Champ: The "Ice Guy" - this guy worked harder than all of the Islanders combined. Shovel, fire extinguisher, ice rake...he used everything in his arsenal to get the ice repaired. Way to go! Chump: Czerkawski - Yes he scored a goal tonight but looked utterly confused out there a majority of the time. How many times is he gonna try a lofted backhand pass cross ice? He fired the puck wide on a completely open net and in case you missed it, his best shot of the night was when he projected a loose water bottle from atop the net into the stands. He needs to provide this young franchise with some stability and consistency and we just haven't seen it. As a 15 year season ticket holder, I have seen my share of strange games, but the string of events that occurred tonight take the cake. I guess I should have known considering the full moon in the sky but not being a superstitious person who would have thought? Definitely not me. The game started out as any normal game would. Two teams of six battling on a sheet of ice to put the biscuit in opposing goaltender's net. Both teams had their share of opportunities in the first period, but the Isles took the most serious loss when Brad Isbister was hit in the face by the puck as Caps defenseman Calle Johansson attempted to clear the zone. I have to admit, my first reaction to his injury was "Oh No, this could be serious" and my heart absolutely sank. But seeing Izzy return to his feet and leave the ice settled my fears quite a bit. A particularly odd incident occurred in the stands this evening. During the second period a puck was deflected into the stands behind Kolzig's net. From what I could gather, a young fan and an adult (yes, an adult) had an opportunity to get themselves a little souvenir. Apparently the adult won out (no surprise there) and he got incessantly booed by the fans at the Coliseum. As it turns out, the guy wasn't even supposed to be sitting in that section in the first place. Well, Islander fans rallied around the kid and more than made up for his hardship. Four people gave him pucks, one guy gave him an Islanders hat, and another guy bought him a Carvel ice cream. Hmmmm...imagine if I lost a battle for a stray puck in the stands? Maybe I can get a beer and a pretzel out of the deal?? By the way, there was some scoring done in the second period started when Czerkawski picked up a rebound from a Jonsson shot and banged it home. The Caps responded with 2 goals of their own taking a 2-1 lead until Scatchard knotted the game at 2 with 55 seconds remaining in the second. What transpired in the third period was beyond belief. As the teams returned to the ice to begin the third stanza, you could sense something wasn't right with Kolzig's crease. A crowd gathered around a small spot near the left post where the ice had actually dwindled to nothing, revealing the concrete below. The ice crew (actually just one guy) was called upon to make the appropriate repairs and he pulled out all of the stops, including the fire extinguisher, to try and attempt to fix the ice, but nothing worked. When it seemed as though the ice was repaired, Kolzig was still not satisfied with the results and the teams were asked to return to their respective locker rooms. The Zamboni was called back onto the ice to smooth over the surface once again, and after a few minor repairs, and a 47-minute delay, the teams were notified to return to the ice. I was actually hoping for a change of momentum for the Isles after the break but they just couldn't muster up enough offense. Unfortunately, while the Isles dominated most of the third period (10-5 lead in shots) it was the Caps who were able to get a power play goal from Chris Simon and hold on for the 2 points. Getting Dizzy with Izzy? Typical of a large media market such as New York, we so often hear conflicting stories on what a player has or hasn't said, that it can make you dizzy. Well, I was extremely glad to see Izzy step up and refute the New York Post article stating his unhappiness with being an Islander. By dealing with the situation immediately and honestly he sure put my mind at ease. He has a bright future as a power forward in this league and we need him in an Islanders uniform for this franchise to be successful. The CWF (Chara Wrestling Federation)? Those of you that have read my past articles know that Chara doesn't exactly make my top ten list. Don't get me wrong, he seems like an extremely nice guy. However, as a fan, I look at his production on the ice and he just makes too many mistakes for my liking. Chara seems to panic with the puck in our defensive zone quite often looking to just get rid of the puck. How many times is he gonna carom the puck off the boards instead of attempting to make a pass? Or when is he gonna use that reach of his to actually poke check the puck away from an opposing forward? During the delay, seeing the video of him and his father wrestling with each other didn't exactly warm me up to the guy. Two sweaty family members rolling around together on a hard rubber mat was cute but not the insight on Chara I was looking for. Believe me, as the season progresses I sure hope Chara proves me wrong...only time will tell. Ice Chips (tid bits you may have missed): The latest I heard on Izzy was that he took the puck in the jaw. He was bleeding from the mouth and taken to the hospital for X-rays. With Izzy leading the Isles in a majority of offensive categories losing him for any amount of time could have serious ramifications. Thumbs up to the Isles management for offering free tickets to those of us real fans who stayed throughout the 47-minute delay. This ownership has gone above the call of duty and they deserve a large amount of support and praise. Garry Galley has looked impressive after returning from his conditioning. He made some tremendous blocks on defense and actually prevented a goal on one occasion in the first. Until next time..."Watch out for holes in the ice" - Mike