On the Islanders Beat

Oh, come ON!

There's no story here, Jimbo. If you're looking for something to write about, maybe you could head up to Bridgeport and do a small feature on Trevor Smith. Or let us know the team's thoughts on bringing Kyle Okposo along. There are a million stories you could write about the Islanders that we might actually want to read. Heaven forbid you could write one of them instead of the weird dreck you've turned out this week.

Although you really did Donald Trump and Gary Sheffield a solid. Nobody EVER seems to write about them!

If you're going to write about hockey, do us all a favour and find the stories that matter rather than some prima-donna goalie's tiff with some cuties.

I disagree with the person who posted before... Henry should and could go to jail because of what he did to them. It is assualt when u push an innocent person who is just trying to do there job.

This occurance shows the lack of class that the Ranger organization has. And I will be emailing Jim shortly

Sam:

You'd be hard-pressed to find a bigger Ranger hater than me, but I think this thing with the Ice Girls and Lutefisk is just ridiculous.

A tempest in a teapot, as the saying goes.

I should caveat this by saying I did not see what happened, but I'm guessing if there was anything remotely like an actual assault, it would have been much bigger news.

Flukeqvist got annoyed they wanted to clean the crease and then took his stick and hit the person's squeege that scrapes the ice and was completely arrogant and disrespectful to someone just doing a job.

When he lost to the Devils last year he was completely wrecked in bars all over NYC, he already thinks he's a ten year veteran and a Rag hall of famer.

And yes, this is NEWSDAY, DO ISLANDER FEATURES AND LET BROOKS, DELLAPINA KISS RAG BACKSIDE.

WOW, I COME HERE AND TALK AND PEOPLE HERE NO ME. I AM WRITING IN CAPS BECAUSE IF I COULD YOU WOULD ALL HERE ME SCREAM!!!

LOGAN THIS IS A JOKE!!!
JIM BAUMBACH THIS IS A JOKE!!!

YOU OUGHT TO BE ASHAMED, WHAT ARAG TABLOID NEWSDAY IS BECOMING!!!!!!

TALK ABOUT A CLASSLESS ACT, LOOK AT NEWSDAY AND ITS WRITERS!

GREAT HOW FIRST I HEARD HE TAPPED HER STICK, NOW HE PUSHED HER. AND BY TOMORROW IT WILL BE A RAPE IN NEWSDAY. WHAT A DISGRACE THAT THIS IS LONG ISLANDS PAPER!

Maybe the icegirls are suing, let's get that Nassau DA involved and another scandal for the Dolan's and the pathetic garden.

What Lundqvist did was disrespectful and disgraceful. But what would you expect from a franchise like the Rags that encourages the lowest form of human life to attend their games?

They're not suing, at least I can't imagine they are. I just want to talk to fans who saw it and hear what happened. I didn't see it. But it's another sign of the Rangers-Islanders rivalry, and I'm interested in hearing firsthand accounts.

YOUR A JOKE JIM!

Wow, this is harsh.

What's the alleged incident that even occurred? I saw the game but didn't see any incident between an Ice Girl and Henrik. What's the scoop?

STICK TO THE YANKEES!

YOU DIDN'T SEE IT BUT WILL TAKE THE WORD OF DRUNK FANS AND RUN WITH IT LIKE YOU WERE THE ICE-GIRL...

JEEEZ THE MEDIA IS SWELL!

I think Tabloid needs to loosen up your belt a little. Why all the animosity? And why not give your real name? I always find that interesting, people who criticize others but hide behind fake names...

MY NAME DONT MATTER. I DONT GET PAID TO TALK OUT OF THE SIDE OF MY MOUTH.

WHAT DOES AN ICE GIRL HAVE TO DO WITH THE RIVALRY? SPIN YOUR EXPLANATIONS ALL YOU WANT.

BUT, THIS FOOL WONT BUY IT

Gotta agree with TABLOID and Matt here, Jimmy boy. So Lundick wanted to be a pansy about his little space on the rink.. not much of a blockbuster there... Matt said it best when he mentioned the likes on Trever and Kyle. Sadly we "small market team" fans get screwed with info we actually want to hear about in the local media. Logan does a decent job, but I know Im not alone in missing Alan Hahn who actualy provided some in depth info. (But keep these Blogs going Greg, your winning me over).
But seriously, Jim, the Simon/Hollweg tango didn't quench your thirst though, did it?
So lets dig for more dirt against a sport you clearly dont care for... Maybe you should go dig up a story on Derek Jeter B****ing out his maid for not polishing his bals properly of something. Give hockey's fractured image a break!

ranger fans=meatheads

Whatever happened to Alan Hahn?

For the record, Jim, I post in lowercase and am not getting on your case via alternative handles. This kind of junk happens all the time and will do so until the comments section is registration-only, which I would love to see.

You're right, what "Tabloid" is saying is harsh, but it's just flames on a blog, and you should ignore them.

But you should at least let us know what you believe is newsworthy about this "incident." Surely there are more column-worthy stories than this one!

Alan Hahn is covering the Knicks.
Jim - its your right to write whatever you want regardless of what some idiot Ranger fans have to say.

I think the bigger thing here is the fact that Lundqvist was trying to build up the ice to prevent a shot or two from trickling into the net in case he couldn't cover a rebound. As far as I know, this isn't allowed. The ice is supposed to be cleaned there, regardless of who's doing it.

Irony of course, considering Ragholes and their apologists in the media complained endlessly about Snow's pads years ago.

Theo Fluery stole my cousin's poodle last week, email me and I'll give you all the juicy info... we're talking Front Page scoop here Jimbo!

Nah, I'm just playing with ya. I am very curious about what it is you are digging for, but if its just about a goalie refusing to let some ice girls clean his crease, I've lost interest... HAVE FUN!

I read on another site that The Queen hit one of the girls with his stick. I'm assuming it was a tap cause if it was more we would have heard more about it.

Baumbach, are you kidding me? What does some chick breaking the focus of a professional athlete have to do with a great rivalry?

Fine, she's doing her job. If it looks like he doesn't want his crease cleared than stop making a spectacle of yourself and skate away. No need to stand there and insist.

Trying to stir the pot Jim? How about this. I'm an NYPD cop who works security at the Garden. Last Isles/Rangers game a little kid in a Ranger jersey asks Brendan Witt for his stick after warm-ups and Witt tells the kid to go "F--- yourself Ranger fan". There's got to be a horrible article in that as well.

I know the Yanks were rained out today but find something other than this non-story.

AT LEAST BAUMBACH AND LOGAN DON'T DELETE POSTS LIKE THAT RODENT ZIPAY!!!

Hit with a stick aye? Did he raise his fist and scream, "Hollweg, you will be avenged!" ?

Maybe he'll be suspended for 26 days :p

JD-
LOL ... Witt really said that? Wow talk about hated rivalry

Bossy's kid-

LOL - figures the Queen would go after a little girl.

What a feisty bunch you guys are.

Hey, sticks arent cheap! LOL

I was at the game, directly behind the net, and was appalled when Lundy took a swipe at the girl's squigee. Does he not know it is league REQUIRED that the extra snow is cleared out during the breaks? Not only was it disgraceful, but obvious that he needs that extra snow to help slow down incoming pucks. I hope he gets fined !!!

Jim

fiesty and frustrated - hey if this turns out to get the Queen suspended for a period i'll take that as a victory. Anything to hurt the Rangers.

You're right Son of Scissons. What usually happens if a goalie doesn't want to be distracted is the ref comes over and uses his skate to clear the shavings from around the posts and pushes it behind the net. Then the "ice cleaner" picks it up back there. I see it at the Garden all the time for Lundqvist and the visiting goalie.

Don't know if there's a real story here Jim but, much like Bossy's kid, I'm not interested. Too many big hockey games ahead.

Now Islanders, help us out and beat the Leafs on Thursday and we'll beat Montreal for you, I hope.

As far as the story, I don't think its neccesary to write an entire article, but I don't think a blurb in the next Islander or Ranger story would be out of place.

You sure as hell won't hear anything about this on Daddy Dolan's media empire. MSG = Al Rag-zeera

Jim, I hope you understand that no one is assailing you personally, just professionally.

Those of us level-headed enough to express our opinions maturely are genuinely puzzled why this story would merit any mention in the press.

I have a great lede for you, though:

"These days, when 'general body soreness' can land a goalie on the disabled list for weeks, no one would be surprised to see 'OUT: Henrik Lundqvist - obsessive-complusive disorder' on the next Rangers injury report."

tabloid is a Rag fan. perhaps he is the Queen's favorite bartender when the Rags get roasted

I read on another site that he had a "hook on his foot."

John -

I agree. And in fairness to HL, there are plenty of goaltenders who have been doing it and trying to get away with piling snow in front of the net for years.

Matt, very good! Touche.

Jim, do your job and report what the fans saw behind the net. Lundqvist's behavior was unprofessional and a disgrace to the Rangers franchise. I am a big fan of his but I lost respect for him for picking on a girl.

"Wow, this is harsh."
"What a feisty bunch you guys are."

Heh...those two posts got a chuckle out of me.

In Jim's defense, he didn't say he is definitely writing a story about it come hell or high water. He's just gathering information, which is what reporters do...

Al Rag-zeera. hahahaha i love it!!

I wish one of these refs would enact on Rule 96.3 in the NHL Rulebook - the last paragraph says that a goalie can be called for a minor penalty for having snow accumulate in the crease. By standing there and acting like a dweeb, he is in violation. Cmon ref's have a little cohones and make the call...

so what's your point JD? every rag fan should go f**k themselves no matter what age. they are all trash anyways.

Colin Campbell just issued a statement stating there would be no fine on Lundqvist.

"What did the little girl expect; she feigned an attempt to clean the crease and Henry responded like any player would to such a threat--he whacked her. If the young lady wants to talk about with me personally--she can have my private number and give me a call--or better yet, we can meet at some quiet restaurant in Manhattan. All I ask is that she waits until my wife is out of town."

"Colin Campbell just issued a statement stating there would be no fine on Lundqvist"

What a shock!!!! Colin Campbell makes a ruling in favor of the Rags.

Colin "gutless" Campbell is the biggest moron in the NHL. Even Ranger fans know that and their IQ doesn't approach the level of a tree.

Watch Domick Hasek. He actaully doesn't leave the crease. He just stays there when they are trying to clean the crease.

How amazingly biased were the rangers announcers in yesterdays game? what i thought was annoying was when shannahan scored they made it sound like he invented a perpetual motion device while he was single-handedly devising a way to colonize the moon. "oh what a great player he is, he planned it. HE PLANNED IT!!!" come on now, hes a great player but i dont think he came into the colliseum thinking he was gonna do it. Hockey is a game of reactions, was it a good heads up play? yes. was it worthy of unlimited praise? no. And then when Yashin sent the puck to the front of the net and it went in, all the announcers did was complain about how it went in off their defenseman or Satan (right?) and how the Isles couldnt beat Lundquist straight up instead of giving Yashin his due for a smart play... come on now

You people are just simply unbelievable. Do you think that maybe, just maybe, you all want to see a scandal written about Lundqvist simply because... you hate him??? All of you talking about this "incident" with the Ice Girl and how Lundqvist is a disgrace, would you be talking at all if he was an Islander, or simply not a Ranger? Do you think you might simply be biased talking heads screaming and whining like angry little children that just want revenge on the Rangers because you're jealous?

