It's 11 pm, Do you know where your Hockey team is?

Currently? Still in Uniondale. And also... still in last place.

All day today, I heard it. "So Dee. They're moving to Kansas City?" All day I answered. "I have no idea. I don't have a crystal ball."

I had no serious high hopes for tonight knowing that Point a Game boy Zach Parise and his red Devils would be the opposition. But I donned my colors and a smile and went to the game. The smile didn't last long.

I had known all about the Dubie to Columbus fiasco since Tiger Track Tom Liodice called to give me the bad news as I was driving away from my daughter's softball practice. I think they could hear me scream for miles. This was just not the news I wanted to hear. I don't believe the Islanders wanted to hear it either as their Game Notes on the Blog Box table clearly had Wade Dubielewicz listed as an Islanders goalie. Sadly, Mr. Dubielewicz was on a plane to Columbus.

Stupid CBA rules! And perhaps an error in judgement have left us without the fan favorite returning to the fold.

A lovely little ceremony for Doug Weight and Bill Guerin started the crowd off. Doug looked great... in his SUIT. He was missed on the ice for sure.

I wasn't even in my seat when the first goal was scored on Yann Danis as he was seriously out of position. That set the tone for the entire game. Of course there was that little problem, the Zach Parise factor. As soon as I saw him on the ice I blurted out. "Oh look! There's Zach, he'll score." I believe there were maybe four passes and the puck was in the net behind Danis. By the time they were at 3 - 0, I started to text the other Blogger buddies what their prediction for the final score would be. Many of them had Clemmensen getting the shut out. But I knew the Islanders would get at least one. It was just a matter of WHO.

Blake didn't disappoint me. (Nice to be able to say that again.) But while I was sitting in my seats next to an actual Hockey coach, I received a little lesson on "the system" and the fact that this game had no system but "dump and chase."

Brad Kurtzberg from Inside Hockey texted me "It's like watching a cat play with a mouse." But actually I think if it was a cute cat, it would have been more interesting. The Devils with the 3 point lead just sat back and played their trap hockey. "It's very hard to score against the Trap. Watch. They'll dump it in." They did.

"See where the Devils are?" They were all to the right. "They're all over here. Spread out. Take the red line. Dump it in. Then here we go. High man, covers #19. He's the first man back. What they had there was that the Devils had four men and the Islanders had three men back. You're not going to score that way."

He continued move by move as if he had seen this game before and memorized it. But I suppose that's what coaches do.

There wasn't even a decent fight, which disappointed my guest. Sure, Jackman had a scuffle, but it was nothing to write home about. And Brendan Witt not only was hit in the face with a slap shot, leaving a very nasty raised open wound on his cheek, but he got tossed on his butt more than once.

As Scott Gordon said in the post game "We didn't play for two periods. That about says it all."

He was asked if the "Dubielewicz episode" had anything to do with the team's play. As if it may have had a collective impact. Gordon was emphatic, "Not at all. Dubielewicz not being here doesn't stop us from skating. Doesn't stop us from managing the puck better. Doesn't stop us from getting above the puck and managing our fore check. I told the guys after two periods, we didn't skate. "

There more opportunities in the third period for the Islanders. But it was too late. Blake Comeau ended Clemmensen's possible shut out. Because the third was somewhat better, Gordon was asked by Stan Fischler how he could rally the team. Scott said it simply. "It's their job."

A job that they are actually privileged to have. The effort needs to be there.

"There scoring chances weren't there. The overall energy wasn't there. There are a lot of things we'd like to change right now." This is what Trent Hunter had to say while he was tapping on his water bottle. It was obvious, this was the last place he wanted to be right now. "We need to find a way to get a better effort and win those games."

Hunter said "Our job doesn't change because there is someone different in net." in defense of Yann Danis and his inexperience.

This is indeed getting bad. The standings are weighing heavily on them. The only one that seemed slightly upbeat (believe it or not) was Yann Danis. He was asked if he was ready for Monday's game.

"Yeah! I'm feeling good. I'm ready to go!" What an enthusiastic kid. He'll learn.

While Mike Comrie was being interviewed by the throng, Sean Bergenheim was in the room being interviewed in the corner by a foreign reporter. I couldn't' tell if he was being interviewed for either Sweden or Finland. But I know that voice. When he was done, I managed to catch his eye.

"How ARE you feeling?" I asked (with my stupid ass tape recorder off!)

"I feel good." which sounded completely non-committal. "My side, it's not 100%. I really am day to day. It may play Monday, I may play Wednesday. I've been trying. But we'll see."

I told Sean that he seems to have a penchant for scoring when I'm not in the building, so I had stayed away a few games. He smiled, "I'm not that superstitious, keep coming to the games."

Sean knows I have been one of his biggest supporters since he was first drafted. I told him the games he plays are still very entertaining... even though. "Yes, but winning is better."

Even though he hasn't been playing, this losing streak is weighing heavily on him as well. The mother in me couldn't help by grab his arm, the same way I did so many years ago, and tell him "It will be okay. It will. Things will get better."

Again, he smiled at me. "It's good to see you." and he was gone.

As hard as it is for us to get through this dry spell as fans, try to imagine how hard it is for the men who are living it. From our GM down to Shakey, it is effecting them. Every turn seems to find another bump in the road, another injury or just not enough chance and luck.

But I can tell you that nothing lasts forever. Nothing. So this too shall pass, and when it does, we will be there. Sadly, Dubie won't be. Sorry about that Wade.