Shark Attacked

The Islanders kept on their roll and beat the San Jose Sharks 4-3 in a shootout. In other local sports action, the Jets were also playing the Patriots tonight, but I focused all of my attention on the Isles. The Jets eventually lost to the Pats 27-26 even though they played well. Their season is over with as they are 1-6. It is getting to another situation (kind of like the Knicks and Mets) where I like the coach and some of the players, but the General Manager and Owner are ruining the team. Anyway, on to better things.
 
This hockey game was a classic trap game. The Islanders had won three in a row, they were playing one of the better teams from the west coast and were expected to lose to end all of the goodness that was going on with the team. It was a nip and tuck game with the Sharks getting out to one goal leads on two different occasions. It was 2-1 and the feeling at the time was that the Islanders were going to come up one goal short and lose as they always do in these situations. At least that is what usually happened in past seasons. That was not to be.
 
Kyle Okposo scored the tying goal and Josh Bailey the go ahead goal in the third period. That was unlike the Islanders. The Sharks eventually tied the game on a controversial offsides call and it went into overtime. Just to get a point from this game was huge. In the overtime it was pins and needles as the Sharks threw everything but the kitchen sink at Halak and the Isles were totally gassed. It went to a shootout which gave the Islanders a fighters chance.

Again, this is a situation where the Isles normally fall short. The Sharks got out to a lead in the shootout and had two chances to end it. 

Halak came up big with four stops and Okposo and Taveras netted the shootout goals to win the game. The Islanders have won their first four games of the season for only the third time in team history and go for a record setting fifth in a row at Pittsburgh on Saturday night. In fact, if you go back to last season they have actually won seven in a row because they closed out last season on a three game winning streak.
 
Okposo was the best player on the ice as he was able to get his second goal in as many games. Taveras logged two assists to give him the NHL scoring lead at 9 points. He has had multi-point games in four straight games (Bossy has the team record at seven). Halak was a little above average but came up big in the overtime and shootout. Leddy got his second of the year. Another great team effort.
 
There is something different about this team. Their confidence is at a peak and they feel that they can beat anyone at anytime. The fans are really behind them and eve the media is started to say good things about them. I really think that they can keep this going. 

It's about time that the good times are finally here.