First of all, to all of you out there, I hope that you have a great Thanksgiving Day Holiday!  May it be one of family, love and good times.

And the Isles gave us a great start to the Holiday!

48-15 shots!  Wow! And 20-1 after 1 period….

I thought that the Isles had done a no shot game (sorry Dee… I was incorrect).  But the team caught the Stanley Cup Champs in a serious funk. I am sure that the flight back to Raleigh was one that they had to put a medical watch on for the coach.  Sloopy is not a word to describe the Canes.

Maybe their cast looked like the ship of castaways on Gilligans Island!

Are Blake and Yashin one and the same now???

What beautiful passing.  They speak each other’s unspoken language.  Again, Ted put four lines and got them all rolling, with the fourth line being responsible for the first goal.  Shawn Bates got a great pass from Richard Park, and shot into a nearly empty goal.

Blake got the Isles number two with a great last minute pass from Yashin that #55 held onto as long as possible, committing Canes goalie John Grahame until he flopped like a dead fish.  All Blake had to do was lift the puck like you learn when you are a six year old mite, which delighted the crowd of nearly 13,000.

Yashin got a shot in front of Grahame that he then did a wrap around to get the Isles the 3rd goal.  That line, with Chris Simon has inspired the rest of the team.

Ricky did not get much work in, which honestly he does not like.  He got left for dead on the first Carolina goal, a power play tally, which the defense did not help out.  He also gave up a goal with 12 seconds remaining in the game.  Before that goal, Miro Satan scored another empty net goal, his fourth goal on the year.

There are many stars tonight (however, I will try to make some different ones for the game - but these are not in any order.  I am trying to recognize some other hard working Islanders).

1. Trent Hunter - la hittin’ machine!  He always has so much energy as he hits the ice.  When the goals start coming, watch out!
2. Arron Asham - great fight!  Got his first REAL ARRON ASHAM chant, and I am sure he is cherishing that still today
3. Ted Nolan - if he is not an early candidate for the coach of the year, then they (media) must be SHOT!

GOLD STAR AWARD

• The Canadian media, who FINALLY gave Alexei Yashin some props.  Maybe they realize (which I have for YEARS), that he finally needed someone to play with, in order to get his scoring going.  Also believing in the Ted Nolan system, helps as well.

TIN TWIT AWARD

• NOTHING bothered me last night.  Just a great result and effort.  That even ding-dongs in Ranger jerseys starting Potvin sucks chants did not irk me.

Again, have a great day today, and we get to see Crosby (maybe - groin injury), Malkin and the rest of the Pens in a matinee affair.  Enjoy!

Gary