Did I do that just to do the old-logo-colors and school jokes? Maybe.
We were, as noted, on assignment Tuesday morning. Obviously made the trek to ask about other things, but it was neat to get a look backstage at the Islanders’ dressing-room complex (not to mention catching up with Greg Cronin, Matt Bertani, Sean Donellan and others). They did save the best for last. The closest comparison I can come up with: Have you ever been to a really nice hotel, with a lobby/lounge kind of setup, cushy chairs around a bar-style table, cushy couches in front of TVs? Maybe with a breakfast bar set up? Picture that with a full-service kitchen complete with executive chef, and you’ve more or less got the players’ lounge. (Jesse Eisenberg got lots of the credit for it.)
Other highlights included the underwater treadmill (if you’re injured and can’t so much as walk on dry land, your buoyancy lets you do more in the water) with TVs at eye level; the sports performance facility (don’t call it a weight room), where Donellan talked about the data they’re able to collect over the course of a day, details on a player’s physical status, right down to the calories he burned at practice (they get similar information in Bridgeport, though not nearly to the level they get on the Island); and the super-fancy video room (which may just stand out because Bertani was hanging out).
So, yeah, didn’t see the Sound Tigers practice. Told we didn’t miss anything crazy. Bridgeport won’t skate Wednesday, so our “more as it comes” bit from Monday stands into Thursday.
As if Providence needed help, Kenny Agostino and Zane McIntyre were sent down.
Thought about going to this Worcester-Toledo game tonight before other things came up. (Didn’t realize it’d be Game 6 of the Series, either, but anyway.) Game-winner tonight for Toledo’s Tyler Barnes, the onetime Sound Tiger. Kellen Jones had a goal for the Railers. Eamon McAdam backed up.
Very excited for John Walton… and for Grady Whittenburg and Zack Fisch.
And love to my hometown.