Welcome to the NYIslesScene!

A blog by a long time New York Islanders fan who stays true to the fellas wearing orange, white and blue…but thinks the Islanders organization has some shaping up to do.



Islanders 2014-15 Season Mantra

Try not. Do...or do not.

~Yoda


Monday, August 18, 2008

A Real American Idol

As the sun dawns on another week of Olympics, I'm going to take a small break from hockey to extend a somewhat belated tip of the hat to swimmer Michael Phelps, for his incredible feat of winning eight gold medals in one Games- five individual, three relay- surpassing Mark Spitz's record of seven golds in one Olympics.

With the U.S. in a bad situation politically, with so many other sad stories in the sports world - about steroids and betting scandals, premature deaths and dashed hopes- this past week has given us, as Americans and sports fans, something to cheer about. Even if you knew nothing about swimming before Phelps came along, you just had to root for the Baltimore kid with the shy smile and the outgoing talent, the drive and energy that bursts out of him every time he plunges into the pool and chops ahead of everyone else.

The best thing about all of this is that not every race was clear-cut, decisive for him. You had the first relay for the U.S., and Jason Lezak's now-legendary last leg, where he edged out France to give Phelps the second gold of his cache; you had Phelps' last individual race, where he beat out Milorad Cavic of Serbia by just 0.01 of a second, tying Spitz's record. Both of these were instances in which you saw the glimmer of humanity within the iron strength and focus, only to find the unthinkable had happened yet again. Anything could happen, and everything did. They added excitement, drama, disbelief.

Eight gold medals. One Games. It's a feat no one thought could be pulled off, and one that may never be repeated again, at least not for another couple of decades. Congratulations on making history, Michael. Your hometown, your country, and everyone who's been pulling for you throughout this amazing week are all proud of you.

GO USA!

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

AHL Coach of the Year Arrives on the Island

The search for a head coach is over.

After a long interviewing process involving multiple candidates like John Tortarella, Bob Hartley, Gerard Gallant, and Marc Crawford, AHL Coach of the Year Scott Gordon has been named the newest head coach of the Isles, the 14th in franchise history. He coached the Providence Bruins, leading them to a record of 221-141-20-27 over five seasons as head coach, spending eight years in all with the team. He also coached the IHL's Atlanta Knights and Quebec Rafales, and the ECHL's Roanoke Express. A native of Massachusetts, he was a goaltender for Boston College and then the Quebec Nordiques.

The hiring comes after a controversial break with former coach Ted Nolan, who reportedly was at odds with GM Garth Snow's ideas about the direction of the team. In Gordon, Snow hopes and seems to find a young coach with a feel for the younger players on the team, as well as a former goalie who can help out franchise netminder Rick DiPietro. As the only coaching candidate not to have NHL experience, Gordon will have to assert himself quickly behind the bench on the largest stage in North American hockey.

http://www.newsday.com/sports/hockey/islanders/ny-spisles0813,0,3307014.story

http://islanders.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=NewsPage&articleid=379621

Welcome to the Island, Coach Gordon!

Let's Go, Islanders!