SB Nation - Frans Nielsen

Smurfs 5, Islanders 2: Goaltending, special teams, the end

Dominik — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 05:52:33 -0000

What a difference 24 hours makes -- though not quite in the "let's get revenge" burst one might have expected to see. The Islanders still got the first nine shots of the game, aided by some merited powerplays. But they exited the first period outshooting the Rangers 14-4, yet behind in goals 2-0. Henrik Lundqvist shut the door; at the other end, Dwayne Roloson didn't bail out the few early Islanders mistakes. A stark disparity in special teams efficiency (which is always strongly tied to goaltending) completed the story.

Game Sum. | Event Sum. | Recaps: nhl.com | Isles | Blueshirt Banter

Final - 12.17.2009	1	2	3	Total
New York Rangers	2	1	2	5
New York Islanders	0	1	1	2

Complete Coverage >

There is a nascent body of evidence that suggests playing the same goalie on back-to-back nights is not the best move if you have a viable alternative. But with Roloson's play and his 2-0 record against the Rangers before Thursday, I was happy to accept this night as an exception. I was probably wrong. Live and learn.

I'm not hanging all of this on Roloson by any means. The Islanders had some rough luck, Lundqvist was sound all night long, and the Isles never really got the in-close high shots and rebounds that are required to beat Lundqvist when he's on his game.

But in clear contrast to the previous night at the Garden, Roloson never looked very sharp, and even on non-goals his side-to-side movements were late or misaligned.

The Rangers certainly played better and more spirited. But the final score flattered them -- again, they got good breaks on Roloson, Vinny Prospal narrowly avoided knocking the Isles net off on their first goal, Chris Drury somehow actually scored, and the 5-on-3 call that put the game out of reach was an embarrassing display of officiating.

Still, the sum of all parts earned the Smurfs this win. But Lundqvist's was by far the biggest part, and without him they'd probably be stewing over another display of flaws (outshot in every period, and 37-22 overall) rather than celebrating an easy win. In short, that team's going to be in the dirty section of the standings for a while -- and I wouldn't credit tonight to any magical Tortorella Tirade.

We can only hope there isn't another Bob Gainey waiting by the phone to take their cap mistakes off their hands.

After the Garden victory, statman Eric noted how rare the Islanders' intended task was: They have only swept a back-to-back home-and-home with the Rangers two times in history:

The Isles swept the home in home on November 21/22, 1981 (4-3 and 7-2) and on October 19/20, 2005 (3-2 in a shootout, and 5-4).

(Eric also reported that the win at the Garden was just the second road divisional win of Scott Gordon's tenure. Pretty remarkable, albeit reflective of last year's struggles and (much) tougher divisional opponents.)

Goal Scoring, or Lack Thereof

So we know the Islanders are heavily reliant on John Tavares and Matt Moulson for scoring. When those two don't score -- and without Kyle Okposo, that's more often than with him -- the Isles rely on a balance of uncertain secondary scoring. And often, on a shallow-depth team, that secondary scoring goes dark. Which is why they have 12 goals in their last 7 games.

Nate Thompson's open-net miss was stunning, but that's hardly the problem. Maybe it's reflective of part of the problem, which is that this team is simply offensively snakebit right now. But whether your checking line and PK center is getting a couple goals isn't the make-or-break sign of offensive health: No, that's more to do with whether whoever's on JT/Moulson's wing is contributing, whether Frans Nielsen and Josh Bailey and Kyle Okposo are scoring, and whether a Rob Schremp or a Jeff Tambellini is helping the powerplay tick. Tonight the powerplay looked promising at first, but Lundqvist's play -- that early save on Schremp most of all -- seemed to deflate them, and the unit ended up 0 for 7.

Telling individual stats, for me: Kyle Okposo had six shots, Trent Hunter had seven (and some tough luck), and John Tavares had four. Lundqvist stopped them all.

Or, as Scott Gordon put it:

"You're not going to hear any complaints from my side," he said. "I think it's obvious what it was. The guy with the pads on in the other net was pretty good. At the end of the day, had there been another goalie in the net, we might have won this 6-5."

That's probably a little too nice. Even without Lundqvist in net, the Islanders offense has flaws. But yeah, without him it's a different game.

Andrew MacDonald: Keeper

One guy who was a surprise help to the powerplay was Andrew MacDonald on the second unit. Wow. I've been impressed by this guy's quietly solid defensive play all along, but his confidence on the puck with the extra man was a revelation. He looked like a, heh, "young" Jack Hillen. Just reward, then, that he popped his first NHL goal in from the point later on at even strength. Congratulations to #47, who I continue to hope sticks around a while. I can think of three defensemen I'd scratch before him.

The Bailey Project

Some of us talked a few days ago: How long do you run Josh Bailey out at wing? We figured 5-6 games before you reassess and hopefully move him back, unless Rob Schremp is lighting the world on fire. He's been steadily improving his play on the wing, but I can't help mourning his potential at center, where he can be a bigger part of play (on his good nights, which were few this year). Still, keeping him at the wing for a while shouldn't sabotage him: He's got a level head, and it's not unheard of to put a young center at wing to learn the NHL ropes before being set loose. We'll see how this goes.

