Islanders Shock Rangers

Tonight, Your New York Islanders met the New York Rangers for the first of 5 meetings this season.  Halak vs. Lundqvist.  Per Rich DeCorte, "Capuano on heading into a hostile environment: 'This is where you learn a little bit about your team."  School is now in session.

 

Forwards:  Conacher-Tavares-Okposo Grabovski-Nelson-Strome Bailey-Nielsen-Kulemin Martin-Cizikas-Clutterbuck.

Defensive Pairings:  Leddy-Boychuk Hickey-Hamonic Strait-Reinhart.

Jaro Halak is in net with Chad Johnson on the bench.

 

In the first period, although Halak is sharp early on, he lets in a weak goal off his own skate away from the post, 1-0 Rangers.  Isles have been sloppy in the neutral zone, giving the puck away against a shaky defense.  Isles score on a PP opportunity on a Johnny Boychuk (Okposo & Nielsen) shot and a Nelson screen, game tied at 1-1.  Islanders turn on pressure late in the period, end on a PP chance.   Lead 12-11 in shots.

 

Early in the second, Rangers ice puck, but no icing is called.  Islanders called for icing and Rangers score off subsequent face-off in Isles zone, 2-1 Rangers.  Weak calls so far tonight by officials.  The Islanders scrambling to find their game, looking lost & getting beat all over the place.  The PK has been terrible & the Defense (not named Leddy) still having a lot of trouble with positioning.  Reinhart & Strome having bad games.  Thankfully, Halak looking good & keeping Isles in the game throughout the period.  Kulemin takes puck away, dishes to John Tavares who rips it past Lundqvist, 2-2 late in the period.  Kulemin has been impressive in the game, doing just about everything.  Grabovski also making a difference.  Shots are 21-8 Rangers in the period, but Isles with a good PK to finish the period.
 

 

 

 

The third period starts with a give away in front of Lundqvist and Kyle Okposo buries it, 3-2 Islanders.  Its Okposo's 100th career goal.  Islanders gain some momentum off the goal and start applying pressure in Rangers zone.  Brock Nelson (Strome & Grabovski) scores with the wrister, 4-2 Islanders.  Its Nelson's 8th point of the season.  Seconds after, Mikhail Grabovski (Strome) makes it 5-2 Isles.  Islanders have scored 4 unanswered goals against Lundqvist.  MSG is silent and the Rangers look to be unraveling before our eyes.  Nick Leddy (Tavares) makes it 6-2 Islanders.  Larry Brooks Tweets, "First time in NYR Lundqvist's career that he has allowed 5 or more goals in consecutive starts."  Fans are leaving in droves at MSG.  Rangers score to make it 6-3 with 2:10 remaining, but its not enough. 

 

Isles win 6-3 & start the season 3-0 for first time since 2001-2002.  With no disrespect to the Hurricanes or the Isles in the first two games, tonight was their first real test and they passed.  With all the mistakes and being out played for a good stretch, their depth gave them enough to win.  The Coach and players all had plenty of negative things to say about the game tonight.  Good.  That's what winners do.  Always strive to be better.


Cory Conacher had a really strong game and is making it hard for his would-be replacement, but can we talk about Brock Nelson?  Nelson is a star on a deep Isles team and is doing everything right. He is scoring goals, setting up his team mates & finds a way to do everything they ask of him.  He is really turning into a serious threat for opposing teams.  But the Isles survived this game on the back of Halak who had 40 saves with a .930 Sv%.  Even though the Isles had 20 blocked shots as a team, their goaltender was a huge factor in the winning effort. Tavares, Nelson, Okposo, Grabovski, Boychuk and Leddy all scored for the Isles while the PP went 1/4 the PK improved as the game went on finished 3/3.  Halak, Tavares & Okposo were named the 3 stars of the game.  I wonder if Nelson will be considered for an NHL star of the week this time?

 

John Tavares was quoted as saying, "Sometimes they apologize for being Ranger fans.  And I say, 'You don't have to apologize to me.  I just like beating you guys."

So do we J.T.  So do we.

 

Isles Notes:

Per Jamie Stuart, "Isles postpone new ownership press conference due to "unavoidable business scheduling.' A new date has not been announced."

Calvin de Haan practiced yesterday for the first time since being put on IR.

Per Brett Cyrgalis, "Neither de Haan or Capuano would say, but Garth Snow told me the dman isn't medically cleared. "No timetable. Could be ready by Thursday."

Per Dan Savarino, "Capuano is "not settled" on having Conacher stay on the top line."

