Today is the day, the day of craziness that NHL fans have come to know and love.

Today is Trade Deadline Day, somewhat of a National holiday in the US and Canada. Teams have until 3pm Eastern today to make final roster adjustments and in the past we have seen quite a bit of movement.

I wouldn’t expect too much from Islanders General Manager Garth Smow today, although he already made his first move yesterday by trading Andy Sutton to the Senators for a second round pick.

What other players are available? Here is a short list, which is my opinion of course:

Dwayne Roloson wasn’t a lock to be moved earlier in the season, as he had signed a two year deal in July. However, solid play through this point has really increased his value to teams looking for solid veteran goaltending here for playoff stretches.

Martin Biron was considered trade bait from the second he signed with the Islanders in July. Biron hasn’t played spectacular this year, and sat in the pressbox when DiPietro returned. He could be moved to a team looking for a quality backup, seeing he is an unrestricted free agent in July.

Curiously, Sean Bergenheim was a healthy scratch last night against Chicago. Word on the street is that there was some interest for Sean recently, who hasn’t been able to live up to his potential under Scott Gordon.

Jeff Tambellini is an odd man out, used sparingly by Gordon, Jiffy Jeff has been scratched for 3/4 of the games played so far and has taken it like a pro. Another underachiever coould spark interest from another club willing to give him a shot.

Brendan Witt has been playing in Bridgeport since passing through waivers. He’s got a year left on his contract and more than $3 million remaining. If the Islanders were to bring him back up on re-entry waivers, perhaps someone may be interested in the gritty defenseman.

Jon Sim has, at least to me, worn out his usefullness on the Islanders. The return on this role player won’t be much, but with Matt Martin waiting in the wings, he is taking up a roster spot. I could see a playoff bound team bringing him on for depth.

The Islanders don’t really have the assets to be real players this deadline. A majority of their players are more valuable to them than the rest of the league, which is a bit of a problem. one big plus for Garth Snow is that he has PLENTY of cap space to play with, so if a team needs to shed salary, he can pick up a player that may not fit somewhere else.

The day has only just begun, let’s see what happens.

Stay tuned throughout the day and I will update as often as I can!

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Hockey is back!

Even though it never really went anywhere, it sort of shifted into full on Olympic mode/mania!

Not much has changed here in Islanders country, unless you consider Mark Streit coming home medal-less, head coach Scott Gordon returning with a silver medal in tow for assistant-coaching Team USA to second place in the round robin, the trade today of Andy Sutton to the Ottawa Senators for a second round selection in 2010 and two minor league trades – something…. Oh, lest I forget the re-re-re-shutdown of DiPietro. Time frame, unknown.

In any case, Sutton – thanks for everything you have done here on Long Island. I hope your stay up in Ottawa is only temporary and we will see you retake your office at the near blue line pounding opposing player to oblivion as always – back HERE on Long Island come 2010/11.

And before I forget, congratulations goes out to Team USA for winning Silver this past weekend in Vancouver!

Moving on, Dustin Kohn has been recalled from Bridgeport to take the place of Andy Sutton (I hope he realizes the size of the shoes he has to fill here on out). Jack Hillen may be making his return tonight, Roloson and Biron are back as your goalie tandem with DiPietro’s shutdown.

Scratches: Sean Bergenheim, Jeff Tambellini and Rick DiPietro

Islanders are only six points out of a playoff spot and are looking to make up some lost ground. This should be an interesting night for sure.

Curious about the Bergenheim scratch, does that mean his days as a New York Islander are near an end? One never knows this time of year.

First Period

7:10pm Islanders lose the opening draw, Hawks came in and got the first shot on goal right off the draw pretty much.
7:12pm Roloson looks strong early, making a stick save low after a flurry in front. Islanders have not shown much life, this is all Hawks so far – 5 shots already for them.
7:15pm Jack Hillen out on this shift with a full cage, had a scoring chance. That whole sequence is a testament to his toughness.
7:17pm Doug Weight engaged in a lengthy discussion with one of the referee’s – likely about off ice stuff, just my guess.
7:25pm Dangerous situation for Roloson, Byfuglien’s skate came up towards his head as he crashed into the crease. Luckily, nothing came out of it.
7:27pm Roloson makes a glove save but the puck squirted back out at a sharp angle and onto Campbell’s stick – 1-0 Hawks.
7:30pm Despite being out shot by a wide margin, Hawks turnover leads to a Comeau goal 1-1
7:31pm And now the Islanders are shorthanded, Park to the box for a judo-chop to a stick, slashing.
7:33pm Comeau’s 10th of the season, assisted by Schremp, that’s three straight games with a goal for him.
7:34pm Hawks convert on the gift wrapped power play. You feel shame Richard Park.
7:36pm Shot count: 21-5 in favor of Chicago
7:42pm Final minute of the period.

