Islanders News Bits: We see you there, Blown Three-Goal Lead. You can't hide.

I didn't watch last night's game and was out most of the day appliance shopping, so I never got a chance to tell the story of my favorite Islanders-Caps game at Nassau Coliseum. And since I have no desire to rehash another blown lead, I'll tell it here.

It was 1997 or 1998. I've spent an hour trying to find a recap but I can't. Anyway, it's the Olaf Kolzig/Ron Wilson era of the Caps and some piece of garbage era for the Islanders it doesn't really matter.

Both teams come out for the third period and Kolzig notices something weird; a steady stream of water flowing out from under one of the moorings holding his net up. It's not a trickle, either. It's like a faucet was turned on under the ice and they can't turn it off.

They move the net and the geyser gets even worse. The refs and ice crew try covering the hole with snow and blasting it with a fire extinguisher, which seems to slow it down, but noting really stops it.

Meanwhile, Kolzig is resting on his net, talking to the guys and Wilson is on the bench with his arms out, silently (and unsilently) asking what the hell is going on. As time goes by, Kolzig is visibly pointing and making the case that he can't play goal with a inches-deep puddle of water in his crease.

The refs eventually slow the flow down and come to a decision; The teams will switch sides after ten minutes so that each has to play half the period in the messed up net. I don't remember much of a protest from the Islanders or Tommy Salo and sure enough, after ten minutes, a horn sounded and the teams swapped creases.

I don't remember the score but I'm pretty sure the Capitals won. I can still picture Ollie the Goalie with his helmet up pointing with his catching glove towards Salo as if to say, "His crease isn't under water. What gives?"

You kinda had to be there, but I'm gonna bet someone reading this probably was.

Islanders links

• Recaps of a righted relapse: LHH | Newsday | NY Daily News | NHL.com | Islanders | Japers Rink | Eric Hornick's Skinny
• Extra Skinny: Fare thee well, Rex Ryan. His departure from the Jets leaves Jack Capuano as the fourth third longest tenured coach/manager in New York. (and, er, not for nothing but how much longer will Tom Coughlin be around? Cappy could be third second pretty soon).
• Russian Machine has Brooks Orpik's injury covered from all the angles.
• Sebastian Collberg used his trip to Stockton as a learning experience. [Soundin Off]
• The Jr. Islanders get a taste of what midget hockey is like in Canada. [Calgary Sun]

Other team stuff

• With Brian Elliott set to return, Martin Brodeur may not be long for the Blues. But he'll be going out in style with a classic Brodeur performance, a 16-save shutout, this time over Colorado. [NHL.com]
• Couldn't have happened to two nicer guys: Dion Phaneuf gets put into time out, doesn't learn his lesson [SB Nation], and Patrick Kaleta finally does something productive and punches himself in the head [Puck Daddy].
• The Oilers shuffled some deck chairs on Monday, picking up Matt Fraser on waivers [Copper & Blue] from the Bruins and trading Mark Arcobello to Nashville for Derek Roy [On the Forecheck]
• The Ducks placed Dany Heatley on waivers, which is a reminder that Dany Heatley was on an NHL roster. [NHL.com]
• Hold those trade requests: Evander Kane is out until February with a lower body injury. [Arctic Ice Hockey]
• Your World Junior round-up from SB Nation College Hockey.
• The Leafs are up to their old tricks: occasionally winning games while being outshot by a bajillion. [Globe n' Mail]
• KHL All Stars! Wojtek Wolski! Nigel Dawes! [KHL.ru]
• Paul Stewart torches Jack Edwards like a Salem witch. [Deadspin]

The Stars jumbotron guys work their magic on the Rangers as the team snaps New York's winning streak.

The @DallasStars scoreboard is at it again, this time picking the greatest Rangers of all-time http://t.co/OJx8w5pqkm pic.twitter.com/lEoRUpv0qI

— BarDown (@BarDown) December 30, 2014