Botta: Check arrives Thursday

From Chris Botta's blog:
<<Judgment DayI'm not at will to release any official news of the Hummer Metro Ice Challenge.

Inunrelated news, I'm told a pair of MSG execs and a representative fromHummer are coming to the Coliseum on Thursday morning. And they'rebringing one of those over-sized checks with them.

I still haven't figured out how to cram one of those into the canister at the bank drive-thru.>>

Don't be surprised to hear it talked about during pre-game coverage tomorrow.

Forever1940 is the nom de plume of Eric Hornick. Eric has worked the Stanley Cup Finals four times, and celebrated his 26th anniversary as the statistician on Islander home telecasts on January 21, 2008.

CONGRATULATIONS TO...

...my MSG+ colleague and friend Billy Jaffe, who won a New York Emmy last night.

Billy was awarded the Emmy for ON-CAMERA TALENT: Sports Analyst. The other nominees were Joe Micheletti, Ron Darling, and Mark Jackson.

The play-by-play award was won by Marv Albert, for his coverage of the Nets.

The award was for Billy's work during his rookie season with the Isles (2006-07).

Forever1940 is the nom de plume of Eric Hornick. Eric has worked the Stanley Cup Finals four times, and celebrated his 26th anniversary as the statistician on Islander home telecasts on January 21, 2008.

Botta "falls off the couch" as Rangers awarded Hummer

from Chris Botta's blog....
<<

Sunday, April 6, 2008
Metro Ice Capades (or someone owes the Children's Foundation at least 25 grand)
If you're like me, you probably fell off the couch when Sam Rosen announced after the Rangers' loss today to the Devils that the Blueshirts had won the Hummer Metro Ice Challenge and would receive $50,000 for their charity.

The Islanders, by virtue of their shootout win in the Garden on Friday night, had a one-point lead in the Challenge going into today's game. When the Rangers only got a point in New Jersey today, I had assumed the Challenge was a tie and perhaps 25 K each would go to the Islanders' and Rangers' charities.

Then Sam made his most stunning announcement since the one last year when he said the NYI were eliminated from qualifying for the playoffs.

(This paragraph serves as my official statement that, of course, I would much rather be blogging about the Islanders going into the playoffs than this. But it is what it is. And what it is, I think, is a scam).

You would think there might be two logical tie-breakers - if there was a need to break the tie:

1. wins within the Challenge (Islanders win)
2. Islanders-Rangers head-to-head (Islanders win)

After Sam's stunner - I mean, there wasn't even an explanation! - I called Al Trautwig in the studio. Al was suitably sympathetic but didn't have an answer for me. He said, "Are you officially protesting"? My response was as profane as it was affirmative.

I called an "impeccable source" at the Garden next. He/she told me there was a rumor that it was decided recently that if the Rangers and Islanders ended the Challenge in a tie, the title would go to the Rangers because they had the better regular season record.

Now if you can tell me what Rangers victories against teams outside of the, uh, Metro area have to do with this, I'll give you $50,000.

This is about right and wrong. This is about not laying down. This is about $50,000, or at least $25,000, for the New York Islanders Children's Foundation.

This, my friends, is not over.
Posted by Chris Botta>>

Forever1940 is the nom de plume of Eric Hornick. Eric has worked the Stanley Cup Finals four times, and celebrated his 26th anniversary as the statistician on Islander home telecasts on January 21, 2008.

Playoff seedings

Here's how the final two days of the season look: ( I think)

EAST:

PIT/MON will be the two top seeds. Pittsburgh needs to earn as many points as Montreal does to earn the top seed. Pit plays Philly tomorrow while Montreal plays Toronto tonight. A Leaf regulation win would give the top seed to Pitt.

CAR or WASH will be the third seed. Washington needs a point tonight vs Fla, otherwise its Carolina.

NJ will be either 4th or 5th. The only way the Rangers can displace them from home ice is with a regulation win.

The Rangers can finish 4th (with a reg win at NJ), 6th (with a reg loss at NJ and a Boston win over Buffalo), or 5th (anything else).

Boston can finish 5th (win vs Buff and Devils beat Rangers in regulation) ,6th (at least one point vs Buffalo), 7th (regulation loss to Buffalo and Flyer loss (regulation or ot/so to Pitt), or 8th (regulation loss to Buffalo and Flyer win).

