The Sound Tigers continue their Marshall-led streak into oblivion after losing their third straight. The Falcons, who are now on a four game winning streak, is continuing an impressive record that sees that 6-3-0-1 in the past 10 and 4-0-0-0 in the last 4.
Bridgeport out shot the Falcons 37 to 27, but could only manage a goal by Steve Regier in the second period. Assists came from Nielsen and Boguniecki.
This moves the Tigers to 13-15-1-3 with a three game losing streak.
Tonight, to fill the spot that Rourke had, you will see 21 year old Jamie Fraser from the South Carolina Stingrays who is on a PTO. The Stingrays are in the ECHL. He comes bearing 5 goals and 23 assists in 27 games. He briefly served with the Syracuse Crunch, but registered no points. Compare this to Rourke who had 3 goals and six assist in 29 games with the Tigers.
Oh, by the way, Rourke did score the game winning goal against the Islanders last night (refer to my last blog). By going to the Island he single handedly stopped DiPietro's shutout streak at home and forced a loss in a game with a four point swing. I am all for understanding that people make mistakes. I also understand that we had the entire game to score again and we didn't. My only point is that he had no business going up that high for a puck that was nowhere close to going in the net thereby also blocking DiPietros line of sight. Not smart.
To quickly go over tonights game, the River Rats come into town with a win and a 7-3-0-0 streak on their hands. We need to stop them and get the ball rolling on our end. It's still not too late, but we need to open our eyes and see that it will be soon.
One last thing...the article about Marshall playing music, writing music and practicing stick in hand? Save it. If you want fans to be interested put some points in the win column.
Sunday, December 31, 2006
Saturday, December 30, 2006
A Player Update
Allan Rourke has been recalled by the New York Islanders to replace Radek Martinek who is out for four weeks.
As of this writing Allan has scored already...for the New Jersey Devils. Allan put his hand up to block a shot that was well above his head (meaning it was going to clear the net EASILY, it was nowhere near going in) and he knocked it down past DiPietro and in for the New Jersey Devils.
Allan, as you may remember, is one of the defensemen for the Tigers who has done little on the defensive end. Apparently, the Carolina Hurricanes thought the same thing I do of his talents as they got rid of him after a brief stint.
As of this writing Allan has scored already...for the New Jersey Devils. Allan put his hand up to block a shot that was well above his head (meaning it was going to clear the net EASILY, it was nowhere near going in) and he knocked it down past DiPietro and in for the New Jersey Devils.
Allan, as you may remember, is one of the defensemen for the Tigers who has done little on the defensive end. Apparently, the Carolina Hurricanes thought the same thing I do of his talents as they got rid of him after a brief stint.
The Wolf Pack Does What The Rangers Can't
The Wolf Pack defeated the Tigers last night with a score of 3 - 2. This is more than the Rangers can muster as they have been 0 - 3 with the Islanders thus far this year. That being said, this sucks the Tigers under the .500 mark to 13 - 14 - 1 - 3 and a ten game streak of 3 - 7- 0 - 0.
Mark Wotton (his first) and Jeff Tambellini (16 - 14 - 30) scored the only goals for the Tigers with assists coming from Boguniecki, Nolan and Nielsen. The problem, as it has been for some time, was a lack of defense (we had 33 shots against) and a no-show offense (only 22 shots from us). I must admit, however, that the Tigers did not look bad tonight. They appeared to be one step closer to working as a team and showed no signs of giving up. It was encouraging.
If you were in the arena, and listened at several times during the game, the calls for Marshalls ouster are growing louder and coming from more people. Take some time to look at the impressive stats of all the players brought in at the beginning of the year, and then look at them now. It is rare that you see such a group of talented individuals drop so low when put together as a team.
I was speaking with "Silent Bob", one of my guest bloggers, and he brought up a great point. If this were back in the Mike Milbury days, Dan Marshall would have been gone already. Mike had a way with getting rid of the anchors that weighed us down. Mike, could you come back for a guest appearance just to get us someone who can coach? Those of us who saw Ted Nolan in the stands were hoping he would be called in to sub for this game.
The thing that few seem to have acknowledged is that Nolan is putting together a world class hockey team. Thus far, however, Marshall has done little, to nothing, to do the same. If the Tigers are supposed to be the pool that the Islanders pull from this is truly handicapping Nolan. I know that Ted would never hang his organization out to dry and admit that, but that's because he is a classy guy whose sole purpose is to win hockey games and he has to rely on Dan doing his job (which he is not).
During an Islanders game one night they had an interview with Radek Martinek and they asked him why he came out of his shell this year and is playing so well. He stated that Nolan has a way of coaching that makes you want to play better and he makes them feel like a team. For those of you naysayers who say that the coach doesn't have that much of an impact and that it is solely the players need only look at the Islanders to start eating your crow. It's time for Dan to go.
One final question, and I would love to hear from someone who can answer this, is why did he leave Mole in the game last night? Mole did a great job, and I am not saying he should have been pulled, but Dan pulled Thompson under the same circumstances less than a week ago. I would love to understand why he does what he does.
Well, let's see how we do against the Falcons this evening. The Phantoms are only 4 points behind us and we play the River Rats on Sunday and they are 4 point ahead of us. We need some victories. We are 12th in the division and only 5 points out of 8th place. The problem is tha those 5 points are looking awfully big right now.
