a fan favorite for his big hits, and last year he proved that he can score more than just one goal. Martin was never afraid to take contact, or initiate it. He proved even more valuable when he drove to the net and got good shots. Josh Bailey has been playing in the German league, where he had seven points in his first four games. It is doubtful, but if Bailey can keep up a good pace on the Island, the sky is the limit for the former 9th overall pick in the 2008 draft. David Ullstrom is as big a question mark as any on the Islanders. He has been playing with the Isles AHL affiliate in Bridgeport. He was great last year in his time on Long Island, but he may not be completely healthy. He has missed 11 games for the Sound Tigers. However, if he is healthy, he should be in the NHL. These three players, all very young, can be a good line to turn to late in games when Tavares and co. need some rest.

Forward Line 4: Jesse Joensuu---Marty Reasoner---Eric Boulton
Guess how many goals the three of these players combined for in the NHL last season? One. One single goal. It was scored by Marty Reasoner. (See link on his name.) Marty Reasoner was a complete bust last season for the Islanders, but I can't see them getting rid of him until the end of his contract. Eric Boulton played in 51 games for the Devils last season, yet he didn't register a single point offensively. He did get 115 penalty minutes though. The Islanders got him because they want him to be the type of player that Zenon Konopka is. A tough, gritty forward, who isn't afraid to drop the gloves with anyone or stand up for a teammate. If you've been following the Islanders for a few years, you probably remember Jesse Joensuu, who played last season in the Swedish league. Joensuu should be on the NHL roster when the season begins, and hopefully his year in Sweden helped him become a better player. This line probably won't produce much offense, but they can change the momentum of the game, with a hit, fight, or big play.

Defense Pairing 1: Mark Streit---Lubomir Visnovsky
After missing all of the 2010-11 season due to a fluke injury during training camp, Mark Streit came back better than anyone expected him to. He was the leader of the Islanders power play, played in every game, and was by far the Islanders best d-man. Throughout last year, Streit didn't have a great defense partner, so the Islanders went out and got him one on draft day. Over the past decade, Lubomir Visnovsky has been one of the best offensive defensemen in the NHL. An All-Star back in 2007, Visnovsky spent last season with Anaheim where he got 27 points in 68 games. Shortly after he was traded in June, Lubomir filed a grievance with the NHL to have has trade to the Isles voided. Unfortunately for him, he lost that grievance. There are rumors that he may stay in the KHL this season, but if he does, don't be surprised if he gets the Evgeni Nabokov treatment. If he comes to the Island, the duo of Streit and Visnovsky could be one of the best offensively in the NHL, and they could lead the Islanders power play to the top.

Defense Pairing 2: Travis Hamonic---Andy MacDonald
More question marks with this pairing. Travis Hamonic has been with Bridgeport all season, but he has missed 15 games with an injury. He should be ready to skate next week, and if he is, that would be the best timing. Andy MacDonald has been playing in the Czech league, where he recorded five points ini 21 games. These two have been the best defensive pair for the Isles for the past two seasons. They will be on the Islanders for the next few years, and they are just starting to hit their stride. If healthy, this duo will be on the Island and doing what they've been doing for the past few years.

Defense Pairing 3: Matt Carkner---Matt Donovan
The Islanders signed Matt Carkner to a three year deal before the lockout. Matt Donovan has played in three NHL games. Unlikely pairing? Yes, they are one. After Carkner, the last defenseman spot is open for the taking, and I believe Donovan is going to take it. He should earn an invite to training camp, and work his way onto the roster. He has 17 points in Bridgeport this season, and he has been healthy for the whole season. Carkner is a very physical player, he had 190 penalty minutes a few seasons ago. Carkner, like Eric Boulton, will provide a physical presence the Islanders have lacked over the past few years. Together, the duo of Matts will be the Isles final pair of defensemen, but this is the one that could change very quickly.

