Despite mounting injuries and a defensive group made up of mostly Bridgeport Sound Tigers – the Islanders defense held the Rangers at one goal for the better part of two and a half periods. What’s more, missing two important penalty killers (Grabner out his second game due to the birth of his first child and Nielsen suffering a head injury in the second period) – the Islanders PK was outstanding. I’m sure Rangers head coach John Tortorella will have PLENTY of tape to go over, having gone 0/7 with the man advantage, including TWO five on three opportunities.

I mentioned that the Islanders were sporting some defensive injuries, but they also suffered TWO more last night – Ty Wishart suffered a shoulder injury and Jack Hillen suffered an upper body injury as well. It got so bad, the Islanders were forced to play Okposo on defense for a shift.

The Numbers

Let’s take a look at just how spectacular the Islanders defense was last night:

One of the rare veterans in the lineup last night, Radek Martinek had a great game. He was credited with three hits, three take aways, had a goal, an assist and finished with a +1 with 22:49 minutes of ice time. When Martinek uses his shot from the point, great things happen. His goal, a blast from the blueline off a slick Parenteau pass, beat Lundqvist over his glove. He would add an assist, with a similar play, this time deflected by Joensuu in front.

I asked Martinek after the game if the coaching staff wants him to use that great shot of his more – he told me they [the coaches] have wanted him to shoot more all season, he knows he has a good shot and good things happen when he does – he just doesn’t often think shot first.

I wasn’t the only one to notice what happens when Martinek uses that shot – Head Coach Jack Capuano talked about it during his press conference when he said “When Marty uses his shot like tonight, he gives us a chance to win hockey games”.

Young Travis Hamonic continues his strong play and what has become a Cinderella season for him – never expecting to remain with the Islanders for the full season. Last night Hamonic had a team high 24:52 minutes of ice time, tallied an assist on the game tying goal, three hits, two blocked shots and get this – a +4 on the night.

Jack Hillen is another player that has come back from a rough start – he was good offensively last night, jumping in the rush and making smart passes, stood up for his team in his fight with Dubinsky, earned an assist with his cross ice feed to Martinek’s tipped shot by Joensuu, had 22:13 minutes of ice time (that was limited by his late injury), and finished with a +2 on the night. Hillen also lead the team in hits last night with four.

Quietly however, Dylan Reese made the most of his 16:33 minutes of play, unless you count his fight with Fedotenko late in the game of course. Reese would finish the game with THREE assists, and a +3 rating. He’s one of those steady players that you often don’t really notice on the back end, which is never a bad thing.

Mark Katic finished the night -1 and with 19 minutes of ice time, and Ty Wishart was playing well – until a shoulder injury would finish him for the night, having only played 12 minutes.

The forwards were equally impressive, Tavares had two assists and was +4, Comeau finished with a goal and was +3, Joensuu FINALLY used his size in front of the net on his deflection and was +1 with 11:37 minutes of ice time, Moulson had a goal (his 31st) and an assist and would finish +3, Parenteau would also notch a goal (his 19th) and assist (has now reached 50 points) and would wind up +4 on the night. The most surprising goal of the night? Trevor Gillies netting his second of the season and second career goal on a nice deflection of a Reese point shot.

Al Montoya played another solid game, making 25 saves on 27 shots. He was great positionally, gave the Rangers very little to shoot at and controlled his rebounds well. Considering the defense that was in front of him, the Islanders really supported Montoya last night – and gave him his first win over the club that drafted him.

The Fights

The fight card was chock-full of action last night:

Hillen fought Dubinsky
Avery got clobbered and bloodied by Haley
Prust fought an injured Konopka
Fedotenko fought Reese

But that wasn’t all, there were plenty of hits, pushing, shoving and just outright old school hockey throughout the game. It’s great to see this team stand up for each other, especially when Nielsen was hit from behind by Gaborik in the second period.

In a game with nothing to lose, the Islanders played great and really took it to their rival. They also made it that much harder for the Rangers, who are barely staying in the playoff picture.

They can do even more damage against the Hurricanes this weekend – should be interesting.

In closing, I doubt the league will – but I hope they look into the hit on Nielsen. But we know how that goes.

Just in case those in Islanders country expected otherwise, or just haven’t noticed that Trent Hunter has been missing a while – the Islanders confirmed today that Hunter will sit out the remainder of the season with a torn MCL.

Katie Strang had the scoop today (subscription required) – saying Hunter would undergo surgery at some point this afternoon.

Hunter apparently tried to rehab the knee and push the surgery for the offseason but couldn’t, as his knee only got worse.

The 30-year old Islanders forward, played in only 17 games this season – scoring a goal and three assists.

Earlier this season I had posted an entry on the Islanders man games lost to injury. That number (back in December) was 162. Since then, the number has DOUBLED and is now sitting at 336.

