GDT: #4| New York Islanders @ Chicago Blawkhawks| October 11 | 8PM | F/L 2-3

[Quicklime]

Random thoughts....

Poulin had to get some flight hours sometime. I'm fine playing the wait-&-see game there.

I don't like seeing Nelson sitting over Bouchard, but if it effects Nelson psychologically to where he raises his game even more and plays like King Kong on bath salts upon coming back, I'll take it.

I know it's only the 4th game, but I already want Okposo off of that first line until he earns his way there again. I see no reason Tavares couldn't turn Clutterbuck into a "Scott Hartnell-lite" and squeeze ~25 goals and ~35 assists out of a complementary player who collides with players on the other team on purpose more than colliding accidentally with his own linemate. I know he will "pick it back up around game 55" or whatever like he always does, but I don't want to get into the habit of waiting half a season for it, and neither should the Islanders. To paraphrase Training Day - "this is chess; not checkers."

Score 2 tonight and look like "Playoff Okie" rather than "October-through-March-will-play-like-caca Okie" and I'll happy eat crow cacciatorini. Rant=off.

Go Islanders.

 

[BMOK33]

Khabibulin is starting? Isles still get no respect. They are playing Buffalo Saturday, a team with less goals in 5 games than the Isles got against Phoenix. They haven't played since Tuesday. WTF.

Now I really want to win and win big. I am insulted as an Islander fan. **** them.

My guess is that IS respect from Chicago, they would rather start the top goalie in a game they feel they should win vs a terrible team than risk Khabibulin is shaky and they drop a game at home to Buffalo, same as the Isles probably want to ensure they win in Nashville with the #1 goalie going.

 

[Bunk Moreland]

I don't get it... I'm fuming and I shouldn't be

If everyone on the planet knows Nelson shouldn't be sitting then why can't cappy see it?!

 

[19NYSports91]

I'm fine with poulin starting but it am FURIOUS Nelson is sitting.

I don't really like starting Poulin this game, but it's reasonable since they have their backup in. Scratching Nelson is a joke.

 

[BMOK33]

Is it true Patrick Roy actually said Poulin is gonna be the best goalie in the NHL in a few years? Not that most of what comes out of his mouth is reliable.

 

[boredmale]

Is it true Patrick Roy actually said Poulin is gonna be the best goalie in the NHL in a few years? Not that most of what comes out of his mouth is reliable.

He said it in when Poulin was in the QJHML, probably just being nice

 

[RMimagery]

Cappy said that some players weren't carrying their weight and there is a higher level of expectations if you want to keep your roster spot or something to that effect.

Did he really think that Nelson was one of those players? Or is he just the easiest to approach and say "you're sitting tonight"?

Cappy has done a lot in bringing this team along but his line ups and roster decisions make me wonder.

Poulin should not make his season debut in the champs home arena. I felt we had a good chance to win with Nabby in net, then Poulin has a quieter debut tomorrow, maybe winning both games. Oh well.

 

[MTK]

Is it true Patrick Roy actually said Poulin is gonna be the best goalie in the NHL in a few years? Not that most of what comes out of his mouth is reliable.

Roy did say that.

I have no issue with Poulin. He is a good goalie, he didn't play much last year and before his knee cap injury 2 years ago he played very well for the Isles.


PMB should be sitting and not Nelson.

 

[MattMartin]

Who's playing LW/RW on the 3rd line now?

 

[Katurian]

I don't think PMB deserves to be playing over Nelson either but maybe in the long term it is important to get PMB going a little with a few more games to see if he can get his game going. He may have lost confidence in his game. He's in a new situation and he is unsure what his role is here. You sit him now and you send him the rather obvious message that he's in the doghouse. We're going to need him in the long run. Guys get hurt.

I'm not worried about what the message this sends to Nelson. He's a rookie, he understands that everyone ahead of him is more established than he is. Hopefully the coaching staff will explain that this isn't because of his play. I really like what I've seen from him so far. I don't know if it's because we developed him properly or it's the kid's nature but I like his game a lot.

 

[Sheva7]

No problem at all with Poulin starting, I'm excited to see him.

But as for benching Nelson...I saw this coming. "he's a good young kid who's been wohking hahrd and is gonna leahrn from watching the guys battle harhd out thehre" - guaranteed that's the explanation we're gonna hear after the game lol

 

[glubrat]

I really don't understand how so many of you are so quick to run PMB out of town after such a minute sample size. It's laughable how so many of you think he deserves to be benched after 4 games.

