NYI Top Post-Lockout Moments #5-1

The conclusion to the Islanders' portion of the best post-lockout moments. Here's what we've done so far, followed by the top five.

20) Sound Tigers games at Nassau Coliseum

19) Fan response to the Kansas City exhibition game

18) First Islanders-Rangers game after the lockout

17) Rick DiPietro starts All-Star Game

16) Ryan Smyth trade

15) Road wins in Chicago and Detroit

14) Preseason brawl between Islanders and rangers

13) Opening Night 2009

12) Veteran purge of 2009

11) Hiring of Neil Smith and Ted Nolan

10) Hiring of Garth Snow

9) Signing of Mark Streit

8) Hiring of Scott Gordon

7) Al Arbour Night

6) Islanders win draft lottery

5) Meet Me At The Lighthouse

September 28, 2004

While Nassau Coliseum has always had a certain charm in the eyes of Islanders fans, nobody can deny that the Islanders have been in dire need of a new arena for some time. The Coliseum was literally falling apart as the 1990s concluded; a leaky roof and a falling scoreboard signified the need to replace the building that was derisively known as the "Mausoleum".

When Charles Wang purchased the Islanders in 2000-01, he spent significant money to upgrade the Coliseum. The leaky roofs stopped, new scoreboards were unveiled, and the fan exerience was significantly upgraded from "horrible" to "decent". However, as Wang knows, there is only so much polish you can put on a decaying building.

Wang's introduction of the Lighthouse in 2004 blew Islanders fans away. The massive Coliseum parking lot would give way to a ton of urban development. No longer would Islanders fans be stuck leaving the Coliseum with nothing to do after a game. Best of all, the actual Coliseum, the building that has seen countless great moments and could still on occasion be one of the NHL's loudest, wasn't going to be replaced. Instead, heavy renovation over the course of a few summers would bring the Coliseum into the 21st century.

As we all know, it wasn't quite as easy as Wang predicted. Before long, the initial Lighthouse proposal - which included physically lowering Hempstead Turnpike - was scaled down somewhat, and then the entire Lighthouse Project became the subject of intense political debate on Long Island. Today, it's highly unlikely that the Lighthouse will ever be built.

So, then, why is the unveiling of the Lighthouse a significant moment in Islanders history? Simply put, it was the moment when the Islanders refused to stand pat in a second-rate building. Either the Town of Hempstead was going to embrace its team, or the Islanders would go someplace where they would be welcome. The conjecture that has accompanied the Lighthouse is truly unfortunate. But at least Charles Wang has attempted to move this team into the state-of-the-art facility they deserve; it certainly is not his fault that politics have destroyed his vision and, potentially, the future of the Islanders on Long Island.

4) Islanders Buy Out Alexei Yashin

June 6, 2007

The Alexei Yashin era on Long Island began with a great deal of promise. While some were skeptical of the ten-year, $90 million contract Yashin signed in September 2001, nobody said a word when Yashin recorded 32 goals and 75 points (outstanding totals in the Dead Puck Era) and led the Islanders to the playoffs for the first time in four years. Yashin won fans over through his stellar play and star power, and he went even further to endear himself to the Islanders faithful by breaking Tomas Kloucek's nose in a fight at MSG in 2002. Though the Islanders would lose to the Maple Leafs in the 2002 playoffs, Yashin's seven points in seven games silenced the critics who claimed that Yashin was not a playoff performer.

Sadly, the 2001-02 season was the pinnacle of Yashin's tenure with the Islanders. 2002-03 saw Yashin get off to an inexplicably horrible start that saw him booed at the Coliseum routinely. He recovered in time to have a decent second half and playoff, but the Islanders could only muster the eight seed and a loss to Ottawa. The next year, Yashin, who had only missed five non-holdout NHL games since 1997, suffered an arm laceration and missed half the season.

After the lockout, Yashin was named captain of the Islanders and finally received the scoring winger fans wished for in Miroslav Satan. However, Yashin had difficulty adjusting to the new NHL, as his 66 points and 68 penalty minutes would attest. The 2006 offseason saw much speculation about Yashin's future with the Islanders. Reports stated that Yashin would have to make a difference in 2006-07 or risk being bought out. Yashin began 2006-07 on fire, but would soon suffer a knee injury, one from which coach Ted Nolan was in absolutely no rush to bring Yashin back. The combination of the knee injury, rust, and Yashin being thrown into a playoff race just after coming back from the injury meant that Yashin was ineffective down the stretch. He went pointless in five playof games, and the writing was on the wall.

Even after the 24 percent rollback on salaries, Yashin was making far too much money for far too little production. The Islanders had very little difficulty buying him out in the summer of 2007, bringing in Bill Guerin to replace Yashin as captain. Sadly, the lesson about big contracts had not been learned by Charles Wang, as Rick DiPietro had signed at 15-year contract with the club just one year before Yashin's buyout. However, the fallout from Yashin's huge contract has prevented the Islanders from ever giving a free agent a big contract. Yashin's contract has become a textbook example of how putting all a team's eggs in one basket and not accounting for the future - namely, the revised CBA - can destroy a team's future. Eliminating Yashin was the only way the Islanders could ever truly rebuild, and his excision meant a new era was about to begin on Long Island.

