Isles Down in OT 4-3

After another heartbreaking loss, Jack told Peter Ruttgaizer "It was a game of surges. They held zone time extensively down low.  But again, three  power play goals against and you're notgoing to win."

The power play was as Scotty Allen called it "fragile."  Peter asked how to fix that.

"We have to find a way to get back to our foundation."  He reiterated  "..three power play goals against."  as if he was just not believing it.  " We have to get back to basics and focus." They used to be 8th in the league in penalty kills.

When it came to the Isles own power play unit Jack said "Special teams are huge.  I'd have to watch again, but it was just 'ok' for me.  We passed up too many shots on our power play."

The Isles don't play again until Tuesday starting a string of games that don't really matter.  "We have to regroup and get back home.  We have a  day off tomorrow and get ready for Tuesday."

Rangers take the series this year 3 - 2 and even Butch complained that special teams have to be effective and they were  spending too much time in their own zone.   The Isles have let up 13 power play goals against in 11 games. Butch said there was no agrresive forechecking that allowed Richards to just walk down the ice.  Ouch.

Isles hung in there and didn't really give up but penalties killed them again.

With the roster someone different due to illness and injury the two stats the Isles usually lead in weren't there.  It was the Rangers who blocked 14 shots to the Isles 10 and who had 24 hits to the Isles 13.  See what happens when Matt Martin isn't there?

Howie Rose was adament when he said "It's painfully obvious they have got to find secondary scoring.  Whether it's underachieving among the incumbents... you cannot continue to put all the pressure on one line."  He will be writing that as a personal note to Garth Snow as advice for the off season.   "Try to get someone to score more goals."  Ya think?  He also said it was "remarkable that the Tavares line has held up and produced as much as they have."

That's true.  Some times know if you shut down that first line, the Isles are basically rendered helpless.

PA Parenteau sat in the dressing room when Stan Fishler asked him his thoughts on the game.  "I thought we fought pretty well.  They're a good hockey team, they're fast.  It could have gone either way.  We have to be more disciplined."  He said he couldn't say anything about Travis' penalty call.

Neither could Hamonic, who was at a loss for words for a few seconds.  "It's frustrating.  I thought we played a pretty good game.  Our PK wasn't where it should be."  Stan said it was a good effort and Travis snapped back.  "Do you get two points for a good effort?"  No you don't.  Travis doesn't think it was a good call in overtime, but didn't want to say anything that would get him in trouble. 

Frans was dripping sweat and rubbing his head,  "It was very tough.  I don't know; I mean they out worked us pretty hard today.  It's not good enough.  Special teams have to be way better."

So tonight the Isles went from clinging to playoff hopes to heading back to "fundamentals."

I'm going back to cleaning the kitchen. At least once that's done, I'm not disappointed.

Devils 3 - Isles 2 at the Pru

Well, good effort by the young Islanders against the New Jersey Devils. This win keeps the Devils' slim play off hopes alive. Much of it was Marty Brodeur who was stellar. Or as Kovalchuk said "He played like he was 25, not 38."

Frans Nielsen scored both the Islanders goal and tied Bobby Bourne for the most short handed goals by an Islander. The Islanders PK was amazing and gave Lemaire fits. That's an amazing testament to Scott Allen.

Post game report and all the other details of the day (geeze, you'd think it would be boring in Islanders Country, but it wasn't) are here at HockeyBuzz.com.

Michael Grabner did not play tonight... and for good reason as he was awaiting the birth of his first child. No news as of yet how the new family is doing.

Matt Moulson beat Kyle Okposo in Rob Carlin's 10 Question Challenge. I had never doubted he would have. Who knew that Matty had such an amazing background in -- Seasame Street.

Okay, on to the Rangers!

Devilish Sunday @ the Barn

I cannot be upset with this game. Okay, it was a little on the boring side, but hey... that's Devils' hockey at it's finest.

There were a lot of red jerseys in the over 15,000 patrons that showed up this afternoon, but there were also a few Gillies 14 shirts along with this sign on the wall.

The Devils out shot the Islanders 29 - 22. Obviously a very low shot percentage game. There were large stretches of time where no shots were recorded (see opening statement).

Brian Rolston finally put the Devils on the board four minutes into the 2nd on a power play goal It took until almost the end of the second for Josh Bailey to tie it up at one.

Less than 3 minutes into the third, Ilya Kovalchuk (of course) put the Devils up by one and then it became a game of trying to not get even further behind. Blake Comeau tied the game at 2 at 16:18, much to Marty Brodeur's dismay.


Frans Nielsen scored on Marty Brodeur in the shoot-out with his patented "gimmick" as Howie liked to call it. Kovalchuk scored on Montoya. It wasn't until Brian Rolson had waited for seven shooters to fail before beating Al Montoya to give the Devils their two points.

While it was a hard fought game with Comeau and Okopso throwing some big hits along with Jack Hillen taking another chance on offering up a hip-check (and getting away with it this time! Nice!), there were no fighing penalties. Although I'm pretty sure if Michael Haley had his way, there would have been. John Tavares was knocked down more times than he'd like to think about and Matt Moulson was roughed up around Marty's net. He didn't seem to be very happy about it.

