Islanders 2 - Red Wings Stunned

You gotta love it when the team in dead last place comes into town playing a totally meaningless game and decides to play it as if their lives depended on it. Was it simply sheer luck? (I'd call Red Wings clanging off the post FIVE times pretty damn LUCKY for Joey.) Or was it sheer tenacity. That Barry Melrose adage that I love to quote all the time. "Some times WILL beats SKILL." It did. It not only beat it, it shut it out.

I didn't get to watch too much of this game as I was entertaining family members and my brat girl's friends. I had been calling for a goal for Bailey in the first period and completely missed seeing him score it in the second. But I did get to sit on the couch with my mother and brother and watched the entire third period.

They got a good laugh out of me biting my nails and yelling for Joey's shut out and cringing in sympathy pain watching returning veteran Doug Weight wincing in pain over his hand on the bench.

I had said at least three times yesterday that the Islanders only function right now is to show the teams they play that they can't be dismissed. They are not a push-over or a guaranteed win. As Scott Gordon said in the pre-game show, they are playing for each other now and it's a beautiful thing to watch.

I'll watch it tonight from the top of 201 for one of the few games left this season. As bad as the standings are, let's look at all the 'firsts' these team members will walk away with from this lack-luster season. At the top of the list will probably be Joey MacDonald's first NHL shut out.

Congrats boys. You pulled a proverbial rabbit out of a hat.

Sean & Joey Mac get bitten by the Bug

It wasn't until late this evening that I finally found out the fate of Sean Bergenheim, even though I had asked about it since last night.

Sad to say, it had to come from a message board post and not from the PR Dept. Sean has been returned to NY for evaluation for a groin strain he suffered during last night's game.

MacDonald seems to have a knee injury and has also been returned to NY and will not be playing in Thursday's match up.

My only question is: Was Joey's injury related to the accidental collision he suffered with Jason Blake?

While there is no one in hockey who has protected that little bug more than I have, I was upset with what happened behind the net when Blake collided with MacDonald. I know this was not intentional, but it speaks to an inherent problem with Blake's play; he keeps his head down far too often.

He lost control, Joey wasn't looking either and Blake tumbled over him and was caught up in the back of the net. That would have been fine, had Blake's skate blade not come precariously close to MacDonald's neck.

Had it not been for the neck guard, MacDonald would not be heading to NY for evaluation. He would be headed to NY in a body bag.

I know how sharp those skates of his are. I was a schmuck and bought a pair from on Ebay. You can slice tomatoes with them.

This was a frightening moment with only a knee injury coming from it. But players have to make a conscious effort to keep their heads up and know what's happening in front of them.

If they don't, there will be more jobs in the NHL and no one to fill them. They'll all be on the IR. How many Sound Tigers do we have to bring up before we start bringing them up from Utah?

Viewing party tomorrow at Dave & Buster's in Westbury with recovering veteran Mike Sillinger @ 7:30 pm. I'm considering it.

Add a Name to the List...

Let's just add Nate Thompson to that Injury List that Jason Lockhart is keeping up on the Islanders main site. I really wish he would put the date they went OUT on as well as the amount of time they're expected out. Not that it really matters, but it's easier to do the math.

So Josh Bailey has a two point game, but a horrendous pass to no one late in the third. You owe me one Josh.

Joey MacDonald returned to the net and all I can say is, "Scotty, What the heck were you thinking?" Yann Danis was on a hot streak. What did it really gain to give Joey back the net? Joey made 26 saves, and gave up one too many.

The ice seemed to be bad in spots as Doug Weight went down and had to leave for a few minutes, and then Martinek hit the ice in the same spot. Well, it is Florida.

So much for the winning streak.

I'd like to thank Whale4Ever at SB Nation's The Litter Box for the blogger hospitality. That was fun, and Happy Birthday. And I would have never known about it unless I was on Twitter.

Remember to wear Red tomorrow for Women's Heart Health day. I was really happy that my pin and earrings that I ordered from their website arrived just in time to wear tomorrow. At least that was a pleasant surprise.

I'll mention it here too, if you'd like the Islanders to send you text message updates and recaps, you can sign up for their Mobile Squad by texting the word JOIN to 66856. You can cancel the service at any time by texting STOP to the same number. But it's worth checking out if you have a good text plan with your mobile carrier.

