Game Recap: It is the shootout, Silly Rangers. You Lose. Isles 4 NYR 3

Whelp. This is certainly a different team with the return of number 3 and number 20.

Travis Hamonic on the blueline solidifies the D-Corps so much, exponentially improving the play of his Rad Bromance, Andrew MacDonald. He is poised. He is tough. His offensive accumen was on display allnight long as well.

Isles sprint out to a 1-0 lead, via MacDonald to JT91 who makes a sick feed through three NYR defenders to Moulson Golden. Number 26 for Number 26.

JT then took a quick up from the aforementioned Travis Hamonic, went between the legs 90 feet to the tape of Parenteau who ROOFED IT on the rush (and the quest for a big pay day).

Rangers get one back late Via Staal. PP. Ranger PP is deadly all of a sudden.

Parenteau bangs another one home, this on the PP, From MacDonald again and Moulson.

Gaborik gets a freebie when Streit pinches and Staois inexplicably… also pinches.

Rangers tie it up of a flukey bounce off Hamonic, off Nabokov and in.

Both teams trade NOTHING the first 15 minutes of the third. Then both teams take stupid penalties. Neither Powerplay can cash in despite close calls. To overtime. Jurtcina takes one of the stupidest penalties ever, but the Rangers cant cash in during OT.

The shootout, with a twist. Biron knows the Isles shooters. He was here.

The Great Danish Prince teases the backhand of Judgement and goes with move number 2, the 5 hole job. NASTY.

Gaboprick answers. 1 all.

JT bangs one off the bar. Some Ranger schlub is denied.

Parenteau Gloves. Brad Richards still sucks and is vastly overpaid.

Moulson, snipe job inside the post. John Mitchell denied. NYI WIN.

Some notes:

PK was putrid. PP was better at times. Casey Cizikas NHL debut. Kid looked solid. blocked a shot or two. Hits. Hit Rolston with a few sweet passes the old man mutilated. Matt Martin went to war. Hitting, Fighting. PKing. Great multitooled player. Grabner struggling on breakaways. He needs a COACH (I really wish we had one of those) to get him going confidence wise.

Nabokov, if he gets locked up, expedites the rebuild on his own.

Always nice to beat the Blueshirts. REally wish I felt well enough to go tonight. C’est la vie.

 

Reflection and Restoration

My friends, @PucksandPixels (Purveyors of this fine shirt: http://skreened.com/pucksandpixels/ampersand-islanders-captains?direction=asc&field=order&query=&start=0&count=20) have a contest going abut one’s favorite hockey memory in 250 characters or less. I invite you all to follow them, peruse their catalog, and submit your own entries. Then vote for mine, which I’ve included here, as follows:

At the end of the regular season, long time Isles Kenny Jonsson and Claude Lapointe teared up.  The Crowd chanted ‘Play-offs!’ Thus, the New York Islanders set the stage for a vicious first round series against the Maple Leafs. It was the Isles first foray into the playoffs in roughly 2 Olympiads.  The Coliseum crowd was raucous, the vibe between the teams vitriolic. It was 2002. Yashin went board to board through the neutral zone to number 17, Shawn Bates. Bates was a career journeyman enjoying his finest hour on the Lucky 7’s line with Mark Parrish and Mike Peca. A busted change as the Isles came out out of their own zone led to Bates hitting the ice before his linemates and having an angle on Bryan McCabe.  McCabe laid out to swipe the puck, a move he’d executed repeatedly as an Islander, and failed. Referee Brad Watson’s arm shot up then pointed towards center. Bates collected himself, taunted the irritable Curtis Joseph, and calmly skated over to his bench to wipe down his visor, getting some sage advice from Captain Peca and Backup Goalie Garth Snow on Joseph’s tendencies as native L.I.er Billy Joel’s ‘Pressure’ spoke to the moment.  He strode in, the clock frozen at 2:31, pulling further towards the far boards with each deke. Off the third deke, he snapped a high wrist-shot glove side just inside the post and under the bar. The crowd erupted and Bates was mobbed by his teammates. “Play-offs”, indeed.