Let's be fair and be honest, you're pissed because your team is going to miss the playoffs, and the Rangers are going to make the playoffs. And a huge reason for that is Lundqvist, who you all know is going to be shutting down your team for the next decade.

I have no idea if Henry tapped the squeege or swung at it hard, or maybe he was just trying to move it, I don't know. BUT HELLO, it was her SQUEEGE! It's not like he grabbed her or sexually assaulted her, or said something nasty and offensive to her. He tapped/hit/whatever her ICE SCRAPER!

Grow up. You have an inferiority complex towards Lundqvist and the Rangers, and you always have. End of story. You know it, everyone knows it.

Not only that but the fact that Rosen was giving out erroneous information after the game that the Islanders had been eliminated from playoff contention. The same feed that was likely being broadcast to anyone with Center Ice.

Al Ragzeera is a disgrace and so are the Dolans. The Cablevision/Garden media dissemination techniques were documented well in the Sports Illustrated article about Jimbo. Everything is done to prop up both the Rangers and Knicks and put down the other "lesser" teams on the networks.

I would give anything to see the Isles move to SNY.

Here is an email for you Jim,

GO TO THE GAME THEN WRITE ABOUT IT!

I almost threw my beer through the set when that idiot said we were eliminated. Glad I'm not the only one it incensed....

LOL. We have the inferiority complex.

Says the fanbase that whines about Potvin 35 teams a game and has exactly one cup in more than half the time it took the Islanders and Devils to win SEVEN.

Nope, we've got the inferiority complex.

Did you hear him apologize five minutes later.

Live TV people make mistakes

sorry the beer was already thru the TV - I missed it - but don't you think you would have at least THAT stat ready when the time came???

you guys don't really think that you're going to come into our building while we still have something to play for and beat our glorious team...do you? c'mon, give me a break. you guys don't have a chance. don't worry though, if the rags do get lucky in the first round, we'll do your dirty work for you and kick their butts, like always. compared to the rags, i love the isles and wish that you didn't have to beat us to get in because that aint happening!!....hey dumb ass ,classless ranger fans on this blog, you are nothing compared to us and we will break your hearts...again.we DO have answers for avery!! my only regret as a devil fan is that stevens was never able to line up that chicken messier and end his over rated carreer for him.

thats good got a laugh

they get handed that stuff on the fly from pimple raced interns

Great. Rosen apologized. He should have.

The point was he said it and made a strong point throughout the game of mentioning it. And it wasn't just any mistake, this was information that ANY fan of the league, not just Islander fans, was dying to know in terms of the playoff picture.

If the teams were flip flopped in the standings and Billy Jaffe had stated that the Rags had been eliminated, MSG would've fired him.

Merrick,
Why don't you shut ffff up. The only dates you get are with Palmoda Handerson. What Lundquist did was inexcusable. That's not to say he should face ramifications but he should be a stand-up guy and apologize to the young lady. I was there and witnessed it, he hit her pretty violently.

Enjoy it while it lasts...

That nice new expensive Arena is going to be the death of the Devils!

No one is going to Newark New Jersey for hockey games at the prices they are setting.

So will you root for them when they are the Kansas City Devils, The Las Vegas Devils, or the Oklahoma Devils?

Your a joke just like your GM. I can't wait til you fully tank and he is exposed.

I'm guessing jim is trying to get a little Ice Tail...

Hasek the great does the same stuff when they try to "clean his crease".

If they were around in the days of Smitty they'd all have to wear shin guards.

and..JD.. nice story about Witt. We can only wish that it was true... it's not like it would be the first time a cop(?) would have lied for attention. Go into any bar and there are 10 guys who arrested me three times. Not that there's anything wrong with that...

LMFAO

A Rag fan calling Lou Lamoreillo a joke.

And we've reached a new level of stupidity, folks.

Its great how every account changes. What a game of telephone. That is what will be wrong with this article.It will be written by fans, for fans through emails to a guy that calls himself a writer.

He was asked to move.
He tapped her stick.
He slashed her.
He hit her pretty violently.
He pulled a Simon.
He pulled a gun out of his pads and shot her.
Then took her wallet out of her thong.

Go ahead write an objective article out of those.

Got a question though...
Why not ask the same Request on the Rangers blog? Zipay, knows better?

I mean..the place was 50/50 why not be a good writer and get both sides of the story?

Yes, people do make mistakes, but that wasnt just some small, easily overlooked fact. It was the Isles season there. Youd think a PAID announcer would at least have the schedule readily available in case he forgot. if u go into a business meeting with wrong information on an important topic and then mention it without apologizing for 10 minutes, do you think itd be alright? come on now. i dont think 3 is that hard a number to remember...

sos-never said i was a rag fan did i? schools out, aren't your parents around?

wtf-i agree but you as fans knew what the real deal was. so who really cares about Rosen?

Gotti is gay

-Anonymous
you're right, i just thought it was annoying how much fun he was having pointing the "fact" out every other second during the last few minutes. but, like i said before, youre right as long as the fans know i guess it doesnt matter

Do you think for a second that SNY would have played the Isles game over the Mets game? You can't see out of your own little world that you hate a TV network.

Life must be rough.

But hey, look on the bright side you too can now work for newsday. Just send articles to Jim. He will do the rest.

wtf-this blog right here is giving me a new lack of respect for media all together. They are all over paid to do a job that anyone of us can do if we 'actually' sat at the game with a laptop. On top of that people think they are god because they watch practice and get to ask questions.

Then there is the others that see a chance to get their name in print and run at the opportunity when the truth is they weren't there and probably dont even like hockey.

But, with Logans help and the fans emails Jim will probably sound pretty good.

wow, this blog has exploded since the beginning of the season when it was just a handful of us taling to each other. gotta love it. queen henrietta and avery drop the soap are both a couple of whining girlie men and this incident just goes to show what a low class organization the rags are. this incident is inkworthy jim, make it happen...

I don't care if you're a Rag fan or not. If you seriously think Lou is a "joke," you're either A. clinically retarded or B. oblivious to the last 11 years.

And no nimrod, I didn't say that SNY would put the Islanders game OVER the Met game in a situation such as last night. However, SNY has no winter programming so there would clearly be an opening there from October to when the MLB regular season begins. Learn some reading comprehension, I'm begging you.

SoS-where did you come from. Oh the Isles won last night! I get it. So then what do they do now genius? Just no TV for the last week of hockey. SNY is on its way up. What would they want with the Islanders.

Dinner Time, run along.

Hey Anon -

What the hell are you babbling about? When the Nets are bumped off of YES for the start of the Yankee season, do you think they just stop showing Net games? Of course not, they find an overflow channel and show the games there. If SNY wanted the Islanders (maybe they do, maybe they don't...I have no idea) the same situation would apply for them when the Mets season began. The NYI would be moved to an overflow channel Is that too hard to understand or should I write a Dr. Suess book for you on the subject?

So...
be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray
or Mordecai Ali Van Allen O'Shea,
you're off to Great Places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting.
So...get on your way!

There you go Suess for you on the topic of Islanders playoff hopes! Unless the mountain is a tough golf course?

Anyway, media and everything else aside. We need some help, i think the Rangers can beat Montreal and i dont think theyd mind trying to take out a team in their own conference. The Isles can beat Toronto, Philadelphia, and the Devils (even though we havent had much luck lately) if we have our key players playing. we need to get hunter and smyth to the net while bergeron peppers the net and then have blake rush in to save the rebounds and get them back to continue the cycle. If Yashin can in some way revert back to the player he was when he was in Ottawa, that couldn't hurt either. its a long shot, but still..... LETS GO ISLANDERS!!!

Just think, you wasted 15 minutes of your life coming up with that.

15 minutes you could've spent waxing Queen Henrik's balls. Or beating off to pictures of Potvin. Two of the most enjoyable parts of a Rag fan's day.

Oh, and of course Montreal needs to lose to Toronto too, alot of moving parts but hey, anythings possible

Yashin unfortunately, is not reverting back to anything except the fetal position down the stretch. He needs t be bought out.

SoS- True, but id take him reverting back to his form in the beginning of the year when he was scoring at a clip of a point a game, thatd be good. It may not happen, but i guess we'll know by Sunday night

The Mausoleum quite simply last night was Madison Square Garden II. Thousands of Ranger fans took over the joint. Loved the chant "make the playoffs". Don't worry Islander fans, at least you get a good pick. Oh wait, that went in the Smyth deal. Sorry. Fooooore!!!

Even sweeter!

I hope the Rangers lose tomorrow night and the Pumpkins, Fish Stick or parking attendants whatever you call them win.

Nothing sweeter then Islanders handing us the playoffs!

The Islanders are the second OLDEST team in the National Hockey League. And they suck. Man, talk about the lack of a future?? Plus no first rounder. Plus no Nilsson. Plus no O'Marra. The Smyth deal will be the second coming of the Linden fiasco. Or the Yashin diseaster.

Steady,
you make a great point that blake is the better player than Smith. Blake is faster, grittier and tougher and should not get a dime less than him come contract time. From what I've seen so far, Parish WAS better around the net than Smith

Congratulations Islander fans. You fisihed first ONCE AGAIN. You finished first in empty seats. Yes, the New York Islanders finished dead last in attendance this year. Typicl. I mean, we tried. We really did. As Ranger fans, we almost had four sellouts at the Mausoleum.

Have the Rangers clinched anything yet? im not sure, but if not dont talk yet and if they have well then go celebrate or bash the isles on your own space. And if the Isles dont make the playoffs im sure theyll be seeing the rangers on the 19th hole in the not so distant future....

Brian,
if you guys don't get blown out in the first round against Tampa or who ever,and have to play the devils, we'll try not to sweep your crappy team again, but i can't make any promises. we can out-goalie you, out-score you and out-fight you and send avery crying to his mama...........rangers blow....1 cup since 1940 WHAT A JOKE

Jersey Jim.... won't see me bad mouthing the Devs. Great team. Shame they have such a lousy fan base. They'd be treated like royalty anywhere in the Unites States or Canada. In Joisey, they get 11,000 for Ottawa last night. Sad, truly sad!!

lol at Rag fans gloating.

Have fun getting buttraped again in the first round by the Devils. Madison Square Garbage will be half full with Devil fans when the suits all give up their tickets.

One cup in 67 years.

Hey wtf, if the Rangers go out in the first round, so be it. But you have to be in it to win it. Or you could miss it, and get a nice draft pick. The pathetic clueless Islanders not only will miss the playoffs, but they won't have a first rounder. Or a second rounder for that matter, LOL!! And then Smyth will walk away. LOL!! What a shipwreck!

