NYI247

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NY • United States • 2011 Years Old • Male

Isles lose before they lost the lead

Well Long Island wasn't a happy place to be tonight.

I was totally amped up to attend tonights game after the amazing ending to the Philly game on Thursday. I thought for sure the team would come out on fire against the caps who got tossed around by the Rangers last night 6-0.

On Thursday they didn't play their best hockey of the season but their heart and determination certainly made up for it, allowing them to tie the game with 20 seconds left and pick up 1 point in a game that was a certain loss up until the very end.

Tonight they played a bit sluggish but managed to take a 2-0 lead, then the Caps scored and the Islanders defeated themselves. As soon as the Caps scored their first goal it was like watching a whole other team on the ice. The Isles had their moments after that but myself and everyone in attendance knew the game was going down the drain. So much for their never say die attitude they played with Thursday.

Rob Schremp looked worse than usual, however I guess its hard to play your best hockey when the team you are playing for put you on waivers earlier in the day. Al Montoya played as well as he could given the circumstances.

Everyone who reads my blogs knows I love this team. I think it is also safe to say that it is common knowledge that I am a pretty big Grabner fan. Tonight he missed some great opportunities and what really ticked me off was what I consider a lack of effort on his part. Mr. Fastest Skater in hockey was hardly skating at all and it was a rare sight to see him chasing down the puck.

I think the reason I am so annoyed is because this team is going through a transition and myself and every other blogger out there is trying to put the spotlight on the players and show people what this team was made of and why you should believe in them. Tonight I was made to look like a fool.

I brought several people to tonights game, promising them if nothing else, they would see a hard fought hockey game. You know it is bad when the people you bring, some of whom aren't even really hockey fans, are able to point out that this team stopped playing with a half a game to go.

The trade deadline is a difficult time for players. This is hardly something people discuss. We get so caught up in the possibilities of what MIGHT happen that we forget these players aren't just names on a jersey. They are humans. They are people with feelings, families, and a job. The uncertainty that lingers for some definitely takes an emotional toll on them. However, being a professional in pro sports means that this comes with the territory and every season the possibility of having to pack up your family and move them is always on the table. We also hear a lot about the strength of the chemistry in the locker room and like him or not Rob Schremp is part of that chemistry. While I understand having him in tonights lineup was supposed to showcase him, I feel that was in bad taste to him and his team, his friends.

I hope tonight was a big learning experience for them. Being able to keep your personal feelings off the ice is a tough task and that is one of the down sides to having so much youth on one team without that veteran presence to talk them through it. I am thankful we do not have another game until Wed. Hopefully by then the drama will unfold and dissolve quickly.

Some of you may feel like I am being a bit harsh. Maybe I am or maybe I just believe in this team so much that I expect more out of them. At the end of the day, if you wanna compete in the NHL and be a winner then you have to have that heart and determination every game, not just when the wind blows in your favor.

Now that I got that off my chest a few die hard Isles fans are coordinating a "BLUE OUT" against the Pens. For those unsure what that is, every Islanders fan in attendance wear ALL BLUE so when our team looks up at the crowd they know who is there to support them. I suspect we have a good number of Penguins fans in attendance that night so it is really important that this message goes viral and everyone secures their tickets to that game. The game is April 8th.


One of the people organizing this event is on Twitter should you need more information.


@tbone31592 a true fan and happens to be hysterical so be sure to follow him


Again, this team needs your support. A few bad games aside, they are growing and developing and by next season I think we will all be happy with what we get.


Plus who doesn't wanna see the Pens get WHOOPED AGAIN and then get to laugh at Mario when he cries to the media


One last thing, Travis Hamonic is some day going to be one bad ass hockey player, that I guarantee. Keep it up kid, you are a star in the making!!!


P.S. We need Konopka here. Fan favorite, locker room leader, master at face offs, and one of the toughest guys in the NHL. Do the right thing and give him an extension.

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