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Ice ice baby

John Cougar Lunchbucket Feb 17 2017 02:48 PM

We don't seem to have a hockey thread. Went to my first Islanders game since ~1983 over the weekend, got cheapo tixx through Lunchpail's school. Also first time in Barclays Center ( dark, really unimpressive inside). I've never been a big hockey guy beside a bump in the 80s with USA 80 and the Islanders' great run, but I sort of consciously rejected the Isles as part of my "escape from Long Island" scheme. I mean, it's better than the NBA afaic. I felt for awhile I was a Rangers fan but I just can't pretend to be a part of that tribe. I just don't give enough fucks. So I sorta confronted my feels, and can't deny it -- I'm an Islanders guy. So we watched Sunday as they beat Colorado and last night I "got into" the Nyi-nyr game on TV. Cheered and shit when they came back and won. I know the Isles are up against it for the playoffs but I like 'em. I can report after watching 2 games that Taveres is fantastic. What a terrific player. Leddy the defenseman is pretty good, as is Lee. The rough guy who wears 24 is also fun. And that's everything I know about hockey. Thank you. What's your deal with hockey? I know we have a few NYR fans here.

Frayed Knot Feb 17 2017 02:54 PM Re: Ice ice baby

Do Leddy and Lee play on the same line? Or at least live in the same subdivision?

Fman99 Feb 17 2017 02:55 PM Re: Ice ice baby

Great live, and lousy on TV. We have minor league hockey, an AHL team here in the 'Cuse, and Fboy and I try to go 1-2 times per year.

sharpie Feb 17 2017 03:11 PM Re: Ice ice baby

Not a big fan but I've been to one or two games and enjoyed it live. Went to BAM the other night and the show I went to ended at the same time as the Rangers-Islanders game. Seeing all those hockey fans made me think that I should go to one of those games too.

41Forever Feb 17 2017 03:19 PM Re: Ice ice baby Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Feb 17 2017 04:03 PM

I like hockey and the Islanders. We lived in Connecticut for a while and used to go to a lot of New Haven Nighthawks games and an occasional Whalers game. It's a worthy off-season diversion, but I lose interest once the baseball season approaches. It was exciting when our favorite Nighthawk -- Kenny "the Bomber" Baumgardner -- eventually played for the Islanders after some trades.

themetfairy Feb 17 2017 03:23 PM Re: Ice ice baby Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Feb 17 2017 03:24 PM

Hockey isn't like baseball for me. I grew up rooting for the Rangers but switched to the Isles when they were born and my family had a partial season plan at the Coliseum. They went from barely being able to skate (seriously - those first couple of seasons were awful!) to winning the Cup every year I was in college. I remember listening to one of the playoff games on the radio in 1981 or 1982 when former Islander Jean Potvin (Denis' older brother) lost his voice during an exciting victory. The 1-2 punch of Billy Smith and Chico Resch were arguably the greatest goalie duo in NHL history. This Isles are my number one, but when they've been out of it I've pulled for the Rangers, and after that the Devils. After that I'll root for anyone who's not the Flyers. What you missed Lunchie was that up until this season Howie Rose called the games along with Butch Goring. The new guy is good, but Howie is irreplaceable (and he's the only one who could get away with calling Goring "Butchy"). I actually like the Barclays Center from a creature comfort standpoint. In the Coliseum you'd be on line for the ladies room forever - you'd literally miss half of a period of play on the line. In my last game at the Coliseum I saw a sign that they had additional bathrooms in the beer garden. When I checked that out, there were porta potties. I was simultaneously disgusted by the concept and happy that I could use the facilities without missing so much of the game. My hope is that they return to the renovated Coliseum after they leave the Barclays, because that's where they really belong. Oh, and the Ralph Macchio bobble head with the bobble leg that they gave out this season was awesome -

Mets Willets Point Feb 17 2017 03:23 PM Re: Ice ice baby

Before I had kids I liked to go to college hockey games, even had season tickets, but that's something that's fallen by the wayside now that I have no free time. Fun sport to watch live, like Fman said.

HahnSolo Feb 17 2017 03:48 PM Re: Ice ice baby

Frayed Knot wrote: Do Leddy and Lee play on the same line? Or at least live in the same subdivision? So well done this comment approaches the unreal.

Ceetar Feb 17 2017 03:51 PM Re: Ice ice baby

Fman99 wrote: Great live, and lousy on TV. We have minor league hockey, an AHL team here in the 'Cuse, and Fboy and I try to go 1-2 times per year. I don't find it lousy on TV, but it's definitely more fun in person. Isles started out really slowly, mostly because they keep trading their goal scorers and not replacing them and their GM is their former backup goalie and one of the TV analysts is still under contract as a goalie and.. anyway, they seem to have righted the ship a bit after switching coaches (to one of their former players) though it's probably unrelated. Anders Lee is a pretty nice player and literally has the second most goals in the league over the last two months, so that second scorer up there with Tavares makes a big difference. Oh, they also 'optioned' their veteran goalie who wasn't getting it done to the minors. I haven't been able to get the time to watch a lot lately (still figuring out this toddler bedtime stuff that occupies most of the timeslot) but caught most of their clobbering of the Rangers last night. Stupid Rangers.

themetfairy Feb 17 2017 04:11 PM Re: Ice ice baby

Ceetar wrote: Oh, they also 'optioned' their veteran goalie who wasn't getting it done to the minors. Yes - Halak went from being an All Star to the AHL! There has to be a story behind that - the decline was precipitous.