Spoke to Halak, told me "I need to be a little better." Feels he's still adjusting to the Isles, & his teammates are getting used to him.

Per Daniel Friedman, Former Islander, Richard Park has joined the Minnesota Wild as a player development coach.

 

Former Islander, Trevor Gillies had his suspension increased to 12 games for his "attack on players head."  I am a supporter of Gillies, but he needs to be aware of his record and realize that he will have additional time added to his warranted suspensions.  While I don't believe he slammed the players head to the ice, the AHL will seek to make an example of him and show they are serious when dealing with possible head injuries.

A Final Homecoming & The 7th Player

Your New York Islanders returned home to face the Carolina Hurricanes for the second game of a home at home series to start the season.  Saturday's game would be the final NYI home opener at the NVMC after the team declared they would be moving to the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.  The move was necessary after several attempts were blocked by the county to update the coliseum or build a new arena on its current site.  But you know all that.  You also know what happened last night, but humor me and let's talk about the memory that was made.
 

 

Forwards:  Conacher-Tavares-Okposo Grabovski-Nelson-Strome Bailey-Nielsen-Kulemin Martin-Cizikas-Clutterbuck.

Defensive Pairings:  Leddy-Boychuk Hickey-Hamonic Strait-Reinhart.

Chad Johnson in goal with Halak backing up.

Several players told the media that they noticed tailgaters in the parking lot when they arrived at the Coliseum in the morning.  It obviously impacted them and it showed. The team came out to start the game without individual introductions and skated to encircle the logo at center ice and saluted the crowd.  A great gesture by the team and a great way to start off the night.  The Islanders came out flying and were clearly feeding off a sold out Nassau Coliseum crowd.  Per Anthony Stabile, "Players were extremely impressed & grateful for the energetic crowd. Bailey said it's the loudest a crowd has been since the playoffs."

 

In the first period, John Tavares (Nelson & Boychuk) and Cory Conacher (Tavares & Okposo) scored for the Isles.  They would enter the second tied 2-2.  Brock Nelson (Boychuk & Okposo) and Josh Bailey (Nielsen & Kulemin) would then score to make it a 4-2 game.  The Islanders would surrender a goal late in the third, but won the game 4-3  with a strong effort.  Chad Johnson had 21 saves on the night with a .875 Sv%.

 

PK needed to improve.  At times, the unit seemed scattered and disorganized in their assignments.  That sloppiness kept Carolina in the game. Brian Strait looked especially horrible.  You may indeed see Matt Donovan get his shot against the Rangers on Tuesday.

 

Hurricanes got away with taking too many liberties against the Isles.  The physicality was matched by the Islanders whether or not a penalty was called against them.  John Tavares has instilled the attitude that disrespect would not be tolerated in game 1, and his team has clearly bought into that concept moving forward.

 

Brock Nelson is made a statement in the first two games.  He has 6 pts (3 & 3 for 6 pts.) while John Tavares & Johnny Boychuk have 5 pts, Kyle Okposo has 3, Ryan Strome & Frans Nielsen have 2 pts so far.  Six other players have a point.  Credit Josh Bailey for turning some hard work into results.  Aside from the goal, Bailey had several good defensive plays including some important clears late in the game as time expired in the third to help preserve the win.  Josh Bailey was the third star & John Tavares was first star in the game.
 

Chad Johnson gave the quote of the night to Islanders.nhl.com.  “As an opposing player you make that walk from the Marriott [to the Coliseum] and you call it the gauntlet,” he said. “You can tell the people here are really knowledgeable about hockey, they are cheering at the right moments, they aren’t just cheering to cheer.”

I had a great time tailgating with Craig Richardson and my friends in the New York Islanders Hardcore group, big supporters of KoC for quite some time.  As luck would have it, I was seated next to Paul Eggs & Chris Egbert of Real Islander Fans.  Two huge supporters of mine that I was able to talk with all game long and get to know better.  I also had the pleasure of finally meeting Kevin Judge of Bleed Orange and Blue in person, another big, long-time supporter on KoC.  The list of important people is too large to note here and please don't be offended if I didn't mention all of you by name.  I was so glad to connect with each of you and match the people with the avatars I interact with each and every day.  I was glad to get to know you a little more as people & even though we may not live close enough for many social calls, it doesn't mean we haven't shared a sacred space talking Islanders hockey for all this time.  The support I get on Facebook, Google & New York Islanders Reddit enable me to spread my message and for that I am grateful to everyone who takes time out of their day to actually read what I have posted.  I guess what I am trying to say is that it was an extra special event for me.  I know a lot of us realized that the Isles time at the NVMC started coming to a close as soon as we got to the tailgate celebrations.  We knew that all of these familiar rituals would have to change soon.  But please understand that while I am bitter about the events that created the need for the team to have to move, I'm not bitter about the team moving to the Barclays Center.  I am quite psyched they will be at a state of the art arena in Brooklyn instead of Kansas City or Quebec.   

