Islanders prospect David Toews, the younger brother of Jonathan Toews – has left the NCAA (University of North Dakota) and joined the Wheat Kings of the WHL for the upcoming season marking the start of his professional hockey career.

Per the Calgary Sun:

Right-winger David Toews has decided to leave the University of North Dakota Fighting Sioux after two seasons to join the Wheaties for his 20-year-old season. The Wheat Kings drafted Toews in the sixth round of the 2005 bantam draft.

Toews, who had nine goals and 26 points in 51 games at UND, was a third-round pick of the New York Islanders in the 2008 NHL draft.

In Other News

In other off season player news, several former Islanders have signed on with other clubs as free agents.

Defenseman Freddy Meyer has signed with the Atlanta Thrashers next season in a two-way deal for $500,000.

Meyer spent the last three seasons with the Islanders. He had four goals and 11 assists in a career-high 64 games in 2009-10 and 19 goals, 52 assists and 147 penalty minutes in 266 career NHL games.

Meyer has been a solid player for the Islanders over the last three seasons, although he was lost on waivers for a brief period to the Phoenix Coyotes – he was reclaimed shortly thereafter due to his solid play. He often logged important minutes and earned special teams play, his departure is a due to a vastly improved defensive unit this season with the addition of Eaton, Jurcina and Wisniewski.

Also, Sean Bergenheim was signed to a one year deal by the Tampa Bay Lightning this week. Originally selected 22nd overall by the Islanders, the fan favorite Begenheim had 40 goals and 40 assists over 246 career games with the Islanders.

Bergy, as fans and teammates affectionately called him, just couldn’t put it together at a consistent level. He’s a great skater with offensive ability who plays an exciting energetic
style, he was also great at being a pest – so the Lightning certainly added a nice piece.

But wait, there’s more!

The Islanders also added two players this week – one a former Islander who spent the previous season in the Minnesota Wild’s system.

Andy Hilbert has signed with the Islanders on a one year two-way contract as has forward Rob Hisey.

Per the Islanders release:

Hilbert returns to the Islanders after playing within the Minnesota Wild organization last season. The Howell, MI native skated in four games for the Wild. He spent the majority of the season with Minnesota’s American Hockey League affiliate, the Houston Aeros, totaling 25 points (nine goals and 16 assists) in 33 games. Prior to his stint with the Wild, Hilbert was a member of the Islanders for three seasons, accumulating 27 goals and 44 assists for 71 points in 218 games. Hilbert was originally drafted by the Boston Bruins in the second round (37th overall) of the 2000 NHL Entry Draft. Over the course of the four seasons that Hilbert spent in the Bruins organization, he split each season between Boston and their AHL affiliate the Providence Bruins.

Hisey played his first season of professional hockey in North America last year in both the AHL with the Springfield Falcons and the Central Hockey League with the Tulsa Oilers. A native of Oakville, ON, Hisey skated in 37 games for the Falcons last season, scoring 11 goals and 14 assists for 25 points. With Tulsa, Hisey tallied 41 points (19 goals and 22 assists) in 24 games. Hisey played the previous four seasons in Finland, Germany, Austria and Sweden.

I like the Hilbert signing in that he was always solid defensively and shorthanded – he will replace Richard Park in all likelihood if and when he gets regular playing time with the the Islanders.

Rob Hisey I don’t know much about at this point, but from what I have heard he has some offensive potential and possesses Rob Schremp like hands around the net. Garth Snow likely sees this as another player worthy of a look and will likely play with the Sound Tigers this season.

I’d just like to take a second to wish Meyer and Bergenheim luck this up coming season and thank them for the job they did during their time here on Long Island. Best of luck gents.

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Last weekend, the New York Islanders traded a conditional third round draft pick to the Anaheim Ducks for James Wisniewski, a 26 year old, 5′11″ 205 lbs powerhouse of a defenseman. In the press release, Garth Snow praised the young defenseman saying “We see James as a key addition to our team and we feel our fans will connect with his style of play,” and also that “He is a solid puck-moving defenseman who can bring an added element of toughness to our blue-line”.

