Isles Waylay 'Nucks & Sign NCAA Standout Czuczman

After your New York Islanders went down to the Vancouver Canucks by a 3-0 margin last night, an all to familiar pattern seemed to be emerging.  The Islanders were flat and sloppy entering the third period.  A period that has seen them shut down and self destruct in the last few games of the road trip.  Last night, however would be anything but familiar.

 

Seven different Islanders scored seven times to defeat the Vancouver Canucks 7-4.  Josh Bailey (Nelson & Donovan), Ryan Strome (Okposo & Visnovsky) and Calvin de Haan (Hamonic) all scored a PPG goal's and Frans Nielsen (Lee & Okposo) would score  before the Isles would surrender the dreaded, tying goal to Vancouver.  But it would take :10 seconds for the Isles to find the back of the net again and regain the lead.  Matt Martin (McDonald), Anders Lee (Okposo & Nielsen) would push to goals scored to 6 before Cal Clutterbuck (Bailey & Hamonic) would end things with a seventh ENG at the 19:42 mark of the period.  The Isles would end up out shooting Vancouver by a slim 28-24 margin, despite the score.  New York was 3/7 on the PP and 2/4 on the PK.  Evgeni Nabokov would finish the night going 20 for 24 with a .833Sv%.

Per Ben Kuzma, "Kesler: "Let's be honest. That's not one of the best teams in the league and we blow it. It's embarrassing. Story of the past two months."

 

The win gives the Isles 5 pts out a possible 8 out of what was before last night, a very forgettable road trip.  Oh, and per Eric Hornick, " The Isles are 8-1-3 in the last 12 games announced by Jiggs McDonald."  Sign that man to another long term deal!

 

###

 

Today, the New York Islanders Isles sign NCAA standout Kevin Czuczman (pronounced 'CHURCH-man') to a 2 yr, entry level contract.  He will report directly to the Islanders.  He’s a self-described two-way defenseman who plays the puck in the offensive zone and plays the body in the defensive zone.

 

The 6'3, 205# D-Man scored 10 goals and 21 pts in 36 games for Lake Superior (Doug Weigh's alma mater) and led all Western Collegiate Hockey Association defensemen.  To many, points out Tony Stabile, "He is considered one of the top 10 undrafted NCAA players this season."

 

Per Islanders.nhl.com, "As a free agent, Czuczman was in control of his NHL destination and opted to sign with the Islanders. Czuczman said his familiarity with the team – he trains with John Tavares, Ryan Strome and Casey Cizikas in the offseason – and Lake Superior State alum Doug Weight made it an easy decision.

“My comfort with New York was the key to me signing there,” Czuczman said. “The culture that is starting to develop and the opportunity to be a part of something special with a new wave of players coming up is something that’s too good to pass up on.

 

“It’s definitely going in the right direction and I want to be a part of it."

 

 

Isles Notes:

Michael Grabner left the game against Vancouver with an upper-body injury and did not return.


The Isles start a 4 game home stand with San Jose on Friday, 3/14 @7pm, Buffalo on Saturday, 3/15 @7pm, Minnesota on Tuesday, 3/18 @7pm and Columbus on Sunday, 3/22 @ 1PM.

 

Per Eric Hornick, "The Isles are 22-9-3 when they score at least three goals (including shootout winners) and are 3-24-6 when they do not."

Per John Buccigross," Islanders' 7 goals in 3rd ties franchise record for goals in a period ... originally set on Dec. 23, 1978 vs Rangers in 2nd period Islanders."


Per Newsday, "The Nassau County Legislature voted unanimously Monday to approve developer Bruce Ratner's $229-million plan to renovate the 41-year-old Nassau Coliseum and create a surrounding entertainment district with shops and restaurants."

 

NHL Notes:

Last night, Dallas Stars player, Rich Peverly collapsed on the team bench and was sent to hospital for further testing.  The NHL called the game out of respect to the seriousness of the situation.  Peverly is said to be alert and resting today as he undergoes more tests to help better understand his situation.

Hockey Notes:

Missing OHL player, Terry Trafford's body was discovered today with his missing vehicle in a Saginaw Wal-Mart parking lot, per reports.

Per Global News Toronto, "He was sent home by his OHL team, the Saginaw Spirit, for a unidentified “rules violation.” But Roy Trafford said his son, Terry, had been kicked off the OHL team after being caught smoking marijuana. He was supposed to be driving home.

