I can only imagine the pain that Islanders fans have gone through this season. Only two players have played each of the 77 games that the Isles have competed in, Matt Moulson and Zenon Konopka. At the 74 game mark, the Isles had already lost 512 man games to injury, leading the league by 127 (Colorado had 385 at that point). Tending the crease on Long Island has had injury written all over it, as the Isles have dressed six different goaltenders and I was honestly waiting to get a call from Garth Snow to fill in at some point. Other lows of the year include Trevor Gillies' 19 total games suspended and the concussion he gave to Penguins winger Eric Tangradi. Of course, one could go on and on about the lows this Islanders team has faced. Instead, lets try to stay optimistic about what can happen in the future.
First is the fact that the Islanders have two very successful lines that have meshed well together. John Tavares, Matt Moulson and PA Parenteau have formed a first line that can create scoring chances in every way possible. Parenteau has really benefited from receiving quality ice time with great players, leading to a one-year contract extension worth $1.25 million. He is currently second in team scoring with 18 goals and 31 assists for 49 points, and has shown the skills to be a moderately effective producer at the highest level. Future star John Tavares has improved on his rookie season, scoring 27 goals and 34 assists to lead the team in assists and points. He has shown poise, determination and heart even in the toughest of times with the Isles. Matt Moulson has tied his stats from last season with five games left to go in the year, showing that he was not a flash in the pan. The now two-time 30-goal scorer that seemed to come out of nowhere has certainly warranted his three-year contract extension signed earlier in the season.
The second line has been just as exciting as the first, featuring rookie sensation Michael Grabner, power forward Kyle Okposo and two-way center Frans Nielson. Grabner's season is no surprise after posting 11 points in 20 games with the Vancouver Canucks last year. He was traded at the draft with Steve Bernier to Florida, but did not make the team out of camp. He admitted that he did poorly in his stay in Florida, and was put on waivers to be sent down to the AHL where the Islanders picked him up. Grabner has been one of the hottest players in 2011, scoring 23 of his 31 goals in the new year. He won the fastest skater competition at the NHL All-Star festivities and has truly put that gift to work at even strength and shorthanded. He leads all rookies in shorthanded goals with five, and also leads in overall goals. Okposo missed over half the year after an injury during the pre-season and has only been playing since January 20th. In his 33 games, Okposo has scored five goals and registered 18 points. Frans Nielson has been one of the best Islanders all season, sporting an 'A' as one of the assistant captains. He has eclipsed career highs in goals (13), assists (31) and points (44) this year, providing solid scoring depth from the second line. He is ranked second on the team in shorthanded ice-time per game with an average of 3:01, which is also first among forwards. This unit has shown outstanding chemistry and has meshed together well. An entire season out of them could see all of these players improve upon their impressive seasons.
The injury bug has bitten the Isles hard this year, especially on defense. Twelve different defenders have played for the Islanders this season, and that does not include Marc Streit who has missed the entire year. No defenseman has played more than 62 games this season (Jack Hillen), as they have suffered various injuries throughout the year. If the fortunes turn for the Islanders next year, they will have an impressive defense corps headlined by Streit, Mark Eaton and Andrew MacDonald. Rookie Travis Hamonic had paired well with MacDonald before the latter went down to injury and he will surely make the team next season. The Islanders also have defensemen Milan Jurcina, Mark Katic and Mike Mottau under contract next year. Impressive prospect Ty Wishart is a restricted free agent who has performed well in a limited role and could be in a competition with Katic, Bruno Gervais (RFA) and Jack Hillen (RFA) for ice time. If the Islanders can stay healthy, they have an above average group on the back end looking to defend the crease.