Isles vs. Rangers 1-13-08

Wanna guess? Yes, they lost. But they lost by one goal. One lousy goal. The Broadway Blueshirts could not score more than two goals on our back-up's back-up. Look at the talent on that team and tell me that is not a feat.

It was a night for the youngsters to just go out and play in an arena filled with the enemy. They did an admirable job.

I do think that Islanders Country let out a collective gasp when we saw Joey MacDonald leave the ice... limping. "OH GOD!! NOW WHAT??" I saw comments begging for equipment problems, but Doug got the prize for calling groin strain. What is with this team? Someone bring in a Yoga coach or something.

MSG Plus cameramen always at the ready, panned up to the sky box where Garth and company watch the game. There he sat, stoic, flipping through his blackberry while Dunham was searching the pages of the media guide. Could have been looking for the name of another goalie in the system or maybe for the rule of who an suit up as the back-up's, back-up's, back-up! Yep, Dunham did indeed suit up, but never made it out onto the bench.

Yes, earlier in the broadcast Snow was interviewed by Jaffe regarding the Rick DiPietro situation. Again, stoic is the best word to use. Even though it was all-around good-guy Billy Jaffe doing the interview, you can still tell that this is one part of Snow's job he'll never get used to.

Speaking of the broadcast, you could tell a discernible change in the attitude of all the announcers from C.J. Papa all the way to Butch Goring. Gone is the hype and enthusiasm replaced by understanding of reality. Personally, I thought it was the best paced broadcast so far. Now they are acting more as reporters rather than salesmen, and it works.

Billy and Howie actually made me laugh when the made a big deal out of a Yann Danis save. You know, the way you make a big deal when a toddler can find his mouth for the first time with his strained peas. "Good job!"

A little ridiculous that the Rangers celebrated so hard when they scored the game winning goal. Again, look who scored it and look who is in net. No need for celebration there.

I enjoyed the Live Chat with the Blog Box bunch and guests led by B.D. Gallof and his unseemly Ranger brother, Scott. But I did have to turn my attention away from the net when my friend Wendy came by to watch the game with me.

A very special THANK YOU to my friend Dina, the arena hostess for stopping by Big Angry Man and his fire department brethren in section 113. You made their night. But then again, you make everyone happy when you visit them in their seats at the Coliseum.

Random thought 1) Does Jack Capuano let out a huge "Son of a Bitch!" every time a player on the Islanders goes down and he has to give someone up from the Sound Tigers?

Random thought 2) Does Kevin Colley let out a big "Whoo Hoo!" when the call comes in to Utah?

Random thought 3) Did Billy Jaffe raid Barry Melrose's closet for that Canadian Mafia suit?

Random thought 4) Wasn't that the best Islanders colors tie that Scott Gordon was sporting? In all my years watching the bench, that was absolutely the BEST tie.

Random thought 5) Sean didn't score. I had bet everyone that he would because I wasn't going to be there. He let me down. But I guess at least that mean's they'll let me back in the building.

Fanning the Flames in Calgary

Oh boy. I didn't want to say it yesterday because I've said it so many times before. Full Moon + Thursday = Islanders loss. I see the record remains.

But the team looked good, for the most part. They just can't win a game as they drop 16 of the last 18. We're heading for a new record. And truthfully, it isn't even really upsetting me that much.

With another page in the Rick DiPietro Saga occupying the net, I'll just say this..... Holy Crap do I feel bad for Joey MacDonald! This poor guy! An otherwise very good goalie is going to have a year of really horrible stats to show for some really good games. My heart goes out to you boy.

As far as Rick goes, I can totally understand why this "is he playing, isn't he playing" game is of such great concern. He is the face of the franchise, or at least WAS the face of the franchise, and he is ours for probably the rest of MY natural life. But I can understand the Islanders wanting to be cautious with his delicate, reconstructed body. If there is swelling on that rebuilt knee that would get worse if he played, then sure. Make him sit. I don't see why I wouldn't believe there is. I've never had that type of surgery, or anything close, but I've seen firemen be completely fine one second running drills and then watch joints blow up like a grapefruit while they're having a beer 20 minutes later.

