Looks wierd not seeing Campy out there…. McAmmond wearing his usual number 37. Probably will be on the 4th line tonight.

Tonight is Town of Hempstead night, and would the Town Supervisor have the GUTS to show up?

An overwhelmingly NO…..

The receiver of Taxes will be here. Oh boy!

Of course, the scuttlebut around the blog box is of the trade. Campoli got 2 helpers in the game against Montreal today, but from what I hear (I did not see the game), he was not really as impressive as you would think. Comrie almost scored…. But wait – that happened a lot on Long Island….

Three weeks from tonight – I will be in Ottawa as the Booster Club takes to the road, to see our Islanders take on the Sens. It will be quite interesting to see how the Isles take on their old mates. I for one, am looking forward to the matchup.

Before that – your homework assignment –> check out www.sheffieldsteelers.co.uk. This is the web site for the BEST hockey team in the UK! I have been a 9 year supporter of this team, and they have a 10 point lead in the UK Elite League standings!

OK – on to tonight’s match!

I will only be blogging for the first and third periods, as I will be sitting in my seat for the second period.

Callahan is in today; another chance to prove his worth.

Starting Lineup:

G – Danis
D – Martinek
D – Witt
LW – Bergenheim
C – Nielsen
RW – Hunter

Loudville is yelling “BUILD THE LIGHTHOUSE”

:45 – Bergeie on a breakaway had a great chance for goal – if we could ONLY finish.

1:00 – Parise on the ice. Can someone pull a Tonya Harding and get the pipe on his knees.

1:38 – Penalty on Streit – hooking….

2:15 – nice job by Okie – quick snap shot – high and wide

3:20 – great save by Danis on Langenbrunner.

3:40 – PK done – Streit out of box – great pass to Bergie – and this time – he FINISHED

3:50 - NYI 1 – NJD 0

** ISLES ARE DOING JUST AS I SAID IN MY PRE-GAME NOTES – BE PHYSICAL AND TAKE SOME CHANCES **

5:00 – Hillen looks a lot more comfortable out on the D-line

6:00 – Katrina from the Lighthouse stopped by and took some pictures. We in the blog box are stars!

8:49 – Stephen from IslesNation.com came back with his video recorder, taking video in the stands. Rumor mill has it that he is producing a soft core presentation of the Hockey Chicks Take Uniondale!

9:25 – Okie with his best impersanation of Jeremy Roenick.

10:27 – As Kate Murray’s video – the booing was loud and severe. When she said I am an Islander, I heard a lot of BULLS%$& from the stands… BRILLIANT!

So far – Isles outshooting 7-4 and the Devils look a little lack luster to say the least. Hope that stays for the next 49 minutes.

10:50 – great body save by Danis – and on the other end – a little scrum action in front of Scott Clemmensen. Sim and Salvador – penalties.

11:30 – Parise with some room in the slot – great stop by Yann.

14:00 – great job by the D – getting clearance. I like how Callahan looks. Devils are really getting outplayed x’s and o’s as well as physically.

15:10 – Danis – another great stop on a point blank shot by Travis Zajac.

Period goin by so quickly, and no final TV time out. 38 seconds left – in front of the crease – and no one to slap it in.

I will be in the seats for Period 2. Great save by Danis in the last seconds to end the stanza 1-0 in front.

3rd Period

Back from a period in 317. The Isles are still dominating the corner battles, and taking the speed out of the Devils game.

Great job by Sim. Amazing that he may have 15 goals or so with spending many games in chateau bow-wow.

Another excellent save by Danis off a drive to the net by Rolston. Parise has been just about silent today, expect for one good opportunity in front of the net.

Defense doing an outstanding job. Some comments in the stands, concerning just that. I, along with some others, really liked the way the Hillen is playing. Very smart, and positionally sound. Just getting some more experience and taking some cances, will move his game to the next level.

