Check out what was cooking at The Park before Game 3 and read our interview with New York Islanders alumni Shawn Bates.
ELMONT, NY -- From buying merchandise to playing mini golf and corn hole to listening to The Mystics rock the stage, The Park had it all before the puck dropped between the New York Islanders and Carolina Hurricanes before Game 3:
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Ahead of Game 3, The Hockey News had the privilege to interview Islanders alumni Shawn Bates.
"It's a fantastic venue," Shawn Bates told The Hockey News regarding The Park. "I mean, the Islanders' organization has done a fantastic job of bringing the fans into, like, a family. It's a family atmosphere. There's games going on. It's just great to see."
The Islanders have their fans behind them after two games at PNC Arena, and Bates knows a thing or two about fan support as his playoff penalty shot shook Nassau Coliseum 22 years ago:
"Fans play a big role, especially for the Islanders right now," Bates said. "You're down 2-0, you come home, and you got home ice advantage. The crowd is gonna get you pumped up. They're gonna have a lot of electricity going through the building. It's motivation, obviously. It gives you a shot of adrenaline to perform from the first whistle to the end of the game, and that's important."
Bates' penalty shot is shown on the board every time he attends UBS Arena, and it means the world to him.
"To be honest with you, it really is a tremendous feeling," Bates said. It gives you goosebumps when you come here, and they throw the penalty shot on the board.
"The crowd starts chanting your name. It's overwhelming sometimes, but it's a fun feeling."
Bates watched the first two games of the series and knows all the team can do now is look forward.
"They changed the goalie for tonight. Sometimes, a change like that gives you a different look," Bates said. "You don't have to worry about what happened in the past. You could look to the future...don't look too far. Play hard and see what happens. We had a 3-0 lead last game. That's a tough pill to swallow to lose that game, especially in the Stanley Cup Playoffs."
Bates thinks that the hiring of Patrick Roy was the right decision despite the team's lack of smooth sailing at times since his arrival.
"I guess the organization thought that they needed to make a change, and obviously, Patrick was the right man for the job. He's done a tremendous, tremendous job with the guys to get to get them to perform. There were times during the end of the year when there was a slippery slope, but they made the playoffs, and they pulled through, and credit to him."
Puck drop for Game 3 is coming your way at 7:30 PM.