Some quick pre-game hits

New York Islander Fan Central | 1/16/2008 06:57:00 PM | | | | |
Took a quick look at the blog stats yesterday morning and figured someone posted my blog somewhere or the radio appearance with Alex and Steve Saturday got some folks interested?

I'm kind of lazy in terms going to the bottom of the page and looking because it is just is not a big deal to me personally.

Half way down I get caught up reading the articles from all the feeders too and just get distracted and forget.

Of course I figured out what happened. Today I found record numbers for hits and first time visitors but not returning visitors so I guess a lot of first time visitors read the update from the Islanders.

What more can I write but thanks again to the Isles for the kind words about the blog and another unexpected plug which I'm losing count of because they have been so kind about doing this out of nowhere.

To answer a question I got by e-mail yes, it's a surprise to read something and see your name and work listed. I did a quick double-take like it was a mistake or something? Nope.

Maybe I'm wrong on this but I thought the Isles had fourteen bloggers but I only saw thirteen? I have looked at the other excellent blogs at times, but only a few on a regular basis like Tom Liodice Tiger Tracks because his game breakdowns are so good they make you feel you are at the game and that's a talent that cannot be taught and one I do not have.

Fourteen/Thirteen?

I guess they forgot to cut my blog from the list.
Tomorrow's another day.....LOL

Kind of a quiet day unless you want to count former Islander cup winner Paul Boutilier announcing he will resign from his positions as Executive Director of the World Curling Tour (WCT) and President of the World Curling Players' Association.

Justin Bourne's callup was in the Ct Post blog with his recall a day or so.

Mark Herrmann: Has a quick blog praising Jiggs McDonald and the quality of the NY hockey telecasts, a fight he saw in Bridgeport with Kip Brennan and Versus not available in the Coliseum pressbox.

NYI Fan Central Comments:
Mixed feelings on this. Forgetting the people involved and how much I love Jiggs McDonald calling Islander games whenever he can and Howie Rose quality work my
thoughts on this is the baseball radio person should have taken his time off in April because the hockey television job in the middle of the season is more important and there is only two people to call televised hockey games while the Mets are currently looking for another radio person to work with Howie Rose.

Sure if it was not Jiggs McDonald coming in to call games I would be more outspoken about it. Amazing how often I read he's at games before he goes on trips with the team so he's preparred. He even went to Moncton to prepare for games he never even got a chance to call when the Mets missed the playoffs.

I'm glad Mark Herrmann took the time to tell us the Coliseum press box does not carry Versus which is a little surprising but it helps us as fans when we read how a writer would see something as we would from television or a seat in the pressbox. Having written that I watched the first period again today and for the lack of shots credited the Isles did work hard and generated chances which is not how Mr Herrmann's work read, perhaps that's why?

Also curious a few of Mr Logan's articles recently have not had a single quote like they are written during the game, I don't know. I wish he would take the time to tell us because it's kind of rare but something you notice because it's different.

Mr Logan's second article has the quotes, like I wrote it's only been a few times.

Mark Herrmann got it right on Kip Brennan's fight, I watched it again.

Ct Post: Michael Fornabaio pointed out what anyone who follows the AHL and the Sound Tigers already know, they are at a point where the odds do not favor a playoff spot and had a graph to illustrate why.

Along those lines:
Some time next week or around the break I'm going to do one of my favorite features which is to project out the schedule and how many points the Isles will get. Most of the time I have not done badly, but I try and get the Isles to ninety two points based on the schedule and the trends.

Not going to be easy folks to project this year, the trends of beating Boston and Florida and losing to Ottawa have changed from other years. Washington is 4-0 against Ottawa. The word is parity, I think.

I'll take some good guesses however and we can make fun of how much I could be wrong in the end. I always update it each week regardless to see how well or poorly I'm doing but once I make my picks next week they are final.