The New York Islanders Take on the New Jersey Devils Tonight

 Hello there, New York Islanders fans! I am coming to you from my house on this overcast day bringing you the latest news from your New York Islanders. I am happy to say that I will be attending the UBS Arena tonight when the Islanders take on their Hudson River rivals the New Jersey Devils. I am super psyched as it will be my first time at the new arena on Long Island!

 

But now enough about me, let talk about the game tonight. Coming into tonight’s game the Islanders are not off to the greatest start this season, as they are in the  bottom of the Metropolitan Division as of right now with 17 points and a record of 6 wins, 11 losses, and 5 ties, while the New Jersey Devils have a record of 10 wins, 10 losses, and 5 ties.

Some key matchups to watch for tonight’s game includes Matthew Barzal and Anders Lee for the New York Islanders. The reason you want to look for these key players is that Matthew Barzal has the legs of a gazelle with the ability to skate circles around the ice. Anders Lee has a never-back-down mentality when it comes to getting to the front of the net, and he always gets the dirty goals (always cleaning up the garbage!).

On the other side of the ice, key players to look for include Dawson Mercer, Jesper Bratt, and Nico Hischier. Dawson Mercer is a sharpshooter who burst onto the scene this year for the New Jersey Devils. Jesper Bratt is quick as a fox and is excellent at scoring those crunch-time goals. Nico Hischier is coming off injury but is looking to provide guidance in his leadership role as captain of the Devils.

It should be a rocking atmosphere at UBS Arena tonight on Long Island. Hopefully, the Islanders can get their first win at their new home – I sure hope so! I would like to be there when they do … maybe I will bring them luck! That is all for now, thanks for reading and happy holidays.

- Tommy Buckley

 

The New York Islanders take on the Tampa Bay Lightning tomorrow night

 

Hello there New York Islanders Fans! I am coming to you from my house on this cold and rainy day bringing you all the very latest news regarding your New York Islanders as they get set to take on the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion, the Tampa Bay Lightning on Monday night. Going into this game against the Tampa Bay Lightning the New York Islanders have not put their best effort yet into this young hockey season, but this reporter still believes that there is still enough time for the Islanders to turn their ship in the right direction!

Now to the hockey game itself. The New York Islanders are coming off a shutout loss on Thursday night at the hands of the New Jersey Devils. Some players to watch in Monday night’s contest between the two teams include Steven Stamkos center for the Tampa Bay Lightning, who has been well known for ‘lighting the lamp’ especially in crunch time, and Matthew Barzal center for the New York Islanders, who speed and skating always make for an exciting game.

I sure hope that the Islanders can get back to their style of hockey and finish out this 13-game road trip with a bang before opening at the UBS arena in Elmont on Saturday, November 20th at 7:00 PM. Islanders fans as well as myself are looking forward to the opening game at the Islander’s brand-new home.

 New York Islander fans this has been Tommy Buckley, thanks for reading! You can catch all of tomorrow night’s action on MSG PLUS at 7 PM. Let's go, Islanders, bring home a big win. 

The New York islanders take on the Montreal Canadiens

Hello there, New York Islanders fans! I am coming to you live from my sweet ride bringing you the latest news on your favorite hockey team! The islanders continue their thirteen game road trip, visiting the Montreal Canadiens tonight at 7 PM eastern time. Coming into tonight's action, the Islanders have a record of three wins and two defeats with two overtime losses for 8 points in the Metropolitan Division, while the Habs come in with a record of three wins and 8 regulation defeats in the Atlantic. To put it straight. it is a big game for both teams. Some key match-ups to watch for in tonight's game include the Habs forwards Tyler Toffoli and Mike Hoffman. For our Islanders, Anders Lee and Oliver Wahlstrom. It will be critical for the Islanders to get back to their defensive style of hockey tonight if they want to continue picking up points on this daunting road trip. We will see if our boys in orange and blue can come out on top tonight. Coverage starts tonight at 6:30 p.m. on MSG  with Islanders game night. Let's go, Islanders! Bring home a big two points! 

