Islanders Lose Heartbreaker to Capitals....agian

Alexander Ovechkin celebrates after his game-tying goal (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

          On a night where everything seemed to be going the Islanders way, the Capitals emerged as the victor, beating the Isles 5-4.
          The Isles had friendly bounces going their way, a working power play, a pair of three-goal leads and even a shootout, but came out of the game with a single point.  
          The loss is the Islanders fourth one in a row, as their chance for making the playoffs, seems to slipping out of their grasp.  The Islanders now sit at 28-31-11 with sixty-seven points.  That's now eleven points behind the eighth place Capitals.  Each team has twelve games left to play.
          The first period was all Islanders.  They outshot the Capitals 10-4, and outscored them 2-0.  It started at the 8:54 mark of the period when left winger Matt Moulson scored one of the wackiest goals, in all of hockey, this year.  Moulson took a hard slap shot that went high off the glass behind the net.  Washington goalie, Michal Neuvirth, turned around and looked behind the net, but had no idea where it was.  Suddenly the puck bounced off his stomach and into the net, to give the Isles an early 1-0 lead.  The goal was Moulson's thirtieth of the year.  The Islanders would add to their lead near the end of the period.  While on the powerplay, at the 19:39 mark, defenseman Travis Hamonic took the puck down low and threw towards the front of the net.  The puck then ricocheted off a Capitals player's skate and in.  The goal was Hamonic's second of the year.  
          The second period would see the Islanders extend their lead even more.  On the powerplay again, at the 9:05 mark, center John Tavares would get a rebound, kick it to his stick, and bang it home, to give the Islanders a 3-0 lead.  Just under thirty seconds later, at the 9:33 mark, right winger Mike Knuble would tip a shot past, Isles goalie, Evgeni Nabokov, to trim the Isles' lead to 3-1.  The Islanders would get their momentum back at the 11:44 mark, when Tavares would bury a wrist shot over the glove of Neuvirth, for his second of the game, which gave the Isles a 4-1 lead.  The goals were Tavares' twenty-ninth and thirtieth.  He is now tied with his line mate, Matt Moulson, as the team leader in goals.  With under a minute left in the period, at the 19:07 mark, left winger Alexander Ovechkin would bury a rebound left by Nabokov, to make it 4-2 going into the third.  
          Under two minutes into the third the Capitals would trim the lead again.  At the 1:51 mark, defenseman Dmitry Orlov would bury a wrist shot over the blocker of Nabokov, to make it 4-3 Isles.  Then at the 10:51 mark the Capitals' comeback would be complete.  Ovechkin would be stopped on a one-timer by Nabokov, but he couldn't hold onto the puck and Ovechkin would bury his own rebound to tie the game at 4, and send this one into overtime.  
         With both teams securing a point, the overtime saw nobody score and the game went to a shootout.  The Islanders sent out center Frans Nielsen, Tavares, and Moulson.  The Capitals countered with left winger Alexander Semin, Ovechkin, and Orlov.  Nielsen was first to shoot, and he clanked his famous backhander off the post.  Trying to give the Capitals the advantage Semin came in fast, but had the puck poked away from him by the stick of Nabokov.  Tavares would give the Isles the advantage as he was able to bury his wrist shot under the glove of Neuvirth, to give the Isles a 1-0 lead.  Ovechkin would tie the shootout, burying a backhander by Nabokov, to make it 1-1.  Next up was Moulson, who tried to go over the blocker of Neuvirth, but he was up to the challenge, stopping him and giving the Capitals a chance to win it.  With a chance to win it, Orlov skated towards Nabokov, but he lost control of the puck and never got a shot off.  With the shootout going into sudden death, Islander coach Jack Capuano sent out his captain, defenseman Mark Streit.  Streit tried to go five hole, but Neuvirth closed his pads in time and stopped him.  The Capitals then sent out center Matt Hendricks to face Nabokov.  Hendricks put on a ton of moves and fooled Nabokov enough to get one by him and give the Capitals the win.  
          With their playoff hopes slipping a way, the Islanders will try to end their losing streak on Thursday night, when they play host to the Philadelphia Flyers.  Puck drop is scheduled for 7 PM.             

