The Isles Are On TV Tonight!!!!

Everyone probably knows this by now, but tonight's Isles-Devils game will be televised on MSG Plus! This is the first Isles-produced preseason game I can recall since a post-lockout game between the Islanders and Rangers, where every announcer for both teams piled into one big booth and said "You can't do that anymore!" about 50 times after penalties.

Anyway, while tonight's telecast is big news, it's not the purpose of this blog. We're in the process of updating the Islanders drinking game, which was one of our first ever posts and is in desperate need of a overhaul. If you find anything worth including, please leave a comment. Unfortunately, we won't have Howie Rose and his bad puns tonight, but Jiggs McDonald should be by to butcher a name or two.

Enjoy tonight's game! And don't forget to give us your most drink-worthy observations.

It Is What It Is

For the past twelve or so hours, the Internet has been on fire with people talking about the Dion Phaneuf hit on Kyle Okposo. As we all know, Okposo was stretchered off the ice last night; he was later diagnosed with a mild concussion and was cleared to travel home with the team. Botta put it best - Islanders fans will see this as a dirty hit, while Flames fans will see it as a clean hit.

There's no sense in pointing fingers. What happened last night is over. Phaneuf won't dress Saturday, there will be a ton of fights between fringe players, and nothing will be solved. The fact remains that Kyle Okposo is still injured and the Islanders now have to live without the services of their best forward.

We can argue forever about whose fault it was (nobody's), whether the hit was clean (it was), whether this kind of hit has any place in the pre-season (again, clean hit), or any of the other things that people are worrying about. Instead, let's look at the two facts we can draw from this.

- We have to worry about Kyle Okposo suffering from more concussions. After you have your first concussion, you're that much more likely to suffer from another one.

- After the hit, Okposo's teammates went out of their way to stand up for their fallen comrade.

As scary of a thought as the first point is, the second is far more significant. Think back to the night Mike Mottau shredded Frans Nielsen's knee. After Trent Hunter fought Mottau, nobody went after Mottau that night, nor did they do so in any of the other four times the Islanders and Devils played. Howie Rose must have mentioned it a million times down the stretch. Nobody cared. Compare that to what you saw last night. The Islanders tried to engage Phaneuf multiple times. Even though Phaneuf wouldn't take the bait - he sent in his underlings to fight those battles - it says a lot that the Islanders, even those with no chance of making the team, would try to take care of business. It shows how important Kyle Okposo is to the team and it shows how much these players truly care for one another. Most of all, it shows the progress made since last November.

All in all, it's a horrible situation, but at least Okposo is relatively okay. There's no need to dwell on it or demand revenge on March 25, 2010, which is when the Flames head to the Nassau Coliseum. And hey, we got visual proof that we have a true team this year. That's a good sign.

One last point about the hit. A few people have compared this hit to the one Doug Weight laid on Brandon Sutter last year - you know, the one that had Brent Sutter apoplectic and demanding Weight's banishment from the NHL. OK, he didn't really go that far, but he wasn't happy. Last night, when it was Okposo getting laid out, the elder Sutter was again involved, this time as the Flames' coach. Sutter's take?

"That's part of Dion's game. When he sees that open ice, Dion has to use it. It's one part of his game that makes him a unique player," said Sutter. "You never like to see anybody get hurt obviously, and it's too bad that happened, and hopefully we've been told, he's going to be okay. But Dion still can't pass up that hit".

Recap: Rangers Preseason Opener

At 4:03 AM, the sound of my cell phone woke me up. Immediately, I knew it was Zach.

At least once a week, I wake up to a late-night text from this site's co-conspirator. It's fun, mostly because I usually sleep through them and they're often humorous. One time, Zach texted me at 3 AM to ask me how to change lines in NHL 09. Zach's off in Vegas, so I wasn't expecting to hear from him, but he said he had his buddy Dan do a write-up of last night's Rangers-Bruins pre-season game for our site. I turned on the game with about a minute left, just in time to hear the entire broadcast crew gush over Matt Gilroy, so I'll take Dan's word for what happened.

And here, my friends, is (I think) the first guest post we've ever done on this site - a look at the Rangers' first pre-season game, completely unedited, courtesy of Dan.

