Friday, November 22, 2013

Crosby & Pens Best Isles


Your New York Islanders will face the Pittsburgh Penguins in Pittsburgh tonight.  They will try to make it two straight against the Pens with Thomas Vanek in the line up.


Forwards: 
Vanek-Tavares-Okposo; Grabner-Nielsen-Bailey; Bouchard-Regin-Clutterbuck; Martin-Cizikas-McDonald.


D-Pairings:  MacDonald-Hamonic; Hickey-Martinek; Donovan-Carkner.


Kevin Poulin starting in goal, Anders Nilsson on the bench.
 
 

After going down 2-0, the Isles Thomas Vanek (Okposo & Martinek) scored in his first game back off injury to bring the Isles within one, 2-1.  Pittsburgh would score a third goal to make it a 3-1 lead, but the Isles would fight behind the strong play of Kevin Poulin making some key saves to challenge the Pens once more.  Colin McDonald (Cizikas) and Thomas Vanek's (Okposo & Tavares) second of the game to tie the score at 3-3.  For much of the game, the Isles were strong 5 on 5, but were severely let down once again by their special teams which is so bad, that it could now be blamed for losing games.  Sidney Crosby Makes the Isles pay with just 1:16 remaining in the game when he is left unattended in front of the net to give Pittsburgh a 4-3 win and hands the Isles their 6th straight road loss.  Isles outshot Pens 35-34 for the game.
 

Kevin Poulin was 30/34 with a .882Sv%, but was left alone on several occasions and played pretty well, but not good enough.  The Martin-Cizikas-McDonald line was as awesome tonight as they have been in recent games, making things happen and opening up the game for New York.  Matt Donovan continues to show me good things out there.  The Isles played to the level of their opponent again tonight, but mental mistakes cost the Isles a huge two points tonight and holds them in last place at 8-12-3 with 19 pts. until their game against the Flyers tomorrow night.

 
Andrew MacDonald & Frans Nielsen will be evaluated tomorrow on the extent of their injuries.




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