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


Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Oh Captain... Our Captain?

Now that yet another head of the ship has set sail for greener pastures- this one being Bill Guerin, who allowed for a trade to the Pittsburgh Penguins just before the deadline last season- there's a vacancy in the captain's quarters for the New York Islanders, and one that can be filled by one of three people, in my opinion.

If you look at this poll on Islander Mania (members only, please) http://forums.newyorkislanders.com/index.php?showtopic=21135 you can see that the fans' choice, by quite a few votes, is defenseman Mark Streit. Streit is arguably the best player on the team and one of the best offensive defensemen in the league. He was also captain of the Swiss national team in the World Championships and has shown leadership ability, as well as a way with younger players on the blueline which is particularly evident in the late-season development of Bruno Gervais. Before Chris Campoli (Streit's former D-mate) was traded, Bruno was struggling with injury and with some inconsistency. Once some vacancies on D were created, however, and Gervais was able to get some time with Mark, you could tell that it suited him- he jumped into the play more often and also improved significantly in his defensive play. That kind of influence shouldn't be ignored.

Also a viable candidate for captain is another defenseman, Brendan Witt. Witt was a co-captain when he played for the Washington Capitals, and though sometimes one to move more to the beat of his own drum, he does have charisma, admirable spirit and love for the game. The one thing that counts against him is the fact that he may clash more with the coaching staff, at least if you want to hold against him the remarks he made last season concerning Scott Gordon's "Overspeed" system. All of that aside, I do think Witt could be another good choice for the captaincy.

Doug Weight, a center, would be a surprise choice- or rather, one that wouldn't make sense seeing as he's only got one more year on his contract and is likely trade bait, meaning he stands a good chance at getting the "C." :) In all seriousness, however, were he to stay a few more years, he would most likely be my pick- he leads by example, he's charismatic, he's good with the younger players and has the experience in the playoffs and the Cup to lead a team. Still, with the length of his deal I highly doubt this would be the right pick for captain. Streit's got four more years on his contract and is probably not going to get traded either.

Another option would be to just withhold the C until a point in the season where someone steps up and shows that they have what it takes to be a leader. This would be a good move- it pushes everyone to contribute and doesn't let any blame fall on one person. However, we shall see what happens when training camp starts in the fall. Whoever it may be... God speed.

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Look Who's Alive!

Yes, everyone, I have been resurrected! Or at least, my desktop computer has been, after being listed as comatose for quite some time. Turns out that funny little problem with the blue screen and dumping memory and all was the keyboard software we'd installed. Well, new keyboard, different mouse, and we're good to go.

Here's what's happened on the Island since my computer fell out:

  • Marty Biron signed!! Wow, who saw this coming? Unfortunately, this news is bittersweet: we are now guaranteed two No.1 goalies (along with Roloson), but this could spell the beginning of the end for former No.1 Rick DiPietro, newly married and still getting over surgery (as it seems).
  • The Islanders agree to terms with Blake Comeau (two years) and Jack Hillen (also two years). Comeau is also seen around LI a lot with Kyle Okposo. Seriously, every time I turn around I see on Twitter, "Comeau and Okposo..." Though that does make for a cute hockey bro-mance.
  • There's been an awful lot of talk regarding the Lighthouse, most recently culminating in a "Just Build It!" rally and a public hearing yesterday. Everyone was heard, including owner Charles Wang, NHL commissioner (and self-proclaimed Long Islander) Gary Bettman, former players Mike Bossy and Bobby Nystrom, bloggers and supporters of the project, and the Garden City property owners who oppose it. I won't say much on the subject because as you may know, I was ill-informed with only my phone for info (thank goodness for Twitter device updates!)but I will say this: Think long and hard about what this means for Long Island, Isles fans. It's much more than just keeping the team here. :)

There has been a lot more, but I think it's best to just cover the most important points- our holes in goal patched up (for now), and our future taken care of- perhaps in more ways than one? Only time will tell, as they say. For now, all that remains is to say...

LET'S GO ISLANDERS!!!!