Frayed Knot Feb 17 2017 04:31 PM Re: Ice ice baby

The Barclays thing is going to be an interesting topic to watch. Supposedly the Ice-landers are drawing so little interest that the folks who run Barclays have decided they can make more money without them than with and so they're not picking up the option on the team past either this year or next. And with Nassau not really an option at the moment, Hartford, CT has stepped forward to offer themselves as either a temporary or ever permanent home. I don't think they'd want to re-name themselves the 'Whalers' (especially if just a temporary stop) but it would also be tough to be the central Connecticut Islanders. It was a shame they felt the need to leave in the first place but Nassau County and the Town of Hempstead have no one to blame but their own greedy/corrupt/bureaucratic selves. Given more than a decade to come up with a plan to fix or replace the Coliseum on the most valuable patch of commercial real estate on the island, they instead got bogged down in all sorts of arguments over how to split up the graft and never came up with anything.

d'Kong76 Feb 17 2017 04:38 PM Re: Ice ice baby

I have a couple of nif's that are total puck heads. Me, eh... * Fifteen of us went to our second annual Rangers game around xmas time. Lotta fun, but expensive night out for sure. * I was an Islander fan back in the the crazy days. I probably have told this story (because I do tend to often repeat myself) but I became a Rangers fan in the late 80's as a trade off that one of my best buds become a Mets fan and stop rooting for the MFY's. One of my best negotiating moves to this day. * Years ago we used to have boyz weekend trips to minor league cities. Pro- vidence, Albany, Springfield... oh, the debauchery days. I miss them. * I live close to West Point and go to 2-3 Black Knight games per year. We're actually thinking of getting season tickets next year. * A nif of mine and his nephew often go to The Frozen Four. I suppose that's on my unofficial bucket list (as is The Daytona 500). * If I'm flipping around alone I find it hard to watch hockey, it's much more entertaining for me to watch it in the company of a few who care. * There's really not much in sports that rivals the thrill of a tied hockey game with less than five minutes left, especially a playoff game.

Vic Sage Feb 17 2017 04:41 PM Re: Ice ice baby

i'm not much of a Hockey fan, but what little attention i paid to the sport growing up was focused on the Giacomin-Hadfield-Ratelle-Gilbert era of the early -mid 70s. When i went to college (out on long island), the Rangers beat the upstart Islanders in the playoffs, but then the Islanders won 4 straight cups, making my college years even more miserable. The Mets were miserable then, too, and the Richard Todd Jets offered only heartbreak (and still do). Even the Bernard King Knicks disappointed when Bernard blew out his knee. It was a dark time. But then the Jets drafted O'Brien, the Knicks got Ewing, the Mets brought up Darryl and Doc, and the Rangers got... Marcel Dionne? Oy. I was happy when the Rangers finally won in 1994 (Matteau!), and i still follow them in the paper, but i only go to Hockey games on rare occasions. I'm not particularly invested in them, but i still like it when they beat the Islanders. Say it with me... "Potvin Sucks!""Potvin Sucks!""Potvin Sucks!"

Ceetar Feb 17 2017 05:04 PM Re: Ice ice baby

I know they were trying to stay in Nassau but I wish they'd gotten involved with the Barclay's from the beginning so that it was at least designed with hockey in mind. That's the major issue, the attendance stuff is fine late in the season and into the playoffs, and some success will draw the new/local fans plus the casual Islanders fan LIRR commuters that worked in the city and therefore could just simply NOT get to games during the week. It alienated the Suffolkers that don't go to the city and stay on the island and what not, and those folks didn't even really have a chance to vote/voice their concerns in the other county. But nothing has been decided about the Islanders future as Barclay's does not have to decide yet and it's all a lot of posturing and such.

d'Kong76 Feb 17 2017 05:12 PM Re: Ice ice baby

Beat your wife, Dennis, beat your wife never gets old.

A Boy Named Seo Feb 17 2017 06:02 PM Re: Ice ice baby

I had a run w/ hockey when the Messier Rangers won in 94(?) and hockey was everywhere on TV. Other than that, I just can't convince myself to care about it. I've even sipped fine champagne from Lord Stanley's Cup after the Ducks won the thing whenever they did. I got invited to the cup party at the team owner's beach-front mansion (it's good to know people!). As a guest of that (very nice to me!) fam, I've only ever watched a handful of professional hockey matches (games?) from either the owner's suite or their seats on the first row pushed up against the glass window. Though the action is super, super fast down there, I did not object to sitting in the suite in fine theatre style seats, with plush, Mighty Ducks blankets to wrap myself in if the chill of the ice (from the rink or my top-shelf, gratis bourbon) overcame me. #fancyman #hoighty-toighty

Lefty Specialist Feb 17 2017 06:42 PM Re: Ice ice baby

Have to admit, I don't give a puck.

Rockin' Doc Feb 18 2017 04:48 AM Re: Ice ice baby

Not much of a hockey fan, though we skated and played pick up games of hockey a few days a week as a kid in Minnesota. My roomate during our first year of grad school was a die hard hockey fan (Pittsburgh Penguins). He convinced a group of us to go see a the Blackhawks host the Minnesota Northstars in the opening round of the playoffs in spring of 1982. Had a great time (I think the Blackhawks won the game) and saw a great fight between 3 rowdy fans and the security force. I have attended 2 or 3 Hurricane games in Raleigh over the years. Generally as part of a group outing or corporate sponsored event. Just not enough of a fan to attend hockey games unless part of a large group outing.

MFS62 Feb 18 2017 02:01 PM Re: Ice ice baby

Used to go to the old MSG when I was in high school. A GO card got us into the upper deck for $.50. We sat on the side, and the angle was so bad you had to stand to see anything closer than the near side face-off circle. Other teams gave their #1 line colorful names, but the Rangers didn't have one. So my friend and I gave a name to the Rangers' top line, the ABC line. It was for the Andys (Bathgate and Hebenton) and Camile (Henry). Lost my fervent interest in hockey but have followed it casually since then. I appreciated the Islanders' FOUR STANLEY CUPS* and am still amazed that Martin Brodeur (All-time NHL leader in wins and shutouts) never got the adulation in New York that he deserved. If he had played in Montreal, they would have named a street after him and made him Mayor for life. Later * Oh, and Potvin WAS wayyyyy better than Brad Park.

