The Goalie Odds
The Islanders drafted two goalies early on Saturday morning with Mikko Koskinen at # 31 in the second round and Anders Nilsson at # 62 in the third round. Add Stefan Ridderwall, a sixth rounder in 2006, and Kevin Poulin, drafted in the fifth round in 2008, the Islanders most likely have a starting or back-up goaltender of the future in their system.
Why am I so sure about that? Because teams are just as likely to find an NHL goaltender in the first or second round of the draft as they are in rounds three or four or five, six or seven. Most goalies do bust before they get signed by their draft team, but by playing their odds over the last four draft, the Islanders have put themselves in good position to beat the odds.
Look at the 2001 draft:
- The Islanders drafted Rick DiPietro with the first overall pick. For better or for worse, he started an NHL All-Star Game and was the No. 1 goalie on the US Olympic team.
- The Calgary Flames drafted Brent Krahn ninth overall that year. He has played in one NHL game.
- Ilya Bryzgalov was drafted by Anaheim in the second round, 44th overall. Mathieu Chouinard was taken with the very next pick by Ottawa. That’s 189 NHL games vs. 1 NHL game, respectively.
- Peter Hamerlik (Pittsburgh, third round), Jean-Francois Racine (Toronto, third round), Stefan Liv (Detroit, fourth round) and a dozen more goalies were taken before the NY Rangers took Henrik Lundqvist in the seventh round, 205th overall.
All four Islanders prospect goalies I spoke about above could turn into busts. But with a wide selection of goalies, chances are one of them will make it. And with three of them European prospects, the Islanders will hold onto their rights for a long time unless a transfer agreement gets ratified by the IIHF.
Advantage: Islanders.
Showing posts with label Rick DiPietro. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rick DiPietro. Show all posts
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Thank Goodness for the Redline Rule
This is a YouTube classic… It’s from a Polish Hockey League game where the goalie on the white team tried to cross the redline and score on an empty net from point blank range.
Thank goodness the goalies can’t do this in the NHL, because I think we all know what would happen…
Video courtesy of Sean Leahy’s Going Five Hole.
Thank goodness the goalies can’t do this in the NHL, because I think we all know what would happen…
Video courtesy of Sean Leahy’s Going Five Hole.
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
MORNING SKATE: Isles at Caps
Here are some notes from the morning skate…
- Probable goaltending match-up is Rick DiPietro versus Olie Kolzig.
- It looks like former Islander Tom Poti will be back in the lineup for the Capitals after missing the last two games.
- Newest Islanders defenseman Drew Fata will be in his usual No. 49 sweater tonight. He is the tenth defensemen the team has used this season, but it’s the first time the Islanders had to call a blueliner up from Bridgeport after carrying eight or nine defensemen on the active roster for the entire season.
- Without Brendan Witt in the lineup to try to shutdown Caps’ ace Alex Ovechkin, the task will fall on Radek Martinek and the Jo Vasicek shutdown line. Of course, Ted Nolan pointed out to the media this morning that Rick DiPietro is the team’s ultimate stopper.
- Visiting teams in the nation’s capital have been using Rainbow Busses and a particular bus driver named Joe for a long time. How long? Butch Goring remembers having Joe as a driver all the way back in the 1970s.
- Probable goaltending match-up is Rick DiPietro versus Olie Kolzig.
- It looks like former Islander Tom Poti will be back in the lineup for the Capitals after missing the last two games.
- Newest Islanders defenseman Drew Fata will be in his usual No. 49 sweater tonight. He is the tenth defensemen the team has used this season, but it’s the first time the Islanders had to call a blueliner up from Bridgeport after carrying eight or nine defensemen on the active roster for the entire season.
- Without Brendan Witt in the lineup to try to shutdown Caps’ ace Alex Ovechkin, the task will fall on Radek Martinek and the Jo Vasicek shutdown line. Of course, Ted Nolan pointed out to the media this morning that Rick DiPietro is the team’s ultimate stopper.
- Visiting teams in the nation’s capital have been using Rainbow Busses and a particular bus driver named Joe for a long time. How long? Butch Goring remembers having Joe as a driver all the way back in the 1970s.
Saturday, February 16, 2008
MORNING SKATE: Thrashers at Isles
Here are some notes from the morning skate…
- TV 55/10’s CJ Papa is filling in for the absent Deb Kaufman on the FSN broadcast tonight. Islanders VP of Game Operations Tim Beach will sub for CJ for the in-game entertainment at the Coliseum tonight.