FIRST ROUND KEY WORD!

WHAT ROUND ARE THE ICELANDERS MAKING IT TO?

OR BETTER QUESTION:
HOW MANY ROUNDS OF GOLF ARE THEY PLAYING?

-jersey dave
while id much rather see the isles beat the rangers in the playoffs, i wouldnt mind seeing you guys do it again. if it comes to that good luck ill be watching

THIS ONE CUP STUFF IS AMUSING TOO...

1983

1994

?????????????

Yeah, you Ragholes are used to going out in the first round each year, if you even make it. After all, losing is a Rag staple....you've been doing it so well for 80 something years. OH BUT WAIT, sorry, you have more fans than the Islanders. That renders the entire pathetic history of the New York Ranger franchise obsolete. ROFL

Rags = Chicago Cubs of hockey.

Lets review the Isles season:

No Playoffs.
Smyth will walk.
Last in attendance.
No 1st or 2nd round picks.
Traded top prospects.
Collapse down stretch.

ROTFLAMO!! But again, have fun praying that the Rangers win tomorrow. Get on your knees and beg boys. Squeek like a school of seals and maybe the Ranger swill pull one out for you.

What happened to this blog?

This was about a really bad article idea. That the fans were getting a chance to write for a very accomplished sports writer that wasn't at the game, covers hockey to give it a black eye and covers the Yankees!

Let him have it!

I'm rooting for Rangers and Islanders tomorrow night!

If the goal of a hockey season were to make the first round of the playoffs and then get destroyed, then i must say you will walk away the proudest person on the face of the earth, but thats not the case. the goal is the cup, doesnt matter one way or another how you fail, the point is if you dont win the cup then it doesnt matter, am i right? besides, we all saw what the isles did to the rangers this year, im not bashing everyone who hates the isles and loves the rangers here, just the over-zealot ones

Islanders/Devils = 7 cups in 35 years.

Rag$ = 1 cup in 67

LMAO. That says at all.

I mean come on, any self-respecting Ranger fan will tell you that statistically speaking, they've been the most pathetic franchise in NHL history. They know it. That's why you hear so much vigor and whining when they do the Potvin chant 36 times a game because they know that it took the Islanders 8 years to get somewhere that the Rags couldn't manage in 40.

The jealousy is staggering, even to this day.

Islander fans and Devil fans are incapable of having a rivalry with each other. Seriously, is there any kind of rivalry between these two franchises? I mean, guys, the Rangers can't be EVERYONE'S biggets rival. So how bout you guys get together and develop some hatred for each other? It's pretty pathetic that all your thoughts are about the Rangers.

wtf -

It is pathetic. But this is all the Raghole has at their disposal. They can go on and on about the Islanders disapointing season because they know the fate that awaits them in the first round.

The NYR fanbase talks more sh*t with such little results, its almost embarassing.

brian -

The Islanders and Devils don't have a rivalry because when either team has been playing well, the other team has been horrible. When the Islanders were winning cups and playing well in the 80s, the Devils had just moved from Colorado and were terrible. Since the Devils have been on their run, the Islanders have been bad and missing the playoffs.

You can only have a rivalry between two teams when both are making the playoffs and get a chance to actually play each other and have it out in a 7 game series.

why cant everyone hate the rangers?

>>besides, we all saw what the isles did to the rangers this year, im not bashing everyone who hates the isles and loves the rangers here, just the over-zealot ones

What did the Isles do to the Rangers besides single handidly change their season?

A few weeks back, heading into a home and home, the Rangers were primed to be buried. The Isles had just acquired Smyth. Garth Snow declared the Ilses a cup contender. The home and home had all the looks of a blowout. But what happens? The Rangers entire season and outlook turns around. They beat the Isles twice. They generated confidence. And they became a finely tuned assembly line of construting wins. Thats what the Isles did. They saved the Rangers season.

>>You can only have a rivalry between two teams when both are making the playoffs and get a chance to actually play each other and have it out in a 7 game series.

The Isles and Devils are incapable having a rivalry because their fan bases obsess with the Rangers. Its the truth. Both groups of fans consider the Rangers their biggest rival. Ranger fans are cut down the middle. I mean, Devil-Islander games are pathetic. Nobody goes. And the few that do chant anti Ranger themes all game long. Sad, truly sad.

oh, idk, maybe the isles beat the rangers in the season series.... but you know....... w/e. it wont mean anything if they dont make the playoffs and win the cup, (not looking great right now) but if u must know, thats what the isles did to the rangers... lets just agree to disagree here, cup or nothing

Wrong as usual.

The Devils fans and Flyers fans both hate the Rangers with a passion. Do you see their fans holding hands chanting Rangers Suck the whole game? No, because they hate each other. Know why? BECAUSE THE TWO TEAMS PLAYED EACH OTHER IN THE PLAYOFFS and played each other for prime playoff position down the stretch YEAR AFTER YEAR. If the Islanders had had the kind of run that either of those teams had, then Islander fans and Devil fans would hate each other. There hasn't been that opportunity. Hence, the lack of any kind of real rivalry.

And the idea that Rag fans aren't obsessed with the Islanders is beyond laughable. How do you explain the fact that there are more Potvin chants than "Lets Go Rangers" chants at the Garden every game? Come on, humor me. I can't wait to hear this one.

Facts are facts. The ONLY time there is any type of excitement in the Mausoleum is when the Rangers are there. It's the only time you see, well, people and not empty seats. Same with New Jersey. The biggest crowds are for the Rangers. It's the truth. On the other hand, whether its the Flyers or the Devs or the Isles or even the Pens there always is the smae type of buzz in the Garden. We like to spread things around. Not just obsess with one team, like you guys.

As for the Potvin chant, its a famed chant that will be around for ever. Heard it when I was in LA a few weeks back. Hear it at baseball games.

He accosted that woman with severe violence...what's next? Sticks are dealy weapons...she could have taken off her skate and struck him in the jugular w/ the toe pick...but she didn't...he is a coward for assaulting a defenseless girl...domestic violence is no joke!

Dear Islander fans:

First of all, I want to congratulate your squad on what was an admirably gritty effort against us the other night. Ryan Smith looked great, and he'll look even better in Ranger blue next year. :)

Since you'll be rooting for us tomorrow night, I thought I'd lead you in a little practice session. So here we go...repeat after me:

LET'S GO RANGERS!
LET'S GO RANGERS!

Was that so bad? OK, now:

HEN-REEK
HEN-REEK

with a slight emphasis on REEK! (no snide remarks, please.)

OK, now, for those of you who are brave, stay with me:

(whistling tune.....)

POTVIN SUCKS!

All right, so maybe I went a little over the edge. Anyway, hope you beat Toronto and maybe we'll see you in the conference finals.

As a woman, I am outraged! by Henrik's behavior. He should make a public apology.

I hate the rangers because for all those years they tried to buy a cup by outspending every other team every year. I have respect for trottier and I hate Messier because he was a cheapshotting mercinary who cried like a baby at his retirement celebration THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!! BOO HOO,,,get the f off the ice you fool!! and I hate the rangers now because they have another creepy mercinary named JAGGER and they stand in the middle of the ice and raise their sticks like morons. european tradition? know what else is european tradition??? NO CUPS!

brian, thanks for pointing out the obvious. of course when the rags are in town its going to be packed and they are always most exciting games of the season - its called a rivalry and both teams are from ny so that ='s more people. but thanks for doing the math for us. beng a rag fan i wouldnt expect you attending any other isles games so how can you say thats the only time its packed and exciting? were you at any other games this year? the last game i went to was the isles pens game and it was packed and loud as hell. and just about all isles fans. i'd rather have 14,000 hardcore isles fans who know what hockey is all about, rather than a sold out garden full of assclowns who got free corporate seats and dont even understand the game and still think dennis potvin is on our roster.

Hey bossy's kid, your totally alone. The reason Alan Hahn is gone is because the diehards soured on him, the organization hated him, and he stopped giving any info other than stupid little editorials.

can we stop writing about hahn on the isles blog. he was a joke and Logan has blown him away. hahn is where he belongs with the knicks hopefully never to return to the isles and now let's end it. Now with the ice girls, maybe we should let it drop. we need lunqist to be focused for the habs.

Brian you have posted 30 times today on the Isles website....You have SERIOUS issues....Get a clue .

Not one of your 30 posts have added one speck of hockey knowledge....I feel dumber having read them.

You no ZERO about the NHL and I do not even think you like the Rag$, I think you just hate the Isles....Tell the truth you are really Ron Greschner and you are mad that Yashin is sleeping with your wife....Get over it pal, what did you think would happen being a punching bag for Gillies for 10 years...????

Stop tormenting the poor Ranger fans. They have so much animosity towards the Isles and even the Devils, that its almost abuse to tease them. Theyre bitter and frustrated and hostile and angry. Just let them rot in their feebleness. Ignore the posts. 94 was a FLUKE, Ranger fans make me puke.
POTVINS CUPS, BITCH!!!

Hey Logan,

Maybe you should write an article about how the Islanders hire young teenage girls, dress them in skin-tight, half-naked uniforms, and parade them around in front of thousands of drunken men for the sole purpose of being eye-candy for Islander fans' entertainment. At the Garden, the TV-timeout ice cleanup is done by mid-aged male crew in regular working clothes and a pee-wee hockey player in a helmet and Rangers jersey. No cheap, classless, sexual entertainment that would be the highlight of a pedophile's day. Your reporting is disgustingly biased and you've disgraced Newsday.

And if you don't want to report that, show some journalistic integrity and talk about how the Islanders are going to miss the playoffs, instead of whining about the "Rags."

uh, Mr classless. The Rangers used to have ice girls but don't anymore because their staff harased them and they are in court over it. Wake up.

hey brian,
i think there may be something a little jealous of all the typing your right hand is doing. Hmmmm......

if you are still awake... call me

I saw some of it. He pushed his stick against her stick. Every time the linesmen went over to him he still wouldn't move, until the ref. talked to him...I did noticed one of the ice girls smiling with the biggest smile on her face afterward...I say when someone is trying to do their job, and is interferred with by another, then that person should be held accountable. Hey, Jim the rangers suck! If you can do anything that distracts their playoff hopes, I say this to you. GO FOR IT!! BRING THE RANGERS DOWN!! RANGERS SUCK RANGERS SUCK RANGERS SUCK!!

I want revenge on the simon b.s.Everybody knows that was crap.

These blogs really suck.... the "I hate the rangers..." the "islanders suck" diatribe is a little 3rd gradish... don't you think boys.... !!!!

I am a diehard Isles fan... so of course I want the rangers to win tomorrow... and of course the Isles to win 3 in a row... and we will see what happens.

But can we all please stop with the you suck stuff...

RANGERS SUCK RANGERS SUCK RANGERS SUCK RANGERS SUCK RANGERS SUCK RANGERS SUCK

cj, you are absolutly right this is 3rd gradish....I take back rangers suck....for one day I will root for the rangers, thursday. After that.....

