A buddy of mine, a Rangers fan, texted me yesterday and asked for the 16 Islanders who were on all four Stanley Cup championship teams.
Sitting at my desk at work with the Internet available at my fingertips, I tamed my impulse to cheat and rattled off as many as I could off the top of my head. How would you do? I'll list the super 16 at the end of the post.
Anyway, after I texted him back I looked up the rosters to see how I did (I only had 14 right, shame on me) and was reminded of how strong and deep those teams were. Good Lord, were we spoiled.
And then I looked at the Islanders roster for this season. Not too many similarities.
That's the curse of Islanders teams from now until they finally win another Stanley Cup (or move to Kansas City, whichever comes first). They will always be compared to the glory days, just like Mark Sanchez and every other Jets quarterback before him is compared to Joe Namath, because Broadway Joe won it all.
Like last season, there aren't too many expectations for this Islanders team. Garth Snow imported two veteran netminders to cover for the still-recovering Rick DiPietro, but other than that, no veteran free agents were brought in to either shore up the defense or provide some kind of threat on offense.
So this season isn't a rebuilding season, it's a development season. John Tavares will learn quickly the difference between scoring goals in juniors and finding the twine in the NHL. Josh Bailey, who looked better as the season progressed last year, should continue to make strides.
Kyle Okposo, Sean Bergenheim, Blake Comeau and Frans Nielsen will be expected to generate more offense and be more consistent, and if they can -- and if Doug Weight and Trent Hunter can feed off the youthful energy and get rejuvinated -- then maybe home games will be somewhat entertaining, and fans can act like fans instead of scouts.
Joel Rechlicz is throwing his weight around and should remain as the youngsters' bodyguard. Richard Park is just a winning player. Jeff Tambellini has to show us something. Waiver pickup Robbie Schremp could be a steal, getting a chance to shine away from Edmonton.
Injuries last season eliminated whatever margin of error existed, so here's hoping defensemen Brendan Witt, Radek Martinek, Freddy Meyer and Andy Sutton can at least stay on the ice. Mark Streit had a fantastic season last year and should be as productive again. This is a huge season for Bruno Gervais, who needs to validate the high hopes the team has for him. And I still like Jack Hillen, who has played well this preseason.
We were told all along that Rick DiPietro would be ready for camp. Well, now he's not playing until maybe November. Give Snow credit for acting decisively and getting Martin Biron and the ageless Dwayne Roloson to mind the nets until D.P. (hopefully) returns. When he does, figure Biron to be dealt for another piece of the puzzle.
A side note about DiPietro -- it amazes me how many people either have faulty memories or just aren't paying attention. In the NHL preview in Canada's National Post, columnist Bruce Arthur predicted that DiPietro would get the comeback player of the year award, but not before prefacing it with: "This is going to sound crazy. Like, giving-a-fragile-goaltender-a-15-year-contract crazy."
DiPietro signed that deal a week before his 25th birthday in September 2006. He played 63 games the season before, went on to play 62 games that season and played another 63 games the following season. Of course, he's been a wreck since the All-Star skills competition in January 2008, and only played 5 games last year. But no one was calling him fragile when he signed the deal.
I hope D.P. does come back at 100 percent and wins the comeback award. I'd also like to see the team overall stay healthy so guys like Okposo (who is apparently OK after being run over by Dion Phaneuf) and Bailey and Tavares can play together consistently, and help this group grow as a team.
That's not too much to ask for, is it?
And now, the answer to the question at the top of the post: Name the 16 Islanders on all four Stanley Cup-winning teams:
Bossy, Trottier, Gillies, Tonelli, Nystrom, Goring, Bourne, Merrick, Kallur, Duane Sutter, Potvin, Morrow, Langevin, Persson, Lane, Smith. I missed Lane and Kallur. Didn't think Lane was on all four teams. Not sure how I missed Kallur. I loved that guy.
Showing posts with label season preview. Show all posts
Showing posts with label season preview. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Friday, October 3, 2008
New York Islanders 2008-2009 preview
I can't tell you how much I am looking forward to the Islanders in 2008-2009. But I can tell you why.
Two words: No expectations.
Believe me, after being disappointed by the Mets for three straight years, it will be refreshing to go into a sports season without any hopes of winning a championship or making the playoffs.
Could the Islanders make the playoffs? Well, anything is possible. Many of the players are unknown quantities getting their first real shot at playing full-time in the NHL. We don't know how the players will respond to new coach Scott Gordon and his in-your-face, high-energy style of play.
