Comments on: CHECKLIST: A Thanksgiving Interactive BlogitorialHow the Islanders Make Life Worth Living

By: Dave

Dave — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 18:51:17 +0000

Being at the coliseum for their 2nd cup win.

Billy Smith’s interview after the 4th cup…explaining the penalty he drew with his dive… he wanted to show Gretzky he wasn’t the only actor on the ice.

Being at the coliseum for the Detroit Red Wings game after Islanders hot start in 2001-2002 season. Fans were rocking the old barn with Lets Go Islanders chant… 5 minutes before the Isles even took the ice.

By: Jason

Jason — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 06:09:34 +0000

-Cant remember the year.. but being in the coliseum for the last game of the season against the Flyers and the Isles had to win to make the playoffs. I think they won 6-2. But the Sabres had to win as well… and they put on their game on the TV and Uwe Kruup scored in OT to send the Isles to the playoffs.. (cant remember who they had to beat)
-1940 chants. And the Rag$ fans had no comeback.
-David Volek 93
-Being at the games in 02 vs Toronto. Everytime the Leafs sacored, the Isles fans would go right into a Lets go Isles chant. The coliseum was SO loud. Incredible.
-Bates Penalty Shot
-As a kid playing street hockey.. and as I got older.. idolized Glenn Healy and studied his style to be a better goalie.
-Heals and Flats show
-8 years old playing Stanley Cup Playoff Hockey (Rod Hockey) Which had Isles vs Flyers players for the game.
-Witnessing Hunters hit on Turgeon
-Going to BP games during the lockout grilling up some dogs and burgers in the parking lot. If you havent been up there to see a game.. you should go. Small rink. Every seat is great.
-Going to an Isles charity event with the GF and being a wallflower.
-Anxious for the future. Welcome to the Isles Bailey.
-I will cry my eyes out when they win again.

By: Jislander7

Jislander7 — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 19:13:58 +0000

And how could I forget Jason Blake!!!

By: Jislander7

Jislander7 — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 19:13:20 +0000

1. Ziggy and Turgeon
2. Kaspar vs. Mario in 93
3. David Volek 93
4. Bates Shootout goal
5. Glenn Healy & DP
6. Aucoin & Jonsson
7. Through all the lean years always giving the Rangers hell no matter what kind of talent we have
8. Laviolette giving us a taste of being relevant
9. Seeing Milbury go

By: Mike from Queens

Mike from Queens — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 18:07:31 +0000

-Screaming “Get off the ice, Volek!” at Islander games sometime before I was ten.

-My dad saying that Darius Kasparaitis sounded more like a disease than a person.

-My perpetual hatred for Dale Hunter.

-Mick Vukota.

-Consistently updating my hockey video games to reflect up-to-date rosters every year since the create-a-player function was introduced.

-Being relevant again under Laviolette.

-Being in the Coliseum for Bates’ penalty shot.

-Feeling like Andy Dufresne after his trek through the sewage pipe when I was driving on Merrick Ave and heard about Milbury stepping down as GM.

-The feeling of having a major sports franchise literally five minutes from my house.

By: Tony

Tony — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 16:44:18 +0000

My List…

- Mike Bossy, my hero

- 4 Straight Cups

- Ken Morrow, for having been part of the greatest season a hockey player could have a Gold Medal and a Stanley Cup.

- Butch Goring for his ugly helmet and playing an entire playoff series with 40 stitches

- Battlin Billy Smith, for playing his best when it counted the most

- Tonelli, Trots and Potvin

- Clark Gilles and Bobby Nystrom for showing everyone that it’s better to be feared.

- Pierre Turgeon for having his deadly wrist shot

- David Volek who I really liked even before April 1993.

- Steve Thomas and his speed

- Ziggy’s goals…

- Ray Ferraro who was acquired for Doug Crossman (i loved him for some reason) and who became a favorite of mine.

- Kinger, Hogie and Sneaky Pete…

- Blakey, Webby and Yash

- Ricky

- The day our rookie, inexperienced GM traded a lazy prospect, a 1st round mistake and a 1st round pick in a bad draft for Ryan Smyth.

- Josh Bailey, Aaron Ness, Kirill Petrov, Corey Trivino, Travis Hamonic, David Toews and the rest of the class of 2008.

- Charles Wang, who sometimes seems like the one man who cares about keeping the Islanders around forever.

- Joey, Footer, Mike, Jimmy, Angry Phil, the Hanson Brothers and the rest of section 309.

- and most importantly the dream of the Stanley Cup once again coming home to the Nassau Coliseum.

