Kyle Okposo finally had the night that everyone has been waiting for. Over the course of a single period, he broke his goal scoring drought, doubled his season's points total, and silenced his critics.
The only thing missing was an Islanders win.
On Wednesday (11/23) night, the Islanders hosted the Philadelphia Flyers, a team that has traditionally given them fits. Coming into the game the Isles had dropped 24 of their last 26 to their southerly neighbors.
It looked to be more of the same in store for New York, as just 18 seconds into the game a puck found its way past starter Rick DiPietro. Andrej Meszaros scored on the first shot of the game.
The script would change, however, just 19 seconds later, as Kyle took a brilliant pass from Michael Grabner and lit Ilya Bryzgalov's lamp.
Before most of the crowd of 11,086 had settled into their seats, two goals had been scored.
Okposo, playing with a sense of determination as yet unseen this season, gave the Islanders the lead with a pretty "tic-tac-toe" type goal at 10:26. Grabner had a hand in this one too, thrusting the puck to Josh Bailey who got it to Kyle's stick blade.
The Isles led 2-1, and suddenly thoughts of the team's (and Kyle's) scoring woes were a thing of the past.
Not sated by two quick goals after such a long and miserable drought, Kyle turned around and assisted Grabner on a goal with about 1:30 to go in the period. The outburst of scoring, coming after 142-plus minutes of nothing, coupled with the fact that they were outplaying Philadelphia, was astounding.
The problem was that the Islanders had forty more minutes to get through.
During the first break, Peter Laviolette showed why he is a good coach. He yanked his starting goaltender and ushered Sergei Bobrovsky into the game.
Though Kyle played well (going end to end with the puck during one rush after making a nice defensive play, as an example), he and his mates were unable to solve Bobrovsky. "Bob" made 23 saves and was the benefactor of some quirky goals allowed by DiPietro.
Though they forced the game to overtime, and even had a man advantage during the extra session, the Islanders lost their 13th of their last 15 games.
Taking away the positives, though, Kyle appears to have put whatever was troubling him aside, at least for now. He looks like the young star that everyone saw for the last three seasons. He has regained a very nice chemistry with linemates Michael Grabner and Frans Neilsen, and even with Josh Bailey.
The Islanders haven't been able to have a game where they get scoring out of both of their top two lines on the same night. When they do, they're going to win the game easily.
Unfortunately for now, coach Jack Capuano is left to still tinker with his roster in order to get it tuned properly, and Islanders fans are left with a slightly less festive Thanksgiving mood.
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Will Kyle Be Back?
I had a moment to ask a very angry Coach Jack Capuano about Kyle's status for Monday's game (at the 2:30 mark) . While he didn't provide a definitive answer, one would imagine that after the stink bomb the Islanders put up against Boston on Saturday night (11/19), another shakeup will be afoot.
I expect Kyle to return on Monday night in Pittsburgh. I believe the message intended for Okposo and the team has been sent (and clearly received).
Unfortunately for the Isles, Sidney Crosby will be making a return of his own in Monday's game. As you know, he has been sidelined all season with the lingering effects of a concussion from last season.
Finally, a new face to look for in the Islanders' lineup is David Ullstrom. The young forward was called up as the corresponding move to goalie Al Montoya's placement on the injured reserve list. The young Swede has put up a 12-2-14 line at Bridgeport in 17 games.
There will be a lot to watch for tomorrow night. Hopefully Capuano rallies his troops in what has been a very difficult venue for the Islanders over the past few seasons.
I expect Kyle to return on Monday night in Pittsburgh. I believe the message intended for Okposo and the team has been sent (and clearly received).
Unfortunately for the Isles, Sidney Crosby will be making a return of his own in Monday's game. As you know, he has been sidelined all season with the lingering effects of a concussion from last season.
Finally, a new face to look for in the Islanders' lineup is David Ullstrom. The young forward was called up as the corresponding move to goalie Al Montoya's placement on the injured reserve list. The young Swede has put up a 12-2-14 line at Bridgeport in 17 games.
There will be a lot to watch for tomorrow night. Hopefully Capuano rallies his troops in what has been a very difficult venue for the Islanders over the past few seasons.
Friday, November 18, 2011
Isles Win as Kyle Still Sits
Coming in to Thursday (11/17) night's game against Montreal, the Islanders were sitting precariously on the cusp of an unpleasant milestone.