- The talk of the morning was once again the “Kid Line” of Jeff Tambellini, Frans Nielsen and Blake Comeau. They impressed with their solid play against the Maple Leafs as they went up against the Mats Sundin line in Toronto and more than held their own.
- Rick DiPietro will be in net tonight for the Islanders. It looks like Kari Lehtonen will get the nod for Atlanta. If he does, it will be the fourth straight Finnish goaltender the Islanders have faced. (Backstrom, Niitymaki, Toskala)
- Mike Comrie and Trent Hunter will wear the “A” on their jersey until the injured Mike Sillinger and Brendan Witt return to the lineup.
- On the FSN broadcast tonight, you can look for a small package on Hockey's Hockey Weekend in America with sound clips from Rick DiPietro, Bill Guerin and Andy Hilbert. Also, Billy Jaffe will talk to Aaron Johnson on the bench during the pre-game show.
- TV 55/10’s CJ Papa is filling in for the absent Deb Kaufman on the FSN broadcast tonight. Islanders VP of Game Operations Tim Beach will sub for CJ for the in-game entertainment at the Coliseum tonight.
- The talk of the morning was once again the “Kid Line” of Jeff Tambellini, Frans Nielsen and Blake Comeau. They impressed with their solid play against the Maple Leafs as they went up against the Mats Sundin line in Toronto and more than held their own.
- Rick DiPietro will be in net tonight for the Islanders. It looks like Kari Lehtonen will get the nod for Atlanta. If he does, it will be the fourth straight Finnish goaltender the Islanders have faced. (Backstrom, Niitymaki, Toskala)
- Mike Comrie and Trent Hunter will wear the “A” on their jersey until the injured Mike Sillinger and Brendan Witt return to the lineup.
- On the FSN broadcast tonight, you can look for a small package on Hockey's Hockey Weekend in America with sound clips from Rick DiPietro, Bill Guerin and Andy Hilbert. Also, Billy Jaffe will talk to Aaron Johnson on the bench during the pre-game show.
Thursday, February 7, 2008
I get by with a little help from… Howie Rose
Not too much news from the morning skate for tonight. Same lineup for the Islanders other then Jeremy Colliton (# 72) being inserted for Miro Satan. Rick DiPietro will go against Ty Conklin in net.
So with that said, I have a story to share…
It starts when I got back into my hotel room last night after dinner at 10:30-ish. Tired, I figured I would do some quick ironing for today and then go to bed. I took out the suit jacket I was planning on wearing to see how it faired through the travels and it was good. Next up was the pants… Which I quickly remembered were still on Long Island in my closet. Uh oh.
I’ll quickly interrupt the story to give you a trade secret. On two-day trips (travel one day, play a game the next and come straight home), most everyone just brings one suit -- the one they’re wearing. For longer trips, it could be two or three suits which guys just rotate through. Don’t worry, we bring plenty of shirts and ties to help the illusion.
So, I decided to go with two suits on this four day trip which is more then enough considering I also brought with me a pair of khaki pants for the off day in Minnesota. Before 10:30 PM last night, I thought I was all good for this trip.
Anyway, down to only one suit I quickly called my fiancée to see if she could FedEx the missing suit pants to Minnesota so I could at least switch suits in Minnesota. But as I called her, I realized that Islanders play-by-play man Howie Rose stayed back on Long Island to celebrate his wife’s birthday. BTW, Happy Birthday Barbara!
By 11:00 PM last night, I texted Howie to see if he was still up. He was and more than willing to help me out. The pants were brought to his house early in the morning and packed with his luggage.
They’re now in Pittsburgh and don’t need to be ironed in case you were wondering.
So, to steal a line from the Beatles, I get by with a little help from Howie Rose. Thanks Rosey!
So with that said, I have a story to share…
It starts when I got back into my hotel room last night after dinner at 10:30-ish. Tired, I figured I would do some quick ironing for today and then go to bed. I took out the suit jacket I was planning on wearing to see how it faired through the travels and it was good. Next up was the pants… Which I quickly remembered were still on Long Island in my closet. Uh oh.
I’ll quickly interrupt the story to give you a trade secret. On two-day trips (travel one day, play a game the next and come straight home), most everyone just brings one suit -- the one they’re wearing. For longer trips, it could be two or three suits which guys just rotate through. Don’t worry, we bring plenty of shirts and ties to help the illusion.So, I decided to go with two suits on this four day trip which is more then enough considering I also brought with me a pair of khaki pants for the off day in Minnesota. Before 10:30 PM last night, I thought I was all good for this trip.
