Metro Pucks: Final Roster Decisions for the Rangers, Islanders and Devils

In the N.H.L. world of guaranteed one-way contracts – by which established veteran players make the same salary even if sent to the minors –the notion of widespread competition for jobs in training camp is primarily a myth. There are, however, a few spots still open on the rosters of the Rangers, Islanders and Devils with a few exhibition games remaining.

Here is a position-by-position breakdown of which players are safe and who needs to make a stand to crack the opening night lineup.

New York Rangers

Forwards

Set for Lineup (11 of 13 available spots): Artem Anisimov, Brian Boyle, Ryan Callahan, Brandon Dubinsky, Ruslan Fedotenko, Marian Gaborik, Brandon Prust, Brad Richards, Mike Rupp, Derek Stepan, Wojtek Wolski

Veterans Pushing: Sean Avery, Erik Christensen, Mats Zuccarello

Prospects Competing: Ryan Bourque, Carl Hagelin, Dale Weise

Notes: As the Rangers play the first of four European preseason games Thursday in Prague, Zuccarello is the front-runner for a spot in the starting 12. The coaching staff is pleased with his off-season workouts and the Norway native provides a bonus with his efficiency in the shootout. Avery, as is his style, will not go quietly. Bourque, Hagelin and Weise are among a group of youngsters to please Coach John Tortorella in camp and will be utilized during the season when injuries hit.

Defensemen

Set for Lineup (5 of 7 available spots): Steve Eminger, Dan Girardi, Ryan McDonagh, Michael Sauer, Marc Staal

Veterans Pushing: Brendan Bell, Stu Bickel

Prospects Competing: Michael Del Zotto, Tim Erixon

Notes: Del Zotto had a very good rookie season in 2009-10, but regressed last year and was sent to the minors. The former first-round pick must improve his play in the defensive zone. Erixon, the son of former Rangers forward Jan Erixon who was born in New York, was acquired in an off-season deal with Calgary and has the most upside of the youngsters. Especially with the uncertain status of Staal (recurring concussion symptoms), the Rangers will consider signing an available free agent for depth.

Goaltenders

Set for Lineup (2 of 2 available spots): Martin Biron, Henrik Lundqvist

Notes: Prospect Scott Stajcer is with the Rangers in Europe for the balance of the exhibition season, but Lundqvist and Biron are entrenched as the team’s tandem in goal.

New York Islanders

Forwards

Set for Lineup (11 of 12 available spots): Josh Bailey, Blake Comeau, Michael Grabner, Matt Moulson, Nino Niederreiter, Frans Nielsen, Kyle Okposo, P.A. Parenteau, Marty Reasoner, Brian Rolston, John Tavares

Enforcer: Trevor Gillies

Veterans Pushing: Matt Martin, Micheal Haley, Jay Pandolfo

Prospects Competing: David Ullstrom, Rhett Rakhshani

Notes: The Swiss rookie Niederreiter will make the club, so the only open jobs are on Coach Jack Capuano’s fourth line. Gillies will be the 13th forward, shuffling in and out of the lineup when a heavyweight fighter is required. Pandolfo, the longtime Devils grinder, has yet to stand out in camp. Martin, young and tough on the wing, is an incumbent and currently the leader to stick. The organization’s most talented prospect, Ryan Strome (the fifth overall draft pick in 2011), needs another year of first-line ice time and bulking up in the Ontario Hockey League.

Defensemen

Set for Lineup (6 of 8 available spots): Mark Eaton, Travis Hamonic, Milan Jurcina, Andrew MacDonald, Mike Mottau, Mark Streit

Veteran Pushing: Steve Staios

Prospect Competing: Calvin de Haan

Notes: The uncertain status of McDonald, the steady two-way defender coming off hip surgery, should prompt General Manager Garth Snow to add a veteran or two to this very thin corps. The 37-year-old Staios is in camp on a tryout agreement. He is gritty and experienced and will likely be signed, but cannot be Snow’s only answer. The talented de Haan is only 20 years old and just out of the Ontario Hockey League. Although he’ll see games with the big club this season, he would be best served by some development time in the minors.

Goaltenders

Set for Lineup (2 of 2 available spots): Rick DiPietro, Al Montoya

Veteran Pushing: Evgeni Nabokov

Prospect Competing: Kevin Poulin

Notes: DiPietro and Montoya got here first, so they will be given the first cracks by management at the No. 1 job. It’s up to Nabokov, the longtime Sharks netminder who sat out most of last season, to steal a job and not let go. (A three-goalie rotation has rarely worked in the N.H.L.) Of all the goaltenders in the Islanders’ system, the Quebec League-developed Poulin is arguably the most talented. He’ll get his chance to lead the position in the next year or two.