Mark Wotton (his first) and Jeff Tambellini (16 - 14 - 30) scored the only goals for the Tigers with assists coming from Boguniecki, Nolan and Nielsen. The problem, as it has been for some time, was a lack of defense (we had 33 shots against) and a no-show offense (only 22 shots from us). I must admit, however, that the Tigers did not look bad tonight. They appeared to be one step closer to working as a team and showed no signs of giving up. It was encouraging.
If you were in the arena, and listened at several times during the game, the calls for Marshalls ouster are growing louder and coming from more people. Take some time to look at the impressive stats of all the players brought in at the beginning of the year, and then look at them now. It is rare that you see such a group of talented individuals drop so low when put together as a team.
I was speaking with "Silent Bob", one of my guest bloggers, and he brought up a great point. If this were back in the Mike Milbury days, Dan Marshall would have been gone already. Mike had a way with getting rid of the anchors that weighed us down. Mike, could you come back for a guest appearance just to get us someone who can coach? Those of us who saw Ted Nolan in the stands were hoping he would be called in to sub for this game.
The thing that few seem to have acknowledged is that Nolan is putting together a world class hockey team. Thus far, however, Marshall has done little, to nothing, to do the same. If the Tigers are supposed to be the pool that the Islanders pull from this is truly handicapping Nolan. I know that Ted would never hang his organization out to dry and admit that, but that's because he is a classy guy whose sole purpose is to win hockey games and he has to rely on Dan doing his job (which he is not).
During an Islanders game one night they had an interview with Radek Martinek and they asked him why he came out of his shell this year and is playing so well. He stated that Nolan has a way of coaching that makes you want to play better and he makes them feel like a team. For those of you naysayers who say that the coach doesn't have that much of an impact and that it is solely the players need only look at the Islanders to start eating your crow. It's time for Dan to go.
One final question, and I would love to hear from someone who can answer this, is why did he leave Mole in the game last night? Mole did a great job, and I am not saying he should have been pulled, but Dan pulled Thompson under the same circumstances less than a week ago. I would love to understand why he does what he does.
Well, let's see how we do against the Falcons this evening. The Phantoms are only 4 points behind us and we play the River Rats on Sunday and they are 4 point ahead of us. We need some victories. We are 12th in the division and only 5 points out of 8th place. The problem is tha those 5 points are looking awfully big right now.
Tuesday, December 26, 2006
Kyle and Tigers and Bears...Oh My!
Kyle Wilson scored two goals on 5 shots to lead the Hershey Bears to a 6 - 3 victory over the Tigers.
The Tigers showed flashes of brilliance in their loss to the Bears tonight at the Harbor Yard Arena. Despite never having the led the game, the Tigers appeared as though a comeback and a victory was possible through most of the game. With the Bears up 3 - 1 (the first Tiger goal put up by Frans Nielsen) Drew Fata and Jason Pitton scored to tie the game at 3 - 3. This, however, is where it all seemed to come apart. It should be noted that even though the score shows a somewhat lopsided victory, the Bears could not be accused of blatantly outplaying the Tigers. In fact, the Tigers looked strong in their passing game with the real weakness still being on defense.
One big thing that raised an eyebrow was the pulling of Billy Thompson with 3 minutes to go in the first period after the Bears had only three points on the board. I would question the judgement of Marshall on this one as two of those goals were clearly slips in the defense and only one could be shown to be a misjudgement by Billy. Many hanging in the same tree with me agreed that this was uncalled for, and probably not a real ego booster for Billy. I fully understand why one pulls a goalie, but there were two periods left, only three points for the opposing team and it could have easily waited until the intermission.
In the end, I think some things are still clear. First, the defense still needs work to keep pressure off the goalie. Thompson was pulled tonight and Mole didn't do much better. Who can expect them to when they are at the wrong end of a shooting gallery? Two, the offense seems to be getting better. They are passing better, showing hustle and they did keep the puck in the Hershey end for a commendable period of time. It's ironic how we do well against top ranked teams, yet do not against the bottom rung. My coach used to call that 'playing to the level of your opponent'. Three, there is too much talent to have this little unity this far into the season. The chants of "Dan must go" were heard at the end of the game and I agree. Perhaps he is the one who should be sent to Pensacola.
On a final note, we did not see Koalska tonight. He was released by Hershey and we probably won't be seeing him anytime soon. It's too bad. He was a solid player, a genuine person and great with kids. Good luck, Matt, we'll miss you.
The Tigers showed flashes of brilliance in their loss to the Bears tonight at the Harbor Yard Arena. Despite never having the led the game, the Tigers appeared as though a comeback and a victory was possible through most of the game. With the Bears up 3 - 1 (the first Tiger goal put up by Frans Nielsen) Drew Fata and Jason Pitton scored to tie the game at 3 - 3. This, however, is where it all seemed to come apart. It should be noted that even though the score shows a somewhat lopsided victory, the Bears could not be accused of blatantly outplaying the Tigers. In fact, the Tigers looked strong in their passing game with the real weakness still being on defense.
