Isles honor my mom, win big

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)

Higgins still goaless for NYR

Through 11 games this season, new Rangers forward Chris Higgins is still scoreless. Though this blog is mainly about the Islanders, I will write about things pertaining to Long Island hockey and since Higgins hails from Smithtown on Long Island, it's worth a mention that he has not scored with his new team, yet.

He has registered two assists thus far, but he is barely noticeable. So much so, that Rangers coach John Tortorella dropped Higgins to a lower line last week. He's in a new setting, closer to home, on a better team. There aren't many excuses for the fifth-year vet. He averaged 20 goals or more in his first three seasons and scored 12 last year, but missed most of the season with a shoulder injury.

On Wednesday, the Rangers will play the Islanders at the Coliseum. Maybe a trip further east will do the Long Island native some good.

Isles go digital with programs

Like many sports affiliated organizations as of late, the Islanders have gone completely digital with their game programs. It's a cost cutting move that has the old school fans flustered.

For those who can actually use a computer, it's unique. You can turn the pages of the digital program and it's laid out just like the old programs. If you happen to go to the Coliseum anytime soon, there are still a few of the last printed programs laying around. It's the May/June edition that has photo features from the 2008-09 season. Normally they are $5, but these are free. I grabbed a few the other night - could be a collectors item when the team is playing in Kansas.

The digitalization is not a bad move - it makes the team look smart for a change. Now if they can just win a game.

Wang, Lighthouse still on

Charles Wang has not made up his mind yet - as many expected would be the case after Nassau County abused the October 3 deadline he set for the Lighthouse Project.

He released a statement yesterday that explained his current situation with the project. The statement came as a result from an article that appeared in the less than glamorous Long Island Press about Wang's plan to abandon the project altogether.

“Yesterday’s report on the Lighthouse Project which appeared in the Long Island Press is untrue. There are no plans to abandon this project which is so vital to the future of Nassau County and Long Island as a whole," he said. "As far as the status of the Lighthouse project, we have submitted to The Town of Hempstead and Supervisor Kate Murray all the studies and required documents. A lease has been negotiated. Supervisor Murray and the Town Board need to make a decision on the zoning."

Furthermore, Wang said, "Long Island stands in this defining moment waiting for an answer. Yes or no. Moving forward, we will not discuss any meetings in the media. Any reports of meetings should be considered untrue. My heart is still on Long Island. I love Long Island. This is where the Islanders belong. Let's play hockey."

This soap opera song and dance will continue some more - let's up the ending is more happy than dramatic.

Isles to Queens?

It's just a possible situation - the first of many to come over the next month or so- but Charles Wang already has one offer, just days after he told Kate Murray and the Town of Hempstead to pounce off.

The plan, presented by Queens Chamber of Commerce Executive Vice President Jack Friedman, would have the Islanders playing in Willets Point, Queens, close to where the Mets play at Citi Field.

"Option number 1 should be Queens," Friedman told Newsday. "We are ready for him. You're talking about a property that has access to the Long Island railroad, the subway system, the airports. It already has a huge parking lot because of Citi Field. It already has the parkway access. It's so ready for a development like this. The Lighthouse project would be a perfect fit.""

Friedman believes a potential new home for the Islanders would fit perfectly as a centerpiece in the city's plans for the Willets Point area, he told Newsday. If the plan was accepted - which is a longshot right now based on the entire situation, which is turning out to be a debacle - then it would not have an official ground-breaking for a few years. This is fine since the Islanders have a lease agreement at the Nassau Coliseum until 2015 anyway.

The positives are that fans from Suffolk County still have about a 45 minute drive to see the Islanders - it's just straight down the LIE, instead of taking Northern State to the Meadowbrook to Hempstead Turnpike. It's also nice for Mets and Islanders fans to house both of their teams in a similar area, like many other cities do. If only the New York Jets played in New York - that's an entirely different story, for an entirely different blog.

(Photo on StadiumPage.com - shows a revitalization shot of Willets Point with Citi Field on the left and a fictional stadium for possibly hockey on the right)

Isles opener a thrilling contest

It's only Game 1 and it resulted in a loss, but the Islanders put on a good show for opening night at the Coliseum.

John Tavares had a heck of a debut, scoring his first career NHL goal and recording his first assist. He also missed a key breakaway, flubbed a shot in the sudden death shootout and whiffed on two shots from the left flank on power play situations. The good thing is that he was able to get himself in those situations and through time, he'll make good on those opportunities.

The crowd was electric - more so than any other regular season game at the Coliseum in the last five years. That was expected.

