Reason to Believe: Islanders 6, Red Wings 0

Just some things I'm thinking about following a joyful night of joyful hockey...

Matt Moulson's offense is heating up again. And he's finding the net while playing with Frans Nielsen. Both circumstances help negate the ideas that Moulson is a flash in the pan who got off to a hot start and that his production was due mostly to his pairing with John Tavares.

How nice it is to once again be able to legitimately pin the future of the Islanders on Kyle Okposo, Tavares, AND Josh Bailey. Bailey looked like a boy last year. Suddenly he looks like a man, and plays like one too.

Despite his slow start in the goal column, Okposo will surpass his goal total from a year ago. Watch him light it up in the second half.

Seeing my favorite player of his era, Kenny Jonsson, back in the Islanders family for one night.

The part of NHLer Rob Schremp now being played by...Rob Schremp.

BD might be right that keeping Martin Biron on ice (as opposed to on the ice) might improve his trade value. At the very least, it won't harm his value and it will also protect him from injury (as much as that recalls the awkwardness of the Bill Guerin situation last year).

At first I was opposed to the idea of keeping Biron out of the rotation. I thought he deserved to at least dress on occasion and his exclusion reflected poorly on him and reduced his perceived value. But this is going to be all about Dwayne Roloson and Rick DiPietro, and who gives the team the best chance to win night in, night out. That's clearly not Biron.

I would, however, not be so quick to pull the trigger on a deal for Biron. Let's see DiPietro get the rigors of a few NHL games under his belt before the team puts itself one more injury away from last season's goaltending carousel.

It was a shame that the 6-0 domination of the Red Wings had to occur on the same night as a thrilling shootout (in more ways than one) between the other locals. Not good for getting the deserved local press. On the other hand, it was the kind of win that the rest of the league's cities will notice.

It's good to see some old friends still plugging away in the Blog Box.

I resisted doing this for a long time, but I finally caved.

Looking Around After the Islanders Sweep the Senators

Sometimes things just come to you in pieces...

...Mark Herrman suggests in Newsday that the back-to-back victories by the Islanders over Ottawa may represent the apex of the Islanders' season. And here I was having so much fun watching them the last two nights. Oh, well, I guess I could use those 3 hours several nights a week for more pressing pursuits. Seriously, though, I'm looking forward to seeing performances like those against the Sens more frequently as the season progresses.

...Ross McKeon at Puck Daddy asks, "Why exactly would the New York Islanders have Darryl Strawberry drop the ceremonial first puck, especially when the ex-bad boy had never even attended one hockey game in person beforehand?"

Because it was Autism Speaks Night at the Coliseum, part of the Islanders' "Hockey With a Heart" campaign, and Darryl Strawberry is the founder of The Darryl Strawberry Foundation for Autism. And he's a local baseball hero. And he met Bill Guerin and Doug Weight this summer when the two Islanders took in batting practice at Shea. And maybe, just maybe, his appearance attracted a few extra fans. You know, and awareness for autism.

...Also in Newsday, Jim Baumbach urges Charles Wang to play hardball with the local government in regard to the Lighthouse Project: "Fans, take off your Islanders-colored glasses and look around the Coliseum. This place stinks. And no one is coming."

There is no doubt this needs to get done and is essential for the future security of the Islanders on Long Island. But so is the on-ice product. The honeymoon period for a new arena/stadium is probably around three years. After that, you'd better have something to show or all the amenities in the world are unlikely to sustain high attendance—especially if you assume that said new arena will result in higher ticket prices.

I'm one of those who doesn't really care about the arena from a fan experience point of view. To me, it's a hockey rink. I just want them to have a place to play, and if I'm there, food and bathrooms are necessary. After that, it's all gravy. Of course, the Islanders need the gravy to thrive. I just want to be careful about assuming that the gravy will perpetually bring the gravy train. Can you tell Thanksgiving is coming up?

...Pre-game show? What pre-game show? Time Warner Cable in NYC was a little slow with the switch last night. The newly launched pre-game show did not appear on channel 51 until around 6:50. I should have anticipated a bumpy transition. Who knows if it was MSG failing to notify Time Warner, or Time Warner failing to throw the switch? Whatever it was, I'd like to see it from the beginning next time.

...Last night was my first opportunity to view the alternate uniforms on TV. Beautiful. And the shots of the current home sweaters in the stands made them look that much sillier in comparison.

...Here's a recent article on the Blog Box in Sports Media Journal.