19 year old girls making $10/hr should not be SPIT on by professional athletes making $817,000 a year. It's beyond a disgrace. And you're right about the reason the RANGERS no longer have ice girls! Makes a lot of sense now doesn't it!

check out the rags blog. zipay effectively blames the ice girls and questions their existence. what a class act that guy is.

In a rush to sell tickets, they send these young girls dressed like sluts on the ice so that the few out shape, beer guzzling Long Islanders that attends these games can get a look at what a pretty girl looks like. The Mausoleum is a side show. They can't sell tickets so they have to sell gimmicks like this, and bands between periods, and Sparky. It's sad. But typical. ut when you can't sell tickets, you have to come up with these things.

hey "pathetic islanders"..they stopped the bands years ago and i would take the coliseum crowd over the corporate suits that pretend to be rangers fans at the garden any day....For one day only Let's go Rangers and Let's go Isles...cant we all just get along???

This is a fun little mess to wake up to . . . I had to read the story twice just to make sure it wasn't a late April Fools joke.

I'd like to invite the Islander fans to take a little ride up I-95. Go to Boston during baseball season and just open your ears, listening what a group of fans sound like who are more defined by how they HATE the other team rather than just love their own. If that doesn't make you want to cut the spew down to a dull roar, nothing will.

(For the record, the Bruin fans are a hell of a lot cooler about things than their baseball cousins. I'd recommend a trip up to TD BankNorth to any hockey fan.)

And one thing...If you don't want Ranger fans in your crowd the answer is just so SIMPLE. Sell the place out. Go ahead. Support your team. The same goes for Lou's guys. (Ahhh, I can see the "Welcome to Newark" signs now.) Buy your team's tickets, instead of leaving them for the crickets.

Why don't we just put the sideshow to bed. There's still hockey to be played.

Rag fans cannot sell out the corporate Garden, that's why the place is packed with Islander fans and even Devils fans took over Msg in the playoffs.

Talk about Rag fans living in glass Garden's...LOL

Opposing fans have been out in droves at Msg for years, Dolan only posts sellouts for policitcal reasons, like everything else at that dump arena.

Wow, it's front page on today's Newsday. This is great!!! Way to go, Misters Logan, Baumbach, and Zipay!

I wonder if Lundqvist is bitter towards the sexy Ice Girls 'cause he's gay. Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

Ah, the power of the media again exposes a life altering event!

Wait a minute... isn't there a game or two on tonight that could end our Islanders season or keep them alive another day to sneak in the 8th spot... no, nevermind... that is not important compared to this ice girl/Lundquit thing.... Maybe we should bring back G.L.O.W. and have a cage match between Kelli, Buffy and Hendrick... yawn.. oh look breakfast is here...

Yo Bri!! Talk you s***t on another blog bro!! Funny how Ranger fans come out the wood work when their team gets hot and still hasn't clinched. We smoked you this season brotha! 5-1-2... Too bad eh guy! Now go lose in the 1st round like you always do run along son. Please win tonight how ever. We got 1 in 1000000 but what the heck you gotta believe!! Lets Go Islanders! The Dolan Monopoly network su***s. F the Rags and Knicks!! and MSG network and MSG period!

Big games tonight boys....BIG GAMES.....Lets go down swinging and hope the Rag$ can help us out...

Funny thing is if we both LOSE there is a chance the Rags do not make the playoffs either....To funny

Lets worry about ourselves though and take care of business against Mother Tucker and his band of merry men.....

Defense has their work cut out for them tonight...That one line of the three big boys is VERY tough to handle!

Get errrrrr done !

YES! Lets Go Islanders!

Steady, why do you have to jinx it and say both teams lose? That would really suck but, would be just like the Rangers to make it come down to the last game of the season against Pitts.

As for this article. Newsday is a business they do not care what any of us think. The fact that this was front page speaks alot about their paper. I mean hey why didn't the hair match at wrestlemania make the front page?

Sorry DP...No Jinx....The thought of being called the MAVEN by some of these guys would be worth it's weight in Gold...LOL

I just felt a little to positive so I had to sprinkle some doubt in there.....

Either way at least one more night of GREAT HOCKEY.....before the playoffs that is !!!

Wow. Look who is calling the Rangers classless.

Another fantastic story from Logan, This is right up there with blaming Avery for....everything.

"I wonder if Lundqvist is bitter towards the sexy Ice Girls 'cause he's gay. Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm."
HAHA! watta loser.
All of you chant DP, so that is all I have to say about that.
Wow Logan, What next? Avery cracked one of the ice-girls in the head with his stick. Wow you think going around in tight uniforms in front of 4,000 people a game was enough attention.

Queen Henrik's suspension should be longer than Simon's. At least Simon used his stick on another hockey player...one who had just ran him from behind and concussed him for that matter. The Queen used his stick on an innocent girl trying to do her job.

Let's rock it up tonight Islanders. Do us proud and send the "Maple Loafs" packing because they never bought a Stanley Cup when they could. The "Loafs" will fold IF you keep shooting at Raycroft...he's brutal.

Who is Mother Tucker?

Chris: He's the infamous Darcy Tucker, commonly known as "Side Show Darcy" for all his moaning.

What a waste of a newspaper. This is front page worthy? Logan and Baumbach should be E-M-B-A-R-A-S-S-E-D. I would think Isles fans would want King Henrik focused tonight because without us winning, you're out.

Now, Lets go Islanders as well (that hurt). I want to make the playoffs, I don't care how!

Wow, I've been plagiarised / spoofed a few times in the last 2 days. Ouch.

LET'S GO RANG...nah, just doesn't feel right. Hope they win tonight though!

And let's see the Isles bring the same game tonight that they brought on Tuesday. Forget about Lundqvist, ice girls, MSG, etc. Who cares? Let's just worry about Toronto. See you guys at the Coliseum.

John:

For once, you and I agree on something. This wasn't even buried-in-with-high-school- scores news, let alone front-page news. It's actually a real indictment of the LI/NYC print media that they have to dig for such an inane angle when there are twenty better stories in this rivalry.

I wouldn't be so quick to point the finger at Greg Logan. This season he has consistently lived up to the journalistic standards, breaking news to his readers, writing about a variety of different Islanders, and maintaining the Islanders blog. And I don't think Jim Baumbach came up with this angle himself; this may well have been assigned to Logan/Baumbach by the sports editor.

I wouldn't put it past Islanders brass to play up this story, either. The Islanders have gotten nothing but bad ink since the Simon-Hollweg incident, and this may have been seen as an opportunity to shift the spotlight away from the ice. That's terribly disappointing in light of the fact that this was a really good win for the Islanders, what with Dubie the hero, a tight, tense game with playoff implications, Islanders winning the season series, etc.

In Greg Logan's defence, he wrote a solid article on Dubielewicz today. One for two.

Apropos of nothing, I hope this BS isn't a distraction for either team tonight, because both teams need a regulation W.

On how poor the Rangers organization is historically:

From 1941 to 1966, competing against only 5 (FIVE) organizations, they won 0 (ZERO) Cups.

Nuff said...

Does anyone know if Danny Flynn's job as defence coach up for review at year's end??? It should be.

Steady - I want to add two conditions before calling you the MAVEN. You need a poorly manicured beard a chicken neck.

I think Dubie said it well... the Isles have to play the Sundin line as physical as they played the entire ranger team. That line is TOUGH, but I think a total team effort to do some POUNDING just might do the trick.

JP - I just read your post from yesterday about the $50 steak. Your numbers on yashin's salary were close enough. I agree with you 100%. On paper a yashin buyout looks like we pay alot for nothing. But we already are. (Alright, I know that's too harsh). But still, you can't overlook the intangible. $7.6/per with a C on the jersey can (and does) keep the emergency brake on a team that might otherwise be ready to fly. Who knows how many guys in the lockeroom who make under the league average and bust their arses every game hold a grudge against the guy? I still think his contract relative to his pay is a cancer to this team. Sometimes the surgery to cut out the tumor hurts and takes some good tissue with it, but it still needs to be ecut out.

BTW JP, I read your exchange with Brian from last night. I still can't breathe from laughing so hard.

How difficult is it for a goalie to skate 3 feet beyond the blue crease and then take his "time to focus" ? Really. Such controversy.

not sure if it has been brought up but its in the rule book the creases and bench area have to be cleaned during tv time outs

Matt, That's a great post.
From 1941- 1966 against 5 OTHER TEAMS the rangers won ZERO CUPS!
That's why the metro area needed 2 other NHL teams because the rangers have been so pathetic.
Daddy's Boy Dolan's team will never win another Cup as he long as he owns them.

sam rosen says "JAGR SCORES" but he doesn't.
"THE ISLANDERS ARE ELIMINATED EVEN THOUGH THEY WON" but they aren't.
"THAT'S A POWER PLAY GOAL" in that whiny, nasally voice but it isn't.
Keep up the good work Sam.(LOL)
Oy Vey!!!!!!!!!!!

Cincy ~

I will work on the beard and neck (if they win) so I resemble Stan the Man.....

Chris....You really did not get the Mother Tucker line?? I tought you had season tickets? Darcy ~ Webb ~ Johnsson ~ Peca ring any bells???? Cairns fighting and putting the #1 sign in the air as they skate off the ice.....Work with me here!

Sam Rosen even got slammed by Mike and the Mad Dog who know about as much hockey as that guy Brian that posts.

JUST WIN TONIGHT...JUST WIN!

AZS,

I won't meet you before the game because I'm a huge p***y and don't actually attend any games.

I'm done with this team ...but I'm still going to post and watch ...I am done...

This kid Trevor Smith we got is a good pure goal scorer....A Little slow of foot but he can light the lamp...Look for him to make the team sooner then later.

He is my clients best fiends son and I have had the opportunity to see him play a few times....

I know ~ I know who cares Steady we got a big game tonight...I hear yah!

http://www.newyorkislanders.com/pressbox/archive.asp?id=1555

I just heard Logan on Beningno's show on WFAN. I still don't understand this whole thing. Should Lundqvist have pushed her squegee? No. Should she have stood there and insisted? No. Did somebody spit (very wrong with no excuse) or spray water (a joke but, given the fact it was a women, a bad one)? Who knows. But I do know this, someone at Newsday (Matt, I'll give you that Logan was probably assigned to this) thought this was a front page article. American soldiers are dying in Iraq, 15 British soldiers were released after being held hostage in Iran, my property taxes are too damn high, local politicians on LI keep getting indicted, gas is $3.00/gallon, I can go on and on. Shame on Newsday, they've lost my respect.

Steady, DP, Matt, Cincy, Miggsey, Merrick, Jim from Woodbury and other intelligent hockey posters....enjoy the games tonight. Let's go Rangers!!! And, as much as it hurts, lets go Islanders.

I'm out. I can't read about or discuss this ridiculousness any further. Look forward to tomorrow when we can discuss tonight's games and get back to HOCKEY. Remember, that's what this blog is here for.

