Just when this team has people optimistic, it has a dramatic way of bringing every hope right back down.
The Islanders had one of their worst games of the year tonight, not even getting over 15 shots on goal until the 3rd period and playing generally pisspoor hockey in a game that many saw as one with playoff implications for this team going forward. This is a Leafs team that they're facing again tomorrow and needed to gain momentum against tonight, and they failed in every way possible.
The Leafs got the scoring going early on off an accidental deflection by Mark Streit that was eventually credited to Matt Lombardi. It seemed as if right after this, the entire Islanders team shut down. There was no urgency to their play, they couldn't formulate any attack in the Leafs' zone and were being pressured all night. Nabokov had to stand on his head the entire game, but eventually let another one in early in the 3rd period to a perfectly positioned Phil Kessel who tipped in a rebound on Nabokov's right side. At this point, the moderate amount of effort the Islanders had put on in the 3rd went out the door and Matthew Lombardi would go on to net his 2nd of the night.
This all, once again, comes down to coaching. You look at a team like St. Louis who has no elite players, yet is managing to get things done and is one of the best teams in the league after a coaching change. Jack Capuano stands on the bench with absolutely no emotion, and seems to have failed even over halfway through the season to put a coherent system on the ice. There have been plenty of times where overachieving teams have had success due to great coaching. This won't happen with Capuano as coach, and if he is brought back next season, expect the fanbase to be livid.
Not really much to say here. A pretty bad game by just about everyone that wasn't on the first line. Rolston, Bailey, Streit and Parenteau were the worst of the night, but it's not even fair to call just them out when the whole team collectively, for lack of a better word, sucked.
The Islanders next face off against the Maple Leafs tomorrow night at the Nassau Coliseum. Game time is 7 PM and will be on MSG+2.
Jan 22, 2012
Opinion: What Last Week Means Going Forward
If you rewind back a week ago, the Islanders had just come off an emotional win against the Buffalo Sabres. They were still very much towards the bottom of the Eastern Conference, but signs were promising. With a tough week ahead including games against Nashville, Philadelphia, and Washington, the Isles were destined to either stay afloat or sink to the bottom.
Things did not start off well as the team gave up three goals in the first period of Kevin Poulin's second start of the season against Nashville in Monday's matinee. Things turned completely around, however, against Washington and Philadelphia, as the Isles allowed just one goal in the two games. In what would normally be a letdown game at home, the Isles came out and did just enough to beat the Hurricanes in overtime.
This 3-1-0 week puts the Isles in 12th place, just 9 points back of the 8th spot with over 30 games to play. While it's certainly improbable the Isles make a run to the playoffs, the conversation is legitimate to have. Even the most pessimistic fans are looking positively at this run - most notably due to the star John Tavares is developing into.
After four years of stagnancy, now would be a good time for Garth Snow and Charles Wang to show they are serious about winning. Or rather, serious about their "commitment" to the players (and the fans, too). The Islanders needs largely consist of a true second line center, a top-4 defenseman, and a third line wing. The truth is that Frans Nielsen is not cutting it as the second line pivot, but with Josh Bailey continuing to struggle offensively, there is nowhere else to put him. The Isles would actually be a very strong team down the middle with Nielsen and Bailey on the third and fourth lines, respectively.
Of course, the Brian Rolston experiment has completely failed to the point where he is becoming a detriment to the team when he is on the ice. Even if the Islanders don't make a single move, he should be on the fourth line with an improved Nino Niederreiter next to Bailey and Matt Martin. Finally, the Islanders have not found a viable partner for Mark Streit - Milan Jurcina and Steve Staios have not worked there. This is probably the team's biggest need going forward, as the defensive game needs to be tightened as the games get more intense and become of higher importance.
As the standings are right now, there is also zero reason for Snow to trade any assets. Many see Evgeni Nabokov as the number one choice to be moved off Long Island. This would send the absolute wrong message and would be another example of how the Islanders number one priority is not to win. Unrestricted free agents to be Frans Nielsen and P.A. Parenteau will also garner some interest, but both should be re-signed (along with Al Montoya and Nabokov, if he wants to).