Trafford's girlfriend, Skye Cieszlak, told The Saginaw News that Trafford was "devastated" after the team sent him home.

According to Cieszlak, Trafford sent her a text Sunday, March 2, that said "his life was over and that he didn't want to do it anymore."

@EyeOnHockey quoted Cieszlak as saying, "He left [March 2] from Toronto, across the border and hung out with a couple guys on the team to say goodbye," she said. The next morning it was "his plan was to go pick up all his things from the rink and then to come to my house. That's the last everyone has heard from him."

Trafford joined the Spirit in 2010 and the Toronto native was playing in his final season as a junior player. He had eight goals and 24 assists in 54 games this season with the Spirit.


UPDATE:  Per Hockey Rumors & Trades, Terry Trafford suffered from depression & his autopsy results indicate that Terry Trafford died by self-inflicted asphyxiation (lack of oxygen).
 

 

 

 

R.I.P. Terry Trafford

 

 

 

Weekend Lookback: Edmonton & Calgary

 

On Thursday, Your New York Islanders were in Edmonton to face Ryan Smyth and the Oilers.  The Islanders opened strong with a SHG from Frans Nielsen (Clutterbuck & Hickey) and Anders Lee (Strait & McDonald) in the first period.  Unfortunately, the Isles inability to hold on to a lead came back again and saw the Oilers score two goals in the third to tie the game and an O.T. winner at 2:29 of the extra period to take the win, 3-2.  The Isles once again struggled on the PP going 0 for 4 and allowed a PPG against by Edmonton on special teams.  Isles out shot the Oilers 34-29.  Evgeni Nabokov went 26 for 29 with an .897 Sv%. 

 

On Friday, the depleted Isles looked to rally behind its younger impact call ups and reliable vets to battle the Flames in Calgary.  Despite a SHG by Calgary just 2:00's in the game, the Isles played hard and saw Colin McDonald (Strome & Hickey) even the score at 1-1 to end the first period.  New York would continue to press hard as Kyle Okposo (Grabner) and Brock Nelson (Bailey & Donovan) gave the Isles a 3-1 lead going into the third period.  Characteristically and as "luck" would have it, the Isles were out played, fumbling the lead to the Flames in the span of five minutes midway through the third period for a 4-3 final.  The Isles were once again  0 for 4 on the PP and shaky in the final period of the game.  Isles maintained the edge in shots by a 26-23 margin.  Anders Nilsson went only 19 of 23 with an .826Sv%.
 

 

 

Per Eric Hornick, "4th time Isles have lost a gm in regulation time that they held a 2-goal lead in the third period."

"Isles now 2-7-5 after blowing a 2-goal lead this season, 9-6-5 when leading after 2 periods. 8th time they have blown a 2-goal lead in 3rd."

Isles Country sums up recent fan frustrations by mentioning, "We've lost 3 games in a row to bottom 4 teams in the league, blowing a lead in the 3rd period."

 

The stories of each game played out  as a tale of two games for New York.  While the players failed to get it done and the team defense was ultimately responsible for the let down, Coaching remains the biggest component of team inconsistency in the mind of this blogger to date.  Per Arthur Staple, " have had a 2-goal lead or more 24 times this season. Have given it away 14 times."

 

 

 

 

 

One final game remains on the current road trip vs. a struggling Vancouver team on Monday night.

 

 

Isles Notes:

 

Per Brett Yormark of NYI off-ice business ops responds to Isles fans ire against Snow and organization after trade deadline, "Understood. Isles in Brooklyn will be  big time . Trust me on that. We will make you proud."  Would this indicate a rumored "move" by Russian billionaire Nets owner, Mikhail Prokhorov?  No.  There hasn't been any word or indication of any move at this point.

 

Per Daniel Friedman, "By the way -- with 19 games to go, the supposedly "declining" Matt Moulson is just 11 points shy of another respectable 50-point season."

NHL Notes:

Per @EyeOnHockey, "After being traded to the Buffalo Sabres, Rostislav Klesla decides to retire from the NHL." 

Per Bob McKenzie, "Caps have for years eagerly anticipated (Evgeni) Kuznetsov's arrival, been battling red tape for past week, but 2010 1st-rder finally in fold."  The Caps organization has been trying to bring this player onto their roster for four years, similar to Isles and their Kirill Petrov situation.

