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there are a lot of people who can tell you about the new york rangers, the team i care the most about, so instead i will tell you about the team i care the second most about : The 2014-15 New York Islanders  LAST SEASON The Islanders were bad. they started off the season with complete scrubs Pierre-Marc Bouchard and Peter Regin in the lineup who were mercifully taken off of their hands later by the Chicago Blackhawks. In a widely-criticized move, they dealt beloved winger Matt Moulson to the Buffalo Sabres, along with a 1st-round draft pick, for Thomas Vanek. I personally understood what GM Garth Snow was trying to do - bring in a star-caliber player (it's debatable whether Thomas Vanek is more "star-caliber" than Matt Moulson but at that point he probably was) to play alongside one of the best centers in the league (John Tavares), have a great season as a result, and for the first time in forever, thanks to a long history of mismanagement and having-a-lovely-arena, convince a star player to stay with the franchise. None of this worked. The primary reason for this was their goaltending, which featured a revolving door of Evgeni Nabokov (old and not good anymore), Kevin Poulin and Anders Nilsson (young but still not good). As the season went south on the back of a horrible home record and a LOT of blown 3rd-period leads, Vanek was dealt for barely a fraction of what it cost to attain him thanks to a surprisingly clogged market of similar players. John Tavares got hurt at the Olympics and missed the remainder of the season thereafter (and they were actually kind of better after this happened?) and they failed badly at their goal of 2 consecutive playoff appearances. THIS SEASON  RIP in peace you stupid bad concrete shithole This is the team's last season in Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, an old lovely building that no player wants to play in and the team can never fill. They will be moving to the Barclay's Center in Brooklyn next season, a state-of-the-art facility that is not actually built for hockey. That said: seeing games in that old building, especially when it does occasionally get full, is something I'll miss dearly because it gets loving LOUD in there. The playoff games against Pittsburgh 2 seasons ago were the best live events of any sort that I've ever had the pleasure of enjoying. IF YOU CAN, SERIOUSLY GET TO A GAME THERE THIS YEAR! ESPECIALLY A PLAYOFF GAME WHEN THEY MAKE IT! Wait, they're going to make the playoffs? Yes, I think that they are! Here's how: Remember how I said the goaltending was bad? Well, it's not anymore. The Islanders team save percentage clocked in at a dismal .898 last year, good for dead last in the league. This resulted in them allowing 261 (including empty net) goals, versus their 216 goals scored, good (actually bad) for a goal differential of -45. Had they gotten goaltending at a .918 save percentage, their goal differential would have been positive rather than negative, and teams with positive goal differentials almost invariably make the playoffs. What they went and acquired over the offseason was exactly that: a career .918 goaltender and a backup who should be able to maintain that level in the games that he starts. Wow! In addition, they lost pretty much no one, except for awful defenseman Andrew MacDonald, who is more or less a joke when it comes to analytics. His absence should mean that on top of their improved goaltending, they should also face less shots. They also made 2 surprisingly impressive forward acquisitions (especially for this franchise that has a very hard time luring major talent to town) and a few shrewd minor pickups to bolster their depth. Here's who they brought in over the offseason:  you're our only hope Jaroslav Halak, G Halak is not the best goaltender in the world, but he has been solid throughout his career, and solid is a breath of fresh air for a team who has had nothing but abysmal for years. Last year he split time between St. Louis and Washington, and was Good Enough with both teams. Actually, his .921 sv% last year was 7th among goaltenders playing 50 or more games, which is better than Good Enough - it's Good! He has had injuries in the past and also hasn't been counted on to handle an absolutely massive workload, so there are definite caveats, but he's certainly by a vast margin better than what they had last season. Chad Johnson, G Chad "Tres Cero" Johnson played his first full season as an NHL backup last year with the Eastern Conference powerhouse Boston Bruins and performed very admirably in this capacity. In 27 appearances, he logged a .926 sv%, which is really good. He'll likely be counted on for a bit more of a workload than that this year, and