State of the Minnesota Vikings

Since my Islanders are at home relaxing watching how the playoffs work out, I have decided to switch gears and talk about another team I love.  The Minnesota Vikings:

Woodward and Bernstein video

This is a video package I shot when Woodward and Bernstein visited Hofstra University on March 20th, 2012

The New York International Auto Show

                                                         On Wednesday April 11th, 2012 I traveled into New York City to attend the annual New York International Auto show.  People walked around and were in awe with all the different types of cars on display.  However, in my opinion even though all the cars were beautiful, there were 10 that really stood out.  Heres the list of my top ten cars.  (Listen to the podcast above to learn more about each of the top 10 vehicles):

DODGE VIPER SRT-10

BENTLEY CONTINENTAL GT V8

LAMBORGHINI GALLARDO

ASTON MARTIN DBS

MERCEDES-BENZ SLS AMG

AUDI R8 SPYDER GT

LEXUS LFA

MCLAREN MP4-12C

SPYKER C8 SPYDER T

BUGATTI VEYRON SUPER SPORT

Buyers start your bidding!

Senators overule Islanders

Senators celebrate one of five goals (Photo by Mike Stobe/NHLI via Getty Images

          After going on a roll, winning five of six games, the Islanders suffered their second consecutive loss, falling to the Ottawa Senators 5-1.
          After the two teams traded goals in the first, the Senators pulled away, scoring three goals in a span of ten minutes in the second period. 
          The Islanders did take the early lead in the first.  Defenseman Mark Streit jumped up on the play and took a pass from behind the net, from center John Tavares, and buried a snap shot past the Senators goaltender, Craig Anderson.  The goal was Streit's seventh of the year.  About ten minutes later, at the 16:40 mark, center Kyle Turris would score his first of two goals, burying a wrist shot over the sprawling Isles goaltender, Al Montoya, to tie the game.
          The second period was all Senators.  Starting at the 3:09 mark when defenseman Sergei Gonchar would bury a one-timer by Montoya, to make it 2-1.  The goal was Gonchar's fifth of the year.  Just about three minutes later, at the 6:00 mark, left winger Milan Michalek would bury a backhander by Montoya, to give the Senators the 3-1 lead.  The goal was Michalek's thirty-fifth of the year.  The Senators would pile on, when at the 13:21 mark, left winger Nick Foligno dove for the rebound left by Montoya, and buried it into the back of the net, to make it 4-1.  The goal was Foligno's fifteenth of the year.  
          The rout would continue into the third.  At the 7:00 mark, the Senators would net the last goal of the game, when Turris would get his own rebound and relentlessly swing at the puck before it finally went in.  The goals were Turris' eleventh and twelfth of the year. 
          The Isles have only three games left, with two on the road and one at home.  They play one of those road games against the Devils on Tuesday.  Puck drop is 7 PM.       

Bruins roar by Islanders

Bruins celebrate one of their six goals (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

          The Islanders three game winning streak, and hopes for the playoffs, were broken after a 6-3 loss to the Boston Bruins.
          The Islanders were keeping up with the powerful Bruins through the first two periods.  However, the third period saw the offense explode for the Bruins and stall for the Isles.
          The first period stayed scoreless until the last two minutes.  The Bruins broke through first, at the 18:11 mark, when center David Krejci scored the first of his two goals.  Krejci took a pass from his linemate, left winger Milan Lucic, and blasted a one-timer over the pads of Isles goaltender, Al Montoya, to make it 1-0.  The Isles would strike back under a minute later, at the 18:40 mark, when right winger Kyle Okposo fired a wrist shot over the glove of the Bruins goaltender, Marty Turco, to tie the game.   The goal was Okposo's twenty-first of the year.  Okposo has been on a tear recently as this was his sixth goal in the last five games. 
          The second period would be much of the same, with the Bruins taking the lead and the Isles fighting back.  It started at the 4:58 mark, when center Chris Kelly fired a wrist shot over the glove of Montoya to give the Bruins the 2-1 lead.  The goal was Kelly's twentieth of the year.  About ten minutes later, at the 14:26 mark, the Isles would claw their way back.  Center John Tavares would place a beautiful cross ice pass on the stick of right winger, P.A. Parenteau, who would easily tap the puck into the empty net left by Turco.      
          With the game tied to start the third, once again, the Bruins would fire the opening salvo.  At the 3:13 mark, left winger Brad Marchand would dance his way through the Islander defense, then bury a wrist shot under the pads of Montoya to give the Bruins their third one-goal lead.  The goal was Marchand's twenty-seventh of the year.  About seven minutes later, at the 10:37 mark, center Tyler Seguin would bury his own wrist shot, from the left wing boards, by Montoya to give the Bruins the 4-2 lead.  The goal was Seguin's twenty-seventh of the year.  The Islanders would inch closer about four minutes later, at the 14:53 mark.  Left winger Matt Moulson would pass one in front of the net to Parenteau, who would bury his second goal under the glove of Turco.  The goals were Parenteau's seventeenth and eighteenth of the season.  After that the Bruins would run away with the game in the final five minutes.  Starting at the 16:19 mark of the period, when center Patrice Bergeron would gather up a rebound left by Montoya and bury into the empty net.  The goal was Bergeron's twenty-first of the year.  Just twenty-four seconds later, at the 16:43 mark, Lucic and Krejci would hook up again, as Krejci would nab his second goal of the game, taking a Lucic pass and burying it by Montoya to make it 6-3.  The goals were Krejci's twenty-second and twenty-third. 
          With the loss the Islanders have been mathematically eliminated from the playoffs.  
          They will look to finish the season strong as they next take on the Ottawa Senators on Sunday, puck drop is 3 PM. 

