Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Buffalo'ed At Home


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.


John Tavares stopped.


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.






Sound Tigers Notes:

Per Michael Fornabaio, "AHL transactions say BST send D Mike Dalhuisen and D Mike Keenan to Stockton (ECHL). Hadn't played yet; gets BPT down to 7 defensemen."



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