One big thing that raised an eyebrow was the pulling of Billy Thompson with 3 minutes to go in the first period after the Bears had only three points on the board. I would question the judgement of Marshall on this one as two of those goals were clearly slips in the defense and only one could be shown to be a misjudgement by Billy. Many hanging in the same tree with me agreed that this was uncalled for, and probably not a real ego booster for Billy. I fully understand why one pulls a goalie, but there were two periods left, only three points for the opposing team and it could have easily waited until the intermission.
In the end, I think some things are still clear. First, the defense still needs work to keep pressure off the goalie. Thompson was pulled tonight and Mole didn't do much better. Who can expect them to when they are at the wrong end of a shooting gallery? Two, the offense seems to be getting better. They are passing better, showing hustle and they did keep the puck in the Hershey end for a commendable period of time. It's ironic how we do well against top ranked teams, yet do not against the bottom rung. My coach used to call that 'playing to the level of your opponent'. Three, there is too much talent to have this little unity this far into the season. The chants of "Dan must go" were heard at the end of the game and I agree. Perhaps he is the one who should be sent to Pensacola.
On a final note, we did not see Koalska tonight. He was released by Hershey and we probably won't be seeing him anytime soon. It's too bad. He was a solid player, a genuine person and great with kids. Good luck, Matt, we'll miss you.
Sunday, December 24, 2006
The Third Is The Charm
The third period was the charm last night as the Tigers were outplayed and outhustled in the first and only slightly recovering in the second. The third, though...the third was the charm. They got a well deseserved victory over the Monarchs 2 - 1.
The game started off with the Monarchs giving a passing and skating seminar. They moved fluidly and their passes were crisp and clean. The Tigers seemed to find a solution for that in the second and the third was spent with the Monarchs struggling to keep the Tigers at bay. Over time was all Tigers with Nielsen putting in the game winner with a little over 6 seconds left. The Tigers truly deserved this one. They fought hard.
The final stats still showed the Tigers being outshot 30 - 27, but the boys managed to put up some plusses in the plus/minus column. Jeremy Colliton put the other puck in the net for the Tigers.
Justice was done this time, however, as the three stars included Billy Thompson who took the pounding and came out on top. Also, a small tip of the hat goes to Rick "Franken" Berry for managing only two minutes in the penalty box despite some great checking. I also need to give a wink to Drew "God" Fata for clearly besting Tim Jackman in a healthy round of fisticuffs. Lastly, a temporary farewell to Ogorodnikov and he heads down to Pensacola.
It should be noted in the diatribe, that the calls for Marshalls ouster have not died down. This team is clearly able to play as they did in the third period, and overtime, with consistency. A good coach could make that happen.
The game started off with the Monarchs giving a passing and skating seminar. They moved fluidly and their passes were crisp and clean. The Tigers seemed to find a solution for that in the second and the third was spent with the Monarchs struggling to keep the Tigers at bay. Over time was all Tigers with Nielsen putting in the game winner with a little over 6 seconds left. The Tigers truly deserved this one. They fought hard.
The final stats still showed the Tigers being outshot 30 - 27, but the boys managed to put up some plusses in the plus/minus column. Jeremy Colliton put the other puck in the net for the Tigers.
Justice was done this time, however, as the three stars included Billy Thompson who took the pounding and came out on top. Also, a small tip of the hat goes to Rick "Franken" Berry for managing only two minutes in the penalty box despite some great checking. I also need to give a wink to Drew "God" Fata for clearly besting Tim Jackman in a healthy round of fisticuffs. Lastly, a temporary farewell to Ogorodnikov and he heads down to Pensacola.
It should be noted in the diatribe, that the calls for Marshalls ouster have not died down. This team is clearly able to play as they did in the third period, and overtime, with consistency. A good coach could make that happen.
Saturday, December 23, 2006
OK, Can Dan Marshall Go Now...PLEASE?!?!
After two terrible losses, one to the Admirals and one to the Penguins, the Tigers are on a collision course with the Phantoms and Senators for last place. Oddly enough the Senators have already taken us to the cleaners on a number of occasions this year already.
Over the past two games the Tigers have only scored 3 goals versus having 12 scored against. This, along with having no one in the "plus" side of the plus/minus, has been a devastating road that leads away from the playoffs. The positive side is that this will eliminate any post season stress.
Good grief, even Tambellini had a bad game last night. That is a true harbinger of bad tidings.
Just a quick review. This drops us to a .500 win/loss record at 12-12-1-3, gives us a streak of 0-3-0-0 and in the past 10 we have 4-6-0-0.
It's not for lack of talent as we appear to be overflowing with it (no sarcasm intended). What we lack is anyone who can pull it together. I've called for it before and I will ask for it again...please let go of Dan Marshall.
All I want for Christmas is new coach, a new coach, a new coach. All I want for Christmas is a new coach so we have a shot at the playoffs.
Over the past two games the Tigers have only scored 3 goals versus having 12 scored against. This, along with having no one in the "plus" side of the plus/minus, has been a devastating road that leads away from the playoffs. The positive side is that this will eliminate any post season stress.
Good grief, even Tambellini had a bad game last night. That is a true harbinger of bad tidings.
Just a quick review. This drops us to a .500 win/loss record at 12-12-1-3, gives us a streak of 0-3-0-0 and in the past 10 we have 4-6-0-0.
