The Islanders forced a game 7 in their opening round matchup against the Capitals with a thrilling 3-1 win at the Coliseum Saturday afternoon. The Old Barn was loud! Loud as I have ever heard it and the Islanders responded with a gutty performance in front of their loyal home crowd.
Islanders Head Coach Jack Capuano iced a lineup that had some people scratching their heads including myself. I would have not started Colin McDonald over Anders Lee. I also would not have played Scotty Mayfield over Ryan Pulock. But I actually have to tip my hat to the head coach. It worked. Especially on the back end as Mayfield paired with Matt Donovan played very steady minutes.
These two young defenders alongside the rest of the D corps were tremendous. Thomas Hickey and Brian Strait played their butts off and their hard work have to be recognized. Nick Leddy and Johnny Boychuk were steady as well and if the Isles are going to advance to the next round they need a repeat performance from these blue liners tomorrow night. New York will have its work cut out for themselves in Game 7 as the Capitals will have the last change and can try to expose this young blue line.
The forwards were collectively good yesterday. All four lines created solid scoring chances. The fourth line continues to entertain and beat on the Caps. The third line stood out as the game wore on and they were rewarded for their hard work. The second line had some moments but I am still looking for more from them. The top line of John Tavares, Ryan Strome and Brock Nelson had a strong game and ignited this crowd early when Tavares found the back of the net to opening the scoring.
This series continues to get ugly and chippy. The referees in this league continue to puzzle me from their lack of consistency on both sides. There were numerous calls being blatantly ignored on both sides and I still don’t understand how Alexander Ovechkin hitting Tavares right between the numbers isn’t a penalty. It isn’t just this series though. In my opinion the home office is telling their officials to swallow the whistle. I am all for letting them play but you have to call the dangerous plays. When you don’t you lose control of the game and end up with line brawls and dirty plays at the conclusion of the game. I am just looking for some clarity and consistency league wide.
We all know anything can happen in a Game 7. One bad bounce, one mistake can be the difference in the series. All bets are off. The Capitals now have the weight of past playoff failures resting on their shoulders. I would expect both goalies to play outstanding again tomorrow as they have been solid throughout the series, minus a couple of hiccups. Regardless of what happens tomorrow, Game six was special. The crow was simply electric. The energy was palatable. It was a special day on Long Island. With all of that said, I don’t want that to be the last moment. This team showed me something yesterday. They showed heart and grit and determination. Now we have to see if that carries over to tomorrow night. As always for more on all things hockey please follow me on twitter at @DanDanNoodles78.