(Until we get a forum dedicated to each team's news releases (navel gazing), here is as good as any place.)
NY Islander Pre-season Report
Contrasting emotions characterize the players' performances in the first half dozen games.
Chemistry has happened on the front and back line. The first and fourth lines have clicked and clicked loudly, producing almost all the team's goals in the preseason. Konowalchuk-Brind'amour-Recchi was supposed to be the second line but their success has won them full time promotion to the top, along with Scott Niedermayer and Karlis Skrastins. Pronger anchors the second line and has done well, with five points in six games and a plus-six, but his production has come from fourth unit pairing with Nieds, playing with Brinds and two offensive support players, Randy Robitaille and Chris Clark.
Disaster is what the second line had been through the first five preseason games, with Slava Kozlov and Jason Blake recording no goals and a collective one assist despite a combined 27 shots. Fortunately, they lit the lamp a few times in the last game, the second against Philly, and so patience will be the key.
Puzzling has been the third line. They have not been expected to score, with defensive stalwards Laaksonen-Johnson-Laperriere, but they have been surprising: both wingers have scored and each of the three have registered nine shots in six games, decent enough. But their awful +/- shows they have been a liability so far, perhaps because of the lack of puck control and passing, despite plenty of speed, defense and intensity. Trade negotiations might see one of these guys head out of town in exchange for a more puck skilled forward or defenseman.
Notes:
Brind'amour and Niedermayer are taking the lion's share of the penalties (23 and 22 PIM respectively). Several goals have been scored with them in the box. Perhaps hard-hitting Laperriere needs to move up a line, or one of the teams three enforcers may have to be called up. This trend cannot continue.
John Grahame has proven himself well suited to his role, coming in and bailing out Hasek during a game, recording a win. The team might have to consider keeping him in the fold the whole season rather than its initial intention of trading him midseason to free up half a million more for deadline acquisitions at other positions.
Overall team defense has been decent enough: Goals against (5th), shots against (4th). This is expected, with Darryl Sutter behind the bench and a stable full of defensive-minded players at all positions. But the penalty kill has surprisingly only been average (12th, 88.8%). That should be much better, a competitive advantage ideally, given the talent and focus of the team. If improvement isn't made in the first five to ten games of the season then the pk will need reshuffling. Patience yet concern describes team management's philosophy here.
It's a pleasant surprise to see the team is 9th in shots taken. That bodes well. The team is otherwise average in terms of goals and powerplay production, as expected.
If the second line were to start producing even a goal a game, and the third can just hold their own, then Islander Interest will give the team thumbs up.
In a bid to shake up and kick start the second line, which had gone scoreless in most of the preseason games, a new Islander has been added via trade in Martin Rucinsky. He brings elite passing, good speed and puck control and some scoring ability. Shipped out of town is Chris Clark, a midcareer winger who is starting to show some leadership but is presently mired on the fourth line and would be a third liner at best down the stretch this season and perhaps next. The deal was clinched when prospect David Backes (24th round dispersal pick) was thrown in.
