New York Islanders Defeat the Ottawa Senators 3-2

Another day, another ‘W’ for the New York Islanders as they earn a 3-2 overtime victory over the Ottawa Senators at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum. This is what the game looked like from section 304:

• That game as uninteresting as a sudden death victory can get.
• Despite out-shooting the Senators, the Isles stole one tonight. The Sens were the better team for the majority of the game and they deserved the two points.
• Good teams find a way to win games, even when they aren’t their best, and lesser teams find ways to lose.
• Thomas Hickey had his best game of the season so far. The game winner certainly helps in that assessment, but playing a larger role due to injuries, he really stepped up.
• Brock Nelson is turning into one of the game’s great opportunists. In that regard he reminds me of Matt Moulson, but with more ability. His breakaway was the result of a broken play, but he buried his chance and got the Isles going.
• Jaroslav Halak did not give the team the type of lights out performance that earned him the NHL’s first star of the week last week, but he did enough to earn his tenth straight victory, tying an Islanders record which he now shares with Billy Smith. Apparently that Smith guy was pretty good.
• Ryan Strome was the best player on the ice tonight for the Isles, but he should have capitalized on a golden opportunity in the first. Credit to Craig Anderson, but Strome has to convert that chance.
• The Senators, even when they control the game, are an underwhelming team to watch. Erik Karlsson is special, but if he and Anderson don’t dominate the game, they aren’t going to be all that effective.
• The fill-in D-men played terrific tonight. Brian Strait and Matt Donovan did all anyone could ask of them. They aren’t going to wow you, but they did their jobs.
• More reinforcements may be needed though, as Travis Hamonic and Cal Clutterbuck both suffered injuries in tonight’s game.

We get to do this all over again on Thursday night in Ottawa on Daniel Alfredsson night in Canada’s capital. I expect another fun one.