So the 2008-09 season will have a significant learning curve, not just for the coach and players, but for the fans as well. And while the unknown may be a bit scary, it should be interesting.
Will Rick DiPietro finally be able to play a full season without injuring something? Will Gordon give him more rest at the risk of annoying him? Many pundits like to say that DiPietro is at the core of whether the Islanders will succeed or fail, but you know what you're getting from D.P. when he's healthy -- a very good goalie who can win games for you.
The difference between another lost season and hope for the future will be found elsewhere.
Defensively, I like what I see. Injuries torpedoed the unit last season, and already -- thanks to the intensity of Gordon's workouts -- Andy Sutton and Chris Campoli are hurting. Once they're back on the ice, a unit of Brendan Witt, Radek Martinek, Campoli, Bruno Gervais, Freddy Meyer and new acquisition Mark Streit looks solid and fairly balanced. Also, don't forget about Jack Hillen. I like this kid a lot, and he has made an impression on the coaching staff.
Streit will be challenged to help the offense and the power play, but it's unlikely he'll put up similar numbers as the Isles are just not as potent as the Canadiens were.
The Islanders couldn't score goals last season and have already been shut out twice in their first four preseason games. So while the team may play at 100 miles an hour, goal scoring is still a huge question mark.
Plenty of players will be given a chance to change that. Is Jeff Tambellini ready for the NHL or not? We'll find out in short order. Can Kyle Okposo make the kind of impact he's projected to make at this early stage of his career? Can Frans Nielsen play at this level? Can Sean Bergenheim take his game to the next level? Can Blake Comeau continue to develop and improve?
You get the idea. Lots of questions.
We know what we've got with Mike Comrie, Trent Hunter, Bill Guerin, Richard Park, Mike Sillinger and, to an extent, newcomer Doug Weight. How the veterans mesh with the youngsters in Gordon's system is the biggest question of all.
Rookie Josh Bailey could make the team to start the season -- he inked a new deal this week, the day before his 19th birthday -- but the player who could make the biggest impact is Jon Sim. You remember him, right? He missed all last season after blowing out his knee in the home opener, but he's back and has looked good, and has even shown some scoring instincts.
Gordon's Providence teams were tough to play, and if the Islanders can successfully implement that style and make the opposition work for everything they get, then games at the Coliseum could be significantly more entertaining. The Islanders certainly have plenty of young legs belonging to players looking to make a statement in this league, and a coach who knows what he wants from his team.
Like I said, I'm really looking forward to the season. Not because I expect a Stanley Cup run when it's over, but because the Islanders look like a team that will play an agressive style, with a number of players who have a ton of promise, and that combination could make the Coliseum fun again.
Plus, I've always liked a good mystery.
Two words: No expectations.
Believe me, after being disappointed by the Mets for three straight years, it will be refreshing to go into a sports season without any hopes of winning a championship or making the playoffs.
Could the Islanders make the playoffs? Well, anything is possible. Many of the players are unknown quantities getting their first real shot at playing full-time in the NHL. We don't know how the players will respond to new coach Scott Gordon and his in-your-face, high-energy style of play.
So the 2008-09 season will have a significant learning curve, not just for the coach and players, but for the fans as well. And while the unknown may be a bit scary, it should be interesting.
Will Rick DiPietro finally be able to play a full season without injuring something? Will Gordon give him more rest at the risk of annoying him? Many pundits like to say that DiPietro is at the core of whether the Islanders will succeed or fail, but you know what you're getting from D.P. when he's healthy -- a very good goalie who can win games for you.
The difference between another lost season and hope for the future will be found elsewhere.
Defensively, I like what I see. Injuries torpedoed the unit last season, and already -- thanks to the intensity of Gordon's workouts -- Andy Sutton and Chris Campoli are hurting. Once they're back on the ice, a unit of Brendan Witt, Radek Martinek, Campoli, Bruno Gervais, Freddy Meyer and new acquisition Mark Streit looks solid and fairly balanced. Also, don't forget about Jack Hillen. I like this kid a lot, and he has made an impression on the coaching staff.
Streit will be challenged to help the offense and the power play, but it's unlikely he'll put up similar numbers as the Isles are just not as potent as the Canadiens were.
The Islanders couldn't score goals last season and have already been shut out twice in their first four preseason games. So while the team may play at 100 miles an hour, goal scoring is still a huge question mark.
