Yes, it’s just the 26th game of the season and they will meet seven more times over the next four months. But Islanders-Rangers is never just another game, and that’s especially true when first place in the Atlantic Division is on the line.
Coming on the end of a back-to-back set of games, the Islanders couldn’t afford to look past Pittsburgh to the Rangers. But in a way, the Rangers game was the subtext last night, providing motivation for the Islanders to find a way to beat the Penguins, 5-3, and draw within a point of the Rangers and Devils.
When I spoke to him after yesterday’s morning skate, Islanders goaltender Rick DiPietro made it clear he knew where both teams stood and what was necessary to make tonight’s game just a little more important. “I’m sure for the fans, it will be a little more exciting than usual with our current standing,” DiPietro said. “But we’ve got to win [against Pittsburgh] to put ourselves in a position to catch those guys.”
They did that despite a tough opening period in which Pittsburgh was awarded five of its nine power plays and took an early 2-1 lead. After the Isles came back to take a one-goal lead midway through the second period when Viktor Kozlov and Mike Sillinger scored the first of their two goals apiece, watching DiPietro and the Islanders fight to hold onto the lead was like watching a high-wire walker on a windy day. There were a lot of oohs and aahs and heart palpitations as the Penguins came close on chance after chance.
No, the Islanders’ defense didn’t exactly lock up Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. That’s an impossibility. But they fought like crazy, as defenseman Sean Hill did after having his ankles broken when Crosby did the hockey version of a crossover dribble behind the net. Hill picked himself up off the ice and gave Crosby a shot. Okay, it gave the Pens another power play, but the Islanders stayed in the faces of the Penguins’ young stars during a game in which even Miro Satan threw off his gloves while wrestling behind the net with Mark Recchi.
If there’s one major concern for the Isles, it’s the lopsided difference between the number of power play opportunities they receive compared to their opponents. Going into the Pittsburgh game, only Chicago had received fewer power plays than the Islanders in the NHL, and they were only 25th in the league in number of power play goals for.
They broke out of a 12-game power-play slump last night with two goals in four chances. But during the previous 12-game stretch, the Islanders scored only three power-play goals in 44 attempts. During that same span, their opponents scored 12 times in 63 power-play chances.
If the Rangers have a big advantage in power-play opportunities tonight, it will be an uphill fight for the Isles against the likes of Brendan Shanahan, Jaromir Jagr and Michael Nylander. But no matter how the game is called, something tells me this is going to be a wild one because the Islanders will be out to show the Rangers they are a different team this season, a gritty Ted Nolan team.
Let the fireworks begin.
Comments (14)
LETS GO ISLANDERS!!!
POTVIN'S CUPS! POTVIN'S CUPS! POTVIN'S CUPS! POTVIN'S CUPS!
Isles need to win IN REGULATION, to take sole posession of 1st.
LETS GO ISLANDERS!!!
After all the seasons we've suffered through, how can we, after 26 games in, say the Nolan sucks, Snow's a weenie, Ricky's a dweeb, bring up the youth, yaddah yaddah yaddah. Let's let this season grow, and enjoy watching the Islanders play like they did last night. Hold your breath for a wild ride!
Islanders need to give an all-out effort tonight and DP needs to be solid. We need to make a statement here and take down the Rangers at the Garden!!!!
As long as we stay out of the penalty box, I'm not too worried about the Isles's power play. We've been really good even-strength all year. So even if we can't convert on the power play, that's ok as long as our penalty kill holds up (as it has been).
LET'S GO ISLANDERS!!!
Good blog. It was a wild one @MSG. We won. We're #1.
I think the Isles have been shortchanges on PP opportunities; p'haps they protest too little. But their 5 on 3 penalty killing--very good thus far. But this can't go on forever.
Good blog. Man that was a wild game, I was on the edge of my seat from drop of the puck period 1 to the final seconds. I really like how Kozlov stepped up for us tonight. Was a great game!
I still can't believe that no-call on the high stick. i'm less concerned about the power play and more concenred about how much time we spend in the box..
that all being said, we burned down the barn tonight and damn it felt good! f the rags. no yashin and coming off a gritty win last night and we showed them why we're the team to beat in the atlantic. looking forward to the next one. nolan is the man, ricky's contract is rediuclous but so far he's earning his pay, yashin is back from the dead, blake is the 21st century mr. islander, and we need a new barn. that's all for now.
p.s. great blog, thanks!
But stop blowin' games like the Philly game. Good teams don't lose those games.
The Isles need more power plays --and they will draw the penalties IF they play physically.
Yes, more physical play. As Jaffe on TV says: "Get a dirty goal." Nice to see the guys shoot rather than pass too much. Blake's a nice spark,Asham is as annoying to opponents as Gary Howatt was, and now I'm pissed I didn't buy el cheapo MSG/Isles tix this year--they're sold out. Yesterday would have been FUN!
1) Nice win on the road. Worst game we've seen Lundqvist play so far in his short carear
2) Gotta keep up the intensity. Keep this up and the fans will return! Just win baby!
Awesome game on the Isles's part. We bombed in the 2nd period, and almost blew a 4 goal lead thanks to a bad short-handed goal of all things. But we kept our cool, and came roaring back, which is a great sign.
We still have plenty of flaws of coach, but the nice thing about this team so far is that the coaching staff has been addressing problems, and the players have been answering. We're better today than we were at the start of the season, and we'll be even better come the end of the season.
The Isalnders killed but Lundvquist did have a lot of breakdowns. Its nice to have a win over the rangers. Lets Go Islanders!!!