Knicks Looking to Remain Undefeated Tonight

Hello there, basketball fans. I am coming to you live from my friend’s place, bringing you the latest on the New York Knicks’ quest to remain perfect through the first three games of the season. I know it’s only the first three games, but this reporter is feeling very optimistic. This team is building off what they did last year when they made it to the NBA playoffs. The Knicks look like a well-oiled machine after the first two games of the regular season, beating the Boston Celtics 138-134 in double overtime and following that up with a dominating performance, winning 121-96 against the Orlando Magic on Friday night.

 

The two new additions for the Knicks, Evan Fournier and Kemba Walker are really paying off, especially Evan Fournier, who scored 32 points on opening night on Wednesday versus the Boston Celtics and followed that up with an 18 point performance on Friday against Orlando Magic. Matchups to watch are William Carter Jr. from the Orlando Magic and Julius Randle of the Knicks, and RJ Barrett vs. Terrence Ross. You can watch the game tonight at 7pm on MSG with Mike Breen and Walt “Clyde” Frazier, with Rebecca Haarlow as the sideline reporter. 

New York Knicks Begin the 2021/2022 NBA Regular Season on Wednesday

 Hello there, basketball fans! It's your favourite Knicks sports reporter! I am back, bringing you a preview of the 2021/2022 Knicks regular season. During this recent NBA off-season, the New York Knicks brought back most of their key contributors from last year's playoffs squad, but they've added two new key additions to the team: Bronx native Kemba Walker and Evan Fournier and signed them to contracts. Kemba Walker is recently coming off an injury-riddled year and he looks to bounce back to his normal 18 points a game player this season with the Knicks. Walker, who originally went to UConn, used to love playing in Madison Square Gardens. 

Now, moving on to Evan Fournier, the Knicks desperately needed outside shooting help, so they went after Fournier, who averaged about 14 points per game. The two new additions should help Julius Randall with the scoring load along with the core Knicks like Derek Rose, who was a major sparkplug coming off the bench with Tom Thibodeau leading the way. I believe that this defensive-oriented team will have a good all-around game. 

As for your keys to victory on Wednesday night versus the Boston Celtics, key number one is to slow down the dynamic duo of Jason Tatum and Jaylen Brown. That's the two-handed engine that makes the Celtics go. IF you can slow those two all-stars down, you have legitimate shot in winning the game. Some match-ups to watch for on Wednesday night are Jason Tatum vs R.J. Barrett, Kemba Walker vs. Dennis Schroder. 

In closing, I am really looking forward to seeing what the New York Knicks can build off their last season's success. You can see Wednesday night's game on ESPN at 7:30 P.M. Let's get this season underway! Go New York Go New York Go!

Critical Series For Both Yankees and Mets

 Hey sports fans! Sorry it’s been quite a while since I blogged. I hope you guys have been enjoying the summer as best you can due to COVID. Coming into this final stretch of the Major League Baseball season, the 2 local teams meet up for a critical final battle in the Subway Series tonight at 7pm in Queens. Coming into tonight’s action, the Yankees are coming off a streak of losses at the hands of the Toronto Bluejays and are barely hanging onto the second wild card spot in the American League East.

As for the New York Mets, there were high expectations for the first couple months but the team has fallen on hard times, sitting in third place in the National League East. This series is potentially make or break for both teams. If the playoffs were to start today, the Yankees would be headed up to Fenway Park to play the Boston Red Sox in a win or go home scenario. 

That is why this series is so crucial for both teams. Some players to watch on both sides are Pete Alonso and Javi Baez for the Mets and Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton for the Yankees. 

Now let’s break down the pitching matchup! For the Mets it’s Tylor Megill (ERA 4.20, 2-4) and for the Yankees it’s Jordan Montgomery (3.47 ERA, 5-5). It should be a good matchup. If you want to watch the Yankee broadcast with Michael Kay,, David Cone, and Paul O’Neill, you can tune in to channel 576. If you’re looking for Gary Keith and Ron Darling, you can tune into SNY channel 577. All I know is Go New York Go New York Go!