Edgy MD Feb 23 2017 04:09 AM Re: Ice ice baby

Thirty-seven years ago, the US took down the mighty Soviet Olympic hockey team on the ice of Lake Placid. Trump must've been so pissed.

Ashie62 Feb 23 2017 05:30 PM Re: Ice ice baby

I lost track as the player names turned Eastern European. I did like to watch the Mickey Mouse Devils for free with any track bet ticket. UFC and MMA are my sports of the moment.

Ceetar Feb 23 2017 06:44 PM Re: Ice ice baby

Islanders temporarily in a playoff position. neat.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Feb 23 2017 08:00 PM Re: Ice ice baby

I've been watching for 2 whole weeks now. It seems like they have a pretty good squad tho susceptible to making small but costly mistakes, like the other night when they gave up a tying goal off a faceoff with 3 seconds left in the period -- hard to do that, but they did it. But generally in my opinion they outplayed the Rangers, the Devils twice (lost one anyway), the Red Wings and the Avs pretty handily in the games I've seen, they pass better and get more shots off than all of them. They basically need to hold off 6 other teams to get this playoff spot so it's also an exciting time.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Feb 24 2017 04:16 AM Re: Ice ice baby

You guys need to get on this bandwagon. Shut out the Habs in Montreal tonight with the help of a sweet goal by 19-year-old Anthony Beauvilier, Quebec kid who grew up worshipping the locals.

themetfairy Feb 24 2017 04:38 AM Re: Ice ice baby

It was cute how they sent Beauvillier out on the ice for pregame warmups and then failed to follow him so he was out there skating around all alone for a minute. The kid totally got the joke and was smiling ear to ear. Then after his goal his dad wiped away a couple of tears. It wasn't quite Steven' Matz's debut, but it was a nice evening for the local boy. And I just looked it up - Beauviller is almost a year younger than MK!

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Feb 24 2017 06:12 AM Re: Ice ice baby

Ranger fan since Ridley and Vanbiesbrouck and Greschner, circa '85. Will be attending Rangers-Devils at the Rock this weekend with my Devs fan cousin.

themetfairy Feb 24 2017 04:17 PM Re: Ice ice baby

You'll like the Rock - it's a nice place to watch a game. Video of Beauvillier's debut is available here.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Feb 24 2017 08:59 PM Re: Ice ice baby

News today is that James Dolan is in with a group (Wilpons also investors) backing a new Islanders arena at Belmont Park. Apparently it's not illegal for an NHL team owner to invest in the stadium of another club but it seems like it oughta be

Edgy MD Feb 24 2017 09:25 PM Re: Ice ice baby

I support giving ballparks, stadia, and arenae common-use names that play off their name-sponsor's slogan. The downside is that it doesn't really work for Citi Field. "The Ballpark That Never Sleeps"? Doesn't really stick.

Ceetar Feb 24 2017 09:47 PM Re: Ice ice baby

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: News today is that James Dolan is in with a group (Wilpons also investors) backing a new Islanders arena at Belmont Park. Apparently it's not illegal for an NHL team owner to invest in the stadium of another club but it seems like it oughta be They also all air on MSG it's confusing. That would've been nice back when I lived in Valley Stream.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Mar 01 2017 09:02 PM Re: Ice ice baby

So apparently the Islanders disappointed all their fans and failed to pull off a trade by today's deadline, but instead called up 21-year-old rookie Josh Ho-Sang, who apparently is already the greatest Jewish-black-Canadian-Jamacian-Chinese-Chilean-Russian-Swede player in NHL history (dad was a Jamacian tennis pro whose dad was from Hong Kong, Mom a jew from Chile whose parents were Russian and Swedish) He's apparently got a bit of Lastings Milledge in him, said to be overconfident, flashy, obnoxious and often late for practice.

Ceetar Mar 01 2017 09:05 PM Re: Ice ice baby

They sit 1 point back of a WC spot with a game in hand. Apparently the NHL sent out an email at the last minute telling everyone they're allowed to trade with the Las Vegas Golden Knights (draft picks presumably)

Edgy MD Mar 01 2017 09:18 PM Re: Ice ice baby

Do home teams not wear white in the NHL? Why are the Islanders in white while the boards indicate the official coffee of the Flyers?

John Cougar Lunchbucket Mar 01 2017 09:35 PM Re: Ice ice baby

Who knows. I think the picture must be from Spring Training, or whatever, cuz this Ho-Sang guy hasn't made an official league debut yet.

Ceetar Mar 01 2017 09:44 PM Re: Ice ice baby

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: Who knows. I think the picture must be from Spring Training, or whatever, cuz this Ho-Sang guy hasn't made an official league debut yet. They played the Flyers in the preseason but it looks like they were wearing blue. It was taken by ANDY LEWIS/ICON SPORTSWIRE. but I can't figure out where from. (yes I'm bored, no I don't know or care about 'white at home')

Ceetar Mar 01 2017 09:48 PM Re: Ice ice baby

must have been that preseason game, and the photo on the nhl site in blue was wrong. found a different photo of him in white with the caption "New York Islanders right wing Josh Ho-Sang (66) carries the puck past Philadelphia Flyers center Chris VandeVelde (76) during the second period during a preseason hockey game at Wells Fargo Center. (Eric Hartline)"

41Forever Mar 01 2017 09:53 PM Re: Ice ice baby

NHL teams a while ago switched to wear their colorful jerseys -- they call them sweaters -- at home and the whites on the roads. Still takes me a little getting used to!

themetfairy Mar 01 2017 10:00 PM Re: Ice ice baby

Plus sometimes the Isles wear the horrible black unis at home. When home is no longer Brooklyn, presumably they're not going to worry about looking like the Nets anymore.

