Islanders Cap Off Another Big Win

On the night before Thanksgiving, your New York Islanders will face Alex Ovechkin & the Washington Capitals.  The Isles are 15-6-0 & won 9 of their last 10 games.  Jaro Halak & Mikhail Grabovski will no doubt be ready to face their former team and help the Isles get another 2 pts.  The Isles are in their stadium series inspired 3rd jerseys tonight.

 

Forwards:  Kulemin-Tavares-Okposo, Grabovski-Nielsen-Bailey, Lee-Nelson-Strome, Martin-Cizikas-Clutterbuck.

Defensive Pairings:  Leddy-Boychuk, de Haan-Hamonic, Hickey-Visnovsky.

Jaroslav Halak is in net with Chad Johnson backing up.

 

In the first Period, the Isles came out buzzing and converted their 8th shot on net.  Anders Lee (Strome & Nelson) puts in a back-handed rebound off and behind Holtby for a 1-0 Isles lead.  Nelson ties Tavares for the lead in team points.  Isles to the PK on Martin's hooking call.  Ovechkin ties the game at 1-1.  Isles to the PP, but look out of sink, until Travis Hamonic (Clutterbuck & Cizikas) sends a wrist shot through a screen on the PP for a 2-1 lead.  The period ends with the Isles leading in shots 12-9.  Each team got a PP goal. The Isles need to do better in their own zone and stop turning over the puck.

The Islanders are very disorganized and are stumbling through the first 5 minutes of the second period here. Its dangerous to tempt fate like this.  Orpik hits the post while Halak is screened.  Hamonic takes exception to Ovechkins' goonery on Tavares, both go off for roughing minors.  Hammer has been agitating Ovi all night.  Anders Lee and Tom Wilson drop the gloves with 1:53 remaining in the 2nd period.  Its the first fight of Lee's NHL career.  Lee handled himself well there.  Anders Lee gets an extra 2:00 for some reason and Ovechkin scores his second on the PP, evens the score at 2-2. Isles lead again in shots 11-10 and getting job done 5 on 5, but keep giving Washington life on the PP.  Not the best 2nd period this season, but also not the worst.  Hamonic:"They have a pretty deadly PP- we've got to go back to what've we done...We want to have a big 3rd."

The Islanders come out in the third with more energy.  The crowd at tonight's game has been reported as a sellout.  Someone tell Boomer.  Isles to the PP.  Visnovsky in for Boychuk on 1st PP unit.  Isles held without a shot on net that time.  Clutterbuck opportunity denied by former Isles, Jack Hillen.  Isles buzzing in final few minutes, but fail to score.  Isles get at least 1 point and his game is going to overtime.  Isles finish regulation with a 37-27 shots advantage.  Ovechkin needs to be contained now.  He has killed the Isles in the O.T. period.

In O.T., the Isles get some good chances.  Backstrom holds Nelsons' stick and the Isles are going to a 4 on 3 PP at 2:22 of O.T.  John Tavares (Strome & Boychuk) scores the 3-2 game winner with 23.2 seconds left.  Credit Johnny Boychuk with a great screen on the Tavares shot.  The O.T. winner is the sixth for John Tavares and extends his franchise record in that category.

 

 

 

The Islanders had 5 shots to none in O.T.  Halak finishes the game 25/27 with a .926Sv%.  The first place Islanders gain a second point and reach a 16-6-0 record on the season, winning 10 of last 11 and riding another 5 game winning streak.  Jon Tavares & Anders Lee got named the first & third stars of the game.

While the PP remains a glaring concern and the PK suffered against a good PP unit, several things were done well tonight.  Travis Hamonic did a good job on shadowing & frustrating Ovechkin.  Johnny Boychuk & Nick Leddy were everywhere and factored in to much of the Islanders success tonight.  As mentioned in prior articles, Lubo Visnovski remaining healthy has been another bright spot for the Islanders.  His transitional game, defensive play & leadership have been a big part of the teams success this season.  Anders Lee has been solid, especially lately on a line with two players like Strome & Nelson.  I would assume he shouldn't see Bridgeport again.  The 4th line made some noise tonight and have really started to make Jack Capuano good for playing them in key situations.  And finally, Jaroslav Halak continues to play big for the Isles and earned his his 8th straight win.

Credit the fans in the building tonight. Between the chants, cheering and added energy, you guys were unreal for the guys on the ice. Way to get after it.  Don't tell Esiason.

"We have the best atmosphere in the league by far and want to feed off that energy," - John Tavares

 

Isles Notes:

On @Bossy5050's point, I feel the Isles turning point on intimidation was "storied" war w Pens when they answered on scoreboard & w fists.