Top Shelf : Islanders Daily : 5/14/13

Apr 26, 2013; Buffalo, NY, USA; New York Islanders center

(91) during the game against the Buffalo Sabres at the First Niagara Center. Sabres beat the Islanders 2-1 in a shootout. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports

Middletown, N. J. – Today is a day for the collective hockey fan to catch their breath. A zany first round came to a conclusion last night in ways that make the NHL  playoffs the most outstanding and most unpredictable tournament in all of sports.

For the Islanders, yesterday was also exit interview day as players and coaches now get the chance to regroup with their families, take the necessary time off to finally rest their bodies on vacation and begin making preparations for their off-season training schedules that will have them ready to go in September when training camp opens.

Here at EyesOnIsles, we will not afford ourselves that same luxury. You can expect outstanding content coming from us all throughout, keeping you informed and at times, even entertained. Season review and individual player report cards are next on the agenda, followed by a podcast on Wednesday where Eyes will chat with the SND podcast show and review the Isles season. Draft coverage, free agency and more will follow. Thanks for reading and sticking with us. We truly appreciate it.

Links

• Art Staple on the plan of Garth Snow to build from within
• Bleacher Report on the superb playoff performance of the Isles
• Puck Daddy with their 2013 playoff eulogy
• Travis Betts on rocking the barn
• Rant Sports on why the Isles are no fluke
• Islanders Optimism recaps the first round step by step
• Outstanding podcast by Eric Mirls as he talks with Derek King and Tom Kurvers

Around The Twitter-Sphere

• The truth of the matter is they are still playing and we aren’t. So you are right, let them have it. They earned it. But if you don’t believe Ken’s closing line, you either didn’t pay attention or have your team’s colored glasses on.

• Henrik is king in New York, where he gives the Rangers a chance to win every single night. Isles number one off-season need is between the pipes.

• Was a pretty lame showing to say the least that the Verizon Center was half empty at the end of that game last night. I did not like when some Isles fans left without cheering their team after game six and did not look favorably on that either.

• Not a huge fan of Pierre to be honest, but he goes out there and tries his best to compliment and report. The fact remains he has a ton of experience and has seen a gazillion hockey games. To say the Coliseum was the loudest he has ever covered is a huge compliment.

Around The NHL

• And then there was eight. The New York Rangers eliminated the Washington Capitals, who might just have put up the lamest game seven performance I have ever seen. After the first period, they were content to sit around and watch, resigned to their fate, as the Rangers walloped them 5-0. Aaron Asham got the party started with a shot that all Islanders fans are familiar with and Henrik Lundqvist captured his second consecutive shutout.
• Wow, Maple Leaf fans everywhere are on suicide watch. The Leafs led the Bruins 4-1 with 10 minutes remaining in game seven at TD Bank Garden, only to fall in overtime 5-4, when Patrice Bergeron received a gift attempted clearing pass and easily slotted home past a stunned James Reimer. The Leafs and their fans put on an amazing show this season and it’s good to see another team bounce back to relevance but this one is going to sting for a long, long time.

Leafs fans, close your eyes…..

Here are the two that tied it late…

As always, thanks for reading. Coming up later is a preview of the second round of the NHL playoffs from yours truly.

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-AG