Battle Of Hudson

So keep comin’ and improve our stats!

In response to Kovy’s question, I have to say that I ask myself the same question every time I see Dunham play. And I think there may be something to it. Let’s hope business takes precedence over friendship this summer and we cut Dunny loose. I’d rather they sign a solid number 2, as I don’t think Dubie is that great either, but better than Dunham for sure.

Great game last night but the Isles are hanging by a microscopic thread. Let’s go Rags on Thursday!!

The Isles are not out, as both I and Sam Rosen stated. But here’s what needs to happen.

On Thursday:

-Isles must beat the Leafs. DIY. Simple as that.
-The Rangers must beat the Canadiens.

On Saturday:
-The Islanders must beat the Flyers.
-The LEAFS must beat the Habs.

If all this happened, the standings would read as follows on Sunday:

8. TOR – 91
—————-
9. NYI – 90
10. MTL – 90

On Sunday:

-The Isles must WIN over the Devs. If they got a point, it would not matter. The Leafs would have more wins, 40 to 39.

So, they need help, but they can also help themselves a great deal. It’s not the hardest road, but it’s still very bumpy.

With their hard earned 3-2 shootout victory over the Rangers, the Islanders staved off elimination. They aren’t out yet but need obviously to win out and have plenty of help.

The Islanders still have three games left and will host Toronto at the Coliseum Thursday night in a huge game for both clubs. In order for the Isles to stay alive, they’ll need to win that and root for a Rangers’ regulation victory over the red hot Canadiens. The Habs held up the easiest guarantee I’ve ever made by shutting out the hapless Bruins 2-0. They got another quality performance from their young goalie Jaroslav Halak. If they get in, it will be because of this 21 year-old rookie who came out of nowhere to spark them. Remarkably, the Habs selected him in the ninth round four years ago. Now, he could become a hero up north almost on par with what Patrick Roy did 21 years ago. Go figure.

With Tampa coming back from two goals down to eliminate Carolina, the Hurricanes became the first defending champion to not qualify for the postseason since the 1996-96 Devils. Injuries to some key players and a fragile D proved to be too much for Peter Laviolette’s club to overcome. It says here that they’ll live to regret trading former 2005 third overall selection Jack Johnson. Jim Rutherford sacrificed not just the next couple of years but the future. The return on what he got back:

Defenseman Tim Gleason managed just six points (2-4-6) in 57 games with a minus-10 rating. He was a healthy scratch last night. Depth center Eric Belanger meanwhile added only eight goals and 12 assists in 56 contests before being dealt away to Atlanta for Jaroslav Vasicek (2-7-9 in 23 GP). A similar grinding forward.

You do have to wonder one thing. If there were similarities between the ’96 Devils and this team. Both got out of the gate slowly and were inconsistent during their defenses. The only difference we see is that that New Jersey team played well down the stretch to give themselves a shot. However, they somehow managed to lose on ther own home ice with it all on the line to Ottawa. So you can’t say they didn’t choke. The Canes went from playing very well a couple of weeks ago to fading out with some really brutal losses- basically collapsing.

So what else hurt these teams? The Devils missed Conn Smythe winner Claude Lemieux. Steve Thomas didn’t make fans forget that feisty SOB. The Canes missed Matt Cullen and Aaron Ward a heck of a lot more than they believed. Cullen has added a lot to the Rangers. While the stats might not bare it out, he’s worked his butt off and supplied plenty of character and grit to the Blueshirts. If they do get in, he’s a reason why.

Maybe losing the vet along with the fiery Ward hurt the Canes. I’ll tell you one thing. Ward might not have worked out here but he sure would’ve helped the depleted Carolina blueline with starter Frantisek Kaberle out a majority of the season. Ward is physical and gets in the path of shots sacrificing his body. I find it hard to believe Carolina would’ve missed had they had these two on their team. Either would’ve made a difference.

With runner-up Edmonton tanking after the Ryan Smyth trade, it’s the first time in NHL history that both previous Cup combatants won’t see the postseason. Amazing, huh? Some friendly advice to puck fans who are having a good laugh at their expense. Get used to it. This could become more of a trend in the ‘New NHL.’ Think we’re joking? In this cap influenced era, the teams who get that far will get burned and pay the price. Buffalo will most likely lose both Chris Drury and Daniel Briere to free agency this summer because they had to give most of their younger core raises. And if they take the Cup in June, the price will be through the roof. It’s pick your poison for GMs. This is what Gary Bettman wanted. Just remember that when your team is warming up their golf swings two months earlier than expected. It could happen!

