Sillinger's Night of 1000 Games: Isles Beat Tampa 4-0

Posted 9:02 AM ET | Comments 0

So finally, here we are. A game. Tampa comes to town off a bad loss. Hmmm, don't they all come to town this way. Well, the Isles best be ready. Tampa comes in with defensive inconsistency and no top tier goalie. Even Holmquist is not playing. In goal is Marc Denis. But this will be far from a pushover. Tampa has always been the Isles bane.

Ruslan Fedotenko gets to play his old team. Moreover, Mike Sillinger plays in his 1000th game. Thats a lot of gas miles in the tank. Speaking of which, I just ate some chicken fingers that are hitting my stomach like George Foreman hitting Joe Frazier.

Light crowd tonight. Knew it would be when I had an easy time near Hempstead Turnpike. Michael Gasparino, great blogger from the Blog Box, and who has excellent journalistic chops, notes the same thing.

Mike's Great Blog: http://stilldrivin.blogsp...anders-4-lightning-0.html

The Isles ran a nice presentation for Silly.

Game begins. Kind of a feeling out for the first 3 minutes. But who is reading who.

Tampa with two shots now.

Isles on PP. Slashing penalty.

2 shots on the PP. Tampa has 5 shots. 5 on 5 now.

Lightning pestering in the middle, disrupting the Isles flow.

Isles have 5 shots to Tampa's 6.

I just watched a GIANT Tuscan Gallon of milk walk by. I almost feel like lactating. He's big and obnoxious, kind of like the giant floats. Thankfully they retired that very badly thought-out: LIJ Hearse. Nothing like a hearse floating by at a hockey game. Now milk walks around, but is so big, people have a hard time moving around him. God, I almost made a spilt milk joke.

DP with a nice save. He looks pretty steady tonight. Isles haven't quite tested Denis mettle yet.

Tampa spends a lot of time in the Isles zone, but Isles strike first with a run up the ice. Goal by Bill Guerin. Assist to Sillinger.

Bergie boards Lukowich But Lukowich retaliates. 4 on 4. Isles have 9 shots to Tampa's 10. Bergie is not seen again in the game. Might have hurt himself when he got knocked to the ice by him. Park moves to his line.

Tampa presses with a couple of chances. Isles hold.

1 Min left.

Tampa milling about. Isles hold.

Period over.

2nd period is a back and forth affair. Park with a hooking penalty at 13:38 mark.

Isles almost get a goal when they shoot up the ice. Denis is out of position, yet somehow they can't pop that puck into that gaping maw.

Tripping penalty on Jan Hlavac. Isles on PP.

Not much to that one. Tampa doing a good job stifling the offense. 8 min left, shots tied at 15.

Isles with a nice goal. 3 buzzing about the opposing goal, and it pays dividends. 2-0 Isles thanks to Miroslav Satan. Assists to Park and Vasicek. (corrected later, Vasicek with the notch, the other two have the assists)

Denis gets to think on things with a Deeeeenis . . . Dennnnnnniiis ... YOU SUCK chant. It almost looks like the poor boy is in tears. Oh wait, that just water.

Sillinger likes steak and lobster. His favorite band is U2.

Hunter with a slashing penalty at 3 min left in 2nd. Tampa is just looking for an opportunity to get back in this game. An important PK for the Isles.

Another shorthanded chance up the ice not converted.

1 min left.

Isles break up the ice again . . . SCORE! 3 to 0 Isles. Fedotenko gets one on his former team. Comrie with the assist.

Tampa's Roy with a penalty for roughing at the end of the period.

3rd opens to an Isles PP. And a correction on the 2nd goal: Vasicek with the goal, Satan and Park with the assist.

DP and the Isles D hold off a scoring chance. Then at the 14:00 mark, an Isles goal. 4 to 0. Trent Hunter with assists by Sutton and Comrie. Comrie with a quietly good game making plays.

Isles lead in shots 24 to 17.

Hunter gets snagged by the 'man' at 9:34. Denis called for delay of game right after.

Tampa clang two off the post, the last one rang throughout the building. As did a nice hit by Campoli.

Isles with a big win, and get themselves above .500 out of the schedule patch of October and start their November on the right foot.

In the back, bloggers took one step back again, as the Isles decided to mete out one player, and no lockeroom for the bloggers. One day in the lockerroom, another talking to Vasicek in another room instead.

Now, Vasicek was still a good interview. We spoke about how screwy that schedule was and how tough it was for the players to sit there with no games, and try to keep sharp. He was very happy that October was over. Best was his explanation of their gameplan. How they turned on the burners in the 2nd to outwork them, thinking that Tampa would tire. They were right, and they reaped the rewards with a well-deserved win.

But no Sillinger on Sillinger's 1000 game? Baffling. DiPietro's turnaround from a bad Saturday with an outstanding 60 minutes. So many stories, and though we appreciate our lot and recognition, I was tremendously disappointed to be deterred from those stories.

Just as other bloggers note our inclusion from last Saturday, we are reminded how tenuous and mercurial that inclusion really is. It's at their discretion. Alas, but a great game and a great night in Isles Country.

NOTE: I have heard there was a surprise part for Silly after the game, which affected things. If only someone actually told us.

Some recent blogs:

It's the Great Pumpkin, Gary Bettman!
http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?post_id=10726

Hockey . . . GASP . . . I need Hockey
http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?post_id=10681

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Filed Under: NHL Lightning Islanders Tuscan Milk