The New York Islanders: From Dynasty to Disaster

(Photo courtesy of CBC Canada)

Puckinvibes and Drop Gloves Not Bombs are teaming up for some quick hits on the latest news around the NHL. We are 20 games into the season and will be covering some of the biggest stories so far. Our first topic is the desolate state of the New York Islanders.

@pucktacular

They don't call them the New York Islanders for nothin', folks. It’s an organization that's been on an Island of its own for countless years, and for countless eye opening reasons. If Alexei Yashin and Rick Dipietro can get mega, Taco Bell mega big box type deals, then a Hockey fan sitting on his tush writing blogs about players skating on a sheet of ice can get that type of deal. Oh how quickly a franchise could go from a four-peat of Stanley Cups where guys like Bossy and Trottier were so bossy and brotted all over the opposition to being the inept organization that is being bossed around and trotted all over while playing in a barn that's in complete, utter shambles. The Islanders trigger finger for 15 year deals is worse than someone's outrageous sweet tooth for chocolate. Garth Snow stripping a blogger's locker room credentials, in the midst of an ugly losing streak (Losing streak count: 13, baby.), makes the fault of the team's super-sized rut fall on the blogger, himself. The Islanders must think that stripping a blogger's locker room credentials will make waves in a positive way, like the Ice Girls stripping and wearing outrageously skimpy outfits to appeal the bulging eyes of the male species. Not that this doesn't either, but I digress.
At this point, the Fishsticks may be the most giving charity I've ever seen. You want a big time player or two points from the Isles? They will give it to you so graciously that the definition of graciously will need to be re-worked in the English Dictionary.

Who's to blame for the Islanders demise over the last few years and counting? Is it the coaching staff/players or is the management that futile? Garth Snow, a former NHL goalie, is the general manager/stripper of blogger's credentials can be blamed partly for the Islanders struggles, but mostly for the recent struggles, not the overall organization issues over the last decade or so. Mike Milbury, resident d-bag and former Isles GM, absolutely stripped (don't fret about the stripped word count!) this team's talent level big time. We give Roberto Luongo a pile of sheet for his playoff choke artistry in Vancouver, but at least he isn't as fragile as one Rick Dipietro. Olli Joke-in-en is even better than Oleg Kvasha and Mark Parrish, righttttt? Zdeno Chara is better than the rejects that came the Islanders way, am I right or wrong?
Throughout the mid 2000's, the Islanders could have been a perennial playoff contender. At that point, those three were either in their prime or about ready to set off into their prime. They were what you'd want today. A number 1, dominant center who puts up 90 points per year, a number 1 blue liner, hulking one at that who sets off 100 mph bombs from the point and a young AND a super-talented number 1 netminder that could potentially ride you to the big dance. For the ten die hard Islanders fans, they can attest to the feeling.
It's easy to forget about a bad trade when your team is a contender year in and year out but when the team is on a bigger downfall than the water in Niagara Falls, the pain is everlasting. Shouldn't Milbury be banned from covering Isles games, as a color man or an analyst, after the slaughtering of his roster that still feels the affect, a decade later like a Scott Stevens patented hit on Eric Lindros?


@frsrmtthws

Much like their building, the Islanders are falling apart. This time, however, the damage may be irreparable. While it is certainly in vogue to pile on this franchise, the fact of the matter is that the dysfunction will certainly breed discontent. This time around instead of trading away their future stars, they may just walk away.

The Islanders have a decent nucleus of young talent, and at the top of this list is John Tavares. The key to the future of the team rests on the shoulders of #91. The big problem that we can all see on the horizon is that John Tavares is going to run out of patience with the franchise.

(Photo courtesy of The Hockey News)

While Steven Stamkos sets the league on fire with a great supporting cast, top notch coaching from Guy Boucher and the tutelage from hockey legend Steve Yzerman, Tavares has Jack Capuano and Garth Snow to fall back on. None of his line mates are all-star quality, he plays in front of 11,058 fans a night on the island and he is not becoming the future star that everyone has always promised he would be. His development is being hindered severely by the dysfunction from within the franchise.

Michael McEnany recently wrote in the Long Island Press: "They claim it took approximately 870 years to completely rebuild the Roman Empire back 753 BC. For fans of the New York Islanders, the rebuilding process around here is starting to feel just about as arduous."

It doesn't quite feel like rebuilding though does it. There is no long term vision from the owner, aside from a pocket filling mixed use land deal to get his Lighthouse project off the ground. The General Manager is clearly in over his head and they have just fired a coach and brought in an inexperienced man from the minors who is not exactly a superstar coach in the making. At this point in time they need to realize that they have Josh Bailey (who was just sent to the minors), Kyle Okposo and John Tavares to take care of. These players are the fresh faces of the franchise, the ones that they need to develop and the ones that they need to keep happy. If Tavares walks, this franchise will barely survive on the ice, and it is hard to believe that it will survive off of it. The Islanders haven't been relevant in over a decade, and nobody wants to fade into obscurity with them.

