STARS 5 ISLANDERS 4 (SHOOTOUT)
Tavares has concussion; Weight stars in comeback
FanHouse: CB with reaction on Tavares’ concussion
11:00 pm, NVMC: After falling behind 2-0 after the first period – including a second goal that Rick DiPietro called “horrendous” on his part – the Islanders rallied from a deficit of 4-2 in the third period to tie the game. They got a point in the standings, but lost in the shootout when Mike Ribeiro scored the only goal.
Besides the impressive comeback, a storyline of equal importance was the Islanders losing John Tavares to what the team termed a mild concussion. Tavares suffered the injury on a hit by Dallas forward Adam Burish late in the first period. The Islanders announced that Tavares will be re-evaluated on Monday, so they should be without their No. 1 center when they host the Rangers on Columbus Day.
TONIGHT’S FIVE BEST
1. Doug Weight - The captain truly does look like a new man. Weight had a goal and two assists. Said Scott Gordon, “He made some plays he just couldn’t have last year.”
2. Brenden Morrow - The Stars’ captain was just as good, scoring two goals. With Modano and Turco gone, this is really his team now.
3. Josh Bailey - As one national broadcaster, watching the game, texted to me, “Bailey is playing with diesel now.”
4. James Wisniewski - One goal, one assist and one mammoth hit in the third period that prompted Rex Ryan to say, “Now that’s what I’m talking about”!
5. Brad Richards - There’s a reason the Rangers hope they can recruit him as their No. 1 center next summer.
AWARDS
Unsung Hero: Mike Mottau. “Great signing by Garth to get a player like that so late in the offseason,” said Gordon. Exactly. Over 21:06, Mottau was better than steady.
Wow, He’s Good: James Neal didn’t get on the scoresheet, but now we have a better understanding of why the Stars consider him a cornerstone.
Reader Comment of the Week: (tie, both on the Islanders’ radio deal with Hofstra)
Ethan K: “We have 18 year olds on the ice. You’re worried about them running a friggin radio station?!”
Sidd Finch: “Any chance the Shinnecocks have put in a bid for the smoke signal rights?”
(FRANS) NIELSEN RATINGS (1-10)
NYI Performance - 7: They shot from everywhere, which is good but a little misleading for the shot totals (47-22). They battled hard in the second period and still did not give up down 4-2 seven minutes into the third. For a team dealing with so many key injuries, the glass was a little more than half-full after coming away with a point.
Power Play - 8: Islanders were 3-6 and distributed the puck well. At least for this night, no one was looking for Mark Streit.
Penalty Killing - 8: They were 1-6, including the killing of a 4-on-3 in overtime.
Goaltending - 5: DiPietro said after the game, “I let up a terrible second goal and the guys still came back.” He knows he has to be much better.
Opponent - 7: For a team that played an overtime game last night in New Jersey, Dallas showed something playing a strong opening two periods. It was easy to see they had nothing left in their legs in overtime.
Game - 8: The comeback was dramatic, and the crowd showed its appreciation.
Event - 6: The game operations were sharp and exciting, but the night had less than an “event” feel with all those mostly-empty sections in the 200s and 300s behind the goal the Islanders defend twice. Announced attendance was 13,351 – 3,000 short of a sellout.
Crowd - 10: The fans that were there started off loud and proud from the parking lot two hours before the game until Ribeiro’s shootout goal.
CLIPS
Doug Weight on the Comeback
Niederreiter on his NHL Debut
Comments on tonight’s game are invited.
112 Responses to STARS 5 ISLANDERS 4 (SHOOTOUT)
Tavares has concussion; Weight stars in comeback
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kurvers28 says:
Isles had 3 PPG
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steven says:
Great game. I have no voice left. Gotta check those super stats for hits.
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BT says:
First comment of the year, coincidentally the first to complain.
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Brian G says:
not a dirty hit on JT…good comeback by the gritty gutties
Hopefully we see Matt Martin on Monday – goal & assist tonight at the bridge, gillies needs to be sent down if he cannot take a regular shift, let the young guys play…plain and simple, roll 4 lines
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Big Boy says:
Dipietro= Horrible……..man he looked bad…and also did u see him getting up from saves, a couple of times it looked as if he was still injured.
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Isles Fan says:
Very disappointing crowd. Entire sections empty. A BS interview played with Mangano where nothing really was said about the Lighthouse Project other than we would like to keep the Islanders in Nassau County.
Minus to game ops who should have reported to the crowd JT’s condition after he left game.
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purify says:
Sidd Finch: “Any chance the Shinnecocks have put in a bid for the smoke signal rights?” “havent stopped laughing absolutley gold… great character comeback tonight. this team could have folded numerous times tonight and they still fought back. so exicted to see bailey and frans play great. wow looks like they found there wheels. Can you say garbner in for jt monday? ill take it any chance we would have sold out if the yankees werent playing.
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BB says:
Back from the game, if Rollie was in net tonight we win 4-1, and tonight Rickey clearly show why he should not have been named #1 goal-tender for the team. It is too bad that owner must be forcing this issue on the coach.
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Was at the game. DiPietro looked slow. Totally agree with other comment, he was like an old man moving around at times. Sad to see.
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joe says:
The whole night was bush league…being at the game never felt so bad…off the ice
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Islander57 says:
Looked really rusty at the start, picked it up mid way through the second. Lets hope they can turn it up monday against the rangers.
