WHAT A GAME

Only a few games into this year's NHL season and I just saw one of the best hockey games I've seen in years...

New York Islanders second game of the 2013 season - for it is n't the 2012/13 season as they have only just started the shortened 48 game season due to a labour dispute that nearly saw the entire year wiped out. NYI were playing at home, the Nassau Coliseum, against Tampa Bay Lightning.

In the very first second of the game two players decided to have a fight - strange given they haven't even yet played against each other this year and so no real rivalry could have been built up?

That episode meant that 4 players got sent off within 1 second of the game as the fight escalated - two for the entire match. Then as they all bedded down to the first face off for a second time two other players were at each time ticking off the clock again.. 6 sent off in 1 second could well be a record?


The Islanders went on to storm four goals, three in the second period and another in the third, to make it 4 to 0.

However, Tampa Bay kept coming back and managed to narrow the lead from 4-0 to 4-3 with 12 minutes left in the game. The final seconds saw NYI scrabbling around th Tampa Bay net, minus their netminder, but they couldn't put the puck in and so closed the game at 4-3.





Quick respect photo for Vincent Lecavalier, #4 with Tampa Bay here, as he was playing his 1000th NHL game.

Phew! Much improved from the first game when they lost 2-1 to the New Jersey Devils.

NYI start a five game trip away from home on Thursday, starting in Toronto - good luck and lots of stamina guys..

CANCER RESEARCH UK

January. That time when everyone flails around trying to stick to New Year's Resolutions.

I've been here before. I'm sure you have too?

This year is different though.

I noticed on my facebook page that a few people had been joining up to a new drive by Cancer Research UK called the DryAthlon. Simple idea. For the month of January, Go Dry. No alcohol. Get friends to sponsor the effort and maybe ask people in your local or out and about for donations.

I'm in.

Here's my page

Polko's Dryathlon

A good idea. And this year I will stick to my resolve. The support from the DryAthlon team is brilliant - earning badges for sticking to the plan. Regular emails to keep the momentum going - the first weekend is nearly over and I'm happily drinking lots of tea. Discovering new ones in fact. And happy to be away from the alcohol for at least the month.

I set a modest target of £200 and I'm 59% of the way there. I suspect it'll get harder as the month goes on but I'll be posting to facebook and twitter regularly to nudge a few people - some may call it pain in the bum, I call it money for a good cause!

So, I'll update soon.

For now, many thanks to those that have already seen fit to donate.

And just in case you want to - follow the link above or simply text to 70070 (free) with the following format in your SMS message:

POLK99 £x where x is the donation amount. I'd be happy with a £1!

If you want to join in, here's the Cancer Research UK Dryathlon info page

P