And what did Lou do? He put Hunter on waivers and LA picked him up, thus SAVING $2.5 Million, while we PAID Rolston $5M to eat up a spot with his "veteran leadership and PP prowess"(he sucked arse) and then traded him & Pandawful to Boston for a compulsory return of never-gonna-make-it-to-the-show players. LOSER: Islanders

Crosby is a player that comes around MAYBE once a generation, not every decade. I wouldn't put JT quite as high as Sid but try and remember how many years we were awful to be picking Top 5 consistently and that we were bad enough the year JT hit the draft. With no knock on Moulson, I love the guy, but where did we get him???? Garth's idea of complimenting a player who broke Gretzky's Junior records was to put a longshot free agent and a waiver pick up on his wings. Brilliant. Really, visionary thinking and SO ahead of the curve, no other GM would have thought to do it the same. Garth is blazing trails with his innovative approach. READ: COULDN'T SIGN BIG NAME PLAYER BECAUSE NO ONE HAD CONFIDENCE TO GO TO A LOSING ORGANIZATION WITH NO NAME GM & COACHING.

And as for "Being Close"....close to what? Being in the playoffs? Whoopdi-Do. That only means you need to be a little over .500 to make playoffs. What did that get us? 6 extra games - two of which we were SCHOOLED and shown what an elite team can do, of which we are no where close to being. CONCLUSION: TEAM DIDN'T HAVE THE AMMUNITION REQUIRED AND COACHING COULDN'T PREPARE THE TEAM FOR THE TASK AT HAND.

I am not pooping on everything. The team has improved. There are pieces in place and players with promise. I'm thrilled to see the team getting better but I just don't see the REAL improvement required to carry this team further - deep into playoffs. What happens if JT gets injured? Or Hamonic? Or Nabby? What then? What players can you say are capable of stepping up and filling the hole? None. Will our inexperienced coach alter the system to compensate? Doubtful. All you guys who argue my points are living in fantasy land. To think that an inexperienced GM who only hires inexperienced coaches has it all figured out is living in denial or you're just not smart enough to see the writing on the wall. I challenge Garth to prove me wrong but I'll bet any of you a prime seat to the game of your choice next season that no major player-for-player trades or big name Free agents signings will occur this off-season for the Isles. I'll bet the beers for said game that he moves down in the draft (for later round pick(s)) to choose a player that only he realizes is undervalued. AND, that we have not seen the end of RDP in an Islanders jersey.

Bring on the skeptics,...pardon I meant the experts.

- jmo16

so you're saying you're okay with the direction of the franchise then?

keaner17

And what did Lou do? He put Hunter on waivers and LA picked him up, thus SAVING $2.5 Million, while we PAID Rolston $5M to eat up a spot with his "veteran leadership and PP prowess"(he sucked arse) and then traded him & Pandawful to Boston for a compulsory return of never-gonna-make-it-to-the-show players. LOSER: Islanders

Crosby is a player that comes around MAYBE once a generation, not every decade. I wouldn't put JT quite as high as Sid but try and remember how many years we were awful to be picking Top 5 consistently and that we were bad enough the year JT hit the draft. With no knock on Moulson, I love the guy, but where did we get him???? Garth's idea of complimenting a player who broke Gretzky's Junior records was to put a longshot free agent and a waiver pick up on his wings. Brilliant. Really, visionary thinking and SO ahead of the curve, no other GM would have thought to do it the same. Garth is blazing trails with his innovative approach. READ: COULDN'T SIGN BIG NAME PLAYER BECAUSE NO ONE HAD CONFIDENCE TO GO TO A LOSING ORGANIZATION WITH NO NAME GM & COACHING.

And as for "Being Close"....close to what? Being in the playoffs? Whoopdi-Do. That only means you need to be a little over .500 to make playoffs. What did that get us? 6 extra games - two of which we were SCHOOLED and shown what an elite team can do, of which we are no where close to being. CONCLUSION: TEAM DIDN'T HAVE THE AMMUNITION REQUIRED AND COACHING COULDN'T PREPARE THE TEAM FOR THE TASK AT HAND.

