Isles out-defense Devils, Anders Nilsson gets his first NHL win

With a near 20 year age gap between the two goaltenders, Martin Brodeur and Anders Nilsson both looked as if they were in their prime today.

Nilsson out dueled Brodeur and the Isles put up some great defense today as the Islanders downed the Devils by a final score of 1-0 at the Nassau Coliseum in front of a sellout crowd today. Kyle Okposo hit the back of the net in the 2nd period to give the Islanders a 1-0 lead, and the game remained that way throughout. Cizikas picked up the lone assist on the goal, giving him 3 assists in 6 games with the Isles. John Tavares was all over the place, getting 5 shots on goal and playing out of his mind for the most of the day, unfortunately to no avail on the scoresheet.

Nilsson wasn't tested too much, but looked great in the times he was. He is truly a gigantic goaltender - even when he goes down to stop a shot, his upper body covers the top of the net. I know some have disagreed with me on this on Twitter, but I truly believe he's made his way slightly above Kevin Poulin on the depth chart. Not NHL ready just yet, but slightly more so than Poulin at this point based on his play in the AHL and his potential alone. Poulin's injury history is still very scary for a goaltender, and Poulin hasn't looked nearly as good this year in both the AHL and the NHL as he did last year. I had the chance of seeing the Sound Tigers play the Albany Devils at the Times Union Center on Friday night, and Poulin simply did not look like the player he did last year. We shall see, as one would have to assume at least one of them will be starting next year in the AHL.

The Isles are now 5 points out of a playoff spot. How is this possible? For lack of a better phrase, the teams they're fighting for have been just as bad as the Islanders have been recently. Winnipeg has shown some light recently, but nothing major, Washington is falling apart, and Toronto is a case of their own. Is it possible? Absolutely. Should anyone get their hopes up? Absolutely not. Cizikas and Ullstrom have provided a nice spark to the team and the removal of Rolston and Mottau have removed major problems, but this team is not complete by a wide margin. But man, how awesome would a NYI-NYR playoff series be, and how insane would an NYI victory be in restoring this franchise's face? One can only hope, of course... but it's completely unlikely.

Brodeur was nearly unstoppable, but the Isles offense was passing fluidly and did an efficient job. Overall, a great job by the O and D to completely neutralize the Devils. The Islanders will face off against the Devils on Thursday at The Rock. Puck drops at 7, game is on MSG+.

- AT

Side notes:

- Isles prospect Ryan Strome had 5 goals and 1 assist in a 13-4 romp of the Erie Otters today. Erie was forced to dress a forward as a goaltender after their #1 went down in the first period with no backup. 

- A 9 year old fan in the stands won a $100 gift certificate today at the Coliseum. The gift certificate was for Tattoo Lou's. Well done, Islanders PR/management. Well done.

Recap: New York Islanders 1, Philadelphia Flyers 0 (F/SO)

Who would have thought that the Islanders would have the Flyers number in Philly this year?

After one of the best goaltending performances in the NHL this year, the Islanders found a way to sneak out a shootout win over the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday in Philly. Evgeni Nabokov made a season high 45 saves for the Islanders as they'd go on to beat the Flyers 1-0 in the shootout. Frans Nielsen and John Tavares scored for the Islanders while Danny Briere and Wayne Simmonds were stopped by Nabokov.

This was a tough one for the Isles who were outplayed almost the entire game. Without their #1 defenseman Travis Hamonic and playing without the injured Dylan Reese for a period, Nabokov was peppered all game and didn't seem to have much help. Poor defense and a few giveaways by Mark Streit didn't help the cause either. By the end of overtime, the Islanders offense which seems to have stagnated once again, only managed 18 shots on Bryzgalov. Simply put, it was almost like a practice session for the Flyers. It's understandable that the defense was weak due to injuries, but there is absolutely no excuse for getting shut out for the 10th time this year.

There is simply not much to describe Nabokov right now. He's started 25 games and has a cool GAA of 2.23 and a save percentage of .923. Trading him would be a miserable, terrible mistake by Snow as the team just got back to .500.

One positive note that was released before the game was that Frans Nielsen has decided to remain with the Islanders for 4 more years, signing a 4 year, 11M contract with a cap hit of 2.75m. As with Okposo, Tavares and Grabner, the deal is backloaded.

It's still shocking to see the Islanders won this game, but you take it and run with it. The offense needs to be better against Montreal on Thursday at the Coliseum. Game time is 7 PM and will be on MSG+2.

Game Recap: Toronto Maple Leafs 3, New York Islanders 0

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.

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+.

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.

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.

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+.

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.

Game Recap: New York Islanders 4, Edmonton Oilers 1

The Islanders are ending 2011 on a great note, slowly beginning to climb back up in the points race and winning in back to back games.

Facing off against the Oilers on a Saturday matinee game on the final day of the year, the Islanders had an extremely positive win against Calgary that, in terms of general play, seemed to denote a shift in play style after some line changes. They've clearly worked, as all 3 top lines were contributing in their own ways tonight, and several factors helped create a solid 4-1 win over the now disappointing Oilers. The first line of John Tavares, Matt Moulson and Kyle Okposo was buzzing all night, specifically on the PP and a beautiful 2 on 1 with Tavares and Moulson where Tavares spun around, undressed the D and fed it to Moulson who sent it perfectly into the net. A possible play of the year candidate with 12 hours to spare.

Everyone was doing their job tonight, but another Islander who shined in every aspect of his game was Matt Martin, who through his patience and refusal to give in to Ben Eager's agitations, gained the Islanders 2 powerplays which both led to goals. His work on the PK as well was a massive success as he continues to turn into one of the most important role players on the team.

There's still a ways to go, but the Islanders are not dead yet. They remain 9 points out of 8th with 2 games in hand on Toronto. A totally surmountable lead, but this type of wholesome and all around great play needs to be consistent. Nobody expects them to win out for the rest of the season, but if they string together a nice compilation of wins in the next month, they can be right back in it.

The Islanders next face off against the Carolina Hurricanes in Raleigh at 7PM on January 3rd. The game will be on MSG+ with Jiggs MacDonald calling the play by play.

Game Recap: Pittsburgh Penguins 6, New York Islanders 3

What started off as a great back and forth hockey game between the Islanders and Penguins was unfortunately turned into a debacle following a terrible call by the referees, and the Islanders lost big at the Coliseum by a final score of 6-3.

