The return of hockey to the Island after a long layoff was a disaster as Carolina and old friend Peter Laviolette crushed the Isles 8-3, and it wasn't that close. Obviously, the layoff put some rust on the Isles (and seriously, who came up with this ridiculous scheduling?) and they really didn't start showing life until the third period when they peppered John Grahame with shots in the early portion of the period. The problem is that after starting to get some life back in the third, the Isles now have another 4 day layoff before playing Tampa Bay. The less said about the game, the better, although I'm sure Ken will have some more reaction from the carnage later on.
About the only good thing one can say is that with these repeated long layoffs, Bryan Berard will only end up missing about 3 games.
In other hockey news, the Flyers injured yet another player - this time, Boston's Patrice Bergeron suffered a broken nose and concussion after being boarded by Randy Jones. I'd imagine a suspension is on the way (although almost certainly not the 20-25 games the previous 2 Flyers incidents received). Stay classy, Philadelphia.
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
I Wish Someone Would Play
If you've known me for any length of time, you'll know that March and April are my favorite months of the year. I mean, you've got spring training baseball, March Madness, my birthday, NHL teams jockeying for playoff positioning, flowers blooming, robins chirping, etc., etc.
Conversely, if that's 'the most wonderful time of the year,' it stands to reason that we're currently in the worst. We're left with a World Series involving teams I have no particular affinity toward, a just-completed Formula 1 season where the hero choked away his dream (for my overseas fans), and the impending onset of winter's icy grip.
To top it all off, I can't find my Islanders, who normally act like a piping hot mug of cocoa to fend off winter's chill. No, someone decided that they needed to play their games in bunches this season and then have entire weeks of downtime for (presumably) PlayStation 3 gaming.
The thing that irks me is that the Islanders have a bit of early momentum going, too. They currently stand 2nd in the league in power play percentage and 3rd in the league in penalty kill percentage. That's right, I said league. As in NHL. When's the last time we could say that?
So no Islanders, and to top it off the Gophers dropped both games of their weekend fixture with Colorado College. Mr. Okposo recorded a whopping 0 points in either contest.
So that's where we are. No Islanders. No Gophers. No self-respecting Islanders fan would watch the Rangers right now. I guess I'll flip around the dial and look for the Daily Show. Oh, they're currently showing re-runs? I should have guessed.
Conversely, if that's 'the most wonderful time of the year,' it stands to reason that we're currently in the worst. We're left with a World Series involving teams I have no particular affinity toward, a just-completed Formula 1 season where the hero choked away his dream (for my overseas fans), and the impending onset of winter's icy grip.
To top it all off, I can't find my Islanders, who normally act like a piping hot mug of cocoa to fend off winter's chill. No, someone decided that they needed to play their games in bunches this season and then have entire weeks of downtime for (presumably) PlayStation 3 gaming.
The thing that irks me is that the Islanders have a bit of early momentum going, too. They currently stand 2nd in the league in power play percentage and 3rd in the league in penalty kill percentage. That's right, I said league. As in NHL. When's the last time we could say that?
So no Islanders, and to top it off the Gophers dropped both games of their weekend fixture with Colorado College. Mr. Okposo recorded a whopping 0 points in either contest.
So that's where we are. No Islanders. No Gophers. No self-respecting Islanders fan would watch the Rangers right now. I guess I'll flip around the dial and look for the Daily Show. Oh, they're currently showing re-runs? I should have guessed.
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Good Things Come in Threes
The Islanders came into tonight's game versus the Caps in desperate need of a win. After getting blown out in Toronto 8-1 and dropping their next match to Philly, it was their last chance to take something positive away from the road trip.
Lucky for us Isles fans, they did.
With all three metro area teams in action tonight, the search was on for which channel would feature the Long Island squad. Not surprisingly, it was again channel 14 (Cablevision spillover). If this doesn't tell you that the Isles are the red-headed stepchild of NY-area sports, I don't know what does. But I digress.
