Isles Fall 5-2 to Oilers

Tonight, in a game that will be one to forget, our Islanders dropped their first game of 2015 by a score of 5-2 to the Oilers.  Here are some of my notes from the game:

-The teams play in their own zone was embarrassing.  From Halak coughing the puck up behind the net reminiscent of Rick Dipietro, and Visnovsky making a nice pass off the net to Derek Roy for the Oilers 3rd goal, it was a night to forget all around.

-Good to see Cappy show some emotion post game.  In the past there were times when he would look at the positives after a bad game like this.  Tonight, he was pissed and he showed it which is good to see.

-Nice to see Boychuk score in his home coming.

This marks the second time in 8 days that the Islanders have lost to a team that they should've beat.  While it does happen where good teams lose to the second division teams, it doesn't make it ok for it to occur.  The Islanders have shown an inability to take advantage of teams that they should which is something they need to continue working on as the season progresses.

Next Game: Tuesday 10PM @ Vancouver

Pre Game: Islanders @ Oilers

photo by stadiumjourney

Tonight, our Islanders look to win their fourth in a row and third on this long road trip as they travel to Edmonton to take on Taylor Hall and the Oilers. 

The goalie match up tonight features Jaroslav Halak in net for the Islanders.  Tonight will be Halak's 300th NHL start between the pipes.  Meanwhile, Ben Scrivens will be between the pipes for the Oilers.  Although the Oilers have struggled, Scrivens has been one of the bright spots for the team recently with a .926 save percentage in his last three starts.

There will be no lineup changes tonight for the Islanders so Michael Grabner will continue to be a scratch for the time being along with Brian Strait, Matt Donovan, and Eric Boulton.

Isles Win 3rd Straight 2-1 Over Calgary

photo by imgkid

Last night, our Islanders won their third straight game by a score of 2-1 over the Flames.  Here are some of my notes from the game:

-Huge game from the captain!  He might be more quiet about it than he had been in years past but he is having a solid season.

-Ryan Strome continues to roll, he is on an unbelievable stretch right now.

-Everyone probably joined me in letting out a huge deep breath after Boychuk crashed into the boards but didn't miss any shifts.

-Halak continues his stretch as one of the top goalies in the league.  It is just a pleasure to watch him play right now, he is bringing something to the Islanders that they haven't had in a very long time.

With these two games out of the way, the Islanders need to make sure they don't overlook tomorrows game due to the opponent.  If they are able to play their game and remember that any team can beat any team on any given night, they should be alright and get their 4th straight win and settle into the top spot in the eastern conference.

Next Game: Tomorrow night 9:30 @ Edmonton

Pre Game: Islanders @ Flames

photo by ticketscanada

Tonight, our Islanders look to continue where they left off on Wednesday as they travel to Calgary to take on Jonas Hiller and the Flames.

The goalie match up features Jaroslav Halak for the Islanders.  Meanwhile, the aforementioned Hiller will be between the pipes for Calgary.

The Islanders will ice the same lineup as Wednesdays victory so Michael Grabner is still scratched.  Grabner is expected to return on the trip, however, an exact date isn't yet known.

Isles End 2014 on High With 5-2 Victory

photo by zimbio

Last night, our Islanders ended 2014 right with a 5-2 victory over the Winnipeg Jets.  Their victory last night gave the team a share of first place at the end of the calender year for the first time since the 87/88 season.  Here are some of my notes from the game:

-You have to talk about Frans Nielsen when talking about this game.  He had a huge game putting up 2 goals and an assist as well.  If the Islanders are able to get him going more to the pace he put up last season, that will only further deepen an already deep team.

-Good to see Anders Lee continue to roll with another couple points.  It seems like he is beginning to emerge much like Brock Nelson and Ryan Strome have this year and it is really special to watch.

-Speaking of Ryan Strome, he had the best game of his professional career last night, putting up a goal and adding 3 helpers.  With the four points last night, he is now tied with Brock Nelson for third on the team in points with 27.  Much like Lee and Nelson, it is really great to be able to watch them blossom night in and night out.

-Halak had a pretty solid game.

According to Eric Hornick, the team ended the 2014 calender year with 97 points which is the most they have had in a year since getting 105 in 1983.  You couldn't ask for a better start to a huge road trip than a win like this.  Hopefully, the Islanders are able to build on this victory as their road trip continues.

Next Game: Tomorrow 9:00 @ Calgary