Meetups, Beatups and Bits
by Keith Quinn on Aug 14, 2011 12:42 PM EDT
in Bits o' Islanders News
Email
PrintJust in case you haven't heard, the Islanders are sponsoring a meetup for the airing of the February 11th game against the Penguins. So, to get you up to speed, there is outrage and mock outrage, and some level of support for the idea from Puck Daddy and um, mostly outrage.
What I guess many are missing is that;
- The airing of the season's greatest wins has been going on all summer.
- There was a meetup on Aug. 3 to watch an (all time greatest) game which was fan voted.
But some of the fan outrage is an argument I expect from a 5-year-old. ("I know I started it, but I didn't hit you that hard.") Please. "I kept poking the bear and then it bit me."
Stop telling us what hockey is and how this "has no place in it" and it disgraces the sport. It is disgraced annually by one team or another or one guy or another and lives to tell the tale. I'm pretty sure the Red Wings vs Avalanche Kris Draper retribution game has been on a few times since its original airing right...that's a classic why exactly? Because they were both good payoff teams at the time? I'm pretty sure Darren McCarty had "intent to injure"...whatever unquantifiable batch of confirmation bias-laden crap that is.
And I'll guarantee this, if someone accidentally got a concussion from one of Milan Lucic's cross checks to the head, then it would've have been a problem, but because no one did, he is free to continue to do it UNTIL someone gets one. If you keep punishing to the injury, you will have to keep seeing injuries....Probably the same if someone got hurt in the Habs/Bruins fight night...just like Chara/Pacioretty, injury in, outrage out...pure, hot, garbage. Imagine a world where attempted crimes weren't punished? People would be trying crap all the time.
Hey quick quiz, what's worse, a Gillies or Cooke elbow or a Khabibulin DWI? A 10 game suspension, or 15 days in tent city?
So go watch the game, enjoy the meetup, revel in the fact that the score was 9-3. Take solace in the fact that Pittsburgh initiated half of those fights...including the one with under three minutes remaining with Amac and Joe Vitale (of one game of NHL experience prior to that night) who cross-checked MacDonald all over the place. Remember, that is the type of stuff that was going on throughout the season; some of which is chronicled in Webbard's "Grievance Primer".
Don't feel bad or guilty about it for a second...it was a great game all around and if the shoe was on another foot, or another team, you can bet your ass that their fans would be there chanting up a storm, having a great time and bonding. Hard to imagine Penguins fans standing around in their "classy" outfits saying "Indeed this is clearly a viewing of a 60 minute spectacle of barbarism and repugnant violence...In protest, shall we buy tickets to the theater instead?"
And remember that until this notion of "the code" where guys shouldn't "call out teammates" or should just "play tougher", is gone, none of this type of stuff will change. This isn't an Islander specific issue. Look at what the Oilers and Senators have done this off-season to "protect their kids", or "add some toughness to the lineup". Young teams get smacked around and then eventually answer back by hitting the bully in the mouth.
Via Puck Daddy:
Sure, you can call the organization classless or "1,000 different kinds of awkward" for identifying both what this meant to some fans and the car-crash appeal of revisiting the night the Nassau Coliseum became the Roman Coliseum. But it's not your party. It's theirs, and they can cheer the lions against the gladiators if they want to.
Especially if the neither the gladiators or lions are willing to challenge the system and say enough is enough.
Make no mistake, nobody wanted to see Eric Tangradi get hurt, but my god, I wish Gillies hit him just as hard but kept the hands down and politely left the ice. And also, I wish Talbot didn't go down like a soccer player on a banana peel.
And remember August is slow...this probably gets about zero play if it's mid season...but hey, if it's mid season, we'd have regular new hockey to watch! Hurry up!
Some Links:
Hockey This Week " Magazine " Islanders Top 20 Prospects – by Tony Stabile
Why ‘Captain Kovalchuk’ would be a Devils indignity - Puck Daddy - NHL Blog - Yahoo! Sports
League-Wide Free Agency Roundup - Litter Box Cats
A recap of the free agency moves by all 30 teams and a goals-for prediction for next season.
New York Islanders - Hockey This Week: Islanders Top 20 Prospects - New York Islanders - News
Islanders Blog Box member Tony Stabile of Hockey This Week brings you his list of top 20 prospects and their potential
According to ESPN, the NHL franchises with dimmest futures - Puck Daddy - NHL Blog - Yahoo! Sports
Comprehensive National Hockey League news, scores, standings, fantasy games, rumors, and more
Not exactly a seller’s market for NHL franchises - The Globe and Mail
Economic turmoil takes its toll on NHL owners looking to offload
Vulgar Statistics: Home Field Advantage I: Winning " Black & Blue & Gold
Nik Kulemin and the 30 goal plateau - Pension Plan Puppets
Nik Kulemin and the 30 goal plateau: A look at shooting percentage in the NHL
Elite Prospects - Where are they now?
