Islanders Banish Devils From NVMC

Tonight, your New York Islanders will face the New Jersey Devils at the NVMC.  It is slated to be NJ's final regular season game at the Coliseum.  Casey Cizikas has been activated off IR and will return to the line up top replace Michael Grabner.  Grabs has been diagnosed with another lower body injury.  Cizikas, a much underrated force for the Isles, will be a welcome addition to the Isles defensive and short handed game.  New call up & Backup, Keith Kincaid will be in net for New Jersey.  Kincaid has 1 loss on the season with a 1.64 gaa & a .943Sv%.  "My whole life I was going to Islander games," said Kinkaid, whose father is a former season-ticket holder. "It's fun to actually be able to play [at Nassau Coliseum]." Kincaid spoke about the mystique of the old barn, "It's always been my dream to play on that ice and play on any NHL ice. It's a dream come true to play on the ice I grew up watching all the time. It's going to be a fun atmosphere. This place can get loud. I'm very excited."  Well, that's a great story, but the Islanders will do their best to spoil Kincaid's first game at the Coliseum.

 

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

Defensive Pairings:  Leddy-de Haan, Visnovsky-Hickey, Donovan-Reinhart.

Jaroslav Halak will get the start in net with Chad Johnson backing up.

 

In the first period, the play was methodical and slow.  Just like N.J. likes it.  The Isles go to the PK (Lee) at the 11:24 mark.  The Devils capitalize and get a Zidlicky goal behind a Havlat screen in front of Halak to take a 1-0 lead in the game.  Halak takes a Gelinas shot to the head that causes his mask to become dislodged.  I've never seen a goalie take so many shots to the head as I have watching Halak.  A shot that goes off Visnovsky ends up in the net, 2-0 Devils.  Gomez is credited with the goal.  Somehow, the Devils are ahead in shots 11-4 by this point.  Isles to the PP after the 16:00 mark.  Isles with some decent pressure, but only get two shots against on the PP. Kincaid has been pretty good, but hasn't been made uncomfortable by the Islanders.  Isles back to the PP with :15 seconds left in the first.  The period ends with the road team up 2-0.  The Isles were sluggish and uninspired in the first period and really need to do something to shake this thing up.  Maybe play their own game instead of the one N.J. is giving them.  Devils lead 12-7 in shots.

The second period starts with the Isles on a 1:45 PP.  Brock Nelson is hit in the hand on a Tavares one-timer and goes to the bench to have it looked at as PP expires.  Josh Bailey (Strome & Grabovski) scores to gets the Isles on the board. 2-1 New Jersey.  Thats 2 goals in 5 games for Bailey.  Capuano changing up the lines, 12-91-21 & 84-51-86.  Isles have more energy and press the attack after the goal.  Halak with a big save on Bernier.   Isles getting outshot 15-10 at the midpoint of the game.  Nelson still showing the effects of being hit in the hand.  Leddy with a turnover, Halak makes the save to bail him out.  Isles weak on the check in the game and allowing the Devils to get too many pucks on net.  Lee redirects a de Haan shot but hits the left post behind Kincaid.  Nelson goes to the locker room with about a minute to play.  Casey Cizikas is making noise and showing why the Isles miss him when he is out of the line up.  The second period winds down with a better effort by the Islanders, but no where near where they need to be to take control of this game.  New Jersey still holds the advantage in shots, 19-18. 

 

Brock Nelson is not on the bench to start the third period, but returns a few minutes later.  Halak comes up big on a 3 on 1 chance for the Devils.  Kinkaid with the smitty-esk poke check on Cizikas to retain the lead.  Both squads go to a 4 on 4 situation from Helgeson & Tavares get matching minors.  Isles with some good pressure, especially on the stick of Matt Donovan, but they fail to score. Teams back to full strength.  Grabovski breaks in to a 2 on 1 with Nielsen and forces the pass that is broken up by the Devils.  A missed opportunity for Grabo just a few feet from the net.  Matt Martin (Cizikas & de Haan) gets the equalizer for the Isles, game is tied at 2-2.  The 4th line generates some solid pressure late in the contest.  Halak bails out Martin after a bad turnover.  He continues to stabilize the Islanders in their worst periods of play.  Score remains tied with 5:00 remaining.  Capuano had Tavares out with Cizikas & Clutterbuck for a shift.  The Islanders are doing a good job pressing the Devils in both zones.  Time out is called New Jersey due to the increased pressure by the Isles.  Tavares takes a frustration penalty on a slash on Zidlicky.  He might be lucky that the call wasn't worse for the Islanders.  Isles go to the PK with 1:49 remaining.  Clutterbuck with a big clear in the final minute of regulation.  The game is heading to overtime.

 

In the O.T. period, the Isles got a huge 4 on 3 PP chance off a Gomez trip on Bailey.  Kincaid stopped a nice Okposo shot in the final minute of the period that will force the shootout.  The Isles pulled ahead in shots 31-26 and have done well in the face-off circle 30-24.  The PK was 1/2 and the PP finished 0/2.  Halak finished the game  with a 26/28 with a .929Sv%.  Credit the Devils’ Keith Kincaid for a well fought game.

 

Frans Nielsen is stopped.

Halak makes the save on Ruutu.

Kyle Okposo head fakes and scores!

 

Halak is beaten by Gomez.

John Tavares is stopped.

 

Halak makes a reverse pretzel save.

Strome is stopped.

 

Halak makes the save on Zidlicky.

 

Josh Bailey slides in an off speed five-hole shot.

Josefson goes wide. 



Islanders win 3-2 and improve to 6-0 in the shootout and set franchise record for 8 straight shoot out wins dating back to 4/11.

 

When the Isles play Isles hockey, few teams can match em'.  The trick is getting them to play it consistently.  While the Isles were off their game earlier tonight and really faltered for much off the game, they were still able to adjust and pull the nose up in the game.  That is what great teams do.  Casey Cizikas had a solid game after returning from injury. He is such an under-rated asset for this team.  Oh, and if you didn’t realize that Matt Donovan can be a legitimate NHL defensemen before tonight, I think you do now.  If he gets the minutes he needs, his confidence will continue to grow and he will keep getting better.  Let’s hope he gets his chance.  Anders Lee also had some nice looks in the game.  Josh Bailey & Matt Martin were named 1^st & 2^nd stars tonight & scored big goals for the Islanders in an energy starved game.  Matt Martin continues to silence his detractors & had as nice a goal as any goal scorer would wish for.  Credit Jaro Halak with rebounding nicely after giving up two earlier in the contest.  He continues to stabilize the Islanders in their worst periods of play.  With 4 days off until they play in Detroit on Friday, Boychuk, Hamonic and Grabner will have more time to heal and get ready for the next step in this memorable season. 

 

Your New York Islanders improve to a 21-10-0 record.

 

 

 

 

Isles Notes:

Chris Osgood will visit the #Isles broadcast on Friday when they visit the Redwings per @Shannon_Hogan.