Author Archive for HyeDray
A graphic designer who loves the game....and knows that age has slowed him down — but the passion is there. Islanders fan since the 70s, Dad, Husband and Coach of the Flying Tiger's Email: andre@filamentdesigns.net Twitter: http://twitter.com/FilamentDesigns
Backchecking: What to Expect: Part 3 — Defense
I hope we all had a great holiday break the last week. Although, I suppose the 3 games that made up the Christmas break for the Islanders was anything but great. Battling back on the road and getting a few wins put the Islanders within hailing distance of a run at the pack. But with [...]
Backchecking: What To Expect: Part 2 — Goalies
It was easy to keep a little quite over the past several weeks. My work dictated that. But the play of the Islanders from Thanksgiving weekend through the early part of December improved greatly, and the team put some wins together — climbing out of the NHL basement, and giving us fans a small glimmer [...]
Backchecking: What To Expect: Part 1 — Coaching
I have been quiet. I have been waiting. I have been patient. But the dysfunction of the franchise has once again caught up with me, and I am going to take a guess that I am not alone in my dread. What began 2 months ago as hope that this season would afford the Islanders [...]
Backchecking: 10 Games In — All Is Not Well In Uniondale…
I am one to be reasonable when I approach the Islanders level of play. Usually it is after the bitter taste of another loss is expunged from my palette. I was at last night’s game against the Jets, the game before that against the Sharks, and the home opener. Other then the home opener, it [...]
Backchecking: Six Games In — Is This What You Expected?
It is 6 games into the 2011-12 NHL season and our Islanders are 3-3. Average. a .500 hockey team. Is this what you thought would be the team at this juncture? Did you feel we were better then this, or worse? Or is this about where the Islander should be at this point? Im trying [...]
Backchecking: The Fun Begins
It has been a painful summer in some ways for Islander fans. Just as the boys in blue and orange were gelling together, giving us glimpses of what could be, the season ended. And while 2010-11 had a stretch of games that led the New York Islanders into the abyss of the NHL standings, they [...]
Backchecking: Shanahan’s “Penalty Box” Chats
While I may be the Islander blogger for H.I., seeing the latest “innovation” for the NHL is a blessing, and if followed through, a gift to hockey fans around the world. There have been a few incidents during the new preseason that unfortunately warranted Brendan Shanahan, the new NHL Disciplinarian to hand out a pair [...]
Backchecking: The Vision of the Blind
For the nearly 40 years of the existence of the New York Islanders — basically, all of my life — the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum has been obsolete, or it seems. A privately financed “Lighthouse” development was stalled by the politics of “no,” small minded lack-of-vision thinking and killed at the Town level. A publicly [...]
Backchecking: The Kids Are Alright – Update – Tavares Signed LONG TERM
Another season of hockey is upon us on Long Island and throughout the NHL. My hope is I get to continue to say that well beyond 2015 for the New York Islanders, but that is for a different day. Today, dawn is about to break on the New York Islanders training camp and regular season. [...]
Backchecking: UPDATED – Bueller…Bueller…Bueller….
See the bottom for the UPDATE…. Can someone tell me what this is? Anyone….. Anyone….. It’s Plan C. Plan C for the Islanders of New York? Anyone…… There is blame to go around — and I will get to it — all of it in all directions. Not a single person will be left [...]
Backchecking: UPDATE — Decisions Are Made By Those Who Show Up
UPDATE: Its 4:40pm and you might be just trying to leave the office to head home. DONT FORGET TO VOTE. I know its raining, and there has been hail the size of golf balls. I KNOW and I am aware it sucks. When Kyle Okposo gets knocked into the boards, he gets up, and get [...]
Backchecking: Arena development deal for Isles Coming into More Focus
It’s a good thing that someone with half a brain is working in the County of Nassau. A brief quote from the article here… Comptroller George Maragos reviewed the proposed deal reached between County Executive Edward Mangano and Islanders owner Charles Wang to build another arena in Uniondale and said the agreement is still [...]
Backchecking: Don’t Take Your Opponent Lightly
As someone who spent time in politics — it should be communicated to Charles Wang and the power brokers for the arena deal — if they think they can “sit on the sidelines” in a similar way that they did with the Lighthouse, they are going to lose big on August 1. If they believe [...]
Backchecking: Radek Martinek — Long Island Legend?
First and foremost — I wish Radek Martinek the best of luck. He is a solid player and brought many positives to the game. He played in the Islanders system for years, on some difficult teams, and gave it his all every shift. If on the ice — the Jackets are getting a good player. [...]
Backchecking: And….You Were Expecting…What?
For more Islander fans, yesterday was just another disappointment. Just another let down in a long line of let downs over many seasons. Perhaps I am in the minority, but yesterday was vintage Garth Snow, and vintage New York Islanders and right now — that is the way it should be. Garth Snow and the [...]
Backchecking: 10 Years and $40 Million Later….
Just a day after being acquired from the Islanders, Christian Ehrhoff signs with the Buffalo Sabers. Is Christian Ehrhoff worth a 10 year commitment to a hockey team like the Islanders? I dare say not. And as I had mentioned yesterday after being disappointed that the Islanders could not get the top tier defender under [...]
Backchecking: Isles Making Moves On the Blueline – UPDATED
In what seems like a great deal of recent activity following an exciting Islanders draft, the activity continues to pile on for the Islanders — most notably on the blueline. On day 2 of the draft the Islanders shipped out defender Bruno Gervais to Tampa Bay for “future considerations” and on Monday, they did not [...]
Backchecking: That Old Feeling
I have a strange sensation coming over me today after reading yet another article about the “upcoming” vote for a new arena for the Islanders. The positive energy and feeling seems to be getting sucked out of my body as if a vacuum cleaner is pulling it directly out me, and the feeling of dread [...]
Backchecking: Commitment
There is a lot of news for Islander fans this May. Just like the good old days. The difference this time is off the ice rather then the on-ice dominance the Islanders were all about in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The news now is not bad, though, we are not reading about a [...]
Backchecking: A Season Lost To Hope – Part 3
It has been a while since my season review of management and the goalies — just lots to review and think about with the next report — for the defenseman and part 4 is still to be finished — my thoughts on the forwards! Like the goalie situation, there are a number of defenseman who [...]