 

[crasherino]

Cappy said that some players weren't carrying their weight and there is a higher level of expectations if you want to keep your roster spot or something to that effect.

Did he really think that Nelson was one of those players? Or is he just the easiest to approach and say "you're sitting tonight"?

Cappy has done a lot in bringing this team along but his line ups and roster decisions make me wonder.

Poulin should not make his season debut in the champs home arena. I felt we had a good chance to win with Nabby in net, then Poulin has a quieter debut tomorrow, maybe winning both games. Oh well.

I think its pretty clear that Cappy thinks that PMB is one of those guys. But, I think he needs to see what he's got with PMB and give him a little more time to gel. Brock is still 21 and would probably benefit for a game off here and there. He's here long term, there's no question about it.

But, I think Cappy needs to see what he has with PMB and if he benches him now, after 3 games, there is the chance that he never gets out of the doghouse, especially if the rest of the lineup does well. If PMB picks it up, the team is in a great position of having too many quality players. If PMB continues to disappoint, he sits in the press box but its with the knowledge that the team gave him enough of a chance.

At the end of the day, I'm sure we all want Brock to be playing. But its a long season.

 

[BTrotts19]

I agree with everything you say, and if PMB were just not scoring but battling for pucks and making up in other areas of the game, I'd say give him time but he has been invisible and as others have pointed out, he seems nervous to get hit. Of course he was never thought of as a Matty Martin bash boy but this is the NHL, every player is subjected to some sort of physical play unless you actively avoid it.

Who knows what Nelson is thinking, maybe he uses it as motivation, maybe he says it doesn't matter what you do, your the low man on the totem pole. In fairness I am not familar with PMB's prior years and maybe once he gets going, we're all gonna love him but I personally am in favor of bigger and physical rather than small timid players. We have that quota met already.

 

[ziggy7716]

I really don't understand how so many of you are so quick to run PMB out of town after such a minute sample size. It's laughable how so many of you think he deserves to be benched after 4 games.

I am pretty furious about Nelson sitting. It's clear as day that this is a money thing. Garth doesn't want his "prized signing" making 2 million dollars to sit.

 

[Uncle Lou]

Gunna miss this one but I hope the boys come out hard tonight and get the 2 points. Big test....

 

[scott99]

He said it in when Poulin was in the QJHML, probably just being nice

At THAT time, Poulin was the best goalie in junior hockey, not just the Q, and Roy recognized that. Then when Poulin played as a 20 year old for the Isles in 2010-11, he was amazing. He just hasn't been the same goalie since that knee injury in 2011. Up until that knee injury, he was very highly thought of.

 

[SI90]

Nelson should be playing. The Kid IMO has done pretty good...

PMB has skill and can handle the puck but its easy to tell that hes playing scared and timid...It looks like hes playing not to get injured...

 

[Sheva7]

I don't think PMB deserves to be playing over Nelson either but maybe in the long term it is important to get PMB going a little with a few more games to see if he can get his game going. He may have lost confidence in his game. He's in a new situation and he is unsure what his role is here. You sit him now and you send him the rather obvious message that he's in the doghouse. We're going to need him in the long run. Guys get hurt.

I'm not worried about what the message this sends to Nelson. He's a rookie, he understands that everyone ahead of him is more established than he is. Hopefully the coaching staff will explain that this isn't because of his play. I really like what I've seen from him so far. I don't know if it's because we developed him properly or it's the kid's nature but I like his game a lot.

I don't think anyone knows what his role is (or even could be) on the team. I do not see him fitting in. He's shown absolutely nothing.

I know its 3 games in and I usually don't like writing guys off this early, but IMO he's done. I understand Cappy and Garth want to give the guy his fair shake and a chance to find his game again...but jeez how long of a leesh you gonna give the guy?

Mind you, this is the same team who let Brad Boyes play top minutes all of last year lol

Gonna be interesting to see how this one plays out. I say PMB scores tonight on the PP and gets to keep his job for the next month, till he scores again. 1 goal a month, should be enough to do it. Long leesh. 2 million bucks

 

[Katurian]

At THAT time, Poulin was the best goalie in junior hockey, not just the Q, and Roy recognized that. Then when Poulin played as a 20 year old for the Isles in 2010-11, he was amazing. He just hasn't been the same goalie since that knee injury in 2011. Up until that knee injury, he was very highly thought of.

