Rags To Riches

Tonight, your New York Islanders visit MSG to face the New York Rangers for the final time this season in a pivotal eastern conference match up.  The Isles won 6-3 in the first meeting of the season and hold 1^st place in the Metro with 57pts while the Rangers hold the 4^th spot (52pts) in the division.  In addition, the Rangers have won 13/14 games, including their last 5 contests.  Jaroslav Halak gets the start for the Isles.  He is 22-8-0, 2.29 & .914, while Henrik Lundqvist is 20-8-3, 2.26 GAA & a .918 save percentage for the Rangers.

Kyle Okposo told Arthur Staple about what the Isles hope to expect about the Islanders fans at MSG: "When we score there'll probably be some, 'Yes! Yes! Yes!' chants. Hopefully we hear it a few times."  I am sure the fans will be there in droves and will be vocal if the Isles give them something to cheer about.  The last time the Islanders went to MSG at least 15 games over .500 was on March 29, 1982 with a 52-15-9 record.

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

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

Jaroslav Halak is in net with Chad Johnson backing up.

In the first period, both teams start with energy.  Michaels Grabner’s rush and wrister is stopped by Lundqvist.  Thomas Hickey goes to the bench after blocking a shot off his foot.  The Isles first line, Ryan Strome & Nikolay Kulemin are making some noise early, but Rangers very tight defensively.  Good back & forth so far and an uncomfortable nastiness feels like it’s about to break through in the 1st period.  Strait with two BAD giveaways in front of the net. The second time, the shot hit off the post.  Rangers pressing in the Isles zone a little too much, Halak making the saves so far.  The Isles 4^th line with some solid pressure late in the period & Josh Bailey with a strong defensive effort.  Isles buzzing a little late, JT with a strong move on Lundqvist.  Rangers respond with a couple of posts behind Halak, but net nothing.  Isles doing a good job of getting Lundqvist to move laterally & forcing him to respond often.  This could be a very good thing.  The Islanders lead in shots, 13-9.  They have been both lucky & good in a pretty well played road period, but they have to be better.  Isles are solid in the faceoff circle, going 13-5 (74%).  The fact is they are very lucky to be heading into the second period scoreless. 

Isles & Rangers start the second with some good pressure.  Both goaltenders have been good so far in the game.  Rangers take a time out at the 16:38 mark of the second after the Isles go 5 for 5 for face offs and generate a lot of pressure against Lundqvist.  Brian Strait puts a good shot on net and the puck trickles past Lundqvist, but the goal is waived off because of “incidental contact.” To me, Cizikas is pushed into Lundqvist as the puck goes in the net.  Rangers look to a little overwhelmed & are being outshot 20-10 at the 13:00 mark.  The Isles need to keep up the pressure.  Calvin de Haan puts the puck on net & Anders Lee (de Haan & Hamonic) establishes a position in front of Lundqvist and back hands the puck into the net. Isles lead 1-0 at the half way point.  Ryan Strome follows a Frans Nielsen rebound and comes close to another goal. Credit Lundqvist with a big save.  Johnny Boychuk crushes Rick Nash. Islanders go to the PP off a Staal interference call at the 6:54 mark of the second.  Kyle Okposo hits the post off the draw & the Isles with some good passing and strong shots, but they fail to score.  Halak makes a big save on St. Louis, Casey Cizikas takes exception to Brassard.  The game has gotten chippy.  Thomas Hickey makes things happen and Nikolay Kulemin slaps in the rebound through traffic to make it 2-0 Islanders.  FYI:  Isles are 12-0-0 when Kulemin registers a point.  Jaro Halak with a couple of big saves to follow up the Isles goal to keep the Rangers off the board.  Travis Hamonic gets a cross check on Moore with 1:12 left in the period.  Johnny Boychuk springs an odd man rush and Frans Nielsen scores a SHG to make it 3-0 Islanders.  Isles outshot Rangers 19-11 in the period & 32-21 in the game so far.  Isles had a big second period, but better be ready for an even higher intensity by the Rangers in the third.  Lundqvist finishes the game going 29 of 32 with a .906Sv%.

Cam Talbot is now in net for the Rangers.  The Islanders kill a big 48 seconds of PK time to start the third.  The Isles heart in the third period of this game will show the real mettle of this team right now. As the period has gone on, the Islanders have matched the Rangers intensity and have been able to outplay them outright.  The Garden was silenced except for the jeers of the home fans and the loud cheers of the invading blue & orange army.  Another scrum ensues at the end of a game as time expires instigated by the Rangers out of what must be sheer frustration.  Shots ended up as a 12-6 total for the third and 44 to 27 for the game.  There was a 26-20 advantage for the Isles in the faceoff circle and they were 0/1 on the PP and 1/1 on the PK. Per Andrew Gross, “Carl Hagelin: ‘They (the Isles) kept playing their way and we couldn’t figure it out."

When you take inventory of tonight’s game, we must remember the three posts hit by the Rangers to start the game and the Islanders goal that was called back.  It was an odd combination of events, but an even stranger feeling to see the Islanders never quit and create their own destiny, so to speak.  It was obvious that the coaching staff had the team ready & focused to play tonight.  There were several players who contributed to the flow & success of the Isles game.  Jaro Halak was solid in net again with 27 saves in his 23^rd win & 4^th shutout of the season in a hostile environment.  Pete Jensen reported, “Jaroslav Halak has a .957 SV% (67 saves on 70 shots faced) vs. NYR this season. Both games were at MSG.”  Billy Smith was the last Isles goalie to get a shut out at MSG on Dec. 17, 1975.

The team played a strong defensive game and outpaced the Rangers with a relentless wave after wave of offensive pressure.  Boychuk & Leddy were huge all game long.  Hickey & Strait had some struggles early, but really responded as the game went on.  Anders Lee, Nikolay Kulemin & Frans Nielsen were huge tonight on both sides of the puck. 

Jaro Halak, Frans Nielsen & Anders Lee were the 3 stars of the game.

This was an absolute statement game by your Islanders and it should answer the few remaining critics of what this team has really accomplished this season.  Like it or not, the Islanders are for real and in 1^st place in the east at 29-13-1.

The Isles have Pittsburgh at home on Friday for another big test. 

Isles Notes:

The next meeting for the Isles Booster Club is on Wednesday 1/28 with special guest & former @NYIslanders' own @Bossy5050.

Devon Toews is putting up points at Quinnipiac. 

Sound Tigers Notes:

The #BST have signed defenseman Matt Lashoff to an AHL contract.