FanPost

A Long Distance Run-Around View from Glendale

2 tickets including Ticket-Shyster fees:$80.00 . Gas: $60.00 . Hotel: $65.00. Food: around $50.00. Taking your son to his first regular season NHL game to watch your favorite team since 1974?????: Priceless!

Attended the Isles-Coyotes game this past Saturday. Sat in a corner on Isles shoot twice end. First off, Jobing.com Arena is a place Isles fans can only dream about. With Stadium-style seating, view was great, even from the upper deck. Didn't lose site of the puck in corners. Very open and airy feel with wide concourses between seats and concessions. Arena staff was helpful and polite. Hell, even parked for free right next to arena using Handicapped placard. Surrounding Westgate area was busy. Had no problem getting in and out, probably because everyone stayed to see if Doan's goal counted and I got a jump leaving,lol. Only thing, why was there a longer line for the Men's room than the Ladies???

Sat with some very nice Coyotes fans. While only 13, 400 attended, they were very passionate. Even wearing my Isles sweater, many came up to me and thanked me for supporting their team .....Amazingly, Isles fans have a lot in common with them. The Isles are still dealing with "The name that shall never be mentioned. " Yotes fans are still dealing with the mess left by Gretzky, in addition to the ownership issues. I kept hearing, "Great player, lousy judge of talent and not a clue as a coach." My thoughts on the game after the jump??? Haven't done this before, so bear with me here.

OK, I realize this was the 2nd game of a B2B on the road against a team that was coming off a 4 game road trip and ready for some home cooking. I also realize this is just one game out of a season. I know many don't like my screen name, so be it. But attending my first Isles game in many years, I got to see a better look at the team. Much of what I say may seem redundant to most. oh well, I'm not a professional writer. I say what I feel.

  • Only 3 D-men worth keeping: Striet, A-Mac, and Harmonic. Jurcina, Eaton, and Staios were constantly out of position, and too slow to recover. AMac and Hamonic made young D mistakes...expected growing pains. Striet is being hamstrung offensively by his partners. Seems as if he has to stay home to compensate. Hearing rumblings that he could be moved? Maybe getting a shut-down D-man to go with him would be more appropriate.
  • Bailey shot the puck!
  • Nino, Pandolfo, Wallace line was awful. I get Nino has nothing to prove in Juniors. But he's caught in No-Man's land. Seemed lost, with some aimless skating, as if trying to figure out where to be. Not down on him, just not NHL ready. Product of linemates?
  • JT is a wonder to behold. Watching him split defenseman left me wondering how good he will really be! Get him a good RW and other teams will fear him. KO seemed almost as lost as Nino. Don't know what's in his head. MM missed a few chances, but was fun to watch. Works hard.
  • Nice PP goal by Franz after JT's efforts.
  • Nabby's 5-hole was big enough to fit a 16lb bowling ball through. Surprised he got the start. At least he was pissed off, showing some emotion behind the play. Don't know if it was because he gave up some softies, had to play 2 D positions as well as goalie, or for not reporting last season so he could have been free this year.
  • I know Garth can't hit a Home Run every time, but the "bargains" he brought in this season couldn't reach base by an error! Made a young rebuilding team into an old, slow also-ran. Wallace was spun around covering for an out-of position defenseman and looked like an ECHL player. Pandolfo is only good for my "Jay and Silent Bob" jokes. Reasoner was mercifully out. Staios should be the 7th D-man, if anything.
  • Giving Rolston his own bullet( hopefully wishfully?)....Really got pissed off watching him skate around for 15-20 seconds, then motion towards the bench to be replaced. More than once he chose to skate off rather than become part of the attack after the Isles intercepted a puck in the Neutral Zone and turned it the other way. Seeing him on the point in the last five minutes for an offensive zone face-off during 5 on 5 pretty much sent me over the edge. I get the Cap Mule part, but this guy brings nothing, has nothing, and means nothing. Scratch his sorry ass already!
    • PAP and Martin were the best players on the ice, other than JT. I've not been a PAP as first line player supporter,, but he was hustling in the corners and got scrappy towards the end. Wonder what he gestured said mentioned to the ref to earn that double-minor? Must have name dropped "The Name that shall not be mentioned" Martin plays with a controlled purpose. Too bad he has hands of stone. Not meant as an insult, he just wasn't gifted with a scoring touch. Had a few chances.
    • Ouch, can't turn off bullets. Well to wrap up. I had a blast with my son, despite the poor effort. My son usually talks a mile a minute, but was amazingly silent during most of the game, except to ask questions. He told me afterwards that he was just concentrating on the game. The huge hugs he gave me afterwards for taking him made it worth it. PS I offered 300.00 to buy the Coyotes, but there were no takers.

<em>Submitted FanPosts do not necessarily reflect the views of this blog or SB Nation. If you're reading this statement, you pass the fine print legalese test. Four stars for you.</em>