There were no new faces in the Islanders dressing room at IceWorks this morning, no callups from Bridgeport, unless you want to count Shawn Bates, back from his conditioning stint. But the whole team was there for a meeting, which is unusual for a game-day morning after a game the previous day.
Coach Ted Nolan brought everyone in to get them focused and revved for the game tonight. He said he was reassuring in the brief meeting that preceded an optional skate. "We don't give up on people," he said later in his small dressing room, just off the rink.
He was not happy with the way the Islanders played in their 2-1 loss at Boston yesterday afternoon, coming off a 4-1 loss to the Canadiens at home Wednesday night. Nolan and his assistants are especially honed in on the power play, which failed to produce even one shot during a 5-on-3 advantage Friday.
So don't be surprised if we see some different people on it when the Bruins visit the Coliseum tonight. You might see more of Miroslav Satan and Josef Vasicek. You might see some variety at the point. Nolan said he might dress seven defensemen, which presumedly would allow Marc-Andre Bergeron some playing time on the power play, or at least on regular shifts if Nolan wants to save Bryan Berard for extra-man situations. Bergeron said he had not been told anything one way or another.
He agreed that the meeting was an upbeat one. "It's no time to panic," Bergeron said. "You're going to have ups and downs."
Bates worked out hard and was one of the last players off the ice, so he does not expect to play tonight. But, having played more than 20 minutes for Bridgeport Friday and having scored a goal, he says his conditioning is good and he is looking forward to testing himself in an NHL game.
Comments (40)
losing your games in hand is not a good way to get back to first place. Looks like the Isles are growing tired and other teams are hitting their stride. A recipe for the Isles to hit the cellar soon.
LOOK OUT BELOW!!!!!!
kind of surprised that newsday is still harping on "the ice girls incident" - its old news. but since you have that video posted here ("islanders fans react to ice girls incident") then allow me to point out something I noticed while watching the video. The overweight 50 year old fan dressed like an 11 year old boy mentions that the director of the NHL made it mandatory that the goalies leave the crease so that these poor 23 year old world class skating girls can do what they have to do. But you clearly see in the video that the two girls make absolutely no attempt at asking or forcing the Toronto goalie to move out of their way. The two girls simply clear the back of the net and then try to get what they can away from the crease while the Toronto goalie clearly stands right in their way in the crease. The two girls scoop up the ice and skate away. Why in the world then do the ice girls feel like they can bother Lundqvist and "force" him to clear the crease??? The bloated Isle fan even says himself "we all know Lundqvist likes to stay in his crease". So it seems to me that my belief that the Isles sent those girls out there specifically to bother Henrik is true. The same way the Isles had to ice the puck 7,000 times in a row to slow the game down to their own speed in our last meeting.
Gimmicks to win games and gimmicks to try and sell tickets. I think the Isles next move should be to have Trottier come back for one shift so he can win another face-off and they can have a big ceremony and you can all call it a classy move by the organization and the rest of us will see it as the desperate act to garner some level of interest in your team that it all is.
State of the Isles:
I acknowledge what AZS, Steady & pat had to say in the previous thread and I agree.
Some wonder why the Isles don't bring up guys from the Bridge who can put the puck in the net. Why isn't Nolan giving some kids a chance? Well, Nolan's job is to win, and he must feel the kids down there can't put them over the top. He also must feel that the kids down at the Bridge will not get the ice they need to continue their development if they are brought up. Maybe they just haven't stood out enough to make that jump. If that is the case then it doesn't say much for them since Hilbert couldn't hit the broadside of a barn.
In Logan's blog he mentiond that Nolan said, "We don't give up on people." That is great .. but there comes a time you have to produce or be gone. Hilbert ... God I love his work ethic and hustle, but I could bust my tail off for 15 minutes a game and have the same results. Heck, I might even get lucky and bang one home off of a defender. Bates back ... put him in. I'm that fed up with the lack of production.