Going 1-1-1 on a homestand is unacceptable following such great play on the road. Pittsburgh was without several key players tonight and the Islanders looked dominant for about 15 minutes, and that was about it. David Ullstrom got the scoring started in the first after a nice setup by Bailey, and Milan Jurcina had an insane slapper from the blue line that got the Isles up 2-0. The team was buzzing at this point, but things didn't last very long. Some subpar defense from Mark Streit (that lasted all night long) led to a Steve Sullivan goal and James Neal netted the game tying goal shortly afterwards. Shortly after the 3rd period began, a nice setup by Travis Hamonic and Michael Grabner led to Kyle Okposo with a spot on snipe right over Fleury's glove side to put the game at 3-2 Islanders.

It was shortly after this that an absolutely terrible call occurred which, in my opinion, cost the Islanders the game. The Islanders defense was already thin as it was, but Travis Hamonic was called for elbowing Brooks Orpik, and not only received a 5 minute major on top of a penalty that had already existed, but received a game misconduct, leaving the Islanders with a scary rotation of Mark Streit, Milan Jurcina, Steve Staios, Mike Mottau and Dylan Reese as their defense. Upon replay, it was clear that the hit was directly to the chest of Orpik, and that the blood that came about on Orpik's face was as a result of Orpik's own stick coming up and hitting him in the face. Pittsburgh, as one would assume, scored to tie the game on a rebound, although besides that the Islanders PKers were able to kill off the rest of the major. At that point, the game turned totally in favor of the Penguins, and they began to pile it on.

There is no doubt that Al Montoya was off his game tonight, but when you have such a thin and abysmal defense in front of you, there's only so much you can do. The Dupuis goal was undoubtedly a soft one, and the 5th and 6th goals were also saveable. This just wasn't Montoya's night, and I would assume he knows that.

It was just a bad game on all ends for the Islanders. A thin defense that was made into paper once Hamonic was forced out, a powerplay that looked like it couldn't score on an empty net, and a coach who looked as lifeless as ever.

The Islanders face off against the Montreal Canadiens on the road on Tuesday night at 7:30. Montreal has been less than stellar this year, and this is a game that almost absolutely must be won if the Islanders want to stay in the playoff race.

Game Recap: New York Islanders 5, Tampa Bay Lightning 1

The New York Islanders swept the floor with the Tampa Bay Lightning tonight, defeating them by a score of 5-1 in a game that the Islanders dominated in all but about a few minutes in the first period. This was the second time the Islanders have blown out the Lightning while playing at the Coliseum.

Boxscore:

(G, A)

1st Period:

NYI: 0, TB: 1 - Martin St. Louis (9); Brett Clark (4), Steven Stamkos (14)

NYI: 1, TB: 1 - John Tavares (9); Matt Moulson (7), Kyle Okposo (5)

NYI: 2, TB: 1 - Matt Martin (3); Tim Wallace (1), Marty Reasoner (4)

NYI: 3, TB: 1 - Milan Jurcina (1 - PP); Frans Nielsen (7), Mark Streit (12)

2nd Period:

None

3rd Period:

NYI: 4, TB: 1 - David Ullstrom (1); Josh Bailey (5), Steve Staios (4)

NYI: 5, TB: 1 - Matt Moulson (14), John Tavares (14), Mark Streit (13)

Goaltending:

Mathieu Garon - 29 saves on 29 shots, .853 SV PCT

Al Montoya - 23 saves on 24 shots, .958 SV PCT

Final Score: 5-1 NYI

Attendance: 9,458

Notables:

- Even though he wasn't one of the 3 stars tonight, a round of applause - hell, a standing ovation - for Josh Bailey's game tonight. Hard work on the PK and a big reason the Isles were so successful on the PK tonight, setting up some beautiful passes all night long and taking shots when he knew he had to, and an absolutely outstanding drop pass to David Ullstrom without even looking. That was a pure display of the hockey sense we all knew he had. Could he break out from here on out? I don't think more than 40 points is reasonable, but a ceiling of 40 is pretty good from here on out. Any way you look at it, Josh Bailey was easily one of the top 3 forwards on the ice tonight.

- It looks like John Tavares has finally gotten his groove back. An absolute snipe following fantastic work along the boards from Kyle Okposo and a dish from Matt Moulson and a great setup right back to Moulson for the 5th goal of the night for the Isles. He's now back on track and among the best players in the league in terms of points. That's 23 through 25 for Tavares, and we can only expect many more. Tonight was his first goal in 13 games.

- Matt Moulson continues to roll. 8 shots on goal and a beauty to finally get one in on the Isles 5th goal. He's becoming a truly legitimate sniper in this league and with Tavares is making up for a dominant duo.

- Tim Wallace, coming in with something to prove, exceeded all expectations tonight. 7 hits, hard work all night and a great behind the net pass to a perfectly positioned Matt Martin right in front. Brent Thompson is clearly doing a great job in Bridgeport, because every player that has come up, as Butch Goring noted, seems to fit right in. I don't think we'll see Wallace once Niederreiter comes back, but it's nice to have true depth in the system for once.

- As mentioned, congrats to David Ullstrom on his first NHL goal, and it was a beauty. I think at this point he's considered "graduated" from the Sound Tigers and will, for the rest of this season, take the role Blake Comeau had with us previously. The only difference being that Ullstrom will do it successfully.

- Al Montoya wasn't tested very often, but it just goes to show what having a real #1 in net who can stay healthy can do for the team. They look infinitely more poised, productive and confident when Montoya is in net, knowing that it'll be very rare for a soft goal to be let in. If Montoya doesn't start at least 80% of the remaining games, it should be considered a crime against humanity. It is a shame that for the 7th time this season the first shot on goal has beaten the Islanders' goaltender, but besides that he was as confident as always.

Thoughts:

AT: Yes, Tampa looked awful tonight. But the Islanders have looked phenomenal in the past 5 games and they did exactly what they should have tonight. They beat a team that was simply not as good as they are. This is the type of game that a good team looks at as a "no reason to lose" game, and the Islanders in succeeded in taking that to heart. All out domination tonight, and it's great to see.

Next game: The Islanders get a rematch against the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday, December 8th at the Nassau Coliseum. Game time is 7 PM and will be shown on MSG+.