Top 20 on the Islanders: #20 Jay Pandolfo

Islanders #29 Jay Pandolfo defends against Montreal #76 PK Subban (Photo by Mike Stobe/NHLI via Getty Images)

          Next up on the Islanders top 20 list is a player who we signed this offseason on a try-out basis.  He has proven to be a critical part of the Islanders penalty killing this year.  I introduce you to the number twenty player on the list, left winger Jay Pandolfo. 
          Pandolfo signed on with the Islanders this year, after spending the last 13 seasons with the New Jersey Devils.  Isles GM Garth Snow saw him as a player who could be a valuable mentor to the young Islanders.  
          In his career so far, Pandolfo has played in 871 games.  In those games Pandolfo has compiled 100 goals and 125 assists, for a total of 225 points.  
          Even though that is not a bad stat line by any means, what Pandolfo really excels in is the penalty kill.  Isles coach Jack Capuano has put Pandolfo out there almost every time their opponent has the man advantage.  
          Pandolfo has shown why the coaches have so much faith in him.  He currently leads all Islanders forwards with 58 blocked shots.  That also places him just out of the top ten, at number eleven, in the league for blocked shots by a forward.  He has shown that he is not going to shy away from anything, and put his body on the line in order to prevent a goal.  
          It is this reason that Pandolfo has ended up on this list.  Not only does he block plenty of shots, which helps prevent goals, but his hockey wisdom as well.  Pandolfo is a key factor in teaching these young kids how to play hockey well.  
          With his insight and his play, Jay Pandolfo could be a major factor in helping this team become contenders, for years to come.  

Top 20 on the Islanders: "The Future" Ryan Strome

Islanders 2011 first round draft pick Ryan Strome (Photo from Getty Images)

          With 27 days left in the NHL regular season, I decided to go ahead and use the next 20 days to tell you who I believe the top twenty players on the Islanders are.
          First up, though I want to talk about a player who in the very near future will climb his way up this list.  This is a player who has never even stepped foot on the ice as an Islander. Center Ryan Strome, was drafted fifth overall by the New York Islanders in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft.  Playing in the OHL (Ontario Hockey League) this year, Strome has shown all the potential he has.
          Last year, Strome had a monster season.  He finished third in the OHL in points and assists.  He had seventy-three assists to go along with his thirty-three goals, to give him a total of 106 points.  It was this performance that made him such a high draft pick.  
          So far this year, playing for the Niagara IceDogs, Strome has compiled sixty-six points, in forty-three games.  He has twenty-nine goals to go along with thirty-seven assists.
          Strome was also selected, by Canada, to play in the 2012 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships.  In the six games he played for team Canada, Strome had three goals and six assists, for nine points.  
          Strome is all but a lock to center the second forward line, behind fellow center, John Tavares next year.  How he plays in the NHL is something the Islanders and their fans can't wait to see.  In my mind the Islanders have to of the best up and coming centers in the game.  With Tavares and Strome, the Islanders have the chance to take the next step and be a playoff contending team for years to come.     

Islanders Edged by Rival Rangers

Islanders #41 David Ullstrom drives on Rangers #41 Stu Bickel (Photo by Scott Levy/NHLI via Getty Images)