Faceoffs: No Home Advantage Tonight

Schremp was 1-6 on faceoffs, Nielsen was 4-10, Tavares was 4-9. They had some losses on the powerplay that didn't help the unit. But Nielsen won a big one that led to MacDonald's goal, and his deflection after a nice combo from Blake Comeau to Andy Sutton was a nice subtle touch, albeit after the game was out of reach.

Ahead: Visit from the Habs

Saturday the long December continues. I hope we don't have to talk about a Rangers hangover. The last two home games, for two completely different reasons, have been lopsided losses. I trust Saturday night will be better.

Bruins fall to Islanders 3-2 in disappointing OT loss

Stanley Cup of Chowder — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 18:12:38 -0000

More photos » by Paul J. Bereswill - AP

6 days ago: New York Islanders' Frans Nielsen (51) waves to the crowd as he is called back onto the ice after being named the star of the game after scoring the game winning goal in overtime at an NHL hockey game against the Boston Bruins at the Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, New York, on Saturday, Dec. 12, 2009. The Islanders won the game 3-2. (AP Photo/Paul J. Bereswill)

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Despite out-shooting the Islanders 32-19 and controlling the play for most of the game, the Bruins fell to the New York Islanders 3-2 in overtime on Saturday night at Nassau Coliseum. Frans Nielsen got the game winner for the Islanders with a breakaway goal 24 seconds into the extra session.

Michael Ryder and David Krejci were the goal scorers for the Bruins. Tim Thomas got the start in goal and gave 3 goals on 19 shots in the loss. Thomas is now 7-7-4 on the season.

The Bruins will be back in action on Monday night when they host the Philadelphia Flyers at TD Garden.

Islanders 3, Bruins 2 (OT): Frans Nielsen is the bestest Dane in the whole wide world

Dominik — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 05:52:49 -0000

More photos » by Paul J. Bereswill - AP

"FRANS NIELSEN IS DELICIOUS!"

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I love Frans Nielsen -- if you visit this site regularly, you've picked up on that and are ready to slap me. I love Frans for his hockey sense, for his savvy play, for how he frustrates opposing forwards despite his smallish frame, for his underrated hands, for his entertaining command of English during interviews. And for his kindly answering my pre-game request, which went like this:

I do agree with Scott Gordon that Frans Nielsen is very proficient in his defensive duties -- that cannot be argued, at this point. But even I, as a registered Frans Fanboy, want to see more offense from the Dane so that I may call him Great.

A sweet OT breakaway goal on home ice, executing his patented backhand deke: Now that's love.

Game Sum. | Event Sum. | Recaps: nhl.com | Isles official

Final - 12.12.2009	1	2	3	OT	Total
Boston Bruins	1	1	0	0	2
New York Islanders	1	1	0	1	3

Complete Coverage >

There are many more reasons to love Nielsen's game-winner that have nothing to do with my personal whims, but we'll get to those later.

More importantly, the Flyers and Rangers each lost in regulation on a night when the Islanders ended their three-game losing streak, which means the Islanders are back up in third place in the Atlantic Division. Much more to consider (and video highlights) after the jump.

Rob Schremp Hockey(TM): No longer goal-less

Like whoa man: The Jesse Joensuu-Rob Schremp-Trent Hunter line showed some spark, eh? They were on for Michael Ryder's longshot goal, but uh, that wasn't their fault :cough:Rolli:. I was really pleased with their work, pleased Joensuu and his linemates made themselves physically noticeable all night and, of course, tickled by Rob Schremp's first NHL goal ... and spread-eagle fist-pumping celebration. Kudos to them for being among several Islanders -- Jon Sim being another -- who had Zdeno Chara pissing and moaning all night long.

My God, the Defense, We're Hosed

This is not your traditional complaint about our underskilled, undersized blueline (although I must ask: When was the last time you saw Brendan Witt break up a 2-on-1 down low? Not on the Krejci goal). Andy Sutton, one of the Isles better blueliners this year, is close to coming back -- but I'll tell you I'm fearful since he's pushing to come back from a groin injury that could recur anytime this season, particularly if they continue to lean on him hard.

So of course Jack Hillen, another of their top three, goes down to a foot injury tonight after just six shifts. That he tried to come back in the second and couldn't go has me fearing the worst -- to say nothing of the very evident pain he was in when the shot hit him.

Bailey at Left Wing: Experiment A

So Josh Bailey's first appearance was indeed on Nate Thompson and Richard Park's left wing. But the bulk of his night -- 15:00 of even-strength ice time -- was spent on the wing with Frans Nielsen and Kyle Okposo. I thought he had a good night. He looked alive, was physical. Perhaps most importantly, he found more than 10 minutes of ice time, which isn't always the case when he's behind Tavares and Nielsen at center. We'll see how this goes.

The Moulson-Tavares-Okposo Train

Good god, Mighty Matty Mo. Another even-strength goal. That makes 12 now, for a total of 15 goals on the year. And wow, that behind-the-back pass from John Tavares to set Moulson up. And Kyle Okposo, still "struggling" to score a goal but still piling up assists: eight in his last five games, including two tonight. He was also the third forward on the ice for the OT goal.

