Back at it - Trying this out again - Islanders pre-game and Mets thoughts

Trying to start this blog up again to just write a little bit and put my opinion out there in the interwebs.
First I'll start with the Islanders....

Worries about the team

  - not being able to impose their game enough, when it works, it puts other teams, good teams, on their heels
 - The "soft" shots. Frustrating watching opponents get good looks in the middle so easily and some of our shots just fluttering in from the side
  - getting pucks out of the defensive zone is a fire drill most of the time, i dont get it
  - allowing tons of shots from high shooting % areas
  - DP - why not let him get reps and try to work the rust of in the AHL? if accountability is a new theme, letting DP slide after that game isn't fair

What I still like about the team

   - the fact they draw so many penalties, in the past we complained that they didn't draw calls, but this year they've been drawing penalties through hard work and skating, and often, outplaying the opposition
  - Cizikas -faceoffs, physicality, skill, it's a nice mix and I think he's going to be a key cog moving forward.
  - KO coming around, nice play to set up the goal against Ottawa, I think we'll see more of that
  - Finley when used in nuetral matchups i.e. not versus a gaborik type player w speed
 - coaching still, motivation aside

What I would change
  - get Hickey involved, he can possess the puck and move it
 - need some more size, see detroit mixing size with puck possession
 - run that 4th line more, it's not really a 4th line, balance minutes between 2,3,4 lines
 - lay off the pedal with AMAC and Hammer, these Dmen arent much better or worse then eachother, nobody is heads above anyone else right now - let the playing time reflect that, and see if a pair can differentiate themselves, because Amac and Hammer look worn down already.
 - let the guys in the minors continue to "overcook" - I think Sundstrom, based just on pedigree, is most ready, playing in Swedish pro league set him up better than WHL or NCAA, the +11 rating also looks nice
 - 30 goal season by Nino sets up nicely for next fall and a 65 pt season by Nelson, same with letting Persson get more ice time
-I'm not too worried about the Kid Goalies - bc of the penalty issues, seems like a lot of goals are given up while down a man, I think Poulin can can be a huge lift if he was called up tomorrow.



METS
 - Rafael Montero - relax, let him pitch, look at what happened to Mejia when he was the "out oft he blue" savior in spring training.
 - Den Dekker - let him have time to adjust, he's done it before, strikeouts will always be a problem, but if the coaching staff can show him that he's a big leaguer with his glove, regardless of homers (make him just make contact more, don't worry about power) so if he loses all of his homers and just doesn't become an auto strikeout - then he can be a big leaguer - see Parra in Arizona, and if he can get his approach under control, then maybe he can adjust to get his power back, who knows, maybe they're saying the same thing down in FLA.