I’ve been blessed in that I’ve gotten to see a great many wonderful moments from my teams, as such I’ll seldom lament the myriad of new and innovative ways they fail me. A Tavares Hat trick. Dave Justice homering and the Braves winning the series. Marino’s fake spike. From 1-15 to 11-5. A plethora of good memories. I can’t honestly complain. It looks like the saga of the Islanders is heading towards a resolution, and Brooklyn is seemingly emerging as front runner.

That’s just fine by me, as noted here earlier.

The team (Mark Streit specifically) just notched out 10,000 goal. Here’s a video retrospective (including that Bates goal I remember so fondly) put together by the team: http://t.co/ASMBOIZa

One other tidbit, before I get into the reason I’m writing.

That Potvin’s Cup shirt is BOSS. Buy it here:

http://crosstownny.bigcartel.com/product/potvin-s-cup

I by the way, need a collaborator for a ‘chirping’ line of t-shirts. I have photoshop SKILLZ but no other artistic talent, and would like to make a dozen or so designs running down various franchises. Shoot me a link to your work if interested.

Anyhow, onto the jist of today’s piece.

With the SHOCKING DEPARTURE of Tim “I have less points then Rick DiPietro this season” Wallace, The Isles limp in to a rivalry meeting with the Enemy tomorrow. This will be a tall test. That’s fine. I’ve already kind of moved on to next year with the re-signing of The Frans and the courting of Nabokov on a two year pact.

This is what we should look like from the net out next year:

-Netminders-

1. Nabokov

2. Poulin

-Blueline-

1. Hamonic /MacDonald

2. Streit / Acquisition

3. Hamrlik / Child (Ness or Donovan, or CDH if ready)

3a. Reese (Good 7th D).

-Up Front-

Herein lies the rub.

Tavares will anchor the first line. That much is certain. Ditto for the 30 goal Accomplice, Matt Moulson riding shotgun. I believe The Islanders still intend to re-sign PA Parenteau. However, that is also looking increasingly less certain.

So, let’s discuss what should happen. Firstly, the 4th line should have Cizikas added with Reasoner carried as the depth forward. Haley should be opposite Martin on this line. Cizikas and Martin are both defensively reliable and capable of PKing. Reasoner is an accomplished enough vet to move aside as his deal is cap friendly enough where we won’t notice him in the pressbox.We’ll do this in reverse order.

4a. Reasoner

4. Martin / Cizikas / Haley

3. Grabner / Nielsen / Niederreiter

IF PA is re-signed

2. Strome /Bailey-Acquisition/Okposo-Acquisition

1. Moulson / Tavares / Parenteau

If PA is NOT re-signed:

2. Strome / Bailey / Acquisition

1. Moulson / Tavares /Okposo

Basically, The New York Islanders business model dictates most of these decisions. ELC Cap hit on Strome and Cizikas bumps the number to offset some of the cap departures of Rolston, Staios, Jurcina, Eaton, and Witt’s buyout.  Hamrlik’s 3.5 million dollar bandaid gets you closer. Parenteau’s extension or the subsequent replacement in the top 6 get you to the floor. The rub here is that I believe if Parenteau is locked up, either Bailey or Okposo will be dealt to facilitate that Defensive addition I speculated about along with Hamrlik.

Roman Hamrlik can be had for a song, is dependable, knows the Island, and will help develop our kids. He is not a top line acquisition. That will only be acquired by giving UP something or making a ridiculous Brian Campbell like contract offer to someone.

The lynchpin here is locking up Nabokov. That stability gives you a lot more wiggle room.

We aren’t desperate. Our farm system is finally showing the fruits of the rebuilds labor. It’s time to harvest some of that.

