Welcome to the NYIslesScene!

A blog by a long time New York Islanders fan who stays true to the fellas wearing orange, white and blue…but thinks the Islanders organization has some shaping up to do.



Islanders 2014-15 Season Mantra

Try not. Do...or do not.

~Yoda


Thursday, July 17, 2008

What Went Wrong... And What Must Be Made Right

The Ted Nolan epoch came to an abrupt end earlier this week, as coach and general manager Garth Snow parted ways just as we started to wonder what on earth was going on with our team. The "mutual decision" for Nolan to depart came after a flurry of speculation about the head coach's job security was raised among fans and sportswriters alike.

Over two seasons with the Islanders, Nolan achieved a record of 74-68-21. In 2006-07, he proved he can still coach after a nine-year absence from the NHL, taking his team from a projected last-place finish in the league before the puck was even dropped, to a playoff berth in the Eastern Conference. Granted, it was a last-minute clinch, and only for the No. 8 seed, but that kind of overachievement was unexpected of this team of grizzled veterans and overlooked players. The Isles would lose in five games to the No.1 seeded Buffalo Sabres (coincidentally, the team Nolan used to coach), but they recaptured attention as a passionate, overachieving and determined hockey club.

2007-08 would bring a buyout of Alexei Yashin, a new group of veterans- among them current captain Bill Guerin- and what the organization hoped would be a repeat of last year's late-season success. But instead, Ted Nolan's second year as Isles coach brought a low in season wins (35), goals per game (2.3), an inept power play and, from midseason to the end, a steady loss of control over the players, particularly the very veterans Nolan loves to coach. No playoff berth resulted, and the Isles were left with a depleted roster and a sense of disillusion as the season ended. And now, in the offseason, a prolonged rift between Nolan and Snow resulted in the former becoming an ex-Isle, to the disappointment and, for some, resignation of fans on the Island.

The problems lie on both sides, with everyone held accountable. Nolan is what they call a "player's coach" - loyal to his players, able to work with them and get the most out of them by being a teacher, not a screamer. However, where other players might have responded by working hard and skating through walls for their coach, some of the players on the Islanders responded by not giving their all to the winning cause. It took Nolan a few losses in a row to start getting tough with these guys and running them into the ground accordingly, every time they took a shift off or spent more time running a sideshow on the ice with opposing players instead of playing the game. Plus, his goaltending decisions were suspect in the last half of the season; instead of benching an obviously injured Rick DiPietro in favor of Wade Dubielewicz, Nolan deliberated and allowed DP to play three or four more games injured before pulling the plug, a move that made a potentially fixable situation that much worse. And of course, his outspoken comments with the media, about players in particular, had gotten him into trouble as well.

Of course, organizational moves have also been part of the problem. Nolan was never given the kind of team that he would have liked to work with from the getgo, and skill is still an issue with the team as of yet. Hard work aside, the Isles lack the talent needed in this new NHL not only to clinch a playoff berth but to win a playoff series, even if no one had ever been injured between October 5 and April 4.

The issue was hardly ever addressed by either Snow or Nolan. In this feud, the sides were clear: Nolan wanted vets, Snow wanted a youth movement. Neither side could in itself satisfy the Isles' desperate need for talent, a need that has afflicted them for years and what neither took into consideration when they decided to go their separate ways. It's hard to say, but it's true; unless they realize that, the Isles organization will remain one without a chance of making the Cup Finals, and if and when they do, it'll be years before a talented team makes the playoffs once again for Long Island.

It took me longer than usual to write this blog post, only because I needed the time and focus to find just the words to describe what went wrong here. I needed direction in order to keep from ranting, and apparently the same has happened with the organization of my favorite hockey team. Direction is something the Isles sorely need as of right now, when a youth movement has shown signs of being established. And as the search for a new head coach begins, here's to hoping it'll be someone on board for a season- or a few- of rebuilding.