I am not pooping on everything. The team has improved. There are pieces in place and players with promise. I'm thrilled to see the team getting better but I just don't see the REAL improvement required to carry this team further - deep into playoffs. What happens if JT gets injured? Or Hamonic? Or Nabby? What then? What players can you say are capable of stepping up and filling the hole? None. Will our inexperienced coach alter the system to compensate? Doubtful. All you guys who argue my points are living in fantasy land. To think that an inexperienced GM who only hires inexperienced coaches has it all figured out is living in denial or you're just not smart enough to see the writing on the wall. I challenge Garth to prove me wrong but I'll bet any of you a prime seat to the game of your choice next season that no major player-for-player trades or big name Free agents signings will occur this off-season for the Isles. I'll bet the beers for said game that he moves down in the draft (for later round pick(s)) to choose a player that only he realizes is undervalued. AND, that we have not seen the end of RDP in an Islanders jersey.

Bring on the skeptics,...pardon I meant the experts.

- jmo16

Amen brother for speaking the truth

.

And as for "Being Close"....close to what? Being in the playoffs? Whoopdi-Do. That only means you need to be a little over .500 to make playoffs. What did that get us? 6 extra games - two of which we were SCHOOLED and shown what an elite team can do, of which we are no where close to being. CONCLUSION: TEAM DIDN'T HAVE THE AMMUNITION REQUIRED AND COACHING COULDN'T PREPARE THE TEAM FOR THE TASK AT HAND.

IBring on the skeptics,...pardon I meant the experts.

- jmo16

The paragraph I left in is such utter garbage I don't even think you can totally believe it. We played a team that had more talent than anyone else in the league and outplayed them in 4 of the 6 games, yet you find a way to spin it to fit your anti-Garth rant. No one here is going to try and say garth has done everything perfectly to this point but ultimately if you're unwilling to understand that the guy took on the most difficult GM job in the NHL and has managed to stockpile prospects through the draft and waiver wire when big trade and free options were NOT options than you're simply too blind to see. It's been a long and painful rebuild but this team sustained a high level of play for the final month and a half of the season and outplayed a team most thought we didn't belong in the same rink with. Yet here we sit a month after and we get these long rants as though the team is a lottery picker again.

This was the most exciting season we've had since 2001 and we have more talent in place for this team than we've likely had since the 1980's. Get over it and start enjoying the rebirth

Xxkeaner17xX

Absolutely agree. To an extent... The less maybes the better. The Penguins are a good example of having all the talent in the world but if you don't have the chemistry it means nothing. It wasn't so much a case of question marks as it was chemistry. Not the kind of "maybes" I was referring too. We have legitimate question marks. Can Donovan play a top 4 role that he seems to have been annointed with already? Who is playing on JT's wing? Goaltending? Can we get a more physical player on our blue line(glaringly obvious need)? Is Nelson, Strome, or Nino ready for prime time and if not who is filling those spots is there a plan B? These are REAL maybes to me that is why I've been saying this is Snow's biggest offseason especially since expectations are a little higher now after the teams resurgence. I also agree with you that he doesn't have to do much. Just put the right players in the right spots and maybe add a player or two not expecting any big FA signings/trades and i don't think they are neccesary but these personnel decisions themselves are huge and like i've said recently will IMO define him as a GM and his true direction. Very big off season for him.
- Cptmjl

i think thats a very fair assessment of the offseason and season to come

The paragraph I left in is such utter garbage I don't even think you can totally believe it. We played a team that had more talent than anyone else in the league and outplayed them in 4 of the 6 games, yet you find a way to spin it to fit your anti-Garth rant. No one here is going to try and say garth has done everything perfectly to this point but ultimately if you're unwilling to understand that the guy took on the most difficult GM job in the NHL and has managed to stockpile prospects through the draft and waiver wire when big trade and free options were NOT options than you're simply too blind to see. It's been a long and painful rebuild but this team sustained a high level of play for the final month and a half of the season and outplayed a team most thought we didn't belong in the same rink with. Yet here we sit a month after and we get these long rants as though the team is a lottery picker again.

