I'm really hoping it will not be enough to get to the floor. I'm also hoping if they miss the playoffs and a year from Brooklyn will add pressure to do something this offseason. No way I'm counting on it though.
- ses111

No worries there. They haven't been able to get higher than 14th in the conference. Florida is two points behind with three games in hand. The Isles may even drop to 15th.

No worries there. They haven't been able to get higher than 14th in the conference. Florida is two points behind with three games in hand. The Isles may even drop to 15th.
- JimmyP

I agree. Playoffs are a pipe dream. This D and you have the Blues and Boston coming up?

Yes, I see it happening as well.
- bixll

Good player just a bad contract combine that with the press in Toronto it's a recipe for disaster. Well at least you guys turned it around(excluding last night). Told you that would happen

DP?
- JimmyP

Pandolfo, PMB, Regin, Reasoner, etc. Expect more of the same

Good player just a bad contract combine that with the press in Toronto it's a recipe for disaster. Well at least you guys turned it around(excluding last night). Told you that would happen
- Cptmjl

Season is far from over. FAR..

Pandolfo, PMB, Regin, Reasoner, etc. Expect more of the same
- Cptmjl

I hope you're wrong, but it wouldn't surprise me.

It is an excuse, only bc if management have put some thought & effort into building a better depth on D, we/isles wouldn't have to rely on players who are AHL caliber or have no business being in the line-up.
Also for us to except that Viz is our #1 Dman is unacceptable in my book, only bc he's an older vet who has played decent to above average enough while being here. The issue is that the GM has lacked on providing a better solution for the teams deficiencies on D.

EDIT:

Hickey & Strait are cast-offs from other teams and we see the reason why they are cast-offs bc they are not that good. Now all of sudden we are going to think that Strait is a major part of this D, im not bc he's just not that good. Some of us fans are accepting the mediocre play/players while there is so much room for improvement.
- Ur Not Me

This is very common with Islander fans. Thomas Hickey is a very good example.

Pandolfo, PMB, Regin, Reasoner, etc. Expect more of the same
- Cptmjl

So true, we have a no-name coach, a non-respected GM, a crazy owner.
What relevant FA is gonna sign here???? Besides older vets, who has Snow even signed that is relevant????

Its a song and a dance far too long w/this team

I hope you're wrong, but it wouldn't surprise me.
- JimmyP

Nor should it. It'll happen.

It is an excuse, only bc if management have put some thought & effort into building a better depth on D, we/isles wouldn't have to rely on players who are AHL caliber or have no business being in the line-up.
Also for us to except that Viz is our #1 Dman is unacceptable in my book, only bc he's an older vet who has played decent to above average enough while being here. The issue is that the GM has lacked on providing a better solution for the teams deficiencies on D.

EDIT:

Hickey & Strait are cast-offs from other teams and we see the reason why they are cast-offs bc they are not that good. Now all of sudden we are going to think that Strait is a major part of this D, im not bc he's just not that good. Some of us fans are accepting the mediocre play/players while there is so much room for improvement.
- Ur Not Me

I agree that I would have liked more depth, but quite honestly, I (along with many) stated we really needed one top pairing dman and a top six winger, then a goalie and this team was set. If you had told me in the off season that we'd lose two of our top four dmen along with Streit's departure (as bad as he was), I'd consider it a given we were screwed. So while Garth again deserves heat for inaction, I doubt you'll find many teams that would have sustaineed those types of losses.

As for Vis being a #1, in this day and age, yes he can be a #1 if paired with a legit #2. Hamonic was fine in that role with him IMO. de Haan, is a legit top 4 IMO. Strait, again when paired with a strong partner, is decent 4-5 (more 5).

As for the final bold. Hickey was a decent prospect who was castoff the deepest blueline in the NHL. So I wouldn't say he was let go because he 'wasn't good'. I'm fine with him as a #6 or 7. Strait meanwhile is a good example of why effective pairing from a coach is so important. Pair Strait with a guy like Hamonic and he looks very steady and dependable. Pair him with Amac, and he looks overwhelmed. So yes, I think he's capable of playing a top four role with the right guy, but not a long term solution there.

Still, there's no way that anyone can proclaim that losing our Power Play QB and top pairing dman in Vis and most physical dman in Strait didn't effect this team at all. I'd then go as far as to say that losing Hamonic was even worse than Strait. So if we lost 3 of our top six forwards, is it an excuse that we suddenly can't score?