"Medically cleared to play." is a statement that was accurate and correct.... before the swelling ensued. Oh, whatever.

Oh, and not for nothing but.... sure, my Rolodex of men who play this game is short, but I did have some conversations over the last few days and heard that it really isn't that uncommon for a goalie to get a starting nod game day or even right after warm ups. But again, whatever.

Congratulations to Trevor Smith on his first NHL goal. This was the same kid that made us sit up and take notice during the preseason. It was great to see him produce.

Also, I guess Jeff Tambellini only really, really plays well when Daddy is in the building. I know Steve Tambellini has that GM gig, but do we think he can follow his son around to all our Islanders games so that he can score the way he did last night? He was probably calling his wife when the camera closed in on him in the owners box.

"Honey, guess what? Yeah! He scored! I know. Everyone was surprised. Of course. I'll tell him Mom says 'I Love You.'" It was a classic parent moment.

I had a hard time staying awake during the third period, so truth be told I blinked and it went from 3 - 2 to a 5 - 2 final. Has Scotty taken up drinking yet?

Okay, they're home now. Maybe that will make a difference. Maybe not. Rangers on Tuesday. Ice up the knee DiPi. We know how you LOVE to stare down King Henrik.

Another Re-Run - Game Recap

If I'm tired of watching this, I'm sure the team is as well. Another three goal lead, another third period collapse. Everyone stands in the room and asks "What happened?" The answer is easy to describe and hard to fix.

Stan Fischler asked Scott Gordon if the team was tired in the second. He answered that they had to be because they spent so much time in their own zone. And then Scott said something I never thought I'd hear. The power play was atrocious.

In the locker room, Brendan Witt was already in his stall -- waiting for the onslaught. Again, the question at hand; WHAT HAPPENED? He said they stopped skating and started watching. Well, Crosby and Malkin are fun to watch. But that should be for us in the audience.

"They outplayed us. We don't complete 60 minutes to give ourselves a chance."

When Joey MacDonald entered the room, again the same questions again the answer boiled down to "We stopped skating."

Stan Fischler finally got the answer he was looking for when Doug Weight with a quarter size welt on his face said "The third period, we were tired and sluggish. Give those guys room and they're going to make plays."

I was happy to see Josh Bailey allowed into the room. He did have a two point night, and he handled himself well. Islesblogger.com Mike led the questioning for the bloggers that surrounded him after Point Blank had finished talking to Josh in the far end of the room.

I actually couldn't take much more. I waited in the foyer for my car escorts.

While I was waiting, I watched Bryan Trottier wait patiently with a man and his young son. As Sidney Crosby come out, he stopped him, introduced himself and asked for an autograph for the boy. Not only did Sid sign for him, but he leaned down and had a little conversation with the boy.

No matter what you think, this is really what it's all about. A star player taking the time late in the evening to chat with a young fan, an Islander fan at that.

Yes, it was a lead squandered once again. But there is still nothing greater than the game itself. So we will watch, and wait. And pray they can figure out how to fix it.

11-17-08 Joey! Joe-y! Joe-y! 11:15 pm

Can you believe it? What a finish! Please, dear friends, for all of you who criticized Garth Snow for giving Joey Mac a one way deal... I will gladly accept your apologies. Thank you.

"He showed everyone how good he is." So said Frans Nielsen, the man of the hour who won the shoot out that gave the Islanders their two points for the night.

"We had a very bad first period. But Joey played great." Yes he did.

It seems that everyone had the same exact thing to say about Roberto Luongo, "You don't see a lot of net." and "If he sees it, he's going to stop it." That's about it in a puck bag. (what the hell is a puck bag anyway? oh never mind.)

While Nielsen was addressing the media that had their recorders circled around his head, I watched him smile and recoil a little when he was being praised. "We've got a streak now." he smiled uncomfortably, "it's great when you're winning." His very long dark lashes framing hazel eyes. "We don't make as many simple mistakes as last year, and we try to have fun out there."

Well, Franz, winning is fun for everyone. Especially the fans that all went home extremely happy chatting about the Islanders goalie that faced Luongo the great and skated away with the win.

"You have to lift your game up against a guy like that. You've gotta bring your "A" game. That's why he gets paid the big bucks."