Starting Goalie: Evgeni Nabokov
Backup Goalie: Rick DiPietro
Heading into this season, there is absolutely no question who is the starter and who is the backup. DiPietro is starting right bench, so Nabokov will start in goal. If there is one person who can single handedly lead the Islanders, it will be Evgeni Nabokov. He was 19-18-3 last season, ending any goalie controversies on Long Island. If Nabby plays like he did with the Sharks over the past decade, the Isles could be on their way to the playoffs. If I had anything to say about Rick DiPietro, other than a buyout would be a great idea, I would be happy to write it here. Just keep Nabby on the ice, DP on the bench, and I think the Isles should be fine in net this season if they both stay healthy.

I think such players like Nino Niederreiter, Ryan Strome, Brock Nelson, Griffen Reinhart, and Aaron Ness will not be on the NHL team to start the season. These combinations are based on what the Isles have now, if they make another move, that's out of my control.

If you are questioning any of these combinations, I'd love to hear from you in the comments. I can't wait for the season to start, and get back to the way things used to be.

Lets Go Islanders!!!

Final Season Player Rankings Part 4

While most of the hockey world is focused on the other two New York area NHL teams battling for the Eastern Conference title, I'm taking some time to focus on ranking the remaining Islanders that I didn't rank in my previous three entries. Once again, I'm only ranking the forwards that played in at least 20 games this past season. So players like Micheal Haley and Rhett Rakhshani will have to wait until they get more time on Long Island.

#21 Kyle Okposo 79/100

Photo Credit: islanders.nhl.com

Kyle Okposo had a very interesting season. Kyle spent some of the early part of the season up in the press box as a healthy scratch and the longest streak in his career without scoring a goal. It ended with Okposo recording the highest goal total of his career. In early November with the Isles struggling to put anything in the net, coach Jack Capuano put Okposo on a the Isles top line with forwards Matt Moulson and John Tavares. They produced and Okposo found his game that had gone missing at the start of the season. Ultimately, if PA Parenteau doesn't return, Okposo might get more time playing with them. If Parenteau returns, Okposo will likely play with the same people who he has played with most of the last couple seasons, Frans Nielsen and Michael Grabner. As for Okposo's ranking, it would have been higher had he been more consistant throughout the year. He was very streaky, going through long goalless droughts and hot goal scoring streaks. If he can figure out how to go on a good streak for most of the year, he will continue to be a top six forward on the Islanders for the upcoming future.

#51 Frans Nielsen 87/100 

Photo Credit: Getty Images

Nielsen might have been the biggest bargain for the Islanders last season. Before I go into his offensive numbers, I want to write about his defense. He usually starts his shifts facing the other team's top line in the Islanders defensive zone or on the penalty kill. In the future, don't be suprised if he is nominated for, or even wins the Selke Trophy, which is given to the best defensive forward in the NHL. The defense is also one of the main reasons the Isles signed Nielsen to a 4 year/$11 million extension February. Another thing that probably won't show up on the back of his hockey card is that he is the best NHL shootout scorer since the NHL first implemented shootouts after the lockout. Nielsen is 23/38 in shootouts in his career. That is a 60.5% success ranking. That is the highest all-time of all shooters who have taken at least 30 attempts. This stat is even more astonishing because Nielsen uses the same move for almost every attempt. Now it is known as hte "Danish Backhand of Justice." Goalies can't stop it even when they know it's coming. To top off all of this, Nielsen had the best offensive numbers of his career last season, scoring 47 points (17-30-47) while mostly playing with Michael Grabner and Kyle Okposo, and even playing on the power-play and penalty kill. With a new long term deal under his belt, Nielsen is no longer overlooked and underrated. It will be interesting to see if Nielsen can meet the lofty expectations the team has for him. At the pace he is going at, Nielsen will have a career next year.