So true, we have a no-name coach, a non-respected GM, a crazy owner.
What relevant FA is gonna sign here???? Besides older vets, who has Snow even signed that is relevant????

Its a song and a dance far too long w/this team
- Ur Not Me

Song, dance, and a new more ridiculous excuse every year.

This is very common with Islander fans. Thomas Hickey is a very good example.
- Cptmjl

I've never accepted the 'Amac needs to play fewer minutes to be better' but I do accept that with Hickey. The guy should not be logging top four minutes but sometimes has to because of our missing two of our top dmen. I don't expect Hickey to be a long term solution, but the kid is heady and does 'okay' when not mismatched. (see Capuano, J)

I agree that I would have liked more depth, but quite honestly, I (along with many) stated we really needed one top pairing dman and a top six winger, then a goalie and this team was set. If you had told me in the off season that we'd lose two of our top four dmen along with Streit's departure (as bad as he was), I'd consider it a given we were screwed. So while Garth again deserves heat for inaction, I doubt you'll find many teams that would have sustaineed those types of losses.

As for Vis being a #1, in this day and age, yes he can be a #1 if paired with a legit #2. Hamonic was fine in that role with him IMO. de Haan, is a legit top 4 IMO. Strait, again when paired with a strong partner, is decent 4-5 (more 5).

As for the final bold. Hickey was a decent prospect who was castoff the deepest blueline in the NHL. So I wouldn't say he was let go because he 'wasn't good'. I'm fine with him as a #6 or 7. Strait meanwhile is a good example of why effective pairing from a coach is so important. Pair Strait with a guy like Hamonic and he looks very steady and dependable. Pair him with Amac, and he looks overwhelmed. So yes, I think he's capable of playing a top four role with the right guy, but not a long term solution there.

Still, there's no way that anyone can proclaim that losing our Power Play QB and top pairing dman in Vis and most physical dman in Strait didn't effect this team at all. I'd then go as far as to say that losing Hamonic was even worse than Strait. So if we lost 3 of our top six forwards, is it an excuse that we suddenly can't score?
- keaner17

This team was in need of a top pairing(not realistic with Garth as our GM) OR two top fours and a goaltender. This was before camp even started. Everyone knew that. Instead Snow went out and got Cal Clutterbuck, Peter Regiin, and PMB. It's complete and total incompetence, there's no dolling it up. Factor in the injuries if you like but what this team needed was what I stated and what I stated all offseason.

More in regards to Hickey, and this is not to say the guy is great or even that good, but he is second in points for dman on this team and leads the team in plus/minus. He's also taken the second most shots on this team (behind Hamonic).

I think the kid gets killed because he gets beat physically, but to be honest, he's one of our most consistent defenders. (sad to say)

I've never accepted the 'Amac needs to play fewer minutes to be better' but I do accept that with Hickey. The guy should not be logging top four minutes but sometimes has to because of our missing two of our top dmen. I don't expect Hickey to be a long term solution, but the kid is heady and does 'okay' when not mismatched. (see Capuano, J)
- keaner17

The guy is just not that good. He plays small. Gets outmuscled and out hustled constantly( i know some people are under the impression he's quick but that isn't the case). I'd rather have a bottom pairing with size that can help our goaltenders clear the front of the net. Hickey serves zero purpose if we are looking to get better. He has also been consistently out of position for some time now. Time to move on from these half a$$ed players.

More in regards to Hickey, and this is not to say the guy is great or even that good, but he is second in points for dman on this team and leads the team in plus/minus. He's also taken the second most shots on this team (behind Hamonic).

I think the kid gets killed because he gets beat physically, but to be honest, he's one of our most consistent defenders. (sad to say)
- keaner17

Exactly. Just bcs he is one of our most consistent defenders doesn't mean he should continue to play for us into next yr. We should want better for our blue line and our GM should be capable enough to get said player.

The one thing about Hickey, as a defenseman, that scares me is that he is tiny. Like, freakishly tiny.