there are definitely questions about whether last season was a fluke. Additionally, if Halak gets hurt, he's on the hook as a starter and that could be a nightmare scenario for the Islanders. But losing your starter would be a problem for any team so let's just pretend that won't happen. Mikhail Grabovski, C  looks pretty gritty to me i dunno Grabovski, being Russian (actually Belarussian but same difference for these purposes) has been dogged throughout his career for being difficult, not showing enough effort, whatever. The things they always say about Russians. After being one of the best players at driving the offense in Toronto, he had an acrimonious departure during which he traded shots with idiot head coach Randy Carlyle, who is very bad and should not have a job. He went to Washington last year and was pretty good at scoring under another bad coach (the now-fired Adam Oates) while still remaining a strong possession player. All indications are he'll have a longer leash with the Islanders, and the depth he adds to the lineup (Tavares - Grabovski - Nielsen is an elite top 3 centers) is invaluable. He also gets to play with his best buddy, who is this guy: Nikolay Kulemin, LW Kulemin scored 30 goals in 2010-11 with Toronto, and while that's unlikely to happen again, he should enjoy a bounce-back season this year when he isn't used horribly. He is a really good possession player when he's not forced to play brutal minutes alongside complete stiffs, as was the case under Randy Carlyle for his last few seasons. He's a good two-way winger who can play in all situations and, once again, contributes solidly to the team's forward depth. Cory Conacher, F Conacher is a classic Garth Snow reclamation project with some solid upside. After absolutely tearing up the AHL in his first pro season undrafted out of college, he was on a near-rookie of the year pace with Tampa Bay before being traded to Ottawa for Ben Bishop two seasons ago. Last year, he struggled with the Sens before being waived and picked up by Buffalo where he closed out a mediocre season. He's tiny but he's a good skater with some skill. He'll probably start on a lower line or as an injury replacement, but he's a good option to have and is still young and has potential. TJ Brennan, D Brennan is an interesting case. He had 9 points in 19 games with the Panthers, good numbers especially for a mostly untested defenseman, 2 seasons ago and has been traded about a million times, failing to find a permanent NHL roster spot. Last year, he spent the entire year in the AHL and went buck wild, scoring 72 points (25 goals) in 76 games. Don't expect those numbers in the NHL, but do expect him to get a long look on this team, possibly as a PP specialist. Jack Skille & Harry Zolniercyczcyzcycyzycyyzcyzyck AHL tweener forwards with some NHL experience. The former is a one-time first round draft pick who never quite panned out, the latter got in trouble for distributing unsolicited sex tapes in college or some poo poo. They'll maybe see time as capable injury replacements. Here's the guys who were already here: FORWARDS: John Tavares  you try and find an interesting pic of john tavares One of the top centers - or players, really - in the league. Oozes hockey sense and makes everyone around him better. Wouldn't be surprised to see him crack 100 points this season. Kyle Okposo  green guy in the middle Now firmly established as Tavares' RW, had a breakout year last year with 69 points in 71 games, and proved he could keep it up when he was just as good after Tavares went down with his Olympics injury. About as tough to knock off the puck as anyone in the league. Frans Nielsen A pure two-way center who can do everything well, had his best offensive season last year with 58 points. Expect a regression in that regard as he settles back into a more defensive role now that Grabovski's here. That's a good thing. Also very possibly the best shootout specialist in the league. Josh Bailey Enigmatic winger who had his best season last year despite being infuriatingly inconsistent. Even though he goes through loooooooooooooong droughts, he's a gifted playmaker and a strong possession guy. He's good to have around even though he makes you pull your goddamn hair out. Don't be surprised if he's traded for help on defense, though. Brock Nelson Had a solid rookie campaign with 14 goals, most of those playing with mediocre linemates - expect an increase, because right now he's penciled in as Tavares' new LW. Got better as the season went on and has real good tools. He's going to be a good player. Michael Grabner Was somewhat impeded by injuries last year and struggled to put much together when he was playing, but he's most likely the fastest player in the league and he gets