First Period

It’s a good thing all these fans showed up tonight. Although it appears the team has failed to show up themselves. This team loves to take two steps forward and the two immediate steps back.

DiPetro got caught playing the puck on the first goal, and was screened by a teammate on the second minutes later. They keep getting hemmed in their own zone. They have also taken a few penalties. On their own powerplay, the managed one shot and no real pressure.

Pens are also out shooting the Isles - no surprise being they can’t get out of their own end.

Hopefully they find their game in the locker room.

Second period

Nolan must have said something good, because the team came out with passion and look completely different than they did in the first period.

Rob Scuderi takes a penalty and Richard Park scores his first power play goal as an Islander. Vasicek gets a nice a pass and plays catch with Satan then beats Dany Sabourin to tie the game. They found their inner hockey souls between periods and its a game again!

Witt and Crosby exchange cross checks behind the net and the Islanders wind up down a man, 2 penalties for the Isles and one for the Pens - when are the officials going to call a fair game in this league?

Penguins score on the Power Play - naturally. 3-2 Pens

Third Period

Pretty uneventful third period, lots of back and forth action with Sabourin making some great saves. With 6 minutes left, I left my seats and headed down to the blog box.

As I get to the Blog Box - a match penalty is announced and Simon gets ejected. Unfortunately, I missed what happened. So with about 6 minutes left, the Islanders are again put in a position late in the game killing a 5 minute penalty (Rewind to the stick swinging incident last year against the Rangers).

Now that I am home, apparently Simon was:

trying to stomp on Jarkko Ruutu’s foot with just under six minutes left. -Associated Press

The Islanders killed off the penalty and even had a few chances. Mike Sillinger went in alone and the puck rolled at the last second and he put it over the net. Mike was asked about the play and this was his response:

We got in while they were changing, I got in behind their D and I made the move I wanted - I kinda waited him out a little bit. I wanted to go upstairs and the puck rolled a bit at the last second and I shot over the net. You know the ice is kinda bad and obviously I elected to shoot because the ice is bad. When I waited for a second and pulled it back, thats when it rolled. Those things happen I guess.

Sillinger was also asked about the match penalty on Simon:

I didn’t see the replay, obviously the refs called what they called but I will have to look at the replay and see what the deal is with that. You know we’ve got 6 minutes left and we’re trying to fight and get back in the game and I think he faked it a bit as well, but again I didn’t see what happened.

What I have learned about Sillinger in my time blogging in the Blog Box - he is the goto guy for comments. I love listening to him answer a question because there is never anything he cannot answer. He is one of the most veteran voices in the room and between Witt and Guerin - they always have an answer because they’ve been there and done that. I could tell though that he really didn’t want to address whatever Simon had done - for obvious reasons.

Well, it appears this latest Simon incident will be reviewed by the league due to the “intent to injure” nature of the offense. I don’t condone these type of actions and I really don’t even know why he would go and do that when the team is fighting to tie the game. I guess we will find out if he receives any amount of suspension for this.

All requests to speak to Simon, were turned down by the Islanders organization and I imagine that a press release will be issued when there will be an official explanation.

For those who have not seen the incident, you must see this for yourself:

First Period

Blogging live from section 309, not much going on. Isles are off to a slow start but have had a few chances. They continue to take penalties and that needs to stop.

We are scoreless, and the Isles lead in shots 9-8.

Bergenheim has four hits, three on the same shift! He outhit ALL of the Coyotes in one period!

I also hear NY Rangers professional scout Rick Kehoe is in attendance, don’t believe we are playing them any time soon - but Phoenix travels to MSG tomorrow. Guess there is no rumor value there…..

Second period about to start!

Second Period

Guerin from Comrie and Gervais 1-0 Isles

Third Period

Bergeron scores on the PP 2-0

Isles back on PP!

Shortie for Coyotes

Witt takes a slashing penalty, Coyotes score on the PP

Guerin second of the game!

Just walked in from the game, stopped at Hooters with my cousin Chris - been a while since I stopped in there. So overall, the Isles played the game they needed against a struggling Phoenix Coyotes. They may be coached by the greatest player to ever play the game, but they sure do look like they have the same problems as we do!

Isles took way too many penalties, and didn’t skate enough to generate enough of their own - although they did manage to score on one of their rare power play chances. Marc-Andre Bergeron looked great tonight and wasn’t as much of a liablity on defense tonight. Berard was scratched and Tambellini was sent down in favor of tough-guy call up Tim Jackman.

Bill Guerin continued to storm out of his slump by scoring two more goals tonight from the doorstep. That is a place where the Islanders have yet to visit very often, but when they do - they score goals……coincidence? I think not.

