May 11, 2013; Uniondale, NY, USA; New York Islanders center John Tavares (91) and Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby (87) shake hands after the overtime period of game six of the first round of the 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Pittsburgh won the game 4-3 and the series 4-2. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

UNIONDALE, NY— The New York Islanders have been eliminated from the 2013 Stanley Cup playoffs with an overtime goal by Brooks Orpik at the 7:49 mark.

New York brought a fiery brand of hockey this evening, and played with as much love and passion as you could ask of a young club. Goals by John Tavares, Colin McDonald, and Michael Grabner were results and reflections of tenacious forechecking and a desire to win.

Pointless an exercise it is at this very moment to say that Evgeni Nabokov let in another set of soft goals, or if Frans Nielsen had lifted his stick just a few inches in the other direction, I’d be writing a completely different wrap up.

The Islanders owned the lead on two separate occasions last night, but two Penguins defensemen found their point shots in the back of New York’s net at critical moments of the game to cause the tie and eventual win.

Nothing to hang one’s head about if you’re the New York Islanders club and/or die-hard fan, for this season proved just how burgeoning and resilient this band of hockey players can and will be.

Do not doubt this team’s bright future: there’s no denying that the Islanders have arrived, and that John Tavares will only be that much more a threat to opposing teams, emerging as the premier forward in the entire NHL for years and years to come. No one is as valuable a player to his organization as this wonderfully talented young man. He deserves the Hart trophy. Hands down.

For the moment, let us enjoy the Sunday after, and by day’s end let us reflect upon the industrious and equally exciting season this team presented to its fans.

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THE DUMP

• Dupuis clips Casey Cizikas on the bottom of his chin, coming dangerously close to his throat; forced to leave the game in the first period
• Brain Strait unable to clear Nabokov’s initial save on a Sidney Crosby scoring attempting, and Jarome Iginla picks up the loose puck and scores the tying goal; the notch is in no way Nabby’s fault, but rather the defensive pair on the ice at the moment: poor backchecking
•  Tying goal seemed to have cooled the Islanders’s shooting attempts as the period comes to a close; aggressive boardwork and skating prowess allow the Isles to still lay claim to the momentum
• The second period saw the Isles as the first team on the PP, and after several wonderful opportunities and an overall frenetic pace to this part of the Isles’s special teams, no goals come of all this effort
• Radek Martinek takes a cross-checking penalty at the 8:40 mark of the second
• Pascal Dupuis ties it up: able to outman Travis Hamonic, and the Penguins forward is able to score his 5^th for the series off a strong pass by hemmed-in Joe Vitale; another goal due to a defensive flub; Nabokov looks sharp even though his defense isn’t
• Islanders had 3 SOG on their 2^nd PP opportunity, but no goals
• Islanders with 1 SOG on their 3^rd PP opportunity, but still cannot close out all their scoring chances
• Paul Martin scores the tying goal with 5 minutes left in the 3^rd, as Frans Nielsen’s stick was in a compromising position and the shot from the point deflects off his stick and in the back of the net
• Islanders fail to close out the game in regulation and are forced to play overtime
• Regulation SOG favor the Isles by a whopping 35 to 19; credit Vokoun with a strong performance
• The Pittsburgh Penguins eliminate the Islanders in OT