3) Mike Milbury Resigns

January 12, 2006

Believe it or not, there was once a time when Islanders fans didn't hate Mike Milbury. Of course, that time was about fifteen years ago, but it still existed. At that point, Milbury had just been named the Islanders' general manager, and he was sitting on a goldmine of talent. Bryan McCabe, Zigmund Palffy and Todd Bertuzzi started 1995-96 with the Islanders, a season in which Milbury was able to turn Wendel Clark and Kirk Muller into Kenny Jonsson. Yeah, Eric Fichaud didn't exactly pan out, but that wasn't Milbury's fault.

You could even argue that Milbury wasn't to blame for the Islanders' late 90s purge. In fact, in the eyes of this writer, Milbury's reign doesn't even begin to compare to that of former Knicks GM Isiah Thomas in terms of incompetence. At least Milbury had a reason to sell off the young talent that came through the Islanders organization. Small consolation, of course. But Milbury had to do what he had to do in order to save his job.

However, the deal that ultimately killed Milbury was the Roberto Luongo trade. Luongo, as you may recall, was drafted by Milbury in 1997; in fact, Milbury made Luongo the highest-picked goalie ever at that point in time. Luongo was a certain star in the team's future; however, Milbury saw it appropriate to trade Luongo (and then-bust Olli Jokinen, who was acquired for Palffy) for Mark Parrish and Oleg Kvasha. Milbury then took Rick DiPietro with the first pick, passing up the opportunity to select Marian Gaborik and Dany Heatley. History has not looked kindly on this trade, and with good reason. Luongo has become arguably the game's best goaltender, while DiPietro, for all of his charisma and natural likeability, has only made it through one full season as starter injury-free. For better or worse, Milbury's tenure will always be judged by DiPietro's career, particularly in relation to that of Luongo.

Milbury finally got the Islanders into the playoffs in 2001-02, thanks to his trades for Michael Peca and Alexei Yashin. (It's interesting to wonder what would have happened if Milbury landed his initial target, Jason Allison, instead of Yashin. For all of Yashin's faults, at least he wasn't made of glass like Allison proved to be.) However, once Milbury got his playoff team, he seemed to get trigger-shy, not doing a whole lot to improve his team. If anything, Milbury hurt the Islanders after the '02 playoffs through a series of blunders, such as waiving Jason Wiemer, trading Chris Osgood for uber-bust Justin Papineau and unceremoniously dumping fan favorites Steve Webb and Claude Lapointe. Let's not even discuss his decision to draft Robert Nilsson over Zach Parise.

Milbury attempted to bring the Islanders into the "new NHL" after the lockout by, among other things. trading Peca for Mike York. Milbury was correct in that Peca wouldn't cut it with the new rules, but unfortunately, neither would York. Signings like Brent Sopel and Alexei Zhitnik were hardly effective, and it was decided that the Islanders needed a new start. That start had to come without Mike Milbury.

There's still some debate over whether Milbury actually resigned on his own or if he was fired by Charles Wang. In any event, Milbury was the ultimate sign of the Islanders' failures in the late 1990s. In order for the Islanders to reinvent themselves in the new NHL, they would have to sever ties with the man many credit with making the team a laughingstock. Unfortunately, their handling of their next GM would only enhance that image, but the Islanders did get their fresh start by parting ways with Milbury.

2) Easter Epic, Part II

Continental Airlines Arena - April 8, 2007

As April 2007 began, the Islanders were on the outside looking in. The playoffs seemed a remote possibility at best. After all, they were behind both Montreal and Toronto and Rick DiPietro was hurt, leaving the Islanders with the craptastic Mike Dunham and little-known Wade Dubielewicz. Dunham, not surprisingly, wasn't up to carrying the team on his shoulders, leaving Dubielewicz with a seemingly impossible task.

On April 3, Dubielewicz stole the show in a 3-2 shootout win against the Rangers. Dubielewicz stopped Brendan Shanahan, Michael Nylander and Jaromir Jagr in the shootout; however, the win didn't do all that much for the Islanders in the standings. With three games left, they were four points behind Montreal and three points behind Toronto, who were the Islanders' next opponents two nights later. The Isles were able to prevail in that matchup, steamrolling the Leafs 5-2 in a game that saw Jason Blake score his 40th goal of the season. That set the stage for an unforgettable weekend.

That Saturday, April 7, the Islanders faced the Flyers at the same time as the Canadiens faced the Maple Leafs. If the Islanders lost, they'd be out. If Montreal beat Toronto, the Islanders would be out. If the Islanders and Leafs won, the Islanders would set themselves up for a win-and-in game the next day in New Jersey. Remarkably, that's exactly what happened. In the Isles' game against the then-hapless Flyers, Dubielewicz was once again the game's first star; meanwhile, Toronto beat Montreal in a wild 6-5 affair, knowing that they'd qualify for the playoffs if the Islanders lost to the Devils.

The Islanders played one Easter Epic in 1987. Twenty years later, they were about to play in another.

