Champ:
Garry Galley - you gotta love how he stands up for his team. Ken Belanger decided to pick a fight with Mike Stapleton...whoooo tough guy; that's a real fair fight! As Belanger was having his way with Stapleton, Galley got a full head of steam and did a flying leap grabbing onto Belanger and dragging him down to the ice. Sadly, that was the Islanders best highlight of the game.
Chump:
Do I even need to say his name? Two glaring defensive errors that lead to goals; -2 on the night; I will continue to get on his case until this organization wakes up and realizes he is not the answer. When he was finally benched in the third for a few shifts the Isles played some sound defensive hockey.
S-L-O-P-P-Y
...You ain't got no alibi...you SLOPPY! What else can I say? The Islander game last night versus the Bruins was one of the ugliest games I have seen all season. There were so many glaring mistakes by individual players (Chara, Muckalt, Czerkawski) that directly affected the outcome of the game. Not that any of you need to know this, but I had a physical this morning and when the doctor asked me how I was feeling, I replied, "Well Doc, I feel pretty sick to my stomach after watching the Islanders last night...what can you give me to make the pain go away?" And he replied, "you can start by benching Zdeno Chara". I was like, "wow, how did you know he was so bad? You aren't even an Islander fan!" Secondly, "you need to have some patience. The Islanders have some key injuries right now and though you have heard this before, you just have to have some patience with the Islanders and give them some time to ride out this string of injuries. Thirdly, keep Mike Milbury as your GM. (Yes, you heard me...keep him.) For the most part, he has done an excellent of job of putting a competitive team together. Though the standings do not reflect it, the Islanders have some very talented players that Milbury has acquired through trades or the draft. Blaming Milbury for the Islanders present woes is not the answer."
Zdeno Chara meet Sergei Samsonov
Those of you who have read my articles before, know that I have been on Chara's back all season. Well, I am not about to let up. In case any of you missed it (and I don't know how you could have), with about a minute left in the second period, Sergei Samsonov was seen skating around Wade Flaherty's crease making figure 8's. He had so much time to put the puck in the net that he could have called home to Russia and wished his parents Happy Holidays, wrapped a few last minute gifts, and then lit the red lamp for the goal. And to think, during all this time, Chara was too busy watching Jason Allison with the puck in the corner instead of covering his man. I think I saw Allison laughing as he fed the puck to Samsonov at the top of the crease for the easy goal. Before the next game versus the Bruins, remind me to introduce Chara to Samsonov so maybe he will remember who to cover in front of the net.
Re-living the 80's
I have always loved the fans who come to one Islander game a season and totally rip the team when they are there. This guy last night above my row in section 328, dressed in Sassoon pants (remember them?) and an Islander jersey that looked like it hadn't been washed since 1980, starts yelling "Islanders, You Suck!" Are you kidding me 80's guy? When was the last time you were at a game? Have you actually been at a game where the Islanders have played with grit and determination? You are going to come to one game a season and bash the Islanders? I don't think so! Go home, watch some re-runs of Eight is Enough and The Love Boat, and stay away from the Islanders. The way I look at it, my family has been season ticket holders for about 25 years. I have been to a large majority of the games over the past 10 seasons and have been with the team through thick and thin. If I want to get down on this team, I think I have a right to just as any other loyal season ticket holder does but when I hear fans like this guy criticizing the Isles I have to speak up.
Gold Hair Dude Give It a Rest
After last weeks game versus Dallas, my girlfriend and I (well, actually my girlfriend), just
HAD
to stay after the game to get Mathieu Biron's autograph. Now, let me tell you, she doesn't really like him for his play on the ice, but thinks he has real pretty eyes. So, in light of this fact, we stood out in the freezing cold just to get an autograph of a hockey player with cute eyes. As we were standing there, guess who shows up? Ummmm...Santa Claus? Nope. Ummmm...Pokemon? Nope. The annoying Gold Hair Dude that is at every Islander game? YUP! While I really appreciate this guys enthusiasm and support for the Islanders, he really has to give it a rest sometimes. As Jeff Toms and Mathieu Biron went down the line of fans signing autographs, he followed them
everywhere
they went. Jeff Toms was signing my girlfriend's jersey and the Gold Hair Dude was standing over her shoulder critiquing Toms' defensive play! I was waiting for Jeff Toms to drop an elbow on this guys head. The Islanders had just played a solid game against a good Dallas Stars team, and here is this annoying lunatic criticizing their play. I don't know about you, but if I was an Islander player, the last thing I would want to hear is some fan analyzing my play on the ice.
Ice Chips
(Tid Bits about the game you may have missed)
:
A guy sitting two seats away from me actually said,"Wow, that number 3 guy really sucks". I almost fell out of my seat. Let me remind you that I had never seen this guy before in my row and you could really tell he wasn't somebody who frequented Islander games. For somebody who doesn't really know the Islanders that well to say that, you know it is quite obvious that Chara's play is hurting this team. I couldn't understand why everyone was telling me to go last night when they said "Mike must go!"...do they really hate me that much? How about that Human Sphere race? In an event that was more exciting than the game, that kid made a heck of a comeback to win the race. All in all, Wade Flaherty did play a pretty solid game. Facing 47 shots in a game and only letting in 5 is pretty darn good. It is absolutely amazing that Lemieux can return to the ice and in his first game net a goal and add two assists. Thanks for coming back Mario!
Until Next Time..."Lets Drop the Puck"
Update:
Mike Stapleton was dealt to the Vancouver Canucks for a 9th round pick. The Islanders have also called up Juraj Kolnik who had 4 goals and nine points in eight games with Springfield (AHL).
- Mike