Fantasy Report Game 17: Islanders 3, Senators 2

Fantasy Stars of the Game
1st Star: Jon Sim (1 G, 1 PPG, 1 A, +1, 2 SOG, 2 BkS, 2 PIMs)
2nd Star: Joey MacDonald (W, 2 GA, .950 SV%)
3rd Star: Mark Streit (1 A, 1 PPA, +1, 1 SOG, 3 hits)
4th Star: Tim Jackman (1 A, 1 SOG, 7 PIMs, 2 hits)
5th Star: Sean Bergenheim (1 G, +1, 2 SOG, 1 BkS, 3 hits)

Notes: Roles continue to change on the power play units. At the beginning of the game, Kyle Okposo and Josh Bailey once again found themselves on the first unit with Mark Streit, Bill Guerin, and Doug Weight. The second unit forwards were Trenty Hunter, Frans Nielsen, and Jon Sim. Later in the game, Hunter and Nielsen swapped places with Okposo and Bailey. And there was one strange configuration when the Islanders started the third period in the middle of a power play. In that case, Chris Campoli took the ice with Streit and Weight. I'm not sure who was supposed to be at the points in that scenario, but Weight was at one of them leaving Streit or Campoli to push forward. Perhaps Scott Gordon was just preparing for the combos he wanted when Dany Heatley came out of the box.

In the rare instances that Weight and Streit don't play the full two minutes at the points, Campoli is always the second unit option and Gordon has been favoring Brett Skinner as his partner (Skinner's minutes, seconds really, are very limited there...Richard Park was 12-8 on faceoffs.

A New Beat; Will the Islanders Be Prepared?; and Josh Bailey Signs

Starting in the very near future, a new beat will be appearing here on Islanders Outsider. Sprinkled in among the outsider's perspectives, media watches, game reports, and general bloggystuffs will be analysis of the Islanders from a fantasy hockey perspective.

This territory was formerly covered in the Blog Box by Tim Marino, operator of The Fantasy Fancy. Tim has joined Jim McGlynn and Jon Jordan in stepping aside from the Blog Box to pursue other endeavors (Jon continues to provide top-shelf coverage of the Tampa Bay Lightning on HockeyBuzz.) All three of these gentlemen are good people and quality bloggers. Their presence in the Blog Box, actual and digital, will be missed. They are welcome to contribute to these pages anytime, and I hope we have not seen the last of their participation in the Islanders vibrant online community.

With Tim's blessing, I will attempt to answer two main questions for fantasy hockey players: Who on the Islanders' roster can contribute to your fantasy team, and how? I'll look at those questions from the standard 5x5 league angle, as well as try to help out those of you who can benefit from stats like hits, blocked shots, and faceoff win percentage.

The Islanders, of course, are not blessed with a roster full of superstar stat producers, so the pickings may be thin at times. (And thankfully the NHL still keeps track of stats like hits, blocked shots, and faceoff wins so we have a little more to talk about.) But as an enthusiastic participant in fantasy hockey, I feel that it is a fun component of fandom that also provides a worthwhile service to other fantasy players.

Thanks again to Tim for handing off the beat, and stay tuned!


As for last night's exhibition game with the Devils, the result only concerns me as a symptom of a larger problem—that the combination of a shortened training camp, a pile of injuries, and a new system to learn are conspiring to keep the Islanders from hitting their stride in time for the start of the season.

It really seems as though the team will have turn on like a switch in order to hit the ground running next Friday in New Jersey. With only three preseason games remaining, we hardly have a well oiled machine here. Maybe those three games will be sufficient to get enough players reasonably fit and comfortable with each other and the system. But, right now, I feel like they need more time.

One thing that will take getting used to is the new injury policy. The idea that players will just not be around with no indication of what they injured, how severe the injury is, or when they will be back is bizarre. But when Andy Sutton is not in the lineup opening night, we'll just have to accept that he's not available and won't be until we see him in uniform again. It's sort of like the NHL's own Witness Security Program. If you see Mary McCormack moving stealthily through the corridors of Nassau Coliseum, don't be alarmed. She's just doing her job.

At least we know where Josh Bailey is today.

The Beat Goes On?

It has been a spring of uncertainty for the members of the NYI Blog Box.

As the regular season drew to a close with hopes of an extension into the playoffs long since evaporated, we wondered collectively what our fate would be as credentialed bloggers.

Had we served out a one-year term in this new media experiment? Would we all be asked back next season for another go round? Were there some criteria by which some of us would return and others would be blogectomied?

These questions were answered, rather emphatically I'm told, during a pre-game meeting on April 1 (fingers crossed?). At this gathering, the Islanders' media relations staff informed those bloggers present that the Blog Box is ongoing and, as charter members, we may continue to take part in it.

Sold.

And so we moved on with nary a thought to the health of the Blog Box.

That it is until today when Greg Logan of Newsday reported that Chris Botta, the club's VP of Media Relations, had resigned.

I believe Mr. Botta has credited Corey Witt with the genesis of the Blog Box. But make no mistake--without Mr. Botta's support and championing of the endeavor, there would not be a Blog Box.

To most, the resignation was startling. It was unexpected and puzzling. Here was a man who had served his hometown team for 20 years and survived the tumult that has engulfed one of the most unstable franchises in sports. He called working for the Islanders his dream job.

