Uniondale, N.Y. - Players, fans, coaches, groin specialists, all of us… Rub some dirt on it, walk it off, rinse your mouth out, shake it off, chew on some ginger, have one bourbon, one scotch, and one beer, go for a long walk, mediate, pray, stretch, rise, duck hop, go for a nice swim… Do what ever it is you need to do to get what happened Tuesday night out of our heads, our bodies and our hearts.  Like Mark McGuire, “We are not here to talk about the past, we are here to talk about the future.” And that’s all I got to say about that…

The hands of time are seemingly moving in a most expeditious manner right now if you are an Islander fan, and in a bizarre way we should be very thankful that we have 3 games in four nights coming up.

It all kicks off tonight at 7PM versus the formerly known as Adams division soon to be Gordie Howe Division (if I were king) presently geographically located division leading Montreal Canadiens.  (I apologize to all of you that you have to deal with my distain for the lack of names on the divisions and conferences every night, I truly do, but I thank you…)

The Canadiens come to town for our 3rd and final match up with our French flying friends from the north with an outstanding record of 19-5-5 for 43 points 2nd in the conference to only the Penguins who come knocking tomorrow night (Joy!).  The Habs have no problem excelling away from their fishbowl at home with amazing 10-2-2 road record.

le Mangnifique

Lets just pause for a moment to say to the Montreal Canadiens nicely done! This is an organIzation that a year ago was in utter turmoil, missing the playoffs, firing their unilingual coach and GM, who now arrive with 43 points the 4th best record in the NHL, and poised for the post season. Chapeau bas expression!

Now please to be clear, I did not write the last paragraph as a not so subtle shot across the bow of our organIzation. I can hear how you guys think out there, and in today’s technological revolutionized world everyone knows how everyone thinks for better or for worse. I was simply taking my hat off to a team that has done a great job. I in no way think the Isles should change at the top nor behind the bench at this time.

And there goes our ratings as the dial is being moved to another show, I get that, I know I’m in the minority here, but I stand by my convictions of whether we make the post season dance or not that now is not the time for change.

We need to see Snow’s plan completely play out, and the fact that it is now Spring and we are still very much in it from a team that begun the campaign with 3/7 defensemen claimed that week off of waivers simply earns Jack Capuano my confidence! However this is another story for another time. But I digress…

Help is coming!

Both Michael Grabner, and Matt Carkner skated yesterday and we could see them on the ice as early as tonight.  Expect Grabs (if back, please be back!) to replace and Eric Boulton, and Carkner to I guess replace Radek Martinek as much as it pains me to stroke those keys, but really who else would we scratch on D? Certainly not Hickey !

To have Martinek as our #7 is pretty good, as the Corps has come together as late except for the 5 minuts combined… No No NO not gonna do it Mark McGuire please, “Not here to talk about the past here to talk about the future.” Whew ! Thanks Mark, needed that!

Hopefully the return of Grabner will enable Capuano to put Matt Martin back onto the 4th line, return Casey Cizikas to center and reunite him with Colin McDonald. I personally wouldn’t mind moving Keith Aucoin to wing with Marty Reasoner, and Grabner on the Isles of Banishment 3rd line (pun intended).

Baptism by fire.

This is it folks there are only 19 games remaining and we are in 10th, 3 points out of the final playoff spot, and we have to leapfrog not 1 but 2 teams to get to just the 8th and final spot. When the weekend is over we will awake Monday morning with only 16 games left, we shall either find ourselves out of it, or very much involved, because no matter what we do over the next 3 games other teams are going to accumulate points.

To be honest with you considering the task at hand, what with the Prince of Wales two finest teams back to back combined road records of 22-6-2, coupled with our Ft. Neverwin 5-9-2 home record, and the fact that one would think Kevin Poulin will get one of these starts (not that that is necessarily a bad thing mind you.) One might say “I’d sign for 4 points in 3 games right now.”

Whatever happens this is one of the reasons (besides there actually being hockey) that the lockout ending was so huge to the Islanders as a whole. We now get our first test as a young team. We now have our first batch of meaningful playoff like games, where the wills of the young men in the locker room will truly be put to the test. This experience is invaluable for us, remember we are not exactly a locker room of battle tested vets.

