Kevin Poulin, left, had a shaky start in his season debut, making 24 saves in a loss to Carolina. (Photo: Anastasia Reilly/flickr)

The Staal brothers combined for a pair of goals, and Bobby Sanguinetti scored the first of his career, as the Hurricanes came from behind to beat the Islanders 4-2.

The Islanders’ top line once again came through, logging heavy minutes and scoring two goals — one by Matt Moulson, the other by John Tavares — but it was to no avail. Though they held the Hurricanes to four shots in the second period, half of Carolina’s shots managed to get by Kevin Poulin, including a power-play goal (Eric Staal). When the Islanders did manage to get shots to the net, Cam Ward was equal to the task, finishing with 23 saves. Poulin, making his season debut, stopped 24 shots, got caught on a bad bounce to tie the game, and watched his team surrender yet another empty net goal, this time by Alex Semin. (You’d think after five of them that Jack Capuano would learn not to pull his goalie, but… afraid not.)

You would also think, given the fact that Casey Cizikas and Colin McDonald have combined for a couple of key goals in the past few games, that each of them would be getting a bit more than eight minutes per game, but I guess that isn’t the case either. As usual, Tavares and Moulson carried the bulk of the Isles’ minutes, with 21:07 and 19:33 respectively. But Capuano cannot rely on just these guys to carry the load. That seems to be the Isles’ offensive strategy at the moment, and it’s not working.

Same thing with Mark Streit — the guy’s getting 25 minutes a game, and captain or not, he needs less time to be effective. He’s 35 years old, and the Isles have younger defenseman to help pick up the slack. Streit finished with 25:08 TOI and a -1, with no shots. Last night, at around 23 minutes, he had two points and three shots on goal.

Overall, this is a sucker of a loss, and the Isles’ sixth loss of seven so far on home ice. They do it again on Tuesday night against Boston, who haven’t lost in a week and a half… hahahahaha. Joy. Until next time.

Evgeni Nabokov earned his 53rd career shutout Saturday against Buffalo. (Photo: Clyde/flickr)

After losing to the Sabres earlier in the month, the Islanders came out flying, shutting out Buffalo 4-0 at First Niagara Center. Four different Islanders found the back of the net, with both forwards and defensemen chipping in.

» Continue reading “Isles Get Revenge With Shutout in Buffalo”

John Tavares can’t do it alone, guys. (Photo: Bridget Samuels/flickr)

The third period continues to be the breaking point for the Islanders this year.

Despite all of their goals coming on the power-play, which is another story (this one of extremes), they lost. Despite a solid effort (in the first two periods, at least) by Rick DiPietro, they lost. And despite Jack Capuano begging them during a timeout to “wake up” (and perhaps, subconsciously, to save his bench job), they lost.

» Continue reading “Isles Swept Away By Hurricanes”

Colin McDonald scored his first goal as an Islander, but the Isles skated away with yet another loss on home ice, this time to Buffalo. (Photo: 5of7/flickr)

The post was not the Islanders’ — or rather, John Tavares’s — friend tonight.

After being taken down by Christian Ehrhoff, earning himself a penalty shot, the Isles center skated in and brought Ryan Miller down on his pads; however, his backhand attempt hit the right pipe. That goal would have been his second goal of the night and tied the game at three, taking the Islanders to overtime with the Sabres. Instead, it was his second goal post.

» Continue reading “Sabres Prevail in Joust With Isles”

Evgeni Nabokov finished with 21 saves in the Isles’ third straight loss, this time to the Rangers. (Photo: Clyde/flickr)

I was excited for this matchup. Why? Because I always am. It’s a crosstown rivalry, man –two teams who hate each other, each within, say, 30 miles of the other.  This is special stuff.

Unless, of course, you’re the Islanders and you miss the memo about intensity against a team that you can’t stand.

» Continue reading “Isles Fall Flat At MSG”

Michael Grabner scored his team-leading fifth goal against the Penguins, but the Islanders lost, 4-2. (Photo: Robert Kowal/flickr)

The Islanders attempted to pull even in the third period with two quick goals, but eventually the Penguins dashed their hopes, beating them 4-2 at Nassau Coliseum.

» Continue reading “Penguins Double Up on Isles, 4-2″

Casey Cizikas scored his first NHL goal and the first of four for the Islanders at Consol Energy Center, in a 4-1 Isles win. (Photo: TheAHL/Flickr)

Once again, four different Islanders scored to mount a hefty lead, this time against the Pittsburgh Penguins. This time, though, the lead would stick. New York pulled out an impressive 4-1 win at Consol Energy Center, silencing the home crowd and stunning their Atlantic Division rivals with a three-goal second period. 

» Continue reading “Islanders Grab the Win in Pittsburgh”

David Ullstrom scored a goal and was the Isles’ most consistent forward in a wild 5-4 loss to Winnipeg. (Photo: Anastasia Reilly/flickr)

Evander Kane took advantage of an offensive turnover by Keith Aucoin, getting behind all of the Islanders’ backcheckers and tapping the rebound of a long Olli Jokinen shot past Evgeni Nabokov’s pads to win it for the Jets in overtime, 5-4. Winnipeg’s win came after the Isles battled back from a 2-1 lead to have the game firmly (one would think) in hand, 4-2.

» Continue reading “Jets Soar Over Isles in OT”

Keith Aucoin was the only Isles player to solve Tuukka Rask tonight, as he posted the first two-goal game of his NHL career, but New York fell to the Bruins, 4-2 at TD Garden.

The scoring started early in the first period, as Shawn Thornton crashed the net and put away a rebound after Dougie Hamilton took a shot from the right point at 4:52. Seven minutes later, Aucoin scored his first of the night, a snap shot off a centering feed from Colin McDonald.

» Continue reading “Aucoin Not Enough Against the Bruins”

Brad Boyes tallied a three-point night, along with linemate Michael Grabner, and Matt Moulson scored two goals as the Islanders rallied against the Leafs, winning 7-4. (Photo: Les Stockton/flickr)

So apparently the Islanders are establishing two ways to win: 1. almost cough up a lead and give everyone a heart attack; 2. fall behind, come back and give everyone a heart attack. Either way, have your cardiologist (if you have one) on speed dial.

The Isles fell behind 3-1 after 20 minutes of play, only to score five consecutive goals in the final two periods to come out with a 7-4 win at the Air Canada Centre. The second forward line led the way, with Michael Grabner and Brad Boyes scoring two goals apiece to carry the Islanders out of their deficit and into the win column.

» Continue reading “Isles Rake Leafs, “Secondary Scoring” the Difference”