It's not for lack of talent as we appear to be overflowing with it (no sarcasm intended). What we lack is anyone who can pull it together. I've called for it before and I will ask for it again...please let go of Dan Marshall.
All I want for Christmas is new coach, a new coach, a new coach. All I want for Christmas is a new coach so we have a shot at the playoffs.
Monday, December 18, 2006
A Quick Note on Transactions
The Sound Tigers have recalled D Jason Goulet from Pensacola of the ECHL.
Ouch - The Tigers Lose to the Admirals.
The Tigers fell to 12-10-1-3 on the worst showing of the defense in quite some time. The Tigers allowed a season high 46 shots and lost to the Admirals 3 - 1. Has anyone considered giving Billy Thompson a raise for being the only one on the defense to show up?
I guess the offense didn't really do much better posting only 1 goal with 33 shots. It's really sad when more stuffed bears make it into the net than do pucks.
The long and short of this game is that the Tigers shined like a supernova in the first period, seemingly extending their great play from last game, then died. Anyone care to guess who had a team high 5 shots and an assist? All who screamed Tambellini are correct!
The only other person who is as consistent as Tambellini is Regier with his terrible play. It was noted, with some anger, that he had at least 6 turnovers in the game. This along with terribly lethargic play and one shot. He was even spotted redirecting a shot in front of the net, that was truly a gimme, putting it wide.
In the past ten games our record of 4-5-1-0 has only been surpassed by the lowly Phantoms at 3-7-0-0.
It's time for Dan Marshall and Steve Regier to go with my opposable thumbs holding the door.
I guess the offense didn't really do much better posting only 1 goal with 33 shots. It's really sad when more stuffed bears make it into the net than do pucks.
The long and short of this game is that the Tigers shined like a supernova in the first period, seemingly extending their great play from last game, then died. Anyone care to guess who had a team high 5 shots and an assist? All who screamed Tambellini are correct!
The only other person who is as consistent as Tambellini is Regier with his terrible play. It was noted, with some anger, that he had at least 6 turnovers in the game. This along with terribly lethargic play and one shot. He was even spotted redirecting a shot in front of the net, that was truly a gimme, putting it wide.
In the past ten games our record of 4-5-1-0 has only been surpassed by the lowly Phantoms at 3-7-0-0.
It's time for Dan Marshall and Steve Regier to go with my opposable thumbs holding the door.
Saturday, December 16, 2006
The Tigers Dominate the Devils
Jeff Tambellini came out, got a hat trick on 5 shots, posted 4 total points, got a +3, and led the Tigers in a total domination over the Devils. In all honesty, the score of 6 - 4 was not a true indication of how the Tigers played. If not for Mole letting in three seemingly simple goals, this would have been a 6 - 1 romp.
Stunning performances were also in place from Nielsen and Nilsson, both with 3 points on the night and +2 and +3 respectively. Robert also took home the 2nd star of the night.
The person who didn't seem to get the credit he deserves is Billy Thompson. Billy came in with 8 minutes left in the first period, posted 25 saves and only allowed 1 goal.
Overall the Tigers showed some much needed moxy tonight giving several good shifts in the first period and then playing well above their normal level in the 2nd and 3rd. If the Tigers can put a couple of these together the playoff picture may start to change.
All that being said I would like to personally thank my beloved Islanders (who trounced the Thrashers 6 - 0 this evening - Yay!) for the following player blunders that worked in the Tiger's favor:
They sent down Tambellini (15-12-27 with a +9) to keep Hilbert (2-5-7).
They sent down Comeau (7-14-21) to keep Boguniecki (0-0-0 Islanders, 3-5-8 Tigers with a -10)
and they didn't take Nilsson (7-15-22 with a +5) but did take "bad attitude" Campoli (3-3-6 with a -11)
Go Tigers!!
Stunning performances were also in place from Nielsen and Nilsson, both with 3 points on the night and +2 and +3 respectively. Robert also took home the 2nd star of the night.
The person who didn't seem to get the credit he deserves is Billy Thompson. Billy came in with 8 minutes left in the first period, posted 25 saves and only allowed 1 goal.
Overall the Tigers showed some much needed moxy tonight giving several good shifts in the first period and then playing well above their normal level in the 2nd and 3rd. If the Tigers can put a couple of these together the playoff picture may start to change.
All that being said I would like to personally thank my beloved Islanders (who trounced the Thrashers 6 - 0 this evening - Yay!) for the following player blunders that worked in the Tiger's favor:
They sent down Tambellini (15-12-27 with a +9) to keep Hilbert (2-5-7).
They sent down Comeau (7-14-21) to keep Boguniecki (0-0-0 Islanders, 3-5-8 Tigers with a -10)
and they didn't take Nilsson (7-15-22 with a +5) but did take "bad attitude" Campoli (3-3-6 with a -11)
Go Tigers!!
Sunday, December 10, 2006
Guest Writer: SILENT BOB
A blog has come in from one of the Tiger faithful: Silent Bob
Sound Tigers Play Less Like Kittens
He will be doing guest appearances with the Hockey Monkey to make more opinions known!
