Your surging New York Islanders will face the
Pittsburgh Penguins before a national audience on NBC tonight. The Islanders are 12-5-2 in the past 19 games and 7 wins in past 9, going 9-2-0
on road. They've won 6 games since Dec. 29 in which they trailed by 2+
goals. Per Sportsnet
Ticker, "Tavares, Vanek &
Okposo have combined for 43 points in January. That is the most by any three
teammates in that time." The
underlying story has to be the Dan
Bysma and Kyle Okposo Team USA saga, but the Isles will just want to start
strong and push a good Penguins team as far to the edge that they can make them
go.
Forwards:
Vanek-Tavares-Okposo;
Regin-Nielsen-Bailey; Grabner-Nelson-Clutterbuck; Martin-Cizikas-McDonald.
D-Pairings:
Strait-MacDonald; de
Haan-Donovan; Hickey-Martinek.
Kevin Poulin is in net tonight with Anders
Nilsson backing up.
The Islanders came out fast and hard behind
goals from Michael Grabner (Hickey) and Brock Nelson (Grabner) for a 2-0 lead
in just under 9:00 played. Pittsburgh
continues to pressure the Isles in their own zone and score two goals of their
own in the next two minutes go tie the game at 2-2 by the 11:30 mark of the
first. MacDonald and Poulin are exploited
on the second Pittsburgh goal by Crosby.
They need to play better. Per
Arthur Staple, "de Haan gets clipped
in face by Neal, but he's called for interference on Malkin. Pens PP at
12:32." Sometimes, I am amazed at
how officials can make the calls they do.
The Islanders are playing hard again after the Pittsburgh comeback, but
Pittsburgh scores again at the start of the second for a 3-2 Penguin lead. Casey Cizikas took a shot of his leg and
limped off the ice, only to return the next shift. Matt Martin has a terrible hooking call made against him and the
Penguins score on the PP, 4-2 Pens late in the second.
Early in the third, Josh
Bailey scores his first goal in 38 games to pull the Isles within one, 4-3
Pens. A few minutes later, Pittsburgh
gets too much space from de Haan and Donovan in the Isles zone, score to make
it 5-3 Penguins. Isles continue to work
and Kyle Okposo jams in a loose puck that gets waived off and reviewed in
Toronto. For once, a review in the Isles favor, 5-4 Pens. Isles go to the PP, then a 5 on 3 for :50
seconds after what should of been a penalty shot for JT, Capuano calls a time
out. Isles are denied in 5 on 3 and
then the remaining PP. Huge save
against Nielsen by Zakoff in the 5 on 3 for Pittsburgh. Isles wasted a huge opportunity with under
5:00 left. Isles pull Poulin (23 for 28
with an .821Sv%) in final minute and get some good pressure at Pittsburgh net,
but Zatkoff is equal to the task. ENG
for Pens, 6-4 the final. Isles led 34-29
in shots, but went 0/3 on the PP. Per Arthur
Staple, "Isles have led by 2 or more goals in a game 14 times (out of 53)
this season. 6-4-4 in those games. Yuck.
Isles have trailed by 2 or more goals in a game 27 times this season
(out of 53). 9-18-0 in those games, 7-4-0 in last 11."
The Islanders score 4 goals, but still lose the game. They played
well, but were guilty of breakdowns, suspect defense and surrendered a couple
of weak goals.
The skill of the Penguins were definitely a factor, but the Isles made a
few too many mistakes. The
Vanek-Tavares-Okposo line were kept in check for the most part, and it
showed. But the Isles went down kicking
and screaming and still came close to tying the game with the things they did
wrong. Missing Travis Hamonic &
Lubo Visnovsky against a team like this is a tough sell, but they were close. They have been very good lately and look to
be better for the remaining regular season games and push into the playoffs.
The Isles can refocus
for St. Louis on Saturday and pick up right where they left off.
Isles Notes:
Reminder: I will be away for the weekend and hopefully recap Saturday's 1pm tilt against the Blues sometime before Monday's game vs Boston @ 7pm.
Reminder: I will be away for the weekend and hopefully recap Saturday's 1pm tilt against the Blues sometime before Monday's game vs Boston @ 7pm.
Per Arthur Staple, Thomas Vanek tells me he'll understand if Isles trade
him. He would even consider signing here after that.
Per @IslesBlog,
"Reported that Lubo is looking like he's 10-14 days away from a possible
return, while Hamonic is still up in the air."
Per @StephenCLorenzo,
"Isles Lubo on concussion: "Nothing got better and I thought my career
was over or something. Right now i feel like a hockey player. Visnovsky said after a month he was
frustrated and "pissed off" after trying everything to get
better."
Per Robert Brodsky,
"Sources said the New York Islanders engaged in discussions about breaking
their lease a year early but the deal never materialized. End the speculation: New York Islanders
won't leave a year early for Brooklyn; my exclusive story via @Newsday.
NHL REVEALED - Episode1
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