Mr. Botta had served in his current role for the past nine years. He had far more to do than serve as a liaison between the team and the press. He had to make sure the press was even there.

When members of the media treated the Islanders unfairly, Mr. Botta was the first to speak up and he did so with vigor. And tact.

It is very easy to speculate about why a man would leave his dream job after 20 years at a time when the job may have been as exciting as it has ever been. I could give you a list of possible reasons that range from the mundane to the maddening.

If you are interested in such buzz, you know where to look and you have probably found it already. The more maddening buzz is fairly loud and probably with good reason. For his part, Mr. Botta only told Logan that he chose to leave for personal reasons and it was time to end an incredible ride.

I think, for now, the best thing for me to do is to thank Mr. Botta for serving the Islanders community so admirably. I wish him the best of luck in pursuing his next professional challenge. And I hope that he has left under circumstances that permit him to continue supporting the Islanders.

As for the Blog Box? The latest word is that we have nothing to worry about. This new form of beat will go on.

And if something should change between now and October, you can be sure that we'll still be here, credentialed or not.

Instituting the Golden Rule for Web 2.0 and Beyond

I'm primarily an Islanders writer. Since joining Bleacher Report, I've been excited about the idea of tackling other areas, particularly the Mets, MLB at large, fantasy sports, and perhaps a few others. I've been wading into those waters slowly (they're still a bit nippy this time of year). In the meantime, the hockey season, by strict definition, is over.

That's not to say that the Stanley Cup Playoffs won't provide appropriate material for posts to Islanders Outsider. We'll see what unfolds. Otherwise, the offseason is spent wondering where the next story will come from. Today, it comes from my Blog Box colleague, Dee Karl, of The 7th Woman.

Over the weekend, she posted an article on Bleacher Report about Sean Avery's latest foray into the absurd. She was fully aware when she posted it that the article could cause a firestorm. The number of article views and comments clearly indicates that the storm's arrival was swift and surly.

I have an opinion on what Avery did (unsportsmanlike, clownish), as well as an opinion on Dee's contribution to the story (a valid statement of one person's reaction). This story isn't about those things. It's about the comments that readers attached to Dee's article, and how they finally tipped me over the edge to write about the disintegration of decency online.

My greatest, and perhaps only, discouragement to applying for a position in the Blog Box was years of reading Internet message boards and blog comments. I deplore the base level of cynicism, hate, and childishness that flows so frequently online to such a degree that I hesitated to participate in anything even remotely related to it. I'm glad I overcame that hesitation. But the ugliness is still there. And it really makes me wonder...

How can there be so many people out there who are so comfortable with disparagement and denigration as tools of debate?

Do they hope to gain in the argument from the use of vulgarity and name calling?

And, if not, what do they gain? Is it a feeling of triumph, pleasure, or joy at having verbally thrashed someone with little chance of reprisal?

How did we arrive at a place where a significant portion of our population engages in this shade of communication?

This is not a call for censorship, by the way. I'm not offended outright by language. It's the sentiment behind it. The question here isn't, "What gives people the right?" It's, "What gives them the motivation?"

Was this negative energy sitting latent all those years before widespread Internet access was available? Or were people regularly so unkind to each other and I just didn't notice?

We are in the midst of an attack-oriented era of entertainment. You can see its underpinnings in the comments on Dee's article. Some of the commenters are so focused on the attack that they have not even noticed that the author is a woman, despite a prominent byline and picture. Others point to her bias as a justification for telling her to give up writing or that she's not really a hockey fan. This was quite obviously an editorial piece. Having a bias is not grounds for being discredited.

Here's an anticipated reaction to what I'm saying: "If you don't like the comments, don't read them and you won't have anything to complain about."

Here's my pre-emptive response: "If you don't like the article, don't insult the writer and your criticisms will carry more weight."

The truth is that the offending responses in this case weren't all that bad on the spectrum of nastiness. But this easy willingness to launch personal attacks happens all over. Just a few days ago, Matt Cerrone of MetsBlog, one of the most popular and successful sports blogs out there, was forced to hold comments in limbo because the integrity of the site was being damaged by offensive remarks. Here's some of what Matt had to say about it:

…thanks to recent activity in Comment’s Section of MetsBlog.com, i fear my blog will soon be known as the place for angry, violent, fringe fans who are only interested in spewing hate and venom…

…so far, a small, but very loud group of fans have essentially hijacked this site’s comment’s section with mean, disrespectful and angry banter…

Can't we do better than that? It doesn't have to be about raising the level of discourse (but it can be). It is about opening the issue of why anger, hate, and disrespect are acceptable forms of entertainment and social interaction.

Some of you will agree that this is important, and some will argue that you have the right to say whatever you want and take satisfaction in it. If it's true that some people really get enjoyment out of such an approach, then there's not much I can say except that I don't get it any more than I get Sean Avery.

