Be sure to tune into a special pre-game show of HNLI, right before Isles-Panthers, tomorrow (1/31) at 3:30 PM EST for 30 minutes. Steve and special guest co-host Tom Liodice (The Tiger Track, Newyorkislanders.com) will be joined by special guest Donny Rivette (Litter Box Cats) to provide a pre-game report for the game. Also, Steve and Tom will discuss everything surrounding the New York Islanders. As always, remember to call up (718-664-9597) during the show to give your thoughts and predictions for the Isles-Panthers game. Listen to HNLI tomorrow, 1/31, at 3:30 PM EST!

Be sure to tune into Hockey Night on Long Island, this Saturday (1/16) at 3:30 PM EST, as Steve is joined by Dominik (Lighthouse Hockey Blog). The two will discuss everything surrounding the New York Islanders, including the dominating performance against the Red Wings and the trade rumors about Ilya Kovalchuk coming to Long Island. They will also preview that night's Isles-Sabres game. As always, listeners are strongly encouraged to participate in the discussion by giving us a call (718-664-9597) during the show and chatting with listeners in the HNLI Chat Room. Remember: HNLI this Saturday, 1/16, at 3:30 PM EST for a 30-minute episode! To listen, click here

For an HNLI-record audience of over a hundred live listeners, Chris Botta joined hosts Alex and Steve Saturday afternoon for an exciting Isles interview. Botta, the mastermind behind Islanders Point Blank, discussed everything from the return of Rick DiPietro to Kyle Okposo's omission from the U.S. Olympic Team to potential Isles trade scenarios. Things got even more exciting when the phones started ringing at an HNLI-record rate and Botta faced a barrage of questions from caller after caller. With topics at just about every end of the spectrum, Botta provided both entertainment and insight for a boatload of hockey fanatics (and 2 thrilled hosts for that matter).

In order to accommodate those planning to watch the NFL's wildcard playoff game between the Jets and the Bengals, HNLI will be bumped up by a half hour to 3 PM EST this Saturday. Joining us for the first portion of the episode will be Chris Botta (aka the Blogfather) of Islanders Point Blank. As most Isles fans know by now, Mr. Botta is the premiere source for Islanders news, commentary, and analysis and it is a very special opportunity to have him on the show. Along with Mr. Botta, hosts Alex and Steve will discuss the Islanders' recent win streak, the team's west coast swing, the return of Rick DiPietro, and much more. As always, listeners are encouraged to interact by calling, IMing, and chatting in the HNLI chatroom. Remember that if you get your calls in early enough, you will have the chance to talk with Chris Botta himself.

Please take a moment to vote for Hockey Night on Long Island in the final round of the NHL Arena's Isles Blog-Off. With only four blogs remaining in the field, it is a tight race to determine which Isles blog will be the NHL Arena's official Islanders blog representative. To make your voice heard, head over to the Round 4 Poll, and cast your vote for HNLI! We appreciate all of your support thus far and appreciate it going forward.

Happy Holidays from HNLI hosts Alex and Steve to all of our loyal listeners and readers. This show would be nothing without all of your support and contributions both on and off the air. Stay tuned to our homepage for blog updates and scheduling announcements.

HNLI was back in business Saturday afternoon as hosts Alex and Steve took the airwaves for an hour of New York Islanders banter. Among the topics discussed were the recent home-and-home with the Rangers, Saturday's matchup with the Montreal Canadians, the Rick DiPietro saga, the development of Josh Bailey and John Tavares, and the upcoming Winter Classic and Winter Olympics. The show also featured several insightful callers, including an eyewitness to DP's second AHL rehab start in Springfield. All in all it was a great hour of hockey talk. Be sure to download the archive if you couldn't catch HNLI today live. Also remember to subscribe to the HNLI podcast by searching "Hockey Night on Long Island" in the iTune store.

Despite a very short tenure with the New York Islanders, most fans most likely remember Rob Davison. While he certainly wasn't the most memorable through his overall play, he certainly ingrained himself into Isles folklore by scoring a goal from over 190 feet away against Vesa Toskala:

Note: This was Davison's only goal as an Islander and one of three in his NHL career

The idea that Rick DiPietro could be between the pipes for the Isles as soon as next week seemed a little too good to be true. It was.

Isles Open Home Stand with a Bang

As I wrote on Thursday, the Islanders' attitude about being fortunate to survive the recent roadtrip must shift to an attitude of dominance at home.

Per Chris Botta's Islanders Point Blank, Andy Sutton clearly sees things the same way.

Round 1 of The NHL Arena's Isles Blog-Off tournament came to an end Sunday. Of the 18 Isles blogs represented, only the top 9 could advance to the second round of the tournament. Well, we're proud to say that thanks to you, our readers and listeners, that HNLI is on to Round 2! It is an extreme honor to be put in the same company as some of the most popular Islanders blogs on the web and we at HNLI thank you all for your support.

Now that we've reached Round 2, head over to the Isles Blog-Off Poll and select your five favorite blogs from the list (including HNLI, of course). Only the five blogs with the most votes will advance to Round 3 so it's important that you make your voice heard for HNLI.

p.s. If you're not already registered at The NHL Arena, you'll need to take 30 seconds of your time to create an account over there.

Ricky D Returns Tonight

The Scoop: After an eleven month hiatus from game action and a ton of rehab time, Rick DiPietro gets back between the pipes for the first time in a long time tonight. While the big club is in action in Tampa Bay, DiPietro and the Soundtigers take on the Springfield Falcons at the Arena at Harbor Yard in Bridgeport tonight at 7pm.

The Islanders blogging community is an extremely diverse one with a ton of insight from different people, in different forms, and with different styles. Now The NHL Arena is giving readers (and listeners) the chance to vote for their favorite Islanders blogs on the web. Round 1 of the "Isles Blog-Off" tournament is now underway. Of the 18 sites in contention, voters can select nine that they would like to see advance to the next round of the tournament. Like always, HNLI is seeking some fan interaction and encouraging you to click on over and vote!

Keep checking back to hockeynightonlongisland.com for blog updates, episode scheduling, and much more!

Whether these are new to you or a blast from the past, we hope these songs make your day like they did ours.