Things are certainly looking up for the Islanders as we stand today, but there is a lot of time to go in the season. With two big games coming up against Toronto on Monday and Tuesday, the Islanders have an opportunity to truly get back in the playoff race. With a chance to be a .500 hockey team as the All-Star break approaches, all 20 players need to leave it all on the ice to ensure at least 3 points.
All of that considered, the Islanders are not a complete team by any stretch. The real question will lie in what comes of the trading deadline. The Isles have been cutting costs for years, and maybe there was a reason for that. There is no reason to do anything but add long-term assets at this deadline, especially with teams like Buffalo and Columbus on the brink of blowing their teams up. The Islanders have a great prospect pool - now would be a good time to use it. Garth Snow and Charles Wang are on the clock, will they improve the team or do what they always do, hope for the best.
-CH
Things did not start off well as the team gave up three goals in the first period of Kevin Poulin's second start of the season against Nashville in Monday's matinee. Things turned completely around, however, against Washington and Philadelphia, as the Isles allowed just one goal in the two games. In what would normally be a letdown game at home, the Isles came out and did just enough to beat the Hurricanes in overtime.
This 3-1-0 week puts the Isles in 12th place, just 9 points back of the 8th spot with over 30 games to play. While it's certainly improbable the Isles make a run to the playoffs, the conversation is legitimate to have. Even the most pessimistic fans are looking positively at this run - most notably due to the star John Tavares is developing into.
After four years of stagnancy, now would be a good time for Garth Snow and Charles Wang to show they are serious about winning. Or rather, serious about their "commitment" to the players (and the fans, too). The Islanders needs largely consist of a true second line center, a top-4 defenseman, and a third line wing. The truth is that Frans Nielsen is not cutting it as the second line pivot, but with Josh Bailey continuing to struggle offensively, there is nowhere else to put him. The Isles would actually be a very strong team down the middle with Nielsen and Bailey on the third and fourth lines, respectively.
Of course, the Brian Rolston experiment has completely failed to the point where he is becoming a detriment to the team when he is on the ice. Even if the Islanders don't make a single move, he should be on the fourth line with an improved Nino Niederreiter next to Bailey and Matt Martin. Finally, the Islanders have not found a viable partner for Mark Streit - Milan Jurcina and Steve Staios have not worked there. This is probably the team's biggest need going forward, as the defensive game needs to be tightened as the games get more intense and become of higher importance.
As the standings are right now, there is also zero reason for Snow to trade any assets. Many see Evgeni Nabokov as the number one choice to be moved off Long Island. This would send the absolute wrong message and would be another example of how the Islanders number one priority is not to win. Unrestricted free agents to be Frans Nielsen and P.A. Parenteau will also garner some interest, but both should be re-signed (along with Al Montoya and Nabokov, if he wants to).
Things are certainly looking up for the Islanders as we stand today, but there is a lot of time to go in the season. With two big games coming up against Toronto on Monday and Tuesday, the Islanders have an opportunity to truly get back in the playoff race. With a chance to be a .500 hockey team as the All-Star break approaches, all 20 players need to leave it all on the ice to ensure at least 3 points.
All of that considered, the Islanders are not a complete team by any stretch. The real question will lie in what comes of the trading deadline. The Isles have been cutting costs for years, and maybe there was a reason for that. There is no reason to do anything but add long-term assets at this deadline, especially with teams like Buffalo and Columbus on the brink of blowing their teams up. The Islanders have a great prospect pool - now would be a good time to use it. Garth Snow and Charles Wang are on the clock, will they improve the team or do what they always do, hope for the best.
-CH
Jan 15, 2012
Game Recap: New York Islanders 4, Buffalo Sabres 2
Two players who started off the year colder than ice are now a large part of the reason for the Islanders recent success.
Kyle Okposo and Michael Grabner accounted for 3/4 of the Isles' goals on Saturday night as the Islanders (16-20-6) took down Jhonas Enroth and the Buffalo Sabres. Matt Moulson got the scoring started in the first period on a nice tip in from a Tavares rebound. Late in the 2nd, Patrick Kaleta was there at the opportune moment to redirect a shot from Mike Weber that tied the game. The Islanders came back shortly after after an absolutely beautiful pass from Matt Moulson to a perfectly position Kyle Okposo, who netted his 5th goal in the last 6 games. However, on a poorly played puck by Evgeni Nabokov who was in search of his 300th win, Nathan Gerbe and Derek Roy took advantage as Gerbe's rebound went right to an open Roy who fired it upon the open net.