As I was writing this, the Islanders apparently had EVEN MORE bad luck – Kevin Poulin was helped off the ice after what appeared to be an injury to his knee during warmups. Mikko Koskinen will likely get his get his first NHL start unless Poulin is no worse the wear – we shall see.

The puck is set to drop against Toronto shortly.

News hit the wires a little while ago that Islanders Goaltender Rick DiPietro will be out 4-6 weeks with facial fractures suffered in his fight with the Penguins Goaltender Brent Johnson.

When DiPietro decided to fight the other night, I knew the moment he took the one lone punch that something was wrong. The whole situation played out eerily similar to how Bruno Gervais fight went earlier in the season.

To make matters worse, DiPietro’s knee is ALSO swollen.

I shake my head at this situation because it was just totally unnecessary and has completely handicapped the team (which, well I won’t go there).

Lawson is out with a knee injury.

Nabokov is playing with the bubbles in his bath.

Well we have that veteran guy, Roloson. Nope, that’s right he’s in Tampa.

Koskinen is down in Bridgeport – but chances are he won’t see the NHL this season. We cannot rush BOTH of our goaltender prospects.

Garth Snow is going to get awfully creative here in the next day or so.

I’ll post some more in a while – this is all iPhone typing here.

Never a dull moment around here, is there?

Update: Apparently the Islanders have signed CHL netminder Joel Martin to a two way NHL contract. Could potentially serve as backup to Kevin Poulin.

Step right up folks, men, women and children of all ages – give the wheel a spin. Everyone is a winner!

Round and round she goes, where it stops nobody knows – injuries for everyone!

Ok, ok – before we begin, I have many questions. Does losing and injury go hand in hand? Do injuries happen more to teams in that downward and never ending spiral towards the league basement? Do the Islanders require some sort of spiritual intervention to help rid them of the dark and evil forces that have taken over their teams health?!?

I admit, I may have gone a tad far with the last question – but inquiring minds want to know.

We are two years removed from a season that saw the Islanders lose a league record man games lost to injury (and one that earned us the right to draft Tavares first overall) – and it appears they are looking to shatter that poor statistic this season before we even hit the midway mark. Just a little while ago, Newsday’s Katie Strang tweeted that defenseman Mike Mottau who nearly lost an eye in Atlanta last month (and was just recently cleared to play) will miss the remainder of the season with a hip injury that requires surgery. She claims that the injury was lingering and actually happened prior to the eye injury.

If that’s not enough, the oft-injured Rick DiPietro has been placed on injured reserve with swelling on his right knee. The jury is still out on this curious move, as the swelling has been called minor and his being held out as “precautionary”. One always fears it could be more than meets the eye, but it could also be simply for book keeping purposes.

Let’s recap shall we?

Player – Games Missed
Mark Streit – 30
Kyle Okposo – 30
Milan Jurcina – 18
Andrew MacDonald – 15
Doug Weight – 12
Trent Hunter – 11
Rob Schremp – 11
Mike Mottau – 10
Jack Hillen – 7
Bruno Gervais – 4
Mark Eaton – 3
Michael Grabner – 3
John Tavares – 3
Radek Martinek – 2
Josh Bailey – 2
Rick DiPietro – 1

Total: 162 games lost to injury

The longer players such as Okposo, Streit, Mottau, Weight and now DiPietro stay out – the more this total increases by FIVE every single game the Islanders play. The totals do not include games scratched – for those wondering as it’s not a game lost to injury.

But you know, the games lost to injury have NOTHING to do with a long losing streak or a lack of scoring, right? It may not be the SOLE cause – but it’s a large one.

The Islanders announced some more unsettling news today regarding Kyle Okposo, and it’s not good. It seems Okposo will miss an unknown amount of time with a shoulder injury that requires surgery and will be out indefinitely. You can read some more on Katie Strang’s Blog.

This is now two impact players down and out with major shoulder injuries in the span of four days. Okposo had been injured last week during training camp and has been held out as a precaution. He was re-evaluated today and the findings were apparently not very good. Hopefully the rash of shoulder injuries ends here. I had shoulder surgery on my right shoulder and may actually need the same surgery on my left because of hockey, so I know it’s no fun trying to function, let alone play hockey with a bum wing.

Hopefully Kyle will be back as quick as possible, but in any event – this opens up a forward spot for someone looking to make an impact out of training camp.

Isles sign D-Man Mike Mottau

Richard Wolowicz/Getty Images North America

In other news today, the Islanders have signed defenseman Mike Mottau to a two year contract.

Per the Islanders Website:

The New York Islanders announced today that they have agreed to terms on a two year contract with defenseman Mike Mottau.

Mottau, 32, spent the last three seasons with the New Jersey Devils. Last season, the Quincy, MA, native scored a career high 18 points (two goals, 16 assists) and a +4 plus-minus rating in 79 games with New Jersey.

