Unspecial Teams

Miracles do happen. The evidence was in today's game as the New York Islanders visited the Detroit Red Wings in a matinee at the Joe Louis Arena. Chad Johnson got the start for only the second time in the last fifteen games. Jack Capuano has had a hard time finding the right spot to play him until now. The team has said all the right things, but it is obvious that they have lost confidence in him. Maybe playing him against Detroit would make sense.

The Islanders had not lost in Detroit since the 2002-2003 season. That is an unbelievable statistic being that the Islanders have had some pretty bad teams over that stretch. You have to expect that at some point that trend will change course and perhaps that day was today. So by playing Johnson the Islanders were able to get him some ice time and if the team lost then so be it. However, if they caught lightning in a bottle maybe it would work out. It probably was the right move. The side benefit was Halak would get some rest until next Tuesday. It is a win-win situation even if it ended up in a loss. Petr Mrazek was in the nets for the Red Wings who was playing for the injured Jimmy Howard.

Yesterday the Islanders called up Colin MacDonald on an emergency basis. Casey Czikas was hit on the leg in the game against the Bruins and was barely able to get off the ice. He was a game time decision but was able to go. During the game it was announced that MacDonald was sent back to Bridgeport. I sure hope Colin took advantage of the opportunity to at least order a nice meal from room service. Also, Lubomir Visnovsky was activated off of injured reserve and he saw his first action in weeks. That meant that Brian Strait had to back to the press box as a healthy scratch after playing well the past couple of games.

In the first period, the Islanders had the better chances early, but special teams would be the difference. Mikhail Grabovski had a mini break but could not hold up in time and was called for goalie interference. It only took the Red Wings 12 seconds to convert the power play as Tomas Tartar roofed one over Johnson's left shoulder for a 1-0 lead. Johnson was not floundering on the play, it was simply that Tartar had some sauce on his shot that gave them their goal.

The Islanders penalty kill is close to the worst in the league and it showed. Not much action throughout the period until about two minutes left when the Islanders got their own man advantage when the Red Wings took their own goalie interference penalty. The Islanders though never had a sniff at the net and the period ended with the Red Wings in the lead. There were only 13 shots in the period and the Islanders had 5 of them.

The Red Wings came out flying in the second period. Chad Johnson actually came to play for a few minutes and kept the Islanders in the game for the most part. After surviving the onslaught, Michael Grabner broke up a play just outside the Islanders zone and appeared to have breakaway, but Mrazek came far out of the net to clear the puck before Grabner could get to it. Brock Nelson then had a golden opportunity at the side of the net as a Johnny Boychuk shot skipped over his stick with what looked to be a sure goal. Later in the period the Islanders had back to back power plays that resulted in a couple of chances but again resulted in no goals.

Then with less than a minute to go in the period, the Red Wings worked it around the back of the Islanders net where it made it onto the stick of Brendan Smith who took a blistering slap shot that went over the same left shoulder on Johnson to make it 2-0. That made it two goals Johnson should have stopped. Unfortunately, that was the second game in a row where the Islanders gave up a last minute goal at the end of the second period. Those type of goals are usually backbreakers for teams, especially on the road. The second period also saw only 13 shots with the Islanders getting 9 of them.

In the third the Islanders were able to cut the lead in half just five minutes in on a power play goal by Lubomir Visnovsky. Nielsen and Nelson got the puck to Lubo in the slot and instead of passing to an open John Tavares he patiently waited for an opening and motored one pass Mrazek. However, that is where the comeback ended. The Islanders had five straight power plays so it was only a matter of time before the Red Wings got another opportunity.

Calvin deHaan took a holding penalty and the Islanders actually did a good job killing it off. Just as the penalty expired Jonathan Ericsson made it 3-1 when his shot bounced off of Thomas Hickey's skate and went off the post and into the net. Really could not fault Johnson on that one, but when things are not going your way the puck always seems to take a bad bounce and into the net. The Red Wings would add an insurance goal a few minutes later by Gustav Nyquist. The game was over.

Hate to say it but this was the second game in a row that the Islanders deserved to lose. They were not able to match Detroit's effort all afternoon. There were many players in this game that,as Capuano would say, “were just passengers.” Brock Nelson has disappeared for quite awhile, Neilsen has not done much lately, and others like Grabner have been inconsistent. Johnson did not play terrible, but he did have two shots that went right over his shoulder and he did give up four goals, which unfortunately is about his average. To be honest, good goaltenders figure out a way to stop the puck. Johnson did it last year for Boston, but is not doing it this year for the Islanders. It may be time to look for another back-up goaltender or give Poulin another chance. The Islanders need to do something.

The Islanders fell to 32-16-1 and still have 65 points which leads the Metropolitan Division over the Pittsburgh Penguins. However, the Washington Capitals are charging and only four points behind. No time to panic. The Islanders can get back on track with Halak in net on Tuesday against the Florida Panthers.

I half expected the Islanders to lose simply because the winning streak in Detroit had to end sooner rather than later. However, they did not play well at all. Why did the Islanders lose? Well in my best Church Lady voice, “Well, isn't that not special. How con-veen-ient. Could it be because of…the Red Wings?” No Church Lady, it was just the Islanders and their pitiful penalty kill and average power play.

Rask & Reward

The Bahston Bruins came to town to take on the New York Islanders on Thursday evening. No one had the right to be more excited that Johnny Boychuk. It was the second meeting of the year against his former team since he was traded to the Islanders right before the start of the season. The Bruins sent Boychuk outbound because executive management in the Gahden couldn’t get their frickin’ finances in order. His teammates were very upset to see him go and it has been no secret that they have missed his locker room presence greatly this year.

Nevertheless, the Bruin's loss was the Islander’s gain as Johnny Rockets has brought a lot of leadership and confidence along with his Stanley Cup ring to the Nassau Coliseum. Another interesting side note to this game was that Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara was returning to the scene of the crime where he scored his first NHL goal as an Islander 16 years hence. It is hard to believe it has been that long. Seems like yesterday that "Big Z" was playing on the island with Ziggy Palffy.

It also happened to be Mike Bossy mini-locker night so a sell-out was in order. Before the ceremonial puck drop the public address announcer went through the long list of #22's accomplishments and it is mind boggling to think what could have been. In his short ten year career as an Islander, Bossy had 573 goals and 1,126 points and still holds or is tied with someone else for following records:

- Most consecutive 50+ goal seasons: 9

- Most 60+ goal seasons: 5

- Highest goals-per-game average, career: .762 gpg

- Most power-play goals, one playoff season: 9

- Most consecutive hat tricks: 3

However, as impressive as that is, Bossy is probably best known for something he did in the 1980–81 NHL season, when he scored 50 goals in the first 50 games of the season - only the second player, and the first in almost 40 years, to achieve that feat. I could go on and on for days. There were many other awards that were won and records that were broken in addition to the four straight Stanley Cups that he took part of as a member of the Islanders in the early 1980s.

Mike Bossy was one of the best, if not the best, natural goal scorers in NHL history. If he did not hurt his back, which forced an early retirement, he certainly would have shattered many more records in his career. Before each game John Tavares stops by Mike Bossy's honorary plaque outside the Islanders dressing room just to have a quiet conversation with the legacy of #22. Its just one great goal scorer of today channeling another great goal scorer of yesteryear. It is just a matter of time before #91 joins the other Islander legends in the rafters.

The Islanders went into the game with the same line-up that beat the Rags on Tuesday, which meant that Halak was once again in net. I know that I am sounding like a broken record, but you have to wonder when Chad Johnson will get a start. The game against the Bruins was an opportunity to have him face his old team as well. I guess head coach Jack Capuano did not think there was a distinct advantage. Tuukka Rask was in the nets for the Bruins. Bahston had played well leading up to the all-star break so this game was all set up to be a wicked pissa.

The first ten minutes of the game was a stalemate with few whistles to stop play. One player that clearly stood out was Mikhail Grabovski as he had a couple of really good chances in front of Rask. The Islanders got the first break and power play of the game, however for the initial minute New York could not even get the puck in the Bahston zone because their playahs lined up on the blue line like a bunch of unused carriages at the Stah Mahket. The Islanders tried to bang through but ended up getting only one real good chance during the back half of the man advantage. Even though the Islanders had power play goals in their previous four games, their special teams remains a work in progress.

In the second half of the period the Islanders started to get sloppy and turned the puck over. A poor back check by Anders Lee gave Reilly Smith the puck in the Islanders zone where he faked Halak out of his bobos for a 1-0 lead. It was only two minutes later that the Islanders would make yet another mistake as Calvin deHaan went off got hooking ovah in the cawnah which led to a quick powah play goal by Patrice Bergeron to make it 2-0. Even though the Islanders outshot the Bruins 15-11 in the period they did not look very good. Capuano ended up juggling his lines and spent most of the period looking for the right combination to no avail.