Game Recap: Isles 4, Canes 3 F; Pou-LIN Dynasty

Out sick from work today. Feels like the flu. literally bed ridden all day. DTD with Flu like symptoms. I’m a gamer tho. Dont fret.

Okposo back to Grabs-Nielsen, PAP to the Dynamic duo of Tavarizard and Moulson Golden.

Isles open the scoring.

The Okposolypse.

Isles get sloppy. It is 1-1. Some random flushing toilet scored. Suter?

Tlusty scores seconds after nudie photo time … i mean intermission.Tap in. 2-1, Flushing toilets.

Holy Jeebus. THE TAVARIZARD. Wowza.

The Great Dane, moments later, from Tavarizard. Danish Superprince on fire with new contract.

Sekera? roofs onethat came to him  off the ref. Bang. Tie game end, 2.

Seconds into the third, TAVARES IS MAGICAL. LIKE DR. DOOM RIDING UNICORN ON A RAINBOW.

That’s your final. 4-3. Ho hum. 3 points for JT.

Some asshole Caroliner Flushing Toilet shoots it well after the whistle. John Morrison? Who? Doors? What? Anyhow. Matt Martin goes raging bull at him, Stupid ugly Eric Staal And some other Flushing toilet make it 3 on 1. Then Skinner comes over, now firmly safe with a 4 on 1 advantage and throws a suckerpunch. And then Pandolfo sees this and the crafty veteran pool cues him with the buttend. Hilarious.

4-3 Good guys.

Win, Poulin, who is approaching Flawless Prince status.

3 points for PAP, who WANTS THE MONEY. GIVE HIM THE MONEY.

OMG. FORGOT: TRAVIS HAMONIC RESUMES SKATING MONDAY. THEY SHOWED HIM ON THE TEEVEES. I AM CONTENTED.

Stars: 1. TAVARIZARD JT91, 2. PAP, 3. POULIN

please move El Nino to third line, Rolston to the end of time and Haley to 4th line.

Oh, BTW: I didnt recap the Florida, St. Louis or Montreal shit shows. I will recap when we lose. If we show up. If they don’t, I won’t, or I just go scorched earth and say hurtful things about everything, so why bother?

PS: Sweeping Kirk Mueller is wonderbar.

O/T: Story Telling Through Music

There’s a few songs I’m absolutely incapable of turning off. And it’s because they tell a story. That story pulls you in. And you carry it with you after the song ends.

The first is a Warren Zevon song about an enforcer who just wants that one moment where he pots a goal to remind him of his childhood. It tells a deeper story about how somehow life takes us down a different path than we envisioned, and how we need to make the best of it. listen to the crowd get into this.

The next is about comeuppance. It’s a cautionary tale. You don’t go around hustling people strange to you, as you don’t know who you’re messing with.

Third on the list, a song about one who is needed and how when that’s called upon, nothing shall get in the way. Joe Cocker is as powerful as they come in this performance. Utterly riveting cover.

Speaking of covers, the incomparable duo of BB King and Eric Clapton speak to that needed lover, assuring that help is on the way. It dovetails seamlessly with the previous song, and they are invariably linked in my mind.

Lastly, amongst the older stuff for your listening pleasure: Conway Twitty’s “That’s My Job”. For all the shit I give my Dad and vice versa, every time I hear this song I think of everything he’s done for me, and I break down. Not ashamed to admit it.

Not that all story telling is dead. Hardly. Here, Adelle sings to trying to fruitlessly rekindle love lost. And it’s utterly heartbreaking. She’s got such passion in her voice, completely moving.

On a different note, one of my beloved bands, that I frankly enjoyed before they were cool, Our Lady Peace tells a story of friendship and sticking by one another and I, yeah, I feel it still resonates today.

One of my all time favorite songs, by one of my alltime favorite bands… yeah. The picture there is just laying on the beach, watching everything drift away in the arms of someone you care about… So why dont you slide?

One of the more contemporary music styles, Rap is just as capable of telling a story. This is the story of a comeback, undaunted, dusting ones self off and getting back after it. Eminem absolutely lights it up.