“Mike is a solid puck-moving defenseman who will bring more experience to our blueline,” said General Manager Garth Snow.

Mottau, a 6-0, 197 lbs. left-handed shooting defenseman, was drafted by the New York Rangers in the seventh round, 182nd overall, of the 1997 NHL Entry Draft. After a four-year collegiate career at Boston College, he turned professional in the 2000-01 season, playing in his first 18 NHL games with the Rangers. In 258 career NHL games with the Rangers, Calgary Flames and Devils, Mottau has seven goals and 46 assists for 53 points with a +10 plus-minus rating and 137 penalty minutes. Mottau has also skated in 17 Stanley Cup Playoff games, all with New Jersey, in which he’s recorded four points (two goals, two assists).

Islanders fans may remember Mottau, not just as a New Jersey Devil defenseman – but also as the d-man suspended two seasons ago for a vicious elbow on Frans Nilesen that made Nielsen miss significant time with a knee injury. Let;s hope those two put that behind them….

Obviously the addition of Mottau is a stop gap measure for the loss of Mark Streit – I wonder how Mottau and Wisniewski would look together on the blueline.

Jim McIsaac/Getty Images

This is a tough, tough loss for the Islanders – who were going to be riding a solid defensive pairing on the power play in Streit and newly acquired James Wisniewski.

According to Newsday’s Strang, the Islanders will be looking to bring in someone on a tryout basis the remainder of camp – but I wouldn’t be surprised to see some sort of roster move here to bring in extra help on the back end.

Update! 3:30pm

Katie Strang just updated her Newsday blog with some extra information, including who has been invited in for a tryout.

She also reports that Kyle Okposo will also see a specialist for his ailing shoulder as well, there is currently no timetable for his return.

Now, all these injuries – especially major injuries begs this question: Exactly how much contact, is too much contact for training camp? Do the benefits outweigh the risks here? Especially losing a player like Streit for such a long period of time well before the season even begins.

The hit was labeled as “flukish” yesterday by Head Coach Scott Gordon, but I still wouldn’t want to be in Matt Moulson’s shoes right now – but it’s all part of the game I suppose.

Having missed large stretches of this season as the odd man out, Tambellini knows all to well what it feels like to be in the press box eating popcorn and watching his teammates high above the Coliseum ice. With a rash of injuries the last week and a half, Tambellini found himself called upon once again for spot duty last night as the Islanders took on the New Jersey Devils in a 4-2 victory. But, the road stopped there for Tambellini, as he will be scratched again tonight this time with a groin injury suffered in last nights game.

On emergency recall tonight, another one of Bridgeport’s muscle men in Matt Martin. Martin has two assists in the four games he has played so far this season for the Islanders. He brings a physical game that the Islanders really lack and has shown he has the smarts and hands to be effective around the net as well.

His arrival is just in time for our foes to the north in the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Here is the post over at the Bleacher Report:

Cue the pomp and circumstance folks, there is an All-Star goaltender making his triumphant return to hockey and it starts tonight for Rick DiPietro.

DiPietro has missed all but five games in the 2008-2009 season and all of the current season due to numerous hip and knee injuries. His landmark contract aside, many feel DiPietro was rushed back into playing too quickly after a series of unrelated injuries and was unsurprisingly re-injured. Islanders management has really stepped up the protection of their franchise goaltender and given him ample time to heal and get the rehabilitation he needs to stay healthy. Tonight’s game for DiPietro will not be in Tampa Bay against the Lightning, where the Islanders are set to play—instead it will be in Bridgeport, Connecticut for the Bridgeport Sound Tigers of the American Hockey League as they face the Springfield Falcons.

DiPietro’s last appearance for Bridgeport came under similar conditions on a conditioning stint in 2003-2004 where he played two games and suffered two losses.

For those worried that throwing him into a game situation after missing 11 months of hockey is too much too soon, rest assured—he will play at most a half of game tonight and depending on how he has responded to practices and the game, will likely play out several road games for the Sound Tigers.

Sound Tigers beat writer Michael Fornabaio also reports that DiPietro will not wear the number 39 as he has for his NHL career, instead will wear the number 29 as he did throughout his playing time on the Sound Tigers.

Rick DiPietro’s eventual return to the New York Islanders also gives them some trade options, Martin Biron has not play exceptionally well this season, but is on a one year contract and 40 year old Dwayne Roloson has been rock solid for the Islanders and is in the first year of a two year contract. With DiPietro’s tainted injury history, it may prove to be a tough decision for Islanders GM Garth Snow. It’s certainly a good position to be in though, having three NHL goaltenders who are all capable of stealing games.

I will be up in Bridgeport tonight to watch Rick DiPietro’s return to hockey, so I should have some great follow up material tomorrow.

