It was a good win. Not really a “great” win, but one the Islanders and their coaching staff could be proud of. The players that were supposed to produce, did. Mark Streit, Matt Moulson and Frans Nielsen all had three-point nights. As special as it was for Moulson and Nielsen, it was a home-coming for Mark Streit.
When we entered the locker room, of course the mood was upbeat and jovial. However, it was crowded. Not only were there reporters cameras and wires everywhere, but also hockey bags and dirty jerseys strewn across the carpet. It was very tough to navigate without tripping over something. Not wanting to end up being the blogger who face plants into the laundry cart, I pretty much stayed put until someone else cleared a path.
Matt Martin was sporting a new abrasion on his chin, it matches all the others. Josh Bailey now has a seat next to his line-mate and with sweat soaked hair and underarm our, it took me a moment to tell them apart. Bailey played almost 14 minutes and spent some time on the PK and PP.
Aaron Ness was one of the standout youngsters in the game. His speed and agility are making a case for Jack Capuano to reward him with ice time. And reward him he did. Ness played a total of 18:59 with 2:36 on the power play. Think Jack was trying to get a good look?
He seemed to always be at the right place at the right time. “Yeah, I got a good taste out there tonight. I got to play quite a few minutes. It was good for me to get my feet wet. I know what it’s like now so I can adjust as best as possible.”
Ness knows his speed is his strong point and wants to get faster. “Obviously I’m not the biggest guy, so speed definitely helps.”
He’s also a sturdy player. I heard a shot hit him and it echoed all the way up in the press box. I thought for sure the kid would hit the ice, but he didn’t. Almost embarrassed that I would bring it up, he told me “Yeah, it went wide and then hit me. Yeah, it hurt a little bit, but you just keep going. That’s what it is. It’s the game of hockey.”
Ness was wearing #55 last night. I didn’t show him my necklace. I didn’t want the kid to get ahead of himself.
Mark Streit had been holding court with reporters from the moment the doors opened. I noticed a slight break in the sea of recorders and decided it was time to inch over closer to fellow Blog Boxer Chris Hessel who had a front row spot. I got close enough just when Mark was telling those who remained, “I missed it so much.”
And he did. You could see it on his face and in his eyes exactly how happy he is to be back on the ice, to be back in the dressing room and to be a contributing part of the team. “I missed it a lot. I realize just how much I love hockey and I can’t take it for granted. It was a great feeling. It’s tough to find the right words. We worked really hard, we skated hard. There’s great chemistry in this room.” and then he couldn’t contain a slight chuckle. “I’m pretty happy right now.”
Streit admitted he was a little nervous before the game. The nerves interfered with his usual pre-game nap. “I was a little nervous because I didn’t play for sixteen months. That’s a long time.”
While the Islanders Captain said he felt “pretty awesome,” he also believes he’s still far away from his best game. “It was a good start. I have two more weeks. There are going to be ups and downs, but we started out on a positive note. I know what I can do and what I need to do better.”
I asked Mark if they had clocked his shot since his return and he smiled at me. “No, no. But I don’t think I’ll have any problems.”
From where I’ve been sitting, he’s right. I also asked if they’ve invested in additional Plexiglas panels because he’s sure to break a few in practice. That made him laugh.
“As long as we score goals and win games - I’m happy.”
For Mark Streit and the Islanders a 6 - 2 win on Home Ice was a good start.
New York Islanders Blogger • 
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