like, at least one breakaway a game. As you can imagine, his possession numbers are quite good as a result. With a better supporting cast around him, should have a good year. Also the subject of frequent trade rumors. Cal Clutterbuck He hits a lot of people but can also occasionally score goals. Good bottom 6-er, another guy who should have a better year thanks to better talent taking on tougher minutes. Colin McDonald Hard to say where he fits in. He's a grinder with a little bit of offense to his game but younger, faster guys might force him out Ryan Strome Took him some games to find his feet at the NHL level, but has a ton of skill. Was very good down the stretch last season and should get a chance to make a difference this year. Potential future star, but might spend some more time in the AHL this year thanks to his waiver eligibility. Casey Cizikas Sputtered a bit last year in his sophomore season but has the tools to be a good bottom-6 forward. Needs to do better at puck possession, but it would help if his coach didn't use him like an idiot. More on that later. Anders Lee Put up 14 points in only 22 games last season and is another potential candidate for time alongside Tavares, but also is a candidate to spend some time in the minors for the same reason as Strome. Relentless competitor who the puck seems to follow. Matt Martin One of the most beloved Islanders for his hit-literally-everything style and his willingness to fight, he finds himself as a fringe player this year thanks to the Isles' infusion of talent. Going to have to do a better job tilting the ice if he wants to keep his job. Eric Boulton Old, likable goon who should probably just retire. Might occasionally play in games because coaches still think this is useful. Other guys who got callups last year Mike Halmo, Johan Sundstrom, John Persson: they might play games at some point? DEFENSE: Travis Hamonic Handles big minutes and does it well. Has offensive talent that's been held back a bit by virtue of him always playing against other teams' best players - might get a chance to play the PP a bit this year, which would be nice. Calvin de Haan Was a revelation last season after he was considered a probable bust thanks to a long string of injuries following his draft year. Excellent 2-way defenseman with great possession numbers and Hamonic's clear top-pairing partner. Lubomir Visnovsky Old and was hurt a lot last year but has been a fantastic play-driving defenseman when he's been healthy. A lot rides on a clean bill of health for Viz, but there's no indication to this point that age has gotten to him, at least. Thomas Hickey After being considered an embarrassing draft pick at #4 overall whatever the hell year it was by Los Angeles, the Isles eventually picked him up on waivers and he's impressed ever since getting a chance to play in the NHL. Plays a simple, not flashy 2-way game and may have some untapped offensive skill yet. Very good at playing the puck and minimizing any problems caused by his slight stature. Matt Donovan Very interesting case, because he's looked bad on the eye test in the NHL at times but has had great underlying possession numbers. It's hard to say whether he'll be an opening-night guy but one imagines he'll play a good amount this year. Got better later in the season last year. Brian Strait He's not very good. Was decent in his first season with the Isles and very mediocre (and hurt a lot) last year. Looks like the bastard son of Jack Capuano so he'll probably get playing time as a result of that. An OK 3rd pairing option, I guess, but I'd much rather he be there primarily as an injury replacement. Matt Carkner Slow and bad, but he fights people sometimes. The quintessential "good locker room guy" who really has no business playing. I hope he's sent down to the minors or something but he'll probably stick around and get inserted occasionally. Griffin Reinhart Top draft pick from a couple years ago turning pro this year, he was the best defenseman in the WHL last year but is a decidedly stay-at-home guy and guys who play like that in juniors don't historically project that well in the pro game so we'll have to see. There's a chance he starts the year on the Isles but he should probably play in the minors first to hone his game. Here's hoping he eventually turns into the elite defensive defenseman the team thinks he can be. Other guys who got callups last year Aaron Ness, Kevin Czuczman, Scott Mayfield: probably the backbone of the Bridgeport Sound Tigers this year COACH JACK CAPUANO:  He looks like Fred Flintstone. A lot of people think he's a bad coach and I am inclined to agree. Puts his worst players out after the team scores a goal which often leads (surprise!) to other teams quickly evening the score. Still, seems