Bleacher Report - Articles by Ken Rosenblatt

Okposo, Bailey, and Comeau Lead the New York Islanders to Victory

Ken Rosenblatt — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 19:06:00 -0500

If you are an Islanders fan searching for a reason to be interested in this season's remaining games, coach Scott Gordon has given you a dandy. By hitching Josh Bailey to Blake Comeau and Kyle Okposo, Gordon is maxing out your chances for excitement the rest of the way.

The youth brigade should be energized by relying solely on each other. Putting this line together signals that it's really their time now. Okposo, in particular, looks so confident now, even on the penalty kill. It's almost hard to believe that he played only 14:08 in tonight's 5-4 win at Atlanta. It seemed like he was out there every other shift.

One difficulty that could surface for the Comeau-Bailey-Okposo line is a failure to have the puck. If Bailey doesn't continue to improve on face offs (he won five of nine tonight—a good result), the line will waste precious seconds of its shifts forechecking and playing defense. Obviously those duties are necessities and all three should aspire to be solid two-way players, but this line is together to produce offense.

That they did so in the first period of their first game together, on a skilled Bailey-to-Okposo conversion, gives Gordon all the evidence he needs to keep them together without worrying about them needing a veteran presence.

And what more could you ask for than all three players on the line working to create the goal that saved the Islanders from complete collapse after coughing up three-fourths of their four-goal lead in the third period?

For most of the third period the team played its best tentative, we-have-no-idea-what-to-do-here hockey. It was easy to wonder what had happened to the tenacity best exemplified by Okposo's play in the first period.

Then Comeau made that chip-dump into the corner, and you could just tell by the way he pursued the puck that there was still something left in the Islanders' tank. Comeau to Bailey to Okposo. Bang, 5-3, and the eventual game-winner.

Yes, the Atlanta defense was full of holes and starting goalie Kari Lehtonen looked like he was playing in roller skates. But when that happens, a team has to pounce. And the Islanders did. When Lehtonen dropped Andy Hilbert's harmless shot, Tim Jackman got to the net and put the puck across the line.

I love to see Islanders forwards show composure and be patient enough to score goals like Trent Hunter did to give the Islanders a lead just 55 seconds into the game. Too many times in the past, a forward would have let the goalie keep his angle and be rewarded with a harmless shot to the crest. Hunter made sure to hit the back of the net after not scoring in his previous 17 games.

The Islanders needed a game like this. Even if you're rooting fervently for them to cement their hold on 30th place, constant misery is no good for the fans, the players, or the organization. Neither is setting records for futility on the road.

So let them have this would-be-but-wasn't laugher and don't worry about the draft just yet. Remember, you don't know what the Islanders are going to do with that pick anyway. Maybe Luke wasn't the Schenn they wanted.

New York Islanders Focus on Goals Other Than Winning; Comeau Comments

Ken Rosenblatt — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 23:46:00 -0500

"For the second half of the season, we're not measuring our success based on wins and losses, but whether we are giving up few chances and creating our own. We had a good number of quality chances against Boston, we just couldn't bury them."

When I first read that quote from Scott Gordon in the Islanders' preview of Saturday night's game against the Devils, I thought it was a refreshing and honest evaluation of where the team is positioned at this point in the season.

After reconsidering the quote, I wondered if it was a little too candid (along the lines of "Joey's not Ricky"). I think most fans will agree that regardless of player development and the desire for the No. 1 overall pick in June, this team needs to throw in a few wins once in a while.

That idea was certainly strengthened by watching the 3-1 loss to the Devils. For most of the game, the Islanders looked like they had nothing to play for. Gordon certainly wasn't pleased with effort.

I asked Blake Comeau, the Islanders' lone goal scorer on the night, about this approach of focusing on components of the game other than wins and losses. Here's what he had to say:

Ken Rosenblatt: Blake, with wins being tough to come by, is there any way you can sort of break things down to more specific goals and maybe progress from there? Building blocks, that kind of thing?

Blake Comeau: Well, I think any time you're going through a slump like this you have to start worrying about the little things and do the little things. Those are things that add up. And, you know, we talk about it, chipping pucks and playing physical. I think when we're playing physical as a team that's when we're playing our best hockey. And, you know, we've got to keep doing that.

KR: Coach Gordon had the comment yesterday about, you know, not worrying so much about wins and losses, but things like getting more scoring chances than you're giving up. So is that the kind of thing you can focus on in practice and in the games to get where you need to be?

BC: Definitely. I think that's where it starts is in practice. You know, when we got drills, we have to do them with a purpose. We have to shoot to score in practice and it's going to carry over into the game. We can't just go through the motions and hope things are going to turn around in games. That's something we gotta do. We gotta work hard and we gotta pull together to turn this around.

You do have to wonder how satisfying it could be for a player or a coach if the team consistently out chances its opponents only to consistently lose because it can't bury those chances. Certainly it's a hard sell for fans.

I like the idea that Comeau is thinking about shooting to score in practice and not just going through the motions. Regardless of how hard you work on generating your own chances and limiting your opponents' chances, there's an edge required for winning and establishing a winning culture.

The Islanders should make sure not to put the pursuit of that edge on the back burner.

New York Islanders Take the Stage for Act II

Ken Rosenblatt — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 21:09:00 -0500

The Islanders are officially one game past the midpoint of the 2008-09 season. But, having just completed a western road swing followed by a four-day weekend off, Tuesday night's home date with the Rangers feels like the true kickoff of the second half.

Scott Gordon is doing his best to give Act II a distinct feeling—one that many Islanders fans have been clamoring for since the December dive, if not all season. The first-year coach has pledged to accelerate the development of his team's young players by continuing to put them in more prominent roles. If today's practice is any indication, Gordon is now clearly focused on the future.

As Chris Botta reported, the first power play unit at today's Iceworks workout featured Mark Streit, Josh Bailey, Kyle Okposo, Frans Nielsen, and Trent Hunter. The second unit was more veteran-laden with Chris Campoli and Bruno Gervais manning the points for Richard Park, Mike Comrie, and Bill Guerin.

Things will get complicated for Gordon when Doug Weight returns from injury in 2-4 weeks, and if the coach decides he wants to get Jeff Tambellini and/or Blake Comeau looks on the power play.

In fact, as exciting as it is to simply throw all cares about standings and scoreboard away and concentrate on development, it's hard to ignore the potential for the second half to also include some hard feelings as veterans lose ice time. No doubt those players will face constant questions about reduced responsibilities and the possibility of being dealt.

The challenge, then, is for Gordon, Guerin, and Garth Snow to maintain a positive and productive atmosphere. No one wants a toxic room, even if the consequences aren't as dramatic as they would be in a playoff race. As hard as they might try, athletes and coaches can't always say the right thing.

Take Gordon, in Greg Logan's article yesterday:

"I think any team is going to have some struggles if they don't have their top player and their top goaltender. Ricky is that for us. That's not to say Joey hasn't done a good job, but he's not Ricky."

Not exactly what you want to hear the coach say if you're Joey MacDonald and you've done more than anyone could have asked you to this season. That's not to say that I think a rift now exists between MacDonald and Gordon. It's just an example of how hard it is to navigate tumultuous times.

Fans, you can probably count on one thing: Act II—the second half of the Islanders' 2008-09 season—will not be boring.

The Isles Before Christmas: A Holiday Hockey Poem

Ken Rosenblatt — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 12:22:00 -0500

'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the arena
Not a creature was smiling, not even hostess Dina
The banners were hung from the rafters with care
In honor of the Cups that used to be there

The players were all wrapped in bandages and ice
While they took turns on IR, maybe once, maybe twice
And Scott in his suit, and Joey in his pads
Talked about rebounds and why they're so bad

When out on the ice there arose such a clatter
They sprang from the room to see what was the matter
Away to the glass they flew, Joe and Scott Flash
Threw open the gate and searched for the crash

The spotlight on the crease of the freshly cut ice
Shone like a Lighthouse (that would be nice)
When, what to their wondering eyes should appear,
But a rehabbing goalie and all of his peers!

With a lightning-quick glove and a dexterous stick
They knew it must be the goalie named Rick
More rapid his passes and clears they came
And he whistled and shouted and called teammates by name!

To Kyle and Brendan and Richard and Andy
To Billy and Mark and Trent and IV Freddy.
And here's an outlet for Sean or Campoli
Remember me?—I'm Rick D. the goalie!

Off the top of the glass and up the middle pucks flew
Would they get through the forecheck? Really, who knew?
The skaters practiced receiving the passes
They tried to skate hard but tripped over crevasses

"Skate! Skate! Skate!" Gordon did shout
"Weight! Weight! Weight!" but Doug was not about
The players cried out, "We need to transition, we're done with the kill!"
Maybe Doug was packing for Columbus or Nashville?

So the players all gathered and tried not to get hurt
For fear they'd end up in a no-contact shirt
Like Nielsen and Silly, and Nate and Gervais
And Radek and Sutton unable to play

And then, who should appear from above the last row?
The owner, the GM, Charles Wang and Garth Snow!
"Gentlemen, look around you, almost to a man...
Get used to these faces, this is the plan!"

"Your goalie's almost back, Tambellini will score
With Bailey and Comeau you couldn't want more!
Even Comrie is healthy (granted we might trade him—
And Silly and Guerin and especially Sim)"

Then they sprang to their sleigh and to the team gave a whistle
And away they both flew like the down of a thistle
But I heard them exclaim, 'ere they drove out of sight
Pray for Tavares and thank heavens for Streit!

--Happy Holidays from Islanders Outsider!

Islanders GM Garth Snow Makes Sure Coach Scott Gordon Has More Time

Ken Rosenblatt — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 15:46:00 -0500

For the past several days I've been thinking about how little I envy the position in which Scott Gordon currently finds himself. He is now in the midst of a nine-game losing streak, during which his team has only managed to accumulate one thanks-for-playing point.

His roster keeps getting turned over like the contents of a cement mixer. Categorize the players any way you wish, and they've been hurt—goalie, defensemen, centers, young players, vets.

And oh, yes, the nine-game losing streak that has no one feeling particularly good. More importantly, it creates a feeling of unrest—some of which is exaggerated by disenchanted fans, but some of which seeps through quotes from the players.

We heard all we needed to from Brendan Witt to know he is troubled by the club's style of play. To Witt's credit, he did what so few players do these days—instead of asking to be moved to a rosier situation, he professed his desire to improve the current one.

Still, here's Gordon with young players who have yet to make a serious impact and old players who probably don't love the idea of investing in a future that doesn't include them.

So what does Gordon do? Does he tell his team, "Look, I don't care if we lose every game the rest of the season—this is the way we're playing?"

Or does he give a little? Does he adjust the system to the situation in the hopes of picking up a few more wins here and there? That might at least make things more interesting and less miserable for the guys who have no choice but to win now because there is no later.

Fortunately for Gordon, he doesn't have to make that choice now. Or, at least, he can make the tougher choice—the one that likely leads to a lot more losing right now—without fearing for his job. Such is the value of an unwavering show of support from his General Manager, as delivered by Chris Botta in his most recent interview with Garth Snow. Snow does not appear to be panicking as the losses mount.