Bailey, Islanders keep rolling against Penguins

Josh Bailey and Kyle Okposo celebrate one of five goals (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

          When center Josh Bailey entered the Nassau Coliseum last night, he entered with a purpose.  And then he left the Coliseum with a bang.  Bailey posted five points, having a part in all the Islanders' goals, in a 5-3 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins.
          It was the second consecutive game the two teams played against each other, with the Islanders winning both.  Ironically or not both games the Islanders outplayed one of the elite teams, and won both by the same score of 5-3.
          One player in particular came ready to play this Penguin team.  Josh Bailey was having a good season before these two games, having eleven goals and twelve assists, for twenty points.  In these last two games against Pittsburgh, Bailey posted two goals and six assists, for eight points.
          The Islanders are red-hot, coming off a five-game road-trip in which they won four of them, the Islanders continued their stellar play.  Now the Islanders have won five of their last six games, and have only five more left to play.  Though the Islanders have a very slim, and unlikely chance of making the playoffs, sitting nine points out, they are doing their best to fight their way in. 
          The first period saw the Islanders take their first lead eleven minutes into the game.  At the 11:07 mark, center Marty Reasoner finally broke through and scored his first goal as an Islander, putting a wrist shot through the pads of the Pittsburgh goaltender, Marc-Andre Fleury.  That lead would hold into the start of the second period.
          Pittsburgh would tie it up at the 8:37 mark of the period, when right winger Pascal Dupuis scored a short-handed goal with a wrist shot past the glove of Isles goaltender, Al Montoya.  The goal was Dupuis' twenty-fourth of the year.  After that the period belonged to the Islanders.  Starting at the 16:36 mark, when right winger Kyle Okposo would take a shot that would ricochet off the skate of Pittsburgh defenseman Deryk Englland, and past Fleury to make it 2-1.  Exactly two minutes later, at the 18:36 mark, Josh Bailey would get his first goal of the game, burying a breakaway backhand, while the Isles were shorthanded.  
          The Isles would extend their lead at the 5:52 mark of the third period, when Okposo finished off a one-timer pass from Bailey, to make it 4-1 Isles.  The goals were Okposo's nineteenth and twentieth of the year.  Pittsburgh would claw their way back with two goals in ten minutes.  It started at the 8:20 mark, when center Jordan Stall would split two Islanders defenders and bury a backhander past Montoya, to cut the Isles' lead to 4-2.  The goal was Stall's twenty-fourth of the year.  Ten minutes later, at the 18:29 mark, center Evgeni Malkin would bury his own wrist shot, to cut the Isles lead to one at 4-3.  The goal was Malkin's team leading forty-seventh of the year.  The Islanders would halt the comeback and pad their lead at the 19:55 mark, when Bailey buried the puck into the empty Pittsburgh net, to seal the game at 5-3.  
          The Isles have five games left to play, and the first of the five will be on Saturday.  The Islanders will play their first of their last three home games, against the Boston Bruins on Saturday, puck drop is 1 PM.
         

Top 20 on the Islanders: #4 Frans Nielsen

Nielsen scores in the shootout against the Washington Capitals (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

          Next up on the top twenty list is a center whose consistent play the last couple of years made him a good player.  However, he has come into a zone this year and is quickly becoming one of the top players on the Islanders.  The number four player on the Island is, center Frans Nielsen.  
          Nielsen was drafted in the third round (87th overall), by the the Islanders in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft.  Nielsen was touted by scouts, who were saying he was one of the best players in the Swedish Elite League.  
          It's there where Nielsen got his start as a young sixteen year old player.  He played for a team called the Malmo IF for his first four years, and then for a team called Timra IK his last year.  While there Nielsen played in two-hundred sixteen games, compiling twenty-five goals and thirty-four assists, totaling fifty-nine points.  
          He was then drafted and started playing for the Islanders.  He played in fifteen games his first year, getting a goal and an assist.  He was then sent down to the AHL (American Hockey League), to play for the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, where he could get more seasoning.  
          While playing for Bridgeport Nielsen competed in one-hundred-two games, compiling thirty goals and fifty-two assists, for a total of eighty-two points.  
          Nielsen was then called up to the Islanders at the end of the 2007-2008 season, and he hasn't looked back since.  Since returning to the NHL, Nielsen has played in two-hundred ninety-eight games, compiling fifty-three goals and one-hundred-seven assists, for a total of one-hundred-sixty points.  
          Nielsen has really come into a zone this last season, and is quickly rising to stardom.  He is one of the best shooters in the shootout, scoring on more than sixty percent of his chances.  With his continued growth on this young team, the future is not only bright for Nielsen, but for the Islanders as well.    
          