There's a part of me that thinks he's still not over that knee injury mentally. It was such a freak injury in that it just seemingly happened out of nowhere. Stuff like that takes a long time to get over where you might be 100 percent healthy but you may not trust your body.

Derrick Rose (I know basketball) last year spoke candidly about this sort of thing. When he blew injured his knee it was from a jump he's made a thousand times before. It just so happened to blow out on that one. Trusting your body when it gets hurt like that is very hard, harder than the physical part of getting better.

 

[scott99]

I don't think anyone knows what his role is (or even could be) on the team. I do not see him fitting in. He's shown absolutely nothing.

I know its 3 games in and I usually don't like writing guys off this early, but IMO he's done. I understand Cappy and Garth want to give the guy his fair shake and a chance to find his game again...but jeez how long of a leesh you gonna give the guy?

Mind you, this is the same team who let Brad Boyes play top minutes all of last year lol

Gonna be interesting to see how this one plays out. I say PMB scores tonight on the PP and gets to keep his job for the next month, till he scores again. 1 goal a month, should be enough to do it. Long leesh. 2 million bucks

Hated the Bouchard move from day one. All it does is Pejorative Slur the progress of Nelson and Strome. Didn't like the Regin move as well, but at least he's producing.

 

[SI90]

I dunno, the way JT does everything else for Moulson, I wouldn't be surprised if this baby has a cowlick.

post of the year...


Someone needs to photoshop moulson holding a baby with a cowlick...

 

[OrangeZebra]

PMB will definitely score the winning goal tonight.

 

[scott99]

There's a part of me that thinks he's still not over that knee injury mentally. It was such a freak injury in that it just seemingly happened out of nowhere. Stuff like that takes a long time to get over where you might be 100 percent healthy but you may not trust your body.

Derrick Rose (I know basketball) last year spoke candidly about this sort of thing. When he blew injured his knee it was from a jump he's made a thousand times before. It just so happened to blow out on that one. Trusting your body when it gets hurt like that is very hard, harder than the physical part of getting better.

That's a shame that it takes so long to get over it mentally. But then you look at Adrian Peterson, and it's like he's better than before the injury. I guess an athlete's psyche is very fragile. But really, before the injury, Poulin looked insanley good, a 20 year old playing in the NHL, in front of a TERRIBLE defense, with a 2.44 ga and a .924 save percentage. People don't realize how damned good that is for a goalie a few months removed from juniors, look at the OTHER goalie's stats that year.

Dwayne Roloson 20 1206 53 2.64 6 13 1 576 0.916 4 0
Rick DiPietro 26 1533 88 3.44 8 14 4 685 0.886 5 1
Nathan Lawson 10 384 26 4.06 1 4 2 217 0.893 0 0
Mikko Koskinen 4 208 15 4.33 2 1 0 103 0.873 0 0

Granted Montoya's stats were great too, better than Poulin's, but Poulin hadn't even turned 21 before that gruesome injury. I never thought it would take forever for him to regain that form, if indeed he ever does.

 

[redbull]

I really don't understand how so many of you are so quick to run PMB out of town after such a minute sample size. It's laughable how so many of you think he deserves to be benched after 4 games.

well, we saw him all last year too, wearing #24 on the first line. That's why some of us have seen enough already.

I think its pretty clear that Cappy thinks that PMB is one of those guys. But, I think he needs to see what he's got with PMB and give him a little more time to gel. Brock is still 21 and would probably benefit for a game off here and there. He's here long term, there's no question about it.

But, I think Cappy needs to see what he has with PMB and if he benches him now, after 3 games, there is the chance that he never gets out of the doghouse, especially if the rest of the lineup does well. If PMB picks it up, the team is in a great position of having too many quality players. If PMB continues to disappoint, he sits in the press box but its with the knowledge that the team gave him enough of a chance.

At the end of the day, I'm sure we all want Brock to be playing. But its a long season.

well said. I'm okay with Brock sitting and for PMB, coming to a new team, hasn't developed chemistry with his linemates yet but having had a pretty good career so far, it does make sense to let him play through this little mini-slump. I'm sure Capuano's given Bouchard some specific feedback on what he needs to do to be better. Up to him to do it.

Gotta see more compete level out of Bouchard, battle for pucks and use his speed/quickness to create space for himself and his linemates. He can be better, now just has to show it.