Just got home from the game, boy what a night! As a fan it really is something special to be part of the post game behind the scenes action.
On my way to the press conference tonight I ran into several Islander greats including Clark Gillies, Bill Torrey, Steve Webb, Pat LaFontaine, Eric Cairns, Benoit Hogue and non-Islander great Scotty Bowman.
I took close to 400 pictures tonight, not all of them will be usable though. Some are too dark and when I adjusted the camera to compensate, some came out slightly blurry. I caught everything from the opening puck drop on – so no worries. I plan on purchasing wide angle and telephoto lenses for my camera in the near future to get some better shots.
Look for an update tonight sometime or tomorrow the latest.
I thought the Isles played great tonight, there were a few times where they couldn't generate anything in front of the Penguins net, but eventually they broke through. Special teams for each team were excellent – the Isles did let up one powerplay goal however.
Some concern is there for Rick DiPietro, as he was the victim of a Sidney Crosby high stick that cut him near his eye area. He left the game and did not return – and Dubie played outstanding. What really annoys me is how they originally called the high stick a goaltender interference penalty – and made the team fight to get a 4 minute double minor. I guess they didn't look all that close to the play or the aftermath. It could also be because it was wonder kid Crosby….
Chris Botta, Islanders VP of Media Relations told us that DiPietro was hit near the eye and would most likely be fine – he promised to have more info tomorrow.
It was great to see the Isles in road-whites tonight; the entire night was very well planned. I am also glad that the Isles pulled out a 3rd period win, something they have been good at so far this season.
So to Al Arbour, congratulations on reaching the 1500 game milestone and also for reaching 740 wins, this is a night I am sure you will never forget. I know I won't ever forget what a night this was!
A memorable game indeed. I was fortunate enough to be in town and watched the game live.
I love the Isles aggressiveness. They seemed to be putting constant pressure on the the Pens. Even though a majority of their shots weren't blistering slapshot, at least they were puting the puck to the goal and it made the difference when Sata knocked in the go-ahead goal on the rebound.
Bring on the Rangers. Hopefully they won't have big-game letdown.
Pics look fantastic. Thanks for posting them.