At this point in time, you have to applaud the clarity of his message. If the players are feeling comfortable enough to voice their concerns about the direction of the team to the media, then further dissent is likely to follow. If you're going to lose a lot, lose together. Don't let the ship go down in a blaze of contentious disaster. Gordon is now free to demand whatever he wants of his team.

There will come a time to pass final judgment on the Snow/Gordon regime. We'll be able to determine whether Josh Bailey, Kyle Okposo, Frans Nielsen, and others were the correct pieces upon which to build. We'll be able to ask whether the Islanders would have been better served by a coach who adapted to the roster he was given, or if the GM failed to produce the roster he vowed would work.

It's simply not that time yet.

A Moment of Optimism for the New York Islanders

Ken Rosenblatt — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 07:37:39 -0500

Forget most of what you’ve read about the Islanders this season.

Watch them play.

Note that five of their six top defensemen and their No. 1 goalie have missed a combined 65 games already. Joey MacDonald, with 14 NHL starts before this season, has started 14 of the 18 games. He has been outstanding (7-6-2, 2.68, .915) filling in for Rick DiPietro.

At 4-9-2, the Islanders were not playing nearly as poorly as their record. Now at 7-9-2, they are just starting to get confident—and healthy.

Low expectations plus an exciting brand of effective hockey could make for an enjoyable and satisfying season. The Islanders should have 3-4 more wins at this point, and they seem determined to make up for their lapses. The penalty killing unit ranks eighth in the NHL, and the Isles lead the league in blocked shots.

You’re about to ask what I’m smoking if I think this team can be any better than 28th overall. So I’ll point out that there are problems. The team still seems to always pay full price for miscues in its own end—whether the bill comes right away or four passes later.

It also has the maddening habit of not clearing the puck completely when given the opportunity to relieve pressure (see those four blown multi-goal, third-period leads), and top to bottom, the individual offensive talent does not compare to most teams, leading to an inconsistent power play that puts extra pressure on the defense and goaltending.

Kids like Jeff Tambellini and Kyle Okposo are finding other ways to contribute, but they’ll need to generate more offense.

This is not the first time that the Islanders have tried to find a way to win without a wealth of gifted players. They finally have the right coach to lead such an effort.

Instead of hoping that creativity somehow materializes, Scott Gordon’s Islanders create scoring chances with a relentless forecheck, by throwing the puck on net as often as possible, and by making quick decisions with the puck at full speed.

The challenge for the Islanders is to sustain their high-intensity pressure for 60 minutes a night, and for 64 more games. But even the veterans have bought into Gordon’s style—they just need to survive its rigors.

Garth Snow is looking sharp for offering long deals to players like Mark Streit, Trent Hunter, and Frans Nielsen. And yes, that is Doug Weight with 16 points in 18 games.

For now, Islanders fans can relish the possibility that this team is nourishing the future while remaining entertaining and competitive in the present.

The content of this article originally appeared on IllegalCurve.com.

NHL Injury Policy: Why Can't the League Trust Players to Be Honorable?

Ken Rosenblatt — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 16:52:00 -0400

The most commonly cited justification for the NHL's secretive injury disclosure policy is that it protects the players. Teams do not want the weaknesses of players who are playing hurt or have just returned from an injury to be exploited.

For example, Islanders defenseman Andy Sutton is thought to have a hand injury. The reason we don't know that for certain is that the Islanders don't want Sutton to be the recipient of extra whacks to the hand upon his return.

But don't NHL players compete within the framework of a code of honor? Don't they follow guidelines for what is right and wrong on the ice?

Just this past Monday, Bill Guerin described a multiplayer brawl between his teammates and members of the Buffalo Sabres, and the consequences of that brawl, as honest, presumably within the confines of the code.

The Sabres were taking it to the Isles, and Nate Thompson initiated with Adam Mair in an attempt to shake things up. As a result of the ensuing melee, Sean Bergenheim and Brendan Witt were tossed from the game, leaving the Isles short a forward and a defenseman. Guerin had no problem with his teammates' actions because they were committed in the name of standing up for each other.

Opponents of the third-man-in rule long for the days when players were permitted to fully police themselves on the ice. Dishonorable actions were noted and punishments were dispensed before officials had cause to intervene.

Last year Sean Avery was roundly criticized for his stick-waving antics in front of Martin Brodeur in the playoffs. His tactics were viewed by many as disrespectful. It would not surprise me if Avery's trip outside the bounds of normal sportsmanship played a large role, at least on par with his contract expectations, in the Rangers' decision not to bring him back—even if other players publicly denied being embarrassed.

With so much emphasis on principled behavior, wouldn't it be reasonable to expect a level of restraint among players in the presence of opponents with known injuries?

I'm not advocating for going easy on a guy in the heat of competition. I am suggesting that players can engage without taking cheap shots at a player with the intent to re-injure him.

When Radek Martinek returns from his shoulder injury, he is fair game for being separated from the puck by a hit that impacts that shoulder. If the injury cannot withstand the vigors of regular gameplay, then either he is not really ready or he simply must cope with his fragility. But a hit that intends only to separate his shoulder is dishonorable.

Perhaps I am incorrect and players feel that exploiting such a weakness is indeed a fair part of a very physical game and the injury policy does provide a layer of protection.

But even if there is merit to the argument, and it is not too much to expect players to take the high road, the issue has some thorns. Owners, with so many millions of dollars at stake, are likely to cling to the policy rather than risk exposing expensive assets. And there will always be a handful of players who, regardless of peer pressure and basic decency, choose not to follow a code.

Are there any other reasons why the on-ice code of honor can't extend to injuries and make the policy of secrecy unnecessary?

NY Islanders Start Strong, Finish Off Blues 5-2

Ken Rosenblatt — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 22:28:00 -0400

It was a successful home debut for Scott Gordon as the Islanders handled the St. Louis Blues with a 5-2 victory tonight at Nassau Coliseum. Five different Islanders lit the lamp.

Just as they did last night, the Islanders got off to a fast start as Mike Comrie fired home a rebound at 2:18 of the first period for a 1-0 lead. Richard Park and Kyle Okposo earned assists on the play.

Unlike last night, the Isles kept the pressure on and never really looked back.

Trent Hunter scored on the power play from Doug Weight at 13:47 to make it 2-0, and Sean Bergenheim followed that up at 15:20 with helpers going to Andy Hilbert and Bruno Gervais.

Brad Boyes brought the Blues to within two at 17:23 of the first, and with the Blues going to the power play shortly thereafter, it looked like the Islanders might lose their edge.

But Andy Hilbert converted a Mark Streit feed from in close for a shorthanded goal and the Isles had their three-goal lead back. Gervais notched his second assist of the game on the play.

The second period was scoreless but was notable for the beginning of a malaise that endured into the third period. During this stretch, the Islanders were less crisp and intense. A team better than the Blues might have made them pay for the lapse.

Perhaps the loss of Radek Martinek to injury near the end of the first period was somewhat responsible. It is early in the season for a team still learning its system and with a few new defensemen to adjust well to playing down a blueliner—especially one as important as Martinek.

In the third, the Blues pulled to within two once again when Keith Tkachuk scored on the power play at the 7:47 mark. This is where you can give the Islanders a lot of credit. They refocused, tightened up, and kept the Blues at bay without falling back into a defensive shell. Bill Guerin put the game away with an empty-net goal with just under a minute remaining.

Meanwhile, Joey MacDonald was strong in goal once again. Filling in for a recovering Rick DiPietro for a second consecutive night, MacDonald stopped 24 of 26 shots to earn his first victory as an Islander.

Storylines

Is everybody feeling a little better about MacDonald being a capable backup for DiPietro? Of course, MacDonald hasn't actually served as the backup yet. We'll have to see how he does after sitting for 10 or 15 straight games. But his play thus far is enough to make everyone stop worrying about Wade Dubielewicz being in Russia.
Gervais appeared to be on the outside looking in as the season started. But he has now started the first two games and is making something of the opportunity. If Martinek is out for any length of time, Gervais could be called upon for some important assignments. Tryouts to play alongside Streit on the power play also continue.
Bergenheim's play suggests that his development is continuing right on schedule and he has every intention of being an impact player.
Ten different Islanders hit the scoresheet tonight.
Jack Hillen, Josh Bailey, and Blake Comeau were scratched.

Fantasy Report—Game 2

Tonight's Fantasy Stars of the Game:

1st Star: Bill Guerin (1 G, +1, 2 shots, 2 blocked shots, 4 PIMs, 2 hits)
2nd Star: Doug Weight (2 A, 1 PPA, +1, 1 shot, 2 blocked shots, 2 hits)
3rd Star: Mark Streit (1 A, 1 SHA, +2, 2 blocked shots, 3 hits)
4th Star: Trent Hunter (1 G, 1 PPG, 3 shots, 1 blocked shot, 3 hits)
5th Star (tie): Bruno Gervais (2 A, 1 SHA, +1, 2 blocked shots, 1 hit), Joey MacDonald (W, 24 saves on 26 shots)

The forwards on the first power play unit continue to be Guerin, Weight, and Jon Sim. The second trio is Comrie, Frans Nielsen, and Hunter. Streit is the powerhorse on the point with Gervais getting the most time with him tonight. Freddy Meyer and Thomas Pock also saw signficant time at the point with the man advantage.

New York Islanders Fantasy Report: Season Preview

Ken Rosenblatt — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 18:12:00 -0400

I realize that many of you may have already drafted, but surely there are many more drafts to go and there's plenty of time to tweak rosters.

The structure of these reports will evolve over time, but figure on seeing reports like this one on Islanders Outsider, as well as regular awarding of Islanders fantasy stars of the game, a running leaderboard of fantasy stars, and recaps of line combinations for even strength, power play, and shorthanded situations.

It is impossible to evaluate the fantasy value of players in a way that will satisfy every scoring system available. So, players will be evaluated as follows:

Player: These players provide enough value across the board to be in play in almost any league. Someone in your league will draft them. Will it be you?

Prospect: These players have the potential to reward you based on their performance, expectations, and circumstances. They're not no-brainers, but could provide decent value given ice time, the right linemates, and/or stepping up their play. Drafting them will come with some risk. Not drafting them could cause you to miss out on a good depth player.

Specialist: These are players who offer high value in one or two scoring categories. If your roster can absorb a one- or two-dimensional player, look here to bolster a weakness.

Okay, let's see what the Islanders have to offer...

Players

Rick DiPietro

Unless you are in a particularly shallow league, someone in your league is going to draft DiPietro. If you focused on skaters early and were left with DiPietro as your No. 1 netminder, you're probably going to be in trouble in the goaltending categories. His career .905 save percentage and 2.78 GAA aren't going to win you anything.

As a No. 2, he could be adequate if he stays healthy and approaches his career highs—a .919 SV% in 2006-07 and a 2.36 GAA in 2003-04. Those stats are particularly important because you can't expect superior numbers from him in wins or shutouts. I don't think anyone thinks we've seen the best out of DiPietro yet, so he's your classic high-risk, high-reward pick. You just have to decide—is this the year?

Mark Streit

Don't fall under the spell of last year's numbers and draft Streit as your No. 1 defenseman. But don't forget about him either. Despite the transition from Montreal's high-octane power play to the Islanders' pedal-powered version, Streit has shown signs in training camp that he is capable of being the difference with the man advantage for his new club. No, he won't have the same depth and caliber of playmakers and finishers around him, but don't expect him to completely fall off the charts. Slot him in somewhere in the middle of your defensive corps.