Islanders Ice Penguins

Islanders celebrate Kyle Okposo's goal (Photo by Gregory Shamus/NHLI via Getty Images)

          Facing one of the elite hockey teams of the Eastern Conference, the Islanders offense erupted with five goals, as the Islanders defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins 5-3.
          Center Frans Nielsen scored two goals, and Center Josh Bailey got three assists, in the big win for the Isles. 
          With the win the Islanders concluded an extremely successful five-game road-trip, in which they won four out of the five games.
          It started early for the Islanders, just over three minutes into the game they took their first lead.  At the 3:12 mark, center Frans Nielsen put a rebound, that came off the boards behind the net, past Penguins goalie, Marc-Andre Fleury, to make it 1-0 Isles.  It would stay that score until with only five seconds left in the first, the Isles would increase their lead.  At the 19:55 mark of the period, right winger Michael Grabner would fire a wrist shot that glanced off Fleury's glove and in.  The goal was Grabner's seventeenth of the year.
          Pittsburgh would answer back in the second period.  It started at the 1:42 mark when center Tyler Kennedy would tip the puck by Isles goaltender, Evgeni Nabokov, to trim the lead to 2-1.  The goal was Kennedy's tenth of the year.  Just over two minutes later the Penguins would strike again, and tie the game.  At the 4:10 mark, left winger James Neal would fire a one-timer over the glove of Nabokov, and it seemed the momentum was shifting.  However, the Islanders would regain the momentum (and then some), in the final six minutes of the period.  
          Starting at the 12:48 mark, right winger Kyle Okposo would outskate Penguins defenseman Brooks Orpik and beat him to the puck.  Okposo then fired a wrist shot from the top of the right face-off circle and buried it over the glove of Fleury, and off the crossbar, to make it 3-2 Isles.  The goal was Okposo's eighteenth of the year, and it was third straight game that Okposo has scored.  Just over two minutes later, at the 15:20 mark, left winger David Ullstrom would bury a powerplay goal past the blocker of Fleury, to make it 4-2 Isles.  The goal was Ullstrom's fourth of the year.  Finally, about three minutes later, at the 18:08 mark, Nielsen would bury his second of the game.  He was led on a breakaway by Bailey, and was challenged by a sprawling Fleury.  Nielsen would stickhandle away from the goalie and bury a wrist shot into the empty net to make it 5-2 Isles.  The goals were Nielsen's sixteenth and seventeenth of the year.  
          When the third period started both teams switched goalies, but for very different reasons.  Pittsburgh's Marc-Andre Fleury was pulled from the game after giving up five goals on on eighteen shots.  He was replaced by Brad Thiessen.  On the other hand, Evgeni Nabokov was injured in the second period when he got his skate caught in the ice and fell.  He left with a lower-body injury and did not return.  Al Montoya replaced him and stopped all but one shot.  
          Neal was only man to put one by Montoya, at the 15:42 mark.  While on the powerplay, Neal fired a snap shot by the pads of Montoya to make it 5-3, and that's how the game ended.
          With only six games left, the Islanders will now return home and face these same Penguins.  Puck drop is scheduled for Thursday at 7 PM.          

Top 20 on the Islanders: #5 Evgeni Nabokov

Nabokov makes a save at side of net (Photo by Mike Stobe/NHLI via Getty Images)

          And then we were at the Top five current Islanders.  Starting us off at number five, on the top twenty list, is one of of the oldest players on the team.  At thirty six years old, this goalie is showing no signs of slowing down, as he continues to play at a high level.  The number five player on the Island is goaltender, Evgeni Nabokov.
          Nabokov, or as Islander fans know him "Nabby", was drafted in the ninth round (219th overall), by the San Jose Sharks, in the 1994 NHL Entry Draft.  He played nine seasons in San Jose until he was traded to Detroit.  He didn't play a game in a Detroit uniform and was subsequently put on waivers.  That's where the Islanders nabbed him, claiming him off waivers on January 22nd, 2011.  
          Nabokov started his hockey career in the AHL (American Hockey League), for a team called the Kentucky Thoroughblades.  While there he played in seventy-six games compiling a record of thirty-six wins, thirty-five losses, and three ties.  
          Nabokov then moved up and started playing in the NHL for the San Jose Sharks, where he had a stellar career.  With the Sharks, Nabokov played in five-hundred sixty-three games.  He compiled a record of two-hundred ninety-three wins and one-hundred seventy-eight losses.  In the 2000-2001 NHL season, Nabokov was awarded the Calder Trophy, which is awarded to the player selected as the most proficient in his first year of competition in the NHL.
          Nabokov then was brought on to play for the Islanders.  He was picked off waivers in early 2011, but Nabokov decided he wanted to play the rest of the year in Russia and not with the Islanders.  Though many fans shunned him for this decision, they now love him.
          In his first year with the team, Nabokov has made a major impact.  He's played in forty-one games compiling a record of eighteen wins, eighteen losses and three losses in overtime.  
          The biggest thing Nabokov has brought is stability to a position that has seen five different goalies play this year alone.  
          One of the best headlines Islanders fans have seen recently, was on March 21st, 2011.  It was on that day that the Islanders and Nabokov agreed on a one-year extension, and landed Nabokov back on the Island through next year.
          Even though he has been here a short time, Nabokov has become a leader on this team, and is a player who has experience getting to the playoffs.  That will be a key element for a team who will be looking to become a playoff team next year.  

Top 20 on the Islanders: #6 Kyle Okposo

Kyle Okposo celebrates a goal (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

          Next up on the top twenty list is a young player who has been one of the more consistent Islanders the last three years.  He is a native of St. Paul, Minnesota, and was named an assistant captain of the team this year.  The number six player is right winger, Kyle Okposo.
          Okposo was drafted in the first round (seventh overall), by the Islanders in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft.  Okposo was touted for his big body and great stickhandling.  Okposo has proved these scouts right.  
          Okposo started his hockey career at the age of seventeen playing in the USHL (United States Hockey League).  He played on a team called the Des Moines Buccaneers.  He played there for one year, playing in sixty-one games, getting thirty-two goals and forty-two assists, for a total of seventy four points.  
          Okposo then moved on to play in the WCHA (Western Collegiate Hockey Association), for the University of Minnesota.  He played there for two years totaling fifty-eight games.  He scored twenty-six goals and got twenty-five assists, for a total of fifty-one points.  
          Okposo then got drafted and played for the Islanders affiliate, the Bridgeport Sound Tigers.  There Okposo played in thirty-seven games, getting ten goals and nineteen assists, for a total of twenty nine points.  
          Okposo was then called up to the Islanders, at the age of twenty, and hasn't looked back since.  In his NHL career so far Okposo has played in two-hundred sixty-four games, compiling sixty-one goals and ninety-two assists, for a total of one-hundred fifty-three points.
          Okposo is an integral part to this young teams future.  He will continue to grow, and has already become a fan favorite on the Island.  With Okposo continuing to improve his game, Islander fans can see the skies the limit for this young star.  

