We are looking to see what trips that you would like to go next season. Please Go to the link below – and fill it out. There will be a box below to suggest something if not listed. If the trip is capable by bus – we will do it that way. If it is an air trip, the club will help with the tickets and the hotel. You will be responsible for the flight and any other transportation needs. Either select one – or where it is a two-city trip – select both or just the individual city.
Remember – we need MINIMUMS for these trips – so locations may be scrapped if we do not get enough people. Please send in as soon as you can. Thanks so much!
HUNTINGTON, N.Y.- Pat LaFontaine, the third overall pick of the New York Islanders in the 1983 NHL Entry Draft, stopped by on Thursday the 30th at the Huntington American Legion Post, to speak with members of the Islanders Booster Club on Thursday.
LaFontaine spoke for nearly an hour and a half, answering a variety of questions about his playing career, his life as an Islander and more. LaFontaine, 59, made his debut with the Islanders in 1983 and played parts of eight and a half seasons on the Island before being traded to the Buffalo Sabres early in the 1991-92 season. Despite his stint in Buffalo and a brief stretch with the New York Rangers in 1997-98 during his Hall-of-Fame worthy career, LaFontaine made a point in calling the Island his home.
“Home for me is here on Long Island”, LaFontaine told booster club members. “Even when I was traded to Buffalo, we’ve kept our Montauk house. We’ve lived in Suffolk for over 40 years.”
LaFontaine also mentioned the connections he has to the current wave of Islanders, namely with Lou Lamoriello, the team’s current President of Hockey Operations and General Manager. The two won gold together as part of Team USA in the 1996 World Cup of Hockey, with the U.S. beating Canada in a best-of-three series. In that same breath, he also praised Lamoriello and former bench boss Barry Trotz for returning the team to a past that the alumni have been yearning for: a world class organization with a commitment to being a winner. “I was so glad that he (Clark Gillies) got to see the return of the culture that was around when we were winning Stanley Cups,” LaFontaine said. “I was so excited to know that guys like him and Bossy got to see it come back.”
LaFontaine also made his thoughts known on the current Islanders team under Lamoriello, making a point of noting a strong suit of the group: character in the locker room.
Additionally, LaFontaine made a point of praising current ownership for revitalizing the connection between the team and its long list of historic alumni members. “I tip my hat to Jon (Ledecky) and Scott (Malkin). It’s greatly appreciated by the former players,” he said. He would also go on to mention his personal value of the importance of players being involved in the community, saying “Connecting with the community should be a priority. Players need to feel connected.”
LaFontaine was also asked about an honor bestowed on him in recent seasons, as he was named one of the National Hockey League’s 100 greatest players as part of the league’s 100th season initiative back in 2016-17. LaFontaine shares the honor with former teammates and franchise legends Mike Bossy, Denis Potvin, Billy Smith, and Bryan Trottier, as well as childhood idols in Guy LaFleur and Gilbert Perreault and current Isles bench boss Patrick Roy. “I still pinch myself,” he said when asked about being in that group. “When I was a kid, I looked up to players like (Gilbert) Perreault and (Guy) LaFleur, so to be considered with those guys is a tremendous honor.”
Furthermore, LaFontaine spoke about one of his most iconic moments as an Islander, and one of the most memorable moments in Stanley Cup Playoff lore to this day: the Easter Epic, as the Isles rallied from a 3-1 series deficit against the Washington Capitals. Game 7 would need four overtimes before LaFontaine rifled a shot past Capitals netminder Bob Mason from the blue line. As of 2024, that game still stands as the longest Game 7 of a Stanley Cup Playoff series on record, and it remains as only the second Game 7 to ever require three or more overtime frames before a winner was crowned (the only other being the semifinal between the Rangers and Boston Bruins in 1939).
“They were saving everything, it was like they were stopping beach balls,” LaFontaine mentioned, commenting on the goalie duel between Mason and Islanders goaltender Kelly Hrudey. “It was kind of surreal, we were kind of on autopilot to keep everyone’s adrenaline up.”
Finally, LaFontaine commented on what makes Islanders fans different from the rest of the NHL’s faithful. “When you bleed blue and orange, you have a different DNA,” he said.
Thank you again to Pat for taking the time to talk to the club and its members!
