3-29-08 6 Busloads of Flyers fans

Can't overtake the coliseum..... yet... it's early... they just hit the ice. I'm sitting here with the Blog Box Ken Bookends wondering where the rest of my cohorts are. I know where Tiger Track Tom is! He's working the Sound Tiger beat tonight! Look for his post game report on NYI.com later tonight!

I can't do the type of live blog he does, because no one is better at it, so I'll do what I do best... Look around and tell you what I see.

So The Islanders in their continued efforts of giving, have donated $21,000 to the Special Olympics. Also this year's Bobby Nystrom award winner is non other than Richard Park. The honor was presented by both Bobby Nystrom and Booster Club President, Claire Harding.
Congratulations Richard! You deserve it!

So.... as this is indeed the last Saturday home game, IQ and I got here early and spent some time together chatting the way we used to before all the hoopla. I can't believe it's been six months since home opener. But it has. Time flies. But not fast enough for the Queen who was freezing in her long blue coat. "Why isn't it warm yet!!" She complained as we walked to the door. Because it's still March and this is NY and not CA.

The seats are still filling in at 7:12. I have to say, the line outside was insane when we pulled up very early. And now I'm looking and Loudville is not as packed as the line would have led me to believe. Maybe the moved, maybe there's a lot more seats in that section than I understand.

So Tom is in Bridgeport, but I'm as if I am too, as Spiller and Colliton are out on the ice making a case for themselves.

I cannot believe I'm the only one with a computer here tonight. This is amazing.

Almost had a nice chance there, but the puck went out of play. 15:22 SOG 5 -2 Isles. Come on kids. Let's see who should be on the roster for 08-09!

Colliton rang a shot off the Flyers goalie that you could hear as a loud thud all the way up hear. What a shame. It would have been awesome.\

SOG now 7 - 2, and again Okposo from his knees with a shot. This time it didn't go in. With Dubie sprawled inside the net, it was left to Davison to keep him front getting scored on.... twice. Just get the puck out of the zone gentlemen.

Isles draw first blood at 5:01 of the first, but I didn't even know if it would count since it looked like Richard Park went in WITH the puck and took down #30. It counted. I had to check NHL.com because we seem to be sadly lacking game notes... Ahem... Ahem....

SOG now 9 - 9 with 22.9 seconds left of the first. I'm thinking this game is going to get a little ugly by the end. But... we'll have to see. Dubie goes to the room 1 up. Everyone take a breath and I'm going to gate 1 to see who is there for the last Sat. night game of the season.

I stayed away for the beginning of the second because I knew if I did, someone would score. Sure enough, Blake Comeau scores with Okposo getting the assist. Score is now 2 -0 Islanders with SOG 14 -22 with the Flyers not getting anything over on Dubie. Gotta love him.

I see Jackman is stepping in to protect Meyer, but what I'd really like to see is Kip Brennan brought up for the two games against the Rangers. He's off suspension as of Sunday. It's so possible. Hey Ted!!! Stick Kip in Sean Avery's face. Thank you.

The Flyers take a penalty at 12:16 so we're on a Nymex power play. You know.. That time when the short handed goals are scored. Can they actually capitalize on it this time against Niittymaki?

A guy behind us is yelling "What kind of power play is this?" Ken says, very accurately... "Surely this is your first game, Sir." Berard takes a hooking penalty and things are now evened up on the ice. That should help the Islanders get through it.

Or maybe not, as at 4:36 left of the 2nd with only 10 seconds left on Berard's penalty the Flyers make it 2 - 1 with 27 SOG. Goal the 31st by Daniel Brierre.

Not for nothing, but the Leafs have the same score so far of 2 - 1. Let's just call them the Islanders North.

Luckily the Islanders are holding off the Flyers barrage of shots. It's now a sad 16 - 33 was they head into the locker room at the end of the second. With a score of still 2 -1, this is anyone's game. Of course we all know, it really means nothing. But it does mean respect and confidence for the young men on the ice.

With the third period about to start, Ted seemed to get to the bench later than usual. I suppose he was doing a TV interview or something. But they start out and Joe Vas hits the ice face first, and yet makes the pass. I'd like to see Sean score this period. But then again, I'd always like to see Sean score. The Flyer fans are getting a little loud. But hell, what can you expect with six busloads in one building. Comeau has a nice break away but doesn't quite hit the mark. This could get ugly, or it may be easy as Philly cheesecake... maybe.