This was the most exciting season we've had since 2001 and we have more talent in place for this team than we've likely had since the 1980's. Get over it and start enjoying the rebirth

Xxkeaner17xX
- keaner17

Well said. The guy is working on a shoe string budget

Absolutely agree. To an extent... The less maybes the better. The Penguins are a good example of having all the talent in the world but if you don't have the chemistry it means nothing. It wasn't so much a case of question marks as it was chemistry. Not the kind of "maybes" I was referring too. We have legitimate question marks. Can Donovan play a top 4 role that he seems to have been annointed with already? Who is playing on JT's wing? Goaltending? Can we get a more physical player on our blue line(glaringly obvious need)? Is Nelson, Strome, or Nino ready for prime time and if not who is filling those spots is there a plan B? These are REAL maybes to me that is why I've been saying this is Snow's biggest offseason especially since expectations are a little higher now after the teams resurgence. I also agree with you that he doesn't have to do much. Just put the right players in the right spots and maybe add a player or two not expecting any big FA signings/trades and i don't think they are neccesary but these personnel decisions themselves are huge and like i've said recently will IMO define him as a GM and his true direction. Very big off season for him.
- Cptmjl

Yykeaner17yY

And what did Lou do? He put Hunter on waivers and LA picked him up, thus SAVING $2.5 Million, while we PAID Rolston $5M to eat up a spot with his "veteran leadership and PP prowess"(he sucked arse) and then traded him & Pandawful to Boston for a compulsory return of never-gonna-make-it-to-the-show players. LOSER: Islanders

Crosby is a player that comes around MAYBE once a generation, not every decade. I wouldn't put JT quite as high as Sid but try and remember how many years we were awful to be picking Top 5 consistently and that we were bad enough the year JT hit the draft. With no knock on Moulson, I love the guy, but where did we get him???? Garth's idea of complimenting a player who broke Gretzky's Junior records was to put a longshot free agent and a waiver pick up on his wings. Brilliant. Really, visionary thinking and SO ahead of the curve, no other GM would have thought to do it the same. Garth is blazing trails with his innovative approach. READ: COULDN'T SIGN BIG NAME PLAYER BECAUSE NO ONE HAD CONFIDENCE TO GO TO A LOSING ORGANIZATION WITH NO NAME GM & COACHING.

And as for "Being Close"....close to what? Being in the playoffs? Whoopdi-Do. That only means you need to be a little over .500 to make playoffs. What did that get us? 6 extra games - two of which we were SCHOOLED and shown what an elite team can do, of which we are no where close to being. CONCLUSION: TEAM DIDN'T HAVE THE AMMUNITION REQUIRED AND COACHING COULDN'T PREPARE THE TEAM FOR THE TASK AT HAND.

I am not pooping on everything. The team has improved. There are pieces in place and players with promise. I'm thrilled to see the team getting better but I just don't see the REAL improvement required to carry this team further - deep into playoffs. What happens if JT gets injured? Or Hamonic? Or Nabby? What then? What players can you say are capable of stepping up and filling the hole? None. Will our inexperienced coach alter the system to compensate? Doubtful. All you guys who argue my points are living in fantasy land. To think that an inexperienced GM who only hires inexperienced coaches has it all figured out is living in denial or you're just not smart enough to see the writing on the wall. I challenge Garth to prove me wrong but I'll bet any of you a prime seat to the game of your choice next season that no major player-for-player trades or big name Free agents signings will occur this off-season for the Isles. I'll bet the beers for said game that he moves down in the draft (for later round pick(s)) to choose a player that only he realizes is undervalued. AND, that we have not seen the end of RDP in an Islanders jersey.

