Photos from Training Camp

Total Blogger Fail - Along with an Isles loss

I had been at the Coliseum since 3 pm yesterday. First to watch the Sayville Fire Department do their turn in the Fire & EMS show extrication challenge. They were given the most bizarre, unusual scenario of one car on top of another, roof to roof. I personally think they were given this highly difficult scenario on purpose. They did what they had to and came away with the highest score they have in the years they have been competing, but not high enough to win another trophy.


In other words -- I was pissed. (The Big Angry Man didn't seem to be.)

Social media night at the Coliseum was a huge success and while you couldn't really see all the white Tee-Shirts in the stands on TV, there were plenty of them. It was great to meet so many of my Twitter followers before the game and in between periods. It's always nice to put faces to the names.

And then there was the game -- a game they could have won, but fell short.

Post game report here at hockeybuzz.com.


As we head into the trade deadline, the rumor of the Islanders looking at Atlanta Thrasher Bogosian is swirling around the net. Eklund and I are at odds on this one. I say it's not happening. We'll see.

After seeing Radek Martinek walking around last night with fellow injured D man Milan Jurcina, there could still be truth to the rumor that Martinek could be off the Island by Monday for a draft pick. Katie Strang tweeted that both eastern and western conference teams are kicking his tires.

I also saw goalie Kevin Poulin last night in the hallway. My Blog Box buddies @Islesblogger Mike and @islesRM Rob didn't recognize him. I almost didn't either. In a dark suit, glasses and a beard and his leg in a soft cast up to his theigh, @KevinPoulin60 looked like an accountant, not a hockey player.

Too bad I can't take photos in the tunnel.

Also, if you are tired of the Oscars by 10 pm tonight, you can webstream NYHockeyTalk on WGBB AM radio with Brad Kurtzberg and Rob Kowal as they have a discussion about fighting in the NHL with hockey legends Paul Stewart and Steve Carlson. Give them a listen or podcast the show tomorrow. Always good stuff!

I Hate NHL Trade Deadline Day

No, really. I do hate it. But I know it's part of the business and we have to deal with it. For many, it's like Christmas. But I look at it a little differently. I think about the families that are broken up for months and the potential heartbreak of leaving a place that was home.

For many NHLers, especially those that don't have families, it's a great time for new starts and a change of scenery. Change is good, it's how you look at it.

So, I did reach out to Garth Snow today and received basic information. (very basic information.)

So unless someone starts passing me notes in the press box tomorrow, this will be my only pre-trade deadline post.

Looking forward to seeing those coming to the game tomorrow for the #WhiteOutTheRed night at the Coliseum. Meet you at Doolin's before the game. And don't forget to check in with Dani at the Social Media desk when you get there.

Isles Fall to Leafs 2 - 1

Al Montoya gave up only 2 goals on 25 shots, but Reimer only gave up one on 29. Leafs won on a goal by Phil Kessel. But the Isles lost more than the game. They lost Milan Jurcina to a groin strain after already having to put Radek Martinek on the shelf due to a "lower body injury."

The high the Islanders were riding on their winning streak may take another nose dive if Milan is out for any extended period of time.


Post game report at HockeyBuzz.com

Isles In Icey Music City

The Nashville Predators have had their share of trouble, including that devastating flood pictured. But they are amazingly resilient. Nashville Predators fans are some of the best in the NHL. They are passionate about their team and giving of their time, energy and money. In return, the Predator organization meets them with open arms with events and access to players and staff. This is Southern Hospitality at it's finest.

The problem is that with the wind chill today at -1 and a Preds team on a winning streak, the Islanders may not benefit from that hospitality on the ice.

I read the preview of the game on NHL.com looking for some shred of hope for our hapless Islanders, but could find none. The Preds goal tending has been stellar and their PK has been almost perfect killing off 42 of 43 of the last power play chances. Now you may say with the Islanders, that may not matter since they can't do anything on the power play any way. But it's a factor.