Perhaps that's as far as it goes. I still think a little good nature goes a long way.

Full Steam Ahead (Ren McCormack Is a Good Hockey Name)

It's Monday night and the player-movement train has already started to pick up steam. Peter Forsberg has returned to the Avs. Vaclav Prospal has been sent back to the Flyers. Dan Boyle is signed in Tampa. I can't tell you how disappointed I am that the train will essentially be leaving me behind at the station.

For a hockey fan, the trade deadline brings about one of the most exciting days in all of sports. I put it on par with Opening Day in baseball, Opening Night in hockey, and any playoff game. The difference with those days, however, is that other than the game results, you know what's going to happen: games will be played. Anything could happen at the trade deadline. Even if you're 99% sure a player is going to be traded, the destination and return package remains mostly a mystery until the trade is announced. And then there are the shockers.

Unfortunately, trade deadlines, including the NHL's, usually occur in the middle of the day. On this occasion, this particular blogger is unable to set aside his actual job. I will be hard-pressed to even follow the action as it happens, let alone participate in it. As much as I would love to be joining my colleagues in the Blog Box tomorrow at the Coliseum, it's just not possible.

So, to paraphrase the Reverend Shaw Moore: "I'm told that the charter class of Islanders bloggers has got use of the Blog Box in the Coliseum for the purpose of covering the trade deadline. Please...join me to pray to the hockey gods to guide them in their endeavors."

Let's dance!!!!!!!!!!!!

Have fun, guys and gal!

Odd-Man Rushes and End Boards

That's just an inefficient but hockey-tinged way of saying odds 'n' ends.

Ricky looked tired competing in that shootout the other night in Vancouver. You can't blame him. Cross-continent travel, back-to-back road games, overtime in three out of the last four, throwing himself in front of countless (okay, 45), unfettered shots all night...not to mention running back and forth to change his pads all the time. I'm tired just writing it.

My hopes for a shootout victory against the Canucks were dashed the instant I saw Trent Hunter lumbering down the ice toward Roberto Luongo at 2 mph.

Another acknowledgment for Ted Nolan, this time by way of Slap Shot. In his Half Season Awards, Lew Serviss gives Nolan the nod as Best Coach. In the comments for this same blog entry, we get this gem from poster Stacey Ross about Matt Niskanen: "When a rookie can come in and not only fill a full-time shift with a potential Hall-of-famer in Zubov, but actually help Zubov be a better Zubov, you got yourself an amazing rookie right there." I'd like to be a better Zubov. Wouldn't you? This would be such a better world if we were all better Zubovs. I love when a little phrase makes me laugh. But the real question is, can Niskanen help make the better babka?

Thanks to Corey Witt, Chris Botta, and the Islanders for continuing to plug the Blog Box on the official site. I appreciate the support.

Greg Logan has launched the titular opposite of this blog with Islanders Insider, now appearing weekly in the online edition of Newsday. Logan unleashes Islanders Insider with a midseason evaluation of the Islanders, which presents a fair and accurate look at what ails the team and how it may overcome its shortcomings in the second half. You can hand in your own grades for the Islanders by answering this Newsday poll.

Update: Charles Wang gets less crazy every week. You certainly can't accuse the Caps of lacking commitment to their franchise player. Let the future cap issues discussion begin. Still, I think it's good for the league when its marquee players maintain an identity with a team.

Stand Up and Take a Bow

It's the first day of 2008, and I feel like handing out some accolades...

To the Islander players, for finishing 2007 with a strong 5 wins in 6 games, including a convincing one-off road-trip victory in Carolina on New Year's Eve. The only team out of reach at the moment is Ottawa. It's going to be a wild second half.

To Ted Nolan, for instilling in his team the belief that a squad without a top-tier offensive player can reach the top tier of the league.

To Richard Park, for running away with the opportunity to break free of labels and stereotypes that limited the roles he had been given throughout his NHL career. Maybe he won't finish the year on a scoring line, but he continues to prove that he can be one of those guys.

To Wade Dubielewicz, for answering the call and those who doubted his ability to do so (myself included).

To Rick DiPietro, for transforming himself into a leader with presence, deserving of high praise.

To Jeff Tambellini, for being named AHL Player of the Week and making it difficult for people to forget about him.

To John Hynes, Kyle Okposo, Rhett Rakhshani, Tyler Rueggsegger, James vanRiemsdyk, and the rest of the U.S. National Junior Team, for advancing impressively through the preliminary round of the WJC and earning a bye into the semis. Isles prospects Okposo and Rakhshani have been overshadowed on the scoring leaderboard by vanRiemsdyk, Colin Wilson, and Jordan Schroeder (not to mention Isles propsect Robin Figren playing for Sweden) but their line has been recognized numerous times for dominating play and they made significant scoring contributions to Team USA's 4-0 start.

To Brendan Witt, for being the kind of warrior that every good team needs.