The years and years I spent going to the old barn in Uniondale are times that will remain close to my heart.  Watching the legendary teams win 4 cups and 19 consecutive playoff series were unreal.  Coming to the Coliseum has always been special to me, but the fans I have met over that time are the real prize.  We can celebrate the final season for what it is.  The last hurrah for a storied franchise in our special place.  We look past the cracked concourse and crumbling façade and see the great moments in Islanders history.  That can never be taken away from us.  But what we can do is create new memories at a new arena in Brooklyn.  We can create new rituals with the current players on the team.  A group of guys that we have watched grow up before our eyes and hope to see progress into something special.  They are certainly off to a good start this season.

Greatest impression made on me last night about this Isles team was their character. They have it throughout the roster. From John Tavares to Kyle Okposo to Casey Cizikas. The other impression made last night, which is no less important is the amazing, passionate & deserving fan base I am a part of.  Truly, the 7th player on the ice.
 

 

I'm honored to cheer along side of all of you.

 

Isles Notes:

The Islanders meet the Rangers in MSG @ 7pm on Tuesday, 10/14, face the Sharks at home on Thursday, 10/16 and meet the Penguins on Saturday, 10/18, 7pm starts.

Former Islander, Trevor Gillies has been suspended one game by the AHL, and is investigating the incident further.  Reports of Gillies, "slamming a players to the ice," were over stated to say the least.  While Gillies has crossed the line in the past, the event in question has been exaggerated by media reports.

 

Trevor Gillies posted the following apology on his FaceBook page, "I would like to apologize to my family back home for embarrassing the family name. To my teammates and the organization and the fans in the hockey community. I crossed the line. Thankfully the kid is okay. I'm not taking this lightly or easily and promise it won't happen again. If you want to bash me I get it. I will just take my medicine with no response. Again I'm truly sorry Gillies."

Islanders Brave Storm In Carolina

Tonight, your New York Islanders kick off the 2014-15 season in Carolina against the Hurricanes.  Cam Ward will be in net for the canes and has dominated the Islanders in the past.  But these are not those Islanders.  The new look Isles will be bringing even more firepower, a stronger defense and better goaltending to the season opener.  Some new free agent additions like Jaro Halak, Johnny Boychuk, Nick Leddy, Mikhail Grabovski, Nikolay Kulemin, Cory Conacher are making the trip along with former prospect, Griffin Reinhart who is making his first NHL start.  Arthur Staple notes a very loud "Let's Go Islanders!" chant can be heard form the Isles fans in attendance. 

Forwards:  Conacher-Tavares-Okposo; Grabovski-Nelson-Strome; Bailey-Nielsen-Kulemin; Martin-Cizikas-Clutterbuck.

 

Defensive Pairings:  Leddy-Boychuk; Hickey-Hamonic; Strait-Reinhart.

Jaroslav Halak is in net with Chad Johnson on the bench.

 

In the first period, the Isles came out with purpose.  Johnny Boychuk (Okposo & Tavares) put the Isles on the board with a one-timer PPG, 1-0 just a few minutes in.  Johnny Boychuk & John Tavares set up Brock Nelson, top shelf for a 2-0 lead with two minutes remaining.

 

In the second period, Johnny Boychuk puts it on net and it goes in from Brock Nelson (& Tavares), 3-0 Isles.  This marks Nelson's first two goal game and gives Boychuk a goal & two assists to this point.  Per Erik Hornick, Isles are 21-0-0 in last 4 ssns when leading by at least 3 goals after 2 pds.

 

The third period has been the Achilles heel for the Isles in recent years.  What would happen tonight?  Hurricanes score early in the third before Travis Hamonic can pull the puck out before crossing the goal line.  Play is reviewed & its a good goal, 3-1 Islanders.  Shortly after, Mikhail Grabovski  converts off a feed from Ryan Strome & Brock Nelson about 6 minutes in, 4-1 Islanders.  Its Grabo's first as an Islander.  Travis Hamonic extends the lead to 5-1 off a feed from Nelson & Strome, 5-1 Isles.  Nelson up t 4 pts. on the night.  Hurricanes catch Isles on a long shift for top line and convert on a take away, 5-2 with just over five minutes remaining.  With 1:36 remaining, Canes make it 5-3 on the PP.  Isles win 5-3.

