Islanders Flat Against Vancouver

Tonight, your New York Islanders welcome the Vancouver Canucks for their final regular season visit to the NVMC before another sellout crowd.  New York wants to get back to their winning ways after a close shoot out loss to Washington yesterday.  Lubo Visnovsky will be back in the lineup for Brian Strait.  The Isles will also be looking to get some payback after losing to the Canucks by the score of 3-2 in January.  Vancouver is currently 2^nd in the Pacific division with 69 points. 

Forwards:  Lee-Tavares-Bailey, Grabner-Nielsen-Strome, Kulemin-Nelson-Clutterbuck, Martin-Mouillierat-McDonald.

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

Jaroslav Halak is in goal with Chad Johnson backing up.

The Islanders come out buzzing again in the first period, giving Miller all he can handle, outshooting Vancouver 4-1 in the first 5 minutes.  On the other side of things, Jaro Halak with a few big saves on Isles turn overs.  The sheer will of John Tavares draws a hooking penalty from Horvat.  New York able to generate some good o-zone pressure & shots, but unable to score on the PP.   Vancouver has returned some of the push in the second half of the period.  Kael Mouillierat trips Sbisa, Isles finish the period on the PK.  Shots were 9-8 in favor of N.Y. who started strong, but faded fast.  No doubt are feeling the effects of their 5^th game in 7 nights. 

Kassian puts a rebound off Halak and it dribble over the goal line for a PPG, 1-0 Vancouver.  Ryan Miller is run into by Hansen and looks hurt.  Possibly his knee.  Miller goes off for evaluation.  Lack in the net for Vancouver & is tested immediately by Tavares & Bailey. Clendening called for delay of game, Isles back to the PP.  With 10 seconds remaining, H.Sedin is called for tripping.  Isles with a brief 5 on 3 then another PP chance, but can’t get things going.  Their PP continues to be awful.  Mouillierat called for cross checking, Isles to the PK.  New York is being frustrated and it's starting to show.  Another PP goal for Vancouver from Vrbata, 2-0 Canucks.  Horvat makes it 3-0 against Halak who has struggled along with his team in the period.  Vancouver is the one that calls the time out.  Go figure.  Tavares will serve for a too many men call against the Islanders, but their PK kills it off.  Frans Nielsen hit by Dorsett and goes down hard holding his leg.  Skates to locker room in obvious pain.  The Canucks are called for too many men with 19 seconds remaining in the period.  Isles outshot 10-9 in a horribly played period for them.  Losing Nielsen may be too much for a banged up Isles team.  Cross your fingers.  Bad things happening, but they can do this.

Frans Nielsen returns to start the third period.  Isles finish off their PP chance without a goal, but start to generate some offensive pressure again.  Capuano shuffles lines to try and jumpstart his team.  Thankfully, Nielsen looks to be back to normal.  Matt Martin is stopped, crashing the Vancouver crease and Cal Clutterbuck takes a finger to the eye from Kassian.  Isles back to the PP.  Halak goes to the bench with just under 4 minutes to go, but they can't convert with the extra skaters.  Bailey is stopped cold by Lack.  Weber makes it a 4-0 win for the Canucks with the ENG.  It’s a 2 game sweep for Vancouver.  Shots were 19-6 for the Islanders in the third period and had a 37-24 advantage in the game.   They were only 1 of 3 on the PK and a dismal 0 for 5 on the PP.

Tonight, the Islanders started well, but got tired fast.  Their sloppy play turned into penalties, and those turned into goals against.  The Isles PP look horrible again & even Jaro Halak (20 of 23 with an .870Sv%)  had an off night.  He will have to wait for win #33.  Special teams really need to be addressed.  Again, as good as this team is, it will really start to cost them wins and be a major weakness looking towards the payoffs.  It was just a bad game overall, but not for lack of trying.  The Isles efforts were evident and that just amplified their frustrations.  Two empty nets and nothing to show for it didn't help.  It seemed to be one of those games where every bounce went the other way.  Give credit to Eddie Lack.  He was solid since coming into the game in relief for Miller after his sudden injury.  Start the Nielsen watch and hope he is OK.

  

Let’s just take tonight’s game for what it is.  One loss.  Hopefully the Islanders can now look ahead to Tuesday’s game & try to bounce back after some well-deserved rest. 

The Isles face the Arizona Coyotes for their only visit to the NVMC on Tuesday, 2/24 @ 7pm.  It will be the 6^th game in 9 nights for New York.

Hockey Notes:

Today is the 35th anniversary of the "Miracle On Ice."  The surviving members of the 1980 U.S. Hockey Team has gathered in Lake Placid, N.Y. to remember the historic game in which they defeated the heavily favored Russians by the score of 4-3.  Al Michaels’s also made sports history when he called out “Do you believe in miracles?”

Isles Notes:

Ryan Strome’s stellar play this season has earned him a team leading +20 rating with 4 goals in his last 5 games prior to tonight.