Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Friday, January 2, 2009
Smith Off To A Good Start
Smith Off To A Good Start
Jan 2nd, 2009 | By Brian Bohl | Category: New York Islanders | Edit
Smith was called up after the Islanders after veteran center Mike Sillinger was placed on injured reserve as he tries to recover from a hip injury that limited him to seven games this season and 52 during the 2006-07 campaign.
Wearing No. 77, Smith played left wing on a line with veteran center Doug Weight and Richard Park. The rookie logged 10:58 of ice time, going minus-1 thanks to his time on the ice when Brett Mclean put the Panthers up by a goal to start the contest.
But Smith still finished with three shots in 15 shifts while also blocking two shots. Weight, who needs just one more point to become the 73rd player in league history to reach 1,000 for his career, said Smith was impressive.
“Trevor’s a good player and a nice kid,” Weight said. “He sees the ice well, skates well. Like all these young guys, he has a lot of tools. He was definitely a good player out there today. He played well.”
Smith started the season in AHL Bridgeport, scoring a team-leading 18 goals for the Sound Tigers. His 29 points in 33 games could give the Isles hope of improving an offense that has no player on pace to score even 30 goals this season.
Last season, Smith scored 20 goals in 53 games for the Sound Tigers. Smith nearly excited the home crowd early. Weight’s one-time pass went right to Smith’s stick blade, though he fired just left of the open net nearly 14 minutes into the first period.
The 6-1, 195-pound left-handed shot was not available for comment after the game, though coach Scott Gordon said his performance was impressive.
“Trevor did a good job coming up and fitting in,” Gordon said.
Before the Panthers game, the islanders also placed Mitch Fritz on waivers. The 28-year-old grinder appeared in 15 games this season, compiling 12 penalty minutes.
The Islanders start a road trip tonight against the Wayne Gretzky-coached Phoenix Coyotes. The club will also travel to San Jose, Edmonton and Calgary before returning to Long Island to face the Rangers on Jan. 13. Gordon’s club won just two games in December and carries a league-low 28 points into Arizona, though the Isles have picked up points in three of the past four games.
“There’s a little more confidence,” Weight said. “We’ve put a little more accountability in the room. It’s shown. It’s been refreshing and we have a lot of energy.
“It’s a long trip but everyone has to do it. Maybe it’s a good time for us to go out as a team and get some results as a team.”
Isles Ring in New Year with a Win
Isles Ring in New Year With a Win
by: Brian Bohl | Senior Writer - NY Sports Day | Thursday, January 1, 2009
Ironman was also in attendance, though he did not take a picture with Rick DiPietro. The snapshot would have marked a dichotomy of durability, since the Isles franchise goaltender was once again unavailable for duty.
DiPietro was scratched from the lineup and Joey MacDonald got the start as DiPietro continues to battle a groin problem. It marked the second straight game he sat out after picking up his first win of the season Friday, when the netminder with a 15-year contract made his temporary return following his October knee surgery to repair a meniscus.
But MacDonald stopped 27 of 29 shots in helping the Islanders post a 4-2 victory Wednesday at Nassau Coliseum. Mike Comrie added his first multi-goal game of the season, scoring the tying and go-ahead goals while Sean Bergenheim and Mark Streit adding the insurance markers.
It marked a rare bright spot in a dismal month as the Isles lost 12 of its 14 games in December yet will embark on a four-game, seven-day West Coast road trip with points in three of its last four contests.
“We’ve seen the last three of four Stanley Cup winners, weren’t expected to be in a playoff race. Anything can happen,” said Doug Weight, who needs just one more point to reach 1,000 in his career after assisting on Comrie’s second goal. “I hope no one in this organization is writing off this year.
“I like the way we’re playing now. You never know. You go run off eight out of 10 and some teams stumble and you can find yourself in striking distance.”
MacDonald, who was named one of the NHL’s three stars of the month in November filling in for DiPietro, consistently negated defensive lapses. One of his best saves came early in the final period, when he protected a 3-1 lead by fully extending his left arm to get a glove on Gregory Campbell’s laser, preventing a Panthers shorthanded mark.
“We had a tough month but I thought over the past five games, we’ve played really well,” MacDonald said. “We’re getting a lot more puck possession and forcing the other team to get some penalties.”