 

Hockey Notes:

 

OHL player, Terry Trafford is missing.  Please spread the word to help find him. 

Trade Deadline Day: New York Islanders Edition

Per Katie Strang, "GM Garth Snow said he felt this trade deadline was "very quiet."  Snow continued, "There wasn't the same action you usually see at the trade deadline."

Katie Strang adds, "Only fair to point out the list of names moved in past week: Callahan, St. Louis, Luongo, Gaborik, Moulson, Miller, Halak, etc."  In addition, "Snow said MTL deal was their best offer "by far" and that Is, les felt "very fortunate" to have made that trade."

 

Snow had showed a decent eye using the waiver wire or grabbing dark horse prospects to fill holes in the organization.  While this is a good thing to pull off once in a while, a GM should never use it as a go to method to bring new blood into a team he sees as on the rise.  Successful organizations develop talent and then add quality veteran pieces to rise in prominence.  To initiate a "Shift in Power," as it were.

Several good goalies were traded over the last few weeks for not much in return.  The Islanders had a great opportunity to "audition" at least one of them this season with a move over the past few weeks, but chose not to do so.  A mistake in my mind.
 

On February 6th, Garth Snow got only a 4th round pick for 2 of his three free agent signings (Bouchard & Regin) when he dealt them to the Chicago Blackhawks.  While I guess its better to get back an asset for two players who failed to live up to their perceived "potential," the main issue I had was the lack of success the team had in free agency. They even seemed forced to made an immediate Nabokov resigning because all other quality goaltenders were taken off the market before their eyes.  These were the Islanders big July 1st Free Agent acquisitions.  While I think Bouchard was a bust, Regin had his place as a defensive forward and PK specialist, but again, didn't pan out.  So over all, I think this move made the best of a bad situation.  Better quality signings must be made on July 1st if an Islanders team intends to move forward and be taken seriously.

The 1st Isles deadline type trade that went down happened on Tuesday.  Andrew MacDonald has been sent to the Philadelphia Flyers for 2014 3rd-round pick, 2015 2nd-round pick & C, Matt Mangene.

A '14 3rd round pick and '15 2nd round pick are a decent return for MacDonald who was a career Isles product from the start.  Known for his shot blocking and strong defensive play, MacDonald's play took a hit this year after the team had him as a top pairing defensemen and a regular on special teams.  He seemed to miss assignments and make mistakes regularly this season, attracting the ire of Isles country.  Early in February, Andrew MacDonald turned down a 4-year, $16 million deal from the Islanders.  After that, it was clear that MacDonald needed to be traded or be lost in free agency.  Matt Mangene can be given some time in Stockton or on Bridgeport to see what he can contribute if given the opportunity.  I am ok with this deal.
 

Fast forwarding to today, while I was surprised the way deadline day went by, I saw a few good trades, a few sad trades and some others that didn't really stand out to me.  I did notice how prices were lower and it seemed to be a buyers deadline.  It seemed very few 2nd or 3rd rd picks were traded away, and some key players looked difficult to move.

I was psyched when the Isles got Thomas Vanek, even though the cost was high.  Other were angry Moulson was let go with a '14 or '15 1st rd pick (Isles choice) and a '15 2nd rd pick, some just didn't like the move because of the cost for a rental, even if he was an elite forward in the NHL.  I understand that Mgmt. has better success signing a player after they have been assimilated into the organization, so it was a gamble they would take.  Vanek's eventual success with JT on the top line was great to see and he seemed to be embracing his time here.  But soon enough, he leaked to the press that he still had a desire to test being a UFA.  This took a lot of bargaining power from Snow and the Islanders organization in any possible trade scenarios.  It was a move made with good intentions, but ultimately, mishandled by Snow. 

I wrote the following blurb February 4th on Vanek's rejection of the Isles contract offer:

Per KoC, "Thomas Vanek recently turned down a contract offer from the Islanders.  Apparently the offer was similar to the one Vanek turned down from Buffalo in the neighborhood of 7 yrs, $50 M. It is also rumored that the Isles weren't done in negotiations and could have offered more in term and length if he was interested, but Vanek wants to test his UFA status and some say, sign with Minnesota."

