Top Shelf : Islanders Daily : 5/20/2013

May 11, 2013; Uniondale, NY, USA; New York Islanders right wing

(13) plays the puck in front of Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman

(58) during the second period of game six of the first round of the 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Middletown, N. J. – The NHL playoffs are heating up as we continue to move through the second round and whittle the field to the final four. Coming up today is another fan retrospective this afternoon in response to our request on Facebook.

This week plans will be finalized in terms of our end of season recap, along with team and individual player report cards leading ahead to the NHL draft next month in Newark.

Links

• A personal video thank you from EyesOnIsles as our facebook page continues to soar
• Nino and the Swiss finish second at the World Championship
• Rant Sports on the increased expectations now placed on Kyle Okposo
• The Courier Post defends his awards ballot

Around The Twitter-Sphere

• This point is getting beaten into the ground each and every time we see another goalie make a huge save for their team. But the reality is correct that Nabokov was not nearly good enough to win a playoff round this year.

• I get that same feeling when I look at Jason Spezza. The infamous Milbury years however are quickly being erased by the entusiam that the current club is generating and I can guarantee that Garth Snow will not repeat history.

• Prority number one in my mind this off-season for the Isles is to figure out their goaltending situation. It was a question mark to end the season and remains one today.

• I think the holdup with Streit is term. He and his agent wanted to, and were pretty adamant about, a three year term. That is something that makes most Isles fans cringe.

Around The NHL

• The New York Rangers showed some life on offense and had numerous shifts working the Boston Bruins defense on the afternoon but uncharacteristically  it was their defense that failed to show up in the 5-2 loss.  For the second straight series, New York is down 0-2 heading back to Madison Square Garden for game three on Tuesday night. Henrik Lundqvist allowed five goals for the first time in almost two years on 32 shots and injured his shoulder late in the contest. He is set to be evaluated today.
• The Ottawa Senators took the Pittsburgh Penguins to some overtime last night. Two as a matter of fact before finally clawing their way back into their series, winning 2-1 to cut the Pens series lead in half. The game featured only three goals on 98 shots as Tomas Vokoun and especially Craig Anderson were brilliant. Anderson found his game just in time, stoning the vaunted Pens power play on a 5 on 3 to start the second period. Colin Greening would net the winner seven minutes into the second OT on a backhand.

Here is a look at the double OT winner….

Superb effort and finish by the Rangers captain..

-AG