For the second game in a row, the Islanders have made me sick to my stomach.
Pretty hard to do considering the fact that as a child, I’d watch Faces of Death while eating ice cream.
Nothing like cookies and cream and monkeys getting their brains bashed in if you ask me.
Last night’s game however, proved to be much more than disgusting; it was pitiful.
After Bill Guerin scored and looked down, it was obvious- even after being traded away a few weeks ago, for a paltry fifth round pick, he felt bad for his former team.
Six unanswered goals is hard to stomach and especially considering how hard the team came out in the first period.
What is even tougher to understand is how bad the Islanders powerplay was. Spoiling two separate five on three opportunities, the Islanders powerplay needs some serious work. However, with all the injuries the Islanders have dealt with as of late, what did you expect.
Even Islanders coach Scott Gordon knows his team will going to have a rough time competing the rest of the season.
“Right now, in our lineup, we don’t have a lot of firepower,†Gordon told the AP after the game. “I think we hit four posts during the course of the game. It’s not going to come as a surprise that the puck is not going to go in as easy as it would for some teams.â€
In other news, the Islanders signed 2007 third-round pick Mark Katic and 2008 sixth round pick Justin DiBenedetto to three-year, entry-level contracts.
Katic is coming off his best season in juniors producing more than solid numbers of 13 goals, 41 assists and 54 points in 63 games. With Chris Campoli gone to Ottawa, Katic will first have to prove himself in Bridgeport, but will eventually at some point in the future have an opportunity to be the slick skating offensive defenseman the Islanders will need in the future to compliment Mark Streit.
Scoring 45 goals and 48 assists in 62 games with Sarnia this season, DiBenedetto proved he could still put up big numbers without Steven Stamkos around and with the team in need of young and talented forwards, DiBenedetto not only makes the organization deeper at the position, but he could challenge for significant time in Bridgeport next season.
If the injury bug takes over again next season, who knows, we may see both of these kids.
For time being however, they have both been assigned to Bridgeport.
Posted under 2008-2009, Post Game Rants
This post was written by Patrick Hickey, Jr. on April 10, 2009

Anyone that watches or listens to Howard Stern remembers a few years ago when former professional wrestler The Iron Shiek came on the show and bugged out, saying that he would make Paul Blair, a member of the Killer Bees, a pretty successful tag team during the 80s, “humble” for thinking he was a big shot and of course, for tampering with his cocaine.
Goddamn it, I love being right.
Yann Danis is a golden god. I’m not just saying that because I’m dead sick with the flu and have watched “Almost Famous†three times in the past two days.
Just after playing one of their most complete efforts of the season in their last game, the Islanders managed to get away with playing great hockey for just 20 minutes, scoring three goals in the second period in a 3-1 win.