Gotta stay on Raycroft tonight. I've seen him look brilliant and awful in the same game a bunch of times this year, so the key will be to pour on the shots and not get frustrated if he looks sharp early. Sometimes when you get to him, he just completely melts down.

Steady - pure goal scorer, slow of foot - like Yashin, Kozlov, and Satan? :)

Jim -

Do us all a favor and go post a Ranger fan comment to Baumbach's stupid article from this afternoon. He calls the back and forth debating between Islander and Ranger fans "sad". It's FUN dammit!!! The guy has to lighten up.

And thanks for the "lets go Islanders". OK, here goes. I'll give it a try...

L... Le... Let's g-g-g...

Sorry. Not a chance.

Sorry John. Didn't mean to call you Jim.

Cincy:

If ever you needed a sign that the old media is crumbling away to dust, writing an article that is 80% blog comments, and then responding to them is it.

And then at the end, Jim gets all huffy for someone else daring to call this "not newsworthy."

According to Baumbach, if someone comments upon the non-newsworthiness of a story, that comment is enough to make the story newsworthy. Is there a Clown College of Journalism, or is this a late April Fool's joke?

Newsday is a better paper than this, and Jim Baumbach is a better newsman than this.

Next game I wantt to see someone take out one of the stupid ice girls. It's an ebarasment. If they're on the ice they should be fair game. Spit on em, kick them for all I care. they suck. Dumb bitches.

The way Avery was taking dives the other night maybe he was "Trying Out" for the ice girls??? That would explain a lot!

sorry John and DP it had to be written....Kind of funny No ??? lol

Let's go Rangers! Let's go Rangers!

"He calls the back and forth debating between Islander and Ranger fans 'sad'"

Heh, that article read like Jim was a bit put off by the first several posts in this thread.

Furthermore, the fact that we're all supposed to be "offended" by ice girls doesn't stop Newsday from plastering 800 pictures of them all over the place today trying to draw readers. Are they not as "guilty" as the Islanders then? It would have been possible to go with a story and advertise blogs without the art, but they chose ... oh man, and I was the one who said we should forget about this stuff and concentrate on Toronto! Sorry 'bout that.

Yea funny, as funny as newsday and this article.

As funny as Jim Baumbach.

As funny as people acting like these ice girls are highly professional model citizens.

As funny as.......

oh I give up.
It was a good one Steady.

I agree it is newsworthy, but Newsday went waaaaaay overboard with these so-called allegations. The NYDN had a story on this today, too. Just not front page, or even back page. Although they NEVER play up hockey stories, just the Yankees.

Hey guys, hope you enjoy watching the Rangers in the playoffs.

Thats exactly what they are big bloody sweaty that time of the month RAGS!!!

Waah i don't want the snow cleared from my crease, Waaah I dont want to take shoot out attempts, WAAAHHH
i got hit in the shoulder pad and claimed it was my face and played possoum, Waah i'm so old i'm still in Bauer challengers and get mags from the AARP
Waaah, Waaah,Waah
The fans cry just like the RAGS do!
CAN YOU SAY 1st ROUND BOW OUT..... no heart RAGS will do just that.

what happened to richard zednik and why hasn't he been back?

for once, Islanders and Rangers need each other to win tonight!

Tonight, Ranger fans will root for the Isles and Islanders fand will root for the Rangers! It's weird, I know.

Let's go NY! We can take these Canadian teams!

alexei yashin dates supermodel carol alt. sean "b*tch" avery dates some trashy girl who starred in a movie about high school students making a porn. comparison?

question - I think he either had a death in the family, or his mom is really sick. Don't quote me on it though. In fact, I think I read it on this blog somewhere.

Hey, Leetch is a Fruit. Your team is older than the Rangers. Once again, a clueless Isles fan. Let me guess, you're not one of the 11,000 fans who go to the games?

Now run inside, recess is over and you have to work on your multiplication tables.

Let's just play some hockey, period.

"SHOOT THE PUCK BARRY, SHOOT THE PUCK."
This just in......Fleury & K. Stevens have just shared another crackpipe in anticipation of watching tonight's game against the Habs...... And Messier has gone thru two boxes of tissues.

The ice-girls are degrading the sport, get them out of the NHL, period. You know it's tricky, I know they're being payed to something mandated by the NHL, but when it's being done in scantily clothing while doing cheerleading like motions, it's distracting to a goalie who is just thinking about the game, especially since he just let in a goal to big rivalry team. NHL needs to step in all of goalies' defense and get the girls out of the league

This just in....

MSG will be giving out even more corporate seats to next years Isles games b/c of the LETS GO ISLES chants that rang through that flee infested dump this year! They are sick of Isles fans RUNNING MSG!!! For those that did not know it was the first time in 36 years Isles won 4 straight vs. the wee little smurfs!

Also Barry Beck was seen with Dugay crying b/c they never got a ring!

Also all Rags fans on this blog are being laughed at around NYC for having such miserable lives with nothing better to do!

SMYTH IS AN OILER!

CHEW ON THAT ONE!

Hey, Messier is and Oiler. You sound just like that a** IC. You don't have the courage to post under the same name all the time. That's sad.

This is all a joke, really.

Yes the Ice Girls are doing a job that is required at all NHL rinks. If they are leading cheers or crowd interaction, its nothing different than waht happens at every NBA, NFL, and MLB event as well as many NHL rinks including MSG. And before this puritanical moaning about them being 'scantily clad' gets out of hand, go on the Ilsanders website - not only are most of these young women aspiring figure skaters getting some hard-to-find exposure, but they are also a major compnent of the Islanders community outreach, appearing at charity events, corporate functions, etc. Is that really a 'disgrace'? If the sight of an attractive young woman in a revealing outfit is so outrageous to you, then skip the game and go to church.

My question, viewing all of the photos, is why is that little prik Avery in every one of them. What hte hell did he have to do with this situation? Is he the Rangers secret Captain? Was there a chance of him relieving Lundqvist? He's nothing but a worthless instigator who was so hated by his teammates in LA that he was traded for 40 cents on the dollar, and in the rougher Eastern Conference you can be sure he will get his.

I'd like to know who spit at her, my bet is on Avery any takers?

LOVE THE ICE GIRLS, TUNE INTO FIGURE SKATING!

SCOTT, READ THE ARITCLE. THEN POST

By the way Rangers fans...THE RANGERS HAVE ICE GIRLS AS WELL. What the hell are you people talking about?

NO THEY DONT, THEY ABUSED THEM AND LOST THEM

Scott, don't love hot chicks? Buy this month's OUT magazine and stay off the real men's hockey blogs!

Oh right. Boy, I stand corrected. They must have been standing up for hockey's integrity when they abused their own ice girls. My mistake.

Sorry Scott - I think I was responding to HATE THEM not you.

HATE THEM...turn off MSG and Vs. and flip your dial to Logo. Enjoy!

ok if anyones watched every games when they played,the ice girls always bend over right in front of him provoking him. They do this with every visiting goalie that comes in to play the worst new york team.

If an 18-year old girl in skin-tight clothes (which, really, aren't all that provocative--you can see midriffs and the ubiquitous navel jewelry, but not much more) can manage to break the concentration of a professional athlete in the middle of an important game by wiggling a little bit...

The logic seems very simple to me.
A) The league requires the crease to be cleared of snow.
B) The Islanders delegate that responsibility to their "Ice Girls".
C) The officials should enforce the league's rules by requiring the crease to be vacated.

What should be done:

A) The Islanders game operations staff should be better trained to handle this exact situation. They should be directed to never talk directly to the goaltender, and to request the help of the officials if there is any dispute.
B) The league should make it clear that goaltenders are required to move to accommodate the cleaning crew. If they need to stare at a line to maintain their focus, well, move five feet to the left and stare at the redline.
C) The league should reprimand the linesman Scott Driscoll for interfering with the Islanders clean-up crew and allowing the Rangers to build up snow in the crease, giving the Rangers and unfair advantage.

How do we know what happened on the ice that night? Everyone that is anti-Ranger makes it sound like they know what happened. It's all hearsay. We've become a society that immediately believes what we hear or read. Wake up people! Lets get the facts first before we point fingers! Who knows, maybe the girls were pulling some gamesmanship, maybe they were doing all they could to help the Islanders win. That was a huge game for the Islanders. Anything is possible. Hey, the Rangers weren't the organization that was running promotions on Playoff tickets. (Remember right after you picked up Smyth? or have we forgotten already?) Alot of money riding on these premature actions, hmmm? From what I have read in these posts, it sounds like a lot of people here don't know that NHL players want to come to the Rangers because it's a class organization that treats thier players incredibly well.

The incident blew up the Isles faces. They are now viewed as a second rate organization that need to employ bimbos to get a few people in the seats. Funny thing is, did you get a glimpse of these chicks? Freaking ugly. . Reminds me of the Austin Power line "it's a man in a wig, baby".

I just aplogized to you Islanders fans and th Islanders again for my mistake the other night.

Even said Let go Islanders!

BUT IM STILL A FAN BOY!

LETS GO RANGERS!!
LETS GO RANGERS!!
LETS GO RANGERS!!

Do you believe in Mira

.......

this whole thing is rediculous. henrik god annoyed cause some half naked girls were sent over to the goal...like they weren't intentionally trying to throw off his game or saying stuff to him...

he was annoyed and let that be clear. its not that big of a deal

Lundqvist wasn't distracted by the Ice Girls thats clear. But, if they put some men in skimpy outfits out there he might get distracted.

It's getting interesting.... and I don't mean the blogging on this site... that's for sure.
My daddy can beat up your daddy... blah blah blah.

Go Isles.... 2 more wins and a win by Toronto... not that inconceivable!

Go Leafs Go! They better play a little better than they did against us tonight.

missed you at the game today Steady ...oh yeah, you don't go to games ...but then again you're "done with this team" anyways

Boy was Msg spamming Rag playoff tickets after the Montreal game, for a franchise with all those announced sellouts they have tons of available tickets for playoff games..

again...

Rags=third rate

For all those that wanted to trade Blake and complained that they didn't... are you still complaining. 40 goals... and is still consistently the best player on the ice most nights.

Hey Joe,
Go to bed..it's past your bedtime.

Anyone happen to catch how many EMPTY SEATS were at the Garden last night to see them clinch.....Meanwhile the Colliseum was ROCKING !!!

Joe Divola your stupicity is only surpassed by your lack of hockey knowledge....You are clueless!

LOL!! The Islanders are now being laughed at around the league. Even Newsday is trashing them. Why are their Ice Girls?? Godd question. Bimbos (and downright ugly ones) skating around the ice wearing nothing!!! Good quotes from Chico Resch trashing the Isles in Newsday today and supporting Henry. I doubt the Isles will have Ice Girls next year.