And that's it—for now. I can't put anyone else on the roster in the Players category at this moment. Now, that can change easily if you're in a league with 15-plus teams. But based on a 10-12 team league with basic scoring categories, that's as far as I'm willing to go.

Prospects

Bill Guerin

The captain has the potential to put up 50 or 60 points—with many of those coming on the power play—and in excess of 230 shots on goal. Even in a shallow league, that could merit a late, speculative pick.

Mike Comrie

Comrie has never fired as many as 200 shots on goal in a season, as Guerin has. He has hit the 60-point mark in a season twice, including at least 30 goals on both of those occasions.

To warrant drafting him, you have to assume that he'll at least match his career highs in goals and assists and perform well with the man advantage. Otherwise, Comrie may be useful only as an injury fill-in or as an extra forward during a week when your roster has a light schedule.

One plus—if your league goes this way—for Comrie is that he led the Islanders in penalty minutes last year with 87—which is perfect fodder for opponents of PIMs as a good thing in fantasy. An extra minus? He was tied for eighth-worst in the league last season with a minus-21.

Jeff Tambellini

In the AHL, Tambellini is a fantasy stud. Last season, he went 38-38-76 with 237 shots on goal in 56 games for the Sound Tigers. Want to take a chance on an Islander with a late-round pick? You might as well go with Tambellini.

If he comes out of the gate hot, you'll look like a genius. If he plays like an AHL stud still lost in the big-time, you can move on and replace him with an Antoine Vermette, Chris Clark, Dan Cleary—or, heaven forbid, Nikita Filatov. There's always someone out there in the free-agent pool just waiting for a tryout.

Doug Weight

Weight is a borderline prospect here. If first-line, first-power-play-unit ice time, and clicking with Guerin can get him back to being a 15-goal, 45-assist guy, then you may find a place for him as a depth forward. But the truth is, you probably don't need to use a draft pick to get him.

Trent Hunter

Hunter is a hitting machine. Some people don't buy into the quality of his hits—but in fantasy hockey, it's only the quantity that matters. Last season, Hunter racked up 256 hits, good for fourth-best in the NHL.

Hunter also delivered 222 shots on goal in 2007-08, and set a career high in assists with 29. If he can regain his scoring touch, Hunter is an excellent candidate to break through as an overall fantasy asset.

What, no Kyle Okposo?

Okposo projects as a good all-around player, possibly even in this, his rookie season. Power forwards can be fantasy gold. However, I question whether any of his totals will be high enough for fantasy significance, even if he is solid across the board.

It's probable that he'll be drafted more often than Tambellini based on name recognition, potential, and expectations. But his best fantasy contributions probably lie beyond this year.

Specialists

Hits

Aside from Hunter, Brendan Witt and Sean Bergenheim will throw their weight around.

Blocked Shots

Radek Martinek and Witt are your big players here. Without an injury, Witt would have cracked the top 20 in the league last year.

PIMs

As stated earlier, Mike Comrie spent more time in the bin than anyone else. Andy Sutton likely would have held that honor if he had stayed healthy. Keep an eye on the roster to see if Mitch Fritz is around often enough to make a difference here.

Time on Ice

Witt and Martinek take the prize here as well. Their totals aren't likely to touch the league leaders, however.

Plus/Minus

Of returning Islanders who played a decent number of games, Freddy Meyer and Andy Hilbert came out on top at plus-two. Blake Comeau was next at plus-one. That should tell you everything you need to know. Unless Scott Gordon sparks an amazing turnaround, look elsewhere for help in this category.

Faceoffs

Mike Sillinger is the cream of the crop. In his injury-shortened season, Sillinger tied for 12th-best in the league in faceoff winning percentage at 56.3 percent. He also finished eighth overall by taking 34.6 percent of his team's faceoffs. Expect similar numbers anytime Sillinger is healthy.

Shots

Guerin, Hunter, and Comrie, as mentioned. Bergenheim managed 155 shots in limited minutes last year. If he can manage to get off the fourth line, he'll be right up there, too. And, of course, don't forget the potential of Tambellini, who fired off 237 shots in his 56 games at Bridgeport. As a point of reference, Alex Ovechkin unleashed 446 shots last year.

Well, we managed to work a lot names in there, despite the slim pickings. We'll see if there are any new angles to consider once the roster and lines are set, and how names like Campoli, Sim, Pock, Fritz, and Hillen might enter the picture in one category or more.

And, yes, it was a lot easier to avoid Fantasy Island puns with Allan Roarke out of the picture.

New York Islanders New Radio Deal: Are You Out There, Can You Hear Me?

Ken Rosenblatt — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 19:59:00 -0400

I'm afraid that's what Steve Mears and Chris King may be asking this hockey season as the radio voices of the New York Islanders.

The Islanders today announced the formation of the New York Islanders Radio Network. The press release issued by the team describes the venture as a "Multi-Media Radio Network" whose purpose is to provide "Comprehensive Distribution" of Islanders radio broadcasts.

The cross-platform network includes terrestrial, satellite, and Internet radio delivery. It certainly sounds like comprehensive distribution. But consider that the satellite and Internet options are not new, and the terrestrial portion of the network is being carried by two stations from the Long Island Radio Group, the largest radio group on Long Island. Specifically, WMJC 94.3 FM will handle the night games and WHLI 1100 AM will take care of the afternoon affairs.

No offense to these stations—they know the strength of their signals—but this is a step back in the development of the organization's tri-state-area media presence. Below are maps of the approximate coverage areas for each of these stations, as charted by Radio-Locator. You can read more detailed definitions of the colored lines on their site, but here's a summary legend:

Red lines (Local Coverage) = good to very good reception on almost any radio
Purple lines (Distant Coverage) = weak reception without a good radio with a good antenna
Blue lines (Fringe Coverage) = very weak reception without a good radio, possibly no reception

WMJC 94.3 FM Coverage Map

WHLI 1100 AM Coverage Map

I tried to tune into both stations from Manhattan today. 94.3 FM was static and WMJC was nowhere to be found. The area around 1100 on the AM dial was dominated by the signal from 1130 AM Bloomberg Radio, the previous radio home of the Islanders. Below that, the most discernable signal was from 1050 ESPN Radio, another former home of Islanders radio broadcasts.

I understand that the Bloomberg signal was not strong for some on Long Island, and the team's presence on the station apart from the games was minimal at best. And if Bloomberg was unable to sell what it thought was sufficient advertising for the games, then that relationship was not ideal for either side.

I never feared that the Islanders wouldn't be on the radio this year, but I hoped they would remain on a powerful station, both for the good of the perception of the team and for those fans who live and/or travel in other parts of the tri-state area. Apparently finding such a partner was just not possible.

As it appears now, fans without satellite radios likely won't able to hear the Islanders anywhere in New York City or in most of Westchester and Connecticut when they drive. And the Islanders are the only major league franchise in the area that doesn't have a presence on one of the major AM stations.

On the plus side, the Long Island Radio Group encompasses six stations and will enable the Islanders to reach deeper into the demographics of Long Island with promotions and advertising.

We've been through this before. Hopefully the team's performance over the next several years will make it more marketable. Pushing out the geographic borders of the fan base is in the Islanders' best interest. Having their radio broadcasts limited to satellite and the Internet outside of portions of Long Island is not.

And thanks to Dar Williams for another lyrical reference.

Scott Gordon Set to Coach New York Islanders

Ken Rosenblatt — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 07:46:59 -0400

Garth Snow’s decision on a new head coach came down to three choices:

Bob Hartley: The Dangerous Choice.

Paul Maurice: The Safe Choice.

Scott Gordon: The People’s Choice.

Anointing Scott Gordon the 'People's Choice" is not the result of a scientific survey but a logical conclusion based on digesting hundreds of message board and blog posts. Ladies and gentlemen, we have harmony.

At least, in choosing Gordon to lead the Islanders, the front office has acted in concert with the wishes of the majority of fans.

No, not everyone is thrilled—but if the early returns are to be believed, many of those in the fan base who preferred Bob Hartley or Paul Maurice admit that Gordon is a reasonable choice and deserves the opportunity to prove himself.

Personally, I am very pleased with the decision. I buy into the idea of bringing in someone with a fresh perspective on the NHL.

Gordon has paid his dues as a hockey coach. He is not, at the age of 45 and with 12 seasons of coaching experience in the professional ranks, wet behind the ears. All NHL coaches have to break into the league sometime.

At this point, Gordon has all the potential in the world. He is in a position to create something rather than live up to something. And based on his reputation and Garth Snow's comments, he is poised to harness the team's current strengths and give the Islanders their best chance to win with what they have now and in the future.

My only advice to those who would have preferred someone else is this—we may all have to start thinking like goalies for a while.

Fairly or unfairly, Hartley was saddled with the notion that he lost a team in Atlanta. Having won a Stanley Cup with veterans and superstars in Colorado, he was a questionable fit for a team with few players in their prime.

Fairly or unfairly, Snow would have been criticized for hiring the coach with whom he previously had the most-developed relationship. All of these points make for good discussion when there is little hard news. None of them were likely keys to Snow's decision.

Maurice had the benefit of a reputation for effectively developing young talent. He also has 10 seasons of NHL heading coaching experience under his belt. And he's still only 41. It's difficult to form a convincing argument against his candidacy, but Snow needed to hit a home run with this hire. Maybe Maurice was a triple.

Gordon's candidacy benefited from the fact that he has never lost an NHL game. As I said before, as an NHL coach he has all the potential in the world, and virtually none of the baggage that tinges perceptions of everyone already in the league.

If you want to grab the brass ring of expectations, he will implement a defensive system that will protect Rick DiPietro while giving the goalie and the team their best chance to be successful.

I think we will find that the Islanders are in good hands.

New York Islanders' Head Coach Search: How Long Should the List Be?

Ken Rosenblatt — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 20:35:00 -0400

One aspect of the Islanders' search for a new Head Coach has fascinated me since the day that Garth Snow and Ted Nolan parted. How does the team come up with its list of interviewees? It would have been interesting to be in that room on the day, or days, when Snow settled on a pool of candidates.

The thing is, starting the list is easy. What team in the Islanders' situation wouldn't immediately write down the names Bob Hartley, Joel Quenneville, John Tortorella, Paul Maurice, and Marc Crawford?

But you know that in order to do due diligence, you have to stretch the search a little more. You don't want to overlook the next quality coaching talent simply because there are bigger names available.

That's how you get to names like Mike Sullivan (barely stretching) and Scott Gordon (sensibly stretching).

The hard part is knowing where to finish the list. How do you know when to stop? At what point does Snow decide that he's comfortable with the reach of his search?

Let me give you a name: Brian McCutcheon.

I choose him only because he's someone with whom I happen to be familiar, and he's a good example of why I think this is an important question.

McCutcheon is building himself a textbook coaching resume. Over the last 20 years, he has progressed from being Head Coach at Cornell University, to an Assistant gig in the IHL, and then to head coaching positions in the ECHL and AHL.