Al Montoya did an amazing job keeping the Isles in the game though out. Even if the shot total was low, the shots the Devils take are quality. To a man, everyone speaks highly of Al Montoya.

"We're a young group of guys and we showed a lot of patience tonight." PA Parenteau told Stan Fishler. He called Montoya "Monty" twice and was happy with his first shoot out performance in net.

"This is the direction we're going and we want to keep going this way. It's about leaving our best effort on the ice." Montoya told the media. He also told them he wasn't nervous for is first shoot out. This guy is cool, like the flip side of a pillow.

It would have been nice to get him the two points. It will also be nice to get him a contract for next season. Um, yeah.


Thanks to Nick6489, whom I had the pleasure of meeting tonight at the pre-game meetup. He was with Bob, whose cowbell you hear during almost every home game. I had no idea they have their own radio show, but they do. So here is my impromptu interview with Nick & Bob for HKCRadio.com.

Caps 2 Isles 1 1-20-11

Well, not the home coming that Kyle was looking for, but considering how long it has been since he was in the line-up, he did just fine.

Okposo played a little over 18 minutes and had a total of 8 shots, 1 on net, 5 blocked and 2 that missed. Not bad for a first game back. He handled the media well during the post game interviews as well. His team mates had nothing but great things to say about him. They're happy to have him on the ice as well as in the room.

Frans Nielsen admitted to a little rust. "Definitely not my best game." He played 16:27 and only had 3 shots. He spoke to Stan Fischler in a quiet tone, as most of them do after a loss. He's looking forward to tomorrow. "It's always nice to have a game the next day when you lose. You forget about this, and think about tomorrow."

The room was bear and quiet when we entered as Shakey and his crew hurried to pack gear for the trip to Buffalo. Michael Grabner stood in front of his bear stall as the lone goalscorer for the Islanders. His speed is superb. His vision is improving.

Matt Martin was sitting in his stall mixing his protein shake. I looked over and smiled at him. He has the best sneakers I've ever seen. They have Islander logos on the tongue and orange & blue stripes. I want a pair.

It was Konopka's turn to get crushed by the cameras. "We gotta find a way to get points." But big Z felt they did compete. It's not easy to keep the Capitals to only two goals, both of which came off of Alexander Ovechkin passes. But the defense kept on Great8 like white on rice, holding him to those two assist points. "We battled, we hit, we got to the loose pucks. We have to find a way to find the back of the net."

He said they have to be ready tomorrow. "We have to go in there with a chip on our shoulder. We can't be happy to just show up."

If the problem is slow starts the team is experiencing, then Zenon Konopka attributes that to youth. Jack Capuano didn't quite agree. "They're professional hockey players." But Jack knows, in this league you can't take a second off or it will hurt you.

He wants them to get to the net. As he always says, "Manage the puck, manage the clock." Tonight, they tried, but couldn't manage that tying goal to send the game to OT.

Rick DiPietro, who would have been peppered with questions about his wanderlust tonight did not stay in the room to speak to the reporters. He undressed, Mike Dunham came in to speak with him and then he walked out. The room was told that Rick would not be available for questions because he was "on the table getting IVs."

My personal opinion was they could have just said he wasn't going to be available. But it seems that Rick did not make the trip tonight as they rushed out to beat the snow to Buffalo.

So who will start tomorrow in net? Lawson or Poulin? Because it obviously won't be Ricky.

Kyle Returns to play Against the Capitals

So the very good news is that Kyle Okposo will be back in the line-up tomorrow to face the Washington Capitals. Somewhere I remember saying to someone on Twitter that he would probably be back by around the 20th. And the 20th it shall be.

Now, I don’t know if there will be any sort of fanfare for his return, but I would imagine the fans will be happy as hell to see him. My only concern is whether or not he’s ready to hit the ice at this level. Especially against the hard hitting Alex Ovechkin. Hopefully, Trevor Gillies will be in the line-up. Just in case!

Frans Nielsen is questionable for tomorrow, but more should be known after the morning skate.

Rick DiPietro did not practice today as he is listed as “sick” with a possible flu. Nate Lawson returned from Bridgeport yesterday after playing against the Providence Bruins. No word as of yet who will be in net tomorrow. Although I may get this info tonight via twitter feed. You get all sorts of stuff there.

Like this! Great map to show you where what food is at the coliseum. Helpful with for those pressed for time or in the mood for something specific.

Also, Islanders staff and players’ wives will be collecting new and gently worn jackets from fans before the Jan. 20 and Jan. 23 games against the Washington Capitals and Buffalo Sabres. Fans attending the back-to-back contests are encouraged to drop off the coats they are no longer in need of at the box office, gate 16 or gate 1. Fans who donate coats will receive a voucher good for two tickets to the February 17 Islanders contest against the Boston Bruins

Another Big Loss for the Isles: Eaton Done for Season

Can it get any worse? Seriously? While I know you should never tempt fate with something like that, the bleeding has to stop.