New Jersey Devils

Forwards

Set for Lineup (10 of 13 available spots): Eric Boulton, David Clarkson, Patrik Elias, Jacob Josefson, Ilya Kovalchuk, Zack Parise, Rod Pelley David Steckel, Mattias Tedenby, Dainius Zubrus

Injured: Travis Zajac (out until at least December with a torn Achilles’ tendon, suffered during an off-season workout)

Veterans Pushing: Cam Janssen, Petr Sykora

Prospects Competing: Adam Henrique, Adam Mills, Nick Palmieri, Vladimir Zharkov

Notes: Boulton, a rugged wing with a willingness to fight, signed a two-year, one-way contract with New Jersey after playing the last six seasons with the departed Atlanta Thrashers. Janssen is also on a one-way deal, making them a leading contender to stick, but first-year Coach Pete DeBoer may prefer to add skill in Sykora, who is in camp as a tryout and has performed well. The void created by Zajac’s injury may have to be filled with a trade or waiver wire acquisition. Henrique (a playmaker) and Mills (a workhorse) have been standouts in camp.

Defensemen

Set for Lineup (6 of 7 available spots): Mark Fraser, Andy Greene, Adam Larsson, Bryce Salvador, Henrik Tallinder, Anton Volchenkov

Veterans Pushing: Peter Harrold, Anton Stralman

Prospects Competing: Matt Corrente, Mark Fayne, Matt Taormina

Notes: Devils management will do its best to manage expectations for Larsson – the brilliant fourth overall pick in this summer’s draft – but there is no doubt he’s making the team. Stralman, who played the previous two seasons in Columbus, is in camp on a tryout agreement and has made a solid bid for a contract. Fraser, who turns 25 on Thursday, will be pushed for ice time by the trio of prospects.

Goaltenders

Set for Lineup (2 of 2 available spots): Martin Brodeur, Johan Hedberg

Notes: Keith Kinkaid and Jeff Frazee are still in camp, but even they could tell you the Devils are Brodeur’s team and Hedberg will be the backup.

Scioscia disputes criticism from Detroit about lineup decisions

Sports talk radio in Detroit is abuzz with criticism of Angels Manager Mike Scioscia, who pulled Ervin Santana and Jered Weaver from their scheduled starts against the Texas Rangers on Tuesday and Wednesday and arranged to start five rookies in each game.

The Angels started Tyler Chatwood in Tuesday’s 10-3 loss to the Rangers, and rookie Garrett Richards will start Wednesday’s season finale. Wednesday night’s lineup also includes September call-ups Gil Velazquez at second, Efren Navarro at first and Jeremy Moore in left field.

The Tigers need the Angels to win to have any shot of winning home-field advantage and avoiding the New York Yankees in the first round of the playoffs.

But Scioscia bristled at any suggestion that he wasn’t honoring the integrity of the game by sitting so many regulars, saying Santana “has battled forearm stiffness all year,” and Weaver “has had multiple issues with his upper back, which flared up recently.”

First baseman Mark Trumbo was diagnosed with a stress fracture in his right foot Monday, and second baseman Howie Kendrick sprained his left wrist Tuesday night.

Rugby World Cup 2011: RWC stats, numbers and facts … how many would you get right in a pub quiz?

Sitting at a Wellington cafe mulling over Pools B, C and D… will we see the pre-tournament favourites go through to the knockout phase, or will we see an upset or two this weekend? But that, and my predictions, will have to wait until tomorrow, so please come back and let me know how you see the final pool games unfolding.

Heading back up to Auckland first thing on Friday, in time to see the pools-deciding matches of South Africa v Samoa, England v Scotland and Fiji v Wales (and watching the rest on telly in a pub).

In the meantime, some interesting figures relating to the Rugby World Cup, courtesy of the RWC News Service.

2,246,685 - Record total attendance for a RWC tournament (2007). Attendance in NZ currently stands at about 760,000.

