Boxscore (Incomplete)
NYI 1:0 - McNeely (1); Niederreiter (1), Donovan (1)
NYI 2:0 - Strome (1); McNeely (2), Kichton (1)
NYI 3:0 - Strome (2); McNeely (3), Niederreiter (2)
NYI 4:0 - Cizikas (1); Kabanov (2), Ness (2)
NYI 5:0 - Niederreiter (3); Strome (2), Ness (3)
NYI 6:0 - DiBenedetto (1)
NYI 7:0 - Cizikas (2)
BOS 7:1 - Cunningham (1)
BOS 7:2 - Cunningham (2)
NYI 2:0 - Strome (1); McNeely (2), Kichton (1)
NYI 3:0 - Strome (2); McNeely (3), Niederreiter (2)
NYI 4:0 - Cizikas (1); Kabanov (2), Ness (2)
NYI 5:0 - Niederreiter (3); Strome (2), Ness (3)
NYI 6:0 - DiBenedetto (1)
NYI 7:0 - Cizikas (2)
BOS 7:1 - Cunningham (1)
BOS 7:2 - Cunningham (2)
The Good
From the get go (including the 3 fights in 5 seconds!), the Islanders were flat out the better team. No doubt about it. Boston had some impressive players (their goalie DeMichiel really stood out with some of his saves) and some really great chances, but in the end the Islanders totally overpowered them. For me, a few players really stood out. One was Ryan Strome. This kid looks like he is beyond his years x10. His outlet passing, ability to read the direction a D-man will be taking, and his general speed and accuracy are absolutely mind boggling. His one goal which came on a 3 on 2 where he just sniped it into the top right corner was absolutely phenomenal. Another player was Nino Niederreiter, who was looking incredibly strong and set up some great plays for Ryan Strome and Tyler McNeely, even though his goal scoring prowess is usually what he is noted for. Finally, Kirill Kabanov although invisible at times was hustling all game, and had one great play where he beat out the icing and fed the puck to Cizikas in a phenomenal show of chemistry. Honorable mentions include Andrey Pedan who was throwing some big hits and playing great D and Tyler McNeely who was almost always involved in the play.
However, the one player who was the absolute MVP in my opinion was Anders Nilsson. What a game this kid had. Perhaps it's due to playing with older players in the SEL, but he looks like he's ready for the pros with his play. For his size and style, the athleticism he shows is a great indication of the future. I can not wait to see him play in Bridgeport.
Overall, a very fun game that I was very happy to be able to go to (thanks again Carey!). Can't wait for training camp to officially start!
- Have to start here with the outstanding play of goaltender Anders Nilsson. From start to finish, Nilsson was magnificent and was the best Islander out there - despite the score. He made approximately 35 saves in the victory, including a showstopper on a 5-on-3 going lateral from side to side and a nice glove save on Ryan Spooner. He was technically sound with good rebound control. No question Nilsson's potential is sky high.
- The chemistry that Nino Niederreiter and Ryan Strome are forming cannot be ignored. They completely feed off each other. For Niederreiter, he was all over the ice engaging and initiating the play. We got a good taste of the blistering shot that Strome has on his two goals. They were complemented by an under the radar player, Tyler McNeely, who added two goals of his own. McNeely will really be a player to watch for the Sound Tigers this season.
- Speaking of chemistry, it looks like prospects Casey Cizikas and Kirill Kabanov have formed a little of their own. Cizikas is all over the ice at all times, is incredibly solid defensively and really showed his skills off tonight. And while were on skillful players, Kabanov really has a boatload of it. But the play that defined Kabanov's night was using his speed to beat two Bruins players for an icing, circling the net and finding Cizikas wide open who finished the play. These two guys, originally drafted as projects, could really be coming into their own.
- On the defense side, Andrei Pedan had a strong first period. Though he faded throughout the game (including getting beat bad on the second Boston goal), the potential he has is obvious. Very solid in all three zones tonight, especially on that 5-on-3.
- You can see the potential that David Ullstrom has. He is responsible in his own zone, is skilled with the puck, and has great hockey sense overall. He just needs to put it together, but plays like where he drove the net in the third period are what makes me excited about this kid. Compared from yesterday to today, he was much better.
- Very fun start to the game with Benn Olson, Brett Gallant, and Art Bidlevskii all getting into fights in the first three seconds of the game tonight. No question it was retribution for the hit on Rhett Rakhshani last night.Things calmed down a little after that, but it was certainly a fun start to the game.
- On a personal note, it was a very fun two nights at the Nassau Coliseum. Tonight was a lot cleaner than Monday, but overall the young Isles looked good out there (they won the aggregate 12-9). Looking forward to the pre-season game, and then the regular season. It's our first season writing about the team and we could not be more excited about it.
- The chemistry that Nino Niederreiter and Ryan Strome are forming cannot be ignored. They completely feed off each other. For Niederreiter, he was all over the ice engaging and initiating the play. We got a good taste of the blistering shot that Strome has on his two goals. They were complemented by an under the radar player, Tyler McNeely, who added two goals of his own. McNeely will really be a player to watch for the Sound Tigers this season.