What to look for tommorow:

• Notes from the interviews of Guerin, DiPietro and Comrie
• Uploaded pictures from the last several games, including another goal being scored from tonight’s game (Bergeron on the power play)
• Update on my Stripe Gate story!! I found out some more info while in the locker room tonight, but will have a concrete answer by Saturday!

Talk to everyone tommorow!

Dubie gets the start, just announced.
Almost game time!

7:13 PM :34 seconds in they are down a goal.
7:19 Pm Another Thrashers goal.
7:20 PM Yet another. Wow Isles recorded a shot on goal. Yep, it’s one of those games.
7:45 PM Here come the boo birds.

That period is one I am sure they want to forget. Dubie looks really rusty, defense doesn’t look any better. The way the Islanders has been playing you can count this one as a loss as far as this blogger is concerned.

It will take us two games to reach four goals.

8:21 PM Isles showing some life with a scrum in front of Atlanta’s net. Isles defense getting exploited non stop.

8:24 PM Sutton just pummelled Thorburn.
8:38 PM Sitting here bored, when was the last time the Isles scored off a passing play? Are they even capable?

8:42 PM Two in the books. Thank god.

Now that I am home - I can do a proper analysis.

Passing - what are they coaching these guys on? They throw a pass through a blocked lane 9 out of 10 times. They try to generate offense from below the goal line just about every time, which would be ok a few times if they actually had someone crash the net or sit in front of the goalie. Shots are the same - they try to do too much from the perimeter, where if a shot manages to get through the maze of sticks, skates and legs - will be an easy save.

The power play is still pitiful - I feel like they are in an “Endless Cycle” and just pass around for two minutes without taking any quality shots. The “Endless Cycle” can also be said about what little pressure they manage to put on the opposition in the offensive zone.

Breakout - where is it? Without quality passing it is almost impossible to gain the opposing blueline. Almost every time the Islanders are forced to dump the puck into the zone - which will lead to either an easy clear or the “Endless Cycle” explained above.

I can keep going - but it’s fruitless and would most likely just piss Botta off. He’s probably already mad at me because I never ask any questions while in the locker room. I came close today, but wouldn’t you know it - Greg Logan was already asking the questions I had thought about as he was speaking….. he is the pro after all.

Speaking of Botta, my fellow Blog Boxer B.D. Gallof who writes the Islanders blog on Hockeybuzz was called out on a mistake he made following the Ottawa game on Wednesday. B.D. mistook injured defenseman Aaron Johnson hobbling around on crutches for Sean Bergenheim and posted so in his blog. You can say we all got a lesson on the reach of what we type in our blogs, because the news of Bergenheim’s “injury” spread across the internet like wild fire. Apparently, B.D. was subsequently scolded and reminded of the importance of being 100% certain of what we blog. Needless to say, both Chris Botta and Corey Witt were ribbing B.D. as we were walking into the room - pointing at players and telling him who they were. It was friendly chop-busting and drew laughs from us all. Give B.D.’s blog a peak for more explanation - The Bouncing Puck: Ravings of an Islander’s Blogger.

I decided to merge all of the Live Blog posts from the game tonight, because they didn’t need to be seperate.

7:43 PM - Vasicek from Satan 19:34 1st
7:51 PM - Isles Lead After One

Brief Recap

Isles lead on a late First period goal by Vasicek.

Power play had a few chances, but again they are trying to be too cute with the puck. Defensively they look ok, offensively they are having a problem gaining Ottawa’s zone.

Hopefully the late goal gets them fired up for the second.More from Section 309 as it happens.

8:55 PM - All Tied in Third

Sharp angle, Meszaros PP goal 1:05 3rd and right back to being shorthanded. Comrie two for holding. Back down a man.

9:02 PM - 2-1 Isles Sillinger’s 4th from Hilbert
9:25 PM - Tied 2-2 on a long wrist shot by Meszaros (2nd). DP looked screened on the play.
9:30 PM - OVERTIME!
9:38 PM - Minute plus remain in OT - Ottawa has 4 forwards out. Isles down a man.
9:48 PM - First shoot-out of the season:

Satan: Miss
Alfredsson: Scores
Vasicek: Miss
Spezza: Miss
Guerin: Scores!
Heatley: Save
Comrie: Post
Robitaille: Save
Hunter: Miss
Vermette: Miss
Sillinger: Scores!
McAmmond: Save

Isles Win!!!!!!! Big two points from a tough Ottawa team!!!!

Andy nets his first!!!!!!!

Forward Tim Jackman called up to replace Aaron Johnson. More when I get home.