A Fragile Team

Your New York Islanders and Tampa Bay Lightning met at the NVMC tonight.  The Islanders would showcase what was for the most part, their best defensive game in quite a while including a solid PK.  Kyle Okposo (Tavares & Nelson) scored a PPG in the opening seconds of the second period for a 1-0 lead.  The Islanders would continue to play well and get offensive opportunities including several solid changes initiated by Michael Grabner who has really developed the rest of his game while he works on his goal scoring.  Frans Nielsen (Grabner & Bailey) would make it 2-0 in the game.

 

 

 

Gudas decided to hit Tavares in what was a cheap shot and as I have stated before too many times, wasn't made to answer for it either.  Per Arthur Staple, Tavares not happy w/ Gudas. "It's friggin' dirty. I'm 12 ft from the boards and he hits me like that. He was running around all night." 

 

In the final 3 minutes of the third period, the Islanders would make defensive errors with Nielsen and not covering a loose puck in the closing seconds and surrender two goals to knot the score at 2-2 via Filppula.  Nabokov looked solid for much of the game and ended up 34/36 with a .944Sv%.  Although the Isles get a point, they let the Tampa Bay back into the game.  The Lightning out shot the Isles by a 36-24 margin.

 

 

 

An overtime would see some back and forth with each team getting a shot on net, but would not reveal a winner.

 

In the shoot out:

Thomas Vanek is stopped.

Filppula scores.

Frans Nielsen scores!

Kutcherov scores.

John Tavares is stopped, Isles lose the game 3-2.

 

Tavares: "It's unbelievable. It's frustrating. It seems like we have to play a perfect game."

"Have to find a way, for as well as we played, to get it done," Capuano. "It sucks."

 

Nabby: "It’s pretty simple right now: We don’t know how to win hockey games. All our efforts goes to the shitter"

 

Well, there is plenty of blame to go around.  Another incomplete game and suspect puck management.  Its the same fragile mentality shown by a team with the talent to win who fail to execute and close out their opponent, blow a lead in the game they are controlling and make no adjustments to counteract the negative or do anything at different. 

 

Take a bow everyone.

Thanks to @Dom21594 for the screen capture

Isles Notes:

Per Arthur Staple, "Isles lose in shootout. 3-15-4 last 22, 1-9-4 last 14."

Per Chris Botta," Saddest thing about Isles winning just 3 of last 22: I don't think Tavares can possibly play better, fight harder or care more."

 

Casey Cizikas was out for the second strait game due to a jaw injury.

### I will be away working deep within the woods of Sparta, N.J. this weekend, so I'll look to catch up with the Rangers & Ducks games on Monday, 12/23 before covering the Detroit Redwings @ 7 p.m. ###

 

Sound Tigers Notes:

 

Bridgeport Sound Tigers released (F) Jon Sim from PTO.