If they are to fall short there will be those who quickly jump to their lap tops to pontificate how we lacked the will, and the heart, and the this, and the that. Do yourselves a favor now don’t buy into all that malarkey.  I suggest we relish these meaningful games with a sense that we really could perhaps even maybe should win them. And use the games then (results irrelevant) as a tool to grow what is this juggernaut we have heading to Brooklyn.  This entire season has been house money for us, and the fact that we get a “free” baptism now simply accelerates our growth ten fold.

Will we make the post season? I’m confident we will yes, but either way these next 4 days are going to be fun and useful as this team grows together towards our goal of another dynasty.

Quick notes:

• Personally I’m always excited to see one of my favorite NHL players P.K. Subban, who just happens to be a free agent after the 2014 season when he will be 25 years old. What a nice addition he’d make to a team headed to the big city just a season later. Can you Imagine P.K. on a giant Billboard in Times Square? I CAN !!! And I bet P.K. can too… Just sayin…
• Response time, let’s see if Jack Capuano should be our guy going forward. He called out our top line the other night, it’ll be interesting to see if they respond… They will.
• Isles are 13-7-3 when leading or tied in the final stanza. “It’s disturbing.” Coach Capuano.
• Isles lead the season series 2-0 (one in 4-on-4 sudden mediocrity overtime) versus Montreal, hey if we sneak into the 8th spot and they get the 1… Ya never, never, never know.
• Below is JT interview on “Miked-up!” with Bruce Beck. Pretty kool
• Quack quack Ducks over Hawks 4-2 in 3rd period rally…

Isles-Habs.

7:00 p.m. Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum             Uniondale, NY                                         Television: MSG+             Play-by-play: Howie Rose; Color: Butch Goring
Radio: WHRU 88.7 FM             Chris King: Play-by-play

Thank you everyone enjoy the game, and the busy, important hockey weekend!

Scotty Bonner

Tryin to capture the Spirit of the Thing…

P.S. Have a Nice Day !! :0)

Follow Scotty: @moosiestmoose42

Follow Eyes on Isles: @eyesonisles

Follow the Dream @battle4theapple

And don’t forget to upload the new Fansided App, so you never have to miss an “Eyes” piece again… Which is nice…

“The Undressing”

Again that voice we all know all too well begins to put thoughts in our head saying , “well if we could just w…”STOP IT GET OUT OF OUR!!!” Too late.. Darn you optimism!

If we can just find a way to defeat the Montreal Canadiens tonight we’d guarentte that we could pull tied with the Rangers, and even possibly pass them Thursday night as we face them in the ‘ole barn for the first time this season. Oh I really can see the scoreboard as the teams exit the ice:

PTS.

ISLANDERS  24

RANGERS     23

Can’t you see it? I Can ! I just hope John Tavares can too!

The Islander Tease

A condition of not being terrible enough (because of John Tavares and Evgeni Nabokov ) to disappear into lottery oblivion, and capture enough points to remain within realistic striking distance of finishing in the top 8. However not quite good enough, so that every single time we have a game to truly establish ourselves and say “WE ARE HERE!” (Devils 3-1, Flyers 7-0 and, Canes 4-1 just this season alone) we simply perform like team USA early on against the West Germans, afraid to win the game cause that would mean we’d have enter the fray and face the big bad Russians. Fortunately USA had Herb Brooks to call them out on their fear. Well my friends our Isles have us! So listen up!

It seems the atmosphere of 20 seasons without a playoff series victory has caused our organIzation to become like a Gooseless Maverick, hesitant to engage! Every time this team this year and in the past couple … Ok Fine u want to break me down, you want to hear me say it!?  

Every time this team has had the chance to win a “statement” game, and dive head first into the playoff pool it has failed miserably! For the most part not even showing up in the (forgive me) John Tavares era!

Unlike some major network reporters and broadcasters who write and say things to simply kick up a dust storm, and make a name and/or fool of themselves (Rob Parker/RGIII). I want JT to absolutely shine this evening versus the Habs. We want JT to shine! I want this made clear as day.

JT,  although you have been more than advertised since day one, you have been our best player , and you are a top 5 player in the league without question. All this up till now has been more then enough.

Son, this may be Long Island, but it’s still New York, and although you guys may often hide in the big shadow casted out by the Garden Boys, it is time you put up and won a game that propels us into the midst of the playoff picture no matter whom the opponent.

It’s time JT that you looked around that locker room, put this organIzation on your back, and claimed your rightful place as its leader, and its’ ”franchise” ! It’s time you imposed your will like the greats who came before you in that locker room, and refuse to allow this team to fail!