As someone mentioned. They are a hard working lunchpail type team. I'd like to add though that there are some guys no stranger to the score sheet. Guerin, Comerie, Tank, Satan etc. The style of hockey these hard working players play will eventually take it's toll of their effectiveness as they start playing out some more of their 3 games in 4 night schedules. I believe I read over the summer that the Islanders have more 3 in 4 nights than any team in the conference.
I'm proud of where they stand right now. Nolan has done an outstanding job getting the guys prepared every game. DP has played excellent also. However, looking below us in the standings there are some teams that had some poor starts, Buffalo, Washington and Atlanta come to mind, that are starting to improve. We've already seen the Rags climb out from a very early bad start and Toronto / Montreal non-playoff teams from last season making a showing. The Isles are going to have a fierce battle to make the playoffs.
Just earlier this week we had our chests out, and were seething b/c of that article by Scott Burnside of ESPN and his mention of the Islanders getting his "Bottom Ready to Fall Out" team award. We all were infuriated, saying there is more "bulletin board" material. We railed the media and their ridiculous predictions. We questioned his knowledge and intelligence. I still feel he is a moron but now I'm starting to feel like the media are making us eat crow. The Isles haven't won since we beat the Rags. Guerin made light of the Ranger Hangover ... well ... looks like the Isles need De-tox. They have been putrid as of late.
Now to looking towards the draft. I am just as guilty as AZS for looking at draft talent. Because when i see teams like the Caps, Pens, Blackhawks, San Jose, LA, Wild, Columbus .. I can go on ... even Ottawa still has some of it's draft talent from it's bad days ... but those teams are showing power house potential with its talent base, it makes me want the Isles to get some firepower from the draft. It takes some painful long periods of building and great scouting. We found Okposo as a mid-level 1st round draftee and he looked great last season at Minnesota, but now Okposo is looking awful this season. Sophmore jinx? Who knows? Most every team can tout a sharp shooter in its line up except for a handful of teams that include the Isles.
I may be just venting here. I am frustrated about the scoring situation. To quote one of my favorite coaches "If the other team can't score they can't win" .... well ... If we can't score ... we can't win either.
Go Isles!!!! Big rubber match agains the B's tonight. Oh ... and do it for Steady guys .... he's up there behind enemy lines.
@Saywhat??
Gimmicks to sell ticket you say - the goal is to sell tickets gimmick or not. Where is the problem?
Any product needs creative ingenuity to make it viable, where is the problem? Maybe the Rangers should offer some "gimmicks" so they can get REAL fans in the seats instead of corporate suits who don't care if hockey lives or dies.
Oh my GOD ...Andy Hillbert ...yes, Andy Hillbert has scored a goal!! Hell must be freezing over as I'm typing this ...
I believe this quote sums up this unbelievable accomplishment ...
"Cats and dogs living together ...MASS HYSTERIA" - Ghostbusters
PS - DiPi got an assist on the Hillbert goal so he still has more points than Andrew ;-) ....
FINALLY! ----- HILBERT!
DOC
Great win tonight. Everyone played hard tonight and good to see Hilbert score.
Nick -- Andy Hilbert jumped on home plate with both feet tonight.
Well?
I am eating crow for my Hilbert bashing. What a nice move, I thought it was Comrie at first.
Stadium was packed tonight, I can't believe the fans had the wave going for several minutes straight. Haven't seen that spirit in a long long time.
One gripe however, I missed most of the first period thanks to the ineptitude of the ticket staff. Anyone who put their tickets on will call will understand what I am talking about...
Well, all I can say about Hilbert is:
They're real, and they're SPECTACULAR!
I guess it was a great win, since I was watching a different great win tonight (BU kicked Cornell's ASS at the Garden tonight - Go Terriers!). That being said, I still think Hilbert needs to be moved to the bench to make way for people who can consistently produce.
GO ISLANDERS !!!
Patience was the key tonight. Good defense, King Ricky turned in another great performance, and we waited for opportunities. Monday is going to be tough vs. Dallas, but Thurs against the Rangers should be good. I can see yet another Islander win, and Ranger fans crying about how hard the isles try and the Rangers don't even care lol.