It’s going to be an exciting night, for sure!

The Lightning have come to town without their scoring prowess and captain in Vincent Lecavalier, the Islanders are another team with a ridiculous amount of many injuries and have recalled five from the Bridgeport Sound Tigers for tonight’s game. In the latest string of injuries, Mark Streit and Kyle Okposo each suffered groin injuries, Dean MacAmmond is out with what is described as “an illness” and Andy Hilbert suffered a rib injury against Montreal on Thursday. Taking their places – Mitch Fritz, Mike Iggulden, Jesse Joensuu and Joel Rechlicz and defenseman Jamie Fraser. Here is the official Islanders press release that came into my inbox about 40 minutes ago:

The New York Islanders have recalled forwards Mitch Fritz, Mike Iggulden, Jesse Joensuu and Joel Rechlicz and defenseman Jamie Fraser from the Bridgeport Sound Tigers of the American Hockey League on an emergency basis. All five will be in the Islanders’ lineup tonight when they take the ice against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Fraser will make his NHL debut, marking the 12th Islander to appear in his first career game this season. The 23-year-old Sarnia native has played in 63 games with Bridgeport this season, recording seven goals and 13 assists for 20 points and 28 penalty minutes. He also ranks fourth on the team with a +12 plus/minus rating. Fraser was signed by the Islanders as an undrafted free agent on December 30, 2006.

Fritz, Joensuu and Rechlicz all made their NHL debuts earlier this season. Iggulden had appeared in one game prior to 2008-09, but made his debut as an Islander on March 7th against New Jersey.

Fritz has played in 16 games with the Islanders, recording 33 penalty minutes. In 36 contests with Bridgeport, he has two assists and 58 penalty minutes. He made his NHL debut on October 30th at Philadelphia.

Iggulden has appeared in nine games with the Islanders, recording one goal and four assists for five points. He currently leads Bridgeport with 60 points (23 goals, 37 assists) in 69 contests this season.

Joensuu has played in four games with the Islanders, scoring his first NHL goal in his first game on March 2nd versus Colorado. In 68 games with Bridgeport, he has 19 goals and 17 assists for 36 points and a team-leading +21 rating.

Rechlicz made his NHL debut on March 5th versus the New York Rangers and recorded an assist for his first point. He has appeared in 12 games with the Islanders, recording 44 penalty minutes. He has also played in four games with Bridgeport recording 12 penalty minutes in addition to playing in 45 games with the Utah Grizzlies of the ECHL recording one assist and 110 penalty minutes.

Some stats per Newsday’s Greg Logan on the debute of Jamie Fraser: “After a recount and the addition of Fraser, the accurate numbers are 12 players making their NHL debuts and 16 rookies who have played [this season.]”

Twelve players making their NHL DEBUT and 16 rookies total suiting up for the Islanders? When Garth Snow proclaimed over the summer that this was the chance to see what prospects the team had in their system, I really doubt he had this in mind. Injuries aside, do you feel that this years Islanders team could have done something different if their actual team was able to grow and learn under the tutelage of Scott Gordon?

I don’t think it would have made much of a difference, it could have meant that we would have seen more veteran players shipped out in order to make room for prospects down the stretch. Sure, the team would have been able to gel a bit and learn the system and build chemistry, but I did not see them getting farther than the 8th seed and a early playoff exit. At least now that the injury situation has “happened”, the team will bear the fruits of an extremely deep and important draft – perhaps one of the most important in franchise history.

This is a saga that will be extremely interesting to see how it plays out and tonight’s episode is certainly a key juncture in what happens at the upcoming draft lottery.

Live Tracker

Here is the live tracker for tonight’s game, I will be bouncing around the Coliseum as always. Be sure to follow me on Twitter for updates or the occasional photo.

Hopefully, Joensuu gets an extended look, he is THAT good.

Having traded veteran Bill Guerin yesterday during the trade deadline, coupled with the fact that Brendan Witt is still serving his suspension, Nate Thompson not ready, Trent Hunter not ready and Thomas Pock also not ready – the Islanders have recalled four players from the Bridgeport Sound Tigers.

Forward Jesse Joensuu who scored in his first NHL game on Monday gets another go, while forward Joel Rechlicz gets his first call up of the season. Defensemen Joe Callahan who has been impressive while up with the big club and Andrew MacDonald another impressive young d-man also get the call. So while the Islanders did not make too many trades yesterday – it sure might feel that way with so many new faces in the locker room tonight.

Here is the official press release:

The New York Islanders have recalled forwards Jesse Joensuu and Joel Rechlicz and defensemen Joe Callahan and Andrew MacDonald from the Bridgeport Sound Tigers of the American Hockey League on an emergency basis.