The 3rd period opened up and the Sabres were practically begging for the Islanders to score. Relentless scoring chances only stopped by the sheer brilliance of Enroth in goal, but Michael Grabner finally got himself a rebound with under 4 minutes remaining and wristed a nice snipe into the empty net for the win. It's been a nice rebound for Grabner who started off the year generally slow and is slowly but surely getting the same chances he was able to last year. Great to see him net the game winner.
The first line is absolutely unstoppable right now. With Moulson in his prime netting almost every chance he has, Okposo returning to form and Tavares turning into an absolute all star, the first line has turned into a scary proposition for opposing teams to offend. Plus, with the resurgence of Grabner, secondary scoring could take even further pressure off of the first line, highlighting more golden chances for the three to cash in on. It's a shame that this line took this long to reunite, but better late than never.
Of course, we can't go 10 games without some sort of ridiculous call by a referee. Late in the game, Mark Streit lost his footing and slightly bumped into the net which hit it off it's moorings. The referees decided not to just award a penalty, but a penalty shot to the Sabres' best goal scorer, Thomas Vanek. Luckily, Vanek hit the post and the Isles were able to hold on, but this is the sort of ridiculous call that the NHL needs to hold that referee accountable for. Total lack of judgment.
Finally, it was great to see the embrace that Evgeni Nabokov received after putting up a solid game and winning his 300th career game. After what happened last season, he's truly turned a new leaf in his life and looks to have embraced the position he's been placed in, and has been playing his heart out game in and game out. His teammates love him and the fans have taken a real like for him as well. We're glad you could make it, Evgeni.
Bloggers note: I will be moving up to Albany tomorrow and will be searching for a method of viewing games since our dorms carry Time Warner Cable. As most of you know, TWC and MSG Networks have reached an impasse in negotiations and TWC no longer carries MSG or MSG+. I hope to return to watching the team ASAP and blogging for everyone.
The Islanders next face off against the Nashville Predators on Monday, January 16th (MLK day) at the Nassau Coliseum for a matinee game. Game time is 1PM and will be on MSG+.
Kyle Okposo and Michael Grabner accounted for 3/4 of the Isles' goals on Saturday night as the Islanders (16-20-6) took down Jhonas Enroth and the Buffalo Sabres. Matt Moulson got the scoring started in the first period on a nice tip in from a Tavares rebound. Late in the 2nd, Patrick Kaleta was there at the opportune moment to redirect a shot from Mike Weber that tied the game. The Islanders came back shortly after after an absolutely beautiful pass from Matt Moulson to a perfectly position Kyle Okposo, who netted his 5th goal in the last 6 games. However, on a poorly played puck by Evgeni Nabokov who was in search of his 300th win, Nathan Gerbe and Derek Roy took advantage as Gerbe's rebound went right to an open Roy who fired it upon the open net.
The 3rd period opened up and the Sabres were practically begging for the Islanders to score. Relentless scoring chances only stopped by the sheer brilliance of Enroth in goal, but Michael Grabner finally got himself a rebound with under 4 minutes remaining and wristed a nice snipe into the empty net for the win. It's been a nice rebound for Grabner who started off the year generally slow and is slowly but surely getting the same chances he was able to last year. Great to see him net the game winner.
The first line is absolutely unstoppable right now. With Moulson in his prime netting almost every chance he has, Okposo returning to form and Tavares turning into an absolute all star, the first line has turned into a scary proposition for opposing teams to offend. Plus, with the resurgence of Grabner, secondary scoring could take even further pressure off of the first line, highlighting more golden chances for the three to cash in on. It's a shame that this line took this long to reunite, but better late than never.
Of course, we can't go 10 games without some sort of ridiculous call by a referee. Late in the game, Mark Streit lost his footing and slightly bumped into the net which hit it off it's moorings. The referees decided not to just award a penalty, but a penalty shot to the Sabres' best goal scorer, Thomas Vanek. Luckily, Vanek hit the post and the Isles were able to hold on, but this is the sort of ridiculous call that the NHL needs to hold that referee accountable for. Total lack of judgment.
