7:15 am: i will have locker room quotes later today. So much to be proud of this morning from this group of players.
Final word on Andy MacDonald's condition should be available later this morning.
For now enjoy this short video of Stan Fischler and Colin McDonald talking about the crowd at the Coliseum.
11:30 pm: The towels were blue and the crowd was energized.
The video board ran a Clark Gillies feature talking about the Coliseum crowd being the 7th Man. “When you can‘t even hear yourself think. That’s the ultimate feeling.”
The highlights from the last three games were strung together in a beautiful montage that screamed ’Believe.” Reliving the goals, the hits, the Kyle Okposo fight, before the teams hit the ice with smoke and lights and towels waving.
First period, 18:34 and a penalty for hooking John Tavares on Malkin. Someone’s reading the articles.
Okposo lost the puck in the pens zone and had to get it back. For far the pens are doing a good job clearing and keeping the Isles from setting up.
Puck through paint, a Hamonic fan on a shot and a Matt Moulson missed pass in the paint causes the first scrum . Big #11 had the best chance but Fleury made the saves and the Isles were back to even strength and back in the Pens zone.
The Isles knew they had to stay disciplined and patient.
John Tavares took a pass from Bailey, then did a spin-o-rama move back to Bailey who took the shot. Save by Fleury, but it was beautiful.
Colin McDonald down behind the net earned another Isles power play as Orpik was in the box for trying to pummel Ullstrom. Pens did an excellent job of breaking up the Isles second power play opportunity
S.O.G. were 6 - 2 Isles. They were getting their opportunities, but Fleury was coming up big midway through the first.
With 8:09 left of the first the Isles iced the puck allowing the Pens to set up in their zone. The puck came within an inch of going in on the right side of the net behind Nabokov. Lucky bounce.
The crowd chanted “Princess Crosby” and the he was hit with a puck shot by Strait near his mask. He skated doubled over for a few seconds and headed toward the bench, but didn’t leave the ice as the in arena entertainment switched to honoring a serviceman in the crowd.
A goal by Strait on a lucky bounce over a Pens defender and over Fleury’s shoulder stunned the Pens net minder. Visnovsky and Cizikas received the assists. It was immediately followed by a Penguin goal by Neal on a sliding Nabokov, like really immediately.
Pens did a good job of clogging up the Isles lanes.
With 25.5 seconds left of the first, Cooke took an interference penalty and for some reason Jack Capuano was angry as hell at something.
Second period started on a Isles power play but then a high stick was called on Brian Strait which put the Pens on the Power Play. I’ll admit, I watched the second period from the press box break room. I couldn’t get back to my seat before the start of the period and didn’t want to have to make 15 people move to let me back into my middle seat. I watched it with six others around the TVs listening to Butch and Howie.
Nabokov was making some great saves, and even managed to sell a penalty on Matt Cooke. Then John Tavares tied the game at two with Streit and Hamonic with the assists. Once again, the Pens manage to get another quick goal to regain the lead. It’s maddening how they do that.
Kyle Okposo took the idea of just get pucks to the net and good things may happen to heart. He got a lucky bounce off Fluery and into the net gaining the tying goal.
Art Staple said that Doug Weight was giving Dan O’Halloran an earful. Thankfully he didn’t get tossed from the game.
Start of the third period and the home crowd was already chiding Fleury. But the chiding didn’t last long as Kunitz blasted a shot which Dupuis tipped past a screened Nabokov to give the Pens the lead -- yet again. Malkin and Iginla almost made it 5 - 3, but Nabokov made a terrific save before the Isles brought the puck up to the Pens zone.
At 17:53 Malkin got a holding penalty and McDonald the embellishment penalty. Four on four hockey for two minutes leading to the loudest rendition of “refs suck” I have ever heard. The Pens managed two shots while the Isles managed none.
With the teams back on even strength with action in the Pens end, Mark Streit from the blue line took the crowd’s advice to “SHOOT!” and the puck hit Murray’s skate and went behind Fleurry. They were even again at four.
The news of Amac’s upper body injury came across the Twitter feed. Not good news for the Isles. Amac lost for the post season leaving Travis Hamonic without his partner.
Johnny on the Spot gots his own rebound and scored the Isles fifth goal of the night. The crowd chanted “MVP!”MVP!”
At the other end Matt Martin cleared the puck out of Nabby’s crease and it looked like all hell was going to break loose on the ice. Cizikas was mugged and there was no call so the fans started throwing things on the ice.. They were then warned that if it continued, it could lead to a penalty against the Islanders.
Matt Moulson and Matt Niskanen had a few unpleasant words for each other before the TV time out.
With 5:01 left of the third, things were bound to get a little out of hand. Cizikas ended up in the bottom of a pile behind Fleury’s net.
Josh Bailey and Kyle Okposo spent a lot of time making the Penguins chase them up ice. The Pens iced the puck with 2:58 left of the third and it became a very interesting three minutes.
Isles used their time out at the 2:19 mark after an icing giving them time to rest. Puck drops, Nielsen without a stick and the Isles managed to clear.
The Pens were now playing desperate and rough and the Isles kept clearing. With 1:37 left, Bailey up the left boards and then somehow Casey Cizikas out ran Niskanen and tossed the puck towards Fleury, it hit on an odd angle and went in. 6 - 4 Isles final and the crowd and the teams both went wild.
This team believes in each other and they’re playing like it.
New York Islanders Blogger • 
Join the Discussion:
»