My Favorite Islanders Games Of The Decade

I'm going to the Islanders game tomorrow night. Not only is it my first game of the year, but it's the last home game the Islanders will play in this decade. It hasn't been the best decade in terms of wins and on-ice success, but I've had a ball attending games over the past ten years. Here are the games I've attended that stand out in my mind. It's crazy... the first of these games took place during my freshman year of college. Ten years later, I'm out of school, I've gotten a "real job", I've gotten married and have fathered two kids. And through it all, the Islanders have been solidly mediocre. (Zing!)

Without further adieu, here's the list, broken down by season.

1999-00

- 2.12.00 - Islanders 5, Penguins 1. This was the unquestioned highlight of yet another craptastic year by the Islanders. It drew an unusually large crowd because the game was the host of a protest against SMG, but I didn't really care about that back then. Instead, I cared because it was a game and it was part of my Valentine's Day date with my then-girlfriend Leslie. This was before I realized that you're not supposed to take a girl to a hockey game for Valentine's Day. Either way, it worked; she now has season tickets and her own Islanders blog. Anyway, this game came at a point in time where I was starting to get very interested in hockey again after a few years where the losing drove me away a little bit. That they blew out the dominant Penguins was huge and quite unexpected.

2000-01

- 1.2.01 - Canadiens 3, Islanders 0. There are three things I remember about this game. First, we went with some sort of church youth group and got really good seats. Second, the people we went with thought Zdeno Chara was hilarious and awful and mocked him constantly. Of course, he was hilarious and awful back then. Third, and most importantly, Canadiens goalie Jose Theodore sealed this one by shooting a puck into the empty net that was on our side of the ice. At the time, I was pretty distraught. Then, I realized that only like five goalies have ever scored goals, and I came to realize the significance of the achievement.

Honorable Mention: 11.24.00, Rangers 4, Islanders 3 (first Isles-Rangers game)

2001-02

- 10.13.01 - Red Wings 5, Islanders 4. The score sheet will show that the Islanders blew a lead with under ten seconds left, then lost the game in overtime. But this was the night when the culture at Nassau Coliseum really began to change. Charles Wang came out for the home opener ceremonies and referred to the "first-place Islanders" to a huge ovation. It was also the home debut for both Alexei Yashin and Chris Osgood (Michael Peca was injured). Yes, the Islanders lost the game, but it was a huge sign of things to come.

- 10.20.01 - Islanders 2, Sharks 2. I was named after Bryan Trottier, so when tickets went on sale for the retirement of #19, I was all over it. Not only was Trottier my namesake, but #19 was my number in soccer and hockey. I asked my dad to go, but he turned me down, so I took my (then-girlfriend, but future) wife. The Wednesday before this game, my dad died suddenly, and the funeral was scheduled for the morning of this game, which had a 1 PM start time. I wasn't sure what was the norm for this situation, so I went straight from the funeral to the game. Within two or three hours of each other, I saw my dad laid to rest and then saw the name and number he gave me raised to the Coliseum rafters. It was only years later that I saw the symbolism in all this, and even now I don't totally know what it's supposed to represent, but it's quite eerie.

- 4.28.02 - Islanders 5, Maple Leafs 3. It's impossible to convey the emotion of this game, and this series in general, to someone who didn't experience it. But I'll put it this way. Zach, your Rangers blogger who HATES the Islanders, was at this game... and CHEERED for the Islanders. That's how intense it got. It was the game after Gary Roberts and Darcy Tucker injured Kenny Jonsson and Michael Peca respectively, so the crowd was at a fever pitch. And everyone remembers the fights at the end of the game, but that wasn't even the loudest moment of the night. Before the game, they played a highlight package to "Going the Distance" from the Rocky soundtrack. After the montage, the screen went black and displayed the following... "Let's win this one... for Michael and Kenny." The place went ballistic. I was at Shea Stadium for Endy Chavez's catch in the 2006 playoffs, and the raucous scene after that catch didn't even compare to the Coliseum at that moment. Sure, it's a bit sad that the sporting highlight of my lifetime so far was a non-deciding game of a first-round series the Islanders didn't even win. But there was something so special about that series. Just thinking about it gives me goosebumps.

Honorable Mention: 10.28.02 - Islanders 3, Stars 2 (Peca scores on a breakaway in OT to win the game)

2002-03

No games

2003-04

Honorable Mention: 4.12.04 - Lightning 3, Islanders 0 (First Coliseum tailgate)

2004-05

No games :-(

2005-06

- 2.2.06 - Rangers 5, Islanders 2. This was the first game I attended after the lockout; it was also the first game I attended with Zach. More importantly than these events, though, it was the night I had my first ever pretzel twist. Clearly, it would not be the last. The other thing I remember about this night was being harassed and cursed at for wearing an Islanders jersey, even though the Islanders were the home team.

2006-07

Honorable Mention: 3.8.07 - Rangers 2, Islanders 1 (Simon-Hollweg incident, controversial no-goal call in final minute)

2007-08

- 10.6.07 - Islanders 3, Rangers 2. This game was our first experience with parking lot hockey. Unfortunately, we didn't know enough to bring tennis ball instead of the hard plastic Mylec balls, so we dented a few cars. Sorry. Adding to the pre-game fun was Zach showing up with at least twenty 24-ounce beers for pre-game festivities. The game itself was great, as I attended the game with three Rangers fans and I was able to talk trash to them all night long. Lastly, after the game ended, we went back to our friend Lou's house and played some midnight hockey. Despite being extremely hammered, I managed to score five goals, then threw up immediately after the fifth goal. Good times.

- 11.6.07 - Islanders 3, Rangers 2. The third period of this game was probably the best period of hockey I've ever seen live. The Isles were down 2-1 in the third, but tied it up and later scored to win the game. I still recall Miroslav Satan playing the point late in the third and just having a great feeling about what was coming next. Sure enough, it played out exactly the way my mind had scripted it. I yelled "NOW!", and at that exact second, Satan pinched in from the point, got a pass in the slot and fired it past Henrik Lundqvist for the game-winning goal. This game was on Versus and I was furious that my DVR ran out of space before the amazing third period. I would have saved it forever.

- 12.13.07 - Islanders 3, Coyotes 2. I'd gone to games before with Zach, but this was the first (and, so far, only) time we've gone to a game by ourselves. As cheesy as it sounds, it was a great night of in-depth hockey talk between two people who are a little too into the game - as it turned out, we started this blog two months later. The Coliseum was empty that night due to a bad ice storm, so we had our run of the place and moved all over the arena. We both wore our Gretzky jerseys in the hopes of meeting The Great One after the game. The Coyotes bus didn't stop for us, but he did give us a smile and a wave. That's more than I can say for Jon Sim, who got out of his car to sign autographs... only nobody actually wanted him to sign anything. Ouch.

- 3.21.08 - Islanders 3, Devils 1. This was my first time seeing the Islanders on the road. Rooting for your team at a road game is a totally unique experience. It was a blast. It helped that there were tons of Islanders fans there that night, even though the Isles were nowhere near playoff contention. The trip was also a tremendous eye-opening opportunity to see what a state-of-the-art arena could be like. I couldn't believe how gorgeous the Prudential Center was, and I couldn't help but think about how great the Lighthouse would look. In the end, it was Kyle Okposo's first career goal - the game winner on that night - that would be my best memory of this evening.

2008-09

- 11.26.08 - Penguins 5, Islanders 3. The Islanders blew this game in true 2008-09 fashion by choking away a three-goal lead, just like I knew they would. But this game is memorable because I got to watch it from the lofty perch of the Blog Box. As a result, not only did I get free admission and free parking, but I also got to rub noses with guys like Stan Fischler and Chris Botta. Best of all, I got to enter the Islanders locker room. For a kid who always dreamed of playing for the Islanders, this was beyond cool. I'm not sure if it could get any better than that.

Weak Night at the Coliseum...

The Rangers played tonight like they played all of last season - tentative, over-thinking hockey. While they had over 30 shots, most of them were bad-angle shots like Chris Drury, Markus Naslund, and Scott Gomez did over 89 games last season.

While I'm all for getting the puck to the net to see what happens (you never know how it will get deflected or where the rebound will land), these soft shots from the boards at awful angles are going to be scooped up by the goalie or easily cleared by a defender.

Nearly everyone tonight passed up shots, most notably Michal Rozsival and yes, Michael Del Zotto. Get the puck to the net! See what happens!

