http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ROimyJwoVYw

[sny-box]"What, who? What indiscipline? Indiscipline? Do you really expect me to ?blame my guys for playing hard? I cant call out my players when?the refs made up a few calls here and there. We worked hard to get back in ?the game and we probably deserved better than that."[/sny-box]

Another moment was picked up by MSG's microphone as the Islanders left the ice at the end of the third, victorious 6-3 against the Canadiens. Goalie Evgeni Nabokov had some words for the referrees, who were standing near the Isles tunnel.?

Preview -- Box Score -- TOI -- Highlights

In Toronto, they've seen this all before. So much so that they're chanting for the hometown baseball team only three games into the season:

https://twitter.com/Zeisberger/status/294631984825778177

The funny thing about this particular game is you could tell a little bit about who was in game shape and who had extra motivation. The Sound Tigers for the most part had both of those things, as they're in the middle of the season and if you were on that roster, you didn't get a camp invite (save for the two junior invitees). One particular player who skated like a bat out of hell was Nino Niederreiter. Newsday found Nino after the game:

[sny-box color=E6F1FF]"Of course I was disappointed, but I've learned that there are things you cannot control and you can't worry about those," Niederreiter said after scoring a nifty goal for the Sound Tigers in the scrimmage with the Isles . "I promised myself I wouldn't get frustrated about those things this year. All I can control is what I do on the ice."[/sny-box]

Finley will be on this team for the right now, too. The hometown paper of the Rochester Americans, where Finley was playing, seems to think that he'll have to be on the Islanders roster for at least 30 days.

[sny-box color=E6F1FF]Assuming this particular clause of the waiver rule did not change in the new CBA, I believe the Sabres still would have the first right to claim Finley back if the Islanders try to send him to Bridgeport of the AHL in the next 30 days. Finley?s arrival gives the Islanders nine defensemen in training camp.[/sny-box]

Also of note were the Canadians getting two game misconducts for hits on Slovakia players. The second, when Anthony Camara lit up Patrik Luza, looked like an especially painful shoulder-to-head hit.

In other Isles news, Griffin Reinhart picked up an assist as did Ville Pokka, although Pokka's Finns lost 3-1 to the Czechs.

One of his latest goals came last week against GE Servett, which was in a 4-3 win for Bern. Tavares scored Bern's second of the game -- and assisted on the first -- with this nice spin move in the low slot:

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trE6y49DkTc&w=560&h=315]

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GAWerN4QDBw&w=420&h=315]

Nearly a month earlier, on December 25, 1985, Potvin broke Orr's record for points by a defender. He currently sits in 5th on the all-time goals list and 7th in points, behind many of the great defenders of the 80s and 90s such as Ray Bourque, the all-time leader in both categories, Paul Coffey and Al MacInnis. However, Orr and Potvin are still impressively first and seond on the list of goals per game, scoring their goals at an impressive pace.

Poulin and his opponent on the other side of the ice, Paul Dainton, put on quite a show tonight stopping most everything that came their way. For the Sound Tigers netminder, it was his second game in a row and he played very well, stopping 37 of 39 shots plus a few more in the skills competition. Dainton made 32 saves and was named first star of the game for his effort.

Video of the full shootout competition is below. You can forward along to the 7:45 mark of the video to check out Poulin's save, followed by Ullstrom's goal. I didn't cut the video down more, figuring you could use a good hockey fix during the lockout.

If you're a fan of enforcers or early-90s Islanders, then you'll surely know the name Mick Vukota. Vukota was the Islanders' enforcer of the era, spending a decade in the system and playing 60+ games on Long Island for five seasons between 1989 and 1994. In his career, Vukota racked up more than 2,000 penalty minutes and more than 150 fights; and that's only from what HockeyFights.com has on record.

One of the most memorable moments of his career didn't come via his fists, though. On October 20th, 1989, he scored a natural hat trick -- three consecutive goals -- against Don Beaurpe and the Washington Capitals. Up to that point, he had notched only three goals in his NHL career.

In the following video he talks about that very subject at the 1:40 mark:

"In the back of my mind, I'm always wondering what's gonna happen next; if the Islanders are going to sign me, if I'm going to go back in the draft or what the deal is."

Last week, WTNH Channel 8 in Connecticut did a follow-up segment on me and MetsBlog.com, during which we talk blogging, new media, doing on-air work with SNY, and being a full-time, professional blogger.

To watch the two-minute segment, click play below:

Marcus writes:

"He may have finished his career hitting .251, but he was much more valuable than that."

...carlin was an absolute comedic genius...r.i.p., mr. carlin...

The following is a parody of Lisa Loeb’s Stay, about John Maine, by Kuff and the Buttheads…

…excellent, job…that first line alone keeps making me laugh - let alone the rest of the song, which is hilarious…

…this is priceless…so, so odd to watch…

The following is a video clip from WABC-TV in New York reporting on the firing of Joe Torre as manager of the Mets, complete with on-air responses from then-GM Frank Cashen, OF Lee Mazzilli, and several man-on-the-street reactions…

…by the way, hat’s off to mazz for rocking that stylish mustache…he looks like my dad at that age…outstanding…

?the Willie Randolph facial expressions are pretty funny, but i don?t get what is going here?is it that they?re speechless?like the rest of us, frankly?