Bring on the skeptics,...pardon I meant the experts.

- jmo16

hahahaha...all of a sudden, isles make the playoffs and its not enough. you gotta crawl before you walk. let it develop. and you must have not watched the playoff series because the penguins were absolutely sweating!!! isles gave them a run for their money and in fact they outplayed the pens in the series.

john tavares was drafted 2 years into a rebuild that garth started off with nothing; its probably garths fault that no free agents werent banging down the doors to play in a poopty arena with a depleted roster...(frank) you garth!!!

and by the way, the garth is an inexperienced GM is getting old..in july itll be his 7th year as a GM. maybe give the guy a little bit of credit for starting with zero (and had a poopty arena working against him) and developing a team that made it to the playoffs and the best has yet to come with a VERY healthy and promising pool of prospects. how you cant see that is astonishing.

again, you can say those who give garth pros are "living in a fantasy land" but every expert agrees with us. you are in the minority at this point.

I hope to God this doesn't happen!?!?!?
- Cptmjl

I hope I am wrong too. Really.

Well said. The guy is working on a shoe string budget
- Vukota

I hope I am wrong too. Really.
- jmo16

me and you both

The paragraph I left in is such utter garbage I don't even think you can totally believe it. We played a team that had more talent than anyone else in the league and outplayed them in 4 of the 6 games, yet you find a way to spin it to fit your anti-Garth rant. No one here is going to try and say garth has done everything perfectly to this point but ultimately if you're unwilling to understand that the guy took on the most difficult GM job in the NHL and has managed to stockpile prospects through the draft and waiver wire when big trade and free options were NOT options than you're simply too blind to see. It's been a long and painful rebuild but this team sustained a high level of play for the final month and a half of the season and outplayed a team most thought we didn't belong in the same rink with. Yet here we sit a month after and we get these long rants as though the team is a lottery picker again.

This was the most exciting season we've had since 2001 and we have more talent in place for this team than we've likely had since the 1980's. Get over it and start enjoying the rebirth

Xxkeaner17xX
- keaner17

Haha. Did you watch the last four games of reg season? AND the 1st playoff game?
Notice personnel choices for playoffs? Reasoner? REASONER?!?!?!?!?! How many of you screamed over that one???

Garth took on hardest GM job? Gee, with all his previous experience, it was such an intelligent decision to choose him for the job.

I bet you're the type who takes a girlfriend back after she cheats on you, because she promises to never do it again. I applaud your optimism but back here in reality....

Funny, how no one took up my challenge. Put your money where your mouth is otherwise, you're just like the people playing online poker with fake money, bluffing all in with a pair of 6's, praying for a third on the river.

Time will tell. I'm not going anywhere. Sorry if the truth hurts.

Haha. Did you watch the last four games of reg season? AND the 1st playoff game?
Notice personnel choices for playoffs? Reasoner? REASONER?!?!?!?!?! How many of you screamed over that one???

Garth took on hardest GM job? Gee, with all his previous experience, it was such an intelligent decision to choose him for the job.

I bet you're the type who takes a girlfriend back after she cheats on you, because she promises to never do it again. I applaud your optimism but back here in reality....

Funny, how no one took up my challenge. Put your money where your mouth is otherwise, you're just like the people playing online poker with fake money, bluffing all in with a pair of 6's, praying for a third on the river.

Time will tell. I'm not going anywhere. Sorry if the truth hurts.
- jmo16

You're so angry that you're blaming Snow for hiring himself
From this view it looks like your beef should be with Wang. Also what's the challenge again?

Haha. Did you watch the last four games of reg season? AND the 1st playoff game?
Notice personnel choices for playoffs? Reasoner? REASONER?!?!?!?!?! How many of you screamed over that one???