I would like to provide you a great article by my good friend Doug from islesofficialsoutlook.blogspot.com. He wrote a great piece about the Lighthouse, and I want to share it with you all:

Saturday, February 21, 2009
Meet Me at What is the Next 25 Years on Long Island
I am a Long Islander.

I was born here.

I was raised here.

I learned to have a passion for hockey here.

I am, for all intents and purposes, a part of the fabric of 1401 square miles of some of the most densely populated land on the planet.

That is why I need the Lighthouse.

All of you who read this blog and have a passion for Long Island as a whole, should ask yourself this question: “What does the Lighthouse mean to me?”

I am a young man in search of the path for the rest of my life. It has become a reality in the years after college that I was going to have move off this Island that I’ve called home for the first 24 years of my life. The unfortunate truth is the fact that young people simply cannot get a foothold here with the cost of living and the lack of alternatives that would allow me to strike out on my own.

With that being said, it is my firm belief that if two Long Islanders in Charles Wang and Scott Rechler want to give the place I live an identity, a place to call our own and something we can be proud of, we should give them the support that is necessary.

The Lighthouse transcends anything that happens with the New York Islanders. This is about Long Island. This is about you, me and everyone that has been contacted and shown their support (nearly 180 outreach attempts have brought back a 100% acceptance of the project).

This is about 60,000 construction and 20,000 permanent jobs.

This is about a Sports Complex that will attract State Championship after State Championship for all youth sports on Long Island.

This is about an improvement to the quality of life for all of us on Long Island. With roughly $60-$70 million dollars generated in revenue each year.

This is the “Imperfect Storm” as one Lighthouse Development spokesman stated.

Without your support this whole project could fall through the political cracks like so many before it.

It’s time to take a stand and make our voices heard.

Tonight 2/21/09, at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, a “white-out” will be held to show how seriously we Long Islanders are about improving our lives. This is our time. This our home.

This…is our Lighthouse.

Please show your support by coming out in full force tonight and on Tuesday 2/24/09 at 10:30AM for the Approval of the Final Scope of the Project by the Town of Hempstead. The Lighthouse Project is ready. The Environmental Impact Study is ready.

Are you ready?

wasn’t that great?

Back to the action:

I have been also pleasantly surprised by Witt’s play of late, he actually has shown some speed and smarts that I have nott seen much of this year beforehand.

McAmmond has not been bad on the 4th line tonight. I am not expecting him to be setting any scoring records, but he has played solidly.

Nice effort by Jackman – Clemmensen made a great save. I love the effort that he puts on the ice. Salmela gets a cross-checking penalty. Great job by the forwards to draw the call.

With 7 minutes left – the team has the potential to do something they have not done all year.

Witt back on the power play – let’s see if he pulls the Dave Semenko job… well – if they can get a shot on net…. Hey – if this is the worst thing tonight – then it is not a bad day for the Isles….

Unfortunately – due to the fact that I lost my media cridential on the way back to the blog box from my seats in 317, I can not go down to the locker room after the game…..

Clarkson called for a double minor for clipping Matinek. That means the Isles can end the game on the power play.

Let’s get the 3rd goal, andend this party once and for all.

3-0 – OKIE on the PP. I see a lot of RED and BLACK leaving the building right now. Okie on the door step, and slammed it home off the right shoulder of the Devils netminder.

Okie got hit right after the goal and got a shot to the face. I did not see who did it, but he is getting checked out, and should be ok.

Parise – stoned by Danis.

Another penalty to the Devils. Gionta for hooking. 49 seconds of 5 on 3. This is nice!

5 on 3 with Witt playing Semenko. And YES!!!!! 4-0. We have the next Wayne Gretzky there… Well, maybe Mark Parrish. Guerin gets the goal – but Witt caused the proper ruckus to make it happen.

OK – 110 seconds to shut out time… Yes – I am saying it. I think we will get this one in the books tonight!