The OT Win: A Frans Shootout Move and a Bold Gordon

That's right: With Hillen hurt, Scott Gordon "went for it" in OT and had Okposo out there paired with Mark Streit, while the forwards were Blake Comeau and Frans Nielsen. So Okposo forced a Bruins pass that Streit disrupted, a backchecking Comeau (who had a great physical game) picked it up inside the Islanders blueline, took advantage of a pinching Andrew Ference and slid a very slick pass to spring Nielsen on the breakaway, where he converted in front of his mother, visiting from Denmark to see her first live NHL game.

Upon seeing Frans take the puck in the clear, I had the same reaction Gordon did:

"When I saw the '51 (Nielsen's number),' I'm like, 'This is going in,'" he said. "He excels in that area."

You damned right. And you know why I knew it was in? Of course you do: Because we've seen that Frans move beat countless goalies, mostly in the shootout. But you know what else rocked about that goal? Just because it's a move he uses in the shootout doesn't mean it's "a shootout move." No, this was no half-speed, no-backchecker kind of horsecrap trickery that the shootout encourages. This was no lazy Sunday sweeping wide because no one else is on the ice. This was a real-deal breakaway.

Don't take my word for it -- take the word of the goalie Nielsen beat. Here's Tim Thomas:

"He was coming extremely fast, and he almost started to lose it. He ended up making a great move, considering how fast he was moving and that he was losing it. It was way faster than a shootout."

It was way more entertaining and impressive than a shootout, too. But I nearly spit up my beer when I saw Nielsen crash into the boards afterward. I would have licked it back up once I saw him roll over with a smile instead of a grimace, though.

The Negative, and One More Positive

Yeah, so after two very nicely played periods left the score 2-2, the Islanders were outshot 17-3 in the third. At home. Not good. So they were lucky to survive long enough to get to OT. And that luck was pretty much thanks to Dwayne Roloson, who looked great and in control the whole period.

So, to recap: Schremp good, JT/Moulson/KO good (of course), Sim agitating, Roloson good, Comeau good, Streit tireless, Hillen hurt. Islanders in third place. Not a bad Saturday night, eh?

P.S. The goal song: I guess the decision was made. I wasn't happy with the choices, wasn't happy with the winner, but I thought it worked alright tonight. I still maintain that the goal horn and the crowd is what I hear (and like) most. But feel free to weigh in again.

Islanders 4, Thrashers 1: Fear the Moulson or taste his hat trick

Dominik — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 07:59:39 -0000

More photos » by Gregory Smith - AP

"I hereby anoint you with the special hat trick oil, in the name of the Bossy, and the Trots, and the Holy Potvins." -- [h/t BC for the concept]

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As Islanders Outsider noted, Matt Moulson did his first career hat trick every which way: A blast from out high, a very nifty quick-decision deke on the goalie, and a deflection of a Mark Streit bomb from the point to seal it. (John Tavares, showing the goal scorer's lust for tallies we so desperately need, finished the scoring on an empty-netter with 0.4 seconds left.)

The Islanders pretty well played an outstanding road game. I watched the Thrashers' feed, and their announcers -- doing something we hear more and more these days -- raved about the Islanders' work ethic, relentless puck pursuit, and even their team defense. But none of that matters tonight if Mighty-Matty-Mo doesn't finish what Trent Hunter and Streit are dishing out. God love this team.

Game Sum. | Event Sum. | Recaps: nhl.com | Isles [more added later]

Final - 12.3.2009	1	2	3	Total
New York Islanders	0	2	2	4
Atlanta Thrashers	1	0	0	1

Complete Coverage >

Standings note: Continuing a downward spiral that has nothing to do with Nine Inch Nails nor any famous golfer's marriage, Philadelphia was shut out at home by the Canucks, which means the Islanders not only jumped into 8th place in the conference, they're also looking down at the Flyers and Rangers. Nice view.

But our featured matchup was as billed (except for the me predicting lots of goals part): Pretty entertaining, cleanly played game, with the Isles only being whistled for two penalties, and the Thrashers for three. Moulson's second goal was the only powerplay goal of the night, but it was off the rush -- not a typical powerplay goal nor sign of life for that unit. While the Thrashers were outworked, don't let the score fool you: This was a tight game that could have turned either way with the wrong bounce. In that context, the Islanders played just like we know they can.

No dumb penalties. Swell finishing from the hat trick hero. Timely saves from Dwayne Roloson (who kept the deficit to just one goal in the first, and protected the Islanders' lead during a few hairy moments in the second and third). Did I mention no killer penalties?

To answer my own question from the game thread, yes, Moulson's dad -- he of the "Well you better call them back!" story about the message Moulson received from Cornell when his youth career appeared stalled -- was indeed in attendance to see his son's first NHL contract. As Moulson told reporters:

"He told me if I didn't score and we didn't win, he was locking me out of the (hotel) room," said Moulson, who leads the Islanders with 14 goals. "I've already threatened him a couple of times to throw him out with all his snoring."

Let's Say We Look at that First Goal One More Time

All of Moulson's goals were textbook examples of how to be a complete offensive hockey player. But his first one (all of them are in the video package above, but this one is posted separately below) was a telling beauty: For one, the Thrashers backchecker who merely floats by him in the Atlanta zone is none other than Ilya Kovalchuk, who finished minus-3 on the night.

