preview

New York Islanders Research Paper

Decent Essays

1993...That was the last time the New York Islanders held a 3-2 game series lead in a round of the NHL playoffs (Washington). After winning a game five for the first time in eleven previous tries last night in Sunrise, outlasting the Florida Panthers 2-1 in double overtime, this rag-tag bunch of scrappers look to write their own history in Brooklyn after winning the second longest overtime game in Islanders history. The Islanders, per chief statistician Eric Hornick, have hosted a game six at home with the chance to clinch a series six times in their illustrious past. They have won all six. Now, if you are truly the superstitious type, you would be alarmed at all the sixes showing. Good thing I am not as I write this column, as the walls in …show more content…

The Panthers again dominated play, especially 5v5, and led New York in shot attempts over 96 minutes of grueling hockey, 96-68, with 48 of those landing on target. And none was more crucial than in the first overtime, when Calvin de Haan closed his hand on the puck just outside the blue paint, leading to a penalty shot opportunity for sniper Aleksander Barkov. As much as Barkov zigged and zagged, Greiss stayed with him and thrust out his left pad, denying the Panthers the game winning goal, giving his team yet another opportunity to seize the moment. And seize it they did with the help of Roberto Luongo, who whiffed on Alan Quine’s medium range slapper from just off the right wing boards at the 16 minute mark of the second overtime. Luongo, with a .917 save percentage in the series, has made some quality stops himself, but to be perfectly honest, New York has won their three games on weak efforts by the Florida …show more content…

Save for a brief glimpse, the Islanders youngster has been a shell of himself during his second pro season. Already sent to Bridgeport after a couple of discussions during training camp, he has not responded to being called out by Capuano a couple of weeks prior to the end of the regular season. Continuing on that, neither has Josh Bailey, who looks tentative and lacking any confidence at all. He seems to be skating in mud, is not executing in any zone and is having a dastardly time just clearing the puck. He could be next in line to receive the press box pass, you would think as early as game six. Nikolay Kulemin got the message, even though he was spared the public wrath. He was much more active last night and dogged on the forecheck. Marek Zidlicky (23:45) and Steve Bernier (20:21 plus 9 hits) were also both very effective making their series debuts. With a combined 115 games of playoff experience between them, both should remain in the lineup as Jack Capuano continued to push mostly all the right buttons in this series. Hornick’s fantastic ‘The Skinny’ contributed to this column. [link:

Get Access