Finally, a pick!

Isles select Center Josh Bailey with the 9th pick.

Just found out they have until tomorrow to decide on Toronto’s options.

Some background on Bailey:

Check out a great write up on Joshua on NewYorkIslanders.com

Center. Shoots Left. 6′0″, 188 lbs. Born: Oshawa, Ontario, October 2, 1989.
Hometown: Bowmanville, Ontario

NHL Director of Central Scouting, E.J. McGuire

Strengths: “Josh is the quarterback on the power-play, from down low, for the Windsor Spitfires and I think he is going to continue to be that. He is a good play-making centerman with the ability to feed his linemates when he needs to and shoot the puck when the play requires that.”

Areas to improve: “He needs to add a little bit more grit to his game, he is a tireless worker and if he can get in there and grind it out with some of the other players that he currently plays against in the OHL, that will be good experience for when he reaches the NHL.”

Outlook: “He is a skilled centerman who is going to be on your power-play, if not the first power-play, certainly part of a good second power-play unit. He is going to be a skilled play-making player in the NHL and good things are going to happen for him at the next level due to his hard work.”

NHL Central Scouting’s Chris Edwards

“Josh is a really hard working up and down guy who has great puck skill and play-making ability. He has the ability to pass through any type of traffic and is an energy guy for Windsor. He’s not a fighter but he’s not one to be afraid of anyone or back down and he doesn’t get knocked around. The biggest component of his game that needs improvement was his competitiveness, but he stepped it up down the stretch and really showed that next level.”

Windsor Spitfires head coach Bob Boughner

“Joshua is a highly skilled player who can play on both ends of the ice as well as on the penalty kill and power-play units. He has the unique ability to make players around him better.”

Stats 2007-08 Windsor OHL GP:67 G:29 A:67 PTS:96 PIM:32

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Well, Tom and I are sitting next to the guys from Islanders TV and to my immediate left is Steve Mears the Islanders radio voice.

Internet connection over here is, to sum it up - PUTRID. There are tons of media folks here trying to connect at the same time. We have literally been here for about 45 minutes and this was the first time I could connect.

I am going to start a draft gallery in the next few minutes, I will try to get up as many pictures as I can - when I can.

The arena is buzzing, absolutely buzzing. Fans are trickling in and there is a frenzy of activity on the draft floor. I can’t really see the Islanders draft table from my vantage point because it is all the way near the draft board.

If you are a hockey fan, this experience is definitely worth every bit of planning and headache you may run into (and just think, it’s not even the most exciting part!).

Stay Tuned!

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So, I am sitting here on pins and needles waiting to see where the balls fall - in regards to the number one overall draft position. The Islanders only have about an 8.1% chance of moving from 5 overall to number 1, so we shall see where we wind up.

I will be doing live updates as the draft happens, for those who do not have the NHL Network or Versus!

Should be an interesting night!

Mind you, the Islanders have moved from the number 5 position to the first overall - in 2000 when drafting Rick DiPietro!

Top 5

They are about to read the top five from 5th to first!

1. Tampa
2. Los Angeles
3. Thrashers
4. St. Louis
5. Islanders

So the Isles got the 5th pick - will they use it on a d-man or will they take a chance with the Russian stud in Filatov?

Keep in mind that teams looking to land a defenseman may wish to exchange picks with the Islanders, so the Isles could theoretically move up or down in the draft through a trade. Tampa Bay will be looking to add Stamkos to their club with the loss of Richards from their big-three, that is a scary thought.

Overall, I must say - the Islanders are in a good position with that 5th pick. I am hoping that they land someone whom can be a difference maker in the organization and fit in with the plans to build a solid core of youth that will flourish in the NHL for years to come.

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We are getting set for the opening face off here. This is my very first live blog from the Blog Box and I must say I am pretty excited! Pretty good crowd for a mid-week game, maybe 9k, I would say maybe 10k now that the first period is almost over.

First Period

7:08 PM Big Joe (Vasicek) set to take the draw, clean win and we are under way!
7:09 PM Fedotenko in front forces Conklin to make the stop.
7:11 PM Pens take the first penalty for a change, Staal 2 minutes for holding. ISLANDERS POWER PLAY.
7:12 PM And like that, Fedotenko called for hooking to even things up.
7:13 PM AND JUST LIKE THAT Isles man up again - Pens Ruutu 2 minutes hooking (Way to make a debut Ruutu). Islanders 4-on-3′
7:14 PM 4-on-4 for for 38 seconds
7:16 PM A rare….even strength shift for both teams.
7:19 PM Islanders are out shooting and out hustling the Penguins pretty good here - Pittsburgh is yet to register a shot on goal just yet (as much as I don’t want to say that).