At 16:38 of the second, the Flyers tied it up. So, now it's starting from ground zero.

It seems the Sound Tigers are losing now. Just checked the Tiger Track blog.

The Flyer fans are starting their loud chants again. Hunter had a nice shot, but alas... no goal.

Fellow Bloggers Mike Carey and Mike Schuelerine are here as well, but they are in their own seats. Islanders 360 told me he'll be here for both the final games, so maybe we'll have a full house here at the table on Tuesday and Thursday. I think it would be a nice way to close the end of the season.

Just as I picked up my camera to follow Franz Nielsen, he picked up the puck and I couldn't catch him in motion. But score the boy did! What a way to celebrate his first game back from injury. Good for you Franz! And Meyer gets the assist.

Speaking of back from injury, I almost forgot. Before the game, IQ and I bumped into Bruno leaving the Bohemian from an event. We asked how he felt. He said he hoped to be playing on Tuesday. He was practicing with Franz on Friday at Iceworks, but I guess he just wasn't quite ready for tonight's performance.

Oh! I forgot! Free Wendy's Chili tomorrow! Ok. Lunch!

7:48 and both Downie and Jackman are both in the box for roughing. I wish Jackman had made a BIGGER impression on Downie before they went to the box. Ahem. (Yes, I'm still bitter over the Blake incident.)

Dubie just earned a steak dinner tonight for a great save that lead to a dog pile on the rabbit in the net. The face off was moved to center ice, and he regained himself nicely.

The man behind us just said "Don't give up the late goal." Mouth over here said "Don't worry, it's not DiPi." And Ken, added the perfect desert. "Again, clearly, your first game."

But as if by wizardry, Dubie let's up the third goal, and we are again tied. This may go to over time.


Ok. As it is now only 3:25 left. Time to pack up the hardware and get ready for the end of the game. I'll finish this up from home... maybe...

Back home... I don't fault Dubie. 53 SOG is a lot for a back up goalie. Heck, it's a lot for any goalie. Had Nielsen and Okposo been able to score in the shoot out, maybe they would have come away with the two points instead of the one.

But that doesn't really matter at this point. What matters most is what the roster will look like next season. Ted was all smiles when asked how he felt the "taxi squad" did considering their multi-game schedule. They did well, under difficult circumstances. My Blog Box buddies looked over to see me smiling when Ted AGAIN mentioned how pleased he was with Bergenheim's performance. (Thank you... Thank you very much.)

Three more games to go. One of the Sound Tiger youngsters stood in the locker room asking "What days? When are the games?" Twice he was told Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. He looked exhausted just thinking about it. These are players who are happy for the opportunity to show what they can do, but tired non-the-less. I'm thinking an endless supply of Starbucks is in order. Or maybe they should use Alexander (the Gr8) Ovechkin's regimen of drinking 4 high powered energy drinks before each game. (And we wonder why he's so hyper when he scores)

Before the game, IQ and I met a group of people from a little town named Auburn in upstate NY. They noticed my Blog Box tag and asked what it was. They told me to tell the Islanders that there's a large contingent of loyal fans in the Upstate area. They make the five hour trip once a year, normally in February, but this year it was later. They said they watch all the games and begged me to bring Mike Bossy to meet them. I expressed my regret that I couldn't grant their request. They then asked me about Billy Smith, and I realized... They really gotta get more people reading the website. Then they would have known that Billy Smith hasn't been the goalie coach in a very long time.

But hey.... just goes to show you... even NYers from everywhere can be "all Islanders."















'

Contract Extensions? Or Voting Snow & Nolan OFF the Island?