What a game on Wednesday night!! A great win in OT! The best take away from the game wasn’t the 2 points, the team played great physical hockey. Rick Berry threw an awesome hip check in the second period. He really stepped up his physical presence throughout the game. The entire team did! It probably led to Comeau being called the next day. That being said, how often have we as fans said that the guys need to play more physical? It seems as though they control the game, or are at least more into the game when they’re laying out more hits. I don’t need to see more fighting, but a good hard body check will let the other team know that we’re not getting pushed around. The only players consistently taking the body this season have been Blake Comeau and Masi Marjamaki. Too often an opposing player has hit our goalie and we did nothing about it. I’d rather take a minor penalty and show the other team that we stand up for our own guys than allow some cheap shot artist like Bonvie to take extra shots. Create a presence on the ice. Its too bad that it took Ted Nolan showing up at the game to get that type of reaction. In either the first or second season, former Isles GM Mike Millbury was scouting the game. We were playing the Wolfpack, final game of the season. First place in the conference was on the line. Raffi Torres hit each Wolfpack player on his first shift, as though he was trying to put them through the glass. Definitely sent a message. Too bad it took a high ranking member of the organization to show up to get that kind of effort. Most games are seen by scouts and higher ranking Isles officials. Play like that every night! That being said, keep up the physical play! We love it!
Sound Tigers Play Less Like Kittens
He will be doing guest appearances with the Hockey Monkey to make more opinions known!
What a game on Wednesday night!! A great win in OT! The best take away from the game wasn’t the 2 points, the team played great physical hockey. Rick Berry threw an awesome hip check in the second period. He really stepped up his physical presence throughout the game. The entire team did! It probably led to Comeau being called the next day. That being said, how often have we as fans said that the guys need to play more physical? It seems as though they control the game, or are at least more into the game when they’re laying out more hits. I don’t need to see more fighting, but a good hard body check will let the other team know that we’re not getting pushed around. The only players consistently taking the body this season have been Blake Comeau and Masi Marjamaki. Too often an opposing player has hit our goalie and we did nothing about it. I’d rather take a minor penalty and show the other team that we stand up for our own guys than allow some cheap shot artist like Bonvie to take extra shots. Create a presence on the ice. Its too bad that it took Ted Nolan showing up at the game to get that type of reaction. In either the first or second season, former Isles GM Mike Millbury was scouting the game. We were playing the Wolfpack, final game of the season. First place in the conference was on the line. Raffi Torres hit each Wolfpack player on his first shift, as though he was trying to put them through the glass. Definitely sent a message. Too bad it took a high ranking member of the organization to show up to get that kind of effort. Most games are seen by scouts and higher ranking Isles officials. Play like that every night! That being said, keep up the physical play! We love it!
Another Loss to Binghamton
Although the Tigers lead the series 3 games to 2, this has been an ugly series which should see the Tigers with 5 wins. The lowly Senators at 8-15-1-2 really shouldn't even be a competitor to us at this point.
This game saw Billy Thompson get pulled, the Mole stop 18 shots (giving up none), Tambellini break his point streak, Nolan's kid get an assist and the two players considered less than respectable, Regier and Campoli, scoring. It was almost like watching the Bizarro Tigers.
The Tigers were outshot in the game by the Senators, once again putting into question the defense, seeing a period where the Tigers were outshot 16 - 3.
When is it going to get through that things just aren't gelling? The Tigers are 13 points behind first place, 12 points behind second and 11 points behind third. This leaves them in 5th place in the East Division and 10th place in the Eastern Conference. Even this early in the season those are tough numbers to make up, especially when the top three show no signs of slowing down.
On a 1 - 10 scale, the team gets a 7 banana rating for talent (pulling Regier and Campoli and replacing them with two other players, ANY other players, would raise it at least 1 banana) and Dan Marshall gets a 3 banana rating. He has to at least get a couple of bananas for having a winning record.
This game saw Billy Thompson get pulled, the Mole stop 18 shots (giving up none), Tambellini break his point streak, Nolan's kid get an assist and the two players considered less than respectable, Regier and Campoli, scoring. It was almost like watching the Bizarro Tigers.
The Tigers were outshot in the game by the Senators, once again putting into question the defense, seeing a period where the Tigers were outshot 16 - 3.
When is it going to get through that things just aren't gelling? The Tigers are 13 points behind first place, 12 points behind second and 11 points behind third. This leaves them in 5th place in the East Division and 10th place in the Eastern Conference. Even this early in the season those are tough numbers to make up, especially when the top three show no signs of slowing down.
On a 1 - 10 scale, the team gets a 7 banana rating for talent (pulling Regier and Campoli and replacing them with two other players, ANY other players, would raise it at least 1 banana) and Dan Marshall gets a 3 banana rating. He has to at least get a couple of bananas for having a winning record.
Thursday, December 7, 2006
The Bleeding May Start Again
Comeau is being called up to the Island and will play against the Canadiens. Nolan called him the best player on the ice against the Senators the other night.
Blake has 7 goals and 14 assists in 23 games.
Nolan said Comeau will start tonight's game against the Canadiens on the fourth line. "Everything after that," said the coach, "will depend on how Blake performs."
I understand that my beloved Islanders use the Sound Tigers to replenish their ranks, but I just hope that the Tigers can keep losing top players and still remain contenders.