The Islanders caught a huge break when the Devils elected to start Scott Clemmensen over Martin Brodeur, a decision that would cause much consternation in Toronto. Since the game meant very little to the Devils and so much to the Islanders, many Islanders fans made the trip to New Jersey and made the Isles feel at home. It worked. In front of a pro-Islanders crowd, the Islanders led 2-0 in the third period thanks to a pair of Richard Park goals. However, as is customary for the Islanders, it wouldn't be this easy. John Madden scored with about four minutes left to set up the game's frantic finale.

The Devils pulled Clemmensen to get an extra skater and were unleashing heavy artillery on Dubielewicz. With seconds left, a scramble in front of the net resulted in Madden finding a loose puck. Madden fired the puck over a sprawled out Dubielewicz with just 0.7 seconds left in the game to send it into overtime. Billy Jaffe's screams of "No!!!" as the Devils celebrated perfectly summed up the feelings of Islanders fans. To be so close, only to literally lose it in the final second... this team of scrappers and grinders deserved better.

Ultimately, the game ended the way we all knew a season would eventually end - in a shootout. The segment of the game which was derisively called by some as a "skills competition" would determine whether the Islanders would be playing playoff hockey or golf that week. That the game reached a shootout would only serve to further infuriate Leafs fans, who already thought the Islanders had a huge advantage in not having to face Brodeur.

The first three shots in the shootout were all goals. Miroslav Satan and Viktor Kozlov for the Islanders, Zach Parise for the Devils. After Brian Gionta missed for the Devils, deadline acquisition Ryan Smyth had the opportunity to send his new team into the playoffs with a goal. Of course, Smyth couldn't convert. It was only fitting that it came down to Wade Dubielewicz, the breakout star of the Islanders' past week. If Dubielewicz could stop Sergei Brylin, the Islanders would be in the playoffs. And when Dubielewicz unleashed the poke check that stopped Brylin, it was total euphoria.

As the Islanders celebrated another Easter miracle, it was hard not to think about the events of the prior summer. The hiring of Neil Smith, the firing of Neil Smith, the hiring of Ted Nolan, the hiring of Garth Snow, the much-maligned Rick DiPietro contract, the widespread predictions of a 30th place finish for the Islanders... it all came to a head at that moment. The 2006-07 Islanders were comprised largely of veteran players on one-year contracts, virtually all of them with something to prove. They were a blood-and-guts group, one that would only win by outworking their opponents. For the final week of the season, that's exactly what they did, and it resulted in an unlikely - and unforgettable - playoff berth.

1) Islanders Draft John Tavares

Bell Center/Nassau Coliseum - June 26, 2009

It would be a gross understatement to say that the Islanders have had trouble attracting star talent over the past 20 years. Since Pat LaFontaine was traded in 1991, there hasn't been a true superstar on the Islanders. Pierre Turgeon, the player the Islanders received for LaFontaine, was a great player, but he didn't capture the heart of Long Island the way LaFontaine did. Furthermore, he was only here for a few years, and to be quite honest, he was never the same after the Dale Hunter hit. Zigmund Palffy was another great scorer, but playing on some horrifically awful Islanders teams in the late 1990s, he never reached true superstar status. Alexei Yashin was paid like a superstar, but didn't always produce like one. Add the built-in strikes against the Islanders - crummy, half-filled arena, no money, historically bad team - and it's easy to see why the Islanders have only had three players to even approach LaFontaine's status.

When the Islanders had the opportunity to select from John Tavares, Victor Hedman and Matt Duchene at the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, fans naturally gravitated to Tavares. First, and foremost, he was the biggest name of the 2009 class. He was the best scorer, he had the most hype, and he definitely had that "superstar" aura about him. In short, he was the type of player that the Islanders, even if they threw their entire salary cap at him, would never be able to sign. More than any of that, though, Tavares went out of his way to endear himself to Islanders fans. While the Toronto media was trying to convince the world that Tavares would refuse to play for the Islanders, Tavares took the initiative and told Chris Botta that he hoped the Islanders would pick him because he wanted to play for the Islanders. Tavares would repeat this message to anyone who would listen and would display not only a genuine desire to help turn the Islanders around, but also a true appreciation and knowledge of Islanders history. It didn't take long for Islanders fans to go from enamored by Tavares to being absolutely smitten by him.

As the draft approached, Garth Snow refused to give even the slightest inclination as to who he might select with the first overall pick. In doing so, Snow proved he belonged in the general manager role. He also managed to infuriate the Islanders' entire fanbase, virtually all of which was salivating over Tavares. Most fans wouldn't have been too upset if the pick was Hedman or Duchene; after all, both were considered franchise players in their own right. But the guy the fans really wanted was Tavares, as was evidenced by fans wearing his jersey before the Islanders even drafted him.

When June 26 finally rolled around, Islanders fans could be best described as basketcases. The reports in the media that the Islanders were taking Matt Duchene didn't exactly help things. Trivial items such as which nameplates were in stock at the Islanders draft party became headline news in Islander Country. Many were calling this the biggest draft pick in franchise history, and it would be hard to disagree. Nowhere was this sentiment more true than at the Coliseum itself on draft night.

