Tag: New York Islanders

One Liners Part II

~ Dave Ettinger ~ Leave a comment

“So Long, Farewell, Auf Wiedersehen, Goodbye”….Bye bye Mr. Tebow, it was absolutely no fun while it lasted (enjoy the Arena League).

I’m glad to see Dwight Howard has made strides toward maturity at the ripe old age of 27.

J.R. Smith should team up with Dwight to teach immature youth groups.

Trivia Question: Which takes longer, the NFL Draft or the first round of the NBA playoffs?

Well, the Milwaukee Bucks are good.

The Miami Heat are so good they are resting players during the playoffs!!

No, hell has not frozen over, the New York Islanders are IN the NHL playoffs.

UFC fans are happier than a kid on Christmas morning that Jon Jones put a whoopin’ on Chael Sonnen.

That last one makes me pretty happy too.

Jones’ new nickname has officially been changed to Jon ‘Broken Bones’ Jones.

Did you see his toe after his fight on Saturday?

That’s what you call a BROKEN toe.

If you haven’t seen it yet, click here and scroll down (WARNING, this picture is graphic and may not be suitable for everyone): http://m.bleacherreport.com/articles/1621382-ufc-159-results-heres-that-photo-of-jon-jones-broken-toe

How bout dem’ Yankees!

On a serious note: What a special moment it is for football players to be drafted into the NFL.

Especially for D.J. Hayden, with his miraculous recovery from life threatening surgery to NFL player in just 5 short months.

On another serious note: Congratulations to Jason Collins for becoming the first openly gay athlete in professional sports.

It was only a matter of time, and now maybe we’ll see a breakthrough for humanity in sports.

Seriously though, the Jets should start Mark Sanchez this season.

Or they can pickup Tim Tebow in free agency to be their running back (I hear he’s available now).

Apparently David Price is the only person on the planet that didn’t know that baseball umpires have potty mouths.

I’m about as excited for the NHL playoffs as I am for my grandma’s bridge game this Saturday.

I enjoyed Floyd Mayweather much better when he was in the hole.

Some one go tell him he’s not the best boxer ever, he’ll assault you, and then we won’t have to listen to him talk.

The Boston Celtics are old.

You know what would have been funny on draft day is if some one prank called Manti Te’o and told him he got drafted to the Lingerie Football League (I’m pretty sure he would have fallen for it).

If you enjoy my writing, follow me over to intheneutralzone.com where I am a contributing author there as well. Also you can follow me on twitter @DaveEttinger2 or like me on Facebook at http://www.Facebook.com/DaveTalksSports. Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it!

Chalk One Up For The Bad Guys

~ Dave Ettinger ~ 2 Comments

I was right about the overtime part, but I was slightly off on which team was going to win. As expected, the New York Rangers vs. the New York Islanders game did not disappoint. The Islanders jumped out to a lead in the 1st period by grabbing the first goal of the game. After a scoreless 2nd period, the Islanders (in true Islanders fashion) blew the game by giving up a goal with just under 6 minutes to play. The game headed to overtime, and guess what happened? Yup, you got it, the Islanders gave up a goal in the first minute of overtime. Good try, and better luck next time. The Islanders did gain a point in the process, but as they sit they really need to take advantage of every opportunity possible. Last night was one of those opportunities that they blew. It’s as simple as that. Evgeni Nabakov played a great game saving the first 31 shots he saw on goal. However, late in the 3rd period Rick Nash came up with a goal to push the game to overtime. Early in the overtime period, Michael Grabner was called for a hooking penalty. It was on the ensuing power play that the Rangers scored the game winning goal. This was a tough loss for the Islanders, but they will have a day off Friday to try to collect themselves. Saturday afternoon they will get back to action at home against the Washington Capitals. The Rangers on the other hand have a home game Friday night at 7:00 P.M. against the Ottawa Senators.

If you enjoy my writing, follow me over to intheneutralzone.com where I am a contributing author there as well. Also you can follow me on twitter @DaveEttinger2 or like me on Facebook at http://www.Facebook.com/DaveTalksSports. Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it!

How Bout ‘Dem Islanders

~ Dave Ettinger ~ Leave a comment

Tuesday was a great night for New York hockey.  The New York Islanders defeated the Montreal Canadiens by a score of 6-3, while the New York Rangers took down the Philadelphia Flyers 4-2.  With the win by the Rangers, they have slipped into the 8th and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.  The win by the Islanders brings them within 2 points of that same playoff spot.  As for the Rangers game, they jumped out to a very early lead scoring a goal in the first minute and a half.  The flyers bounced back with 2 goals of their own, but before the end of the 1st period the score was tied 2-2.  After a scoreless 2nd period, Rick Nash scored both of his goals in the 3rd period to seal the victory.  Henrik Lundqvist played a nice game saving 23 of 25 total shots on goal.  The stars of the game for the Rangers were Rick Nash and Ryan Callahan.  Nash finished the game with 2 goals as Callahan added 2 goals and an assist.  I feel that the Rangers are definitely going to make the playoffs this season.  They are too talented of a hockey team to be watching the playoffs from the coach.