Good luck Blake!
Blake has 7 goals and 14 assists in 23 games.
Nolan said Comeau will start tonight's game against the Canadiens on the fourth line. "Everything after that," said the coach, "will depend on how Blake performs."
I understand that my beloved Islanders use the Sound Tigers to replenish their ranks, but I just hope that the Tigers can keep losing top players and still remain contenders.
Good luck Blake!
Mike Mole Coming from the ECHL
Mike Mole is coming up from Pensacola in his second call up.
You may remember him as the goalie who earned first star honors against the Hershey Bears earlier in the season. He denied all attempts from the Bears in a shootout and earned the win.
You may remember him as the goalie who earned first star honors against the Hershey Bears earlier in the season. He denied all attempts from the Bears in a shootout and earned the win.
Wednesday, December 6, 2006
The Tigers Take it in Overtime
The odds are you could have called this one before it started. The Tigers had to force an overtime and Tambellini scores another point. Wow! Who would have seen that coming?
The Tigers looked markedly better tonight as the teamwork shined. They had hustle, they had passing and they had more shots than the Senators. They honestly looked like they are starting to come together. Granted, it was against their last place division rivals, but you have to give the Tigers a ton of credit.
Tambellini, Comeau and Colliton scored for the Tigers, with Tambellini getting the game winner in overtime. In the plus/minus category you had Fata with +2, Comeau with +2 and Berry with +3. One of the true, unappreciated stars of the night was Dube who seemed to magically be stopping most everything that came his way. I can't emphasize it enough, they are starting to look like a team.
It's only a quarter of the way through the season guys, plenty of time to go. Let's make it happen!
The Tigers looked markedly better tonight as the teamwork shined. They had hustle, they had passing and they had more shots than the Senators. They honestly looked like they are starting to come together. Granted, it was against their last place division rivals, but you have to give the Tigers a ton of credit.
Tambellini, Comeau and Colliton scored for the Tigers, with Tambellini getting the game winner in overtime. In the plus/minus category you had Fata with +2, Comeau with +2 and Berry with +3. One of the true, unappreciated stars of the night was Dube who seemed to magically be stopping most everything that came his way. I can't emphasize it enough, they are starting to look like a team.
It's only a quarter of the way through the season guys, plenty of time to go. Let's make it happen!
Ted Nolan's Kid is a Tiger!
Ted Nolan's son Brandon played in the game for the Tigers tonight and it looks like he will be around for awhile. He was at the "Skate with the Players" night in Shelton on Monday and signing autographs. Speculation was running through the stands tonight as to who was pulling what strings to get him there. It's tough being the coach's son.
In his defense, he played decent tonight. A little more time to practice with the team and he should blend in just fine. He had a plus/minus of -1 while tallying 2 penalty minutes. Ted was even there to watch his son and was signing autographs.
Good luck, Brandon! I hope you are as successful with the team as your dad is with the Islanders!
In his defense, he played decent tonight. A little more time to practice with the team and he should blend in just fine. He had a plus/minus of -1 while tallying 2 penalty minutes. Ted was even there to watch his son and was signing autographs.
Good luck, Brandon! I hope you are as successful with the team as your dad is with the Islanders!
Colliton is Back!
Colliton is back from his stint to the Island and looking good! No word as of yet as to if he will go back to the Island for their game against Montreal.
Monday, December 4, 2006
Colliton Goes to the Island
Colliton is going to the Island to help out an injured Trent Hunter. This is a chance Jeremy has earned and he truly deserves. Good luck, Jeremy!
Sunday, December 3, 2006
The Blackhawks Profit from the Tigers Loss
Jeff Hamilton got the first star of the day from the NHL as he scored a hat trick for the Chicago Blackhawks. He wound up scoring a career high 3 goals against the Predators including a game winner in overtime.
Great job, Jeff! Wanna come back and make a guest appearance for the rest of our season?
Great job, Jeff! Wanna come back and make a guest appearance for the rest of our season?
The Offense Improves, but the Tigers Falter
The Tigers lost a tough one to the Monarchs tonight with a sccore of 5 - 3. Colliton, Nielsen and Nolan scored and Billy Thompson was the netminder. The good news? The Tigers are starting to oushoot their opponents with some reguarity, tonight doing so 36 - 33.
This snaps a two game winning streak and puts the Monarchs at similar stats with 10 wins and 8 losses.
The big question that still remains is "Are we going to improve our defense anytime soon?"
This snaps a two game winning streak and puts the Monarchs at similar stats with 10 wins and 8 losses.
The big question that still remains is "Are we going to improve our defense anytime soon?"
Two In a Row
The Tigers sparked a victory againsts the Devils to bring their winning streak to 2 and put themselves 1 point behind the Devils with 2 games in hand. The defense still hasn't proven itself as this was the 8th overtime in 21 games with Dube having to field 34 shots.
The bright spots were Campoli, who finally appears to be earning his keep, Dube, who appears to be staying strong under heavy pressure, and Tambellini who has an impressive streak of having scored at least one point in the last eight games.
Remind me again why the Islanders kept Hilbert and sent Tambellini down?