Top 20 on the Islanders: #7 Josh Bailey

Bailey is congratulated after a goal he scored (Photo by Len Redkoles/NHLI via Getty Images)

          Next up on the top twenty list is a young center who has really come into his own these past two seasons.  He's shown the ability to score goals, make the pretty passes, and handles the puck with great skill.  The number seven Islanders on the list is, center Josh Bailey. 
          Bailey was drafted in the first round (9th overall), by the Islanders in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft.  He was touted for being a great player at both ends of the ice, by scouts and coaches alike.  And he's starting to prove those scouts right. 
          Bailey started to play hockey as a young sixteen year old in the OHL (Ontario Hockey League).  He played two years with for a team called the Owen Sound Attack.  While there Bailey played in ninety-three games, compiling eighteen goals and thirty-four assists, for a total of fifty-two points.  He then moved on to play another two years in the OHL, but this time for a team called the Windsor Spitfires.  While there he played in one-hundred-fourteen games, compiling forty-one goals and ninety-six assists, for a total of one-hundred thirty-seven points.
          Bailey then started his career as an Islander, and he's been a great piece on the Islander roster.  In his career so far, Bailey has played in two-hundred eighty-four, compiling forty-five goals and sixty-six assists, for one-hundred-eleven points.  
          Bailey continues to improve his game and has really started playing well since being put on a line with teammate, center Frans Nielsen.  
          With his continued growth, Bailey has the chance to become a top player not only on Long Island, but in the league as well.  Islander fans are starting to see Bailey become the player he has the potential to be.  

Islanders tame Panthers

Islander Frans Nielsen scores in shootout against Jose Theodore (Photo by Eliot J. Schechter/NHLI via Getty Images)

          The Islanders battled back twice against the Florida Panthers, and eventually ousted them in a shootout, to win 3-2.
          The win was the Isles' third in four chances, on this current five-game road trip.  They will end the road trip in Pittsburgh on Tuesday.
          The Islanders fell behind early, when the Panthers scored just six minutes into the game.  At the 5:55 mark center Stephen Weiss took a pass from behind the net and buried a wrist shot over the glove of Islander goaltender, Evgeni Nabokov, to make it 1-0.  The goal was Weiss' nineteenth of the year.  
          The Islanders would bounce back, and tie the game, late in the second period.  At the 18:57 mark, while on the powerplay, left winger Matt Moulson took a pass from linemate, center John Tavares, and buried a wrist shot past the Florida goaltender, Jose Theodore, to tie the game at one.  The goal was Moulson's team leading thirty-fourth of the season.  
          The two teams would match each other in goals in the third.  Florida scored first at the 9:51 mark, when left winger Tomas Fleischmann would take a weird bounce off the boards and fired a wrist shot under the right pad of Nabokov, to make it 2-1.  The goal was Fleischmann's twenty-fourth of the year.  Just over two minutes later, at the 12:22 mark the Isles would tie the game once again.  Right winger Kyle Okposo would throw the puck towards the net and it would deflect off the stick of Florida defenseman Dmitry Kulikov, and past Theodore, to tie the game.  The goal was Okposo's seventeenth of the year, and his second in two games.  Regulation time would end with the game tied at two, and it was time for overtime.
          Neither team would score in the overtime period, sending this game to a shootout.  Florida shot first, and it was center John Madden against Nabokov.  Madden would try to go over the glove of Nabokov, but was not able to put it past him, giving the Isles the early advantage.  The Islanders would send out one of the best lead-off hitters in the game, center Frans Nielsen.  Prior to this shot Nielsen had been 6-10 (60%) in shootouts this year.  Nielsen would go in on Theodore and bury his famous backhand over him and give the Isles the 1-0 advantage.  Nielsen continued his amazing showing in shootouts, and is now 7-11 (63.6) this year.  That would be all the Islanders would need as Nabokov would stop the following two Florida shots, and the Islanders would skate away with the shootout victory.
          Unfortunately for the Isles, the eighth place Washington Capitals also won, and their hopes for the playoffs are almost gone.  With only seven games left, the Islanders sit eleven points out of a playoff spot.  
          The Islanders will conclude, what has been a successful road trip so far, when they visit the CONSOL Energy Center in Pittsburgh, for a tilt against Sidney Crosby and the Penguins.  Puck Drop is scheduled for 7PM.            