Joensuu (YOH-ehn-soo) made his NHL debut on Monday night against Colorado and scored his first career NHL goal on his first shot. In 56 games with Bridgeport this season, he has recorded 17 goals and 14 assists to rank fifth on the team with 31 points. Joensuu was drafted by the Islanders in the second round (60th overall) of the 2006 NHL Entry Draft.

Rechlicz (REHK-lihj) has split time between Bridgeport (AHL) and Utah (ECHL) this season. He has seven penalty minutes in three games with Bridgeport and one assist to go along with 110 penalty minutes in 45 games with Utah. Rechlicz was signed by the Islanders as a free agent on May 6, 2008.

Callahan has one assist and a +2 rating in 13 games with the Islanders this season. In 42 games with Bridgeport, he has scored three goals and added six assists for nine points. Callahan was signed by the Islanders as a free agent on July 8, 2008.

MacDonald made his NHL debut on February 28th against Buffalo and has a +2 rating in two games. In 52 games with Bridgeport this season, he has six goals and 13 assists to lead all Sound Tigers’ defensemen with 19 points. He also represented the Sound Tigers in the AHL All-Star game as a member of Team Canada this season. MacDonald was drafted by the Islanders in the sixth round (160th overall) of the 2006 NHL Entry Draft.

You would be amazed at how many people stop by the Blog Box asking for information.

Weight was injured in last nights game in New Jersey – this marks the third time this season that Weight will miss significant time due to injury. This time is clearly the worst.

Per Logan’s chat:

Finally, here’s the really bad news. Center Doug Weight is out six weeks with an MCL sprain. So, there goes the veteran who might have had the highest trade value. On the plus side, maybe that leads to more consideration of bringing Weight back next season.

This will certainly affect the Islanders in terms of on ice talent as Weight has been one of the most effective in almost every zone and on the power play. Another big impact this injury has is their most tradable asset is now unlikely to be traded at all – which is disheartening in a way.

For the sake of his playmaking ability, I hope he has a speedy recovery and can man the point for the Isles the remainder of the season.

Edit as of 5:30pm:

The Islanders have made this official by way of a press release – I am sure it will be up on the main site shortly:

The New York Islanders have announced that center Doug Weight will be out six weeks with an MCL sprain. Weight has been placed on injured reserve retroactive to February 11th, when he suffered the injury after colliding with Brian Gionta in the second period of the Islanders’ game at New Jersey.

Weight has played in 44 games with the Islanders this season, scoring nine goals and 26 assists to rank second on the team with 35 points. The 17-year NHL veteran also ranks second on the Islanders with 20 power-play points. In 1,175 career NHL games, Weight has scored 274 goals and added 730 assists for a total of 1,004 points. He was signed by the Islanders as a free agent on July 2, 2008.

If you think it is all fun and games, clear it is not if you are a visiting NHL club looking for some rest before a game. If you happened to catch Corey Witt’s blog from earlier today – the team was woken up by canons firing and boat horns blaring. He also talks about an elevator ride with a pirate and two of his lasses. Hopefully they boys do not drink before a game, it’s bad enough they get injured without being hung over or intoxicated. Unlike our Islanders team and media guys – I got to sleep in and only woke up because I was hot, being it’s about 50 degrees here today and my heat was set a bit too high.

Moving on to the hockey side of this post – a quick recap of the past few games.

Islanders vs Lighting: Win at Home 3-1

The last time that Tampa and the Islanders played was on Tuesday – think of tonight’s game as a delayed home and home. The Islanders did well against the Bolts, scoring three goals in just over three minutes and chasing rookie netminder Kari Ramo. We would see goals by Mark Streit, Trent Hunter and a player who had not scored in over two seasons – Radek Martinek. Martinek’s goal was just as strange feeling as when Brendan Witt scores his annual goal – a feat he has yet to accomplish this season, but has come awfully close. For the third straight game, Yann Danis would carry a shutout into the third period only to lose it late in the game, it’s not really the biggest deal because he has been playing very well – but it would be nice to see him get the no-no. The Islanders would win the game 3-1, but would lose their go-to defenseman in Mark Streit – whom at that point was one of only three Islanders to play in every game the entire season. Streit injured his shoulder during the second period in a collision and Tomas Pock was lost for four weeks after injuring his hand. While Okposo did not score and we saw his goal streak snapped, he did pick up and assist and extended his point streak to five games (5g, 1a). The kids continue to shine.

I wanted to give this next bit a paragraph all to itself because I felt it was really important. In the first period Tim Jackman went hard to the net and collided with Ramo whom fell over as if he was shot. Of all people to stand up and challenge Jackman – Vincent Lecavalier tried to fire his team up by dropping the gloves. The fight wasn’t really much to speak about, but it left me feeling conflicted – apparently Jacko as well. I didn’t get the chance to speak to him after the game, but it was clear he showed respect (and restraint) by not really pummeling him as he is capable of. It’s one thing when it’s two enforcers duking it out, it become something else entirely when it’s you are fighting one of the leagues superstars. Do you really risk injuring the player or do you just wrestle and throw a few punches as they wound up doing.