But most impressive on that first goal was Moulson's patience and vision: You shouldn't get an open shot when you carry the puck into the zone 1-on-2 along the boards the way Moulson did. But Streit's entrance -- combined with Kovalchuk's brain fart -- caused both defensemen to back in (they no doubt thought Ilya would cover his man), and suddenly the ice at the top of the slot was wide open for Moulson to tee off. Of course, that open ice doesn't mean much unless you can unleash a blast over the shoulder the way Moulson did. Have another look:

A blast, a deke, a deflection. This, my friends, was no cheap hat trick.

The Non-Moulson Part of the Night: Frans & Friends Shut 'Em Down

Frans Nielsen's shoulder was good enough that he did get the call, so Rob Schremp remained a healthy scratch. And while I wouldn't mind seeing Schremp shake off his cobwebs every now and then, there is a very big reason I was happy to see Nielsen back in the lineup:

Frans, Trent Hunter and Sean Bergenheim drew the Thrashers' big line of Kovalchuk, Nik Antropov and Maxim Afinogenov most of the night. Kovlachuk managed six shots (four at even strength) but was held scoreless (and frankly ineffective). Hunter and Bergenheim had seven shots between them, all of them at even strength except for Bergenheim's lone shorthanded shot. So Gordon was able to line perhaps his three most defensively responsible forwards against the Thrashers big line, holding them scoreless, while Moulson took care of business on the other side of the ledger.

One-off: The streak is over. Andrew MacDonald has finally been on the ice for a goal against. Sure, Bryan Little made a nifty move to make Brendan Witt look stationary, but that's why you have a ~~defensive partner~~ backchecking forward, and it was ~~MacDonald's~~ Nate Thompson's man (Slava Kozlov) who ended up knocking it in. MacDonald is blemished but still blameless.

But I'm so thrilled at Moulson's performance (okay, and Frans, too), that's all I have. You guys had reactions and celebrations in the game thread. Any more, take it away here. This one's worth celebrating for a day before we worry about ~~Tavares~~ Moulson v. Hedman on Saturday.

Islander Reading: Frans Nielsen is day-to-day, and aren't we all

Dominik — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 18:49:56 -0000

Just a few links for the sheer joy of hockey reading. Tomorrow: a randomly selected month overview (how about November?) and a word about Olympic candidacies.

When Rob Schremp Hockey was put on ice, Scott Gordon said Schremp's next shot would be at center, not on the wing. Backing that up, Schremp is practicing in Frans Nielsen's spot. Bad news for Schremp-loving Sim-haters: It's with Jon Sim. Good news? It's with Jeff Tambellini, too. Three favorite topics, all on one line.
Worse news for Schremp-lovers, but elation for me: That same Botta post is updated to say Frans is day-to-day. Do help Frans in his fight against Martinek Syndrome.
Kyle Okposo received the day off. If you missed the link to the left, here's a look at his first 100 NHL games. [Okposo Net]
Check Behind the Net for a look at the referees with the greatest home bias since 1995-96. Probably the types who put the home team on a 1:50 5-on-3 because Richard Park fought back for position.
With 27 points in 27 games, you're probably aware the Isles are on pace for a 21-point improvement. Here's a look at their peers. [From the Rink]
And it's been one year since Brian Burke took over the team in that one Ontario hamlet. Down Goes Brown takes the satirical look back. I might as well look back, too, at my faux "NHL GM Chat Room" which took place just after Burke had resigned from Anaheim and everyone and their brother knew he was heading to Toronto.
Autograph Hounds: John Tavares will be at the NHL Store in Manhattan tomorrow (Tuesday) from 4-5 p.m. Word is he can only sign "autograph cards" (3" x 5" pictures provided at the store), so don't go bringing your underwear or jersey or lucky stick or anything like that.

Devils (a lot), Islanders (a little): And Frans Nielsen hurt, too

Dominik — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 23:42:08 -0000

More photos » by Bill Kostroun - AP

"Aren't phantom 5-on-3s just the bees' knees?" >>"Yeah, they totally are."

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There's nothing to do but throw this one out. Frans Nielsen's departure (shoulder injury?) after just three shifts put the Islanders in an interesting three-plus lines mix that never quite worked out. And the Isles committed several errors while letting a 2-1 deficit turn into a blowout in a matter of minutes.

But I'll still say it: At 2-1 in the 3rd period, the NHL officiating crew did their part to advance this game toward farce, handing an absurd 1:50 5-on-3 to the Devils -- both calls were jokes -- then failing to whistle play on a Devils high stick during the ensuing attempted kill. One of the two clowns in orange armbands, Chris Rooney, also imagined that waived off Devils "goal" in the 2nd period. Nice work, if you can get it.