Game Recap: New York Islanders 5, Dallas Stars 4

The New York Islanders (8-11-5) defeated the Dallas Stars (15-10-1) by a final score of 5-4 tonight in Dallas, Texas. A back and forth game that had several Islanders getting injured and Rick DiPietro giving up a 3 goal lead thankfully ended in an Islander victory.

Boxscore:

(G, A)

1st Period:

NYI: 1, DAL: 0 - Matt Moulson (PP - 10);  John Tavares (11), Mark Streit (11)

NYI: 2, DAL: 0 - Matt Moulson (11);  John Tavares (12), P. A. Parenteau (15)

2nd Period:

NYI: 3, DAL: 0 - Dylan Reese (1); Matt Martin (4), Marty Reasoner (3) 

NYI: 3, DAL: 1 - Tomas Vincour (1); Stephane Robidas (7), Mike Ribeiro (15)

NYI: 3, DAL: 2 - Eric Nystrom (10); Vernon Fiddler (8), Nicklas Grossman (2)

NYI: 3, DAL: 3 - Jake Dowell (1); Tom Wandell (2), Toby Peterson (2)

NYI: 4, DAL: 3 - Matt Moulson (12); John Tavares (13), P.A. Parenteau (16)

NYI: 4, DAL: 4 - Tom Wandell (1); Jake Dowell (2), Radek Dvorak (10)

NYI: 5, DAL: 4 - Matt Moulson (13); P.A. Parenteau (17)

3rd Period:

None

Goaltending:

Rick DiPietro - 17 saves on 21 shots, .810 SV PCT

Al Montoya - 13 saves on 13 shots, 1.000 SV PCT

Andrew Raycroft - 22 saves on 27 shots, .815 SV PCT

Final Score: 5-4 NYI

Attendance: 14,423

Notables:

- Instead of jumping right to the obvious bad, I'll hit the very good. What a spectacular game by Matt Moulson. After one hell of a release on a shot against Chicago, I had a feeling we were back to seeing old Matt in action, and boy am I glad I was right. 2 quick goals in the first following great persistence, a perfect position for the 3rd, and potting in a beautiful pass from P.A. Parenteau from the game winning goal. The whole first line was absolutely magnificent tonight, especially John Tavares who assisted on 3 of Moulson's goals along with Parenteau. This was the perfect reason not to break up this line ever again unless someone of elite caliber comes along. And even then, it's debatable. Both PAP and Moulson have proven themselves to be truly capable of being 1st line players and should remain as so for the rest of the season barring some unforeseen drop in play. Moulson's sniping abilities and situational awareness were on full display tonight, as he got the first 4 goal game of the NHL season an first 4 goal game for an Islander since Viktor Kozlov did it exactly 5 years ago to the day against the Rangers. If all 3 of these players could get game pucks, they should most certainly get them.

- Now to the very bad. It's time for Rick DiPietro to retire. There is nothing you can possibly come up with to defend him as a player anymore. I had hoped that he could maybe return to a level slightly below pre-injury form based on some play earlier in the year, but all hope is gone. DiPietro had this one in the bag and while 1 of them there wasn't much he could do, 3/4 of them were all due to his poor situational awareness, terrible side to side movement and lack of flexibility. In fact, his lack of flexibility caused him to strain his groin, allowing Al Montoya to take his place. It's over. He is not an NHL caliber player anymore, and may not even be an AHL caliber player anymore. If Montoya was in net for this one, I think a 5-1 win could have easily been achieved. Instead, we spent half of the game saying to ourselves "here we go again". Enough is enough.

- And back to the good. Coming in cold for the third period, what a performance by Al Montoya. Saved all 13 shots he faced including a huge one with 10 seconds left against Michael Ryder. His GAA is now down to 2.17, and it makes you question Capuano's sanity by not declaring him the #1 goaltender immediately. Not much more to be said. Montoya's putting up Vezina-worthy stats right now and should be treated as such.

- Nino Niederreiter was flattened by a shoulder to head hit by Mark Fistric of the Stars and left the game with concussion like symptoms. He will most likely remain in Dallas until he is cleared by doctors to use air travel, as doing such can worsen symptoms. He was just beginning to look up after a big goal in Chicago, so hopefully he'll be okay.

- Michael Grabner also joined the injury train. He suffered a strained groin and will be re-evaluated on Long Island. He also got yet another breakaway and failed to bury it, which is becoming very frustrating to watch.

- Mike Mottau had a terrible game after a surprisingly good one against Chicago. Just the usual poor defense we usually see from him. The sooner Eaton is back, the better.

- Travis Hamonic should be on the top pairing for the remainder of the season. He and Mark Streit formed a pretty solid pairing tonight, and could only get better as the season goes on. Streit's defense is definitely a cause for concern, but an OFD like Streit and a DFD like Hamonic on the top pairing considering their skill levels in their respective areas is a great top pairing to have. 

Thoughts:

AT: I hate to turn this recap into an anti-DiPietro rant, but he almost single-handedly blew what should have been a total blowout tonight.  Absolutely terrible performance, and it's no longer an anomaly. It's time to part ways, or the Islanders will never go anywhere. It's pathetic when we have to be afraid as fans of Montoya sitting because his backup is completely unreliable. Is this how we're supposed to watch hockey?

Next game:

The Isles face off against the Tampa Bay Lightning at home at 7:00 on Tuesday, December 6th. The season series is tied 1-1. The game will be shown on MSG+.

Game Recap: New York Islanders 2, Buffalo Sabres 1

The New York Islanders (7-11-4) defeated the Buffalo Sabres (13-10-1) by a score of 2-1 in Buffalo, New York tonight. The Islanders gained the lead back after an early 3rd period goal by Buffalo and held on for a big road win, only their second such of the season.

Boxscore:

(G, A)

1st Period:

NYI: 1, BUF: 0 - Matt Moulson (PP - 8), Mark Streit (10), P.A. Parenteau (13)

2nd Period:

None

3rd Period:

NYI: 1, BUF: 1 - Jochen Hecht (2), Jason Pominville (17), Thomas Vanek (15)

NYI: 2, BUF: 1 - Brian Rolston (3), David Ullstrom (1), Joshua Bailey (4)

Goaltending:

Al Montoya - 30 saves on 31 shots, .968 SV PCT

Jhonas Enroth - 28 saves on 30 shots, .933 SV PCT

Final Score: 2-1 NYI

Attendance: 18,690

Notables:

Al Montoya has once again solidified himself as the #1 goaltender on this team. Neither Nabokov or DiPietro can come close to matching the positional awareness, the quickness or the general efficiency of Montoya. He has now only allowed 4 goals in the past 3 games and is simply stealing games for the Isles in games they might not have necessarily been able to win with another goaltender in net. He was most notably efficient on a 5 on 3 after two bad penalties by Streit and Bailey, blocking a bunch of shots in succession and helping to lead to some very important clears. Goalies coming into their own at age 25 or later isn't a new thing, and it's clearly happening with Montoya. As soon as the new year hits, Snow needs to be on the phone with his agent.

