5:12 pm: Michael Haley and Anders Nilsson have been recalled from Bridgeport on emergency basis. (Trevor Gillies seems to be in Islanders exile) I'm guessing Nilsson will be backing up Nabokov since RDP has not be activated off the IR. Guess Poulin may be grumbling.

3:22 pm: Well, Merry Christmas to us. I almost wanted to buy more when this news came over my phone while I was at Stew Leonard's Liquors. Both Al Montoya and David Ullstrom have been diagnosed with concussions and are out "indefinitely."

I am really starting to hate that word.

Call ups have not yet been announced. Probably will be as soon as I hit the "submit" button.


12:50 pm: Update Brian Rolston has been placed on IR retroactive to 12/15 with a concussion. Oh.great. One more on the growing list of NHLers with head issues.


Just when I’m ready to throw in the towel, the Islanders do something unexpected. The Isles won in a shoot out for a second game in a row. Okay, how did that happen?

With the holiday craziness going on, once again I was watching the game from the kitchen with one ear on the call of Jiggs McDonald and one on the oven timer. The cameras were focused squarely on Travis for his home coming and he seemed to be hitting everything in sight. He ended with 28:56 of ice time, seven blocks and five hits. “You couldn’t play him enough.” Coach Capuano told Peter R. in the post game report with a smile.

But Travis was also a target of hits as well. So was shoot-out specialist Frans Nielsen. While skating down the wing with his eyes focused on the puck for just a moment, he was knocked into Thursday and was shaken up. Kyle Okposo took offense to Mark Stuart’s shoulder smacking into Nielsen’s head and they both dropped gloves AND helmets. The fight lasted only a few seconds as Okposo was quickly taken down to the ice by Stuart, a 6’2” 213 lb defenseman. But it’s the thought.

A thought that I’m sure Frans appreciated while he sat on the bench trying to rock off the pain while Timms asked him questions and administered assistance.

Speaking of Garrett Timms, the NY Islanders trainer; he certainly earned his pay last night. After the Nielsen hit he also had to attend to Al Montoya who was run over by Evander Kane. Kane was called for interference and my family roared with displeasure in the living room. But watching the replay I personally think that Milan Jurcina had a lot to do with the injury (what ever that injury turns into) as did Evander.

Montoya seemed to attempt to stay in net while Timms treated him. Or it could have been a ploy to give Evgeni Nabokov a little more time to get ready to take over the pipes. He hadn’t seen game action since November 17th.

Yeah. Welcome back Evgeni. Not the way he wanted to get back to game action for sure, but he managed to stop 19 shots in the balance of regulation and two shots in the shoot out.

But Timms wasn’t done for the night. At 41 seconds into the OT frame, David Ullstrom hit Tobias Enstrom and got the worst of it. According to Danno “Note to David: Try not to lead a hit with your face.”

Ullstrom laid face down on the ice awaiting help. With a towel on his face, he was led off the ice. As if for retribution, Frans Nielsen won the game in the shoot out as he had the patience to bring Pavelec down to the ice and then he lifted the puck over him and squarely into the net.

PA Parenteau had the first Islanders’ goal and Michael Grabner the second which were countered by Antropov and Ladd for the Jets. Even though the Islanders scored first, lost the lead, scored again and then let the Jets come back to tie it, no one could be disappointed with their effort.

“It was good to see the effort. There are some things we have to work on but, everyone got to work tonight.” Jack was happy with the outcome, even though they gave up one point. “Nabby was really good. We’re fortunate to get the win.”

Jack credited the 11 turnovers in the first period, “the most we’ve had all season” for the extra help. He also credited Jiggs McDonald as a good luck charm on the road. Had Pavelec not been such a rock in net for the Jets, the Isles probably would have won in regulation with twice as many goals.

There was no update on Montoya or Ullstrom last night before I fell asleep on my net book. We should find out something today.

The Isles next face their dreaded rivals and this year’s Winter Classic participant, the NY Rangers. “The Rangers are a good team. They come out hard.” Jack said of his cross town rivals. “It’s starts in net. Lundqvist is real good for them. It will be a good test for our team.”

UGGGHHHHH….. Bring up Trevor Gillies! Please! I don’t want to see John Tavares or Frans Nielsen taken out of the game just for the HBO cameras.

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» The JT Show in TO in OT

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