After serving as head coach of the Rochester Americans for three seasons from 1997-2000, McCutcheon was promoted to assistant coach under Lindy Ruff with the parent Buffalo Sabres for the 2001-02 season. In 2006, McCutcheon's title was elevated to Associate Coach.

I don't know what Ruff's intentions are, but it's not crazy to wonder if McCutcheon is being groomed to replace Ruff whenever he decides to step aside (the Sabres recently allowed Randy Cunneyworth, the well-regarded recent coach of the Amerks, to take an assistant's job with the Thrashers).

If there is no such progression in place, then you'd have to think a guy like McCutcheon would begin throwing his hat into the ring for other NHL head coaching vacancies soon. He has put himself through the appropriate paces to get a shot.

I want to emphasize that McCutcheon has not interviewed with the Islanders, is not rumored to be interviewing with the Islanders, nor has he to my knowledge expressed any interest in interviewing. This is neither an evaluation of his coaching skills, nor an indication of how well he would fit as the leader of this Islanders team.

But it just makes me wonder how many Brian McCutcheons are out there?

Once you're willing to interview last season's AHL Coach of the Year in addition to the big names, you owe it to yourself to see where else you should stretch.

Certainly there are time restrictions. Furthermore, part of due diligence is using your connections to create a clear picture of who the most well regarded candidates are.

Perhaps that's why some of the lesser-knowns stay lesser known. Whether that picture comes from a depth of opinions or from the thoughts of a few trusted individuals is up to the General Manager.

Either way, we are left to assume that Snow has a comfort level with the scope of his search. If given the chance, I'd like to ask him how he got there.

In the meantime, if this goes on too much longer I'll have to start coming up with lists of Wildest Wild-Card Candidates. Anybody check in with Mark Messier lately?

(And all of New York cringes.)

New York Islanders GM Garth Snow Adds Stability to His Youth Movement

Ken Rosenblatt — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 18:37:00 -0400

Some observers have questioned the accuracy of calling Garth Snow's direction a youth movement. With several aging veterans slated to play key roles on the 2008-09 Islanders, it is a valid question.

Unless Kyle Okposo, Jeff Tambellini, Blake Comeau, Sean Bergenheim, and Frans Nielsen are all playing significant minutes, then the youth movement looks half-hearted.

At least, it did until the last several days.

With the signings of Tambellini, Bergenheim, and Nielsen to multi-year, one-way contracts, Snow has added a new dimension to his youth strategy by:

Making a quantifiable commitment to the young players
Demonstrating confidence in the abilities of these players
Giving them reassurance that their roles belong to them
Adding stability to the roster

Of course it remains to be seen if Snow has made commitments to the right players. But under the terms to which they agreed, it's certainly worth finding out.

The Nielsen contract is unusual. Rarely do you see an organization commit four years to an unproven player unless he is a can't-miss prospect. It's not as though large offer sheets were in his near future.

But with an average salary of $525,000, the cap structure is hardly at peril. You could even argue that Nielsen is taking the bigger gamble. While he may be limited to fourth-line duty this coming season, his position on the depth chart promises to improve in the coming years. If he produces at all, he will be underpaid. So credit Frans for making a commitment to being an Islander as well.

In a matter of a few days, Snow changed the perception of the youth movement from being about who plays where next year to who is an Islander for the next couple of years.

It would have been very interesting to see how all of this would have unfolded with Ted Nolan as the head coach. That being said, it's even easier to figure out why he's no longer at the helm. Imagine the conversation last Monday went something like this:

Snow: We're making commitments to Tambellini, Bergenheim, and Nielsen.

Nolan: I can't guarantee them lineup spots or ice time.

Snow: They will be Islanders. They won't be going down to Bridgeport and they'll be around for the next few years at least.

Nolan: Then I need security beyond this year.

Snow: I'm not prepared to do that right now.

THE END

Anyone who now takes over as coach of the Islanders will know exactly what he's getting into. One of Snow's most important tasks is to figure out which of the candidates pay lip service his to plan and which are prepared to execute it.

Let's dismiss the notion that no one wants to coach the Islanders. There are only 30 of these jobs in existence. Way more than 30 people are interested in having them.

Only the very best can afford to turn their noses up to an NHL head coaching vacancy. And most of those guys already have jobs.

2008 Dunder Mifflin Scranton Branch Card Stox

Ken Rosenblatt — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 15:13:18 -0400

With Major League Baseball action on pause for the All-Star break, it's a good time to scour the country for stories of a different sort.

Far away from the controversies and scandals of professional athletics, we delve into the more innocent side of sports. Everywhere you go in this vast land you can find stories of human interest—everyday people playing everyday games.

Many of us have played for a company softball team. I thought it would be interesting to explore the thought processes that go into running such a team. To help me, I engaged a newcomer in the challenge—Michael Scott, Regional Manager of the Scranton Branch of Dunder Mifflin Paper Company.

Ken Rosenblatt: So, Michael, why did you start a company softball team at Dunder Mifflin?

Michael Scott: Here at Dunder Mifflin we believe in teamwork. You can only go as far as the next man can throw you. And I'm a big believer in team-building exercises. Company softball builds teamwork and camaraderie. You know why fraternity brothers are always so close? Because they play intramural sports.

KR: But you yourself were not in a fraternity? In fact, you did not go to college, correct?

MS: That's correct. But I've heard some great stories. I'd like to be in one of them someday.

KR: The name of your team, the Dunder Mifflin Scranton Branch Card Stox, is both a mouthful and a very clever play on words.

MS: Thank you. I came up with that all by myself. All the great teams are named after stockings.

KR: But your team is actually named after paper—card stock to be exact.

MS: Yeah, I suppose you can see it that way, too. Whatever. Either way, we'll be wearing stockings.

KR: Okay, why don't we get right down to the roster. You've named yourself manager of the team. Why you?

MS: Well, I'm the boss. I don't take orders from anyone. Except Jan.

KR: Jan is?

MS: My ex-girlfriend. I don't want to talk about it.

KR: And I see you have an Assistant Manager.

MS: That's Assistant to the Manager. And it's...ugh...it's Dwight...[annoyed]...so who cares. It's not important. He's an idiot.

KR: All right, then. Let's take a look at your players and maybe you can tell me why you've chosen these particular people for your squad.

MS: Okay, now we're talking. At first base we have Kevin Malone. He's big, a little slow, and maybe a little dumb. But he's also a closet athlete. You should have seen the shots he was making after our basketball game against the warehouse guys.

So I'm expecting he may have nimble feet around the bag, and he should provide us with the kind of power you look for from the corner infield positions.

KR: Wow, it sounds like you know your stuff when it comes to constructing a team.

MS proudly holds up a copy of Company Softball for Dummies.

KR: How about your second baseman?

MS: At second we have Pam Beesly. I'm not expecting much there. She's a terrible athlete. And she's also a girl. So yeah, I'd rather not even play her. But apparently this league requires us to have two girls in the lineup at all times. I figure the least I can do is put her next to Jim, who's my best friend—and her boyfriend.

KR: That's all you have to say about Pam?

MS: She'll fill out the uniform nicely. Ask Jim.

KR: Moving on, then. Of course, as we just learned, Jim Halpert is your shortstop. What can you tell us about Jim?

MS: Jim is the wheelhouse that keeps our ship together, if I may use some baseball lingo, and an all-around great guy. And, as I said, we're also best friends. I told him so.

KR: Continuing around the infield...now this guy sounds like a player. Tell me about your third baseman, Andy Bernard.

MS: Well, Andy claims that he has played shortstop—and only shortstop—wherever he's been. For his frat at Cornell, and even when he worked at the Stamford branch for Josh. I don't believe him.

Irregardless, I told him we already have a go-to guy at short, so he reluctantly agreed to move over to third. Frankly, we just hope he doesn't flip out and kill someone.

KR: Why would he kill someone?

MS: Anger management issues. Can't talk about it. Too much liability.

KR: Has he assaulted anyone?

MS: Uh...can't talk about it. [pause] Only the wall. That's why he's not in the outfield.

KR: I understand your left fielder, Creed Bratton, is an interesting character.

MS: There's nothing interesting about Creed except he smells a little.

KR: What makes him the right choice for left field?

MS: Everything Creed does or says comes out of left field. He's weird. Next, please.

KR: Your left-center fielder is Oscar Martinez?

MS: Yes, Oscar.

KR: Now, I saw him earlier and it looked like he had more the build of a middle infielder.

MS: That's racist and you, sir, disgust me.

KR: How is that racist?

MS: [whispering out of the side of his mouth] Oscar is Mexican. And gay.

KR: What does that have to do with him having the build of a middle infielder?

MS: Oh, God, they're gonna send that darn diversity training guy again.

KR: I wouldn't be surprised. Perhaps we should move on. Right-center field—Angela Martin. What factors did you consider in selecting Angela to be the second woman in the starting lineup. Why not Meredith, Kelly, or Phyllis?

MS: Dwight said he would do my laundry for another year if I picked Angela.

KR: Will the other women be available off the bench?

MS: I asked Meredith but she claims to have no recollection of the conversation. Kelly refuses to use her spare time for anything but writing letters to Ryan in jail. And Bob Vance says I can't come within 50 feet of Phyllis outside the office.

KR: You're certainly working under some interesting circumstances here. What's Stanley's story? He's in right field. Does he have a cannon?

MS: No, but I'm sure he has a pen. I don't know why Stanley wanted to play. He's just going to stand out there doing his puzzles.

KR: Well, I hate to say it, but with that crew of fielders I hope you have one heck of a battery. Who's your pitcher?

MS: Michael C. Scott, at your service. Pitcher extraordinaire. They call me Dr. K.

KR: Who does?

MS: [quietly] Uh...you know...our fans. Never mind.

KR: Where did you learn how to pitch?

MS proudly holds up a printout from Wikipedia.

KR: Finally, Michael, tell us about your catcher.

MS: That would be me, as well.

KR: You pitch and catch? At the same time?

MS: Yes, I like wearing the catcher's equipment.

KR: You wear it while you're pitching?

MS: Of course. You can never be too safe.

KR: So let me get this straight—you pitch, catcher's gear and all, and then run behind the plate?

MS: It's not that far. And it's slow-pitch.

KR: That's remarkable. How's that working out so far? How many games have you won?

MS: Well, we haven't actually played any games yet.

KR: But it's the middle of July. Hasn't the season been going on for at least a few weeks now?

MS: Six weeks, actually. We've had to forfeit all our games.

KR: Why is that?

MS: We just can't seem to get the full team together on the same night. You know, people are busy.

KR: Do any of your players ever show up?

MS: Jim and Pam came once. Creed sleeps under the bleachers some nights, so he's usually there. And even though she denies it, I'm pretty sure I saw Meredith sleeping in her car in the parking lot once.

KR: I'm sorry this doesn't seem to be working out the way you planned. But thanks for talking with us today.

MS: Oh, don't you worry. We're starting to gain momentum. I can feel it.

KR: That's what she said.

MS: Hey, nice! But, really, we're gonna make it big.

KR: That's what she said.

MS: Okay, don't get carried away. That's my job.

Committing Baseball Treason: Can a Mets Fan Learn to Love Chipper Jones?

Ken Rosenblatt — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 11:58:14 -0400

Okay, maybe "love" is a little strong.

