Dan Petriw: Free falling

March 5 the only interesting thing left for this team this year.

Unless somehow Hiller goes to FA the isles have a less than stellar UFA market to address their goalie problem.

Dan Petriw: Free falling
- Dan Petriw

You forgot about firing the coach Dan

They have to get rid of these coaches before the team can improve. Much of the talent is there. Their defensive zone coverage is horrible. This passive defending is garbage. Same with the PK. That's all on the coaches.

I feel it's time to bring up some talent from the Bridge. Send some our NHL "talent" down or trade them, if you can get some return. Doubtful given our GM, but I'd send at least Bailey down. Maybe he'll find his balls.

Vanek and AMac are as good as gone. Nabby should be also. Carkner, Regin, and Martinek should be waived. (I know most here feel the same way)

Can Reinhart and/or Pulock be brought up after their season's are done?

March 5 the only interesting thing left for this team this year.
- ses111

The only thing we can hope for is them getting up the standings enough to make giving this yrs first to buffalo less painful.

You forgot about firing the coach Dan
- Cptmjl

That's a given.. Not just the coach, the entire staff needs to go

Just to touch on the general thesis at the end of the last thread, we need to shut up but you don't have to?

They have to get rid of these coaches before the team can improve. Much of the talent is there. Their defensive zone coverage is horrible. This passive defending is garbage. Same with the PK. That's all on the coaches.

I feel it's time to bring up some talent from the Bridge. Send some our NHL "talent" down or trade them, if you can get some return. Doubtful given our GM, but I'd send at least Bailey down. Maybe he'll find his balls.

Vanek and AMac are as good as gone. Nabby should be also. Carkner, Regin, and Martinek should be waived. (I know most here feel the same way)

Can Reinhart and/or Pulock be brought up after their season's are done?
- David_Volek

Reinhart and Pulock can not play in the NHL this season

The only thing we can hope for is them getting up the standings enough to make giving this yrs first to buffalo less painful.
- Cptmjl

Going to be real tough to avoid a freefall, especially if Vanek has to be traded.

Just to touch on the general thesis at the end of the last thread, we need to shut up but you don't have to?
- cranford93

Not at all. By all means go ahead. What do you have for us?

Just to touch on the general thesis at the end of the last thread, we need to shut up but you don't have to?
- cranford93

When my team is a mess, I cannot focus on any other team. If the Isles miss the playoffs, I do not watch the playoffs. Hockey is dead to me.

Going to be real tough to avoid a freefall, especially if Vanek has to be traded.
- ses111

Yep, quite a situation our wonderful GM has put this team in.

Yep, quite a situation our wonderful GM has put this team in.
- Cptmjl

Still no idea why the Isles traded for Vanek and let things fall apart in Nov? I know they did not trade for Vanek for just this year. The problem is there is no Vanek next year if you do not impress him this year.

We haven't won a game since this team got hosed in that st Louis game. Sad.

That's a given.. Not just the coach, the entire staff needs to go
- Dan Petriw

Agreed. I think it should start with Snow but being there is zero accountability with this club I don't see that happening. The best we can hope for is a complete overhaul of our coaching staff the problem with that is I don't see any REAL nhl coaches wanting to work for Snow. Weight, Thompson, and Capuano must be fired. I also think they should revamp the whole staff under them and start fresh. These guys have had more than enough time and failed. Our special teams have been deplorable and our defense is the worst I've seen since I started watching this team in the seventies. There is no excuse why this should be allowed to continue with the same staff. With that said I feel Snow will keep Capuano which will further fuel my feelings of him being inept as GM of this team.

Still no idea why the Isles traded for Vanek and let things fall apart in Nov? I know they did not trade for Vanek for just this year. The problem is there is no Vanek next year if you do not impress him this year.
- ses111

Agreed. I've been saying that since the day the trade was made. In order for the trade to make sense the team had to succeed. In order for the team to succeed Snow needed to improve the team. He did not. Common sense usually doesn't prevail with this management team. It's frustrating Bcs we are right on the cusp and the needs are obvious and were last season. That's why I feel describing Snow as incompetent is pretty accurate.

Not at all. By all means go ahead. What do you have for us?
- Cptmjl

Just wanted an answer, Isles fans talk and did talk a ton of garbage before this season started, I have no doubt that when Reinhardt and Pulock are ready and if they get a goaltender that the Isles will be a playoff team, I'm not ignorant to talent but I'm just saying hold off the chest beating until you've actually made some noise.

Isles fans, not all but most talk about how "over rated" the Rangers because they're picked to win the Cup every year which they're not, last season was the 1st time in a while and for good reason but the if I recall the Isles were supposed to finish ahead of the Rangers this season and contend, with their current status isn't that the definition of "over rated"

Just wanted an answer, Isles fans talk and did talk a ton of garbage before this season started, I have no doubt that when Reinhardt and Pulock are ready and if they get a goaltender that the Isles will be a playoff team, I'm not ignorant to talent but I'm just saying hold off the chest beating until you've actually made some noise.