The franchise, whose all-time record stood at 1317-1316-347-77 (W-L-T-OTL) before the puck dropped, was in danger of falling to .500 for the first time since 1978.
They were also facing a hot squad in the Montreal Canadiens, winners of 7 of their last 10 games. The one small advantage the Islanders perhaps held was that the Habs had played Carolina on Wednesday night.
Fortunately for the Isles, a bit of unpleasant history was averted.
The Islanders secured a 4-3 win, though they took an unconventional route to victory.
Evegeni Nabokov, part of the "three-headed monster" in goal (that has worked surprisingly better than expected this season) was injured just under eight minutes in. Rick DiPietro, the eventual winner, replaced him.
After an even first period, it took a lucky carom off the boards behind the goal and a misplay of the carom by Canadiens' goaltender Peter Budaj to gift wrap a goal for the home team.
P.A. Parenteau, the twenty goal scorer from last season, wasted no time in capitalizing on the mistake. For Parenteau, it was his third goal of the year.
Invigorated by a rare lead, Josh Bailey helped Jay Pandolfo score another one with just 3:01 gone in the period. For Pandolfo, it was a double milestone, as it was both his first goal as an Islander and number 100 in his NHL career.
Mark Streit tripled the home fans' pleasure with a goal of his own at 9:01. Of note, the goal was the first this season by an Islanders defenseman at even strength.
The tide turned against the Isles soon, though, as two poor defensive plays led to Montreal goals. The fans, and perhaps the coaches, were having flashbacks of the game against Colorado earlier in the season in which the Isles frittered away a 3-0 lead.
Matt Moulson righted the ship towards the end of the period, however. Matt has been hot of late, scoring four goals in his last five games. John Tavares and the aforementioned DiPietro assisted on the effort.
Though they allowed a late power play goal to Brian Gionta which set up a tense finish, the Islanders held on and secured a much needed victory.
The sentiment in the locker room after the win was both one of relief and a sense of a deserved payoff after some recent games filled with hard work and no points.
The Islanders get a chance to take another step in the right direction on Saturday night (11/19). More on that game below.
***
News and notes:
- Somewhat surprisingly, Kyle Okposo was a healthy scratch for a second consecutive game. It was reported elsewhere that he has watched all of his shifts from this season on video. I fully expect him to return to the ice for Saturday night's tilt against the Boston Bruins.
- Speaking of Saturday night, Islanders legend (and the team's first captain) Ed Westfall will be honored in a pregame ceremony. He will be inducted into the Islanders Hall of Fame, and will even call a period of hockey with "Jiggs" McDonald. It should be a fun evening.
- Nabokov left the game with a reported groin injury. He will be re-evaluated on Friday. Rick DiPietro, making his second relief appearance of the year, filled in ably by saving 24 of the 27 shots he faced.
- Lastly, this game featured a unique personnel quirk. It was believed to be the first time that four Swiss-born players had ever played in the same NHL game. The teams had two apiece; Mark Streit and Nino Niederreiter for the Islanders and Raphael Diaz and Yannick Weber for the Habs.
The franchise, whose all-time record stood at 1317-1316-347-77 (W-L-T-OTL) before the puck dropped, was in danger of falling to .500 for the first time since 1978.
They were also facing a hot squad in the Montreal Canadiens, winners of 7 of their last 10 games. The one small advantage the Islanders perhaps held was that the Habs had played Carolina on Wednesday night.
Fortunately for the Isles, a bit of unpleasant history was averted.
The Islanders secured a 4-3 win, though they took an unconventional route to victory.
Evegeni Nabokov, part of the "three-headed monster" in goal (that has worked surprisingly better than expected this season) was injured just under eight minutes in. Rick DiPietro, the eventual winner, replaced him.
After an even first period, it took a lucky carom off the boards behind the goal and a misplay of the carom by Canadiens' goaltender Peter Budaj to gift wrap a goal for the home team.
P.A. Parenteau, the twenty goal scorer from last season, wasted no time in capitalizing on the mistake. For Parenteau, it was his third goal of the year.
Invigorated by a rare lead, Josh Bailey helped Jay Pandolfo score another one with just 3:01 gone in the period. For Pandolfo, it was a double milestone, as it was both his first goal as an Islander and number 100 in his NHL career.
