"Going into an Islanders vs. Devils pre-season game, I knew it was going to be boring, but I didn’t think the Islanders were going to be sleepwalking through it.” -- A fan, post game.
‘You had a bunch of fans there who traveled to see you, and you did nothing to excite them. No fights, hardly any hitting and no heart!” There were shots on net, but there were no real scoring chances. They were weak shots. Nabokov seemed a bit rusty and the team was a little slow. Schneider left some juicy rebounds that no one was getting to.
Power plays “I didn’t even know we were on a power play. They spent so much time in their own zone.” “They gave us nothing exciting.” Ouch.
Jack Capuano said all that needed to be said about the actual GAME in his post game report to the media, if you haven't seen it, here it is:
So yes, the game was second to the spectacle of being at the Barclays Center for the first time. Those over 14,000 people came to see the Isles new home.
Some fans who bought tickets in the lower bowl said there were some blind spots where you’d lose sight of the play. There seems to be a little more distortion with this plexi glass than in some other arenas in the lower bowl. The sight lines are much better higher up. However, the acoustics are great. Paul Cartier, who played the grand organ from the Coliseum for the first time in it’s future home. “It sounds amazing in here.” Paul said to me from his perch overlooking the ice in the lobby. It did.
The off-center scoreboard didn’t matter to many patrons from their seats, and it looked beautiful from the Honda Club by Section 115, where the press box is set up for now.
The food choices are vast and interesting. The line for the Elbow Room mac & cheese at $8 - $10 a bowl was the longest I noticed. The one Brooklyn Pizza stand didn’t look like any Brooklyn pizza I have ever had or grown to love. It was $6 for a regular slice and $6.75 for a 5” square Sicilian style but where the mozzarella was under the sauce.
I stopped one man who was taking a big bite out of his slice to ask if it was ‘true Brooklyn.’ “Yeah, it’s good, but not as good as the one I have around the block from my house. I can get a whole pie for $9.75 there.” He smiled.
Yeah, the prices are arena prices with Junior’s Cheesecake surprising me the most at a $9.75 per slice warning. I can get an entire cheese Danish ring from one of the best bakeries I know for that price. Not a ‘slice.’
Starbucks coffee has their own stand and there is an Espresso stand that also drew a crowd. One Islander fan said the sausage and peppers were ‘really, really good’ as we both watched the Devils score their third goal for the evening on a monitor on the concourse.
The Nachos are a good bargain, but the cocktails are not. $12.75 for a mixed drink, and $11 for a 5 oz wine (that wasn’t even a great brand.) Beer prices are average to other arenas and make you want to cry when they get knocked over by someone trying to get to their seat next to you.
I will say the catering company the Barclays uses for the media meal was incredible. The presentation and taste of the press meal last night was five star quality. Although when they broke down the coffee and soda station by 8 pm I was very sad. Although I probably would have been up until Tuesday had I had yet another cup of Starbucks regular coffee. The one I had at 7 pm kept me up until 3 am this morning. But I’m a sucker for coffee and had to actually fight myself to not purchase an espresso from that stand!
I didn’t check out the sushi cart. You could not see the display from the front, only from the top and I didn’t get very close to it. The sandwiches by Fresh by Scotto looked fabulous and many stands were selling the famous Brooklyn Black & White Cookie and something called a ‘Stinky” Rice Crispy something. I didn’t ask.
While the corridors are wide and gleaming, there were still lines for the ladies room that spilled into them. This must be something we just have to accept no matter what arena we are in. Face it -- Women love hockey.
Will all these people who ventured out last night return? Certainly they will. Will they return with any regularity? Yes. If the team is winning, that building will be overflowing with Islanders fans from far and wide. Should they not put the effort in on the ice, it will be just as cold and empty as the Nassau Coliseum on a Tuesday in February in a snow storm.
Winning fixes everything -- Including a 90 minute ride on a crowded LIRR train.
Here are photos from last night and I'd like to urge you to check out Mark Herrmann's article in Newsday today as well as Brad Kurtzberg's article for Inside Hockey. Both excellent reads for a beautiful Sunday morning.
Note: Kyle Okposo's stick to the eye luckily only earned him a few stiches and a black eye. It could have been far worse.
New York Islanders Blogger • 
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