*They may be the lowest scoring team in the league. They may not have scored more than two goals in regulation in their last ten games. And their captain may not have scored a point in eleven games. But the Islanders (13-8-1), led by the steady netminding of Rick DiPietro and a team commitment to defense, have kept themselves within striking distance of first place with games at hand.
*Adding to the Isles offensive woes, the defense has failed to contribute a goal in the whole month of November. It’s no coincidence that the powerplay has gone 4-for-51 (7.8%) in that span. The Isles are now ranked 15th in the league with an 18% conversion rate after opening the season with one of the hottest units in the NHL.
*On a lighter note, it was good to see Shawn Bates back on the ice after a ten month absence. In limited ice time (5:25) in the win over Ottawa, Bates looked like he hadn’t missed a beat following his conditioning stint in Bridgeport.
Hot
Rick DiPietro (11-7-1,2.31 GAA,.911 S%) Let’s just say if it wasn’t for DiPietro these past ten games, the Isles would be sitting in the Atlantic Division basement.
Mike Sillinger (3-5=8,-3) has points in three of his last four games (2-1=3) and a +1 rating in that span. The Sillinger line has looked good of late and is poised for a breakout.
Josef Vasicek (8-3=11,+3) broke a four game mini goal scoring drought Wednesday. Prior to that, Vasicek had points in ten of twelve games.
Richard Park (3-5=8,+3) had goals in consecutive games vs. Boston and Dallas and was rewarded in the game against Ottawa with 16:08 of ice time and a third period/overtime spot on the Guerin/Comrie line.
Chris Simon (1-1=2,+/-E) may not be putting up the points just yet, but he has been spending significant time on a line with Mike Comrie and Bill Guerin. It’s only a matter of time before he puts his offensive skills to use. No better time than Thursday at The Garden.
Cold
Mike Comrie (7-11=18,-8) has lost his edge along with the rest of the "Leftover Line". Comrie is pointless with four shots and a –1 rating in his last four games.
Ruslan Fedotenko (6-7=13,-5) has just a goal and two assists to go along with a –4 rating in his last ten games.
Bill Guerin (5-6=11,-4) is pointless with a –4 rating in his last eleven games. His shootout goal Wednesday may be the beginning of the end of that.
Miroslav Satan (6-7=13,+5) is beginning to warm with points in consecutive games after a six game dry spell.
Trent Hunter (4-4=8,-8) is pointless and –2 in his last seven games, but looked good with Sillinger Wednesday.
Bryan Berard (2-3=5,-5) has just one assist and a –4 rating in his last eight games, and was scratched in favor of M.A. Bergeron Wednesday night.
Chris Campoli (2-9=11,-4) is pointless with a –3 rating in his last nine games.
M.A. Bergeron (2-5=7,-2) hasn’t scored a goal in a month and is frequently a healthy scratch. He has been unable to duplicate his pace on the Island last year. More importantly, he has lost the confidence of the coaching staff and himself. But, on the bright side, Bergeron has an assist and a +2 rating in his last three games.
Projected lines:
Simon/Park-Comrie-Guerin
Fedotenko-Vasicek-Satan
Hilbert-Sillinger-Hunter
Simon/Park-Bates-Bergenheim
Witt-Martinek
Sutton-Berard/Bergeron
Campoli-Gervais
PP1: Campoli-Berard/Bergeron-Satan-Comrie-Guerin
PP2: Sutton-Gervais-Fedotenko-Sillinger-Hunter
On the mend:
*F/D Aaron Johnson (knee) is expected to miss six weeks, retroactive 11/5.
*F Jon Sim (knee) is out for the season.
Upcoming schedule:
Thu. 11/29 @ Rangers
Sat. 12/1 vs. Atlanta
Mon. 12/3 vs. Boston
Wed. 12/5 @ Atlanta
Fri. 12/7 @ Florida
Direct questions and comments to FantasyNYI@hotmail.com.
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Sunday, November 18, 2007
Original Six Week
*The Islanders (10-6-0) have their work cut out for them this week as they take on the resurging Rangers, Canadiens, and Bruins (twice). Expect Wade Dubieliewicz to get his second start of the season Friday or Saturday against the B's.
*In the interest of getting a number of his top players going, Ted Nolan went back with the team's original lines Friday night in New Jersey. See the bottom of this post for the lineup.
*The powerplay is ranked tied for sixth in the league with a 20.9% success rate. Bryan Berard's return should push them even closer to the top.