My Three Stars

3. Okposo – 1 G and a lot of physicality
2. Bergenheim – 1 goal and just as much toughness
1. Danis – the shut out

What a nice effort fr the guys – something for the team to build on. I should be able to get some audio from the game tomorrow and put it on the web site for all at that time.

As Kool and the Gang does CELEBRATION on the PA system, it will be nice to hear the happy recap from Doolin’s.

Have a great night everyone.

Gary

Don’t forget. Hockey Night on Long Island tomorrow at 3:30 PM. www.blogtalkradio.com/hockeynightonlongisland

Posted under Blog Box, Islanders 08-09, Lighthouse, Sheffield Steelers

You can use all the cliches in the world:

Good effort
Solid play in all 3 zones
Decent Goaltending
Outshot opponent
Outhit opponent
Did not lose key faceoffs

All of that is good. But when the number under your team on the scoreboard is less than the opponent, it is a loss, no matter what happens.

Sign Dunny to a contract – you are back in the game, dude!

I am sure that there will be calls to other teams looking for a goaltender, if Joey’s injury is as bad as it sounded. From people I know in security at the Coli, he was crying in pain. That is not a good sign.

Glad to see Campy off the schneid. His game needs to lift up, and he looked a little better last night.

Good to see Nate and Franz back. Nielsen at times, did not look like he was injured in the way he was. He was not that timid, and played ok.

Danis did a nice job. The second goal – his defense did not help him on the odd man rush. His skills were much better than the previous time he was in net (remember that 9-2 flubbing in Pittsburgh?).

Again – a nice effort – but we will continue now to see the youngins in a lot more situations as the weeks go by. However, I still believe you need veteran leadership to be here, and if Guerin and Weight want to stay here, they should! Do you believe that, mister GM?

Posted under Islanders 08-09

Happy New Year!

Weight out – Sillinger out – Hunter – out Ricky out (surprise!)

Sim in – Trevor Smith in – (congrats on first game)

Mitch Fritz was waived – so that means he will be back in the PORT in 48 hours!

The guys came out to Ozzy – that has to be a new trend!

Starting lineup – MacDonald, Streit, Pock, Park, Bergenheim, Jackman.

Weight IS out there, so that means that the PA guy at the Coliseum drank the wrong Kool aid!

Sim – penalty 3 minutes in – certainly a trip to the Chateau Bow Wow for him again!

PK need to be a little better – now 17th in the league, as opposed to in the top 10 a few weeks prior. This group (Bergy, and Jackman) did a nice job. Bruno has looked ok too. He has been getting beat up in the forums, and quite honestly, a bit deserving. He needs to step up his efforts a lot, or he will just have a PR job with the Islanders, instead of a hockey position.

6 minutes in – and we are being out shot 6-0. Whoops – as I say it – we got 2.

Right now – Panthers DOMINATING the play – but slowly, the Isles are making their way into the play.

I like the line combo of Okposo, Comeau and Comrie. They seem to have each others backs, and look very fluid out there.

13:56 – Florida (Campbell – penalty). Time for the PP tp start to work…

PP Goal – nope – penalty – goalie interference on Sim. Very questionable to say the least.

I will say it here folks, when Bergie is moving his skates and causing trouble, he is definitely at his best. He just needs to get the stupid cells out of hs brain.

One thing that is definitely better is the face-off %. So far with 2 minutes left in the 3rd period, it is 53-47 in favor of Fla. Not great, but better than the 30′s that we have had in the last few games.

I will be back in the 3rd period, I will be in he seats for stanza 2.

Well – not so fast – Dvorak on a deflection from a point shot with 1:36 left makes it 1-0 Florida.

2nd Period

For the most part – I missed the first five minutes, and according to the shot clock and musings around the arena, I did not miss much. Looking at the stats, Mark Streit with 9:38 leads in ice time, Guerin and Comrie had 3 shots each.