Top 20 on the Islanders: #8 Mark Streit

Defenseman Mark Streit firing a slap shot (Photo by Graig Abel/NHLI via Getty Images)

          Next up on the top twenty list is a defenseman who has become quite the team leader.  All his hard work along with his great presence in the locker room, the Isles gave him the honor of being the teams captain this year.  The man I am talking about is defenseman, Mark Streit.
          Streit was drafted in the ninth round (262nd overall), by the Montreal Canadiens in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft.  He played in Montreal for his first three years of his NHL career.  He then signed on with the Islanders as a free agent on July 1st, 2008.  
          Streit started his hockey career in 1995, as an eighteen year old, in the Swiss-A league.  He played his first year for a team called Fribourg-Gotteron.  He played thirty three games with them, scoring two goals and getting two assists, for four points.  
          He then played the next three years for a team called Davos, from 1996-1999.  In his time there, Streit played in one-hundred twenty-eight games, getting thirteen goals and thirty-seven assists for fifty points.  
          Streit then made the move to the AHL (American Hockey League), for the 1999-2000 season, to play for a team called the Springfield Falcons.  He only played there one season.  He played in forty-eight games, getting three goals and twelve assists for fifteen points.   
          The next season, Streit became a member of the Tallahassee Tiger Sharks of the ECHL (East Coast Hockey League).  He only played in fourteen games for them getting no goals and five assists, for five points.  That same year he also played one game for the Utah Grizzlies of the International Hockey League.  He tallied one assist in his lone game there.  
          The ever-traveling Streit finally settled down back in the Swiss-A league, for a team called Zurich.  He played from 2000-2005 there, playing in two-hundred forty-five games.  He compiled  fifty-three goals and one-hundred eighteen assists, for one-hundred seventy-one points.  
          He was then drafted and playing in the NHL for the Montreal Canadiens.  He played three seasons there totaling two-hundred and sixteen games.  He got twenty-six goals and eighty-seven assists, for one-hundred thirteen points.
          Streit finally landed on Long Island in 2008, as a thirty-one year old, signing a five-year 20.5 million dollar contract.  Streit's currently in the middle of his third year with the Islanders, with two more campaigns to go.  
          In his career as an Islander so far Striet's played in two-hundred thirty games, compiling thirty-three goals and one-hundred fifteen assists, for one-hundred forty-eight points.  
          Streit's career has obviously been a well traveled one.  But it looks like he's found a nice home on the Islanders.  The Islanders know that Streit is a great presence in the locker room for two reasons.  One reason is that he is a top defenseman and will get his fair share of points for the club.  But the other reason, and possibly the more important reason, is he is a great defenseman to have to teach, and help, your young players.  
          With his experience and ability, Streit has become quite the two-headed monster.  If he continues to play at the level he's capable of, and is able to help these youngsters grow, Streit could quite possibly be the most important player on the Island today.     

Islanders struck by Lightning

Tim Wallace celebrates after giving the lightning the late lead (Photo by Scott Audette/NHLI via Getty Images)

          After falling behind early, the Islanders bounced back from a 2-0 deficit, but were left heartbroken, as the Lightning beat the Isles, 4-3.
          It was the former Islander, Tim Wallace, who delivered the final dagger in the Isles' heart, with his goal late in the third.
          With the loss the Islanders fell to 30-33-11 on the season, to give them 71 points.  With eight games left to play the Islanders sit thirteen points out of a playoff spot, and their hopes of making a run are quickly slipping away.  
          The first period saw the Lightning score the only goal.  The Lightning's star center, Steven Stamkos, scored his first of two goals at the 15:49 mark of the first.  Stamkos would find the puck in a crowd of players and was able to slip a backhander through the five-hole of Isles' goaltender, Al Montoya.  
          The Isles would fall further behind at the start of the second period.  At the 1:46 mark, Stamkos would fire a one-timer over the right pad of Montoya for his second of the game.  The scores were Stamkos' league leading fifty-first and fifty-second goals of the year.  He now sits seven goals ahead of Evgeni Malkin.  The Isles would cut the Lightning lead down, at the 8:15 mark of the period.  
While on the powerplay center Frans Nielsen picked up a loose puck and buried a backhander over the glove of the Lightning goalie, Dwayne Roloson.  The goal was Nielsen's fifteenth of the year.  The Isles would then tie the game late in the period.  At the 19:24 mark, right winger Kyle Okposo took a pass from behind the net by his linemate, center Josh Bailey, and buried his own backhander past Roloson, to tie the game at two.  The goal was Okposo's sixteenth of the year.
          The Isles would take their first lead of the game at the beginning of the third.  Just forty-six seconds into the frame left winger, Matt Moulson would bury his team leading thirty-third goal of the year, knocking in a rebound left by Roloson.  The Islanders would hold the lead until the 9:08 mark, when center Tom Pyatt would tip the puck into the upper right corner of the net, to tie the game at 3.  The goal was Pyatt's eleventh of the year.  The Lightning would get the final goal of the game at the 12:10 mark of the third.  Former Islander, right winger Tim Wallace, would take a Stamkos drop pass and bury a wrist shot over the right pad of Montoya, to give the Lightning the 4-3 win.  The goal was Wallace's third of the year.  
          The Islanders will try to right their ship when they travel a bit more south, to take on the Florida Panthers.  Puck drop is scheduled for 5 PM. 

Top 20 on the Islanders: #9 Michael Grabner

Michael Grabner skates for Islanders (Photo by Bill Wippert/NHLI via Getty Images)

          Next up on the top twenty list is quite possibly one of the fastest men to put on a pair of skates for the Isles.  He was an NHL all-star last year, and he has put up his second consecutive solid season this year.  The number nine player on the Isles, is right winger, Michael Grabner.
          Grabner was drafted in the first round (14th overall), by the Vancouver Canucks in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft.   He played for the Canucks in the 2009-2010 season.  While there he played in twenty games, getting five goals and six assists, for eleven points.  He then left Vancouver for the Florida Panthers, where he never made it on their NHL squad.  Subsequently, Florida put Grabner on waivers, where he was then picked up by the Islanders on October 5th, 2010.
          Since being claimed, Grabner has been a big part of the Islanders.  Last year, Grabner put together an all-star year compiling thirty-four goals and eighteen assists, for forty-two points.  He has slowed down a little bit, but has still had a good second year as an Islanders.  So gar this year, Grabner has sixteen goals and eleven assists.  
          If Grabner can improve on one part of his game, he could become a star.  That part is scoring on his many breakaways.  If you watch the Isles consistently, you will notice that in most of them, Grabner gets at least one breakaway.  This is because he is one of the fastest players in the league this year.  If he could find a way to bury more of his chances in the back of the net, he could become a big time goal scorer. 
          Grabner is already a solid player for the Islanders.  With a few more breakaways going his way, he can become an elite player with the Isles.    

