Hotlby is out!!! Huge chance for the isles ============================
The Islanders look to make it a two game lead in their best of seven series against the Washington Capitals. The Isles are hoping to build off an impressive 4-1 win in Game One. New York will keep everything the same tonight as Jaroslav Halak will patrol the crease and the forward lines and defensive pairings will remain the same.
The Isles played one of their finest games of the season Wednesday night and they have to expect that the Caps will come out flying tonight. Washington can’t afford to fall behind two games to none as they will head into the hornet’s nest that will be Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum Sunday afternoon. New York took advantage of a sloppy Capitals team. Washington goalie Braden Holtby apparently is battling the flu and boy did it show in game one. Caps’ Head Coach Barry Trotz said that Holtby is feeling better but the team called up goalie Phillip Grubauer from Hershey of the American Hockey League just in case Holtby can’t go.
I fully expect a spirited, desperate performance from Washington tonight and the first ten minutes is crucial. The Isles need to weather the storm and get past that initial surge. I would say the crowd could be a factor but I am uncertain of that after Game One’s noise level was somewhere between raucous morgue and feverish library. Seriously, I know the Verizon Center was sold out, but did 20 thousand people forget to bring their hands. I honestly can’t believe how silent that building was even when the game was scoreless. The Capitals are in for a rude awaking when they set skates on Coliseum ice.
I don’t want to look past tonight though. The Isles have a chance to take a commanding stranglehold on this series. The Capitals have been told year after year that they can’t win the big game in the playoffs. The Isles need to reinforce this theory and take them out of the game emotionally. Doubt and frustration are two poisonous qualities that can never creep into a hockey team. If the Isles can play like they did on Wednesday they can plant those seeds and watch them grow.
New York needs to stay aggressive and play the simple game that the executed so well in Game One. Limit the turnovers. Keep the Caps outside of the faceoff dots. Play an aggressive penalty kill. Win the battles for the loose pucks. This is what the Isles are doing and if this trend carries over the Islanders will be successful again tonight. As always for more on all things hockey please follow me on twitter at @DanDanNoodles78.