Photo by Paul Nicholson I understand the nature of teams is to go through ebbs and flows. Some periods are defined by success, while other periods, not so much. Smart teams build from the failure, using the downtime to replenish, developing prospects and trading pieces of the present for pieces of the future. The Islanders [...]
I don’t think about it constantly, but in general, I have trouble deciding just what’s wrong with the Islanders. Are they a team that won’t spring for quality, free agent players or are they a team that can’t attract quality, free agent players? Given their vast amount of cap space, I had resigned myself to [...]
The Atlantic is turning into some kind of advanced failure seminar. The Islanders and Devils are rocking the cellar, each team still not in double-digit wins. Each team has to be looking at the other, trying to figure out just what the other one is doing wrong. For example, let’s look at how Devils’ GM [...]
The New York Times took a look at the recent misfortunes of the Islanders. And, as you might guess, there’s a lot of stuff to look at. There’s the horrible losing streak this season. There’s the lack of a new arena. And there’s the lack of fan attendance. The Islanders average 10,773 fans per game. [...]
Photo by tedkerwin Yesterday Larry Brooks took the Islanders to task for just kind of wallowing in their failures. Brooks recommends the team move to Queens, where he says an arena is waiting for them. I assume he means in the Willets Point area, which New York City is trying to build up, and which [...]
Yesterday’s Rangers/Islanders afternoon game was interesting because it saw the Rangers pretty much pick up where they left last season — following strong games with incredibly sloppy performances. Where the Rangers were aggressive and effective in their first game of the season against the Sabres, against the Islanders they were passive and careless. The Rangers [...]
The Penguins have had a tougher preseason than the rest of the NHL. In addition to doing the usual preseason stuff, the Penguins have also had to get used to their new arena, Consol Energy Center. The Penguins have gone from playing in the Igloo, which was built in 1961, to an arena that’s now [...]
Lyle Richardson is asking if the Islanders need another goaltender. Right now, the plan seems to be going with Dwayne Roloson, who’ll be 41 when the season starts, and Rick DiPietro, who has played just 13 games over the last two seasons. I’m not sure what the thought process is for the Islanders. Roloson was [...]
Seeing how today is American Independence Day (observed), I’d like to exercise my independence to go very hypothetical on the Ilya Kovalchuk sweepstakes. We know the Kings are out. The Devils might be in it, although they don’t seem to be able to offer the kind of money Kovalchuk is seeking. The Islanders might be [...]
Doug Weight seems about to re-sign with the Islanders. Last year, the Islanders were ready to trade Weight by January. The only thing that kept him on Long Island was shoulder surgery that made him untradeable. That’s the thing about playing for the Islanders. If you’re any kind of solid player without a crazy contract, [...]