Finally, it was great to see the embrace that Evgeni Nabokov received after putting up a solid game and winning his 300th career game. After what happened last season, he's truly turned a new leaf in his life and looks to have embraced the position he's been placed in, and has been playing his heart out game in and game out. His teammates love him and the fans have taken a real like for him as well. We're glad you could make it, Evgeni.
Bloggers note: I will be moving up to Albany tomorrow and will be searching for a method of viewing games since our dorms carry Time Warner Cable. As most of you know, TWC and MSG Networks have reached an impasse in negotiations and TWC no longer carries MSG or MSG+. I hope to return to watching the team ASAP and blogging for everyone.
The Islanders next face off against the Nashville Predators on Monday, January 16th (MLK day) at the Nassau Coliseum for a matinee game. Game time is 1PM and will be on MSG+.
Jan 12, 2012
Game Recap: Philadelphia Flyers 3, New York Islanders 2
While the Islanders continued their hot streak against Detroit the other night, tonight was about continuing an abysmal streak against Philadelphia.
The Islanders (15-20-6) lost a tight one against Philadelphia on Thursday night by a final score of 3-2 in front of a crowd of 11,751 at the Nassau Coliseum. Whilst early the Flyers had a pretty clear advantage, the Islanders absolutely peppered Bobrovsky for the rest of the night. The Flyers scored 2 flukey goals - the first coming in the first period off a deflection in front of the net by Hartnell's leg that Nabokov could have done nothing about, the 2nd coming when Wayne Simmonds fired a shot at Nabokov who happened to take his leg off the post for a split second which allowed it to careen in off of his pad. Things were looking bad for the Islanders until 22 seconds into the 3rd, Kyle Okposo stayed consistent and netted his 10th of the year in front of traffic. Unfortunately, as things were coming down to the wire, Sean Couturier wristed an absolute blazer of a shot over Nabokov's shoulder with 1:30 remaining. The Islanders still pulled Nabokov and were able to get a late one by newly named All Star John Tavares, but it came too late and the Islanders went on to fall.
The team, as a whole, is looking better again. This is an always tough Philadelphia team that they put 35 shots on, and only allowed 22 against. Much like the Islanders' overtime loss a month back against Philly, the Islanders really did look like the better team but were beaten by a lack of luck and some stellar saves in the right time for Philadelphia.
Michael Grabner specifically had a great game. He had an early breakaway denied by a hook which led to a penalty shot, and that was denied, but he looked like his old self once again. He tied for the team lead in shots with 4 and drew another penalty in the 2nd period on a half-breakaway. He had one noteable breakaway in which he was clear in on Bobrovsky and absolutely robbed. If he keeps this up, he may find his way back up to the 2nd line with Parenteau and Nielsen, and would fit right back in.
Andrew MacDonald, Travis Hamonic and Steve Staios also had great games, with Staios laying a flat out punishing hit on Max Talbot in the 3rd that brought the crowd to their feet. Both AMac and Hamonic finished the game +2.
Obviously, always upsetting to lose a game like this, but the team worked extremely hard tonight and deserves credit for it. Against most goalies, work that was put in tonight would have resulted in a win, but Bobrovsky is a fantastic young goaltender and deserves credit for putting on a show tonight. The Islanders next face off against the Buffalo Sabres at the Nassau Coliseum on Saturday the 14th. Game time is 7 PM and will be on MSG+ HD. The Islanders are continuing their 70s/80s/90s/00s induction ceremony by inducting famed 1990's captain Pat Flatley into the Islanders Hall of Fame.
The Islanders (15-20-6) lost a tight one against Philadelphia on Thursday night by a final score of 3-2 in front of a crowd of 11,751 at the Nassau Coliseum. Whilst early the Flyers had a pretty clear advantage, the Islanders absolutely peppered Bobrovsky for the rest of the night. The Flyers scored 2 flukey goals - the first coming in the first period off a deflection in front of the net by Hartnell's leg that Nabokov could have done nothing about, the 2nd coming when Wayne Simmonds fired a shot at Nabokov who happened to take his leg off the post for a split second which allowed it to careen in off of his pad. Things were looking bad for the Islanders until 22 seconds into the 3rd, Kyle Okposo stayed consistent and netted his 10th of the year in front of traffic. Unfortunately, as things were coming down to the wire, Sean Couturier wristed an absolute blazer of a shot over Nabokov's shoulder with 1:30 remaining. The Islanders still pulled Nabokov and were able to get a late one by newly named All Star John Tavares, but it came too late and the Islanders went on to fall.
