Happy New Year, Indeed!

Oilers 1: Islanders 4

Well, things couldn't have gone smoother on the day the Islanders inducted Ken Morrow into their Hall of Fame.

The legendary Team USA and Isles blueliner was given a spot on the Hall of Fame banner just before puck drop, and the current Isles team responded in spectacular fashion, defeating the Edmonton Oilers 4-1 at the Coliseum.

The Isles jumped out to an early lead in the first, taking advantage of a roughing call on Ben Eager and scoring on the power play. John Tavares was able to grab a dribbling puck after PA Parenteau lost control of it, putting it past an already-committed Devan Dubnyk. After that came two reviewed goals- one a call in the Oilers' favor, one against the Isles. The first was a goal by Sam Gagner ruled good after video showed that Evgeni Nabokov's own man, Mark Streit, had initiated contact with the goalie. The other was a no-goal call on Matt Moulson, ruled down because of a "distinct kicking motion" (Moulson had angled his skate just prior to the puck striking it).

Moulson would find justice, however, and on an incredible play by his linemate. With two Oilers drawn to him, Tavares executed a beautiful spin-o-rama move and passed right to Moulson, who put it past Dubnyk. The goal was Matt's 17th of the year, keeping him firmly on pace to score 30 or more by the end of this season. After calling Moulson to score the next one on my personal Twitter, I couldn't believe I was right- most of the time, I'm not. ;)

The rest of the scoring happened in the first five minutes of the second period. Eager was bound and determined to have Martin fight with him, and once more he got a roughing penalty- and for the second time, the Isles' power play capitalized, this time on the hands of PA Parenteau. Shortly after that, Martin himself scored to make it 4-1, giving himself some "poetic justice", in the words of Howie Rose. After that, Eager would get an unsportsmanlike and a 10-minute misconduct, putting him away for much of the rest of that period. I'm sure he didn't mind, though- the look on his face after Martin's goal said it all.

Don't be misled, though- the Oilers put up a very good fight. They outshot the Islanders for much of the game, giving Nabokov plenty of work to do until the third period, when they just seemed to lose steam. Meanwhile, the Isles did good work on defense, and while Nabokov didn't need to be a huge hero, he did make some excellent saves to keep the Oilers from getting back into the game. Taylor Hall, Jordan Eberle and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins were all held point-less despite Hall's four shots, Eberle's two, and Nugent-Hopkins's four. Hall and RNH also hit at least one post apiece. If not for the posts, it would have been a much closer score.

But it is what it is, and overall the Islanders did extremely well, both to gain a lead and to hold off the big three scorers. They also had a slight scare when Andy Sutton blindsided Tavares with a late hit in the second period (not uncommon for the Oilers' blueliner, who's been suspended twice already this season); however, JT would return to the game and earn the Isles' first star. Moulson and Martin rounded out the top three, making this New Year's Eve an enjoyable one for them and for the rest of the team.

Happy New Year to them and to everyone else, Isles fan or no!

Until next time.

Notes: Travis Hamonic continues his development as a top defenseman, leading all Isles with 22:12 of TOI...Mark Streit, in contrast, got considerably less than he is used to, finishing with 19:55... Tim Wallace was extremely physical throughout, with at least three big hits... October 10 and 13 are the last times that the Isles have held the opposition to a goal or fewer in two straight games, but they've done it in their last two now, outscoring their opponents 7-2.

With an Early Game Comes... a Preview!

The Islanders face off against the Edmonton Oilers today, which is pretty fitting, since I can't seem to remember a single New Year's Eve they've had off. The good thing about this one, though, is that it's at 1:00 pm, which means the boys have plenty of time to kick back and pop some champagne before 2012 hits.

Now, on to this matchup. The Edmonton Oilers have the potential to be scary good someday, but their talent- Taylor Hall, Jordan Eberle and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins among them- like the Isles', is still a bit green. As such, the Oilers have been losing as of late, starting their seven-game road trip with a loss in Vancouver, and being beaten by Minnesota 4-3 just the other night.