82,957 – Record crowd for a RWC match – Telstra Stadium, Sydney, Australia (2003 Final Australia v England)

12,278 - Points scored in RWC tournaments (1987-2007)

1,711 -  Most points scored by a team in RWC tournaments – New Zealand (1987-2007)

1,429 - Tries scored in RWC tournaments (1987-2007)

1,053 -  Penalty goals kicked in RWC tournaments (1987-2007)

1,014 - Conversions kicked in RWC tournaments (1987-2007)

975 - Most points conceded by a team in RWC tournaments – Japan (1987-2007)

361 - Most points by a team in a RWC tournament – New Zealand (2003)

249 -  Most points scored by a player in RWC career – Jonny Wilkinson (ENG) 1999-2007

233 -  Total number of matches played in RWC finals tournaments (1987-2007)

162 - Most points in a RWC match (New Zealand 145 Japan 17, 1995)

142 - Biggest winning margin in a RWC match (Australia 142 Namibia 0, 2003)

126 - Most points scored by a player in a single RWC tournament – Grant Fox (NZL), 1987

106 - Drop goals kicked in RWC tournaments (1987-2007)

45 - Most points scored by a player in a RWC match – Simon Culhane (NZL) against Japan (1995)

40 - Age of the oldest player in the RWC (1999) – Diego Ormaechea (URU)

25 -  Most points scored by a player in a RWC Final – Matt Burke (AUS) 1999

24 - Countries to have participated in the RWC (1987-2007)

23 -  Most drop goals kicked by a team at a RWC tournament – England (2003)

22 -  Most matches by a player in RWC career – Jason Leonard (ENG) 1991-2003

21 -  Countries to have participated in at least two RWC tournaments

20 - Most conversions kicked by a player in a RWC match – Simon Culhane (NZL) against Japan (1995)

19 - Age of the youngest player in the RWC (1987-2007) – Thretton Palamo (USA) in 2007

18 -  Most consecutive matches by a player in RWC career – Martin Johnson (ENG) 1995-2003

17 - Highest losing score in a RWC Final (England 20 Australia 17 aet, 2003)

16 -  Countries participating in the first RWC (New Zealand 1987)

15 - Most tries scored by a player in RWC career – Jonah Lomu (NZL) 1995-1999

14 - Players sent off in Rugby World Cup matches

13 - Most RWC matches hosted by one venue (Murrayfield, Scotland, 1991-2007)

12 -  Most successive RWC victories – set by Australia between their 1995 quarter-final defeat by England and the loss to the same team in the final eight years later.

11 - Matches lost by Namibia at the RWC (1999-2007) – every match they played

10 - Occasions that 10 or more conversions have been kicked by a player in one RWC match

9 - Players who have scored at least 100 points in one RWC tournament.

8 - Most tries scored by a player in a RWC tournament – Jonah Lomu (NZL) 1995 and Bryan Habana (RSA) 2007

7 - Players who have represented two countries in RWC history

6 - Most tries scored by a player in a RWC match – Marc Ellis (NZL) against Japan (1995)

5 - Most drop goals kicked by a player in a RWC match – Jannie de Beer (RSA) against England (1999 quarter-final)

4 - Most tries by a forward in a RWC match – Brian Robinson (IRE) 1991 and Keith Wood (IRE) 1999

3 - Most red cards in a RWC match – South Africa v Canada (1995)

2 -  Hosts to have won the RWC – New Zealand (1987) and South Africa (1995)

1 - Northern hemisphere countries to have won the RWC – England (2003)

0 - RWC winners who have successfully defended their title

This blog is supported by Maximuscle, suppliers of Whey protein to Courtney Lawes, Joe Simpson and the Welsh Rugby Team.

Sink your teeth into the U.S. Putting Tour Championship

 

A putting competition is underway this week down in Carlsbad, where those with steady nerves  will compete for a cash prize and a chance to move on to a “World Putting Tour Championship.” Augusta, it’s not. But the first-ever tourney is a nice opportunity to hone putting skills against a range of competition, from duffers to club pros. It is open to men and women, ages 13 and up.

Dubbed the U.S. Putting Tour Championship, the event begins with a single preliminary round by each participant. In Round 1, entrants play 72 holes on a day of their choosing (Thursday, Friday or Saturday, at this point).

Seventy-two golfers will advance to Sunday’s championship. They will play 36 holes that morning, after which the field will be cut to the best 24 scores. Those 24 golfers will then play 36 more holes. In the event of a tie, there will be a sudden-death playoff.

The entry fee is $100. Amateurs can sign a waiver to maintain their amateur status. Total cash payout will be determined by the size of the field.

The tourney, run by Jim Hartley, takes place on the Crossings’ large, two-tiered practice putting green in Carlsbad, north of San Diego. For details, go to www.usputtingtour.com/

Directions from L.A.: Interstate 5 south through Camp Pendleton. Exit Palomar Airport Road. Continue east one mile. Turn left on The Crossings Drive.

--Chris Erskine

 

Will Power gets another shot at IndyCar title

For Will Power, it's a chance for redemption.

