The flight from Seattle to New York took a mere five hours, a journey made swift thanks to the earth’s rotation and the helpful shift in time zones. For us, the JetBlue aircraft transformed into an impromptu hotel room in the skies. Despite the ample legroom in economy class, a restful sleep or even a brief respite remained elusive.

Upon arrival in New York, we were immediately greeted with news of an impending snowstorm. Yet, the snowstorm was forecasted for tomorrow, leaving today open for exploration. Our adventure took us on a walk through Long Island, accompanied by geese. True to its name, Long Island stretches extensively, a place where one can drive for ages without reaching its end.

After checking into our hotel in Brooklyn, we headed to the Barclays Center for a hockey game. The arena is notably owned by Russian oligarch Mikhail Prokhorov, who also owns the Brooklyn Nets NBA team. Additionally, it serves as the temporary home for the New York Islanders until the Nassau Coliseum on Long Island is fully renovated and restored to its former glory.

The game between the New York Islanders and the Pittsburgh Penguins wasn’t particularly spectacular. The Islanders had already lost their chance at the Stanley Cup playoffs, while the Penguins were comfortably positioned in second place in their division, having already secured their playoff spot. I had long anticipated watching Malkin and Crosby play, but unfortunately, they didn’t make a significant impact in this match, possibly conserving their energy for later games. Spoiler alert: this strategy wouldn’t help them much, as Malkin’s fellow Putin-team (🤮) player, Alexander Ovechkin, would later dominate in the second round.