By: michael

michael — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 15:33:05 +0000

i’m thankful for my first islanders jersey #77 pierre turgeon (probably true for many of the fans of my generation), and being MAN ENOUGH to remain a die hard loyal fan of this team long enough to see us start the 01/02 season 11-1-1-1 when many of my friends had bailed on the team and there was only 2 or 3 of us left.

i’m thankful for the fact we got 3 home playoff games in 2002 which were arguably my 3 favorite nights of my life and being in attendance all three games. no where else i’d rather be.

and i’m thankful for not being a RANGERS fan!!

LETS GO ISLANDERS!

By: TuxTax

TuxTax — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 14:45:37 +0000

1. The ’93 Penguins series
2. Honking your car horn to the tune of Let’s Go Islanders before the game and after a win.
3. Meeting Bobby Nystrom at a LI soccer tournament(Eric had a game right near me, thats when my dad introduced me to hockey)
4. Sportschannel with Jiggs and Westfall calling the games
5. The old barn, some amazing memories but the old lady needs a facelift. WE WANT THE LIGHTHOUSE
6. Having a past to dwell on(wish i was a few years older to remember them) having a future to look to.(Okposo to Bailey…Bailey to Okposo…one timer he scores!!!! I would be fine hearing that about 50 times a season)
7. Walking through the LIRR train on the way home from MSG after an Islanders win over the forever hated Rangers, the truest NY-NY rivalry, slapping hands with the Islander fans, and listening to silence from the Ranger fans
8. Being the underdog

By: rkw1111

rkw1111 — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 14:35:26 +0000

1) Wondering what all the happiness was about when my father jumped for joy as JP Parise scored in 75

2) JT scores twice to beat the Pens in 82

3) Ken Morrow

4) Bill Gallo’s cartoons of all the Isles faces after the Cup wins

5) The sound of the old barn as the Isles came out for the third period against Washington, Game 6 in 93.

6) Billy Smith’s Conn Smythe interview

7) Banging pots and pans out my window after 7:11 of OT

Barry Landers, Jiggs, 18, Jean Potvin

9) Easter morning, 1987, with my father, knowing EXACTLY what all the happiness was about

By: Tim

Tim — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 14:15:05 +0000

10. Bobby Nystrom taking on Tiger Williams in the playoffs.

9. Bossy’s 50 goals in 50 games.

8. Having to ask Clark Gillies to vacate the putting green at the Huntington Crescent Club so I could water it (he was very nice about it).

7. Butch Goring buzzing around the ice in that funky helmet.

6. Bob Bourne going end to end – - Man, could that guy skate!

5. Pierre Turgeon in the ’93 Playoffs.

4. My first game at NVMC – April 1, 1978.

3. The ragging I take for being an Islanders fan – - I wear my loyalty like a badge of honor.

2. Pat LaFontaine scoring in the fourth overtime of that playoff game against the Capitals.

1. Tonelli to Nystrom . . . He scores!!

By: 7:11

7:11 — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 13:12:55 +0000

1. Gillies vs. Dave Schultz

2. The Islanders Summer Hockey clinic at Cantiogue Park which I was lucky enough to attend during the glory years. Got skating and hockey tips from Bryan Trottier, Gillies, Nystrom, Tonelli, Arbour and more. Skills that still come in handy to this 43 year-old.

3. 7:11 of overtime, 5/24/80

4. Ed Westfall and Jiggs Mcdonald

5. The 1980 playoff series against the Bruins.

6. Bossy’s 50 in 50.

7. The Toronto series in 2002. Steve Webb.

8. Al Arbour Night

9. Dubie and his light sabre!

By: Patrick

Patrick — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 07:34:59 +0000

- Waking up early for Easter mass, just in time to see LaFontaine score in the 7th period

- Attending my first ever game as the Islanders beat the Sharks 8-4 back in 1991. I believe it was Turgeon & Hogue’s Islanders debut. Mick Vukota fought Jeff Odgers in his first NHL game that night

- Attending several Islanders charity softball games each summer

- Having my mother drop me and my friend Anthony off at the Marriot @ 8:30 in the morning so we could hound autographs all day

- My excitement when the Islanders called up Steve Webb & Ken Belanger from the Kentucky Thorougblades

- John Spano, Brett Lindros, Don Maloney, Kirk Muller, & Mike Milbury changed my perspective on life ha

- Meeting players @ Islanders fan fest (for the dumb skills competition), and Island harvest charity event @ FAO Schwartz in the Roosevelt Field Mall

- Recording every game and making dumb fight tapes out of them

- Playing street hockey while sporting a Mick Vukota jersey

and the list goes on…