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Staten Islander says:
Good game, DP looked rusty, gotta love the effort after the start of the 2nd, they did everything but score. Weight looked like he wanted to prove that he can still play. Frans played well, Baiiey was a man possessed. I’m not sure about some of the new guys, Wis looked good, but let a guy get behind him on I think the 2nd goal. Don’t want to sit down Gillies till after the Rags game, they might have to put on the foil
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PS: Jaffe was missed on the broadcast, Goring not really good
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Crowd was very disappointed it was DP and not Roli. I think DP has worn out his welcome.
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Nick says:
…anyone else notice that on the video board ads for the upcoming avalanche game, it will be in honor of BREATS cancer awareness? Who approves their copy?? …Good game though.
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Brian from Massapequa says:
Great time at the game tonight. Bummed about the attendance, but it was as loud as ever in the third period. I’ll take the point!
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JD says:
Good comeback tonight despite falling short in the shootout. Both Weight and Bailey looked like they had something to prove. PA does not belong on either of the top 2 lines- he does not skate well at all. That hit from Wis was absolutely Andy Suttonesque.
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bCarey says:
Mild concussion, more like mild disaster.
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isles71 says:
hit on Tavares was intentional, and needed retaliation IMMEDIATELY!!! Once again, Gordon let opposition off the hook because players waited to see what GORDON wanted to do…you can see Gillies and Konoptka at the ready to be sent over the boards, but no marching orders came…give them credit for not taking matters into their own hands. Great comeback,but at what price??? DP was at best AHL calibre and once again, every team in the league knows we are soft. Point for having Konoptka & Gillies is so the COACH can use them at HIS discretion…they are true professionals and waited for Gordon to send them…he nevder did, and that is the reasaon #14 & 28 didn’t collect their “pound of flesh”…Will Gillies fight BOOgard on Monday to revenge the Tavares hit, probably & because we now need him to…do not ever forget that 93% of ALL NHL fights are pre-arranged by players based on what the COACH wants, not vice verse…we might have won A SINGLE battle, but lost a few wars as well tonite… Bailey you ROCKED tonite!!!
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mrlbem says:
A big minus to the games operations people. The message on the scoreboard for next week’s breast cancer awareness night was missing the “s” in breast. So it read “Breat Cancer Awareness Night.” Eveyone in my section noticed it when it was on the scoreboard in the first period, so it was quite surprising that no one corrected it the next two times it was shown on the jumbotron.
Minus to the coaching staff as well for only having 4 skaters out for the 2nd Dallas goal. They tried to compensate later in the game by putting out 6 skaters, but the refs ruined everything by calling a penalty.
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Jeff says:
First off, JT leaving the game with a concussion is just unreal. Welcome to another season in Islander Country.
CB, how can you give DP a 5? He was TERRIBLE. It is painful watching the goalie that gives your team the best chance to win sitting on the bench because the team is married to a DP for 11 more years.
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csk says:
very encouraging
but Rollie must play 2/3 of the games until Ricky shows why he deserves more time
period
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Dinerboss says:
Gritty performance,not happy on the defensive end,they need to tighten up.I also saw DP struggling and getting up gingerly after certain saves (plays).roloson needs to play on Monday.I would also start DP mostly on the road, to many negative fans jump on him to early when he gives up a goal.we might not win to many games this year but if we play with the same intensity,and physicality and throw our bodies around atleast they will be fun to watch.PS let’s hope shremp&gabner can contribute offensively to make up for taveras being out.
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Ethan K says:
Hah, glad to have one of the comments of the week.
I thought Bailey looked awesome, Weight looked 10 years younger, Hunter FINALLY played like he’s 6’3″. Comeau looking like he understands exactly what he needs to do now to succeed – hitting, skating, scoring goals. Konopka played like a warrior. Jon Sim got too much ice time but he agitated. Parenteau belongs nowhere near the first line. His turnovers led right to a goal. Hope to see Grabner on the wing soon instead. Tavares’ skating did look WAY better in the short time he did skate. Wisniewski was great in the offensive zone, with a cannon of a shot and WHAT a hit on Neal – but he did get beat a couple times on defense. The rest of the defense was pretty good.
Nino Niederreiter was excellent in every zone. His puck movement and positioning was solid. The points will come. He uses his size and he skates well.
Dipietro is VERY well removed from that all-star season he had a long time ago.
This was a fun opener. The first period was chippy, but they really made a fun game to watch after that. And just imagine that play with Streit, Okposo, Tavares, and Schremp.
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Rocky85 says:
was at the game and effort was great in 3d. PA needs to go-give grabner a shot. Keep nino too-at least he uses the body and he will learn up here w pros like weight & franz. If jt out longer than a week, it’s a disaster. We really need a 3d goalie like biron bc dp wont make it thru season.
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wpatelis says:
The isles look good. first period was a bad one they looked sloppy but they picked it up after that. Matty Moul still trying to prove to us he is the real deal and till other wise show i will believe he is, nice goal by him. Wiz has a cannon would have been nice to see him with striet. Comeau had a very good game, i felt he was hitting everything in sight. In general the islanders were hitting. They werent all bone crushers but they hit. Weight has the same amount of goals this year then last lol. But anything he puts in is gravy cause he is here to be a leader. Bailey gets my vote first star in the game. He was all over the ice and he looked great on the man down. plus he was another one who was throwing the body around. Would have liked the win but this was still a good point for the team. It was a very strong come back. and i cant fault D.P for this lose. i say he gave up 1 at the most 2 bad goals the second 1 no doubt was bad and the first i felt was tricky he could have controlled the rebound better but it was a bad hop. The other 3 he had no chance. Bad D and perfect pass on the 3rd goal, a great tip in on the 4th, and the shootout he did all he could to stop that.
