GDT: #6 | Buffalo Sabres @ New York Islanders | October 15 | 7PM F/SOL 4-3

[PK Cronin]

This happened maybe twice on the 3 on 2 and one play on the boards where he couldn't get it through to JT, but at least he's making plays. Numerous times he drove to the net and drew some action, unlike some players like Regin who I don't even remember being on the ice tonight.

There were at least 3 passes that he should've made and didn't. Messing up a 3 on 2 is pretty important. And that's not making plays, that's creating turnovers and chances for the opposition. He did play well in the 3rd though.

Regin is fine and does his job well. He's not going to be an offensive juggernaut and isn't supposed to be. He is defensively responsible and good in the face-off circle.

Can we all quit whining they are 2-2-2 with 76 games left and the whole Metro blows outside of the Pens right now. Relaxxxxxxxxxx!!!!!

I'm pretty happy to have 6 points in 6 games honestly, and it is nice to know that everyone else has been struggling. But this is the time to make a surplus of points for the inevitable bad stretch we have in November.

 

[ichabod13]

Can we all quit whining they are 2-2-2 with 76 games left

thats something to be proud of. they could ( should ) have 5 wins. its almost to the point where i want di pietro back. pretty bad idea eh?

okposo is far from a problem. not a great hockey player by any means........but he doesnt hurt the team. hes just......there. i liked the way he jumped in when tavares got mugged. kind of reminded me of the pittsburgh series last year. and after that fight, he went into what the kids call "beast mode". bring it on kyle.........i dare you too........

 

[redbull]

this was a tough one to watch. Was frustrated because the Islanders were the better team all night and deserved better.

Love watching Tavares play, he's outstanding. Bailey's really playing well this season too.

Cappy messed up. No reason to have Strait and Carkner on the ice at that point in the game. Not with Visnovsky/Hickey/Hamonic who were excellent tonight. Hamonic showed some nice offensive skills too, that one play where he drove to the net and almost scored.

I still hate the lines and I don't understand why Donovan and Nelson aren't playing, and playing prominant roles.

Clutterbuck played well too, as did Bouchard.

Why Cappy thinks putting three passers on the same line (PMB-Bailey-Nielsen) is a good idea is beyond me. And Okposo, got love his effort this year, is just terrible with the puck. He's not much better (if at all) than McDonald and Clutterbuck in terms of offensive ability, vision, passing, shooting and he messes up a lot of offensive plays. Not just tonight. I still like his game though.

The team needs an influx of talent and that has to come from Strome and Donovan.

Why is AMAC on the PP? and Donovan sits? crazy.

Bailey - Tavares - Nelson
Grabner - Nielsen - Okposo
Moulson - Cizikas - Clutterbuck
Martin - Regin - Bouchard/McDonald

I still like the Isles team. They'll get it together.

Hickey was excellent tonight. Not sure where the negative comments come from. He was beat by Stafford in the 3rd but battled all the way through. But he is so good with Visnovsky, his positioning, he rarely makes a mistake and jumps into the play very well.

I'm still optimistic.

Would rather see Strome called up though. Strome, Nelson, Donovan should be playing more. Not like we have Ray Bourque and Mike Bossy playing huge minutes. They are as good, if not FAR BETTER, than the players they'd replace.

Thought Moulson worked hard tonight. You can tell he wants back on the first line.

 

[Sheva7]

Ultimately it falls on the coach, tonight's line-up was insane. Weight continuing this ridiculous PP system is insane, not sure if he noticed but the oe time JT says F this and wheeled around to the right side of the ice (and the correct side) they end up scoring on his first shot there. GEE!

I thought I was the only one who absolutely despises our Powerplay to the point where I wanna drop kick my tv. It was god awful last year and looks almost just as bad now.
Like for god sakes, put JT on the right side next to the friggin net!!!! Quick reactionary plays in-tight, that's his bread and butter, always has been always will be! His hands are gold!!!! Wtf is he doing at the top of the umbrella on the left side???? Man, just thinking of it gives me heartburn.

Also, watching Andrew Macdonald play makes me wanna scream.