As bad as the Islanders looked in the first period, they looked that much better in the second. Capuano must have lit into his team because they came out with a much better effort. At one point Michael Grabner had the puck right on the Bruins goal line but Rask used a lobstah claw to keep the puck out of the net. The Islanders were very active around the goal crease, but could not push one through. But the Islanders did not get discouraged and they kept coming. They just needed to be patient and keep the pressure on.

The Islanders finally got on the board at a little past the eight minute mark on a fantastic effort from John Tavares. The captain had four Bruins in front of him at the blue line and chipped in the puck on purpose right to Rask who left a juicy rebound. JT saw an opportunity and raced by the human billboards just in time to get to the bouncing puck and in one motion backhanded it into the net. It was a beautifully planned play by the captain. It was Tavares' 23rd goal of the season from Clutterbuck and Hamonic to cut the deficit to 2-1.

Tavares' goal woke the home crowd up and the Islanders responded by continuing to press forward. With five minutes left in the period another great play by the captain tied the game at two apiece. While Zdeno Chara was behind the Bruins net trying to figure out how to get his cah out of the rotary, the fearless Tavares jumped in and used his body to create some space. He stole the puck and somehow found Johnny Boychuk at the blue line who batted the puck towards Rask. Grabner tipped it in for his 5th goal of the year. The crowd noise was deafening. At this point it seemed that the momentum had swung to the Islanders favor.

It looked like the two teams would go into the intermission tied at two, but a misplay by Halak would change that. With seconds left in the period, Jaro went behind the net and launched the puck around the boards to the blue line. However, Kevean Miller was right there and he launched some harmless gahbidge towards Halak who took a dudley and let the puck get by him for a 3-2 Bruins lead. The goal was scored with four seconds left in the period and put a significant damper on the Islanders comeback. Shots were even at 16 for the period for both squads.

To start the third, the Islanders came out hard once again. But bad luck also struck once again. Just two minutes in, Torey Krug threw a rawregg right at the goal where Josh Bailey was fighting for position with a Bruins defenseman. That turned out to be a perfect screen that enabled the puck to float in to re-establish Bruin's two goal lead at 4-2. Halak was hanging out with a frappe and then, all of a sudden here you go, the puck is in the net.

That seemed to deflate the Islanders like a Tom Brady football. The Islanders could not muster anything after that point. Capuano took a risk and pulled his goalie with three minutes left to try to cut the lead in half. But Milan Lucic got an empty net goal to ice the game for Bruins and Tuuka Rask. The Islanders outshot the Bruin's for the game 45-33, but a couple of misplays and a power play goal did them in.

You know it is a good season for your team when it has been so long between losses that you cannot even recall the last one. The Islanders fell to 32-25-1 and remained at 65 points which still left them three points ahead of the Pittsburgh Penguins and seven points clear of the Rangers, who got shut out at Madison Square Garden 1-0 by the Montreal Canadiens. Next up is a Saturday matinee in Detroit against the Red Wings.

In the end the Islanders wer sloppy and whenever they had an opportunity to cut into the Bahston lead, Rask was there to stop the puck from going over the line. The Islanders could have scored a few with a bit of puck luck. However,, based on the way that they played, they deserved to lose this one. The Islanders could very well face the Bruins in the first round of the playoffs. If that happens the Islanders better be prepared to take on Rask to get the Reward.

The Biggest Save of All

The New York Islanders started their stretch run for the playoffs against the New York Rangers at the Nassau Coliseum. It was the first of three remaining games between these two teams, with all three games to be played at the Nassau Coliseum. The first two games at Madison Square Garden resulted in Islander wins as they outscored their rivals by a total of 9-3. 

There were many that expected the game to be postponed until Wednesday, due to a blizzard that sethttp://pfigjam23.blogspot.com/ down upon the New York area on Monday evening. Meteorologists touted the storm as the “winter storm of the century" with potential accumulations of two to three feet. But that was a bit overstated. There was significant snowfall in certain parts of Long Island, but it turned out not as bad as advertised. The Rangers had already travelled to the Island on Monday so the teams were in place. The real concern was whether the fans and Coliseum employees would be able to get to the game. However, the roads were cleared for travel by early Tuesday afternoon and the game went on as scheduled.

There was some bad news to be had coming into the game. Kyle Okposo was surprisingly out with a sudden upper-body injury that seemed to come out of nowhere. From what was written, Okposo had contracted some sort of irritation in his eye that got worse during the all-star break. Next thing you know he sees a doctor and is out for 6-8 weeks. As secretive as teams are with injuries there is no real way to find out exactly what was wrong with him. The week prior to the break, Okposo was on fire with five goals and seven points in a just a couple of games. The hope is that he will be out closer to the 6 week target and be ready for the playoffs. 

In a way, Okposo’s injury enabled the Islanders to avoid a tough decision. With Mikhail Grabovski healed and coming back from injury, the question was going to be who would sit to make room for him in the line-up. There really was no one person to point to. With Okposo out it was an easy decision to slot Grabovski right into Okposo’s spot on the top line with Tavares and Bailey. It would be Grabovski's second shot at getting first line minutes this year. However, listening to Head Coach Jack Capuano before the game it seemed that the real reason for his decision was his reluctance in breaking up the other three lines that were playing well.

I missed most of the first period of the game as there was a lot of traffic home from work in time for the puck drop. I listened to the first ten minutes of the game on my iPhone and when I finally got home I went upstairs to get into my "game uniform", which consists of an Islanders royal blue hoodie with orange and white trim along with a matching hat. I have worn the same attire for every game this year, with obviously very good results. However, as I peeled off my sports jacket I noticed that my Islanders hoodie was missing. Thinking that it was in the laundry I went downstairs and asked Kellie where it might be. She went upstairs and sure enough found it buried in between a couple of other hoodies. As I ventured down to the man cave she said to me, "Make sure that when the Islanders win tonight that you give me credit in your blog for finding your Islanders hoodie." If that's what it takes to get a win than so be it.

The home crowd was impressive in the first period. The barn was packed even though there was a pretty bad storm and a fresh blanket of snow on the ground. It was the 12th sellout of the year in 21 games at the Nassau Coliseum. The first 18 minutes were back and forth with a lot of action, but no score and no penalties. The Islanders had the better scoring chances and ended up out shooting the Rangers 17-10 in the period. Henrik Lundqvist was sharp and stopped Michael Grabner and Frans Nielsen on a couple of breakaways. 

It looked like it was going to be a scoreless first period but a beautiful tic-tac-toe play in front of the Rangers goalie gave the Islanders a 1-0 lead. Johnny Boychuk broke up a play and led a four on two break into the Rangers zone. Then in close quarters John Tavares found Josh Bailey who played catch with Boychuk before threading it to Grabovski sitting right in front of Lundqvist. It was Grabovski's 7th goal of the year from Bailey and Boychuk. The Yes! Yes! Yes! chant after the goal was one of the loudest that I have heard this season.

The middle period saw the Rangers start to put more pucks on Halak. You could see the Rangers pick up the play, cycle the puck and spend a bit more time in the Islanders zone. At one point Chris Kreider charged towards the net, however he put on the brakes a little too late and he crashed into Halak for a goalie interference penalty. That Kreider sure has a set of wheels on him, very Grabner-like with his speed. On the ensuing power play, the Islanders moved the puck well but came up short. 

A couple of minutes later the Islander's fourth line, which at this point going forward will now be referred to as the "NHL's Greatest Hits Line", once again made something happen. It was good old fashioned hard work as Casey Czikas and Cal Clutterbuck did the dirty work and Matt Martin was left all alone to the left of Lundqvist to make it 2-0. It was MattyMarts 7th goal of the year. The Rangers certainly had the better of the play in the period as they were able to even up the shot total after two periods at 28 apiece. However, they had nothing to show for it as Halak completed his fifth straight period of shutout goaltending against the Rangers.

Late in the second period Cal Clutterbuck took an interference penalty that bled over to start the third. The Islanders completed the successful kill and did a great job at clogging up the shooting lanes. The Rangers continued to pass the puck on the power play, but could not get it to the net. When they did have an opportunity, Halak was there to stop the shot through traffic in front.

Then at about eight minutes into the period, during a stoppage in play, there was an on ice interview with Ed Mangano who is a County Executive in Nassau County. It was odd, because it is well known that both the Nassau Coliseum and the Islanders were a "political football" that was tossed around for years between the Democrats and Republicans on Long Island. When Charles Wang's Lighthouse Project was eventually shot down and after he had exhausted every single option to keep the team where it rightfully belongs, Wang was forced to blink and move the team. Mangano was a key player and one of the primary reasons that the team is moving to Brooklyn. Why would someone that was so instrumental in the Islanders leaving Nassau County even show up in the Coliseum, let alone show his face on the Islanders broadcast?