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Jon in Chicago says:
Why do I feel like Tavares will be out longer than any of us wants. Concussions, especially nowadays, scare the heck out of me. Soon we’re gonna see Hilbert getting power-play time.
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anthony c says:
Can’t believe sim had more ice time then niederreiter. I don’t think gordon has confidence to give him the extra minutes. And what is so great about parenteau. The guy turns the puck over that results in a dallas goal and he gingerly skates back towards the play. He does not belong on either of the top lines. How he gets more ice time after that then niederreiter is a joke. Was impressed by Bailey, Comeau, and Wisniewski. Especially Weight, looks like the old man still has some left in the tank after all.
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Great game, should be a fun season. I still don’t see what Gordon see in Parenteau. He appears to be slow and indecisive about shutting the puck.
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Chris in DC says:
DiPietro is just always horrendous. Rollie, please.
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Blizzard says: ….didnt see the JT hit. Just saw him on the ice man we have some bad ass luck. Some places have it an elbow by Burish. Man I hope not because if it was I would be very disappointed in the lack of response from the Islanders. No penalty on the play however.
Rolie gets the start Monday thanks, no cat like movements from DP tonight.
I have decided on putting Baily on my new jersey that I haven’t bought yet…..lol.
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volmeeezy says:
was at the game , disappointed w. the crowd but the atmosphere in the third period was awesome. great comeback by the boys. hopefully its just rust for DP.. we shall see… on the 2nd goal , did any1 else notice we only had 4 guys on the ice even tho it was even strength? i counted right after the goal and only saw 4, they didn’t show a replay on the big screen so i couldn’t be sure.. perhaps a bad line change?
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Islebethere4u says:
I definitely thought the Isles played much differently than I have seen in a long time. Maybe it was the D. DP definitely has a lot of rust to shake off. Very bad goal to let in. The best I’ve ever seen Weight and Baily since they got here. Baily was a lot stronger than I remember. Nino did not look out of place. Didn’t see the hit on Tavares so no comment. I think Moulson is the real deal. Great hit by the Wiz,not cheap, not dirty and definitely not blindside.You could almost say a game changer. His shoulder actually hit the center of Benn’s chest but their heads did bang together. Give the D a few more games to get to know one another and they are a huge upgrade over last year. Did not miss Gervais but did miss Hillen, too bad not enough room for him on the ice. Loved the way they shot from all angles and just plain shot more! Wow! Overall team grade B+. Coach + staff a B. Attendance rating = c-(really surprised it wasn’t a sellout)
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gordy lane says:
it stinks that there was only 13,000 at the old barn. probably did not help that there was a Yankees home game tonight but all that really matters is how the team plays. if they play well the fans will turn out. thought bailey looked so much stronger on his skates and his decision making was terrific. thought DP was a little shaky at first but the 3rd and 4th goals were not his fault. great move on the winning shootout goal. with KO, Streit, Shremp all out and losing JT early would you expect a comeback from two goals down at three seperate occassions. I would hope to see Hillen in the lineup on Monday to try and keep up with the Rangers speed. Overall nice effort.
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Michael says:
I am guessing 4 to 6 weeks for Tavares. DP did not look like he was in game shape tonight. I hope they start Roli Monday against the Rangers. Regardless if the hit was accidental, they guy should have been jumped. A message should be sent, touch our guy, brush him, breathe on him. We’re going to beat the hell out of you. Protect our goal scorers!
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pained says:
Fun game, lots of energy in the crowd in the 3rd and OT, but I think it’s gonna be a long season. Came home to watch highlights and, ooof, Butch Goring is a trainwreck as a color commentator.
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Good game played by Trent hunter,mottau,sim,frans neilsen.we are going to need all the players to lift there game to another level,if we stay disciplined and out of the penalty box,and great goaltending we’ll have a shot against the rags.
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We’re soft? Outhit them 40-20 and some were devastating. Gordon got the right people on the ice in the third. They played their arses off. Oh well. I’m sure the next post will be negative. Go get em Nancy!
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Lombo9 says:
Atmospehre at the game was incredible despite being short of a sell out. Thinking that there probaby would have been more ppl at the game if not for the Yanks playing tonite. Hoping to see Hillen back in the lineup Monday, not impressed with Jurcina’s play tonight.
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Please lets stop the sugarcoating. DiPietro is putrid and is only here because of his contract.
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BringBackNyles says:
Attendance will be awful as long as Wang thinks he can command $60 for a 300 level seat. The face value of my upper level Yankee ticket tonight was $23.
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Sorry $33 but you get the idea
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Nick says:
I’ll take a point, but when you out shoot a team 47-22 you should win 100% of the time, plain and simple
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john says:
Same old, same old, get ready for that number 1 pick next June. At least Ricky D made it through the game unhurt, but will he have to sit out the next 3 games to recoup?
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Hoser14 says:
Great game, mixed results. The Isles showed true grit and got a point despite of Red Light Ricky’s soft play.
As for the new radio station, I don’t care if it’s Radio U., the game came in loud and clear inside the Coliseum and the signal was strong till I got to the Belt and gone by the Brooklyn/Queens line. Anything better the Islanders Radio Network.
Listening to the play-by-play at the game is a big part of the game experience, I was able to know the JT was out with a concussion.
Plus it’s good to hear The Kinger back after last year’s diss job…..