On a Friday night in late June, the Coliseum was packed. There were more people at the Coliseum to watch a crappy feed of TSN on the Jumbotron than there were for most games in the 2008-09 season. The Coliseum floor was abuzz with rumors and anticipation for what was to come. And if there was any doubt as to who the people's choice was, TSN's open to the draft clarified the fans' position. Every mention and camera shot of either Duchene or Hedman was met with loud boos, while all things Tavares were cheered wildly.

As Garth Snow approached the podium in Montreal, all of Long Island held its collective breath. And when he said John Tavares' name, it's hard to tell what the prevalent emotion was at the Coliseum. It was a mixture of exhilaration, relief and excitement all at once. To think that Islanders fans could be so impacted by this decision about a player most fans had never even seen play showed how much people truly cared about the Islanders. For better or worse, they had labeled Tavares as their savior, the one player who could bring credibility to the Islanders... and finally, they had him.

On a night when the Coliseum rocked like it hadn't rocked since the Isles-Leafs series of 2002, there was so much to celebrate. Yes, it was nice to know that the Islanders didn't screw up a perfect situation. But with Tavares and the promise of the Lighthouse at some point in the future, it felt like the Islanders were reborn. As it turns out, the Lighthouse Project has taken a turn for the worse, but Tavares has been as good as advertised. And when you consider that the Islanders never would have signed Matt Moulson if not for Tavares, Snow's decision effectively added about 50 goals to the Islanders' 2009-10 total, with many more to come in the future from both players.

We Got Screwed!

The feel-good story of Wade Dubielewicz returning to the Islanders has come to a crashing halt. TSN reports that Dubie has been claimed off waivers by the Columbus Blue Jackets. Yes, the same Columbus Blue Jackets that have Steve Mason and his 1.81 GAA, not to mention Pascal Leclaire, who finished 7th in GAA last year.

When Zach texted me to pass along the bad news (he heard it on XM), I didn't believe it and I still don't believe it. Dubielewicz is a guy that 30 teams passed on last year and lost his starting job in the KHL, of all places. That he couldn't pass through waivers is a little surprising. Not that Dubie isn't a good goalie or anything, but most Islanders fans thought it was a sure thing. Not so. What's most surprising, though, is that the Blue Jackets claimed Dubie. They've had great goaltending for the past two seasons. Mason is a legit Vezina candidate, and Leclaire, coming off a breakout year, is due back at the end of the month. Does Columbus really need a third goalie? Are they attempting to trade Leclaire? Will they end up dumping Dubie once Leclaire returns? These are questions that will be answered over time. And it at least gives us hope that Dubie could become available in the future.

For now, though, Islanders fans have to be disappointed. In a season that has been an unmitigated disaster in every way, this was something to make the Islanders faithful happy. It just figures that even something as simple as bringing in a former backup goalie could get screwed up in a season such as this one.

It's Starting

This is supposed to be a post about the Islanders bringing back Wade Dubielewicz. Or maybe it's supposed to be a series of thinly-veiled shots at the Islanders' training staff, the only people I can think to blame for the roughly 20,000 man games the Islanders have lost to injury over the past two seasons. Or maybe it's supposed to be about two consecutive 2-1 losses, two games in which the Islanders have played extremely well, but fell short to their biggest rivals and the league's best team. Any of these would work.

Instead, I'm stuck here fearing the worst.

By now, everyone's heard that the Islanders will be playing a pre-season game in Kansas City in September. Hell, even Howie Rose and Billy Jaffe speculated about the hidden meaning of the game on the air tonight. Of course, they spun it in as positive a manner as possible, but the fact remains that there's a lot of negative that can be gleaned from this story. And we, as hockey fans - forget about the rivalry for a second - need to pay attention to this sort of stuff.

If you've read this blog for a while, you may be aware that we were among the first to raise the possibility of the Islanders being moved. That's not bragging, just a little reading between the lines that is starting to come to fruition. This Lighthouse Project just isn't happening right now, and it's so key to the Islanders' future that Charles Wang is taking proactive measures to get it going. If that means playing an exhibition game in Kansas City, fine. That said, I think we all have reason to panic.

Football fans will remember the infamous "Proposed West Side Stadium" the Jets were championing a few years back. It was the cornerstone of New York City's 2012 Olympic bid. It was a pretty good plan - it would bring the Olympics to the City, it would give the Jets their own home (not to mention actually bringing a New York football team to New York), and would make it a whole lot easier for fans to attend games. So what happened? The stadium became a political issue and the whole thing died shortly thereafter.

The lesson to be learned from this? Nothing we don't already know; namely, once politicians get involved, you can forget about progress being made - ever.

Now, we here at The Rivalry prefer to keep our hockey and our politics separate. So we'll spare you the whole debate over whose fault it is that the Lighthouse Project isn't moving, how much good it will really do, so on and so forth. All we really care about is, will the Islanders be moving? I mean, I'd love a renovated Coliseum, but I'd sit in the crummiest seat in the house if it meant keeping the Islanders on Long Island.

