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Live Blog: TB 1, NYI 3, Final (Hide the Children) |
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37.4 As TB takes a TO, that's going to do it from here. Nobody panic.
3:00 Three minutes left and the Isles will pull to within three points of the 29th-place Colorado Avalanche. I know not everyone is happy about that.
4:15 Nice wrister from Gervais--McKenna squeezed it between the pads--as the power play nears its end.
6:00 Karsums actually got a double-minor for roughing so the Isles come out a man up.
6:08 Witt takes exception to a perceived after-the-whistle hit and goes after Konopka behind the Islanders' net. Witt and Karsums end up in the box.
8:20 Nice job by Hillen/Tambellini preventing Stamkos from getting off a shot in the slot.
10:46 Doesn't matter much now. Comeau broke in with the puck and found Bailey cutting up the middle to the net. Bailey slipped it through McKenna for a power play goal. Isles lead 3-1.
11:06 Weight broke in clear to collect a puck coming out of the corner. His pass to the crease results in another Islanders power play. I was thinking shot all the way, but was not surprised Weight looked to pass.
14:35 Nice move by Iggulden to make some room for his shot, but he sent it just wide to the stick side.
18:00 Tambellini found himself free in front of McKenna and rang one off the left post from an angle.
19:05 A scoring change on the Islanders' second goal gives Jesse Joensuu his second assist of the game.
THIRD PERIOD
Second Intermission Side Story: It's good to see Mike Iggulden back up here getting another opportunity to show his stuff. He's a guy I've been rooting for all season. After putting up 5 points in his first 4 games with the Islanders, he went scoreless over the next five and saw fewer minutes along the way before being sent back to Bridgeport. Sometimes guys who follow that trend don't make it back for another look.
00.0 Period concludes with an Islander almost falling through a door during pushing and shoving again, but apparently the SMG procedural memo went out in time.
2:34 Isles will be shorthanded again after a Hillen high stick.
3:22 Just after stopping a flurry of shots in close, Danis finally gives one up to Pettinger during a TB power play. Isles lead 2-1.
5:01 Rechlicz and Konopka tangle along the boards in the neutral zone. Wrecker's aggressive style gives him the upper hand, but he'll take the extra two for charging.
5:08 Not much, that is, until Martinek steps into one inside the right circle. McKenna never had a chance. Isles lead 2-0.
5:14 Witt was back out there on the power play. Not much happening, so it's understandable.
6:59 Comeau not having his best game, but absorbing a high stick to the mouth is at least one way to contribute. Isles back to the power play. Park on the wing this time.
8:20 Gordon almost kept Thompson, Rechlicz, and Fritz out for two consecutive faceoffs in the offensive zone, but then apparently thought better of it and got Weight, Park, and Joensuu out there.
11:39 Karsums returns and the Isles are 0-2 on the PP.
12:45 Bailey with a gorgeous pass across the crease to Gervais, but Bruno can't get a complete handle on it and pushes it wide.
13:39 Isles will give the power play another try. It's Bailey, Nielsen and Comeau to start out up front this time.
15:55 Good rising wrister from Joensuu at the top of the right circle. Gave McKenna a little trouble and created a rebound.
17:20 Good stretch of continuous play to start the second period, but nothing too exciting so far. Pock just had a shot change direction on the way in, but McKenna was able to stick with it as it slowed down and shifted to his right.
SECOND PERIOD
1st Intermission Side Story: You could say that Fritz and Rechlicz are auditioning against each other for the role of future enforcer of this team. In that case, they'd better hope that the Lightning continue to be willing combatants or those two might have to fight each other. Come on, it's at least as likely as Brendan Witt appearing in a shootout.
0:17 Hillen and Martinek took over the points, but that power play went nowhere. Some decent puck possession, but no one seemed to know what to do to make something actually happen.
1:10 Crowd growing impatient after over a minute of possession in the offensive zone but no shots.
