Snap Shots: Islanders Vs Devils — 12/28/13

Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Welcome to Snap Shots, our condensed post-game recap of the New York Islanders latest NHL matchup

New York Islanders (11-20-7, 29 points) Vs New Jersey Devils (15-16-8, 38 points)

Nassau Veteran’s Memorial Coliseum, Uniondale, NY

7:00pm EST    

Islanders 1  – Devils 2 

Starting Lineup

26 Thomas Vanek – 29 Brock Nelson – 21 Kyle Okposo
40 Michael Grabner – 51 Frans Nielsen – 12 Josh Bailey
16 Peter Regin – 18 Ryan Strome – 15 Cal Clutterbuck
17 Matt Martin – 53 Casey Cizikas – 13 Colin McDonald

47 Andrew MacDonald – 14 Thomas Hickey
44 Calvin de Haan – 3 Travis Hamonic
7 Matt Carkner – 37 Brian Strait

20 Evgeni Nabokov
60 Kevin Poulin

Scratches: 36 Eric Boulton, 91 John Tavares

Game Summary

First Period: Matt Carkner and Ryan Clowe set the tone early on with coincidental fighting majors.  Adam Henrique broke the scoreless tie for the Devils twelve minutes into the period. The Isles, outshot 8-4 through twelve and a half minutes, took over the play and rattled off five straight over four minutes, in addition to throwing six straight hits at the Devils. Andrew MacDonald led all Isles skaters with 8:03 of ice time. SOG NYI 9 NJD 8.

Second Period:  Matt Martin took the first shot of the frame, nearly four minutes in. The Devils drew the first power play of the game on a Cal Clutterbuck hooking penalty, failing to score and registering just one shot on goal. The Isles got their first attempt with the man advantage just seconds after killing off their own penalty but fared no better. They went back to the power play in the dying minutes of the period but again failed to get on the scoreboard. SOG NYI 8 NJD 6.

Third Period:   The Isles started with 14 seconds remaining on their power play, and came out like gangbusters, outshooting the Devils 4-1 through two minutes of play. By the seven minute mark the Isles were pressing the attack, outshooting the Devils by a wide margin of 9-1. The pressure finally paid off near the midway point of the frame as Frans Nielsen ripped his 13th of the year past Devils netminder Cory Schneider to tie the score at one apiece. Less than three minutes later they allowed the Devils to retake the lead on a Travis Zajac goal. The Isles had another turn on the power play with just over four minutes to play but once again were unable to convert, and ended the game down by a goal.  SOG NYI 14 NJD 11.

Statistics

Goals

1st Period

11:37 NJD  Adam Henrique (8) Backhand – ASST: Reid Boucher (3), Michael Ryder (7)  1-0 NJD

2nd Period

None

3rd Period

10:31 NYI  Frans Nielsen (13) Wrist shot – ASST: Kyle Okposo (21), Thomas Vanek (14)  1-1

13:03 NJD  Travis Zajac (7) Deflected – ASST: Marek Zidlicky (14), Jaromir Jagr (21) 2-1 NJD

Penalties

1st Period

1st 05:44 NJD  Ryane Clowe Fighting against Matt Carkner

1st 05:44 NYI  Matt Carkner Fighting against Ryane Clowe

2nd Period

2nd 05:46 NYI  Cal Clutterbuck Hooking against Michael Ryder

2nd 08:02 NJD  Jonathon Merrill Holding against Andrew MacDonald

2nd  18:12 NJD  Marek Zidlicky Holding against Ryan Strome

3rd Period

3rd  16:32 NJD  Mark Fayne Tripping against Frans Nielsen

Shots On Goal

Isles 31 – Devils 25

Turning Point

The Isles played with strong determination through the first half of the third period, but a lapse of discipline, and failure to maintain the pressure that had allowed the Isles to tie the game, gave the lead right back to the Devils mere minutes later.

What’s Ahead

A short two-game road trip commences tomorrow night in Minnesota in their first matchup of the season against the 20-15-5 Wild. Then on to Boston on Tuesday for a New Year’s Eve tilt against the Atlantic Division-leading Bruins (26-10-2), also for the first time this season.