Good evening everyone!
Home game number 26 brings us a match up between John Tavares and the New York Islanders and Alexander Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals, always a great time for sure.
I am going to apologize in advance, I am not feeling 100 percent tonight so I may not be so quick on the draw this evening. Enough about me though—onto the good stuff.
The Islanders find themselves jam packed in the Eastern Conference tonight, should they win and Montreal lose they will finish as high as 6th but a loss by the Isles and a Boston and Florida win will find them as low as tenth. Interesting parity as always in the East.
The Islanders will also leap frog the Rangers, whom they trail by one point.
Roster notables for the evening, Dustin Kohn finds himself back in Bridgeport now that Andy Sutton’s suspension is over. Josh Bailey is under the weather (maybe he has what I have) and no word on him yet, Jeff Tambellini appears to be scratched as well and of course Martin Biron is sitting comfortably in the press box as well.
Dare I say it, but let’s see if the scary Islanders team the Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau talked about in the pregame interview is the one that comes out in the first period.
First Period
7:10pm Islanders lose the opening draw, taken by Richard Park
7:10pm Islanders forecheck is on point already, caused a turnover and forced Theodore to make a stop. Islanders find themselves with two shots on goal due to the turnover. Ovechkin accepts a feed and from his knees makes a wrist shot and almost scored.
7:11pm The Capitals are on the board first, a passing play that caught Roloson out of position. Morrison from Erskine
7:14pm Well, Josh Bailey IS dressed tonight, go figure.
7:16pm A Semin wrist shot makes it 2-0 Capitals. Where is Brendan Witt and Radek Martinek to shut him down when you need them?
7:17pm Morrison gonna sit for hooking, Islanders power play.
7:19pm Rob Schremp makes it a one goal game on the power play off a feed from Doug Weight
7:22pm Schremps 6th of the season from Weight and Hunter
7:26pm Capitals get a penalty for goaltender interference (Green), I thought for sure it was on Roloson
7:28pm 12 seconds remain on Green’s penalty, and now they have taken a holding penalty as well. Islanders extend their power play.
7:30pm Okposo looking for something down low, misses the net and it rims around and out. Regain control and are working down low. Islanders hit the post, not sure who shot the puck.
7:32pm Even strength, Capitals shoot and it’s deflected out of play.
7:36pm Tavares the recipient of a great Bailey pass and rang on off the iron. That’s now two posts for the Islanders this period.
7:41pm First Islanders penalty of the period called on Bergenheim for a hold. Jack Hillen was just BLASTED in the mouth with the puck. Ovechkin shot the puck….bloody mess.
7:46pm Capitals score on the power play, Roloson pissed he allowed them to hack away and get it through his pads.
7:48pm Another forward for the Islanders who cannot buy a goal, Frans Nielsen who missed the net completely unimpeded.
7:49pm Semin dances through the Islanders defense and then scoops a backhand over a fallen Roloson from behind the net. Great effort, but it’s now 4-1 Capitals.
End of the period.
I don’t have the energy to really break down the play of the Islanders this period. The Capitals are riding a hot streak and are leaps and bounds the better team.
Second Period
Rick DiPietro comes into the game in relief of Roloson.
8:07pm Islanders are underway, hopefully the change of a netminder gives them some confidence back as DP makes his first save of the game.
8:10pm Early reports are that Hillen was taken to the hospital by ambulance.
8:10pm Capitals score on fresh goaltender DiPietro to make it 5-1 on Erskine’s first of the season.
8:14pm Capitals called for hooking, Islanders fourth power play of the game, they are 1/3 right now.
8:18pm Nothing going for the Islanders on that power play. 1 for 4 on the evening.
8:22pm Islanders score on a nice play – Okposo from Tavares and Bailey 5-2 Caps
8:29pm DiPietro gives the team some life with a nice save moving post to post.
8:31pm Chimera’s hard wrister beats DiPietro to make it 6-2
8:34pm Capitals called for tripping, Islanders 5th power play of the night.
8:38pm Islanders all over the Caps that power play, DiPietro with two long passes to his forwards, three scoring chances but not enough quick shots.
Final minute of the period
Another not so great period by the Islanders, maybe they are all feeling the way I do tonight with the sneezing and burning eyes.
The Capitals are too good of a team, they block almost every shot and pass, they cause turnovers and they seem to be able to score from just about every single spot on the ice. DiPietro is doing his best to stem the tided, but he has allowed two goals himself this period.
All those power play opportunities have been wasted tonight, save for the first one of the game.
Maybe they can work a miracle in the third period?
Third Period
8:57pm Now in goal for the Capitals Michal Neuvirth
9:01pm Capitals beat writer Tarik ElBashir claims Neuvirth was warming up the end of the second period. Perhaps that second shot of the mask late in the second shook up Theodore.
9:09pm There aren’t many times I say this (and it’s more because of the way I feel tonight) – I cannot wait for the game to end. I should have stayed home tonight.
9:12pm Islanders get called for holding, MacDonald did all he could to prevent a Semin hat trick.
9:14pm Andy Sutton just cleared out Laich from in front, it looked like he gave him whiplash the way he moved him from the crease.
9:15pm Islanders kill off that penalty and MacDonald sprung from the box and chased down the puck and carried it into the Caps zone. He made a nice move and found Bergenheim streaking to the net, Neuvirth was there for the save though.
9:19pm I just realized that countless Islanders are invisible tonight. Matt Moulson was just out on the ice and I couldn’t remember when the last time I saw him was, then I said the same thing about four of five other players.
9:22pm Laich just danced around everyone and roofed a wrist shot past DP to make it 7-2
9:24pm If the Islanders cannot rise up and find the will to win a huge game like this tonight, how would they do in the playoffs?