To Freddy Meyer and Blake Comeau, for making Aaron Johnson's return to the active roster a very interesting story.

To Bill Guerin, for filling the role of captain admirably, and for demonstrating that there's plenty of life left in him.

To my colleagues in the Blog Box (and some outside of it), for their outstanding work, which provides us all with an unprecedented richness of Islanders coverage, and for their spirit of generosity.

This was not meant to be a recap of the 2007 portion of the season. These were simply some people who stood out in my mind recently.

And here's a fun one...The other day I was checking in on Team USA's performance at the WJC via the live updates at onlajny.cz (thanks to Slap Shot). At the top of the page, I noticed the in-progress score of a game in which Skalica was trouncing Trencin 7-0. Remembering that Skalica was Ziggy Palffy's hometown, I clicked on the scoreboard link. Sure enough, there was Ziggy all over the scoresheet with a goal and 3 assists. That one brought a smile to my face.

Ziggy was the first player I can remember being proud of. I remember watching him quickly go from being a young, struggling talent to an NHL-caliber sniper and feeling proud because he became exactly what the Islanders hoped he would be. It's too bad that his 3 consecutive forty-goal seasons didn't coincide with better results for the team. Sadder still, that his time on the Island was cut short by frugal ownership.

Please note that the playoff confidence poll is still open. If you haven't voted yet, please feel free to voice your opinion. Vote "10" if you think the Isles are a lock for the playoffs, "0" if you think they have no shot, or any other degree of confidence in between.

Blogging in a Small Market

A big thank you to James Mirtle for including Islanders Outsider in his reaction to the Hockey Night in Canada feature and the discussion it provoked in the hockey blogging circles. It's always a thrill when someone picks up on something you've written and deems it worthy of repeating--even more so when that person has a highly respected and widely read blog.

Speaking of repeating, many prominent bloggers made insightful contributions to the discussion, as did the readers who frequent their blogs. At the risk of holding onto this story too long, I'd like to go over some of the issues that were raised as they relate to this blog specifically and the circumstances in which it operates.

A perceived rivalry between bloggers and the mainstream media...
Has the Blog Box encroached on the turf of those who cover the Islanders for the mainstream media? Yes, it has. That turf, however, is not very well protected and there is plenty of it. On a given night, I'd say that between six and ten members of the media constitute the post-game locker room scrum. As Tom Benjamin wrote, "If I was an owner I can't think of a good reason [why bloggers should be credentialed] unless I was in the Ted Leonsis boat and I couldn't fill my press box with MSM writers." Well, Charles Wang was last seen on the lido deck with Mr. Leonsis. The Islanders simply need more coverage, and that is where the Blog Box comes in.

Like Mike Schuerlein, I have not had a single problem with a member of the mainstream media in the locker room. Would it be different if bloggers were allowed in the press box? I can't say for sure, but I don't think so. The bloggers are a sharp group. They know their place and they adapt easily to expectations.

The blogosphere will become worthless if bloggers attempt to mimic the role of the main stream media...
Commenting on Mirtle's blog, beingbobbyorr said, "I enjoyed the piece, too, but was very disappointed to hear nothing of the main distinction between MSM & blogosphere: objective reporting (MSM) is not the same as subjective opinion essays (blogging)." I completely agree with the need to hammer home this distinction, especially as it pertains to the criticism leveled at bloggers for lacking objectivity.

However, beingbobbyorr goes on to say, "This whole competition/encroaching-on-the-MSMs-turf debate is absurd, because the blogosphere will become worthless if it tries to do what the MSM does...." I think this may be true in some markets, but not on Long Island. At the start of the season, game coverage in three of the four major local newspapers was limited to news-service articles. Lately, those papers have had reporters on-site more often, but their column space is still very limited. The fans of small-market teams are starved for good local coverage. Bloggers can provide that.

This poses the question of what any one particular blog should be. I think in the Blog Box, we're all conscious of not trying to do the same things, at least not on a regular basis. Personally, I like variety. When I go to a game as a credentialed blogger, I generally play beat reporter for the night. That means recapping the game, reporting on the post-game comments of the team, and asking the players and coaches my own questions in order to get quotes on specific aspects of the game or the team that I think would be interesting to hear. Not only are some fans looking for this type of blogging, but they're expecting it to appear as though the content were on deadline. I have also heard a lot of support for live blogging.

Then there are those fans that really want the passionate and/or subjective opinion essays. I tend not to spout off or be overly analytical, but I try to throw in a little of everything from time to time, including entries like this that are kind of meta. I think that writing about what's going on with blogging and this whole experience is important, and I enjoy doing it. At the same time, I know there are people out there who are wondering why I'm writing this instead of reporting on the Islanders' 1-0 lead after the first in Atlanta. So, for me, the answer is...everything in moderation, including moderation.