The NY Islanders have been informed that Mark Eaton will undergo hip surgery in Colorado, in that wing of the hospital paid for by Islanders money, and the man who blocked the most amount of shots on the team is now finished for the year. He played 34 games and blocked 84 shots. He will be sorely missed.

Eaton is just another name being added to the list of NHLers who were on the Islanders roster this season.

With no word as to whether Frans Nielsen will be ready to play tomorrow night against Vancouver, I am ASSUMING that to be the case as they have waived Jon Sim today making me also assume that Jeremy Colliton will remain in the line-up.

No answer on Rick DiPietro either, but rumor has it, he should be back in the line-up some time this week.

Thanks to Blake Price on Vancouver Team1040am radio at www.teamradio.ca who called tonight for a segment that will air at 9:45 pm.

Hopefully they edited out the stuttering. I am no Chris King.

A huge thanks to @Mozy19, my favorite Canucks fan, and just awesome guy, for giving me a cheat sheet for the call in.

Kevin Poulin's NHL Debut

Had the game been an Islander win, this would have been Kevin Poulin's finest moment. But the kid stopped everything he faced and should be proud of his effort.

You can see the disappointment in Matt Moulson and the inability of the power play to convert on a five on three gift. But without Frans Nielsen in the line-up, this was a game that just got away from them.

The trite yet true "Manage the puck, manage the clock" mantra should have been followed last night. It wasn't.

The Line On The Ice

How far is too far? Where is the line that can't be crossed when players are chirping each other in hockey? This question has come up quite a bit this week, especially for our Islanders after their last bout with the Philadelphia Flyers.

According to Danny Briere it was something Frans Nielsen “said” that pushed him to the limit. We are not privy to what he actually said because -- well, you know the adage “what happens on the ice, stays on the ice.” But it supposedly was enough to send Briere into a head clocking fit. (In all honesty, I still don't buy that. Not from Frans Nielsen.)

The League told James Wisniewski his hand gesture was “too far” on the ice, even though, according to him, it was a gesture Sean Avery had performed during the pre-game skate. (Monitoring pre-game skates will be a topic at next week's GM's meeting.)

Avery has been in trouble numerous times for “going too far” on and off the ice. It’s one thing to slander an ex-girlfriend, then current girl-friend of another player, but there was an outcry of “foul!” when it was reported that he chirped at Jason Blake about his battle with cancer. Insensitive to say the least, but too far or just part of the game?

I was listening to Ray Ferraro on his morning talk show on Vancouver's am 1040 on Wednesday and his co-host asked the same question. “How far is too far?” Ray Ferraro has been on both ends of the ice on this one. He’s taken as much as he’s given. According to him, that’s the way it is. There is no line. “Everything is fair game with one exception -- kids.” He admits there are things he wished he hadn't said, but little is off limits.

Okay, there you have it. So the code of the hockey player is "no kid references." Ray said he’s been called midget, asked if he’s been shot out of a cannon and other short jokes. He’s tossed items about like “With that head, are you a float in the Thanksgiving parade.” These seem all pretty tame. Think back to the barbs lobbed in Slap Shot. Demeaning references about a goalie’s wife or a defenseman’s sexuality was enough to cause an all out blood bath.

But as Ray said, it’s part of the game. “Things I’ve been told on the ice would get someone arrested in the real world.” Do we want to take that out of this game too? This is a passionate game, and it’s the passion that makes it so special. If you remove or penalize every on ice comment made I believe something will be lost. This is the last, great, gladiator sport there is. Every year some other aspect becomes regulated and limited.

In this terrific SNY.TV piece by Chris Botta, Zenon Konopka talks about what happened in the Flyers game that caused him to be escorted from the ice. However, he too wasn’t too quick to divulge the actual verbiage used, only the fact that he wanted to be heard loud and clear. Watch it and see what you think? He discusses how things are in the ECHL (go back to Slap Shot territory) Maybe the ice is the last place anyone can be “non-pc” and get away with it. Personally, I’d like to keep it that way.

Puck Junkie Withdrawal

Good Morning. I hope everyone enjoyed their Mother's Day and weekend with family and friends. I know I have a bad case of writerfail, but work has been busy, there's been a few family issues and just general mayhem. It doesn't help that there seems to be nothing going on in Islander Country too.

Sure, I could talk about Kate Murray's grass eating herd of goats that has increased to now 14 little "kids," but what's the point. With the mess in the Gulf, an environmentally friendly project is welcome. Face it -- Mother Nature is pissed as hell right now and she's not letting up.

There were the floods in Nashville too which were deadly and devastating. The Nashville Predators Bridgestone Arena was flooded. It's an upsetting sight for a very passionate fan base.

The Phoenix Coyotes are still without an owner and may very well ultimately be displaced. Sad situation for their fans and a team that really beat the odds this season while being run by the league.

There was that bomb attempt in NY and if I start getting into that, I will be rattling off a string of politically incorrect profanities. I can't go there. But the government needs to do something about the security leak that tipped the suspected bomber off and Fox Five News perhaps shouldn't give such minute details that give others the information they need in order to actually pull it off. Is that actually journalism?