Pat also has his own children’s foundation called The Companions In Courage Foundation, through which they strive to give courage, friendship, compassion and support to those children and families who are overcoming illness and life-threatening obstacles. Recently, the foundation celebrated their 1,000,000th assist, as they call it, helping children in their battle. To learn more about the work that they do, visit their website right here.
As the meeting progressed, the Booster Club had a raffle for various prizes, and in addition, Pat also provided a magnum of his “Pinot Line” win to be given to a winner. As a result of the raffle, and a 50/50 draw, we raised nearly $1,500 for Pat’s charity. We also want to thank both Pat and Jim Johnson from the CIC16 foundation who helped bring this event to fruition.
To join the Islanders booster club for the 2024-25 season, the membership form will be available after July 1st. For more information, check out the club’s website, or check them out on Facebook and Instagram and X.
As Patrick Roy said after the game – the Isles played a good game – good enough to win.
Not taking advantage of chances was the main reason for the “L” in the column instead of the “W”.
To limit the team with one of the most shot attempts in the league to just 26 – is a quite important stat to digest. A lot of the shots were outside and in non-danger situations. To me – that is a good thing to take out of the game.
What is something that I did not like to see?
Faceoffs. The numbers were 34-24 for the home team. This is where missing JG Pageau is quite obvious. He is the one that takes the big faceoffs in serious situations. Hoping he returns to the lineup (from the looks on “X” – he should be) – that will be useful.
Assuming Varly returns to the net tonight (no reason why he should not) – he needs to keep his game up to have the team stay in the game.
As I have stated in the podcast “Isles Talk” – special teams are critical for success. The Canes were the number 1 PK in the league for a reason – they are swarming as soon you get to the blue line. They need to get in the zone and establish themselves in order to gain traction.
As far as the PK is concerned, we all know where we stand. This needs to be strong, aggressive as well as relentless. Carolina has weapons on both PP units. A good sign of a strong special teams is that the sum of the PP and PK percentages are over 100. Carolina sits at nearly 110, the Islanders are at 90. Needless to say, Orange and Blue need to be MUCH better than that!
THINGS I AM LOOKING FOR:
“Set the Tone” – Thomas Hickey mentioned it in the pregame show on Saturday. For the visitors, they were unable to mix it up – as Anders Lee ended up going in the box on a questionable call just sixty seconds into the game, causing a quick 1-0 deficit just seconds after his entry to the box. I really think that Patrick should pull a Barry Trotz and put the “Identity Line” out there to start. I know that Kyle MacLean should be back on the fourth line tonight – which will be a positive, but putting Casey out there – with Cal and Matty would be a point to make. Most of the game 1’s were heavy physicality and lots of emotions spewing to the ice. Being physical is the equalizer for the Isles.
Moving their feet on the power play – With Carolina being such a tough team to take on when the PP is out – they need to be able to bring the puck up, get it above the visiting blue line and establish themselves. Once they are in – the key to beating such a good PK – is to the keep the feet moving. When the Islanders are showing a good power play, all five skaters are moving around and not just sitting still. Barzy is such a key to make defenses rely on him and make mistakes, allowing Lee and Palmieri to get open looks.
GAP GAP GAP – the Isles had good gap control on Saturday – which needs to continue. Closing up the blue line is a way to stop the overabundance of shot attempts as well as keeping the forwards to the corners, as opposed to the slot area.
To the folks that think the Isles played a bad game – look closer. They limited the shots, played hard, and just did not have the puclk luck that teams look for in the playoffs. To win this, and bring the team back 1-1, there needs to be solid forechecking to the point of getting the Canes off their game. As Paul and I have said in our podcasts, “NO STUPID PENALTIES”, and take advantage of the PP that has not been on point lately.
Let’s enjoy game 2 and hope that we are going to Thursday’s game 1-1. All eight game 1’s were won by the home team. Let’s change the narrative tonight, Islanders!
Once again – an Islander/Ranger showdown. But at 12:30 on Saturday afternoon – it will be on the corner of 33rd street and 7th avenue.
What does it mean?
To dans of the organization – a lot. For the teams – a great deal more. The Islanders have a magic number of three points to qualify for the playoffs; a thought that Islanders nation were not thinking about less than a month ago. To the Blueshirts, the fight for number one in the Eastern Conference is still hanging over their heads. Losses to Long Island and Philadelphia this week, have given the Rangers a little less comfort, as Boston and Carolina with wins on Saturday will hit 109 points, one less than New York’s 110. Dallas at 109 is one point behind for the President’s Trophy Race. A interesting time indeed.
