Islanders get rare win in Ottawa

2nd time Ottawa. Isles show that they can play with, and beat, the best the NHL has to offer. They are 4-0 against Devils as well. If they play this consistent, they have a shot to go real far this year.

Islanders played a great game last night-

They played an impressive game last night, but the Senators without Heatley and Spezza, one night after playing the best team in the NHL are not the best the NHL has to offer.

Great to see bergeron scoring, though. Dipietro has put in 3 solid games in a row (even tho he gave up 4 in Calgary, he stopped 38), Comrie stepped up last night and the team is coming home. Hopefully they can keep this up.

Mooooooose wrote:

They played an impressive game last night, but the Senators without Heatley and Spezza, one night after playing the best team in the NHL are not the best the NHL has to offer.
Great to see bergeron scoring, though. Dipietro has put in 3 solid games in a row (even tho he gave up 4 in Calgary, he stopped 38), Comrie stepped up last night and the team is coming home. Hopefully they can keep this up.

They can't use injuries and fatigue as an excuse. Isles have had a rough schedule these past weeks and injuries of their own (including their best defenseman) and they held them to only 1 goal. They also beat the Sens once without their fatigue and injury so it can be done.

Bender wrote:

2nd time Ottawa. Isles show that they can play with, and beat, the best the NHL has to offer. They are 4-0 against Devils as well. If they play this consistent, they have a shot to go real far this year.

That logic doesn't hold water in the NHL. The Isles beat Jersey four straight times and are still six points back. The Rangers won all three and are eight back; plus they beat Montreal easily twice and trail them by five.

There are two, maybe three standout teams right now; everyone else plays to around .500, with the exceptions being the Kings and Leafs. It will stay that way all year -- too many teams, too much parity. The league is in serious need of extensive contraction.

Bender wrote:

<quoted text>
They can't use injuries and fatigue as an excuse. Isles have had a rough schedule these past weeks and injuries of their own (including their best defenseman) and they held them to only 1 goal. They also beat the Sens once without their fatigue and injury so it can be done.

The sens were missing Alfredsson in the first game we played them, actually.

and THEY"RE not using that as an excuse, I'm just saying that you can't say we beat the best the NHL has to offer when thier #3 player is out, and they're #2 player goes down halfway through the game. Also, you have to admit that Ottawa was more focused on/pumped up for the Detroit game than they were for this one.

However, without those 2 and regardless of who/when they played last, Ottawa is still a very good team and it was a great win for the Islanders who showed a lot of fight in a game where they were undoubtedly the underdog.

fundy wrote:

<quoted text>
That logic doesn't hold water in the NHL. The Isles beat Jersey four straight times and are still six points back. The Rangers won all three and are eight back; plus they beat Montreal easily twice and trail them by five.
There are two, maybe three standout teams right now; everyone else plays to around .500, with the exceptions being the Kings and Leafs. It will stay that way all year -- too many teams, too much parity. The league is in serious need of extensive contraction.

First off, parity in ANY league is good. I don't think any commissioner would say otherwise.

Second, I think "extensive contraction" is alittle too extreme. Maybe scrap the Florida Panthers and Columbus Blue Jackets.

If you look at the attendance reports, right now in the NHL, 86.6% of teams (26 out of 30) have attendance at 80% of capacity or higher for the season. Thats almost twice the percentage of baseball (46.6%- 14 out of 30 teams) and higher than the NBA as well (73.3%- 22 out of 30 teams). Does that change the fact that the NHL is the least popular of the 4 major sports? no, but it at least shows that 26 NHL franchises are enjoying an impressive level of fan support.

The 4 teams below 80% are the Blackhawks, Blue Jackets, Panthers and Capitals. I think everyone would agree the NHL will never let the Blackhawks dissolve, and with Ovechkin in Washington for 13 years, they may move the team but they'll never dissolve it. Florida and Columbus, not so much.

NIce to see Freddy Meyer doing his best Brendan Witt impersonation. Nice to see the team playing well and defying the "experts" once again. Let's hope they can do it consistently from here on out.
GO ISLES !!!!!

I don't care what Ted Nolan says...in my opinion this team is better off without Brendan Witt.

Mike wrote:

I don't care what Ted Nolan says...in my opinion this team is better off without Brendan Witt.