Rant over.

 

[Richie Daggers Crime]

Strome, Nelson, Donovan should be playing more. Not like we have Ray Bourque and Mike Bossy playing huge minutes. They are as good, if not FAR BETTER, than the players they'd replace.

They're also less experienced and will be prone to typical rookie problems. Nelson has held his own, but lets be honest, it's not like he's out there lighting it up. He's feeling his way. As is Donovan. As would Strome. It's the beginning of the season. The coach's job is to win games. It's only natural that he goes with the devil he knows. Everyone is clamoring for the kids, and I'm excited about those players too, but there shouldn't be a hurry to throw 3-4 rookies on the ice at once.

 

[CREW99AW]

I don't have a vendetta against anyone. He is consistently horrible at pretty much everything he does...he turns the puck over more than anybody I have ever seen. He is a waste of space on the team (not saying some other guys aren't aswell), and the fact that he plays on the first line is embarassing. A lot of this has to do with Capuano's AWFUL line management/combinations but it doesn't change the fact that Okposo is barely a 3rd line player.

Anybody who still like this guy has no idea what they are talking about and I can't argue with people who are that clueless.

You really are clueless. Been arguing with yourself?

 

[Islanderinthesun]

Nabokov sucks

- The reason why we exited the playoffs, second worst save percentage in the last 20 years in playoff history was it?

-The reason why we lost tonight.

-The reason while we'll never be the team we could be because we have softy beachballs in net.


Needed Mike Smith, Bernier or anyone but flogging 40 year old Nabokov every night.

 

[CREW99AW]

I hate seeing them leave pts on the board, in a game they should have won. Isles had the better scoring chances and did not take advantage.

Did anyone else catch the game on the radio? I thought the radio announcers said Bouchard had wanted to play with more skilled players and this was his chance? Has the guy who played himself off Tavares wing, been whining about getting a chance with more skilled linemates?

 

[steveat]

If you mean he sucks because he cannot single handedly carry us all the way, yes, you are right, he is not good for that.

Other than that..Nabby is great and keeps us in games. It's our DEFENSE that isn't helping him. Maybe the first goal through the 5-hole should have been his as he should have used his glove to block the puck from potentially squeezing through. Most goals are the defence's fault. No coverage and Nabby gets screwed.

Lastly, the grass is always greener on the other side, but when you look at teams that are supposed to do well with better goalies...ala Philly...Do you blame the goalie there or just because they have a higher profile, you don't?

 

[CREW99AW]

The biggest Islander surprise of the offseason, was not upgrading the goaltending.

2-3 days after the Pens/Isles series ended ,Snow announced he wanted Nabby back. I do think he was kicking the tires on Bernier and Schneider.

There are several talented goalies , scheduled to hit the ufa market in July: Lundquist , Hiller , Halak , Miller , Elliott , Khudobin. I don't see Snow making any goalie changes until this summer.

 

[bigtim1988]

Hickey is constantly getting out muscled. Once in a while if it happens it's no biggie, but when its the norm rather than the exception, then we have an issue.

yes. hickey has all the tools to become a great NHL defenseman, except one, and its an important one, and thats size. since hes basically stuck with a diminutive stature, he better bulk up in some sort of way, if he wants to be anything more than a 5/6 dman.

 

[bigtim1988]

I thought I was the only one who absolutely despises our Powerplay to the point where I wanna drop kick my tv. It was god awful last year and looks almost just as bad now.
Like for god sakes, put JT on the right side next to the friggin net!!!! Quick reactionary plays in-tight, that's his bread and butter, always has been always will be! His hands are gold!!!! Wtf is he doing at the top of the umbrella on the left side???? Man, just thinking of it gives me heartburn.

Also, watching Andrew Macdonald play makes me wanna scream.

Rant over.

i couldnt have said it better myself, its complete insanity that he is there on the powerplay

 

[Chapin Landvogt]

Scratch Hickey and start Donovan

Not sure if we're seeing the same game.

Hickey and Visnovsky were clearly our most active and effective defensemen yesterday.