Mark Streit tripled the home fans' pleasure with a goal of his own at 9:01. Of note, the goal was the first this season by an Islanders defenseman at even strength.
The tide turned against the Isles soon, though, as two poor defensive plays led to Montreal goals. The fans, and perhaps the coaches, were having flashbacks of the game against Colorado earlier in the season in which the Isles frittered away a 3-0 lead.
Matt Moulson righted the ship towards the end of the period, however. Matt has been hot of late, scoring four goals in his last five games. John Tavares and the aforementioned DiPietro assisted on the effort.
Though they allowed a late power play goal to Brian Gionta which set up a tense finish, the Islanders held on and secured a much needed victory.
The sentiment in the locker room after the win was both one of relief and a sense of a deserved payoff after some recent games filled with hard work and no points.
The Islanders get a chance to take another step in the right direction on Saturday night (11/19). More on that game below.
***
News and notes:
- Somewhat surprisingly, Kyle Okposo was a healthy scratch for a second consecutive game. It was reported elsewhere that he has watched all of his shifts from this season on video. I fully expect him to return to the ice for Saturday night's tilt against the Boston Bruins.
- Speaking of Saturday night, Islanders legend (and the team's first captain) Ed Westfall will be honored in a pregame ceremony. He will be inducted into the Islanders Hall of Fame, and will even call a period of hockey with "Jiggs" McDonald. It should be a fun evening.
- Nabokov left the game with a reported groin injury. He will be re-evaluated on Friday. Rick DiPietro, making his second relief appearance of the year, filled in ably by saving 24 of the 27 shots he faced.
- Lastly, this game featured a unique personnel quirk. It was believed to be the first time that four Swiss-born players had ever played in the same NHL game. The teams had two apiece; Mark Streit and Nino Niederreiter for the Islanders and Raphael Diaz and Yannick Weber for the Habs.
Friday, November 11, 2011
The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly
I'm going to keep this one short because after last night's gut-wrenching 4-3 overtime loss in Colorado, I'm completely deflated. So here we go...
The Good:
Josh Bailey (!) opened the scoring by netting his first goal of the season. One of the glaring underachievers so far this season (yes, Kyle obviously belongs in that category), Bailey ended his drought under five minutes into the contest.
Brian Rolston doubled the Islanders' lead less than a minute into the second period. P.A. Parenteau and Neilsen assisted the effort.
Michael Grabner looked like the Grabner of last season, scoring a beautiful goal (his 5th of the season) fed by Matt Moulson and having two other breakaway chances in which he did not score. (Who could have known how big those missed opportunities would be later in the game?)
Kyle Okposo gets partial credit in this column, as does starting goaltender Al Montoya. Kyle was strong on the puck during this game and chased down a few loose ones. One of his passes sprung Grabner on an aforementioned breakaway chance.
Montoya was good; very good in fact. For half or 2/3 of the game. There's the rub.
The Bad:
Montoya was run over several times during the game. Did it take a toll on him? Perhaps. Or maybe the thin air exhausted him. Or perhaps, and most likely, his defense allowed him to see 51 shots on the night, easily a season high for the team.
The Islanders blew a 3-0 lead and all of the good momentum they had built. Yes, just frittered it away during the final 20 minutes. Completely inexcusable, especially in a game in which they were at times (literally) running circles around the competition.
Also frittered away was a point that was desperately needed in the standings. Normally I'm a "glass half-full" kind of guy. Not on this one.
The Ugly:
Kyle's goalless drought now stands at 13 games this season. His season line is 0-3-3 so far. Ugly indeed.
Moving on, and sadly we must again discuss the officiating.
I really don't believe in blaming officials for a team's woes. However, the Islanders have been on the wrong end of some terrible calls this season.
Whether it was phantom tripping calls, no-calls, or very minor infractions that were whistled, the Isles had it all go against them in this game. Some of Colorado's power plays should never have even taken place. Oh well. Some among you will say that the Islanders should have overcome those bad calls, and maybe you're right, but on this night the poor officiating was egregious.
To add insult to injury, a rumor circulated around Twitter after the game that goalie Evgeni Nabokov had been traded to Columbus for defenseman Fedor Tyutin.
The rumor was, of course, unfounded.
***
If a trade is made (and believe me, the Isles need to shed a goalie in the worst way), you'll find out right here. The Islanders send me (and my fellow bloggers) press releases, you know.
