Isles Fumble In Columbus & Beat Buffalo

On Thursday, your New York Islanders dropped a tough one in Columbus to the Blue Jackets by the score of 4-3 in the shootout.  Saturday saw the Isles win 3-0 against the Buffalo Sabres on “Decades Night.”  There were similarities and differences in each game.  Here is my “Lookback” on the games.

Kulemin-Tavares-Strome, Bailey-Nielsen-Okposo, Lee-Nelson-Clutterbuck, Boulton-Cizikas-Martin.

Strait-Hamonic, Leddy-Boychuk, Hickey-Visnovsky & Halak in Goal.

 

Against Columbus, the Islanders did a lot right for most of the game and fell back into their habit of not playing a full 60 minutes.  Although it resulted in a shootout loss, they picked up a crucial point.  Eric Boulton (Cizikas & Leddy) scored early in the first to give the Isles a 1-0 lead until Dubinsky tied the score about 5 minutes later.  John Tavares (Boychuk & Leddy) gave the Isles back the lead in the second period with a tip in off a Johnny Boychuk shot from the top of the circle.  Ryan Strome (Hamonic & Tavares) put in a Travis Hamonic rebound to extend the Isles lead to 3-1 less than a minute into the third period.  Johnson & Johansen put in loose pucks while in traffic and off deflections to tie the score at 3-3 with less than 4 minutes remaining in regulation.  Jaro Halak (36 for 39 with a .923Sv%) was good through most of the game and even on the two late Columbus goals, he had trouble tracking the puck due to the opposition occupying his crease.  The Isles had some tough breaks in the third and allowed the Blue Jackets to dictate the flow of puck play and physicality late in the game and throughout overtime, which included a 7-0 advantage in shots during the extra session.  In the shootout, the Blue Jackets got the 4-3 win while going 2 for 2 as the Isles once again struggled with a 0-2 effort.  It is important to remember that although they salvaged a point, the Isles blew a late 2 goal lead and surrendered 2 s.o. goals.  Special teams were 0/2 on the PP and 2/2 on the PK.

 

 

 

The Islanders needed to beat the last place Sabers and add two points to their bid to clinch a playoff spot in the eastern conference on Saturday.  They were able to do just that as the Islanders organization honored several players throughout their time at the NVMC on Decades Night.  The Isles came out and played hard just like they did on Thursday, but this time they were able to dictate play and win a game they were supposed to win in the way many would have expected to.  Kyle Okposo (Tavares & Nielsen) gave New York the 1-0 lead on the PP through two periods until Brock Nelson & Nikolay Kulemin (Hamonic & Visnovsky) would put the game out of reach in the third.  Jaroslav Halak made 21 saves for his 6 shutout of 2014-15, one shy of his career high and of Chico Resch's @NYIslanders single-season record (7 in 1975-76).  Nikolay Kulemin was recognized for his 500^th career NHL appearance on the night.  Capuano, on Kulemin: "When you talk about the intangibles and what it takes to win a hockey game, he's one of those guys for us."  Isles were 1 of 2 on the PP and 4/4 on the PK that included a 4 minute kill to preserve their early lead in the game.  Halak, Okposo & Nelson were named 3 stars of the game.

The Islanders still have a lot of work to do and much to improve on.  The way they lost to Columbus should piss them off and knowing that the Flyers, Penguins and a rematch with the Blue Jackets stand in front of their chances at locking in home ice advantage, finding motivation should not be a problem.  Your Isles can clinch a playoff spot with a regulation Ottawa loss or a win against Philadelphia, so their magic number is 2.


UPDATE:  The Isles Magic Number is now 1 (46-27-6 w 98pts in 79 gms, 39 ROW) with Ottawa's shootout loss to Toronto on Sunday night.  The idle Isles fell to 3rd in the Metro when Washington beat Detroit (and with Ottawa loss to Toronto, Caps clinched a playoff spot) on Sunday.  An Isles win on Tuesday or Ottawa loss to Pittsburgh will clinch a playoff spot for New York.  If the Isles can win their last 3 games, they are guaranteed to finish 2nd in the Metro, 4th in the east & clinch a home ice advantage.

They can also reach the 100 point mark on the season with a win on Tuesday against the Flyers.  That alone is a huge accomplishment when you look back on where this organization has come from in recent years, but won’t mean much unless they take advantage of that accomplishment with some consistent play and direction from the coaching staff.  Win the next two and home ice is a lock.

 

 

 

Isles Notes:

Mikhail Grabovski was back on the ice for practice on Saturday.

G, Stephon Williams has agreed to terms on an entry-level contract.

 

Sound Tigers Notes:

The BST have loaned Dyson Stevenson to the @AllenAmericans.