The Islanders aren't boring

[brentashton]

What exactly makes for exciting hockey?

When the team I'm cheering for wins

 

[Anisimovs AK]

Boring teams can force any game to be boring, as they clog up the ice and try to prevent the game from opening up. The Devils did it to many a team in the late 90s early 2000s.

They also were in the top 5 in goals for 4 of those years, so how boring were they really?

 

[Mr Misunderstood]

Last night's game was atrociously boring to outsiders.

To Tampa and Isles fans it was excruciating.

 

[Fixxer]

What exactly makes for exciting hockey?

 

[notDatsyuk]

And that's why I think it's been a great, exciting series.


Huh? For a moment I thought we were in agreement. I like the hits and the fights and the drama, thus I like sloppy play and bad goals?

Or maybe it's your split personality talking.

Sorry - I thought you were one of the people complaining about the lack of those thing.

 

[Anisimovs AK]

Wide awake here, The point was that every team loses players to injury as someone was making excuses for your hockey club. You then made it all about entertainment. Here's a news flash for you, Barry Trotz cares about winning, not entertaining you.

His point is that missing Cizikas is in no way comparable to missing either Point or Stamkos, let alone both simultaneously.

Any rational hockey fan would agree

 

[Sky04]

Well, yeah, I'd expect the Lightning to make nice plays when the Islanders just wrapped up a 7 game series, flew across two time zones and played Game 1 with like, zero rest. They got f***ed by the schedule but so be it; they did it to themselves by not finishing Philly off quicker. Game 1 is in no way an accurate representation of the difference between these teams. It's not like Tampa is taking any crazy risks and exposing themselves defensively either. The two teams are doing the same thing to each other. The difference is that TB defensemen can actually get their shots through.

Well, maybe the Lightning should be nominated for a Tony award because the Stanley Cup isn't about who puts on the best show. TB is clearly the more talented team though, that's without question. Time will tell if they can convert their embarrassment of riches into a Cup before the Cap monster gets them.

Cool. He's part of the team. His successes are the Islanders successes. The team doesn't turtle but they do over-pass a ton and it's maddening. Maybe the "show" would be better if they ripped more shots.

Like I said, if you're Islanders fan you don't care how you win as long as you win. This thread was merely depicting entertainment value, the Islanders lack top end talent but play a structured game, so it's not the most fun to watch. I didn't say Tampa deserves anything based on their talent, they didn't even deserve last nights game based on the chances they missed.

 

[GrandmaSlices51631]

Honest question, when was the last time a team was without two of their best players like Point and Stamkos in the conference finals?

Don't really care to look into it. I know the Lightning are plagued by injury every year. Whether it was Hedman, Stamkos or Bishop. Since one poster mentioned injuries maybe we can start a thread entitled "The Lightning Aren't Durable" since apparently the Isles are so boring there is nothing they've done worth discussing.

 

[ViewsFromThe6ix]

Allowing one goal against playing the highest scoring team in the league for almost 100 minutes, pretty good representation of how defense is played. Trying to win by scoring video game numbers may be exciting to you, but it does not seem to work in the playoffs. I do not watch basketball, because only the last two minutes matter.
It came down to someone on one team making a mistake. If it bores you, watch basketball.

I'm talking about the massive problem the NHL has drawing in new fans....reading responses like this no wonder they're failing.

 

[FourRings]

Like I said, if you're Islanders fan you don't care how you win as long as you win. This thread was merely depicting entertainment value, the Islanders lack top end talent but play a structured game, so it's not the most fun to watch. I didn't say Tampa deserves anything based on their talent, they didn't even deserve last nights game based on the chances they missed.

That's fair. I'm just saying TB hasn't been doing anything that much differently than the Islanders have systemically other than the D shooting more. Game 1 was an aberration.

 

[carparkno1]

At the heart of it I still don't find it boring to watch. Maybe I just value things differently but I don't see the Isles style as dull. They score plenty of goals if you look at the numbers and are extremely good 5 on 5. I think it's fun to watch.

It takes two to tango and its no aberration that teams they play against seem to get shut down and make for a "boring" game

 

[Riseonfire]

What if you like watching smart hockey? What if you get a rise out of an excellent defensive play and smart breakouts?

Why does 'entertaining' need to be trading odd man chances every other play? There is more to a hockey game than a 2 on 1.