 

The Isles PP & PK looked good tonight.

Several Islanders had a good game.  Halak looked calm & poised in the nets.  Whether it was a screened, deflected or a straight ahead shot, Halak was in position.  He finished 21/24 with an .875 Sv%.  John Tavares and his line mates were flying tonight and led by example.  Johnny Boychuk certainly looks like he is comfortable with the Isles now.  5 on 5 or on the PP, Boychuk was solid and showed why Snow brought him here.  Mikhail Grabovski looked solid with line mates, Nelson & Strome.  They created a lot of offensive chances all game long.  Ryan Strome  & Griffin Reinhart worked hard the entire night and held their own for the game.  Strome had some nice chances and Reinhart had some nice plays in the defensive end.  The fourth line of Martin, Cizikas & Clutterbuck did all the again small things tonight.  They were physical, strong on the back check and drew penalties to keep Carolina focused on them.  The Islanders depth showed and although it was only one game, you have to like how the Isles looked in the game, even with all the injuries.  Nelson finished with 4 pts. while JT & Boychuk had 3.  It was about Nelson & Halak tonight.  They were the difference in the game.  Carolina started to do some damage late, but the Isles dominated much of the game.  It was a third period deficit of sorts, but it seemed almost meaningless. Is it?

These are not last years Islanders. 

 

  

See you tomorrow at the NVMC!  Come up and say Yo! 

 

I'll be with @NYIslesHardcore Sec 225, Row J, Seat 14.

 

Isles Notes:

Per Arthur Staple, Michael Grabner had surgery for a sports hernia & is out indefinitely.  Probably 4-6 weeks.

 

Islanders legend, Bobby Nystrom is 62 today.

 

Per John Kreiser, "51 percent of Coyotes sold to Andrew Barroway, pending NHL approval. If it happens, Barroway becomes Coyotes chairman and governor."

2014-15 KoC New York Islanders Season Preview

The New York Islanders announced today their 23-man roster as they enter the 2014-15 season. The lineup includes 14 forwards, seven defensemen and two goalies. 

 

Projected Forward lines for Friday:  Conacher-Tavares-Okposo, Grabovski-Nelson-Strome, Bailey-Nielsen-Kulemin, Martin-Cizikas-Clutterbuck.

Extra forwards are McDonald and Boulton.

Projected defensive pairings: Leddy-Boychuk, Hickey-Hamonic, Strait-Reinhart, w/Donovan extra.

Halak will be in goal with Johnson backing up.

 

###

 

This season should be a throwback to the days when the Isles were a threat to win every night.  I'm not saying a new dynasty, but I am saying a 90-95 pt. team that has the potential to make the playoffs and in the running for much more.  As long as they stay healthy, continue to score goals and improve on defense and in goal as we expect, who knows how far they can go.  Strome and Reinhart have made the opening night roster and that’s a good thing.  Both are talent players who the Islanders need to take the next step in their pro careers.  Strome had a strong showing while filling in for an injured Tavares last season and he needs to continue that progress.  Reinhart had good efforts in camp, but saw what playing at the NHL level will take.

 

Garth Snow made some nice signings on day 1 of free agency, and then scored again later on day 2.  The team has been upgraded in several areas and the competition that comes with more available talent should push everyone to give their strongest effort to play up to expectations, especially the coaching staff.  The blown third period leads and November losing streaks need to stop.  And when the team plays well enough to gain a comfortable lead, they need to be disciplined enough to keep it.  With Visnovsky, Pulock, Grabner and de Haan injured, the roster wont stay the way it is, but should still do well.

Conacher had a great camp.  He showed strong skating and a good hockey sense.  Because of that, he will start on the 1st line with Tavares and Okposo.  JT wants to return with a vengeance after his season ending injury with Team Canada.  I think he will do just that.  He had 66 pts. in 59 games last season while Okposo had a break out year with 69 pts. in 71 games.  Per islanders.nhl.com, “It’s pretty special,” Conacher said. “I just have to try to take advantage of this opportunity. I don’t want to get away from playing my game, but at the same time I want to make sure those guys are comfortable playing with me on a line.”

 

The 2nd line should be very interesting to watch.  Grabovski was a huge signing by Snow this summer.  His offensive potential could see him reach the 50 pt. mark like he tallied while playing in Toronto.  Nelson had a great first year as an NHL player with 26 pts. in 72 games.  He was big in big moments and showed he has the talent to stay on the top two lines.