It was obvious, Vanek needed to be moved to try and recoup the 1st and 2nd round picks given up with Matt Moulson to acquire Vanek from Buffalo.

The second Isles trade came to light today, after late trades trickled in after the 3PM deadline.  Thomas Vanek (and a 5th round Isles pick if MTL makes the playoffs) has been sent to the Montreal Canadiens for Sebastian Collberg and a 2014 2nd round selection (if MTL makes the playoffs).  So, if MTL misses the playoffs, the Islanders got Collberg for Vanek.  No, seriously.  I realize the climate was barren today, but I cant help but feel what the rest of Isles country is feeling on this trade.  Angry and embarrassed.  Even with all the factors in play, to get so little for Vanek was puzzling indeed.  As one of the premier forwards available, Snow wasn't even able to deal or package Vanek to get more than Buffalo got for fan favorite, Matt Moulson (packaged w/ Cody McCormick, Buffalo got a '14 & '16 2nd rd pick and F, Torrey Mitchell.)  Moulson, the very player the Isles traded to get Vanek garnered more for the Sabers, and increased their assets after everything was said and done.  Bad trade for the Organization.

Per Arthur Staple," Couple quotes from Thomas Vanek just before he departed: "That line, with Okie and Johnny, it was the best line I ever played on."

Per Bryan Curran, "By the transitive property, Moulson a 1st and 2nd for a 2nd and a prospect. Enron was run better than this team." 

Sebastian Collberg is a minor league prospect included in the deal.  The following was tweeted by my colleagues on Collberg:

Per Arthur Staple, “Collberg, 20, was Habs 2nd round pick in 2012. Plays for Frolunda in Swedish League.”

B.D. Gallof adds, “Collberg was someone they chased during the draft and missed when MTL took him. They in turn took Ville Pokka."

“Collberg was considered by many a 1st rd value who went in the early 2nd rd. something to consider when done with hissy fits.”

“final scouting reports on Isles Collberg rated: THN & McKeens: 14, Red Line Report: 22, central #3 European, ISS: 11, TSN: 28, overall.”

Per Eric Hornick, "Pierre McGuire referred to Sebastian Colberg as a "B-level" prospect. Hopefully the B Becomes an A."

Hopefully, Collberg with be the silver lining in a trade we all want to forget, but will never be able to erase from our minds.  We will file it away with all the other embarrassments and punch lines Isles fans are subjected to, year in and year out for doing nothing but being faithful fans.  Fans to the ruin of a once great franchise that has so many things going for it, but seems to falter and fail every time it is called upon to defend its honor.

 Per Matt Saidman, " fans, I hope you stick by your boys on the ice. They play their asses off for you every game and deserve support. Don't abandon them."

I beLIeve in the crest and support the players who wear my colors. 

Travis Mills in the ceremonial face off for the Islanders on 1/27.

Isles Notes:

Eric Boulton suffered a broken hand in last nights game. Mike Halmo & Matt Donovan have been recalled from the BST.  

Per The Goalie Guild, "As if Snow wasn't under enough pressure, his goaltending situation is pretty murky. Nabokov (37) an UFA, Nilsson and Poulin are RFA's."

"Should point out that Nilsson went 7-1-0 with a 2.38 GAA and .918 SV% in February for Bridgeport. Before that, he was 2-7-1 in previous 10."

Per Darryl Hunt, "BTW, not to get lost in the NHL trade deadline, but NHL players not on AHL rosters at 3pm EST are ineligible for the AHL for rest of season.

TSN's trade list.

Per HockeyRumors&Trades, Pending UFA's.

Isles Ground Jets Attack

Your New York Islanders are in Winnipeg to face the improving Jets.  Winnipeg is 7-2-1 in their last 10 and just  2 pts out of a playoff spot behind new coach, Paul Maurice.  The Isles are coming off back to back games in which they had breakdowns that resulted in the loss.  Staple, "Okposo, Visnovsky, Hamonic wearing 'A's."  Matt Martin returns from injury tonight for the Isles while Martinek and Vanek (due to trade deadline tomorrow) are healthy scratches. 

Andrew MacDonald was sent to the Philadelphia Flyers for 2014 3rd-round pick, 2015 2nd-round pick & C, Matt Mangene.

Eric Hornick points out a vital stat that can not be ignored.  "Isles are 6-0-2 in last 8 games Jiggs has done (back to last season)."