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Zarley Z says:
BringBackNyisles – Absolutely right. The price hike is without a doubt the reason for the non-sellout. Terrible move by Isles to raise prices on a rebuilding product.
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UIF says:
Good game. Bailey looked like Okposo in the first game last year, in terms of obvious improvement from last year in all areas of the game, particularly skating. Weight was just a man possessed. Wiz was good, and AMac made some very nice under-the-radar defensive plays. Comeau played very well.
Parenteau and Jurcina…can’t skate. They’re not just slow, they can’t skate.
DiPietro…it wasn’t just the second goal. He was all over the place, flopping around, slow side to side, and gave up some juicy rebounds. In his defense, he was left out to dry on one of the four goals.
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Was at the game. Some thoughts:
Sim, as much as I was against him, played strong.
Bailey has developed into the player we always knew he could be.
Our 3 best players out of the lineup? Are you kidding me? this is not bad luck. I want an investigation!!!
The Wiz comes as advertised, looking good.
D.P has the heart, but I’m afraid he is just not cutting it. We were outshooting Dallas 2 to 1 all game, if Rollie was in goal–it’s a win. Can’t D.P play in bridgeport for a while?
Some good hits by the Isles all night long.
Once and for all, if you have a point blank shot–for god’s sake, take it!
Good comeback. the boys showed heart.
VEEEERY concerned about the Tavares Injury.
I love you Franzie, but it’s time you found another shoot out move. I think they have your # now.
Solid game though–I am very happy it’s October! -
AngryPete says:
Was at the game tonight. Couldn’t believe how loud it got in the 3rd, minus 3,000 people. I remember home openers as an “event” … this resembled a minor league baseball game. Very amateurish …… very sad to see and be a part of.
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if rollie played tonight, its a sure bet they would have won. since it was opening night wang/snow announced ahead of time d.p. would play thinking it would make for a larger crowd instead of waiting til game time to make the decision. rollie is the number 1 goalie by far. out of respect rollie should of played and who plays most of the games should be earned. if d.p. plays a majority of the games… well you can see the results. a ahl goalie would of given a better performance.
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Spartiarti - RVC says:
DP still rusty. he’ll come around. amazing what adding some NHL defenseman to lineup will do. Isles should have won that game in regulation. lehtonen saved the day.
Isles score 4 and that includes losing tavares in first. I guess offense is not a problem.
I really hope the tavares concussion is extremely mild. Even better better. NOT A concussion at all.
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If Rick DiPietro is “rusty” then don’t you think Rick (not Ricky, Ricky D, DP or whatever else) should be in the MINORS until he isn’t rusty?
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GE of GN says:
The defense plays bigger than it did last year. Wiz and Mottau are very active. Not Jurcina though.
And Parenteau is such a perimeter player, indecisive at times. I think I’d rather have Matt Martin or even Joenssu in there over PA.
Bailey looked solid.
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Roloson is the clear #1, but he’s a trooper, and will wait for a chance to show why he needs to play most of the games the rest of the year
Spot DP until he shows he’s truly 100%
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Silkshocker says:
And the losing begins. Wang got his buddy as the starting goalie and then Wang got draft n assistant gm Kevin comment doing interviews during intermission on tv. Oh boy…what is bill Torrey thinking right now.
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Jim says:
I was critical of the Hofstra radio broadcasts as bush leage and perhaps in tmie they will prove to be but I have to say I LOVED being able to hear the game on radio again. In my car as well! Great signal. Finally somthing Wang did right.
As for the goaltending, Rollie s/b the #1 goalie until DP proves otherwise. I never was a big DP fan he gives up way too many rebounds. Tonight as many have said here, he looked real slow getting back on his feet. Perhaps that’s due to rustiness, time will tell.
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daves says:
Also: DP was constantly stretching his knees throughout the game as if he was uncomfortable. Made me wonder if the guy is still suffering from the same problems.
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I love Frans but he needs another move or two in the shoot out. I thought he played very well, looks like he’s got some pep in those smooth strides of his.
WIZ! Glad we got that guy, would have looked gggggreat across from Streit. I’m very happy with Mottau too so far. Eaton looked shaky and I think I read a lot about Jurcina being soft.. didn’t seem it to me. Glad he’s using the size a bit. A Mac seems aggressive on offense, i like it.
Welcome back Captain Weight. That was fun to see him have a game like that again.
Blake Comeau is for real. Coach has gotta make sure he plays his game.
Josh Bailey…YESSSS!!!!!
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therain93--terriers fan says:
Well, sounds like the Isles put up a bit of a fight, which is nice to hear. Streit, KO, Schremp, Tavares….I guess Moulson is probably next to go down. Dear Equipment Manager, please add more padding.
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hathead68 says:
#1 – JT going down with concussion = HOLY CRAP HORRIBLE!!! His skating looked much improved however.
#2- loved how Bailey stepped up his play big time after JT went down.
#3 – Loved the play of Weight and Comeau,
#4 – Wiszniewski – looked real good
#5 – Nino will be an impact player.
#6- Moulson with those cool, calm, steady hands in close!
#7 – PA Parenteau – not sure yet.
#8 – DP – fully expected him to look a little rusty. Give the guy some support instead of jumping all over him yet. He hasn’t actually seen much game action in the last two years. If he feels good and can stay healthy he will round into All-Star form again.
#9- Does anyone remember that Roloson SUCKED early last season?
