CAROLINA 3 ISLANDERS 2 (OT)
Cole ties it late, Pitkanen tallies in overtime
9:40 pm: Despite the best and most passionate and dedicated of intentions, the Islanders again came up short with an opportunity to spoil an opponent’s playoff hopes. Up 2-1 late, the Islanders lost, 3-2, in overtime tonight in Carolina. Joni Pitkanen’s goal at 3:58 of overtime was the difference.
Erik Cole’s goal with 4:37 left in regulation was the backbreaker. It sent the game to overtime tied at 2-2.
In the second period, Michael Grabner scored his 29th goal of the season to break a 1-1 tie. Grabner was stopped on a pair of breakaways by Hurricnanes goaltender Cam Ward in the first period.
After Jeff Skinner opened the scoring at 16:33 of the first period, Frans Nielsen tied the game 1:19 later. With his assist on Grabner’s goal, Nielsen now has ten goals and 30 assists for 40 points on the season.
The Islanders out-shot Carolina, 37-35. Al Montoya was given the start and Jack Capuano’s confidence in him was justified. Unless Montoya’s 32-save performance changed his coach’s mind, Rick DiPietro could make his return on Saturday in Sunrise. The Islanders are ten points behind eighth-place Buffalo with ten games left in the season, and the Sabres have two games in hand. It’s time to give DiPietro some work.
I’m away on assignment, so talk about the game (and please fill me in about what I missed) in Comments. Thank you.
66 Responses to CAROLINA 3 ISLANDERS 2 (OT)
Cole ties it late, Pitkanen tallies in overtime
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91NYfan91 says:
refs find a way to blow another game. nielsen couldn’t clear the puck because of the stupid ref was in the way and it lead to a goal. isles played a pretty good game until the last 6 minutes of the 3rd period. getting tired of grabner not scoring on the breakaways. He gets at least once a game, thats insane.
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NYISLES001 says:
No more execuses. It is time to stop blowing leads.
Another think I am getting sick of Capuano complimenting the other team. He needs to stop the loser attitude and show some fire. Get pissed off, throw something. I don;t like his attitude after loses.
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Rob76 says:
I agree with #1 Grabner has 29 goals but if he ever learned how to finish a breakaway he would have over 40 goals now. Easy. Tavares-Moulson-Parenteau looked good again with JT dominating at times. Montoya stood on his head, Ward was better. And how many times is another team gunna win an OT game off the post and in? I know im in the minority but i still want a top 4 draft pick, i believe it is in our best interest in near future. So that makes tomorrow a must lose…thank goodness DP is starting!
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Isles Fan in NJ says:
Grabner not scoring on breakaways reminds me of Claude No Points who seemed to get a breakaway every game and couldn’t score…
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JKP in Halifax says:
Ditto what 91NYfan91 said about the ref’s assist on the tying goal. That and Cam Ward’s robbery on Grabner’s break aways and Moulsen’s late shot.
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Tom D in NJ says:
Well, with 10 games to go I believe the Isles season is pretty well written. By now we all know the good, the bad and the ugly.
Promise for next year, but the reality is were 14th in the conference right now with a whole lot of hockey games in the postseason that we will not be playing in again. Damn, this team better be good next year, None of us are getting any younger. -
Don says:
Martinek lost it by not moving that puck.
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Kaszycki's Krew says:
New Jersey took a hit tonight – with Carolina getting 2 points on them tonight and NJD losing to the Caps. Isles played well for most of the game – have to learn that killer instinct……they don’t have it yet. Play the heck out of DP and let’s see what he’s got (not much) but we shall see.
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isles83 says:
The SAP bus continuing it’s tour. Every team that needs points no matter how mediocre they play get points from the SAP Isles. Sometime this century they will learn how to finish all these games they blow late and make us proud. What was that another Grabner breakaway. His 400th of the season. He has not finished on 398 of them. UGH!!!!!
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moonshine says:
this game puts to rest the ‘playing loose’ theory. carolina had a lot more motivation, which imo trumps playing loose.
that said, the islanders don’t have the emotional stamina and strength to play 60minutes, or the third period in a game like this. and sorry to say, i would expect the same issue next year. all nhl teams are good enough to do some nice things in a game, but winning is something more.
the turning point was ward’s save on moulson on the pp. at the other end montoya played well, but to win he needed to make one of those two saves on the late goals. not that they were softies, but to close out a game sometimes that’s what it takes.
my real question tonight though is this: if the islanders don’t get many points in the last ten games, is capuano’s place up for debate again? and specifically, if an unemployed coach who’d make an interesting canditate were to put out a feeler, would the islanders seriously listen?