          For the second straight game the Islanders' opponent came from behind and delivered a heartbreaking loss.  With just six seconds left in overtime until a shootout, the Rangers scored a power play goal, lifting them over the Isles 4-3.
          Since the game did go into overtime, the Islanders did get a point. However, that is not their desired outcome as they hope to make a final playoff push.  With the point the Islanders now have 66 on the season.  That is ten points behind the eighth place Washington Capitals.
          The first period saw the two teams exchange goals.  The Islanders took the first lead of the game, at the 11:15 mark, when center John Tavares had the puck bounce off his leg and past Rangers goalie, Henrik Lundqvist.  The goal was Tavares' twenty-eighth of the year.  The Rangers would answer back at the 18:47 mark, when center Brad Richards took the puck from behind his own net, skated the length of the ice, and then fired a wrist shot over the glove of goalie Evgeni Nabokov, to tie the game.
          The second period saw the Islanders take their second lead of the game.  At the 7:44 mark, with the Islanders on the power play, defenseman Mark Striet fired a slap shot that went wide and off the glass.  The puck then landed on the stick of left winger Matt Moulson who banked one off of Lundqvist skate and in.  The goal was Moulson's team-leading twenty-ninth of the year.  The Rangers would answer back at the 16:03 mark when Richards would get his second goal by firing a slap shot by Nabokov's blocker, to tie the game.  The goals were Richards' twentieth, and twenty-first.  The Islanders would get a huge momentum boost at the end of the frame.  With his penalty ending defenseman Andrew MacDonald would take a pass from Tavares and go on a breakaway.  MacDonald would capitalize on his chance by burying a wrist shot in the top left corner to give the Islanders the lead going into the third.  The goal was MacDonald's fifth and his second in three games.  
          The third period would see the Rangers score the only goal.  At the 3:29 mark center Brian Boyle would tip a shot by Nabokov, to tie the game.  The goal was Boyle's sixth of the year.  No goals were scored for the rest of the frame and the game went into overtime.
          In the overtime frame the Islanders' defenseman Travis Hamonic would take a costly tripping penalty, which would give the Rangers the four on three power play.  On the ensuing power play at the 4:54 mark of overtime, Rangers right winger Marian Gaborik would bury a wrist shot over the shoulder of Nabokov to seal the win for the Rangers.  The goal was Gaborik's thirty-third of the year.
          With the loss the Islanders record fell to 28-31-10, giving them 66 points on the year.  
          The Islanders will now travel home for a huge meeting with the eighth place Washington Capitals, on Tuesday night.  The puck drop is scheduled for 7 PM.    

Devils Deliver Knockout Punch in Round 3 of Trilogy

Devils celebrate game winning goal (Photo by Mike Stobe/NHLI via Getty Images)

          With under two minutes to play, in a span of fourteen seconds, the Islanders relinquished the lead they got late in the game, and lost 2-1 to the New Jersey Devils, Saturday night.
          The Islanders played a solid 58 minutes of hockey, and shutout the Devils in that time.  However, in the final two minutes the Isles' hearts were ripped out when two quick goals gave the Devils the lead, and eventually the win.
          With the loss the Islanders fell to 28-31-9 on the year.  Their 65 points is nine behind the eighth place Washington Capitals.  Their road to the playoffs has now become much more difficult.
          All the goal scoring was done in the third, but that doesn't mean the first two periods were not entertaining.  The Islanders started their rookie goalie Anders Nilsson in net.  It was Nilsson's second start in three games.  His last start came against these same Devils last Sunday, and in that game he posted his first career win and first career shutout.  The Devils countered with their backup goaltender Johan Hedberg.  
          Both goaltenders held their own as they each stopped all shots thrown at them in each of the first two periods.  The Islanders were out shot by the Devils in the first two periods 21-16.  
          The third period saw all the action.  It started at the 6:46 mark when Isles' center John Tavares would give the Islanders the first lead.  Tavares took a beautiful pass from right winger PA Parenteau and buried a one-timer over the shoulder of Hedberg.  The goal was Tavares' twenty-seventh of the year.  The Islanders held the lead for most of the period as the Devils could not find a way to get one through Nilsson.  However, at the 18:21 mark, right winger David Clarkson fired a wrist shot that found its way through the pads of Nilsson, to tie the game at one.  It was Clarkson's twenty-eighth goal of the year.  Just fourteen seconds later at the 18:35 mark the Devils would deliver the decisive blow.  With Parenteau in the penalty box, defenseman Marek Zidlicky would bury a slap shot by Nilsson, to make it 2-1.  The goal was Zidlicky's first of the year, and his first point since being traded to the Devils at the trading deadline.  
          The loss was very hard to swallow by the Isles but they must put it past them and focus on the future.  They sit nine points out of a playoff spot, and have fourteen games left to play.   
          Their final push starts tonight at the Madison Square Garden where the battle of New York will take place, against the Rangers. Puck drop is 7 PM.  

Sports Enthusiast? Try Extremest!