***

Pre-season game 1 summary: Bos. 2 – NY 1
-Valliquette started and already looked in mid-season form, stopped 18 of 19 including some pretty tough shots (Torts plans on him getting about 15-20 starts this year)

-Brian Boyle (even with his 6’7" frame) did not impress, took two dumb penalties in the 1st period, one lead to the B’s first goal

-Brashear was booed heavily the first time he touched the puck, but it lessened as the game went on, esp. after he flattened a Bruin and got some cheers

-Dane Byers hustled, had some good forechecks and didn’t take any stupid penalties like his linemate Boyle, but that was about it

-Alexei Semenov (the kid from San Jose getting a tryout) looked ok, he is massive which means he’s not the quickest guy in the world (Scotty Hockey called him a "traffic cone" on ice), but he cruched a few B’s and got an assist on the only goal by wristing a shot from the point, so there’s maybe some 7th D-man potential

-the Brighton Beach line of Lisin-Anisimov-Grachev looked comfortable together, fast, and aggressive to the net (especially Grachev, Sam & Joe feel he’ll be on the roster), during one hard forecheck in the 2nd they drew a penalty

-Gilroy and DelZotto got the most of my attention, especially on the PP, they both love to jump in the play (with the encouragement of Torts), and don’t hesitate to unload a shot if they have it (Gilroy had about 3-4 shots, DelZotto hit the post on the PP)

-Kotalik will be a point-man on the PP this year, has a rocket shot and fires at will, his pairing on the PP was DelZotto

-Matt Zaba took over in net for Vally around half-way through the 2nd period, made some very good saves also, and wasn’t at fault for the 2nd goal, (defense vacated the crease to go to the corner and hung him out to dry vs. an open man)

-Matt Maccarone (another bruiser) hustled and such, but I had to laugh at the retro 1970’s pornstar mustache he was sporting

-Higgins got our only goal by camping out at the crease and banging in the rebound of Semenov’s shot, he was on a line with Drury and Kotalik for most of the game

-the Rangers came out and controlled play early in the 1st, but then they took 4 penalties which killed their momentum for the rest of the period, they took 6 total in the game (which led to both goals allowed), the B’s were only called for 2 penalties

-MSG showed a taped interview with Sather addressing the Dubi situation, and he basically said that Dubi has no leverage and will have to either give in and accept whatever offer he gets by the RFA deadline or he won’t be playing at all this year, (they also had Boston’s GM live in the studio at intermission talking about Kessel, pretty much the same thing going on up in Beantown)

-Rangers play the Devils wed. night at the Rock, Lundqvist will play half of the game, no mention of who gets the other half (Wiikman? OchoCinco?)

-players who sat out against the B’s and most likely playing against the Devs:
Prospal, Redden, Rosy, Voros, Avery, Potter, Heikkenen, Kundratek

-Gaborik already has a sore groin (go figure), so not sure yet if he’s going to play

Islanders Win Preseason Opener

The Islanders started their preseason on a positive note, beating the Bruins 2-1 in overtime. While it doesn't really mean anything, it never hurts to see the young guys playing well and beating another team, even if both teams were about a 50/50 split between NHL and AHL players.

Of course, since the game wasn't on TV last night - we wouldn't want anything to get in the way of the 2007 boxing match MSG Plus showed instead - we didn't get to watch this one. However, The Rivalry has come through with the real scoop on what happened last night. And away we go!

- The Islanders are back to their old tricks again, putting 38 shots on goal but only scoring twice. You have to applaud the effort that yields 38 shots, though you'd like to see more goals scored, especially against the likes of Tuuka Rask and Kevin Regan.

- The Islanders' winning tally was scored by Trevor Smith, which is all well and good. However, the Islanders have given him #77 for training camp. With all due respect to Mr. Smith, that number will always belong to Pierre Turgeon. Fun Fact: The last Islander to wear #77 was Cliff Ronning in 2003-04. Yes, I'd forgotten all about him as well.

- Jon Sim, the Isles' big catch on the first day of the 2007 free agent signing period, scored a power play goal. Everyone's already forgotten about Sim, but he should be able to do some pretty neat things on the Island. Sim also wore an A last night, apparently because there was nobody else better to wear it.

- New coach Scott Gordon claims he was expecting a "laundry list" of problems, but was pleasantly surprised. On one hand, so am I; on the other, it's a preseason game against the Bruins. It's not going to hold much water when they play real teams. Still, a nice starting point to be sure.

- New signee Yann Danis - remember that name - posted a clean sheet (or, as they say in America, a shutout) for the half of the game he played. Something tells me Danis is going to be on the big club before long. He's absolutely sick in NHL 09; in my Be A Pro season, his GAA is less than 1.

So, a quality opener for the Islanders, who could use a solid preseason to show their fans that the season isn't over before it starts. The Isles play again tomorrow night against the Flyers in London, Ontario. Again, no TV for this one, as the NetJets Showdown between Pete Sampras and Roger Federer is simply a must-see.

So Are Both NY Teams Going to Have a Number 93 This Season?...