After a couple of shaky games, it looks like Travis Hamonic is back to his old self. He was blocking shots all night, and there were several times where he took one that looked like he was in a bit of pain. He left for the locker room after one but didn't even miss a shift. He is without a doubt our future #1 defenseman and showed himself as that tonight once again. He's sound positionally was very physical all night. Great job. He and Andrew MacDonald were fantastic tonight, with MacDonald also taking a painful shot at the end of the 3rd with Enroth pulled that might have saved the game. 

John Tavares is just itching for a goal after not having one in 10 games. He had 6 shots on goal and had one drive to the net in the 3rd period that went just off the post after beating Enroth. He's such a dynamic player that we know the goals and points will come, but obviously seeing him consistently denied is unfortunate. Would have been nice for him to pot one in front of Mom and Dad who were in attendance tonight, but he played such a well rounded game once again that they should be proud regardless.

Mark Streit had a terrible game. Although his shot on the first goal was what led to the Isles first goal, he was terrible defensively tonight, making some really pisspoor decisions on defense. Even on the PP, most notably the second one, he was not exactly the most efficient we've seen him. After being set up right in the slot, he elected to attempt to pass it to the right point and was intercepted in what should have been a nice shot on goal for him. He also took a very, very poor penalty that, combined with Bailey's, created a very scary moment for the Islanders. Just not a very good game.

The third line of David Ullstrom, Josh Bailey and Brian Rolston was outstanding tonight. While Rolston needs to learn to finish his checks, Ullstrom and Bailey were clicking well once again and really putting a lot of pressure on Enroth. Right before the 2nd goal, there was yet another opportunity between Ullstrom and Rolston where the puck just trickled short of the goal line. Consistent pressure finally led to the game winning goal, but it was great to see such great chemistry going on between the three. Perhaps, just perhaps, Bailey and Ullstrom are benefiting from Rolston's veteran prescence. 

Matt Martin had a hell of a fight with Zach Kassian. You couldn't count the amount of punches thrown if you tried. Great job by Martin to pull Kassian's jersey off revealing the lack of the jersey being tied down as well, getting him a 10 minute misconduct penalty.

In his 9 minutes of ice time, Nino Niederreiter somehow was able to land 5 hits. Great job, but he's touted as a goalscorer, and can not continue to play on the 4th line where he goes out, checks someone, then goes back to the bench. I truly believe his right role his rookie season is on the 3rd line with Bailey and Ullstrom.

It was great to hear such an intelligent hockey mind in former Islanders captain Pat Flatley between the benches and as commentary between the periods. I would love to see him replace Butch Goring after this season if possible. Really adds insightful comments and knows the game well.

Thoughts:

AT: Still need to score more, but a great game defensively all around complete with some stellar goaltending. The Isles are playing hard again and are on the right track. We have some big tests coming up, and we're still 4 games under .500, so it's now or never to begin a comeback.

Next game: The Islanders face the Chicago Blackhawks in Chicago on Friday, December 2nd at 8:30 local time. The game will be broadcasted on MSG+.

Game Recap: Pittsburgh Penguins 5, New York Islanders 0

Until this team starts looking like a professional hockey team, there seems to be very little point to showing how many points the other team scored. We pride ourselves on being a professional blog with our own opinions interjected into it as most bloggers try to do, and that's exactly what I'm going to do here.

Another pitiful, disgusting loss once again. I knew when Nilsson was announced as the starter, he was going to be the one who was going to have to take this beating. Sidney Crosby was announced as active for this game for the first time in almost a year, so suddenly every sports outlet decided to pick up and watch this game. And oh boy, did Crosby show he was back all right. He made our defense look silly and the Penguins, being faster, tougher and actually having a structure, danced around the Islanders the entire night. The only player who looked to me like he gave it all tonight was David Ullstrom, who clearly went out knowing he had to prove himself. I would keep him up for the foreseeable future, but at the same time I wouldn't want him part of this charade.

This team is just not good. Every aspect of the game they are outplayed in. I place a key part of that on the coaching, as for yet another game the Islanders looked like they had the structure equivalent to peewee hockey. It's becoming embarrassing to watch as a fan. We had somewhat of an excuse last year when we lost Streit and Okposo, 2/3 of our best players. Now it's inexcusable. On the players parts, on the coach's part, and on the owner and GM's parts. How do you explain this to a fanbase that has been dying to see the 2nd round since 1993? How?

You have to congratulate Sidney Crosby on a heck of a comeback, though. Say what you want about Pittsburgh and hate the team all you want, but he showed once again why he is a generational talent that nears, and may very well surpass Gretzky in terms of level of skill. He is one of the most exciting players you can possibly watch in any sport.

What do you do at this point? What can you even hope Snow would do besides trade our upcoming UFAs for draft picks?

As for the next game, the Islanders play the just as tough Flyers at home. I expect a dismal crowd except for the huge influx of Flyers fans. And rightfully so. I wouldn't, nor would I get mad at anyone for not paying to see this product on ice.

- AT

Game Recap: Boston Bruins 6, New York Islanders 2

The Boston Bruins (6-7-0) defeated the New York Islanders (4-6-2) by a score of 6 to 2 at the TD BankNorth Garden in Boston on Monday night in front of a crowd of 17,565.