The necessity of a hierarchy in the locker room scrum, and why it doesn't always apply...
From the outset, the Blog Box was told to let the mainstream guys get their quotes first. Someone out there had a good run-down of the hierarchy, detailing the order among TV, print, radio, etc., but I can't find it now. Regardless, the hierarchy makes sense, and right now bloggers come last. The mainstream media have deadlines, and the reporters are making their living doing this.

But the system is imperfect. We were told to hold our questions until the mainstream people were done. So we waited for a lull, not wanting to step on anyone's toes. And when the lull finally came, guess what happened? The team media representative thanked the player/coach and excused him from further questions. Now, I'm not criticizing this. I don't blame Chris Botta or Corey Witt one bit for letting the players off the hook as soon as possible. The bloggers learned quickly that we had to be a little more aggressive. We can't wait around for the lull that is a clear indicator of the mainstream reporters being done. If we do, we get shut out. So we risk ruffling a few quills.

A few weeks ago, a player entered the room and said something a little edgy when the scrum didn't immediately commence with the questioning. After just a few questions, there was a prolonged (for the situation) silence. Given the player's earlier comment, which was humorous by the way, and the fear of losing the opportunity, I fired away. Nobody bristled, nobody complained. And as far as I know, there haven't been any incidents at the Coliseum resulting from bloggers "not knowing their place."

To conclude, I really like what CapsChick had to say at Hockey's Ladies of Greatness: "As someone who has benefited and will probably continue to benefit from the Caps' progressive policy towards bloggers I'm not convinced as to whether or not I belong in the press box. But I certainly appreciate the opportunity and try to make the most of it when given. I view it as a privilege, not a right, and I think there has to be that distinction made to some extent..."

Back on the Ice: Isles at Caps

Saturday to Thursday is a long time to wait for the next game to come. I can't imagine what going Saturday to Saturday is going to be like next week. Not nearly as bad as the lockout, I suppose.

If you're curious about what the opponents' fans are saying, hop on over to Japers' Rink for their gameday post about tonight's Isles-Caps matchup. The kind folks over there invited Islanders bloggers to contribute quips, predictions, or analysis targeted at why the Islanders will win tonight's game. It's a fun way to bring two groups of fans together and I thank Japers' Rink for reaching out.

It's been nice to hear frequent Islanders ads on WFAN and 1050 ESPN Radio over the last few weeks. If most of the New York media aren't going to remind the local public that the team exists, at least the marketing department is putting forth a nice effort. Have you paid a visit to the Web sites of the New York dailies recently? Here's the page title for the Sports home page at The Daily News:

New York Sports - Yankees - Mets - Knicks - Nets - Giants - Jets - Rangers-NY Daily News

Thanks. Thanks for the mention. Over at the New York Post, the most recent Islanders article is an Associated Press account of last Saturday's loss to the Flyers. Now, I know that moving Bill Guerin off the top line isn't the stuff that Pulitzers are made of, but a little class participation never hurt anybody (I'm sure someone out there will dispute that). I know what the answer from the Post would be: "The Islanders home page on nypost.com has only received 77 hits in the last five days. It just doesn't pay to cover them." And that is why we have the Blog Box.

Were you wondering what was behind the interest of two professors from East Stroudsburg University in the Blog Box? Considering I somehow never met them at the home opener, I was too. In retrospect, I think I may have seen one of them at one point, but at the time it just looked like a random person stopping by the box to say hello. I've been mostly in the dark about this particular project. Here, then, is a short piece that sheds a little light on their study.

Enjoy the game. Watch out for Bengt Gustafsson. That guy can dish.

First Things First...

Best wishes to Jason Blake and his family as they take on this unwelcome challenge. Jason's intensity and determination to proceed with his life and career shine through in his statement.

I know there are some issues with the way Firefox sometimes displays this blog. I'll try to keep the problematic layouts to a minimum.

Today's loss against Washington: I wasn't able to watch the game so I'll just point out some statistical observations. The Caps controlled the faceoffs 55% to 45%. The Caps had six power plays to the Islanders' four. Neither team capitalized. The Isles outshot the Caps 31-12. It certainly sounded like a winnable game. I know that at least a few of the other bloggers were in attendance today, including Tom, so pay a visit to the Blog Box to get their views on the contest.

Now I'd like to get back to a story from Saturday night. When the horn blew to mark the end of the first period, I headed out to the concourse in search of food. I had tried to get something to eat right before the game started, but the lines were too long. This time, I put myself on a line with a very reasonable 8 or 10 people in front of me. At least I thought it would be reasonable.

By the time I arrived at the front of the line, I could hear the team being welcomed back to the ice for the 2nd period. I was told, much to my dismay, that a number of items would not be ready for at least five more minutes. So I made do with what I could get right then, which wasn't the most satisfying selection. Perhaps the concessions are still working out the kinks. After all, the Islanders only had one preseason game at home.