This is how a smiling Joey MacDonald saw the evening. "Everybody is buying in..." to Gordon's system. Yep, they certainly are. Gordon's got Guerin "directing traffic in the offensive zone" and Doug is cheering the team on telling them to "skate, skate, skate."

Yep, "It's great when you're winning."

Okay. I'm baking cookies for tomorrow's meeting. So that's all for now!

3 - 2 Islanders win, Second over the Sens

So the last few minutes of the game were incredibly tense.

So we all thought we had seen this movie before and the team that was trailing 3 - 0 for 40 minutes comes back to tie it up and ultimately win in the shoot out. But someone re-wrote the ending and instead Joey MacDonald was the number one star of the game and Scott Gordon looked pleased in the press room.

It was a good night.

"Greasy goals. That's Islanders Hockey." is what I heard Joey tell CJ Papa during the on ice post game as we were walking through the tunnel. He said it again in the locker room.

"Skate, skate, skate boys!" is what Gordon told the media he heard Doug Weight say on the bench during the third. Looks like they took his advice.

Once again, Bailey looked great despite the ill-timed penalty. He's still young, but I believe he won't be making rookie mistakes for very long.

I'm thinking Tambellini should start carrying large amounts of cash in his hockey pants. Maybe he can buy a goal.

All in all, it was a really good night at the Coliseum. A charity went back to the office $18,000 richer. Fans left knowing tomorrow is Chili day at Wendy's (thanks to Chris Campoli and his game winning goal.), and a group of bloggers left the building smiling because the mood in the room was far better than it had been in a long time.

On a side note, they are offering up for sale a really cool Islanders ball cap that lights up on the logo. I was fascinated by it, and for only $25, it looks like a great Christmas gift idea! You can't see it well in the photo, but go check it out.

It will take a while for the Starbucks to wear off. Guess I'll go read what everyone else that crowded into the locker room had to say tonight too.

'Nite all.

The "Third" Story 11-8-08

"I've seen this movie before. The Islanders lose."
That's what Big Angry Man said to me as we were well into the third and the Islanders had ZERO shots on goal for the period. The stats were actually 18 - 0 before Tambellini finally broke the drought at 17:46 of the 3rd.

Uggghh!!! As I opted to stay home with my husband to watch this game, and since I don't have a valid Internet connection in the house right now, I watched the game and took notes. Ten pages of them to be exact. It certainly is different watching a game on my big screen with B.A.M. and being able to hear Bill Jaffe's commentary. I actually paid attention and noticed all sorts of things I probably would have otherwise missed.

Let's start with MSG Plus first. What the heck is the problem with the volume on the HD channels? What is it? Mime? But oddly the commercials are blasting when they're on. And BTW, this no pre-game show for the Islanders while the Rangers and Devils have one is sheer and utter BS. If the evil Dolan empire wants to say there is no interest in our pre-game show then prove to me there is interest in the Rangers telecast.

Also, there is now some sort of High School Sports portion during the first intermission. Now, while I'm all for high school sports information, why is it airing during my hockey game? MSG already cut out my pre-game, they jump right into their Hockey Night Live thing as soon as the game is over, and now they added High School Sports info too? Are you begging me to go to Satellite service? Are you? And PS, adding Butch Goring to your round table after game discussions does not make this a post Islander game broadcast. (Although I will say I do enjoy watching the guy who looks like Bon Jovi. But then again, anything sitting next to Ken Daneko would be handsome.)

Okay, enough bitching about MSG. The good things about the broadcast were Stan Fischler's subway token tie and the fact that CJ Papa has found his broadcast comfort zone, just as I knew he would.

BTW, the wine at my house is much better than that at the Coliseum (cheaper too) and the Chicken Parm Pizza on the second level is to die for! But I digress.

This was undoubtedly Andy Sutton's best game. He was a pleasure to watch all evening. I did notice one little thing early in the first period that I couldn't get an answer on because it seems no one else saw it. But I watched a linesman grab Sutton's jersey as he was skating past him. I wish I was in the Blog Box with IslesOfficial Doug to ask him what that was all about. There was no call, no whistle and play didn't stop, but he was slowed up a little by that move.