Well, that went as well as we could’ve hoped I suppose. The lack of Sutton is clearly evident as the Blackhawks are just going to the crease every single time they can. They have also gotten just about every shot through, perhaps the move was miscalculated some – especially given Garth’s comment today stating they still plan on making a playoff push.

The Islanders are being outplayed in every facet, which could partly be caused by the long layoff….but more so because the Hawks are a much better club. Shot count after one period is 22-9. The Islanders started to come back later in the first, but if they want to save face and earn those points they need a much better effort in the second. That’s kind of obvious though, you don’t need me to tell you that much.

Second Period

8:01pm And we are underway.
8:04pm Comeau ties it up with his second of the game and it’s aallllll tied.
8:05pm And now it’s 3-2 Islanders…
8:06pm Hawks just yanked Niemi and put in Huet.
8:07pm Comeau from Schremp and Streit on the 2nd goal.
8:08pm Third Islanders goal belongs to Jon Sim from Park and Kohn.
8:11pm Park streaks down the near boards and fires a laser that beats Huet to make it 4-2. Assists go to Moulson and MacDonald.
8:17pm It’s important to note here (I am dizzy with the way this game has gone this period, I digress) – This is Comeau’s second consecutive two goal game and he has 5 goals in three.
8:21pm The game has slowed down a pace here, I wouldn’t expect the scoring to continue at the pace that it has. Shots are 26-17 Hawks.
8:23pm Islanders are going to be a man down, Park off for tripping.
8:27pm Great penalty kill by the Islanders, at the heart of it all – Comeau and Okposo
8:28pm Sometimes I think these Islanders players THINK and even BELIEVE they are better players then they really are, they make passes that shouldn’t be made and think it will work. Keep it simple, stupid.
8:34pm Final minute of the period
8:37pm Comeau completes his FIRST CAREER HAT TRICK to make it 5-2. Delay of game here as the staff cleans up all the hats and giveaway thrown on to the ice. 6 goals in 3 games now for Comeau! He is on FIRE! Assists go to Streit and MacDonald.

Wow. What a period.

Bit of trivia, when was the last Isles four goal period? I sure don’t know.

That was just about as good of a period (offensively) as I have seen all season long. Defensively I would hope they come out sharp as a tack in the third and really prevent any last bit of momentum that the Hawks can muster. A three goal cushion is big going into the final twenty, but it’s not enough for them to sit back and play it safe against the likes of Kane and Toews.

Blake Comeau 3, Islanders 2 – Hawks 2

Shot count, Hawks 30 – Isles 10

This should be fun.

Third Period

8:58pm Islanders won the opening draw cleanly.
9:00pm Scoring change on the Islanders fourth goal – second assist changed to Weight.
9:00pm Roloson just made a HUGE stop. Jackman with a scoring chance right after.
9:04pm Blackhawks were putting on a clinic for the Isles, had them pinned in the zone without being able to clear the puck for about two minutes with a constant cycle – Roloson was forced to make a few stops.
9:05pm Okposo drives to the net with a power move and makes an attempt to go around Huet, Tavares crashed the net for the rebound that was covered quickly.
9:08pm Roloson is making save after save and getting very lucky in the process – Hossa snapped a stick on a beauty of a scoring chance.
9:10pm Blackhawks thought they scored, it was waved off due to goaltender interference. Another lucky break, look for the Hawks to pressure even more now that they have weakened the Isles perimeter….so to speak.
9:15pm Roloson just stopped Hossa at the doorstep – he is playing outstanding tonight.
9:23pm Islanders are going to be shorthanded for half of the remaining 4:39 here in the third – Okposo is in the box for holding.
9:25pm Just like that, Hawks score on the power play just like they did on the last one – on a play generated from behind the Islanders net that caught Rolloson out of position.
9:28pm Shot count now Hawks 41 – Isles 23
9:32pm Huet was pulled for the empty net, Hunter had a layup and hit the post.
9:33pm Huet back in net for the second time as the draw was deep in Chicago’s zone.

Islanders win 5-2, this game represents what the Islanders need to do here through the stretch – hard work and timely goal scoring from everywhere. It was a well deserved two points, great game.

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Good evening everyone!

Home game number 26 brings us a match up between John Tavares and the New York Islanders and Alexander Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals, always a great time for sure.

I am going to apologize in advance, I am not feeling 100 percent tonight so I may not be so quick on the draw this evening. Enough about me though—onto the good stuff.

