The Islanders hope to build off an impressive 7-3 beat down of the Dallas Stars as they return to the ice in Toronto 24 hours later to battle the Maple Leafs. Kyle Okposo has joined the team in Toronto however Islanders’ head coach Jack Capuano has not made it clear who will be in the lineup tonight. Perhaps they might want to get Okposo some practice time before they insert him into the lineup. That seems to be the Islander mantra.
The only true negative from last night could potentially be a big one as goalie Evgeni Nabokov left yesterday’s win with a “lower body injury… and has already been placed on injured reserves which can’t be a good sign. New York will start Kevin Poulin tonight as they hope to build off of last night’s win. This is a chance for the young goalie to standout and help the Islanders grab some points. With fellow netminder Anders Nilsson challenging Poulin for the backup role the Islanders need to see if Poulin truly is a NHL quality goalie.
It will be interesting to see both of these kids play in front of a slowly improving defense. When both Nilsson and Poulin were playing during Nabokov’s last stint on the IR they did give the Isles a chance to win on most occasions however the defense did them no favors. Tonight will be a good test for Poulin as the Leafs are not void of talent.
It will be interesting to see the lines tonight. Last night against Dallas everyone played a large part in the win. Obviously John Tavares’ 5 point night led the way but the Isles also got goals from Peter Regin, Brock Nelson, Brian Strait and Ryan Strome. Strome finally found the back of the net potting his first NHL marker and it was great to see as the young center has really improved from game to game. Also, fellow rookie Calvin deHaan picked up his first two NHL points as he assisted on a pair of goals. The Islanders will need the growth of these kids to continue to trend upwards as they try and dig out of the whole that November left them in. Tonight will be a big test for the Islanders and I expect it could be another high scoring affair. It will be a homecoming for many on the team and Islanders’ captain John Tavares always seems to have a little extra when he plays his hometown team. The Islanders have played well on the road and if they want to find themselves in a playoff races they need to continue to win games; starting tonight in Toronto. As always for more on all things hockey please follow me on Twitter and Instagram at @DanDanNoddles78.