The Islanders have won five straight against Edmonton on home ice, outscoring them by a 2:1 ratio, but that's no reason for us to get cocky. The Islanders need to put together a few wins now, for no better reason than to try and get back into the playoff hunt- not to mention, they need some of their swagger back. It was great watching them play around and joke with each other after Thursday's win, but now it's time to get back to business. Even though the Oilers are struggling, that's no reason to underestimate Eberle (five goals and three assists in six games) or Nugent-Hopkins, the NHL's leading rookie scorer with 35 points this season (five more than PA Parenteau, our team's leading scorer). Hall, meanwhile, has been a bit quiet, but did score two points in the Oilers' loss to the Wild (1G, 1A).

As for the Islanders, the key is simple: simplicity. The Moulson-Tavares-Okposo line looked wonderful Thursday night, and they have to bring the same energy and aggression that they brought against Calgary. Crash the net hard, early and often (that does create a LOT of our offense, to be honest), don't go for fancy passes and dipsy-doodles (unless you can), and stay out of the penalty box, if only to keep RNH off of the PP where he has 15 assists this season. Same formula, different team. Carry on.

Let's Go Islanders!!

P.S. Good thing this is an early game- I'll be in downtown Buffalo for the ball drop tonight! It's no Times Square, but it'll do to be SOMEWHERE. ;) Happy New Year, everyone!

Stats sources: islanders.nhl.com, oilers.nhl.com

Getting the Mojo Back? Well, A Line Switch Certainly Helped

Flames 1: Islanders 3

After being faced with the Islanders' third straight loss in regulation, head coach Jack Capuano knew he had to do something, and fast. He didn't demote anyone or sit anyone down. Instead, he made a couple of adjustments to his lines. And wouldn't you know it, they worked.

Kyle Okposo started on the top line with John Tavares and Matt Moulson tonight, and the impact he made was certainly noticed, as the Islanders rallied back to win against the Calgary Flames, 3-1, at Nassau Coliseum. The new top line combined for eleven shots and the game-winning goal, and everyone noticed the immediate chemistry between Okposo and Tavares.

At first, it looked as though this game was going to go horribly wrong. 1:11 into the first, Tom Kostopoulos threw one toward the net that deflected off of former Islander Tim Jackman and past Evgeni Nabokov for the 1-0 lead. Then later on, Lee Stempniak blasted Kyle Okposo with a shoulder-to-head hit, and in the ensuing line brawl, Chris Butler seemed to commit a "third man in" penalty on Matt Moulson, yet somehow, the Flames emerged with a power play thanks to a four-minute call on Moulson. Screwy stuff, and I don't know how in the world to explain it, so don't ask me. Thankfully, Okposo only had a cut on the nose and nothing worse, but with a player who has a concussion history (even a short one), you don't want to take your chances. Then again, the refs were just awful in this game when they chose to blow their whistles (which wasn't often, save for one more call on Michael Grabner for "high-sticking"). Nabokov also had to come up with some bailout saves after Andrew MacDonald and Milan Jurcina made some questionable moves that led to odd-man rushes for the Flames.

In the second period, though, the Islanders tied it up. PA Parenteau fed a wide-open MacDonald from behind the net for the tying goal at 3:04 of the second period, giving A-Mac his third goal of the season (all against Western Conference teams, go figure). From there on out, the Islanders were rolling, throwing all that they could at Miikka Kiprusoff (who, to his credit, handled the pressure admirably). Kipper would stop 31 of 33 before the night ended.

