This game certainly didn't end the way it began. If you weren't sitting when the game first started, you may have missed John Tavares' opening goal. It was eleven seconds in and the puck was in the net behind Talbot.

The Isles put 22 shots on net in the first 20 minutes with Frans Nielsen netting his 11th goal at the 11:46 mark. But as Ranger fans began to throw their hands up thinking it was over,
Ryan McDonagh cut the Isles lead in half and the Rangers suddenly had some life.

Rick DiPietro offered up his thoughts on his past and on Halak's play. IT was good to see him on the broadcast, although he did say "again" more than he needed to. But he's more used to radio broadcasts right now and a co-host named Hahn not Hogan.

Johnny Boychuk put the Isles up by two at the 1:20 mark of the second on an unassisted slap-shot. But speed kills and it was the Ranger's speed that turned the game into "a track meet.". Kreider and McDonagh scored back to back goals early in the second to even things up at three. About three minutes later, Ryan Strome had the Isles back on top with his 11th of the season. (There's a lot of 11s going on tonight.) He scored his 12th in the opening minutes of the third.

But then, in the third period, the Islanders couldn't get out of their own way and all hell broke loose. Stepan and that Islander killer Marty St Louis scored to push the Rangers to even the score at five at 8:02 of the third and then there was no way the Islanders were going to find the back of the net again.

"We couldn't get it done." Jack said. "Came back a little lazy there." Answering some of the Ranger goals. "It was one of those nights, we could have been up by three, but they came back." Because they didn't want to be down 4-0 against the Isles this season.

"They're better in D. They transition well, they work off the cycles and the rush.". Because this is the National Hockey League and every team is a good team. "I thought we still did a good job. It was one of those games." And you can't win them all. It's just not possible.

But as we have heard all season, did the officiating have anything to do with the outcome of this game? "It was a questionable call on Boychuk. If that was somewhere else on the ice, usually that's called. That was the turning point of the game."

Boychuk was tripped, there was no call and St. Louis scored that fifth goal that Tavares agreed was the turning point of the game. Ranger fans could rejoice and Islander fans look towards tomorrow as the Isles head to Carolina to take on the Hurricanes.

As Rick DiPietro said, this is one of those games you put behind you, get on the plane and have a warm glass of milk and some cookies.

After all -- Tomorrow is another day!

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