Live Blog 2/21/09: Devils 0, Islanders 4, Final

1:00 We'll call it a blog here.

1:45 Goal to Guerin on assists from Nielsen and Okposo Streit. Gionta still in the box.

2:08 Guerin rips one from the point that finds its way in. May have been deflected. Isles lead 4-0. Talk about a strong finish.

2:42 Gordon takes a timeout as Gionta goes to the box for hooking. 5-on-3 for the Isles here.

3:00 Assists to Comeau and Nielsen on the goal. Okposo paid for it a little bit following the faceoff. He went down in the corner for a few seconds and was holding a towel to his face on the bench.

3:53 Unless, of course, they score. Okposo with the power play goal. Isles lead 3-0.

4:25 Martinek being attended to by the training staff for a minor cut. The good news is the cut resulted from a Clarkson high stick and the Isles will finish out most of the remaining time on the power play.

5:04 Jackman's forecheck created a turnover, but he couldn't control it enough to get a scoring chance.

6:05 Witt getting another opportunity with the man advantage, but the puck control has been lacking and he hasn't had the chance to set up in front of the net. Not much to write about on that power play.

7:34 Okposo draws another penalty. Isles will try the power play one more time.

8:44 The forecheck remains strong.

13:10 Isles are doing a better job of keeping the Devils from gaining all the momentum.

13:44 Through two periods, McAmmond won five faceoffs and lost only one. Hilbert, Bailey, and Nielsen combined to win three and lose 20. Yikes.

14:18 Good coverage against the Devils' rush results in a pass going harmless through the slot untouched.

16:25 Clarkson was right on Yann's doorstep but couldn't get his stick on a deflection.

16:35 That Devils shot just made the kid below me jump up in his seat, but Danis was all over it.

18:31 Just a minute and a half into the third and it feels like the Islanders are playing a prevent defense.

19:12 First threat to the lead denied. Danis hold his ground on a Devils chance in close.

20:00 Let's see how this latest incarnation of the Islanders roster handles the two-goal third period lead. They'll start this one off shorthanded for another 13 seconds.

THIRD PERIOD

1:47 Danis slides across the crease under control to meet a Clarkson one-timer. The ensuing pressure from the Devils results in a hooking penalty on Hillen.

4:45 Danis gets nice and square to a Parise shot and the rebound goes flying well out of danger.

7:49 Good pressure from the Jackman-Hilbert-Tambellini line results in a couple of scoring chances but no goals.

9:20 McAmmond gets off a good shot from the slot off a feed from Sim but Clemmensen handles it.

11:15 Sim pounces on a loose puck in the offensive zone and backhands it by Clemmensen. Isles lead 2-0.

12:45 Okposo left his man in the dust along the left boards but couldn't connect on a pass to the crease.

15:40 Sim came in on a break and his shot left a rebound that no one could control.

16:30 Great pass from Nielsen behind the net to Bailey in the slot, but he can't beat Clemmensen with the one-timer.

17:30 Good D from Streit to prevent a shorthanded chance.

18:01 Streit moves in from the point to one-time a feed from Guerin, but Clemmensen stones him.

18:31 Zubrus cross checks Okposo, Isles to the power play. Hilbert getting time on the PP with Guerin and Hunter.

19:26 Danis makes two good early saves, not giving up a rebound off a point shot by White, and then getting in front of an Elias shot after the faceoff.

SECOND PERIOD

0:03 Danis stops a partial break to end the period. Much better effort by the Islanders tonight in front of strong play by Danis.

4:52 Danis gets enough of a Zajac shot to deflect it over the net. Zajac was all alone in the slot.

7:13 Neat little dish from Okposo to Streit just inside the blue line leads to a good shot, but kicked away by Clemmensen with the left skate.

8:54 It was initially thought that Andy Hilbert would be centering Bill Guerin and Jon Sim with Dean McAmmond taking 4th-line duties. In fact, it is McAmmond between Guerin and Sim, while Hilbert is playing with Tim Jackman and Jeff Tambellini.

9:33 Kate Murray just delivered a video message promoting the Town of Hempstead. I have no idea what she said due to the booing.

10:37 Okposo just flashed some more of his blossoming offensive prowess with a spin-o-rama as he darted in from the left side. Clemmensen made the save.

12:47 Katrina Doell of the Lighthouse Development Group and blog administrator of The Light Post just stopped by with a fresh batch of sparkling white Lighthouse t-shirts. Katrina does a fantastic job promoting the project.

16:10 Streit out of the box leads a rush, feeds Bergie for a one-timer that beats Clemmensen. Great goal. Isles lead 1-0.

16:40 Danis looked sharp denying Langenbrunner toward the end of the kill.

16:59 Nice takeaway by Nielsen and a clear.

18:18 Streit goes off for hooking. Hilbert and Bergenheim started the kill, then replaced by Okposo and Comeau. Now Nielsen and Jackman.

19:15 Bergenheim has had two early chances. On the second one his shot off Clemmensen resulted in juicy rebound and wide-open net, but Bergie managed to put the put-back into the goalie's outstretched arm along the ice. Just needed to lift it a little more there.

20:00 Yann Danis is in goal tonight. Witt and Martinek will start on defense. Up front, the Bergenheim-Nielsen-Hunter line opens the game.

Mr. Clavin has received his expected chorus of boos while entering for the ceremonial faceoff.

FIRST PERIOD

****

Good evening and welcome to Town of Hempstead Night at Nassau Coliseum. To answer the $4 billion question, tonight's ceremonial puck drop will be performed by...Don Clavin, Town of Hempstead Receiver of Taxes. I'm not sure choosing the tax guy was the best way to avoid provoking a hostile reaction to the local government representative, but we'll see how it goes.

For you followers of the casualty statistics, the Islanders are listing the man games lost to injury at 384. And don't forget the 5 man games lost to illness (not inlcuded in the 384).

I've spotted my first message-to-Kate-Murray t-shirt on this night of white, but unfortunately I couldn't get a good read on it.

For you ex-Islanders followers, Chris Campoli debuted for Ottawa this afternoon with two assists in over 23 minutes of ice time in a 5-3 loss to Montreal. Mike Comrie did not register a point for the Sens. By the way, Ottawa is second to last in the Eastern Conference in goals scored.

I have to say, the early returns for the white-out don't look too promising. Perhaps the enthusiasm of the crowd will make up for it.

Newcomer Dean McAmmond is wearing #37 for the Isles.

For any newcomers, after these pregame notes the newest entries will appear at the top of the blog. Timestamps refer to the time remaining in the period.