Let's not leave without discussing the anomaly of the defense. The Tigers have the league-best penalty killing unit, yet still seem to be struggling 5 0n 5 as the Tigers were again outshot, this time by 10.
To this primate it appears that the offense appears to be ramping up while the defense is in neutral (in 5 on 5, that is). That being said, they pulled out a victory, their second in a row, and that is something to talk about.
We're proud of you Tigers...let's keep moving in this direction!
The bright spots were Campoli, who finally appears to be earning his keep, Dube, who appears to be staying strong under heavy pressure, and Tambellini who has an impressive streak of having scored at least one point in the last eight games.
Remind me again why the Islanders kept Hilbert and sent Tambellini down?
Let's not leave without discussing the anomaly of the defense. The Tigers have the league-best penalty killing unit, yet still seem to be struggling 5 0n 5 as the Tigers were again outshot, this time by 10.
To this primate it appears that the offense appears to be ramping up while the defense is in neutral (in 5 on 5, that is). That being said, they pulled out a victory, their second in a row, and that is something to talk about.
We're proud of you Tigers...let's keep moving in this direction!
Saturday, December 2, 2006
Still Little Sign of Teamwork
It looks like we finally won one at home and showed a hint of teamwork. A small hint. This came with a win over the Admirals on Nov. 29th. The score should have been alot higher.
The good side is that the Tigers appear to be putting more shots on the board by outshooting the Admirals 37 - 33 and were a stunning 4 for 9 on power plays.
To this fan there still remains to be seen strong scoring potential or any signs of defense. Granted, the Tigers came back from a 2 - 0 deficit, but they shouldn't have to.
It's time to toughen up the D and to put someone other than Regier in front of the opposing goalie. I have heard that Steve is one of the team's big name players, but that's not hard when all you do is stand around and wait for the puck.
The good side is that the Tigers appear to be putting more shots on the board by outshooting the Admirals 37 - 33 and were a stunning 4 for 9 on power plays.
To this fan there still remains to be seen strong scoring potential or any signs of defense. Granted, the Tigers came back from a 2 - 0 deficit, but they shouldn't have to.
It's time to toughen up the D and to put someone other than Regier in front of the opposing goalie. I have heard that Steve is one of the team's big name players, but that's not hard when all you do is stand around and wait for the puck.
Let the Bleeding Continue - Aquino is Gone
Can you believe it? I can't. Luch Aquino, perhaps the fastest skater on the Tigers is gone.
Luch was assinged to the East Coast Hockey League affiliate Pensacola. Aquino has two goals and an assist for three points, along with six penalty minutes in 13 games with the Sound Tigers this season.
Luch didn't have the scoring touch, or points total, of other players, but he was the fastest thing on ice. Often you would see him outskating defensive men who had a healthy jump on him.
I find it amazing that Ted Nolan took a rag tag group of people predicted to be in last place and made them into a legitimate contender and Dan Marshall has taken a group of highly talented individuals and removed any signs of contention.
Marshall must go.
Luch was assinged to the East Coast Hockey League affiliate Pensacola. Aquino has two goals and an assist for three points, along with six penalty minutes in 13 games with the Sound Tigers this season.
Luch didn't have the scoring touch, or points total, of other players, but he was the fastest thing on ice. Often you would see him outskating defensive men who had a healthy jump on him.
I find it amazing that Ted Nolan took a rag tag group of people predicted to be in last place and made them into a legitimate contender and Dan Marshall has taken a group of highly talented individuals and removed any signs of contention.
Marshall must go.
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
Another Blogger Chimes In On The Tigers
Here is a blog that comes from Newsday. I don't buy everything he says, but it makes for good reading about the Islanders. This weeks comments are in regard to the Sound Tigers. I would be remiss if I didn't comment:
I agree with many things he says, but taking a quick poll of some fans shows that few people think Campoli should be on skates let alone an Islander. Rumors swirl around his anger at being sent down from the Island and it has been obvious in his puck play that he doesn't want to be here. Nilsson and Tambellini deserve all the accolades they receive. We may not have a Crosby or Malkin, but few teams do, and with the salary caps who knows how long the Penguins will hold on to both plus keep guys like Staal?
Give me Robert and Jeff anytime but let the Campolis of the world pout elsewhere.
http://weblogs.newsday.com/sports/hockey/islanders/blog/
I agree with many things he says, but taking a quick poll of some fans shows that few people think Campoli should be on skates let alone an Islander. Rumors swirl around his anger at being sent down from the Island and it has been obvious in his puck play that he doesn't want to be here. Nilsson and Tambellini deserve all the accolades they receive. We may not have a Crosby or Malkin, but few teams do, and with the salary caps who knows how long the Penguins will hold on to both plus keep guys like Staal?
Give me Robert and Jeff anytime but let the Campolis of the world pout elsewhere.
http://weblogs.newsday.com/sports/hockey/islanders/blog/
Bouchard Goes Too
Will it never end? Will we lose all of our decent players?
Wade's in a slump, Billy has no offense to get the puck away from him, Regier is still the most overrated player on the team, Wotton does more complaining to the ref than playing and Tambellini and Nilsson don't get the puck as much as they should.
How about we just take Baseggio back? The Rivermen stand at 10-6-1-2 and are on a streak of 4-0-1-1. What's our streak right now? Oh, yeah 0-2-1-0.