The rising frustration level of the Islanders is also a factor. When Rick DiPietro said he felt like he wanted to throw up after blowing a 2 - 0 lead on Saturday, you know he was speaking for everyone in the room and every Islander fan in Islanders Country. If it is all a "confidence" issue, how can that be rectified if they're sick to their stomachs.

With the additional loss of Mark Eaton, Bridgeport has lost another one of their best as Rhett Rhakshani has been recalled to fill another hole in the Islanders NHL roster. How many man games have the Islanders lost NOW? Seriously. This is getting into epic proportions.

Milan Jurcina was skating, but not in the line-up on Saturday. Perhaps he will be ready for today. Also absent on the ice Saturday was the Islanders best defenseman Radek Martinek. The question will be if he's available today. Was that just an effort to rest his arm on Saturday or has the "man of glass" finally succumbed to what we have all waited for.... a real injury.

In the injury department, I'm starting to wonder if we've watched Doug Weight play the last game of his career as there seems to be no word of his return. The Predators injury list is much smaller: Pekka Rinne (knee), David Legwand (lower body) and Matthew Lombardi (concussion).

One of my favorite Preds fans has an excellent blog at www.TheViewFrom111.blogspot.com. Be sure to check it out to get a feeling about Nashville.

Rob Carlin will have a new 10 Question challenge and we'll see if anyone else has opted for the Mohawk.

More as it comes over Twitter.

Yep, another one.

Another loss. Three failed power play attempts. Rick’s “little adventure” cost him, and the “when will Radek Martinek go down with injury” pool almost had a winner. It still may.

Is there any answer to the prolonged failure of the NY Islanders? Any? Can the power play ever be productive? Is it now at 0 for 42? The biggest black cloud in the stratosphere hangs over this hapless team. In the game recap on NHL.com Rick DiPietro is quoted as saying "The frustration builds when you lose, period. It doesn't matter how close or how. One goal, 10 goals - a loss is a loss."

And they’re used to losing. As fans, we’ve seen these streaks before. Many teams go through these stretches. But not like this. Not so long that there is no hope left.

Read Justin Bourne’s latest blog on PuckDaddy with his interview with Blake Comeau. Justin tries to keep it light, but by now, it’s even worse.

I give Zdeno Chara high marks for his comment, "Give New York credit though. They played hard and battled back in the second." They did. Although the compliment didn’t make amends for knocking Radek Martinek out of the game for awhile in the first period and taking John Tavares out of the game with only eight minutes to go.

I wouldn’t be surprised if we find out that at least one of them will be out for awhile. That slap shot of Chara’s is deadly.

But how do they stop the bleeding? Where are the answers? Where is that divine intervention Wisniewski was looking for? Where?

Radek Martinek Up to the Challenge

Radek Martinek has not had an easy career since being drafted by the NY Islanders in the 8th round of the 1999 draft. In his eight NHL seasons, he has never been able to play a full season. His body bears the scars of devastating injury that cut each season short. The 2005-2006 season saw Radek on the ice for 74 games, the highest number of his career. Last season saw him for only 16 games. But this year everyone hopes things will be different.

With the loss of Mark Streit, Radek Martinek will become the defenseman that Scott Gordon relies on most for his experience. I asked Radek if he knew that Scott Gordon called him “Sensational” and one of the best kept secrets in the NHL in his post game interview Saturday night. While Jon Sim leaned against the locker room wall and snickered, Radek gave me a half smile and just simply said “No.”

In all the time that I have been around this team, I have never spoke with Martinek. The 32-year-old Czech was never much for interviews and in the early years, the rumor was the only English word he knew was “stick.” His English as well as his conditioning is vastly improved since those early days.

I asked him what he did differently to prepare for this season.

“Simple. I stayed here all summer working out with our strength and conditioning coach, Jesse Demers. Simple.”

Okay, we are back into “stick” territory.

