The last time the New York Islanders won in Philadelphia, it looked like this. None of the players in that 2007 lineup are here anymore. Frans Nielsen and Rick DiPietro are two of the few anywhere in the system (or on IR) at the time.

Let us turn the page, and never feel cause to think of that game again. The Islanders ended four years of ignominy in Philly tonight, finally, and they did it in style.

GS | ES | H2H | Shifts | Corsi | Zones | Recaps: NHL | Isles | SBN

John Tavares was the scary Tavares we've seen for the past two months, extending his point streak to 11. The special teams continued the crazy run they've been on for the past 15 games. Matt Moulson scored the first goal of the game (twice...once was rightly disallowed) the way he's done more than anyone else in the NHL this season. Josh Bailey made like Nielsen and do what Frans do. (Shorthanded, even.) Evgeni Nabokov finally conceded a goal half way through the third period, on the Flyers' 34th shot, but that was all. Michael Grabner finished it with an empty netter.

This moment is so overdue, it deserves -- and will surely fill -- two post-game threads. So the video highlights are below (once they load), but more analysis comes later. Haven't done one of these in a while, so consider this your instant-reaction plus/minus thread.

Give us your pluses, your minuses (heh), your what-not. The monkey is gone. Enjoy.

Continue reading this post »

The New York Islanders were probably lucky to be tied 3-3 with the Montreal Canadiens with eight minutes left, having combined a mixture of missed passes, soft goals conceded and odd-man rushes allowed through two periods before mounting an inspired two-goal comeback in the third.

That respite was brief, however, as Frans Nielsen was caught on a second consecutive long shift and allowed countryman Lars Eller too much space to set up an ex-Islander for the game winner. The right team won on this night.

GS | ES | H2H | Shifts | Corsi | Zones | Recaps: NHL | Isles | SBN

This is our instant-reaction post-game plus/minus thread. Such as:

Continue reading this post »

The Islanders opened a 2-0 lead -- David Ullstrom's second NHL goal, Milan Jurcina's second of the season -- but gave it up by the end of the first. Kyle Okposo bought them one more lead (3-2) in the second, but then Travis Hamonic was tossed for an "elbow" and the Penguins scored the next four goals (mostly by a buncha guys you don't like, don't like at all), and the team folded.

Al Montoya's roughest night as an Islander? Possibly. Opportunity missed? Probably. In front of 15,638 at the Coliseum, the Islanders scored their share, but gave up more than their share to a squad missing Sidney Crosby, Jordan Staal, some big defensemen -- and even while keeping remaining known center Evgeni Malkin mostly at bay.

GS | ES | H2H | Shifts | Corsi | Zones | Recaps: NHL | Isles | SBN

Fuller, more thoughtful recap to come later from Keith (that was the plan unless this game went over 200 PIM -- then we'd call in Pens fan favorite Mark D). This is just our post-game plus/minus thread for your instant analysis with short-form praise and critiques for the night that was -- comments for those who watched, and impressions for the lurkers who didn't.

Continue reading this post »

For the second encounter in a row, the New York Islanders came back to tie the Chicago Blackhawks in the third period and force overtime, and for the second encounter in a row they failed to take the extra standings point offered by the Bettmans that be.

GS | ES | H2H | Shifts | Corsi | Zones | Recaps: NHL | Isles | SBN

Tonight Steve Staios was both -- er, all three -- hero, near-villain and OT goat. It was his blast through traffic (Michael Grabner was later credited with the goal) that tied the game at 2-2 with nine minutes left. It was his over-the-glass penalty (after a frustratingly pedestrian exchange between him and Mike Mottau) that gave the Hawks a late chance to claim the winner in regulation, and it was his inability to control a point pass in OT that led to a 2-on-1, which Patrick Sharp finished on the rebound.

Fuller recap and whistles to come later. This is our post-game plus/minus thread for your instant analysis with short-form praise and critiques (as opposed to full-on game thread stream-of-consciousness) for the night that was. This one should be fun, as many players could claim both a plus and a minus depending on which slide you put in your microscope. To keep it orderly, if you see someone making the same points/topics you have, maybe reply to them before starting your own string. Or, whatever you like. Bettman points beg for ambiguity.

Continue reading this post »

After averaging under two goals scored per game for the first quarter of the season, the New York Islanders have scored 14 goals over their last three games and 19 over their last five. Tonight it was five goals by five different goal scorers, with the line of John Tavares, Matt Moulson and P.A. Parenteau setting the tone with repeated offensive threats. It was 3-1 Islanders at the first intermission, and mostly a cruise to a 5-1 win..