The team, as a whole, is looking better again. This is an always tough Philadelphia team that they put 35 shots on, and only allowed 22 against. Much like the Islanders' overtime loss a month back against Philly, the Islanders really did look like the better team but were beaten by a lack of luck and some stellar saves in the right time for Philadelphia.
Michael Grabner specifically had a great game. He had an early breakaway denied by a hook which led to a penalty shot, and that was denied, but he looked like his old self once again. He tied for the team lead in shots with 4 and drew another penalty in the 2nd period on a half-breakaway. He had one noteable breakaway in which he was clear in on Bobrovsky and absolutely robbed. If he keeps this up, he may find his way back up to the 2nd line with Parenteau and Nielsen, and would fit right back in.
Andrew MacDonald, Travis Hamonic and Steve Staios also had great games, with Staios laying a flat out punishing hit on Max Talbot in the 3rd that brought the crowd to their feet. Both AMac and Hamonic finished the game +2.
Obviously, always upsetting to lose a game like this, but the team worked extremely hard tonight and deserves credit for it. Against most goalies, work that was put in tonight would have resulted in a win, but Bobrovsky is a fantastic young goaltender and deserves credit for putting on a show tonight. The Islanders next face off against the Buffalo Sabres at the Nassau Coliseum on Saturday the 14th. Game time is 7 PM and will be on MSG+ HD. The Islanders are continuing their 70s/80s/90s/00s induction ceremony by inducting famed 1990's captain Pat Flatley into the Islanders Hall of Fame.
Jan 10, 2012
Game Recap: New York Islanders 5, Detroit Red Wings 1
The Detroit Red Wings handle most teams with relative ease. Not the New York Islanders.
The Islanders continued their post-lockout success against the Red Wings and finished a fun one by a final score of 5-1. As per usual, the first line continued their pure dominance over anything with goalie pads, contributing 4 of the 5 goals, 2 of which were from Matt Moulson for his 19th and 20th on the year. Michael Grabner also finally stopped his goal-less streak and John Tavares and Kyle Okposo also netted goals for their 14th and 9th of the year, respectively. The Isles completely outplayed the Red Wings in almost every aspect of the game offensively and held pressure in their zone for a good portion of their game. Offense from Mark Streit, who contributed 3 assists and was big on the powerplay was also a major factor in this win.
Defensively, the Islanders had an efficient game. Hamonic ended with a +3 final rating, Streit a +2. Some missteps as one would expect from a defense like this still occurred - most notably a very poor penalty taken by Milan Jurcina late in the 1st period, but in general only 24 shots were allowed on goal and the defense did their job.
Evgeni Nabokov performed at an absolutely phenomenal level tonight as well, including two candidates for save of the year including a diving paddle save on Valtteri Filppula and a beautiful pad save on Daniel Cleary on a shorthanded breakaway. He wasn't tested too much, but when he was it took pure skill in order to stop some of the shots he faced. Excellent rebound game for Nabokov, although expect to see Poulin in against Philadelphia since Nabokov has played 9 straight.
If the Isles hadn't played so poorly against Phoenix and Anaheim, this win would be a lot sweeter. Unfortunately, losing those two games put a major dent in any kind of smidgeon of hope that had remained on jumping back in the playoff race, but of course when you're only 40 games in, anything's possible. It's just a shame that this dominant team which shows so much potential isn't given the pieces and additions it so desperately looks like it needs.
The Islanders next face off against the Philadelphia Flyers at the Nassau Coliseum on Thursday. Game time is 7:00 and will be on MSG+. The Islanders will be wearing their third jerseys for this game.