Isles fans, not all but most talk about how "over rated" the Rangers because they're picked to win the Cup every year which they're not, last season was the 1st time in a while and for good reason but the if I recall the Isles were supposed to finish ahead of the Rangers this season and contend, with their current status isn't that the definition of "over rated"
- cranford93

Where? Almost everyone here thought they would be fighting for the 7th or 8th seed at best. Some said there was no way they would make the playoffs before the first puck was even dropped.

Your team won last night. Congratulations. They will be a playoff team. Good for you. Now go back to your board.

Still no idea why the Isles traded for Vanek and let things fall apart in Nov? I know they did not trade for Vanek for just this year. The problem is there is no Vanek next year if you do not impress him this year.
- ses111

Vanek isn't the reason, Snow's priorities make no sense, why you traded assets like Nino and Moulson and failed to get back a goaltender like Bernier or Bishop is unacceptable, you've got a lot of prospects to afford to use some as bait

Dan Petriw: Free falling
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As bad as this season is, and the solutions will be easier to fix on July 1st, this team is a forward, one or two dmen and a legit NHL goalie away from being quite good.
...

- Dan Petriw

I don't think it will be as simple as that. Those pieces have been hard to come by.

Vanek isn't the reason, Snow's priorities make no sense, why you traded assets like Nino and Moulson and failed to get back a goaltender like Bernier or Bishop is unacceptable, you've got a lot of prospects to afford to use some as bait
- cranford93

I've said all along you cannot keep every prospect and not all of them will work out. Isles should have found a way to get Bishop. I would have held onto Nino this year and Nino should have been put with JT that season Nino played fo the Isles. The Isles have made horrible decisions that have nothing to do with payroll or the lousy building.

Where? Almost everyone here thought they would be fighting for the 7th or 8th seed at best. Some said there was no way they would make the playoffs before the first puck was even dropped.

Your team won last night. Congratulations. They will be a playoff team. Good for you. Now go back to your board.
- JimmyP

I'm still very surprised they made the playoffs last year and I thought it would be tough to make it this year with this D and Nabby coming back. Singing PMB and Regin should have brought any Isles fan back to Earth.

Just wanted an answer, Isles fans talk and did talk a ton of garbage before this season started, I have no doubt that when Reinhardt and Pulock are ready and if they get a goaltender that the Isles will be a playoff team, I'm not ignorant to talent but I'm just saying hold off the chest beating until you've actually made some noise.

Isles fans, not all but most talk about how "over rated" the Rangers because they're picked to win the Cup every year which they're not, last season was the 1st time in a while and for good reason but the if I recall the Isles were supposed to finish ahead of the Rangers this season and contend, with their current status isn't that the definition of "over rated"
- cranford93

Meh, you guys were picked to be cup contenders along with Ottawa. I scoffed at both predictions and still do. You guys are playing some good hockey right now but I still believe you are far from cup contenders. The Bruins or Pens will make short work of your team and I'm not saying that in a derogatory way just stating my opinion. A lot of your fellow fans were beating your chest and saying you were winning the cup bfr the season started. Once the season started and you guys were crapping the bed most of your thread was screaming to. BLow up the team(you included).
As far as islander fans go there wasn't one of us saying we were pushing for the cup this yr. I for one(along with a few others) wasn't expecting much I actually was expecting this. Not shocked at all. So when you say "you islander fans" I don't know who you're referring too? I've been told this same thing on your thread when I was said to have generalized something. The future is bright for us but with the wrong staff in place it means nothing. As far as the Rangers go I just don't see a team that can go deep. Maybe I'm wrong?
If anyone picked the Islanders to be a force this year I'd agree and say they were "overrating" the team. Some holes need to be filled and some people need to be fired and or traded before that happens but I could've told you that last July.

You guys realize that Pulock and Reinhart ARE NOT the answers, right?

Defensemen take much more time to get acclimated to the NHL - even the defensemen that go very high in the draft have issues their first year or two (Hedman is coming into his game now 4 years later, Jones has been up and down this year, Doughty took 2 years to hone his game, etc.)

We need to sign a capable top-4 defenseman to go along with the group for now:

Hamonic CAN play top line minutes but he is more of a Suter to somebody's Weber...we don't have a Weber right now

Visnovsky is better used on a second pairing with either deHaan or Hickey

Reinhart will probably start with bottom pairing minutes and move into 2nd pairing minutes

Pulock is another junior year and a minimum 1 AHL year away.



As for our forwards - most teams having PAIRING that play together plus a complementary player...someone who fills the void missing on a line (example: a pair of two goal scorers need a setup man)

Look at Chicago:

Sharp - Toews - PLUGIN
Kane - PLUGIN - Hossa

Nielsen needs to find his pairing - it worked SO well with Grabner and yet Grabner is still on the 3rd line. Our lines should be (based on performance):

Vanek - Tavares - Okposo
Grabner - Nielsen - Nelson
Bailey - Regin (Strome) - Clutterbuck
Martin - Cizikas - McDonald



I think Capuano has the ability to be a great coach. Every coach has a starting point and I think Capuano is loved in the dressing room, he just needs to be a better coach in terms of player selection. NO MORE FAVORING "VETERANS".