Mike Rupp of NHL Network joins Sean & Stefen to make sense of the Islanders penchant for blowing leads and lots more.
1:59 — Experience Points! presented by Main Street Board Game Café
2:45 – Stefen kicks us off by explaining some of the bad luck the Islanders faced against Seattle last Saturday because of the goalie interference call. It’s also another game in which the Islanders blew a lead in the third period and just couldn’t hang on to get those much needed points in the standings.
4:35 – The Islanders get handed a shootout loss to the Calgary Flames, another game where the Islanders were nursing a lead and ended up losing it to a Rasmus Andersson power play goal, late in the third. The penalty kill has been a repeated issue for the team as one fatal penalty could result in the puck ending up in the back of the net, those mistakes have cost the Islanders many leads especially in the third period.
Sean Cuthbert on the Islanders playing not to lose
6:20 – Stefen states that the Islanders need to be more aggressive instead of simply defending a lead, “I think the issue is you know they get a lead in whether it’s in the first or second they got to find a way to build that lead early.”
6:40 – Sean elaborates by explaining how the lineup is snake bitten across the board, from Simon Holmstrom being unable to finish to Bo Horvat hitting the post.
7:57 – Stefen adds that the roster is inflicting unnecessary stress upon itself to be perfect across the board which contributes to their inevitable collapse.
8:16 – Same song and dance, Sean talks about how the Islanders collapsed in the late third period against the Detroit Red Wings. The Islanders were up 1-0 on the Red Wings up until a broken stick led to a Michael Rasmussen breakaway goal. A mix up in the defensive zone led to Lucas Raymond scoring the game winner with less than one-minute remaining.
9:01 – Sean elaborates and adds that the Detroit game is another example of the Islanders having one play go the wrong way and their game collapsing as a result. That broken stick ruined what really was a decent game for the Islanders. To put it bluntly, Sean states “This team can’t get out of its own way.”
9:39 – Stefen comments on how Ilya Sorokin has been outstanding for the Islanders and continues to bail them out night after night, however, both goalies have had trouble making the save where it counts.
10:17 – The guys talk about Saturday night’s win against the St. Louis Blues in which the second-line was instrumental in getting the Islanders their 5th regulation win of the season.
11:20 – After the Islanders defeated the Blues on Saturday night, the Blues fired their Head Coach, Drew Bannister, and hired free-agent coach, Jim Montgomery. Stefen adds that the Blues are in a relatively similar spot to the Islanders in their own division and that he isn’t shocked that the Blues jumped quickly on the opportunity to hire the well-regarded Montgomery.
11:50 – Stefen bestows 2500 XP to Dennis Cholowski as he has become a dependable defenseman for Patrick Roy.
12:49 – Sean gives 3462 XP to Pierre Engvall for his recent performances as he has been on a heater since his return from the AHL. However, Sean takes away XP from the team overall because of their inability to hold on to those critical 3rd period leads.
13:51 – Sean returns to a previous comment that Arthur Staple, from the Athletic, made on a recent edition of the show that the team is still “playing not to lose.”
Dennis Cholowski scores vs. the New Jersey Devils
16:44 – On The Line: Mike Rupp, NHL Network
Mike Rupp is also a Sportsnet Pittsburgh Analyst, former New York Islanders’ draft pick (1998), and Stanley Cup Champion (2003).
17:12 – Stefen asks Rupp about the Islanders being snake bitten and what he thinks about the current state of the team. Rupp explains that the team is a bit difficult to wrap his head around, the injuries certainly don’t help but they are in the group of teams that will be competing for a playoff spot rather than being a sure lock for the playoffs.
19:02 – Rupp mentions that the Islanders are still a team that shouldn’t be underestimated. He states “If other teams aren’t going to take care of business, the New York Islanders, when they need to win games I think because of the character they have in that room they’ll win those games but if you take care of business at all I think the Islanders will be a team that’s outside.”
Mike Rupp of NHL Network shares his opinions on the Islanders
19:23 – Sean asks Rupp, as a former player, what he thinks about the blown leads. Sean comments on how the frustrating narrative has carried over from Lane Lambert to Patrick Roy.