Top 20 on the Islanders: #10 Travis Hamonic

Travis Hamonic plays the puck, getting away from Carl Gunnarsson (Photo by Graig Abel/NHLI via Getty Images)

          Next up on the Islanders top twenty list is yet another young defenseman.  He has stepped up and has become one of the many great young talents the Islanders have.  He is another defensive defenseman, and continues to get better.  The number ten player on the Island is, defenseman Travis Hamonic.
          Hamonic was drafted in the second round (53rd overall), by the Islanders in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft.  Before entering the draft Hamonic played his hockey in the WHL (Western Hockey League).
          While there Hamonic played on a team known as the Moose Jaw Warriors for four seasons, and a team called the Brandon Wheat Kings for one season.  In his entire career in the WHL Hamonic played in two-hundred forty-two games.  He compiled twenty-nine goals and eighty assists, for a total of one-hundred nine points.  
          After he was drafted Hamonic spent the first nineteen games with the Islanders minor league club, the Bridgeport Sound Tigers.  While there he got two goals and five assists, for seven points.  The Islanders were so impressed with his play that they gave him the early call up and Hamonic has not looked back since.  
          Hamonic has become a major part of a young, up-and-coming blue line for the Isles.  So far in his NHL career, Hamonic has played in one-hundred twenty-six games, posting seven goals and forty assists, for forty-seven points.  
          Where Hamonic thrives is in his own defensive zone.  He is smart with the puck, he blocks a lot of shots, and he is not afraid of hitting anyone.  He also will "jump-up" in the offensive zone, and is very aggressive with the puck, firing it at the net every chance he gets.  
          Hamonic's grit was shown earlier this year on February 4th, 2012.  Playing against the Buffalo Sabres, Hamonic got hit in the face with a shot by defenseman Christian Ehroff.  He required multiple stitches and reconstructive surgery.  
          However, Hamonic was right back on the ice just twenty days later playing for the Islanders once again.
          Hamonic's hard work and great defensive play has gotten him where he is today.  If he continues to play this way consistently, the Islanders organization will have a lot to look forward to in the future, with a young star leading the defense.    

Top 20 on the Islanders: #11 Andrew MacDonald

Andrew MacDonald laying a hit on Wayne Simmonds (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

          Next up on the list is a defenseman who is having his second consecutive solid season.  He is a favorite among coaches and fans alike.  He is not afraid to hit someone and he plays solid defense, blocking a lot of shots.  The number eleven player is defenseman, Andrew MacDonald.  
          MacDonald was drafted in the sixth round (160th overall), by the Islanders in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft.  He was known as a defensive defenseman, because of the way he used his stick and body in the defensive zone. 
          Prior to being drafted, MacDonald played in both the Maritime Junior Hockey League and the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.  While in those leagues he played a total of four years, playing in two-hundred seventy-nine games.  MacDonald compiled thirty-nine goals and one-hundred twenty-six assists, for a total of one-hundred sixty-five points.  
          After being drafted, MacDonald played on the Islanders minor league team, the Bridgeport Sound Tigers.  While there MacDonald played in one-hundred fourteen games, compiling thirteen goals and thirty-two assists, for a total of forty-five points.
          MacDonald got his first real chance on the Island, after being called up in the middle of 2009-2010 season.  That season he played in forty-six games for the Islanders, getting one goal and six assists, for seven points.
          MacDonald hasn't looked back.  He's now been on the Islanders NHL roster for three straight years, and he's improved every one.  So far in his NHL career, MacDonald has played in one-hundred seventy-two games, compiling ten goals and forty-two assists, for a total of fifty-two points.  
          But where MacDonald excels is not on the stat sheet.  It's the intangibles that MacDonald thrives on.  He blocks tons of shots in front of his goalie, he puts hits on player when they enter his zone.  But what he is most known for is his long hockey stick.  His stick is very active, and because of its length, it gets in the way of a lot of passes and shots.  
          He may not be a stat sheet stuffer, but MacDonald is an invaluable asset of a young Islander blue line.  As they continue to grow together, MacDonald, and the rest of the Isles' defenseman, can only get better.      
             

Nabokov Signs One-Year Extension

Isles Goalie Evgeni Nabokov (Photo by Mike Stobe/NHLI via Getty Images)

          The Islanders leader in wins, goals against average and save percentage is coming back.
          The New York Islanders announced earlier today that goaltender Evgeni Nabokov has agreed to terms on a one-year contract for the 2012-13 season. 
          Nabokov, has a 17-18-3 record this season with a 2.56 goals against average and a .912 save percentage.  He leads all Islander goaltenders in games played, and has become a leader in the locker room.
          Nabokov is a major piece to the puzzle if the Isles want to make a playoff run next year.  They have a great young team and have a chance to become good next year.  Securing Nabokov for next year is a great move by Islanders GM Garth Snow.
          With Nabokov in place and excited to play a full season with the Islanders, the chances of the organization making the playoffs have once again become a reasonable possibility.  

