No - not my Uncle Louie, but of course Roberto Luongo. Remember him?

Three shutouts in 5 games, for Vancouver, as they are battling for the NorthWest division lead. The Isles are 2-0-0-0 in their last two against Canadian teams, as they take into battle tonight at NVMC.

I will not be there tonight, as I am working late again. What am I looking for from the guys tonight?

1. Continuation of the inspired play of Sean Bergenheim. Bergie and the Good ‘ol boys are looking well together, and I would hope that the combination of them keeps sparking the rest of the team.

2. An increase in play and responsibility of Radek Martinek. Marty did not look out of place in his 15 minutes tonight. Would like to see that number approach 20. Give Streit a chance to take a little blow, after his nearly 30 on Saturday. They have 3 days to rest, but still…

3. Keep the PP going, and make sure that the feet are moving and traffic comes in front of Luongo. The easiest goal a scorer can have, is the one that the goalie can not see. Throwing bodies in front can accomplish that.

4. Make sure that vehicle that is the Islanders is constantly heading towards Route 60 and Utopia.

GO Isles - get to 3 in a row!

1st period

Got here at 645 - loaded with Ranger fans… Ugh!

MacDonald in net - Hilbert Thompson and Sim up front - Pock and Streit on D.

20 seconds before Potvin chant started…. 56 seconds in - Rangers get a lucky goal that bounced off MacDonald as he was getting back to the net. It is going to be a looooooong night!

1:45 - Isles showing a little pressure - get a PP - this is crucial! Great start — 2 shots by Neilsen and Streit. Nice vision by Weight to see Hunter in front - for a one time in the slot. Nice save by Lundqvist.

4:40 - Kyle got a golden opportunity up front and missed high. Zherdev with some bad mistakes so far (although he got an assist on the Drury goal).

5:31 - another PP = keep the pressure on… Not as much - 1 shot through 90 seconds.

So far - not so bad…. If we can get rid of those 1st minute period goals (I think that is 4 for the season so far).

8: 37 - Gervais - holding - lets see how the PK does…. Joey - nice 2 point blank saves on Naslund… Great job. Cleaing up the garbage in front of the net….

11:54 - Ises getting sloppy and slow. Need to pick up the tempo.

Can not blog and watch game. Will give a little more analysis during 2nd frame.

And sure enough, as I walk away from the blog, to visit my wife, Okie scores, at 19:52.

Note: my buddy, Chris Pepe told me that DP’s situation is a lower body injury, not related to the knee, and will need further evaluation…. Makes you go hmmmmm..

2nd Period

4:25 - Drury hit in the shield with the puck… Nothing much going on at this point.

4:41 - Hillen - bad penalty — taking down Prucha. Rangers to PP

6:54 - Park inadvertently clipped Zherdev - 2 man PP for 1:12 - time for Isles to get real focused… Ranger take time out - Bruno - Campi and Thompson. 1 penalty down - only 1 shot for the Rangers. Nice job by Campy and Bruno. Great job by Streit. His d lately is NOT a liability.

Hearing the Let’s go Islanders chants now. Crowd getting into it, and Dee is bopping next to me.

The ice tonight is as choppy as it was on Saturday. Actually, it is worse.

Voros - Thompson fight - nice job by Nate - and Voros actually pnched himself (credit to Doug - my fellow blog boxer)

Point blank save by MacDonald on Dubinsky.

16:16 - Callahan scores off of a deflection in front of the net. First fight in the stands… Section 330. That is when you know that you ARE at a Ranger-Islander game…. 5 minutes later - still some movement by the security guards.

2 periods in the books - and only down 2-1 - I will take that. Just need to keep the sustained pressure going, and get some good chances. Joey Mac is keeping these guys in the game.

Assessment by the blog boxers… They are happy with Joey right now.

So far after 2 - 10 of 25 shots by Isles on man advantage. Okposo with 5 shots, Sim with 4. Park, Okposo and Comrie +1, Pock -2, Streit with 18:12 TOI leads both teams. Skinner with only 4:44 low on the Isles - Orr with 1:56 - low for the Rangers.