20:15 – Rupp explains that the Islanders aren’t a one-dimensional team but they are trying too hard to play a two-way game. He compares them to the fragility of the Pittsburgh Penguins in the sense that the Islanders aren’t a frail team, they have defensive structure that can carry over to the rush, but are unnecessarily trying to reinvent the wheel which is affecting their fundamentals.
21:46 – Stefen asks Rupp about Noah Dobson and his struggles in his contract year. Rupp explains Dobson is experiencing complications because he is being depended on to such a degree that he’s having trouble playing a two-way game. Rupp concludes by explaining it’s that sort of pressure that affects a young player’s ability to keep up in a competitive league and in a critical phase of their career such as the contract year.
24:30 – Sean asks Rupp about the Washington Capitals and whether their surprising start to the year is sustainable. Rupp explains they’re a mix of youth and experience and aren’t expected to compete for the top of the metro. However, he gives a shout out to Dylan Strome who has had a spectacular year with the Capitals.
26:17 – Stefen asks Rupp if, while playing for the Devils, Penguins, and Rangers, he had any favorite memories playing against the Islanders. He mentions the infamous “brawl game” and how that game was during the dark days of the Islanders franchise.
“I think the issue is they get a lead whether it’s in the first or second they got to find a way to build that lead early.”
-Stefen on the Islanders issues playing ahead
27:35 – Sean additionally asks Rupp about his experience in playing 14 games for the now defunct Danbury Trashers. Rupp remembers a conversation he had with the owner Jimmy Galante in which he explained to him that he didn’t wish to only step on the ice just to fight. Rupp comments that whenever he was sent down to the AHL, minor-league players view you “like a piece of meat, everyone wants a piece of you right? Everyone wants to take a run at you, they either want to prove that they could beat you one-on-one, maybe in a skilled way or they want to show they can beat you one-on-one with their fists.”
30:00 – Stefen asks Mike Rupp about the prevalence of fighting after a clean, but devastating hit is delivered. Rupp states that there is no “street cred lost” if there’s no retaliation but most of the time it is appropriate, as a teammate, to fight on behalf of a teammate who has been dealt a brutal, but clean, hit.
31:17 – Sean asks Rupp about how it felt to score the 2003 Stanley Cup winning goal for the New Jersey Devils. Rupp states that there is no greater feeling to score such a game-winning goal but that he really didn’t get to experience the joy of the moment as much as he wanted to as he felt that, from that game onward, he was always competing to stay in the league itself.
32:25 – However, a great message from Rupp is that while playing for Pittsburgh, even while he was playing the role of journeyman, he always had the mindset of being on equal footing with every player even if one of them is a hall of famer in Sydney Crosby. Rupp stated “I mean I’ve played with Sydney Crosby and I drove to the rink for a game and in my head I had as much of an opportunity to make an impact as him.”
34:18 – Sean concludes by asking Rupp about the recent head coaching change, in which the St. Louis Blues hired Jim Montgomery. Rupp comments that a recently hired coaching bump doesn’t always affect a team in a positive manner because it depends on the character and construction of the roster.
37:48 – What’s on Tap? presented by Centre Station Bar & Grill
38:04 – The Islanders will play another “revenge game” against the Detroit Red Wings on Monday and will look to avoid a season sweep. Stefen adds that the Islanders cannot keep on losing to netminder Alex Lyon, and “the concept of a plan” in the “Yzerplan.”
39:07 – The clear X-Factor for the Islanders against the Red Wings will be for them to strike first and build on their lead, leaving no room for error or collapse.
Stefen previews the Boston Bruins before they face the Islanders
40:14 – The Islanders will take on the Boston Bruins Wednesday. The Bruins and Islanders are in fascinating positions. Stefen explains that the Islanders, when they work as a team, clearly put in the effort needed to win but they always get in their own way. The Bruins, on the other hand, have lost their identity, Jeremy Swayman has not been as advertised, and just fired their head coach who Stefen claims “was not the issue.” The Islanders will need to take advantage of a clearly crippled and demoralized Bruins team.
41:48 – The Black Friday matinee, the Islanders will take on the Washington Capitals on Friday afternoon. The Capitals, as mentioned, have gotten off to a hot start and will look to continue that momentum without Alexander Ovechkin who is out with an injury. The Capitals, however, still have a formidable defensive structure implemented by Spencer Carbery and have a plethora of young up-and-coming players.
