Game 1: Devils 2, Islanders 1

A little late, but some thoughts on attending Opening Night:
 - Judging from the scene in the parking lot, it was as though hockey never left. I was in attendance at the last Opening Night, and even though it was much colder on this night, it was a similar scene. Lots of socialization and camaraderie among Islanders fans, which was great to see.
 - We intended to hit Champions for a pre-game dinner, but because of a long wait it didn't happen. Instead, we ended up joining some friends for a tailgate. We were quickly recruited for a game of flip cup, which was a lot of fun. Even though I barely knew anybody, I felt I was among friends.
 - Not sure how it came across on TV, but after the first stoppage everybody sort of stood up and applauded. Indeed, being at the game helped to sate the negative feelings of the lockout. It's like if your girlfriend does something to get you upset - you're much better off confronting the issue than staying at home and letting it fester. Being among fans really helped me to move on, and I'm sure many fans in attendance felt the same way.
 - The roar after the Hamonic goal was deafening. I hadn't heard the Coliseum so loud since the 2002 playoffs. Say what you want about the Coliseum, but I assure you that you won't hear that kind of roar in Brooklyn in two years.
 - Even though the Islanders lost, I still had a great time. I'm truly glad I got to attend and spend Opening Night with so many other diehard fans. I'll let other pundits critique the Isles' play - I'm just glad they're back.

Opening Night

In about an hour and half, I'll be leaving to go to Opening Night at Nassau Coliseum. I'm about as nervous for a game as I can ever recall being.

Why? Quite simply, I have very mixed feelings about hockey this year. While it's foolish to deprive myself of the enjoyment of the game I love, going back to the game right away convinces the NHL that I'm not mad about the lockout. It seems as though everybody is awash with glee because the NHL decided to return, but I'm still pissed that we lost half a season for absolutely no reason.

The public reaction seems to be what everyone suspected - pretty much no ramifications for the league and its players. Which is exactly why we'll be in this situation again eight years from now, just like we were eight years ago.

Hockey fans are extremely loyal people. We put up with endless insults from people who think "hockey is stupid" because they only like what ESPN tells them to like. We watch the NHL Network, even though many cable services only offer it as a premium channel. We visit Canadian websites and rely heavily on social media for our hockey fix, largely because the mainstream media in America doesn't consider hockey to be worth its time. To have all of that thrown in our faces is a little tough for me to swallow.

And yet... I'm going tonight. Willingly.

Is it easier to go when I'm offered a ticket from a friend as opposed to giving my money directly to the Islanders? Absolutely. But I'm swallowing my pride and embracing the NHL, and the Islanders, as they return from the dumbest, most unnecessary work stoppage in sports history.

Why? One simple reason. There are 106 Islanders home games left at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Yes, the move to Brooklyn will be wonderful for many reasons, but there will be no more parking lot tailgates, no more driving 15 minutes to get to the game, no more post-game dinners at Hooters. If I let the bureaucrats who wrought this lockout win, I deprive myself of all of these great things. And that would be a far greater tragedy than forcing myself to stay away out of principle.

Yeah, I'm still bitter. But I know I'll have a great time tonight, and I know I'll enjoy the hell out of this season. Maybe losing the NHL for half a season will help me to appreciate what little time we have left with the Islanders in their current form.

Rex Ryan and Paradigm Shifts

Word from the Islanders is that Rex Ryan will be dropping the puck at tomorrow night's opening faceoff. A great move, to be sure - the Jets are red-hot, and Ryan is arguably the most popular coach in New York right now. As a Jets fan, I love it. But I can't help but feel like there's more to this story than meets the eye.

Most people confuse Rex Ryan's bluster as sheer arrogance, but that's not entirely the case. He talks a lot, but with a very specific goal - to change the culture of his team. Being a Jets fan has always meant failure, being let down at the worst possible moment and never winning the big game. Rex Ryan was smart enough to realize the team's - and the fans' - entire outlook had to change. When he said he wasn't here to kiss Bill Belichick's rings, it wasn't a shot at a rival team. It was a clear message to the players and fans that the Jets should view themselves as the Patriots' equals. When he unveiled his playoff itinerary that went all the way up to the Jets' eventual visit to the White House, he wanted everyone to believe the Jets had a legitimate shot at winning the Super Bowl. He encouraged fans and players alike to visualize the ultimate outcome in their minds and consider it a distinct possibility.

To say Rex Ryan's methods have worked is a gross understatement. When I watched the Jets play the Colts in the AFC Championship Game in January, I truly believed the Jets could and would win. The possibility of losing didn't even enter my thoughts. That was NEVER the case before. In years prior, I kept my guard up, knowing the Jets would eventually snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. But no more. Today, the Jets are considered a winning organization; the stigma of countless losing seasons and crushing defeats is virtually non-existent.