Potential Knock Out Game For Bucks

 Hello there basketball fans,  Baker Pond in Port Washington, NY, as  I’m back from my hiatus and here with the latest on the NBA finals.  Tonight in Milwaukee Giannis Antetokumpo and his supporting cast have a chance to close out Chris Paul and the Phoenix Suns, and capture the cities first NBA Championship in 50 years. 

This evenings key points remain the same, as Chris Paul and Devin Booker must put the team on their backs in order to force our favorite teen in all of sports….. Game 7.. 

As far as Milwaukee goes, their defense needs to continue its lock down play and contain the future Hall of Famer in Paul. 

It will be fascinating to see what Phoenix head coach Monte Williams elects to do with his line up moves this evening, because when in a potential elimination game, you must pull out all the stops and pull no punches! 

Catch all the action this evening & 9pm et/6pm PT on ABC/ESPN radio..

Buckley up basketball fans!! And enjoy game 6!!!!!

 

Wheel Chair Baseball On The Rise on LI

 Hello there sports fans, I am coming to you live from the Bayside Marina. Here today, Buckley Knows Best will be coming at you with a bit of a curveball! No pun intended. LoL. We will be recognizing the Wheelchair baseball league out of Eisenhower Park located in Westbury Long Island. More specifically, I will be providing some insight into the team the Long Island Aviators.

Let me introduce you all to some of the guys.

We have Tony Fitz the Manager/Player, whose dedication is is beyond commendable, and without him I personally would not even be apart of this team.  Furthermore, we have Drew who is known for his dynamite fielding skills, Vinny who loves to display his road runner like speed, and who can forget about Eric?!? Eric mans the grill like a true grill master at the conclusion of every game! Come on down and enjoy one of his mean hot dogs or burgers.

Then we have Rafael DeJesus who glove sucks up any ball that gets near him like a Hoover vacuum cleaner. Come on down and see some of his web gems while out on the diamond.  Chuck, whose team spirit keeps everyone on their back wheels with his dedication and moral he creates amongst the squad! 

Again, this will be the first of many segments regarding the LI Aviators, and we will be dropping information regarding the rest of the fellas as the season goes on. 

To be apart of the on field action, please come down to Eisenhower Park field 4, have a ball, have a dog, have a beer! Flat out just have a great time with the Aviators!!

Games are taking place Monday evenings @ 5pm. We hope to see you there! 

Knicks Secure hone court advantage for 1st round of NBA playoffs

 Hello there basketball fans, I am coming to you live from Jones Beach field 4 on this beautiful Spring day. Coming into yesterday’s game the New York Knicks were looking to clinch home court advantage which meant a victory over the Celtics was necessary. And the Knicks delivered once again! 

After Vegas set the Knicks over/under at 22 wins this season, the Knicks and 1st year head coach Tom Thibideau just continue to shock the basketball world, night after night. 

They now hold the 4 seed and have a 1 at round date with the Hawks which is most certainly a winnable series, but in the NBA playoffs, nothing is guaranteed. It must be earned.  The series will tip off at some point next week once all of the play in games featuring the higher seeds have been completed! 

The Knicks were 3-0 this year when facing the Hawks as Julius Randle lead the way averaging 25 ppg in those games. 

Tom Thibideau should be under strong consideration for coach of the year just as Randle should be for MVP. 

Go NY Go NY GOooooOoOo!!!!!

Yankees Finally Looking Like the Yankees

 Hello there baseball fans! I am coming to you live from the Roosevelt Field Mall on this rainy afternoon. After starting the season in absolute miserable fashion, back to back series wins has them sitting back at .500 and hope this is the tide actually turning. The Yankees will look to carry the momentum into the upcoming series with the Houston Astro’s. Which is no small task as they have to contain the likes of, Jose Altuve, Alex Bregman and Carlos Correa. Which is no easy task. But what will be interesting is the fact that this will be the 1st time that the Astros will be in front of the faithful fan base that comes with the Yankees since the sign stealing scandal that cost multiple people their jobs within the Astros organization and as some believe also cost the Yankees a shot at a World Series berth! 