The Islanders find themselves jam packed in the Eastern Conference tonight, should they win and Montreal lose they will finish as high as 6th but a loss by the Isles and a Boston and Florida win will find them as low as tenth. Interesting parity as always in the East.

The Islanders will also leap frog the Rangers, whom they trail by one point.

Roster notables for the evening, Dustin Kohn finds himself back in Bridgeport now that Andy Sutton’s suspension is over. Josh Bailey is under the weather (maybe he has what I have) and no word on him yet, Jeff Tambellini appears to be scratched as well and of course Martin Biron is sitting comfortably in the press box as well.

Dare I say it, but let’s see if the scary Islanders team the Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau talked about in the pregame interview is the one that comes out in the first period.

First Period

7:10pm Islanders lose the opening draw, taken by Richard Park
7:10pm Islanders forecheck is on point already, caused a turnover and forced Theodore to make a stop. Islanders find themselves with two shots on goal due to the turnover. Ovechkin accepts a feed and from his knees makes a wrist shot and almost scored.
7:11pm The Capitals are on the board first, a passing play that caught Roloson out of position. Morrison from Erskine
7:14pm Well, Josh Bailey IS dressed tonight, go figure.
7:16pm A Semin wrist shot makes it 2-0 Capitals. Where is Brendan Witt and Radek Martinek to shut him down when you need them?
7:17pm Morrison gonna sit for hooking, Islanders power play.
7:19pm Rob Schremp makes it a one goal game on the power play off a feed from Doug Weight
7:22pm Schremps 6th of the season from Weight and Hunter
7:26pm Capitals get a penalty for goaltender interference (Green), I thought for sure it was on Roloson
7:28pm 12 seconds remain on Green’s penalty, and now they have taken a holding penalty as well. Islanders extend their power play.
7:30pm Okposo looking for something down low, misses the net and it rims around and out. Regain control and are working down low. Islanders hit the post, not sure who shot the puck.
7:32pm Even strength, Capitals shoot and it’s deflected out of play.
7:36pm Tavares the recipient of a great Bailey pass and rang on off the iron. That’s now two posts for the Islanders this period.
7:41pm First Islanders penalty of the period called on Bergenheim for a hold. Jack Hillen was just BLASTED in the mouth with the puck. Ovechkin shot the puck….bloody mess.
7:46pm Capitals score on the power play, Roloson pissed he allowed them to hack away and get it through his pads.
7:48pm Another forward for the Islanders who cannot buy a goal, Frans Nielsen who missed the net completely unimpeded.
7:49pm Semin dances through the Islanders defense and then scoops a backhand over a fallen Roloson from behind the net. Great effort, but it’s now 4-1 Capitals.

End of the period.

I don’t have the energy to really break down the play of the Islanders this period. The Capitals are riding a hot streak and are leaps and bounds the better team.

Second Period

Rick DiPietro comes into the game in relief of Roloson.

8:07pm Islanders are underway, hopefully the change of a netminder gives them some confidence back as DP makes his first save of the game.
8:10pm Early reports are that Hillen was taken to the hospital by ambulance.
8:10pm Capitals score on fresh goaltender DiPietro to make it 5-1 on Erskine’s first of the season.
8:14pm Capitals called for hooking, Islanders fourth power play of the game, they are 1/3 right now.
8:18pm Nothing going for the Islanders on that power play. 1 for 4 on the evening.
8:22pm Islanders score on a nice play – Okposo from Tavares and Bailey 5-2 Caps
8:29pm DiPietro gives the team some life with a nice save moving post to post.
8:31pm Chimera’s hard wrister beats DiPietro to make it 6-2
8:34pm Capitals called for tripping, Islanders 5th power play of the night.
8:38pm Islanders all over the Caps that power play, DiPietro with two long passes to his forwards, three scoring chances but not enough quick shots.

Final minute of the period

Another not so great period by the Islanders, maybe they are all feeling the way I do tonight with the sneezing and burning eyes.

The Capitals are too good of a team, they block almost every shot and pass, they cause turnovers and they seem to be able to score from just about every single spot on the ice. DiPietro is doing his best to stem the tided, but he has allowed two goals himself this period.

All those power play opportunities have been wasted tonight, save for the first one of the game.

Maybe they can work a miracle in the third period?