Where are the former Isles with h/t to @swedishislander
and ICE GIRLS!
New York Islanders - PATCH VIDEO: The Making of an Islanders Ice Girl - New York Islanders - News
Stacey Sweet, from Patch, takes you inside the locker room and on the ice for a behind the scenes look at the Islanders Ice Girls auditions.
WI Resident Skates Her Way onto Ice Girls, Again [Video] - West Islip, NY Patch
Victoria, 21, made the cut for the second consecutive year.
70 comments
|
2 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
I will proudly watch that game. I have it saved in my phone calendar so I don’t miss it. The outrage and mockrage is par for the course in the NHL and the media that selectively covers it. When teams like the pens stop employing the cookes, carcillos, and lucics of this game then we can discuss removing players like gillies from the game. I enjoy that all of the outrage ignores the facts that implicate the Pens as part actors in the carnage. No, no, it was simply the bully isles. Fuck it all. I would love a Pens fan to give me shit about that game because I would laugh in his face if Crosby never returned because of his concussion. Not that I want Crosby never to return because that is bad for the sport but because I want to hurt his feelings bad. Puck daddy’s defense? Laughable nonsense. Drop the puck and shut the fuck up.
Hunter said he was just finishing his check.
by Turgeon1992 on Aug 14, 2011 1:21 PM EDT via mobile reply actions
On that note
Josh Rimer
JoshRimerHockey Josh Rimer
Also hearing from 3 sources now that Sidney Crosby won’t b ready 2 start season. I hope its not true because the NHL needs its best players!
1 hour ago
NY Islanders, just one irrational free agent signing away from contention!
Website:Lighthouse HockeyTwitter: @KeithLHHockey
Ben Kelly
Surfivors Ben Kelly
@
@JoshRimerHockey Sidney continues to change practice rinks in Halifax but Halifax people say he’s still getting headaches. Very sad
1 hour ago
in reply to ↑
Josh Rimer
@JoshRimerHockey Josh Rimer
@Surfivors heard the same thing
NY Islanders, just one irrational free agent signing away from contention!
Website:Lighthouse HockeyTwitter: @KeithLHHockey
That’s really unfortunate. I watched something on tsn one day with some commentators including downgoesbrown and their discussion of the steckel hit on Crosby changed my opinion of it’s dirtiness. It was a dirty play.
Hunter said he was just finishing his check.
by Turgeon1992 on Aug 14, 2011 1:48 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
I Thought That Steckel Hit was Dirty From the Outset
These people who say Steckel “didn’t see” Crosby? Asinine. Of course he saw him. How could he not see him. Premediated? Absolutely, in the sense that he saw an opportunity to put a shoulder into him blind-side and deck him as he was going by. No doubt it was a dirty play.
I've never interpreted the Steckel collision as dirty
At best I could say if he’s really devious then he at least intentionally didn’t avoid it, but that’s a reach I’m not willing to make.
It looked as intentional as an intersection carwreck to me. Two bodies in motion in opposite directions, paying attention to a change in play (puck) elsewhere. This kind of thing happens at the blueline a lot, too. Wouldn’t even call it as sketchy as the collision that gave Tavares his concussion.
Lighthouse Hockey: A flute with no holes is not a flute. A Dane with no holes is Frans Nielsen.
by Dominik on Aug 15, 2011 12:47 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
I agree
Part of me thinks he knew Crosby was there and decided to go through him rather than around, but there is just no way of knowing. It was sort of like that Ference hit in the playoffs where he took the guy out with his shoulder behind the play. Now in that one there was an angle that made it pretty clear he knew what he was doing. That angle isn’t there for the Crosby hit, so I feel like I have to let my suspicions go.
by afrosupreme on Aug 15, 2011 11:44 AM EDT up reply actions
How, Turgeon? Please explain.....
…..based on every viewing I’ve made of the hit, Steckel demonstrates NO intention to even make CONTACT with Crosby, let alone injure – it’s entirely incidental…..
by ogam5 on Aug 14, 2011 2:09 PM EDT reply actions 4 recs
3rded(someone rec'd it once already). I just rewatch the replay from a good angle over and over and I see Crosby just cutting in front of Steckel at bad time.