Ceetar Mar 01 2017 10:02 PM Re: Ice ice baby

themetfairy wrote: Plus sometimes the Isles wear the horrible black unis at home. When home is no longer Brooklyn, presumably they're not going to worry about looking like the Nets anymore. I kinda hope they stay where they are, though next to Citi Field (or hell, Belmont) would be nice too. but I like the black uniforms too.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Mar 02 2017 12:43 PM Re: Ice ice baby

I'm not a fan of black alternates generally, but as black alternates go, I think the Isles' is one of the better ones I've seen. They don't make the mistake the Mets did of simply swapping white for black and mucking it up by trying to also shove in all their primary colors. I think the design suits the mood black suggests: It's straightforward, no bullshit, and despite the lack of traditional colors the big NY logo leaves no mistake that its an Islanders jersey. I also think its clever how they reverse the big NY to spell hipster BRKLYN on the alternate logos. I don't know for how long they've included the 4 stripes on the stick but understand that's for the 4 cups, and I think that's clever too.

Frayed Knot Mar 06 2017 05:08 PM Re: Ice ice baby

This Islanders run towards the playoff will have to come despite their upcoming [u:1vh8hxez]eight-game road stretch[/u:1vh8hxez] which is necessitated by the Barclays Center being the site for the ACC hoops tournament (a place where it absolutely doesn't belong, but that's a whole 'nother issue)

John Cougar Lunchbucket Mar 06 2017 05:40 PM Re: Ice ice baby

They're in it now. Lost the last 2 (in Chicago and Calgary last night) and managed to give up last-minute-of-the-period goals in both of them. Chicago's was a game-tying goal with the goalie pulled and they subsequently lost in a shootout. Sad!

themetfairy Mar 08 2017 02:43 AM Re: Ice ice baby

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: So apparently the Islanders disappointed all their fans and failed to pull off a trade by today's deadline, but instead called up 21-year-old rookie Josh Ho-Sang, who apparently is already the greatest Jewish-black-Canadian-Jamacian-Chinese-Chilean-Russian-Swede player in NHL history (dad was a Jamacian tennis pro whose dad was from Hong Kong, Mom a jew from Chile whose parents were Russian and Swedish) He's apparently got a bit of Lastings Milledge in him, said to be overconfident, flashy, obnoxious and often late for practice. Ho-Sang is now the undisputed goal leader among Jewish-Black-Canadian-Jamacian-Chinese-Chilean-Russian-Swedish players! Butch Goring likes the fact that the kid, and I quote, does not lack confidence.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Mar 08 2017 05:41 PM Re: Ice ice baby

Nother big win last night, and recovery from that crap effort in Calgary. Ho-Sang looks good, though you can tell he's still getting used to his new teammates. The other Goring quote: "He has only one speed, and that speed is ... fast."

themetfairy Mar 08 2017 05:53 PM Re: Ice ice baby

I love Butchy. I loved him better when Howie was there. But Butchy amuses us.

Frayed Knot Mar 14 2017 12:09 AM Re: Ice ice baby

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: You guys need to get on this bandwagon. So I turn on a game for the first time in ages, joining it mid-1st period with the NYI up 1-0, and they cough up two goals in like the first 18 seconds I was watching. Clearly my participation is not a positive for this team.

themetfairy Mar 14 2017 12:23 AM Re: Ice ice baby

As soon as you shut the tv they tied the game.

themetfairy Mar 14 2017 01:00 AM Re: Ice ice baby

It's now 6-4 Carolina in the second. The opposite of a pitchers duel, hockey-wise.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Mar 14 2017 01:22 AM Re: Ice ice baby

Yeah this isn't a classic so far, but I'm not putting it past them to win still.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Mar 14 2017 01:37 AM Re: Ice ice baby

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: Yeah this isn't a classic so far, but I'm not putting it past them to win still. Oh for fuck's sake. Get off the bandwagon tonight at least

Frayed Knot Mar 15 2017 01:37 AM Re: Ice ice baby

So until those back-to-back goals at the tail end of the 2nd period, I was ready to ban myself from watching any more games. As it was, tonight's contest was the first hockey game I've watched start to finish in maybe a decade.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Mar 15 2017 11:04 AM Re: Ice ice baby

They haven't looked nearly as good in the last 5 games than they did in the 10 prior to that, they still appear worn down by the long road trip and very sloppy.

d'Kong76 Mar 15 2017 07:44 PM Re: Ice ice baby

Reports that The Winter Classic will be at Citi Field next year, Rangers hosting Sabres. The report I read said first time in NYC, I could swear Skankmee Stadium had one of these a few year ago?

Ceetar Mar 15 2017 07:46 PM Re: Ice ice baby

d'Kong76 wrote: Reports that The Winter Classic will be at Citi Field next year, Rangers hosting Sabres. The report I read said first time in NYC, I could swear Skankmee Stadium had one of these a few year ago? that was a 'Stadium Series'. outdoor game but not the classic. Was the week before the NY super bowl.