Wade's in a slump, Billy has no offense to get the puck away from him, Regier is still the most overrated player on the team, Wotton does more complaining to the ref than playing and Tambellini and Nilsson don't get the puck as much as they should.
How about we just take Baseggio back? The Rivermen stand at 10-6-1-2 and are on a streak of 4-0-1-1. What's our streak right now? Oh, yeah 0-2-1-0.
Yashin Out, Boguniecki Up
With Yashin hurting his knee in fantastic play for the big club, the Tigers lose one of their only reliable players in Boguniecki.
The 31-year old Boguniecki is 3-5-8 in 12 games with the Sound Tigers after his acquisition last month from Columbus for defenseman Ryan Caldwell. The 5-8, 195-pound forward has played 167 games over an NHL career with Florida, St. Louis and Pittsburgh. He has 32 goals and 44 assists for 76 points in 167 games.
This one hurts. Heal fast Yashin!!!
The 31-year old Boguniecki is 3-5-8 in 12 games with the Sound Tigers after his acquisition last month from Columbus for defenseman Ryan Caldwell. The 5-8, 195-pound forward has played 167 games over an NHL career with Florida, St. Louis and Pittsburgh. He has 32 goals and 44 assists for 76 points in 167 games.
This one hurts. Heal fast Yashin!!!
Sunday, November 26, 2006
Jeff Hamilton Earns His Spot
Jeff Hamilton (7 for 10 in shootouts for the Tigers in 2003-2004, when he led the league with 43 goals and set an AHL record with 15 game winning goals) appears to be adapting to the NHL.
After a short stint overseas he is currently playing with the Chicago Blackhawks and has 2 goals and 6 assists in 17 games.
You may remember Jeff best from his last season with the Tigers when he had 24 goals and 26 assists in 36 games.
Where are you when we need you Jeff?
After a short stint overseas he is currently playing with the Chicago Blackhawks and has 2 goals and 6 assists in 17 games.
You may remember Jeff best from his last season with the Tigers when he had 24 goals and 26 assists in 36 games.
Where are you when we need you Jeff?
A Tough Weekend for the Tigers
This weekend saw only 1 point come to Bridgeport.
The Tigers had a tough time getting anything started on Friday versus the Senators and Sunday versus the River Rats. The only point came from a tie in regulation after falling to a two point deficit on Saturday against the bitter rivals the Wolf Pack.
The scores were as follows:
Friday Nov. 24th: Binghamton 1, Tigers 0
Saturday Nov. 25h: Hartford 3, Tigers 2
Sunday Nov. 26th: Albany 5, Tigers 3
As of this writing this places the Tigers in 5th place in the East Division with 20 points, 8-7-1-3.
Perhaps Ted Nolan and the #1 New York Islanders could give some advice?
The Tigers had a tough time getting anything started on Friday versus the Senators and Sunday versus the River Rats. The only point came from a tie in regulation after falling to a two point deficit on Saturday against the bitter rivals the Wolf Pack.
The scores were as follows:
Friday Nov. 24th: Binghamton 1, Tigers 0
Saturday Nov. 25h: Hartford 3, Tigers 2
Sunday Nov. 26th: Albany 5, Tigers 3
As of this writing this places the Tigers in 5th place in the East Division with 20 points, 8-7-1-3.
Perhaps Ted Nolan and the #1 New York Islanders could give some advice?
Friday, November 24, 2006
Just What You Would Expect From Nilsson
Robert Nilsson got the nod as the CCM Vector/AHL Player of the Week for the week of Nov. 13th - Nov. 19th. The award was for recording an assist in Bridgeport’s 3-2 shootout loss to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on Wednesday. He then collected a pair of goals and an assist in a 5-1 win at Worcester on Friday night before scoring two more goals and assisting on the overtime game-winner in Saturday’s 4-3 road defeat of division rival Hershey.
He was the 15th overall pick in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft by the New York Islanders.
Can you name the other Sound Tigers to get this honor and when?
Wade Dubielewicz for the week ending 1/1/2006
Dieter Kochan for the week ending 2/20/2005
Jeff Hamilton for the week ending 11/20/2003
Trent Hunter for the week ending 2/23/2003
Juraj Kolnik for the week ending 3/31/2002
Give yourself HUGE bonus points if you got Juraj without looking it up.
He was the 15th overall pick in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft by the New York Islanders.
Can you name the other Sound Tigers to get this honor and when?
Wade Dubielewicz for the week ending 1/1/2006
Dieter Kochan for the week ending 2/20/2005
Jeff Hamilton for the week ending 11/20/2003
Trent Hunter for the week ending 2/23/2003
Juraj Kolnik for the week ending 3/31/2002
Give yourself HUGE bonus points if you got Juraj without looking it up.
Koalska Doing Well
Matt Koalska got one of the three AHL Stars of the Night on Thursday the 23rd for 1 goal and 2 assists for the Hershey Bears in their 5 - 3 win over the Binghamton Senators.
Wednesday, November 22, 2006
Campoli moves again
The Islanders sent the talented Chris Campoli back to the Sound Tigers. Although Chris did not play for the Islanders on their road trip, he is expected to be on a regular rotation for the Tigers.
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