David Ullstrom scored his first NHL goal on a clever pass from Josh Bailey -- who was simply excellent -- and Al Montoya stood up to the little pressure he faced after the Lightning opened scoring with a Martin St. Louis tip on the first shot Montoya faced.

GS | ES | H2H | Shifts | Corsi | Zones | Recaps: NHL | Isles | SBN

Fuller recap and whistles to come later. This is our instant post-game plus/minus thread for your instant analysis with short-form praise and critiques for the night that was. To keep it orderly, if you see someone making the same points you have, maybe just reply to them before starting your own string. Or, whatever you like. This one was fun. Winning is fun. Winnipeg is not.

Continue reading this post »

Mark Fistric took one of those gratuitous leaping liberties at a rookie, knocking Nino Niederreiter in the head (and out of the game on his first shift, concussion-like symptoms) ... and received nothing more than a roughing penalty. Matt Martin jumped in and took the extra two via double-minor. That set the tone for what ended up being a wild back-and-forth (from a 3-0 Isles lead to 3-3 and 5-4 before the second intermission -- with Matt Moulson picking up four on his own. Repeat: Matt Moulson scored four goals.

GS | ES | H2H | Shifts | Corsi | Zones | Recaps: NHL | Isles | SBN

This is your spot for immediate post-game analysis, sharing your more sober pluses and minuses for the night. (Drunken rants are generally reserved for the game thread.) I have a few pluses: Matt Moulson, Matt Moulson, Matt Moulson and Matt Moulson. Also: John Tavares.

Rick DiPietro left after two periods with a groin injury and gets credit with the win, but Al Montoya gets the save. Michael Grabner also left the game in the third with a groin injury. Highlights and review of the leaping hit on Nino after the jump.

Continue reading this post »

Michael Grabner scored on a shorthanded breakaway, made possible this time by Ilya Kovalchuk (rather than yesterday's goat Adam Larsson, who scored today) -- and Al Montoya played outstanding for the second day in a row.

Like yesterday, Montoya's performance was matched by his counterpart at the other end, but despite Martin Brodeur's multiple saves on breakaways (Kyle Okposo here, John Tavares there, Grabner both here and there) it wasn't enough for the Devils to conjure a sweep.

GS | ES | H2H | Shifts | Corsi | Zones | Recaps: NHL | Isles | SBN

It almost went to extra time, however, as on a D-zone faceoff with just over five seconds left, Frans Nielsen won the draw behind him, but Kovalchuk [sorry, it was actually Dainius Zubrus] beat the Isles to the corner and fed it to Zach Parise alone in the crease -- Milan Jurcina had abandoned the slot but also not gotten to the corner in time, so he was in no man's land. Fortunately, replays showed Parise's last touch on the puck was a kick with his skate to shove the puck over the line. Goal overturned, and the Isles first road victory of the season preserved.

Continue reading this post »

Much better effort against an injury depleted team (Jaromir Jagr rejoined the injury list in the second period), but the New York Islanders suffered a familiar fate: After staking a 3-1 first-period lead, the offense stalled and the lead steadily fizzled away.

Though Rick DiPietro looked bad on the first two goals, he made 29 saves, several of them quite good honestly, and the tying goal with under six minutes left was simply cruel: A Coliseum bounce off the end boards that hopped into the crease, and DiPietro's reaction played it right into the hands of Daniel Briere.

GS | ES | H2H | Shifts | Corsi | Zones | Recaps: NHL | Isles | SBN

Oh, but then there was more: Naturally, after being gifted an OT powerplay on a soft call on Scott Hartnell, the Islanders powerplay was completely uninspired, and Briere scored on a great 2-on-2 rush and shot as soon as Hartnell got out of the box. Credit also to Sergei Bobrovsky, who relieved Ilya Bryzgalov at 3-1 and made all the saves that Bryzgalov and DiPietro could not. (The Flyers, like many teams I'm afraid, appear to target DP high when he goes down early, and throw it at his feet when he stays up.)

Kyle Okposo was one of the pluses, exiting the Zero Goal Club with two goals including a critical early one-timer that tied the game -- just 19 seconds after Andrej Meszaros grabbed a 1-0 lead a mere18 seconds in. There were other pluses, and there were plenty minuses, but that's what this thread is for after you've gotten your less intelligible steam out in the game thread. Have at it.

Continue reading this post »