Also, I noticed Crosby's stick sweep up over Sutton's head and knock his helmet forward, again no call. If you can get a stick up to big Andy's head, shouldn't that be a call? Again, where's Doug when I need him?

It's painfully obvious that B.A.M. hasn't been watching many games this season yet as he turned to me a few times asking who was wearing what number. "Who's number eleven?"

"Hilbert." I said wondering if he was just testing me, but he wasn't. I'm scared. He remembered him when he scored that back-hander while in the paint to make it 3 - 1.

Congratulations to Tim Jackman on his first goal of the season and third NHL goal of his career. He was a big part of this game tonight. Okay, the pleasant parts that is.

Doug Weight was proving that he's definitely not too old for this league and Jon Sim seemed invisible. Did he actually play tonight? The stat sheets says he played 12:26, but I didn't hear his name called ONCE by Billy or Howie. He was invisible.

No disrespect to our star goalie, but I am enjoying watching Joey MacDonald thrive. There are no antics in the crease, no theatrics and no wandering. Just saves. I just wish the rest of the team wouldn't let him become one big target every time they get to the third period. Is this what Joey actually signed up for? I think not.

The penalties were another story to the game. Some of them seemed marginal and infuriated Scott Gordon behind the bench.

For two minutes, let's put aside the fact that the team seems to fall asleep in the third period until there is under a minute left. I'd like to just mention that it seems the ice conditions in the Coliseum play a big part in these games. The puck bounces all over the place and won't settle down. I watched three players hit the ice without any help from the opposition and with only 35 seconds of the third left Sabourin went down behind his own net.

I've been in that building during the day when there are very few people in there; I've been in there when it's packed to the rafters. It's too damn WARM. When I can sit comfortably in a long sleeve shirt and never once look for my fleece, there's a problem. Ice conditions are a specific science. People spend years perfecting methods for optimum conditions. The Coliseum doesn't seem to have the concern other arenas have for this important part of the game. More should be done to improve ice conditions at the Coliseum which will not only improve the game but also protect those who play it.

I'm surprised that Sean Bergenheim didn't score a goal tonight since I was not personally in attendance. I did panic just a little when he absorbed impact with Hal Gill and went back on the bench in considerable pain. I'll admit, my heart raced a little. We seriously can't afford more injuries.

Sidney Crosby didn't seem like his usual amazing self this evening, and Okposo seems to be trying to do too much. Nielsen and Tambellini played their hearts out but this wasn't the outcome they were working for.

Everyone seems to be complaining about Gordon's shoot-out choices, but let's also remember that our old Mr. Shoot-Out didn't score on MacDonald. But yes, perhaps next time they wander into the shoot out forum, let the young guns have a go and leave the old work horses watching from the bench.

There seems to be a three goal, third period curse going on here. Bring in an exorcist and a Starbucks concession in the locker room. Some thing has gotta give or some one's head is going to explode soon. And it won't be pretty when it does.

Nite all.

The Process Makes Progress 11-5-08

I wanted to bring up just a few points this morning as the sun dawns on a new, historic day for the USA.

I went to bed reviewing an Islander win and contemplating the potential presidential victory. I thought of how many doubts about our team are beginning to be shattered while doubts about our country's future loom large.

When the Islanders announced the parting of ways with well respected coach Ted Nolan, the fan base gasped in disbelief.

When Garth Snow gave Joey MacDonald a one way contract and Wade Dubielewicz left with nothing but a hand shake, the fans vocally doubted his choice.

When Scott Gordon was chosen over candidates with years of NHL experience to lead this team during a new phase, many thought Garth Snow had a hidden agenda.

The doubts continued as free agent Mark Streit was given a lucrative contract and Gordon lobbied for the signing of AHLer Nate Thompson.

Well Islander Country.... what say you now?

Of course, we are still awaiting the decision on dropping a few places in the draft and coming away with Josh Bailey. But something inside me says that too will turn out to be another "I told you so" Garth Snow decision.

So far the only decision our GM has made that I continue to doubt and grumble about is letting Darryl Bootland go. (BTW, he's doing very well with the Manatoba Moose.) And I'm even giving in on the Blake decision. (FINE! So you were right about that one too! Don't rub it in.)

