GDT: #42| New York Islanders @ New York Rangers | January 10th | 7:00 PM | F/W 4-3

[MJF]

I get an infraction every time I just show up on the Leaf's board. I don't know why they just don't like me.

You probably get rung up even if you post a smiley.

 

[Wanderson]

I would like to "Like" your post but they took that away from me too.

Yeah, it’s confirmed. You caught some kind of disease by visiting that cursed section. Hopefully you get well soon, and my advice for you is to never do it again!

 

[Chardo]

Another sloppy game. Another 2 points. Only good teams win when they are playing bad. I guess it’s time to believe that the Islanders are good enough to play some playoff-hockey this season. Strange times.

Yes, it's nice to be winning games when you don't deserve it. Sign of a good team. But to be fair, last night wasn't a sloppy game. It was one (incredibly) sloppy period, that nearly killed a decent game otherwise.

Team still needs more consistency at playing solid hockey for 60 minutes against every opponent. We're getting there. This weekend will be very telling. Have they gotten the message? Will they overwhelm a struggling Rangers team, or get lazy again and blow the game? Will they make Tampa look as bad as they made Toronto look, or will they lose focus and let the most dangerous team take advantage? The opportunity is there. They can finish the weekend in 2nd place after beating #1 and serve notice they've arrived, or they can regress to old habits and prove they're not ready for prime time.

 

[Uncle Duke]

Fair enough. I agree for the most part but if the Isles are a 102 point team (who knows, but that is their pace) than a game against a team below .500 certainly can be called a trap game. I think it has less to do with reality and more to do with expectations.

A team that is red hot, in a playoff position, against a team who has a terrible record but has been better of late and some real talent, can make a trap game if there is any chance the hot team is not taking their opponent as seriously as they should be.

Not worth getting into semantics, but either way, a hot Isles team shouldn't be overlookign the Blues (or Canes or Rangers) despite their records. In the first of those 3, they were lucky to pull out the W.

Agree, don't want to do a semantic thing, but do you really believe we were overlooking those teams? Or is it that our level of talent and ability, or relative lack thereof, is going to show itself on occasion? That's what I believe happens. Beyond that, don't you think that the consensus around the league is still that the Isles are not good enough to keep this up and will falter? So when you talk about expectations, that is what I think the expectation is, and contrary to your point, the reality is that we are better than the league thinks. Not on paper, and not the roster, but as a team. Anyway, fun to chat about and fun that we're are not discussing a Titanic of a season.

 

[PWJunior]

Agree. Against the physically tough opponents I like it when Trotz inserts both Johnson and Martin in the line-up. Trotz just gets it. Intimidation can win hockey games or turn the momentum in a team's favor with a few big hits or timely fights. I think this is one of Trotz's greatest attributes, he understands the psychology of the game, it's a primordial sport in essence where the strongest and fittest are more likely to survive.

"he didn’t want any part of Johnston, so Marty had to step up and take care of business"

Those were Barzal's words in the 1st intermission video. Haha. This and the "so-called mecca of hockey" against Toronto makes him a fun interview.

I do love his cockiness, he also knows that he has one of the biggest and baddest teams in the league watching his back. This is the wrong team to try and goon up, especially when Martin and Ross are in the lineup.

 

[MYIslanders]

This is the first time in a looong time that I am not already looking forward to the draft and free agency.

 

[Saunamakkara]

The main thing that I was wondering after that match: What a **** happened in the break after 2nd period? This wasn't typical of Islanders: Normally, they improve their game during the match. Not in that game... I was wondering, how the Rangers didn't win that game? They were so dominant the whole third period. This was tasty steal!

 

[Rehabguy]

"he didn’t want any part of Johnston, so Marty had to step up and take care of business"

Those were Barzal's words in the 1st intermission video. Haha. This and the "so-called mecca of hockey" against Toronto makes him a fun interview.

I do love his cockiness, he also knows that he has one of the biggest and baddest teams in the league watching his back. This is the wrong team to try and goon up, especially when Martin and Ross are in the lineup.

This rivalry has come a long way hasn't it?

 

[TommytheCat]

This rivalry has come a long way hasn't it?

theo was probably on something that night

 

[BarBeauWahlDobLok]

It astonishes me how little the Islanders have faced the Rangers in the playoffs.

I believe the first head to head was in 1979 (correct me if I'm wrong). Then it was 81, 82, 83, 84, and 94.

This isn't the best rivalry in sports and it hasn't been for years; decades. I can remember a time that I used to shake before an Islander/Ranger game. Those days are long gone. I'm happy to win these games, but it's just another game now.

That said, I got amped up for the game against Toronto, and boy, I'm ready for them in the playoffs. If we can have that series (would have to be the 2nd round at best, but most definitely the 3rd round... we'd have to beat Tampa Bay to get there), but if we can have that series, it will reach classic Islander/Ranger levels. Tavares would leave our building crying. I can't put into words how much I hate that guy.

Happy with tonight's game, but we hardly played a great game.

Can't believe I forgot 1975. I wouldn't be born for another six months, but that's the series that created the rivalry made JP Parise known to almost every Islander fan for decades. Awful omission.

 

[Richie Daggers Crime]

theo was probably on something that night

Theo was on something every night. Imagine a grown man doing the chicken at someone. Jeebus.

 

[BarBeauWahlDobLok]

How can you forget that glorious 2 out of 3 in 1975 when game 3 went to OT at MSG and JP Parise scored 11 seconds in to win it?

I know. My excuse: I was -6 months old. Frankly, I can't believe I forgot it, but I found a way.

 

[kmo429]

Agree, don't want to do a semantic thing, but do you really believe we were overlooking those teams? Or is it that our level of talent and ability, or relative lack thereof, is going to show itself on occasion? That's what I believe happens. Beyond that, don't you think that the consensus around the league is still that the Isles are not good enough to keep this up and will falter? So when you talk about expectations, that is what I think the expectation is, and contrary to your point, the reality is that we are better than the league thinks. Not on paper, and not the roster, but as a team. Anyway, fun to chat about and fun that we're are not discussing a Titanic of a season.

Yeah this is probably it. But we're well ahead of the Blues in the standings, although many expected them to be a contender for their division title. I don't think they overlooked the Blues, but it's clear they we're ready to play. Whenever you have a team that is underachieving in the standings relative to their talent, you may approach them differently than you will the Lightning, for example. Regardless, a team on the fring eof the playoffs that is probably winning more games due to structure and effort and system rather than purely talent, you can;t afford to overlook anyone, or at the very least show up with a C or D effort.

 

[Uncle Duke]

Yeah this is probably it. But we're well ahead of the Blues in the standings, although many expected them to be a contender for their division title. I don't think they overlooked the Blues, but it's clear they we're ready to play. Whenever you have a team that is underachieving in the standings relative to their talent, you may approach them differently than you will the Lightning, for example. Regardless, a team on the fring eof the playoffs that is probably winning more games due to structure and effort and system rather than purely talent, you can;t afford to overlook anyone, or at the very least show up with a C or D effort.

Yeah, I hear what you are saying, I just am not convinced that they are C or D efforts but rather the result of the sentence that I had written that you highlighted. Though I will concede that no matter what team we're talking about, bringing an A game every night over the course of an 82 game sched is a physical impossibility.