Somebody needs to wake Kyle Okposo up. He has 8 points in 14 games at the College hockey level. He is also now minus 8 on a team which started the season ranked #1 in the country. Meanwhile the kid Mueller selected by the Coyotes a selection after Oksopo has 6 goals in 20 games at the NHL level.
Okposo needs to be a star. It will be a disaster if he's not. This is a team deprived of quality youth. I mean, it's make or break for Tambellini, Walter, Nielsen et al. They all are going to be 24 years old in the coming months. The kid from Niagra that they were touting has done nothing for Bridegeport. Comeau and Colliton have been contributing nothing on offense. The Isles refuse to give Bergenheim quality ice time. What else is there?
Seriously, I do not want to dwell on the negatives. This team works extremely hard. But where exactly are they going? They had 13 FA's in the lineup, many on 1 year contracts. They probably will have another 7-10 players turnover at season's end. They are an old team by NHL standards with very few young players. In short, they are an average, older team with no chgance at winning the Cup. Is that good enough? Personally, if you have no chance to win the Cup, I would rather play young players and perhaps struggle a bit. The Isles can brag about their record, but we're exactly are they going? When you are a veteran team like this... YOU BETTER BE COMPETIVE.
Hilbert Scorrreeeddd .... :: insert soccer play-by-play announcer here :: GOOOOOOAAAAALLLLL!!!!
I just hope we don't have to wait another 20 games for him to score.
Still only 2 goals last night. Park & Hilbert. 0-3 on the PP. Something needs work. Forgive me for saying this... but the Isles and Rangers are winning games the same way. All Defense & Goaltending ... not much lamp lighting. Other than us being 3-0 vs the Rangers ... we seem like the same team.
Here is an interesting stat ... after a combined 43 games the Isles and Rangers have only 100 goals combined. On the other hand... Carolina has 80 goals in 24 games by themself.
Another note of interest.... as poor as the Devils have been ... they are only 2 points behind the Isles ... and have 7 goals more than the Islanders and 5 more than the Rangers ... but the Devs and the Rags both have played 3 more games then the Isles.
More beef with the 3 point games ... it is just ridiculous. 27 points doled out to the losers in OT / SO combined in just the Eastern Conference. I think its time we get fans from other teams together and do something about the 3 point games. Make wins worth 3 points or play 4 on 4 OT till there is a winner take all 2 points ... ZERO for the loser.
saywhat? first of all, no. sending out people to clean the ice around the crease is a rule, lundquist needs to vacate his net to clear out the ice because its a penalty if too much ice accumulates there. maybe theyre hesitant to ask a goalie to clear the crease after getting verbally harrassed and spit on by the classy rangers. As for icing, you can do it all you want. was it their game plan? maybe, i dont know, but whatever it was it worked. the Islanders won and if it werent for lundquist standing on his head for half the game it couldve been a bigger win for the isles. The point is its a perfectly viable action to take. Thats like saying walking Alex Rodriguez in the bottom of the ninth with 1 out and runners on second and third is "slowing down" the game when all it is is strategy. People may not like it, but its not against the rules or anything
yea, it was a good game. i was actually thinking about hilbert getting 2 or 3 after that first goal..... lets just take it one step at a time though. also as noted on the broadcast hes actually ahead of his pace for last year lol
First of all.....Please no one respond to gary aka saywhat. It is just our local troll showing his ignorance. If you ignore him he will leave. The Rag$ have enough to worry about. You think our offense is bad??? We have 5 players with more goals than their star Jagr !!!
Just think Doc, 29 more goals and you will be this years Maven ; ) !!!!
I was actually happy for the guy. I still want him sent out of town, but the guy works his tail off. DP still has more points than him!!!!
Now for my daily rant on Mr. Comrie.........Did you all see it again yesterday? He again did his toe drag and fake shot routine. The guy is patient too a fault. I cannot stand him. He is an Islander and I will pull for him, but something about the guy drives me nuts. SHOOT THE PUCK !!
