Islanders Fans Share What They're Thankful For
Happy Thanksgiving New York Islanders nation. There’s so much to be thankful for, and I have many thanks to give.
To start things off, I want to thank you, the fans, who have allowed this guy to not just pursue a dream job covering the Islanders but live that dream every single day.
It’s a job that I have never once taken for granted, and the endless support, whether it’s interacting through social media, reading my articles, or tuning into Hockey Night in New York, I can’t thank you all enough.
From my Hockey Night in New York co-host Sean Cuthbert who took a chance on me, to NHL.com, to David Kolb and Stan Fischler with The Hockey News, to my colleagues on the Islanders beat, including the organization’s staff, I couldn’t be surrounded by better people.
Lastly, I need to thank my incredible girlfriend, Alyssa, who has stood by my side every step of the way while I navigate this crazy field and crazy schedule.
With that, let’s get to what you guys said you were thankful for.
Our son's health and everything that Anders Lee and Jam Kancer has done for him and our family. The fact that we're all together is everything. The rest will fall into place. @Quackstarpod
Islanders captain Anders Lee has done tremendous work in the community. His Jam Kancer events have raised an incredible amount of money to help families afford life-saving treatment. I had the privilege to attend this year's event at Northwell Ice Center, and to see the kids smiling and surrounded by Lee and all of his teammates was a heartwarming site.
Two words. Ilya Sorokin. @playerpres76
Ilya Sorokin showed last season that he can be the best goaltender in the league when he’s on top of his game. The 2023 Vezina finalist may have struggled in the playoffs and in the early showings this season, but there’s no reason to think he can’t find his game. After inking an eight-year extension, which kicks in next season, Sorokin is here to stay and will be a pillar for New York in, one day, accomplishing the ultimate goal.
This Islanders community of passionate fans. Especially people like Donnie at Blue Line Deli & Bagels, who care so much about the fans, and people in general. @RpkernKern
What Donald Rosner did for his community during the pandemic is something that can never be forgotten. Opening up a brand new business and having to take heavy losses when the world shut down didn’t stop Donald from supplying toilet paper, paper towels, and any other basic needs for people that didn’t have.
He’s always made sure to feed others before himself, and it’s incredible to see how much the fans support him because he deserves every ounce of it.
The Engvall-Nelson-Palmieri line. @AJD2006lgm
Where oh where would the Islanders be without what I call "The Perfection" line?
Brock Nelson scored twice in the 3-2 win over the Philadelphia Flyers Wednesday night, becoming the first Islanders to reach 10 goals this season. He has four assists as well.
Pierre Engvall assisted on both of Nelson's goals, with a goal and nine assists on the season.
Kyle Palmieri, who is one of the Islanders' strongest defensive forwards, has four goals and six assists in 18 games.
The threesome has combined for 10 goals this season, which is ninth-best in the entire NHL. and have scored 71.4 percent of the Islanders' goals this season and have only been on the ice for four goals against.
Barzal and Horvat’s health. It’s been a lot of fun watching those two on the ice together.@russonite
Recommended Articles
The best ability is availability, and so far, so good for the Islanders' newest dynamic duo. Last year, Barzal and Horvat played just six games together before Barzal missed 22 games, returning not at 100 percent for the playoffs.
But now, a healthy Barzal has 15 points in 18 games with two goals and four assists over his last five games. Horvat, who has 14 points in 17 games, has a goal and three assists over his last five games.
The Holmstrom and Dobson improvements. @FransNiels3n
Noah Dobson worked incredibly hard this summer on his defensive awareness and we've seen him become more of the two-way defenseman the Islanders have needed.
The more important thing is that he hasn't sacrificed offense for defense, with 15 points in 18 games, which is tied with Barzal for the team lead.
He's been impressive on the power play, quarterbacking the 10th-best unit in the NHL at 22 percent.
For Simon Holmstrom, he's shown off the offensive confidence this season. Despite just four goals on 16 shots in 17 games, Holmstrom has made aggressive moves to the net but has also showcased an ability to delay and create more time with his teammates.
While his defensive prowess is likely why head coach Lane Lambert placed him alongside Horvat and Barzal, Holmstrom could be a 20-goal scorer if he finished off some more chances. Despite his lack of points, Barzal and Horvat have been dynamic early on this season.
That the Islanders are still on Long Island. @_Mike_Tweets
It feels like a lifetime ago when the rumors were swirling that the Islanders would be on their way to Kansas City. Former owner, the late Charles Wang, tried to do everything he could to keep the Islanders in Uniondale. While Barclays Center proved to be a failure along with the split seasons a few years later, all of that paved the way for the construction of UBS Arena. And now the Islanders have their state-of-the-art home, which just celebrated its second birthday earlier this week.
The road may not have been the smoothest, but there's no denying that the Islanders knocked their new arena, with the help of the Oak View Group, out of the park.
Hockey in general. By far the best sport there is.@roarostorm
It's a biased take, but hockey is the most thrilling, electrifying sport on the planet. With the speed and skill in today's NHL, along with the booming hits, flying fists, and crowd interaction, the atmosphere at a hockey event cannot be compared to any other sport. When I talk to people who say they don't like hockey, I push hard for them to just go to a game. More often than not, they enjoy themselves because how can you not?
Matt Moulson being back on Isles TV where he belongs. @heidii_muellerr
Funny enough, I caught up with Matt Moulson just over a week ago as he was helping out at the Islanders' "Try Hockey For Free" clinic. He said he was no longer an NHL scout for the Toronto Maple Leafs and that he was putting all of his time and effort into being a youth hockey coach for his son's team. He did say there were business opportunities on the horizon but left out that he'd be helping out on MSG.
I heard he did a fantastic job, and I'm not shocked. Moulson was such a smart player, so one would think that his ability to read the game would pay dividends for the broadcast. Also, he and Cal Clutterbuck are really close, so it was probably an incredible experience for Moulson to get to work Clutterebuck's 1,000th career game.
The loyal Islanders fan base, the passion never wavers as we all want to see Cup number 5 happen. @CVancheri
You guys are a passionate bunch. Whether the Islanders are on fire or ice cold, the fans let everyone know how they're feeling. And something that is always brought up about the Islanders when discussed on national television, especially in the playoffs, is just how strong the fan base is. Is it the biggest in the NHL? No. Is it the biggest in New York State? Probably not. But is it the loudest?
No question.