The Islanders continued their post-lockout success against the Red Wings and finished a fun one by a final score of 5-1. As per usual, the first line continued their pure dominance over anything with goalie pads, contributing 4 of the 5 goals, 2 of which were from Matt Moulson for his 19th and 20th on the year. Michael Grabner also finally stopped his goal-less streak and John Tavares and Kyle Okposo also netted goals for their 14th and 9th of the year, respectively. The Isles completely outplayed the Red Wings in almost every aspect of the game offensively and held pressure in their zone for a good portion of their game. Offense from Mark Streit, who contributed 3 assists and was big on the powerplay was also a major factor in this win.
Defensively, the Islanders had an efficient game. Hamonic ended with a +3 final rating, Streit a +2. Some missteps as one would expect from a defense like this still occurred - most notably a very poor penalty taken by Milan Jurcina late in the 1st period, but in general only 24 shots were allowed on goal and the defense did their job.
Evgeni Nabokov performed at an absolutely phenomenal level tonight as well, including two candidates for save of the year including a diving paddle save on Valtteri Filppula and a beautiful pad save on Daniel Cleary on a shorthanded breakaway. He wasn't tested too much, but when he was it took pure skill in order to stop some of the shots he faced. Excellent rebound game for Nabokov, although expect to see Poulin in against Philadelphia since Nabokov has played 9 straight.
If the Isles hadn't played so poorly against Phoenix and Anaheim, this win would be a lot sweeter. Unfortunately, losing those two games put a major dent in any kind of smidgeon of hope that had remained on jumping back in the playoff race, but of course when you're only 40 games in, anything's possible. It's just a shame that this dominant team which shows so much potential isn't given the pieces and additions it so desperately looks like it needs.
The Islanders next face off against the Philadelphia Flyers at the Nassau Coliseum on Thursday. Game time is 7:00 and will be on MSG+. The Islanders will be wearing their third jerseys for this game.
Jan 7, 2012
Game Recap: Phoenix Coyotes 5, New York Islanders 1
The wheels have officially re-fallen off.
The Islanders lost another big one tonight in Phoenix by a final score of 5-1. Frans Nielsen scored the lone Islanders goal tonight, but other than that it was all Phoenix for the final 2 periods of this game. Once more, defensive breakdowns by Milan Jurcina and Mark Eaton were responsible for a Doan goal, Mark Streit was pretty much as abysmal as he'd been the whole season and only one Islander had an even rating for the game, which was none other than Matt Martin. It's very hard to blame Evgeni Nabokov for many of these goals when he's being completely hung out to dry by the pisspoor defense that's been placed in front of him. P.A. Parenteau also had another completely abysmal game, culminating in a double minor with a tacked on unsportsmanlike conduct penalty that was entirely his fault.
All in all, it's simply the same ol' song and dance over and over again, except this year there simply is no excuse for the team to be performing at this low level of play on a pretty consistent scale. Most of the blame goes to Snow, but there are certain players on this team right now who are playing completely below even the most moderate of expectations and sometimes look to not even care. The team, besides about 3-4 standout players, looks completely lost again and is heading towards the same lackluster style of play that gave them a 20 game winless streak last year.
It's a shame that whenever this team looks like it has a legitimate shot at recouping its losses, they lose one they shouldn't have and simply fall apart as a team. It's a fundamental problem that goes to the core - from the coaching to the GM to the owner himself.
As a hockey fan it is fairly easy to also say congrats to Shane Doan who was able to score with less than a second to go to get his first ever career hat trick.
The Islanders have finished up their road trip and will now face off against the Detroit Red Wings at home on January 10th. Game time is 7PM and will be on MSG+.
The Islanders lost another big one tonight in Phoenix by a final score of 5-1. Frans Nielsen scored the lone Islanders goal tonight, but other than that it was all Phoenix for the final 2 periods of this game. Once more, defensive breakdowns by Milan Jurcina and Mark Eaton were responsible for a Doan goal, Mark Streit was pretty much as abysmal as he'd been the whole season and only one Islander had an even rating for the game, which was none other than Matt Martin. It's very hard to blame Evgeni Nabokov for many of these goals when he's being completely hung out to dry by the pisspoor defense that's been placed in front of him. P.A. Parenteau also had another completely abysmal game, culminating in a double minor with a tacked on unsportsmanlike conduct penalty that was entirely his fault.