THE CHASE

• Frans Nielsen dresses for this evening’s contest, joined by Brock Nelson plays his first NHL playoff game
• Islanders start the matchup with a strong, physical presence, coupled with a jump to their skating, eventually forcing Dan Bylsma to take a timeout within minutes of the period to quell the initial momentum
• Evgeni Nabokov makes a key save early on Brendan Morrow that helps keep the Isles momentum going
• Islanders owning the Neutral Zone once again at the matchup’s onset: Penguins forced to chip and chase for most of the early part of the first period
• Islanders’s first line is relentless on the forecheck: Carkner keeping it deep, and the eventual puck cycling finds John Tavares in front of Tomas Vokoun, the Isles Hart finalist buries it in the net
• Matt Carkner playing some of his best hockey to date: keep pucks deep in the offensive zone, while being diligent on the backcheck, especially along the boards
• Brock Nelson also bringing a much needed edge to the Isles’s physical game: absorbing a check by Letang, only to see the Penguins play bounce off and fall to the ice—an unaffected Nelson skating away
• Islanders are rushing Vokoun’s area, disrupting his view of the point, and making the Penguins netminder pay for loose pucks and generous rebounds
• Islanders doing a good job of keeping Crosby to the outside, forcing him to take perimeter shots for most of the first period
• Michael Grabner finishes his check on Paul Martin deep in the offensive and is able to pass loose puck to Keith Aucoin who quickly shovels it to an open Colin McDonald, and the Isles winger gets his second of the postseason
• Isles finish the first period with 12 SOG to the Penguins 7
• Grabner opens the 2^nd with a nifty shot from just past the blue line; Vokoun juggles the shot and quickly covers up the sloppy rebound
• Islanders get the first PP opportunity of the evening, showing tenacity and creativity, swarming Vokoun’s net
• Penguins get their first shot of the second period at the 8:26 mark
• Casey Cizikas creates a 2 on 1 SH attempt, and if not for a sprawling Evgeni Malkin, the Isles forward may very well have had a notch on the play
• Islanders’ PK unit excellent: 0 SOG for the Penguins on this PP opportunity
• Nabokov makes a late 2^nd period save on Kunitz’s shot dead center in front of his crease, fed by Crosby from behind the net
• 28 to 13 SOG through 2 periods favoring the Islanders
• Islanders start the period with a beautiful goal by Michael Grabner, due to a Vokoun turnover capitalized by Keith Aucoin; taking the early period lead; Aucoin with his first 2 A game of the series

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 FINAL THOUGHTS

• Ken Daneyko says on MSG Hockey Night: “John Tavares is my pick for MVP”
• THE ISLANDER FANS SHOWED TREMENDOUS LOVE AND SUPPORT FOR THIS TEAM, AS THEY IMMEDIATELY CHANTED AND CHEERED ONCE THE GAME WAS OVER. THEY SHOWED THE BOYS THAT NO MATTER WHAT THE FANS, TOO, ARE BACK
• The save of the night: Tomas Vokoun on Radek Martinek late in the third.
• Matt Martin with some sobering commentary: “Not to sound cliché but we’re a family in here.” They played like a band of brothers.
• Those wondering whether or not John Tavares would ‘step up’ his game in the postseason needn’t wonder anymore: 3gs 2As 5pts in 6 games.

In the coming weeks we’ll have a detailed postseason summary, as well as player/team report cards, 2013 draft coverage, and all points in between.

So remember: EYESONISLES will continue bringing you all the news, reports, analysis, and opinions throughout the summer, as we count the days to September 21, as the New York Islanders faceoff against the New Jersey Devils at the Barclays for the first preseason game of the FULL 2013-2014 hockey season.

 See you all very soon. Keep it here on EYESONISLES. And thank you. Thank you for all your support throughout this incredible season.

And to my brothers-in-arms, you guys made watching and writing about hockey absolutely amazing.

–RD

May 9, 2013; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins goalie Tomas Vokoun (92) and New York Islanders center Josh Bailey (12) battle for the puck behind the net during the second period in game five of the first round of the 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs at CONSOL Energy Center. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

PITTSBURGH, PA –  The Pittsburgh Penguins arrived to tonight’s matchup as the more desperate team, and it showed on the scoreboard, as Tomas Vokoun held the Islanders at bay, withstanding 31 shots and garnering the shutout, beating them in the end 4-0.

The game had a completely different outlook come the end of the first, as both teams played at an even-keeled pace and both generating good scoring opportunities and skating well. But the Islanders were the better team then, monopolizing Neutral Zone ice, shrinking the space for Pittsburgh in the process. Evgeni Nabokov showed some poise at the onset, but by the end of the evening, the Isles netminder was riding the bench after another shaky performance.

