In front of tonight's second half of a back-to-back vs. the Washington Capitals, Stan Fischler offers 20 points of insight.
We start this concise notes column with a cautionary Mave note about tonight's New York Islanders game in Washington.
1. Don't ever, ever underestimate a team sprinkled with the likes of Tom Wilson, John Carlson, and, of course, Alex Ovechkin.
2. Slump or no slump, Ovie is as dangerous as a stepped-on cobra in the middle of a nap.
3. Then again, if our beloved Isles can turn Connor McDavid into Mister Schneid, The Big 8 is handleable, assuming such a word exists.
4. And if it doesn't exist, put me in the penalty box since you know what I mean.
5. But does The Maven know what he means? For the answer to that, I'll have to ask myself.
6. Not that I want to deal with ancient history but wasn't last night's Pageau to Holmstrom shorthander a thing of beauty? YES!
7. Okay, try this on for size (medium to large); how utterly astonishing was Ilya (He Needs A Super Nickname) Sorokin, blanking McDavid, Inc. with 15 larger-than-life third-period saves?
8. Just wondering if our snipers -- taking two shots at Stu Skinner in the third -- were trying to show how our stopper delivers when the chips are down -- potato variety as well.
9. Since we're playing Washington, I must stick my nose in Caps owner Ted Leonsis' business and tell him not to move his team to Virginia.
10. The Caps belong in the Nation's Capital. No offense to "Carry Me Back To Ole Virginny" but Downtown D.C. is just the right place for Teddy's team.
11. Here's a Foe Fact: Caps rookie mentor Spencer Carbery, 41, is the youngest coach in the NHL.
12. Simon Holstrom says the not-so-secret to his PK success with Jean-Gabriel Pageau is "Chemistry." That happened to be my toughest course over four years at Brooklyn College. (I got out of it after one semester and switched to Geology. That I could survive.
13. What's with Zach Parise? Does Elliotte (Extra E--Extra T) Friedman know, and he ain't telling?
14. Of course not. Nobody but nobody breaks through Lou Lamoriello's No-Leak armor.
15. No doubt about it, we'd love to see Zach back in Orange and Blue, but he's gotta be as fit as the Atlas Statue in Rockefeller Center.
16. Not that it matters to You but the model for Atlas was my Eastern District High School gym teacher, Nat (The Bat) Rubin. Best smile of any teacher at ED High.
17. Lately, Bo and The Captain are making their jobs look easy. Hope so tonight as well.
18. Ditto for the Isles version of Paul Bunyan -- Brock Nelson!
19. One of my hockey favorites, retired ref Kerry Fraser, is in town. His firm makes hockey rinks with artificial ice.
20. The good news is that Kerry's outfit is building a rink for the UBS "Hockey In The Park." It's slated to open on Dec. 27, the night the Penguins play the Isles.