Bergy.....I think he is going to start to play better. He has a little chippy play in him, which I like. He has been bumping the goalie, yapping a little, and got under some skins. Could we finally have a little pest of our own in the making???? With speed and skill ??? That would be nice.
Dallas tomorrow. Let's get some Jets payback! LOL .... What a pathetic team they are!
Frank & Mike,
That corporate fan argument is as old and tired as the Isles line-up. You know full well that MSG is full of actual fans more than it is filled with corporate give away types. I know that there are corporate boxes etc, but to try and justify your buildings emptiness by making that argument is extremely weak. If you have ever been to MSG for a Rangers game than you would know that 90% of the building is regular Joe's like you and I. I hate the fact that the suits get all the good seats, but that doesn't correlate to an entire corporate fan base.
As for gimmicks to sell seats - I agree that you should have some cheap seats or food give aways to draw in students, families and the like. But putting out some teen girls in tights to attract a bunch of drunk males is a bit different. And the hole "bring back Arbor" thing was just a huge joke. How dare the NHL hand out a "win" to a "coach" who did not one thing to actually coach the team. Nolan should not have been behind the bench if Arbor was the "coach" for the night. Nolan determined the line-up and called line changes etc which in my book means he was the coach. Arbor was a prop who even admitted that he had no idea who was even on the team. It was something straight out of professional wrestling. They should have had a hulk hogan vs. Iron Sheik match during the first intermission and the whole 1980's feel would have been complete.
The isles can beat the rangers in all 8 regular season games and it would really matter little unless those points keep both the Isles and Rangers out of the playoffs. I have no idea why the Rangers struggle so much against you guys. But for your team to put all their energy in to beating the rangers only to lose the next three games makes no sense. It seems like a large portion of your fan base cares more about beating the rangers than they do in succeeding in the league as a whole. So I will be completely happy if the Rangers continue to win 9 in a row to lose to the Isles here and there. As opposed to beating the isles and then going on a losing streak.
The Isles have shocked the league by actually being competitive, but I don't think that means you will be at the top of the standings in a few months.
And I know that the come back will be that we stole the salute from Europe...but I think it is more than amusing that your team now does the blue line salute after all the jokes made about the Rangers doing it. I guess you can say that doing it at the blue line is COMPLETELY different than doing it at center ice?
Looks like the Rangers are getting more coverage. Free TV today on WWOR.... Why can't the Islanders and Devils get that?? ... Oh yeahhhh that is right. Their CATV contracts are with Cablevision's MSG ... who happen to own the Rags. Tell me how this is allowed. Seems like a conflict of interest, and not in the best interest of the NHL either.
Remember what happened to the NY Americans when they played in the Rangers' house? Of course not, because they don't exist anymore since the Rangers evicted them.
The Isles should try to get a deal on SNY as soon as they can. I think the contract with Fox Sports NY / MSG ends in a few years. Then perhaps they can do a WPIX / SNY package in tandem with the Mets. WPIX is another local Super Station. TV is critical to marketing. If the Rags are on free TV and the Isles and Devils are on cable the Rags have a significant advantage in scrounging up new fans to the game.
More of an insult to the Devils since WWOR is right in their back yard.
The Islanders' arena and CATV deals seemed like sweet deals back in the late 80s, but it really came back to haunt them. Greg, I wonder if you have details of the arena lease and CATV deals the Islanders are in just for an FYI. I'm just trying to go by memory here.
Philly Joe Here.
The Flyer logo is really nothing fancy or special. It is pretty much a flying 'P' but it evokes something special in Philly. Tradition and pride. Seeing Rags fans chirp about the Islanders gimmicks is kinda laughable. The Rangers are one big gimmick. The Statue of Liberty face on their 3rd jersey??? I mean come on!!! Tell me that didn't reek of sucking up to our nation's most beloved national symbol. Almost blasphomous since the statue of liberty has a specific symbolism. You don't see the Flyers using the 'Liberty Bell' as an alternative 3rd jersey.