But to answer the question: Why are there Ice Girls? See, the Isles have been last in attendance for a decade +, despite the efforts of Ranger fans taking over the Mausoleum 4 times a year. They need gimmicks to get people in the crowd. And as we know, Isles aren't the best looking people; long hair, bearded, pants falling down showing the crack, smelly, no shower in a month ........ and these are the chicks. But, anyway, the Isles want to show their fans what a pretty girl looks like. But as I noted, these girls weren't pretty. They were downright ugly. Men in wigs baby!!!

thank you for beating the Habs last night, Rangers.
but you still suck

Coliseum attendance: 14352
Garden attendance: 18200

Anyone got the total capacity of each, so we can figure the empty seats?

Wow, these are 18+ year old kids doing a job. I can't believe some of the garbage spewing from your mouths? Having athlete's you look up to turn you away for signing an autograph hurts enough, smacked out of the way? Spit on? It makes my stomach turn. Some of you personally attacking them? Does this help you sleep better at night?

Go to Coliseum website it says 1981-1984 seats were added to bring capacityto just ove 18,000. (Interesting, while they were winning cups)

MSG holds 18,200 when set up for a hockey game. More for Basketball games and others.

So thats over 5,000 empty seats at Nassau.

People standing at the Garden.

For the person that said: "Anyone happen to catch how many EMPTY SEATS were at the Garden last night to see them clinch.....Meanwhile the Colliseum was ROCKING !!!"

Get a clue friend! One of the most packed nights at the Garden all season. And from here on out there won't be an empty seat. One day you will make the playoffs, maybe even be lucky enough to get a ticket. Then you will see what a packed rocking building is like.

And yes it is alot different then a Rangers vs. Islanders game. They don't compare to playoff games.

It's been pointed out time and time again that posted attendance numbers account for seats sold, rather than bodies in seats. The Rangers are still riding a very successful corporate season ticket push they made a few years ago, but businesses don't tend to fill the seats the way a private season ticket holder would.

The Isles' attendance issues have many causes, not least of which is inadequate infrastructure. Poor parking conditions, lack of mass transit, and inadequate highway approaches really combine to make getting in and out of games a pain in the ass. Plus, you have a very competitive market and limited on-ice success. I'm encouraged by the amount of outreach to younger fans in the last year or two--that's how you build a fanbase.

While you may disagree with the function of the Ice Girls, I'm not sure calling them ugly bimbos is in any way acceptable. But by all means continue the cowardly harassment from your anonymous handle--it shows real class, I promise.

Randy ~ Seats ~

You guys are beyond ridiculous.....PLEASE got to your own blog as no one here cares about your attendance, seats, ice girls etc....

You morons had ICE GIRLS and they stopped b/c the way they were treated....We got the idea FROM YOU !!! So please just stay off the blog and leave the hockey talk to the true hockey fans that actually add soemthing. I feel DUMBER every day having read your comments and have forgotten more hockey the nyou will EVER learn!

Everyone else.....WOW who would of thought.....Saturday for all the marbles and we play first at 1pm....DO NOT TAKE philly lightly as they have played good hockey and would love to bounce us.....Then we kick back and watch hockey royality in Toronto as the Leafs play the Habs........

Enjoy your Easter boys (or end of passover) and enjoy the Mets vs. Braves as an appetizer until tomorrows fireworks!!!

BLAKE IS A MUST SIGN!!!
HAMMERIN ASHAM's hand looks better by that slap shot!

p.s good post Ryan and sorry for my name calling but the past 50 posts have benn idiotic

thanks for killing this blog...who cares about attendance and Ice Girls?

p.s I realize we still have to beat NJ, but do not want to jinx Saturday.....All focus is on then for now.

Then i break the news to the wife we will celebrate Easter in the W hotel in NYC and have the Easter egg hunt in the Meadowlands....Heck maybe we will find Hoffa while looking for the eggs.....Then since we are there we might as well continue the "dissapoint your loved ones" weekend and hit OPENING DAY AT SHEA !!!!

:) :) :) :) :) :)

Jim Baumbach has been assigned as the investigative journalist for ICE capades caper. This truly should make watergate look like a comic book series. Hey Jim, I witnessed the horrible horror in the crease, I can't tell you how quick I was to make sure my childrens eyes were covered least they see this traumatic exchange between Lundquist and the ICE GIRL! Never have I seen so much blood on the ICE! I amazed at how tough those ICE GIRLS really are, I mean for her to take that brutal shot and stay on her skates was truly amazing. I think the Rangers should have have their team suspended for the entire playoffs and then the first 10 games next year they should have to have only one line available and must use the second string goalie from the OHA. This is the only fair recourse for such inhuman behavior. By the ay it would be nice if the NHL would immediate seed the ISles a playoff position due to the traumatic events of this game. This would allow for the pain and suffering of all fans who had to witness this truly ugly event. By the way if the league would consider this we promise not to have ICE GIRLS clean the creases anymore!

Thanks for putting on a great show last night, Isles. Well worth the 5+ adventurous hours it took to get back home!

Witt, Hill, and the Sillinger line played really well against Sundin's line. Hill and Hunter were more or less bouncing right off Antropov all night, but they kept going right at him anyway. And even though his goal was an empty netter, I think Satan had one of his best games. There were times I had to look twice at the number because I've never seen him skate that hard.

But, really, they've won nothing. Gotta bring that desperation to Philly now.

Gee, "Captain Oniondale" made an appearance last night . . . I can't wait until the backup goalie overpays to keep Smyth and fails to sign your best player Blake

ONE BAD SCENERIO FOR ISLES:

Toronto needs to win in Regulation b/c if they win in OT then the Habs obviously get a pt and they win the tie breaker over Toronto b/c of the NHL's ridiculous rule more wins!

So GOD FORBID it is tied late late in the third, the LEafs will have to pull their goalie to get the regualtion win and could give up a softy to KILL OUR HOPES !!!!

Please tell me this does not happen !!! I will hate the Leafs more than I ever!!!

p.s sorry for posting same thing on two blogs, but I am not sure where the hockey guys are!!

Only one Toronto penalty last night...Conspiracy of NHL vs. Isles can't be more evident...than now. Stick it to 'em Isles! Will the Isles/Devs still be on NBC at 3:30 on Sunday?? Someone please post!

Why are there ice girls? Why not?? Why are there cheerleaders at NFL games or dance teams at college games etc?...guys like to look at hot chicks and the hot chicks who take these jobs like to be looked at...please take the "morality" bull$hit somewhere else...
Let's go Leafs..ugh just threw up in my mouth..cant believe i just said that...

Steady,
What a night of hockey. Islanders fans were chanting LETS GO RANGERS pregame at the coliseum? Thats what I heard. That is great stuff right there. Not being the average d.ck either!

As for your calculations. It dont Matter if they win in OT. That is the last game for both of them. Isles win there two they are in over both of them with 92 points. So regardless the scenario the Isles need the two for 92 points. So montreal cant take two, thats all.

As for Ice Girls and Attendance. Can we all move along? Please!

You guys are just torturing yourselves, delaying your inevitable ouster from meaningful hockey games . . . bye bye . . . if you hurry, maybe you can still get a tee off time for the weekend. AHHHHHHH HAHAHAHAHAHAHA !!!!!!

DP ~

You are missing my point....I realize Isles can take it as long as they win the last two and the Habs lose.....

BUT Toronto MUST look at it differently....They MUST beat the HAbs in regulation to have any shot....They realize Sunday they will have to pray for a Devils win.....BUT They need to beat the HAbs in regulation in order to have Sunday mean anything for them....So they will pull their goalie in regulation if need be!!! TRUST me played it out in my head last night!!!

Not sure if I wrote that clearly DP...... Do you get what I am saying??

I am scared that since the Leafs MUST win in regulation over the HAbs, that they will pull their goalie in a tied situation and goive up a game losing open net goal....Which obviously will give the HAbs the 2 pts. they need!

I would feel much more comfortable if Toronto just had to beat the HAbs for them to get to Sunday and hope the Isles lose.....BUT since they not only have to beat the Canadians and it MUST be in regulation for them to have a shot, they will do crazy stuff in the third if it is tied!!

Am I making any sense ???

Surprised none of the hockey guys on tV have mentioned it?????

Joe Divola.....Name one thing you have ever written that shows you have the slightest sense of hockey knowledge.....Just one comment??? Please enlighten us with your hockey prowless.....

The floor is yours.....

Lets give you a little quiz....Who was the biggest Rags pick up in 94 toward the deadline that hleped put them over the top when they BOUGHT the Stanley cup with 7 Edmonton Oilers???..Who was the pest on that team??..Get this right and I will stop abusing you like the wee little fan you are!

p.s How many times have the Rags given you happiness in your life??? When have they made you happy ??? Ovbiously the last 10 years have been crushing and judging by the things you write I would say you are tops 18, so you were 4 when they won the cup ???? Hmmmmm

Steady:

I love Rags trivia because their own fans don't even know...so I hope you're not angry I took a crack at your quiz:

Deadline pickup: Matteau (from Chicago?)

Pest: Going to have to go with Tikkanen on this one, although an ex-Oiler, he was with the Rags that entire season.

Steady,
I hear you now. Sorry for the mix up. The trivia. And I am a Rangers fan and I make mistakes too!

But, Tikkanen was the pest.

Matteau sounds right but there is another name in the back of my head. I will check the roster.

Will you moving on to the Mets Blog?

Matteau, Anderson, Noonan and McTavish all came at the deadline that year. Played the remaining 12 games.

Matteau, obviously scored the goal no Rangers fan will forget.

Although, Noonan actually had the best playoffs out of the four pick ups.

So toss up...
I say Noonan

CJ ~

Go back into your hole into we tell you to come out...You are obviously the same person as Joe Divola and got slapped around..

NO ONE ON THIS STREAM LISTENS TO YOU...

And you needed DP and an Isles fan to give you your answers...PATHETIC

As for Prowess it was a typo as for my spelling I am a Math MAjor and NEVER take the time to spell check these silly posts....Kind of my trade mark actually :)

As for you = CLUELESS

You are a RAGS FAN that gave kudos to Billy Smith....That is beyond Hysterical....Now go on down the road and leave the hockey talk to the big boys.

DP ~ Matt .... Kind of both right...I give the nod to Noonan yet Tikan

p.s CJ .... How much money did you throw at Messier?? Lindros??? Theo Fleury???

Has Messier stopped crying yet??? Comical you praise a man that gave you won cup and will always be considered an OILER....wahhhhhhh wahhhhhh wahhhhhhhh I took all your money for one cup..wahhhhh wahhhhhhhhh

Hey Steady:
I believe your Toronto - Montreal point calculations are correct.
I can't believe no one else has mentioned it either.
Let's just hope Toronto has a big lead in the third.
Also, it's hysterical how all these Ranjerks fans have suddenly appeared now that their "amazing" team has made the playoffs...WOOO!!!

Do we have to do the Messier thing. For me at my age Messier was the greatest thing that happened to the Rangers. Bought the cup and alot else to the rangers. Best to wear the 'C' ever. I will not argue with you though, you can fire back.

I will give you answers to other question you posted above...Moments they gave me:

94 the year and the cup.