The Islanders trailed Florida 1-0 after the first period but could have faced a larger deficit. MacDonald compensated for loose play in the defensive zone, making two spectacular glove slaves on Nathan Horton early in the opening moments.
“Joey, in the first seven minutes, was the difference for us,” coach Scott Gordon said. “We shot ourselves in the foot with the turnovers that we made coming out of our end.”
DiPietro has played in four games this season and has endured surgeries to both hips and knees since signing his record contact before the start of the 2006 season. Gordon said DiPietro’s recent groin injury is not serious and was not the result of being rushed back to the lineup.
“Ricky is in pretty good shape,” Gordon said. “It’s not like it was an issue about his knee being fully recovered. It’s a normal groin pull anybody can have. He skated this morning and right now he wants to get in and play. The injury he sustained wasn’t from his preexisting injury.”
Richard Park nearly gave the home team the lead, firing a left circle shot that went past Thomas Vokoun before getting waved off. Jon Sim tried to screen Vokoun, stationing himself right outside the crease. When the shot went in, the officials whistled Sim for goaltender interference and took the goal off the board.
Florida escaped a goal and added a tally with 1:36 left. Trevor Smith, making his NHL debut, twice failed to clear the puck in the zone, allowing Brett McLean to bang a shot that hit off the post and past MacDonald for a one-goal Florida lead heading into the first intermission.
Comrie helped the Islanders surge to a quick start in the second, where the Panthers were out-shot, 11-3. The Kyle Okposo-Comrie-Blake Comeau line continued to generate scoring chances, with Comrie tipping in Okposo’s one-time pass to tie the game 7:50 into the period.
Just 7:15 later, Comrie registered his first two-goal game since Feb. 28. While on the power play, Comrie skated to the goal line on the right post and banked a shot off Vokoun’s right leg and into the back of the net for the 2-1 lead.
“We see what can happen when we play a whole game when we play hard and skate,” Comrie said.
With 14 seconds remaining in the period, Sean Bergenheim provided MacDonald with a cushion, beating Vokoun glove-side after skating past Karlis Skrastins along the penalty box-side boards. Bergenheim raced in and released at shot at the bottom of the right circle for 3-1 lead.
Streit added another power play goal 13:34 into the third and Horton added a goal in garbage time, scoring with just 28 seconds left to add a meaningless goal for the Panthers.
“We were blocking shots defensively,” MacDonald said. “When you have guys pitching in like that, you’re going to get some good results. I think we’ve made a lot of strides the last five games. We need to keep going in the right direction.”
http://www.nysportsday.com/news/combined/Isles-Ring-in-New-Year-With-a-Win.php
Islanders vs. Panthers Photo Gallery
Hello everyone, and a happy New Year! I forgot to bring my zoom lens to the game, so I was only shooting with a 55 mm from the press box. The pictures aren't the best because of the distance, but I wanted to try out a photo gallery with animoto.
I picked a jazz song for it, but in the future, I plan on using my WRHU reports with the pictures I take. In the meantime, please enjoy this little test run I put up. All the best--Brian
I picked a jazz song for it, but in the future, I plan on using my WRHU reports with the pictures I take. In the meantime, please enjoy this little test run I put up. All the best--Brian
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Jets Firing of Mangini The First Of Many Changes
Sports: January 2, 2009Jets Firing of Mangini The First Of Many Changes
EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ— Eric Mangini stepped to the podium in the cramped interview room that connects to the Jets locker room Sunday night.
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Gang Green was shutout of the postseason for the second consecutive year, yet unlike a 4-12 campaign that marked 2007, the Jets squandered an 8-3 start to finish 9-7 after dropping four of its final five games.
Chad Pennington, who played eight seasons for the Jets before getting cut this summer following the Brett Favre trade, torched his old team for two touchdowns, 200 passing yards and zero interceptions to lead the Dolphins into the postseason. Afterwards, Mangini was asked if he anticipated returning to finish the last year on his four-year contract.
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But owner Woody Johnson and general manager Mike Tannenbaum decided to hold Mangini accountable for the Jets missing the playoffs despite Favre's acquisition and nearly $140 million spent on free agents, firing the coach less than 12 hours after the Jets left the Giants Stadium field for good.