Start the vid at 32seconds and watch the best angle and tell me different:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUQziwabMKk
Every time I watch, I see Steckel already ~2 strides going towards the puck and crosby turns into him. Steckel didn’t lean into him, Steckel didn’t throw a shoulder or arm, Steckel didn’t even acknowledge him or look back after it happened(something you’d expect from a deliberate attack). All Steckel was doing was joining the rush on a quick takeaway. I really don’t get calling that even a hit? Crosby cut quickly in front of Steckel with his head down and paid for it. Not saying Crosby deserved what happened to him, but this was a causing of his own accord.
Interesting to Note From That Replay
Crosby didn’t see Steckel coming (didn’t account for him) BECAUSE #27 was screening his view (Steckel kneeling down contributed to that). By the time Steckel was around #27, Crosby was looking to the side. Sid has one of the better radars of where players are on the ice, but because of the screen, Sid didn’t read that a player was heading through that lane.
And no, I don’t think Steckel did it intentionally…. I haven’t played ice hockey, but I know from playing other sports: when I get knocked down, I want to get back up and into the play as quickly as I can. Neither player was traveling at a dangerously fast speed. Crosby was just caught unaware and rounded his turn into an opponent.
by North Dakota Red Eagle on Aug 14, 2011 7:04 PM EDT up reply actions
Did I strike a chord? Calm yourself. From the arguments in the vid I watched I agreed that it was dirty. The most convincing argument was that steckel isn’t stupid and its his job (like anyones) to know where the best player in the league is on the ice at all times to play responsible defense. You can disagree with me but I think it makes a good argument for steckel’s dirtiness in that hit.
Hunter said he was just finishing his check.
by Turgeon1992 on Aug 14, 2011 4:37 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
that's not realy an argument, though
It’s only speculation based on what Dave Steckel’s responsibilities might be: and it might not be his particular job at all to shadow Crosby, only to have an eye out for him and help if he’s needed. Even so, it doesn’t mean that he can keep up with Sid, assuming that he hasn’t lost track of him. It’s Crosby’s job to get himself free of that attention. He happens to be one of the best in the business at making the Dave Steckels of the world look foolish.
On a turnover and a quick counter, everyone switches his thinking. Dave Steckel is now free to rush up ice and try to get his team a goal. Both he and Crosby pick the same lane to head back to the Pittsburgh end without seeing each other, there’s a collision, and that’s all it takes. If Crosby bounces right back up, nobody calls this particularly notable at all, much less dirty -it happens all the time and nobody bats an eye.
Remember Gillies and Clutterbuck? Nobody got hurt, so after the initial handwringing, nobody talks about it anymore, not even Minny fans. And that WAS a deliberate crosscheck followed by a deliberate retaliation bodycheck.
We may be in the box, but you get the penalty.
Lighthouse Hockey - a beacon of greatness on the rocky coast of sports blog mediocrity
Non-hockey scribblings at nightflyblog
by mikb on Aug 14, 2011 9:57 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Fair enough. I’m not changing my opinion over this but let’s all agree to disagree.
Hunter said he was just finishing his check.
by Turgeon1992 on Aug 15, 2011 11:01 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Agreed
Unfortunately, they were both watching the puck, not where they were going. Hockey players run into each other all of the time. This is really only an issue because it involved Sidney Crosby. I feel bad for him just as much as I felt bad for Brett Lindros. Lindros kinda had it coming, how many concussions will you get before you change your game. On this particular play, Crosby got caught watching the puck for far too long.
Now, all this in context to the “outrage” over the replaying. I do believe that the Pens and their fans will have to answer to some Karma here. If Crosby injuries are it than so be it. I say this because this franchise should understand where we are as a fanbase more than anyone else, we deserve their respect and they owe it to us, I do recall that they were in a very similar predicament as we are, only a few years ago. Now for them to say that we should not be around anymore is just stupid. I don’t remember anyone laughing at them and looking at them as the joke that they were. They got it together and eventually won. Actually, they needed to be saved. If Crosby’s injury ruins him, than i expect them to be the doormat and “joke” of the league very soon. Karma is a bitch.
Steckel Was Just Watching the Puck?
But he couldn’t see Crosby just feet in front of him, and couldn’t see him so clearly that he had enough time to raise and aim his shoulder square into Crosby’s head. Hmmm. Not buying it at all. Opportunistically dirty.
Rewatch the replay I posted above, Steckel doesn't raise his arm or aim his shoulder at all towards Crosby's.
You could possibly even argue the opposite, that Steckel tried to curl his shoulder into his body and squeeze by Crosby. There was not targeting at all, that could have been a lot worse then it was. Don’t believe me? Do you know that Steckel is 6’5’’ 215lbs?
We'll Agree to Disagree - I'm Not Buying It
I’ve seen the video from all angles, including that one. IMHO, Steckel couldn’t help but see him, could have avoided him, and made sure to hit him in the head with his shoulder.
