Murray Concerns?

The season has just started and there are concerns about the man Matt Murray. The main concern is about his glove hand. I will say he had no chance on the Habs' fourth goal. 

Murray was a little rusty in his first start. But it was just his first start. He wasn't the only one to blame. There was a team in front of him. 

I noticed the Habs were beating up consistently on his glove hand. They concentrated on shooting high on his glove hand, where he was vulnerable. His positioning could cause his vulnerability, as could his slow glove hand. Both problems could easily be addressed by proper coaching. So there is a need for improvement, but nothing that can't be fixed. 

I was disappointed by Nick Robertson being sent to the Marlies. I understand why it happened. Nick did not have to clear waivers to be sent down, but Denis Malgin, the forward he was fighting for a spot did. The Maple Leafs worried that Denis would not clear, hence the move to send down Nick to the minors. 

Nick has years ahead of him and will be a solid player. I love his hard work ethic and his skill. Robertson was the best forward in camp. He is a natural skater and sniper because of his excellent wrist shot. He will be the first call-up in the season.

So far, the season's story has to be defenceman Mark Giordano. Mark has been terrific in all aspects of the game. He is skating very well. I love his ability to distribute the puck. He is playing like the Gio in Calgary. 

Randy

Another Season, Another Dollar

The Islanders are about to enter another season. The biggest question going in has to be the Barzal question. Is he worth it?

If you talk to most Isles fans, they will inform you he is.  

I met with a person closer to the situation than I am, Paul Kreischer. You can find him @P_Kreischer on Twitter. He also has a YouTube show, Isles Talk. I highly recommend it. 

Do you like the contract?

Paul: "Yes, I like it as long as the money was under 10 Million."

My thoughts

Barzal said he wanted to be an Islander for a long time. The only thought I had was the number I was hoping for $8.5. Although I thought it was a little high, I am happy the Isles took care of it. 

 

Paul, why is it okay to pay a little extra for a long-term contract?

"With the salary cap rising to close to around $92 million, this will not hurt the team long-term, plus it gives any future the flexibility to manage the team. Any Future GM will do this."

Randy

I get why the Isles went for the long-term deal. The Calgary Flames did the same thing with Huberdeau and Weegar. The cap going up soon gives the Isles lots of wiggle room. 

Fans corner 

The other day, a fan voiced his concern about the Islanders. He went on to mention that Barzal needs a sniper. He believes the Islanders dropped the ball in the offseason by not addressing the issue of bringing in a sniper. There is no offense. Varly and Sorokin have no room for error. The goaltending has to be perfect for the Islanders to have a chance to win.

Leafs Camp Notes

Matt Murray has been a brick wall. He has been outstanding; goaltending will not be a problem if he can stay healthy. Samsonov has held his weight. It has been a great preseason. 

The main story in this camp is the Leafs might have found a second line. Robertson, Nylander, and Kerfoot seem to be clicking. Robertson had seven points this off-season when I wrote this blog. I love the way this line looks so far. I know it's preseason, but it is promising so far. Robertson the sniper, Keerfoot the grit, and Nylander, the playmaker. The perfect recipe for a top line. 

Gio is looking like the Calgary Flames Gio. He has been outstanding so far. I love how he has gotten involved in the offensive zone. Gio could be the leader in that blue line. He is a perfect mentor for the young defencemen. He knows his limitations and is a stable influence on the defensive end. 

JT is going more than likely going to miss at least a couple of weeks. Someone is going to have to pick up the pace. The big line is going to need support. Kerfoot will have to play the way he is right now to fill the void. If he does, that will go a long way in the success or failure this season.

It's Christmas time in the City

It's everyone's favourite time of year, when Islanders fans can start with a clean state. Last year was a year which we all would like to forget.

The defense was fine, but the Isles could not score a goal if their life depended on it. Sorokin is one of the best goalies in the league. That being said, we need to give him more support. We can't go on scoring one or two goals a game and expect him to be perfect. That is way too much pressure to put on a goalie. The big boys have to come out to play. They have to start putting more effort into the offensive side. On the bright side, Coach Lambert will open up a little more. I suspect he will add more life to the system. How do you do that by taking advantage of a team's mistakes? Well, being good defensively.

The Islanders can't trade offensive chances, so they have to counterpunch, taking advantage of the team's mistakes. When the Islanders were effective, they would stick to their opponents like glue. They never gave up on a play; they outworked their opponents to death. Too often last year, the Islanders were out-chanced every game. The Isles' new coaching staff will have to make some changes this year. 

There are a couple of positive vibes this season. Having Pulock and Pelech for the entire season is enormous. Often described as the best defensive pairing, Pulock will add to the scoring, while Pelech is one of the best defenders in the league. 

The Isles have the weapons to be successful. Is Lambert capable of using them to their full extent? Only time will tell.