All in all, it's simply the same ol' song and dance over and over again, except this year there simply is no excuse for the team to be performing at this low level of play on a pretty consistent scale. Most of the blame goes to Snow, but there are certain players on this team right now who are playing completely below even the most moderate of expectations and sometimes look to not even care. The team, besides about 3-4 standout players, looks completely lost again and is heading towards the same lackluster style of play that gave them a 20 game winless streak last year.
It's a shame that whenever this team looks like it has a legitimate shot at recouping its losses, they lose one they shouldn't have and simply fall apart as a team. It's a fundamental problem that goes to the core - from the coaching to the GM to the owner himself.
As a hockey fan it is fairly easy to also say congrats to Shane Doan who was able to score with less than a second to go to get his first ever career hat trick.
The Islanders have finished up their road trip and will now face off against the Detroit Red Wings at home on January 10th. Game time is 7PM and will be on MSG+.
Game Recap: Anaheim Ducks 4, New York Islanders 2
The old saying goes that all good things must come to an end, but when playing one of the league's worst teams in a game where you're up by a goal, that shouldn't apply.
The Islanders faced off against the Anaheim Ducks in Anaheim on Friday night, and started the game off being the clearly dominant team even with no score halfway through the game. Being the dominant team while still looking lackluster is always an interesting achievement. A little over halfway through, Bobby Ryan got the scoring started off by getting one past Nabokov following a nice setup by Jason Blake. Mark Eaton's fail to clear was a main reason for this goal as well. The Islanders were quick to answer however and Matt Martin was able to net one just past Hiller in a shot that only went fully in once Hiller tried to knock it out with his glove.
John Tavares put his excellency in playmaking on display once more as he sent a beautiful pass over to Okposo to lift the Isles to a 2-1 lead. Unfortunately, Bobby Ryan was able to get his second of the game shorthanded in a game where the defense simply fell apart. The Ducks simply put an onslaught after this, scoring 2 more goals that were direct results of defensive breakdowns. The Islanders would lose by a final of 4-2.
This was a game where the team's #1 flaw - their defense - was once again on display. Anaheim is by all means a very poor team this year and they were showing it for the majority of the game. This aside, they do have several players with enormous skill and when given a chance will take advantage of a poor defense, and that is precisely what they did. Andrew MacDonald, Milan Jurcina, and Mark Eaton all had very poor games in particular. The more Snow refuses to address this blatantly obvious issue, the more you're going to see games like this that should have been won but weren't due to defensive incompetence.
The Islanders next face off against another generally weak Western team in Phoenix. The game will be at 8 EST and will be shown on MSG+2.
The Islanders faced off against the Anaheim Ducks in Anaheim on Friday night, and started the game off being the clearly dominant team even with no score halfway through the game. Being the dominant team while still looking lackluster is always an interesting achievement. A little over halfway through, Bobby Ryan got the scoring started off by getting one past Nabokov following a nice setup by Jason Blake. Mark Eaton's fail to clear was a main reason for this goal as well. The Islanders were quick to answer however and Matt Martin was able to net one just past Hiller in a shot that only went fully in once Hiller tried to knock it out with his glove.
John Tavares put his excellency in playmaking on display once more as he sent a beautiful pass over to Okposo to lift the Isles to a 2-1 lead. Unfortunately, Bobby Ryan was able to get his second of the game shorthanded in a game where the defense simply fell apart. The Ducks simply put an onslaught after this, scoring 2 more goals that were direct results of defensive breakdowns. The Islanders would lose by a final of 4-2.
This was a game where the team's #1 flaw - their defense - was once again on display. Anaheim is by all means a very poor team this year and they were showing it for the majority of the game. This aside, they do have several players with enormous skill and when given a chance will take advantage of a poor defense, and that is precisely what they did. Andrew MacDonald, Milan Jurcina, and Mark Eaton all had very poor games in particular. The more Snow refuses to address this blatantly obvious issue, the more you're going to see games like this that should have been won but weren't due to defensive incompetence.
The Islanders next face off against another generally weak Western team in Phoenix. The game will be at 8 EST and will be shown on MSG+2.
