Guerin News from Darren Dreger of TSN

Dreger: Guerin, Islanders wait on mystery team's decision

The waiting game continues for Bill Guerin and Derek Morris.

However, in Guerin's case, sources say the Islanders forward now knows who the team is and Guerin and Islanders' general manager Garth Snow are both waiting for that team to make its final decision to close the deal.

The identity of this mystery team is being concealed in fear the trade will fall apart.

Final confirmation would end a saga that started when Guerin was pulled out of the Islanders lineup after the warm up and before Saturday's game against the Buffalo Sabres.

BILL'S TAKE: Last night's win over the Sabres sure was interesting, huh? You had the plucky Islanders still playing hard and the intrigue of the Islanders captain being pulled from warm-ups and a night of speculation from Howie & Billy.

As of the time I am typing this, Point Blank is reporting that the beat writer from the Capitals (they're down 5-1 right now vs. Florida) is not Guerin's destination. So that means the heavy speculation is to Montreal.

We'll have more on this as new breaks. Sad to see Guerin go, of course, but maybe a real prospect and a pick would make us feel better.

Also, last night on Hockey Night in Canada, they had a Tavares update. The Isles are currently 48% percent likely to land the first overall pick in the entry draft.

Live Blog; Third Period

4:06--Center Ice is showing the CBC feed for Saskatchewan. That means I am watching what they are watching in Dog River. That makes me happy for a moment. Maybe the TV is on at The Ruby...

4:07--The effort is there but the results are not. Bruno misses an open net...

4:08--Former Islander Bryan Smolinski misses point-blank. Rick has been strong...

4:09--Ryder gets a hold...third straight penalty on the Canadiens...

4:11--The Islanders are just not shooting on the PP...

4:19--Somebody get Ted Nolan an antacid. He looks like he wants to puke. The Canadiens are in our zone forever. Guerin is whistled for a slashing penalty after Rick stays patient and robs a wide-open Michael Ryder as he skates through the crease...

4:23--Rick stops a backhand by Kovalev. He's been strong today, like I said. Hughson and Millen like him, anyway...

4:24--Roman Hamrlik sighting! Last place he has been spotted might be the post office, because he has been stealing money from the Canadiens all year long...

4:28--I am reminded during a break that Pat LaFontaine was interviewed between periods by Scott Morrison. Pat said that he'd like to get back into the league in some way and I guess we are all to forget that he had a job with the Islanders but quit it after Mr. Wang decided to remove that boil Neil Smith from the GM position last summer. Just worth mentioning.

4:30--Markov takes one off the jaw. The puck was fluttering so he looks to be okay...

4:32--"DiPietro another wonderful save!"--official quote from Jim Hughson. Rick is getting props throughout the league these days. No one is laughing at that contract now. Seriously, he has made about a half-dozen freakishly terrific saves...

4:34--I write that and Dandenault scores. Dad says that DiPietro can't stop three guys. He's right. Dandenault gets a gift from Markov.

4:36--Huet comes out to poke the puck at the blueline. That's a ten dollar cab ride from the crease for Pete's sake. I just threw up in my mouth.

4:39--Game over. Isles drop it 4-1.

What a night!

First off, we need to say that the Islanders know how to throw a party. Second, we need to say that all Islander fans had to be super-happy to see Miro knock home the game winner for Al Arbour's 1500th game as coach of the Islanders.

It seemed a little dusty at times in the old barn for Radar, and who could blame him. The event was classy and reverential right from the beginning. The fans were outstanding and I was very pleased to see many younger people in the stands who had a great grasp of what kind of coach Al Arbour had been for the organization even though many of these fans may not have even been born the last time the Isles won the Stanley Cup.

I don't know about the pre-game stuff on TV for FSNY because it's all blacked out for those with the Center Ice package, but I can tell you that on Hockey Night in Canada they aired an excellent feature with Coach Arbour and his wife, Claire. For those who don't know, Elliotte Friedman is a very good reporter who has a feature or interview before the HNIC broadcast and his interview with Arbour was just outstanding. "Radar" even got a bit choked up when Friedman told him that fellow HNIC staffer Kelly Hrudey told him that Al had been like a second father to him.
You no doubt have read the Newsday accounts of the game or watched it for yourselves. It was a super game. Anthony Reiber in Newsday is reporting that Rick DiPietro was examined after getting clipped in the eye (through his mask) by Sidney Crosby and that he has not suffered any major eye damage. It isn't know, however, whether he'll make the start Tuesday when the Isles host the Rangers. Dubie played well and made more than a handful of key stops after relieving Ricky in the second period.

Ben Walter made his Islanders debut wearing #29 and playing on the fourth line with Chris Simon and Aaron Johnson.