Mangini finished his tenure 23-26, going 13-19 the last two seasons after leading the Jets to an unexpected wild card berth during his inaugural run in 2006. The - year-old coach appeared to find the right formula for success after leading his team to back-toback victories over New England and Tennessee.
Those victories put the Jets five games over .500 and atop the AFC East before Favre's interception totals spiked and the pass defense suffered frequent breakdowns as the Jets lost road games to non-con- tenders like Seattle and San Francisco. No replacement was named.
"This is about the most difficult thing you can do in being a franchise owner and that is making a change in position of perhaps the most important person in the building and that's head coach," Johnson said.
"Eric's been our coach for three years, he's done some amazing things. Nobody's worked harder. He knows his X's and he knows his O's, he's a good teacher. But Mike and I felt in our judgment that it was time now to make a change."
Mangini is out and Favre's future remains uncertain. The three-time MVP tossed just two touchdown passes compared to nine picks in the final five games.
Favre, who Tannenbaum acquired late in the preseason, said he expected to get an MRI on his right throwing shoulder before deciding to retire or come back to New York for a second season. Both Johnson and Tannenbaum said they want Favre to return.
"There is only one team that ends on a high note," said the 39-year-old Favre, who said he will go home and make a decision after consulting with his family." This is not a high note, but I consider this season, when I look back at it, whether I play or not, I'm glad that I made this decision to come here and play. I knew the odds were against us. I knew the expectations were high, but I consider that a huge challenge.
"There wasn't anything that I didn't enjoy about it. I just wish we could have gone a little further."
Mangini released a statement late Monday thanking the owner and GM for hiring him and said he was proud of having a winning record in two of his three seasons.
"The organization has terrific people and I wish the Jets nothing but success," Mangini said. "The time and effort invested by the coaches and players was tremendous and I value that beyond words… I will always appreciate the passion and support of the fans as our focus was trying to build them a championship-caliber foundation and team."
At the team's training facility in Florham Park, N.J., players like Laveranues Coles said the late-season swoon was unfairly pinned on Mangini instead of on the ones with shoulder pads and helmets.
"He doesn't deserve the total blame for the way the season went and I let him know that and I voiced that," Coles said. "He put his best foot forward. I think he put a lot of time and effort in trying to get us prepared to win ball games, but of course we came up short.
"I have a lot of confidence that he will be a head coach again in the NFL. I am sure where ever he lands he will be successful and we will stay in touch."http://www.rockawave.com/news/2009/0102/sports/064.html
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Mangini's Last Stand Ends in a Loss
Mangini's Last Stand Ends in a Loss
by: Brian Bohl | Senior Writer - NY Sports Day | Monday, December 29, 2008
EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ — Help didn’t come for the Jets in the form of either a New England loss or a Baltimore defeat. In the end, it didn’t matter.
After losing four West Coast games to non-playoff contenders, some would argue the Jets didn’t deserve a break. Yet even a late, if undeserved, holiday gift wouldn’t have made a difference since the Jets failed to take care of the only thing in the team’s control in a season-ending 24-17 loss to Miami.
Chad Pennington, who the Jets cut in training camp after acquiring Brett Favre, threw for 200 yards, two touchdowns and zero interceptions in helping the Dolphins clinch the AFC East title at the Meadowlands. Favre couldn’t match his counterpart, continuing his end-of-season struggles with the Jets losing four of its final five contests.
The three-time MVP was intercepted three times, including one returned for a touchdown and a costly pick to Andre Goodman with five minutes left and the Jets trailing by seven. Pennington basically ended his former team’s season, converting a quarterback sneak on fourth down on the ensuing drive to prevent a comeback.
“The hardest part is the finality of it, especially when you expect to go on,” Favre said. “It was a tough pill to swallow, but I had a blast working with these guys. It was a lot of fun. It’s disappointing where we are now, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”
Pennington spent eight seasons with the Jets before getting cut in training camp. Sunday afternoon, the former Comeback Player of the Year out-dueled Favre and extracted revenge in front or the organization that allowed him to join a division rival right before the season started.
Miami took the lead for good midway through the third quarter when Pennington showed plenty of arm strength— a source of criticism from some fans and media members during his time in New York—in finding Anthony Fasano in single coverage in the back-right corner of the end zone. The 20-yard scoring strike put the Dolphins up, 21-17, and sent Pennington to the playoffs for the first time since he led the Jets to a wild card berth in 2006, marking Mangini’s first year on the job.
