Follow me on Twitter:
@BenShelley_20
Follow HockeyBuzz Islanders on Twitter:
@HB_Islanders
The New York Islanders defeated the Chicago Blackhawks last night, coming away with a 3-0 shutout win.
Hudson Fasching came into the lineup for his first game with the Islanders, with Cole Bardreau now back in the AHL.
The game saw an early fight between Casey Cizikas and Reese Johnson, presumably as a follow-up to Cizikas’ hit on Alex Stalock when the teams faced off about a month ago. The Islanders ended up putting together an alright first period, though the Blackhawks did generate some good chances as the period went along, and Semyon Varlamov had to be really good.
New York completely took over in the second period though, throwing 20 shots on goal. Then midway through the second frame, Matt Martin ended up getting the Islanders on the board, sliding a puck towards Arvid Soderblom and it somehow found its way in, opening the scoring after a review. Then later in the period, Zach Parise tipped in a point shot from Adam Pelech to extend the lead, followed by a goal from Brock Nelson off a rush only 43 seconds later, making it a three-goal game.
The Islanders did a really good job limiting chances in the third period, shutting down Chicago’s offense and giving up only seven shots. They cruised from there to a 3-0 win.
After firing nearly 50 shots on goal in their loss to the Nashville Predators on Friday, this was a big win for New York. Once again, they managed a lot of shots and sustained momentum, but this time, they were able to capitalize when it mattered.
That said, while the Islanders may have limited Chicago to just 21 shots, Semyon Varlamov does deserve credit for earning his shutout, especially in the first period. The majority of the eight shots New York gave up in the opening frame were quality chances and if Varlamov doesn’t make those saves early on, the game could’ve gone differently. He's quietly posted a .922 save percentage through nine games this season.
Simon Holmstrom moved down to play on the third line, trading places with Josh Bailey, who joined Mathew Barzal and Oliver Wahlstrom. I don’t necessarily think Holmstrom is ready to be an impact player in the NHL quite yet, but Bailey really isn’t adding a whole lot.
With Hudson Fasching drawing into action on the fourth line, he becomes the second different call-up in back-to-back games entering the game instead of Ross Johnston. When Johnston can’t even get into the lineup when there’s an opening on the fourth line, with the Islanders preferring to call up veterans AHLers instead, it just continues to beg the question as to whether it’s really worthwhile to have Johnston on the roster.
Regardless, it’s a big win for New York, snapping their two-game losing skid. They’ll be back in action tomorrow, when they wrap up their homestand against the St. Louis Blues.
OTHER ARTICLES FROM DECEMBER
Islanders’ four-game winning streak snapped in rematch against Flyers
Islanders fire 49 shots on goal but fall short against Predators 
New York Islanders Blogger • 
Join the Discussion:
»