Marc Staal and Dan Girardi played well tonight, regardless of their accountability on the 2nd goal. They were physical and cleared the crease for Henrik Lunqvist a bunch of times. Staal hits nearly everybody who gets near Lundqvist, and Girardi has started to protect him after the whistle, getting between him and an opposition forward who is still skating towards Hank.

Lundqvist had a good game tonight, and for the Rangers to be competitive, he had to have had a good one. Without Marian Gaborik out there, the Rangers often looked lost. With Gaborik, it would've been a whole different story. That 0-for-3 on the power play probably would have changed, and there were a lot of times where you could tell Vinny Prospal needed him out there but had Enver Lisin or P.A. Parenteau on his wing instead. Not that they are bad players - not at all. But there is a world of difference between them and Gaborik, and that was evident in the 3-1 final tonight. (This is not meant as disrespect to Lisin or Parenteau; in fact, Parenteau had a very good game, especially for an NHL debut, and I would love to see him on the ice instead of Voros or Brashear in every single game not against the Flyers, Ducks, or Maple Leafs this season.)

Just look at who replaced Gaborik on the power play to see why they didn't score on it. Rozsival played the point for an entire 2-minute power play in the 2nd period, and he was just as ineffectual as last year during those 2 minutes.

* * *

You can fault Madison Square Garden all you want for being expensive, but a 22 ounce beer there is $9, and that comes in a mug you can keep and with a pretzel. A 16 ounce plastic Bud Light at the Coliseum? $8.50. That's crazy! I know you have to fund Rick DiPietro's salary somehow or another, but that's ridiculous. I'll stick with my overpriced, oversyruped Diet Coke.

Even my pretzel twist was poor tonight. It tasted like hot, salty dough. And the gridlock in those narrow Coliseum hallways must be what Hempstead Turnpike and the Meadowbrook Parkway are going to be if the Lighthouse ever gets built.

A Few Notes on an Off Day...

First off, I would like to thank longtime loyal NY Hockey Rivalry reader Lou for the seat upgrade at Monday's game against the Sharks. Thanks to Lou, who had two extra tickets, me and my friend moved up to Section 94 - the purple seats in the lower bowl, 10 rows from the ice. Lou deftly knocked off a 22 ounce Heineken, a footlong hot dog with kraut, and a pretzel with mustard. Yours truly had his own 22 ounce Amstel Light, a pretzel, and popcorn. Pretzel was tasty (though not Nassau Coliseum-esque). Popcorn was not very good. Actually, of the 4 words on the box of popcorn, only one was true: Fresh Popcorn, Delicious! Crisp!

Second, I want to mention that Cory Murphy was placed on waivers by the New Jersey Devils. A few times in the past, I'd mentioned that I wanted to see Murphy in a Rangers sweater. While it's not a pressing manner, I still think he'd be worth a shot as a 7th defenseman. He is 31, played college in New York (Colgate) and pro in Finland before coming to America in his late 20s. He can lead the power play pretty well but was never given the chance in Florida or Tampa Bay, and the Devils apparently gave up on him after being a -1 in 3 games.

Third, I am making my glorious return to Montreal in early 2010. In February of 2008, right before this website started, I went to a Rangers game at the Bell Centre. It was actually Super Bowl Sunday, the day the Giants beat the Patriots, and it was the only NHL game on the docket. The Rangers were down 3-0 but wound up winning 5-3 in an incredible game.

So this year, I return. January 23. Anyone else going to be there?

Sabres 6, Islanders 3

Another game, another loss for the Islanders. That's five straight losses to open the season, in case you lost count. Personally, I don't care about the wins and losses; this season is about improvement and developing young players, and these things don't always show up on the stat sheet. Far more significant than the end result is how the team played on the way to that result. Tonight... um... they didn't play that well. Here's what I saw tonight...

- As the puck dropped tonight, I thought about how strange it was that the Islanders completely changed their goaltending. It's not common for teams to get rid of both of their goalies, but the Isles did just that. Most of us were glad to see this. However, Dwayne Roloson's five-hole is giving me nightmares of the Ron Hextall era. Please let Martin Biron start tomorrow night.

- Speaking of roster moves, Rob Schremp should find himself in the Tambellini position tomorrow night, as he had a rather Tamby-esque game tonight. Here's hoping Schremp finds the pretzel twists as delicious as Zach and I do. I also hope Tambellini can make the most of his opportunity, assuming it does come his way tomorrow.

- Mark Streit is usually pretty reliable on the defensive end, but he got caught napping twice in the offensive zone tonight. One of those times led to the penalty shot that put the Sabres up 2-0. What happens if the Sabres don't score that goal? Who knows? But these mistakes don't make losses easier to stomach.

- Tim Jackman and Joel Rechlicz played 10:46 tonight. That's 10:46 COMBINED. Even with their totals added together, that's less than any individual Islanders player, just edging Josh Bailey. This brings up two points. First, why waste roster spots with guys who barely play; furthermore, why play guys who can't, you know, play? Second, it's not very smart to totally stunt Josh Bailey's development as a player by teaming him with stiffs like Jackman. Josh Bailey is a playmaker. Tim Jackman has seven goals in 142 NHL games.

- If I were Scott Gordon, I'd take every young player the organization is trying to build around and give those players serious minutes on the penalty kill. Letting up power play goals doesn't matter in a lost season (yes, the season is five games old, but we all know the Isles aren't going anywhere), but it can pay dividends down the line. John Tavares played 56 shorthanded seconds tonight; let's see that number go up. And for the record, Gordon does a great job of spreading out his minutes, but it'd be great to see him essentially force players to learn the defensive side of the game as they develop.

- Speaking of Tavares, every single time he touches the puck in the offensive zone, he's liable to create something. He managed to score a goal tonight, but of more interest to me were the two open nets he missed and the countless times he stickhandled out of trouble. Every time he touches the puck, I'm amazed. His hockey sense is uncanny and can literally make something out of nothing; given the lack of quality NHL players on this roster, often times, he'll have to do just that. What a tremendous player, and what a treat it is to watch him play.

- My last note for tonight - why, oh why, must the Islanders constantly be relegated to the dregs of MSG Plus 2? They played on Channel 414 tonight and they will be there again tomorrow, despite being at home and despite the Rangers being on the road. I understand the Islanders' ratings do not compare well to those of the Rangers and the Devils, but if the Islanders are at home, they really should be shown in high definition. It's a bit depressing to look for the Islanders game on TV and see that they can't even crack the double digits on the dial. This only helps perpetuate the image that the Islanders are a second-class organization, which surely doesn't help the Islanders as they attempt to rebuild all the facets of their team.

Busy night tomorrow. My predictions: The Rangers win 4-2 over the Maple Leafs, while the Isles lose 5-3 to the Sharks.

Happy Certainty Day!

Finally, we're here. October 3. Opening Day... and Charles Wang's "certainty" deadline.

It comes as no surprise that Wang's deadline was not met by the Town of Hempstead. Bad news, sure, but not at all unexpected, and that's good. Because this should not be a sad day for Islanders fans.

Instead, it should be a celebration. Tonight should be a celebration of what we still have. We get to watch this team play instead of worry about the future. We get to spend the night in Nassau Coliseum; warts and all, it's one of the few remaining arenas with a real home-ice advantage when the crowd's involved. We get to reacquaint ourselves with pretzel twists, easily the greatest arena food available anywhere. Most importantly, we get to welcome John Tavares to Long Island.

On many occasions, I've tried to put into to words what John Tavares means to the Islanders and their fans. I've failed each time. You never want to give a player the dreaded "savior" label, and it's not fair to give it to Tavares. However, it's okay to admit that Tavares is a bigger deal than just about anybody the Islanders have brought in since Pat LaFontaine. He's the kind of player the Islanders would never have a prayer of signing as a free agent and the kind of player they'd never be able to trade for, and yet John Tavares begins his NHL career as a New York Islander. Even better, he's a very willing and happy New York Islander.

It's a night to forget all the Lighthouse stuff. It's a night to cheer and to finally be proud of the Islanders. That's something no politician can take away.

Islanders Game Operations Survey

I'd apologize for the lack of updates lately if there was anything going on that was actually worth reporting. Sadly, that isn't the case. We're doing what we can, but we won't resort to filler. Thankfully, the Islanders sent me (and everyone else on their mailing list) a survey about their game operations. It's not news, but it's something.