The World Championships are rolling along in Germany where Team USA faced the largest crowd of hockey fans ever: 77,000 plus. For that support, Germany beat USA 2 - 1. Sorry about that Kyle and Jack. But John Tavares and Team Canada won their first game and so did Team Sweden. Frans Nielsen is playing for them. I didn't know that until I read it on Twitter.

Rangers goalie Chad Johnson is on Team Canada in Germany, there is an exclusive blog from the tournament on the Rangers website. I guess it was difficult for any of the Islanders who are participating to do the same.

The Devils website says their TV ratings went up this season by 45%. Ha ha, New Jersey! The Isles ratings were up in triple digits and half the time the broadcasts couldn't even be located as they were buried on lower tier MSG stations.

See what happens to me when not only is there no Islanders hockey, but no Islanders news? I get very, very cranky. I guess I'll just go to work!

Isles vs. Rangers at MSG 2-1 Isles

*This is an awesome gift for the female hockey fan in your life!!!Check out http://www.heartbreakhockey.com for detals

7am: Also noting that only one news channel had footage of the Ranger's coach spewing explatives at the media last night in his post game report. No one else has aired it. Now, if that was Scott Gordon or Garth Snow -- It would have been all over Dolanvision, now wouldn't it??
Sadly the game was on 414 in non-HD and looked like it was recorded through wax paper.

With Bruno Gervais and Jeff Tambellini sitting this one out, the young defense of the NY Islanders managed to shut down the league's leading goal scorer. Jack Hillen, bad foot and all, did an amazing job as did the rest of the defense in this very low scoring game.

The first goal was certainly a very ugly one. Jon Sim worked like a dog until standing in the paint and taking a few lumps finally paid off as the puck hit his leg and bounced up and over a prone Lundqvist. He doesn't care how they manage to go in, as long as they do.

That lone goal stood for a very long time.

Josh Bailey had two, no, make that THREE shots on goal and John Tavares had Zero. JT tries to make some very pretty plays, but he couldn't quite make them work.

Avery was Avery and got into a little shoving match with Dwayne Roloson which sent Matt Moulson to sit in the box for Dwayne. I'm surprised it was Matt that had to sit out the penalty. But, Gordon knows what he's doing.

Nielsen had another break-away attempt that Lundqvist denied and sent Frans to the bench disgusted. Good attempt. It would have done wonders for the game and Frans had he reacted just a little sooner and got it by him.

At 16:53 of the third, Blake Comeau managed to bang in a rebound from a Matt Moulson slap shot over Lundqvist. He didn't see it coming. Not bad for a guy who also saw a lot of the press box. The crowd cheered so loud, I thought the Rangers had scored, but it seems that only the Islanders fans stuck around for the end of the game.

With Tortorella going with an extra attacker, Roloson lost his bid for a shut out when Lisin managed to sneak the puck through Rolie's legs when he wasn't looking. No, seriously. He wasn't looking. He was too busy telling Andy MacDonald not to block him. It was almost as if he heard a whistle in his head and just stopped playing.

But it was still a win and one on the really lousy MSG ice no less. (They said they lowered the temperature 8 degrees, but it still looked very choppy out there.)

There were only 26 shots on Rolie and 28 on Lundqvist. But I'm guessing that Roloson will still get the nod for tomorrow night's game. The Rangers may very well go with Chad Johnson. Who? Yeah. Newbie. Welcome to Long Island kid.

As Gordon said, they were ready to play and didn't give the Rangers a lot of time and space. If that's what it takes, then lather, rinse, repeat tomorrow night.

Just keep Sean Avery out of Roloson's way. He may be 40, but he sure is fiesty!

Having a Devil of a Time in New Jersey

**And don't forget, books make great holiday gifts! Order "Whose Better" for every hockey fan on your list. Click the link on the right to order today.

Things seem to never go right for the Islanders in New Jersey. Last visit they lost Radek and Doug. This time they lost Nielsen. They also lost the game and the momentum they built in the win against the Penguins on Friday afternoon.

So maybe it's the REALLY early day games they have a problem with, or just the NJ Devils and future hall-of-famer, Marty Brodeur. But that being said, the biggest problems according to Jack Hillen were penalties (his) and turnovers (every one's). "Our forecheck was a little bit off too."

According to Scott Gordon, it was a lot off. "We didn't have the patience to wait on our forecheck. Patience on our side has to be there. We got away from it. Now were playing into their hands."

Patience is a virtue and not easy to teach, neither is discipline. "We have to play with a certain amount of discipline. And we didn't."

Penalties are noticeably adding up for the Islanders who have been testing their goalies and PK-ers with five on three opportunities more than they should. Additionally, the penalties are coming from some veterans as well as rookie players. So, when Scott Gordon talks about discipline and patience, he's talking to the entire team.

However, as Jack Hillen told reporters "we're still having a great year so far. It's only one game."

Yes, in the scheme of things, the Islanders are still on their way to a good season. But losing key players to injury will once again dog their success. There is still no definitive word on the return of Captain Doug Weight and the loss of Andy Sutton for (hopefully) only a few games may leave Andrew MacDonald up from Bridgeport.