The dirtiest hits are ones you can make and still say, well, I was just going about my business.
You say that, but I could reply with Steckel being the largest person on the ice, how could Crosby not notice him?
At 6’5’’ 215lbs and a physical player, how is he not seen by Crosby? It’s much easier to not notice little 5’11’’ 200lbs Crosby then it is to not notice 6’5’’ 215lbs Steckel in your peripheral vision.
But I’ll leave it at that. Agree to disagree because this likely isn’t going anywhere useful.
As Nolan said "You want respect, you go and earn it"
They don’t really owe us anything. However at the same time we do not deserve to be disrespected. Sure karma hurts, but if anything karma should come and smack Matt Cooke silly. Pens fans can be a little pompous, and Matt Cooke is a dirty player, but that is not worthy of punishment to such a talented player. For me, that is not karma.
All Who Oppose Grabner Shall Perish.
by pippup on Aug 14, 2011 4:02 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
2 reasons why Analysts and critics bashing the viewing of this game need to shur the fuck up.
-Max Talbot.
-Matt Cooke. Nobody said anything when these two go out and play dirty, but the moment the isles stick up for themselves…we get shit on. Lets not forget one thing…besides the blood bath ensued and the friday night at the fights aspect of the game, The offensive onslaught was pretty impressive and the turning point to a pretty sour season. Fans really showed the love for orange and blue after that and I truly believe in 2 or 3 yrs, We will look at that game as a turning point for this franchise. We arnt bottom feeding red headed step children of the nhl anymore.
And on Crosby…I think hes a great player…but a sack punching cry baby fag. And the days leading up to the hit form steckel I remember watching the playoff game they lost in 2010 and where he cried after…telling my buddy I would love to see Crosby get hit and have something to cry about…Its unfortunate. As much as I cant stand someone…like him, Lindros, not even just athletes…something like that is scary. Look at Boogard? as Im sure the post concussion syndrome played a large part to his passing.
by mdesarmo on Aug 14, 2011 4:20 PM EDT reply actions 2 recs
Watch Orpik too. And Letang/Rupp/Godard to a lesser extent(last year).
Orpik is the frigging worst(well, next to Cooke). I’ve never seen someone throw so many hits and use his hands high it’s unbelievable. And talk about his hits having intent to injure:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08q-kYPbfIs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=53dbBT9wAgs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dC433HDZrec
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WRMz6A6r5fs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5xoge2a8XE
And that doesn’t even include Orpik trying to decapitate Okposo or Grabner in the fight night game(can’t find clip).
People don’t even realize Orpik becaues Cooke’s so bad, and that’s saying something.
by OzzyFan on Aug 14, 2011 4:35 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
the Oprik hits
are on my youtube, TheWebbard or just look for Michael Grabner History Will Be Made
"Since when did The Onion start doing hockey stories?" - Random Puck Daddy Comment
Contributor to Lighthouse Hockey not sure if I'm the Sniper or the Enforcer.
Really
Look, i just gave this play another look and Steckel. Wait stop. Go up and read OzzyFan post. He nails it there so I’m done with this. And to defend my Karma statement. The Pens fans will receive their bad Karma in regards to their attitude against the Isles(who are in a very similar situation to what they were in), so Crosby is the price they pay for that attitude, not Matt Cooke, how would that hurt them.
I re-watched the Pens game a couple of times from espnplayer's archive
That was time well spent!
Sadly european NHL fans are left in a limbo right now.
Espn lost the european broadcast rights to a swedish rights trader. I wanted to renew my season pass last week and to my surprise, I couldn’t. They don’t even mention the NHL on their internet site anymore!
ESPN Player
I noticed that, too. Perhaps we’ll be allowed to access Gamecenter (not yet, though). I guess we’ll know more in a month or so, closer to the season start.
by Kaonashi on Aug 14, 2011 6:31 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
I also fear a hefty price increase incase ESPN repurchases the rights
ESPN already applies an insane €/CHF exchange rate (as of today a monthly pass costs 44% more in Switzerland), a price increase would piss me off.
Also
@ pippup, The respect the Pens fans owe is to the NYI fanbase, we are going through what they had gone through and should have a little sympathy, respect for us.. I feel sick for the Thrashers fans, could not, would not want to go through what they just did. Whether the team is 5 years old or 105 years old. As to Nolans “you want respect, go earn it” quote, I am with you all the way and that is exactly what the Isles were doing that night.
by St. Dick on Aug 14, 2011 4:28 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
Super Mario for whatever reason, has the league in his back pocket when he employs the leagues 2nd best player and a bunch of head hunters. Wait until 2 or 3 yrs when Malkin’s knees go and Cindy Crosby gets hit one more time. They will have to go through another rebuild. He himself was a dirty player. Respect him for what he achieved and overcame…but he needs to keep his mouth shut esp when he signs a paycheck for Matt Cooke.