Speaking of goaltending, it has been a disaster for the team in terms of health. At the start of the year, Roloson and DiPietro had managed to stay healthy and provide adequate play for the Isles, keeping them close to the top-8 in the East. Once Roloson was traded to Tampa Bay for Wishart and a draft pick, things started to get dicey. Nathan Lawson was DiPietro's back-up when DiPietro went down to injury (surprising?). Kevin Poulin was then recalled and platooned with Lawson until he was injured. Mikko Koskinen was recalled, yet was forced to become the Isles de facto starter when Poulin dislocated his knee cap. Al Montoya was acquired for a late draft pick from the Phoenix Coyotes and has performed admirably since then, managing to stay healthy. He currently leads the team's goaltenders with nine wins, sporting a 9-4-4 record with a .923 sv% and a GAA around 2.35. If he could keep those stats up for an entire season, he'd rank 6th in sv% and 8th in GAA. Those are lofty expectations for a prospect considered a bust that has been thrust into an NHL starter's role. Montoya signed a one-year extenstion with the Islanders, ensuring that he will be at least the back-up netminder to DiPietro. He will be there if (when is the better term) DiPietro suffers another injury in an unfortunate career for a promising young netminder.
The Islanders have some exciting prospects coming through the pipes that could make the team as soon as next year. Winger Nino Niederreiter almost made the team out of camp, but was sent back to the WHL for more seasoning. In 55 games with the Portland Winterhawks, he has scored 41 goals and 29 assists for 70 points. He can bring another added scoring element to what is becoming a team that is deep at wing. On the blueline, Calvin de Haan has played well in his third year with the Oshawa Generals. The defenseman has posted 42 assists and 48 points and will look to make an impact on a seemingly crowded blueline. If he does not make the team, he will be eligible to play for the team's AHL affiliate next season for some pro seasoning.
There is a lot to look forward to on the Island. There are several good pieces that when put in place and complimented nicely can be dangerous during the season. If the team can manage to stay healthy, not many teams will want to play against them. A combination of skill, grit, hard work and good goaltending will bring the Islanders back to the playoffs, though they are a few years away from contending for a Stanley Cup. Times are looking up in Kansa...New York for the Islanders.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
The powerplay is clicking with Bryan McCabe in the fold
The Rangers powerplay has been hot and cold all season, though that is an improvement over year's past. After years of absolute embarrassment and baffling decisions to not get the puck on net, the Rangers' powerplay has been relatively good lately. A difference in philosophy has led to recent improvements, including a wonderful display against the Islanders where the unit converted on three of their five chances. Bryan McCabe has been a major part of the success that the unit has been having, and acquiring him has proven to be yet another smart move by GM Glen Sather.
The Rangers shipped out Tim Kennedy and a 3rd round pick to South Florida in exchange for McCabe, and the dividends have been payed immediately. Manning the point on the powerplay, McCabe has been a dual threat for the Rangers. The first is the most obvious and occurs during almost every man advantage that the Rangers receive. That is McCabe's hard, low shot, which is a welcome addition that has been evidently missing in previous units. His ability to take a shot and get it on net makes Rangers fans thank the Hockey Gods that we don't have Paul Mara anymore. McCabe's shot can get on net and, as he showed last night, can score or in other instances get rebounds in front of the net to create more chances.
McCabe also brings another advantage to the team. Because he is a threat to shoot from the point, some teams have had McCabe covered or shadowed by one of their penalty killers. This gives the Rangers another advantage even though they are losing one of their main weapons. This opens up the ice down low, leaving three penalty killers to defend against four attackers. Between Marian Gaborik, Vinny Prospal, Erik Christensen, Brandon Dubinsky, Ryan Callahan, and so on and so forth, the Rangers have more than enough skill and speed to take advantage of the open space left available down low. The threat of McCabe shooting lets the forwards look for that back-door pass or one-timer that would not have been available when the 5-on-4 was taking place.