The 3rd line could be a big line for the Isles this year.  Bailey needs to have a year like K.O. did last season and needs to gain confidence.  Bailey had 38 pts in 77 games.  I don't know if will ever be as good as the Isles had hoped, but with the depth at forward, playing with Nielsen and Kulemin should help.  What else can you say about Nielsen that hasn't been said?  With a career best 58 pts. in 80 games, Nielsen is clutch on both sides of the puck and has really made a difference in shootouts for New York.  Kulemin is talented beyond his numbers.  He is a strong line mate that helps the skilled players he plays with succeed.

We have all seen what Martin, Cizikas and Clutterbuck can do to change momentum in a game.  Whether its playing with an edge, fighting or scoring a big goal, the 4th line have been a high energy line for the Islanders and should do more of the same this season.

McDonald and Boulton are the extra forwards out of camp.  Both are heart and soul guys who are well liked in the locker room.  They should be used in specific situations and against specific opponents early in the season, but will have to perform to remain with the Islanders.  Especially with the talent in Bridgeport.  They impressed Capuano enough to edge Anders Lee out of a roster spot.

Defense was a huge weakness for the Islanders along with goaltending.  Snow addressed those concerns in a big way. 


While anchors like Hamonic & Hickey played well for the Islanders all year, de Haan was recalled by from Bridgeport & seemed to help stabilize a waffling Isles defense.  The additions of Boychuk & Leddy will be huge for guys like Pulock & Reinhart.  Strait can be effective, but will start to feel the pressure from the improved Islanders depth a defense.  Donovan is an extra defensemen on the roster and has impressed the coaches enough to earn a spot on the team again this year.  He has a lot of skill and has looked strong at times, but needs to raise his game and minimize his mistakes to stay on the team.  I think he is capable of doing just that.

Nabokov & Nilsson are gone.  They goalie carousel is gone.  Snow added Halak and Johnson in the off season to give the Islanders a strong goaltending tandem that is as strong as any in the league.  As a starter in his prime, Halak will benefit from a new training regiment that should reduce the chance of injury and benefit from a stronger defense in front of him.  Halak is a top ten goaltender and has the potential to reach even higher levels wit this team.  Johnson has gotten better with each season he has been in the league.  Last year with Boston, Johnson was a big reason for their success.  As a back up to Halak, Johnson should still get a chance to come up big for his new team as well.  He also offers a strong contingency for the Isles should Halak go down to injury.

Per islanders.nhl.com, Capuano spoke about the "Battle Level," required to stay on this team:  “You're here for a reason, but you have to sustain it,” Capuano said. “We'll see what he can do Friday night. He's going to get an opportunity and we've practiced that line all week, and to me, I think that's what we'll go with to start. If we have to make tweaks, we'll make tweaks."

 

The Isles have sent Anders Lee and Ryan Pulock to Bridgeport.  While I don’t agree with this move, it will give Lee a chance to play top minutes with Bridgeport.  He will no doubt be a first call up when necessary and may never go back down.  Per Arthur Staple, "Capuano on Lee: 'That's a tough one. He's had a pretty good camp. Anders is going to be an Islander for a long time... It's a numbers game."  Lighthousehockey had a great quote from Anders Lee: "I know I can play at this level; I feel like I did the best I could with the opportunity I had last year," he said. "Everything I do is to try and help this team win. That won't change, whether I'm here or [in Bridgeport]."  My hunch is that Anders Lee will be an Islander by Thanksgiving as long as he keeps that kind of positive outlook  and continues to work hard.

Your New York Islanders are the talk of the NHL and have been picked anywhere from 5th to last in their conference, and are currently ranked 13th in the power ranking.  What can not be argued is how much better they are this season than last, at least on paper.  They could very well finish 3 or 4th in the east.  I know I said it last year as well, but who knew!  Anyway, I think this team has the potential to shock a lot of people, especially those on teams around the NHL who don't respect that potential.  Because pretty soon, that potential could turn into results.  Then what will all the detractors say?

 

An amazing story of an amazing human being. You are an inspiration Travis. I'm a big fan.

 

Isles Notes:

Matt Carkner (upper body) & Lubomir Visnovsky (upper body) have been placed on IR.

 

Michael Grabner's had surgery for sports hernia, Out indefinitely.

Islanders' sale from Charles Wang to Ledecky, Malkin finalized.

 

Rick DiPietro interviewed Garth Snow on ESPN Radio. 

