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IslesInfo comment: All Godard did was graze Neil's forehead. If you ask me Neil put on an act over the play. The officials only assessed a double minor, not a 5 minute major. So where does the NHL come across suspending Godard?? I really have to wonder if this suspension would have been handed out to other certain teams. Islanders RW Godard suspended one game
Islanders look to grab 2-0 lead before heading home Apr 11th
Islanders took advantage of newly physical Senators Apr 10th
Apr 9th, by Tom Mascioli - Will the Ottawa fans be able to compete with Islanders fans? Last year the Nassau Coliseum was probably the loudest and most raucous arena in the NHL playoffs. The only other arena to even compare was the RBC Center in Carolina. But Ottawa fans are normally known for being quiet. Even though they often like to boo their favorite target Yashin. In fact, booing Alexei Yashin may be more important to them than actually rooting for their team. Remember the game March 15th when the Islanders came into the Corel Centre and defeated Ottawa 5-2? Yashin scored what turned out to be the game winning goal and absolutely stunned and shocked the Ottawa fans. As if they couldn't believe Yashin could actually score a goal. Well, hopefully for the Islander fans, Alexei will continue to put a lot of stunned looks on the faces of Ottawa fans. And when the series returns back to the Nassau Coliseum for Game's 3 & 4 the Islander fans will show Ottawa how real fans cheer for their team. We'll show them how loud fans can really get. Toronto fans were pretty raucous last season for the Leafs. Even more after the series returned to Toronto once their fans heard the Long Island faithful. I have my doubts about Ottawa though. Islander fans are sure to overwhelm them. Wouldn't it be nice to see an Islander crowd in Ottawa to support the team like they did on March 15th? That night the Islanders booster club bussed up to Ottawa and loudly cheered for the Islanders in their own section. I'm sure there will be a good Islander contingent there Wednesday night as it was made public that there were tickets still remaining within the last few days up in Ottawa. - "I think (Yashin's) got incentive anyway, but I think it's a little bit (bleeping) ridiculous, don't you? I mean, get over it," Milbury told New York reporters. "He held out for a little more money, and so did Michael Peca and so did a thousand other players in league history. You know (Yashin's) going to get a lot of attention on the ice, let alone off it. And how we deal with that is going to be an important factor. But to me, it's time to find a new rallying cry. I mean, can't you see it (still going on) eight years from now? (Senators fans) should have other fish to fry." - "We don't care if they boo. What difference does
it make, anyway? It's a given the fans are going to boo," said Mark
Gandler, Alexei's agent. "Look, I have no doubt that they have the
most knowledgeable fans in the NHL (in Ottawa). I know it. They watch the
game and they understand what's going to happen. But if they'd rather
waste their time by thinking about booing Alexei Yashin every time he
touches the puck rather than just watching the game, then that's their
choice. They can express themselves with hostilities if they'd like. I
say, 'Grow up and let it go. Enough already. Move on.' " Isles Coach Confident Against Senators April 8th
Senators Focused on Claiming the Cup April 8th
Preview Apr 8th, by Tom Mascioli - Can the Islanders use this to an advantage? That's what they are probably hoping. That the Senators will become SO concerned with defending against Yashin that they will open up the game to the rest of the Islanders offense. While Jacque Martin is worrying about matching up Zdeno Chara and Wade Redden against Yashin, hopefully they will forget about Jason Blake. Hopefully they will forget about Mark Parrish, who even though only notched 2 goals in his final 27 games, scored 30 last season and 23 this year. If Parrish gets hot he is a streaky goal scorer and Ottawa could be in trouble. Let's see how the two teams match up: Offense: Most would give Ottawa the edge here. If you look at it on paper, the Senators may have the most offensive minded player in the series. Marian Hossa has had a fantastic year notching 45 goals for Ottawa. He has always been an Islander killer and normally plays well at the Nassau Coliseum. And along with his 45 goals he also recorded 35 assists for 80 points. So he can dish the puck as well. But the media coverage the last couple of days has proven who the offensive focus is in this series. And that is Alexei Yashin. If he can continue his recent hot streak where he recorded 15 points(10G, 5A) in his final 8 games, into the Ottawa series then the Islanders have the single most dynamic player in the series. He can carry the Islanders on his back and even win a series for them perhaps. If his offense gets Ottawa away from playing their own game then the Islanders could be in good shape. - Ottawa has a very good supporting cast. Daniel Alfredsson is probably the best set