Patrick Roy, in the middle of his second six game winning streak as head coach, has a tough task on his hands. The Rangers are reeling and will want to show their faithful that they are playoff ready and be at their best. A question on may minds, is will Matt Rempe be brought into the lineup?
Rempe, the very large rookie with an old-style game could be inserted in order to tell the Islanders that they are not happy with the hits they received on Tuesday evening. We all know that the Pelech hit was not an illegal play, the Dobson hit on Trochek could be conceived as a troubling one. But as retribution may be a factor, with what is going on for positioning in the conference, the Rangers may not resort to the physical tactics. If they had won on Thursday night against the Flyers, things may have been different. So expect a serious game from the home team.
For the Orange and Blue – the concern for Noah Dobson is absolutely real! Only 1:26 of ice time last night and the speculations are full and interesting. His game has returned from a two-week set of tough ones. So important on both sides of the ices, the fans are truly hoping for a quick return to the ice on Saturday.
As I have said throughout the season – the tone needs to be set right away. Despite the fact the Isles will not be making the last change and get the matchups they want, you will expect the Patrick Roy coached team to keep the game simple. Ensure your gap control and keep the feet moving. It is a cliche, but it is so right.
However, there is one more important facet to the game tomorrow to consider.
KEEP THE HELL OUT OF THE SIN BIN!
The Rangers dilemma is scoring 5 on 5. As good as they are, the power play is not only the bread and butter of this team, but the full steak dinner as well. Discipline has to be as critical as it can be tomorrow. The Isles need to stay out of the box. Especially with Dobson potentially not in the lineup. This may be the most important game in the career of Samuel Bolduc.
I will be at a viewing party tomorrow with about 50 my fellow Booster Club Members. We are all hoping for a positive outcome, a 7th consecutive win, and the chance to drop the magic number to 1.
Thank you to Jeff Lynne, and the Electric Light Orchestra for putting this song on 51 years ago in 1973 on the album, “On the Third Day”. For those who do not know ELO (especially folks under the age of 50) – they were a trendsetting rock group that combined synthesized music with full orchestral accompaniment (including Electric Violins) – which gave them a unique sound. This band is a major influence on my teen and adult years, and I am still a huge fan to this day!
But tomorrow – there is going to be another showdown. One on a 17,000 square foot sheet of ice in Elmont. At 7:00 PM – the Rangers and Islanders renew their potential inhospitable rivalry in another IMPORTANT game for the home team.
At this moment – the Isles sit in the number 3 spot in the Metro – thanks to a steep drop off by the Flyers and the inability of the Caps and Pens to take advantage of games in hand. Two weeks prior, the Isles were good as dead. I even thought that much on my Isles Talk podcast.
Well – I am glad to be wrong.
The Rangers are the top team in the league right now. First year coach Peter Laviolette has done a tremendous job in righting this ship in the right direction; something he has done in every destination he has been a coach in. However, this team has one flaw that can be exposed quite easily.
Five on Five – this team is less than mediocre. You can see that in some of their recent losses that they have. To be fair – they are a team that can be beaten. The one thing that you need to be – if you are playing the Rangers, is WELL DISCIPLINED!
If you stay out of the box, you can beat this team.
Their power play is extremely lethal – we have seen this all year. And with the Islanders PK being at times inept, this can be the difference in two points versus zero in the standings.
So, if I am going to be a coach and talk to the team – I would tell them to look at periods 2 and 3 from Saturday night’s game and mimic that 100%. Be physical but don’t get too much. Forget about Rempe and the other fourth liners that are going to try to get under the skin. This is a “TURN THE OTHER CHEEK NIGHT”, as long as you still let them know that they cannot be pushed around.
I absolutely love the insertion of Casey on the top line. I know that Bo and Barzy do not necessarily need the physical presence on their line – they can handle themselves quite well – but that edge gives a little bit for freedom for freelancing and letting them be themselves.
The Nelson, Palmieri, Engvall line needs to be at their absolute best. Getting some scoring from them – can be just what the doctor ordered. Kyle has up to 26 and has a good shot of reaching 30 (Sorry Steve J in section 316). Balanced scoring is key to this team – to keep the Rangers lines having to pay attention to all four lines.
Semyon Varlamov is getting the start tomorrow against the Rangers. He has been the hot goalie, and it is necessary to stick with what is good. It may very well happen that Ilya may be the playoff goalie, but with Semyon’s good history against the Blueshirts, why not!
