Sorry, this one is running downward instead of my usual updates at the top.

Art Staple has announced that it is Rick DiPietro will get the start tonight in Dallas and give Al Montoya a bit of a rest.

I had a feeling he would be getting the start tonight. Had he not, it would have been very telling.

AMac will not play tonight either and Dylan Reese will be in. Both Haley and Reasoner will be a game time decision after warmups.

Can they get another point out of Dallas, or maybe two?

1st period: 14:08 and RDP has not let up a goal yet. But that is not the story right now. The story is the vicious hit on Nino Niederreitter that not only took him out of the play but may have taken him out of the game. What was that? Better question - Why?

Matt Martin immediately came to Nino's defense while he was splayed on the ground. Missed call is the least of it. Two refs were within 10 feet of the play and neither called a penalty. What kind of horse manure is that?

Martin in the box for roughing and the Stars on the power play.

With Ott called for roughing up Travis Hamonic against Rick's net, the Isles and Stars skated four on four for a few seconds before the Isles had a power play which Matt Moulson scored his tenth goal on. Thank you Matt Moulson.

The hockey gods continue to be angry with John Tavares who shot wide from three feet in front of the net. Not a problem for Moulson who was right there for the rebound. I still feel sorry for JT. He should score one tonight.

Rick signaled the refs for a delayed penalty on the Stars for taking down Mark Streit. Good for him. Good work on the Power Play but no goal to show for it.

End of the first and the score remains the same, Matt Moulson 2, Stars 0.

No word on Nino as of yet.

2nd Period: As the period begins, the news filters out that Nino does have concussion symptoms and will not return tot he game and will be looked at by the doctors tomorrow. Meanwhile someone should put a bullseye on the back of Mark Fristic.

Rick DiPietro has made some nice saves so far and then Dylan Reese makes it 3 - 0 at 17:12 of the 2nd. It is his third NHL career goal and the second even strength goal by a defenseman this season. Matt Martin had a lot to do with it.

However, at 16:33 the Stars hit the board with a goal by Vincour. Rick was screened.

Okay, sticky situation. Do we cheer or not? Eric Nystrom scores on RDP to cut the lead to 3 - 2 and then somehow within a few seconds, Rick gives up the third. The Stars scored three goals in 2:03. That shoots the crap out of Rick's confidence and he will give up more.

Luckily, it was the night Matt Moulson would get a hat trick. Only 27 seconds later Moulson put the Isles up 4 - 3 and the Isles Twitterfeed calls it a #Mattrick.


Interesting information on Twitter states that last season's meeting with the Dallas Stars caused JT to be out with a concussion.

Ott pushes Rick down in his net with an elbow to the head. (oh yeah no call.) But the second time Rick went down, he was slow to get up.

Isles on another power play lose their luck. Streit breaks a stick, Hamonic breaks a stick, Matt doesn't score on his breakaway. The Mandell ties the game at four with a rocket and an odd man rush.

Matt Moulson is on fire. Moulson has the first four goal game of the season in the NHL tonight. The Isles have the one goal lead back.

I have no idea how, but Rick lost his stick behind the net for a good stretch. He got lucky.

End of two Islanders 5 Dallas 4.

3rd Period: Rick DiPietro will not start the third period. It will be Al Montoya in net. Rick seemed uncomfortable early in the second and it seems he is having a groin issue and will need to be re-evaulated tomorrow. Yep, the black-hole of goalies gets deeper.


I'll admit. I've been dozing off and on. No additional scoring.

Jack's bench gets a little shorter as Michael Grabner leeaves the ice and headed to the room with no explanation.

Al Montoya gets cut a break with a lucky whisttle. The Stars pull their goalie and all the action is in the Isles goal crease.

With only a few seconds left of the third and the Stars dying to tie the game and go to overtime everyone works their butts off until the final buzzer sounds and the isles come away with the win.

Fiddler is a raving lunatic that needs to be restrained by a zebra. All because JT popped the goal into the net after the game ended? Really? Really?

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