Up 2-0 (Bergenheim followed by Guerin) after two periods, the Islanders soon faced a real gut-check. Ruslan Fedotenko had a goal disallowed (which I thought Howie Rose and Billy Jaffe made too much out of in the booth) and the Caps soon leveled the scoring at 2. Ovechkin first put a laser past DiPietro; Tomas Fleischmann then chipped one in and the game had turned decidedly against the visitors.
However, this team did not lay down like those in years past might have. Washington's Chris Clark was called for a trip in his offensive zone, and the Isles got their power play unit up and running. Brian Berard gave the Islanders a 3-2 lead that they would only add to. The final was 5-2 when it was all said and done. New captain Bill Guerin netted the first Isles hat trick of the season, the aforementioned Berard contributed 3 points (1G, 2A), and on the night the Islanders struck for three power play goals (on 5 chances).
Chris Campoli ruined the theme by helping out with 4 assists, but other than that we have no complaints. He has been playing great.
Lastly, about those other metro area teams...the Devils were blanked in Philly and the Rangers were stung by a previously winless Atlanta squad. The Isles may not get respect, but for at least tonight the trifecta was complete.
Lucky for us Isles fans, they did.
With all three metro area teams in action tonight, the search was on for which channel would feature the Long Island squad. Not surprisingly, it was again channel 14 (Cablevision spillover). If this doesn't tell you that the Isles are the red-headed stepchild of NY-area sports, I don't know what does. But I digress.
Up 2-0 (Bergenheim followed by Guerin) after two periods, the Islanders soon faced a real gut-check. Ruslan Fedotenko had a goal disallowed (which I thought Howie Rose and Billy Jaffe made too much out of in the booth) and the Caps soon leveled the scoring at 2. Ovechkin first put a laser past DiPietro; Tomas Fleischmann then chipped one in and the game had turned decidedly against the visitors.
However, this team did not lay down like those in years past might have. Washington's Chris Clark was called for a trip in his offensive zone, and the Isles got their power play unit up and running. Brian Berard gave the Islanders a 3-2 lead that they would only add to. The final was 5-2 when it was all said and done. New captain Bill Guerin netted the first Isles hat trick of the season, the aforementioned Berard contributed 3 points (1G, 2A), and on the night the Islanders struck for three power play goals (on 5 chances).
Chris Campoli ruined the theme by helping out with 4 assists, but other than that we have no complaints. He has been playing great.
Lastly, about those other metro area teams...the Devils were blanked in Philly and the Rangers were stung by a previously winless Atlanta squad. The Isles may not get respect, but for at least tonight the trifecta was complete.
Saturday, October 13, 2007
Time to Shine!
University of Minnesota hockey is back!
The Gophers took on Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in the second game of the IceBreaker Invitational last night. It was UM's first game of the season, and was played in front of a heavily partisan crowd at the XCel Energy Center in St. Paul.
The RPI Engineers went up 3-0 with under 5:00 to play in the second, and it wasn't looking good for the Gophers. The Gophers were being outhustled and outplayed, until Kyle decided he had seen enough loafing.
Minnesota netted their first goal of the night at 16:44 of the second period; Okposo assisted on linemate Ryan Stoa's power play goal, and Kyle had his first point of the season.
Blake Wheeler scored for UM 4:32 into the 3rd period to make it 3-2 in favor of RPI, but there was still plenty of time for heroics. Another power play, and another assist for Kyle, this time to Evan Kauffman, and the game was suddenly tied at 3. With over 9 minutes left to play, Minnesota still had time to set up the visitors for the kill. And who better to deliver the death blow than our man, Kyle Okposo?
With 1:11 left in the final period, KO delivered the knockout punch to the Engineers, taking a pass from Jay Barriball and knocking it past goalie Mathias Lange for the winner!
With that, all that was left to do was run the final minute or so off the clock, and the swift and sudden comeback was complete. It was engineered, if you will, by the 3-point effort of Okposo, who of course won first star of the game.
