As an Islander fan, you sort of get tired of your team having nothing to play for. You don't want to watch the games. You don't want to read the papers. You just sort of want to shut it down and get ready for baseball season.
This year, though, is a little different. For me, anyway.
I have to say that, despite the awful performance of the Islanders in the second half, I have probably enjoyed this regular season more than any regular season in my life. Sure, part of that has to do with going to 15 Islander games and only paying for six of them, but there's more to it than that. Thanks to the NHL Network and Center Ice, I finally felt like our beloved sport of hockey was a real sport. It no longer bothered me that ESPN stopped caring about hockey because I finally found out that I'm not the only obsessed hockey fan out there. I got to devour hour after hour of games, both old and new. My DVR is currently filled with Vintage Games, Classic Series, and Top 10 Countdowns. I can watch the Islanders at 7 PM and put on the Sharks or Coyotes as I'm winding down. For the first time in a very long time, I feel like I actually know what's going on in the league, not just the New York area.
And that's a good thing. Because this season has been extremely memorable... and I'm not quite ready for it to end. I don't want to see the Islanders' website to turn into constant Central Scouting updates just yet. I'm going to enjoy the hell out of their final six games, and then I'm going to watch as much of the playoffs as I possibly can. Why should I stop caring about hockey just because my team's out of it? I'm a fan of the NHL first; the Islanders come second.
In the end, it doesn't matter what the Islanders do. There's nothing like playoff hockey, and absolutely nothing compares to seeing a team's captain hoist the Stanley Cup for the first time in front of his home fans. The Islanders could finish in last place for the rest of eternity, and I wouldn't stop watching.
Baseball can wait. The real season starts in two weeks.
This year, though, is a little different. For me, anyway.
I have to say that, despite the awful performance of the Islanders in the second half, I have probably enjoyed this regular season more than any regular season in my life. Sure, part of that has to do with going to 15 Islander games and only paying for six of them, but there's more to it than that. Thanks to the NHL Network and Center Ice, I finally felt like our beloved sport of hockey was a real sport. It no longer bothered me that ESPN stopped caring about hockey because I finally found out that I'm not the only obsessed hockey fan out there. I got to devour hour after hour of games, both old and new. My DVR is currently filled with Vintage Games, Classic Series, and Top 10 Countdowns. I can watch the Islanders at 7 PM and put on the Sharks or Coyotes as I'm winding down. For the first time in a very long time, I feel like I actually know what's going on in the league, not just the New York area.
And that's a good thing. Because this season has been extremely memorable... and I'm not quite ready for it to end. I don't want to see the Islanders' website to turn into constant Central Scouting updates just yet. I'm going to enjoy the hell out of their final six games, and then I'm going to watch as much of the playoffs as I possibly can. Why should I stop caring about hockey just because my team's out of it? I'm a fan of the NHL first; the Islanders come second.
In the end, it doesn't matter what the Islanders do. There's nothing like playoff hockey, and absolutely nothing compares to seeing a team's captain hoist the Stanley Cup for the first time in front of his home fans. The Islanders could finish in last place for the rest of eternity, and I wouldn't stop watching.
Baseball can wait. The real season starts in two weeks.
Too bad the games that are on the NHL Network are not on Center Ice. That means that the people who paid $150 for Center Ice now have to pay an additional monthly amount to watch all the games. Talk about a bait and switch and no way to get more people into hockey. Bettman is a greedy jerk.
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I actually got the NHL Network and Center Ice as a package deal... Cablevision gives you the NHL Network free with the purchase of Center Ice for a full season. It's usually part of a sports package that's like $6 extra per month.
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