Now, I could just fill this out and send it in. But that's no fun. Besides, these things are actually fairly serious issues to me. If I'm going to pay for tickets to ten Islanders games and watch them lose each time, the least they could do is provide a solid environment to watch a hockey game. They're pretty hit-or-miss in that area. With that in mind, below are my results to this survey. I'm sure it will accomplish very little, but it's worth a try.

***

All questions are of the "1-to-5, 1 being very dissatisfied, 5 being very satisfied" variety.

1. The music played at Islanders games, such as warm-up music, songs on whistles, audio prompts, and pump-up songs:

- Dissatisfied. Holy crap. Have the Islanders introduced even one new song over the last five years? I'm not counting emo, either. Listen to the PA during a Penguins home game. You hear Metallica, Megadeth and Slayer. Old, sure, but it's got an edge to it and it's appropriate for an edgy game. Meanwhile, the selections at the Coliseum are as generic as they come. If you want fans to be excited about the upcoming play, you need to help them keep their energy level intact.

2. The quality and frequency of the live organ:

- Neutral. It's a nice touch. I kind of like the National Anthem with the organ and no singer. But if I never hear the Family Guy theme on the Coliseum organ again, it'll be too soon.

8. The usage and frequency of noise meters, noise prompts, and the general atmosphere at Islanders games:

- Very Dissatisfied. The noise meter is annoying enough. Hearing it five times a game is unbearable.

9. The exposure of the NHL out-of-town scores and the NHL highlights shown pre-game and during both intermissions on the video board:

- Dissatisfied. This is one very untapped area at Islanders games. How about some highlights from other games during intermissions?

10. The intermission on-ice games, such as the Human Puck Shoot, Nathan's Hot Dog Race, and the American Airlines' Fly Away game:

- Very Satisfied. I can't wait to do the Human Puck Shoot with my daughter one day.

12. The in-game texting features, such as text-2-screen, pix-2-screen, and the second intermission song poll:

- Satisfied. Mindless fun is always good. Though it'd be nice if they showed texts with more substance than "what up. hollaaaaa".

14. The overall Islanders game entertainment experience:

- Satisfied. Everyone's going to nitpick when the team is losing. But the Islanders do provide something for everybody and that should be commended. As the team rebuilds and forms a new identity, I would like to see the Islanders game entertainment experience change to fit the team's identity. From the music played between whistles to the videos played on the scoreboard, the presentation should fit the Islanders.

***

At the bottom of the survey, there was an area for miscellaneous comments. Of course, I used that space to gush about the Coliseum pretzel twists and suggest the Islanders hold an "All You Can Eat" night.

Surveys like these might not accomplish very much, but they probably do more than give us the impression that the Islanders care what we think. We're an important part of this rebuild; the least the Islanders could do is cater to our suggestions while shelling out considerable cash to watch a mediocre (at best) team. It's not just about hearing Slayer between faceoffs, it's about helping our team become better in every way. A better game experience gives the Islanders more of a home ice advantage, which results in more wins.

We'll see how these surveys end up influencing the Islanders game operations in 2009-10. But I have a feeling I shouldn't wait up on "All You Can Eat" night.

Coming Up...

I find it very amusing that 40 minutes from now, Islanders writer Bryan, will be either celebrating with thousands of other fans - by the way, apparently the way to sell out an Islanders game is to give away free tickets - or drowning his sorrows in pretzel twists.

Contrary to popular belief, I am not rooting against the Islanders picking John Tavares. I am hoping they do, and I'm hoping that all the "will they/won't they" about Victor Hedman and Matt Duchene will go the way of the Mats Sundin to NY stories (as well as the Michael Peca and Dave Scatchard to the Rangers rumors).

No matter who they pick, they'll be getting a great player. Hedman is a beast and very well could be their #2 guy behind Mark Streit tomorrow, and Duchene could be a nice compliment to Kyle Okposo and Josh Bailey. However, Tavares is the real deal, and I've been saying for 2 years now that I think he'll be better than Sidney Crosby.

Enjoy the show.

P.S.: Hey, you think Olli Jokinen will be moved again? I think he has been traded 3 times on draft day: from LA to the Islanders; from the Islanders to Florida; and from Florida to Phoenix.

Playoff Hockey On Long Island

OK, maybe the Islanders aren't going to the playoffs. But their AHL affiliate, the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, are putting together quite the season. The Sound Tigers have 98 points, tying them with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (Pittsburgh) for second place in the East Division, three points behind Hershey (Washington). The winner of the division will have the top seed in the Eastern Conference, as the Atlantic Division leaders, the Rangers' own Hartford Wolfpack, only have 92 points. And since there are only two divisions per conference, all four of these teams will have home ice advantage in the first round.

Charles Wang, who owns both teams, is well aware of the hunger for playoff hockey in these parts. As such, the Sound Tigers will play their first two playoff games at the Nassau Coliseum, much to the consternation of the Sound Tigers' faithful fans in Connecticut. Sorry, guys. Anyway, the two games will be on Friday, April 17 and Saturday, April 18. The game on the 17th starts at 7:30; the game on the 18th begins at 7:00. The nice thing is, tickets are extremely affordable, with the most expensive seats going for $29 and the cheapest going for $15. You could watch playoff hockey and enjoy a delicious pretzel twist for $20. How cool is that?

The AHL playoffs will certainly be worth watching for Islanders fans, especially since so many of the current Islanders roster will be playing for the Sound Tigers. Again, some local fans who have supported the team all year are a little miffed, but it's better for the Islanders this way. Some of the Islanders' young studs will gain some valuable playoff experience by playing for the Sound Tigers, so let's hope for a nice long playoff run.

A Successful Night in Nassau...

Mark down January 13, 2009 as a success for me.

Awkward moment involving a young child and myself during the game: CHECK

Almost get into a fight in the bathroom: CHECK

A delicious pretzel twist: CHECK (although around the midway point of it, it magically turned from very hot to ice cold)

Two points for the Rangers: CHECK

An All-Star performance from Henrik Lundqvist: CHECK

Islanders coming hard at the Rangers: CHECK

An awful third period by the Islanders: CHECK (excluding the last 94 seconds)

An Islander getting injured: CHECK (be sure to note that I don't wish them injuries - far from it - but it seems that every game or every two games, someone is getting hurt)

Rangers shooting from the perimeter and making even 3rd-string goaltenders look like Jacques Plante: CHECK

Guy next to me commenting if Scott Gomez was still a Ranger: CHECK (hey, Gomez had one good shot today, that's a start)

A spirited effort by Petr Prucha: CHECK

An abundance of Nikolai Zherdev jerseys: CHECK

Me and the lady in front of me decreeing that Martin Straka was a warrior: CHECK

Guy behind me yelling "SUCKS" after we chanted "Hen-Rik!": CHECK

Me saying that he did not indeed suck, and that he was a top 3 goalie in the league: CHECK

On a different note, does anybody want to assist me in a letter writing campaign to Newsday? Now, I know that the print media is nearly a dead form because of the Internet, and to be honest, I don't read the hockey articles much because I know what they'll say. However, today's Newsday featured about 4 pages on the Knicks, 4 on the Giants, 2 on the Jets, and articles on the Mets and a full page devoted to Ricky Henderson and Mark McGwire. Uh, is this 1998?

The only mention of the Islander-Ranger game was an advertisement put in by the Islanders. Not one beat writer had a story published about the game. Not one. Yet, the Knicks, the laughingstock of a stupid, corrupt, boring league, get back AND front page mentions and multiple pages.

You KNOW that the well-fought rivalry game that happened tonight will not be back-cover-worthy tomorrow and instead it will be Eddy Curry thinking about suing the driver who claimed he was sexually harassed by Curry.

Despicable. We have a good sport here that is infinitely more entertaining that baseball and basketball. Ah, if only fantasy hockey was as fun as fantasy football. Imagine that?

Back to the original topic. A good night at the Coliseum, and the only thing missing was a vocalist during the National Anthem. That silent version was sort of awkward.

* * * 

If you click this link, you will see a picture of my friend Tom (in the blue Drury jersey) and me (in the white Girardi). For some reason, the Islander site wanted our picture, and some kid questioned it. We offered him to sit on my lap for a photo and smile, and he obliged. Quite happily, as well. (I'm pictures 19 and 20.)

I would've put the picture on this blog but I'm having trouble doing it.

The Wonderful World of Press Releases

One of the perks of being a Blog Box member is that I get press releases in my inbox every so often. It's nice. This means I'm not stuck scouring the dregs of the Internet for Islanders information. Seriously, TSN is good and all, but the Islanders are a small-market team that happens to be in the league's basement. We don't even need to get into ESPN and their apathy toward The Coolest Game On Earth; earlier this week, Deadspin informed us that ESPN hadn't updated its NHL Power Rankings in three weeks.

