Joensuu injured in Finland

From LighthouseHockey (which probably needs a new name):

<<According to the Ässät official site (h/t Francesca, he suffered an injured hand Saturday and is expected to miss approximately two months. >>

Joensuu's team is middle of the pack in the 14-team Finnish league but Joensuu was tied for 5th in scoring in the league (11-13-24) while banging out 67 penalty minutes. (his teammate, a Penguin draftee from Nova Scotia -- not Sidney Crosby, but Stephen Dixon, is 3rd in league scoring)

More from Lighthouse here: http://www.lighthousehockey.com/2012/11/19/3666946/jesse-joensuu-injured-hand-new-york-islanders-assat

Forever1940 is the nom de plume of Eric Hornick, statistician on Islander home telecasts since January 21, 1982. Visit my blog: NYISkinny.com and follow me on Twitter @ehornick

Niederreiter piling up the points

Had the NHL season started on time, many believed that Nino Niederreiter would have still opened the season with Bridgeport.

With the NHL locked out, there was no decision to make and Niederreiter has been a model of consistency at the AHL level.  The Sound Tigers have played eight games this month, and Nino has at least one point in all of them, going 5-6-11 in the 8 games and is now 9-8-17 in 14 games this season.

David Ullstrom had his second consecutive 2 goal, 1 assist game today, as Bridgeport pounded Providence 6-2.  Anders Nilsson picked up both wins as the Sound Tigers moved into a tie for the AHL league in team wins: 10.

Bridgeport will face the Phantoms in Glens Falls on Wednesday before hosting the Whale (Rangers) on Friday.

 

Forever1940 is the nom de plume of Eric Hornick, statistician on Islander home telecasts since January 21, 1982. Visit my blog: NYISkinny.com and follow me on Twitter @ehornick

DiPietro sit streak reaches 35 days

Rick DiPietro did not play again in today's SC Riessersee game.  It's now been 5 weeks (35 days) since he appeared in his only game.

Of course, as he told the Post's Brett Cyrgalis -- he's healthy.

I wonder if you could get odds in Vegas on whether DiPietro will get in a game before the NHL settles this silly lockout.  SC Riessersee next plays on Tuesday.

 

Forever1940 is the nom de plume of Eric Hornick, statistician on Islander home telecasts since January 21, 1982. Visit my blog: NYISkinny.com and follow me on Twitter @ehornick

DiPietro still can't get in a game

Rick DiPietro denied a report by a German newspaper that he was injured in a text to the Post's Brett Cyrgalis.  http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/islanders/dipietro_not_hurt_in_germany_PSm4PD74691zCABKewZLfN

Perhaps it is time for the follow-up question: why are you not playing?

DiPietro has now not appeared in a game in over a month...including Friday's 5-4 SC Riesersee win over Bietigheim.  Bietigheim is the team Josh Bailey joined and Bailey had a goal and two assists in the game, giving him 5 points in his first two games in Germany.

Forever1940 is the nom de plume of Eric Hornick, statistician on Islander home telecasts since January 21, 1982. Visit my blog: NYISkinny.com and follow me on Twitter @ehornick

8 Isles-Rangers games part of "New York’s Greatest Hockey Rivalries"

With the lockout continuing, MSG has put together a series of 16 regional rivalry games, including 8 Islander-Ranger games.

The series will debut on Monday at 9pm with game 5 of the 1984 Patrick Division Semifinals. Pretty sure Ken Morrow wins this one.  :)

Update: This broadcast utilizes original audio from the Islanders telecast on SportsChannel, with Jiggs and Eddie.

Stan Fischler's memories of that night are here: http://www.msg.com/blogs/stan-fischler/greatest-rivalries--rangers-islanders--april-10--1984.html

I drove home from college to work the SportsChannel telecast that night.  My most vivid memory -- passing Frank Brown -- then of the Daily News in the Coliseum stairwell that led to the press box in the overtime intermission.  I remember asking him who would win-- his response "we both know who SHOULD win" (the Rangers) -- my response "we both know who WILL win" -- 7:56 into overtime, Morrow made sure I wasn't a liar.

Update: Perhaps Dave Maloney said it best on the wrap-up of the game that he recently taped: "That Ranger team was as good a team as I probably played on.  There were so many times when you played the Islanders that you felt you were good enough to win...but you never won.  To me, that was the magic of the Islander franchise. They always found a way to win.  And that night, it happened to be Ken Morrow."

The other Isles-Rangers games in the series:

NY Rangers vs. NY Islanders – December 20, 1985    Denis Potvin Breaks Bobby Orr's Record for Most Points Scored by a Defenseman (Game ends 2-2)

NY Rangers at NY Islanders, Division Semi-Finals, Game 3 – April 9, 1990  Islanders Come Back from 3-1 Deficit to Win on Sutter's 2OT Goal

NY Rangers vs. NY Islanders, Division Semi-Finals, Game 5 – April 13, 1990  Rangers Beat Islanders in Playoff Series For First Time Since '79

NY Rangers vs. NY Islanders – April 2, 1993 -- Islanders Win, Rangers Miss Playoffs, Turgeon Scores 50th Goal

NY Rangers at NY Islanders – March 5, 1994 -- Rangers Win on Long Island for First Time Since '89

NY Rangers vs. NY Islanders – December 3, 2006 --Islanders Win 7-4 at MSG, Viktor Kozlov Scores Four Goals

NY Rangers at NY Islanders – December 2, 2010 --Rangers Win Game 6-5, Gaborik Scores Hat Trick

For the record, the Isles go 4-3-1 in the eight games selected for the series.