As the Islanders play out their last few games of the season, the talk of the town seems to have turned to the men in charge. Losing seasons always make all eyes turn to the easiest target: the Coach. Personally, I don’t really understand that philosophy, but it is the one that rules the sport.
However, if you look at what Ted Nolan had to work with, I don’t see how anyone can seriously blame him for the Islanders early playoff elimination this season. Certainly playoffs and a chance at the cup is EVERY team’s greatest goal, as that is where the ‘real’ money is, but you need to have to tools to get there. Some of Ted’s ‘tools’ never made it out of the shed, and too many others made early trips to the shop for repair. Yet, he stayed calm and did his best. If hockey is a game of chemistry, how do you blame a coach for losing with a team that hardly knew each others names?
When Nolan came to the Island he was immediately accepted by the fan base. That was obvious by the length of his line at the STH event at the park. One by one the subscribers shook his hand, talked to him about the team, and took pictures. One by one, they walked away happy. Ted Nolan brought a certain amount of respect back to the Island even while the media was making us out to be a laughing stock. Ted was a beacon of legitimacy. He still is.
The two years he has coached this team, the media has talked of his ability to take teams that everyone believed would finish at the bottom and somehow make them rise above their own abilities. That’s what Ted does. He gets the most out of what he has. Can you imagine what he’d do if he actually had something to work with? Had this team stayed healthy, and continued the way they started the season, I think they would have been at least 6th in the East and that would have been a monumental accomplishment. But the injuries this team endued this season was like a plague of locusts that just swept over the Coliseum. During the last few games, you just have to cross your fingers no one else is taken off the ice on a stretcher. (I held my breath last night as Kyle Okposo went down like a rock when he was hit in the back of the leg on an early shift.)
I think Mr. Wang should give Ted at LEAST two more years, three if he sees fit. Give him not just his ‘bionic’ goalie with two new hips, but some legitimate goal scorer to work with. Then I believe he’ll show you talk of him winning the Jack Adams trophy once again isn’t just talk, it’s a real possibility.
Now, onto Garth Snow, our ‘rookie’ GM. I had a dream last night that there was snow INSIDE the Coliseum. I woke up at 5:30 am thinking that was a sign that I should write this. I’m going to lobby for HIS contract extension as well. Why, you ask?
I think Garth Snow has proved himself worthy in his short time. He is young enough and close enough to his playing days to know what the teams, and the game in general, need. I believe (I have to check) that he’s the youngest GM in the league which brings a different perspective to the table. He’s learned a lot in his short time as GM, and he can only get better. He spoke of his first few days on the job when the other GM’s were licking their chops thinking they could ‘pick his pockets’ because he was an easy mark. They were wrong. He’s very intelligent and engaging, but he’s also strong willed. I may not have always agreed with his decisions, but I respect them and I know what he does, he does in the best interest of the team.
IF Garth Snow is NOT given another term as GM of the Islanders it will only lead the talk of the town to be “See? Wang was WRONG!” NO! I don’t want to hear that. Please! Mike Milbury, the most ineffective GM in the entire NHL (but a really nice guy) seemed to have a job for life until HE actually said “I quit.” He couldn’t even walk the halls of the coliseum without a security contingent; he was so hated by the Islander faithful.
And PLEASE, no Neil Smith argument. If he was such a great GM, how come the only job he could get is as TV analyst? Or is that were all the bad General Managers find work? Hell, both Milbury and Ferguson found work in front of the cameras. I guess that’s the proper progression of events.
I say GIVE GARTH A CHANCE! One stint as GM is not enough to determine true effectiveness. We have something very special brewing on Long Island, but it will take time. I think Snow should be given the time to reap the rewards after having to live through the agony of that first year. He deserves it.
Contract extensions for both of them, I say! But that’s just my opinion. I’m sure this is something that we’ll all be talking about untill we’re blue in the face all summer long until we actually hear from the man at the top. But if he’s listening, even though this year wasn’t what everyone wanted, I hope he’s got enough faith in these two ‘members of the committee’ to keep them around.
After all… shouldn’t they be here when the Lighthouse opens? Wouldn’t they deserve that? I think so. How about you?

3-24-08 The Day After

Personal notes on last night: I met Garth Snow in the parking lot on the way into the arena. Chivalry isn't dead; he asked he could help me carry my overburdoning hardward into the arena, even though what he was carrying in weighed at least 10 lbs more than mine. (I checked. He won.) But what a genuinely nice man. Our BB group also met him on his way OUT of the arena, as Islesblogger.com recounts. I think Okposonet Ken may have been onto something when he was teasing me how Bergenheim's goal production goes UP when I'm NOT at my seat. "I could score 50 goals in a season if Dee would just stay outside." Hopefully, that's not true, but it was damn funny. Watching Greg Logan shoot question after question from the front of the pack is amazing. Mike S. called him "a machine." I think it's appropriate. Young Master Witt was incredibly displeased with me when I inadvertantly shut the lights off in the locker room in the middle of the post game interviews. He just shot me a look and mumbled "bloggers!" at me, which is far better than the three words he mouthed to one of my partners across the room. I'm surprised at you Mr. Witt! (considering you hardly SAY anything.)