This may just be crazy talk, and in a few months we might be laughing at the mere fact that we were even thinking about it (much like when we wondered if Dave Scatchard would be a Ranger, or how we were going to fit Michael Peca in under the Cap last year), but can Petr Nedved really become a Ranger?

First off, if you have told me in June that in the second preseason game of the year, I'd see Nik Zherdev, Marcus Naslund, and Petr Nedved all in Ranger blue, I would have called you crazy.

But was Petr Nedved not one of the best Rangers on the ice? He was everywhere, skating well, he scored in the first, he clanked a post on a great shot in the second. Not bad for a man who hasn't played an NHL game since March 2007. For the record, it was his first goal in an NHL game since January 2007. (He was a Cy Young winner in the Czech league last year, with 20 goals and 5 assists).

His main problem during his second stint with the Rangers (mostly in 2003-04) was his overplaying of the puck and refusal to shoot. He was Jagr-Straka-Nylander before they were cool. He played well with Radek Dvorak and Jan Hlavac, but when not flanked by those Czechs, he was out of his element. He was the cause of frustration for many a Ranger fan, although some of that frustration was wrongly thrown towards him. If memory serves me correctly, he was the only Ranger with a hat trick in 2002-03. 

What would happen if he can get rid of that cycling mentality and play a North American game? It isn't crazy to think of. He isn't that old - turning 37 in December - and he still had his legs under him. If he can adapt to a new style, would it really be awful to have him back? 

But, who would sit? Down the middle, there already are three bonafide NHL centers - Scott Gomez, Chris Drury, and Brandon Dubinsky. In the wings are Blair Betts, Dan Fritsche, and Artem Anisimov. Scratch Anisimov until next year, too skinny with a few flaws that need to be worked out. Say what you want about Betts' lack of scoring, but he is a great defensive forward who kills penalties better than anyone on the team. He also can score, as we witnessed a few times in the past few seasons. Remember his great end-to-end rush against Anaheim in November of 2006? Put him with someone besides Ryan Hollweg or Colton Orr, and he can improve his stats. Maybe Drury can go to wing, and Betts can be a center as well, because I see Betts as having a safe spot on this team.

So, how now, Dan Fritsche? The throw-in in the Zherdev trade, he doesn't score often (although his stats were not awful). I don't know if he is on a two-way contract, or what, but this might very well be a battle between Nedved and Fritsche for the 3rd or 4th line center position.

The Rangers have so many forwards for only 13 or 14 spots that it boggles the mind.

Preseason!...

I don't care that the Rangers lost today. It's only preseason, and as we all know (or maybe some don't), the Giants, Patriots, and Colts all went 1-3 in preseason before winning the Super Bowl that year.

But I've never been quite so excited to see a preseason game played as I was today. It's been a while since the Rangers played hockey, just over 4 months, and they have a lot of redemption to do this year. It was a welcomed sight to see a bunch of white jerseys on the television today. It almost makes me wish I didn't sell my tickets to Monday's game at the Garden against the Senators.

It's going to be a good year, regardless of where our New York Rangers end up.

* * * 

A hearty farewell goes out to the world's biggest Brian Leetch fan, John Dellapina, who covered the Rangers for the Daily News (and was, subsequently, the only good part of that newspaper) since the 1994-95 season.

We never like to link to other blogs much at this site, but I must say, his goodbye blog is worth reading from a sports perspective. While many journalists like to hide their allegiance, Dellapina never wavered in being a Rangers fan, even during their playoff-less years. He had his dream job when he got to travel with and cover the Rangers, and he never pretended he wasn't less than thrilled to do it.

A good article from a good fan.

We're Almost There

We've finally reached Labor Day, the unofficial end of summer.

Thank God.

It can be said that hockey fans are more passionate about their favorite sport than anybody else. And as wonderful as baseball can be, everyone's probably a little sick of hearing about the third-place Yankees. Just the same, we've all heard a little too much about Brett Favre this month. Time to move on.

Thankfully, the NHL season isn't all that far away. Well, okay, maybe it is. But training camp isn't far off at all. The Rangers open up their training camp on September 16th, just over two weeks away. The Islanders... well, we don't know when they're going to start their training camp. Their website doesn't say. Because, you know, nobody would want to know when their team opens training camp or anything. Their first pre-season game is September 23rd, so take that as you will.

With every preseason game for both teams airing on TV this year, it'll be easier than ever to catch hockey fever early. It'll also be a good opportunity to see what each team has in store for us. Ranger fans are dreaming about a Cup run, and with good reason. Islander fans are thinking first overall draft pick, and with good reason. At this point, it doesn't really matter how our teams do. We just want our game back.

