Philadelphia 4, New York 3

New York Islander Fan Central | 12/09/2008 10:03:00 PM |
Associated Press & Sports Network: Recaps the Islanders 4-3 loss in Philadelphia on Tuesday.

NYI Fan Central Comments:
What can I write about a club that was playing three games in four nights that lost by a goal and played an even game?

Islanders played as well as they seem capable of with the injuries and the lack of finishers on the roster. The skating, forecheck and specials teams were solid, they simply did not have a finisher when they needed it most which is what you have to have in this league to earn points.

The other team did.

Maybe some other night what the Islanders did would have been enough to win against a club who's only flaw going in was five on five play but the Islanders allowed two fourth line players to score at even strength and that turned the game.

Carter got a strange bounce for an open net goal and with the game on the line a player who is a first line talent in Gagne took a shot no one has on the Islander roster among it's forwards.

Hilbert does not belong on a powerplay but he made a very nice redirection of Campoli's pass for his goal. Weight made a good play for his goal and should have had a second. Islanders got a lot of shots from the outside, Bergenheim and the penalty killers on one Flyer powerplay did everything but score a shorthanded goal.

Weight and Guerin did a good job in the trenches. Sillinger gave the Isles a big edge all night in the faceoff circle and just missed a goal. Comeau came up big when the Islanders needed a goal to tie the game.

I wish Scott Gordon would simply announce his starting goaltender instead of playing games with the media because it's not changing any one's game plan regardless who he names the day before. Yann Danis gave his team every chance to win, looked very good and made one great save before the tying goal. Team defense outside of one Thomas Pock mistake in the third played well, got in the passing lanes and won a lot of battles. Joe Callahan did not hurt them and had a few shot attempts and played big on the backline.

Josh Bailey is looking less visible lately but was on the ice with Guerin when Comeau scored. Bergenheim had one of his better efforts in a while. Have not seen many plays where someone throws a big check like the one on Sim and almost in the same motion center the puck for the 1-2 goal by Asham.

One top offensive player Islanders do have without a doubt is Mark Streit. He made at least one great play too on a a backcheck.

Bad news was Islanders had no answers the last five minutes or put on any real pressure.

In the context of one game, good effort that fell a goal short.

Big picture is a club in a free fall on the ropes that had to have two points in this game and did not get them.








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