So that leaves us with the Islanders and their press releases. I got two today, which is quite a bit. Usually I might get one a week. So here we go...

 - Thomas Pock Suspended Five Games. Last night, the Jets played the Patriots, as the entire world knows. I watched the game at Miller Ale House in Levittown, got extremely drunk for very little money, and watched the Jets pull out a memorable win. The only downfall of the night was that, of all of the like 90 TVs at Miller Ale House, only one was showing the Islander game. 88 were showing the Jets game, and one was showing the Bruins-Canadiens game. I'm still trying to figure that one out. Long story short, I missed just about all of the game.

Apparently, Thomas Pock elbowed one of the Senators and was handed a major penalty and game misconduct. Today, Colin "I Suck At My Job" Campbell gave Pock a five-game suspension. Now, I knew about the major, but I still haven't seen the hit. That said, I'm convinced it's no worse than the Gary Roberts hit on Kenny Jonsson in 2002, after which Campbell essentially blamed Jonsson for Roberts charging in from the opposite side of the rink to cream him.

Pock's not exactly essential, but he's played all but one game this season and has averaged over 15 minutes per game. There's no word on who's going to replace Pock, so I'll nominate Jack Hillen for the job. Since being sent down to Bridgeport, he's put up five points in seven games. Are there any better options? I don't think so. And even if there are, let's face it - Hillen needs seasoning on the big club, and it's not like the Islanders are a Cup contender or anything. Let's see what he can do.

 - Islanders Pre-Game Shows To Begin Tomorrow. Finally, proof that the powers that be listen to the fans. In a move that totally shocked me, the Islanders announced that MSG Plus will be airing an Islanders pre-game show before every game for the rest of the season. Now, I know why they didn't do a pre-game show in the past, and that would be because nobody watches pre-game shows. Am I going to watch the Islanders' pre-game most nights? Absolutely not. But it's nice to see them care enough to put this together for the fans. Truth be told, it's a good thing for MSG Plus as well. I'm pretty sure an Islanders pre-game show can beat out the other crap they've been showing before Islander games this year.

Remember how MSG Plus swore up and down that they were going to beef up Islanders coverage this year? Well, it took a while, but they're finally starting to come through. We're starting to see little things that make the Islanders look a little less second-rate, like post-game interviews in a studio instead of grabbing some guy on his way to the locker room. We've also been treated to the comedy goldmine that is the duo of Stan Fischler and C.J. Papa at home games. I don't think Fischler attended a single Islanders game last season. The pre-game show serves to move the Islanders up another notch in the perception of neutral fans. It's not much, but it's something that proves the Islanders are worth investing in. Quite frankly, that might be as good as it gets this year.

I'm actually going to tomorrow night's game, so I won't get to watch the inaugural pre-game show. Damn. I once said I'd never go to another Islanders-Senators game. That changed once a friend offered me a free ticket. We'll do our best to cheer the team on. But I fear the highlight of the game might be a delicious pretzel twist. We shall see.

Rangers 4, Islanders 2: A Live Report

It's a fun tradition in my life. Every time someone buys me tickets to a sporting event for my birthday, things usually go horribly wrong. For my 25th birthday two years ago, my brother got me tickets to Game 7 of the Mets-Cardinals NLCS. A crushing ninth-inning home run ended the Mets' season. The next year, my brother got me tickets to the Mets-Marlins season finale, which was interesting for all of ten minutes before Tom Glavine secured the Mets' ticket to collapse immortality. This year, I told my brother to put the kibosh on sports tickets. But that didn't stop my friend Leslie, she of the half-season ticket plan, from offering me a game for free for my birthday. Ignoring my previous history with birthday tickets and the heartbreak that inevitably follows, I chose tonight's Islanders-Rangers game.

Whoops.

The evening started out innocently enough. Unfortunately, there wasn't time for parking lot hockey or pre-game boozing, but there was time for Checkers. We brought it to the parking lot, where we saw an obscene amount of Ranger jerseys. Uh-oh. Fortunately, a car of Islander fans pulled up next to us. They brought Coors Light, a weak choice, but I had to let it slide. Even when they drilled my car with the football they were throwing around, I was totally fine. After all, one of them had an old-school wavy jersey, just like the one I was wearing. I went with my Zigmund Palffy throwback; Leslie wore her Trent Hunter RBK Edge jersey.

We headed into the Coliseum, still aghast at the number of Ranger jerseys we saw on the way in. Immediately upon entering, we were handed a pamphlet full of Islanders propaganda along with a flyer showing the team's new third jersey, which had just been unveiled about 90 minutes prior. I got a press release in my e-mail from Corey Witt, but I ended up getting an even better view of the jersey...

Clearly, this was going to be a good night.

We decided to head down for warmups, something Zach got me into doing when we went to an Islanders-Coyotes game last year. The first goalie we saw was Yann Danis, which was a pretty clear sign that Rick DiPietro wouldn't be playing. Warmups were fun enough, but even more entertaining were the scores of bad jerseys I saw throughout the Coliseum. Particularly notable jerseys included, but were not limited to: Garth Snow, Mattias Weinhandl, Chris Simon (Islanders), and Dan Blackburn. There were some impressive ones too, including Rich Pilon, Aaron Voros, and Henrik Lundqvist's Swedish league jersey.

Finally, it was gametime. Much of the crowd hadn't found their seats by the time Chris Drury opened up the scoring with his first goal just 56 seconds into the game. But the Islanders ended up being the better team for much of the first period, with Kyle Okposo's goal being pretty much the first thing he's done all season for the Islanders. After the first period, we headed down to Knucklehead's at Gate 20. The former Dom's Deli locations are now called Knuckleheads, serve a variety of exotic beers (including Bluepoint), and have tables and a nice atmosphere. I ended up going with a Sly Fox Pilsner, which wasn't all that great; fortunately, the pretzel twist that went with it was exquisite. I swear, there is no better arena snack in the entire world than the Nassau Coliseum pretzel twist.

We got back to our seats just in time for the second period, which was pretty uneventful. It was nice to see a fight between these two teams. Even though it wasn't the best fight, it was something to get things going. After the second, we watched the in-arena entertainment, which quite honestly sucked. The new arena interviewer asked Mike Comrie perhaps the dumbest question of all time: "What do you need to do in the third period to tie up the game?" Um, how about, SCORE A GOAL?!? The insanity didn't end there, as there's now a thing where you can text anything you want to some number and the text appears on the scoreboard. Leslie's text ("Marry Me, Hilbert!") appeared on the scoreboard; my text ("Buy a pretzel twist") didn't. You could also vote on which song the Islanders would come out to as the third period began. All three choices were pretty cliche choices, as was pretty much all the rest of the music we heard tonight. Or, at least, that music which wasn't of the emo persuasion. Ugh.

Anyway, the third period told the story of the game. It also shed some light on the significant gap between the two teams. Though they performed admirably for the first 40 minutes, the Islanders just didn't have what it takes to hang with the Rangers for a full 60 minutes. Even before taking a ton of dumb penalties, the Islanders didn't show a great deal in the third. The Islander fans in attendance, on the other hand, did show quite a bit in the third period, resulting in a number of fights in the crowd. These proved to be more entertaining than the game. Of particular note during the Islanders' denoument was the time the Islanders gave the Rangers a five-on-three, resulting in a Chris Drury goal just moments later. But to me, the moment that told the story was when Aaron Voros nearly beheaded Jack Hillen by dumping him into the boards. Bill Guerin immediately jumped all over Voros, knocking him to the ground and punching him. Honestly, Guerin probably deserved a fight instigator and game misconduct, but it never happened. What's important, though, is that nobody else bothered to defend Hillen. The game ended without incident and, thanks to Scott Gordon waiting until there were ten seconds left to pull Joey MacDonald, the Islanders never stood a real chance of coming back.

(NOTE: Zach informs me that the Islanders were trying to get MacDonald over to bench for some time, only MacDonald wasn't paying attention and only got the message when the Islanders started banging on the boards. To be honest, I'm not sure which is worse - MacDonald not paying attention, or Gordon taking way too long to pull the goalie for like the fifth game in a row. Whichever truth you believe, it's not good.)

