It was a perfect night at the Nassau Coliseum. I celebrated my birthday, the Islanders beat the Rangers and my mother was honored during a ceremony in the first period.About six weeks ago, I submitted my mom Annmarie's cancer-survivor story to the Islanders for a program they were running. She beat leukemia better than the Islanders could ever beat the Rangers. The best stories were selected and the survivors were honored last night at the 14-minute mark of the first period. It just so happened to be a game against the hated Rangers and fell on my birthday - making it a great time. There were about 10 guests, who stood where the zambonis enter and exit the ice, and waved at the camera as their names and hometowns were said over the loudspeaker. It was nice.
But, with the Islanders owning a less-than-stellar record thus far, the prospects of winning the game were slim. Things started gloomy in the first period when "Lets Go Rangers!" chants echoed through the bowels of the decrepit mausoleum.
The hits were good, the crowd intensity seemed acceptable - even with Game 1 of the World Series going on at the same time - and by the end of the second period the Islanders had a 2-1 lead. Lead, however, doesn't seem to be a word in the Islanders vocabulary because they regularly let up any inkling of winning in the third period.
The new Golden Boy, John Tavares, scored one of the biggest goals in his young career, giving the Islanders insurance and a 3-1 advantage with minutes remaining. As the seconds ticked away on the clock and Rangers fans everywhere bowed their heads in shame, the night turned out to be magnificent.
(Photo: Myself (l.), mom Annmarie and brother Bryan)
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