The Isles get a chance to redeem themselves on Sunday night in Vancouver at 9 PM.
The Good:
Josh Bailey (!) opened the scoring by netting his first goal of the season. One of the glaring underachievers so far this season (yes, Kyle obviously belongs in that category), Bailey ended his drought under five minutes into the contest.
Brian Rolston doubled the Islanders' lead less than a minute into the second period. P.A. Parenteau and Neilsen assisted the effort.
Michael Grabner looked like the Grabner of last season, scoring a beautiful goal (his 5th of the season) fed by Matt Moulson and having two other breakaway chances in which he did not score. (Who could have known how big those missed opportunities would be later in the game?)
Kyle Okposo gets partial credit in this column, as does starting goaltender Al Montoya. Kyle was strong on the puck during this game and chased down a few loose ones. One of his passes sprung Grabner on an aforementioned breakaway chance.
Montoya was good; very good in fact. For half or 2/3 of the game. There's the rub.
The Bad:
Montoya was run over several times during the game. Did it take a toll on him? Perhaps. Or maybe the thin air exhausted him. Or perhaps, and most likely, his defense allowed him to see 51 shots on the night, easily a season high for the team.
The Islanders blew a 3-0 lead and all of the good momentum they had built. Yes, just frittered it away during the final 20 minutes. Completely inexcusable, especially in a game in which they were at times (literally) running circles around the competition.
Also frittered away was a point that was desperately needed in the standings. Normally I'm a "glass half-full" kind of guy. Not on this one.
The Ugly:
Kyle's goalless drought now stands at 13 games this season. His season line is 0-3-3 so far. Ugly indeed.
Moving on, and sadly we must again discuss the officiating.
I really don't believe in blaming officials for a team's woes. However, the Islanders have been on the wrong end of some terrible calls this season.
Whether it was phantom tripping calls, no-calls, or very minor infractions that were whistled, the Isles had it all go against them in this game. Some of Colorado's power plays should never have even taken place. Oh well. Some among you will say that the Islanders should have overcome those bad calls, and maybe you're right, but on this night the poor officiating was egregious.
To add insult to injury, a rumor circulated around Twitter after the game that goalie Evgeni Nabokov had been traded to Columbus for defenseman Fedor Tyutin.
The rumor was, of course, unfounded.
***
If a trade is made (and believe me, the Isles need to shed a goalie in the worst way), you'll find out right here. The Islanders send me (and my fellow bloggers) press releases, you know.
The Isles get a chance to redeem themselves on Sunday night in Vancouver at 9 PM.
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Brutal Call Beats Isles
The Islanders gave a full sixty minute effort on Saturday (10/29) night against San Jose, according to Coach Jack Capuano. They generated many good chances and matched the effort of one of the best teams in hockey.
Unfortunately, it was a phantom penalty call that doomed New York in the overtime period, causing them to potentially miss out on what would have been a hard-earned second point.
Rick DiPietro made his first start of the season, seeing his first "real" action (wink, wink) of the year and playing well. Though he allowed a power play goal just 17 seconds into the contest, he was solid all night, making 27 saves and cutting down on the bad habits that have plagued him in the past.
It was a good night for John Tavares and Michael Grabner too, both of whom scored. For Tavares, it was his 7th time lighting the lamp this season, while it was number three for Grabner.
Kyle, still goalless for the season, found Grabner with a pretty feed that the Austrian slipped right past San Jose netminder Thomas Greiss. That goal gave the Islanders a temporary 2-1 lead midway through the game. It didn't last, though, as an efficient San Jose side struck back less than two minutes later.
Kyle sits at three points, as you can see on the right-hand side of this page. He played 15:30, and to be fair, took a really bad and unnecessary elbowing penalty near the end of regulation time. It didn't cost his team the game, luckily.
The thing that did cost the game was a terrible delay of game call by the referees on Travis Hamonic that seemingly everyone in the building saw clearly. Everyone, that is, except the four men on the ice that really mattered. Hamonic was trying to get a pass toward John Tavares when the puck careened out of bounds.
Assistant Doug Weight nearly went berserk on the bench when the call was made, to no avail. He had good reason to be upset, as subsequent replays showed the puck hitting the glass on the way out of play.
