“I think it’s time to retire. I am starting to burn out,” I said to my friend, Eric McErlain. Eric is one of the original first hockey bloggers in the industry who started over with the Washington Capitals. This was back in 2011. You see… I never took my own or his advice. I felt there was more to say ... Read More »
Guess Who Is Coming To Dinner?
There is an amazing amount of rumors flying about. Funny how just as Islander fans are starving for anything that there is a proliferation of items all almost tailored made for their ingestion. Funny, right? As I cited from the Islanders awkward… or is it awkward Islanders press conference, the concentration of Ledecky and Malkin will be on an Enterprise-level ... Read More »
The Islanders State Of Confusion
There is a mitigating illusion held by Isles fans, writers, and bloggers…. only recently correcting itself with a rather large month-long skidmark… It is that Jon Ledecky is THE owner, THE power, and the main guy behind the scenes. He is NOT. He is just one of the partners who hold shares along with Scott Malkin, ... Read More »
REALITY CHECK: Garth Snow Has Been GM For 12 Years
“Snow has been GM for 12 years” – the usual fan quote. True. He has. The problem that no one wants to see that there were 4 phases/mandates for Garth Snow to work under: PHASE 1: Took over from Neil Smith, had to deal with his vets and Milbury’s bare cupboard for 2 seasons before finally convincing Charles Wang ... Read More »
LESS THAN ZERO – How The NY Islanders Season Blew To Bits
This season was Doug Weight’s first as head coach where he was able to install his own system. This singular sentence really answers how the 2017-18 season blew-out. Yes, there are other factors, but in the end, the one constant above all others is that this system failed. Furthermore, Doug Weight’s first year as coach was a succession ... Read More »
20 Games Shows The NY Islanders Are On The Playoff Path
NY Islanders at 20gms are on a playoff path At the 20 game mark, the NY Islanders are at a 98-99 point pace, creating two 12 point segments in their 10 game schisms. So far this is shown as very consistent. IF the Isles stay the course and have a segment or two with a hot streak, ... Read More »
NY ISLES FUZZY LOGIC – Tavares Drama, Garth Snow, Drafts And More
I see some myopic views floating around on NY Islanders issues. Which is kind of weird when the team is 3-3-1, and looking like a team that is rising. So let us apply some reality to some melodrama that is being lobbed… As I have been citing on Twitter, the team has actually played analytically better than most ... Read More »
ISLESBEAT PRESENTS – An Isles Season Primer
Welcome to one of the easier season previews in the last few years. Why? Because a coach/mindset is not in the way of a clear-cut vision and philosophy in how the players were drafted and skill-sets. With Doug Weight coaching, it is unimpeded. Kids are at the right time and showing they can/should remain. After this preseason – Who ... Read More »
JOE SAKIC AND THE ART OF THE NO-DEAL
No matter how you slice and dice it, Sakic and the Avalanche’s handling of Matt Duchene is a prime example of how not to handle a player and trade situation. Now those who still wait with bated breath for Duchene to land on the NY Islanders… don’t. Per source, that chance is less than 1% The ... Read More »
ISLESBEAT PRESENTS – NHL Trade Primer
The NHL is not a computer game. Many team hockey operations lament that fans tend to have an unrealistic sense of how things work thanks to hockey games like EA Sports NHL Hockey. 1. Here’s a tip that you need to ALWAYS remember: All GM’s want to make their teams better. 2. Salary present and future matters big time. ... Read More »