Kukla's Korner Hockey
Be Patient On Long Island
by Paul on 02/17/09 at 07:27 AM ET
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from Mark Hermann of Newsday,
A couple of words about tanking a season: It works. Lemieux saved the franchise as a superstar player and again as principal owner. In the latter capacity, he pulled the old bait and switch with Kansas City, making believe he was going to move the franchise so he could get Pittsburgh officials to build a new arena. Who knows where the Penguins would be had they not been bad enough to land Mario?
Ineptitude paid off again early this decade when the Penguins finished last for four straight seasons (one place ahead of the Stirling-Bylsma Islanders in 2005-06). That enabled them to draft Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby, which transformed them into the NHL’s glamour team.
All of this is encouraging for the Islanders as they endure a rough year in last place. This is not to say they are tanking or that they should. There is no Lemieux or Crosby in the 2009 draft. But there is hope. The Penguins are living proof of what can happen if you play your cards right, as long as you have a bad hand.
Just be cautious and patient. The Penguins finished last in both Lemieux’s and Crosby’s rookie seasons.
Filed in: NHL Teams, New York Islanders | KK Hockey | Permalink
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