After the announcement of the Islanders-Kings game in Kansas City, I did a lot of thinking. And the obvious facts, namely that the Kings' owner also owns the Sprint Center, were not included in those thoughts. I thought about the possibility that this team might not be here in just a handful of years. I thought about my dreams of taking my daughter to the Coliseum and explaining all the different banners, and the powerful memories behind them, to her. I thought about the virtual guarantee of this team suddenly becoming a powerhouse immediately after leaving Long Island, and I thought about how I might feel about it. I thought about the guy at the Prudential Center who asked me which team I'd root for if the Islanders ever moved and how I couldn't give him an answer. I thought and I thought, because that's all I could do.

This is going to be a time when thorough introspection outweighs fact, when preparing for the worst beats hoping for the best. I know I'll have a lot more moments like these as the Lighthouse Project gets debated for the next eternity or so. Will we end up like the Pittsburgh Penguins, who were all but packed for Kansas City, but ended up staying in Pittsburgh and making the Stanley Cup Final just two years later? Or will we end up like the Quebec Nordiques, a team that finally achieves its great promise upon leaving? Only time will tell, and for much of this time, we will be out of the loop. All we can do is hope and pray for a happy ending.

The Rivalry: Game 1

So here we are - finally, the Islanders and Rangers face off.

It's been a while for these two teams. In fact, they didn't even play in the pre-season. The last time the Islanders played the Rangers, the Isles fielded an AHL-caliber team and beat the Rangers in a shootout in the Islanders' final game of the season. The night before, the Rangers and their fans made the Coliseum their own, clinching a playoff spot in enemy territory. But it's the two games that preceded the final two that are particularly noteworthy.

After Jeff Tambellini's shootout goal against Henrik Lundqvist silenced Madison Square Garden, the Islanders sat just three points back of a playoff spot. We all know what happened two nights later. Ex-coach Ted Nolan decided to play Wade Dubielewicz instead of Rick DiPietro, the Islanders got killed at home, the Islanders lost their next five games, and that was pretty much the season. The Rangers, on the other hand, proceeded to go 7-3-4 to finish out the season and made it to the second round of the playoffs.

Even with that background, it seems like a tepid buildup to tonight's game. These two rivals barely have any animosity these days. Part of that is because their respective talent levels are so far apart. Part of it is the lack of villains on either side, with both Chris Simon and Sean Avery playing for other teams. And with Rick DiPietro likely out for tonight's game (he's currently nursing a... oh wait, I forgot the Islanders don't disclose injuries anymore), it's almost like these teams have no mutual emnity.

I, for one, don't expect the Islanders to come away with a victory tonight. More than anything, I'd like for them to spice this rivalry up a bit. I don't even know if Ranger fans would consider the Islanders their biggest rivals anymore, which is a shame. The Islanders always play the Rangers tough, and they always play the Rangers physically. We could have a Mitch Fritz sighting and hopefully a fight or two. Forget the score. I just want to see some fire in this team. And the Rangers are the only team that can bring it out of the Islanders.

Enjoy the game. I'll be there, though I'm not Blog Boxing tonight. Pending sobriety, we should have more thoughts later.

Rangers Fan Perspective of Ted Nolan's Firing...

Because I don’t like bondage, I’m not an Islanders fan. Okay, that’s a lie. I like bondage, but not in a sports-sense. 

However, even as a street-wise, book-smart Ranger fan, I’m not happy with the Ted Nolan firing. To be honest, it doesn’t change my life dramatically, but I think it’s a pretty crappy move on back-up GM Garth Snow’s part.

He had to have known this was going to happen. Hell, former Isles Media VP Chris Botta went on XM’s Home Ice 204 last month and said this was going to happen. 

Yet Snow dilly-dallied around the situation, blowing off reports, “No comment”-ing when asked about it, and basically made it seem like the tension was a false report. However, he did it anyway, and he did it so late into the offseason that he completely screwed Ted Nolan. Between Tampa Bay, Atlanta, San Jose, Toronto, and Ottawa, he could have at least interviewed for a job there. Now, all those positions are filled, and the only other vacancy is in Los Angeles.

Did this all really begin with Nolan’s decision to start Wade Dubielewicz over Rick DiPietro against the Rangers? Dubie, unlike a certain backup goaltender who went 4-13 with a .886 save percentage in 2005-06, was capable of playing with the big boys.

A text received from an Islander fan friend of mine from Los Angeles while I was at work: “No more Ted Nolan. Garth really wants that Tavares fella next year.”

For the record, Johnny Tavares is a center with the Oshawa Generals who broke Wayne Gretzky’s OHL record when he scored 72 goals in 2006-07 (he dropped to 40 goals last season, but is right now still considered the consensus #1 overall draft pick next year).

You can bet the “John Ta-va-res” chants next March will be louder than the “Ste-ven Stam-kos” chants were this April at the Coliseum. 

Alex Radulov...

Today, news is going to break that Alex Radulov from Jed Ortmeyer's Nashville Predators has defected to Russia.