#10- Overall, other than losing, lied the never quit attitude and will take the point. -
joeb says:
Its opening night and the season is over already. JT is prob done for the year. This team is a bunch of wimps. First time in 4 years i didnt get a ticket package. Wang wants to always have the lowest payroll then let him have 8k a night at NVMC. Tired of injuries and always losing. Move to KC or Canada already.
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scott says:
charles wang understand your losing money on the team right now…but was it a smart decision to raise ticket prices dramatically in another rebuilding year with a recession going on…empty seats def wont help get the lighthouse done…sick hit wiz
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Merrick says:
First and foremost, anyone who attended tonight’s game knows why hockey is the greatest sport to watch live. It was an action packed night.
Love the team, love the players, loved tonight’s effort, but can’t stand the ownership. I sat in the same seats I gave up as an STH as part of a group and paid less. 3,000 short on your home opener means you’ve totally botched your pricing.
DP looked as slow as any goalie I’ve ever seen in the NHL. especially his lateral movement. Sad to see. The guys played hard and Moulson’s goal would make Ryan Smyth proud–sheer determination in front of the net.
I’ll reserve judgment after one game, but will echo that Game Ops has work to do. They also spelled Worcester “Worchester” in giving the B-port score and had the Stars playing the Blues on the out-of-town scoreboard.
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ant says:
D.P should be #2 behind Roloson and P.A does not look good,give that spot to Martin.Keep playing D.P and we will have the number 1 pick next yr.How do we out shoot a team 47-22 and still lose.Answer is D.P
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Rick DiPietro (5 goals; 22 saves) lost the game for the team tonight. Lehtonen won the game for his Stars by making 47 saves. That’s an NHL goaltender. I’m sorry, but we’ve put up long enough with DiPietro. Roloson and new backup please. Call up Lawson or Koskinen.
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LIT says:
Why is nobody mentioning Hunter!? Hitting everyone.. He must have had over 15 hits… One of the best Islanders tonight.
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Orange&Blue says:
How good would this team be if we had Tavares, Okposo, Schremp, and Streit in the lineup tonight!
How good would the combo of Streit and Wisniewski be on the PP!
Bailey, Comeau, and Moulson were impressive, especially Bailey. There was a definite improvement in his game.
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AJAX says:
See, This proves my point with Gordo. He makes bad decisions that cost the team NEEDED points that will bite us in the arse at the end of regular season.
With the health issues, DP should be backing up Rolo.
Secondly, no message was sent out for the injury to JT.
Third, was I the only one that seemed to noticed that even before JT was off the ice that the lines were juggled all over the place?
This needs to be Gordos last year. For this team to develop into a winning team, they need a solid veteran coach.
This loss falls directly into the coaches lap. -
19 Isle in NJ 22 says:
Nice touch with the post game sound bites CB!
It’s a shame that they couldn’t come back after the slow start. They showed fight and determination after JT went down. That’s a big plus to take away from this game.
We know they’ll fight for each other to win. Next step is to make someone pay the piper… Even if a hit is good & clean. I still haven’t seen the hit on JT yet.
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IslesNation says:
I can’t believe this DP bashing. After the second goal he wasn’t bad at all and he did not lose this game for the Isles. Everybody played a putrid first period, Rick included, but his play absolutely picked up as the game went on and the pressure went to another level. Let me say that I did not think DP deserved to start this game, this should be Roli’s job, but sorry folks, it wasn’t Ricky’s fault tonight the big Stars showed their talents, bottom line.
As for the “Event” portion of the night, I must add my opinion. I was not there last night however for the past few years my game experience has gotten worse and worse. Pregame music, goal songs, commercial break entertainment, etc. used to be fun. I can no longer say the same. Instead it just feels like a joke, with no entertainment value, besides the product on the ice, which I thought was great for 45 minutes.
Gillies had no shifts to my knowledge, he cannot be here Monday. 10 forwards for 50 minutes or so is ridiculous. At least Martin brings the intangibles, skating, passing, shooting with his fists, Gillies is useless if he doesn’t throw down.
Great game for Bails and Comeau, as well as Frans(who really needs to get a new move, How Gordon hasn’t stressed this to his players is beyond me)
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John T. - Halifax, NS says:
Ive gotta say, the Isles looked good last night. Although, DP was VERY rusty, not sharp at all. You know, a 5-10 game conditioning stint in the Bridge wouldnt be all that bad for him. (That is, if they can do that without the waiver process).
I was VERY pleased with Josh Bailey last night. When JT went down, I felt he stepped up big time. Neilsen and Comeau looked good as well. Im very optomistic at this point. Hope the boys can keep it up.
Although, I STILL stand by my feelings on the Shootout…. HATE IT and it needs to be removed. To go from watching a TEAM game for 65 minutes, (and in this case watch a team claw their way back into the game), then finish it up with a performance dependent on a handful of individuals with a point on the line – and lose… is demoralizing.
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bayduvinislander says:
Doug Weight looked like a 20 year old out there, totally blew me away. DP not so much.
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I know people complain about the DP bashing but the thing is the goals he let in are the same goals he let in BEFORE the injury…half of his goals are soft goals that shouldnt go in..hes just not that great it has nothing to do with his injury…there is NO way they should have declared him #1 goalie they should have said we will give Ricky the opp.to regain his form and become our number 1- I hate him…..lol
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Billyo says:
I saw a lot of positives last night! I thought Bailey was the best player on the ice, man did he motor last night. Maybe, he needs to play center?
Martinek as always was mister reliable, boy did we miss him last year.
I loved the no-quit character, I hope it is there all year long.
Get well JT,KO and MS!!