Anyway, right at the end of the interview the Islanders scored to make it 3-0. Ryan Strome, who is one of the top players in the league in points per minute as a rookie, chipped one in past Lundqvist for his 9th goal of the year. Frans Nielsen and Calvin deHaan had the assists. After the goal, Mangano was asked if he wanted to lead the "Yes! Yes! Yes!" chant. Then Howie Rose on television cut in and quickly said, "Maybe he should start the Stay! Stay! Stay! chant". That was both very funny and very insightful all at the same time.

At this point the game was all but over. Halak had put up a brick wall in front of the net and was looking at his second straight shutout against the Rangers. Before the period was over, the Rangers got a little frustrated and took a couple of penalties that led to an Islanders five on three power play with about four minutes left. Tavares quickly answered and sniped one past Lundqvist for a 4-0 lead. It was his team leading 22nd goal of the season from Hamonic and Boychuk.

The sellout crowd of 16,000+ started to let out chants of "Henrik" to let the Rangers goalie know how much they loved him. Then there was a closing chant of "You can't beat us!." It was music to the ears. Unfortunately, Carl Hagelin scored a goal with nine seconds left to break the shutout. Halak was very upset with himself and banged his goalie stick off of the goal post in anger. The Rangers ended up out shooting the Islanders for the game 41-38 which was very misleading.

The Islanders win against the Rangers made it a cumulative score of 13-4 in the three games played this year between the two teams. The Islanders moved to 32-14-1 which is good for 65 points which left them three points ahead of Pittsburgh and seven points ahead of the Rangers. The Boston Bruins are next on the agenda with a Thursday evening game at the Nassau Coliseum.

There are many reasons for the Islanders success this year. Many will point to the free agent signings of Halak, Grabovski and Kulemin. Others will point to the brilliant trades by Garth Snow right before the season to acquire Boychuk and Leddy. Some will highlight the emergence of the young players like Nelson, Strome and Lee. A few may tout the great coaching of Capuano and his assistants. Finally, many will probably say the difference has been the sellout and raucous crowds at the old barn during the final year at the Nassau Coliseum. 

However, I know what the true difference is. It all comes down to my Islanders royal blue hoodie with orange and white trim along with matching hat. Without it the Islanders would surely be in a tailspin and probably be on the outside looking in when it comes to the playoffs. The Rangers and the rest of the NHL should start to fear the power of the hoodie. The Islanders and the royal blue hoodie cannot be stopped. 

So as far as tonight's win goes, Halak had an impressive 40 saves, but that pales in comparison to one save that occurred very early in the game. The Islanders faithful should stand up and thank Kellie by giving her a very loud "Yes! Yes! Yes! cheer" for finding my hoodie. In the end it turned out to be the biggest save of all.

The Song Remains The Same

The Islanders took on the Philadelphia Flyers in a mid-day matinee at the Nassau Coliseum on Martin Luther King's birthday, which for some reason has become an Islanders tradition. The last time these two teams met they went 60 minutes without anyone scoring a goal until the Islanders finally won the game 1-0 in the post-game skills competition. Would this one be another pair of shut outs or would it be a shoot out? It remained to be seen.

In an interesting move, or non-move might be a better term, Capuano went with the same lineup as the past couple of games. Jarolsav Halak got another start even though the team had just finished back to back games this past weekend. That meant one of a couple of things. Either Halak is in great physical shape and can handle the additional workload or the team has lost all confidence in their back up Chad Johnson. However, it could simply be that the Islanders and Halak want to get the bad taste out of their mouth from the 6-4 loss against Montreal on Saturday. With eight days off coming up with the all star break, maybe it was not too much of a risk. Only time will tell if Capuano played his cards right.

The Flyers went with a goaltender with the name of Rob Zepp. You may have had the same reaction as I did when I heard the news. Who? Zepp is a 33 year old Canadian-born German goalie who was drafted by the Atlanta Thrashers in the 1999 NHL Entry Draft. He never signed a contract with the Thrashers and was then re-drafted by the Carolina Hurricanes in 2001. He played in the East Coast Hockey League for a couple of years before deciding to go across the pond to play in Europe. In July of last year, Zepp returned to North America and signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Flyers and made his debut last month. With a name that conjures up memories of the 1970s and Led Zeppelin, perhaps the way for the Islanders to beat him was to go "in through the out door." That being said, consider this a warning. Beware of the upcoming Led Zeppelin references.

Philadelphia is primarily known as the "city of brotherly love." It was founded by William Penn in 1682 and is where the Declaration of Independence and Constitution were signed in 1776 and 1787, respectively. It is the home of the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, Valley Forge National Historical Park, The Betsy Ross House, Franklin Square, and the Statue of Rocky Balboa at the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. It is also the home of cheese steaks (either Geno's or Pat's Steaks...take your pick), hoagies, scrapple, soft pretzels, water ice (i.e., what we call back home "Italian ice"), but most importantly it is the home of Tastykake, which happens to be America's favorite snack. Uh oh...another warning. Be on the lookout for interchangeable pucks and pastries.

At the beginning of the game the Islanders started with their fourth line again. After giving up a number of early goals in their last couple of periods of the Montreal game, the Islanders decided that turnabout was fair play. Only 90 seconds into the first period, Nikolay Kulemin sent an outlet pass to Johnny "Birthday" Boychuck who pushed it ahead to Michael Grabner. He then used his speed to get ahead on the wing and put the puck on the top shelf where "momma hides the Chocolate Juniors." It was Grabner's 4th goal of the year which enabled the crowd to let out their first "Yes! Yes! Yes!" chant of the afternoon.

Soon thereafter the Islanders got their first power play opportunity and passed the puck well, but once again hesitated on taking shots. Then at around the eight minute mark New York struck one more time. Birthday Boychuk took a hard shot which took a "misty mountain hop" onto the stick of Kulemin who put it past Zepp and into the empty net for his 10th goal of the year. It represented the first time since 2010 that the Kulemin was able to get to double digits in goals in a season and his fourth goal in the last five games. Grabner got the second assist.

The Islanders killed off a penalty of their own and nearly had a short-handed goal to boot. Grabner intercepted a pass in the neutral zone which led to a two on one breakaway into the Philadelphia zone. Grabner threaded a pass to Casey Czikas who was in all alone and tried to backhand one past Zepp. It was a great pass by Grabner whose game is finally coming around after missing the first half of the season with a sports hernia. But Zepp ended up being the "heartbreaker" as he was able to stop the Czikas' chance to keep the game at 2-0. Even though the Islanders were out shot 14-9 in the first period they controlled the play and had the better scoring opportunities.

To start the second period, the Islanders had to kill off their second penalty of the game. They also got their second opportunity for a short-handed goal and this time they were able to convert. Kulemin intercepted a pass and got his own breakaway and shot a Chocolate Bell past Zepp for his 11th goal and 3rd shorty of the season.

But us Islander fans know that three goal leads only do one thing...give our opposition momentum. The Flyers knew this and got one back when the Islanders committed their third straight penalty. Halak stopped Schenn in front, but after a scrum the former Islander Mark Streit slapped one that barely snuck a Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookie through Halak's pads to cut the lead to 3-1.

The Flyers took another penalty and were able to kill off the man advantage, but right after the penalty expired Zepp stopped Nick Leddy only to have Josh Bailey sweep the puck into the net to re-establish the three goal cushion at 4-1. Zepp must have been looking around for his Butterscotch Krimpets because he left the left side of the net wide open. Zepp started to look "dazed and confused" and finally acknowledged that it was "nobody's fault but mine" and left the game in favor of Roy Emery. The goal was Bailey's 8th of the year from Leddy and Strome. Bailey certainly has shown some chemistry with Tavares and Okposo as evidenced by the six points in the last couple of games.

But let me ask you this Islander fans. With another three goal lead what did you think was going to happen next? That's right, the Flyers got another one back when Calvin deHaan blocked a centering feed from Voracek which made its way to Del Zotto, who slipped a Low Fat Chocolate Iced Vanilla Cupcake by Halak to make it 4-2.

The second period was all “good times, bad times” as the teams traded two goals through the period. However, the Flyers seemed that they wanted to give the game away as they committed three straight penalties with the last one coming in the last minute of the period. The Islanders made them pay as John Tavares was patient in front of Emery and backhanded one right under the Cereal Bar for his 21st goal of the year. Nielsen and Okposo got the assists and the Islanders had their third three goal lead of the afternoon. The Islanders picked up their shot total and had a big advantage 20-7 during the period.

You knew going into the third period leading by three goals was not going to be a piece of cake. Early in the third the Flyers once again cut the deficit to two goals. Claude Giroux got a gift when Halak went behind the net to look for his Mini Donuts and left the net wide open. There was some sort of “communication breakdown” between him and his defenseman. Misplays around the net have become a very bad habit for Halak lately. That needs to be addressed.