Anyway, down to only one suit I quickly called my fiancée to see if she could FedEx the missing suit pants to Minnesota so I could at least switch suits in Minnesota. But as I called her, I realized that Islanders play-by-play man Howie Rose stayed back on Long Island to celebrate his wife’s birthday. BTW, Happy Birthday Barbara!
By 11:00 PM last night, I texted Howie to see if he was still up. He was and more than willing to help me out. The pants were brought to his house early in the morning and packed with his luggage.
They’re now in Pittsburgh and don’t need to be ironed in case you were wondering.
So, to steal a line from the Beatles, I get by with a little help from Howie Rose. Thanks Rosey!
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
MORNING SKATE: Ducks at Isles
With the fresh faces up from Bridgeport, there will some changes tonight. Here are some notes from the morning skate…
- According to Ted Nolan, Bryan Berard and Marc-Andre Bergeron are out tonight and Aaron Johnson is in. Only six defensemen will dress.
- With that, don’t be surprised if you see Radek Martinek, Miroslav Satan and Brendan Witt getting power play time at the points. Said Nolan: “We need to put guys there that will get the puck through traffic and on net.”
- Richard Park (flu) is a game time decision. If he doesn’t go, Jeff Tambellini will skate on the left side of Josef Vasicek and Bill Guerin.
- With the chance of Teemu Selane making his season debut for Anaheim tonight, the Finnish media was in full force this morning. While in town, they also took the opportunity to talk to Sean Bergenheim.
- Mike Sillinger spoke to the media this morning about his hip injury. Greg Logan will have a more substantial report, but Silli said: a) He has battled through the injury since the beginning of December and b) He loves playing and wants to contribute, but at this point he can’t perform that he knows he can and that’s it better for some young guys to get an opportunity.
- If the match-up in goal is anything other than Rick DiPietro versus Jean-Sabastien Giguere, we’ll be surprised.
- According to Ted Nolan, Bryan Berard and Marc-Andre Bergeron are out tonight and Aaron Johnson is in. Only six defensemen will dress.
- With that, don’t be surprised if you see Radek Martinek, Miroslav Satan and Brendan Witt getting power play time at the points. Said Nolan: “We need to put guys there that will get the puck through traffic and on net.”
- Richard Park (flu) is a game time decision. If he doesn’t go, Jeff Tambellini will skate on the left side of Josef Vasicek and Bill Guerin.
- With the chance of Teemu Selane making his season debut for Anaheim tonight, the Finnish media was in full force this morning. While in town, they also took the opportunity to talk to Sean Bergenheim.
- Mike Sillinger spoke to the media this morning about his hip injury. Greg Logan will have a more substantial report, but Silli said: a) He has battled through the injury since the beginning of December and b) He loves playing and wants to contribute, but at this point he can’t perform that he knows he can and that’s it better for some young guys to get an opportunity.
- If the match-up in goal is anything other than Rick DiPietro versus Jean-Sabastien Giguere, we’ll be surprised.
Thursday, January 31, 2008
MORNING SKATE: Kings at Isles
The flu bug hasn’t hit the NYI Media Blog (yet, knock on wood..), so here are some notes from the morning skate…
- Wade Dubielewicz will get the start in net tonight. With Rick DiPietro getting over the flu, he’ll likely back-up tonight. For the Kings, expect Jason LaBarbera to start.
- Ruslan Fedotenko (flu) is very questionable/doubtful for tonight’s game. Andy Sutton (flu) will be a game-time decision. Every other skater, according to Ted Nolan, is healthy and able to play.
- Islanders assistant coach Gerard Gallant made his return to the team after battling through the stomach flu/virus.
- At 12:15, Islanders defenseman Bruno Gervais will be guest of Billy Jaffe on the radio show, NHL Live. You can find it on XM 204.
- Dan Rosen from NHL.com came to the skate this morning. Amongst the Islanders players he spoke to were Bill Guerin and Blake Comeau. Expect a feature on Comeau soon.
- Longtime Islanders radio analyst Chris King will take part in his 1,000th Islanders radio broadcast. That includes time as the engineer, intermission/post-game host and in-game duties. Congratulations, Kinger!