Hot
Rick DiPietro (9-5,2.35 GAA,.910 S%) recorded his second shutout of the season Friday against New Jersey (26 saves). In his last five games, DiPietro has stopped 112 of 121 shots, good enough for a .926 S%.
Miroslav Satan (5-7=12,+6) has gone pointless in two games after an eight game point scoring streak, during which he scored five goals and six assists. Perhaps most impressive about Satan so far this year is his team leading +6 rating.
Josef Vasicek (7-3=10,+4) leads the Isles in goal scoring and has registered a point in nine of his last eleven games. Vasicek has three goals, an assist and a +3 rating over his last four games.
Richard Park (1-5=6,+1) had an assist and a + rating in five straight games, but has since gone pointless in two.
Cold
Mike Comrie (6-10=16,-5) has just one point, a goal, in his last four games. He had a -3 rating in that stretch. Comrie still leads the team with 16 points, four ahead of Satan.
Ruslan Fedotenko (5-6=11,-1) hasn't registered a point in his last four games.
Bill Guerin (5-6=11,-1) has failed to muster a point in his last five games.
Trent Hunter (4-4=8,-6) has been putting up points, but owns the team's worst +/- rating. Hunter has two assists to go along with a -4 rating in his last four.
Mike Sillinger (2-4=6,-2) has struggled to produce with any regularity thus far this season. Sillinger has just one goal in his last five games.
Bryan Berard (2-2=4,-1) hasn't registered a point in the two games since returning from a groin injury.
Chris Campoli (2-9=11,-1) has just two assists in his last seven games, but Berard's return should provide a spark. Campoli assumes the left point on the top power play unit. He leads Isles defensemen with eleven points.
M.A. Bergeron (2-4=6,-3) has been scratched the last two games in favor of Berard.
Projected lines:
Fedotenko-Comrie-Guerin
Bergenheim-Vasicek-Satan
Hilbert-Sillinger-Hunter
Simon-Park-Jackman
Witt-Martinek
Sutton-Berard
Campoli-Gervais
PP1: Campoli-Berard-Fedotenko-Comrie-Guerin
PP2: Sutton-Gervais-Hunter-Sillinger-Satan
On the mend:
*F/D Aaron Johnson (knee) is expected to miss six weeks, retroactive 11/5.
*F Shawn Bates (groin/hernia) is expected to return soon.
*F Jon Sim (knee) is out for the season.
Upcoming schedule:
Mon. 11/19 @ Rangers
Wed. 11/21 vs. Montreal
Fri. 11/23 @ Boston
Sat. 11/24 vs. Boston
Mon. 11/26 vs. Dallas
Direct questions and comments to FantasyNYI@hotmail.com.
*In the interest of getting a number of his top players going, Ted Nolan went back with the team's original lines Friday night in New Jersey. See the bottom of this post for the lineup.
*The powerplay is ranked tied for sixth in the league with a 20.9% success rate. Bryan Berard's return should push them even closer to the top.
Hot
Rick DiPietro (9-5,2.35 GAA,.910 S%) recorded his second shutout of the season Friday against New Jersey (26 saves). In his last five games, DiPietro has stopped 112 of 121 shots, good enough for a .926 S%.
Miroslav Satan (5-7=12,+6) has gone pointless in two games after an eight game point scoring streak, during which he scored five goals and six assists. Perhaps most impressive about Satan so far this year is his team leading +6 rating.
Josef Vasicek (7-3=10,+4) leads the Isles in goal scoring and has registered a point in nine of his last eleven games. Vasicek has three goals, an assist and a +3 rating over his last four games.
Richard Park (1-5=6,+1) had an assist and a + rating in five straight games, but has since gone pointless in two.
Cold
Mike Comrie (6-10=16,-5) has just one point, a goal, in his last four games. He had a -3 rating in that stretch. Comrie still leads the team with 16 points, four ahead of Satan.
Ruslan Fedotenko (5-6=11,-1) hasn't registered a point in his last four games.
Bill Guerin (5-6=11,-1) has failed to muster a point in his last five games.
Trent Hunter (4-4=8,-6) has been putting up points, but owns the team's worst +/- rating. Hunter has two assists to go along with a -4 rating in his last four.
Mike Sillinger (2-4=6,-2) has struggled to produce with any regularity thus far this season. Sillinger has just one goal in his last five games.
Bryan Berard (2-2=4,-1) hasn't registered a point in the two games since returning from a groin injury.