Those circumstances are going to give the series a must watch title! So Buckley Up Baseball fans! And Enjoy the show!!!!! 

Recapping First Round of Wild NFL Draft

 Hello there, sports fans! I am coming to you live from my friend Kathleen Downes’s house, bringing you all the latest sports news from the first round of the 2021 NFL draft. Let’s kick things off!

 Coming into last night’s first round of the NFL draft, we pretty much knew that Trevor Lawrence, quarterback out of Clemson and Zach Wilson were numbers 1 and 2, but after that it was pretty much anyone’s guess where the draft would take us. But we got our answer. The 49ers drafted Trey Lance from North Dakota State. Kyle Pitts got drafted 4^th to Atlanta following a college career at University of Florida. One of the biggest surprises to this sports reporter coming out of the first round of the NFL draft was Justin Fields dropping out of the Top 5 to become the #11 pick for the Chicago Bears. 

With the 5th overall pick, the Cincinnati Bengals selected Ja'marr Chase, wide receiver, out of LSU, reuniting him with his college teammate Joe Burrow. With the #6 pick in the NFL draft, the Miami Dolphins selected Jaylen Waddle, one of the fastest wide receivers in the draft, reuniting him with his college quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. The Giants moved back from #11 in the first round in a deal with the Chicago Bears to pick up Kadarius Toney. The Philadelphia Eagles drafted DeVonta Smith, one of the top receivers in this year’s NFL draft, who was one of the New York Giants top targets.

 We will just have to wait and see what the New York Giants and the New York Jets do in round 2-7. It should be an interesting rest of the draft and interesting rest of the season. Can’t wait for football. This has been Mr. Buckley bringing you the latest from around the NFL. 

Let’s go Giants! 

                                   2021 NFL Draft- Paul Brown Stadium

Isles Go All In

 Hello there NY Islander faithful! I am coming to you live from the Nautical Mile in Freeport, NY on this breezy but beautiful day! 

The 1st place Islanders made a splash in free agency yesterday acquiring the likes of Kyle Palmeri along with Travis Zajac from New Jersey for some late draft picks over the next two years. 

This move all but signals that Lou Amarillo and the NY Islanders are all in this year carrying a mentality of All or nothing. You can’t blame him given the talent on this team to make a push for the Stanley Cup like this. 

Probably the most successful GM in recent years here in New York, Amarillo making this move makes perfect sense as the 2 acquisitions played for him in previous years when he was the GM in New Jersey. 

Palmeri and Zajac are scheduled to make their Islander debuts this evening as the Isles skate with the flyers at 7 pm et on MSG+ with Brendan Burke, Shannon Hogan, And AJ Maleszco! 

Buckley up Islander fans, as we take on the flyers to better position ourselves for a division title! 

Let’s Go Islanders!!!! Yes!!! Yes!!! Yes!!!! 

New York Football teams make splashes in FA

 Hello there NY football fans, I am coming to you live from the Nautical Mile, in Freeport, NY with the latest on your NY football Giants and Jets! 

Coming into this offseason both local teams are trying to rebolster their rosters after down years.  As for the Jets, they have signed WR Corey Davis to multi year deal worth 37.5 million dollars, edge rusher Lawson, along with a few other defensive pieces in order to help them on that side of the ball. But the questions are still there, the Jets are in dyer need for DB help, while the bigger question also still looms?? Who will be under center for the New York Jets? Will it be Sam Darnold? Deshaun Watson? Zach Wilson? I’m not all that sure the Jets know, but as the waiting game that is free agency continues, a front runner will most certainly emerge. 

