Isles Chance To Capitalize, Wasted!

Tonight, your New York Islanders will host the 8^th place Washington Capitals.  The Isles sit 10 points back in 14^th spot, but you can see tonight as a 4-point game.  A win for the Isles gives them 2 pts and removes a possible 2 points from Dale Hunter’s Capitals. 

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Forwards: Moulson-Tavares-Okposo; Grabner-Nielsen-Bailey; Ullstrom-Cizikas-Niederreiter; Martin-Reasoner-Pandolfo.

Defensive pairings:  Streit-Staios, MacDonald-Hamonic, Eaton-Jurcina.

Evgeni Nabokov will get the start tonight with Al Montoya backing up.

P.A. Parenteau is out with an upper body injury.  Missing tonight’s game will end his consecutive game streak at 137, per Eric Hornick.

Dylan Reese is a healthy scratch tonight.

Matt Martin and Casey Cizikas return tonight from a bout with the flu.

Matt Moulson is only one goal away from his 3rd consecutive 30 goal season.

The Islanders lead the NHL with 1,174 blocked shots. Andrew MacDonald owns 155 of those, tied for eighth in the league.

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In the first period, the Isles look good.  John Tavares (Moulson and MacDonald) gets an odd goal against Neuvirth reminiscent of the one scored against Mark Fitzpatrick years ago brouncing a few times and coming off the glass.  (Brian Compton sharing my brain)  1-0.  Cizikas and Ullstrom have come to play tonight.  Travis Hamonic (Tavares and Nielsen) makes a nice shot into traffic in front of the net and gets a ricochet goal.  2-0 New York.  The Islanders are out shooting the Capitals 10-4.

The second period opens with JT’s 1^st period goal has been given to Moulson, who is now the only Islander since Ziggy Palffy to score 30 goals in 3 consecutive seasons.  John Tavares (Streit and Hamonic) gets his goal, 3-0 Islanders.  Per Isles, “With his goal and assist, Tavares tied a career high in goals (29) and set a new career high in points (68).”  Washington comes right back and makes the score 3-1. 

On a positive note, the skill level of Hamonic and A-Mac is really something to have watched develop over the last couple of seasons.  Arthur Staple of Newsday mentions, “first 2-PPG game since Jan. 31 ... Travis Hamonic seems to add something that's been missing to the PP.”  Travis Hamonic has three points tonight. It's the first three-point night of his career and has five points in two games. 

And just like that, John Tavares with another sweet goal from Kyle Okposo.  4-1 Isles.  David Ullstrom showing some serious stick skills.  Capitals score, 4-2 Isles.  Shots are tied at 11 a piece for the period, Isles lead 21-15 in the game.

In the third, the Capitals score a quick goal to make the score 4-3.  That’s a late goal in the second and one in the first three minutes of the third.  The Islanders are losing momentum fast here midway through the period.  Ovechkin digs out a rebound and scores his second of the game.  Its 4-4 with fewer than 10 minutes to go.  Coach Capuano calls a time out to try and settle things down.  Capitals applying the pressure in last few minutes.  Isles out shot 10-7 in the period, but lead 28-25 for the game.  Evgeni Nabokov made 21 saves and a.840 Sv%.

The Islanders lose control of the game and hand the team they are chasing at least 1 point.

Overtime. 

The teams trade some exciting scoring opportunities, but go to the shoot out.

Frans Nielsen hits the post.

Evgeni Nabokov makes the save on Semin.

John Tavares scores!

Ovechkin scores.

Matt Moulson, no goal.

Orlov loses puck for Caps, no goal.

Mark Streit, no goal.

Hendricks scores.  He froze Nabokov and caused him to fall backwards. 



Capitals win 5-4 in the shoot out.

The Capitals erase a 4-1 Isles lead, get the two points and win the game.  Isles raise their losing streak to an NHL worst 9 games when leading after two periods.  Once again, the psyche was too weak to maintain the necessary compete level, their defense gave up the lead and allowed Washington back into the game and they couldn’t take care of business in the shootout.

The Islanders should be furious after giving the last three games away, including tonight’s three-goal lead.  Erick Hornick mentions, “the Isles have trailed for 85 seconds in last three games ... and are 0-1-2.”  They need a top forward and defensemen to balance out the promising youth that will fill some of the holes left after this season. 


If Capuano is relieved, lets hope they do the right thing and hire an experienced NHL Coach who can motivate and maintain his team’s composure.  One who is better at "regulating discipline and decision making" of his team.

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Isles Notes:

Chris Botta comments, Grabner/Okposo respond to 5-year deals with 15g, 10a, -15 / 15g, 18a, -21.

Eric Hornick mentions per ESPN, with 6 dates to play, the Islanders have drawn 6,000 more people than they did all last season at home. Probably up 80-90k by yr end.

UPDATE:  Per Katie Strang of ESPN, Isles Prospect Mike Halmo suspended indefinitely as OHL continues to review hit on Yakupov Saturday. No timetable for decision right now.

UPDATE:  Mike Halmo given 10 game suspension. http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=622562

In other news:

Per Bob McKenzie, NHL will ask AHL to put in experimental rule -- ringette line/Bowman rule -- for next season. Up to AHL to decide whether to do it.  Ringette line is across top of defensive zone circles. Team breaking out puck can't make two line pass without crossing ringette line 1st.

Per Piere LeBrun, Hybrid icing got full support but GMs want to iron out a few wrinkles with it first. Work in progress. NHL wants develop own version of it.