Any critic that supports the sympathy of the penguins getting their asses handed to them that night…needs to throw themselves in front of a train.
by mdesarmo on Aug 14, 2011 4:41 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
The Isles viewing party story is getting out of control
CNN wtf ?!?
Ok it’s August, but they should have more important things to talk about.
See 7th Woman’s blog
by Francesca on Aug 14, 2011 5:16 PM EDT reply actions 2 recs
That’s all part of the bully mentality. Protect the popular people and act outraged when the inferior one retaliates.
Hunter said he was just finishing his check.
by Turgeon1992 on Aug 14, 2011 6:26 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Elite Prospect Link
the list is mostly moderate to longshot former prospect, with only a few who ever were labelled to have the potential to become “elite” players.
by CanadianIsleslifer on Aug 14, 2011 5:42 PM EDT reply actions
I am so tired of this debating about the game.
The Pens lost and they were gunned down. What Gillies did after the fact was tasteless. Even though talbot fell to the ground like a turtle, Martin should have approached from in front first, I understand the heat of the moment. Aside from those too moments you had an Islander team decimate their opponent.
The end result, the islanders came together as team in the locker room. That is the most important part, screw the media, the pens fans, and all the debate for justifying what happened. The team took a stand and that was there call.
I am in Savannah, anybody by chance willing to record the game and upload it to the internet or make a dvd of the game. I would gladly send somebody a blank DVD if they could record it. I was lucky enough to watch this game on my laptop the night it happened and had my jaw dropped for every second of the game. Let me know, thanks. Greg
I was lucky enough to be a part of this night!
Once again this comes back to us being the bastard child of the NHL and sure puts a smile on my face. If we can win the majority of our games and shit on our opponent at the same time so be it. And if we lose the majority and still shit on our opponents I’ll live with that too.
Dear Lord, when will the crying end?
"We can't get pushed around," Haley said. "What commentators say about us, that's their job. My job is to try and limit as many people who want to take liberties with our guys as possible."
by BobbyNystromOwnsYou on Aug 14, 2011 6:16 PM EDT reply actions 2 recs
Also...What?
I’ve read this several times and even tried inserting commas in various places to see if it reads better…no luck
It's an internet meme
from a poorly translate NES game in which the main villain says “All your base are belong to Us”
"Since when did The Onion start doing hockey stories?" - Random Puck Daddy Comment
Contributor to Lighthouse Hockey not sure if I'm the Sniper or the Enforcer.
by Mark D on Aug 14, 2011 9:38 PM EDT up reply actions 3 recs
I read some of the comments on those links
I now officially HATE the Penguins and even more so there fans! This is coming from the same city as the Pirates! I will have absolutley ZERO sympathy for them if Crosby/Malkin dont get back to superstar status…in which case they will be screwed for the next decade!!
The game needs its stars like Crosby...and it needs its future stars like JT
but i have yet to ever see a player miss as much time as Crosby due to concussions, and ever return fully healthy, let alone finish their career…everything else aside, this is sad to see and I blame the NHL for this. If Pens fans would get their heads out of their asses, they would see the NYI were retaliating for they same/similar kinds of abuse against their young stars. Don’t know how many times I and numerous other fans on this site complaint bitterly that if old, washed up vets who are lesser players than kids like JT are continually allowed to bridge the talent cap with elbows to the head, etc., JT will be out of the league before he has a chance to even hit his prime….same as Minn with Clutterbum, a known repeat offender for borderline and over-the-line hits. When the league brings predatory hits to an end, guys like Gillies will be out of a job – why else would you need them?
by CanadianIsleslifer on Aug 14, 2011 8:17 PM EDT up reply actions
Firing Gillies wouldnt stop him from pummeling players
He’d just beat em up in the parking lot
by backstop87 on Aug 14, 2011 9:10 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
He really would, you know...
He’s crazy like that.
Jeff Carter to Columbus? Wait, I've seen this one before, it was called Shanahan to Hartford. Advice? Don't buy a Carter jersey.
by BrassBonanza10 on Aug 15, 2011 1:36 AM EDT up reply actions
I agree in general
…and I agree about Gillies specifically, but I do not think Steckel’s collision with Crosby was intentional. I also don’t think it can be proved unintentional. Only Steckel knows for sure. I like Crosby more than most Isles fans, I think. (Wish he was an Islander.) I want to see Crosby protected, just like I want JT protected and Nielsen protected. I think Shanahan will help keep players safer by increasing severity of suspensions. We shall see.
by North Dakota Red Eagle on Aug 14, 2011 9:26 PM EDT up reply actions
Schoolyard Logic
We’ve all almost certainly been picked on at one point or another….I know I was back in grade school. This happens constantly: when the target of bullying gets sick of it and finally hits back, that usually means 2 things:
1. The response will be the result of months, if not years, of buildup, and will likely be worse than any individual thing done by the bullies.
