Sunday, February 13, 2011

48 Hrs Later: Isles Win in OT in Buffalo

So suspensions, fines and closing remarks by both the Islanders and the Penguins out of the way, the Islanders hit the ice against the Sabres at HSBC Arena.

Jack Hillen is not in the line-up for precautionary reasons. There had been rumor (that I got for a Penguins beat writer!) that Hillen may have exhibited concussion like symptons. I guess he was right.

With Matt Martin and Trevor Gillies now serving their League mandated suspensions, Tye Wishart and Rob Schremp were placed back in the line-up along with NON-disciplined Michael Haley.

Haley not only won over the Isles fans during his first NHL game, according to Rob Carlin, he won over his coach too.

Michael Grabner continuing his point streak gets the Islanders on the board before I can even sit down to watch the game. Maybe this is more than a "streak," maybe Michael Grabner is actually THAT good.

Hecht tied the game at one at 6:46 of the first as I personally felt that Mikko was too far outside the paint. I was corrected, supposedly the technical term is "he was too deep." Either way, he got beat.

The second goal Mikko let up was just a bad rebound and bad luck. Drew Stafford buried a rebound as Mikko could not get back into position to save it. No problem thought. John Tavares, who had been slow to get up after being knocked to the ice earlier in the first, snuck in and buried the puck deep in Millers net from a shot by Travis Hamonic with a PA Parenteau screen.

Stafford scorred his second of the game at 17:39 from an Ennis shot to put the Sabres up 3 - 2, again as Mikko was too far towards one post.

The Islanders go on the power play as Kaleta is called for charging on Travic Hamonic. Charging? He took Travis into the glass with his elbow and had to jump 4" off the ice. Only a two minute penalty was given to Kaleta. Let's see if the league has anything to say about that or since it's only 20-year-old Islander Travis Hamonic, does it note really matter? Not important right?

And this is the reason the Islanders feel they have to police themselves. If they are going to get no help from the league that is supposed to protect them, they have no choice but to stand up and take action.

Hamonic let Kaleta know what he thinks of him as he exited the penalty box as the period ended. The Islanders will have 31 seconds of power play time to begin the second with a fresh sheet of ice. Hopefully, they find the back of the net and get this evened up again.

Travis was given a ten minute game misconduct for letting Kaleta and the ref know what he thought. Still playing into the idea that the Islanders get no respect from anyone in the league.

As he had done the last time out, little Nathan Gerbe scored the Sabres 4th goal of the afternoon as he blew right past Milan Jurcina. That prompted Jack Capuano to make a change in net and 26-year-old Al Montoya, celebrating his birthday today, makes his Islander debut.

Wish they had just listened to me to begin with and let him start the game.

With PA Parenteau in the box late in the second, Jordan Leopold managed to get a stick up high on Josh Bailey and then hook Frans Nielsen just as he was about to shoot on Miller 6" from the net. Rather than a penalty shot for Frans, Leopold received 4 minutes in the box. That put the teams at 4 on 4 for a little over a minute before the Islanders would go on the power play for 2:34.

Al Montoya likes to control the puck until the D come and get it. Well... that's sure different!

Islanders 0 - 4 on the Power Play this afternoon. Matt Moulson was hit with a puck and had to leave the ice for a few minutes. Back on the bnech he still was doubled over until he could tak a regular shift. However, dumped on his butt in front of the net, he was slow to get up and had to skate off ice and out to the trainer's room.

Does this mean the only Islander Iron Man may break his game streak? I hope not. But he's in pain

Blake Comeau back in the line-up after being out since the last Penguins game with a concussion makes it 4 - 3 Buffalo with only 1:05 left of the 2nd.

Michael Grabner scores his second of the game to tie it up at 4 early in the third, but Meyers beats Al Montoya who was scrambling back into position after a flurry of activity in his crease. Buffalo 5 Isles 4.

Frans Nielsen was literally punched in the mouth by Morrison against the boards. No call. No whistle. Just Frans on his knees bleeding. Gee, I thought those sorts of players weren't allowed?

oh wait... It was an Islander that was hit. Carry on. No call.

Matt Moulson returned for the third, so that's a good thing.

Because as I'm told, if you can't score 5 on 3, you shouldn't be playing. So with the Sabres down two men, Jurcina ties the game at 5 with a one timer that leaves the Islanders still on the power play.

Ty Wishart scores his first NHL goal to put the Isles up 6 - 5, and the puck is retrieved for the kid from the net. But it too is a short lived lead as Drew Stafford scores his fourth hat trick of the season and the hats rain down on the ice.

Score stands at 6 - 6 with a little more than 6 minutes left of the third. Montoya is struggling with his rebound control. Is it a problem with equipment? Nerves? New team? Then again, Mikko was very shakey his first game.

The Islanders manage to hold on, even with a Sabres power play with less than two minutes left of the third. Travis Hamonic was called for something he didn't seem to agree with and Butch didn't blame him.

Isles killed off the penalty 15 seconds into OT. However, had it not been for the face-off win by Zenon Konopka, i think the game would have been over before the end of regulation.

As Howie Rose said on air, the Cinderella story continues as Michael Grabner wins the game in OT with a hat trick.

Sign him. Just sign him now.

1 comment:

Michele Louise said...

hillen concussion like symptoms..hmm, wonder why no pen was suspended?