Game Sum. | Event Sum. | Recaps: nhl.com | Isles | ILWT

Final - 11.28.2009	1	2	3	Total
New York Islanders	1	0	0	1
New Jersey Devils	0	2	4	6

Complete Coverage >

That officiating joke wasn't the story of the game by any means. But I save my rants about officiating for when a game was a win or a blowout anyway -- note that the Islanders whiffed on four PP opportunities, managing only two shots. When it's clear that blame for a loss does not fall on the hands of those who, uh, "manage" the game, I can get this off my chest:

I'm tired of seeing weak, 90-second-plus 5-on-3s handed to Islanders' opponents game after game after game. Today's was the worst of them all. This team gets no benefit of the doubt (nor its own lengthy 5-on-3 PPs, for that matter), and that is crystallized in Richard Park somehow being whistled for "2 minutes, defending" 11 seconds into that pivotal penalty kill. The "new NHL" rule enforcement -- something I heartily support -- still creates an ambiguous standard when a team is already short. Somehow, the Islanders consistently fall on the wrong side of that ever-shifting standard.

What followed barely needs recounting: Brendan Witt's stick was broken by a shot, leaving the Isles doing a 2.5-on-5. The Devils settled a rebound with a high stick yet play continued without interruption. Finally, Patrik Elias converted the 5-on-3 -- the first time a team has converted a two-man advantage against the Isles all season. After that, instant carnage.

The Islanders shouldn't have been caught pitying themselves in the ensuing frenzy when the Devils tacked on two more goals in the next 2:02. But I understand. Sometimes you just wonder what you have to do to get on the right side of one of the NHL's many nebulous standards.

Biron: Strong in Allowing ... Six Goals?

The biggest pity is that the 6-1 final score doesn't reflect how well Martin Biron played initially to keep the Isles within striking distance heading into the third. There were controlling moments for each side in the first two periods, but by the second intermission the Devils had a 26-19 shot advantage. By the end of the game, that was 42-23.

I mentioned before the game how Dwayne Roloson has received far more goal support than Biron, and today was no different. And after the 5-on-3 goal, pretty much the whole team collapsed and Biron was done saving their bacon.

Replacing Frans

With Nielsen out, the lines juggled a bit. Trent Hunter (20:00) and Richard Park (17:49) each had four shots on goal. John Tavares (22:40) and Kyle Okposo (17:44) had three apiece. ~~Thanks to the two goals against in one minute in the third~~, those two plus Matt Moulson, Mark Streit and Jack Hillen were all minus-2 on the day. Carnage. [EDIT: Thanks to eagle-eye commenter BenHasna, who pointed out that the top line was not still on the ice for the fourth goal -- the fourth line had just come on instead. That affects the +/- on the day; will be interesting to see if the league changes it.

Power Play: Looking Ever Weaker without Weight

Again, the Islanders were handed their chances: Four powerplays, eight minutes ... two shots. In fact, they were outshot by the Devils in those situations, as the Devils put up three shots while shorthanded. The Isles powerplay has now fallen to 17.2%, ranking 24th in the league.

It's amazing how much Weight calms things down when he's on the powerplay point opposite Mark Streit. Kyle Okposo is much more of a "play with urgency" style of player, so he doesn't bring the same sense there. I'd like to see more of Jack Hillen in that role, actually. Of course, I'd like to see more of Jack Hillen anywhere, except for the penalty box, where he's been appearing regularly lately.

Speaking of Young Defensemen...

Andrew MacDonald: Plus-1 today, and still hasn't been on the ice for a 5-on-5 goal against. Yep, not even in today's 6-1, four-EV-goal-against trouncing. Interesting.

On the Bright Side?

At WebBard's prompting ... This is the Islanders' sixth loss by three or more goals this year. Four of those have been exactly three-goal margins. At this stage last year ... they'd actually lost only four by three or more (with two ugly blowouts). Difference? Last year, they were 10-15-2 for 22 points and in the middle of a 10-game winless streak that was about to include a 9-2 disaster in Pittsburgh. Today they're 10-10-7 for 27 points. That's progress ... I think.

Looked at another way, including the OTLs, 11 of their "losses" have been one-goal games. Last year they'd only had three one-goal losses at this point.

They've been healthier this year (though now add Frans Nielsen and Andy Sutton -- MRI on his groin -- to the infirmary), they appear to execute Scott Gordon's scheme better, and they don't as often have the meltdowns that they had today once the game was sealed. Overall, each game is more competitive, which is why the Islanders keep dancing around either side of the NHL's version of a quasi-.500 record.

That's progress ... I think.

Next Up: Atlanta

As Pepe Le Pew's intended would say: "Le pant, le pant." Whew, we actually have a few "off days," as the Isles don't resume play until Thursday in Atlanta. Which means I gotta get back out of "gameday, game recap" mode and come up with some new things to say. Wish me luck...

With Goals by Cory Murphy and Brian Rolston, the New Jersey Devils Beat the New York Islanders, 2-1

John Fischer — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 03:18:57 -0000

More photos » by Bill Kostroun - AP

Brian Rolston had every reason to smile as his big slapshot scored the Devils' second goal and the eventual winner over the New York Islanders tonight. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)

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In yet another one-goal victory, in yet another game where the scoreboard is closer than the actual run of play, and in yet another game where the Devils' power play actually came through - the New Jersey Devils defeated the New York Islanders 2-1. The NHL.com recap is up with all the links to box scores, event and game summaries, and more.

