Let's Say a Little Prayer...

Well, as we all know, it has been quite a dissappointing season. The final victory over the Rangers was a little band-aid over the large wound, especially since Okposo scored hopefully the first of many goals against the Rangers. However, before I begin discussing the point of this blog, I would like to say when we look at all the injuries this team has had to deal with (Sillinger, Witt, Campoli, Gervais, Sutton, Fedotenko, Hilbert (whatever happened to him???), Sim, Comrie, etc...it is fair enough to say it was an unfortunate season. Had we have been fortunate enough to have a healthy line-up, we definitely would have been much more in the playoff race. However, we cannot live on what-if's, and that is why we are here.

Looking at the up-side means taking a look at Monday Night, the Lottery Draft. To all of us Islander fans, Monday night is pretty much like competing for the Stanley Cup of non-playoff teams. On the line is that first overall pick, most likely Steven Stamkos, who could truly turn the Islanders franchise hopes around. We are looking at a truly deep draft, where especially nabbing anyone in the top 5 would truly just add to an already promising future. We currently sit in 26th place and that is where we will remain, regardless of St. Louis because we would have more wins then them to finish out the season. We could receive either the first overall pick, the fifth overall pick, or at worst the sixth overall pick. Before anyone jumps down my throat and says we "have no shot at the first pick," let me remind you that the worst team in the league rarely wins the first pick. The new lottery set up really allows for it to be a toss up. This is how the percentages work:

30th place team - 25.0% 29th place team - 18.8% 28th place team - 14.2%

27th place team - 10.7% 26th place team - 8.1% 25th place team - 6.2%

...and so on and so forth. Per NHL Rules, no NHL team can move up more than four positions in the draft order and no club can drop more then one draft position. This means the Islanders, with an 8.1% chance of winning the overall drawing, can be as good as the first over-all pick or as bad as the 6th overall pick. As I said before, do not doubt the Isles chances of winning the top overall pick, as last year the Blackhawks sat with the 5th worst record in the league and wound up winning the top overall pick (Patrick Kane). In fact, only three times in the past twelve years has the worst team overall won the first overall pick. The fifth overall pick has won it twice, not that promising but enough to keep our hopes up. And on a further note, if you read my Jeff Tambellini blog, you never know if his name could be thrown into a package to try and draw the first overall pick from whoever wins it (Possibly our first pick, Tambellini, Walter, and a player). When you read that blog you will understand why I feel Tambellini might be on his way out, regardless of the fact that I do think he is a good player just waiting to bloom.

Well, these are just some basic points I wanted to state prior to the NHL Lottery on Monday night. For all of those interested, it will be televised nationally on the NHL Network along with Versus. If you only have access to a computer, I was informed it will be streamed live on NHL.Com and possibly TSN, but don't hold me to that. As Islander fans, we should all begin to pray!!! This draft could truly hold a key to our future. Following Monday nights lottery, I will write a blog based on the top 6 guys, and who I feel the Islanders will select with whichever pick they may get. Keep those fingers crossed! Lastly, LETS GO ISLANDERS!!!

How Sweet It Could Be...

Here we are, the final two games of the season for the New York Islanders, and how appropriate it is for them to be vs. the New York Rangers. The New York Islanders enter into tonight’s contest sitting 13th in the Eastern Conference with a record of 34 wins – 37 losses – and 9 overtime losses, which is good for 77 points. The Rangers meanwhile are on the other side of the spectrum. They sit 5th in the Eastern Conference with a record of 41 wins – 27 losses – and 11 overtime losses, which is good for 93 points. The Rangers are looking to obtain home-ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs for the first time in 12 years, while the Islanders are looking to try and stop the Rangers from making the playoffs altogether.

How can the Islanders play the spoilers? Well, it is a complex situation, and it depends on a lot more than just the Islanders. First off, we need to beat the Rangers tonight at the Coliseum and tomorrow night at the Garden. The Rangers would also have to lose their season finale game Sunday against the New Jersey Devils (who could be there likely opponent in the first-round should they clinch). While this happens, the Washington Capitals would need to win their remaining three games, the Boston Bruins would need to win two, the Ottawa Senators would need to gain one point (shootout or overtime loss to the Bruins), and the Flyers would need to win two games as well. Is it possible? Yes! Is it probable? I’d love as an Islander fan to say yes, but I think the Rangers have come together too strongly towards the end of the season for such a tremendous collapse to occur. We can only wait and see….