Chris Campoli (2-9=11,-1) has just two assists in his last seven games, but Berard's return should provide a spark. Campoli assumes the left point on the top power play unit. He leads Isles defensemen with eleven points.
M.A. Bergeron (2-4=6,-3) has been scratched the last two games in favor of Berard.
Projected lines:
Fedotenko-Comrie-Guerin
Bergenheim-Vasicek-Satan
Hilbert-Sillinger-Hunter
Simon-Park-Jackman
Witt-Martinek
Sutton-Berard
Campoli-Gervais
PP1: Campoli-Berard-Fedotenko-Comrie-Guerin
PP2: Sutton-Gervais-Hunter-Sillinger-Satan
On the mend:
*F/D Aaron Johnson (knee) is expected to miss six weeks, retroactive 11/5.
*F Shawn Bates (groin/hernia) is expected to return soon.
*F Jon Sim (knee) is out for the season.
Upcoming schedule:
Mon. 11/19 @ Rangers
Wed. 11/21 vs. Montreal
Fri. 11/23 @ Boston
Sat. 11/24 vs. Boston
Mon. 11/26 vs. Dallas
Direct questions and comments to FantasyNYI@hotmail.com.
Thursday, November 8, 2007
First for a day
*The Islanders complete their six-game home stand when the Devils come to town Saturday. Regardless of the outcome, the stretch has been a major success as the Isles went 4-1 and climbed to the top of the Atlantic Division, albeit for 24 hours.
*The powerplay units continue to fire on all cylinders. They converted eight of 29 chances (27.6%) during the home stretch, though just one for 13 in the last three games. The team is currently ranked fifth in the league (23.6%) in that department. Bryan Berard’s imminent return will only add to those numbers.
*Andy Hilbert has miraculously retained his spot on a scoring line. The winger, noted by Coach Ted Nolan for his defensive play, is a team-worst –6 with no points in twelve games while averaging 14:45. Granted, he makes the occasional heads-up play on the PK.
Hot
Rick DiPietro has won four of his last five starts, not including the Penguins game when he was knocked out of action after receiving a high stick from Sidney Crosby. DP has stopped 72 of 76 shots in his last three games, good enough for a .947 SV%. He is ranked seventh in the league in wins (7) and his 2.58 GAA and .906 SV% have been significant factors in the Isles success in the early-going.
Mike Comrie (5-10=15,-1) has scored once in his last ten games since his four goals in the home-and-home series with the Sabres. But Comrie’s playmaking abilities are really showing, as he has a goal and six assists in his last five games. Four of those seven points were scored on the powerplay.
Miroslav Satan (4-6=10,+3) opened the season with one assist in his first six games, but has since turned it on in a big way. Satan has a six-game point-scoring streak going, with four goals and five assists in that span. Only one of Satan’s points this season has come on the powerplay.
Ruslan Fedotenko (5-6=11,-1) has scored three goals and an assist in his last four games. Fedotenko is currently on pace for a 34-goal, 75-point campaign.
Trent Hunter (4-2=6,-1) has brought his ‘A’ game over the past week. After going six games without a point, Hunter has scored four points in four games, including a goal in each of his last three.
Mike Sillinger (1-4=5,-4) has finally started seeing his name on the score sheet. Sillinger had just a pair of assists over the first eight games of the season, but he has scored a goal and two assists in his last four,
Marc-Andre Bergeron (2-4=6,-1) has three points (1-2=3) in the four games since his return from being a healthy scratch. Perhaps more impressive is his +2 rating over the span.
Cold
Bill Guerin (5-6=11,-2) followed his two-game four-goal outburst with just one goal in four games, though not for a lack of trying. Guerin has taken no less than four shots in his last seven games.
Chris Campoli (2-7=9,-1) has cooled off over the last three games, though his lack of points doesn’t look so bad with a +4 rating next to it. This after notching seven assists in his prior three. For all that’s said about Berard and Bergeron, Campoli has quietly led the Isles powerplay night after night. Seven of Campoli’s nine points have come on the powerplay.
Projected lines:
Fedotenko-Comrie-Hunter
Hilbert-Sillinger-Guerin
Park-Vasicek-Satan
Simon-Walter-Jackman
Witt-Martinek
Sutton-Bergeron
Campoli-Gervais
PP1: Campoli-Bergeron-Fedotenko-Comrie-Guerin
PP2: Sutton-Gervais-Hunter-Sillinger-Satan
On the mend:
*D Bryan Berard (groin) is close to returning.