But in Nabby’s defense I will say that not starting Matt Carkner may have been the determining factor in why the Isles couldn’t find a way back, as his physical presence was in much need this evening.

Vokoun’s performance was adequate, but then again, his life was made a bit too easy as the Islanders never willingly attacked his area as they did with Marc-Andre Fleury. Perhaps the Islanders psyched themselves out into believing that the backup goalie was the Pens’ missing link. But after seeing a wobbly first period, I say that the Isles didn’t apply the necessary pressure needed to truly test Vokoun’s fortitude. They’ll need to simply open the floodgates this Saturday and see where that takes them.

So, the Isles lose big and yet are still in it. Nothing more than a game was lost. The Penguins may feel somewhat relieved by the win, but they shouldn’t think they have the series wrapped up. Not by a long shot.

NEW YORK ISLANDERS at PITTSBURGH PENGUINS

7:oo PM ET, May 9th, 2013

CONSOL Energy Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

THE DUMP

• Islanders are on the receiving end of a weak penalty call early on in the first period: Brian Strait for Interference; referees failed to call the Penguins for a late hit after the whistle is blown to end that same play.
• No shots on net for the Islanders in the first 7 minutes of the first period
• James Neal takes a penalty for shoving Keith Aucoin after the whistle and the PP unit is getting the pucks to the net; Kyle Okposo creates a partial breakaway but nothing comes of it
• Tomas Vokoun is serving up juicy rebounds but the Isles failing to capitalize
• Islanders defense fails to pick up the loose player and a rink-side pass by Kris Letang sets up Tyler Kennedy for the breakaway and the first goal of the game
• Nabokov gives up a soft second goal–1:22 apart from the first: wrist shot from the point by Douglas Murray bounces off the Isles netminder and jumps behind him and lands in the net; without Marc-Andre Fleury to offset Nabokov’s poor play between the pipes, Isles’s deficiencies in said department are glaring beyond compare
• Sidney Crosby undresses two Islander defensemen to score his 3rd of the playoffs; in my opinion, defensemen apprehensive in hitting Crosby for fear of being called for a penalty: not giving the Isles an excuse, just making an observation
• Isles have loosen their grip of the Neutral Zone and the Penguins gaining confidence on both sides of the puck; Pens the better skating and shooting and scoring team this period, up by 3
• Islanders show very little creativity and deliberateness in their play early in the 3rd, failing to pester Vokoun in front
• Matt Martin called for a penalty and the Penguins quickly convert on the PP courtesy of Kris Letang; 4th goal for Pittsburgh; Nabokov pulled for Kevin Poulin
• Another penalty for the Islanders, this time Travis Hamonic midway through the third period
• The Islanders never attacked Vokoun’s space: needs to change if fortunes are to improve for New York

THE CHASE

• Islanders’ Brian Strait gets called for Interference early on in the first period, but the PK, with Radek Martinek leading, does a fine job of killing it off.
• Islanders are the better skating team for the first half of period one: shooting at every opportunity and playing with continued confidence on the forecheck
• Matt Martin is coming up with the big hits, matching those of the Pittsburgh team
• Islanders force the Penguins to chip and chase for most of the first: good, solid Neutral Zone coverage; little ice for the Penguins to skate and set up for shots
• 14 to 7 SOG favoring the Isles at the close of the first, which quieted the crowd and quelling the initial Penguins ‘onslaught’; best part about Isles game thus far, is their Neutral Zone play: snubbing out any Penguin defensive zone breakouts
• Second period opens with the Isles continued temperance, skating strongly and confidently through the Neutral and Offensive zones
• Nabokov had a better start than on previous occasions (before his eventual collapse), not allowing for too many rebounds; fourtnate on an early scoring chance by Jarome Iginla as the puck skirted by the Isles netminder just wide of his left pad
• A win at home and the Isles are right back in it
• Back to back games–Saturday and Sunday–favors the Islanders, who have the fresher and younger legs

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