44:17 – The Buffalo Sabres come to town for a back-to-back matchup on Saturday night. The Sabres are third in the Atlantic and the Islanders will look to win what could be an emotional matchup as Stefen mentions “everyone should look to fight [Jordan] Greenway” who was responsible for concussing Mike Rielly. The Islanders will look to set the tone and complete the season sweep against the Sabres.
46:08 – Hero of the Week
Stefen’s Pick: Brock Nelson
46:17 – Stefen picks Brock Nelson because on Saturday night against the St. Louis Blues Brock Nelson honored 8-year old Henry Schafer’s wish, who recently battled Leukemia, of scoring what ended up being the game-winning goal. Stick taps to Henry and to #29 for such an amazing moment.
48:08 – Stefen explains what Brock Nelson means to the franchise and the fanbase as he ties John Tonelli for ninth in points in franchise history. Nelson has consistently been one of the most underrated players in the league and has consistently posted 30 goals or more in almost every season (post 2021-2022 season).
Catch the latest episode of HNiNY featuring Mike Rupp of NHL Network
Sean’s Pick: Kyle Palmieri
48:38 – Sean picks Kyle Palmieri due to his consistent play over the last couple of games as he has put the offense on his back. It further shows what this second line means for the team as Palmieri leads the team in goal scoring with nine goals after his two-goal performance against the Blues.
49:25 – Stefen mentions that Palmieri has provided genuine commentary on the team’s performance, win or lose, which is greatly appreciated by holding the team accountable for their performances.
50:17 – Sean gives a shoutout to Max Tsyplakov who has been playing very well on that second-line demonstrating his high hockey IQ. Tsyplakov and his fusion with the second-line has been vital to the team’s offense as they have clearly stepped up since Anthony Duclair and Matt Barzal are still injured.
52:01 – Welcome to the Snake Den! With Jake “The Snake” Radonis
52:46 – Jake talks prospects, yes the Islanders have those, in which he brings up Cole Eiserman’s hot streak with the BU Terriers. Eiserman has 13 points in 12 games, 9 goals and 4 assists, which makes him the bona fide sniper that the Islanders critically need down the line as they are missing that quintessential goal-scorer. Eiserman is also currently tied for the most goals in the NCAA.
54:01 – Stefen mentions how Eiserman’s coach at BU, Jay Pandolfo, explained on a podcast that Eiserman’s competitive mindset is what sets him apart from other prospects. Stefen further states that Pandolfo will be instrumental in preparing Eiserman for the NHL as Bridgeport has proven to struggle in preparing prospects for the big league.
56:40 – Jake predicts the Islanders will go 2-1-1 as the team had its struggles with the blown-leads and special team’s struggles.
57:33 – Questions Brewin’!
59:02 – What does the state of the team need to be for Lou to sell at the deadline?
1:00:35 – When Duclair, Barzal, and Pelech return, can they accommodate all three and out of those three who is the closest to returning? And if everyone eventually come back up from injury, will they have cap issues assuming that Engvall stays up?
1:03:08 – We could have easily drafted McMichael over Holmstrom. Why does it seem that we either don’t pick well or have issues with development? If we can’t hit on picks we are in trouble.
1:04:40 – Can we now start claiming that we have the “Worst 4th line in Hockey”?
1:06:47 – As fans aren’t you tired of being a middle of the road team and just making the playoffs? We have zero chance to win the cup and we aren’t bad enough to get a top pick.
1:10:36 – Has time finally caught up with Cizikas?
1:12:48 – What do you guys consider a successful season for the Islanders?
1:15:46 – When do we shake this team up? It’s been multiple years of the same thing and same players. They consistently blow leads, throw away games, have a bad PK, have a bad PP, etc. One of these big players has to go.
1:17:46 – No question, Happy Thanksgiving to the crew!
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Hockey Night in New York has returned to cover the New York Islanders all season long! Join hosts Sean Cuthbert and Stefen Rosner live from Floored Media in Rockville Centre Sundays at 8PM ET at your favorite streaming platforms! (available at YouTube, Twitch, Twitter, and Facebook)