The way he has worked out this summer and his rehab period he is hoping has prepared him. “I knew it was a good thing to stay here and work out here because I need a little bit, shoulder (to lean on) how to work out after those injuries.”

And Radek’s dependence on his trainer has paid off big dividends for him. He has never looked stronger. Especially against the Devils where he draped Ilya Kovalchuk and helped to keep him off the score sheet. Radek will be facing all the top scorers this season (as long as he is healthy). That is a lot of pressure. I asked if he is ready for it. With a sly smile he told me, “Of course I am ready for it. It is a challenge and I am game for it. It is a challenge to play against those guys. I am ready. I am looking forward to it.’

The Islander fans are looking forward to it as well. But there is always that doubt. We can’t help it. I asked him if he has any good luck charms he will utilize, But not really.

“I can say I would try anything. But there is nothing. Just don’t worry about an injury and hard work.”

Redek has his work cut out for him in so many ways.


Today my favorite hockey writer, John Buccigross posted his 30 team predictions. While his thoughts about the Islanders were not what a fan would want to hear, they were honest. Certainly there are some things that are positive for this team, but there are so many factors that come into play that make the dark clouds gather over another season.

If this is the time that everyone begins to make their predictions about where teams will finish in April, as much as there is hope, I hate to say but I will certainly be carefully researching the top five draft picks of 2011. The loss of Mark Streit and Kyle Okposo has seriously effected my optimism for this season. Add to that the October loss of Rob Schremp and it calls to mind Denis Potvin’s Radio gold when he said “Every point lost in October is worth three in March.” Yep. Not much hope here.


And with a rag-tag camp Scott Gordon has not had much time to develop chemistry in this team. And with only four more days until home opener, I’m guessing we don’t have our usual MSG special.


Also tonight is the news that the NY Islanders are trying to finalize a deal with Hofsra University for this year's radio broadcast. Someone please remind me -- what year is this.

More Good Than Bad - Caps 3 - Isles 2

I'll admit, I was guarded about tonight's game. After all, Alexander Ovechkin is a leader in the league and when you look at the stat sheets between the teams, there's a bunch of pluses on their side of the sheet and only three players on the Isles team without a minus.

But the Islanders managed to play a good game... again for almost 60 minutes. I was hoping that maybe Ovie was a little lazy tonight and truthfully he was held to only two shots on goal (He had 5 blocked shots and 3 missed shots.)

I was actually impressed that the Isles managed to keep the puck in the Caps zone for a good chunk of the first period. Sean Bergenheim had 3 shots on goal, but he also had 3 blocked. I almost screamed at one of them because he came so close to scoring. He's working so hard, but all he came away with was one assist point for the night.

After the first period, I ran down to gate 12 to see Democrat Candidate for Town of Hempstead Supervisor, Kristen McElroy. She had been there since 6 am meeting the fans and talking about the Lighthouse. Also joining her was Matt Hynes, Democrat candidate for ToH Council District Six.

There was even an impromptu press conference with NY Islanders owner Charles Wang. They were surrounded by fans and media alike. "We're here to show our support for the Lighthouse project and the Islanders as well. We're out here trying to spread the word." Kristen said to the reporters. She also said that her website is getting a lot of support. "People are really supportive of the campaign and of the Lighthouse as well." Kristen has also been hitting a lot of civic group meetings, "There have been a lot of individual issues, but there has also been a lot of support for the Lighthouse. I have to say that 99% of the questions to me as a candidate are about the Lighthouse."

Mr. Wang did not want to talk about anything but hockey, and he didn't. He wasn't there to be anything but supportive of Ms. McElroy. She will be there on Wednesday as well.

So when the second period started I wasn't yet back in the press box. But when I got back there, I got to watch Radek Martinek take down Alexander Ovechkin. I had to make sure I read the number right. But the momentum of that hit didn't last long since Andy Sutton took a hooking penalty.

Thompson laid a hit on Mike Green and the Caps decided to take offense. Nate got to go spend time with Andy in the box. The Islanders were left having to kill off a 5 on 3 against the Washington Caps, and finally a 5 on 4. Roloson came up big and so did the defense. Things were looking good.

