Speculation: Opening night forward lines

[Tampacuseforever]

I would rather have Nelson on the first line instead of Conacher, that being said i think he is going to surprise a lot of people on the Islanders boards with how successful he will be on that line. A lot of people wont give him credit if he ends up with a 30 & 30 season because he plays with JT. You cant make everyone happy but i am actually excited to see how that line comes together....call me optimistic. If Conacher can produce on the first line, Nelson can play center on the second line...it could actually make us a deeper team because i dont think Conacher would be nearly as effective as i think he will be with 2nd/3rd line players.

How about we keep it positive FOR ONCE...at least give them one game before the hell, fire & brimstone

exactly

 

[LeapOnOver]

Several things bother me here.

1. Conacher on the first line. I think Conacher playing on JT's line has potential, but it should be a fall back option, not the default. I really wanted Nelson there.

2. I did not want to break up Grabo - Kulemin. They are a proven commodity and play well together. With all these new pieces I liked that JT-KO and Grabo-Kule meant 4 of our top 6 had chemistry and we could come out firing out of the gate. I'm also not sold on Nelson being a top 6 center right now while Grabo is supposedly good defensively. Why are we experimenting instead of trying to win. Top 6 should be Nelson-JT-KO and Strome/Lee - Grabo - Kulie

3. Bailey - Nielsen I like but see above about kulie.

4. My biggest frustration is it looks like this lineup was picked out of a crackerjack box. This organization has been rebuilding since I was in High School. Can we please just try to win rather than play the lets see what we have game with Brock at Center, Conacher on the first line, and spreading out the Russians. Can we also not try to piss everyone off by breaking up 2 guys who came here to play together and by cutting Lee who earned a roster spot in favor of hot garbage like Colin McDonald. Let Conacher sit in the box and wait his turn for an opportunity. He's intriguing to have on some level, but he's lucky to be in the NHL at this point and we hand him the plum assignment? Christ almighty, this joke isn't funny anymore.

Kulemin isn't our best 2nd line player at that spot. Why force him into a 2nd line role when he's not that type of player? Unless you want to force Grabovski to the 3rd line when he should be playing second. I see nothing wrong with the linuep. Proven chemistry is one thing but unless you have a front row seat you have no idea what kind of new chemistry has formed with all the new teammates they have had to work with. Seems a bit presumptuous doesn't it? Or would that just be too hard for you to admit? I also don't see your crackerjack box theory. If guys were playing way out of their normal positions I could see it, but this just seems most likely what has generated the best practice results and since camp is so short that's what they'll start with.

Not to mention it's certainly not concrete with the injury to Grabner. Things will change.

 

[Richie Daggers Crime]

The proof is in the results and the reality of how teams have always been built, the best teams anyway.

Bear in mind that 99% of these arguments are ideological and not about stats per se. Things are much clearer when you do that.

 

[Nyifan12]

You guys are all over Conacher, he hasn't even played a game for us. Give him 10-12 games before you knock him.

Remember Jason Blake? Yes the game is a bit different, but when he came over from LA he was nothing more than a seldom used 3rd/4th liner who became one of the key cogs for our team in the early 2000s.

 

[stranger34]

Kulemin isn't our best 2nd line player at that spot. Why force him into a 2nd line role when he's not that type of player? Unless you want to force Grabovski to the 3rd line when he should be playing second. I see nothing wrong with the linuep. Proven chemistry is one thing but unless you have a front row seat you have no idea what kind of new chemistry has formed with all the new teammates they have had to work with. Seems a bit presumptuous doesn't it? Or would that just be too hard for you to admit? I also don't see your crackerjack box theory. If guys were playing way out of their normal positions I could see it, but this just seems most likely what has generated the best practice results and since camp is so short that's what they'll start with.

Not to mention it's certainly not concrete with the injury to Grabner. Things will change.

ok, fair points on Kulie to the 3rd line... I still don't like it though. Grabo centering Kulie plus one of the kids like Strome seems a lot more win now to me than going with a 2 kid second line + Grabo off center. you also have 3 centers playing that one line... bleh. Crackerjack box.

 

[LeapOnOver]

ok, fair points on Kulie to the 3rd line... I still don't like it though. Grabo centering Kulie plus one of the kids like Strome seems a lot more win now to me than going with a 2 kid second line + Grabo off center. you also have 3 centers playing that one line... bleh. Crackerjack box.

Yes, you are right about that line. Isn't too far of a stretch of what might be tried at some point. All teams go through this when they add new players though. It's not like we had rigid lines last year with injuries and then the mixing and matching that goes with being out of the playoffs early. I just think the first game of the season is a little extreme to start complaining about lines. They aren't that far outside of what many should have been expecting.

 

[Paulinho]

Hopefully Bailey will suit up, as sparky the dragon. Don't worry iLandher no need to reply and tell me Joshua is a fantastic two way player... I know... Well I know that you believe that.

 

[Gardiner Expressway]

What do the expected powerplay units look like?

