The Islanders and Rangers will renew their rivalry tonight underneath the lights outdoors at a chilly Yankee Stadium. After weeks of anticipation the time has finally arrived as these two teams will headline the night in the NHL. However putting aside the novelty of the outdoor game these games are crucial for the Islanders as they are in desperate need of points.
The Islanders have been finding the net with regularity but they are incapable of even playing remotely adequate defense of late. The Isles defense zone coverage has been dreadful and Kevin Poulin has looked exposed playing on a regular basis. He is simply too deep in his net which keeps his angles off and makes it difficult to control his rebounds. These are issues Poulin has had ever since he has joined the Islanders organization. If Poulin is unable to correct these fundamental flaws I can’t see him as a NHL goalie. I understand that he is young but at some point you are what you are. I do believe he has talent so let’s hope his technique can catch up with his athleticism.
The Islanders received a crushing blow yesterday as Travis Hamonic suffered a setback on his recovery from an “upper-body… injury and was placed on the Injured Reserve list. Matt Donovan was called back up from the Bridgeport Sound Tigers to replace him.
Looking at the schedule before the Olympic break; the Islanders play five games. To have any hope of getting back in this race they need to be as close to 500 as possible before this break. It is time for this team to go on a run. They really need to go 4-0-1 or 3-0-2 in their next five contests. These games feature two against their rival Rangers and one against the Capitals, Flames and Avalanche. If there is any hope left in this season; the Islanders need to start tonight with two points on the grandest of scales.
I will be embarking for the game this afternoon. If you are going please dress warm and don’t be that guy who wears shorts; there is always one. I’d love to meet up with any and all fellow hockey buzzers so reach out to me on twitter at @DanDanNoodles78 and enjoy the game tonight.