 

Per Christian Arnold, "Bettman on Barclays Isles: "There aren’t a whole lot of changes they can make… I’m OK with that.”

 

Per Stan Fischler, "More on what's a dynasty: no team ever will match the Islanders feat of 19 straight playoff series wins. Not even these Kings; not close."

Former Islanders Matt Moulson (Buff) & Mark Streit (Phi) have been named as alternate captains of the perspective teams.

 

Sound Tigers Notes:

Aaron Ness named captain of the Sound Tigers.

 

Stockton Thunder Notes:

6'7" defenseman, Loic Leduc was loaned to the Thunder from the Islanders.

 

NHL Notes:

 

Per Hockey Rumors & Trades, "Commissionaire Gary Bettman is expected the renewal of the World Cup of Hockey tomorrow at his state of the league address. The International tournament, that would be played under NHL rules, will played during the offseason to ensure that every country can put the best team possible on the ice."  Ha Ha.  Commissionaire.

Per Steve LePlore, "NBC will produce their own draft coverage for the first time ever. Will combine NBC and TSN hockey talent."

2014 Isles Training Camp: The Final Stretch

If you aren't fired up about your New York Islanders this year, it might be a good idea to choose another team already!  With all the promising players drafted and developed through the Isles system and those signed as free agents or brought here via trade, this years team seems ready and genuinely excited to make the final season at NVMC a memorable one.  Garth Snow has done a great job this off season and the entire organization seems to feel it.  We have yet to see if all this enthusiasm will pan out and result in wins, but its becoming harder for even the biggest detractors to dismiss the chances of this team to not only make the playoffs, but be a serious threat in the eastern conference.  Who knows, they may even win a few games in November.

Per Brett Cyrgalis, "Garth Snow on trades: "The statement being made is we’re committed to making our team better. That’s the biggest message."  Garth Snow on FAN590. 

In a few more days, everything will fall into place & the Islanders will start the 2014-15 campaign in Carolina against the Hurricanes and face those same Hurricanes in the season opener on Long Island.

Forwards:  Conacher-Tavares-Okposo; Grabovski-Nelson-Strome; Bailey-Nielsen-Kulemin; Martin-Cizikas-Clutterbuck; Boulton-Lee-McDonald.

 

Defensive pairings:  Boychuk & Leddy skated as a pairing today.

It is understood that players who are exempt to waivers are much more likely to be sent down than a player who could be lost (Jack Skille) to another team.  Along those lines, Arthur Staple speculates that the most likely candidates to be sent down are Lee, Reinhart & Czuczman.  So if Viz, de Haan & Pulock were ready to go on Friday, that would require both defensemen to be sent down to make room.

Pulock & de Haan skated before the team practice.  Capuano hinted that Reinhart or Pulock could be around to make the final roster.

The Islanders have placed Michael Grabner (9/26) & Calvin deHaan (9/23) on retroactive injured reserve.


In other injury news, Staple:  "Grabner (upper body) isn't close to returning, so he'll start on IR. For those who asked. Carkner (upper) as well for sure."

 

Injuries seem to be the only thing that can work against the team this season.  Hopefully, they will be kept to a minimum.  If not, the Islanders still have some depth in the system should the need arise.

Per Mark Weiner, Jack Capuano on JT & Okposo "They didn't play very well in preseason. They are elite players but tried to get too fancy out there."  Star players will need to play like star players for the Isles this season.  They will have to lead by example and take the reins of this teams success.  The coaching staff led by Capuano will be in the hot seat from day one and will be expected to win.  With the more complete roster and with the new additions made over the summer in all three areas, there are very little excuses left.

The Islanders two newest defensemen continued to make headlines today with their first practice as members of the New York Islanders.  They were enthusiastic, positive and seemed excited to be a member of this Isles team.  Boychuk & Leddy said all the right things at practice today and appear to be ready to make the most of their opportunity with the Islanders.  Johnny Boychuk will wear #55 & Nick Leddy will wear #2 for the Islanders. 

Nick Leddy on FB, "I want to thank the @NHLBlackhawks and all the fans for everything! Excited to start my new adventure with the @NYIslanders."

Leddy was on SiriusXMNHL today.

 

Johnny Boychuk, “I’m excited [to] get a bigger role there I’m going to work hard & do what I do best I’m going to embrace the chance to play on the island.”

“This is going to be a great team and people shouldn’t take us lightly anymore,” Boychuk said. “They’ve done some good things and I think it’s going to be a good challenge for every team to come in and play us.”

