Prior to tonights
game at MSG, the Islanders are ranked 7th in the NHL for goals scored per game,
5th best on the PP and 3rd best on the PK.
So how have they lost 5 in a row?
1- Inconsistent play
and irratic effort - Coaching.
2 - Soft 5 on 5
game.
3 - Not playing the
body, fore check.
4 - Defensive game:
Weak defensive play by the forwards.
Defensive holes in their own zone
and not physical in protecting their own net.
5 - Decline in
goaltending performance.
Tonight, they visit
the improving New York Rangers at MSG.
Head Coach Jack Capuano has consistently complained about his teams
inconsistency and "battle-level."
He has mentioned there were players on the roster who weren't playing
hard enough, likining them to passengers.
John Tavares and Travis Hamonic wore their disgust like a badge of shame
after their last loss.
How will the team
respond tonight?
Forwards:
Moulson-Tavares-Boyes, Bailey-Nielsen-Okposo, Grabner-Aucoin-McDonald,
Boulton-Cizikas-Martin.
Defensive pairings:
Finley-Streit, Hamonic-Strait, Visnovsky-MacDonald.
Nabokov in net. DP backing up.
In the first, the
Islanders give up a goal on the 2nd Rangers shot less than 5 minutes into the
period. Boulton challenges Asham to
stir things up. Over 10 minutes gone in
the first period, no Isles shots on net.
Rangers return to Isles zone, Gaborik gets 3 point blank shots to make
it 2-0, Rangers. The Islanders have no
presence in front of their own net.
There is no physicality, no threat or punishment exacted for lurking there. The Rangers have a 10-0 advantage in shots thus
far. Rangers call a time out with 2:28
left in period up 2-0 and outshooting the Isles 10-4. Islanders come alive in final two minutes of period and pressure
Rangers in their zone with a couple of shots on Biron. Rangers outshoot Isles 11-6 while Islanders
fall to a -13 in 5 on 5 play. I've seen
enough of this game to know that Jack Capuano can not prepare this team to be competitive
consistently at the NHL level.
The second period
started with line combination of McDonald, Cizikas and Martin, resulting in a
goal. Cizikas to McDonald. 2-1 Rangers. Islanders have more jump, forcing Rangers to react to their pressure. John Tavares and Casey Cizikas break up off
a PK and J.T. gets a short handed goal.
Game tied 2-2. :40 seconds
later, Boyes makes it 3-2 Isles. Crowd
chanting for Rangers to put Lundqvist in the game. Rangers still have a 15-10 shots advantage. The Rangers, Haglein uses his skate to
direct the puck to the net, then shoves puck into net as Ref waits on his intent to
whistle. Game tied at 3-3. At least this game has a pulse, unlike the
last meeting between these two arch rivals.
The Isles look as though they are fully engaged and back into the
game. The Isles outshot the Rangers
14-12 in the period, the Rangers with the game advantage in shots 23-19.
In the final period,
both teams played a more even game.
They traded chances and made plays on both sides of the ice. The Isles have been better at moving the
puck this period. The Rangers turn up the
pressure but the Isles are able to withstand the onslaught.
Isles call timeout. Nabokov is
busy and he has been the answer for Isles late in the game.
Rangers outshoot Isles 12-7 in the third, 35-27 for the game.
The Islanders come
into overtime buzzing with good offensive pressure. Rangers make a sloppy change with 9 players on the ice, no call. They booed Biron early, now they chant
"Marty." Nice. Both Goalies good in O.T. Both teams had 4 shots on net.
Shootout:
Rangers shoot first.
Gaborik stopped.
Neilsen scores!
Nash stopped.
Tavares wins it for
the Islanders!
Final: 4-3 in the
shootout.
To sum up my
thoughts on why Isles have lost the last 5 games, the Isles:
1 - Still
inconsistant and irratic. I think Coach
Jack Capuano needs to go.
2 - Still soft 5 on
5, but got better as game went on.
3 - For the most
part, Martin and crew played the body and got physical.
4 - Defensively,
still suspect but made some strides.
Still way too soft in front of their own net.
5 - Evgeni Nabokov
was just ok early, kept Isles in game later, .914 Sv% for first 3 periods.
John Tavares. What more needs be said. He is everything to the Islanders. Brad Boyes hasn't arrived, but is at least
getting better as time passes. Matt
Martin is a pressence that we expect to be there, and dont always appreciate
everything he actually does for the team.
Casey Cizikas does everything quiety.
He is a factor and brings an energy that has been a glaring loss from the line
up when he isn't out there. Colin
McDonald is good at what he does as well.
Being an aggitator and scoring the occassional goal. The Isles team defense got better, later in the game. Lubo Visnovsky continues to show in his play
what Garth Snow saw when he traded for him at the draft. Frans Nielsen works hard and he is a reliable part of the Isles machine.
The Islanders woke
up after the first period, and competed for the win against a good New York Rangers team with a deep line up and are hot right now.
They need to continue cycling the puck, moving around the ice, playing a
tight defensive game and play physical to pull out a
win. The offensive depth the team has developed came through
in the shootout.
Per Arthur Staple, Several
Isles said assistant coach Doug Weight delivered a blistering speech after 1st.
"We deserved it, and we needed it," Nielsen said.
What started out
very ugly, may be end up being a galvanizing moment for this Islanders
team. Or not. We will see if everything stays
the same with the coaching staff and line up which is the most likely scenario.
If so, the challenge of consistency is renewed to them.
The Isles need to evolve and mature enough to know how to fight hard every night.
Enjoy this one and rest on what they did correctly Islanders fans. They bent, but did not break.
Enjoy this one and rest on what they did correctly Islanders fans. They bent, but did not break.
Isles Notes:
Per Arthur Staple on
Isles vs Rags, Nabokov in goal, Reasoner, Ullstrom, Hickey out. Streit paired
with Finley, Martin-Cizikas-Boulton 4th line.
Capuano wants more size in lineup tonight, felt Isles were outmuscled
last week here vs. NYR. Would expect
Ullstrom back vs. NJ on Sat.
Per Daniel Friedman,
"Any hockey team (Isles) that has four optional skates during a five-game
losing streak is a poorly-coached hockey team."
Prior to tonight vs.
the NYR, the Isles have 25 games until the trade deadline. In that time, the teams success will
determine a lot about how the roster may look for next year.
On February 13th,
1990, Isles Center, Bryan Trottier records his 500th NHL goal in a 4-2 loss to
Calgary.
Sound Tigers Notes:
On February 13th,
The Bridgeport Sound Tigers signed (F) Scott Campbell to a Standard Player
Contract for the remainder of the season.
On February 12th,
the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, @JohnPersson21 score off a deflection from the
slot past McElhinney at 2:14 of OT!! Sound Tigers earn huge 4-3 win over
Springfield.
Valentine's Day
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