Boxscore:

(G, A)

1st Period:

NYI: 0, BOS: 1 - Benoit Pouliot (1); Jordan Caron (1)

NYI: 1, BOS: 1 - Matt Moulson (3); Steve Staios (3), Michael Grabner (1)

NYI: 1, BOS: 2 - Nathan Horton (PP - 3); Zdeno Chara (8), David Krejci (3)

NYI: 1, BOS: 3 - Tyler Seguin (8); Patrice Bergeron (8), Brad Marchand (5)

NYI: 2, BOS: 3 - Michael Grabner (4); John Tavares (5), Matt Moulson (4)

2nd Period:

None

3rd Period:

NYI: 2, BOS: 4 - Milan Lucic (7); Nathan Horton (4), David Krejci (4)

NYI: 2, BOS: 5 - Nathan Horton (4); Joe Corvo (4), Dennis Seidenberg (3)

NYI: 2, BOS: 6 - David Krejci (3); Zdeno Chara (9), Milan Lucic (6)

Goaltending:

Evgeni Nabokov - 9 saves on 12 shots, .750 SV PCT

Al Montoya - 22 saves on 24 shots, .917 SV PCT

Tuukka Rask - 24 saves on 26 shots, .924 SV PCT

Final Score: 6-2 BOS

Attendance: 17,565

Notables:

- In what most view as as a "showcase" start so to speak, Evgeni Nabokov was given the nod to start tonight and looked absolutely abysmal. Poor positioning on the first goal and just generally poor play during his entire stint. He was pulled near the end of the 1st period after letting up two somewhat stoppable Boston goals and just did not look very good. Not to say his defense couldn't have helped him out on all 3, but this wasn't a great night for Nabby.

- In relief, Al Montoya shook off any rust he may have accumulated and went right back to the stellar form we'd seen from him earlier in the season. He was making some absolutely ridiculous saves, was showing some pure athleticism even when he had taken an accidental fall on the ice and managed to get his glove on a quick shot, and once again proved himself as the best goaltender in the organization right now. If he does not get the start on Wednesday, it will be very surprising.

- The Isles first line of Michael Grabner, John Tavares and Matt Moulson was really clicking tonight. Moulson had a beautiful redirection on a Staios slapshot to tie the game in the first, and John Tavares and Michael Grabner were making sweet music on a nice tic tac toe-esque play to make the game 3-2. This line is doing pretty well right now, and should stay together for the time being. On a minus, Moulson was completely outgunned by David Krejci with the empty net, leading to the 6th goal. Not good.

- Brian Rolston, after having a somewhat solid game against Washington, is back to being useless. He can be repped all day long for his shot, but when the rest of his play is just flat out bad, he needs to be moved to the 4th line or scratched. Simple as that. And why on Earth would Jack Capuano put him out as the extra attacker is absolutely mind numbing. More on that in a bit.

- Where in the world is Kyle Okposo? Once again, completely invisible on the play and doing nothing to contribute offensively. For a former 50 point player, it's almost terrifying to see him become a shade of what he used to be. Not sure what happened this offseason to create this, but it's troubling.

- While I've been generally fond of him this season, and nice shot on the first goal aside, Steve Staios was terrible defensively tonight. His big defensive breakdowns were happening pretty consistently, and one breakdown on the Bruins blueline led to an odd man rush that made the game 4-2. He was moved down to the third pairing with Eaton at the end of the game, and rightly so.

- Mark Streit also had a bad game defensively. Some bad turnovers on the blue line led to some big Bruins chances.

- The defense as a whole just played a terrible, terrible game. They'd been serviceable so far, but this was no excuse. Horton and Seguin undefended in front is absolutely inexcusable. 

- I understand it would be frustrating going with a 3rd coach in 2 years, but I am losing a lot of faith in Jack Capuano's abilities to make smart decisions. Between the consistent benching of our obvious best goaltender, to putting Rolston out as the extra man, to taking forever to switch up the lines, to bad matchups against opponents (like putting Eaton out against Ovechkin the other night), to pulling the goalie tonight with over 3 minutes left and 3 goals down... it's becoming very hard to continue to be a fan of Capuano.

Thoughts:

AT: After playing pretty well as a team through 40, I'm not really sure what happened in the third period. Everything fell apart. Or, perhaps, the Isles mistakes finally caught up to them. Everything I've addressed in the notables applies to the whole game, but the Isles caught a lot of lucky breaks and still managed to generate a decent amount of chances. In the 3rd, everything went away and all the luck they'd been getting ran out. I think it's safe to say now that this team is beginning to show that they are just not very well put together. The lack of a 4th top 4 d-man is showing, the lack of more than 4 top 6 forwards is showing, and the coaching staff's inability to see who the real #1 goaltender is, as everyone knows, is most certainly showing. It's not time to start looking at the top 5 picks for the draft next year, but it is time for this team to wake up.

Next game: The Islanders will face off against the Colorado Avalanche at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado. Game time is 9PM on MSG+.

Game Recap: New York Islanders 5, Washington Capitals 3

The New York Islanders (4-5-2) defeated the Washington Capitals (9-3-0) in a comeback victory at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum on Saturday night in front of a crowd of 14,812.

Boxscore:

(G, A)

1st Period:

WAS: 1, NYI: 0 - Joel Ward (4); John Carlson (4), Jeff Halpern (4)

WAS: 2, NYI: 0 - Alexander Ovechkin (6); Nick Backstrom (12), Jeff Schultz (4)

2nd Period:

WAS: 2, NYI: 1 - Frans Nielsen (3); P.A. Parenteau (8)

WAS: 2, NYI: 2 - Brian Rolston (1); Frans Nielsen (2), P.A. Parenteau (9)

3rd Period:

WAS: 2, NYI: 3 - Matt Martin (2); Steve Staios (2), Josh Bailey (1)

WAS: 3, NYI: 3 - Brooks Laich (PP - 2); Dennis Wideman (8), Nick Backstrom (13)

WAS: 3, NYI: 4 - P.A. Parenteau (2); Milan Jurcina (1), Frans Nielsen (3)

WAS: 3, NYI: 5 - John Tavares (EN - 8); Rick DiPietro (1)

Goaltending:

Tomas Vokoun - 30 saves on 34 shots, .882 SV PCT

Rick DiPietro - 25 saves on 28 shots, .893 SV PCT

Final Score: 5-3 NYI

Attendance: 14,812

Notables:

- The biggest storyline going into tonight's game was the radical line changes that Jack Capuano finally decided to enact following several games of lackluster offense. The lines were as follows:

Moulson-Tavares-Grabner

Rolston-Nielsen-Parenteau

Comeau-Reasoner-Okposo

Martin-Bailey-Pandolfo

- The first line was really solid tonight, and had several great chances in front. John Tavares was strong on the puck again and creating chances all night for himself and his linemates, Michael Grabner had his chances and Matt Moulson had a better game compared to his invisible past few. 9 shots on goal came from this line in general and there were many spots where a goal looked like it was impending. The offense will almost certainly come from this line in time. 