You can see the fight as always on Hockey Fights, but here is the youtube clip:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Islanders vs Panthers: Loss on Road 3-2

The trip out to the sunshine state usually involves the fathers making the trip with their sons, this year is no different it’s just unfortunate that they opened their little road trip on a loss. The Islanders would elect to start Joey MacDonald whom returned from a groin injury suffered on January 13th and also feature two call up defenseman in Jack Hillen and Joe Callahan. They would look to extend their win streak to a season high five games and a point streak to six games.

The Panthers are another team that the Islanders have faced recently, the Cats were in town on 1/31 and the Islanders walked all over them in a 3-1 win. The game on Thursday started a little later than we are used to, even though it was only a half hour later – I still didn’t manage to stay up for the entire contest. From what I did see, I saw the Islanders struggle against a team that looks much better when David Booth is in the lineup. I am sure Nate Thompson feels the same way – Thompson took a big open ice hit from Booth and immediately left the ice in pain. We would later find out that he injured his shoulder and would miss some time. The Panthers took an early lead, going up two goals before the end of the first period on goals by their defensemen – Jay Bouwmeester and Karlis Skrastins (Scratch and Sniff).

The Islanders would get on the board in the second period on a power play goal by Josh Bailey. Bailey had gone 11 games without a goal, but would get his second of the season on a nice feed from Nielsen and fire it past Florida goaltender Tomas Vokoun low glove side. The one goal deficit would be short lived however, as ex-Isle Richard Zednik would beat Martinek along the boards and dance to the middle of the ice and OVER a sprawled out Brendan Witt, while mid air he was able to deposit the puck through MacDonald’s pads to give the Cats their second two goal lead of the game. The goal was highlight worthy, and those plays are kind of hard to be mad at – see for yourself:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Armed with another power play, the Islanders would strike again – this time Trent Hunter would find himself all alone in front of Vokoun and again make it a one goal game. On the face off that lead to the goal, Josh Bailey would lose the draw but out of desperation dive forward and chip the puck out to Hunter who would deposit it backhand past Vokoun. Hunters goal gives him points in four straight games (3g, 1a) and also Bailey his second point of the night. It was Bailey’s third time this season with a two-point game and he now has 2 goals and 13 assists for 15 points in 37 games.

I missed a majority of the third period because I fell asleep, but I saw the Islanders make a last ditch effort to get the equalizer with MacDonald pulled. It was exciting to wake up and see some good hockey – but they were unable to score. It snapped their win streak – but I was ok with the effort I saw after the first period and happy with the play of the young players again.

Tonight’s Tampa Re-Match

Tonight should prove to be a fun contest to watch as you know the Lightning will come out with intensity looking for revenge against the Isles for their performance last week. The Bolts are not too far removed from the tight Eastern Conference playoff picture should they string together a group of wins – they need tonight’s two points a lot more then the Islanders do.

Greg Logan reports in his blog today that Sean Bergenheim will replace the injured Nate Thompson – which sort of confuses me a bit. It was said in all the games that Bergy was scratched he was out with an injured “side” – to me it just seems per Logan’s blog that he was more of a healthy scratch. Whatever the case, Bergenheim, does possess more of a scoring touch than Thompson but is not a centerman – so there will need to be some line juggling. MacDonald didn’t play too bad on Thursday – but coming off an injury will the team decide to give him a rest and go with Danis tonight?

I am still really conflicted with this team – which sounds confusing. As a fan, I have accepted the fact that this team really won’t amount to anything come playoff time – I know they won’t even be close. They also had a horrible stretch of hockey that only saw them win maybe two or three games through December and much of January. It was nice to see a nice little stretch of wins – especially at home because it gives us a look at the kids progressing nicely and how they will help in the future. This is where I get conflicted, I want them to finish dead last in the league with the fewest points as I want them to have the best shot at either Tavares or Hedman. If this team finishes with the fewest amount of points, the lowest we can pick is number two – because we cannot move down any more than one position should we wind up not picking first due to the lottery. There will still be great players available in the top six picks, but this team needs someone who will sell tickets and give hope to a fan base dealing with politicians who are balking and stalling on a decision regarding a new arena and rumors that the team will be sold and/or moved.

It’s a rough time to be a fan of the Islanders for sure, but it’s sadly an exciting time in a way.

Center Mike Sillinger, who played in only seven games this season will not be returning to the Islanders for the remainder of the season following a second hip surgery completed today. Sillinger had two goals in his seven games and never really looked completely healed and/or comfortable once back with the team after a brief AHL conditioning assignment. Sillinger is in the final year of his three year contract, should he decide to return for 2009/2010 – there is no guarantee that the man we call Silli will don an Islanders crest.