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The last guy I would be worried about is Grabner!!
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I think Capuano deserves alot of credit and under most circumstances is deserving of a full season. However, next year is probably the most critical season in the history of our franchise and with that in mind, is he still the right guy?
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Jon in Chicago says: Anyone really think the Isles would win this game in regulation leading by 1 with a few minutes left? Seems like blown leads have been a problem with this franchise for most of this decade.
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gino says:
i would love to see bob hartley as coach but still keep capuano in the organization. the only reason i want to play dp the rest of the season is to better our chances of getting an early pick then please for godsake buy his contract out. afraid it wont happen.
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Jmig15 says:
Wow do we need some veteran leadership whether it be on the coaching staff or the ice. Maybe both-this team has no clue on how to put these games away. I pretty much laughed when we gave up the tying goal-i was anticipating it.
-On a side note it doesnt hurt as bad -knowing the two pionts helps the canes against the rags for the playoof run. -
Jim Clark says: Another flashback to the Scott Gordon era with blowing a third period lead and only getting a loser’s point out of it. Tomorrow, with 13th place on the line, we may see The Face of The Franchise between the pipes. Bring on those Florida Panthers! Go DP!
CB, have you ever thought of putting one of those clocks on the website giving us a countdown for years, months, days, hours, minutes and seconds until the DiPietro contract expires? Maybe a second one for Yashin?
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Who else nearly threw up in their mouth when they saw DP playing grab-ass with one of the islanders trainers? UH-Dipi is back!
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drouin says:
out hustled and out played in the third. guys still look nervous in there own end when the pressure is on
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Staten Islander says:
I think the 3rd period is where they really missed Mark Streit. Next year that wont be a problem
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Strummer's Army says:
Isles and Sound Tigers both lose in OT (Tigers in a shootout).
Not a big deal. Both blown seasons with injuries. I do wonder why year after year both Isles and Sound Tigers are bit with numerous injuries. It seems every year there are too many compared to other organizations.
Isles need to get the best draft pick possible.
I want to offer my deepest sympathy to the DiPietro family for the loss of their dog Roxy. Very sad and must be made worse buy the dog being hit by a car.
Is our draft previews going to start soon Chris?
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Mike says:
Thanks to MSG for iO, HD play of the game, on the Islanders non-HD telecast tonight. Love the way we’re playing now, with more intensity shift after shift. Grabner is a stud and I don’t care how many breakaways he misses. He will make them with practice. Vancouver and Florida are kicking themselves in the rear for cutting him loose. Here’s to Nino next year, and another top prospect. We will be better next year!
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StevieL says:
Grabner deserves serious consideration as rookie of the year but I think Skinner is going to get it.That kid, at age 18! is some slick skater and he has some sick moves!That last shift in OT he was an animal!!Just amazing for his size and age!!
Isles still seem to lack that next gear! When it gets to crunch time, they just can’t seem to match the other teams intensity. Carolina dominated the last 10 minutes of that game. Isles need to learn how to close out games.
DP tomorrow night?? We must be now playing for a pick, ugh! -
Larry Satler says:
This team as it is cannot finish. We need to get players on the ice that know how to finish a game next year. Cannot believe they will play DP tomorrow…should have cut ties with him after that stupid fight.
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DenP says:
Montoya looked great, you cant win games if you don’t finish. We had to many chances to bury the puck and didn’t! Like Oposko Point Blank, just before the game winner. Very frustrating loss!!
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i would have preferred that they lose in regalation instead of o.t. since at this point its better they lose to get a premium pick but with wang as director of scouting who knows who he will pick. the team made their point that they just need a little help ( tough big d man and top scoring foward) and as long as d.p. is just a back up next year playing 10 games or so a year then next year they should finally be a legit. playoff contender.
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Orange&Blue says:
Refs find a way screw us every night. Nice of them to block the clearing attempt. That is why there should be 3 officials and not 4. Ruined a great effort from our team.
The morons who run the NHL network failed to mentioned how we dominated Carolina most of the game. They failed to mention that Cam Ward was the reason Carolina did not get blown out. Instead, they focused on one little pass Skinner made for the winning goal. Grabner was the best player on the ice tonight. They failed to mention that too.
Anyone notice the fantastic job our 20 year old sensation, Travis Hamonic, did on Eric Staal? He was all over him. Shut him down! Hamonic will be as important to this team as Tavares.
Any chance Bossy can take the ice with Grabner to give hims some tips on finishing these breakaways? How many goals would Grabner have if he could score on breakaways?