Given a power play, it took Brent Burns only 38 seconds to sink the deflated Islanders. A very good all around effort by the home team was ruined.
The call was the topic of discussion in the postgame debriefing session, though the players were careful to avoid blaming the referees directly for the loss.
Hamonic explained how the events unfolded. "I chipped the puck off the glass. Obviously the call was what the call was. I don't think there's much else to say about that."
His teammate John Tavares had similar thoughts, saying, "It's a tough call at the end. You know, it happens...we've just got to put it behind us...tough break."
Perhaps the coach had the most fitting last words on the entire mess, when asked if he received an explanation from the officials. "They just didn't see it."
Despite the debacle, Thursday (11/3) will be your next chance to see the Islanders as they take on the Winnipeg Jets at Nassau Coliseum. It will be nice to see the Jets play their first game in New York after a long hiatus. I'm looking forward to that one, and hopefully the Isles breaking their five game losing streak that they are currently on.
***
News and Notes:
- Prior to the game, the Islanders honored the 1992-1993 team. They remain, somewhat sadly, the last Islanders team to advance past the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. It was thrilling to see players like Pierre Turgeon, Darius Kasparaitis, and Patrick Flatley return to the Coliseum ice.
- 11,742 fans attended the game despite the presence of an unusually timed winter storm hitting the area.
- The Isles were 2-for-4 on the power play, improving to a cool 21.2% success rate on the season (7-for-33).
Unfortunately, it was a phantom penalty call that doomed New York in the overtime period, causing them to potentially miss out on what would have been a hard-earned second point.
Rick DiPietro made his first start of the season, seeing his first "real" action (wink, wink) of the year and playing well. Though he allowed a power play goal just 17 seconds into the contest, he was solid all night, making 27 saves and cutting down on the bad habits that have plagued him in the past.
It was a good night for John Tavares and Michael Grabner too, both of whom scored. For Tavares, it was his 7th time lighting the lamp this season, while it was number three for Grabner.
Kyle, still goalless for the season, found Grabner with a pretty feed that the Austrian slipped right past San Jose netminder Thomas Greiss. That goal gave the Islanders a temporary 2-1 lead midway through the game. It didn't last, though, as an efficient San Jose side struck back less than two minutes later.
Kyle sits at three points, as you can see on the right-hand side of this page. He played 15:30, and to be fair, took a really bad and unnecessary elbowing penalty near the end of regulation time. It didn't cost his team the game, luckily.
The thing that did cost the game was a terrible delay of game call by the referees on Travis Hamonic that seemingly everyone in the building saw clearly. Everyone, that is, except the four men on the ice that really mattered. Hamonic was trying to get a pass toward John Tavares when the puck careened out of bounds.
Assistant Doug Weight nearly went berserk on the bench when the call was made, to no avail. He had good reason to be upset, as subsequent replays showed the puck hitting the glass on the way out of play.
Given a power play, it took Brent Burns only 38 seconds to sink the deflated Islanders. A very good all around effort by the home team was ruined.
The call was the topic of discussion in the postgame debriefing session, though the players were careful to avoid blaming the referees directly for the loss.
Hamonic explained how the events unfolded. "I chipped the puck off the glass. Obviously the call was what the call was. I don't think there's much else to say about that."
His teammate John Tavares had similar thoughts, saying, "It's a tough call at the end. You know, it happens...we've just got to put it behind us...tough break."
Perhaps the coach had the most fitting last words on the entire mess, when asked if he received an explanation from the officials. "They just didn't see it."
Despite the debacle, Thursday (11/3) will be your next chance to see the Islanders as they take on the Winnipeg Jets at Nassau Coliseum. It will be nice to see the Jets play their first game in New York after a long hiatus. I'm looking forward to that one, and hopefully the Isles breaking their five game losing streak that they are currently on.
***
News and Notes:
- Prior to the game, the Islanders honored the 1992-1993 team. They remain, somewhat sadly, the last Islanders team to advance past the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. It was thrilling to see players like Pierre Turgeon, Darius Kasparaitis, and Patrick Flatley return to the Coliseum ice.
- 11,742 fans attended the game despite the presence of an unusually timed winter storm hitting the area.
- The Isles were 2-for-4 on the power play, improving to a cool 21.2% success rate on the season (7-for-33).
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Deuces Wild In Pittsburgh
Kyle Okposo's 200th National Hockey League game turned out to be wilder than expected.