Get a grip Rags fans. At least I can respect Isles fans. They have succeeded under your shadow where you couldn't. Both Isles and Rags fans live off their teams history. As it should be. Heck, I still proudly display my Barber signed jersey on my den wall, and I haven't fit in it since the 70s.
Its been an interesting season so far. Rags, Flyers & Isles have been within striking distance most of the 1st quarter. But don't look now everyone, here come the Pens and Devils.
I tried posting this on the Rags blog, but I got a message stating it is being reviewed so trying here too. I toned down the language on this version. LOL!!!
NICEEEEE!!!!!! Rags lost an inter-conference game. 2 points goes to the Western Conference!! Now lets just hope the Stars have a Ranger Hangover too.
I'm the first to bash MAB when he needs it and I will give him credit when he performs well. The biggest thing I noticed ( did anyone else??) last night was that when Hilbert scored MAB was on the ice and he was the only one not going bananas for the guy. The guys on the ice and on the bench were all genuinely happy for him and MAB just skated away. Hopefully the camera crew just missed MAB celebrating too??? It might not happen again for awhile so it's a shame if this represents the self centred guy he personifies.
Here's hoping the Stars are enjoying all there is to be enjoyed in the Big Apple this evening after their victory over the Rangers.
Celebrate heartily boys, have fun, stay out late!!!
Ranger fans chant potvin sucks at every single ranger game. Sorry - Ranger fans are obsessed, not the other way around. Isles lost 2 in a row following the Ranger win but beat the bruins the second time. Who cares? The only reason people keep shoving the 3-0 vs. the rangers in your face is because it is a fact and you can't deny it. Make fun of the isles, fan base, blah blah blah all you want. Rangers can't beat 'em.
Well, we're back to 4 points behind the Rangers with 4 games in hand, meaning we just have to go 2-2-0 or 1-1-2 to tie, and if we do any better than that, we'll be ahead of them. To catch Philly, we'd have to go 2-0 in the 2 games we have in hand, a taller order (too bad we couldn't win either of those games in Philly, both of which seemed eminently winnable as they unfolded -- but we've also won some games this year which surely left our opponents saying the same thing...). Considering how those two teams loaded up with top-tier free agents last offseason, we have to be pretty happy with where we are at the quarter mark. This is going to be a very tough week though, with Dallas, Ottawa and then a game the next night at the Garden. I hate to be a pessimist, but are we really going to beat the Rangers a 4th consecutive time the night after playing the best team in the league? If we can get 3 points out of these three games, I'll be satisfied, if we can get 4, I'll be thrilled.
By the way, for those who also read the message board on the Isles' website (the lamely named "Islandermania"), there's an interesting thread on possible trades and another on next July's very deep free agent crop.
Dallas is ripe for a pasting tonight.
Entering the match with a 5 game win streak after GM shakeup.
Tough win against the Ranger's yesterday, surrendered 41 shots on goal.
Hopefully a tougher night on the town last night. (Only visit to NY this year....here until Thursday game with Dev's-party on boys)..
Big question is who does Tippett start in the nets?
Backup goalie Smith has been HOT.
AND....
"Marty Turco, is 1-1-2 with a 3.64 GAA in his last four starts overall. He is also 0-4-0 with one tie in his last five games against the Islanders."
Gotta get Hunter (knee?) and/or Witt on Brendan Morrow who has been their go to guy during this streak.
Go ISLES!!!!
Although I continue to believe the Beemer Line has immense potential and can lead this team, Steady is right about Comrie. He fails to shoot the puck enough and the constant weaving through traffic is becoming too predictable. He just needs a like fine tuning and a big dose of Guerin eating his heart out.