Perhaps this team may not set any unprecedented NHL records this season, but in April we should come away pleasantly surprised and looking toward the future.

With God's blessing, our country can do the same. We awoke to a new day in American history. No one can discount the impact this election will have on the world. I hope this 47 year-old man and single term Senator is up to the task of leading a nation in a world of political and economic unrest.

In Obama's victory speech he used the phrase "While we breathe, we hope."

Personally... I hope we don't get our ass kicked. It is now his turn to prove himself.

What's Better than an Islanders Win?? 11-4-08

Why an Islanders win at MSG of course!

For a game that was considerably... um... boring, it had a very exciting ending.

Joey MacDonald is proving himself to be the NHL quality goalie that Garth Snow felt he was when he handed him a one way contract. Nice to see him prove himself to all his detractors that were so vocal a few months ago.

Congratulations to Nate Thompson on his first NHL goal. They say you always remember the exact play for that goal. Well, Nate will be remembering a short handed surprise for the rest of his life.

It's also nice to have the Islanders leading the NHL in something. Currently they lead in short handed goals. Thank you Richard Park! And oddly today I did send out a message calling for another one from him. So nice of the Cosmos to comply. I'm still waiting for those lotto numbers though.

Trent Hunter missed the empty net with only seconds left, but gave up his body to block a final Ranger rush. I hope he didn't crack a rib on that block.

Congratulations gentlemen. That was important to us. As I said at the beginning of the season. Those Dynasty die-hards kept telling me the Islanders could have a terrible season as long as they beat the Rangers every time. This is a start.

Rest up for the trip. Thanks for the two points.

And now we wait for the election results. "Be careful what you wish for... History starts now."

Good night Islander Country.

Press Room Recap 10-13-08

Yep. That was all that was left for the evening. Where are the cocktails?

Let's call this: "It wasn't Joey's fault." And I agree, it probably wasn't. Everyone was to blame for this afternoon's loss. However, please remember that for years now I have said the Islanders (whomever is on the ice at the time) never seem to do well at afternoon games. I don't know why. They just don't.

Press room 6 was extraordinarily crowded today. CJ Papa was even there for just a few minutes. Now that he is on his new MSG Plus gig, we won't be seeing him as much around the Coliseum.

We waited and waited for Scott Gordon to come in. He must have been giving the team hell in the locker room. Everyone pressed toward the podium and Greg Logan began the inquisition, um, questioning.

Anyone want to venture a guess what the first question was? "Hey! Scotty, was there a point in time you may have thought about pulling your goalie?" The answer was either truly what he believes or one that is very well rehearsed.

"I'm not a believer in pulling the goaltender I want them to find a way to battle. Ask any goalie who has played for me. It's HIS battle. You can't let up. Coaches let a team off the hook by pulling the goal tender. We weren't in sync -- at all." Gordon was very thoughtful with every sentence.

Of course what everyone wanted to know was "Is Ricky well enough to play?" That answer, of course, was not forthcoming. Gordon went into technical detail that he is so good at, so I just sort of glazed over. I woke up when someone asked him about his "system."

"System? We weren't even CLOSE!"

With Push Play doing their after game concert and the overhead fan blowing (as usual) we were basically reading lips there.

"We're just going to throw this one away."

But then I remember something that Potvin said on XM last year. "Every point lost in October is worth 3 in March." I know this is only the 3rd game of the season. We're not going to panic. But with Martinek the most recent injury, with Witt being thrown to the ice like a toy and with Ricky on the bench with a baseball hat on.... you can't help but have just a twinge of insecurity.

To my complete surprise, Joey MacDonald was the first one led into the locker room for the interviews. He didn't seem the least bit rattled by the media attention.

"He (Gordon) has a lot of confidence in me to battle through it -- it's huge. Pucks were bouncing off sticks right to them. I just kept trying to stop the next puck and go from there. I kept concentrating and kept battling."

And even though it was his third game in four nights, he said he felt fine.


"I'm not even going to think about it. Tomorrow is another day, I'll keep working."

Bill Guerin walked into the room and stood in front of his stall. You could see there was more he wanted to say, but didn't

"We weren't in position, didn't skate. We didn't executive. WE didn't get pucks in their end when we had to. We're going to have to be sharper than that. We're not going to pack it in just yet. Lesson learned -- hopefully."