Frayed Knot Mar 15 2017 08:01 PM Re: Ice ice baby

So, what, do they only consider the New Years Day game to be the official 'Winter Classic' while all other outdoor games are relegated to second class status as merely 'Stadium Series' games? Seems like a difference without a distinction. Also seems like it should be the Islanders hosting at CitiField instead of the Rangers but I'm sure NBC wants nothing to do with the Islanders, especially on their signature telecast. It was shocking enough that Monday's NYI/CAR game was shown over NBCSN

Ceetar Mar 15 2017 08:24 PM Re: Ice ice baby

Frayed Knot wrote: So, what, do they only consider the New Years Day game to be the official 'Winter Classic' while all other outdoor games are relegated to second class status as merely 'Stadium Series' games? Seems like a difference without a distinction. Also seems like it should be the Islanders hosting at CitiField instead of the Rangers but I'm sure NBC wants nothing to do with the Islanders, especially on their signature telecast. It was shocking enough that Monday's NYI/CAR game was shown over NBCSN they should hype the NYI-NYR rivalry for sure. And John Tavares is one of the best players in the league, so they should want to promote that.. well, the distinction is the coverage mainly. I don't think the Stadium Series stuff was nationally broadcast or hyped the same way, which is a damn shame considering that like the ENTIRE NFL was here and it certainly could've been huge.

Frayed Knot Mar 15 2017 08:36 PM Re: Ice ice baby

they should hype the NYI-NYR rivalry for sure. And John Tavares is one of the best players in the league, so they should want to promote that. Yeah, but the team hasn't had any kind of national following since the Trottier/Bossy/Potvin days and I doubt either team would want to "waste" an outdoor game against a rivalry that they're sure to sell-out anyway. And, besides, you've probably seen the lineup that NBC/NBCSN uses for its premier time slots (Sunday afternoon and Wednesday nights seem to be their big promos): it's Rangers, Bruins, Chicago, Pittsburgh, Philly, Detroit in some combination vs each other; rinse and repeat the following week. Checking tonight's sked ... it's Philly vs Pitt!!!

MFS62 Mar 15 2017 10:34 PM Re: Ice ice baby

And, besides, you've probably seen the lineup that NBC/NBCSN uses for its premier time slots (Sunday afternoon and Wednesday nights seem to be their big promos): it's Rangers, Bruins, Chicago, Pittsburgh, Philly, Detroit in some combination vs each other; rinse and repeat the following week. Checking tonight's sked ... it's Philly vs Pitt!!! Do we get the distinct impression that they don't give a flying rat's rectum about fans, or teams, West of the Mississippi? They DO remember there are more than the original 6 teams in the NHL, don't they? (Games against other teams are an exhibition) Or is there a regional schedule? Later

Frayed Knot Mar 15 2017 11:34 PM Re: Ice ice baby Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Mar 16 2017 01:31 PM

They just want to put the teams with the widest national appeal on their prime TV slots - which makes them no different from any of the other sports in that respect. The NFL would put the Cowboys on prime-time every week if they could (preferably against the Steelers or Packers) and I think it's been at least five years since the New England Bradys have had a 1:00 game; the NBA basically rotates Cavs & Warriors games right now the way they did with the Lakers & Celtics (and later Jordan's Bulls) for decades on end; and we all know that, left to their own devices, FOX & ESPN would alternate their GotW telecasts by swapping Yanx/Sawx with Cards/Cubs games for the entire season.

Ceetar Mar 16 2017 01:25 PM Re: Ice ice baby

Basically they're hoping Islanders and Devil fans hate-watch the Rangers game anyway or something, and that they'll draw in the Buffalo 'market'. They're wrong of course. There's no way the crappy Sabres over the perennial contending Islanders are a bigger draw. I could see them maybe being afraid of East Coast Bias stuff and want to keep it more broad, and figure people forget Buffalo is NY.

themetfairy Mar 16 2017 02:14 PM Re: Ice ice baby

On a different subject - In May 1993 we went to Toronto to see a Blue Jays game at what was called the SkyDome at the time. It was right after the Toronto Maple Leafs lost a playoff game to the LA Kings. In the cab from the airport to our hotel, we were listening to the local sports radio, and the host was ranting, convinced that the fix was in and that the officials handed the game to the Kings because the league wanted an American team in the Stanley Cup finals to attract the US audience. I remember chuckling to myself, thinking that the host was way overestimating how much Americans care about hockey.

Frayed Knot Mar 23 2017 01:16 PM Re: Ice ice baby

Of course it's tough to complain about how little attention the Islanders generate in national NHL coverage when the local sports media barely acknowledges them. On a night with very little going on elsewhere (the WBC plus a meaningless Knicks game) last night's 3-2 NYI win at MSG is still way down the screen within the on-line sports section of both NYC tabloids and even then their headlines are essentially 'Rangers Lose' with all the side articles concentrating on Ranger issues as well. And while it's understandable seeing as how the Rangers have the longer tradition and the bigger fan base, the tabloids no longer have the excuse that these Brooklyn-based Islanders operate in a semi-separate market. Anyway, caught parts of the game in between the baseball. Islanders never led until a 3rd period power-play goal with 7 and change minutes left put them ahead. Checking on the standings, with 10 games remaining they essentially have to catch and pass either Boston or Toronto (while simultaneously not getting caught from behind by one of TB, PHI, CAR). Being 2 points in back of the Bruins but also with a game in hand makes them the easier get. Maple Leafs also won last night keeping them 3 points ahead with equal games to play. Hockey-Ref.com currently lists the NYI at a 34.1% shot at making the playoffs but that figure does not include last night's results.