Miggs, I try not to be an MAB apologist, and I'm sure many of the people on this board think I lay in wait for Hilbert and you lay in wait for MAB. Either way, your post really got me thinking about this whole situation. I honestly think MAB is livid at Hilbert and this may account for the alleged "snub." How much would it bother you if you were in MAB's shoes? You're in the press box day after day, and you see Hilbert making awful mistakes in the offensive zone and continuing to play, when your defensive mistakes got you immediately benched. I would surely suspect a double-standard there. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying anyone is justified for snubbing a teammate, if MAB indeed snubbed Hilbert. Simply, MAB may look at Hilbert being his "First Base" self game in and game out, wondering what Hilbert does to stay in the lineup, and why his offensive mistakes are any better than the defensive mistakes that sent MAB to the suite. When Hilbert finally did get that darn bra off, people seemed happy for him, but MAB may have been seething for himself. Just a theory, I woke up very early to fly to Washington today so I may still be out of it.
Andy Hilbert is a valuable FOURTH LINE DEFENSIVE FORWARD, if he is not counted on to play big minutes or plays on a line expected to produce. This team is absolutely starving for goals, and the coaching staff owes it to the team to put out the best mix of players to produce some offense while not totally neglecting defensive responsibilities. I will continue to beat the drum for Walter, Tambellini, or Comeau. There is no reason not to see what they can do because DP can't carry us forever. He will have off games (see Wednesday vs. Montreal) and we'll eventually have to get a struggling and somewhat rusty Dubie into one of these games.
As for our dear, dear MAB - what do we think is different this year? What about this system is so radical that he can't adjust and is regressing, and how can the coaches fix him to either re-insert him in the lineup or build his value to get traded (I want YOU, Ryder, I want YOU).
In other news, big one coming up tonight against Dallas. Let's hope they get an actual Ranger hangover and we make the ringing in their ears even worse. Take 2 tonight!
I thought the Isles played well on Sunday v. BOS. It was great to see Hilbert FINALLY score. Moreover, Park was rewarded with a goal. He gives it all every game, and this was a nice little cherry on top of the ice cream for him.
What was the reason of playing MAB, to see if he is going to be a liability. It seems that MAB now has a complex, as he is reluctant to shoot the puck. I think that MAB has a great shot, when he is on target. I do not see why this should be a problem, I am sure with enough practice, he will get his shot on target.
i was able to watch the bruin games in VT on NESN. and was not impressed with the coverage but i was able to watch them
St. Louis coming to the Islanders would be huge and he is signed for 3 more years but who do we have that they would take and Okposo is not included.
Prediction: Hilbert goes on a crazy scoring streak...
The Isles have been streaky over the first quarter of the season. Comrie certainly started off the season with a bang, then has kind of disappeared over the last few weeks. Guerin never scores, and Satan only scores in bunches.
Campoli and Gervais are the two bright spots on D this year -- they rarely make mistakes in the defensive zone.
Witt is one of the most reliable defenseman in the NHL.
DP is the man.
Check out my quarterly grades at
http://blueorangeblood.blogspot.com/
How about a update on DP he looked a little woozy after being hit with the stick across his helmet behind the net late in the third against the Bruins.
The 3 point games are making a log jam in both conferences. It is hard to get seperation, and it keps mediocre teams in the mix of the playoff race. I don't like it at all.
The league also needs to do something about the equipment the goalies and players are wearing. There are way too many blocked shots. The players shin pads are huge now, double what they used to be. It is almost impossible to get a shot through from the point anymore without it being blocked. It makes for boring hockey and defeats the purpose of the rule changes. The goalies look like they are wearing 10 layers of clothes, they are huge, there is hardly anything to shoot at. Look back at some old video of the pads and equipment the golies used to wear...half the size of todays goalies.
Also, the calls the refs are making are ridiculous, especially in the home game against Boston. The call against Hunter in the 3rd???? I have seen him finsih checks like that all year and they decide to call a penalty for that one late in the game?? What is that?? The call against Comrie when he was battling for the puck against Chara...you got to be kidding me! It takes away from the pace of the game. There were also a couple calls against the Bruins that I thought were bogus as well.
It will be a treat to see a team from the western conference tonight. I got to say I get a little bored of seeing the same teams over and over again. It is a shame that a team like the Avalanche won't make a visit to the NVMC this year, we all would have liked the opportunity to stick it to Ryan Smyth.
