Tonight, Your New
York Islanders welcome the winless Buffalo Sabers to the NVMC. Buffalo has a lot of weapons New York wants
to keep unloaded. The Isles need to
grab a lead and play hard, keeping Buffalo playing from behind and playing
their own game. With Eric Boulton (1st game
of the season) in, the coaching staff is betting on a 4-5 minute player to make
the difference by playing an enforcer role while a young skilled player like
Brock Nelson is scratched along with Matt Donovan. Nelson is part of the Isles offensive future while Donovan is an
offensive minded defensemen. Both need the minutes to improve as an experienced
NHL player. The only way that happens
is if they play. These are the type of
moves that I don't understand and why I have questioned so many of Coach
Capuano's decisions. This 4 game
home stand is big as everyone knows and they should get 6 out of an 8 possible points with a good
offensive output.
Arthur Staple has
noted that Colin McDonald is day to day with a hip injury, thus explaining him
being scratched. Tonight is the home
season debuts for Cal Clutterbuck & Matt Carkner.
Forwards: Grabner-Tavares-Okposo;
Bouchard-Nielsen-Bailey; Moulson-Regin-Clutterbuck; Martin-Cizikas-Boulton.
D-Pairings: Hamonic-MacDonald, Visnovsky-Hickey,
Carkner-Strait.
Evgeni Nabokov will
get the start with Kevin Poulin backing up.
In the first period,
the Isles made some noise with a nice fore check, but follow that up with
several miscues and mistakes that lead to man down situations. Michael Grabner has a few nice fast break
chances on the PK while Nabokov looks comfortable early in the period. Their hard work pays off. Josh Bailey and Pierre-Marc Bouchard (1st
with the Islanders) pick up the assists on Nielsen's third of the season at
13:11 of the 1st period ripping one past Miller's glove, 1-0 Isles. Isles come close again as PMB hits the
crossbar. Clutterbuck takes a stick to
the face, no call made as usual.
Nabokov has been big in the period, even starting rushes up ice with
solid passes. I have to admit, the
first line has been fast and furious this period and Casey Cizikas is fired
up. Isles out shoot Sabers 16-12 in the
period, matching Nashville game's shot total.
In the second period,
Isles continue to work, but Buffalo exploits a delayed whistle as the puck trickles
behind Nabokov and slammed into the net, score tied at 1-1. This is the kind of break seems to always seems to elude the Islanders. The
Islanders push the puck deep, Boulton to Cizikas, who plays the puck away from
the boards as Matt Martin (1st of the season) waits at the top of the crease
and slams it home, Isles lead 2-1. Vanek alone atop the crease easily ties it
minutes after the Isles score, tied at 2-2.
The Isles are keeping Buffalo in the game, as I feared earlier
today. The Isles have made some things
happen offensively thus far, but the
fore-check has gone away and needs to return. Any Saber players that crowd the net must pay the price. Capuano calls a timeout to regroup and settle down his squad. John Tavares gets physical with
Foligno. The new second line with PMB
looking pretty good in the game thus far, doing all the little things. Play getting chippy late in the second
period with both teams moving the puck well.
Miller has gotten better for Buffalo in the period. Shots are 16-13 in the period and 32-24 in
the game, Isles with the advantage.
The bitterness
continued in the third period between both teams. Their were exchanges back and forth and penalties called, but it
was the Islanders who reversed the heat and got under Buffalo's skin. Foligno, Ott & Tallinder were victimized
and the Islanders made it 3-2 on the PP when (Visnovsky) Tavares got a
deflection from Matt Moulson and went by Miller for the lead. The very thought of Martin AND Clutterbuck
instigating is a nightmare for the opposition.
The Isles need to keep up the physical play and fore-checking while
putting pressure into the offensive zone.
Safe is dead. And with 2:01 remaining, our pal Foligno evens the score
at 3-3 on partial screen. Sloppy clear
and own-goalie screen by Strait. Shots
were 10-8 Isles in the period and 42-32 in regulation.
The game is going to
O.T. Both teams with two shots on goal
in the extra period.
Shoot Out:
Matt Moulson scores!
Buffalo scores.
Frans Niesen stopped.
Buffalo scores.
Buffalo Sabers win
4-3.
The Islanders let a
winless team stay in the game and were unable to finish them off. They blew 3, 1 goal leads and kept Buffalo
in the game so they were close enough to tie it as time expired. With all the talent they have, the team cant seem to finish developing and consistently win the games they should win. It always seems like a desperate struggle to
play to the level of their opponent instead of sticking to their own game and dictating play.
Miller was good tonight, but costly mistakes by Isles personnel in front
of the net need to stop as well. The
team is not going to create a winning culture when you outplay an opponent but
fail to eliminate them. When you do this, you enable them
to stick around long enough until they can beat you.
They did some things
right. The top 3 lines seemed to work
well despite me bitching about the changes.
Their shots on goal were much better tonight and they way the team got
past the regulation and fought hard in O.T. was a great effort. They hang on to a valuable point in the standings. It is still early in the season and they should
correct their mistakes and turn things around with the players they have.
Lets hope it happens
soon. Edmonton is next & worse off than Buffalo.
These loses are tough to take.
These loses are tough to take.
Sound Tigers Notes:
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