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I know what you are saying: "you again?!?!?!"
EK wasn't able to blog today, so I've been called to provide a pinch-hit. So come and see what is going on in Isles Country. Please excuse any grammar or spelling errors. I was rushed to put something together and did not get my usual time to "finish it".
Carolina Beats the Isles, DP Injured?
Sure, you all might be: "Hey its just an Islander's blog." But let me tell you, this year the Islanders might be a fulcrum for a battle between press/bloggers on getting through the mud that the NHL's new injury policy creates. Last night fallout might be it just beginning to heat up.
Isles lost last night 4-3 to Carolina, but the bigger story seems to be that Rick DiPietro was pulled after the 1st period. It wasn't until after the game it seems that suddenly he was pulled due to injury.
Newsday's Greg Logan doesn't quite buy it.
In fact, he takes on the entire Isles injury policy by doing the exact same thing that the Isles and other teams are allowed to do by the league in a gleeful and sharp skewering blog that shows that Logan can not only just write a good article, but supply a strong opinion in a blog as well.
But let's start at the beginning . . . where Isles backup Joey MacDonald had to start the season as goalie while stories of a swelled knee for DP hit TSN. DP categorically denies this story. However, this was brought to the forefront for a game versus the very hot Buffalo Sabres where it was a beatdown that made many wonder why Macdonald wasn't pulled.
When asked, Scott Gordon gave us the answer: He doesn't like to pull goalies.
However, we all still left wondering if The Rick was even ready if he had to.
So let's get back to last night...
DP did not have a particularly good game as Dallas came to town the other day, and came out with another off-kilter period where he gave away the puck and anything but sharp on the saves. So the Isles are down in a home game once again due to mistakes and poor goaltending, BUT they come out in the 2nd period with backup Joey MacDonald instead...
Surprise. Surprise. Was he pulled for poor play? Is he injured? If so, why no word about an injury until after the game?
But here, come look at the Post-Game interviews:
You will see that the Isles Captain Bill Guerin has no knowledge of an injury to Rick. "I'm not aware of any injury," he states, clearly confused. Coach Scott Gordon says DP is injured but can't talk about it. His smirk and humor didn't look like a comfortable place. DP himself doesn't want to talk about the injury?!?!?!
So, Logan might be hitting a deep nerve. Logan knows this team, and if he says something is rotten in the state of Denmark, send a garbageman and a mop.
So the story becomes what is wrong with Ricky, if anything at all? Or is the injury something that they finally got out of him after he was sat? Or was it simply the coaches and management seeing something he would not admit? We are all left confused thanks to the policy that is place that basically says they can't lie, but do not need to inform anyone what the truth is.
Is this a powerplay of the coach determining that a goalie is injured despite the goalie not admitting it? Or when he is called out on it after the game? Or is there something more nefarious, where executive decisions are being made to supply stories after-the-fact? It is a muddied puddle of murk, and one hopes that a light can be shed on what exactly is going on.
Logan is right-on on one thing, we can guess the world and should because we know the NHL and Isles aren't being forthright "to protect the players" (per Bettman himself in an interview with Stan Fischler). This league rationale is actually flawed and I will be taking it on in a future blog. BUT, Greg Logan might have beaten me to it by using the DP injury/not-an-injury as a fair trade return to them of what has been handed to the press and fans so far this season.
This story will not go away, nor will debate on injury policy. Expect the heat to be on as the press begins to take an almost adversarial role when they are being handed something fraught with stink and smoke. For the press and blogdom should not be the furnishing this team with free PR but taking a scope and finding truth.
For that is what fans read it for. Knowledge about their team.
Meanwhile
The Scott Gordon system is creating chances and opportunities. There are glimmers of success. After DP faced 10 shots, letting in 2, Joey MacDonald saved 11 out of 13 shots thereafter as the Isles offense focused on peppering Cam Ward.
Bill Guerin led with 10 shots. Sean Bergenheim had 7.
Doug Weight laid out Brandon Sutter in a crushing clean hit.
Mark Streit led dmen with over 27 minutes. Chris Campoli was next a shade over 24. Forwards: Doug Weight had 23 minutes, and Guerin had 22.
Turning a Corner?
If the Isles can shore up these flaws and weaknesses, even if Joey Mac is in goal, the Isles might have some sort of equalizer to compete with clubs that might be a touch over their level. 60 shots is a powerful weapon IF they can make high quality shots.
BD's Conjecture:
They could probably use a scorer to capitalize, over what they have presently. Parrish will be showing his stuff at Bridgeport. Or perhaps a deal can be made. Vrbata seems to be invisible in Tampa, while the Blackhawks might be not mind moving Havlat. If the Isles are serious about having the kids show their stuff but still compete, then they could probably use at least one upgrade on getting someone who has a scoring touch.