That Guerin/Voros play was the key to the game. Here, you have your captain and a leading scorer from last year fighting the physical battles, the kind of things your enforcer should be doing. And that's the Islanders' problem. They don't have any purely physical forces to intimidate the opposition. They also don't have a sniper that changes the way opponents organize their defenses. The Islanders aren't just a young team, they're a young team with no identity. They should look at their rivals and learn some hard lessons about life in the NHL. You need to be able to play every style in order to be a successful team. The Rangers can plug in size if they need size, speed if they need speed. Tonight, the Rangers sensed that the Islanders didn't have the horses to play the physical game these teams usually play, so they threw Petr Prucha in there. Not that Prucha made the difference or anything, but it shows the difference between these two teams. One team can give a number of different looks; the other can only hope to play their "system", whatever that is.

Leaving the Coliseum, we talked about all of these things while simultaneously noting that these Islanders-Rangers games are sort of getting old. We estimated an approximate 60-40 split, with the Rangers' faithful being the dominant group. Now, most times, road team fans keep to themselves and stick to cheering for their team. Not so with Ranger fans. They stuck it to Islander fans every chance they got, which is the fan's reward for winning. Still, it's annoying to come out, support your team against their biggest rivals, and get crapped all over for doing so. This whole "Garden East" reputation isn't going anywhere until the Islanders get better, which could take a while. I guess it's just another thing us Islander fans are going to have to deal with.

After the game was over, I head to Miller Ale House to watch Monday Night Football with some friends. While at the Ale House, I saw a ton of Islanders and Rangers shirts, jerseys, and hats. Maybe hockey isn't dead after all. That sort of made me happy.

The rest of the night? Not so much. Tonight served as a sobering reminder that the Islanders are light years behind the Rangers and that Ranger fans by far outnumber Islander fans on Long Island. But hey, if you're an Islander fan, it can't get much worse. You're fifteen points behind the Rangers. They have the best record in the league; you have the worst. You've already hit rockbottom in October, so the coming months should only bring better things. And if you're a Ranger fan, you might dismiss tonight's game as "only" a victory over the Islanders. But you also went on the road and beat a team that always plays you tough. You outlasted their best efforts and not only found a way to win, but to win convincingly. That's impressive.

So Round 1 of this season's rivalry goes to the Rangers. Congratulations, Ranger fans. I guess.

On that note, I'm going to go drink some more. I leave you with this question. Suppose Joey MacDonald, after taking a slapshot off his mask, ended up with a concussion and had to miss some time. Would the Islanders still publicly proclaim his concussion as an "undisclosed injury"?

Rangers Win Rivalry Game #1...

Since Bryan was actually at the game whilst I sat on a red plush couch in my house eating cold pasta and rubbing my dog's fat belly, I'll make my notes quick.

But I would like to say congratulations to Chris Drury for finally not being awful. His first goal wasn't a great goal, but credited to his nonetheless. His second goal, however, was a great blast.

The officiating tonight was horrendous, but atleast they called bad calls on both teams. I'm all for bad refereeing, as long as it's fair. For instance, when Bruno Gervais "took down" Nigel Dawes and got 2 minutes, that was a very bad call. However, when Markus Naslund was repeatedly cross-checked from behind, no call was made. Interesting to say the least.

The Islanders didn't play bad today, regardless of the score. Injury-depleted and filled with marginal NHLers (there is a reason Thomas Pock didn't make the Rangers' squad this year or last), they put up a fight but couldn't solve Henrik Lundqvist more than twice. A few bad penalties (those simultaneous high-sticking calls were the fork in the cake) and some great saves (especially those early on against Trent Hunter) were their downfall.

Nik Zherdev had an assist, but other than that, a weak game. I noticed no real quality scoring chances (I could be wrong there but I didn't see anything) and plenty of bad giveaways, including but not limited to a behind-the-back pass to an Islander in the slot in front of Lundqvist.

The Rangers did have a power play goal, yes, but their 5-on-3 is very weak. They keep collapsing the point men so they can get close shots, but they aren't tiring out the penalty killers by doing that. If they passed from the point to down low and back again, the 3 penalty killers would be like mice in a maze and get worn down quickly, setting up for a great shot. However, there is little movement by the defending team, keeping them fresher.

That's it for me. I hand it over to Bryan. Aside from Bryan talking about $6.50 Bud Lights, parking lot hockey with a mini-net, and delicious pretzel twists, I'd also like to know the breakdown between Ranger fans and Islander fans and who was sitting on the Isles' bench as back-up goalie because I didn't notice.

Islanders Notes

After watching tonight's abomination, I'm sort of at a loss for words. But being the trooper I am, I'll try to talk about what we've just seen.

• Tonight was supposed to be my first night in the Blog Box, but I had to work late, so I couldn't do it. Turns out I picked a good night to put in some extra time. While tonight's game was all Dallas, the Stars won tonight's game as soon as the buzzer ended last night's game. After allowing five goals to the Devils, you knew the Stars would come out and destroy the Islanders. And that's exactly what they did.
• While I couldn't make tonight's game, my brother went to his first game of this young season. His thoughts? "The game sucked, but the pretzel twists were amazing." That's exactly what I'd say if I were there.
• The NHL tries pretty hard to keep stats that account for the intangible aspects of hockey. Plus/minus, blocked shots, and hits are among these stats. But there are a few stats that, quite frankly, need to be tallied. Chief among those stats are a stat for penalties drawn. And if penalties drawn was a stat, Sean Avery would be a star. He drew two penalties tonight that led directly to two Dallas power play goals. And maybe if stats like penalties drawn were kept, people wouldn't say stupid things like, "Avery doesn't do anything out there." He does. It's just that it doesn't show up on the stat sheet. And God forbid a player be considered elite without being elite on paper.
• If I have to see that stupid f'ing Nissan Versa commercial one more damn time, I'm going to throw a brick through my TV.
• So you know how the Islanders had like five enforcers in training camp? And you know how not one of them has so much as dressed for this team yet? Well, maybe they could have used one of them tonight. The Isles stunk up the joint in the first period, went down 3-0, blew four consecutive minutes of power play time (including two minutes of a 5-on-3), ended up down 4-1 midway through the second... and nobody even tried to start anything by being physical. In front of their own home crowd, the Islanders sat there and took the beating without fighting back. It doesn't take much to get the crowd going at a hockey game. In an instance like tonight's game, you're looking for a fight, but it doesn't even have to be that drastic. But then again, it's not like the Islanders have a line of big hitters they can throw out there to get the crowd back into the game. It's funny how all these other teams have room for fighters and checkers, and yet the Islanders don't. It's worth questioning.
• I'm not sure what that C.J. Papa soapbox thing was at the end of tonight's broadcast... but I liked it. I could have done without the egregious Lighthouse propaganda like ten times in tonight's game, but Papa's trashing of Gary Bettman is always nice. See, these are the things Deb Kaufman/Placey didn't give us last year. Besides, C.J. Papa is almost as corny as Howie and Billy, and that's tough to do.
• The next time someone trashes the NHL and their TV deal for being fan-unfriendly, point them to the events of tonight. As I write this, it's 10:10 PM, and the World Series game that "started" at 8 PM is in the fifth inning. We're looking at yet another MLB post-season game that will end after midnight. The NBA does this too, starting their Finals games at 9 PM, but nobody questions it because it's ESPN. However, the NHL begins their Finals games at 8, and all you hear is, "Nobody watches hockey anymore, who cares?". That's not fair. The triple-overtime Detroit-Pittsburgh Game 5, probably one of the five most exciting games played in any sport in 2008, ended at approximately the same time all these nine-inning baseball games are ending. Explain that one, MLB.

So that's our game. We've got the Hurricanes on Saturday. Say, when a hurricane comes to town, you're pretty scared. Now, imagine twenty of them! It's Hurricanes-Islanders, on MSG Plus! (Or C-Span 2, or wherever they decide to stick the Islanders. Because, you know, Islanders hockey can't possibly compete with re-runs of "The Game 365 With Fran Healy".)

Blog Box

So I guess we can talk about this now...

We here at The Rivalry are proud to be among the newest members of the NYI Blog Box. There are a lot of good blogs out there for just about every team; the Islanders were just the team that gave those bloggers the chance to be recognized as, in a sense, team-sanctioned. It's a pretty big thrill for both of us to even be on this level. We started this blog almost eight months ago, not really knowing what we were doing. To come from that to actually being credentialed media? Pretty cool.