But a Mets fan admitting to liking Chipper Jones is newsworthy, isn't it?

For most of his career, Jones was the perfect enemy for the Shea faithful. He was the young, confident, good-looking offensive star of the hated Atlanta Braves—the Braves that made the wildcard the only door to the playoffs for the Mets, and often shut that door at that.

Jones seemed to take delight in throwing daggers into the hearts of the Mets and their fans. The air of invincibility surrounding him due to the Mets inability to knock off the Braves for so many years only cemented Jones's villainous status.

The Shea crowds tried to knock him off his game with their "Larry, Larry" taunts. But the taunts were futile, merely an amusing footnote to a one-sided rivalry.

Jones was everything a Mets fan wanted: a home-grown star helping to put his team in position to win a championship every year. It probably made it worse that he only managed to win the World Series once.

"How could you not cash in on all those opportunities!?"

Infuriating. But at least we could enjoy watching him lose.

And then he had to rub salt in our wounds by naming his son Shea—that's how much he enjoyed playing in our home park. Glad we could be so accommodating. Have you tried the salsa?

Now it's 2008 and I find myself with a soft spot for Chipper Jones.

Yet, it's really not that strange to me. This has happened before. Let me explain.

My all-time favorite athlete is Mike Bossy (Hall-of-Fame New York Islanders hockey player, for those of you who are strictly baseball fans). Bossy could have been the premier offensive player of his time in the NHL except for one problem—he played at the same time as Wayne Gretzky.

I couldn't stand Gretzky, the young superstar who snuffed out any chance of Bossy getting the attention and accolades I thought he deserved. It's hard to be noticed when you're standing near the brightest light ever seen.

But after a few years, my perception of Gretzky changed. He kept doing wondrous things. I couldn't help but admire and respect him, and appreciate his extraordinary talent. I became a fan.

Then Mario Lemieux came along to challenge Gretzky's supremacy and the cycle started all over again.

Who does this guy think he is infringing upon Wayne Gretzky's legend?

Years went by. I kept watching Lemieux. I grew to appreciate his skill and character, and I became a fan. So much so that after each of his comebacks, I made sure to watch him as much as possible for fear of never seeing such a talent again.

Now, let's be clear—in the annals of sports history, Chipper Jones will never be in the same volume as Mario Lemieux or Wayne Gretzky.

But, for me, the process has been similar. I've grown to appreciate Jones as a player—and as a rival—over the long haul. I admit that it's easier to do that with the Braves having fallen behind the Mets in the NL East pecking order.

Whereas I once interpreted his son's name as a poke at the Mets and their fans, I now see it as a gesture that pays tribute to one man's personal relationship with the game of baseball. Perhaps it even forges a nostalgic bond between father and son.

Ken Davidoff of Newsday has a nice entry in his Baseball Insider blog about Jones preferring Shea Stadium to Yankee Stadium. With all the hoopla surrounding the final season of Yankee Stadium during this year's All-Star festivities, how can you not love that?

I don't think Jones will hit .400 this year. But I'll be rooting for him to make a George Brett-sized mark on the record books. It would make for a fun baseball story.

You know, just as long as all those hits land on the Mets' playoff hopes like a volley of Lilliputian arrows.

Islanders' Ted Nolan, Garth Snow Reach an Impasse in New York

Ken Rosenblatt — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 17:56:00 -0400

"I feel my continued service aboard can only reduce my usefulness to the Navy...and increase disharmony aboard this ship." --Mister Roberts (1955)

Increased disharmony indeed.

In the 1955 film Mister Roberts, the title character, played by Henry Fonda, solicited a transfer of duty from his captain, played by James Cagney. One can only wonder how instrumental Ted Nolan was in orchestrating his own departure from the Islanders.

One thing certainly can be said about this dismissal/firing/settlement—the Islanders managed to end the Nolan era better than the Mets ended the Willie Randolph era. And Garth Snow benefits from making this change in this media market at a time when the move the Mets made appears to be paying off.

Some fans are expressing outrage—but there is not a universal outcry of injustice. Perhaps we simply all saw it coming. But it's remarkable that this story does not seem to be on fire. You get the sense that the fan base not only knew this was imminent, but is accepting it—maybe not across the board, but widely enough that there really aren't any flames to be fanned or doused.

But how did we get here? How does Snow, with so little experience as an executive, get to institute his philosophy, while Nolan's successful body of work is shoved aside?

I've yet to be convinced that Charles Wang's way of doing business is going to be beneficial to the franchise. He ignored the traditional standards for hiring a GM. All that was required was familiarity with the game, the intelligence to do the work, and a willingness to do whatever Wang wants.

And I'm not entirely sure that familiarity with the game is a prerequisite. Can't you imagine, if Snow vacated the GM position, that Wang might hire someone he likes and thinks is capable, regardless of hockey knowledge? Specialty skills and experience? Not required.

On the other hand, dismissing Nolan may have been the most general manager-y thing Snow has done. Maybe he went to Wang and said, "Look, I'm the GM. I should be able to pick my coach." Why wouldn't Nolan want to get on board with the program? Did he simply not believe in it?

In his exit comments, he stated that he has great respect for what the organization is doing. So was he simply worried that he would be held accountable for the poor won-loss record of a rebuilding team?

More likely, he couldn't stand to have his voice and influence marginalized within the organization. Nor likely did he appreciate being told how to run his team. Nolan is a proud man. Having said that, let's not let it singularly define the man. He is also sharp, pleasant, and engaging—among many other things, I'm sure. But he may be too proud to toe the company line, whether in subscribing to organizational philosophy or in accepting coaching advice. And while the former should be part of his job description, the latter should be required only in small and infrequent doses.

Nolan doesn't seem particularly aggrieved about leaving. But you'd have to think he's unhappy with the way things turned out—unless he was equally unhappy about the way things were. He said the right things today—which was ironic, considering the trouble Snow and Nolan had filtering their public comments over the last few months. Maybe they were filtered, but they certainly weren't veiled.

It has been odd to see them passive-aggressively stating their displeasure with one another through the press. The decision to remove Nolan probably had less to do with how the Islanders performed under his direction than it did with two men being unable to find common ground. It wasn't so much philosophy on the ice as it was divergent definitions of respect off of it. It may have been as simple as Nolan being unwilling to coach without security beyond this year, and the organization being unwilling to give him that security. A matter-of-fact impasse, and a mutual parting of the ways.

That management and coach couldn't get on the same page is a shame. Nolan has a lot to offer as a coach. But he still seems to have a lot to overcome. Nolan was an NHL outsider. The Islander faithful felt pride, knowing that its team opened the door for this man with a knack for motivating players to get back to the big leagues. But once back in, it continued to feel like Nolan was an outsider.

Would any other NHL team have ever given him a shot? What team, other than one starved for recognition and run by an unconventional owner, would have opened this door? Nolan was never perceived as just a hockey coach. He was a player's coach. But that meant that he had the accompanying tag of "tactically challenged."

And he favored veterans. So he wasn't a player's coach to all players. Then, some of those veteran players apparently didn't appreciate what he had to offer. He certainly found himself on the outside of the inner circle.

At the draft in Ottawa, it looked like Nolan was sitting at the distant relatives' table. There was sufficient evidence to suggest that this parting was coming. Give credit to the people involved for taking care of it before the timing could have caused even more turbulence for the team.

Many of us wanted Ted Nolan to be the answer. It was a good story that could have become even better. It still doesn't compute entirely that Garth Snow gets to decide that Nolan is not the answer. It's unsettling that stubborn pride could set a good leader adrift.

The ideal solution would have been for coach and management to find a way not to clash. It didn't happen. The ideal now is to get everyone moving in the same direction. The NHL would benefit from its Long Island franchise gaining traction and momentum. It would also be richer for the continued presence of Ted Nolan.

Dan Boyle on His Way to San Jose—New York Islanders Miss Out

Ken Rosenblatt — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 11:26:00 -0400

The reports of the Islanders' interest in the Tampa Bay defenseman certainly had me intrigued, particularly if a deal that didn't involve Chris Campoli could have been pulled off.

Let's face it: the Islanders still lack appropriate players to fill the point men roles on two power-play units. And unless Ted Nolan intends to use Mark Streit for the full power play every time, adding a defenseman with Boyle's offensive abilities and physical presence would have been a very positive move.

To this point, Campoli has shown more offensively than Bruno Gervais at the NHL level, so it would have been preferable to keep him around as one of the other point men. And I don't think it would have been wise to lose the minutes and defensive prowess of Radek Martinek.

Of course, this is all moot now as TSN is reporting that Boyle has waived his no-trade clause and is on his way to the San Jose Sharks. Coming in return to the Lightning is Matt Carle, a first round pick, a fourth round pick, and a prospect. Brad Lukowich would accompany Boyle to San Jose.

Not a bad job by the Lightning transforming that asset into something that fits better with their recent moves. Perhaps an even better job by Garth Snow in showing restraint in his pursuit of Boyle.

Update: Jon Jordan reports the prospect is defenseman Ty Wishart.

ESPN's John Buccigross Hosts the New York Islanders' Draft Party

Ken Rosenblatt — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 21:27:00 -0400

One choice the New York Islanders made in preparation for this draft seems to have escaped debate so far—John Buccigross, SportsCenter anchor and ESPN.com hockey columnist, was tapped by the Islanders to serve as host of this year's Draft Party.

Buccigross is one of those media figures who attracts a fervent fan base. If you subscribe to his style in front of the camera and behind the keyboard, the publishing of his weekly column during hockey season becomes appointment reading. Fans of Buccigross who attended the Draft Party last Friday could not have walked away disappointed.

Buccigross spent nearly every minute when he wasn't on stage talking to fans, taking pictures with them, and signing autographs. When the mood of the evening turned disgruntled, Buccigross handled the shift deftly with understanding and humor. His cue to the crowd to greet Josh Bailey warmly, while perhaps unnecessary, demonstrated a great read on the room and compassion for a youngster who was unknowingly walking into an awkward situation.

After Buccigross had fulfilled his hosting duties, he took the time to field questions from the Blog Box and talk a little hockey—and a little music, too. He revealed himself to be just as sharp, funny, and engaging off the air and the page as he is on. If you have not seen this session elsewhere, here's the video, courtesy of B.D. Gallof.

In her personal reflection on the evening, my colleague Dee Karl brought you a little scoop from Buccigross about the future of hockey on ESPN thanks to some curious fans outside the Coliseum.

What Dee left for me to tell was the humorous exchange that followed between Buccigross and the same group of fans. At this point, Buccigross was only in shouting distance as he made his way across the plaza: Fan (shouting): Why did Garth Snow drop the ball? JB: (shouting back): Maybe he didn't! Fan: I've never heard of this guy! JB: He's only 18! A lot can change! Look at Britney Spears!

New York Islanders Stun Fans at 2008 NHL Draft

Ken Rosenblatt — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 00:40:00 -0400

The Islanders had an opportunity to give their fans a reason to be proud and excited tonight. Instead, they traded it away.

You try to put your faith in the idea that the hockey people know what they're doing. But no one attending the draft party at the Coliseum would have done what the Isles did this evening.

Let's get this out of the way: We don't know what will happen on Saturday. We don't know what will happen July 1, 2, 8, or 12. We don't know what will happen three years from now when Josh Bailey, Nikita Filatov, and several dozens of other supremely talented hockey players are in their 20s.

