Thanks to everyone who voted in a five day poll on the biggest concern regarding the Islanders:
Lack of balanced scoring 9 (90%)
Special Teams 2 (20%)
Injuries 0 (0%)
Team Defense 0 (0%)
Roster Depth 1 (10%)
Schedule 2 (20%)
New poll will be up shortly.
Blog notables:
* I took down the hand written schedule and instead went with the NHL gadget box that displays an Islander calender with the upcoming games, news and a calender with the games highlighted to add to the scoreboard posted at the top of the page.
* An NHL search engine was added to the page within the last week.
* I am officially cutting out the tags for writers and publications in most instances. Writers and their publications are credited properly in each blog entry anyway and there is just not enough space in the tag feature and the idea is to provide a reference for who the articles are about.
* The fantasy section is up on a trial basis but does a good job with current updates on Islander players. So far I like what I see from it's feeder.
* Problem with a video center is occasionally some non-hockey news will filter into it. If some luxury apartments rented by Islander players filter into it there is not much I can do there.
* As for the latest Q & A from questions hitting the mailbox: nyifancentral@yahoo.com
for those who do not want to respond on the blog or board.
Q: How about Islander fans writing to the publisher of the NY Post that we will boycott the paper because of the lack of coverage of the Islanders. I usually read that paper but I am stopping during the hockey season and reading Newsday.
A: I feel your pain and agree completely. I have suggested the same thing and have not purchased a single New York Post and all you can do is vote with your wallet and demand change which I have done.
It's insulting the Devils and Rangers get full daily coverage in that paper while Dan Martin does small articles on days his PSAL beat does not get in the way. Mr Martin works where his editor tells him to but since Evan Grossman left for the NHL a full time replacement has not been found nor does the Post seem interested in bothering to find one. Part of what I do here is hold the media under the spotlight but I cannot do it every single day. No excuse for the Post not assigning a full time daily beat writer (home and road games) and a blogger for their publication.
Q: Are there any bars where Isles fans meet up before games at the garden?
A: I'm not really sure if there is a select meeting place, but given a strong Islander fan turnout at Msg, I'm sure there are several. I do not want to mislead you here and give you a specific place because I could be wrong and that would not be fair to you. The recent Msg games I have gone to have been directly from work or home.
Finally, I received an e-mail today asking me to be a guest Saturday on an excellent local hockey radio show called Hockey Night on Long Island here which got a write up in Newsday with Neil Best recently here hosted by Alex Silverman and Steve Grill.
Unfortunately I am not going to be around tomorrow afternoon. My thanks to Alex and Steve for their very kind invitation and keep up the great work. I do think you have touched upon something badly needed in the New York Islander Fan Community. I have listed to this show, called in once and they do an outstanding job discussing Islander Hockey.
Hockey Night on Long Island is one of the few featured feeds at New York Islander Fan Central along with an outstanding blog called Tom Liodice's Tiger Tracks and Islanders Esoteric which is an excellent stat and information blog. Our message board features game threads and Mr Prospects, who does an outstanding job providing prospect updates.