Comrie – on a pass from Comeau and Okposo. The chemistry is flowing like Mentos and Diet Coke. Play under review – looked like it was hit with a skate – but it is a Tinkerbell special.

And now the team is playing physical. I just love the way Jackman plays like it is his last shift. You would never know that he was a 2nd round pick from days gone by. But he has such a passion for the game, that I wished others would display.

Remember we were bring severly outshot when we started the game… It is now 19-14 Isles at the half way point of the game.

By the way – it is Marvel Superhero day at the Coliseum. Only one problem – the Hulk looks like he is either on Slim Fast, or got Gastric Bypass.

Comrie has two – it’s a Power Play Goal – nice little bank shot off Vokoun. He must have been playing billiards with Hilary Duff when he was hurt.

Bergenheim – with 23.9 left jamming it home. See Sean, good things happen when you work hard… Great effort, and nice shot above Voukon’s right shoulder. Mama Dee would be so proud!

Great effort this period. Let’s tell the guys to keep the pressure up on the third frame.

3rd Period

Comrie with 5 shots leads the team – Streit with just over 17 minutes of ice time. Weight is now sitting on 999. Will he get the 1,000 before the day ends?

Guerin and Streit had a 2 on 0, and Guerin pushes off to Streit for the shot. The Captain should have taken it all the way, in my opinion, but nevertheless…

I really like the way that the team has come out in this period. Disciplined, smart, not playing a conservative game. I hope I don’t eat my words. I just don’t want to be a doom and gloom guy.

Joey Mac has done quite well tonight. He hasn’t got sloppy, and made a couple of great saves early in the third.

The PP has gotten one goal tonight, but has not looked for the simple. They are trying to make ‘sexy’ plays.

Too many men on the Isles. PK looking good.

PP Goal Isles – Streit – with a blast. Did Dougie get a helper? I don’t think so. Still on 999. But what a nice effort for the Isles. You HAVE to be happy with the team’s overall effort. The Panthers had made the Isles look real bad the last time they were here. Now – it is the other way around.

Three Stars of the Game.

3. Okposo – another nice game, got a helper and really looked good.
2. Streit – 2 point game – and made a few nice defensive plays.
1. Comrie – I guess he and Hilary will have a Happy New Year celebration

Will add a quote or two after the game, if something is good.

I wish you all a Happy, Safe and Blessed New Year! May all your wishes for the next year, be realities!

Posted under Blog Box, Islanders 08-09

Another rough loss last night, and to make matters worse, the Isles head into Philly, a beaten and hurting team.

Sutton and Thompson are out, Fritz and Callahan replace them.

We are heading to ECHL players real soon, if this keeps up.

I agree with Chris Botta, as much as losing another body is a tough thing, I think Bailey SHOULD play the WJC’s in a few weeks. Confidence up the wazoo, and this is what 18 and 19 year old Canadian’s DREAM of playing in. This should be a no brainer for Garth. Let him go.

I know that in this league, anyone can go into a building and pull off a gem. However, the Isles have lost, I believe, 6 in a row in Philly, and they are playing well of late. This is going to look bad.

Comrie, I hear, is back soon… I see a lot of excitement coming from that comment….

I really think that Joey Mac needs a break tonight. I know that Danis had a meltdown in his one game here, but what the heck, let’s see what he has, against a team like the Flyers. Ricky is 3 weeks away from the lineup, and I think Joey needs a day to contemplate life, and other variables.

Question of the Day? Will Fritz see more than 2 minutes tonight?

I like Comeau first two games back. Energy, and smartness. This is the player that many were expecting to see on the Island, not the one that was invisible in camp and exhibitions.

As far as last night, it was nice to hear the comments of one Mr. Blake. He spent a long time here, and deserved, in some cases, a better fate, but he takes it all in stride and moves forward. Nice job!

We get Pittsburgh on Thursday, and Columbus on Saturday. Tonight’s game is on Versus, which means all of the US can see how horrible we really have been. And also – to have other announcers tell us how rough we look.

