Devils at Islanders: Live Blog

Look out, Islanders are about to take on the New Jersey Devils in a Matinee game here on Martin Luther King day. As always, I am live from the Coliseum in the Blog Box bringing you live game updates and some witty banter and comments through out.

Islanders scratches today, Jeff Tambellini, Nate Thompson and Martin Biron.

Should be a good game today, let’s see if John Tavares can build on his goal on Saturday after going ten consecutive games without scoring. It would also be great to see Josh Bailey, Rob Schremp and Matt Moulson to contribute offensively today. If you noticed I left Kyle Okposo off that list, I did so for a reason—he has continued to contribute in so many ways for the Islanders and that’s one of the main reasons the Islanders have had success as of late.

We are close to the puck drop, check back often for updates!

Ok, this is interesting—Rick DiPietro is your starting goaltender today, which is news to just about everyone in the building. He must be feeling great, apparently. You know how DiPietro LOVES to match up against that guy down at the other end of the ice in Martin Brodeur, I’m sure that has something to do with that.

First Period

2:09pm Islanders control the opening draw (I still want to look back and see how many times they’ve won and lost).
2:11pm After great a great flurry in front of Brodeur the Devils ice the puck and on the next flurry, Moulson bats in a rebound for an early lead. Islanders lead 1-0 1:30 into the game.
2:13pm Moulson from Nielsen and Hunter, that’s Moulson’s 18th of the season
2:14pm Islanders thought they scored again, but it was waved off due to a blown whistle. That’s two games in a two that Park had “scored” but it was blown dead.
2:15pm Devils just shot the puck over the glass, Islanders power play – THEY NEED TO SCORE HERE
2:16pm Mark Streit with a blast from the point beats Brodeur on the power play and it’s 2-0 Islanders
2:18pm Streit (7th) on the PP from Tavares and Okposo
2:22pm Devils have stepped up their physical play, which was a given considering the first period they are having.
2:22pm Devils going to the box for holding, Let’s get chili boys!
2:25pm Brodeur doing what Brodeur does and making seemingly impossible saves look routine.
2:29pm Islanders are out shooting the Devils 12-3 with 9 minutes left in the first.
2:31pm Islanders are on their third power play of the period, they are currently 1/2 and have a tremendous amount of shots.
2:35pm Islanders are now 1/3 on the power play, but I think 12 of their 17 shots have come on the man advantage. Great job tonight, keep plugging away.
2:37pm Islanders forecheck is on point tonight, I think the Devils have iced the puck 7 times this period.
2:38pm DiPietro with his first tough save of the game, a scrambler where he had to kick out his legs from his back.
2:40pm Islanders deviate from their game plan, pressure leads to a penalty in the defensive zone while protecting DiPietro in the crease Tavares for tripping.

End of the first period. Time for refreshments.

Great period, Discuss.

Second Period

3:17pm While I was away, apparently we missed pretty much nothing. More Isles shots and a Devils post.
3:23pm Hunter and Tavares ran into each other and both looked shaken up – then Tavares got tripped as he got up and slowly skated to the bench.
3:26pm Brodeur was just hit up high int he mask on that snap shot. He looked shaken up for a minute.
3:28pm Bailey alone in front redirects a rebound past Brodeur and it’s 3-0
3:30pm Bailey’s 12th of the season from Jack Hillen
3:33pm Jon Sim gitting hammered out there tonight, he skated off the ice sucking wind and looking sore. Doing his job though.
3:34pm Islanders take a 4-0 lead – Sutton with a shot from the point that may have been tipped by Moulson
3:37pm After the final horn here in the second, the goal was annouced as Sutton’s and the assist going to Hunter

So two periods in the books here today and the Devils are sucking wind. The forecheck is absolutely perfect tonight, it’s leading to turnovers, hard hits, icing, and the Islanders are going to those hard areas and taking the body in order to score gritty goals – not to mention goals by defensemen tonight (Streit and Sutton). An all around perfect game so far, the onus is on the Isles to continue the effort going into the third.

Third Period

3:55pm Moulson credited with the Islanders 4th goal, and Yann Danis in net for the Devils.
3:58pm DiPietro shows some nice stick work and bats a rebound out of the zone mid-air.
4:02pm Doug Weight is in the box for tripping.
4:05pm Devils even up man power – four on four for a minute twenty.
4:10pm DiPietro got hit in the mask earlier, a crazy play after that where he had the puck covered and therre was no whistle – turns out NJ dug it out and took another shot. Isles go down into the offensive zone and forced Danis to make a save. First real save of the period for him.
4:25pm Islanders completely own the Devils here today. Final minute of the third, DP chants rain down

The perfectionist also known as Rick DiPietro earns the shutout on 20 saves in his third start of the season.

Good on ya Ricky. Welcome back.

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