Of course, no one can blame him for the game winner. John Tavares came through with a beautiful individual effort, driving around Chris Butler and across the slot, tucking it around the right pad of a sprawling Kiprusoff for the tiebreaker. It was a combination of JT's incredible work and some not-great choices by the Calgary defense that led to that goal, and some key shut-down defense by the Islanders to ensure that the Flames never got close no matter how hard they tried. Brian Rolston gave the Islanders the insurance goal with 43 seconds to go, sealing a much-needed win for the Islanders (who are now 13-1-7 in their last 21 games against Western Conference teams, a stat that I would love to transfer to the Eastern Conference). Overall, this was a solid 60-minute effort by a team that has gone through some tough losses and tougher practices lately, and is still attempting to find some sort of groove. They haven't gotten many breaks, what with injuries and phantom calls, but they're not focusing on that, instead electing to work hard with what they have, and to try and build momentum.

Don't have much more to say, other than that I loved this win and I hope to see more just like it.

Until next time.

Notes: Give some credit to PA Parenteau, also- he had two assists today, and now leads the team in points with 30... Nabokov made 29 saves on 30 shots, shaking off his early gaffe admirably... Attendance was just under 15,000, but I had the pleasure of hearing some loud cheering as the game went on, including one guy all by himself screaming "LET'S GO, ISLANDERS!" You're incredible, guy. ... Travis Hamonic also had a solid game, finishing with 21:39 TOI, 2 shots and a +3 rating... Islanders prospect alert! Ryan Strome is on fire for Team Canada in the World Junior Championships. He leads the tournament in scoring with three goals and four assists in two games so far. Of course, he was tearing up the ice with the Niagara IceDogs as well before the WJC started... can't wait to see him on the ice for the Islanders.

Offense... Do We Have It?

Islanders 0: Rangers 3

Nothing is more frustrating than knowing you have a decent core of offensive producers and seeing every single member of that core fail to produce, particularly against a division rival.

That's how I feel right now, to be honest. In between dealing with a fuzzy Gamecenter Live, having to explain that no, I'm not watching MSG Plus 2 because I live in Buffalo ("WHAT?!"), and trying to ignore people snarking about my favorite player, I was watching the Islanders short-circuit against the Rangers at MSG for the second time in four nights. Not one Islander recorded a point or even came close to it, save for a couple of rushes early on- and forget about the anemic power play, which failed to record a single shot in its first two attempts.

Some highlights:

• Micheal Haley was given an instigator penalty and a misconduct for beating on Stu Bickel early in the game (and, in true Islander fashion, would not return for the rest of the night due to a hand injury. Sigh.)
• Dan Girardi was given a kneeing penalty after colliding with John Tavares, and thankfully this one was not called a "dive" by JT like it was against the Leafs on Saturday.
• I yelled at a lot of different Rangers.
• Evgeni Nabokov got another start, and he did everything he possibly could in net tonight, making 28 saves, including some beauties in the first period. His counterpart for the Rangers, Henrik Lundqvist, however, was perfect, and to add to his own 28 saves, the defensive play of the skaters in front of him was superb.
• Save for the fight early on, this was not a very nasty game. It started out much like a game of chess, to be honest, with the two teams feeling each other out and figuring out how best to play defense against each other. Perhaps that was what hurt the Islanders' chances of winning- though, admittedly, the defense had its usual issues.
• Travis Hamonic led the team in TOI with 24:57, while Matt Moulson led the forwards with 20:36- and Michael Grabner was benched for the last 8:30 of the second period, a definite message being sent to him from the coaching staff. Indeed, he hasn't been sparkling (15 points and a -11 on the season to date), but I can think of a few guys who deserve to benched ahead of him (starting with Marty Reasoner... just saying).
• Jack Capuano pulled Nabokov with over three minutes remaining in the third, which lead to the game-sealer empty net goal by Marian Gaborik- and once again, I wonder what he's thinking. Clearly, pulling the goalie is not working, and neither are any of the other tactics he has employed this season to try and galvanize his team. Time to get tougher and/or change something around, Cappy, because this team is like Internet Explorer: not responding. If need be, bench someone, even your captain (whose fault this game was not, by the way- just making an example). You're not here to be a friend. Be a coach. Get these guys to start winning again.
• On the Rangers' side, Michael Del Zotto and Carl Hagelin were the wonder duo tonight, scoring the Rangers' first two goals (Del Zotto with the start, Hagelin with the finish). Del Zotto was a +3 to finish the night, while Hagelin was a +2.

