Columbus 3, New York 1

New York Islander Fan Central | 12/13/2008 09:42:00 PM |
AP: Has the recap of New York's 3-1 loss in Columbus on Saturday.

NYI Fan Central Comments:
It is what it is folks, right now that is an Islander club in a free fall.

Outskated, outworked, outplayed. Islander veterans did very little nor did Steve Mason have to be very good. Guerin had one second period shot he looked like he had no idea where the puck was.

A save off Jackman on a turnover, a first period save on Doug Weight? A few scrambles? Not much else notable from the Islander offense or any kind of sustained pressure.

Good thing the Blue Jackets are a low scoring club or it may have been another blowout. Islanders for all the talk of coming out after a bad loss and setting the tone spent most of the first period chasing Columbus with that shift with Fritz where they were pinned in their own zone for a good minute.

Right there you could see momentum shift.

Columbus always seemed to have numbers on the puck in all three zones and simply were the faster club with a better idea of what they were trying to do. Isles did a good job making Jason Chimera looking like a star in this one, Jake Voracek came off a benching and created chances.

Islanders struggled in their own end of the ice, MacDonald did not get a lot of help but he played well enough or the post bailed him out once or twice.

I wonder if Scott Gordon watched game films of last season when it came to Blake Comeau or just the ones he struggled? Did he not know how badly out of place he looked on right wing those weeks in the second half when he was shifted?

Comeau played right wing a good part of the night for Sim to return on his left and you could see him struggle and that was without his skate problems. Finally he played a shift on the left (with Thompson at center) and he drove the net off left wing and almost have another break before going offsides.

A youth movement or rebuilding is not Park-Guerin-Hunter-Streit-Weight as your first powerplay unit with Park in front of the opposing goaltender. It's not Jon Sim coming off waiver to go on the powerplay.

Comeau, Bergenheim powerplay? Nope.

Richard Park should be out to kill penalties, same with Hilbert who again was counted on to be a lot more than he is. Campoli's second big mistake up the middle took a bounce to Park for his chance/goal.

Despite the goal it gave the Islanders virtually no lift in the third. Columbus had the better of play (two disallowed goals on whistles aside) and finally overspeed got caught with Hunter back for the 3-1 deciding goal.

Bergenheim did get a good chance, nice play by Nash.

Islanders just look like a beaten team right now. A descent overall game from Bergenheim with rushes off the wing, very little team play or confidence with a lot of running around in their own end of the ice.

Boy that was either a quick post-game or the cannon scored a direct hit on the broadcast booth?

Funny, I do not see Islanders Inspire ads on Ranger or Devil telecasts?







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