#12 Josh Bailey 67/100 

Photo Credit: newsday.com

Theere is only one word that I can think of when describing Josh Bailey. Although I said this about Kyle Okposo, I feel like I need to say it again, inconsistant. This season was especially an up and down  (mostly down) roller coaster. This year, Bailey played in 80 games. Yet he only got 32 points. (13-19-32) Out of those 32, 18 of them came in his last 20 games. That says two things. The first is that Bailey really finished his year strong and that this might continue into next season. Secondly, after doing the math, that means Bailey only had 14 points in his first 60 games of the seaosn. That number is just flat out awful. Bailey struggled to find the right role with this team as his linemates were constantly changing. He was a solid penalty killer and even scored three shorties this year, but for a #9 overall draft pick, he needs to get better on offense. If the Isles are to contend, they need to get more offense out of Bailey. Also, he needs to find linemates and stick with them for a while so they can develop chemistry, which didn't happen last season. Bailey needs to pick up the pace or he will be picked up and dropped in Bridgeport. 

#40 Michael Grabner 74/100

Credit: nyislanders.com

Michael Grabner came out of nowhere in the 2010-11 season to become the Isles leading goal scorer and a rookie of the year candidate. In the 2011-12 campaign, he had a reality check, and his numbers dropped significantly. Although Grabner still had the speed and ability to create chances and  breakaways, for some reason, he didn't put them in the net. What's the reason behind that? I wish I could tell you. Maybe he was thinking too much, maybe he forgot to think at all. I even noticed that it seemed like he found new ways to miss every night.  In any case, Grabner barely reached the 20 goal mark this year and maybe, just maybe, that is due to the fact that he took 54 less shots on goal than he did his rookie season, even though he played in two more games this year. His +/- also had a major drop, going from a +13 his rookie year to a -18 this past year. Many people, including myself, were expecting a repeat performance of Grabner's rookie season, but this year he proved that he is human.  Next year will be a key year for Grabner to try to prove he is a consistant, reliable, and effective NHL forward. 

#15 PA Parenteau 88/100 

Credit: Getty Images

PA Parenteau's past season was without a dobut, the best he's had as a pro. Playing on a like with John Tavares and Matt Moulson for most of the year, Parenteau registered his highest career point totals. Although he did score two less goals than he did in 2010-11, his assists went up drastically. He had 49 helpers, which ranked him 12th in the entire NHL. When you add in his 18 goals, that gives Parenteau a career high 67 points, which was third on the team behind only his linemates. The chemistry he has with Tavaes and Moulson is almost undescribable. The three of them make one of the top scoring lines in the NHL, and they didn't change even when other lines changed throughout the season. Maybe his great year can be explained as such. Parenteau was playing in the final year of his old contract, and he wanted to send a message to Garth Snow and the Isles front office that he deserves a raise. He definitely got that message across. Parenteau has openly expressed that he wants to be an Islander, yet there is only one question that remains. Will Garth Snow match his monetary demands? If he does, Parenteau will continue to be a force on the Isles top line. 

#91 John Tavares 93/100 

Photo Credit: newsday.com

After all these years of trying to find one, the New York Islanders have their superstar. The #1 overall pick in the 2009 draft had a breakout season, proving to the rest of the NHL that he is an elite player and a force to be reckoned with for the upcoming future. He played in his first All-Star game in January, and it probably won't be his last. He proved that he can be a team leader. (If THIS doesn't prove it, I don't know what will.)This past season, JT had new career highs in every major offensive category. Put together his 31 goals (20th in NHL)  to his 50 assists (9th in NHL) and then you get 81 points (7th in NHL). That is just short of a point per game, which is phenominal for a 21 year old. There is also one other category that many people might overlook that might show why Tavares had his breakout season, shots on goal. In his rookie season of 2009-10, JT had 186 shots on goal. This past year, he fired 286 shots on net. That's exactly 100 more than he had his rookie year. The 286 shots ranked him 10th in the whole NHL. Tavares is getting more confident on the ice, so he feels better about taking shots then he might have in the previous few years. You can't forget about his defense. Capuano left JT and his linemates out for key faceoffs late in games when the Isles were protecting a late lead, and they delivered most of the time. Now that John Tavares is officially established as an elite center, it will be interesting to see how he handles the pressure that is put on him. I would expect him to have another career year as he tries to lead the Isles to the playoffs. 

There you go. I've ranked every single Islander. Is anybody shocked that Tavares got the highest ranking? Do you think I messed up? I'd love to hear your opinions in the comments. 

Lets Go Islanders!!!