I was pretty lazy today to be honest, and finished off the last couple episodes of Making a Murderer and I’ve been watching way to much of the Hockey channel in the hotel room.
I was staying in Brooklyn today because of the HUGE game tonight, the NY Islanders Vs NY Rangers. It was definitely the biggest match I have been to yet and I was pretty nervous and excited!
I went to lunch at a Brooklyn deli where I had a classic smoked beef sandwich, slaw and fries… it was very good to be fair! I’d like to give the famous Kat’s Deli a go in Manhattan now too but I may have to wait until next time for that but we will see.
So, it was to the McMahon’s the Irish pub again just by the Barclays Center for a few pre-match Angry Orchards and then onto the game.
I had some cuban pork dish thing for dinner with rice, black beans etc, it was really good but pricey. The Barclays Center was ROCKING tonight, it was a great atmosphere and a huge game.
I took my seat in the 8th row in Lower End Zone, I’d forgotten that’s where I chose to sit, for some reason I thought I’d taken the cheaper option and gone higher for this one. I dare even check how much this ticket cost me today! Still, the seat was incredible, the atmosphere amazing and I was just hoping for a result/game to match.
The game certainly did not disappoint, you’d be forgiven for thinking a 0-0 first period sounded dull but it really was top class. There was some serious goal tending on show and I was surrounded by a few Rangers fans (it’s all mixed in hockey) so they were giving Jaro abuse and we were following by giving ‘The King’ Henrik some abuse too. When I say abuse, it’s not like football **** this and your mother is that, it’s boring old ‘YOU SUCK!’.
The second period was exactly the same, tense and 0-0 up until late when the Rangers went ahead, it was set-up for a good third because the Isles had to chase a goal.
The third period was brilliant, we grabbed a great goal from Brock Nelson who’d banged in a hat-trick the other night and Nick Leddy our king defenseman popped up with a Power Play goal to make it 2-1.
It was very tense, especially with a couple of Rangers fans next to me, and they naturally pulled the goalie late on to find a goal but we managed to score in an empty net with 1 second to go. It was a proper memorable game/night, I won’t be forgetting that one in a hurry!
The Yes Yes Yes! chants and the Wooo’s continued outside the stadium, and I stopped for a post-match pint and treated myself to some dunkin’ donuts, because f you can’t treat yourself when you beat your local rivals… when can you?
Tomorrow’s plan is a Manhattan day, with a broadway show in the evening. Saturday I have marked down for some Central Park/shopping action too, leaving Sunday for an Arsenal/Isles day and my final game on this UK Isles Pilgrimage. I do plan to use some of my Manhattan time today, chilling and planning my trip to Calgary which is now only 40 days away woo hoo!