2008-09 Islanders Schedule Released

link- http://www.nhl.com/nhl/app
Fri Oct 10, 2008
Islanders
Devils
7:00 PM ET

Sat Oct 11, 2008
Blues
Islanders
7:00 PM ET

Mon Oct 13, 2008
Sabres
Islanders
2:00 PM ET

Thu Oct 16, 2008
Islanders
Lightning
7:30 PM ET

Sat Oct 18, 2008
Islanders
Panthers
7:00 PM ET

Thu Oct 23, 2008
Stars
Islanders
7:00 PM ET

Sat Oct 25, 2008
Hurricanes
Islanders
7:00 PM ET

Mon Oct 27, 2008
Rangers
Islanders
7:00 PM ET

Thu Oct 30, 2008
Islanders
Flyers
7:00 PM ET

Sat Nov 1, 2008
Canadiens
Islanders
7:00 PM ET

Mon Nov 3, 2008
Blue Jackets
Islanders
7:00 PM ET

Tue Nov 4, 2008
Islanders
Rangers
7:00 PM ET

Thu Nov 6, 2008
Islanders
Thrashers
7:00 PM ET

Sat Nov 8, 2008
Penguins
Islanders
7:00 PM ET

Tue Nov 11, 2008
Flyers
Islanders
2:00 PM ET

Thu Nov 13, 2008
Islanders
Senators
7:30 PM ET

Sat Nov 15, 2008
Senators
Islanders
7:00 PM ET

Mon Nov 17, 2008
Canucks
Islanders
7:00 PM ET

Fri Nov 21, 2008
Islanders
Devils
7:00 PM ET

Sat Nov 22, 2008
Islanders
Sabres
7:00 PM ET

Mon Nov 24, 2008
Islanders
Canadiens
7:30 PM ET

Wed Nov 26, 2008
Penguins
Islanders
7:00 PM ET

Fri Nov 28, 2008
Islanders
Bruins
12:00 PM ET

Sat Nov 29, 2008
Senators
Islanders
7:00 PM ET

Thu Dec 4, 2008
Islanders
Capitals
7:00 PM ET

Sat Dec 6, 2008
Thrashers
Islanders
7:00 PM ET

Mon Dec 8, 2008
Islanders
Maple Leafs
7:30 PM ET

Tue Dec 9, 2008
Islanders
Flyers
7:00 PM ET

Thu Dec 11, 2008
Islanders
Penguins
7:30 PM ET

Sat Dec 13, 2008
Islanders
Blue Jackets
7:00 PM ET

Tue Dec 16, 2008
Capitals
Islanders
7:00 PM ET

Fri Dec 19, 2008
Islanders
Wild
8:00 PM ET
7:00 PM CT

Sat Dec 20, 2008
Islanders
Predators
8:00 PM ET
7:00 PM CT

Tue Dec 23, 2008
Thrashers
Islanders
7:00 PM ET

Fri Dec 26, 2008
Maple Leafs
Islanders
7:00 PM ET

Sat Dec 27, 2008
Islanders
Sabres
7:00 PM ET

Mon Dec 29, 2008
Islanders
Rangers
7:00 PM ET

Wed Dec 31, 2008
Panthers
Islanders
2:00 PM ET

Fri Jan 2, 2009
Islanders
Coyotes
9:00 PM ET
7:00 PM MST

Sat Jan 3, 2009
Islanders
Sharks
10:30 PM ET
7:30 PM PT

Mon Jan 5, 2009
Islanders
Oilers
9:00 PM ET
7:00 PM MT

Thu Jan 8, 2009
Islanders
Flames
9:00 PM ET
7:00 PM MT

Tue Jan 13, 2009
Rangers
Islanders
7:00 PM ET

Thu Jan 15, 2009
Bruins
Islanders
7:00 PM ET

Sat Jan 17, 2009
Devils
Islanders
7:00 PM ET

Mon Jan 19, 2009
Capitals
Islanders
2:00 PM ET

Wed Jan 21, 2009
Ducks
Islanders
7:00 PM ET

Thu Jan 29, 2009
Islanders
Thrashers
7:00 PM ET

Sat Jan 31, 2009
Panthers
Islanders
7:00 PM ET

Tue Feb 3, 2009
Lightning
Islanders
7:00 PM ET

Thu Feb 5, 2009
Islanders
Panthers