As for the game, no one was expecting the Islanders to pull out a win, but for most of the contest- all while surprisingly being out shot - it seemed like they were going to prevail. But just when the win started to sink in, with 3:45 left the Penguins scored to tie it at 3. And so it goes, the Islanders will have a long season as always. It might not be as bad as last year, but don't expect fireworks.

On a positive note, Kyle Okposo looked great - no signs of a concussion from two weeks ago. The team's physicality was remarkable, especially after many ripped the organization for not going after tough guys in the off-season. There were two fights, two scrums that were almost fights and numerous big hits from Islanders.

During the game I got an email from the organization saying weekend game tickets are buy one, get one free for the first half of the season (Only if you received this special email). I don't know if that's a good thing to see, or not, but if every game was like last night's I'll be happy.

The Lighthouse

Charles Wang announced that he'll be looking into other options for the Islanders, officially after not hearing by the October 3 deadline about the Lighthouse Project. Town of Hempstead Supervisor Kate Murray said she will be having a discussion with Wang on Monday afternoon to talk about amending the proposed plan. Wang was not happy and 2015 could be the last year of the Islanders if something doesn't change drastically.

Opening night, deadlines loom

Tomorrow is the deadline for Charles Wang's Lighthouse project - which just so happens to be the opening game of the 2009-10 season for the Islanders. It's day that could possibly live in infamy for Isles fans. Only time will tell.

A day after a lease was announced that will keep the Islanders at the Nassau Coliseum until 2030, Islanders fans and Long Island enthusiasts are anxious to see what will happen by tomorrow. Will the Town of Hempstead wake up and come to an agreement with Wang? Will Wang become angered and do something drastic if Kate Murray says the Town is not interested in the Lighthouse?

Here are some key points about the deadline and what Wang may or may not do:

-He could sell the team, but the Islanders would have to remain at the Coliseum until 2015, the year the current lease expires.

-He could move the team after 2015. According to Newsday, he has about eight offers to house the team from places like Queens, Brooklyn and Kansas to Hartford and Hamilton, Ontario.

-He could take a punch to the gut, do absolutely nothing and wait for the Town to make any sort of decision.

Stay tuned for a weekend post about opening night on Saturday against the Penguins. It should be a fun time - win or lose.

Long Island's Scuderi brings Cup home

This might be old news, but since the Thin Ice blog did not exist over the summer when this occurred, I felt it would be good to mention ...

Rob Scuderi became the first Long Island native to bring the Stanley Cup to the island and have his name engraved on the trophy. It was raised at the Coliseum when the Islanders won in the early 1980s, but this was unparalleled when Scuderi, who hails from Syosset and attended St. Anthony's High School in South Huntington, brought the Cup all over the island, including Newbridge Park in Bellmore, where he played recreationally.

"We'd have three-minute shifts, then the buzzer would sound and that was the end of the shift -- even if you were on a breakaway," he told Newsday in July. "This is where I'm from, where I started playing hockey. I wanted to bring it back here."

Scuderi won the Cup with Pittsburgh last season, but signed with the Los Angeles Kings this past off-season.

Hockey in KC - not a good idea

It was only a pre-season game, but by the looks of the crowd in Kansas City last night when the Islanders came to town, the 9,000-plus fans in attendance is a good benchmark for what it would be like in the regular season.

Ironically, the Coliseum looked awfully similar last season and by mid-season this year, will probably look the same. On a day when Islanders fans stormed the Adams Playhouse at Hofstra University to support their team and the Lighthouse initiative, the Isles were hundreds of miles away losing to the Kings, 4-2, in a foreign land.

A few days earlier the Islanders were in Saskatchewan - also far and foreign to Long Islanders. Let's hope that's the last time the Isles play in K.C. - aside from pre-season tune-up contests.

Murray gives Wang mandates for Lighthouse

In possibly her best move yet, Town of Hempstead Supervisor Kate Murray gave Islanders owner Charles Wang a list of mandates regarding the Lighthouse situation.

Last Friday, she sent him a letter saying she does not care for the October 3rd deadline, which Wang set. "As is always the case in town board decision-making, getting it done right is more important than getting it done fast," Murray told Newsday.

The mandates are:

-Making sure the Islanders play only at the Nassau Coliseum

-Prohibits Wang from seeking tax abatements, which affect the millions of dollars in taxes the project would generate

-Wang has to employ local workers and pay them prevailing wages

-Wang can not sell his development rights after winning zoning approval

Although many have painted a picture of Murray being the bad person in this mess, after stating these mandates, she clearly grabbed the hearts of Islanders fans by making sure the team stays on the island and that the initiative favors the needs of Long Island and its citizens.

(Photo Courtesy NYI)