3rd period

What do we need…. Pucks and bodies on net, that is paramount. Will we get it? 20 minutes to find out…

2:17 - penalty on Zherdev - PP meeds to score now! And Guerin screwed that up, tugging on Sjostrom’s stick while in the o-zone. Back to the corner of the room for that infraction.

Joey Mac playing a strong game, trying to keep it as simple as possible. So is “AMAZING” Andy Hilbert. Good PK - nice job.

Bergenheim - doing his Walt “Clyde” Frazier impersanation with the puck, and grabbed Zherdev as the first penalty was called, and then got one himself… Whoops.

6:42 - MacDonald took a shot off the side of his melon, but looks to be ok. It hurt just watching it.

6:52 - the crucial 2 goal lead just happened on a 4 on 4. The shot by Gomez just snuck over the shoulder of MacDonald. Now the Rangers fans wont keep quiet. Right now - the Isles need to get some chances to the net, and make some traffic like they did in the 2nd and 3rd the other night.

Another skirmish in section 337.

Bergenheim clipped Voros - Weight got 2 for hi sticks. 5 on 3 - god - we have to kill this. And Drury scores again - 4-1. That does it. Now the obnoxiousness begins. Another fight in 339.

Now the building is 3/4 Ranger fans. At least we can say that our team woke up Drury. Park with a breakway - deflected away.

Security going up to 314 now. The yellow shirts are having a busy night tonight!

Voros laid out a nasty hit on Hillen. Guerin stood up for his teammate. The fights are all over the stands. It is a war in Uniondale.

Three Islander Stars of the Game.

3. Okposo - 1st goal of the year
2. Guerin - stood up to big bad Voros - I like that.
1. MacDonald - Kept the team in the game.
1.

Game 1 of 6 in this great rivalry is renewed tonight.

The Rangers, as we all know, are flying high right now - even with a woozy coach. Zherdev is playing like the guy that Columbus THOUGHT would be. Right now, Jagr is the last thing that they are missing at this point.

Ricky is seeing an unknown doctor about an unknown ailment. Danis was called up as an emergency. If there was ever a time for Joey Mac to stand up — it’s tonight!

The looks of things, it should be a Ranger walkover tonight. However, you never know with this rivalry. Hopefully the boys will take the 60 shot barrage from Saturday night, and take the positives from it and put it to tonight.

We can only hope.

Will blog from the game tonight - should be a cracking night! Will also see if the Phils win it all tonight - yuck!

Some thoughts….

MacDonald has looked well tonight (we are all surprised…). Hope DP plays tomorrow for the home crowd. Will we know the real problem?

Jon Sim looks like an eager guy, that looked like he so wants to play, and being out for over a year will do that to a guy.

Like Weight’s comments after 1. He gets it, and I hope that some of the guys really listen when Dougie talks.

Seems some of the guys look a little tentative. Hillen made a few mistakes in his zone, but I think he will recover quickly.

Great speed shown by Okposo. However, he did not fool Brodeur with the penalty shot.

Every time that I see Parise doing damage to the Islanders, I want to KILL Milbury for passing on him. Yea, Robert Nilsson is a real star….

Stay in the booth, you dummy!

So - our #1 pick not only got the entry level contract, but has made the squad to boot.

He (Bailey) definitely has the profile to make it as a 19 year old. He has a great way of handling himself, and knows his plusses and minuses. He also has a great presence for someone so young, according to bystanders and media alike.

The only thing that is a little troublesome, is the fact that he has not had the game experience. He has only played in 2 of the 7 exhibition matches and that, to me, does not tell me about his ice presence. You can be all that you can in practice and in shinny, but when it counts for real, does he have it?

Now - personally, I WANT him to succeed! I really want him to make it - and do well in the process. However, I am just concerned about the lack of playing.