 

[steveat]

The club released the ACTUAL roster for Friday:

http://islanders.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=733397&navid=DL|NYI|home

Bailey, Boulton, Czizikas, Clutter, Conacher, Grabo, Kule, Martin, McDonald, Nelson, Nielsen, KO, Strome, JT

Boychuk, Hamonic, Donovan, Hickey, Leddy, Reinhart, Strait

Halak, Johnson

IR - Carkner, DeHaan, Grabs, Viz



First of all, those Anti-Conacher people. I believe the team is rewarding that position to the hardest worker that shows that he can play at that potential. Conacher got first dibbs from camp. This tells me he deserves to at least be in that position for as long as he produces. There is no way he was granted that spot (just because), especially since Nelson and Lee are there. The fact that Lee isn't up tells me he still has things to work on. The object is to ice the best team and I don't think Lee did well enough to do it. He probably makes a lot of rookie mistakes and most likely it's defensive responsibility which is the problem.

It's real good to see that our fall guys are CMac and Boulton. Both can fill voids. Poeple don't realize that CMAc has busted his hump since he joined the Islanders. Seriously guys. He went from 200-205 to 219 pounds in that short time. We now have depth and those depth players can save our butts, especially with the injury prone history we have. We have those players even though we have 4 guys that are injured...it's insane now how much depth we have.

Also, I guess Donovan played well enough to be called up...over Pulock too! Probably due to Pulock needing more defensive conditioning.

 

[TheZec]

Also, I guess Donovan played well enough to be called up...over Pulock too! Probably due to Pulock needing more defensive conditioning.

Probably due to Pulock being waiver exempt.

 

[steveat]

That too

 

[kasper11]

Also, I guess Donovan played well enough to be called up...over Pulock too! Probably due to Pulock needing more defensive conditioning.

Or, you know, they don't want Pulock sitting on the bench.

 

[FlamesFan80]

Came over for fantasy reasons (Conacher) to see what Islanders fans thought of him... was surprised to see he could get some first line duty.

Just wanted to add that he's a few season's removed from Bobby Mac calling him a potential Calder candidate. And Bobby Mac doesn't throw stuff like that around freely. Ottawa destroyed the kid, he was on a serious roll with Tampa before he went there. And of course going to Buffalo to ride the fourth line thereafter was a death sentence.

He could be a lightning rod on that first line for you guys, he's full of skill...

Hope it works out for yas!

 

[A Pointed Stick]

You guys are all over Conacher, he hasn't even played a game for us. Give him 10-12 games before you knock him.

Remember Jason Blake? Yes the game is a bit different, but when he came over from LA he was nothing more than a seldom used 3rd/4th liner who became one of the key cogs for our team in the early 2000s.

Who did we trade for him? Oh right, he's been moved by two teams and we were the highest bidder.

Give him a chance is fair. Expecting something better than what Lee could have provided... haha, no, and that's part of this debate.

 

[13th Floor]

Pulock got hurt, that's why he was sent down.

 

[MattMartin]

So is Philadelphia a "grit up front team" or a "4th liner for the dirty work" team?

Jay the bar is in LI btw.

OK, so on to last nights game. I'm not calling you out, but, did you see how the Flyers and Bruins played tonight? This is why you need toughness somewhere in your line up. This is also the regular season, playoffs gets much more physical.

 

[boredmale]

Came over for fantasy reasons (Conacher) to see what Islanders fans thought of him... was surprised to see he could get some first line duty.

Hard to get a read on what will happen with Conacher. I think he basically played well with Tavares and Okposo one game in preseason and won the job based on that. My guess is he gets 4-5 games at the slot of if he isn't working out they will try somebody else(Nelson?)

Just wanted to add that he's a few season's removed from Bobby Mac calling him a potential Calder candidate. And Bobby Mac doesn't throw stuff like that around freely. Ottawa destroyed the kid, he was on a serious roll with Tampa before he went there. And of course going to Buffalo to ride the fourth line thereafter was a death sentence.

I think he was sort of cooling off just before Tampa traded him, that being said he does have the skill and he sort of reminds me of PA Parenteau(who basically was a highly skilled smaller guy who was floating around and clicked with Tavares)

 

[boredmale]

Probably due to Pulock being waiver exempt.

That and it probably better Donovan sits in the press box then Pulock

 

[BroadwayJay*]

OK, so on to last nights game. I'm not calling you out, but, did you see how the Flyers and Bruins played tonight? This is why you need toughness somewhere in your line up. This is also the regular season, playoffs gets much more physical.

It is okay. There is nothing to call me out on.

So are the Flyers not tough enough? Is that what you're saying?

Because before I thought you were saying the Flyers were tough.

I think the problem with the Flyers is that their blueline is awful.

 

[Sparksrus3]

It is okay. There is nothing to call me out on.

So are the Flyers not tough enough? Is that what you're saying?

Because before I thought you were saying the Flyers were tough.

I think the problem with the Flyers is that their blueline is awful.

They do luv dem ex islanders.

10'mill worth of Mac and streit is enough to make anyone puke
Is Bruno the cook hanging around there still?

 

[MattMartin]

It is okay. There is nothing to call me out on.

So are the Flyers not tough enough? Is that what you're saying?

Because before I thought you were saying the Flyers were tough.

I think the problem with the Flyers is that their blueline is awful.

Actually was a huge physical game by both teams.

 

[BroadwayJay*]

Actually was a huge physical game by both teams.

Right, but that doesn't mean every team needs to match that physicality.

The Blackhawks aren't very physical and they do just fine.