Humble as always, he gave full credit to his teammates. Not a bad opening night, if you ask me. Tomorrow UM plays 9th-ranked Michigan, a decidedly harder mark. Spare us the excitement and go up early on the Wolverines, no?
The Gophers took on Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in the second game of the IceBreaker Invitational last night. It was UM's first game of the season, and was played in front of a heavily partisan crowd at the XCel Energy Center in St. Paul.
The RPI Engineers went up 3-0 with under 5:00 to play in the second, and it wasn't looking good for the Gophers. The Gophers were being outhustled and outplayed, until Kyle decided he had seen enough loafing.
Minnesota netted their first goal of the night at 16:44 of the second period; Okposo assisted on linemate Ryan Stoa's power play goal, and Kyle had his first point of the season.
Blake Wheeler scored for UM 4:32 into the 3rd period to make it 3-2 in favor of RPI, but there was still plenty of time for heroics. Another power play, and another assist for Kyle, this time to Evan Kauffman, and the game was suddenly tied at 3. With over 9 minutes left to play, Minnesota still had time to set up the visitors for the kill. And who better to deliver the death blow than our man, Kyle Okposo?
With 1:11 left in the final period, KO delivered the knockout punch to the Engineers, taking a pass from Jay Barriball and knocking it past goalie Mathias Lange for the winner!
With that, all that was left to do was run the final minute or so off the clock, and the swift and sudden comeback was complete. It was engineered, if you will, by the 3-point effort of Okposo, who of course won first star of the game.
Humble as always, he gave full credit to his teammates. Not a bad opening night, if you ask me. Tomorrow UM plays 9th-ranked Michigan, a decidedly harder mark. Spare us the excitement and go up early on the Wolverines, no?
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Wrapping up the Rangers
T minus one day until Kyle hockey!
A few thoughts on last night's Rangers game. I won't go through the entire game recap; you can surely visit NHL.com, ESPN, or one of my fellow BLOG BOXers for that. In fact, Tom Liodice of The Tiger Track was again liveblogging from the game. Here are a few random thoughts:
- The Isles were outshot 37-30, but they were not outworked. This morning I read that the Isles blocked or deflected an additional 19 shots that never reached DiPietro. Great hustle and dedication. Way to keep them wrapped up, boys!
- There was more fighting in the stands than on the ice. While people anticipated a brawl-filled game, there was barely any of that. Meanwhile, I witnessed at least two dustups in the seats which were quickly snuffed out by Coliseum security. The participants were tossed and missed a great 3rd period. Too bad for them.
- After our postgame debrief session, I lingered a bit to try to get some Islanders photos. Sean Bergenheim was nice enough to stop and let me snap him, but here's the interesting thing. On my way to the exits, I popped back into the arena and another game was being played! The Assassins were taking on the Villains. Who are these guys? Is there a clandestine hockey league playing late-night contests on the sacred Islander ice? If so, how do I get involved?
- Has anyone tried the Nassau Coliseum sushi yet? As a sushiphile myself (Hai, watashi wa Nihongo-ga scoshi wakarimasu), I am a bit wary. If you have tried it and are still living, drop us a line in the comments section.
- Since the Isles are in Toronto tonight, what better time to debut a few of the photos I took at the Hockey Hall of Fame this summer? Enjoy!
The entrance to the Hall of Fame
Dr. Hook and Okposo Island with the Cup
The last time it happened. It's been too long.
Trophies everywhere
Sweater of Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. Bergenheim's team last year, Y****n's this year.
A few thoughts on last night's Rangers game. I won't go through the entire game recap; you can surely visit NHL.com, ESPN, or one of my fellow BLOG BOXers for that. In fact, Tom Liodice of The Tiger Track was again liveblogging from the game. Here are a few random thoughts:
- The Isles were outshot 37-30, but they were not outworked. This morning I read that the Isles blocked or deflected an additional 19 shots that never reached DiPietro. Great hustle and dedication. Way to keep them wrapped up, boys!
