The Stadium series spectacle has now come and gone and despite their best effort the Islanders came up on the short end of a 2-1 defeat at the hands of their rivals; the New York Rangers. The biggest story of this game was the intense frigid temperatures and wind that drastically change the way a NHL hockey game should appear. The experience of the Stadium Series game was fantastic. The atmosphere was electric and I can honestly say I thoroughly enjoyed myself and I am certainly glad I was able to attend the game. I was surrounded by a great group of fans supporting both sides and the back and forth banter was awesome. Actually both fanbases did come together for one brief moment and that was to let performer Cee Lo Green know that he wasn’t very good.
With all of this being said, I am perfectly fine with the Islanders not partaking in an outdoor game anytime soon. The ice was horrendous. Couple that with the conditions and this simply did not look like a NHL game. It resembled a Junior B or High School game at times. There was no speed, there was no east to west play, there was zero physicality; the game that we love as fans was nowhere to be found.
Also from a fan experience you couldn’t hear the game. This may sound weird but picture yourself at a hockey game and now close your eyes. The game we love is as much about sound as it is sight. The skate blades cutting into the ice, the sound of a tape to tape pass, the clank of a puck striking a crossbar or players crashing into the boards. The game is as much about what you hear and not having any of that made for a weird night.
I’m not complaining about the experience at all. I wish the Islanders would have won the game but it is even hard to break down the game when it looked so foreign from what we are accustomed to seeing. I had an amazing fan experience last night; one that I’m happy I was able to partake in. Now that the outdoor game is behind us; I’m perfectly fine if we don’t have to play in it anytime soon.
As for the game itself I thought Evgeni Nabokov looked sharp in his return to the lineup and I think we would all agree that he clearly gives the Islanders the best chance to win on a nightly basis. The Isles now need to put this game behind them as they have the Rangers again tomorrow night in the “world’s most famous arena;… Madison Square Garden. The Islanders backs are up against it now. The playoffs are quickly becoming a pipe dream and if they have any hope of making it a reality they need to win the next four games before the Olympic break.