Now, for the Giants, the other local team.  Big Blue had a sub par season, although had moments of promise in a weak NFC east l, still had some major holes to fill. The Giants seem to have solved their edge rusher problem in the signing of Odobwe, also have made possibly the biggest splash in Free Agency to this point signing highly coveted WR Kenny Golladay! Which will certainly give Daniel Jones another toy to play with this upcoming season. Daniel Jones, another question mark. Will he continue to progress and show us Dave Gettleman made the right choice by selecting him early in the 1st round of the 2018 draft or will the young man turn out to be a bust?  While it seems as if Jones possesses all the tools necessary to succeed as an NFL quarterback, the jury is still out. In some other Giants news, they have also signed former Minnesota Viking Kyle Rudolph to a 2 year deal worth 16 million dollars to play behind Evan Engram. Rudolph has a gift Engram does not possess, and that is the ability to block which we know the giants can certainly use up front as their O line is mediocre at best, with hopes that the young group takes a big step forward this year! 

NYC Rivalry Renewed

 

Hello there New York Knicks fans, I am coming to you live from NBA headquarters in New York, New York.  The Knicks will be traveling across town to Brooklyn and renew their anticipated rivalry with the cross town Nets.  

Although neither team is at 100% health wise, every game from here on out for the Knicks  are big ones. Especially if they have any hope of reaching the postseason for the 1st time in a decade. On the Knicks side, Elfrid Payton is still nursing an injury, while Derrick Rose remains in Covid protocol. 

As for the Brooklyn Nets. All Star Kevin Durant will remain sidelined with a hamstring injury, and it looks as if  Kyrie has returned to form with a 40 point showing the other night dismissing whatever rumors that were swirling about his health not being 100%. 

The Knicks currently sit at 20-19 which is good enough for 7th in the east, but with the brutality of their 2nd half schedule, every game is a big one. The Knicks do not want to stutter out of the gate and give themselves too big a hole to dig out of. 

This evenings players to keep an eye on are Kyrie Irving and Janes Harden. While on the Knicks side we will be eying RJ Barrett and Julius Randle as they look to continue their stellar play! 

You can catch tonight’s action on ESPN @ 8pm et with Mike Breen, Jeff Van Gundy and Mark Jackson! 

GO NY, GO NY, GOoooOoooo!!!!!!! 

Beasts Of The East

 Hello there NY Islander faithful! I am coming to you live from The Nautical Mile in Freeport, NY on this beautiful sunny day! Bringing you the latest on the Islanders. 

The New York Islanders currently sit in 1st place in the East with a record of 16-6-3 tallying 34 points as they look to extended their point streak to 9 games! 

However they will have their hands full this evening as they take on Brad Marchand and the streaking Boston Bruins!  A potential playoff matchup as both of these teams are built to lift Lord Stanley’s Cup come May. But only one could.  As we all know there has to be a winner and a loser in sports. 

Coming into tonight’s matchup the Islanders are riding high after a 3 game sweep of their upstate rival the Buffalo Sabres, but will be facing a horse of a different color in the Boston Bruins from beantown! 

If the Islanders hope to continue their March towards the postseason they will need to rely on their goal tending to be nothing short of stellar, and offensive chemistry between Andrew Lee, Matt Barzal and Pageau  to be top notch as the veterans of the squad look to lead the charge! 

You can catch the action on MSG+ @ 7:00 pm et with Shannon Hogan, Brendan Burke, Butch Goering, AJ Malezco and Jennifer Botchell! 

Let’s Go Islanders!!! YES! YES! YES! 

Islanders Aim To Keep Good Times Rolling

 Hello there NY Islander faithful! I am coming to you love from the Pier in Port Washington, NY where the wind is whipping and the waves are crashing. The New York Islanders look to continue their 5 game point streak as they welcome in their Upstate nemesis in the Buffalo Sabres. 

With the goaltending matchups still very much up in the air for this evenings game, we will turn our attention to the  players to watch! 

One of the biggest surprises over the last couple games has been Oliver Walstrom whom the Islanders drafted 2 years ago.  He has multiple goals over the past week and seems to finally be finding  his bearings on the ice with the big boys! Anders Lee has been by far the most consistent player on the ice for NY this year as they will be leaning on him heavily down the home stretch as we inch closer to the playoffs. 