At this point the Flyers were only down two goals and were starting to push the Islanders around . They committed a number of penalties that were not called. The Islanders sent out their fourth line to get things under control. Matt Martin and Cal Clutterbuck laid a bunch of vicious hits on the Flyers to send a message and it worked. The Flyers backed off and a few minutes later Nick Leddy got his 7th goal of the year when he sent a Cream Filled Chocolate Cupcake past Emery from the point that was well screened by Okposo. Tavares got the second assist. It was a shame that Zepp had left the game, because with Leddy getting a goal it opened the door for a number of different Led Zeppelin puns that will probably now never see the light of day.

The Islanders had their fourth three goal lead of the game and the Flyers responded for a fourth time as well when they got a late goal with about three minutes left. Vandevelde launched a Peanut Butter Kandy Kake that got by Halak to trim the lead to two goals once again. The Islanders then sealed the win when Anders Lee flipped another Chocolate Junior into the empty net for the 7-4 win. It was Lee's 23 the goal of the year that left him third amongst all rookies.

The game was the 11th sell out of the year in 20 games this year at the Nassau Coliseum. The win moved the Islanders to 31-14-1 which was good for 63 points at the all star break. They remained on top of the Metropolitan Division and temporarily gained the top spot in the Eastern Conference. Next up is an eight day break for the all star game to heal both physically and mentally. The Islanders return to action on Tuesday January 27th with a home game against the New York Rangers.

What a first half of the season it was. Putting all the pastries aside, there is only one wish for the stretch run. Islander fans are hoping that the second half of the season is as good as the first half. The Islanders need to make sure that the “song remains the same” and if they do that there will surely be a “stairway to heaven” to look forward to sometime this summer.

Farmers Reap A Win

It was hockey night in Canada on Saturday!  The red hot New York Islanders traveled to Montreal after blasting the Pittsburgh Penguins for a tilt against the Canadiens.  Montreal was in a little bit of a tailspin entering the game with only one win in their last four games.  To make matters worse the Canadiens started Dustin Tokarski over Carey Price due to a upper body injury.  Ironically, it was Price's injury that paved the way for Jaroslav Halak to make the all star team.  

In addition, P.A. Parenteau, the former Islander was also out with an illness (officially not characterized as an upper or lower body injury).  No worries.  P.A. had a prime seat in the skybox for the game where I am sure he dreamt about all the points he would have had on the wing of John Tavares and Kyle "Hat + 1" Okposo.  Can't blame him.  When he bolted the Islanders a couple of years ago he was looking for a big pay day and he got it from Colorado before he being subsequently traded to Montreal.  The Islanders had bigger and better plans.

The official name of the Montreal Canadiens is "le Club de hockey Canadien", but the team is also widely known as "Les Habitants" or "The Habs".  By the way, what is a Hab anyway?  I always wanted to know. So I decided to go to Wikipedia, the source of all knowledge, and discovered that "Les Habitants refers to French settlers and the inhabitants of French origin who farmed the land along the two shores of the St. Lawrence Gulf and River in what is the present-day Province of Quebec in Canada.  The term was used by the inhabitants themselves and the other classes of French Canadian society from the 17th century up until the early 20th century."  Now armed with that important piece of useless knowledge it made perfect sense to start referring to the team from Montreal as the "Farmers."  That seemed a bit more appropriate term for French settlers that played with hockey sticks.

The Islanders went with what was working which is the same line-up.  Halak got the start for a number of reasons.  First, coming into the game he had not faced a lot of shots in beating both the Rangers and Penguins.  Second, playing him in Montreal meant that the Islanders could start Chad Johnson for the Monday MLK matinee against the Philadelphia Flyers.  That will give Halak some rest going into the All-Star game.  Third, the Canadiens historically have not been able to score on him. Halak is 4-0 in his career with a 0.98 GAA and .960 Save Percentage vs. Montreal.  Fourth, Halak likes to take it to the Canadiens because they gave up on him and traded him away in 2010.  You had to like the Islanders chances against a tough Montreal team.

The game started with a bang.  Just 54 seconds into the first period Ryan Stome was called for tripping and that turned into a quick 1-0 lead for the Farmers.  John Tavares' good friend Farmer Subban blistered a one-timer past Halak who was screened in front of the net.  The key for the Islanders penalty kill seems to be to not commit penalties.  If you don't sit in the sin bin then you don't have to kill penalties.  Easier said than done.  

The Islanders had their own power play during the period but it went nowhere as usual.  I find it hard to believe that the Isles power play is ranked 14th in the league because it seems like they never score.  Special teams is something that needs to get better before the end of the year or it will come back to bite the Islanders in the playoffs.  That's right I said it on January 17th... I officially declared the Islanders are already in the playoffs.   In the first period New York created a lot of chances five on five.  However, there were mot a lot of shots in the first as both teams were in the single digits.  The Islanders were positioned for a big second period.

The Farmers plowed the field early in the second period when Farmer Weise scored to make it 2-0 off a quick rush off of the face off.  The goal came at the ten second mark and was the second time within the last week that the Islanders gave up a quick goal at the start of a period.  New York found themselves in the same position as Friday night down two goals.  However, that changed at around the 11 minute mark when Kyle Okposo (who was told before the game that he was really playing this game in Pittsburgh) took a pass from Tavares in the slot and went over Farmer Tokarski's glove and underneath the bar to cut the lead in half.  For the Penguin-killer it was his 5th goal in less than 24 hours and his 14th goal of the year.  Tavares and Josh "I am just content with assists" Bailey got the helpers.

Thomas "Fish Oils" Hickey then proceeded to take down a Farmhand who had a breakaway.  Might as well have just added the goal to the scoreboard at that point as right off the faceoff, Farmer Plekanec one-timed it for a 3-1 lead.  It looked like that would be the score going into the last period, but a long pass from Bailey to Brock Nelson started a breakaway way down field.  Nelson got bottled up with two defenders, absorbed contact and somehow dropped a pass back to Nickolay Kulemin who put one past Farmer Tokarski to make it a one goal game again.  Halak played well and made some big saves to keep the Islanders in the game.  Even though he had given up three goals to the Farmers he had been solid through the first 40 minutes with 20 saves (which is approximately the amount of shots he has been facing for an entire game over the past couple of weeks).

Onto the third period and another quick goal.  What is it with Farmers trying to get their work done early?  It only took Farmer Galchenyuk 52 seconds after a broken play to get a shot by Halak to make it 4-2.  It was the third two goal deficit of the game.  But in this case the third time did not turn out to be the charm.  Farmer Desharnais picked off a pass, skated into the New York zone and got one over Halak's shoulder to make in 5-2.  Then a couple of minutes later Farmer Plekanec got off his tractor and made it 6-2 with a little over six minutes left in the game.  At that point Halak ran back to the barn and Chad Johnson came in to finish the period.

As I was looking down typing away Anders Lee got his 12th goal of the year from Strome to cut the lead in half at 6-3.  Then just to make things interesting the Farmers got called for over feeding their livestock and had to send one of their own into the pig pen.  The Islanders took advantage and scored on the ensuing power play as Tavares netted his 20th to make it 6-4 with a couple of minutes left.  However, there was no comeback on this evening.  A late penalty by Frans Nielsen after the Islanders pulled their goalie ended the game.  The Farmers settled in for the win.  It was the first time in a long while that the Islanders were out shot as the Farmers took 34 shots to the Islanders 31.

The other night the question was could the Islanders win every game and the obvious answer was no.  This won was a sloppy game by a tired team.  They are entitled to a bad game here and there.  The Islanders "fell" to 30-24-1 and remained at the top of the Metropolitan Division with 61 points and "fell" to a point behind Tampa Bay for the Eastern Conference lead (with a couple of games in hand).  Monday it is back home at the Nassau Coliseum to take on the Flyers.  Will Johnson play or will the Islanders go back to Halak one more time?  My money is on Johnson simply due to the fact that Halak faced more shots than normal tonight.

You can't win them all.  The Farmers were the better team tonight.  They planted six goals and reaped the benefit of a win against one of the best teams in the league.

Very Good Times Indeed

Fresh off an emotional and exciting shut out of the New York Rangers, the Islanders took on the Pittsburgh Penguins at the Nassau Coliseum on Friday night.  The Islanders came into the game a single point ahead of the Penguins in the Metropolitan Division and only a single point out of first place in the entire Eastern Conference.  No one would have faulted the team if they had lost this one as you can't win every game on the schedule....or can you?

It was Bryan Trottier mini-locker night as the team once again paid tribute to one of their legends.  Each one of these events has turned out a sell out crowd and a great game to boot and this night would be no different.  Trotts was the glue that kept their top line together during the cup years.  After retiring he had a fallout with the team and it was a number of years before he was welcomed back.  It was nice to see him honored one last time.

It was about six or seven years ago that I was sitting in Champions bar in the Long Island Marriott after an Islanders game.  I was there to meet Chris Botta who use to work for the team and also ran a popular Islander fan website.  Islanders Point Blank was about to be shut down and Chris needed a sponsor to help supplement the cost of operating the web site.  For some reason I reached out to Chris and helped him get a new job at AOL Fan House writing a hockey column.  That helped finance the web site during an important time.  Over time Islanders Point Blank was eventually transitioned to new management, however it still is alive and well today.  It turned out that my involvement kept the site operating during a critical time.  No telling what would have happened if I did not come forward.  Glad that I did.