          When David Heller first got the idea to become a baseball memorabilia collector, he had no idea how big the hobby would become.
          It started back in 2005 when David was 18 years old.  He got the idea to start collecting by watching a television show about a Major League Baseball mega fan in Atlanta, Georgia.  
          He and I went to the Baseball Hall Of Fame in Cooperstown for the first time in 2006, where we met players like Gary Carter, Whitey Ford, and Yogi Berra.  From there Heller (and myself) fell in love with collecting.
          Heller has compiled an impressive collection.  Including baseballs signed by Hank Aaron, Barry Bonds, and Mark McGwire.  But his most treasured piece is one he just completed, his "mega-ticket".
          Back in 2008 the old Yankee Stadium held its last all-star game before closing the next year.  To commemorate the moment every living member of the Hall of Fame was invited to the game. Forty-nine players, coaches and administrators accepted the invitation.  It was in that moment, when all the players were standing together that Heller got his biggest idea.
          "I thought how cool it would be to have all these players on one piece," Heller said.
          When he got home Heller went online to find something big enough for his project.  He was starting to believe he never would find something good enough until he ran into the website "That's My Ticket".
          The website allowed him to blow up his ticket 500-600% to make a "mega-ticket"  
          From there Heller began a journey that took him from everywhere from New York to San Diego and everywhere in between.  Meeting Hall of Famers like Willie McCovey, George Brett and even the commissioner Bud Selig.  

David Heller with MLB Commissioner Bud Selig 

          Where did he get the money for all this you ask?  "Well, I'm a general manager at Party City, and my parents helped in the beginning," Heller said.  When asked how he was going to pay them back Heller said, "I'm hoping they eventually forget about it.  But I doubt it."  
          However, it all payed off as just a month ago on February 18th the prized possession was complete.  Here are three photos of the completed project:

           Now that this one is complete Heller has started working on two more.  One of the 1996 Yankees and one of the 2006 Yankees, both teams were World Series champions.  Heller doesn't know when those will be completed.  But one thing he does know is when those tickets are done, a new project will begin.

Islanders Burned By Devils

Islanders #26 Matt Moulson dives for a puck (Photo by Christopher Pasatieri/Getty Images)

          The Islanders could not get the win in game two of a rare three game set against the New Jersey Devils, losing 5-1.
          The Islanders could not carry the momentum they had from their 1-0 win over the Devils last Sunday afternoon. 
          Devils' left winger, Ilya Kovalchuk, proved to be too much for the Islanders to handle.  He scored once in all three periods to complete his thirteenth career hat trick.  
          With the loss the Islanders lost ground in their hunt for the playoffs.  With Washington beating Tampa Bay, the Isles now sit seven points out of the eighth spot.
          The first period saw the Devils take their first lead of the game.  At the 8:07 mark of the period, Kovalchuk got his own rebound off the boards and snapped a wrist shot over the sprawling Islander goaltender, Evgeni Nabokov, to make it 1-0.  
          The second period didn't start out any better for the Isles.  At the 3:33 mark, Kovalchuk would get his second tally of the night firing a one timer by the pads of Nabokov, to make it 2-0 Devils.  The Islanders would close the gap when at the 16:21 mark Islander defenseman Andrew MacDonald would score from a peculiar angle.  MacDonald would take the puck off the boards, and then from behind the net he flipped one off the back of Devils goalie, Martin Brodeur, to make it 2-1.  The goal was MacDonald's fourth of the year.  
          The third period is one the Islanders would love to wash from their memory, as it was all New Jersey.  It started at the 7:05 mark when center Patrick Elias would get a rebound off Nabokov and bury it into the empty net.  The goal was Elias' twenty-third of the year.  Just over a minute later at the 8:09 mark Kovalchuk would complete his hat trick by firing another slap shot by Nabokov, to make it 4-1.  The goals were Kovalchuk's twenty-seventh, twenty-eighth, and twenty-ninth.  The Devils would add insult to injury at the 15:59 when defenseman David Clarkson tipped one by Nabokov to ice the game at 5-1.  The goal was Clarkson's twenty-seventh of the year.  
          The Islanders and Devils will complete their trilogy at the Coliseum on Saturday night.  Puck drop is 7 PM.