 

[InformTheMasses]

They're also less experienced and will be prone to typical rookie problems. Nelson has held his own, but lets be honest, it's not like he's out there lighting it up. He's feeling his way. As is Donovan. As would Strome. It's the beginning of the season. The coach's job is to win games. It's only natural that he goes with the devil he knows. Everyone is clamoring for the kids, and I'm excited about those players too, but there shouldn't be a hurry to throw 3-4 rookies on the ice at once.

The coaches job is to win games? somebody better tell Cappy that. He's 2 for 6. pretty good if you're a baseball player, but not so hot for a hockey coach trying to win games. Especially considering 3 of those were home games, and they have played against three sub .500 hockey teams.

Who is asking for 4 rookies to be playing at the same time? How about just ice th 2 rookies on the roster, who deserved to make the roster and get them some experience before you introduce the next few deserving rookies. It's not like everyone else on the roster is outplaying Donovan and Nelson. So what gives?

 

[Bunk Moreland]

Nabokov can win if you have a solid defensive corps... Something we don't have.

I'm still angered they didn't upgrade goal in the offseason but the defense has been pretty brutal also.

 

[Bexlyspeed]

If you mean he sucks because he cannot single handedly carry us all the way, yes, you are right, he is not good for that.

Other than that..Nabby is great and keeps us in games. It's our DEFENSE that isn't helping him. Maybe the first goal through the 5-hole should have been his as he should have used his glove to block the puck from potentially squeezing through. Most goals are the defence's fault. No coverage and Nabby gets screwed.

Lastly, the grass is always greener on the other side, but when you look at teams that are supposed to do well with better goalies...ala Philly...Do you blame the goalie there or just because they have a higher profile, you don't?

Agreed 100%
he did not cost us the game last night, our defense did. and even though Miller was great last night we have to finish our chances.

 

[IslanderPride]

smh

 

[scott99]

We should have grabbed Biron off of waivers-honestly there was no legit reason not to.

Agreed 100%

 

[DktrFaustus]

nabby is not the problem. he's doing exactly what's expected of him - being a rock (yes, a ROCK) in net for maybe 60% of the season as poulin gets an increased role. he keeps this team in games. that's what he was brought back for. as mentioned already, direct your vitriol toward the paper-thin D.

 

[bigd]

I don't think you can put that loss on Nabokov. Strait has to make that clearing. This one is on him. But Cappy seems to think that we played well as a team. I just don't see it. We are giving up way too many shots. Our defense as a unit has to be better. I thought Hamonic was the only D-man that played well last night.

 

[kasper11]

I am not a big fan of Nabokov, think he is average at best. But last night was the defense. Hamonic did not play well, and Strait's failure to clear was the reason Buffalo got the third goal.

We really don't have a good defense at this point. MacDonald's play has been poor so far, Hamonic inconsistent, Strait poor. Those are supposed to be the team's top defensemen in their own zone.

If this team wants to contend, a serious upgrade on D (and then goal) is necessary.

 

[Felix Unger]

The biggest Islander surprise of the offseason, was not upgrading the goaltending.

This is the point that savvy posters recognize: it's WAY easier to improve a team in net than it is to acquire a legitimate top-4 Dman (especially with size). It's hard to believe that so many NYI fans miss this point, and think that there's a vendetta against Nabokov. That's not it. It's anger at Snow for failing to improve the team where there were ample opportunities.

I cannot believe, for example, that we couldn't have signed Khudobin at the very least. It's utterly ridiculous that we did not. We've got no plan B, which is really bad because plan A isn't good.

 

[Felix Unger]

Amazing how many free passes our goaltenders get. Wasn't nab boys fault we lost, but man, he's gotta make that save. He is terrible glove high..terrible. It's so hard to win in the NHL when you have to score 4 goals a night

I could see the thought bubble coming up from Miller's head: "***. If I had a team with this kind of skill, I could win 40+."

 

[stranger34]

Lol at this thread. We are really go to keep this nonsense open?

 

[Felix Unger]

Lol at this thread. We are really go to keep this nonsense open?

Yeah, change the topic title: Nabokov is so skelled.