Tuesday, January 14, 2014

Mauled By Panthers


Your New York Islanders are in Florida tonight to face the Panthers and former Isles Brad Boyes & Sean Bergenheim.  The Isles look to extend the winning streak to 5 and gain another two points in the playoff standings.
 

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

Defensive Pairings:  de Haan-Hickey; Strait-MacDonald; Donovan-Carkner.

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


Matt Carkner will be in for Travis Hamonic is day-to-day with an upper body injury. 

Peter Regin and Eric Boulton are tonight's scratches.

 


Andrew MacDonald turns the puck over and Brad Boyes gets the assist on Barkov's goal as the Panthers get a quick one just :32 seconds into the first period, 1-0 Florida.  Isles come up empty on a PP opportunity with little threat.  Credit the Isles for fighting off a 5 on 3, 5 on 4 early, Poulin has regrouped and looks solid again.  The Isles are playing soft of defense and have been giving the puck away a little too much.  Florida gets deflection off Strait and behind Poulin, 2-0 Panthers.  Florida is outplaying the Islanders for much of the period and Isles look lost and out of sync.  While Tim Thomas looks invincible, New York gets caught off another D zone give away and Poulin gets hung out to dry, 3-0 Panthers.  Andrew MacDonald is having a terrible game and doing all the things fans kill him for.  The period ends with Isles being out shot 10-8, but out played by a large margin.  Kevin Poulin is being completely hung out to dry by a lifeless D, and lazy Isles turnovers. A total team Meltdown. This is my beef with Capuano.  A terrible & embarrassing game after recent praise with NHL watching.

 

The second period starts with more of the same for the Isles.  A few bright spots, but still a very disorganized team in bad need of a regrouping for a majority of the period.  Another giveaway creates a fast break opportunity during an Isles PP, resulting in a SHG for the Panthers.  The Islanders fall behind 4-0 in the closing minutes of the second period.  Colin McDonald (Martin & de Haan) gets a greasy goal to end the second period, 4-1 Florida.  That gives de Haan a 5 game point scoring streak.  Shots are 20-18 in favor of Florida.  Have the Isles awoken?

 

Within the first three minutes of the third period, Frans Neilsen breaks into the Florida  zone and dishes it off Vanek, who tucks it underneath Thomas. Isles climb to within 2, 4-2 Panthers.  The Isles have found some life, but time is running.  Calvin de Haan called on a double minor, Isles get the kill and a couple of short handed chances, but come up short with valuable time spent away from offensive pressure.  Isles continue to press, but to quote Butch, "seem a half a step behind" where they need to be to get things done.  Isles call time out and pull Kevin Poulin for an extra attacker.  They generate some pressure, outshoot Florida 33-26, but the urgency was too little, too late.  Streak is broken at 7 on the road and 4 game winning streak ends as the Isles beat themselves by not being prepared to compete early.  Panthers win 4-2.



The team came out sloppy and too disorganized to get it together before time expired.  Going down by 4 deep into the second proved to be too much.  Travis Hamonic is a big part of the Isles defense when they are playing well.  Even with how well Calvin de Haan has been lately, it looked as if he was struggling at times without his normal partner.  Kevin Poulin (22/26 with an .846Sv%) was given no help by the defense and the forwards defensive game was weak as well.  Even John Tavares looked to be having a miserable effort.  Several players had a tough game tonight.  I guess you can say the team was due for a let down after playing so well for so long, but I hate saying that bullshit.  I think it was more of an unprepared or unfocused Isles team being caught off guard by a pumped up Panthers squad with something to prove.  Despite a strong effort, even the McDonald, Cizikas & Martin line failed to energize the Isles tonight. 
 
 
 
Overall, its one to forget, take pride in their recent play and start over again vs. Tampa Bay.

 



 

Isles Notes:


Per Arthur Staple, "Some good news for Isles D: Visnovsky took first spin on ice yesterday back on LI."


Islanders are in "Preliminary" contract talks with Andrew MacDonald's camp and have spoken with Thomas Vanek's camp on the subject.


Per Katie Strang, "According to MacDonald's agent, the "goal" is to remain w/ Isles. Though he declined to discuss $, MacDonald due a significant raise.  At $550,000 a year, you can argue that MacDonald's current deal is best bang-for-buck contract out there right now."
 

Per Chris Botta, "Some of the Stadium Series teams asked NHL permission to wear those jerseys at a few home games later this season. Will be granted."


Per Tom Liodice, "Denis Potvin on comparing himself with Tavares as a young captain: 'I didn't have anyone questioning my coach."

 
###  I will away on business in Montreal from Thursday until Sunday.  I will try and catch up on the Tampa and both Philadelphia games over the weekend before the Ranger game on Tuesday.  Keep the faith.  ###




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