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Isles @ Flyers: Will Discipline Be The Difference? 4-1 Isles Final |
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9:28 pm: Wow. Just wow. With 8/10 of a second remaining, PA Parenteau passes the puck to a flying Michael Grabner for an empty net goal.
What a game! A goal in each type of situation. The spell is broken!!
Nabokov made 40 saves and wasn't even the first star. How about that? Everyone was on the same page -- finally.
9:20 pm: 3:44 left of the third and I can't even type. It's just too intense.
9:14 pm: Ah NUTZ!!! Nino Niederreiter does an excellent job keeping Simmonds from getting a good shooting lane, but then the puck manages to end up on a Flyers 'stick and Read ends up ending the Isles shut out streak.
The goal gives the Flyers jump and the game becomes even more intense. The flyers know they have enough time to tie it up and win. The Isles have to make sure they don't.
9:12 pm: Back at even strength, the two goalies are showing off by flashing the glove as they make excellent saves at each end of the ice. Okay boys, stop showing off.
9:06 pm: The teams skate 4 on 4 and JT draws a penalty as he is taken down by Timonen. Okay, Isles have a man advantage and a lot of open ice.
Streit power play goal as it bounces off Bob's pads and up over his shoulder. Streit has 17 power play points. The teams go back to four on four.
Tavares gets his second assist of the night and PA gets the other.
9:01 pm: PA Parenteau takes an ill-advised slashing penalty leaving the Isles short and with Jagr on the ice, that can't be good. Nabokov has to be exceptionally shart during these two minutes and so does the Isles PK.
With six seconds left of the Penalty, Nielsen manages to shoot the puck up ice and out of the zone. Okposo and Shenn tangle behind the net and schenn loses his helmet and won't let go of Okposo's jersey. Do they both go to the box?
8:52 pm: Matt Moulson spoke in between periods with WRHU's Corey Cross Hanson and told them about his goal "It was a great play by Johnny -- spun around and put it in the crease. I was lucky enough to put it in." Matt knows who they are facing so he knows what they have to do to start the third. "These guys can get on the board quickly, we have to play smart. We have to get a good jump off the bat here." When asked about his chemistry with JT, he explained "We know each other so well and know where each other are going to be. Oaky's playing great and we're able to get some good chemistry with him too." And finally what they want to do in the next 20 minute fram: "Be smart, get pucks where they have to be and no turn overs."
8:41 pm: And there it is, just as I said this morning, Josh Bailey told Peter from MSG that it was staying disciplined that is giving them the lead. Good for you Josh!
8:37 pm: Annnnndddd... somehow Dylan Reese managed to drop the gloves with the Flyers leading goal scorer, Claude Giroux. Dylan left the ice bleeding, but Giroux and Reese are off the ice for five minutes each for fighting.
The Isles kept the pressure up the entire period and for that effort, the head back to the locker room with a 2 - 0 lead. NICE!
8:25 pm: Wow! Did I pick a good time to turn on the computer. Josh Bailey scores his 100th NHL point with a goal short handed goal on the Flyers putting the Isles up 2 - 0 over the Flyers. It took him nine games to get this point. I'm sure he will savor it.
Please please, Hockey Gods -- whatever it takes to break the streak.
Matt Moulson started the scoring of the game, twice -- as his first goal was ruled a distinct kicking motion. Hardly, but hey. This is the Islanders. His second try couldn't be disputed and neither could the one by Josh Bailey in front of his father and the other Dads.
JT, with an assist on Moulson's goal, will get his own tonight, I'm sure of it. He's had at least three good chances. Grabner too had some good chances, especially on a break-away. You kknow, if Michael Grabner could score on every break-away, this team wouldn't have any problem making it into the playoffs.
Now, if Bobrovsky wasn't in the net, this game would be at least 4 - 0. Oh, and Nabokov is playing pretty good too.
12:17 pm: To no one's surprise, it's Nabby in net. Dylan Reese will take Steve Staois' place tonight as he will be a healthy scratch.
11:33 am: Unlike other game days, there is a FULL team skate this morning in Philly according to the Islanders Twitter feed. Guess maybe Jack realizes this is a VERY important game.
7 am: So are you going to Philly for the game tonight? Take a cue from the news and DON'T wear your Isles jersey. I wouldn't want any Isles fans to suffer the same fate as that of the Ranger fan beaten into a coma after the Winter Classic. (That of course would only be if the Isles win)
Did you hear? The guy they caught for the crime has 11, count them ELEVEN, prior convictions including assault. Every town has their idiots.
Now, let's talk about the Isles once again trying to beat the Flyers on the ice. The Flyers have had their number for every game since 2007. I always say, nothing lasts forever, so perhaps that would include the Isles losing streak vs the "F'ers."
We know Peter Laviolette's team plays a physical game, but what has to happen is the boys in blue and orange need to stay out of the box. In order to do that, they have to do what Evgeni Nabokov mentioned in the last game video: Playing disciplined. Against the Flyers, that will be hard to do.
Jack Capuano said that Montoya was "close;" close enough to sit on the bench on Tuesday and hope that Nabby didn't need him to step in the crease. If I were to venture a guess (and be wrong as usual), I would say that this game is too big and I would give it to Evgeni who has been playing very well. I would not want Al to have to suffer the same fate as Kevin Poulin did and give up three goals in the first seven minutes because he has cobwebs from not playing. No. Too big a game tonight.
The two Flyers players that the Isles should NOT leave alone in front of the net are Sean Couturier and Danny Briere. I'm just sayin'. Couturier has scored in five straight games and Briere has always given the Isles trouble.
To that end, the Flyers will be watching John Taveres, who has 6 goals and 11 assists in his last ten games. They will be all over him like white on rice. What Jack will really, really need tonight is secondary scoring.
If ever there was a night for the other lines to click, it's tonight. Score first, score often, play disciplined. Stay out of the box and don't let them have the man advantage. Even thought the Flyers power play advantage is exactly the same as the Isles at 19.4%, they still can't give them the chance.
With the fathers on the trip, I'm hoping they will bring luck. Sometimes having the Dads with them is a distraction and they're having too much "fun" to actually take care of the work at hand.
Maybe, just MAYBE, everyone is sick and tired of losing in Philly. Maybe, just MAYBE, tonight the losing streak will be broken.
Maybe.
New York Islanders Blogger • 
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