Forever1940 is the nom de plume of Eric Hornick, statistician on Islander home telecasts since January 21, 1982. Visit my blog: NYISkinny.com and follow me on Twitter @ehornick

It was 33 years ago tonight....

If not for Gary and Donald, there would be hockey tonight at the Coliseum -- in fact the Islanders and Rangers would have met for the first time this season--on the 33rd anniversary of one of their most famous games.

Last year, I started putting together an Isles "40 in 40" series -- maybe someday I'll even finish it.  Moment #26 dealt with this famous game...might we see another game anytime soon?  Who knows ...and I know a lot of people who are now saying...who cares.

But for now...enjoy this helping of Chili.  Double Chili, in fact.

November 13, 1979 -- Double Chili

For nearly 40 years the Islanders and Rangers have been delighting their fans with tremendous games against each other.  Moment #28 already dealt with Pierre Turgeon's 50th goal OT'ing the Rangers at Madison Square Garden, and you know that there will be Islander-Ranger playoffs moments to come later in this series.

However, two regular season games that the teams played in 1979 are remembered by fans of both teams as more than regular season games.

The first was played on February 25, 1979 at Madison Square Garden.  That night a Denis Potvin hip check inspired a chant that remains three decades later.

After the Islanders would clinch first place overall by winning at Madison Square Garden on the final day of the regular season that April, the Rangers upset the Islanders in a classic playoff series, winning game six on Garden ice.  (In some ways, the Isles were lucky to get this series to six games, winning twice in overtime.)

All of that is only background to Moment #25, which would be the first meeting of the teams after that playoff series. The Islanders struggled out of the gate the following season, and were below .500 (5-6-3) when they entertained the Rangers on November 13th. That game would produce two words that Islander fans would always remember: Double Chili.

In those days, the Islanders needed six goals to send their fans to Wendy's the next day for Chili. It didn't start out that way.  Steve Vickers scored first for the Rangers, midway through the first but Billy Harris and Bryan Trottier responded to give the Isles the lead later in the session.  A Don Maloney goal tied the game heading into the first intermission.

The second period though was all Islanders. Trottier scored three minutes in and when Mike Bossy and Denis Potvin scored 12 seconds apart, the rout was on. Wayne Merrick scored the Chili goal 7 1/2 minutes into the period and by the time the session ended Billy Harris (shorthanded) and Stefan Persson had made it 8-2 in favor of the Isles. As it so happens, a Wendy's executive was at the game and over the PA came the famed announcement that if the Isles reached 10 goals it would be Double Chili for all.  All except Phil Esposito, that is, who made an obscene gesture upon hearing the announcement. Midway through the third period, Garry Howatt and Denis Potvin scored 2:50 apart, raising the Isles' total to ten, and the Coliseum scoreboard told the story.

A few years ago, a highlights package was put together on youtube.  The video quality is actually quite good, considering the age.  The highlights are from the MSG broadcast, with the late Jim Gordon and the late Bill Chadwick at the microphones. (Somewhat ironically, the package runs 7:11)

Earlier in the 2011-12 season, the Islanders needed seven games to score ten goals.  In their 10-5 win over the Rangers on November 13, 1979 they did it in 41:29.

Moment #25 needs just two words: Double Chili.

When I think of Double Chili, I also think of Jeffrey Bourne, who was born two days before this game in Syosset Hospital.  Bobby missed this game, and this was how his teammates responded.

For more on Jeffrey's triumphs, follow him on Twitter @sledgehockeyguy  and see this story on the Hockey Greats Fantasy Camp.  http://www.kelownadailycourier.ca/local-sports/hockey-greats-fantasy-camp-great-times-greater-impact-71812.html

Postscript: from longtime Isles' voice Howie Rose: "Don't forget my initiation upon taking the Islander job (in 1995)....Once the deal was done, Barbara took me to the Wendy's on Jericho Turnpike off of Brush Hollow Road for a heaping double bowl of Chili. It's actually much better than Skyline Chili in Cincinnati which somehow has achieved iconic status."  

Forever1940 is the nom de plume of Eric Hornick, statistician on Islander home telecasts since 1982. Visit my blog: NYISkinny.com and follow me on Twitter @ehornick

Losing the #Isles. Who's to blame?

Interesting piece by @BDGallof here: http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2012/11/12/gallof-astonishing-political-bickering-ultimately-led-to-islanders-leaving-nassau/

 

Forever1940 is the nom de plume of Eric Hornick, statistician on Islander home telecasts since January 21, 1982. Visit my blog: NYISkinny.com and follow me on Twitter @ehornick