Toughness seems to be the focus this offseason, having already added Milan Jurcina and Mark Eaton to the defense, as well as Zenon Konopka, Jeremy Yablonksi and just this week the resigning of Jon Sim to the forward corps – Wiesniewski certainly brings an extra element of toughness, just check YouTube for some highlights. But he’s not just a physical defenseman, Wisniewski had a career-high 30 points (3 goals, 27 assists) in 69 games with the Ducks last season and logged over 27 minutes a game. Should he be paired with Mark Streit, especially on the power play, they could become quite the prominent force for the Islanders.

Something else “The Wiz” brings to the organization, a winning attitude – the man spoke nothing but praise for his opportunity to be a first pairing defenseman, his desire to restore both glory to the franchise and most importantly, his desire to win. He said all the right things during his introductory interviews, and it was no different this evening with me as we had a brief one on one phone interview.

I understand that you’ve been trying to find a place here on the Island? How’s that going?

Yes, my wife and I for the last couple of days have been looking, well today I played golf but we’ve gone to a few different towns looking at different houses to get a feel for the area.

Have you experienced Long Island at all, prior to this?

No, actually I have not. This is the first time, and I tell you what – it is quite underrated. This is by far one of the most beautiful places I have ever been to.

Glad to hear that! Have you gotten a chance to check out the beaches yet?

Nope, we haven’t been down to the beaches yet – we have spent a lot of time up on the North Shore around Huntington, Oyster Bay and Old Brookville, played golf at Sebonac today so I kind of did the whole tour of the Island so it’s been quite beautiful.

I read what you had said previously on being traded to the Islanders, You’re excited to play for the Islanders, can you tell me a little bit about how you feel this opportunity is going to be?

It’s kind of what I had been through before in a way, obviously I was part of a young core with Chicago and now I am more of a veteran guy coming into a team that is on the rise and has all this skilled talent and I am really looking forward to playing a big part and a big role in the rebirth of this organzation.

How do you feel moving into the Eastern Conference, especially the very tight Atlantic Division?

I would personally have to say that this is by far the hardest division. If you look at the teams, just the grind of every game and a bunch of teams making the playoffs. Obviously we get to play these teams six times each but the travel is going to be way better though, coming from the Western Conference where you have to take a flight everywhere, except obviously LA where we would bus up there but other than that we had one flight that was an hour, mostly two and often four hours everywhere else.

I know you spent time in the Chicago organization where you got to experience the Blackhawks – Wings rivalry, are you excited about the Islanders – Rangers rivalry and have you heard anything about it from some of the other guys?

Well yea, they asked if I liked the Rangers and I said – no! [laughs] Then they all said good, and after listening to them explain there is a lot more hatred for the Rangers then there is for the Hawks and Red Wings, so I am looking forward to coming into one of top rivalries in all of sports.

Now that guys like Chris Pronger are on the East Coast, he’s given the Islanders some trouble – especially with some hits on John Tavares last season. Will you be answering for these types of hits on the younger talent on the Islanders?

I think a lot of it is, what you have to try to do, is you answer by being physical with their forwards. You have to finish all of your checks no matter who you’re playing, and you know, that’s part of my style of play is to be physical. I’ve played with Pronger when I was with Anaheim and everyone knows that’s how he is going to play, so you’ve just got to play the same way.

Garth Snow definitely changed the physical element of this team, they recently resigned Jon Sim, brought in Milan Jurcina and Mark Eaton as well as Zenon Konopka, and Jeremy Yablonski. What do you feel you add to the organization in addition to those other guys?

Well, everyone brings a little bit of size and physical play. Eaton won a cup with Pittsburgh and Jurcina was part of the Capitals resurgence, myself I think I bring an all around element that’s part of my game – I am very physical and have a lot of offensive ability and great leadership. I think a lot of the guys are going to bring different things and I think they all look forward at taking part in turning this organization around.