 

 

Forwards:  Grabner-Nielsen-Okposo; Bailey-Nelson-Clutterbuck; Lee-Strome-McDonald; Martin-Cizikas-Boulton.

D-Pairings:  de Haan-Hamonic; Strait-Carkner; Hickey-Visnovsky.

Anders Nilsson is in the net with Evgeni Nabokov on the bench.

 

Nilsson with a few good saves early in the period, efforts at rebound control seems to be improving.  Winnipeg opens the scoring midway in the period for a 1-0 Jets lead.  The goal was a result of a faceoff win and a blown assignment by Hamonic that left Ladd open to fire point blank at the net.  Colin McDonald is relentless on the puck and evens the score at 1-1 (Strome & Lee) in the final minutes of the period.  That's 3 points in the last four games for Strome.  Boulton and Martin make Jets answer for liberties taken on Isles behalf.  Matt Martin left the bench and went into the locker room (had fight with Thorborn in the first period.)  He would return soon afterwards.  New York finishing their hits and playing with good legs in the first period.  Islanders lead in shots, 13-9 in the period.

 

Brian Compton reports, "Eric Boulton out for the remainder of the game with a hand injury."

 

Anders Lee jumps into the play at the 1:33 mark on the change and taps a bouncing puck into the net behind Pavlec, 2-1 Isles.  Two more points for Anders Lee so far tonight and 4th goal in 6th game with the Isles.  Two positive observations so far tonight.  1) Nilsson with some quiet heroics when called upon in the second period.  2) The Islanders are playing with more jump.  Josh Bailey comes up empty on a nice breakaway set up by K.O.  Nilsson with a big save in close on a Winnipeg PP chance with 7:13 remaining in the second.  Winnipeg with a lot of pressure mounting in the Isles zone.  Winnipeg had a 17-7 shots advantage in the period and a 26-20 total after two periods.

 

The Islanders come out strong again in the third period and continue checking well and creating offensive pressure, but the Jets are not going away.  Both teams working for every inch and waiting for the opportunity to exploit the other's mistakes.  Andrew Ladd converts a bad Josh Bailey turnover into a breakaway with the Isles D out of position and a questionable goal against Nilsson, game tied at 2-2 at 14:53.  Nilsson over handles the puck and takes a delay of game, Jets to the PP late in the third.  Isles kill off the penalty and enter the final minute of regulation.  Isles get a point and the game will go to O.T.  Shots were 11-7 in the period and 37-25 in regulation in favor of the Jets.

 

Hamonic breaks his stick in as a 2 on 1 break out opportunity developed in O.T.  Shortly after, Okposo's stick breaks at the tail end of a 1 on 1 break out chance.  Michael Grabner's stick didn't break on his 1 on 1, Isles win 3-2 in O.T.!  Nilsson (36 for 38 with a .947Sv%) good enough to get the win tonight.

Isles improve to 6-0-0 in road O.T. games.  You can't make this stuff up.

 

The Officials put away their whistles and ignored at least 5 infractions against the Isles in the O.T. period that I counted.  That didn't matter.  On the eve of the NHL trading deadline, the Isles came together and fought hard to over come several mistakes and keep themselves in the game.  After surrendering the tying goal and committing a stupid penalty, the team and goaltender dug deep and focused well enough for the win.  Several young guys are getting regular minutes and can focus on playing in the final stretch of game.  Playoffs are probably not a remote possibility, but lets see what these guys can get from playing together and going into the summer.  With a Donovan call up coming soon and with the play of Nelson, Strome, Lee & de Haan making a difference thus far, the Isles may have a few more surprises in store for us. 

 

Here's to hoping Garth Snow can work at least one more deal to give the Isles a boost by the deadline tomorrow.

 

Isles Notes:

 

Per Arthur Staple, "Vanek will travel with Isles to Edmonton tonight. No deal til tomorrow."

Isles Meltdown Against Panthers

Your New York Islanders are back at it this afternoon against the Florida Panthers.  Travis Hamonic will serve his one game suspension from his action in yesterdays game against the Devils.  Florida comes in at the bottom of the PP & PK stats not to mention allowing 48 more goals than they scored, placing them 3rd from the bottom of all NHL teams in goal differential.  Frans Nielsen is back in the line up with Mike Halmo returned to the BST.  Matt Martin is still day-to-day.