As for the updated Eastern playoff race, here it is:

+*1.Sabres 109 3 GR (all meaningless except for Afinogenov and Connolly’s expected returns)
*2.Devils 104 2 GR- Fri @ Phi, Sun vs NYI (1 point clinches Atlantic 2nd seed and home ice)
*3.Atlanta 93 3 GR- Wed vs Wsh, Fri @ Car, Sat vs TB (4 pts clinch 1st ever division)
*4.Senators 103 2 GR- Thu vs Pit, Sat @ Bos (home ice in probable 1st rd vs Pens is on line)
*5.Penguins 101 2 GR- Thu @ Ott, Sat vs NYR (need 2 wins and 2 NJ reg. losses for division)
6.Lightning 92 2 GR- Fri vs Fla, Sat @ Atl (can still move up to 3; certainly dangerous team)
7.Rangers 92 2 GR- Thu vs Mtl, Sat @ Pit (1 pt gets’em in; better not leave it for Saturday)
8.Canadiens 90 2 GR- Thu @ NYR, Sat @ Tor (it’s going to come down to that HNIC game)
9.Toronto 89 2 GR- Thu @ NYI, Sat vs Mtl (2 regulation wins and they’ll make it)
10.Islanders 86 3 GR- Thu vs Tor, Sat@ Phi, Sun @ NJ (3 wins and anything can happen)

Two thoughts on why the Rangers lost with a chance to clinch, basically making it a lot harder now for themselves even with the brownie point they got:

1.Renney’s move backfired. Hollweg was minus-2 and played just over six minutes. Why he didn’t play Prucha is beyond this writer. He better be back Thursday!

2.You cling on for dear life at the end of regulation and kill two Isles’ power plays. Then you get a soft call (even if it was interference) with less than a minute left. Where were the shots? Where was the desperation? They chanced it and paid the price. Dubielewicz was awesome.

Which brings me to a question for our Islanders writer Rob. If Mike Dunham (Doneham) wasn’t best friends with GM (general moron) Garth Snow, is he even on an NHL roster? I bet Dubi was better and could’ve gotten the Isles a few more points. Snow is an idiot!

I’m going to direct you to my SFM column this week for my thoughts on the 06-07 Isles. This was written before they were eliminated, but you get the jist:

===============================================

They’re season kind of played out like The Producers. With Charles Wang out to put on the greatest flop in hockey history, he hired Garth Snow as Bloom to his Bialystock, signed aging veteran players and a coach who’d been out of hockey for a decade. Somehow, it almost worked. Why they Won’t: Because nobody with a starting goaltender who’s nickname is “Dubie” should make the playoffs. If Ricky D. were still in their for New York, even if he was concussed, New York would still have a fighting shot. But the clock will strike 12 on these Isles before Sunday, and it’s a shame. Until Chris Simon decided to become an Atlanta Braves fan and do a tomahawk chop, this was a team worth rooting for. A hard-working bunch with a coach who had a chip on his shoulder and a team everyone counted out. But time will run out on the Isles; it’s just a matter of when.

When came tonight folks.

Read the rest of it here, and I’ll post more on the Isles, as will Rob likely, later in the week.

Around the NHL

Also, Johnny Madden scored in regulation and SO to beat the Sens 2-1. Devils will clinch the Atlantic by simply reaching OT in one of their next two games.

Gionta goes down late in the game. Now, Gionta may not be as important in a 1st Round series, but when the scoring well dries up around, oh, Game 2 of Round 2, we will need him.

Going to get my playoff tickets on Thursday or Friday; Derek maybe should consult the same box office for his tix.

As the Rangers and Islanders get ready for the third period with the game tied at two:

1.The refs need to be tested severely on rule interpretations. Take the Mike Sillinger goalie interference call. What was he supposed to do there? It was a battle for position with Jaromir Jagr. Unfortunately, Henrik Lundqvist got the brunt of it. But that’s not a penalty. This kind of stuff happens all the time. I’ve also seen other stuff during this game where multiple players got their sticks up and caught opponents and nothing was called. That is very bad.

2.Despite my hatred for him, Witt is one tough SOB. Sucking it up for his team while playing badly hurt after blocking a Jagr shot.

And that’s all as they drop the puck for the crucial third!

1.Tom Renney has to be kidding not dressing Petr Prucha for this game while bringing back Ryan Hollweg. I like Ryan but come on. Petr works just as hard and brings much more skill (20 goals to 1). Just another Ranger that had his target on his back in a chippy first where the Isles played desperate hockey to gain a one-goal lead on Arron Asham’s weird goal.