to have at least heard of possession numbers and hopefully he's going to take that into account with this team that's full of players who have good ones and some guys who have bad ones. The way he manages his bottom lines scares me though, with how they seem to be under an imperative to "grind it out" in their own zone rather than turn the play up ice, which guys like Casey Cizikas should be more than capable of doing. Like it or not, he's one of Charles Wang's Guys, and as long as Charles is here, Jack will probably be as well. Anyway, root for the New York Islanders they are much cooler to like than any other team in the league! do it a false fucked around with this message at 07:30 on Sep 26, 2014 |
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Sep 26, 2014 06:38
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| # ¿ May 2, 2024 22:21 |
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haha I was actually trying to find that pic and I couldn't
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Sep 27, 2014 03:30
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it loads very quickly for me ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
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Sep 29, 2014 04:54
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New York Islanders addendum: I probably at some point mentioned how a lot of people thought the Islanders were, despite major improvements, still not going to be good because of their defense not being very good. It wasn't the best in the league by any metric but it was better than anyone was giving it credit for. Still, the 3rd defense pairing was a mystery and no one was really sure who it would consist of and everyone everywhere thought the Islanders needed an upgrade. Yesterday, Garth Snow went out and got himself a brand new 2nd defense pairing, thereby making the former 2nd defense pairing the 3rd pairing and solving that mystery while now only leaving the mystery of "who will be the 7th defenseman" (answer: eh who cares) here's the new guys we got: Johnny Boychuk - hard hitting, hard shooting all around solid defenseman who's had good possession numbers for years. Probably a little bit better on the eye test than the analytics test but still a very good player capable of logging very big (and difficult) minutes who was a fan favorite in Boston and should be a fan favorite here. Also has a Stanley Cup to his name and plenty of other playoff experience, a rare commodity on this team. Two 2nd round draft picks were leveraged to acquire him from a Boston team that was in salary cap hell, and with the depth of the Islanders system those were very easy assets to part with. UFA after this year, hopefully if he plays well they can extend him. Nick Leddy - similar situation here to the Boychuk situation - Chicago was above the salary cap and needed to move someone to get under, and Garth took advantage. Leddy's only 23 and yet has, like Boychuk, ample playoff experience and a Stanley Cup (in fact, he and Boychuk are now the only Islanders who've got one). He's a smooth-skating puck moving defenseman who on paper lines up perfectly alongside Boychuk. It cost one of our good D prospects, Ville Pokka, to get him (TJ Brennan and Anders Nilsson were also included, as was Kent Simpson from Chicago, but this deal is essentially Pokka for Leddy). Losing Pokka stings a little bit but we have a ton of organizational depth at D and this is what you do when your future is exceedingly bright at a given position - break off a piece of that and use it to improve your team now. Here's the lines of my ideal Islanders team right now, although it will probably look a bit different: Brock Nelson - John Tavares - Kyle Okposo Nikolay Kulemin - Mikhail Grabovski - Michael Grabner Anders Lee - Frans Nielsen - Ryan Strome Josh Bailey - Cory Conacher - Cal Clutterbuck ex: Matt Martin, Casey Cizikas Calvin de Haan - Travis Hamonic Nick Leddy - Johnny Boychuk Thomas Hickey - Lubomir Visnovsky ex: Matt Donovan Jaroslav Halak Chad Johnson The questions of what to do with Matt Carkner, Brian Strait, Eric Boulton and Colin McDonald will still have to be answered and the answers will unfortunately probably not be "get rid of them." Also I don't think there's any chance Martin would be sitting on opening night or that the 4th line would be populated by skill players like Conacher and Bailey - it's almost definitely going to remain a grind line and still be inserted after goals because Jack Capuano is not a great coach. Still, this is a good team and I like it. a false fucked around with this message at 06:58 on Oct 6, 2014 |
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Oct 6, 2014 06:54
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