The struggling Josh Bailey has somehow found himself on the Isles top line while Okposo anchors the second.

This is the last home game before the trade deadline on Wednesday.  Will Thomas Vanek, Andrew MacDonald or any other players with the Islanders be playing their last game for New York?  Time will tell.

 

Forwards:  Lee-Nielsen-Bailey, Grabner-Strome-Okposo, Vanek-Nelson-Clutterbuck, Boulton-Cizikas-McDonald.

D-Pairings:  Strait-MacDonald, Hickey-Visnovsky, de Haan-Carkner.

Anders Nilsson (Riding a 19 ga, 7-0-1 streak with BST) is in the net with Evgeni Nabokov on the bench.

 

13,008 fans are in attendance for this afternoons game.  Boulton and Barch drop the gloves just 2:25 into the game, then Strait and Huberdeau go after it off an icing just after the faceoff.  Two angry teams with something to prove early on in a slow paced, ugly game.  de Haan to Clutterbuck, back to Vanek gives the Islanders a 1-0 lead at the 13:00 mark of the first period.  Vanek makes it 2-0 Isles, with a PPG (Visnovsky & Nielsen) that beats Thomas.  Eric Hornick points out that Vanek has now reached the 20+ goal mark in each of his last 9 seasons with the tally.  Isles turn on juice & get lots of rubber to Florida net with a 5 on 3 opportunity, but fall short.  Islanders play in both zones has improved late in the period while Nilsson making the save when he is asked to do so.  NVMC crowd appreciates the teams effort and acknowledges Anders Lee for coming to Straits aid as time expires.  Isles out shooting Panthers 14-11, but are only 1 for 4 on the PP.

 

 

Play has evened out in the second period with the Islanders still struggling on the PP.  Both teams have had chances, but its a slow moving period. An Isles turnover off a Florida slash late in the period gets the Panthers on the board with a rebound goal, 2-1 Isles.  Ryan Strome makes it 3-1 (Vanek & Okposo) less than a minute later.  Its Strome's second career NHL goal!  Isles with a 13-10 shots advantage in the period and a 27-21 edge in the game.  Isles PP is now 1 for 6.

 

Florida scores twice between the third and fourth minute of the third period to tie the game at 3-3.  Goal #3 was a Carkner deflection over Nilsson and #4 was a blown defensive assignment by MacDonald and delay of game call by the Officials, puck found its way in somehow.  Isles continue to scramble in front of Thomas, but fail to score on numerous attempts.  Team seems to be lost.  Per Arthur Staple, "12th time in 63 games Isles have surrendered a 2-goal lead. 2-5-4 in previous 11."  Panthers put in an odd rebound to take the lead, 4-3.  Panthers score again off a skate deflection, 5-3 Panthers.  Cizikas takes a frustration penalty, Florida to the PP, Isles kill it off.  Capuano calls a timeout with :32 seconds remaining.  Isles pull Nilsson for the extra skater, 5-3 Florida is the final after Isles give up 4 goals in the final period.  Florida outshoots Isles 13-11 in period, Isles hold 38-34 shots edge in game.

 

Isles fall to 9 wins in 33 games at home.  Per Eric Hornick, "8-5-4 when leading after 2 pds (7-4-4 on home-ice). 3rd straight L when leading by at least 2 goals at home after 2 pds (LA/Ana)."

 

This team ran wild with no direction as the game went on and Nilsson struggled in net when his team slowed in front of him.  There was very little physicality or checking pressure where it mattered, no crease clearing and a disorganized, slow paced response to the Panthers surge by the Isles.  The Isles head into the trading deadline with 1 road game remaining.  Without a stroke of genius by Snow, we may be doomed to only watch for what the team's draft position will be.  Again.

 

Matt Saidman is right there by the dressing room.  "Coming off the ice, Isles looked more dejected than they have all year long. Looked like a heartbroken group of guys."

 

 

 

Isles Notes: 

 

Per Chris Botta, "Vanek was 0-3-3 in previous 8, 2-1-3 today. Now he should sit until a trade."

 

Per Brett Cyrgalis, "Capuano on Hamonic's actions yesterday: I have no problem with that. He [felt] they took a liberty with one of our guys, and he responded."