Lastly, depending on how long you’ve known me, you’ve heard me belt these two out.  Both are about gettin’ while the gettings good. One tells a story of sage old advice from a streetsmart gambler, the other of a bar shutting down for the night and folks shuffling off to their beds.

and the latter, Semisonics one hit:

You don’t have to go home, but you can’t stay here. With that, I bid you adieu. Hope you’ve enjoyed the music.

 

 

 

GM RECAP: Isles 2 Kings 1 F/OT – Oh Captain, My Captain!

Yes a little Whitman for the masses. Feel educated. Ladies and gents. Today was a day!As Ice Cube said, it was a Good day. Wow, Warrior Poets Walt Whitman and Ice Cube in one Paragraph. Top that!

Took my boy @Jrkeating to the game in a belated birthday celebration.

Not a bad one at all.

KENNY JONSSON Day. YESSSSSSS KJ. The Eight Captain in Islanders History joins the pantheon of Isles legends in the team HOF (Still missing Tonelli and Lafontaine!), classy speech by the tux clad Swede. Pictures abound on my twitter.

Words from teammate and Isles GM Garth Snow, fellow Swede Bobby Nystrom, STE-VE WE-BB! (I think Webby crushed the cameraman), former HC (HOW DID WE FIRE YOU?) Peter Laviolette, and BE STILL MY FLUTTERING HEART, ADRIAN AUCOIN.

Isles dominate first 10 minutes. Grabner pots one from The Okposolypse and That playmaking phenom, Mark Eaton.

Kings take control and well, own the next 30 minutes, getting the equalizer off a scrum in front.

We’ve entered the thunderdome portion of the NHL season where on ice assault is overlooked.

That’s fine. Isles need to realize this and up their truculence. If only they had someone like Mike Haley on call. Haley had a hat trick, tonight. Not a Mike Haley hat trick (3 Fights, 1 Goal), but a honest to god Hat Trick Hat Trick. Call Him Up. Demote Wallace. STAT.

Happy Birth-averservery, Max Talbot. Last February 11th was a  wonderful present for you, da?

Anyway, on to the third period. Looked like Isles would have to shorten the bench when NHL leading Hitter, The Staplegun, Matt Martin crushed a King (wanna say Brown?), but bounced his own head off the glass.

He returned to a thunderous ovation. Several bloggers and media members called that “courageous”. Don’t do that, because it implies that anyone who returns from a concussion is chickensh-t. And we don’t want to pressure people with BRAIN INJURIES to rush back into action. That’s how they die.

Anyhow, the Isles dominate the 3rd, but can’t solve Moulson’s Bro in Law, Quickman.

TO OVVERRRTIMME:

The 13th Captain in team history decided to honor the 8th and fellow blue liner with one of the most gorgeous end to end rush OT Winners you’ll ever see.

Amazing. As Warner Wolf would say, lets go to the videotape:

http://video.nhl.com/videocenter/console?hlg=20112012,2,818

(Fast fwd to three minute mark if you are ADD addled like me).

Actual Butchie greatness on the call:

“Hello Martinez. Goodbye Martinez. Game Over.”

The Goal in the Captains own words:

“(Moulson) gave me the puck, I just skated toward four of their guys and tried to spread them. I made a little move, cut back and all of a sudden I was in front of the goalie and decided to score.”

Please Mark, Oh Captain, Oh Decider, Decide to score more often.

Back to .500. Tremendous memories via the Captain and the Former captain. What better way to honor them then with this shirt from our friends the talented ladies over at@PucksAndPixels listing the 10 most important Isles Captains ever: http://skreened.com/pucksandpixels/ampersand-islanders-captains?direction=asc&field=order&query=&start=0&count=20 (I purchased the Slate Gray, black font looks nice on it).

Now that the obligatory cheap plug is out of the way: ONWARD!!!!

