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RETRACTION TO THE NYI/OTT LIVE BLOG LAST NIGHT:***
Bergie not the one on crutches as I walked down into the lockerroom area. Your moronic and tired Isles blogger mistook Aaron Johnson.
Anyone who missed my leadup on what this game means and all the doom and gloomers who felt the Isles were going to get torched:
http://my.hockeybuzz.com/...r_id=567&post_id=3365
LIVE BLOG FROM THE BLOG BOX
Its been a few weeks, due to work and schedule to be at the games. So here I am, tired, just over being sick, and very chippy tonight in the Blog Box, coming at you live.
I am in the cavern of the Coliseum. A weeknight game versus a beast of the east. Atlantic conference might be all jumbled, but Ottawa clearly rules theirs.
Jaffe's pregame matchup preview thunders off the seats and reverberates in my head. Someone send me some Advil. Shawn Bates, as mentioned, is back in the lineup. Ray Emery, also mentioned earlier, is starting for the Senators.
It's these kind of nights that boggle my mind as an Isles fan, blogger and whatnot. One of the best teams in the league is here and the place is simply way too empty.
And we start. Not even a halfway full crowd here. A damn shame.
Loudville is pretty full, in comparison. Nice to see that.
Ottawa is stuffing a lot of people in the neutral zone as the Isles try to press upward. It clogs the pass channels and doesn't allow much forward commotion into the zone. We will see if that continues and if the Islanders can adjust.
At 15:56, Hunter gets called for tripping. When he was last man out their from warmups, I don't think the penalty box was what he was working on.
A successful PK for the Isles.
A lot of chaos in front of Ricky tonight. If the Isles D can't clear, Ottawa will make them pay.
Senators with 7 shots to 2 by the Isles.
IT IS COLD IN HERE TONIGHT. [ M ] My nipple just hit one of the keyboard keys.
I just raided Garth's Buffalo blog and stole his Labatts. Blech! I think this one I got was backwashed.
Isles had a great chance courtesy of Shawn Bates, but no dice. Great up the ice pass that got that going. Richardson from OTT gets a penalty. This is where it is key now to take advantage.
Some chaos made in Ottawa's zone, but nothing yet. Isles keep chipping away. PP is for naught with one shot. But soon after . . . a nice new shiny penalty by Dean McAmmond.
Isles get to try again, and need to get more shots through. Some tires for redirections earlier did cause some anxious moments for Emery.
Fans seem a bit chippy tonight in yelling at the team.
Even with nothing to show for it, the Isles have gotten more shots through the Senator D. Isles 9 shots to Ott's 7 now. PP over, though.
Rick misplays a pass up the side and gets a Delay of Game. Served by Satan.
Vasicek with a goal with only 25 seconds left. Satan and Tank with the assists.
((between the periods))
I see Wanda Vega on the Jumbotron. For some reason, I want to fight her. Not that it would be any contest. She'd probably beat me into a fine paste.
I await the T-shirt bazooka by one of the ice girls needing me to duck from the blog box. Last time it hit the Hockeybuzz logo right above my head.
I am freezing. Future generations of mine are encased in carbonite right now. I swear it. Little Gallof's frozen like Han Solo, perhaps adorning Jabba's hallowed halls. Perhaps with Salacious B. Crumb cackling as he tries to steal pieces of Jabba's food. Have I gone enough on a tangent yet?
((2nd period))
And away we go . . .
A lovely Emery chant comes from Loudville, reminding him, especially this season, that he indeed...sucks.
I swear I can see a tear trail down his mask. ((fingers-crossed))
Satan with a highstick. And two minutes for the man.
It is so cold in here, that the Blog Boxers want to make a fire with the chairs over here.
I have a strange question. Why do people suddenly think Oprah will be a big difference to Obama's campaign vs Hilary? The Hollywood elite stump for people all the time. So much, that many simply ignore them these days. Some star's pretensious drivel usually tells me its time to refill a beer at the Academy Awards.
