The New Jersey Devils defeated the New York Islanders by a score of 1-0 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey tonight. The Islanders (1-3-0) have been shut out their last two pre-season games.
Boxscore
NJ: 1, NYI: 0 - David Clarkson; Peter Harrold, Adam Henrique
Notables
- The Islanders best player tonight was Rick DiPietro, without question. He looked better tonight than he did against the Bruins in the first pre-season game. DiPietro, who played the entire game, made 20 saves on 21 shots. He now has a 2.31 GAA during the pre-season as he continues to look much better than he did last season.
- Josh Bailey and Blake Comeau both had their best games of the pre-season, which isn't exactly saying much. Bailey was creating chances for himself, even missing a wide open net after faking out Devils goalie Johan Hedberg. Comeau was all over the ice night and played his most inspired hockey of his pre-season.
- Mark Streit looks like he has not missed a beat despite missing all of the 2010-11 season. He doesn't look like he has a shed of rust - crisp passes, hard shots, solid defense, team leadership. He is playing like the defenseman that Isles fans have gotten to know. Assuming his pre-season schedule is over, he will enter the season ready for sure.
- Interestingly, the Islanders awarded Jay Pandolfo an "A" on his jersey for the third game in a row. Pandolfo has played in all four pre-season games, and despite the fact he is considered a long-shot to make the roster, it's clear the Isles like having him in the organization. Even if it is a two-way contract, I would not be surprised to see the Isles offer him a deal by the start of the season. We'll see if he gets one final shot tomorrow night in Bridgeport.
- Isles first round pick Ryan Strome took a bad boarding penalty in the late stages of the game. Not only did he put his team on the penalty kill when they were down one late, but the penalty was also ruled a major. Strome claimed it was an accident after the game, and given the nature of his play there is no reason to doubt him. If he does get suspended though, it may throw off the plan the team originally had for him (if they were leaning to send him back to the OHL). The problem is, the camera never caught the hit. So we'll know soon if Brendan Shanahan comes calling.
- Of course, with a game comes an injury. This time, it was Nino Niederreiter, who left the game after only 4:32 played. He was diagnosed with a groin injury and will be re-evaluated tomorrow. Niederreiter did try to play on it for approximately ten seconds in the second period, so it's possible the injury is not that bad. But with groin injuries it's hard to speculate. We should find out a little more tomorrow.
- The fact that the Isles have been shut out two games in a row is not exactly promising. But they certainly have not put out extremely strong rosters either. With only five games on the schedule, their playing schedule may be a little off. But the fact that the "A" team put up 6 goals in their only game thus far is a good sign. Bottom line is that these games are not something to worry about. Rosters are not consistent and the "A" team does not always play against the opposition's "A" team. The only thing that matters is the season, which is certainly coming up quick.
Next Game
The Islanders will finish their pre-season schedule tomorrow night as they face the Boston Bruins in Bridgeport, Connecticut at 7:05 PM. The regular season will start next Saturday, October 8 against the Florida Panthers at the Nassau Coliseum. The game is scheduled at 8:05 PM because of Yom Kippur.
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