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HEAD COACH
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Bill Stewart
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ROSTER
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C - Trevor Linden, Bryan Smolinski, Claude Lapointe,
Craig Janney, Brad Isbister, Mats Lindgren, Mike Kennedy. LW -
Mike Watt, Mike Hough, Gino Odjick. RW - Zigmund Palffy, Joe
Sacco, Mariusz Czerkawski, Kevin Miller, Mark Lawrence, Steve
Webb, Warren Luhning. D - Kenny Jonsson, Richard Pilon, Eric
Brewer, David Harlock, Barry Richter, Zdeno Chara, Ted Crowley,
Vladimir Chebaturkin. G - Felix Potvin, Wade Flaherty, Stephen
Valiquette.
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INJURIES
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Felix Potvin, g (groin, can return, but the team may
sit him until next season); Brad Isbister, c (groin, day-to-day);
Craig Janney, c (leg, out the rest of the season); Rich Pilon, d
(back, day-to-day); Gino Odjick, lw (abdominal surgery, out for
season).
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TRANSACTIONS
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4-4-99 Assigned Marcel Cousineau, g, to Lowell
(AHL). Recalled Stephen Valiquette, g, from Hampton Roads (ECHL).
3-29-99 Recalled Vladimir Chebaturkin, d, and Mike Kennedy, c,
from Lowell (AHL). 3-24-99 Recalled Warren Luhning, rw, from
Lowell (AHL).
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GAME RESULTS
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3/24 at Carolina L 1-2
3/27 Ottawa L 3-7
3/29 at Rangers L 1-3
3/31 at Florida W 5-3
4/03 Anaheim T 2-2
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STANDINGS
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Atlantic Division GP W L T PTS GF GA
New Jersey 76 42 23 11 95 230 186
Pittsburgh 77 36 27 14 86 232 210
Philadelphia 77 34 25 18 86 219 188
NY Rangers 77 32 35 10 74 209 213
NY Islanders 77 21 46 10 52 177 230
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TEAM NEWS
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by Dave Strauss, New York Islanders Correspondent
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So, another playoff-less season, a new coach, a team playing out
the schedule. The Isles couldn't possibly have anything
controversial happen to them, could they?
To paraphrase Bugs Bunny, "You don't know them very well, do
you?"
Islanders coach Bill Stewart spent the last week apologzing to
everyone within earshot for remarks he made after the team's 3-1
loss to the Rangers at Madison Square Garden last week. Stewart
had said the team does not have "the resources to go out and
acquire some National Hockey League talent." The remarks were
perceived by general manager Mike Milbury and the club's owners
as being obnoxious and brash, though they might have been
severely true.
Stewart spoke of the recent additions of a number of young
players and said the team was in "a training-camp mode" using
young players. He indicated he apologized to Milbury and that
Milbury accepted his apology. "I would like to end the banter
back and forth," Stewart said. "Mike wants to stop it. I want
to stop it. It's up to you [reporters] whether you stop it . . .
My relationship with Mike has not changed one bit."
Milbury is said to have been peeved that when he gave Stewart a
vote of confidence on March 3rd, the new coach didn't express
enthusiasm at his future with the Isles. Instead, he said, "We'll
see where we go." Stewart has a window in his contract from May 8
to June 30 in case he wants to coach elsewhere.
Though Stewart was 6-7-4 as coach at the time, the Isles have
gone 2-9-3 since then, and suddenly he isn't so brash.
"I don't think I explained myself properly," said Stewart. "We
all make mistakes. It's a bigger man that steps up and admits
it." Stewart said his intent was to stress that the Isles were in
a rebuilding mode. "The way it was addressed on my part was
inappropriate," he said.
Milbury released a statement backing Stewart for the final games
of this season, but stopping short of endorsing him for next
year.
There is strong speculation Milbury is considering replacing him
with former Islander Butch Goring next season. Goring would serve
two purposes: he is both a link to the team's glorious history,
and he has also been a successful coach. He has a 373-272-76
coaching record in nine seasons in the AHL and IHL and has won
two Turner Cups in the IHL with the Denver/Utah Grizzlies. This
past summer, he rejected Milbury's offer to be an associate coach
since he wanted to be in charge wherever he stayed. Goring also
rejected a two-year, $700,000 contract offer from the Mighty
Ducks for various reasons.
There has also been talk that such former Isles as Dave Lewis and
Bryan Trottier, who are both coaching elsewhere, would be
considered for positions with the team as it attempts to connect
with its past, but spokesmen for Trottier denied the Isles had
contacted him, and although it was not reported, probably asked
for money for answering the question.
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