up man on the team. Formerly Yashin's second hand man Alfredsson recorded 79 points this season along with 27 goals. Often overlooked is the speedy winger Martin Havlat who could be when he wants to be an even more explosive player than Hossa. He only had 24 goals this season and the Islanders are hoping he remains quiet for 2 more weeks. But there are others who have contributed to Ottawa's record setting season. Todd White is one of the most underrated players in the NHL. He scored more goals than Havlat with 25 this season along with 60 points. White before 2001-02 never recorded more than 13 points in a season. Last season he notched his first 20 goal season with 50 points. This year he improved once again. Though he only recorded 4 points in 12 playoff games in 2002. Radek Bonk is another player to watch. Sometimes referred to as a power forward, Bonk chipped in 22 goals and 54 points this season. The Senators also acquired Bryan Smolinski at the trade deadline from LA. On the season he has scored 21 goals. But all us Islander fans know that when the game is on the line, Smolinski normally disappears and becomes a nonfactor. - The Islanders after Yashin as we all know have a good supporting cast as well. With some of them you never know quite what you're going to get. Which makes them unpredictable. As I mentioned earlier, Mark Parrish is a very streaky goal scorer. He notched 23 this year after a long season ending drought, but he also scored 30 last year. Dave Scatchard is as gritty as they come and he led the Islanders in goals scored this year with 27. Jason Blake, who will hopefully be able to counter the speed of the Ottawa forwards, scored a career high 25 goals and 55 points. Both he and Yashin recorded more shots on goal this season than any Senator. The biggest thing to see in the series will be if captain Michael Peca can regain his scoring touch. Last year he notched 25 goals but had his playoffs ended early after the famous Darcy Tucker hit in Game 5 of the series against Toronto. This time in hopefully a full series for the Islanders leader, Peca will be able to lead with his crunching hits and chip in a few goals. He returned successfully this year probably better than anyone imagined. But he slowed down at seasons end and finished with 13 goals overall. - The Islanders have some role players in the series that can really make a difference. Perhaps the biggest will be that of Oleg Kvasha. Can he finally break out at the big moment? When it really matters? Can he be the difference that wins the Islanders a series? If Kvasha ever decided that he really wanted to play he can be unstoppable. With his size and offensive skills he can be very difficult to stop from going to the net. Kvasha can hurt the Senators, but will he want to? That is the big question. He scored 12 goals during the season. How bout 12 more in the playoffs Oleg? Yashin's other linemate, Arron Asham chipped in with 15 goals this season, a breakout year. He is another guy who can make a difference for the Isles. He scored big timely goals and plays as hard as any player. When he hits you he makes you pay. And not to forget Mr. Dramatic Shawn Bates. His numbers during the regular season were a bit down compared to last year. But he still can be dangerous after notching 13 goals and 42 points. The key will be if he can still score some big momentum charging goals for the Islanders as we have become accustomed to seeing him do in the past. - Ottawa's role players seem to have largely overachieved this season. Mike Fisher had made a place for himself at third line center. He even helped by chipping in 18 goals. But there is some questions as to whether he will be ready to play in the series. There have been reports that he is practicing. Yet there have been other reports that he has a separated shoulder. Magnus Arvedsson chipped in 16 goals this season while playing good defense and on the PK. Shaun Van Allen contributed 12 goals for the Senators as well. The Big Boys: Many questioned the physical toughness of the Ottawa Senators coming down to the trade deadline. So Ottawa GM John Muckler went out and acquired Vaclav Varada and Rob Ray from Buffalo. Will this stand up as true toughness on the part of the Senators? Varada is often known as a scrappy and chippy player who ironically helped Michael Peca shut down Alexei Yashin in a 1999 first round playoff series. Rob Ray is basically a nonfactor. He will be lucky to see more than 3 minutes a game if he plays. Ottawa will have to contend with the hard hitting styles of Peca, Scatchard, Jason Wiemer, Asham, Eric Cairns and Steve Webb. Who will Webb target this series and will he be able to goad anyone into taking penalties as he did so well last year in the Toronto series. Ottawa plans to possibly shadow Yashin with Varada. Last year we heard about how Shayne Corson was going to shadow Yashin. While he was successful for the first two games in Toronto, he was no longer successful against Yashin once the series came back to the Coliseum and Toronto lost the last line change. The Islanders need to keep an eye on former Islander Zdeno