New York 2, Detroit 0 " Thank God For Night Off "

New York Islander Fan Central | 3/27/2009 10:08:00 PM |
























Associated Press: Recaps New York's 2-0 win against the Red Wings in Detroit on Friday.

I'm sure older fans back from 72-73 understand the title when the expansion Islanders visited Detroit and found that sign waiting for them at the Olympia.

Congratulations to Joey MacDonald on his first NHL shutout which comes against his former team, that sprawling save was one for the books.

NYI Fan Central Comments:
Team trying for a league record fifty wins four years in a row not since the 70's and you could see a lot of empty seats and not much noise in that building for a club first overall on a Friday night.

A few posts and Joey MacDonald giving them the goaltending we saw early in the season or as early as opening night with a few incredible saves but for the most part the Islanders got in the lanes, forced mistakes and pressured the Wings.

Without MacDonald's play and the post/crossbar Wings could have had four or five goals, the chances they created they worked hard for.

Some of the calls against the Isles seemed like homer/experience calls like Okposo in the first where the puck was there so it could not be interference or that late third period penalty against Martinek where Johan Franzen was touched and went down like he tried to draw one and did.

On the Islanders side of the puck a very solid team effort blocking shots and making good defensive plays across the board. Gervais looks like he went to the Mark Streit school of defense and to me has never looked more confident jumping in on offense or just clearing a puck when it needs to be. He has been a solid defender for a few years, lately he seems to be able to create offense and playing at a higher level.

On offense the kids with Comeau, Bailey not on that line with Tambellini-Nielsen-Okposo who simply were the Islanders best line worked for some chances with the Islander forwards who simply are not likely to score often.

Give Jackman high marks for his work to create Bailey's goal who got position on Nicklas Lidstrom and earned the second goal. Seemed like if the Isles got one to Streit on one of those powerplays he was going to make it 3-0.

Okposo looks more and more like a franchise player, some of the plays late he was knocking down Wing players on defense, his vision and patience to find Nielsen with that pass who made a great move on Osgood for the shorthanded goal.

A game everyone including the fans can highlight for this season, the kids were the best players, MacDonald was outstanding. Isles got in the trenches and did well against the best team in the NHL, not the kind of skilled offensive win against the Devils but still a good team effort.

Memorable night.

Philadelphia is here resting already, will be interesting to see what the Islanders do Saturday off that kind of win.







Bookmark and Share

Subscribe