Wed 2/20/13 4:45 pm: Because I see you guys are having too much fun in the comments section, I won't start a new blog until the morning. But for those of you who are mulling the possibility of the Isles extending an offer to newly relieved Lindy Ruff, the answer is a straight up "NO."
I asked a straight up question and received a straight up answer.
So... there.
I asked.
10 pm: And that's all she wrote, a 3 - 1 Islanders loss with Rick mishandling a puck causing another goal late in the third erasing any chance the Islanders had to come back in this game.
Jack with Peter from MSG, not quite as frustrated as I would have thought. Certainly not as frustrated as Scott Gordon used to be. "Good chances, played hard, broke the ice with the one goal. We had some looks, but we could have beared down more. We had some good chances, Casey's line gave us the minutes htey gave us. A little reminiscent of Buffalo.(Where Ryan Miller gave them fits) We couldn't get the job done. It's a situation how we dealt with our line-up over the course of the last few weeks. That line played well. Credit to Marty (reasoner)."
9:25 pm: Travis Hamonic breaks the barrier and gets the Isles on the board cutting the Sens lead to one. it's the Marty Reasoner show as well. This has to be a showcase for him because he was on the intermission report and Butchie and Doug have been praising him left and right. He may as well have a "For Sale" sign on him.
8:41 pm: I will quote the Isles Twitter feed "Benoit with a one-timer from the blue line and finds the back of the net." Five-hole Ricky.
Iles with a power play opportunity, if they do not score here, they are toast.
8:37 pm: With Kyle Okposo in the box, Greening gives the Sens a power play goal with fthree white sweaters in front of Rick, they still let the puck into the net. How?
8:16 pm: One period down and both teams are scoreless. A better effort, but still missed opportunties by Matt Martin and Kyle Okposo for open nets and a Bailey chance that clanged off a crossbar. But at least there wasn't an early Sens goal. So, we're good.
11:26 AM: Rick DiPietro gets the start hoping to improve his stats. David Ullstrom and Eric Boulton will be given a seat in the press box and Su Ring can finally see Thomas Hickey back on the ice again along with -- Reasoner.
As per Art Staple, Aucoin will be on the right side with Bailey and Nielsen. Grabner will be with Okposo and Reasoner.
7 AM: After the Islanders most embarrassing home ice loss in franchise history, to a man they said it was good they had a game tonight so they couldn't dwell on the loss. Personally I'd like to see them dwell on it a little, like perhaps on the flight to Ottawa last night, to see what they can do differently. I'd also like them to realize they should never play like that ('disinterested' according to Art Staple) in front of a sold-out home crowd. Terrible. It was just terrible.
Ottawa has had their own problems this season, yet they stand at 8-6-2 to the Isles 6-8-1. They are dealing with key injuries and could certainly use them as excuses. But Ottawa coach Paul MacLean said yesterday "Frustration is a useless emotion.." and the Sens took it to heart before their game yesterday against the NJ Devils.
They tell you hard work led them to a shoot-out victory, but had the devils not been a man down to open the overtime period things may have been different. Not the 7 - 0 beat-down the Isles faced, but perhaps not a Sens victory either. (Marty Brodeur hates shoot-outs.)
Hockey is a game of capitalizing on your opportunities and luck. It may also be a game of not overthinking things. Personally I feel John Tavares tried TOO hard yesterday which is why he was on the ice for three of five of the Flyers even strength goals. The Isles will need opportunity, luck and hard work tonight in Ottawa. With the loss of Brian Strait tonight may be the first time returning Islander Radek Martinek may take the ice. That should be interesting along with Rick DiPietro most likely in net.
During yesterday's mess, my daughter, the 18-year-old hockey fan, was texting me wildly regarding Jack Capuano's decisions from putting Hamonic and AMac out for the starting line-up to Jack's decision to let Nabokov endure being hung out to dry with seven goals against him.
While I don't agree with her on Hamonic, Andrew MacDonald has not seemed himself at all. Capuano told reporters there wasn't much rearranging they could do, but they will have to do something or a downward spiral is inevitable and his job has got to be on the line by now.
Both teams played early games yesterday and both had to travel from the NY area to Ottawa. The Isles will be on the ice today at 11:30 am today. We'll see what Jack has to say around lunch time.
Game time is 7:30 pm and if you're in the Westbury area, stop down to the Isles viewing parting at the Westbury TGI Friday's for a good time with Arena Hostess Diva Dina and the Ice Girls. They'll keep the mood light and fun -- no matter what the score. It's always a good time to be with other Isles fans whether we're celebrating or wallowing in our misery.
New York Islanders Blogger • 
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