Messier, Graves, Leetch, Richter, Gartner..the list goes on of players that were great Rangers. All around too, players on the ice and people off the ice.

Been to many great games. Openers, Playoffs, Milestones and etc.

Ceremonies, many people fans and in the NHL will tell you Rangers go above and beyond for events.

Best Moments at Garden:
Messier night
Richter night
And game one in a week or so.

Islanders 3 - Rangers 2
Islanders 5 - Leafs 2
Islanders - Flyers
Habs - Leafs
Islanders - Devils

M...A...__...__...__

Mick,
As a Rangers fan i agree with you. The Freaks come out at night for both teams.

I gave up on the Rangers blog for that reason. Actually find it better here. Aside from the back and forth bickering it is easier to talk about your team whether its Isles or Rangers with fans of the other team that can actually talk hockey.

Reason being. They can talk it as they see it without the fog in front of their face.

Ya gotta love this weekend. The Isles are still alive, they played with lots more intensity last night and now it's up to them. I can really see the "Loafs" winning Saturday and us beating Philly and Jersey. Maybe Brodeur will be rested Sunday.

Hey... I know this isn't a grammar test... but can people please learn the correct usage of there, their and they're... it drives me more nuts than having to root for the rangers last night and the maple loofs... tomorrow night.

Go Isles!

This season has been quite a rollercoaster ride. We started out the laughingstocks of the NHL, fought our way to the top of the division for one brief moment, plummeted to .500, strengthened our play, made some exciting trades, dipped out of playoff contention, and now we're back in it.

Doobie deserves a lot of credit for this latest push. I was fed up when Dunham was in net. I didn't think we could make the playoffs with him; apparently the team didn't either, since we starting coasting towards the golf course after that. But Doobie's been strong between the pipes, and it looks like the team believes he can help us down the stretch.

LET'S GO ISLANDERS!!!

DP USA's goalie,
If you keep talking about your favorite moments at the Garden Messier is going to need another box of tissues....Messier night was priceless. It was great seeing a grown man turn into a blubbering idiot who couldn't speak a coherent sentence..... This just in..... Fleury & K. Stevens were found holed up in a crackhouse this morning in East New York after a night of celebrating the Rangers making it 2 playoff appearances in 11 years.

" SHOOT THE PUCK BARRY, SHOOT THE PUCK!"

DP, I agree with your moments. I've gotta add the home opener after 9/11 when they brought out the cops and fireman to honor the "Hometown Heroes" (as they did that entire season) and both the Rangers and the Sabres wore "New York" across the front of their sweaters to honor the city. Then Leetchie scores the game winner, much like Piazza's homer a couple of days later, it gives you chills just thinking about it. I also love the Steven McDonald award presentation every year.

Steady, another big win for your boys last night. Still have some work to do but they're (how's that doc) making it interesting. I'll be watching!

A+ John

Steady - No one else is Crazy Joe DiVola but me. MacTavish was the key pick up . . Esa was pest . . . and I saw my first Ranger game at the OLD Garden, a 2-2 tie between the Rangers and Detroit.

Thanks Bill,
You are a tough man. You proved your point.

Like it or not Messier was on of the greatest players to touch the ice.

I look forward to the day he leads the Rangers to a cup standing behind the bench in a suit and watching him cry again.

John,
All the teams in and around the area handled 9/11 just great. I agree.

And now a question for you Mr. Steady: why was MacTavish the key?

I'll tell you..he hardly ever lost a face-off..

Yes the Canucks played last night. But I found myself screaming at a NHL Play-By-Play screen each time it refreshed. I'm ready to order by Smyth Jersy!

Kevin T.

OMG, just let it go already

It's a little astonishing, seeing the difference between Dunham's play as an occasional relief earlier on in the season versus when he needed to step up and take over. He was solid in most of his starts before DP's concussion, putting up good numbers and generally serving as a reliable, if uninspired, backup. I'm not sure what happened that threw him so far off his game, but I agree that Nolan's loyalty might've cost the Isles a point or two in the stretch.

What I'm really wondering about, though, is why Dubie's never made it in the show before. I get the feeling we might be in for less consistency in the next two games.

Steady,
this is a re-post to see if you've changed your mind.....
we would have been sitting pretty right now if we had Dubbie as backup from day one this year. DP had about 10 outstanding games this year and about 5 clunkers. the rest of the time he was above average to average.by no means should he have been put in the class of broduer/roy and started every single game come hell or high water. Dubbie would have given us a viable second option and therefore set up a much healthier goalie competition, where if DP had a bad night, the next night he might not play. with a career slug as a backup, he knew that no matter what, his job wasn't in jeapordy. Blake is the best/most important player on this team and DP was only awsome in comparison to Dunham.

"Blake is the best/most important player on this team" . . . true . . . and he will be playing somewhere other than in Oniondale next season

Joe,
You are an embarrassment to Rangers fans.

Just as much as the idiot posting under Bill Chadwick is to the Islanders fans.

Give it a rest, grow up a bit.

bear: Blake has contributed by having his once in a lifetime best point production year. My guess is he'll never do it again so declaring him eligible for sainthood might be a bit premature. As for the best player we have, you are kidding right???

Do we sign Blake and Smyth?

Hit it on the head Miggsey.

That is why they call it a career year. My opinion, you know from the outside looking. I think they should have traded him for the big prize at the deadline.

Bear~

LOL....I give you kudos...Never thought Dubie could do what he has done...so their so they're so there .... who cares doc!

Good job bear!

John~DP .... a lot still has to happen....Either way more hockey to enjoy...If I have to spend Sunday driving to the Meadowlands my wife will finally realize I am nuts! But what a game it would be...Does the W hotel serve Easter brunch ????

MacTavish was the key b/c he gave Will Farrel ideas for his hair cut....That and I agree he was a great face off man and helped bring many of those Rags together when they came over...If you remember Messier was injured and not around at the time of the trades!

Edmonton Rangers had a good year!

Ryan:

Dubielewicz began playing professionally in 2003. He stayed 4 years in college (where his stats were very good). Since then, he's had to hang around in the minors because of DiPietro.

The reason he hasn't been the backup all this time is because this was really DP's first breakout season. Before this season, they needed Garth Snow, a veteran backup for DP who had a lot of experience.

So I don't think anything about Dubie's play has had him locked down in Bridgeport for the last few years, except some bad timing. For a goalie in his position, Dubie has done remarkably well with his NHL time. 15 games, .920 save percentage and a 2.42 GAA. If he were to have those stats across a whole season, he'd be a top-ten NHL goalie. No joke.

I'd be shocked if he's not backing up Rico next year.

Steady - Nice try . . . You really are a sham . . . up above you gave the nod to Noonan until homolarry and I educated you as to why MacTavish was the key . . . ever play the game???

Why dont all you "reporters" worry about the Isles trying to get into the post season, instead of trying to stir up utter nonsense!

Still confused at the vague insult to Uniondale by calling it Oniondale...

At least the Mausoleum comments are true - yea our stadium is old...what an insult.

"WHERE THE F*** IS ZEDNICK??????????????"

Probably shacked up with one of the bimbo Ice-Sluts

Joe (and Joe DiVola):

Zednik went to Slovakia to be with his dying mother.

Real nice of you to speculate, though.

That sux at least someone knows

Ryan-

Dubie is not in the show for one reason only: his size. The guys is a fantastic goalie, but lacks the size to cover the net compared to the NHL prototype. For example, when he goes down, he gives up 4-6 inches over the shoulders than other NHL golaies--as well as side-to-side.

So, all things being equal, you'll generally carry a bigger goalie with perhaps marginally lesser ability over Dubie. Of course, in life, not all things are in fact equal. And while I had no objection to going with Dunham, it was clear that he and the team did not respond.

Btw, a great sign in the NVMC yesterday--or as passed along to me:

"Lighting up a Dubie is prohibited."

Finally, I may regret doing this, but I now have an extra ticket upstairs for Sunday's game if anyone is interested in attending --even you Steady (after the Easter Egg hunt of course).

Merrick, I'd take you up on that but I wouldn't be able to tell you if I was coming until after Saturday night. Why not take Mrs. Merrick?!

(I'm sure you can sympathise with the fact that, even if it is the last game this year for the Islanders, I'm not driving nine hours from Toronto for a game with nothing on the line. Especially after I drove four hours to watch two teams I hate play each other!)

CJ what do you think your cool with your fancy words, or is it that fact that you think you are better than somebody based on how much money they have.

Chuck Norris fears only one man, and that man is Sean Avery !!!

Matt, Mrs. Merrick in is a mid-life dalliance with Satan (not Miro) and will not be attending any games with me for the forseeable and distant future. However, on the positive side of the ledger, that's why I can have season tickets and go to the game on Sunday in the first place!

I'm out of pocket most of tomorrow in Wash, DC and Easter Vigil at night. However, if I still have a ticket, the Habs lose, and you are deadly serious, I'll check the site again at night and make arrangements. The seat is higher up in Sec 231.

Merrick:

Good plan, and I think you got the better end of the bargain. Remember, the Devils moved the start time to 3:30 pm.

My fiancee asked for a Satan jersey for her birthday, and then wore it to the high school where she works. People up here remember Miro from his days in Buffalo, but I don't think the joke would have gone over so well in the States.

"Jesus Shoots...Satan Scores!"

CJ ~

The funny thing is the joke is on you...Half the guys on this post know exactly what I do for a living and the fact is I am doing just fine....TRUST ME ON THAT ONE LITTLE MAN!!

Why are you posting here? What are you getting out of it? You do not add anything. It is Good Friday and all you do is write all day about NOTHING!

As for your 23 years of going to that dump, how many cups have you seen? If you are such a great Rag$ fan, why do you come here and post on the isles blog?

Bottom line I feel bad for you...You're obviously a very poor lonely man that has nothing better to do with his time....I feel bad!

Cincy~Merrick~Upsate~Bear~DP~John~etc.........Enjoy your holidays and enjoy the games tomorrow....Hopefully there will be a new post soon and the closet fans will go away!!!

GREAT HOCKEY ON SAT...ENJOY!

Same to you Steady,
Enjoy either there, their ot theyre in Mass or NYC.

LETS GO METS

Sounds to me like someone is compensating for his shortcomings in other areas. I bet you have a mahogany library with lots of important looking leather bound books. AHHHHH HAHAHAHAHA

CJ ~

STAY ON THE ICE ....YOU JUST GOT KNOCKED OUT!!! YOU ARE A CLOWN !!!

I AM A RANGERS FAN AND DO NOT EVEN HAVE YOUR BACK....TAKE YOUR SPELLING BEE'S AND YOUR LACK OF KNOWLEDGE AND GO BLOW!!!

YOU DO NOT EVEN TALK HOCKEY. THIS GUY STEADY, IF YOU GO BACK AND READ, HAS ALWAYS BROUGHT STRONG TOPICS AND STATS (ALTHOUGH HAS SPELLED THEM WRONG :)) TO THE TABLE.

GROW UP

BY THE WAY ALTHOUGH HE WOULD NOT SAY IT. HE IS AN OPTIONS TRADER!