Now the Islanders had a tough match-up last night against the 1st place Montreal Canadiens.  It was a quiet 1st period where the Canadiens came away with one goal.  On the other hand, the 2nd and 3rd periods saw a bit more action.  In the 2nd period the Islanders scored 3 straight goals in a span of 11 minutes.  The Canadiens answered back with one goal to bring the score to 3-2 (Islanders) at the end of the 2nd period.  When the Canadiens tied the game at 3 I started thinking, oh no here come the Islanders I’ve grown accustom to.  But I must admit I was wrong.  Maybe this team of young talent is showing us, right in front of our eyes, the potential this franchise will have for years to come.  The Islanders stormed back and scored 3 unanswered goals and won the game 6-3.  I really want to believe in my heart that they are going to make the playoffs too, but if I’m going to put them in the playoffs I would have to take someone else out.  Out of the teams that are currently in the playoff picture in the East, I could see the Islanders catching the New Jersey Devils.  The Devils have lost 6 games in a row and 8 of their last 9, and I don’t see a sign of them turning their season around anytime soon.  They have a lot of games left against the top teams in the Eastern Conference and the way they look right now, they can’t beat anybody.  The final game of the season at the Rangers could prove to be the difference in their (the Devils) season (way to go NHL with your scheduling skills!!).

Can’t wait to catch the Rangers and Islanders in action for their next game?  Well, you won’t have to wait long, and you’ll be able to find them in the same place.  The Rangers come to Nassau Coliseum this Thursday night at 7:00 P.M to take on the Islanders.  Let the rivalry continue.  The season is hitting its stride, and I think this game will live up to its expectations.  I like the Islanders to win in an overtime thriller 5-4.

 

If you enjoy my writing, follow me over to intheneutralzone.com where I am a contributing author there as well.  Also you can follow me on twitter @DaveEttinger2 or like me on Facebook at http://www.Facebook.com/DaveTalksSports.  Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it!

You gotta fight..for your right..to fiiiiggghht!!(Thanks Beastie Boys)

~ Dave Ettinger ~ Leave a comment

Hey hockey fans don’t worry, I didn’t forget about you. Everyone I talk to is excited to have hockey back, and I don’t blame them. The Chicago Blackhawks have started out on fire winning 10 out of their first 13 games, as they are still the only undefeated team in regulation left in the NHL. The New Jersey Devils have also gotten off to a nice start this season as they head up the Eastern Conference. And as usual, My Islanders are hanging out in the bottom of the barrel(there’s always next year). On a serious note, Islanders fans may have something to get excited about. They will be moving to Brooklyn after the 2014-2015 season. This move should give the New York franchise a badly needed fresh start. The Nets of the NBA can tell them how nice it is to call Brooklyn home. Personally, I haven’t been to The Barclays Center, but everyone can’t get over the awesome atmosphere inside the arena. This move should also help attract talented free agents. Another headline early on in the season is the Stanley Cup Champion Los Angeles Kings getting off to an extremely slow start. They have played 8 of their first 11 games on the road, so they shouldn’t be as worried as their fans are.

The story grabbing all the headlines so far in the NHL is the same issue plaguing the NFL. Of course I am talking about player safety. Hockey like football is a very physical sport, however hockey is not a violent sport by nature. Some of you, if you could see me, would probably be looking at me like I have 4 heads. Hear me out now. Fighting in hockey is a tradition. It is as much a part of the game as line changes or shoot outs. Let me be the first to say that I would stop watching hockey entirely if they banned fighting. Fighting in hockey serves a purpose. It’s not just there for the sheer entertainment of the fans(even though it is a huge part of the attraction for casual hockey fans). See, it’s kind of like a retaliation pitch in baseball. When a baseball player shows up an opposing team or player, they get thrown at in their next at bat. When done respectfully and not done out of anger, it accomplishes something important. It’s the same in hockey. This tactic is used when an opposing player does something uncalled for or out of line(in layman’s terms: when you do something dumb you get punched). This solves problems quickly, and it can be part of a teams strategy. Fighters and instigators also have their own place on NHL rosters. A fighting ban would certainly put some NHL players out of work. These guys simply make a living playing that role. It is the same as a defender or rebounder in the NBA who lacks offensive skills. A prime example is Dennis Rodman. He played to his strengths and filled an important role for his team. There are guys just like that in the NHL. Their only role is to rough people up, retaliate, or instigate. To take fighting out of hockey would be like taking charges out of basketball, it would change the culture of the sport.

When NHL players were asked about this issue, 97% of them said they’re against banning fighting. That is an astonishingly high number! I also guarantee you that if you polled hockey fans, at least 95% of them would want to keep fighting in hockey as well. I understand that player safety is a real issue that every sport should take seriously, but this is not the right issue to take a stand.

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