The Anaheim Ducks are having a very 2010-11 New York Islanders moment, with goalies dropping like flies.
Pop quiz, hot shot! Who had fewer appearances in goal for the Isles that season than Rick DiPietro (26), but the same as Al Montoya (20), and more than Kevin Poulin (10), Nathan Lawson (10) and Mikko Koskinen (4)?
Answer: Yes, the Ducks' 45-year-old backup the other night, and Tampa Bay 2011 postseason hero, Dwayne "Mr. Interview Personality" Roloson.
The Ducks aren't up to six goalies just yet, but the season is young. With John Gibson groined for six weeks and Frederik Andersen (hallowed by thy Dane) tight for day-to-day (though he will dress and might still play), the Ducks got Butkus. Er, Bobkov, to back up Jason "Hanna" LaBarbera just in case, because the sight of Roloson in uni at 45 was too much to see again.
(For a trip down memory lane: LaBarbera relieved Ilya Bryzgalov in Phoenix on that night in 2010 when the Isles extended a five-minute power play because the Coyotes forgot to put someone in the box at the start of the period. Roloson was in goal. And already old. Jeez, this site has been around a while.)
Islanders (6-5, t-3rd/Metro) @ Ducks (10-3, 1st/Pacific)
10:30 p.m. EST | MSG+ | WRHU
[The Pond]a Center
Villains: Anaheim Calling | Battle of Cali
Ducks Notes
Anyway, turns out Andersen will dress...and might play tonight.
"Freddie and Jason are both available, and one of them will start."
Thanks!
"I need to see how I feel before tonight's game."
"They're a scary team. Fun to watch if you're a spectator, but a scary team to play against."
Dominik on the Islanders:
Anaheim Calling had me on for their gameday podcast to talk about the Isles. Sorry I said "uh" a lot, but I'd dealt with a crisis all day long and then diapers.
So there's that. Meanwhile, two amusing notes from Anaheim Calling after the Ducks win over the Avalanche:
As the Ducks have done from time to time when their opponents do really good things, they started to punch the Avs in the mouth.
As Calvin de Haan said, the Isles must not be drawn into shenanigans.
And then there's this, from the photo of Dwayne Roloson on the bench:
Fun Fact: Roli actually had his mask on in the picture above, but shook it off out of habit to get a whistle when Corey Perry approached.
Okay that was good and fitting. But so is embellishing anytime noted criminal tool Perry is anywhere near the crease.
Finally, remember that Dallas-based British guy's fun take on hockey from a few weeks ago? He's back, with this:
Corey Perry is also a gigantic turd in human form.
The Boulton Resurrection
In a surprise move, Eric Boulton will get his first game of the season, replacing Casey Cizikas. Because it's mean* to drag someone all the way across the country and not let him play in any games.
*unless you're Matt Donovan. Then it's just, deal with it.
The bonus of this is that the Islanders will use their center power for good, with really good center (presumably Ryan Strome?) even on the fourth line. The drawback is...Boulton and Matt Martin together against the top team in the Pacific. After three days off, maybe the Isles will shorten their bench? (Again, sorry Strome.) But they play again tomorrow against another tough opponent, so...aww hell, this is why we watch the games to find out (after raising hell and assumption all day on Twitter).
UPDATE: Capuano said Ryan Strome and Matt Martin could see increased time on the penalty kill in Cizikas’ absence.
Anyway, Arthur Staple of Newsday quotes Capuano saying that this Boulton-for-Cizikas swap was indeed a coach's decision, and not an injury. Beware the Ducky shenanigans.
Meanwhile, as reflected in practice lines the other day, Nikolay Kulemin is the latest guy to be left wing on the top line with John Tavares and Kyle Okposo. However this all goes down, it's going down after midnight.
FIG Picks
Leave your First Islanders Goal picks here. Don't pick Cizikas.