Impose your will

Put a stop to this era, this culture, this atmospheric environment that has encased us like the LA smog of the late 80′s, and turn this thing around once and for all. John Tavares, it’s time!

Ok putting the pom-poms down (but only for a sec.) So into town comes the Prince of Wales leading Montreal Canadiens.  Sporting a make you take a double look 14-4-4 record good for 32 points.

Berets off to them for perhaps the most impressive first half of the season in the league, Blackhawks not withstanding of course.

When last we saw the Habs, we were celebrating the tic-tac-toe overtime goal by Thomas Hickey.  His first of his career, nicely !  

It was yet another one of those games this season where prior to faceoff it seemed as though the Isles were going to just quietly disappear into lottery oblivion, but as it is with “The Islander Tease”, we managed to earn 2 big points.

MOST IMPRESSIVE

The Canadiens come to Nassau on the heels of arguably their biggest win of the season.  Defeating the Boston Bruins in Boston 4-3 on Sunday. The Habs kicked off a 5 game road trip with an impressive come from behind victory at the TD Garden.  A statement game for certain, one that saw the Habs score twice in the final stanza on just 4 shots.  The victory helped secure Les Canadiens atop the conference. Let’s all hope they suffer a Bruin hangover tonight, like the ones we often exhibit the game after a Ranger game.. Ohhhh crap, just realized I’ve got tickets to Saturday versus Caps, great, grand, wonderful terrific!

SIMPLY ABLAZE

The Isles come into the game on a hot streak, a win at home.  Coming off of Sunday’s shootout victory versus the Senators at the Coliseum, the Isles have put together back to back good efforts on home ice earning 3 out of a 4 possible points, and thus we find ourselves yet again on the brink of entering the playoff conversation.

Finally it would seem that some secondary scoring has begun to re-emerge with goals in the last two contests by Kyle Okposo , Josh Bailey and Michael Grabner respectively. Bailey’s game is coming into form as he is hitting his stride returning from having his knee scoped at the end of the lock out with points in two straight.  Okposo’s performances have been getting better and better with each effort, as he finally appears in game shape.

The oft scratched David Ullstrom had a very solid 2 way game on Sunday, and showed his hands on numerous occasions quickly getting the puck to the net.  I love him on that line with Grabner. You can’t teach speed and that line allows Jack Capuano to role four lines all game if he sees fit. Please Cap don’t scratch Ullstrom!

MUST HAVES

1. Isles must continue to be at least even during 5 on 5 play. Last two home games the Isles are even at 5 on 5 which may finally be a sign that things are truly turning around.
2. John Tavares, and Matt Moulson must get things going again. The two have combined for 1 assist over the past 3 contests.  The secondary scoring is nice, but if these guys don’t produce, we don’t win period.
3. Speed! The Isles must skate. The Habs are built on speed, but the Isles too are one of the fastest teams in the league. Open it up, and play to our strength.  Don’t try to slow them down, try to fly right past them.  let our best, be better then their best. Run and gun!

At the End of the Day

A win tonight would truly set the stage for a monstrous game Thursday night versus the New York Rangers, a game that would undoubtedly bring a playoff like atmosphere back to the ‘ole gal for what might just be one of the very last times these two play a very meaningful game in Nassau.  I could be dead wrong, and the two organIzations may have a 7 game epic in the spring of 2015 who knows?

What I do know is this, just one win, just one victory tonight, and we’re in the picture, we’re in the discussion, and everyone in the New York area will have an eye on Thursday night’s contest. You’d better believe Boomer will be talking about this one all Thursday morning on the Fan should we hold up our end of the bargain this evening.  It would be the biggest game in John Tavares‘s young, awesome career thus far, and darn it Islander fans, don’t we just simply deserve it ? So for crying out softly boys, Win tonight!

Quick side notes:

• This is one of those games that I despise the home teams wearing their colors.  Now we have to see Montreal in their “road” whites as opposed to their bright, beautiful “reds”.
• The Montreal Canadiens are only 3 goals shy of their 20,000 goal in their amazing history. Let’s all just hope that it’s not 2-2- with a minute left and the puck is slowly gliding across to P.K. Subban as he is poised to unleash his Howitzer…

Thank You

Attempting to capture the Spirit of the Thing…

Scotty Bonner

P.S. Have a Nice Day !! :0)

Follow Scotty @moosiestmoose42

And please don’t forget to get the FANSIDED App so you never have to miss an “Eyes On Isles” piece again…Which is nice!