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Bill in PA says:
It looks like Bailey found what it takes to play in this league. I agree, Weight looked 10 years younger. I thought I saw # 26 on Wiz’s jersey after “the hit”. Parenteau needs to learn from Bailey, he was soft on the boards and was easily knocked off puck. Jurcina was the cause of goal #4, he wasn’t between his man and the puck and did not tie up the stick, so it made for a pretty easy deflection, but DP has to stay on the post and not expect the puck to make it through. Overall, happy to see the effort for the name on the front of the jersey and not the back of it
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cm2747 says:
john#45-i hope rick sits out the next 81 games to recoup
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ericr says:
grade 1 concussion= person can return to sports activity that same day after all symptoms have completely resovled and
grade 2 concussion= person can resume contact sport in 2 weeks as long as symptom free
grade 3 concussion ( involving any loss of consciousness) = person can return in 1 month after all symptoms cleared which tavares did not loss consciousness so most likely 1- 2 weeks -
hollywood says:
DP did look rusty but he looked healthy. The second goal was bad but that’s life. We as fans need to cut him some slack.
Baily looked like a man, looks like a real hockey player.
Nino looked as good as anyone, the kid can skate and goes to the net. HE STAYS!
The Wiz looked as good as advertised.
If they play the majority of their games with that intensity then it will be enjoyable. Let’s not bash them after 1 game. -
watching hockey night live-right before dallas scores third goal in 2nd..u can see konopka trying to engage #16 in a fight..#16 is same guy who hit jt earlier..more and more i watch it-it seems like a cheap shot
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Isletry says:
Missed most of the first period, but noticed that the play was very sloppy in what I did see. Didn’t like the fact that the defencemen where “chopping” at the puck most of the night. Despite what is being said about DP, I didn’t think he was that bad all things considered. The rebound on goal one, I am sure that he would like to have back, other than that, the other 3 were legit goals (although I think that DP negated the icing on Morrow’s second goal by playing the puck).
Bailey looked great, as did Nielsen and Weight. Nino looks as though he could be a force; tough decision ahead.
A lot of positives can be taken from the second and third periods; especially considering the loss of key players.
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Little G says:
Let’s not knock the shootout. That is where the Isles will pick up a few extra points this season. Remember last season Shremp and Nielsen were absolute locks in the shootout. As for Nielsen, even a 90% free throw shooter will miss once in a rare while. If Shremp wasn’t hurt, we go to extra rounds. Shremp and Nielsen never miss at the same time. As for typos on the jumbotron, in addistion to breat, Monday’s Ranger game was slated as starting at 11pm instead of 1pm.
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ny711ot says:
Anyone else pay $10 for a bag of chuck a pucks with no numbers on them?
Not angry at the staff (of which there seemed to be fewer in between periods) but to sell those things without any chance of the buyer winning is tantamount to stealing. I have been at nearly every home opener for the last 20 years. Loved the pregame festivities, the band, the parking lot vibe. Hated that there were no old Islanders anywhere in the building. -
Vealchop says:
*Bailey- Best NYI on ice
*Hunter- looked like biggest guy on ice, hit everything. Played the body nicely
*Nino- noticed him more in the 3rd period
*Comeau/Moulson- looked good
*The Wiz- excited to watch him play. Great trade. Sweet all white stick. (did get burnt bad on a goal)
*DP- Rough night, should only get better
*Parenteau- Not a fan
*Weight- huge difference from 2009-10
*Mottua- Not a fan
*AndyMac- NYI best 1 on 1 D-man
*Sim- nice game**Butch Goring- Like him as a person, but not as the color commentator.
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j.branny says:
Can’t believe Jurcina outplayed Hillen in pre-season to earn a spot. He looked like a cone out there. Stars’ fourth goal was totally his fault. For a big guy, rarely uses his body to any net good effect.
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billy says:
DP was rusty, but its pretty embarassing reading all the fans turn on him like this. (to be honest it makes me sick)
Parenteau looked nervous, bailey was fantastic, wiz will be re-signed this summer, forget 9 games Nino looked great, in fact he got better and better as game went on, he shouldve gotten in on one of those powerplays.
Eaton and Jurcina weren’t great, sim really has found a home with this team, loved seeing konopka jawing it up with the stars bench thruout the night. weight is on fire, moulsons goal was beyond incredible from a hands and situation perspective.
Simply put, this team was courageous last night and we deserved the win, i hate shootouts!!! -
Numbers65 in Ohio says:
In the pregame interview DP even said, “with all the good golies we have, I will have to EARN my right to play”. I like the humility, and give the guy a little break. The guy hasn’t played in while, don’t write him off. Next game 4 Rollie. That shot Parentau missed 1 on 1 with the goalie was the type of shot you need to score when you are that type of player, yet he still go a chance to miss the net in the shootout. Shoulda gave Nino a shot instead. Alas, we got a point. I hope JT is alright. His play before he left was not that great though- the giveaway that eventually lead to a goal.
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terry says:
until this team learns to stand up for each other players will get hurt alot.Gillies and konopka should have been put on the ice after the hit on JT to show they will protect the goal scorers.I hope Gordon is shown the door before the end of the season for a coach who believes in protecting the best players.
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Eric Cup says:
A few things –
- Why is it that at the 1st home game they only introduce the players that are playing that game? EVERY player should be introduced whether they are scratched or injured. Stupid!- When they do not show a replay of an opponents goal the 1st time, it could be a mistake. When they do not show any replays of their goals, it’s dumb paranoia! They didn’t show the replays of penalties either. Glad I record these games.