Last year, the Australian driver had a sizable 59-point lead in the Izod IndyCar Series championship battle with four races left, only to blow the advantage and see Dario Franchitti win his second consecutive IndyCar title and third overall.

At the time, Power was more skilled on curvy road and street courses than on oval tracks, and all four of those final races were on ovals.

Now, Power again has the lead with only two races left, but it's a much narrower 11 points over the second-place Franchitti, who drives for the Target Chip Ganassi Racing team.

But Power, who drives for Team Penske, is confident because he's had another year of navigating oval speedways, which included his first oval win at Texas Motor Speedway in June. Power, 30, has six wins overall this season.

The series' last two races are Sunday at Kentucky Speedway and Oct. 16 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, both 1.5-mile oval tracks.

"I really didn't have the experience" on ovals a year ago, Power said in a telephone interview. This year, "I'm just going to focus on the job and the things I can control," he said.

And if the championship slips away again? "All we can say is that we did everything we could do to win it, that's all we can do," he said.

Meanwhile, driver Oriol Servia has maintained a surprisingly strong showing, and the Spaniard is fourth in the standings entering the final two races.

Servia is a distant 145 points behind Power but still higher than such well-known IndyCar drivers as Tony Kanaan (fifth), Ryan Briscoe (sixth), Marco Andretti (seventh), Helio Castroneves (10th) and Danica Patrick (12th).

Servia, who drives for Newman-Haas Racing and lives much of the year in Los Angeles, doesn't have a win this season but has earned top-five finishes in three of the last four races.

"We're having a great year" and it shows "we can definitely be strong contenders for next season," Servia said.

--Jim Peltz

Photo: Will Power, right, talks with a crew member during practice Aug. 13 for the Izod IndyCar Series race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, N.H. Credit: Toby Talbot / Associated Press

Sam Farmer talks about injured quarterbacks and NFL winning streaks

Times NFL columnist Sam Farmer talks about injured quarterbacks, and which team's winning streak will last the longest:

 

 

Embracing a Snow Bowl

When the N.F.L. decided the site of the 2014 Super Bowl would be the new Giants/Jets stadium in the Meadowlands, an involuntary shiver went through the league, visions of snowplows and Eskimo masks dancing through everyone’s heads.

So, what better way to celebrate such enthusiasm than by creating a Super Bowl committee logo featuring a snowflake?

The logo also features the George Washington Bridge, but fortunately, the designers did not jam it with rush-hour traffic. Of course, in the spirit of the snowflake, perhaps they should have. After all, the logo is supposed to be embracing all that is New York/New Jersey.

“As public anticipation for the first outdoor, cold-weather Super Bowl grows, so too does our commitment to hosting an historic event that truly encapsulates the distinct characteristics of our region,” Woody Johnson, the owner of the Jets and co-chairman of the host committee, said in a statement.

Granted, it is wise not to pretend this is just a slightly northern suburb of Miami, and it could open up all kinds of new sponsorship possibilities (Uggs, anyone?), but do the Super Bowl promoters really want a constant reminder of the one reason people objected to this Super Bowl in the first place?

What do you think should be in the New York/New Jersey Super Bowl logo?

NASCAR unveils 2012 schedule; Fontana race is March 25

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race in Fontana will be held March 25 as part of the 2012 schedule announced Wednesday.

The 36-race season opens with the sport's crown-jewel Daytona 500 on Feb. 26, followed by races at Phoenix International Raceway (March 4) and Las Vegas Motor Speedway (March 11).

After crossing the country to race at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway, the Cup series returns West for its race at the two-mile Auto Club Speedway oval in Fontana on March 25.

NASCAR also noted that the fall race at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway, which this year is the sixth race in the series' 10-race Chase for the Cup championship playoff, will be moved up two weeks next year to Oct. 7 as the fourth race in the Chase.

The series finale is Nov. 18 at Homestead-Miami (Fla.) Speedway.

-- Jim Peltz

Latest NBA meeting wraps, another session Friday

Reporters in New York say Wednesday's meeting between NBA leaders, including Commissioner David Stern, and players' representatives has concluded and another session will be held Friday with a larger contingent of owners and players.

ESPN reported Wednesday morning National Basketball Players Assn. Executive Director Billy Hunter is encouraging league superstars to attend Friday, and Yahoo Sports! quotes players' president and Lakers guard Derek Fisher as saying the sides could meet through the weekend.

Fisher has told reporters at the scene there is a strong desire to get a deal done and end the NBA owners' lockout, which will reach three months Saturday. Yet, union attorney Jeffrey Kessler told reporters, "We are not on the verge of a deal."

One basketball official told The Times he had his "fingers crossed" over the possibility of bargaining success Friday. 