From what I have read the new jerseys are a bust thus far. That VS. deal also is ridiculous. Man I wish I had the same job security as Bettman, the league needs to get rid of this guy.
Oh well, enough venting. I think it is important for the Islanders to get points out of the games in hand they have with most of the teams in our conference. This is a big week. I want to say Hilbert will get another goal or two in the next couple of games. Nothing like playing with a little confidence; something the power play unit has none of right now. We need that power play to start clicking NOW. If it doecsn't don't expect to get very many points against the teams we play this week.
SayWhat: i have been at the 2 rags games and there is not 90% fans.so get serious...it way less than that.
The rangers had ice girls as well but some one at MSG could not keep there mouth shut or their hands to themselves. Look it up, TSN has a great article
Also, so your saying the Rangers do not play when the Islanders come too town. I do not think so b/c we are better team....the rags have better talent. Keep making excuses up.
WHO CARES HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE AT THE GAMES. THAT IS ALL YOU RAG FANS BRING UP. TALK ABOUT WHAT IS BEING PLAYED ON THE ICE. LIKE SOME GOALIE WHO KEEPS GETTING BEAT THROUGH THE 5 HOLE....SAY WHAT...
Another reason the rangers sold out alot of games is the circus of buying players. Keep over paying players like gomez and drury. The only rags fans sit in the 400's.
SAY WHAT: TALK HOCKEY. DO NOT COME OVER HERE B/C YOUR MAD OUR ATTENDENCE IS UP, AND WE HAVE A GOOD.
Talk about how Tank beat Henrik 5 hole or Vasiceks sweet top shelf shot.
Jason Blake has 2 goals on 102 shots...Keep it up Blake..I am sure the Toronto Fans are already trying to sell your house for you
Coral Springs Isle Fan:
"It is a shame that a team like the Avalanche won't make a visit to the NVMC this year, we all would have liked the opportunity to stick it to Ryan Smyth."
Rest assured that when the Isles visit Colorado in Jan, there will be at least 4 Isle fans sitting VERY CLOSE to the Av's bench that will remind the hockey player formerly known as Captain Canada (now known as Major Carpertbagger) how very little he is missed on Long Island.
(and to think he didn't even stay long enough on the Island to get that lower palate of misaligned choppers repaired by a quality North Shore orthodontist).
;)
The team needs to come out fast and hard tonight. Dallas has been a hot squad, but they are very ripe for a let down.
Time for the first line to wake up, Comrie to stop trying to be a human highlight reel, Hunter to get in front of the net and actually tip one in, Simon to throw some jabs, Bergie to pester and skate hard, and the team too score more than two goals!
Is that too much to ask for :) ????????
LET'S GET TWO TONIGHT BOYS....TAKE TWO !!!!!
Steady ....
I think when you say ...
LET'S GET TWO TONIGHT BOYS....TAKE TWO !!!!!
The guys think you really mean SCORE TWO .... lol
Seriously... these low scoring games are grinding away at my last nerve. I'm up every morning at 4:30 and its a chore to stay up past 9:30 at night .. and to stay up again only to see them lose by ONE goal again just drives me crazy. This time at least we managed a point. A point undeserved b/c I don't believe in the 3 point game system.
A colleague of mine from Vancouver proposed 2 points for the winner of OT & 1 point for winner of SO games. 0 points for the loser in OT or shootout. He also said 3 point games really skew the standings. He felt that if no one wins in regulation or OT they should forfeit the 2 points. A shootout win should be worth no more than 1 point. Loser shouldn't be awarded anything.
I kind of like his idea too, because why should a loser in a shootout earn any points. I'll also take the 3 point win, 2 point OT / SO win and 1 point OT / SO loss idea too. My ultimate idea, although it will never be done, would be to play 4 on 4 OT till you have a winner. Winner takes 2, and loser take NIL.
Nick: I can see your point and how MAB might be wondering how on earth First Base keeps playing while he's sampling pressbox coffee. At least Ted has put him back in the line up on a limited basis but I'm afraid it's only a matter of time till The Mad Bomber finds his way back to the press box.