It sounds like you will fit into Scott Gordon’s system. Have you gotten a chance to talk to Coach at all about what he expects from you or just given you a heads up on his style of play?

Actually, I have not! I’ve not really had the chance to talk to anyone on the coaching staff. I am looking forward to playing for him though, I love his style of play, I am a big fan of his [Scott Gordon's] he’s a very demanding coach, he expects a lot out of his players and wants high offensive players and you’ve got to be creative. It’s something I look forward to, playing in that style of play that he has.

What are some areas you feel you need to improve on personally?

Personally, I feel that everyone could work on becoming a better skater so, one thing I work on during the summertime is explosiveness. I want to be reliable to play 25-30 minutes a night because that’s the role I want to play, I want to log a lot of minutes so I want to focus on making sure that I am not tired or fatigued come the third period or throughout the season.

Do you have any goals for the upcoming season?

Honestly, my goal is just to WIN! When you win, everyone is happy. It doesn’t matter to me personally, I just wanna help this team win and you’ll get rewarded with your personal stuff when teams win.

Do you look forward to playing with the young talent the Islanders have? Specifically in a veteran role being you’ve been through a similar situation with the Blackhawks?

Oh absolutely, I see myself as having leadership qualities so, these kids can be really fun to play with, being part of the young talent is great and obviously it will be great to give advice. It’s also interesting not knowing anybody, I think I only know two guys on the team. For me it will be a little different not knowing anyone, going to Anaheim from Chicago I knew some of guys. So only knowing two guys it will be different, but, that’s the duty about being a professional athlete, you get to make new friends. You’re usually not going to be on the same team the whole time, so it’s going to be fun to meet new guys and build some chemistry with them and the organization.

Nobody Beats the Wiz!

James Wisniewski is genuine when he says he wants to win, I’ve heard many different players say that over the years – but the passion behind his voice is different. He believes in what Garth Snow is trying to accomplish here on Long Island, he’s willing to prove his value to his new team and for the first time he will be given his chance to shine. Garth has a pretty good track record when it comes to finding diamonds in the rough, Mark Streit, Matt Moulson and Rob Schremp to name a few – so it’s not out of the question that Wisniewski could find his home here on Long Island.

It’s true what they say though, Nobody Beats the Wiz.

The Islanders will be a different team when they play Dallas during the 2010/2011 opener in a few short months, I doubt the final roster is set – but I like what Garth Snow has put together so far. Is it October yet?

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No, you read that correctly – I said Joel Rechlicz cupcakes….but I am only half joking here.

Yesterday, the New York Islanders placed forward Joel Rechlicz, a player those of us in the Blog Box have grown to know (and in some cases love) the last year, on waivers. Unfortunately, he has found himself the odd man out of the enforcer situation, a position the Islanders appeared they felt they didn’t need the way Rechlicz and Trevor Gillies bounced back and forth between Bridgeport and Long Island.

Gillies, who was signed to a one year extension back in April and Zenon Konopka who signed as a free agent on July 2nd make getting a call for enforcer duty next to impossible for Rechlicz. Great young player, but a victim of circumstance none-the-less. It was announced today that he has cleared waivers, so he will most likely remain in Bridgeport next season and help out the new crop of talent debuting there this season.

The Islanders have announced today, 07/16/10 that Rechlicz’s contract has been terminated and he is now a unrestricted free agent.

Now, what about these cupcakes?

Ok, so earlier you may or may not remember reading something about cupcakes. Maybe that’s the only reason why you’re still reading – I don’t know. However, there is now an official Islanders cupcake vendor. Yes, cupcake enthusiasts rejoice!

Per the Islanders Press Release:

The New York Islanders announced today the addition of a new corporate partner in the unique sponsorship category of cupcakes. The Islanders have signed an agreement to designate Cupcake Gourmet, Inc. as the official cupcake supplier of the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum and the New York Islanders Hockey Club.

“To be the official cupcake supplier of the Islanders and Nassau Coliseum is huge to me,” Amy Brady, Owner of Cupcake Gourmet, Inc. said. “I fell in love with the team when I moved to Long Island 15 years ago and to be a part of their world feels great.”