7:22 PM Tambellini with a shot of Conklin’s cage.
7:23 PM Comeau with a nice shot getting it on net, Hilbert controlled the rebound and rimmed it around. Guerin accepts a pass and takes a nice shot that Conklin had to hold on to.

7:26 PM Hunter with a great back check breaks up an offensive zone rush for Pittsburgh.
7:27 PM Malkin frees up in front and gets to a rebound, makes his teams second count shot and it’s 1-0 Penguins
7:29 PM Davison makes his appearance from the locker room, with 7:06 PM. I don’t envy him - showing up late (due to flights) and not knowing many people on the team - yet trying to be your teams difference maker. Best of luck.

7:32 PM Pittsburgh takes ANOTHER penalty, Gonchar 2 minutes for holding. The Islanders NEED to get on the board here.’
7:33 PM NOW THEY REALLY NEED TO SCORE, 2 MINUTES DELAY OF GAME PENS, 5-on-3 Islanders just over a minute and a half.

7:35 PM Decent puck movement by the Islanders, but they need bodies in front. Half minute remains for the 2 man advantage.
7:36 PM Nothing really going for the Islanders, Gonchar sprang into the Isles zone and Satan made a nice play to break things up. Vasicek the other way - Conklin with the save.

7:40 PM Off the face off Park called for 2 minutes holding the stick.
7:41 PM Another shorthanded odd man rush, Hunter takes the shot and Conklin juggles it. Play comes back the other way and the Islanders are penalized again; 2 minutes hooking on Gervais.

7:43 PM 2-0 Penguins, despite being outshot 21-3. Pens still on the power play as the last tally came shorthanded.
7:45 PM One minute left in the first period, thank goodness.

No matter when the Islanders outshoot their opponents by a wide margin, I cant ever really help but to be worried because the lack of scoring always comes back to haunt them. This period, without all the penalties and power play goals - would’ve seen the Islanders fairing a bit better than 2-0 on the scoreboard. Tom and I knew that the Pens would come out fired up after all their teams wheeling and dealing today, but we also thought the Islanders would put out a decent effort given their GM kept the team relatively intact. Hopefully Ted Nolan talks to the guys and gets them settled down for the second period.

Second Period

8:04 PM Second period begins.
8:05 PM Penguins penalty, 2 minutes high sticking on Staal (maybe he ran the stairs too hard today)
8:07 PM Conklin gloves down a point shot by Berard (I think). 30 seconds remaining in the Islanders man advantage.
8:08 PM Islanders 0-5 on the power play tonight, cannot win hockey games (or come from behind when you cant score even strength or men up).

8:11 PM Delayed penalty on Pittsburgh. 2 Minutes hooking Laraque - do or die time boys.
8:14 PM Another power play by the wayside - as the Islander blow a 2-on-0 break.
8:15 PM The boo birds are out in force tonight after an icing (the first of the game we think here in the box) by the Islanders.
8:19 PM Nielsen sharp angle, shoots - he SCORES!!!!! 2-1 Pittsburgh.
8:24 PM Davison with some booming shots from the point - Tom, Ken and I comment on him being a replacement in a sense because it hit the glass (high and wide) pretty hard.

8:27 PM Laraque 2 minutes high sticking, yet another chance for the Islanders on the power play.
8:30 PM Islanders called for icing - come up empty on the power play due to some sloppy passing, including a give away in their own zone.

8:34 PM Pittsburgh penalty on Letang, 2 minutes for slashing.
8:35 PM One minute remaining in the second period - power play carry over if they cannot convert here.

The Islanders will begin the third period on the power play with 34 seconds remaining. I don’t think I have ever said this before - but the team needs TO BE MORE SELFISH. The Penguins had a bunch of turnovers in prime goal scoring territory, but the Islanders either made entirely too many passes or held onto the puck too long. They need to SHOOT when they are in the position to do so. The team is now 0-8 on the power play - and given they are trailing in a game where they are out shooting their opponents, this needs to change. Score one at even strength and one on the man advanatage then continue to play their game and they could take this one. We shall see which team comes out in third.

Third Period

8:57 PM Late getting back to the blog box - appeared the goal crossed the line, but it was ruled otherwise.
8:59 PM Conklin slows down a shot from the point, offensive zone draw won by Pittsburgh.
9:02 PM The trail referee just called holding on Martinek, who was doing an outstanding job keeping his man wide.
9:08 PM I am having a hard time juggling blogging, and taking pictures - kudos to Tom and Dee for doing this almost every game.
9:13 PM Offensive zone draw here, the Islanders need to keep the great pressure on the Pens.
9:15 PM Pens scored on a delayed Islanders penalty; looks like Staal and it’s 3-1 Penguins. Crowd is now starting to head towards the exits.

