Fri 7:49 am: Quotes from post game from Hamonic and Matt Donovan later today as we wind down the season.
Yep, fresh page. Figured, why not.

The Coliseum is empty except for the zamboni and a few workers making final preparations.

Art Staple is pacing the tunnel on his cell phone and there is a sound check going on. I'm early. Earlier than I have ever been this entire season. Took the day off for personal affairs that annoyed me and now -- the last Isles home game of the season. I'll say could this day get any worse, but I'm affraid it can.

Art will give the "Good Guy award" Which I assume is whomever is the nicest to the media. I'll say Matt Moulson will win it or it will be JT. Matty Marts already got an award this week, so....

Steve Staios is playing in his 1000 game and is looking for another year. Hope you like him.

Let's go see what the meal is tonight.


Full Buffet and an NHL Official's birthday party. It's also the last home game of Katrina Doell, the Islander Media Director for the past two seasons and a very good friend of mine. It's a sad night on all fronts.

Saw CJ Papa in the hallway. We chatted a bit about how close they could have been to a post season this year. It's just a shame.

Well, also had a great conversation with Joe Bondi, Knight of Cups down on the lower lobby. I have a perfect quote from him. When I told him that I was getting a lot of grief from readers on certain places about "Drinking the Kool-aide" he said "You know -- that Kool-aide comes in two flavors and the one they drink is very bitter."

YES!!! Mine is cherry. It mixes well with vodka. BOO YAH!

Knew Matt Mouslon would be the recipient of the media Good Guy award. Just wish they had polled us bloggers as well. would have been nice.

Game under way after a lovely little ceremony for Steve Staios to which the GM was booed. Not nice and not called for either. silly doodles.


To go along with his award, Matt Moulson scored his 36th goal of the season. Sooooo close to 40~
With Chris Mason out of his crease and sprawled, Kyle Okposo scores his 22nd of the season frm one knee giving the Isles a 2 - 0 lead.

At 9:42 of the first, on a turn-over by "Islander of the Year" John Tavares, the Isles gave one back as Montoya was beat by Cormier as if he wasn't even there. Make that Enstrom with the goal if you're keeping score.

Okay, all tied up at two and I made the mistake of leaving the press box again. Concourse was packed, so much so, I was getting a little nervous.

So, what's this new thing with Hockey Jerseys? You wear whatever you own now to a hockey game and not just the teams that are playing? Downstairs I saw, BlackHawks, Leafs, Rangers, Jets and Isles. Odd to me.

Okay, both Mark Streit and Blake Wheeler are in the box as the teams skate 4 on 4 early in the second.

Wheeler gets four minutes and while he is in the box, PA Parenteau skates in on Mason and is pulled down by Stuart and rides on his back awkwardly all the way to the boards. He can't get up. He is helped off the ice and the crowd boos the refs who called nothing on the play.

To placate the fans who are relentless, Evander Kane is called for hooking and the Isles are on the power play and Nino is finally on the power play!

With the power play over and Maxon out of his crease again, Kyle Okposo scores his second of the game giving the Isles a 3 - 2 lead at 8:41 of the second.

Shots on goal are now 17 - 16 in favor of the Isles and the board announced the Draft Party will be Friday June 22nd. Cirlce your calendars people.

As I expected, the Jets tie it at three. I asked Timo Seppa from www.hockeyprospectus.com if it was Matt Donovan's fault for being in the crease and he said it was a multitude of errors including "Thorburn, who is slightly more than a fighter left Staios' jock on the ice and then Donovan slid into the crease." And -- I laughed.

Michael Grabner scores on the penalty shot to make it 4 - 3 and not more than two seconds later (okay, maybe a little more) Big Buff scores from almost the blue line to even it up again at four. He's got one hell of a shot that went right past Montoya's left shoulder.

Jurcina to the box for holding on Antropov (who was lucky the way he was taken down.)

With 46 seconds left of the third, Michael Grabner redirects a Hamonic shot into the net to give the Isles the 5 - 4 lead.

With 25 seconds left, it looks like my full-moon thursday prediction will be wrong.

Isles win

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