It was the first time I had met Chris in person and as we were sitting there in a booth having a drink all of a sudden someone sat down right next to me and it was none other than Bryan Trottier.  I sat next to an Islanders legend for a good half an hour just talking hockey.  I was excited on the inside but remained calm on the outside.  I wanted to come off as a normal person and not a crazy fan.  To this day I am not sure if that meeting was staged by Chris as a "thank you" for helping him out.  It did not matter.  It was a memorable experience all around.

After Trottier was introduced to the crowd and the ceremonial puck was dropped it was time for hockey in front a another sell out crowd.  It was the same line-up once again and Jaroslav Halak was in net against Marc-Andre Fleury.  The Islanders started their fourth line to not only reward them for their recent play, but also to send a message to the Penguins that they needed to bring their lunch pail to the Nassau Coliseum.  A lot of the Islanders success lately has been due to the fact that they have been able to roll four lines and not worry as much about match-ups.  That also enables them to limit minutes, keep everyone well rested, and simply wear teams down over the course of sixty minutes.  

Right at the drop of the puck Martin-Czikas-Cutterbuck applied a lot of pressure and nearly scored.  The Islanders  had the better of the play for the first part of the game and also had the first power play.  But they could not convert.  What else is new.  Same result, different day.  Some say that the definition of insanity is "to continue do something over and over again and expecting a different result."  If that is the case then the Islanders need to think about checking into an asylum pretty soon.  The power play looked slow with too much passing and a lot of indecision.

On the other hand, Pittsburgh got two straight power plays and netted two quick goals.  Crosby got the first one when he charged the net and got a lucky bounce of the puck off of his kneecap that scooted past Halak.  Then less than two minutes later Perron scored off of a slap shot to the right of Halak.  It was not a good sign.  Whenever the Islanders play the Penguins and special teams are involved it always seems that the Penguins  score with the man advantage while the Islanders struggle.  Maybe the trick to beating the Penguins is to not commit any penalties.

Before the period was over the Islanders were able to get one back.  Right after failing on their second power play, John Tavares came across the blue line into the Pittsburgh zone and stick handled past Despres and found Kyle Okposo's skate to make it 2-1.  Tavares' play was very impressive as he nearly broke the ankles of the defenseman.  It was Okposo's 10th goal of the year from Tavares and Bailey.  It was not pretty, but BookerT certainly took it as goals have been few and far between for him.  Islanders barely beat out the Penguins on shots 11-10 for the first period.

The Islanders started their fourth line again to start the second period and once again they applied a lot of pressure and nearly scored.  The play then started to open up in the period as there was a lot more end to end action.  Both teams were getting chances and it felt like someone was going to break the ice.  That would end up being one Ryan Strome about twelve minutes in.

Strome led a two on one deep in the Pittsburgh zone and dropped a pass into traffic.  He should have shot it himself.  Fortunately the puck went into the corner and found its way back to the center of the ice where Strome was waiting for his second chance.  He wristed one past Fleury to tie the game at two apiece  It was Strome's 8th goal of the year from Lee and Nielsen.  The 21 year-old kid can certainly play the game. 

It looked like that would be the score as the period wound down.  Travis Hamonic took a penalty with seconds left and let up a bit on the delayed penalty.  However, the Penguins did not let up and Crosby slid the puck past Halak after some nifty passing for a 3-2 lead with five seconds left in the period. Usually goals at the end of a period end up being very demoralizing and the momentum usually carries over to the next period.  Once again, not a very good since going into the third.

In the last frame the Penguins dominated play for the first five minutes.  It was looking more and more like the Islanders were going to lose this game as expected.  However, that was not to be.  The Islanders top line pushed the play a bit and banged around in front of the Penguins net.  Okposo was standing to the right of Fleury and got a rebound off of a Tavares shot.  Kyle backhanded it in and the game was tied once again at three apiece.  Bailey ended up with the second assist on Okposo's 11th goal of the year.  Islanders Nation was happy, but what they did not know was that Kyle was far from over on this night.

A little bit later on Tavares found Okposo once again in the slot and he wristed one more goal past Fleury for am improbable 4-3 lead with about eight minutes left in the game.  It was Kyle's 12th goal of the year and his first professional hat trick in his seven year career.  Tavares and Hamonic had the assists.  At this point the hope was to just get to overtime and steal a point, but Okposo again had other ideas. 

Play in front of Fleury started to get nasty with a lot slashing by both teams.  Sticks were broken on both sides.  The Penguins were getting more aggressive.   Steve Downie, in particular, from the Penguins was not very happy with the referees and voiced his displeasure.  He felt that the someone from the Islanders should have went to the sin bin.  However, play continued on and after the puck was cleared all the way back to the Islanders zone, Downie sought out his own revenge and checked Brock Nelson in the back right in front of the referee.  He took a stupid two minute penalty with a little less than three minutes to go in the game.  

It only took the Islanders a matter of seconds to get the puck in front of Fleury on the power play.  A number of people wacked at it, but Okposo had the last wack for his 4th goal of the game and 13th of the season.  It was the first time since 1992 that an Islander had four goals in a game in the Nassau Coliseum.  The crowd was going nuts.  It was about time that the Islanders got a power play goal.  I guess timing is everything.  Michael Grabner then potted the empty net goal for his 3rd goal of the season.  All of a sudden a game that looked like defeat ended up being a 6-3 Islanders win.

Overall, it was a very exciting game.  The Islanders bombarded the Penguins with 16 shots in the third period and ended up out shooting Pittsburgh 35-24 for the game.  The Islanders reclaimed the top spot in the Eastern Conference and opened up a three point cushion on Pittsburgh heading into Montreal on Saturday night.

Just when you think this team has done everything it can they somehow figure out a way to do the unexpected.  It is amazing to see how even-tempered they are as a group.  Everyone has the same mentality and are on the same page.  They constantly tell the media that "they have not won anything yet."  They are right.  They haven't until they win the Stanley Cup in June.  This is starting to feel like a team of destiny.

I started out wondering if a team could win every game.  Perhaps they can't, but the Islanders are starting to make their fans believe that they can.

These are the good times....very good times indeed.

Sending A Message

Right from the start, Tuesday had a different feel to it. There was a definite buzz in the air in Atlanta, but it was not because of the Hawks. The buzz was generating all the way from New York City. With the Jets, Giants, Knicks and Nets having just completed losing seasons (I know basketball is only halfway through their season, but trust me it has been over for quite some time now), the Islanders and Rangers have become the focal point of New York City. The Islanders came into this game in first place with 57 points and the Rangers came in with 52 points, which was only the second time in their history that both teams had amassed greater than 50 points by the all-star game.

The Rangers came into the game as arguably the hottest team in the league winning 12 of their last 13 games including a road sweep on the west coast for the first time in their history. The game at Madison Square Garden was being touted as one of the most important games in this rivalry in many years. Even though the Islanders have had the more consistent season, most pundits were saying that the Rangers had the advantage. The feeling was that they could not wait to beat the Islanders at home and pound their chests. In some respects the Islanders were the underdogs and still needed to prove to the general public once again that they are real. I guess most people out there failed to get the message this year. It was time to deliver it in person.

I rushed to get home in time for the start of the game in order to get into my Islanders garb before the game started. But before that could happen the were a couple of small matters to take care of. First, there was a pizza to pickup and then when I got home the little monsters had to be fed. I quickly found my lucky Islanders hoodie and cap, put on a pair of sweatpants and just as I put on my second slipper the puck dropped. Perfect timing indeed.

The start of the game found both teams playing very cautiously. The forwards got back on defense and both teams were pushing the play. There was a lot of back and forth with few chances to during the first ten minutes. The Islanders gave the puck away a number of times which led to some good chances for the Rangers. Thomas “Fish Oils” Hickey, who has struggled in the past week, made a dangerous pass that led into two chances for the Rick Nash line. Zuccarello was stopped in close by Halak on two consecutive shots.

The Rangers had the better of the play. In the final ten minutes of the period, Nash barreled past Johnny Boychuk and Nick Leddy and then promptly hit the post. The rebound came right to Derick Brassard who had a wide open net but he hit the post as well. After the game Halak was asked what his best stop was on the night and his reply was “the posts.” The Islanders had a few chances themselves, but Henrik Lundqvist was up to the test. The Islanders won on the shot clock 13-9, but the Rangers played a bit better. The team was definitely fortunate to get out of the period with no score.

The second period was dominated by the Islanders. It was not even close. Most of the first five minutes was spent in the Rangers zone. The key was in the face-off circle. The Islanders after winning 13 of 18 face-offs in the first period continued to do so in the second. Most of those face-off wins were in the Rangers end which made it easy for the Islanders to maintain possession for long stretches.