- Speaking of chemistry, it looks like prospects Casey Cizikas and Kirill Kabanov have formed a little of their own. Cizikas is all over the ice at all times, is incredibly solid defensively and really showed his skills off tonight. And while were on skillful players, Kabanov really has a boatload of it. But the play that defined Kabanov's night was using his speed to beat two Bruins players for an icing, circling the net and finding Cizikas wide open who finished the play. These two guys, originally drafted as projects, could really be coming into their own.
- On the defense side, Andrei Pedan had a strong first period. Though he faded throughout the game (including getting beat bad on the second Boston goal), the potential he has is obvious. Very solid in all three zones tonight, especially on that 5-on-3.
- You can see the potential that David Ullstrom has. He is responsible in his own zone, is skilled with the puck, and has great hockey sense overall. He just needs to put it together, but plays like where he drove the net in the third period are what makes me excited about this kid. Compared from yesterday to today, he was much better.
- Very fun start to the game with Benn Olson, Brett Gallant, and Art Bidlevskii all getting into fights in the first three seconds of the game tonight. No question it was retribution for the hit on Rhett Rakhshani last night.Things calmed down a little after that, but it was certainly a fun start to the game.
- On a personal note, it was a very fun two nights at the Nassau Coliseum. Tonight was a lot cleaner than Monday, but overall the young Isles looked good out there (they won the aggregate 12-9). Looking forward to the pre-season game, and then the regular season. It's our first season writing about the team and we could not be more excited about it.
The Bad
- While he did rack up a few assists tonight, it seems that Aaron Ness is still off his game. He made a lot of risky plays, including getting beat on the first Boston goal. When the puck is on his stick, he is calm and collected, but otherwise he seems panicky. No question that he is a project and will require a lot of seasoning at the AHL level - much like Mark Katic.
- John Persson never really got it going tonight, even though he had a strong game on Monday. Disappointing, especially because his linemates (Kabanov/Cizikas) played outstanding tonight. Nothing too terrible from him, just extremely invisible.
- It's not fair to call him a lost cause, but Long Island native Tony Romano did not look very good again. He looked slow and tentative, and given his "veteran" status of the team should have been better. It will be interesting to see how he adjusts in the main camp and when he is ultimately sent down.
- John Persson never really got it going tonight, even though he had a strong game on Monday. Disappointing, especially because his linemates (Kabanov/Cizikas) played outstanding tonight. Nothing too terrible from him, just extremely invisible.
- It's not fair to call him a lost cause, but Long Island native Tony Romano did not look very good again. He looked slow and tentative, and given his "veteran" status of the team should have been better. It will be interesting to see how he adjusts in the main camp and when he is ultimately sent down.
The Ugly
- Another game, another injury (or two). This time, Mark Katic left the game hunched over in the first period. Turns out Katic suffered a dislocated shoulder, which should keep him out for a little bit. He'll be re-evaluated on Friday, so hopefully it was just something they needed to pop in. But the Isles really need to find a way to avoid the injury bug. That's two of Bridgeport's better players down with injuries in the first two rookie games of the season.
Final Thoughts
CH: The Isles, as a whole, were dominant tonight. They played hard for each other, pressured the Bruins in their own zone, and played like they wanted a victory. It showed on the scoreboard. To me, however, the most important aspect is that the Isles top players played like their top players. Guys like Strome and Niederreiter were dominant, and given their skill level - they should have been. These guys are maturing very quickly, which will certainly make for interesting training camp competitions over the next few years. Even though last night was a loss, these two games showed how good the potential of this team can be. But potential is just a word. Now it's time to move on - training camp starts Friday.
AT:
AT:
From the get go (including the 3 fights in 5 seconds!), the Islanders were flat out the better team. No doubt about it. Boston had some impressive players (their goalie DeMichiel really stood out with some of his saves) and some really great chances, but in the end the Islanders totally overpowered them. For me, a few players really stood out. One was Ryan Strome. This kid looks like he is beyond his years x10. His outlet passing, ability to read the direction a D-man will be taking, and his general speed and accuracy are absolutely mind boggling. His one goal which came on a 3 on 2 where he just sniped it into the top right corner was absolutely phenomenal. Another player was Nino Niederreiter, who was looking incredibly strong and set up some great plays for Ryan Strome and Tyler McNeely, even though his goal scoring prowess is usually what he is noted for. Finally, Kirill Kabanov although invisible at times was hustling all game, and had one great play where he beat out the icing and fed the puck to Cizikas in a phenomenal show of chemistry. Honorable mentions include Andrey Pedan who was throwing some big hits and playing great D and Tyler McNeely who was almost always involved in the play.
However, the one player who was the absolute MVP in my opinion was Anders Nilsson. What a game this kid had. Perhaps it's due to playing with older players in the SEL, but he looks like he's ready for the pros with his play. For his size and style, the athleticism he shows is a great indication of the future. I can not wait to see him play in Bridgeport.
Overall, a very fun game that I was very happy to be able to go to (thanks again Carey!). Can't wait for training camp to officially start!
Next Game
Training camp for the Islanders officially starts Friday with player physicals (among other things). The Isles first pre-season game of the year is scheduled for next Friday, September 23 against the same Bruins in Boston.
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