This team was in need of a top pairing(not realistic with Garth as our GM) OR two top fours and a goaltender. This was before camp even started. Everyone knew that. Instead Snow went out and got Cal Clutterbuck, Peter Regiin, and PMB. It's complete and total incompetence, there's no dolling it up. Factor in the injuries if you like but what this team needed was what I stated and what I stated all offseason.
- Cptmjl

They don't fall off trees though. You can't put a quarter in the machine have one pop out. We've been down this road. There were two guys who were legit top pairing guys in this UFA season and both were off the boards instantly. We all wanted defense to be addressed but there was very little movement in that way from any team.
You mentioned Ferrance as your choice, but Ferrance has flat out sucked this year. They're killing him in up there. He looks like he'd fit in and that's not a good thing.
I agree whole heartedly that Garth screwed up but I don't think his failure was quite as condusive to this teams result as some think. Garth missed badly on PMB and Regin. He missed badly on feeling Donovan was ready. He should have canned Cappy during our 10 game losing streak.

But to pretend that losing Vis and Hamonic is just an excuse for why this team struggles defensively is sorta silly.

Exactly. Just bcs he is one of our most consistent defenders doesn't mean he should continue to play for us into next yr. We should want better for our blue line and our GM should be capable enough to get said player.
- Cptmjl

Of course we want better! But while we talk about how bad Amac and Hickey are, doesn't that make calling the loss of Hamonic and Vis 'excuses' sound all the more ridiculous. I hate Amac and I say he sucks no matter how much he plays, but would you rather have him play 30 minutes of 12? Would you rather see Hickey get 19 minutes or 9? I'd say that if it were the latter for both, we'd be a lot tougher to play, no?

They don't fall off trees though. You can't put a quarter in the machine have one pop out. We've been down this road. There were two guys who were legit top pairing guys in this UFA season and both were off the boards instantly. We all wanted defense to be addressed but there was very little movement in that way from any team.
You mentioned Ferrance as your choice, but Ferrance has flat out sucked this year. They're killing him in up there. He looks like he'd fit in and that's not a good thing.
I agree whole heartedly that Garth screwed up but I don't think his failure was quite as condusive to this teams result as some think. Garth missed badly on PMB and Regin. He missed badly on feeling Donovan was ready. He should have canned Cappy during our 10 game losing streak.

But to pretend that losing Vis and Hamonic is just an excuse for why this team struggles defensively is sorta silly.
- keaner17

They could have been off the board instantly and in our pocket. That's what GM's get paid to do remember? As far as Ferrence goes yeah he's playing shatty up there like everyone else on that team but that doesn't mean he wouldn't have worked for us. Who knows? the point is you don't know unless you try. Atleast TRY to make the team competitive. I have not seen that from our GM during the offseason, not once.

Of course we want better! But while we talk about how bad Amac and Hickey are, doesn't that make calling the loss of Hamonic and Vis 'excuses' sound all the more ridiculous. I hate Amac and I say he sucks no matter how much he plays, but would you rather have him play 30 minutes of 12? Would you rather see Hickey get 19 minutes or 9? I'd say that if it were the latter for both, we'd be a lot tougher to play, no?
- keaner17

This is EXACTLY why we NEEDED two top fours or a top pairing in the offseason. This is why signing PMB, Regin, and Clutterbuck proves that Snow is incompetent.

More in regards to Hickey, and this is not to say the guy is great or even that good, but he is second in points for dman on this team and leads the team in plus/minus. He's also taken the second most shots on this team (behind Hamonic).

I think the kid gets killed because he gets beat physically, but to be honest, he's one of our most consistent defenders. (sad to say)
- keaner17

I agree, he is small and not physical but he has played pretty good. The few goals he has scored have actually been big goals. I have no issues with Hickey

This is EXACTLY why we NEEDED two top fours or a top pairing in the offseason. This is why signing PMB, Regin, and Clutterbuck proves that Snow is incompetent.
- Cptmjl

What's wrong with Clutterbuck? Very good penalty killer I think he leads the league in SHG with limited time on the PK. He hits everything in sight and at the end of the year he will have double digit goals. To me he is a perfect example of what a 3rd line winger should be. Why the hate?

Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau re-signed by the Sharks. More FA's off the board. Ek has the Isles stepping up their efforts to get Miller. Not this again.

The one thing about Hickey, as a defenseman, that scares me is that he is tiny. Like, freakishly tiny.
- potvin05

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ys3gMDootDo