Eyes on Isles is looking for writers to come on board.  If you are interested, please e-mail me at gharding14@gmail.com.

Also – will be making my comments on the playoffs in my next post.

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February 7, 2012; Philadelphia, PA USA; New York Islanders goalie Evgeni Nabokov (20) celebrates a win with teammates New York Islanders defenseman Steve Staios (24) and right wing P.A. Parenteau (15) at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. The Islanders defeated the Flyers 1-0, winning the shootout, 2-0. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-US PRESSWIRE

Why is there so much hate in Islanders Country?

A question that continues to bother me…

As an Islander fan – we have been subjected to a great deal over the past few decades.  Let me state some.

1.  Multiple Ownership

2.  Inept General Managers (in my opinion, not the current one)

3.  Players that have not lived up to expectations

4.  Lack of playoff success

That is the summary of the issues.

We all know that we have suffered a lot as fans.  We have taken more body blows than a Ali sparring partner.  The abuse level from rival fans is also at crazy levels.  I do not need to be sold on the facts.  I know them as much as you all do.

When the season ended, I was frustrated as any die-hard supporter.  I hated to see the season end, knowing that my team was not making the playoffs once again.  In some instances, I was quite mad!  The young talent needs to get the experience of April – June hockey, and with this lineup, it was just not going to work.

Is the GM at fault?

I am sure that Garth would say that some players did not execute the way they should (ask the guy that wore #12 for Boston in the playoffs).  Guys just did not live up to expectations.  Players that suffered the blues after a great season the year before.  These things happen to every team.

Since our team was eliminated, we got the fourth pick of the upcoming NHL draft.  With that being said, the Islanders announced plans for their Annual Draft Party.  This is a time for the Islanders to celebrate the newest player to become a part of the organization.  Despite the fact that the team is not in the playoffs, the team is promoting this event.  I see absolutely no reason to do so.  This is a time for the Islanders to give something back to their loyal fans.   By having a party at the Coliseum, having the players come, give the folks a little fun on a Friday night, and introduce the newest Islander to the community; what exactly is so bad about that?

So the Islanders promote this on Facebook, Twitter, and their web site.  A chance to get the fans started to look forward to a better year next season.  And what comments come out of this?

A lot of them have probably been taken off the site, but most of them are blasting Charles Wang, Garth Snow, and every bad thing that has been happening on Long Island in the last 20 years.  Pardon the expression, but that is so much crap!

Why this post?  Why is this the method to post negativity?  What does the owner of the team have to do with the promotion of an event?

I am just as frustrated as anyone else.  I want to see  them successful.  I want to gain some respectability in the hockey circles.  I want the Islanders out of the lower echelon of the league.

I am so under the impression that so many of the fans that were on facebook are hard core passionate fans.  I am not denying any of their thoughts and feelings.  That is not my M.O.

Fans, like the word ‘fanatic’, can be obsessive about their love/hate for a team.  This is exactly what we are seeing.  Comments about ownership/management/players instead of talking about what can be done to improve the future.

It just seems that all I hear is negativity.  Although part of me wants to say, “GET LOST”, I won’t.  It is your right to feel how you feel.

But I will tell you this.  Your comments are not going to make Mr. Wang leave his ownership duties, or Garth Snow no longer be the GM.  It will not make players want to come here, or not.  It will not make the team leave either.  All it does, is shine the Islanders in a lousy light.  And that, SICKENS me!

If you want to be an Islander fan, be it.  I may not agree with everything that goes on, but I stay on the boat.

Will change happen?  I hope so.

Will they make a major move on draft day?  Maybe.

All I can say, and I know that many faithful people are out there.  We have to drown out the negative, in a respectful way.  By staying true it shows the Islanders that there are many who feel that the right path is in reach.  It shows that there are many that believe that despite all the bumps, that the asphalt is smoothing out, and good times are ahead.

I am staying true to form… Are you?

Mar. 31, 2012; Uniondale, NY, USA; New York Islanders center John Tavares (91) and right wing P.A. Parenteau (15) celebrate with teammates after scoring a goal during the second period against the Boston Bruins at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-US PRESSWIRE

Why is there so much hate in Islander Country? - Eyes On Isles - Eyes On Isles - A New York Islanders Blog

To be honest, I don’t recall all of my predictions for the first round, but I can tell you that I caught many of the games. The coverage by NBC is fantastic, and I can’t tell you how many times I sat in my living-room with my Mac Book Pro or iPad in my lap studying while I listened to the games.
To say the least, the first round was quite entertaining, and the second round is shaping up to be as well. I was quite surprised that Pittsburgh and Boston went down in the East, while Detroit and Chicago were shocking enough in the West. I had no idea Vancouver would be so easily handled by Los Angeles.Here are some random “blind observations” about a variety of subjects and some of the playoff series from the first round. Also, I’ll toss in a few about the current round.

• The first couple of games between the Flyers and Penguins were intense even by this “old school” hockey fan. I was surprised by the level of “hate” and animosity demonstrated by both teams. I was expecting a war after the last few regular season meetings, but I had no idea of the level of combat that would occur.

• In regard to that same series, that had to be the worse example of playoff goaltending. What a mess. Fleury and Brizgalov didn’t seem capable of stopping beach balls at times ….
• Give Nashville a lot of credit. Taking out Detroit so relatively easily was a very impressive accomplishment. Pekka Rinne was the polar opposite of either goaltender in the Flyer/Penguin series.

• I had a strong feeling that Chicago would go down to the Coyotes. Something was missing with the Hawks. It had little to do with them losing Marian Hossa to injury. Crawford gave up a couple of weak overtime goals, and it just seemed that the level of desperation needed in the playoffs was missing.

• Yeah, the Rangers were #1 in the East, but the Senators took them to the ropes. As far as I am concerned, Ottawa has only themselves to blame. They had the Rangers down with a 3-2 lead in the series and let it slip away.

• The New Jersey/Florida series proved to be a lot more entertaining than I expected. Let it not be said that Marty Brodeur is “”declining”. He came up with some big saves, while he got some timely scoring from his teammates. Florida, though, has nothing to be ashamed of. They had a great season and a nice run.

• The discipline and suspension actions by the league were disgraceful in the first round. There was a clear double standard shown as far as punishment goes for “super star” players compared to “non-star” players. As an example, Aaron Asham receiving 4 games and Nicklas Backstrom getting 1 game for doing the same thing. There were countless other incidents like that, and, frankly, it was confusing and embarrassing on such a national showcase.

• I am surprised, but Saint Louis is in big trouble in the second round. Los Angels solved Brian Elliot, but Jonathan Quick is still a wall in net.

• Equally so, Nashville is going to have to find ways to score when the series returns home for them. Mike Smith, right now, is besting Pekka Rinne.

• My jury is still out about a clear “better” team between Philadelphia and New Jersey. With just 1 game that went to overtime, I don’t have a read on that series yet.

• If Washington wants to upset the Rangers, they are going to need scoring on top of their goaltending and better defense. Potentially, I think the Caps have more to throw at Henrik Lundqvist and company than the Senators did, so if they manage to win both games in Washington, the Rangers could be out quickly. However, if the blue shirts even split in DC, the Caps are going to have a hard time advancing to the third round.

Unfortunately, I am going to miss much of the game tonight between New Jersey and Philadelphia, as I have to work late with a west coast client. . However, as I said earlier, the coverage the NBC network is giving the NHL playoffs is something they should be commended for. The broadcast teams are great and the analysis has been informative and entertaining. I’m truly enjoying the ride thus far.

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Hockey from the Blind Side, Playoff Observations - Eyes On Isles - Eyes On Isles - A New York Islanders Blog