- There was no elbow on the Tavares hit.
- Power Play looked great.
- HOCKEY IS BACK!
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EJ1SINCE40 says:
Biggest and most obvious flaws to the game was DP and JP on the first line.
Not really sure what the staff sees in JP as a first line RW, as hes’s been a career AHL’r.
DP, well, if anyone thought he was back to his old self, NOT. His lateral and up/down movement was painfully slow.
At least we got a point erasing a 2 goal defecit. Rest up and let’s get ready for the Rags on Monday.
13K on opening night?? I guess the Rag fans will make up the diffrence on Monday..
Way to go Wanger..
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Oh – and 1 more thing –
Booing DP in the intro’s was just classless. This guy has said all the right things and worked his butt off to get back in the net. If you resent him for his contract, tough! Who wouldn’t take that deal? If you blame him for getting hurt, at least it happened playing hockey, not doing something he shouldn’t have been doing. Chanting for Rolo was also classless and stupid.
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Almost forgot. Anyone else miss Jack Hillen? Smooth skating Dman that can carry the puck..
Sorry for the b2b CB..
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Mr.Chris says:
Pretty sad seeing all of the empty seats in the building. The opening video was a joke. Some idiot thought it would be a good idea to show a bunch of shirtless men working out and doing push-ups. Had a few friends from out of town at the game that support other teams…..they laughed at the video. The Islanders really need help when it comes to marketing and GameOps. Everything just seems cheap and almost minor league.
Positives:
The powerplay
Wiz
Josh Baily
Freshly painted Coliseum
The cupcakes are actually not bad…. -
The New Isles GM says:
Overwhelmed by how the Islanders moved the puck and continued to finish their hits. Yes, regardless of player, the team looks like a team. Here comes the big HOWEVER, DP’s condition is something to note. I know it’s the first game, but he was very slow to get up and move post to post. That to me is something the players, coaches, Garth, and everyone else watching noticed. His head might be in the right place finally, but his strength and athletic ability is nothing but coming up short. I would highly consider giving the next game to Roloson. With Okposo, Streit and now Tavares (most likely) all hurt, you have to go with the goalie that’s going to give you a good run. The idea is to stay as competitive as possible until Okposo’s return so hopefully he helps land us a playoff position. I think the Islanders would be sending the wrong message to the team, fans and Roloson if DP starts again. Should a true #1 really need 2 days off after every skate? Love to see Garth answer that.
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Ryan says:
Here comes the rant of a cynic…
The Tavares concussion is both completely terrible and so typical of this franchise. I’m not saying it is the fault of the team by any stretch, but its just typical. I have come to expect the worst, since the Islanders are clearly the Los Angeles Clippers of the NHL.
DP looked horrendous, plain and simple. I don’t think i’m being harsh. In fact, it sounded like DP agreed, especially on the 2nd goal, which was inexcusable. On a brighter note, he looked pretty steady in the shootout on the first two shooters, and on the 3rd shot…hey, sometimes you’re going to get beat in a shootout, its a crapshoot.
On a positive note, Bailey looked good, and I’ve been hard on him, so I really hope I’ve been wrong. Wisniewski looked very steady on the blueline, which was very comforting. CB told us he was a steal, and after 1 game, he sure looked that way. Moulson getting the game tying goal was nice, as we all have questions about whether last year was flukey or if we have a legit 30 goal scorer on our hands. All good signs.
If Tavares misses more than a handful of games, this is an epic disaster. I don’t think I am out of line in saying that Tavares, Okposo, and Streit are the teams three best players. You would be hard pressed to find a team, in any sport, that can lose their three best players for an extended period of time and continue to excel. That being said, the team needs to MAKE SURE they don’t let Tavares return until he is absolutely 100% healthy. Concussions are dicey, and the last thing anyone wants is for this to be a recurring problem.
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John Patella says:
Went to last night’s game.
Lehtonen was amazing in goal for the Stars.
Some positives to take away for the Isles (gritty comeback, good penalty kill).
Would have loved to see Nino get the call in the shootout.
Upcoming schedule is rough: Rangers, Capitals, Penguins and Avs. Especially with no JT.Gulp.
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nolaislanders says:
the first period was awful,it looked as if they didn,t know how to pass or even handle the puck most of the time
the second and third they seemed more intense
i dont think the lost becouse of dp, i think it just was the slow sloppy first -
islandersfan4ever says:
watching DP is as painful as watching the Geriatric Montreal allstars wandering in and out of their ceremonies.
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dynasty23x4 says:
good game last night. as mentioned dp def needs some time to re-adjust. hillen should def be in over jurcina- he can hardly handle the puck. whats the point of size if you dont use it? the hit on JT, wasnt that a penalty? he wasnt even making a play on the puck. i have to say that after watching the replay that it didnt look like the star even made contact with jt’s head..maybe just the camera angle. lots of empty seats but the yankees are THAT much more popular around here so thems the breaks
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Todd says:
Anyone notice that PA Parenteau should have gotten an assist on Wiz’s goal and not Bailey?
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C.J. says:
No question that “diesel” comment was Jaffe. Good to see him keeping tabs on NYI and unfortunately, the fans are missing him already.
Butch couldn’t have been more of a homer in pre-game, but seemed to settle down a bit later.
I believe I heard him saying something along the lines that he believes Blake Comeau has the potential to be “a super-star”. Ummmmm….. yeahhhhhh……
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@ # 77, I hear ya bro.
