Islanders Fight Fire With Fire In Calgary

Your New York Islanders are in Calgary to face the red hot Flames, (see what I did there) who have been winners in their last 4 games.  They have strong goaltending with Hiller (2.31gaa & .917Sv%) and are very good at erasing leads lately, doing so a league high 8 times when trailing by 2 goals, scoring 48 3^rd period goals this season.  So if that scenario should arise, Capuano’s Islanders had better be ready to finish what they start.  No Isles team has gone 15 wins over the NHL .500 mark in the post cup era.  I know Calgary native, Thomas Hickey will be ready. Take it away Jiggs!

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

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

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

 

The Islanders come out in the first period with jump, fore-checking well and playing with an edge. Couldn’t ask for a better effort to start the game.  Boychuk draws a penalty (Bouma) on a breakaway chance.  Boychuk is slow to get up.  On the faceoff, Stajan covers the puck, full 5 on 3 for the Isles.  John Tavares (Strome & Okposo) takes a beautiful pass from Ryan Strome & puts it in from just off the left post, 1-0 Islanders.  Isles have about 40 seconds remaining on the second PP, but fail to generate anything else.  CGY without a shot on net half way through the period.  Halak stays focused & makes a few nice saves late in the period, Calgary with a better effort.  Period ends with Isles leading is shots 9-7 & dominating in the faceoff circle, 11-1.

 

Islanders keeping pace with the resurgent flames in the second period.  Nielsen called for hooking at the 9 minute mark. Isles successful on the PK.  Halak with a big stop in traffic to preserve the lead.  The Islanders kid line turns up the pressure as the period expires.  Shots change to 9-6 CGY in the period, 16-15 in the game.  Isles hold a 22-19 edge in face-offs.

 

Brock Nelson is hit with a Brodie slap shot and hobbles to the bench at the start of the third period.  John Tavares breaks in under pressure and comes close to increasing the Isles lead.  Nelson is back on the ice.  Strome gets called for slashing, Isles finish the kill.  Credit de Haan for some good special teams play.  Strome leaves the box & Tavares gets called immediately for a high stick. Isles back to the PK. The Isles kill another one with a strong SH chance by Kulemin.  As bad as the PP is, the Isles PK has gotten better, Halak is a huge reason for that.  John Tavares (Okposo) puts a wicked wrister past Hiller to make it 2-0 Islanders.  Islanders respond with furious urgency in the offensive zone.  Hiller with a huge stop on Anders Lee.  With Hiller pulled early, Gaudreau scores late on an odd bounce in the third to make it a 2-1 game with 3:25 left in the game.   Hiller goes to the bench again with 1:30 remaining.  Halak with a huge save against Monahan in the final minute.  Calgary calls a timeout with 2.1 seconds remaining.  Islanders win 2-1. 

 

 

Shots were 9-7 in the period and 24-23 in the game and had a 34-24 face off margin.  Halak won his 18^th of the season out of his last 20 starts making 20 saves with a .957Sv%.  He is the only goalie in the NHL with two seven game winning streaks. The Isles were 1/2 on the PP and 3/3 on the PK.  Per Eric Hornick, “Isles now 16-2-1 in games with a perfect PK and are 15-4-0 when scoring on the PP.”  John Tavares & Jaro Halak were the 1^st & 3^rd stars of the game.

 

The Isles reach the 15 game over .500 mark and are the first NHL team to 26 wins at 26-11-1.  John Tavares and Jaro Halak played like the elite players they are to bring their team to the next level again tonight.  Calvin de Haan had a huge game on defense and was the difference in front of the net.  Most importantly, the Islanders played their game.  A tight, physical & transitional game while responding to every challenge issued tonight.  They held a one goal lead through the game & got another big win.  I present your 2015 New York Islanders. 

Isles have a Dangerous game in Edmonton on Sunday at 9:30PM.

 

Sound Tigers Notes:

Philippe Trudeau and the BST have mutually agreed to terminate the goaltender's AHL contract. 

 

Hockey Notes:

Team USA was eliminated from the WJC today, losing to Russia by the score of 3-2.