Team is playing really well right now. Keep it up and we may be forced to ADD at the deadline.

NP:

EDIT:

“Was Vinny scolded by Overzealous Parents during a day game?” update:

NOOOO, maybe the Mayans are on to something. I Behaved. One rendition of “If you know the Rangers Suck Clap Your Hands” got some looks (seriously, screw you people!), other than that, only wayward glance for a LUSTY booing of Charles Wang’s name during HOF Ceremony.

The Happiest of Happy days: Isles 1, Flyers 0 F/SO + MUCH MORE

The day started with Prop 8 getting struck down in Cali.

SUCCKKKKK IT Rick Santorum.

—

I was driving home from class ramping it up for a visit to the den of evil, Philadelphia.

That’s when my twitter feed blew up. 4  years. 11 Million. Frans Nielsen, a career Islander WILL REMAIN. OUTFUCKINGSTANDING.

Geeked about it.  He’s my fave current Isle.

—

The Isles broke the Flyers streak of utter dominance last time out. This time, I oddly felt good. Even without the Mighty Hammer (Who shall be back from a broken nose in 2 weeks).

First Period:

Flyers lead the shot battle 10-7. Everything else dead even. Hits, Faceoffs, chances, all that.

The latter 40 saw Reese appear to badly injure his knee. 5 D left. One was Aaron Ness, making his NHL Debut for the injured Hamonic.

The Philadelphia Flyers averaged almost a shot a minute from then on out, by Evgeni Nabokov tapped the goalline with his stick and said NONE SHALL PASS.

45s through the end of O/T.

Shootout time. Frans first.

THE FRESHLY MINTED 11 MILLION DOLLAR DANISH BACKHAND OF JUDGEMENT… SCOREEESSS.

Danny Briere…. TOE SAVE NABBY KOV.

91, THE BEST IN THE WORLD… HOLLA. 2-0 Isles in the skills contest.

Wayne Simmonds MUST score or Its over…

ITS OVER. ISLES WIN.

ISLES REACH .500

HO-HUM. ANOTHER WIN IN PHILLY.

NYI now sit 4. games out with 3 games in hand. Just sayin’.

Isles lock up another core piece at a hometown discount. Shocker.

Garth Snow says “We Take Care Of Our Own.”

One of the best Isles nights in a long time.

Team surging. Shrugging off injury after injury. Fighting, clawing toward the impossible dream.

Finally get back to .500, which like it or not is a measure of respectability in this league.

Locked up one of our home grown beloved guys on the cheap.

Beat a hated rival in their barn…

 

 

Believe….

Game Recap: Sabres 4 Isles 3 F/Shootout

Sorry, this will be brief.

Watching Alaskan State Troopers. Its fucking hilarious.

—

Bad turnover by Weber to Grabner who has become something of a Sabre killer. To Nielsen, Bang, 1-0.

Isles give it right back as somebody passes to Hamonic who was half way on the bench.

No matter, Bailey buries one shorthanded. Sort of. They officially say it’s EVSG, but Nino got his +1 in the Penalty Box.

Nielsen again. 3-1 Good guys after 20.

Kaleta challenges Martin and that was unwise.

otherwise uneventful 20 until Sabres score in final minute.

Again, Isles check out in dying seconds of a period.

3-2 after 2.

And then it went to shit.

Hamonic took a puck to the face. Bleeding way way too much. Scary. Appears to be the nose. Can’t be certain, but looks to be shattered. Hope to Dog thats all it is.

Back to Back Nights, 5 Dmen, we let Stafford walk in and roast Al.

3 up.

Last 5 minutes of regulation and all of OT, Isles Carry play. Ryan Miller slams the door.

Hockey ends 3 a side.

Sabres take the skills comp after Miller snuffs the danish backhand!

My Stars: Nielsen (NYI), Miller (BUF).

Gerbe is a tough skilled little bastard. Wants every call, works officials. Nino laughed at him. Funny exchange.