We should understand though that being the spoilers could come at a steep price. If we are to win the remaining two games versus the New York Rangers and move our point totals to 81 points, it could move us out of the top 5 for a draft pick and cost us our lottery chances. This all depends on how the Columbus Blue Jackets and the St. Louis Blues fare in their two head-to-head games. If we do win both games, and the St. Louis Blues win both of the games vs. Columbus in regulation, we could be out of the top five. Now that I have cleared up the spoiler and lottery pick situation for you, let’s move on to what we should see tonight.

Rookies, rookies, and more rookies. Kip Brennan will be appearing in tonight’s game vs. the Rangers and it comes as no surprise to me. We should see him try to fight the entire Rangers team, as that is the entire reason he was called up. To many Islander fans this comes as a saving grace as we have pined for an enforcer for the entire season, and only now have we gotten one. We will also be seeing the addition of John Hillen III to the lineup tonight. Better known as Jack, he will be sporting his 5 foot 10 inch frame and the number thirty eight, alongside our most steady defenseman Radek Martinek. What we can hope to see from him is a good first pass out of the zone, quick skating, and working the point on the power play. Since he will be paired alongside of Martinek, we could see him log a significant number of minutes in his first game. Tonight will also be the debut of Kyle Okposo vs. the cross-town rivals. It will be a treat to see how Okposo handles what many consider to be the toughest rivalry in the NHL. Hopefully, for the Islanders sake, he handles tough situations such as these with the same poise and concentration that he has shown in the last 7 contests. Wouldn’t it be nice to see him net the game-winner or shootout winner tonight? We can only hope for the best! As for our goaltending situation tonight, I’d fully expect to see Wade Dubielewicz between the pipes as I feel he has been outstanding for us. Although I feel MacDonald has been impressive in his two starts, I don’t think we could ask for a better back-up goaltender than Wade Dubielewicz.

The ferry ride is slowly coming to an end so I best pack up my things and prepare for the drive to Uniondale. I will be in section 203 for what will be the last home game of the 2007-2008 season. I would love to see the Islanders at least take tonight’s tilt so that we don’t allow the rangers to clinch a playoff spot on our home-ice. I hope you all enjoy the same and LET’S GO ISLANDERS!!!

What to Do, What to Do?

This, to me, seems to be the question running through Garth Snow's mind. Jeff Tambellini has appeared in 31 NHL games this past season and has registered 1 goal, 4 assists, 43 shots on net, and a -9 +/- rating. For a first round draft pick who is supposed to be a prolific scorer, this simply just does not cut it. Now I am a big Jeff Tambellini fan, and I was very happy when I heard that we had traded Brent Sopel and Mark Parrish to the Los Angeles Kings for Jeff Tambellini and Denis Grebeshkov, however, three seasons later, I have seen nothing come from the deal to benefit us. Denis Grebeshkov is gone, and we seem to have nothing more to show for it then an AHL All-Star. In Tambellini's 49 AHL appearances this season, the kid has managed 30 goals, 32 assists for 62 points and a -3 +/- rating. To me, those are pretty phenomenal numbers. But could this kid very well be the next Jason Krog (if you are unsure of who Jason Krog is, please see the top of the AHL Statistics for this year and then simply compare it to his Career NHL Numbers).

This upcoming off-season presents Garth Snow with a big decision to make regarding Jeff Tambellini. He is a Restricted Free-Agent and it is expected that the New York Islanders will qualify him, however, that doesnt mean he will stay a New York Islander. Tambellini still has much to prove at the NHL level. His size is something to be concerned with, as he really is not an intimidating forward because he is easily bumped off the puck and beaten on the boards. He must, and I repeat must, work tremendously hard on putting on muscle weight and increasing his strength if he is ever going to be NHL worthy. Yes, this may cause him to lose some speed, however, it is the only way that he will ever be able to compete in the NHL. Although the "new" NHL emphasizes speed and skill, it still requires strength to go to the net and win battles along the boards. I do take into consideration that he is still only 23 years old and that he was playing with other rookies alongside him, however, he still has not shown that individual effort or the sniping skill-set that he is said to have. Blake Comeau, for example, has worked his tail off and is willing to take the hit and get up, and that is why he is still up with the big club. Kyle Okposo, who has only appeared in 7 NHL Games, already has as many points as Tambellini does in 31 NHL games this year. When it comes to a player like Tambellini, it really is all about the point production!