The Bridgeport Sound Tiger booster club is here to cheer on their boys. As they should, since so many of them are in the line up. Personally, I'm here to see Malkin the Magnificent who almost got one past Dubie at only 19:19. But there are only a few games left, and I will enjoy them all.

The Day after is turning into dejavu as Colliton again goes to the box early. But the difference is this time the Islanders actually capitalize and get a short handed goal on that one with Okposo on the PK. But Sykora ties it up with a play that goes under review. It's a goal of course.

Looks like this will be a parade to the box as Aaron Johnson sits down yet again. Does he ever play a game that he DOESN'T see the box? With Spiller mixing it up, there seems to be a little stoppage of play. I guess he's going to be our tough guy for the remaining few games since the man I wanted called up, Kip Brennan, has just been suspended AGAIN! Bad boy Kip. Bad boy.

Thank you Miro for one of the better power plays we've seen this season. No Goals, but a good effort, and kept the puck in their zone. A lot more than we've done before.

So as if by wizardry, the Islanders weren't at full strength for more than a few seconds before Davison takes a penalty for something that the fan base doesn't think should have been called. But the boards rattled so loud, I guess they HEARD the penalty more than they saw it.

SOG now 10 - 10 and the Penguins are a man down with an unsportsmanlike conduct call against Ruutu. What a surprise.

So, I went out to the concourse for our gate 1 M&G and met up with some of Sean Bergenheim's friends from Finland which took more time than I thought. Then IQ and I decided to go get Pizza downstairs. Luckily we watched Guerin's goal and Bergie's whack to the face on a big screen downstairs while chit-chatting with CJ Papa who was in between on air interviews. I made it back to the blog box just in time for Sean's 10th goal. See what happens when you make that boy angry? I'm thinking he's can possibly catch up to Blake this year in goals.

No sooner do I sit down, but Jackman takes a penalty and is the newest residence in the box. I'm thinking there will be 7 penalties on the Islanders tonight. That's just a thought.

SOG now 27 - 18, and I wouldn't have believed it if I didn't see it myself. But maybe, and I'm sorry to say, they play just a little different without Comrie in the line-up. Or is because this is a national (VS) telecast. Wish there was a DAMN audio feed here in the arena. I can't even get the NHL radio because the bandwidth is so small.

Staal to the box for holding. Wow, they're keeping up to us with penalties. I still think we may hit that 7 mark. There's still 14 minutes to go in the 3rd. We're up to 5, I think they can do it.

Dubie is playing well tonight, once again. Sad to think he may not be the back up next season. But seriously, the man is good. He deserves a little more playing time and a little more money. If someone else can give it to him, then we just have to wish him luck and thank him for what he's given us while he's been here. And if he DOES end up with a new contract (which I'd be surprised about) then we know we've got a solid backup here.

Yesterday Big Angry Man was calling for Hunter to produce. Tonight he does! 4 - 1. What a surprise! A pleasant one at that.

With Colliton now in the box, we're up to SIX penalties. And that's where it stayed. Ok, I was close. It's always good to have a win against a good team, even when the game means nothing. You have to play for something, even when there is nothing left to play for.

Ted admitted changing things around a little tonight to help the defense, and Islesblogger.com Mike almost gave away all his secrets. Guerin stepped up again and Miro played better than he had in months. And of course, they did have just a "little bit of luck." Ted would just like to finish this year on a positive note. I think he can do it.

Maybe, as was said in the locker room, the young guys are starting to realize the opportunity in front of them and they're finally clicking. Sean Bergenheim admitted that they were "finally getting it." For the previous games, they were having a hard time finding each other on the ice. This goes back to the chemistry argument they were saying was a strong point at the beginning of the season. Now, at the tail end, that chemistry is gone and all the new kids are just trying to find their way. But he was happy with the way they played the game, as we all were.

Bill Guerin did say these aren't just games for the kids, the veterans too "feed off the young guys energy." Just a handful left to go. I hope the kids have enough to go around.