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mike"thesuitcase"sillinger says:
speaking of injuries…is it just me or does it feel like since the rebuild began we’ve lead the nhl in man games lost Is the strength and conditioning coach to blame?..the trainers?..bad luck? I’m counting down the days to next season just as much as the next islander fan but in the back of my mind i’m asking myself who’s gonna be out for half (if not all) of next season due to a unecessary hit in a training camp scrimmage?
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rick says:
I dont understand all the negative talk about Grabs? So he misses a bunch of breakaways, he still has more goals than any other rookie in the league. 2nd in scoring on the isles, 17th in scoring in the NHL, a whopping plus 16rating, all while playing on the 2nd line!!! and makes things happen almost every shift. I just don’t get the complaints.
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Honestly I don’t think tonight is a night to bash the Isles for not being able to hold a lead. Ward’s play might have been the best we have seen an opponent play against the Isles this year. The guy won the game himself. A lot of issues on the last goal, but Martineks clearing attempt hit the ref along the boards and went right back to skinner, as well as Montoya standing waaay to far back in his crease giving him no chance to make that save.
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Frustrated Voter says:
Grabner’s doing just fine. At least he’s getting breakaways. Who was the last Islander that could do that on a consistent nightly basis? He deserves Rookie of the Year consideration.
I agree with #4 – we need a top 4 pick (preferably top three!). Play DiPietro – the Isles need to know what he has left in the tank.
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GlenS says:
By a ref not getting out of the way come on give me a break, thats the reason why the Isles lost tonight. The #1 reason they lost tonight and even the reason the game got to OT in the first place is two reasons.
1) Not being able to Finish
2) CAM WARD end of story -
DRIVE45 says:
A good loss. One more top 4 pick. Need to lose tomorrow. Next year the playoffs with Streit, Niederreiter and Okposo for a full year. And maybe a few free agents thrown in. Montoya and DP in goal with Poulin developing in Bridgeport.
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TimQ says:
With the way they played in the 3rd they didn’t deserve to win. No worries. We’re better off with a good pick. Let DP play out the string!
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Jon in Chicago says:
What does it really matter what DiPietro has left in the tank? He’s only going to get hurt again at some point anyway so you can’t rely on him. He can be very good for stretches but you can’t depend on him to be a No. 1 goalie anymore.
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If Montoya and DP are our goalies next year, this team won’t make the playoffs. Montoya is fundamentally unsound to carry the load of an 82 game schedule.
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Billy the Kid says:
The difference with closing out a game and not rests with just a few players who play soft or nervous most of the time and are exposed when the most pressure is on.
That is Bailey, Gervais, Jurcina. Okposo has also not been what he should be, doing some good things out there but also shaky at times.
And whoever thinks that Grabner SHOULD convert all his breakaways needs to watch the NBA instead of hockey. In the NBA you can slam dunk into an undefended hoop, never miss. Grabner is doing great, his shooting % is almost 15.
Next year Ham & AMac don’t have to be worn down with insane minutes. Streit will be back and maybe a FA #2 so we can protect late leads better. -
Bob Beers says:
Guys: the back line is set for next season. There wil be no free agent signings and I am happy with that. Streit-Eaton / Hammer-AMac / Jurcina-DeHann) with Mottau and Hillen as alternates.
Pretty damn solid if you ask me…..
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If we do anything, it will be signing an elite scorer, (which is high unlikely). Our free agent pick ups will essentially be Nedidereiter & DeHann.
The Parentau signing made this scneariro very likely….
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gary says:
You know, for the first time in many,many years, i see a good base for this team and am looking forward to next season–The kids are developing, we have some that may make the team over the next 2 years and if they are signed things are looking good–I would expect Bridgeport to be stocked with our top propects as they make the next step up and Bridgeport should be a powerhouse in the next couple of years–It seems like this team could be the Chicago of the nhl in short order–Just dont pull a Milbury and trade prospects away–Sign Grabner to 3 years, look up Okposo and sign some of the talent we drafted before they go back into the draft–I see a light at the end of the tunnel for the first time as this team is competitive almost every game and is scoring, which is something we havent had–
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David says:
Some reflections. Montoya looks like a solid NHL goaltender. Tavares looks like the real deal, amazing game tonight. Cant’t wait til Nino (40 goals in the WHL now) and this years 1st round pick arrives, will do this team good. Bailey needs a full season at BPT to learn the game better and get his confidence back. That 3rd line is too weak at the moment. Okposo needs to step up more and try to deliver a pass once in awhile when 2 on 1. Nielsen and Grabner awesome again. Overall good game by the boys, next season looks promising.