Chara. A big body on the Ottawa blue line, Chara can also be taken off his game and has a tendency to take dives. If the officials pick up on this the Islanders will have some opportunities on the power play. The only other tough guy the Senators have is Joey Tetarenko but he only saw 4 games in the regular season and most likely won't play. The Islanders should have the advantage physically over Ottawa. It will be interesting to see if they can make it a factor or if Ottawa will try and avoid the rough stuff thinking they may be able to draw the Islanders into penalties over it. But good clean hits can take a toll on a team and the Islanders may be able to wear them down. Leaders: Who is the better captain, Michael Peca or Daniel Alfredsson? Ottawa is one of the favorites to win the Cup this season, but does anyone envision Alfredsson leading them to the holy grail?? When something needs to be said, Peca is the much more stronger presence. While Peca can also deliver his words through a big hit, don't underestimate the physical play of Alfredsson though. He did knock Darcy Tucker out of their series last year with Toronto with a big hit along the boards as well. When things are on the line in a playoff series some players who don't normally play physical suddenly become just that. Yashin spent some time as captain of the Senators through the mid 90's. And Adrian Aucoin is considered the second in command in the Islanders locker room after Peca. After Alfredsson, who will step up in the Ottawa dressing room if something goes wrong? Bryan Smolinski? I don't know about that. But I can see perhaps Shaun Van Allen or maybe even Wade Redden as being their go to guys. Defense: The Senators top 6 d-men have accounted for 94 career NHL playoff games. The Islanders top 6, thanks to the trade deadline addition of Janne Niinimaa, have 104 career NHL playoff games under their belts. It may not be much more, but it does either even up the two team's defense or possibly gives the Isles a small edge. If the Islanders defense can get the type of offense they are normally known to, the Islanders have 4 top flight blue liners to throw at Ottawa. After the pairing of former Islanders' property Chara and Wade Redden, the Senators have mostly inexperience playoff wise on the backline. Karel Rachunek is a solid player and Chris Phillips is ok defensively, but nothing major for a former first overall pick. Shane Hnidy is a bit underrated as a very good defensive defenseman and Anton Volchenkov is a rookie. Volchenkov may not play Wednesday night. Veteran Curtis Leschyshyn may play in his place. I didn't count Leschyshyn in Ottawa's top 6 because at times he sat out so Volchenkov could play. Plus he was often rumored to be on the block. Yet he has seen 48 playoff games during his NHL career and changes Ottawa's playoff experience on the blue line to 142 games. Goal: This is another area where based on recent past most predictionists would go with Patrick Lalime. At time Lalime has put up outstanding statistics and could be one of the top goaltenders in the game today. He recorded one win shy of 40 this season which included 8 shutouts. He has normally had success against the Islanders and some very easy wins in the past. But on March 15th in the Islanders 5-2 win the Islanders managed to get a few by Lalime and prove they can beat him. Goal will be a huge factor for the Isles in this series. After not being the number 1 guy in the playoffs for a team in 6 years, Garth Snow will finally get his chance to shine. Only he will have to do it against arguable the best team in the league. Snow is going to have to play out of his mind. Ridiculed all season long regarding his equipment by Ranger management, Snow can just forget about all that and focus on the series at hand. He proved this year that he is even perhaps better than Chris Osgood and that is why the Islanders made the trade. Even though Garth finished one game under .500 on the season, this is a new season now. If he can out duel Lalime at the key times and get offensive support from the players in front of him, as well as defensive help in front by blocking some shots, the Islanders could make things interesting. - Ottawa's backup goaltender, Martin Prusek, has had some success against the Islanders this year, winning a game at the NVMC and also earning a tie. But in the March Islander win they managed to knock him out of the game when Peca accidentally fell on top of him. The rookie saw 18 games in net this year as Lalime's backup. For the Islanders Rick DiPietro got into 10 games this season and in the games he either won or tied looked excellent. But in the games he lost he really lost them big with a couple of them coming down in the home stretch during the playoff race. His confidence may not be very high right now even though he is perceived as having a cocky attitude. But there's always a possibility that if Snow should falter after probably the first couple of games, DiPietro could get thrown into the net. But that would be the worst case scenario.
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1998-2009 Tom Mascioli