Third Period

8:57pm Now in goal for the Capitals Michal Neuvirth
9:01pm Capitals beat writer Tarik ElBashir claims Neuvirth was warming up the end of the second period. Perhaps that second shot of the mask late in the second shook up Theodore.
9:09pm There aren’t many times I say this (and it’s more because of the way I feel tonight) – I cannot wait for the game to end. I should have stayed home tonight.
9:12pm Islanders get called for holding, MacDonald did all he could to prevent a Semin hat trick.
9:14pm Andy Sutton just cleared out Laich from in front, it looked like he gave him whiplash the way he moved him from the crease.
9:15pm Islanders kill off that penalty and MacDonald sprung from the box and chased down the puck and carried it into the Caps zone. He made a nice move and found Bergenheim streaking to the net, Neuvirth was there for the save though.
9:19pm I just realized that countless Islanders are invisible tonight. Matt Moulson was just out on the ice and I couldn’t remember when the last time I saw him was, then I said the same thing about four of five other players.
9:22pm Laich just danced around everyone and roofed a wrist shot past DP to make it 7-2
9:24pm If the Islanders cannot rise up and find the will to win a huge game like this tonight, how would they do in the playoffs?

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Unfortunately big hits and injuries are part of the game we have all grown to love and respect, it’s also unfortunate that sometimes they both go hand in hand. Such is the case for Andy Sutton who laid a booming hit on the Penguins Pascal Dupuis in a 6-4 loss last night. Dupuis was hit from behind on the play and lay crumbled, disoriented and bleeding as a result of the hit. Sutton was given a five minute major and a game misconduct on the play. Dupuis was helped off the ice and did not return.

Sutton attended a disciplinary hearing earlier today and learned he has been suspended for two games as a result of his hit.

My reaction and opinion are up over on Bleacher Report.

Sometimes, it’s best to just accept your punishment and this is one of those times for Islanders defenseman Andy Sutton.

Last night in the Islanders 6-4 loss against the Pittsburgh Penguins, Sutton laid a booming check on Penguins forward Pascal Dupuis. This isn’t far from the norm for Sutton, as he hits players hard and quite often on the regular (Sutton is in a three way tie for ninth in hits on the Islanders with 44 and is six shy of the team lead). However, this time he caught Dupuis in the numbers and in a vulnerable position.

Read the entire article HERE and be sure to vote in the poll!

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Just the other day, someone within the Islanders organization asked a friend of mine why I had not been writing about players as I had been previously and instead opting to live blog instead. When my friend told me this, it really struck a chord and lit that fire that had been missing for me.

It’s something that I had honestly not intended to do, it just sort of happened.

This is a good a time as any to remind everyone that I am also the FEATURED Columnist for Bleacher Report on the New York Islanders. While there may appear to be nothing posted over here, I urge you to look for some of my stuff over there too—as the better material gets syndicated to some exciting places!

Edit 6:57pm: I was just informed that my article was featured on the NHL website today as you can see in the screen shot, bottom right!

I’ve been looking for a great way to automatically post what I post there over here, but I have yet to figure out the best solution for this just yet. In the meantime, I will post an excerpt of the Bleacher Report stuff over here and direct you there to comment and/or read the article in it’s entirety.

Here is my latest piece over there (a slide show), on which Islanders forwards are hot and which aren’t—it doesn’t encompass the entire forwards corps mind you, just touches on some of the players who have and continue to contribute. I intend on following this up with another batch of players and eventually the defense as well.

On the heels of a 6-0 home victory over the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday, we look at some of the Islanders forwards and determine who is hot, and who’s not.

Some quick statistics: The Islanders are 5-4-1 in their last 10 games, are one game over .500 (20-19-8 for 48 points) and find themselves in playoff contention. The team is enjoying several players on multi-game point scoring streaks, however, there are several players whom are pointless for multiple games as well.

Read the entire article HERE

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Hey remember that guy that we would yell at for wandering out of the net, time after time after time? He wears number 39, he is quite athletic and loves to steal games for the Islanders?

We’re talkin’ bout Rick DiPietro folks, and he gets the start tonight in Dallas against the Stars.

Check out my latest post over at The Bleacher Report for more on this glorious day:

In a journey that started in a galaxy not far from our own, but in a time that seemed light years away, the Islanders franchise netminder—Rick DiPietro has finally reached the end of his road to recovery and is set as the starter tonight in Dallas.

If you have not been following along, in early December DiPietro was assigned to the Islanders AHL affiliate Bridgeport Soundtigers for a conditioning stint. DiPietro was to play in an unspecified amount of games, but would not play a complete game during his brief stay in Connecticut. Instead, DiPietro would start in one—and only play two periods, he cited “tightness” as a concern after the game and was sidelined once again.

The team erred on the side of caution and shuffled DiPietro to several Doctor’s for help. Claiming the problem was corrected, DiPietro was again cleared for practice and under cloak and dagger type secrecy, was shuttled to the Soundtigers once again for a conditioning stint. This go around in the AHL, DiPietro would play in two complete games and suffer losses in both making his conditioning record 1-2-0 with a 3.31 GAA and .883 save percentage. Read the full article HERE

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