On the bright side for one guy who has been spending too much time in the press box may actually get some ice time in Nielsen's place. Well, Gordon DID say he's only use him if he needed a Center. Knock, Knock, Robbie. This is opportunity. There's a Center down.

Once again Anthony Curatolo and I will be creating a new episode of Off The Rush later this morning looking at this week in Islanders Hockey and the upcoming road games after their much needed days off.

Later!

Matt & Frans Meet the Fans & Fend off Offers

It was the longest line I had seen for a signing at the mall. I actually couldn’t see the end of it. I was in awe. There were Islanders reps trying to manage the line and keep count. They knew it was going to be difficult, and sadly, not everyone would be able to get an autograph. This was a one hour signing window and people had started to line up at 4 pm for the 6:30 start. Yeah. We don’t have any fans. Right.

I recognized some familiar faces in the line, made small talk and went in the store to annoy, interview Matt Moulson for a few minutes. My interview mission got sidetracked by the new merchandise on the walls and the shelves. “Wow! Look at that!” I kept finding myself saying. “When did they get a Chip & Dip dish?” I asked out loud. There were so many new things I started making mental notes for Christmas.

The Lightpost’s Katrina Doell showed off her skill with a microphone as she assisted the ITV cameraman interview a few fans that had waited in line. I was still shopping.

I bumped into NYIC’s Webb20 and his family. They were 148 on line. But they managed to get everything they wanted autographed and even have something so smart it kills me. They have an autograph book they use as a photo “key” to each player’s signature. Brilliant!

I also bumped into Twitter’s own @dani3boyz with only TWO of her boys. Yes, she was tweeting. When I finally got around to wandering over to Matt, I stood for awhile and watched how fans greeted him and Frans Nielsen. They were excited, they were giddy, and they were EVERYWHERE.

“Give him your stick sweetie.” A mother prodded her 4 year old son. “That you so much, that’s all he wanted.” The boy was wide eyed, but didn’t say a word. “Can I please have an autograph?” A teenage girl and her friend stood at the table. As both team mates began signing for the girls, the braver one blurted out “I want to marry you!” Both men laughed a little, smiled at the girls, handed over the autographs and the line continued. I, however, was cracking up.

After we had such a good time on Monday night on Twitter with our #MightyMattMoulson hashtag, I wanted to find out how much Matt knew about Twitter. I was disappointed. “I know what it is. But I’m not on it, no.”

“Can I be a ring bearer at your wedding?” a fresh faced boy interrupted us. That made Matt laugh. “Hey, thanks bud. But I think I got one. But I’ll let you know if I need one.” Matt was so amused by the young man’s request that I couldn’t keep his attention. “Would you be willing to put it on your head?” He was chuckling over the image. The boy was confused. Matt said it again. “Would you be willing to walk in with it on your head?”

I don’t think the young man was even sure what a ring bearer was supposed to do, but Matt had this mental picture of this kid in a little tux with that satin pillow teetering on his head. The boy nodded “Sure!”

“I’ll have to take that into consideration then.” Another young woman at the table shouted out to him “How did it feel when they didn’t give you the goal for the hat trick?” Obviously, no one really cared about the mother blogger with the tape recorder.

“I didn’t touch it. So.” The table was now crowded with things to sign again. They kept going.

I told Matt about my wager that he will get 20 goals by January. “I need you to help me out, Matt.” He chuckled, “I guess I better pick up the slack.” With 10 goals already, personally, I’m not worried.

Moulson has certainly infused some excitement into this fan base. I told him that he brought a new energy to the team as well as taking some of the attention off his friend John Tavares. “Well, I definitely have a lot of energy. That’s what he says (Tavares). I’m the more outgoing one and I can take the tension sometimes off of him. He said it makes him be a little more outgoing. So it’s good.”

In all honesty, I have to say that is true. I have noticed a considerable difference in the way JT handles himself with the media now. He is a little more relaxed knowing that he isn’t the ONLY focal point on this team. He can actually walk around the rink without having cameras and microphones in his face at all times.

“There’s just been so much stuff written about him and said that he’s very private about things, understandably.“ He said with a tone of concern for his young friend. At twenty-six, Matt can act not only as room mate and friend, but big brother. A role I think he is well suited for.

The first interview I had ever done with Matt, I had asked him how he liked Long Island. At the time, he hadn’t seen much of it other than the hotel. Now, months later, I asked him again. “Matt, so are you enjoying your time on Long Island?” This time, he was emphatic. “Are you kidding me?? Of course, I love it! I love it more day by day. I don’t know how I couldn’t."

All the time I was trying to ask these questions of Matt, Frans Nielsen was taking questions about homeland and quietly signing pucks and photos. He has such a quiet elegance about him; you’d never take him for a hockey player. While Matt could play along with the young women asking to marry him, Frans almost blushed when another young lady yelled out “You’re my favorite, Frans! Will you take a picture with me?” He paused before he walked over to accommodate her. But she got what she wanted; a great photo of her and her favorite hockey player.