*F Sean Bergenheim (upper body) is day-to-day.
*F/D Aaron Johnson (knee) is expected to miss six weeks, retroactive 11/5.
*F Shawn Bates (groin/hernia) is expected to return soon.
*F Jon Sim (knee) is out for the season.
Upcoming schedule:
Sat. 11/10 vs. New Jersey
Mon. 11/12 @ Philadelphia
Thu. 11/15 @ Pittsburgh
Fri. 11/16 @ New Jersey
Mon. 11/19 @ Rangers
Direct questions and comments to FantasyNYI@hotmail.com.
*The powerplay units continue to fire on all cylinders. They converted eight of 29 chances (27.6%) during the home stretch, though just one for 13 in the last three games. The team is currently ranked fifth in the league (23.6%) in that department. Bryan Berard’s imminent return will only add to those numbers.
*Andy Hilbert has miraculously retained his spot on a scoring line. The winger, noted by Coach Ted Nolan for his defensive play, is a team-worst –6 with no points in twelve games while averaging 14:45. Granted, he makes the occasional heads-up play on the PK.
Hot
Rick DiPietro has won four of his last five starts, not including the Penguins game when he was knocked out of action after receiving a high stick from Sidney Crosby. DP has stopped 72 of 76 shots in his last three games, good enough for a .947 SV%. He is ranked seventh in the league in wins (7) and his 2.58 GAA and .906 SV% have been significant factors in the Isles success in the early-going.
Mike Comrie (5-10=15,-1) has scored once in his last ten games since his four goals in the home-and-home series with the Sabres. But Comrie’s playmaking abilities are really showing, as he has a goal and six assists in his last five games. Four of those seven points were scored on the powerplay.
Miroslav Satan (4-6=10,+3) opened the season with one assist in his first six games, but has since turned it on in a big way. Satan has a six-game point-scoring streak going, with four goals and five assists in that span. Only one of Satan’s points this season has come on the powerplay.
Ruslan Fedotenko (5-6=11,-1) has scored three goals and an assist in his last four games. Fedotenko is currently on pace for a 34-goal, 75-point campaign.
Trent Hunter (4-2=6,-1) has brought his ‘A’ game over the past week. After going six games without a point, Hunter has scored four points in four games, including a goal in each of his last three.
Mike Sillinger (1-4=5,-4) has finally started seeing his name on the score sheet. Sillinger had just a pair of assists over the first eight games of the season, but he has scored a goal and two assists in his last four,
Marc-Andre Bergeron (2-4=6,-1) has three points (1-2=3) in the four games since his return from being a healthy scratch. Perhaps more impressive is his +2 rating over the span.
Cold
Bill Guerin (5-6=11,-2) followed his two-game four-goal outburst with just one goal in four games, though not for a lack of trying. Guerin has taken no less than four shots in his last seven games.
Chris Campoli (2-7=9,-1) has cooled off over the last three games, though his lack of points doesn’t look so bad with a +4 rating next to it. This after notching seven assists in his prior three. For all that’s said about Berard and Bergeron, Campoli has quietly led the Isles powerplay night after night. Seven of Campoli’s nine points have come on the powerplay.
Projected lines:
Fedotenko-Comrie-Hunter
Hilbert-Sillinger-Guerin
Park-Vasicek-Satan
Simon-Walter-Jackman
Witt-Martinek
Sutton-Bergeron
Campoli-Gervais
PP1: Campoli-Bergeron-Fedotenko-Comrie-Guerin
PP2: Sutton-Gervais-Hunter-Sillinger-Satan
On the mend:
*D Bryan Berard (groin) is close to returning.
*F Sean Bergenheim (upper body) is day-to-day.
*F/D Aaron Johnson (knee) is expected to miss six weeks, retroactive 11/5.
*F Shawn Bates (groin/hernia) is expected to return soon.
*F Jon Sim (knee) is out for the season.
Upcoming schedule:
Sat. 11/10 vs. New Jersey
Mon. 11/12 @ Philadelphia
Thu. 11/15 @ Pittsburgh
Fri. 11/16 @ New Jersey
Mon. 11/19 @ Rangers
Direct questions and comments to FantasyNYI@hotmail.com.
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
Stay tuned
Stay tuned following the Rangers game for a complete fantasy rundown of the Isles. In the meantime, it's probably a safe bet to add Satan.
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