No, they already took their single most important lesson from this playoff, which was learning about playoff intensity and adversity. I guarantee that game will be fresh in the mind well beyond this series.
- keaner17

Good point. I think management needs to make them a bit tougher too. Especially now that they're getting their feet wet. Beyond Martin, no other Islander really made anything difficult on the pens

Also, first time I saw that video. Unfortunate play, but looked pretty much unintentional.

Good point. I think management needs to make them a bit tougher too. Especially now that they're getting their feet wet. Beyond Martin, no other Islander really made anything difficult on the pens

Also, first time I saw that video. Unfortunate play, but looked pretty much unintentional.
- cranktheradio

Thé team as a whole mailed it in. Hopefully we see à different team tonight

Thé team as a whole mailed it in. Hopefully we see à different team tonight
- Cptmjl

I dont want to say tonight is a MUST win, but being down 2-0 to the best team in the east is not good even if coming back home for the next 2 games.
Even our last 3 playoff appearances of being the 8 seed we still took one of the first 2 games on the road (Ottawa, Tampa, Buffalo).

I dont want to say tonight is a MUST win, but being down 2-0 to the best team in the east is not good even if coming back home for the next 2 games.
Even our last 3 playoff appearances of being the 8 seed we still took one of the first 2 games on the road (Ottawa, Tampa, Buffalo).
- NewYawkIslandez

I said this the other night...if the Isles want ANY shot of attempting to take this series, they cannot go down 0-2. They have to keep it to being down one game. (not that im EXPECTING them to win the series but I will certainly cheer and hope they do)!

If they roll Reasoner out there, period, tonight, I'm gonna poop.

What's the logic on this? "You know, we went 11-1-3 down the stretch with this waste of space in the press box. Here's an out-of-the-box idea: Let's put him in the lineup for Game 1 when its plain as day that we need him to play big minutes for us, TONIGHT. You know, because we sucked so much with him out of the lineup."

What does this tell guys like Martinek and Joensuu who I both though played pretty decently down the stretch. I especially liked Joensuu's pursuit of the puck holder, but, you know, Reasoner had "playoff experience." Years ago, and for another team...

Thé team as a whole mailed it in. Hopefully we see à different team tonight
- Cptmjl

What, are you getting all fancy on us with the apostrophes?

Good point. I think management needs to make them a bit tougher too. Especially now that they're getting their feet wet. Beyond Martin, no other Islander really made anything difficult on the pens

Also, first time I saw that video. Unfortunate play, but looked pretty much unintentional.
- cranktheradio

Management needs to start searching for players who are both skilled AND tough. We seem to have a lot of guys who are either one or the other. The problem is when you go up against a team as multi-faceted as the Pens, they'll expose your tough guys because they don't play well enough and beat your skilled guys up. The Isles would be well served to pursue a guy like Nathan Horton in the offseason. What we really need, is a big nasty top pairing dman (Mayfield?). We have one line that's capable of out-toughing any line on the Pens but Cappy refuses to put them back together (McDonald/Cizikas/Martin).

That said, while I think the Pens are an incredibly talented team, I really think they're on collision course with Boston, which is not a good matchup for them. As tough as the Pens will look against us, Boston is capable of beating anyone in a playoff type series due to their size and toughness. That's going to be one hell of a matchup.

I dont want to say tonight is a MUST win, but being down 2-0 to the best team in the east is not good even if coming back home for the next 2 games.
Even our last 3 playoff appearances of being the 8 seed we still took one of the first 2 games on the road (Ottawa, Tampa, Buffalo).
- NewYawkIslandez

You're not in trouble until you lose one at home.

Holy poop! Ducks rallied to tie last night? It was 4-1 in the 3rd, I went to sleep thinking it was over. Too bad Anaheim couldn't finish them off.

If they roll Reasoner out there, period, tonight, I'm gonna poop.

What's the logic on this? "You know, we went 11-1-3 down the stretch with this waste of space in the press box. Here's an out-of-the-box idea: Let's put him in the lineup for Game 1 when its plain as day that we need him to play big minutes for us, TONIGHT. You know, because we sucked so much with him out of the lineup."

What does this tell guys like Martinek and Joensuu who I both though played pretty decently down the stretch. I especially liked Joensuu's pursuit of the puck holder, but, you know, Reasoner had "playoff experience." Years ago, and for another team...
- potvin05

As I highlighted last night, Reasoners presence changes the entire make up of the team. Not just because of his (lack of) performance, but the fact that it adds another non physical center to the mix. We can't run both Aucoin and Reasoner out there and expect that our team can play a physical aggressive game. If I'm running the lineup today, I'd send something like this:
Moulson Tavares Grabner
Bailey Nielsen Okposo
Martin Cizikas McDonald
Joensuu NELSON Boyes
Hamonic Visnovsky
Streit Hickey
Carkner Martinek

I realize Nelson has no NHL experience but overall I want his size and toughness up the middle to force Pittsburgh to contend with in the front while Joensuu bangs in the corners. I'd entertain the idea of Strome for Boyes but obvisously that won't happen. This gives us a pretty tough and big lineup capable of skating and irritating the Pens. On defense, we have a shutdown pairing. The Carkner/Martinek pairing gives us size and toughness while Raddy offers defensive reliability to make up for Carkner's shortcomings.

This won't happen, but I think this lineupe would be far more effective in a series like this.