John Tavares: A Young Star

John Tavares is a rising star in the NHL.  Here's my podcast about it. 

Top 20 on the Islanders: #12 Matt Martin

Matt Martin doing his favorite thing, fighting (Photo by Francois Lacasse/NHLI via Getty Images)

          Next up on the top twenty list is a player who is not known for scoring by opponents, but believe me, they know about him.  He is the league leader in hits and loves to fight.  The player I'm talking about, and the number twelve player is left winger, Matt Martin.
          Martin was drafted in the fifth round (148th overall), by the Islanders in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft.  He was known as big hitter who can score his fair share of goals.
          Prior to playing for the Islanders, Martin was a player for the Sarnia Sting, of the Ontario Hockey League.  In his three years there, Martin played in 166 games.  He compiled sixty-three goals and forty-six assists, for one-hundred-nine points.  
          He then began his career with the Islander organization, playing for the Bridgeport Sound Tigers.  In eighty-three games there, Martin has thirteen goals and twenty-one assists, totaling thirty-four points.  
          Martin played in his first full season with the Islanders last year and has had a good career so far.  He's played in 144 games, compiling twelve goals and eighteen assists, totaling thirty points.
          But where Martin is best is as an enforcer.  A player who will do everything he can to protect his teammates.  Martin has fought many opponents who have given big hits and made them pay.  He is a young kid who is not afraid to back down from any fight.  
          With his grittiness and overall good play, Martin has become a fan favorite on the Island.  And in my opinion, he is going to stay one for the foreseeable future.   

Islanders Finally Beat Toronto

Islanders celebrate goal in Toronto (Photo by Graig Abel/NHLI via Getty Images)

          After losing their previous three contests against the Maple Leafs, the Islanders finally broke through and got a commanding 5-2 victory in Toronto.
          With the win the Isles moved out of last place in the conference, and nine points behind the eighth place Washington Capitals.  
          From the start it was clear the Islanders were playing with a sense of urgency.  They were out-skating, out-hitting, and out-shooting the Leafs.  By the end of the game, the Islanders had out-shot the Leafs, 34-14.  It was a season low for shots given up by the Isles.
          Even though the Islanders played like the better team, the Leafs struck first, at the 10:24 mark of the frame.  Taking advantage of the only time the Isles defense broke down, the Leafs took an early 1-0 lead.  Right winger Phil Kessel took a pass from center Tyler Bozak, and was left all alone.  He buried a wrist shot past the sprawling Islander goalie, Evgeni Nabokov, for his thirty-sixth of the season.  The Islanders would answer back just five minutes later, at the 15:34 mark of the frame.  Centers Josh Bailey and John Tavares skated on a two on one and worked it to perfection.  Tavares would skate with the puck into the Leafs zone, and made a beautiful cross ice pass to Bailey, who put the puck past the Toronto goalie, James Reimer.  The goal was Bailey's eleventh of the year.  
          Toronto would take their second lead of the game at the 4:12 mark of the second period.  Center Matthew Lombardi would take the puck from behind the net, come out to the front and slid a backhander under the pads of Nabokov.  The goal was Lombardi's eighth of the year.  The Islanders would answer back later in the frame, at the 13:08 mark.  The line of left winger David Ullstrom, center Casey Cizikas, and right winger Michael Grabner, worked hard and got rewarded with a goal.  Cizikas would poke the puck away from a Toronto player, which would land on Grabner's stick, who would slide a backhander cross ice to Ullstrom who would tap the puck past Reimer.  The goal was Ullstrom's third of the year. 
          The Islanders would run away with the game late in the third.  It started at the 13:56 mark, when left winger Matt Moulson would get a rebound and bury it by Reimer, to make it 3-2 Isles.  Under two minutes later, right winger PA Parenteau would take advantage of a breakaway he skated on, by sliding one by the right pad of Reimer, to make it 4-2.  The goal was Parenteau's sixteenth of the year.  The Isles would seal it with an empty net goal by Moulson at the 18:25 mark.  The goals were Moulson's thirty-first and thirty-second.  He now sits ahead of Tavares for the team lead in goals.  
          The Isles will play their third game of a five-game road trip, when they visit Tampa, to play the Lightning.  Puck drop is 7 PM.    

Top 20 on the Islanders: #13 Nino Niederreiter

#25 Nino Niederreiter (Photo by Mike Stobe/NHLI via Getty Images)

          Next up on the top twenty list is a rookie who was drafted high by the Islanders last year.  He's a big man, standing at 6' 2", and he is tough.  The number thirteen player is right winger, Nino Niederreiter.
          Niederreiter, or as Islander fans call him "El Nino", was drafted by the Islanders in the first round (fifth overall), in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft.  He was said to be an explosive play maker, and has shown spurts of it this year.  
          Niederreiter began his hockey career in the Western Hockey League, playing for the Portland Winterhawks.  In his two years with the club, he played in one-hundred-twenty games.  He compiled seventy-seven goals and fifty-three assists, totaling one-hundred-thirty points.  
          With numbers like that it's not hard to see why the Islanders thought so highly of this kid.  Niederreiter made his debut with the Islanders in 2011.  So far in his professional hockey career, Niederreiter has one goal and no assists, for one point.
          Now I know what your thinking; how can he possibly be as high as he is on the list!  Let me defend myself.
          As earlier stated, this is a big kid, and he wants the puck.  Also this kid is only nineteen years old.  He is just getting settled in as a NHL player.  In due time this kid will become the play maker we all know he can be.
          Just give this kid a little time, and you will see that Nino Niederreiter, is a young star in the making.  Hey, if John Tavares can have an OK season one year, and then become an all-star the next, who says "El Nino" can't do the same?  I guess we'll have to wait and see.  