Not much more to be said, except.... WAKE IT UP, BOYS.

Until next time.

Wearing Your Jersey in a Foreign Land, Part Two.

My co-worker hates the Islanders.

Why? I don't know. Nor does he.

"I don't know anyone on that team other than DiPietro," he says. (He's a Jhonas Enroth fan, and an ice/street/roller hockey goalie.)

He even carved "Islanders Suck" into a piece of styrofoam as we were doing truck earlier today, to which I just raised an eyebrow.

Methinks I have a troll on my hands.

My last day there, I'm going to wear an Isles shersey to work just to mess with him.

Leafs Get Win... Okay, Maybe the Refs Helped Out a Bit.

Maple Leafs 5: Islanders 3

If I were Doug Weight, I'd be ticked off, too.

The assistant coach had all manner of vitriol to spew in the on-ice official's direction after a call regarding John Tavares. JT had been cross-checked in the head by Toronto's Joffrey Lupul, when the refs decided Tavares had dived as well. Instead of a penalty, it was a 4-on-4 situation, which riled up Weight and sent the Isles' comeback into a downward spiral.

Of course, it hasn't been the first time that the refs have done this (ahem, San Jose?). But at least the first time, the Islanders managed to get at least one point.

All of that being said, there were questionable plays throughout this game on New York's behalf. From the first period, which I missed most of (and came home from work to find the Leafs already up 2-0) but heard of the horrors involved, to a couple of bad mistakes by Mark Streit and Frans Nielsen to give Joey Crabb a shorthanded goal, to the aforementioned ridiculous call and subsequent blowup by Weight... it just wasn't good. And the issue really is that the Islanders could have come back... maybe.

Let's be honest, the Isles put themselves into a hole in the first period, even with the pretty goal scored by Kyle Okposo with 4:15 left. Though they showed some good resilience with a Frans Nielsen power play goal 40 seconds into the second period, there were too many gaffes and missed opportunities, and James Reimer (bless his heart) allowed for many of those opportunities. After missing a few games with an injury, the Leafs goalie was bobbling more than a few glove saves and coughing up rebound after rebound, and yet the only thing that saved him (other than his skaters) was the fact that the Isles could not collect the rebound, or put it wide or high. John Tavares showed ultimate patience by finding the gap and shooting for it to cut the lead to 4-3 midway through the third period, which made me wonder if mayyyybe I was going to be wrong about the whole "we're just not solving Reimer tonight" concept... and then the call happened.

It all leads back to the call.

No, it really doesn't. It's just highly frustrating, and so is watching this team struggle, especially with so much promise. It doesn't show right now because yes, we're on the skids, and we've needed extra time to win lately, but it's there. It just needs to be found and brought back out to stay. Consistency would be wonderful (and so would a reliable defense- Mike Mottau was the surprise defensive star of tonight's game, which is saying something). I just hope Jack Capuano figures out what to do, other than laugh as his assistants go on tirades...

Until next time.

Meeting Number Three... Not a Charm

Islanders 2: Rangers 4

After the Islanders pulled within one for the second time in the match, John Mitchell capitalized on a questionable decision by Isles head coach Jack Capuano to seal the win for New York, 4-2.

Capuano had elected to pull Evgeni Nabokov with a minute and a half left, before the Islanders had even left the defensive zone, when the puck was turned over. With Nabokov completely out of position, the Rangers upped the tally easily, taking the wind completely out of the Isles' sails.