Ceetar Mar 23 2017 01:30 PM Re: Ice ice baby

It was a fun little game last night. It's just sloppy imo. Media covers it the way they've always covered it because to inject new thoughts and ideas breaks up the existing narrative and makes regular writing hard. It's like the writers who have to insert 'how that ruth built' type stuff into an 8 year old stadium because if they gild their coverage with that garbage there is less actual thinking/analysis they have to do to write a story. Islanders are second class citizens, have no fans, have a crappy building, etc etc. You see some of this garbage locally too, with no real discussion to the idea of Brooklyn being a different fanbase than LI and the types of fans that go to games being different and it taking some time to switch. Like, Long Islanders that worked in the city couldn't go to weekday games before, now can. I dunno. The media coverage is self-fulfilling too. WFAN doesn't talk about hockey because no one calls in to talk about hockey, because no one at WFAN talks about hockey so the people that want to talk hockey go elsewhere.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Mar 28 2017 08:42 PM Re: Ice ice baby

Welp, looks like the Islanders are going to do me the favor of dropping out of the playoff race just as baseball starts. Two bad losses in a row to Boston and Nashville, club outplayed at home in both of them, especially last night when the Preds were just all over them. I've seen enough hockey in the past few weeks to conclude that teams that are fast and don't fuck up all the time are very difficult for the Islanders to beat, they give up a little too much to the better teams, even if they play at times like one of them. In a related note my whirlwind offseason hockey romance included reading Dave Bidini's book of hockey reflections, THE BEST GAME YOU CAN NAME, which is kind of a "GLORY OF THEIR TIMES" for middle-of-the-road NHLers of the 70s and 80s (mostly), interspersed with a tale of Bidini's own adult club hockey team as it plays some hipster tournament for Canadian hockey-playing musicians. Bidini begins by trying to parallel the athlete-musican lives but mainly uses his own narrative to introduce the oral-history carried by dozens of the players who are by far the stars of the book, if not the NHL. These are guys you might have had on hockey cards growing up (and in fact is illustrated with hockey cards): Nick Fotiu, Jim Schoenfeld, Bob Lorimer, Pat Hickey etc., who talk about fighting, their more skilled teammates, their coaches, what it feels like to play hockey, and I tellya, it's just great. I was reading this on the airplane last week and LOLing so much people were looking at me weird.

Frayed Knot Mar 29 2017 01:51 AM Re: Ice ice baby

It's nearly 35 years old at this point, but THE GAME by the one-time Montreal goaltender Ken Dryden remains the best athlete-written book I've read -- well, maybe BALL FOUR, but we're in the neighborhood here --- although it's more a memoir from a fairly sober-minded player than it is a laff-riot. Deals mainly with his own career of course, but hits a ton of other topics along the way from youth sports to locker-room dynamics, teammates, coaches, stardom, etc. that could apply to any other sport as well. Written about the same general era of hockey. Looks like there was a 30th anniversary edition that came out in 2013 so it's probably findable.

Edgy MD Mar 29 2017 02:40 PM Re: Ice ice baby

The funny thing is that, while I regularly argue against the embedded exploitation in baseball, the system that produces professional baseball players, from children on up, is about the least exploitative system there is, compared to other major (and minor, and mid-range) sports. The meat grinder of youth hockey and camps and junior circuits that Canadians describe is brutal, and makes baseball look idyllic by comparison. But I fear it's growing less so.

41Forever Mar 29 2017 08:58 PM Re: Ice ice baby

I had a chance to speak with a minor league hockey player, who now is in the NHL. He was telling us about all the different nationalities in the game, especially Europeans such as himself. I asked whether it was difficult to communicate in the clubhouse. "We all speak English in the clubhouse," he told me. "If I was talking Swedish to someone, and someone else was nearby and couldn't understand what we were saying, they would think it was rude. So we all try to speak English." I thought it was neat that a sport where fist fights that would merit week-long suspensions in any other sport result is just five minutes in the penalty box, the players are worried about appearing rude to teammates.

Frayed Knot Mar 30 2017 01:01 AM Re: Ice ice baby

Back in the days when the NHL was still 90+% from (cue Geddy Lee) the Great White North and was a much smaller league overall, there was often a clear English vs French divide within teams that mirrored the one in the country. The language gap also represented a bit of a geographical gap as the E-v-F made it somewhat Eastern vs Western in origin as well in a similar way that early 20th century baseball had northern (the majority) and southern teammates looking askance (or worse) at each other. But I suspect that once the league starting becoming more American and more European -- first came the Swedes, then Czechs, then Russians, etc. -- the multiple choice made them have to more or less settle on one. I've also read recently that the Quebec Junior League, long the breeding ground for so many of the game's French-Canadian stars of yore, isn't producing anywhere near the quantity of NHL quality players as it used to so it's possible that, even among the Canadian born, the French speakers are simply becoming more of a minority. The one place that language is still an issue is with the Montreal Canadiens, not between players in locker room necessarily but across the town, in the culture, and via the media, all of quite openly demand that only a French speaking coach is acceptable, and not French as a second language either but a pure born and bred Francophone, preferably from Quebec. On the other hand I haven't heard much about the province trying to secede lately so that separatist attitude sounds like it's more confined to just the hockey club itself.

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Mar 30 2017 09:04 AM Re: Ice ice baby

41Forever wrote: I thought it was neat that a sport where fist fights that would merit week-long suspensions in any other sport result is just five minutes in the penalty box, the players are worried about appearing rude to teammates. Well, the Swedes are, anyway.

Edgy MD Mar 30 2017 01:44 PM Re: Ice ice baby

There's this goofy history in Canadian hockey culture. Where US sports announcers may be prone to racism-lite by a tendency toward praising white players for moral and higher and nurtured virtues like grit, determination, intelligence and self-sacrifice; but noting African-American and Caribbean players for lower and unearned virtues like athleticism and charm; and European football announcers may play the same game with European vs. Latin American players; Franco-Canadian fans have long felt Anglo-Canadian announcers treat Francophonic hockey players the same way—as naturally gifted savages, flashy and talented but lacking in higher virtues. I'm not sure if willingness to be the team brute is a higher or lower virtue in that scenario. Historically, recalling from my childhood, I think that role tended toward the Scots-Canadians. The MacTavishes and the Campbells, the MacLeishes and Clarkes, and such.