When I came back from wandering around meeting up with @dani3boyz and @Katrina_Doell, Jeff Tambellini, (yes, Jeff Tambellini) added to Radek Martinek's earlier goal and it was 2 - 0 Isles.

And then the bottom fell out when Mike Green made it a 2 - 1 game followed pretty quickly by an additional goal by Keith Aucoin that I really didn't think should have counted considering that there was a tussle going on on top of the net. But the refs didn't see it my way and they let the goal stand.

Once again, the Islanders let up a 2 goal lead in the third. Once again the game went to overtime. This time, overtime lasted about 60 seconds before Brooks Laich gave the Capitals their first win of the season over the NY Islanders.

So many good things happened during the game that Scott Gordon was pleasant in the press room. Dwayne Roloson didn't see it that way. He explained it that they want to win so bad that they were just trying too hard. They did play a great game, but didn't come away with the win.

Tomorrow they have to get back on a plane and head back to Montreal. Who came up with this stupid schedule? I think the computer had a few hiccups this year.

More tomorrow.. it's WAAAAAYYY past my bedtime.

The PUCK Starts Here!

Our season ended in April last year. We have been through a long, difficult off season with the only bright spot being the draft party. Personally, I didn’t think we’d get here again. The off season seems to take forever – when you end it two months before the hockey season actually ends.

September 14th, 2009 and it all starts again. Our 2009 – 2010 Season will be no less difficult, I’m sure, even with the arrival of John Tavares. There are still too many open ended questions swirling around the Islanders. So, as I told Adam Proteau of The Hockey News, I’m looking forward to the new season with trepidation. But let’s focus on tonight.

Hockey in Hockeyville! Okay, so maybe it will look more like a pick-up game rather than an NHL battle as today is really only the second day of training camp. There will likely be confusion and mistakes, but we should see basic talent and vision, considering systems can’t possibly have been cemented in 48 hours.

What we won’t see is John Tavares who, as Newsday’s Katie Strang explained has been battling the flu and just started skating yesterday. (Uh, John, that better not be H1N1 and no one else better get sick!) We also won’t see Rick DiPietro, who was seen in pads on the ice yesterday as announced on Twitter.

It’s just nice to know that the roster (right now) seems healthy and ready to go. It will be nice to see Andy Sutton back on the ice again. The oft injured Radek Martinek is also currently healthy. Shall we start taking bets on how long THAT will last?

Also in Katie’s news was the tidbit of info that John Tavares is rooming with his new mentor, Doug Weight. Ahem, just another building block in the case for that “C.” (If you haven’t figured it out by now, this is a cause I will continue to promote until we actually see who is wearing it.)
Hey, JT, you get Dougie sick for the only pre-season game at the barn and I’m going to be really, really pissed at you.

Other Islanders news for Sunday was met with much joy as MSG has decided to put Deb Placey back in her original home covering Islanders games. (Hmmm… I guess that means a friend of mine may have to vacate her dressing room.) For years, Deb worked tirelessly covering the Isles for MSG. She’d be there for the morning skate taking notes and conducting interviews then eat, nap and was right back out working with the production crews to get it all down right. Welcome back.

So, 10 pm, 10:30 pm, whatever, on MSGPlus, if we can find the channel, or any other channel it will be aired on as it is the NHL’s highly publicized and heavily sponsored Kraft Hockeyville, we actually get to see our first glimpse of NY Islanders hockey for the new season.

Get out the jerseys; grab a Starbucks, fire up the laptop. The Puck drops HERE!! FINALLY!!!

Happy Birthday to --- Me. 11-10-08

I would normally be waking up in North Conway NH on my Birthday. This is the first time in eleven years that I am not. Here I am taking a little time away from work for the one thing that may ease my soul a little. I'm here at Iceworks awaiting practice to start.