It started to look like the second period would end up a lot like the first with no score and with the better team having nothing to show for their effort. However, that would soon change. After a shot from the point from Calvin deHaan, Anders Lee spun around in front of the net and back-handed the puck past Lundqvist for a 1-0 lead. Travis Hamonic got the second helper on Lee's 11th goal of the year right before the nine minute mark.

The Islanders then started to get physical as Johnny Boychuk leveled Rick Nash and put him straight on his back in the Rangers zone. Casey Czikas also got into it with some fisticuffs on a couple of occasions. The Islanders got the first power play of the game and had some chances but could not convert. There was a sense that the tide was starting to turn.

Then with a little under five minutes left in the period the Islanders won another face-off and kept the pressure on the Rangers. Hickey then tried to pass the puck from behind the net, but it got deflected and landed on the stick of Nickolay Kulemin in the slot and he roofed one past Lundqvist. It was Kulemin's 8th goal of the year. At this point the Islanders were just hoping that they could just somehow end the period with a 2-0 lead, but that would not be the case.

With less than two minutes to go in the period, Travis Hamonic took a crosschecking penalty and it seemed like it was just a matter of time before the Rangers goal song would be blaring in the Garden. The red light did come on, but it turned out to be a short-handed goal at the other end of the rink. Boychuk started a two on one breakout, but Frans Nielsen had the presence of mind to not ice the puck. He saw an opportunity and, with Kulemin by his side, took a shot that just got through Lindqvist for, dare I say it, a 3-0 lead. It was Fransy's 9th goal of the year. It was probably the Islanders most impressive period of the year. The y out shot the Rangers 19-12 during the period and dominated the face-offs and time of possession.

Cam Talbot came in to replace Lundquist to start the third period. The Rangers still had some power play time left which was promptly killed off. As opposed to other games this year in which the Islanders had and surrendered three goal leads, they stayed on the offensive and took it to the Rangers. The Islanders maintained pressure and had a number of opportunities to get a fourth goal, but Talbot was very sharp off the bench. Islanders out shot the Rangers in the third period 1-5 and 42-26 for the entire game. The Islanders kept the Rangers off the score sheet and shut them out 3-0 for their second win at Madison Square Garden this year (which was only one win shy of the New York Knicks which had won only three games there this year in almost half a season).

The Islanders improved to 10-3-1 in past 14 games and improved their overall record to an impressive 29-13-1 for 59 points. They remained in first place over the Penguins by a single point in the Metropolitan Division, but moved into first place in the entire Eastern Conference with a Tampa Bay loss. Next up is a showdown with the Penguins at the Nassau Coliseum on Friday followed by a road game in Montreal on Saturday. It will be interesting to see if Chad Johnson plays one of those two games. The Islanders close out the first half of the year next Monday afternoon with a home game against the Flyers.

Tonight was a statement game. Many have come to realize that the Islanders are for real, however there are some that are still out there that still need convincing. This game went a long way in making that statement. After the game a reporter asked Johnny Boychuk about playing a “red hot Rangers team” and his response was “ We aren't playing too bad ourselves.” Some people just still haven't gotten the message.

Columbus Flattened

The roster for the NHL All Star game came out and it included the Islanders Captain John Tavares.  No surprise there.  But here is a list of his teammates that will be joining him.....[cricket sounds].  That is right.  One of the best teams in the league this year had no one else selected for the team.  It is probably due to the fact that the Islanders are such a well-balanced team that it is hard to pick someone that has stood out.  However, how could the voters not select Jaroslav Halak who is second in the league in wins?  How about Johnny Boychuk or Nick Leddy on the back end or Kyle Okposo or Brock Nelson on the wing?  A lot of fans are sure to be upset, but one must look at the silver lining.  The team will have some much need time to rest up and get healthy for the stretch run.

The Islanders travelled to Columbus to take on the Blue Jackets in the Nationwide Arena for the first time this year.  Columbus, hmmm that reminds me of..."In fourteen hundred ninety-two, Columbus sailed the ocean blue and found this land, land of the free, beloved by you, beloved by me."  Anyway, enough of the history lesson.  Both teams played on Friday night and both teams travelled to Columbus for the game on Saturday night.  The only change in the Islanders line-up was Mikhail Grabovski who got injured in last night's Devils game (D2D with a UBL).  He is replaced by Cal Clutterbuck who had last night off to heal up.  As suspected, Jack Capuano is taking advantage of having a full complement of players and is giving some players an off night here and there to recover from injuries.  

As far as the lines go, Bailey was re-inserted into the top line and Nickolay Kulemin was moved to the third line with Michael Grabner and Frans Nielsen. The Kid line and the NHL's Greatest Hits line stayed the same.  Chad Johnson got the start after a couple of weeks of inactivity.  He needed to respond with a big game to get his confidence back.   The Islanders need a capable backup to take some of the pressure off of Halak.  Columbus went with Sergi "Bob" Bobrovsky in net who just signed a multi-year agreement with the Blue Jackets and also got selected to the All-Star game. So that meant he must have been having a great year...maybe not so much.

The Islanders came out like a house on fire and dominated play in the Columbus zone which resulted in a goal just 31 seconds into the game.  Nick Leddy took a shot from the point which hit Kulemin and bounced past Bob for a quick 1-0 lead.  Grabs40 got the second assist on Kulemin's 7th goal of the year.  After the goal the Islanders continued to push the play.  Kulemin took a penalty and right on queue Chad Johnson let one in from Jack Johnson to tie the game at 1-1.   It was such an easy power play goal one only hoped that Chad let it go in the net because it was from a Johnson.  

The Islanders did not let that get them down as they continued their assault in the Columbus zone.  They had to kill off a second penalty during the period.  New York's domination was evidence by their 16 shots to the Blue Jacket's 4.  It was a shame that the Islanders did not have a lead after the first period, because they did play very well.  The good news for Chad Johnson is that he only gave up one goal but the bad news is that it was only on three shots.  He did not look sharp at all.  Then again, he did not have many chances to get into a rythym.

The second was pretty even for the first ten minutes.  However, the Islanders effort was finally rewarded during the period.  The Islanders got their first power-play chance and got some good shots on Bob but couldn't score.  Then a breakout gave the Islanders the lead back.  Casey Czikas walked across the blue line and dropped a pass for Thomas Hickey who then threaded the puck to Ryan Strome who then directed a shot right onto the stick of a hard charging Matt Martin. It was a beautiful play all around. Unfortunately, the rules state that you cannot give three assists on one play.  So that was not so good for Czikas.  It was Martin's 6th goal of the year.

Shortly thereafter, a misplay at the blue line provided a breakaway to Anders Lee who put it through Bob's five hole for his 10th goal of the year and a 3–1 lead.  The Islanders did not stop there. A crazy bounce of the puck ended up a few feet in front of Bob and landed on the stick of Brian Strait who got his first goal which came from Czikas and Clutterbuck.  Chad Johnson had probably his best period in months and seemed to get some of his mojo back.  The Islanders out shot the Blue Jackets 11-8 in the period and took a commanding 4-1 edge and the dreaded three goal lead into the last frame.  

Just three minutes into the last period, Columbus got a goal from Nick Foligno to cut the deficit in half.  Islanders nation started to gasp for air. However, they would not give up a three-goal lead on this evening. New York played solid defense throughout.  With about five minutes left, Kyle Okposo got his 9th goal of the year from Bailey and Strait to reinstate the three goal cushion.  That made what would be the final score 5-2.  The Blue Jackets were clearly frustrated and started committing a bunch of penalties the rest of the way.  In fact, the Islanders had a five on three advantage for the last two minutes of the game.  Columbus got a little upset that the Islanders put out their first line for the power play. However, they should not complain. If they didn't want the Islanders to rub salt in there wound, they simply needed to score more goals. 

Big win for the team. The Islanders moved to 28-13-1 which is good for 57 points. Pittsburgh won in overtime over Montreal, so the Islanders remained in first place by a single point in the Metropolitan division.  Starting with the third period in Friday night's game against the Devils, you could see that the Islanders we're starting to get back to what made them successful. A very strong game. It was much needed, to give them some momentum going into the big one against the New York Rangers next Tuesday at Madison Square Garden. 

Overall, Chad Johnson had a pretty decent game.  He gave up two easy goals, but did not make any other big mistakes. It was his first win in a very long time. The Islanders domination was supported by the shot clock, as they more than doubled Columbus' shots 40-18.  It was nice to hang a five spot up on Bob who should not have gotten the All-Star selection over Halak.  

When Columbus discovered America he set out to prove that the world was not flat.  However, that was not the case on this night.  With a lop-sided Islanders win everyone that watched the game saw that it was not the world that was flat but Columbus that was the one that was flat after all.

