Nine Year Old Busts Out Filthy Spin-o-Rama Move
December 10th, 2007 by murph
Oh no he didn’t! Oh yes he DID!
Found via 2 Man Advantage
Tag Archive for 'hockey'
Isles NFL-Like Schedule Comes to an End
October 31st, 2007 by Tom
I’ve had the luck and/or misfortune of being stuck down in Florida for work for the past three weeks. The good news was I was able to enjoy 85 degree weather and a nice ocean breeze in between 12-hour stints at the office. The bad news is I had to eat at the crummy hotel buffet every morning and didn’t get to see one single Islanders game.
In all, I was gone for 19 days. The amazing thing is, I missed just THREE Islander games! That’s as many games as my beloved Jets managed to play (and lose). What gives? You can look at it two ways - the extra time between games gave the squad more rest and time to practice or the extra time has prevented the team from getting into a groove. I’m going with the latter. Hockey players are conditioned to play three games a week. As we see every Spring when playoffs come around, a tight schedule with a lot of games can benefit a team. Sure, they need time to recurperate from the ravages of the game, but averaging a week between contests isn’t going to benefit one single Islander. And it also might come back to haunt the Isles down the road, when suddenly they are playing a tight schedule and fighting for a playoff spot (fingers crossed) and their competition has a critical night off.
Right now, with just nine games under their belt, including just three since Oct. 12, it’s hard to tell what kind of team the Islanders have. The next couple of weeks should give us a clearer indiction of this squad’s ability and more insight on its strengths and weaknesses. Starting tonight, the Isles play three games in five days and a total of 14 games in 30 days for the month of November, followed with 15 in December, their busiest month.
Some random thoughts while traveling in South Florida:
I saw two Florida Panthers jerseys in and around the Hollywood, Fla. area. Both guys were coming out of different liquor stores on differnet weekdays in broad daylight. Understandable. The Panthers are 4-7 and have scored just 27 goals.
We got lunch at this joint called Chicken Kitchen a few times. I’m totally on board with this place. They basically sell cut up grilled chicken (kind of like you’d get in a fajita or chicken taco) and a bunch of different sauces. The salsa is great. Some chicken and salsa over yellow rice and I was set.
As a Jet fan, I have an inherent dislike for Miami Dolphins fans (but I put that aside for my cousin, that s.o.b) but that may no longer be a problem. You see, even in the heart of Dolphin country, the Dol-Fans seem to be a dying breed. A group of us were getting lunch in a local sports bar and grill last Sunday. There were about 10 televisions in and around the bar. One was tuned to the Giants-Dolphins game. One. A few others were on bowling. You gotta be kidding me. I know the Dolphins are terrible (after all, the Jets beat them for their lone win) but come on. You can’t leave your team hanging like that. Still, I know the Dol-Fan will never be extinct. I have no doubt all the fans will come back the next time the Dolphins look good again. Sunshine fans in the Sunshine state.
Looking forward to Al Arbour Night this Saturday. Get a ticket and come honor big guy.
And lastly, Happy Halloween.
ZWI Now Legal in Jersey
April 3rd, 2007 by murph
Sweet! From ESPN.com.
It’s not drunken driving in New Jersey if it involves a Zamboni.
A judge ruled the four-ton ice rink-grooming machines aren’t motor vehicles because they aren’t useable on highways and can’t carry passengers.
Zamboni operator John Peragallo had been charged with drunken driving in 2005 after a fellow employee at the Mennen Sports Arena in Morristown told police the machine was speeding and nearly crashed into the boards.
Police said Peragallo’s blood alcohol level was 0.12 percent. A level of 0.08 is considered legally drunk in New Jersey.
Peragallo appealed, and Superior Court Judge Joseph Falcone on Monday overturned his license revocation and penalties.
Clark, The Canadian Hockey Goalie
March 27th, 2007 by murph
Click HERE now, thank me later. This is a really funny hockey video…you friggin hosers!
