John Tavares tallied three points and PA Parenteau and Frans Nielsen clinched the shootout to beat Carolina 4-3. The Isles are on a three-game winning streak, and though things looked dicey in the 'Canes game, they managed to show poise and tenacity and steal the extra point. Tavares has points in four of the last five games New York has played, and has earned the first star in all of the last three. Linemate Matt Moulson also has a hot hand with four points in the last two, and Kyle Okposo has gained momentum since being moved to the top line with Tavares and Moulson. The other MM, Matt Martin, has also played key roles in the Isles' wins, providing offense and drawing penalties by refusing to drop the gloves.
Meanwhile, the Ducks are struggling something awful. Mired in last place in the Pacific and 14th place in the Western Conference, they've dropped their last three, including a 3-1 loss to the San Jose Sharks last night (Jan. 4). They've been especially dry on offense (their top goalscorer, Corey Perry, now has 15 goals- Teemu Selanne leads with 36 points) and goaltender Jonas Hiller, currently with a .898 Sv% and a 3.17 GAA, has not been the brick wall they've needed him to be. Offensive stud Bobby Ryan also had a three-game goal streak snapped last night, and captain Ryan Getzlaf has a whopping -19 and 25 points. So it's safe to say they are not getting the production that they need from an otherwise talented group of players.
Then again, the Islanders are having their own issues. Mark Streit hasn't scored since Nov. 17 and only has two goals on the season. Michael Grabner is also unusually quiet, with only 16 points and at a -12. Streit looked almost like his old self last game, even getting a quality scoring chance that no one was able to finish on, but he's been no great danger on the PP and fans have been criticizing him for his defensive plays all season. Grabner, meanwhile, has gotten the chances, including quite a few breakaways, but either his hands can't keep up or the defense has learned how to stay with him, because he's slowed down considerably since his hot finish last year.
That being said, these two players are key to the Isles' success, and must be a lot more productive in order to provide support for top scorers John Tavares, Matt Moulson and PA Parenteau. Okposo also needs to hit his stride soon, though he's gotten points in all three of the Isles' wins and looks much more comfortable alongside JT and Moulson. (And for God's sake, everyone needs to get out of the minuses.)
All things considered, the blue and orange has been successful against Western Conference teams not named the Chicago Blackhawks all season, so now is the perfect time to continue that trend. If they stick to the game plan they've adhered to the past three games, shooting early and often and keeping the offense to the perimeter, providing Evgeni Nabokov with easy saves, another win should be in order.
P.S. Rick DiPietro managed to obtain another lower-body injury while on IR. Don't ask how. Plus, there's no timetable for Al Montoya's return, meaning it'll be Nabokov and Anders Nilsson for a while. Godspeed, and defense, please take note.
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