Great Dane

Had a free Saturday night in Buenos Aires so there was no better way to spend it than to listen to the Islanders - Stars game from the Old Barn on Hempstead Turnpike in Uniondale. I am sure going to miss the Nassau Coliseum after this last season is over. I worked earlier today and then went out with the team to Recoleta to eat lunch and do a little shopping at the flea market. I was not hungry when we returned to the hotel so I said good night to everyone and retired to the room. Hockey was on the agenda.

Before the game I watched the ESPN special on Travis Hamonic *In The Name Of the Father*. It chronicles his childhood in St. Malo, Manitoba growing up on his family farm and the tragic experience of losing his father at ten years old of a heart attack. He was only 44 years. It hit Travis hard. The family eventually moved to Winnipeg and Travis focused on hockey. He was drafted by the Islanders at 17 years old and then quickly moved up to the NHL level. He said in the piece that "he would give up every game that he has played and every game that he will play to have his Dad see him play one shift and then be able to talk about it afterwards". He was close to his Dad and before every game he takes the time to look up to the rafters on the left side of the arena, because that is where his Dad would always sit to watch him play, and says a little prayer for his father.

What makes the story so special is that Hamonic knew how difficult it was to deal with losing his father at such a young age and he knew that there were other kids out there "in the very same club"...one club that they really do not want to be in. Every home game, win or lose, Hamonic hosts a young child that has lost their father and meets with them after the game to let them know that everything will be alright. He also shares with them his email to let them know that if they ever have to talk to someone that he is there. What a special person. I am proud that he is an Islander and that he is part of this core group. I only hope that one day Travis can skate on the ice with the Stanley Cup over his head. Then he can look up to the rafters on the left side of the arena so his Dad can see his son win a championship. Whether that happens or not, one thing is for sure...Travis already is a winner.

As far as the game goes Chad Johnson started in net after the Boston win. Capuano wanted to play the hot hand. The first period was high energy. The Islanders got on the board first (which has become a trend of late) with a goal from Anders Lee who was just called up from Bridgeport. The kid just seems to have a nose for the net. That was his 11th career goal in only 28 NHL games spread over two seasons.

The Stars tied it and then Nikolay Kulemin (his first of the year and first as an Islander) gave the Islanders a 2-1 lead with a short handed goal. Brock Nelson then extended the lead to 3-1 with his team leading fifth goal of the year. He had not scored since the beginning of the year so it was a good sign going into the second period. Ryan Strome got his seventh assist of the year in his eight games played. He has been quietly having a very good year even though he has not lit the lamp all that much.

The Stars stormed back with three unanswered goals to take a 4-3 lead. Chad Johnson must not have been very sharp. Seems that everything near the net was trickling in. Only a minute or two went by until Lubimir Visnovsky got his first of the year in only second game back from injury. The crowd got loud as the game started to take on the feel of an arena football game.

The first half of the third period was quiet, but the Islanders took a 6-4 lead on two separate rushes that resulted in two Nielsen goals from Grabovski. The Stars would get one back with about five minutes left, but the Islanders hung on with Nielsen getting an empty net goal at the buzzer to seal the 7-5 win. It was the Great Dane's first ever hat trick in the NHL boosting his total to four goals this year. It must have been a great sight seeing all the hats on the ice at the end of the game. One interesting fact is that the Islanders scored seven goals without one single John Tavares point. That is depth my friends.

The win left the Islanders at 6 wins and 12 points in 8 games which leaves them in first place. This is the best start in Islanders history since the last time they won the cup. Even though defensively it was a tough game, the Islanders played well, fought back when they were down and won on home ice. It was a rowdy crowd of over 15,000 that helped the team to the win. Next up in the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday night at the Coliseum. Then it is a grueling five game west coast road trip which will tell us if this team is for real. It was a great dane indeed.