Bag of Pucks
February 7th, 2007 by murph
- Province Sports is holding a vote to determine NHL’s All-Time Heavyweight Champ. They’ve had a panel of experts select 32 great fighters from various NHL eras. Be sure to vote early and often for Clark “The Sleeping Giant” Gillies who takes on Jack “Killer” Carlson and Chris Simon who faces Donald Brashear in round 1 of the tournament.
- Great column from John Buccigross over at ESPN. He talks about NHL broadcasts, bigger nets, new schedules, and answers questions from fans. He also mentions this New York Time article and some seriously disturbing TV ratings for the local teams.
“At this point, the NHL has to continue to put on a better show. In a New York Times article from Feb. 2, Richard Sandomir reported that 736 people watched the Jan. 27 Devils-Panthers game on MSG … 736. Here are other numbers from Sandomir’s column:
• The Devils average 13,206 households for their televised games.
• The Islanders average just 7,336.
• The Rangers average 36,834.
• Of all Fox Sports Net regional channels, the Red Wings lead all NHL teams (average 96,915).
• This season’s All-Star Game drew 691,000 viewers.
• 2.7 million watched in 2004.
• 6.5 million watched in 1996.I have numbers from some of our own network’s recent ratings. On Jan. 28, 925,377 people watched the Winter X Games between 9:13-11:21 p.m. On ESPN2, 824,360 people watched a replay of the Australian Open men’s final.”
Video time…first up is the Islanders/Rangers brawl from 2004.
[ev type="youtube" data="7AHPPa4d4x0"][/ev]
Doooobie! Wade Dubielewicz was the Bridgeport Soundtigers’ lone AHL All-Star representative. Here’s a video from the AHL Skills Competition breakaway relay. Doobie makes the first save, then gets absolutely abused as Matt Lashoff of the Providence Bruins goes between his legs for the highlight reel goal.
[ev type="youtube" data="q2oimNeVChY"][/ev]
Finally a pair of videos via Off Wing Opinion. First up it’s how a hockey puck is made, second up is the Moan/Weber fight with a MONSTER knockout right hand from Moan. His jersey was over his head when he threw the punch no less.
[ev type="youtube" data="t54C7A4h1G4"][/ev]
[ev type="youtube" data="Cur6gIZkg8E"][/ev]
The “If I Were a Hockey Player” Game
January 31st, 2007 by murph
Fun little game going around the hockey blogosphere this week, guess I’ll join in the fun since all the cool kids are doing it.
If I Were a Hockey Player:
Wait a minute, I AM a hockey player. Not a particularly good one, but a player none the less. Shouldn’t this game be called “If I were in the NHL”? Which reminds me, if my parents raised me in Canada and started me skating the day after I started to walk, I would be in the NHL. It’s a long road to the NHL when you first start ice skating at age 13.
Team: New York Islanders (if the Rangers drafted me, I’d have to retire before my first game)
Uniform Number: 17
Position: Left Wing
Nickname: murph
Dream Linemates: Mike Bossy on the right and Bryan Trottier in the middle (sorry to bump you out like that Gillies)
Rounding out the PP: Chris Pronger and Dion Phaneuf (my fantasy hockey blueliners)
Job: Screening the goalie, looking for rebounds, drawing cross-checking penalties
Signature Move: One-Timer
Strengths: Shooting, passing
Weaknesses: Skating, lack of speed
Injury Problems? My lower back is always sore after a game. I could definitely get used to pre-game stretching from the trainers and post-game massages from the team masseuse though.
Equipment: Bauer Supreme Custom Skates, Easton Synergy SL stick, CCM helmet and pants, Easton gloves
Nemesis: Everyone on the Rangers, Crybaby Sydney
Scandal Involvement: ZWI (Zamboni-ing While Intoxicated)
Who I’d face in the Stanley Cup Finals: Does it matter? They’re gonna lose anyways.
What I’d do with the Stanley Cup after our victory: Parade it down Hempstead Turnpike of course! Then I’d take it to the Hard Rock Hotel in Vegas, fill it with Red Bull and Grey Goose Vodka and play Texas Hold ‘Em all night long.
