Sun 25 Feb 2007
Great win - quiet the hundreds of Habs fans at the Building - moving up in the world
Posted by Gary Harding under Islanders 06-07Way to go Franz!
To finally get the number of points in your NHL career off of zero, and make the first two something really special, well that is a great job!
Assisting on Jeff Tambellini’s goal (the 9,000th in Islanders history), got Franz on the point list on Roger’s esoteric (which will be on a later post). But then later in the game, with the score even, Franz gets goal number one of I hope many, many more. (God — don’t I sound like Captain Lessard in the Police academy movies?)
Anyway - another big test, and a big response from the Isles. Although they let Montreal get a goal back in this game, they stood their ground, and did not let the Habs bounce back. Ricky did a nice job - not world class, but a simple job. It is good that he is not necessarily needed to bring the A+ game every time.
It was also a great thing that the Isles did not have to rely on their top lines every game. In this one, the fourth line guys (Nielsen, Tambellini and Richard Park - otherwise known in section 317 as Kenny Wu (from Mighty Ducks 2 fame)
However, I will save my play of the game for now. 
For a defensemen who was considered to be a defensive liability (as all the media in Edmonton said), Marc-Andre Bergeron is actually credited for the save of the day! As you can see in the picture to the right - be got behind Ricky as stopped the puck from going over the line, and moving it out of harms way! He can be on this team’s blueline anytime!
What a effort.
Now to rumors. Yesterday, we were supposed to be a sure lock for Guerin. Now we are not. Yesterday, Tkachuk was on our horizon. Today, he is now an Atlanta Thrasher. The rumor mill is amazing. And now with the dealine under 48 hours away from completed, the dancing of players careers hangs in the balance. According to GM Snow, we are going to be buyers and not sellers. And now people are asking me, “Do we buy?”
Tough question. I, for one, am a big proponent of the ‘chemistry’ factor. I like this team. Remember, you get Bates and Yashin returning in the not too distant future. Will those two spoil what has been going on lately? Hard to tell. That is why this trade deadline time is one that Rolaids makes a great profit from.
This week - two ‘easy’ games, and the start of a lot of road games. I will be in DC this weekend, so I will write from the road. However, you can NOT take Philly and St. Louis lightly, even after many of their players may be changing hands.
THREE STARS OF THE GAME
- Franz Nielsen - First 2 points
- Marc-Andre Bergeron - without his save, Montreal may have got a point or even two
- Richard Park - “Kenny Wu” has another great game
GOLD STAR
- Montreal fans - they came out in bunches - and support their Habs (with the exception of the Rick DiPietro Sucks sign highlighting the first letters - which is the French Sports Cable Channel in Quebec)
TIN TWIT
- See above
February 25th, 2007 at 3:06 pm
Again, as I have stated, it’s great to see different guys stepping up. This time, it was Franz and Parks. That is the way we are going to make the playoffs. I’d rather see it be a real team effort, as opposed to one or two guys having to be the ones to carry a team. We are far more dangerous if the heroes change from day to day.
Chemistry, indeed, G. That is my biggest concern. The desire is to get some scoring punch, but you also don’t want to destroy the integrity of the team. Yashin and Bates are coming back, and I really don’t know what that will do to the line up. Add to that a new face and, well, who knows?
Lastly at this point, nothing is a given. Philadelphia and Saint Louis should not be taken for granted. Spoilers can be harder to beat than contending teams. Let us not play down to anyone or simply assume 2 points are in the bag.
February 26th, 2007 at 11:53 am
Full marks to the Islanders on this one!!
In a big game for both teams, they took it to Montreal right off the hop. They didn’t let up when they got the lead or when they retook the lead in the 2nd. They took advantage of mistakes by Bouillon and cashed them in for two goals. But, they did tend to sit back in the third, even after the Higgins goal, it sure looked as if the Habs would tie it. But, the Isles turned it on enough toward the end to slam the door and get two huge points after a major comeback win in the previous game.
Now, you can’t afford a letdown against Philly Tuesday night. Far too often, the Flyers, good or bad, come to the Coliseum and dictate the play. Can’t let that happen here. They’d like nothing more than to play spoiler.
Finally, let’s hope that play by Bergeron wasn’t the only great defensive job he’ll ever make as an Islander. People in Edmonton watching the game on Centre Ice must have been throwing bricks through their TVs (and probably heading to a Canadian chain store called The Brick to buy a new one!)