So, then, is it a coincidence that Rex Ryan is dropping the puck on Opening Night? Not in the least. He turned the Jets fanbase from hapless lamenters into rabid fans who believe their team should win each week. This is exactly the kind of paradigm shift the Islanders desperately need. True, it won't happen just by having a local coach drop a puck before a game. But Rex Ryan has proven that it can be done, and don't think for a second he won't address the Islanders and tell them they can change their organization as well.

Tomorrow night, as the puck is dropped, each player, coach and fan should look at Rex Ryan tomorrow night and say to themselves, "Hey, we can turn this thing around." After all, it took Rex Ryan just a year and a half to transform the Jets in his image. Who's to say the Islanders can't do the same thing?

An Almost "Notes From the Garden"...

I would've done "Notes from the Garden" last night, but I got home late and passed out nearly immediately. I drank what turned out to be way too much, so some of the night is a blur. I don't normally do that at games, but hey, it was the home opener.

However, I would now like to reproduce the team introductions...

"Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome your 2009-2010 New York Rangers!"

That's it? Really? No individual introductions of Marian Gaborik, Vinny Prospal, Brian Boyle, Enver Lisin, or Ales Kotalik? You know newcomers Mike Del Zotto, Chris Higgins, and Matt Gilroy would've gotten huge ovations. And didn't Ryan Callahan deserve a moment in the spotlight after being named sole Alternate Captain?

One might assume they didn't do it to save time, but I think that's garbage. They do it every other year - even if the home opener isn't the 1st game of the season - and the crowd loves it.

Maybe it's because they know Wade Redden, Michal Rozsival, and Donald Brashear would get booed? Maybe John Tortorella chose to not do individual introductions based on his own reasoning.

I would have much rathered gotten to cheer Gaborik skating onto Garden ice for the 1st time in the regular season than to see some painted men bang drums for 2 minutes to advertise themselves. And where was George Bluth?

They really dropped the ball on that one. The Home Opener is normally a great night, but last night it seemed like just another game in October.

Rangers Lose...

The Rangers did something today they haven't done since before the lockout - they lost their season opener.

Of course, the difference between this year and the past 4 years is the quality of the opponent they played. Since the lockout, they haven't played any teams that made the playoffs that season for their first game. They beat, in order, Philadelphia, Washington, Florida, and Tampa Bay. This year, not only did they have a team that will make the playoffs, they faced a team that won the Stanley Cup.

So, how have those teams who played the defending Stanley Cup Champions done when they got to see the banner raised?

Last year, defending champions Detroit played Toronto on the night they raised the banner, who missed the playoffs for the 4th straight year.

In 2007, defending champions Anaheim played Boston when they raised the banner (they played their first 2 games vs. LA in Europe, then went on a road trip, then played Boston in their home opener). Boston snuck into the playoffs but lost to Montreal in the first round.

In 2006, Carolina played Buffalo in their home opener when they celebrated winning the Stanley Cup. Buffalo had a fantastic start, a great year, and lost to Ottawa in Game 5 overtime to be eliminated from the playoffs in '07.

In 2005, Tampa Bay had a delayed celebration at home against Carolina. Carolina had a dream season and won the Stanley Cup.

In 2003, New Jersey played Toronto. Toronto wound up losing to Philadelphia in the 2nd round (the Flyers were very good in those playoffs, and the only reason they didn't go on to the Finals that year is because Keith Primeau couldn't play every shift and Brad Richards played the game of his life in Game 7).

In 2002, the Red Wings played Montreal, who missed the playoffs and ended up 5 games under .500.

Which will the Rangers be more like? Will they be #1 in the league like Buffalo and run out of steam in the Conference Finals? Will they miss the playoffs like last season's Toronto and Montreal of '02? Will they win the Cup like Carolina did in '06? Probably not any of those scenarios. They'll probably go hot, go cold, and then fight for a playoff spot in mid-March. They'll clinch in early-April, and then have a 2nd round exit like Toronto in '03.

Of course, I'm hoping it's different. But I'm also realistic.

I could be wrong. John Tortorella's system could be good. Marian Gaborik looked very good vs. Pittsburgh in Game #1, and he might score 45 goals. Brandon Dubinsky even looked good last night. Plus, the defensive pairings I wanted were put on the ice tonight (Staal/Girardi; Redden/Gilroy; Rozsival/Del Zotto).