The theme of the game was "two," though the visiting Islanders weren't able to secure two points against Pittsburgh at the CONSOL Energy Center on Thursday (10/27) night.
The Islanders held a 2-0 lead at one point, their opening goal coming on Frans Nielsen's second goal of the year. Kyle earned an assist on the play. It was, you guessed it, his second assist (and point) of the season.
In the second period, the Islanders offense again went to sleep, as it has done a few too many times this season. The visitors were only able to muster two shots against Penguins netminder Marc-Andre Fleury.
Still, the Isles held a lead entering the third period, saved by the good goaltending of Evgeni Nabakov and at least two goals saved by his posts.
Matt Martin doubled the lead 45 seconds into the third period. The lead didn't hold, though. Chris Kunitz and James Neal brought the Pens back.
With the game tied at two, and with no goals scored in the overtime period, the Islanders used their second goalie of the evening.
Nabokov had apparently fallen ill (according to Coach Jack Capuano) late in regulation or overtime, and Rick DiPietro, who had seen no ice time this season, was called upon.
He saved two of the three shots he faced, allowing an Evgeni Malkin shot to squeak under him, but the Islanders didn't score on any of their shootout opportunities.
The final score from Pittsburgh: Penguins 3, Islanders 2. A single point earned, and a lot of head scratching afterward from fans and media.
We must take the coach at his word, but I guarantee there will be a lot of hand wringing over the timing of his decision. This is, after all, the Islanders we are talking about. Everything is scrutinized to death. Lets hope the injury turns out to be very minor.
Luckily, the Islanders only have one day off before they return to the ice.
On Saturday (10/29) night they'll take on the San Jose Sharks. The team plans to honor the 1992-1993 squad that defeated the then-Stanley Cup Champion Penguins and played in the Eastern Conference Finals.
A banner was raised for that team. After the events of this wild game, the goalie situation will be up in the air too.
The theme of the game was "two," though the visiting Islanders weren't able to secure two points against Pittsburgh at the CONSOL Energy Center on Thursday (10/27) night.
The Islanders held a 2-0 lead at one point, their opening goal coming on Frans Nielsen's second goal of the year. Kyle earned an assist on the play. It was, you guessed it, his second assist (and point) of the season.
In the second period, the Islanders offense again went to sleep, as it has done a few too many times this season. The visitors were only able to muster two shots against Penguins netminder Marc-Andre Fleury.
Still, the Isles held a lead entering the third period, saved by the good goaltending of Evgeni Nabakov and at least two goals saved by his posts.
Matt Martin doubled the lead 45 seconds into the third period. The lead didn't hold, though. Chris Kunitz and James Neal brought the Pens back.
With the game tied at two, and with no goals scored in the overtime period, the Islanders used their second goalie of the evening.
Nabokov had apparently fallen ill (according to Coach Jack Capuano) late in regulation or overtime, and Rick DiPietro, who had seen no ice time this season, was called upon.
He saved two of the three shots he faced, allowing an Evgeni Malkin shot to squeak under him, but the Islanders didn't score on any of their shootout opportunities.
The final score from Pittsburgh: Penguins 3, Islanders 2. A single point earned, and a lot of head scratching afterward from fans and media.
We must take the coach at his word, but I guarantee there will be a lot of hand wringing over the timing of his decision. This is, after all, the Islanders we are talking about. Everything is scrutinized to death. Lets hope the injury turns out to be very minor.
Luckily, the Islanders only have one day off before they return to the ice.
On Saturday (10/29) night they'll take on the San Jose Sharks. The team plans to honor the 1992-1993 squad that defeated the then-Stanley Cup Champion Penguins and played in the Eastern Conference Finals.
A banner was raised for that team. After the events of this wild game, the goalie situation will be up in the air too.
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Confidence Building Win Over Rivals
After a deflating loss to Florida on Opening Night (10/8), the New York Islanders had a chance to put up a meaningful win in front of another sell out crowd last night (10/15). They seized upon the opportunity, gaining a 4-2 decision over the rival New York Rangers.
The Rangers, who opened their season in Europe and won't play a home game until October 27th (due to renovations currently underway in their home arena), had a good amount of support (as they usually do these days) at Nassau Coliseum. But their blue-sweatered supporters were quieted in the first period by a significantly improved home team, and they headed for the exits after John Tavares had once again worked his magic.