Justin Johnson, Senior Vice President of Corporate Partnerships & Marketing for the Islanders said: “We are thrilled to launch this partnership with Amy and Cupcake Gourmet as we continually enhance the everyday menu board for our fans.”

The Huntington, N.Y.-based Cupcake Gourmet company will sell cupcakes designed with the Islanders’ logo and traditional orange, white and blue colors during all 2010-11 home games. The cupcakes will become available at all entertainment events at the Coliseum, beginning August 18 with The Wiggles: Wiggly Circus.

You can read some more over on the Islanders website, however I must disappoint as you won’t be eating a cupcake with Joel Rechlicz’s image on it anytime soon….

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The Islanders have selected defenseman Tony DeHart with the 125th pick of the fifth round.

DeHart is currently with the Oshawa Generals and is 6′2″ and 202lbs.

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Just got to the arena. The metro is cheap, and fast!

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Here is a story I had written yesterday on the flight over to LA from NY. I had been asked a few times in the last few weeks why I go so crazy covering hockey. I had thought about some of the reasons as to why I love the draft as much as I do and here is the result. You can also read the story over on Bleacher Report as well. I hope you enjoy it!

Summer is here, the Stanley Cup has been raised high and teams have settled in for a much deserved summer break. That only means one thing, it’s Entry Draft time!

For the third year in a row, I have made the journey to cover the NHL draft live from the event. At the time of this writing, I am halfway across the great American Frontier on my way to Los Angeles, California. I imagine the scene here in the US will differ slightly from what I experienced in Ottawa and Montreal—being they reside in hockey’s hotbed, also known as Canada. However, I am sure the scene here in Los Angeles will be a party full of hardcore fans none-the-less.

People in my life, friends, and family—all think I am crazy for spending as much time and money covering the game of hockey. To me it’s not crazy, it’s a privilege as I get to experience the game I love on a level not many are fortunate enough to experience.

Attending the draft is a special experience, as someone who has played the game of hockey my entire life, I can appreciate the time and effort these young men, and more importantly—their parents, dedicate to the sport. It’s a wild perspective to sit in and bear witness on draft day.

What makes the planning, expense, vacation time, and especially the writing all worthwhile, is watching these young players realize their dreams of becoming professional hockey players has become reality. It’s a magical feeling watching lives change, in a positive way, right before your very eyes.

Another benefit of attending the draft and covering the New York Islanders, I get to watch the young players whom are selected by the team, grow and progress through their young careers witnessing maturation into both men and world class athletes.

Perhaps, in some small way I am living the dream through these players—vicariously if you will. Beyond the obvious difference in talent, players of any level share a common bond for the love of the game. Be it the pro level, or your average Men’s league player—we all willingly play a sport that takes a toll out on our bodies and continue to play for as long as we can.

This is why I go through the lengths that I do to cover the sport, I may only be a blogger who isn’t a writer by day—but I do it for the love of the game and nothing else.

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Good afternoon Islanders fans!

Just checking in here LIVE from Los Angeles, California – well from my hotel room at least. I’ve been doing some last minute research here and there to be prepared for the first round of the draft later on this afternoon. I wanted to put up a sticky post for you all following at home today with the draft selections. I will update it should any changes occur (and I am sure they will):

• Round 1 – 5th overall
• Round 2 – 35th overall and 58th overall (acquired via San Jose in trade with Ottawa for Andy Sutton)
• Round 3 – 65th overall and 82nd overall
• Round 4 – 95th overall
• Round 5 – 125th overall
• Round 6 – 155th overall and 160th overall (acquired via trade with NY Rangers for Jyri Niemi)
• Round 7 – 185th overall

Be sure to follow me on Twitter and over at Bleacher Report all weekend as I will be writing all over the place on the draft!

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Hey there Islanders fans!

