Your New York Islanders are in Chicago to
face the Blackhawks tonight. The Isles
will be looking to snap a 3 game losing streak and gain some ground to keep
pace with other teams in the east despite playing only 2 games in the next 7
days. Injuries to key players will certainly
make that a challenge. Jaroslav Halak is
day-to-day & did not make the trip for what is being called a lower body
injury, so Michal Neuvirth will get the start in net. Kevin Poulin has been recalled on an
emergency basis from Bridgeport to serve as back up. Ryan Strome is in for Michael Grabner, Matt
Donovan and Brian Strait are expected to play for Lubo Visnovsky (day-to-day
with a lower body injury) & Nick Leddy (upper body), who is on the trip with
the team, not expected to be in the game time lineup for the 4th
straight game. Look for John Tavares (no
points in his last 3 games) & the kid line to be extra motivated to make
things happen tonight.
Bailey-Tavares-Okposo,
Lee-Nelson-Strome, Kulemin-Nielsen-Kennedy, Martin-Cizikas-Clutterbuck.
Hickey-Hamonic, de
Haan-Boychuk, Strait-Donovan.
Michal Neuvirth is in, Kevin Poulin serving
as back up.
The Isles are having to clean up a lot their
own messes in the first period & getting outshot by an 8-3 margin, when Neuvirth
finally lets one in off the left post from Toews, 1-0 Hawks. He has made some big saves thus far, but that
is one he wants back. Not a good start
for New York. First line has struggled
thus far and coughs the puck up to Toews for his second of the night, 2-0 Chicago. Can you say Passengers? Islanders outshot 16-10 in the period and
look out of sync again. The Kid Line and
Thomas Hickey were only bright spots in the first.
Shaw gets a 5 minute major for head butting
Brock Nelson early in the second period. That will probably warrant league
discipline. Isles with a big PP chance,
but generate 1 shot against. A huge misstep. Hossa puts the Hawks up 3-0 late in the
period. The Isles have applied more
pressure in Chicago’s zone, but still look lost. Shots were 15-5 in the period. It is important to note that Nikolay Kulemin
went to the locker room before the end of the period.
Kulemin is back to start the third. Hossa makes it a 4-0 Chicago lead less than a
minute into the period. Calvin de Haan
has had another tough game tonight.
Nikolay Kulemin looks fine as he sneaks one past Crawford and get on the
board. 4-1 with 14:00 remaining. Isles
to the PP off a holding call on Hossa, but can’t produce again. John Tavares takes a frustration penalty
& goes off for holding the stick, Isles to the PK. Kulemin gets a breakaway chance, gets hooked
and can’t convert. No call. Cizikas & Clutterbuck generate a shorthanded
rush, but can’t finish either. PK does
its job, but time runs out for New York.
Isles held a 14-9 advantage in shots for the period and held a 39-30
edge in the game, but it was an example of reacting too late and playing desperate hockey. The PP was 0/2 and the PK,
1/1. Michal Neuvirth had his issues, but
was left alone a few times. He finished
26/30 with a .867Sv%.
Tonight was another tough loss pushing the losing
streak to 4 for the first time this season.
When your team is down 2-0 and has a 5 minute major, you must take
advantage it. The Islanders PP captained
by Doug Weight is terrible. It’s a necessary
function that needs to produce if they want to stay in games. Kyle Okposo will need time to find his game,
but since Anders Lee has been taken off the first line, the line & the team
for that matter has struggled to produce.
Tavares & Bailey were a –4, while de Haan & Boychuk were a –3.
The Isles need the constant sense of urgency
and need to rediscover their swagger and proficiency in taking over games. Piling up shots means you are working, but without
producing goals, it can also be seen as a big negative. Defensive breakdowns, surrendering the late
goal, the resurgent meltdowns need to stop.
Team coaching needs to be called out as does the offensive snarl of this
team, which had previously seemed literally unshakeable. It is clearly the low point of the
season. With too many mistakes, several key
injuries and a previously crammed schedule, challenges have taken a toll on
this team.
They will need to find a way to refocus and
attack the remaining games like their playoff lives depend on it. Because when it comes to how far they will be
able to get in the post season playing like this, it just might. Tonight’s game was just that bad.
Isles are in New Jersey on Saturday for a 7PM
start.
No comments:
Post a Comment