Nothing like starting a post with a question in the title to get the senses going. After getting the news last night that Miroslav Satan would be reevaluated today, it wasn’t really a surprise to find out that he wouldn’t be playing in the Islanders next game in Pittsburgh. The surprise, as it turns out was Jeremy Colliton being called up from the Brideport Sound Tigers. In case nobody has been keeping track, members of the Islanders AHL affiliate Bridgeport Sound Tigers currently on loan to the parent club are as follows: Blake Comeau, Jeff Tambellini, Frans Nielsen, Kip Brennan, and now Jeremy Colliton.
In what many have been calling for all season – an infusion of youth and exuberance, has now become reality but not because Nolan has had a change of heart. As it turns out, injuries and the flu have decimated the Islanders locker room to almost nothing (which according to some who follow the team holds true for this years full roster). The way the team has been playing since the turn of 2008, maybe it is less of a youthful infusion and more of a transfusion.
According to the Islanders website, here are your lines for tomorrow night:
Park – Comrie – Guerin
Tambellini – Nielsen – Comeau
Bergenheim – Colliton – Fedotenko
Hilbert – Vasicek – Hunter
Park has been reunited with his old linemates and placed back on the Islanders top line, while they have played well at times this season – the line has been less than impressive over the course of this slump. The “second” line featuring 3 call ups from Bridgeport could be exciting to watch, as there is definate chemistry between Tambs and Frans – the addition of Comeau should make it even more exciting to watch. Comeau has been one of the best Islanders game in and game out, don’t just take my word for that – the winger received much praise from the captain Bill Guerin last night.
Colliton will center a line of Bergenheim and Fedotenko, which im my opinion should make a great line. Bergy hits anything (including Richard Park last night), so he will definately give a Fedotenko (who is in a super scoring slump) room to get open and hopefully drive to the front of the net.
The “fourth” line would now be the Islanders “shutdown line” as Nolan likes to call it – the lack of Sillinger winning face offs and playing a defensive roll now falls on the shoulders of this line. JoeVa has shown he can win some key face offs this season – so I expect big things from him tomorrow night. Hilbert and Hunter have excelled in defensive rolls all season, so this assignment isn’t really anything new for them.
Not really any new news or rumors to speak of today, the only things I have read are too far fetched to even really give much attention to right now – so I will avoid even mentioning them here. If I hear anything worth repeating I will gladly post that up here on my blog.