Best of luck in the future Mike, thanks for the memories.

Here is the official release:

The New York Islanders have announced that center Mike Sillinger is out for the remainder of the 2008-09 season after undergoing hip resurfacing surgery in New York on January 26th. It is the second surgery Sillinger has had on his hip in the last year. Sillinger also missed the final 29 games of the 2007-08 season and first 24 games of this season recovering from microfracture hip surgery.

Sillinger played in seven games with the Islanders this season, scoring two goals. Drafted by the Detroit Red Wings with the 11th overall pick in the 1989 NHL Entry Draft, the 37-year-old center has appeared in 18 NHL seasons for a record 12 different teams. Sillinger has played in 1,049 career NHL games, scoring 240 goals and 308 assists for 548 points. In 141 games with the Islanders, Sillinger has tallied 42 goals and 45 assists for 87 points – the highest total for any team in his career.

The New York Islanders have announced that goaltender Rick DiPietro will miss the remainder of the 2008-09 season. Team doctors have referred to the decision as precautionary due to swelling in the knee that DiPietro had arthroscopic knee surgery on to repair a meniscus injury on October 31st. DiPietro is expected to resume skating this summer in preparation for the 2009-10 season.

“After extensive consultation we feel this decision is in the best interest for Rick and the team,” said Garth Snow, New York Islanders General Manager. “This will allow Rick ample time to make a full recovery for next year.”

Added DiPietro: “This has been one of the most frustrating situations I have ever had to deal with, but this is the right decision for me and the team.” “I am confident this will allow me to make a complete recovery, be ready in plenty of time for next season and compete to my highest ability for many years to come. I’d like to thank Islanders fans for their patience and I look forward to playing in front of them next season.”

DiPietro, an NHL All-Star starter last season, has played in five games this season and has a record of 1-3-0 with a 3.52 goals against average and a .892 save percentage. Drafted by the Islanders with the first overall pick in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft, DiPietro has played in 273 NHL games and has a record of 117-112-8-24 with a 2.79 goals against average and a .905 save percentage

Around the five minute mark of the first period against the Rangers tonight, MacDonald somehow injured his groin and could no longer continue. In his place Yann Danis jumps into the game. Now the curious case of who will serve as backup to the backup in case something should happen to Danis. Howie and Billy joked when the camera went to the skybox where both Dunham and Garth were sitting that either would be more than capable. Seems someone in management was listening, because Dunham disappeared and would be named emergency backup – you know, just in case.

It appears as if the Islanders will be giving many fans their wish if DiPietro is indeed shut down. In a pregame interview with Billy Jaffe, Garth Snow admitted concerns over DiPietro and insists that his best interests and safety are in mind with any decision. He also admitted that there may have been errors made in their decisions with DP in years past.

Shut him down and allow him to FULLY recover for next season, this way we don’t have a repeat – or should I say THREE-PEAT?

In what is now a daily trend, the Islanders have announced several injuries and players recalled from Bridgeport to serve as replacement for said players. Here is what we know, thanks to Islanders Point Blank:

Trevor Smith has been recalled to replace Mike Sillinger who finds himself back in a familiar place – Injured Reserve with a hip injury. No word if this is an injury to his surgically repaired hip or to his “good hip”. It’s a shame too, because he has been pretty good for the Islanders in between missing time with that groin strain and all.

Trent Hunter is reportedly sore, nothing major after that scary hit at the Garden on Monday. If Hunts cannot go – Botta says to expect Sim to take his place.

Sean Bergenheim will likely dress for Mitch Fritz, Bergy is the better choice providing he can find a way to remain out of the sin bin.

The question at this point is why is Yann Danis recalled once again so soon after he was sent back down? Will he serve as backup for a returning DiPietro or will he backup MacDonald. The tricky part about this situation is how Joey Mac took a shot up high off the neck during yesterday’s practice. This is something to watch for sure. The last time I checked everyone thought that DiPietro would be today’s starting goalie – who knows at this point. I know I don’t profess to know or understand anything anymore.

No live blog again today, my apologies – if the mood strikes me I may do something from my phone while in my seats. Follow along with the live tracker at the bottom of the post for all those stuck at work!

Enjoy the game!

Vote for Islesblogger!

Today is the very last day to vote in the Yes Islanders 2008 Best Blog awards!

I know I did not really push this too much, I honestly don’t expect to win – but Yes Islanders is a great community and deserves an extra plug here and there. Head on over there (click the banner below) and sign up to vote – it’s free and easy!

Live Tracker

New Injuries

Josh Bailey is day to day with an ankle sprain. Hopefully it’s not of the dreaded “high ankle” variety that keeps players out long stretches. Last I checked the team did not know if he would play tonight. UPDATE Chris Botta reports from the morning skate that Josh Bailey is all systems go for tonight! This up and down stuff is crazy!