The lockout was invoked with owners vowing to slash player salaries amid claims that 23 of 30 teams are losing money, and that the teams combined to lose $300 million in the 2010-11 season.

Players are willing to take a cut, and have already agreed to accept 4% less of basketball-related income than last season, but they are resistant to tolerating a hard salary cap that would deprive them of enjoying a spike in pay should the economy rebound and income accelerate in future years.

--Lance Pugmire

Plaschke-Simers video: Are the Chargers the best NFL team for L.A.?

Anschutz Entertainment Group hopes to open a 72,000-seat football stadium in downtown L.A. by 2016. On Monday, AEG gave lawmakers a peek at a transportation plan.

That prospect and its ever-increasing momentum is exciting for L.A. football fans, who have been without a local team for more than a decade and a half.

The question becomes, which team would most seamlessly fit in with the L.A. sports landscape?

Of all of the franchises rumored to possibly move here, the Chargers are the only team among those whispers that finished with a winning record last season. The move would also make sense economically. Forbes Magazine reported that if they moved to L.A., they could see their value jump by at least $200 million.

Does this make them the best option?

Times columnists Bill Plaschke and T.J. Simers discuss the topic in their new video show, L.A. Loud, moderated by L.A. Times sports reporter Melissa Rohlin.

MORE:

Plaschke-Simers video: Should Kobe Bryant play overseas?

Plaschke-Simers video: Should Clayton Kershaw win the Cy Young award?

--Melissa Rohlin

Ozzie Guillen to lead Marlins into new era

Ozzie Guillen will be the next manager of the Florida Marlins, the team is expected to announce at a 10 a.m. PDT news conference Wednesday.

"Very excited about today little nervous but hppy at hell," Guillen tweeted Wednesday morning.

The official announcement precedes the team's season finale against the Washington Nationals. After that, the next time we see the Marlins, they will have more than just a new manager -- they will have a new ballpark and a new identity, the Miami Marlins.

“All the pieces are coming together,” Marlins slugger Mike Stanton said. “We got the stadium, and we got the manager.”

Florida Manager Jack McKeon announced Monday that he would retire at the end of the season. On the same day, Guillen made an announcement of his own -- that he was leaving the Chicago White Sox, a team he had managed for the last eight seasons and led to the 2005 World Series championship.

Guillen broke the news about the Marlins job on his blog Monday, but the post was quickly removed. After Monday's game, the White Sox announced Guillen was released from the remainder of his contract, which had a year remaining.

On Tuesday Guillen wrote on Twitter: "Weird to be in miami in this time but very happy ready to go."

The move to Miami will put Guillen closer to his native Venezuela. He will also be rejoining a team that won the 2003 World Series with him as third base coach.

Chicago will receive Marlins prospects Jhan Marinez and Ozzie Martinez as compensation, according to the South Florida Sun Sentinel.

ALSO:

Mike Napoli's success at Texas makes Angels fans fume

Chase of baseball history by Matt Kemp and Clayton Kershaw creates buzz

-- Chuck Schilken

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Photo: Ozzie Guillen. Credit: Brian Kersey / Getty Images

Cedric Benson, Bengals left waiting on suspension appeal

Cedric Benson on Tuesday appealed a three-game suspension for an off-field incident that took place during the NFL lockout. No decision on the appeal has been announced and no timetable has been set for a decision.

That means the Cincinnati Bengals have a giant question mark at running back. They could be without their leading rusher (244 yards on 58 attempts with one touchdown) for the next three games. Or Benson could be available for Sunday's game against Buffalo -- and who knows how much longer after that -- while NFL official Harold Henderson ponders his decision over the possible suspension.

And then, of course, there is the possibility that Henderson will decide to lift the suspension and life goes on in Cincinnati as if Benson had never been arrested and charged with misdemeanor assault back in July.

So it looks like the Bengals better be prepared for anything at this point. Bernard Scott would be the likely starter in Benson's absence -- he has just eight carries for 23 yards this season and 643 yards with one touchdown in his three-year career.

The Bengals, who also have running backs Brian Leonard and Cedric Peerman on their roster, worked out veterans Clinton Portis and Larry Johnson on Tuesday. Portis even took a physical after the workout but did not receive a contract offer.

ALSO:

With fast start, Lions finally join the club

Jets' Mark Sanchez not limited by broken nose

-- Chuck Schilken

The Sports Xchange contributed to this report.