The Rangers powerplay has gotten better both in percentage and how they look on the ice. Before acquiring McCabe, the unit was firing at just above 17%. That is an average number, and if a team hopes for playoff success that number must be better. After the deadline, the Rangers powerplay has been converting just over 24% of their chances which is a significant improvement. Even if McCabe doesn't stay after this season, he provides a veteran presence on the youngest blueline in the NHL. He adds a weapon that the team didn't have before and badly needed, while Sather made use of his mastery with trades yet again. Tim Kennedy has recently been called up by the Panthers and has suited up for three games, while a third round pick is a small price to pay for immediate help. If McCabe plays his cards right, he could stay on Broadway past this season to provide that presence until a prospect or younger player is ready to do so. Even if he is not retained, the powerplay issue has been addressed for the year, putting to rest the shouts of "SHOOT!" from the Garden faithful.
Photo Credit: Getty Images via Yahoo! Sports
The Rangers shipped out Tim Kennedy and a 3rd round pick to South Florida in exchange for McCabe, and the dividends have been payed immediately. Manning the point on the powerplay, McCabe has been a dual threat for the Rangers. The first is the most obvious and occurs during almost every man advantage that the Rangers receive. That is McCabe's hard, low shot, which is a welcome addition that has been evidently missing in previous units. His ability to take a shot and get it on net makes Rangers fans thank the Hockey Gods that we don't have Paul Mara anymore. McCabe's shot can get on net and, as he showed last night, can score or in other instances get rebounds in front of the net to create more chances.
McCabe also brings another advantage to the team. Because he is a threat to shoot from the point, some teams have had McCabe covered or shadowed by one of their penalty killers. This gives the Rangers another advantage even though they are losing one of their main weapons. This opens up the ice down low, leaving three penalty killers to defend against four attackers. Between Marian Gaborik, Vinny Prospal, Erik Christensen, Brandon Dubinsky, Ryan Callahan, and so on and so forth, the Rangers have more than enough skill and speed to take advantage of the open space left available down low. The threat of McCabe shooting lets the forwards look for that back-door pass or one-timer that would not have been available when the 5-on-4 was taking place.
The Rangers powerplay has gotten better both in percentage and how they look on the ice. Before acquiring McCabe, the unit was firing at just above 17%. That is an average number, and if a team hopes for playoff success that number must be better. After the deadline, the Rangers powerplay has been converting just over 24% of their chances which is a significant improvement. Even if McCabe doesn't stay after this season, he provides a veteran presence on the youngest blueline in the NHL. He adds a weapon that the team didn't have before and badly needed, while Sather made use of his mastery with trades yet again. Tim Kennedy has recently been called up by the Panthers and has suited up for three games, while a third round pick is a small price to pay for immediate help. If McCabe plays his cards right, he could stay on Broadway past this season to provide that presence until a prospect or younger player is ready to do so. Even if he is not retained, the powerplay issue has been addressed for the year, putting to rest the shouts of "SHOOT!" from the Garden faithful.
Photo Credit: Getty Images via Yahoo! Sports
Monday, March 7, 2011
Zuccarello showing size only matters in heart; Lighting up the Big Apple
The "Norwegian Hobbit" has been quite a surprise for the New York Rangers. The imposing 5'7 174 lb winger has been enjoying recent success since his call-up to New York just before Christmas. He has scored points in bunches, as he currently sits with six goals and 13 assists for 19 points in 33 games for the Rangers. When Derek Stepan failed to mesh with superstar Marian Gaborik, Stepan needed talented wingers to play with. No more than two weeks after Zuccarello was called up, the Rangers announced that they had traded defenseman Michael Rozsival for Phoenix winger Wojtek Wolski. Since the trade, Zuccarello has spent over one third of his ice time on a line with Stepan and Wolski (Dobber Hockey). They have become a cohesive unit, which is very rare with John Tortorella at the helm. The trio has been successful for the most part, creating chances and provided secondary scoring on a team that struggles to consistently score goals.
New York is currently tied for fifth in the East in goals with 193. Of that, Brian Boyle, Ryan Callahan and Brandon Dubinsky account for 59 of those. The Rangers have seven players with goal totals in the double digits and two more are sitting at nine each. Dubinsky, Stepan, Gaborik and Artem Anisimov can challenge for 20 goals at seasons' end, while there are plenty of wingers providing secondary support as well. TSN estimates that Zuccarello is on pace for eight goals and 26 points (TSN), which is excellent for the small forward getting used to the rigors of the physical game in North America. Over an 82 game schedule, MZA's totals average out to 15 goals and 32 assists, placing him in the top-8 in scoring for the squad.
