Save the Last Chicken Dance for Me: 10 Oct

By Peter Flynn

Game 4 – Rags 7:00 – NVMC

Pre-Game

Tonight’s game is on VS, but so far during the pre-game, the announcers have been fair. Nice interview with Guerin. I think that more than anything else, the shift in the captaincy is the biggest difference this season.

Period One

First shift. Wish I was seeing Bergie instead of Tambellini on the wing with Satan and Vasicek. First chant of the evening, can’t make it out on the TV. Bergeron with the first big hit, nice to see.

First goal is really important here. With a packed house here, we need to keep the Rags on their heels. Freaking announcer just jinxed us: “In the last 4 outings, Jagr hasn’t dented the twine”. You heard it here first, Jagr has at least one goal. I thought Howie (king of the jinx) wasn’t in the building.

Let’s see how the Isles new look PP fares. After our great start in Game 1, we haven’t done too well. Hopefully Berard will help out. First PP over, looked OK. Only dangerous at the end. Hopefully the next one will look better.

On the replay, Campoli jumped into the slot. He didn’t play that great in the pre-season, but he seems to have stepped it up in the regular season, where the points count.

Rick just missed the goal on the PK. I’m guessing he’s practicing for later. Nice hustle by Hilbert. Isles have had the better of the play for the first 8 minutes. Good PK.

8:43 left in 1st. First audible “Let’s Go Islanders” cheer on TV. Great save by Rick after a Rag made a great strip on Bergeron, leading to a 3-1. Good rebound save as well. Marc-Andre CANNOT keep doing that.

Can I say enough that I LOVE the way Fedetenko plays? Comrie gets in a scrap, and Tank has his back. I love the way that he sticks up for his teammates

GREAT Defensive play by Martinek on the 4-4. Jagr looked like he was going to get around him, but Marty shut him off.

WOW oh WOW. Rick with a few great saves at around the 14 minute mark. He let up a few rebounds, but recovered. But Bergeron needs to wake up on D, otherwise he might see himself on the bench.

The one player that we didn’t get (other than Smyth leaving) that I wish we could have gotten is Chris Drury. There are not too many players that have been as clutch as he has.

Penalty call in the last few minutes. We’re lucky that it’s going to go both ways. Gervais got ROCKED.

Both goalies have looked sharp thus far. The game has been pretty even so far. I don’t anticipate too many blowouts this year between these two teams.

BS call on Witt. There’s no way that was a penalty. In order to trip someone, you have stick your leg out. Witt had both legs together. Nice play by Sutton to draw a penalty on Shanny.

Bergeron GOAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

They say that it’s bad to give up a goal in the last minute of the game. What about in the last 5 seconds? Suck it Henrik!

1st Intermission

I just got my download of the new Radiohead album. Haven’t had a chance to listen to it yet.

Period Two

Rangers Goal. 1-1 now. Tyutin with the goal off the post. Not a horrible goal by Rick, but you never like to see him give one up.

Rags are buzzing now. Isles need to step it up.

Rick with a highway robbery save on Gome$. Yeah, I know it’s with a “z”, but you can’t make a dollar sign with a “z”. Sue me.

Pretty even game so far. So considering the fact that every media outlet says the Rangers will win the cup this year, does that mean that the Isles will be in the Eastern Conference Finals?

7 minute mark. Gotta say that Rick hasn’t been wandering as much as he was last season. That’s good news.

Good coverage in front to protect Rick. Remember a few years ago when people could crowd our goalie with impunity? No longer.

Nice drive by Shanny. I obviously can’t root for any Rag player, but Shanahan is a class act. I wish he was on the Island.

Penalty on the Rags. Let’s see our PP imitate the one we had in the season opener.

5-3. We NEED to score here. Almost 2 full minutes of 5-3. No excuse not to score.

GOAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Berard!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Great one-timer. It seems that our team this year understands what we didn’t understand last year. If you have a 5 on 3 for more than 30 seconds, you MUST score. Here’s to the first of many goals for BB.

Penalty on Lundqvist. He looked like Ricky the first year that they put in the trapezoid. Another must score.

A great shot of Hilary Duff. She thinks the Rangers are “So Yesterday.” Yeah, I got that joke from my wife. Sue me.

So close to another goal at the 16:40 mark. I have to say that our PP looks MUCH better than last year on average.

3rd Period

Gallant says that our D is running around and our forwards have to come back more. True.

Wow, great save by Henrik off the opening face off. The announcer just said that you have to like what you see from Cam Ward. I agree, since he’s on my fantasy team.

PP for the Rags. Uh oh…. 5 on 3. Let’s hope that we can kill this off.

What a save by Rick on the penalty kill. Standing ovation, and boy does he deserve it.

OK 5-3. I can’t say this enough, and I think that Hilary Duff even knows this. It is a MUST SCORE. Put them away…

Fantastic save by Henrik on the 5-3, with the help of the post. What a shock, the whistle blew with the puck loose.

What? How the hell was that a penalty on Guerin? Do we need to have a separate penalty book for the Islanders and every other team again? Holding? How about “skating”?

I think Hilary Duff has more screen time than Andy Hilbert tonight.

Great save by Rick on Tyutin from the point.

Less than five minutes in the game and Gome$ still has ZERO points. Anyone still pissed that we didn’t over pay for him?

Lundqvist on the bench. Sutton with the penalty. Gotta take it. You can’t give them the tap in goal.

GAME OVER!!!!!

We’re 3-1. Rags haven’t scored on the PP. Berard scores the game-winning goal in his first official Isles game on the PP. Suck it Rags.