stuck on long island

How bad are the New York Islanders? After tonight's game, they will have lost 20 of their last 21 games.  Their record of 5-18-5 is the worst in the league, and the club has another high draft pick to look forward to next spring.  Losing top D-man Mark Streit for the season certainly didn't help, but even with him they would be in tough.  Rick DiPietro's 15 year contract at this point is laughable.  What concerns me the most about this team is the lack of veteran leadership for the young players, particulary John Tavares.  If you look at some of the more successful young players over the past couple years, each has had a veteran to ease them through the tough times.  Much of Steven Stamkos' success can be attributed to Gary Roberts, who helped him through a tough rookie season and turned him into one of the hardest working players in the offseason.  Crosby had Lemieux, and Shawn Horcoff's leadership in Edmonton seems to be paying off for their young stars.  If Tavares is to be the franchise player on Long Island, the team needs to build up it's veteran leadership before this bright young star loses all his confidence.

spin-omark-a

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5powwre3H8I

Here is the link to Linus Omark's flashy yet controversial first shootout attempt in the NHL.  Following the game, Martin St. Louis told the media he thought it was disrespectul.  Steve Yzerman didn't like it, neither did Doug Wilson.  Give me a break.  The only reason the shootout is part of the game is for the entertainment value.  If you really think about it, a miniature skills competition isn't the most logical way to end a hockey game after 65 minutes of hard fought action.  Don Cherry said it right on Coaches Corner, "it's a gimmick within a gimmick."  Look at the crowd's reaction, they absolutely loved it.  After the game, TSN put up a poll asking "Do players have to earn the right to be flashy?" Absolutely not.  Omark is a young kid with all the confidence in the world, and if he has the stones to pull off a move like that then good for him.  To all those Tampa players who cried foul after the game, stop whining.  This new crop of young players have a level of creativity the NHL has never seen before.  It's exciting, and the league needs to see more of it.

Flames' woes

Could things get any worse for the Calgary Flames?  After losing another close game last night to the LA Kings, the team finds itself in the basement of the Western Conference right next to the rebuilding Edmonton Oilers.  Unfortunately for the Flames, they are far from a rebuilding team.  They have the second oldest team in the league, with little help on the way in the form of prospects.  Although it may be a little early to call it quits on the season in the tightly knit Western Conference, I give this team a deadline of 10 games before they make a move.  If they can't pull it together before then and this trend of play keeps up, it would be the only logical decision.