Maybe some of those second and third round picks will grow into quality NHLers. Maybe Bailey will be Brent Sutter and Filatov will be Oleg Kvasha.

Tonight, the Islanders first-round strategy looks like a failure on two fronts.

First, there is the talent evaluation aspect of the strategy. Garth Snow said he would take the best player available at No. 5. Instead, he traded the pick to put himself in position to draft a player at No. 9 who clearly was not regarded as being better than the fifth-through-eighth selections.

Snow defended the strategy by saying that the team had targeted Bailey as its top priority. You have to ask, why?

If the Islanders had been slated to draft ninth or 10th from the beginning, it would be easy to agree with him. But a team that is starving for goal scorers and had a potential star goal-scorer ready to be reeled in threw him back.

Yes, you can argue that Snow is sticking to his other plan of building with youth by stockpiling draft picks. How many picks is enough? The Islanders already had a high first, two seconds, and two thirds, not mention one in the fourth, two in the fifth, and two in the sixth.

Was adding a few more worth passing up on Filatov? And Colin Wilson, Mikkel Boedker, Luke Schenn, and Cody Hodgson, if they wanted him? There's no prize for having the most draft picks. And there's only so much room in the organization.

The thing is, players who can do what Filatov projects to do are hard to find. You can get a shutdown defenseman. You can get a Brendan Witt or Andy Sutton.

The Islanders do need a talented, playmaking centerman who can play both ends of the ice. Bailey does fit that bill.

The Islander brass decided that Filatov wouldn't live up to being the No. 5 pick. So they traded down and made an attempt to maximize the value of the pick.

But who is it that's going to put the puck in the net? The team has promising young forward Kyle Okposo to help in that department, but goal scorers are hard to come by, especially for this franchise. Will they find one so talented in the second round? The third? Perhaps the next edition of the Top-10 Draft Steals will have a new addition?

The other immediate failure of this draft strategy was one of public relations. The Islanders draft record is so spotty that it's remarkable they passed on a sure thing. Not that Filatov as a player is a sure thing, but selecting him was. Can you remember a time when fan consensus was so strong for a possible draftee? Sure, the selection could have evolved into a disappointment a few years down the road. But it would have been recalled as the right thing to do at the time.

Now, the fan base feels that it has been tricked again. Just another name to add to the "Yeah, we let that guy get away, too" list. In a decade and a half of angry fans, rarely have they been quite this angry. And bewildered. Some wondered what other organization would have done this.

After the announcement of the trade with Nashville, fans poured down the aisles and out the exits. A second exodus commenced when the Islanders announced their pick. The atmosphere, which was truly festive and enthusiastic at the beginning of the draft party, soured quickly and severely. Most parties don't take that kind of turn unless the cops show up.

As for Josh Bailey, don't fear for him. Expectations for him may be inflated by the way the draft unfolded, but Islanders fans are capable of absolving him of responsibility for what transpired. As the center-ice scoreboard showed Bailey pulling on his Islanders sweater, a smattering of applause grew into a genuine show of support.

Fans would do well to embrace Bailey for who he is rather than to look at him for who he is not. The self-described playmaker's numbers do jump out at you. And you have to give him credit for being aware that the Islanders already have someone wearing No. 89.

When Bailey's interview with draft party host John Buccigross concluded, the remaining fans staged a third departure en masse.

Perhaps Saturday will bring more answers and soothed souls.

Hope summers eternal.

2008 Stanley Cup Finals: Penguins Change the Story on the Fly

Ken Rosenblatt — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 17:37:00 -0400

I spent most of the last ten minutes of the third period last night going over storylines in my head. They seemed to come one after another:

1. The way the Wings kept going at the Pens instead of sitting on their one-goal lead was impressive. Detroit's ability to gain the blue line and get the puck deep without giving up possession killed off precious seconds over and over. At times they fired the puck back out to defensemen in the neutral zone and then started the process all over again.

It was a clinic in hustle and desire. They rarely dumped the puck in. They certainly didn't sit back and let Crosby and Co. come after them shift after shift. They were playing as if they needed another goal. But I never thought they did.

2. Conditioning seemed to be a key factor. There was that shot of Malkin on the bench looking like the long playoff season was too much for him. It didn't look like he had any compete left in him, and surely that was a sign that the Pens were done.

3. I was feeling happy for Chris Osgood. Here was a vet who had stood on top of the hockey world previously, earning only begrudging respect. Now he had re-emerged from the edge of oblivion to be a Stanley Cup-winning goalie again. I retain good feelings toward him simply for being part of the team that brought the Islanders back from oblivion, even if it was never his choice to be there.

4. Then the superstitious part of me frowned at NBC for daring to show the Cup being unpacked in the third period of a one-goal game. The joyous cries of "We want the Cup!" from the denizens of Detroit were only slightly more excusable. But a celebration still seemed inevitable.

5. I looked forward to my wife watching the Cup being awarded. Last week she had argued that it can't be called the Stanley Cup Final until it's guaranteed that someone wins the Cup that night. Otherwise, it's not final.

And then the whole story changed. All of the things I had thought worthy of writing about were now just the setup.

But the play itself didn't change much. Detroit remained the picture of tenacity. Pittsburgh held on the best they could. Marc-Andre Fleury did his best Kelly Hrudey impersonation. And while Pittsburgh eventually got back to some back and forth, not capitalizing on the first two power plays awarded in overtime was a heavy weight to carry.

Detroit would get their chance. Some opportunistic Red Wing would attach his name to a dramatic power-play Cup-winning goal.

Somewhere between Maxime Talbot and Petr Sykora, all of these details stopped mattering. They stopped mattering because this was one of those games that locks us in. We're afraid to look away from the screen for even a moment for fear of missing the moment. It was one of those games that we use to explain to non-hockey fans what they're missing.

And I realized it's probably even more enjoyable when you have no strong rooting interest. Who needs all that tension? The drama of the intense competition and the consequences stands on its own.

Admittedly, for me, it was a little bit of a letdown not to see a team celebrate a championship on its home ice after all of that. I don't feel any relief over the Pens staying alive.

But the fact that we might get to see that type of show two more times? I'm all for that.

My wife? She fell asleep a few minutes into the second overtime.

But that's okay—we haven't really reached the Final yet.

New York Islanders: Wade Dubielewicz Done as Youth Movement Begins

Ken Rosenblatt — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 19:10:00 -0400

Today in Newsday, Islanders beat reporter Greg Logan revealed that the team does not plan to bring back unrestricted free agent forwards Miroslav Satan, Ruslan Fedotenko, and Josef Vasicek for the 2008-09 season. In addition, backup goaltender and fan favorite Wade Dubielewicz rejected what GM Garth Snow described as a "significant offer" to remain an Islander.

The writing was clearly on the wall for Dubielewicz as far back as April 10th, when Logan first reported Snow's dissatisfaction with the goalie's early-season conditioning (discussed in this Islanders Outsider post). It's not a stretch to speculate that Snow's mind was made up even earlier, given the presence of Joey MacDonald and the one-way, two-year deal he signed last July.

It is unfortunate that Snow found it necessary to comment publicly on the team's early-season lack of confidence in Dublielewicz. Such talk is better kept to internal conversations. Having the organization sell players out to the press isn't a good selling point to free agents the Islanders are courting. Just make the decision and leave it alone—even if you do believe that the player put the team in a weakened position.

As for the contract offer to Dubielewicz, Logan states that it was likely a multi-year deal, but the first year had a two-way clause that would have destined Dubielewicz to spend most of the upcoming season in Bridgeport rather than in Uniondale. After finally earning his first one-way deal and a full-time job in the NHL last season, you can't blame Dubie if he interpreted the offer as an instruction to get lost. In fact, it's somewhat akin to Joe Torre's exit from the Yankees last fall (with .001 percent of the media interest).

Dubielewicz was a very capable backup. With him on the roster, his position was one you didn't have to worry about. MacDonald certainly hasn't established himself to that degree. His 17 NHL appearances with the Bruins, Red Wings, and Islanders are not enough to gauge how well he will fill the role, but his play at least suggests that the Islanders aren't being reckless here. And, of course, there's no guarantee that another goalie won't enter the picture.

On a personal note, I'll miss Dubie in the locker room. He came across as appreciative of the attention, but never the least bit intimidated by being the focus of it. He wasn't afraid to give non cookie-cutter answers, and had a good sense of humor about himself and the game.

Snow's comments regarding Satan, Fedotenko, and Vasicek do not preclude the team from making any of them an offer before the July 1 free agency period, but his words strongly suggest that no offers will be forthcoming. The Islanders appear ready to hand over the roles filled by those veterans to young players like Kyle Okposo, Blake Comeau, and Sean Bergenheim.

According to Snow, Jeff Tambellini, Frans Nielsen, Ben Walter, and Jeremy Colliton will also be in the mix. His quotes to Logan are a strong indication that finding ice time for young players will be a priority.

This development should be welcome news to Islanders fans. Satan brought with him the hopes of being a consistent scoring threat, but his production has decreased each year he has been on Long Island. He will turn 34 in October and there is little chance that the downward trend will reverse itself.

Fedotenko and Vasicek were brought in to play at a level that they can only reach in fits and starts. While they each demonstrated the ability to play an important role, they only surfaced as impact players for short stretches. The truth is that Snow could make free agent signings of this caliber just about every summer if needed.

So rather than trying to patch together a quality product, Snow is following through on his plan to build a quality team. I don't see how watching the likes of Okposo, Comeau, Bergenheim, and Tambellini fight to make their mark on the NHL could be any less enjoyable than watching last year's team lurch and hesitate.

In fact, it should be far more exciting. I know there's the little matter of awarding this season's Stanley Cup, but can't we start next season now?

Does The Beat Go On For The New York Islanders Blog Box?

Ken Rosenblatt — Tue, 06 May 2008 19:09:00 -0400

It has been a spring of uncertainty for the members of the NYI Blog Box.

As the regular season drew to a close with hopes of an extension into the playoffs long since evaporated, we wondered collectively what our fate would be as credentialed bloggers.

Had we served out a one-year term in this new media experiment? Would we all be asked back next season for another go round? Were there some criteria by which some of us would return and others would be blogectomied?

These questions were answered, rather emphatically I'm told, during a pre-game meeting on April 1 (fingers crossed?). At this gathering, the Islanders' media relations staff informed those bloggers present that the Blog Box is ongoing and, as charter members, we may continue to take part in it.

Sold.

And so we moved on with nary a thought to the health of the Blog Box.

That it is until today when Greg Logan of Newsday reported that Chris Botta, the club's VP of Media Relations, had resigned.

I believe Mr. Botta has credited Corey Witt with the genesis of the Blog Box. But make no mistake--without Mr. Botta's support and championing of the endeavor, there would not be a Blog Box.

To most, the resignation was startling. It was unexpected and puzzling. Here was a man who had served his hometown team for 20 years and survived the tumult that has engulfed one of the most unstable franchises in sports. He called working for the Islanders his dream job.

Mr. Botta had served in his current role for the past nine years. He had far more to do than serve as a liaison between the team and the press. He had to make sure the press was even there.