Some critics may look at 7 out of 10 one-goal victories in this season and argue that this is proof of the Devils' style of play being all trap, all defense, or somesuch. They would be foolish, but the number of one-goal games involving New Jersey is worthy of some criticism. Tonight was another example where the Devils took the lead but couldn't expand it. They wanted a third goal, maybe they deserved one, but once again, they couldn't make it a two goal lead.

All the same, as time ran out in the third, the Islanders got more aggressive with their forechecking and their general attack and they were an less than an inch away from an equalizer in the final minute - only for a jammed puck to glide across the crease instead of the goal line. The Devils, you could say, played with fire and didn't get burned thanks to some heads up plays on defense and generally preventing the Islanders from getting high quality scoring chances all game long. The criticism is that the Devils' offense could ease a defense that is already seeing big minutes at the ends of games by not having to worry about conceding an equalizer.

But again, that didn't happen tonight and so Devils fans should be pleased with the team's third win at home. Soon, they will be .500 at home and that would be good. Check out Lighthouse Hockey later on for Dom's recap from the Islanders' perspective. Read on for further thoughts about the game, why I think the offense didn't get more than two past Biron, thoughts on Patrik Elias' debut, praise for the defense(s), and some video clips from NHL.com

As you can see from the following videos from NHL.com; the goals itself were impressive on their own. Cory Murphy opened his account in New Jersey with an excellent slapshot that slipped through Martin Biron's legs. Here, see it to believe it:

Brian Rolston made the Devils' power play relevant when he unleashed a bomb from the point. You can say that this was the kind of goal you'd expect from Rolston, known for his big cannon and being paid to, well, hit the target with it. And it was on the power play, the one shot out of nine that got through. Watch it with this video, as Biron didn't really get to see it:

While both came in the second period, the Devils looked for more action in the third period, and overall outshot the Islanders 31-24, they couldn't beat Biron a third time. Even on other long shots from other players - something the Islanders' defense was more than happy to concede.

Why? Well, Biron played well enough for starters. Can't blame him on the Rolston goal as he was screened by David Clarkson and the shot from Rolston was like a laser-bullet. His only real mistake was keeping his legs open when Murphy unloaded his shot. What also stymied the Devils were the Islanders' committment on defense to clog the middle. The Devils didn't get a lot of space in the slot, they couldn't get many passes into the slot, and even off the rush, a white sweater was ever present in the middle. Rebounds? Forget about it. Biron controlled them fairly well and the Islanders were in good position to clear them out as needed. Allowing 31 shots isn't exactly an superb performance for any defense; but they should be commended for forcing the Devils to adjust where they shoot.

What also didn't help is that some players had relatively quiet games. Believe it or not, Zach Parise didn't get a single shot on net tonight - 3 misses and one attempt blocked. Travis Zajac was more productive in terms of shots with 4, but he didn't get a really great chance and many of his passes were forced. Dainius Zubrus moved a lot of people around, won 8 of 12 faceoffs, but he only managed two shots on net (and one attempted shot that knocked Brendan Witt right over at the end of the first - link goes to NHL.com video of hit). Rolston and David Clarkson had big nights with 6 shots each; but were many of them truly great shots? Not really. Not all of the Devils' best offensive players were having great offensive nights and so, the offense suffered despite putting 31 on Biron.

I will say that tonight was probably the best performance I've seen by the fourth line all season. Rod Pelley and Ilkka Pikkarainen both got assists on Murphy's goal; and they brought energy without taking a penalty (6 hits combined). If they keep this kind of play up, maybe Lemaire will give them more minutes per game. An effective fourth line, I think, benefits the other three overall. Namely because the other three lines won't have to play as many minutes and the opposition will have to worry about three more forwards to deal with.

Of course, there is Patrik Elias. For someone who hasn't played for 5 months, he looked pretty good in his debut. His first shift - on a penalty kill - saw him take the puck up ice, pull off a dazzling move to beat a defender, and then miss the resulting shot. All the same, he got three rounds of applause for that shift (coming off, that move, and going off). But after then, he started looking like more of himself. He threw some checks, he made some good passes, he had two hard shots on net, and he played 16:01 tonight. I think he'll need some more time to get back into form before he starts producing; but it wasn't a bad debut by any means.

The only real negative mark on Elias is that he was on the ice for the Islanders' lone goal against. A blocked shot by the Devils led to Jon Sim pushing it ahead and the Devils doubling back. While Nicklas Bergfors was about to take the loose puck, Sean Bergenheim took it away from him and slid it across ice through Bryce Salvador's legs. Frans Nielsen was right there to Yann Danis' flank; while Danis slid across the net, Nielsen went to his backhand and the shot was high enough to bounce off Danis go in. Elias was trailing on Nielsen, but he had no chance to catch him. the Isles forecheck really made that whole play happen.

That aside, the Devils handled the Isles' forecheck very well. There were some times in the third period where two Islanders were able to win back the puck; but they ultimately did little with what they won. And with what little they shot, Yann Danis was usually in position to make the stop. Good job by the backup in his second start of the season. That said, a lot of credit should go to the Devils' defense for forcing the Islanders to take 24 mostly-not-so-strong shots and for cleaning up whatever rebounds were there. Even late in the game, they didn't panic all that much and if the Islanders did get possession, they recovered back into position very quickly. Despite a late hit in the first period on a penalty kill that led to a minor, I felt Colin White was one of the top defensemen for the Devils with 6 hits and 22:03 of solid defending. His partner, Mike Mottau, also had a strong game with 25:36 played - he didn't concede much space either. Overall, I was pleased (again) with the performance by the Devils' blueline.

