Tonight, your New York
Islanders are back in D.C. to face the Washington Capitals in what should
be a very intense & physical quarter final game 5. The series is tied at 2-2, so tonight’s
winner will take a big 3-2 lead in the series and the Islanders want it to be
them for a return home on Saturday. Mikhail
Grabovski has been activated off the team's IR list and will play tonight in
place of Brock Nelson, while Lubo Visnovsky remains out indefinitely following
a hit from Tom Wilson in game 4. There
is no secret that the Isles took exception to what they feel was a dirty hit,
but will need to stay focused on winning tonight’s game. The Isles PP is the only unit without a PPG (0/10)
in the playoffs so far. That will need
to change if they expect to get out of this series.
Griffin Reinhart &
Ryan Pulock skated in warm ups and hope to be inserted into tonight’s line up
in place of Visnovsky. Both Reinhart
& Pulock are excited about the possibility of playing. Reinhart spoke about tonight, “Ever since I
came up, I was waiting for the opportunity. It's unfortunate it had to happen
like this, but whether I get to play tonight or another time in this series,
I'm really excited and I came ready for it." Pulock said he is ready,
"I'm obviously excited to be here and I was told to be ready here... If I
can get in and help the team, that's my plan." Just prior to game time, Griffin Reinhart was
put on the roster and will make his NHL playoff debut.
Bailey-Tavares-Okposo,
Lee-Nielsen-Kennedy, Kulemin-Grabovski-Strome, Martin-Cizikas-Clutterbuck.
Leddy-Boychuk, de
Haan-Strait, Hickey-Reinhart & Pulock.
Jaroslav Halak is in net
with Michal Neuvirth backing up.
The bad blood already boiling
over in the first minute of the opening period as both teams finish their
checks. The Capitals come out firing
pucks in net from every angle on Halak. Griffin
Reinhart opens his playoff debut against Ovechkin. Anders Lee opens the fight card against
Wilson. Challenge accepted. Josh Bailey (Tavares & Leddy) snipes one
from the circle to give the Isles a 1-0 lead at the 5:48 mark of the period. The Islanders have finished all their hits on
Ovechkin. Isles lose zone face off &
Kuznetsov slaps in a shot on net to even it out at 1-1 a few minutes
later. Both teams continue to play with a
noticeable edge to their game. Halak
stops Chimera on a breakaway chance to preserve the tie and then Leddy strips Brouwer
on another break way chance shortly after.
Washington has had the better scoring chances in the game so far. Johnny Boychuk hits Ovechkin hard, but clearly
pulls back to avoid a knee on knee. Shots
are 10-8 Caps after 1 and dominating in face offs by a 12-6 margin.
The 4th line
has come out to play again in the second period. The Islanders doing a better
job pressuring the Caps in their own zone and creating some scoring chances. Halak comes up with huge saves on Wilson and
then on Kuznetsov. A slow whistle and Calvin de Haan misplay of
the puck as Halak tries to cover, and Alzner makes it a 2-1 game for
Washington. I like de Haan, but it might
be time for the Isles to give Matt Donvan a game. Kuznetsov is called for a high-stick, Isles go
the PP but fail to generate much including some complacency by Anders Lee, 0
for 11. Reinhart hasn’t seen much ice
time in the period and the defense looks tired and is starting to get
outplayed. Thomas Hickey turns over the
puck to Ovechkin, who somehow draws a tripping call off Halak as Nielsen
collides with him in the crease, Caps to the PP to start the third. There has been suspect officiating in the
game so far to say the least. The depleted
Islanders defense is looking tired and needs to be ready to answer the Capitals
in what should be a hard fought third period.
Halak has been huge for New York in the game. Shots are 18-8 in the period and 28-16 Caps after
two. Washington dominated in the faceoff
circle by a 31-18 margin.
The Islanders kill the
penalty to start the third, but Laich converts on the second rebound against
Halak after another miscue at the net, 3-1 Washington. De Haan goes to the dressing room, Reinhart
takes his place. Cal Clutterbuck called for
retaliation slash to Gleason, Isles back to the PK. 4-1, Kuznetsov. Wheels coming off and
frustration starting to boil over. 5-1
Washington after a goal by Chimera, Michal Neuvirth will make his Isles playoff
debut. Cal Clutterbuck sent off the ice
for a slash and a game misconduct, Caps back to the man advantage. Isles go through the motions in a meaningless
and fruitless PP chance late in the game to seal their fate in a 5-1 loss and
go down 3-2 in the series. This was a
statement game and a big opportunity to go back home with a chance to make
things happen, but it wasn’t meant to be.
The Capitals won by playing their kind of game, something the Isles couldn't manage to do tonight. Shots were 13-7 in the period and 41-23 for the game. The PP was 0 for 2 (0 for 12 in the series) and
the PK was 3/3.
Grail Knight of the game goes to Josh Bailey who has played hard and been one of the better guys on the ice over the last few games with a series leading 5 points for the Islanders.
Tonight’s game started
well, but too many penalties and without Travis Hamonic, losing Lubo Visnovsky
and now Calvin de Haan put too much pressure on a thin Isles defense. Even Johnny Boychuk & Nick Leddy were
worn down as the game went on. The Isles
weren’t able to clear the puck very well or maintain any kind of proficiency in
their transition game. These were the
primary reasons Washington was able to score 5 unanswered goals. The Isles power play continues to
be missing in action and has really cost them.
A sparsely supported Jaro Halak (30 of 35 with a .857Sv%) was pulled,
but was really the only reason the Isles were in the game through two periods
to begin with. Michal Neuvirth finished
the game with 6 saves. Butch Goring has
mentioned the Capitals free reign on face off interference and it really showed
tonight. The Officiating was horrible,
but the Isles didn’t help themselves by the situations they put themselves in
throughout the game. Their PP has finally taken them out of the series and the
coaching staff is really starting to show their lapses in management.
Capuano deserved to be
given an opportunity to lead this team in the playoffs. He led the Isles through a great campaign
this season, but has the team off their mark since the All-Star break. I said the Isles would win in 7 and I stand
by that as long as adjustments can be made and their defense can hold on. If de Haan is out for any period of time, you
have to think Donovan or Pulock will get a shot. Griffin Reinhart had a tough night tonight
and the big guns for New York were nonexistent.
John Tavares needs to be better in this kind of game. His lack of impact throughout the night cannot
be acceptable. The lack of an effective
physical effort late in the game was a strange development to see unfold. Mikhail Grabovski looked pretty good in his
return to the lineup. Game 6 is at the NVMC and hope this team
shows up and answers some of its own questions with a win wrought by pride and
determination. Then they can go to
Washington and answer all doubts away from home in a game 7 scenario. I am proud of what they have done this season,
but if they bow out of the playoffs in the way that they played tonight, there
should be some changes moving forward.
Hopefully Friday’s practice won’t be optional.
See you Saturday.
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