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.