2. The school administration will invariably hem and haw about how awful it was, completely ignore any context, and punish the bullied kid worse than they ever punished the bullies for the years of torment.
That’s essentially what happened February 11 – the bullied kid had enough and whaled on his tormentors. That doesn’t mean I endorse every action in that game, and it sure as hell doesn’t mean a reasonable person can ignore the Penguins’ culpability (Godard starting with Gillies, Engelland trying to fight Konopka as Grabner was scoring Goal #3, Ryan Craig trying to fight Nielsen, Joe Vitale picking a fight with MacDonald).
I think what I can’t believe about all this is that the mainstream media has decided to focus on one terrible thing (Gillies on Tangredi) while ignoring the context and the score. I view it as a turning point in franchise history, the day a young team came together and made a stand that they were proud of wearing that damn jersey and we should be too. I could care less about butthurt Pens fans or people who don’t watch or write about the Islanders save to bash them who say I’m not allowed to enjoy it. I am, and I will.
Also, did anyone see Dejan Kovacevic on Twitter today? Having to follow the Pirates around all those years must have fried his brain, because I have to be honest, if I were his editor I would’ve fired him for some of the things he said.
by Nick (LetThereBeLighthouse) on Aug 15, 2011 12:13 AM EDT reply actions 4 recs
Amen
I think what I can’t believe about all this is that the mainstream media has decided to focus on one terrible thing (Gillies on Tangredi) while ignoring the context and the score.
Seriously…to this day! I can’t believe this is still an issue to them, but then the Islanders are their paint-by-numbers archetype so it fits.
But then half of these people never actually watched the game anyway. Happened at Hockey Wilderness, never got the impression they watched it at PHT, and on and on. All these people in a fuss about the fights that happened LATER, after the game was already out of hand (3-0 thumping and it starts to begin) — which was after the Penguins added one more night to a growing history of d-baggery.
Frankly, that game would be worth a rewatching even if there were zero fights as … it was kind of an ass-kicking on the scoreboard, too.
So done with this. But still rec’ing Keith’s post for calling out the hypocrites…again.
Lighthouse Hockey: A flute with no holes is not a flute. A Dane with no holes is Frans Nielsen.
Well put. Rec'd.
And the funny thing is, Vitale was brought up by the Pens to cancel out Haley as a “thug”, but people forget that. And Haley was brought up as a useful 4th liner, not even as a thug.
Also, did anyone see Dejan Kovacevic on Twitter today? Having to follow the Pirates around all those years must have fried his brain, because I have to be honest, if I were his editor I would’ve fired him for some of the things he said.
Nope, what happened?
Let Us Go, Islanders! (Ever notice how strange that sounds without the contraction?)
by TheMetalChick on Aug 15, 2011 9:54 AM EDT up reply actions
Made a total ass of himself
Check his whole feed if you care, but here are some of the highlights:
Heard from two more #Isles fans for total of eight. Two more, and we have ’em all! #Pens #NHL
And the only thing more reprehensible than #Isles systematic mayhem Feb. 11 was #NHL reaction to it. (Cooke hit ranks third, by the way.)
@Isleofmyown 1. Who are you? 2. You’re a credentialed media member? You should be ashamed. // Well, we’re up to 60 percent of the fan base.
Have heard from five #Isles fans today. First time I’ve ever been contacted by half a team’s season-ticket base in so short a time.
All of #Isles invitations will come stamped with a CT scan of @ETangradi’s concussed brain, just to make it a real hoot.
Maybe #NHL can furnish a garage for #Isles to have their party. That’s about as big as the facility they’re actually planning to use. #Pens
(Personal note, I’m proud of the last one because at my request the Sign Guy made a sign for the rematch that said “Hey Mario, Welcome to the Garage!” – a reference to Mario calling the NHL a “garage league” in one of his more famous tantrums)
He basically spent the entire afternoon, in between reporting on the game he covered for the Pirates, taunting Isles fans and losing his mind. Unbelievably unprofessional – and I’m not joking I would’ve fired his ass for it.
by Nick (LetThereBeLighthouse) on Aug 15, 2011 8:48 PM EDT up reply actions
Who is Dejan Kovacevic and Why Should Anyone Care?
Outside of, well, maybe his mother (and maybe not even her), does anybody know who he is? That’s how you treat these people. Just ignore ’em. They live off the attention.