- The second line entered beast mode the minute the puck dropped. Brian Rolston looked like a changed man, Frans Nielsen's playmaking skills returned right back to full form, and P.A. Parenteau was playing like a man possessed. The first goal came when Parenteau fed Nielsen in front, to which he got his own rebound and sent it past Vokoun. The 2nd came when Nielsen had a beautiful pass to Rolston from the point from which he fired home his beautiful slapshot. The game winning goal came off of pure persistence from P.A. Parenteau to keep hammering at the puck until it was frozen. A Jurcina shot slid slightly past Vokoun, and PAP was there to knock it home. 

- The third line seems to be the abyss of the team right now. While Comeau, Reasoner and Okposo all had their shots and chances, nothing seems to be generated on this line from anyone. Comeau had a few nice shots in by himself and Okposo was finally hitting the net, but in general this line wasn't contributing much and was the Isles' weakest.

- The 4th line was also solid once again, though mostly due to the continuously hard play of Matt Martin. Josh Bailey probably had his best game of the season, finally registering his first point on a nice feed to Staios that he sent towards the net. Martin was there to stay persistent and got the garbage goal in front to put the Isles ahead 3-2. Martin is playing at a phenomenal level right now and should be a staple on the 3rd line. 

- Travis Hamonic had a really good game tonight. Had a near goal when he hit the post, defended well against Ovechkin and played really well rounded defense.

- Rick DiPietro had an OK game. Not good, not bad. The first goal was deflected off of Reasoner's stick, so that can't be placed on him. The 2nd was a one timer from the greatest player in the world, so it's hard to blame him for that either, although it could have been had. The 3rd goal probably should have been had, even though it was a beautiful snap shot from Laich at the point. He was making the saves he should've and continues to look healthy, and I suppose that's all we can hope for right now.

- Whatever Jack Capuano said to the team between the first and the second clearly worked. Credit to him for finally realizing the lines weren't working as is and for putting some fire into the team's soul. After getting some well deserved criticism, he's showing potential of being a great coach once again.

- A burst water pipe in the ceiling led to the entire section 306 and parts of 305 being shut down entirely. If you needed any more proof the Coliseum is in a very lackluster state (though if you did, you need a vision test as well), here it is. I'm not even sure if a complete renovation would solve the problems that this building has. 

Thoughts:

AT: Great rebound game from the Isles to beat one of the best teams in the league. This was a must win game from my point of view. The Isles could not afford to slip into a major losing streak like last year. They looked like they were heading that way after the first, but this was a really great game that gives the Isles a lot of momentum and confidence heading to Boston on Monday.

Next game: The Islanders will face off against the Boston Bruins at the TD Banknorth Garden in Boston, Massachusetts on Monday, November 7th, 2011. Game time is 7PM on Versus.

Game Recap: San Jose Sharks 3, New York Islanders 2 (F/OT)

The San Jose Sharks (6-3-0) defeated the New York Islanders (3-4-2) in overtime following a questionable call at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum on Saturday night.

Boxscore:

(G, A)

1st Period:

SJS: 1, NYI: 0 - Joe Pavelski (7 - PP); Patrick Marleau (6), Dan Boyle (4)

2nd Period:

SJS: 1, NYI: 1 - John Tavares (7 - PP); P.A. Parenteau (8), Matt Moulson (3)

SJS: 1, NYI: 2 - Michael Grabner (3 - PP); Kyle Okposo (3), Frans Nielsen

SJS: 2, NYI: 2 - Logan Couture (3); Brent Burns (2), M.E. Vlasic (2)

3rd Period:

None

Goaltending:

Thomas Greiss - 35 saves on 37 shots, .946 SV PCT

Rick DiPietro - 27 saves on 30 shots, .900 SV PCT

Final Score: 3-2 San Jose, F/OT

Attendance: 11,742

Notables:

- Matt Martin was ferocious once again tonight. He finished the game with 7 hits, 2 SOG and a blocked shot. All in 12 minutes of ice time. For this season he will almost certainly stay on the 4th line, but the work ethic he showed tonight and has shown all season will almost definitely move him up to the third line next season. He's beginning to turn into a Steve Webb who can score and do almost everything right to the highest level his abilities will allow him. Well done, Matt.

- Another 4th liner who had a great game tonight was Marty Reasoner, who had an outstanding .824 faceoff percentage, winning 14 faceoffs and losing only 3. He also had some nice chances on Greiss and was generally very efficient in the offensive zone tonight. After some wishy-washy games, he's really turning into a major key to this team even being competitive.

- We're probably going to mention John Tavares at least once every single recap considering. He's one again showing the strength he's added over the season, really fighting off defenders to help develop plays and push forward past the neutral zone. He scored his 7th goal of the season tonight on one of many rebounds on a powerplay, but in general helped keep the momentum in the Islanders hands for most of the night.

- Rick DiPietro was efficient tonight. Not spectacular, but efficient. He was out of position on the first early goal but could not help the 2nd or 3rd, and really helped keep the score tied for most of the game. His quickness seems to have somewhat returned and he wasn't making any plays that would remind of you of the boneheaded moves he used to pull, even as late as last season. I understand most people were upset he was starting, but he was very serviceable tonight and did a good job. It would have been nice for him to get the win.

- Michael Grabner is coming right back into the player he was for the last half of last season. There was one point on the PK where he had two takeaways in 5 seconds and helped kill off some major time from the penalty. He and Frans Nielsen also helped generate some really solid offensive chances while shorthanded, proving their worth to the PK. Great job by the 2nd line.

- Kyle Okposo had a generally efficient game. After a nice pass from Nielsen, Okposo read a streaking Grabner in the slot perfectly, fed him the pass and got his 3rd assist of the season. However, late in the third, he took a very careless penalty and elbowed a Sharks player in the head, eliminating any chance of an offensive surge for the Isles in the last few minutes of regulation.

- Blake Comeau had his best game of the season, bar none. 4 shots on goal, some nice takeaways and finishing his checks all game. Still not a 100% game from him, but far improved.

