GAME: Post-Game Thoughts

Wow, what a game. It certainly doesn’t get any better than this for a pre-season tilt. It had everything a fan can ask for.

What heart the Islanders showed tonight. In a fight-filled game, everyone had each others back and it showed in the comeback victory.

Here’s my favorite quote from the post-game scrums… It was Rick DiPietro talking about his fight.

“If I see someone jump one of my teammates, I’m going to stand up for them. We’re one team and we have each others backs.”

Ted Nolan echoed that too and you could really see this Islanders team stand together and fight the battles. Not just with the gloves off, but on the penalty kill, on the power play and when the dirty work needed to get done.

I gotta think that this will be a common theme this season, which should make it great.

GAME: Gaudet & MacDonald Ready for Tonight

Moncton, NB – Chris Gaudet and Andrew MacDonald return to the Moncton Coliseum tonight. Both played on the Moncton Wildcats of the QMJHL for the last two seasons. Tonight’s lineup is veteran heavy, but this will be a very special game for the two rookies. Both were coached by Ted Nolan in 2005-06.

MacDonald played in an exhibition game in Moncton last season, but he knew he was going to be sent back to juniors following camp. So it had a different feel to it for him.

Tonight will be different and I can’t wait to hear the standing-room only crowd go nuts when their names are announced.

And who knows, maybe Teddy will start both of them.