When members of the media treated the Islanders unfairly, Mr. Botta was the first to speak up and he did so with vigor. And tact.

It is very easy to speculate about why a man would leave his dream job after 20 years at a time when the job may have been as exciting as it has ever been. I could give you a list of possible reasons that range from the mundane to the maddening.

If you are interested in such buzz, you know where to look and you have probably found it already. The more maddening buzz is fairly loud and probably with good reason. For his part, Mr. Botta only told Logan that he chose to leave for personal reasons and it was time to end an incredible ride.

I think, for now, the best thing for me to do is to thank Mr. Botta for serving the Islanders community so admirably. I wish him the best of luck in pursuing his next professional challenge. And I hope that he has left under circumstances that permit him to continue supporting the Islanders.

As for the Blog Box? The latest word is that we have nothing to worry about. This new form of beat will go on.

And, if something should change between now and October, you can be sure that we'll still be here, credentialed or not.

Looking Back: David Volek Fills a Gap in Islanders' History

Ken Rosenblatt — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 18:44:00 -0400

Ask Islanders fans what their favorite moment as a fan of the team is, and you will get a wide variety of responses.

The history of the team is rich enough that there is a wealth of legitimate candidates from which to choose as one's top moment. In my experience, the determining factor in this choice is age.

First, you have the old timers who have followed the team since its inception. They are the ones with the toughest job simply because they have seen so much.

If these fans are fixated on the early days, as is their right, they might go for the symbolic choice of Ed Westfall's first goal in franchise history against the Atlanta Flames on October 7, 1972.

Perhaps others would prefer to mark the moment that the team arrived as a legitimate contender in the league. J.P. Parise's goal at :11 of overtime on April 11, 1975 that eliminated the Rangers and gave the Islanders their first playoff series win.

I imagine, however, that most would select Bobby Ny's goal at 7:11 of overtime in game seven of the 1980 Stanley Cup Finals

Nystrom's goal, in addition to setting the course for the defining era in the history of franchise, is the first of these moments that I consider to be cross-generational. Fans like myself who were too young to witness the early years are fortunate to count the greatest era of the Islanders as our introduction to the team.

Getting just a little younger, you might see a fan point to the Easter Epic and Pat LaFontaine's goal at 8:47 of the fourth overtime to defeat the Washington Capitals in the 1987 Patrick Division Semifinals.

And the newest generation of Islanders fans? They seem to gravitate toward Shawn Bates' penalty shot goal against the Toronto Maple Leafs in game four of the 2002 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals.

Well, that was a brief, but fun, trip down memory lane. Ah, but something is missing, you say? Yes, we have left out an era. Let's fill in that gap.

For a certain generation of Islanders fans, the greatest moment they witnessed in the history of the franchise was produced by David Volek.

On May 14, 1993, the Islanders faced the heavily favored, two-time defending Stanley Cup Champion Pittsburgh Penguins in game seven of the Patrick Division Final.

The Isles coughed up a late 3-1 lead and the game headed to overtime. At 5:16 of the extra session, Volek took a feed from Ray Ferraro on an odd-man rush and one-timed a slap shot past Tom Barrasso to put the Isles in the Conference Final.

For all intents and purposes, Volek's NHL career has been reduced to that one great moment. One almost never hears of him in any other context. I didn't even recall that Ferraro set up Volek on the Isles' second goal that night, too. So let's at least take the time to look back at a little bit more of the story.

Volek was a 10th round draft choice of the Islanders, 208th overall, in 1984. He couldn't have been anything more than a speculative pick at the time, as were nearly all Eastern Bloc draft choices.

The Islanders had no way of knowing if Volek would ever step foot in North America.

In the summer of 1988, Volek received permission to visit his parents in West Germany. On July 25, with the help of agent Rich Winter, the Czech star, and his fiancée, he defected to Canada. By the end of the summer, he was an Islander.

For the next four seasons, Volek was a productive forward. He made the All-Rookie Team in 1988-89 on the strength of 25 goals and 34 assists. He followed up that 59-point rookie campaign with seasons of 39, 56, and 60 points while spending time on both wings.

By the magical 1992-93 season, the Islanders had grown quite deep at forward, featuring Pierre Turgeon, Steve Thomas, Derek King, Benoit Hogue, and Ferraro.

Volek found himself with fewer quality minutes and was also significantly limited by injuries for the first time. At one point, he requested a trade. It didn't come, and his production diminished to 13-8-21 in 56 games.

Volek did not even play in the playoffs that year until game three of the Pittsburgh series due to a sore back.

Yet, there he was soaring down the wing alongside Ferraro with a chance to etch his name on a little piece of hockey history. Call it "The Shot Heard 'Round the Northeast." And a generation of Islanders fans had their all-time greatest moment.

One year later, Volek's NHL career was over. He had not yet reached his 28th birthday. A herniated disk ended his 1993-94 season early with only five goals and nine assists to show for 32 games.

He attempted to rehab the injury but retired in September 1994.

Volek did make a brief return to his Czech club, Sparta Praha, during the 1995-96 following surgery. He was able to play only five games.

Over the next 10 years, Volek spent time as a European scout for the Sabres. He became an assistant coach with Sparta Praha before the 2005 season, but he's not currently listed as such on their official site.

As we learned this past season, the Islanders will be hosting an annual alumni weekend to honor different teams over the course of the franchise's history. I have to believe that the 1993 Conference Finalists will be fairly high on the list of groups to invite.

Perhaps, then, we will see David Volek on the Coliseum ice one more time.

The drama of his greatest moment, the brevity of his promising career, and the speed of his demise only serve to make him a more intriguing figure.

Thanks to hockeydb.com, islesinfo.com, and HockeyDraftCentral.com for serving as sources for this article.

Instituting the Golden Rule for Web 2.0 and Beyond

Ken Rosenblatt — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 18:30:00 -0400

I primarily write about the Islanders. Since joining Bleacher Report, I've been excited about the idea of tackling other areas, particularly the Mets, MLB at large, fantasy sports, and perhaps a few others.

I've been wading into those waters slowly (they're still a bit nippy this time of year). In the meantime, the hockey season, by strict definition, is over.

That's not to say that the Stanley Cup Playoffs won't provide appropriate material for posts to Islanders Outsider. We'll see what unfolds. Otherwise, the offseason is spent wondering where the next story will come from. Today, it comes from my Blog Box colleague, Dee Karl, of The 7th Woman.

Over the weekend she posted an article on Bleacher Report about Sean Avery's latest foray into the absurd. She was fully aware when she posted it that the article could cause a firestorm. The number of article views and comments clearly indicate that the storm's arrival was swift and surly.

I have an opinion on what Avery did (unsportsmanlike, clownish), as well as an opinion on Dee's contribution to the story (a valid statement of one person's reaction). This story isn't about those things. It's about the comments that readers attached to Dee's article and how they finally tipped me over the edge to write about the disintegration of decency online.

My greatest, and perhaps only, discouragement to applying for a position in the Blog Box was years of reading Internet message boards and blog comments. I deplore the base level of cynicism, hate, and childishness that flows so frequently online to such a degree that I hesitated to participate in anything even remotely related to it. I'm glad I overcame that hesitation. But the ugliness is still there. And it really makes me wonder...

How can there be so many people out there who are so comfortable with disparagement and denigration as tools of debate? Do they hope to gain in the argument from the use of vulgarity and name calling?

And, if not, what do they gain? Is it a feeling of triumph, pleasure, or joy at having verbally thrashed someone with little chance of reprisal?

How did we arrive at a place where a significant portion of our population engages in this shade of communication?

This is not a call for censorship, by the way. I'm not offended outright by language. It's the sentiment behind it. The question here isn't, "What gives people the right?" It's, "What gives them the motivation?"

Was this negative energy sitting latent all those years before widespread Internet access was available? Or were people regularly so unkind to each other, and I just didn't notice?

We are in the midst of an attack-oriented era of entertainment. You can see its underpinnings in the comments on Dee's article. Some of the commenters are so focused on the attack that they have not even noticed that the author is a woman, despite a prominent byline and picture.

Others point to her bias as a justification for telling her to give up writing, or that she's not really a hockey fan. This was quite obviously an editorial piece. Having a bias is not grounds for being discredited.

Here's an anticipated reaction to what I'm saying: "If you don't like the comments, don't read them and you won't have anything to complain about."

Here's my pre-emptive response: "If you don't like the article, don't insult the writer and your criticisms will carry more weight."

The truth is that the offending responses in this case weren't all that bad on the spectrum of nastiness. But this easy willingness to launch personal attacks happens all over. Just a few days ago, Matt Cerrone of MetsBlog, one of the most popular and successful sports blogs out there, was forced to hold comments in limbo because the integrity of the site was being damaged by offensive remarks. Here's some of what Matt had to say about it:

...thanks to recent activity in Comment’s Section of MetsBlog.com, i fear my blog will soon be known as the place for angry, violent, fringe fans who are only interested in spewing hate and venom...
...so far, a small, but very loud group of fans have essentially hijacked this site’s comment’s section with mean, disrespectful and angry banter...

Can't we do better than that? It doesn't have to be about raising the level of discourse (but it can be). It is about opening the issue of why anger, hate, and disrespect are acceptable forms of entertainment and social interaction.

Some of you will agree that this is important, and some will argue that you have the right to say whatever you want and take satisfaction in it. If it's true that some people really get enjoyment out of such an approach, then there's not much I can say except that I don't get it any more than I get Sean Avery.

Perhaps that's as far as it goes. I still think a little good nature goes a long way.

New York Islanders GM Garth Snow's Vote of Confidence for Ted Nolan

Ken Rosenblatt — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 19:24:00 -0400

When I saw the headline of Greg Logan's article in today's Newsday, I thought, "Ah, there it is: a vote of confidence for the coach."

Surely, I was about to read quotes from GM Garth Snow that would settle the rumblings about Ted Nolan's suddenly murky future with the Islanders. Truth be told, said murkiness was speculation and analysis fueled by Nolan's worry over entering the final year of his contract without an extension having been discussed.

I never took seriously the notion that Nolan might not return for the 2008-09 campaign. That would require a catastrophic disagreement over Nolan's ability to coach effectively on the final year of his deal, or a personality conflict involving that dangerous word, respect.

Either way, it just seems unlikely. Both men were granted an opportunity that likely wasn't going to come from another team anytime soon. They will give this opportunity their best shot.

So, considering that Nolan is as good an option as anyone to helm the bench, and that he deserves to continue as coach, a vote of confidence at this juncture was a wise next step in the transition to next season.

The only issue is, after reading the article, I can't quite classify the remarks made by Snow as a vote of confidence. Instead, let's call them a note of confidence.

Snow characterized his relationship with Nolan as "good, great." In response to a question on the circumstances under which Nolan wouldn't be coaching the Islanders next year, Snow said, "I don't see any reason. He's our coach."

It wasn't exactly, "Ted Nolan is a terrific coach and remains a critical component for the future success of our organization." It was, however, a solid enough statement that things behind the scenes have not gone terribly awry.

Snow goes on to describe his vision of developing a winning team, which centers around an injection of youth. This could be a potential source of friction between the coach and GM (with Jeff Tambellini as the poster boy), but Snow believes that any disagreements they have are part of a healthy working relationship.