- Amongst the hot topics with the media this morning was Britney Spears being admitted for psychiatric treatment. Islanders radio play-by-play man Steve Mears admitted that her 2002 concert in Louisiana was the best concert he’s ever been to. Really Steve? Really? ...
- Wade Dubielewicz will get the start in net tonight. With Rick DiPietro getting over the flu, he’ll likely back-up tonight. For the Kings, expect Jason LaBarbera to start.
- Ruslan Fedotenko (flu) is very questionable/doubtful for tonight’s game. Andy Sutton (flu) will be a game-time decision. Every other skater, according to Ted Nolan, is healthy and able to play.
- Islanders assistant coach Gerard Gallant made his return to the team after battling through the stomach flu/virus.
- At 12:15, Islanders defenseman Bruno Gervais will be guest of Billy Jaffe on the radio show, NHL Live. You can find it on XM 204.
- Dan Rosen from NHL.com came to the skate this morning. Amongst the Islanders players he spoke to were Bill Guerin and Blake Comeau. Expect a feature on Comeau soon.
- Longtime Islanders radio analyst Chris King will take part in his 1,000th Islanders radio broadcast. That includes time as the engineer, intermission/post-game host and in-game duties. Congratulations, Kinger!
- Amongst the hot topics with the media this morning was Britney Spears being admitted for psychiatric treatment. Islanders radio play-by-play man Steve Mears admitted that her 2002 concert in Louisiana was the best concert he’s ever been to. Really Steve? Really? ...
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
MORNING SKATE: Sens at Isles
After a nice weekend off for everybody other than Rick and Chris Botta, the Islanders swing back into action tonight at the Coliseum versus the Ottawa Senators… Here are some notes from the morning skate.
- Rick DiPietro will be in goal for the Islanders and after missing practice yesterday, Ray Emery will take a back seat to starter Martin Gerber. DiPietro is 2-0-0 versus Ottawa this season and has a 1.44 GAA.
- Ted Nolan announced that Andy Sutton is under the weather and is a game-time decision. He did not specify if Bryan Berard or Aaron Johnson would go in his place if need be.
- Aside from the injured Dany Heatley, Patrick Eaves looks to be a scratch for the Sens along with Cody Bass. Nick Foligno has been recalled by Ottawa for tonight's game.
- Former Senator Mike Comrie enters tonight’s game two points away from 300 in his NHL career. In the first three games of the season series, Comrie has a goal and two assists versus Ottawa.
- Newsday’s Greg Logan is off until Friday, so Mark Herrmann is covering for them tonight.
- Rick DiPietro will be in goal for the Islanders and after missing practice yesterday, Ray Emery will take a back seat to starter Martin Gerber. DiPietro is 2-0-0 versus Ottawa this season and has a 1.44 GAA.
- Ted Nolan announced that Andy Sutton is under the weather and is a game-time decision. He did not specify if Bryan Berard or Aaron Johnson would go in his place if need be.
- Aside from the injured Dany Heatley, Patrick Eaves looks to be a scratch for the Sens along with Cody Bass. Nick Foligno has been recalled by Ottawa for tonight's game.
- Former Senator Mike Comrie enters tonight’s game two points away from 300 in his NHL career. In the first three games of the season series, Comrie has a goal and two assists versus Ottawa.
- Newsday’s Greg Logan is off until Friday, so Mark Herrmann is covering for them tonight.
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
MORNING SKATE: Habs at Isles
The Islanders are back at home tonight at the Coliseum to take on the Montreal Canadiens. Here are some notes from the morning skate…
- Ted Nolan told the media that Ruslan Fedotenko is fine and will be in the lineup tonight after taking a blow to the head in Ottawa.
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- Is No. 8 No. 1? With injuries to Brendan Witt and Radek Martinek (the team’s top two defensemen), Nolan praised the play of Bruno Gervais by calling him the team’s best defenseman over the past few games. Nolan’s trust in Bruno definitely shows on the ice.
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- With tonight’s game being broadcasted nationally on Versus, Joe Beninati was speaking to Rick DiPietro following the skate. He asked Rick how many sets of pads he goes through in a season thinking it was three or four, but was shocked when Rick said “Between 25 and 30”. Responded Joe: “30! Wow!” Rick apparently doesn’t like it when the pads get too worn in a broken down.
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Beninati, who calls the play-by-play action for the Washington Capitals, will be joined in the broadcast booth by Eddie Olczyk. Rounding out the three-man crew will be the Islanders own Billy Jaffe, who will be their roving reporter tonight.