I'm glad that the Devils won. Yet, I can't help but feel the score should have been much more by New Jersey as they really dictated the game up until the very end where the Islanders got desperate and had to turn up the aggression to get an equalizer. But again, the Devils didn't get many great scoring chances despite 5 power plays, 9 shots on said power plays, and 31 shots overall. Top Devils forwards didn't have the best of nights. Moreover, the Islanders' defense did a great job preventing much happening in the slot, the prime real estate for scoring goals. Hopefully the offense will have a better night tomorrow against Ottawa and get a win by more than one non-empty net goal.

Islanders Win Streak Potpourri: Irrational exuberance with cause

Dominik — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 18:20:00 -0000

Islanders four-game win streak: Celebration, small-sample factoids, and links galore follow. (Also: If you have feedback on the site's visual refresh, reply in comments. Some of the tweaks are still being worked out, but any feedback helps.)

* As noted virtually everywhere, it was Brendan Witt's first two-goal game (thank you, Nikolai Khabibulin) and his first goal in 92 games, dating back to January 22, 2008. (Said Witt during the in-arena post-game, about the prospect of a hat trick: "I could[n't] care less." I do know this: Witt definitely wouldn't have had a two-goal game had he not regrown The Hair. [His hilarious interview is after the jump in this post; game highlights have been added to the recap]

* As WebBard pointed out last night and looked up this morning, the Islanders are 5-1-2 since Jeff Tambellini and Frans Nielsen returned to the lineup. I will accept all your Tambo love if you grant that Nielsen is the finest Dane that you ever did see.

* Last time the Isles won four in a row (Jan.-Feb. 2009), they beat a struggling Ducks team, plus the Thrashers (5-4, after nearly blowing a 4-0 lead), Panthers and Lightning, by a combined score of 13-7. During this streak, they've beaten the Rangers, Capitals, Sabres and Oilers by a combined score of 15-5.

* Want to get this party started? Eric at Forever1940 notes this is the fewest losses after 14 games since the 11-1-1-1 start of 2001-02, back when Chris Osgood was a strength and not a liability. Ready to turn it up to 11? "The Isles have made the playoffs in every season that they had four or fewer losses in the first 14 games." (loser-point caveat granted)

* Surreal quote of the night goes to Scott Gordon: "It feels good. We talked before the game about being able to handle success and how to handle it. We talked about what gives you success and not to stray from it." Yes, an Islanders coach just said that. Suck it, haters.

Post recap: Weight says it's a similar start to last year, but with a whole different attitude. (I liberally interpret that to mean: "No Mr. Duff sulking, Jon Sim knows his place, no DiPietro injury distraction, and no Chris Campoli wondering why Streit and Weight are on the powerplay points ahead of him.")
NY Sports Day recap: Witt and Weight on not straying from what's working.
Eric's deeper stat trick, noting five consecutive Islanders victories over the Oilers at our Coliseum.
Christine was so stunned to hear Witt score twice, she scared her recuperating dog. [OntheNYIslesScene] At my house, my wife took credit for the four-game win streak ("They responded to my tough love," she said). My dogs remain unmoved.
Botta's +/- included thoughts on Tavares from Pat Quinn, who does not share John Tortorella's belief that it's not his job as an NHL club employee to discuss NHL players.
Okposo Net in two words: Feeling good.
Oilers fan reactions at Copper & Blue: That was awful. Also: The loss may have cost them Horcoff. Ye gods.

7th Woman couldn't get near the star of the night in post-game, but the video is pretty funny -- and testy:

And finally: Newsday also had a game story. That'll be $5 please.

Islanders Gameday: Oui oui, Tavares in Montreal

Dominik — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 19:46:57 -0000

One by one, we'll get through all six "Tavares plays in [Canadian city] for first time" stories. That's all lovely, and fortunately he handles media like a long-time pro, but I'm focused on the possibility of ~~learning from~~ building off last night.

New York Islanders at Montreal Canadiens

7 p.m. EDT | Le [brewer or telco or such] Centre | MSG+, TSN, RDS; radio feed

Habs therapy: Eyes on the Prize | Habs Inside/Out | Four Habs Fans

The Canadiens are a wealthy team and profit machine. They can afford to lets half their roster walk in the summer, because hey, they can just buy up new guys at the free agency store. They can even afford to take one of Glen Sather's mistakes off his hands. Dammit. The Islanders, future in flux and recent past in regret, have to restart the hard way.

So these matches in recent years have been fun for me: It's not exactly David vs. Goliath, but it is like playing with house money. Great atmosphere in Montreal, and a loss hurts the Habs much worse than it hurts the Isles. House money.

