Islanders News

Early blitz stops Blues
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October 12
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 
"The excitement that Blues fans felt during Friday's home opener at Scottrade Center was duplicated Saturday night, but for the other team. The New York Islanders treated their own sellout crowd to a 5-2 triumph at Nassau Coliseum, spoiling the buzz the Blues had created the night before in their win over Nashville. The Blues were looking to start the regular season 2-0 for the first time since 1994, but that became a pipe dream in the first period Saturday when the Islanders put up four goals. Mike Comrie, Trent Hunter and Sean Bergenheim gave New York a 3-0 lead, and although Brad Boyes finally put the Blues on the board, the Islanders' Andy Hilbert scored a short-handed goal. Keith ..."
Gordon: Comeau must improve conditioning
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October 12
Newsday
 
"It was a surprise last season when forward Blake Comeau was called up from Bridgeport after doing little to earn a promotion, but he impressed early and became the one young player former coach Ted Nolan trusted. But new coach Scott Gordon said last night that to crack the lineup, Comeau must improve his conditioning and become more accountable. "Blake hasn't had the benefit of defining what kind of player he's going to be at the American League level to show what kind of player he could possibly be at the NHL level," Gordon said. "He had some moderate success last year, but at the time he got called up, I don't think anybody thought he was really ready to play. We're asking him to be more ..."
DiPietro Sits Again But Isles Win 1st
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October 12
New York Post
 
"It was an impressive home opener and a fine first NHL win for new Islander coach Scott Gordon. But it came with a worrisome footnote. The Islanders soared to a three-goal first-period lead last night and were never truly threatened, earning a 5-2 win over the Blues in their home opener at the Coliseum. But franchise goalie Rick DiPietro, coming off hip and knee surgery, sat a second straight game - even if he didn't seem too concerned afterward. "If I wasn't backing up," he said, "there'd be something to talk about." But this is Rick DiPietro, he of the 15-year contract. He was backing up - and it very much is something for Islander fans to talk about. Gordon had said DiPietro would be a ..."
Isles DiPietro Has Swelling In Surgically Repaired Knee
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October 11
TSN.ca
 
"The New York Islanders received some unwanted news just one game into the new season as the team learned that goaltender Rick DiPietro has swelling and fluid around his surgically repaired left knee. The 27-year old DiPietro was expected to start Friday's opener against the New Jersey Devils, but was a surprise late scratch as Joey MacDonald took his place between the pipes, making 27 saves in a shootout loss. DiPietro, who has been plagued by knee injuries throughout his career, underwent meniscus surgery in June and played in only one of the Islanders pre-season games. Islanders head coach Scott Gordon stated that he rested his number one for pre-cautionary reasons. "If we were to lose ..."
Devils beat Rick DiPietro-less Islanders 2-1 in season opener
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October 11
New York Daily News
 
"The Devils can turn the page now, Zach Parise said. After losing their first five meetings with the Islanders last season, the Devils opened this season with a 2-1 win over their Atlantic Division rivals Friday night at the Prudential Center. "I guess we can move on from that," said Parise, who scored the Devils' first goal. "It's a different team than last year, we are a better team than last year and we're don't have to deal with that 0-5 start again." The Islanders were also a different team Friday night, but not a better one. In what was also their season opener, the Islanders did not start goaltender Rick DiPietro, who had season-ending hip surgery last March and offseason knee ..."
Isles Stranded Without Stars
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October 10
New York Post
 
"Following a turbulent offseason in which the Islanders changed coaches and their franchise player went under the knife -- again -- they open this season hoping to stay in playoff contention. That figures to be a tough task, given the youth movement GM Garth Snow has begun and the lack of star power at Nassau Coliseum. FORWARDS: Well, at least there's nowhere to go but up. The Islanders scored the fewest goals in the NHL (189) a season ago. Mike Comrie, who led the team in points with 49, is back. The team is looking for more production from him, as well as from a pair of 37-year-old former teammates, Bill Guerin and newcomer Doug Weight, neither of whom can be expected to put up big ..."
Islanders think positively despite poor predictions for new campaign
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October 9
New York Daily News
 
"The New York Islanders have heard the negative talk and seen the gloomy predictions for their season. Whether it's bravado, competitive spirit, or sheer denial, captain Bill Guerin and his teammates are fully prepared to prove people wrong. "We kind of get (dumped) on every year no matter what, but it only matters what we believe in our dressing room," Guerin said. "We believe we have a good team. We believe we have not just the opportunity to make the playoffs but to surprise some people when we get there." That's bold talk considering the Islanders tied for the fourth fewest points in the NHL, were the only team in the Eastern Conference that failed to score 200 goals, didn't have a ..."
2008 first-round draftees make splash on opening-day rosters
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October 8
USA Today
 
"Leading up to Wednesday's 3 p.m. ET deadline for teams to get under the $56.7 million salary cap, at least eight players from June's NHL draft will make the opening-day rosters.As expected, No. 1 pick Steve Stamkos will play for the Tampa Bay Lightning, but surprisingly all of the defensemen picked No. 2 through 5 made their teams. It's more rare for an 18-year-old defenseman to make a roster than a forward because defense is considered more difficult to master at a young age. But the Los Angeles Kings kept Drew Doughty (No. 2), the Atlanta Thrashers will use Zach Bogosian (No. 3), the St. Louis Blues will play Alex Pietrangelo (No. 4) and the Toronto Maple Leafs will keep Luke Schenn (No. ..."
Baily Makes Isles
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October 8
New York Post
 
"Less than a week after it appeared that first-round pick Josh Bailey would not make the Islanders' opening night roster, the 19-year-old made the team. There remains a dist