It took some assistance getting the two Islanders out of the store when it was close to 8 pm. On my way out I bumped into Season Ticket Holder Larry who had given Kyle Okposo and Marty Biron those wild Islanders caps. It really looks good on Kyle!

While it is a shame that a lot of fans didn’t get into the store for the signing, I am hopeful they understand that this is how it is when the team is winning and we have great young talent. But there will be other signings at both locations. Keep an eye on the website for information.

But check out the store for Christmas shopping. And if anyone would like my wish list, I’ll be happy to send it to you!

This Time, They Got The Job Done 4 - 3

**I have to drink more coffee if I'm going to write so far passed my bedtime.

It was a good night to be on the couch watching the Isles vs the Caps. There wasn't the Matt Moulson goal within the first 55 seconds. No, there was a goal by Alex Ovechikin at 4:41 to put the Caps up by 1. But that would be the only puck he would get by Dwayne Roloson for the rest of the night and the only point he would put on his stat sheet.

But Frans Nielsen would see the back of the net twice and Kyle Okposo would get his third of the season in the first?. It was a beautiful goal, earned by keeping his head up while he skated around the Capitals. Sean Bergenheim, with lots of hustle and a few good chances, managed one assist point. The same as John Tavares who was held off the score sheet until overtime.

The biggest story was the story between the pipes. While Dwayne Roloson had to check his temper after the second goal by Tomas Fleischmann, he managed to come up big facing 40 shots.

The Islanders face off percentage wasn't as good as previous games, and their penalty minutes increased. But the outcome was still admirable as they managed to take the additional point home on the plane with them.

While Stan Fischler called Wednesday's game against the NY Rangers the Islander's "turning point," this game just solidified one thing: The Islanders are NOT an easy team to play. And that says a lot.

It's no secret that the roster is not perfect, but they are finding their way. Their way may lead them further in the standings than everyone had expected of the team that ended 30th last season.

There was a baseball game style celebratory group hug when Streit blasted a shot passed Joseph at :53 into Overtime. On the bench Scott Allen let out a yell. Scott Gordon was even caught on camera smiling. This was a big two points and it showed. Ofcourse their celebration can only last as long as it takes to return from Washington. Tomorrow it's back to business against the Sabres who spent the evening beating the Maple Leafs.

Will I even see the words "Ranger hangover" in the morning paper? I hope not. I'd like to leave that theory behind. I'd also like to leave Mark Streit's penchant for sitting in the box behind as well. Can we try to make that happen please?

Gordon: Size DOESN'T Matter

Huh? It doesn’t? That’s the size of the LA forwards he's referring to.

Scott Gordon’s answer to Islesblogger.com Mike Schuerlein was “No. The size of their forwards isn’t going to stop you from stopping and starting. It’s not going to dictate a circle.”

It seemed like a good question at the time. Actually, it seemed like a good question later in the interview too when IslesOfficial.com Doug asked about traffic in front of Biron and whether the defensemen were boxing out properly. “Well, that’s where the bigger forwards do have an impact.”

Um. Okay. I’m going to chalk this up as a Teddy Nolan moment of contradiction. But I’m sure that Scott Gordon was just thinking in two different directions and didn’t realize his seemingly contradictory statements that size does or doesn’t matter.

Later on in the parking lot, a “MSM” type walked by our gaggle of bloggeratzi and said “They were just too big for us.” WAIT!!! Are you saying size DOES matter?? So make sure you check www.islesblogger.com for the rest of his questions to Scott Gordon and his post game locker room interviews.

Okay, more importantly than the size dispute was how Scott Gordon characterized the loss, “We got lazy.” Ouch. He reiterated it. “We got lazy. That’s where the stopping and starting comes in and the recognition of supporting the defensemen in puck retrieval situations that we didn’t do.”
According to Doug Weight, if the could play a full 60 minutes they would probably be 3 – 1, or 3 – 0 – 1. But they haven’t found a way to do that yet.

Doug Davidson got off a few more questions for Coach Gordon as the press room seemed eerily quiet. You can check him out at http://islesofficialsoutlook.blogspot.com/.

Okay, it was a disappointing loss when there was such a positive, supportive crowd in attendance. They stayed with the team the entire game. There was no “fake fan noise” or studio enhanced audio track. This was a lively, loud young crowd. “It was a great day game. They are so passionate about us. We have a GREAT fan base. They were with us the whole time!” Islanders Director of Communications, Seth Sylvan told me in Press room 6.

They were LOUD. Maybe sound, like heat, rises. But it was an amazing sound. He continued “The fans, the kids, they came out and showed us that there is a lot of passion and excitement around this team." The NY Islanders are still leading the way in group sales as there were dozens of large groups in attendance. There were even two groups of youngsters from Denmark who were playing in a tournament attending. Sadly Frans Nielsen wasn’t playing, but there was a meet and greet scheduled for them that Mr. Sylvan left me to go take care of.

Another oddity that I noticed in the game, and that was clarified in the parking lot by those who have an eye for these things, was that Kyle Okposo dropped his stick three times and broke another. I found this unusual, which is why I was keeping track of it. “Do you think Kyle had new gloves or something?” I asked the blogger boys thinking they would have a better understanding of what was wrong.