Garth took on hardest GM job? Gee, with all his previous experience, it was such an intelligent decision to choose him for the job.

I bet you're the type who takes a girlfriend back after she cheats on you, because she promises to never do it again. I applaud your optimism but back here in reality....

Funny, how no one took up my challenge. Put your money where your mouth is otherwise, you're just like the people playing online poker with fake money, bluffing all in with a pair of 6's, praying for a third on the river.

Time will tell. I'm not going anywhere. Sorry if the truth hurts.
- jmo16

You do realize Cappy is the one who chooses who plays and who gets scratched right? Maybe you don't, which would explain your approach on these comments. The fact remains, the only team that finished with a better month than the isles were the Pens. The first game was a wakeup call that wasn't helped by our goaltender looking like crap and giving up three bad goals early. I think many would agree (including some Pens fans) that if Nabby had given us a strong series we would have won.

The media, fans and even the Pens themselves were shocked at how competitive the Isles were in that series. After it, we had 90% of positive comments here save for you..the one person who still wants to female dog about Garth being named GM 7 years after the fact. It's old and tired and it looks less relevant of an argument at this point given the evolution of this team.

As for the personal attack, I've been married for close to 20 years, I think I'm in the clear

Xxkeaner17xX

The 'challenge' is a waste too. I don't expect the team to make any huge player for player trades or FA acquisitions. They've said all along that wouldn't be the approach for this team. It was a build from within approach that would be long and painful. Thankfully we're near the end of it and many of us don't want any huge contracts or unecessary trades at this stage.

keaner17

The 'challenge' is a waste too. I don't expect the team to make any huge player for player trades or FA acquisitions. They've said all along that wouldn't be the approach for this team. It was a build from within approach that would be long and painful. Thankfully we're near the end of it and many of us don't want any huge contracts or unecessary trades at this stage.

keaner17
- keaner17

not to mention that no one ever follows thru on payment with an "online bet"...thats just flexing the internet muscle

not to mention that no one ever follows thru on payment with an "online bet"...thats just flexing the internet muscle
- LetsGoIsles

I may be in the minority, and no offense meant to anyone, but I'm really not interested in meeting anyone from the messageboards
I hardly have time to keep up with the friends I have in my reality world let alone consider finding time to meet anyone here. Besides, if I meet anyone online, then I have to get lyme for the body, find a nice dumping site, come up with an aliby...it's all more trouble than I can handle
I'd much rather scope people out at a mall so I can choose....


keaner17

You do realize Cappy is the one who chooses who plays and who gets scratched right? Maybe you don't, which would explain your approach on these comments. The fact remains, the only team that finished with a better month than the isles were the Pens. The first game was a wakeup call that wasn't helped by our goaltender looking like crap and giving up three bad goals early. I think many would agree (including some Pens fans) that if Nabby had given us a strong series we would have won.

The media, fans and even the Pens themselves were shocked at how competitive the Isles were in that series. After it, we had 90% of positive comments here save for you..the one person who still wants to female dog about Garth being named GM 7 years after the fact. It's old and tired and it looks less relevant of an argument at this point given the evolution of this team.

As for the personal attack, I've been married for close to 20 years, I think I'm in the clear

Xxkeaner17xX
- keaner17

Well that's the way it should be. I'm not so sure if Capuano has full control over the team? The Boyes situation kind of made that look a little more suspicious to me. I had my conspiracy theory on that from the get go but that whole situation made it more plausible to me at least. Capuano saying there were going to be changes on the first line after Boyes had a disgusting game. I don't think it was his decision to leave him on the first line after making that statement to the press? He retracted what he said two games later when Fischler asked him about it but to me it looked like Snow pulling the strings on that one? Boyes seemed to be "forced" onto the team as PA's replacement for the mistake Snow made. I always got the impression that he was given far too many opportunities to succeed because of that. Of course it's speculation but it was at the very least suspicious.