Per Capgeek, The Isles with only $6,467,190 in cap space right now (25 men on roster).

 

 

 

Is it Friday yet? 

 

 

 

 

Isles Notes:

On October 6th, Aaron Ness, David Leggio, Kevin Poulin and Harry Zolnierczyk cleared waivers and were assigned to the BST. 

Jack Skille was put on waivers by Snow with the intention of sending him down to the BST as well, but he was claimed by Columbus.  Per Aaron Portzline, Skille was quoted as saying, "I left things on such a high note with Columbus, and I was actually really bummed that we couldn’t figure something out."  Skille looked good in preseason and its a shame he wont get a chance to contribute to the Isles organization.

Per Newsday, Isles to wear modernized-fisherman jerseys during warm-ups this year. 

"Also ahead this winter: a night on which during warm-ups players will wear a modernized version of the notorious "fisherman" logo that debuted in 1995, after which the jerseys will be auctioned off for charity."

 

NHL notes:

A reminder that NHL teams must be down to 23 man cap compliant rosters by Tuesday.

 

Sound Tigers Notes:

 

BST announce training camp transactions.

Game On! Garth Adds Boychuk & Leddy

Yesterday, I said that the Isles line up comprised of mostly players from the BST's got a valuable lesson about what it took to play in the NHL after last nights loss to the Bruins.  Especially the young players on defense.  Promising prospects like Griffin Reinhart & Ryan Pulock had a chance to impress Isles management over the preseason & make a statement about how they belonged on the Isles roster.  Well, as it turns out, it may have confirmed to Isles GM, Garth Snow that his promising young prospects aren't ready to complete the Isles defensive core for this season.  Although showing a lot of promise for players just out of Juniors, Reinhart, Pulock and their team mates weren't able to effectively compete with Boston in the game and they left goaltender, Chad Johnson out to dry, even with him playing a good game for his team in net. 

Now while I wouldn't expect a mostly AHL filled roster to play evenly with a mostly NHL Bruins line up, I guess it served as a wake up call that the 2014-15 Islanders team needed a few more pieces to be truly ready to fight for a play off bid and a chance to compete for the Stanley Cup.  Snow had been in talks with the visiting Bruins (and Blackhawks for that matter) on trying to engineer a trade and add those missing pieces to his team for quite some time according to islanders.nhl.com.  Today, the much maligned Garth Snow did just that.  Snow acquired physical defenseman, Johnny Boychuk and puck mover, Nick Leddy from the Bruins and Blackhawks.  Two championship teams that he established had trade relationships with in previous years.

For the price of two 2nd round picks and a conditional 3rd round pick, 30 year old D-Man, Johnny Boychuk comes to the Islanders in the final year of his deal worth $3.6M (a $3.37M cap hit).  The conditional pick will go to Boston if the Islanders trade Boychuck within the Eastern Conference.  Boychuk was 5-18-23 with a +31 rating in 75 games for the Bruins last season. 

Bruins Twitter reported their GM as saying, "Not an easy meeting with Boychuk. said Chiarelli: "he was upset, I was upset, I'm still upset."  I wouldn't jump to conclusions or pass judgment just yet.  If it is true, Boychuk is a veteran player who has been with the bruins organization for 6 seasons.  It probably came as a surprise and his reaction would have been similar when traded to any team.
 

 

 

I know next seasons draft is supposed to be the deepest draft in years and those picks would have helped the Isles to add quality depth to their prospect pool, but you have to look at it like this.  Boychuk fills a need the team has now.  They need to succeed this season and win now while all the other pieces that have been assembled around John Tavares are under contract and meshing well.  Not to mention, to assure the organization surrenders a 1st round pick to Buffalo that has as little value as possible.

In another huge move, Snow acquired D Nick Leddy & G, Kent Simpson from CHI for D Ville Pokka, D T.J. Brennan and rights to G, Anders Nilsson who is currently playing in the Russia.  Leddy was 7-24-31 in 82 games with a +10 rating for Chicago last season. ESPN Chicago quoted Leddy's agent Neil Sheehy: "Nick Leddy loved playing for Chicago but is looking forward to joining the young group of talented players in NY."