7:30 PM ET

Sat Feb 7, 2009
Islanders
Lightning
7:30 PM ET

Tue Feb 10, 2009
Kings
Islanders
7:00 PM ET

Wed Feb 11, 2009
Islanders
Devils
7:00 PM ET

Sat Feb 14, 2009
Islanders
Flyers
1:00 PM ET

Mon Feb 16, 2009
Penguins
Islanders
2:00 PM ET

Wed Feb 18, 2009
Islanders
Rangers
7:00 PM ET

Thu Feb 19, 2009
Hurricanes
Islanders
7:00 PM ET

Sat Feb 21, 2009
Devils
Islanders
7:00 PM ET

Wed Feb 25, 2009
Islanders
Penguins
7:30 PM ET

Thu Feb 26, 2009
Maple Leafs
Islanders
7:00 PM ET

Sat Feb 28, 2009
Sabres
Islanders
7:00 PM ET

Mon Mar 2, 2009
Avalanche
Islanders
7:00 PM ET

Thu Mar 5, 2009
Rangers
Islanders
7:00 PM ET

Sat Mar 7, 2009
Devils
Islanders
2:00 PM ET

Sun Mar 8, 2009
Coyotes
Islanders
3:00 PM ET

Tue Mar 10, 2009
Islanders
Maple Leafs
7:30 PM ET

Thu Mar 12, 2009
Islanders
Canadiens
7:30 PM ET

Sat Mar 14, 2009
Islanders
Bruins
1:00 PM ET

Sun Mar 15, 2009
Islanders
Blackhawks
3:00 PM ET
2:00 PM CT

Fri Mar 20, 2009
Islanders
Hurricanes
7:00 PM ET

Sat Mar 21, 2009
Islanders
Senators
7:00 PM ET

Wed Mar 25, 2009
Wild
Islanders
7:00 PM ET

Fri Mar 27, 2009
Islanders
Red Wings
7:30 PM ET

Sat Mar 28, 2009
Flyers
Islanders
7:00 PM ET

Wed Apr 1, 2009
Islanders
Capitals
7:00 PM ET

Thu Apr 2, 2009
Canadiens
Islanders
7:00 PM ET

Sat Apr 4, 2009
Lightning
Islanders
7:00 PM ET

Tue Apr 7, 2009
Islanders
Hurricanes
7:00 PM ET

Thu Apr 9, 2009
Islanders
Penguins
7:30 PM ET

Sat Apr 11, 2009
Flyers
Islanders
2:00 PM ET

Sun Apr 12, 2009
Bruins
Islanders
5:00 PM ET

NOTE: Home teams are the second team listed with each date.

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Bergenheim, Tambellini On the Island For a While

Two young wingers are staying on the Island.

Sean Bergenheim, fresh from firing his agents, and Jeff Tambellini, who is finally on the Isle to stay, inked two year-contracts with the team.

Ben Walter and Jeremy Colliton also accepted their qualifying offers with the team, putting Garth Snow's youth movement into full swing.

link- http://islanders.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=NewsPage&articleid=368552

http://islanders.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=NewsPage&articleid=368510

Monday, July 14, 2008

Ted Nolan No Longer Coach on the Island

Ted Nolan and Garth Snow, after a prolonged rift over the state of the Islanders, have decided to part ways, according to Greg Logan.

link- http://www.newsday.com/sports/hockey/islanders/ny-spisles0715,0,3241479.story

Further discussion on this subject will come in a later post.

