Isles Do It Best From Behind

Tonight, Your New York Islanders will give a rematch to the Stars in Dallas, just 6 days after their come from behind, 7-3 win on Monday.  The Isles will try and build on their 7-3-0 surge in their last games while Dallas will try to exact some payback.  Can the Isles make it 7 straight on the road?  Isles radio voice, Chris King will have the play by play again tonight with Butch Goring.

 

 

Forwards:  Vanek-Tavares-Okposo, Nelson-Nielsen-Bailey, Grabner-Strome-Clutterbuck, Martin-Cizikas-McDonald.

 

D-Pairings:  MacDonald-Strait, de Haan-Hamonic, Donovan-Hickey.

Kevin Poulin is in net tonight with Anders Nilsson on the bench.

Evgeni Nabokov is traveling with the team, but is still injured and will not play.

 

The Islanders started the game with jump.  They made crisp passes, worked hard along the boards and moved the puck well.  Kevin Poulin look confident and made some big saves for New York.  Slowly, something changed that made some sloppy habits returned for the Isles.  Creative officiating showed itself through out the first half of the game with some amazing non-calls on behalf of the Isles, but that would not be an excuse.  New York needed to play a better game. Dallas would score twice off mistakes by the Islanders and take a 2-0 lead into the second period.  The Isles would respond in the second at the mid point of the period when Kyle Okposo would finish a sick passing play from Tavares & Vanek to make it a 2-1 game.

 

In the third period, both teams would create some chances.  Dallas seems to be aware of the officials blind eye against the Isles and John Tavares is getting the worst of some non-existent high sticking calls while Cal Clutterbuck took the worst of some cross checking.  Travis Hamonic has left the ice and Arthur Staple has reported he may not be back.  Kyle Okposo (de Haan) ties the score at 2-2 with his second of the game with a nice wrist shoot that gets behind Ellis.  The Isles have taken back momentum and answered the challenge from Dallas.  John Tavares takes a nice feed from de Haan & Vanek and gives the Islanders a 3-2 lead late in the third period.  Dallas pulls their goaltender and Brock Nelson makes them pay with an ENG, 4-2 Isles.  That was 3 goals in the last 5 minutes.  Shots on goal were even at 31 and although the PK was good, going 2 for 2, the PP went 0 for 2.

 

The Isles win by a score of 4-2.  Tonight is the Isles fifth straight come from behind win and the teams first 4 game winning streak of the season.  After tonight's win, the Isles 7 game road winning streak (1st since '81 and 2nd in club history per Eric Hornick) is the longest in the NHL this season so far.  Kyle Okposo (8g & 5a in last 9 games) scores twice and JT scores the GWG in another great come from behind win.  Matt Donovan and Thomas Hickey made some nice plays tonight and Calvin de Haan continues to impress with all facets of his game.  Josh Bailey has a had a few good games in a row and his best tonight in quite a while.  It was a great team effort, solid regrouping and another strong play by Isles goaltender, Kevin Poulin who was 29 for 31 with a .935 Sv%. 

Now if we could just master the occasional blow-out from the start of the game thing, that would be great.  Maybe just once or twice to try it out?  Get back to us then.

 

Screen capture from Kevin Schultz of IPB

Isles Notes:

 

UPDATE:  Per Arthur Staple, Capuano says Hamonic was ill, NOT hurt. Said he got too dehydrated to keep going after 2nd.