Photo: Cedric Benson. Credit: Al Behrman / Associated Press

England squad face Dad’s Army Test

Roller on the floor laughing: two British comedy greats of yesteryear

In which England's South African-born cricketers get some cultural education on a sad day for British comedy

Graham Gooch shepherded the England squad into the room. A sign on the door read: “Batting Coach’s Office and Haircare Laboratory. NO Ethereal Leicestershire Left-Handers.”

Gooch looked hangdog and upset. More than usually so.

“Boys,” he said. “The announcement of an England squad is a happy day, particularly when we can welcome a new player into the fold.”

Stuart Meaker was patted on the back by his colleagues. Jonathan Trott began to lead the traditional team celebration anthem: “Ek gelofte my groen en aangename reis vanaf Heathrow lughawe na jou” (“I vow to thee my green and pleasant journey from Heathrow airport”), but Gooch shushed him.

“But this is also a sad day. David Croft, who wrote the immortal British sitcom ‘Dad’s Army’, has passed away.”

There were blank looks all round.

“As I have said in the past,” sighed Gooch. “Nobody minds where a player is born these days, as long as he can pass the Dad’s Army test. Does he find Captain Mainwaring and the rest hilarious? If so: that's English enough for me.”

He wrestled an Official Team England analysis laptop from the grasp of Ian Bell.

“Championship Manager later, Belly,” said Gooch. “Once you’ve practised concentrating really hard and done 2000 squat thrusts.”

He inserted a DVD. ‘Don’t Tell Him, Pike’ played.

Gooch laughed. Alastair Cook watched the coach carefully, and then joined in.

“I’m writing a sitcom,” shouted Graeme Swann. “It’s about a brilliant comedian trapped in the body of a sporting hero, and he’s got a pet cat called Tweet who drives him around in a car when they’ve all had a few drinks.”

Jade Dernbach raised his hand.

“Mr Goochie, bru. I mean sir. I don’t understand why it’s funny,” he said.

“Is it because that bossy old man has got a silly moustache?” asked Craig Kieswetter.

“There is nothing funny about that at all, you stupid boy,” shouted Gooch.

“No, you okes,” said Jonathan Trott. “It’s funny because they are laughing at foreigners.”

“I don’t think that’s very nice,” said Stuart Meaker. “Not in this day and age.”

“That’s the problem with you lot,” said Gooch. “You have absolutely no sense of humour.”

Connected by Facebook, Islanders Prospect Joins Fans for Night of Roller Hockey

Shawn Shea, a 29-year-old engineer from Amityville on Long Island, was looking for a few players for a pickup roller hockey game last month. Then he remembered that he was Facebook friends with Kirill Kabanov, the skilled right wing from Russia the Islanders selected in the third round of the 2010 draft.

“I figured,” Shea said, “it couldn’t hurt to ask.”

The Facebook messaging between fan and potential world-class ringer went like this:

Shea: “We’re playing in Massapequa Park.”

Kabanov: “I don’t have roller skates.”

Shea: “You don’t need them. Come on down anyway if you can.”

Kabanov: “Ok. I’ll come for sure.”

Shea was stunned. The Islanders’ prospect not only signed on, but gave the impromptu event a little publicity by updating his Facebook status with his plans for the night.

Suddenly, what Shea envisioned as a little 3-on-3 with pals at Marjorie Post Park became something none of the 30 participants and a few dozen surprised spectators would ever forget.

“We couldn’t believe what a gentleman Kirill was,” said Michael D’Andrea, a 36-year-old from Elmont who is a music therapist by day, DJ at night and amateur goaltender in his spare time. “From the moment he got there, Kirill was posing for photos on everyone’s phones, signing autographs, talking hockey, high-fiving kids. The whole night was incredible.”

Despite his offensive gifts, Kabanov’s stock slipped during his draft year because of tales circling the scouting community about immaturity and paternal interference. Once viewed as a player worthy of being drafted in the top 10 selections, Kabanov fell to the 65th pick, where the Islanders were happy to place a low-risk, high-reward bet on him.

Over the last year, there have been signs of the move paying off for the Islanders, who signed Kabanov to a three-year, entry level contract on July 1. Kabanov, a 6-foot-2 forward, had a strong postseason in the spring with his junior club, the Lewiston Maineiacs of the Quebec League. He was a finalist for the league’s Humanitarian Award, given to the player most active in the community.

Islanders fans at Post Park understand the nomination.

“One of the young players who showed up brought an extra pair of skates and Kirill put them on,” Shea said. “Supposedly it was his first time on rollerblades. His skill was amazing. He spent the whole night setting his teammates up. He got there at 8 and stayed until 10:30, when the people at the park told us it was long past time to shut out the lights.”