Honestly, if I played the GM role (sorry - Garth - I will NEVER want your job!), I think I would have sent him back. He would have been the captain of the Windsor Spitfires, and would be a sure star in the World Junior Championships this December. The tournament is in Canada, which would be another chance for Mr. Bailey to shine…

But Gary, the Islanders can still send him there?

Yes they can - up to 9 games can be played (not the team’s 9 games, his), before the decision had to be made. And that can very well still happen.

I just don’t want to see a kid with such potential being wasted, if not starting. There are a lot of centers on the depth chart, and it will be a tough decision for Coach Gordon to make. Who will be sacrificed? Glad I am not in those shoes either.

Speaking of the coach… Tonight - 7:30 Marriott Ampitheater - Scott Gordon will be the Guest at the NYIBC meeting. Come on down, won’t ya?

Well folks, it is official now….

I will be a member of the 2008-09 Islanders BLOG BOX!

I just received a letter from the organization, and it will be updated on the Islanders web site, with the new group of writers…

Honestly, last year, I did not send an initial e-mail. I was not sure if I really wanted to do it; but after a while, I realized it would be a lot of fun, and a chance to get more visibility to my page.

So now - starting Opening night - I will be in section 201, with the rest of the Blog Boxer’s giving our take of what is happening in Islanderland!

So maybe I should change the name of the page to Section 317/201???? Hmmm???

Nah - my loyalty is still to 317. 5 Days until the season starts - can not wait for it to come!

BTW - tailgate - Saturday 3:30 PM - SW Corner of Coliseum parking lot - (NO GLASS), come on down! Look forward to seeing you there!

Gary

The sun is out (with a little clouds, but nevertheless, a dry day today), and it is sunny skies for the Isles on their preseason debut.

Albeit, half the team is youngsters and junior players looking to make a squad, but it is still the Orange and Blue, no matter who is donning the sweater at this point.

Nice to see Jon Sim back and playing. There is betting at Ladbrokes (a UK betting firm) to see if Sim makes it to more than 5 periods this season. I am betting that this will happen…. Sim will make a big presence on this team for the 08-09 season. He is the type of guy that if he can play to his potential, he will allow other players to be able to maximize their potentials. You look at the Atlanta Thrashers two seasons ago, and Sim was a major pain in the butt on his opponents, and we all know what happened to the Thrashers in 06-07? They won the South East Division for the first time. Yes, the Rangers beat them in a sweep in the first round, but the contribution of Sim to the Thrashers team was crucial to their success. That need to continue for the Islanders this season.

Rumor mill… We are hearing once again - that Ricky may not start the season. From others in the know - I would seriously DOUBT that statement. Patience and restraint will need to be placed on #39 shoulders, and I know that coach Gordon will do just that.

I see that Campoli had an undisclosed injury last night. This scares me - and we need to keep our d-men healthy for this team to be successful.

Good start for the guys. I know we have another game tonight (not sure on opponent, because I have not surfed that much today). We have to keep the momentums going. With a young team like these guys, preseason success can mean a lot. It is the veteran teams that it does not matter as much if the team goes 8-1 or 1-8.

As for Orlando - chance of rain all week, but the weather held out for the most part. Went to Epcot yesterday - always a nice place to go…. Friday, it is off to Ocala for my nephew’s wedding. By the way, I have a time share at the Marriott Grande Vista. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND it to anyone. To check it out, go to this link
If you are interested in checking it out - please let me know. I could get you a deal on a vacation visit (with NO OBLIGATION - but a 90 minute visit to the sales office), but honestly, once you go, you may get hooked. We did, and I do not regret it for one second.

As they say here - have a GRANDE day!

The words that many a NHL fan can not wait to say…

“Training Camp is about to begin!!!”

The Isles will start on Thursday with their physicals and head to Moncton, NB, for a week of intensive training. Scott Gordon will have his first chance to get his new players to read into his new system, and hopefully it is a transition that the players will not only take seriously, but pick up and master along the way.

Some early questions???