Frayed Knot Mar 30 2017 02:16 PM Re: Ice ice baby

... Franco-Canadian fans have long felt Anglo-Canadian announcers treat Francophonic hockey players the same way—as naturally gifted savages, flashy and talented but lacking in higher virtues. Don't know that there was ever a 'Savages' label but the 'flashy and talented' stereotype feeds into the analogy you're looking for. It goes back to the longtime reputation of the Quebec Junior Lg, long the main feeder system for French speaking youth, as one filled with fancy skaters and high-scoring snipers but not necessarily a lot of two-way hockey. That puts it in contrast to the western junior leagues which are more apt to be filled with a bunch of rough and tumble boys fresh off the farm who, while perhaps lighter on all the fancy skills, are more worthy players in the long run because they're more defensive minded and tougher checkers, aka: better checkers = tougher people therefore they're the ones you can count on 'in crunch time' much better than those highly skilled yet 'soft' types.

Frayed Knot Apr 04 2017 01:01 PM Re: Ice ice baby

In non-Islanders ice news: - the NHL has decided NOT to interrupt their 2017-18 season in order to accommodate the winter Olympics Presumably some teams could still opt to send lower-level pros but the Olympic hockey tourney certainly won't have the star-studded cast it's had since the 1994 games - did anyone see the Flyers' goalie just keel over the other day? While the refs were setting up for a face-off at the other end of the ice, Michal Neuvirth just simply passed out and flopped backwards in his crease. He was taken out on a stretcher and hospitalized overnight although has since been released. No word yet on specifically what caused it or when he'll resume playing.

Edgy MD Apr 04 2017 01:32 PM Re: Ice ice baby

No, but I saw some highlight where an apparently semi-incapacitated player ended up inside the opposing goal. The net was otherwise undefended for some reason (pulled goalie?), so his teammate tried to gently put the the puck past him into the undefended net, but it still bounced off of the downed player, right back to the shooter, who finally netted it on the second try. The replay seemed to suggest the first shot had crossed the line, but it was the second shot that was credited with the score, so the downed player got an assist, gaining a point that cost him nothing in skill but at least a little bit as far as pain. It was like Homer Simpson winning the company softball game while out cold.

themetfairy Apr 04 2017 02:12 PM Re: Ice ice baby

Frayed Knot wrote: - did anyone see the Flyers' goalie just keel over the other day? While the refs were setting up for a face-off at the other end of the ice, Michal Neuvirth just simply passed out and flopped backwards in his crease. He was taken out on a stretcher and hospitalized overnight although has since been released. No word yet on specifically what caused it or when he'll resume playing. That was frightening - hopefully it was something simple like dehydration.

themetfairy Apr 09 2017 01:48 AM Re: Ice ice baby

Toronto's win over Pittsburgh tonight quashes the Islanders' remaining postseason hopes. It was a good season while it lasted. Hopefully the experience the youngsters picked up over these past few weeks will reap rewards next year.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Apr 09 2017 12:08 PM Re: Ice ice baby

It's too bad... They played these last few games so we'll after losing Taveres. I don't know anything but I would suspect that Taveras was hurting before he got hurt

themetfairy Apr 09 2017 01:57 PM Re: Ice ice baby

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: It's too bad... They played these last few games so we'll after losing Taveres. I don't know anything but I would suspect that Taveras was hurting before he got hurt He limped off the ice a week ago Friday in the third period. I didn't see the play, but it appeared that he was injured during the game.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Apr 09 2017 02:06 PM Re: Ice ice baby

Yes but he'd been playing uncharacteristically poorly for the previous 3 games by the time he went down, and admitted as much in interviews. The injury looked like a bad hamstring pull, oftentimes that can be "kinda sore" or tight for a short while before it goes kablooey. You could easily see a scenario where given the importance of winning down the stretch Taveras "played hurt" -- the Isles lost all those games and that's what ultimately sunk them.

themetfairy Apr 09 2017 02:45 PM Re: Ice ice baby

True.

G-Fafif Apr 09 2017 09:33 PM Re: Ice ice baby

The guy who replaced him seemed fine, but I missed Howie on the Islander telecasts and paid far less attention this season than in seasons recently past. Nonetheless, sorry the playoff push came up short. It was fun tracking out-of-town scores.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Apr 10 2017 02:13 AM Re: Ice ice baby

I kinda like the new guy. I didn't watch much hockey during the Howie Era, but Burke is pretty good. This was his first big-time gig.

themetfairy Apr 10 2017 02:28 AM Re: Ice ice baby

He's not bad, but he's no Howie.

Frayed Knot Apr 11 2017 04:13 PM Re: Ice ice baby

Despite a playoff system where eight teams make the playoffs from each conference, Pittsburgh with the 2nd best record in the east (2nd best in all of hockey in fact) is somehow matched in the 1st round against Columbus who finished with the 3rd best record in the east (and 4th best overall) and then the survivor of that series faces Washington with the best record in the league. IOW, a minimum of two of the top three teams in the eastern conference are guaranteed to be gone before the tourney is half over. Meanwhile Ottawa and Boston, the 6th & 7th best records, are matched against each other in the first round. Only the NHL can come up with a system like that.

Edgy MD Apr 11 2017 04:16 PM Re: Ice ice baby

Oh, I'm sure the NIT could pull that off, given half a chance.

Frayed Knot Apr 11 2017 08:26 PM Re: Ice ice baby

While the NIT (along with the NCAA for that matter) may determine their seeds based, at least partially, on projected attendance draw and/or TV ratings (they go to great lengths to deny it but nobody's fooled) at least once they determine those seeds they then proceed in a logical manner. How the NHL managed to set up a system where one of the top three teams in the East is guaranteed to go out in Round 1 and at least two of the three by Round 2 -- not might be but will be -- boggles the mind given how, in a logical world, none of those three teams would even meet prior to Round 3. As former player/referee/announcer Bill 'The Big Whistle' Chadwick used to say: the reason he knew that hockey was the best sport ever invented was because it managed to survive despite the idiots running it. And that was his go-to line at least three or four decades ago; not much appears to have changed since.