Plenty of players will be given a chance to change that. Is Jeff Tambellini ready for the NHL or not? We'll find out in short order. Can Kyle Okposo make the kind of impact he's projected to make at this early stage of his career? Can Frans Nielsen play at this level? Can Sean Bergenheim take his game to the next level? Can Blake Comeau continue to develop and improve?
You get the idea. Lots of questions.
We know what we've got with Mike Comrie, Trent Hunter, Bill Guerin, Richard Park, Mike Sillinger and, to an extent, newcomer Doug Weight. How the veterans mesh with the youngsters in Gordon's system is the biggest question of all.
Rookie Josh Bailey could make the team to start the season -- he inked a new deal this week, the day before his 19th birthday -- but the player who could make the biggest impact is Jon Sim. You remember him, right? He missed all last season after blowing out his knee in the home opener, but he's back and has looked good, and has even shown some scoring instincts.
Gordon's Providence teams were tough to play, and if the Islanders can successfully implement that style and make the opposition work for everything they get, then games at the Coliseum could be significantly more entertaining. The Islanders certainly have plenty of young legs belonging to players looking to make a statement in this league, and a coach who knows what he wants from his team.
Like I said, I'm really looking forward to the season. Not because I expect a Stanley Cup run when it's over, but because the Islanders look like a team that will play an agressive style, with a number of players who have a ton of promise, and that combination could make the Coliseum fun again.
Plus, I've always liked a good mystery.
Friday, September 5, 2008
NHL season starts a little too late
The 2008-09 National Hockey League season kicks off in about a month in Prague and Stockholm, and the Islanders begin their new era Oct. 10 in New Jersey.
Since I'm knee-deep in the Mets season (and their quest to win a National League championship that should have been theirs last year), and geared up for the new-look, Brett Favre-led New York Jets -- not to mention my fantasy football team, The Sinatra Group -- hockey is not exactly at the head of the line in my sporting life right now.
It got me thinking that the NHL schedule starts too late when it begins in early October. Surely the league doesn't want to compete with the NFL, which kicks off around Labor Day weekend, but by waiting until October, hockey launches its new season just as the Major League Baseball playoffs are getting started. The NBA starts its season on Oct. 28, when the World Series could well be over.
I'd like to see the NHL move up its schedule and start the season in mid-September, which could also move the end of the NHL playoffs back into May. Let the NFL have its kickoff, but then get things going before the baseball playoffs get started.
Of course, had that been in effect this September, there's a good chance my head would explode. Mets pennant race? Hockey season starting? J-E-T-S, JETS! JETS! JETS!? Trying to decide whether to start Donald Driver or Dallas Clark? Talk about sensory overload.
Anyhow, if you can't wait for the hockey season to begin, NHL.com has launched its season previews, including, of course, the New York Islanders.
ESPN's Terry Frei also had an interesting piece on high ticket prices in the NHL and how the league is flirting with the danger of a mass exodus of ticket buyers. Frei wonders how people can even buy season tickets these days, a question I've been asking for a while now. I know I can't. Thank God for HDTV!
Since I'm knee-deep in the Mets season (and their quest to win a National League championship that should have been theirs last year), and geared up for the new-look, Brett Favre-led New York Jets -- not to mention my fantasy football team, The Sinatra Group -- hockey is not exactly at the head of the line in my sporting life right now.
It got me thinking that the NHL schedule starts too late when it begins in early October. Surely the league doesn't want to compete with the NFL, which kicks off around Labor Day weekend, but by waiting until October, hockey launches its new season just as the Major League Baseball playoffs are getting started. The NBA starts its season on Oct. 28, when the World Series could well be over.
I'd like to see the NHL move up its schedule and start the season in mid-September, which could also move the end of the NHL playoffs back into May. Let the NFL have its kickoff, but then get things going before the baseball playoffs get started.
Of course, had that been in effect this September, there's a good chance my head would explode. Mets pennant race? Hockey season starting? J-E-T-S, JETS! JETS! JETS!? Trying to decide whether to start Donald Driver or Dallas Clark? Talk about sensory overload.
Anyhow, if you can't wait for the hockey season to begin, NHL.com has launched its season previews, including, of course, the New York Islanders.
ESPN's Terry Frei also had an interesting piece on high ticket prices in the NHL and how the league is flirting with the danger of a mass exodus of ticket buyers. Frei wonders how people can even buy season tickets these days, a question I've been asking for a while now. I know I can't. Thank God for HDTV!
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