Michael Grabner,
Thomas Vanek and Team Austria have been eliminated from Olympic play as
Slovenia defeated them by a 4-0 score.
Grabner had a successful showing at the Olympic games and the Islanders
need him to continue that streak when the Islanders return to the ice on
Thursday, 2/27. Michael Grabner
finished his Olympic stint with 5 goals and 1 assist (6pts) and a -2 in 4 GP with 17 SOG. At the time of Austria's exit, Grabner led
the tournament with five goals in three games.
Thomas Vanek finished
with 1 assist and a -4 in 4 GP with 10 SOG.
###
Today, Team Canada faced Ted Nolan's Latvian
National team in what would be a well played, hard fought contest that would
end in a 2-1 final for Canada. One
surprising bit of news on the game was the play of Latvia's goaltender. Carey Price, the
Montreal Canadiens' three-time NHL All-Star goalie had this to say on the '13
Tampa Bay draft pick, Kristers Gudlevskis,
"That was one of the best goaltending performances I've
ever seen." Gudlevskis made 55
saves in the losing effort. Per @TheGoalieGuild, "Latvia's tandem of Gudlevskis and Masalskis wins my "best team goaltending" award for these Olympics."
The real news on the day, at least to Islanders fans was the injury to Islanders Captain, John Tavares. Tavares was hit into the boards by Latvian defenseman, Arturs Kulda in the second period and went down hard. Tavares was slow to get up and it was quickly evident that he could be seriously injured and immediately skated to the bench in what looked like tremendous pain. Soon afterwards, Tavares left the bench and didn’t return for the rest of the game. Isles fan Magnus Larsson known on Twitter as @swedishislander quickly reminded us, "Hey Isles fans. Do you remember Arturs Kulda who injured Radek Martinek at the WC in 2011? Now he's taken out Tavares too."
At this point, John Tavares is to be re-evaluated tomorrow and undergo an MRI. At this point, he is expected to remain in Sochi as long as team Canada does so JT would be there to participate in a possible medal ceremony. Per Bob McKenzie, initial reports on Tavares are not good. Rumors are that it could be multiple ligament damage. Especially if you watched the way his left knee flexed on the hit as Dominik of Lighthouse Hockey pointed out earlier today. If Tavares is seriously injured, he may be out for the remainder of the season and into the summer. That would be disastrous to a struggling Islanders team who needs their Captain and his Hart Trophy nominee style of play.
John Tavares finished a +3 in 4 GP with 6 SOG.
With Frans Nielsen out and Thomas Vanek on the trading block, the Islanders will once again have to have others step up and look to BST call ups like Ryan Strome and perhaps an Anders Lee, Mike Halmo or Alan Quine as well.
Andrew MacDonald will most likely be dealt by the deadline as well, but Matt Donovan has proven he deserves a real shot with the team along side of Calvin de Haan. Aaron Ness or Scott Mayfield may provide some limited depth at Defense based on skill, but lack NHL experience.
I am a fan of most players in the system and the improvement of the team in certain areas over the last two seasons. But I am also disappointed in the lack of team consistency, coaching and results from individual players and the team as a whole as the playoff race fades away.
What the Islanders really need to is to improve with the upcoming trades they make at the deadline and be active in the summer. When I say active, I don't mean a European PK specialist and an injury prone long shot for the first line. Nor do I mean approach the goal tending need with anything less than a complete competitive fury. The skilled players this team has now will not last through goal tending or the blue line having to slowly develop and come from the system. They need veteran pieces who can win now, not more waiting to see if hunches pay off and prospects are for real.
A real shift in power will come from a shift in the way the team has been run up to this point. Don't blame me for saying it, just look at where the team is right now. Things need to improve soon.
Islanders Notes:
Per Arthur Staple, "Isles hit the ice for first post-break practice.
Grabner and Vanek not back yet, Nielsen (broken hand) and Martin (lower body)
not on ice."
Due to a number of
missing forwards the Isles practice lines: Bailey-Nelson-Okposo;
McDonald-Cizikas-Clutterbuck; Boulton-Carkner-Martinek.
Voting is now open
for the 2014 Bob Nystrom Award!
Strome and team AHL defeated Färjestad BK 7-2 in the game. Ryan Strome scored twice during actual game competition and shared a win in the accuracy competition the day before by hitting all four targets in six shots.
Sound Tigers Notes:
Mike Keenan has been
loaned to the Stockton Thunder (ECHL).
Forward Joel Broda
has signed a PTO with the Sound Tigers.
Olympic Notes:
Olympic hockey
seedings: 1) SWE 2) USA 3) CAN 4) FIN 5) RUS 6) SUI 7) CZE 8) SLO 9) AUT 10)
SVK 11) LAT 12) NOR
Team Finland will
face Team Sweden in Semifinal 1 on Friday, 2/21.
Team USA will face
Team Canada in Semifinal 2 on Friday 2/21.
Per Steve Lepore,
"USA-Czech Republic topped USA-Russia as most-streamed Olympic event ever
for NBC. Nearly 800,000 unique visitors."
Per NHL PR,
"NBCSN averaged 4.1 million viewers for Saturday’s shootout victory by USA
over Russia, the most-watched hockey game in the network’s history."
Per Eric Hornick,
"Best in NHL shootouts (20 shots min) 1. Frans Nielsen Isles 54.5% 2. TJ
Oshie 54.3%."
IIHF will change
dislodged net rule after USA/Russia controversy.
On Feb. 17th, Per
Adam Proteau, "There's a picket at US embassy in Moscow against Brad
Meier, USA - Russia referee."
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