Just wanted to give everyone a heads up if they have not already heard, but the New York Islanders are looking for a few more bloggers for the Blog Box this season! They will be hosting auditions during the Draft Party at the Coliseum tomorrow. If you have an established blog and want to enjoy the same access to the team as some of the other Islanders blogs, I suggest you get over there tomorrow and give this a shot.

Here are some details:

The New York Islanders, for the last three years, have granted unprecedented access to Islanders bloggers, allowing them to cover the team.

Talk about cool, right?

Well this season, the Islanders are looking to create an even better Blog Box and are looking to add three established bloggers. If you would like to be one of the newest Isles bloggers, auditions will be held at the 2010 Islanders Draft Party on Friday, June 25 at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum.

The selected bloggers will then be interviewed by the Islanders communications staff and the winners will be notified.

We are looking for you, so come on out to the 2010 Draft Party and show us what you can do!

Contact Katrina Doell at Katrina.Doell@NewYorkIslanders.com for more information.

After submitting the following information, you will be contacted by Islanders Communications staff with further instructions on attending the Draft Party.

The Blog Box is sponsored by Farmingdale State College

For more information, head on over to the Islanders website to fill out the form in order to try out.

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Well everyone, tonight is the night – it’s the night we all see if the balls fall in the Islanders favor or if the team’s pick will drop as low as the sixth overall.

The chance that the Islanders move up from the 5th selection is 8.1%, their best chance is to stay at number 5 which is what happened two years ago when they selected Bailey (the Islanders traded the 5th for the 7th and eventually the 9th to select Bailey). The worst case scenario tonight, is that their selection drops one slot to number 6 overall. Check out my post from last year with all the John Tavares craziness.

A bunch of crazy things have happened – here is a handy table with all the past lottery results (well for the first overall selection) since the inception of the lottery in 1995:

NHL DRAFT DRAWING HISTORY

* NY Rangers obtained Chicago’s pick in a trade (via Vancouver and Tampa Bay). The Rangers
selected RW Pavel Brendl fourth overall.
** Columbus obtained Florida’s pick in a trade. The Blue Jackets selected LW Rick Nash first overall.
*** Pittsburgh obtained Florida’s pick in a trade. The Penguins selected G Marc-Andre Fleury
first overall.

There is a lot more history on the past draft lotteries, head on over to the NHL’s site for all of that.

Here is what the New York Islanders have up on their page as well.

Once the lottery begins, I will put up another post with a live blog!

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Hey Folks!

There is another NHL Tweetup for the Rangers vs. Islanders game this Wednesday 3/24/10.

Join local hockey fans at the ESPN Zone in Times Square in New York City to watch the Isles and Rangers go head to head. All fans are welcome – stop by on the way to the game at Madison Square Garden or come watch the whole game with fellow fans.

A special area will be reserved for the NHLTweetup and all attendees will recieve a $10 gift card to use in ESPN’s Sports Arena. Enjoy great food and drinks as you get into the crosstown rivalry and get the chance to win Islanders and Rangers prizes!

Don’t forget to follow ESPN Zone and NHLTweetup on Twitter @ESPNZoneNewYork and @nhltweetup

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Today is the day, the day of craziness that NHL fans have come to know and love.

Today is Trade Deadline Day, somewhat of a National holiday in the US and Canada. Teams have until 3pm Eastern today to make final roster adjustments and in the past we have seen quite a bit of movement.

I wouldn’t expect too much from Islanders General Manager Garth Smow today, although he already made his first move yesterday by trading Andy Sutton to the Senators for a second round pick.

What other players are available? Here is a short list, which is my opinion of course:

Dwayne Roloson wasn’t a lock to be moved earlier in the season, as he had signed a two year deal in July. However, solid play through this point has really increased his value to teams looking for solid veteran goaltending here for playoff stretches.

Martin Biron was considered trade bait from the second he signed with the Islanders in July. Biron hasn’t played spectacular this year, and sat in the pressbox when DiPietro returned. He could be moved to a team looking for a quality backup, seeing he is an unrestricted free agent in July.