On the other side, the Buffalo Sabres who are a dumpster fire and in the midst of a rebuild, will simply hope to maintain what self respect they have left by just giving it their all.  The only headline the Sabres seem to be making is when and where will they traded budding superstar in Jack Eichel. Tick tock Buffalo, Tick tock. 

You can catch all the action tonight at 7pm et on MSG 2 with Butch Goering, Brendan Burke, AJ Malezco and Shannon Hogan! 

Let’s go Islanders, YES! YES! YES! 

Fans back in attendance at MSG

 Hello there New York Knick fans! I am coming to you live from Roosevelt Field Mall in Westbury, NY.  Tonight the 15-16 Knicks welcome in the 16-15 Golden State Warriors as both teams are fighting to remain in the playoff picture as the season carries on. They are presented with the task of containing Steph Curry and his lethal trigger from 3 point land. 

However, what will be different tonight is that there will be fans in attendance as we take another step towards normalcy.  New York has been granted permission to begin filling arenas to certain capacities and little by little we hope to get them filled to capacity in the near future.  

Coming into tonight’s action, we will be keeping an eye on (UDA) Isiah Quigley, rookie sensation out of Kentucky, along with Julius Randle who continues his push toward an all-star campaign. 

But if the Knicks are gonna be able to keep pace with the Warriors they are going to have to play man defense when it comes to handling Stephen Curry around the 3 point mark, as well as contain Draymond Green who is a force around the rim and just eats up rebounds. 

You can catch the action tonight at 7:30 pm et on MSG! 

Go NY Go NY Goooooo!!! Go NY Go NY Gooooo!! #NYK

Tommy B's Predictions For The Upcoming 2021 MLB Season

    Hello there baseball fans, your favorite blogger is coming to you live from a snowy Floral Park, NY.  As pitchers and catchers have started reporting that can only mean one thing.  Baseball is just around the corner. 

     Many MLB teams have high expectations coming into the 2021 season and that includes both local teams in the Mets and the Yankees.  This blogger here at Buckley Knows Best has the New York Mets sitting at 90 wins this year which may or may not result in a playoff berth, as the NL East has gotten progressively better over the past few seasons.  Although the Mets have made some big splashes this offseason, you don't know how it will translate on the field. 

As for your other local team up in the Bronx, the Yankees are bringing back key pieces in another quest to bring home championship number 28.  Some see the Yankees running away with the AL East, but this blogger views the AL East as open season this year.  You simply cannot overlook the additions the Toronto Blue Jays have made in the likes of George Springer, Steven Matz, Marcus Semien, Robbie Ray, and premiere closer Kirby Yates.  Additions like that seem to have the Blue Jays poised to take over the AL East, but it is not as simple as one might think, sometimes it just doesn't translate to on-field success.  

As for our awards predictions in the upcoming season.  Your National League award predictions read as follows:, MVP: Mookie Betts (LAD), CY Young: Blake Snell (SD), Comeback Player of The Year: Noah Syndergaard (NYM), Rookie Of The Year: Ke'Bryan Hayes (PIT) Batting Title: Fransisco Lindor (NYM).

Now for your American League predictions.  MVP: J.D. Martinez (BOS), CY Young: Shane Bieber (CLE),  Comeback Player of The Year: Luis Severino (NYY) Rookie of The Year: Randy Arozarena (TB), Batting Title: Tim Anderson (CHW).

As for the championship rounds of your 2021 MLB season, this blogger has the ALCS matchup set as New York Yankees vs. Chicago White Sox.

And now for your NLCS matchup, San Diego Padres vs Los Angeles Dodgers.

And now our World Series predictions: San Diego vs. New York Yankees.  This would be a rematch of the 1998 World Series but with entirely different-looking lineups from top to bottom!

Coming out on top in the Buckley Knows Best Predictor Machine issssss......... 

       The prediction is the San Diego Padres will be crowned MLB's 2021 World Series Champion in a tight close series with our hometown New York Yankees.