I may be in the minority, and no offense meant to anyone, but I'm really not interested in meeting anyone from the messageboards
I hardly have time to keep up with the friends I have in my reality world let alone consider finding time to meet anyone here. Besides, if I meet anyone online, then I have to get lyme for the body, find a nice dumping site, come up with an aliby...it's all more trouble than I can handle
I'd much rather scope people out at a mall so I can choose....


keaner17
- keaner17

That's not what Kencan told me?

Well that's the way it should be. I'm not so sure if Capuano has full control over the team? The Boyes situation kind of made that look a little more suspicious to me. I had my conspiracy theory on that from the get go but that whole situation made it more plausible to me at least. Capuano saying there were going to be changes on the first line after Boyes had a disgusting game. I don't think it was his decision to leave him on the first line after making that statement to the press? He retracted what he said two games later when Fischler asked him about it but to me it looked like Snow pulling the strings on that one? Boyes seemed to be "forced" onto the team as PA's replacement for the mistake Snow made. I always got the impression that he was given far too many opportunities to succeed because of that. Of course it's speculation but it was at the very least suspicious.
- Cptmjl

When Reasoner was chosen to start in game one, Cappy proceeded to give the media an explanation of how he wanted Reasoner's experience and that "Maaddy knows haw to gid it don" etc etc....I think were it not his choice he would have been a lot less commited to providing an explanation, though you never know. Still, I think it's more likely the choices are convetionally the coach than GM so we have no reason to assume the chances are the other way.

Xxkeaner17xX

That's not what Kencan told me?
- Cptmjl

well we know he was interested in meeting YOU!

Of course now we can't even get him to come back to see how he connects the dots into an "I told you so" story.

Ttkeaner17tT

I may be in the minority, and no offense meant to anyone, but I'm really not interested in meeting anyone from the messageboards
I hardly have time to keep up with the friends I have in my reality world let alone consider finding time to meet anyone here. Besides, if I meet anyone online, then I have to get lyme for the body, find a nice dumping site, come up with an aliby...it's all more trouble than I can handle
I'd much rather scope people out at a mall so I can choose....


keaner17
- keaner17

totally agree with that...i had a friend who tweets with a group of guys about the Mets and he met up with a few of them during a game and found out first hand just how dorky they are- he no longer tweets with those guys...i blasted him for thinking hed be hanging out with mike piazza and all the other cool jocks that im sure (insert sarcasm) tweet about the mets all day.

When Reasoner was chosen to start in game one, Cappy proceeded to give the media an explanation of how he wanted Reasoner's experience and that "Maaddy knows haw to gid it don" etc etc....I think were it not his choice he would have been a lot less commited to providing an explanation, though you never know. Still, I think it's more likely the choices are convetionally the coach than GM so we have no reason to assume the chances are the other way.

Xxkeaner17xX
- keaner17

Reasoner was all Capuano, he owned that like the moron he is. Boyes along with the indecision that came with him? Not so sure?

well we know he was interested in meeting YOU!

Of course now we can't even get him to come back to see how he connects the dots into an "I told you so" story.

Ttkeaner17tT
- keaner17

It was entertaining watching him do that

totally agree with that...i had a friend who tweets with a group of guys about the Mets and he met up with a few of them during a game and found out first hand just how dorky they are- he no longer tweets with those guys...i blasted him for thinking hed be hanging out with mike piazza and all the other cool jocks that im sure (insert sarcasm) tweet about the mets all day.
- LetsGoIsles

I haven't posted here often and long enough to feel that need. It's fun to talk with everyone here and we have some laughs etc, but I'm not to the point where I'm ready to go to one of kencan's business seminar's (edit: though we may be able to get a group discount!)

Xxkeaner17xX

It was entertaining watching him do that
- Cptmjl

debating with him was like playing the shell game. As soon as he started to lose ground on his argument, he shifts everything around and proclaims himself the victor. Funny stuff. Sort of bummed he's gone!

keaner17