What follows are my notes from tonight's game, a 4-3 loss to the Penguins. In some places they will read like a live blog, in others like preparation for a recap/analysis.
First Period
- Colliton off to a good start with a big hit on the forecheck.
- Fedotenko follows with a big hit of his own.
- Witt stands up Gonchar.
- Hilbert takes advantage of Conklin misplay and feeds Comrie for an empty-net tap-in.
- Islander players have been taken down twice on plays that I have to think would be penalties if they had happened the other way.
- Of course, as soon as an Islander gets his stick in someone’s way, it’s a penalty.
- Vasicek with Hunter up front on the kill. DiPietro is rewarded for robbing Malone by having the PK unit caught flat-footed. 1-1
- Comrie gets involved in his second fight in a couple of weeks.
- The Islanders are throwing the puck out in front of the net and there’s actually someone there to try to convert it.
- Colliton tried to set the tone early for the Isles, and he did for a while until the Penguins reset it with a PP goal.
- Not a bad road period.
- The intensity just doesn’t look like it’s enough, especially on the power play.
- And then Hunter finds Fedotenko on the power play. Hunter has looked sharper this game, looking to shoot more and getting some pucks on the net. This was a good look to Fedotenko who did a good job finishing. 2-2
- The Islanders always seem to be just a bit too slow or a bit too far out of position to take advantage of a fortuitous bounce around the net.
- At least the shots are getting through tonight.
- FSN picture is lousy again tonight. This time it’s grainy. Last time the color was dull and the contrast was bad.
- Whitney scores on the PP, wasn’t much of a shot but DiPietro was probably screened. 3-2
- Islanders have no chance if this parade to the box continues. Second in a row for Sutton.
- PP for Isles with just under three minutes left gives them a chance to turn this from a poor period into a wash.
- The Nielsen line hasn’t done much to distinguish itself.
- Best game Hunter has played in a long time.
- Comrie’s near-impossible angle goal is giving legitimacy to Nolan’s preference to stick with his veterans. All of tonight’s goals so far have come from two of the oft-criticized, slumping forwards that the Islanders must get more production from. Meanwhile, the kids haven’t provided much of a spark, save for Colliton’s hitting.
- And the power play has scored twice. Almost hard to believe.
- Two power play assists from Freddy Meyer are making me look silly for saying just two days ago that the power play wasn’t going anywhere with him at the point.
- Would the Islanders gladly trade the Crosby injury for one to Malone or Whitney?
- Apparently Letang and Comrie are playing HORSE and Letang just matched Comrie’s sharp-angle deposit. 4-3 Pens
- Amazing that they could win the faceoff in the key 6-on-5 situation and not get control of the puck.
- Apparently it had been too long since the Islanders were the victim of a quick whistle that nullified a goal in the final seconds.
- I don’t know if this was really the most painful of the six straight losses, but it was certainly the one they had the best chance to win.
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2 comments:
I thought it was the most painful, I couldn't even muster the energy to make a post last night because I was too disappointed. Sometimes you just need a break to cool down I guess.
I thought Hunter played exceptional - Fedotenko finally pots one (what was it 23 games?).
Comrie had a super Howe hat trick! (2 goals and a fight instead of goal, assist and fight)
Once again a fortuitous bounce for the opposition costs the Islanders the game in the final few minutes.
Better effort, same result however.
I had originally intended to write a more traditional recap, but I too was deflated enough (and short enough on time) that the notes became a reasonable alternative.
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