The new Russian league (now known as the Continental Hockey League) has been a fall-back for mid-level players like Wade Dubielewicz, Bryce Lampman, Mike York, and Ray Emery, who have found that they have no place in the NHL this season (although I still think Dubie should have waited for July 1 to see if teams came calling). The new CHL also has a lot of money to offer players, but so far, the likes of Evgeni Malkin and Nikolai Zherdev have turned them down.

Alexander Radulov, however, wanted to return home, and this was his opportunity. He claims he called Nashville to tell them his intention, and they never returned his call, making it clear he wasn't needed there. I would assume the CHL also offered him more money then he would be getting in the last year of his entry-level contract. Maybe they also offered him the rumored Jaromir Jagr Special - a tax-free contract.

Radulov claims that Nashville won't be able to legally bring him back over, apparently because he never read this story on NHL.com about an agreement between the NHL and CHL to honor contracts made in the other league. However, the Radulov move might have been made before the deal was finalized.

If he does in fact have to come back, I think it's a lock that he will be traded from the Predators. Seeing as the Rangers have their own super-fast, incredibly-talented, enigmatic Russian winger, I say "No thanks," but I do know that this guy is a great player if given the chance, and he has an Ovechkin-like passion for the game. It's a shame we might not see it in North America anymore.

Two Players Our Teams Won't Be Signing...

1) News yesterday broke that Wade Dubielewicz won't be playing in the NHL next season broke, rending my "What to Du?" and other such titled posts irrelevant. 

He will be playing in Russia, and count me in as a surprised party of one. The new Russian league, while it will not nearly be on par as the NHL (Jamie Heward, who spent last season there, said it would be 50 years before the talent level equals the NHL), might steal a few borderline NHL players this year.

If Dubie could have gotten $700,000 this year from an NHL club, it would translate to around $380,000 because the NHL pays players in shares, first of all, not money. Then, minus agent fees and taxes, and that's what he's left with. A nice chunk of change, absolutely, especially for the 25-30 games he would have played at most, but nothing compared to what the Russians are offering, especially if the tax-free rumors are correct.

2) Ryan Malone will not be a Ranger next season. Not that he was ever close (as far as we know). Rumors have him already being signed in Tampa Bay. Huge gain for the Lightning; huge loss for the Rangers. 

Malone, 28, could have given the Rangers a gritty winger who could put the puck in the net, especially on the power play, for the next 6 years. He would be better suited for Chris Dr

ury, but would also seamlessly play with Scott Gomez. 

No doubt the Rangers would have contacted his agent on July 1, but Tampa Bay received his rights for a 3rd round pick (4th round if he didn't sign with them). I believe the Rangers do have their 3rd round pick in 2009, and if not, what about a 2nd round pick if you think you can sign him?

Now, they will no doubt overpay for someone on the free agent market come Tuesday. God help us all if Marian Hossa comes to town.

Dubie Revisited...

ISLANDERS POST by ZACH

I refer you to my March 27th blog entitled "What to Du?" that predicts Wade Dubielewicz will not return to the Islanders for the 2008-09 season.

It is now official, reported by Greg Logan in Newsday, that Dubie won't be returning as an Islander next season, I move I predicted well over two month ago. While this isn't as grand as my correct prediction of Petr Sykora scoring in triple overtime, it is still worthwhile, and I want to make some predictions of where he will end up next season. 

I think the best choice for him would be Carolina, who will be needing a backup goaltender next year for Cam Ward. Ward had 2 good months in his career, spanning from Game 3 of the first round of the 2006 playoffs until Game 7 of the Finals that year. He is unproven, and with a worthy backup, his job could be in jeopardy. Last year was indeed the best regular season of Ward's career, but as Marc Denis, John Grahame, and Antero Niittymaki taught us, one decent regular season does not a career make.

Vancouver is an option as well, especially seeing how Dubie is from British Columbia. However, I believe he would want a chance to play 20 games, give or take a few, as a backup, with the option of usurping the starting goaltender. Roberto Luongo, when on his game and caring about hockey, won't play less than 75 games and certainly won't have his plush position overtaken by an uppity youngster.

Calgary is also an option, but he wouldn't be playing more than 11 or 12 games with Miika Kiprusoff in net. With Curtis Joseph possibly not returning next year, they might have a spot open. I assume they'll offer him a contract but it might only be his last resort.

What about Dallas? Marty Turco had a real solid playoffs, but his regular seasons have been borderline for a few years. It could be an opportunity for the backup to overtake the starter, but I see Dallas re-upping unreliable Johan Holmqvist for atleast one more year.

Detroit and Tampa Bay are also two strong options for him. Detroit will probably not re-sign Dom Hasek, and who wouldn't love the chance to play in Detroit? Chris Osgood will be the starter regardless, but he's getting older and Dubie would play atleast 20 or 25 games. In Tampa, there are two goaltenders who have never been starters, Kari Ramo and Mike Smith. Signing Dubie would create a 3-way competition for the starting job, much like Phoenix had before getting Ilya Bryzgalov in November.

Should be interesting to see where he goes, atleast for us on Long Island. My money is on Carolina and Tampa, though I wouldn't be surprised to see him land anywhere else on my list.

Deja Vu?...

Almost titled this post Deja Du, but that would be horrible. Quickly, because I'll be late to work...