Curiously, Sean Bergenheim was a healthy scratch last night against Chicago. Word on the street is that there was some interest for Sean recently, who hasn’t been able to live up to his potential under Scott Gordon.

Jeff Tambellini is an odd man out, used sparingly by Gordon, Jiffy Jeff has been scratched for 3/4 of the games played so far and has taken it like a pro. Another underachiever coould spark interest from another club willing to give him a shot.

Brendan Witt has been playing in Bridgeport since passing through waivers. He’s got a year left on his contract and more than $3 million remaining. If the Islanders were to bring him back up on re-entry waivers, perhaps someone may be interested in the gritty defenseman.

Jon Sim has, at least to me, worn out his usefullness on the Islanders. The return on this role player won’t be much, but with Matt Martin waiting in the wings, he is taking up a roster spot. I could see a playoff bound team bringing him on for depth.

The Islanders don’t really have the assets to be real players this deadline. A majority of their players are more valuable to them than the rest of the league, which is a bit of a problem. one big plus for Garth Snow is that he has PLENTY of cap space to play with, so if a team needs to shed salary, he can pick up a player that may not fit somewhere else.

The day has only just begun, let’s see what happens.

Stay tuned throughout the day and I will update as often as I can!

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Hockey is back!

Even though it never really went anywhere, it sort of shifted into full on Olympic mode/mania!

Not much has changed here in Islanders country, unless you consider Mark Streit coming home medal-less, head coach Scott Gordon returning with a silver medal in tow for assistant-coaching Team USA to second place in the round robin, the trade today of Andy Sutton to the Ottawa Senators for a second round selection in 2010 and two minor league trades – something…. Oh, lest I forget the re-re-re-shutdown of DiPietro. Time frame, unknown.

In any case, Sutton – thanks for everything you have done here on Long Island. I hope your stay up in Ottawa is only temporary and we will see you retake your office at the near blue line pounding opposing player to oblivion as always – back HERE on Long Island come 2010/11.

And before I forget, congratulations goes out to Team USA for winning Silver this past weekend in Vancouver!

Moving on, Dustin Kohn has been recalled from Bridgeport to take the place of Andy Sutton (I hope he realizes the size of the shoes he has to fill here on out). Jack Hillen may be making his return tonight, Roloson and Biron are back as your goalie tandem with DiPietro’s shutdown.

Scratches: Sean Bergenheim, Jeff Tambellini and Rick DiPietro

Islanders are only six points out of a playoff spot and are looking to make up some lost ground. This should be an interesting night for sure.

Curious about the Bergenheim scratch, does that mean his days as a New York Islander are near an end? One never knows this time of year.

First Period

7:10pm Islanders lose the opening draw, Hawks came in and got the first shot on goal right off the draw pretty much.
7:12pm Roloson looks strong early, making a stick save low after a flurry in front. Islanders have not shown much life, this is all Hawks so far – 5 shots already for them.
7:15pm Jack Hillen out on this shift with a full cage, had a scoring chance. That whole sequence is a testament to his toughness.
7:17pm Doug Weight engaged in a lengthy discussion with one of the referee’s – likely about off ice stuff, just my guess.
7:25pm Dangerous situation for Roloson, Byfuglien’s skate came up towards his head as he crashed into the crease. Luckily, nothing came out of it.
7:27pm Roloson makes a glove save but the puck squirted back out at a sharp angle and onto Campbell’s stick – 1-0 Hawks.
7:30pm Despite being out shot by a wide margin, Hawks turnover leads to a Comeau goal 1-1
7:31pm And now the Islanders are shorthanded, Park to the box for a judo-chop to a stick, slashing.
7:33pm Comeau’s 10th of the season, assisted by Schremp, that’s three straight games with a goal for him.
7:34pm Hawks convert on the gift wrapped power play. You feel shame Richard Park.
7:36pm Shot count: 21-5 in favor of Chicago
7:42pm Final minute of the period.

Well, that went as well as we could’ve hoped I suppose. The lack of Sutton is clearly evident as the Blackhawks are just going to the crease every single time they can. They have also gotten just about every shot through, perhaps the move was miscalculated some – especially given Garth’s comment today stating they still plan on making a playoff push.

