Arthur Staple @StapeAthletic
32s
Trotz: No update on Wahlstrom, being looked at right now.

Arthur Staple @StapeAthletic
4m
Trotz: Zajac most likely to come in for Wahlstrom if #Isles need to make a change.

I can only imagine what happened in the Pens locker room with Jary.
- ses111

Hope the Isles come out tomorrow with a much better game. I think a lot of credit goes to the Pens and their new commitment to playing a much more solid game in the neutral and defensive zones. They just always seem to be where the puck is going ahead of the Isles. But some of it is definitely the Isles getting in their own way as well.

Like, in the second period, they had some rushes where they outnumbered the Pens and never even got a shot on net or any real sustained zone time...they had a 3-on-1 that ended with them passing the puck into the corner to no one for some reason; a few 2-on-1s where their passes were either off the mark or into the defender; and some other rushes that involved them bursting into the zone, turning toward the boards, passing around the outside for a few seconds, and then losing a board battle and the puck goes the other way no real threatening offensive opportunity.

You look at the stat sheet and see 4 shots on goal for the second, and you'd think the Isles had nothing going at all. But, again, they had plenty of rushes up ice where you'd start to get excited that something good was about to happen, and those plays would just harmlessly fall apart without the Pens really having to do much defensively.

Anyway, we all know there's a whole other level this team can hit...we've seen it. And it's not for lack of effort...you can see from their defensive game that they're committed and involved. I'm not sure what switch needs to be flipped where we see the team that's always a half-step ahead of the play rather than behind it. It was there in game 4, all throughout the bubble last season, and even most of this season.

Hope the Isles come out tomorrow with a much better game. I think a lot of credit goes to the Pens and their new commitment to playing a much more solid game in the neutral and defensive zones. They just always seem to be where the puck is going ahead of the Isles. But some of it is definitely the Isles getting in their own way as well.

Like, in the second period, they had some rushes where they outnumbered the Pens and never even got a shot on net or any real sustained zone time...they had a 3-on-1 that ended with them passing the puck into the corner to no one for some reason; a few 2-on-1s where their passes were either off the mark or into the defender; and some other rushes that involved them bursting into the zone, turning toward the boards, passing around the outside for a few seconds, and then losing a board battle and the puck goes the other way no real threatening offensive opportunity.

You look at the stat sheet and see 4 shots on goal for the second, and you'd think the Isles had nothing going at all. But, again, they had plenty of rushes up ice where you'd start to get excited that something good was about to happen, and those plays would just harmlessly fall apart without the Pens really having to do much defensively.

Anyway, we all know there's a whole other level this team can hit...we've seen it. And it's not for lack of effort...you can see from their defensive game that they're committed and involved. I'm not sure what switch needs to be flipped where we see the team that's always a half-step ahead of the play rather than behind it. It was there in game 4, all throughout the bubble last season, and even most of this season.
- UIF

Pens make smart dumps and pound the isles d and the create sustained possession. Isles did that game 4, theybneed tonhit the pens every chance they get

Pens make smart dumps and pound the isles d and the create sustained possession. Isles did that game 4, theybneed tonhit the pens every chance they get
- Upstate_isles

They also follow up the initial forechecker with their trailers attacking the halfboard. This way the first man in forces a hasty push of the puck by our retreiving dman and their second guy is right on our puck support player. The alternative then is throwing a sloppy pass up the middle which the Isles don't typically do.
The Pens dmen are also very aware and good at keeping players in front of them and skating hard to retreive dump-ins. When the Isles can commit speed to the pursuit, opportunities follow.
Honestly this is a hell of a good matchup. Both the pens and Islanders are built well to counter each other. The X Factor here comes down to our goaltending versus the Pens superior snipers.

Barry gets the matchups in his favor and I really think he found something in game four. Let's hope so