The Captain Wills A Win

The New York Islanders remained on their seven game road trip and at the same time started a critical two week stretch in their schedule.  With Friday's game against the New Jersey Devils at the Rock, the next two weeks will see the Islanders take on a number of Metropolitan Division and Easter Conference opponents that are inching ever closer to the top.  Fresh off a two game losing streak, the team made some changes for the Devils game.  Josh Bailey came off of injured reserve and was replaced by Cal Clutterbuck (D2D with a UBI).   Brian Strait got a rare start for Matt Donovan as Lubomir Visnovsky still remains out.  Also, Capuano moved Mikhail Grabovski up to the top line as the team still looks for that permanent third wheel.  Jaroslav Halak got the start against Kevin Kincaid, who played well the last time he faced the Islanders at the Nassau Coliseum.

There were a lot of "Lets Go Islanders" chants in the crowd as the game got started. As the Islanders have gotten better the fans are starting to travel with the team to offer support.  The first period was a pretty boring.  Not much to write home about.  The Islanders got the only power play of the period and did not score and the rest of the period was mainly played in the neutral zone.  The Islanders did not give the Devils anything to work with and out shot them 7-2 in the period.  It was fun watching 68 year old Jaromir Jagar go one on one in the Devils zone.  Its almost as if he was playing in slow motion.  He created a lot of space with that huge bum of his and whenever he got the puck on his stick everyone else just stood around and watched.  Sad to say, but that was the highlight of the period.

In the second, the Islanders played slightly better.  The Devils got an early power play, but Halak stood tall.  Michael Grabner got a good short handed chance but Kincaid, the Long Island boy was pretty sharp.  The top line of Tavares-Okposo-Grabovski finally woke up and started to get some good chances as the period wore on.  However, the Devils sprung out to a 1-0 lead with a give and goal from Travis Zajac.  The score came after a play where Okposo broke his stick.  

There was a very strong feeling at that point that it was going to be a very low scoring game.  Matt Martin tried to shift the momentum by picking a fight with Mark Fraser.  Martin got the best of him, but unfortunately that did not improve the scoreboard.  Almost immediately thereafter, Tavares drew a penalty and the Islanders went on the power play.  However, Tavares gave it right back when he committed his own tripping penalty.  As the period wore on the Islanders started to get better chances.  The Islanders out shot the Devils 13-11 in the period.  It was starting to look like a three game losing streak.

For the past two games and for the first two periods of the Devils game the Islanders simply did not look like themselves.  The entire team looking a bit off.  As the third period started the Islanders seemed to have a bit more urgency.  They would quickly tie the game at the one minute mark when Calvin deHaan took a great slap shot and Josh Bailey tipped it in for his 7th goal of the year.  The Islander fans at the Rock started getting very loud.  The score was tied and the Islanders had a chance to steal a win.  Just as the fans got back into it Halak took them back out of it.  For the second time this week he made a bad play behind his net and it cost him.  Scott Gomez got an empty net goal after Adam Henrique stole the puck from Halak.  It was a "DP-esque" type of a mistake.  The Devils had their one goal lead back at 2-1.

As the period wore on it again started to feel like a three game losing streak was coming on.  However, the Islanders effort throughout the last frame seemed like the old team that started the road trip on a high note.  It was actually very encouraging to see.  New York got a power play, but even though they could not convert, they did take advantage.  As the penalty expired Okposo fired a blistering slap shot past the net which bounced off the glass to Tavares who knocked the puck off the back of Kincaid's pad before he knew what hit him.  It was JT's 18th goal of the year from Okposo and Boychuk.  Clutch play at a critical time.  That got the Islanders to the overtime so they could at least leave New Jersey with a point.  The Islanders won the shoot out contest (which they normally do) 31-23 for the game.

In overtime, both teams had chances.  Then after three minutes there was a scrum in the corner in the New Jersey zone.  Tavares came stole the puck from Henrique and stick-handled it straight to the net, put a deke on the defender and roofed it past Kincaid for the game winner and his 19th goal of the year.  Right after the goal, Tavares threw his hands in the air and after seeing some Islander fans did the "Yes, Yes, Yes" chant which has become a staple at the Nassau Coliseum.  The players mobbed the captain and you could tell everyone on the bench were both happy and relieved.  At that moment it seemed that the team got their mojo back.  JT willed his team to a win.  That is what superstars do.

With the win in overtime, the Islanders took over sole possession of first place from the Pittsburgh Penguins who were idle on Friday.  This was a huge win and even though they had not played well in the past seven days, the fact that they were in first place tells you a lot about where this team is right now.  Now New York goes to Columbus to try to get back to back wins on Saturday night.  

The goal is to get some confidence going into the Rangers game next Tuesday.  They really need momentum because the game at Madison Square Garden is going to be a tough one.  Even though the Islanders are right at the top of the standings, both the Rangers and Capitals are charging hard.  It remains to be seen if the standings tighten up even more or if the Islanders can get their cushion back.  With JT heating up, my money is on the later.

Lack's Revenge

After a “lackluster” game against an over-matched Edmonton Oilers team a couple of nights ago, the New York Islanders waltzed into Vancouver to take on the Canucks at Rogers Arena. Last year the Canucks got off to a three goal lead and in a wild third period the Islanders scored seven goals all from different players to win 7-4. I remember waking up the next day and boy was I surprised when I saw the final score. Eddie Lack was in net that night and in a surprising move he got the start in this game over Ryan Miller. That could have been a big break for the Islanders as they tried to go 3-1 on their Western Canada trip. Would the Islanders take advantage? Would Lack get revenge on the Islanders? It remained to be seen.

The Islanders finally activated Michael Grabner. He practiced today with John Tavares and Kyle Okposo and started the game on the top line. This was probably a good game for Grabner to return because of the fact that Vancouver was the team that put him on waivers during his rookie season. They essentially gave up on him until the Islanders were lucky and smart enough to pick him up. Josh Bailey was out with an upper-body injury so it will be interesting to see what happens with Grabner and the roster after this game. The only other change was that Lubomir Visnovsky was out with an upper body injury and was replaced by the ever patient Matt Donovan. Capuano started Jaroslav Halak in net, probably because he wanted to get him back on track after the Edmonton debacle and also because he wants to get his team back on track as well. No doubt that Chad Johnson will get a chance on Friday against the Devils or Saturday against the Blue Jackets.

The opening period was not very impressive. The Islanders looked like they were still stuck in Edmonton. They gave up a number of turnovers and were a little sloppy. They got an early power play but it went absolutely nowhere. They never had a chance to set up their offense in the Vancouver zone. Even the Islanders first goal was not pretty. Travis Hamonic was in the corner and threw it towards the net. Matt Martin charged hard and got caught up with the defender. The puck hit Martin's stick and it slid past Lack for a 1-0 lead. It was Matty Marts' 5th goal of the year.

Not too long after that the Canucks got even when Brock Nelson tried a blind backhand behind his own net which led to a steal. The Canucks tried to push it by Halak who made the save. However, the rebound bounced straight to Ryan Stanton who had a wide open net to tie the game. The Islanders did well in the face-off circle but only out shot the Canucks 8-6. Not a very good period on many accounts.

The second period was not much better. The Islanders looked a bit tired and never really were able to generate anything that resembled an offense. For the second game in a row they failed to challenge the goalie. The Canucks did not look all that much better, but just like last game if you wait around long enough for something to happen most often than not the outcome will not be good.

Vancouver finally took advantage with two goals in the period. The first by Nick Bonino and the second one by Linden Vey. On Bonino's goal Halak made the stop but the defense failed to clear it from the crease and on Vey's goal it was a break-a-away after a very bad turnover. Both goals came after bad passes by Thomas Hickey. Not a good game for Fish Oils. The Canucks out shot the Islanders 11-7 and the Islanders failed on two more power plays in the period.

The Islanders had no jump in the third period and started to look like a team that wanted to get home after a long trip. The Islanders committed their second penalty in the game for “ too many men on the ice” which was simply a result of some sloppy play and a “lack” of focus. The Islanders killed off the power play and then finally got a break when Kyle Okposo stole the puck in the Vancouver zone and was able to find Mikhail Grabovski who put one in the net after what seemed like two months for his 6th goal of the year to make it 3-2 with about five minutes left in the game. For some reason New York woke up and started to play for the first time in the game. They actually looked like they wanted to tie it. However, it was way too little way to late. The Islanders only game up 20 shots the whole game, but they only got 23 which was far below their average.

The Islanders fell to 26-13-1 and remained at 53 points. Still in the hunt for the division lead, but the bad news is the teams behind them are starting to catch up. Need to nip this two game losing streak in the bud. This was the first game this year that the Islanders deserved to lose. Not because the Canucks played well, but because the Islanders were terrible. As Capuano likes to say “there were a lot of passengers out there tonight.”

Just like in Edmonton another lackluster performance. It turned out that Eddie did get his revenge. He certainly was not lacking, but the Islanders sure were.

