Isles Meltdown Against Panthers

Your New York Islanders are back at it this afternoon against the Florida Panthers.  Travis Hamonic will serve his one game suspension from his action in yesterdays game against the Devils.  Florida comes in at the bottom of the PP & PK stats not to mention allowing 48 more goals than they scored, placing them 3rd from the bottom of all NHL teams in goal differential.  Frans Nielsen is back in the line up with Mike Halmo returned to the BST.  Matt Martin is still day-to-day.

The struggling Josh Bailey has somehow found himself on the Isles top line while Okposo anchors the second.

This is the last home game before the trade deadline on Wednesday.  Will Thomas Vanek, Andrew MacDonald or any other players with the Islanders be playing their last game for New York?  Time will tell.

 

Forwards:  Lee-Nielsen-Bailey, Grabner-Strome-Okposo, Vanek-Nelson-Clutterbuck, Boulton-Cizikas-McDonald.

D-Pairings:  Strait-MacDonald, Hickey-Visnovsky, de Haan-Carkner.

Anders Nilsson (Riding a 19 ga, 7-0-1 streak with BST) is in the net with Evgeni Nabokov on the bench.

 

13,008 fans are in attendance for this afternoons game.  Boulton and Barch drop the gloves just 2:25 into the game, then Strait and Huberdeau go after it off an icing just after the faceoff.  Two angry teams with something to prove early on in a slow paced, ugly game.  de Haan to Clutterbuck, back to Vanek gives the Islanders a 1-0 lead at the 13:00 mark of the first period.  Vanek makes it 2-0 Isles, with a PPG (Visnovsky & Nielsen) that beats Thomas.  Eric Hornick points out that Vanek has now reached the 20+ goal mark in each of his last 9 seasons with the tally.  Isles turn on juice & get lots of rubber to Florida net with a 5 on 3 opportunity, but fall short.  Islanders play in both zones has improved late in the period while Nilsson making the save when he is asked to do so.  NVMC crowd appreciates the teams effort and acknowledges Anders Lee for coming to Straits aid as time expires.  Isles out shooting Panthers 14-11, but are only 1 for 4 on the PP.

 

 

Play has evened out in the second period with the Islanders still struggling on the PP.  Both teams have had chances, but its a slow moving period. An Isles turnover off a Florida slash late in the period gets the Panthers on the board with a rebound goal, 2-1 Isles.  Ryan Strome makes it 3-1 (Vanek & Okposo) less than a minute later.  Its Strome's second career NHL goal!  Isles with a 13-10 shots advantage in the period and a 27-21 edge in the game.  Isles PP is now 1 for 6.

 

Florida scores twice between the third and fourth minute of the third period to tie the game at 3-3.  Goal #3 was a Carkner deflection over Nilsson and #4 was a blown defensive assignment by MacDonald and delay of game call by the Officials, puck found its way in somehow.  Isles continue to scramble in front of Thomas, but fail to score on numerous attempts.  Team seems to be lost.  Per Arthur Staple, "12th time in 63 games Isles have surrendered a 2-goal lead. 2-5-4 in previous 11."  Panthers put in an odd rebound to take the lead, 4-3.  Panthers score again off a skate deflection, 5-3 Panthers.  Cizikas takes a frustration penalty, Florida to the PP, Isles kill it off.  Capuano calls a timeout with :32 seconds remaining.  Isles pull Nilsson for the extra skater, 5-3 Florida is the final after Isles give up 4 goals in the final period.  Florida outshoots Isles 13-11 in period, Isles hold 38-34 shots edge in game.

 

Isles fall to 9 wins in 33 games at home.  Per Eric Hornick, "8-5-4 when leading after 2 pds (7-4-4 on home-ice). 3rd straight L when leading by at least 2 goals at home after 2 pds (LA/Ana)."

 

This team ran wild with no direction as the game went on and Nilsson struggled in net when his team slowed in front of him.  There was very little physicality or checking pressure where it mattered, no crease clearing and a disorganized, slow paced response to the Panthers surge by the Isles.  The Isles head into the trading deadline with 1 road game remaining.  Without a stroke of genius by Snow, we may be doomed to only watch for what the team's draft position will be.  Again.

 

Matt Saidman is right there by the dressing room.  "Coming off the ice, Isles looked more dejected than they have all year long. Looked like a heartbroken group of guys."

 

 

 

Isles Notes: 

 

Per Chris Botta, "Vanek was 0-3-3 in previous 8, 2-1-3 today. Now he should sit until a trade."

 

Per Brett Cyrgalis, "Capuano on Hamonic's actions yesterday: I have no problem with that. He [felt] they took a liberty with one of our guys, and he responded."

 

Next week, the Isles are on the road vs. the Jets @8pm on Tuesday, 3/4, the Oilers @9:30pm on Thursday, 3/6 and the Flames @9pm on Friday, 3/5.  They close the road trip vs. Canucks @10pm, on Monday, 3/10. 

 

I will most likely cover the Calgary and Vancouver games with a Lookback on Tuesday.