I should actually be at the Hamm Ice arena lacing up my own blades, but oh well. This is the year that's different. Let's hope it's the start of a good one.

Okay, before we get into the Islanders, let's talk about... me and what I remember from birthdays passed.

I remember seeing a shooting star last year as we were driving to our time share in Bartlett. I remember a few years ago when Vicki called me from here at Iceworks on my birthday, very upset. It seems that she tried desperately to get Jason Blake to say happy birthday to me in her phone. Some of the other players laughed at her and one said, "Are you kidding? HE wouldn't do that for his own WIFE."

But that's my friend, putting herself out there trying to make me happy.

I remember the year that Danno made his friend Billy run around ragged all over North Conway buying me gifts and flowers while he spent the whole day with me making me think he had completely forgotten about me. At dinner, I opened a gold ankle bracelet and a great card. I haven't taken that ankle bracelet off since.

And lastly, there's my birthday rose. Every year, my garden offers up it's own birthday present to me. Even though all the yellow tomatoes and Japanese eggplant are long gone, my rose bush continues to bloom until it finally offers up one perfect rose for November 10th.

It may be a wonderful year, and it may not be. The future is the gift we open daily and the one we need to be the most appreciative of.

Happy Birthday also to Mr. Chris Botta. Wishing you a spectacularly successful year ahead.

Okay... and they're on the ice. How do you like that? And I thought I was going to miss it. Nope. There is some sort of school group here in the stands with signs and huge smiles. This has to be making their day.

Don't anyone ask me line combos, I have no idea. But at least Sillinger is on the ice in that yellow jersey, skating pretty well. Although he was beet red a little while ago as he had been warming up before everyone else.

My personal opinion here, like anyone really cares, Gordon should skate them till they puke. Or at least for SIXTY FREAKIN' WHOLE MINUTES. I'm sorry.... did I say that out loud?

For some reason, I can't get the camera to NOT use the flash, so it's not getting anything of use. I have to learn how to use this blasted thing.

Hey! Look at all the familiar faces on the ice! Martinek, Sillinger, Bailey. But Goalie for life is no where to be found. He could have been sitting with the kids, that would have made their day even better.

I have to say, Guerin is just so happy. He looks like he really enjoys himself on the ice for practice.

Gordon is working them hard, but there's not as much ear piercing whistle blowing like Paul Maurice does... THANK GOD.

I managed to get the flash not to go off. I will post photos at lunch.

I do enjoy heading down to practice, even if I don't get to talk to anyone. It still makes me feel good.

Good Godard! Pens vs. Flyers 10-14-08

Real quick because I've got two articles I need to complete and still have time to go work for the people who actually pay me.

Eric Godard is back. Yesterday on my way home, the boys on XM radio were taking wages on how long it would take Eric Godard to square off with Riley Cote. Boomer said 11 minutes, his partner said something like 7.5. They both lost. It was only 5:23 into the first when the two big men agreed it was time to go. Such gentleman to agree like that before throwing off their gloves and pummeling each other.

Godard looked good. When he left the Islanders at the end of the '05-'06 season, he wasn't well. He was pale, thin and looked like he was going to pass out any minute. He played 57 games that season and accrued 117 penalty minutes. But he was a fan favorite. He spent time in the Calgary organization where he was played 36 games of the '06 -'07 season in their AHL team. Last year, he played 74 games for the Flames and tallied all of two points. But that's not why he's in the NHL. He garnered 171 penalty minutes and his old form. Good for him. He gets to extend his NHL career as long as his knuckles permit.

So Martinek is out for 4 - 6 weeks... ALREADY! Damn! As Islesblogger.com Mike said, we should have started a Blog Box injury pool on Radek. But we didn't even have time to contemplate it. We're a better team with him in the line-up. But we can never be sure he'll be there. Heal quickly.

Okay, let me see how much of my interview with Dina, the Arena Hostess, I can get done. I'm hoping for that to be up some time this week. Yes, yes, I'll have some pictures... don't drool.