NHL Wednesday: Islanders win Battle of New York over Rangers in shootout

Fans dressed as characters, fun promotional posters were handed out, and John Williams’ wonderful score pumped through the halls of the Honda Center. Perhaps the coolest part of the evening was the remixed introduction video before the start of the game, which featured one of the original trailers for ‘The Force Awakens.’ Here is part of it in all it’s wonderful, nerdy glory.

Hockey referees barely get the credit they’re due. While they may not be in the middle of the action all the time, the guys in stripes are always in as much danger of being run over, knocked into, and hit by objects as the players are. Plus, they wear no padding with only a half-visor to shield them from harm.

Linesman Brad Kovachik faced down a spinning rubber disk from the stick of a Maple Leaf and did not flinch one bit before it clipped him in the mouth during the second period of a game Wednesday evening. In fact, he kept on signaling for an offside until the puck hit him squarely in the mouth.