I would certainly like to see this duo succeed together. And, yes, no small part of that is the chance to see one guy who was ridiculed and another who was blackballed come out on top. They also happen to be easy to root for. I'm also a believer that Nolan's talent as a coach should be equally effective with youthful players as it is with veterans.

Speaking of easy to root for, Logan's blog had a surprising revelation about Wade Dubielewicz. Logan used his blog to publish a slew of information that didn't fit in the original Snow article. Snow revealed that a contributing factor to Nolan's heavy use of Rick DiPietro early in the season was that Dubielewicz didn't report to camp in great shape.

Dubie has never seemed like type of guy to slack off over the summer because he finally scored his first one-way deal. Whatever caused him to lack fitness, his subsequent high quality of play in the second half may not be enough to overcome the perception that he let the team down early on. In that light, the signing of Joey MacDonald takes on new meaning.

For what it's worth, Snow said that the future of Dubie as an Islander could still go either way. I've seen all I need to see to be satisfied with him backing up DiPietro again next year.

The Shea Name Will Live on Even As the Mets Move on

Ken Rosenblatt — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 14:22:19 -0400

I was thrilled to learn that the Mets will be honoring William A. Shea this season with a logo above the left field wall in the stadium that bears his name.

The tribute to Bill Shea will take its place alongside the retired numbers of Gil Hodges, Casey Stengel, Tom Seaver, and Jackie Robinson. Next year, when the Mets christen Citi Field, the Shea name will accompany the numbers 14, 37, 41, and 42 in their place of honor.

When it was announced that the plans for a new ballpark in Flushing were finally going forward, I knew there was little chance that the new park would retain the Shea Stadium name. I hoped against hope that a corporate naming rights deal would not follow. It soon became apparent that such a hope was a pipe dream. I accepted the inevitability of the cost of doing business more readily than I expected I would.

At that point, I turned to hoping that the Mets would choose a corporate partner who would give the new stadium a dignified name. Beyond that, I wanted it to sound, I don't know, municipal. Perhaps Metropolitan Insurance would step up and give rise to the very fitting Metropolitan Stadium. It would likely be nicknamed The Met, creating even more confusion with the museum and the opera. But I was okay with that.

Of course, it didn't happen that way. The Mets and CitiCorp announced a landmark naming rights deal that produced the name Citi Field. And I let go a sigh of relief. It's not perfection, but it does have a certain municipal quality to it. City Field would have fit the bill even better, but that does nothing for the corporate identity. At least the name was not mashed together as CitiField, as initially reported. That's a little too modern for my taste.

At the time, I was also buoyed by the notion that the naming rights belonged to a venerable corporation. When stadium and arena names change as a result of corporate collapses, mergers, or acquisitions, the history of the franchise is impacted negatively. Two years ago, that didn't project to be an issue with Citi. Now I'm a little worried that the Mets will be playing in some other bank's park before too long.

But what of the legacy of Shea Stadium? Will Mets fans be able to adjust, or will we continue to call the new park "Shea" for years to come?

Shea is part of the cityscape. When you take the No. 7 train to the game, you disembark at the Willets Point/Shea Stadium station. It says so on the station signs, on the subway maps, and on the subway cars themselves. It will be interesting to see how the MTA handles the name change.

I will miss Shea. Going to games won't be the same without orange, blue, green, and red seats. Time is running out for the second upper-deck home run in stadium history, and then we'll never be able to gawk at Tommie Agee's marker again. We won't be able to point out where Straw's shot landed, or Piazza's.

I can't fault the Mets for wanting to progress. I can applaud them for bringing Mr. Shea's family to the home opener; having his son throw out the first pitch; and permanently recognizing the man who is credited with bringing National League baseball back to New York City.

These are the right things to do in appreciation of Mr. Shea's place in Mets history, and the right things to do for Mets fans who have a lifetime of baseball memories associated with Shea Stadium.

Jack Hillen Makes His NHL Debut for the New York Islanders

Ken Rosenblatt — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 17:39:00 -0400

For two games that have no playoff implications for the Islanders, this home-and-home with the Rangers to close out the season has a surprising and worthwhile amount of buzz for the Long Island faithful.

First off, we have the NHL debut of defenseman Jack Hillen, straight from being eliminated from the NCAA tournament as a member of the WCHA's Colorado College Tigers.

Unlike Kyle Okposo, Hillen has four years of college hockey under his breezers. Also unlike Okposo, Hillen was an undrafted free agent, so he has none of that pesky first-round draft choice pedigree stuff to live up to.

What he does come with is a track record of continuous improvement that was appealing enough to spark a competition for his services. When I found out that Hillen signed with the Isles, I was immediately pleased that the team added a solid prospect in an area where depth is lacking.

It's awfully funny how surprising news like this can make you react as you begin to gather facts about the player. Here's a sample of my reactions.

Fact: An offensive-minded defenseman.
Reaction: Excellent! They are in desperate need of a power-play quarterback!

Fact: Doesn't like to take slap shots from the point on the power play.
Reaction: What?! *confusion* You can't run the power play without a slap shot!

Fact: Has a knack for getting his wrist shot through from the point.
Reaction: Phew. I'll take it. I've seen enough point shots not get anywhere near the net this year.

Fact: Highest scoring defenseman in Division I this year.
Reaction: Excellent! I think I'm currently the highest scoring defenseman on the Isles. Or maybe it's Schuerlein.

Fact: Scored 37 points on six goals and 31 assists this year.
Reaction: Hmm...that certainly demonstrates a knack for creating offense, but only six goals? Wouldn't the dominant offensive defenseman in the NCAA put a few more pucks in the net? That's what we're looking for. Oh, yeah, he doesn't have a cannon. On the other hand, six goals in 41 games projects to 12 over an NHL-length season. Not quite Mike Green numbers, but at least we're in the ballpark. And if he really is as good of a puck mover as they say he is...

And more of that.

But it's at this point that I rein it in and say: He's only 22. The idea that he'll step in next year and lead the power play is pie-in-the-sky thinking. Let's just be excited about getting a look for two games.

The Islanders did a good job locating a needed asset and securing it. I'm just looking forward to watching what the future may bring. In April 2008 (and at lots of other times, unfortunately), that's what it means to be an Islanders fan.

The other sources of buzz? Finishing the season with back-to-backs against the rival Rangers still means something even if the Islanders only have pride to play for.

At stake? Bragging rights to end the season and the Metro Ice Challenge. Perhaps one day the Metro Ice Challenge will equal the Mayor's Trophy game in luster. Then again, that one went on a good 10 years after anyone stopped caring about it. At least this one involves games that actually count.

If a sponsorship must be involved, maybe next year it can be the Bloomberg Mayor's Metro Ice Challenge. Of course, this competition involves only one team that plays in New York City. Foiled. That's what happens sometimes when you write out loud.

Finally there is the question of where the Isles will finish in the standings and how much of a shot they will have at the No. 1 pick in the draft. I wonder how the top prospects of the past two years feel knowing that this year's draft lottery is getting the Crosby treatment, while theirs was broadcast to the world using one of those horns from the Ricola commercials.

It's not in my nature to root for the Islanders to lose. I wish they were going into this home-and-home with a more accomplished lineup. But I am not above rooting for the teams the Islanders are jockeying for position with to win, just in case the Isles do come out with a couple of victories themselves.

This Is Not Normal: New York Islanders Forced to Rely on Youth

Ken Rosenblatt — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 18:28:00 -0400

It seems a little odd to cover these games as though they were normal. They are anything but normal. Of the twenty players who dressed for Saturday night's game against the Flyers, only nine of them were what I consider to be established NHLers. That includes Sean Bergenheim, who didn't play in the NHL last year, and Wade Dubielewicz, who is in his first season as a full-time NHLer.

Here are my criteria: If you spent time in the minor leagues this season, and you weren't there on a conditioning stint, then you are not an established NHLer. If you spent time as a healthy scratch this season, and have not played at least three full seasons in the league, then you are not an established NHLer. Take a look at this lineup:

Bergenheim-Vasicek-Guerin
Satan-Nielsen-Hunter
Comeau-Park-Okposo
Jackman-Colliton-Regier

Spiller-Martinek
Meyer-Davison
Berard-Johnson

Dubielewicz
Mole

Have you ever seen anything like that? Then throw in the fact that Spiller, Regier, and Jackman have been pulling double duty, and it's amazing this team isn't getting its doors blown off. It's a testament to the players, to Ted Nolan and his coaching staff, and to Jack Capuano and his staff. With nothing to play for but the play itself, most of these guys are putting their best forward. That doesn't mean it wasn't a weird night. And, unfortunately, their best foot probably won't be enough most of the time. Here are some notes (not all of them are weird):

Before the game started, two young teenagers stood next to the Blog Box glancing repeatedly toward us. Finally, they moved closer and announced that one of them was a Kyle Okposo lookalike and they were going to go around claiming that he was Kyle's little brother. I regret not taking a picture. He actually did look like him.

Mike Mole is wearing #60 with the Isles. It looked like there was a spring training castoff on the bench. Or Scott Schoeneweis. Mole wore #30 with the Grizzlies where, incidentally, Kevin Colley is an assistant coach.

The Islanders got a break in that Vinnie Prospal was scratched with an illness, and Marty Biron was rested after playing in the 5-4 shootout loss to the Devils the night before. That's Marty Biron, he of the 6-0 record, 1.50 GAA, and .952 save percentage against the Isles this year. So much for breaks.

Trent Hunter's 28 assists this season are a career high. So maybe we shouldn't put a cap on his offensive potential just yet. Of course, 25 goals and 30 assists would look a lot better.

Despite the fourth line being made up of weary commuters, Nolan rolled them right out there early in the first--within the first three minutes. Ice time was fairly evenly distributed in the first, as only one penalty was called. The fourth line would be used much more sparingly the remainder of the game.

Okposo ends up in places with shots on the power play where I'm not used to seeing this team end up with shots from. If that makes sense.

The Flyers' shots-on-goal total seemed to rise as if each shot were being counted as two. I had intended to ask Dubie whether he really felt under seige or if most of the shots were actually quite harmless. He confirmed the latter in response to a Greg Logan question while acknowledging that the Flyers did really take over the game after the Isles controlled the first period and mounted a 2-0 lead in the second.

Frans Nielsen's goal to regain the lead at 3-2 was a beauty of a wrister, placed perfectly over Antero Nittymaki's glove.

I really wanted to claim that Briere's shootout winner was illegal because he stopped his forward momentum, but I don't think the evidence holds up. I wonder if he purposely used that move to counteract Dubie's famed poke check.

The post-game scene included young players hustling to get dressed and packed for the trip back to Bridgeport, where they would play their fifth game in five nights on Sunday. One of them (name withheld to protect his identity) sat in his stall all ready to go in his overcoat and ski cap while wolfing down a piece of pizza. You gotta eat when you can. Another went over this week's schedule of Islanders games, because it's hard to know where you are and where you have to be when you're playing for two teams simultaneously. And for the first time all year, I had to work to figure out which faces went with which names. The names are all very familiar, of course. But it's a little jarring when you suddenly see several faces in the locker room that you've never seen up close before. I never imagined I'd be in that situation. I'm sure the situation is a little weird for them too.