Ottawa can finish 6th (Boston regulation loss and Flyer regulation or OT loss), 7th (Boston gets at least one point and Flyers don't beat Pittsburgh), or 8th (Boston gets at least one point and Philly wins)

Philly can finish 6th (win and Boston regulation loss), 7th (win, and Boston win or ot/so loss), or 8th (loss or ot/so loss to Pit )

No series are set yet, but two could be set tonight - if Boston loses to Buffalo in OT/SO, they will face the Southeast Champ, while the Rangers would face the Devils. If Boston loses in regulation, that would also assure a Ranger-Devil opening round series.

10-15 in the East are set : Buff, Tor, Fla, NYI, Atl, TB

WEST

Things are simpler out west:

Top 5 seeds are locked in: DET, SJ, MIN, ANA, DAL (technically Colorado could catch Dallas if they could reverse a 22-goal deficit in goal differential but we'll assume that won't happen). NSH will definitely be 8th.

Colorado owns a 1-point lead over Calgary, and the tie-breaker between the teams, so Colorado will be 6th and the Flames 7th unless Calgary wins in Vancouver tonight and Colorado loses to Minnesota tomorrow in regulation.

So two series are set: DET-NSH and ANA-DAL and the other two could be set tonight.

Three teams are tied for 9th (CHI, VAN, EDM) Edmonton had 41 wins but no games to play, Chicago has 40 wins and plays Detroit tomorrow, Vancouver has 39 wins and hosts Calgary tonight).

12-15 are locked. PHX - COLUM - STL - LA

Forever1940 is the nom de plume of Eric Hornick. Eric has worked the Stanley Cup Finals four times, and celebrated his 26th anniversary as the statistician on Islander home telecasts on January 21, 2008.

Stat Trick: Isles 4, Rangers 3 (SO)

For the second straight season, Wade Dubielewicz was victorious in a shootout on the last day of the season. Of course, this one wasn't enough to get the Isles into the playoffs. One last time--- on to the trick.

1. Dubie finishes 9-9-1 on the season, and wins in an MSG shootout for the second time in a month. He made 48 saves in facing over 50 shots for the second time in less than a week. Dubie finishes with a .919 save percentage and a 2.70 goals against.

2. The Isles won the season series 5 games to 3, and 10 points to 8. They take a one-point lead in the Hummer standings with Sunday's Devils-Rangers set to decide the winner.

3. Richard Park scored a 3 on 5 goal for the second straight season. He scored in Pittsburgh last January 16th. He also was credited with his 2nd shootout -deciding goal of the season. He also had the winner in Calgary in January.

and a few more..

4. The Isles end season 35 with 35 wins and a 35-38-9 record. The 79 points are 1 more than they had two seasons ago.

5. For the 33rd times in 35 seasons, the Isles finished with fewer power plays than their opponents.

6. The Isles are now 22-10 all-time in shootouts, including 3-1 at MSG and 4-1 against the Rangers.

7. The Isles finish the season with 189 goals (+5 more in shootouts). It's the fourth time in club history that they've scored the fewest goals in the league. No Islander reached 50 points for the first time in club history, excluding the lockout campaign.

8. Jaromir Jagr now has 59 goals against the Isles, more than any player has ever scored against the Isles, and more than any active player has scored against any other team.

9. The Isles finish the season 3-3-2 in their season-ending intra-divisional eight game stretch.

10. It's only about 26 weeks until they start it up all over again. Enjoy the playoffs...even on TV.

Forever1940 is the nom de plume of Eric Hornick. Eric has worked the Stanley Cup Finals four times, and celebrated his 26th anniversary as the statistician on Islander home telecasts on January 21, 2008.

Stat Trick: Rangers 3, Isles 0

Ugly way to end the home season as the Rangers clinch a playoff spot at the Coliseum, sparking chants of "Season's Over" and the very offensive "Potvin Sxxx". On to the trick:

1. Jaromir Jagr had two first period power play goals, giving him 3 pp goals in the last two games after only 4 in the Rangers' first 78 games.

2. Henrik Lundqvist recorded his 10th shutout and finally won a road shutout. It's his 17th career shutout and 15 have been at MSG. The Rangers lost in a shootout in Lundqvist's only previous road shutout. It was Henrik's first shutout against the Isles, and the first by a Ranger at the Coliseum since January 21, 2003 (in Bryan Trottier's only game as Ranger coach at the Coliseum). The last Ranger shutout of the Isles was on March 17, 2003 at the Garden.