Just what I need on a Tuesday evening.

Enjoy it – well – tolerate it.

Posted under Islanders 08-09

A couple of scrums, and an unlikely scorer does the Isles in last night.

Of all folks, Brashear beats us with a slide of the stick, and once again, the team looks bad after a significant number of days off? We know that this team works hard at practices, I wonder why the team is so sluggish that first game back?

It is a mystery? Please Kreskin, give us the answer…

Nice return by Silly. Winning 11 of 19 faceoffs. A big plus.

Three Isles Stars.

3. MacDonald – 42 saves. Yes he gave up 4 but only 1 was what I call ‘saveable’

2. Hunter – 11th goal – had only 12 last year. What a nice job he is doing.

1. Silly – nice to see him return.

I just dont get Fritz being here taking 100 seconds a night? It does not serve a purpose… Jackman – he has a role and had a solid game last night.

And please, let’s end the Tambellini saga now! This is getting ridiculous. We are not going to have another David Volek moment (for those that do not know (and there may be a few) – Volek was one despised by many fans until he scored that magic goal in 1993 – eliminating the Pens). Tambellini is not cutting it, and guys like Trevor Smith, Blake Comeau and others should be up here contributing.

Well – got that off my chest. See you at the barn tomorrow.

Posted under Islanders 08-09

1. Considering we were missing four of our top 6 D, our starting goalie (well – he still is an All-Star goalie), and a struggling offense, I think we stood up to the Rangers quite well. We just let the opportunities slip away, and let the Rangers dictate the 3rd.

2. Has Mark Streit shut up a lot of critics? Almost a point a game, and playing decent D. He will make mistakes here and there, but he has been a lot better back there than the experts said he would be.

3. Okposo played fantastic last night… If we can only get that out of Tambellini… Kyle was hitting, getting (making his own) chances and causing havoc. Nice job!

4. Joey was yeoman like out there. He did not blow you away, but made some great saves when he needed to.

5. Henrik… Love him or hate him, he has been outstanding, and has given his team at least 3-4 wins solely on his shoulders.

6. I see the Wade Redden lovefest is over with the Ranger fans. Truth be told, they want to send him back to Kanata for some pucks, and an “I’m sorry for taking him off your hands message!” to Bryan Murray

7. Don’t get General Tso’s chicken at the NVMC. Not hot, not bad going down, but over 15 hours later…. (Yes Dee and Doug on the Box — ) I know!

8. Some of these fans are just abusive (and I say BOTH sides, but the Ranger fans get the brunt, because it is my blog, and it is not their building). An idiot was standing up in front of my friends, and they politely asked him to sit down, that they could not see the game. Not only was this drunken fool rude, but challenged my friends father (who is in his 80′s to a fight). What a real hero, eh?

9. I am having too much fun in the box! These guys (and yes, lady – Dee), made me feel right at home. It is a great fraternity – (even if Tom L will decide to join us one of these days… LOL!)

10. We are 30th in the league, and there is no getting lower. We can only climb from here.

11. Hopefully we will see Andy Sutton back on Thursday. We need him BADLY!

12. Martinek may be back in a couple of weeks.

13. Say a prayer that Witter is not as badly hurt as we fear…

14. Glad to see Park getting some points and getting rid of those minuses that he had last week. He has to improve more, if he wants to repeat as the Nystrom award winner.

15. Are those new jerseys great! Finally, no complaints about a uniform we wear. And if you are complaining, what the hell is wrong with you?

16. The goal song… Again — play Lady of Spain. As long as we score more than the opponents – I dont give a rats behind what they play.

There – that is enough for now. Have a good day everyone, and don’t forget to listen to the New York Hockey Report on the Blog Talk Radio Network, on Wednesdays at 9PM.

Posted under Blog Box, Islanders 08-09, NY Hockey Report, Ramblings

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.

Posted under Blog Box, Islanders 08-09