Eyes On Isles
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Snap Shots: New York Islanders @ Philadelphia Flyers – 1/18/14

By Rich Dias-Rodrigues

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

New York Islanders (19-23-7, 45pts) @ Philadelphia Flyers (24-19-5, 53pts)

Wells Fargo Center

7:00 PM

Islanders (4) – Flyers (6)

SOG: 32-29 Flyers

Starting Lineup

26 Thomas Vanek – 91 John Tavares –21 Kyle Okposo
12 Josh Bailey – 51 Frans Nielsen – 15 Cal Clutterbuck
40 Michael Grabner– 29 Brock Nelson — 13 Colin McDonald
36 Eric Boulton – 53 Casey Cizikas– 17 Matt Martin

37 Brian Strait – 47 Andrew MacDonald
44 Calvin de Haan – 14 Thomas Hickey
46 Matt Donovan – 7 Matt Carkner

60 Kevin Poulin

Notable Scratches: Evgeni Nabokov (IR), Travis Hamonic (Upper Body)

Game Summary

First Period: Decent pace, with some nice back and forth from both teams, but 4:00 in Flyers keep the Islanders hemmed in for a spell. Josh Bailey shooting on net from right off the mark, and Matt Donovan showing some aggressive play on both sides of the puck. Physicality picks up as Hartnell begins annoying John Tavares inside the Flyers zone. Both teams continuing their ebb and flow, as very little in the way of set plays are established by either side. John Tavares and the first line, which owned most of the momentum from any of the lines on the ice thus far, for either team, puts the Islanders on the board. Kyle Okposo created a turnover from behind Mason’s net, and Thomas Vanek scoops up the loose puck and shovels it to an awaiting John Tavares in front of the Flyers net. Islanders with the better skating legs through the midway point of the period. Michael Grabner leads a 3-on-1 against Mark Streit, but loses the handle and clanks the puck off the Flyers’ net. Islanders, Eric Boutlon called for a penalty and the Isles called for their first penalty. But Cal Clutterbuck, off a Frans Nielsen breakout pass, scores another SHG for the Islanders this season, giving New York an early 2-goal lead. The Flyers get one back as Kevin Poulin lets in a bad goal off a Meszaros wrist shot from a poor angle slides in via the 5-hole; terrible goal to be let in. Scrap between Boulton and Jay Rosehill adds to the level of physicality slowly surmounting. Meszaros ties it with a keen fake from the point, beating Clutterbuck, sneaks into the slot and beats Poulin to tie it up.  SOG 12-6 Islanders

Point of Interest: Flyers have given up 8 SHG this season. Clutterbuck with his 3 SHG of the season; Thomas Hickey has only played 10:00 through 2 periods.

Second Period:  Mark Streit catches Kevin Poulin too far back in his own net, and what seemed like a harmless wristshot, instead goes in on a deflection from Adam Hall, giving the Flyers their first lead of the night. After Eric Boulton is spilled into the boards while playing through the NZ, a skirmish ensues that sends the Isles onto the PP. Controversy ensued as a John Tavares goal is waved off, as the Zebras call foul as Thomas Vanek was supposedly intefering with Mason inside the Flyers crease. Midway point overshadowed by terrible missed calls, a NO-GOAL, and some aggressive play from the Isles. But the motivation most certainly derived from the referee miscues, helps with the Isles momentum uptick. And a Calvin de Haan point shot is deflected in front by Brock Nelson as the Isles’ PP expired. The Isles with the foot on the pedal in the last 8:00 of the period. Not too long after, the 3rd line on for another + as Brian Strait shoots a laser past Mason’s left side–a blast from the point–giving the Isles the lead again. Thanks Michael Grabner for a wonderful cross ice pass on Strait’s tape. Immediately thereafter, Isles chase Mason. Kevin Poulin has looked shaky all night long, more so than Mason. But Mason leaves first, as a means of changing the Flyers luck, one is to assume.  Islanders with their strongest period thus far: intensity beyond compare. SOG 12-9 Islanders

Point of Interest: Islanders match their SOG totals from the first frame at 12; Isles are losing FO battle: 28 to 16

Third Period:  Summary after 5:00: Isles with most of the momentum, but Flyers beginning to pinch and finding the slot more often. Isles with the better skating legs thus far, but no SOG yet. But at the 7:00 mark, a frenzied attack by the Flyers, followed by a tic-tac passing show, finds Claude Giroux burying the puck for the tying goal. Isles without a SOG through 8:00. Isles go on the PP immediately thereafter, but they cannot set up properly–nothing doing. New York has not had a shot through 11:00 of play. Flyers and Michael Raffel catch Kevin Poulin and the Isles defensive sleeping and out of position, and the Flyers take the lead again, as the Islanders have no answer to the Philly onslaught this period. All of New York’s hard-work from the 2nd period completely undone this period. An absolutely terrible loss, but if you’ve been following this team long enough, you’ll know that these types of losses to the Flyers are commonplace. Snakebitten much?  SOG 14-2 Flyers

Point of Interest: No SOG through over 10:00+ of play. Dreadful forecheck from the Islanders. 

Box Score

Goals

1st Period

  • John Tavares (22). Assists: Kyle Okposo, Thomas Vanek. (7:43) 1-0 Islanders 
  • Cal Clutterbuck (7) SHG. Assists: Frans Nielsen. (11:54). 2-0 Islanders
  • Andrej Meszaros (3). Unassisted. (14:43). 2-1 Islanders
  • Andrej Mesazaros (4). Assists: Scott Hartnell, Wayne Simmonds. (18:38) 2-2

2nd Period

  • Adam Hall (2). Assists: Mark Streit. 3-2 Flyers 
  • Brock Nelson (7) Assists: Calvin de Haan, Josh Bailey.  (11:05). 3-3
  • Brian Strait (3). Assists: Michael Grabner*, Brock Nelson.  (14:00) 4-3 Islanders

3rd Period

Penalties

1st Period

  • Eric Boulton. Tripping. (11:36)
  • Eric Boulton & Jay Rosehill. Fighting. (15:24)
  • Matt Donovan. High-Sticking. (19:13)

2nd Period

3rd Period

  •  Andrej Mesazaros. Delay of Game. (8:19)

 

Turning Point

  • The Jakub Voracek tying goal.

What’s Ahead

The Islanders go back to Uniondale to face these same Flyers for a Monday matinee.

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