Saturday, July 12, 2008

Bergenheim Fires Agents As Arbitration Draws Near

Sean Bergenheim has apparently had it with his agents, Mark Gandler and Todd Diamond. Greg Logan reports that the restricted free agent, set to take the Isles to arbitration, has fired them and started negotiations that might avert the upcoming hearing. No doubt fans will be happy with this news, as it may be more likely now that a long-term deal will be reached. Some fans say that a 3 or 5-year deal would be perfect for the speedy, physical young winger who has gained support fast on the Island.

link- http://weblogs.newsday.com/sports/hockey/islanders/blog/

Friday, July 11, 2008

Charles Wang to Sell Dragons To "Focus on Islanders"

After eight years, Charles Wang is parting ways with the AFL's New York Dragons, according to Newsday's Greg Logan. Steven Silva and his investment group will now control the team, which will remain based in Nassau Coliseum but separate from the Islanders, who Wang now says he wishes to put more focus on.

link- http://www.newsday.com/sports/football/dragons/ny-spdragons0710,0,4001508.story

Wednesday, July 9, 2008

Brendan Witt Re-Ups for Two More Years

The New York Islanders have retained a key component of their blueline for two more years.

Brendan Witt has received a contract extension worth $6 million over two years, set to expire in 2010-11. As a veteran, alternate captain and one of the top defensemen on the Islanders, the fan favorite originally had a three-year contract to expire after 2008-09, but the move to extend his stay on the Island shows that Witter wants to stay and be part of the process to restore the Isles back to glory. Garth Snow has made a great move to keep him here, and no doubt Witt will shine again for us and be the warrior he has been for two years as an Isle.


link- http://islanders.nhl.com/team/app?articleid=368046&page=NewsPage&service=page

Friday, July 4, 2008

Comings and Goings on the Island

As the free agency period continues, and as every other team- especially the Rangers- collect the available players in the pool, the Isles have made somewhat less flashy signings, and have lost more players.

First, the additions:

From Montreal, defenseman Mark Streit has signed a five-year. $20.5 million deal with the Islanders. Although not the most powerful player defensively, he does possess the prowess on the PP that the Isles had hoped to receive from Bryan Berard (however, while BB didn't exactly carry through on that promise, he did provide some sick checks). Last year with Montreal, he scored 13 goals and tallied 49 assists, a total of 62 points (tied with Brian Campbell, who signed with Chicago for eight years).

link-http://weblogs.newsday.com/sports/hockey/islanders/blog/

The Islanders also signed center Doug Weight to a one-year, $1.75 million deal. At 37 years of age, perhaps it goes against the proposed "youth movement" that compelled Garth Snow to let go of goaltender Wade Dubielewicz, but his veteran presence will provide guidance to the younger players, without a doubt. Plus he has experience in the Stanley Cup Finals, having won the Cup with Carolina in 2006. link-http://nyipointblank.blogspot.com/2008/07/weight-is-over.html

As for the goings, both Ruslan Fedotenko and Miroslav Satan, two considerably older players, have both signed one-year deals with Pittsburgh, who has lost Marian Hossa and Jarkko Ruutu, among other players. Fedotenko, although promising in the beginning of the 2007-08 season, had not been producing much nearer to the end of it, and while Satan had long been a shootout specialist, his own scoring streaks were of little help to the Isles when it came to the playoff push. Here's to them both faring well with the Penguins.

Other notes: Other than Wade Dubielewicz, Jaromir Jagr has also signed in Russia, with Avangard Omsk for two years at a whopping $17.5 million per year, as per ESPN, but the Rangers have very little to complain about, as they have added Markus Naslund to their ever-burgeoning All-Star lineup as well as defenseman Dmitri Kalinin... enforcer Eric Godard has also signed with Pittsburgh, as per TSN... Georges Laraque has signed a 3 year, $4.5M deal with the Habs according to ESPN.