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not bad for virtually no preseason games says:
DP is NOT ready for prime time
Some in my mens league skate better than PA….but he did show hands and shot
Nino stays
Sims better in fourth line role
Let’s hope Baily plays this way all year
Blake C pulled away from contact a few times
I guess we see the 11th coming of Oleg Kavasha on monday instead of the third game
Overall I saw a team playing confidently. That may be the best sign of improvement.
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BTW…. was COMPLETELY AND UTTERLY (big complements from me the pessimist) impressed with the following:
1. Bailey
2. Frans
3. JT’s skating (while he was on the ice) — The kid actually had speed.
4. McDonald — now if he could only hit the net
5. Konopka — hits EVERYTHING in sightLess than impressed with:
1. Nino – it game 1 is any indicator, he needs to go back to Junior
2. Jurcina – wow, cinderblock feet is an understatement
3. The Rick – understandable
4. P.A. – he was brutal all aroundAlso didn’t think Wiz and Motau were that stellar. Wiz made a few bonehead plays and Mottau needs to quicken up his decision making.
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Jzimm says:
As expected, this is going to be a stretch of the DiPietro Apologists Vs. The Realists. Come on, the guy sucks. Plain and simple.
Love + in the 2nd and 3rd.
I live in Dallas now, and I’m a fan of Darryl Reaugh as a color guy, but good lord, he sure had his homer hat on last night.
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*That should read “Acceptable +” and “Love having Wisniewski on defence. It’s nice to have someone to count on back there”
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d wilk says:
didnt see game, but clearly no retaliaton for JT hit. nothing for nino either in pre season. Are we going to be league pansies again? whats the point of kenopka and gilles sitting on the bench? If we are committed to playing the young kids, which is fine, we need to protect them or they will never get the chance to be stars.
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D in BIG D says:
I think you all might find this interesting.Had to watch game on local tv(not package..blacked out)so I got Stars duo calling game.Before the “subtle take-out”of JT Comeau had put a hit on a Stars d-man and recieved a 2min penalty.Not a big deal right?Wrong!!Strangis and Razor both were up in arms about how Comeau was “hunting” for a hit and that it was dirty.They claimed this is the kind of blind side hits that are suppossed to be reviewed and that they felt a suspension was in order!!They then followed by comparing it to the Boothe and Savard hits.Are they friggn’ kidding me!!If Comeau can’t hit like that I don’t even want to watch these games.I don’t really have a problem w/ the 2min penalty but will have a MAJOR issue if it goes any further.El Nino almost gets his head handed to him and cammy gets 1 game.Jt truly does get BLINDSIDED,is now out w/ a concussion and its called incidental contact??Is that not a blindside hit??CB please help me out here I’m going crazy w/ these double standards!!Now on the game…good not great.Dp looked bad,line combos stunk(except later in game).I don’t want to hear 1 person say anything on PA’s skating ability ’cause he’s got Hunter whipped!!Oh yeah and on the JT incident..it just so happens soon after Comeaus hit…coincidence?I think not!Gordo needs to grow some.Someone should have to pay for taking out your star!1st loss of many more to come.Go Isles!!
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Bill says:
Before eveyrone rips my head off, I like Wiz and think he will help a ton, but he looked horrible on what I believe was Dallas’ 3rd goal by Morrow. Guy went right around him without a problem. Don’t praise him too much yet until he has that complete game where he is flawless.
Nino looks like an NHLer
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The Good , the Bad, and the Unexcusable!
The Good:
Weight looked like a kid again. His play as Qb of the pp, passing and decision making was spot on!
Bailey looked bigger stronger faster. Really excited to watch him this year.
Wiz couldn’t have looked any better.
Hunter finally found something to do since he has no offensive ability.
Nino looked like he belonged. If he keeps it up he will be here for the long haul.
The Bad:
The lose of JT obviously tops the list.
DP did not look good at all. Hopefully with a little more time to get used to his defensemen he will get more comfortable. Considering what he has been through I will give him a pass for now but he is on a very short leash.
The attendance
The Unexcusable!
Where does management get off charging:
$10 to park
$6 for a freakin pretzel
$77+ticketmaster fees for a seat that is 5 rows from the top.
Tvs up top were terrible
Im all for the slow rebuild and for us to spend smart money when it comes to the team. But if you arent going to put $$ into the product on the ice then you damn sure better do something to improve the experience for the fans that go to the game. the tvs were so out of focus we thought that Dina has been eating too many of those cupcakes she was giving away. It was until we saw her on the ice that we realized she still looked good.
you can’t raise ticket prices and parking and food prices and put absolutely nothing back into the team or the arena with the exception of a fresh coat of paint in the bathrooms. Someone needs to be held accountable for this! -
Jeff W. says:
Skimming through the comments, but don’t see any love for McDonald…he was perhaps the best player on the ice…but, sounds like he’d prefer to stay under the radar. Watch him play….people should be paying more attention.
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LouD says:
The refs made a bad call on the Comeau hit. The player had the puck near the boards but when Blake skated to him he turned his body so the hit was in the players chest and pushed him parallel to the boards. Meaning he didn’t even seem to touch the boards with any part of his body so how can that be called boarding especially when you factor in he was checked in the front of his body? Just a bad call. Now I love our players as much as the next guy but the JT hit WAS incidental. He was skating backwards watching for the puck as the Dallas player was skating forward covering another player while they too were both looking at the play for the puck. There was no intent to hit him, they simply ran into each other. It happens.
First game of the year, coincidentally the first game of the year that was lost because of Dipietro.