You can only watch so much NHL Network over the summer. How many first-round games from 2007 can one take? It's almost time for the real sports season to begin, and I could not be more excited.

The Islanders might be a seriously awful team this year. You know what? I don't care. I just want to see them play some games. I want to draft a fantasy hockey team and be utterly disgusted with it immediately afterward. I want to see who's going to get off to a hot start, who's going to get hurt early, and which coach is the first to be canned. And now that September is here, it all seems like it's so much closer than it was just days ago.

Which is a great thing. If I have to hear one more outlandish quote from Hank Steinbrenner, I might kill somebody. As Zach said, bring on the winter. Bring on the NHL.

It's Friday...

1) Of the 4 Veteran S's, one has finally re-signed. Joe Sakic is back in Colorado, presumably for his last season. Now, if only Sundin, Selanne, and Shanahan would come to a decision. To be honest, I'm not losing sleep over it, but it would be nice to get a glimpse of how rosters are going to shape up for the 2008-09 season.

I don't think any of these guys will land on Broadway (not that there ever has been a Selanne-to-Rangers rumor), but it is a remote possibility, and some closure on the issue would be nice.

2) While I still think Florida is the most poorly run organization in the NHL, the LA Kings might be the winners of Worst Offseason Ever. While they did trade for Jarrett Stoll, they did not sign one unrestricted free agent this summer. They did lock up a few draft picks and restricted FAs, but they have just over $27M in payroll for the next season. I don't even know if that would have been enough to hit the Salary Cap floor in the season after the lockout, and it certainly isn't enough to hit the floor this year.

While they do have a big future (think of them as the Penguins from a few years back), they need to sign some veterans to overpriced contracts just because they need to add salary to meet the NHL's minimum requirements. I have been expecting a Glen Murray signing ever since he got released from Boston, and there are still a few other players out there who haven't signed on with an NHL club or jumped ship to Russia.

Okay, so their future isn't as bright as the Penguins, but they do have a plethora (nice word) of young talent on the club and in the pipeline, and they will have a lot of high draft picks this year too, as long as they sign veterans to one-year deals and then ship them off at the trade deadline.

3) Two thumbs down to whoever writes the ticker on the bottom of the screen on the NHL Network. Yesterday, I put the channel on at work (I'm a bartender) and it was a classic series between the Washington Capitals and the Rangers from 1991. Fantastic.

Anyway, I had turned it on to see if the Joe Sakic news had broken yet (I knew there was a press conference scheduled so he could announce his decision). The ticker listed what they have listed all summer, free agents on every team, in alphabetical order. Once again, this bored me to tears, because I know who they are, and most of the un-signed free agents left are middling, Ryan Hollweg type players who should be signed to two-way deals. Case in point: the Chicago Blackhawks signing a guy named Tim Brent is not news, nor was the fact that he was a free agent at one point.

Not only did they have this "news" feed scrolling the bottom of the TV, but they also had not updated it in over a week. They told me that Aaron Downey of the Red Wings was a free agent. Well, a quick glimpse at TSN shows me he re-signed on August 20th. Yesterday was the 28th. On top of that, did anyone besides his immediate family and close friends really care if Aaron Downey was still a free agent?

That's like CNN scrolling false facts on the bottom of their feed that nobody cared about even when the facts were true.

4) I did it. I signed up for a package. Didn't even hesitate. The Rangers emailed me, and 10 minutes later I was on the phone. I hesitated so little, in fact, that I forgot to ask how much the package was. Luckily, a letter with prices came, only to confirm my theory: prices had gone up. And why wouldn't they? I mean, the Rangers won 5 playoff games last season, including 2 at home in the Garden. So, why wouldn't Jackass Jim Dolan raise ticket prices?

Prices didn't go up the year after the lockout, not because of the lockout, but because the Rangers hadn't made the playoffs in 2003-04. Every year since, however, prices have steeply risen, and a ticket that would have cost $44 then now costs $60. I believe it's even more money if you don't have a package (I think someone else would pay $64.50 for my $60 tickets).

What kills me though is preseason. You would think that since those games don't sell out, they would give some tickets to real fans who can't afford them, or at least put preseason tickets on sale for like $30 for the $60 seats. I don't really want to go to the preseason game, but I will, because they make you get it when you get a package. It's fun to watch the young kids - I saw Marc Staal's first NHL point in a preseason game last year - but it's very expensive, not to mention it's an extra $14 for the train, I might have a beer, maybe a soggy pretzel, and now a preseason game featuring Brodie Dupont has cost me $100.