Islander Fan Interview Bombs Chris Kunitz (Video)
After Sunday’s defeat there was at least one small moment to take solace in. This guy, staunchly disapproving of Chris Kunitz’s post-game interview:
Game Three: Penguins 5, Islanders 4 (OT) — Isles Lose a Tough One at Coliseum
Preview — Box Score — TOI — Highlights
Kevin Schultz, Islanders Point Blank:
After the game, Strait blamed “[himself] more than anything,” for the penalty. “I just got a little too over aggressive on him there. Lost body position… Doesn’t matter what the call was.”
Watch: The Islanders Two First Period Goals
PLAYOFF GAME DAY — Penguins at Islanders, 12:00pm
Pittsburgh Penguins at New York Islanders, 12:00pm ET
Nassau Coliseum — Uniondale, NY — NBC, RDS, TSN
Kevin Schultz, Islanders Point Blank:
No this one’s really big. So big they’re putting out towels to clean up all the big.
They’re all big this time of year. But this one a little moreso. With a win or a loss today, Tuesday will be even bigger.
Enjoy the Coliseum today, folks. There’s not much else to say. You know the teams, you know the lineup unless Capuano tosses a grenade at the lineup card again, you know the story lines. Prepare accordingly. Only one question; bring earplugs or let your ears bleed?
PHOTO — Towels on the Seats at NVMC for Sunday’s Game
via @sean_leahy:
THE MORNING SKATE — Coming Home Even
Kevin Schultz, Islanders Point Blank:
That’s not to make it sound like this is going to be any easier, though. The Islanders played well and they played hard last night, but the game winning goal came with a primary assist to the end boards and Marc-Andre Fleury’s [lack of] awareness. They also found themselves in a 2-0 hole only a few minutes into the game and, after finally getting on the board, they surrendered the Pens’ third goal almost immediately. There’s still improvement to be made defensively. The first four periods of this series were a dumpster fire in the Islanders’ defensive zone and that needs to change.
GAME TWO: ISLANDERS 4 PENGUINS 3 — Panic alleviated, Isles come back from 3-1 to even series
Preview — Box Score — TOI — Highlights
On the anniversary of David %$&&#% Volek’s goal, the Islanders pulled off what many fans and media thought was an impossible task and evened up their series with the vaunted Pittsburgh Penguins and spoiled the return of the league’s everything, Sidney Crosby.
There was a lot of angst early among fans. This game looked quite a bit like the last one, but it turns out that Jack Capuano was smarter than many of us (I was particularly wrong) with the way he constructed today’s lineup, and the team just needed to get rid of some residual butterflies before the Isles got back to winning-streak April form.
VIDEO — Kyle Okposo’s First NHL Fight
During tonight’s second period, Pittsburgh’s Matt Niskanen lined up Matt Moulson for a clean but hard hit in open ice. With the Isles down 3-1 and frustrations mounting, Kyle Okposo stepped up and fought Niskanen in Okposo’s first NHL fight. During the second intermission Okposo said he thought it sparked the team. It may well have, as Colin McDonald scored 14 seconds after the fight and later Matt Martin scored to send the game to the third tied 3-3.
VIDEO — Nino Niederreiter Scores at Worlds, Named Player of the Game
Today team Switzerland opened up play at the World Championships against Sweden, one of the host countries. Rather than hang around Long Island working out, Nino Niederreiter suited up for Switzerland and had a heck of a first game earlier today. He scored the second of three goals for Switzerland — they won 3-2 — and did it in slick fashion. The broadcast attributes the goal to Victor Stancescu but it’s obviously Nino wearing #22 in red. Niederreiter was named player of the game.
GAME TWO — Projected Lines
Update, 11:00pm: And here are the actual lines, because Jack Capuano threw a hand grenade at his roster sheet tonight:
Bailey – Tavares – Boyes
Moulson – Nielsen – Okposo
Ullstrom – Aucoin – McDonald
Grabner – Cizikas – Martin
Hamonic – MacDonald
Visnovsky – Strait
Streit – Carkner
Nabokov
Poulin
Original post: Based on today’s morning skate, here’s what the Isles lines are likely to look like tonight in Pittsburgh. All subject to change, of course.
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