April 3, 2007, the Rangers had a chance to clinch the playoffs with 2 points. They were playing the near-dead Islanders at the Coliseum. Henrik Lundqvist and Wade Dubielewicz were in goal. The Islanders won in a shootout, 3-2, in what was the first of their four-game miracle run to the playoffs. I sat front row and you saw me behind Dubie on MSG and FSN falling to the ground after Jaromir Jagr missed his last shootout attempt.

April 3, 2008, the Rangers need two points to clinch the playoffs. They are playing the dead Islanders at the Coliseum. Lundqvist, Dubie. I'll be there tonight, although I don't know where my seats are yet.

Here's hoping history doesn't repeat itself.

What to Du?...

ISLANDERS POST by ZACH

With all the talk of the Islander-talk at the concentrating on Mike Comrie, Miro Satan, Ruslan Fedotenko, and Josef Vasicek, another impending free agent's name got ignored - Wade Dubielewicz (that name is hard to type, so from here on out, we will refer to him as "Dubie" - which shouldn't be confused with "DP," unless you are reading this aloud to yourself).

Dubie makes a non-threatening $500,000 this year. For a backup goalie with little experience, that is a nice number; it fits under the cap well. It also doesn't pain a team to have a $500,000 player ride the bench like it does to have, say, $3.2M being benched every game (no offense, Ottawa or Ray Emery).

However, at one point in time, Garth Snow will have to make a decision on the man who encompasses the same warm spot on the bench he once had while Rick DiPietro played. I'm guessing that since the position of GM has already been filled, Dubie will play in the NHL again next season. 

Will that be in Orange & Blue?

Last year, as we all know, the Islanders needed to win 4 straight games to even have a chance at sniffing the playoffs. With Rick DiPietro out for the rest of the regular season with concussion problems due to his own foolish play, Steve Begin, and Sean Avery, Dubie stepped up. A shootout win against the Rangers where he stopped Jaromir Jagr to win, a win against Toronto, then in Philly, then in a shootout against the Devils (where he gave up a goal with a second left to send it to overtime). His reward? The Mike Dunham Memorial Bench Spot during a first round loss to the Sabres.

This year, DP is out again, this time with the dreaded "tweaked hip." Who is there for the Islanders? Dubie. He had an impressive shootout win against the Rangers (again, this time at MSG though), then lost in the home half of that home-and-home, although he held his ground well and even DiPietro would not have saved the shots Dubie let in. 

Since the beginning of March when he started playing a lot, Dubie has let in 3 goals twice, 2 goals twice, and 1 goal three times. Yet he is only 3-4, meaning the ineptitude of the Islanders has nothing to do with him. For reference, in his first game since January, he gave up 1 goal against the Panthers while the players in front of him fired 53 low-angle, direct-to-chest shots against backup Craig Anderson. He is not the reason this team is looking ahead to the Bethpage Black while it's still March. As a matter of fact, when he beat the Rangers on March 4, the Islanders were 3 points out of 8th in the East. Now, they are 11 points out and unable to make up those points with 5 games left.

Once again, Dubie has had nothing to do with the current state of the team. Injuries have piled up and some players seem to have packed it in. Yet he plays to the top of his game, day in and day out.

Since the lockout, we have seen backup goaltenders usurp the starters. Henrik Lundqvist took over from Kevin Weekes in October 2005 (although Tom Renney was reluctant to announce the change until January). Cristobal Huet overtook Jose Theodore and David Aebischer until Jaroslav Halak usurped the usurper last spring. No Manny Fernandez OR Dwayne Roloson in Minnesota - wait, who is this Niklas Backstrom? Hell, Ilya Bryzgalov played so well behind J.S. Giguere that GM Brian Burke felt bad for sitting him and let him go elsewhere. 

Will Dubie ever usurp DP? Probably not, because Garth Snow and Charles Wang wouldn't let it happen. DP has a long way left to go on his contract, and another team might not pick that up for another decade. Besides, a $4.5M backup is expensive to keep around (no offense, Olaf Kolzig or Marc Denis). 

Teams will come knocking on Dubie's door (or ringing on his agent's phone) come July 1. Carolina will have an open spot and would love to have a solid backstop waiting for his chance to play behind wildly inconsistent Cam Ward. Calgary can replace Curtis Joseph with the 29-year-old Wade. And Tampa Bay has Mike Smith and Kari Ramo, both unproven goalies who might play better with some competition. What about Detroit? Chris Osgood will be the main guy in net there if Dom Hasek doesn't return, but can he handle it? Think Dubie wouldn't jump at a chance to play in Hockeytown?

The New York Islanders Drinking Game, Version 1.0

Note: In no way is this an advocation of drinking, especially drinking and driving. This is just a great way to document the nuances of our Islanders, both in person and on TV. You don't have to drink to enjoy this one. However, if you're so inclined (and you're not driving), take a piece or two of this, grab some beers, and have fun!