You really think so ??? Granted, he really doesn't score but think about the blocked shots and for the most part smart defensive play. I think he's an invauluable part to their D.

hockey is NOT a sport...melt all the ice!

Burgers are railing on flowers house perty perty eropt djfv nasnv/smv s

hans wrote:

hockey is NOT a sport...melt all the ice!

Another morsel from the peanut gallery. Just because you don't understand it, does not mean it is not a sport. Go watch your basketball game and get off the hockey board.

hans wrote:

hockey is NOT a sport...melt all the ice!

try playing hockey. I think you'll find its a lot harder to play than basketball, football, baseball, soccer and lacrosse

The only reason hockey isn't as popular as football and baseball is that:

1. it's a predominantly canadian sport

2. it's a winter sport being played in a country in which only 60-70% experience any weather below 50 degrees

3. it's expensive to play because of the lack of available ice and complexity of the equipment

4. it's a sport that's difficult to watch for the casual fan, meaning one needs to have an understanding of the game to be able to habitually watch it. The puck moves across long distances in a short period of time and if you aren't able to read into the play, you lose track of the puck.

Big win last night, FSN, On the Fly, announcers are really a joke when their Canadian teams lose. Last night they were serving up all kind of excuses, Big game on Sat, No Heatly, Too many penalties becuase the Sens were tired. Nothing to say the ISLEs were on a long difficult roadtrip and finished strong. That really displays characer. I do admit it is fun watching the FSN announcers cry about the Leafs! With Okoposo, Figren and Reheet looking solid in the future, we will be a serious playoff cup contender in two years! Just in time for a new revamped Coliseum! Things are looking up Isle Fans!

A win is a win, who gives a S H I T who played or didn't or whose skates were tied too tight or who sang the national anthem???

?

Mooooooose wrote:

<quoted text>
The sens were missing Alfredsson in the first game we played them, actually.
and THEY"RE not using that as an excuse, I'm just saying that you can't say we beat the best the NHL has to offer when thier #3 player is out, and they're #2 player goes down halfway through the game. Also, you have to admit that Ottawa was more focused on/pumped up for the Detroit game than they were for this one.
However, without those 2 and regardless of who/when they played last, Ottawa is still a very good team and it was a great win for the Islanders who showed a lot of fight in a game where they were undoubtedly the underdog.

fundy wrote:

<quoted text>
That logic doesn't hold water in the NHL. The Isles beat Jersey four straight times and are still six points back. The Rangers won all three and are eight back; plus they beat Montreal easily twice and trail them by five.
There are two, maybe three standout teams right now; everyone else plays to around .500, with the exceptions being the Kings and Leafs. It will stay that way all year -- too many teams, too much parity. The league is in serious need of extensive contraction.

I'm with you, fundy. there are too many teams today. I'd gladly sacrifice a hand full of teams in exchange for a higher level of play throughout the league. No offense, columbus, nashville and phoenix, but it is what it is.

Int. Glen Sather's office

Sather: We just signed Drury and Gomez!!! Yeah, about $7 million a year each...I'm making arrangements for the stanley cup parade after I get done with you. I wonder where I should take the cup first...What?!!! What do ya mean we have to play the games first?!!! Look at our team!!! We look great on paper!!! We paid a lot of money!!! I don't care about the Yankees!!! How does that apply here?!!! But all the magazines have features on us!!! The "experts" love us. They all say we should win!!!
Secretary: Mr. Sather?
Sather: What?!!!
Secretary: Mr. Snow is on line 2 sir.
Sather: What do you want Garth?
Snow: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!

Isles fan in westernny wrote:

<quoted text>
I'm with you, fundy. there are too many teams today. I'd gladly sacrifice a hand full of teams in exchange for a higher level of play throughout the league. No offense, columbus, nashville and phoenix, but it is what it is.

Exactly, the Atlanta Flames came into the league in 72 along with the Isles, they left for Calgary because they were not supported down there, so what do the idiots that run the NHL do? Go right out and grant that city another franchise, absolutey brilliant, dont you think so? ps, Minnesota North Stars just about did the same, but voila, another franchise also, its no wonder this league has not generated the enthusiam that it should have with morons like Gary "Butthead" Bettman running things, he should go back to the NBA where he came from.