John Tavares and Josh
Bailey are heading to Tampa Florida and will be representing the New York
Islanders January 27-28 on All-Star Weekend at Amalie Arena. Tavares will be
making his 5th appearance and Josh Bailey will be making his well-deserved,
1st career appearance as an NHL All-Star.
Per Release, “Tavares,
27, scored four goals for Team Toews during 2015 All-Star weekend in Columbus,
OH, tying an NHL All-Star Game record as the sixth player ever to score four.
In 2016 in Nashville, TN, Tavares won the Accuracy Shooting contest during the
Skills Competition while serving as the Metropolitan Division team captain.
Last year, he helped the Metropolitan Division team win the 2017 All-Star Game
in Los Angeles.”
John Tavares
leads the Islanders at the break with team leading 51 points (22 & 29 in 43
games) and good enough for 2nd in goals and assists on the team. Per
release,
“He's averaging over a point per game (1.19) and currently is tied for sixth in the NHL in scoring. In 630 career NHL games, spanning nine seasons with the Islanders, Tavares has 588 points (257 goals, 331 assists).”
“He's averaging over a point per game (1.19) and currently is tied for sixth in the NHL in scoring. In 630 career NHL games, spanning nine seasons with the Islanders, Tavares has 588 points (257 goals, 331 assists).”
Josh Bailey,
28, was recently named 2nd star in the month of December. He has certainly
made a huge splash over the course of this season. With 50 points (12 & 38)
in 43 games, Bailey is tied for 2nd in the NHL for assists and 8th
in total points. Per release, “Bailey has totaled 356 points (118 goals and 238
assists) in 681 career games. Bailey was quoted as saying, "This was my
first real time having a shot at it, so I'm honored." He added, "I'm looking forward to the experience and going down there and sharing it
with my family."
Both
nominations are well earned.
But since we’re
on the subject, where was the nod for Anders Lee? Anders Lee is part of the
Isles 1st line that has helped them rank among the tops in
the NHL team scoring totals. At the time of this article and being idle for 3
days on their mandatory NHL break, the Isles rank 3rd overall with
143 goals for (TBL,WPG).
Lee has
contributed 40 points (25 & 15) and has been instrumental in New York’s goal
scoring. His contributions include, but are hardly limited to, physical play, screening
opposing goaltenders and contributing to numerous scoring opportunities. Anders
Lee is 3rd in
NHL goals behind Kucherov and Ovechkin and is in the top 25 in the league for points, 1st on the Isles in goals, has been a leader and top contributor for his team, doing all the types of things
that are not counted on the score sheet. Per The Hockey News, Anders Lee has
the most goals in the NHL per 60 minutes played. Oddly enough though, that doesn’t
seem to qualify him for an All-Star appearance. The Isles are slumping, I get it. But you cant downplay the kind of game brought by Anders lee this season. It's just not right.
Team USA was
disappointed to fall short of defending their Gold medal title at the 2018 WJC
in Buffalo. However, Isles prospect, Kieffer Bellows (1st round, 19th
overall, 2016 NHL Entry Draft) and Team USA dug in and bested the Czech
Republic by a 9-3 score to capture a bronze medal at the World Junior Hockey
Championship last week. Bellows also led the tournament in scoring and set a
Team USA record formerly held by Jeremy Roenick, with nine goals. It was also
the most goals scored by any player in the tournament.
Per Jeremy Roenick,
“Congrats to @BellowsKieffer
on tying my record for most goals in a single WJC tournament with 8 goals.
Pretty awesome! #USA #WorldJuniors”
Even Kieffer’s Dad, Brian had something to add to his son’s performance in the
2018 Juniors. Per Eric Hornick, “Brian Bellows on his son Kieffer: "There
is no way I could shoot the puck like that".
With his 2018 Bronze
and the Gold medal from last year with team USA, it makes 2 career medals at the WJHC for
Bellows. It also marks the first-time team USA has medals in its 3 consecutive appearances.
On more from
the prospect front, Top Isles goaltending prospect, Ilya Sorokin recorded
back-to-back shutouts last week (ties KHL lead) and extended his winning streak
to 5 straight.
Ilya Sorokin
has roared into 2018. The Russian goalie recorded back-to-back shutouts last
week, surrendering one goal in his last 3 games, extending his win streak to
five straight games in the process.
“The Islanders'
2014 fourth-round pick is tied for the KHL lead in shutouts with eight on the
season, and is second in goals-against average with a 1.39. Sorokin is 22-6-4
this season with a 1.39 GAA and a .935 save percentage.”
The Isles other
top goaltending prospect, Linus Soderstrom has had shoulder surgery, but is
expected to return to HV71 and not miss remainder of the season in the Swedish
Elite League as first reported.
Isles notes:
Islanders return to action at the Rangers on Saturday, January 13th @ 1pm.
Aho, Fritz and
Beauvillier were returned to the BST for the NHL break. Anthony Beauvillier (F)
has been emergency recalled from Bridgeport. It is expected that Aho &
Fritz may recalled by the Islanders when play resumes.
Per Arthur
Staple, “Devon Toews out for the year is a big blow. Org sees him as a top-4
D-man next season and this is a big setback for his development.”
Gary Bettman
visits Nassau Coliseum to assess its suitability for Islanders as temporary
home.
Per Jim
Baumbach, “Wondering why Isles were 'conditionally' designated as Belmont RFP
winner? Here's explanation given at ESD board meeting: "Formal designation
does not happen until after all of the environmental review has been completed
and we have a general project plan to bring to the board. Little has been
revealed thus far about timeline for Islanders' Belmont arena. But know this.
Environmental review process goes first, and ESD said at its board meeting last
month that is expected to take "probably a year plus," with traffic
and transportation study a main issue.
ESD officials
also said at the board meeting they've already been in touch with @MTA and @LIRR
"to start conversations" about upgrading the train station. ESD's
Holly Leicht at board meeting: "We will have the formal environmental
process, we look to do the scoping hearing for that to start that process in
March.
What we know re
Islanders/Belmont: - Isles/Barclays discussing interim arena plans. NHL open to
Coliseum. Decision likely in matter of weeks. - At Belmont, environmental
review process to start in March, expected to last "year-plus," after
which Isles are "formally" designated. ESD expects to be ready to do
an official lease with Islanders group at Belmont in spring 2019 after an
environmental review process that should last "12 to 16 months."
Per Arthur
Staple, “Isles reached the halfway mark last night. 44 points — four more than they
had halfway through last season. And that first half cost Jack Capuano his job.” Isles remain at 46 points right now.
Per Dimitri
Filipovic, “The Islanders have a window here where their top two centers and
wingers and wingers are making just $13M combined which is both ridiculous and
about to end. With each passing day it becomes more and more indefensible that
they’re sitting tight and not doing anything.”
Scatchard fuses
hockey and film into documentary.
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