- There was more fighting in the stands than on the ice. While people anticipated a brawl-filled game, there was barely any of that. Meanwhile, I witnessed at least two dustups in the seats which were quickly snuffed out by Coliseum security. The participants were tossed and missed a great 3rd period. Too bad for them.
- After our postgame debrief session, I lingered a bit to try to get some Islanders photos. Sean Bergenheim was nice enough to stop and let me snap him, but here's the interesting thing. On my way to the exits, I popped back into the arena and another game was being played! The Assassins were taking on the Villains. Who are these guys? Is there a clandestine hockey league playing late-night contests on the sacred Islander ice? If so, how do I get involved?
- Has anyone tried the Nassau Coliseum sushi yet? As a sushiphile myself (Hai, watashi wa Nihongo-ga scoshi wakarimasu), I am a bit wary. If you have tried it and are still living, drop us a line in the comments section.
- Since the Isles are in Toronto tonight, what better time to debut a few of the photos I took at the Hockey Hall of Fame this summer? Enjoy!
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Strong Win
Now that the Yankees are gone (and words on them can probably take up at least 10 blog posts), it's time to enjoy our New York Islanders. And what perfect timing, as the Isles get a great win against the Rangers -- the "preordained" Atlantic Division champs.
Some quick thoughts from the third period (I imagine Ken will be in later with some thoughts on the full game and reaction from the Coliseum):
-- Strong penalty killing on the Rangers 5 on 3, thought it really took the Rangers out of the game for much of the period.
-- Terrible stoppage by the ref on Guerin's post shot, the puck was obviously still in play.
-- Maybe it was just my TV, but the sound quality made it seem like the Coliseum wasn't as rocking as it normally was for an Isles-Rangers game. I'm sure Ken can provide more details about the crowd, but this was an issue last year with Versus in terms of broadcast quality.
-- While you don't want to necessarily go down 6 on 4 at the end of the game, good penalty by Andy Sutton to help prevent a potential game-tying goal (and it doesn't hurt to have icing waved off for the last 20 seconds).
-- As long as DiPietro plays like this, the Isles will be playoff contenders -- several excellent saves considering the Rangers were starting to apply some serious pressure in the third.
Overall, a good night for the Isles and this team is looking strong (hey, as of this writing, they're in first place by 4 points!). Ken should be back later.
In the meantime, enjoy this link to a fun story about the Philadelphia Flyers. Question: what would Bobby Clarke, Bill Barber and Dave Schultz think about this? PG replies only, please.
Some quick thoughts from the third period (I imagine Ken will be in later with some thoughts on the full game and reaction from the Coliseum):
-- Strong penalty killing on the Rangers 5 on 3, thought it really took the Rangers out of the game for much of the period.
-- Terrible stoppage by the ref on Guerin's post shot, the puck was obviously still in play.
-- Maybe it was just my TV, but the sound quality made it seem like the Coliseum wasn't as rocking as it normally was for an Isles-Rangers game. I'm sure Ken can provide more details about the crowd, but this was an issue last year with Versus in terms of broadcast quality.
-- While you don't want to necessarily go down 6 on 4 at the end of the game, good penalty by Andy Sutton to help prevent a potential game-tying goal (and it doesn't hurt to have icing waved off for the last 20 seconds).
-- As long as DiPietro plays like this, the Isles will be playoff contenders -- several excellent saves considering the Rangers were starting to apply some serious pressure in the third.
Overall, a good night for the Isles and this team is looking strong (hey, as of this writing, they're in first place by 4 points!). Ken should be back later.
In the meantime, enjoy this link to a fun story about the Philadelphia Flyers. Question: what would Bobby Clarke, Bill Barber and Dave Schultz think about this? PG replies only, please.
Monday, October 8, 2007
A Day of Firsts
Hello everyone,
Well, we're just back from Isles vs. Capitals, a holiday afternoon affair. It was certainly a day of firsts; some exciting, some disappointing.