Is it more that someone from the Democratic party, winning or not, is going to make history by being a woman or african-american man. If only Oprah would actually run, we'd have a trifecta versus the old white men of the Republican party.
Isles with a myriad of chances, but nada. 12 shots from both sides right now, at 12:28 into the 2nd.
Here's one large difference between the teams. Isles having trouble moving the big OTT dmen to gain advantage in front of Emery.
Chris Kelly of OTT gets a cross-checking penalty. Isles on the PP, and something needs to happen here. The Isles PP has been putrid lately. Not as putrid as my ketchup-soaked fries. But kind of close.
Ottawa's D, very strong and mobile. Really throwing off the PP right now. People are yelling for the Isles to shoot, but nobody is in position because they are getting pinballed around.
Sparky just passed me and stole a french fry. This is an outrage.
Our section just won giftcards. I'm sure the Blog Boxers won't be included. However, I recall the promise that I could sneak up to the pressbox and grab some free hotdogs. Where's my hotdogs, Botta!!!! Pointblank me some franks and mustard, my boy! Dinner was $13.50 courtesy of the Nathan's stand here with what resembled Captain Ahab's Deep Fried Tuna Chunks. That's about the cost of at least two good porn mags a week. See the sacrifices I make.
Gloves fly off. No, not mine. OTT and Isles get scrappy in front of Rick. Simon and Witt get snagged. Only Chris Neil for OTT. OTT PP.
2nd period curtains close.
ACK! I walk away for 3 minutes and stare at a 1-1 tie. Another score by OTT? Good gak! Nope. In the crease. But Isles need to really buckle down.
This period is what will separate from wanting to be a good team and the being a good team. Lets see if the Isles can be masters of their own destiny.
HUGE and I mean HUGE...as if Walter Hudson just lumbered up the seat stairs...GOAL by the Isles after causing Emery and the Ottawa defense fits being pesky and churning around.
Sillinger with the tally. Hilbert gets the assist.
The momentum is swinging like an Iowa caucus. Isles are pressing again. Can they keep the powerful Senators on their heels? Will Oprah come to our cause? Someone send that woman an Isles jersey.
Fans are buzzing. Can the Isles take a win from one of the league's best? Am I asking too many questions?
43 secs left to Sutton's brain freeze.
Isles take a penalty. Sutton for delay of game. Ugh! Talk about handing a team an advantage. Isles on the PK. Some good hustle and a clear. 15 secs. Ricky looks awkward out the crease trying to stop the puck from edging around the boards. Usually I'd be annoyed, but OTT is really strong on the boards tonight, especially on the PP.
PK over.
Senators have 28 shots to the Isles 18.
Isles pressing again with some shots that make everyone yell "OOOooooo", like Andrew Dice Clay. Well, before he turned into a comedy hack.
Listen Miss Muffet...
Nevermind. This is a family website.
9 minutes left, the Isles lead by a goal.
6:45
When it hits 5 minutes, I'm packing up. Will update blog later tonight .
Of course, as soon as I pack up....
BOOM! Ottawa ties it. Fans groan, but Ottawa just wouldn't be denied. Meszaros scored his 2nd of the game.
OT is all over the place. Chances abound. Penalty on the Senators. Then on the Isles.
Note, for all your rumorhounds...MAB played the 4 on 3 in OT as the only defenseman. And had a good night, btw.
We end tied, and go to a Shoot Out, the Isles first this season.
Daniel Alfredsson scorches Ricky.
It stands, till finally, the Isles have their last man...
Bill Guerin SCORES!
Sillinger SCORES in the next round. Dean McAmmond has a chance to keep Ottawa aline ...
GLOVE SAVE.
Isles win in a wild one, and a great game. This place, despite the lack of fans, rocked. Big win and big 2 points versus one of the better teams. Emery played well, as did Ottawa.
Tomorrow: the Rangers.
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The boys played well tonight, and they got rewarded with a big cladder win! They needed this one, and now they can head into the All-Star break with some momentum.