This is some nice vacation for Howie Rose, but if there is anyone in this business who deserves a break every once in a while, it’s him. If you think about it, between the Mets and Islanders, he hardly gets a break! We miss you, Howie!
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The match-up in goal tonight is Rick DiPietro for the Islanders and Christobal Huet for the Canadiens.
- Ted Nolan told the media that Ruslan Fedotenko is fine and will be in the lineup tonight after taking a blow to the head in Ottawa.
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- Is No. 8 No. 1? With injuries to Brendan Witt and Radek Martinek (the team’s top two defensemen), Nolan praised the play of Bruno Gervais by calling him the team’s best defenseman over the past few games. Nolan’s trust in Bruno definitely shows on the ice.
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- With tonight’s game being broadcasted nationally on Versus, Joe Beninati was speaking to Rick DiPietro following the skate. He asked Rick how many sets of pads he goes through in a season thinking it was three or four, but was shocked when Rick said “Between 25 and 30”. Responded Joe: “30! Wow!” Rick apparently doesn’t like it when the pads get too worn in a broken down.
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Beninati, who calls the play-by-play action for the Washington Capitals, will be joined in the broadcast booth by Eddie Olczyk. Rounding out the three-man crew will be the Islanders own Billy Jaffe, who will be their roving reporter tonight.
This is some nice vacation for Howie Rose, but if there is anyone in this business who deserves a break every once in a while, it’s him. If you think about it, between the Mets and Islanders, he hardly gets a break! We miss you, Howie!
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The match-up in goal tonight is Rick DiPietro for the Islanders and Christobal Huet for the Canadiens.
Sunday, January 13, 2008
ROAD TRIP BLOG: Day 10 / Isles at Sens
Sunday, January 13
After a day away from the rink yesterday, the Islanders got back on the ice this morning with a mandatory morning skate. Here are some notes…
- The match-up in goal tonight looks to be Rick DiPietro versus Martin Gerber, who did not start last night for Ottawa.
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- Ted Nolan announced that Islanders winger Miroslav Satan will be back in the lineup tonight after missing one game with a sprained knee. That means Jeff Tambellini will be returned to Bridgeport.
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- Nolan also announced that Brendan Witt will miss tonight’s game. While talking about his defense pairings, Nolan credited Freddy Meyer as his most reliable defenseman over the past few games.
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- Although Ottawa had an optional skate, their players were still available to the media. It was confirmed that Dany Heatley will be out four-to-six weeks with a separated shoulder. When told of this news by the Ottawa media and asked if this makes Ottawa a less dangerous team, Nolan replied: “No, they still have Jason Spezza, Daniel Aldfredsson and a lot of talented guys.”
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I’ll check in tomorrow with some final thoughts of the road trip.
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Total miles traveled so far: About 6,467
Miles to be traveled tonight: 390
Friday, January 11, 2008
ROAD TRIP BLOG: Day 7/8 / Isles at Flames
Friday, January 11
The Islanders are still in Calgary as the play the Flames tonight.
Here are some notes.
The match-up in net will be Rick DiPietro versus Mikka Kiprusoff. And if you thought Wade Dubielewicz played in so few games, Flames back up Curtis McElhinney has only played in four this season for a total of 131 minutes.
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The Calgary media was shocked that Rick would speak to the media on the morning of the game, which is something that he does often if requested ahead of time. Not only were they appreciative, they were very complimentary as well as most goalies in the NHL don’t go anywhere near a mic on the morning of a game. Rick is an All-Star, All-Ways.
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According to Wade Dubielewicz, and we don’t have any reason not to believe him, Calgary is actually closer to his Invermere, BC home then Vancouver was. So he’ll have plenty of friends and family at the game tonight. Current total is 44, but we could see that number go up.
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Miroslav Satan is a game-time decision after receiving some bumps and bruises after a crushing third period hit in Vancouver. If he can’t go, Ted Nolan said the team will go with seven defensemen with Bryan Berard being inserted back into the lineup.
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Flames forward Eric Nystrom – yes, that one – is out for tonight after suffering facial injuries a game ago. According to the Flame’s Mike Keenan, it was a doctor’s decision.
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Islanders GM Garth Snow sat down the Fan 960’s Rob Kerr this morning for a radio interview. At around 6:20 PM tonight, fans can log onto their website (click here) to listen to it. Islanders TV will also have a copy of the interview at a later time as well.
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Miles traveled so far: About 4,266
Miles to be traveled tonight: 2,208
Oy!!!