John Donne said "No one man is an island", however in this case, one very young man is the Island.

TEAM CANNABIS

Disclaimer: I do not advocate readership of this particular blog for those UNDER THE AGE OF 18, nor do I support the usage of said substance by those under 21. Stay in school, kids. 

For the rest of you, maturity, as always, is not required. 

With all the hype surrounding the high (heh heh) profile Proposition 19 out here in Californ-I-A on this Election Day, I figured I’d drop a little awareness on all of you out there in the rest of the hockey world (the West Coast, and the Rest coast), rolling you a little mental joint if you will, so Turn on, Tune in, and Drop out.

In the spirit of brevity, Prop 19 (aka Prop 420, I have no idea why) is the ballot measure in the state of California that will, if passed, legalize the personal use, limited cultivation, and transportation of marijuana by all persons over 21 years of age. It would end marijuana prohibition, thus allowing the State to regulate, tax and control cannabis how they choose (we’ll cross that crooked bridge when we come to it). Basically California's upward thinking is hoping this homely little plant with a heart of gold will (singlehandedly) pull the State out of debt, whilst pulling some rather shady characters off the streets and away from your underage kids. Not a bad idea in any part of the world, really.

‘But how does this affect me?’ you ask dubiously from the Rest Coast. Maybe it doesn’t. But it may have its place in the game we all love- baked or not, and depending on which way the votes swing, sooner than you think. Cannabis is currently legalized for medical purposes only in 16 US states, including California, Colorado, DC, Michigan, and New Jersey (NHL states); California having the loosest regulation and most progressive stand on the substance. Marijuana possession is still illegal in Canada, despite popular belief, but several loopholes exist, thus it is basically “decriminalized”. The NHL does not test for marijuana (though the Olympics organization does, so the big names ought to cut out the chronic), and as far as I know, usage (medically or recreationally) is not common among the NHL-set; but the discouraging stigma exists in any setting. 

I suppose most of the controversy (in sports) comes from the idea that marijuana may actually be a performance enhancer, though from personal experience, and mostly all second hand experience, it’s conclusive that it either hinders actual performance, or isn’t of any noticeable difference. The effects of marijuana on athletic performance include (but vary by individual):  impairment of hand-eye coordination, reaction time, motor coordination, perceptual accuracy, concentration, and reduces maximum exercise capacity (though the latter is arguable as I find it increases it, or perhaps just makes exercising more fun). If smoked (which is never recommended as a vehicle for medical purposes), it can cause long and short term respiratory issues, though there are completely safe options as far as medicating goes (vaporizing, edibles). I certainly wouldn’t recommend a pre-game bong hit or even a party-brownie as hockey is fast paced and requires quick reactions, and sharp thinking. Unless you like taking Too Many Men and Delay of Game penalties, beforehand usage would do a game situation no good.

However the potential medical benefits of cannabis to hockey players, and athletes in general are encouraging, and almost overwhelming. 

Here’s a broad list of hockey-related conditions that medical cannabis has been known to treat (approved conditions that qualify for a medical cannabis referral): 

Anxiety

Back pain/sprain

Brain trauma

Chronic Pain

Depression

Dyslexic Amblyopia

Gastrointestinal disorders

Hypertension

Insomnia

Knee/ankle/foot injury

Muscle tension/spasm

Migraine/headache

Post Concussion syndrome

Post surgery conditions

Stress-related conditions

Wow, a magical, all-natural, organic plant product that effectively treats pain of all types as well as emotional and mental conditions without the risk of dependency (unless you’ve never taken a hit in your life, you should know that marijuana is physically non-addictive, unlike its nasty cousin nicotine), and minimal physical side effects (mostly junk food); why would any team doctor not be in favor of this? Cheaper and safer than painkillers, anti-depressants, and sleeping pills (all of which are unfortunately, commonly prescribed to professional athletes). And I’d be lying if I said it doesn’t make for a safer (and better) party alternative to alcohol (also a common inebriant for our athletes), and look ma no hangover! 

But I regress, I’m not the type to attempt to sway voters in any political aspect, I am first and foremost a believer in freedom of choice, and doing what needs to be done to keep the peace and overall well-being of humanity; I don’t do peer pressure, I do what makes sense. In other words, I don’t like to touch politics with a Willie Mitchell sized stick. But like about half California right now, I like to be a progressive thinker, even when it comes to the small-ish but ever important pieces of my life (hockey). Here’s something potentially “game” changing that all forward-thinking hockey fans, players, management and staff alike can get behind, at least a little; something Big Stick Willie and his post-concussion syndrome can certainly get down with. 

Or perhaps it’s just me, and my bucket list goal of some day burning one (legally) with Jeremy Roenick. And that’s a dream that any good-time hockey fan can relate to. Those fans know what I’m talking about, like they know how Don Cherry (and his wardrobe) make complete sense from the “other side”… really, try it sometime.

Support progress, in hockey and in life.

Now puff, puff, pass that shit like Joe Thornton.

Peace.

(Images- Lauren Belfoy, CBC.ca)