 

Next week, the Isles are on the road vs. the Jets @8pm on Tuesday, 3/4, the Oilers @9:30pm on Thursday, 3/6 and the Flames @9pm on Friday, 3/5.  They close the road trip vs. Canucks @10pm, on Monday, 3/10. 

 

I will most likely cover the Calgary and Vancouver games with a Lookback on Tuesday.

 

 

 

 

 

Isles Embarrassed By Devils

Your New York Islanders face New Jersey at the NVMC this afternoon in what could very well be the final game for Martin Brodeur as a Devil.  The red hot, Anders Nilsson (Only 19 ga & 7-1-0 in last 8 w/BST) has been recalled from the BST and Kevin Poulin sent to Bridgeport for what is reportedly to get some playing time after a long layoff.  "  Matt Martin and Frans Nielsen are said to be showing improvement, but are still day-to-day.  Carkner and Martinek are also scratched.

 

Forwards:  Vanek-Nelson-Okposo; Grabner-Bailey-Clutterbuck; Lee-Strome-McDonald; Boulton-Cizikas-Halmo.

 

D-Pairings:  de Haan-Hamonic; Strait-MacDonald; Hickey-Visnovsky.

Evgeni Nabokov will get the start and Anders Nilsson is on the bench.

The Isles came out with jump, but NJ drew first blood on the PP just 5 minutes into the first period, 1-0 Devils.  The Isles come close on a couple of dirty attempts around Brodeur, but cant score.  Most notables in the first period, Halmo is making things happen while Vanek is struggling to find his game.  Isles with 10-8 shots advantage, but trail by one.

 

Isles slow to start the period and playing back on their heels.  Jagr gets the 700th goal of his career, 2-0 Devils.  Clowe gets a PPG, 3-0 Devils early in the second. Soon after, Vanek puts a shot on net and Okposo (Vanek & Bailey) gets the Isles on the board with a nifty deflection, 3-1 Devils.  Nabokov lets in another questionable goal on the PK, 4-1 Devils.  New Jersey with another PPG, 5-1 Devils.  BST line (Lee-Strome_Halmo) finally reunited in desperation ploy.  Nabokov not playing well, nor is the team in front of him.  Just a miserable effort by the Islanders in the period, even their steady PK'ers are struggling.  Very little discipline being shown by Capuano's Islanders.  Devils out shoot Isles 11-3 in the period.  Nabokov finishes with 14 for 17 and a .737Sv%.

Anders Nilsson gets the start in net to open the third period.  New Jersey resumes the dominant play and pushing Isles into mistakes.  Nilsson looks comfortable and helping to stabilize a shaky Isles team.  Nilsson bumped after whistle, no call made by Officials.  Travis Hamonic lost temper and gets 27 minutes in penalties, 32 on the game before leaving ice.  Boulton escorted off as well with misconduct as frustration builds.  Devils keep top PP unit out in final minutes of 5-1 game, get 5 on 3 PP goal, 6-1 Devils.  Class.  Game ends on man up situation for New Jersey.  Nilsson looked solid in relief, going 15 for 16 and a .938Sv%.  Shots finished 16-9 in the period and 35-19 for the game in favor of New Jersey.

The Islanders came out hitting and did well in the face off circle, but played a weak game in all other areas.  Especially on the PK, allowing New Jersey to score 4 times in 8 opportunities on the PP.  Isles finished with 66 collective penalty minutes in a sloppy and uninspired effort.  Another painful home loss for the sinking Islanders.  There are a few guys who never stopped working, others were probably amazed at the way things unfolded and some were struggling or watched as the game went by them without any semblance of control. 

Without some real changes in coaching, attitude and support coming soon, there wont be much to smile about for the Islanders.

 

 

Isles Notes:

UPDATE Per NHL.com,  New York Islanders defenseman Travis Hamonic has been suspended, without pay, for one game for instigating a fight during the final five minutes of NHL Game No. 903 at Nassau Coliseum this afternoon, March 1, the National Hockey League's Department of Player Safety announced today.

Hamonic will forfeit $19,780.22 in salary. In addition, New York Islanders head coach Jack Capuano has been fined $10,000.

Hamonic was assessed a minor penalty for instigation, a major penalty for fighting and a game misconduct at 15:23 of the third period. Both the suspension to the player and the fine of the coach are automatic for a violation of Rule 46.22.


The Isles have only won 9 of 32 games at home this season.