- The most obvious one here is the absolutely poor officiating tonight. This isn't even a homer-esque "we lost so clearly the refs were awful" sort of comment, it is pretty unanimous in the NHL world right now that the Islanders were on the wrong end of some very terrible officiating tonight. In the 3rd period alone, there were 3 non-calls for interference against San Jose players that went completely unnoticed. Then, the most notable was the delay of game penalty in the overtime period. Travis Hamonic lifted a shot over the left side of the boards, which clearly hit the glass and then went out of bounds. If it had not hit the glass, it would most certainly be a delay of game penalty, but all replays clearly showed that the puck had touched it before going out of play. Even though the initial linesman had called the play correctly, all 4 officials gathered together and discussed whether to give a penalty or not - and still gave the wrong call. This led to an Islander PK where almost everyone knew the Sharks would score, and Brent Burns fulfilled that destiny. Doug Weight was infuriated on the bench and Islander fans and players alike let the referees have it. Just a very poor job by the officials.

Thoughts:

AT: Whether or not the Islanders would have actually won or lost this game if that bad call was called off is something entirely. The fact that they lost based on that poor call is infuriating, and hopefully will be addressed. However, putting almost 40 shots on goal against a backup and only scoring twice is once again showing that this offense is pretty much stagnant. You are not going to win games like that, and 5 games later you'd think Jack Capuano would wake up and shake things up a bit. 

Next game: The Islanders will face off against the Winnipeg Jets at home at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum on Thursday, November 3rd, 2011. Game time is 7 PM on MSG+2.

Game Recap: Pittsburgh Penguins 3, New York Islanders 0

The Pittsburgh Penguins (7-2-2) defeated the New York Islanders (3-4-0) by a score of 3 to 0 at the Nassau Coliseum on Tuesday night.

Boxscore:

(G, A)

1st Period: 

PIT: 1, NYI: 0 - Pascal Dupuis (3); Brooks Orpik (1)

2nd Period:

PIT: 2, NYI: 0 - Richard Park (2); Arron Asham (2)

3rd Period:

PIT: 3, NYI: 2 - Jordan Staal (EN - 6); Pascal Dupuis (5)

Goaltending: 

Marc-Andre Fleury - 33 saves on 33 shots, 1.000 SV PCT

Evgeni Nabokov - 26 saves on 28 shots, .929 SV PCT

Final Score: 3-0 Pittsburgh

Attendance: 10,681

Notables:

After a very strong yet even start to the first period, the Islanders began to taper off about halfway into the period. They continued their lethargic play until a defensive breakdown by Steve Staios and Blake Comeau losing their men led to a Pascal Dupuis breakaway and goal. After that, even though the Islanders had their chances, none of them were solid enough to really even come close to being a goal. Lots of shots from the point and a few shots in the slot right to Fleury were about it. The Islanders played another game with absolutely no urgency.

The only player who really looked great tonight was Evgeni Nabokov, who on a 4 minute double minor to Reasoner really stood on his head and kept the game at a 2 goal difference. He was solid all night and made some saves he probably shouldn't have. 

Josh Bailey had a very up and down game tonight. His defensive work was as usual pretty good, but he had some times where he had great chances and completely fanned on them. After a pass from Brian Rolston as he was set up right in the slot, Bailey hesitated for a good 2-3 seconds and didn't even get a shot on what was pretty much a wide open net. It was almost as if he'd choked up and forgot the point of the game was to shoot the puck into the net. He did however have a nice drive to the net with Rolston which he backhanded into Fleury. Although not a goal, a good drive by Bailey to get to the inside. A better game, but still pretty lackluster for his 4th year in the league.

PA Parenteau had an off game compared to what we had season earlier in the year. He was undressed on a 2 on 2 late in the 3rd which could have resulted in a fantastic chance and was just not playing with the offensive instincts we have seen. His vision in the passing lanes was not something to be desired.

Steve Staios both lost his man on the first goal and let Richard Park dwindle around the net for way too long on the first goal. He had an overall OK game and also had some nice shots on goal (and led the team in shots), but those two gaffes were unacceptable by any standard.

Kyle Okposo and Frans Nielsen are the lowest 2/3rds of the 2nd line right now. They are not doing a good job to create chances and generally are unseen on the ice. 

John Tavares was not playing the greatest defense tonight. Most notably was when he fanned on the pass early in the 2nd that led to Park grabbing hold of the puck and firing it on Nabokov.

Thoughts:

AT: Just another lousy performance from the Islanders right now. I'm not a "sky is falling" kind of person, but falling behind this early in the season is the last thing we want to do. It doesn't create a positive mentality going forward and begins to remind the team (and the fans) of last season's 20+ game losing debacle. This team needs a swift kick in the behind and needs to realize that they ARE a team that can win games as evidenced by the first few games of the season. They are capable of putting up offense and capable of playing solid defense. What they're showing right now is a reflection of laziness. 

Next game: The Islanders will face off against the Penguins once again at the Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on October 27th, 2011. Gametime is 7:00 on MSG+.

Game Recap: Islanders - 4, Rangers - 2

The New York Islanders defeated the New York Rangers in the first of a 6 game series in one of hockey's biggest rivalries to a sellout crowd of 16,234.

 Boxscore:

(G, A)

1st Period:

NYI: 1, NYR: 0 - Matt Moulson (2), P.A. Parenteau (4), John Tavares (3)

2nd Period:

NYI: 1, NYR: 1 - Marian Gaborik (2), Brad Richards (2)

NYI: 2, NYR: 1 - John Tavares (3 - PP), Mark Streit (2), Brian Rolston (1)

NYI: 2, NYR: 2 - Brandon Prust (1), Ruslan Fedotenko (2)

3rd Period:

NYI: 3, NYR: 2 - John Tavares (4 - PP), Mark Streit (3), P.A. Parenteau (5)

NYI: 4, NYR: 2 - John Tavares (5 - EN), P.A. Parenteau (6), Matt Moulson (2)

Goaltending:

Evgeni Nabokov - 29 saves on 31 shots, .935 SV PCT

Henrik Lundqvist - 30 saves on 33 shots, .909 SV PCT

Final Score: 4-2 Islanders

Attendance: 16,234

Notables:

There is absolutely no way to describe John Tavares anymore. Not in human words. What we've seen out of him in these first four games is, as Al Trautwig aptly put it, "Gretzky-like". He was all over the ice once again, creating chances almost every shift he was out on the ice. If not for a two misses by P.A. Parenteau, a 6 point night could have been very likely. His vision on the ice and ability to both set up plays and, as he showed today, get them himself, is at this point among the league's best. His backhander on the rebound over Lundqvist's shoulder was a total display of his ability to know exactly where the puck will go the minute it hits his stick. Beware, opposing teams. More of this is coming.