This was not an easy game to watch. The Rangers struck first, on a shot by Brandon Dubinsky resulting in his first goal in over a month (of course). It took until :18 into the second, on a rebound PA Parenteau cashed in on, to tie it, and then Marian Gaborik (league-leading 20th) scored right off of a faceoff win by Artem Anisimov, darting behind three Islanders to get it past Nabokov. Michael Del Zotto made it 3-1 after collecting a loose puck. Matt Moulson would be the only other Islander to score, continuing the trend of low offense that has hurt this team since the beginning of the season- and with plenty of offensive weapons (not the least of which is John Tavares, who hasn't scored since Dec. 13 in Montreal), it's hard to believe they have a second-worst 72 goals forced (only two goals better than L.A.). It also doesn't help that the power play, which did capitalize on two opportunities, still needs to work on a few things.

As for the rivalry... well, it came out in the third period. Newest member on the "Angie doesn't like you" list? Stu Bickel, who got into it with Matt Martin and then sucker punched Tim Wallace, earning himself a two-minute minor that turned into Moulson's goal. He joins Evander Kane, who had run Al Montoya in the Isles' previous game in Winnipeg, giving him a concussion (hence Nabokov's start). For his part, by the way, Nabokov made 21 saves, though the three goals he allowed had been on the Rangers' first 13 shots. Meanwhile, former Isle and current Rangers backup Martin Biron made 24 of 26 stops to secure the win, continuing his streak of excellence against the Islanders.

Sigh. Well, the good thing about this game is that there's no time to dwell. The Islanders return home to face the Toronto Maple Leafs, who have just defeated the Sabres tonight, 3-2. Toronto's been all over the board as far as I can tell, so who knows what we'll find tomorrow.

Until next time.

Sigh.

Stars 3: Islanders 2

Three straight dropped?

The frustration is mounting once again. After a listless loss to the Penguins 6-3 and a spirited effort against Montreal, 5-3, the Islanders were all over the board last night, though none of it reflected either on the PP or the scoresheet.

The second line factored heavily into the scoring, with Michael Grabner and Kyle Okposo tallying goals, but New York forfeited the 2-1 lead and the two points to Dallas in the third period, letting young Jamie Benn secure the win for his club at 4:33. Kevin Poulin did his best in his first start of the season, but the 21-year-old netminder (called up from Bridgeport after Rick DiPietro was placed back on IR) could not weather the storm.

I'll say this much: I knew this game was going to be a mess. It's easy to tell when your team's struggling and when they're flying high, and there was way too much of the former in this match. Too many slow starts out of the zone, plenty of giveaways, getting hemmed into the defensive zone- and worst of all, the power play was completely power-LESS. Doug Weight's got to change something in his strategy, because there is absolutely nothing there. Not to mention the lack of intensity and aggressiveness, underscored by the relative zest and tenacity shown by the Stars as they fought to regain the lead. Overall, just disappointing.

The one bright spot for tomorrow night in Minnesota? Andrew MacDonald and Mark Eaton are game-time decisions, which makes me hopeful that maybe some relatively fresh faces and legs will revive this team. I hope so, at least, because it's getting really discouraging.

Just a PSA.

Whoever's been searching for "ugly girls wearing hockey jerseys" and coming up with my blog... for God's sake, do not use the pictures that you find. They were given to me in full trust, and if I see them being misused anywhere else I will find out who you are. Trust me.

Okay, carry on. :)

Defense Comes Up With Points, But Isles Fall One Short of Victory

Blackhawks 3: Islanders 2 (OT)

Overtime losses are frustrating as hell to watch. You just get so pumped up for sudden-death, especially when your team's climbed back from a deficit to tie the score, only to watch the opposing team come the other way and bury your high hopes deep into the ground with an overtime goal.

Granted, both of these teams I root for, but still.

Though Travis Hamonic and Steve Staios both netted their first goals of the year, the Islanders' offense could not contribute anything, and eventually the Blackhawks claimed the second point in overtime, 3-2, on a 2-on-1 rush for Chicago. Patrick Sharp scored his 15th of the year and second of the game on a feed from Marian Hossa, and he and Hossa were certainly the difference makers.