Luckily, a conversation I had while waiting on line made the slow march to sustenance very worthwhile. I heard a voice behind me, in an unmistakable Canadian accent, declare how cool it was to be at Nassau Coliseum watching the Islanders. Intrigued, I turned around and said, "Welcome!" to the first-time visitor. That's how I met Scott and Brock.

Scott is from Saskatchewan and now lives in New York. He came to the game with his cousin's teenage son. They were both very personable and I had a great time talking hockey with them. Here's what impressed me most: Scott is an Oilers fan, yet he spoke about the dynasty Islanders with the same reverence that any of us would. It just goes to show the indelible impact that those teams had on the entire hockey community. To this day, there are Islanders fans scattered all over the United States and Canada as a result of the work turned in by this franchise in its early years.

Anyway, I just wanted to relate that little tale because the chance meeting left an indelible impression on me. Scott and Brock, if you happen to have found your way here, I just wanted to give you a little shoutout. I hope you guys find your way back to the Coliseum often.

The greatest excitement of the night came after the game when the members of the Blog Box were escorted down to the locker room area. Once there, Chris Botta led us on a tour of the facilities (including "the smallest locker room in professional sports"), secured some interview time with Chris Campoli, and put us in position to participate in Ted Nolan's post-game press conference. We saw many members of both teams going about their business, including a comical moment with Mike Sillinger that none of us will soon forget.

One of my favorite moments was when Chris said goodnight to Lindy Ruff and Darcy Regier as the two exited with understandably sour looks on their faces. I could give you the play-by-play on all that went down, including our meet-and-greet/photo opp with Deb Kaufman. Instead, I will refer you to the very capable hands of Mike, Jim, Dee, Michael (with pics), and Ken D for the complete picture.

NYI Blog Box in the News

Richard Deitsch's article on the NYI Blog Box is now available on SI.com.

More on the Home Opener

Part of me wishes that I had stayed up as late as necessary last night to recap the events of the day when they were freshest in my mind. I was truly wired when I arrived home and that energy would have served me well in capturing the experience of attending my first home opener as a credentialed blogger (and a successful home opener for the team at that). Fortunately, I have pages of notes, ample chunks of available memory, and the excellent work of my fellow bloggers to help bring the story back to life. In the end, I think you will get a more measured account of the highlights (read: hundreds of words instead of thousands). At least, that's what I was hoping when I started this.

Fellow blogger Tim Marino of The Fantasy Fancy made the drive out to the Coliseum with me. I think we were both emboldened by each other's company. Arriving with a partner-in-crime certainly eased my nerves walking up to the press gate. We obtained our media passes without the slightest bit of hassle and began circling the outer concourse of the nearly empty coliseum in search of the Blog Box just above Section 201. It was remarkable to watch how quickly the old barn filled up as soon as the gates were open to the public.

So what does a Blog Box look like? Inconspicuous it was not. The Blog Box was formed by a series of high tables and high stools on top of risers, all backed by a giant NYI Blog Box banner. We each had an assigned seat with power outlets available. The team also provided us with game notes, media notes, the NHL's daily stats packet, and a packet of all the press clips that were relevant to the game.

It was an absolute pleasure to meet my fellow bloggers. The Islanders really selected a quality group of dynamic people. Also joining us in the Blog Box were Richard Deitsch of SI.com and Tripp Mickle of Street and Smith's Sports Business Journal. In an exciting twist to the debut of the live Blog Box, these gentlemen were in attendance to write stories on, well, us. It was fun to be interviewed and very interesting to get the perspectives of seasoned pros on what we were doing. I'm looking forward to reading their pieces and will certainly link them here when they are published.

Now, to break things up a little, let's stray from the narrative for some specific notes from the first period:

• Radek Martinek received a huge ovation from crowd during the pre-game introductions in light of his contract extension. The fan base really respects him and rightly so.
  
• Tim pointed out to me that Freddy Meyer was not in the lineup, nor was he announced as a scratch. This fueled speculation that a Berard signing was imminent. I later learned that Greg Logan, HockeyBuzz, and B.D. Gallof were right on top of the story, and I just hadn't heard it yet. Sometimes you're so close to the action, you miss it!
• Humorous moment: When Christie Brinkley dropped the puck for the ceremonial faceoff, she immediately retreated, thinking that there would be some actual stickwork involved. She's a new fan, so we'll give her a break as she learns the details of the game.
• Early in the first period, the crowd seemed a little tentative, but ready to explode if given a reason. It was around this time that I repeated to myself, and then to Tripp, that when the Coliseum is full and excited, there's no better building.
• Five minutes in, it was evident that the Isles were playing crisp hockey.
• With about 13:30 left in the first, the scoreboard showed highlights of the previous night's win against the Sabres. Right in front of the Sabres. I hoped that this didn't motivate them.
• With about 12:00 left, Comrie took an elbowing penalty and was the recipient of a retaliatory hit. Captain Guerin was there to back him up immediately.
• For all the talk of the Hilbert/Tambellini issue, one thing we have to realize is that Hilbert's greatest impact on the performance of the team probably won't be measured in ways that are easy to see. But Ted Nolan seems very in tune with that kind of impact. In his post-game press conference, Nolan would note that Hilbert is always first on the forecheck and first on the backcheck.
• Eric Cairns was introduced to the crowd and shown on the scoreboard to a rousing ovation.
• Ryan Miller was giving up some rebounds, which was a good sign at this stage of the game.
• The Islanders finished the first period with a 9-7 advantage in shots. Still, I was concerned that Don Koharski and Dan O'Halloran would furnish another Islander opponent with a favorable margin in power play chances.