“It’s not a revenge factor, it’s really not,” Pennington said. “It was strictly about winning the championship and knowing we controlled our own destiny to be AFC East champions.
“It just so happened that it had to come through New York. That’s how it is with sports and athletics, and that is the only way fate would have it. It truly wasn’t about revenge. I have great relationships and friends in New York. The Jets organization was great to me for eight years.”
Mangini said he expects to back for a fourth season, though he also said he has not discussed his future with owner Woody Johnson yet. He has one year remaining on his current contract.
“Yeah, I do,” Mangini said when asked if he expects to return. “Like I said, we don’t discuss that. We have never discussed it throughout the course of the season, but that’s my anticipation.”
Favre extended his NFL record when he notched his 463rd career touchdown pass but once again had his season cut short when he tried forcing a ball into a tight spot. Last season, it was a pick against the Giants in the NFC Championship game. This time, Favre’s last meaningful pass came off a no-huddle screen pass intended for Chansi Stuckey that instead went into Goodman’s arms at the Miami 28-yard line.
Should Favre retire, his last pass officially went for an incompletion to Jerricho Cotchery with the ball at the Jets 1-yard line. But that just might be a footnote to the Jets blowing an 8-3 start to finish 9-7 and out of the playoffs for a second straight season.
As he exited the Giants Stadium tunnel, there is a chance the remaining fans of the announced crowd of 79,454 saw Favre’s last game. The future Hall of Famer did not say if he will return for a second season with the Jets and said he will get a MRI on his throwing shoulder Monday before making any decision on his future.
“It would be easy to sit here and make excuses. I’m sure that during the course of the year that there were some throws that I know I could make, but I didn’t,” Favre said. “Other times, I made some good throws. I hope that it was not a factor in my throws this year. We’ll know more tomorrow.”
Baltimore already beat Jacksonville before the Jets game finished, eliminating Gang Green from postseason contention. But the Jets still had a chance to knock out Miami and send Pennington home.
Instead, Pennington extracted revenge and kept New England out of the playoffs as well. The Jets nearly sent the Patriots into the party, since a win would have handed Bill Belichick and the defending AFC champions the division crown. Favre hit Leon Washington on a shovel pass on third-and-eight and then found Laveranues Coles on a crossing route that allowed the veteran wideout to speed into the end zone, putting the Jets went up 6-0 with 6:47 left in the first.
A bad snap prevented a successful extra point attempt, allowing the Dolphins to take the lead just before the two-minute warning when Pennington found Ted Ginn on a go-route in the left corner of the end zone. Dwight Lowery got in front of Ginn on the coverage but failed to jump in time to deflect Pennington’s on-target toss.
Just 18 seconds later, Favre faked a handoff and tried to find Washington in the flat. Instead, he threw the pass right to defensive end Phillip Merling, who took it in 25 yards for the Miami touchdown. Around the same time, Baltimore’s Ed Reed intercepted Jacksonville’s David Garrard’s pass, preserving the Ravens 10-point lead that ultimately sealed the Jets fate.
Jay Feely drilled a 28-yard field goal with time expiring to cut the deficit to 14-9 at halftime, giving the Jets some life. The team parlayed the late score into another successful offensive series on its first drive in the second half, capped by Washington’s 10-yard touchdown run that put the home team up, 17-14, marking the last time the Meadowlands crowd had a reason to cheer.
“It’s tough and it hurts a lot when you work so hard,” Washington said. “In December, we had the chance to control our own destiny and that’s where you want to be. We didn’t take advantage of the opportunities we had.”
The Jets lost road games to teams with losing records, dropping contests in San Francisco, Seattle and Oakland. Two of those teams made in-season coaching changes and all three were playing for nothing more than pride against the Jets. Some players pointed to the missed opportunities as the reason why the Dolphins were wearing the hats that read “AFC East Champions.”
“We took teams, not lightly, but we went into games and didn’t execute,” Washington said. “It’s hard and we are not making excuses for ourselves. We didn’t come out and play the game we needed to play. We prepared well in practice. We practice really hard but when we get into the game, we can’t translate it. That the most disappointing thing.”
http://www.nysportsday.com/news/combined/Manginis-Last-Stand-Ends-in-a-Loss.php
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