Things did not start well for the 23-year old in the 2010-11 season. During training camp Zuccarello looked lost. He did not perform well and was not adjusting to the style of play that both Coach Tortorella employed and the grind that the NHL required. He was sent down to AHL Connecticut (Connectiford, Harticut?). During his time in the AHL with the Wolf...err, Whale, he had a rocky start followed with a true breakout. In his first 12 games, Mats scored a grand total of two goals, which were his only points. It was the start of November where he started to put things together in the AHL. He put up 23 points in 22 games leading up to his promotion to the NHL, proving that he could be successful at his size in North America and showing that he has adjusted to the professional game here.
In his first ten games in the NHL, Zuccarello was playing well yet not putting up points. He recorded four points, including his first career goal, in that stretch. After that he put up nine points in his next nine games, highlighted by a game in which he recorded an assist on each of the Rangers' three goals in a 4-3 loss to the Panthers. Mats has posted three goals in his past two games, doubling his goal total on the season. In yesterday's 7-0 rout of the Philadelphia Flyers, he scored two goals in two very different ways. The first goal he scored was the result of a two-on-one where Zuccarello received a tape to tape pass from Ruslan Fedetenko and beat goalie Brian Boucher under his right pad. On his second tally of the afternoon, Mats was in front of the net while Wojtek Wolski got to the loose puck in the corner. Once Wolski got control of the puck, he threw it to the crease where Zuccarello shot it past Sergei Bobrovsky (who replaced Boucher early in the second period). Against the Senators, Zuccarello was at it again in front of the net. He was in front of goaltender Craig Anderson, got the puck and made a move to the wide side to net the goal. He has shown flashes of brilliance and he has his niche on the team chiseled out.
Numbers do not tell the entire story with Zuccarello, though I do love considering hockey a numbers game. What the stats sheet does not tell a reader is his attitude and skill set on the ice. Zuccarello has deceptive speed and he can fool an opponent with it. He has a good wrist shot and is an excellent passer. He also has slotted into the left point on the powerplay, using his hockey sense and passing to set up teammates and sometimes even take a shot to create a chance. As exemplified above with his ability to get to the net, he is able to get lost in the fray and use his soft hands to beat the opposing goaltender. Zuccarello has shown to be incredibly tough and adds a little grit to his game, pushing and shoving with players that are almost a foot taller than him after the whistle. He does not hold back, and is more than willing to lay or take a hit to make a play. I guess with all of this being said, if Gaborik is Budweiser then Zuccarello is Bud Select 55. He is not quite the superstar that Marian has proven to be, but Zuccarello can sneak behind the opponent's defense and wreak havoc with an arsenal of weapons.
The creative Norwegian is signed for one more season with an affordable cap hit of $1,750,000 (Capgeek.com). Stepan and Wolski are also signed through next year (Stepan through 2012-13 on an entry-level deal) and are sure to be penciled in as a line together. They have shown chemistry and Stepan has been able to take advantage of that en route to what could be a 20 goal 50 point rookie season. The "Norwegian Hobbit" looks to continue his recent success and prove that the Rangers made the right choice in pursuing him out of the SEL. Mats Zuccarello is showing that size only matters in heart at the NHL level.
Photo Credit: Yahoo! Sports via Getty Images
New York is currently tied for fifth in the East in goals with 193. Of that, Brian Boyle, Ryan Callahan and Brandon Dubinsky account for 59 of those. The Rangers have seven players with goal totals in the double digits and two more are sitting at nine each. Dubinsky, Stepan, Gaborik and Artem Anisimov can challenge for 20 goals at seasons' end, while there are plenty of wingers providing secondary support as well. TSN estimates that Zuccarello is on pace for eight goals and 26 points (TSN), which is excellent for the small forward getting used to the rigors of the physical game in North America. Over an 82 game schedule, MZA's totals average out to 15 goals and 32 assists, placing him in the top-8 in scoring for the squad.