D’Andrea, the goalie, said: “I’ll really remember two generous things he did. Kirill passed up every chance to take a slap shot on me, possibly saving me a trip to the hospital. And when the game ended, he skated over to his goaltender, said she was the M.V.P. and gave her his hockey stick.”

The goalie was Elyssa Kaplan, a teenage Islanders fan from Dix Hills who read about the game of shinny on Facebook and asked her father for a ride to Massapequa.

“What a thrill it was for Elyssa,” Shea said. “What a night it was for all of us.”

Chris Botta will report all season on the Islanders, Rangers and Devils.

N.F.L. Week 3 Film Review, Including Jets-Raiders

A closer look at some of the games in Week 3, via film analysis.

Jets O vs. Raiders D

The Jets came out with a very identifiable approach. In the run game, it was sweeps outside to take advantage of the offensive tackles’ athleticism and get Shonn Greene going downhill (he can be terrific when he has momentum). In the pass game, Mark Sanchez rolled out off play-fakes. This was all the Jets did through the air in the first half. The logic behind it was smart. The Raiders play almost exclusively man coverage. Play-action extends the play and forces defensive backs to hold their man coverage longer. Also, if the linebackers bite on the fake, the nature of man-defense usually carries them out of position. The Jets had a good formula, but the Raiders caught on in the second half. The linebackers did a better job of identifying LaDainian Tomlinson’s routes out of the backfield. That was critical because the corners were already stifling Jets receivers (Santonio Holmes was nowhere to be found in this one). Oakland also anticipated Sanchez’s designed pocket movement, which led to four second-half sacks.

Raiders O vs. Jets D
It was a solid performance by the Raiders in which they took advantage of favorable field position and made a few timely big plays. They finished with a somewhat misleading 234 yards rushing. Twenty-seven of those yards came off a lucky Darren McFadden scramble from an unsuccessful halfback option pass and 23 came off an outstanding improvisational scamper by Denarius Moore on a reverse. Earlier in the game, McFadden got 70 yards on one spectacular outside run (pure speed on that play). The Jet linebackers need to play better.

The Raiders’ offensive line won the trench battle, both with stellar run-blocking (center Samson Satele had his best game in years) and in identifying the Jets’ pass-rushing concepts. This was important considering the Raiders came in knowing that they wouldn’t be able to throw on Darrelle Revis and knowing, as usual, that they often wouldn’t ask Jason Campbell to make more than two, sometimes three, reads on a given play.

Vikings O vs. Lions D
You can talk about Minnesota’s play-calling all you want, but this game was dictated by Detroit’s outstanding defensive line. The Lions realized after the first quarter that their down four could readily outperform Minnesota’s down five. Thus, the Lions were able to play seven men in coverage, which allowed their cornerbacks to tighten on wideouts Michael Jenkins and Bernard Berrian (two guys who struggle to get downfield against good coverage). Detroit also curtailed Minnesota’s rushing attack by having defensive backs fly into the run front on the outside (the Vikings were running almost exclusively outside in the second half because Ndamukong Suh and Corey Williams owned the trenches). The defensive backs often did not take down Adrian Peterson, but their presence forced him to stop his feet, which is the only reason Detroit’s fast outside backers (Justin Durant and DeAndre Levy) were able to reach him. This is a great illustration of the type of problems that a meager offensive line and limited receiving corps will continue to cause for the Vikings in 2011.

Lions O vs. Vikings D
Detroit spent most of the game throwing between the numbers out of three-receiver shotgun sets. They clearly liked the matchup of tight end Brandon Pettigrew (a big, plodding but effective runner) against Viking linebackers. Jahvid Best’s contributions came in the receiving department, as the Lions knew they didn’t have a powerful enough front line to move the Vikings off the ball in the ground game. Minnesota’s defensive front four was outstanding. Ends Jared Allen and Brian Robison both reached the quarterback with speed off the edge and held their ground consistently against the run. The Vikings, however, did not have a cornerback who could match Calvin Johnson’s athleticism (most teams don’t) or an answer for Detroit’s inside passing game. Over all, Matthew Stafford did a good job reading the field.

49ers O vs. Bengals D
The Niners’ victory was a product of their defense’s effort. The offense went in with a “don’t botch it” gameplan. In that sense, they succeeded; their only turnover was a Frank Gore fumble that gave the Bengals three extra points in the fourth quarter. Still, it was an unsettlingly rudimentary gameplan for an offense that didn’t even bother attacking vertically. The passing game ran through Vernon Davis, who consistently got open thanks to his ability to execute a variety of routes from a variety of alignments. That was the only creative aspect to the plan – and, as it turned out, the only one San Francisco needed. San Francisco’s offensive line must play with more consistency, and Alex Smith must make quicker (much quicker) decisions in the pocket.