PRE-GAME ON FSN NY
- If Billy Jaffe is staring somewhere besides the camera... 1 drink
- If Butch Goring looks like a leprechaun... 1 drink
- If Deb Kaufman talks out of one side of her mouth... 1 drink
- If there's a cheesy promotion going on that night... 2 drinks
- If the cheesy promotion played a factor in your decision to not attend the game... 5 drinks. Hey, you're not driving - enjoy yourself!
- HIP Injury Report... 1 drink
- GMC Goalie Matchup... 1 drink
- Any other sponsored items... 1 drink
- If Hockey Night NY Live! actually mentions the Islanders... 3 drinks
- If that mention is a tacked-on blurb during "Short Shifts"... 2 extra drinks

GAME
- If Wade Dubielewicz is starting... 2 drinks
- If Ted Nolan is wearing a hideous tie... 1 drink
- If Rick DiPietro unnecessarily touches the puck... 1 drink
- If you yell at Ricky to stay in the net... 3 drinks
- If the TV/scoreboard shows a close-up of Mike Sillinger, a.k.a. "The Pigeon"... 2 drinks
- If Mike Comrie passes up an open shot in favor of making a pass... 3 drinks
- If you find yourself saying out loud that the Islanders need a scorer... 2 drinks
- If you find yourself asking out loud when was the last time Satan/Fedotenko/Vasicek/just about anybody did anything of note... 1 drink for each player you consider
- If you find yourself wondering if Alexei Yashin is available, whether it be out loud or in private... chug the entire bottle
- If the Islanders have a ridiculously high number of shots but only one or two goals... 4 drinks
- If the Islanders let up a shorthanded goal... 3 drinks
- If the Islanders make yet another defensive blunder... 2 drinks
- If Brendan Witt leaves the ice in pain... 1 drink
- If the young guys are the only players who are actually doing anything... 2 drinks
- If a power play comes and goes without as much as a shot on goal... 4 drinks

BROADCAST STUFF
- Do you see in HD? If so, take 2 drinks to level the playing field.
- If Howie Rose makes you legitimately laugh... 2 drinks
- If Billy Jaffe sounds like a homer... 3 drinks
- If either Billy or Howie makes a bad segue... 3 drinks
- If either Billy or Howie breaks off a segue you still can't believe five minutes later... 5 drinks
- If they show that stupid Warren Wallace Geico commercial... 2 drinks each time
- If they show an ad you've already seen 500 times on the NHL Network... chug until you're satisfied. If you don't get the NHL Network, just be thankful you don't understand this one.
- Bring back family time with... a Panasonic Digital Replay! 2 drinks each time. Be careful with this one!
- Any other sponsored items... 1 drink for each
- If Billy and Howie talk about the Hummer Metro Ice Challenge like it actually means something... 2 drinks
- If the trivia question is something ridiculous... 2 drinks
- If Howie calls out producer Larry Roth for making up such a ridiculous question... 1 extra drink
- If you secretly wish they kept trivia statistics like the Rangers do... zero drinks. They really should.
- If Jiggs McDonald is filling in for Howie... 3 drinks
- If you find yourself marvelling over Jiggs' preparedness... 2 drinks
- If you find yourself praying for an Islanders goal just so you can hear him say "He scooooores!" one more time... 1 drink
- When that goal never comes... 10 drinks

INTERMISSION
(all applicable rules from the pre-game remain intact)
- If Deb Kaufman creepily smiles at the interviewee... 1 drink per second of creepy smiles
- If Deb Kaufman asks a stupid question... 2 drinks
- If the player doesn't address the question at all... 2 drinks
- If the player says "Um"... 1 drink per "Um"
- If the player makes eye contact with Deb... 1 drink per instance
- If the player uses cliches... 2 drinks per cliche
- If the previous period's highlights consist of a number of mediocre plays... 3 drinks

AT THE GAME
(all other rules apply)
- Everybody Clap Your Hands! 1 drink per each instance of this chant.
- If you secretly get excited for Billy Jaffe's Keys To The Game... 2 drinks
- If Jaffe asks for crowd participation in his Keys To The Game... 1 drink each time
- If C.J. Papa's intermission report makes you wish for a replay of Billy Jaffe's Keys To The Game... 3 drinks
- If you hear the words grit, character, and heart and immediately want to gag... 3 drinks
- If you're dumbfounded by the intro that plays on the scoreboard... take one drink for each minute you spend trying to figure out why Ted Nolan becomes a cop.
- If Sparky The Dragon pays a visit to your section... 2 drinks
- If you complain about how the people in the cheap seats never win any of the giveaways... 2 drinks
- If you're out of breath after climbing to your top-row seats... take as many drinks as necessary to get your wind back. It should take quite a few.
- If you were smart enough to eschew the $7 Bud Light in favor of the twice-as-big Labatt Blue for $7.25... take one drink to your good fortune.
- If you find yourself wishing you could buy pretzel twists at the supermarket... 2 drinks
- If you express regret for NYMEX for having sponsored the power play... 3 drinks
- If you think the question posed in the NYI Text Poll is the dumbest question ever asked... 4 drinks
- If the response to the NYI Text Poll makes you lose your faith in humanity... 3 drinks
- If the main reason you want the Islanders to win is so you can honk your designated driver's horn all the way down the Meadowbrook... no drinks necessary. That truly is the best part!