2:23 Isles will get their first chance at a power play thanks to a hooking penalty on Adam Hall. Weight and Gervais on the points, Bailey, Comeau, and Tambellini up front.
5:15 Joensuu had a rebound right in front of McKenna but couldn't stuff it by the Tampa Bay goalie.
8:28 Good job by Danis staying with a shot that changed direction on the way in, and then stood his ground to get in front of and eventually trap the rebound.
11:57 Town Supervisor of Oyster Bay says on the scoreboard that we all deserve a new, state-of-the-art arena, but won't give an actual comment on the Lighthouse Project.
14:22 Koci got an extra ten, probably for trying to go back at Fritz after the linesmen tried to break them up. Martinek now in the box for hooking and Thompson nearly put home a shorty.
15:05 Thompson out with Rechlicz and Fritz. Fritz and Koci go at it in our first battle of the night. Not sure Koci was ready for Mitch's reach and leverage. Fritz had him off balance and unable to reach while still landing punches of his own. Good start for the Isles' enforcers.
15:35 Next up it's Bailey centering Jackman and Comeau. Just trying to keep us oriented here.
16:53 Indeed, that line made another appearance. Now it's Nielsen with Iggulden and Tambellini. This could be a fun line to watch.
18:00 Very interested in the line combos tonight, but Coach Gordon may make it difficult to keep up. The Park threw off my attempts to pay close attention, but I believe it was Weight out there with Park and Joensuu to start.
19:37 Richard Park with the early "We're Not Tanking" goal. Isles lead 1-0. Assist to Joensuu.
FIRST PERIOD
This year's recipient of the Bob Nystrom Award, as voted by the fans, is Tim Jackman. It would have been a little awkward if he won the award and then the team chose not to re-sign him. Fortunately, that business is taken care of.
Nice anthem by A Cappella Anonymous
****
This could be ugly. It could also get ugly.
In case you haven't already heard, the Islanders have called up five players from Bridgeport for tonight's game against the Lightning at the Coliseum. According to the team's press release, all five of Mitch (the Fightin') Fritz, Mike Iggulden, Jesse Joensuu, Joel Rechlicz, and Jamie Fraser will be in the lineup tonight. Fraser, a 23-year-old defensemen with seven goals and 13 assists at Bridgeport, becomes the 12th Islander to make his NHL debut this season.
I'm still trying to do the math to determine if there's anyone else out tonight beyond Andy Hilbert, Mark Streit, Kyle Okposo, and Dean McAmmond (you know, aside from all the other guys that are out). Fraser obviously replaces Joe Callahan, who originally filled in for Streit but is now back at Bridgeport. Trevor Smith and Sean Bentivoglio, who took the places of Okposo and McAmmond against Montreal, have also been returned. By my count, with Hilbert injured, that still leaves an extra forward who came up and is playing tonight. Feel free to straighten me out in the comments if I'm not thinking of something.
Nevermind (but thank you). This is actually quite simple. Rechlicz is replacing himself.
Speaking of Wrecker, with the Isles icing perhaps their most junior lineup of the season, Joel and Mitch are in there together. Their foes tonight? You can start with Evgeny Artyukhin (137 PIMs in 69 games) and David Koci (107 PIMs in 33 games). So there's that potential for ugliness. A very entertaining ugliness, mind you.
Then, we cannot forget that this is #28 vs. #30 with decreased star power on both ends. At this point, you don't have to worry much about the Isles catching the Lightning in the standings (maybe we'll feel differently if an Islander win drops the cushion from 7 points to 5). We also cannot forget that there is benefit to the Lightning dropping to 29th in the form of a better chance of actually winning the lottery.
Of course, as we have seen, none of this matters when the puck drops. Both sides are coming to play. If, along the way, the game degenerates into a sloppy slugfest, I don't think anyone is going to complain. Should be a fun one.
Opening faceoff coming up in just over 15 minutes.
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