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Jack says:
Don’t understand some of you guys. Grabner is one of the few bright spots on this team at +16 29g. JT -16, MM -10, PA -6,Comeau -18, Bailey -11. JT and Comeau have a worse +/- than Bruno.
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BIGSAVE77 says:
Great game overall Grabner’s speed is just amazing in the opportunities it creates. I agree with one of the posts above about Montoya playing too far back in the crease he needs to challenge the shooter more. He did make a bunch of nice stops early on though. Why can’t we clear the zone when we need to? Like I was saying to my buddy the other day win or lose it is good news. I would like a top 5 pick but I also like watching my team compete every night. I can’t wait until next season. That clock idea would be great idea regarding Dipietro’s contract it would be somewhere around 3698 days 22 hours and 11 minutes and 23 seconds.
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Big Van Vader says:
Grabner getting so many breakaways and missing/being stopped is what’s frustrating people. And NO, it’s not as easy as people think to beat guys like Cam Ward every time you get a break in, however I truly believe that if Grabs works on his overall game in the offseason, while focusing on breakaways and his shot specifically, we will see him start to convert one or two more of those PER GAME. What does that translate into my fellow Islander faithful? A (possible) 50 goal scorer. Yes. Seriously. Watch out NHL. We may just have another star in the making. Speed KILLS.
One more top 4 pick and lets not worry about the draft for many years to come after that. I hope.
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Forget the business club, Bossy’s job should be to take kyle and Grabs and work on their shot. Grabs will score 40 goals next year with or without Bossy, but kyle, as much as I love him, really needs to bury a few more of his chances. He needs to work on his release and placement of the puck. When he shoots, he uses his whole body, often ending up on one knee, only to hit the goalie square on the chest.–can’t complain, though, I have really enjoyed watching Islander Hockey for the past 2 months!
My hope for this year: J.T and Grabs meet Moulson in the 30 goal club. We are almost there! What other team has 3 30-goal scorers? -
Jackstar74 says:
Aside from the bad/non-calls by the refs, the passing and skating were atrocious.
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the only bad thing about tavares is that he makes his teammates look like clods.
moulson in the defensive zone is mostly a spectator. 30goals are very nice, but this is the definition of a one-dimensional hockey player.
grabner seemed a little psyched out on the second breakaway when he tried that convoluted move. imo the problem is that he’s a straight-line skater, whereas one-on-one with the goalie you need those body shifts from side to side. plus his hands aren’t that good playing the puck.
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Stumpy32 says:
From my Ranger fan friend after the game:
“The one time I’m rooting for your ****ing suburban team and they blow the ****ing lead.”Kinda makes it worthwhile. Even if we won, we weren’t going anywhere.
Btw, to all those criticizing Grabner for missing on breakaways, the guy has 29 goals. 29! And to the guy who compared him to Claude Lapointe…good lord. Really? Is it that long since the really dark time when the payroll was under $10M and Claudie was relied on to be a main scoring threat? I believe he scored 12 goals that year. Calm down…Grabs is 23, and has 29 goals. I’m pumped to watch him.
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jisles says:
Nino has a knack for scoring in overtime, and even has back to back o.t goals this year. He’s gonna be huge for this team in the future in games like these.
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claude says:
Skinner just took the puck from Martinek on clincher
Ref assisted in tie
Case in point of why you need real veteran leadership,and I ain’t talkin’bout Zenon
If Grabs hands matched legs he Crosby and Stamkos would be slugging it out for Hart
All hail the “Big Cubano” -
93 Miracle says:
Fine with how the islanders played. We know we have 2 soft defensemen that dont play physical in Gervais and Martinek. Both have to go! Ward was the story. Most night it would have been 4-1 Islanders no question asks. It felt like the islanders were up a bunch of goals. From the last 7 min of the 2nd to about 7 min left in the 3rd the islanders had this game ALL they needed was one stinken Goal! but ward came up big. Give him credit, he is an elite goalie, he may even be better then lundqvuist. He has won a stanley cup and conn smyth. He does not get enough credit and he has been hot lately. He shut out buffalo 1-0 on the road a few nights back. Tough Loss(Ot loss) but the effort was there. We need bigger, more phsical defensemen. Would Love to Sign Joni Pitkanen and have him as streit as our top pairing…then We would REALLY be talking.
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MarioGazz says:
Good game, if they bury more chances this team can be scary. On a side note, I worked the game last night in Bridgeport and Aaron Ness looks awesome. Great skater, moves the puck and passes were crisp. He is exactly like Katic. Played 24 minutes and didn’t look out of place once. Will fill everyone in on tonight’s game.