The Islanders are still in Calgary as the play the Flames tonight.
Here are some notes.
The match-up in net will be Rick DiPietro versus Mikka Kiprusoff. And if you thought Wade Dubielewicz played in so few games, Flames back up Curtis McElhinney has only played in four this season for a total of 131 minutes.
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The Calgary media was shocked that Rick would speak to the media on the morning of the game, which is something that he does often if requested ahead of time. Not only were they appreciative, they were very complimentary as well as most goalies in the NHL don’t go anywhere near a mic on the morning of a game. Rick is an All-Star, All-Ways.
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According to Wade Dubielewicz, and we don’t have any reason not to believe him, Calgary is actually closer to his Invermere, BC home then Vancouver was. So he’ll have plenty of friends and family at the game tonight. Current total is 44, but we could see that number go up.
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Miroslav Satan is a game-time decision after receiving some bumps and bruises after a crushing third period hit in Vancouver. If he can’t go, Ted Nolan said the team will go with seven defensemen with Bryan Berard being inserted back into the lineup.
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Flames forward Eric Nystrom – yes, that one – is out for tonight after suffering facial injuries a game ago. According to the Flame’s Mike Keenan, it was a doctor’s decision.
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Islanders GM Garth Snow sat down the Fan 960’s Rob Kerr this morning for a radio interview. At around 6:20 PM tonight, fans can log onto their website (click here) to listen to it. Islanders TV will also have a copy of the interview at a later time as well.
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Miles traveled so far: About 4,266
Miles to be traveled tonight: 2,208
Oy!!!
Monday, January 7, 2008
ROAD TRIP BLOG: Day 4 / Isles at Oilers
Monday, January 7
As a heat-wave hits Edmonton (the temperature is around freezing), the Islanders take on the Oilers tonight. Here are some notes…
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The Islanders will use the same lineup tonight with Bryan Berard as the healthy scratch. Former Islanders prospect Robert Nilsson looks to be a healthy scratch for Edmonton tonight. Raffi Torres, another former Islanders prospect, is out and it was announced today that he will undergo season-ending knee surgery.
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The goaltending match-up is Rick DiPietro versus Mathieu Garon.
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This is Marc-Andre Bergeron’s first trip back to Edmonton since the trade that brought him to the Island last season. Literally, his first time back. He said he didn’t even come back to sell his house over the summer. He said: “It feels a little weird.”
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Bergeron jokingly asked an Edmonton writer if he will be booed tonight. The writer said: “Edmonton fans treat home and visiting players alike… They boo everyone!”
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It really felt like we were in Toronto or Montreal with the media this morning. I asked an Edmonton journalist this morning how many media members would be here today and he said “a few camera and a handful of writers. Not too many” Well, it was more like ten cameras, ten writers and a bunch of radio guys. Talk about being in a fishbowl. Sorry Ted, MC and Berger!
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Miles traveled so far: About 2,836
Miles to be traveled tonight from Edmonton to Vancouver: 773
As a heat-wave hits Edmonton (the temperature is around freezing), the Islanders take on the Oilers tonight. Here are some notes…
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The Islanders will use the same lineup tonight with Bryan Berard as the healthy scratch. Former Islanders prospect Robert Nilsson looks to be a healthy scratch for Edmonton tonight. Raffi Torres, another former Islanders prospect, is out and it was announced today that he will undergo season-ending knee surgery.
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The goaltending match-up is Rick DiPietro versus Mathieu Garon.
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This is Marc-Andre Bergeron’s first trip back to Edmonton since the trade that brought him to the Island last season. Literally, his first time back. He said he didn’t even come back to sell his house over the summer. He said: “It feels a little weird.”
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Bergeron jokingly asked an Edmonton writer if he will be booed tonight. The writer said: “Edmonton fans treat home and visiting players alike… They boo everyone!”
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It really felt like we were in Toronto or Montreal with the media this morning. I asked an Edmonton journalist this morning how many media members would be here today and he said “a few camera and a handful of writers. Not too many” Well, it was more like ten cameras, ten writers and a bunch of radio guys. Talk about being in a fishbowl. Sorry Ted, MC and Berger!
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Miles traveled so far: About 2,836
Miles to be traveled tonight from Edmonton to Vancouver: 773
Thursday, January 3, 2008
MORNING SKATE: Panthers at Isles
Here’s the round-up from today’s morning skate at the Coliseum…
The probable match-up in goal tonight is Rick DiPietro for the Islanders and Craig Anderson for the Panthers. Anderson was one of two Panthers to skate this morning and it didn’t look like it was because the other skater needed someone to shoot at.