I'm not going to dissect last night's game. You probably saw it. Sure, there's a lot I can talk about - poor officiating; an excessive amount of odd-man rushes on Henrik Lundqvist; Mike Del Zotto being in the right spot twice but not being able to get good wood on the puck; Wade Redden's $6.5M body check on Evgeni Malkin; Redden being near the net and playing physical until he sucked the last 6 minutes of the game; Marc-Andre Fleury's game-breaking save on Vinny Prospal. But it's a long season.

And with 5 more games against Pittsburgh, expect plenty of confusion about phantom penalties called in favor of the Penguins. (I say "in favor of the Penguins" instead of "against the Rangers" because for years, this site has been saying that the NHL doesn't have a bias against any one team, but they do have a bias for Pittsburgh.)

It was an exciting game. They had some good chances. Gaborik can be incredible. Ales Kotalik and Prospal played good. Sean Avery can help a lot and hopefully will soon. But there were way too many odd-man rushes against Hank is too many. He is a great goalie, but he shouldn't have to be the hero every game. And what are you going to do when he isn't playing that game?

I'm also disappointed Alexei Semenov didn't sign with the Rangers. Having a 7th d-man is a luxury they haven't had in a while. Jason Strudwick was good in the locker room a few years back, but he wasn't a great player. Last year, no d-man was help accountable because there was never a threat of benching one player. A veteran 7th man would mean a struggling player could take a seat, or a rookie with nerves could watch a game from up high one night to get his bearings back.

Anyway, it's a long season. It's been nice to start the season with 2 points every year, but there are 81 games left.

The Islanders' Dilemma

Yesterday, individual game tickets for the New York Islanders went on sale.

Did you get any? Did you even know they were going on sale? Do you even care?

If you're at this blog, odds are at least 50-50 that you care. You might have gotten tickets yesterday, or you might have gotten a package. Or you might have heard and chosen not to go, instead opting for the bevy of freebies that are sure to fall into your lap as the season progresses.

If you did know about the ticket sale, odds are good that you found out about it from the Islanders' official website. Because the only other way you'd know is if you frequent Newsday.com or, of course, actually read the paper. Either way, the Islanders have advertised fairly extensively through Newsday, as they should; Newsday is the only paper that sends a beat writer on the road and generally gives the Islanders the time of day. Newsday does a pretty good job with the Islanders, and they do an even better job when the alternatives are considered.

However, Newsday didn't mention a word about yesterday's event at the Coliseum. It's not because they're not talking about the Islanders. There have been a couple of articles about Scott Gordon and his transition into his new role as head coach. But nothing about ticket sales. Why? Because it's not newsworthy.

That's right. Ticket sales for your New York Islanders don't qualify as news.

Surprised? Don't be. This is a team that finished in the lottery last year and has only regressed since then. Sure, there's a bright future ahead for the Islanders, one that we might even get glimpses of this year. But this team is a tough sell to people that actually like the Islanders, let alone casual sports fans who are ambivalent about the Islanders.

Some people would say not to be alarmed by this; after all, the Islanders are rebuilding, and part of that includes rebuilding the fanbase. But this is a source of concern. And if you don't believe me, here's proof.

On Tuesday morning, I contemplated calling in sick, as I do each and every day. And as I do each and every day, I reported to work. When I got to work, I received an e-mail advertising a company discount for Islanders Opening Night tickets of up to 50% off face value.

Re-read that last sentence.

It has been said that the only guaranteed sellouts for the Islanders in any given year are the Ranger games and Opening Night. And yet, I have the Islanders offering me 50% off tickets for Opening F'ing Night.

If you were Charles Wang, Chris Dey, or whoever's in charge of ticket sales, what would you rather do - discount tickets and look desperate, or charge full price and face the chance of an Opening Night crowd of 13,000? Tough call, indeed. Either way, you lose. And either way, Islander fans look like they don't care, which isn't necessarily true. But in cases like these, there's a trade-off. You either draw the big house with minor-league promotions, like last year, or you play in front of an empty house while pretending everything's okay, like the Islanders did so often during the late 90s.

Sad to say, but this is going to get worse before it gets better. Until the Islanders have a team that doesn't have to claw and scrape just for the 8th seed - and this at least two years away - fans aren't going to turn out in droves. And that has nothing to do with the crumbling state of the Coliseum, injuries, or any of the other excuses people conveniently bring up when defending this team.

Look, I'll be there as often as I can this year. A lot of other fans out there can say the same. And the Islanders will still sell out for holiday day games and Ranger games. But the key to consistently filling up any building is bringing in casual fans who aren't obsessed with hockey like we all are. That's where the Islanders are going to struggle. They're not the Rangers, who have loyalty from fans and corporations alike. The Islanders sell to blue-collar fans from Long Island, and as much as they've tried to make their seats affordable, people just aren't going to be motivated to turn out if the on-ice product is lacking.