That’s right, I said it. Let’s Go Islanders!!!! I have been a New York Islanders fan since the second grade. That was back in 1984. Most assume I was an Islanders fan because of the dynasty in which they won the Stanley Cup the four previous seasons. That is not the case. Unfortunately I missed that boat. I was too young at the time. Others then assume that my dad was an Islanders fan. That too is incorrect. My dad was a big New York Yankees fan, but was indifferent when it came to hockey. There are two reasons why I became an Islanders fan. The first is that my best friend in second grade was a big Rangers fan, and he and I used to play street hockey nearly every day. Nearly every day is a probably an exaggeration, but frequently would be a fair assessment. We used to play with milk crates for goals because that’s what we could find in the garage. It actually made us very accurate shooters as we got older. While I did grow up in northern New Jersey, the Devils didn’t move to the Meadowlands until 1982. Back in the eighties, the Rangers’ local rival was the Islanders. Since my buddy always wore a Rangers shirt of some sort, I backed the Islanders to keep the spirit of rivalry alive. However, the real truth behind why I chose the Islanders was because I liked their colors. This fact is a bit ironic considering I don’t like the Mets or Knicks. Perhaps going to Yankee Stadium at the age of two I had already been roped into the Pinstripes. Fast forward to today and any NHL fans know that Islanders fans have endured a very difficult 35 years. Never having watched your favorite sports franchise win the championship sucks. Last year they gave us something to be very excited about. This year they are doing the same with an opportunity to avenge last year’s elimination loss. And in the process they have given Islanders fans such as myself that now live in the Boston area a bit to brag about.