Jan 3, 2012
Recap: Islanders - 4, Hurricanes - 3
In somewhat of a roller coaster game, the Islanders defeated the Carolina Hurricanes 4-3 in a shootout tonight in Raleigh, North Carolina. After taking an early lead on a Matt Moulson powerplay goal, the Isles allowed two unanswered goal to Carolina, including one by Brandon Sutter on a horrific giveaway by Evgeni Nabokov behind his net.
Trailing 2-1 in the third period, the Islanders came back on a powerplay goal by Frans Nielsen off a carom on a Mark Streit cannon from the point. However, Carolina went ahead late on a Chad LaRose goal after a horrible giveaway by Brian Rolston and subsequent soft Milan Jurcina pokecheck. With just over a minute left, a great keep by Travis Hamonic led to a fantastic power move behind the net by John Tavares, who fired a laser cross-crease onto the stick of Kyle Okposo who knocked it home. While that goal seemed easy for Okposo, passes like that are extremely hard to control, so Okposo did a good job to tie the game on his seventh goal of the season.
After a scoreless overtime, shootout goals by P.A. Parenteau and Frans Nielsen gave the Isles the win as Nabokov stopped 2/3 Carolina shooters.
Overall, this was a good road win for the Isles. They showed resiliency and urgency down a goal late, which is something we have not often seen from the team this season. While the Isles are still teetering on the brink of being out of the playoff race, they pulled to nine points behind the eighth place Jets with a game at hand. The Isles have now won three in a row as they head to Anaheim and Phoenix for a west coast back-to-back. It wouldn't shock me to see Anders Nilsson get a start in one of these games, as it's important that Nabokov gets his rest to keep him fresh going forward. Even when Al Montoya comes back, these two will be rightfully fighting for playoff time.
One thing that has bothered me is that the bottom three lines are essentially offensive black holes right now. Aside from Tavares, Moulson, Parenteau, and Okposo, it seems like a surprise when another Islanders forward scores a goal. That type of balance is not healthy going forward and could be a big detriment going forward. A struggling Frans Nielsen and Michael Grabner are not helping things, as it will get harder for the Tavares line to score as teams start to tighten up on his line once playoff races begin.
That said, a very solid win tonight and a good start to a road trip in which the Isles could easily take back 4 of 6 points to Long Island for a tough home week coming up.
-CH
Trailing 2-1 in the third period, the Islanders came back on a powerplay goal by Frans Nielsen off a carom on a Mark Streit cannon from the point. However, Carolina went ahead late on a Chad LaRose goal after a horrible giveaway by Brian Rolston and subsequent soft Milan Jurcina pokecheck. With just over a minute left, a great keep by Travis Hamonic led to a fantastic power move behind the net by John Tavares, who fired a laser cross-crease onto the stick of Kyle Okposo who knocked it home. While that goal seemed easy for Okposo, passes like that are extremely hard to control, so Okposo did a good job to tie the game on his seventh goal of the season.
After a scoreless overtime, shootout goals by P.A. Parenteau and Frans Nielsen gave the Isles the win as Nabokov stopped 2/3 Carolina shooters.
Overall, this was a good road win for the Isles. They showed resiliency and urgency down a goal late, which is something we have not often seen from the team this season. While the Isles are still teetering on the brink of being out of the playoff race, they pulled to nine points behind the eighth place Jets with a game at hand. The Isles have now won three in a row as they head to Anaheim and Phoenix for a west coast back-to-back. It wouldn't shock me to see Anders Nilsson get a start in one of these games, as it's important that Nabokov gets his rest to keep him fresh going forward. Even when Al Montoya comes back, these two will be rightfully fighting for playoff time.
One thing that has bothered me is that the bottom three lines are essentially offensive black holes right now. Aside from Tavares, Moulson, Parenteau, and Okposo, it seems like a surprise when another Islanders forward scores a goal. That type of balance is not healthy going forward and could be a big detriment going forward. A struggling Frans Nielsen and Michael Grabner are not helping things, as it will get harder for the Tavares line to score as teams start to tighten up on his line once playoff races begin.
That said, a very solid win tonight and a good start to a road trip in which the Isles could easily take back 4 of 6 points to Long Island for a tough home week coming up.
-CH
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