“Funny you should say that. When Kyle was being interviewed I noticed a pair of 221 gloves. Those just came out.” I was told. Hmmm… So, maybe I was right. I would have asked Kyle myself, but the room was so crowded today, I just retreated to wait for Scott Gordon.

Also interesting reading regarding today’s game and post game is Ken’s http://okposo.blogspot.com/ blog. And I’m not just saying that because he mentioned me, I say it because his entries are always good reading.

Yep, I don’t like day games. They throw me all off. But even without the two points for the team, I got a few pointers in the press box and the parking lot and another good look at Matt Moulson and Robbie Schremp.


I’d like to thank the blogger boys and one of my MSM friends (You know who you are!!!) for daring me to write that headline about size. But it’s just SO appropriate!

Post Game 5-4 Canes over Isles

Bruno on a caffeine high gets his second goal and does an interview with CJ Papa that sounded like it was recorded at the wrong speed. Did he even breathe?

Tambellini thumped one of the Canes into the boards and he bounced. It was a real shock. It was Tamby doing it.

Streit gets another personal point with an assist and time Jackman gets two.

Rechlicz is just an animal... but one that can actually skate and play hockey. Even though he playe only a little over 7 minutes.

Okposo and Nielsen had a great game, each with a goal and an assist, but seriously the Chia Beards (as Jaffe called them) have to go.

Park, wearing special padding to protect his recovering ribs, not only scored but also took a hit that made me hold my breath.

Dean gets hooked, the officials miss it, and he ends up in the box giving the canes a 2 man advantage in the final two minutes. "Dean McAmmand has earned that kind of respect to have the officials let him have his say. He cares. The kind of guy you want on your team." Bill Jaffe.

I hate to say I'm glad they lost. That's not the way I want to feel. But in these last dozen games, we can't lose sight of the big picture.

They're playing better than we could have ever hoped. But they can't will themselves into a playoff berth. They can't roll over either. But losing is seriously in our best interest. I'm sorry Peter Mannino.

Isles beat the Pens in a Shoot Out

The post game atmosphere is always so much better when they win. It's also better when there's actually a 60 minute effort. And that's what Scott was most proud of.

The play of the youngsters has been steadily improving. That's not much to get excited over, but when you're the last place team in the league, you'll take whatever shred of optimism you can muster.

But a shoot out win, and Tambellini netting a goal for a change was good to see.

"I thought it was sixty solid minutes. I thought the chances generated were pretty good."

Sean Bergenheim played a very good game, earning two assist points and the coaches confidence by managing to stay out of the penalty box this time. "I think Bergie played well, he finished his checks. Frans (Nielsen) is a play maker and has speed. Hilbert is reliable and can play both sides of the puck." They were a great line.

Okposo made his mark against the face of the NHL. "It's something where we want our young players to play against the best. They're going to be better players for it."

Personally, I didn't think Crosby looked like himself. he was almost invisible. But it was an entertaining game for the crowd of 16,234 (yes, that means sell out). And since it was a wonderful mood in Press Room 6, IslesOfficial Doug even got to ask Scott Gordon a question

after Stan Fischler and Greg Logan were done. When Seth said "One more question." Doug jumped right on it. He asked why some of the players seem to be reluctant to shoot. Check his blog. I'm sure he's going to discuss the answer.

Also check out Gary Harding's blog, View from 317 even though his view today was from 201. And of course, there was Stephen from IslesNation doing his thing going back and forth between his computer and his Blackberry.

When he turned his back, I was going to mess up his blog, but he caught me. But considering I have quite a few pounds on him, I'm sure I could have taken him if I wanted too.

Islesblogger.com Mike was quiet today as he stayed in his seats for all but the last remaining minutes of the game, and Tiger Track Tom Liodice looked quite dashing in his sports coat and tie. Wow! He really IS taking this very seriously. You can check out his work on the Isles main website for many of the game recaps.

Thanks to Doug I ALMOST had a one-on-one interview with Sean Bergenheim in the hallway but for some reason, couldn't come up with anything to ask him. We simply exchanged pleasantries and I told him how happy I was for him for his two point game and star of the night. It must have been that smile and those blue eyes, but I just walked away smiling instead of standing there asking questions and writing.

And finally some additional notes from the locker room (even though I'm not supposed to talk about them). Rick DiPietro looked quite well, almost as good as Hillary Duff.

Where's the Welcome Wagon?

Good morning all ye faithful Long Island hockey fans. There's a home coming of sorts tonight at the coliseum. Our own Orange and Bluer than Blue Islanders are set to have their first game of their home stand against of all teams, the dreaded NY Rangers.

As if that wasn't adding insult to injury enough for my taste, there is more. I opened the paper this morning to look to see what is usually a morning article about the evening's match up. I was hoping for just a smidgen of good-natured trash talk. But what did I find in our morning Newsday? Basketball, Football and high school sports.

Oh, yes... there was a very expensive two third page ad for that local hockey team of ours, but... hey... that pays Newsday's heat bills.

No game day article when there's a Ranger/Islanders match up? Is this what we have come to?