Bengals O vs. 49ers D
After Cincinnati’s impressive opening drive, San Francisco’s secondary closed off the intermediate quick routes and took away Andy Dalton’s simplistic first reads. Dalton proved to be far less effective when he wasn’t able to make throws from a clean pocket. That might be a consequence of his mediocre arm strength (which is usually a key aspect of improvisational quarterbacking). Dalton is accurate, but his inexperience is showing. If the Bengals had this game to do over again, they almost certainly would not have waited until late in the fourth quarter to split out tight end Jermaine Gresham and feature him in the passing attack. He was a killer late in the fourth. Credit the 49ers front seven for another strong game. End Ray McDonald and outside linebacker Ahmad Brooks were particularly impressive. McDonald was in attack mode all afternoon and outplayed right tackle Andre Smith (who needs to get meaner and use his raw power). The agile Brooks consistently got in the backfield against both the run and pass.

Broncos O vs. Titans D
The Broncos couldn’t overcome their lack of firepower. With Knowshon Moreno out, there was no backfield speed to rely on. Virtually every time Willis McGahee took the handoff and finally got back to the line of scrimmage, he’d be met by a heap of bodies. Fullback Spencer Larsen did not get great movement as a lead-blocker, and the Broncos offensive line as a whole had trouble displacing Tennessee’s low-leveraged defensive tackles (Shaun Smith was particularly impressive). With no backfield or outside speed to work with, Kyle Orton was compelled to dink and dunk in the flats. That’s always an easy formula to defend, especially for a Titans D that has firm tackling corners and solid pass-defending outside linebackers.

Titans O vs. Broncos D
The Titans should be very encouraged by what they saw from Matt Hasselbeck. After struggling to grasp a new system in August, he has found his comfort zone. Hasselbeck was confident and efficient in his reads and benefitted from a few impressive catches by Nate Washington. It’s encouraging that Tennessee was able to move the ball respectably despite losing receiver Kenny Britt early and getting nothing out of their run game. The explanation for this week’s stagnant run game is that Chris Johnson was, for whatever reason, slower out of the backfield than usual. He’s having to see the holes before he shifts into top gear. In the N.F.L., you have to instinctively locate the hole the second the ball is snapped. Johnson didn’t have great help; Tennessee’s interior offensive linemen were unable to generate movement and power. Broncos defensive tackle Broderick Bunkley played extremely well on running downs, while Joe Mays played exactly how you want your 4-3 Mike ‘backer to play.

Ravens O vs. Rams D
With aging cornerback Al Harris and undrafted second-year pro Darian Stewart having prominent roles in the Rams’ secondary this game, Ravens offensive coordinator Cam Cameron came out firing deep. The Ravens executed a lot of deliberately designed big plays, mainly off play-action. Rookie wideout Torrey Smith, who was not relevant the first two games this season, filled in for an injured Lee Evans and lit the world on fire. Smith has natural instincts for tracking the ball and can accelerate late in his sprint. After Smith scored three first-quarter touchdowns, the Rams rolled safety help to his side and started losing one-on-one matchups underneath to Ed Dickson and Anquan Boldin.

To give you an idea of just how aggressive the Ravens were through the air, Smith’s second and third touchdowns were both preceded by unsuccessful deep bombs in his direction. It was a barrage of deep strikes. Clearly, Cameron and Jim Harbaugh have developed more trust in Joe Flacco. Baltimore’s dynamic passing attack opened up the run game and made life easy for Ray Rice and Ricky Williams. Right guard Marshal Yanda was terrific as a playside run-blocker. As for the Rams, no players stood out – they were all back on their heels in the first quarter and, strategically, a step behind with their blitzes in the second and third quarters.

Rams O vs. Ravens D
Just as with the other side of the ball, Baltimore outcoached and outperformed St. Louis. Physically, the Rams didn’t have an answer for the voracious and supple Terrell Suggs or the immovable Terrence Cody (the second-year pro appears to be blossoming quickly). Strategically, they couldn’t solve Baltimore’s presnap disguises. When the Rams had base personnel on the field, the Ravens played coverage; when the Rams had extra receivers, the Ravens blitzed. Both tactics seemed to catch Josh McDaniels and Company off-guard. Part of the problem is the Rams receivers don’t have enough quickness to consistently create separation on their own.

Andy Benoit is an N.F.L. analyst for CBSSports.com and founder of NFLTouchdown.com. He can be reached at andy.benoit@NFLTouchdown.com or @Andy_Benoit.