The Detroit Red Wings are second in the Western Conference and fourth overall with 53 points, and that's not by accident. They have a system that has worked for years, and they're not straying too much from the game plan anytime soon. Plus, while their offensive leader, Pavel Datsyuk, only has 13 goals and 43 points, they've proven that they don't need a lot of flashy goalscorers in order to win games.
Last night, the Red Wings came back from a 2-0 deficit to beat Chicago in overtime, 3-2. The game before that, they stormed back from a 3-0 deficit against Toronto, only to fall 4-3- but that's still impressive. This team has tenacity, so while it's key for the Islanders to get that all-important first goal, they also must mount a lead and stick to it. The Red Wings can capitalize on virtually every mistake their opponents make, so there cannot be any sloppy moments if the Isles want these two points.
Not that this team has had much difficulty against the 'Wings in recent years. Some scores that come to mind involve a pair of 2-1 wins, a 2-0 win, a 6-0 win, and a 4-3 win- and in many cases, these games were the among the best-played of the year, particularly in net. However, the Islanders can't just bank on history. They have to come out and match the Red Wings in intensity for all 60 minutes. Detroit isn't a team that takes a lot of penalties for dumb reasons, so the Isles can't exactly goad them into doing that, but being aggressive can throw them off of their game.
Also, they'd do well to take their shots against Jimmy Howard- the goalie is in the top 10 in every major category in the league, including first in wins and third in shutouts. The offense has to bring the heat, and not just the top line. Of course, if David Ullstrom is able to return tomorrow night, he could bring some stability to the Josh Bailey and Matt Martin line, where he'd been playing before suffering a concussion (might I add, by Andrew Ladd's elbow- and to think I once LIKED him). Detroit's not a team that's blown out very often, due to strong defense and good goaltending, so the Isles have to preserve whatever lead they can gather with equally strong defense and two-way play.
Meanwhile, Evgeni Nabokov will likely get the nod in net once more, as Al Montoya is working toward a return. Concussions are a heady thing to deal with in terms of recovery (forgive the pun), so if I were the Isles' coaching staff, I wouldn't put Monty in net until Saturday against the Sabres, also allowing for him to shake off some rust and get back to form in practice. I know it sounds like forever, and I want to see Montoya back by all means- I just don't want to see him get placed back on IR, either. Besides, while Ullstrom shouldn't be rushed back either, I always think it's a bit easier for skaters to come back into the lineup, and I could be wrong about that; either way, it's a different story altogether.
Well, we shall see.
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