Islanders vs. Maple Leafs podcast

My Podcast about the Islanders upcoming game against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Top 20 on the Islanders: #14 David Ullstrom

#41 of the Islanders, David Ullstrom (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

          Next up on the top 20 list is a youngster who has gotten his chance to play with the Islanders just four years after he was drafted.  He has proven to be a capable left winger, and looks to have a lot of promise in his career.  The number fourteen player on the Island is left winger, David Ullstrom.
          Ullstrom was drafted, as an 18 year old kid, by the Islanders in the fourth round (102nd overall), in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft.  Before being drafted, Ullstrom was playing in the Swedish Elite League for a team called HV71, based in Jonkoping.  In seventy-three games played there, Ullstrom compiled six goals and fourteen assists, for twenty points.
          In 2010 Ullstrom made the transition, and came to the United States to play for the Bridgeport Sound Tigers.  In his year and a half there (a total of ninety-nine games), Ullstrom had thirty-six goals and twenty-eight assists, for sixty-four points.  
          On November 20th, Ullstrom's dream came true, as he was recalled from Bridgeport and put on the Islanders roster.  Ullstrom has not disappointed anyone to this point.  He has played hard, and is becoming on of the Isles young up-and-coming players.  However, he did hit a bump in the road when on December 20th, against Winnipeg, Ullstrom hit the back of his head on a players elbow, and went on injured reserve with a concussion.  He returned to the Islanders on February 26th, and has been on the ice ever since.
          So far this year, in twenty-five games,  Ullstrom has two goals and four assists, for six points.  
          Though Islander fans want stars who want pucks in the net, and they have a right to, they should not overlook what Ullstrom has provided.  He can very well grow on the Island and become a solid scorer, as teammate, center Frans Nielsen, is showing this year.  I think with patience, Ullstrom has the chance to become a household name in Islanders fan's homes.     

Top 20 on the Islanders: #15 Dylan Reese

Dylan Reese of the New York Islanders (Photo by Mike Stobe/NHLI via Getty Images)

          Next up on Islanders top twenty list is a defenseman who has had his chance to play full-time up here.  In his games he has proved his worth, and has become one of the Islanders best young defenseman.  The number fifteen player on the list is defenseman, Dylan Reese.
          Reese was drafted by the rival, New York Rangers, in the seventh round (209th overall), in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft.  He never got a shot on the NHL squad and was traded in 2007 to the Columbus Blue Jackets.  Like before, Reese never got his shot in the big leagues there also.  The Islanders acquired Reese on March first, 2010 in a trade that sent one of their prospects, Greg Moore, to Columbus.  That trade has proved to be a positive one for the Isles.
          Reese was being moved up and down between the Islanders and Sound Tigers the last two years.  However, he has finally cemented his role as an Islander defenseman this year.  So far this season Reese has tallied one goal and three assists, for four points. Though his stats do not show it, Reese has been an invaluable asset on this young squad.
          He has learned a lot from the veterans, and has recently been given the chance to play alongside the Isles' best defenseman, Mark Streit.  He's strong and he uses his stick very well to block shots.  He also does very well getting into passing lanes, and preventing easy chances.  
          Islander fans have finally seen the potential in Reese, and they have to be impressed.  Reese has now gotten his spot on the Islander roster.  It will be interesting to see what he could do next year, when he should get his chance for a full season on the Island.  

Islanders Bailed out in Montreal

Bailey scores in shootout to give Islanders the win (Photo by Francois Lacasse/NHLI via Getty Images)

          It took a shootout, but the Islanders won their first of five straight road games, beating the Montreal Canadiens 3-2, Saturday night.
          It was a battle of the two teams occupying the last place spot in the Eastern Conference.  With the two points the Islanders now have sixty-nine points, which is nine points behind the eighth place Washington Capitals.  The Isles have ten games left to play in the regular season.  
          Montreal got off to a quick start in the first period.  They took the early lead at the 2:53 mark of the frame, when right winger Aaron Palushaj fired a shot from a deep angle and it banked of Islander goaltender, Al Montoya's, stick and in.  The goal was Palushaj's first of the year.  The period would end with neither team scoring another goal, and Montreal had the 1-0 lead.
          The Islanders would tie the game early in the second.  At the 2:00 mark, defenseman Mark Streit would bury a backhander past Montreal goaltender, Peter Budaj.  The goal was Streit's sixth of the year.  The Islanders would take the lead at 16:05 mark of the frame.  Red-hot centerman Frans Nielsen, would bury a wrist shot over the glove of Budaj, to give the Isles the 2-1 lead.  That's how the second would end.
          The third period would see Montreal come back and tie the game.  At the 3:38 mark center, Louis Leblanc would bury his own backhander past Montoya, to tie the game at two.  The period would end with that same score and go into overtime.
          In overtime neither team could light the lamp so it went to the skills competition, known as the shootout.  It took six rounds of shooters but the Islanders finally broke through.  With Montoya stopping Montreal's sixth shooter, defenseman Andrej Markov, and the shootout score tied 2-2, center Josh Bailey stepped up.  Bailey went straight in at Budaj, and put on a nice head fake before burying his wrist shot past Budaj's right pad, and giving the Isles the victory.
          The Isles will try and continue their winning ways, when they continue their five game road trip in Toronto, Tuesday night.  Puck drop is scheduled for 7 PM.