In the abstract, he's nobody
But he’s a writer for the Pittsburgh Tribune and a credentialed member of the media….when a mainstream media member does something like that it shows things are just a tad silly.
by Nick (LetThereBeLighthouse) on Aug 16, 2011 12:56 AM EDT up reply actions
Unbelievable.
I will be contacting the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review tomorrow and complaining about his shameful lack of professionalism and infantile taunting behavior not on his own but as their representative using social media.
Let Us Go, Islanders! (Ever notice how strange that sounds without the contraction?)
by TheMetalChick on Aug 16, 2011 1:01 AM EDT up reply actions
he covers the PIRATES
LOLOLOLOLOL
Probably feeling a little pissy because his team has gone into the tank recently. Or maybe he’s still flashing back to May 1993? He was a Pens beatwriter for six years, you know.
In fact, I think it’s just about time to give him the Portzline/CLB Dispatch treatment… I want to keep my skills sharp.
The Pittsburgh Pirates won the 1979 World’s Series. Dejan Kovacevic was 13. Since then, they have only made the playoffs three times, and failed to advance each time.
They have not had a winning record since 1992.
They have finished dead-last in their (pretty darned weak) division nine times in 18 years, last overall in the NL four times, and last in all of baseball twice.
Since 1992:
Pirates – 0 playoffs, 0 winning records, 1223 wins/2684 games, .456 %
Islanders – 6 playoffs, 5 winning records, 1329 pts/2892 poss, .460 %
None of this includes the year in progress… which is too bad, since the Pirates were in first on July 19th, owners of a 51-44 record, and this morning woke up in fourth place, 13 games back. They are on a 6-19 run, including a juicy ten-game slide.
All this, incidentally, despite getting their beautiful new ballpark in 2001 – and inaugurating it by finishing with the worst record in Major League Baseball. They’ve been last in attendance three times, and in the bottom two of the National League eleven times (including the past seven full seasons). They, like the Isles, have the second-smallest venue in their sport – but the Isles average about 80.7% capacity, the Pirates only 57.1%, even though the Isles have two rival hockey teams less than 40 miles away, competing for dollars, as well as two basketball teams and two football teams playing at the same time (while Pittsburgh only has to worry about the Steelers and Penguins, and then only for April, May, and September).
BTW – Kovacevic has only been with the Trib for two months, so this might not have been the time to be picking fights – but that’s something that Pittsburgh tends to have poor judgment about, anyway.
We may be in the box, but you get the penalty.
Lighthouse Hockey - a beacon of greatness on the rocky coast of sports blog mediocrity
Non-hockey scribblings at nightflyblog
by mikb on Aug 16, 2011 1:10 PM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
The reason you can't trust reporters is they have no accountability
#reporterrantsaboutbloggers
Lighthouse Hockey: A flute with no holes is not a flute. A Dane with no holes is Frans Nielsen.
I missed one thing
In the schoolyard analogy, I missed 1 more thing in addition to the 2 up there: usually, when the bullied kid finally hits back, the person they hit back isn’t necessarily the person who inflicted ALL the torment, but that person becomes almost a stand-in to make a statement that the nonsense has to end.
Really a perfect analogy for what we saw…..and I still have a right to enjoy it.
by Nick (LetThereBeLighthouse) on Aug 16, 2011 2:53 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
All I'm going to say on the matter...
Oh FUCK! THEM!
Pens fans like to believe they’re fucking Snow White when even their best player is a nad punching little rat. The Stanley Cup champs have a guy who (just my point of view) tried to either concuss or decapitate an opposing player via the scorers booth. Fuck anybody who wants to talk shit about us for reveling in a game where we dropped 9 goals on the other team AND had a few of our boys beat up some of the dirtiest players in the league. That’s the part the “indignant” crowd overlooks entirely: One cheap shot (um, Pengos threw a few of them too in that game) and the rest was beatings, plain and simple.
As for the rest of the league and their fans: Fuck ’em.
The most enduring image of 2011 in The NHL ain’t going to be Gillies standing over a fallen Tangredi, sadly, it won’t even be of the Ruins raising their first cup in 40 years.
The two most enduring images of 2011 in The NHL:
2. Canucks forward (and First Team All Punk) Alex Burrows BITING ANOTHER PLAYER’S FINGERS.
and
1. The city of Vancouver BURNING after the home team lost The Cup Finals.
How about we focus on the piss poor behavior of OTHER teams and the fans who, you know, actually committed felonies?
Oh wait! Forgot, if you’re team’s got a winning record or your fan base is Canadian, you’re held to no different standards.