9:18 PM DiPietro hears jeers from the crowd for making a catch, Davison just levels a Penguin along the penalty box boards.
9:19 PM Islanders will eventually register their 50th shot on goal, despite being down by two goals.
9:21 PM Islanders getting called for a tripping penalty here, Fedotenko heads to the box. Maybe the Islanders can find some magic while down two men?
9:24 PM Well….that plan didn’t work. Pittsburgh just scored on the power play for the second time tonight.
9:24 PM Comrie with the fight! Jon Sim giving Comrie a pat on the back as he heads to the locker room.
9:29 PM Malkin off for tripping, Isles score a late power play goal. Fedotenko banging home the rebound alone in front.
9:30 PM Well the Islanders tried, out shot their opponents 52-20 and came up two goals short. Off to the press conference!

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The woes continue, not only are the Islanders getting manhandled in Ottawa by the Sens, we lost yet another player to injury. Ruslan Fedotenko has left the game with a hand injury and is listed as day-to-day. No word on if any call-ups are neccesary for Saturday.

Guerin just scored to make it 3-1 11 minutes remaining.

Isles showing some life here - about time. Must’ve gotten a favorable answer from the mid-period check of that magic eight ball.

Looked like a high stick to me - should be NO GOAL, but of course inconclusive evidence goes against the Isles and its now 4-1.

Fisher just scores to make it 5-1. These Senators are just too fast for the Islanders - what more can you say at this point?

I wish I was on the road tonight to hear Nolan’s post game commentary first hand…..

When is this team going to realize that EVERY single time they get a stick anywhere near the oppositions hands they will get called for hooking? Seriously?!?

Guerin just ripped a shot breaking into the zone. 2nd of the game, 12th of the year….should have shot more all game.

Powerplay Islanders - I have guarded optimism here ::cue laugh track::

OFFSIDES, stop making moves at the blueline!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well, I am extremely steamed right now - which is why I didn’t blog during most of the game like I have during most of the away games. This was just a very poor showing by the Islanders, they need to stop the win one, lose two, win 3, lose 1 type trend if they wish to advance at all in the standings.

I almost want to give them a bye because they played last night, but the schedule is only going to get tougher here as they will be playing 16 games in the next 30 games. Will Snow make a move or two to solidify scoring depth or defensive depth? One never knows, but the trade freeze ends in 2 hours and the trade deadline is fast approaching.

The Islanders better bring a better effort Saturday against the Devils.

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Quick trivia: When was the last time the Islanders had three first period goals?

Answer per TSN:

The three goals matched New York’s best first period of the season. The Islanders hadn’t managed as many as two since they netted three in the opening 20 minutes of the season on Oct. 5 at Buffalo.

That’s right, the Isles scored three separate times, coming from deficits of 1-0 and 2-1 to tie and eventually getting the go ahead for a 3-2 lead.

Goals: Hilbert, Comrie and Guerin
Assists: Park, Comrie, Guerin, DiPietro, Berard

Hilbert has really found his groove between Comeau and Jackman. Our first line is also clicking with Park - a god send.

Hopefully they keep the Leafs off the board here in the second.

Post Game Comments

Well - the second period was rather boring and went by very fast, however Rick DiPietro went missing at the start of the second period - and nobody knew what had happened. The third wasn’t much to write home about either, there were a few more scoring chances per side in the period and each goaltender made some good saves. Dubie came up huge at times, although Toronto managed a short handed goal on our powerless powerplay.

Down to the end of the third, Dubie came up with three or four consecutive saves while the Islanders were down a man. He complimented Brendan “The Warrior” Witt for blocking so many shots - because he claimed they would’ve went in had he not blocked them. Dubie also said that Witt scares him sometimes the way he talks about pain (We can certainly see why - Witt is an animal and a true warrior).

In OT Dubie made a few great stops to keep the Islanders in the game, but all it took was Richard Park to deftly intercept the puck (from Jason Blake none-the-less) and took a shot - Comrie buried the rebound for the game winner. Park is certainly turning into the clutch player we need and nobody saw coming. Comrie was on fire out there tonight, I was tempted to ask him what he ate over the holidays because we need him to repeat his performance tonight.

Overall, this was a very big win tonight. We go on the road for a brief road trip and we will be without DiPietro for the time being. Joey MacDonald was called up from Bridgeport to back up Dubie for the game tommorow night in Ottawa.

More news on DiPietro: DP had “tweaked” his knee in the warmup and attempted to give it his all in the first period, but later decided it would be best to sit the rest of the game out. Dubie stated during the interview that he saw Rick cringe a time or two and knew there would be the possibility of coming on cold. He said stopping the first shot “for once” was a big confidence booster and felt more and more comfortable as the game went on. DiPietro will be reevaluated tomorrow and no word on if he is will accompany the team to Ottawa.

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