Although I am a big fan of Jeff Tambellini and I believe he should be signed to a one year, one-way deal in order to prove himself at the NHL Level, I do feel that the organization may have made up their minds already. The press-release states that both Garth Snow and Ted Nolan agree that Tambellini should stay in the minors and help Bridgeport to make the playoffs. If this were the case, how come players such as Nielsen aren't in the minors helping to make a significant push? I understand the Islanders are in desperate need of players considering that a large number of our players our injured, however, if the AHL Postseason was so crucial to the Islanders organization and the development of players like Tambellini, why aren't Nielsen and Okposo enjoying the same "development"? The addition of Nielsen and Okposo to the Sound Tigers line-up would only help Bridgeport make those "crucial" playoffs, while helping both Nielsen and Okposo to further develop! If players such as Spiller, Regier, and Colliton can move up and down on a nightly basis, so could Jeff Tambellini! It is for reason's like this that I begin to get a feeling of unrest as it might mean the departure of another young, promising talent.

So what may become of Jeff Tambellini if he is declared "expendable" as was Robert Nilsson? Well, for starters, if the Islanders are unable to land the first overall pick in this years draft, they may package their first round pick (most likely to be top 5 overall), a 2nd Round Pick 08, Jeff Tambellini and another player in order to land that first overall pick (This is complete speculation). Considering it is a deep draft and an offensively-laden team such as the LA Kings might get the first pick, they might be willing to negotiate a deal to allow us to move up three to four spaces while they still get a great defenseman with a top 5 pick. (Once again, just complete speculation). As for a straight up trade of Jeff Tambellini for another player or prospect, it could happen, but many teams might notice by now that he may not be the player everyone thought he could be.

I for one, as I've said numerous times throughout this post, believe that Tambellini should be offered a one-year, one-way contract worth around $750,000. This will give him one year to prove that he is NHL worthy and will alleviate the stress he must put on himself in order to stay with the big club. What do you think of a contract like this? And most importantly, do you think Jeff Tambellini has played his last game in a New York Islanders uniform?

Welcome to New York Islanders Net

Welcome to New York Islanders Net! As it says in the "About Me" section, I am a die-hard Islanders fan since the age of 1. I have been raised to worship the Islanders and I do just this. Although I am a college student in Connecticut, I still manage to attend around 38 of the 42 home games a year, and I would not have it any other way. There is nothing better to me than watching my favorite professional sports team play well and send each and every fan home extremely happy. Although MSG-Plus is blacked out in my area of Connecticut, I am very fortunate to be able to have access to the NHL Center Ice Online Package. Center Ice is a great thing to have and it allows me to watch many games that I missed last year because it wasn't available yet. (It also allows me to watch so many out-of-town games which is great because I love the sport of hockey in general! I highly suggest the package for anyone who just plain loves the sport!)

I am a huge fan of hockey discussions. I talk about hockey, especially the Islanders, with anyone that I possibly can from my close friends, to other students at my school, to the usher in our section at Nassau Coliseum, to other bloggers, and so on and so forth. I can spend hours discussing the Islanders and the National Hockey League. That was the point of creating this website. I am an avid HockeyBuzz reader as I stated in my "About Me" section, and I believe that Eklund has really brought together the hockey community in an unbelieveable way. His website is truly the best hockey website on the internet and I believe it is a huge reason for the tremendous comeback the NHL has seen from the horrendous lockout. From starting off small with basic lockout discussions and blogs, to now having such renowned bloggers such as Darren Pang, Brian Engblom, Andy Strickland, and Howard Berger, Eklund's website and his status have truly sky-rocketed in the hockey world and it is well deserved. It is because of this that I decided to begin blogging for myself. I will continue to be an avid reader and writer on HockeyBuzz, however, I wanted to have my own domain to express my ideas, opinions, and thoughts. I feel that all Islanders fans should have access to as many different ideas and opinions as possible, and this is just another option. My biggest goal, in general, is just to enhance the hockey discussions that take place on the internet by providing my own opinion. I also really look forward to seeing the questions and comments that users will leave on each of the blogs so that I may gauge how they feel about my opinions. Please always feel free to leave your opinions and questions, no matter how strong, because they are truly appreciated and will only help enhance our conversations.

Although it has been a tough year for an Islanders fan, I still try to keep an upbeat perspective. I will never bad-mouth or bash the Islanders here because that is the sign of a poor fan. I hope you will refrain from the bashing as well. We the fans, as well as the players, are all in this together, and the true fan will stick by his team through thick and thin. Now that I have introduced myself and have given you all a better idea of what my intentions are with this website, the hockey talk will begin. Tomorrow I will post a blog regarding the two-upcoming games vs. the New York Rangers. Technically, we can still play the spoiler role with two consecutive wins, however, I will discuss all of the specifics in my blog tomorrow. Also you may look forward to a blog discussing what may be the top 10 picks in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft and a blog discussing Kyle Okposo, Blake Comeau, and Sean Bergenheim (how they have played this season and what they need to address in the off-season) coming within the next few days.

Once again, welcome to New York Islanders Net! LETS GO ISLANDERS!!!