Never mind…
Jeff Carter to Columbus? Wait, I've seen this one before, it was called Shanahan to Hartford. Advice? Don't buy a Carter jersey.
by BrassBonanza10 on Aug 15, 2011 1:53 AM EDT reply actions 3 recs
Reading the GARBAGE over on Puck Daddy can really make you hate Penguins fans.
I cannot BELIEVE how stupid and ignorant the people posting over there really are.
They make me want to punch the Internet.
Let Us Go, Islanders! (Ever notice how strange that sounds without the contraction?)
I Stopped Reading Puck Daddy Comments a Long Time Ago
Studies have shown you can suffer permanent and irreversible brain damage from reading Puck Daddy comments.
It's true. After I waded into a Puck Daddy comments section
Ith thtartdded whng life dthis fer a hole weeek.
Lighthouse Hockey: A flute with no holes is not a flute. A Dane with no holes is Frans Nielsen.
wow, that is bad
The Yahoo comments make me feel like a giant red X too.
We may be in the box, but you get the penalty.
Lighthouse Hockey - a beacon of greatness on the rocky coast of sports blog mediocrity
Non-hockey scribblings at nightflyblog
Youre right.
I need to swear off them the same way I have sworn off Botta comments.
Let Us Go, Islanders! (Ever notice how strange that sounds without the contraction?)
by TheMetalChick on Aug 16, 2011 1:10 AM EDT up reply actions
I Swore off Botta Comments for the New Year
Since then, the air has been fresher. Food tastes better. I’m just a more happy person in general.
by Nick (LetThereBeLighthouse) on Aug 16, 2011 2:58 PM EDT up reply actions 2 recs
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
Related FanPosts on Lighthouse Hockey
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Recommended FanPosts
Recent FanPosts
Featured Stories
Islanders Schedule
In Association With
Latest Puck Daddy - NHL from Yahoo! Sports
- Why the Devils and the Kings are evidence the Capitals shouldn’t trade Alex Ovechkin
- Eulogy: Remembering the 2011-12 New York Rangers
- Stanley Cup Final: 5 keys for New Jersey Devils and Los Angeles Kings
- Friday’s Three Stars: Devils head to Final; Brodeur, Kovalchuk the difference in Game 6
- Devils eliminate Rangers in Game 6, ending fear of the past, setting course for the future
SBNation.com Recent Stories
1979-80
Source: Uploaded by user via NYIslanders on Pinterest
May 24, 1980: Tonelli to Nystrom. At long last, the steady build of the New York Islanders from expansion doormat to surprise semifinalist to annual contender reaches the promised land: Buoyed by a late season trade for Butch Goring that gave the team the depth up the middle GM Bill Torrey had been seeking, the Islanders knock off the Philadelphia Flyers in six games.
The victory justified the faith in coach Al Arbour who guided them from their second season to their first Stanley Cup seven seasons later. The Islanders would not be the first expansion team to win the Stanley Cup, but they would be the only one capable of a dynasty.
1980-81
Source: Uploaded by user via NYIslanders on Pinterest
May 21, 1981: This time it was much easier. After falling to "only" 91 points in the 1979-80 season, the Islanders returned to their division title tradition, piling up 110 points -- a whole 13 points over second-place Philadelphia.
Between the quarterfinals (where they beat the upstart Oilers in six games) and the finals, the Islanders reeled off eight consecutive wins -- with a four-game sweep of archrival Rangers in between. As they defeated the Minnesota North Stars in five games for their second Cup, their goal difference in the final was a combined +10.
1981-82
Source: Uploaded by user via NYIslanders on Pinterest
May 16, 1982: Another year, another landslide title. The Islanders won the Patrick Division by a whopping 26 points over the second-place Rangers, and were seven points clear of their nearest competition for the President's Trophy, the still-not-quite-ripe Edmonton Oilers.
A first-round scare against the Pittsburgh Penguins turned in the Isles' favor thanks to John Tonelli's heroics, and a true dynasty was on its way: Past the Rangers in six games, then an eight-game sweep of the Quebec Nordiques and Vancouver Canucks to run away with the Stanley Cup.
1982-83
Source: Uploaded by user via NYIslanders on Pinterest
May 17, 1983: Not so fast, whipper-snappers. The Edmonton Oilers' steadily rising challenge for league supremacy took them all the way to the finals for the first time, where the New York Islanders summarily dispatched them in a four-game sweep. For the Islanders, the Dynasty was secured. For the Oilers, it was a powerful lesson in where talent ends and the demands of playoff hockey begin.
Four years, four Cups, 16 consecutive playoff series wins (a record that would grow to 19 until the rematch with the Oilers the following year). Mike Bossy scored 60 goals yet again, and Wayne Gretzky became acquainted with Billy Smith's crease.