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DiPietro is thinking about wearing a new set of pads tonight. The weird thing is, is that they are all white.
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Other than the addition of DiPietro and Mike Sillinger (and the subtraction of Joey MacDonald and Ben Walter), the Islanders will go with the same lineup tonight.
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Panthers’ broadcaster Denis Potvin was seen walking the hallways this morning as well. It looked like he was filming something for FSN Florida by the Islanders Hall of Fame wall mural outside the team’s locker room. Looked like a neat piece and we’ll try to get a copy of it for Islanders TV.
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Richard Park will be named the Sharp Player of the Month prior to tonight’s game.
The probable match-up in goal tonight is Rick DiPietro for the Islanders and Craig Anderson for the Panthers. Anderson was one of two Panthers to skate this morning and it didn’t look like it was because the other skater needed someone to shoot at.
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DiPietro is thinking about wearing a new set of pads tonight. The weird thing is, is that they are all white.
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Other than the addition of DiPietro and Mike Sillinger (and the subtraction of Joey MacDonald and Ben Walter), the Islanders will go with the same lineup tonight.
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Panthers’ broadcaster Denis Potvin was seen walking the hallways this morning as well. It looked like he was filming something for FSN Florida by the Islanders Hall of Fame wall mural outside the team’s locker room. Looked like a neat piece and we’ll try to get a copy of it for Islanders TV.
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Richard Park will be named the Sharp Player of the Month prior to tonight’s game.
Saturday, December 29, 2007
MORNING SKATE: Devs at Isles
Just some quick notes to pass along from this morning’s morning skate at the Coliseum:
Ruslan Fedotenko, Aaron Johnson and Rick DiPietro skated this morning. Tank is a go for tonight and said his hand injury isn’t going to bother him at all. Ted Nolan announced that Rick will be a game-time decision.
This was Johnson’s first full-skate with the team since his knee injury sidelines him over a month a go. He said he felt good and that it was good to get back on the ice with the boys. He skated on his own the past few days.
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Blake Comeau is fine after taking an inadvertent stick to the eye yesterday at practice. He said his contact got knocked out of his eye, but that he’s fine.
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No surprise here, Martin Brodeur will start for the Devils. He has 38-19-4 career record versus the Islanders.
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Coming off a 2-1 shootout victory over the Buffalo Sabres last night, the Devils only skated five players today.
Ruslan Fedotenko, Aaron Johnson and Rick DiPietro skated this morning. Tank is a go for tonight and said his hand injury isn’t going to bother him at all. Ted Nolan announced that Rick will be a game-time decision.
This was Johnson’s first full-skate with the team since his knee injury sidelines him over a month a go. He said he felt good and that it was good to get back on the ice with the boys. He skated on his own the past few days.
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Blake Comeau is fine after taking an inadvertent stick to the eye yesterday at practice. He said his contact got knocked out of his eye, but that he’s fine.
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No surprise here, Martin Brodeur will start for the Devils. He has 38-19-4 career record versus the Islanders.
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Coming off a 2-1 shootout victory over the Buffalo Sabres last night, the Devils only skated five players today.
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
MORNING SKATE: Leafs at Isles
Along with the much anticipated return of Jason Blake to the Nassau Coliseum was the return of the Toronto Media. You gotta love those guys… And there’s not a good media relations person in the NHL who wouldn’t like to have the headache that comes along with working with that many reporters if it meant that much more coverage for their team. But I digress…
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Even the New York media came out for the morning skate for a chance to catch up with Blakey. I believe Mark Herrmann is writing a separate column on his return for tomorrow’s Newsday. Jason was in good spirits this morning when we caught up. The last time I saw him smile like that was after the trade deadline has passed last February. Let’s just hope he keeps the first period hat trick in the bag tonight.
After coaching him for a season, how does Ted Nolan plan on to defending the speedster from Minnesota? “We’ll play him tight because you know he’ll be flying around the ice tonight.”
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Rick DiPietro will be the Islanders’ goaltender tonight and according to the (radio) Voice of the Islanders (Steve Mears), Andrew Raycroft will be in net for the Leafs. Razor’s last game was back on November 24 at Phoenix. He was also in net for the 8-1 Leafs victory over the Islanders back in October.
