Kukla's Korner Hockey
What Will The Islanders Look Like Today?
by @DaveDavisHockey on 02/13/11 at 11:22 AM ET
Comments (7)
In their first game since Friday’s goonfest against Pittsburgh, the New York Islanders are in Buffalo today to take on a Sabres team that needs to win in order to end the day within three points of a playoff spot.
It’ll be interesting to see what condition emotionally the Islanders are in today, not far removed from back-to-back nights that featured a nice shootout win in Montreal and an unforgettable team bonding exercise against the Penguins.
The Sabres obviously won’t complain if New York’s balloon deflates and they come out flat, but it would be foolish to expect it. The Islanders, who have already beaten the Sabres twice in the past month, are a close-knit group that at last check still has a talented group of young forwards playing on a team with nothing to lose.
Buffalo’s game plan should center around shutting down John Tavares, who had a 4-point night on Friday and has tallied 3 goals, 3 assists, and 16 shots on goal in three games against the Sabres this season.
Ryan Miller will likely get his 31st consecutive start, and Patrick Kaleta is expected to return to the lineup from injury. The Sabres defeated the Islanders in their only day game played thus far this season, while New York is 3-3-0 in day games.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Buffalo Sabres, New York Islanders | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Buffalo+Sabres, Islanders+Penguins+brawl, John+Tavares, New+York+Islanders, Ryan+Miller,
Comments
Posted by cs6687 on 02/13/11 at 11:42 AM ET
you
Posted by edillac from isolation on 02/13/11 at 01:19 PM ET
They will look like the Joke of a Joke League the NHL is !! in other words look Like a Horribly run franchise from the owner on Down
Posted by Evilpens on 02/13/11 at 01:26 PM ET
Joke of a Joke League the NHL
Is that a double negative meaning that the Isles are the kings and pharaohs?
Posted by Unicorn Force from DC (but like everyone here, I'm not a local) on 02/13/11 at 01:59 PM ET
What the Islanders should do is tank for the first overall player and force the NHL to adopt a lottery system .. oh wait that was already done with Lemieux going to the Pens. Maybe then get a guy like Ulf Samuelsson on their team so that they can teach other players about respect and injuring players within the “parameters” of the game.
After they live off those two glory day Cups, they should tank for a decade, if they aren’t good enough even then, the NHL should create a new form of draft lottery that rewards 5 straight years of ineptitude to bequeath them another star player behind closed doors. Since Ulf worked so well, maybe they can then bring in another player with a history of marginal hits that cause serious injuries like Cooke. If that fails to keep the team going they should go into bankruptcy to force tax payers and gambling addicts to fund a new arena… well that’s not a new idea either is it.
I think this is a pretty decent blueprint for the Islanders to follow and maybe if the Pens keep up with the formula they will eventually win another cup and equal the Islanders.
Posted by hockey1919 from mid-atlantic on 02/14/11 at 12:58 PM ET
Only problem TWAT Waffle is they have a Criminal Owner & a Backup Goalie as a GM !!
Posted by Evilpens on 02/14/11 at 01:11 PM ET
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If the Bruins gave us a blueprint to how a team plays after an emotional, brawl-filled game, then I think one can assume a natural let down.
Additionally, they are on the road, playing a surging Sabres team that seems to be the only fringe team that actually wants to be in the post-season. Buffalo has won ten out of 14. Ironically, two of the four losses have come at the hands of the Islanders. Still, I see an Islanders let down and the Sabres grabbing two points.
Posted by Unicorn Force from DC (but like everyone here, I'm not a local) on 02/13/11 at 12:33 PM ET