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pete debenedetto says:
Will Bailey’s vanishing act lead to a draft day deal?
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The Pork Chop Express says:
Ward won this game for the Canes. He robbed the isles point blank on many shots. Montoya played well too. His three goals were due to 1. Jurcina leaving his man in front of the net. 2. Frans getting caught up with the ref. 3. Martinek losing the puck in OT.
I hope this offseason Grabs works on his break away skills. This kid could be 40-50 goal scorer. Lets see if we play with the same set of work ethic tonight.
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Dom says:
I’ll give them a pass the remainder of the season, but this garbage of BLOWING LATE LEADS NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED NEXT SEASON. Those games will haunt you late in the season when playoff spots are on the line. ENOUGH ALREADY!!!!!
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#51 93miracle-hate to burst your bubble but you can add hillen and amac to list of soft defensemen we have. Dont mistake thier SMART PLAY for toughness. We have 4 very soft players back there. Most teams ahve about 4 tough D men-we are the total opposite. If there is not an upgrade to tough defense…kiss next season goodbye too.
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mattyboy says:
Channeling Will Ferrell…. “Pucks Mcgee is on Assignment.”
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LouD says:
I’m glad they lost. That means we don’t have to hear anyone tell us the only reason they won was because there’s no pressure on them. Boy how I dread reading that after every win. Hooray for the loss!
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Isles Revamped says:
Quick Thoughts:
1. Cam ward was the difference marker.
2. KO-Frans-Grabs best line of last 15 games.
3. Gabby’s missed breakaways nothing to worry about he will get better with time. 29 goals is no accident.
4. For the free agent signing talks, there are none worth signing extremely thin pool this year.Keys to next season
1. Sign Montoya
2. Improve Team Health
3. Improve Power Play
4. Improve Penalty Kill
5. Build on team toughness.Those five with lead to a 7 or 8 seed next year and may steal a series.
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joe says:
I do believe the play of Montoya and the stellar play of Poulin before the injury will definitely put some pressure on DP to stay healthy and play like a number one overall pick!
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Jakebrake says:
Can we PLEASE stop blaming the refs for every single loss, the refs are human and they make mistakes. This fan base is in serious jeopardy of become the biggest whining, cry babies in the NHL. It’s freaking embarrassing.
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Dr Phil says:
Okposo had the winning goal on his stick and as usual shot it over the net. If the net was 10ft high he would have 80 goals. Grabner is the big steal and surprise of the season. Has a great shot, but on a breakaway I think he is shooting too close in to the goalie. With his shot I feel he should rifle a shot 6-10 feet out. Still think he will reach 35 for his rookie season…..great around the net.
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Honnold says:
I hope Garth throws some $$$ and contract years McDonald’s and Hamonic’s way. These two seem like the unsung heroes of the season. Even so, without the addition of a big physical defenseman (either via 1st rnd draft or free agency) I doubt they make the playoffs next year.
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Isles4cups says:
I really like McDonald and Hamonic! Tavares isn’t the greatest skater, but his hockey smarts and skill are very evident.
The official did play a role in the tying goal, and I think it was Hillen who threw the puck to Martinek in the corner. Martinek had no where to go. I thought Hillen could have done something more than just dish it off to a non-mobile Martinek. I thought Montoya should have come out of his net to challenge the shot from the point? This team is getting more and more fun to watch.
Screw the top 4 draft pick…these kids need to win as many games as possible, it will only help them grow as a team.
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vrinqueens says:
Grabners hands haven’t caught up to his feet yet, he’ll start burying those breakaways as he matures. As for Ricky…. the guy is mush, he’s had a black cloud over him since the day he signed that long term contract.
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D in BIG D says:
Is everyone still on the Okposto bandwagon?I for 1 am not(never was).I don’t want to hear about lockeroom stuff.I wanna see it on the ice.This guy is NOT physical,doesn’t seem to be coordinated enough @ times to get out of his own way.Not to mention 0 scoring touch,questionable skating ability/speed(he’s very easy to backcheck which leads me to question his vision as well).Everyone saying move,Bailey,Comeau,I say if you think that then KO has to @ least be considered in the conversation as well.For the games I now watched the last few in FF tivo mode until a fight or a goal.Brutal is BRUTAL!!Games are starting to matter again and the Isles are fading…AGAIN!
Ward was just on tonight. Im not too upset about tonight. The ref had 2nd assist on goal by Cole or it would have been game over.
I thought isles played great.
Goods news is Carolina gets 2 points and still on rangers tail for that last playoff spot.