9:34 pm: So with a final of 5 - 1 Islanders, a Matt Moulson hat trick and a two point night for Travis Hamonic Jack Capuano was relaxed, jovial and tie-less when he addressed the media. I believe he even blushed a little when Stan Fischler asked how he would feel if he were called the Jacques Lemaire of Long Island. With 37 shots on net and another 15 blocked, he was pretty happy with the effort he received from his team.
They were pretty happy with each other as well. You could tell by the laughter in the locker room that started with Al Montoya showing off the Islander Hard Hat award for his effort. "There's a lot of belief in there. The guys are having fun and they're playing within the team concept. It's all there. It's attention to detail and they're working as a unit."
"They're doing the right things. For me, when you do the right things, you get rewarded." With the over35 shots they got on Vokoun, "Good things happen when you get pucks to the net."
Al Montoya has lent a certain amount of stability in net for the Islanders. According to Jack, he only gave up a handful of quality scoring chances. "He was there when we needed the big saves."
I didn't know that Jack Capuano was drafted by the Toronto Maple Leafs until tonight. He's looking forward to tomorrow night. "It will be a good test for us. Toronto's playing much better hockey right now. They've got some young players that work extremely hard."
Trade deadline is looming large right now and as Jack said, Garth Snow has been able to get a good look at a lot of kids playing right now. He'll have the decisions to make at the deadline as well as at the end of the season.
But for the guys in the room, all they care about right now is winning one game at a time. And that one game is in Toronto tomorrow.
Speaking of tomorrow, one of our Blog Boxers, Christian Arnold will be interviewing Calvin deHaan at 5:15 on his radio show Power Play. Check it out at http://wcwpsports.org/.
3:20 pm:
With one minute left, it's 5 - 1 and I have to pack up.
Later!
3:16 pm: With a little more than 3 minutes left of the third, the Panthers pull Vokoun for the extra skater , but now matter how hard they tried they couldn't stop Matt Moulson from scoring an empty netter as he was tripped at the blue line and still managed to get the shot off from the red line.
It's Moulson's second career hat trick. Congrats Matt.
3:05 pm: Al Montoya's shut out streak comes to a sad end on a flukey goal by Santorelli as Milan Jurcina fails to clear a puck from in front of the crease.
A few seconds later, Martinek is sprawled on the ice again and Montoya has company in his net as a Panther gets up close and personal with him Haley wants to make sure he doesn't get too personal.
2: 58 pm: The Islanders started the third on the PK with Haley helping to serve Travis Hamonic's penalties. He's being picked on for sure.
Hamonic received 2 for insitaging, 5 for fighting and a 10 minute misconduct. When we returned to our seats there was another 2 on the scoreboard for him for? Instigating with a shield. Oh come on!
With rumors of a Martinek trade hitting Twitter, Radek is having a hell of a game as he was taken down to the boards again for the second time this game. He continued to play and even took a tripping penalty at 8:38 of the third.
Al Montoya, looking comfortable in an Islander jersey even did an impression of RDP and tried to clear the puck from the zone, only to bank it off Andy MacDonald. Ouch.
2:06 pm: After running down to Doolans to meet some of the Twitter followers, as I was leaving Radek Martinek got his revenge for the elbow to the head by scoring the Islanders third goal of the game. Take that Weiss!!!
I took the elevator up with Mark Streit looking sharp in in greyish brown 3 piece suit. I joked with him asking if he had gone shopping with Michael Grabner. He lauged and said he had his own style. Note to gentlemen: 3 piece suits are back.
Catch Mark Streit tomorrow at the Islanders Booster Club meeting.
Once upstairs, Josh Bailey made it 4 - 0 with an amazing hard angle shot that Vokoun seemed too far out of the crease to stop. It hit the crossbar and in.
Sith half the second period gone, and the Islanders outshooting the Panthers 21 - 6, Keaton Ellerby took a holding penalty to put the Isles back on the Power Play.
1:34 pm: After Matt Moulson scores his second goal of the game, even strength, Radek Martinek takes an elbow to the head from Stephen Weiss that levels Martinek to the ice. Trainer Garrett Timms helps him to the bench after he stands in front of the bench having some choice words for the Panthers player.
Weiss is given a five minute major and a game misconduct. Isles on a five minute power play attempt to give Matt Moulson a hat trick.
Shots on goal at the end of the first are 16 - 3 and the Isles will have a 40 second power play to begin the second.
1:20 pm: Matt Moulson puts the Islanders are the score sheet with his 24th goal of the season. Assists go to Travis and JT and another $500 goes to the Islanders Children's charities. Good for you #MightyMattMoulson!
Two days after an exciting win over the LA Kings, the Islanders will face the Florida Panthers on a snowy Holiday Monday at the Coliseum.
It's kids day at the barn. I'm hoping that means "our kids" grab another two points before they head to Toronto to face the Leafs.
This is a great quote from Travis Hamonic in today's
game day preview on the Islanders main site.
“This next game against Florida is the biggest game of the year,” Hamonic said. “We’re going to take it one at a time, but we’re going to go out there, have fun, play as a team and try to get results that we want. When you play that way and you’re having fun, a lot of good things happen.”
Exemplified by Hamonic, the Isles young core truly believe in one another. They want to win and they know that when they play their best, two points are extremely possible.
You just have to love that kid.
But just because the Isles managed a Saturday night shut-out doesn't mean that taking on the Cats will be easy. They are both in the same boat and struggling to regain points.
While we wait to find out who will be in net this afternoon, and any other on ice plans Coach Jack has in store, you may (or may not) be interested in
my entry on the CT Whale Fanfest Saturday in East Hartford. Great day of outdoor hockey and old timers and a few bar stories with the Hanson Brothers from Slap Shot fame.
Enjoy President's Day.
New York Islanders Blogger • 
Join the Discussion:
»