3. The Islanders have been shutout 7 times this season, including 4 times at the Coliseum. (The club record is 6 times at the Coliseum and 11 times overall, both in 1972-73). The Isles have been shutout 27 times in the last eight seasons at home after being blanked only 28 times at home in their first 27 seasons.

and some more...

4. The Isles finished 18-18-5 at home and scored only 89 goals (which includes one shootout goal). The 89 goals are the fewest at home in club history (not counting the lockout shortened campaign). They were 1-6-2 in the final nine games at home, beating only Pittsburgh.

5. I didn't see the final totals, but Richard Park was leading the team MVP voting on the scoreboard text poll. Good for Park, not necessarily good for the Isles. Assuming he and Trent Hunter play at MSG, they will be the only Isles to play all 82 games.

6. The Isles loss clinched the 5th seed in the draft lottery. St. Louis' loss later in the evening means that the Isles will be 5th unless the Blues get three points over the weekend against Columbus while the Isles get none vs the Rangers, or the Blues sweep Columbus and the Isles get no points or one point at MSG. The last time that the Isles had the 5th seed, they won the draft lottery and selected Rick DiPietro.

Around the League:
WHO CLINCHED TONIGHT?
EASTERN CONFERENCE

New York Rangers clinched an Eastern Conference playoff berth tonight:

WESTERN
CONFERENCE
#1 Detroit Red Wings clinched the Presidents' Trophy tonight:

#3 Minnesota Wild clinched the Northwest Division tonight:

(Games in progress with potential clinching)

#4 Anaheim Ducks (idle) can clinch the Western Conference's #4 seed tonight:
* If Dallas gets no points against Phoenix.

Calgary Flames can clinch a Western Conference playoff berth tonight: (L - Minnesota)
* If Vancouver gets one or no points against Edmonton.

Nashville Predators can clinch a Western Conference playoff berth tonight: (W - St. Louis)
* If Vancouver gets one or no points against Edmonton.

Buffalo and Chicago have been eliminated tonight.

Forever1940 is the nom de plume of Eric Hornick. Eric has worked the Stanley Cup Finals four times, and celebrated his 26th anniversary as the statistician on Islander home telecasts on January 21, 2008.

Stat Trick: Devils 2, Isles 1

33 years ago this month, JP Parise's OT goal clinched a playoff series. Tonight, Zach Parise's OT goal, also in the opening minute of overtime, clinched a playoff spot for the Devils. On to the trick:

1. Parise's goal gives him a team leading 4 goals and 8 points against the Isles this season. He has career highs in goals, assists and points this season (32-34-66). Parise had eight shots on goal.

2. The Devils outshot the Isles 47-22 tonight and 266-199 on the season, but the Isles outscored NJ 21-14, and won the season series 6 games to 2 and 13 points to 3.

3. Trent Hunter had 8 hits for the Isles, while Josef Vasicek's goal was his 5th of the season against NJ.

Around the League:

WHO CLINCHED TONIGHT?
EASTERN CONFERENCE

Montreal Canadiens clinched the Northeast Division tonight with their win over Ottawa

New Jersey Devils clinched an Eastern Conference playoff berth tonight with their win over the Isles

WESTERN CONFERENCE
#1 Detroit Red Wings (idle) can clinch the Presidents' Trophy tonight:
* If San Jose gets one or no points against Los Angeles. (game still in progress)

#6
Colorado Avalanche can clinch a Western Conference playoff berth tonight:
* If they beat Vancouver (game still in progress)

Forever1940 is the nom de plume of Eric Hornick. Eric has worked the Stanley Cup Finals four times, and celebrated his 26th anniversary as the statistician on Islander home telecasts on January 21, 2008.

Lucky 13

With tonight's results, the Isles are locked into 13th place in the East. Tampa could still finish with an identical record, but the Isles won the season series. The Isles can not catch either Florida or Toronto, who both earned points this evening.

The Isles will have either the 4th, 5th, 6th or 7th seed in the draft lottery.

They will finish ahead of Phoenix only if the Isles sweep the Rangers and the Coyote lose their final 3. They will finish ahead of Colmbus only if the Isles earn three more points in their final 2 games than Columbus earns if their three remaining games. The Isles remain three points ahead of St. Louis, and the Blues will have to beat the Isles on points since the Isles will win more games.

Forever1940 is the nom de plume of Eric Hornick. Eric has worked the Stanley Cup Finals four times, and celebrated his 26th anniversary as the statistician on Islander home telecasts on January 21, 2008.