Tavares, fresh off a four point night in the Isles' win over Tampa Bay (10/13), matched the output against the Rangers. Unlike in that game, he netted a hat trick, the third of his career.
The Islanders, who had gone with the same lineup in their first three games, tweaked things a bit before this match. Scratched from the lineup, somewhat surprisingly, was Blake Comeau. Trevor Gillies saw his first action of the season. Additionally, starting in goal, in his first NHL game since April 10, 2010, was Evegeni Nabakov.
Nabokov played well, saving 29 of the 31 shots he faced. There was mild concern for his well-being midway through the third period, when he was slow to get up out of his crouch and was seen flexing his legs. A trainer was not needed on the ice, however, and he assured the media after the game that his movements were only due to a puck catching him in a "place where there was no protection." Okay, Nabby, we feel your pain.
The first star of the night was clearly Tavares, though, despite very good efforts from P.A. Parenteau (3 assists), Mark Streit (2 assists, 24:50 played), and the fourth line (Coach Jack Capuano has consistently praised them).
Tavares is currently tied for the league lead in scoring with David Legwand (Nashville) and Toronto's Phil Kessel. Back-to-back 4 point nights will do that for a player.
The only tone of concern, as the Islanders sit at 3-1 and prepare for their first road trip, has to be the secondary production. Lines two and three have barely clicked at all. It has been nice to have the top line carry the team so far, but players like Kyle Okposo and Michael Grabner haven't yet found the net with regularity. Okposo has just a lone assist this season and Grabner scored his only goal from it.
Coach Capuano also spoke of some defensive fumbles that he'd like to see cleaned up before his team next hits the ice.
"We can play better. We had some breakdowns. [The Rangers] had some really good scoring opportunities." He continued, "We have to get better in certain areas of our game, for sure."
But that's a worry for another day. The Islanders will have four days off before they play again (at Tampa Bay on 10/20).
Right now, Isles fans, your team is 3-1 and goaltending hasn't been an issue. Enjoy it.
The Rangers, who opened their season in Europe and won't play a home game until October 27th (due to renovations currently underway in their home arena), had a good amount of support (as they usually do these days) at Nassau Coliseum. But their blue-sweatered supporters were quieted in the first period by a significantly improved home team, and they headed for the exits after John Tavares had once again worked his magic.
Tavares, fresh off a four point night in the Isles' win over Tampa Bay (10/13), matched the output against the Rangers. Unlike in that game, he netted a hat trick, the third of his career.
The Islanders, who had gone with the same lineup in their first three games, tweaked things a bit before this match. Scratched from the lineup, somewhat surprisingly, was Blake Comeau. Trevor Gillies saw his first action of the season. Additionally, starting in goal, in his first NHL game since April 10, 2010, was Evegeni Nabakov.
Nabokov played well, saving 29 of the 31 shots he faced. There was mild concern for his well-being midway through the third period, when he was slow to get up out of his crouch and was seen flexing his legs. A trainer was not needed on the ice, however, and he assured the media after the game that his movements were only due to a puck catching him in a "place where there was no protection." Okay, Nabby, we feel your pain.
The first star of the night was clearly Tavares, though, despite very good efforts from P.A. Parenteau (3 assists), Mark Streit (2 assists, 24:50 played), and the fourth line (Coach Jack Capuano has consistently praised them).
Tavares is currently tied for the league lead in scoring with David Legwand (Nashville) and Toronto's Phil Kessel. Back-to-back 4 point nights will do that for a player.
The only tone of concern, as the Islanders sit at 3-1 and prepare for their first road trip, has to be the secondary production. Lines two and three have barely clicked at all. It has been nice to have the top line carry the team so far, but players like Kyle Okposo and Michael Grabner haven't yet found the net with regularity. Okposo has just a lone assist this season and Grabner scored his only goal from it.
Coach Capuano also spoke of some defensive fumbles that he'd like to see cleaned up before his team next hits the ice.
"We can play better. We had some breakdowns. [The Rangers] had some really good scoring opportunities." He continued, "We have to get better in certain areas of our game, for sure."
But that's a worry for another day. The Islanders will have four days off before they play again (at Tampa Bay on 10/20).
Right now, Isles fans, your team is 3-1 and goaltending hasn't been an issue. Enjoy it.
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