Of course, you expect your top players to make the difference for your club, and while the top two lines tried their hardest, nothing came out of it. Matt Moulson and PA Parenteau came up with an assist each, but that would be all. The Islanders' power play was stagnant, the penalty kill had to be on its game, and Al Montoya (25 saves) was not quite the rock he needed to be, though he tried his best. Give the Isles credit for coming back and forcing an overtime, earning the team a needed point (and lengthening their points streak to six games), but I suppose all offensively good things have to come to an end.

On to the last game of the home stand on Saturday, against Pittsburgh. (Joy.) Sidney Crosby is once again out of the lineup as a precaution after being shaken up in a collision with teammate Chris Kunitz during a game (though I half-expect the Pens to announce that he'll be playing against us Saturday night- gotta get those points... Sorry, natural cynicism, I suppose). Expect either a blowout or an exceptionally tight-played game, as these usually are. Usually being the operative term.

Until next time.

P.S. Some notes- Attendance was recorded at 10,711... Michael Grabner was back in the lineup tonight, only missing one game as a result of his groin injury. He didn't look quite as speedy tonight as he usually does, though he had some good SH chances... Oh, and dear Howie Rose, I love you, but please, learn how to pronounce Hjalmarsson. (It's YAL-mar-son. Not difficult. Soft 'j.') Thanks.

Lightning Doesn't Always Strike Twice

Lightning 1: Islanders 5

The hockey gods seem to have blessed Bridgeport.

I'm not talking about the Sound Tigers' success- well, not exactly (though they're not in horrible shape, either). I'm talking about the influx of AHLers that has boosted the Islanders' roster, answering their call with a resounding blast of the goal horn.

David Ullstrom tallied his first NHL goal and Tim Wallace his first NHL point, as the Islanders rolled over the Lightning last night by a final score of 5-1. The two Sound Tigers came to fill holes left by Michael Grabner (groin, DTD) and Andrew MacDonald (lower-body injury, 2-4 weeks). Twelve different Islanders, including the aforementioned callups, recorded points in last night's rout. Heading the scoresheet were top liners John Tavares (1G, 1A) and Matt Moulson (1G, 1A) and captain Mark Streit (2A).

The Islanders may have gotten their second win in a row since losing in a shootout to the Chicago Blackhawks (next up again on their schedule tomorrow night), but what strikes me most about this game is the fact that over half the roster factored into the scoring. It was a beautifully balanced effort. Josh Bailey had a wonderful game, setting up Ullstrom for his milestone goal with a nifty little drop pass. (And that's a shock, seeing as he'd been pretty sub-par for a good part of this season so far.) Milan Jurcina stepped up into the play, sneaking in from the point and benefiting from a beautiful tic-tac-toe play headed by Streit and Frans Nielsen. Wallace recorded his first point, an assist, feeding Matt Martin from behind the net. Matt Moulson continued his hot streak with his 14th on the season, assisted by (who else?) Tavares, and Tavares broke his 13-game goalless drought, as well as the 0 on the Jumbotron, early in the first for the Isles.

And to think Tampa Bay had been leading before all of this happened.

The defense was also very sound in this game, giving the Lightning few chances either to get settled in the zone or to score once they gained possession. When they faltered, however, Al Montoya was equal to the task after his small hiccup in the first. He made 23 saves to preserve the win, and for his efforts he earned the third star of the game. With Rick DiPietro out indefinitely with a groin pull (and Kevin Poulin called up from the A), expect Monty to shoulder most of the workload from now until DP is healthy again.

Give Mathieu Garon credit, though- the guys in front of him didn't do much to help him out, admittedly. When not serving penalties, they were executing poor puck protection and not doing much to help even the scoring. More than once it looked like they were just standing still out there, and with as much offensive firepower as the Lightning have, that can't really happen. Now on a five-game losing streak after last night, they have to get their feet moving again, and not to the sin bin. Garon did all he could to try and keep his team in it- now the onus falls to the skaters.

