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Isles vs Rangers 2/24/12 4-3 OT Win Isles

February 24, 2012, 7:13 AM ET [259 Comments]
Dee Karl
New York Islanders Blogger • RSSArchiveCONTACT
10:08 pm: It was an important game for the Isles and they showed up for it. I don't know how the Coliseum was when everyone was leaving. I'm glad I didn't find out.

I'm sure Casey Cizikas will remember this one for the rest of his life.

As Butchie is saying, once the team gets within a few points of a playoff spot, you'll see a different game from them.

Moulson said it was exactly the type of win they needed right now. It was good for their confidence so they can ride the momentum into the road trip. Interesting that he said Marty Biron was waiting for certain moves out of each of the shoot-out shooters. Moulson and PA told Frans Nielsen to go 5-hole because Biron was waiting and shook his glove at him. Taunting.

9:46 pm: And.... because I left, the Isles win. Of course it took a blasted shoot-out to get there, but they did it. PA Parenteau was the first star of the game while Gaborik was second and JT was third.

I actually drove home listening to the game on XM radio listening to the great call of Chris King. I'd just like to say that if you haven't actually LISTENED to one of the broadcasts recently; you should.

It's a different experience. A wonderful exercise of imagination. I could see every play he called in vivid detail. The best part is that you don't have the regular TV commercials. Instead you get treated to great interviews with the players.

But back to the end of the game. I wonder why there were so many face off positions that didn't go Jack's way? What was going on there?

8:41 pm: with only a few seconds left, JT draws a tripping penalty on Stralman and the Isles have a chance to head back to the room with another lead. That goes terribly south when Staal checks Matt Martin into the boards and he bounces to the ice. As soon as the buzzer sounds Martin cross checks Staal and they try to get something started and are pulled apart. But Kyle Okposo wants at Staal too.

Not sure if anything will happen with that since it happened after the buzzer.

But the Isles will start the third on the power play. I think I'll start the third -- in the car.

It's all yours HBers. Be back in about 90 minutes.

8:35 pm: With Casey Cizikas in the box for hooking, the puck takes an unfortunate bounce off of Travis Hamonic and Nabby can't catch it before it's over the line. The goal is credited to Stepan.

I'm thinking I may "Exit: Stage left."

8:32 pm: It's bread & butter night as the Coliseum just announced a sell-out. (Like what did you expect? Islander fans got good money for their tickets. They'll be back on March 4th for Nickelodeon Day.

8:26 pm: So, what did I miss while I was checking facebook? Oh, yeah. Michael Grabner had TWO break-aways that he coudln't score on and Marian Gaborik finally scored after five games. GRRR... as everyone else is saying up here "Staios!!"

8:16 pm: Well, well, PA gets his second of the game on the Power Play from Matt Moulson outside of Biron's crease. Ohhhh... John Tortorella is NOT happy.

8:13 pm: DelZotto in the box for "throwing the stick" and everyone here laughs, but it nets two really good chances for the Isles to score on Biron including a glove save on JT. It also gave the Isles a chance to even up the SOG a little as they are now 11 - 13.

8:04 pm: start of the second and the Rangers are a man down. Although, you wouldn't know it. There's so many rushes towards Nabokov, I wasn't really sure if it was a Ranger power play instead. The Rangers now have 13 shots on goal (I think or it could be 18, the score board looks a little funky. The Isles have 8 SOG.

7:32 pm: In an excellent play, Marc Staal (or Brad Richards we're getting conflicting reports) scored a power play goal to give the Rangers their first of the evening.

7:29 pm: I'm fighting the freakin' internet the way John Tavares is fighting Ryan Callahan. Casey Cizikas did a fine job draping over Dubinsky and PA Parenteau gave his agent more contract ammunition.

Rangers on a power play with Reasoner in the box. Nabokov makes a brilliant save and once again the Isles fans chant his name.

You want to lose that Evgeni?

7:19 pm: Thank you Matt Moulson for getting the first goal of the night with the Isles first line.

7:13 pm: Strong play by Kyle Okposo and a fight by Martin and Bickel at 2:24 of the first and the Isles have 2 shots on Biron.

A beautiful play by JT dancing around the Rangers gets one of those shots but not in.

The crowd is decidedly Ranger heavy. I can't see me sticking this out past the second period.

6:55 pm: Well, Casey seemed to have an abundance of nervous energy on the ice during warm-ups. He also ducked a flying puck while standing next to Mark Eaton. I think the kid is excited.

So here we are and the Coliseum has it's share of Ranger jerseys of course. But there are also a lot of Isles jerseys as well. It's going to get loud.

Marty Biron will face his old team while Nabokov shakes off the rust for the Isles.

10:45 am: Casey Cizikas centering Rolston and Martin and Josh Bailey out for tonight according to Art Staple's Twitter feed.

7 am: Let me just get this out there -- I hate Isles/Ranger games. Hate them, hate them, HATE THEM. The rivalry is too intense at the Coliseum -- IN THE STANDS. Just walking the concourse you have to dodge arguments by passionate fans defending their teams and hurling personal insults at each other.

Luckily, since I can't wear Isles colors to the arena on game days, I dodge most of them. But I'm not exactly invisible and occassionally do end up having to yap back at some rude remarks. Then I hide in the press box and never leave until the game is over.

But that's MY Problem. The Isles problem is trying to win games. They've lost the last two they have played, but so have the Rangers. Both teams will look to make sure they don't get a THREE game losing streak. **Okay so thank you to my buddy Matt Clausen, yes the Rangers actually lost TWO of THREE losing to the Hawks and Pens with an OT win against the CBJ.

Head Coach John Tortorella had some words about Michael Del Zotto's play. Lucky for him, he wasn't John's only target. That doesn't really matter when you've got Henrik Lundqvist between the pipes. He CAN and WILL steal games and he is a big reason the Rangers have 81 points.

For the Isles, a flicker of hope may lie with Evgeni Nabokov who is well enough to play tonight. We were told he had the flu. However, in the NHL preview of the game, Dave Lozo wrote that he has returned "from injury." Hmmmm..... flu or injury, which is it? Or is it also contract talks that seem to still be continuing with the Isles. It is a mystery.

Doug Weight got his first taste of head coaching on Tuesday and his first NHL loss. Here is a quote from Weight in Dave Lozo's game preview from NHL.com:
"If you sit on the plane, you look at it as catastrophic," said Doug Weight, who filled in for ill head coach Jack Capuano. "But as tough as it is, when teams are struggling, it can change in a hurry. So we have to get our swagger somehow offensively back. And it's there to be had."


Good luck finding that swagger Doug. But maybe fiesty Casey Cizikas, who has been waiting for his turn, will bring it with him from Bridgeport. Or maybe it's under Travis Hamonic's full cage.

But we'll go with the last quote from Matt Moulson in Lozo's article:

"There's no time to feel sorry for ourselves." -- Islanders forward Matt Moulson


Nope. Seven o'clock tonight will come pretty quickly. So...
Let's go Islanders!








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