 

So aside from the main trade for Leddy, Snow added an AHL goaltender (Kent Simpson) for the rights to an AHL goaltender (Anders Nilsson) who wanted to leave the organization and is now under contract in the KHL.  Kent Simpson, 22 was chosen by Chicago in the 2nd round, 58th overall in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft.  He has 34 AHL games with a 3.18gaa and a .914 Sv% in 2 seasons (and 1 game in 11/12) playing for their Rockford affiliate. (Hockeydb.com)

Tony Stabile mentions that with today's acquisitions, the Isles have added 54 points & 113 games of playoff experience to their blue line.  Think on that.  A better, more veteran and championship experienced blue line that guards a net manned by Jaroslav Halak or Chad Johnson.  Even if neither player wants to remain with the Islanders in Brooklyn, it gives the team the experience and ability to compete & win know along with some time to properly bring up guys like Reinhart, Pulock and the like.  Don't forget that in these deals, the Isles did move prospects that are or would be NHL ready soon, but they did not move any of their key prospects that most thought were a requirement for bringing in a top tier veteran D like Boychuk & Leddy.

With the moves made today, the Islanders have an option to utilize Visnovsky, Hamonic, de Haan, Leddy, Boychuk, Hickey, Strait and Conacher in any combination on their blue line depending on the opposition.  And after you consider the prime offensive additions of Grabovski, Kulemin and the net stabilizing moves of Halak & Johnson, even the biggest Garth Snow hater has to be excited at the potential gains the Islanders can make this season.  And that isn't even including the recent draft classes and depth acquisitions that give the Isles a deeper make up than they have had in quite some time.  With a little luck, the injury bug will stay away and the Isles will get a chance to shock some people.  The majority of this years team pressure squarely falls on the shoulder of head coach, Jack Capuano if he cant lead this roster to a very successful campaign this season.

The Islanders still have guys like Reinhart, Pulock, Mayfield, Pelech, Pedan and Czuczman in their system and now there is no rush to use them before they are actually ready to make the transition.

Per Elliotte Friedman, "NYI GM Garth Snow says there have been no extension talks with Boychuk (UFA) & Leddy (RFA). "We just dealt with the teams for now"..."Snow said he felt his team's deep prospect base allowed him to make both trades and hopes fan base is "pumped up."

Snow had this to say on islanders.nhl.com, “It was an opportunity to upgrade our defense,” Snow said. “We addressed – for the most part – the goaltending and the forward position, so today just happened to be the day we had the ability to add an offensive defenseman and physical defenseman, who also has a great shot. [These are] two key additions to our team.”  He adds, “They’ve both won a Stanley Cup, so in the leadership department, that helps our group,” Snow said. “Leddy’s ability to move the puck and skate the puck up ice, add offense; Boychuk’s ability to be physical, clear the front of the net and a howitzer for a shot; for us, [those are] two solid additions to our club.”

 

And if you aren't convinced its a big deal yet, the Isles, Garth Snow, Leddy & Boychuk were among the top items trending on Twitter this afternoon.

 

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In other big news, it has been confirmed that the Isles have signed 1st round pick, Joshua Ho-Sang to 3-year ELC.

 

"The Islanders selected Ho-Sang, 18, with the 28th-overall pick in the 2014 National Hockey League Draft. The Toronto, ON native led the Windsor Spitfires (Ontario Hockey League) in scoring last season with 85 points (32 goals, 53 assists) in 67 games. Ho-Sang added three points (one goal and two assists) in four OHL playoff games.  In 2012-13, Ho-Sang finished fourth on the Spitfires and sixth among all OHL rookies with 44 points (14 goals and 30 assists) in 63 games."

 

Isles Notes:

 

Your New York Islanders made 16 cuts, 11 non-waivers: Collberg, Gallant, Halmo, Mouillierat, Persson, Quine, Sundstrom, Mayfield, Pedan, Pelech, Pokka.

 

At noon, five Islanders go on waivers with the intention to send them down to Bridgeport: K. Poulin, D. Leggio, H. Zolnierczyk, J. Skille, A. Ness.



Also, the Isles returned Ho Sang (Windsor) & Michael Dal Colle (Oshawa) to junior clubs today.

Per Arthur Staple:  Lines at practice today:

Conacher-Tavares-Okposo, Grabovski-Nelson-Strome, Bailey-Nielsen-Kulemin, Martin-Cizikas-Clutterbuck.

5th line is Boulton-Lee-McDonald. Grabner (upper body) still not practicing.

 

 

Defensive pairings:  Hickey-Hamonic, Strait-Donovan, Brennan-Reinhart, Czuczman-Ness. Visnovsky, Pulock, de Haan, Carkner all still out.

Visnovsky (back), Pulock (lower) and de Haan (upper) all skated this morning before practice. Still day to day.

Former Islander, Peter Regin has been put on waivers by Blackhawks.