I'll end tonight's recap with a little anecdote I neglected to mention from Monday. I have a friend who talks hockey with me a lot, and though he's a Sabres fan, he even has a few Islanders on his fantasy teams. As I passed him to go talk to my professor Monday, he whispered to me, "Mouuuulson," and grinned. I smiled the rest of the way down the stairs. Moulson is indeed tearing it up with a five-game goal streak (eight goals tallied in those five games) and is on pace for yet another 30-goal season, we hope. Way to go, Matty.

Until next time.

"Roller Coaster" Doesn't Even Begin to Describe It

Islanders 5: Stars 4

Someone fed Matt Moulson a giant bowl of Wheaties this morning.

The winger scored four goals, including the game-winner, to lift the Islanders over the Stars 5-4, in a game in which the team in general had a 3-0 lead evaporate in fewer than five minutes, but kept pushing over the top to get the two points. Dylan Reese also scored, while Tomas Vincour, Eric Nystrom (yes, Bobby's son), Jake Dowell and Tom Wandell kept Dallas in it. Vincour, Nystrom and Dowell's goals all came within two minutes in the second period, snipping away the Isles' lead like a loose string on a sweater. But thanks to some serious focus and grit by the top line of Moulson-Tavares-Parenteau, the Islanders were able to hang on.

Rick DiPietro got the win for New York thanks to Al Montoya- let's face it, that's what happened. Tonight's starting goalie, DP, had allowed four goals on 21 shots and sat on the bench with a groin injury (?) to begin the third, as Montoya stopped all 13 shots he faced in the final twenty minutes of play. And again, though I love DP, it still baffles me that there's any question of the #1 goalie on Long Island. Granted, DiPietro is not the only one to blame, at least on the first two Stars goal- Vincour's shot was deflected, and Nystrom outmuscled a poorly-positioned Reese right in front of DP. But it's safe to say there was a lack of intensity on Rick's end, and a bit of discomfort too (hence the benching, at least according to the Isles). The only thing to be grateful for, from an Islander standpoint, is that Andrew Raycroft was slightly worse.

At any rate, other than Moulson, John Tavares was second on the scoresheet with three points, all assists. The top-line center has had nine points in thirteen games since his last goal scored (Nov. 5 in Washington), and while I'd love to see more goals out of him, there's no denying he's still had an impact. He's a great playmaker, incredibly strong on the puck, and with his improved skating and solid two-way play, it's easy to see why he's tied with linemate PA Parenteau for the team lead in points.

However, though this was a game full of goalie fails and goals scored, it was also full of injuries, particularly two key ones- Nino Niederreiter and Michael Grabner. Niederreiter was the recipient of an awful hit by Mark Fistric in the first period, and was taken off the ice and diagnosed with concussion-like symptoms. No doubt it's a hit that will be reviewed by Director of Player Safety Brendan Shanahan. Michael Grabner also left late in the second with an apparent groin injury and, according to the Islanders, will be re-evaluated tomorrow. Milan Jurcina also left for a brief period of time, and returned in the third (and with Andrew MacDonald already out from an injury sustained while blocking a shot in the final seconds of the Sabres game... yeah, let's not go there).

Strangely absent from the ice for most of the third period was captain and minute-muncher Mark Streit, who would return for the closing minute. And even more strange was the fact that no one asked Jack Capuano in the postgame presser why Streit didn't play. He's the captain. Why wasn't he on the ice? No one knows. Though Mark has been struggling lately, he's been able to push his plus-minus out of the double digits, and he's even generated two points (assists) in three games, which isn't much, but it's something. There has to be some sort of explanation for it, but it wasn't one Capuano was willing to give on his own, and certainly not interesting enough for the media. *sigh*

Well, at the very least, the Isles walked away from this road trip with seven of a possible eight points. It couldn't have gone better, and with a three-game homestand coming up this week (Tampa Bay, Chicago, Pittsburgh), it's the best possible scenario: the Islanders coming home full of confidence in a good road trip, even if one of the wins could have gone a bit smoother. We'll see how they react after a couple of days off and Tuesday night's game against the Lightning.

