New Jersey 5, New York 2

New York Islander Fan Central | 11/22/2008 12:40:00 AM | | |
Sports Network: Has the recap of the Islanders 5-2 loss to the Devils in Newark Friday.

Associated Press: Had Joey MacDonald/Bill Guerin on the game & Mike Mottau's hit to Frans Nielsen's head.

NYI Fan Central Comments:
Could see it coming a mile away.

We cannot blame this one on Rick DiPietro's health while Mitch Fritz sat on the bench in the third period just like him.

One team coming in off a win the day before, the other looking like it had not done much since Monday that was very content to ride MacDonald and not push the play at a club that is beatable if you get shots and work.

Not much else to write on this one, disgrace that Nielsen got hit and his leg got caught in the ice and it looked bad.

Terrible hit by Mottau to the head and of course not even a major penalty. Should be interesting to see if this is even reviewed now that a player was injured which is the so-called criteria?

Nielsen's loss to this roster is huge considering his skating and impact on a game.

Without MacDonald early it would have been worse. New Jersey skated, drove the net and made plays, the Islanders did a lot of watching and reacted slowly. Nielsen's shorthanded chance was the only good moment the Isles had in the first.

Islanders were outworked, outplayed and outclassed in every area. They got the two early powerplays that should have gotten them into the game but they generated little against a goaltender who looked as rusty as the Islanders.

Overspeed was stuck in park most of the game.

Even Hilbert's gift from Weekes did not give them any momentum. Sutton made a nice play to get a shot at the net and Bergenheim was there for a rebound which was one of the rare times the Isles worked in front of the Devil goaltender.

Jackman was a non-factor with most of the forwards, his momentum changing fight did nothing but get himself a cut and Fritz might as well have stayed in the AHL for his two plus minutes on a night the club needed another skater and a fight to respond to Mottau.

Credit to Hunter but that's not what he does.

Parise picked the Islanders apart and without Witt's block would have scored. He beat Gervais good to the outside while Bailey, Campoli watched Gionta come in and score who had a tough night with the fourth Devil goal deflecting in against him.

New Jersey was handed a nice five on three shortly after Nielsen was injured and with two players sticks broken could not clear the puck.

Game, Set, Match on a night the Islanders seem very satisfied to mail in the effort and frankly got what they deserved. Credit to the Devils but this seemed a lot more about what the Islanders did not do.








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