The Islanders are being outplayed in every facet, which could partly be caused by the long layoff….but more so because the Hawks are a much better club. Shot count after one period is 22-9. The Islanders started to come back later in the first, but if they want to save face and earn those points they need a much better effort in the second. That’s kind of obvious though, you don’t need me to tell you that much.

Second Period

8:01pm And we are underway.
8:04pm Comeau ties it up with his second of the game and it’s aallllll tied.
8:05pm And now it’s 3-2 Islanders…
8:06pm Hawks just yanked Niemi and put in Huet.
8:07pm Comeau from Schremp and Streit on the 2nd goal.
8:08pm Third Islanders goal belongs to Jon Sim from Park and Kohn.
8:11pm Park streaks down the near boards and fires a laser that beats Huet to make it 4-2. Assists go to Moulson and MacDonald.
8:17pm It’s important to note here (I am dizzy with the way this game has gone this period, I digress) – This is Comeau’s second consecutive two goal game and he has 5 goals in three.
8:21pm The game has slowed down a pace here, I wouldn’t expect the scoring to continue at the pace that it has. Shots are 26-17 Hawks.
8:23pm Islanders are going to be a man down, Park off for tripping.
8:27pm Great penalty kill by the Islanders, at the heart of it all – Comeau and Okposo
8:28pm Sometimes I think these Islanders players THINK and even BELIEVE they are better players then they really are, they make passes that shouldn’t be made and think it will work. Keep it simple, stupid.
8:34pm Final minute of the period
8:37pm Comeau completes his FIRST CAREER HAT TRICK to make it 5-2. Delay of game here as the staff cleans up all the hats and giveaway thrown on to the ice. 6 goals in 3 games now for Comeau! He is on FIRE! Assists go to Streit and MacDonald.

Wow. What a period.

Bit of trivia, when was the last Isles four goal period? I sure don’t know.

That was just about as good of a period (offensively) as I have seen all season long. Defensively I would hope they come out sharp as a tack in the third and really prevent any last bit of momentum that the Hawks can muster. A three goal cushion is big going into the final twenty, but it’s not enough for them to sit back and play it safe against the likes of Kane and Toews.

Blake Comeau 3, Islanders 2 – Hawks 2

Shot count, Hawks 30 – Isles 10

This should be fun.

Third Period

8:58pm Islanders won the opening draw cleanly.
9:00pm Scoring change on the Islanders fourth goal – second assist changed to Weight.
9:00pm Roloson just made a HUGE stop. Jackman with a scoring chance right after.
9:04pm Blackhawks were putting on a clinic for the Isles, had them pinned in the zone without being able to clear the puck for about two minutes with a constant cycle – Roloson was forced to make a few stops.
9:05pm Okposo drives to the net with a power move and makes an attempt to go around Huet, Tavares crashed the net for the rebound that was covered quickly.
9:08pm Roloson is making save after save and getting very lucky in the process – Hossa snapped a stick on a beauty of a scoring chance.
9:10pm Blackhawks thought they scored, it was waved off due to goaltender interference. Another lucky break, look for the Hawks to pressure even more now that they have weakened the Isles perimeter….so to speak.
9:15pm Roloson just stopped Hossa at the doorstep – he is playing outstanding tonight.
9:23pm Islanders are going to be shorthanded for half of the remaining 4:39 here in the third – Okposo is in the box for holding.
9:25pm Just like that, Hawks score on the power play just like they did on the last one – on a play generated from behind the Islanders net that caught Rolloson out of position.
9:28pm Shot count now Hawks 41 – Isles 23
9:32pm Huet was pulled for the empty net, Hunter had a layup and hit the post.
9:33pm Huet back in net for the second time as the draw was deep in Chicago’s zone.

Islanders win 5-2, this game represents what the Islanders need to do here through the stretch – hard work and timely goal scoring from everywhere. It was a well deserved two points, great game.

Live Tracker

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