Last week, Big Angry Man said to me "I can't stand it. It's so bad, even the Ranger fans at the Firehouse feel bad for me. I HATE IT! When the team is so bad that the Ranger fans start feeling sorry for you... THAT'S BAD!"

Yep. That's bad. But hey! We're still NOT TAMPA!!!

So, no Welcome Wagon for you Frans Nielsen. But we're glad you're back. Stay healthy.

*(sorry about the photo. That was for ME!)

Gordon's version of 'War & Peace' 11-24-08

Scott Gordon may have a different version of "War & Peace" than the Islanders fan base. He was blasted left, right and upside down for how he handled the game on Friday that saw the loss of budding talent, Frans Nielsen.

He was lambasted for not sending gargantuan Mitch Fritz out onto the ice to "send a message"during Friday's Isles /Devils matchup. But maybe Gordon has a different message.

I am not one that calls for the end of fighting in the NHL, so please don't start whining at me. But considering that Gordon had already lost Trent Hunter from the game when he stood up for Frans, I'm assuming Scott had a different plan; one that wasn't immediately visible.

It's a long season, one that has begun with an unusually high amount of injuries. Every time one player returns to the line up, another one is out for weeks. That can't be easy on the coaching staff, and it's not easy on the fans.

The extended loss of Frans with those "multiple leg injuries" (enough injury info guys, or are you stil going to complain?) makes the Josh Bailey "stay or go" decision even more important. I've got an itchy little feeling that he won't see Windsor again this year. If that's the case, please get this boy some permanent housing.

Congrats to Mike Sillinger for his four assists with Bridgeport his first time back on the ice since his hip surgery. He must have been having a lot of fun.

Good luck boys tonight in Montreal. Sadly, native Long Islander Mike Komisarek is also out for an extended period with his own injury. It's just always nice to see NHL players from our neck of the woods, no matter what sweater they wear.

Okay coach, tonight you may have to "put your balls to the wall and make a decision." I have faith you'll make the right one. Another 2 points will put the Friday loss further in the distance. Let's go for it!

2 Games vs. 12 Weeks. 11-22-08

Tonight I emailed someone who has a clue about these things asking what the reason for the league handing out only a two game suspension for last night's hit on Nielsen.

I received an emphatic response "No contact to the head"!!!

I sent a considerably unprofessional response: "WTF???"

It seems that the "neck" is not classified as the "head" area in the NHL. I guess Mottau didn't leap high enough to get his elbow up around Frans' ear. Maybe THEN he would have received that FIVE gamer which was supposed to be the "statement" from the NHL.

I shook my head in disbelief and mumbled, "Oh, Garth is going to be pissed." And that is one man I really don't like seeing pissed off. I knew things were not being deemed as "fair" when Billy and Howie started lambasting the decision. If there is one media guy who I feel is fair and reasonable, it's Billy Jaffe. When I hear him complain VEHEMENTLY, something is really wrong.

So what is behind this? Is there really a conspiracy as we all start to think? "Oh, well, it's against the Islanders what do you expect?"

Considering everything I've seen in the last two years, I'm starting to wonder if it isn't true. Is it something against Charles Wang? Is it something against Garth Snow? Is it an old grudge against Mike Milbury? Or am I just being paranoid like so many other fans.

I am sorry for Frans. He was having a hell of a start. I'm worried for Josh. Something tells me that any chance he had of returning to his junior team just evaporated.

Scott Gordon is being verbally abused for not putting Mitch Fritz out on the ice last night to "seek and destroy" after Frans was helped from the ice. But I cannot really condemn his thinking. I, and just about everyone else who posts on prominent blogs and message boards, am not an NHL coach. Knowing that Gordon thinks every angle of every move, I know he had his reasons. Perhaps it didn't go the way he planned. But I'm certain he felt it was the right move at the time.

It looks like this game against Buffalo is going to be a tough one. They already had a hard time in the first and they played most of it on the power play.

"Think" boys, along with "skate, skate, skate."

And another thing, in the "WTF?" mode. What is with MSG Plus' volume on their HD broadcast? Could it BE any more annoying fading in and out like this???

Another Casualty, this one named Nielsen

UPDATE: Mottau suspended two games for elbowing
And they wonder why the Islanders fans fall into conspiracy theories! WTF?

I am not that upset with the 5 - 2 loss to the Devils. I am, however, very upset at the loss of Frans Nielsen who has been doing so well under Scott Gordon recently.



Injury may be part of the game, but inflicted injury is another thing. Of course, this leaves us waiting on pins and needles to see if the NHL will dole out the punishment they claim will be the norm for an elbow to the head by Mike Mottau.



I did not see the hit. I cannot comment on whether or not Frans had his head down, or the look of intent. I can only comment on what I have heard from the League regarding their desire to take a stand on hits to the head.



Well NHL, while I await the determination of how long we will lose Frans for, I will also await a decision on Mottau. If Pock received a five game suspension and the loss of over $17,000 in salary, what will Mottau receive?



This is a question every Islander fan has on their mind tonight. It almost eclipses the thoughts of a game in Buffalo tomorrow.