After the surprise start, Evgeni Nabokov did everything to show that he's still capable of being a #1 goaltender in the NHL. The two goals he let up were not his fault: The first was after Reasoner let his man go and Nabokov was yet another goaltender to fall victim to the quick release of Marian Gaborik, and the second was on a fluke bank off of Frans Nielsen. Other than that, Nabokov looked very sharp. He was aggressive on the puck, extremely alert and a very calming presence in goal. 

Mark Streit is an absolute maestro on the power play. We knew this, but he shows it more and more every game. He had a beautiful pass to Tavares on the power play all the way through traffic that beat Lundqvist on his left side. Not many players in the NHL have that kind of vision. 

Matt Martin, after receiving a promotion to the 3rd line following the scratch of Blake Comeau, completely took advantage of his opportunity and played at a very high level. He continued to finish his checks and was hustling the entire game.

The PK duo of Marty Reasoner and Jay Pandolfo continues to shine. The Islanders took way more penalties than they should have today, but they were lucky enough not to have to pay for it due to the mastery of man down play by these two. Subtle, yet two of the biggest additions made in this offseason.

The continuous improvement of P.A. Parenteau, who is now among league leaders in assists and points, is something to behold. He had a beautiful backpass to Tavares on the first goal and was in general an offensive force with 3 assists.

Kyle Okposo continues to do... nothing. He has been nothing short of invisible in these first four games and that continued tonight. The first line can only contribute so much offense, and Okposo really needs to pick it up. Grabner and Nielsen have both picked it up, it's time for Okposo to do the same.

Josh Bailey continues to be invisible.

Thoughts:

AT: Obviously, it's always nice to beat our most hated rival. The way we did it however was even better. We played a complete game against Tampa, and we carried that over tonight. The score essentially should have been much higher in favor of the Islanders, but the strong goaltending of Henrik Lundqvist as usual ensured that didn't happen. Still, pure dominance by the Islanders tonight. The breakout of John Tavares could be one of the biggest storylines in the NHL this season, and all we as fans have to do is watch and enjoy.

Recap: Islanders - 5, Lightning - 1

The New York Islanders (2-1-0) defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning (1-2-0) on Thursday night.

Boxscore:

(G, A)

1st Period: 

TB: 0, NYI: 1 - John Tavares (1)

TB: 1, NYI: 1 - Steven Stamkos (1); Marc-Andre Bergeron (3)
TB: 1, NYI: 2 - Matt Moulson (1); John Tavares (1), Mark Eaton (1)
TB: 1, NYI: 3 - John Tavares (2); Matt Moulson (1), P.A. Parenteau (3)
TB: 1, NYI: 4 - P.A. Parenteau (1); John Tavares (2)

2nd Period:

TB: 1, NYI: 5 - Michael Grabner (1); Kyle Okposo (1)
3rd Period:

No Scoring

Goaltending:

Dwayne Roloson - 13 saves on 18 shots, .722 SV%
Mathieu Garon - 16 saves on 16 shots, 1.000 SV%

Al Montoya - 34 saves on 35 shots, .971 SV%

Final Score: 5-1 NYI

Attendance: 9,759

Notables:

The Isles best player was their best player tonight, as John Tavares was all over the ice in the first period. He scored two goals and assisted on two others. He played physically in all three zones, and backchecked extremely hard. His linemates, Matt Moulson and P.A. Parenteau also had fantastic games as both scored a goal and had an assist in the first period as well.

Al Montoya was solid in net again tonight, stopping 34 on 35 shots. While he wasn't really tested that much, he made the saves that he needed to make as he continues to establish himself as the team's #1 goaltender. There is no reason that he should not be in net against the Rangers on Saturday night. You know it would mean a lot to him too, given his history with the team.

Words cannot express how much Mark Streit means to this team. The little subtleties he brings to the table provide a calmness to the rest of the defense. Both Andrew MacDonald and Travis Hamonic will learn a lot from him this season as they continue to progress into legitimate top-4 defensemen.

Speaking of team defense, the Islanders have allowed a total of four goals this season. A big reason for that? Attentiveness to team defense, especially by the forwards. Big marks to the fourth line of Marty Reasoner, Matt Martin, and Jay Pandolfo. They have been the Isles most consistent line, doing exactly what they need to do. Pandolfo has especially been an extremely under-the-radar acquisition, but a good one through three games.

Blake Comeau needs to pick his game up, as the third line is toiling right now. That said, Josh Bailey had a complete game in all three zones today, giving the Islanders exactly what they should expect from a third line center.

No one even bothered to try and respond to the liberties Lightning players, especially Victor Hedman, were taking on John Tavares. Matt Martin did say something to Hedman at the end of the game, but as strong as he has gotten, the Isles cannot afford to have Tavares taking huge hits every shift. The answer, however, is not Trevor Gillies.

Former Islander Dwayne Roloson never had a chance tonight. The Tampa defense was nowhere to be found, but it didn't help that John Tavares had a phenomenal night either.

OHL Alert: Ryan Strome had a hat-trick in his first game back for the IceDogs as they defeated the Belleville Bulls tonight. Clearly, he was not all that affected by getting sent down.

Thoughts: 

CH: Clearly, this was the Isles best game of the season. They played a great first period, a good attacking second period, and a smart, shut-down third period. They never let off the gas, even with a four goal lead - they just changed their style. This was obviously very encouraging based on the fact that the team can play different styles within a game to win. With the Rangers coming in after a cross-Atlantic flight and a week between games, the Islanders have a chance to make it a quality 3-1-0 homestand with a win. If they play 60 minutes, they will certainly have a great chance.

AT: Nice to see the Isles offense finally find it's groove, and the players who had been playing hard (Tavares most notably) finally get their due in the score sheet. The defense was solid even though they allowed 35 shots, the 4th line was absolutely monstrous both in forechecking and creating some offensive pressure, and the team as a whole played as they should have. Most notably for me was the PK unit, specifically Reasoner and Pandolfo. Two subtle additions in the offseason may turn out to be the two greatest, as right now they look to be one of the best PK units in the entire league.

Next game: The Islanders next game is Saturday night at the Nassau Coliseum against the New York Rangers. Game time is at 7:00 PM and will be broadcast on MSG+.