What, are you getting all fancy on us with the apostrophes?
- potvin05

When I read his posts now, I actually read them to myself with a french accent. Not sure if thats what he is trying to do though

When I read his posts now, I actually read them to myself with a french accent. Not sure if thats what he is trying to do though
- NewYawkIslandez

LOL....I don't think he's going to like that one bit!
Cpt doesn't strike me as the french-loving type. It reminds me of the Flintstone's episode when Fred became 'Frederick'

LOL....I don't think he's going to like that one bit!
Cpt doesn't strike me as the french-loving type. It reminds me of the Flintstone's episode when Fred became 'Frederick'
- keaner17

We can just call him "Le Cptmjl"

As I highlighted last night, Reasoners presence changes the entire make up of the team. Not just because of his (lack of) performance, but the fact that it adds another non physical center to the mix. We can't run both Aucoin and Reasoner out there and expect that our team can play a physical aggressive game. If I'm running the lineup today, I'd send something like this:
Moulson Tavares Grabner
Bailey Nielsen Okposo
Martin Cizikas McDonald
Joensuu NELSON Boyes
Hamonic Visnovsky
Streit Hickey
Carkner Martinek

I realize Nelson has no NHL experience but overall I want his size and toughness up the middle to force Pittsburgh to contend with in the front while Joensuu bangs in the corners. I'd entertain the idea of Strome for Boyes but obvisously that won't happen. This gives us a pretty tough and big lineup capable of skating and irritating the Pens. On defense, we have a shutdown pairing. The Carkner/Martinek pairing gives us size and toughness while Raddy offers defensive reliability to make up for Carkner's shortcomings.

This won't happen, but I think this lineupe would be far more effective in a series like this.
- keaner17

I'd like to see Nelson and Strome get a shot...while your lineup makes sense, they will never sit AMac...I think Grabner should play top 6 minutes but I'm thinking he might be sent packing in the summer...

We can just call him "Le Cptmjl"
- NewYawkIslandez

Monsieur Captain

Keaner....you'd sit AMac?

I'd like to see Nelson and Strome get a shot...while your lineup makes sense, they will never sit AMac...I think Grabner should play top 6 minutes but I'm thinking he might be sent packing in the summer...
- kear20

The double edged sword of making it to the playoffs. Cappy gets extended...Cappy views Grabs as a 'passenger' and runs him out of town. Wouldn't shock me at this point. It's pretty clear that Cappy doesn't have enough confidence in Grabner to put him in a high impact offensive role.

Keaner....you'd sit AMac?
- potvin05

In a HEARTBEAT. At the very least, he'd be in the bottom pairing.

In a HEARTBEAT. At the very least, he'd be in the bottom pairing.
- keaner17

Who would you rather have in over him? Carkner? Id bet Cappy puts him in because of the toughness factor. Nevermind that he will be skated around like a giant road cone.
Martinek has to be in the game tonight. Has played well and is mobile.

BTW Potvin, not sure if you saw the kencan meltdown over the last couple of days but it came to an interesting head yesterday which landed him with a 7 game (day) suspension. Some of his internet past was presented to him, which he didn't appreciate.

Do you get emails from Dee about hating on him? Because when I do this to waste of skin oxygen thief Matt Berry I get emails about why why why. I get tons of shots at the bar from people who like me.
- poisondhearts37

I don't think our team as all that bad, and it's only going to get better. The problem the other night was that if you play a team like Pittsburgh, and you play like cr*p. you're going to get buried, and look like you never played hockey before in your life. Two more wins during the season, and we'd be up 1-0 on Montreal, just like Ottawa. Unless/Until Snow builds the perfect team, there are always going to be teams that are just simply better, like Pittsburgh.

That said, most of what happened the other night had to do with the fact that this team has seemingly forgotten everything it learned about playing defense in the last two months. I'd rather see them lose 1-0, tonight, if it means they got back to the game plan of blocking shots and passes, and aggressive defensive forechecking. I'm more concerned with how they play than what happens in this series, because as I said before, for them to beat Pittsburgh in a series would likely be a miracle. As long as they don't embarrass themselves, they'll have hope for the future.

PS- All you rag$ fans coming on here talking about how we're mediocre and we suck- if your team plays the way it played last night, it will get buried by Washington, never mind Pittsburgh.
- dcb1

thats right!!! did that rangerdanger guy make an appearance yet?

Who would you rather have in over him? Carkner? Id bet Cappy puts him in because of the toughness factor. Nevermind that he will be skated around like a giant road cone.
Martinek has to be in the game tonight. Has played well and is mobile.
- NewYawkIslandez

Amac becomes an unfortunately casualty due to the need for Carkner's toughness. I choose Martinek to play with Carkner over Amac because Raddy is far more defensively reliable and therefore capable of covering for Carkner's occasional defensive blunders. Frankly, I think Martinek is one of our three best dmen on this team but for whatever reason he see's very little icetime.

In a HEARTBEAT. At the very least, he'd be in the bottom pairing.
- keaner17

One bad game, I wouldn't do it.

I don't know if I would throw Nelson out there, untested, but it worked out good for the Rags and Kreider last year's playoffs.
You know Boyes ain't coming off that first line. I don't see much of a change coming other than Joensuu for Reasoner. I'm praying Wednesday night's game was like a bucket of cold water thrown in their collective faces. Frankly, I'd still like to see Capuano fired in the offseason and a more seasoned coach step in, like a Ruff-type, but we all know that ain't gonna happen, because the playoff berth cemented another year here for him.

Good point. I think management needs to make them a bit tougher too. Especially now that they're getting their feet wet. Beyond Martin, no other Islander really made anything difficult on the pens

Also, first time I saw that video. Unfortunate play, but looked pretty much unintentional.
- cranktheradio

cizikas was running around and finishing off his checks...aside from martin, cizikas and colin mcdonald there isnt much punch in there...thats why i believe carkner must be in the lineup...