Late Night Letdown

The New York Islanders (Blue and Orange) took on the Edmonton Oilers (Orange and Blue) in the third game of their Western Canada trip.  It was not too long ago that both of these teams were in the same boat.  Both teams have had losing seasons for quite awhile now and have accumulated a boatload of high draft picks.  The difference is that while the Islanders youngsters are starting to pan out and contribute, the Oilers have not made any progress.  The result is that the Islanders are 26-11-1 while the Oilers have the worst record in the league at 8-22-9.  This was a classic trap game and the Islanders could not have taken the Oilers lightly.  It is much harder to get up for these type of games.  There were no line-up changes for the Islanders and Jaroslav Halak was in net against Ben Scrivens for the Oilers.  You have to wonder when Chad Johnson will be getting another chance in net. 

The first period had a lot of skating, very few stoppages in play, very few shots, and very few scoring opportunities.  The problem with playing a bad team is that you need to jump on them early and break their will.  As an Islander fan we know this all too well.  If you do not establish play early you give the underdog a chance.  All it takes is one bad play or or one bad bounce and you are behind.  Then wouldn't you know it there was one bad play that led to a Edmonton Oilers goal.  Halak got the puck behind the net and fanned on a pass and gave it to Matt Hendricks who knocked it in the empty net past a sprawling Halak.  It was very reminiscent of the type of mistake Rick DiPietro would make towards the end of his career.  After that the Islanders then seemed to wake up and drew a penalty but they could not convert.  They started to throw more pucks at the net but the period ended before they could score.  Even though the Islanders out shot the Oilers 10-5 it was pretty even period.

Early in the second period, the Islanders dug themselves a hole.  Right off the face-off Jordan Eberle put one past Halak at the eight second mark.  Not sure why the Islanders were standing around.  It seemed at that point that it was going to be one of those games.  The Islanders finally got on the board a couple of minutes later when they got a power play goal from Johnny Boychuck.  It was a laser guided missile from the point for his 4th goal of the year, all of which have been on the power play.  It was Boychuk's home coming game  as he had a number of family members in attendance. The goal was assisted by Nick Leddy and John Tavares.    

The pace started to pick up when Fish Oils Hickey got a terrific chance right in front of Scrivens on a 4-2, but Hickey broke his stick.  Because the Islanders were caught down low watching the puck straddle the goal line, the play led to an Oilers 2 on Oh in front of Halak but both players were turned away without a shot attempt.  It is hard to figure out how you don't get a shot on goal when it is two against no one.  I guess that is why the Oilers only have eight wins.  Anyway, that seemed to energize the Oilers the rest of the period as they spent what seemed to be almost five minutes in the Islanders zone.

Before the end of the period the Oilers got their first power play when Anders Lee went off for hooking and then about a minute later Casey Czikas accidentally ran into Scrivens for goaltender interference.  The Islanders were able to kill off the five on three and got out of the period without any further damage.  However, the Islanders still had to kill off another half a minute to start the third period.

The Islanders killed off the remaining penalty to start the third.  However, another mistake dug the Islanders another hole.  Lubomir Visnovsky went behind Halak and tried to clear the puck, but his pass hit the side of the net and popped out in front of Halak who had no chance as Roy scored the goal to give the Oilers their two goal lead back.  With a 3-1 it seemed pretty insurmountable.  Capuano decided to pull Halak at the three minute mark to try to get a quick goal.  But the Oilers would add an empty net goal by Matt Henddricks and then when Halak went back in net to finish the game the Oilers tacked on a fifth goal by Matt Fraser to end it.  That is when picked myself up and went to bed.  Brock Nelson would get a meaningless power play goal before time expired.  It  was his 15th goal of the hear from Tavares and Boychuk.  Islanders ended up out shooting the Oilers 33-23 but it did not matter in this one.

This was clearly a game where the Islanders played down to the competition and when that happens it gives the underdogs a little confidence.  Edmonton played harder and seemed to want it more than New York did.  After the game Capuano said that the team did not play all that poorly, but there were a number of people that did play poorly.  I would have to think that Capuano will shake things up next game by putting in Michael Grabner if he is healthy and sit someone to make a statement.  They need to do something.  The Islanders have a lot more at stake than in previous years and cannot afford a losing streak.  It is ok to lose a game here and there, but performances like this one is unacceptable.. 

The Islanders missed a golden opportunity to take sole possession of first place in the Eastern Conference and the Metropolitan division.  Hopefully the Blue and Orange will bounce back on Tuesday with a big win against a good Vancouver team.  

Johnny Two Times

The New York Islanders continued their trip through Western Canada with a game at the Scotiabank Saddledome to take on the Calgary Flames.  Another homecoming of sorts for Thomas "Fish Oils" Hickey as he got to play in front of the hometown fans for only the second time as an Islander.  It was also the first time for the Islanders to face Johnny Gaudreau, the reigning Hobey Baker Award winner.  It seems that the Calgary faithful have already dubbed him "Johnny Hockey."  He is a good young player and has approximately 30 points on the year, but it is a bit premature to give him a label.  He is just a kid.  Furthermore, there was a better "Johnny" on the ice and his name was Tavares.  

There were no other changes at all in the line-up. You know what they say, "if it ain't broke don't try to make a roster move."  Michael Grabner was heathy, but there was no one that Snow and Capuano wanted to take off the roster right now.  I have a suggestion....Mikhail Grabovski.  But that is just me talking.  Looks like the Islanders are waiting for some sort of injury to open a roster spot.  As far as Matt Donovan, Brian Strait and Eric Boulton continue to be healthy scratches.  It must be hard on them.

It was a great start to the game for the Islanders as they had a number of good scoring chances out of the gate.  They moved through the neutral zone with ease and spent most of the first period in the Calgary zone.  At one point Boychuk got a short breakaway and was tripped in front of the Calgary goaltender, Jonas Hiller.  He went hard into the wall and upon watching the replay it looked like his ankle had buckled.  Johnny Boy was in a lot of pain and somehow was able to get up and get to the bench.  Once the puck was dropped on the ensuing face-off to start the power play, Calgary made a big mistake and covered the puck while it was still in the dot.  The result was a full two minute five on three power play.  Boychuk made it back out onto the ice in time to join in on the two man advantage.

For the first minute of the power play, the Islanders passed it around like they did in Winnipeg and were searching for the perfect shot.  They eventually got it.  Ryan Strome took a pass from Kyle Okposo and threaded another needle that crossed in front of Hiller from one side of the zone to the other and found John Tavares who put it into the short side of the net for his 16th goal of the year.  For the second game in a row, Strome made a fantastic pass that immediately led to a goal.  His ice presence is off the charts.  He can see the entire ice and is very decisive on his passes.  The Islanders had a big edge in face-offs during the period and out shot the Flames 9-7.  However, the shot total did not tell the whole story as the Islanders dominated the period and did not give up any scoring chances.

I wish I had some nice things to say about the second period, but it was pretty boring with mainly a lot of back and forth in the neutral zone.  The Islanders held on to their 1-0 lead and Calgary had a slight edge in shots.  New York killed off one power play.  Pretty uneventful.  Towards the end of the period I had fallen asleep but was fortunate enough to wake up on my own at the start of the third period.  As well as the Islanders had played defensively, there was a fear that a bad bounce would tie the game.  However, Johnny Tavares made sure that was not the case with his second goal of the game and his 17th goal of the season.  He put a nifty move in front of the net through a couple of Flames and gave the Islanders a 2-0 lead.  Okposo got his second assist of the game and deHaan got the second helper.  

The Islanders did their best to let Calgary back into the game.  They took back-to-back penalties during the third period but did a good job killing off both.  Then with about four minutes left the Flames pulled their goalie and within about 30 seconds they were able to convert with the man advantage to make it 2-1.  It was Johnny Gaudreau.  The Islanders then buckled down, Jaroslav Halak was solid and the New York Islanders got away with the 2-1 win.  

This evening was all about the Johnnies.  They got three goals between the two teams and accounted for all the scoring.  However, in order to be called "Johnny Hockey" one must earn it.  Tavares did just that with two goals to win it for New York.  It reminded me of one of my favorite movies.  There was a bar scene in *Good Fellas* where Henry Hill was going around the room introduce his mafia friends and he stumbled upon one with a good nickname - "There was Johnny Two Times...we call him that cause he says everything two times" Two Times-"I'm gonna get the papers, get that papers."  Well Johnny did strike two times and it will be interesting to see if he gets the cup, gets the cup in June.

It was not a very exciting game, but a solid win nonetheless.  The win moved the Islanders to 26-11-1 which is good for 53 points and a tie with Pittsburgh who also won.  Now the Islanders move on to Edmonton to take on a very bad Oilers squad.  It will be interesting to see if Capuano stays with Halak or dusts off Chad Johnson to take on the wannabe Islanders.  A win on Sunday would set up a potential Western Canada sweep against the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday.  Every opposing coach is touting the New York Islanders as one of the best teams in the league.  Will I ever wake up from this dream?