For the first time since pre-season NYI Fan Central will go live from my blog box.
Check back beginning at 7:10pm for constant updates as the game unfolds.
First period:
Welcome to NY Hockey, Brodeur going for # Five Hundred and no one even knows which is terrible.
Islander lines:
Guerin opens with Sillnger and Hilbert
Park-Vasicek-Satan
Fedotenko-Comrie-Hunter
Simon-Walter-Jackman
Campoli-Gervais
Witt-Martinek
Sutton-Bergeron
* First four minutes-Witt-Martink draw Parise, Gionta line, a few times Islanders forgot the puck in their own end.
* Good shift by Hunter line.
* Park had forever to set up Satan from bad angle for far-post goal. Isles skating better.
* Parise-Gionta good setup hard shot, good save for DiPietro.
No whistles under 12:00 left:
* Satan line great play, took puck to side instead of shooting on backhand from fifteen feet out dead center, Satan draws games first pp. Devils seem willing to trade chances and not sharp in their own end.
* PP Isles:
Sloppy first half of pp with Guerin-Fedotenko-Comrie, turnovers, one Bergeron shot from point. Islanders ice puck. Hunter-Satan-Sillinger second pp unit, no pressure, no quality chances. PP over.
* Fourth line good shift after pp, Jackman, Simon shots. Eight minutes left in first, few whistles.
* Simon gets a shift with Satan-Vasicek, some good pressure but no quality chance.
Seems like Satan-Vasicek vs Parise-Gionta combos most dangerous for each team early, but only quality chance was DiPietro save on Gionta in opening fifteen minutes.
* Gionta-Parise best chance of game on centering pass that lands under DiPietro's pad. No review.
* Comrie over handles puck shots 6-3 Islanders three minutes left in first.
* Park back with Satan, line buzzing pass again Islanders had time to set up behind net (Elias lost stick) Campoli read play and jumped in for shot, Vasieck rebound 1-0 New York...
* Guerin puck to eye goes off.
* One minute left in first, Fedotenko to net, save Brodeur. Park stick breaks on shot with that line as it changed.
* A few big hits, end of first 1-0 New York.
Satan line seems to have plenty of time to create chances, is gaining line easily and is a match the Islanders seem to be able to exploit early.
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Second Peirod:
* Bill Guerin returns.
* Jackman nice setup to Hilbert.
* Satan drop pass to Bergeron setup to Park save Brodeur, Zubrus chance, nice glove save DiPietro.
* Former Islander line with Asham-Rupp some pressure.
* Hilbert-Sillinger-Guerin, save Brodeur on a top circle shot by Guerin.
* Shots ten-six Islanders, fourteen minutes left.
* Simon-Jackman-Walter great shift, Sutton came in and missed high from ten feet out on Jackman rebound. Islanders top line now buzzing, Hunter rocket stopped by Brodeur.
* First whistle in a while 11:25 left.
* Guerin left ice again, seems like some juggling will happen now.
* Nice save on Devils chance by Madden. Bergeron blocker save Brodeur. Satan long pass to Park, wrap-around, save Brodeur. Devils giveaway to Martinek, save on setup, good pressure again by Satan-Vasicek line.
* Fedotenko hit by Comrie who was checked by Devil, is OK. Redirection, save on Zajac.
* Hunter-Simon-Comrie on as a line. Hunter power move and shot, save.
* Jackman get's Guerin's spot with Hilbert. Park semi-break off Sutton pass, save Brodeur.
* Satan-Park-Vasicek buzzing again.
* Witt caught on pinch, save DiPietro on Gionta, counter by Islander, Hunter robbed by Brodeur who stayed low enough to stop shot on backhand. Devils penalty, best stretch of game.
* 4:27 left second period.
* PP sloppy start, Satan-Fedotenko-Comrie. Bergeron shot, Fedotenko shot wide. One shot on pp, little pressure. Two minutes left in second period.
* Satan line again great pressure, Martinek shot from point, all forwards waiting for rebound which is held.
End of second 1-0 Islanders.
Islanders could have had another two or three goals, Brodeur was very solid but body language on some plays looks sloppy. DiPietro had to make two good saves.
Satan line with Park and Vasicek doing everything but finishing.
Side note-It's only 8:30pm, few whistles.
*******************************************************
Third peirod:
* Guerin out.
* Park now out with Sillinger and Hilbert. Sillinger just missed net on good setup.
* Zubrus scores on sloppy play in front of DiPietro, where it hit Martinek, bounced to Zubrus, who bounced it off Witt and in the net 1-1.
* Sutton flattens Asham. Simon on left wing with Satan and Vasicek.
* Islanders icing.
* Save DiPietro on point shot, goal has give Devils some jump. Shots 19-14 Islanders.
* Fedotenko taken down on rush at net, good pressure with the goalie out. Islanders pp.
* Second Devils penalty, play five on three, bench minor for misconduct.
Key to game here.
* Perimeter shooting, Islanders lose puck, offsides. PP struggling.
* Satan scores on cross-ice pass shot from Hunter and Campoli, 2-1 New York.
PP over. Witt vs Brookbank, Witt skates away. Despite goal pp looked tenative and did not go near Brodeur until Satan snuck in on far side and put in Hunter's pass/shot from other side of ice. Vasicek did not screen Brodeur.
* Twelve minutes left:
Devils offsides, have to expect they will get a pp to even up that misconduct.
* Guerin was cut, some swelling, will not return.
* Fedotenko-Hunter good pressure shift.
* Islanders icing 9:34 left.
* Devils good pressure, Islanders icing again.
* Another icing Islanders.
* Devils offsides, Martinek not on Islanders bench.
* Sutton clears puck. Zajac save by DiPietro, Zubrus and Sutton pushing.
* Hilbert-Park some pressure....MARTINEK RETURNS WITH WELT UNDER EYE.
* Six minutes left.
* Comrie hit, shoulder looks it's hurt, Devil player slashes him, he slashes
hits back, no penalties. Hand pass Devils.
* Comrie staying in, four minutes left.
* Devils dumping puck in, long scrum in corner for about twenty seconds before whistle.
* Martinek was a skate repair but has welt on face/eye, icing Islanders.
* Devils pressing, Bergeron clear. Zajac save DiPietro, Zubrus hurt, Islanders clear puck. Pressing in Devils end, running off time. Gionta chance, Brodeur pulled, Islanders ice puck, cannot change unit but try.
* Time out New Jersey, one minute left.
* Islanders make it tough on themselves, two point blank chances with open net blocked, Devils counter, DiPietro save.
* Paul Martin point shot, save DiPietro holds in big traffic.
* Elias shot, save and hold by DiPietro in big traffic again.
* Scramble off faceoff, puck in corner, comes in front.
* GAME OVER, NEW YORK WINS 2-1.
New York 9-4 record.
Three Stars:
Sutton-3rd
Dipietro-2nd
Satan-1st-Third straight game winning goal.