I bet he can buy a lot of important looking leather bound books.

LOL....good one DP...Go Mets

Not to mention all the good that options traders do for society

Isn't Lenny Dykstra an options trader when he's not losing money playing poker???

Miggsey,
if blake isn't the best player on the team, then who, in your opinion is? he's a 40 goal scorer, our lone all-star and our biggest threat. we don't have a real standout d-man, so I'll assume you feel DP is? If you were creating one all-star team from all the nhl players, blake might squeek onto the 4th line, whereas DP would not come close to making the team.

Bear,

Sorry, but that's not a fair comparison. Putting Blake on the 4th line makes him roughly 10th to 12th best among forwards. DP is easily in the top 6 among netminders.

Blake is definately the man. Don't get me wrong. But based on pure talent at his position, I think it's gotta be DP overall.

Also consider that the backstop in hockey is much more crucial to the outcome of the game than any one skating player.

Sure hope our boy's head is OK.

SPORTSMANSHIP

What ever happened to that concept? I enjoy the Isles-Rangers rivalry as much as anyone, and "love to hate" the Rangers. But to get so vicious and filled with rage kind of takes the fun out of it, and is far from any ideal of sportsmanship. For me personally, the thing that makes me misty-eyed about the 1980-83 Isles is not just that they won, but the kind of players, and teammates and individuals they were (and are). There were a couple of exceptions, but the great majority played the game with total fealty to the team concept, carried themselves the right way on and off the ice, and exhibited this rare combination of excellence and pure joy of sport (kinda like Jose Reyes and David Wright do now). When it comes along, it's intoxicating to watch. But you know, there are Rangers I am capable of respecting in the same way. You'd have to be blinded by Islander fanaticism not to recognize what a great competitor and person Mike Richter was and is. It doesn't bother me as an Islander fan to say that... his presence enriched the NY sports scene and I am glad he played here, even though he was instrumental in taking away our beloved "1940" chant. And I would hope a Ranger fan could acknowledge the same thing about say, Mike Bossy. If not, then I ask you: Do you love the game itself? And if not, why do you follow it?

I agree Cincy....God willing the "Bobbleheads" sign Blake and Smyth by restructuring Yashin's contract!

It is nice that we may not have to think of that just yet....I want nothing more than for Cincy to add the "VEN" to "MAVEN" !! lol

KH ~

great post and I apologize for writing half the stuff I wrote today...It is just that usually we have some great "posts" here and now we are being flooded with new guys spewing venom...I should have just ignored them!

You are 100% RIGHT about Richter...Class act. Actually had a chance to meet him at a benefit once...Great Guy.

p.s Anyone see the BC hockey game last night? WOW !! GREAT GAME....Must watch on Saturday night in the final game!

what channel was it on?

I have not posted in a long time, but I have checked in every now and then. Steady, I was at the post game show last night with Ryan Smyth. There is NO WAY he is signing with the Islanders. The bar was packed and people were chanting his name,"come back next year" and other pro-Smyth chants, and he did not even look up at the crowd. He had his little girls with him and everyone clapped and cheered for them and he did not even smile at the crowd. Chris King asked him in every way possible to say something nice about Long Island and he side stepped it every time. Even at the end, a bunch of little kids ran up to him and asked for his autograph and he just stepped back into the lockeroom. It was obvious, he does not want to be here.

Quite honestly, if he does not want to be here, I for one do not want to spend $5.5 to 6 million per year to keep him here. Use it on someone who wants to be a part of this team.

Hey Steady... very funny... I care bro... the English language is getting butchered.

Anyway... better posting today... more about the hockey.

And Blake IS having a career year... but this has been an upward trend for 4 or 5 years now... He is not the Brady Anderson of hockey... he is the hardest working player on the ice and probably displays the most talent other than DP.

So There, their, they're!!!

Wow, Fourcups... that is a real bummer about Ryan Smyth. I was hoping he'd at least give the Isles a chance to convince him, but I have to agree that sounds like he has no interest in staying.

Has ANYONE seen or heard anything to suggest that he is going to seriously consider the Isles?

Here's an alternative explanation I just thought of: I have never seen a player as devastated to leave a city as Smyth was at the trading deadline. Maybe it's like being gun-shy after having your heart broken. He doesn't know what the Isles will offer or where he'll end up, and he doesn't want to allow himself even to begin to develop the feelings he had for Edmonton and its fans. He won't let his emotional guard down, so to speak, until he knows where he'll be long term. Anyone think that's plausible?

miggsey,
unlike steady I'm bad at math, but wouldn't it be just as difficult to earn a top 12 spot as a forward on an all-star team, considering all the candidates as it would to make it as one of the top 2 goalies? i'm not positive that dp would even make the team if you eliminated every other team in the league's goalies except for the rags and devils! anyway, i guess we can just say (a1) and (a2) as far as who's the best islander

Fourcups:

Agreed, that doesn't sound like a guy who wants to come back. Maybe he was just shy.

But if Smyth doesn't want to stay here and signs somewhere else, it won't make a lick of difference to the Islanders. As I said above or in a different comments section, giving up Nilsson and O'Marra for a quarter-season of Smyth and first dibs on signing him was totally worth it. (That says a lot more about Nilsson/O'Marra than it does about Smyth).

Getting rid of Yashin should be Garth's #1 priority for this off-season, NOT keeping Smyth. Yashin's contract is holding this team back something fierce.

For his $7 million a year, you could get a lot. Sheldon Souray at $3 million, Brendan Morrow at $2.5 million, and a cheapo but solid defenceman like Andrew Ference for about $1 mil. (All of those figures would be raises for those players). I wouldn't mind getting a big hitter or enforcer along the lines of a Georges Laraque, either.

Four Cups-

I was at Doolan's too and your description is accurate. Still, while I have never really thought Smyth would sign after that press conference in the Edmonton airport, I think he'd have displayed the same attitude if he was traded and appeared anywhere else.

In fairness, too, Dubie did not sign at Doolan's after the Ranger game and Smyth and his kids would have been mobbed and under siege last night if he signed just one autograph. My son was waiting for an autograph--and he even he said it was too crazy down there for him to sign. In fact, I was surprised he showed up at all, but he had his girls with him and they were his focus.

The only chance we have of getting Smyth is if the Isles make the playoffs, make a run, and his wife wants to live here part of the year. To me, that's one helluva a longshot of a trifecta.

Good point bear.... but the argument can be made that Lund and DP are both immensely important to "their" teams and neither would be "where/wear/we're" they are without them. They do play completely different styles so the argument of who is better is difficult to make. Brodeur on the other hand is simply a product of the Devils defensive system.... lol! Have at it boyzzzz.

Adding to your comments about Richter, he had nice things to say about DP and offered good advice in the paper this week, and I guess he called him yesterday also (as per the Daily News). Always been a classy guy. DP would be wise to listen to him.

Matt,

Sheldon Souray at 3 million?? Are you crazy?

Marik Malik makes 3 million.

Souray leads in the NHL in defenseman goal scoring at 26 and has arguably the hardest shot in the league.

Guaranteed someone will give him a similar deal to what the Bruins gave Chara, about 6-7 million a year deal.

He is going to be one of the hottest commodities in the offseason, especially now that Datsyuk is off the market.

As an Isles fan who was disgusted with Simon for the whole incident, I have to say I have very little respect for the current Rangers team. The rest of the team needs to watch how Jagr conducts himself on and off the ice and follow that. Jagr gets hooked, tripped, held, and interfered with more than anyone I've ever seen, yet he always tries to finish the play or score, instead of jumping off his feet and taking a dive to draw a penalty. Some of those other rangers get touched with a stick and they go flying through the air like a fired cannon. Of course guys like Leetch and Richter I had a ton of respect for as well, but other than these mentioned players, the rest of the rangers francaise has proven to be a bunch of classless, diving lowlifes.

Try the TOOL BAR or the BANNANA HAMMOCK.......CJ will be there handing out dictionaries all weekend since he has no life !!!

So that's all you got as a rebuttal, eh CJ? Thanks for proving my point, as you have no arguement against what I said. Oh wait, I forgot, I spelled a word wrong, that's your arguement lol.

You've already been given two examples. Avery pretending to be unconscious (falling down , looking up for a brief second, putting his head back down and laying motionless) on the ice for 3 minutes, and then jumping up with a cut on his chin and playing in the very next game. It's not the first time he's overexaggerated something, and won't be the last. Simon should never put on a hockey jersey again, but I have the balls to admit that. Rangers fans on the other hand say "if Avery was on your team you'd love him." Wrong. Regardless of what team he was on, I have zero respect for a player who dives to the ice every time an opposing player comes near him, just as I have zero respect for Simon and his actions. Jagr is a complete class player. That guy could draw more penalties than anyone else on your team, but he stays on his feet and fights through the hooks and holds and tries to score, because that's what the game is about...not trying to draw penalties by acting.

Rangers players spitting on the ice girls? Fans respond with "They shouldn't be there in the first place." I don't believe cheerleaders have any place in football, or the knicks dancers should be anywhere near sports, so I guess that gives me the right to spit on them, right? Instead of saying "yes, it's disgraceful that a player would stoop that low to spit on a girl," the classless ranger fans make the excuse that they shouldn't be there. Doesn't matter if you think they should be there or not - it's a classless act. Sure, there's no proof it was spit... maybe someone was spitting water. That doesn't change the fact that Rangers fans make up excuses for the Rangers who can do no wrong. Furthermore, might I remind you the Rangers tried to have "ice girls" as well until they had to do away with that idea because of the whole sexual harassment lawsuit, but I know Ranger fans don't like to bring that up.

And I'll just clear this up now, I might've made a spelling mistake or two, yes I've played the game, no I don't think the Islanders are going to beat Buffalo, and no I don't think the Rangers are going to advance past the conference finals. In an attempt to respond to your usual immature rebuttals, might I remind you the Isles finished only 2 points behind the Rangers and also won the season series. All of that means nothing in the real world, but in your immature world of trolling on a saturday night I guess it means something.

Oh, and lastly, Doobie isn't nearly as good as most people think. He's solid, but the team has been playing great defense in front of him making him look like he's unbeatable. So I had the balls to be critical of my team, let's see if you have the maturity to admit your Rangers aren't God's gift to the world like most of their idiot fans think.

Originally posted by LI Native;
"alexei yashin dates supermodel carol alt. sean "b*tch" avery dates some trashy girl who starred in a movie about high school students making a porn. comparison?"

Yes and Carol Alt's first husband was a Ranger... Like everything else, the Rangers come first, Islanders second, it will always be that way.

Yashin must like sloppy seconds....

Has anyone else been amazed that no one can find any video of this. No fans witnessed this. Crazy!!! NHL goaltenders should not have to move out of the crease during TV timeouts if they don't want to. Many goaltenders have a routine that they follow to stay focused and while it probably doesn't bother many, the girls in their tights can be very distracting. It's not a new thing that Henrik likes to stay in his crease.