"It's not like Joey struggled. We didn't make it easy on him." No, Bill. You didn't. But then again, with a considerably shorter bench... well... Okay, still no excuses. Guerin is an honest man. This was his very eloquent way of saying "That sucked."

Thompson came into the room and everyone moved to the corner. He spoke even more softly than Gordon at first. He said that he had been having words with Mair but was taken off guard. And then Witt and Bergenheim were all at it too and suddenly, it was raining hockey gear. "These guys stand up for each other."

This seems to be the new "system" at play. I heard that sentiment the last time I was at a game. Something about it didn't matter how long you had been on the team, they all stand up for one another. It's that 3 Musketeers credo, but like times 7.

Having already been coached by Gordon he said he's sure he will use this experience and there will be plenty of video to watch. Thompson also concurred "It had nothing to do with Joey at all."
Teamwork. That's what it's all about. Unfortunately, it's also about getting pucks in the other guy's net.

THE END IS NEAR....

Of the 2007-2008 Hockey Season that is. As I went to bed at 11:30 last night, I couldn't help but think "Mon- day... that's it." So, Red Wings in 5. I just hope Chris Chelios can find some way of getting his ancient butt on the ice so he can be there to carry the cup one more time.

Yep. Watching last night's game, that was indeed entertaining, you couldn't help but think "If the Pens couldn't score on the 5 on 3 power play, they were done. Well, they looked like the Islanders for the two minutes. They just couldn't make it work, no matter how hard they tried. And they did try.

Read a really wonderful entry on ESPN.com by John Buccigross while I was watching the game, and Big Angry Man was snoring on the couch. It's called "Travelling to the 'Burgh..." http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/playoffs2008/columns/story?columnist=buccigross_john&id=3419326, and it really is a special piece of work. I had a heated discussion with another hockey writer over the quality and caliber of Bucci's hockey writing, but I only know him from his written word, not his on-air ESPN stints, and I've loved every chapter. Every entry is painted with a master's brush that does nothing but evoke emotion. If you have some time, check it out.

At the end of the game, a member on the NYIC board posted Greg Logan's 10 pm article "Dubie, other free agents, won't be back." It was sad to see, but no surprise to me at all. As fellow Blog Boxer Frank Trovato had said to me one night at the table "He's done. He's going to be some team's number one next season."

I guess this time, he was right. (He's still wrong about Blake, but he's right about Dubie.) I'm just glad this means Dubie will have to get that mask painted again. I really had a bad feeling when I saw the Fisherman style lighthouse on it. It gave me the creeps.

I had a feeling about Satan and Tank too back in April, but I'm surprised about Big Joe. They really liked him and he did have sparks of greatness. They were just few and far between.

My mother-in-law is going to be very upset. She fell in love with Kozlov last season and was devastated when he wasn't back on the ice. Ruslan was an acceptable substitute with the same Russian good looks and rosey cheeks. I will have to explain to her that this is what it means to be a hockey fan. That every season you have the potential of having your heart broken as your favorite player is sent packing. (A passionate sport evokes passionate heartache.)

Joey Mac will get the nod as Ricky's bench warmer, I mean back-up. I'm perfectly content with this move, although it means I will have to get used to his Leprechaun-style voice during locker room interviews. I'll also have to make a point of not staring at his feet and the amazing amount of space there is between his toes. (The first time I saw them, I had a hard time looking away. They are just that unusual.)

So, as I turned off the TV at 11:30 and woke my husband, I announced. "Wings won, Yanks are tied at 6 in the 12th and Dubie is a goner." That was my condensed version of the 11 o'clock sports.

On another note: Sorry that some of my writing may be a little unintelligible of late. I've been functioning in a cloud, and it doesn't seem to be lifting yet. My friend Dean used to have a saying for it. "I'm in a dither." I think "dither" only applies to a short period of functioning stupidity. This fuzzy period is more "I'm functioning... but my head is up my butt." It's almost like "pregnancy stupids." (And any mother will know what I mean!) Hopefully things will improve soon. Although with the eminent end of hockey.... withdrawal symptoms should start pretty soon.

Oh crap... this isn't going to be pretty.