Frayed Knot Apr 12 2017 02:35 PM Re: Ice ice baby

Doug Weight gets the 'interim' tag removed as Islander coach following their 24-12-4 record (which is a nice way of saying 24-16) under his watch. I was going to write that he's now the permanent coach but of course there's no such thing as a permanent coach and there was no word on the source I read on how long a contract he'll be working with.

Frayed Knot May 06 2017 10:08 PM Re: Ice ice baby

Rangers headed to OT after coming within 90 seconds of winning the game and going up three games to two, but Ottawa scored after pulling their goalie. Speaking of that (not that I was watching) Anaheim was down 3-0 to Edmonton last night with under four minutes left in the game, so they pulled their goalie and scored three times to tie the game. They then won the game in overtime. I don't think I had ever heard of the desperation move working with that much time left (an empty net goal is almost assured given enough time) or from that far back.

Frayed Knot May 06 2017 11:39 PM Re: Ice ice baby

And the Rangers proceeded to lose in OT also. That puts them on the brink in this series. Sounds like this pulling the goalie thing works well. Maybe the Mets should try it next time their down in the late innings.

themetfairy May 06 2017 11:46 PM Re: Ice ice baby

Frayed Knot wrote: And the Rangers proceeded to lose in OT also. That puts them on the brink in this series. Sounds like this pulling the goalie thing works well. Maybe the Mets should try it next time their down in the late innings. It was more gut-wrenching than that. The Rangers seemed to have scored the winning run in OT, but it was disallowed for high sticking. Meanwhile, the Senators' game winner looked like it was offsides, but the officials called it a good goal.

Frayed Knot May 07 2017 12:06 AM Re: Ice ice baby

The offsides was borderline. The batted puck was clearly a high-stick, by maybe a foot.

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr May 08 2017 12:55 PM Re: Ice ice baby

Honestly, the Game 2 loss-- the two-goal lead lost with minutes to play-- was more maddening, if just by a skate blade.

metirish May 10 2017 12:43 AM Re: Ice ice baby

NHL Commissioner just announced the WInter Classic 2018 is coming to Citi Field, NY Rangers V the Buffalo Sabres

Frayed Knot May 10 2017 01:14 AM Re: Ice ice baby

It should be the Islanders, but that's a nationally televised game and I'm sure TV people insisted on the Rangers.

HahnSolo May 11 2017 03:04 PM Re: Ice ice baby

If I remember from the last time the Rangers played in outdoor games at YS, both the Islanders and Devils were the "home" team because there is some verbiage in the Rangers MSG contract that they can never be the "home" team outside the Garden. So I imagine the Rangers will be the visitors.

Frayed Knot May 13 2017 09:46 PM Re: Ice ice baby

HahnSolo wrote: If I remember from the last time the Rangers played in outdoor games at YS, both the Islanders and Devils were the "home" team because there is some verbiage in the Rangers MSG contract that they can never be the "home" team outside the Garden. So I imagine the Rangers will be the visitors. As Ed McMahon would say: 'You are correct sir'. My initial thought was that this is the typical power play move where the 'glamour' team throws its weight around so as to not lose the home gate from their own arena in the same way that the Jaguars or Titans or other lesser lights of the NFL are always assigned to be the 'home' team in London or other neutral site games ensuring that the favored teams retain all eight dates on their home turf. But in this case there's an additional reason as it turns out that if the Rangers don't play every home game in MSG then they lose some huge tax break that was written into whatever current deal they've got with the city. Between the tax breaks and the renovation money the city has poured into that place, it's certainly in their interest (and that of the unions who work the place) to make sure the building is dark as few days as possible.

themetfairy May 17 2017 06:49 PM Re: Ice ice baby

IMO, The Nashville Predators is the creepiest sports franchise name ever!

John Cougar Lunchbucket Jun 26 2017 08:59 PM Re: Ice ice baby

Jordan Eberle, who is good, joins Islanders in trade for Strome, who is bad. Oilers needed to save money. Islanders give away draft picks to the expansion Vegas Knights until they agree to take shitty backup goalie JF Berube. Islanders trade D Travis Hamonic, who is good, to Calgary in exchange for similar draft picks they traded away in the Berube deal. Islanders need to save money. NHL offseason impossible to follow since every move is influenced by salary cap considerations. Islanders come out looking one better on O, one worse on D, though there's still talk they could add another guy.

seawolf17 Jun 26 2017 09:19 PM Re: Ice ice baby

Mark Recchi, best known for being part of my dominant Flyers Sega Genesis NHL '95 first line with Eric Lindros and Mikael Renberg, and Teemu Selanne, best known as "Steve Moosellani" that same winter in Ontario Hall, among the newest Hockey Hall of Famers.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Jul 12 2017 05:17 PM Re: Ice ice baby

Are the Islanders not going to re-sign John Taveras?

Ceetar Jul 12 2017 05:35 PM Re: Ice ice baby

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: Are the Islanders not going to re-sign John Taveras? Drama! (beats me) what they're not going to do is move back to the Coliseum.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Sep 13 2017 05:24 PM Re: Ice ice baby

I came across these vids this morning and haven't gotten any work done. Bob & Doug for the New Generation [youtube:27aywhsi]cIuYrV5NeoA[/youtube:27aywhsi] [youtube:27aywhsi]mumV-IPJk80[/youtube:27aywhsi] [youtube:27aywhsi]4_dzrbKvDQE[/youtube:27aywhsi]