Until next time!

Isles Get One Point in Shootout, Capuano Fails to Make Point Regarding #1 Goalie

Islanders 4: Blackhawks 5 (SO)

Now, this game wasn't very easy for me to deal with... eh, who am I kidding, I rooted for the Islanders all the way through. It's true that I enjoy watching the Blackhawks, and I have ever since discovering James Wisniewski (who has since been with at least four different teams) shortly after becoming a hockey fan. For that, I've gotten a fair bit of flak, and I certainly don't care. The fact remains that I root for the Islanders all the time- even when it comes to a match between them and the 'Hawks. And root I did for the orange and blue, tonight.

Kyle Okposo, Matt Moulson, PA Parenteau, and Nino Niederreiter were the goalscorers for the Islanders at the United Center, and the latter two were tying goals after falling behind twice. This was a very uneven game for the Isles- they started out strong and took a 2-1 lead in the first period, then proceeded to flop and slop all over the place in the second (outshot 15-2), and finally picked up in the third, outshooting Chicago 23-7 and pushing the match to an overtime, and then the skills competition. For the Blackhawks, Andrew Brunette, Ben Smith, Jonathan Toews, and Patrick Sharp scored in regulation, and then Toews scored the lone shootout goal to win it. Though the Islanders fan in me wants to dislike him tonight, I have to give Tazer credit where credit is due- he's certainly a leader on the ice, and as far as performance goes, he's a safe bet to make something happen for his team. Props to both teams also for keeping this game entertaining, as well as keeping their poise when things got choppy.

As for the goaltending, well, considering the score, it was pretty much a free-for-all, but both Al Montoya and Corey Crawford had some impressive saves. Montoya, a Chicago native, was performing in front of a large group of family and friends tonight, and reportedly shelled out around $3,875 to get them to the United Center (more proof that hockey tix in Chitown are hard to get). His best save was in the first period, on Marcus Kruger with- get this- the unpadded part of his blocker, having dropped his stick in the scramble to get to the eventual rebound. Incredible stuff from a guy who was probably only supposed to be a temporary fix while Rick DiPietro worked to get back into health and form.

However, Montoya has proven to many people that he belongs in the NHL. His stats right now are incredible, and his name is among Tim Thomas's, Pekka Rinne's, and other elite NHL goalies in terms of save percentage and goals-against average. Yet in his post-game interview, head coach Jack Capuano said, "I wouldn't say that" when asked if Montoya is his clear-cut #1 goalie.

Sorry, Jack, but methinks you're out of your mind.

I just don't know what else Al can do to prove he's a solid starter. He's kept his team in games they'd otherwise have been losing by wider margins, he gives them chances to rally and force games (like he did tonight) and all of this with a defense that is too often unreliable. And yet with all of this, Cappy, you're basically saying he's still fighting with Rick DiPietro for a starting position? How so? It just blows my mind. I know Ricky's got his contract, and I know him sitting for a while is probably not his idea of earning that paycheck, nor is it the organization's. But facts have to be faced: Al Montoya has earned the #1 spot on the Island. He took his opportunity when it was given to him, and he's provided more than just a bit of "healthy competition" for DiPietro. He works hard and he's kept a positive attitude throughout the season, and even injury couldn't stop him for very long. I have nothing against Ricky, but the guy is not the same player he was before his knees and his hips began to hinder his play. He may never be.

All I'm worried about is that once Montoya's contract expires, he's going to want a new opportunity with another team. And considering the extreme amount of slack the team's willing to give DiPietro, I wouldn't blame Monty for going somewhere else that will clearly name him the starting guy. I don't want him to, though, either...

We shall see.

Until next time.