2008-09 Matchups

Last season produced two intriguing shows at the [beer/bank/telco] Centre. I thought the March meeting was an early sign of Kyle Okposo's game coming together, as he finished a very good game by potting the OT winner. Well before that, 11 months ago the Islanders won via shootout, after a pretty weak Islanders performance was bailed out by Ryan O'Byrne's wacky own goal. O'Byrne didn't see the ice again and was serenaded off the ice by some unforgiving Habs fans.

We won't mention the matches at the Coliseum, which included a late-season blow-out and -- stop me if you've heard this before -- a blown three-goal Islanders lead that spoiled Yann Danis's first appearance against his old team.

Of course, that was a completely different Habs team. Today they have a whole new top line. The Kostitsyn melodrama continues unabated, as does the uncertainty over Carey Price (who is frequently outplayed by Jaroslav Halak).

	GP	MIN	W	L	GA	GAA	SA	SV	SV%	SO
2009 - Jaroslav Halak	3	132	1	1	5	2.27	54	49	.907	0

Notes

Halak -- who played quite well in a 1-1 shootout win over Atlanta this week, gets the start tonight, opposite Martin Biron. Halak is 2-1 in his career against the Isles, allowing 4 goals for a 1.34 GAA and .955 save percentage.
As reported by Katie Strang, Doug Weight didn't even make the trip, and Jon Sim appears to be his replacement -- as first-line right wing, I fear.
Frans Nielsen appears to be playing, despite the team indicating last week that he wouldn't do back-to-backs. I only hope they're not rushing him. I only hope this doesn't backfire. The nature of his knee injury not abundantly clear, we can only trust in their decisions. You do trust in their decisions, don't you?
We may not all agree on the relative merits of Andy Sutton, but we can agree on this: 60 minutes, please. Not 50. Not 54. Sixty. 6-0.

The game thread will be up within an hour before game time. Last night's was fun. Can you go back-to-back? The more the merrier.

No reg's on where you comment on the game, but this post/comments is more for pre-game speculation, while the game threads are intended for in-the-moment tomfoolery, reaction, and instant post-game analysis. (Am I being too redundant? Sorry, just trying to keep the lines of communication open. Requests, complaints, suggestions are always welcome, but I've already heard the "Get a life" variety.)

Islanders get first 'win' of season: Sharp shootout kids save the day

Dominik — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 02:44:40 -0000

More photos » by Paul J. Bereswill - AP

Matt Moulson continues to pay the price to get goals. He leads the Isles with five.

Browse more photos »

It's a shootout win, it's a gimmicky breakaway drill, it came after yet another blown late lead and an unconvincing OT.

But it's two points and that sort of feels good. Sort of.

Game Summary | Event Summary | nhl.com Recap | Isles Recap

Final - 10.21.2009	1	2	3	OT	SO	Total
Carolina Hurricanes	0	1	2	0	0	3
New York Islanders	1	2	0	0	1	4

Complete Coverage >

Through good fortune and decent play, the Islanders found themselves entering the 3rd period with a 3-1 lead. Uh oh. In a breakdown worthy of the Boston performance, with six minutes left the collapse began. And 63 seconds later, 3-3 game. Adding a personal bit of torture to the experience, my cable box imploded and my dodgy Web video lagged the audio during the critical moments, so while the images looked innocent, Howie Rose was telling me not to believe my eyes, because the 3-1 lead was indeed disappearing.

But you probably don't want me to be ~~Debbie Downer~~ Bettman Bummer after we were "treated" to the first win of the season. So, on to the positivity and video highlights:

Faceoffs

How about this? Frans Nielsen: 8-1! John Tavares: 10-6. Josh Bailey: 12-4 (?!). Nate Thompson: 9-2. Oddly, Richard Park was the weaker guy at 4-5. What the hell got into them?

The ~~Breakaway Drill~~ Shootout

Hey, Dwayne Roloson made a shootout save! And the three shooters made Cam Ward look normal. That was three perfectly executed shots -- the classic wrister from the slot by Jeff Tambellini, the Frans Nielsen signature backhand deke, and John Tavares doing 755 moves before pasting the puck off the inside of the upper post and bar to ice the first official Islanders win with Tavares in uniform. Not bad at all.

Matt Moulson

He didn't have Kyle Okposo to create magic on his line, but he still had Tavares and he still kept scoring. Went to the dirty area, took the hit to knock in a rebound. Do not fear the Moulson Train. Just enjoy it.

Andy Sutton

I don't expect to mention him much in the positivity section, so fair is fair: A goal, an assist -- even a +1 -- and he stood up for Tavares after the ridiculously late and high hit from Andrew "A is for A-hole" Alberts. Nice night for Sutton in 18:08 of ice time.

Mark Streit

Busy night (26:55), but two poor penalties, and he was out there for the tying goal -- though in his defense, the fourth liners were running around at that point. He still finished +1. He is Mark Streit, and he is good.

And More...

As WebBard pointed out, the Isles were 3 for 4 on the PK (a bad penalty by Blake Comeau leading to the only one), Roloson was solid during the regulation game, and the Islanders offense did not depend solely on the first line.

Scott Gordon got, in part at least, what he wanted from this game -- including Nielsen and Okposo capturing some chemistry together and Moulson/Tavares not dropping off a bit.

That's the quick-and-dirty recap. More tomorrow for a back-to-back in Montreal. For now...: Islanders Win!