Would the media love me or hate me? Love me. I tell it like it is, sign autographs for all the fans, and give the Islanders a hometown discount. And when Wang offers me a 15-year deal, I turn it down.
Langevin’s Ladies
January 31st, 2007 by Tom
Forget about the Islanders blowing a three-goal lead to the Wings last night for a few minutes. I was doing some research on a totally separate topic and stumbled across a Jan. 19 article in the Miami Herald on Islander legend Dave Langevin coaching his daughter’s high school hockey team. That’s pretty cool.
“I was drawing a play on the chalkboard, and they noticed it on my hand, and it was, ‘Oh, my God, is that your Stanley Cup ring?’ I’m telling them to look at the board, but they all wanted to see it and wear it,’ Langevin recalled with a chuckle.
The Sibley High Warriors have struggled a bit thanks in large part to a rash of injuries, according to the article. The team is currently 7-11-1. We here at IslandersArmy are obviously behind the Warriors 100%. Knock ‘em out, Sibley High.
All Hail Kazakhstan
January 30th, 2007 by Tom
Kazakhstan defeated Thailand 52 to 1 in hockey in the Asian Games. WTF? The victory followed the Kazakhs’ 38-0 drubbing of the United Arab Emirates. Kazakhstan outshot Thailand 97 to 7. I need to see some highlights. Seriously. It’s crazy. The Thai coach, an American, tried to put a positive spin on the drubbing, according to the Toronto Star.
“They are just an outstanding team,” Thailand’s American coach Michael Rolanti said of Kazakhstan, which competed in the Turin Winter Olympics. “I think it was a good game for us because we did not give up.”
I need to hire Rolanti as my official spokesman. He’d be great to have around when I come home at 4 am, down a few hundred and smelling of bourbon and strippers. I can just hear him telling my old lady “I think Tom did a great job by finishing the night and refusing to get in a cab.”
But seriously, props to Thailand for fielding a team and giving it a go. Rolanti told the Star there are only two ice rinks in all of Thailand and he had to pick a team from a pool of just 40 athletes.
The hero was forward Arthit Thamwongsin, who jumped on a rebound off the boards to slam a shot past Kazakhstan goaltender Sergey Ogureshnikov.
Christmas Hangover - NHL
December 26th, 2006 by murph
- FoxSports.com brings us the hockey photos of the Year. [via James Mirtle]
- The NHL is reportedly considering realigning it’s teams into 4 divisions to address scheduling concerns of the fans, and the travel concerns of the teams.
- The NHL brings us the Saves of the Week.
[ev type="youtube" data="Nw1TD2WH50M"][/ev]
- And finally via Off Wing Opinion, it’s a bunch of first graders in Washington, DC singing The Hockey Song. Awwww!
[ev type="youtube" data="uSP2DHYxXIU"][/ev]
The “New and Improved” HockeyFights.com
December 12th, 2006 by murph
HockeyFights.com has relaunched with a new slick site design and logo.
This place just had that “left my gloves in my hockey bag too long before I used them again” smell to it. So we took a few lemons, some zambonis and handful of strippers and came up with this.
In addition, they’ve got huge improvements behind the scenes that make it much easier to update the site. Team pages tally the fights year by year. You can see the Islanders’ team rivals here and player rivals here. The Isles’ Loyalty List shows you who’s dropped the blue and orange gloves the most since 1998.
Don’t forget their Fight Log and videos section where you can watch fights and vote on them. I love this site, I’ve been a visitor for many years. The site and it’s community have been based around their forums since before there were hockey blogs, YouTube and even before Alexei Yashin was an Islander. The home page was a little stale and needed some “blog-like” features, automatic updates, and a fresh coat of paint. Hats off to the team on a job well done.
Top 5 Islanders Fight Leaders Since 1998 Rank Player Fight Totals 1 Eric Cairns 59 2 Eric Godard 35 3 Steve Webb 27 4 Dave Scatchard 24 5 Arron Asham 19
