Islanders' Matt Martin will miss his brother-in-law's wedding for Game 4 vs. Lightning
Islanders left wing Matt Martin sets before a faceoff against the Capitals in the first period at Nassau Coliseum on April 22. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
Matt Martin will be otherwise busy on June 19. He figures his brother-in-law will understand.
Gunnar Esiason is getting married that Saturday in New England while the Islanders will host the Lightning in Game 4 of their NHL semifinals at Nassau Coliseum.
Speaking with Boomer Esiason on Friday on his father’s WFAN morning show, Gunnar Esiason said the wedding date was set before the COVID-19 pandemic. Usually, the Stanley Cup Final is over by then. Gunnar Esiason also noted between Martin and his father’s schedule, there was only a small window to book a wedding date.
"When they set the day, we were always kind of hoping this would be the problem," Martin said. "It’d be nice to be there to celebrate the marriage. But I think the whole family understands that the Islanders, and myself, are chasing something special right now. I’d imagine most of them will be tuning in at some point throughout the night to check the game score. They’ll still have a great night."
Gunnar Esiason, however, said cell and internet reception was spotty at the wedding venue.
The Kucherov question
Both Islanders president and general manager Lou Lamoriello and coach Barry Trotz were asked about the Lightning’s Nikita Kucherov, who is leading the NHL in postseason scoring after missing the regular season following hip surgery. That allowed the Lightning to remain salary-cap compliant despite Kucherov’s $9.5 million cap hit.
Both ignored the economics and just praised Kucherov’s play.
"I’m not a capologist," Trotz said. "I’m a coach."
Fan of the fans
Lamoriello called it "fantastic" to have big crowds back at Nassau Coliseum.
"The energy this fan base brings is just something special," Lamoriello said. "How they synchronize some of the things they do, it’s almost like they’re talking to each other when they decide to do a certain chant."
Andrew Gross joined Newsday in 2018 to cover the Islanders. He began reporting on the NHL in 2003 and has previously covered the Rangers and Devils. Other assignments have included the Jets, St. John’s and MLB.
