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Isles @ Bruins - 6 -2 Final (loss) |
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9:31 I'm going to take one of my commentors advice and wait until tomorrow to post a post game report. That was brual.
Tuesday 8:06 pm: I've been a mess today and didn't do a new post. We'll catch up after the game.
It was the first regulation win against the Washington Capitals since 2007 and it ended the six game slump.
You know I thought it was a loss for sure. The Capitals and their scoring machines could easily make it ugly for the Islanders. They made it difficult, but not ugly.
Rick DiPietro let up the first Capitals goal and it looked like it was going to be the seventh loss. Then he let up another and the crowd asked for Montoya in net. Jack didn’t agree and let Rick play the entire game. Good for Jack to have the confidence and patience that the fans don’t as Rick DiPietro now has a game in the win column for himself. He also ended up on the score sheet with an assist on John Tavares’ empty net goal. It was one hell of a night for Rick who would have been chased from the net if the fans had their way.
The line shake-up was a wake-up call for the Isles who were starting to lose confidence. Perhaps not so much as a “Holy Crap, I can be replaced!“ sort of thing, but more a “I have to really pay attention now” type of thing since the comfort level they had developed was now gone.
Pareanteau said he enjoyed skating on his new line and Rolston, Nielsen and PA combined for a total of seven points last night. Rolston scored his first goal as an Islander and PA, named the first star of the game, was mobbed by his teammates in a show of solidarity that I haven’t seen in a while.
When asked about his game winning goal, PA called it a lucky bounce. “We’ll take it for the team.”
But before PA could win it for the Isles, Frans Nielsen put the Isles on the board when they were down 2 - 0. Then Brian Rolston tied the game at 16:55 of the second. But it was Matt Martin who gave the Islanders the go-ahead goal of the night early in the third period. I will tell you, I screamed from my sofa in my cold tablet induced haze. Martin is developing into something special and I can really see him as being the Islanders “Cinderella Story” of the ‘11-’12 season.
The Isles needed this and it will help rebuild the confidence in themselves and one another. But now they have to build on it. And it won’t be easy.
It was a blow out night elsewhere around the league. Some of the scores looked more like football than hockey. The Bruins beat the Maple Leafs 7 - 0 with Tyler Sequin netting a hat trick. Yikes. Monday will be tough.
Don’t forget the viewing party at Anthony’s Wood Fired Pizza in Woodbury tomorrow night. They have the best food and what a great group of people. Check it out on Twitter and Facebook if you haven’t already said you’d be attending.
Tomorrow night there will be another episode of NHLWeekly on Sportstalknetwork.com. I haven’t a freakin’ clue who our guests will be as I have been sidetracked the entire week. Guess once again, I’ll be winging it.
Happy Sunday Hockey Fans.
New York Islanders Blogger • 
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