I don't really know what happens from here on out. I know I'll get to go to games (unfortunately, we only get one credential) and watch the games from a really good seat. I'll get to meet a lot of the other bloggers who made this thing a success to begin with. I'll get the chance to be in the locker room and even ask questions, though I doubt I'll actually do so. But one thing is for sure - we're not going to go soft or anything. Unless, of course, the Blog Box offers free unlimited pretzel twists. Then we might have a bit of a problem.

Anyway, it's a pretty exciting time here at The Rivalry. The Rangers are 5-0, and while the Islanders might have a tough go of things this year, it'll be interesting to watch them find themselves. And thanks to the Blog Box, we'll get to do so with access we've never had before.

Where's The Beef?

So I decided to plan my entire night around the Islanders-Devils game tonight. I timed my dinner so that I could park in front of the TV and eat just as the game started. My wife was going out, so I could watch the entire game unfettered. I was pumped, and I was excited. A good old-fashioned preseason fightfest between two divisional rivals at the Coliseum. What could be better?

I got home around 7 and turned on MSG Plus. The Devils were on... but it wasn't a game. Nope. Instead, we were treated to a season preview. Over on MSG, they were showing a collection of Ranger games, followed by a scintillating episode of The Game 365 with Fran Healy. And at 8 PM, MSG is showing a replay of the game the Rangers played in Europe today. MSG Plus, you ask? Apparently, the Wrangler Pro Rodeo Tour trumps Islander hockey, because that's what's on tonight. Adding insult to injury, it's a taped rodeo! How do you get lower on the totem pole than a taped rodeo program in New York?

So, MSG, I ask you this - where's the beef?

I must have read a dozen articles over the past calendar year by Newsday's Neil Best stating how committed MSG Plus is to beefing up (their words, not mine) Islanders and Devils coverage. And yet, the season starts in a week and all Islander fans have seen of their team is whatever they show on Islanders Illustrated. What the hell?

OK, the Islanders aren't the biggest draw in the world. We all know that. But the fans are out there, ready and willing to watch their team. They just don't get the opportunity. Look, I'm trying hard not to bite the hand that feeds the Islanders; everybody knows that it was their lucrative deal with MSG that saw them through their darkest days. We all owe the Dolans a debt of gratitude for keeping the team on Long Island. But if they're paying tens of millions of dollars to the Islanders each year, wouldn't they want to at least show their games?

That's the part I don't understand. I know it costs money to air these games, and I know Howie Rose hasn't been available, but they air the Rangers with GiaWigs when Sam Rosen is doing the NFL for Fox. Is it too much to ask for MSG to bring like three cameras to the Coliseum and do the one home game the Islanders have this preseason? (Note: Islanders TV isn't showing the game either, which could be part of a ploy to get people to go to the Coliseum. In that case, they should throw some pretzel twists in the deal. I'd go then.)

It seems like each year, we hear some MSG executive say how they're going to ramp up Islanders coverage. And this would be a good time to do so; in 2007-08, Islander ratings were up significantly from the previous year. Yet here we are again, bemoaning the fact that the Islanders' own network doesn't care about our team, even though they have absolutely nothing else to show that constitutes a better draw. Maybe the Dolans are trying to give the appearance of the Rangers as the top team in town. If so, mission accomplished. They went to Europe to show the Rangers. Meanwhile, they won't go to Uniondale to show the Islanders. Go figure.

Poor Economy...

Yesterday, we officially (in America) went from "an economic downswing" to "a poor economy." Yes, it is always darkest before the dawn, but America will be in a bad spot for a long time before it gets better. And yes, the economy is cyclical, but this is the bad portion of it.

How is that hockey news? I mean, technically, it's not. And this whole post might not make sense. Just warning you...

But say a family of four wants to go to a Rangers game and they live on Long Island. That's $14 x 4 for the round-trip train tickets. Tickets are, conservatively, $50 each. Already, we're at $256, and that's just getting there. Everyone gets a hot dog outside of The Garden. Dad is a big fella, so he gets two. $10. Four Hawaiian Punches, $4. Inside, a flag ($15) to commemorate Little Steve's first game, and a picture of Henrik Lundqvist ($12) because Julia wants something too. A few slices of New York's biggest (not best) pizza at Penn Station, and we're reaching $320 for a night out. That's very conservative as well. 

And going to a Ranger or Islander game is the cheapest of the sporting events. What's parking at Shea and Yankee Stadiums, $30? That makes the $8 beers look better in comparison. If you want to go to a Jets or Giants game, be prepared to spend $50 in gas sitting in traffic into New Jersey, then get gouged on parking, hot dogs, replica jerseys, and cheese hats that have nothing to do with New York.

Put simply, the owners of these teams do not care about you, the slumping economy, or making an enjoyable evening affordable. The players don't care either, which kills me. Why should I root for Alex Rodriguez if I know that my seats near third base are so expensive because he demands $27M a year to hit a ball (into a double play). 

The NHL instituted a Salary Cap in 2005. That year, the Cap was around $44M. This year, the MINIMUM of the Cap is higher than the MAXIMUM was then. That's great news, the NHL is making more money, more people are watching the games on TV and going in person. The game is doing good and won't fold. 

The reason that they raise the floor is so the owners won't keep all of the revenue. They are forced to put it back into the team, in the way of players salaries, as negotiated by the NHLPA. 

Instead of raising the floor so the owners don't keep all the money (see: Milwaukee Brewers of the early 2000s and the current Pittsburgh Pirates), why not put the money back where it came from? The fans. Don't raise ticket prices after every 2nd round knockout. Don't charge $5 for a 16 ounce bottle of Jana water that cost 26 cents to get. Wouldn't it be something if a team lowered ticket prices? 

Attendance will suffer this year. I might be wrong if a lot of tickets are already purchased, whether they be through a package like me, or a corporation who bought up season tickets. However, if things don't improve, things will get bad next year. So bad, that the Islanders might not sell 10,000 tickets per game, and Nashville will not hit their self-imposed minimum of 14,000. Corporate sponsors with ticket commitments for this year might drop out before 2009-10, leaving the owners with a choice. Stay in Nashville and lose money, or move, rent-free, to a state-of-the-art arena in Kansas City. 

Seriously, would Free Food Night, 75 Cent Popcorn Night, or lower ticket prices all year be a bad thing for a lot of franchises? I know the Rangers would never make ticket prices lower. It's the nature of the beast. A huge city, a rabid fan base, and corporate sponsors who buy the lower bowl of tickets unite to sell out every single home game. However, they gave free food away for the last game of the Knicks season last year, and in 2004 they had Retro Price Night on popcorn and cotton candy for an Original Six matchup against the Bruins that I went to. Would it kill them to offer Dollar Hot Dogs or free soda for a few games early in the year? 

I'm a realist. I know that James "Daddy Made Me Rich" Dolan will probably not do this. However, what about Charles Wang? Personally, I've said for a few years that the Islanders should make tickets $5-$10 for unsold ones before games. The game will be played regardless of who is in the building. Why not get more people in there and spending money? If the ticket cost me ten bucks, I'd be more willing to shell out $5 for a pretzel twist or $25 for an Okposo t-shirt. 

I don't know where I'm going with this. When I was doing my pretend "I'm a GM and I'm giving away half-priced tickets all year" speech in the mirror as I was washing my hands after a post-Mexican dinner deuce, this sounded a lot better.

But do you see where I'm going? Most owners don't care about us. It's not really the players' faults, as they just get what they can. I would too if I was one. Get what you can, while you can, especially in this day and age. But that's what screws us, the middle-class fans who can now only afford 2 games a year because gas is $3.89 a gallon and Chris Drury gets paid $121,000 for every point he had last year.

* * * 

In an effort to boost the economy, I bought XBox 360 and NHL 09 yesterday. Solid game, although I don't love the Be a Pro mode like my counterpart Bryan does. I'm a Dynasty guy, myself.

Your 2008-09 Islander Ticket Packages

While many have already written off the upcoming Islanders season as a colossal waste of time, the team itself isn't ready to make that determination. However, they are making a very concerted effort to get the fans involved, and their method for achieving that is through their extensive ticket options. Who needs individual ticket sales when you can pick one of their many partial plans?

In all seriousness, those of us who had to sit through the Mets organization telling us, "If you don't get a ticket plan, forget about going to Opening Day, the Subway Series, or the last game at Shea," are in for a serious treat. The Islanders are going out of their way to hook us up - God knows we deserve it - and actually do have something for everybody. The full list of plans, opponents, and discounts off face value can be found at the Islanders' website.