Nate Thompson (or should we call him “yo-yo”) is down again, this time with a fractured ankle that will keep him sidelined 3-4 weeks.

Injury Updates

Rick DiPietro is skating in full equipment, practicing with the team and is said to be going on the mini road trip this weekend. He should get some game time in the coming week.

Mike Comrie is coming along, it is said he should be back in about a week.

Kyle Okposo is doing well, no timetable just yet, although he is very close.

Mike Sillinger is still suffering from discomfort in his groin and is currently day to day.

Greg Logan has broken some callup news:

Center Ben Walter has been called up from Bridgeport by the Islanders to replace Nate Thompson in the lineup against Washington tonight at the Coliseum. Thompson reportedly is out 2-4 weeks with a fractured ankle suffered Saturday at Columbus.

In 16 games with the Sound Tigers, Walter has five goals and nine assists for 14 points. He’s likely slated for fourth-line duty but has played for coach Scott Gordon in the past and understands the system.

And yet another twist, Mike Fornabaio claims that Jeremy Colliton was recalled as well:

Ben Walter and Jeremy Colliton were missing for the good reason, called up; word is, though, that at least one of the two is himself sick. Now, does somebody else go, too? Good question. You are informed as I am informed.

• Chasing the puck. The entire team was guilty of bunching up and all going after the puck carrier. This type of coverage leaves the rest of the opposing team open and leads to goals, lots of them
• Penalties, penalties and more penalties. Sure, some of the penalties called on the Islanders in Pittsburgh were questionable at best – but when you take three or four consecutive penalties on the same shift, things need to be addressed. You don’t skate, you are bound to take penalties – correlation 100%.
• No back checking. It seemed as if the team were spectating their own game, there was no sense of urgency and almost no energy.
• Passes. Once again passes were to areas where there wasn’t a player or too far ahead of behind. I don’t know how many giveaway’s the Islanders had the other night, but it sure did seem like a lot.
• Shots. Sure the team started to shoot more, but when you have prime scoring chances put the shot on net for once. I don’t know how many times someone would shoot and it would be high, wide or hi and wide. I was getting sick of Howie Rose sounding like he was announcing a baseball game – “Just a bit outside”.
• Forecheck. Comes from a lack of skating, for a system that purportedly benefits from a forecheck – it’s not really a surprise that they failed miserably.

What I like about this

I know it’s hard to like anything about the past several days, but I am digging how Scott Gordon is responding to the teams dismal performance. In the past the Islanders coaches would not push the team hard in practice following a nasty loss – but I was hoping Gordon would give them a bag skate and he totally did. The critics all say that the practice before a game day should never be as tough as it would be during a bag skate – but I disagree. If your team is not playing as they should, they should know that a practice so tough it makes you puke is about to be thrown down.

Greg Logan had a great interview with Scott Gordon about the practice:

“You say, ‘I don’t want to kill them in practice and not get it in the game,’” Gordon said. “Well, now I’m at the point where it doesn’t really matter. This needs to be addressed, and it probably should have been addressed three games ago. The goals that are going in are because of our lack of awareness and our lack of effort without the puck coming back into our zone. There’s not a system in the world that’s going to cover your rear end if you don’t have awareness and you don’t have a commitment to get back to your zone.”

“It’s been an ongoing situation where we have not backchecked with awareness and purpose,” Gordon said. “We have to play with more desperation and more purpose all the time. When you’re not doing that, you become easier to play against. That’s not what we want our team identity to be.”

In his blog, Chris Botta talks a bit about the bag skate as well, and has this to say about the two quotes from Gordon to Logan:

That’s completely fair on the coach’s part. But if the Islanders get out-skated tonight, Logie has his angle (and most of his story written) by the end of the second intermission. From what I’ve heard, that skate in Columbus was no moderate bag skate, but Hefty baggy.

If they get out skated. The entire hockey world is one big IF, I am sure Gordon isn’t the first coach to put his team through a rigorous practice the day before a game, I just hope they learned something about not showing up for a game because of it. I don’t even care if they seem tired, a tired team playing the system is better than prepared team not playing the system any day – history has already proven this in past losses.

Sillinger out, Sim back in

Greg Logan also has a blog entry today that claims Mike Sillinger has tweaked his groin and will sit out until he is 100% to avoid the risk of hurting his surgically repaired hip. In his place, Jon Sim who was recently placed on waivers (only to go unclaimed) will find himself getting another look and an opportunity to show the team he can contribute. However, at this point Sim appears to reach his previous point totals if he finishes the season with the Islanders – but there is obviously a log-jam of similar type players (Thompson, Bergenheim, Jackman, Fritz).

Not really sure what to expect exactly tonight, but I know it should be a better effort. We will soon find out.