With Sillinger not ready to start the season, how does one of the newest Islanders, 1st round pick Josh Bailey work himself into this group, and find a chance to head to Long Island in October.

Will Kyle Okposo take a giant step forward in his rookie season (eligible for the Calder this year), and be the person that everyone expected him to be when he was drafted a few years back?

Are we FINALLY going to see the NHL caliber play of Jeff Tambellini, or are we just going to see him fade away…? (Truthfully, this is the one question that can make huge dividends for the Isles, if Jeff comes through)

Will Scott Gordon be able to curtail Ricky just a little, so that he has rest and injury free days for all season? The over/under for Joey McDonald (or other backup) starts is 10.

Will Marc Streit be the answer to a struggling power play? Was his year in Montreal good, because of the teammates, or his play?

Basically, will this team be healthy? We can not endure another year of 12 men on the IR.

Now these questions that we were asking in July and August, are now major topics of conversation. The time is here, get the pads on boys. Time to start skating. Time to get your shooting skills in order.

Hockey is back, and I love it!

And the best part - my season tickets came in the mail yesterday, and I am so stoked!

Other notes:
On a personal note - my mom is doing better. She should be heading to a rehab center shortly. Thanks to all for the kind wishes. I will not be on the NY Hockey Report tonight, as I have so much work to do, before my vacation starts on Friday. I will be in Sunny Orlando Florida when camp begins, so I will have my ears to a large coke bottle, and will try and report as much as I can. Add a little flavor, if you will.

Going to Mets games for nearly 40 years, I got a chance last night, that not many people get to do. I was so honored to be on the field for an presentation to my wife and I and another NYI 365 member. We were given Mets Spirit plaques for our support of the Islanders. It also helped that we were all METS fans too.

It is amazing how large Shea actually is, when you are there. The ball field is no bigger than any regulation size field. But when you add the seats, it becomes so large…. When you compare it, to say, Citibank Park where the Ducks play, you really get the feel of the hugeness of it all.

So Claire and I got to get our pictures taken with Mr. Met, and then got to walk out with Chris Dey and be on the jumbo tron, as well as be on Islanders TV (probably later today).

After the photo op - we went over to the picnic area where we were given Mets bucks, and had some dinner. Early in the second inning, my buddy Bobby and I decide to go back down to get a beer (for him) and peanuts (for me). No sooner did we move down to the bottom of the section, when the Nationals Elijah Dukes cranks on a Pelfrey fast ball, and the screaming hit comes not only to the picnic area, but if I was still sitting in my seat (the top row of the picnic area), I would have taken a chest wound. Figures… the one time to get a ball, and I miss it for a bag of nuts!

Anyway, I saw some pictures of Bill Guerin and Doug Weight taking batting practice (courtesy of Josh Bernstein). Got some interesting info about things coming up (you will see info on it real soon….), and just took in the whole experience of being at Shea. Oh BTW, I saw Darryl Strawberry, he is still a big presence, and he looks like he could still lace up the cleats.

Well folks, one week until training camp….. Get pumped!

I am putting the pictures down on the bottom here, enjoy!

Gary

Actually, you will see Claire and I on the field. We were asked by the Islanders to be on the field for some presentation before the game.

I have been a MET fan all my life, and in this last season of the stadium, I will get to be on the field. It is real exciting for me, and I am so looking forward to it.

But it is a happy occasion, and right now I need it…. My mother is not doing well. She is in ICU at Winthrop. She has COPD and the disease is getting worse and taking a toll on her both physically and emotionally. All I ask, is that if you are a person of faith, to please remember my mom, Ethel, in your prayers. The family are hoping that in this trying time, that God will keep her as comfortable as possible, and try to comfort us as well in our time of need.

Thanks, and God bless.

And tomorrow - don’t forget to take some time, and remember the folks who lost their lives on that sunny morning seven years ago. Remember who we are, and what we stand for. With all the political ‘bitchiness’ going on - let’s drop the party lines, and remember that we are Americans, standing tall for our great country and people.