Today we witnessed the Islanders' first loss of the season (2-1). It was the first time that the team looked at times noticeably flat. The first period got off to a great start, and the Isles led 1-0 after 20:00 (Richard Park, 1st of season). However, the team didn't quite have the jump they began with and allowed the Caps to tie the score at 1 about 8 minutes into the 2nd period. The home squad let a golden opportunity slip by when they were awarded a 5 on 3 advantage for a whopping 1:35, but failed to score. One of the telling signs in the period was the Islanders out shooting Washington 16-3 in the frame, but never putting one past Kolzig.
The play picked up decidedly in the final period, when the Isles themselves killed off a 5 on 3, but DiPietro allowed a rebound with just over 12 minutes left to play and Brooks Laich didn't miss his chance.
Continuing the theme, today we heard the first smattering (not a chorus, mind you) of boos directed toward the home squad. Many fans felt that this was a game where the Isles should have come away with at least a point, and failed to do so.
On a strictly personal level, this blog (and the NYI BLOG BOX crew!) had their first-ever story published in a major sports publication. Kudos to Richard Deitsch of Sports Illustrated for shedding some light on this very fun project we're all partaking in. He even worked in a quote from yours truly (Ken Dick) and while it isn't the first time my blogging work has been featured in a sports mag, it is the first for Okposo Net. You can view his piece here.
Today's game also featured Darryl Bootland's first NHL point since 2003, and after the game we got to speak with the Toronto native. He didn't make excuses for the loss after the game, gave full credit to an outstanding opposing goalie (Kolzig), and didn't think that playing 3 games in 4 days (more like 3 1/2 days) had much effect on the team. He assured us that he will have absolutely NO problem getting up for the Rangers on Wednesday night, and we're hoping to see him scrap it up a bit against the hated Blueshirts.
As a reminder, we're also eagerly awaiting the return of University of Minnesota hockey on Friday (10/12) night, which means the return of fresh news on the play of Kyle Okposo!
Until then, thanks for reading.
Well, we're just back from Isles vs. Capitals, a holiday afternoon affair. It was certainly a day of firsts; some exciting, some disappointing.
Today we witnessed the Islanders' first loss of the season (2-1). It was the first time that the team looked at times noticeably flat. The first period got off to a great start, and the Isles led 1-0 after 20:00 (Richard Park, 1st of season). However, the team didn't quite have the jump they began with and allowed the Caps to tie the score at 1 about 8 minutes into the 2nd period. The home squad let a golden opportunity slip by when they were awarded a 5 on 3 advantage for a whopping 1:35, but failed to score. One of the telling signs in the period was the Islanders out shooting Washington 16-3 in the frame, but never putting one past Kolzig.
The play picked up decidedly in the final period, when the Isles themselves killed off a 5 on 3, but DiPietro allowed a rebound with just over 12 minutes left to play and Brooks Laich didn't miss his chance.
Continuing the theme, today we heard the first smattering (not a chorus, mind you) of boos directed toward the home squad. Many fans felt that this was a game where the Isles should have come away with at least a point, and failed to do so.
On a strictly personal level, this blog (and the NYI BLOG BOX crew!) had their first-ever story published in a major sports publication. Kudos to Richard Deitsch of Sports Illustrated for shedding some light on this very fun project we're all partaking in. He even worked in a quote from yours truly (Ken Dick) and while it isn't the first time my blogging work has been featured in a sports mag, it is the first for Okposo Net. You can view his piece here.
Today's game also featured Darryl Bootland's first NHL point since 2003, and after the game we got to speak with the Toronto native. He didn't make excuses for the loss after the game, gave full credit to an outstanding opposing goalie (Kolzig), and didn't think that playing 3 games in 4 days (more like 3 1/2 days) had much effect on the team. He assured us that he will have absolutely NO problem getting up for the Rangers on Wednesday night, and we're hoping to see him scrap it up a bit against the hated Blueshirts.
As a reminder, we're also eagerly awaiting the return of University of Minnesota hockey on Friday (10/12) night, which means the return of fresh news on the play of Kyle Okposo!
Until then, thanks for reading.
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