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The Coliseum really needs to look into getting better glass behind the nets. An unknown Leaf punched a nice sized hole out of a pane of glass which was in the same place as the one that Marc-Andre Bergeron broke last week.
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If fans see a much younger Sean Bergenheim look-a-like tonight in the stands, it’s his brother. Now we know was Sean looked like about 10 or so years ago.
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Even the New York media came out for the morning skate for a chance to catch up with Blakey. I believe Mark Herrmann is writing a separate column on his return for tomorrow’s Newsday. Jason was in good spirits this morning when we caught up. The last time I saw him smile like that was after the trade deadline has passed last February. Let’s just hope he keeps the first period hat trick in the bag tonight.
After coaching him for a season, how does Ted Nolan plan on to defending the speedster from Minnesota? “We’ll play him tight because you know he’ll be flying around the ice tonight.”
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Rick DiPietro will be the Islanders’ goaltender tonight and according to the (radio) Voice of the Islanders (Steve Mears), Andrew Raycroft will be in net for the Leafs. Razor’s last game was back on November 24 at Phoenix. He was also in net for the 8-1 Leafs victory over the Islanders back in October.
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The Coliseum really needs to look into getting better glass behind the nets. An unknown Leaf punched a nice sized hole out of a pane of glass which was in the same place as the one that Marc-Andre Bergeron broke last week.
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If fans see a much younger Sean Bergenheim look-a-like tonight in the stands, it’s his brother. Now we know was Sean looked like about 10 or so years ago.
Saturday, December 22, 2007
MORNING SKATE: Caps at Isles
Not a lot went on this morning for the Islanders. With only three members of the Orange and Blue skating, a Washington Capitals coach said: “Well, this is one of the lightest morning skates you’ll ever see.”
Same lineup and line combinations for tonight’s game for the Islanders.
Marc-Andre Bergeron broke yet another pane of glass at the Coliseum. The scary thing about it is that it didn’t even look like it was off one of his hardest shots.
Rick DiPietro versus Olie Kolzig looks to be the match-up in net tonight. Olie the Goalie is 26-10-2-0 all-time versus the Islanders. He picked up a lot of the wins when the Capitals were rolling off victories against the Islanders for many years. But recently the luck has started to turn as DiPietro is 7-3-0-1 lifetime versus the Caps. Rick’s GAA against Washington? 1.99.
All children 14 and under will receive a secret holiday gift courtesy of the Islanders Children’s Foundation when they enter the Coliseum for tonight’s game.
Same lineup and line combinations for tonight’s game for the Islanders.
Marc-Andre Bergeron broke yet another pane of glass at the Coliseum. The scary thing about it is that it didn’t even look like it was off one of his hardest shots.
Rick DiPietro versus Olie Kolzig looks to be the match-up in net tonight. Olie the Goalie is 26-10-2-0 all-time versus the Islanders. He picked up a lot of the wins when the Capitals were rolling off victories against the Islanders for many years. But recently the luck has started to turn as DiPietro is 7-3-0-1 lifetime versus the Caps. Rick’s GAA against Washington? 1.99.
All children 14 and under will receive a secret holiday gift courtesy of the Islanders Children’s Foundation when they enter the Coliseum for tonight’s game.
Monday, September 24, 2007
GAME: Post-Game Thoughts
Wow, what a game. It certainly doesn’t get any better than this for a pre-season tilt. It had everything a fan can ask for.
What heart the Islanders showed tonight. In a fight-filled game, everyone had each others back and it showed in the comeback victory.
Here’s my favorite quote from the post-game scrums… It was Rick DiPietro talking about his fight.
“If I see someone jump one of my teammates, I’m going to stand up for them. We’re one team and we have each others backs.”
Ted Nolan echoed that too and you could really see this Islanders team stand together and fight the battles. Not just with the gloves off, but on the penalty kill, on the power play and when the dirty work needed to get done.
I gotta think that this will be a common theme this season, which should make it great.
What heart the Islanders showed tonight. In a fight-filled game, everyone had each others back and it showed in the comeback victory.
Here’s my favorite quote from the post-game scrums… It was Rick DiPietro talking about his fight.
“If I see someone jump one of my teammates, I’m going to stand up for them. We’re one team and we have each others backs.”
Ted Nolan echoed that too and you could really see this Islanders team stand together and fight the battles. Not just with the gloves off, but on the penalty kill, on the power play and when the dirty work needed to get done.
I gotta think that this will be a common theme this season, which should make it great.
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