Things did not start well for the 23-year old in the 2010-11 season. During training camp Zuccarello looked lost. He did not perform well and was not adjusting to the style of play that both Coach Tortorella employed and the grind that the NHL required. He was sent down to AHL Connecticut (Connectiford, Harticut?). During his time in the AHL with the Wolf...err, Whale, he had a rocky start followed with a true breakout. In his first 12 games, Mats scored a grand total of two goals, which were his only points. It was the start of November where he started to put things together in the AHL. He put up 23 points in 22 games leading up to his promotion to the NHL, proving that he could be successful at his size in North America and showing that he has adjusted to the professional game here.
In his first ten games in the NHL, Zuccarello was playing well yet not putting up points. He recorded four points, including his first career goal, in that stretch. After that he put up nine points in his next nine games, highlighted by a game in which he recorded an assist on each of the Rangers' three goals in a 4-3 loss to the Panthers. Mats has posted three goals in his past two games, doubling his goal total on the season. In yesterday's 7-0 rout of the Philadelphia Flyers, he scored two goals in two very different ways. The first goal he scored was the result of a two-on-one where Zuccarello received a tape to tape pass from Ruslan Fedetenko and beat goalie Brian Boucher under his right pad. On his second tally of the afternoon, Mats was in front of the net while Wojtek Wolski got to the loose puck in the corner. Once Wolski got control of the puck, he threw it to the crease where Zuccarello shot it past Sergei Bobrovsky (who replaced Boucher early in the second period). Against the Senators, Zuccarello was at it again in front of the net. He was in front of goaltender Craig Anderson, got the puck and made a move to the wide side to net the goal. He has shown flashes of brilliance and he has his niche on the team chiseled out.
Numbers do not tell the entire story with Zuccarello, though I do love considering hockey a numbers game. What the stats sheet does not tell a reader is his attitude and skill set on the ice. Zuccarello has deceptive speed and he can fool an opponent with it. He has a good wrist shot and is an excellent passer. He also has slotted into the left point on the powerplay, using his hockey sense and passing to set up teammates and sometimes even take a shot to create a chance. As exemplified above with his ability to get to the net, he is able to get lost in the fray and use his soft hands to beat the opposing goaltender. Zuccarello has shown to be incredibly tough and adds a little grit to his game, pushing and shoving with players that are almost a foot taller than him after the whistle. He does not hold back, and is more than willing to lay or take a hit to make a play. I guess with all of this being said, if Gaborik is Budweiser then Zuccarello is Bud Select 55. He is not quite the superstar that Marian has proven to be, but Zuccarello can sneak behind the opponent's defense and wreak havoc with an arsenal of weapons.
The creative Norwegian is signed for one more season with an affordable cap hit of $1,750,000 (Capgeek.com). Stepan and Wolski are also signed through next year (Stepan through 2012-13 on an entry-level deal) and are sure to be penciled in as a line together. They have shown chemistry and Stepan has been able to take advantage of that en route to what could be a 20 goal 50 point rookie season. The "Norwegian Hobbit" looks to continue his recent success and prove that the Rangers made the right choice in pursuing him out of the SEL. Mats Zuccarello is showing that size only matters in heart at the NHL level.
Photo Credit: Yahoo! Sports via Getty Images
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Martin Biron's injury proves the weakness of depth in net
Marty Biron is out for the season with a broken collarbone after taking a shot during practice yesterday, but that is just the start of the bad news. Because the trade deadline has passed just yesterday, the Rangers only hope is to pick up a netminder on waivers or deal with their AHL prospects. Biron has been excellent for the most part and is the first reliable backup that the Rangers have had in a decade. Marty posted an 8-6-0 record with a .923 sv% and a 2.13 GAA, which were actually better stats than starter Henrik Lundqvist.
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