“What’s wrong with our Offense?  A lot.  We just gotta work harder.”

 

That was the first answer that Coach Nolan uttered last night to the media.  What could he say?  There are no answers right now for this current scoring drought.  I wanted to blame it on Ted’s purple tie.  But he wasn’t wearing it.  I could have blamed it on the fact that I didn’t have on my lucky Islander undies, but it really wasn’t my fault.  I did everything I could to ensure a win.  But it wasn’t in the cards, the stars or anywhere else for that matter.  As Ted said, they were just “outworked.”

 

The only smile that came across his face was when asked about Tamby and Bergie.  That was the only time he relaxed, just a little.  For his first call up to Uniondale, Tamby played 16 shifts and 11:49, while Sean played 14 shifts and 11:31.  Ted noted, Jeff did what he was supposed to do, but when it came to Sean he smiled and said “Never discount what he brings to the rink….. What he gives us is what we’re looking for.”  Some times I wonder if the players actually listen to ITV to hear what their coach says about them behind closed doors.  There are so many good quotes, but only so many can make it into the main stream papers.  Every writer picks what they think is the most important.  I pick what I want.  I guess that’s why I’m not with the rest of the pack.

 

Having been left to their own devices the last few games, my fellow Blog Boxers headed straight to the locker room once Ted’s time was through.  (Islesblogger.com had already led us straight into the tunnel after the game since no one came to escort us.)  I couldn’t do it though.  Knowing that how I feel is always oddly apparent, I thought I’d just make it worse in there.  I don’t know how, but even behind the trifocals, my eyes tell all.  “You’re about as mysterious to me as a blocked toilet is to a f-ing plumber.”  (Al Pacino as Will Dormer in Insomnia. Sorry, I just love that quote.)  I’m the one who is supposed to be the resident cheer-leader, always “up,” always looking ahead, always smiling.    While everyone else who is packed into that little room with digital recorders going and cameras rolling is showing no emotion what-so-ever, I would have had a cross between “What happened?” and “I’m so sorry!  Give me a hug.”  I stayed in the hallway holding up the wall, clutching my coat and my laptop and still wearing my NHL Islanders Christmas hat --  trying to be festive.  (Or…because my hair was already flat and I didn’t want to take it off.  But, whatever.)

 

Watch ITV’s post game coverage to see the looks that accompanied those quotes you read in the morning news.  “There’s light at the end of the tunnel…. Get back to basics… Everybody’s got to be better…. We’ll go on the road and bond again…”  The words don’t tell what the eyes do.  They can’t figure out what’s wrong either.  They’re stumped.  There is no ONE person to blame, but perhaps one aspect that is: The power-play.  They heard it from the fans every time.  They know the stats, and they are just miserable.  If you can’t covert chances when you’re one man up, you have no chance of doing it even strength.

 

I waited patiently as several employees asked me if I needed anything.  Suit clad players passed me without a word.  Equipment was moved around me.  I watched a very well dressed Phil Kessel walk down the hall.  He was stopped by one of the veteran Islanders.  “You better be ready for 2010.”   I didn’t hear his response, but I saw his smile.  He’s a lock for Team USA for the Olympics.  He’s an amazing kid.

 

I had one bright spot to the entire evening.  Bergenheim darted from one room across the hall to another passing me twice.  But once he was inside the doorway, he poked his head back out and said “Hey!  Hi!”  At first I thought he was going to say something about me getting on him in the last two entries.  But, I remembered.... he doesn't read them.  I relaxed.  That was the first time I really smiled in about an hour.  It made the long walk back to the cars in the bitter cold that much more enjoyable.

 

So today they embarked on their odyssey of bonding once again as a team.  The Miami Air flight was still on the ground at 12:45 today as I passed the airport on my way to lunch.  Hopefully, it was a pleasant flight unfettered by the cold. 

 

Tomorrow we see if anything changes and they’ve found those “basics” they needed to get back to.  But just incase, I’ll wear the lucky undies anyway.  It can’t hurt.