- BD
EK wasn't able to blog today, so I've been called to provide a pinch-hit. So come and see what is going on in Isles Country. Please excuse any grammar or spelling errors. I was rushed to put something together and did not get my usual time to "finish it".
Carolina Beats the Isles, DP Injured?
Sure, you all might be: "Hey its just an Islander's blog." But let me tell you, this year the Islanders might be a fulcrum for a battle between press/bloggers on getting through the mud that the NHL's new injury policy creates. Last night fallout might be it just beginning to heat up.
Isles lost last night 4-3 to Carolina, but the bigger story seems to be that Rick DiPietro was pulled after the 1st period. It wasn't until after the game it seems that suddenly he was pulled due to injury.
Newsday's Greg Logan doesn't quite buy it.
In fact, he takes on the entire Isles injury policy by doing the exact same thing that the Isles and other teams are allowed to do by the league in a gleeful and sharp skewering blog that shows that Logan can not only just write a good article, but supply a strong opinion in a blog as well.
But let's start at the beginning . . . where Isles backup Joey MacDonald had to start the season as goalie while stories of a swelled knee for DP hit TSN. DP categorically denies this story. However, this was brought to the forefront for a game versus the very hot Buffalo Sabres where it was a beatdown that made many wonder why Macdonald wasn't pulled.
When asked, Scott Gordon gave us the answer: He doesn't like to pull goalies.
However, we all still left wondering if The Rick was even ready if he had to.
So let's get back to last night...
DP did not have a particularly good game as Dallas came to town the other day, and came out with another off-kilter period where he gave away the puck and anything but sharp on the saves. So the Isles are down in a home game once again due to mistakes and poor goaltending, BUT they come out in the 2nd period with backup Joey MacDonald instead...
Surprise. Surprise. Was he pulled for poor play? Is he injured? If so, why no word about an injury until after the game?
But here, come look at the Post-Game interviews:
You will see that the Isles Captain Bill Guerin has no knowledge of an injury to Rick. "I'm not aware of any injury," he states, clearly confused. Coach Scott Gordon says DP is injured but can't talk about it. His smirk and humor didn't look like a comfortable place. DP himself doesn't want to talk about the injury?!?!?!
So, Logan might be hitting a deep nerve. Logan knows this team, and if he says something is rotten in the state of Denmark, send a garbageman and a mop.
So the story becomes what is wrong with Ricky, if anything at all? Or is the injury something that they finally got out of him after he was sat? Or was it simply the coaches and management seeing something he would not admit? We are all left confused thanks to the policy that is place that basically says they can't lie, but do not need to inform anyone what the truth is.
Is this a powerplay of the coach determining that a goalie is injured despite the goalie not admitting it? Or when he is called out on it after the game? Or is there something more nefarious, where executive decisions are being made to supply stories after-the-fact? It is a muddied puddle of murk, and one hopes that a light can be shed on what exactly is going on.
Logan is right-on on one thing, we can guess the world and should because we know the NHL and Isles aren't being forthright "to protect the players" (per Bettman himself in an interview with Stan Fischler). This league rationale is actually flawed and I will be taking it on in a future blog. BUT, Greg Logan might have beaten me to it by using the DP injury/not-an-injury as a fair trade return to them of what has been handed to the press and fans so far this season.
This story will not go away, nor will debate on injury policy. Expect the heat to be on as the press begins to take an almost adversarial role when they are being handed something fraught with stink and smoke. For the press and blogdom should not be the furnishing this team with free PR but taking a scope and finding truth.
For that is what fans read it for. Knowledge about their team.
Meanwhile
The Scott Gordon system is creating chances and opportunities. There are glimmers of success. After DP faced 10 shots, letting in 2, Joey MacDonald saved 11 out of 13 shots thereafter as the Isles offense focused on peppering Cam Ward.
Bill Guerin led with 10 shots. Sean Bergenheim had 7.
Doug Weight laid out Brandon Sutter in a crushing clean hit.
Mark Streit led dmen with over 27 minutes. Chris Campoli was next a shade over 24. Forwards: Doug Weight had 23 minutes, and Guerin had 22.
Turning a Corner?
If the Isles can shore up these flaws and weaknesses, even if Joey Mac is in goal, the Isles might have some sort of equalizer to compete with clubs that might be a touch over their level. 60 shots is a powerful weapon IF they can make high quality shots.
BD's Conjecture:
They could probably use a scorer to capitalize, over what they have presently. Parrish will be showing his stuff at Bridgeport. Or perhaps a deal can be made. Vrbata seems to be invisible in Tampa, while the Blackhawks might be not mind moving Havlat. If the Isles are serious about having the kids show their stuff but still compete, then they could probably use at least one upgrade on getting someone who has a scoring touch.
- BD
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