2.Brendan Witt sucks! He’s as dirty as they come. I don’t want to hear it about this guy. He’s a cheapshot artist. I hope Colton Orr pummels him before this one is over.

That is all.

Tonight, as Steve already noted, plenty will be decided with a near full slate of action. Three divisions could get clinched by the night’s completion and so can three playoff berths. Courtesy of nhlmedia’s NHL Today, here are the different scenarios to keep an eye on:

‘QUEST FOR THE CUP’ CLINCHING SCENARIOS
Buffalo can clinch the Northeast Division and Eastern Conference tonight:
— If they beat Pittsburgh

The New York Rangers can clinch an Eastern Conference playoff berth tonight:
— If they beat the Islanders, or…
— They get one point and Carolina gets one or no points against Tampa Bay and Toronto gets no points against Philadelphia.

Tampa Bay can clinch an Eastern Conference playoff berth tonight:
— If they beat Carolina and Toronto gets one or no points against Philadelphia.

Calgary can clinch a Western Conference playoff berth tonight:
— If they beat Colorado.

Detroit can clinch the Central Division tonight:
— If they beat Columbus and Nashville gets no points against Chicago.

Vancouver can clinch the Northwest Division tonight:
— If they beat Los Angeles and Minnesota and Calgary get one or no points in their games, or…
— If they get one point against Los Angeles and Minnesota and Calgary both get no points in their games.

Tonight will decide everything. Everything. I garantee it. By Saturday, the Canadiens-Leafs will mean nothing compared to tonight.

Devs host Ottawa in a game with seeding implications.

Buffalo is in Pittsburgh (VERSUS, Dave Strader-Darren Eliot have the call) and will mean the same.

Rangers-Islanders. I’ll let Derek take that.

Philly is in Toronto. Flyers can play spoiler.

Carolina vs. Tampa, Carolina must win.

Boston vs. Montreal in a game that Derek has guaranteed for the Habs.

We shall see.

The Isles play the Rangers tonight in a game that has meaning far different than what Islanders fans could even remotely imagine on trade deadline day. On that day, we picked up Ryan Smyth, DP was healthy and playing great, and the playoffs seemed a sure bet. There were even some hockey writers that proclaimed the Isles one of the best teams in the conference. The Isles had seasoned vets, some kids, toughness when needed, and the poise necessary to get the job done. Or so we thought.

Well, fast forward to the present and wake up to a potential, and highly likely, nightmare of maximum proportions. The Islanders most probably need to run the table and win all four games to make the playoffs. Worse, depending upon how things shake out tonight, there is a decent chance that at around 10:00 PM, the Isles may be eliminated from playoff contention and get to watch the Rangers do a playoff clinching jig on our center ice logo. To add insult to injury, Ryan Smyth’s tenure with the Islanders may be only four more games. It should be an exciting draft this July for Islanders fans as I do not think the Isles have any 1st or 2nd round picks as we gave them up for Smyth and Zednik.

How did this all happen. Well, I think getting rid of Zhitnik was a big mistake (and for the Flyers to flip him for a high level prospect, ouch) . We could have used him the last six weeks. The injuries to Martinek and Gervais have taken its toll. Hill has gotten slower and less effective towards the end of the season. Freddy Meyer is abominable and Campoli is not much better. Then DP’s blue line charge into Begin’s leg in Montreal was a big factor in the Isles’ freefall. Dunham has looked worse than if we had two orange pylons in net. Add to that Simon’s lumberjack move on Hollweg and subsequent suspension, and we are now short one tough guy, and getting pushed all over the ice.

The even sadder part of this story is the perception by fans and even Ted Nolan, that the Isles have already packed it in. They certainly appear that way to me. The Ottawa and Buffalo games were embarrassing to watch. They should have been scratching and clawing. Instead, they moped around feeling sorry for themselves. Well, only a miracle can save them now. I can only hope at a minimum that the Isles beat the Rangers tonight so that I don’t have to witness the celebration on our home ice.

As for this summer, it appears that

–Smyth will walk
-the Isles may let Blake walk
-we’ll probably get stuck with Satan as his contract is too big
-the Isles have no high round draft picks
–DP’s head will be a concern
-Hilbert, Bates, and Park need to leave
-the Isles MUST sign 2 solid D men UFAs
-the Isles must buy out Yashin ( the Isles record without Yashin in the lineup vs. with him is astonishingly better)
–Dunham must be thrown off the ship
-the Isles MUST sign a solid number 2 goalie

I’m going to take Pepto Bismol now as I am sick to my stomach.

Rob