AP & Sports Network: Recaps New York's 3-1 win against the Florida Panthers Saturday.
NYI Fan Central Comments:
With every game Okposo is looking more and more like a first line player in this league. Not the goals but just the overall play and the strength on the puck.
Team defense was strong, a lot of blocked shots, stick checks to win battles with Park, Hunter diving to break up chances. Campoli, Gervais very solid with just another strong game from Mark Streit.
Have not written about him for a while but Pock does nothing on defense to hurt this team, his deflected shot almost found the net in the first period.
Florida without David Booth was a big loss for the Panthers, they had a few wrap-around chances early and the better of the play to start the third with the four minute powerplay but Islanders took back momentum and put the game away with Guerin's goal followed by the work from Hunter to find Okposo coming in off the point.
Would have liked to have seen the Islanders just go for it when Peter Deboer pulled his goaltender with five minutes left and if they ice the puck, so what.
Go for the kill.
Islanders started this game well, Jackman a nice rush at the net, Nielsen some good reads and drew another powerplay like he did in Atlanta. Gervais got a nice chance coming in. Okposo got past Jay Bouwmeester, with a power move which was impressive.
Campoli was hitting and making plays.
That early penalty kill on Okposo's double-minor was excellent blocking the lanes and even creating an odd-man chance shorthanded, crowd got behind the team too.
Heck of a read by Comrie who saw where Vokoun was going with the puck and simply beat Bouwmeester and showed nice hands to beat him to the post for the 1-0 goal.
Second period Florida started skating and got some quality chances, Park saved a goal, the fourth line for Florida had some good shifts, but Guerin made his best move of the year (until his wrap-around goal) on Keith Ballard and nearly scored. Both teams traded chances but Florida has the better chances.
Yann Danis had another very strong game, few goalies going to give the Islanders a much better chance to win. Witt again going after players who crash the net and looking much different now that he is healthy.
For a team going all-in on youth very strange Tambellini is sitting for Park to play third line left wing or Andy Hilbert has the fourth line spot or Thompson/Jackman are regulars.
That's seven out of eight points and three straight wins, guess tonight's negative theme from the media cannot be a blown lead.