 

[carparkno1]

What if you like watching smart hockey? What if you get a rise out of an excellent defensive play and smart breakouts?

Why does 'entertaining' need to be trading odd man chances every other play? There is more to a hockey game than a 2 on 1.

This guy gets it.

 

[Chardo]

What most consider entertaining is usually just bad defense or mistake filled hockey.

 

[Master P]

What if you like watching smart hockey? What if you get a rise out of an excellent defensive play and smart breakouts?

Why does 'entertaining' need to be trading odd man chances every other play? There is more to a hockey game than a 2 on 1.

Sounds like something the fan of a boring team would say tbh.

 

[KevFu]

I'm talking about the massive problem the NHL has drawing in new fans....reading responses like this no wonder they're failing.

The idea that "The Islanders play boring hockey and that's why the league has problems drawing new fans" is silly.... because people looking at hockey for the first time wouldn't know the difference.

New fans aren't going to appreciate the defensive structure the first time they watch hockey. They will understand the concept of "goals."

Which means 35 minutes of SUDDEN DEATH OT last night is more dramatic than the NBA/NFL/MLB/Soccer overtime rules. The only comparison you could make is to college soccer sudden death OT... and boring Islanders hockey is going to be more exciting that college soccer the first time these new fans see someone throwing a hit.

 

[Mr Positive]

I'd be fine with it if not for all the icings. The Isles just want no flow in the game at all

 

[Riseonfire]

Sounds like something the fan of a boring team would say tbh.

"Fan likes the thing his fav team does well! More at 11!"

 

[Riseonfire]

I'd be fine with it if not for all the icings. The Isles just want no flow in the game at all

Should they force bad passes instead? Like... what's the alternative?

 

[Strait2thecup]

They haven't been playing exciting hockey these playoffs? News to me, saw lots of nice plays when they trashed the Islanders with 8 goals. Like I said they put on a better show than the Islanders without 2 star forwards. That actually says more about the Islanders than it does Tampa. Varlamov is probably the most exciting Islander because he's the only one consistently doing anything, the rest of the team likes to turtle and over-pass without getting a shot off.

Do you want some fries with that salt?

 

[Rebels57]

Last night was the first time in my life I turned off OT Playoff Hockey, and it was an Elimination game no less.

That's how f***ing boring it was. The Isles 1-1-3 was just hideous to watch.

Don't take this as salt either. The Isles outplayed and deserved to beat the Flyers, who played like utter shit in 5 out of 7 games.

 

[Mr Positive]

Should they force bad passes instead? Like... what's the alternative?

Practice clearing without icing it. Theres some curling to it but it can be done. I wonder if the goal is to bog down the game with whistles though

 

[dahrougem2]

Islanders fans are probably the only people save for a select random few that will try to convince everyone else the Islanders' style is not boring.

Goals are exciting to the casual viewer. As a diehard fan, you might be enthralled by a low scoring, tight checking 2-1 hockey game - that's great for you. You aren't who the NHL cares about.

The NHL wants to cater to a casual audience as much as possible in order to compete with the other major sports in North America for viewers. The NBA is incredibly high scoring. The NFL more often than not focuses on offense than defence and even the great defences score points.

Casual viewers don't want to watch a defensive masterpiece. They want high scoring, high chance hockey. The Islanders are the farthest thing from that.

It doesn't mean they should stop. Their goal is to win, not entertain. If this is how they accomplish it, so be it.

Like one poster said earlier, the New Jersey Devils had the reputation from 95-03 as being the most boring team in hockey, yet I believe in 2001 they were the highest scoring team in the league. These reputations stick with teams for a reason.

 

[KevFu]

I'd be fine with it if not for all the icings. The Isles just want no flow in the game at all

Wait, the Islanders WANT icings? We've given up like 6 goals this playoffs immediately following icings. This is news to us.

If they had fancy stats on "average time between whistles" the Islanders would probably lead the league in most time between them. There was like three times last night that it went 5 minutes between whistles. The Islanders WANT FLOW. Just with structured, layers of defense in that flow so we have the puck. Hell, the delayed penalty call lasted like 90 seconds.

 

[Riseonfire]

Practice clearing without icing it. Theres some curling to it but it can be done. I wonder if the goal is to bog down the game with whistles though

Are you even watching the Isles? This is one of our bread and butters.......