It happened about 12 hours after the game, but God has a way of making his presence felt.
Isles country – we are back in business.
Thanks to 13 and 14, the Isles are now in a playoff position. It has been so nice to see the fruits of the Lou Lamiorello trade last All-Star break to get the former Vancouver captain.
Have you noticed how the trade is going? Do you think we made a bad trade? Cmon Lou doubters – let me know….
Last night – Noah Dobson played one of his best games in quite a while. His defensive play has been poor of late, but he had a great game against the Blue Jackets. His gap control was excellent, and very little dumping and chasing was happening. This will be much more needed tomorrow night against a very strong Predators team.
Ilya Sorokin had a so-so game, but he made a pivotal save moving side to side quickly to rob Columbus of a game tying goal. I still feel that he is not 100%, but his effort in the last two games was strong enough.
Varly will get the start tomorrow – and we need to see the veteran in top form. When the Isles are successful, it starts with the back end. We know that from 2020 and 2021. Can we see it again? Time will tell.
So as it stands right now – the Isles are sitting in the 2nd wild card spot. If the season ended today, the Islanders will be playing our friends from Manhattan in the first round. So many really WANT to see this. In the eyes of this reporter, I am not sure. It will bring a great deal of hype to the metro area. Some, including my wife, want to see them play another team. What do you think? Let me know in the comments.
So psyche yourselves up for tomorrow – we know that the Predators have not been gracious to us in past games. But we need the effort of the Islanders from Thursday night – to be out there Saturday. As I always say on my podcast, think about the first five minutes of the game. See how the team comes out and hopefully that will be the litmus test. Just keep playing an “A” effort, and we could see the team move in the standings.
Imagine that? Does that SHAKE YOU UP? Maybe not at a 4.8 on the Richter scale, but it is a nice thought.
It scares Butchie to death. So the Isles need to have the cannon shut down.
As I said in my podcast night – SET THE TONE! Come out there, and put the hammer down on the Jackets! The first five minutes are extremely critical. This team cannot come out in the same manner than they did against Chicago on Tuesday night. If so – it could be a long evening.
Columbus, the other night, laid the “SMACK DOWN” on potential Western Conference leaders, Colorado. The Jackets are taking the “SPOILER” role to a whole different level.
The lines should remain the same – the role is simple.
WIN!
It is cliche, but one game at a time is the case. Win this – get to Saturday, and kill the demons that have haunted this team for years; get 2 from the Preds. Then next week – we deal with our friends on 34th street.
I am sure that there are many of us that may not necessarily want this team to reach the playoffs this year. We know all of the inconsistencies that the Isles have had in the past couple of months. Just when you think that the team is going to ‘turn the corner’ – the harsh reality is that this team, the way it is constructed, is just not a Top 4 contender in the league.
Reconstruction of this team – with the removal of some parts, and the inclusion of some young guns, would be great for 24-25. In the opinion of this writer, this team does not need to re-build – just a retool would be nice, thank you very much.
Last night – once again – we Isles fans saw the heartbreak of losing the lead with just a mere 10 seconds to go – thanks to Morgan Frost of the Flyers. To give the Flyers that loser point was just horrible for the playoff chances. Fortunately for us – the one time the Isles touched the puck – two seconds later – game over! Nelson’s 30th was a nice way to end it.
This team is not dead. Tonight – the Isles will need their “A” game to keep their slim but hopes nevertheless alive. What do you think? You can check out my Isles Talk Podcast on YouTube tomorrow night at 8:00 PM.
Please let me know your thoughts on this in the comments.
In an attempt to get some more visibility to this website, the Booster Club is looking for writers and photographers. If you like to write about your favorite team, please send an email to Gary (gharding14@gmail.com) and we will get you involved.
WordPress experience can help – but if you don’t know it – we can help.
Club Members – if you have not signed up for the Viewing Party on the 13th, please email Claire (nyibcprez@gmail.com).
We are doing a 50/50 and we will have raffles, and the proceeds are going to benefit the Johnathan Diller fund, to provide support for the Diller family, after loss of Johnathan on duty in March. He was a huge Islanders fan, and we feel it is our obligation to help support this wonderful family.
Not taking advantage of chances was the main reason for the “L” in the column instead of the “W”.
NYI BOOSTER BLOG 