With that in mind, we here at The Rivalry, knowing that money and time are tight for a lot of people, have the highlights of the Islanders' offerings for your perusal. So here we go. Everyone knows what a full season package is. Boring. They also have first-half and second-half plans. Ooh. What new and exciting things do the Islanders' sales staff have in store for us?

- Full Season With Flexible Seating. This is pretty cool. You pay for a season ticket in the upper deck, but get moved down to the lower level for ten games. And it's not the crappy ten games you'd expect, either. You get Opening Night, all three Ranger games, and two each against the Devils and Flyers in the good seats. Oh, and you don't pay anything extra for the right to watch the Isles' best games in the lap of luxury. Not bad, eh?

- Flex 20 Plan. You're given 20 ticket vouchers and a slate of 25 games. You can mix and match them any way you'd like. For example, you can bring nineteen of your closest friends to one game, or you can go to twenty different games by yourself. Interesting.

- Weekday Choice Plan. You get all three Ranger games. You also get to pick twelve out of nineteen select weekday games, not to mention playoff options (stop laughing).

- Experience: Hockey Plan. Pick three out of five games you'd like to attend. But there's more. You get skating lessons at Iceworks, "Chalk Talk" with the team (whatever that is), and the right to - and this is a direct quote from the Islanders' site - "HIGH-FIVE the players on their way onto the ice". I'd like to see how someone in Row O of section 302 high-fives a player. I guess that's part of the plan's magic.

- Upgrade Plan. This one's sort of confusing, so bear with me. You pay for an upper-deck ticket, then bring it to the game, at which time you're given an upgrade to a lower-level seat. It doesn't apply to the Ranger game, but seven out of eight isn't bad. Who needs the same seat every game if you can sit with the high-rollers in the 100s for half the price? Given that two of the games are against Atlanta and Los Angeles, there should be plenty of great lower-level seating to be had.

- Big Value Plan. By far the steepest discount off face value available outside of full-season packages. And there's a reason for that - the first-half plan features games against Columbus, Dallas, and Vancouver; the second has games against Los Angeles, Carolina, and Colorado. If you've been clamoring to see the stars of the West, this one's for you. Or, if you just want to sit in the lower level and don't care who the Islanders play, hit up the Lower VIP End Zone section for $38 per game.

- Victory Plan. If anyone ever tells you gambling is illegal, just point them in the direction of this plan. The premise is this - if the Islanders win any of the games in this plan, you get a free ticket to another game. They disclose the tickets you'd be winning in advance, so it's not like they're giving you leftovers from a low-drawing night. The problem is, of the four games, three of the opposing teams won their divisions last year. Gulp.

OK. I'm broke, but I think even I can swing the Big Value Plan. And I just might go for it. For now, though, my friend Leslie got the Borrelli's All-Star Plan, which I'll mooch off of as often as possible. Hey, Islanders management, here's one - instead of giving us gift cards to Italian restaurants, why not give us a Hooters Plan? Or even a plan that guarantees ticketholders unlimited pretzel twists. Now that could be useful.

What To Expect At The Coliseum This Year

We here at The Rivalry have been fortunate enough to receive a tour of the Nassau Coliseum in advance of the start of the 2008-09 NHL season. While we only received this tour because we attended the WWE Great American Bash tonight, it still called to mind the many trips we made to the Coliseum last season. It was nice to see the old barn in a different setting. And, as is always the case after a long layoff, it was interesting to see what's changed since last season.

- More Ads: One thing they did a lot of this off-season was sell ad space. There are more ads in the hallways of each gate than ever before; in fact, the sheer amount of advertisement one is greeted with on their way back to the concourse is a bit smothering. In addition, there are more of the 200-level ads we saw last year. There was also a banner in front of the 300-level section directly in line with the goals called "Northville". Since the stage took up the opposite goal area, it's unclear if there's a "Southville". On the subject of "Villes", we were unable to verify if Loudville will be back, as our seats were in Section 307. Either way, be prepared to be inundated with more ads than ever before.

- More Menu Selections: I think. I could have sworn I saw someone carrying around an iced coffee, but I can't say for certain. In any event, there are non-souvenir cups. The rest of the goodies remained pretty much the same. The exotic beers are still located in the "Beers Of The World" stand and in the outside area. We were unable to verify if they jacked up the price of the 24-ounce Labatt Blue can; we can only hope they didn't. Also, everyone's favorite Coliseum snack, the pretzel twist, is still as juicy and succulent as ever. Tonight's twists might have been even better than last year's. The twists are still only $4.50 - the best bargain anywhere. One last thing - we didn't see the guy selling pretzels outside of the Coliseum, but maybe that's on game days only.

- The Dragons Stuff: It's still there... for now. Since Charles Wang has just sold the team, it's unclear what will happen to the Dragons after the current AFL campaign ends. We don't even know if they'll be playing at the Coliseum. Either way, it's almost a given that we'll see a decrease in the promotion of the Dragons now that Wang isn't liable to shove both teams down our throats. Could this mean the end of Sparky The Dragon?

- Soda Guys: They had a guy roaming around selling sodas in the 300 levels, something we never saw before. In the past, this was strictly a delicacy for the lower levels. We pity the poor guy who has to climb the extremely steep Coliseum steps to deliver a Pepsi to someone up in Row T. However, the guy in our section dropped a bunch of his soda bottles, so it's possible that this experiment could be ended before the season starts. It's also something that could be started at games with lower attendance figures and phased in over the season. Who knows? It's worth a shot.

- Parking: As of tonight, it's still $7 to park. Still an extremely spacious lot (something to appreciate if you've been to either Shea or Yankee Stadium this year), and it's still a good idea to park right by the fence alongside Charles Lindbergh Boulevard. If you ever see some people playing hockey and drinking heavily along that fence, you'll know you saw The Rivalry.

- Bootleg Merchandise: If the Coliseum hired extra security to thwart the bootleggers, they called in sick tonight. We were able to not only score bootleg WWE merchandise, but also managed to take our time in negotiating a better rate, verifying that nothing was spelled wrong, and getting change without fear of getting busted. There were people all over; there was even a guy weaving in and out of traffic on Hempstead Turnpike selling stuff. His rates were even better than the guy we talked to. Oops.

- Arbour Banner: It still says "1500". We thought they were putting an updated one up there at Core Of The Four. Maybe they forgot. Or maybe they're waiting for this year's alumni reunion to do it. Or maybe, just maybe, they're talking to Arbour about coaching again. (Note: They aren't.) Either way, it'd be nice if they did something about it. It'd also be nice if they'd get around to taking #16 out of circulation and putting it where it belongs - with the numbers of the other Islander greats.

So that's what we discovered tonight - the Coliseum is pretty much as we remember it, with all of the good things intact and a few surprises. We're sure they have more in store for us this season. However, let's hope the first surprise is a quality coach.

As for the Bash itself? Good card with lots of quality, no-frills wrestling, though a lot of guys we wanted to see weren't there. The highlight of the night, however, was seeing Mets GM Omar Minaya walking in with his kids and then exiting the arena as we were pulling out. We can only hope his evening was enhanced by enjoying a delicious pretzel twist.

Bryan's Playoff Predictions & Year-End Awards

The second season - the real season is about to begin. And even though the Islanders will be spending their spring working on their golfing skills, I can do without seeing them if it means watching the most intense action available in any sport. Bring on the playoffs!

But, before we get to that... let's take a minute to remember the events that got us here.

Most hockey writers post their awards ballot in June, which makes no sense to me. The awards are supposed to based off the regular season, not the playoffs. In theory, they're no more relevant than they are today. So why not get a head start and give out the proverbial hardware now?

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NHL Awards
Hart Trophy: Alexander Ovechkin, Washington
- Honorable Mention: Evgeni Malkin, Pittsburgh

Vezina Trophy: Evgeni Nabokov, San Jose
- Honorable Mention: Martin Brodeur, New Jersey

Norris Trophy: Dion Phaneuf, Calgary*
- Honorable Mention: Nicklas Lidstrom, Detroit
(Note: Everyone knows Lidstrom is going to win this. But Phaneuf at least deserves to be considered.)