That is all I can squeeze in for now, but there are still more stories to tell. Perhaps I will skip the notes for the 2nd and 3rd periods and stick to the experience of the night. Please come back soon for even more on the home opener!

10/6/07: Islanders 3, Sabres 2

It was a tremendous night at the Coliseum. We were treated to inspired play by the Islanders, a solid win, a home-and-home sweep against the Sabres, and an evening that those of us in the Blog Box will never forget. I have a lot to say about what transpired tonight on and off the ice. Unfortunately, it is past 1:00 AM and I'll never get it all out right now. So this post is a little tease. I will provide full coverage of the evening as soon as possible. For now, I'll just leave you with a picture that speaks volumes about what the team is thinking with regard to Bryan Berard.

Yes, that is a Berard nameplate in the Islanders locker room

My apologies for the quality of the picture. We were on the move and I had to snap it quickly. After the game, I also had a chance to ask Chris Campoli if the Berard situation is having any impact on the team, particularly the defensemen whose jobs could be in jeopardy if and when Berard signs. Campoli, who was very gracious in answering questions from the bloggers, basically said that he can't be worried about a player who isn't signed right now, and in the end, it's up to him to work hard and remain in the lineup on his own merits regardless of who else is around. The consensus among the bloggers is that Chris doesn't have anything to worry about.

Chris Campoli fields questions from members of the Blog Box

The Final 23

My immediate reaction to the release of the final roster was shock. Eight defensemen, none named Berard. Thirteen forwards, no Tambellini. I really think this team needs another dynamic element on the blue line, and giving up on Berard at this point just looked shortsighted. Fortunately, we may not have all of the relevant information yet.

My Blog Box colleague B.D. Gallof, who has much better contacts than I do (I have none), tells us that the Isles may be working on a trade that will open up roster space and accommodate the signing of Berard. So there is some intrigue left before the opener at Buffalo on Friday.

As for Tambellini, he was the one player (formerly) on this roster that I was looking forward to watching this year. He was on my late-round-sleeper-pick list for my fantasy league. Mostly, I thought he was ready. I was looking forward to reading columns from around the U.S. and Canada giving different variations of, "The Islanders may really have something there in Jeff Tambellini." He certainly proved that he can be a top player in the AHL. Let's hope he goes back down to Bridgeport and does whatever is necessary to prove that he deserves a regular shift on the Island.

In other news, the Islanders have invited the twelve members of the Blog Box to attend not just the home opener, but also the Columbus Day matinee and the nationally televised Wednesday night appointment with the Rangers. Being invited to the first three home games goes well beyond my expectations for this role. Great job by the team in that regard. I will definitely be at the home opener and I should be able to work out attending one of the other two games as well. Hope to see lots of you there!

Blog Box in the Press

Neil Best gave the Blog Box a brief mention at the end of his column for Newsday today. After noting that Monday's preseason game against the Thrashers was the first of its kind to be streamed live exclusively on the Internet, and recognizing the adoption of Islander Mania as the team's official message board, Best had this to say about the Blog Box:

That is unusual, but not as unusual as this: the NYI Blog Box, in which select fans are chosen not only to blog - they already are doing so on the site - but to blog in a designated area at games.

I'm pretty sure I'm not eligible for that.

I've been wondering how the mainstream media will perceive and react to this little venture of ours. I certainly don't think reporters and columnists will be, or should be, threatened by it in any way.

As for live-blogging games from the Blog Box in the Coliseum, I've heard whispers that we won't be permitted to do that. Live-blogging the games was never really a major draw to me anyway. Can you picture 12 blogs all featuring the following entry?

7:48 PM: Sparky just tripped over an Ice Girl's squeegee and got his snout caught in one of the photographer cutouts along the glass.

I am, however, definitely looking forward to blogging about the experience of watching games from the Blog Box.

The Blog Box Opens Its Doors

Welcome, Blog Box readers! I'm thrilled that the Blog Box has finally gone live and initiated the official launch of Islanders Outsider. I've been holding back a little on posting until this day arrived. I hope you will take the time to look around and read the old entries before they get bumped to a second page. Please feel free to comment as you see fit, and look for more frequent updates soon!

--Ken