Pat Kaleta is a cheapshotting walking buttplug. I hate him.

—

Politics score: Santorum, lol.

Who thinks Rick Santorum is in this besides Rick Santorum? He’s deader than the dodo.

Romneycare vs Obamacare is coming. It’s inevitable.

—

Last question: Why would any Sabre fan still wear the slug? WHHYYYYYY

Im out.

Later skaters.

Beat the Flyers Tuesday and reach .500, please?

I leave you bwith adorable baby Frans Niewlsen.

OMG SO CUTE GREAT DANE…

…PLEASE RE-SIGN.

 

Game Recap: Isles 2 Sens 1 (OT) MARK EATON LOL WUT?

Ah, the Ottawa Condom wrappers.

Real talk here, Ottawa. Why is Alfredsson “one of the classiest men in the NHL”? Am i the only person that remembers this? Really?

 

Fucking Garbage.

Glad you never won a cup. Nice fake banners from the cro magnon period, Sens.

Garbage.

ANYWAY!

ON TO THE RECAPPING.

The first period: Whistle Whistle Whistle. Isles Shot. Whistle. Lather rinse repeat.

Second period: Whistle. baack and forth play. Isles power play. Nada. Sens PP. No Sale. Isles PP… Sens Shorty by some guy just before end of period. MOTHERFUCKER. I think i rebroke my toe kicking my desk.

THE FINAL STANZA (MAYBE): MATTYYY (WHO DA MAN, GINA? YOU THE MAN…)….MARTIN! From MV-PA.

Teams trade chances. Another big Isles PK. Tavares and Okposo get posts.

Alfie still a bitch.

To OOOVVERRTTIMME (THE FINAL, FINAL STANZA):

EATON. LOL. EATON. IN HIS 600th GAME. FIRST GOAL IN 121 games. From Jurcina. Backhand spinorama. Of Course! Obvious goal is obvious.

Secondary helper to MV-PA.

ISLES 2, SENS 1 final.

Suck it, Alfie.

 

 

 

O/T: Gay Rights v. Religion on the 2012 Campaign Trail

What your “prophet” has wrought in your name:

 

Hi God.

I know we don’t speak much, me being a catholic queer, then lapsed catholic, and now pretty much devoid of any faith. I guess I think you exist, or I wouldn’t bother writing.

Anyway, I’m writing you because I’m confused about something.

When I was in Catholic school, there were the Beatitudes, right? Lotsa love. No mention of the word hate.

And now, your self-appointed defenders spew unfiltered hate. A Rick Santorum campaign co-chair just said “Homosexuals make god throw up.”

Firstly, I don’t think God throws up.  Secondly, God never, NEVER looks down on his subjects with disdain.

Rick Santorum is the worst kind of hateful filth. So is Michelle Bachman, whose ‘believers’ are bullying gay kids in her district into suicide.

Didn’t you all read X-men? God Loves, man kills.

God doesn’t want death in his name.  ever.  He’s a loving God. That’s like second grade catholic school stuff.

Do your bible study, bible thumpers.

One thing that bothers me is “You can’t call them intolerant if you are intolerant of their viewpoint.”

WHAT?

Pardon me, that’s the stupidest shit I’ve ever heard. You can’t want tolerance is you express disdain for the intolerant?

So, Black People should’ve embraced the KKK? That’s beyond dumb.

People such as Fred Phelps or Focus on the Family have squandered my normal compassionate nature by unfurling salvo after salvo of hatred towards the gay community, of which I am a part.
The notion that the biggots need to be allowed to spew their biggotry towards children is revolting. Utterly revolting. If we cannot protect our children, ALL OF THEM (regardless of race, creed or orientation) we are worthless as a people.

There’s no need to tolerate the viewpoints of the intolerant. Particularly when they would seek to essentially whitewash gays from existence.

God didn’t want any of his creations unmade, by the way.

Because God, unlike the Man that invokes his name, doesn’t make mistakes.