Adams Trophy: Bruce Boudreau, Washington
- Honorable Mention: Wayne Gretzky, Phoenix

Selke Trophy: Mike Richards, Philadelphia
- Honorable Mention: Patrick Sharp, Chicago

Calder Trophy: Patrick Kane, Chicago
- Honorable Mention: Nicklas Backstrom, Washington

Miscellaneous Awards
Best GM: Bob Gainey, Montreal
Most Improved Player: Mike Ribeiro, Dallas
Best Arena Snack: Pretzel Twists, Nassau Coliseum
Best TV Telecast: San Jose Sharks
Best Moment: Winter Classic
Worst Moment: Mike Milbury comparing Sidney Crosby to Bobby Orr after his fight in December
Best Development: The emergence of Alexander Ovechkin as a legitimate superstar
Worst Development: The rash of violent attacks by NHL players

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Now that we've gotten that out of the way... time for the playoffs. The first-round picks are followed by brief explanations. The rest of the hypothetical matchups will be explored at a later date.

Eastern Conference
Montreal (1) over Boston (8) in 6. Boston's better than people realize... but so is Montreal. It won't be an easy series, but the superior talent of the Habs should shine here. Look for the Bruins to put on a good enough show to land the one free agent they need to make a run next year.

Pittsburgh (2) over Ottawa (7) in 4. Ottawa is falling apart, while Pittsburgh is one of the league's hottest teams. You'd like to see Ottawa win at least one game, but with Marc-Andre Fleury on top of his game, it's not likely. The fans might not want to admit it, but a thrashing is exactly what the Senators need to refocus and get hungry.

Philadelphia (6) over Washington (3) in 7. I know, I know... everyone loves Washington right now. However, let's not forget that Washington played 24 of their games against the likes of Tampa Bay, Florida, and Atlanta. Also, keep in mind that Philadelphia actually scored more points than the Caps this year, all while playing in a much tougher division. I love this Caps team, but they remind me of last year's Penguins - they'll put forth a good show, but fall just short.

Rangers (5) over New Jersey (4) in 6. Martin Brodeur can't score the three or four goals per game the Devils are going to need to win this series. The Rangers have too much firepower, not to mention an elite goalie of their own in Henrik Lundqvist.

Western Conference
Detroit (1) over Nashville (8) in 6. Detroit is clearly the class of the league, but Nashville gets up for their games agains the Red Wings. This series won't be nearly the cakewalk it looks like, mainly because Detroit's goaltending shuffle won't work in the playoffs. Still, the Wings are too good to lose in the first round.

San Jose (2) over Calgary (7) in 5. Calgary's got a pretty good team down there, but they can't score against most teams. How are they going to score against Evgeni Nabokov? That said, even if Nabokov were off his game, the Sharks have the firepower to beat Calgary pretty easily.

Colorado (6) over Minnesota (3) in 7. This pick depends solely on Peter Forsberg's ability to stay healthy for all seven games. Colorado is a different team with Forsberg in the lineup. Now that they're getting quality goaltending, they can make a run. Minnesota is a fine team, but they're going to have a hard time scoring enough goals to win.

Anaheim (5) over Dallas (4) in 7. People say the Ducks can't score, and they didn't this season. But they certainly have the capacity to score in large numbers. If Corey Perry can come back in this series, that only bolsters the Ducks' chances. The Stars have put together a great team, but I don't think they can keep up with the Ducks for seven games.

Future Rounds
Conference Semi-Finals
Montreal over Philadelphia in 5
Rangers over Pittsburgh in 7
Detroit over Colorado in 6
San Jose over Anaheim in 7

Conference Finals
Rangers over Montreal in 6
San Jose over Detroit in 5

Stanley Cup Final
San Jose over Rangers in 6

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Will any of these predictions come true? Probably not. But I can't wait to find out!

Yes, I'm Even Happy for Tom Poti...

CAPITAlS POST by ZACH

THE TEAM

The Washington Capitals started off the season on a three-game winning streak for the first time since 2002-03. Former Ranger fan-favorite Michael Nylander scored the first goal of the year. They then went 3-14-1 before firing their coach for 80s AHL superstar Bruce Boudreau. 

Somewhere along the line, they traded for a great mentor to their young superstars (Sergei Fedorov), traded for Cristobal Huet to give them a solid 1-2 punch in net (along with Olie Kolzig), and got Hart, Calder, and Adams Trophy candidates (Alex Ovechkin, Nick Backstrom, and Boudreau).

Somehow, at 43-31-8, they ended up with the exact same record as the Ottawa Senators, who were 16-4 at the same time Boudreau took over in the nation's capital (Ottawa also went 9-1 in October).

And somehow, they clinched the playoffs.

THE OWNER

They have an owner who cares about the team (as a Rangers fan, this befuddles me - an owner who CARES about games and actually GOES to them and doesn't just own them because he happens to own the co-existing basketball team?). Ted Leonsis, from what I know, went to Georgetown and started going to Caps games because tickets were deathly cheap in the 70s since nobody went. (The team won 8 games in their first year, so they had to do what they had to do to get butts in seats.) He fell in love with the game, and when he made a fortune on AOL, bought the team. He writes a blog (sometimes, several times a day) and answers every email he can. When Washington clinched the playoffs, he blew a kiss to the crowd. When the Rangers clinched the playoffs on Thursday, Jimmy Dolan probably got a text message Friday morning whilst on his private helicopter. In contrast, Leonsis even had a Capitals jersey on during post-game interviews. 

Leonsis had a Fan Appreciation Week this past Monday-Friday where 5 people per day won team prizes, including autographed pictures, pucks, sticks, and each day, one fan won a game-worn jersey.

No word on how good the pretzels are at the Verizon Center, though.

A.O.

Last year, the Rangers played the Capitals in the first game of the season. I went down with my girlfriend to watch warm-ups on the Rangers side. Ovechkin was one of the first players on the ice for the Caps, he got a puck, turned towards us, and slapped a puck down that hit the glass right in front of my face.

If he spoke fluent English, Ovechkin would be the face of the game, not Sidney Crosby. What's great about Ovechkin is that he is trying to learn fluent English, which you wouldn't believe from the Versus commercial where he is the one guy who doesn't speak in English. His first year in the NHL, he asked to room with an English-speaking player so he could learn the language faster.

As a Ranger fan, my favorite goal celebration is the Sean Avery point-to-the-crowd, but the AO leap-into-whatever-is-there is a close second. He normally jumps into the plexiglass if no players are around. If you're reading this, go here and click WATCH! and view the highlights of the game. When Alex Semin slaps one home in the second period, AO is more excited than anyone and he leaps onto the pile, dragging everyone down in celebration. That's what this game needs.

When he learns this language fully, look for him to be the face of the game. ESPN will love him once they discover him.

I had been saying that Ovechkin (as well as Boudreau) should not win any awards if the team didn't make the playoffs. Well, today, that point is moot (mute?).

The City

Washington's one claim-to-fame as a hockey club was when they got slapdazzled (not a real word) by Detroit in the 1998 Stanley Cup Finals. All the fans came out for that and D.C. actually cared about hockey. Then came the downfall.

The next season, they didn't make the playoffs. For the next two seasons, Pittsburgh beat them in the first round both years. Then they missed the playoffs. Then they mailed in a performance against Tampa Bay in 02-03 and lost in 6 games. The year before the lockout, they were horrendous. They were so bad that they traded Jaromir Jagr for Anson Carter straight up. They were so bad that they won the first overall pick in the draft lottery.

The lockout came and went, and Alex Ovechkin became their brightest star. Last year, they got Donald Brashear to protect AO (results of that experiment are inconclusive, but GM George McPhee did bring him back for another year). This year, a supporting cast emerged (and in Fedorov's case, was traded for) and Boudreau changed to an offensive-minded system where he let AO run wild, bringing fans back to the arena (most of them paying and not getting free tickets).

The Conclusion

The Capitals asked the fans to all wear red this past week at home games. Looking at the crowd in the arena, I am impressed. 95% of the crowd is dressed in red and it seemed that 100% of them were standing and cheering as the Capitals beat the Panthers to clinch a spot in the playoffs, something Carolina could not do. (For the record, Carolina outshot Florida 46-17, took 0 penalties, had 9 power plays, and couldn't score a goal.)

The site of a sold-out crowd in Washington is awesome. The NHL needs big cities to have good teams (I'm talking to you, Blackhawks, Bruins, Kings), especially in markets where the NFL rules. People rallied behind a team who went from worst in the NHL to Southeast champions in 5 months. They went 9-1 in their final 10 (gaining 8 points on Carolina) and the fans came out.

When the players hopped over the boards as the clock ticked off, Bruce Boudreau did something coaches rarely do - he showed emotion. He was jumped, waving his arms, slapping players on the should pads.

I gotta tell you, the whole scene - the coach, the players, the fans - brought a tear to my eyes.

Win or lose for the Rangers in the postseason, I love this game.